News
Let’s be vigilant to prevent violent extremism …Lawra Immigration Commander
Youth in the Lawra Municipality in the Upper West Region have been tasked to assist security personnel to identify suspicious persons in society for immediate action in order to prevent violent extremism in the area and the country at large.
The Acting Municipal Commander of the Immigration Service at Lawra, Assistant Superintendent (AS) Alex Zinzer stated that the youth should not neglect pertinent issues that came to their attention as they interacted with other people since this could lead to the discovery of suspicious characters.
He said this at a youth engagement meeting organised by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) on preventing and containing violent extremism aimed at building the capacity of the youth on violent extremism.
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 Officer said community surveillance through watch committees was one of the ways to ensure that suspicious people were detected.
He defined surveillance as “carefully watching and observing a person or a place in relation to crime and other suspicious activities”.
“In surveillance, people are able to identify how others act and behave and what they are trying to hide; there is, therefore, the need for public cooperation to help identify criminals and suspicious characters in the society through community surveillance”, he said, and urged the youth to be ready to assist the security personnel to do their work very well by reporting suspicious acts to them.
A Secretary with the Assemblies of God Church at Lawra, Elder Samuel Dapila on his part defined peace building as “the implementation of measures intended to create and sustain peace, especially in areas affected by conflicts.”
“Peace seeks to address the underlying causes of conflict, helping people to resolve their differences peacefully and laying a foundation to prevent future violence”, he said.
Speaking on community-based approaches to peace building, Mr Dapila encouraged traditional leaders to use the traditional justice system together with committees in the communities to address conflicts.
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.
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.
From Lydia Darlington Fordjour, Wa
News
‘Nipahiamoa’ residents cry for basic social amenities
Residents of a farming community in the Nkoranza North District of the Bono East Region are living under conditions that directly reflect or connote the name of the township, Nipahiamoa.
The name of the town, Nipahiamoa, when translated directly means ‘humans need help.’
Despite the contribution in ensuring there is sufficient food in not only the region but the country at large, Nipahiamoa lacks basic social amenities to make life enjoyable after their farming activities.
water for the people of Nipahiamoa
According to some of the members of the community that The Spectator spoke to during a visit to the area, they lacked basic needs such as potable water, health post, among others.
This, they claimed, was impacting negatively on their general wellbeing and appealed to authorities to come to their aid.
The Unit Committee chairman of Nipahiamoa, Mr James Najohnbo, told this paper on Thursday that successive governments have neglected the town over the years.
“It is the reason we are where we are today in this era of development. Some people poke fun that our condition is a reflection of the name of the town but I don’t believe that. We have been neglected by governments over the years. There are no government initiatives here,” he explained.
The community, inhabited by over one thousand people, mostly settlers, is located on the Techiman-Kintampo stretch of the Trans-ECOWAS highway which connect from Tema to Mali.
Mr Najohnbo, who conducted this reporter around, revealed that a borehole constructed for the community by the former Member of Parliament for Nkoranza North, Major Derrick Oduro, had since broke down, compelling the people to turn to the Bono manso waterfalls which they trek several kilometres for their source of water.
Mr Najohnbo stated that their children are not left out in this challenges as they had to trek to either Manso or Dweneho, about two kilometres to access healthcare and education.
He added that a wooden structure constructed in 1994 currently serves as the only primary school for the community.
“Our kids had to trek several kilometres to Manso to attend school which come at cost to most parents.”
A 30-year old hairdresser, Rebecca Dibenpong, also appealed to authorities to come up with income generating activities to boost economic lives of the people.
She alleged that politicians often claimed they don’t have enough numbers to attract development, hence such initiatives were directed to bigger communities.
Like the name suggest, Nipahiamoa, the community needs urgent attention to make life meaningful for the people who contribute to the national economy by way of their farming activities.
From Daniel Dzirasah, Nipahiamoa
News
Maternal mortality rate increases in Ashanti Region
The Ghana Health Service has revealed a staggering statistic of 1,000 women losing their lives during childbirth in the Ashanti Region between 2020 and 2024.
This alarming number, according to the Regional Health Director, Dr Frank Adomanko Boateng, highlights the persistent challenge of maternal mortality in Ghana, despite efforts to improve maternal healthcare.
Dr Adomanko Boateng, therefore emphasized on an urgent need for stronger interventions to curb the high rate of maternal deaths.
Speaking at the 2024 Regional Health Forum, he indicated that “Ghana is struggling to meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of reducing maternal mortality to 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.”
Dr Boateng stressed that time was of the essence, saying, “The clock is ticking, and we must double our efforts.”
He called for intensified measures over the next six years to bridge the gap and prevent further loss of lives.
Ghana’s maternal mortality ratio, he noted, has been declining from 760 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 310 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2017.
However, “the country still faces significant challenges in reducing maternal mortality, particularly in regions like Ashanti.”
To address the issue, he said, Ghana has been working to improve maternal healthcare through various initiatives, including the Network for Improving Quality of Care for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.
The country aims to reduce maternal mortality by strengthening healthcare systems, improving access to quality care, and enhancing community engagement
From Kingsley E. Hope,
Kumasi
