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Bush meat traders pledge to halt Pangolins
Bush meat sellers at Atwemonom, a local market centre for bush meat sales in Kumasi, have pledged to rally behind the government and stakeholders to halt the illegal trade and exploitation of pangolins, a critically endangered species.
The traders pointed out that, after learning about the enormous contributions of pangolins to ecosystem protection, it was time they ceased all forms of trade of the animal, which is one of the local delicacies among bush meat lovers in Kumasi and allow them to exist and multiply for the conservation chain to continue.
Madam Comfort Badu, Queen mother of Atwemonom Bush Meat Sellers, indicated that the traders were going to engage with the hunters to halt bringing in pangolins to the market for sale.
“We will talk to our hunters not to kill or bring the meat of pangolins to us again. It is serious to protect them, and again, the government has laws guiding the trading, poaching, and handling of pangolins. Any hunter who does not heed our advice and gets caught by the law does so at his own risk,” she buttressed.
Madam Badu was contributing to the discussions at the 2025 World Pangolin Day, organised by the Institute of Nature and Environmental Conservation (INEC) Ghana, in Kumasi.
The 2025 celebration was under the theme: ‘Youth Legacy for Pangolin Conservation.’
It brought together students from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Toase Senior High School, Officers from the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission, Custom Officials and Bush meat Traders from Atwemonom.
Madam Badu assured that the market women would scrutinise the meat hunters’ supplies before making purchases.
Mr David Kwarteng, Executive Director, INEC Ghana, commended the market women for pledging support for the fight against poaching and trading of pangolin meat and scales.
He reiterated that pangolins were the most trafficked animals in the world and in Ghana the scaled animals faced a lot of challenges.
What was more worrying according to Mr Kwarteng, was the inability of conservationists to have data on how many pangolins left the wild each year.
It is heartwarming to hear from our mothers assuring us to report, confiscate, and educate hunters on the need to stop harvesting pangolins, the feedback from the traders has been refreshing.
The expectation is also that law enforcement agencies will administer the laws on pangolin trade and the justice system give appropriate sentencing to people who flout the law”, he observed.
Dr Meyir Zeikah, Manager of the Kumasi Zoological Gardens, called on the public to continuously bring rescued animals, including pangolins, to the Zoo for treatment and rehabilitation.
All eight pangolin species in the world are protected under national and international laws, and two are listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. –GNA
ODORGONNO Senior High School (SHS) has won the maiden 2026 Senior High School Plastic Waste Reuse Innovation Awards, organised among five SHSs in Accra to promote plastic waste recycling and reuse.
Odorgonno SHS received a cash prize of GH¢8,000 after securing 97 points. Accra Senior High School placed second with 96 points and received GH¢4,000, while O’Reilly SHS placed third with 90 points and received GH¢2,000.
Forces Senior High Technical School placed fourth with 83 points, while St John’s Grammar SHS came fifth with 72 points. Both schools received GH¢1,000 each as cash prizes.
Outstanding students from the participating school clubs were also recognised with gold medals and certificates. St John’s Grammar SHS received five plastic recovery cages as the school with the highest volume of recovered plastic waste.
The awards formed part of the CSIR-Institute of Industrial Research (CSIR-IIR) Schools Plastics Recovery Project, an initiative aimed at promoting plastic waste recovery, responsible environmental practices and the productive use of recovered materials.
The project included educational campaigns in all five participating schools, the provision of metal cages for plastic source segregation, an educational excursion to a Miniplast recycling factory and a plastics challenge that encouraged innovative reuse of plastic waste.
The Project Lead and Senior Research Scientist at CSIR-IIR, Dr Boniface Yeboah Antwi, said the project demonstrated how young people could become active contributors to solving Ghana’s environmental challenges while providing financial incentives to sustain their efforts.
He said when schools generated income from recovered materials, they could support the maintenance of collection infrastructure, reinforce responsible waste management and instil an entrepreneurial mindset in students.
Dr Antwi explained that within the first month, the participating schools recovered 1.5 tonnes, or 1,500 kilogrammes, of plastic waste—equivalent to the weight of approximately 15,000 one-litre water bottles.
He said the recovery generated GH¢2,000 in revenue for the schools, demonstrating that plastic waste could become a source of value rather than an environmental burden.
The Group Head of General Operations at OmniBSIC Bank, Mr Dominic Donkoh, urged the participating schools to sustain their plastic waste segregation, collection and sales activities.
He said the proceeds could support school environmental clubs and other worthwhile initiatives while providing students with practical lessons in saving, budgeting and responsible financial management.
“We encourage students to apply the financial literacy lessons acquired during this engagement. Learn to manage the proceeds from your recycling activities responsibly, appreciate the importance of saving, and explore innovative ways to create both environmental and financial value,” he added.
–GNA
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Parents have been urged to prioritise girls’ education over early marriage to protect them from losing their childhood, education and opportunities for a better future.
The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Girl Child Coordinator, Madam Margaret Blay, said child marriage disrupted girls’ education, threatened their health and well-being, and limited their ability to realise their full potential.
“Keep her in school, not in a man’s house,” she urged parents, stressing the need for families and communities to protect girls’ right to education and personal development.
She made the call in a welcome address at the 2026 celebration of the International Day of the Girl Child in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, held under the theme: “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights.”
Madam Blay said ending child marriage required collective action from parents, teachers, traditional leaders, government institutions and communities to ensure that girls were protected and given the opportunity to pursue their aspirations.
She noted that child marriage often forced girls out of school before they were physically, emotionally and socially prepared for the responsibilities associated with marriage.
She said investing in girls’ rights was not merely a moral obligation but also an investment in the future of communities and the nation.
According to her, girls who remained in school, had their voices heard and received the necessary support could grow into leaders, professionals, innovators and active contributors to national development.
Madam Blay called on teachers to protect girls’ access to education, create supportive learning environments and empower them to express themselves confidently.
She also appealed to traditional leaders to help address harmful cultural practices and social norms that denied girls opportunities to develop their potential.
The government and relevant institutions, she said, must strengthen the enforcement of child protection laws to ensure that every girl received adequate protection.
She further urged communities to speak out against child marriage, report cases and work together to create safe environments where girls could learn, grow and thrive.
Madam Blay said every girl deserved the freedom to dream, acquire an education and determine her own future.
She expressed the hope that the celebration would strengthen stakeholders’ collective resolve to end child marriage and invest in the rights, education and future of every girl.
Madam Karen Ama Moses, Assembly Member for the Takoradi Railway and Harbour Electoral Area, said keeping girls in school would lead to enlightened mothers, well-informed families, resilient communities and, ultimately, a better Ghana.
She stressed that no child should be forced into marriage, adding that “every child must have the freedom to learn, grow, dream and choose her future.”
Some of the schoolchildren expressed concern that their parents did not always listen to their concerns during difficult times, while others said some children were exposed to abuse and early marriage.
Madam Henrietta Quabu, the Metropolitan School Health Coordinator, urged children experiencing abuse or any situation that threatened their well-being to report to the police, the Department of Social Welfare, the media, their teachers or the Metropolitan Education Directorate for assistance.
— GNA
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