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Be wary of suspicious people in the community…Lawra MCE tells youth

The Municipal Chief Executive for the Lawra Municipal Assembly in the Upper West Region, Mr Jacob Dery has called on the youth to be wary of suspicious people in their communities who might seek to recruit them into violent groups with enticing offers.

He mentioned that due to their exuberance, the youth had become targets for extremist and other violent groups but stated that if they were vigilant, the youth could play vital role in preventing violent extremism.

He indicated that the youth was the active sector of society and they interacted with a lot of people hence if they applied vigilance, they would be able to identify suspicious persons and report them to the appropriate authorities for action.

Mr Dery made the observation on Monday at Lawra during a youth engagement meeting by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) on preventing and containing violent extremism aimed at building the capacity of the youth on the subject matter.

The essence of the meeting was to deepen patriotism and national cohesion among the youth in the Municipality and beyond in the fight against violent extremism and to also create awareness among the youth on the increase of violence in neighbouring countries.

The MCE said preventing the infiltration of violent extremists and subsequent recruitment of the youth into their act, required collaboration from every sector of society.

He assured the NCCE of the support of the municipal assembly for its activities in the municipality in a bid to prevent violent extremism and the recruitment of the youth into their activities.

For his part, the Municipal Director of the Commission, Mr Jesurun Mornah Ninge noted with concern the menace of violent extremism across the globe and said it had caused the loss of lives and properties with its attendant problems of poverty and retardation of development.

“The commission has since 2021 been implementing these sensitisation programmes which was informed by research findings on violent extremism with support from the European Union”, he said.

He advised the participants to be vigilant in dealing with suspicious people who appeared friendly on the surface but with the intention to lure them into the act of violence and extremism.

The Acting Secretary of the NCCE, Madam Lucille Hewlet Annan took the opportunity to encourage participants to be very careful of who they interacted with, saying that extremists did not appear different and could pretend to look very harmless in order to attract unsuspecting people to their side.

“People of this nature can sometimes be known by their looks and how they conduct themselves and go about their activities” she said and encouraged the youth to be wary of such people to avoid been radicalized, she said.

FROM LYDIA DARLINBGTON FORDJOUR, LAWRA

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Minister of Health appeals to Tamale Teaching Hospital striking doctors

The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has appealed to the striking doctors at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) to calll off the suspension and come to the negotiation table.

However, he refused to apologise as demanded by the striking doctors.

The doctors after a meeting yesterday have withdrawn emergency services following the dismissal of the Chief Executive Officer of the hospital.

This follows an unannounced visit to the hospital by the Minister on Tuesday.

The Minister made the appeal when addressing the media in Accra on Today, April 24 2025.

According to him, dialogue is the only way out to resolve the issue, adding that he was ready collaborate with them.

“I am prepared for us to come around the table and discuss whatever we need to discuss,” Mr Akandoh said.

“My humble appeal to my wonderful medical doctors and health professionals at Tamale Teaching Hospital is that I am the first person to take care of your interests. Therefore, let’s call off the strike and let’s all regroup and strategise going forward,” he concluded.

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Health Minister donates medical equipment to Tamale Teaching Hospital, pledges commitment to reforms

The Minister for Health Kwabena Miintah Akandoh has reiterated government’s commitment to address long-standing challenges in the health sector, describing the health system as one that requires urgent reform and collective responsibility.

He made these remarks during a donation of some essential medical equipment and supplies to the Tamale Teaching Hospital on behalf of the Ministry of Health.

The donation included a wide range of equipment such as ECG machines, ICU ventilators, cardiac monitors, anesthesia machines, infant incubators, and essential

Consumables amounting to about 35 items.

Among the items highlighted were

Emergency Health Equipment (EHE) sets, nebulizer sets, and medical-grade towels.

The Health Minister acknowledged the difficult working conditions health professionals continue to endure and emphasized that government efforts alone would not be enough to resolve systemic issues.

He called for unity across the health sector and urged all stakeholders, including medical doctors, nurses, and pharmacists, to work together to ensure that the country’s limited resources are used efficiently.

He noted that the wellbeing of the ordinary Ghanaian should be central to healthcare delivery, cautioning against practices that marginalize the underprivileged due to resource scarcity. According to him, every Ghanaian life is valuable, and the system must reflect that belief in both policy and practice.

Mr.Akandoh stressed that his leadership approach is rooted in humility, collaboration, and respect for all health workers. While acknowledging that change may come with challenges, he maintained that cooperation is key to achieving lasting improvements in the sector.

The Minister pleaded with health professionals in the Tamale Teaching Hospital to call off the strike and regroup to strategize on more effective ways to address their concerns through dialogue and collaboration with relevant authorities.

The donation to the Tamale Teaching Hospital forms part of a broader national initiative to modernize medical infrastructure and enhance service delivery in Ghana’s healthcare.