News
SHSs reopen today! … as heads pledge to support govt to enforce COVID-19 protocols after disinfection of schools by Zoomlion
The Headmasters and headmistresses of senior high schools (SHSs) and junior high schools (JHSs) in the Ashanti Region have given assurance of their readiness to support government to enforce the COVID-19 safety protocols in their schools to protect the final-year students to write their exit examinations.
They gave the assurance when Zoomlion Ghana Limited last Wednesday extended its nationwide disinfection of SHSs and JHSs to the Ashanti Region.
The exercise, collaboration between the Ministry of Education and Zoomlion Ghana Limited, was part of measures by the government to protect students and pupils in SHSs and JHSs respectively from contracting the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his 10thh address to the nation on measures on COVID-19 directed final-year students of both JHSs and SHSs to go back to school.
In the case of final-year SHS students and Form Two Gold Track Students, they are expected to report back to school today while final-year JHS pupils are expected to resume on June 29.
The President’s directive is to allow final-years of SHSs and JHSs to be prepared to write their exit examinations.
The exercise in the Ashanti Region started in earnest on Tuesday, June 16, and was aimed at getting rid of germs, bacteria and viruses in the both the SHSs and JHSs.
Among the schools which benefited from the exercise were the Adventist Senior High School, Our Lady of Apostles School, Asem Cluster of Schools, Atonsu Bethel Presby Experimental School etc.
Addressing journalists at the Atonsu Bethel Presby Experimental School, the headmaster of the school, Rev. James Dapaah, indicated that his school was earnestly putting plans in place in readiness for the re-opening.
According to him, his school has 129 final-year pupils, adding that in observing the social distancing protocol, the pupils would be divided into groups and would be accommodated in the Form 1 and 2 classrooms.
He disclosed that the school had decided to put the pupils in groups of 25 to ensure that the social and physical distancing protocol was observed to protect them against COVID-19.
At the Asem Cluster of Schools in the Asokwa Municipal Assembly of Kumasi, the headmaster of the school, Mr Samuel Asare Kwarteng, hinted that his school was counting on the support of the government to make available the needed personal protection equipment.
The administrator of Our Lady of Apostle, Madam Anne Andoh, which school also benefited from the exercise, disclosed that her school as part of measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19 had engaged the services of a nurse who would be tasked to take temperatures of every student and staff members.
“And instead of 28 pupils in each class, we have resolved to reduce the number to 14,” she added.
Source: Ghanaian Times
News
GFP founder Akua Donkor passes on
Akua Donkor
The founder and leader of the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP), Madam Akua Donkor, has passed away.
She died at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital on Monday, October 28 at 72.
Reports gathered by The Spectator indicated that she was diagnosed with respiratory issues at the Nsawam Government Hospital and was referred to the Greater Accra Regional Hospital where she died.
Known for her spirited presence in Ghanaian politics, Akua Donkor was a staunch advocate for the rights of farmers and women.
Her bold and outspoken demeanour enabled her to capture public attention and significantly impact the grassroots communities she aimed to represent.
Throughout her political journey, she distinguished herself by running for the presidency multiple ti mes, demonstrating remarkable resilience despite financial challenges.
Akua Donkor was listed as the third candidate on the ballot for the upcoming 2024 presidential election.
Her political career began with her election as the Assemblywoman for Herman in the Ashanti region, and she made her first bid for the presidency in 2012 as an independent candidate.
She was, however, disqualified by the Electoral Commission in 2012 and 2016 for the reason that she did not meet the eligibility requirements.
News
Stop using breast enhancing creams …they expose females to breast cancer
Mrs Enyonam Abiti making a presentation
Women have been cautioned to stop using of breast enhancing creams which is said to contain estrogen, predisposing them to the breast cancer disease.
Using such creams over time increases estrogen levels in patrons of such products thereby exposing them to the disease.
Estrogen is a type of sex hormone responsible for development and regulation of female reproductive system and secondary sex chart.
Mrs Enyonam Abiti, a medical officer at Madina Pentecost Hospital, said this at a day’s seminar and breast cancer awareness creation day at Sunyani in the Bono Region.
The programme, organised by the Bono Regional office of COCOBOD, forms part of activities to mark this year’s World Breast Cancer Day celebrations held every year in October.
Some staff of COCOBOD and women in cocoa farming used the opportunity to have their breast screened.
Mrs Abiti during a presentation revealed that one in every eight women was diagnosed of breast cancer while 1 from 1,000 men contract the disease.
She noted that early detection and regular screening was the surest way to salvage the situation.
She mentioned that habits such as excessive smoking and alcohol intake predisposes women to breast cancer.
Moreover, she added that people advanced in age, past history, past ovarian cancer case as well as young girls that menstruate early, among others stands the risk of contracting the disease.
The Bono Regional Administrator of COCOBOD, Michael Paddy Kwesi Asumanu, stated that the decision to organise the breast screening was to ensure that women in cocoa farming were healthy at all times to go about their farming activities in order to increase productivity.
“We don’t want a situation where our women in cocoa farming are infected with breast cancer disease to jeopardise the cocoa sector,” he said.
According him, the Regional Office of COCOBOD in partnership with the Bono Regional Teaching hospital would organised screening for about 4,000 women on October 31, 2024 at Goaso in the Ahafo Region.
The move, he said, was part of their corporate social responsibility towards women as the world mark breast cancer awareness creation this month.
Some of the women who spoke to The Spectator commended COCOBOD for the gesture and called on other institutions of state to emulate the example.
The organisers later held a float on the principal streets of Sunyani to create awareness on the breast cancer disease.
From Daniel Dzirasah, Sunyani