Day: May 7, 2023

Journalists have been encouraged to intensify conversation and advocacy around issues of access to decent work principles and social protection schemes to promote inclusive development.

Ms Esther Ohenewaa Brown, the Communications Manager of ActionAid Ghana, a Non-Governmental Organisation, who made the call urged journalists to mainstream such issues into their work and engage stakeholders especially duty bearers to account for the implementation of their programmes.

This, she said, would help to ensure the vulnerable, particularly rural smallholder farmers, had access to decent work and social protection schemes to help strengthen their livelihoods and rights and help them to live dignified lives.

Ms Brown was speaking on the sidelines of a two-day media training workshop on decent work principles and social protection schemes, organised for selected journalists from the Upper East Region and held in Bolgatanga.

It was organised by ActionAid Ghana as part of the implementation of the Northern Ghana Integrated Project and funded by the European Union, to improve the journalists’ knowledge on decent work principles and existing social protection schemes in Ghana.

The training was meant to equip the journalists with knowledge and skills to raise awareness and advocate for the expansion of social protection schemes such as the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), the National Health Insurance Scheme and School Feeding Programme among others, to cover more rural communities

It was to also build the capacity of journalists to influence government policies on decent work at the local assembly and national level, to develop a clear roadmap for the enforcement of decent work principles in the agriculture sector.

The Communications Manager noted that series of research conducted by ActionAid Ghana had revealed that many smallholder farmers particularly women did not have decent work and those engaged by agribusinesses did not have contracts and any level of social security.

‘So, if something should happen to them, these people have nothing to fall on, they do not have any proper retirement packages, if they should fall sick, there is no safety net, but these people have dependents,’ she lamented.

She said the emergence of the COVID-19 had further accelerated the vulnerability of people especially smallholder farmers compelling them to accept jobs without any security and underscored the need to address the challenges they faced to ensure decency at work.

Ms Brown observed that some of the existing social protection schemes such as the LEAP, NHIS, school feeding programme and access to financing for women among others were not benefiting the vulnerable in some cases but rather those who were politically connected.

‘Our advocacy is that we need to look for ways and means that the institutions that are mandated to deliver these public services do the targeting right and not give it to people who are not supposed to be given and we need the media who have the platform to support this advocacy,’ she said.

Dr Eliasu Mumuni, the Vice Dean, Faculty of Communication and Media Studies at the University for Development Studies, noted that smallholder farmers particularly women contributed significantly to the economy but faced numerous challenges.

He said it was imperative for journalists to appreciate those challenges and prioritise them in their work in order to ensure that issues affecting vulnerable communities were addressed for sustainable development.

Mr Sulemana Alhassan, the Upper East Regional Manager of ActionAid Ghana reiterated the commitment of ActionAid to contributing to developing rural communities and urged the media to support their efforts.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Some residents in the Ketu South Municipality of the Volta Region have complained about alleged harassment by some Togolese border security personnel.

The residents say the security personnel have in recent times deployed measures that make it difficult to freely cross into Lome, the capital of neighboring Togo.

The residents told the Ghana News Agency, at Aflao, that they were very frustrated by development.

‘Togolese border security officers are making life difficult for the people living in the border community, and more especially, the businessmen and women, who use that entry point for their activities daily,’ one of the residents complained.

Ms Cynthia Henyo, a resident and trader, said: ‘These people are not treating us well at all – we used to cross the border each day without any problems, but nowadays they are not cooperating at all.

‘I mean the Togolese side – sometimes you are asked to pay something small and are allowed to cross, but in the last couple of days, you cannot cross at all.

‘This situation is taking a toll on those of us who rely on trading at ‘Asigame’ (the Lome- Big Market) to make ends meet – it is not just those of us living in Aflao and surrounding communities, other people from Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi are all stranded here unable to cross.’

She appealed to the authorities to intervene in finding a solution to the development.

‘As you can see for yourself, everyone seems to be stranded. Nobody is going any further, especially, we, the Ghanaians. The Togolese and other nationals are allowed to cross except Ghanaians and we cannot just understand – our big men must quickly do something about this,’ Ms Henyo said.

Mr Joshua Norsah, a security analyst the GNA spoke to, decried the development, and described it as’ ‘worrying’.

‘What is happening at the border now has nothing to do with the Ghana Immigration Service, but with the Togolese police at the border, who are preventing the free passage of people, especially our Ghanaian brothers and sisters,’ he said.

Mr Norsah added that: ‘The deprivation and repressions at that side of the border, sometimes makes you wonder, what they are looking for – because they do it more than necessary.’

He observed that the Togolese security at the Aflao border no longer recognised Ghanaians and their identify cards.

He questioned the importance of the ECOWAS Treaty legitimising the Free Movement of Persons, Goods and Services across the common borders within ECOWAS member states.

‘How can you pay 2000 CFA, which is GHS 40, before you are allowed to cross the border – When you are returning, you pay the same, that is even when you have the Ghana Card,’ he wondered.

The GNA took walked along the border and saw many people, mostly Ghanaian traders and businesspeople, stranded.

Some were Accra, Takoradi and Kumasi, all expressing their frustration.

Meanwhile, Mr Maxwell Kofi Lugudor, the Municipal Chief Executive of Ketu South, and chairman of the Municipal Security Council (MUSEC), told the GNA that his attention had been drawn to the development and preliminary findings confirmed some of the concerns raised by the residents.

He said he was informed that the situation was not so until a couple of days ago.

It was attributed to an ongoing voter registration exercise in the neighbouring country, which was expected to end on Sunday, May 7.

Mr Lugudor appealed to the residents to remain calm as MUSEC was working to ensure that the issue was resolved amicably in the interest of the peace and security of both countries.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mohammed Ismail Sharrif, popularly known as Black Sherif, was adjudged Artiste of the Year at the 24th edition of the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMAs).

It was a big night for Black Sherif, as he picked up the coveted award on the night, beating off competition from Stonebwoy, Sarkodie, Joe Mettle, King Promise, Camidoh, and Piesie Esther.

Black Sherif also picked the Most Popular Song of the Year with the global hit single ‘Kweku the Traveller,’ having also won the Best Hip-Hop Song with the same song.

He also won the Best Music Video of the Year with his ‘Konogo Zongo’ hit song.

After picking up the award, Black Sherif was elated with his new milestone and dedicated the award to his mother, father, family, and the people of Konogo Zongo, where he hails from.

He also announced the release of a new Extended Play (EP) scheduled for June 22, 2023.

Black Sherif was one of the top performers on the biggest night of Ghanaian music, dazzling the crowd with some energetic performances.

Source: Ghana News Agency

An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced a 60-year-old security man to 24 years imprisonment for having sex with a six year old girl.

Osman Monnie charged with defilement, pleaded guilty.

The court presided over by Mrs Christina Cann, convicted Monnie on his own plea.

Prosecution led by Superintendent of Police Agnes Boafo prayed the court to hand down the maximum sentence as the victim in the case could be the accused person’s granddaughter.

Supt. Boafo noted that despite the screaming and weeping of the victim, Monnie went ahead to defile the victim.

She therefore prayed the court to give the accused person a severe and deterrent sentence

The accused person who is married with three children could not tell the court why he chose to defile the minor.

The case as narrated by the Prosecution is that the complainant is a cleaner residing at North Kaneshie, Industrial Area with the victim.

It said the accused now convict, resided at Kasoa with his wife and children but worked as a security guard at Industrial Area,Kaneshie on Accra.

Prosecution said Monnie was to close to where the complainant resided and he used to play with the victim for about a year now.

On March 17, this year, Monnie had sexual intercourse with the victim and an anonymous person vidoed the sexual act between the victim and the convict.

Prosecution said on March 20, 2023, at about 1:00pm, the complainant saw the video which Monnie was having sex with the victim.

It said the complainant interviewed the victim and she narrated how Monnie had sex with her.

Prosecution said the victim indicated to the complainant that, that was not the first time Monnie had defiled her.

It said the complainant reported the matter to Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service at Kaneshie and a police medical report form was issued to the complainant to seek medical care for the victim.

The Prosecution said when the medical form was returned to the Police, it confirmed that the victim had been defiled.

It said Monnie was quickly picked up by the Police.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mogadishu, Somalia, The Federal Government of Somalia has successfully repatriated 137 citizens who had fled the war in Sudan.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, along with the Office of the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia in charge of immigration, welcomed 73 individuals to Mogadishu and 64 to Garowe.

Hamza Aden Hadow, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reported to SONNA on the successful repatriation and stated that the Somali government has intensified its efforts to bring back its citizens displaced in Sudan and neighboring countries.

Source: Somali National News Agency

Mogadishu, The Governor and the Mayor of Mogadishu, H.E Yusuf Hussein Jim’ale (Madale) received in his office the Deputy Representative of the United Nation’s Secretary General to Somalia, Mrs. Kiki Gbeho.

The Governor and the Deputy Representative discussed several issues including the general security of the country, the successes against the Al-Shabaab terrorists, and the security of the capital, and the office of the UN commended the efforts of the Mayor on ensuring the peace of the capital.

They also discussed the issues of the refugees in Mogadishu who came to the capital seeking safety, food, water, shelter, and more.

The United Nations welcomes the idea of rebuilding the country using the ideology of ‘build your country with $1’.

Source: Somali National News Agency

Mogadishu, Veteran Journalist, Isse Farah Mohamud on Sunday morning passed away here in the capital Mogadishu after certain disease. He died at the age of 70s according to his family and friends.

Isse Farah was a senior writer for former National Newspaper, Xiddigta October which was running from 1973 to 1991 and he was writing for the same Paper called ‘Wargeyska Dalka’ before he got sick several months ago according to his colleague at the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism of Somalia.

Farah Was born, and raised in Mogadishu while he graduated from Somali National University in the field of Journalism during the 1980s and he left wife and children. May his soul rest in Jannah.

Source: Somali National News Agency