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‘Be sensitive to plight of patients’
Rev Fr. Ignatius Ayivor preaching
The Parish Priest of the St. Augustine Catholic Church, Ashaiman, Rev Fr. Ignatius Ayivor has appealed to health personnel to be more sensitive to the plight of their clients.
He observed that since they were most of the time surrounded by the sick, there was the tendency to get used to it and would not treat their calls for help with the urgency it deserved.
Rev Fr. Ayivor said this during his homily at a Unity Mass by the church on the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time in the Year where the Gospel reading talked about the Richman and a Poorman called Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31.
He said the reading was to arouse in everyone a sense of duty to the less fortunate and also have regard for God and humans.
He said just like the Richman neglected the Poor man Lazarus although he knew he was suffering and needed help he closed his ears and eyes to his calls for help pointing out that some health personnel also did same to their clients which was not good enough.
The Catholic Priest said it was sad that sometimes patients were even rushed to the Consultating Rooms because of the huge number of clients waiting to be served which in some cases even compromised the quality of the services delivered to them.
He said much as the job became challenging sometimes, they should not lose sight of the fact that they were supposed to feel for their patients.
He said even as religious persons, they were equally placed to help people in need because they were always hearing about the troubles of others but that should rather make them do their best to ease their pain.
The Parish Priest said it was important for Christians to make it a priority to share time, money, energy, knowledge or anything they had with the poor but sadly “others don’t do so to alleviate their suffering instead they use that to exploit them.”
He stated that all some people needed was a listening ear, prayers, food and visits at hospitals, prisons, among others to make them feel loved but it was unfortunate that many had become too busy to do so or put themselves in a certain class that had made them unapproachable.
He said whether a person was rich or poor, they were equal before God and so there was no point to look down on others and advised the parishioners to be respectful to all persons, smile and be sensitive to the needs of all persons.
From Dzifa Tetteh Tay, Ashaiman.
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ASWIM lauds Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang
The Association of Women in the Media, (ASWIM) has congratulated Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang on her historic achievement as Ghana’s first female Vice President.
The association said her trailblazing journey with sterling accomplishments from academia to politics, is undoubtedly, a vivid inspiration to countless women and girls across Ghana and Africa.
This was contained in a statement signed by its president, Mrs Mavis Kitcher, and copied to The Spectator on Tuesday in Accra.
“ASWIM celebrates your remarkable career, marked by numerous firsts, including the first female Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, (UCC), and the first female to hold a professional chair in Ghana, (UCC),” the statement said.
It said the accomplishments of Prof Opoku- Agyemang were clear testament to the brilliance, resilience and resourceful nature of the complete beautiful African woman.
“As she takes on this new role, ASWIM proudly lauds her commitment to education, women’s empowerment, distinguished public service and patriotism and is very confident that her pursuit of excellence, love for humanity, humility, decency, modesty and commitment to the welfare of the vulnerable will characterise Ghana’s political leadership and public service,” the statement added.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
Entertainment
Demolition of Fantasy Dome unfair — Mark Okraku-Mantey
Months after the Fantasy Dome was dismantled to make way for construction at the Ghana International Trade Fair site, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr Mark Okraku-Mantey, has expressed concern over the manner the facility was destroyed.
In an interview on Daybreak Hitz with Andy Dosty, Mr Okraku-Mantey criticised the handling of the dome’s dismantling, suggesting that it could have been done without causing damage.
“I don’t think that leadership gave instructions that they should do what happened. The structure was a prefab but I hear the people destroyed it. That one, we cannot defend it. It is unfair to him (owner). Sometimes, you give instructions and people will go and do things that will make you look bad,” he stated.
When asked about any punitive measure against the workers responsible for the destruction, Mr Okraku-Mantey clarified that the Trade Fair does not fall under his ministry.
He said he had previously contacted the owner, Leslie Quaynor, to discuss relocating the dome, and even suggested the National Museum as a potential site, though it was too small.
The demolition of the 20,000-seater Fantasy Dome occurred on March 16, 2024.
According to Dr Agnes Adu, CEO of the Ghana Trade Fair Company Limited, the action was taken after multiple notices were given to Quaynor to vacate the premises for redevelopment, as per their tenancy agreement.
Dr Adu noted that all previous tenants had complied except for the Fantasy Dome.
Quaynor, in an interview with JoyNews, confirmed that his lease had ended, and was in the process of relocating the dome.
He had requested an extension, which was denied, leading him to seek a writ and an injunction from an Accra High Court to halt the demolition.
Despite this, the demolition proceeded, causing significant damage to the structure.
Quaynor described the incident as a major setback, not only for his business but also for the entertainment industry, which relies on venues like the Fantasy Dome.
