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Ho court adjourns trial of 14 alleged separatists to June 24
The Ho Circuit Court will on June 24 decide on the issue of bail regarding the 14 alleged activists of the separatist Homeland Study Group Foundation (HSGF) who were arrested in Sovie recently and charged with prohibited organisation.
The court, presided over by Mr Felix Datsomor, fixed the date when the accused persons made their second appearance before it yesterday.
The accused persons are David Karl, 41; Francis Dente Donkor, 41; Edem Akubea, 36; Edem Nukornu, 35 and Faustina Britsie, 60.
Others are Carsmeil Doste, 41; Richard Akli, 25; Kwami Dziwornu, 35; Wisdom Ametefe, 36 and Ernestina Akogo, 26.
The rest are Emmanuel Akorli, 31; Jacinta Kugblenu, 25; Stephen Attu, 32 and Francis Adzogah, 26.
They all pleaded not guilty and were taken back into police custody.
Inspector S. M. Atidzon, told the court that members of the group have been organising secret meetings for sometime now, to advocate the cause of the HSGF.
The prosecution said that at about 9am on May 30, this year, the accused persons who are all members of the secessionist group held a similar meeting again at Sovie, with about 50 people to discuss their strategies on how to take control of parts of Ghana, which the group unlawfully declared independent in November, last year at a rally in Ho.
The prosecution said that while the meeting was in progress at Sovie in an uncompleted building, personnel of 66 Artillery Regiment in Ho and personnel of other security agencies swooped on the activists at the venue.
Upon seeing the security personnel the activists took to their heels, the court heard.
According to the prosecution, the security personnel chased the activists and arrested the 14 of them, while others managed to escape.
The court heard that some dairies and exercise books which were retrieved from the scene contained minutes of their previous meeting.
Meanwhile, one of the alleged activists, Efo Yao, is at large, the court was told.
Source: Ghanaian Times
Troubled and anxious citizens in Damongo of the Savannah Region have expressed concerns about the number of young people, believed to be under the age of 18, involved in ‘shisha’ smoking in pubs and drinking spots within the township.
Eyewitnesses say the minors were seen patronising nightlife venues, where Shisha smoking happen in the open.
The situation has sparked renewed public concern over the enforcement of child protection laws and regulations governing the operations of entertainment centres in the municipality and country as a whole.
An eyewitness, who spoke to The Spectator on conditions of anonymity for security reasons, noted that the situation was becoming increasingly common.
“This is not a one-off incident. It is becoming very common, but residents like us cannot openly report or speak about it because our lives will be at risk,” he said.
Under Ghanaian law, minors were prohibited from patronising Shisha.
Public health experts have consistently warned that shisha use exposes users to harmful substances that can negatively affect brain development, respiratory health, and overall well-being, particularly among young people.
The residents believe the alleged incidents point to broader challenges relating to youth supervision, substance abuse, and weak enforcement of existing regulations and have called on municipal authorities, security agencies, and regulatory bodies to intensify monitoring of pubs and entertainment centres to ensure compliance with the law.
In an effort to address the menace, Mr Salisu Be-Awurbi, the Savannah Regional Minister, has led public education campaigns, engaged security agencies, and supported enforcement actions to address the rising use of illicit substances in the region.
Wura Kelly Seidu Boresah I, the Chief of Damongo, has also called on all stakeholders including parents, community leaders, institutions, and young people to actively support efforts to curb drug abuse, warning that the rising consumption of hard drugs poses a serious health threat to the future of the youth in the Savannah Region.
He also cautioned individuals involved in the sale and distribution of illicit drugs to immediately desist from the practice, stressing that offenders will face arrest and prosecution in accordance with the law.
From Geoffrey Buta, Damongo, Savannah Region
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Dr Theresa Baffour, an advocate for ending violence and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SAHM SAHW Foundation, has said that society plays a critical and pivotal role in breaking the cycle of domestic violence.
According to her, domestic violence is a major contributor of making women, who are mostly the victims, mentally derailed and unable to engage in economic activities.
She said this when the foundation called on the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, to solicit support for the initiative by the “Strong and Healthy Minds, Strong and Healthy Women” (SAHM SAHW) to combat domestic violence within the Ga State.
The visit was occasioned by the fact that domestic violence cases have become quite prevalent in the Ga communities and is retarding growth.
According to her, the canker was an impediment to national development because the victims were usually tortured and would have to go through series of therapies to return to the right state of mind.
Dr Baffour mentioned that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) places a mental toll on women, and was, therefore, important to break the cycle through comprehensive mental health support, crisis intervention and empowerment programmes in communities with high rates of GBV.
This intervention, she underscored, would help in empowering the denigrated victim of domestic violence to soundly heal, build and thrive.
Dr Baffour added that the initiative would provide holistic, trauma-informed mental health care and advocacy for young women affected by domestic violence.
According to her, the above statement would create safe spaces for healing and equipping them with entrepreneurial skills for renewed hope and empowered life.
The Ga Mantse pledged his support for the laudable initiative to combat domestic violence and also acknowledged the need to address it in the Ga State.
Further endorsement came from Justice Julia Naa-Yarley Adjei Amoah, Chief of Staff at the Office of the Ga Mantse, as she commended the team of SAHM SAHW Foundation for taking a bold step to end the canker in the Greater Accra.
She added that it was a step in the right direction to save vulnerable women from torture, stress and emotional abuse.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
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