News
Deputy Minority Leader declines ECOWAS Parliament nomination, cites lack of consultation
The Deputy Minority Leader in Parliament, madam Patricia Appiagyei, has turned down her nomination to represent Ghana at the ECOWAS Parliament.
In a memorandum directed to the Speaker Alban Bagbin, she said the decision to include her was made without her knowledge or consent, and described it as a calculated attempt to replace the Minority Leader while creating division within the caucus.
This follows concerns raised by the Majority Leader in Parliament on Tuesday , July 22, 2025.
The Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga argued that the ECOWAS Parliament was pushing for 30 percent female representation hence it was customary for deputy minority leaders to be part of the delegation.
He therefore suggested that madam Appiagyei replaces Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin in the newly reconstituted list.
This notwithstanding, madam Appiagyei, in a memo to the speaker, said she was not consulted and had never agreed to replace her leader.
The deputy minority leader revealed that she was surprised that such a proposal was made in her absence and that of the minority leader.
According to her, there had been a clear understanding that Afenyo-Markin would continue serving on the ECOWAS Parliament, and this had been communicated to the committee of selection.
She described the move as procedurally wrong and legally flawed.
Madam Appiagyei explained that Afenyo-Markin had been sworn in as a Member of the ECOWAS Parliament and later elected Deputy Speaker.
She said under ECOWAS law, a member’s term lasts four years unless they resign, leave Parliament, or become ineligible.
Since none of those conditions apply, she believes there is no justification for his removal.
She added that replacing him without proper cause would breach ECOWAS statutes and Ghana’s parliamentary procedures.
While supporting the call for more women in regional bodies, she called for due process to be followed.
“Using gender parity as a reason for irregular decisions undermines both the goal and the integrity of Parliament,” she noted.
She officially declined the nomination and urged that her name be removed from the list sent to ECOWAS.
She also asked the Clerk of Parliament not to communicate any resolution that includes her name.
She called for the original list of nominees to be maintained to preserve unity in the house and avoid public embarrassment.
The original nominees include Alexander Afenyo-Markin, Kwame Anyimadu Antwi, and Bryan Acheampong.
Jacob Aggrey
News
Abu Trica’s extradition case: Prophets, fetish priests demand pay for spiritual solution …Lawyer reveals
Mr Oliver Barker-Vormawor, a lawyer for embattled Frederick Kumi, affectionately called Abu Trica and has made a shocking revelation over the behaviour of some members of the clergy.
According to him in a post on social media, the difficult part of Abu Trica’s trial is not the law but the number of ‘Men of God’ and fetish priests demanding financial sacrifices to help resolve the matter spiritually.
Oliver Barker-Vormawor posted on Tuesday, April 22, 2026, “The most difficult part about the Abu Trica case; is not the law.”
He continued: “It is the number of, prophetesses, evangelists and fetish priests, who have called or messaged to ask us to pay for spiritual solutions.”
It would be recalled that in March this year, the Gbese District Court dismissed a preliminary objection filed by Abu Trica, challenging the extradition proceedings initiated at the request of the United States.
The court, presided over by Anna Akosua Appiah Gottfried Anaafi Gyasi, in its ruling held that the offences forming the basis of the extradition, particularly wire fraud, constitute extraditable offences under the 1931 treaty between Ghana and the United States.
He was then given 15 days counting from March 27 to appeal the decision of the court or be surrendered for extradition to the US.
Against this backdrop, he was on Tuesday, April 22, granted a bail in the sum of GH¢30,000,000 by an Accra High, pending the appeal of his extradition
Mr Kumi was arrested in Ghana in December 2025 following an indictment by United States authorities, alleging that he played a role in a romance scam network that defrauded elderly American victims of more than $8 million.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
News
From panic to pass: how parents, teachers can help children beat BECE, WASSCE exam phobia- Part 1
Walk through any Junior High or Senior High compound in Ghana as BECE or WASSCE approaches and you will see it.
A bright girl suddenly quiet. A boy who led class debates now sleeping at his desk. A Form three student with stomach pains every Monday morning.
This is not laziness. This is academic stress. When left unaddressed, it hardens into exam phobia-overwhelming dread that pushes children into burnout, avoidance, and sometimes silence.
As a mental health professional who sits with these children and their parents at Counselor Prince & Associates Consult (CPAC) in Adenta Oyarifa-Teiman, I see the pattern clearly.
Research confirms it. Putwain and Daly (2014) found that high test anxiety predicts lower grades independent of ability. Zeidner (1998) showed that chronic academic pressure raises cortisol, weakens memory recall, and increases school dropout risk. The brain under fear cannot retrieve what it studied.
Understanding the storm: What academic stress really looks like
Exam phobia is not just “being nervous.” It shows up as headaches before mocks, sudden anger when books are mentioned, night-time insomnia, or perfectionism that ends in blank scripts.
Some children over-study until 2 a.m. and forget everything by 9 a.m. Others avoid books completely, scrolling phones instead. Both are distress signals. Dr Kenneth Ginsburg, a paediatrician specialising in adolescent resilience, notes: “Stress is not the enemy; feeling alone with stress is.” Too many Ghanaian children feel alone with it.
The home front: How parents and couples become safe havens, not extra pressure
The first antidote is at home. Structure beats shouting. Set a predictable study slot-same time, same place, with water and a light snack. Then protect sleep like you protect school fees. A tired brain fails faster than an unprepared one. Use the “15-minute start rule”: “Just sit for 15 minutes. If you still can’t, we close and try after a walk.” Often, starting is the hardest part.
Couples must watch their language. “Don’t disgrace us” plants fear. Replace it with “We see your effort. What part feels hardest today?” Praise process, not only position: “You revised three topics and asked for help—that is maturity.” Research by Dweck (2006) confirms that process praise builds resilience while outcome praise increases anxiety.
For caregivers, check your own anxiety. Children borrow our nervous system. If BECE makes you panic, they will panic. One parent grounds—keeps meals, prayer, and bedtime steady. The other pivots—talks to teachers, adjusts timetables, arranges counselling. Both protect rest. An empty cup cannot pour calm.
Resources
– Counsellor Prince & Associates Consult (CPAC): Award-winning Clinical Mental Health and Counselling Facility, accredited by the Ghana Psychology Council.
– School-Based Support: Speak to Guidance & Counselling units, or licensed school counsellors. E.g. Counsellor Blessing Offei – 0559850604 (School Counsellor).
– Contact CPAC for Parent Coaching/Counselling & Student Therapy: 055 985 0604 / 055 142 8486
