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Battered, ruined by drugs …Story of 30-year-old mason
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● Samuel Yao Kumah desires to get out of drug addiction
Many are of the view that once a person has passed the teenage years, there is no possibility of being influenced by their peers.
However, what happened to Samuel Yao Kumah might make many change their understanding of peer pressure.
In an interview with The Spectator last Thursday at Ashaiman in the Greater Accra Region, the 30-year-old Kumah disclosed that five years ago, he was a successful person frequenting some parts of a neighbouring country until he was introduced to drugs by some of his friends of the same age.
The mason recalled with tears that he once worked with a company which specialised in building warehouses and paid him handsomely.
He said the dramatic spiral began when some of his friends started begging him for money to buy drugs, which he did out of kindness.
Yao Kumah said that with time, as he hanged around with them, they convinced him to also have a sniff or two, and just so that he would not offend them, he agreed.
He said unfortunately, with time, he observed that he was to develop a strong ‘love’ for the drug and patronised it, especially when he was alone.
Sadly and unimaginably, with time, Yao Kumah became addicted and started investing so much in drugs.
He explained that this was because anytime he failed to take it, he experienced a serious discomfort popularly known as “turkey,” and so he had to try as much as possible to have access to it before he could feel normal.
“It affected my output at work, and I also lost interest in everything except drugs,” he said.
According to Yao Kumah, gradually he started losing so much, including his job, wife, savings and even some properties.
He said he was forever grateful to one of his brothers, who advised him to buy land and build a house when he had the means.
“But for him, I would have been homeless by now,” he recalled.
He said some families and friends had tried to caution him, but their pieces of advice came at a time when he was too neck-deep in it to turn back.
Yao Kumah said he regretted not staying away from such friends of bad influence and felt bad each time he remembered how he allowed himself to be destroyed so easily.
He currently tries to patch roads with potholes to earn some income or beg from road users to survive and take care of his three children, who live with his mother in the Volta Region.
Yao Kumah said his strongest desire was to stop doing drugs, get a decent job to take care of his children and restore his dignity.
He called on public-spirited people to help him to go to a rehabilitation centre to get professional help to get off drugs.
The mason said he had tried on his own to quit drugs, but the situation had gone beyond the use of willpower to get out of it.
He advised the youth to avoid bad company because it was true that evil company corrupted good manners, so that they would not end up like him.
“On this note, let me take the opportunity to advise families and friends not to abandon their loved ones when they become drug addicts but rather support them in any way they can to bring them out of the mess they have found themselves in.
“Indeed, I feel bad whenever I look back at how I had fallen, but I felt worse when people passed by and insulted or humiliated me,” Yao Kumah said.
He said he was ready to avail himself to talk to people to stay away from bad company and drugs, using his life as an example.
From Dzifa Tetteh Tay, Ashaiman
The University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) has disputed claims made on social media by comedian Michael Blackson concerning the treatment given to his late mother, saying a review found that the allegations did not accurately reflect what happened during her stay at the hospital.
In a statement issued in Accra on August 5, 2026, the management of UGMC expressed condolences to Mr. Blackson and his family over the death of his 83-year-old mother, who died at the facility on July 16, 2026.
The hospital said it had taken the concerns raised by Mr. Blackson seriously and conducted a thorough review in line with its clinical and administrative procedures.
According to the statement, the facts presented by Mr. Blackson on social media contained “numerous inaccuracies” and did not accurately reflect the medical care provided to his mother.
UGMC explained that she was referred to the facility from another hospital and received treatment there from May 27 to July 16, 2026, a period of about eight weeks.
The hospital stated that it would not release details of her diagnosis, treatment, medical records or other aspects of her care because it had a duty to protect patient confidentiality, even after death.
It said the decision was intended to respect the dignity of the deceased and the privacy of her family.
UGMC further stated that all clinical decisions at the facility are made by qualified healthcare professionals based on medical judgment, established standards of care and the best interests of the patient.
The statement added that such decisions are made in consultation with authorised family representatives where necessary and that billing and financial procedures are governed by institutional policies and are separate from clinical decision-making.
The hospital noted that it values feedback from patients and their families and considers both positive and negative comments important for improving the quality of care.
Mr. Blackson had earlier used social media to criticise the care his mother received at UGMC, prompting the hospital’s response.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has directed all aspirants campaigning in the Greater Accra Region to suspend their campaign activities on August 5 and 6 and instead mobilise supporters for the party’s planned “Democracy Under Attack” demonstration.
The directive was issued by the party’s National Steering Committee in a statement signed by the NPP General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, on Tuesday.
According to the statement, the decision forms part of efforts to ensure a strong turnout for the demonstration, which is scheduled for Thursday, August 6, 2026.
The party said the protest would begin at 5:00 a.m., with participants expected to gather at the Supreme Court in Accra.
It further directed Regional, Constituency and Polling Station Executives in Greater Accra to work closely to mobilise members and supporters for the event.
“The National Steering Committee is calling on all aspirants currently campaigning across the Greater Accra Region to temporarily suspend their campaign activities on the 5th and 6th of August and join in mobilising support for the upcoming demonstration,” the statement noted.
The NPP appealed to party members and supporters to remain peaceful, disciplined and orderly throughout the protest.
The demonstration forms part of the party’s response to concerns it has raised over issues relating to Ghana’s democratic governance and the justice system.
The NPP leadership expressed confidence that party members would cooperate fully to ensure a successful and peaceful event.
By: Jacob Aggrey
