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Husband sheds tears after W/R Minister disputes pregnancy of T’di woman
Western Region Minister Kwabena Otchere Darko Mensah has reportedly disputed the nine-month pregnancy of 28-year-old Josephine Panyin Mensah.
Madam Mensah was found in Axim on Tuesday, September 21 after five days of search.
She did not return home after her Thursday dawn routine walk.
A frantic search was mounted by the Western Regional Police Command of the Ghana Police Service after her husband, Michael Simmons, lodged a formal complaint.
A call to her mother by some unknown persons for a ransom a few days later fuelled rumours of another case of kidnapping in the Western Region capital.
But she was found in the garden of the Jehovah Witness church at Tolanu, a suburb of Axim.
She was said to be without the baby and unable to communicate, prompting her rescuers to send her to the Axim Government Hospital for care.
This Mr Darko Mensah confirmed on Kumasi-based Kessben FM on Wednesday, September 22, further claiming that a brief from National Security said Madam Josephine Panyin Mensah was without a baby in her womb at the time she went missing.
However, speaking on Takoradi-based Connect FM Wednesday morning, husband Michael Simmons said records are at the Takoradi Hospital to show that his wife has been pregnant for nine months.
He was moved to tears by the words of the regional Minister, claiming the National Security should have made its cross-checks before coming out with that piece of information.
Source : 3news.com
Mrs Patience Antonio, a Child and Family Development Advocate, has called for a national campaign to reduce the growing reliance on breast milk substitutes among nursing mothers in Ghana.
According to Mrs Antonio, scientific evidence shows that breastfeeding improves a child’s emotional stability, boosts intelligence, strengthens the immune system, and provides long-term health benefits. She made these remarks in an interview with The Spectator in Accra last week, emphasizing the importance of breastfeeding for a child’s overall development.
She explained that breastfeeding is not just a biological act of feeding but a key emotional and developmental bridge between mother and child. She also highlighted the need for the recommended six-month maternity leave period to ease the pressure on mothers to return to work prematurely.
“Breastfeeding creates intimacy and trust. It assures the baby of love and security, which becomes the foundation for their emotional health,” Mrs Antonio noted, warning that abandoning exclusive breastfeeding could have long-term implications on children’s social and emotional wellbeing.
Consequently, she called for a minimum of five months of fully paid maternity leave for Ghanaian mothers to enable effective breastfeeding, bonding, and healthier child development. She also urged workplaces to implement family-friendly policies, including private spaces for breastfeeding, flexible working arrangements for nursing mothers, and stronger support systems for new parents.
Mrs Antonio further encouraged families and society to actively support mothers during breastfeeding, stressing that many women struggle due to lack of assistance at home or the pressure to return to work too soon. She emphasized, “If we want a healthier, emotionally stable generation, then we must make breastfeeding a priority and support mothers to do it without stress.”
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
Spectator
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The Nanvili Community School in the Mion District of the Northern Region is facing severe infrastructural challenges, affecting teaching and learning for pupils in the area.
The school, which serves five surrounding communities with a total of 58 pupils, has deteriorated to the extent that many children have stopped attending classes. Poor classroom conditions and the lack of desks have made teaching and learning difficult. During a visit to the school, the gate-free classrooms were found filled with goat and sheep droppings.
During the rainy season, both teachers and pupils are often cut off from the school due to bad roads and flooding. Teaching activities are frequently suspended for weeks, negatively affecting academic performance.
The Assemblyman for the area, Mr. Dawuni Mutawakil, expressed concern, noting that the situation is worrying since these pupils are expected to compete with their counterparts in urban areas who have access to better facilities. He added that due to limited space, classes have been merged, with pupils from Primary One and Two, Three and Four, and Five and Six sharing the same classrooms.
The Chief of Nanvili, Abu Kassim, also appealed to the government and non-governmental organisations to come to the aid of the community. He emphasized that the current state of the school discourages children from nearby communities from attending.
Both the Chief and Assemblyman have called for urgent intervention to improve infrastructure and provide furniture for the pupils to ensure quality education for children in the Nanvili area.
By Geoffrey Buta, Nanvili, Northern Region
Spectator
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