News
5 elders fined GH₵12, 500 for interfering in chieftaincy affairs
The Sekondi High Court Two, on Wednesday imposed a total fine of GH₵12,500 on five elders for interfering in chieftaincy affairs of the Brempong Yaw Ntwea Royal Family, in the Effia-Kwesimintsim municipality of the Western Region.
The convicts, Ebusua Kyeame Ekow Tawiah, Maame Yaaba, Joseph Nyantakyi, John Arhin and Mena Nsia, who are not members of the Brempong Yaw Ntwea Royal Family, would in default, serve a three-month jail term.
Their counsel, Mr John Mercer, pleaded with presiding High Court judge, Justice Mrs Hannah Taylor, to temper justice with mercy since the elders had regretted their action.
The five, were summoned before the court in 2017 for installing a new chief, disregarding the decision of the Judicial Committee of the Western Regional House of Chiefs, barring the elders from any such actions, in the affairs of the Effia stool, on Thursday, April 28, 1974.
The Judicial Committee, included Awulae Kwesi Amakyi III, chairman, Nana Hima Dekyi XIII and Nana Kofi Adianka IV, members with A. P. Pepra, as counsel.
In 1974, a judgement from Western Regional House of Chiefs, specified that the five convicts were not members of the Effia Royal Family, and, therefore, could not install a chief.
The Judicial Committee ruled that the two separate stools of Effia and Mpintsin could not succeed each other in any way, any attempt by a member of Mpintsin branch to occupy the stool was improper, and vice versa.
The Judicial Committee specified that the petitioner, Opanyin Kweku Walabai, whose descendants are the five elders, was from the Mpintsin lineage, and definitely not part of the Brempong Yaw Ntwaa Family at Effia.
It said Nana Brempong Yaw III and Nana Brempong Yaw 1V were of the Effia lineage of the Brempong Yaw Ntwaa Family and have, therefore, been properly enstooled on the Effia Stool.
However, the five elders defied the House of Chiefs’ ruling and in October, 2017, tried to install John Arhin, a tutor of Ahantaman Senior High School, as a chief, while Nana Brempong Yaw V, was still the occupant of the stool at Effia and of the Brempong Yaw Ntwea Family.
FROM CLEMENT ADZEI BOYE, SEKONDI
News
Craze for x’mas shopping: Crowded markets, low patronage
Vendors of food and other wares associated with the Christmas celebration have expressed surprise at the low patronage despite the increased number of visitors to some of the major markets across the capital.
Four days to the celebration(Christmas), the markets are filled with various products ranging from food, clothing, livestock and many other stuff, but according to the vendors, patrons are doing more ‘window’ shopping.
The Spectator on visits to some of the markets in the capital, notably the Odawna, Makola, Accra Central Business District, New Town and others made similar observations as shoppers crowd them but did little in terms of purchases.
The paper also observed that majority of vendors, originally selling other wares have switched to product related to the festive season.
What it means is that there are a lot more clothes, food and vegetables, livestock and poultry, toys, firecrackers, drinks of different types and many others on display.
The markets have also stretched to the pedestrian pavement, leaving very narrow spaces for commuters to move about freely.
That, in addition to a few of the female vendors dressed in coloured attires to reflect the occasion, has heightened the euphoria, leaving the low sales as the only headache for the vendors.
Speaking with this paper, they sounded very optimistic, believing that sales would improve in the last few days to the yuletide.
According to them, there was the opportunity to sell beyond Christmas as the New Year celebration offers similar opportunity to trade the same wares.
They urged patrons to throng the markets to shop since prices were quite moderate and products affordable for all.
News
Retirement service for Elder John Ackom-Asante,3 others
Retired Deputy Editor of The Spectator, Elder John Ackom-Asante, was last Sunday honoured by the Church of Pentecost Windy Hills District in Kasoa in the Central Region, with a retirement thanksgiving service, after serving for 26 year as an Elder of the church.
He was honoured with a citation and certificate of service along with three other elders who served in the capacity for various years.
Elder Ackom-Asante was baptised at the Darkuman Central Assembly in 1979 and ordained as an Elder in 1997.
The citation read “Your selfless service, zeal, willingness to relate wholeheartedly and your desire to effect change has gone a long way to shape the lives of many people in the church and the nation over the 26 years of your dedication to the service of the Lord.”
Elder Ackom- Asante held many positions at the Darkuman Central Assembly, Obuasi in the Ashanti Region and Tema, serving in various capacities as youth and evangelism ministry leader and marriage counsellor.
He was the founding member of the Darkuman Christian Fellowship, a member of the Greater Accra Christian Fellowship; member of Bible Society of Ghana; founding member Obuasi Chapter Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship International and founding member of New Times Corporation Christian Fellowship and Chaplain, Methodist University Tema Campus 2009- 2010.
As a professional journalist, Elder Ackom-Asante combined effectively and efficiently his duty as a member and elder of the church and the demands of his profession, with admiration from the church, kith and kin, till his retirement on December
From Alhaji Salifu Abdul-Rahaman, Kasoa
