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Don’t demand outrageous bride price — Nana Ansah Kwao IV
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Nana Ansah Kwao IV, Chief of Akwamu-Adumasa, has bemoaned how some parents use their daughters as a bait to extort money from suitors, making the process of marriage a complex one for some men.
The chief made this revelation to The Spectator when he touched on the need for parents and Ghanaians to appreciate the traditional marriage rite called “engagement”.
According to him, “it is alarming how some parents ridiculously demand outrageous bride price and long lists from men who want to marry their daughters”.
He said, the woman who would be given out in marriage was not for sale, and highlighted that in the olden days bride price (dowry) was presented to the bride’s family to express gratitude to the parents for grooming the woman for marriage.
He said this gesture was to identify that the would-be wife came from a home and a community, adding that it was to acknowledge all those who contributed in the upbringing of the lady concerned.
The chief condemned parents who even went to the extent of demanding airline tickets and expensive jewelry among other irrelevant products which to him, had got nothing to do with the process of marriage.
Nana Ansah Kwao IV explained that in Ghana, marriage was a bond between two families and that was why a man could be out of the country while the woman was also in another country but they could still marry in a community somewhere in Ghana on condition that the two families had consented to the marriage.
“Our traditional marriage rite bonded the couple and attracted blessings to them for a fruitful and peaceful marriage,” he stressed, and admonished Ghanaians to embrace their old cultural values.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
Construction of a major underground stormwater drain along the Dr. Busia Highway within the Kaneshie enclave will commence on September 7, 2026.
The Project Coordinator for the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project, Dr. Kwadwo Ohene Sarfo, announced this at a special media briefing on Wednesday.
According to him, the works will involve the construction of a double-cell underground rectangular drain measuring approximately 10 metres wide and 1.95 kilometres long, stretching from Pamprom Junction to First Light Junction.
The new drain will replace the existing two 1.2-metre diameter pipes, which are inadequate to carry the volume of stormwater in the area.
Dr. Sarfo said the drain will connect at one end to the recently completed section within the Accra Academy campus and at the other end to the existing drain at Pamprom Junction.
He said the construction is expected to run from September 2026 to October 2027.
The project forms part of government’s broader flood prevention and mitigation programme aimed at addressing perennial flooding in Accra.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has withdrawn from the party’s National Chairmanship race.
In a statement issued yesterday, Chairman Wontumi who is currently serving a 20-year jail term said his decision was driven by his love for the party and his unwillingness to let his personal circumstances distract the NPP from its rebuilding efforts.
“There are moments in the life of a man when the heart wants to continue, but duty demands sacrifice. Moments when one must quietly set aside personal ambition, not because the dream has died, but because the family he loves must not be made to carry his burden. Today, I find myself at such a painful moment,” he wrote.
He disclosed that after many nights of prayer, sober reflection and consultations with his family, legal team, party elders, campaign team and trusted supporters, he concluded that his present situation must not become an additional burden on the NPP.
“This is not the decision my heart desired, but sometimes, true love requires us to release what we deeply want in order to protect what we love even more,” he added.
Recounting his years of service, Chairman Wontumi said he had served the party with everything within him, walking through heat and rain, travelling to remote communities and standing with the grassroots in both victory and defeat.
“For many years, I have served the NPP with everything within me… The NPP is not merely a political party to me. It is my family. It is my home. It is a cause to which I have dedicated a significant part of my life,” he stated.
He explained that the party, already carrying the pain of electoral defeat and the huge responsibility of preparing for the future, should not be made to carry his personal weight.
“That is why I cannot allow my present situation or personal ambition to distract the party from the difficult work of rebuilding. I cannot ask the party to carry my weight when it is already carrying the pain of defeat and the enormous responsibility of preparing for the battle ahead. I would rather carry this pain quietly than allow the party I love to suffer because of me,” he said.
He further sympathized with his supporters across the 16 regions, acknowledging that the decision would be painful for many who had sacrificed for his campaign.
“To my teeming supporters across all sixteen regions, I know this message will hurt. I know many of you will read it with tears in your eyes because I understand the sacrifices you have made for this journey,” he said.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
