News
We’ll drag Kan Dapaah to Parliament over military brutality in Garu – Cletus Avoka
A member of the Interior and Defense Committee of Parliament, Cletus Avoka, has hinted that the committee will ensure that the Minister for National Security, Albert Kan Dapaah, is summoned before Parliament to provide an account of the alleged brutality on some residents of Garu in the Upper East region by personnel from the Ghana Armed Forces.
Reports indicate that some military personnel stormed Garu in a dawn raid and assaulted residents in the process.
The Ghana Armed Forces have justified the attacks, accusing irate youth in the area of initiating an attack on national security operatives, which led to the raid.
The National Security Ministry, in a statement, debunked the reports and explained that it was a joint operation to seize weapons used in the October 24 attack by a vigilante group in Garu.
However, the Member of Parliament for Zebilla East, Mr. Avoka, believes it would be prudent for the National Security Minister to appear before Parliament to address the matter.
“We will endeavour to make a statement on the floor of Parliament. We will request that Speaker Alban Bagbin invite the Minister of National Security, Kan Dapaah to come and address the House. We will then appeal to the Speaker to set up a committee to investigate this. We had done this in Wa, when soldiers went on rampage and beat up civilians just because a civilian stole a soldier’s motorbike.”
“We went to Wa to investigate it. When soldiers beat up several people in Ashaiman and they made them lay in water and gutters, we went there to investigate, we went to the area and conducted investigations,” the Member of the Interior and Defense Committee of Parliament said.
Source: Citinewsroom.com
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
News
NTC staff demonstrate prowess in fire fighting
The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) on Tuesday held a sensitisation workshop on fire safety for staff of the New Times Corporation (NTC), publishers of The Ghanaian Times and The Spectator.
It created awareness on fire prevention and safety measures to prevent fire in the home or office.
During the practical session, a section of the staff were taken through fire outbreaks drills steps to take in fire .
tries his hands on
one of the traditional
way to combat fire
Nortey led the demonstration exercise
to staff before the demonstration exercise
of staff Herty Nortey to put off a fire
Can-Tamakloe trying to
extinguish the fire
Led by Assistant Divisional Officer (ADO 1) Isaac Tengfaa, the staff were taught how to use the different types of fire extinguishers to combat fire.
He said it was important for home owners and office workers to put off every electrical gadget at work before leaving for their respective home because more fires in offices occur at closing hours.
He said fire incidence often resulted from carelessness, ignorance or natural occurrence.
Supported by ADO I Richard Mensah, ADO I Eunice Ceasar and Fire woman Anita Amponsah, some of the staff tried their hands on the fire extinguishers and other modes of combatting fire.
By Linda Abrefie Wadie
