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Arsenal ‘fans’ angry with Abesim murder suspect
Some young men believed to be Arsenal “fans” expressed their anger on Wednesday at the Kaneshie Magistrate Court premises in Accra when they spotted the 28-year-old suspected killer wearing a T-shirt in Arsenal colours bearing number 69 at the back.
No sooner had they seen the accused, Mr. Richard Appiah coming out from the courtroom in handcuffs and under police escort than they started passing derogatory remarks about his “abnormal conduct” regarding the murder of the two children at Abesim in the Bono Region recently.
“Waa look, the foolish guy is even wearing Arsenal jersey. He has, indeed, disgraced us. Arsenal fans are not wicked people and you don’t deserve to be part of us: God will punish you for what you have done to these innocent children,” one of them was heard cursing the accused.
As to how the accused got the T-shirt and wore to the court to incur the displeasure of these young men, was a puzzle begging for solution.
Mr. Appiah who made his second appearance on Wednesday regarding his alleged crime, did not have a lawyer when he mounted the dock.
The prosecutor, Chief Inspector Lawrence Anane told the court presided by Madam Ama Adomako Kwakye that post-mortem had already been carried out on two bodies but the police were waiting for the full examination report from the medical doctor for onward transmission to the Attorney-General’s Office for advice.
He humbly requested for a short adjournment to enable them to wrap up the report which the Magistrate acceded to the request and remanded Mr. Richard Appiah in police custody until October 15, 2021, for continuation.
The prosecution had early on read the charges and facts to the accused in open court during his first appearance on August 26, 2021, few days after his arrest at Abesim, Bono Region, but his plea was not taken.
The entire premise of the matter hinges on whether or not Richard had a motive to kill the two children aged 12 and 15 as well as those whose body parts were found in his fridge.
By Castro Zangina-Tong
Mrs Patience Antonio, a Child and Family Development Advocate, has called for a national campaign to reduce the growing reliance on breast milk substitutes among nursing mothers in Ghana.
According to Mrs Antonio, scientific evidence shows that breastfeeding improves a child’s emotional stability, boosts intelligence, strengthens the immune system, and provides long-term health benefits. She made these remarks in an interview with The Spectator in Accra last week, emphasizing the importance of breastfeeding for a child’s overall development.
She explained that breastfeeding is not just a biological act of feeding but a key emotional and developmental bridge between mother and child. She also highlighted the need for the recommended six-month maternity leave period to ease the pressure on mothers to return to work prematurely.
“Breastfeeding creates intimacy and trust. It assures the baby of love and security, which becomes the foundation for their emotional health,” Mrs Antonio noted, warning that abandoning exclusive breastfeeding could have long-term implications on children’s social and emotional wellbeing.
Consequently, she called for a minimum of five months of fully paid maternity leave for Ghanaian mothers to enable effective breastfeeding, bonding, and healthier child development. She also urged workplaces to implement family-friendly policies, including private spaces for breastfeeding, flexible working arrangements for nursing mothers, and stronger support systems for new parents.
Mrs Antonio further encouraged families and society to actively support mothers during breastfeeding, stressing that many women struggle due to lack of assistance at home or the pressure to return to work too soon. She emphasized, “If we want a healthier, emotionally stable generation, then we must make breastfeeding a priority and support mothers to do it without stress.”
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
Spectator
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The Nanvili Community School in the Mion District of the Northern Region is facing severe infrastructural challenges, affecting teaching and learning for pupils in the area.
The school, which serves five surrounding communities with a total of 58 pupils, has deteriorated to the extent that many children have stopped attending classes. Poor classroom conditions and the lack of desks have made teaching and learning difficult. During a visit to the school, the gate-free classrooms were found filled with goat and sheep droppings.
During the rainy season, both teachers and pupils are often cut off from the school due to bad roads and flooding. Teaching activities are frequently suspended for weeks, negatively affecting academic performance.
The Assemblyman for the area, Mr. Dawuni Mutawakil, expressed concern, noting that the situation is worrying since these pupils are expected to compete with their counterparts in urban areas who have access to better facilities. He added that due to limited space, classes have been merged, with pupils from Primary One and Two, Three and Four, and Five and Six sharing the same classrooms.
The Chief of Nanvili, Abu Kassim, also appealed to the government and non-governmental organisations to come to the aid of the community. He emphasized that the current state of the school discourages children from nearby communities from attending.
Both the Chief and Assemblyman have called for urgent intervention to improve infrastructure and provide furniture for the pupils to ensure quality education for children in the Nanvili area.
By Geoffrey Buta, Nanvili, Northern Region
Spectator
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