News

Don’t use sex as bargaining tools

Local preacher , Minister John Amponsah

Some African wives in the diaspora, mostly Ghanaians, have resorted to using sex as a bargaining tool in their marriages.

This act is said to be causing a lot of havoc in marriages, compelling the husbands to seek sexual satisfaction outside.

This came to light at a programme organised by the Men’s and Women’s Ministries of the New Covenant United Methodist Church (NCUMC) in Fairfield Ohio, in the United States of America.

It was organised under the theme, ‘Filling each other’s tank,’ and aimed at exploring ways to attend to the needs of spouses and families in order to build a happy Christian home.

It addressed areas including intimacy, finances, emotional and psychological needs, raising kids in the diaspora and extended families.

According to a statement issued by the NCUMC and copied The Spectator, the practice was ‘unholy and archaic’ way of using sex as a bargaining tool in their marriages.

It expressed worry about the lukewarm attitude of African wives, especially those in the diaspora, when it came to matters of sex and romance, unlike other wives who are always ‘battle ready.’

According to the statement, the situation has been so bad to the extent that some husbands sometimes, would have to appease their wives in order to get ‘what’s legitimately theirs.

However, members of the Women’s Ministry, the statement mentioned, shared myriad of reasons that affects their drive to explore sexually, ranging from stress from work and household chores.

Some of them blamed it on African cultural beliefs, that “when an African woman explores, she was tagged as a spoilt girl so it forces them to be laid-back or give them what was traditionally accepted or expected of them.”

The statement quoted a member of the Women’s Ministry, Mrs Florence Esi Jonfiah, who could not fathom why most wives behaved as if sex was a man’s benefit when as a matter of fact, its benefit was unquantifiable.

“Look, let’s not pretend, we equally need sex just like our men need it. For us, apart from the many health benefits including stress release, increased hormone production, vaginal health, improved circulation among others, the ecstatic moments alone is unimaginable,” she stated.

From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi

News

Reconstruction of Sunyani-Techiman-Wenchi-Wa-Hamile Road Corridor to Begin Under “Big Push” Initiative

The reconstruction of the Sunyani-Techiman-Wenchi-Wa-Hamile road corridor is set to begin in the third quarter of this year as part of the government’s “Big Push” initiative,

Kwame Agbodza, the Minister for Roads and Highways, has announced.

To this end, the Minister has directed the Ghana Highways Authority to conduct engineering studies and designs for sections of the corridor that are not currently under construction, in preparation for the upcoming work.

“This entire corridor, all the way to Hamle, is part of the ‘Big Push’ initiative. It is one of the “Big Push” projects we aim to award in June this year. Therefore, those involved in the studies and designs need to expedite their work. We don’t have enough time,” he stated.

Mr. Agbodza made these remarks this morning in Sunyani, at the start of a three-day inspection tour of the Bono, Bono East, Ahafo, and Western Regions.

The Minister indicated that government is aware of the socio-economic importance of roads towards national development, which is why road infrastructure development is being prioritized despite the financial constraints facing the country.

“No matter what we want to achieve—whether in farming, education, or healthcare—roads are critical. Our economic development cannot take shape if we do not address the challenges in the road sector,” he stressed.

Earlier, Me. Agbodza and his team of Engineers inspected the 10.20km Terchire bypass located off the Kumasi-Sunyani Highway constructed by Newmont Ghana.

During the tour, Hon. Agbodza is also expected to inspect several other road projects, including the reconstruction of the Jinijini-Sampa Road, the Tepa-Goso road, the Sefwi Wiawso town roads, the reconstruction of the Tarkwa-Agona Nkwanta road, the PTC Interchange project, and the dualization of the Takoradi-Agona Junction Road.

News

Mahama assents to Acts abolishing e-levy, betting tax and others

President John Dramani Mahama has fulfilled a key campaign promise by assenting to a set of acts that abolish the betting tax, e-Levy, and emissions tax, among others.

The signing, which has just been completed, in his office marks a major step in his administration’s efforts to reduce the financial burden on Ghanaians and drive economic growth.

The removal of these taxes was a central promise in the NDC’s manifesto aimed at easing the cost of living and encouraging business expansion.

Parliament on Wednesday, March 26, passed a bill to abolish the controversial Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy).

The repeal of the E-Levy has been widely welcomed by Ghanaians, who strongly opposed the tax.

The levy, which was introduced in 2022 by the previous New Patriotic Party administration, imposed a 1.5% tax on electronic transactions, including mobile money transfers, bank transfers, and online payments.

Since its introduction, there have been protests and public outcry, with critics arguing that it disproportionately affected low-income earners and the unbanked population.

Source: Myjoyonline.com