News
Alhaji Raji enstooled new Oba of Yoruba community
Yorubas in Ghana last Saturday stormed Chief Braimah Avenue at Sekondi to coronate Chief Raji V, an astute sports administrator, as the new Oba of the Yoruba community in the Western Region.
Although COVID-19 protocols were strictly observed, it did not take away the joy from the fair Yorubas, who graced the occasion and also to savour the joy of the day. Even, the six hours of rains that heralded Raji’s coronation, did not prevent anxious guests from attending.
handkerchief at the crowd
Peregrino Braimah VIII and his council members
turbaned by Imams
members receiving homage from a Yoruba woman
Showcasing colour, pomp and style, the coronation witnessed profused Yoruba tradition from preparation of variety of Yoruba cuisine, bounty dresses through to the turbaning of Raji V, amidst Muslim tradition.
What added the ceremonial touch to the event was the presence of the cream of Yoruba community in Ghana including Oba Alhaji Hamza Peregrino Braimah V111, Chairman of the Yoruba Council of Obas, Oba Alhaji Saka Salami (Olu Kasoa 1), from the Central Region.
The mood of the guests broke bounds when at exactly 12.30pm, Chief Raji V, dressed in an all-white attire, emerged from the palace waving a white handkerchief signifying his victory.
Spontaneously, the Chief Braimah Avenue at Sekondi burst into ecstasy as the Yorubas shouted ‘Raji’, ‘Raji’,Raji, ‘All hail our Oba’, ‘May Allah bless your reign!”
Before his installation, the National Chief Imam of the Yoruba community, Sheikh Mustapha Hussein Diko and the Western Regional Chief Imam, Sheikh Alhaji Ali Hassan, led the congregation to recite prayers for the soul of late Chief Raji 1V, climaxing the 40-day Adua.
Later, the Elder of the Raji family, Alhaji Mustapha Raji, the Imams and Muslim chiefs, presented Chief Raji V with a Koran and turbaned the head to signify his office.
In a chat with The Spectator, Chief Raji V, also known as Alhaji Ali Omola Braimah Raji, pledged to unify the Raji family and the Yoruba community to ensure the peace and development of Sekondi-Takoradi and the entire Western Region.
Born on September 26, 1956, Chief Raji V, began his education at St Peters Anglican Primary School, Sekondi and completed at the St Peters Anglican Middle School, Ketan, in 1971.
He had his secondary school education at the Sekondi College, and, later enrolled at the Kwara State College of Technology, Ilorin, in Nigeria. From there, he worked as the Client Service Manager at Project Monitors.
Chief Raji V returned to Ghana and took over the late father’s business, situated at the Market Circle, Takoradi, and also established Raji Timbers Limited, engaging in the export of wood products.
He established First Pole Limited to deal in general contracts and the marketing of agricultural products.
His interest in sports led him to become a director and team manager as well as the chairman of Sekondi Eleven Wise Football Club, and subsequently, elected unopposed as the chairman of Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA) from 2010 to 2016.
With zeal, dedication and commitment, the experienced sports administrator led GHALCA for six good years, and, undoubtedly, got a triple, as he was appointed the vice chairman of the Player Status Committee, a member of the under-17 national team and a member of the senior female football team.
From Clement Adzei Boye, Sekondi
The Northern Regional Police Command has arrested three men believed to be part of a kidnapping syndicate responsible for abducting a 42-year-old man in Wapuli, a community in the Yendi District.
The suspects, Haruna Seidu, Amidu Bandi and Osman Bandi allegedly kidnapped the victim and demanded GH¢100,000 from his family for his release.
According to a police statement, officers from the Regional Police Intelligence Directorate were deployed to Wapuli after the incident was reported.
The team conducted surveillance and launched a rescue operation.
On Friday, December 5, 2025, police successfully rescued the victim and arrested the suspects after what was described as an intense exchange of gunfire.
The suspects were later taken into custody and are expected to be arraigned before court.
The Police said the a fourth suspect, who is believed to have sustained gunshot wounds during the operation, is currently on the run.
They urged the public to provide any information that may lead to his arrest.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong advocates Bold educational reforms at the UK House of Lords during Global Education Summit.
On November 27 2025, global development leaders, policymakers, education experts and civil society organisations gathered at the UK Parliament’s House of Lords for the Global Education Summit hosted by The Baroness Verma of Leicester and organised by the African British Business Forum.
The high-level event focused on the global rise in out-of-school children and the urgent reforms required to deliver equitable, quality education for all.
Among the distinguished Speakers was Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong, Founder & President of Women in Sustainability Africa (WiSA) and General Manager of the EIB Network, who delivered a compelling address on the theme “Breaking Barriers: Empowering Out-of-School Children Through Education.”
In her remarks, Nana Yaa who is currently celebrating 26years of Service in the Media, emphasized that education must be viewed as essential national infrastructure, not charity.
Borrowing experiences from her 18 years of empowering women and young people, she presented a strong case on how Africa’s poor educational systems tie into the poor state of its Gender Equality gap.
According to her, unlocking access to education is one of the most effective ways to strengthen economies, empower women and young girls, build resilient communities and drive sustainable development.
She highlighted that each child excluded from learning represents deferred innovation, delayed opportunity and a weakened society.
Nana Yaa noted that the barriers keeping millions of children out of school are complex and interconnected—ranging from poverty and cultural norms to geographical isolation and digital exclusion.
Addressing these challenges, she argued, requires solutions that are equally comprehensive and multi-layered.
Nana Yaa stressed that girls remain disproportionately affected, and investing in girls’ education has a transformative impact across several Sustainable Development Goals, including gender equality, poverty reduction, health outcomes and climate resilience.
Nana Yaa advocated for the expansion of flexible, inclusive and community-responsive educational models, such as mobile classrooms for remote and nomadic communities, community learning hubs, after-hours programmes for working children, radio-based instruction for low-tech areas and digital platforms designed to reach learners regardless of connectivity challenges.
She warned that without deliberate action, the digital divide would continue to widen, pushing already vulnerable children further to the margins.
During her presentation, she introduced three major reforms WiSA is seeking Partners for, aimed at reshaping educational access across Africa and beyond.
These are the Digital Bridge for Out-of-School Children (DBOC), the Community Education Stewardship Hubs (CESH) involving local women educators and youth volunteers and the Teen-focused Global Skills Accelerator for Out-of-School Teens (GSA-OT).
She also underscored the need for education systems that support instruction, inclusivity and healing, particularly for children experiencing autism, trauma, displacement or conflict.
Nana Yaa emphasised that emotional and psychological support must be integrated into educational frameworks in order to restore confidence, stability and long-term learning capacity.
The summit concluded with strong commitments from stakeholders to adopt sustainable financing models, strengthen data-driven policies and expand cross-sector partnerships.
The African British Business Forum reaffirmed its commitment to championing innovative, scalable solutions to educational inclusion across the UK, Africa and the wider global community.
