News
Re-open schools gradually—CRI
- /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27
https://spectator.com.gh/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/hold-on-Mr-Bright-Appiah.jpg&description=Re-open schools gradually—CRI', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
- Share
- Tweet /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 72
https://spectator.com.gh/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/hold-on-Mr-Bright-Appiah.jpg&description=Re-open schools gradually—CRI', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
The Executive Director of Child Rights International (CRI), Mr Bright Appiah, has called on the government to hasten slowly in its decision to re-open schools on the mass level.
According to him, the government should adopt a gradual approach where final year students due for exams should first be allowed to resume classes as a test case for broader school re-opening.
Additionally, students who were due for their turn on the double tracking system must also be allowed to resume school since they have a backlog of activities to undertake.
In the meantime, Mr Appiah said all nursery and kindergartens schools should remain closed indefinitely whiles the government focuses on developing more online programmes for parents to take up that role.
“Corporate institutions must make it a deliberate policy for more parents to spent time with their children. More so, the government should engage the work of social workers to periodically do home visits,” he said in a statement issued and copied the Ghanaian Times.
Mr Appiah said, these measures would give the government the enabling environment to have a broader picture of how re-opening school on the mass level would be.
“By so doing, the government would have gotten to know how to handle and assess the impact of re-opening schools on the mass level. This is the only way to halt any decision that might spell doom for the country’s educational sector,” he said
He said the state must bear in mind that any wrong approach could spell doom for children and Ghana’s attempt to contain the coronavirus disease.
He said although CRI was not entirely against the re-opening of schools, it would be needful to undertake the process gradually, beginning with final year students.
Per Mr Appiah’s assertion, it would be beneficial and wise to begin the steps of re-opening school starting with final year students at the Junior and Senior High School level.
“CRI believes that the government should first allow those who are due for examination to go back to school following the protocols of social distancing and any other precautionary measures laid down by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) against the coronavirus,” he said in the statement.
Mr Appiah said there must be a collaboration between GHS and schools in rolling out any measures to re-open schools.
Mr Appiah said as the country’s coronavirus case stood, it would be disadvantageous for nursery, kindergarten, primary and continuing students to be allowed to go back to school, adding that schools must be closed to these categories of students.
The Accra Regional Police Command has arrested former professional boxer Michael Ayitey Okai, popularly known as “Ayitey Powers,” over an alleged threat of death against the Director-General of the National Sports Authority, Yaw Ampofo.
According to the Police, the 46-year-old former boxer was arrested on Monday, August 24, 2026, in connection with the alleged threat.
The Police said the arrest followed a video circulating on social media in which Ayitey Powers is alleged to have issued the threat against Mr Ampofo.
He is currently in Police custody and is assisting with investigations.
The Accra Regional Police Command said investigations are ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged threat and determine the appropriate action to be taken in accordance with the law.
The Command has urged the public to refrain from sharing unverified information about the matter while the investigation continues.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Minority Leader in Parliament Alexander Afenyo Markin has sued the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi, and Multimedia Group Limited over alleged defamatory comments made against him on the Newsfile programme.
In a writ filed at the High Court in Accra, Mr Afenyo Markin is seeking GH¢15 million in damages, an apology and retraction of the statements, among other reliefs.
The suit follows comments allegedly made by Mr Gyamfi during the Saturday, August 22, 2026 edition of Newsfile, hosted by Samson Lardy Anyenini.
According to the statement of claim, Mr Gyamfi described Mr Afenyo Markin as an “extortionist” while responding to a question about GoldBod’s reported profits and its position on losses arising from its operations.
The plaintiff claims that Mr Gyamfi repeated the allegation when the host sought clarification on whether he stood by the description.
Mr Afenyo Markin further claims that Mr Gyamfi challenged him to sue him and insisted that the allegation was true.
The plaintiff argues that the statements created the impression that he engages in extortion, uses his political influence to put improper pressure on public institutions and officials, and conducts himself in a manner inconsistent with the standards expected of a lawyer and public office holder.
He denies the allegations and maintains that he is not an extortionist and has never engaged in the conduct alleged by Mr Gyamfi.
The Minority Leader also argues that the comments were made maliciously and were presented as facts without evidence being disclosed.
He claims the statements have damaged his reputation, professional standing and public image, particularly because of his position as a senior political figure and legal practitioner.
The suit also names Multimedia Group Limited as a defendant because, according to the plaintiff, the alleged defamatory comments were broadcast through JoyNews and subsequently circulated on social media platforms, including X, Facebook and YouTube.
Mr Afenyo Markin claims Multimedia failed to stop the comments or deactivate Mr Gyamfi’s microphone after the allegations were made.
He is therefore asking the court to award him general, aggravated and exemplary damages, as well as GH¢15 million in compensation and legal costs.
He is also seeking an order compelling the defendants to issue a full, unconditional and unequivocal retraction and public apology.
The plaintiff wants the apology and retraction to be given similar prominence and reach as the original publication, including through JoyNews and the social media platforms where the comments were disseminated.
He is further seeking a permanent injunction preventing the defendants from repeating the alleged defamatory statements or words with a similar meaning.
The writ requires the defendants to enter an appearance within eight days after being served.
It warns that failure to do so could result in judgment being entered in their absence.
The case was filed by lawyer Paa Kwesi Abaidoo of Dehyena Chambers on behalf of Mr Afenyo Markin.
By: Jacob Aggrey
