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Court process has strengthened my spiritual life – Gyakye Quayson
James Gyakye Quayson, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin North, has revealed that the ongoing court battle has significantly fortified his spiritual life.
Speaking in an interview on Face to Face on Citi TV, the MP underscored the formidable challenges he has confronted throughout the legal proceedings. He, however, firmly stated that giving up was never an option he considered.
Emphasizing his unwavering determination to persevere, Quayson drew parallels between his own situation and the trials endured by renowned figures, citing the late President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, as an example of someone who confronted comparable humiliation in his struggle for justice and freedom.
Quayson alluded to his substantial investments both in Canada and Ghana, which could afford him a life of opulence, marked by vacations and extravagance, however, he stressed that the current ordeal he is experiencing holds greater value to him than any luxurious lifestyle he could lead.
“I have asked myself many times, why I’m I doing this? The response I get back is, if you don’t do it, who will? I may not be extremely religious, but this process has really strengthened me religiously. Our creator will never give you a task that will go beyond you, he will always make sure that you can handle it. There were times I questioned myself, I came to a point where I understood why people like Nelson Mandela survived 27 years in detention. He wasn’t a street person when he was captured and put into prison, someone who had his comfort, he could have died.
“So I begin to relate to myself and asked why I am doing this. I have worked hard, I have investments in Canada and Ghana, I could be living the comfort of my life, taking vacations, and going on holiday. But this is more fulfilling in my life than all the things I have done in my life,” he told host Umaru Sanda Amadu.
Mr Quayson admitted to being frustrated as his constituents are looking up to him and that he cannot retreat, adding that the push is no longer about him.
“When I go to Assin North and see the women, men, aged people and youth, looking up to me, when people are calling you Moses in the Bible, you cannot retreat. This push is no longer about me”.
The MP is currently in court over forgery and perjury charges.
The state is going after him on charges of deceit of public officer contrary to section 251 (b) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, Act 29; forgery of passport or travel certificate, contrary to section 15 (1)(b) of Passports and Travel Certificates Act, 1967 (NLCD 155); and, knowingly making a false statutory declaration in contravention of the Statutory Declarations Act, 1971, Act 389.
He also faces perjury as per section 210 (1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, Act 29; and False Declaration for Office as against section 248 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, Act 29
source:Citinewsroom
Troubled and anxious citizens in Damongo of the Savannah Region have expressed concerns about the number of young people, believed to be under the age of 18, involved in ‘shisha’ smoking in pubs and drinking spots within the township.
Eyewitnesses say the minors were seen patronising nightlife venues, where Shisha smoking happen in the open.
The situation has sparked renewed public concern over the enforcement of child protection laws and regulations governing the operations of entertainment centres in the municipality and country as a whole.
An eyewitness, who spoke to The Spectator on conditions of anonymity for security reasons, noted that the situation was becoming increasingly common.
“This is not a one-off incident. It is becoming very common, but residents like us cannot openly report or speak about it because our lives will be at risk,” he said.
Under Ghanaian law, minors were prohibited from patronising Shisha.
Public health experts have consistently warned that shisha use exposes users to harmful substances that can negatively affect brain development, respiratory health, and overall well-being, particularly among young people.
The residents believe the alleged incidents point to broader challenges relating to youth supervision, substance abuse, and weak enforcement of existing regulations and have called on municipal authorities, security agencies, and regulatory bodies to intensify monitoring of pubs and entertainment centres to ensure compliance with the law.
In an effort to address the menace, Mr Salisu Be-Awurbi, the Savannah Regional Minister, has led public education campaigns, engaged security agencies, and supported enforcement actions to address the rising use of illicit substances in the region.
Wura Kelly Seidu Boresah I, the Chief of Damongo, has also called on all stakeholders including parents, community leaders, institutions, and young people to actively support efforts to curb drug abuse, warning that the rising consumption of hard drugs poses a serious health threat to the future of the youth in the Savannah Region.
He also cautioned individuals involved in the sale and distribution of illicit drugs to immediately desist from the practice, stressing that offenders will face arrest and prosecution in accordance with the law.
From Geoffrey Buta, Damongo, Savannah Region
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Dr Theresa Baffour, an advocate for ending violence and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SAHM SAHW Foundation, has said that society plays a critical and pivotal role in breaking the cycle of domestic violence.
According to her, domestic violence is a major contributor of making women, who are mostly the victims, mentally derailed and unable to engage in economic activities.
She said this when the foundation called on the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, to solicit support for the initiative by the “Strong and Healthy Minds, Strong and Healthy Women” (SAHM SAHW) to combat domestic violence within the Ga State.
The visit was occasioned by the fact that domestic violence cases have become quite prevalent in the Ga communities and is retarding growth.
According to her, the canker was an impediment to national development because the victims were usually tortured and would have to go through series of therapies to return to the right state of mind.
Dr Baffour mentioned that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) places a mental toll on women, and was, therefore, important to break the cycle through comprehensive mental health support, crisis intervention and empowerment programmes in communities with high rates of GBV.
This intervention, she underscored, would help in empowering the denigrated victim of domestic violence to soundly heal, build and thrive.
Dr Baffour added that the initiative would provide holistic, trauma-informed mental health care and advocacy for young women affected by domestic violence.
According to her, the above statement would create safe spaces for healing and equipping them with entrepreneurial skills for renewed hope and empowered life.
The Ga Mantse pledged his support for the laudable initiative to combat domestic violence and also acknowledged the need to address it in the Ga State.
Further endorsement came from Justice Julia Naa-Yarley Adjei Amoah, Chief of Staff at the Office of the Ga Mantse, as she commended the team of SAHM SAHW Foundation for taking a bold step to end the canker in the Greater Accra.
She added that it was a step in the right direction to save vulnerable women from torture, stress and emotional abuse.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
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