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Ashanti Regional GJA honours media practitioners
Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafo presenting an award to Dr. Kingsley Antwi-Boasiako, Marketing And Public Affairs Manager, Ghana Ports And Harbours Authority (Takoradi Port)
The Ashanti Regional Branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has held an Excellence Awards to honour media practitioners who have contributed to the growth of the profession in the region.
Last Saturday’s programme was held at the DOME of the Rattray Park in Kumasi under the theme, “Recognising The Media as Partners In National Development”.
The Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC)Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafo, the Paramount Chief of Kpando,Torgbui Dagadu IX, Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei-Adutwum, GJA President, Mr Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor,graced the occasion with Chief of Nkwantakese, Nana Boakye Yam Ababio, as the chairman.
In all, 20 persons and organisations were recognised for their contribution to journalism and media development in Ghana particularly in the Ashanti Region.
Those who received awards included past and current crop of media practitioners whose productive roles could not be swept under the carpet.
Lawyer Nana Yaw Osei, a former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the GJA, Dr Kingsley Antwi-Boasiako, Marketimg and Public Affairs Manager of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority(Takoradi Port), Mr Michael Nana Ampong, Council Member of the Cape Coast Technical University and veteran broadcaster and educationist, Mr Ibrahim K. Gyasi, were honoured for their past and continued contributions in shaping the Journalism profession.
Messrs Luther King Adinkra, popularly known as Kwame Adinkra from ABN Group, Prince Bempong Marfo(Kojo Marfo)and Isaac Justice Bediako from EIB Group, Sampson Kwame Nyamekye from Despite Media Group, William De Bordes (Lovin Cee) from Silver FM, Charles Brafo-Anakwah from Wontumi Media, Erastus Asare Donkor from Multimedia Ghana Limited and Ms Beatrice Spio-Garbrah and Mr Victor Opoku from Media General Group, Solomon Budu-Hagan of GBC were particularly mentioned for their sustained efforts in Development Journalism.
Multimedia Ghana Limited on the night was specifically mentioned and recognised for its sustained interest in Health Journalism.
A friend of the media and politician, Chairman Odeneho Kwaku Appiah (COKA) was also honoured for his philanthropic contributions and support to the media spanning over 20 years.
Addressing the event as a Guest Speaker, Mr. Boadu-Ayeboafo urged media practitioners and journalists to see the provision of information as a public duty and service for the public good.
“It is only when the media provide credible information and keep the interest of the public at heart that they would be more than qualified to be appreciated and recognised as Partners in National Development”,he emphasised.
Mr. Boadu-Ayeboafo touched on the lack of broadcasting law to regulate the airwaves which he considers a big challenge.
Calling for the broadcasting law, the NMC Chairman again expressed concern about the excess foreign content and local television channels.
Nana Ababio commended the Regional Association for recognising and celebrating the awardees.
Minister of Education commended the media for carrying out roles that “have ensured the development of the country”.
Mr.Samuel Pyne, the Chief Executive of Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, advised the media not to target personalities in their work but afford people especially, leaders of organisations and outfits, the opportunity to explain their actions.
The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the GJA Mr said: “Most of the awardees are practitioners who have held aloft the torch of the profession and are still blazing the trail for the profession to thrive.”
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
News
Abu Trica’s extradition case: Prophets, fetish priests demand pay for spiritual solution …Lawyer reveals
Mr Oliver Barker-Vormawor, a lawyer for embattled Frederick Kumi, affectionately called Abu Trica and has made a shocking revelation over the behaviour of some members of the clergy.
According to him in a post on social media, the difficult part of Abu Trica’s trial is not the law but the number of ‘Men of God’ and fetish priests demanding financial sacrifices to help resolve the matter spiritually.
Oliver Barker-Vormawor posted on Tuesday, April 22, 2026, “The most difficult part about the Abu Trica case; is not the law.”
He continued: “It is the number of, prophetesses, evangelists and fetish priests, who have called or messaged to ask us to pay for spiritual solutions.”
It would be recalled that in March this year, the Gbese District Court dismissed a preliminary objection filed by Abu Trica, challenging the extradition proceedings initiated at the request of the United States.
The court, presided over by Anna Akosua Appiah Gottfried Anaafi Gyasi, in its ruling held that the offences forming the basis of the extradition, particularly wire fraud, constitute extraditable offences under the 1931 treaty between Ghana and the United States.
He was then given 15 days counting from March 27 to appeal the decision of the court or be surrendered for extradition to the US.
Against this backdrop, he was on Tuesday, April 22, granted a bail in the sum of GH¢30,000,000 by an Accra High, pending the appeal of his extradition
Mr Kumi was arrested in Ghana in December 2025 following an indictment by United States authorities, alleging that he played a role in a romance scam network that defrauded elderly American victims of more than $8 million.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
News
From panic to pass: how parents, teachers can help children beat BECE, WASSCE exam phobia- Part 1
Walk through any Junior High or Senior High compound in Ghana as BECE or WASSCE approaches and you will see it.
A bright girl suddenly quiet. A boy who led class debates now sleeping at his desk. A Form three student with stomach pains every Monday morning.
This is not laziness. This is academic stress. When left unaddressed, it hardens into exam phobia-overwhelming dread that pushes children into burnout, avoidance, and sometimes silence.
As a mental health professional who sits with these children and their parents at Counselor Prince & Associates Consult (CPAC) in Adenta Oyarifa-Teiman, I see the pattern clearly.
Research confirms it. Putwain and Daly (2014) found that high test anxiety predicts lower grades independent of ability. Zeidner (1998) showed that chronic academic pressure raises cortisol, weakens memory recall, and increases school dropout risk. The brain under fear cannot retrieve what it studied.
Understanding the storm: What academic stress really looks like
Exam phobia is not just “being nervous.” It shows up as headaches before mocks, sudden anger when books are mentioned, night-time insomnia, or perfectionism that ends in blank scripts.
Some children over-study until 2 a.m. and forget everything by 9 a.m. Others avoid books completely, scrolling phones instead. Both are distress signals. Dr Kenneth Ginsburg, a paediatrician specialising in adolescent resilience, notes: “Stress is not the enemy; feeling alone with stress is.” Too many Ghanaian children feel alone with it.
The home front: How parents and couples become safe havens, not extra pressure
The first antidote is at home. Structure beats shouting. Set a predictable study slot-same time, same place, with water and a light snack. Then protect sleep like you protect school fees. A tired brain fails faster than an unprepared one. Use the “15-minute start rule”: “Just sit for 15 minutes. If you still can’t, we close and try after a walk.” Often, starting is the hardest part.
Couples must watch their language. “Don’t disgrace us” plants fear. Replace it with “We see your effort. What part feels hardest today?” Praise process, not only position: “You revised three topics and asked for help—that is maturity.” Research by Dweck (2006) confirms that process praise builds resilience while outcome praise increases anxiety.
For caregivers, check your own anxiety. Children borrow our nervous system. If BECE makes you panic, they will panic. One parent grounds—keeps meals, prayer, and bedtime steady. The other pivots—talks to teachers, adjusts timetables, arranges counselling. Both protect rest. An empty cup cannot pour calm.
Resources
– Counsellor Prince & Associates Consult (CPAC): Award-winning Clinical Mental Health and Counselling Facility, accredited by the Ghana Psychology Council.
– School-Based Support: Speak to Guidance & Counselling units, or licensed school counsellors. E.g. Counsellor Blessing Offei – 0559850604 (School Counsellor).
– Contact CPAC for Parent Coaching/Counselling & Student Therapy: 055 985 0604 / 055 142 8486
