News
Decline in vulture population poses danger to society – Wildlife Researcher
• Vultures are nature’s garbage collectors
The decline in population of vultures known in the local parlance as ‘pete or kokosakyi’ to a staggering 97 per cent predisposes society to diseases like cholera, rabies, botulism (food poisoning caused by bacteria) among others, which are mainly transmitted from infected wild and domestic animals.
Vultures which are nature’s garbage collectors are at a “very high risk” of extinction and their natural role of clearing carcasses and other organic waste found in the environment would not be felt.
Research and Project Officer of the Ghana Wildlife Society (GWS), Mr Joseph Kwesi Afrifa disclosed this alarming situation to this reporter to commemorate the International Vulture Awareness Day (IVAD) which falls today, September 3, 2022.
He said “Without vultures, decomposing dead and decaying matter will litter our environment and pose high risk to public health reminiscing a case in Indian 1994 Surat plague where carcasses left unattended among other sanitary problems, led to the spread of deadly diseases.”
This year’s (IVAD) theme “Vultures, our garbage crew” is to among other things highlight the importance of these birds, create awareness on the danger they face and garner support for their conservation.
On the importance of vultures, Mr Afrifa cited a recent research which said that up to about 70 per cent of carcasses left after the migration of wild beast from the Mara to the Serengeti in Tanzania were removed by vultures alone without any human intervention.
Vultures play significant ecological and economic roles in our environment, yet human activities such as non-selective poisoning, use of parts of vultures for rituals, trade in vulture parts for use in traditional medicines, persecution and habitat loss threaten their existence.
According to Mr Afrifa “another threat to vulture existence is when, some poachers, intentionally target the scavengers to cover up their activities so that they don’t hover to alert forest guards of the location of their crimes”.
The Ghana Wildlife Society (GWS), therefore, calls for vigorous education and adoption of the International Vulture Awareness Day (IVAD) nationwide, to sensitise the public to conservation of vultures to keep “our garbage crew” alive for future generations.
He said robust scientific research and technologies in monitoring vulture population with collaborative international conservation efforts would also go a long way in conserving vultures.
Mr Afrifa said that Hooded vultures were the most common vultures in Ghana, with others like the White-backed, White-headed, Rüppell’s and Egyptian vulture which had been recorded in different locations in the country.
“So anytime you see a vulture remember they are the ones keeping our environment clean from decomposing dead and decaying matter, they are environmental heroes not witches as some misconstrue”, he emphasised.
By Portia Hutton-Mills
News
NPP condems arrest of Okatakyie Afrifa Mensah
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has condemned the arrest and detention of Okatakyie Afrifa Mensah by operatives of the National Security.
In a statement signed by the General Secretary, Justin Kodua noted that “This unlawful action by the marauding operatives of the National Security is the latest installment of the ongoing series of state-sponsored attacks on the media by the NDC government, in their desperate attempt to silence the media and curtail press freedom.”
According to the him, “The Party condemns in no uncertain terms this state-sponsored lawlessness and commends the many well-meaning Ghanaians who spoke loudly against this shameful conduct by the National Security. We also commend the young people and the team of lawyers who stormed the National Security Secretariat this evening to see to the release of the abducted journalist.”
“The NPP wishes to remind President Mahama and his government that the Ghana that was bequeathed to them on January 7, 2025, was a free country. It was the bastion of democracy, underpinned not only by the existence of functioning democratic institutions but also by our unflinching commitment to upholding press freedom as enshrined in Chapter 12 of the 1992 Constitution,” they added.
Read the full statement below
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 19, 2025
*NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY CONDEMNS THE UNLAWFUL ARREST OF VETERAN JOURNALIST, OKATAKYIE AFRIFA MENSAH BY NATIONAL SECURITY OPERATIVES*
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) condemns the unlawful arrest and detention by operatives of the National Security, of Okatakyie Afrifa Mensah, a veteran journalist, who has been critical of the John Mahama administration.
This unlawful action by the marauding operatives of the National Security is the latest installment of the ongoing series of state-sponsored attacks on the media by the NDC government, in their desperate attempt to silence the media and curtail press freedom.
The Party condemns in no uncertain terms this state-sponsored lawlessness and commends the many well-meaning Ghanaians who spoke loudly against this shameful conduct by the National Security. We also commend the young people and the team of lawyers who stormed the National Security Secretariat this evening to see to the release of the abducted journalist.
The NPP wishes to remind President Mahama and his government that the Ghana that was bequeathed to them on January 7, 2025, was a free country. It was the bastion of democracy, underpinned not only by the existence of functioning democratic institutions but also by our unflinching commitment to upholding press freedom as enshrined in Chapter 12 of the 1992 Constitution.
In line with this commitment, the country also went through the painstaking process of repealing the Criminal and Seditious Libel Law in 2001, a process that was spearheaded by the immediate past President, H.E Nana Addo Akufo-Addo, who was then the Attorney General of the Republic.
It is therefore completely repugnant and unacceptable for the John Mahama administration to be using State Security to intimidate political opponents as well as media personnel in a bid to silence all critical voices This, in fact, is an egregious affront to our democratic and constitutional tenets.
We call on the Ghana Journalist Association, the Media Foundation of West Africa, Civil Society Organizations, and all stakeholders to join us in demanding an immediate cessation of this tyranny and growing culture of state-sponsored attacks on the media.
Enough is enough.
…Signed…
JUSTIN KODUA FRIMPONG
GENERAL SECRETARY
News
We have built enough buffers to pay all DDEP obligations – Finance Minister Ato Forson
Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has assured banks that the government has built sufficient financial buffers to meet all Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) obligations this year.
Speaking at a high-level meeting with over 22 Managing Directors of banks, he reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fiscal responsibility and restoring confidence in the financial sector.
“We do not intend to default,” Dr. Forson declared.
“All outstanding holdouts have been paid, and we have put in place the necessary buffers to ensure that every single DDEP obligation for this year will be met.”
The Minister explained that these buffers were created through fiscal discipline, strategic investment cuts, and prudent resource allocation.
As part of this approach, the government has reset goods and services expenditure to 2023 levels and is working to achieve a primary surplus of 1.5% to sustain economic stability.
He also announced plans to submit a fiscal responsibility rule to Parliament, which will set a debt ceiling that the Ministry of Finance cannot exceed.
This measure aims to prevent excessive borrowing and reinforce financial discipline.
Beyond ensuring timely DDEP payments, Dr Forson revealed that the government is taking deliberate steps to reduce reliance on the Treasury bill market.
By improving coordination between fiscal and monetary policies, the government aims to stabilize interest rates and ease liquidity pressures on the banking sector.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
