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Make public sanctions to staff of judicial service public – Apremdo Chief to CJ
Nana Kwamena (middle) assisting Justice Torkornoo (secondleft) to inaugurate the EKMA Court at Apollo,
Apremdo. Left is the Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-
The Divisional Chief of Apremdo, Nana Egya Kwamena XI, has requested the Judicial Service to make public sanctions meted out to staff for any breach of conduct and ethical behaviours.
“The Judicial Service must ensure the extensive dissemination of information on substantiated petitions filed against its personnel,” he added.
According to him, this will give the farmer and market woman confidence, knowing that the Judicial Service has ears to listen.
Nana Kwamena XI made the call on Monday when the Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkonoo, opened the new Effia Kwesimintsim Municipal Assembly (EKMA) Court at Appollo, Apremdo, to enhance accessto justice in the municipality.
He said very often, there were cases of unprofessionalism by some Judicial Service staff who tainted the image of the service, but, was worried that there were no clear ways for victims to report.
“It must be easier for victims to lodge complaints against any member of the Judiciary or court staff who makes any unlawful demands, in performing his or her duties, for disciplinary action to be taken.”
On land matters, Nana Kwamena said, apart from Burma Camp, Apremdo was the only community in Ghana that had released lands to the Government of Ghana to establish two military barracks, Air Force and Second Infantry (2BN) army barracks.
However, since their grandfathers released these lands to the Government to protect the air space and the land territories of Ghana, “successive governments have not paid the due compensation for both lands.”
The situation, the Apremdo Chief reported, had created tension between the families and the military units over land encroachment, adding, “In as much as Apremdo is giving lands to promote administration of justice to the people of Ghana, we hope the Judicial Service of Ghana will be responsive enough to hear cases on time.”
In response, Justice Torkornoo encouraged the public to holdthe JudicialService accountable for its duties and performances.
She urged the public, court users and clients to show interest in cases in courts and petition the Chief Justice if they believed their cases were unduly delayed.
She also assured that the Judicial Service was poised to ensure that staff adhered to dictates and ethics of their work and ensure a smooth administration of justice to the citizenry no matter their social status.
Justice Torkornoo stressed, “As public officers, judges, registrars, bailiffs, mediators, we are paid for the work we do and it is high time we advance honest, fair and transparent justice system devoid of extortion of monies from clients to retain confidence in the justice system of the country.”
“We are not a law onto ourselves and we are not here to traumatise citizens. We must be held accountable. Any court user who thinks his/ her case is being delayed must petition the Chief Justice -Ethical questions are a concern to the Judiciary,” she said.
Justice Torkornoo further urged staff of the Judicial Service to make the courts comfortable, accessible and also give solace to bruised users and clients.
She said, “The courthouse is comparable to hospitals, people come here because they are in dire need of care, be it emotional, psychological and social – ours is tosooth their pains and not to even bruise their wounds harder with unwanted behaviours.”
From Clement Adzei Boye, Apremdo
The professor who spends his days exploring the intricacies of African languages found himself at the centre of a different kind of lesson on Friday, October 2, 2026. 
This time, there were no lecture notes, academic arguments or university classrooms. Instead, there was the weight of tradition, the rhythm of a community celebration and the solemnity of an oath at a royal palace.
Professor Ọbádélé Kambon, a full Professor of African Linguistics at the University of Ghana, was enstooled as Apagyahene and Sunsum Ɔsahene of Akuapem Mampong in the Eastern Region in a ceremony that brought academia and traditional authority together.
For the professor, the occasion was more than a new title. It was a moment that connected his academic interests in African languages and indigenous knowledge with the living traditions of an Akan community.
The day’s events unfolded through a series of customary observances. Kambon was first taken to the compounds of the Ɔkyeamehene and Gyasehene, where the preparations for his installation continued.
Then came the application of hyire, the white kaolin powder associated with traditional rites.
With the customary proceedings underway, the new chief was lifted onto the shoulders of celebrants and carried along the main thoroughfare of Akuapem Mampong.
The procession transformed the streets into a public stage for a ceremony rooted in the community’s traditional institutions.
There was something striking about the image, a university professor, accustomed to the measured language of academic discourse, being carried through the town in a display of traditional recognition.
Yet the celebration was not complete with the procession.
A ram was sacrificed at the Mamponghene’s compound before Kambon was taken to the palace, to swear the oath associated with his new offices.
The ceremony brought him formally into his roles as Apagyahene and Sunsum Ɔsahene.
Beyond the colourful proceedings, the titles themselves carry layers of historical meaning.
Kambon in his research explores the historical connections between Apagya and Akan political and military organisation.
Accounts cited in his work linked Apagya to an asafo, or military company, while historical writing traces an Apagya stool in Asante to the reign of Opoku Ware I in the eighteenth century.
These historical associations offer a glimpse into the institutions that have shaped Akan society over generations, although they do not automatically define the precise responsibilities of the office in Akuapem Mampong.
Kambon’s own professional life reflects a similar interest in preserving and examining African knowledge.
His work encompasses Akan language structure, naming practices across the Black world, proverbs and indigenous intellectual traditions.
Through Abibitumi, the platform he founded, he also promotes language learning, scholarship and cultural engagement.
But tradition was only one part of the story that day.
When the formal ceremony gave way to a reception, the occasion expanded into a celebration of three milestones: Kambon’s enstoolment, his promotion to full professor and his daughter Ama’s admission to the University of Ghana.
The gathering therefore carried a personal significance that went beyond the honours bestowed on one man. 
It celebrated professional advancement, the continuation of family aspirations and a connection to cultural heritage.
For a father, seeing a daughter gain admission to the same university where he holds a distinguished academic position offered another reason to celebrate.
For the professor, the moment placed family achievement alongside his own professional and traditional milestones.
Kambon had already established a place in the traditional life of Akuapem Mampɔn through an earlier installation as Banmuhene Kyidɔmhene, recorded in 2017.
His latest enstoolment adds another chapter to that relationship.
In Akuapem Mampɔn, the day brought together the university, the palace and the family table in one celebration. And for Kambon, the journey from the lecture room to the traditional procession showed how scholarship, cultural responsibility and family achievement could converge in a single memorable occasion.
By Enoch Ntiamoah Siaw
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Intercity STC Coaches Limited has interdicted a driver captured in a viral video allegedly hitting a Sprinter bus during an overtaking manoeuvre at Pokuase before driving away from the scene.
In a public notice, the company described the driver’s conduct as unacceptable, stressing that it did not reflect the safety standards and professionalism it upholds.
Management said it had commenced an immediate investigation into the incident and identified the driver, who has been interdicted pending the outcome of the disciplinary process.
The company added that it was awaiting an official report from the Pokuase Police Command to help establish the facts surrounding the incident.
STC reaffirmed its commitment to passenger safety and responsible road use, while thanking members of the public for bringing the incident to its attention.
Management assured the public that appropriate action would be taken following the investigation.
By: Jacob Aggrey
