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Consumption of forbidden fish leaves three siblings paralysed?
The disabilityof three siblings at Asanteasua at DuayawNkwanta in the Bono Region has become a worry to their parents for the past yearsas all attempts to get them cured had failed.
Though some townfolks had linked their predicament to the consumption of some “forbidden fish” by their parents, their mother, Madam Adjoa Florence has, however, denied the claims.
According to her, she had never consumed any fish her husband caught from a river in the area for the river god called, Apaape, to have cursed her children.
She maintained giving birth to healthy children but a very strange disease attacked three of her children namely, AkwasiAgyei, 27, KwakuAmoah, 18, and AmaHenewaa, 16.
Consumption of fish from the river at Asanteasua is a taboo that is why some people in the villlage had attributed the disability of the three to possible consumption of fish caught from it (river) by their parents.
Their sad state is making life difficult for the parents, especially the mother, as the 81 year old father is having sight and speech problem.
Apart from KwakuAmoah who wobbles with difficulties, the other two have been crawling.
With the exception of AmaHenewaa, who can only mention “Maa” in her effort to call the mother, the other two cannot speak at all.
In a chat with their mother, Adjoa Florence,46, she said that she had given birth to eight children(three boys and five girls) including the three, with the eldest, a male, being 27 years.
According to her, the three were not born with the ailment and it came as a surprise to her how they became paralysed.
She said during pregnancy, she attended antenatal care at the Saint John of God Hospital at DuayawNkwanta and after birth, she took them for weighing and they were very healthy but suddenly they became paralysed,one after the other.
She said she took them to the Hospital where medical experts carried out series of tests on them but to no avail.
They are bathed, fed, among other things by the mother who said the family faced strong stigmatisation from members of the community due to the condition of her children.
She said the community had labelled the plight of the children as a curse and did not want to associate with the family.
Responding to the taboo,madam Florence denied ever fishing from the river, saying she was already aware of such a prohibition.
The husband, Agya Kofi Agyei, could not say anything as he had speech impairment in addition to sight problem, with Madam Florence saying that his plight also came as a surprise to her.
When contacted, Nana OpokuBinsere, the high priest of the river god, alleged the father was the cause of the plight of the children as he ignored several warnings not to fish in the river.
He explained that a visitor who did not have any knowledge about the taboo would be spared for fishing in the river, “but if you know and do it,then the punishment will follow”.
“It is a pity that the children are suffering because of the wrongdoing of the father”, Nana Binsere claimed.
Meanwhile, the mother has appealed to Non-Governmental Organisations such as the World Vision, philanthropists, to come to the aid of the children and help improve their situation.
From Kingsley E.Hope,DuayawNkwanta
The Global Network of Export-Import Banks and Development Finance Institutions (G-NEXID) successfully held its sixth (6th) Exchange Programme, hosted by the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) Bank in Accra from March 22 to 23 March.
The event brought together member institutions, partner organisations and Ghanaian public entities to advance dialogue on South-South trade, investment and development finance, while also creating opportunities for knowledge-sharing and institutional cooperation.
Organised as a capacity-building and networking platform, the 2026 edition of the G-NEXID Exchange focused on GEXIM’s experience in developing innovative solutions to promote intra-African and extra-African trade.
It also highlighted trade and investment opportunities in Ghana, particularly in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and broader national development initiatives.
The Exchange Programme forms part of G-NEXID’s mandate to foster cooperation among export-import banks and development finance institutions in support of South-South trade and investment.
This 6th edition follows earlier successful programmes hosted by India Exim Bank (2016), BNDES (2017), Indonesia Eximbank (2018), Afreximbank (2019) and Saudi EXIM Bank (2025).
On the first day, participants were presented with G-NEXID institutional information and received an update on the Network’s 2026 work programme.
There were a series of substantive presentations, including an overview of the Ghanaian economy by the Ministry of Finance, with particular attention to debt-related challenges; a presentation by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), on investment opportunities in the country; and institutional presentations by GEXIM and Development Bank Ghana (DBG) on their respective mandates, initiatives, products and services.
Discussions during the sessions underscored strong interest in sector-focused webinars and business dialogues, particularly in agribusiness value chains such as poultry and rice.
Participants also emphasized the importance of continued information exchange and the sharing of best practices, especially in the area of guarantees.
The second day opened with a presentation on the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme, a national economic transformation strategy launched by President John Dramani Mahama in July 2025.
The initiative aims to enhance economic productivity through continuous industrial activity, accelerated export development and strategic import substitution.
As the programme is expected to mobilise both private and development capital, it presents concrete opportunities for G-NEXID members in areas such as co-financing, guarantees, trade finance and technical cooperation.
The programme also featured institutional presentations by guest organisations, namely the African Guarantee and Economic Cooperation Fund (FAGACE) and the West African Development Bank (BOAD), which shared their mandates, initiatives, products and services.
Following these exchanges, the G-NEXID Secretariat held bilateral discussions with both institutions as part of the Network’s ongoing membership drive.
Participants further benefited from a presentation by the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB), as well as a showcase of GEXIM’s key pipeline projects.
On the margins of the Exchange Programme, G-NEXID members also held their 20th Annual General Assembly Meeting to review progress and discuss strategic priorities.
Following the event, participants joined the GEXIM@10 International Conference, held from March 24-25, 2026 under the theme, “A Decade of Enabling Export Trade and Industrial Transformation: Resetting GEXIM for the Next Frontier.”
The conference provided an important platform for exploring how Ghana can strengthen its transition from a primary commodity exporter to a more competitive player in value-added trade and industrial development.
Source – G-NEXID
President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, signed five bills including three amendment bills passed by Parliament into law.
They are: Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill, 2025; University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Bill, 2025; Ghana Deposit Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Growth and Sustainability Levy (Amendment) Bill, 2026; and Education Regulatory Bodies (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
In a brief remark after assenting to the bills, President Mahama explained that the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2026, scraps the Office of Minister of National Security and frees the President’s to appoint any Minister to supervise the security agencies.
He said it also reverses the name of the office of National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), to the original name, Bureau of National Intelligence, (BNI).
This the President said, addresses the confusion between that security agency and a well-known Ghanaian financial institution, the National Investment Bank.
President Mahama also noted that the University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Act, 2026, establishes another University in the Eastern Region, at Bonsu, with three campuses – the main campus at Bonsu in the Eastern Region, with the second campus to be cited at Ohawu in the Oti Region.
The third, the Presdient assed will be located at Acherensua in the Ahafo Region.
Touching on the Amendment to the Growth and Sustainability Levy Act, the President said, “As you’re aware, the act was amended to increase it from 1% to 3%, and so this act reduces it again. That is the levy on mining companies. It reduces it again to 1%, because of the introduction of the sliding scale of royalties.”
He also spoke to the passage of the Government Education Regulatory Bodies Amendment Act, emphasising that amends Act 1023 to grant greater flexibility to private tertiary institutions and the option to Charter.
The Ghana Deposit Protection Amendment Act, the President concluded, is an amendment to an original act that was supposed to guarantee deposits held in commercial banks or financial institutions.
It basically expands protection to include mobile money wallets and other digital platforms, ensuring a wider scope of digital financial assets are secured.
The signing ceremony, was witnessed by the Clerk of Parliament, Mr. Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, Secretary to the President, Dr Callistus Mahama, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Dr Dominic Akrutinga Ayine, Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, Joyce Bawa Mogtari, a Senior Presidential Advisor and a Special Aide to the President, Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, and the Vice President, Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang.
