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Promoting education among children: Give boys, girls equal opportunities – Otublohum Manye advises
Naa Densua V
The newly enstooled Queen mother of Otublohum in Ga Mashie, Accra, Naa Densua V, has expressed concern about the seeming disregard for boys in the quest to promote ‘girl child education’.
Speaking after her enstoolment on Friday, Naa Densua V said it appeared boys were being neglected while the focus had turned to the girls.
“We need to give both boys and girls equal opportunities to be educated. There are a lot of boys in the community who are not in school and no one cares; the fact that we want our girls too in school doesn’t mean it should be to the disadvantage of the boys.
“Let’s give all of them the same opportunities and a level playing field. Education is a right for all and not just girls,” she stressed.
In her capacity as Queen mother of Otublohum, her first task would be to ensure that boys and girls in the community received the same attention as far as education was concerned.
She attributed the development to a popular saying by a Ghanaian scholar, Dr James Emmanuel Kwegyir-Aggrey, which alludes that “if you educate a man, you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman, you educate a family.”
She pledged to work with the chiefs, elders and people of Otublohum to foster development in the area and beyond.
“We need to remain united and form a strong bond that would help us progress as a community,” she said.
Naa Densua V, known in private life as, Violet Eve Naa Adukwei Bruce Vanderpuye, was installed following the demise of the late Queen mother of the area, Naa Densua IV, who passed on seven years ago.
She swore an oath of allegiance to the chiefs and people of Otublohum and promised to be available anytime she was called upon.
The Head of Family of the Naa Densua We, Nii Okanta Vandepuye, who administered the oath, said they were pleased to have a Queen mother that had the progress of the people at heart.
“The swearing of the oath of allegiance is a reminder to her that she needs to serve the family. If she is called upon at any time and she fails to respond, that would mean she is not ready to serve her people.”
“It is our hope that she would abide by the obligations. We expect her to work hard, unite the family, and together we can achieve our developmental goals,” he stated.
By Michael D. Abayateye
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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
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Ghana to locally refine its gold starting October 2025 – Sammy Gyamfi
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board, Sammy Gyamfi, has announced that plans are far advanced for the establishment of a state-owned gold refinery in the country.
Speaking at the 2025 Minerals and Mining Convention, Mr Gyamfi said the refinery will process locally mined gold into bullion instead of exporting it in its raw state.
According to him, it is unacceptable that Ghana, despite being a leading gold producer in Africa, continues to export raw gold known as dore.
He explained that the Gold Board, working with the Bank of Ghana and local refineries, will from October 2025 begin refining gold locally.
He also disclosed that an ultramodern assay laboratory will be built to ensure international standards in testing gold quality.
Mr Gyamfi noted that the refinery will be wholly state-owned and will help Ghana move away from raw mineral exports to value addition.
This, he said, will boost foreign exchange earnings, create jobs, and position Ghana as a hub for gold refining and jewellery production in Africa.
The CEO stressed that the project forms part of government’s strategy to ensure the country benefits fully from its natural resources and to transform the mining sector into a driver of economic growth.
By: Jacob Aggrey
