Hot!
Check yourselves: Don’t blame wives for infertility …Catholic priest advises husbands
● Reverend Father Ignatius Ayivor(standing), delivering his homily
Often, when a couple is battling infertility, the finger is pointed at the wives.
Sometimes, even husbands who are the real cause of the problems will sit aloof and leave the women to their fate to be chastised by society.
This development is of concern to the Parish Priest of the St. Augustine Catholic Church in Ashaiman, Reverend Father Ignatius Ayivor SVD, who has described the situation as one that has compelled many women to resort to unthinkable solutions to redeem themselves.
“Some husbands cannot produce healthy sperms but blame it on their wives. Your reproductive system might be defective, but you will not go and check it. Your sperms are not correct; find out, and don’t blame it on your wife,” he said.
He said it was despicable that such men, instead of seeking medical attention, would rather join others in calling their wives “barren.”
Delivering his homily last Sunday at the Church in Ashaiman in the Greater Accra Region, he said such wives, who knew they have been left to fight the battle of conception alone, become desperate and d from place to place.
He said the most disturbing thing was their vulnerability, which drove them to fall into the hands of fake pastors whom they least suspected of leading them into destruction.
The parish priest said some people called themselves pastors took advantage of the hopeless women and even ended up sleeping with them under the guise of offering them a solution to their challenges.
He said such women, who were usually hypnotised, end up getting pregnant as they desire, but the children do not belong to their husbands.
He said some pastors claim to be praying for the women and suggest deliverance and hypnotise them, and by the time they (the women) came back to their senses, they (the pastors) would have done what they (the pastors) wanted with them.
“Some women cannot even remember what happened to them (during the supposed prayers), but they cannot tell anyone about it,” he said, because of fear, guilt, or shame, and have to live with that burden for the rest of their lives.
Rev. Fr. Ayivor cautioned men who prefer to sit on the fence when their marriages are battling infertility that they are likely to end up “with a pastor’s child” in their homes.
He said such men should not be surprised if, after a DNA test, they find out that the children in their homes are not theirs.
He said it was about time husbands became fully involved in the journey of dealing with infertility with their wives to save their marriages and the poor wives from such temptations.
The parish priest also advised women to be vigilant and focused and not resort to moving from place to place to prevent them from getting into the hands of wrong people.
He said it was important they pursued medical attention and prayed on their own for God’s intervention instead of following recommendations that could cause them problems in the future.
He advised the church members to get more education about issues on the subject of infertility because science and medicine had evolved over the years and could give them options that could favour them.
He also called on society to be supportive and show mercy to people who need help and not add to their pain.
By Dzifa Tetteh Tay
Hot!
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.
