Category: General

The Agona West Municipal Command of the Ghana National Fire Service recorded 37 fire cases last year as compared to the 40 captured in 2022, DO3 DO III IS-haq Kambari, the Agona West Municipal Fire Commander has said. In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, he said, the station recorded 13 cases in the first quarter of 2022 as against the 10 counted within the same period in 2023, representing 42 and 30 per cent respectively. He said in the second quarter of 2022, a total of 14 commercial fires were recorded and it decreased to 12 in 2023, while in the third quarter of 2022 vehicular fire was nine as against four in 2023. DO III Kambari said the remarkable achievements were made due to the performance of the dynamic fire volunteer groups formed by the station in the communities in the municipality. The Fire Commander said the most worrisome challenge facing the personnel was the cause of fire through human activities in the last quarter of the year and that the Command had put in place an effective m echanism to intensify campaigns to reduce fire outbreaks during Christmas festivities. He said another problem had been the lack of water hydrants, which had made it extremely difficult to control fire outbreaks as expected to protect life and property. DO III Kambari said he had taken steps to design a water hydrants map for the Ghana Water Company Limited to help construct new hydrants in strategic locations such as markets and government institutions. He cautioned against prank calls by unscrupulous persons to fire stations and that anyone caught would be prosecuted because such acts created problems for real distress callers for assistance. Source: Ghana News Agency

Tianjin International Language Services Center (TILSC), the first ever of its kind in China, was inaugurated at Tianjin Foreign Studies University (TFSU) on Jan. 30, 2024. TILSC, jointly established by the Academy of Translation and Interpretation of China International Communications Group (CICG), the Publicity Department of the CPC Tianjin Municipal Committee, the Foreign Affairs Office of Tianjin Municipal People's Government and TFSU, functions as a mechanism to improve the country's capacity for engaging in international communication, and exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, while facilitating Tianjin's opening up to the outside world on its way to becoming a highly developed modern metropolis. TILSC is dedicated to translator training and language services providing, policy consultancy, and international communication, encouraging a high degree integration of industry, academia, research and application empowered by new technologies. In the panel session following the unveiling ceremo ny, guest speakers from universities, industries, and media of international communication shared their insights on language services and advice for TILSC. Source: Ghana News Agency

Open defecation is rife in Mali Estate at Ashaiman Newtown Junction, near Tema, as some residents mostly squatters in the area, have turned a storm drain into a place of convenience. The open defecation practitioners comprise both young and old, men and women, who openly expose their butts and squat to empty their bowels either into the drain or its surroundings without caring about the implications. The Ghana News Agency (GNA) in its random visit to the neighbourhood, observed that even though there were two sets of privately owned public toilets in the area, the perpetrators preferred a free open place to ease themselves rather than paying GHc1.50 or GHC 2.00 to use these facilities. They mostly engage in the act at dawn or in the afternoon when the community is quiet, and most people were away at work. Some residents in an interview with the GNA, shared deep concerns about the increasing rate of open defecation, especially around the storm drain. Hajia Fati Tahiru, a resident, expressed worry at the practice, saying she does not understand why people continue to engage in such uncivilised practices when there were public toilets available. 'It is disheartening to witness our community facing such sanitation challenges; open defecation does not only bring an unbearable stench but poses serious health risks for everyone,' she said. She called for a collaborative effort between residents and the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly to address the issue. M. Adama Yussif, a food vendor, said the practice was impacting negatively on her business, because anytime people come around to buy food, they complain about the strong stench even though she was distantly located from the gutter. Mr Vincent Oduro, another resident, expressed concern about the potential spread of communicable diseases in the area because of the insanitary practice and called on the Environmental Health Department of the assembly, to strictly enforce the sanitation bye-laws to ensure that such persons apprehended were duly prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others. Source: Ghana News Agency

The ECOWAS Court on Monday dismissed multiple claims brought by the human rights organization?Collectif Cri de Coeur pour le Mali?against the government of Mali. The case, premised on allegations of human rights violations during a conflict, included charges of rape, sexual violence, forced marriage, and torture by non-state actors. The Applicant, representing the victims, sought judicial redress for these violations under various international human rights treaties, amongst which the Protocol to the African Charter on Women's Rights in Africa (Maputo Protocol). However, the Court concluded that the Applicant's claims lacked sufficient evidence and legal grounding to hold the government responsible. The Applicants told the Court that since January 2012, Mali has been a theatre of armed conflicts, especially in the northern part of the country which has been under the control of armed groups. They claimed that, during the occupation of the town of Gao from April 2012 to January 2013, many acts of sexual violence were committed against women and underage girls. Some of the Applicants, who were among the victims of the alleged violations, said they lodged complaints and claims for indemnification through their lawyers as far back as 2016. They alleged that the trial judge held their files for an unreasonable time before sending them to the Public Prosecutor of the Republic in Gao. They claimed that the latter returned their files after five months, informing them of his incompetence on the ground that the alleged facts constituted a terrorism crime and could only be handled by a specialised court. The Applicants said they had not been able to access their files since, moreover, no other decision was taken to advance proceedings in the case. They claimed that they were denied justice and that, by its inaction, Mali violated and continued to violate its obligation resulting from international conventions it freely adhered to.? They prayed the Court declare that the State of Mali had violated their rights to fair trial and effective remedy, the rights of children to health care and health services and their rights to compensation. They asked the Court to order the Respondent to open investigations and prosecutions against the perpetrators and provide judicial, legal assistance, medical and psychological care to the victims. Finally, they asked the Court to order the payment of 40,000,000 FCFA for physical harm and 15,000,000 FCFA for moral harm to each of the victims. The State of Mali contested the association's claims, asserting the Court's lack of jurisdiction and the inadmissibility of the case. The Court, while recognizing its jurisdiction and the admissibility of the case, ultimately dismissed the Applicants' claims on the merits. In respect to the violation of the rights to a fair trial and the right to an effective remedy, the Court held that the Applicants have not supported their claims with compelling facts and evidence to establish a derogation of the guarantees under Article 7 of the African Charter?on Human and Peoples' Rights?(ACHPR). On the violation of the Applicant's rights to prosecution of perpetrators under the Maputo Protocol, the Court held that the Respondent having established a mechanism to discharge its obligation, did not breach the rights of the Applicants. Other claims were dismissed by the Court for lack of quality evidence necessary to be successful. Members of the panel of judges were Justices Edward Amoako Asante (Presiding) and Gberi-bè Ouattara and Sengu M. Koroma (Judge Rapporteur). Source: Ghana News Agency

Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, outgoing Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) has expressed utmost confidence in his successor, Major General Thomas Oppong-Peprah, to lead the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to the expected height. He therefore urged sister security agencies to accord him the necessary support and cooperation to successfully carry out his mandate. 'I implore all of you to extend the same cooperation to my successor, Major General Thomas Oppong-Peprah. I have every confidence in his astute transformational leadership abilities,' he said. The outgoing CDS made the comments on Tuesday during a Guard of honour and reception organised to honour him in Accra. The event was spearhead by the Ghana Police Service together with other security agencies namely Ghana Prisons Service, Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Ghana Immigration Service and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority. The outgoing CDS thanked President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for appointing him as CDS three years ago to lead the GAF. He also expressed appreciation to Dr George Akuffo Dampare, Inspector General of Police, for putting together the event and the various heads of security agencies for gracing the occasion. 'I'm extremely overwhelmed by this elaborate ceremony and the very kind and wonderful words spoken by my colleagues, the heads of sister security institutions. 'I give all glory and thanks to God for seeing me through this long and difficult but quite remarkable journey of over four decades and seeing me through to a successful end,' he said. He also lauded the cooperation that had existed between all the security institutions over the years and asked that it should be maintained and deepened even further. The CDS said their level of cooperation was a sharp contrast of the occasional reports in the media about rivalries amongst them. 'Your mere presence here today and the very kind words expressed is a clear testimony of the unity of purpose amongst the security services. This is in sharp contrast to some occasional re ports we may read in the media about the rivalry in the security services. 'I've enjoyed every aspect of my lengthy career spanning over four decades and in the last three years, I've enjoyed the maximum collaboration and cooperation amongst the security services despite some occasional isolated incidents amongst the men under their commands. As I leave and retire in a few days' time, I leave with very fond memories of our collaboration,' he said. Dr Dampare described the outgoing CDS as a 'true gentleman, friend and a true elder brother that anybody would be envious to have.' 'We're here to celebrate a wonderful gentleman, an illustrious son of Ghana who for decades of his service to the nation would be retiring honorably and deservedly some few days from now.' He thanked Vice Admiral Amoama for the collaboration between the two institutions to ensure peace in Ghana. The IGP recounted the many occasions that the CDS came through for him and his family and thanked him for such support. 'In so many insta nces you have been there for me and in the very trying times you were more than there for me. Forever, my family and I would be grateful to you. 'For all that you did for me personally and for my family, I want to say that I owe you two things: a lifelong debt of appreciation and a lifelong debt of loyalty. And that you can take from me for the rest of my life,' he added. Mr Isaac Kofi Egyir, Director-General, Prisons Service; Mr Julius Kuunuor, Chief Fire Officer, GNFS; Mr Kwame Asuah Takyi, Comptroller General, Ghana Immigration Service and Alhaji Seidu Iddrisu Iddisah, Commissioner of Customs Excise and Preventive Service, recounted memories of their personal and professional relationship with Vice Admiral Seth Amoama and wished him well in his retirement. He was presented with a citation in honour of his achievements. Source: Ghana News Agency