The Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo, has expressed concern with the contributions of women or mothers in Ghana’s National Pledge.

Adwoa Safo contends that the inclusion of the clause “through the toils of our fathers” in the National Pledge without mentioning mothers underplays the role women played in Ghana’s independence struggle.

She describes the omission as gender-insensitive and charged Parliament and the relevant stakeholders to take a look at it and make the necessary amendments if needed.

“The National Pledge talks about ‘through the blood and toils of our fathers’ and omits mothers, but the mothers also toiled for this country, and I think it is gender-insensitive. Even when we are making a reference to the country, we call it our motherland, but when it comes to the National Pledge, and we are referring to the struggles and toils, we omit our mothers, and I want to draw your attention to it so we look at it as a country so that we become more gender-sensitive when it comes to our National Pledge.”

The Dome-Kwabenya lawmaker raised the concern on the back of the implementation of a new provision that requires parliamentarians to recite the National Pledge before each session commences.

The implementation of the new standing orders on February 6 also requires heads of state of institutions to directly appear before Parliament to address queries related to their agencies.

The President of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs, Osagyefo Osaedeeyo Agyeman Badu II has announced the suspension of the Berekum Traditional Council from the activities of the House.

Speaking at an annual end of year review meeting, the president said the decision comes with the collective endorsement of seven members of the house.

“As we sit here today, seven of us who are chiefs in this Bono Region namely Drobohene, Nsokohene Dwinimhene, Wenchihene, Kwaatsomanhene, Sumaahene and myself Dormaahene and the people of Bono have resolved that from henceforth we have nothing to do with Berekum in terms of activities in this house until they find a way to tell us something reasonable,” he stated.

Explaining the reasoning behind the decision, Dormaahene said the suspension is in connection with an injunction initiated by the Berekum Traditional Council which restrained him from attending the recent funeral of the late Berekumhene Daasebre Dr Amankona Diawuo II.

According to him, the suspension of Berekum from the Bono Regional House of Chiefs will stand until the Council provides a better explanation to the court action.

A Sunyani High Court on Wednesday (Nov 22), restrained Dormaahene from attending the funeral on Thursday, Nov 23, since it could lead to the breach of the peace.

The order followed an application brought before the court by a member of the Berekum Traditional Council, Osabarima Kyere Yeboah Darteh II.

According to the applicant, the decision by Dormaahene to attend the funeral on Thursday, the same day the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu was scheduled to attend the funeral could lead to the breach of peace in the area.

The planning committee of the funeral had scheduled for Dormaahene to attend the funeral on Wednesday while noting that Otumfuo traditionally is the last person to attend the burial of a Berekumhene since the Berekumhene owes allegiance to the Golden Stool – Asanteman.

Former chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM),  Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, has bemoaned the current state of most rivers in the country.

Speaking at JoyNews’ national dialogue on illegal mining, he said the illegal mining activities in the country have polluted most of the river bodies.

According to him, the situation is dire, so much so that canoes can’t be paddled on them. He also noted that speed boats are useless since they cannot function in polluted water bodies.

The former Environment Minister indicated that the polluted water cannot be used for anything meaningful, such as drinking, washing, irrigation, bathing, cooking, etc, adding that “fish and other aquatic creatures are poisoned or dead.”

“So what is the use of our rivers? Ghana is the only country where you have rivers but there is no use,” he said.

He further stated that the menace has also led to loss of biodiversity, loss of edibles and habitats, which poses danger to humans and animals, as in the haste to destroy the land to win gold, we destroy our lungs by cutting down the forests that give us clean oxygen, destroy our pharmacies because we get rid of herbal medicines, as well as destroy our food sources as farmers no longer find it lucrative to go on farming.

Source: Myjoyonline