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Send Ghana awards journalists for hardwork
Mr Albert Futukpor receiving the Online Category award.
The Chief Executive Officer of Social Enterprise Development Foundation of West Africa (SEND West Africa), Mr Siapha Kamara, has tasked media practitioners in the country to continuously impress upon the government to institutionalise the Public Health Emergency Fund.
The Public Health Emergency Fund advocacy is an initiative of SEND Ghana (a subsidiary of SEND Foundation of West Africa) and Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), meant to support the preparedness and healthcare delivery during pandemics in the country.
“We have been advocating government to manifest its commitment to public health emergency which has become part of our health landscape. Therefore, we are not resting until local investment in emergency preparedness at the district and national level is prioritised,” he said.
MrSiapha Kamara was speaking at the second Epidemic Preparedness Journalists Awards in Accra, last Friday.
The event recognised outstanding contributions of Ghanaian journalists in raising awareness on Public Health Emergency and Response Financing.
It was on the theme: “Celebrating Media and Local Level Advocacy Excellence Towards Epidemic Preparedness Financing in Ghana.”
The awardees received citations and an undisclosed amount of money for increasing public and political awareness as well as encouraging sustained media attention on the topic.
Mr Albert Futukpor of the Ghana News Agency received two awards for the Most Impactful Stories and Best Report (Online) category. He was crowned the Overall Best Reporter in 2023.
The runner-up for the online category was Mr Zadok Gyasi of the Daily Graphic.
In the Print Category, journalists from the New Times Corporation – Abigail Annoh and Benedicta Folley – were both awarded for the Best Report in Category.
EIB (GHOne, Starr FM)’s Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman and GTV’s MutalaIssah won in the Broadcast Category; Radio and TV respectively.
Additionally, some non-governmental organisations(NGOs) were also honoured for their contributions to promote EPR messages through their social media platforms.
The In-Country Coordinator of GHAI, Mr Stephen Atasige, commended journalists for their dedication towards quality healthcare delivery in the country and urged SEND Ghana and its stakeholders to continue with the campaign. The ceremony was attended by Members of Parliament, representatives of the Ministries of Finance and Health and some local government representatives as well.
By Yunusah Essandoh
A former Sec ond Lady, Mrs Matilda Amis sah-Arthur, has called for urgent action to bridge literacy gaps among young girls in the country to advance gender equality.
She stressed that improving lit eracy among girls was essential not only for women’s empowerment but also for national development.
“Addressing the literacy gap is not a woman’s issue. It is a nation al necessity and, with the passing of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Act, 2024, Ghana is signalling that women belong in leadership, but leadership begins with a book,” she said.
Mrs Amissah-Arthur made the call at an event organised by the Ghana Library Authority (GLA) in Accra yesterday to mark Interna tional Women’s Day (IWD) on the theme: “Her Voice in Libraries: Women Transforming Literacy in Ghana.”
According to her, many girls in Ghana still drop out of school due to poverty, lack of mentorship and limited support systems, warning that without deliberate interven tions some risk becoming part of worrying national statistics.
The former Second Lady encouraged students, particularly girls, to see education not only as a tool for personal advancement but also as a means of empowering future generations.
“Don’t shy away from STEM and ICT subjects. Break into the male-dominated areas and bridge the digital divide,” she added.
Mrs Amissah-Arthur also called for stronger partnerships between men and women in advancing gen der equality, stressing that the issue should be viewed as a national development priority rather than solely a women’s concern.
“Gender equality is not a woman’s issue. It is a development issue. It requires partnership, respect and shared responsibility,” she said.
She further expressed opti mism that with the right support systems, every child, regardless of gender, could achieve their full potential.
In a remark, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Education, Lydia Essuah, said that despite progress made in promoting gender equality in the education sector, challenges remained in ensuring progression, completion and quality learning outcomes for all learners.
She highlighted the important role of libraries in advancing liter acy and lifelong learning skills, and called for increased investment in library infrastructure and services to help build a knowledge-driven society.
The Executive Director of the Ghana Library Authority, Alhassan Ziblim Bentintiche, also under scored the importance of libraries in empowering young people, par ticularly girls, with access to books, digital resources and mentorship opportunities.
He disclosed plans to expand Ghana’s library infrastructure and services to particularly attract the youth and promote literacy.
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
Management of the Metro Mass Transit Limited has accused the government of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of pursuing what it describes as a “create, loot and share” agenda in the sale of portions of the Opera Square Bus Terminal to a private developer.
The Deputy Managing Director of the company, Haroun Apaw-Wiredu, raised the concerns while speaking to journalists at the Opera Square Bus Terminal in Accra on Thursday, March 12, 2026.
He indicated that the management of Metro Mass Transit would not tolerate any further unauthorized development at the terminal and would take steps to protect the property.
According to him, it would be wrong for a private developer to take control of state property for personal economic gain while the company and the public remain silent.
“How can we sit down and allow a private developer, just for his selfish economic gains, to capture state property for himself? No, we cannot sit down,” he stressed.
Mr Apaw Wiredu called on the public to resist what he described as attempts to take over state assets, adding that such actions would disadvantage ordinary citizens.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we must all stand up. We must all wake up. We must fight this level of brazen looting and attempts to milk the system at the expense of ordinary Ghanaians,” he indicated.
He explained that some individuals had been operating around the terminal for many years and alleged that the developer gained access to the land during the previous administration.
Mr Apaw Wiredu stressed that under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama, the company would pursue all legitimate means to protect the terminal from what he described as unlawful takeover.
He added that management would use every legal avenue available to defend the property and prevent any attempt to take control of the land without proper authorization.
By: Jacob Aggrey
