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How can we lessen the burden of these children?
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A child pouring dawadawa fruit
Over hundreds of children between seven and 12 years living in Kumdi and its environs in the Kpandai District of the Northern Region are often seen carrying heavy firewood from the bush as a way of supporting their parents to take care of them.
Though seen as a normal obligation by children, some of the parents should be considerate in pushing their children to carry heavy load.
Cynthia, an eight-year-old girl who was photographed among her colleagues confirmed how heavy the load they carry but they have no option.
In an interview with Mr. Solomon Masam, a father of six and a resident of Kumdi he said: “The practice has always been there from time immemorial, so they do not see it as against the right of their children, but rather moulding them to be responsible people when they grow”.
He said that, the children were assisting their parents to cater for them which was not a harmful practice.
He said “In our part of the country, the more you have children the more you become respected and powerful because of the value and support they give us”.
Mr. Enock Bolni a youth advocate and at volunteer in Bimbilla also in the Northern Region said, the practice was very common and had been in existence for decades which would be very difficult to stop.
He said, “Though it is a bad practice, poverty is the underlying factor of the practice, which has led to forced marriages and other unbearable circumstances these children go through.
“The practice has forced many of the children especially girls to travel to seek greener pastures in Southern Ghana, because there, they believe they will make money from their labour as compare with what they do in their communities.
“And until an effective national policy and regulation be implemented to address this situation, it will be difficult to stop the practice”.
Madam Esther Boateng, the Northern Zone Manager of Actionaid Ghana a non-governmental organisation working in the area also said, addressing this problem of using children in farm instead of school needed more collaboration to build the capacities of state institutions to implement measures to identify and protect vulnerable children and victims of the practice.
She said, to implement measures to tackle human trafficking and forced labour, including the worst forms of child labour, it wa`s very important to partner with other institutions to achieve the purpose.
From: Geoffrey Buta, Kumdi
General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Kodua Frimpong, has filed his nomination to contest the position of General Secretary again as the party begins its rebuilding efforts ahead of the 2028 general elections.
He was accompanied by party stalwarts and supporters who were in high spirits, expressing confidence that he is the right person to hold the position.
Speaking after filing his nomination, Mr Kodua Frimpong assured the rank and file of the party that he would not disappoint them.
“I can assure you that the faith the rank and file of the party have had in me, I will never disappoint them,” he said.
He also pledged to run a clean campaign devoid of personal attacks.
“I can assure you that our internal campaign will be devoid of personal attacks,” he told his fellow contestants and the rank and file of the party as he seeks to retain his position.
His tenure has seen the party through the 2024 general elections, where the NPP lost power to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) after eight years in government.
The party is currently in a rebuilding phase, with internal elections scheduled to elect new national executives to lead its reorganization towards the 2028 polls.
The General Secretary position is considered one of the most influential in the party’s administrative structure, responsible for the day-to-day running of the party secretariat and implementation of party decisions.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) has disputed claims made on social media by comedian Michael Blackson concerning the treatment given to his late mother, saying a review found that the allegations did not accurately reflect what happened during her stay at the hospital.
In a statement issued in Accra on August 5, 2026, the management of UGMC expressed condolences to Mr. Blackson and his family over the death of his 83-year-old mother, who died at the facility on July 16, 2026.
The hospital said it had taken the concerns raised by Mr. Blackson seriously and conducted a thorough review in line with its clinical and administrative procedures.
According to the statement, the facts presented by Mr. Blackson on social media contained “numerous inaccuracies” and did not accurately reflect the medical care provided to his mother.
UGMC explained that she was referred to the facility from another hospital and received treatment there from May 27 to July 16, 2026, a period of about eight weeks.
The hospital stated that it would not release details of her diagnosis, treatment, medical records or other aspects of her care because it had a duty to protect patient confidentiality, even after death.
It said the decision was intended to respect the dignity of the deceased and the privacy of her family.
UGMC further stated that all clinical decisions at the facility are made by qualified healthcare professionals based on medical judgment, established standards of care and the best interests of the patient.
The statement added that such decisions are made in consultation with authorised family representatives where necessary and that billing and financial procedures are governed by institutional policies and are separate from clinical decision-making.
The hospital noted that it values feedback from patients and their families and considers both positive and negative comments important for improving the quality of care.
Mr. Blackson had earlier used social media to criticise the care his mother received at UGMC, prompting the hospital’s response.
By: Jacob Aggrey
