News
Let’sustain the peace
Exactly two years ago, some media colleagues and I from Ghana and Nigeria had the privilege of being invited by the African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to witness first hand the roles being played by our country men and women in support of the peace process in Somalia.
This feature is a fulfilment of a promise I made to the then Deputy Head of the Ghanaian Police Contingent in AMISOM, Chief Superintendent Cosmos Allan Anyan who advised that upon our return to Ghana we should use our various media platforms to highlight the negative effects of war to Ghanaians when we are about going to the 2020 December Polls.
In his opinion, if we did so, it would among other things go a long way to get the citizenry to cherish the relative peace the nation was enjoying and guard it jealously instead of taking it for granted and engaging in activities that have the potential to compromise the peace of our motherland, Ghana .
AMISOM is basically about peace keeping mission in Somalia operated by the African Union (AU) with the consent of the United Nations (UN) and aimed at restoring peace in the war torn nation .
Somalia was once a beautiful and a peaceful country but was torn into shreds by civil war in the 1980s.
The one week we spent in Somalia in November 2018, I must confess that I lived in danger zone because unlike Ghana where I could move freely on foot or soft body vehicles without fear of a gun shot, bomb blast, suicide attacks and other related issues, that was a sharp contrast.
We moved about most of the time in Mamba vehicles (a specialised vehicle which provides protection against mines of up to seven kilogrammes) wearing a body armour which weighed probably about 10 kilogrammes overall combat helmet which weighed about 30 pounds.
Even though our movements were under tight security, it was still very uncomfortable knowing that the Al-Shabab was also close by and could strike at any time.
On a couple of occasions, we escaped death because the intelligence gathering machinery of the AMISOM was on its toes.
We had the opportunity to visit some parts of the country and if you were told this was once a peaceful place, you would doubt.
There were visible marks of gun shots in some of the buildings and traces of bomb blasts and the situation was more heart breaking at the Internally Displaced Persons’ Camps.
I still remember how some of the children looked sick, mothers looked frustrated and men hopeless at the Alrahma IDP Camp.
Some of them told us how they could go a day or two without food or even water and for breastfeeding mothers who had to feed their younger ones on an empty stomach was quiet worrying .
There were more than 1,000 Camps in Mogadishu, the national capital of Somalia, according to the then AMISOM Gender Focal Person, Inspector Rachel Malambo.
A 42-year old widow, Ms Abiba Nuru Alee who granted the media an interview through an interpreter told us she was once an independent woman who owned a house, a farm and other properties with enough to eat and spare.
She was even taking care of eight other people but because of the war, she lost everything and had found herself in an IDP Camp where she had to beg for food and water and aside from that she could not tell whether she would survive the day or not.
For many women like her who had lost their husbands to the war, she wouldn’t wish war even on her worst enemy.
Ms Alee said no country should engage in any activity that had the tendency to destroy the peace of a country because the effect was irreversible or devastating.
As the nation goes to the polls on December 7, let us all remember what women and children like Ababa Nuru Alee are going through and be mindful of our deeds and utterances.
A war may take days, weeks, months or even years but its repercussions may take decades or even centuries and the nation may never recover.
Well, physical things could be fixed but the emotions of people never get restored. The hurt from families who never get to see their loved ones again whether they are dead or separated .
When there is war, women and children and even men are sexually abused. Some women never get to know the fathers of their children and the defiled children perpetually live in trauma.
The issues of hunger and starvation, no access to quality healthcare including maternal healthcare, education and having to live in a state of insecurity is heartbreaking.
Let us always remember that we have only one Ghana. There are people who deliberately foment trouble because they stand to benefit if the country is in chaos.
Don’t forget the conflict entrepreneurs. For them, it is an opportunity to sell their fighter jets, arms and ammunition, armoured vehicles and conflict apparels among others.
Let peace prevail.
From Dzifa Tetteh Tay, Tema.
The Vice Chancellor of the Pentecost University, Apostle Professor Kwabena Agyapong-Kodua, is advocating an intentional conversation about the development and education of the boy child in creating stronger families and societies.
According to him, the boy child must not be ignored in conversations on leadership, education, family stability and national transformation because they are key to national development.
“There is a reason why a boy child must not be denied opportunities like education; he is a future leader. When boys are trained well, society becomes safer and stronger,” he stated.
Apostle Prof. Agyapong-Kodua made the remark at a forum organised by the Church of Pentecost Schools Outreach Ministry in Accra to observe the International Day of the Boy Child observed on May 16.
It was held in collaboration with the Pentecost Men’s Ministry and the Ghana Education Service (GES), and under the theme: ‘Flourish and Thrive: Investing and Unleashing Boys for Strong Families and Communities.’
Leading the discussion, the Pentecost University Vice Chancellor warned that poor mentorship, declining in education, harmful social media influences and emotional neglect have made a lot of young boys vulnerable.
With a lot of the attention switching to the girl child, the boy child, he said was confronted with many challenges including violence, substance abuse, educational decline, emotional neglect and the absence of positive role models.
According to Apostle Prof. Agyapong-Kodua, he noted that boys were turning to social media for direction due to the absence of fathers and mentors to help shape their lives.
“If we are not intentional, social media will mentor our children for us. We are not saying they should not use social media, but they should be guided to access the right information to excel in life,” he stated.
Prof. Agyapong-Kodua urged society to encourage boys to become creators of technology rather than mere consumers.
Contributing, Madam Gifty Asiedu, Director of the Girls’ Education Unit at the GES Headquarters, said the service remained committed to ensuring that no child was left behind, adding that, “supporting the boy child should not come at the expense of progress made in girl-child education.”
“If you focus intentionally on one gender and neglect the other, you create a societal problem,” she underlined.
She said the GES had observed some decline in boys’ retention in school, although the gap between boys and girls was not yet too wide.
“Over the years, attention has been focused on the girl child and we have seen the benefits. However, data now show that the statistics concerning the boy child continue to decline,” she indicated.
She explained that the service was implementing gender-responsive education to ensure that classroom teaching addressed the needs of both boys and girls equally.
Elder Barima Acheampong Sarpong II, Deputy Director of the Pentecost Men’s Ministry and Chief of Asante Asaman in the Ashanti Region, said society needed to critically examine the plight of boys.
“As we celebrate the International Day for the Boy Child, I urge every man to identify one boy child, find out how he is doing and dedicate some time to mentoring him,” he explained.
The programme, attended by educators, church leaders and policymakers, was the second edition following a partnership initiated last year between the Schools Outreach Ministry, the Pentecost Men’s Ministry and the GES.
It sought to improve school enrolment, completion rates and learning outcomes among boys so they could grow into responsible men who would build strong families and communities.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
Candidates that wrote the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in Ho Municipality are hopeful of obtaining good grades to make everyone especially their parents and the Regional Minister proud.
The candidates said they had so far sat the examination with focus and integrity after a call from Mr James Gunu, Regional Minister to avoid examination malpractice saying, they expected great performance upon release of results.
Mr Gunu, at the start of this year’s BECE delivered the message during a monitoring visit to some centres in the municipality including Ho Kpodzi EP Basic A School, Mawuli School, Mawuko Girls Senior High School (SHS), and Kabore School.
He urged the candidates to rely on hard work and discipline, warning that shortcuts could jeopardise their future.
“Stay focused and give your best in this year’s BECE – your determination and hard work will pay off. Avoid shortcuts and examination malpractice; integrity matters just as much as success,” he said.
The Minister, accompanied by the Ho Municipal Chief Executive, the acting Volta Regional Director of Education, and the Ho Municipal Director of Education, encouraged candidates to view the exam as a foundation for their academic journey and to celebrate responsibly after the final paper, commending parents, guardians, teachers, and officials of the Ghana Education Service for their support in preparing the candidates.
Candidates at some of the centres Ghana News Agency visited, echoed the call for honesty and high standards.
At Kabore School, Ms Francisca Atsu of Sokode Lokoe MA Basic School said, “The Regional Minister was here earlier to speak to us and also to encourage us. We’ve done our best. I assure him that we will make him and our parents proud.”
At Taviefe SHS Centre, Ms Valentina Sakpla of Taviefe R.C Basic School added, “We are expecting good results to make everyone proud and for our own good.”
Mr David Dotse, Supervisor at Kabore School, hosting 11 schools, with a standby ambulance on site to cater for any health emergency, reported smooth proceedings. –GNA
