Death of 19-year-old student: GHS investigates death of UG student at Ewim Polyclinic in Cape Coast

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Transcript

00:00 Welcome to join each desk. We're coming to you live from our studios in Kokumlemle.

00:04 Coming up this morning, a grieving mother pleads for explanation for their death.

00:09 Tragic death of her 19-year-old son at the Iwimpoli Clinic.

00:13 When we got there, only for me to know that the medicine was serviced. I thought, ah,

00:21 serviced it and they don't have it at the facility there. We were chatting with the

00:27 driver. When we got there, I met my boy for medicine.

00:32 Health authorities in the Swejoman district concerned about increasing cases of bilharzi

00:39 being recorded at health facilities. We'll hear from the medical officers there on the

00:44 dire nature of the health threat. Plus, rising levels of water in the Volta River threatening

00:52 the survival of flooded communities. We hear the plea of residents of Natiakra in the pro-east

01:00 districts as their homes, property and farmlands are submerged in floodwaters,

01:06 thus taking over several other communities in the Bono East region.

01:10 My name is Ayeshe Bryant. We have business coming up shortly in this bulletin.

01:17 My name is Ayeshe Bryant. Do stay for details.

01:35 The Ghana Health Service is investigating the unfortunate passing of Nanor Bing, a 19-year-old,

01:40 second-year law student at the University of Ghana at Iwimpoli Clinic in Cape Coast.

01:46 Nanor Bing's mother, Nelly Mills, said she brought her asthmatic son to the hospital to administer

01:52 an ebulizer treatment to prevent an imminent asthma attack. However, she alleged the medical

01:58 staff administered an injection instead, which tragically led to her son's death shortly after.

02:04 The Central Health Directorate says Nelly will have to wait for her answers

02:08 after a thorough investigation and autopsy scheduled for the next two weeks.

02:14 I don't think anybody feels the pain I'm going through. If not,

02:30 Ghana Health Service would not be sitting down. Nelly Mills is grieving. She's unable to pick

02:36 herself up after witnessing her son's untimely death at the Iwimpoli Clinic in Cape Coast.

02:42 She tells me that her heart is in flames and nothing will douse it until she gets satisfactory

02:49 answers from health authorities. I left the food and went back to my shop with Isaac,

02:56 thinking that he was eating, only for him to call me around 6.43 to say that I should come.

03:03 When I opened the door and I got in, he said, "Oh, Ma, it's as if my asthma was true."

03:12 And I said, "Oh, but there's no news because if your symptoms want to come, you've been using

03:18 Ventolin all this while and you have your Ventolin pump around here, so just use it."

03:24 And he said he has read about the asthma, that if he used to use Nebulizer,

03:31 that would have been faster than the Ventolin. Her 19-year-old son, now being a second-year law

03:38 student at the University of Ghana, perished at the Iwimpoli Clinic while seeking to use

03:44 a Nebulizer to control his asthma. When we got there, I saw two people there,

03:50 one male, one female. I greeted them and I said, "My boy was an asthmatic and he needed

03:57 the help of the oxygen." Then the male guy shouted. I didn't know if he has already seated

04:04 on the first chair there. Then the male guy shouted, "If you needed oxygen, was that the

04:10 place for him?" "Masa, masa, get up and go and sit at the third chair." And I said, "Ah, boss,

04:17 is this the way you treat people here? We've never been here before. So if what he has said,

04:23 what he is saying is not the rightful place, I think you need to say it

04:28 in a nice manner for him to move. You cannot treat my boy here." Nelly said although she wanted to

04:34 stay with her son, she rather chose to rush to the pharmacy to buy a prescribed medicine.

04:41 But upon her return, Nana Obeng's condition had deteriorated.

04:45 When we got there, only for me to know that the medicine was serviced, I thought, "Ah,

04:52 serviced it." And they don't have it at the facility there. We were chatting with the driver.

04:59 When we got there, I met my boy, vomits. He's vomited. And they gave me rubber or something

05:10 that he should vomit inside. And I said, "Ah, what is happening?" Then he got up, he became like a

05:17 tent. So when I was shouting, they came to hold me that I should go out. Then my boy shouted

05:25 that they've injected him. So I was asking, "What injection? What injection? Nana is not here for

05:33 injection. Who gave him the injection?" Nelly sits on the favorite sofa her son used to occupy

05:39 in the living room. Her eyes are fixed on his dance videos on TikTok. She begs authorities

05:45 to set her heart at ease by telling her why her son died. I went inside only to go and meet again,

05:53 to meet my boy lying there lifeless. So I started shouting, "Hey, my boy is dead,

05:59 my boy is dead." Because this thing, the underfoot were orange.

06:07 Then they said he wasn't dead. I said, "Ah, this person lying down." So they took me outside.

06:12 Later I was there when Isaac came to ask me that one lady is saying that she'll come and ask me

06:18 the boy's name, the date of birth, blah, blah, blah. And I said, "Ah, but you don't know anything

06:23 about my boy. And you've injected him. Who paid for the injection?" "Who?" "We are not there with

06:29 any health insurance." I never went there with any health insurance. Who even instructed that

06:37 medicine? We're not there for injection. Only for them to decline him dead. I asked the cost

06:43 of the death of my boy. Because I wanted, I needed to know. And they said they don't deal with that.

06:49 But they gather all costs of death and discuss it at the end of the month.

06:56 So we should go and put our complaints on the paper.

07:00 Authorities at the Gwinn Polyclinic told JOIN News that the Central Regional Health Directorate

07:06 had ordered them not to speak to the media. Meanwhile, the Central Regional Health Director,

07:12 Dr. Marion Oku-Uhusu, says a committee has been formed to investigate the cause of Nana Oben's

07:19 death. An autopsy has also been done and results will be ready in two weeks. But until then,

07:27 Nelly Mills will continue to stay in her son's favorite seat, hoping the outcome of the

07:33 investigations will heal her aching heart. Jojo Komner, JOIN News.

07:45 Quite sad. Health authorities at Eswajaman District of the Eastern Region are alarmed

07:51 over the high cases of bilharzia recorded this year. In 2022, the bilharzia cases stood

07:57 at 22 but has since jumped to 75, representing 240% increase. The parasite that causes bilharzia

08:06 enters the skin once individuals come into contact with contaminated water. We'll hear

08:13 from the District Director of Health shortly, but first take a listen to the Member of Parliament

08:18 for the area, Thomas Ampem-Dakom, expressing worry over the increments in bilharzia among the people.

08:25 In the case of bilharzia from the rice, but I do not know if that is a direct consequence of the

08:38 village by the dam. I don't think we have any evidence to that. But it is worrying to realize

08:45 that in 2021, we recorded 15 cases. In 2022, it increased to 25. But as of last week, 2023,

08:57 we have recorded 75 cases. And so that is a worrying trend. And so we have intensified education

09:07 in the communities along the border so that they stay away from direct use of the water from the

09:17 lake. So that is what I was talking to them about. And I have tried putting some interventions that

09:27 will give them alternative source of water, because most of them depend on the water from the lake.

09:34 And so it is a worrying situation.

09:38 I was also unhappy about the unresponsive posture of Natmo after 160 persons were displaced following

09:44 the Akosombo Dam spillage. You know, the spillage started from my constituency. And so some

09:51 communities very close to the dam recorded some incidents. So there were especially the buildings

09:58 that are made of mud collapsed. And we have about 50 of back homes that have collapsed,

10:05 displaced. The statistics from Natmo, about 160 persons have been displaced.

10:14 The greatest effect in my constituency, as I put it, is with the cages in the water. The fish farms

10:23 that are in the lake have all been destroyed. Cages have been moved. Nets have been formed.

10:30 And all the fishes have escaped and lots have died. And that is a huge loss to the people there.

10:38 And it is a worrying situation that we are all trying to contain.

10:42 We're going to speak with the Siojaman District Health Director, Rebecca Bante, for more on the

10:49 rise in Bilhazier cases. Dr. Bante, grateful for your time. First, what could be accounting

10:58 for the high cases in Bilhazier this year? Okay, thank you very much. Bilhazier is a water

11:07 related infection or disease. And it's usually a case in freshwater bodies. So it's a German

11:18 finding itself along the water lake. And Bilhazier has been endemic in the Siojaman.

11:25 But looking at the numbers, as you rightly said earlier, or said by the MP, the numbers are

11:32 increasing. Why? Because sensitization has increased and cases have increased. But I

11:39 wouldn't say that it is directly related to the village or the flood. However, now that the water

11:46 is very close to the people and they might frequently get into contact with the water,

11:52 then I feel that we stand a chance of probably getting additional numbers.

11:59 So what interventions are you putting in place, I mean, to curb the spread,

12:06 since you say it's contagious? Okay, thank you very much. So now,

12:11 in collaboration with VRA, VRA has its role that is played with vector control. If we want to go

12:18 into the fight on how the disease comes about, how the mode of transmission, we get to know that

12:23 there is a vector, the freshwater flow that hides along the banks and weeks that are, I mean,

12:29 closer to, I mean, along the water bodies. So VRA does that by removing all these weeks from

12:35 time to time. And they also support the district with grants that we frequently give out to

12:43 growing children and then some communities. The same way, the health services is also

12:49 supporting us with drugs that are identified as having higher prevalence. We give what we call

12:57 mass drug administration, use it as a frontal to ensure that adult worms are killed. So all

13:04 that the district is doing is creating awareness for people to try as much as possible to avoid

13:10 coming into contact directly with the water, because they can only get infected when you

13:16 wade through the water, you swim or fetching water, you come directly into the water,

13:19 then the infected bacteria penetrate your skin. So if you avoid coming into contact with the water,

13:26 then you are likely to prevent yourself. Also, though that depends solely on the

13:30 water body, I mean, the water from the lake, they advise that either they boil the water

13:35 or they feed the water before they use it. So now sensitization and then hygiene practices

13:41 and then mass drug administration are the strategies that we are using to keep the

13:46 disease down. Also, for people not to sit at home anytime they have the symptoms, because

13:52 awareness is created. So when they are sick, we seek medical help as early as possible. So those

13:59 are the strategies that many others that the district is using in addition to support for

14:04 VRE and the Ghana Health Service to ensure that the disease is kept. Thank you.

14:09 - Reka Bente is a Switzerland District Health Director, grateful for your time. Meanwhile,

14:15 the Director General of Health, Dr. Kumar Boadje has disclosed that psychologists will be deployed

14:20 to flood affected areas to provide victims battling with trauma following the dam spillage.

14:27 Take a listen.

14:28 - We also mobilize our friends and some pharmaceutical companies to bring donations,

14:35 including water, medicines, et cetera, not only to you, but to the entire community that have

14:41 been affected. The regional leadership too has also been able to move live resources from other,

14:48 the region and other districts to come in here and provide support at all the levels.

14:56 We know that you have been psychologically trauma and so we have also engaged our

15:02 psychological society. And I believe that this week they will also be here with their mental

15:08 health team to ensure that they provide you the necessary psychological support as they are today.

15:13 - Well, joining us also on the line is Volta Regional Director of Health,

15:20 Dr. Senenukwe Sijokotu, because we understand that the disease is prevalent there as well.

15:26 Mr. Sijokotu, grateful for your time. What's the situation in your area?

15:32 - Thank you very much. Let me first clarify my position. I'm the Deputy Director of Public Health

15:40 for the Moher, Marizmoda, and Kulia. I listen to the specific director for Sijokotu, who eloquently

15:53 spoke about the idea. I think most of the slides were written, but what we did in the context

16:03 is the fact that since we are monitoring the case conditions over the past two weeks,

16:10 in regards to the effects of the flooding, we also noticed some hard-hit cases. But I would say that

16:22 what's said earlier, these are the conditions that are endemic in communities among the Volta

16:31 Lake. At the same time, there's been a lot of strategies to try and reduce the number of cases.

16:39 We've had support from General Health Service. We've had a lot of support from CRE as well,

16:46 even as I speak. We are also going to do the mass drug administration in all the communities along

16:52 the Volta Lake, within the Volta region that is in Rajasthan Hill. We are also intensifying

16:59 with communication and social mobilization so that people know when to come into contact with,

17:07 what to do when you come into contact with water infested by bacteria. So I'd like to say that

17:16 within the past two weeks, yes, we have seen cases of the Ohasian, but they are not related to the

17:25 floods that we are currently experiencing. Are there plans to help the situation?

17:34 The interventions are being intensified all across, especially because of flooding. We know

17:46 that the water has come closer to people. More people are going to get in close contact with

17:53 the vector that would transmit the B. Nausea disease. So definitely, we have to take extra

18:02 measures and intensify what we are doing already so that people do not forget the B. Nausea disease.

18:14 Dr. Jokutu, I'm grateful for your time. He's the Volta Regional Director of Health,

18:19 and he says there's intervention to help curb the spread of B. Nausea. Earlier,

18:25 you heard the Health Director of the Sujuman District also saying that they're doing well

18:31 to ensure that they reduce the infection of B. Nausea. Now, hundreds of residents of Phantheakura

18:39 in the Pro-East District of the Bona East region are appealing for help after the entire area was

18:46 submerged due to the rising levels of the Volta River following continuous heavy rains. The

18:52 residents who are currently living in a nearby bush say they are living with snakes and other

18:58 reptiles and appeal to authorities for assistance. And I'll serve it.

19:12 Memonatu Alhassan, together with her husband and children, are 17 in number.

19:16 They've lived in the same room here in Phantheakura all their lives. Sadly, however,

19:23 they have to leave today to nowhere in particular after the entire Phantheakura community is

19:28 submerged due to the rising levels of the Volta Lake following weeks of several rains.

19:34 [Speaking in Bona East]

19:36 Memuna, together with other members of the community, are today living in nearby bushes.

19:59 She tells me that the owners of the land they are currently occupying are asking them to pay

20:03 an amount of 5,000 Ghana Cedis to stay on this land.

20:07 [Speaking in Bona East]

20:25 Memuna too is not the only affected victim here.

20:28 Comfort Okrampa is one of them. She also shares her plight and appealed for support.

20:34 [Speaking in Bona East]

20:36 [Speaking in Bona East]

20:38 [Speaking in Bona East]

20:40 [Speaking in Bona East]

21:09 Elsewhere in Sawukra, one of the several communities affected by the floods,

21:13 Agbele Nyumare tells me that their farmlands have been submerged,

21:18 rendering members of the community helpless.

21:20 [Speaking in Bona East]

21:23 [Speaking in Bona East]

21:25 He says they are currently living with snakes and other dangerous animals in the bushes,

21:48 a situation that is hindering their movements.

21:51 [Speaking in Bona East]

21:53 These homeless people who have lost personal belongings running into thousands of Ghana Cedis

22:15 are appealing to authorities to come to their aid.

22:19 Reporting for JOYNEWS, Anas Sabit, Fenty Okra.

22:23 Flood victims in Awade Kome in the central Tong district have a heaving a sigh of relief

22:33 after a visit by the Ghana Pharmaceutical Society.

22:36 The Society and the Director General of Health of the Ghana Health Service,

22:43 Dr. Patrick Umabuajo, who taught some of the affected communities in Kanus,

22:47 observed the extent of devastation caused by the Akosombodam spillage.

22:52 Over 200 residents received relief items and medical supplies worth 100,000 Ghana Cedis

22:59 and promised conducting free medical care for affected persons.

23:03 Ivy Setswoji has more.

23:04 The Ghana Pharmaceutical Society led by the regional branch

23:11 who taught some of the affected communities in Kanus,

23:15 apart from the Awade Kome in the central Tong district,

23:20 noticed how devastating the flood was in the area,

23:25 which made life very difficult for the residents.

23:28 Members of the Pharmaceutical Society realized the entire community of Awade Kome

23:35 completely submerged in the water, leaving the community as a ghost town,

23:42 making the river thousand to residents homeless.

23:45 The National President of the Society, Dr. Samuel Eko-Donko,

23:52 who led the team, has been speaking for Joy News.

23:55 We are here now at central Tong,

23:59 in precisely a town called Awade Kome,

24:03 where we've seen the displaced island,

24:08 or people have been displaced from an island.

24:11 It's been an eye-opening experience.

24:13 You hear reports, you read about them,

24:15 but being here, seeing it live, a complete house submerged,

24:19 that's right on my left side, I mean, this is very serious.

24:22 We are now currently maybe on the farmland,

24:26 and the farms are completely gone,

24:28 so you can see the complete livelihood of people gone, just like that.

24:33 It's really a sad story.

24:39 Being an eyewitness to it, I would say it's really a sad story.

24:41 All I would say is that we have to do more to prevent such situations.

24:47 Yes, we will put in the relief items, we will help those who are displaced,

24:51 but we need to have long-term solutions to this.

24:54 I would also want to say, as a country,

24:57 we need to really have an emergency relief fund

25:00 that would always be sitting down.

25:02 In times of needs like this, we need to fall on the emergency relief funds,

25:07 something that will not be so difficult for us to fall on,

25:10 because these funds should be funds that probably are ring-fenced for such a purpose.

25:15 We've just gone through a pandemic,

25:17 which also had a major impact on the country and the economy, which was COVID,

25:22 and we are having floods in some parts of the country.

25:24 All this put together, from our city, I was already recommended

25:28 that the country should have an emergency relief and public health fund set aside,

25:33 purposely to deal with such disasters.

25:36 Aless Gabi Hutodje is the MP for Central Tonga.

25:41 This is our equipment for you, and it's part of my constituency.

25:45 It's an island, it's fully surrounded by water, and within it you still have creeks.

25:51 This is what you see, you see these houses, that is the house of the Assembly member,

25:58 and with the water here, there are even reptiles, like snakes.

26:06 If you don't take time, you can easily be bitten by a snake.

26:09 The fear is that this morning it rained cat and dog,

26:13 so apart from the man-made situation, which brought about the floods,

26:20 the natural element is also wearing its ugly head, and this one we pray to God to save us.

26:28 In the fear of the backbite about the upcoming Togbe Satpite, the faith is appealing to

26:36 government to equip NADMO so they can be able to bring enough relief items to the affected communities.

26:44 I was able to organize a few boats to do the evacuation, and we are safe here now.

26:52 We have a lot of concerns, we have a lot of problems that we need to solve as individuals,

26:59 and we have a lot of problems to solve as a country.

27:02 So I am asking for a lot of help and support from individuals, philanthropists, and corporate organizations.

27:13 Currently, our school is no longer in session.

27:19 The students are in the house, they have to go to school.

27:23 But on that fateful day of evacuation, I did not see anything from NADMO.

27:28 So I'm asking the government to equip NADMO so that they can act, they can have their emergency team.

27:36 I have to raise my own resources with my assembly member to do a whole lot of things.

27:43 And you can see, taking care of about 1,200 people is not a child's play.

27:51 The last time the vice president was here, the assistant director general of NADMO

27:58 lied that he was able to evacuate the people, which he didn't.

28:06 Not even a single life jacket was given.

28:08 I wanted to meet that young man one-on-one, on TV, or anywhere.

28:14 The way he was able to do the evacuation, he should tell us.

28:18 My people know that I am the one with the assembly member who did the evacuation,

28:23 with the help of other chiefs and citizens.

28:27 So I don't know why he would be lying to the whole general public that they were able to

28:34 resource, do the evacuation, and other things.

28:36 The director general of health services, Dr. Patrick Umabwadi, who also

28:41 saw the area, pledged to make sure that affected residents of the flood are provided psychological

28:49 support and adequate health care to make sure that they are able to pull through the traumatic

28:55 experience of the flood.

28:58 We know that you have been psychologically traumatized, and so we have also engaged

29:03 our psychological society, and I believe that this week they will also be here with their

29:09 mental health team to ensure that they provide you the necessary psychological support as

29:14 they have requested.

29:16 The Pharmaceutical Society has already donated hundreds of medical supplies worth 100,000

29:24 Ghana cedis and relief items to all the communities in the Central Tonga District, and promises

29:32 to mobilize more for the affected districts.

29:35 I, Vissa Torji, join you.

29:39 Abaadewelkome.

29:40 The dangerous proximity of Ghalamsi and sand-winding activities near water bodies continue to severely

29:48 impact the operations of the Ghana Water Company Limited, resulting in up to 50% treatment

29:53 losses, particularly in the western region.

29:56 The managing director of the company, Dr. Clifford Breimer, disclosed this during the

30:01 2023 edition of the company's Accounting to the Customer initiative in Accra.

30:06 He emphasized the gravity of the situation, revealing that wastewater from mining firms

30:13 in the western region surpasses the quality of water in the Ghana Water Company Limited's

30:19 reservoirs.

30:20 My colleague, Carlos Kolony, was there for joint news.

30:24 The 2023 Accounting to the Customer event by the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) saw

30:31 the presence of Dr. Freda Pempe, the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, alongside

30:37 a deputy, Amidu Isahaku, Jr.

30:40 It brought together staff and customers from all 13 operational regions to Accra, with

30:46 each region showcasing their innovations aimed at improving water quality and customer satisfaction.

30:53 Speaking at the event, Managing Director of the Ghana Water Company Limited, Dr. Clifford

30:58 Breimer, expressed his concerns about the adverse effects of Galam Sea and sand-winning

31:05 activities, highlighting that wastewater from mining firms surpasses the quality of water

31:12 in the company's reservoirs.

31:14 One is Galam Sea.

31:15 Some of our stations, because of the high turbidity levels, is sort of doing five

31:23 percent process loss, and having 95 percent as clean water pushed into the system, will

31:30 do as much as 50 percent process losses.

31:34 And so between the 95 percent and the 50 percent, the 45 percent, the customers that were supposed

31:42 to supply with it, who is going to do that?

31:45 Water is not available for us to push it.

31:49 And that's the challenge that we have in some of the centers, especially if you go

31:52 to Takwadi.

31:53 It's a big issue for us.

31:56 Surprisingly, the chief manager and his team, I asked them to do a test of the quality of

32:05 the water that the mines discharge and throw away.

32:16 They went to do the tests, and the quality is far better than the one that we have in

32:22 our reservoir that we're supposed to be using to treat it for you.

32:25 Dr. Bremer also pointed out that revenue losses due to illegal connections and illicit dealings

32:31 by some unscrupulous staff and customers are among the significant challenges hindering

32:37 the company's smooth operations.

32:39 A customer had his meter that was not read over a period.

32:48 And our staff had the courage to talk to the customer that the readings on your meter is

33:02 so high that if we want to bill you, you pay more.

33:05 He negotiated with the customer to pay 1,500 out of 3,300 or 3,500.

33:15 And this 1,500 is meant to go into his pockets.

33:18 And knowing to him, he was being monitored from day one.

33:23 Despite these challenges, Dr. Bremer maintained that the company is making substantial progress

33:29 in terms of revenue and water quality.

33:32 2022, we collected 1.235 billion GannaCities as our revenue.

33:43 And we are proud to say that from the auditors, we are qualified to have the ISO 9001-2015.

33:55 And we've been assured that by the end of December, we should have that certification.

34:03 What it means is that the quality of water that we're producing, we can tell you that

34:11 up to your gates, which is our responsibility, is to the standard.

34:15 The company has acquired more than 400 magnetic and ultrasound clamp-on meters,

34:21 which have been installed at 90 water systems to combat water theft.

34:26 Carlos Galoni, JOY News.

34:29 The president of the University of Ghana says it will continue to implement its latest policy

34:36 of reserving all traditional halls on campus for first-year students.

34:41 The Old Vandals Association has taken the management of the university to court

34:45 over claims the policy will eventually convert the all-male facility into a mixed one.

34:51 Reacting to the concerns, however, Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana,

34:56 Professor Nanaba Pia Amfo, says the school is only implementing residential policies,

35:02 which is aiming to protect the most vulnerable sect of the university community.

35:07 She also advised university alumni to refrain from forcing their views on university management.

35:14 Those outside that this management by my good self has turned the hall into a mixed hall

35:26 or had the intention to turn the hall into the mixed hall.

35:31 Nothing like that has ever come up in all the discussions,

35:36 in all the committee discussions and the eventual council decision.

35:41 What the policy that we put out there, which we are implementing,

35:47 is for us to reserve the traditional halls for our first-year students.

35:54 And that's that happens right here in this country and other institutions.

36:00 You go to KNUS, you go to UCC, that's exactly what happens.

36:04 We are rather late coming to this late in the day.

36:07 And that's what happens all over the world.

36:09 You give priority to your most vulnerable students,

36:13 and your most vulnerable students are those who are coming into the institution

36:17 for the very first time.

36:19 With regard to Commonwealth Hall and parts of Mensa Sabah Hall,

36:25 we implemented the, for the other halls, it's a gradual implementation.

36:31 But for these two halls, we implemented the policy fully immediately.

36:37 Also because of the disturbances that were going on at the time

36:43 between the students of these two halls.

36:46 So I needed to, yes, I needed to clear the air on that.

36:51 So you still go ahead.

36:55 All the policy is being implemented.

36:58 Which means, technically?

37:01 Oh, which means that these halls and all of the traditional halls

37:08 are reserved for our first-year students and graduate students.

37:13 So you come into the hall, first year level 100.

37:17 After level 100, you would have to leave the hall

37:22 and make room for the new set of fresh students who are coming in.

37:28 So you leave the hall and find accommodation

37:31 in the other halls and hostels on campus.

37:35 The UGL halls and other private hostels on and around campus.

37:40 What do you feel this sense of entitlement,

37:44 if we may have to describe it that way, is coming from or stemming from?

37:48 Is it a matter of ego, prestige, brotherhood, if we can call it as such,

37:57 because the males have dominated over the years?

38:00 Well, Blesed, I told you that this whole matter is in court.

38:03 So, I mean, when we are done with that,

38:06 I'll be happy to sit down with you and have a full conversation around this.

38:12 Because I do not think that you can't.

38:17 We've been joined by the Deputy Ranking Member of Education

38:21 on the Education Committee of Parliament,

38:26 who is himself an old vandal, Dr. Clementa Park.

38:29 Grateful for your time, Doc.

38:31 What do you make of the insistence of the university's decision

38:35 to actually implement its latest policy

38:37 of reserving all traditional halls on campus for first-year students?

38:43 Well, I shall say good morning to you and to viewers.

38:47 Well, I think the management of the University of Ghana

38:53 has every right to, if you like, create and implement policies.

39:01 But the challenge we have is that the university ought to understand

39:08 that management is not the only stakeholder.

39:12 As far as the university is concerned.

39:14 And it is the case with any institution of higher learning.

39:20 I say so because alumni have the role to play,

39:27 and alumni has always played a role.

39:29 Both in terms of mobilizing financial and other support

39:39 to assist the university and universities to achieve their goals and objectives,

39:46 and also intervening when and where necessary.

39:51 I am glad that the Vice-Chancellor, whom I have known for several years,

39:59 in fact, we both studied in Norway.

40:03 We were both at the University of Bergen.

40:08 We both resided in the student hostel.

40:12 I am a senior, by the way.

40:14 And I am glad that she has acknowledged that there is a case in court.

40:22 And she wouldn't want to speak to it in terms of the impasse

40:30 that has brought about that current policy that she spoke to.

40:36 But you see, we have long argued that our whole and our tradition,

40:43 which is obviously an envy of other competitors,

40:46 has been targeted over the years.

40:49 And we are of the opinion that what happened

40:55 on the basis of which this policy was introduced

40:59 was all orchestrated to try and dismantle

41:05 the brotherhood and the fraternity that we enjoy exclusively

41:12 as students and alumni of Commonwealth.

41:16 - The interest of the university to target just one hall.

41:21 - Yes, actually, it is obvious.

41:24 All of this that they are talking about, all of these policies,

41:27 it is all to ensure that there is no quote-unquote continuity

41:33 in terms of students who enter first year and are in Commonwealth Hall,

41:37 so they can go along to final year.

41:40 Because their perception or their analysis suggests that

41:46 when the students are in the hall,

41:50 then the seniors are able to, for lack of a better word,

41:56 indoctrinate the juniors into peculiar ways of being random.

42:03 So by only taking in first year,

42:06 and then saying that after that you need to go and find another hall,

42:12 and that they are only going to bring graduate students,

42:14 they clearly are breaking that learning process

42:22 where seniors will be there to orient and indoctrinate juniors,

42:27 which then keeps our tradition going.

42:29 So all of it, I really meant to target at Commonwealth.

42:32 I can say that without any fear or fever of contradiction.

42:35 - The university says their decision aims at protecting

42:39 the vulnerable sects of the university.

42:42 What would you have had the university do

42:44 in the current situation it finds itself?

42:48 - Well, the university doesn't have a problem.

42:52 This is not the first time that we have had challenges on campus.

42:57 And it is not only confined to the University of Ghana.

43:01 And it is not only confined to Commonwealth against Sabah

43:06 or Commonwealth against Ligon.

43:07 I mean, it happens in UCC.

43:11 It happens in the KNUST.

43:16 And even in the renowned universities in other parts of the world,

43:22 if you were to look at the history of Cambridge and Oxford,

43:25 they have fraternities.

43:27 It is not unusual.

43:29 But the reason why we feel targeted

43:33 is because of what happened and how it was dealt with.

43:38 How is it that you claim that there was a fight

43:46 between members of Commonwealth Hall and another hall?

43:50 You were not able to provide evidence, even when we challenged you.

43:53 And yet you went ahead to suspend the hall master

43:58 and tutor of Commonwealth Hall.

44:00 And to suspend students from that hall.

44:05 Without providing the evidence, you have gone on to act on a report

44:11 that was written by a committee whose composition

44:20 and work we have even contested.

44:22 So all of these matters we are taking to court.

44:24 So if you look at the circumstances, the context,

44:28 the reaction of the university,

44:30 their inability to answer questions that, you know,

44:34 the old Commonwealth assistants had presented,

44:37 their inability to provide the evidence,

44:40 because they claim that they had CCTV and all of that.

44:43 And we have all of those pieces of evidence.

44:47 We never made them available.

44:48 - I'm sure.

44:49 - And we know for a fact that on that fateful day,

44:52 on our side of the information we had,

44:55 there were batch loads of young men who were brought on campus

45:02 who were not members of Commonwealth Hall.

45:04 - Well, that's your word against that of the university.

45:07 We are hoping that this matter will definitely be settled in the court.

45:12 Dr. Clementa Park is a deputy ranking member

45:15 of the Education Committee of Parliament.

45:17 Let's take a break on Joanie's desk,

45:19 and we'll return, there's business.

45:20 (upbeat music)

45:26 - Hello, my name is Emma Davis.

45:28 Let's do some business news.

45:30 Technology company, Tecno, has unveiled

45:32 the Tecno Future Star Initiative

45:35 in collaboration with University of Ghana.

45:37 The scholarship program is poised to recognize

45:40 and support the remarkable talent

45:42 of undergraduate students across Africa

45:45 who are driving technology change.

45:47 The scholarship program is worth 100,000 CDs.

45:50 There's more in this report.

45:51 - Has introduced a scholarship scheme

45:55 dubbed Tecno Future Star Initiative

45:58 in partnership with the University of Ghana

46:00 College of Humanities.

46:02 The scholarship scheme is an initiative

46:04 that embodies the very essence

46:05 of Tecno Ghana's mission and values,

46:08 a journey that is not only significant,

46:10 but transformative.

46:12 The Tecno Future Star Initiative

46:14 is an exceptional scholarship program

46:16 designed to empower and inspire young talent

46:19 majoring in STEM subjects.

46:21 As part of this initiative, Tecno will be awarding

46:24 100,000 Ghana CDs worth of scholarships

46:27 to 20 deserving students.

46:29 - We are looking no further than where to get knowledge.

46:33 And so, investing in knowledge,

46:34 I mean, you can never go at a loss

46:36 because you are giving people the knowledge

46:39 to survive on Earth.

46:41 And so, choosing Legon and choosing education

46:44 is just a right we should keep back.

46:45 - Professor Daniel Frempon-Rufuri

46:47 is the provost, College of Humanities, Legon.

46:50 - It's an extremely important initiative.

46:54 It's a trailblazing initiative.

46:56 We call it the first of its kind

46:58 that Tecno has entered into in any country

47:01 and in any university.

47:04 So here at the College of Humanities,

47:07 we consider ourselves as the pacesetters.

47:09 -

47:13 Ecobank Ghana has pledged to support education projects

47:16 in the country.

47:17 As part of its 10-year anniversary,

47:19 the bank will refurbish the computer laboratory

47:22 of the South Laboni Girls' Technical Institute.

47:26 According to the acting managing director, Joanna Mensah,

47:30 the gesture is aimed at developing

47:32 the digital skills of students

47:34 to keep them abreast with the growing technological world.

47:37 -

47:38 Ghana, as part of its corporate social responsibility,

47:42 plans to improve teaching and learning

47:43 in the South Laboni Girls' Technical Institute.

47:46 The donation forms part of the bank's commitment

47:49 to sponsor the school to facilitate effective learning

47:52 and research.

47:53 In an interview,

47:54 managing director of Ecobank, Joanna Mensah,

47:56 said the development of the digital skills of students

47:59 remains critical.

48:00 - Basically, Ecobank wants to support,

48:04 you know, social activities

48:06 and also help to bring the poor,

48:09 you know, up and also develop the community.

48:12 So corporate social responsibility

48:15 is usually the theme of this Ecobank day.

48:20 So this year, the theme is Excel with digital skills.

48:24 And so we are here to donate some computers to the school.

48:30 We came to do some inspect 21 computers.

48:33 There's a computer lab who refurbish it

48:36 and then put in the computers

48:38 to help develop the digital skills.

48:40 - Principal of South Laboni Girls' Technical Institute

48:44 and shelter for abused children,

48:45 gifted Tekpo Fung Ecobank for its timely support

48:48 to the school.

48:49 - We've been hoping for this since 2020

48:52 and today has come to reality.

48:54 So we are very grateful.

48:55 Before we lacked so many things

48:57 to help us train these young ones under our care.

49:01 But when we wrote to Ecobank Ghana,

49:03 they responded to our request

49:06 and then came down here to supply us

49:08 with things that we're not even expecting.

49:10 They are going to renovate about four classrooms for us,

49:13 finish with the furniture

49:16 and then our ICT lab is going to be well equipped.

49:19 So we are very grateful.

49:20 It's a dream come true for the institution.

49:23 We have to maintain it so that it goes a long way

49:25 to support even the next generation.

49:28 So as we call on them and they responded,

49:30 we know when we call on to other institutions,

49:32 they also continue to support us

49:33 to maintain the equipment donated to us.

49:38 - The school was able to uphold

49:39 a good maintenance culture.

49:40 - That's all for business.

49:44 My name is Emma Davis.

49:46 For more business news,

49:47 do log on to myjoyonline.com.

49:49 (upbeat music)

49:54 - And that's how we wrap up the bulletin this morning.

49:57 My name is Aisha Ibrahim.

49:58 Log on to myjoyonline.com.

50:00 There's more of the news and updates

50:01 of all the developing stories.

50:03 See you again.

50:04 (upbeat music)

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