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Minister engages Queen Mothers to advance gender parity and social development
The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has held a strategic engagement with leadership of the Queen Mothers Association drawn from all sixteen regions of Ghana.
The delegation, led by its President, Nana Otubea II, outlined the formation and purpose of the Association, noting that it brings together gazetted queen mothers across the country to promote inclusivity, community development and participation in national decision-making process. The Association also reaffirmed its commitment to partnering government in advancing development initiatives within their traditional areas.
They highlighted their advocacy efforts which contributed to the passage of the Affirmative Action Act, and expressed appreciation to the Minister for her leadership, while calling for stronger collaboration and inclusion in governance structures.
In her response, the Minister expressed gratitude for the visit and reaffirmed government’s commitment to inclusive development. She emphasised that sustainable national development requires the active involvement of all stakeholders, particularly traditional leaders such as queen mothers, who play critical role at community level.
She noted that the Ministry remains committed to ensuring that “no one is left behind,” aligning with the broader national development agenda.
Touching on policy implementation, the Minister indicated that the Affirmative Action Act, passed in 2024 and launched in 2025 is currently at the implementation stage, with a Secretariat established to drive its roll out. She added that the Ministry continues to implement targeted social interventions through programmes such as LEAP, the Ghana School Feeding Programmes.
As part of the engagement, the Minister presented copies of the Affirmative Action Act, the Social Protection Act and documents on the LEAP reassessment onboarding process to the Association to support their advocacy and community outreach efforts.
The Minister further underscored the indispensable role of queen mothers in addressing critical social issues, including teenage pregnancy, child welfare, caregiving and community sensitisation.
She tasked the Queen Mothers to actively support and encourage more women to contest in the upcoming District Assembly elections, stressing that their involvement is crucial to achieving gender parity in local governance.
The meeting reinforced the importance of partnership between the Ministry and traditional leaders in advancing gender equality and social development at the community level.
The Ghana Tourism Development Company Limited (GTD) in collaboration with the Department of Organisation and Human Resource Management, University of Ghana Business School (UGBS) has marked the 2026 World Safety Day Celebration in Accra.
The event held on Tuesday, April 28, 2026 at the Cedi Conference Centre, Legon was under the theme “Good Psychosocial Working Environment: A Pathway to Thriving Workers and Strong Organizations.”
The day is observed globally to promote safe and healthy working conditions and to raise awareness about both physical and psychological risks at the workplace.
The event formed part of efforts by stakeholders to deepen national conversations on workplace safety, particularly the growing concern about psychosocial well being.
In his keynote address, the Minister for Labour, Jobs and Employment, Dr Abdul Rashid Hassan Pelpuo stressed that workers must not be treated as machines but as human beings with dignity, rights and families.
He explained that unsafe work environments marked by fear, harassment, intimidation and excessive pressure reduce productivity and weaken organisations.
He noted that although physical hazards such as faulty equipment and unsafe buildings remain a concern, psychological risks including excessive workload, bullying, job insecurity and toxic communication are equally dangerous and must be addressed.
According to him, psychological hazards are real, measurable and preventable, and should be treated with the same urgency as physical risks.
He maintained that safe and healthy working conditions are not a luxury but a fundamental right that supports productivity and social justice.
Dr Pelpuo further stated that the government remains committed to strengthening occupational safety and health systems, adding that worker wellbeing is a core responsibility of leadership and not a public relations issue.
He urged employers to create environments where dignity is protected, and workers are empowered to speak without fear.
The Dean of University of Ghana Business School, Prof Ernest Y Tweneboah Koduah noted that the school is committed to shaping a better world of work that is equitable, productive and sustainable.
He announced that the school has secured accreditation from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission to introduce a programme in organisational health and safety.
He explained that gaps in workplace safety in Ghana are linked to weak enforcement, underreporting and limited professional training.
He added that the new programme will equip graduates with the skills to prioritise employee wellbeing as a key organisational responsibility.
Prof Tweneboah Koduah urged organisations to assess psychosocial risks, invest in human resource capacity and create environments where workers can openly discuss mental health concerns.
He emphasised that collaboration between academia and industry is essential to addressing workplace safety challenges.
Delivering remarks on behalf of the Vice Chancellor, the Registrar of the University of Ghana, Emelia Naa Kwantsua Agyei Mensah described the event as historic, noting that it is the first time the university is marking the global observance.
She explained that the focus on psychosocial wellbeing reflects current realities in the world of work.
She stated that employee health, including mental and emotional wellbeing, directly affects productivity, morale and institutional performance.
Mrs Agyei Mensah added that the university is committed to creating a safe and supportive environment for staff and students, beyond minimum legal requirements.
She called on leaders to reflect on the kind of workplaces they create and to prioritise the wellbeing of employees.
CEO of the GTDC, Prof Kobby on his part noted that its participation aligns with its commitment under the Riyadh Declaration, which calls on member states to improve infrastructure and public safety, as well as enhance services, transport, connectivity and accessibility.
He indicated that the company intends to use the platform to highlight Ghana’s readiness to implement the declaration, with a strong focus on worker safety and wellbeing as a foundation for sustainable tourism development.
The event brought together policymakers, academics, industry players and students to discuss strategies for improving workplace safety and promoting healthier work environments across the country.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Minister for Energy, John Abdulai Jinapor, has praised engineers and technical teams working to restore electricity after a fire at the Akosombo Substation disrupted power supply.
He said this after visiting the facility on Monday night to assess ongoing repair works following the incident, which affected the control room and caused the loss of more than 1,000 megawatts of power to the national grid.
During the visit, he interacted with engineers and technicians who have been working continuously under difficult conditions to restore operations.
He said he was impressed by their dedication, courage, and professionalism despite the challenges.
The minister commended the teams for their resilience and sacrifice, noting that their efforts reflect a strong sense of duty and commitment to national service.
He assured them of the government’s full support as they continue with the restoration work.
He also assured the public that authorities are doing everything possible to restore stable electricity supply as soon as possible.
By: Jacob Aggrey
