News
COVID-19 disrupts ‘normal life’ in Parliament

The disruption to social life, forced by the novel corona virus, was brought to bear yesterday when Parliament operated at half capacity; not by will, but by compulsion to stop the further spread of the respiratory disease.
Out of the 275 lawmakers, only 140, representing 50.90 per cent, were allowed onto the floor of the House when the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, came to present the mid-year budget review and economic policy of the government for the 2020 fiscal year pursuant to section 28 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921).
“The Minister [for Finance] shall, not later than the July 31 of each financial year, prepare and submit to Parliament a mid-year fiscal policy review” the section reads adding that the presentation should contain a brief overview of recent macroeconomic developments of government, an update of macroeconomic forecasts undertaken by government and an analysis of the total revenue and expenditure amongst others.
The legislators, in various shapes and colour of nose masks, sat a chair apart to comply with the physical distancing etiquette in compliance with the COVID-19 preventive protocol.
With admission to the House on ‘first come, first served’ basis, as outlined by Speaker Aaron Mike Oquaye on Thursday, MPs who arrived after the House was ‘full to capacity,’ had to observe proceedings on televisions in their respective offices or alternatively in the public gallery.
With the public barred from participating in this year’s exercise, the gallery, which used to house diplomats, traditional rulers, other dignitaries and the local and international media at such events was virtually empty.
Before the two-hour presentation by Mr Ofori-Atta started at about 1pm, the MPs chit-chatted at considerable distances all in compliance with the COVID-19 preventive protocol.
Dressed in all white, Mr Ofori-Atta’s presentation was interspersed with periodic cheers, jeers and boos from either side of the House depending on what they heard.
Unlike in the past where the cheers and jeers virtually made hearing finance ministers on such occasions difficult, there was calm and order in the House making Mr Ofori-Atta audible.
While at it, the MPs could be seen taking notes; probably in preparation for the debate on Monday. It could be said that the House was generally decorous parting away from previous presentations where placards were displayed to convey messages.
The House, however, bounced back to life after the finance minister finished his presentation at about 3: 00 p.m. to a standing ovation from the majority side of the House.
Calling for a continuation in leadership as he concluded his presentation, Mr Ofori-Atta said the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government was the best to steer the country out of the economic quagmire forced by the coronavirus pandemic. Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, seconding the motion for adjournment described the presentation as a “sermon of manifesto promises and pledges rather than mid-year budget review,” to loud laughter by his caucus.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
News
Don’t insert foreign material into vagina

A Health expert has expressed concern about the nature of health issues that confronts women in adulthood and has since advised them to help themselves by prioritising vaginal health.
According to the Acting Programmes Manager of the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Mary Efua Commey, most of the issues that affect women were caused by some negative practices they indulge in at youthful ages.
Those practices, according to her lead to serious health implications and urged them to desist from them.
For instance, the insertion of foreign objects into the private parts was something women must avoid.
Dr Mary Efua Commey gave the caution last week during an interactive session with female staff of the New Times Corporation (Times Ladies) aimed to create awareness on cervical cancer, and the need to vaccinate and screen girls and women.
According to Dr Commey, some women insert white clay, popularly known as ‘ayilo’, naphthalene balls (camphor), cloves (pepre), herbs, vagina tightening creams and many other things into their private parts.
But in response to that, she told the women to “leave the vagina alone; use tap water to wash it, don’t insert your finger into the vagina.”
She underlined that the vagina naturally cleanses itself, hence, there was no need to use soap and other detergents to clean it.
Dr Commey explained that the position of the cervix makes it easier to trap infections, a situation that might create problems, adding that, “let us not create new problems because you don’t know how your body will react to these chemicals.”
According to Dr Commey, women were expected to be screened once every three years but most sexually active women do not get screened after all.
She mentioned that one of the reasons some women shy away from screening was because they do not have the permission of their husbands.
Furthermore, she recounted a few instances where some men acts as impediment on the way of their wives because they do not understand what it means for their wives to be screened for cervical cancer.
She said the death rate for cervical cancer was unacceptably high as the GHS was trying to reduce the number.
She again indicated that over 3,000 cases of cervical cancer was recorded every year with more than half death cases.
Dr Commey mentioned that screening rate among women in Ghana was extremely low with only 3.6 per cent women screening for the disease in 2023.
Moreover, mentioning some of the risk factors of the disease, she said women with family history, multiple sex partners, personal history of abnormal screening results, women with persistent HPV infection, and smoking were prone to it.
She said signs and symptoms of cervical cancer include bleeding during or after sex or between periods, post-menopausal bleeding, unusual vaginal discharge, pain during sex and lower back pain.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
News
Silence box fighting violence, forced marriages in Nanumba North District

Aisha, a 16-year-old girl’s prefect of Nabuli Junior High School in the Numumba North district of the Northern region, is among hundreds of girls in rural communities, where a simple metal box kept in a safe room in their school is offering a lifeline for many innocent girls.
To the untrained eye, it looks ordinary. It’s just a box with a narrow slit at the top, but to the teenage girls, it is a silent witness and a keeper of secrets. “This is the Violence Reporting Box.
In Nabuli, violence was once an unspoken norm for decades, where issues of domestic abuse, child marriage, and gender-based violence were swept under the carpet.
The victims bore their pain in silence, fearing banishment when such issues were reported to powerful community elders.
It was installed as part of a community driven initiative, spearheaded by ActionAid and implemented by songtaba, a local base NGO.
Madam Hamida Kukuna, the Community Officer for Songtaba at Nabuli said the box does not judge, but only listen, trying to address your issue if you have been wronged.
She indicated that every week, trained volunteers discreetly emptied the box, forwarding reports to a team of social workers and law enforcement officers stationed in the district capital, after victims of violence anonymously slip handwritten notes into the box.
“At first, the box was a curiosity, where children giggled as they looked at it, and villagers questioned its purpose”, she said.
Ms Hamida continue that for weeks it remained empty, then after one rainy evening, she saw a footprint towards the box so she opened it and saw a piece of paper inside.
It stated “He comes every night when my mother is away. I am only 12, Please help me.”
The volunteers acted swiftly and that led to the identification of the girl and rescued her from her abusive uncle, who was later arrested.
The news spread quickly, and for the first time, the people of Nabuli realised the power of this silent box.
Soon, more notes followed, as a wife who had been battered for years sought help and a father reported his daughter’s forced marriage to a much older man.
According to Hamida, the box became a beacon of hope, an outlet for the voiceless.
Moreover, she said within a year the box has facilitated the rescue of over 30 individuals from abusive situations.
“It has also triggered critical conversations about violence, gender roles, and justice in the community, she added.
Mrs Beatrice Yanman Biije, a Programmes Officer at ActionAid Ghana at the Tamale office stated that village council, once complicit in silencing victims, began working with the authorities in creating a safe place for the teenagers.
She said one of the most remarkable transformations was when a 26-year-old mother of two, after years of beatings from her husband, wrote a note to the box with the help of a teacher.
“Her story inspired the creation of a women’s cooperative, offering skills training and support to survivors of abuse,” she said.
She added that, the initiative faced hurdles, where some villagers accused the box of encouraging rebellion and breaking families apart, said an elder in the community.
“Others tried to sabotage it, spreading rumors and threatening volunteers, but the tide was turning with each life saved, the community’s support grew stronger”, she added.
The success of the violence reporting box in Nabuli caught the attention of many schools in the communities around who are working on getting a metal box.
The box stands as a testament to what happens when silence is broken, when whispers become voices, and when justice is given a chance to thrive, even in the most unlikely places.
From Geoffrey Buta, Nabuli