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Children exposed to arts, culture early develops strong intellectual, communication skills – Acting E/R CNC Director
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Toddlers from various kindergarten schools in the Eastern Region on Tuesday thrilled patrons with impressive cultural performances at this year’s Kindergarten festival organised by the Centre for National Culture (CNC) in Koforidua.
The children from the participating schools recited poetry, staged drama performances and performed a variety of traditional dances, including Kete, Kpatse, Borborbor and Apatampa, under the theme: ‘Little Stars: Celebrating Our Culture for Future Impact.’
Participating schools included Love Community Kindergarten, Koforidua Grammar School, Solomon School, Charles Wesley Academy, Unique Kiddie Care, Alpha Hills School, Assemblies of God Kindergarten, Brentford Academy, Liberty Academy, Berlin Academy, Bolders Journey School and New Dawn School.
The Acting Eastern Regional Director of the CNC, Dr Salamatu Alhassan, said research had shown that children exposed to arts and culture from an early age developed strong intellectual and communication skills.
“These toddlers participating in this festival have the potential to be ahead of their peers because training in arts and culture broadens their minds and enhances their intelligence.
Dr Alhassan said, considering the numerous benefits of arts and cultural education, it was important to nurture children from an early age to become future ambassadors of Ghana’s rich cultural heritage and contributors to the country’s creative economy.
She said the CNC was mandated to promote Ghana’s arts and culture and assured that such festivals would continue to be organised regularly to provide more children with opportunities to develop their talents.
Dr Alhassan encouraged parents and teachers to support children to participate in cultural festivals and related activities to help build their confidence, creativity and appreciation of Ghanaian culture.
The Eastern Regional Director of the Department of Children, Mr Emmanuel Nana Osei, said exposing young children to Ghanaian culture through such festivals was essential because it helped them develop a strong sense of identity.
He said as future leaders, children needed to understand their cultural roots to develop a sense of belonging and appreciate the need to contribute meaningfully to national development.
Mr Osei also urged parents to encourage their children to participate in poetry, drama and traditional dance activities to nurture their talents and preserve Ghana’s cultural heritage.
From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua
The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) has announced changes to how the purity of gold will be tested for local purchases, with the new rules taking effect from October 1, 2026.
The notice was issued today by the Compliance Directorate of the Ghana Gold Board.
Under the new arrangement, the Water Density method will only be used to give an indication of the purity of gold and will no longer serve as the final basis for determining its purity, price or payment.
In a compliance notice issued on September 28, GoldBod said X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) testing would become the definitive method for determining the purity of gold doré purchased by the Board and its licensed buyers.
It explained that the applicable payment for gold would therefore be based on the purity determined through the XRF method.
However, GoldBod said where a licensed buyer is unable to use XRF due to genuine operational or logistical challenges, or where both the buyer and seller voluntarily agree to use the Water Density method, the gold would be purchased at a 0.7 percent purity discount.
The Board introduced a tolerance level for differences between successive XRF test results for the same gold or transaction.
According to the notice, the permissible difference between one XRF report and another must remain within plus or minus 0.1 percent.
GoldBod said any difference beyond that range would have to be verified before the transaction is completed or reported to the Board.
The new requirements apply to all aggregators and licensed gold buyers, who have been directed to ensure that they are fully prepared to comply with the changes by October 1.
GoldBod said the notice forms part of the terms and conditions of licences issued to aggregators and licensed gold buyers.
It warned that failure to comply with the new requirements would constitute a breach of the applicable licence conditions and could result in regulatory or enforcement action under the Ghana Gold Board Act, 2025 (Act 1140).
By: Jacob Aggrey
Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has waded into the debate over government support for Ghanaian evacuees, describing complaints over the amount given as “nauseating entitlement.”
In a strongly worded post shared on Facebook, Manasseh argued that Ghanaians who were airlifted from South Africa after xenophobic threats should show gratitude rather than discontent.
“Some countries abandoned their people because they either did not care enough or they did not think it was economically wise to spend huge sums of money chartering planes and evacuating their people. Your country did not abandon you. It chartered aircraft and lifted you,” he wrote.
According to him, government spent huge sums to bring citizens home at a time when the country has pressing needs that could have been addressed with that money, but no one complained because “your life as a citizen is just as pressing.”
Manasseh said it was therefore worrying that after the evacuation and subsequent financial support from the state, some beneficiaries are complaining that the amount is not enough.
“Sir, some people need only 2000 cedis to start a business, but the state has not given them anything. Others worked and paid taxes while you were away, but have not received a pesewa from the state. Think about that,” he stated.
He added that while the frustration of losing opportunities abroad is understandable, the evacuation was not forced but was done to save lives.
He added that “We can sympathise with whatever opportunities you may have lost by returning home, but note that the government did not forcibly evacuate you. Your safety was paramount. You could have lost your life if the government had abandoned you.”
Manasseh warned that such complaints only fuel negativity in the political space.
“Your complaints will please a section of our society that lives in perpetual search of negativity with which to score cheap political points. But to the discerning people, it is a nauseating sense of entitlement,” he stressed.
He concluded with a call for appreciation “And whatever you have been given to ease your return is an added bonus. Appreciate it and pray for more. There’s a vast difference between a favour and an entitlement.”
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
