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‘Don’t use places of worship for chastisement
● Sheikh Shaban speaking at the meeting
Mosque and other places of worship should not be used for chastisement but a place to embrace those considered wayward and reform them in love to become very responsible people in society.
Islamic Cleric in the Upper West Region Sheikh Shaban Mohammed Alhassan who said this, noted that oftentimes places of worship had been used to chastise people who were struggling with certain forms of secular addictions and had prevent such persons from approaching the places of worship for emotional support and advice.
“Imagine a young girl going to a place of worship to confide in the Cleric about an unplanned pregnancy as an adolescent in a bid to get emotional support and words of encouragement when she is yet to get married; such news will definitely not be welcomed by a Cleric and the girl would definitely be chastised”, he said.
To this end, the Sheikh has advocated the establishment of adolescent corners at major mosques to help meet the needs of youth who had issues with receiving education on sexual and reproductive health.
The Islamic cleric made this known at a meeting on sexual and reproductive health at Wa by youth advocacy groups in the region.
He said that in order to achieve this, engagement meetings on sexual and reproductive health and adolescent sexual behaviours should include religious leaders so that they would be updated with happenings in that area and the role they were to play to curb the situation.
“When the Ghana Health Service for instance presents statistics on the number of children sexually active or use contraceptives within a specific time-frame because they want to indulge in sex to the clerics at such meetings, they will come to terms with the real happenings on the ground and accept to identify ways to assist in the education of these young ones”, he said.
He indicated that these statistics could assist the clerics in preparing their sermons to include issues of such nature and to sensitise the youth to abstinence.
The cleric who was concerned about the trend said some of his colleagues needed capacity building to be abreast of issues of the secular world and appreciate the need to freely talk about them and help educate the young ones.
He believed opening an adolescent corner at major mosques and equipping the facilities with a health worker who understood the word of God would help put adolescents in check and maintain responsible sexual behaviours amongst them.
From Lydia Darlington Fordjour, Wa
The professor who spends his days exploring the intricacies of African languages found himself at the centre of a different kind of lesson on Friday, October 2, 2026. 
This time, there were no lecture notes, academic arguments or university classrooms. Instead, there was the weight of tradition, the rhythm of a community celebration and the solemnity of an oath at a royal palace.
Professor Ọbádélé Kambon, a full Professor of African Linguistics at the University of Ghana, was enstooled as Apagyahene and Sunsum Ɔsahene of Akuapem Mampong in the Eastern Region in a ceremony that brought academia and traditional authority together.
For the professor, the occasion was more than a new title. It was a moment that connected his academic interests in African languages and indigenous knowledge with the living traditions of an Akan community.
The day’s events unfolded through a series of customary observances. Kambon was first taken to the compounds of the Ɔkyeamehene and Gyasehene, where the preparations for his installation continued.
Then came the application of hyire, the white kaolin powder associated with traditional rites.
With the customary proceedings underway, the new chief was lifted onto the shoulders of celebrants and carried along the main thoroughfare of Akuapem Mampong.
The procession transformed the streets into a public stage for a ceremony rooted in the community’s traditional institutions.
There was something striking about the image, a university professor, accustomed to the measured language of academic discourse, being carried through the town in a display of traditional recognition.
Yet the celebration was not complete with the procession.
A ram was sacrificed at the Mamponghene’s compound before Kambon was taken to the palace, to swear the oath associated with his new offices.
The ceremony brought him formally into his roles as Apagyahene and Sunsum Ɔsahene.
Beyond the colourful proceedings, the titles themselves carry layers of historical meaning.
Kambon in his research explores the historical connections between Apagya and Akan political and military organisation.
Accounts cited in his work linked Apagya to an asafo, or military company, while historical writing traces an Apagya stool in Asante to the reign of Opoku Ware I in the eighteenth century.
These historical associations offer a glimpse into the institutions that have shaped Akan society over generations, although they do not automatically define the precise responsibilities of the office in Akuapem Mampong.
Kambon’s own professional life reflects a similar interest in preserving and examining African knowledge.
His work encompasses Akan language structure, naming practices across the Black world, proverbs and indigenous intellectual traditions.
Through Abibitumi, the platform he founded, he also promotes language learning, scholarship and cultural engagement.
But tradition was only one part of the story that day.
When the formal ceremony gave way to a reception, the occasion expanded into a celebration of three milestones: Kambon’s enstoolment, his promotion to full professor and his daughter Ama’s admission to the University of Ghana.
The gathering therefore carried a personal significance that went beyond the honours bestowed on one man. 
It celebrated professional advancement, the continuation of family aspirations and a connection to cultural heritage.
For a father, seeing a daughter gain admission to the same university where he holds a distinguished academic position offered another reason to celebrate.
For the professor, the moment placed family achievement alongside his own professional and traditional milestones.
Kambon had already established a place in the traditional life of Akuapem Mampɔn through an earlier installation as Banmuhene Kyidɔmhene, recorded in 2017.
His latest enstoolment adds another chapter to that relationship.
In Akuapem Mampɔn, the day brought together the university, the palace and the family table in one celebration. And for Kambon, the journey from the lecture room to the traditional procession showed how scholarship, cultural responsibility and family achievement could converge in a single memorable occasion.
By Enoch Ntiamoah Siaw
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Intercity STC Coaches Limited has interdicted a driver captured in a viral video allegedly hitting a Sprinter bus during an overtaking manoeuvre at Pokuase before driving away from the scene.
In a public notice, the company described the driver’s conduct as unacceptable, stressing that it did not reflect the safety standards and professionalism it upholds.
Management said it had commenced an immediate investigation into the incident and identified the driver, who has been interdicted pending the outcome of the disciplinary process.
The company added that it was awaiting an official report from the Pokuase Police Command to help establish the facts surrounding the incident.
STC reaffirmed its commitment to passenger safety and responsible road use, while thanking members of the public for bringing the incident to its attention.
Management assured the public that appropriate action would be taken following the investigation.
By: Jacob Aggrey
