News
Implications of easing restrictions on public gathering
The expectations of some Ghanaians were met last Sunday evening when the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo announced the easing of restrictions on public gathering in the country under the observance of strict health protocols amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, some have also expressed disappointment over the restrictions to the churches and mosques as they complain bitterly that limiting the gathering to 100 members won’t work for them.
While the leadership of most churches welcome the directive as a step in the right direction as it would enable members to fellowship with one another after over two months of being under lockdown, others are not so much enthused about the announcement. The leadership of those churches have, therefore, decided to continue to hold virtual services for their members.
It is obvious that, it would be quite difficult for the big churches to control the number of attendees, as social gathering is to be allowed under certain stringent conditions hence their decision to continue with their virtual services.
The President made it clear that those who flout the directives would be sanctioned and the leaders of such religious organisations would be held liable.
For those in the hospitality industry,the decision by the government to lift the ban on public gathering was an answer to their prayers because at least their businesses would bounce back to help them make some gains.
In the educational sector final-year students would heave a sigh of relief as they can now continue with their studies and refresh their memories before they write their final examinations after being home for some time now.
The lifting of the restrictions came with its own attendant directives that must be adhered to in order to combat the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease in the country. Currently, confirmed cases of the virus in Ghana have hit 8,548 with 3,132 recoveries and 38 deaths.
For religious gathering which took effect yesterday, June 5, 2020, the Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Minister, Mr Samuel Kofi Dzamesi during a media briefing announced a set of advisories following the resumption of religious activities.
Among these advisories older persons and people of any age with underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, liver disease, and asthma are advised to stay away from attending such services.
Now that the lockdown on public gathering has been partially lifted, it implies that the citizenry would have to be very vigilant and go strictly by the comprehensive guidelines spelt out by the government as community infection is now on the ascendancy.
Any careless mistakes will have dire consequences on individual lives. Thankfully, children have been exempted from having children services since it would be difficult to control them and keep social distancing.
Now that the ban on social gathering has been lifted with the number of attendees increased from 25 to 100, it implies that more weddings, funerals, parties and other social functions would be organised putting more people at risk.
For some people, life must go on normal despite the coronavirus pandemic but the fact is we are not in normal times, therefore, there is the need to put in place more safety measures to save lives.
The government should provide the necessary items needed for final-year students to protect themselves. Although the government has announced that Day students in boarding schools will be made boarders, the Spectator proposes that transport arrangements should also be made for students who attend Day schools to facilitate their movement to and from school in these difficult times.
We express much concern over the fact that some citizenry are still careless and do not adhere to the World Health Organisation (WHO) protocols and health directives provided by the government and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) for their own safety. It behoves on all to be responsible and vigilant as the virus is no respecter of persons.
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.
