According to the Marine Police Command, the trafficking ring, who were coming from Ada in the Greater Accra Region, were on board an artisanal fishing boat heading to Conakry when they were busted by the patrol team.

[contextly_sidebar id=”vV6oogblkYsayTEDGcHnKub8CECFNPOd”]The Director in charge of the Marine Police Unit, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Seidu Iddi, confirmed the arrest when he briefed the media in Takoradi in the Western Region.

He explained that because the Marine Unit could not immediately move the suspects from the high seas to the shore during the arrest, they had to fall on the Takoradi Port to assist them with a bigger boat to aid the movement of the 51 and their boat from the high seas to the Takoradi Port anchorage.

ACP Seidu Iddi said the preliminary investigations carried out by the command suggest the traffickers were carrying along equipment suspected of being used in small-scale and illegal mining expedition.

He, however, could not readily mention the type of equipment that was on board the vessel, except to indicate that subsequent investigations would unravel the facts.

He said the command would ascertain those facilitating the traffickers’ movement from Ghana to Guinea.

At the moment, he said all the 51 would be detained pending court action.

He said they are being dispatched to the various police stations ahead of prosecution due to the smaller nature of the Marine Police.

Established in 2014, the Marine Police Unit has been in charge of patrolling the territorial waters of the country.

Monday’s arrest, the command noted, was part of the usual patrol carried out by the command.

–

Source: The Finder

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The meeting forms part of measures to liaise with relevant authorities to find decent jobs for the girls who are mostly trafficked to Ghana to engage in such illegal activities.

[contextly_sidebar id=”5nKwVtBpLBKoPS4eXtZ8Cq4A5n8jqVFg”]Efforts are also underway to repatriate girls who have been trafficked to Ghana to engage in commercial sex work.

Olufemi Micheal Abikoye is outraged at the increasing number of Nigerian citizens engaging in illicit activities in some parts of Ghana.

The High Commissioner cited cyber-crime, prostitution and child trafficking, as some nefarious acts Nigerian nationals living in Ghana were engaging in.

He made the remarks at the Ceeta-Kel hotel in Kumasi as part of his tour to meet the Nigerian community in the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions, as well as city authorities in both regions.

245 suspected drug peddlers, prostitutes arrested in Ashanti

Mr. Abikoye also met police in the Ashanti region after over thirty (30) female Nigerian sex workers and child-traffickers were arrested by the command in a massive swoop.

He said it was high time the Nigerian community in Ghana supported the High Commission to work at nipping such negative activities in the bud.

He indicated that, the activities of these young girls were denting the image of Nigeria.

“Let’s face the truth, let’s talk to ourselves as Nigerians. Go and see what aged 14, 15 little girls are doing here. I mean, I am a parent and it is something that bothers my heart that can make me cry. How can a 10-year old, a 12-year old girl be engaging in this type thing. I am going there. Is that the place I should be going? Is that what I should do as High Commissioner?”

He expressed concern about how teenage girls who have been trafficked from Nigeria to Ghana are engaging in commercial sex work.

Ashanti Regional Police Commander, COP Ken Yeboah, told Citi News the meeting discussed ways to send young girls trafficked from Nigeria back home.

He said some of the girls the police arrested were sent back to custody after they were screened.

COP Yeboah disclosed that police have begun investigations to identify persons behind the trafficking of the young girls.

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By: Hafiz Tijani Citifmonline.com/Ghana

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He has opined that the move amounts to “treading on constitutional and human rights landmines because our constitution guarantees freedom of movement, and it is difficult to place a ban on people especially when they are qualified to travel, they are of age and they are travelling with an adult”.

[contextly_sidebar id=”m6QAKvfngY9yEgOPP7JzaWZcIO3NNCJb”]“Most countries would warn their nationals about the dangers in certain countries and the fact that it will be extremely difficult to come to their aid when they are in trouble: you can only advise”, he added.

Chief Superintendent Palmdeti who was speaking exclusively to Citi News rather called for urgent extradition agreements on prosecuting people who commit human trafficking offences between Ghana and her Gulf Region stakeholders in the fight against trafficking.

In late May this year, government announced it has suspended recruitment of Ghanaians for domestic work in the Gulf countries as a way of curbing the negative issues associated with the practice, after some of the agents were arrested.

However, the Central Regional Commander has the view that the key among all the elements of human trafficking offences is exploitation and argued that establishing the element of exploitation is vital in prosecuting perpetrators.

He posits signing extradition agreements with those countries could help in establishing exploitation and all other elements for effective prosecuting in human trafficking cases.

“For example, Ghana and Qatar could sign a bilateral agreement on extradition, so when a crime is committed in Ghana by someone from Qatar, we could try the person here or Qatar could call the person to be tried in Qatar, and the reverse is possible, but what will happen is all the evidence would be put together”, he cited.

Such a collaboration, he indicates, will facilitate the fight, especially when the issue has become a massive cross-border challenge.

Shelters for Victims

Chief Superintendent Palmdeti has also decried the unavailability of facilities for victims of human trafficking, deported Ghanaians and other distressed people, suggesting there is the need for such structures in the country to serve multi-purpose needs.

Making reference to recent media reports on complaints by some trafficked ladies who were rescued and kept at a private shelter at Awutu Bireku in the Central Region, he suggested there should be a combined project by the Immigration Service, Refugee Board, National Disaster Management Authority and others to build a shelter each in every Region to serve as a temporary abode for distressed people that fall under the agencies involved.

Plans for Central Region

The Commander, who got posted to the Region in May 2017, has revealed the Immigration Service will, in the coming days, roll out diverse programmes to shape its work in the Region.

He noted the service has already begun a vigorous sensitization programme on human trafficking within the Region and across it, mostly on trafficking of children in the fishing and farming communities.

With fisher folks along the Region’s coast as key stakeholders in the sensitisation, Chief Superintendent Palmdeti noted the campaign has started to yield results.

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By: Joseph Ackon-Mensah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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This was contained in a statement signed by the Deputy Head of Communications, at the Ministry.

The Ministry of Energy and Petroleum has agreed with the public concerns on the high cost of the premises recently rented by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) as offices.

According to the Minister, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, ‘’if the NPA ‘s  office was rented at $63,000 per month as has been reported, then that hardly represents prudent use of state resources, no matter how conducive or appropriate the facility is for their operations.’’

‘’The Minister would be demanding from the Board and management of the NPA an explanation for such a decision, especially the consideration that went into a decision that runs at variance with philosophy and preferences of His Excellency the President as far as the use of public funds concerned,’’ Mr. Buah stated.

The public is assured that the Ministry will do everything possible to get to the bottom of this matter.

Credit: Energy Ministry

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According to him, companies such as General Electric and Symbion Power among others will undertake projects that will add about 1450 mega watts to the national grid.

He said this when the United States signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the government of Ghana to define the parameters of investment in the energy sector .

Speaking at a press conference after the signing, Energy Minister Emmanuel Kofi Buah indicated the intervention of the new power providers will benefit the country immensely.

He also expressed the hope that Ghana will be able to have enough opening that will allow enough generation of power saying “we are hoping that we will be able to have enough opening that allow on annual basis enough generation and modernize our transmission infrastructure so that we don’t have the challenges that we see.”

This he said will also help the country in the long term.

The Energy Minsiter said his ministry is not only committed to addressing the country’s challenges but is also working to make Ghana a net exporter of power in the sub region.

Many parts of the country have been undergoing blackouts and load-shedding due to the low supply of gas from Nigeria.

Athough the Volta River Authority (VRA) has said it generates the required amount of power to end the load shedding and the frequent power outages soon, the problem is yet to end.

An Energy Research firm, KITE has also warned that Ghana is likely to be hit with another phase of severe power crises next year if rainfall for this year remain the same or lower than the previous year.

By: Marian Efe Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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