News
Zoomlion disinfects military barracks, schools in NR,VR
The Zoomlion Ghana Company Limited yesterday disinfected all military barracks in the Northern, Savannah and North East regions.
The Wednesday disinfection exercise covered offices, bungalows, stores and schools within the various barracks.
According to the Northern Regional Manager of the Savannah Waste Management, a subsidiary company of Zoomlion, Mr Peter Dawuni, the exercise formed part of the strategy to combat the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
He stated that military institutions and installations were critical to development hence the urgent need for the disinfection exercise.
According to Mr Dawuni, military personnel needed to be protected thus the disinfection exercise within the barracks would protect them from the pandemic.
In a related development, GRACE SENAM KLAY, HO reports that the company on Tuesday started disinfecting military facilities, private and public basic schools and tertiary institutions in the Volta and Oti regions.
About 55 Military facilities, 2,654 private and public basic schools and 20 tertiary institutions were to be disinfected by June 30.
Speaking at a Press Conference yesterday at Ho, the Regional Minister, Dr Archibald Yao Letsa indicated that all Municipal and District Chief Executives had been directed to engage with their respective Directors of Education to monitor the exercise under their Jurisdiction.
He advised the public to abide the preventive measures and comply for the transmission chain to be broken.
“If COVID-19 is no more with us we won’t be spending money for these disinfection exercises”, he said.
The Volta Regional Director of Education, Madame Enyonam Afi Amafuga, noted that students who would resume school and classes would open for four hours.
She mentioned that they might not be given the one meal that they received every day from the school feeding programme.
“This is to avoid the risk of infecting students, that is why we are ensuring that they eat from the house before coming to school”, she added.
Ms Amafuga assured that the Ghana Education Service would have a monitoring system in the regions and districts to monitor activities in all schools.
On his part, Lt Col Bernard Baba Pantoah, the Commanding Officer of the 66 Artillery Regiment, disclosed that there would be a mass testing for over 400 military personnel and their families.
He mentioned that the regiment was collaborating with relevant stakeholders to ensure everybody did the right thing.
“It is not about the military enforcement, but it is for ourselves to know that all protocols put in place is for our own good”, he added.
From: Yakubu Abdul-Majeed, Tamale.
News
SEND Ghana engage Gender Minister for strategic dialogue on social protection and gender equality
A delegation from SEND Ghana visited the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, to discuss collaboration on gender equality, social protection, and economic empowerment.
SEND Ghana, known for its policy advocacy and equitable development efforts, works closely with farmers and empowers young women aged 18–35 through Mastercard Foundation-supported projects focused on livelihood and agricultural support.
The Minister welcomed SEND Ghana’s initiatives and highlighted the Ministry’s alignment with their priorities.
She reaffirmed that social protection is a top priority under President John Mahama’s government and emphasized ongoing efforts to expand coverage and enhance service delivery through flagship programmes like Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), which remains vital for vulnerable households.
Regarding the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP), the Minister noted plans to introduce legislation to ensure its sustainability and improve the nutritional quality of school meals.
She praised civil society’s role in monitoring local implementation.
The Minister also voiced strong support for menstrual hygiene and reproductive health campaigns, stressing education and access to sanitary products for adolescent girls, and encouraged efforts to break menstrual taboos and keep girls in school.
Broader gender issues discussed included reducing unpaid care work, promoting gender-sensitive leave policies (maternity and paternity leave), and boosting women’s economic opportunities.
Both parties agreed on the need to build gender-responsive systems that empower women socially and economically.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to work together for inclusive development, gender equity, and stronger social protection systems in Ghana.
News
3-Day in-country capacity building workshop on Women, Peace and Security Reporting Frame Work held
In 2018, the African Union developed the Continental Results Framework (CRF) to track the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda across Africa.
To support this regional effort, ECOWAS introduced a simplified version of the CRF in 2022 to guide member states in implementation and reporting.
As part of a broader regional effort to build national capacity across member states, the ECOWAS Commission, through its Directorate for Humanitarian and Social Affairs (DHSA), and in collaboration with relevant stakeholders and the WPS Regional Steering Group—with technical and financial backing from the ECOWAS Peace, Security and Governance Project (EPSG), co-funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and implemented by GIZ—organized a three-day in-country capacity-building workshop in Ghana.
Held from June 10 to 12, 2025, the workshop was spearheaded by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in collaboration with the European Union, the German Embassy, and the ECOWAS Commission.
It aimed to enhance the technical capacity of national stakeholders and focal persons to systematically document, monitor, and report on WPS interventions, particularly in relation to Ghana’s National Action Plan on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (GHANAP II).
The training also focused on improving data accuracy, promoting inter-agency collaboration, and ensuring Ghana’s reporting processes align with the ECOWAS Simplified CRF.
Speaking on behalf of the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Agnes Momo Lartey, the Director of the Department of Gender, Madam Faustina Acheampong, described the workshop as “timely and appropriate,” noting its significance in strengthening Ghana’s WPS reporting architecture.
She further stressed the importance of accurate data and coordinated efforts to meet the country’s regional reporting obligations.
She also underscored the critical role of women in peacebuilding, emphasizing the need to amplify women’s voices and ensure their full participation in peace processes to achieve lasting, inclusive peace in Ghana.
Representing the ECOWAS Commission’s Directorate of Humanitarian and Social Affairs, Mr. Olatunde Olayemi reaffirmed ECOWAS’s commitment to Ghana’s WPS agenda. He highlighted the disproportionate impact of insecurity on women and girls and praised Ghana’s ongoing efforts to advance inclusive peacebuilding as a cornerstone for sustainable development.
Daniel Messina, from the European Union Delegation to Ghana, acknowledged the role of the ECOWAS Peace and Security Architecture and Operations (EPSAO) Programme—funded by the EU and German Government—in promoting peace, security, and gender equity across the region.
Additionally, Pauline Okkens, Political Advisor at the German Embassy, reiterated her government’s continued support for the development and implementation of continental and regional frameworks on Women, Peace and Security.
