Category: General

The Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana, the Most Reverend Henryk Mieczyslaw Jagodzinski, has called on world leaders to work collaboratively to curb activities of violence extremists.

He said that would help reduce the number of displaced persons resulting from extremists’ attacks and related violence.

He expressed worry that many vulnerable people including the poor and needy continued to seek refuge outside their home countries creating a sense of a hopeless future for them due to attacks from violent extremists.

He said there was need for accelerated efforts to promote participation at all levels.

‘When people of goodwill,… are involved in community life it will be possible to stop any extremist,’ he said.

The Apostolic Nuncio made this call when he visited and interacted with the asylum seekers being hosted at Tarikom in the Bawku West District of the Upper East Region as part of his visit to the Catholic Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga.

Apart from interacting with the asylum seekers to get first-hand informa
tion about the situation at the Reception and Resettlement Centres, Most Reverend Jagodzinski also celebrated a Holy Mass to pray with and for the asylum seekers.

He donated hygiene materials such as boxes of washing and bathing soap, toothpaste, and brushes among others to the asylum seekers.

The Apostolic Nuncio explained that issues of the poor and vulnerable were of great concern to the Holy Father, Pope Francis and he had established a special office termed as ‘Dicastery of Integral Human Development,’ to work towards finding relief for people who were suffering.

Most Reverend Jagodzinski commended the government of Ghana and other stakeholders including the host communities for accepting and hosting the asylum seekers and called for stronger partnership to help them live dignified lives.

‘It is very sad when you are forced to leave your home, but this should encourage us not to be in despair but to trust in God and His mercy,’ he encouraged the asylum seekers.

‘I also encourage people who have some
thing to give, to come and support the asylum seekers.’

In the early parts of 2023, multiple suspected terrorists’ attacks on Bugri, Zoago and Zabre, all border communities in Burkina Faso compelled more than 4,000 people, at the time, to flee to Ghana and spread across several communities in Bawku Municipal, Bawku West, and Binduri Districts.

The UNHCR, UN Refugee Agency in collaboration with the Ghana Refugee Board led a comprehensive humanitarian response leading to the relocation of the asylum seekers to Tarikom where 12 hectares of land had been provided.

Through collaboration with agencies of the government and other organisations such as World Vision, Navrongo-Bolgatanga Catholic Diocesan Development Organisation among others, the UNHCR constructed reception and resettlement centres with various amenities for the asylum seekers.

Mr Djerassam Mbaiorem, the Head of UNHCR in charge of Upper East and Upper West Regions, said about 15,000 asylum seekers had been recorded in the two regions and out of th
e number, 8,000 were in the Upper East Region.

He said, currently only 1,100 asylum seekers were at the resettlement centre although both reception and resettlement centres had the capacity to contain about 7,000 people.

‘The rest are in other areas and do not want to come. Ghana has an open policy for asylum seekers, but the Government determines where you should stay due to security reasons and where they need to stay is Tarikom, so we are working with the Ghana Refugee Board, regional authorities, and other stakeholders to encourage the rest to come,’ he said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Atiogbe Nicholas Tetteh, the Ledzokuku Municipal Director, National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), says it is important for Ghanaian parents to teach their children the local language to promote inclusiveness in the country.

He said language had become a barrier to inclusivity when it came to getting information.

‘Studying the local languages helps children to understand English Grammar better and improves their overall communication and problem-solving skills,’ he said.

Mr Tetteh was speaking during the 2024 International Local Language Day commemoration at the Ledzokuku Krowor Municipal Assembly (LEKMA) North Cluster of Schools on the theme: ‘Multilingual education: A pillar of learning and intergenerational learning,’

The International Mother Language Day was first announced by the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) on November 17, 1999, but was formally recognised by the UN General Assembly in 2002, with February 21 set as the commemoration day across t
he world.

‘Languages carry cultural elements, so if a language dies, it’s like a whole way of life is dead,’ he noted.

The NCCE Director suggested the translation of online contents into local languages for every Ghanaian to have access to information.

He said understanding local languages enriched and enhanced cognitive development, which helped students score higher marks, and promoted cultural awareness and competency.

Mr Fidel Nii Akuffo Bortey, the Tema West Municipal NCCE Director, who graced the occasion, urged the pupils to preserve their heritage and lineage by studying and speaking their local languages to avoid its extinction.

The pupils were guided to read books in the Ga Language.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Vice President, Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has applauded the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission-Ghana for their immense contribution in education and health, enhancing national peace and development.

The Vice President, who is also the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), made the commendation at the opening ceremony of the 91st Annual National Convention (Jalsa) and the 100 years of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission-Ghana at Gomoa Pomadze near Winneba Junction.

The 91st Convention (Jalisa) on the theme: ‘A Century of Islamic Revival in Ghana,’ commenced on Thursday, February 22 and would be climaxed on Saturday February 24.

The Vice President was accompanied by Mrs Justina Marigold Assan, Central Regional Minister, Mr. Alexander Afenyo-Markin, Majority leader, Mr Asamoah Boateng, Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ministers of State, and many others.

It was also attended by members of the Mission from the 16 regions of Ghana as well as Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Benin, Togo, Italy and Uganda.

Alha
ji Dr Bawumia said 100 years of sowing the seed of Islam in the then Gold Coast, underscored the extent to which the Ahmadiyya community was fostering universal brotherhood in the country in line with the values of Islam.

‘This occasion of thanksgiving to Almighty Allah, demonstrate the Ahmadiyya community’s profound gratitude to Allah for the immense favour on us and the creation of an environment that has facilitated the propagation of the message of Islam Ahmadiyya,’ he stated.

He said thanking Allah and commemorating of 100 years, offered them the unique opportunity to recall and emulate the devotion and sacrifices of the early pioneer missionaries.

He urged them to continue to live in accordance with the teachings of the Holy Quran and the Sunar of the Holy Prophet Mohammed, contributing in diverse ways towards the development of the country, which they had done in the past 100 years.

Maulvi Naeem Ahmad Cheema, Missionary in charge of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, Ghana gave a brief account of how th
e Mission started in the country a century ago by a Missionary, revered Maulana Abdul-Raheem Nayyar of blessed memory who travelled by sea and settled at the then Saltpond Sea Port, where he sowed the seed of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission.

He stated that Jalsa was an occasion for the expression of gratitude to Allah for all the favour showered upon them that had brought them that far.

He appealed to Muslims, particularly the youth to remember that the name Islam, which the holy Prophet Mohammed himself gave to their religion, meant peace and defined who true Muslim was.

He explained that a true Muslim through his tongue and hand kept mankind safe as well as blood and property.

Maulvi Cheema said the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community had grown from its humble beginnings into a full-fledged religious body to be reckoned with in the country.

‘For us therefore, this hundred years mile- stone is a good reason enough to express our gratitude to Allah, through whose grace we have made phenomenal progress in both our sp
iritual and mundane endeavours,’ he stated.

According to him they had contributed significantly to the development of the country in all spheres of life, including service to humanity.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Hohoe Magistrate’s Court has granted a GHC10,000 bail to Korkuvi Atiga, a farmer, with one surety over allowing his domestic animals to stray into neighbours’ farms, causing damage to their crops, among other things.

Atiga pleaded not guilty to the charge and will reappear on March 14, 2024.

Mr Frank Azila-Gbettor, prosecuting, told the court, presided over by Mr John Evans Ocran, that the accused person lived at Fodome Lormnava, a farming community in the Fodome Traditional Area of the Volta Region.

He was engaged in the rearing of domestic animals including sheep and goats in the community, prosecution said.

In October 2021, the Environmental Health Officer of the area received a series of reports from the community that Atiga had released his animals, which strayed into farmlands to destroy crops of neighbours.

He said an officer of the Environmental Health and Sanitation Unit visited the community to educate the accused person to construct a pen for his animals and refrain from releasing them to
roam the community.

The officer also noted that Atiga did not take good care of the animals, which made offensive noises at night when mating, disturbing the sleep of community members.

The accused person was educated to repair his damaged pen to safely keep the animals but failed to heed the advice.

The Municipal Environmental Health Unit then instructed the Unit Committee members to capture any stray animal in the community, but the members faced resistance from the accused person.

However, the unit committee members were able to arrest five stray sheep belonging to the accused person on August 14, 2022, but the issue was resolved after he promised not to repeat the offence.

That withstanding, the nuisance continued until October 17, 2022, when his stray sheep, three, were caught and transported to the office but Atiga again asked for pardon and was forgiven.

On December 26, 2023, a community member arrested three stray sheep on his farm and deposited them at Fodome Helu police station, which were lat
er brought to the Environmental Health Unit at Hohoe.

Prosecution said five days later the accused person asked his wife to retrieve the animals, but the officer asked Atiga to report to the office himself to meet with the farmer to assess the cost of damage to his crops.

Atiga failed to report to the office and continued to let his animals loose without any regard for advice, leading to his summons to the court.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The South Dayi District Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mr. Mathias Segbefia, has called on students to develop interest in the study of the 1992 Constitution to broaden their horizon on governance and constitutionalism.

He said adequate knowledge of the Constitution by the people would help ensure that citizens knew more about their rights and responsibilities to fully participate in the governance processes of the state and contribute meaningfully towards its development.

Mr. Segbefia said these during an engagement with the students and Civic Education Club (CEC) members of Kpeve Senior High Technical School (SHTS) at Kpeve in the South Dayi District of the Volta Region.

The District Director stressed that understanding the Constitution by all would help the people to defend and protect it at all times.

He underscored the importance of the formation of CECs in educational institutions and noted that activities of the Club would motivate students to develop interest in th
e Constitution from early stage in life which would enable them to become very patriotic.

Mr. Segbefia said understanding of the Constitution would also enable citizens to know the rules, demands and ethics of democracy and would make meaningful contributions to nation-building.

Mr. Joseph Mawuena, the Assistant Headmaster of the School, encouraged the students to enroll as they could benefit and become good citizens.

Mr. Wisdom Amedi, Kpeve SHTS CEC Patron, said, ‘CEC is the mother of all Clubs due to its considerable capacity building of students on rights and responsibilities as citizens.’

The NCCE conceived the idea of the Formation of Civic Education Clubs (CECs) at a consultative meeting on Civic Education in Accra in March 1996.

CEC is a voluntary and non-partisan study group on the 1992 Constitution which imbued in its members a sense of Civic consciousness.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Bono Regional Directorate of the Department of Gender has appealed to the British High Commission in Accra, and other development partners for financial support to prevent early and forced marriages in the region.

Mrs Joyclen Adii, the Bono Regional Director of the Department of Gender, made the appeal when the British High Commissioner to Ghana Harriet Thompson, paid a courtesy call on Madam Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Bono Regional Minister and interacted with the Heads of Departments and Agencies at a meeting in Sunyani.

Mrs Thompson was accompanied on the visit to the region by Miss Zoe Robson and Cecil Adrian Sampson, officials of the Commission, to explore and get herself acquainted with the economic potential of the region.

Mrs Adii, said early and forced marriages were resurfacing and gaining prominence in the region, as in 2023, the Department rescued five children being forcefully married off.

She said the girls were rescued from local communities in the Sunyani and Jaman South Municipaliti
es and more of such practices were going on in many other communities on the blindside of authorities.

Besides the worst forms of human rights abuses the victims went through, early and forced marriages were contributing to high teenage pregnancies and school dropout among girls in the region, she said.

Mrs Adii said inadequate funding to the Department posed a major constraint towards undertaking and intensifying outreach programmes, to sensitise the populace, to help control the situation.

She said sexual and gender-based violence remained another daunting challenge, which the Department needed more support to tackle, and appealed for increased assistance from all stakeholders to effectively tackle it.

Earlier, Madam Owusu-Banahene had told the High Commissioner that the Bono Region had numerous economic prospects in the tourism, cashew and poultry industries which remained untapped and encouraged the Commission to link the region to United Kingdom investors.

Mrs Thompson said the UK was committed to b
oosting trade in Ghana through value addition and expressed the hope that her visit would expose her to the potentials in the region.

Source: Ghana News Agency