News
Hotel in vicinity of Kumasi Central Mosque? …Shop owners oppose move
A desire of the Assets Committee of the Kumasi Central Mosque (KCM) to demolish shops within the confines of the mosque has met a stiff resistance from owners.
The demolishing exercise is expected to pave the way for the reconstruction of a hotel and other shops to befit the new look of the area.
The mosque was renovated with support from the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
That left the responsibility of renovating the shops to reflect the new look on the committee.
But, the shop owners within the confines of the mosque at Akwatialine in Kumasi, have objected to the move, demanding compensation and citing the promotion of immoral activities.
According to the shop owners, the construction of a hotel may promote activities considered ‘haram’ (immoral and indecent to Islam).
A meeting held last Tuesday between the Assets Committee and the shop owners ended abruptly when the latter kicked against the exercise, saying that they would not move until they were paid compensation.
The Chairman of the KCM, Alhaji Ahmed Rashid Yakubu, when contacted stated that there would be no compensation for anyone.
He added that the promotion of immoral or indecent activities should not be the headache of the shop owners, adding that the KCM was capable of handling it.
This has generated a misunderstanding between the committee and the shop owners.
He admitted that somewhere in 1998, the owners of the shops were asked to use their own monies for the construction after which they should occupy for 10 years to defray the costs and hand over to the authorities of the Mosque.
He explained that some of the real owners have sold their stores and others have rented them out for about 25 years and paid nothing to the committee.
Alhaji Yakubu urged the store owners to cooperate with the Assets Committee so that they would work out how to get back their stores upon completion and not use force to stop the reconstruction process.
Spokesman for the store owners, Muntali Mohammed, on his part said they used their own money to build the stores when the place was in a bad state.
According to Mr Mohammed, all they needed was for the KCM to compensate them.
“We are not moving an inch, they should pay back our money used to construct the stores… we cannot let our monies go waste; we are prepared for any action,” he intoned.
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
News
Oxfam in Ghana donates medical equipment and essential drugs worth GH¢1.5 million to Kasoa Polyclinic
Oxfam in Ghana has donated medical equipment and essential drugs worth about GH¢1.5 million to the Kasoa Polyclinic to strengthen maternal and reproductive healthcare services in the municipality.
The presentation, which took place on Tuesday, June 24, 2026, at the premises of the clinic in Kasoa, formed part of the sustainability and legacy activities under the Power to Choose (P2C) Project.
The donated items included delivery beds, maternity beds, oxygen cylinders, neonatal resuscitation equipment, blood pressure monitors, newborn weighing scales, suction machines, delivery kits, essential medicines, medical theatre wear and other critical supplies to support quality healthcare delivery.
The Power to Choose Project is a seven-year initiative being implemented by Oxfam in Ghana in partnership with the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), WiLDAF Ghana, SEND Ghana, Norsaac and PARDA, with funding from Global Affairs Canada through Oxfam Quebec.
The project seeks to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights for young people, particularly adolescent girls, young women and young men living in vulnerable and marginalised conditions.
Addressing nurses and management of the hospital, the Country Director for Oxfam in Ghana, Mohammed-Anwar Sadat Adam, said the project, which began in 2021 and will run until early 2028, is being implemented in seven countries across Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.
He said Ghana and the Democratic Republic of Congo are the two African countries benefiting from the project.
Mr. Adam noted that the project has already trained about 102 health workers in areas including youth-friendly services, emergency obstetric and neonatal care, family planning, gender-based violence response, respectful maternity care and inclusive healthcare delivery.
He said Oxfam and its partners conducted assessments at beneficiary facilities and identified equipment needs to help improve healthcare delivery.
According to him, the donation would create safe spaces where young women and girls could seek healthcare services without fear or stigma and would improve health outcomes in the community.
Mr. Adam thanked the Government of Canada, the Ghana Health Service, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Ghana (SOGOG), World Health Ghana and other partners for supporting the implementation of the project.
He urged the beneficiary facilities to ensure that the equipment is properly used and maintained to serve the community for many years.
A speech by the Municipal Health Director for Awutu Senya East, Dr. Stanley Kweku Yaidoo, which was read on his behalf by the Municipal Accountant, Rev. Dr. Askari Thomas, described the donation as timely and important.
He said quality healthcare delivery depends on manpower, financial resources and equipment, adding that healthcare workers cannot effectively deliver services without the necessary tools.
Dr. Yaidoo thanked Oxfam and its partners for selecting Kasoa as one of the beneficiary facilities and assured them that the equipment would be put to good use.
The Acting Medical Superintendent of Kasoa Polyclinic, Dr. Papa Kojo Arthur, expressed appreciation to Oxfam for its continuous support over the years through training and capacity building.
He said the equipment would greatly support the effective management of patients, particularly in maternal and child healthcare.
According to him, the donation would help reduce maternal and perinatal mortality in the municipality.
The donation formed part of efforts to strengthen the capacity of youth-friendly health facilities in eight implementing districts across five regions of Ghana to continue providing quality and accessible sexual and reproductive healthcare services beyond the lifespan of the project.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts (MoTCCA) has announced that an electronic copy of Ghana’s revised National Cultural Policy is now available online for free access by the public and stakeholders in the creative sector.
In a statement issued on June 22, the ministry said the revised policy was officially launched on June 9, 2026, at the National Theatre of Ghana in Accra.
According to the ministry, the decision to upload the document on its official website is aimed at ensuring widespread dissemination, increasing public awareness and promoting the effective implementation of the policy.
The ministry encouraged sector practitioners, stakeholders and members of the public to visit its website and read the document.
“The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, in the spirit of the Black Star Experience, remains committed to a transparent, inclusive and collaborative approach to building the better Ghana we want,” the statement said.
It added that it looks forward to the active participation of stakeholders in implementing the policy for the benefit of the country.
The ministry urged the public to take advantage of the free access to the policy document and familiarise themselves with its contents.
By: Jacob Aggrey
