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Court orders GH¢150K compensation for 6 victims of Techiman election violence 

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The Wenchi High Court has ordered the government to pay a total compensation of GH¢150,000 to six persons who suffered various degrees of injuries during the violence that characterised the 2020 parliamentary election in the Techiman South Constituency of the Bono East Region.

The court presided over by Justice Frederick Nawurah, held that the compensation for the six persons was in respect of “violation of their right to life and infliction of psychological trauma from being shot at by the state security forces.” 

The court further ordered the state and investigative bodies to investigate the incident leading to injuries to Sulemana Elliasu, Abubakari Iddrisu, Alhassan Nasiru, Aremeaw Alhassan, Alhassan Abdul-Rahman and Paul Asue, and bring the perpetrators to book.

Again, the court awarded a cost of GH¢20,000 each in favour of the six persons.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Nawurah held that the violence at Techiman South on December 8, 2020, leading to gunshot wounds on the six persons violated their fundamental human rights.

“I grant a declaration that the injuries respectively inflicted on Sulemana Elliasu, Abubakari Iddrisu, Alhassan Nasiru, Aremeaw Alhassan, Alhassan Abdul-Rahman and Paul Asue by gunshots at the Techiman South Constituency Collation Center, carried out by the security forces/personnel deployed by the State of Ghana to the Techiman South Collation Center, on the 8th day of December 2020, violated their respective rights to life under Article 13(1) of the 1992 Constitution, and their respective rights on the State to respect and uphold their respective rights to life and human dignity, under article 12(1) of the 1992 Constitution,” the court held.

The court gave the decision after it upheld an application by the six for the enforcement of their fundamental human rights pursuant to Article 33 of the 1992 Constitution.

Incident 

According to the court, on December 8, 2020, during the collation of the 2020 Parliamentary election results in the Techiman South Constituency, people started chanting slogans, showing their dissatisfaction with the process, and exhibiting riotous behaviour.

“At a certain point in time the armed security men started firing their weapons ostensibly to control the crowd, but this resulted in a number of people suffering serious gunshot wounds and one person dying as a result of injuries from gunshot,” the court document stated.

Case 

It was the case of the six applicants that the said shooting by the security officers amounted to wanton disregard for their fundamental human rights to life and against torture as guaranteed by the 1992 Constitution and international conventions on human rights.

They therefore wanted the court to make a declaration to the effect that the action of the security officers violated their human rights and also sought an order of compensation in the sum of GH¢5 million each.

Indiscriminate firing 

Giving reasons for its decision, the court held that the evidence on record, including video evidence showed that the applicants suffered from gunshot wounds as a result of actions by security officers.

The use of the firearms by the security officers which led to the injuries, the court held, was not based on any reasonable justification as stipulated by law, with the court describing it as indiscriminate firing.

According to the court, the defendants – the Attorney-General and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) failed to prove that the use of such force was justifiable under the law.

“Obviously, when firearms are discharged as a crowd control measure, there are bound to be additional risks, such as injuring or killing peaceful participants or bystanders or causing further escalation of the violence with even more casualties. Thus firearms may only be used when it becomes necessary to save other lives,” the court held.

“In view of all these facts, I find that the injury of the applicants by the state security forces was not based upon any reasonable justification for the defence of any person from violence or for the defence of property or for the purposes of suppressing a riot, insurrection or mutiny or in order to prevent the commission of a crime by the applicants. They were injured as a result of the indiscriminate firing of weapons into the crowd by the state security forces,” the court added.

SourceGraphic Online  

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 Tooth decay cases rises in Tema

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• Visit dentist regularly to avoid tooth decay

 Dr Kakra Bonsu Appiah, Head of the Dental and Oral Surgery Department at the Tema General Hospital, says tooth decay has become the most common dental problem affecting residents of Tema.

Dr Appiah mentioned that there have been more patients reporting with cavities, tooth­aches, and other compli­cations linked to poor oral hygiene.

He told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview that tooth de­cay was caused by the breakdown of the tooth’s structure due to acids produced by bacteria in the mouth, which thrive on sugary foods and poor brushing habits, making good oral hygiene practices essential in preventing the disease.

“The most common cause of dental caries is poor oral hygiene. When you look at how dental caries form, you will understand that poor oral hygiene is the leading cause of dental caries; it is about leaving food debris around the teeth,” he stated.

Dr Appiah explained that many of the cases presented at the hospital could have been avoided through regular brushing, proper diet, and timely dental check-ups, emphasising that maintaining oral health was not just about having clean teeth but also plays a critical role in overall well-being.

He advised residents to brush their teeth at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, floss regularly to remove food particles between teeth, and reduce the intake of sugary snacks and drinks, as well as visit the dentist twice a year.

The dentist also expressed concern that people only visited the hospital when the pain became unbearable, urging Ghanaians to visit the dentist regularly to prevent emergencies.

Dr Appiah further appealed to parents to educate children on good oral hygiene practices from an early age and reduce their intake of sugary foods. —GNA

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Cake Tekniks holds 59th graduation ceremony

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About 30 students on Sunday graduated from the 59th gradua­tion ceremony of Cake Tekniks In­ternational, a privately-owned modern cake designing and sugar craft school in Accra.

During the ceremony, all gradu­ates were presented with certifi­cates while 13 of them also re­ceived professional diploma.

The founder of Cake Tekniks International, Mrs Jane Addo, said her outfit was dedicated to pro­viding world standard skills, knowledge and hands-on training necessary for one to succeed worldwide in the culinary industry.

Mrs Jane Addo addressing students and guests at the ceremony

She encouraged the students to embrace the opportunities, challenges and experiences, mindful of the fact that they are well-equipped.

“Hold your heads up while you build a goodwill between your clients and your­selves,” she added.

Mrs Addo said the school was pas­sionate about fostering the culture of creativity, motivation and excellence with the belief that every student had the potential to make a lasting impact in the culinary world.

The founder and leader of QA Con­sult, Mr Johnson Opoku-Boateng, said graduation was a witness to the unveil­ing of talents, passion and hard work and testament to months of dedication and hands-on-learning.

He urged the graduands to ensure that their cakes were safe and good for human health and that their success would be dependent on how well they serve, create and grow.

The event also saw the exhibition of cakes and pastries by the students.

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 Volta College Foundation donates GH¢9,000 to 9-yr-old fire victim

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Some members of the foundation with Mr Dumevi and a staff of the hospital
Some members of the foundation with Mr Dumevi and a staff of the hospital

 A delegation from the Volta College Foun­dation, a non-govern­mental organisation, has donated GH¢9,000.00 to the family of nine-year-old Victoria Atsoribo, who suffered severe burns in a fire accident at home.

The donation was made at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, where Victoria is currently on admission and undergoing treatment.

Led by women’s or­ganiser of the foundation, Madam Mawulawoe Ame­dorme and Deputy PRO, Ms Rebecca Gollo, the delegation said the NGO launched a support cam­paign for Victoria, with the aim to ease the finan­cial burden on Victoria and her family.

Madam Amedorme said “thanks to the overwhelm­ing generosity of our members and the general public, we were able to raise funds to support her treatment and recovery.”

Receiving the dona­tion, Victoria’s uncle, Mr Bright Danquah Dumevi, expressed gratitude to the leadership and members of the foundation for their kindness and support.

He said Victoria was transferred from Marga­ret Marquart Hospital in Kpando to Korle Bu Teach­ing Hospital in Accra for specialised care.

According to Mr Dume­vi, Victoria was currently undergoing planned staged skin grafting (surgery) as part of her treatment.

Your kind gesture has made a profound impact on her recovery journey, bringing hope and joy to her healing process.

He said the contribu­tions from the foundation will help in taking care of Victoria’s bills, adding that “your support has allevi­ated a significant portion of the financial burden associated with her treat­ment, allowing her family to focus on her recovery.

He also appealed to the general public, be­nevolent individuals, and organisations to continue extending their support to Victoria to aid her recov­ery.

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