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Sensitise children on discrimination against PWDs–Advocate
Ms. Martha Awuley Lartey an Advocate for PWDs
A District Coordinator of the Ministry to Persons With Disability (MPWD) for the Church of Pentecost, (New Moneomanye District in Ashaiman), Ms Martha AwuleyLarteysays advocacy against discrimination towards Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) must be focused more on children.
“I am of the view that, the young would likely grow up with the message of showing them (children with disabilities) the love of God and also pass the information on to their peers so that together, we can make the world a better place for all PWDs,” she said.
In an interview with The Spectator on Saturday about how to get more people to be responsible around PWDs, the District Coordinator said, there was the need for a more aggressive advocacy in churches and schools especially through children’s programmes.
“It is important for us to let our children know that any of us could become disabled at any time and when we do, how would we like to be treated by the society and the people we live with”? she questioned.
She said road crashes, domestic accidents, medical negligence or such related cases could make a person disabled, a situation that must be explained to the children in the simplest terms.
MsLartey said when children were well informed, they would hardly treat their disabled peers with disrespect.
She observed that some adults who treated persons with disability with disrespect even went further to encourage their younger ones to do same.
The District Coordinator described the trend as ‘unfortunate’ and a matter of concern especially when such persons found themselves in that situation through no fault of theirs.
She said, it was a disturbing situation that called for more advocacy works to draw the attention of the public.
“Disability is not infectious and so there is no need to put up unacceptable behaviours such as avoiding them when they get closer in a vehicle or a social gathering,” she said.
She explained that aside her advocacy at churches, she had taken her passion to schools as she target school children to appreciate the concerns of persons with disabilities and treat them well.
From DzifaTettehTay, Ashaiman.
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
