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Vigrous education reduces child marriages in the Zongos – Ashiaman Zongo Chief
Vigorous education has led to drastic reduction of child marriages in the Zongos, Alhaji Ibrahim Salisu Sofo Yaro, Ashaiman Municipal Zongo Chief has said.
According to him, this practice was prevalent in the Muslim communities but through educational programmes, parents no longer saw the need to engage their daughters in child marriage.
Despite this feat, the zongo chief said they were not resting on their oars and would start massive education on the need to end child marriages.
He, however, said what had been a challenge to the project was financial constraint and, therefore, appealed to well-meaning people to come on board to support the initiative.
He said constant education on the subject was key because if the society wanted the best out of its women, it was about time it stopped marrying them off at a tender age.
Alhaji Yaro said people should also stop believing in the misconception that when a woman attained a higher education, she might not get a husband.
He gave the admonishment in an interview with The Spectator on Tuesday as a leader and a parent to drum home the negative impact the practice on society.
He said children should not be rushed into marriage because it placed a huge burden on them.
He questioned how a child could take care of another child and said that it resulted in both children (mother and child) being denied quality life which in the long round could affect their physical and mental health.
The Municipal Zongo Chief said what was more disheartening was that the girls were sometimes married off to men who were three times or more of their ages.
He said it was common to hear people hide behind economic issues to justify why they had to give away their girls in marriage which was unfortunate.
He said the point such parents kept missing was that if the girls were more educated they could be in better position to address the economic challenges of those parents.
He observed that when professionals from various fields were being mentioned, the Zongo Community was constrained and so there was the need to break away from that unfortunate norm.
He said it was about time people upheld the belief of Islam that early and forced marriage violated human rights and sanctity of marriage.
Alhaji Yaro said he had in his own small way educated some parents to desist from the act and successfully achieved his objective of getting more girls in school.
He said if the community got the neccessary support it could do better to nib the trend of child marriage in the bud.
From Dzifa Tetteh Tay, Ashaiman.
News
220 former MMDCEs declare support for Bawumia’s 2028 candidacy
A coalition of 220 former Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) who served under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration from 2017 to 2024 has declared full support for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as the party’s flagbearer for the 2028 general elections.
At a press conference held at the Alisa Hotel in Accra on Monday, June 23, the group, known as the Forum of Former MMDCEs for Dr. Bawumia, announced their “strong, unshaken endorsement” of the former Vice President. Their backing comes ahead of the party’s internal elections slated for January 31, 2026.
The forum described its support as more than symbolic, stressing that it is a practical commitment of time, resources, and political effort to help secure Dr. Bawumia’s candidacy and eventual victory.
According to the group, after extensive consultations with all aspirants and a thorough assessment of their competence and vision, they were convinced that Dr. Bawumia stood out as the most suitable leader for both the party and the country.
“Our endorsement is not merely symbolic; it is a strategic and operational commitment. With 95% of us having previously served as Constituency and Regional Executives—some for over 16 years—we possess an intimate understanding of the NPP’s structures, dynamics, and electoral needs. We will deploy this experience to ensure Dr. Bawumia’s message resonates in every corner of Ghana,” they said.
They praised Dr. Bawumia for his proven record in public service, especially his leadership in Ghana’s digital transformation, including the rollout of the Ghana Card, mobile money interoperability, and the paperless ports system. These, they said, had improved efficiency and formalised key sectors of the economy.
The forum also commended Dr. Bawumia’s inclusive leadership style, describing him as accessible, humble, and a unifier who engages with all factions of the party. His popularity with the grassroots, youth, and floating voters, they noted, gives the NPP a competitive advantage heading into the next national elections.
They argued that Dr. Bawumia’s national appeal and widespread recognition—established during the 2024 campaign—make him the party’s strongest bet for the presidency in 2028.
According to them, the electoral data suggests that beginning the campaign with a known candidate like Dr. Bawumia offers the NPP a significant head start, unlike the risk of fielding a new candidate with no established base.
The former MMDCEs said they view Dr. Bawumia as a leader who balances continuity and innovation, capable of upholding Ghana’s development gains while introducing new ideas for national progress.
They further pledged to mobilise their grassroots networks across all 16 regions of the country to support his campaign.
Source: Citinewsroom.com
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CLCD engages Gender Ministry on Child Rights Protection
In a move to deepen collaboration in child protection, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, engaged with a delegation from the Centre for Learning and Childhood Development (CLCD).
The meeting focused on areas of mutual interest and explored opportunities for partnership.
The Minister expressed her appreciation to CLCD for their unwavering dedication to childhood development and learning outcomes, especially for vulnerable children.
She acknowledged the significance of CLCD’s work in supporting early childhood development (ECD), child rights, and inclusion.
Discussions centred on potential areas of collaboration, including: technical support for policy implementation, data collection on children with developmental delays, and the roll-out of inclusive learning interventions.
The CLCD delegation highlighted its strengths in training, research, and advocacy for inclusive education and early childhood development, and expressed its readiness to support the Ministry in strategic initiatives aimed at safeguarding children’s rights.
The Minister underscored the Ministry’s commitment to building strategic partnerships with organisations such as CLCD, which bring both expertise and field-level experience, to enhance efforts in promoting child welfare.
Such collaborations, she believes, are essential for prioritising the finalisation and implementation of Ghana’s Child and Family Welfare Policy, as well as the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Policy.
