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MP presents food items to Ho-Sabong Zongo
IT is high time politicians supported the celebration of the Ramadan in the Zongo communities with viable infrastructural facilities and not with the donation of food items alone, Sarki Ushaw Turawa, Chief of the Zongo community in Ho has said.
“We need Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds, decent school buildings and drainage systems in the Zongos more than anything else, for meaningful celebrations of the Ramadan,” he added.
Sarki Turawa made the remarks on Saturday when the MP for Ho Central, Mr Benjamin Komla Kpodo presented a consignment of food items worth GH¢ 4,500 to the Muslim community at the Sabong Zongo in Ho in support of the Ramadan.
The fasting period ends in a fortnight.
The food items included bags of rice, sugar, assorted soft drinks, cooking oil, sachet and bottled water among others.
Sarki Turawa said that the Zongo settlements were not properly planned and that had seriously affected their development over the years.
The Ho Sabong Zongo, for instance, he said was established in 1963 hurriedly without the appropriate sanitation facilities.
Worse, Sarki Turawa pointed out, the land owners had not been paid their due compensations.
For that matter, the land owners were now demanding their compensations from the Zongo people, he revealed.
Sarki Turawa said that the situation had adversely affected the growth of the Zongo over the decades.
“Much as we are grateful for the regular donations of food items, we need to see basic amenities which will benefit generations yet unborn,” Sarki Turawa added.
On his part, Mr Kpodo said that the concerns of the Zongo community would be given the needed attention.
He said that some of the development plans for the Zongo were already being pursued.
The MP commended the Muslim community in Ho for its immense contribution to peace and goodwill in the society, and gave the assurance that their concerns would never be ignored.
FROM ALBERTO MARIO NORETTI, HO-SABONG ZONGO
THE Executive Director of the Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD), Mr Juventus Dourinaah, has called on the media to take a lead role in promoting inclusivity and accessibility for the deaf and hard-of-hearing persons in Ghana.
He made the call at a media forum last week on the theme “No Human Rights Without Sign Language Rights.” It brought together journalists, development partners, and members of the Deaf community.
The event formed part of efforts to highlight the importance of sign language as a human right and to encourage media institutions to adopt inclusive communication practices.
Mr Dourinaah emphasised that the media was one of the most powerful tools for shaping public perception, influencing policies, and setting national agendas.
“The media holds strong power to influence understanding and build inclusion.”
For deaf persons, he said, access to information through sign language, captioning, and visual communication is not a privilege but rather a human right.
He added that without accessible communication, deaf people remain excluded from national conversations, education, and opportunities that shape their lives.
He therefore urged both public and private broadcasters to integrate sign language interpretation into all news programmes, public service announcements, and major national events.
Mr Dourinaah also appealed to the National Communications Authority (NCA) and the Ministry of Communications (MoC) to make accessibility a mandatory requirement for all media houses.
At the end of the meeting, media representatives in a communique pledged to promote accessibility by including Ghanaian Sign Language interpretation and subtitles in programming.
They also pledged to ensure fair and non-discriminatory representation of deaf persons while collaborating with GNAD to train media personnel on inclusive communication.
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The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) would host its flagship awards in Kumasi for the first time, with the 29th edition set for November 8 at the Manhyia Palace, under the patronage of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
The event will celebrate excellence in journalism and recognise media professionals and institutions that have demonstrated integrity, innovation, and commitment to the highest standards of the profession.
Launching the Awards in Accra on Thursday, the GJA President, Mr Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, explained that the decision to host the awards in Kumasi was a symbolic gesture of inclusivity, reflecting the Association’s commitment to recognise contributions from all regions of the country.
This year’s edition would be held under the theme, “Safeguarding Ghana’s Future: The Role of the Media in Promoting Peace, Security and the Fight Against Galamsey.”
At the launch, two committees — Awards and Planning Committees — were inaugurated.
The nine-member Awards Committee, chaired by Mr Gabriel Bosompem, former Commissioner of the National Media Commission and former Production Manager at TV3 (Media General), is responsible for vetting of entries.
Other members of the committee include Alhaji Salifu Abdul-Rahman, Editor of the Ghanaian Times; Mr Kingsley Obeng-Kyere, P.A.V. Ansah, Ms Nana Yaa Konadu, and Ms Theresa Owusu-Ako.
The rest are Madam Agnes Boye-Doe, Mr David Andoh, Mr Samuel Bio and Mr Jeorge Wilson Kingston.
The Planning Committee is co-chaired by Mr Dwumfour and Mr Prince Oheneba Nana Kwaku Duah, and includes Mr Dominic Hlordzi, Mr Emmanuel Safo, Deputy Head of Protocol at the Manhyia Palace; and Mr Kwame Adinkra.
Others are Mr Kojo Soboh, Mr Nathaniel Attoh of Joy News; Ms Rebecca Ekpe, Vice President of the GJA; and former National Treasurer, Mrs Audrey Francesca Dekalu.
Mr Dwumfour assured that accommodation and transportation would be fully provided for more than 500 journalists to travel to Kumasi for the awards to ensure full participation.
The event will commence with a welcome reception at the Lancaster Hotel on Friday, November 7, followed by a health walk on the morning of Saturday and climax it with the awards ceremony at 4pm at the Manhyia Palace.
The Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Mr Felix Kwakye Ofosu, in his address, commended the GJA for sustaining the awards for over nearly three decades.
He urged journalists to embrace innovation and adapt to new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence.
He reaffirmed government’s commitment to press freedom, noting that President John Dramani Mahama remains a strong advocate of free speech.
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
