News
Happy FM celebrates 20th anniversary of flagship Valentine Mass Wedding Initiative
Happy 98.9 FM, Ghana’s leading radio station, marked the 20th anniversary of its Valentine Mass Wedding initiative, a community investment project that promotes family values and celebrates love.
The ceremony, held at Bethel Baptist Church in Dansoman, brought together nine couples in holy matrimony after over a month of intensive premarital counselling conducted by Rev. Gabriel Sekyi-Yorke, Senior Pastor of Bethel Baptist Church, alongside Rev. Kofi Annan and Mrs. Mary Anna Adu-Gyamfi.
“Twenty years ago, Happy FM embarked on a journey to bring people together, to create bonds, and to celebrate the beauty of love in all its forms. We are proud of this initiative and the fact that successive leaders have kept the dream alive to date, “ said Dr. Timothy Karikari, Director of Broadcast at Global Media Alliance Broadcasting Company. “Through this initiative, we have witnessed over 800 couples take the step of walking down the aisle, united in their promise to one another.”
The event drew numerous dignitaries, including H.E. Ambassador Edward Boateng(Founder of Global Media Alliance for former Ambassador to the Peoples Republic of China), Mr. Charles Osei Asibey, Director of Ghana Armwrestling, Reverend Canon Dr. Selwyn Sylvanus Adama Okine (Deputy Director of Prisons) among others.
Mr. Ernest Boateng, Chief Executive Officer of Global Media Alliance, emphasized that the initiative extends beyond the wedding day itself. “Pre-marital counselling became the cornerstone of this program because a wedding is not just a day but for a lifetime,” he explained. “The essence is standing together, lifting each other up, and walking hand in hand throughout life’s journey, even in challenging times.”
For a commitment fee of GH₵1,000, participating couples received a comprehensive wedding package including costume, church ceremony, reception, professional photography and videography, makeup, hotel accommodation for honeymoon, luxury vehicles and official marriage registration with both the Accra Metropolitan Assembly and the Registrar General’s office.
The event was supported by numerous sponsors, including Blue Jeans Energy Drink, Tasty Tom, Perla, Cake Tekniks, Kasapreko, TSG Drive, 2nd Image International, Erata Hotel, among several others committed to strengthening community bonds and family values.
As part of the anniversary celebration, long-standing counsellors, sponsors, and partners were honoured with citations in recognition of their continued support over the two decades.
The Northern Regional Police Command has arrested three men believed to be part of a kidnapping syndicate responsible for abducting a 42-year-old man in Wapuli, a community in the Yendi District.
The suspects, Haruna Seidu, Amidu Bandi and Osman Bandi allegedly kidnapped the victim and demanded GH¢100,000 from his family for his release.
According to a police statement, officers from the Regional Police Intelligence Directorate were deployed to Wapuli after the incident was reported.
The team conducted surveillance and launched a rescue operation.
On Friday, December 5, 2025, police successfully rescued the victim and arrested the suspects after what was described as an intense exchange of gunfire.
The suspects were later taken into custody and are expected to be arraigned before court.
The Police said the a fourth suspect, who is believed to have sustained gunshot wounds during the operation, is currently on the run.
They urged the public to provide any information that may lead to his arrest.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong advocates Bold educational reforms at the UK House of Lords during Global Education Summit.
On November 27 2025, global development leaders, policymakers, education experts and civil society organisations gathered at the UK Parliament’s House of Lords for the Global Education Summit hosted by The Baroness Verma of Leicester and organised by the African British Business Forum.
The high-level event focused on the global rise in out-of-school children and the urgent reforms required to deliver equitable, quality education for all.
Among the distinguished Speakers was Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong, Founder & President of Women in Sustainability Africa (WiSA) and General Manager of the EIB Network, who delivered a compelling address on the theme “Breaking Barriers: Empowering Out-of-School Children Through Education.”
In her remarks, Nana Yaa who is currently celebrating 26years of Service in the Media, emphasized that education must be viewed as essential national infrastructure, not charity.
Borrowing experiences from her 18 years of empowering women and young people, she presented a strong case on how Africa’s poor educational systems tie into the poor state of its Gender Equality gap.
According to her, unlocking access to education is one of the most effective ways to strengthen economies, empower women and young girls, build resilient communities and drive sustainable development.
She highlighted that each child excluded from learning represents deferred innovation, delayed opportunity and a weakened society.
Nana Yaa noted that the barriers keeping millions of children out of school are complex and interconnected—ranging from poverty and cultural norms to geographical isolation and digital exclusion.
Addressing these challenges, she argued, requires solutions that are equally comprehensive and multi-layered.
Nana Yaa stressed that girls remain disproportionately affected, and investing in girls’ education has a transformative impact across several Sustainable Development Goals, including gender equality, poverty reduction, health outcomes and climate resilience.
Nana Yaa advocated for the expansion of flexible, inclusive and community-responsive educational models, such as mobile classrooms for remote and nomadic communities, community learning hubs, after-hours programmes for working children, radio-based instruction for low-tech areas and digital platforms designed to reach learners regardless of connectivity challenges.
She warned that without deliberate action, the digital divide would continue to widen, pushing already vulnerable children further to the margins.
During her presentation, she introduced three major reforms WiSA is seeking Partners for, aimed at reshaping educational access across Africa and beyond.
These are the Digital Bridge for Out-of-School Children (DBOC), the Community Education Stewardship Hubs (CESH) involving local women educators and youth volunteers and the Teen-focused Global Skills Accelerator for Out-of-School Teens (GSA-OT).
She also underscored the need for education systems that support instruction, inclusivity and healing, particularly for children experiencing autism, trauma, displacement or conflict.
Nana Yaa emphasised that emotional and psychological support must be integrated into educational frameworks in order to restore confidence, stability and long-term learning capacity.
The summit concluded with strong commitments from stakeholders to adopt sustainable financing models, strengthen data-driven policies and expand cross-sector partnerships.
The African British Business Forum reaffirmed its commitment to championing innovative, scalable solutions to educational inclusion across the UK, Africa and the wider global community.
