Features
Economic impact of Russia, Ukraine conflict
Since the Second World War the world has done all it can to ensure that peace prevails in all countries so that petty conflicts between nations or among nations can be avoided.
Unfortunately, this has not been the case and the world is still frightened with conflicts among nations. We experienced the Iran- Iraq war as well as the US invasion of Iraq following Iraq’s invasion of the tiny country nearby.
INVASION OF KUWAIT
This tiny country, Kuwait, was invaded by Iraq and as a result the US and other interested Western countries thought that the time had come to teach Iraq a lesson. This was the basis of that conflict and subsequent war that took place between the US and Iraq when it was under Saddam Hussein.
Quite recently, the world woke up on 24th February, 2022, to hear about the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. It is difficult to understand why a conflict of this nature should emerge when the world has just experienced the COVID-19 pandemic and is now doing all it can to recover economically.
RECOVERY PROCESS
In fact many countries are still going through their recovery process and the world today is faced with serious economic challenges unbearable for many people in different countries. It is against this background that we find it very disturbing when we see the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The invasion of Ukraine by Russia is very unfortunate but one can see that Russia is trying to flex its muscles to show that it is still in control of affairs when it comes to Eastern European politics. Under the former Soviet Union, Russia was a powerful country.
USSR POWER
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), then a powerful eastern bloc, adopted strategies to fight Western countries which were members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). It is the suspicion of Russia that Ukraine is getting closer to form an alliance with NATO and for this reason should be stopped before things get too late for that country.
Ukraine, on the other hand, considers itself a sovereign country which should not be invaded by another country such as Russia. For this reason, Ukraine, has put up a spirited fight to stop the Russian invasion of their country.
It is said that when two elephants fight it is the grass that suffers and so the rest of the world sitting by and thinking about how to recover fully from the COVID-19 pandemic have now been drawn into this needless fight in a number of waves.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
To begin with, the tremendous impact of the conflict is beyond measure in the sense that it has created shortage of crude oil on the international market. The shortage of crude oil is affecting the economies of countries in the world.
In Ghana, for instance, a litre of oil is shooting upwards day in day out and the price will soon be 10 Ghana Cedis or even more. This is, needless to say, seriously affecting the economy of the country in the sense that prices of all other things have started rising.
Apart from Ghana, other countries on the African continent are also experiencing economic difficulties which are adversely affecting the welfare of people. This is not the making of their respective governments on the continent but rather the direct result of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine which has resulted in shortages of oil and the rising prices in the world.
IMPORTS
Apart from oil prices, imports from different parts of the world have also risen very high. This does not affect only African countries but all countries in the world. European as well as America, Asia and all other countries in the different parts of the world are experiencing this adverse impact for which reason prices are going to be unbearable.
This explains why citizens in various countries would have to bear with their governments, seeing that it is not the meeting of any particular government but something disastrous that is affecting the entire world. This calls for every person in the world to come together and think of how to bear with this unfortunate situation instead of simply blaming governments for something they are not responsible for.
PURPOSE OF GOVERNMENT
The purpose of government as well as governance is to ensure that life is made better for every citizen. However, in this particular case life cannot be better for everybody when we all know for sure that there are shortages of oil on the world markets and, therefore, pushing up prices that would also make life uncomfortable for us in different countries.
It is for this reason that the world must come together to tell Russia and Ukraine that “enough is enough” and the war must stop. If the war does not stop, prices of goods and services will keep escalating in all parts of the world in this COVID-19 era.
UNFORTUNATE SITUATION
It is very unfortunate that things are happening this way but we do not have to lose hope and fight among ourselves because of economic difficulties. Even if governments are changed the result will not be better because until the Russia-Ukraine war is stopped, the world will continue to experience high prices and this would impact negatively on people in all countries.
When it comes to developing countries whose economies are fragile, we need to remain united so that adventurists will not take advantage of the situation to create instability in their respective countries. It is the expectation. of all countries that diplomatic efforts will be put in place to resolve the issue between Russia and Ukraine so that normal peace can be experienced between the two countries.
PEACE
When peace returns, it will spread to all parts of the world and make life better for each every country and person.
Contact email/whatsApp address of author:
Pradmat2013@gmail.com (0553318911)
By Dr. Kofi Amponsah-Bediako
On Sunday, October 11, 2026, it was the turn of Ghanaian Catholics in Finland to lead the singing in the church service of the African Catholic Chaplaincy in Finland (ACCF).
It was indeed a spirit-filled feeling for worshippers present. And for the Ghanaian migrants, the occasion also brought back to them memories of church services in their home country, Ghana.
The ACCF has a roster for each country/community to sing from time to time. Next Sunday will be the turn of the Nigerian community. Other communities that usually sing are the Kenyan/Tanzanian community, the Cameroonian, the Ugandan, group, etc.
A powerful religious experience
The mass services of the Chaplaincy usually give a powerful religious experience and a display of cultural diversity, especially in occasions such as when the Bishop of Helsinki, Bishop Raimo Goyarrola, celebrated mass with the Chaplaincy on Pentecost Day, May 24, 2026.
There was a similar time of spiritual joy last month (September 27, 2026) when Emeritus Bishop Teemu Sippo, former Bishop of Helsinki, visited the Chaplaincy. Bishop Teemu was the main celebrant, assisted by the Chaplain, Reverend Father Thomas Otieno.
Last Sunday, Reverend Father Bernard Sor, a Ghanaian Catholic priest based in Austria, was the main celebrant in the mass service where he performed a rite of baptism. Fr Bernard had celebrated mass a few months ago when he visited his sister and her husband in Helsinki. 
All these well-attended religious occasions indeed leave lasting memories. The homilies (peaching) by the priests usually emphasize religious tenets such as the importance of loving and serving God in truth, existing in peace with our fellow humans to promote unity in diversity, etc.
Unity in diversity and a colourful display of cultures
The African Chaplaincy church services usually produce impressive displays of diverse cultures from different parts of Africa and elsewhere. The events are often spiced by rich cultural displays of dances and colourful attires which are a delight to watch.
On special occasions, members of the Ghanaian Catholic community, in their gay and colourful kente attire and with adowa dance and music, usually lead the procession into the church. Other communities such as the Cameroonian, Nigerian, Kenyan and Tanzanian as well as Sudanese/South Sudanese groups also put up well-choreographed performances from their cultures.
The African Catholic Chaplaincy in Finland
The African Chaplaincy was founded on June 4, 2017, which was a Pentecost Sunday, in a Pontifical High Mass celebrated by Monsignor Emeritus Sippo S.C.I., the then Bishop of Helsinki, at the St. Mary’s Catholic Parish Church in Helsinki.
The Chaplaincy was created by Bishop Teemu in collaboration with the Diocesan body when they detected a great flocking of African immigrants to Finland, the majority of whom were Catholics. This was to give the immigrants a possibility to integrate into the Finnish society by worshiping as Catholics and in their African cultural identity.
The responsibility of the Chaplaincy was given by Bishop Teemu to Father Dr Leonard Wobilla Shwei, who is thus the first Chaplain and ably led the Chaplaincy. He was succeeded a few years ago by Father Thomas Otieno, who continues to move the Chaplaincy forward. Thank you!
GHANA MATTERS column appears fortnightly. Written in simple, layman’s terms, it concentrates on matters about Ghana and beyond. It focuses on everyday life issues relating to the social, cultural, economic, religious, political, health, sports, youth, gender, etc. It strives to remind us all that Ghana comes first. The column also takes a candid look at the meanings and repercussions of our actions, especially those things we take for granted or even ignore. There are key Ghanaian values we should uphold rather than disregard with impunity. We should not overlook the obvious. We need to search for the hidden or deeply embedded values and try to project them.
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
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She did not find out he was cheating. She found out he was drowning.
It was two weeks after their beautiful wedding. The jollof was still in the fridge. A loan officer called her number-not his-and politely asked, “Madam, please tell your husband to pay his overdue loan. We have been calling him.”
That was how she discovered her new husband had entered their marriage with a hidden debt of over GH¢ 40,000. No cheating. No other woman. Just a financial secret.
And that is how many Ghanaian marriages begin to die. Not with a shout, but with a secret alert on a phone.
We prepare for the wedding. We do not prepare for the wallet.
What is money honesty?
Let me define it simply. Money honesty is not that you both earn the same. It is that you both know the same. It is the ability to sit down and say without fear:
“This is how much I earn.”
“This is how much I owe.”
“This is how I was raised to see money.”
“This is what scares me about money.”
Financial transparency is not about control. It is about clarity. You cannot build trust on top of secrets.
Many couples tell me, “Counsellor, we love each other, love will handle money.” I always answer, “Love is the car, but money honesty is the fuel. Love without honesty cannot move.”
How To Buy Your Marriage Insurance Today – My 5-Step Protocol
If you are engaged, newly married, or even 20 years in marriage, you can still fix this. At Counsellor Prince & Associates Consult—CPAC, this is what I give couples:
Step 1: The 90-Minute Money Naked Session.
No phones, no blame. Each partner writes down on paper: Monthly income, monthly debts, monthly family obligations, savings, and your biggest money fear. Then you exchange papers. Read it. Don’t react for 24 hours. Just absorb.
Step 2: Create OUR Money, YOUR Money, My Money.
You need three pots. OUR money for rent, food, school fees, utilities, properties, and the like— joint contribution. YOUR money and MY money—a small agreed allowance no one questions. This stops the feeling of being controlled.
Step 3: The No-Secret Debt Rule.
Agree from today: No new loan, no new hire purchase, no new family financial commitment above GHS 500 without telling each other first. Not permission, but information.
Step 4: Talk About Your Money Personality.
Are you a Spender or a Saver? Are you Risky or Safe? Most Ghanaian marriages are a Spender married to a Saver. Neither is wrong. But if you don’t understand your partner’s personality, you will call his saving “stinginess” and her spending “wastefulness.”
Step 5: Do a Monthly 30-Minute Money Date
Not an argument date. Light, with tea. “How did we do this month? What worried you? What should we plan for next month?” Couples who do this divorce far less.
My Final Word
Before you say “I Do” at the altar, have pre-marital counselling and also have the money talk on the sofa.
Ask your partner:
“If I lost my job today, how long can we survive?”
“What debt are you bringing into this marriage?”
“How much do you send to your family monthly and will that continue?”
If he or she gets angry that you asked, don’t get married yet. A person who is angry about accountability will be abusive about money.
Marriage insurance is not bought at Star Assurance or Enterprise. It is bought in honest conversations when no one is watching.
The wedding costs one day. The marriage costs a lifetime. Don’t enter a lifetime contract and covenant with hidden costs.
You can still insure your marriage today.
Source:
Counselor Prince Offei, CPAC’s founder, is a leading Mental Health Professional, Marriage Counsellor, Author, ADR Expert/Arbitrator, and Spectator Newspaper Columnist. He writes on relationships, marriage, parenting, special needs support, and their connection to mental health. For therapy, counselling, or enquiries, contact Counselor Prince & Associates Consult (CPAC) in Accra on 0559850604 / 0551428486.
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