Features
A call on CPP to be a potential force in 2024 general election
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A sister of mine, name withheld, told me that she recently dreamt about the party that would form the next government and take over the mantle of leadership of our dear country, Ghana, after the tenure of office of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in 2024. In that dream, she was directed by the Almighty God to try and get in touch with Comrade Kwesi Pratt, a leading member of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and Managing Editor of Insight Newspaper, to deliver a special message to him concerning the re-organisation of the party to take over the leadership of this country in 2024. She asked me to assist her to get the contact line of Mr. Pratt so that she could deliver the message to him personally. I did according to her wish and I am very sure that by now, she has been able to get in touch with Mr. Pratt to deliver her message.
MESSAGE TO COMRADE KWESI PRATT
Being so inquisitive, I impressed on her to interpret that dream to me in a more cohesive manner and to my astonishment, she told me that the good Lord had revealed to her that come 2014, the leadership of this country would be transferred to the CPP because Ghanaians were, indeed, tired and fed up with the current government and that of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and would like to try a third force which is the CPP.
I cannot agree more with my sister about her dream and vision, however, I strongly believe that for that prediction to materialise, much will depend on all the splinter groups of the Nkrumahist tradition to bury their entrenched positions and differences and rally their strength behind the CPP, the party formed by Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah of blessed memory and first President of Ghana to regain their fortunes and claim leadership of this country. That can be possible and there is no ambiguity about that vision. It is a fact that those who have been monitoring and following Kwesi Pratt critically about his comments and support for the CPP, believe that he has what it takes to help bring together well-meaning and genuine Nkrumahists who believe in the ideals and tradition of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah to build a formidable CPP to capture power, come 2024.
CPP AS AN ALTERNATIVE PARTY IN GOVERNMENT
It is a fact that Ghanaians who have tried and tested both the administrations of the NPP, which is still in power, and that of the NDC, which handed power in 2016, are not seeing any improvement in their living conditions. Rather, what they are witnessing currently is economic stagnation, hence the deterioration in their living conditions. There have been no proactive measures to arrest the declining state of the economy and the sufferings among the people are, indeed, unbearable. Therefore, the only option and alternative left for Ghanaians is to try the CPP and see what they can also offer this nation. But in doing so, that entrenched positions by the so-called splinter groups which claim their roots from the Nkrumahist tradition must be dismantled to rope in true and genuine CPP members and supporters who because of the unstable nature of the party, have defected to other parties including the NPP and the NDC. It is important and significant for the dormant CPP to regain its original posture and to rub shoulders with the two main political parties in our dear country, Ghana.
This article will not be complete, effective and interesting if it fails to trace and sumarise the historical background of the emergence of the CPP from the Nkrumahist era up the present state where things seem not to be going well with the party because of apathy, individual differences and leadership crisis. It is also a fact that there are quite a number of Ghanaians who are not familiar with the CPP, therefore, they will need some bit of enlightenment about the party and what it stood for in the past.
SHORT HISTORY ABOUT THE CPP
This writer was not born when the CPP was formed but history has revealed that it was a socialist party based on ideas of former president Kwame Nkrumah of blessed memory. It was formed on June 12, 1949, by Nkrumah to campaign for independence of the Gold Coast. It was a governing party under Kwame Nkrumah of the autonomous British Colony of the Gold Coast from 1951 to 1957, and independent Ghana from 1957 to 1966. In 1964, the Constitution was changed to make the CPP the only legal party in Ghana, thus making the nation a one-party state. The party was banned after the 24th February 1966 coup d’etat by the National Liberation Council (NLC). It will interest readers to know that parties that followed the CPP tradition used various names to prosecute their own agenda. It was the first party to rule Ghana after the attainment of independence in 1957.
The CPP started as a vehicle of emancipation of the nation and whole of Africa, and was a party that embraced farmers, fishermen, the rural folks, the rich and the poor alike. In the 2008 presidential and parliamentary elections, the party won one parliamentary seat, the Jomoro Constituency with the daughter of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Madam Samia Nkrumah as the member of parliament. The then presidential candidate Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, performed below expectation, managing to get 1,4 per cent of the total valid votes cast. The presidential candidate in the 2012 election was Dr. Michael Abu Sakara Foster with Mr. Ivor Greenstreet being the presidential candidate for the party in the 2020 election.
SHAMEFUL SPECTACLE WITHIN THE CPP
It is a shame that the CPP which used to be a party with a larger following is now wandering in the wilderness due to protracted differences, bickering and a host of other problems basically on matters of leadership of the party. The party has men and women of integrity to manage its affairs but the lack of coordination and unity seem to be tearing the party apart. Was it not a shame that the CPP has no representation in parliament ever since Samia Nkrumah’s mandate expired in 2016?
The turn of events in this country in which the cost of living has become unbearable for the average Ghanaians, demands that the CPP must get its act together, bring all those who professed in the ideals and vision of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah together and launch a positive campaign to win the needed support for the party come 2024 general election. Now is the time for the founding members of the party, some of whom are still alive to call a spade a spade and see how best they can unite the party under one umbrella which is the CPP to make a positive impact on the country’s democratic process. Ghanaians are yearning for a third force to save them from the harrowing experiences they are currently going through.
This country is not the preserve of any group or political party to govern, it belongs to each and every Ghanaian and Ghanaians deserve every right to choose the party of their choice to run the affairs of the nation. That is why a clarion call is being made to the CPP to organise itself well to battle for the leadership and show what the party can also offer to salvage the country from the downward trend.
To borrow from the lyrics of the greatest and popular Jamaican reggae and soul musician, Jimmy Cliff, “There is suffering in the land” and Ghanaians will need selfless, dedicated and visionary leaders to lift them out of their sorrowful state as well as the current economic hardship they find themselves in.
Ghanaians have tried and tested the two major political parties-NPP, NDC- and things, especially issues regarding the economy are not working in their favour, therefore, the only alternative left for them is to look elsewhere for their salvation. The CPP can be a potential force if it can unite and re-organise itself before the 2024 general election.
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By Charles Neequaye
“A woman who abandons her baby in a dustbin at Kasoa Lorry Station is not always a wicked woman. Sometimes, she is a wounded woman whose mind has broken, whose family has rejected her, and whose society has left her with only one terrible option: disappear or be disgraced.”
That is the hard truth Ghana must hear.
In the last 10 days alone, our nation has been confronted with the same painful headline, twice.
Case 1 – Kasoa Main Lorry Station, Central Region: A newborn baby girl was found abandoned inside a dustbin at the public toilet of the Kasoa Main Station. A woman who went to use the facility discovered the infant and raised an alarm. Commercial drivers and bystanders quickly retrieved the baby and rushed her to the Kasoa Polyclinic for emergency medical care.
Case 2 – Asante Bekwai, Ashanti Region: On Thursday morning, August 20, 2026, a two-week-old neonate was reportedly abandoned by an unknown nursing mother at Bekwai in the Ashanti Region. Residents who came across the child raised the alarm. The baby was admitted to the Bekwai Government Hospital as police commenced investigations.
Let me be clear from the start: Newborn abandonment is wrong. It is dangerous. It is criminal. And it can kill. This article does not excuse it. But if we only arrest and shame, we will never stop it. We must treat the root, not just punish the fruit.
What exactly is newborn abandonment? – The two definitions
The Legal Definition: Under Ghana’s Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), Section 96, and the Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560), abandonment of a child under 12 years is a criminal offence. It is classified as exposure and abandonment, punishable as a misdemeanor or felony. The law sees the mother as a perpetrator.
The Psychological definition: In clinical textbooks, newborn abandonment is defined as the intentional, permanent relinquishment of all parental rights, care, and responsibilities over an infant within the first 28 days of life without making formal, legal arrangements for care.
To understand this crisis properly, we must not confuse it with child abandonment. Newborn abandonment happens within 0-28 days of life, often driven by acute panic, denial of pregnancy, or postpartum psychosis where the attachment bond never formed. Child abandonment, on the other hand, involves toddlers to teenagers where a bond existed but collapsed over time due to chronic poverty, family breakdown, or parental burnout. One is an acute crisis of the first month; the other is a chronic breakdown over years. Both are harmful, but they need different interventions.
Psychologically, newborn abandonment is the ultimate rupture of the primary attachment bond. Think of a 19-year-old university student who secretly gives birth alone in her hostel room, wraps the crying baby in a polythene bag, and drops it at a refuse dump at midnight. That is not just a crime scene; it is a scene of extreme panic and psychological dissociation.
Why would a mother carry a baby for 9 months and then abandon it?
This is the question every Ghanaian asks. If you wanted to abandon it, why not abort? The answer is deeply psychological:
1. The psychodynamics of denial of pregnancy: This is a profound defense mechanism, not a lie. The mother’s subconscious mind completely rejects the reality of the pregnancy. She does not gain weight normally, feels no kicks, does not seek antenatal care, and genuinely convinces herself she is not pregnant until sudden, shocking labour pains take her by surprise in a toilet or bedroom.
2. Fantasy of a dissolving problem: This is called cognitive avoidance. She believes “my boyfriend will come back,” “my mother will forgive me,” or “something miraculous will happen before birth.” So she waits, paralyzed, until the baby is here.
3. Barriers to safe abortion: Deep religious guilt, moral anxiety, fear of dying from a back-alley abortion, lack of money for a safe procedure, and family laws force her to carry to term even when she feels incapable.
4. The shock of reality and acute panic: Upon delivery, the physical presence and crying of the newborn shatters all denial. Confronted with immediate exposure, shame, and reality, her brain enters a trauma response — “fight, flight, or freeze.” For many, it becomes “flight” — physically escape the threat of exposure to survive socially. That is why babies are left in places where others will find them -lorry stations, churches, hospitals.
Source:
Counselor Prince Offei, CPAC’s founder, is a leading Mental Health Professional, Marriage Counsellor, Author, ADR Expert/Arbitrator, and Spectator Newspaper Columnist. He writes on relationships, marriage, parenting, special needs support, and their connection to mental health. For therapy, counselling, or enquiries, contact Counselor Prince & Associates Consult (CPAC) in Accra on 0559850604 / 0551428486.
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Features
Environmental stewardship is an act of worship: The Islamic response to climate change, environmental degradation (Part 4)
The environmental consequences of illegal mining have reached alarming levels in Ghana. Several major rivers, including the Pra, Ankobra, Offin, Birim and Tano, have experienced significant pollution from illegal mining activities, increasing the cost and complexity of water treatment while threatening the availability of potable water for millions of citizens (Water Resources Commission, 2024; Ghana Water Limited, 2024). These developments underscore the urgent need for stronger environmental governance and collective action.
Islam equally emphasises accountability in governance. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught that every leader is responsible for those under his or her authority (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 7138; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1829). This principle extends to public officials entrusted with environmental regulation, traditional authorities responsible for communal lands, mining companies, local assemblies, and community leaders. Environmental protection cannot succeed
where accountability is absent.
At the same time, addressing galamsey requires more than law enforcement. Sustainable solutions must tackle the underlying socio-economic realities that drive individuals into illegal mining. Many young people are motivated by unemployment, poverty, and limited economic opportunities. Islamic principles of social justice therefore call for the creation of alternative livelihoods through sustainable agriculture, vocational training, responsible small-scale mining under strict environmental standards, entrepreneurship, and skills development. Environmental protection and economic empowerment should not be viewed as competing priorities but as complementary goals that promote human dignity and national development.
Faith communities also have an indispensable role to play. Mosques, churches, schools, traditional councils, and civil society organisations possess significant influence in shaping public attitudes and behaviours. Imams, in particular, should consistently remind congregations that wealth acquired through actions that destroy communities and Allah’s creation cannot be regarded as a blessing. Religious education should cultivate environmental ethics alongside spiritual devotion, reinforcing the understanding that protecting rivers, forests, and farmlands is an expression of gratitude to Allah and a fulfilment of the trust of Khalifah.
Ultimately, the struggle against galamsey is more than a campaign to protect natural resources; it is a struggle to uphold justice, preserve human dignity, and honour the trust that Allah has placed upon humanity. Lasting solutions will require strong governance, responsible citizenship, sustainable economic opportunities, and renewed moral leadership. Only when these elements
work together can Ghana safeguard its natural heritage for present and future generations.
Water conservation, waste management and sustainable development: Practical expressions of Islamic stewardship
Religious education should cultivate environmental ethics alongside spiritual devotion, reinforcing the understanding that protecting rivers, forests, and farmlands is an expression of gratitude to Allah and a fulfilment of the trust of Khalifah.
Ultimately, the struggle against galamsey is more than a campaign to protect natural resources; it is a struggle to uphold justice, preserve human dignity, and honour the trust that Allah has placed upon humanity. Lasting solutions will require strong governance, responsible citizenship, sustainable economic opportunities, and renewed moral leadership. Only when these elements
work together can Ghana safeguard its natural heritage for present and future generations.
Islam is not merely a religion that condemns environmental destruction; it also provides practical guidance for preserving and sustaining the natural world. Through its teachings on moderation, cleanliness, conservation, and responsible consumption, Islam cultivates an environmental ethic that remains remarkably relevant to contemporary challenges such as water scarcity, pollution, waste management, and climate change. These teachings encourage Muslims to become
responsible custodians of Allah’s creation in both private and public life.
Water conservation: A sacred responsibility
Water occupies a unique position in Islam as the source of life and an essential element of worship. Allah says, “And We made from water every living thing. Then will they not believe?” (Qur’an 21:30, Sahih International). This verse reminds believers that water is not merely an economic resource but a divine blessing upon which all living creatures depend. The importance of water is further reflected in Islamic acts of worship. Muslims perform ablution (wudu) before the five daily prayers and ritual bathing (ghusl) under prescribed circumstances.
Yet, despite its central role in purification, Islam strongly discourages wastefulness. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once advised one of his companions not to waste water while performing ablution, even when using water from a flowing river (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 425). This timeless guidance establishes the principle that abundance does not justify extravagance.
Conservation remains a religious obligation regardless of the apparent availability of natural resources.
This Prophetic teaching carries profound implications for contemporary Ghana. Illegal mining has severely polluted many rivers, increasing the cost of water treatment and limiting access to safe drinking water for numerous communities. Climate change has also intensified seasonal variability in rainfall, placing additional pressure on freshwater resources (IPCC, 2023). Against this
backdrop, conserving water is no longer simply an environmental preference—it is a moral imperative grounded in Islamic teaching.
Water conservation should therefore become a shared responsibility among households, educational institutions, industries, and places of worship. Simple practices such as repairing leaking pipes, harvesting rainwater, protecting riverbanks, avoiding contamination of water bodies, and promoting efficient irrigation contribute to safeguarding one of Allah’s greatest blessings. Every effort to preserve water is an investment in public health, food security, and the
wellbeing of future generations.
Unfortunately, indiscriminate disposal of refuse remains a significant challenge in many communities. Plastic waste clogs drainage systems, contributes to flooding during the rainy season, pollutes rivers and beaches, and threatens marine ecosystems. Open burning of waste further degrades air quality and poses serious health risks, particularly for children and the elderly (UNEP,2024).
The author is Chief Imam of Katamanso Municipal and Certified Counsellor and Governnace Expert.
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