Features
When laws do not work …is there justification for abnegation of responsibility? (Part 1)
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Two recent developments have given hope to the dream that someday officials of serious disposition would emerge on the public administration scene and change the narrative of non- enforcement of the law by those charged with responsibility to do just that.
Obviously, the two personalities who are men of the moment and who have introduced fresh breath into our work ethic are the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr. Henry Quartey and the Inspector-General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare. Their brilliant achievements at the dawn of their tenure are matters of public record. When the Police recently held an engagement with stakeholders of faith- based organisations on the need to enforce the laws pertaining to their activities, it was taken as a step towards the consolidation of law and order in our society. In particular, the undertaking by the religious bodies to take steps to reduce their noisemaking was gratifying.
There is every reason to believe that the religious bodies will be held to their word and the constant reminder that six decades of independence have not engendered respect for the laws on noise disturbance and the desirability of observing the rights of others not to be disturbed. It is the expectation that since excessive noisemaking is not the preserve of religious groups, the Police will enforce the law offending laws to cover the activities of drink bars, open air night clubs, street- side preachers, announcers at transport hubs, disc jockeys, drug peddlers, unlicensed information centres and shop keepers.
Excessive noisemaking is so entrenched that some members of the public are sceptical about the existence of institutions which have been empowered to control the menace. While it is true that the Police, Local Assemblies and the Environmental Protection Agency have been characterised by inertia in the discharge of this responsibility, the people are steeped in a culture of noisemaking.
The situation is so hopeless that the Daily Graphic of February 15, 2019, had to concede that it is “one nuisance that has been ignored or downplayed by society for a very long time, and in view of that many Ghanaians have come to accept excessive noisemaking as a way of life.” We cannot accept the unhealthy development especially when the institutional leadership can be goaded by national leadership to get their personnel to do the work for which they are paid.
PUBLIC The work of the control agencies would be enhanced if members of the public, individually and collectively, learn to take responsibility and refrain from conduct that would generate undesirable and excessive noisemaking. We have to respect the boundaries of others and recognise the wrongness of our noisy forms of worshipping, clubbing, marketing, mourning and in wanting every neighbour to know that we own powerful radios and sound systems.
POLICE Police role in checking noise offence is set out in the Public Nuisance part of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).Section 293 (1) of the Act empowers the police to arrest persons who operate facilities where people gather to play and dance to music without the written permission of the District Assembly. One could also be arrested for
assembling at such unauthorised places or for resisting orders to disperse from such places.
The Police can seize the musical equipment used at the venues pending eventual confiscation by the courts. The use of music to intentionally provoke, challenge, insult or annoy others violates section 295 and could result in arrests, prosecutions and fines. So would failure to heed warnings to desist from same.
It is an offence under section 296 (7) to ignore warnings and wilfully or wantonly make loud or unseemly noise by whatever means to annoy or disturb any person. It is important to remind the Police Administration of its November 18, 2004, GNA- reported pledge to enforce
this section and “hunt for and ensure the prosecution of individuals and corporate bodies that through their activities made excessive noises that were injurious to human health.” Hopefully, the time is ripe for redeeming the pledge. The enforcement of section 296 (8) which provides for the arrest and prosecution of any person who without the written permission of the
Local Assembly or Minister, plays music in public between eight in the evening and six in the morning would greatly reduce the incidence of noise disturbance.
It is the noisiest period in the country and it is doubtful if any Assembly would grant any such dispensation to a church or entertainment point.Police on night patrols should be able to visit any such premises and halt such activities if the supervisors cannot produce the required permit. Police power to deal with noise offence has been further enhanced by section 57 of the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851) which authorises the Police, the Public Health Officer, owner of premises or his agent to arrest with
out warrant, any person who violates section 54 of the Act by engaging in or encouraging others to engage in noisy business on any premises and which disturbs others. THE LOCAL ASSEMBLIES The Environmental Health and Sanitation Departments of the Assemblies have primary responsibility for enforcing the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851) and the relevant Bye-laws of the Assemblies. Noise offence under the Act is in two parts; Noxious or Noise Disturbance and Public Nuisance. Section 54 of the Act makes it an offence for anyone to engage in or permit any noisy business which adversely affects the health of people in the neighbourhood. On summary conviction, an offender is liable to pay a fine or be imprisoned for each day of further offending. Section 57 authorises the arrest without warrant of a noisy offender by a health officer, among others.
When the arrest is made by a health officer, the person arrested must be handed over to the Police for prosecution within 48 hours. In any District or public place, a person who is determined by the Environmental Protection Agency to have committed public nuisance by defying warnings and persistently making loud or unseemly noise to annoy or disturb anyone could be arrested and upon summary conviction, fined, imprisoned or made to serve both punishments.
Bye- laws which are uniform in large parts provide Assemblies further and more specific basis to control noise disturbance in the localities. For instance, section 1 of the Awutu Senya East Municipal Assembly (Abatement of Noise) Bye- laws, 2013 prohibits the sale of records or other recorded music without the approval of the Assembly. Conditions attached are to ensure the public is not disturbed by the activities of the dealer.
By William K. Asiedu
“A woman who abandons her baby in a dustbin at Kasoa Lorry Station is not always a wicked woman. Sometimes, she is a wounded woman whose mind has broken, whose family has rejected her, and whose society has left her with only one terrible option: disappear or be disgraced.”
That is the hard truth Ghana must hear.
In the last 10 days alone, our nation has been confronted with the same painful headline, twice.
Case 1 – Kasoa Main Lorry Station, Central Region: A newborn baby girl was found abandoned inside a dustbin at the public toilet of the Kasoa Main Station. A woman who went to use the facility discovered the infant and raised an alarm. Commercial drivers and bystanders quickly retrieved the baby and rushed her to the Kasoa Polyclinic for emergency medical care.
Case 2 – Asante Bekwai, Ashanti Region: On Thursday morning, August 20, 2026, a two-week-old neonate was reportedly abandoned by an unknown nursing mother at Bekwai in the Ashanti Region. Residents who came across the child raised the alarm. The baby was admitted to the Bekwai Government Hospital as police commenced investigations.
Let me be clear from the start: Newborn abandonment is wrong. It is dangerous. It is criminal. And it can kill. This article does not excuse it. But if we only arrest and shame, we will never stop it. We must treat the root, not just punish the fruit.
What exactly is newborn abandonment? – The two definitions
The Legal Definition: Under Ghana’s Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), Section 96, and the Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560), abandonment of a child under 12 years is a criminal offence. It is classified as exposure and abandonment, punishable as a misdemeanor or felony. The law sees the mother as a perpetrator.
The Psychological definition: In clinical textbooks, newborn abandonment is defined as the intentional, permanent relinquishment of all parental rights, care, and responsibilities over an infant within the first 28 days of life without making formal, legal arrangements for care.
To understand this crisis properly, we must not confuse it with child abandonment. Newborn abandonment happens within 0-28 days of life, often driven by acute panic, denial of pregnancy, or postpartum psychosis where the attachment bond never formed. Child abandonment, on the other hand, involves toddlers to teenagers where a bond existed but collapsed over time due to chronic poverty, family breakdown, or parental burnout. One is an acute crisis of the first month; the other is a chronic breakdown over years. Both are harmful, but they need different interventions.
Psychologically, newborn abandonment is the ultimate rupture of the primary attachment bond. Think of a 19-year-old university student who secretly gives birth alone in her hostel room, wraps the crying baby in a polythene bag, and drops it at a refuse dump at midnight. That is not just a crime scene; it is a scene of extreme panic and psychological dissociation.
Why would a mother carry a baby for 9 months and then abandon it?
This is the question every Ghanaian asks. If you wanted to abandon it, why not abort? The answer is deeply psychological:
1. The psychodynamics of denial of pregnancy: This is a profound defense mechanism, not a lie. The mother’s subconscious mind completely rejects the reality of the pregnancy. She does not gain weight normally, feels no kicks, does not seek antenatal care, and genuinely convinces herself she is not pregnant until sudden, shocking labour pains take her by surprise in a toilet or bedroom.
2. Fantasy of a dissolving problem: This is called cognitive avoidance. She believes “my boyfriend will come back,” “my mother will forgive me,” or “something miraculous will happen before birth.” So she waits, paralyzed, until the baby is here.
3. Barriers to safe abortion: Deep religious guilt, moral anxiety, fear of dying from a back-alley abortion, lack of money for a safe procedure, and family laws force her to carry to term even when she feels incapable.
4. The shock of reality and acute panic: Upon delivery, the physical presence and crying of the newborn shatters all denial. Confronted with immediate exposure, shame, and reality, her brain enters a trauma response — “fight, flight, or freeze.” For many, it becomes “flight” — physically escape the threat of exposure to survive socially. That is why babies are left in places where others will find them -lorry stations, churches, hospitals.
Source:
Counselor Prince Offei, CPAC’s founder, is a leading Mental Health Professional, Marriage Counsellor, Author, ADR Expert/Arbitrator, and Spectator Newspaper Columnist. He writes on relationships, marriage, parenting, special needs support, and their connection to mental health. For therapy, counselling, or enquiries, contact Counselor Prince & Associates Consult (CPAC) in Accra on 0559850604 / 0551428486.
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Features
Environmental stewardship is an act of worship: The Islamic response to climate change, environmental degradation (Part 4)
The environmental consequences of illegal mining have reached alarming levels in Ghana. Several major rivers, including the Pra, Ankobra, Offin, Birim and Tano, have experienced significant pollution from illegal mining activities, increasing the cost and complexity of water treatment while threatening the availability of potable water for millions of citizens (Water Resources Commission, 2024; Ghana Water Limited, 2024). These developments underscore the urgent need for stronger environmental governance and collective action.
Islam equally emphasises accountability in governance. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught that every leader is responsible for those under his or her authority (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 7138; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1829). This principle extends to public officials entrusted with environmental regulation, traditional authorities responsible for communal lands, mining companies, local assemblies, and community leaders. Environmental protection cannot succeed
where accountability is absent.
At the same time, addressing galamsey requires more than law enforcement. Sustainable solutions must tackle the underlying socio-economic realities that drive individuals into illegal mining. Many young people are motivated by unemployment, poverty, and limited economic opportunities. Islamic principles of social justice therefore call for the creation of alternative livelihoods through sustainable agriculture, vocational training, responsible small-scale mining under strict environmental standards, entrepreneurship, and skills development. Environmental protection and economic empowerment should not be viewed as competing priorities but as complementary goals that promote human dignity and national development.
Faith communities also have an indispensable role to play. Mosques, churches, schools, traditional councils, and civil society organisations possess significant influence in shaping public attitudes and behaviours. Imams, in particular, should consistently remind congregations that wealth acquired through actions that destroy communities and Allah’s creation cannot be regarded as a blessing. Religious education should cultivate environmental ethics alongside spiritual devotion, reinforcing the understanding that protecting rivers, forests, and farmlands is an expression of gratitude to Allah and a fulfilment of the trust of Khalifah.
Ultimately, the struggle against galamsey is more than a campaign to protect natural resources; it is a struggle to uphold justice, preserve human dignity, and honour the trust that Allah has placed upon humanity. Lasting solutions will require strong governance, responsible citizenship, sustainable economic opportunities, and renewed moral leadership. Only when these elements
work together can Ghana safeguard its natural heritage for present and future generations.
Water conservation, waste management and sustainable development: Practical expressions of Islamic stewardship
Religious education should cultivate environmental ethics alongside spiritual devotion, reinforcing the understanding that protecting rivers, forests, and farmlands is an expression of gratitude to Allah and a fulfilment of the trust of Khalifah.
Ultimately, the struggle against galamsey is more than a campaign to protect natural resources; it is a struggle to uphold justice, preserve human dignity, and honour the trust that Allah has placed upon humanity. Lasting solutions will require strong governance, responsible citizenship, sustainable economic opportunities, and renewed moral leadership. Only when these elements
work together can Ghana safeguard its natural heritage for present and future generations.
Islam is not merely a religion that condemns environmental destruction; it also provides practical guidance for preserving and sustaining the natural world. Through its teachings on moderation, cleanliness, conservation, and responsible consumption, Islam cultivates an environmental ethic that remains remarkably relevant to contemporary challenges such as water scarcity, pollution, waste management, and climate change. These teachings encourage Muslims to become
responsible custodians of Allah’s creation in both private and public life.
Water conservation: A sacred responsibility
Water occupies a unique position in Islam as the source of life and an essential element of worship. Allah says, “And We made from water every living thing. Then will they not believe?” (Qur’an 21:30, Sahih International). This verse reminds believers that water is not merely an economic resource but a divine blessing upon which all living creatures depend. The importance of water is further reflected in Islamic acts of worship. Muslims perform ablution (wudu) before the five daily prayers and ritual bathing (ghusl) under prescribed circumstances.
Yet, despite its central role in purification, Islam strongly discourages wastefulness. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once advised one of his companions not to waste water while performing ablution, even when using water from a flowing river (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 425). This timeless guidance establishes the principle that abundance does not justify extravagance.
Conservation remains a religious obligation regardless of the apparent availability of natural resources.
This Prophetic teaching carries profound implications for contemporary Ghana. Illegal mining has severely polluted many rivers, increasing the cost of water treatment and limiting access to safe drinking water for numerous communities. Climate change has also intensified seasonal variability in rainfall, placing additional pressure on freshwater resources (IPCC, 2023). Against this
backdrop, conserving water is no longer simply an environmental preference—it is a moral imperative grounded in Islamic teaching.
Water conservation should therefore become a shared responsibility among households, educational institutions, industries, and places of worship. Simple practices such as repairing leaking pipes, harvesting rainwater, protecting riverbanks, avoiding contamination of water bodies, and promoting efficient irrigation contribute to safeguarding one of Allah’s greatest blessings. Every effort to preserve water is an investment in public health, food security, and the
wellbeing of future generations.
Unfortunately, indiscriminate disposal of refuse remains a significant challenge in many communities. Plastic waste clogs drainage systems, contributes to flooding during the rainy season, pollutes rivers and beaches, and threatens marine ecosystems. Open burning of waste further degrades air quality and poses serious health risks, particularly for children and the elderly (UNEP,2024).
The author is Chief Imam of Katamanso Municipal and Certified Counsellor and Governnace Expert.
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