News
Nostalgic moments at ‘Asafoiatse’ Homowo family reunion
• Ladies ready to serve Kpokpoi
Asafoiatse (CB) Family marked this year’s Homowo festival with a family reunion party in their house at Swalaba popularly known as “Phobia House” in Accra.
Descendants from all over Ghana and abroad converged at the house known to have given birth to Accra Hearts of Oak in 1911 to celebrate the festival and share nostalgic times together while networking for broader family links.
Briefing The Spectator on the reunion party, Christopher Darlington Nettey, a member of the family said the family which was now extended beyond the shores of Ghana had always used the festival to bring kinsfolk to the family house not only to fraternise but also to deliberate on issues relating to the progress and peaceful coexistence of family members.
” We usually meet here to take decision on burial activies of our departed beloved ones and since we cannot mix that with partying, we set this day aside to have fun and take into account past issues which need our attention,” he said.
Mr Nettey said the focus this year was to ensure the nominations for two vacant positions,being the Head of Family and the Asafioatse of the clan to occupy his position at the Gbese Mantse palace.
He said the two positions which were paramount to the hierarchy structure of the family had remained vacant since the Family Head died a few months ago.
Mr Nettey said since the Family Head was the one to nominate the Asafoiatse,it has then become imperative to emphasise on his nomination and subsequent installation this year.
He commended those at the reunion and urged others who could not make it to try and come around another time in order to foster unity amongst Asafoiatse Nettey descendants.
By Lawrence Markwei
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
