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Chieftaincy disputes pose a threat to investment
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The Western Regional Minister, Mr Kwabena Otchere Darko-Mensah, has bemoaned the numerous chieftaincy disputes which continued to pose serious threats to the peace and security of the region.
He said notwithstanding efforts by the security agencies, almost all the districts in the region have one issue or the other. Prominent among them are the protracted chieftaincy disputes at Dixcove, Fijai, Essipon, Komfueku, Ateiku, Dompim-Pepesa and Shama.
The region, he said, continued to enjoy relative peace, with no cause for fear and panic, adding that it is heart-warming to note that intensification of security patrols has brought some relief to residents of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan area but nevertheless, vigilance and personal security on the part of every citizen is required to ensure safety.
Mr Kwabena Otchere Darko-Mensah expressed these concerns at a two-day meeting with members of the Western Regional Coordinating Council (WRCC), which was the first meeting of the year.
He explained that the meeting was always held in the first quarter of the year but the COVID-19 pandemic forced people to adjust meetings because of the numbers involved.
He said the Regional Security Council (RCC) met periodically and at emergency sessions to deal with and review security issues in the region, among such issues dealt with was the resolution of impasse between the Chief Imam of Sekondi Mosque, and the Sekondi-Zongo Chief over the management of the Sekondi Central Mosque.
The Regional Minister told all districts that have not yet elected their presiding members to do so as a matter of urgency, adding “failing to do so may lead the President declaring the assembly as having been in default and may consequently transfer the performance of its functions to a person or body by Executive Instrument and dissolve or suspend it for not more than one year (Section 37 of the Local Governance Act, 2016(Act 936).
He congratulated Mr Benjamin Kessie, Dr Isaac Dasmani and Alhaji Abdul Mumin-Issah on their appointment and subsequent confirmation to the high office of Chief Executive of their respective assemblies.
He also congratulated the 10 Presiding Members (PMs) on their election; and further implored the remaining four assemblies (Wassa Amenfi West, Amenfi Central, Ellembelle and Wassa East) who have not yet been able to elect their PMs to do the necessary consultations, to ensure the election of their PMs.
He indicated that guidelines have been issued for the MMDAs and MDAs to prepare their 2021 Annual Budget and this is where it is essential for all the assemblies to have their Presiding Members elected.
Mr Darko-Mensah noted that until the laws change, the District Assemblies remained non-partisan and should, therefore, conduct their affairs as such.
He told the MMDAs to be business-like in their approach, always seeking to create value.
Mr Darko-Mensah appealed to all the MMDCEs to cooperate very well with the various technocrats to come out with feasible developmental agenda for the total development of the communities.
Present at the meeting were traditional leaders, MMDCEs, Presiding Members, coordinating directors and all heads of departments.
From Peter Gbambila, Takoradi.
Residents of Brodi, a farming community in the Tain District of the Bono Region, have been left in shock and mourning following the alleged murder of a 45-year-old woman by her husband, who later died by suicide.
According to information gathered by the Ghana News Agency (GNA), the suspect, popularly known as Kwabena Jack, believed to be in his 50s, allegedly attacked and killed his wife, Abena Donkor, while the couple were working on their farm on Monday, August 11, 2026.
Mr Kingsley Obah, Assembly Member for the Brodi Electoral Area, confirmed the incident to the GNA.
He explained that after news of the woman’s death spread through the community, residents launched a search for the suspect. His lifeless body was later discovered in a nearby bush on Tuesday, August 12, 2026.
Police have since conveyed both bodies to the Tain District Government Hospital, where they have been deposited for preservation and autopsy.
Investigations into the incident are ongoing. -GNA
Hawkers and roaming preachers have taken over the five-metre high Madina REDCO footbridge and adjoining streets, making it increasingly difficult for pedestrians to use the facility intended to promote safe road crossing.
The traders have virtually turned sections of the footbridge into a marketplace, displaying their wares on the floor using jute sacks, plastic sheets and metal trays, while others have occupied both sides of the walkway with their merchandise.
Foodstuffs such as okro, garden eggs, pepper, onions, dried fish, smoked fish, grains, spices and other groceries are openly sold on the footbridge and along the roadside, forcing pedestrians to weave through the crowded path.
Clothing and fashion accessories including slippers, brassieres, panties, socks, bags and other household items are also displayed for sale, leaving only limited space for commuters to use.
The situation is worsened by the presence of itinerant preachers who position themselves on the footbridge with public address systems to evangelise, drawing crowds to further obstruct pedestrian movement.
Head porters are also seen crossing the highway through the median while carrying heavy loads instead of using the footbridge, exposing themselves to the danger of being knocked down by speeding vehicles.
Also, portions of the footbridge are showing signs of deterioration. Several metal railings are rusted, bent and loosely secured with pieces of wire, raising concerns about the safety of users, especially children, the elderly and persons with disabilities.
Sections of the concrete surface are worn and chipped, while makeshift wooden supports attached to parts of the structure suggest temporary repairs.
After a visit by The Spectator last week, it emerged that many commuters preferred crossing the busy Madina Highway instead of using the footbridge because of the congestion created by the trading and preaching activities.
For years, successive attempts by the police, the military and the La Nkwantanang Madina Municipal Assembly to address congestion around the REDCO and Zongo Junction enclave have yielded little success, with the area becoming notorious for roadside trading, indiscriminate parking and pedestrians refusing to use the footbridge.
A pedestrian, who gave her name only as Maame Yaa, described the situation as worrying, saying the footbridge, which was constructed to protect lives, had gradually lost its purpose because of the growing encroachment by traders and preachers.
According to her, many pedestrians were discouraged from using the facility because navigating through the crowded walkway had become difficult and uncomfortable.
She appealed to the La Nkwantanang Madina Municipal Assembly and other relevant authorities to intensify enforcement to prevent unauthorised trading and other activities on the footbridge and ensure it served its intended purpose of promoting pedestrian safety.
However, during the visit, personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) were seen carrying out a decongestion exercise to remove hawkers from sections of the roadside around the footbridge as part of efforts to improve public safety and ease the movement of both pedestrians and motorists.
The exercise forms part of a pilot project initiated by the Municipal Fire Commander for Madina, Division Officer II (DO II) Abdul Salia, who assumed command of the Madina Municipal Fire Station three months ago.
Speaking in an interview with The Spectator, DO II Abdulai Salia, who is also a long time resident of the community, said the month long project began on July 1 and ended on July 31, with 30 firefighters deployed daily to regulate traffic, clear hawkers from the streets and footbridge, and create access for emergency vehicles.
Continued on page 12
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
