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Allotey-Jacobs on assassination anvil?
When assassination becomes a political business, then as a modern democratic nation, we are dangerously gravitating towards real hell on earth.
What at all will compel a fully-grown adult brother to kill his fellow brother over disagreement on mere political questions?
What then is the value of our touted democracy; pluralism, free speech, freedom of expression, free press, rule of law, human rights, freedom of association and free and fair elections?
That is, when we cannot agree to disagree on matters related to our own political parties and national political issues? What then is the essence of tolerance in democracy and nation building?
Readers, I am appalled to read on social media that my good friend, Bernard Allotey-Jacobs, is running for cover over alleged assassination attempt on his dear life.
Allotey-Jacobs is now a political household name in Ghana. For the records, he was a former Central Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Recently, Allotey-Jacobs fell out with his political masters in the NDC. First, he was suspended from the party and about two weeks ago, he was knocked out from the NDC, with a dismissal letter.
What saddens my heart is that just about a week ago, he posted this on his social media platform: “If you hear I’m dead, point a finger at the NDC. They sent assassins to kill me in Cape Coast.”
According to Allotey-Jacobs, some faceless NDC members had sent a death-squad after him.
He said, he was alerted by a high-profile member of his party, adding that, it was also confirmed by his friend, Honourable Kennedy Agyapong, Member of Parliament for Assin Central.
Allotey-Jacobs said: “The assassins have been stationed in Cape Coast to search and kill me by any means,” contending that, “the NDC thinks I will reveal their secrets to the public.”
According to him: “The NDC is capable of assassinating me; I trust the NDC in some of these things … I’ve been around for a long time in Ghanaian politics and I know a lot of things.”
In a language not good for the health of our national politics, the Central Regional branch of the NDC has, however, denied Allotey-Jacobs claim that the party is after his life.
But years and years ago, a high profile NDC personality, Dr Obed Asamoah, held a press conference in Accra and announced to the nation that some elements within his party wanted to assassinate him. At that time, there was intense power struggle within the NDC.
Some of us were initially surprised to hear this, but it is said that; when a baby-crocodile suddenly jumps from beneath the pond and publicly announces the death of his mother-crocodile, who can challenge such baby-crocodile?
Readers, which human can courageously descend beneath the pond to ascertain whether what the baby-crocodile is announcing about the mother is true or false?
So, the answer is: You either believe it or disbelieve it. This is because if you descend beneath the pond to ascertain the truth, you may not return alive.
Honourable Kennedy Agyapong has, however, added another twist to Allotey-Jacobs predicament. According to him, Allotey-Jacobs may be killed like the way J. B. Danquah-Adu was assassinated in his own house.
The late J. B. Danquah-Adu was a prominent Member of Parliament, representing the people of Abuakwa North Constituency in the Eastern Region. His assassins have still not been established since he was killed about eight years ago. But two persons were arrested and are presentlly standing trial at an Accra High Court in connection with the MP’s death.
Relating his own experience, Mr Agyapong said, some people attempted to assassinate him in his own house and in the process, they ended up shooting and killing three police men.
He urged Mr Allotey-Jacobs not to joke with the matter at all “because the assassination threat on his life is real” and advised him to hire security guards to protect him.
Allotey-Jacobs, assures that he has reported the matter to the Central Regional Police Command and expects appropriate actions to be taken.
My professional cousins, Kwesi Pratt and Kweku Baako , can produce a tall list of names of people who went missing during the regimes of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) and the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC).
Such missing individuals were never found. They were believed to have been “captured” like animals and killed by the goons of the AFRC and PNDC regimes and their bodies buried in secret locations.
One may say that those days are gone but why and how was Ahmed Suale recently assassinated in broad daylight in Accra?
Ahmed Suale was an investigative journalist with the renowned Tiger Eye Group. His assassins are still walking free because they have not been arrested yet.
Readers, I think we must start asking very critical questions: What is the motive of the contractors who hire the assassins? And the assassins; have they “registered” their ” businesses” of killings?
How and where are the assassins located, identified and hired by the contractors? And who recruits the “killing contractors” too?
Contact email/WhatsApp of the author: asmahfrankg@gmail.com (0505556179)
Today, I focus on the Apostolic Church International in Finland, as I continue with my description of institutions and personalities and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland.
The Apostolic Church International, Finland (or, Apostolic International Association Ry) was established in October 9, 2023. The Church in Finland has seen significant strides and accomplishments within the short time that it has been established in Finland, which must be highlighted.
History of the Church in Ghana
The Apostolic Church Ghana originated from the 1904–1905 Welsh revival, officially established in Ghana (then called Gold Coast) in 1935 following connections between a local prayer group in Asamankese (a town in southern Ghana), led by Peter Newman Anim, and the Apostolic Church, UK. There were historical splits in 1939 and 1953, but the Apostolic Church attained autonomy in 1985.
Today, the Church is headquartered in Accra. Last year (2025), it dedicated its new 10-storey headquarters, “The Apostolic Church Tower,” in Frafraha, Adenta West in Accra.
Activities of the Apostolic Church in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland conducts church service on Sundays. The service starts at 11a.m. in the morning and closes by 1 p.m. in the afternoon. There are no other activities during other days for now.
The Minister in charge of the church in Finland is also the Area Head of Italy Area. He is Pastor Daniel Kofi Addison who is the new Italy Area Head, and has just been transferred from UK South Area to Italy Area during the just-ended Council Meeting in March this year. Italy Area comprises Italy, which has 13 Assemblies, Germany, one Assembly, and Finland, one Assembly.
Elder Ebenezer Amoaning-Coffie is the Presiding Elder in charge of the Assembly in Finland. A Presiding Elder is responsible for day to day activities of the church (Assembly) and reports to the District Pastor, or in the absence of the District Pastor, reports to the Area Head.
Achievements
The Apostolic Church International, Finland was officially registered under the Finnish Law, guaranteeing freedom of worship and providing legal foundation for future growth. The church service is conducted in both English and Twi.
The church opens its doors to all people of every nation, especially Ghanaians who are in Finland and other African nationals. Now, the membership comprises Ghanaians, Nigerians and Sierra Leoneans.
The Church and the Ghanaian migrant community in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland plays a prominent role as a religious group that serves Ghanaian migrants and others in the Finnish society.
Thus, the Apostolic Church is a religious body for Ghanaian migrants in Finland and other nationalities who want to worship with them for diversity and better intercultural and multicultural understanding.
Elder Amoaning-Coffie said that the main and primary aim of the church is to bring people closer to God. “We aim to win souls for Christ. We aim to preach the gospel to the world. By propagating the gospel to the people, we are hopeful that they will turn away from any ungodly ways and be good individuals in the community and in society in general”, he stated.
He said that everything is going well so far. A key challenge, however, is how to get more members especially the youth. As a new Assembly, we are in need of instrumentalists, for example. We pray to God Almighty to help us do His work, the Elder disclosed.
Integration
By its activities, the Apostolic Church is helping to ensure integration of its members well into the Finish society. This is important since social interaction and citizens’ well-being are an important part of the integration process in Finland.
As I mentioned some time ago, the role of migrant associations and groups such as the Apostolic Church acting as bridge-builders for the integration and inclusion of migrants through participation in the decision making process and by acting as a representative voice is highly appreciated in Finland. Thank you!
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
The landscape of the Ghanaian palate is shifting, and not necessarily for the better. In our bustling urban centres, from the streets of Accra to the suburbs of Kumasi, a quiet culinary revolution is taking place; one where the mortar and pestle are being replaced by the pizza oven and the deep fryer. This transition from traditional staple foods like fufu, banku, akple, kenkey, tuo zaafi, and ampesi toward “continental” dishes is more than just a change in appetite; it is a reflection of a deeper social struggle with identity and prestige.
The illusion of modernity
For many, “stepping out” for a meal has become synonymous with consuming foreign cuisine. There is an unspoken social hierarchy where a bowl of Abunuabunu is relegated to the village category, while burgers, pizzas are branded as prestigious choices. We have reached a stage where we equate foreign with modern and local with primitive.
This perception is a dangerous illusion. Our traditional dishes are marvels of culinary engineering complex, nutrient-dense, and deeply rooted in our history. When we choose a processed foreign import over a meal made from local tubers or fermented maize, we are not just changing our lunch; we are eroding the indigenous knowledge attached to our local ingredients and foods.
We need to turn the consumption of indigenous grains and tubers like millet, sorghum, and plantain into a statement of self-worth and national pride.
The cultural and health erosion
Every time a local dish disappears from a restaurant menu to make room for foreign fast food, we lose a piece of our cultural fabric. Traditional Ghanaian cooking is an art that requires patience and skill. By choosing the convenience of foreign fast food, we are raising a generation that may know the taste of a pepperoni pizza but cannot identify the rich, earthy profile of Prekese or the subtle tang of well-fermented dough dishes like corn porridge, banku, etew, abolo, agidi or kamfa, and kenkey.
Furthermore, we are at the crossroads of a nutrition transition. Replacing high-fiber, indigenous crops with calorie-dense but nutrient-poor foreign fast foods is driving a rise in lifestyle diseases such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, cancer, and liver disease. We are trading our longevity for 15-minutes convenience or unhealthy diet.
A call for culinary patriotism
It is time for us to appreciate, preserve, and promote our indigenous foods and culinary traditions. We need to be proud of our local dishes, ingredients and cooking methods, rather than relying heavily on foreign or imported foods. We must stop viewing our local delicacies as low-class and start treating our culinary heritage as the high-end gastronomy it truly is.
True sophistication does not come from imitating Western fast food; it comes from innovation and adding values to our own resources. We see glimpses of this potential in the rise of branded Sobolo and the creative use of gluten-free plantain flour in modern baking of flour-based dishes such as bread, cakes, biscuits and others. This is the path forward. We must elevate our local dishes, making them as accessible, affordable, presentable and trendy as any foreign alternative.
To the hospitality industry: Innovate or stagnate
Our hotels and high-end restaurants must lead the charge. They must stop relegating local dishes to the “traditional corner” of the buffet, and apply the same culinary finesse given to imported dishes to our Fante Fante, apapransa, aborbi tadi, fetritoto, akple, abolo, yakayeke, fufu, ampesi, kokonte, wasawasa, tubani, apapransa, mpotompoto, kelewele, aliha, brukutu, pito, and other local dishes. The industry must enhance customer experiences making eating local dishes the ultimate luxury experience for both tourists and residents alike. We must elevate the presentation of our foods by using modern plating techniques to show that a bowl of light soup can be as visually stunning as a French consommé. We need to reclaim our Ghanaian plate before it is too late.
To the policy makers: Let us encourage buying of local ingredients to promote the local food industry and economy. There should be educational programmes and talks about the nutritional and cultural benefits of local foods so that people understand their value.
We need to encourage serving traditional dishes at school programmes, parties, and celebrations instead of only fast foods,
To the Youth: Let us value and appreciate our traditional dishes instead of always choosing foreign foods. There must be balance in our choice of local and foreign dishes. Confidence in our culture encourages others to respect it too. Our local dishes can also be promoted by sharing pictures, recipes, and videos on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp to make them attractive and trendy.
Young citizens must learn from their parents and elders how to prepare local meals to keep the knowledge and cultural relevance alive. Local dishes can be modernised to appeal to younger generations and tourists.
Conclusion
We cannot afford to trade our heritage for foreign cuisines which are gaining grounds across the country at an alarming rate. We must disabuse our minds of the perception that anything foreign or imported is better than those locally made. Our health, economy, and identity are tied to the soil. It is time to stop apologising for our local flavours and start celebrating them. It is possible to embrace modernity without losing ourselves and our cultural identity. Let us make the Ghanaian kitchen the heart of our modern identity once again.
By: Marilyn Gadogbe
