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Ellembelle chief calls for sustainable livelihoods for repatriated refugees
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Chief of Ampain in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region, Nana Nyameke Fofole II, has called on United Nations (UN) Systems to ensure that repatriated Ivorian refugees get sustainable livelihoods back home.
“Yes, we now have voluntary repatriation but people are going home, how do we safeguard their stay? Government and the Ghana Refugee Board (GRB) must provide some package for say six to one year for them to become self-sufficient. This is also to assure of their safety.” he pleaded.
Nana Fofole made the call in a solidarity message at this year’s World Refugee Day which was marked at the Ampain Camp on Monday, on the theme ‘Whoever they are, wherever they come from, whenever they are forced to flee. Everyone has a right to seek safety.’
He noted that the day was dedicated to displaced people around the globe fleeing from conflicts, adding that such people needed attention no matter their race, colour, citizenship or ethnicity.
“Care for refugees is a global responsibility and so we need not leave anyone behind. Shelter underscores everything including security and dignity and it’s not just a roof and so the theme is appropriate. But, the question is, who should provide the safety? Safety is important and it’s a worry for refugees”, Nana Fofole said.
He said, to neglect refugees meant that , they would turn to the street for survival by engaging in social vices, saying “ The good news is that, our neighbours in the Ampain camp have been law-abiding, friendly, God fearing and disciplined, and co-existed perfectly with us.”
Recalling the creation of the camp, he said that in 2011, and being aware of the plight of the Ivorian friends and also having families in Cote d’ Ivoire, he contacted the Ellembelle District Assembly to see to the welfare of the displaced at the Ampain camp.
“I was touched by people being killed by animals on the streets and so decided to act with the council of elders. We sacrificed our land to save humanity”, Nana Fofole stressed.
He told the gathering that, the palace strategised with the camp management to provide foodstuffs and fish to the Ivorian refugees, which “we have never, ever regretted to host our neighbours at the Ampain camp.”
The Ampain chief commended the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Esther Kiragu, for her efforts and particularly, the pioneer camp manager, Kelly Forson and team for their dedication and service to humanity.
The Chairman of GRB, Prof. Ken Attafuah, said, the camp which was set up in 2011 at the peak of the influx of distressed neighbours from La Cote d’Ivoire became one of three camps established to host Ivorians who were facing generalised violence in their home country.
He said: “Nana Fofole and the people of Ampain have lived in harmony with their guests from Abidjan for the past 11 years. You have continuously and willingly shared your valuable resources with them. We are proud that Ampain and other communities welcomed the refugees with love and open arms and stood by them.
“That is what the theme of the World Refugees Day is about. It is also important to acknowledge the role the UNHCR has played in our system of government to ensure that refugees live in our country in dignity and respect.”
From Clement Adzei Boye, Ampain
Ghana Post on Tuesday launched the ‘Skool Box’ initiative, one aimed at supporting education and delivery services to students in Accra.
The initiative forms part of Ghana Post’s broader transformation agenda to diversify its services and provide innovative solutions to everyday challenges faced by Ghanaians.
Launching the initiative, the Managing Director of the company, Mrs Rita Sraha, said the idea was inspired by the practical difficulties students and parents often faced in transporting school items, particularly at the beginning of the academic term.
According to her, the increasing space constraints in schools also makes it difficult for students to carry large quantities of belongings with them, creating the need for parents to find alternative ways of sending additional items to their children.
Mrs Sraha said the initiative aligns with the broader national agenda of using digital technology and innovation to expand opportunities, improve public services and strengthen Ghana’s economic capabilities.
The Managing Director however, stressed that the success of the initiative would depend on Ghana Post’s willingness to listen to users, learn from experience and continuously improve the service.
Mrs Sraha explained that Ghana Post was gradually expanding beyond its traditional postal operations through partnerships and services in areas including last-mile delivery, agency banking, logistics and insurance.
She said the School Box Service was another example of how the organisation was using its institutional capabilities to develop solutions to practical challenges within communities.
The Acting Chief Commercial Officer of Ghana Post, Mr Benard Yaw Atta-Sonno, said the service was designed to provide convenient and reliable delivery of school-related items while creating new business opportunities within the education sector.
According to him, the company was also strengthening its focus on digitalisation, customer experience, strategic partnerships and data-driven commercial decision-making.
“Our objective is clear: to build multiple sustainable revenue streams around the assets and capabilities that Ghana Post already possesses, while developing new capabilities for emerging markets,” he said.
He explained that, in the short term, the initiatives were expected to increase transaction volumes, improve the digitalisation of the company’s network, attract new customer segments and generate additional revenue from services that complemented its traditional postal operations.
He noted that the School Box, in particular, provided an opportunity for Ghana Post to develop recurring business around the annual school cycle, while creating opportunities to cross-sell other logistics and delivery services.
The launch forms part of Ghana Post’s wider efforts to modernise its operations and position the company as a diversified logistics and service provider beyond its traditional postal business.
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
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The Ghana Education Service (GES) has asked heads of schools not to turn away newly admitted students or refuse to accommodate them over metal trunks or wooden chop boxes.
“These practices may impose unnecessary financial burdens on parents and guardians who may be unable to afford alternative storage containers prescribed by individual schools,” the GES said in a statement.
“All students admitted to boarding accommodation should be treated fairly and accommodated without discrimination based on their economic circumstances or ability of their parents or guardians to purchase a particular brand or type of personal effects.”
The statement, signed by Professor Mrs Smile Dzisi, the Deputy GES Director-General, comes after Management of the Service received reports that some senior high schools and senior high technical schools (SHS/SHTS) were turning newly admitted students or refusing to accommodate them because they brought metal trunks, wooden chop boxes or other personal storage containers to school.
Consequently, the GES has asked regional directors to inform all heads to desist from turning away or refusing admissions to duly admitted students solely on the basis of the type of trunk, chop box, or personal storage container they bought to school.
Provided the item was reasonably sized, safe and did not pose risk to the health, safety or welfare of other students, those students must not be refused accommodation, it added.
The statement said: “Any reported case of a duly admitted student being denied accommodation or turned away solely because of the type of trunk, chop box or personal storage container brought to school should be investigated and same reported to management.”
“Any head of SHS/SHSTS who flouts this directive shall be dealt with in accordance with the applicable standards, regulation and laws of the service.” –GNA
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