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Coastal Development Authority donates PPE to NTC
The Coastal Development Authority (CoDA) has donated 200 nose masks and 100 hand sanitisers to the New Times Corporation (NTC), publishers of Ghanaian Times and The Spectator, in support of efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
Additionally, the Authority is to provide vendors of the company within the coastal zone with some of the products to protect them from being infected with the disease.
Presenting the items yesterday in Accra, Chief Executive Officer of CoDA, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, commended NTC for continuously creating awareness on the preventive protocols and measures to help fight the disease.
As an agency helping to fight the spread of the virus in the country, he said, CoDA appreciates the role the media had played in sensitising the populace on the measures already announced by the government to stop the spread of coronavirus.
“The fight against this disease does not solely rely on the government and institutions in the country. We cannot do this alone as an agency. We need all of you and that is why we appreciate the work the media is doing in this fight. You have been supportive and we really appreciate it,” he stated.
Mr Shaib singled out Ghanaian Times for praise for its campaign on nose or face masks wearing as one of the protocols to prevent the spread of the disease stating that “your publication has given relevance to what we are currently doing including donation of sanitary items and nose masks to fight COVID-19.”
CoDA, he said, would continue to remain a true partner to the NTC to further the country’s development agenda.
Editor of Ghanaian Times, Dave Agbenu, who received the items, expressed gratitude to CoDA for the gesture saying that the donation would be an added boost to the company which had been at the forefront of the fight against the disease.
He said NTC, through its publications, intensified its campaign on nose mask wearing to create awareness on the effective use of the product to stop the spread of the virus.
“Our work here is a public service. We commenced this campaign to educate the public on the importance of wearing nose mask and how it could be done properly. This is our contribution to the fight against COVID-19 and we will continue until this ‘new enemy’ is defeated,” he stated.
The Ghanaian Times, he said, would not renege on its core mission to provide the platform for people to voice their opinions and ideas and help build the country.
BY CLAUDE NYARKO ADAMS
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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