A Professor of Environmental and Sustainability Science, Prof. Federick Ato Armah, has identified mistrust among stakeholders in the mining industry as contributing to the scourge of illegal artisanal and small- scale mining in the country.

Prof. Armah, who is currently the Director of the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Consultancy (DRIC), University of Cape Coast (UCC), noted there was a trust deficit as regards Ghanaian mining processes which had emboldened stakeholders in the mining sector to disregard the processes and roles in mining. As a means to sanitize the sector, Prof. Armah called for an immediate resolution of this problem.

“Outline the processes we need to take so that every stakeholder is aware of the processes and their roles and responsibility in ensuring that everybody follows through with what we want to do as a nation,” said Prof. Armah.

While delivering his inaugural lecture on the topic: “Restoring Kinship with the Environment: How to Address the Wicked Problem of Illegal Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining”, he disclosed that multi agendas reflect in Ghana’s artisanal and small scale mining.

He opined: “Mining has a wide range of stakeholders with conflicting agendas. The agenda of the regulator is different from the agenda of the business or private person. The agenda of the miner is different from the agenda of the owner of the mine. The agenda of the chiefs is also different.”

A section of members of the College of Professors at the lecture

A section of members of the College of Professors at the lecture

According to the Professor of Environmental and Sustainability Science, this growing mistrust among stakeholders within the mining sector begs immediate resolution.

“If there is mistrust among stakeholders, they cannot work together. The stake holder platform will collapse. So we need to engender that collaboration and then make sure that there is mutual trust among the cadre of stakeholders” he said.

He called for the maintenance of stakeholder commitment which was contingent on “whether stakeholders are satisfied with the processes and the mechanism that have been put in place in the short, medium and long terms.”

In order to restore kinship with the environment, Prof. Armah called on academia to develop 21st century curricula to train students with critical minds to tackle Ghana’s socio- environmental problems analytically and head on.

Prof. Armah being admitted into the College of Professors

Prof. Armah being admitted into the College of Professors

Prof. Armah added that without a clearly defined strategy, Ghana’s relentless fight against the ‘wicked problem of illegal artisanal and small –scale mining’ would fail woefully as seen over the years.

He said activities of illegal artisanal and small- scale mining were a threat to quality water production in the country due to the increasing level of water turbidity at illegal exploration sites.

Accordingly, he charged government to re-examine the way to address the menace of illegal artisanal and small- scale mining and its environmental and health effects to avoid the wrath of posterity.

The inaugural lecture which was chaired by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong, was the third in the series of inaugural lectures commemorating the 60th anniversary celebration of the University.

Also present were the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Rosemond Boohene; Registrar, Mr. Jeff Teye Emmanuel Onyame; past Vice-Chancellor, Prof. D. D. Kuupole and past Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. George K. T. Oduro.

Others included the College of Professors and other key members of the University.

Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC

The Centre for Gender Research, Advocacy and Documentation, CEGRAD, University of Cape Coast has held a stakeholder workshop for Girls’ Education Officers of the Ghana Education Service (GES) in the Central region.

The workshop was aimed at equipping officers with the required knowledge and skills to effectively handle defilement cases.

Held at the University of Cape Coast, it was on the theme: “Defilement, the Law and the Role of Girls Education Officers.”

The Coordinator of Advocacy and Outreach for CEGRAD-UCC, Dr. Theresah Addai-Mununkum, speaking on the topic: “Gender and Sexual Harassment Issues in Education Institutions”, said that sexual harassment was a gender issue because “we have more females who suffer as victims and we have more males who are perpetrators.”

However, she was quick to add that the key perpetrators of sexual harassment were men, while admitting that both men and women could engage in sexual harassment.

She mentioned untold poverty, gender orientation as submissive women had made women vulnerable in the society.

Coordinator of Advocacy and Outreach for CEGRAD-UCC, Dr. Theresah Addai-Mununkum

Coordinator of Advocacy and Outreach for CEGRAD-UCC, Dr. Theresah Addai-Mununkum

The Coordinator noted that some ill-minded teachers with their selfish desire had their ways with female students in the Basic and Senior High Schools.

Dr. Addai-Mununkum indicated that sexual harassment was on the rise as a result of power inequalities, age, money and exaggerated men power over women.

She advised the Education Officers to be observant of the students and the interactions between students and teachers.

She told them to educate the teachers and staff on sexual harassment issues and report offenders to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVSSU) as well as to organize training workshops for parents.

The Director of CEGRAD-UCC, Dr. Georgina Yaa Oduro, who treated the topic:” GES policy and the handling of defilement cases: The Role of the Girls Education Officers”, entreated the participants in the workshop to read the GES Resource Handbook to be abreast of their roles as education officers to curb the alarming rate of sexual harassment.

Dr. Georgina Yaa Oduro, Director of CEGRAD-UCC

Dr. Georgina Yaa Oduro, Director of CEGRAD-UCC

She urged them to be conversant with some of the sexual terms being used by students so as to caution students against premarital sex because of its negative effects on their education.

The Director expressed concern about the increasing rate of social vices in the senior high schools and advised students to shun them in order to further their education to become responsible citizens in future.

Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC

The Central Regional Director of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, Chief Superintendent George Appiah-Sakyi, has explained that men cannot be raped under the laws of Ghana.

"In matters of rape, only girls and women can be raped in Ghana. No man can be raped in Ghana. That is the law- section 97," he pointed out.

Chief Superintendent Appiah-Sakyi was addressing a workshop for Girls' Education Officers in the Central Region.

Organized by the Centre for Gender Research, Advocacy and Documentation (CEGRAD), the workshop, held at the University of Cape Coast, was on the theme: "Defilement, the Law and the Role of Girls Education Officers".

Participants in the workshop

Participants in the workshop

The Regional Director, who was speaking on the topic, "The Law, Defilement, Rape and Related Sanctions", indicated unlike rape, defilement does not require consent of the girl-child who is below sixteen (16) years. 

He stressed, "When it comes to investigating defilement and rape cases, age is very important."

Chief Superintendent Appiah-Sakyi called on stakeholders to always furnish DOVVSU with birth certificates, weighing cards, baptismal cards and school registers to facilitate investigations regarding defilement and rape allegations.

He added the punishment for defilement was a minimum of seven (7) years and maximum of twenty-five (25). For rape, the minimum was five (5) years and maximum twenty-five (25)".   

He said Section 104 of the Criminal and other Offenses Act, 1960 (Act 29) proscribed unnatural carnal knowledge. He also advised the Ghana Education Service to employ security men to man uncompleted buildings on School compounds to ward off irresponsible adults from engaging in sexual affairs with children.

He took the participants through the various forms of indecent assaults.

Dr. Georgina Yaa Oduro, Director of CEGRAD-UCC

Dr. Georgina Yaa Oduro, Director of CEGRAD-UCC

In a her address, the Director of CEGRAD-UCC, Dr. Georgina Yaa Oduro, observed that CEGRAD was aware of basic school children in the region were facing rape and defilement, hence the need to empower Education Officers in the region to apprise them of the need to educate the pupils.

She explained the roles of CEGRAD to the participants, which included the protection and empowerment of girls.

Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC