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Easter messages from the clergy…
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Learn to overcome betrayal — Ps Mensa Otabil
The Founder of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), Pastor Mensah Otabil has urged Christians who feel betrayed to learn from Jesus’ example of dealing with betrayal in order to receive healing and restoration.
Pastor Otabil in his ‘Word to go’ series said many people were battling with how to overcome betrayal but could make reference to Jesus’ practical example to get over such situations.
Referencing Luke 22:47-48, he read, “And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him. But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
In Jesus’ scenario, he said, the disciples were accustomed to praying with Jesus in Gethsemane when they were in Jerusalem which served as their place of rest and of quiet, and to stay away from the crowd.
He added, Judas knew that, that was the time to get Jesus alone because the Jews did not want to arrest Jesus in the public space.
Pastor Otabil said, they looked for someone in the camp of Jesus to get him in the quiet place and that was how Judas led the team to Gethsemane where they arrested Jesus Christ.
“And for a little prize, Judas betrayed the man he had stayed with, learnt a lot from and shared so much relationship with. And he did it with a kiss,” he said.
“It is amazing how betrayal is camouflaged as affection because it happened with a kiss. So Jesus asked Judas if he was betraying him with a kiss. That was to bring some consciousness to Judas that he knew what he was doing so that after that, he could think about what he had done and repent,” he stressed.
In the midst of that, he said, Peter one of the disciples, cut the ear of one of the people who came to arrest Jesus but the Lord rather healed the ear.
“Amazing that the last recorded healing ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ was at the time when he was betrayed by a close friend and being arrested and in the midst of all that, instead of bitterness, there was healing,” he stated.
“That is the awesomeness of Jesus as he was fully in charge of his emotions and constantly doing the will of the Father which everyone must emulate,” he added.
He explained that, betrayal was painful for anyone to go through especially when someone used what they knew about another to do harm.
However, he said, with the example of Jesus, he said especially going into the Easter festivities where Christians remember the death of Christ and everything prior to that, it was important to look back and let go of betrayal.
That, he said, would provide healing and restoration and not make a person become a bearer of pain and anguish.
By Michael D. Abayateye
Easter is for spiritual, physical, emotional wellbeing of Christians — Rev Addo-Yobo
The General overseer of the International Victory Praise Chapel, Dome, Rev. Humphery Addo-Yobo says it is worth celebrating Easter as it commemorates Jesus Christ’s death for the spiritual, physical, emotional and total wellbeing of Christians.
He said the transformation of Jesus into the human flesh to taste death for the sake of the sins of man was worth celebrating because even with humans, forgiveness among men usually comes with some excitement.
In an interview with The Spectator, he explained that Easter must not be observed with malice and wickedness but with a clean heart and sincerity.
He justified this with a scripture in I Corinthians 5:7.
It reads: “Purge (clean out) the old leaven that you may be fresh (new) dough, still uncontaminated [as you are], for Christ, our Passover [Lamb], has been sacrificed.
He said as Christians, it was important to strive towards having a clean heart, which would be free from sin.
Reverend Addo stated that the celebration of Easter was a necessity because it was the gateway for man’s salvation through the new birth of Christ.
“I Corinthians 5:8 states that Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with leaven of evil and malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened [bread] of purity (nobility, honor) and sincerity and [unadulterated] truth.
Reverend Addo Yobo also mentioned that the celebration of Easter signifies Jesus’ victory over death, adding that “Christians must celebrate Easter with the understanding that Satan has been destroyed.”
He urged Christians to celebrate Easter in a way that symbolises that Jesus Christ has defeated death and won victory for us.
By Elizabeth Agyeibea Ackon
Reflect the sacrifice of Jesus on cross – Ps Hammond
The Resident Pastor of Tabernacle Worship Centre, Burma Hills branch, Pastor Daniel David Hammond has called on Christians to reflect on the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross for mankind during the Easter season.
“Easter allows us to see clearly what is of eternal value and that which is temporary, but living in a fallen and broken world can often cloud our vision,” Ps Hammond said in an interview with The Spectator.
Sharing his thoughts on the season, Ps Hammond stated that “We sometimes concentrate more on this earth which is temporary and forget that the spiritual is more real and of eternal value.”
“Much like Easter celebrations, we know which is worthier of our focus. However, our sinful nature causes us to focus more on ourselves and immediate pleasures,” he added.
He said Christians must learn to put their trust in the Lord, for the Bible says “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departed from the LORD. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.”
“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. (Jeremiah 17:5-7).
Ps Hammond said trusting in God and obeying Him was the only way to live a fulfilled Christian life.
By Andrew Parker
Celebrate triumph of life over death — Prophet Eric Boahen
The leader and founder of Reign House Chapel, Prophet Eric Boahen Uche, has charged Christians to celebrate the triumph of life over death this Easter.
According to him, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was the gift of salvation by God.
He said, In Christian tradition, the Resurrection represents Christ’s victory over death and the promise of eternal life for those who follow him.
He made this call when speaking to The Spectator ahead of Easter.
Prophet Eric Boahen wished everyone a Happy Easter and said “May the joy of Christ’s resurrection fill your hearts with renewed faith and hope.”
According to him, this renewed hope has what it takes to lift people to the next level in their lives.
Prohphet Boahen added that Christians must use the period to reflect on the circumstances surrounding the death and resurrection of Jesus.
This, he said, would go a long way to affect how they do things in one’s quest to be Christ-like.
He further charged Christians to spread love during Easter, by putting smiles on the faces of others far and near
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Residents of Brodi, a farming community in the Tain District of the Bono Region, have been left in shock and mourning following the alleged murder of a 45-year-old woman by her husband, who later died by suicide.
According to information gathered by the Ghana News Agency (GNA), the suspect, popularly known as Kwabena Jack, believed to be in his 50s, allegedly attacked and killed his wife, Abena Donkor, while the couple were working on their farm on Monday, August 11, 2026.
Mr Kingsley Obah, Assembly Member for the Brodi Electoral Area, confirmed the incident to the GNA.
He explained that after news of the woman’s death spread through the community, residents launched a search for the suspect. His lifeless body was later discovered in a nearby bush on Tuesday, August 12, 2026.
Police have since conveyed both bodies to the Tain District Government Hospital, where they have been deposited for preservation and autopsy.
Investigations into the incident are ongoing. -GNA
Hawkers and roaming preachers have taken over the five-metre high Madina REDCO footbridge and adjoining streets, making it increasingly difficult for pedestrians to use the facility intended to promote safe road crossing.
The traders have virtually turned sections of the footbridge into a marketplace, displaying their wares on the floor using jute sacks, plastic sheets and metal trays, while others have occupied both sides of the walkway with their merchandise.
Foodstuffs such as okro, garden eggs, pepper, onions, dried fish, smoked fish, grains, spices and other groceries are openly sold on the footbridge and along the roadside, forcing pedestrians to weave through the crowded path.
Clothing and fashion accessories including slippers, brassieres, panties, socks, bags and other household items are also displayed for sale, leaving only limited space for commuters to use.
The situation is worsened by the presence of itinerant preachers who position themselves on the footbridge with public address systems to evangelise, drawing crowds to further obstruct pedestrian movement.
Head porters are also seen crossing the highway through the median while carrying heavy loads instead of using the footbridge, exposing themselves to the danger of being knocked down by speeding vehicles.
Also, portions of the footbridge are showing signs of deterioration. Several metal railings are rusted, bent and loosely secured with pieces of wire, raising concerns about the safety of users, especially children, the elderly and persons with disabilities.
Sections of the concrete surface are worn and chipped, while makeshift wooden supports attached to parts of the structure suggest temporary repairs.
After a visit by The Spectator last week, it emerged that many commuters preferred crossing the busy Madina Highway instead of using the footbridge because of the congestion created by the trading and preaching activities.
For years, successive attempts by the police, the military and the La Nkwantanang Madina Municipal Assembly to address congestion around the REDCO and Zongo Junction enclave have yielded little success, with the area becoming notorious for roadside trading, indiscriminate parking and pedestrians refusing to use the footbridge.
A pedestrian, who gave her name only as Maame Yaa, described the situation as worrying, saying the footbridge, which was constructed to protect lives, had gradually lost its purpose because of the growing encroachment by traders and preachers.
According to her, many pedestrians were discouraged from using the facility because navigating through the crowded walkway had become difficult and uncomfortable.
She appealed to the La Nkwantanang Madina Municipal Assembly and other relevant authorities to intensify enforcement to prevent unauthorised trading and other activities on the footbridge and ensure it served its intended purpose of promoting pedestrian safety.
However, during the visit, personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) were seen carrying out a decongestion exercise to remove hawkers from sections of the roadside around the footbridge as part of efforts to improve public safety and ease the movement of both pedestrians and motorists.
The exercise forms part of a pilot project initiated by the Municipal Fire Commander for Madina, Division Officer II (DO II) Abdul Salia, who assumed command of the Madina Municipal Fire Station three months ago.
Speaking in an interview with The Spectator, DO II Abdulai Salia, who is also a long time resident of the community, said the month long project began on July 1 and ended on July 31, with 30 firefighters deployed daily to regulate traffic, clear hawkers from the streets and footbridge, and create access for emergency vehicles.
Continued on page 12
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
