News
Dandafuri residents cry for Irrigation systems, credit facilities
Residents of Dandafuri community in the Wa Municipality of the Upper West Region have appealed to government and benevolent organisations to provide an irrigation system for the community to support them during the dry season farming.
They have also asked for credit facilities to enable them pay for tractor services and buy farm inputs to boost their agricultural activities.
Speaking to The Spectator during a visit to the community, the Chief of Dandafuri, Abdul Salam Issahaku said since agriculture was the mainstay of residents in the community, the provision of facilities such as irrigation system and credit facilities would help boost their vocation and ensure that farmers gained from their labour.
Dandafuri is located about 10 kilometres away from the central business district of Wa, the regional capital and has about 2,400 residents who are mainly farmers but engage in trading activities after harvesting their farm produce.
“There are no industries or factories in the community. We are living in dire poverty but we do well with agriculture so the presence of such resource will boost our activities and ensure that we produce enough to feed our families and also sell,” he expressed.
He said due to the limited resources, hiring tractors to plough a large tract of land becomes a challenge, making it difficult to cultivate enough.
A community member, Madam Alimata Fulera said that many women in the community migrated to the southern part of the country to work during the dry season because there was no alternative source of livelihood.
Dandafuri like several other communities in the northern part of the country experiences prolonged dry season which sometimes begin in mid-October and runs to early May.
Fulera explained that if there was an irrigation system in the community, they could continue with dry season farming.
Mr Sumaila Iddris, the Unit Committee Chairman of the area insisted that an irrigation system and financial support would help the youth in the community to engage in commercial and dry season farming for a higher return.
The Regional Director of Agriculture, Mr Francis Sasu Yeboah shared in their concern and advised them to create farmer based groups to petition the assembly to consider them for such interventions.
From Lydia Darlington, Wa
Ahyiresu and Abofrem, two quiet communities in the Atwima Mponua District, have been shaken to the core by a chilling midnight drama that reads like a nightmare.
A pastor and a young mother stand accused of attempting to bury a five‑month‑old baby girl alive, a crime that has ignited outrage and disbelief across the township.
According to police, Apostle Richmond Akwasi Frimpong, 36, Head Pastor of the Anointed Grace Prayer Ministry at Kuffour Camp, conspired with his uncle Emmanuel Appiah, 53, and the child’s mother, 23‑year‑old Beatrice Agyapomaa, to dispose of the infant, Anaya Achiaa, under the cover of darkness.
A fourth suspect, Emmanuel Donkor, remains on the run.
The suspects were caught near a refuse dump around 10 pm on April 9, 2026, after a vigilant resident, Akwasi Twezor, noticed their suspicious movements.
When confronted, they claimed the child was already dead and had palace approval for burial. But Twezor’s instincts proved right—the baby was still alive, gasping faintly for breath.
Chief Linguist, Nana Yaw Badu, later confirmed that Frimpong had misled him earlier in the evening, securing permission for burial by falsely declaring the child dead.
The infant was rushed to the Abofrem Clinic, where she is now responding well to treatment. Police described her as “very beautiful.”
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Evelyn Yitamkey, Commander of DOVVSU in Bibiani, confirmed that the suspects have been provisionally charged.
Frimpong faces attempted murder and conspiracy charges, while Agyapomaa and Appiah are charged with conspiracy and abetment.
They were remanded by the Bibiani Circuit Court, presided over by Judge Frank Asiedu Nimako, to assist investigations.
The docket has been forwarded to the Attorney General’s Department for advice, ASP Yitamkey indicated.
The attempted crime has provoked fury among residents, many suspecting ritual motives aimed at bolstering the pastor’s influence.
Crowds attempted to attack the suspects outside court, but police intervention prevented mob justice.
The Assembly Member for Ahyiresu, Yusuf Suleiman, has assured residents that justice will be pursued swiftly.
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
The forecourt of the African University of Communications and Business (AUCB) in Accra came alive on Friday with colour, creativity and innovation, as Level 300 students transformed the space into a lively exhibition of ideas.
Under the theme “Building meaningful brands beyond the logo,” the students invited patrons into a world where ordinary products were reimagined through storytelling, design and purpose.
From scented candles to innovative food concepts, each stand told a unique story, one that went beyond aesthetics to capture identity, value and human connection.
For many of the students, the event was more than just an academic exercise; it was a moment to dream out loud.
Guided by their lecturer, Peter Wonders, they explored what it truly means to build a brand in today’s competitive world where trust, consistency and experience matter just as much as logos and slogans.
Chairman of the occasion, Nana Kum Gyata VI, in his remarks said a brand is what people say about you when you are not present.
At the end of the presentations, awards were presented to deserving groups with Vida Nyaneba emerging as the overall best branding student.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
Follow our WhatsApp Channel now! https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAjG7g3gvWajUAEX12Q
