Category: General

By Charity Nginyu

In a recent statement issued by His Royal Majesty Fon Ngum IV, concerns over the abuse and misuse of traditional titles have been raised within the Oku community.

Addressing the public via his official Facebook handle, the Fon expressed grave concern over the sudden surge of individuals proclaiming themselves as title holders without proper authorization.

‘It has come to notice that several persons have suddenly proclaimed themselves as title holders ranging from appellations such as Shey, Ebchuo Shey, Yaah, Ebchuofai, Bantock, Tantoh just to name a few of such abusive use of titles,’ the Fon stated.

Highlighting the significance of traditional titles within Oku society, the Fon emphasized that titles are bestowed singularly by the Kwifon and the Fon of Oku, and no individual has the authority to self-proclaim or upgrade existing titles.

Furthermore, the Fon highlighted the importance of upholding noble character and behavior among title holders, stating, ‘Title holders are supposed to
be noble in their characters and actions, including behavior. This is what sets the premise for norms and standards within the context of the Oku Society and this must be respected.’

In light of these concerns, His Royal Majesty Fon Ngum IV issued the following directives:

The practice of self-proclamation of titles should cease immediately; All current traditional title holders should adhere to the original title nomenclature as proclaimed by the Kwifon or the Fon and display exemplary lifestyles to sustain the dignity of Oku culture and tradition.

The Traditional Institutions will take drastic measures should the abuse, misuse, and self-proclamation of titles continue to trend.

The Fon concluded by reaffirming the importance of wisdom and stewardship among titleholders, stating, ‘They are supposed to listen more and speak less. This is the foundation of wisdom and our customs put a lot of emphasis on this.’

Source: Cameroon News Agency

Dr Joe Anokye, Director General of the National Communications Authority, says the cause of the undersea submarine cable disruption is yet to be known.?

He said cable landing operators were close to reach the cables to determine exactly what caused the disruption.

‘At the meeting held on Saturday, March 16, 2024, at the NCA Tower, the Cable?

Landing Operators indicated that it would take a minimum of five weeks to repair the faults.

‘Reports from the Operators indicate that the repair vessels are on their way to the problem areas in the high seas of Côte d’Ivoire,’ he said.

Dr Anokye said this during a media briefing on the current state of internet connectivity in the country after March 14 nationwide internet blackout.

He said the internet situation was improving.

Dr Anokye said the three major mobile network operators in Ghana – MTN, Telecel and AT were advised to connect to submarine cables in the subregion as a backup alongside the ones they were connected to in the country’s territory.

He said t
hat would enable them to run their operations effectively anytime they were faced with undersea cable hitch by falling on other connections in the subregion.

Dr Anokye said the NCA as of last year 2023 had licensed a fifth cable landing operator, 2 Africa Cable , which would be in full operations in the first quarter of 2025.

He said the Cable was the only one that circled the entire African continent providing geographical diversity and was far away from the other cables in the high seas.

He added that they were also in the process of licensing broadband network for domestic use to complement those provided by the network operators.

Dr Anokye said those interventions were being put in place by the Authority to ensure that data and internet services did not get disrupted anytime there was an undersea cable challenge.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Reverend Father Theophilus Addo-Botchway, Assisting Priest, Saint Anne Anglican Church, Abeka, has urged Christians to live life of sacrifice as they commemorate Palm Sunday.

In his message themed: ‘My Expensive Sacrifice,’ based on Mark 14: 3, he said Mary Magdalene, who was seen as a sinner, sacrificed expensive oil to prepare for Christ’s death and burial.

That remarkable act, he said, served as an example for Christians to follow by sacrificing something precious unto God.

‘So, as God is about to sacrifice His Son for us, we also have to sacrifice something for Him,’ he said.

He added: ‘In the olden days, the Israelites sacrificed human beings and animals. In our days, Christ has died for us, so we don’t need to sacrifice animals and human beings again.

‘Whatever God has blessed us with, we have to sacrifice that thing for Christ,’ he said.

Rev Addo-Botchway noted that God had blessed His people with many gifts and talents that Christians could apply to serve God.

He urged Christians to help th
e work of God by giving their money, time, and possessions.

Rev Addo-Botchway stressed that: ‘As a Christian, for your sacrifice to be acceptable unto God, you must go deep within your heart and search for the most expensive thing that you can sacrifice unto the Lord.’

Rev Fr Dr Samuel Quartey, the Parish Priest, St Anne Anglican Church, said Palm Sunday signified the bold decision that Jesus took to enter Jerusalem regardless of the consequences that awaited him.

He said Christians must also be bold witnesses for Christ so that others may know the victory of the sacrifice that Christ had brought to mankind.

‘Palm Sunday also teaches us to be humble, loving and steadfast in the Lord, as Christ’s victory is an assurance that even though the Christian life will be full of trials, persecutions and tribulations, through it all, God will be there to save us and bless us,’ he noted.

As Ghana prepared for the 2024 General Election, Rev Quartey called on the country’s political party leaders to let Christ be the
ir example by humbling themselves.

He said: ‘In elections, is either you win or you lose. So when you win, you give glory to God. When you lose too, you give glory to God.

‘It’s God that appoints leaders. It’s God that appointed Jesus to come and die for mankind.

‘As we go into elections, Christians must pray to God for Him to grant the nation victory as He granted Jesus Christ victory over the devil.’

Rev Quartey urged Christians to be channels of peace and unity throughout the elections to maintain the nation’s stability and speed up growth and development.

The Church Choir led the congregation to sing the Passion according to Saint Mathew with meditations on Jesus’ trial, death, victory over sin, and mankind’s reconciliation with God.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ghana Navy Special Boat Squadron, the Ghana Army Special Operations Brigade, and the Fighter Squadron of the Ghana Airforce, on Friday, 22nd March 2024, embarked on a joint operation exercise.

The exercise, which formed part of 2024 Exercise Sea Lion, included an amphibious landing where armed navy troops from the special boat squadron descended from sailing ships into fast boats to simulate an offensive, search and rescue efforts on the shore at the Naval Base in Sekondi, Western Naval Command.

The simulation exercise involved the kidnapping of a Minister and his family by terrorists who held them hostage in a building at the shore.

Rear Admiral Issah Adam Yakubu, Chief of Naval Staff (CNS)

It illustrated how the boat squadron with help from the other two squadrons of the armed forces, subdued the acting terrorists and eventually rescued the Minister and his family.

In his address to troops, Rear Admiral Issah Adam Yakubu, the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), stated how the operation involving various un
its of the tri-service was a living proof of the competence of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and its commitment to overcome any security challenges.

‘The completion of this major military amphibious exercise involving the Army Special Operations Brigade, the Special Boat Squadron of the Ghana Navy and the Fighter Squadron of the Ghana Airforce stands as a testament to the extraordinary capabilities of the Ghana Armed Forces,’ he said.

The CNS commended all personnel and civilians, who made the naval voyage to cross the equator (latitude zero degrees) and underwent the navy traditional initiation supervised by the various ship captains.

‘To our distinguished passengers who crossed the equator and were initiated by King Neptune as abled-bodied seamen and joining the league of the few sailors who have achieved this feat, your presence on this journey has been invaluable..,’ he said.

The personnel and civilians were awarded certificates and King Neptune Badges for successfully crossing the equator.

Source: G
hana News Agency

The Environment and Agroforestry Foundation (EAF), an environmental non-for-profit organisation in Sunyani, has organised a capacity building workshop for participants on its restoring farmland, riparian ecosystem, and livelihood improvement project in the Bono Region.

Held at Berekum in the Berekum East Municipality of the Bono Region, the programme also saw the launch of a six-year project, being funded by TerraFund for AFR100, an international funding consortium established in 2021, comprising the World Resources Institute, One Tree Planted, Realize Impact and Barka Fund.

It was attended by about 100 participants, including 70 participating farmers from four project beneficiary communities – Namasua, Oforikrom, Tainso and Berekum.

Other participants comprised representatives of the Forest Services Division (FSD) of the Forestry Commission (FC), the Berekum East Municipal Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), the Municipal Assembly.

The tradi
tional authorities of the four beneficiary communities, the leadership of Fulani herdsmen, media and Green Waterhut, an environmental and water conservation non-governmental organisation, headquartered in Sunyani, were all present as stakeholders.

Mrs Emma Baah Agyapong, the Founder/Director of EAF, in an overview, said the project was the Foundation’s contribution to achieving the Government’s commitment to restoring two million hectres of degraded farmlands.

It would also support the achievement of ‘Africa’s ambitious journey of restoring 100 million hectares of degraded farmlands by 2030,’ she said.

Mrs Agyapong, who doubles as the project coordinator, said besides the restoration of degraded farmlands and its adjoining riparian forests sharing border with the Tain II Forest Reserve, it would improve the livelihoods of community members for sustainable forest management in the region.

As part of the project’s plan to use; ‘Participatory Rural Approach’ to achieve the goals, the capacity of locals would
be built to fully participate during the implementation and monitoring activities.

Mr Francis Brobbey, the Sunyani District Manager, Forest Services Division, assured of the Division’s support for the successful implementation of the project.

He said the Government’s commitment to restoring two million hectares of degraded forest and farmlands was a sole mandate of the Forestry Commission, and that if the EAF, through TerraFund, was helping to achieve that, it was vital for the FSD to fully support it to realise the set goals for the success of the Green Ghana Project.

Mr Hassan Sali, the Berekum East Director of MoFA, expressed the enthusiasm of the Ministry to collaborate in achieving the objectives of the project.

The MOFA had a target in climate smart agriculture and agroforestry and would support farmers to achieve the project’s target, he said.

Assistant Divisional Officer I Issahaku, the Berekum Municipal Deputy Commander of the GNFS, expressed worry over the number of fire incidents recorded in t
he municipality in 2023, saying as at mid-February 2024, bush fires had the highest percentage of fire incidents recorded.

He, however, pledged prompt response and support of the GNFS to fighting fires and related incidents in and around the project sites.

Mr Kofi Adjei, the Berekum East Municipal Chief Executive, commended the EAF and TerraFund for AFR100 for choosing the municipality for the project.

He lauded the traditional authorities of the project beneficiary communities for releasing vast tracts of land for its implementation.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Christians in Ghana are joining others around the world to observe Palm Sunday today, March 24, 2024.

The Day, also known as Passion Day, is in commemoration of Jesus Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem, prior to His crucifixion.

It is the final Sunday of Lent, and the beginning of the Holy Week on the Christian Calendar.

In Ghana, the Day is commemorated with processions of churches through some principal streets with members waving palm branches, and handkerchiefs, singing of ‘Hosanna, Hosanna’.

According to Gospel, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding a donkey and was welcomed by the townspeople with songs of praise, as some paid homage by throwing clothes and palm branches on the ground for Him to walk on.

The palm frond has been incorporated into Christian iconography to represent the victory of martyrs, and of the spirit over the flesh.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Kofi Nugo, a 49-year-old farmer, has been arrested by the police for allegedly shooting his brother, Robert, and one Hunor Adza after a misunderstanding ensued between them at Agbedorkofe in the Agotime-Ziope District of the Volta Region.

Adza’s conditions is said to be stable with Robert ‘s critical as he was rushed to the Ho Teaching Hospital.

Police sources have confirmed the incident and said investigations have been activated.

An eyewitness, who wanted to remain anonymous, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that on the evening of Thursday, March 21, Kofi Nugo, accompanied by Hunor Adza, came to see his mother, Madam Agbowugbe Abadzivor, who was then in a meeting at AgbedorKofe.

He asked his mother to follow him to his house for some discussions but his mother refused resulting in Kofi Nugo applying force by dragging her.

The source said, his brother, Robert, who was also at the meeting, asked Kofi to stop that action, which he refused, leading to Robert pushing Kofi to the ground.

This infuriated Kof
i Nugo, who then rushed to his house and returned wielding a gun in an attempt to shoot his brother.

Hunor Adza, who was a bystander, was mistakenly shot by Kofi Nugo, the source told the GNA.

Robert then rushed to rescue Hunor Adza, who was then crawling on the ground. Kofi Nugo, realising he had shot the wrong person, opened fire again on Robert, hitting the abdomen and chest.

He absconded after the incident but was later arrested by the police from his hideout on Friday, March 22, currently assisting the police in investigations.

Source: Ghana News Agency