News
Collaboration between National Security , chiefs vital to quell separatist threats
The Osie of Avatime, Osie Adza Tekpor VII, has described the meeting between national security heads and the Volta Regional House of Chiefs in Ho over the Western Togoland secessionist issue and related matters a fortnight ago, as fruitful with bright prospects for addressing the problem effectively.
He said in an interview in Ho that it was gratifying that the government’s security heads have finally acknowledged the need to engage the traditional rulers in the quest for solutions in such sensitive matters, as it emerged from the meeting which was held behind closed doors.
Osie Adza Tekpor highlighted the need for all stakeholders, including the various political parties, to get involved in the process to quell the secessionist threats which were causing fears and anxieties among the people of the Volta Region in particular, and the country as a whole.
Meanwhile, he called for a speedy investigation in the recent attack on the Intercity STC yard in Ho by gunmen carrying flags and other insignia said to belong to the so-called ‘Western Togoland’ group, and make them face the full rigours of the law.
Osie Adza Tekpor, who is President of the Congress of the Paramount Chiefs and Queens of the Ho West District, expressed concern over the true identities of the attackers and said it was mind-boggling that none of them spoke Ewe to their victims.
“It is, indeed, worrying to realise that the people who claim to be fighting for the secession of the land of the Ewe people do not speak Ewe,” said the Osie.
He maintained that the attack had left the people of the Volta Region with more questions than answers, especially with regards to the identities of the aggressors, and that made a speedy investigation into the matter absolutely imperative.
Osie Adza Tekpor said that it was also essential to establish the identities of those killed during the terrorist acts in the Battor and the Juapong areas, “so that we can commiserate with the families of the deceased”.
He said that what the country needed most before, during and after the elections, was peace.
The Osie of Avatime revealed that the chiefs earlier drew the government’s attention to the early “warning signs and undercurrents” to the activities of the separatists “but these were swept under carpet”.
He pointed out that certain unguarded and discriminatory utterances against Ewes, by the some political figures in recent time was not helping the peace.
For that matter, Osie Adza Tekpor insisted that, the government must promptly and ruthlessly deal with those who made such divisive statements which could only foment trouble in the country.
From Alberto Mario Noretti, Ho
News
National Cathedral: We can’t halt salary payments because project is on hold – Dr. Joyce Aryee
Dr. Joyce Aryee, a member of the National Cathedral’s board of trustees, has dismissed concerns about staff payments, including those of CEO Dr Paul Opoku-Mensah, during the construction halt as “ridiculous.”
Her response follows growing concerns over the project’s stalled progress and its impact on staff salaries.
Speaking on the sidelines of a symposium organized in collaboration with TD Jakes’ divinity school on Monday, October 14, Dr Aryee said, “If a project is on hold, it doesn’t mean that people are not working to keep it going. I’m surprised, I don’t even want to comment on it, as ridiculous as this. No, I won’t comment.
She further challenged the logic behind the concerns, adding, “So you establish an organisation, the organisation should stop because you don’t have money to continue a certain aspect of the organisation. Is that it? Answer it yourself.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Paul Opoku-Mensah, Executive Director of the National Cathedral, has sought to clarify misconceptions surrounding the project, emphasizing that it goes beyond being just a church building.
He highlighted the potential benefits the cathedral could bring, including revenue generation and showcasing Ghana’s rich cultural heritage to the world.
The National Cathedral project has faced strong opposition, with critics questioning the appropriateness of government involvement and raising concerns about a lack of financial transparency.
However, Dr. Opoku-Mensah remains optimistic, particularly following a symposium held in collaboration with TD Jakes’ divinity school. The event aimed to educate the public about the broader functions of the cathedral.
Envisioned as a historic landmark, the cathedral is intended to serve as a sacred space for religious activities. Additionally, it will feature Africa’s first Museum of the Bible, a collaboration with the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C.
“The symposium is just conceived as the National Cathedral’s response to what in Ghana we perceive to be the return initiatives and offer a pathway mediated by faith to connecting Ghana to the African diaspora,” she said.
This collaboration will seek to develop a Pan-African community to collectively work to address historical, racial and contemporary of Africa’s contributions to theology practice.
She said, “We seek to demonstrate the conveying functions of the National Cathedral, the National Cathedral project is often misunderstood, conceived almost entirely as a physical church building. The National Cathedral is more than a church and it includes critical national, continental and global conversations.”He congratulated TD Jakes’ divinity school for taking students across the African continent.
Source: Citinewsroom.com
News
NPP-NDC clash at Mamobi: One person arrested
One person has been arrested in Connection with the clash involving members of the New Patriotic Party(NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) at Mamobi in Accra on Sunday.
“The Ghana Police Service wishes to assure the general public that investigation into the disturbances that occurred between supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at Mamobi in Accra, yesterday, Sunday 13th October 2024, is still ongoing,” the police revealed in a statement today.
They concluded, “So far, one person has been arrested in connection with the incident and the Police are working around the clock to get all identified perpetrators arrested to face justice.”
