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‘Firefighting is shared responsibility’
Since firefighting is a shard responsibility, the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) in the Upper West Region has called for the establishment of Bush Fire Prevention Committee at the district and regional levels respectively.
The command maintained that the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) Law 229 which established the GNFS made provision for the setting up of such committees to facilitate the prevention and combating of accidental fires at the district and regional levels effectively.
In an interview with The Spectator Newspaper at Wa on Tuesday, the Regional Commander, Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO) Mr. Abraham Nii Dodoo said successful firefighting relied on joint efforts of the GNFS and other institutions.
“The Law 229 directs every District, Municipal or Metropolitan Assembly to form these committees with stakeholders from the assembly, the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) or Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA), Electricity Company of Ghana which in our case will be the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), a representative from the traditional council and two other appointed members, with the District Chief Executive as the Chairman of the committee”, he said.
He noted that a similar team was supposed to be replicated at the regional level where information about fire safety from the district level was brought to the fore for redress and said the collaboration among the aforementioned stakeholders was very paramount in firefighting.
“So for instance the GWCL or the CWSA is responsible for the provision of fire tenders at vantage points to enable the GNFS draw water when the need arises to fight fire hence a committee of that nature would ensure that we work together to identify key areas where the tenders will be needed as well as work on existing fire tenders with low pressure,” he explained.
He stated again that traditional authorities also had the responsibility of assisting the service to engage community members on the dangers of bush fires and their implication on the local economy.
“These committees when established will boost our collaboration with other stakeholders and ensure that we work collectively to prevent and fight accidental fires”, he said.
He stressed that most importantly the GNFS was inaugurating fire safety volunteers in the region who could depend on the support of the bush fire committees for the supply of some basic implements they needed for the work.
“These volunteers as their title suggests are not paid but a little motivation from the assemblies within which they are located will boost their ability to work harder for the district. We as a service can only provide them, with wellington boots and identification cards, among others but when it comes to fuel and other petty items such as whistles, the district assembly can dedicate a little of its common fund to support and make them more effective”, he said.
He appealed to the MMDAs in the region to prioritise the setting up of those committees in order to support firefighting agenda in the region.
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
