The Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP), Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, says Ghanaians should be weary of human traffickers who are increasingly abandoning traditional recruitment methods for sophisticated online scams, fake job advertisements and social media platforms to lure vulnerable Ghanaians, especially the youth, into exploitation.
She said traffickers were exploiting the digital space to deceive unsuspecting victims with false promises of employment, education, overseas migration and sporting opportunities that ultimately led to exploitation.
“We are witnessing a dangerous shift from traditional methods to digital platforms, where vulnerable persons, especially the youth, are deceived through fake job offers, online relationships and fraudulent migration opportunities,” she stated.
Delivering the keynote address at a national symposium to commemorate this year’s World Day Against Trafficking in Persons in Accra yesterday, Dr Lartey said the changing nature of trafficking required governments, technology platforms, educators, parents and communities to respond with equal innovation and vigilance.
“The fight against human trafficking cannot be won by government alone. Parents must remain vigilant, communities must speak out, the media must expose trafficking without sensationalising it, and every Ghanaian must understand that silence protects traffickers, while reporting suspicious activities saves lives,” she urged.
Dr Lartey said the government remained resolute in tackling human trafficking, noting that 2,331 victims were rescued in 2025, the highest number recorded in the past five years.
She added that 134 offenders were convicted for cybercrime, trafficking and exploitation-related offences, while 54 others were convicted for human trafficking and child labour offences arising from 222 investigated cases.
The Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Operations and Command Post at the Ghana Immigration Service, DCGI Faisal Disu, said the service had arrested 29 suspects in human trafficking operations over the past two weeks.
He said 79 male and 93 female victims had been rescued, while 17 additional suspects were arrested on Monday, July 27.
“To date, 10 perpetrators have been convicted. Two paid court-issued fines, while eight are currently serving custodial sentences of between seven and eight years,” he disclosed.
DCGI Disu reaffirmed the commitment of the GIS to protecting Ghana’s borders while safeguarding the dignity and rights of all persons.
For her part, the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Commissioner of Police Lydia Yaako Donkor, noted that the service was strengthening its capacity to respond to increasingly sophisticated human trafficking networks.
She called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders, assuring that, “the CID remains unwavering in its commitment to enforce the Human Trafficking Act without fear or favour.”
This year’s World Day Against Trafficking in Persons was observed globally on the theme: ‘Human Trafficking: Trapped Behind the Scam.’
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
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Stop burning waste to protect public health
— Experts
BY TIMES REPORTER
Open waste burning caused more than 32,000 deaths in Ghana in 2023, making it the country’s second leading cause of death after high blood pressure, according to the 2025 State of Global Air report.
The report indicated that household pollution from solid fuels and waste accounted for about two-thirds of the deaths linked to open waste burning.
The findings were disclosed on Wednesday during the Breathe Adentan campaign held at the Frafraha Community Senior High School in the Adentan Municipality of the Greater Accra Region.
The report further revealed that in the Adentan Municipality, about one-third of households that have access to waste collection services still burn excess waste in dug-out pits.
It said the practice was contributing to persistent coughs among children and worsening asthma cases.
According to the report, one in three households at Adentan with regular waste collection services still resort to burning waste instead of disposing of it properly.
The engagement formed part of efforts to sensitise students, described as future leaders, to champion clean air through the campaign theme: ‘The ‘borla’ you burn, your family breathes.’
“Students are messengers; they move between classrooms and homes, bringing what they learn to others. Engaging schools is a strategic effort that plants the seeds for today’s students to become tomorrow’s household decision-makers, community leaders and Breathe Adentan Ambassadors of Clean Air long after the campaign ends,” the report stated.
The Team Lead for the campaign, Dr Vincent Kyere, described air pollution as an existential threat and urged residents to adopt safe and healthy environmental practices.
“The solution is not only for policymakers but also for each household deciding whether to burn or wait, to separate waste or set it ablaze. Breathe Adentan aims to empower residents by providing awareness and alternatives to solve problems they alone can fix,” he indicated.
The Assistant Headmistress of Frafraha Community SHS, Ms Augusta Lartey Young, commended Breathe Adentan for partnering with the school to promote clean air.
“The school is always open to initiatives like this from the private sector, because you bring the resources and expertise to drive real behaviour change on social issues in our communities, something we cannot always do alone,” she said.
Ms Young expressed the hope that the partnership would continue to provide students with information and education to help keep the environment clean for future generations.
A Technical Officer at the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Kwaku Anim, reiterated the authority’s commitment to promoting pollution-free communities through the enforcement of regulations, including the Environmental Protection Act, 2025 (Act 1124).
“For us at EPA, the safety and health of communities is at the forefront of our activities and we will ensure all Ghanaians abide by the law to keep our air clean,” he emphasised.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Sustainable Cycles (SCYCLES Ghana), Dr Sampson Manukure Atiemo, encouraged residents to view waste as a resource and practise proper segregation to create opportunities for income generation.