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‘Let professional counselor, law enforces deal with marital violence’
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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.
General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Kodua Frimpong, has filed his nomination to contest the position of General Secretary again as the party begins its rebuilding efforts ahead of the 2028 general elections.
He was accompanied by party stalwarts and supporters who were in high spirits, expressing confidence that he is the right person to hold the position.
Speaking after filing his nomination, Mr Kodua Frimpong assured the rank and file of the party that he would not disappoint them.
“I can assure you that the faith the rank and file of the party have had in me, I will never disappoint them,” he said.
He also pledged to run a clean campaign devoid of personal attacks.
“I can assure you that our internal campaign will be devoid of personal attacks,” he told his fellow contestants and the rank and file of the party as he seeks to retain his position.
His tenure has seen the party through the 2024 general elections, where the NPP lost power to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) after eight years in government.
The party is currently in a rebuilding phase, with internal elections scheduled to elect new national executives to lead its reorganization towards the 2028 polls.
The General Secretary position is considered one of the most influential in the party’s administrative structure, responsible for the day-to-day running of the party secretariat and implementation of party decisions.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) has disputed claims made on social media by comedian Michael Blackson concerning the treatment given to his late mother, saying a review found that the allegations did not accurately reflect what happened during her stay at the hospital.
In a statement issued in Accra on August 5, 2026, the management of UGMC expressed condolences to Mr. Blackson and his family over the death of his 83-year-old mother, who died at the facility on July 16, 2026.
The hospital said it had taken the concerns raised by Mr. Blackson seriously and conducted a thorough review in line with its clinical and administrative procedures.
According to the statement, the facts presented by Mr. Blackson on social media contained “numerous inaccuracies” and did not accurately reflect the medical care provided to his mother.
UGMC explained that she was referred to the facility from another hospital and received treatment there from May 27 to July 16, 2026, a period of about eight weeks.
The hospital stated that it would not release details of her diagnosis, treatment, medical records or other aspects of her care because it had a duty to protect patient confidentiality, even after death.
It said the decision was intended to respect the dignity of the deceased and the privacy of her family.
UGMC further stated that all clinical decisions at the facility are made by qualified healthcare professionals based on medical judgment, established standards of care and the best interests of the patient.
The statement added that such decisions are made in consultation with authorised family representatives where necessary and that billing and financial procedures are governed by institutional policies and are separate from clinical decision-making.
The hospital noted that it values feedback from patients and their families and considers both positive and negative comments important for improving the quality of care.
Mr. Blackson had earlier used social media to criticise the care his mother received at UGMC, prompting the hospital’s response.
By: Jacob Aggrey
