News
Provide Facilities for Children with Limb Deformities’
Some concerned parents of children living with limb deformities have called for an increase in trained teachers to enable schools to accommodate children with such disabilities.
They also appealed for the provision of facilities for such children in schools.
According to the concerned parents, despite the children’s eagerness to learn, many are denied admission to schools due to their physical condition.
This came to light during a visit by a team of UK-based orthopaedic doctors and health personnel of the St. Joseph’s Hospital in Koforidua last week.
Mr Daniel Kwame Okyere was one of the parents who shared his struggles with his 11-year-old daughter, who was denied access to school due to her disability condition, with The Spectator.
“My daughter is very brilliant with lots of talents, but she’s not being admitted because of her disability,” he disclosed.
He said it is also difficult and stressful accessing health care for these children with disabilities and appealed to government to establish more specialised orthopaedic hospitals in the country to ease the burden of parents.
According to Mr Okyere, currently parents are forced to travel long distances from towns like Tarkwa, Hohoe, and Takoradi to seek treatment at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Koforidua.
A prominent lady, who spoke on condition of anonymity, talked about the emotional toll on children with deformities and said they are often teased and mocked by their peers.
She indicated that, by the statistics of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), over 90 per cent of children with disabilities in low-income countries do not attend school.
“We are pleading with government for support and recognition to implement policies to prevent discrimination against children with disabilities who are normally referred to as ‘special children,’” she stated.
Dr Paul Ofori-Atta, an Orthopaedic Trauma Consultant and the President of MOTEC LIFE-UK, an NGO, advised parents to seek treatment from hospitals that specialise in specific conditions.
He said research has shown that identifying the right health facilities to seek early treatment helps the victims to live normal lives and reduces the burden on their parents.
The leader of the medical team, Dr Sanyan Adedapo, a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, stated that the team’s primary objective was to enable children with skeletal disorders or limb deformities to walk normally and also enjoy life.
He further revealed that MOTEC LIFE supports the project by raising funds for patient care, and that the medical team sponsors themselves for the exercise.
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
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The National Identification Authority (NIA) has announced the commencement of enforcement of the National Identity Register (Amendment) Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2523), warning institutions that fail to comply with the new requirements of possible fines of up to 2,000 penalty units.
The Authority says it will deploy a Biometric Verification Implementation Task Force to inspect institutions and ensure they comply with the regulations, following the expiration of a three-month grace period granted to businesses and public institutions.
Speaking at a press briefing in Accra on Monday, November 2, 2026, the NIA’s Corporate Affairs representative, William Ampomah Emmanuel Darlas, said the Authority had completed its public education and stakeholder engagement activities and was now moving into the enforcement and compliance monitoring phase.
He explained that the regulations require institutions that verify the identities of customers or applicants as part of their operations to use the NIA’s approved biometric verification platform instead of relying solely on visual inspection of the Ghana Card.
Under the new rules, institutions are prohibited from photocopying, scanning or keeping copies of the Ghana Card for identity verification purposes.
Mr Darlas stressed that simply collecting a customer’s Ghana Card, looking at the photograph and comparing it with the person presenting it would no longer be accepted as a valid method of identity verification.
He, however, clarified that the Ghana Card remains the country’s official national identity document and that citizens are not required to register for a new card or capture their biometrics again under the new regulations.
He said the new system is intended to reduce identity fraud, impersonation and other crimes by ensuring that the person presenting the Ghana Card is the actual owner.
According to him, the biometric verification process will rely on information already captured during Ghana Card registration, including fingerprints, iris details and facial features stored in the card’s chip.
Mr Darlas warned institutions against using third-party companies or individuals to access the NIA’s identity verification platform, insisting that the Authority does not work with intermediaries.
He said institutions seeking access to the National Identity Register must deal directly with the NIA and complete its official onboarding process.
The process requires institutions to prove that they are legally registered companies in Ghana, obtain certification from the Data Protection Commission and work with the NIA’s technical team to establish the necessary connection to its platform.
He further cautioned institutions already connected to the platform against subletting their access to other businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises.
He disclosed that the Authority had received reports of some institutions providing their verification services to other businesses without the NIA’s approval and warned that those involved would face legal action.
Mr Darlas said organisations that fail to comply with L.I. 2523 could face fines ranging from 500 to 2,000 penalty units, depending on the nature of the offence.
He explained that the NIA does not have the authority to impose the fines directly but would take offenders to court for the appropriate punishment.
He indicated that Institutions found guilty could also face additional administrative measures, including being barred from accessing the NIA’s verification platform in the future.
The NIA representative further clarified that the new regulations do not prohibit all institutions from physically using the Ghana Card during transactions.
The Managing Director of the Ghana Publishing Company Limited, Nana Kwesi Boatey, has revealed how he transformed a major overstaffing challenge into a success story through the government’s 24-Hour Economy initiative.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Monday, November 2, Mr. Boatey disclosed that when he assumed office in February 2025, and inherited a bloated workforce of 250 employees doing work that could be efficiently handled by 150 people, a situation that created serious liquidity challenges for the state-owned company.
Instead of resorting to downsizing, he adopted an innovative approach by instituting a 24-hour operational system.
Under the new system, staff were redistributed across three shifts: 7 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., and 10 p.m. – 4:30 a.m.
This not only ensured optimal use of labour but also maximized machine utilization and improved overall output.
According to him, the single move redefined the productivity culture within the company, reinforcing discipline, accountability, and efficiency.
The Ghana Publishing Company’s turnaround is being cited as a practical example of how the 24-Hour Economy policy can drive growth without job losses.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
