News
V/R CLOSAG threatens to lay down tools
Members of the Volta Region branch of the Civil and Local Government Staff Association (CLOGSAG) have declared their intension to lay down their tools in two weeks.
This is to press home their stance against what they describe as the ‘unlawful’ creation of the Oti Region for the association, and subsequent transfer of the elected regional chairman and treasurer in the Volta Region to Oti, by the National Executive Committee (EXECO) of the association.
The Regional Organiser of CLOGSAG, Mr Richard Kumedzro, said at a news conference in Ho on Tuesday that there was no demarcation between the Volta and Oti Regions, so far as the affairs of the association were still concerned.
Therefore, he said, the recent appointments of Mr Daniel Danso and Mrs Sophia Amegavi Lumor as acting CLOGSAG Regional Chairman and Regional Treasure respectively to replace Messrs Innocent Komla Agbolosu, the elected chairman and Franklin Komla Atubra, elected treasure who had been transferred to Oti, was totally unacceptable.
“The decision flies in the face of common sense, logic and the rule of law, since the association’s vacancies could only be filled in times of transfers, resignation or death of an officer, none of which has occurred to warrant the decision by EXECO”, he told the conference.
Furthermore, Mr Kumedzro recalled that on June 12, 2018, the Executive Secretary of CLOGSAG, Mr Isaac Bampoe Addo, in an official letter to all regional secretariats stated that notwithstanding the newly created districts by the government, CLOGSAG had not created any districts and that the existing demarcations remained and as such members could participate in activities of the existing district.
“We believe that same principles should apply to the creation of regions until such a time that proper recognition is given to the new regions for lections to be organised,” he maintained.
The regional organiser said that the appointments took away the rights of members of the association in the region to freely choose their leaders.
Mr Kumedzro revealed that petitions by the regional CLOGSAG to the National President, Dr Evans Agbeme Dzikum and the Complains and Grievances Committee in February and March this year, over the issue, were not responded to.
The Volta CLOGSAC is, therefore, demanding a reversal of the unconstitutional appointments.
Meanwhile, the Volta CLOGSAC is also demanding the release of the mandatory first quarter administrative expenditure allocation for the smooth running of the association in the Volta Region.
Furthermore, it called on the National President to fulfil his campaign promises by reviewing the outdated CLOGSAC constitution immediately by calling an extra-ordinary delegates congress.
Mr Kumedzro warned that if those demands from the regional association were ignored, “we will be left with no choice than to lay down our tools in protest against injustice and unconstitutional actions towards the Volta Executives.”
FROM ALBERTO MARIO NORETTI, HO
A woman who is accused of bolting with ‘susu’ money totaling GH₵156,445 has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.
Martha Nana Esi Afful was alleged to have collected the money from 35 complainants.
Charged with 35 counts of fraudulent breach of trust, Martha, who was earlier remanded, pleaded not guilty.
The court, presided over by Mr Joseph Y. Kuunsong on Wednesday, admitted the accused person to a GH₵200,000 bail with two sureties.
One of the sureties, the court said, must be a public servant earning not less than GH₵5,000.
She is expected to reappear on August 12, 2026.
The Prosecution’s case before the court is that the complainants are traders and residents at La in Accra.
Prosecution described Martha as a ‘Susu’ collector, who resided at Burma Camp.
The court heard that the accused person run a business with the name ‘ZOE’ and she deceived the 35 complainants into believing that she collected ‘Susu’ daily, which was kept for a period of one-three years, and paid interest on the money invested.
The complainants contributed in 2023 for a three-year period, prosecution said.
In December 2025, when the complainants went to take their money with interest, Martha went into hiding and only took phone calls from a few complainants.
Prosecution said the accused provided a MTN Momo number through which a few of the complainants still paid monies.
It said all efforts made to collect the money, totaling GH₵156,445 from her, proved futile.
On June 14, 2026, a report was made to the police and Martha was picked up at a washing bay at Tse Addo.
During interrogation, she admitted the offence in her caution statement, saying she lost her husband and relocated to Swedru in the Central Region, hence the complainants were unable to reach her from December 2025 till date.
Prosecution said Martha further stated that she had invested the monies into refuse collection business and she needed time to pay the amount.
Police are investigating the claims. –GNA
A Public Health Nurse at the Roman Ridge Sub-Municipal of the Ayawaso West Health Directorate, Ms Patience Adoli Kporxah, has cautioned the public against coming into contact with floodwaters, warning that exposure can lead to serious diseases, infections and injuries.
Floodwater, she said, should always be treated as contaminated, regardless of how clean it appears, because it may contain sewage, human and animal waste, chemicals, fuel, sharp objects and disease-causing micro-organisms.
In an interview with The Spectator in Accra on Thursday, Ms Kporxah explained that contact with contaminated floodwater exposes people to bacteria, viruses, parasites, hazardous chemicals and other physical hazards that can result in illness or injury.
Her advice came in the wake of recent exposure to floodwater following Monday’s torrential rains that left vast areas of the capital flooded.
As a result, a lot of people were seen either ‘swimming’ in the floodwater to rescue people or retrieving items being washed away.
According to her, exposure to floodwater could cause skin infections, particularly where there are cuts or open wounds, as well as diarrhoea diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery and other forms of gastroenteritis if contaminated water was swallowed.
Other health risks, she said include hepatitis A, eye and ear infections, tetanus in people with untreated wounds or incomplete vaccination, and injuries from submerged sharp objects, debris or electrical hazards.
Ms Kporxah advised anyone who had contact with floodwater to monitor their health closely and seek immediate medical attention if they develop symptoms such as fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain, severe headache, muscle aches, skin rash, difficulty breathing, or yellowing of the eyes or skin.
She also urged people whose wounds became red, swollen, painful or begin to discharge pus, as well as those who accidentally swallow floodwater, to report to the nearest health facility without delay.
Although not everyone exposed to floodwater requires immediate treatment, she stressed that pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems, individuals living with chronic illnesses and those with significant wounds should seek prompt medical evaluation.
On water safety, Ms Kporxah cautioned that rainwater was not automatically safe for drinking or cooking, especially during or after flooding. She explained that rainwater collected from roofs, gutters or open containers could be contaminated by bird and animal droppings, dust, leaves, bacteria, viruses, parasites and chemical pollutants.
She advised that rainwater intended for drinking should first be treated by boiling, chlorination or another approved water purification method before use.
Touching on food safety, Ms Kporxah said factory-sealed bottled drinks and canned foods with intact packaging might still be safe after flooding.
However, she stressed that any containers submerged in floodwater should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before handling. Foods in paper packaging, damaged containers or products with broken seals should be discarded because contaminated water may have seeped into them.
She further warned that flooding increases the risk of outbreaks of cholera, typhoid fever and other waterborne diseases through contaminated water sources.
In addition, she said flooding could contribute to respiratory illnesses in overcrowded shelters and mould-infested buildings, foodborne illnesses from spoiled or contaminated food, and mental health conditions such as anxiety, stress, depression and trauma.
It could also disrupt access to medicines and healthcare for people living with chronic conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, asthma and kidney disease.
Ms Kporxah therefore urged the public to practice good hygiene, avoid unnecessary contact with floodwater, consume only safe food and drinking water, and seek medical attention promptly whenever symptoms develop.
She said observing these preventive measures would help minimise the risk of disease outbreaks and protect lives as the country continues to experience heavy rains and flooding in some communities.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
