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EKMA dredges storm drains
The dredger at work
The Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipal Assembly (EKMA) in the Western Region is spending about GH¢ 62,000.00 to dredge major drains in the municipality to prevent the frequent flooding in very low lands like Kwesimintsim.
The municipality lies in the lowest lands within the region and has often experienced flooding in the rainy seasons every year.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of EKMA, Mr. Kojo Acquah told journalists that EKMA was a flood prone area and since becoming the administrative head, floods in the municipality had been his major concern.
He said many drains were constructed to stop the perennial flooding in the prone areas like Kwesimintsim, Adu and Effiakuma but the flooding persisted during the heavy rains destroying life and property.
Mr. Acquah said after feasibility studies by NADMO and the assembly engineers it was agreed that desilting the drains would allow free flow of water through the drains into the sea.
He said the assembly decided to hire a big dredger to dredge the drains because awarding a contract would take a longer time and the rains had set in already adding “if we wait for the award of contract it may be too late and we don’t want any disaster in the municipality this year.”
The Municipal NADMO Coordinator said the main objective of the dredging was to prevent any further flooding in the municipality since the water would easily flow downstream into the sea.
The Deputy Environmental Health Officer of the Municipality, Mr. George Salami also said a taskforce had been formed to go round to educate people on the best ways to dispose of solid waste.
The Assembly Member of Kwesimintsim Electoral Area, Madam Perpetua Appiah expressed her delight when the assembly came to dredge the drains.
She said the electoral area had formed watch committee to watch the drains and arrest anybody throwing waste into them for persecution.
From Peter Gbambila, Kwesimintsim, Takoradi
The Dzidula Pink Foundation, a new organisation dedicated to cancer awareness, early detection, and patient support, has been officially launched in Accra, with a passionate call for national commitment to fighting the disease. The launch event, held last week Friday, carried the theme: “Beyond the diagnosis: A future of restoration, care and courage.”
Speaking at the event, Madam Abena Brigidi, founder and CEO of Nimed Capital Limited, emphasised that cancer remains one of the most devastating health challenges facing families across the country. “Cancer does not discriminate—it affects mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons. It drains families emotionally and financially, and behind every statistic is a human story and a future suddenly thrown into uncertainty,” she said.
Sharing her personal encounters with cancer, having lost both her husband and father to the disease, Madam Brigidi highlighted the emotional, financial, and physical scars left behind. “I stand here not just as a speaker, but as a witness to what cancer can take away,” she stated. “I have watched loved ones fight bravely, and I have felt the deep pain that loss leaves behind.”
She stressed that awareness and early detection are critical to reducing deaths, noting that many Ghanaians still lack access to proper screening, reliable information, and adequate treatment. She appealed to healthcare professionals, corporate institutions, policymakers, the media, and the general public to join hands in the fight. “Early detection saves lives. Your support today can lead to someone’s healing tomorrow,” she said.
Madam Brigidi further called for collective responsibility to sustain the foundation’s mission. “To our medical professionals, we need your expertise. To corporate partners, your resources. To the media, your voice. To policymakers, your support. And to the public, your compassion,” she urged. She also insisted that breast cancer awareness should not be limited to annual campaigns, saying, “Breast cancer awareness must not be seasonal.”
Mrs Diana Fafa Gozo, founder of the Dzidula Pink Foundation, shared her own cancer journey, describing the shock of diagnosis, the fear that followed, and the difficult path through treatment. Her experience transformed her pain into purpose and inspired her to create a foundation to ensure no cancer patient walks alone.
Mrs Gozo explained that many patients struggle not only with treatment costs but also with emotional resilience. She outlined the foundation’s initiatives, which include awareness and early detection campaigns, patient support funds, community outreach, and survival support circles. “This foundation is my offering of gratitude, courage, and compassion and a reminder that no one should walk the cancer journey alone,” she concluded.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) says it will deploy teams of Public Health Officers, members of its Sanitation Taskforce, and labourers, including sweepers and janitors, across all sub-metros to support the third National Sanitation Day exercise.
It explained that these teams will be equipped with waste collection trucks, tippers, and other tools to help with desilting, refuse collection, and transporting waste to approved disposal sites.
The AMA reminded residents that failing to comply with the sanitation directive or refusing to participate in communal labour is an offence.
It said offenders risk a fine of up to 100 penalty units, imprisonment between 30 days and six months, or both, with repeat offenders liable to additional daily penalties.
It urged all residents, traders, transport operators, market women, shop owners, landlords, tenants, and businesses to actively participate in the exercise.
The AMA said it counts on everyone’s collective responsibility to keep Accra clean, liveable, and resilient, especially as the city approaches Christmas and the New Year.
By: Jacob Aggrey
