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“Say no to pregnancy before marriage”
The Chairman of the Family Life Committee of the St. Augustine Catholic church at Ashaiman, Mr Peter Mensah Tweneboah, has advised the youth especially single ladies not to fall for calls from men to get pregnant before they marry them.
“Do not fall for men who say pregnancy before marriage because it is wrong” he said.
Speaking with The Spectator on the sidelines of the first edition of a ” Marriage Focus Programme” organised by the Family Life Committee of the church, Mr. Tweneboah described the practice which was gradually becoming common in the country as wrong in the eyes of God.
He observed that some young ladies had fallen for that proposal of pregnancy before marriage and had ended up as frustrated single mothers because the men did not honour their side of the “contract”.
“If you want to know whether a person could bear children or not, go to the hospital to check” he said.
The Chairman said it was even wrong to make child-bearing a condition in marriage because not all marriages would bear children which was not the ultimate in marriage.
He advised the youth to let the word of God be their focus when choosing their life partners because marriages built on the word of God were more likely to stand trials and temptations which included childlessness or delay in bearing children.
“We have all heard the story about Abraham and Sarah who had their children in their old ages. They focused on God and that was why they were able to go far” he explained.
Mr. Tweneboah said pregnancy before marriage amounted to fornication which could lead to contracting sexually transmitted diseases and that those waiting to get married should rather take it to God in prayer instead of taking the easy way out.
The Family Life Committee of the Catholic Church is a Committee that is in charge of singles, pre-marital and post-marital counselling in the various Catholic churches aimed at the development and sustainability of the family.
Addressing participants at the programme under the theme “Communication in Marriage”, the Chairman said the church could only continue to grow if marriages were strong and husbands and wives communicated effectively with each other as well as played their various roles as expected of married couples.
He said it was sad that despite technology, many couples were still not taking advantage of it to improve their day to day communication and could go for days without talking to each other whether they lived together or apart.
He charged couples to eschew complacency and assess their marriages from time to time to know where they fell short and work at them because some relationships which were good had gone bad and even looked irreparable.
The Secretary to the Committee, Mr. Suluvan Ayuuba also said because a couple came from different backgrounds and no human was perfect, there was bound to be challenges but that should not cause relationships to be strained and urged couples to study each other and know how to make life better.
A Member of the Committee, Mr. Emmanuel Adzakpa noted that when communication was poor it bred unccessary suspicion, tension and even affected the prayer lives of the couple.
He said this also went a long way to affect children in such homes who may even take advantage of the communication gaps between their parents to misbehave.
Another Member of the Committee, Ms. Innocencia Dadzetor highlighted the need for patience and forgiveness in a relationship because it was key to grow healthy marriages.
From Dzifa Tetteh Tay, Ashaiman
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Manhyia would serve as Ghana’s unifying force …Otumfuo assures on commemoration of 27 years on the Golden Stool
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, last Friday celebrated his 27th enstoolment with a colourful and culture-rich ceremony at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi, drawing a distinguished gathering of dignitaries from across Ghana and beyond.
Clad in splendid kente and adorned in rich traditional regalia, the dignitaries added colour and elegance to the occasion, as the palace grounds came alive with a vibrant display of Ghanaian culture.
Traditional drumming, dancing and symbolic rites underscored the deep-rooted heritage of the Ashanti Kingdom, captivating guests and reaffirming the value of tradition in modern society.
Speaking at a high-level Executive Gala organised by the Diaspora Affairs Office of the Office of the President in strategic partnership with the E ON 3 Group, the ‘World-Meets-in-Ghana’ gala, the Asantehene urged Ghanaians to guard against the divisive tendencies of partisan politics.
The event was to honour the Asantehene’s nearly three-decade reign under the theme ‘Advancing Peace and Sustainable Economic Development through Royal Vision’.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II noted that such attitudes threatened the country’s long-standing values of unity, civility and brotherliness.
He assured that Manhyia would continue to serve as a unifying force for the nation.
The celebration also featured the presentation of commemorative gold coins to notable national leaders, including the President, John Dramani Mahama, former Presidents John Agyekum Kufuor and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as well as Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, a former Vice President in recognition of their contributions to peace and national development.
By Spectator Reporter
The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has appealed to regional Queenmothers Association to support efforts to achieve 30 per cent women’s representation in leadership by the close of 2026, noting that women remain significantly underrepresented in elected positions.
The ministry said queenmothers had a critical role to play in identifying, mentoring and grooming the next generation of women leaders.
Speaking at an engagement with regional paramount queenmothers, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection and Member of Parliament (MP) of the Krowor Constituency, in the Greater Accra Region, said the ministry required active collaboration from queenmothers to encourage more women to contest elections.
Dr Lartey noted that negative stereotyping and the persistent association of female politicians with promiscuity continued to discourage many competent women from seeking leadership roles.
“The attacks, insults and shaming push many capable women out of the race before they even start,” she mentioned.
She urged queenmothers to provide direct support to young women in their communities who aspire leadership positions.
According to her, such support should include mentoring, coaching and guiding women through the processes of declaring interest, campaigning and navigating political party structures.
Dr Lartey encouraged women to remain persistent in pursuing leadership opportunities despite setbacks.
“Leadership is not always won on the first try. They should not give up if they do not succeed at first,” She added.
Responding on behalf of the association, Nana Otubea II, President of the All Regional QueenMothers Association and Paramount Queenmother of the Nkonya Traditional Council, described the call as laudable and pledged the association’s support towards achieving the 30 per cent target.
She commended Dr Lartey and the ministry for their efforts in advancing the welfare and empowerment of women.
Nana Otubea II also praised Parliament for passing the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024, describing it as a landmark legislation that would deepen Ghana’s democratic governance architecture.
She said the law would help improve female representation in leadership by mandating progressive targets and promoting gender parity in public life and decision-making.
Nana Otubea II urged that the full implementation of the Affirmative Action Act should include the integration of queenmothers into the National House of Chiefs, describing their exclusion as inconsistent with the principles of equity and inclusion.
She further stated that queenmothers play central roles in dispute resolution, chief nomination, community development and women’s mobilisation, yet are sidelined when national chieftaincy policies are formulated.
She called for legal and administrative reforms to permit the election of paramount queenmothers to the National House of Chiefs, suggesting that at least one queenmother from each region be represented. – GNA
