News
Midnight coffin carrier scares Abuakwa Manhyia residents
Fear gripped inhabitants of Abuakwa Manhyia in the Atwima Nwabiagya South District of Ashanti when a strange man was seen carrying a white coffin, deep in the night, to the town, ostensibly for some ritual purposes.
The strange man who declined to mention his name when he was arrested, had gone to deposit the coffin in the middle of the ‘T’-Junction of the town.
It contained nine brand new padlocks with their keys, a black coat, a pair of blue trousers, a white shirt, and a red tie.
The inhabitants were divided over the issue with some claiming that it was a ritual relating to the upcoming general elections as political parties jostled for political power, while others linked it to “juju money”or sakawa.
The inhabitants have appealed to the Sumankwahene (Head Priest of the Manhyia Palace) to do something about the incident to save their lives.
According to an eye witness, Kojo Setor Amenu,”this is not the first time something like this has happened here, and young boys and girls die mysteriously afterwards”.
“We used to wake up to see coffins sitting in the middle of our roads and within two or three days, young boys and girls will die for no reasons so this has led some of us to keep watch over our town when it is dawn, in order to stop these things,” Amenu said.
He said at about 1:00am on Tuesday, he saw a young man carrying a white coffin on top of an unregistered Toyota Corolla to the ‘T’ Junction of the town.
Mr Amenu, said that the man, who was not known to them in the town and its environs, tried putting the coffin down and as a result, we approached him.
He said, the man tried to give excuses that the coffin belonged to a traditional priestess who had been in the town for a year.
“But his claims were proven to be false when the priestess was called to the scene at that hour, and she said she had no knowledge of the coffin,” Amenu indicated.
He said this infuriated the youth at the scene to throw punches at the man for trying to use the inhabitants for his dubious agenda,”but elderly people in the town intervened and he was spared but he could have been lynched”.
Another eye witnes, E.K. Asare did not understand why the elders decided to take the man to the Abuakwa-Manhyia police station, without proper security measures resulting in his escape.
From Kingsley E.Hope,Kumasi
News
Craze for x’mas shopping: Crowded markets, low patronage
Vendors of food and other wares associated with the Christmas celebration have expressed surprise at the low patronage despite the increased number of visitors to some of the major markets across the capital.
Four days to the celebration(Christmas), the markets are filled with various products ranging from food, clothing, livestock and many other stuff, but according to the vendors, patrons are doing more ‘window’ shopping.
The Spectator on visits to some of the markets in the capital, notably the Odawna, Makola, Accra Central Business District, New Town and others made similar observations as shoppers crowd them but did little in terms of purchases.
The paper also observed that majority of vendors, originally selling other wares have switched to product related to the festive season.
What it means is that there are a lot more clothes, food and vegetables, livestock and poultry, toys, firecrackers, drinks of different types and many others on display.
The markets have also stretched to the pedestrian pavement, leaving very narrow spaces for commuters to move about freely.
That, in addition to a few of the female vendors dressed in coloured attires to reflect the occasion, has heightened the euphoria, leaving the low sales as the only headache for the vendors.
Speaking with this paper, they sounded very optimistic, believing that sales would improve in the last few days to the yuletide.
According to them, there was the opportunity to sell beyond Christmas as the New Year celebration offers similar opportunity to trade the same wares.
They urged patrons to throng the markets to shop since prices were quite moderate and products affordable for all.
News
Retirement service for Elder John Ackom-Asante,3 others
Retired Deputy Editor of The Spectator, Elder John Ackom-Asante, was last Sunday honoured by the Church of Pentecost Windy Hills District in Kasoa in the Central Region, with a retirement thanksgiving service, after serving for 26 year as an Elder of the church.
He was honoured with a citation and certificate of service along with three other elders who served in the capacity for various years.
Elder Ackom-Asante was baptised at the Darkuman Central Assembly in 1979 and ordained as an Elder in 1997.
The citation read “Your selfless service, zeal, willingness to relate wholeheartedly and your desire to effect change has gone a long way to shape the lives of many people in the church and the nation over the 26 years of your dedication to the service of the Lord.”
Elder Ackom- Asante held many positions at the Darkuman Central Assembly, Obuasi in the Ashanti Region and Tema, serving in various capacities as youth and evangelism ministry leader and marriage counsellor.
He was the founding member of the Darkuman Christian Fellowship, a member of the Greater Accra Christian Fellowship; member of Bible Society of Ghana; founding member Obuasi Chapter Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship International and founding member of New Times Corporation Christian Fellowship and Chaplain, Methodist University Tema Campus 2009- 2010.
As a professional journalist, Elder Ackom-Asante combined effectively and efficiently his duty as a member and elder of the church and the demands of his profession, with admiration from the church, kith and kin, till his retirement on December
From Alhaji Salifu Abdul-Rahaman, Kasoa
