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A whole Ghanaian state lacks capacity to stop galamsey? – Shocked Justice Atuguba asks
A retired justice of the Supreme Court, William Atuguba, has expressed shock at the inability of the state with all the power and resources to end the illegal mining menace devastating the country’s water bodies and the environment.
Although President Akufo-Addo put his presidency on the line to end the ‘galamsey’ menace, the destruction of water bodies and the country’s forest reserves in search of gold continues in many parts of the country.
The government task-force that was set up to end the menace has now hanged its boots, after the national fight was embroiled in several controversies such as the disappearance of seized excavators and bribery and corruption among other issues.
Tests conducted on ten major rivers across the country have revealed high levels of dangerous heavy metals.
The Oda, Ankobra, Tano, Offin and six others presented dangerous levels of Lead, Arsenic, Chromium and Cadmium.
Scientists say swimming or using these waters for farming presents a major health risk.
Almost all major rivers and streams nationwide are highly polluted by irresponsible mining.
While many have called on the government to boldly deal with the canker by arresting the real financiers and perpetrators of the act believed to be politically exposed persons, the state claims there is no hard evidence to nail the so-called big fishes.
In an interview with Joy News’ Raymond Acquah on Upfront, the respected legal luminary, Justice William Atuguba, who has recently spoken bluntly on public perceptions about the judiciary, expressed concern about the devastating effects of illegal mining.
According to him, he had only heard about the pollution of rivers by ‘galamsey’ in the news until he once travelled to one of the gold mining regions and saw one of the brownish-looking rivers.
He revealed that while serving as a justice of the Supreme Court, he attempted at some point to rally his colleagues to play a role in the fight against illegal mining, but aborted the idea because he had no support.
“That’s a big worry to me because what does it mean. That a whole Ghanaian state is unable to eradicate this menace. It hasn’t got the capacity? How shocking? You have the army and the police and they can’t put down this menace. The whole state of Ghana…wonderful” he exclaimed.
“Let me confess, when I was on the bench, one day I was going to Kumasi, and I used to hear that the water bodies were polluted. Then on the way, we saw some river flowing; and it was like clay. It wasn’t water. So when I came back I said this is the reality.”
“So, I started telling my colleagues that normally judges don’t act on their own, but we shouldn’t sit down and see the country dying like this. Let us summon the people who should have put down this menace and order them to do it. Well, I didn’t get support; but I understand. I think that I was going too far” he said laughingly.
The common law is the handiwork of the judges and it is not static. It is fine-tuned to redress societal challenges and evils. The judges make laws; but it’s step by step. So I felt that this was going too far and then my retirement came “he noted.
William Atuguba was a prosecutor, state attorney, and Ghana’s former Justice of the Supreme Court. He was enrolled as a magistrate on 3 October 1974 and appointed by former president Rawlings in 1995.
From May 25, 2016, till June 25, 2016, the then Chief Justice, Justice Georgina Theodora Woode was outside the country on official duties and so William Atuguba was made the acting Chief Justice.
He also acted as Chief Justice from February 2017 prior to the retirement of Georgina Theodora Wood on 8 June 2017 until 19 June 2017 when Sophia Akuffo was sworn in by President Akufo-Addo as the new Chief Justice.
William Atuguba is one of the longest-serving members of the Supreme Court of Ghana being a judge for 44 years. He served as a Supreme Court Judge for 23 years: from 1995 to 2018.
He was for a period, the most senior judge in the Supreme Court.
About Justice William Atuguba
William Atuguba was a prosecutor, state attorney, and Ghana’s former Justice of the Supreme Court. He was enrolled as a magistrate on 3 October 1974 and appointed by former president Rawlings in 1995.
From May 25, 2016, till June 25, 2016, the then Chief Justice, Justice Georgina Theodora Woode was outside the country on official duties and so William Atuguba was made the acting Chief Justice.
He also acted as Chief Justice from February 2017 prior to the retirement of Georgina Theodora Wood on 8 June 2017 until 19 June 2017 when Sophia Akuffo was sworn in by President Akufo-Addo as the new Chief Justice.
William Atuguba is one of the longest-serving members of the Supreme Court of Ghana being a judge for 44 years. He served as a Supreme Court Judge for 23 years: from 1995 to 2018.
He was for a period, the most senior judge in the Supreme Court.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
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Swedru All Blacks back to winning ways, Roshan humble King Faisal
Sekondi Rospak FC made it eight wins in eight successive home games after three second-half goals from John Amoah, Joseph Ntow and Stephen Anthony Kofi. John Amoah opened the scoring in the 55th minute after a barren first half. Joseph Ntow added to the tally in the 56th minute before Stephen Anthony Kofi rounded things up in the 74th minute to give Rospak a 3-0 win over former Premier League side King Faisal.
Elsewhere at Swedru – leaders Swedru All Blacks humbled PAC Academy in an emphatic 2-0 win. Zayat Bubakari scored first for Swedru All Blacks in the 27th minute before Rudolf Junior Nana Kwasi Mensah made it 2-0 in the 34th minute. Swedru All Blacks are top of the table with 36 points – 4 points ahead of second placed Rospak FC.
Meanwhile, Former Premier League side Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs recorded their fourth successive home victory after beaten New Edubiase United 2-1 at the Robert Mensah Park. Enoch Odoom struck first for Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs in the 19th minute but Steven Asante equalized for New Edubiase United before halftime. After the interval, Godfred Eshun scored from distance in the 65th minute to help Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs secure all the points.
Here are the results in Zone Two
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Cervical Cancer alert: Avoid sex at early age
The Programmes Manager of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Mary Efua Commeh, has advised young girls to avoid sex at an early age.
This, she explained, will give the cervix the opportunity to mature before they become sexually active.
“You need to delay what we call the first sexual intercourse as much as possible to give the cervix the opportunity to mature before the person becomes sexually active,” she said.
Dr Commeh stated this in an interview with The Spectator in Accra on Tuesday as a part of the Cervical Cancer awareness month.
According to her, cervical cancer was the second leading female cancer in Ghana with a total of about 3,072 cases annually, and out of that, 1,815 deaths are recorded, representing more than 50 per cent.
She indicated that “If young girls are going to be sexually active, then you need to talk to your parents about being vaccinated.”
She explained that vaccinating young girls against human papillomavirus (HPV) has been found to be a very effective way of preventing cervical cancer.
“There are countries that started HPV vaccination years ago and they are not seeing any cervical cancers now because they would have eliminated most of the high-risk HPVs in their women. So if the high-risk HPV is not there, then obviously the results on cervical cancers are going to go down,” she added.
Dr Commmey said the HPV vaccination is recommended for young girls aged nine to 14 years, adding that it had been found to be highly effective, not just for cervical cancers but for other HPV-related cancers, such as anal cancers, cancers of the vagina, genital warts, amongst others.
She further elaborated that the idea is to put up a barrier before the HPV comes in and that once a young female encounters it, she is already protected.
She also mentioned that for cervical cancers, the main cause is called HPV infection, saying generally, all sexually active women acquire HPV at some point in their lives.
However, the Programmes Manager of NCDs at the GHS mentioned that the body has a way of clearing the HPV, explaining that it is a natural mechanism that goes on, unfortunately, there are a few women whose HPV persists.
Moreover, she noted that the numbers for Cervical Cancer tend to be much higher because at times, clients would wait, and try all sorts of medications before they finally report to the health facility saying “we actually lose some women before they get to the hospitals with over 75 per cent of the cases coming in its third and fourth stages.”
Dr Commey, therefore, called for public awareness while ensuring the availability of information for prevention and control.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
