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Economic hardship not justification for ‘galamsey’, other crimes – Rev Minister
● Rev Charles Adom Darkwa
The North Kaneshie District Minister of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rev Charles Adom Darkwa has said that it would be very unfair for people to justify wrong doing by using the current economic hardship as a yardstick.
He said, “a bad attitude is like a flat tyre, you can’t get far until you change it.”
In his opinion the current economic challenges should not compel the citizens to engage in acts which are detrimental to the society and the country as a whole.
The District Minister who spoke to The Spectator on Wednesday explained that negative activities such as galamsey wreaked havoc on society and that there was the need to collectively fight against it, because countries blessed with water bodies like Ghana guarded their resources and made judicious use of them but it is a pity that “we are destroying our beautiful natural reserves due to economic hardship”.
“We must rather find pragmatic ways of making good use of our forest reserves to our benefits not destroy them.”
Rev Adom Darkwa said, although Ghanaians were in hard times, like prophet Jeremiah admonished in Jeremiah 29:7 “we should seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile, pray to the Lord for it because if it prospers you too will prosper.”
It is a clarion call to action, for all citizens to manage in their respective trades and professions and work diligently for the betterment of their lives and society as a whole.
According to him, “praying for a country also involves supporting, having hope and working honestly, diligently and collectively for positive strides.”
The District Minister who is also the Minister-in-Charge of the Christ Family Congregation reiterated Maya Angelou’s quote that “We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated” to encourage Christians to say positive words about the nation not condemn or say negative things because there’s hope of glory in Christ Jesus.
By Portia Hutton-Mills
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
