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Be role models to your children – Fathers told
As Ghana prepares to join the rest of the world to celebrate Father’s Day tomorrow, A Minister in charge of the Gateway Temple Assemblies of God (A/G), Sowutuom, Rev. Benjamin I. K. Adaletey, has urged men to embrace fatherhood not just as a biological role, but as a divine and sacred calling.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Spectator in Accra on Tuesday, Rev. Adaletey explained that fatherhood was deeply spiritual and essential to the moral and emotional foundation of families and communities.
“Fatherhood is more than biology; it is a divine function,” he said.
According to him, men who may not have their own children can still serve as spiritual fathers, mentors, and protectors to other children in the community.
Drawing from traditional African values, Rev. Adaletey highlighted the long-standing culture of communal parenting.
“In the African context, we have always valued communal responsibility. A real man steps up to guide, correct, affirm, and protect the younger generation. Whether through mentorship, teaching, counseling, or simply being present; these men embody fatherhood in action,” he emphasised.
He stated that the church especially needs such men, not just teachers, but fathers.
He admonished fathers who feels they have missed the mark that, grace was still available. He said God is the restorer of broken years and fractured relationships.
Moreover, Rev. Adaletey noted that fatherhood was a journey, not a destination and that even great men in Scripture made mistakes, citing David in Bible story for instance who made a mistake and yet was still called a man after God’s heart.
Rev Adaletey, who is also a renowned actor, urged such men not to give up but rather apologise where needed, rebuild where possible and start again in God’s strength.
“Your children don’t need a perfect father, they need a present and repentant one,” he said.
He again urged fathers to reflect God’s nature in their leadership at home, saying “we reflect God’s character when we lead with love, patience, integrity, and truth.”
“As fathers, we must model grace and discipline, mercy and justice. We must listen like God listens, forgive like God forgives, and protect like God protects. In doing so, our children begin to understand who God is, not just from sermons, but from how we live and love daily,” he added.
For those who grew up without a father, Rev. Adaletey said “you may have missed a father’s presence, but you are not fatherless. God Himself steps in as Father to the fatherless (Psalm 68:5). Your past does not define your future. You can rise, you can heal, and you can be the beginning of a new legacy.”
Encouraging practical leadership in the home, Rev. Adaletey indicated that fathers should be role models, especially to their children.
He further underlined that, “let them see you pray, how you treat their mother, hear you admit your wrongs and seek God’s help.
Rev. Adaletey also called on fathers to teach their children to work hard, love God, respect others, and take responsibility, adding that the father’s lifestyle was his greatest lesson to his children.
He also warned about the need for balance between love and discipline, explaining that love without discipline creates chaos; discipline without love breeds resentment.
He stated that a Godly father should discipline with tenderness and love with firmness, saying “just as God disciplines us for our growth, fathers must correct their children in a way that builds them, not breaks them.”
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
Mr. Alfred Nii Kotey Ashie, the Member of Parliament for the Odododiodioo Constituency in the Greater Accra Region, has assured the Accra Street Academy of his support in achieving its mission of uplifting vulnerable children within the community to break the cycle of poverty. “Without the needed support, your efforts may go round in circles due to the enormity of the task. This should not be left on the shoulders of the Academy alone. You need support from both government and the private sector. With that, the Academy would be in a good position to shape the future of these children on the streets,” he said.
The Accra Street Academy, originally formed in 1985 as a boxing arena, now serves as a school for deprived children, with most of its population numbering hundreds of pupils being neglected children from the streets of Jamestown and its environs. Mr. Alfred Nii Kotey Ashie made these remarks at the annual stakeholders’ meeting and fundraising event held over the weekend under the theme “Empowering Street Children: Health and Wellness.” The event is one of the Academy’s annual programmes, organized to raise funds and other forms of support to aid the school in catering to the needs of the children and holding its Christmas get-together.
According to the MP, it is worth noting that these children are taught and provided with two meals and a snack daily through the support of benevolent members of society. In view of this, he promised to facilitate the acquisition of documents needed for the construction of an Astroturf within the school’s premises. He noted that “every child has the right to play, and therefore I pledged to do my best to secure the needed documents” for the project to commence.
The legislator disclosed that over the years, the academic programmes of the Accra Street Academy have transformed children surviving on the streets into successful adults. He therefore urged other members of society to partner with the school to “help pupils rise higher for a better Ghana.” In the 2025/26 academic year, 22 pupils were absorbed by the Accra Metro Education Directorate as they transitioned into various Junior High Schools, while still returning to the Accra Street Academy for academic support.
Ms. Yvonne Abba-Opoku, a chartered governance advisor and senior executive in the nonprofit and charity sector, stated that the best gift to give a child was education.
By Spectator Reporter
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Mrs Regina Kudom, Senior Midwifery Officer at the New Atuabo Health Centre in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality, has urged expectant mothers to attend antenatal clinic regularly for safe delivery.
She revealed that “in Tarkwa and its environs many pregnant women prefer staying at prayer camps, we are not against that, you can be there, but when your time is up for your antenatal session make sure you attend.”
Mrs Kudom gave the advice when the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation (GFGF) observed the World Prematurity Day with pregnant women at New Atuabo, Huniso and Awudua health centres.
World Prematurity Day falls on November 17, every year, and it is celebrated to raise awareness about the challenges faced by pre-term babies and their families.
She said research suggested that sex during pregnancy could soften the cervix and potentially aid in labour preparation.
“That is the reason why we encourage pregnant women to have sex with their partners, if they do not have any health implications,” she added.
Mrs Kudom appealed to the GFGF to upgrade the New Atuabo health centre as the current structure was too small because they received many patients daily.
Madam Ayishetu Mohammed, Project Coordinator for GFGF, explained that they received donations from Project C. U. R. E and the items were given to health facilities in their operational area.
She stated that they noticed there were baby dresses, sanitary pads, and baby apparel, so they decided to distribute them among expectant mothers in three of their host communities.
Madam Mohammed said because the foundation was interested in preventive care, they brought a midwife from the Tarkwa Mine hospital to educate the pregnant women.
She extolled the midwives in New Atuabo health centre for the education they gave to the pregnant women and implored them to heed to the advice given during antenatal visits to reduce maternal deaths in the Tarkwa Nsuaem and Prestea Huni-Valley Municipalities.
Mr Paa Kwasi Egan, Deputy Chief Physician Assistance, emphasised that a pregnant woman being anemic meant she was not eating a balance diet, and added that, “Some of these women do not have money to buy food or visit antenatal clinics.”
He said when men follow their wives for antenatal visits, they would be educated extensively on why they should provide funds for their pregnant wives.
Mr Egan, therefore, encouraged all men to be involved in their pregnant wives’ antenatal care appointments so they could learn more about pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting. – GNA
