News
Senior housemaster suspended for invoking curse on students
What began as idle student gossip at the Nkenkenso Senior High School in Offinso-North of the Ashanti region has erupted into a scandal that has shaken the institution, drawing a stern gaze of the Ghana Education Service (GES).
At the centre of the storm is Mr Akwasi Opoku—known to students as ‘Striker’—the Senior Housemaster now suspended after allegedly invoking a curse on three school boys under his care.
It all started with whispers. The students had reportedly linked Mr Opoku to the tragic death of a teacher who died in a motor accident following an alleged altercation. When the rumours reached him, the confrontation that followed was anything but ordinary. In a moment that stunned the school community, Mr Opoku was said to have pronounced a curse on the boys.
The story took an even darker turn when his mother, reputed to be a chief priestess, allegedly performed rituals tied to the curse. To undo it, the students were initially asked to pay GH¢1,000 each. But later they offered six fowls, one guinea fowl, three bottles of Schnapps and GH¢500 each before the curse was said to be overturned.
For households already struggling, the financial burden was crushing; for the students, the emotional toll was far worse. Fear replaced youthful confidence, and the classroom became a place of dread.
Attempts by the Headmaster and the District Director of Education to quietly resolve the matter failed until the GES stepped in. On February 24, the GES issued a statement condemning Mr Opoku’s actions which it described as “unprofessional and damaging to the reputation of both the school and the GES.”
He has since been suspended, directed to hand over all school property and documents to the Assistant Headmaster while investigations continue.
The incident has sparked outrage and soul-searching as parents consider the safety of their children in the hands of those entrusted with their welfare.
For now, the students at Nkenkenso Senior High School walk their campus with a mix of relief and lingering fear; relief that the curse has been lifted and fear that authority could be wielded in ways that leave them vulnerable.
The GES investigation will determine Mr Opoku’s fate, but the case has already become a mirror reflecting broader concerns: professionalism in education, accountability in leadership, and the fragile trust between educators and the young lives they shape.
As one parent put it, “We bring our children here to learn, not to live in fear of curses.”
When the Headmaster of the School, Kwaku Djan-Asante, was contacted on phone, he would not give details, saying the “case is now being handled by the GES.”
The chairman of the Parents Teacher Association (PTA), Mr Thomas Addicossi Dieudonne, confirmed to The Spectator and insisted that, “We have taken a strong decision that we don’t want Mr Opoku in the school any more.”
“Even though the GES is yet to determine the case, this is our position,” he added.
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
GOLD Fields Ghana Foundation (GFGF), has organised a sensitisation programme at Mile 10, one of its catchment communities in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality to raise awareness about childhood cancer.
The programme formed part of activities to observe this year’s World Childhood Cancer Day which falls on February 15 every year.
Speaking at the event, Dr Magdalene Bakari, the Lead specialist for health services for Gold Fields Ghana (GFG), said as part of their commitment to improve upon the health and lives of the people that they worked with, they decided to spend time with the residents of Mile 10.
She said one of the things they did was to focus on schooling the community about childhood cancers because such cancers were affecting their young ones, who were the country’s future leaders.
“We wanted to reinforce the education on childhood cancer, so people could identify the early signs, get treatment on time, and go on to live productive lives” Dr Bakari stated.
The lead specialist explained that GFG have a large catchment area, and over the years, they have tried to get to each community, adding that last year, they visited Subri, and earlier covered Koduakrom, Pepesa, and Huniso.
“In Mile 10 community, we noticed, it’s a community where poverty levels are high, and they also have a very youthful population with a high fertility rate. So, we wanted to bring this message to them as well” she indicated.
Dr Bakari reiterated that with so many children around, they felt it was important to educate the community to help parents and caregivers to pick up some of the issues early and further support them to have access to healthcare when needed.
Mr Abdel-Razak Yakubu, the Executive Secretary of the GFGF, said hundreds of residents were registered free of charge with the National Health Insurance programme to enable them have access to affordable health care.
He said staff from the National Health Insurance guided and showed residents how to renew subscription on their mobile phones when they expired, so they would not have to travel down to their office in Tarkwa for renewal.
Nana Obaatanpa Kojo Etroo I, Odikro of Mile 10 community, praised GFGF for selecting his community for the impactful health programme, stressing that, though the Mine would be leaving them, they would remember their efforts.
Maame Abena Owusu-Ansah, a mother of six expressed appreciation to the GFGF for facilitating her children’s NHI registration. -GNA
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AN Accra High Court has sentenced Richard Appiah, a footballer, to life imprisonment for the murder of two boys at Abesim in the Bono Region.
The convict was found guilty by a seven-member jury on two counts of murder.
The court heard that on August 20, 2021, Appiah murdered Stephen Sarpong, 15, and Louis Agyemang, 12, at his residence in Abesim.
The case began at the Kaneshie District Court, now the Adabraka District Court, where committal proceedings were held before it was transferred to the High Court in Accra.
The prosecution, led by Nana Ama Adinkra, a Senior State Attorney, called five witnesses, while the defence team, led by Mr Faustinus Yirilabuo, called two witnesses.
According to the prosecution, the complainant, a driver and father of Louis Agyemang, resided in the same community as the accused.
On the day of the incident, Appiah allegedly lured Louis Agyemang, his half-brother, to his residence. When the boy could not be found later in the evening, a relative, Mr Akwasi Boateng, questioned the accused about his whereabouts.
The accused joined in the search, after which a report was made to the police. Mr Boateng later went to the accused’s residence and, through a window, saw the victim lying motionless in his room. The police were alerted and forced open the locked room, where they made further discoveries.
The remains of both victims were subsequently conveyed to the Police Hospital for preservation and investigation.
During investigations, the accused led police to another location where additional evidence was retrieved. A brown envelope containing GH¢7,960 was also found in his room.
Appiah was charged with two counts of murder and pleaded not guilty.
In his defence, he expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and claimed he was suffering from severe depression and hallucinations at the time of the incident. His lawyers urged the jury to return a verdict of guilty but insane, arguing that he was mentally unstable and, therefore, not criminally responsible.
The defence maintained that their client acted under delusion and did not have the mental capacity to appreciate the consequences of his actions.
However, the prosecution argued that the accused was aware of his actions and took steps to conceal evidence, indicating that he knew the difference between right and wrong. The State further argued that insanity was an exception to criminal responsibility and must be strictly proven.
The jury returned a unanimous verdict of guilty.
Following the judgment, defence counsel, Mr Theophilus K. Dzimegah, indicated that the legal team would appeal the decision in the coming days.
-GNA
