Features
Gbomowo: the new phenom?
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President Akufo-Addo
My Ga folks rounded off their annual Homowo festivities only recently. Homowo, in Ga, means ‘hooting at hunger. Having migrated from Ile-Ife in southwestern Nigeria and landed on the shores of their current abode, they planted corn, but had to endure hunger and starvation to await the time of harvest.
When they had a bumper harvest, it was then time to ‘hoot at hunger’. It was natural so to do. Therefore, Homowo has come to stay as a reminder of that epoch in their history.
I was involved with stage performances in secondary school, first as a chorister and again as an actor. I became a public speaker subsequently. I have come to learn that it is utterly important to know your audience and plan your delivery accordingly. It is also important to take the existing climate and factor that in.
So, it is vital to mount a stage, say the right thing at the right time. If you fail in this, your audience will boo you, hoot at you or clap you off the stage. This is what I call Gbomowo in Ga. Hooting at a person.
Just a couple of weeks ago, President Akufo-Addo was booed at the Independent Square where he carried his “Fellow Ghanaians…” thing to an African youth jamboree at that venue. Not in the mood for any “Fellow Ghanaians,” the youth were seen in a viral video booing the President.
I do not blame the organisers of the event, because how were they to know how participants would react to the Head of State? I blame the handlers of my President for not reading the climate of the youth. They were out to enjoy music and dance their hearts out, nothing more. Situate that with the trending frustration in the country over our economic hardship.
Put me in the shoes of a presidential handler. If the President had to be there, my strong advice would be that the President would mount the stage and begin to dance or boogie with the crowd. The youth would naturally respond in like manner, then would be minded to listen to Nana when he took the microphone. It is as simple as that, and none would be wiser.
The President is known to be a good dancer. He has been photographed dancing on stage and other events many times. Where I blame him also is that he did not read the mood right. Many politicians are smart enough to quickly read the mood at any event and change their script to suit the climate or put a prepared text aside and speak extemporaneously.
Personally, I felt embarrassed to see people boo a Head of State. Never have I seen this in Ghana. Unlike those who were quick to condemn the youth for their action, I would rather tread cautiously. But government commentators accusing the opposition of orchestrating the booing is as infantile as it is unconscionable.
No one can pretend to not know Ghanaians are frustrated over economic hardships in the country. Can we pretend that Ghanaians are not discerning enough to pit campaign promises against delivery? When people’s hopes are raised through the roof, what will their expectations be? Let us soberly avert our minds to the above questions.
Now, back to my Gbomowo. What happened at the Independence Square is a foretaste of things to come if no concrete action is taken to reverse the economic downturn.
The government must explain to the hungry and frustrated Ghanaian why we are in this in spite of shouting from the rooftops that they “have the men.” The COVID-19 and Ukraine mantra is clear. Even the World Bank and the IMF are saying the same thing. What the government must address is how other economies are faring better than us in the face of COVID and Ukraine.
In the absence of this, Gbomowo awaits our politicians when they mount political campaigns when that time comes. Everything our Members of Parliament do is under scrutiny and Ghanaians are waiting for them.
As I started drafting this write-up, videos flew in from Kumasi where traders were clearly seen hooting at the President an his 50-plus vehicular convoy. One fellow could be heard to have counted as many as 55 vehicles in the convoy. That our President would still travel this large in the face of high fuel prices and the frustrating situation in the nation defies understanding.
I can see through my crystal ball what our next political campaigns will be like. Gbomowo will, in all likelihood, be a part of our political campaign culture.
Situate this on the President brazenly stating that he cared less if people decided to vote the NDC into power in the next election. What does this statement do to people his party might field in the next election? How do we reconcile this with the man who, in seeking our votes, said, “Mo nsɔ me hwe?” This is clearly a slap in the face of the very people who voted him President. Not long after, the people of Akyem Akroso also hooted at the President’s convoy.
I have heard some commentators, in their condemnation of the youth booing our President, say that it is against our culture to boo adults. Be that as it may, who has given vent to so-called child-right groups that have made it near impossible to discipline children? Punishments that straightened our lives as we grew up have become human rights issues, to the extent that our children are more protected than their parents.
The children believe they have a right to do whatever pleases them and grow with that mindset into adulthood. What is the end result?
Not too long ago, one group of senior high school students or another was in the news for vandalising school property. Some even set school buildings on fire. Then the very parents who should not discipline their children are asked to bear the cost of this vandalism.
Should there be a national discourse on how we whip our children in line? Even teachers are not allowed to punish recalcitrant or incorrigible pupils appropriately. The cumulative effect is the lawlessness we see in the land. One can imagine a country being governed by these ‘protected’ children after they have grown into adults and politicians.
In the difficult days of the Acheampong era in the late seventies, when Ghanaians had to queue for every conceivable item christened “Essential Commodities,” our citizens did not feel as helpless as they are today. Even during the very early days of the 31st December Revolution, there was famine in Ghana. The rains had failed and crops withered. People’s collarbones jutted out of their skins and was christened “Rawlings Chain”, yet there was no despondency as there is today. What has gone wrong?
Instead of acting to save the situation, our politicians are playing politics with our very lives, putting every single issue in the laboratory of partisan politics. If the electorate offended you by giving you their votes, be prepared to be booed after they have learnt their lesson.
In my last meeting with the late Major Courage Kwashigah at the Beverly Hill Restaurant at Asylum Down before his death, he told me he feared Ghanaians might make a mistake and fight for independence all over again. I cannot give details here because he is not alive to confirm or deny what we discussed. How right was he…?
Gbomowo will be the new political phenomenon if things do not turn around for the better. Mark my word.
Writer’s email address: akofa45@yahoo.com
By Dr. Akofa K. Segbefia
“A woman who abandons her baby in a dustbin at Kasoa Lorry Station is not always a wicked woman. Sometimes, she is a wounded woman whose mind has broken, whose family has rejected her, and whose society has left her with only one terrible option: disappear or be disgraced.”
That is the hard truth Ghana must hear.
In the last 10 days alone, our nation has been confronted with the same painful headline, twice.
Case 1 – Kasoa Main Lorry Station, Central Region: A newborn baby girl was found abandoned inside a dustbin at the public toilet of the Kasoa Main Station. A woman who went to use the facility discovered the infant and raised an alarm. Commercial drivers and bystanders quickly retrieved the baby and rushed her to the Kasoa Polyclinic for emergency medical care.
Case 2 – Asante Bekwai, Ashanti Region: On Thursday morning, August 20, 2026, a two-week-old neonate was reportedly abandoned by an unknown nursing mother at Bekwai in the Ashanti Region. Residents who came across the child raised the alarm. The baby was admitted to the Bekwai Government Hospital as police commenced investigations.
Let me be clear from the start: Newborn abandonment is wrong. It is dangerous. It is criminal. And it can kill. This article does not excuse it. But if we only arrest and shame, we will never stop it. We must treat the root, not just punish the fruit.
What exactly is newborn abandonment? – The two definitions
The Legal Definition: Under Ghana’s Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), Section 96, and the Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560), abandonment of a child under 12 years is a criminal offence. It is classified as exposure and abandonment, punishable as a misdemeanor or felony. The law sees the mother as a perpetrator.
The Psychological definition: In clinical textbooks, newborn abandonment is defined as the intentional, permanent relinquishment of all parental rights, care, and responsibilities over an infant within the first 28 days of life without making formal, legal arrangements for care.
To understand this crisis properly, we must not confuse it with child abandonment. Newborn abandonment happens within 0-28 days of life, often driven by acute panic, denial of pregnancy, or postpartum psychosis where the attachment bond never formed. Child abandonment, on the other hand, involves toddlers to teenagers where a bond existed but collapsed over time due to chronic poverty, family breakdown, or parental burnout. One is an acute crisis of the first month; the other is a chronic breakdown over years. Both are harmful, but they need different interventions.
Psychologically, newborn abandonment is the ultimate rupture of the primary attachment bond. Think of a 19-year-old university student who secretly gives birth alone in her hostel room, wraps the crying baby in a polythene bag, and drops it at a refuse dump at midnight. That is not just a crime scene; it is a scene of extreme panic and psychological dissociation.
Why would a mother carry a baby for 9 months and then abandon it?
This is the question every Ghanaian asks. If you wanted to abandon it, why not abort? The answer is deeply psychological:
1. The psychodynamics of denial of pregnancy: This is a profound defense mechanism, not a lie. The mother’s subconscious mind completely rejects the reality of the pregnancy. She does not gain weight normally, feels no kicks, does not seek antenatal care, and genuinely convinces herself she is not pregnant until sudden, shocking labour pains take her by surprise in a toilet or bedroom.
2. Fantasy of a dissolving problem: This is called cognitive avoidance. She believes “my boyfriend will come back,” “my mother will forgive me,” or “something miraculous will happen before birth.” So she waits, paralyzed, until the baby is here.
3. Barriers to safe abortion: Deep religious guilt, moral anxiety, fear of dying from a back-alley abortion, lack of money for a safe procedure, and family laws force her to carry to term even when she feels incapable.
4. The shock of reality and acute panic: Upon delivery, the physical presence and crying of the newborn shatters all denial. Confronted with immediate exposure, shame, and reality, her brain enters a trauma response — “fight, flight, or freeze.” For many, it becomes “flight” — physically escape the threat of exposure to survive socially. That is why babies are left in places where others will find them -lorry stations, churches, hospitals.
Source:
Counselor Prince Offei, CPAC’s founder, is a leading Mental Health Professional, Marriage Counsellor, Author, ADR Expert/Arbitrator, and Spectator Newspaper Columnist. He writes on relationships, marriage, parenting, special needs support, and their connection to mental health. For therapy, counselling, or enquiries, contact Counselor Prince & Associates Consult (CPAC) in Accra on 0559850604 / 0551428486.
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Features
Environmental stewardship is an act of worship: The Islamic response to climate change, environmental degradation (Part 4)
The environmental consequences of illegal mining have reached alarming levels in Ghana. Several major rivers, including the Pra, Ankobra, Offin, Birim and Tano, have experienced significant pollution from illegal mining activities, increasing the cost and complexity of water treatment while threatening the availability of potable water for millions of citizens (Water Resources Commission, 2024; Ghana Water Limited, 2024). These developments underscore the urgent need for stronger environmental governance and collective action.
Islam equally emphasises accountability in governance. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught that every leader is responsible for those under his or her authority (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 7138; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1829). This principle extends to public officials entrusted with environmental regulation, traditional authorities responsible for communal lands, mining companies, local assemblies, and community leaders. Environmental protection cannot succeed
where accountability is absent.
At the same time, addressing galamsey requires more than law enforcement. Sustainable solutions must tackle the underlying socio-economic realities that drive individuals into illegal mining. Many young people are motivated by unemployment, poverty, and limited economic opportunities. Islamic principles of social justice therefore call for the creation of alternative livelihoods through sustainable agriculture, vocational training, responsible small-scale mining under strict environmental standards, entrepreneurship, and skills development. Environmental protection and economic empowerment should not be viewed as competing priorities but as complementary goals that promote human dignity and national development.
Faith communities also have an indispensable role to play. Mosques, churches, schools, traditional councils, and civil society organisations possess significant influence in shaping public attitudes and behaviours. Imams, in particular, should consistently remind congregations that wealth acquired through actions that destroy communities and Allah’s creation cannot be regarded as a blessing. Religious education should cultivate environmental ethics alongside spiritual devotion, reinforcing the understanding that protecting rivers, forests, and farmlands is an expression of gratitude to Allah and a fulfilment of the trust of Khalifah.
Ultimately, the struggle against galamsey is more than a campaign to protect natural resources; it is a struggle to uphold justice, preserve human dignity, and honour the trust that Allah has placed upon humanity. Lasting solutions will require strong governance, responsible citizenship, sustainable economic opportunities, and renewed moral leadership. Only when these elements
work together can Ghana safeguard its natural heritage for present and future generations.
Water conservation, waste management and sustainable development: Practical expressions of Islamic stewardship
Religious education should cultivate environmental ethics alongside spiritual devotion, reinforcing the understanding that protecting rivers, forests, and farmlands is an expression of gratitude to Allah and a fulfilment of the trust of Khalifah.
Ultimately, the struggle against galamsey is more than a campaign to protect natural resources; it is a struggle to uphold justice, preserve human dignity, and honour the trust that Allah has placed upon humanity. Lasting solutions will require strong governance, responsible citizenship, sustainable economic opportunities, and renewed moral leadership. Only when these elements
work together can Ghana safeguard its natural heritage for present and future generations.
Islam is not merely a religion that condemns environmental destruction; it also provides practical guidance for preserving and sustaining the natural world. Through its teachings on moderation, cleanliness, conservation, and responsible consumption, Islam cultivates an environmental ethic that remains remarkably relevant to contemporary challenges such as water scarcity, pollution, waste management, and climate change. These teachings encourage Muslims to become
responsible custodians of Allah’s creation in both private and public life.
Water conservation: A sacred responsibility
Water occupies a unique position in Islam as the source of life and an essential element of worship. Allah says, “And We made from water every living thing. Then will they not believe?” (Qur’an 21:30, Sahih International). This verse reminds believers that water is not merely an economic resource but a divine blessing upon which all living creatures depend. The importance of water is further reflected in Islamic acts of worship. Muslims perform ablution (wudu) before the five daily prayers and ritual bathing (ghusl) under prescribed circumstances.
Yet, despite its central role in purification, Islam strongly discourages wastefulness. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once advised one of his companions not to waste water while performing ablution, even when using water from a flowing river (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 425). This timeless guidance establishes the principle that abundance does not justify extravagance.
Conservation remains a religious obligation regardless of the apparent availability of natural resources.
This Prophetic teaching carries profound implications for contemporary Ghana. Illegal mining has severely polluted many rivers, increasing the cost of water treatment and limiting access to safe drinking water for numerous communities. Climate change has also intensified seasonal variability in rainfall, placing additional pressure on freshwater resources (IPCC, 2023). Against this
backdrop, conserving water is no longer simply an environmental preference—it is a moral imperative grounded in Islamic teaching.
Water conservation should therefore become a shared responsibility among households, educational institutions, industries, and places of worship. Simple practices such as repairing leaking pipes, harvesting rainwater, protecting riverbanks, avoiding contamination of water bodies, and promoting efficient irrigation contribute to safeguarding one of Allah’s greatest blessings. Every effort to preserve water is an investment in public health, food security, and the
wellbeing of future generations.
Unfortunately, indiscriminate disposal of refuse remains a significant challenge in many communities. Plastic waste clogs drainage systems, contributes to flooding during the rainy season, pollutes rivers and beaches, and threatens marine ecosystems. Open burning of waste further degrades air quality and poses serious health risks, particularly for children and the elderly (UNEP,2024).
The author is Chief Imam of Katamanso Municipal and Certified Counsellor and Governnace Expert.
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