News
CNC launches marketable skills training in Koforidua
THE Centre for National Culture (CNC) has launched a marketable skills training programme in Koforidua to equip both men and women with practical, hands-on skills.
The launch ceremony, held on Tuesday, marks the beginning of the first edition of the initiative aimed at empowering participants to become self-reliant.
About 50 participants would receive training in bead making, batik, tie-and-dye, drumming and dancing, manicure and pedicure, face make-up, interior and exterior decoration, weaving, basic sewing, hairdressing, and fan creation.
The training would span over a month or more, depending on the skill.
Speaking at the launch, the Eastern Regional Director of the CNC, Madam Dorcas Salamatu Alhassan, emphasised that the programme was designed to inspire the youth and help them earn a livelihood from the skills acquired.
She noted that although many young people seek government jobs, opportunities were limited, making self-employment through skill acquisition a viable alternative.
Madam Alhassan revealed that although over 100 people showed interest in the programme, only half could be accommodated due to resource constraints.
She appealed to corporate institutions to support the initiative by sponsoring trainees and providing materials and equipment. Training one person costs between GH¢150 and GH¢250.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mrs Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey, in a speech delivered on her behalf by Alexander Gasu of the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), commended the CNC for the initiative.
She said the programme has the potential to promote cultural development and provide economic empowerment to the people of the Eastern Region.
She stressed the CNC’s critical role in preserving and promoting Ghana’s cultural heritage while finding innovative ways to adapt to changing times.
From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua
A 29-year-old tricycle rider, Naah Mashood, has been sentenced to 14 years imprisonment with hard labour for defiling a three-year-old girl at Tiegber in the Wa Municipality.
The Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Upper West Regional Police Command arrested the suspect on February 24, 2026, following a complaint lodged by the victim’s mother.
According to police, the convict, who had been contracted by the parents to pick the victim to and from school, lured her to an isolated location on February 23, 2026, and sexually assaulted her inside his tricycle, popularly known as ‘Camboo’.
After thorough investigations, he was arraigned before the Wa District Magistrate Court and subsequently stood trial at the Wa High Court.
On October 30, 2026, His Lordship Justice Osei-Wusu found him guilty of defilement and sentenced him to 14 years imprisonment with hard labour.
The Upper West Regional Police Command has commended the officers involved in the investigation and prosecution, as well as all persons who contributed to ensuring justice was served.
The Command urged parents and guardians to keep a close eye on their children and ensure their safety at all times, and encouraged the public to report suspected cases of child abuse and defilement to the nearest police station or DOVVSU office for prompt action.
It further assured the public of its commitment to protecting children and ensuring perpetrators of sexual offences are brought to justice.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The Ashanti Regional Police Command has announced the arrest of three suspected members of a criminal syndicate believed to be behind a series of robberies targeting bank customers in Kumasi and its environs.
On October 31, 2026, at about 11:30 pm, an IGP’s Special Team, comprising personnel from the Anti-Armed Robbery Unit of the CID Headquarters and the Accra Regional Police Intelligence Directorate (PID), acting on intelligence, embarked on an operation to apprehend the suspects.
The operation led to the arrest of two Nigerian nationals, Aboy Promise, 30, and Favour Uwalaka, 45, at a hotel at Moshie Zongo. A search of their rooms resulted in the recovery of GH¢1,600.00, assorted mobile phones, a Royal motorbike and a master key used to gain unauthorized access to victims’ vehicles to steal cash.
During interrogation, the suspects admitted their involvement in the robberies and mentioned two accomplices, Chinedu, alias Alhaji, and Kingsley, alias KC.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the syndicate monitored banking premises, identified customers who withdrew substantial sums of money and trailed them before attacking and robbing them. They also broke into unattended vehicles belonging to bank customers using a master key to steal cash kept inside.
The suspects subsequently led the police team to another hotel at Dechemso, a suburb of Kumasi, where Kingsley, alias KC, 35, also a Nigerian national, was arrested.
The remaining accomplice, Chinedu, alias Alhaji, is currently on the run. The Command is appealing to the public to volunteer credible information that could lead to his arrest. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to report to the nearest police station or contact the police through emergency numbers 191, 112 or the toll-free MTN and Telecel line 18555.
The suspects admitted to robbing a victim of GH¢15,000.00 at Asokore Mampong on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, after the victim had withdrawn money from Kwamang Rural Bank. They also admitted to similar robberies at the Atonsu branch of Fidelity Bank, the Ahodwo branch of Access Bank and other locations within Kumasi and its environs.
The three arrested suspects have since been handed over to the Ashanti Regional Police Command and are assisting with investigations.
The Command has cautioned bank customers to remain vigilant, be alert to suspicious persons around banking premises and avoid leaving cash or other valuables unattended in vehicles, while commending the public for their continued cooperation and assuring residents of its commitment to combating robbery and other criminal activities in the region.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
