News
Godwin Avenorgbo, ‘The Grandmaster’, shares his 50-year-old marriage life
- /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27
https://spectator.com.gh/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Mr-and-Mrs-Avenorgbo-posing-for-the-camera-after-50-years-of-marriage.jpg&description=Godwin Avenorgbo, ‘The Grandmaster’, shares his 50-year-old marriage life', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
- Share
- Tweet /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 72
https://spectator.com.gh/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Mr-and-Mrs-Avenorgbo-posing-for-the-camera-after-50-years-of-marriage.jpg&description=Godwin Avenorgbo, ‘The Grandmaster’, shares his 50-year-old marriage life', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
Mr and Mrs Avenorgbo posing for the camera after 50 years of marriage
For many married youth, one of their major challenges has always been who does what in a union.
While some men are of the view that housekeeping chores are strictly a wife’s duty and wouldn’t even lift a finger to help, some wives, on the other hand, have taken an entrenched position when it comes to paying bills of any form, namely utility bills, school fees and rent, among others.
However, Mr. Godwin Avenorgbo, a renowned media personality also known as “The Grandmaster”, has a contrary view, which he shared with The Spectator on his 50th marriage anniversary with his wife Aimee on Wednesday, July 5, 2023.
“You will be surprised to know the things I have done on a daily basis at home for 50 years without a break. Apart from carrying a baby in the womb, I do everything a woman does at home, including daily house cleaning and cooking,” he said.
The retired broadcaster said that for every marriage to be successful there was the need for couples to support each other and fill in gaps that the other spouse was not readily available to fill.
“There should be nothing like this is a woman’s role, and that is a man’s role…from the outdoor to the kitchen through the living room to the bedroom and all,” he said.
He said marriages that had travelled so many years had not been an easy journey.
Mr. Avenorgbo said the success of a marriage was a direct result of shared responsibility in every activity that added to the value of the family.
He admitted that his marriage had gone through all weathers, all seasons, downhill and uphill, but in all, it had been God, and he was very thankful to Him.
“I have a reason to count my blessings and name them one by one so we can give all the glory to Jehovah,” he said.
The marriage between Mr. and Mrs. Avenorgbo, which has produced three children made up of two sons, Chester and Jerry, and a daughter, Cleopatra, has not been an easy journey and a long story, but “my family is beautiful and blessed.”
He observed that it was uncommon to have people share their experiences in marriage, which he described as a journey with many hills and valleys, because of the fear of discouraging others from embarking on the journey. “But it can be done, and done well,” he encouraged.
Mr. Avenorgbo advised people who have the intention of getting married not to focus on physical appearances.
He explained that this was because “those things shift to the background or die as quickly as the first child is born and the focus of the husband and wife becomes more concentrated on the well-being of the child, then later education and all.”
He advised that attitude, commitment, and a hands-on approach to dealing with the basic needs of the family, should be a priority because “those are the areas in which men neglect their roles thus making women feel overburdened”.
Reminiscing the day of marriage, he said, “I was credited with eloquence of thoughtfulness and presence of mind, but the day I said “I do”, I felt so nervous that the officiating Minister had to ask me in a teasing manner, “can we hear the radio voice louder, please?” and everyone laughed, so I had to do so a second time as if I had then rehearsed a radio script properly under the supervision of the Great John Hammond.”
The couple’s children, Chester Mawuli, is a journalist, banker, and businessman; Jerry Kwashie, a lawyer; and Cleopatra Enyo, an international travel expert and French and English specialist.
From Dzifa Tetteh Tay, Tema
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
