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Don’t attack personnel in uniform – Donald Gwira warns martial artists
Members of African Goju and the young trainess after the session
Practitioners of African Goju, an indigenous sports and system of self-defence, have been cautioned not to use their skill to attack security personnel in uniform.
This distinct form of martial arts, according to the Chief Instructor of African Goju, Mr. Donald Gwira, was to protect oneself, family and property other than causing fights or being on the offensive.
He said attacking personnel in uniform was a breach of the tenets and philosophy of the sports which could attract dire consequences for the offender when found culpable.
“If anyone in uniform accosts you, take the ones’s name and service number and report the person. The problem with attacking anybody in uniform is that, if you touch them, you are fighting the institution and not the individual. The whole institution would come after you and there is nothing going to save you in that regard.
“We have had instances where these have happened and we know what the consequences have been,” he said.
Mr. Gwira gave the warning at a Martial Arts Seminar and Exhibition on African Goju, held last Saturday in Accra as part of efforts to groom the next generation of practitioners.
The Seventh Degree Black Belt with over 40-years of experience who taught some basic self-defence techniques at the event, said the goal was to make African Goju the sole form of martial arts in Africa.
He said self-defence was crucial in all aspects of life and that children were the future of the sport, hence the need to provide the needed assistance to enable them to discover their full potentials.
About 50 children between ages five and 10 put a display on various aspects of self-defence, while the senior practitioners including “Great Warrior”, Patrick Mintah, exhibited other advanced styles and tactics by breaking a beer bottle with his head as part of his presentation.
Prof. Danny Gwira, the Founder of African Goju, emphasised the need to practice, promote and sustain the unique form of martial arts in Ghana instead of looking up to the Chinese and Koreans who were considered the masters of the art.
He said it was important to imbue the art of self-defence in children at a tender age and encourage them to do things by themselves, hence the plan to organise regular training sessions and seminars in future.
“The event marked 38 years of African Goju which was not only about building physical strength but also the holistic development of an individual,” he stated.
Prof. Gwira was confident other stakeholders would support the initiative to help train and produce great practitioners in Ghana.
The event saw Mr. Joshua Brown inducted into the Ken Gwira Hall of Fame after years of dedicated service and practice.
African Goju was formed in Ghana in 1985 by Danny Gwira, a student of Professor Ron Van Clief the Founder of Chinese Goju. It is practiced in over 34 countries as there are increased efforts to promote the sport in Africa.
BY ERNEST NUTSUGAH
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Youth urged to take proactive stance on ozone depletion
•Mr Joseph Amankwah, first counting from, some officials from EPA and UNDP in group picture with the student
Mr Joseph Amankwah, the Director of Ozone Layer and Climate Change at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has urged the youth to take a proactive stance on issues related to ozone depletion, emphasising that their future would be most affected by its consequences.
Speaking during a student engagement event at the Ghana Secondary School (GHANASS) in Koforidua, he highlighted the critical role young people played in tackling climate-related challenges.
Mr Amankwah explained that human activities, such as the use of certain chemicals, were significantly contributing to the depletion of the ozone layer and driving climate change.
He said it was important to educate the youth on these issues, encouraging them to share this knowledge with their families to foster a broader understanding and active participation in climate action.
He urged the education sector to integrate lessons on the ozone layer, the causes of its depletion, and its links to climate change into the curriculum.
The event, organised by the EPA in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), was designed to foster environmental awareness and promote a sense of responsibility among young people.
Mr Amankwah noted that ozone layer depletion was affecting everyone, including children, as it alters weather patterns and threatens the natural environment.
He highlighted the need for young people to develop ‘green skills’ to adapt to the challenges of climate change and to understand ways to combat it.
He added that World Ozone Day, observed every September, would focus on youth engagement in environmental issues, to help them understand the long-term consequences of ozone depletion and climate change.
Mr Amankwah also discussed the harmful impact of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), a major chemical contributor to ozone depletion.
He explained that household appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioners were common sources of CFC emissions in Ghana.
Many uncertified technicians work on these appliances, often releasing harmful chemicals into the atmosphere due to improper handling, he noted.
To address this, he urged appliance repairers to obtain proper certification and training, emphasising that unqualified repairs not only harm the environment but also endangered public health.
From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman,
Koforidua
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Small-scale miners schooled on health hazards of mining with mercury
Mr Lovelace Sarpong (right) addressing the participants
Some Artisanal and Small-Scale Miners in the Ashanti and Central regions have been sensitised on the potential health dangers humans are exposed to with the use of mercury in gold processing.
The sensitisation which was organised by PlanetGOLD Ghana project was to raise awareness about the negative impacts on the use of mercury in mining activities.
According to the PlanetGOLD Ghana Project Coordinator, Mr Lovelace Sarpong, the use of mercury in artisanal small-scale mining pose health challenges that affects the nervous, digestive and immune systems, lungs and kidneys; and may be fatal.
Some Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) that benefited from the exercise were Amansie Central, Asante Akim North, Amansie South, Amansie West, Bekwai, and Adansi North in the Ashanti Region, and Upper Denkyira East (Dunkwa-on-Offin) and Upper Denkyira West (Diaso) in the Central Region.
Additionally, he said inorganic salts of mercury were corrosive to the skin, eyes and gastrointestinal tract, and may induce kidney toxicity if ingested.
He stated that the PlanetGOLD Project has conducted several initiatives to raise awareness on reducing mercury exposure among artisanal and small-scale gold mining actors in the country.
It was to promote mercury-free mining practices in line with Ghana’s obligations under the Minamata Convention on Mercury, support the formalisation of the ASGM sector while advocating the adoption of the CRAFT Code and responsible supply chains, and raise awareness on the availability of mercury-free alternatives.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Area Head for Konongo, Mr Dawood Abbas, underscored the importance of government’s environmental regulations and EPA’s role in ensuring compliance within the ASGM sector.
He encouraged miners to prioritise environmental stewardship to gain community trust and secure a Social License to Operate (SLO) and reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to enforce its commitments under the Minamata Convention.
BY Cecilia Lagba Yada
