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Make peace with your past — Father Michael Lapsley
It is hard to deal with the trauma of devastating events such as accidents, loss of a loved one, epidemics or even war and ethnic conflict.
Though some people are able to quickly put themselves back on track, the “emotional scar” for others could linger on for life.
However, Father Michael Lapsley, Director of the Institute of Healing of Memories, says individuals, groups and nations must endeavour to make peace with their past and embark on a “journey of recovery,” irrespective of the level of “pain.”
Speaking to The Spectator ahead of the institute’s workshop, in partnership with Action by Christians Against Torture (ACAT) Ghana, he observed that “many people seem to be living normal lives but they still have unfinished business from the past,” hence the need to find possible ways of healing old wounds.
He said it was important for individuals to open up about negative experiences instead of trying on their own to deal with unfortunate real life situations.
“There is always the issue of how to deal with the past; and temptation has been to simply burry and forget the past but the problem is when we try to do that, it never works. The past keeps coming back to bite us. It keeps haunting us in various ways,” he said.
The Healing of Memories workshop scheduled for August 11 to 21, 2021, at Sokode in the Volta Region, seeks to train local facilitators and help participants find solutions to their worst experiences.
Explaining the ‘Healing of Memories’ concept, he emphasised that when people shared their stories in a safe space, they “begin to feel less alone and begin to see that it is possible to live another day and also find meaning in their life.”
Father Michael Lapsley is an Anglican Priest born in New Zealand and trained as a priest in Australia before moving to South Africa. During the days of apartheid racial discrimination, he became a chaplain to Nelson Mandela’s African National Congress and a target of the white supremacy.
In 1990, while in Zimbabwe, he opened a letter that turned out to be a bomb. He lost both hands and one eye. Upon surviving the attack on his life, he established the Institute for the Healing of Memories.
Now, 72, he uses his experience to connect with other persons who have experienced trauma and help them to find healing and to deal with their personal challenges.
His memoir titled “Redeeming the Past: My Journey from Freedom Fighting to Healer” has so far been translated into 12 different languages.
The organisation with footprints in a number of African countries works with prisoners, persons affected by HIV and AIDS, and tackles issues of gender-based violence.
Father Lapsley said the institute was working to “break the cycle that turns victims into victimisers by giving people the chance to deal with what they have inside them.”
He believes there is a link between healing and justice because “the more people heal, the more they are able to participate in struggling for transformative justice.”
The clergyman urged religious groups to create safe environment where people can tell their stories and “earn comfort and encourage from one another.”
By Ernest Nutsugah
A 30-year-old man has been sentenced to 25 years imprisonment with hard labour by the Bekwai Circuit Court for his role in a 2022 robbery at a mining site at Manso Akwasiso in the Ashanti South Region.
The convict, Dominic Ofori, also known as Fanta, was arrested on 16th February 2026 after years on the run. He pleaded guilty before the Bekwai Circuit Court to robbery contrary to Section 149 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 Act 29, and was accordingly sentenced to 25 years imprisonment with hard labour.
On March 20, 2022, the Manso Adubia District Police received intelligence that a group of armed men from Manso Abodom were planning to attack a mining site at Manso Akwasiso to rob the owner of gold concentrate. Acting on the information, police mounted a coordinated operation and laid an ambush at the site.
At about 5:30 pm the same day, four-armed men arrived at the site, fired indiscriminately, and robbed the miners of their gold concentrate. The police team on surveillance intervened, resulting in an exchange of gunfire.
Three of the suspects, Abu Abubakar, Musah Latif, and Gideon Takyi, sustained gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead on arrival at St Martins Catholic Hospital at Agroyesum. Dominic Ofori escaped at the time but was later arrested and put before the court.
The Ashanti South Regional Police Command has assured the public of its continued commitment to combating violent crimes and bringing offenders to justice.
The Ashanti Regional Police Command has arrested 45-year-old Isaac Boafo, also known as “Duabo King,” for allegedly publishing false news intended to cause fear and panic.
Police said the arrest follows a viral TikTok video in which Boafo claimed that four officers at the Central Police Station in Kumasi engaged in inappropriate conduct with commercial sex workers during night patrols in Asafo.
Officers from the Police Intelligence Directorate (Ashanti Region) apprehended Boafo after receiving intelligence about the video.
During questioning, he admitted to creating the video to attract views and engagement online, and acknowledged that he could not prove the allegations.
Boafo also admitted making comments about the President of the Republic for content purposes and could not defend those statements.
He has been formally charged and is in detention as investigations continue.
The Ashanti Regional Police have warned the public against publishing or sharing false information on social media, noting that such acts can cause fear, panic, and damage reputations.
They said anyone found engaging in similar conduct will face legal action.
By: Jacob Aggrey
