Day: February 26, 2024

Accra: ActionAid Ghana (AAG), an international Non-governmental Organisation, has reiterated its commitment and dedication towards the fight against poverty in Ghana by building a more informed citizenry through empowerment to demand accountability from duty bearers.

‘We recommit and rededicate our efforts towards fighting poverty not only in the Upper West Region but ensuring that we are working with the government to deliver development opportunities such as quality education and access to gender friendly educational infrastructure…,’ Mr John Nkaw, the Country Director of ActionAid Ghana, said.

‘Research points to the fact that where you have an active citizenry holding their elected officials accountable, they will minimise the incidences of corruption and promote transparency to enhance governance.’

He said this in Wa during a workshop to disseminate AAG’s 2023-2028 Country Strategy Paper (CSP) VII, dubbed: ‘Active Citizenship for Social Justice’.

The CSP VII, which drew lessons from the implemen
tation of the CSP VI, seeks to direct the activities of the organisation towards achieving its mandate of promoting social justice, gender equality, and poverty eradication in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

It is being implemented around three strategic priorities (SPs) – Green Economy and Resilient Livelihoods, Women’s Rights and Decent Work, and Active Citizenship, Accountability and Gender Responsive Public Services – with each SP having five focused areas.

The AAG started operating in Ghana some 30 years ago working to improve educational infrastructure to support the then three regions of the north in partnership with ActionAid UK.

It, however, realised that service delivery alone could not lead to a sustainable fight against poverty, hence the need to empower the people, particularly the youth, to become active citizens to demand accountability from duty bearers and ensure transparency in the country’s governance system, Mr Nkaw said.

The launch of the CSP VII, he said, sho
uld be a clarion call on all stakeholders to join forces to promote social justice, and gender equality, and eradicate poverty.

Mr Nkaw encouraged the participants to promote the CSP VII goals to create a just and resilient Ghana offering equal development opportunities for all citizens.

He gave the assurance that they would continue to work with partners such as the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) and young people to promote women’s rights and the youth’s active participation in the decision-making process.

Madam Charity Batuure, the Upper West Regional Director of the Department of Gender, commended AAG for its reliability when it came to gender issues.

The AAG had supported the Department by the establishment of a shelter for survivors of Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV) in Wa, she said and looked forward to having more collaborations and engagements with ActionAid Ghana to enhance its service provision.

Madam Batuure said the SPs were all geared towards addressing gend
er-related issues, which were laudable.

Mr Sebastian K. Ziem, a Chief Investigator at the Upper West Regional Office of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), noted that AAG’s mandate was in line with the Commission’s and would continue to collaborate in the execution of those mandates towards the protection of people’s right, especially the young ones.

Representatives from the Ghana Education Service, Heads of Department, development partners, Activista, and the Young Urban Women Movement among others attended the workshop.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra: A Migration conference to create the platform for fair dialogue for citizens, researchers and stakeholders has been held in Accra.

The two-day conference, on the theme: ‘Rebalancing the Views on Migration Narratives,’ is to seek redress to the imbalances in the global migration narrative.

International organisations, the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), researchers, stakeholders, donors, representatives of migrants’ associations, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) working on migration-related issues participated.

The conference created an opportunity fair platform for stakeholders to move beyond the usual migration issues bordering on restrictive and abusive border controls, to talk about equal partnerships where excess skills that may not be needed could be exported in exchange of those of high demand by the sending countries.

The Migration Dialogue formed part of the Opportunities Project being undertaken by the Centre for Migration Studie
s (CMS), University of Ghana, Legon with funding from the European Commission.

Professor Mary Boatemaa Setrana, the Director of CMS, said the University of Ghana’s Centre for Migration Studies was one of the nine consortium members of the Opportunities Project.

She said the project aimed at bringing together migrants, citizens and locals, national and regional stakeholders from Africa and Europe to dialogue on migration issues that could benefit the immigrants, their country of origin and the destination countries too.

‘This dialogue is deliberative where members are expected to listen and create shared narratives of migration. I am particularly hopeful that the voices of Africans, especially our youth and women would be articulated,’ she added.

Prof. Daniel Ofori, the Provost of the College of Humanities, University of Ghana, said the Accra dialogue would also integrate knowledge and experiences from diverse African stakeholders, as they all worked towards enhancing migration opportunities and redu
cing the challenges thereof.

He said human mobility had been part of the African migration history, with cultural records of their consistent movement.

Despite the recent challenges in the West African sub-region, in places like Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, the ECOWAS free movement protocol had facilitated mobility across the region, he said.

Beyond ECOWAS, the Schengen Area visa is another test case challenging border control conventions and such free movements had facilitated trade, labour mobility and other forms of development that cannot be underestimated.

Prof. Ofori said the theme for the conference was timely as there was growing need to re-examine the narratives on migration globally, since those were often cast in ‘Manichean dualism of a desperate African migrant, seeking greener pastures and a good white migrant bringing economic relief’.

However, he said he was confident that the conference would delve into fair dialogue to address such imbalances in global migration narratives to e
nsure that the right to mobility was given its real meaning within the context of rebalancing the migration stories and policies.

Mr Michel Debruyne, the Coordinator of Opportunities General, emphasised the need to give voice to others to talk freely about migration and how to change the narratives to benefit all.

He said the use of life stories on migration and reintegration to educate communities was key in changing the negative narratives, focusing the contributions of these persons to national development.

Ms Sylvia Tizzi, the Programme Officer in-charge of Migration and Youth Governance at the European Union, said migration and mobility was a vital tool for development and called for strong links between the academic institutions and students, to research into how the topic could be harnessed to open communities and ensure development.

Mr Isaac Owusu Mensah, the Deputy Comptroller of Immigration, said continuous education and awareness creation on the contributions of migrants to socio-cultural
and economic development would promote an inclusive society.

Mr Collins Yeboah, the Return and Reintegration Officer, IOM-Ghana, said so far, they had received 999 returnees and supported over 400 of them with business opportunities.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra: The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) marked this year’s Mother Language Day with a special reading session at the 31st Makola Market.

It was to celebrate linguistic diversity and promote the importance of preserving the mother tongue.

The event was under the theme: ‘Reading to Connect Minds for Social Transformation’ and aimed at rekindling the habit of reading in the local dialects to promote intercultural connections.

The Day is observed annually on February 21 after it was proclaimed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1999 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism worldwide.

It focuses on the promotion of capital languages (for instance the Ga language in Accra) in various countries.

During the reading sessions, volunteers, including traders, community members and the Mayor of Accra, read aloud passages from literary works, poems, and folktales in the Ga and Akan languages.

Madam Elizabeth Kwatsoe Tawiah Sackey, Chief Exe
cutive Officer, AMA, at the opening ceremony, said language was not just a means of communication; but a repository of knowledge, identity, and traditions.

She said language had an intrinsic value and pivotal role to play in preserving cultural heritage in the City.

Madam Sackey said the event formed part of activities by the AMA to promote the Accra World Book Capital, adding that the AMA was committed to promoting mother languages among residents of Accra.

She urged the Ghana Education Service (GES), Ghana School of Languages and religious bodies to play a major role in pushing the agenda of promoting local languages to preserve the country’s cultural identity.

‘I encourage you, our market women and traders to help save the Ghanaian languages from going into extinction by teaching your children how to read and speak with them at home,’ Madam Sackey said.

Madam Mercy Naa Afrowa Needjan, President of the Greater Accra Market Association, commended the decision to celebrate this year’s event in the market
and affirmed their commitment to preserving linguistic heritage for future generations.

She said the Association would continue to support initiatives that promoted multilingualism and cultural exchanges in Accra, adding that the event would promote reading among traders.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra: Mr Yaw Dankwah,the defence counsel in the murder case of former MP for Abuakwa North, says Daniel Asiedu, the first accused person, did not kill the former legislator.

He alleged that the former MP was killed by three police impersonators, who visited the home of the deceased.

The counsel claimed the impersonators after committing the heinous crime vanished into thin air.

He said that was confirmed by the evidence of one Apraku, the security guard who reported the matter to the police via phone calls.

The counsel argued that the late MP was tall and well built and that Asiedu could not overpower him.

‘It was the three impersonating officers who overpowered the MP and killed him at his residence … Asiedu cannot overpower the MP physically.

‘Your story suggesting that it was Daniel Asiedu who killed the MP was a fabrication and full of lies.’

However, ASP Augustine Nkrumah, the case investigator answering questions before the court, said it was Daniel Asiedu the first accused person, who k
illed the former MP.

According to the investigator, Asiedu was ‘a terrible person’ and capable of killing the man.

The case investigator took the court through how some weapons used in committing the crime were retrieved from Asiedu.

He also told the court how a T-shirt and a handkerchief all soaked with blood and a knife were found at the scene and Asiedu admitted that those items were for him.

ASP Nkrumah said Asiedu’s girlfriend, one Janet Kyeraa, also confirmed to the police that the T-shirt and handkerchief belonged to Aseidu.

The investigator said Janet Kyeraa also informed the Police that Asiedu after the incident gave her a knife stained with blood to clean.

The investigator told the court Asiedu’s slippers were also retrieved from the crime scene and Aseidu also identified a catapult and cutter found at the scene.

‘During investigations the knife Asiedu used in stabbing the deceased to death was traced to Asiedu’s room at Agbogbloshie in Accra.

‘When the knife was shown to the first a
ccused person (Asiedu) he admitted to having used that knife on the deceased. Asiedu said he was held by the deceased and he left him helpless in his room,’ ASP Nkrumah.

The case investigator said, in the deceased’s room, Asiedu asked for forgiveness for the offence he had committed.

The investigator told the court that Asiedu demonstrated to the investigation team how he went to the crime scene and how he perpetrated the crime.

‘My Lord, the exhibits found in the deceased room, Asiedu admitted sending them there.’

Daniel Asiedu is standing trial for his involvement in the murder of a former MP for Abuakwa North, J.B Danquah Adu at his residence in February 2016.

He has been charged with murder and robbery.

Asiedu is jointly being held for allegedly conspiring with Vincent Bossu to rob the MP.

They have denied the charges before a seven-member jury.

The court presided over by Mrs. Justice Lydia Osei Marfo has remanded the accused persons to reappear on February 28, 2024

Source: Ghana News A
gency

Accra: Residents of Jedua-Kese, a farming community in the Amenfi Central District of the Western Region, have expressed concern over the poor state of infrastructure in the community.

Nana Kofi Yeboah II, the community chief, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview that the area lacked some basic social amenities to improve the socio-economic wellbeing of the people.

The roads linking other towns and communities like Agona Amenfi, Ankaasie, Wratrem, Juabo and Jukwaa had become very bad making commuting within those areas difficult, which needed serious repairs, he said.

‘When it gets so bad, we normally use communal labour to fix the stretch that links us to Wassa Akropong,’ Nana Yeboah.

He said there were some broken down culverts on the stretch and the dust posed serious health hazards to residents.

‘The poor nature of the road results in motor accidents, which lead to loss of lives through motor accidents,’ he said.

Nana Yeboah said one of the classrooms of the only Junior High School in th
e community had collapsed with students currently learning in the dilapidated structure.

The situation was negatively affecting teaching and learning, while posing threats to the health of students and teachers, he said.

‘Through a self-help project, we are constructing a three-unit classroom block where the District Chief Executive has supported us with 100 bags of cement, and the Member of Parliament also assisting with 50 bags of cement and 20 packets of roofing sheets, but we need extra supports to complete the school block for the students,’ the chief said.

The community also lacked a well-resourced health care facility ‘as the CHIP Compound we have here is at the residence of our former Assembly Member with his family,’ he said.

‘This does not help to promote quality health care delivery in the community’.

He, therefore, appealed to the Government through the Amenfi Central District Assembly to go to their aid and help to resolve all the infrastructural challenges to improve the living standards of
the people.

Source: Ghana News Agency