News
Two soldiers grabbed for brutalising widow
For refusing to vacate the house of her late husband, a 28-year-old widow has been subjected to severe beatings allegedly by two military men at Bonwire in the Ejisu Municipality of the Ashanti Region.
The incident, which took place on Tuesday at about 6am, saw the military men vandalising some property in the house also.
A report made to the Bonwire Police led to the arrest of the two soldiers whose names have been kept for security reasons.
Ashanti Regional Crime Officer, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Felix Kwasi Cosmos confirmed the arrest to The Spectator saying the two had been handed over to the Military Command for further action.
Major Christiana Osei-Duah, Public Relations Officer of the Fourth Battalion of Infantry also corroborated the story adding that, investigations into the matter were underway but would not give further details.
But, reports available to The Spectator indicated that, the two military men stormed Mrs Yaa Boatemaa Agyapong’s house on Tuesday, November 24, 2020, around 6:00 am and ordered her to vacate the premises.
Information is that, since the demise of her husband about two years ago, her late husband’s family members had been pestering her to vacate the house but she would not budge.
The mother of the victim, Madam Abena Serwaa, narrated that, the house was built by “my daughter’s husband and he gave it to my daughter but the family of my daughter’s late husband is demanding the ownership of the property”.
She claimed a sister-in-law, Nana Ama, went to the house with the two military men on that fateful day to eject the daughter.
According to her, “they told my daughter to produce documents to prove that her late husband gave the house to her and my daughter told them to take her to court if they need the documents”.
“They, then, started beating my daughter and vandalised some property in the house,” she added.
As at the time of filing this story, Mrs Yaa Boatemaa Agyapong had been treated and discharged from the Ejisu Government Hospital.
From Kingsley E.Hope, Kumasi
Troubled and anxious citizens in Damongo of the Savannah Region have expressed concerns about the number of young people, believed to be under the age of 18, involved in ‘shisha’ smoking in pubs and drinking spots within the township.
Eyewitnesses say the minors were seen patronising nightlife venues, where Shisha smoking happen in the open.
The situation has sparked renewed public concern over the enforcement of child protection laws and regulations governing the operations of entertainment centres in the municipality and country as a whole.
An eyewitness, who spoke to The Spectator on conditions of anonymity for security reasons, noted that the situation was becoming increasingly common.
“This is not a one-off incident. It is becoming very common, but residents like us cannot openly report or speak about it because our lives will be at risk,” he said.
Under Ghanaian law, minors were prohibited from patronising Shisha.
Public health experts have consistently warned that shisha use exposes users to harmful substances that can negatively affect brain development, respiratory health, and overall well-being, particularly among young people.
The residents believe the alleged incidents point to broader challenges relating to youth supervision, substance abuse, and weak enforcement of existing regulations and have called on municipal authorities, security agencies, and regulatory bodies to intensify monitoring of pubs and entertainment centres to ensure compliance with the law.
In an effort to address the menace, Mr Salisu Be-Awurbi, the Savannah Regional Minister, has led public education campaigns, engaged security agencies, and supported enforcement actions to address the rising use of illicit substances in the region.
Wura Kelly Seidu Boresah I, the Chief of Damongo, has also called on all stakeholders including parents, community leaders, institutions, and young people to actively support efforts to curb drug abuse, warning that the rising consumption of hard drugs poses a serious health threat to the future of the youth in the Savannah Region.
He also cautioned individuals involved in the sale and distribution of illicit drugs to immediately desist from the practice, stressing that offenders will face arrest and prosecution in accordance with the law.
From Geoffrey Buta, Damongo, Savannah Region
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Dr Theresa Baffour, an advocate for ending violence and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SAHM SAHW Foundation, has said that society plays a critical and pivotal role in breaking the cycle of domestic violence.
According to her, domestic violence is a major contributor of making women, who are mostly the victims, mentally derailed and unable to engage in economic activities.
She said this when the foundation called on the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, to solicit support for the initiative by the “Strong and Healthy Minds, Strong and Healthy Women” (SAHM SAHW) to combat domestic violence within the Ga State.
The visit was occasioned by the fact that domestic violence cases have become quite prevalent in the Ga communities and is retarding growth.
According to her, the canker was an impediment to national development because the victims were usually tortured and would have to go through series of therapies to return to the right state of mind.
Dr Baffour mentioned that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) places a mental toll on women, and was, therefore, important to break the cycle through comprehensive mental health support, crisis intervention and empowerment programmes in communities with high rates of GBV.
This intervention, she underscored, would help in empowering the denigrated victim of domestic violence to soundly heal, build and thrive.
Dr Baffour added that the initiative would provide holistic, trauma-informed mental health care and advocacy for young women affected by domestic violence.
According to her, the above statement would create safe spaces for healing and equipping them with entrepreneurial skills for renewed hope and empowered life.
The Ga Mantse pledged his support for the laudable initiative to combat domestic violence and also acknowledged the need to address it in the Ga State.
Further endorsement came from Justice Julia Naa-Yarley Adjei Amoah, Chief of Staff at the Office of the Ga Mantse, as she commended the team of SAHM SAHW Foundation for taking a bold step to end the canker in the Greater Accra.
She added that it was a step in the right direction to save vulnerable women from torture, stress and emotional abuse.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
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