Step mother beats boy to death at Santa-Maria

 A four (4) year old boy has allegedly been beaten to death by his stepmother at Santa Maria in Accra.

According to reports, the deceased, Belington Hatchful, also deaf and dumb, died on Saturday August 20, 2022.

Grandmother of the boy, Stella Hatchful, confirmed this sad news to the media today indicated that, the 19-year-old stepmother, whose name was only given as Sandra, allegedly subjected the boy to torture.

According to her, her grandson suffered internal bleeding and fractured skull due to the severe beatings. I’m heartbroken,” she bemoaned.

Ms. Hatchful said but for the landlord who witnessed one of such beatings, the accused would have killed the boy at home.

She added that, the landlord saw Stella hitting the boy’s head on the floor, stopped her and reported the matter to the police.

Ms. Hatchful said Sandra is currently in custody at the Sowutuom police station pending investigations.

…MS. HATCFUL….

Some of the tenants living with the deceased and the suspect accused her for constantly beating him until this unfortunate incident happened.

…..TENANTS….

 

Education Ministry defends GES Deputy DG’s contract extension

The Education Ministry has defended its decision for the contract extension of the Deputy Director of Management Services at the Ghana Education Service, Anthony Boateng, which was made at the request of the Minister for Education.

According to the service, Mr. Boateng’s expertise is needed to improve the education sector.

This decision has compelled four teacher unions to ask Anthony Boateng to decline the contract extension offered him.

The unions in a statement called on GES to direct all persons past their retirement age to hand over their posts to the next in line.

But reacting to the issue, Deputy Public Relations Officer for the Ministry of Education, Yaw Opoku Mensah said the government is not obliged to heed to the union’s calls.

Speaking to the media, he explained that, “Within this critical period, we need experienced hands like that to be able to ensure that you carry out the reforms that are needed for the betterment of our education system.”

The teacher unions that made the call were the National Association of Graduate Teachers, Ghana National Association of Teachers, Teachers and Educational Workers Union and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers.

The decision for Anthony Boateng’s extension was made at the request of the Minister for Education.

During the period of extension, he will continue his current role and assist in the development of the Ministry’s National Education Institute.

.…YAW OPOKU….

 

GRNMA urges YEA to stop training SHS graduates to assist Nurses at CHPS compound.

The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has called on the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) to, as a matter of urgency halt the training of Senior High School (SHS) graduates to assist Nurses at Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound.

General Secretary for the Association, Mr. David Tenkorang-Twum speaking to media said, conducting physical examination and providing bedside care required special skills, which could only be provided by trained health personnel and that case Community Health Nurses (CHNs) who had gone through a regulated training by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) of Ghana to provide safe and quality health services to Ghanaians.

According to him, any training of SHS graduates, which did not conform to standards set out by the Nurses and Midwifery Council (NMC) would pose a threat to the lives of all Ghanaians, especially those in rural communities whose first point of access to health care was the CHPS Compounds.

He added that, the work in CHPS compound was daunting, and CHNs who manned the place required some form of assistance, but certainly not from SHS graduates.

He emphasized that, more than half of this number are Nurse Assistants (Preventive) who are also appointed as CHNs stressing that, in total, there is a backlog of over 20,000 nurses and midwives of all cadres belonging to 2019, 2020 and 2021 batches also awaiting employment.

He described the YEA’s decision to train SHS graduates to help with services, according to the report as very disturbing and a clear displacement of Ghana’s priority to achieve the targets of Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG3) and Universal Health Coverage by 2030.

…DAVID TWUM….

My government has invested heavily in the energy sector- Akufo Addo

Ghana’s President Nana Akufo Addo has stated that, his government has invested heavily in the electricity transmission network which will enable them evacuate more renewable energy to support the extension of electricity across the country.

Addressing the Chief and people of Kaleo during the commission of a solar power plant as part of his four days working tour to the Upper West and Savanna Regions, President Akufo Addo said, “What President Akufo Addo promises, he delivers”.

According to him, Kaleo power plant can meet the entire load of Wa and its environs and this can make Wa the greenest city in Ghana.

“Since 1961, the nation started commercial production of electricity, almost all the nations asserts with the exception of Bui hydro power plant have been located in the middle and the southern parts of the country therefore we have taken it on ourselves as part of our development trip to bring some of these sources closer to the North thereby additional opportunities in our regional development”, he emphasized.

.…PREZ ADDO….

President of the Upper West regional House of Chief, who doubles as the Paramount Chief of Daffiamah traditional area, Naa Dikomwine Domalae also commended the President for his efforts to change the narrative of the Upper West region and Ghana as a whole despite the economic challenges.

.…NAA DOMALAE….

 

Obosomase: Police gun down 3 suspected robbers

The police have gunned down three suspected armed robbers at Obosomase in the Akuapim North Municipal District of Eastern Region while two have been arrested.

Four pump action guns were retrieved from the suspected deceased armed robbers.

Assembly member for the area, Hon. Bekoe speaking to the media said, they got a distressed call that the Police have engaged in a gun battle with the suspected armed robbers at his electoral area which resulted in the death of the three suspected armed robbers.

According to him, though he is yet to receive the full report but the preliminary information he got is that, the suspected armed robbers use Obosomase community as their abode after robbing innocent people.

 He added that, he will visit the Police station for more information about this incident.

….HON. BEKOE….