News
Ghana Red Cross Society handicapped …needs more funding, logistics
- /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27
https://spectator.com.gh/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Red-cross-staff-interracting-with-some-residents.jpg&description=Ghana Red Cross Society handicapped …needs more funding, logistics', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
- Share
- Tweet /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 72
https://spectator.com.gh/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Red-cross-staff-interracting-with-some-residents.jpg&description=Ghana Red Cross Society handicapped …needs more funding, logistics', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
The Ghana Red Cross Society has initiated a number of activities and supported the health sector in its efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
In spite of the crucial role it plays, the organisation continues to rely on the benevolence of individuals and organisations to execute many of its programmes in the country.
Officials indicate that funding and logistic constraints, to a large extent, have been preventing the society from reaching out to the vulnerable during crucial moments.
The Greater Accra regional office, for instance, has only one pickup vehicle for its routine operations.
Madam Catherine Adasu, the Regional Manageress, who confirmed this in an interview with The Spectator said that there was the need to close the “funding and logistic gap” so that the society could do more for the nation.
She said that officers at the regional office sometimes had to offer their personal vehicles to complement the only available pickup in order to carry out field work satisfactorily.
“We are handicapped in so many ways. The little resources we have are used to encourage volunteers and settle other administrative costs. As much as we want to do more, we are not able to do so for lack of funds until we get help.
“Our headquarters is equally handicapped when it comes to funding to implement some strategic programmes,” she noted.
Madam Adasu said that district officers of the society also needed motorbikes to fast-track their movement and quick response to emergencies within their jurisdictions and pointed out that volunteers of the society also required insurance packages.
According to her, Red Cross volunteers were not considered frontline workers although they had, in the last eight months, supported risk communication and other activities meant to combat COVID-19.
She said that the society, since January this year, had engaged in sensitisation at bus terminals and other public places following the outbreak of the disease.
“We have set up hand washing points at public places and intensified community education on safety protocols in all the regions.
“During the lockdown we partnered Nestle Ghana to distribute items to about 50 000 households in Accra and Kumasi. About 500 volunteers are still on the field educating the public and engaging community leaders in other areas where hand washing centres can be established,” she explained.
Highlighting other support services, Madam Adasu said that the Ghana Red Cross had distributed Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to hospitals and schools across the country with support from different organisations including Master Card and the International Federation for the Red Cross.
The Regional Manageress further explained that the society was in the process of identifying and supporting persons who had lost their jobs due to the impact of the pandemic, adding that five markets had been earmarked to get mechanised boreholes to help improve on access to potable water.
Madam Adasu therefore appealed to corporate bodies to help absorb part of the society’s administrative cost to help sustain their operations.
“We need people to provide used clothing and other useful items which we can in turn give out to vulnerable people to improve their lives.
“If volunteers can receive similar packages given to other frontline workers or be put on monthly allowances by government this would be very useful as well,” she added.
Touching on other aspects of their work, she noted that suspension of sporting activities and closure of schools had halted part of their activities.
Madam Adasu appealed for more government support and called for a review of the Red Cross Act which had for the past years not been amended.
She also appeal to all support the Red Cross by patronising first aid training, first aid kits, health and safety training.
The Ghana Red Cross Society was established by an Act of Parliament (ACT 10 1958) and the Geneva Convention to, among other things, deliver relief and humanitarian services to the vulnerable during disasters and emergiencies.
By Ernest Nutsugah
The Commercial National Motor Riders Union (CNMRU) has dismissed claims that the government has failed commercial motorbike riders after receiving their support during the 2024 general election campaign.
The union described allegations by a group known as the Okada Riders Association (ORAG) as false and misleading, insisting that the government has taken concrete steps towards legalising and regulating commercial motorcycle operations.
In a statement issued after a press conference on August 18, the CNMRU stated that the government established a technical committee after the 2024 elections to conduct research and engage stakeholders on the regulation of Okada operations.
According to the union, it has been actively involved in the process, representing the interests of commercial motor riders across the country.
It added that a delegation of stakeholders travelled to Rwanda to study that country’s system for regulating commercial motorcycle operations.
The delegation included representatives of the CNMRU, the National Road Safety Authority, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and the Ministry of Transport, the statement noted.
The union further stated that the bill on the regulation of commercial motorcycle operations has been laid before Parliament and is going through the legislative process.
“This is concrete progress, and it demonstrates that the government has not abandoned the Okada riders,” the CNMRU stated.
It also said sensitisation programmes were ongoing across the country to educate riders on road safety, licensing, responsible riding and the expected legal framework for commercial motorcycle operations.
The union noted that it was working with the government and the DVLA to bring mobile licensing services closer to riders and assist them in obtaining driving licences at subsidised rates.
It also welcomed plans to establish an electric motorcycle initiative in Ghana, which it said would provide commercial riders with access to environmentally friendly motorcycles under a work-and-pay arrangement.
The CNMRU explained that it supported President John Dramani Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the 2024 election campaign because of their commitment to address the legal and regulatory challenges facing commercial motor riders.
“We supported a commitment, and today we are witnessing concrete steps toward fulfilling that commitment,” it stated.
However, the union acknowledged that not all the challenges facing Okada riders had been resolved.
It urged commercial motor riders, the media and the public to distinguish between what it described as political propaganda and the work being undertaken to regulate the sector.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has commended The Fourth Estate for its investigative report into the attestation process, while announcing measures to improve the service and prevent the activities of middlemen.
The Ministry, in a press statement issued on Thursday, September 3, 2026, acknowledged an online report published by The Fourth Estate on September 2 concerning an undercover investigation into attestation services provided by state institutions.
It praised the media organisation for its investigative work, noting that such efforts contribute to good governance, public accountability and improved service delivery.
The Ministry, however, clarified that the man implicated in the investigation is not a staff member of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to the Ministry, the individual has been sanctioned by his respective institution and reported to law enforcement agencies for further investigation and possible prosecution.
It added that he has also been prohibited from entering the premises of the Ministry.
The Ministry maintained that it has a zero-tolerance policy towards middlemen and third-party facilitators who seek to profit from the acquisition of attestation documents.
It condemned the activities of what it described as unscrupulous middlemen who take advantage of vulnerable members of the public.
The Ministry explained that the attestation process involves several institutions across different arms of government, making coordination important to maintaining the integrity of the process.
It said efforts to strengthen coordination among the institutions involved had been ongoing for several months, even before The Fourth Estate’s investigation.
Attestation process to go digital
The Ministry disclosed that comprehensive reforms are underway to make the attestation process more efficient and reduce direct human interaction.
According to it, plans are being pursued to make payments for attestation services cashless, while digital platforms are also being developed to support the entire process.
The Ministry expressed confidence that the reforms would produce results similar to improvements achieved in Ghana’s passport application and administration processes.
It further reminded the public that the Parliament-approved fee for attestation is GH¢200.
The fee, it explained, is collected by officials of the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department, who issue the appropriate receipts.
The Ministry warned the public against using middlemen, stressing that engaging their services is strictly illegal.
It encouraged anyone with information, enquiries or complaints concerning the attestation process to contact the Ministry.
The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining transparency, integrity and ethical standards in the delivery of its services.
By: Jacob Aggrey
