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5 elders fined GH₵12, 500 for interfering in chieftaincy affairs
The Sekondi High Court Two, on Wednesday imposed a total fine of GH₵12,500 on five elders for interfering in chieftaincy affairs of the Brempong Yaw Ntwea Royal Family, in the Effia-Kwesimintsim municipality of the Western Region.
The convicts, Ebusua Kyeame Ekow Tawiah, Maame Yaaba, Joseph Nyantakyi, John Arhin and Mena Nsia, who are not members of the Brempong Yaw Ntwea Royal Family, would in default, serve a three-month jail term.
Their counsel, Mr John Mercer, pleaded with presiding High Court judge, Justice Mrs Hannah Taylor, to temper justice with mercy since the elders had regretted their action.
The five, were summoned before the court in 2017 for installing a new chief, disregarding the decision of the Judicial Committee of the Western Regional House of Chiefs, barring the elders from any such actions, in the affairs of the Effia stool, on Thursday, April 28, 1974.
The Judicial Committee, included Awulae Kwesi Amakyi III, chairman, Nana Hima Dekyi XIII and Nana Kofi Adianka IV, members with A. P. Pepra, as counsel.
In 1974, a judgement from Western Regional House of Chiefs, specified that the five convicts were not members of the Effia Royal Family, and, therefore, could not install a chief.
The Judicial Committee ruled that the two separate stools of Effia and Mpintsin could not succeed each other in any way, any attempt by a member of Mpintsin branch to occupy the stool was improper, and vice versa.
The Judicial Committee specified that the petitioner, Opanyin Kweku Walabai, whose descendants are the five elders, was from the Mpintsin lineage, and definitely not part of the Brempong Yaw Ntwaa Family at Effia.
It said Nana Brempong Yaw III and Nana Brempong Yaw 1V were of the Effia lineage of the Brempong Yaw Ntwaa Family and have, therefore, been properly enstooled on the Effia Stool.
However, the five elders defied the House of Chiefs’ ruling and in October, 2017, tried to install John Arhin, a tutor of Ahantaman Senior High School, as a chief, while Nana Brempong Yaw V, was still the occupant of the stool at Effia and of the Brempong Yaw Ntwea Family.
FROM CLEMENT ADZEI BOYE, SEKONDI
News
Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong advocates Bold educational reforms at the UK House of Lords during Global Education Summit.
On November 27 2025, global development leaders, policymakers, education experts and civil society organisations gathered at the UK Parliament’s House of Lords for the Global Education Summit hosted by The Baroness Verma of Leicester and organised by the African British Business Forum.
The high-level event focused on the global rise in out-of-school children and the urgent reforms required to deliver equitable, quality education for all.
Among the distinguished Speakers was Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong, Founder & President of Women in Sustainability Africa (WiSA) and General Manager of the EIB Network, who delivered a compelling address on the theme “Breaking Barriers: Empowering Out-of-School Children Through Education.”
In her remarks, Nana Yaa who is currently celebrating 26years of Service in the Media, emphasized that education must be viewed as essential national infrastructure, not charity.
Borrowing experiences from her 18 years of empowering women and young people, she presented a strong case on how Africa’s poor educational systems tie into the poor state of its Gender Equality gap.
According to her, unlocking access to education is one of the most effective ways to strengthen economies, empower women and young girls, build resilient communities and drive sustainable development.
She highlighted that each child excluded from learning represents deferred innovation, delayed opportunity and a weakened society.
Nana Yaa noted that the barriers keeping millions of children out of school are complex and interconnected—ranging from poverty and cultural norms to geographical isolation and digital exclusion.
Addressing these challenges, she argued, requires solutions that are equally comprehensive and multi-layered.
Nana Yaa stressed that girls remain disproportionately affected, and investing in girls’ education has a transformative impact across several Sustainable Development Goals, including gender equality, poverty reduction, health outcomes and climate resilience.
Nana Yaa advocated for the expansion of flexible, inclusive and community-responsive educational models, such as mobile classrooms for remote and nomadic communities, community learning hubs, after-hours programmes for working children, radio-based instruction for low-tech areas and digital platforms designed to reach learners regardless of connectivity challenges.
She warned that without deliberate action, the digital divide would continue to widen, pushing already vulnerable children further to the margins.
During her presentation, she introduced three major reforms WiSA is seeking Partners for, aimed at reshaping educational access across Africa and beyond.
These are the Digital Bridge for Out-of-School Children (DBOC), the Community Education Stewardship Hubs (CESH) involving local women educators and youth volunteers and the Teen-focused Global Skills Accelerator for Out-of-School Teens (GSA-OT).
She also underscored the need for education systems that support instruction, inclusivity and healing, particularly for children experiencing autism, trauma, displacement or conflict.
Nana Yaa emphasised that emotional and psychological support must be integrated into educational frameworks in order to restore confidence, stability and long-term learning capacity.
The summit concluded with strong commitments from stakeholders to adopt sustainable financing models, strengthen data-driven policies and expand cross-sector partnerships.
The African British Business Forum reaffirmed its commitment to championing innovative, scalable solutions to educational inclusion across the UK, Africa and the wider global community.
The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has responded to a video circulating on social media in which some visiting Black Americans claim they were kidnapped and extorted by individuals believed to be police officers.
In a statement, the Authority explained that the Ghana Police Service and the Cyber Security Authority have begun full investigations into the matter.
GTA assured the public that the case is being treated with urgency and that updates will be provided when investigations are completed.
With thousands of tourists expected in the country for the December in GH festivities, GTA noted that Ghana remains a safe and welcoming destination.
The Authority added that security systems have been strengthened with support from law enforcement and tourism sector partners to ensure the safety and comfort of visitors.
They urged the public to stay calm and allow security agencies to carry out their work.
GTA encouraged visitors who need assistance or have enquiries to contact the Authority through its official phone lines and WhatsApp number.
GTA stressed that Ghana is open, secure, and ready to receive visitors with confidence.
By: Jacob Aggrey
