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Don’t deny husbands sex …it amounts to domestic violence — Gender Activist
Married women who intentionally deny their husbands sex as a form of punishment commit offence that amounts to domestic violence, the Upper West Regional Director of Department of Gender, Mrs Charity Banye has said.
“If you are capable of indulging in sexual relations with your husband as a married woman and you constantly refuse him because you are angry with him instead of using dialogue, then you are abusing him and infringing on his rights”, she stressed.
Mrs Banye who was speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting on ending sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) at Wa defined abuse as “any act that causes physical or psychological pain to another person.”
“Some women resort to wearing tight-fitting jeans to bed because they have issues with their husbands so that the husbands would not have access to their bodies, yet when the men refuse them housekeeping money (chop money) the next day, they call for the heavens to come down”, she said.
The director stated that instead of denying each other sex as a way of resolving conflicts, spouses should rather use effective inter-personal communication to get their domestic issues resolved.
She further stated that heaping insults on men was a serious form of abuse that could hunt them for several days and increase their inferiority complex such that they would begin to withdraw from their wives in order to find solace in other women (side chics).
“Some women have weapons of mass destruction up here [pointing to her lips] and can rain insults on their husbands at the least opportunity, even in public”, she stated, and pointed out that even when the husbands sought to apologise for things they did not do right, some of the women responded to their efforts with insults.
Mrs Banye stated that such habits from women often drove the men away from home whereas others who were very quick tempered also resorted to physical abuse which she described as unfortunate and condemned vehemently.
She encouraged wives to be modest in their speech and the men to relax their egos in dealing with each other such that abuses would be minimised in marital homes.
She said that some men were also infamous for economic abuse such that they failed to establish businesses for their wives, whereas others refused to also provide financially for the house.
“There was this case where a man stopped his wife from working because he did not want other men to make advances at her. I was curious to meet the ‘miss world’ he was keeping at home and when I finally did, she told me how she wanted to work but was prevented from doing so”, she cited, and called on couples to make their homes lively for themselves and their children.
On his part, the Regional Commander of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Regional Police Command, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Adongo Apiiya called on men to empower their wives economically by making them aware of their salaries.
He said if men informed their wives about their earnings, they would be able to make sound budgets at home in accordance with the man’s total income and not make unreasonable demands.
“When you get home, give your pay-slips to your wives, inform them when there is an increment and involve them in planning the expenditure process so that they will give you peace of mind”, he added.
From Lydia Darlington
Fordjour, Wa
Firefighters from the Upper West Regional Command have responded to a vehicular incident involving a long vehicle carrying 35 Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBC totes) reportedly containing hydrogen peroxide at Goriyiri in the Nadowli-Kaleo District.
The five-member crew, led by ASTNO Balagee, reported to the scene where a fire and an explosion had reportedly occurred.
The firefighters assessed the scene, identified the chemical hazards and implemented appropriate response measures, bringing the situation under control.
The driver reportedly sustained severe chemical burns and was transported to the hospital for treatment.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Dr Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, spokesperson to NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has called on the government and Parliament to undertake major reforms in Ghana’s prison system, including the construction of a dedicated prison hospital and the introduction of regulated conjugal visits.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, Dr Boakye-Danquah shared Chairman Wontumi’s observations and recommendations following his remand on July 20, 2026.
According to the statement, Chairman Wontumi’s experience in prison has given him the opportunity to interact with prison officers and inmates and observe the challenges facing the Ghana Prisons Service.
The statement noted that the NPP chairman believes the correctional system must move beyond punishment to focus on rehabilitation, welfare and productivity.
One of his major concerns is the lack of dedicated, well-equipped prison hospitals, ambulances and standby generators in several prison facilities.
Dr Boakye-Danquah said Chairman Wontumi had raised concerns about the difficulties in providing medical care to seriously ill inmates, including those suffering from tuberculosis.
He is therefore calling for the construction of a modern prison hospital to serve facilities across the country. In the interim, he has proposed emergency arrangements with the 37 Military Hospital and the Police Hospital.
On the welfare of prison officers, Chairman Wontumi has urged the government to review their salaries, accommodation and conditions of service.
He has also called for proper classification of inmates, arguing that minor offenders should not be housed alongside armed robbery convicts and that persons facing trial for serious offences, including treason and terrorism, should be appropriately separated from other inmates.
The statement further highlighted concerns about the need for counselling and behavioural support for young inmates, particularly those serving sentences for defilement-related offences.
Chairman Wontumi has also called for a clear policy on the classification and management of LGBTQI+ inmates within the prison system.
On family relationships, he has proposed the creation of designated private areas where prisoners can receive visits from their spouses and children.
He believes regulated conjugal visits could help preserve marriages, reduce tension among inmates and support rehabilitation.
“The prisoner is the one in prison, not the children or spouse,” the statement noted, explaining his position on the need to protect family relationships during incarceration.
Chairman Wontumi has appealed to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to support prison farms with the necessary equipment to improve food production.
According to the statement, the Ghana Prisons Service has access to vast lands and skilled labour but faces a shortage of agricultural equipment, with only one tractor reportedly available for farming and garbage-related activities.
He has further proposed greater collaboration between prison authorities and the justice sector, suggesting that regional prison commanders should be included in relevant discussions because of their knowledge of prison conditions and inmate rehabilitation.
On infrastructure, Chairman Wontumi has called on the government and private sector to invest in modern prison facilities and factories, arguing that the system has seen limited structural improvements over the years.
Appeal to Parliament
Dr Boakye-Danquah said Chairman Wontumi had made a special appeal to Parliament to lead efforts towards comprehensive prison reform.
He is urging the Speaker of Parliament to initiate discussions on prison conditions as a human rights and national development issue.
He has also called on the Majority and Minority caucuses to work together to pass a new Prison Reform Act and approve funding for a dedicated prison hospital, ambulance services, standby generators and agricultural equipment.
Additionally, he wants the Parliamentary Select Committees on Defence and Interior, Health, and Food and Agriculture to undertake working visits to prisons across the country to assess conditions firsthand.
According to the statement, Chairman Wontumi believes bipartisan cooperation between the Majority and Minority caucuses is necessary to secure the legal and financial reforms required to improve the prison system.
He has called for broader prison reforms across Africa, expressing hope that Ghana could lead the continent in improving correctional facilities.
Reflecting on his experience since July 20, Chairman Wontumi stated: “At this experience since July 20th till date, prison doesn’t reform as it should be. I pray that the entire Africa will learn from Ghana.”
The statement added that Chairman Wontumi remained in high spirits.
By: Jacob Aggrey
