Day: June 11, 2024

Despite being home to the Ga people, the national capital, Accra is also home to people of various tribes, ethnicity, and religions.

Over the years, urbanisation of the capital city has seen it grow into a cosmopolitan status with people of diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and culture.

However, the cosmopolitan status of the city, coupled with the social dynamics of urbanisation and demographic variables have impacted the Ga culture, and altered its values, traditions, and linguistic settings.

These alterations have resulted in the decline and seemingly demonisation of some cultural practices and values of the Ga people. A situation, Nuumo Blafo III, the Asere Wulomo (Chief Priest), and Ga Blafo, who acts as the spiritual liaison between the gods and the people, describes as worrying.

As part of measures to preserve what is left, there have been numerous calls, including the reintroduction of teaching the Ga Dangme Language in basic schools in Accra.

While there are calls on the government and its agencies
to help preserve the Ga culture, the responsibility of passing on culture, including languages, to the next generation rests primarily on the shoulders of families, clans, and traditional authorities.

In a quest to find answers to salvaging what is left of the Ga culture, the Ghana News Agency’s (GNA), Nii Martey M. Botchway engaged Nuumo Blafo III, the Asere Wulomo to understand the dynamics of the situation.

Despite acknowledging that a lot of the Ga culture has been lost over time, Nuumo Blafo, who is also a reckoner of the Ga calendar and a trustee of Ga laws and customs, believes that measures can be put in place to salvage and preserve what is left of the Ga culture and tradition.

He says through traditional ceremonies such as festivals and cultural practices, including naming and funeral ceremonies, rites of passage, and a conscious effort of teaching the Ga Language at home, the Ga culture can be preserved and passed on to the next generation.

The Asere Wulomo says while the cosmopolitan status of
the Accra and rural-urban migration resulting in the importation of other cultures, as well as religion can be cited for the decline and demonisation of the Ga culture, some indigenes cannot be absolved of blame.

‘Our culture and traditions have come under threats because some of our own people are aiding those perpetuating this crime against us,’ he says.

He says aside abandoning traditional practices and culture, including naming ceremonies, which are to be conducted at the paternal family house, with an elderly person of great repute and character overseeing the ceremony, the preferred medium of communication in most Ga homes today is nothing close to the native Ga Language.

Citing some cultural practices, including naming ceremonies and the ban on noise making, which are fast losing their relevance, Nuumo Blafo says during a naming ceremony, which is conducted early in the morning, the child is also given a taste of water, and locally brewed spirit as a medium of differentiating good from evil.

He say
s the child is brought out and shown to the early morning sun, traditionally known as ‘Tsootsobi,’ with prayers said for the newborn. The practice, he says, is to formally show the newborn to the world and protect him or her from all forms of evil.

On the ban on noise making, Nuumo Blafo explains that aside being a vital part of traditional Ga culture, the age long tradition serves as a period of spiritual connection between the gods and the people.

‘It is also a period of rest for the people, and of rejuvenation for nature. During this period, the Ga State fasts and prays for rainfall, a bountiful harvest, and good tidings, as all synthetic sounds are halted for reflection and renewal,’ he says.

‘These cultural practices were not instituted overnight. They date back to our ancestors, shaping and guiding our customs as a people.’

Appealing for conscious efforts to be made at the family, clan, and community levels to revive, restore, and protect the customs, culture, and traditions of the Ga State, Nuumo B
lafo says: ‘We risk raising an entire generation who will know nothing about our culture and become strangers on our own land.’

Nii Kortey Boi II, the Ofankor Mantse and member of the Ga Traditional Council, says the Ga State must as a matter of urgency begin training Gas who are willing and ready to learn, to preserve and pass on the values, culture, and traditions of the land to the next generation.

‘We are at a crossroads, but all is not lost. If we put our hands to the wheel, we will not only preserve what is left, but also restore what is lost,’ he notes.

‘There must be some deliberate efforts, including the teaching and learning of the Ga Language especially at the basic school level.’

Stating that the national language policy be vigorously enforced, Nii Kortey Boi holds the view Ga textbooks must be brought back into circulation with more Ga teachers trained and posted to schools within the region.

During his vetting in March 2021, then Minister-designate for the Greater Accra Region, Henry Quarte
y, promised to grant scholarships to motivate students to study the Ga Language.

He says the scholarship will encourage more students to develop interest in the Ga Language.

Though Mr Quartey is no longer the Regional Minister, he holds a Cabinet portfolio, and for which reason the Ga State should explore his suggestion and hold him to his promise.

The Ga State must act fast to salvage the remnant of its culture.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Upper East Regional Peace Council has underscored the need for stakeholders, including traditional authorities, youth groups, women, and persons with disabilities, to intensify campaigns on the need for peace in their communities.

The Council, said peace was crucial for the development of every community, including ‘sustaining Ghana’s democratic gains over the years,’ and the stakeholders as peace mediators at the community level needed to initiate steps that would discourage violence in any form.

Alhaji Sumaila Issaka, the Upper East Regional chairman of the Peace Council, made these remarks when he addressed the stakeholders, drawn from Namoo, Feo, and Soe communities in the Bongo District during a two-day capacity-building workshop on conflict resolution in Bongo in the Upper East Region.

The workshop formed part of the project dubbed: ‘Enhancing Social Cohesion and Social Contract through Empowering Women and Youth in Northern Ghana,’ being implemented by the peace council at Bongo, Garu, and Bawku
West Districts of the Region.

It is being funded by the United Nations (UN) Peace Building Fund through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA).

Madam Magdalene Kannae, Board member, National Peace Council, emphasised that the project was aimed at addressing localised conflicts and challenges, including chieftaincy disputes, land conflicts, and political conflicts, among others, and the stakeholders must show some level of commitment for the continuous existence of peace.

Mr William Kumi, Assistant District Coordinating Director, Bongo, urged the stakeholders to use dialogue as a means of resolving their issues instead of resorting to violence, since such conduct could jeopardize the peace being enjoyed.

Madam Juliana Aniah, a participant, said the Peace Council had reposed confidence in her to help resolve conflicts in her community, having enhanced her capacity to detect early warning signs of conflict and respond to them promptly.

Naba Azaare Any
e-Naba, Chief of Feo, thanked the Peace Council and sponsors of the project in their quest to improve peace in the various communities for the improvement of their livelihoods.

‘But I want to also call on the politicians to be mindful of what they say in order not to truncate the peace we are enjoying and so also worsen our plight,’ he added.

Dr Selina Appiah Boateng, lecturer, Department of Peace Studies, University of Cape Coast, and co-facilitator of the workshop cautioned that in most cases, what one hears or sees in a conflict was a perspective or opinion and not the entire truth, and as peace mediators, they must be cautious in handling conflict cases.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The moderate Iranian presidential candidate Masoud Pezeshkian has expressed cautious criticism of the repressive measures used to enforce Iran’s headscarf laws.

Today, women are penalized because their clothing does not comply with the regulations, the former health minister said in an interview published on Tuesday in the newspaper Hammihan.

‘Were we to blame for not educating them properly, or are they to blame? We are to blame and must solve the problem ourselves.’

More and more Iranian women are now deliberately ignoring the strict dress code, something that religious hardliners are trying to combat.

A new law providing for draconian punishments has been passed by parliament, but has not yet come into force. The police stepped up their crackdown on offences in April.

Pezeshkian said that you could not ignore people’s rights and expect them to stay quiet. ‘When people’s rights are disregarded, they protest. If we understand this and implement it in society, we can solve the problems.’

Iran’s Guardian
Council, a powerful supervisory body, approved the list of presidential candidates on Sunday. Six politicians are now allowed to run in the election on June 28.

Among the conservatives, parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Saeed Jalili, a former chief negotiator in the nuclear talks, are considered the leading candidates.

The election follows the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash on May 19.

Many people in Iran are disillusioned in the face of political repression, an economic crisis and the failed attempts at reform in recent decades.

In the autumn of 2022, the death of the young Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini sparked nationwide protests against the strict Islamic system of rule. Voter turnout in this year’s parliamentary elections reached a record low of around 40%.

Source: Ghana News Agency

A team of Police experts have been deployed to Bole and its environs in the Savannah Region to support the Regional Police Command to unravel the cause of three reported cases of unnatural deaths in the town.

The experts, made up of a crime scene management team, forensic experts, intelligence officers and homicide investigators are in the region to work with the Regional Command on the cases.

A statement signed and issued by Assistant Commissioner of Police Grace Ansah-Akrofi, Director of Public Affairs, said Police visibility and patrols had been intensified with more operational officers deployed to the town and its surrounding communities.

In addition, it said the Police were working closely with traditional and religious leaders as well as the community members to resolve the unfortunate situation.

The statement assured the public, especially the affected communities to remain calm, adding that, the Police were committed to pursuing the perpetrators of the heinous crime.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Tema West Municipal Assembly (TWMA), in the first quarter of the year completed 29 of its 110 budgeted activities contained in its 2024 Annual Action Plan.

Madam Felicia Edem Attipoe, the Tema West Municipal Chief Executive, announced this in a speech read on his behalf by Mr. Emmanuel Kwame Kungi, the TWMA Coordinating Director, during a town hall meeting.

Madam Attipoe indicated that 40 of the planned projects were ongoing, while 41 were yet to be started.

She noted that over the years, the TWMA has used more than 60 percent of its financial resources accruing from its Internally Generated Fund (IGF) to improve infrastructural delivery and sanitation services within the Tema West Municipality.

‘Just to mention a few, we have completed since last year the construction of a 6-unit classroom block at the Star Basic School in Community 5, the construction of drains along Kojo Mensah Loop at Community 14 Annex, the construction of U-Drains along Tensil Town roads in Lashibi, the construction of U-Drains
along Community 19 Annex Roads, the dredging of streams from 5th Avenue stream to Collins Dawuda and Community 18 road to Corpus Christi JHS Road, and the construction of a 10-seater WC toilet at Texpo Market,’ she noted.

The MCE, touching on revenue generation, stated that in 2023, the assembly was budgeted to collect 80.53 percent of its targeted GHC of 26,139,015.95, describing it as a commendable feat.

She added that out of the total revenue accrued, the assembly’s IGF for the year 2023 was GHC14,858,284.80.

‘Likewise, this year, out of the target of about GHC 27,706,589.78, the Assembly as of the end of the first quarter has mobilised 20.9 percent.’

This she explained sought to deepen their revenue collection drive by enhancing their data collection within the municipality, as well as by installing new pay points and intensifying public education and sensitization programmes.

Madam Attipoe urged the residents to support the assembly in its measures to enhance collection on property rates in the ques
t for her outfit to continue providing the much-needed development projects.

Residents who participated in the town hall meeting expressed their grievances about some deplorable road networks in the municipality, a poor drainage system that leads to flooding when it rains, poor sanitation issues, and security challenges.

Mr Emmanuel Wordey, the Tema West Municipal Road Engineer, responding to some of the misgivings from the residents, said the government, through the lobbying of the assembly, was

conducting asphalt overlays on some of the roads, such as community 20, Sakumono and Community Three Sites A and B.

Mr Wordey said that even though some work is being carried out in the municipality, he acknowledged that more needed to be done. noting that a place like Adjei-Kojo, for instance, has over 300 kilometres of road with only about 200 metres of drainage.

He noted that ‘some residents associations have started something, but if you want to sit and wait for the central government, it will come, but the
timing, if we are expecting the government to come and fix every road immediately, that will not be possible; it does not mean that nothing is being done.’

He urged residents to support the work of the assembly by looking out for some of the things they can immediately handle by themselves and work on while the central government and the assembly prepare to tackle the many issues.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Department of Gender has organised a consultative workshop to solicit stakeholders support on child marriage and other harmful socio-cultural practices in the Yunyoo/Nasuan District in the North East Region.

The workshop, with funding from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) was to sensitise, increase awareness and make available information on issues of child marriage and other negative cultural practices that affect the holistic growth and development of women and girls in the area.

It was also aimed at providing the platform to discuss with chiefs, queen mothers, youth groups, Assembly members and other community opinion leaders, the detrimental effects of child marriage and the need to collectively strategise on ways to address its prevalence.

The event brought together about 50 community members including people living with disabilities (PwDs) and other key stakeholders in the district.

Madam Bushira Alhassan, the Acting Northern Regional Director, Department of Gender, said the works
hop formed part of efforts to empower community members to serve as change agents (whistle blowers), using all available platforms to address these harmful practices and cultural norms, which impeded women and girls’ development in the area.

She said it was to solicit the support of community members as well as educate and help create awareness on the benefits of family planning and sexual and reproductive health rights of women and girls.

She used the platform to encourage parents and guardians to prioritise investing in the education and skills development of their children emphasising that parenting was a shared responsibility that required maximum time and resources from both parents.

Mr Iddrisu Sunday, the Northern Regional Director, Department of Children, said harmful cultural practices such as female genital mutilation, child marriage, allegations of witchcraft and banishment of victims from the communities were criminal offences that were punishable by laws of the country.

He said it was sad that
some of these harmful practices like betrothal of young girls and child marriage in some instances, may curtail victims’ education, cause health complications during childbearing and delivery, and facilitate mental health issues due to trauma and stress they went through.

‘This negative impact, therefore, calls for the urgent need for all stakeholders to support end child marriage and other harmful practices in our communities,’ he said.

Mrs Salamatu Mejira, a Midwife at the Yunyoo/Nasuan District Health Directorate, who facilitated the workshop on Sexual and Representative Health Rights (SRHR), expressed worry over the increasing rate of teenage/adolescent pregnancy in the area.

She said the Yunyoo/Nasuan District recorded 247 teenage pregnancies in 2023 whilst 60 other cases were recorded in the first quarter of 2024.

She attributed the surging cases of teenage pregnancies to inadequate SRHR education, poverty, peer pressure, and decline in moral values, which had some devastating effects on adolescents
, including increased risks of HIV and AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Mr Konlan Bitian, the Yunyoo/Nasuan District Chief Executive, said as part of measures to end child marriage in the area, the district had collaborated with the Department of Social Welfare and other community development agents to inaugurate the District Child Protection Committee to help safeguard children against all forms of abuse.

He called on the participants to set the milestone of being ambassadors who would champion the process to end child marriages and teenage pregnancies in the various communities.

Participants during the workshop among other proposals, urged parents to desist from demanding money from their teenagers who were in school and not earning income, saying such development put undue pressure on their children to get into early marriages and other harmful practices that could jeopardise their future.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has celebrated World Food Safety Day with Junior High School (JHS) students of the Effiduase Presbyterian A and B School in the New Juaben North Municipality of the Eastern Region.

The students numbering over 300 were educated on Food Safety to promote the purchasing, preparation, and consumption of healthy food to eradicate food-borne illnesses in society.

They were also quizzed on the topic to ascertain their understanding of the knowledge shared with them on food safety out of which 20 students were awarded with a mathematical set each for answering correctly to questions.

Ms Anita Owusu-Kuffour, the Eastern Regional Head of the FDA, said the theme for the 2024 World Food Safety Day Celebration was, ‘Food Safety, Preparing for the Unexpected’.

Students were targeted for the commemoration as they could influence their parents and peers to practice food hygiene when they were equipped with in-depth knowledge of Food Safety, she said.

Ms Owusu-Kuffour said the FDA was m
andated by law to regulate food products in the country by licensing food-producing organizations and vendors to ensure that food sold in the market and various vending places were safe from contamination.

‘For instance, in terms of regulating meat sellers, make sure that we inspect the abattoir or the meat vending place to ensure that the meat is under good condition before giving the sellers license to operate,’ she noted.

Ms Owusu-Kuffour encouraged the students to share the knowledge gained on food safety with their parents and friends to ensure that food-borne illnesses were eradicated from society and the country.

Ms Juliet Adjeiwaa, a Regulatory Officer of the FDA in the Eastern Region in a presentation, said food safety was the assurance that food was safe from production to consumption through proper handling, preparation, and storage.

Using picture displays, she educated the students on food hygiene, proper storage of food, some purchasing tips, proper handling of raw vegetables and animal prote
in foods and some hygienic practices in the kitchen to ensure food safety.

She said usually contaminated foods caused illnesses such as stomach aches, vomiting, stomach upset and other severe health conditions which could not be ignored, and encouraged students to report to health practitioners when they experienced such symptoms, for proper healthcare and treatment.

She stressed the need for students to look out for things like clean environment, quality of food and display stands, bruised produces such as bruised tomatoes, and sellers who ignored personal hygiene practices, when purchasing food items from the market.

‘Do not buy your food products from dirty environments and sellers and avoid bruised products such as tomatoes, ensuring that the quality of food and display stands are clean,’ she advised.

Ms Adjeiwaa further advised students to avoid buying canned foods which were dented and rusty as such products may be contaminated with the metallic component of the can, making them unsafe for use.

She
also encouraged the students to always check the expiry date, name of the product, the ingredients, the manufacturer details, and other writings when purchasing packaged products.

Ms Adjeiwaa said being informed about the details of packaged products could prevent students from purchasing and consuming contaminated foods which often led to food-borne illnesses.

Ms Nana Esi Assan, a JHS two student of the Effiduase Presbyterian ‘B’ School thanked the FDA for educating them on the need to always stay alert when purchasing and consuming food as the unexpected could happen.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Minister of State for Youth Development, Mr Ayodele Olawande, says the ministry is set with a platform where young people can address issues that affect them and excel.

Olawande told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the young peoples’ platform would include all youth leaders of ethnic groups.

He said that the platform would be used to ascertain what young people have in their respective areas.

He added that ‘if we can identify products in your areas that can be used to make or create goods for production, it will be welcomed.

‘We can meet with all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to channel our complaints, for example, the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) gives education scholarship to young people, the youths need to know about it.’

According to him, efforts will be intensified toward improving the National Directorate of

Employment (NDE) training centres to be visible and viable for young people.

On the issue of lack of start-up grant after training, he ur
ged the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) to play its part toward ensuring grants to small businesses and entrepreneurs.

He said ‘we will let SMEDAN know that some of the youths will need money to start their businesses, while some will need seedlings and fertiliser.’

Olawande explained that in Niger, great farming activities are taking place, noting that the ministry would partner the state government to ensure that young people are engaged.

‘Niger produces what they eat and can also produce for people and the governor is doing fantastically well. I will visit my state and do a survey on products that young people can produce and even export.

‘Everything cannot be from Federal Government, if we also put the governors on their toes and work together, we will achieve a lot.’

On the issue of ‘japa’, where people leave the country for greener pasture, he advised that people should go and learn some skills and come back to the country to implement.

‘My advise is that when
people leave the country, they should acquire knowledge and come back and develop the country.

‘So, if you have the opportunity to travel, why can’t you travel and come back and invest in your country?.’

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Meridian Community School in Tamale has thrown a party to celebrate members of the Tamale branch of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFDO).

The event, hosted at the school’s compound, featured an all-inclusive celebration intended to put smiles on the faces of Persons living with Disabilities (PwDs).

The school also donated clothing to the PwDs underscoring commitment to its corporate social responsibility.

The initiative, which was to provide essential support to PwDs while fostering a sense of inclusivity, formed part of the school’s ‘Edify Community Transformation Project.’

Students at the school showcased activities including dance choreography, poetry recitation and drama to attendees’ delight.

Reverend Jones Frimpong Kwarteng, the Proprietor of the Meridian Community School Complex, said the school had operated since 2012 and sought a way to show love to the community.

He shared a story about blind Bartimaeus, a biblical character, urging members of the GFDO to take control of
their own lives and not allow circumstances determine their future.

He said everyone had the power to transcend their limitations and shape their own destiny saying, ‘The blind Bartimaeus serves as an example of owning his destiny, as he refused to let his blindness define him, but instead called out to Jesus for healing.’

Mrs Barbara Frimpong Kwarteng, the Manager of the Meridian Community School Complex, said the initiative was in partnership with Edify, an international Christian Organisation, who saw the need to give back to society.

She said the event was the first of its kind, which would now be held annually to fulfill commitments as a business, adding that dining with PwDs was a way of teaching students and staff members of the school that everyone was equal and should be treated with care and compassion.

Mr Abdulai Mohammed Awal, the Secretary to GFDO, expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the Management of the school for their generosity and indicated that the show of companion was a gesture we
ll appreciated by members of the organisation and had a positive impact on the lives of the PwDs.

Source: Ghana News Agency

A project aimed at promoting good nutrition and hygiene practices among households in rural communities has begun in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region.

Dubbed, ‘WASH-Nutrition for Health Project’, the initiative is leveraging on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) infrastructure and programme in Healthcare Facilities to empower rural communities to have improved access to nutrition for improved health.

It is aimed at providing universal access to WASH services and empowering rural communities to engage in vegetable production to improve nutrition especially for pregnant women, lactating mothers, adolescent girls and children under five years among other vulnerable groups.

The one-year project is being implemented by WaterAid Ghana, a WASH focused organisation with funding support from the Latter-day Saints Charities.

It is being rolled at Adaboya and Atampintin, two farming communities in the Bongo District and it is supporting five women groups in each community.

Ing. Joshua Taiwo Adefila, Pr
oject Lead for the WASH-Nutrition for Health Project, said the project aimed to bridge the nutrition gap among rural communities particular for the vulnerable through strategic inclusive and climate resilient WASH related interventions.

According to Ing. Adefila who is also a Project Officer at WaterAid Ghana, two gardens under the sub-district dubbed, ‘Harvest her Garden’ had been established at the Community based Health Planning Services (CHPS) of the two beneficiary communities.

The aim is to support the vulnerable communities to engage in all year-round vegetable production as part of efforts to improve nutritional security at the household level and serve as a model for future scale up.

He said already, WaterAid had provided a limited solar mechanized water system with storage capacity of 10,000 litres for the Adaboya CHPS which would provide sustainable water for all year gardening.

He added that construction of another limited solar mechanized water system with storage capacity of 10,000 litres fo
r the CHPS and another 10,000 litres for the community was ongoing at the Atampintin community.

Apart from that, he said, the project was also constructing gender and disability friendly water-closet toilet facilities at the Atampintin CHPS to help improve sanitation and hygiene practices at the healthcare facility level.

He added that the project is working with the Bongo District Assembly, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture in Bongo District and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to ensure sustainability, continuity, and maximum impact.

‘We have also trained the beneficiary communities on agriculture best practices, GHS Nutrition manual and linkages with WASH, Infection Prevention and Control, Hygiene Behavioral Changes, Facility Improvement Tools, as well as support the women groups in creating ready markets for excess produce from the garden.’ he said.

Mr Nicholas Atubiga, Bongo District Crop Officer, who sensitised the women groups on best farming practices as part of the project, said the project was
complementing the efforts of the government in ensuring food and nutritional security.

He charged the beneficiaries to embrace the project to improve their livelihoods and encouraged households to adopt backyard gardening to improve nutrition.

The beneficiaries thanked WaterAid Ghana and its partners for the project and noted that it would not only help to improve nutrition at the household level but would help them engage in income generating activities through the garden project.

Source: Ghana News Agency