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Drug abuse on the rise among youth in Lawra …3 dead,Paramount Chief concerned
● Naa Puowele Karbo III
The Paramount Chief of the Lawra Traditional Area Naa Puowele Karbo III has called on Government and stakeholders in the Upper West Region to implement programmes and policies that would help address substance abuse and its impact on the youth.
He said three young people have died as a result of substance abuse in the Lawra Municipality in 2023, confirming concerns that illicit drug abuse was becoming a serious problem among the youth.
The Paramount Chief made the call during the celebration of this year’s Kobine festival of the Chiefs and People of the Lawra Traditional Area during last weekend.
It was on the theme “substance abuse, impact on human resource management.”
The festival was to give thanks to God and the ancestors for a successful end of the farming year and to welcome another farming season with the expectation of a good harvest.
Naa Karbo III stressed on the need for policy makers to develop social interventions that would create jobs and permanent livelihoods for the youth.
“The cause of the alarming rate of substance abuse especially among the youth can be attributed to the high unemployment rate among them and the frustration of highly qualified students not having access to further education or jobs and the general economic situation in the country”, he said.
The Chief said the effect of the harmful drugs included mental illness, labour diseases, kidney disorders and low productivity among the youth.
He called on development agents to ensure that programmes providing interventions to substance abuse be targeted at the family, schools and communities leaders with the view of raising awareness among peers.
The Upper West Regional Minister, Dr. Hafiz Bin Sallih said the fight against substance abuse was a shared responsibility which required all hands to help fight the menace.
He called on stakeholders in the country to get involved in the advocacy and fight against substance abuse among the youth.
He encouraged the youth to be advocates against the use of drugs among their peers and other youth in their various communities
From Rafia Abdul Razak, Wa
Massive celebrations were recorded countrywide as the Black Stars opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto on Wednesday.
Midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi scored the only goal of the match late in the game as he shot in a decent cross from substitute Brandon Asante.
The win gave Ghana a positive start in the competition, placing them in second position behind England, also with three points but with a superior goal aggregate.
After the final whistle, the streets and other viewing centres were turned into partying grounds as fans, mostly clad in the team’s paraphernalia, danced to several World Cup-themed music.
Others blew the vuvuzelas in joyous mood with others putting up a spirited ‘jama’ session.
Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Adentan Constituency, Akosua Manu, has urged party members to move away from what she describes as an “entitlement mentality” and focus on unity, sacrifice and hard work as the party prepares for the 2028 general election.
In a statement titled “Is Loyalty a Queue?”, and posted on facebook, Ms. Manu argued that loyalty to the NPP should not be judged by how long a person has been in the party but by their contributions and commitment to its growth.
According to her, the NPP’s history shows that many of its leaders faced significant opposition from within the party before eventually leading it to electoral success.
She cited former President John Agyekum Kufuor as an example, saying he had to overcome resistance from influential figures within the party before winning power for the NPP in 2000.
Ms. Manu noted that after the party lost power in 2008, former President Kufuor faced criticism and accusations from some party members.
However, she said supporters eventually put their differences aside and worked together to rebuild the party.
She pointed to the experience of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who, according to her, faced opposition from some factions within the NPP despite his long service to the party.
“His trials were ten times what Kufuor endured,” she stated, adding that Akufo-Addo eventually overcame the challenges and became President of Ghana.
Turning to the NPP’s current flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Ms. Manu said he also faced resistance from different groups within the party while seeking leadership.
She praised Dr. Bawumia for contributing to policy-based political discussions in Ghana and for remaining composed following the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 elections.
According to her, party members must now rally behind him in the same way they supported former Presidents Kufuor and Akufo-Addo.
Ms. Manu, however, warned that internal divisions and a sense of entitlement remain major threats to the party’s future.
She argued that some party members place too much emphasis on how long individuals have belonged to the NPP rather than on their contributions and capabilities.
“This entitlement does not question impact. It does not ask what you sacrificed or what you built. It asks only how long have you been here,” she said.
The former parliamentary candidate cautioned that such attitudes could discourage committed members and prevent the party from selecting the best people for leadership positions.
She further called on the party’s incoming national executives to strengthen the NPP’s core values of sacrifice, honesty, integrity and dedication to national development.
Ms. Manu addressed the concerns of young party supporters, many of whom she said became discouraged following the NPP’s electoral defeat in 2024.
According to her, many young people remain eager to see the party return to power but are unwilling to support internal conflicts driven by personal ambitions.
She urged party elders to place the interests of the NPP above their individual goals and to demonstrate leadership that attracts rather than alienates members.
“The NPP is bigger than any one of us. It always has been. Our collective responsibility is to act like it,” she stated.
By: Jacob Aggrey
