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Abanga Fuseini Yakubu declared NPP National Youth Organiser
Abanga Fuseini Yakubu has been declared the newly elected National Youth Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) after winning the position at the party’s National Delegates Conference in Kumasi.
Mr Abanga secured 1,550 votes to emerge winner of the contest.
His closest contender, Clement Opoku, polled 631 votes, while Michael Osei-Boating obtained 78 votes. Chris Lloyd polled 46 votes, Vera Oye secured 44 votes, and Alfredo Ababio Kumi received 25 votes.
The election formed part of the NPP’s national executive elections held at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi on Saturday, October 3, 2026.
Speaking after his declaration, Mr Abanga said he was confident of winning the election because of the work he had done among delegates.
“Definitely, I knew I was going to win,” he said when asked whether he expected to be declared the winner.
According to him, his victory was not the result of any special tactics but came from hard work, engaging delegates and explaining what he intended to do for the party.
“There was nothing tactical involved. It was about working hard, going to the delegates, telling them what you can do and what you can’t do,” he said.
He added that he had committed himself fully to the party and believed delegates rewarded his efforts with their votes.
Mr Abanga, however, declined to disclose his specific strategies for the 2028 general elections, explaining that he preferred to keep such plans private.
“As a politician, your strength is how secretive you are, and I don’t think it’s important to discuss my strategies,” he stated.
The newly elected National Youth Organiser called on his fellow contestants to put the internal campaign behind them and work together for the NPP.
He appealed to those who contested against him to join his efforts to strengthen the party.
“The point is that after elections, no campaign. I’m pleading with them to join me. We should come together. Divided before united we went,” he said.
Mr Abanga acknowledged that some comments he made during the campaign may have offended his fellow contestants and apologised to them.
“I uttered one or two words that they didn’t like, didn’t sit down well with them. I apologise. They should forgive me,” he said.
He appealed to his former opponents to forgive him for any disagreements during the campaign and stressed that the interest of the party was more important than personal relationships.
“The party’s interest is supreme and we don’t need to be friends before we work together as a party,” he said.
Mr Abanga said his election presented him with an opportunity to demonstrate his ability to lead and organise the youth wing of the NPP.
He pledged not to be an “armchair” National Youth Organiser but to actively engage young members of the party.
“I’m not going to be an armchair National Youth Organiser. I’m going to be an effective, strategic and innovative National Youth Organiser,” he said.
He described the position as an opportunity to prove his competence and pledged to work to the expectations of the party’s youth.
Mr Abanga explained his belief in sharing opportunities among young people, referring to the phrase “Obiyabe Didi Peche”, which he interpreted as meaning that one person should not benefit alone while others are left behind.
He said his approach would be to support and work with other young people rather than keeping opportunities to himself.
Looking ahead to the 2028 elections, Mr Abanga appealed to his former opponents and other party members to work together to support the NPP’s flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
“Let’s come together and work hard and make Dr Mahamudu Bawumia the President of the Republic of Ghana so Ghanaians can benefit from the good initiatives that NPP government is capable of doing,” he said.
He said the party needed a united youth front to support its broader political objectives.
By: Jacob Aggrey
ODORGONNO Senior High School (SHS) has won the maiden 2026 Senior High School Plastic Waste Reuse Innovation Awards, organised among five SHSs in Accra to promote plastic waste recycling and reuse.
Odorgonno SHS received a cash prize of GH¢8,000 after securing 97 points. Accra Senior High School placed second with 96 points and received GH¢4,000, while O’Reilly SHS placed third with 90 points and received GH¢2,000.
Forces Senior High Technical School placed fourth with 83 points, while St John’s Grammar SHS came fifth with 72 points. Both schools received GH¢1,000 each as cash prizes.
Outstanding students from the participating school clubs were also recognised with gold medals and certificates. St John’s Grammar SHS received five plastic recovery cages as the school with the highest volume of recovered plastic waste.
The awards formed part of the CSIR-Institute of Industrial Research (CSIR-IIR) Schools Plastics Recovery Project, an initiative aimed at promoting plastic waste recovery, responsible environmental practices and the productive use of recovered materials.
The project included educational campaigns in all five participating schools, the provision of metal cages for plastic source segregation, an educational excursion to a Miniplast recycling factory and a plastics challenge that encouraged innovative reuse of plastic waste.
The Project Lead and Senior Research Scientist at CSIR-IIR, Dr Boniface Yeboah Antwi, said the project demonstrated how young people could become active contributors to solving Ghana’s environmental challenges while providing financial incentives to sustain their efforts.
He said when schools generated income from recovered materials, they could support the maintenance of collection infrastructure, reinforce responsible waste management and instil an entrepreneurial mindset in students.
Dr Antwi explained that within the first month, the participating schools recovered 1.5 tonnes, or 1,500 kilogrammes, of plastic waste—equivalent to the weight of approximately 15,000 one-litre water bottles.
He said the recovery generated GH¢2,000 in revenue for the schools, demonstrating that plastic waste could become a source of value rather than an environmental burden.
The Group Head of General Operations at OmniBSIC Bank, Mr Dominic Donkoh, urged the participating schools to sustain their plastic waste segregation, collection and sales activities.
He said the proceeds could support school environmental clubs and other worthwhile initiatives while providing students with practical lessons in saving, budgeting and responsible financial management.
“We encourage students to apply the financial literacy lessons acquired during this engagement. Learn to manage the proceeds from your recycling activities responsibly, appreciate the importance of saving, and explore innovative ways to create both environmental and financial value,” he added.
–GNA
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Parents have been urged to prioritise girls’ education over early marriage to protect them from losing their childhood, education and opportunities for a better future.
The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Girl Child Coordinator, Madam Margaret Blay, said child marriage disrupted girls’ education, threatened their health and well-being, and limited their ability to realise their full potential.
“Keep her in school, not in a man’s house,” she urged parents, stressing the need for families and communities to protect girls’ right to education and personal development.
She made the call in a welcome address at the 2026 celebration of the International Day of the Girl Child in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, held under the theme: “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights.”
Madam Blay said ending child marriage required collective action from parents, teachers, traditional leaders, government institutions and communities to ensure that girls were protected and given the opportunity to pursue their aspirations.
She noted that child marriage often forced girls out of school before they were physically, emotionally and socially prepared for the responsibilities associated with marriage.
She said investing in girls’ rights was not merely a moral obligation but also an investment in the future of communities and the nation.
According to her, girls who remained in school, had their voices heard and received the necessary support could grow into leaders, professionals, innovators and active contributors to national development.
Madam Blay called on teachers to protect girls’ access to education, create supportive learning environments and empower them to express themselves confidently.
She also appealed to traditional leaders to help address harmful cultural practices and social norms that denied girls opportunities to develop their potential.
The government and relevant institutions, she said, must strengthen the enforcement of child protection laws to ensure that every girl received adequate protection.
She further urged communities to speak out against child marriage, report cases and work together to create safe environments where girls could learn, grow and thrive.
Madam Blay said every girl deserved the freedom to dream, acquire an education and determine her own future.
She expressed the hope that the celebration would strengthen stakeholders’ collective resolve to end child marriage and invest in the rights, education and future of every girl.
Madam Karen Ama Moses, Assembly Member for the Takoradi Railway and Harbour Electoral Area, said keeping girls in school would lead to enlightened mothers, well-informed families, resilient communities and, ultimately, a better Ghana.
She stressed that no child should be forced into marriage, adding that “every child must have the freedom to learn, grow, dream and choose her future.”
Some of the schoolchildren expressed concern that their parents did not always listen to their concerns during difficult times, while others said some children were exposed to abuse and early marriage.
Madam Henrietta Quabu, the Metropolitan School Health Coordinator, urged children experiencing abuse or any situation that threatened their well-being to report to the police, the Department of Social Welfare, the media, their teachers or the Metropolitan Education Directorate for assistance.
— GNA
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