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Kobidi AME Zion School teachers, pupils back to school …after rituals to revoke curses
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Teaching and learning resumed on Monday at Kobidi AME Zion primary and Junior High School as teachers and learners returned to school after a week break occasioned by a delusion over the death of two headmasters and a teacher.
This was after rituals had been performed by the chief priest of the area – Kobidi, to stop the strange deaths recorded in the school.
The town, located in the Sunyani West Municipality of the Bono Region, was in the news last week following the death of two headmasters and a teacher of the school.
When The Spectator visited the school premises last week, it was totally deserted with parents complaining as the children roam in town.
The death of the two were initially attributed to curses invoked on the school authorities by a disgruntled learner who was unhappy about some treatment.
But from a follow-up by The Spectator on the latest development, it emerged that the curse was actually invoked by an occasional visitor to the school who many considered as mentally unbalanced.
After consultation with the traditional authorities, rituals were performed for learners and teachers to return to school.
According to the Queen mother of the town, Nana Ansu Ameyaa Gyeabour who addressed a press conference, the performance of the rituals followed consultations with the chief priest of the area.
“The nature of the issue required that we consult the chief priest of the town. It was after that consultation that he requested three rams, fowls, bottle of schnapps and some cash amount to prepare the rituals,” she said.
She explained that traditionally, that cost should have being on the family of the man that invoked the curses but due to the financial constraints, members of the community were made to contribute to pay.
“Under normal circumstances, the family of the man that invoked the curse was supposed to bear the cost of the fine but were financially constraint. As a result, households were levied Gh₵100 each to raise the money.”
Narrating the full story, the Assembly Member of the area, known as Mr Boateng said the mentally deranged man occasionally visited the school to demand a portion of food served the children under the national school feeding programme.
And most of the time, Mr Boateng said, he was denied.
Mr Boateng, said one of the days when his request was refused, he got angry and rained curses on the school authorities, specifically calling the death of any staff that embezzled any fund belonging to the school.
Subsequently, two successive head teachers and a teacher have died but what cannot be confirmed was whether it was associated with the curses and whether the three victims embezzled school funds.
Strangely, the perceived mental patient would return a day or two after the deaths to remind the staff of his curses.
That obviously caused fear and panic among the staff, culminating in the closure of the school from May 18 until last Friday’s rituals to pacify the gods and revoke the curses.
The perceived mentally challenged man has currently been excommunicated from the township for safety reasons and is reported to be in Chiraa, a nearby town.
From Daniel Dzirasah, Kobidi
The 29th Annual Dagaaba-Frafra Friendly Games have once again demonstrated that sports can be a powerful vehicle for cultural preservation, business networking, friendship and peaceful coexistence.
Held at the El-Wak Sports Stadium in Accra last Saturday, the games brought together members of the two ethnic groups from across Ghana and abroad for a colourful celebration under the theme, “Unity in Diversity: The Dagaaba-Frafra Model for Peaceful Co-existence.”
The event, which has evolved from a friendly football match into a major annual gathering, featured football, volleyball, sack races, lime and spoon, tug-of-peace and a penalty shootout for senior citizens.
At the end of the competitions, the Frafra won four events, while the Dagaaba secured victories in five, with the men’s soccer match ending in a draw.
The Frafra triumphed in the men’s lime and spoon, men’s sack race, women’s sack race and women’s soccer, while the Dagaaba won the women’s lime and spoon, men’s volleyball, women’s volleyball, women’s tug-of-peace and the senior citizens’ penalty shootout.
However, the games extended far beyond the sporting arena. The stadium grounds and surrounding spaces became a vibrant marketplace, with patrons enjoying and purchasing a variety of traditional foods, drinks and cultural products.
Local delicacies, including TZ, tubaani, bambara beans, pork, guinea fowl, local fowls, dog meat and kosie, were sold alongside traditional alcoholic beverages. Traditional dresses and other culturally inspired items also attracted buyers, turning the gathering into an important platform for small businesses and vendors to make sales while promoting northern Ghanaian culture.
The cultural exchange continued long after the final sporting contests, as patrons remained at the venue to eat, drink, socialise, dance and party well into the night.
In her remarks, the Guest of Honour, Dr Matilda Aberese-Ako, said the gathering represented much more than competition, describing the Dagaaba-Frafra relationship as a historic bond that had evolved into a modern sporting tradition and an instrument for peace.
MTN Ghana has been the headline sponsor for the games for the past 10 years.
By Gordon Wellu
By Gordon Wellu
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MTN Ghana has undertaken a tree-planting exercise at the Chipa Forest Reserve as part of its commitment to protecting the planet and support the restoration of degraded sections of the forest.
The activity forms part of the company’s 2026 Sustainability Month celebration held under the theme “Small Actions: Big Impact,” and its 30th anniversary celebration.
It was held in partnership with the Forestry Commission (FC) and the Rainforest Alliance with MTN Ghana supporting the restoration of approximately two hectares of degraded forest through the planting of 1,666 trees.
Due to the current dry weather conditions, 833 trees were planted during the exercise, with the remaining 833 to be planted when the rain commences.
The exercise brought together MTN employee volunteers, officials from the Forestry Commission and representatives of the Rainforest Alliance, demonstrating the importance of collaboration in driving environmental sustainability.
Speaking at the event, the Acting General Manager for Sustainability and Shared Value at MTN Ghana, Georgina Asare Fiagbenu, emphasized the critical role trees play in sustaining life and protecting the environment.
“Trees are essential to human survival and healthy ecosystems. They absorb carbon dioxide, release oxygen, regulate temperatures, protect soil, support biodiversity and provide habitats for many species. They also conserve water, reduce erosion and help communities adapt to the effects of climate change,” she said.
The District Manager of the Tema-Ada Forest Services Division of the Forestry Commission, Linda Ansah, welcomed MTN Ghana’s support, describing it as a valuable contribution to efforts aimed at restoring degraded sections of the reserve.
The Country Director of the Rainforest Alliance, Nicholas Jengri, also welcomed the partnership and emphasised the importance of collective action in addressing environmental challenges.
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