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Boys in UER abandon classroom for ‘galamsey’
The Chief of Kpongu in the Wa Municipality of the Upper West Region, Naa Seidu Braimah has expressed worry at the rate at which male children abandon classes to engage in illegal mining popularly known as “galamsey” in the region.
A worried Naa Braimah said illegal mining was detrimental to the health and development of children since it interfered with their education and cautioned the youth to stay away from the act and focus on their education.
The chief stated this on the sidelines of a meeting organised by the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG) on “ending child marriage and teenage pregnancies” in the area.
“These days, most of the boys skip school on certain days just to join their colleagues to engage in the illegal practice which is a threat to their health,” he said.
Naa Braimah explained that boys who indulged in illegal mining at tender ages turned out obstinate, making it difficult for their parents to reprimand them which eventually could lead to waywardness due to their early exposure to money.
“Some of the girls follow these galamsey boys because of the little money they give them and end up getting pregnant for these boys who deny responsibility because they are not ready to be fathers,” he said.
He stated that with the discovery of gold in commercial quantities in the region, it was relevant that stakeholders engaged in serious dialogue on how to dissuade the youth from accessing gold mining sites to the disadvantage of their education.
“Apart from the fact that parents are unable to discipline their children who join the galamsey business, there are other consequences such as deaths due to pits caving in and the tendency of the youth to learn social vices like smoking and alcoholism at the galamsey sites,” he stressed.
The chief called on parents to discuss with their young male children the dangers associated with illegal mining to make it unattractive to them.
He further encouraged the boys to identify role models in the region and aspire to be like such persons in future.
“I want to urge parents to work harder to provide for their wards and desist from taking money from them when they return from the mining operations,” he added.
From Lydia Darlington Fordjour, Kpongu
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
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