ACILA Releases Report on LGBT Survey

Result of survey, Source: ACILA 

Policy and Education think tank, Africa Centre for International Law and Accountability (ACILA) is set to release the first ever comprehensive survey on lesbianism, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT).

The survey with an estimated sample size of 1,200 using random sampling procedure has produced some interesting findings and analyses which will engage the minds of the Ghanaian public in the coming weeks.

Executive Director of ACILA, Mr. William Nyarko in a discussion stated that no individual or institution is pushing for the legalization of LGBT, but insisted the basic rights of people must exist.

ACILA has already released a teaser of the survey on what the public must expect on Monday and Tuesday 30^th and 31^st July, 2018 at the Coconut Grove Regency Hotel in Accra.

One critical area the research focused was on the health sector. Under this section, people’s beliefs were put into test against LGBT issues. Respondents, consisting Christians, Muslims and Traditionalists were asked if they would allow medical practitioners with the perception of being LGBT administer “emergency treatment” on them. Results from respondents were very close.

For instance, three (3) out of ten (10) Christians noted they would reject “emergency medical treatment” from a health practitioner perceived to be LGBT. In the Islamic Religion, four (4) out of (10) respondents noted they would not receive “emergency medical treatment” from a health practitioner whiles in the traditional religion, it was five apiece.

Result of Survey, Source: ACILA 

With respect to gender, four (4) out of ten (10) females were against “emergency treatment” from a health practitioner perceived to be LGBT whiles three out of ten males also shared similar views.

What this survey means is that the sexual orientation of health practitioners does not matter to the Ghanaian patient in the administering of emergency medical treatment. 

However, many of these respondents are against the recognition of LGBT rights in Ghana. 

Another area the research focused was on mob justice. A total of 98 respondents sided that it is the duty of the police to protect every individual from mob injustice. 

However, the survey showed that 72 of them stated that LGBT people should be protected from from mob injustice. 

This tells that, many Ghanaians may consult health staff perceived to be LGBT, but some respondents support mob injustice against them.     

Pollution Alert: Weija Lake Now Refuse Dump Site

Weija Lake encroached & polluted by cottage industries  

A Unit Committee Member at Weija Electoral Area in Weija Gbawe Municipality in the Greater Accra Region and some residents around Weija Lake are accusing the Asafoatse (Chief) in the area, Nii Aryee Pampamku I for polluting the lake by using a portion of land closer to the lake as refuse dump site.   

The member, who spoke to The Manual on condition of anonymity for fear of being victimized, noted that in recent times, both the military and police personnel on some occasions have been to the dumping site to warn the people engaged in the activity, but they have always returned to resume work.

This, the residents and the committee member believed there is higher political undertone that is enabling the activity to go on unstopped. 

The Manual was the area to see firsthand and noticed the level of irresponsible dumping of refuse in the lake and what we found out was jaw dropping as huge pile of refuse is dumped daily at that sensitive area despite complaints from residents living there. 

Some residents noted that it is unhealthy to use that portion of land very close to the lake as dumping site. Their worry was that should cholera outbreak hit the area, it will have adverse effects on them.

The Assemblyman for the area, Mr. Wilfred Blankson noted that portion of land belongs to the Asafoatse, but the Assembly has not granted him permit to use it as refuse dump site.

Asked why the activity is still ongoing whiles the Chief does not have permit, Mr. Blankson stated that the whole problem is that the area does not have a Municipal Chief Executive (MCE). He added that with the presence of an MCE, things will be done swiftly. 

“That is a multi-million question everybody is asking. The authorities have worked on it; how to stop it, how to go about it, they invited him, he came and provided his indentures. The most important thing is that we don’t have an MCE but the assembly can do something about” the assemblyman said.

Meanwhile, he stated that the Chief had argued he had good intentions for the youths in the community, and if those intentions were true, he sees it as a “laudable idea”, but the manner its being done is the problem.

“The Asafoatse had argued that there is no major source of employment for the youth. He said the place is being used as a dumping site and afterwards the land will be filled with laterite and sealed. After this is done, they will not build on it, but panels will be installed as a company will soon come with heavy equipments to establish factory at the area. Because there are no lands in the district, he [Asafoatse] has taken it upon himself in order to assist the youth in getting jobs. If this is true, fine”, Mr. Blankso added. 

Dumping site: some refused washed into the lake 

In a sharp twist, the Assemblyman was very disappointed and expressed his outmost surprise and shock in the residents. According to him, when the activity started, he brought the press to cover the people’s plight for action to be taken. However, the residents expressed their satisfaction of the activity openly to the media.

“I took him [Asafoatse] on by reporting him to the assembly. I went to Onua FM and Citi FM; we had discussions on that issue. They were at the place with their reporters. Some residents who spoke to the media, however, stated that dumping of refuse at the area is rather helping them because since the activity began, whenever Ghana Water Company Limited spills water, it does not affect them unlike previously”.

“Therefore, the refuse dump at the area is good for them. At that time, I was there with a unit committee member and some colleagues; we were utterly shocked with their response”, he lamented.  

Several attempts have been done to contact the Chief to respond on these issues, but all efforts aimed at reaching him proved futile.

Due to the continuous pollution of the Weija Lake, the Water Resources Commission (WRC) has hinted that the Kasoa toll booth and all illegal structures, including cottage industries around the lake will soon be demolished to protect the river body.

The lake provides 3 million gallons of portable water per day. Twenty-one (21) communities and over 3 million people in Western Accra and Central Region depend on the dam.

Establish Independent Police Complaint Commission to deal with Police unprofessional conduct, ACILA Boss

William Nyarko, ACILA Executive Director

The Executive Director for policy and research think tank - Africa Centre for International Law and Accountability (ACILA), Mr. William Nyarko is urging President Nana Akufo-Addo to establish Independent Police Complaint Commission (IPCC) to deal with Police unprofessional conduct.

President Akufo-Addo after being briefed of an assault case of a policeman brutalizing a customer at a branch of Midland Savings and Loans in Accra coupled with the recent police shooting incident in Asawase in the Ashanti Region mentioned that government will establish a committee of inquiry to look into the events and make recommendations going forward.

It is as a result of this response the Executive Director stepped-in to advice the president that such a committee is needless and urged him to rather concentrate on the implementation of IPCC. 

“Ghana agreed to a recommendation to establish the Independent Police Complaint Commission when its human rights record was reviewed by the UN Human Rights Council in November 2017 and we should follow through and establish the Independent Police Complaint Commission (IPCC)”, Mr. Nyarko stressed.

“Mr. President respectfully we don’t need a ‘conumtea’[committee] to investigate the conduct of police officers, he jovially added.

The Executive Director further noted that instead of establishing a committee on matters like this where final reports of committees have always been left to rot on the shelves, it was important the state allows the criminal justice system to work in bringing unprofessional security personnel to the full rigorous of the law.

“We have to allow the criminal justice system to work by prosecuting these officers and if they are found guilty, they should do time in prison in accordance with due process’, Mr. Nyarko noted. 

Following the Midland Savings and Loans police brutality, the police hierarchy has interdicted the officer involved in the alleged assault case and commenced investigations into the conduct of the police officer.

The assault has resulted in many social media condemnation. Some civil society groups and individuals have come out to condemn the action and have urged stricter punishment to be taken against the policeman Federick Ammanor. 

However, the family of the policemen in an interesting twist apologized to the public and the family of the victim and stated that their relative “usually” beats up women.

WEIJA LAKE NOW REFUSE DUMP SITE: 3 Million Lives at Risk, Kasoa Toll Booth to be Relocated

Hawkers at the Kasoa Toll Booth, area now market

Government will soon give a green light for relocation of the Kasoa Toll Booth, the Manual can reveal with authority.

This is because activities of residents, hawkers and motorists around where the toll booth is located are gradually polluting the Weija Lake.

The lake serves as a source where Ghana Water Company Limited draws and treats water for over three million people in Western Accra and parts of Central Region.

The Manual has established series of human activities including dumping of both solid and liquid waste into the Lake which has now culminated the pollution of the Weija Lake in the Ga South Municipality.

Reports gathered state that the area is ecologically sensitive and it is important the toll booth is moved into a more convenient location whereas all illegal structures along the lake will be demolished in next coming weeks. This is to protect the river body which serves more than 50% of the population of Accra.

Revealing more on this development, Chief Basin Officer of Densu Secretariat of the Water Resources Commission (WRC), Dr. Ronald Abrahams said that the commission had already discussed the matter with the Ga South Municipal Assembly and will soon carry out the project.

     

“What we [WRC] have done is to consult with the Minister for Roads and Highways who is about to give his word on the removal of the toll booth because the toll booth represents some form of encroachment because at the time it was being constructed, the highways did not seek permit from the Ga South Municipal Assembly. They also did not obtain permits from the Environmental Protection Agency before embarking upon the construction of the booth”, he told the Manual. 

 “So we have actually discussed the matter with the Ga South Municipal Assembly and we are moving the toll booth a little further into an area which is not as ecologically sensitive as where it finds itself now’, he added again.

Downstream Polluted Weija Lake

According to him, a team of experts will soon engage measures to get rid of all trading and commercial activities, sale of stone chippings and all forms of activities along the lake. 

To ensure that this project is carried out successfully and maintained to its maximum best, the Densu Chief Officer noted that the area will be fenced-off to prevent encroachment because at the time of construction of the toll booth, such environmental consequences were not considered.

ADVOCACY 

With regards to education and advocacy, Dr. Abrahams noted that the Water Resources Commission has been carrying out some public advocacy on pollution and encroachment, which he noted is a major problem within the Densu Basin and especially around the Weija Lake where Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has been treating water for most of the population of Accra. It was gathered that for over 10 years, the commission had engaged the people around the lake through media programmes and community durbars to sensitize them on the consequences of pollution.  

“Over the years, we have tried to carry out radio panel discussion programmes, TV programmes, community durbars and educative programmes in schools to ensure that residents living in communities along the Weija Lake do not engage in activities that pollutes the water. That has been the trend. Recently, we have tried to instill discipline into the area by clearing structures that are not supposed to be in places that we find them now”, the Chief Basin Officer added.

Asked whether the aim of the commission has been met, Dr. Abrahams said it is to some extent, but insisted that it was important not to cease working because the people they are dealing with are very ‘recalcitrant’ and would therefore have to do more to ensure discipline prevails. 

“It is not appropriate for community people to build in water ways because that is the reasons for flooding in a lot of places in Ghana and Accra in particular. We need to abide by rules and regulations or the law and ensure that people do not go about their day to day actions in disorderly manner”, he noted. 

CHALLENGES

Despite these initiatives by the commission, Dr. Abrahams added that his outfit faces some challenges in the discharge of their duties. One of the challenges he noted, is clearing of illegal structures along the Weija Lake.

He mentioned that it is important such illegal structures at the area are demolished to save the water body.  

“We have carried out some removal of unauthorized structures and this has gone on in several areas. One of the challenges that we face is clearing unauthorized structures; that is demolition the areas that are not supposed to be inhabited by the people. When you clear people after a while; when you think that understanding has come and people will not move back, they move back to the place, he stated.

  

The Manual gathered that the WRC is soliciting funds to immediately begin the second phase of the project. Cottage industries that are springing up along the banks of the lake will all be affected, it was learnt. 

The Chief Basin Officer further added that the people involved in all forms of activities have already been given warning notices and the commission had indicated to them in earlier durbar that where they are doing their businesses was not appropriate.

This according to him will amount to massive threats to the lake.

“We cannot put our fecal matter, urine and garbage in an environment next to massive water body such as what we see here. We need to instill some discipline in the residents in making sure that people do not get the chance to misbehave’’ he said.

Area very close to the dumping site