Hot!
National Chief Imam, Clemence Gyato donate relief items and cash to Dam Spillage victims
The National Chief Imam, Sheikh Nuhu Sharabutu on Tuesday, November 21, 2023, teamed up with National Peace Ambassador, Clemence Gyato to donate relief items to Akosombo Dam Spillage victims in North Tongu District.
They visited the second biggest displaced camp located at Agbetikpo in North Tongu, housing about 1,200 people.
Over Twelve thousand people have been displaced and housed in about 21 camps in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region.
Various items ranging from 100 bags of rice, 200 packs of bottled water, 50 bags of sachet water, 250 packs of soft drinks, clothes, wrappers, pairs of footwear, books and packs of powdered soap worth over GH₵300,000 were presented to the victims.
Additionally, they presented a cash of GH₵70,000 to help relieve the affected people of their pain.
Addressing the gathering the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu said, the visit formed part of their civic and Islamic responsibilities to solidarise with those affected, adding that for the pain they have gone through, he is with them in diversity and prosperity.
Sheikh Nuhu Sharabutu encouraged them that at times God takes His Children through difficulties and cushions them at the end.
Against this backdrop, he asked for God’s blessings to wipe away their pain and sorrow.
“What I can say for now is, may God strengthen you and give you the fortitude to go through these hard times,” he said.
The National Peace Ambassador, Amb. Clemence Gyato on his part said, considering the difficulty the displaced individuals have encountered, it was prudent that he teamed up with the National Chief Imam to put smiles on the faces of the victims.
Amb. Gyato recounted how the Chief Imam took him as a son and appointed him as part of a delegation which brokered peace during the conflict between the people of Hohoe and the Muslim community some years ago.
He thanked the Chief Imam for his peace initiatives and for ensuring religious tolerance in the country over the years.
Amb. Gyato urged the youth to stay away from any act which could breach the peace of their communities, saying they cannot achieve their dreams in turmoil.
On behalf of the victims, the Member of Parliament for the people of North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa expressed his profound gratitude to The Chief Imam and Amb. Clemence Gyato for the kind gesture.
According to him in North Tongu alone, 12,633 have been displaced and lost their home, adding that where the presentation took place is only one of the 21 camps in the constituency.
He noted that the six-unit classroom block houses 1,254 displaced people making it the second biggest camp, ” the biggest camp is at Mepe St. Kizito Secondary School.”
Mr.Ablakwa said according to NADMO more than 1,500 houses were damaged as a result of the Dam Spillage.
This notwithstanding, he expressed his appreciation to Ghanaians, “I must place on record that Ghanaians have exhibited their ‘Ghanaianess’.What makes us unique? The saying that we are compassionate, kind, hospitable, caring and loving is not in doubt.
According to him, this has been demonstrated by the National Chief Imam which would be emulated by many organisations and individuals
People must recognise that the over 12,000 displaced people have lost everything including farms and other businesses and have to be fed at the various camps.
“We must place on record that the National Chief Imam is truly our father and loves the people of the Volta Region because he knows what we like, maize dominated the item,” he added.
Mr.Ablakwa said the people of North Tongu have been touched by the gesture because since the disaster struck the Chief Imam has been the highest religious leader who has visited them.
He said the cash donated would go into a housing project they are undertaking and promised that every item received would be accounted for and ensure those at the remaining 20 camps are not left out.
Hot!
Swedru All Blacks back to winning ways, Roshan humble King Faisal
Sekondi Rospak FC made it eight wins in eight successive home games after three second-half goals from John Amoah, Joseph Ntow and Stephen Anthony Kofi. John Amoah opened the scoring in the 55th minute after a barren first half. Joseph Ntow added to the tally in the 56th minute before Stephen Anthony Kofi rounded things up in the 74th minute to give Rospak a 3-0 win over former Premier League side King Faisal.
Elsewhere at Swedru – leaders Swedru All Blacks humbled PAC Academy in an emphatic 2-0 win. Zayat Bubakari scored first for Swedru All Blacks in the 27th minute before Rudolf Junior Nana Kwasi Mensah made it 2-0 in the 34th minute. Swedru All Blacks are top of the table with 36 points – 4 points ahead of second placed Rospak FC.
Meanwhile, Former Premier League side Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs recorded their fourth successive home victory after beaten New Edubiase United 2-1 at the Robert Mensah Park. Enoch Odoom struck first for Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs in the 19th minute but Steven Asante equalized for New Edubiase United before halftime. After the interval, Godfred Eshun scored from distance in the 65th minute to help Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs secure all the points.
Here are the results in Zone Two
Hot!
Cervical Cancer alert: Avoid sex at early age
The Programmes Manager of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Mary Efua Commeh, has advised young girls to avoid sex at an early age.
This, she explained, will give the cervix the opportunity to mature before they become sexually active.
“You need to delay what we call the first sexual intercourse as much as possible to give the cervix the opportunity to mature before the person becomes sexually active,” she said.
Dr Commeh stated this in an interview with The Spectator in Accra on Tuesday as a part of the Cervical Cancer awareness month.
According to her, cervical cancer was the second leading female cancer in Ghana with a total of about 3,072 cases annually, and out of that, 1,815 deaths are recorded, representing more than 50 per cent.
She indicated that “If young girls are going to be sexually active, then you need to talk to your parents about being vaccinated.”
She explained that vaccinating young girls against human papillomavirus (HPV) has been found to be a very effective way of preventing cervical cancer.
“There are countries that started HPV vaccination years ago and they are not seeing any cervical cancers now because they would have eliminated most of the high-risk HPVs in their women. So if the high-risk HPV is not there, then obviously the results on cervical cancers are going to go down,” she added.
Dr Commmey said the HPV vaccination is recommended for young girls aged nine to 14 years, adding that it had been found to be highly effective, not just for cervical cancers but for other HPV-related cancers, such as anal cancers, cancers of the vagina, genital warts, amongst others.
She further elaborated that the idea is to put up a barrier before the HPV comes in and that once a young female encounters it, she is already protected.
She also mentioned that for cervical cancers, the main cause is called HPV infection, saying generally, all sexually active women acquire HPV at some point in their lives.
However, the Programmes Manager of NCDs at the GHS mentioned that the body has a way of clearing the HPV, explaining that it is a natural mechanism that goes on, unfortunately, there are a few women whose HPV persists.
Moreover, she noted that the numbers for Cervical Cancer tend to be much higher because at times, clients would wait, and try all sorts of medications before they finally report to the health facility saying “we actually lose some women before they get to the hospitals with over 75 per cent of the cases coming in its third and fourth stages.”
Dr Commey, therefore, called for public awareness while ensuring the availability of information for prevention and control.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
