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Man goes blind after assault, weeps in court room during judgement
A 78-year-old man who has become blind following an attack on him at a cemetery at Teshie in Accra without any provocation, wept in acc High Court (Criminal Court ‘3’) on the day the court was about to pronounce judgement on his attackers.
Nii Ashiboi Mensah popularly called Nii Santo within the Teshie Community, was slashed on his neck in 2014, by Mr. Joseph Ashikwei Tigany, who has been sentenced to 25 years in prison by Her Ladyship, Mrs. Justice Mary M.E. Nsenkyire.
The court again jailed Daniel Ashitei, Philip Boye and Nii Armah 15 years each for finding them guilty of conspiracy to commit crime but considered the advanced age of nii Agoe Kaatso who is about 83 years, and sentenced him to one month imprisonment also on the same charge of conspiracy.
Mr. Santo, who had harboured some pain for the seven years that the case was pending in court, could no longer control his emotions and wept when the judge was recapitulating (recap) the brief facts of the case as presented by the sate prosecution.
She said that the victim, Nii Ashiboi Mensah popularly called Nii Santo was a retired driver and lived at Teshie Camp 2, while the five convicts were also drivers but resided at Teshie Bush Road.
She said that the acting Dzaasetse of Lanshie Quarter by name Nii Jerry died and during preparations for his funeral, a faction belonging to the same Lanshie Quarter and headed by a man called Nii Kwabotwe was not in agreement that the deceased (Nii Jerry) should be buried at the Lanshie Royal Mausoleum at Teshie.
According to prosecution this brought a misunderstanding between the two factions on April 24, 2014, which the Municipal Security Committee (MUSEC) of LEKMA held a meeting with them (factions) to settle the matter.
Prosecution claimed that during the meeting, Nii Agoe Kaatso (then 5th Accused) threatened to cut the head of the victim if he stepped foot at the cemetery to dig a grave for the burial of Nii Jerry.
The facts continued that on April 25, 2014, Nii Santo (victim) who had sent some young men to go and dig a grave at the Royal Mausoleum, got a phone call from one of them (young men) to the effect that some people from the Nii Kwabotwe faction had come to attack them at the cemetery.
Upon the receipt of this information, the victim rushed to the place (Royal Mausoleum) and met Nii Armah Agbeko (then 4th Accused) standing on the cemetery wall.
Ms Craig (Prosecutor) said that the victim engaged him (Agbeko) in a conversation to impress upon his brothers to stop fighting the men he (victim) had sent.
She said that while the victim was still talking with Nii Armah Agbeko, they heard shouts from the cemetery compelling the two of them to rush to the place to see what was amiss.
Prosecution said that when the victim entered the cemetery, he saw Joseph Ashikwei Tigany (then 1st Accused), Daniel Ashitei (then 2nd Accused), Philip Boye (then 3rd Accused) with others struggling with the young men he had sent to dig the grave.
Ms Craig said that as the victim proceeded to the place the young men were struggling, he was met mid-way by Daniel Ashitei who held his hands together, and Joseph Ashikwei Tigany emerged from his (victim’s) left hand side and slashed his neck with a knife whilst Philip Boye and Nii Armah Agbeko looked on saying “today you are going to die”.
“Nii Santo was not the only person who sustained injuries; two other men who were part of the digging also sustained injuries as one had his forehead slashed and the other his hand.
“The victim, Nii Santo, was rushed to the hospital and had to be resuscitated after which he was rushed to the theatre to have the injury to the neck sutured.
“The doctor who attended to the victim issued him with a medical report which stated among other things that the wound inflicted on the victim’s neck by the 1st accused (Joseph Ashikwei Tigany) was life threatening,” prosecution concluded.
Passing sentence, Mrs Justice Mary Nsenkyire said, “The jurors having returned a verdict of guilty on all counts, I hereby convict all the accused persons with the offence of conspiracy to commit crime to wit causing harm with the use of offensive weapon. But the first accused has been sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for causing harm.”
By Castro Zangina-Tong
Massive celebrations were recorded countrywide as the Black Stars opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto on Wednesday.
Midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi scored the only goal of the match late in the game as he shot in a decent cross from substitute Brandon Asante.
The win gave Ghana a positive start in the competition, placing them in second position behind England, also with three points but with a superior goal aggregate.
After the final whistle, the streets and other viewing centres were turned into partying grounds as fans, mostly clad in the team’s paraphernalia, danced to several World Cup-themed music.
Others blew the vuvuzelas in joyous mood with others putting up a spirited ‘jama’ session.
Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Adentan Constituency, Akosua Manu, has urged party members to move away from what she describes as an “entitlement mentality” and focus on unity, sacrifice and hard work as the party prepares for the 2028 general election.
In a statement titled “Is Loyalty a Queue?”, and posted on facebook, Ms. Manu argued that loyalty to the NPP should not be judged by how long a person has been in the party but by their contributions and commitment to its growth.
According to her, the NPP’s history shows that many of its leaders faced significant opposition from within the party before eventually leading it to electoral success.
She cited former President John Agyekum Kufuor as an example, saying he had to overcome resistance from influential figures within the party before winning power for the NPP in 2000.
Ms. Manu noted that after the party lost power in 2008, former President Kufuor faced criticism and accusations from some party members.
However, she said supporters eventually put their differences aside and worked together to rebuild the party.
She pointed to the experience of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who, according to her, faced opposition from some factions within the NPP despite his long service to the party.
“His trials were ten times what Kufuor endured,” she stated, adding that Akufo-Addo eventually overcame the challenges and became President of Ghana.
Turning to the NPP’s current flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Ms. Manu said he also faced resistance from different groups within the party while seeking leadership.
She praised Dr. Bawumia for contributing to policy-based political discussions in Ghana and for remaining composed following the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 elections.
According to her, party members must now rally behind him in the same way they supported former Presidents Kufuor and Akufo-Addo.
Ms. Manu, however, warned that internal divisions and a sense of entitlement remain major threats to the party’s future.
She argued that some party members place too much emphasis on how long individuals have belonged to the NPP rather than on their contributions and capabilities.
“This entitlement does not question impact. It does not ask what you sacrificed or what you built. It asks only how long have you been here,” she said.
The former parliamentary candidate cautioned that such attitudes could discourage committed members and prevent the party from selecting the best people for leadership positions.
She further called on the party’s incoming national executives to strengthen the NPP’s core values of sacrifice, honesty, integrity and dedication to national development.
Ms. Manu addressed the concerns of young party supporters, many of whom she said became discouraged following the NPP’s electoral defeat in 2024.
According to her, many young people remain eager to see the party return to power but are unwilling to support internal conflicts driven by personal ambitions.
She urged party elders to place the interests of the NPP above their individual goals and to demonstrate leadership that attracts rather than alienates members.
“The NPP is bigger than any one of us. It always has been. Our collective responsibility is to act like it,” she stated.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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