News
Don’t kill vultures…they’re natural environment cleaners
Vultures are very useful birds and should not be killed because they are “natural environment cleaners” and killing them poses a threat to wildlife conservation.
“Vultures are neither evil creatures nor a source of bad luck. Some wild animals were “worshipped” by our ancestors with the ultimate aim of preserving their lives not because they were demonic.”
Mr Thomas Gyimah, Acting Manager, Biodiversity Research and Conservation of the Ghana Wildlife Society, said these in an exclusive interview with this reporter ahead of International Vulture Awareness Day which falls on September 5, 2021.
He said that in spite of their environmental benefits, the population of vultures continued to dwindle due to constant attacks on their habitats thus forcing them to move into human settlements to find food to survive.
“The threats against these birds are increasing and if nothing is done we can lose them all. There is the need to raise awareness to help protect and stop the decline in Vultures’ population”, he emphasised.
Mr Gyimah, making reference to Research Work, said that about 2,900 vultures were killed daily in South and East Africa due to poisoning but was quick to add that this scenario was not so serious in Ghana.
He again said that persons who considered vultures a delicacy also contributed to the gradual extinction of the wild birds and advised such people to find better alternatives and leave the vultures in peace.
He said that it was wrong for people to associate some birds and other wild animals with evil spirits or bad omen when they were encounted and urged society to stop treating such animals and birds with disdain.
Vultures are carnivorous and eat both fresh meat and carcasses that might be rotten.
They play a unique and essential ecological role in their contribution to the prevention of the spread of diseases from decaying corpses.
“If you poison a rat, do well to bury it, so that vultures and other scavengers do not feed on them and more importantly, it is essential to get a professional when using rodents and pest control chemicals at homes, farms and other places” he added.
By Portia Hutton-Mills
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has announced that it will begin a special revenue mobilisation exercise on Monday, November 10, 2025, to recover all monies owed to the Assembly for the 2025 fiscal year.
According to the AMA, the exercise aims to boost revenue generation and improve service delivery across the city.
it sais a Revenue Mobilisation Task Force will visit businesses, properties, and outdoor advertising locations to reconcile bills and collect outstanding payments.
The Assembly advised all ratepayers to make available valid receipts of payment for Business Operating Permits (BOPs), Property Rates, Outdoor Advertising Fees, and Rents.
The Assembly added that those who may not be present during the exercise are encouraged to leave their receipts with caretakers to avoid penalties, as no excuses will be accepted from defaulters or their agents.
The assembly noted that the task force will also remove all unauthorised billboards, and companies found to have erected such structures without permits will be surcharged with the cost of removal.
The AMA urged all businesses and property owners to cooperate with the exercise, noting that the funds collected will help the Assembly continue to provide essential services such as sanitation, infrastructure development, and public safety.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Former Greater Accra Regional Minister, Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus Glover, has urged President John Dramani Mahama to review his approach to governance, describing it as “not the best.”
He said the recent bail conditions imposed on some former government officials are unfair and appear to be punitive rather than just.
Mr. Glover made these comments during an interview on Metro TV.
He explained that bail is supposed to allow an accused person to appear before the court while the case is being tried, and not to serve as a form of punishment.
“If you want me to appear regularly before the police and the court, you can put a condition for me, but it should not be punitive. You can take my passport, ask me to report, or inspect my property. But where you make the bail so high that the person cannot even meet it, that becomes punishment,” he said.
He noted that some of the accused persons, including former government officials such as “my brother Assibey and my sister Gifty,” are still in custody because they have not been able to meet their bail requirements.
“What is the use of it? You keep them in incarceration, and they cannot have their day in court. Then you slap them with high bail conditions, making it difficult for them to secure their release. So what kind of justice are we talking about?,” he questioned.
Mr. Glover further criticized what he described as prejudicial comments made against accused persons before their cases are even heard in court, adding that it undermines justice.
He said the government, through agencies like the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the police, and the Office of the Special Prosecutor, should ensure fairness and transparency in handling such cases.
He urged President Mahama to pay attention to these developments, warning that such practices affect the country’s image and governance.
By: Jacob Aggrey
