News
‘Ghanaians are hospitable’
A choir at the event
The Archdiocesan Community of French Speaking Catholic Christians of Accra and the fusion of Francophone Choirs called Our Lady of Nations, has organised a maiden mega religious concert to celebrate parents.
The event which brought together foreign nationals from various African countries aimed at fostering a cordial relationship between Ghanaians and Francophones.
The President of the Group, Nazaire Finoude said it was important to set a date and event aside annually to appreciate the contribution of parents towards the upbringing of their children.
Speaking with The Spectator on the sidelines of the event, Mr. Finoude admitted that parenting was a sacrificial job which often took a lot of comfort from them (parents) so their efforts should not go unnoticed.
The event which brought together French speaking catholics from about 15 countries from Africa and France was used to share gifts to some parents who were lucky to have their tickets chosen in a draw.
The President expressed his joy at the success of the first event and hoped that subsequent ones would even see improvement to celebrate more parents.
He commended citizens of Ghana for what he described as “their hospitality towards
foreigners”.
He was, however, concerned about the fact that some schools, landlords and ladies liked to charge extra school fees and rents which, sometimes, were outrageous but they were left with no choice but to continue to patronise their services.
He encouraged the local people to take advantage of Francophones they associate with especially at church to learn French because, among others, it would facilitate communication between them and other nationals.
He said when people from an English speaking country could speak the French language it gave them an advantage on the job market if a bilingual was being sought.
Mr. Finoude advised all foreign nationals to strive to work harder and live in peace in Ghana and also stay out of trouble to be good ambassadors of their various countries and contribute to the growth of the Catholic community.
By Dzifa Tetteh Tay
A former Sec ond Lady, Mrs Matilda Amis sah-Arthur, has called for urgent action to bridge literacy gaps among young girls in the country to advance gender equality.
She stressed that improving lit eracy among girls was essential not only for women’s empowerment but also for national development.
“Addressing the literacy gap is not a woman’s issue. It is a nation al necessity and, with the passing of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Act, 2024, Ghana is signalling that women belong in leadership, but leadership begins with a book,” she said.
Mrs Amissah-Arthur made the call at an event organised by the Ghana Library Authority (GLA) in Accra yesterday to mark Interna tional Women’s Day (IWD) on the theme: “Her Voice in Libraries: Women Transforming Literacy in Ghana.”
According to her, many girls in Ghana still drop out of school due to poverty, lack of mentorship and limited support systems, warning that without deliberate interven tions some risk becoming part of worrying national statistics.
The former Second Lady encouraged students, particularly girls, to see education not only as a tool for personal advancement but also as a means of empowering future generations.
“Don’t shy away from STEM and ICT subjects. Break into the male-dominated areas and bridge the digital divide,” she added.
Mrs Amissah-Arthur also called for stronger partnerships between men and women in advancing gen der equality, stressing that the issue should be viewed as a national development priority rather than solely a women’s concern.
“Gender equality is not a woman’s issue. It is a development issue. It requires partnership, respect and shared responsibility,” she said.
She further expressed opti mism that with the right support systems, every child, regardless of gender, could achieve their full potential.
In a remark, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Education, Lydia Essuah, said that despite progress made in promoting gender equality in the education sector, challenges remained in ensuring progression, completion and quality learning outcomes for all learners.
She highlighted the important role of libraries in advancing liter acy and lifelong learning skills, and called for increased investment in library infrastructure and services to help build a knowledge-driven society.
The Executive Director of the Ghana Library Authority, Alhassan Ziblim Bentintiche, also under scored the importance of libraries in empowering young people, par ticularly girls, with access to books, digital resources and mentorship opportunities.
He disclosed plans to expand Ghana’s library infrastructure and services to particularly attract the youth and promote literacy.
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
Management of the Metro Mass Transit Limited has accused the government of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of pursuing what it describes as a “create, loot and share” agenda in the sale of portions of the Opera Square Bus Terminal to a private developer.
The Deputy Managing Director of the company, Haroun Apaw-Wiredu, raised the concerns while speaking to journalists at the Opera Square Bus Terminal in Accra on Thursday, March 12, 2026.
He indicated that the management of Metro Mass Transit would not tolerate any further unauthorized development at the terminal and would take steps to protect the property.
According to him, it would be wrong for a private developer to take control of state property for personal economic gain while the company and the public remain silent.
“How can we sit down and allow a private developer, just for his selfish economic gains, to capture state property for himself? No, we cannot sit down,” he stressed.
Mr Apaw Wiredu called on the public to resist what he described as attempts to take over state assets, adding that such actions would disadvantage ordinary citizens.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we must all stand up. We must all wake up. We must fight this level of brazen looting and attempts to milk the system at the expense of ordinary Ghanaians,” he indicated.
He explained that some individuals had been operating around the terminal for many years and alleged that the developer gained access to the land during the previous administration.
Mr Apaw Wiredu stressed that under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama, the company would pursue all legitimate means to protect the terminal from what he described as unlawful takeover.
He added that management would use every legal avenue available to defend the property and prevent any attempt to take control of the land without proper authorization.
By: Jacob Aggrey
