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I nearly committed suicide after losing everything in June 3 disaster – Fred Kyei Mensah
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Veteran music producer Fred Kyei Mensah, popularly known as Fredyma, has shared a heartbreaking story of how he almost took his own life after losing everything in the June 3, 2015 flood and fire disaster in Accra.
Speaking in an interview, the renowned sound engineer recounted how the tragedy destroyed his recording studio, musical instruments, and ten vehicles, wiping out his entire livelihood in one night.
“I lost my studio, ten cars, and three buses full of live band instruments. Everything that gave me my daily bread was gone in one day. That moment, I nearly committed suicide. I really thought of giving up,” he said.
Fredyma said what stopped him from taking his life was thinking about his children, especially his youngest one.
“I told myself, if I leave this boy, how is he going to survive? That thought kept me alive,” he revealed.
He explained that his studio was located only about 30 meters away from the filling station that exploded during the disaster, killing and injuring many people.
“If I had been there that night, I would have died,” he said.
Describing the extent of the damage, he said the floodwater mixed with sea salt destroyed the engines of his vehicles and all his equipment.
“The water stayed so long that the salt particles rusted everything,” he lamented.
Fredyma, who has worked with several top Ghanaian musicians, said the experience was one of the darkest moments of his life.
He added that despite helping many people in his career, some were happy about his downfall, a reality he has learned to accept as part of human nature.
“Some of the people I helped were happy when I fell, but that’s life. Sometimes, you just have to thank God for keeping you alive,” he said.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Construction of a major underground stormwater drain along the Dr. Busia Highway within the Kaneshie enclave will commence on September 7, 2026.
The Project Coordinator for the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project, Dr. Kwadwo Ohene Sarfo, announced this at a special media briefing on Wednesday.
According to him, the works will involve the construction of a double-cell underground rectangular drain measuring approximately 10 metres wide and 1.95 kilometres long, stretching from Pamprom Junction to First Light Junction.
The new drain will replace the existing two 1.2-metre diameter pipes, which are inadequate to carry the volume of stormwater in the area.
Dr. Sarfo said the drain will connect at one end to the recently completed section within the Accra Academy campus and at the other end to the existing drain at Pamprom Junction.
He said the construction is expected to run from September 2026 to October 2027.
The project forms part of government’s broader flood prevention and mitigation programme aimed at addressing perennial flooding in Accra.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has withdrawn from the party’s National Chairmanship race.
In a statement issued yesterday, Chairman Wontumi who is currently serving a 20-year jail term said his decision was driven by his love for the party and his unwillingness to let his personal circumstances distract the NPP from its rebuilding efforts.
“There are moments in the life of a man when the heart wants to continue, but duty demands sacrifice. Moments when one must quietly set aside personal ambition, not because the dream has died, but because the family he loves must not be made to carry his burden. Today, I find myself at such a painful moment,” he wrote.
He disclosed that after many nights of prayer, sober reflection and consultations with his family, legal team, party elders, campaign team and trusted supporters, he concluded that his present situation must not become an additional burden on the NPP.
“This is not the decision my heart desired, but sometimes, true love requires us to release what we deeply want in order to protect what we love even more,” he added.
Recounting his years of service, Chairman Wontumi said he had served the party with everything within him, walking through heat and rain, travelling to remote communities and standing with the grassroots in both victory and defeat.
“For many years, I have served the NPP with everything within me… The NPP is not merely a political party to me. It is my family. It is my home. It is a cause to which I have dedicated a significant part of my life,” he stated.
He explained that the party, already carrying the pain of electoral defeat and the huge responsibility of preparing for the future, should not be made to carry his personal weight.
“That is why I cannot allow my present situation or personal ambition to distract the party from the difficult work of rebuilding. I cannot ask the party to carry my weight when it is already carrying the pain of defeat and the enormous responsibility of preparing for the battle ahead. I would rather carry this pain quietly than allow the party I love to suffer because of me,” he said.
He further sympathized with his supporters across the 16 regions, acknowledging that the decision would be painful for many who had sacrificed for his campaign.
“To my teeming supporters across all sixteen regions, I know this message will hurt. I know many of you will read it with tears in your eyes because I understand the sacrifices you have made for this journey,” he said.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
