STORY: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Takoradi
In spite of the challenges, Mrs Nana Yamfoah Amua-Sekyi, the Western Regional Director of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), remains committed to her work.
The fact that some people walk to her office and enquire of her boss, thinking that the one in charge of affairs at the organisation is a man and not a woman, does not deter her from performing her duties.
Asked how she feels about that attitude, she said it was normal as some people expected to see a man directing affairs at the regional office, “but work must go on and I have a big heart to listen to people and work as a professional”.
Appointed as the Western and Central Regional Director of the commission in 1997, she said she did not accept failure as a normal way of life and played the role of a mother in the lives of many people who expected her to offer immediate solutions to their socio-economic problems.
“I take inspiration from God when I have to take decisions to resolve human rights issues and I do so tactfully to justify the hope and confidence reposed in the commission,” she said.
She is guided by the mission statement of the commission to enhance the scale of good governance, democracy, integrity, peace and social development by promoting, protecting and enforcing fundamental human rights and freedoms and administrative justice for all persons in Ghana.
Working in conjunction with district officers, other sectional heads and members and staff of the commission, her duties entail broadly investigating complaints concerning the violation of fundamental human rights, injustice, corruption, abuse of power and unfair treatment of any person by a serving public officer.
Her office also investigates corruption and misappropriation of public money by officials, and practices and actions by persons, private enterprises and other institutions that violate fundamental constitutional rights and freedoms.
She said her office received cases from aggrieved persons from the two regions and also visited prisons to assess conditions there. Additionally, they go on field trips to educate market women, schoolchildren and fishermen on their human rights and freedoms to create human rights awareness and undertake further education through publications, lectures and symposia.
Mrs Amua-Sekyi is a product of Achimota School, from where she proceeded to the University of Ghana and the Ghana Law School. She is a member of Ghana Bar Association (GBA).
Mrs Amua-Sekyi, who is the last of the three girls of her parents, said, “We lost our father when I was still in school but our mother served as a strong pillar behind us, educated us and constantly reminded us of our capabilities and told us the truth about life.”
“I try as much as I could to ensure that I help where possible and I am always careful not to say things that would discourage the people who come to the office with problems, since they look up to us for the restoration of hope,” she stressed.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
TACKLE HEALTH EXPANSION PROJECTS ONE BY ONE (THURSDAY, FEB 28, PAGE 25)
STORY: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Takoradi
With the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), various health facilities in the country have seen a steady increase in out-patient department (OPD) attendance which provide services under the scheme.
But there has not been a correspondent increase in health infrastructure and personnel to match the teeming numbers who seek medical care at the facilities.
The NHIS has, indeed, given hope to those who previously relied solely on herbal preparations to treat their ailments.
It is an undisputed fact that the provision of health infrastructure requires a huge capital outlay especially when the internally generated revenue of the hospitals is nothing to write home about.
That is why the release of funds to facilities that provide health care should be regular and prompt.
Interestingly, the flow of funds from the National Health Insurance Council (NHIC) to the service providers is not the best and it is creating a lot of problems for the service providers.
It is the duty of the district assemblies to support the health facilities in their expansion of infrastructure but they are also faced with demands from other sectors including education, which they must fulfil.
What is worrying, however, is that the management of some hospitals plan to undertake expansion programmes without ensuring that there is enough funding to complete the projects on schedule. A typical example of this anomaly can be found in the twin-city of Sekondi/Takoradi. Currently there are two ongoing hospital expansion projects that are yet to be completed.
These are the Accident and Emergency Unit of the Effia-Nkwanta and European hospitals.
What is basically delaying the completion of the two projects can be traced to the lack of funds. But one wonders why the Shama Ahanta East Assembly (SAEMA) initiated the expansion projects when they knew that funds were not available.
Why should the hospitals commit hard-earned resources on projects they cannot complete when other areas are left unattended to?
Considering the proximity of the Effia-Nkwanta and European hospitals in Sekondi-Takoradi the initiators of the projects should have tackled the expansion projects one after another instead of starting the two at a time and abandoning them halfway.
The exact time expansion work started on the Effia-Nkwanta hospital is not known but from the records, that of the European Hospital was started in 2004 and work at the site was abandoned in 2005 due to lack of funds.
Many a resident in the twin-city are worried at what is happening and would have wished that the authorities had committed the funds for two casualty units to one and completed before moving on to the second project.
The casualty unit of the European hospital does not have an ambulance and ambulance bay, and there are countless problems at the delivery wards and theatres. Even though the expansion work at the casualty unit was important it would have done a lot of good if the money invested in the uncompleted project had been spent in solving the urgent needs of the hospital.
With the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), various health facilities in the country have seen a steady increase in out-patient department (OPD) attendance which provide services under the scheme.
But there has not been a correspondent increase in health infrastructure and personnel to match the teeming numbers who seek medical care at the facilities.
The NHIS has, indeed, given hope to those who previously relied solely on herbal preparations to treat their ailments.
It is an undisputed fact that the provision of health infrastructure requires a huge capital outlay especially when the internally generated revenue of the hospitals is nothing to write home about.
That is why the release of funds to facilities that provide health care should be regular and prompt.
Interestingly, the flow of funds from the National Health Insurance Council (NHIC) to the service providers is not the best and it is creating a lot of problems for the service providers.
It is the duty of the district assemblies to support the health facilities in their expansion of infrastructure but they are also faced with demands from other sectors including education, which they must fulfil.
What is worrying, however, is that the management of some hospitals plan to undertake expansion programmes without ensuring that there is enough funding to complete the projects on schedule. A typical example of this anomaly can be found in the twin-city of Sekondi/Takoradi. Currently there are two ongoing hospital expansion projects that are yet to be completed.
These are the Accident and Emergency Unit of the Effia-Nkwanta and European hospitals.
What is basically delaying the completion of the two projects can be traced to the lack of funds. But one wonders why the Shama Ahanta East Assembly (SAEMA) initiated the expansion projects when they knew that funds were not available.
Why should the hospitals commit hard-earned resources on projects they cannot complete when other areas are left unattended to?
Considering the proximity of the Effia-Nkwanta and European hospitals in Sekondi-Takoradi the initiators of the projects should have tackled the expansion projects one after another instead of starting the two at a time and abandoning them halfway.
The exact time expansion work started on the Effia-Nkwanta hospital is not known but from the records, that of the European Hospital was started in 2004 and work at the site was abandoned in 2005 due to lack of funds.
Many a resident in the twin-city are worried at what is happening and would have wished that the authorities had committed the funds for two casualty units to one and completed before moving on to the second project.
The casualty unit of the European hospital does not have an ambulance and ambulance bay, and there are countless problems at the delivery wards and theatres. Even though the expansion work at the casualty unit was important it would have done a lot of good if the money invested in the uncompleted project had been spent in solving the urgent needs of the hospital.
WESTERN REGION IRS POISED FOR MORE REVENUE (THRUSDAY, FEB 28, PAGE 25)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Takoradi
THE Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the Western Region is poised to see a significant improvement in its revenue mobilisation efforts this year as economic activities in the region increase steadily.
With the increase in infrastructure in the hospitality industry, the discovery of oil, which is attracting many people to the area, the completion of the West African Gas Pipeline project, coupled with an increase in physical social infrastructure, officials of the regional IRS have predicted a significant improvement in their collection efforts.
The Western Regional Manager of the IRS, Mr Eben Osabutey, told the Daily Graphic that one of the challenges the service faced was mobility, saying that was because of the lack of vehicles to move across the region in the quest to bag every pesewa for the State.
He said that problem seemed to have been solved with the allocation of new vehicles which would be distributed to various collection points which hitherto had difficulties reaching taxpayers.
Mr Osabutey said the collection point exceeded its 2007 target by 15.3 per cent and added that all the collection points except one performed well.
“The Western Region exceeded its revenue target for the year ending December 2007. We collected a total revenue of GH¢280 million,” he said, adding that even though one of the collection points did not do well as a result of some logistical constraints, its performance was 13 per cent higher that the previous year’s.
Mr Osabutey said during the year under review, the self-employed sector recorded a downturn of three per cent, compared to the 29 per cent it recorded in 2006.
He said but for the unexpected energy crisis the country experienced, things would have been better.
“We are aware of the contributions we receive from our taxpayers as partners in national development and we will do our best to cover the greater part of the region,” he said.
Mr Osabutey said apart from the vehicles allocated to the districts, their offices had been renovated and equipped to create the congenial environment for enhanced service delivery.
He said the establishment of quality assurance and compliance units as additional regional units would complement the efforts of the district offices in the Western and Central regions.
THE Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the Western Region is poised to see a significant improvement in its revenue mobilisation efforts this year as economic activities in the region increase steadily.
With the increase in infrastructure in the hospitality industry, the discovery of oil, which is attracting many people to the area, the completion of the West African Gas Pipeline project, coupled with an increase in physical social infrastructure, officials of the regional IRS have predicted a significant improvement in their collection efforts.
The Western Regional Manager of the IRS, Mr Eben Osabutey, told the Daily Graphic that one of the challenges the service faced was mobility, saying that was because of the lack of vehicles to move across the region in the quest to bag every pesewa for the State.
He said that problem seemed to have been solved with the allocation of new vehicles which would be distributed to various collection points which hitherto had difficulties reaching taxpayers.
Mr Osabutey said the collection point exceeded its 2007 target by 15.3 per cent and added that all the collection points except one performed well.
“The Western Region exceeded its revenue target for the year ending December 2007. We collected a total revenue of GH¢280 million,” he said, adding that even though one of the collection points did not do well as a result of some logistical constraints, its performance was 13 per cent higher that the previous year’s.
Mr Osabutey said during the year under review, the self-employed sector recorded a downturn of three per cent, compared to the 29 per cent it recorded in 2006.
He said but for the unexpected energy crisis the country experienced, things would have been better.
“We are aware of the contributions we receive from our taxpayers as partners in national development and we will do our best to cover the greater part of the region,” he said.
Mr Osabutey said apart from the vehicles allocated to the districts, their offices had been renovated and equipped to create the congenial environment for enhanced service delivery.
He said the establishment of quality assurance and compliance units as additional regional units would complement the efforts of the district offices in the Western and Central regions.
LANDLORDS DISPOSE OF HUMAN WASTE INTO DRAINS (THURSDAY, FEB., 28, 2008)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Takoradi
Some residents and people in the hospitality industry in the twin-city of Sekondi/Takoradi are connecting their septic tanks to the drains nearer to their homes and their places of operation.
Their action has become a nuisance to their neighbours and other residents of the metropolis. The reason for this development, according to some residents, is that there are no access routes to their homes for septic trucks to evacuate the waste when their tanks are full and so they have no option but to channel the tanks into the open drains.
While some landlords justify their action because of the lack of access roads, others claim they are doing so to avoid the high cost involved in contracting waste management companies to collect the waste from their tanks.
Whether the excuses the landlords are giving are justified or not, these activities are seriously polluting the metropolis, as the perpetrators have completely ignored the health implications of their actions.
The city authorities are worried about these developments as the people involved seem to ignore the effect that their actions will have on the larger society.
The Public Relations Manager of the Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly (SAEMA), Mr John Laste, said the city authorities were not taking the issue lightly at all and that the assembly recently prosecuted some of the culprits. He said the health hazards associated with such acts had been disregarded.
“There must be a solution to every problem and it is wrong for anybody to say that because there is no access road to his or her premises, he or she must drain his or her human waste into the drains,” he said.
He said the waste tanker drivers who provided such services had hoses that could be joined to the premises of their customers to evacuate the waste and that it was strange and interesting that after realising the seriousness of their offence, the landlords came up with all sort of excuses.
“We have the support of some members of the public who are volunteering information on such activities to our environmental desk for action and I can assure you that in the heart of the capital, some hotels have been reported to us and we will soon descend on them seriously,” he said.
He used the opportunity to appeal to all city dwellers to report such activities to the assembly for action.
“We are grateful to those who are taking the initiative to report to us. We at the assembly cannot be everywhere all the time and, therefore, we cherish the support we receive from members of the public. They are one of the sources where we derive our strength,” he said.
Some residents and people in the hospitality industry in the twin-city of Sekondi/Takoradi are connecting their septic tanks to the drains nearer to their homes and their places of operation.
Their action has become a nuisance to their neighbours and other residents of the metropolis. The reason for this development, according to some residents, is that there are no access routes to their homes for septic trucks to evacuate the waste when their tanks are full and so they have no option but to channel the tanks into the open drains.
While some landlords justify their action because of the lack of access roads, others claim they are doing so to avoid the high cost involved in contracting waste management companies to collect the waste from their tanks.
Whether the excuses the landlords are giving are justified or not, these activities are seriously polluting the metropolis, as the perpetrators have completely ignored the health implications of their actions.
The city authorities are worried about these developments as the people involved seem to ignore the effect that their actions will have on the larger society.
The Public Relations Manager of the Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly (SAEMA), Mr John Laste, said the city authorities were not taking the issue lightly at all and that the assembly recently prosecuted some of the culprits. He said the health hazards associated with such acts had been disregarded.
“There must be a solution to every problem and it is wrong for anybody to say that because there is no access road to his or her premises, he or she must drain his or her human waste into the drains,” he said.
He said the waste tanker drivers who provided such services had hoses that could be joined to the premises of their customers to evacuate the waste and that it was strange and interesting that after realising the seriousness of their offence, the landlords came up with all sort of excuses.
“We have the support of some members of the public who are volunteering information on such activities to our environmental desk for action and I can assure you that in the heart of the capital, some hotels have been reported to us and we will soon descend on them seriously,” he said.
He used the opportunity to appeal to all city dwellers to report such activities to the assembly for action.
“We are grateful to those who are taking the initiative to report to us. We at the assembly cannot be everywhere all the time and, therefore, we cherish the support we receive from members of the public. They are one of the sources where we derive our strength,” he said.
RAIL WORKERS ON STRIKE (PAGE 14)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Takoradi
ABOUT 2,420 rail workers throughout the country are asking for a 150-per cent salary increase and better conditions of service as a condition for ending their more-than-one-week strike.
Their action is said to have had a serious effect on the company and its clients.
The company is said to have an outstanding debt running into millions of dollars.
A spokesperson of the workers said for many years, they had not seen any upward adjustment in their salaries, described as very scanty.
Consequently, he said they could not access any of the credit facilities made available by various financial institutions in the country, adding that the problem was beyond the reach of the current management and called for ministerial intervention.
The workers had described the strike as “hunger strike”.
When contacted, the Managing Director of the Ghana Railway Company (GRC), Mr Ruphus Quaye, said the management was doing everything possible to put the railway sector back on its feet.
He said when the management took over in November, last year, there was six-month salary arrears and at a meeting between the workers union and the management, the workers resolved to work hard to clear the outstanding salaries and also continue with other plans that would improve on the fortunes of the company.
“We have worked hard to clear four months’ salary arrears and it is left with two months. All of a sudden, they have rested their tools, which is not only going to affect revenue, but also slow the business activities of our clients, which include bauxite and manganese companies”.
The managing director said the staff strength of the company at the moment was 2,420 and that 75 per cent of the total revenue of the company went into servicing the salaries of workers, with little left for the running of the company.
“This means that we have to find a way of dealing with our main problem, which was settling of huge debts with the Social Security and National Insurance Scheme (SSNIT) and also to retrench workers,” he said.
“I must also stress that the company is also distressed; we have a lot of debts to settle. There are more workers than the activities of the company at the moment. We still have hope that there is so much revenue to generate but until we finish dealing with the problem, we cannot move on,” Mr Quaye said.
“We have had attention in recent times from investors and the government. Therefore, we must be seen to be doing what will send the right signals to investors instead of strikes,” the managing director said.
Mr Quaye pointed out that at the moment, the company was waiting for $45 million from the government, part of which would be used to service the debt and thereafter begin work on the rehabilitation of the lines.
The MD said there was the need for the workers to know that they no longer received government subvention and that they were now reaching out for full cost recovery, adding that there was the need for co-operation from all members of staff.
The General Secretary of the Rail Workers Union, Mr Samuel Kokovena, said it was true that since the management took over in November last year, they had managed to clear four out of the six-month salary arrears.
He also agreed that the size of the company’s staff was bigger than needed, which does not augur well for the development of the company.
He justified the 150-per cent upward salary adjustment being demanded by the workers, since for many years the workers had not seen any increase in salary.
“We will love to work, because bauxite, manganese and others are all there. We have a huge deposit of manganese in Nyinahin and Kyebi and the revamping of the sector would pay. With the establishment of the aluminium company here in the Western Region, which would depend so much on rail transport, there are prospects but our service conditions are poor,” he said.
ABOUT 2,420 rail workers throughout the country are asking for a 150-per cent salary increase and better conditions of service as a condition for ending their more-than-one-week strike.
Their action is said to have had a serious effect on the company and its clients.
The company is said to have an outstanding debt running into millions of dollars.
A spokesperson of the workers said for many years, they had not seen any upward adjustment in their salaries, described as very scanty.
Consequently, he said they could not access any of the credit facilities made available by various financial institutions in the country, adding that the problem was beyond the reach of the current management and called for ministerial intervention.
The workers had described the strike as “hunger strike”.
When contacted, the Managing Director of the Ghana Railway Company (GRC), Mr Ruphus Quaye, said the management was doing everything possible to put the railway sector back on its feet.
He said when the management took over in November, last year, there was six-month salary arrears and at a meeting between the workers union and the management, the workers resolved to work hard to clear the outstanding salaries and also continue with other plans that would improve on the fortunes of the company.
“We have worked hard to clear four months’ salary arrears and it is left with two months. All of a sudden, they have rested their tools, which is not only going to affect revenue, but also slow the business activities of our clients, which include bauxite and manganese companies”.
The managing director said the staff strength of the company at the moment was 2,420 and that 75 per cent of the total revenue of the company went into servicing the salaries of workers, with little left for the running of the company.
“This means that we have to find a way of dealing with our main problem, which was settling of huge debts with the Social Security and National Insurance Scheme (SSNIT) and also to retrench workers,” he said.
“I must also stress that the company is also distressed; we have a lot of debts to settle. There are more workers than the activities of the company at the moment. We still have hope that there is so much revenue to generate but until we finish dealing with the problem, we cannot move on,” Mr Quaye said.
“We have had attention in recent times from investors and the government. Therefore, we must be seen to be doing what will send the right signals to investors instead of strikes,” the managing director said.
Mr Quaye pointed out that at the moment, the company was waiting for $45 million from the government, part of which would be used to service the debt and thereafter begin work on the rehabilitation of the lines.
The MD said there was the need for the workers to know that they no longer received government subvention and that they were now reaching out for full cost recovery, adding that there was the need for co-operation from all members of staff.
The General Secretary of the Rail Workers Union, Mr Samuel Kokovena, said it was true that since the management took over in November last year, they had managed to clear four out of the six-month salary arrears.
He also agreed that the size of the company’s staff was bigger than needed, which does not augur well for the development of the company.
He justified the 150-per cent upward salary adjustment being demanded by the workers, since for many years the workers had not seen any increase in salary.
“We will love to work, because bauxite, manganese and others are all there. We have a huge deposit of manganese in Nyinahin and Kyebi and the revamping of the sector would pay. With the establishment of the aluminium company here in the Western Region, which would depend so much on rail transport, there are prospects but our service conditions are poor,” he said.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
WATER PROBLEM AT NKROFUL AGRIC SHS SOLVED (PAGE 20)
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu, Nkroful
TWO mining companies have provided a mechanised borehole and three jumbo water tanks worth GH¢30,000 to the Nkroful
Agricultural Senior High School in the Nzema East District of the Western Region.
The companies, Adamus Resources and African Mining Service, provided the facility in response to an appeal made by the headmaster of the school.
The Community Relations Officer of Adamus Resources, Mr Francis Baah, who made the presentation, said the two companies would not neglect the needs of the communities, where they operated, only if the requests were within their power.
“We deem the provision of the facilities is a part of our corporate social responsibility to the community, and we can assure you that we will do more only if the request is within our power.”
The headmaster of the school, Mr J.B. Asmah, said the needs of the school were enormous, and therefore, appealed for urgent assistance to make life bearable for students and their tutors.
He described the positive and timely response by the two companies as a great relief, saying “before then, the students had to search for water at a time they were expected to be learning.”
He said due to a lack of a reliable water system, the school could not use the modern aqua privy toilets, but instead resorted to using pit latrines in the bush, which were not healthy for both students, teaching and non-teaching staff.
The headmaster mentioned other problems facing the school as a lack of accommodation and inadequate dormitories for the girls.
He said as a result of the lack of accommodation, teachers posted to the school did not stay for long.
Mr Asmah seized the opportunity to appeal to other corporate institutions and the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to come to the aid of the school.
TWO mining companies have provided a mechanised borehole and three jumbo water tanks worth GH¢30,000 to the Nkroful
Agricultural Senior High School in the Nzema East District of the Western Region.
The companies, Adamus Resources and African Mining Service, provided the facility in response to an appeal made by the headmaster of the school.
The Community Relations Officer of Adamus Resources, Mr Francis Baah, who made the presentation, said the two companies would not neglect the needs of the communities, where they operated, only if the requests were within their power.
“We deem the provision of the facilities is a part of our corporate social responsibility to the community, and we can assure you that we will do more only if the request is within our power.”
The headmaster of the school, Mr J.B. Asmah, said the needs of the school were enormous, and therefore, appealed for urgent assistance to make life bearable for students and their tutors.
He described the positive and timely response by the two companies as a great relief, saying “before then, the students had to search for water at a time they were expected to be learning.”
He said due to a lack of a reliable water system, the school could not use the modern aqua privy toilets, but instead resorted to using pit latrines in the bush, which were not healthy for both students, teaching and non-teaching staff.
The headmaster mentioned other problems facing the school as a lack of accommodation and inadequate dormitories for the girls.
He said as a result of the lack of accommodation, teachers posted to the school did not stay for long.
Mr Asmah seized the opportunity to appeal to other corporate institutions and the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to come to the aid of the school.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
TEACHER BITES SON (MIRROR, LEAD STORY)
From Moses Dotsey Aklorbotu, Sekondi
A Teacher, who has adopted biting as a way of punishing his five-year-old son for his poor academic performance, is in the grip of the law after biting the boy severally, resulting in scores of cuts on his wrists and shoulders.
The boy was spotted by some food vendors, who saw him writhing at school and asked him how he came by such numerous “teeth wounds” on both hands.
The boy told them that it was his father who bit him like that, because the father claimed he was not academically good; the boy went ahead to show them the fresh wounds on his shoulders as well.
The vendors, who were also mothers, reported the conduct of the said teacher to the school authorities.
The victim, (name withheld), a pupil of Judea Preparatory School in Takoradi, told the police that his father, Charles Prah, claimed he was not intelligent, and, therefore, made rules that would compel him to be academically smart.
The pains, according to the boy, were so excruciating that he had to cry for a long time.
The boy said one of the rules was that whenever his father was teaching him, or engaging him in any academic exercise, and he did not get the answers right, he had to receive a painful bite from him.
He described the bite as too painful as the father would continue biting him until blood flowed.
The story of the little boy was supported by the many scars on his wrists and the two fresh wounds on his shoulders which were sufficient evidence the father could not dispute.
The man, who is a divorcee and teacher at Takoradi Technical Institute (TTI), confirmed the son’s story, and said he did it to enable his son buck up, adding that for sometime now, the bites had been an agreed punishment between him and his son.
Speaking to The Mirror, the Unit Commander of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, ASP Cecilia Arko, said the authorities of the boy’s school brought him to the unit to lodge a complaint.
She said the unit had taken custody of the boy and prepared him for medical attention at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital, and would later be handed over to the Department of Social Welfare.
She, however, expressed concern over the behaviour of the father, and added that the poor academic performance of a five-year-old boy did not warrant such treatment.
The unit commander said the man, after confessing, said he was a single parent living with the boy at Tadisco-Down in Takoradi.
She said the man was currently in police custody, pending further investigations.
A Teacher, who has adopted biting as a way of punishing his five-year-old son for his poor academic performance, is in the grip of the law after biting the boy severally, resulting in scores of cuts on his wrists and shoulders.
The boy was spotted by some food vendors, who saw him writhing at school and asked him how he came by such numerous “teeth wounds” on both hands.
The boy told them that it was his father who bit him like that, because the father claimed he was not academically good; the boy went ahead to show them the fresh wounds on his shoulders as well.
The vendors, who were also mothers, reported the conduct of the said teacher to the school authorities.
The victim, (name withheld), a pupil of Judea Preparatory School in Takoradi, told the police that his father, Charles Prah, claimed he was not intelligent, and, therefore, made rules that would compel him to be academically smart.
The pains, according to the boy, were so excruciating that he had to cry for a long time.
The boy said one of the rules was that whenever his father was teaching him, or engaging him in any academic exercise, and he did not get the answers right, he had to receive a painful bite from him.
He described the bite as too painful as the father would continue biting him until blood flowed.
The story of the little boy was supported by the many scars on his wrists and the two fresh wounds on his shoulders which were sufficient evidence the father could not dispute.
The man, who is a divorcee and teacher at Takoradi Technical Institute (TTI), confirmed the son’s story, and said he did it to enable his son buck up, adding that for sometime now, the bites had been an agreed punishment between him and his son.
Speaking to The Mirror, the Unit Commander of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, ASP Cecilia Arko, said the authorities of the boy’s school brought him to the unit to lodge a complaint.
She said the unit had taken custody of the boy and prepared him for medical attention at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital, and would later be handed over to the Department of Social Welfare.
She, however, expressed concern over the behaviour of the father, and added that the poor academic performance of a five-year-old boy did not warrant such treatment.
The unit commander said the man, after confessing, said he was a single parent living with the boy at Tadisco-Down in Takoradi.
She said the man was currently in police custody, pending further investigations.
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