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Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam enstools new queen
The Chiefs and people of Ajumako Techiman Traditional Area in the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam District of the Central Region have enstooled Nana Hembaa Nyamaah Awortwi I, new queen of the area.
Known in private life as Khardijatu Nuhu Mahama Kamargatey Peschel, the 51-year-old nurse, becomes the first to formally sit on the stool as queen from TwidanAfokurasi.
She was taken through the principal streets in a palanquin alongside Tufuhene, Nana Agyei Yeboah and Safohene Kwame Afedzi and was formally out-doored at a durbar of chiefs and people in the AjumakoTechiman Traditional Area.
In an interview with journalists after the durbar, Nana Nyamaah Awortwi I, said she would focus on addressing developmental challenges in the area and the Central Region in general.
She mentioned sanitation, teenage pregnancy and promotion of vocational and technical education as some of the issues she would focus on.
On sanitation, she said it would be her desire to see it inculcated in children at the basic school level to enable them to appreciate environmental cleanliness.
Nana Nyamaah Awortwi I, noted that a clean environment could help reduce some of the commonly known diseases in the community and drastically reduce OPD attendance.
She called for the adoption of proactive measures towards reversing the rate of teenage pregnancy in the region, saying, “the narrative that the Central Region is among the regions with high teenage pregnancy must change.”
The queen explained the importance of vocational and technical education and how this could help in the development of the area, saying that, “technical and vocational education continue to play critical roles in the economy of developed countries”.
She, therefore, urged the residents to embrace vocational and technical education due to its critical role in the socio-economic transformation of the country.
She explained that technical and vocational education should not be seen as an avenue for a certain category of people noting that the area was a specialised field which required the nation’s best brains and said that the developed countries were able to achieve their current status due to their focus on technical and vocational education.
She admonished parents to make education of their children a priority and identify the potentials of their children but not force them into courses they were not interested in.
The queen further called on residents in the area to make peace and unity a cornerstone in their dealings with one another.
The 51-year-old woman and mother of two had her secondary education at the Damongo Secondary School in the Savannah Region and went for further studies in Germany. She is currently a practising nurse in the United Kingdom.
From David O. Yarboi-Tetteh, Ajumako
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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.
