News
ADRA, UNHCR create market opportunities for refugees in WR
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Ghana Refugee Board has organised a ‘product fair’ for refugees in the Western Region.
The exhibition, held last Tuesday at Aiyinase, was to create a market for products and services of refugees and enable them to become self-reliant, following their skills acquisition in agriculture and agro-processing, handicraft, petty trading, among others.
Themed “Providing Customer Experience: The Work of the Refugee,” the fair brought together about 16 participants from the Ampian and Krisan refugee camps who displayed variety of consumables and provided other services.
According to the organisers although a number of refuges had acquired skills, they were still unable to “penetrate local markets” due to language barriers, lack of effective marketing skills and limited spaces at the markets.
It is for this reason that the fair sought to create opportunities for the asylum seekers to strengthen their relationship with the local traders and clients and make their products more visible to the public.
The participants prepared and served local dishes at the Aiyinase Market, one of the biggest markets in the Western Region, while displaying other items such as cucumber, fresh eggs, chicken, sandwiches, which were patronised by the public.
Mr. Edward Acquah-Imbeah, Marketing Officer UNHCR-ADRA Livelihood Project, expressing satisfaction about the event, said the fair would be organised quarterly to help more refugees to exhibit their creativity.
He said other activities would be organised regularly to increase social interaction between the refugees and the host communities.
Ms. Christiana Badoo, UNHCR Livelihood Associate, also said more refugees would be supported so they could continue to live meaningful lives in various communities, and called on other stakeholders to support the self-reliance activities of refugees.
By Spectator Reporter
A 30-year-old man has been sentenced to 25 years imprisonment with hard labour by the Bekwai Circuit Court for his role in a 2022 robbery at a mining site at Manso Akwasiso in the Ashanti South Region.
The convict, Dominic Ofori, also known as Fanta, was arrested on 16th February 2026 after years on the run. He pleaded guilty before the Bekwai Circuit Court to robbery contrary to Section 149 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 Act 29, and was accordingly sentenced to 25 years imprisonment with hard labour.
On March 20, 2022, the Manso Adubia District Police received intelligence that a group of armed men from Manso Abodom were planning to attack a mining site at Manso Akwasiso to rob the owner of gold concentrate. Acting on the information, police mounted a coordinated operation and laid an ambush at the site.
At about 5:30 pm the same day, four-armed men arrived at the site, fired indiscriminately, and robbed the miners of their gold concentrate. The police team on surveillance intervened, resulting in an exchange of gunfire.
Three of the suspects, Abu Abubakar, Musah Latif, and Gideon Takyi, sustained gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead on arrival at St Martins Catholic Hospital at Agroyesum. Dominic Ofori escaped at the time but was later arrested and put before the court.
The Ashanti South Regional Police Command has assured the public of its continued commitment to combating violent crimes and bringing offenders to justice.
The Ashanti Regional Police Command has arrested 45-year-old Isaac Boafo, also known as “Duabo King,” for allegedly publishing false news intended to cause fear and panic.
Police said the arrest follows a viral TikTok video in which Boafo claimed that four officers at the Central Police Station in Kumasi engaged in inappropriate conduct with commercial sex workers during night patrols in Asafo.
Officers from the Police Intelligence Directorate (Ashanti Region) apprehended Boafo after receiving intelligence about the video.
During questioning, he admitted to creating the video to attract views and engagement online, and acknowledged that he could not prove the allegations.
Boafo also admitted making comments about the President of the Republic for content purposes and could not defend those statements.
He has been formally charged and is in detention as investigations continue.
The Ashanti Regional Police have warned the public against publishing or sharing false information on social media, noting that such acts can cause fear, panic, and damage reputations.
They said anyone found engaging in similar conduct will face legal action.
By: Jacob Aggrey
