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After 35 years of rich journalism… Editor of The Spectator bows out
Mr-Emmanuel-Amponsah
Oprah Winfrey succinctly summarised the significance of discovering one’s life’s purpose when she said, “I’ve come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that’s unique as a fingerprint- and the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard and also allowing the energy of the universe to lead you.”
Having discovered and obeyed his calling in life, the longest serving member of the editorial staff of the New Times Corporation will “put down his pen” in a few days after 35 years of significant experience in the journalism field.
Everything has its appointed time, and The Spectator’s Editor, Mr. Emmanuel Amponsah, has come to the end of his work with the New Times Corporation – he has retired.
He recalls with nostalgia how he began his career as a young journalist in the era when fax machines served as the primary means of sending and receiving news reports. The experienced sports journalist recounts some of the headlines of the stories which called his byline, some common ones were; “Kumasi favours Hearts of Oak” and “Okwawu Utd can’t disturb Kotoko” which were published on 18th and 25th February, 1995 editions among other stories in The Ghanaian Times.
Portifolios
Mr. Emmanuel Amponsah was appointed the Editor of The Spectator, the weekly newspaper of the New Times Corporation (NTC), on November 2, 2020.
Until his appointment, Mr Amponsah, who is a Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) graduate was the Deputy Editor of the Ghanaian Times, the flagship newspaper of the NTC.
Before assuming the role of Deputy Editor, he was the Business Editor of the Ghanaian Times, where his job responsibilities involved selecting and analysing business and financial news for publication in the newspaper.
Prior to that, he was in charge of the Sports Desk of the Ghanaian Times and doubled as a columnist (The Watchdog) for the erstwhile Evening News.
The Board of Directors of the Corporation appointed Mr. Amponsah as the Deputy Editor of the Sporting Times in 1999 which was a weekly sports newspaper of the Corporation. He acted as the Editor of the newspaper also for a while.
Advise to young people
Mr Amponsah said one must not be an “arm chair journalist… if journalism is your passion, you must always be on the look out for stories that are of interest.”
Again, he said, a determinant of successes in the field of journalism was the ability of the reporter to have and maintain reliable sources of information. This, he said, could be achieved by writing or reporting credible information and professionally dealing with people.
A good and passionate journalist the Editor said, must have the ability to scrutinise and criticise some misdeeds in society that are not in the general interest of the public. However, in doing so the good journalist must be constructive.
A product of GIJ and Saint Thomas Aquinas Secondary School, both in Accra, Mr Amponsah’s areas of interest include Sports, Business/Finance and Environment.
He has attended a number of national and international conferences and tournaments, and written extensively on global and local events bordering on various fields of human endeavours.
By Portia Hutton-Mills
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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.
