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Celebrating legends …Donald Gwira gets Seventh Degree Black Belt in African Goju
Communication Professional and Martial Arts Practitioner, Mr Donald Gwira, was part of 26 outstanding personalities recognised at the African Goju Awards held last Saturday in Accra by the Martial Arts institute.
He was named a Patron and awarded Seventh Degree Black Belt for attaining “the required level of fitness, attack-defence, ‘katas’ and fighting techniques” in African Goju.
He was again inducted into the Ken Gwira Hall of Fame for his contribution to the history and development of the Martial Arts Institute, African Goju and South American Goju.
With over 40 years experience in the discipline which teaches self-defense and other positive values, Mr Gwira obtained First Degree Black Belt in 1979 and Fifth Degree Black Belt in 1995.
His sharp tactics and contribution to the development of African Goju in Ghana, France and the United States of America (USA) led to his induction into the Hall of Fame of the Martial Arts Institute in 2010.
This notwithstanding, the ‘Great Warrior’ and ‘Flying Kick specialist’ told The Spectator last year that he was aiming to attain the highest degree possible. And true to his words, he continued to put in the effort and is now closer to reaching the ultimate.
“It is a great honour to be promoted. It gives me encouragement to go higher and possibly reach the 10th Degree Black Belt which is the highest level.
“I will continue to train and keep fit; keeping fit is a way of life and it has helped me over the years,” Mr Gwira said after receiving the award.
He added that he intended working with other Martial Artists to groom more young people to become “great warriors.”
The ceremony, according to Prof. Danny Gwira, Founder of the Martial Arts Institute, African and South American Goju, was to celebrate the sacrifices and continuous support of members to the growth of the institute.
He said African Goju, an indigenous style of Martial Arts, was not only about building physical strength but also the holistic development of an individual.
“African Goju among other things teaches you how to avoid a fight because it does not matter how strong, tough or skillful you are, you can still be beaten by a determined opponent,” he said.
African Goju was formed in Ghana in 1985 by Danny Gwira, a student of Professor Ron Van Clief the Founder of Chinese Goju.
However, Danny later realised that some of the techniques in Chinese Goju were not applicable to the African context hence the commencement of a “more realistic style” that teaches people to “stay alive and win any battle.”
The concept had since been extended to other parts of the world including Nigeria, England, Switzerland and Bolivia.
Other awardees included Former Trade Minister, Mr. Ekow Spio-Garbrah, who received the Honorary Black Belt while the Martial Artist of the Year award went to Mr. Partick Mintah.
By Ernest Nutsugah
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Prof Alidu Seidu files nomination for Tamale Central seat
The newly elected parliamentary candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for Tamale Central, Prof Alidu Seidu, has submitted his nomination forms to the Electoral Commission.
As of 10:00 a.m. today, he was the only person who had filed to contest the seat.
Nomination of candidates will close at the end of the day.
Associate Professor and Head of the Political Science Department at the University of Ghana Legon, Prof. Alidu Seidu won the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primaries in the Tamale Central constituency with a landslide victory.
The elections, supervised by the party’s Elections and IT Directorate in the Northern Region, saw Prof. Seidu poll 840 votes out of the total valid ballots cast.
His closest contender, Lawyer Hanan Gundadow Abdul-Rahaman, secured 536 votes.
The other aspirants could not make significant gains, with Dr. Seidu Fiter obtaining 44 votes, Aliu Abdul-Hamid 23 votes, and the rest recording fewer than 10 votes each.
In all, 1,500 ballots were cast, with 6 ballots rejected and 7 spoilt ballots recorded.
The results were signed and declared by Dr. Arnold Mashud Abukari, NDC Northern Regional Director of Elections and IT.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) held parliamentary primaries in Tamale Central to choose a candidate for the upcoming by-election following the death of the sitting Member of Parliament, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed. Dr. Mohammed, who also served as Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, tragically died in a military helicopter crash in the Adansi Akrofuom District on August 6, 2025, alongside seven others.
His passing left the Tamale Central seat vacant, as required by Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.
The Electoral Commission has scheduled the by-election for September 30, 2025. While the NDC moved quickly to open nominations and vet aspirants, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) announced it would not contest the seat, citing the need to respect the somber circumstances and promote national unity.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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Ghana to locally refine its gold starting October 2025 – Sammy Gyamfi
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board, Sammy Gyamfi, has announced that plans are far advanced for the establishment of a state-owned gold refinery in the country.
Speaking at the 2025 Minerals and Mining Convention, Mr Gyamfi said the refinery will process locally mined gold into bullion instead of exporting it in its raw state.
According to him, it is unacceptable that Ghana, despite being a leading gold producer in Africa, continues to export raw gold known as dore.
He explained that the Gold Board, working with the Bank of Ghana and local refineries, will from October 2025 begin refining gold locally.
He also disclosed that an ultramodern assay laboratory will be built to ensure international standards in testing gold quality.
Mr Gyamfi noted that the refinery will be wholly state-owned and will help Ghana move away from raw mineral exports to value addition.
This, he said, will boost foreign exchange earnings, create jobs, and position Ghana as a hub for gold refining and jewellery production in Africa.
The CEO stressed that the project forms part of government’s strategy to ensure the country benefits fully from its natural resources and to transform the mining sector into a driver of economic growth.
By: Jacob Aggrey
