News
‘Restore pontoon service at Tsyome-Sabadu’
The collapse of pontoon services at Tsyome-Sabadu has become a major disincentive for farmers in the area as they are compelled to leave their produce to rot on their farms, due to the lack of transport to convey their produce to the market.
The farmers who mostly cultivate yam, cassava, sweet potatoes, pepper, garden eggs, okro, tomatoes and other vegetables have therefore appealed to the government to as a matter of urgency restore pontoon services in the area.
The assemblyman for the area, Mr Amedor Senyo Dzamposu who disclosed this to the ‘Ghanaian Times’ here on Saturday said the people of Tsyome-Sabadu were displaced from their old town by the Volta River, Tsyome-Tornu, as a result of the construction of the Akosombo Dam in 1964.
That, notwithstanding, they maintained their fertile farmlands at the old site, eight kilometre away, said the assemblyman.
He said that it was initially easy for the farmers to transport their crops to Kpando and beyond with the vibrant pontoon services on the river.
However, with the recent collapse of the pontoon services, the farmers could no longer market their produce and that was unleashing hardship on them, as well as the entire community.
According to Mr Dzamposu, the farmers could not convey their massive harvests to the community by foot, and so they only brought home what they consumed.
He revealed that some uncompassionate middlemen took advantage of the situation and turned up on the farms to purchase the crops at ‘next-to-nothing’ prices.
“Now, some farmers are so frustrated that they want to give up tilling the soil,” the assembly man told the ‘Ghanaian Times’.
Similarly, he said, local fishermen who could no longer sell their stock left them to rot, in the absence of market.
Mr Dzamposu said that farming and fishing were the mainstay of the Tsyome-Sabadu, “but we are now losing our livelihood.”
Apart from the collapse of the pontoon service, he said that the 11 kilometre road from Tsyome-Sabadu to Awate where there was market for crops, was in a deplorable state; and that was not helping matters for the local farmers.
The assemblyman renewed his appeal to the government to intervene as a matter of urgency, to restore pontoon services in the area and also fix the roads.
FROM ALBERTO MARIO NORETTI, TSYOME-SABADU
Troubled and anxious citizens in Damongo of the Savannah Region have expressed concerns about the number of young people, believed to be under the age of 18, involved in ‘shisha’ smoking in pubs and drinking spots within the township.
Eyewitnesses say the minors were seen patronising nightlife venues, where Shisha smoking happen in the open.
The situation has sparked renewed public concern over the enforcement of child protection laws and regulations governing the operations of entertainment centres in the municipality and country as a whole.
An eyewitness, who spoke to The Spectator on conditions of anonymity for security reasons, noted that the situation was becoming increasingly common.
“This is not a one-off incident. It is becoming very common, but residents like us cannot openly report or speak about it because our lives will be at risk,” he said.
Under Ghanaian law, minors were prohibited from patronising Shisha.
Public health experts have consistently warned that shisha use exposes users to harmful substances that can negatively affect brain development, respiratory health, and overall well-being, particularly among young people.
The residents believe the alleged incidents point to broader challenges relating to youth supervision, substance abuse, and weak enforcement of existing regulations and have called on municipal authorities, security agencies, and regulatory bodies to intensify monitoring of pubs and entertainment centres to ensure compliance with the law.
In an effort to address the menace, Mr Salisu Be-Awurbi, the Savannah Regional Minister, has led public education campaigns, engaged security agencies, and supported enforcement actions to address the rising use of illicit substances in the region.
Wura Kelly Seidu Boresah I, the Chief of Damongo, has also called on all stakeholders including parents, community leaders, institutions, and young people to actively support efforts to curb drug abuse, warning that the rising consumption of hard drugs poses a serious health threat to the future of the youth in the Savannah Region.
He also cautioned individuals involved in the sale and distribution of illicit drugs to immediately desist from the practice, stressing that offenders will face arrest and prosecution in accordance with the law.
From Geoffrey Buta, Damongo, Savannah Region
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Dr Theresa Baffour, an advocate for ending violence and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SAHM SAHW Foundation, has said that society plays a critical and pivotal role in breaking the cycle of domestic violence.
According to her, domestic violence is a major contributor of making women, who are mostly the victims, mentally derailed and unable to engage in economic activities.
She said this when the foundation called on the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, to solicit support for the initiative by the “Strong and Healthy Minds, Strong and Healthy Women” (SAHM SAHW) to combat domestic violence within the Ga State.
The visit was occasioned by the fact that domestic violence cases have become quite prevalent in the Ga communities and is retarding growth.
According to her, the canker was an impediment to national development because the victims were usually tortured and would have to go through series of therapies to return to the right state of mind.
Dr Baffour mentioned that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) places a mental toll on women, and was, therefore, important to break the cycle through comprehensive mental health support, crisis intervention and empowerment programmes in communities with high rates of GBV.
This intervention, she underscored, would help in empowering the denigrated victim of domestic violence to soundly heal, build and thrive.
Dr Baffour added that the initiative would provide holistic, trauma-informed mental health care and advocacy for young women affected by domestic violence.
According to her, the above statement would create safe spaces for healing and equipping them with entrepreneurial skills for renewed hope and empowered life.
The Ga Mantse pledged his support for the laudable initiative to combat domestic violence and also acknowledged the need to address it in the Ga State.
Further endorsement came from Justice Julia Naa-Yarley Adjei Amoah, Chief of Staff at the Office of the Ga Mantse, as she commended the team of SAHM SAHW Foundation for taking a bold step to end the canker in the Greater Accra.
She added that it was a step in the right direction to save vulnerable women from torture, stress and emotional abuse.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
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