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Showing posts from November, 2020

Elimination Of Violence Against Women

  Over the years, efforts have been made to eliminate violence against women throughout the world. Unfortunately, discrimination against women still persists in the world today and this is unfortunate. Discrimination against women comes in various forms including disregard for their rights and violence against them. In some countries for example, women, are not given the respect they deserve and also discriminated against along many lines. Fortunately, the UN as a global body has recognized the problem and encouraging many women to apply for and occupy positions within its system. This is meant to encourage them to change the perception people have against them. In Ghana, the Akufo-Addo administration has appointed many women to play useful roles in his government and as has been pointed out already, all this is being done to change the negative perception about them. About 25 years ago, a progressive road map for gender equality was developed and implemented by the world in the form o

Prophecies In Elections And Its Implications On The Body Of Politics

  Bono East Regional Director, Electoral Commission Prophecy in simple terms is the revelation of future events and the intentions of God to his people through a prophet. It constitutes a major component of Judeo-Christian tradition. Prophecy is not a bad thing in itself. After all, who does not want to know the mind of God and what will happen tomorrow. It is its abuse in any shape and form that is a challenge. It has become a common phenomenon where the so called prophets and men of God prophesying the results of elections, claiming that the results have been revealed to them by God in advance. This phenomenon is dangerous spiritually and politically since, the legitimacy of elected government can be adversely affected. Legitimacy is one cardinal pillar on which any true democratic government rests. When it is damaged the government has no root to stand on nor any reason to exist. The legitimacy in the democratic governance emanates from the will of the people which is represented by

Toilet Issues Matter As Today Marks World Toilet Day

  Today, is World Toilet Day, a day set aside by the UN to celebrate toilets and create the needed awareness among billions of people who still do not have access to this important but basic facility. World Toilet Day exists to inform, engage and sensitize people all over the world to take action towards stopping open defecation and ensuring access to improved and sustainable toilet facilities. Access to Toilet is a human right issue. On 28th July 2010, through Resolution 64/292, the UN General Assembly explicitly recognized the human right to water and sanitation. The UN acknowledges that sanitation is essential to the realisation of all human rights. The Resolution called upon Member States and international organisations to provide financial resources, help in capacity-building and technology transfer to help countries to provide safe, clean, accessible and affordable sanitation for all. As a country how do we ensure that toilets become accessible to all? SDG 6 and other related gui

The Upcoming General Elections

  One issue that keeps giving most peace loving Ghanaians hope in the December general election is the frequent assurances by the chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Mrs. Jean Mensah that the elections will be credible, orderly, transparent and peaceful. At the moment we are told all the political parties have received their copies of the voters register and the ballot papers has been completed and are being bagged. In all these the Electoral Commission has been silent on the fate of some 30,000 prospective voters whose names were deleted from the register for various electoral offences. Recently more than 400 of these voters went to court and it ordered that their names be reinstated in the register. We ask , has this been done? With about three weeks to election day, the EC is yet to exhibit the final voters register for the electorate to verify their names. One keeps wondering whether those whose names have been deleted from the voters roll have been duly informed so that on el

Public Urged To Participate In Ongoing Mass Yellow Fever Campaign

  Prevention it is said, is always better than cure. It is on this premise that the ongoing mass Yellow Fever Campaign is welcoming news. 81 districts in 14 regions excluding Western and Western North regions are taking part in the exercise. These two regions have had their vaccinations in phase one which was conducted in 2018. Five point Eight Million Ghanaians from age 10 to 60 years who have never had a yellow fever vaccination excluding pregnant women are expected to benefit from the vaccination. The objective is to maintain a high population immunity of all persons living in Ghana. Yellow Fever is a viral haemorrhagic disease transmitted by infected Aedesaegypti mosquitoes, and is said to be highly infectious. The mosquito which causes yellow fever breeds in the little water collected in axils of leaves that is plantain and banana leaves, lorry tyres and flower pots among others. The “yellow” in the name refers to the jaundice that affects some patients. Specialists in the field s

The Passing Of Former President J.J. Rawlings

  There is the adage which says it is only when the frog dies that people can see how long or tall it is. Flight Lt. Rawlings emergence on Ghana’s political scene was for a purpose perhaps ordained by God. As the youngest President or leader ever produced the young flight officer defied all odds and accepted responsibility when he was court marshaled by the Military High Command in a fairlead mutiny. This endeared him to the other rails who out of sympathy and trust supported him to embark on the House cleaning exercise in the Armed Forces. His concern and passion was to stop corruption, nepotism, cronyism and social injustice. That exercise was at a great pain and loss. As though that was not enough the next civilian administration degenerated into the same socio-economic mess culminating in the second coming of chairman Rawlings. That tenure saw Ghana rising again in the global political and Diplomatic arena. Although he inherited a bankrupt economy where almost every sector of life

The sudden demise of Flt. Lt. J.J. Rawlings

  Ghanaians and the world over woke up on Thursday, November 12, 2020, to hear of the shocking and unbelievable news of the passing of one of the greatest leaders of our time, Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings. The sudden death of a great leader, inspirer, mentor and pacesetter, especially on the heels of a few weeks after burying his demised centenarian mother, came as an unsuspecting bullet which rammed through the silent forest. As a young soldier, he successfully led and prosecuted two revolutions that have, in no doubt, left indelible marks in the sand of time in terms of bringing an end to persistent military coup d’états to establish a democratic system that has lasted almost 30 years. His passion for probity, accountability, transparency and social justice dates back to his days at Achimota College where he always stood to defend the defenseless. In fact, throughout his military, public and revolutionary lives, such virtues that laid the foundations of nation-building were never los

Importance Of Peace As Ghana Prepares For General Elections

  A few weeks from now Ghana will be going to the polls once again for her general elections. This period has time and again been a test for the revered accolade of Ghana as a peace loving nation. Indeed if there is ever anytime that the gospel of peace has been singled out and preached most, it is this time. One can’t fault anyone for preaching peace around this time considering its worth when tension begins to mount. Peace is a priceless commodity, it is the sign of development and prosperity, and it brings happiness among people. It helps to promotes human rights, democratic norms and values and also create the feeling of love, trust, tolerance, and brotherhood. It is on the back of this worth of peace that events such as the violent political confrontations that occurred in Odododiodoo in Accra and other parts of the Country in recent times should be condemned in no uncertain terms. It is unfortunate that for several years now many nations especially in Africa have been saddled by

World Science day for Peace and Development

  Tuesday, November 10, marks the World Science Day for Peace and Development. The day is celebrated annually to raise awareness of the benefits of science. The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), has been working with individuals, government agencies and organisations to promote the application of scientific knowledge in solving the world’s problems. The emphasis has also been to make science and technology affect daily life. It is refreshing to note that some governments and for that matter, nations have in the past used the World Science Day to publicly affirm their commitment to increase support for scientific initiatives that help society. The day also occasions the launch of new science policy programmes together with scientific institutions, civil society organisations, universities and schools. Indeed, the significance of this day for the survival of the human race cannot be overemphasised considering the crucial role science plays in our entire life.

Police Battle Readiness To Mitigate Violence On Election Day

  In 35 days Ghanaians will vote in Presidential and Parliamentary elections. The Ghana Police Service has furnished the National Election Security Taskforce with details of 4,098 flashpoints to guide its tactical arrangement and deployment across the country’s 16 regions. Call them Hot spots or Flash Points, the police describe them technically differently. The underlying fact is that at a given time, these places have been or could be notorious hubs for electoral violence. Inasmuch as election stake holders such as the National Commission for Civic Education, the Peace Council, the Ghana Journalists Association among others have openly spoken about the need for Political Party Spokespersons to be decorous in their language, some persons often decided to take the law into their hands and perpetrate violence. The underlying fact here is that these perpetrators of electoral violence must be fished out and punished to serve as deterrent to others. Infact, partisanship must give way to a