News
A Saturday night’s dream
I was not pleased with the conduct of my bodyguard on the occasion of the Fourth GJA Awards Nite at the Labadi Beach Hotel last Saturday. Theophilus Yartey was supposed to be at post at exactly 7.05pm but was nowhere to be found.
My honourable press secretary, Devine Ankamah, had to double as the acting bodyguard. He was quite impressive except that his height didn’t quite measure up to his responsibility as the personal guard of a six footer columnist.
Suddenly, Theophilus appeared in full gear grinning contentedly. He nearly missed the buffet. He apologised for the lapse in his security arrangement, rationalised his undue delay and reaffirmed his loyalty to Kwame Alomele.
I looked at the divine shape of his head and had no doubt whatsoever in my mind that he was the ideal guy for the job. Theophilus is a man whose height is proportional to his intelligence. And for the fact that he is also a born-again Christian makes him an ideal personal guard.
He once confided in me that he could order a gun-wielding attacker to surrender his weapon to him in the name of Jesus. I suppose he could also chest bullets in the name of Elijah. At the present, he is the man who holds my life in his hands.
With the appearance of Theo by my side, I breathed easily. Meanwhile the awards ceremony was underway in grand style. When I heard the citation read in my honour with respect to my article titled “PRESS FREEDOM AND THE BEARDED GOAT,” I was elated. What the bearded goat did to press freedom was, however, not recounted by the exciting and able MC, Godwin Avenorgbo. That guy is a wonderful master of ceremonies. I salute him!
POETIC TRAGEDY
The Columnist of the Year award was delivered to me by no other than the legendary poet and master of the ink, Dr Atukwei Okai. He is a man I envy so much, if not for anything, for his poetic genius.
I have always tried to be a poet without success. I write a few stanzas but they do not shine. What a tragedy! But it comes so naturally to Dr Okai, sometimes in the semblance of lorgorligi.
I am flattered to say that the man is also my admirer and once told me he wished he could write prose like me. At that time I doubted his sincerity because I could not imagine how a great name, a poetic legend, could ever wish to be like an upstart columnist with very little promise of becoming great.
I was so happy to see that he was the very man to present my award. And to my utmost satisfaction, he blessed me with his own citation, whereupon I was filled with the spirit of literary power. I felt like I was in a dreamland.
NO MORE WEEPING
The Sikaman Palava column began as a light-hearted approach to information dissemination such that if your mother died, the Palava could inform you in the kind of language that would make you laugh rather than weep. The column turned sorrow into joy.
I did not know the column was generating so much appeal until the Editor’s office was besieged by readers one Monday after an article I wrote on impostors appeared the previous Saturday. It was then that steps were taken to baptise the column with water and then with fire.
In 1991 it earned me an award as an Outstanding Journalist at the National Media Awards night. I was given the award although I did not present entries as others did. In fact, I’m not used to sending entries to compete in these awards because it just doesn’t seem right to me. But this year, I was compelled to do so because my colleague and press secretary Devine Ankamah said he was going to do so on my behalf whether I liked it or not.
Other colleagues put pressure on me and finally, and in consultation with Devine, I submitted the entries. I was glad to have won this award as the best in Column Writing although the ¢200,000 prize money isn’t quite proportional to my height and of course weight. I could have done with a deep freezer and ¢500,000 in it. Sponsors would have to be found for these awards to make them more inducing.
CONGRATULATIONS
At the hotel, I was privileged to be congratulated by Mrs Gifty Afenyi-Dadzie, the versatile, intelligent and resourceful Vice President of the GJA whose Christian ideals I admire so much. She is a Palava fan.
The dignified Mr Kafui Asem was so pleased with my award and the dazzling former Mirror columnist Ajoa Yeboah-Afari was similarly glad I was honoured. Her column ‘Thoughts of a Native Daughter’ used to whet my reading appetite those days. She is one of the few lady journalists who have distinguished themselves in the profession. She reminded me that my 1989 article ‘A Name Under Siege’ is still her favourite. Many others say so.
Finally, I didn’t know I was so loved. A good number of my colleagues paid ¢15,000 each, not to wine and dine but to cheer me up and I’m very grateful. I was excited and certainly, they made me the star of the night, dancing round me as we took pictures here and there; hugging and pushing me around.
May I express my profound gratitude to two Spectator national service ladies, Betsy Okan and Tina Donkor who defied all odds and made it to the beach hotel to cheer me loud. They made all the difference, together with tall, brainy Peter Francisco, ace-reporter, Francis Twum, and celebrated humorist Alfred Tamakloe who dressed like a voodoo priest and became a centre of attraction.
Peter Quayson, the wonderful cameraman and camera-magician Seth Aduagyei together with my good friend Gayheart Edem Mensah, gave every moral support. I dedicate the awards to them and to the New Times Corporation.
Now I guess if these awards will have to be competed for every year, some of us would have to stop contesting for a while to give a chance to the young, up-and-coming journalists.
They need to be motivated and we must give them the chance to be known through these awards. Don’t you think so?
This article was first published on Saturday, May 25, 1996
A woman who is accused of bolting with ‘susu’ money totaling GH₵156,445 has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.
Martha Nana Esi Afful was alleged to have collected the money from 35 complainants.
Charged with 35 counts of fraudulent breach of trust, Martha, who was earlier remanded, pleaded not guilty.
The court, presided over by Mr Joseph Y. Kuunsong on Wednesday, admitted the accused person to a GH₵200,000 bail with two sureties.
One of the sureties, the court said, must be a public servant earning not less than GH₵5,000.
She is expected to reappear on August 12, 2026.
The Prosecution’s case before the court is that the complainants are traders and residents at La in Accra.
Prosecution described Martha as a ‘Susu’ collector, who resided at Burma Camp.
The court heard that the accused person run a business with the name ‘ZOE’ and she deceived the 35 complainants into believing that she collected ‘Susu’ daily, which was kept for a period of one-three years, and paid interest on the money invested.
The complainants contributed in 2023 for a three-year period, prosecution said.
In December 2025, when the complainants went to take their money with interest, Martha went into hiding and only took phone calls from a few complainants.
Prosecution said the accused provided a MTN Momo number through which a few of the complainants still paid monies.
It said all efforts made to collect the money, totaling GH₵156,445 from her, proved futile.
On June 14, 2026, a report was made to the police and Martha was picked up at a washing bay at Tse Addo.
During interrogation, she admitted the offence in her caution statement, saying she lost her husband and relocated to Swedru in the Central Region, hence the complainants were unable to reach her from December 2025 till date.
Prosecution said Martha further stated that she had invested the monies into refuse collection business and she needed time to pay the amount.
Police are investigating the claims. –GNA
A Public Health Nurse at the Roman Ridge Sub-Municipal of the Ayawaso West Health Directorate, Ms Patience Adoli Kporxah, has cautioned the public against coming into contact with floodwaters, warning that exposure can lead to serious diseases, infections and injuries.
Floodwater, she said, should always be treated as contaminated, regardless of how clean it appears, because it may contain sewage, human and animal waste, chemicals, fuel, sharp objects and disease-causing micro-organisms.
In an interview with The Spectator in Accra on Thursday, Ms Kporxah explained that contact with contaminated floodwater exposes people to bacteria, viruses, parasites, hazardous chemicals and other physical hazards that can result in illness or injury.
Her advice came in the wake of recent exposure to floodwater following Monday’s torrential rains that left vast areas of the capital flooded.
As a result, a lot of people were seen either ‘swimming’ in the floodwater to rescue people or retrieving items being washed away.
According to her, exposure to floodwater could cause skin infections, particularly where there are cuts or open wounds, as well as diarrhoea diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery and other forms of gastroenteritis if contaminated water was swallowed.
Other health risks, she said include hepatitis A, eye and ear infections, tetanus in people with untreated wounds or incomplete vaccination, and injuries from submerged sharp objects, debris or electrical hazards.
Ms Kporxah advised anyone who had contact with floodwater to monitor their health closely and seek immediate medical attention if they develop symptoms such as fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain, severe headache, muscle aches, skin rash, difficulty breathing, or yellowing of the eyes or skin.
She also urged people whose wounds became red, swollen, painful or begin to discharge pus, as well as those who accidentally swallow floodwater, to report to the nearest health facility without delay.
Although not everyone exposed to floodwater requires immediate treatment, she stressed that pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems, individuals living with chronic illnesses and those with significant wounds should seek prompt medical evaluation.
On water safety, Ms Kporxah cautioned that rainwater was not automatically safe for drinking or cooking, especially during or after flooding. She explained that rainwater collected from roofs, gutters or open containers could be contaminated by bird and animal droppings, dust, leaves, bacteria, viruses, parasites and chemical pollutants.
She advised that rainwater intended for drinking should first be treated by boiling, chlorination or another approved water purification method before use.
Touching on food safety, Ms Kporxah said factory-sealed bottled drinks and canned foods with intact packaging might still be safe after flooding.
However, she stressed that any containers submerged in floodwater should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before handling. Foods in paper packaging, damaged containers or products with broken seals should be discarded because contaminated water may have seeped into them.
She further warned that flooding increases the risk of outbreaks of cholera, typhoid fever and other waterborne diseases through contaminated water sources.
In addition, she said flooding could contribute to respiratory illnesses in overcrowded shelters and mould-infested buildings, foodborne illnesses from spoiled or contaminated food, and mental health conditions such as anxiety, stress, depression and trauma.
It could also disrupt access to medicines and healthcare for people living with chronic conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, asthma and kidney disease.
Ms Kporxah therefore urged the public to practice good hygiene, avoid unnecessary contact with floodwater, consume only safe food and drinking water, and seek medical attention promptly whenever symptoms develop.
She said observing these preventive measures would help minimise the risk of disease outbreaks and protect lives as the country continues to experience heavy rains and flooding in some communities.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
