News
Let’s allow the law enforcement agencies do their work and stop interference- Mrs.Yamfoah Amua-Sekyi
The Director of Public Education at the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Mrs Yamfoah Amua-Sekyi, has courted public support in enforcing laws against human rights abuses in the country.
According to her, most cases brought before CHRAJ suffered many interferences which often delayed justice and entrenched the culture of impunity in the country.
“If we do not use our laws, they won’t work. If we interfere with the law then turn around to complain, we are not doing ourselves public good. Let’s allow the law enforcement agencies do their work and stop the constant interference.
Often times, people bring complaints to CHRAJ but are unwilling to cooperate in investigations to get to the end of the matter. If we talk, build capacity and make all the efforts and still interfere, we come back to square zero,” she noted.
Mrs Amua-Sekyi was speaking at a close-out ceremony on a three-year UN Women Trust funded project on gender-based violence against women and girls in selected communities in the Greater Accra region.
Implemented by the International Network of Religious Leaders living with or personally affected by HIV and AIDS (INERELA+ Ghana) in partnership with the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DoVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, CHRAJ and the Department of Social Welfare, the project benefitted over 1,000 individuals in areas including Chorkor, Nima and Jamestown.
The Director lauded INERELA for the great work done in the last three years in reducing social vices and sexual and gender-based violence in the communities and encouraged community leaders to ensure the work done does not go to ‘waste’.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Jones Blantari, Board Chair of INERELA+ Ghana, said the NGO had made tremendous strides and impacted so many lives in the project-selected communities.
He said, over the implementation period, the project had empowered women and young girls who hitherto were at risk of violence, helped improve access to legal assistance, psychosocial counselling, health care, skills training and built a better network among stakeholders.
“Violence against women and girls is unacceptable in our society and together, we can help minimise it,” he stated.
The National Coordinator, INERELA+ Ghana, Mrs Mercy Acquah-Hayford, said, going forward, the NGO would continue monitoring the progress of the beneficiaries to fully realise the project’s goal.
“We hope that if we are sustained and supported we can train and recruit more interested and vulnerable girls to learn from the beneficiaries to help reduce poverty in the country,” she said.
Captions
A cross section of participants at the close out ceremony
The National Coordinator of INERELA, Mercy Acquah-Hayford granting an interview at the close-out ceremony.
The Volta North Regional Police Command has secured a conviction of a 27 year old man Mohammed Rafiu for making unlawful entry and stealing church musical instruments at Hohoe in the Volta Region.
On June 5, 2026 the accused was observed near the Faith International Ministry Church carrying a sack containing various items rushing to hail a car.
The witnesses suspected his action and approached to check the content in the sack. The following items were found, One (1) Amplifier, One (1) equalizer, One (1) mixer and
Cross-over Machine all belonging to the church.
The accused was arrested and brought to the Hohoe Police District where he admitted to police to the charges leveled against him.
On Monday June 8, 2026 the accused was put before the Hohoe circuit cout where he pleaded guilty on two counts and was convicted and sentenced to three (3) years for unlawful entry and four (4) years of stealing.
Both sentences are to run concurrently.
The Volta North Regional Police Command has urged the general public to immediately report any suspected criminal activities to the Police for action.
News
Dome-Kwabenya MP, Ga East MCE tour flood-prone areas in the constituency, assure victims of support
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome-Kwabenya, Elikplim Akurugu, together with the Municipal Chief Executive for the Ga East Municipal Assembly, Edmund Agboh, and officials of the assembly, have toured several flood-prone communities in the constituency to identify the causes of recent flooding and inspect structures obstructing waterways.
The inspection made on the Monday, 8th June, 2026 formed part of efforts to assess the extent of the flooding, identify structures built on waterways, and develop plans for their demolition to prevent future occurrences.
Some areas visited during the tour included Christian Village, Sesemi, Abokobi Station, Falaku and the Pure Water area, all of which were affected by the recent floods that hit parts of the constituency.
Speaking to the media after the inspection, the MP expressed sadness over the destruction caused by the floods, noting that although no lives were lost, many residents had suffered significant property damage.
She attributed much of the flooding to human activities such as indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drains and the construction of buildings on waterways and drainage channels.
The MP appealed to residents to change their attitudes towards sanitation and environmental management, stressing that the country did not have a deficit of prayers but rather an attitude deficit.
She assured residents that the assembly and its technical team would immediately begin work to address some of the drainage challenges identified during the tour.
Ms. Akurugu sympathised with residents whose homes and businesses were affected by the floods and assured them that efforts were being made to secure relief items to support them.
The Municipal Chief Executive of the Ga East Municipal Assembly, Edmund Agboh, said the inspection was intended to take stock of the causes of the recent flooding, which he described as unprecedented.
According to him, the assembly wants to be proactive by identifying and addressing the factors responsible for the flooding before the next rainy season.
Mr. Agboh blamed part of the problem on the increasing number of structures being erected on waterways and drainage paths, as well as the failure of some residents to comply with building regulations.
He disclosed that many of the structures identified during the inspection would be marked for demolition after the necessary procedures had been completed.
The MCE further announced plans to intensify inspections, particularly on weekends, explaining that some developers often undertake unauthorised construction works on Saturdays and Sundays when assembly officials are not at work.
He said the assembly would collaborate with neighbouring jurisdictions and deploy additional resources to improve drainage systems and reduce flooding in the municipality.
The MCE assured that the assembly will use the findings from the inspection to implement immediate and long-term measures aimed at reducing flooding and protecting lives and property in Dome-Kwabenya.
The Director of Works at the Ga East Municipal Assembly, Engineer Justine Glover, said the team inspected several critical locations along the Dakobi River and other flood-prone areas.
He explained that at Pantang Village, officials directed contractors to excavate and open blocked culvert outlets to allow the free flow of water during rainfall.
At Sesemi, he said the team observed extensive damage caused by upstream developments and the absence of proper drainage infrastructure.
Engineer Glover added that officials recommended dredging drainage channels at Abokobi Station to improve the performance of existing culverts.
He further revealed that some structures identified on waterways at Falaku had been earmarked for demolition as part of efforts to restore the natural flow of water.
In addition to the inspection, the MP and the MCE visited residents affected by the floods in the Pure Water area to offer words of encouragement and assure them of support.
The tour also revealed that many residents had constructed buildings on waterways, while several structures lacked the required building permits, a situation officials said had contributed significantly to the flooding experienced in the constituency.
By: Jacob Aggrey
