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Minority demands withdrawal of military deployment to Ghana-Togo border towns
The Minority in Parliament is demanding the immediate withdrawal of military personnel deployed to some Ghana-Togo border towns.
The deployment comes just days ahead of the commencement of the voter registration exercise tomorrow.
Ghana’s land, sea air borders have remained shut since March 22 as a measure to stop the importation of coronavirus cases into the country.
According to the caucus, the deployment of the troops to border towns in the Volta, Oti, Northern, North East and Upper East regions is a ploy by government to instill fear into the people ahead of the exercise.
By this, the Minority is of the conviction that people in the affected areas would not be able turn out in their numbers to partake in the exercise.
Minority spokesperson on Defence and Interior, James Agalga, addressing journalists in Parliament on Friday said the deployment was intended to intimidate citizens in the affected regions which are considered strongholds of the opposition National Democratic Congress.
“There is a certain scheme which is designed by the government to intimidate our teeming supporters from coming out in their numbers to register and have their names on the new voter register,” Mr Agalga, MP, Builsa North said.
In James Agalga’s view, the deployment was uncalled for because “after all, we are all aware that our borders were shut down in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“What is this second wave of deployment meant to achieve? Is there a threat of aggression from our neighbouring countries?” he asked.
Impressing on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Commander-In-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, to immediately “Cause to be withdrawn the massive deployment we are witnessing along our borders,” James Agalga, a former Deputy Defence Minister said “COVID-19 did not start today.”
“The hotspots are not in the Volta Region. It is here in Accra,” he added.
Disclosing that the caucus had received a myriad of complaints from the people in the affected areas, especially in the Volta Region, that they were living in fear, James Agalga said “we know of no major security threat along that particular frontier” to warrant the deployment.
Volta Regional Minister, Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, has however dismissed the suspicions of the opposition lawmakers.
Even though Dr Letsa, Chairman of the Regional Security Council, admitted to the deployment, he said it was to enforce the closure of the country’s eastern borders in line with steps taken by government to stop the importation of coronavirus cases into the country from neighbouring countries.
Speaking on Joynews on Friday night, Dr Letsa who said the deployment was at the behest of the Regional Security Council was not a novelty.
“We are only enforcing the closure of the borders which remain closed till otherwise directed,” he stated.
Source: Ghanaian Times
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Central Regional NADMO hold handing over ceremony
In line with established practices & conventions, the Central Regional NADMO Secretariat witnessed a peaceful change of leadership yesterday, April, 23, 2025 between the outgoing acting Regional Director, Mr Emmanuel Kweku Arkoh Yeboah and the new Regional Director, Emmanuel Kwesi Dawood Mensah.
The ceremony brought the transition process to a remarkable end for work to continue under the new and experienced leadership with the Reset Agenda.
During the the handing over, Mr.Dawood appreciated the outgoing acting director and wished him well in his next assignment whilst urging the staff to continue giving their best towards achieving the set objectives of the Organization in line with the Director-General’s mandate.
CDCO Kwesi Dawood, brings onboard a wealth of risk reduction, professional, academic, military, civil defence, humanitarian, governance, political, climate adaptation, communications, relief mobilization, DVG mobilization, management and disaster prevention experiences which are highly needed towards the Reset Agenda within NADMO Central in line with the Director General’s mandate.
He joined NADMO as a Senior Disaster Control Officer, rose through the ranks to be a Deputy Chief Disaster Control Officer in 2013 and was appointed as the Agona West Municipal Director.
In 2016, he was given additional responsibility as a Deputy Regional Director and was on his way to becoming the Regional Director in 2016 after the retirement of Mr. E. Sandy Amartey, but for the change in Govt in 2016.
Against this backdrop, his appointment in April 2025 does not come as a surprise.
In attendance were former Metropolitan, Municipal & District Directors of NADMO, Management & staff of the Regional Secretariat, staffs from some Districts and Assembly Members from CCMA as well as other stakeholders.
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Gender and Education Ministry hold joint press conference on launch of Free Sanitary Pads for girls
A joint press conference was held today, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at the conference room of the Ministry of Education by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) and the Ministry of Education (MoE), ahead of the official launch of the Free Sanitary Pad Initiative scheduled for Thursday, April 25, 2025, at the Salvation Army Cluster of Schools in Accra.
The press conference aimed to brief media organizations and the general public about President John Dramani Mahama’s commitment to ensuring access to free sanitary pads for adolescent girls in schools across the country.
In her brief remarks, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, stated that the initiative seeks to promote menstrual health and hygiene among adolescent girls.
She emphasized that this intervention is expected to significantly reduce absenteeism, improve retention, and enhance academic performance.
The Minister further noted that approximately two million girls in both Junior and Senior High Schools are expected to benefit from the initiative.
She therefore called on the media to support in widely disseminating information about the launch and the broader benefits of the Initiative.
