Category: General

Madam Sheila Minka-Premo, the Convener for the Affirmative Action Bill (AAB) Coalition, says the various calls from individuals, organisations, and societies are enough justification to fast-track the passage of the bill into law. Madam Minka-Premo said the AAB, when passed into law, would address social, economic, and educational imbalances, eliminate discrimination, and champion the need for equal opportunities for both men and women. She made this known during a two-day workshop for journalists organised by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) in collaboration with CODEO and the Affirmative Action Bill Coalition with backing from the European Union (EU). She emphasised that no country could achieve its full potential without the equal economic participation of both women and men, explaining that economic development would be on the decline if the highest portion of the population, being women, were discriminated against, stressing that there was a need for inclusion for the country to thrive. Sh e said the 40 women members of parliament out of 275 parliamentary seats in the country portrayed an imbalance in the system. She said such a system was depriving women of their perspective on issues, and therefore called for breaking all barriers to enhance women's participation in decision-making. Madam Minka-Premo attributed the low representation of women to the patriarchal system in the country, where the course of men was championed and that of women was demeaned in almost all aspects of social, political, and economic life. Outlining some critical areas the bill addressed, she mentioned that the marginalisation of women in public and economic life in Ghana was a result of gendered division of labour at home and the lack of legislation to ensure a change for gender equality to be duly dealt with. The AAB Coalition convener, who is also a lawyer, said that some policies, such as the Girls Education Units of GES, the cabinet's directive on affirmative action, scholarship schemes set up for females, an d affirmative action policies in public universities favouring females for certain courses, have been inactive; therefore, the passage of the bill would address their ineffectiveness. She added that research had proven that it made economic sense to ensure gender equality, as the economy had better opportunities to grow and become more resilient to crises if women and men have equal rights. The workshop participants agreed on the need for the affirmative action bill to be passed into law. Source: Ghana News Agency

Residents of Tema community 11 have demonstrated against the construction of a filling station in the midst of the residential area. The project, which began a few months ago, has been progressing despite attempts to halt it through several petitions to stakeholders including the Tema Development Corporation. The developer is alleged to have altered the engineering of the community's main storm drain for the project, which shares common walls with two residences, one of which is the permanent abode of the Assembly Member, who is also Presiding Member of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly. Mr Kofi Gantor Logah, a member of the community, who convened the protest, said the action became necessary following attempts by the developer to ignore the appeal of the community over safety concerns. According to the convener, the developer had 'used dubious means' to acquire signatures from community members to secure approval from regulators such as the Environmental Protection Agency. He said the community remained o ne of the most endowed with public amenities in the metropolis and therefore had no dire need for a filling station in a densely populated neighbourhood. 'We should not wait for another disaster to happen for ministers and public officials to go round hospitals and homes in the name of sympathising with the victims,' Mr. Logah asserted. The siting of filling stations continue to attract public interest amidst news of explosions that consume entire neighbourhoods, and the community members in mourning attire marched through the neighbourhood wielding placards with various inscriptions calling on the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) and other regulatory bodies to halt the construction. The protest was under the watch of a heavy deployment of Police personnel. Mr Felix Sobreh, the Assembly Member, said lives were being threatened with the realisation of the hazardous service, and that all avenues available were being exploited in addressing the canker. He recounted how the NPA had served the developer not ice to desist from the project as it affected the community's main storm drainage causing flooding in the area. It is also alleged that the developer already buried storage tanks and filled them with fuel, and the Assembly Member spoke of the likelihood of fuel leaks in the event of heavy rains. 'The community petitioned the NPA and the Authority in their response stated clearly that the developer should halt the construction. They stated a lot of reasons why he should comply with the order. There is a storm drain here and when it rains there is the risk of flooding. Let's remember what happened at Nkrumah Circle. When it rains the same thing could happen here. 'NPA has written to this man (the developer) but he remains so adamant,' Mr. Sobreh stated, adding that National Security, National Investigations Bureau, and the Fire Service among other stakeholders had been petitioned. Mr Richard Akomaning, co-convenor, told the GNA the construction compromised service lines resulting in a two-week water shortag e, and that stakeholders in the community would not relent on necessary actions to save the area. Source: Ghana News Agency

KASSERINE: The Kasserine governorate ranked second in the country in terms of number of deaths recorded in road accidents during the first quarter of 2024, according to Colonel Major Haithem Chaabeni, head of the Centre-West regional district for road safety. 65 road accidents were recorded in the region from January 1 to April 23, claiming the lives of 32 people, Chaabani said in a statement to TAP on Thursday on the sidelines of a working meeting of the regional road safety committee, noting that the Tunis governorate topped the list of victims with 37 deaths. The meeting was devoted to adopting immediate preventive measures, deterring offenders and improving the region's infrastructure. According to the presentation of national road accident statistics for 2023 made at the meeting, 223 road accidents and 47 deaths were recorded nationwide, with an increase in accidents involving taxis, light vehicles and motorcycles as a result of speeding. Speaking at the meeting, Governor of Kasserine, Ridha Rokbeni, said the number of deaths and injuries caused by road accidents in the region was 'alarming'. In the same context, the governor noted that there are numerous risk points in the Kasserine governorate that require a study and immediate action, in particular the installation of speed bumps and road signs. Rokbeni said the points studied showed that the accidents recorded in the region were due to speeding and over-speeding by taxis and light vehicles, as well as the failure of motorcyclists and their companions to wear helmets. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The Health Service (GHS) and UNICEF have launched a new mobile application, 'Cranky Uncle Game' in Accra to tackle misinformation and address vaccine hesitancy in Ghana. The digital technology is a global app adapted to the Ghanaian situation to equip players with tools to learn, identify and debunk tricks and tactics employed by conspiracy theorists on vaccination. It is a user-friendly, exciting, and interactive game for everyone, made available in six local languages. The launch of the Cranky Uncle Vaccine game was on the theme: 'Leveraging Technology to Combat Vaccine Misinformation'. Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Director General, GHS, said embracing innovation and technology in the promotion of health was necessary, hence the introduction of the technology to help address issues of vaccine hesitancy, which had been a worrying phenomenon in the health sector. He said the 'Cranky Uncle' game was specifically designed to debunk the myths and misinformation about vaccination, particularly the COVID-19 vacc ines, which had led to the refusal of accepting the vaccines among the Ghanaian population. The Director General said the digital technology also provided a platform to engage and educate the public about the importance of vaccines and the dangers of misinformation, adding that, 'Through interactive digital games, social media campaigns and online resources, we can reach individuals of all ages and backgrounds, empowering them with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their health.' He said: 'In recent years, we have witnessed the alarming spread of misinformation surrounding vaccines, threatening not only individual health but also the fabric of our society, yet in the face of these challenges, we refuse to be complacent. We recognise that digital technology holds the key to unlocking a brighter, more informed future.' The Director General urged the public to embrace the technology and ensure the safety of the entire population. Dr Naziru Tanko Mohammed, Deputy Programme Manager, Expa nded Programme on Immunization (EPI), stated that though Ghana was doing well in immunization, it was still struggling to achieve the 95 per cent target. He said though vaccines had reduced infant and neonatal mortality, some mothers discontinue the routine immunization for their children, which later affected their growth and well-being. Dr Mohammed explained that even with COVID-19, persons who had taken the full dosage needed boosters to increase their immunity and urged mothers to avail their children for complete routine Immunization services. He stressed that the Cranky Uncle game had been introduced at the right time to help individuals to identify the tricks in misinformation to enable them to distinguish between facts and myths, using conspiracy theory. Ms Sonya Sagan, head of the Social Behavioural Change (SBC) Unit at UNICEF Ghana, said although many people believed that COVID-19 had ended, the virus continued to circulate and had the potential to cause a lot of harm, particularly to the vulner able population. Ms Sagan said despite the many efforts, misinformation, disinformation continued to be a challenge in Ghana and the potential to erode some of the gains made hence, the need to improve vaccine literacy in Ghana through the Cranky Uncle game. This is, an approach to build public resilience against misinformation, she added. Source: Ghana News Agency

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), says it would deliver on its resolve to operate permanent offices in all regions in the country. The Authority presently has established in 13 of Ghana's 16 regions, and Prince Opoku Adusei, Deputy CEO in charge of Operations, told the media during a Board visit to the Volta region that the remaining three would be delivered. 'We are mandated to ensure that we have offices in the three remaining Regions,' he said while revealing that the lands had been allotted the Authority and was making progress with needed procurement. The Board gave the assurance that the office project in Oti and North East regions would begin next year. The tour is an annual undertaking to assess service quality nationwide, and the team visited offices in the southern parts of the Volta Region. The Director said they met with staff, interacted with them and 'took note' of their challenges. 'We are happy with what we've seen here so far and there is more room for improvement, and so we will go back and try and resolve some the issues that we have picked up in the Region so far.' Mr Frank Davies, Chairman of the Board used the opportunity to personally interact with staff, urging commitment and dedication in delivering upon the mandate of the Authority. The management of the Authority in the Volta Region shared with the media how commercial tricycle operators remained the biggest challenge to road use and it attracted lots of underage drivers. Source: Ghana News Agency