Features
Continuous sensitisation needed to end mob justice in Ghana
Mob justice remains a serious problem in Ghana, and there is an urgent need for sustained sensitisation to curb the menace. In many communities, when someone is suspected of wrongdoing, a crowd can quickly form and take the law into its own hands. Within minutes, the situation can turn violent, and in some cases, the person accused does not survive. This is why public education must be intensified and sustained if the country is to bring an end to these acts.
Mob justice is dangerous and unacceptable. No one should lose their life based on suspicion alone. People must be encouraged not to take the law into their own hands but rather to trust the justice system and allow the appropriate authorities to handle such matters.
The recent lynching of two scrap dealers at Ntensere in the Atwima Nwabiagya North District of the Ashanti Region shows how serious the issue has become. The two men were accused of attempting to abduct a three-year-old child, after which they were attacked and killed by a mob, and their motorbikes were set ablaze. The level of destruction shows how quickly anger can escalate when there is no control.
Painful incidents that reflect a national problem
Ghana has seen similar incidents in the past. In 2017, Major Maxwell Mahama was lynched after he was wrongly suspected to be an armed robber. His death shocked the nation, yet it did not completely stop mob justice.
In 2024, Wilberforce Appiah, a musician popularly known as Wylbee, was lynched at Tanoso in the Ashanti Region after he was accused of theft. Reports indicated he had stepped out at dawn when he was attacked.
More recently, on February 27, a 26-year-old Liberian national, Austin Tengeeh, was also lynched at Lashibi. The incident sparked outrage on social media, but like many others before it, it raises concerns about how such cases can be prevented.
The role of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE)
The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) must play a leading role in ending mob justice through continuous sensitisation.
The Commission needs to intensify its public education campaigns and make them consistent. Education should not be occasional; it must be ongoing and visible across communities.
The NCCE can organise regular engagements in markets, transport terminals, schools, and communities, using simple language to explain why mob justice is wrong and illegal. It should also make better use of community-based radio stations by introducing discussions, short dramas, and call-in programmes that address real-life situations.
Using local languages is critical to ensuring that the message reaches everyone, especially those in rural areas. The focus should be clear, any suspected offender must be handed over to the police, not attacked.
Influence of religious, traditional leaders and school authorities
Religious leaders, traditional rulers, and enlightened individuals have a strong influence on community behaviour and must be part of the solution.
Religious leaders should consistently speak against mob justice during sermons and emphasise the value of human life. Their messages can help shape attitudes and discourage violence.
Traditional rulers can support the effort by setting clear community rules that discourage mob action and promote peaceful reporting of suspected crimes to the authorities.
Educated and influential individuals must also take responsibility by speaking up when tensions rise. In many cases, mob attacks occur because no one intervenes early. Calm and informed voices can help prevent escalation.
The role of schools in shaping attitudes
Schools also have a critical role in addressing mob justice by shaping the mindset of young people. From the basic level to tertiary institutions, pupils and students should be taught the importance of respecting the rule of law and the dangers of taking matters into their own hands. Civic education lessons can include practical examples that show why mob justice is harmful and why due process must always be followed.
Teachers can also encourage discussions around real-life situations, helping students understand how to respond when they witness suspected wrongdoing in their communities. Through debates, role play, and guidance, young people can be groomed to value patience, fairness, and lawful behaviour. When children grow up with this understanding, they are less likely to participate in mob action and more likely to influence others to do the right thing.
What the police must do consistently
The Ghana Police Service has a central role in addressing mob justice, and its approach must be practical and consistent.
One key step is to strengthen community policing. When the police are visible and approachable, people are more likely to report suspected crimes instead of taking action themselves.
The police must also increase patrols in areas where mob justice is common and ensure a rapid response to distress calls. Delays often create room for mobs to act.
Public education should be part of regular police work. Officers should engage communities frequently, explaining the legal consequences of mob justice and assuring the public that due process will be followed.
Enforcement is equally important. Individuals involved in mob justice must be arrested and prosecuted consistently. This will serve as a deterrent and reinforce the rule of law.
Sustained sensitisation is the way forward
While arrests are sometimes made after such incidents, the focus must shift from reaction to prevention. Continuous sensitisation, strong community involvement, and effective policing are key to ending this problem.
Mob justice should not be accepted as normal in Ghana. Every individual deserves the right to a fair hearing, and the law must be allowed to work.
If sensitisation efforts are sustained and not relaxed, Ghana can gradually reduce and eventually eliminate mob justice. The goal is clear: to build a society where no one loses their life because of suspicion, and where justice is handled through the proper legal system.
BY RAISSA SAMBOU
Today, I focus on the Apostolic Church International in Finland, as I continue with my description of institutions and personalities and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland.
The Apostolic Church International, Finland (or, Apostolic International Association Ry) was established in October 9, 2023. The Church in Finland has seen significant strides and accomplishments within the short time that it has been established in Finland, which must be highlighted.
History of the Church in Ghana
The Apostolic Church Ghana originated from the 1904–1905 Welsh revival, officially established in Ghana (then called Gold Coast) in 1935 following connections between a local prayer group in Asamankese (a town in southern Ghana), led by Peter Newman Anim, and the Apostolic Church, UK. There were historical splits in 1939 and 1953, but the Apostolic Church attained autonomy in 1985.
Today, the Church is headquartered in Accra. Last year (2025), it dedicated its new 10-storey headquarters, “The Apostolic Church Tower,” in Frafraha, Adenta West in Accra.
Activities of the Apostolic Church in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland conducts church service on Sundays. The service starts at 11a.m. in the morning and closes by 1 p.m. in the afternoon. There are no other activities during other days for now.
The Minister in charge of the church in Finland is also the Area Head of Italy Area. He is Pastor Daniel Kofi Addison who is the new Italy Area Head, and has just been transferred from UK South Area to Italy Area during the just-ended Council Meeting in March this year. Italy Area comprises Italy, which has 13 Assemblies, Germany, one Assembly, and Finland, one Assembly.
Elder Ebenezer Amoaning-Coffie is the Presiding Elder in charge of the Assembly in Finland. A Presiding Elder is responsible for day to day activities of the church (Assembly) and reports to the District Pastor, or in the absence of the District Pastor, reports to the Area Head.
Achievements
The Apostolic Church International, Finland was officially registered under the Finnish Law, guaranteeing freedom of worship and providing legal foundation for future growth. The church service is conducted in both English and Twi.
The church opens its doors to all people of every nation, especially Ghanaians who are in Finland and other African nationals. Now, the membership comprises Ghanaians, Nigerians and Sierra Leoneans.
The Church and the Ghanaian migrant community in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland plays a prominent role as a religious group that serves Ghanaian migrants and others in the Finnish society.
Thus, the Apostolic Church is a religious body for Ghanaian migrants in Finland and other nationalities who want to worship with them for diversity and better intercultural and multicultural understanding.
Elder Amoaning-Coffie said that the main and primary aim of the church is to bring people closer to God. “We aim to win souls for Christ. We aim to preach the gospel to the world. By propagating the gospel to the people, we are hopeful that they will turn away from any ungodly ways and be good individuals in the community and in society in general”, he stated.
He said that everything is going well so far. A key challenge, however, is how to get more members especially the youth. As a new Assembly, we are in need of instrumentalists, for example. We pray to God Almighty to help us do His work, the Elder disclosed.
Integration
By its activities, the Apostolic Church is helping to ensure integration of its members well into the Finish society. This is important since social interaction and citizens’ well-being are an important part of the integration process in Finland.
As I mentioned some time ago, the role of migrant associations and groups such as the Apostolic Church acting as bridge-builders for the integration and inclusion of migrants through participation in the decision making process and by acting as a representative voice is highly appreciated in Finland. Thank you!
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
The landscape of the Ghanaian palate is shifting, and not necessarily for the better. In our bustling urban centres, from the streets of Accra to the suburbs of Kumasi, a quiet culinary revolution is taking place; one where the mortar and pestle are being replaced by the pizza oven and the deep fryer. This transition from traditional staple foods like fufu, banku, akple, kenkey, tuo zaafi, and ampesi toward “continental” dishes is more than just a change in appetite; it is a reflection of a deeper social struggle with identity and prestige.
The illusion of modernity
For many, “stepping out” for a meal has become synonymous with consuming foreign cuisine. There is an unspoken social hierarchy where a bowl of Abunuabunu is relegated to the village category, while burgers, pizzas are branded as prestigious choices. We have reached a stage where we equate foreign with modern and local with primitive.
This perception is a dangerous illusion. Our traditional dishes are marvels of culinary engineering complex, nutrient-dense, and deeply rooted in our history. When we choose a processed foreign import over a meal made from local tubers or fermented maize, we are not just changing our lunch; we are eroding the indigenous knowledge attached to our local ingredients and foods.
We need to turn the consumption of indigenous grains and tubers like millet, sorghum, and plantain into a statement of self-worth and national pride.
The cultural and health erosion
Every time a local dish disappears from a restaurant menu to make room for foreign fast food, we lose a piece of our cultural fabric. Traditional Ghanaian cooking is an art that requires patience and skill. By choosing the convenience of foreign fast food, we are raising a generation that may know the taste of a pepperoni pizza but cannot identify the rich, earthy profile of Prekese or the subtle tang of well-fermented dough dishes like corn porridge, banku, etew, abolo, agidi or kamfa, and kenkey.
Furthermore, we are at the crossroads of a nutrition transition. Replacing high-fiber, indigenous crops with calorie-dense but nutrient-poor foreign fast foods is driving a rise in lifestyle diseases such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, cancer, and liver disease. We are trading our longevity for 15-minutes convenience or unhealthy diet.
A call for culinary patriotism
It is time for us to appreciate, preserve, and promote our indigenous foods and culinary traditions. We need to be proud of our local dishes, ingredients and cooking methods, rather than relying heavily on foreign or imported foods. We must stop viewing our local delicacies as low-class and start treating our culinary heritage as the high-end gastronomy it truly is.
True sophistication does not come from imitating Western fast food; it comes from innovation and adding values to our own resources. We see glimpses of this potential in the rise of branded Sobolo and the creative use of gluten-free plantain flour in modern baking of flour-based dishes such as bread, cakes, biscuits and others. This is the path forward. We must elevate our local dishes, making them as accessible, affordable, presentable and trendy as any foreign alternative.
To the hospitality industry: Innovate or stagnate
Our hotels and high-end restaurants must lead the charge. They must stop relegating local dishes to the “traditional corner” of the buffet, and apply the same culinary finesse given to imported dishes to our Fante Fante, apapransa, aborbi tadi, fetritoto, akple, abolo, yakayeke, fufu, ampesi, kokonte, wasawasa, tubani, apapransa, mpotompoto, kelewele, aliha, brukutu, pito, and other local dishes. The industry must enhance customer experiences making eating local dishes the ultimate luxury experience for both tourists and residents alike. We must elevate the presentation of our foods by using modern plating techniques to show that a bowl of light soup can be as visually stunning as a French consommé. We need to reclaim our Ghanaian plate before it is too late.
To the policy makers: Let us encourage buying of local ingredients to promote the local food industry and economy. There should be educational programmes and talks about the nutritional and cultural benefits of local foods so that people understand their value.
We need to encourage serving traditional dishes at school programmes, parties, and celebrations instead of only fast foods,
To the Youth: Let us value and appreciate our traditional dishes instead of always choosing foreign foods. There must be balance in our choice of local and foreign dishes. Confidence in our culture encourages others to respect it too. Our local dishes can also be promoted by sharing pictures, recipes, and videos on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp to make them attractive and trendy.
Young citizens must learn from their parents and elders how to prepare local meals to keep the knowledge and cultural relevance alive. Local dishes can be modernised to appeal to younger generations and tourists.
Conclusion
We cannot afford to trade our heritage for foreign cuisines which are gaining grounds across the country at an alarming rate. We must disabuse our minds of the perception that anything foreign or imported is better than those locally made. Our health, economy, and identity are tied to the soil. It is time to stop apologising for our local flavours and start celebrating them. It is possible to embrace modernity without losing ourselves and our cultural identity. Let us make the Ghanaian kitchen the heart of our modern identity once again.
By: Marilyn Gadogbe
