Connect with us

News

Ho cured lepers complain of starving….Appeal for help

The restriction on large public gatherings is pushing residents of the Ho Cured Lepers’ Village to the brink of starvation.

This is because the churches and various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which often visited the cured lepers regularly, and brought them food, clothes and detergents, have all put a hold on those benevolent activities, according to Mr Nelson Atito, caretaker of the village.

He said that apart from the churches and the NGOs, various schools and schools’ alumni in the municipality visited the village to present food and other items generously to the cured lepers but that was not the case anymore.

“Now, life is difficult at the village as food has become very scarce to the residents who cannot go to the town in search of jobs to raise some money for food, due to the stigma attached to them,” the caretaker revealed.

Advertisement

To make matters worse, the craftsmen and women at the village can no longer sell their artefacts as their customers in the municipality and beyond do no longer visit the village to buy those items.

Mr Atito made the remarks when the Vicarchie Ghana Limited shopping mall and the Sky Plus Hotel in Ho feasted the residents and also presented them with detergents, toiletries and clothes almost a fortnight ago.

He described the gesture by the mall and the hotel as timely and touching.

Mr Atito said that there were 70 residents at the village, who now wondered where their next meal would come from.

Advertisement

Meanwhile, he said that only one of the three boreholes at the village was functioning and that situation was adding to the woes of the residents.

The untarred road which led to the village had also now become very soggy and scaring off motorists, Mr Atito said.

The caretaker expressed gratitude to Mrs Victoria Letsa, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the mall and the hotel for the concern for the welfare of the village all the time.

Mr Atito said that although the Department of Social Welfare had come out with a financial assistance package for the residents, the lack of proper database on the residents was frustrating the smooth distribution of the package to the residents.

Advertisement

He thanked the Paramount Chief of Kpenoe, Togbe Kotoku XI, for periodically reaching out to the cured lepers with food and other items.

On her part, Mrs Letsa gave the assurance that the donations by the mall and the hotel would be sustained.

“We are committed to helping the cured lepers because they are part and parcel of the society,” she added.

Mrs Letsa commended the people of the village for strictly adhering to the protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and urged them to keep it up.

Advertisement

From Alberto Mario Noretti, Ho

Continue Reading
Advertisement

News

High Court issues bench warrant for disputed Akwatia MP following contempt conviction

A Koforidua High Court has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Ernest Yaw Kumi, the presumed winner of the Akwatia parliamentary seat in the Eastern region, after convicting him of contempt of court.

The court issued the bench warrant for Kumi’s arrest after he failed to attend court.

The conviction comes after he disobeyed an interim injunction against him on January 7, prohibiting him from being sworn in and admitted as the Member of Parliament-elect for the Akwatia constituency due to an ongoing legal contest over his election.

Mr Kumi presented himself in Parliament to be sworn in on January 7, 2025.

Advertisement

The Judge, Justice Senyo Amedahe held that the convict, throughout the hearing of the contempt case, failed to appear in court in person.

He also rejected a letter from the minority side of Parliament claiming the MP was busy with parliamentary duties, hence his continuous absence from court.

The judge rejected the letter, insisting he would be going against his own ruling should he accept the letter from the minority caucus.

Source: Myjoyonline.com

Advertisement
Continue Reading

News

Asset declaration is good, but lifestyle audit is key among public officials – Domelevo to Mahama

Former Auditor General Daniel Yaw Domelevo has commended President John Mahama for declaring his assets but stressed the need for a lifestyle audit to effectively curb corruption among public officials.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, February 18, he acknowledged the President’s move as a “good gesture” but raised concerns about the process.

“It is good to see that the President has declared his assets,” he said.

According to him, “I was not too happy seeing the envelope being given to the Auditor General because that goes more or less to support what people have all along been saying—that you put your declaration in an envelope, seal it, and give it to the Auditor General, which is not the case anyway.”

Advertisement

“This should have gone through the entire process so that they capture it because you are supposed to verify the signature and be sure that the form has been properly completed. That at least should have been done, but it was not done,”he said.

While appreciating President Mahama’s directive for his appointees and public office holders to declare their assets by March 31, Domelevo expressed reservations about the timeline.

“To be honest with you, I think March 31 is too far away because the Constitution provides that it should be declared before you take office,” he argued.

He added that “Some will argue that Act 550 allows six months, but Act 550 contradicts the Constitution. I have a letter in my possession, written by former Attorney General Gloria Akuffo, confirming that the provisions of subsection 4(1) of Act 550 contradict the Constitution. However, we have all been upholding and following that.”

Advertisement

Daniel Domelevo was particularly pleased with Mahama’s commitment to hold non-compliant officials accountable.

“I’m also happy the President says those who don’t declare are going to be punished or asked to leave office. I think that will cut across everybody, and that will be good,” he stated.

However, the former Auditor General stated that asset declaration alone is insufficient in tackling corruption.

“This declaration is good. We must add to it what we call a lifestyle audit and the reversal of the burden of proof,” Mr Domelevo insisted.

Advertisement

“If we don’t do these two things so that we can audit and find out ‘how did you get this money?’, people are going to hide their resources or their assets with their families and friends. Everybody who is suspected of being an ally of a political or public office holder must be subjected to a lifestyle audit,” he concluded.

Source: Myjoyonline.com

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending