News
Let us recommit to building the peaceful Ghana Atta Mills envisioned – Prez Mahama tells Ghanaians
The President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, has called on Ghanaians to recommit themselves to the values of peace, humility, integrity, discipline, and ethical leadership as the country remembers the late President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills.
He made these remarks at the 13th Wreath-Laying Ceremony held in honour of the late president at Asomdwee Park in Accra on Thursday , July 24, 2025.
President Mahama described Professor Mills as a true servant of the people who led with compassion, calmness, and conviction.
He said the former president never allowed political power to change him and remained committed to truth, justice, and peace throughout his life.
“He was calm in the storm, a voice of reason and hope. His politics was never about insults or revenge but about service and reconciliation,” President Mahama recounted.
He noted that Professor Mills’ legacy was not only in the work he did but also in the example he set.
As his former Vice President, Mahama said he personally witnessed how Professor Mills cared for the ordinary Ghanaian and believed in leadership that placed the people above personal or political interest.
The President stressed that laying wreaths and singing praises alone were not enough to honour the memory of the late leader.
He urged Ghanaians to live by the values Professor Mills stood for.
“To truly honour him, we must carry forward his values and build the united and peaceful Ghana he dreamed of,” he said.
He assured the family of the late president of the nation’s continued support and shared in their grief.
“Though he is gone from our sight, he is not gone from our hearts. His work lives on in us, and his legacy continues to guide our path,” he affirmed.
The ceremony brought together government officials, members from the national democratic congress, traditional leaders, and ordinary citizens, all of whom paid tribute to the man many remember as the “Asomdwehene”, the King of Peace.
News
Man jailed 20 years for killing wife
A 60-year-old man, Doe Fiano, has been sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment by an Accra High Court for shooting and killing his wife in front of their four-year-old child.
Fiano pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was also handed an additional 10- year sentence for possessing a firearm without lawful authority.
The sentences will run concurrently, as ruled by Justice Mrs Kizita Naa Koowa Quarshie.
The tragic incident occurred following an argument sparked by a phone call the victim, Grace Yorke Torku, received from a male acquaintance.
In response, Fiano entered their bedroom, retrieved a pistol, and fatally shot her.
Originally charged with murder, Fiano opted to plead guilty to manslaughter under Section 296(1) of Act 30, thereby securing a reduced sentence.
His lawyer told the court the convict had no previous criminal record, had shown remorse, and was caring for the couple’s children.
The prosecution, however, called for a minimum sentence of 30 years, emphasising the emotional trauma inflicted on the four-year-old child who witnessed the killing.
It stated that what happened to the child had really affected him, also describing gunshot wounds to the victim’s head and genital area.
In sentencing, the judge took into account both aggravating and mitigating factors, including Fiano’s remorse, first-time offender status, and the need to care for his children.
According to the prosecution, the Assemblyman for Okomante electoral area, Gordon Tsimese, alerted police after the incident at Taaboo Line, where Fiano was reportedly wielding a weapon and threatening passers-by.
Upon arrival, police discovered the victim lying in a pool of blood.
The weapon was later recovered, and an empty magazine retrieved on a follow-up visit.
Fiano was arrested at Nii Amui Park at Ashaiman through police intelligence.
On June 6, 2023, a pathologist at Tema General Hospital confirmed the cause of death as gunshot wounds to the head, described as unnatural. —GNA
News
Efua Sutherland Children’s Park in ruins
Once a vibrant recreational hub for children, families, students and tourists, the Efua Sutherland Children’s Park located at West Ridge in the Greater Accra Region now lies in a state of neglect.
The facility, which was a major site of attraction for school children especially on days of vacation, is now in ruins.
Visitors to the facility are now greeted with obsolete equipment and crumbling infrastructure.
Since 2019, the famous Children’s Park has been left to ‘die.’
This raises serious concerns about the nation’s commitment to preserving such public and monumental spaces.
On a visit to the facility by The Spectator, it observed that equipment mounted on the 14.83-acre playground has rusted and have become death traps, rather than the purpose for which they were mounted for visitors.
Workers were also seen busily weeding the overgrown grass and cleaning the compound.
A source at the Ministry of Gender, Women and Social Protection, the agency with oversight responsibility of the facility disclosed to this Reporter that for now, very few activities were organised on the park.
“It is unfortunate that the facility has turned this way. Very few people come around to make enquiries about it to hold special events. Its current state don’t make it attractive for event organisers again.”
The source added that apart from being unattractive, the state of the equipment scares the children away because they fear they might get injured.
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
