Author: Web Desk

The Yendi Child and Vulnerable Protection Centre, under the Yendi Diocese of the Catholic Church, has sensitised residents of Sangbana in the Chereponi District of the North East Region on child marriage. Various stakeholders in the area including traditional authorities, Ghana Police Service, Department of Social Welfare, Department of Children, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice among others were the participants. It formed part of the Yendi Child and Vulnerable Protection Project implemented early last year to create awareness on the negative implications of child abuse within the Diocese. The project, funded by Kindermissionwerk, a German Catholic funding agency, was aimed at ensuring that children within the area were protected against any form of abuse to help them maximise their potentials. Reverend Father Gregory Dery, Director of the Yendi Child and Vulnerable Protection Centre, speaking at the event, underscored the importance of community support towards the growth and developme
nt of children. He called on community members and other stakeholders in the area to prioritise safeguarding children against child marriage, teenage pregnancy and forced marriages. He noted that child abuse was against the laws of the country and advised parents to desist from abusing their children. He said, ‘You could be punished by law if you continue abusing your children by forcing them into early marriages and denying them access to education.’ The Reverend Father Emmanuel Ujunwa, Parish Priest of Saint Brigid’s Catholic Church at Chereponi, said children were precious gifts from God and required special attention and nurturing to grow into adulthood. He said most of the violence meted against children was often done by relatives, parents, caregivers, and called for collective support to protect them. Mrs Akuffu Gifty, Girl-Child Education Officer at the Chereponi District Education Office, lamented over parental neglect in the area and said it had contributed to the rising cases of child marriages, sc
hool drop-out and teenage pregnancies in the area. He urged parents to discharge their responsibilities effectively to ensure that the children stayed in school to complete their education. Nanyame Kofi Malba VIII, Paramount Chief of the Chereponi Traditional Area, who was represented at the event, commended the Catholic Church for showing interest in the welfare and protection of children in the area. He expressed the willingness of the traditional authorities in the area to support advocacy efforts to safeguard children and other vulnerable groups.

Source: Ghana News Agency

A Fiapre-based building contractor has expressed appreciation to the government for payment of part of its debts owed to building contractors in the country. Mr Dominic Kwame Agyemang, the Managing Director of DK Agyemang Company Limited, a building construction firm, also appealed to the government to endeavour to settle the remaining indebtedness. This would enable contractors to complete on-going and some abandoned projects and also prevent shoddy works, he told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview at Fiapre in the Sunyani West Municipality on Monday. Mr Agyemang emphasised the readiness and commitment of contractors to execute excellent work and complete it on time, but regretted that sometimes the delays in payments slowed down the execution of projects. He said though contractors understood and appreciated the current economic situation in the country, the government must also do more to pay some of its indebtedness to enable them to resume work on some abandoned projects. ‘We are all Ghanaians,
and no contractor is happy when a project is abandoned, but sometimes we don’t have any other option’, he stated. Nonetheless, Mr Agyemang entreated his colleague contractors to endeavour to avoid shoddy works,and try to find alternative funding to complete for use some of the abandoned projects, especially those in the health and education sectors. Education and health, he indicated, remained critical components of national development, saying ‘when we abandon some of these critical projects, it’s our women and children who suffer in the long run. ‘ Mr Agyemang said he was hopeful the government would listen, consider and address the immediate concerns of contractors to enable them to execute quality work. He promised to complete on-going work on the Kunsu Agenda 111 hospital, Duayaw-Nkwanta Serwaa Kesse Girls Dormitory and the Fiapre market projects being executed by his company. Other development projects being executed by the construction firm include the Fiapre market, Three-unit classroom block for the
Fiapre Ahmadiyya basic school and the 12-unit classroom block storey building for the Seventh Day Adventist Senior High School at Fiapre. During a visit to some of the project sites, the GNA sighted construction works were steadily progressing on the projects.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Chiefs and People of Notsie in Togo have celebrated their annual traditional festival Agbogboza, which was an occasion full of Ewe culture and tradition under the auspices of Togbi Agorkorli IV, Ewefiaga. The grand durbar, which was held on Saturday saw variety of ewe dance ensemble, people of Ewe descent from Benin, Nigeria and Ghana graced the event. Togbi Sri III, Awoamefia of Anlo State was special guest of honour at the grand durbar, Togbi Nyaho Tamekloe VI, Togbi Hatsu III of Dzita, Togbi Atieku II of Asadame, Togbi James-Ocloo V, Mama Kokui Deakor II, Mama Ewui Amegashie, Mama Fiaworsinu was among some Chiefs and Queens in his company to grace the occasion at their Ancestral home in Notsie, Togo. Togbi Sri, in his goodwill gesture made a donation of locally grown Anloga shallots, bags of Afiadenyigba salt, handwoven kente from Anlo and other assorted items to Ewefiaga. The Asogli state was also represented by some of their chiefs led by Togbe Kassa II, a Divisional Chief of Ho-Ahoe, who represente
d Togbe Afede XIV, whose Asafo traditional group performed some traditional dances. Togolese Prime Minister; Madam Victoria Tomegah Dogbe was the guest speaker at the durbar, she said; ‘We the Ewe are great people and am happy we are joined by our siblings from Ghana, it’s a nice experience.’ ‘Let us use our festivals to reunite and concretize ourselves,’ she said. Togbi Agorkorli IV, Ewefiaga, in a welcoming address, read on his behalf called on Ewes across all artificial borders to continue to seek peace and development in member countries and urged them to ‘Hold unto this rich Culture and tradition.’ He called for the education of children of Ewe stock in West Africa to love their culture and tradition values and norms, to shape their future. Mr. Selorm Klasu, former Togolese Prime Minister was also at the event with other political dignitaries. Agbogboza is the annual traditional festival of the people of Notsie in the Republic of Togo. The festival is believed to be for all Ewe descendants due to the his
tory that connects Ewe communities, who migrated from Notsie under the rulership of King Agorkorli I.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Somali National Army with the support of the local forces on Monday captured El Garas town about 70 kilometers east of Galgudud region under Galmudug State in Somalia.

Deputy Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Abdirahman Yusuf Al-adala told Somali National News Agency that Al-Shabaab militants fled the town after the joint forces surrounded the area, saying the army is currently conducting clearance operation aimed at ensuring the safety and security of the town after the terrorists.

“Removing Al-Shabaab from El-Garas is big significance reached on the offensive operation against the group”, Adala added.

The operation comes as the Somali National Army and local forces intensified onslaught operations against Al-Shabaab in the south and central Somalia. It also came a day after over 60 Al-Shabaab fighters including misled children killed in Awdhegle town in lower Shabelle region after the group militants attempted attacks at SNA bases there.

Source: Somali National News Agency

An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced two persons to 45 months imprisonment each for stealing bales of ladies’ underwear valued at GHC129,600. Samsu Abdul, a trader, and Rashiru Yakubu, a businessman, charged with conspiracy to steal and stealing, unlawful entry, pleaded not guilty. The court presided over by Mrs Evelyn Asamoah, however, found them guilty at the end of the trial. Kwame Arhin, Jabril Iddrisu, Zouberiru were however found not guilty, and the court therefore acquitted and discharged them. Enusah and one Zaraku, accomplices, are said to be at large. Prosecution led by Chief Inspector Benson Benneh said the complainant was Mathias Agbo, a businessman residing at Korle-Bu, Accra. Prosecution said On February 22, 2022, the complainant visited his warehouse at Kantamanto and realised that some goods kept in the warehouse were missing. It said the complainant therefore played the CCTV footage mounted at the warehouse and saw some young men opening the padlock to his warehouse with their keys and carry
ing three bales of ladies’ underwear valued at GHC14,400 cedis. Prosecution said the complainant, who wanted to nab the thieves, decided not to change the padlocks to the warehouse. It said the same young men came to the warehouse and opened the padlocks with their own keys and carried four bales on March 3, 2022, and two bales on March 12, 2022. Prosecution said in all, nine bales, valued at GHC129,600 were stolen. According to the prosecutor, Abdul was arrested, and he admitted having stolen two bales of the ladies’ underwear while his accomplices carried seven bales The Prosecutor said Abdul failed to lead the Police to the abode of his accomplices and the receiver of the items could also not be traced. On April 25, 2022, Yakubu was picked, following intelligence gathering. Yakubu mentioned Kwame Arhin, a key cutter, as the one who cut the master key used in opening the complainant’s warehouse. It said Arhin was picked up at his shop. Yakubu mentioned Jabril Iddrisu as the person they sold the ladies under
wear to, and he was also picked up.

Source: Ghana News Agency

A popular Sunyani-based radio presenter is in the grips of the Police for allegedly having anal sex with her 11-year-old biological daughter. The suspect, Clement Oti, also a taxi driver, known in the media space as ‘Shabatee’ had purportedly had sex including anal sex, consistently with the victim for the past one year. Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), the mother of the victim explained she realized some abnormalities on victim’s body and when she questioned her, the victim confirmed the immoral act between her and the suspect. Mrs. Ahensah said she reported the matter to the Sunyani District Police Command and subsequently the suspect was arrested and placed in Police custody. She said a medical report confirmed the act, and therefore appealed to the Police to be expeditious in their investigations. A reliable Police source that confirmed the story told the GNA the Bono Regional Office of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) was handling the matter.

Source: Ghana News Agency