News
Queenmother wages war against teenage pregnancy in Tsito Awudome
Mamaga Abla Migbloevor II
The newly enstooled Queenmother of Dededo in the Tsito Awudome Traditional Area of the Volta Region Mamaga Abla Migbloevor II, has taken strides to curb the menace of teenage pregnancy the area.
She said the rate at which young girls were dropping out of school in the enclave due to teenage pregnancy was alarming and needed swift intervention of the traditional authorities to curb the situation.
Mamaga Migbloevor II said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) after she ascended the throne as the Queen of the area, 40 years after the passing of Mamaga Migbloevor I.
She pledged to work closely with the relevant stakeholders to organise sensitisation engagements for the teenagers in the area to enlighten them against the menace and its negative impacts.
She said her priority was to see young girls in the area become the renowned future leaders of the country, adding that most of these prospective leaders were now school dropouts because of teenage pregnancy.
She urged parents and guardians in the area to play integral roles in the lives of their wards to stop the teenage pregnancy situation.
Togbe Davor II, the Chief of Dededo, pledged his commitment to support Mamaga Migbloevor’s initiative to curb teenage pregnancy in the area.
He also welcomed Mamaga Migbloevor II and stated that her inclusion in Chieftaincy issues in the Tsito Awudome Traditional Area would help accelerate development.
“We believe she would put in her best for the growth of the Traditional Area. My elders and I are solidly behind every good initiative she would bring to the table,” Togbe Davor assured.
News
Criminal and Seditious Libel Law was repealed in 2001 yet we still face harassment – NPP
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has criticised the government for what it calls a return to the “culture of silence” in Ghana, despite the repeal of the Criminal and Seditious Libel Law more than two decades ago.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday, the party said the arrest and detention of its Bono Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe, also known as Abronye, for allegedly insulting the Inspector General of Police (IGP) was the latest sign of political intimidation.
According to the NPP, eight months into President John Dramani Mahama’s administration, state security had been “weaponised” not to fight illegal mining or protect citizens, but to intimidate and punish dissenting voices.
The party said insecurity in areas such as Bawku, Nkwanta and Gbeniyiri in the Savannah Region had claimed more than 32 lives and displaced over 50,000 people, yet the police and national security were more focused on arresting opposition supporters and social media users for their posts.
The NPP noted that Ghana abolished the Criminal and Seditious Libel Law in 2001 under President John Agyekum Kufuor to protect free speech and media freedoms.
It described the recent arrests of opposition members as an erosion of those democratic gains.
The party said it did not condone insults or vulgar language in public discourse but stressed that anyone who felt defamed should seek redress through civil defamation suits, not criminal prosecution.
It also accused the government of undermining the judiciary by “weaponising” it against political opponents, citing the removal of the Chief Justice.
“The growing climate of intimidation and criminalisation of speech is a serious assault on Ghana’s democracy,” the statement signed by NPP General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong said.
The NPP called on all Ghanaians to resist what it described as a return to tyranny and pledged to roll out a series of actions to protect the country’s democratic gains.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
NIA opens Premium Centres to register children
The National Identification Authority (NIA) has started registering Ghanaian children aged between six and 14 years at all its Premium Centres across the country.
The Authority says the exercise is part of its duty to register every Ghanaian, both at home and abroad, so that all citizens can have a secure and verifiable national identity.
It explained in a statement issued today that the registration will help build a complete and inclusive National Identity Register (NIR) that captures every Ghanaian from childhood.
According to the NIA, the fee for first-time registration at Premium Centres is GHS 310, which is the approved charge for premium services.
The Authority said the requirements are the same as for applicants aged 15 years and above.
It affirmed that Parents or legal guardians were required to present either a valid Ghanaian passport of the child, the original copy of the child’s birth certificate, or be a Ghana Card holder who can vouch for the child.
The NIA also announced that from Monday, September 15, 2025, its online registration and booking system will be extended to the remaining 11 Premium Centres nationwide.
This it said will allow parents and guardians to schedule appointments more conveniently and avoid delays at the centres.
It further stated that information on the issuance of Ghana Cards for children aged six to 14 years who had already registered will be shared later.
In the coming weeks, the Authority plans to extend this registration service to all NIA District Offices to make it easier for more people to access the service.
By: Jacob Aggrey
