News

Man dies after drinking chicken soup

The quest of a 67-year old man to seek the help of a fetish priest to uncover a family pot of gold hidden in a bush has resulted in his death.

Opanin Augustine Amponsah was said to have been offered chicken soup at the shrine, but gave up the ghost after consuming it.

The incident, which took place at Amoawi, a community in Offinso South Municipality of the Ashanti Region, has resulted in the arrest of the fetish priest and priestess.

A police source that confirmed the incident to The Spectator gave their names as Nana Akwasi Amankwaa and Akua Asantewaa, adding that they were arrested on July 14, this year, at their shrine at Amoawi.

According to the police source at Offinso, Opanin Amponsah visited the shrine on July 14 to seek for assistance to evacuate the pot of gold.

The Okomfo allegedly offered the deceased a chicken soup as part of the rituals for the exercise.

“Opanin Amponsah took it and later complained of stomach problems. After a few minutes, he died at the shrine, the police source indicated.

The suspects were arraigned before the Offinso District Court last Friday, provisionally charged with murder.

Presided over by Mrs Christiana Blues, the court remanded the two into police custody for two weeks to reappear on August 16, 2024.

The court also charged the police to do a thorough investigation into the matter

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