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‘Vorsa’ attracts hundreds at Alliance Francaise
• The performers put up different acts on stage
Patrons turning up at Alliance Francaise were held spellbound last Saturday with a well-crafted and coordinated stage show titled ‘Vorsa’ (sacrifice).
The production, choreographed by Kafui Tay, Senyo Okyere, and directed by Kofi Antonio, was a combination of rich Ghanaian culture, art, and music, depicting the impact of environmental pollution and climate
About 25 performers, comprising men, women and children, won the heart of viewers as they took turns to project the theme of the show put together by Tifali organisation, a group of performing art and heritage studies experts.
With colourful costumes and other eye-catching elements, the team transitioned through various narratives mixed with energetic traditional and contemporary dance moves and artistry.
Mr Kafui Tay, the Lead Choreographer, told The Spectator that illegal mining (galamsey) and other forms of environmental pollution remained a threat to livelihoods hence the move to create awareness with their craft.
He explained ‘Vorsa’ was to make people recognise the urgency or the ‘sacrifices’ they need to make in protecting and preserving the environment for future generations.
“We believe that our forebears left a clean environment for us but greed is making us lose it all. We have always had clean water but galamsey is threating the existence for our water bodies. So all along we have been looking at how we can add our voices to some of these pressing issues, he noted.
He said Tiffany organisation was focused on using performing arts to bring about social change and had since 2017 highlighted issues such as girl child education, women empowerment, peace and climate change and other matters of public concern.
Mr Senyo Okyere, on his part, commended Alliance Francaise for the partnership and asked the public to look out for more captivating performances in future.
Describing ‘Vorsa’ as “an integral part of our social, civic and economic lives,” he believed the creative piece would stimulate authorities to act promptly.
Another drama titled ‘The Legend of Akushika’ also attracted positive feedback from the audience on the night.
By Ernest Nutsugah
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Focus on more pressing issues like Galamsey, not hate speech – Ellen Ama Daaku to Mahama
An aide to former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia,Ellen Ama Daaku has advised President John Dramani Mahama to shift his attention from social media hate speech to more urgent national issues such as illegal mining.
Speaking in an interview, she noted that the President’s recent comments about tracking the IP addresses of people who spread hate speech were unnecessary.
According to her, President Mahama must first define what he considers to be hate speech before seeking to punish people for it.
Ms. Daaku argued that the President himself had benefitted from hate speech and social media attacks in the past when he was in opposition.
She said even during his time in government, he described his opponents and their tribesmen in unpalatable terms, which later drew complaints from former President Nana Akufo-Addo to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
She stressed that harsh criticism of leaders on social media should not automatically be considered hate speech, adding that former leaders, including former President Nana Akufo-Addo had all been subjected to it.
“He is only feeling what Nana Akufo-Addo went through for eight years,” she remarked.
While acknowledging the need to regulate misconduct online, Ms. Daaku insisted that going after social media activists should not be a priority.
She noted that many political activists, including herself, had been insulted and attacked online but never called for arrests.
She concluded that President Mahama should focus his energy on solving pressing problems such as galamsey and the economy instead of concentrating on critics on social media.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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Prof Alidu Seidu files nomination for Tamale Central seat
The newly elected parliamentary candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for Tamale Central, Prof Alidu Seidu, has submitted his nomination forms to the Electoral Commission.
As of 10:00 a.m. today, he was the only person who had filed to contest the seat.
Nomination of candidates will close at the end of the day.
Associate Professor and Head of the Political Science Department at the University of Ghana Legon, Prof. Alidu Seidu won the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primaries in the Tamale Central constituency with a landslide victory.
The elections, supervised by the party’s Elections and IT Directorate in the Northern Region, saw Prof. Seidu poll 840 votes out of the total valid ballots cast.
His closest contender, Lawyer Hanan Gundadow Abdul-Rahaman, secured 536 votes.
The other aspirants could not make significant gains, with Dr. Seidu Fiter obtaining 44 votes, Aliu Abdul-Hamid 23 votes, and the rest recording fewer than 10 votes each.
In all, 1,500 ballots were cast, with 6 ballots rejected and 7 spoilt ballots recorded.
The results were signed and declared by Dr. Arnold Mashud Abukari, NDC Northern Regional Director of Elections and IT.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) held parliamentary primaries in Tamale Central to choose a candidate for the upcoming by-election following the death of the sitting Member of Parliament, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed. Dr. Mohammed, who also served as Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, tragically died in a military helicopter crash in the Adansi Akrofuom District on August 6, 2025, alongside seven others.
His passing left the Tamale Central seat vacant, as required by Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.
The Electoral Commission has scheduled the by-election for September 30, 2025. While the NDC moved quickly to open nominations and vet aspirants, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) announced it would not contest the seat, citing the need to respect the somber circumstances and promote national unity.
By: Jacob Aggrey
