Hot!
‘Let professional counselor, law enforces deal with marital violence’
Religious organisations have been admonished to allow professional counsellors and law enforcement agencies to handle cases of Gender-Based Violence in marriages.
This is to reduce the level of emotions attached to such issues by unprofessionals that could aggravate the situation and in the end do more harm than good to both the perpetrators and victims.
In an interview with The Spectator on Wednesday, an Associate Pastor of the Salvation Prayer Missions World Wide Ghana, at Lapaz, in Accra, Lady Rev Salome Afua Owusu Afriyie said sometimes therapy, anger management, legal actions and activities that would lead to psychological transformation were necessary to help address such worrisome issues in marriage.
She observed that some religious bodies may not have the capacity to properly counsel the couple and resort to measures such as asking the victims to pray for their perpetrators to have a change of heart which might not be appropriate.
She said it was not misplaced to suggest separation if the situation was becoming worse because this gave both spouses the opportunity to step aside from each other to see whether the marriage could work again or “forever remain broken”.
The Associate Pastor said where it was needful to resort to necessary measures to keep the abuser away, for example a restraining order, this should be done by the use of the law court or other legal institutions of state.
She said where the situation became unbearable, the victims must be given the freehand to walk away from their abusive marriage and begin a new life.
“Let us also get professionals to teach and raise awareness to help prevent such issues in our various organisations” she stated.
Lady Rev Afriyie said that curbing Gender-Based Violence in marriages must be a shared responsibility.
She said it was important that families played a watch role in ensuring that their members were safe after marriage but should not take any changes they observed in them for granted.
She said “It is not easy to tell others that you are being abused so when people muster courage to say they are going through such a challenge, families must act swiftly because delays had led to the loss of lives in some homes”.
The Associate Pastor again advised persons who were yet to get married to look out for signs of abuse and should not take them for granted when they were identified.
She said signs such as “insecurity, a possessive partner or one who looks or talks down on you whether in private or public should be seen as a red flag and be treated with all the seriousness possible or such relationships should be brought to an end”.
From Dzifa Tetteh Tay, Tema.
The spokesperson for Dr. Bawumia, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, has criticised the implementation of the NDC government’s No Fee Stress policy, arguing that the programme has failed to deliver on its core promise.
According to him on Starr fm, the policy, which was introduced to ensure stress free payment of fees for level 100 tertiary students, has rather turned into what he described as post stress support.
He explained that students are required to pay their fees first before applying for reimbursement, a situation he believes defeats the purpose of the policy.
He questioned claims by government officials that the policy has been successful and that citizens are happy.
In his view, such claims do not reflect the lived realities of many Ghanaians. He stressed that while some people may appear satisfied, many others continue to struggle.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye pointed to the situation of trained teachers and nurses who have been picketing for nearly six months, demanding employment.
He noted that government responses suggesting it cannot accommodate all of them contradict claims of economic stability.
He further argued that economic indicators such as a stable currency mean little to people who are unable to secure jobs or access promised support.
He observed that telling an unemployed teacher or a struggling student that the cedi has strengthened does not address their immediate challenges.
On the issue of tertiary education, he maintained that no level 100 student benefited from stress free fees in 2025, despite the policy being announced.
He added that in 2026, students have already reported to school without receiving the promised support.
He insisted that asking students to pay fees first and seek reimbursement later amounts to support after hardship, not stress free education.
According to him, this approach goes against what was promised during the policy announcement.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye questioned why a government that presents the economy as strong is unable to fulfil what he described as simple and clear promises.
He added that there is a fundamental problem with the way the economy is being managed and indicated that he is prepared to explain his position further.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Dancehall musician Shatta Wale has issued a strong public statement calling for an end to what he describes as continuous attacks on his brand, following an apology from media commentator Awal Mohammed.
In the statement, Shatta Wale acknowledged the apology but stressed that persistent criticism and what he sees as deliberate attempts to damage his image must stop.
He noted that for many years, he has spoken for the streets, the youth, and people who feel ignored by society, while also promoting Ghana on the global stage and creating jobs through his work.
He expressed concern that some media personalities, commentators, and influential figures continue to target his name unfairly.
According to him, the issue goes beyond music and touches on respect, fairness, and national maturity.
The musician warned that continued disrespect toward voices that represent ordinary people could have wider consequences.
He emphasised that the Shatta Movement remains strong and organized, and that the patience of the masses should not be taken for granted.
He added that if systems continue to fail the people, they have the ability to organize politically through numbers and truth, not violence or hate.
Shatta Wale clarified that his message was not a threat but a reminder of reality, stressing that attacking a symbol that represents millions of people can have social, cultural, and democratic effects.
He called for respect, fairness, and unity, saying the voice of the people will always rise.
The statement comes after Awal Mohammed recently described Shatta Wale fans during a public discussion as junkies.
The comments triggered backlash from fans of the musician, prompting Awal to later issue an apology.
By: Jacob Aggrey
