News
Ghanaian-German Centre for Jobs, Migration and Reintegration launches maiden virtual career fair
The Ghanaian German Centre for Jobs, Migration and Reintegration (GGC) and its partners will hold the first virtual career fair in Ghana dubbed theGhana Virtual Career Fair.
The partners are the delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Ghana (AHK Ghana) and the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations (MELR).
Slated for July 8, 2020, and targeted at young jobseekers, the fair aims to contribute to tackling unemployment and underemployment, improve skills base and promote entrepreneurship among the youth in the country.
It also seeks to complement the efforts of the Ghanaian government in finding lasting solutions to youth unemployment.
The career fair is hinged on four core areas of digital skills, employability, entrepreneurship, and exchange between jobseekers and industry.
In his remarks, at the launch which was transmitted live on facebook, the Head of the Ghanaian-German Centre, Benjamin Woesten, reiterated the Centre’s commitment to assist Ghanaian youth in their skills enhancement to use their potential in the most purposeful way.
“In our engagement with the youth since the opening of the Centre in December 2017, one thing stands out the Ghanaian youth is so full of great potential and given the right tools, platform and exposure, there is so much they can do. For us at the Ghanaian-German Centre and in collaboration with our partners, we want to and are happy to be the ones providing this platform to enable them to achieve their dreams.”
Mr Woesten added that “the COVID-19 pandemic, though it comes with some discomfort regarding our inability to physically gather at a central location as has always been the practice, is also providing us with a great opportunity for us to reach people beyond the limitations of a physical converging point. This means that no matter where you are in Ghana, you can participate once you are connected to technology. So, I will encourage all, especially job seekers and entrepreneurs to take advantage of this virtual career fair which has so much to offer.”
The Delegate of the Delegation of German Commerce and Industry (AHK Ghana), Dr Michael Blank, encouraged people to take the new reality as a challenge and step up to it by going digital and discovering new ways of connecting, experiencing, and sharing.
The Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, indicated that the Ministry’s cooperation with GIZ, particularly the GGC, has resulted in over 1000 job opportunities “for the young Ghanaian who otherwise had no hope of getting opportunities.”
He urged all young people desirous of getting jobs and employers keen on engaging young talented people to take advantage of the Ghana Virtual Career Fair and be present (virtually) at the fair.
The Ghana Virtual Career Fair will feature seasoned speakers from the private sector and will give participants rare opportunity to engage with speakers through virtual workshops, panel discussions, crash courses, among others all on one platform.
Organisers also announced at the launch that the first 500 people to register will receive free data packages. Registration is free and is now opened at the Facebook page of the GGC (FB: Ghanaian German Centre).
Source: Ghanaian Times
News
Abu Trica’s extradition case: Prophets, fetish priests demand pay for spiritual solution …Lawyer reveals
Mr Oliver Barker-Vormawor, a lawyer for embattled Frederick Kumi, affectionately called Abu Trica and has made a shocking revelation over the behaviour of some members of the clergy.
According to him in a post on social media, the difficult part of Abu Trica’s trial is not the law but the number of ‘Men of God’ and fetish priests demanding financial sacrifices to help resolve the matter spiritually.
Oliver Barker-Vormawor posted on Tuesday, April 22, 2026, “The most difficult part about the Abu Trica case; is not the law.”
He continued: “It is the number of, prophetesses, evangelists and fetish priests, who have called or messaged to ask us to pay for spiritual solutions.”
It would be recalled that in March this year, the Gbese District Court dismissed a preliminary objection filed by Abu Trica, challenging the extradition proceedings initiated at the request of the United States.
The court, presided over by Anna Akosua Appiah Gottfried Anaafi Gyasi, in its ruling held that the offences forming the basis of the extradition, particularly wire fraud, constitute extraditable offences under the 1931 treaty between Ghana and the United States.
He was then given 15 days counting from March 27 to appeal the decision of the court or be surrendered for extradition to the US.
Against this backdrop, he was on Tuesday, April 22, granted a bail in the sum of GH¢30,000,000 by an Accra High, pending the appeal of his extradition
Mr Kumi was arrested in Ghana in December 2025 following an indictment by United States authorities, alleging that he played a role in a romance scam network that defrauded elderly American victims of more than $8 million.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
News
From panic to pass: how parents, teachers can help children beat BECE, WASSCE exam phobia- Part 1
Walk through any Junior High or Senior High compound in Ghana as BECE or WASSCE approaches and you will see it.
A bright girl suddenly quiet. A boy who led class debates now sleeping at his desk. A Form three student with stomach pains every Monday morning.
This is not laziness. This is academic stress. When left unaddressed, it hardens into exam phobia-overwhelming dread that pushes children into burnout, avoidance, and sometimes silence.
As a mental health professional who sits with these children and their parents at Counselor Prince & Associates Consult (CPAC) in Adenta Oyarifa-Teiman, I see the pattern clearly.
Research confirms it. Putwain and Daly (2014) found that high test anxiety predicts lower grades independent of ability. Zeidner (1998) showed that chronic academic pressure raises cortisol, weakens memory recall, and increases school dropout risk. The brain under fear cannot retrieve what it studied.
Understanding the storm: What academic stress really looks like
Exam phobia is not just “being nervous.” It shows up as headaches before mocks, sudden anger when books are mentioned, night-time insomnia, or perfectionism that ends in blank scripts.
Some children over-study until 2 a.m. and forget everything by 9 a.m. Others avoid books completely, scrolling phones instead. Both are distress signals. Dr Kenneth Ginsburg, a paediatrician specialising in adolescent resilience, notes: “Stress is not the enemy; feeling alone with stress is.” Too many Ghanaian children feel alone with it.
The home front: How parents and couples become safe havens, not extra pressure
The first antidote is at home. Structure beats shouting. Set a predictable study slot-same time, same place, with water and a light snack. Then protect sleep like you protect school fees. A tired brain fails faster than an unprepared one. Use the “15-minute start rule”: “Just sit for 15 minutes. If you still can’t, we close and try after a walk.” Often, starting is the hardest part.
Couples must watch their language. “Don’t disgrace us” plants fear. Replace it with “We see your effort. What part feels hardest today?” Praise process, not only position: “You revised three topics and asked for help—that is maturity.” Research by Dweck (2006) confirms that process praise builds resilience while outcome praise increases anxiety.
For caregivers, check your own anxiety. Children borrow our nervous system. If BECE makes you panic, they will panic. One parent grounds—keeps meals, prayer, and bedtime steady. The other pivots—talks to teachers, adjusts timetables, arranges counselling. Both protect rest. An empty cup cannot pour calm.
Resources
– Counsellor Prince & Associates Consult (CPAC): Award-winning Clinical Mental Health and Counselling Facility, accredited by the Ghana Psychology Council.
– School-Based Support: Speak to Guidance & Counselling units, or licensed school counsellors. E.g. Counsellor Blessing Offei – 0559850604 (School Counsellor).
– Contact CPAC for Parent Coaching/Counselling & Student Therapy: 055 985 0604 / 055 142 8486
