"Cultural practices not corresponding with constitution are illegal" - CHRAJ

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K B 10 years ago

Why is Mohammed called a prophet? Did he prophecy? What did he prophecy about?

Why is Mohammed called a prophet? Did he prophecy? What did he prophecy about?
insight to the bone 10 years ago

in our country the voice of reason can not be heard as the decision makers , stakeholders and politics are so polarized through tribalism and other mud slinging propaganda that the truth and common sense have become irreleva ...
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in our country the voice of reason can not be heard as the decision makers , stakeholders and politics are so polarized through tribalism and other mud slinging propaganda that the truth and common sense have become irrelevant . the ministry of agric is notorious for the the fact that the minister and chief director there are the most corrupt callous characters in the govt today. every nation that has achieved development has put in checks and balances that rectify mistakes or evil tendencies , our leaders first make sure these checks and balances are eliminated whether by declaring president for life or one party states like nkrumah did or by putting strange immunity or indemnity clauses in the constitution like rawlings did. if there is no accountability there can be responsibility and a vicious circle of corruption , disunity and open crimes are committed but none of this ruling oligarchy will ever be made to pay for their atrocities. our country and her citizens produce tens of billions but poverty is the daily lot of most of our citizens as the system of divide and rule has been perfected , our gold and other natural resources leave the country but no a single dollar comes back to benefit our people , our diaspora of over 10 to 15 million is not involved in development rather when they come they are financially raped by all from their own relatives with ridiculous demands for electronic gadgets and school fees to the state organized mafia institutions with tribally biased evil agendas . a nation not unified or focused on matters of national importance are doomed to failure . the quiet majority are being exploited and raped on a daily basis but due to the govt sponsored propaganda and lies are unable to see things clearly and act . yes we have a hopeless depressing future ahead due to our own laziness , non action and cowardice of thought. nobody is interested in investigating the truth for themselves or even questioning the most obvious crimes. jj has proclaimed k4 a corrupt individual yet after superpowers investigated they rewarded him by appointing him special envoy , jj will not go to jail for his false declaration rather in the madness and with his tribal hegemony chauvinistic support will be declared a hero and not for inciting hatred against another leader who will most likely end up in a pool of blood like mills .the tragedy is far from over as mahama and his lies only continue this trend , mr all talk and no action is busy taking us on another jolly ride to despair and hopelessness . the only solution is a cleansing war or revolution which will ensure that the country is divided up so we all get a fresh start , no point in fixing whats too broken to repair
VASCO 10 years ago

ONLY INWARD LOOKING PEOPLE LIKE EWES ARE UPHOLDING THIS STUPID CULTURE.YET THEY COMPARE THEMSELVES TO THE CIVILIZED ONES.

ONLY INWARD LOOKING PEOPLE LIKE EWES ARE UPHOLDING THIS STUPID CULTURE.YET THEY COMPARE THEMSELVES TO THE CIVILIZED ONES.
HABLUTA SENYO 10 years ago

THEY BELIEVE IS OKEY FOR THE ITALIANS COME TO GHANA WITH BIBLE TO ABUSE GHANAIAN SMALL BOY DESTROYED THEIR ASS
AFRICA WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.WITH BULLSHIT DEMOCRACY/SO CALLED HUMAN RIGHTS.ONLY GOD CAN SAVE OUR NATION GHANA.

THEY BELIEVE IS OKEY FOR THE ITALIANS COME TO GHANA WITH BIBLE TO ABUSE GHANAIAN SMALL BOY DESTROYED THEIR ASS
AFRICA WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.WITH BULLSHIT DEMOCRACY/SO CALLED HUMAN RIGHTS.ONLY GOD CAN SAVE OUR NATION GHANA.
GHANABA 10 years ago

HOW MANY PEOPLE IN GHANA CAN READ THAT STUPID PLAGIARIZED "AMERICAN CONSTITUTION" IMPOSED ON US? IF TROKOSI IS WRONG BAN IT,BUT DON"T TELL US TO DITCH EVERY ASPECT OF OUR CULTURE TO SUIT THE CONSTITUTION.

HOW MANY PEOPLE IN GHANA CAN READ THAT STUPID PLAGIARIZED "AMERICAN CONSTITUTION" IMPOSED ON US? IF TROKOSI IS WRONG BAN IT,BUT DON"T TELL US TO DITCH EVERY ASPECT OF OUR CULTURE TO SUIT THE CONSTITUTION.
MINOR CASE 10 years ago

Where are Voodoo Xebieso and other Trokosi apologists ? Their cherished culture is banned .Hurray.

Where are Voodoo Xebieso and other Trokosi apologists ? Their cherished culture is banned .Hurray.
Kojo T 10 years ago

Trokosi is a practice of ritual servitude to shrines in parts of the Volta Region, Togo and Benin by young virgins, especially for supposed misdeeds by members of their families Some of you call Voltarians Trokosi. Catholics ...
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Trokosi is a practice of ritual servitude to shrines in parts of the Volta Region, Togo and Benin by young virgins, especially for supposed misdeeds by members of their families Some of you call Voltarians Trokosi. Catholics have Nuns who are female and they devote their life to God What is the difference?
we are Multitude 10 years ago

Not all those from the volta region are trokosis you must know that, those from the northern volta are not ewes so they are not trokosis get it clear.Volta region is not for ewes there are some akans and guans who are part o ...
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Not all those from the volta region are trokosis you must know that, those from the northern volta are not ewes so they are not trokosis get it clear.Volta region is not for ewes there are some akans and guans who are part of it, the southern part is what belongs to you the trokosis.You are talking too much in Ghana like you have a whole region like Ashanti but you can't compare yourselves to the Ashantis since they have some of their citizens in the west, east, BA, northern volta and even Greater Accra and the central regions whiles you occupy just a half of a region, give us a break ! Y'abre mo.
YOOMOBEGA 10 years ago

What about female circumcision by the Moslems? Is that sanctioned by the Constitution?

What about female circumcision by the Moslems? Is that sanctioned by the Constitution?
poneyin 10 years ago

laws in ghana are subject to intepration. I dont think the statement made by this officer can stand the test of time in the supreme court where SHALL in the constitution can have different meanings,

laws in ghana are subject to intepration. I dont think the statement made by this officer can stand the test of time in the supreme court where SHALL in the constitution can have different meanings,
.. 10 years ago

DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE LOOTING OF STATE RESOURCES AND THE TAX PAYER'S MONIES BY OUR LEADERS AND LEAVE OUR CULTURAL PRACTICES ALONE, YOU ONE EYED JUDGES.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE LOOTING OF STATE RESOURCES AND THE TAX PAYER'S MONIES BY OUR LEADERS AND LEAVE OUR CULTURAL PRACTICES ALONE, YOU ONE EYED JUDGES.
kofi 10 years ago

CHRAJ is a useless institution. Corruption, nepotism, sexual harassment of school kids by teachers, and abuse of public office and trust are rampant. What is this organization doing?

CHRAJ is a useless institution. Corruption, nepotism, sexual harassment of school kids by teachers, and abuse of public office and trust are rampant. What is this organization doing?
JH New York 10 years ago

Those who wrote the Constitution were in Tie
and Coats and spoke English through out their deliberations.Did they know what is Tradition and other Cultural practices?.By the way Mr Mensah,can you tell us the English
name o ...
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Those who wrote the Constitution were in Tie
and Coats and spoke English through out their deliberations.Did they know what is Tradition and other Cultural practices?.By the way Mr Mensah,can you tell us the English
name of "Trokosi" please.
It is an offence for the Traditional Chief to
slaughter a Sheep/Goat or to celebrate their Festivals because it's not enshrined in the constitution and therefore it is illegal.
Mr Daniel Mensah,do you see how illogical
your open statement is.It does not make Sense since the Traditions of the people is not fully or extensively covered in the
Constitution.
I'm responding to Daniel Mensah's statement, but not a support for the practice.
C.Y. ANDY-K 10 years ago

GHANA'S TROKOSI REVISITED
Date:
2005 June 23, 16:17 (Thursday)

Canonical ID:
05ACCRA1226_a
Original Classification:
CONFIDENTIAL

Current Classification:
CONFIDENTIAL
Handling Restrictions:
-- Not Assigned --
...
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GHANA'S TROKOSI REVISITED
Date:
2005 June 23, 16:17 (Thursday)

Canonical ID:
05ACCRA1226_a
Original Classification:
CONFIDENTIAL

Current Classification:
CONFIDENTIAL
Handling Restrictions:
-- Not Assigned --

Character Count:
4094
Executive Order:
-- Not Assigned --

Locator:
TEXT ONLINE
TAGS:
EAID - Economic Affairs--Foreign Assistance | ELAB - Economic Affairs--Labor and Manpower; Labor Sector Affairs | GH - Ghana | KDEM - Democratization | PHUM - Political Affairs--Human Rights | SOCI - Social Affairs--Social Conditions

Concepts:

Office Origin:
-- N/A or Blank --

Office Action:
ACTION AF

Archive Status:
-- Not Assigned --
From:
Ghana Accra

Markings:
-- Not Assigned --
To:
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) | Secretary of State

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B. ACCRA 02661 Classified By: Amb. Mary C. Yates for reasons 1.5 (b, d) 1. (C) Summary: After another investigation of the issue, Post has been unable to find evidence of systematic human rights abuses in the traditional Trokosi practice. Fewer than 50 Trokosis are currently serving in shrines, and Trokosi is a dying practice. Some organizations have used fraudulent allegations of sexual abuse and forced detention of Trokosis to attract donor funding. Some religious and NGO activists are calling for the "liberation" of hundreds of alleged Trokosi victims in July 2005 in what could be another ruse to attract donor support and funding. End summary.

- A HISTORY OF FRAUD

- 2. (C) Trokosi is a traditional religious practice in which families send a family member to be trained at a fetish shrine for a period lasting from several weeks to three years to atone for an offense committed by a family member or to obtain divine assistance with fertility. Families predominantly choose to send girls, often a virgin, sometimes under the age of 10 but more frequently in her teens. 3. (C) In the late 1970s, missionaries began attempting to convert practitioners of these traditional African beliefs. By 1997, the religious organization International Needs Ghana (ING) garnered support from international media and NGOs in its campaign to end Trokosi. ING alleged that as many as 5,000 Trokosi girls in Ghana were forced to labor on shrine priests' farms, detained against their will, denied schooling and medical treatment, and subjected to physical and sexual abuse. The Embassy began to treat Trokosi as a serious human rights abuse in its annual Human Rights Report. In 1999, ING's most prominent Trokosi victim won the Reebok Human Rights award and coverage in Newsweek. That year, post granted ING $10,000 to support its anti-Trokosi campaign. 4. (C) Post's six previous investigations since 2001 (see reftels) suggest that ING recruited 2,200 women, many of whom were not genuine Trokosis, to participate in mock liberations. Participants were offered $28 each and told they could attend ING's vocational training schools in exchange for their "liberation." ING was assisted by Ghana's leading human rights body, the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) who received hundreds of dollars in honoraria for participating in these events. National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) representatives also received payments. Even the Reebok award winner who claimed she was sexually abused later disavowed her story to embassy officials. ------------------------ CURRENT CLAIMS OF ABUSES ------------------------ 5. (C) ING's claims were widely discredited, the organization adopted a lower profile, and an international observer who has lived and visited Klikor numerous times told us ING's Volta Region representatives now steer clear of Trokosi and have taken up other causes. However, Every Child Ministries (ECM), the Rescue Foundation and the International Humanitarian Campaign Against the Exploitation of Children have made fresh allegations of widespread abuses. 6. (C) On April 27-30, Poloff and PolFSN visited the Volta Region to investigate these allegations. Based on post's research and interviews, the current allegations of widespread human rights abuses appear baseless. 7. (C) The Afrikan Renaissance Mission (ARM), the umbrella organization for African traditional believers and practitioners, recognizes 23 Trokosi shrines in the Volta Region. Several of these shrines are inactive because the priests have died and are not being replaced. Even the most active shrines had no more than three Trokosis serving. ARM leaders told Poloff that organizations staging

References to this document in other cables References in this document to other cables
09ACCRA1339

If the reference is ambiguous all possibilities are listed.
C.Y. ANDY-K 10 years ago

Whereas I remain adamantly opposed to trokosi and all forms of religious practices that abuse the rights of and dehumanise the individual, it is my firm contention that the few instances of trokosi still remaining, quite agai ...
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Whereas I remain adamantly opposed to trokosi and all forms of religious practices that abuse the rights of and dehumanise the individual, it is my firm contention that the few instances of trokosi still remaining, quite against the law banning it in Ghana in 1999, are doing more damage to our images than any good. There is a law banning trokosi and IT MUST BE ENFORCED, PERIOD! Leave the damn Constitution alone!

The vested interests who have been benefiting from it by refusing to enforce the law against it, which vested interest include this very CHRAJ too, as revealed in the Wikileaks report I've just posted, should be ashamed of themselves! Conscienceless and unconscionable savages! What did they do with the 1000s of dollars they received by shouting trokosi! trokosi! and parading volunteers who were not trokosis and indulging in mock "liberation" exercises to fool the gullible white people? Of course, the white people conducted their own investigations and found out that they were just being defrauded!

I intend to write a full article denouncing all concerned in this charade.

Andy-K
JH New York 10 years ago

It is necessary for Officials of
Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice(CHRAJ) to Study the reasons behind our Tradition/Cultural laws and practices,
if they aspire to work with CHRAJ.Just holding a Univers ...
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It is necessary for Officials of
Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice(CHRAJ) to Study the reasons behind our Tradition/Cultural laws and practices,
if they aspire to work with CHRAJ.Just holding a University degree in law is not enough.Otherwise,the results would be not knowing what you think/ talk about in cases which involves T/C practices.
In the then Gold Coast,Women were mostly housewifes.The few who worked were Teachers,Nurses,mainly Traders, Cooks etc
Income in all categories were nothing to talk home about.And there was/is nothing like
Insurance for married couples to this day.
Therefore,at the demise of the man,the economic and financially handicapped Woman with Children,is not inhumanely left to
fend for themselves.
So the Woman is put in the Care of the deceased brother ,if any,or any of the relatives in a form of marriage,so as for the brother to take charge of the Woman and the Children.
This is common in all ethnic groups of the Country without exception.
It is worthy of notes that this type of marriage is not compulsory and the Woman is not under bondage to marry against her will in the Akan traditional practice.The Woman reserve
the right to opt out or agree to it.
May I know what is"dehumanizing" about this
"wife inheritance"!. It's Crystal clear that our forefathers were not diabolical.They had simple Common sense approach to resolve pitiful problems.And I'm amazed that the
Volta Region is singled out against that
practice. Ah well,maybe it's compulsory in that part of the Country,I have no idea.
Kofi 10 years ago

That so-called constitution written to suit one man came to meet our culture. We are defined by our culture not that stupid constitution.

That so-called constitution written to suit one man came to meet our culture. We are defined by our culture not that stupid constitution.
JH New York 10 years ago

Exactly.
Thank you !

Exactly.
Thank you !
Teacher 10 years ago

Eiii. Asem aba. So how are the kings going to be buried now? Let their coffins be buried with monkey heads? Hahaaha

Eiii. Asem aba. So how are the kings going to be buried now? Let their coffins be buried with monkey heads? Hahaaha

"Cultural practices not corresponding with constitution are illegal" - CHRAJ

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