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Don’t use police to intimidate children – Chief Supt Tay
Ghana Police
Parents have been cautioned against the use of the police to intimidate or threaten children, ostensibly to get them to do what is right.
The action,according to Chief Superintendent Seth Tay of the Tema Regional Police Command, was likely to take away their confidence in the police and also make the children see them (the police) as enemies.
Chief Superintendent Seth Taysaid this at a forumorganised by the St. Paul Methodist Cathedral, Tema last Sunday.
The programme sought to educate and throw light on Police arrests and prosecution of offenders vis-a-vis the offenders’ rights during the process.
It formed part of the Coordinating Office of Social Services of the Church termed “know the law” forum.
According to Mr. Tay, children should be encouraged to see the police as friends whom they could easily run to when they have challenges, a situation he said was important for their safety and security.
He said some children have over the years been helpful in investigation from their observations and disclosure of information to the police, adding that“It has been significant in unravelling crime and that was why they should be drawn closer to the institution.”
He also encouraged the public to be law abiding to make the society a safe place to live.
Chief Superintendent Taycautioned the public against shielding people in their communities who were engaged on any form of criminal activities.
He said when a person was shielded, it emboldened them to commit more crimes and in the process endanger the lives of every member of the community.
He noted that where a person was also arrested by the police on suspicion of any crime, it was important for them to be law-abiding and interact with the police politely instead of being hostile as that had not been helpful in some cases.
He assured the public that the police was there to serve them and so both should cooperate to make the society a better place.
Meanwhile, the Director of Kobiri-Wood and Associates, Mrs. Adelaide Kobiri-Woode has advised the public to learn about their basic rights as citizenson their own.
She said when this was done, they would be well equipped to deal with issues that could confront them and to understand the right measures to take.
She advised that much as people were arrested, they had the right to remain silent because whatever they said could be used against them in the law court.
Mrs. Kobiri-Wood stated that in cases where they were not satisfied with a verdict, they had the right to appeal.
She advised people todesist from physical confrontations with the police even if they felt unfairly treated.
She encouraged persons who could not afford the services of lawyers to go to Legal Aid for assistance so that they would be better placed to understand issues.
From DzifaTettehTay, Tema
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Focus on more pressing issues like Galamsey, not hate speech – Ellen Ama Daaku to Mahama
An aide to former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia,Ellen Ama Daaku has advised President John Dramani Mahama to shift his attention from social media hate speech to more urgent national issues such as illegal mining.
Speaking in an interview, she noted that the President’s recent comments about tracking the IP addresses of people who spread hate speech were unnecessary.
According to her, President Mahama must first define what he considers to be hate speech before seeking to punish people for it.
Ms. Daaku argued that the President himself had benefitted from hate speech and social media attacks in the past when he was in opposition.
She said even during his time in government, he described his opponents and their tribesmen in unpalatable terms, which later drew complaints from former President Nana Akufo-Addo to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
She stressed that harsh criticism of leaders on social media should not automatically be considered hate speech, adding that former leaders, including former President Nana Akufo-Addo had all been subjected to it.
“He is only feeling what Nana Akufo-Addo went through for eight years,” she remarked.
While acknowledging the need to regulate misconduct online, Ms. Daaku insisted that going after social media activists should not be a priority.
She noted that many political activists, including herself, had been insulted and attacked online but never called for arrests.
She concluded that President Mahama should focus his energy on solving pressing problems such as galamsey and the economy instead of concentrating on critics on social media.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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Prof Alidu Seidu files nomination for Tamale Central seat
The newly elected parliamentary candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for Tamale Central, Prof Alidu Seidu, has submitted his nomination forms to the Electoral Commission.
As of 10:00 a.m. today, he was the only person who had filed to contest the seat.
Nomination of candidates will close at the end of the day.
Associate Professor and Head of the Political Science Department at the University of Ghana Legon, Prof. Alidu Seidu won the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primaries in the Tamale Central constituency with a landslide victory.
The elections, supervised by the party’s Elections and IT Directorate in the Northern Region, saw Prof. Seidu poll 840 votes out of the total valid ballots cast.
His closest contender, Lawyer Hanan Gundadow Abdul-Rahaman, secured 536 votes.
The other aspirants could not make significant gains, with Dr. Seidu Fiter obtaining 44 votes, Aliu Abdul-Hamid 23 votes, and the rest recording fewer than 10 votes each.
In all, 1,500 ballots were cast, with 6 ballots rejected and 7 spoilt ballots recorded.
The results were signed and declared by Dr. Arnold Mashud Abukari, NDC Northern Regional Director of Elections and IT.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) held parliamentary primaries in Tamale Central to choose a candidate for the upcoming by-election following the death of the sitting Member of Parliament, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed. Dr. Mohammed, who also served as Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, tragically died in a military helicopter crash in the Adansi Akrofuom District on August 6, 2025, alongside seven others.
His passing left the Tamale Central seat vacant, as required by Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.
The Electoral Commission has scheduled the by-election for September 30, 2025. While the NDC moved quickly to open nominations and vet aspirants, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) announced it would not contest the seat, citing the need to respect the somber circumstances and promote national unity.
By: Jacob Aggrey
