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Family planning an economic intervention – NPC boss
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Dr Leticia Adelaide Appiah, Executive Director of the National Population Council, has advised Ghanaians to see family planning as an economic intervention to societal hardship.
She gave this advice exclusively to The Spectator in an interview last week in her office in Accra.
She indicated that, the well-being of a society and a nation as a whole stemmed from family planning, which was the reliable way to get rid of unwanted pregnancies and pre-term babies.
According to the Medical Doctor, unwanted pregnancies which mostly resulted in pre-term babies incurred additional costs to cater for such babies by the state.
These babies, she said, mostly grew up to become deviants in the society since they never had good parental guidance to help them accomplish their dreams.
She added that society survived on “relevant education”, hence there was the need for quality formal education for every child, and “when such child is deprived of that, it breeds the grounds for a dangerous community”.
“If you keep children out of school, they do not harness their God-given talents and are full of ignorance, where ignorance is a disease which breeds poverty,” she noted.
Dr Adelaide Appiah stated that “giving birth is not a talent” and asked the young girls to focus on their education than becoming mothers at their tender age.
On her part, the growth and development of a nation hinge on family planning which is a progress for individual’s to have a harmonious living.
“In fact, good parenting helps children develop their social, emotional and academic skills, as these qualities are needed for sustainable individual, community, national and global development,” she stressed.
Dr Appiah said if individuals accepted family planning as an economic intervention, the community also became resilient leading to a resilient nation as well.
Occupying a statutory obligation as the Chief Advisor to the Government of Ghana on well and effective population management for the betterment of Ghanaians, Dr Appiah promised to deepen her commitments in tackling population issues in the country.
“National Population Council (NPC) would continue to educate and sensitise policy makers, policy implementers and the general public on the importance of effective population management; and to appreciate the need for improved and sustained quality of life,” the Executive Director reiterated.
According to her, “NPC constantly advocates and orchestrates effective population management that meets the socio-economic development of all, and this conscious effort starts with planning the family as the unit of societal progress.”
She further stated that, the success story of any nation hinged on good, responsible, disciplined, kind and stable parents.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
The Supreme Court has dismissed an application by former Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) Chief Executive Officer, Solomon Asamoah, seeking to stop the ongoing Skytrain trial.
Asamoah, the first accused in the case, had filed a certiorari application at the Supreme Court seeking to quash the High Court’s decision rejecting his submission of no case after the prosecution had closed its case.
He subsequently applied for an interlocutory injunction to prevent the High Court from continuing with the trial until the Supreme Court determined his certiorari application.
Justice Senyo Dzamefe, sitting as a single Justice of the Supreme Court, dismissed the injunction application on Monday after hearing arguments from the parties last Friday.
In his ruling, Justice Dzamefe held that, based on Asamoah’s own affidavit evidence, he had not demonstrated a serious case to be tried.
The court also held that the issues raised by the applicant were matters that could properly be addressed through an appeal.
It further found that the trial judge’s decision to rule on the submission of no case was not an act done without jurisdiction or beyond the court’s jurisdiction.
The Supreme Court also concluded that Asamoah had not demonstrated what irreparable harm he would suffer if the injunction was not granted.
The ruling means the High Court can continue with the Skytrain trial while Asamoah’s certiorari application remains pending.
The High Court has set September 23 as the final extended deadline for the accused persons to file their defence, should they decide to do so.
Meanwhile, the second accused person, former GIIF Board Chairman, Professor Christopher Ameyaw Ekumfi, has filed a fresh application for a stay of proceedings.
The application is scheduled to be heard by the Court of Appeal on September 1.
Asamoah and Prof. Ameyaw Ekumfi are standing trial over allegations that $2 million was paid towards the Skytrain project without the approval of the GIIF board.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), in collaboration with the National Security, has seized quantities of unregistered cigarette-shaped candy being sold in the Central Business District (CBD) of Accra.
The product, branded as Cigarette Rod Lollipop, was seized during a crackdown on its sale over the weekend.
The FDA reports that the key suspect involved in the sale has been arrested and is in police custody pending investigations into the importation, distribution and sale of the product.
The Authority cautioned that the Cigarette Rod Lollipop is not registered with the FDA, meaning its composition is unknown and could pose a public health risk to consumers.
It further warned that the cigarette-shaped design of the candy could encourage children who use it to develop an interest in smoking.
According to the FDA, this could undermine efforts to discourage smoking, particularly among young people.
The Authority has therefore advised the public not to purchase or use the product under any circumstances.
The FDA reminded the public that under Section 97(1) of the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851), it is an offence to manufacture, import, export, distribute, sell or supply food unless it has been registered by the Authority.
It noted that the Cigarette Rod Lollipop falls under the category of food products.
The FDA has urged anyone who has information about individuals selling the product or other suspected unregistered products to report them to the Authority.
It appealed to persons who have the product in stock to immediately contact the FDA or submit it to the nearest FDA office.
Information leading to the arrest of the importer or other persons behind the importation and distribution of the product, the FDA added, will be treated confidentially and rewarded.
By: Jacob Aggrey
