News
Speaker Bagbin appointed to help mediate Russia-Ukraine war
The Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has been appointed as a member of an international team working to help end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
The appointment was made by the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), who praised Speaker Bagbin for his integrity, fairness, and ability to build trust among people.
The Speaker now joins seven other respected parliamentarians from around the world on the IPU Task Force on the peaceful resolution of the war in Ukraine.
According to the Secretary-General of the IPU, Martin Chungong, Speaker Bagbin’s leadership and experience will help strengthen the group’s efforts to promote peace between the two countries.
The IPU Task Force was set up in March 2022 to encourage dialogue between lawmakers from Russia and Ukraine.
Since its creation, the group has held several meetings, including visits to both Kyiv and Moscow, and continues to meet with representatives from both countries during IPU Assemblies every six months.
The task force is one of the few remaining international platforms where Russian and Ukrainian parliamentarians can still meet and talk, as most diplomatic channels have been cut off since the war began.
With years of experience in peace negotiations, Speaker Bagbin’s inclusion is expected to bring fresh energy to the mission.
He will take part in meetings, discussions, and peace talks with delegations from both nations and their leaders, with the goal of helping to end the ongoing conflict.
The IPU is the global organization of national parliaments that promotes democracy, peace, and cooperation among countries.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Mrs Patience Antonio, a Child and Family Development Advocate, has called for a national campaign to reduce the growing reliance on breast milk substitutes among nursing mothers in Ghana.
According to Mrs Antonio, scientific evidence shows that breastfeeding improves a child’s emotional stability, boosts intelligence, strengthens the immune system, and provides long-term health benefits. She made these remarks in an interview with The Spectator in Accra last week, emphasizing the importance of breastfeeding for a child’s overall development.
She explained that breastfeeding is not just a biological act of feeding but a key emotional and developmental bridge between mother and child. She also highlighted the need for the recommended six-month maternity leave period to ease the pressure on mothers to return to work prematurely.
“Breastfeeding creates intimacy and trust. It assures the baby of love and security, which becomes the foundation for their emotional health,” Mrs Antonio noted, warning that abandoning exclusive breastfeeding could have long-term implications on children’s social and emotional wellbeing.
Consequently, she called for a minimum of five months of fully paid maternity leave for Ghanaian mothers to enable effective breastfeeding, bonding, and healthier child development. She also urged workplaces to implement family-friendly policies, including private spaces for breastfeeding, flexible working arrangements for nursing mothers, and stronger support systems for new parents.
Mrs Antonio further encouraged families and society to actively support mothers during breastfeeding, stressing that many women struggle due to lack of assistance at home or the pressure to return to work too soon. She emphasized, “If we want a healthier, emotionally stable generation, then we must make breastfeeding a priority and support mothers to do it without stress.”
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
Spectator
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The Nanvili Community School in the Mion District of the Northern Region is facing severe infrastructural challenges, affecting teaching and learning for pupils in the area.
The school, which serves five surrounding communities with a total of 58 pupils, has deteriorated to the extent that many children have stopped attending classes. Poor classroom conditions and the lack of desks have made teaching and learning difficult. During a visit to the school, the gate-free classrooms were found filled with goat and sheep droppings.
During the rainy season, both teachers and pupils are often cut off from the school due to bad roads and flooding. Teaching activities are frequently suspended for weeks, negatively affecting academic performance.
The Assemblyman for the area, Mr. Dawuni Mutawakil, expressed concern, noting that the situation is worrying since these pupils are expected to compete with their counterparts in urban areas who have access to better facilities. He added that due to limited space, classes have been merged, with pupils from Primary One and Two, Three and Four, and Five and Six sharing the same classrooms.
The Chief of Nanvili, Abu Kassim, also appealed to the government and non-governmental organisations to come to the aid of the community. He emphasized that the current state of the school discourages children from nearby communities from attending.
Both the Chief and Assemblyman have called for urgent intervention to improve infrastructure and provide furniture for the pupils to ensure quality education for children in the Nanvili area.
By Geoffrey Buta, Nanvili, Northern Region
Spectator
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