Hot!
‘Embrace children with special needs’
The Board Chairperson of Lower Pra Rural Bank PLC, Ms Felicia Aba Dawood
The Headmistress of Twin City Special School in the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis of the Western Region, Mrs Crescentia Efua Bilson-Sai, has advised the public to embrace children with special needs and desist from stigmatising them.
She argued that stigmatisation was one major headache managers faced in integrating special needs children into the society, stressing “we should not shun them”.
Mrs Bilson Sai made this point in an interview with The Spectator last Thursday when the Lower Pra Rural Bank PLC, as part of its 40th birthday, donated assorted items to the Twin City Special School.
Mrs Bilson-Sai told The Spectator that students at the school were trained in vocational studies, including cookery and pillow making, and could be integrated into the home and function well, saying, “we can’t be managers but we can assist, and it’s a whole investment”.
She advised parents to show love to their special children and desist from dumping them at school and not visit them.
Some parents, she complained, visited their wards at school while others abandoned them.
“We need to visit them. They also need our love and affection. Most people think these children can’t do anything. We can train them to sell in the house or help in washing. Bring them to school, don’t keep them in your rooms,” Mrs Bilson-Sai added.
She expressed worry that special children were left alone roaming on the streets begging or parading funeral grounds, stating, “You will have some benefits if you treat them well.”
The headmistress said what the school needs is a dormitory block and a flour mixture to reduce the drudgery of going to the mill in town. The Board Chairperson of Lower Pra Rural Bank PLC, Ms Felicia Aba Dawood, said the donation was to show love to special children.
From Clement Adzei Boye, Sofokrom
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
