News
‘2 c’nities identified as hotspots for child labour in Bono’
Kwatiri and Adentia, two farming communities in the Sunyani West Municipality, have been identified as hotspots for child labour in the Bono Region.
The areas are also a hotbed for teenage pregnancies and school dropouts among children under 18 years, necessitating traditional leaders, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and individuals to join hands to tackle the challenges.
The Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regional Senior Programme Officer for General Agriculture Workers Union (GAWU) of TUC, Paschal Ajongba Kaba disclosed these on the sidelines of the inauguration of a 14-member committee setup by GAWU to spearhead a campaign against child labour in the two communities, to mark this year’s World Day Against Child Labour, at Kwatiri.
Although Mr Kaba could not provide statistics to back his claim, he noted that efforts were underway to implement programmes and policies geared towards eliminating the child labour and teenage pregnancy in the three regions.
He stated that child labour was very high in mining and cocoa producing communities, and called on all stakeholders, especially parents, to play their part to address the issue.
The Regional Senior Programme Officer for GAWU of TUC said his outfit had taken upon itself to help minimize child labour by creating a Child Labour Free Zone in the country.
The Chairman of one of the Committees, who is also the Krontihene of Adantia, Nana Kwame Boakye, said the was urgent need to tackle child labour and teenage pregnancy as they continued to affect development.
A teacher at Kwatiri, M/A School, Alex Appau, noted that some primary (class) six and Junior High School (JHS) students dropped out of school and found themselves in ‘child labour and pregnancy,’ due to financial constraints..
World Day Against Child Labour focuses on the negative impact of child labour. Globally, it is estimated 151 million children are involved in child labour with about 71 percent in the agriculture sector.
FROM: DANIEL DZIRASAH, ODUMASE
News
Five envoys present letters of credence to President Mahama
The President of the Republic, John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday March 13, 2025, received the Letters of Credence of five Envoys at a ceremony held at the Jubilee House.
At the ceremony to present their credentials were H. E. Ms. Laura Ranalli, Ambassador of the Republic of Italy, H. E. Mr. Julio Enrique Pujol Torres, Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba, H. E. Mrs. Musu Jatu Ruhle, Ambassador of Republic of Liberia.
The rest were H. E. Dr. Abdulla Murad Sulaiman Mohammed Al Mandoos, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates, and H. E. Mr. Ali Ghomshi, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
During the ceremony, the envoys congratulated John Dramani Mahama for his election to the Presidency and expressed their excitement to be serving in Ghana.
The envoys enumerated several programmes they would be executing in collaboration with the Government as they took turns to present their Letters of Credence.
Additionally, the envoys, assured the President of their cooperation and collaboration during their tenure to further deepen the ties between Ghana and their respective countries.
President Mahama welcomed and congratulated the Envoys on their appointments, stating that he was looking forward to more fruitful collaborations with their respective countries, which he envisaged would grow during their tenures in Ghana.
He mentioned that Ghana was looking forward to partnerships in the agribusiness sector to reduce food inflation, improve value addition, especially with cocoa and sugar production.
He informed the envoys that Ghana was in the process of initiating the signing of the Ghana Labour Export Programme agreement with her various partners, where trained Ghanaian youth would be sent abroad to legally work to curb exploitation and trafficking.
Other areas raised included the formalisation of the export of gold through the Gold Board, the revamping of the national airline, among others.
In the health sector the President sought for partnerships in completing and managing the uncompleted hospitals to augment the quality and availability of health care delivery in the country.
Concerning peace and security, the President encouraged collaboration to help countries in the Sahel Region to mitigate terrorist activities and maintain lasting peace in the region and the ECOWAS Sub-Region.
The ceremony ended with the newly accredited Envoys reaffirming their commitment to upholding the good and friendly relations that exists between Ghana and their various countries.
Also present at the ceremony were, the Chief of Staff, Mr. Julius Debrah, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (MP), the Executive Secretary to the President, Dr. Callistus Mahama and the Legal Counsel to the President, Mrs. Marietta Agyeiwaa Brew, Officers from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other government officials.
News
Ghana-Colombia strengthens ties through diplomatic engagement
In an important diplomatic engagement, the Colombian Ambassador to Ghana H.E. Daniel Garces Carabali paid a courtesy call on the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, at his office in Accra to discuss some key areas of collaboration.
The meeting focused on pressing issues, including security, decongestion of Ghana’s prisons, prison reform programmes, training programmes, improving the welfare of prisoners and enhancing disaster management in the country.
The courtesy call underscores the growing bilateral ties between Ghana and Colombia, building on previous engagements, such as the visit of the Colombian Vice President to Ghana in 2023.
The meeting demonstrates the commitment of both nations to fostering cooperation and addressing shared challenges.
