Human Rights Reporters' Joshua Adjei wri Accra

Call Weija-Gbawe MP, MCE to order over unlawful demolition exercise-Gonsee Dzaasetse told Akuffo-Addo

Gbawe Gonsee Dzaasetse, Nii Abe Kobla II has implored the President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to immediately intervene and called to order the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Weija-Gbawe Municipal Assembly, Patrick Brako Kumor and Member of Parliament (MP) for Weija-Gbawe Constituency, Tina Gifty Naa Ayeley Mensah for their alleged involvement in facilitating unlawful demonstration exercise which resulted in the loss of properties belonging to several residents of Gbawe Gonsee in the Weija-Gbawe Municipality of the Greater Accra Region.

He contends that the MP together with the MCE have demonstrated bad faith in their dealings with the Gbawe Gonsee Family; Osabu, Klotia, Mensah Kwashie and Kwadjo Family of Gbawe Gonsee by resorting to use of force including an unlawful deployment of a combined team of military and police officers to pull down buildings owned by some residents in the area without due diligence or proper authorization.

“We believe this is not the way the government acquires lands from any family or from any stool. We therefore think that this should reach a higher authority, his excellency the president, president Nana Akuffo-Addo.

We know you’re a listening president and will listen to our predicament since our MP and MCE has not shown any respect to the Gbawe Gonsee Family; Osabu, Klotia, Mensah Kwashie and Kwadjo Family of Gbawe Gonsee hence the need to call on you”.

Nii Abe Kobla II made the plea while addressing a press conference held in Accra on Monday, March 13, 2023.

According to the royal family, the briefing was an avenue to share their concerns and set the record straight on the unwarranted and unlawful demolition exercise which rocked and devastated residents of the Gbawe Gonsee land.

It would be recalled that the people of South Africa located in Gbawe Gonsee of the Weija-Gbawe Municipality of the Greater Accra Region on Friday March 10, 2023 woke up to an awful experience where masses of soldiers and police officers invaded the town and begun to pull down some private structures; a storey building and a 4-bedroom apartment sited close to the community clinic in the area.

Unfortunately, not even the timely intervention of the Gbawe Gonsee Dzaasetse, Nii Abe Kobla II who doubles as the head and lawful representative of the Osabu, Klotia, Mensah Kwashie and Kwadjo Family of Gbawe Gonsee including his elders could put a stop to the barbaric act as a result of powers from above.

“It came to our notice last Friday March 10, 2023 that our Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Patrick Brako Kumor and the MP, Hon. Tina Naa Ayeley Mensah were embarking on some demolition exercise at Gbawe Gonsee in a community we call South Africa so as elders of Gbawe Gonsee, we’ve decided to come and have a look at it.

Indeed, we came and to our surprise it was true. The MP and the MCE were indeed present here and busily superintending over a demolition exercise which indeed was unlawful”.

When asked what might have triggered the ‘unlawful demolition’ exercise, Nii Abe Kobla II retorted: “the reasons are best known to Patrick Brako, the MCE for Weija-Gbawe Municipal Assembly.

He furthered: “What we are aware of is that we gave only 4 plots of land to the Municipal Assembly to build a community clinic which was facilitated by my predecessor, the late Nii Osabu II through George Lartey, the Director of Greenwich Consortium Limited,”.

“We have not given any plot of land to Hon. Patrick Kumor, MCE of Weija-Gbawe Municipal Assembly or any additional land to Hon. Tina Naa Ayeley Mensah, MP of Weija-Gbawe Constituency. As a family, we saw such exercise as an indictment on our authority”, he quizzed.

For his part, Gbawe Gonsee Asafoatse, Nii Anum Asuma expresses shock over the actions of both the MCE and the MP which he holds the view has the tendency to derail the good efforts being made towards achieving development in the area.

“I believe the MCE and the MP themselves are not interested in seeing development in the Weija-Gbawe Constituency and the Weija-Gbawe Municipality.

If so, then why would an MP and MCE embark on such a barbaric exercise because if they have any due respect for the custodians of the Gbawe Gonsee Family, Osabu, Klotia, Mensah Kwashie and Kwadjo Family of Gbawe Gonsee, they would’ve come to our premises and then we jaw jaw for us to see how prudent we can carry out any exercise of such nature”.

He advised both the MP and the MCE to set their priorities right, do due diligence anytime they are dealing with land issues and desist from using Rambo style to confiscate people’s lands through illegal demolition exercises.

"You think it’s easy to buy a block and cement in this economic hardship? It is not easy so if you want to do something as a leader, you must consider your people”, he posited.

Nii Anum Asuma dares anyone who doubts the veracity of their family claims to land ownership to proceed to the Land Commission and run a search to ascertain the truth for themselves.

“Gbawe Gonsee land is legally registered and we have our legal and lawful right to possess our heritage. This is our heritage, this is what our great grandfathers left for us, we shall protect it in every manner possible but not with violence”.

Source: Joseph Wemakor

Civic Space Resource Hub cohort 1: Joseph Wemakor build capacity on civic space protection among CSOs leaders

Founder and Executive Director of Human Rights Reporters Ghana-NGO (HRRG) Joseph Kobla Wemakor has benefited from a three-day capacity building workshop on civic space protection organized for leaders of ten (10) Ghanaian civil society organizations (CSOs) who were part of the first cohort of beneficiaries of the Civic Space Resource Hub for West Africa project.

The workshop which aims at equipping the participants with rich skills for influencing state policies and reclaiming the shrinking civic space was organized West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI).

It was held from 7th to 9th March 2023 in Accra, Ghana.

The ten selected CSOs which benefited from the workshop were Norsaac, Centre for Public Interest Law, Centre for Democratic Development – Ghana, WERENGO-Ghana and the Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG).

The rest were the West Africa Drug Policy Network (WADPN), Parliamentary Network Africa -Ghana, GenCED Ghana and CSIF-Ghana.

The Ghanaian civic space has come under barrage of criticism in recent times over safety as far as threats such as arbitrary arrest of journalists, excessive use of force against protesters and civic actors among others are concerned.

At the sub-Saharan state, the picture is however, not different as the past years have seen major civic space threats which warranted the attention of the CIVICUS Monitor into its ranking as Narrowed.

It is under this backdrop, the organizer, WACSCI has staged the workshop to enlighten and empower the participants who are leaders of the ten vibrant Ghanaian Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the country on the need to be informed in order safeguard themselves from further attacks posed to them during course of their work within the civic space.

Head of the Policy Influencing and Advocacy Unit at WACSI, Omolara Balogun stressed the need for civic actors to widen their scope of information, gather enough data and upgrade themselves regularly in order to be well positioned to contribute their quota towards the growth of the civic space and promote open societies.

“This training is very important to CSOs because it seeks to enhance their institutional and operational capacity so that they can effectively work on civic space, human rights, freedom of expression and regulatory compliance,” she said.

Omolara furthered that the training also offered the participants additional skills, knowledge, and information on how they can strengthen the financial and digital resilience of their organisations.

Executive Director of Nigeria Network of NGOs, Oyebisi Babatunde Oluseyi, who conducted the training, schooled the participants on the need to collaborate with government and state institutions as far as working in the civic space is concerned.

He underscored the need for the participants to be disciplined, gather information of the setting in which they function and be abreast with legal, political and social factors that affect their work.

The participants expressed their heartfelt gratification to have partake in a training which falls under the Civic Space Protection pillar of the project.

Excited Joseph Kobla Wemakor could not hide his joyful feeling knowing the workshop has achieved its desired purpose of perfecting his advocacy skills to be well positioned as an advocate for the promotion, protection and fulfilment of human rights.

“I believe my knowledge gaps on effective advocacy coupled with the acquisition of the right techniques have now been closed owing to the rich training I’ve received out of the important topics covered backed by an excellent delivery put up by the workshop facilitator.”

Mr. Wemakor equally participated last year in the Digital Clinic for Civic Actors CSR-Hub for West Africa project organized by the Spaces for Change (S4C), a non-governmental organization, located in Lagos, Nigeria in collaboration with Interactive Initiative for Social Impact (Dataphyte).

The CSR-Hub for West Africa seeks to strengthen the capacity of CSOs working to expand civic space and promote open societies in West Africa.

IWD 2023: Women urged to always upgrade themselves to bridge inequality gap

Board Director of the Alliance For African Women Initiative (AFAWI) a non-profit organization, Dr Felicia Odame has charged the Ghanaian women to always endeavor to upgrade themselves in every field of life so as to be well positioned towards realization of bridging the gender inequality gap agenda.

According to her, it is never too late for women to achieve gender parity only if they work hard, innovate and focus on building up themselves socially, economically, politically and psychologically through constant education.

“Dear women, it is never too late to make it, therefore you should always be up and doing and make sure you do something for yourselves in order to be self-reliant”.

“You should always strive to upgrade yourselves and come to the level of men, because ideas and knowledge are not only for men.

It’s for both men and women, so the little you know is not enough therefore you should keep upgrading yourselves until one day we get to realize that the gender inequality gap is closed in Ghana where women can be at par with the men”.

Dr. Felicia Odame made this known while addressing a gathering of grassroot women entrepreneurs at an event to mark this year’s International Women’s Day on Wednesday March 8, 2023 held at Abokobi in Accra.

The event was organized by AFAWI on the theme: “Celebrating five years of success using digital loan repayment: Mobile money as a tool for women empowerment”.

It brought together over fifty (50) small-scale female entrepreneurs including petty traders, head porters, seamstresses, beauticians and hairdressers among others from the Greater Accra, Volta and the Western North Regions of Ghana.

The beneficiaries were schooled on the significance of the International Women’s Day celebration including some important topics such as gender inequality, women empowerment, digital technology, how they can harness the power of digital technology to boost their businesses and the need to be innovative to remain relevant and self-sufficient.

In her presentation on the topic “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”, Dr. Felicia Odame advised the beneficiaries to pursue their own goals, live according to their own values and develop self-reliance so they can be well positioned to make choices and influence decisions both individually and collectively in their various communities.

She also encouraged the women to embrace digital technology, harness the power of mobile money and make judicious use of the various social media platforms available as major tools to promote their businesses.

“Don’t forget to utilize your mobile phones to help create public awareness about your goods and services. You can always promote them on YouTube, Facebook and on your whatsapp statuses and people will contact you to buy them”, she told them.

Some of the beneficiaries during an open forum shared their experiences on the benefits derived out of the digital technology tools (mobile money and whatsapp platforms) they have been introduced to under the AFAWI Livelihood Project which improved their businesses as well as facilitated the loan repayment.

“Sending the repayment via mobile money has been made very easy because when you send the money, you have enough time to do something for yourself, maybe a little work in your house or shop compared to before where you have to resort to transport services to get to the office of AFAWI just to effect payment”, says Veronica Dowuona, a beneficiary.

“The whatsapp is very easy to use. There’s no need for you to be walking around calling people for help and all that. So, when you whatsapp, it immediately goes through then you’ll receive a feedback. So, I think it’s very fast, easy and reliable”, Alice Hutchful, another beneficiary has hinted.

AFAWI is a development oriented, not-for-profit, non-sectarian, non-governmental organization operating in Ghana since 2006 committed to ending poverty in Ghana through creation of an enabling environment for the vulnerable in the society especially through women and children.

For the past 17 years, AFAWI has been working assiduously to support grassroot women across the 16 regions of Ghana. Through their support, so many women in the Ghanaian communities; rural and urban areas have been relieved of their financial burdens.

According to the Deputy Programmes Manager of AFAWI Marlene Keller, the organization through its Livelihood Empowerment Project which targets female entrepreneurs in the Ghanaian communities within three regions of Ghana namely Greater Accra, Volta and the Western North Regions have so far built the capacities of over 2,300 on Financial Literacy, Health and Gender Responsiveness and the Distribution of Micro support Credits.

The overall goal of the project, she indicated, was aimed at improving the livelihood of women sustainably so they can successfully provide for their families as a way to help bridge the inequality gap.

She further maintained that out of the 2,300 beneficiaries, over 250 women have received micro credits support (A loan amount of 100 dollars per women) from AFAWI to advance their businesses.

Mad. Keller equally reveals that one key achievement of AFAWI was to digitize part of its Livelihood Empowerment Project which began in 2017 through the incorporation of mobile money and whatsapp as a tool of women empowerment to ease loan repayment.

“Before 2017, the women were paying back their micro-credits by physically coming to our office or we have to go to their various business locations to collect our repayment but now that we have the mobile money as a tool for the repayment, they can just send it to us like in a split of a second.

I can confidently say that it’s easier, very effective and even in terms of cost which is enhancing our project which focuses on empowering women and AFAWI uses it as a tool for women empowerment”, she posited.

For her part, Programmes Manager of AFAWI, Jennifer Gasu averred that the commemoration of the day was an avenue for her outfit to bring the beneficiaries together, celebrate and highlight their success stories of using digital technology as a tool to advance their businesses.

“Basically, our gathering here today is to celebrate, honor and showcase the success story of these women who are coming from the grassroot, some of them who have not been to school before but yet are able to use technology as a tool to advance their business to succeed which is unique opportunity for us to also contribute our quota towards supporting the global agenda of alleviating the plight of women and to help bridge the gender inequality gap”.

The colorful 2023 International Women’s Day event was graced by some dignitaries, leaders of various civil society organizations (CSOs) in the country including some members of the general public who trooped in their numbers.

International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global day set aside, marked annually on March 8th which celebrates social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.

The UN theme for this year’s International Women Day is “Digital

ALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”.

Source: Joseph Wemakor

Enhancing Maize and Poultry Production in Ghana: A Project Management Approach for Sustainable Agriculture

Introduction

Ghana faces fluctuations in maize availability due to adverse weather conditions and high input costs, which directly impact the poultry sector. This makes maize, a critical component in poultry feed formulation , expensive for poultry farmers, even when it's available. Although the Planting for Food and Jobs Policy has subsidized inputs like seeds and fertilizers, not all farmers have access to these subsidized inputs. As Ghana seeks to reduce its import bill, create employment opportunities, and diversify its export capacity, a cohesive agricultural project management approach is necessary, particularly in the maize and poultry sectors.

Phase 1: Initiating the Project

The government of Ghana must first establish clear objectives for the project. These objectives should be geared towards increasing maize production, improving poultry production efficiency, and achieving the target of 25% import substitution in the poultry sector. Key stakeholders, including farmers, research institutions, agricultural extension officers, policymakers, and funding agencies, should be involved in the project initiation.

Phase 2: Planning

A comprehensive project plan should be developed to outline how the objectives will be achieved. The plan should include strategies for improving maize and poultry production, such as:

• Encouraging 1% of the 12.6 million Ghanaians aged 25-64 years to cultivate maize on at least 1 hectare of land, resulting in 126,000 hectares of maize production.
• Expanding access to subsidized inputs, such as seeds and fertilizers, to a larger number of farmers.
• Implementing innovative agricultural practices, such as climate-smart agriculture, to mitigate the effects of adverse weather conditions.
• Promoting the use of technology in both maize and poultry production, such as precision agriculture and efficient poultry housing systems.
• Strengthening extension services to provide technical support, training, and information dissemination to farmers.

Phase 3: Execution

The project plan should be executed through a coordinated effort involving various stakeholders. Specific tasks include:

• Identifying suitable land for maize cultivation and coordinating with farmers and landowners for land access.
• Securing funding for input subsidies and other support services for farmers.
• Training and deploying agricultural extension officers to provide technical assistance.
• Creating strategic collaborations with research institutions, including agricultural researchers such as breeders who develop crop varieties and soil scientists who work on optimizing soil health for maximum productivity, as well as partnering with the private sector to foster innovation and encourage technology adoption in both maize and poultry production.
• Monitoring and evaluating the progress of the project to ensure timely adjustments and improvements.

Phase 4: Monitoring and Controlling

Regular monitoring and evaluation of the project's progress will be crucial to its success. Key performance indicators, such as increased maize yield, reduced poultry imports, and increased domestic poultry production, should be tracked to measure the project's impact. This will enable timely adjustments and improvements, ensuring the project stays on track to achieve its objectives.

Phase 5: Closing

Upon successful completion of the project, a final evaluation should be conducted to assess the project's impact on maize and poultry production, import substitution, and overall agricultural growth. Lessons learned from the project can be used to inform future policies and projects in Ghana's agricultural sector.

Conclusion

A well-managed project in the maize and poultry sectors, guided by project management principles, can significantly contribute to achieving Ghana's goals of reducing imports, creating employment, and diversifying its export capacity. By following a structured approach involving initiating, planning, executing, monitoring, and closing, Ghana can efficiently address the challenges faced by its maize and poultry sectors and create a sustainable and thriving agricultural industry.

Meet the multiple award-winning CEO: Baroness Kafui Afi Richardson

To be named among the Most Respected CEOs in Ghana is an enviable recognition and no mean achievement.

This is a dream nurtured by many yet only few have achieved.

But for a heroine like Baroness Kafui Afi Richardson, she is already living this dream with little or no effort.

This was made possible through utmost dedication, perseverance and dint of hard work backed by her loyalty to customer satisfaction in discharge of her duties as a revered Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a leading Facility Management Company.

Alluring Baroness Kafui Afi Richardson is a gem, a woman of dignity and integrity, a great achiever, a strong believer in God, a loving mother of all, a philanthropist and above all a star.

She is the CEO of the City Facilities Management Limited, a leading Ghanaian facility management company with a global reach which provides expert services to clients in realization of their problems, combining construction facilities, energy and asset management solutions, delivered by dedicated and expert teams towards achieving customer satisfaction.

This was at a night dedicated to celebrate and honor the most outstanding Chief Executives in corporate Ghana across a wide range of sectors.

The night witnessed the indefatigable Baroness Kafui Afi Richardson honoured with multiple awards to her credit.

In both categories of awards; the Facility Management and Commercial Cleaning Services, she was adjudged the winner of the year in the sector.

For those who knew her reputation, could not hold back but commended her highly for the recognition and concluded that she really deserves it, adding that, this goes to complement her wonderful deeds in the public sector.

Source:Joseph Wemakor

CEO of City Facilities Management wins Most Respected CEO at 2022 Ghana Industry CEO Awards

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the City Facilities Management Limited, Baroness Kafui Afi Richardson has been adjudged the Most Respected CEO of the year with two prestigious awards to her credit under the Facility Management and Commercial Cleaning Service categories respectively at the 2022 Ghana Industry CEOs Awards ceremony held at the plush auditorium of the Labadi Beach Hotel on eve of Friday November 18, 2022.

The 2022 Ghana Industry CEOs Awards are the fifth of an annual awards scheme aimed at identifying and publicly recognizing the most outstanding Chief Executives in corporate Ghana across a wide range of sectors. Eligible awardees include CEOs of both private and public sector corporations and institutions.

The scheme witnessed the selection of the awardees by the Ghanaian public who first nominated CEOs for shortlisting, following verification of the nominations; and who subsequently voted for the shortlisted nominees with those receiving the highest votes in each sector category being declared winners by the scheme’s official Validation partners.

Baroness Kafui Afi Richardson’s good deeds were celebrated and honored in two folds when she picked up the two (2) prestigious awards; 2 medals, plaques and beautiful certificates of honor amidst rapturous cheers and jubilation at the colorful ceremony which marks the highly anticipated event greatly patronized by dignified CEOs , celebrities, traditional authorities including crème de la crème of the society.

Expressing her heartfelt joy in an interview just after receiving the accolades, the Ghana’s Most Respect CEO, Baroness Kafui Afi Richardson averred that her excitement knew no bounds when her name was pronounced a winner for the two categories of the esteemed awards but it never came as a shock to her owing to the commitment, dedication and hard work exuded in discharge of her duties strongly backed by her diligent working staff at the City Facilities Management Services Ltd. which is shaping the Commercial Cleaning Service sector in Ghana and beyond.

Baroness Kafui Afi Richardson who derives her motivation from helping others including guaranteeing optimum client satisfaction said she looks up to the wonderful support she enjoys from her working staff regardless of the challenging economic times the country is faced with which is affecting businesses.

"They have been the backbone of the company and very supportive. I have seen that even in these challenging times we are currently going through, they’re still working assiduously with excellence and I feel so excited to have such working staff around me".

When asked what the future holds for her outfit as far as winning the prestigious award is concerned, the City Facilities Management Limited, CEO said:

“Well, honestly more business but more importantly for us to be recognized then, that means that we’ve been doing something right so we want to continue to maintain the standards if not even go higher than we are doing right".

She furthered: “To always uplift the standard and make Ghana proud, that it is not only done in Europe or elsewhere but we can do it right here”.

City Facilities Management Limited is a quality, non-stop building maintenance contractor which provides expert services and support to clients in realization of their problems, combining construction facilities, energy and asset management solutions, delivered by dedicated and expert teams to achieve customer satisfaction.

CFM provides prompt and efficient services by attaching the utmost sense of urgency when it comes to client satisfaction. Their cleaning standards are, procedures and schedules are of international standards.

The awards night witnessed CEOs of both private and public sector corporations and institutions celebrated for excellence in various categories. For winners of GH Titans Awards category, Executive Director of Salt and Light Ministry, Dr. Joyce Rosalind Aryee, Prof. Joshua Alabi, Former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies, Mr. Gopal V. Vasu, Managing Director of M&G Pharmaceuticals Ltd. and Dr. Daniel Mckorley, CEO of MCDAN Group was honored among hosts of others.

For the Ingenious Banking Sector, Mr. Daniel Asiedu, Managing Director of OMNIBSIC Bank emerged winner while Dr. Abraham Ato Ahinful pronounced winner under the Product Distribution awards category.

Source:Joseph Wemakor

Only 14% of Ghanaians use clean fuels – 2nd Lady Samira Bawumia laments

Ghana’s Second Lady, Her Excellency Mrs. Samira Bawumia, has bemoaned the poor adoption of clean energy in Ghana, with statistics showing that most people use unsafe options.

Mrs. Bawumia, an Ambassador for the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, highlighted the latest data pointing to the fact that “about 14% of the population currently cook with clean fuels and technology and 32% are using improved cookstoves”.

This marks a “slow but steady growth” after Ghana adopted the ISO standard for clean cookstoves and clean cooking solutions.

The Second Lady of Ghana, who has been on a relentless campaign for clean energy, observed that there had been efforts to set a minimum standard, develop labels, and upgrade testing centres, all in an effort to ensure world-class market development of clean cooking solutions in Ghana.

Currently, the Ghanaian government is also promoting the adoption of LPG by 50% as the primary cooking fuel by 2030.

Mrs. Bawumia made these known at the 2022 Clean Cooking Forum in Accra on October 11.

Delivering the opening remarks at the event, which witnessed a high attendance by global leaders, she revealed that globally, especially in some developing countries, more than 2.5 billion continue to rely on wood, coal, charcoal, agriculture residues, or animal dung to cook their meals and heat their homes.

“These homes become dangerous places to be, simply because the energy sources they use release high levels of pollutants that are harmful to their health,” She said.

She was particularly concerned that the lack of access to clean cooking in sub-Saharan Africa remains acute.

“It is the only region where the number of those without access continues to rise. The share of those with access just increased from 15% in 2015 to 17% in 2020,” she noted.

Explaining reasons for adopting clean cooking methods, she stated that air pollution causes more than 7 million deaths every year, with 1.1 million deaths occurring in Africa.

“Household air pollution, which is driven largely by indoor cookstoves, accounted for 700,000 fatalities, while increased outdoor air pollution claimed four hundred thousand 400,000 lives.

“In Ghana, the World Bank estimates that sixteen thousand (16,000) people die prematurely from air pollution every year. Each number in these millions represents a mother, father, son, daughter, or friend who is loved by his / her loved ones. These deaths are avoidable and unacceptable,” She emphasised.

To support her resolve for clean cooking initiatives, she cited the State of Global Air study, which pointed out that about 236,000 newborn infants are estimated to have died of air-pollution-related causes in sub-Saharan Africa.

In addition, studies by a team of researchers led by Boston College and the UN Environment Programme examining the toll on children’s developing brains revealed that air pollution exposure to infants and young children resulted in the loss of 1.96 billion IQ points across the continent.

“This will no doubt have serious consequences for the future of the continent,” She stressed as she called on leaders to formulate clean energy policies.

As global leaders aim to achieve net zero by 2050, Mrs Bawumia quickly added that “clean cooking is an essential part of achieving this”.

She was of the view that emission reductions have to go hand-in-hand with efforts to ensure clean energy access for all by 2030.

Therefore, she identified sound public policies, a holistic approach, and long-term commitment from all development actors as some factors that will make the objective a reality.

“Reducing cooking emissions is critical to reducing forest degradation, improving health, empowering women, and children, protecting the environment, and helping achieve numerous other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“We will be letting down a significant portion of the world population if we pay only lip service to clean energy access, particularly clean cooking, especially in Africa.

“Let us choose to strengthen partnerships to better effectively address the issues of clean energy solutions. The cost of inaction is too high; we must act now!”

Having been at the forefront of clean energy campaigns, Mrs Bawumia lobbied for the 2022 Clean Cooking Forum to be hosted by Ghana.

It follows a highly successful WHO programme in Geneva, Switzerland, where Mrs Bawumia called on world leaders to take immediate action to increase access to clean energy.

Some of the global leaders who participated in the 2022 Clean Cooking Forum include H.E. Ingrid Mollestad, Norwegian Ambassador to Ghana; H.E. Virginia A. Palmer, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Ghana; Honorable Katja Lasseur, Deputy Head of Mission, Netherlands Embassy in Ghana; Vincent Wierda, IDE Energy Lead, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, United Nations Capital Development Fund; Carla Montesi, Director at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships; Dymphna van der Lans, CEO, Clean Cooking Alliance; Shirley McAlpine, Founder, Shirley McAlpine & Associates; Dr. Kandeh Yumkella, Founder and CEO of the Energy Nexus Network; Dr. Leela Hazzah, Executive Director & Co-founder, Lion Guardians and Co-founder & Leadership Council, WE Africa; Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All and Co-Chair of UN-Energy; Ashvin Dayal, Senior Vice President Power and Climate, Rockefeller Foundation; and H.E. Rebecca Akufo-Addo, First Lady of the Republic of Ghana; and Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Minister of Energy, Ghana.

Unwarranted arrest, detention of civilians worrying– Human Rights Reporters’ Joseph Wemakor discusses police brutality in Ghana

Executive Director of Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG), Joseph Wemakor asserts that the Ghanaian police service lacks human rights education, a situation significantly contributing to the incessant police brutality which eventually amounts to wanton violations of people’s freedom and fundamental human rights which is indeed worrying.

Mr. Wemakor contends that unless the police administration put its right foot forward to ensure their men in uniform are properly schooled on human rights in order to be armed to the teeth with the information, knowledge and skills required to work with, Ghanaians would continue to bear the brunt of the relentless brutalities and unprofessional conduct by some unscrupulous police officers against members of the public which put lives at risk.

In an interview with Victoria Beeko Danso, host of HB Pulse on Homebase TV, during the wee hours of yester when he appeared on the show to discuss on the topic: “Police Brutality” on Wednesday, October 5, 2022, the staunch human rights activist enlightened the public on the shortcomings of the Ghanaian police while citing a typical case of police brutality which his attention was recently drawn to, to buttress his point.

In the case which smacks of an assault perpetrated against two unarmed civilians as a result of unprofessional conduct exhibited by some police officers due to unwarranted arrest and detention without any official charges for wrongdoing.

One of the victim, 23-year-old, Richmond Amedey who assists his father with sales in his drinking bar near his residence located at Dawhenya-Abbey near Prampram in the Greater Accra Region was allegedly picked up on the eve of Friday September 23, 2022 together with two other young men under a mysterious circumstance by the Devtracco Estate police patrol team.

According to the HRRG’s sources, the police officers numbering seven (7) who are members of the patrol team in the company of ACP Foli, their commander barged into the drinking spot on that fateful night at exactly 8:00pm where Richmond was on duty and without any formal introduction, interrupted the ongoing activities and commenced a search on anything they laid their hands on including opening bottles containing liquors meant for sale in a manner which demonstrates sheer unprofessionalism.

Some of these officers were alleged to have covered their faces with black masks in a bid to conceal their real identities which is uncalled-for.

They were not bothered to even ask of the whereabouts of the parents of the young bartender when thy barged into the spot, let’s alone keep them informed about their mission but went straight ahead to carry out their nefarious operation with show of bravado.

It was not clear what they might be looking out for which prompted the visitation and the quest for the unwarranted search. From the look in their faces, one could see that these men in uniform were on a target to hunt down someone upon a tipoff.

Unfortunately their search was conducted without a proof of a search warrant or any form of identification to indicate their intention.

Despite their eager search, it emerged that they could not find what they were actually looking for so they became frustrated, dejected and worried in the end.

They have therefore decided to make away with a jackpot machine (Chinese game) owned and operated by the drinking spot.

This, however did not go down well with Richmond therefore he protested to ask the officers the reason for action without any prior information.

It appears the action of the young man might have provoked the officers to unjustly pick him up and have him dragged into their waiting patrol vehicle where he was whisked away to the Devtracco Estate Police Station in company of two others who were picked along the road.

When he asked what his offence was, he was simply told to come and defend the jackpot machine upon visit to the station.

But upon reaching the police station, he was put straight behind bars together with one of his accomplice without even asked to defend the machine contrary to the assertion of the police prior to his arrest.

Fortunately, one of them (third person) was released instantly upon reaching the police station through the demands of an unknown phone caller on the pretext that he had developed a mental problem.

It wasn’t clear who that unknown caller might be and why he gave such an order for the immediate release of the boy which the police Commander complied with without any hesitation.

The long and short of it all was that Richmond Amedey and his colleague spent 3 nights unjustly and unlawfully behind bars for no official charges of wrongdoing levelled against them despite efforts by the Human Rights Reporters Ghana boss and his lawyer to get them released.

Mr. Wemakor observed that he got infuriated at the conduct of the police officers when the case was reported to him via a distress call during the wee hours of Saturday September 24, 2022.

He sought to intervene for the immediate release of the victims and requested for the contact details of the Devtracco Estate Police Commander, ACP Foli which he gladly received from the victim’s father, Godwin Amedey.

But his good efforts were thwarted by the police commander ACP Foli who ignored all his numerous phone calls.

“Upon receiving a distress call pertaining to this unfortunate incident, I did not hesitate to request for the contact number of Commander ACP Foli to intervene for the immediate release of the victims at all”.

“My calls went unanswered for three (3) consecutive times when I first placed a call to him upon receiving his contact. I later sent him a text message introducing myself and my intention of contacting with the hope that he might return my call but to no avail.

“I waited anxiously to hear from him but still no sign of his call therefore I initiated another call and then I was fortunate to hear him answer me.

I quickly introduced myself to him again and reminded him of my intention, but guess what instead of going ahead to confirm to me whether his men have truly arrested and detained the young men the night before when I demanded to know from him.

According to Mr Wemakor, ACP Foli rather chose to ask him a question: “Are you interviewing me or asking me a question?”.

He wondered why a whole police commander would behave in such an unprofessional manner of asking his boys to go and unlawfully arrest and detain unarmed civilians for three (3) good nights without any charges of crime levelled against them.

The two (2) victims were later freed on Monday September 26, 2022 afternoon after unjustly spending 3 nights in the police custody but the controversies surrounding the entire case still persists with its challenges for the Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG) to explore and unravel to name and shame these officers who misconducted themselves.

Unfortunately, Richmond Amedey (victim) could not tell his story when contacted on phone during the show due to technical challenges.

One question that remains in mind is that what could be the reason for the needles action taken by the Devtracco Estate police patrol team to arrest innocent civilians when it is clear that they have not committed any crime?.

Another question is why was 3 people (suspect) picked up and one person got released that same night at the police station while the other 2 were meant to spend 3 nights behind bars unjustly?

Surely, this show will uncover all the mysteries surrounding this saga and offer you more insights into the police brutality phenomenon in Ghana.

Don’t miss the next week edition of the HB Pulse on Homebase TV with your host, the talented and elegant Victoria Beeko Danso.

Watch a video on the discussion below:

https://youtu.be/aeNjrvQiLg4

Source:humanrightsreporters.com

A message to KU comrades during this exam period.

Exam advice for students.

Dear university students,

As you approach your exams, I want to offer you some words of encouragement and advice. Remember that you have worked hard to get to this point, and that you are capable of achieving great things. You have the knowledge and skills necessary to do well on your exams, so trust in yourself and your abilities.

During this time, it is important to take care of yourself both physically and mentally. Make sure you are eating well, getting enough sleep, and taking breaks when you need them. Don't forget to exercise, as this can help reduce stress and improve focus.

When studying, it is important to stay organized and manage your time effectively. Make a schedule and stick to it, and prioritize your tasks based on importance and urgency. Try to avoid distractions and stay focused on your studies.

Remember that it's okay to ask for help if you need it. Your professors, advisors, and tutors are there to support you, so don't hesitate to reach out to them if you have questions or need clarification on any topics.

Finally, keep a positive attitude and believe in yourself. You are capable of achieving great things, and with hard work and dedication, you will succeed. Good luck on your exams, and remember to stay confident, focused, and determined!

Francis C. Alisa

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Mr. Shoaib Habib Memon is a Freelance Social Worker, Global Goodwill Ambassador, Entrepreneur. Mr. Memon is a Pakistani citizen and resident of District Thatta, Province Sindh. He obtained the degree of M.A and LLB from the University of Sindh. He worked with many charity organisations , In addition to this Mr. Memon owns and operates a successful business in his hometown. Mr Shoaib Habib Memon Received HBL PSL8 HamareHeroes Award on 21 February 2023 on Match 10 at National Stadium Karachi Pakistan. Mr Memon have Near 50k Followers on Professional Network LinkedIn, He have Shared and Promoted Pakistani Talent on LinkedIn.

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