News
Elder Cobbinah honoured by PIWC-Ablekuma
Elder Gyedu Cobbinah (3rd right) with ministers of the church
It was a moment of joy and sober reflection when Elder Joseph Gyedu Cobbinah, a retired Educationist and Elder of the Pentecost International Worship Centre (PIWC)-Ablekuma was honoured for his service to God and mankind.
Elder Cobbinah’s 36 years of ministry work was honoured together with 47 other church officers for their dedication to service as part of the retirement service, held by PIWC-Ablekuma last Sunday at its auditorium in Accra.
The glamorous service was attended by loved ones who sang and praised God for His love and guidance for the church and the officers.
It was officiated by the District Pastor, Abraham Nimako Boateng and was graced by all ministers and their wives in the Area, Area Executives of the various ministries, District Executives, family members as well as friends and well-wishers.
In a short sermon on the theme; ‘How are you beginning and how are you ending,’ from Job 8:7, Pastor Nimako Boateng advised the church not to take for granted where God has placed them, but embrace it with faith, saying “without faith, it is impossible to please God.”
Citing two characters in the bible, Pastor Nimako Boateng said Saul in the Old Testament had a great beginning but ended poorly.
He said Saul did not belong to the kingship of Judah but was favoured by God to be the first King of Israel. However, he disrespected God and did things on his own way which “eventually made him miss his mark.”
On the other hand, he said Saul in the New Testament started poorly and was leading murderous threats against the disciples, but his encounter at Damascus changed the narrative.
Pastor Nimako Boateng urged the church to seek God diligently to the end while holding on to the faith, saying “the important thing in our calling is to be able to defend the faith, that’s why elders are called custodians and stewards of faith,” he stressed.
As part of the service, the District Presbytery and Pension’s Committee as well as Children’s Ministry, paid glowing tribute to Elder Gyedu Cobbinah and presented citations in honour of his service and immense contributions towards the growth of the church.
The church officers also received gifts for their contributions for the Kingdom mandate.
Elder Gyedu Cobbinah expressed gratitude to God and the leadership of the church for the honour bestowed on him and promised to continue to serve the Lord who had called him.
Elder Gyedu Cobbinah who gave his life to Jesus on March, 1976, at the age of 19 had served God diligently for the past 47 years. He has gone through the mill from being a member to serving in various leadership positions of the Church of Pentecost as a Church Worker, Deacon, Elder (Presiding) and other portfolios.
By Vivian Arthur
News
UNODC partners GFA Foundation on Prison advocacy and mentorship programme
The GFA Foundation and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) have agreed to work together to advocate for anti-discrimination and the elimination of stigmatization for prisoners and prisons.
This partnership was agreed, in principle, during a meeting at the Home of Football (GFA Head Office) between the Director of the GFA Foundation and the UNODC Team led by Mr. Christoph Capelle, an Associate Expert in Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and the Coordinator of the prison and penal reform project in Ghana.
Welcoming the Team to the Home of Football, the Director of the GFA Foundation, Mr. Malcolm Frazier Appeadu briefed the team about the GFA Foundation – Ghana Prisons Project which has covered 6 prisons across the country already.
He indicated that the Foundation is liaising with the Ghana Prisons Service to commence the second and third pillars of the project, which are the coaches and referees training programs as well as the advocacy and mentorship initiatives.
He said that the GFA Foundation will welcome partners for the execution of the second phase of the project which will include Ankaful Maximum Security Prison, Kumasi Central Prison, Sekondi Central Prison and three other prison facilities.
In his response, Mr. Christoph Capelle commended the GFA for the GFA Foundation – Ghana Prisons Project which seeks to use the power of football to promote the wellbeing, reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates of Ghana’s prisons into society.
Mr. Capelle said that UNODC is looking forward to a collaboration with the GFA Foundation on possible programs for both the medium and long term to support football and sports jobs and skills development in Ghana’s prisons.
He extended an invitation to the GFA Foundation to be part of an assessment of overall prison rehabilitation programmes including the use of sports by their international consultant at the Ankaful Maximum Security Prison.
There will be a football match and donation of footballs, sports items and equipment to the prison facility.
Present at the meeting were Mr. Kwame Koramoah, an officer at the GFA Foundation and Integrity Office, Helena Adobea Ofori, Associate Programme Officer, UNODC and Caleb Elorm Agodzo, Administrative Officer, UNODC.
It will be recalled that in 2020, The UNODC and FIFA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to tackle corruption and crime in and through sports and pledged to consider ways in which football can be used as a vehicle to strengthen youth resilience to crime and substance use through the provision of life skills training.
The MOU was renewed last year by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
News
Gomoa West: NPP, NDC supporters clash over commissioning of DRIP equipment
Supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Monday morning clashed over the commissioning of machinery for the District Road Infrastructure Project in the Gomoa West District of the Central Region.
According to Citi News sources, the conflict began when NDC supporters questioned the decision to display images of Bismark Basie Nkum, the NPP’s Gomoa West parliamentary candidate on the DRIP machinery.
This disagreement quickly escalated, almost leading to a physical altercation between the two groups.
Baisie Nkum, who doubles as the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Gomoa West, further claimed that the Member of Parliament for the area, Richard Gyan Mensah, brandished a pistol and issued threats against the NPP’s local leadership.
A viral video circulating on social media captured the DCE accusing MP Richard Gyan Mensah of pulling out a gun and threatening NPP supporters during the heated incident.
Source: Citinewsroom.com