The 8th of March each year has been designated as the International Women’s Day (IWD). A day set aside by the United Nations to celebrate womanhood and champion theĀ rights of women, the world over.Ā The 2020 commemoration is on the theme: ‘I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights.’
This is aligned with UN Women’s new multigenerational campaign, Generation Equality, which marks the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
In the spirit of today, Princess Lovia Tetteh,Ā a social activist and a proud African woman put the following piece together to mark this year’s IWD;
A Ghanaian royalty through the lens of an African!
I raise my voice, not to shout but to be heard!
Clockwise and anticlockwise, I move to represent the unrepresented in Society!
I am powerful!
I am beautiful!
I am virtuous!
I am smart !
I am a home builder!
I am a home for generations!
I am intelligent!
I am a leader!
I am a survivor !
I am a cradle of impact!
I am an Umbrella!
I believe for a continuous developmental dialogue, I have the right to be heard, given a place in society, celebrated and respected!
I am called Woman!
Happy international women’s day to all females! #happyinternationalwomensday
#womenempowerment #women #empoweredwomenempowerwomen #empowerment #strongwomen #africanwomen
According to the Volta Regional Police Commander, DCOP Edward Oduro Kwarteng, the ammunitions were believed to have been used by the assailants who brutally attacked and robbed the deceased and his family at about 1:00am that Sunday. His wife and one of his daughters however survived the attack with knife and gunshot wounds and are currently receiving treatment at the hospital.
Who is Marcus Mawutor Adzahli
Marcus, who is in his 30s, is the proprietor of Mac Greenline ventures, distributors of MTN and Vodafone merchandises.
A business, which has offered jobs to young people in the area.
He is one of the high volume merchants for the telecom giant, MTN.
He was last December, adjudged the second best Vodafone Agent in Volta region.
He is known for his philanthropic works, making regular donations to schools, health facilities and other institutions in the area.
He was also elected the new Assembly man for Sogakope South Electoral Area in December, 2019.
Briefing the media in Ho on the incident and its aftermath, the regional commander said, the Criminal Investigations Department of the Regional Command and the Anti- Armed Robbery team from the National Police headquarters have jointly taken over investigations into the homicide and called on residents in the area to aid the process with credible information, which would lead to the arrest of the perpetrators.
Watch the Police Briefing
He added that, the command has beefed up security in the area by dispatching the Regional Operations team to assist the Sogakope division to effectively patrol the town, but also called on residents to compliment the effort by forming Neighbourhood Watch Committees.
DCOP Kwateng however refuted claims by some residents, who accused the Sogakope Police of failing to respond to distress calls at the time of the incident saying, āIt will be instructive to note that the Police did not delay in arriving at the house of the deceased in order to save the situation and where delay was anticipated, an advance team at the Barrier abandoned their beat and went to the rescue, but unfortunately, the man was killed and robbed while the wife and child were wounded.ā
He nonetheless, assured residents that, the command would probe their concerns against the professional conduct of the Police personnel stationed in the area and sanction officers who would be found complicit.
Protest
The news of the gruesome murder of the assembly man sparked two days of unrest among angry residents, who besieged the police station and also blocked the Accra-Aflao at the Lower Volta Bridge, demanding the immediate arrest the killers.
DCOP Kwateng however urged the residents āto support the Police in their efforts at unravelling the killing of the Assemblyman. Again, we must all be reminded that acts of lawlessness and destruction of property to register our displeasure in situations like this cannot remedy the situation.
Bounty
In a move to entice residents to volunteer credible information towards the arrest of the perpetrators, the South Tongu District Security Council chaired by the DCE, Mr. Emmanuel Louis Agamah announced a GHc10,000 bounty on the head of the killers. This was augmented by another GHc25,000 reward package from former President J.J Rawlings.
The South Tongu District Security Council (DISEC) has placed a GHc10,000 bounty on the killers of Marcus Mawutor Adzahli , a popular young entrepreneur and the newly elected Assembly man for Sogakope South Electoral Area.
The incident has sparked outrage among residents, who accused the Police of inaction when distress calls were placed to them during the attack on the family. They have since gone on protest to demand immediate action from the authorities to apprehend the perpetrators.
In a response to the concerns in a radio interview monitored by Volta Online on Monday, the District Chief Executive for South Tongu, Mr. Emmanuel Louis Agamah, announced the Ghc10,000 reward for anyone who will offer credible leads to the identification and arrest of the assailants.
He also assured thorough investigations into the heinous crime and called for the cooperation of all stakeholders.
Meanwhile, the Volta Regional Security Council (RegSec) led by the Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Letsa has arrived in the Sogakope township to assess the security situation in the area and also commiserate with the family of the deceased.
According to information gathered by Volta Online from the area, angry residents have once again besieged the police station and also blocked the Accra-Aflao at the Lower Volta Bridge, with a 3-day ultimatum to the security apparatus to arrest the killers of their beloved assembly member.
Background
The late Marcus Mawutor Adzahli who is in his 30s, is the proprietor of Mac Greenline ventures, distributors of MTN and Vodafone merchandises.
A business, which has offered job to tens of young people in the area.
He is known for his philanthropic works, making regular donations to schools and health facilities in the area.
He is one of the high volume merchants for the telecom giant, MTN.
He was last December, adjudged the second best Vodafone Agent in Volta region.
The entire township of Sogakope, capital of the South Tongu district was thrown into a state of shock and grief, following the gruesome killing of a popular young entrepreneur and philanthropist, Marcus Mawutor Adzahli at his home by unidentified assailants in the early hours of Sunday.
The deceased, believed to be in his 30s, was the newly elected Assembly member for the Sogakope South electoral area and the proprietor of Mac Greenline ventures, distributors of MTN and Vodafone merchandises.
According to information gathered by Volta Online, Marcus was reportedly stabbed multiple times, before being shot by the assailants, who broke into his house at about 1:00am, Sunday. His wife, who also sustained knife wounds during the attack, is on admission at the Sogakope District hospital, while the manās body has been deposited at the morgue, awaiting autopsy.
The whereabouts of their two children is however yet to be ascertained by this news portal, but police in the area have since cordon off the crime scene, as they open investigations into the incident.
Protest
News of the Marcusā killing sparked spontaneous protest in the town Sunday morning, as some residents accused the police of unresponsiveness to distress calls placed to them at the time of the incident.
The irate residents, according Volta Online sources, stormed the both Police station and a police barrier near the toll booth on the Accra-Aflao highway, where they chased out personnel on duty and temporarily blocked vehicular movement on the stretch. But at the time of this report, calms hasĀ been restored to the area.
Highlights
The late Marcus Mawutor Adzahli is known for his philanthropic works, making regular donations to schools and health facilities in the area.
He has also through his business given employment to tens of young people in and around Sogakope
He is one of the high volume merchants for the telecom giant, MTN.
He was last December, adjudged the second best Vodafone Agent in Volta region.
Togolese President, Fare Gnassingbe has won his fourth term bid, securing over 70 percent of total votes cast in the countryās presidential elections held on Saturday.
Provisional results announced by Tchambakou Ayassor, president of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) Sunday night, revealed that Mr. Gnassingbe,Ā leader of the Union for the Republic (UNIR), garnered about 1,338,889 votes representing 72.37 per cent as against his closet contender, Dr. Gabriel Mensah Agbeyome Kodjo, of the Patriotic Movement for Democracy and Development (MPDD), who had 116,685 votes, representing 18.37 per cent.
The six opposition candidates in the Election
The remaining five other candidates however shared the rest of the total results. They are, Professor Tchaboure Gogue, – Alliance of Democrats for Integral Development (ADDI), Dr Georges William Kuessan, – People’s Health Party, Mr Mohamed Tchassona Traore, – Citizen Movement for Democracy and Development (MCDF) and, Professor Komi Wolou, – Socialist Pact for Renewal (PSR).
The results which were announced on constituency basis, saw the incumbent winning four outĀ of the five regions of the country ā namely, Savannah, Kara, PlateauĀ and Central regions, leaving Dr. Kodjo with just the Marine/Coastal region.
Prior to the official announcement however, results from voting centres in the south placed Dr. Agbeyome Kodjo, a former prime minister in an early lead, with two of the candidates conceding defeat and throwing their weight behind him.
Agbeyome Kodjo
Some of the opposition parties had also complained of intimidation during counting and collation of results in the north of the country.
With the provisional results announced, the elections management body is expected to within a week submit for validation, the final results of the presidential polls to the countryās Constitutional Court, where aggrieved candidates could contest the results.
Highlights
This is the first presidential election after constitutional changes occasioned by anti-government protests in 2017.
Per the Togolese law, a candidate will require a 50 per cent and more votes to be declared a winner.
In the absence of that, the two top candidates would go for a run-off to be conducted within weeks.
The Togolese Political history is dominated by the Gnassingbe family, which has ruled the country since 1967.
He has since won two re-election bids in 2010 and 2015
Dr Agbeyome Kodjo, former ally of Faureās late father, candidature has the backing of an influential Togolese Catholic Bishop, Philippe Fanoko Kpodzro.
Togolese are said to be waiting with bated breath as results trickle in from the Presidential elections held on Saturday, February 22, 2020.
Six opposition candidates are in the race to unseat incumbent President, Faure Gnassingbe, leader of Union for the Republic (UNIR), who is seeking his fourth term in office after succeeding his late father Gnassingbe Eyadema in 2005.
President Faure cast his ballot for a fourth term
They include, Dr. Gabriel Mensah Agbeyome Kodjo, 66, Head of the Patriotic Movement for Democracy and Development (MPDD), Professor Tchaboure Gogue, 73, Alliance of Democrats for Integral Development (ADDI), Dr Georges William Kuessan, 53, People’s Health Party, Mr Mohamed Tchassona Traore, 60, Citizen Movement for Democracy and Development (MCDF) and, Professor Komi Wolou, 56, Socialist Pact for Renewal (PSR).
The six opposition candidates in the Election
A Ghanaian journalist in the Togolese capital Lome,Charles Epiphany Ativor reports that, Ā Ā provisional results from polling centres in the south of the country including the capital has put Dr. Gabriel Mensah Agbeyome Kodjo, a former prime minister and leader for the Patriotic Movement for Democracy and Development (PMDD) in an early lead ahead of the incumbent.
Former Prime Minister, said to take an early lead
Dr. Kodjo, a former ally of President Faure Gnassingbe’s father was said to have been nominated by an influential Togolese Catholic Bishop, Philippe Fanoko Kpodzro.
Though, the Saturday polls have generally been peaceful, there is uneasy calm among citizens as counting and collation of results continued into Sunday, Ativor told Volta Online, adding that some opposition parties were however complaining of intimidation during vote counting in the north of the country, the incumbentās stronghood.
Elections Statistics
Total number of Voters
3,614,056
Women
1,871,745Ā
Men
1 742 311
Number of Polling stations
9,389
The Togolese security forces were also reported to have on Saturday night besieged the residence of the leading candidate, Agbeyome Kodjo, a claim, Volta Online gathered, was debunked by the forces, who said their action was purely for the safety of the candidate.
Togolese borders were opened during elections for the first time since 2005
Volta Online further gathered that, social media was shut down by the authorities during Saturday polls, while media houses were warned not to announce or ‘discuss anything about provisional results or whatsoever until the final result is declared by countryās Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI)ā.
The elections management body has thus set Monday February 24, 2020 to announce provisional result, with final results from all 9,389 Polling stations expected in a weekās time for validation by the countryās Supreme Court.
Provisional results collated on a chalkboard
Ahead of the official declaration however, two of the candidates have conceded defeat in the polls and threw their support behind the leading candidate, Agbeyome Kodjo.
Professor Komi Wolou, of the Socialist Pact for Renewal (PSR) and Professor Tchaboure Gogue, of Alliance of Democrats for Integral Development (ADDI) have in separate statements congratulated the former Prime Minister and assured him of their support in case of a run off.
Highlights
This is the first presidential election after constitutional changes occasioned by anti-government protests in 2017.
Per the Togolese law, a candidate will require a 50 per cent and more votes to be declared a winner.
In the absence of that, the two top candidates would go for a run-off to be conducted within weeks.
The Togolese Political history is dominated by the Gnassingbe family, which has ruled the country since 1967.
Faureās fourth term bid is facing stiff competition from his fatherās former ally, Dr Agbeyome Kodjo whose candidature has the backing of an influential Catholic Bishop, Philippe Fanoko Kpodzro.
Ho West District Police Commander, Supt Felicia Ayensu has assured residents of Abutia-Kloe and Vane communities in the Ho West District of the Volta Region that the days of police brutality, extortion and intimidation were over.
Madam Ayensu who was speaking at a community engagement organised by the Ho West Anti-Corruption Advocacy Committee under the project āTogether against Corruptionā assured the chiefs and people of the two communities that such acts of extortion in the name of bail acquisition would never be tolerated under her watch as the district commander.
The Committee, inaugurated on February 07, 2019 is tasked to provide education to the public and encourage citizens to report any corrupt act involving a police officer, investigate and provide redress to all cases of corruption involving police officers and facilitate public discussion on anti-corruption with the objective of raising awareness so people can say no to corruption.
Community members at the engagement
The District Commander offering some education on bail bond and bail acquisition, driving and riding offenses, domestic violence and arresting procedures of the Ghana Police Service (GPS), encouraged the citizenry not to be āafraid to report police brutality and acts of corruptionā to her office.
Secretary to the Committee, Israel Kpodo emphasised the need for community participation in the fight against corruption and urged people to support efforts of anti-graft organisations by report corrupt acts.
āYour society would develop faster if you actively participate in this fight and report acts of corruption without fear or favour.ā
āSocioserve-Ghana, and their partners have provided us with the platform to discuss the hydra headed issues of corruption on our roads and communities. Report these acts and let’s chart a new path for ourselves and ensure accountability in all aspects of our community and national life,ā Mr Kpodo added.
Ho West District Director, National Commission for Civic Education, Dodji Adjei informed the gathering that the role of the committee was not to name and shame anybody but to provide the platform for the people to understand the workings of the police and other state institutions so they could help remedy sins of the past.
Mr Adjei urged the people to visit other anti-corruption institutions including Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to report cases of police brutality, intimidation and extortion. He also gave out to the people, numbers to contact the Committee to freely report such cases without fear of intimidation from anybody.
The project by Socioserve-Ghana and partners, iWatch Africa and JMK Consulting Group is being implemented in 5 districts of Ghana; Akwapem North, Yilo Krobo, Upper Manya Krobo, North Tongu and Ho West districts to give capacity and space to citizens to lead the fight against corruption.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Youth Authority (NYA), Sylvester Tetteh has paid a dayās visit to the Volta Region to inspect work on the ongoing construction of Ho Youth Resource Centre and to abreast himself of operations of the Authority in the region.
Mr Tettehās visit to Volta, the sixth region he toured since his assumption of office in September 2019 as the CEO of the Authority, was also to inspect projects being undertaken by NYA in the various districts of the region and interact with the staff to explain policies and programmes developed at the national level.
Speaking during the tour, the NYA Boss said throughout his tour of the regions, he observed that the conditions of service among others were not encouraging to attract people with the expertise to join and support the Authority to deliver on its mandate adding, his leadership was at the final stage of securing a better condition of service for employees.
He identified Agribusiness which involved greenhouse technology as one of the key factors which could attract the youth into agriculture and help the Authority to generate income internally as the Authority did not have any source of income generation.
He therefore urged all officers in charge of programmes and operations at the district and regional levels of the Authority to venture into agriculture using modern technology to create jobs for the Ghanaian youth so as to reduce the rate of youth unemployment which kept increasing by the day.
Mr Tetteh cautioned staff not to politicise operations of the Authority saying, āfor me, if you are working with the Authority you must put your political colours aside because issues of the youth do not know political colours.ā
He said once the state was investing in an individual by paying his/her salary as a staff of NYA, the individual was obliged to deliver his duty fairly in accordance with the morals of the society and the mandate of the Authority which was to the youth especially, to enable them irrespective of their political affiliations, to contribute meaningfully to the nation.
The Regional Director of NYA, Mr. Yao Semorde noted that the Authority was undertaking some projects and programmes in the region to help out of school youth but lack of funding was affecting the smooth operation of the initiative and so, called on the CEO and government for support.
The safest pair of hands for Kpando Heart of Lions, Emmanuel Ofori has dedicated their match day four victory over Okyeman Planners in the National Division One League to his childhood friend, Raphael Dwamena.
In October last year, Dwamena suffered a heart problem and has been advised to step away from football while on loan with Real Zaragoza in the Segunda Division in Spain.
The former FC Zurich striker underwent a successful surgery at the Miguel Servet Hospital in Zaragoza last month.
Emmanuel was delighted with their win over Planners and dedicated it to his friend by pulling out a T-shirt with the inscription āGet well soon Raffaā
Lions Keeper, Emmanuel Ofori
An emotional Emmanuel recounted his fond memories of the Ghana Black Stars striker that dates back to their secondary school days.
āWe have been friends since our SHS days, we both attended Kwahu Ridge SHS in Obo Kwahu, Eastern region and he is my closest pal.ā
āI even spoke to him two days ago and I want to dedicate our win to him and wish him speedy recovery, I can’t wait to see him back to the pitch,ā he added.
Kpando Hearts of Lions beat Okyeman Planners 1-0 at Kpando.
The entourage which included the Ho West DCE, Mr. Ernest Appau commiserated with the bereaved family and assured them of justice.
Mr. Bedzrah, the MP appealed for calm and restraint among residents especially the youth as he urged government to thoroughly investigate the incident and bring those found culpable to book.
On his part, the Regional minister assured the community that justice would not be compromised and asked them to cooperate with the police investigators by providing them with relevant informationĀ to get to the bottom of the incident.
The investigations, according to him would established three issues; i.e. what led to the death of Mr. Wisdom Darkey; who launched the act of vandalism on the offices of the District Assembly and also, those who attacked and assaulted some journalists who were covering events.
He added that persons found culpableĀ through the investigations would be dealt with in accordance with law.
The minister also pledged his support towards a befitting burial for the deceased.
Background
Wisdom Darkey was allegedly run over by a vehicle being used by a Revenue Taskforce of the Ho West District Assembly, who were on revenue mobilization exercise in the community on Wednesday.
The exercise however turned chaotic when a misunderstanding ensued between the victim and the taskforce over his inability to fulfil his tax obligation to the assembly, resultingĀ in the tragic incident.
the irate youth vandalized Assembly offices
This sparked a violent protest in the area, as irate youth went on rampageĀ and vandalised the offices of the district Assembly, torching a vehicle in the process.
Some journalists who went to the area to cover the incident were not spared as they were chased out by the agitating youth.
