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Stop the vendatta against Della Sowah- Youth Activist
Former Ghana Institute of Journalism(GIJ), Student Representative Council(SRC) president, Benjamin Avornyotse has called on the youth of Kpando to solidly support the vision of Member of Parliament of the area, Della Sowah to succeed.
He said the youths should respect the decision of the people of Kpando Constituency who elected Mrs. Della Sowah as MP.
Statistics
Mr.Avornyotse said he couldn’t understand why some of them were fixated on efforts to overturn the will of the people because the candidate they presented and supported was rejected at the polls.
He debunked the argument from certain quarters that due to a drop in her percentage vote she may be unpopular. He argued that “so if JM loses an elections, like in 2016, is it because he’s not popular?”
“In 2012, votes in Kpando dropped largely because of separation of a new constituency, by 2016, Dela Sowah moved the numbers from around 78% to 84% percent. Yet NDC lost the national elections, will you say, JM was unpopular so he shouldn’t have been repeated even though Della Sowah mproved NDC votes in 2016,” he quizzed.
He further added that “If the numbers dropped in 2020, should you not see it as a pointer that it can bounce back like it did between 2012 and 2016.You should be concerned about how she did that in the past and how it can be done again.”
he said rather,they spend their time, scheming to make her appear unpopular, when indeed she is very popular on the grounds, and later turn around to blame her for drop in JM’s numbers.
“Even in 2016 the year when she increased the numbers. In 2016 NDC still lost Nationally, these are facts you can’t dispute.Your opinion can’t be approbated and reprobated,” he added.
According to him, “applying your logic, should we say that, even though, Della Sowah improved the numbers in 2016, and JM lost, JM is unpopular and should not be given another chance?,” he quizzed.
“Or your argument on popularity and uninspiring-ness is selective, depending on where your interest lies, and that your thinking can’t be applied across board because Della Sowah is an easy target even if same opinion applied to the Presidential candidate.This logic is a selective amnesia obviously,” he said.
This was in response to some opinions that lower statistics of the MP Della Sowah’s election results equates unpopularity
Mr.Avornyotse The bottom line is, this’s a personal vin-data (bitter destructive, interest laced) agenda against Della Sowah is not borne out of any objective fair analysis and well-wishing polity for Kpando.
“I have observed these characters for such a long time not only in Kpando but across-board politically. The day Della finally exit, whether by voluntary action or an election outcome. It will only be just a matter of time before they turn their fire on the new candidate depending on where they find their new interest,” he said.
Achievements
Supporting Mr. Avonyotse’s argument, Mr. Eric Tata touched on some of the achievements of Hon. Della Sowah, saying, it was unfortunate that the constituency communication team had failed woefully in doing their work as NDC Communicators.
He said, Della Sowah’s contributions in debates, to statements, or questions, in parliament are excellent and inspiring.
In the constituency he confirmed that she has assisted over 1400 constituents with payment of fees. If you see the list you will be surprised that some of those criticising her are among beneficiaries he said.
Last year she rehabilitated Torkor landing site to enable Pantoon to keep docking at Torkor to save thousands of jobs in Torkor.
Again this year she repaired the Assembly’s road equipments for them to be able to do maintenance works on roads.
Mr.Tata said, in 2016 she paid for a building to house the National Health Insurance in Kpando, adding that this has given the citizenry of Kpando, Afadjato and North Dayi a place to access NHIA.
“Currently she is set to hand over a two story resource centre for the Chiefs of Kpando. It is 90% complete. Kpando is the only constituency with 100% school feeding coverage in Ghana.She built the largest shed in the region for drivers,” Mr.Tata stated.
Additionally, he said the MP organised skills training for nearly 2,000 and Provided over 10,000 bags of fertilizers for farmers.
“There are 2 two story school buildings to her credit Dafor/St. Thomas Tsakpe. Other school projects to her credit include Dzigbe, Dzewoe, Bame, Kpodzi etc
On soccer, he noted that the Mrs.Sowah organized a football gala and selected a team to play against a former black stars, producing a team for the Municipal Akpini Stars.
“She assisted Maquart Margaret Hospital to roof their child care centre. Supported many people with hospital bill payments. We can go on and on,” Mr.Tata concluded
THE Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MOGCSP), Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has called on traditional authorities, religious leaders and community influencers to stop shielding perpetrators of gender-based violence and allow the law to work.
She said too many cases were being buried at the community level, with abusers protected while victims were pressured into silence. This, she stressed, must end.
Dr Lartey made the call on Tuesday at the national launch of the 2025, 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, held at the Kaneshie Main Station in Accra.
This year’s campaign, observed globally from November 25 to December 10, is on the theme: ‘Unite! End Digital Violence Against Women and Girls.’
It highlights rising incidents of cyberbullying, online stalking, image-based exploitation and other forms of technology-facilitated abuse that disproportionately affect women and girls.
The minister urged the media to use their platforms to condemn abuse and intensify education, noting that no person should “die in silence’’ in a society that values dignity, equality and the principles of Sustainable Development Goal 5.
She also encouraged women, girls, men and boys to report any form of abuse, assuring the public that support services were available to all, regardless of age or social status.
Dr Lartey described gender-based violence as one of the most pervasive human rights violations in Ghana. She referenced a 2016 Domestic Violence Survey showing that 27.7 per cent of Ghanaian women have experienced domestic violence, as well as a 2014 Demographic and Health Survey which revealed that 32 per cent of girls aged 15–24 believe wife beating was justified—an indication of harmful societal norms.
Calling the situation “unfortunate and sad,” she stressed that the nation must dismantle cultural beliefs that excuse or normalise violence.
Outlining government actions, Dr Lartey announced that Cabinet has approved the revised National Domestic Violence Policy, while the updated Domestic Abuse Bill and its Legislative Instrument were being finalised by the Attorney-General’s Department.
She also disclosed plans to operationalise a national shelter in Accra and begin constructing the 16 regional shelters promised to strengthen protection systems for survivors.
Additionally, the ministry has trained 200 market leaders as paralegals and 100 professionals, including psychologists, medical workers and legal experts, to support victims with referrals and counselling.
UNFPA Country Representative, Dr David Wilfred Ochan, reaffirmed the agency’s support for Ghana’s efforts. He unveiled a nationwide initiative titled “16 Stations, 16 Routes, 16 Destinations,” which will use the country’s public transport system to raise awareness on gender-based violence.
In partnership with the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), the initiative will promote stickers, public announcements, training and codes of conduct to ensure that transport stations become safe spaces where commuters, traders, porters and young people can access information and hotline services to report or prevent abuse.
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CHILD Rights International (CRI) is urging the government to adopt a firm and comprehensive national policy to safeguard the religious rights of students in secondary schools, insisting that no child should be denied education or the freedom to express their faith.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Accra, the organisation said the recent controversy involving Wesley Girls’ Senior High School highlights deep-seated gaps in how children’s rights were upheld within the country’s long-standing educational structures.
According to CRI, the incident underscores the need for Ghana to reassess the relationship between school traditions and the constitutional rights of students.
The group emphasised that the right to education and the right to religious expression were fundamental, and must be reflected consistently in rules and practices across all schools.
Additionally, CRI noted that many well-known mission institutions such as Holy Child School and St. Louis Senior High School operate on religious foundations that have shaped their administrative cultures for decades.
These differ significantly from state-established schools like Ghana Senior High School in Koforidua, Tamale Senior High School and Achimota Senior High School.
This contrast, CRI argued, raises an important national question and what policy framework has guided these mission schools since their incorporation into the public system?
Although the government has declared all such schools secular, they continue to function as government-assisted institutions, maintaining a hybrid structure that leaves them neither fully autonomous nor entirely under the Ghana Education Service (GES).
This unclear arrangement has led to inconsistent rules on discipline, conduct and religious expression from one school to another.
CRI warned that the absence of a unified and enforceable national policy leaves significant gaps in the protection of children’s rights.
While rights may be universal, the group emphasised that their protection depends on strong and clearly defined state regulations.
The organisation further stated that the State has yet to assume full regulatory authority over the schools it supports financially. As a result, key administrative and disciplinary decisions often remain at the discretion of individual school authorities, creating uneven standards nationwide.
For the rights of children, particularly their right to practise their religion to be fully realised, CRI believes the government must move toward full regulatory ownership of all schools it funds or classifies as public.
Without this, tensions between deeply rooted school traditions and constitutional freedoms are likely to persist.
The statement stressed that once a school admits a student, it takes responsibility not only for their academic development but also for respecting their identity, including their religious background. Therefore, no child, CRI insists, should be prevented from practicing their faith within the school environment.
Moreover, the organisation called for the establishment of clear national standards that guide schools on accommodating religious expression without compromising discipline or institutional order.
It also urged the government to strengthen safeguarding systems with firm oversight and routine monitoring to ensure that children’s rights are protected based on national law, not historical customs or administrative discretion.
CRI admonished the government to clarify the official status of government-assisted mission schools to ensure that the rights of all students are upheld consistently across the country.
By Spectator Reporter
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