News
Asante Akyem District gets new educational complex
Pupils of the Nhyiaeso Basic School in the Asante Akyem District of the Ashanti Region are beneficiaries of a newly constructed six-unit classroom block and staff bungalow.
The MTN Ghana Foundation project valued at GH¢500,000 would serve about 356 pupils in the area and surrounding communities.
The Acting General Manager for the Northern Business District of MTN Ghana, Mr Simon Amoh, recently handed over the facility which comprised a fully furnished staff common room and headteacher’s office.
Mr Samuel Koranteng, Corporate Services Executive and Executive Director of the MTN Ghana Foundation, said MTN Ghana Foundation embarked on the project because of the ‘value it places on education’.
“We believe that children of school going age and those yet unborn equally deserve better opportunities in education at all levels.
“The facility will bring hope and relief to about 184 boys and 172 girls and teachers from Nhyiaeso. It will also serve eight other surrounding communities. We look forward to hearing about high retention in school and increased enrolment,” he said.
A statement following the commissioning indicated that the request for the building was presented to MTN Ghana Foundation board by Ohemeng Tawiah, a journalist working with Joy Fm who chanced upon the school whilst covering a story in the area.
It said pupils in the school had to walk over 20 kilometres to the neighbouring towns to attend school as the existing facilities were in a very poor state.
The provision of the classroom block, the Foundation said, would help eliminate absenteeism on the part of pupils and teachers, and end the long trek pupils had to embark on to access education.
In his remarks, the District Chief Executive, Francis Oti Boateng, commended MTN Ghana for the initiative.
“Comparing this new school with the old dilapidated structure, this is a tremendous improvement. Considering the cost of the structure, it would have taken years for the Assembly to accrue that amount of money to provide such a facility,” he said, and urged other players in the private sector to contribute their quota toward education.
The District Education Director, Madam Mildred Ama Kwakye Agyapong, said the project was a relief and would enhance education in the area, and tasked residents to maintain the facility.
Dignitaries present at the brief ceremony included the Odikro of Nhyiaeso, Nana Kwasi Owusu, the representative of Agogomanhene, Nana Brentuo Asadro Nti, Hon. Andy Appiah Kubi, MP for Asante Akyem North and Mr Jim Aglah, among others.
By Spectator Reporter
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
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
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
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
