News
Mason, 23, jailed 15 years for defilement
The Bekwai Circuit Court has handed a 15 years jail sentence to a 23-year-old mason, Ebenezer Birikwai, popularly known as Immortal, for defilement.
Immortal was handed the sentence after admitting to have defiled a four-year-old girl at Manso Afedie in the Amansie West District of the Ashanti Region.
After initially pleading not guilty, Immortal changed his plea to guilty when he reappeared before the court presided by Justice Isaac Apietu. The conviction and sentence followed harrowing testimony and medical evidence that confirmed the assault.
According to prosecutors, the crime occurred on April 16, 2026, around midday.
Immortal allegedly lured a group of children by handing them his mobile phone to watch a game while he sat nearby. Seizing the distraction, he placed the four-year-old victim on his lap, shifted her underwear aside, and had sexual intercourse with her.
The victim’s aunt, passing by, noticed the child’s distressed facial expression and intervened.
She reportedly found the accused’s manhood inside the girl, with seminal fluid on her thighs. Her shouts drew residents, including the victim’s mother, who rushed to the scene.
The Unit Committee Chairman quickly alerted the Manso Adubia Police, who arrived in time to prevent mob justice.
Immortal was taken into custody and later transferred to the Divisional Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) for further investigation.
A medical examination at St. Martin’s Catholic Hospital, Agroyesum, confirmed the assault as the police medical form revealed that the victim’s hymen had been broken.
Detective Chief Inspector Eric Twum, prosecuting, told the court that the accused admitted the offence in a caution statement taken in the presence of an independent witness, pleading for forgiveness.
Immortal was charged under Section 101 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), as amended by Act 554, which criminalises defilement of a child under 16 years.
The law prescribes a minimum of seven years’ imprisonment, with sentences extending up to 25 years.
The court convicted him on his own plea and imposed a 15-year custodial sentence.
Police commended residents for the swift intervention and urged communities to remain vigilant in safeguarding children.
They encouraged the public to promptly report suspected cases of child abuse to the nearest police station or DOVVSU office.
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
The Vice Chancellor of the Pentecost University, Apostle Professor Kwabena Agyapong-Kodua, is advocating an intentional conversation about the development and education of the boy child in creating stronger families and societies.
According to him, the boy child must not be ignored in conversations on leadership, education, family stability and national transformation because they are key to national development.
“There is a reason why a boy child must not be denied opportunities like education; he is a future leader. When boys are trained well, society becomes safer and stronger,” he stated.
Apostle Prof. Agyapong-Kodua made the remark at a forum organised by the Church of Pentecost Schools Outreach Ministry in Accra to observe the International Day of the Boy Child observed on May 16.
It was held in collaboration with the Pentecost Men’s Ministry and the Ghana Education Service (GES), and under the theme: ‘Flourish and Thrive: Investing and Unleashing Boys for Strong Families and Communities.’
Leading the discussion, the Pentecost University Vice Chancellor warned that poor mentorship, declining in education, harmful social media influences and emotional neglect have made a lot of young boys vulnerable.
With a lot of the attention switching to the girl child, the boy child, he said was confronted with many challenges including violence, substance abuse, educational decline, emotional neglect and the absence of positive role models.
According to Apostle Prof. Agyapong-Kodua, he noted that boys were turning to social media for direction due to the absence of fathers and mentors to help shape their lives.
“If we are not intentional, social media will mentor our children for us. We are not saying they should not use social media, but they should be guided to access the right information to excel in life,” he stated.
Prof. Agyapong-Kodua urged society to encourage boys to become creators of technology rather than mere consumers.
Contributing, Madam Gifty Asiedu, Director of the Girls’ Education Unit at the GES Headquarters, said the service remained committed to ensuring that no child was left behind, adding that, “supporting the boy child should not come at the expense of progress made in girl-child education.”
“If you focus intentionally on one gender and neglect the other, you create a societal problem,” she underlined.
She said the GES had observed some decline in boys’ retention in school, although the gap between boys and girls was not yet too wide.
“Over the years, attention has been focused on the girl child and we have seen the benefits. However, data now show that the statistics concerning the boy child continue to decline,” she indicated.
She explained that the service was implementing gender-responsive education to ensure that classroom teaching addressed the needs of both boys and girls equally.
Elder Barima Acheampong Sarpong II, Deputy Director of the Pentecost Men’s Ministry and Chief of Asante Asaman in the Ashanti Region, said society needed to critically examine the plight of boys.
“As we celebrate the International Day for the Boy Child, I urge every man to identify one boy child, find out how he is doing and dedicate some time to mentoring him,” he explained.
The programme, attended by educators, church leaders and policymakers, was the second edition following a partnership initiated last year between the Schools Outreach Ministry, the Pentecost Men’s Ministry and the GES.
It sought to improve school enrolment, completion rates and learning outcomes among boys so they could grow into responsible men who would build strong families and communities.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
Candidates that wrote the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in Ho Municipality are hopeful of obtaining good grades to make everyone especially their parents and the Regional Minister proud.
The candidates said they had so far sat the examination with focus and integrity after a call from Mr James Gunu, Regional Minister to avoid examination malpractice saying, they expected great performance upon release of results.
Mr Gunu, at the start of this year’s BECE delivered the message during a monitoring visit to some centres in the municipality including Ho Kpodzi EP Basic A School, Mawuli School, Mawuko Girls Senior High School (SHS), and Kabore School.
He urged the candidates to rely on hard work and discipline, warning that shortcuts could jeopardise their future.
“Stay focused and give your best in this year’s BECE – your determination and hard work will pay off. Avoid shortcuts and examination malpractice; integrity matters just as much as success,” he said.
The Minister, accompanied by the Ho Municipal Chief Executive, the acting Volta Regional Director of Education, and the Ho Municipal Director of Education, encouraged candidates to view the exam as a foundation for their academic journey and to celebrate responsibly after the final paper, commending parents, guardians, teachers, and officials of the Ghana Education Service for their support in preparing the candidates.
Candidates at some of the centres Ghana News Agency visited, echoed the call for honesty and high standards.
At Kabore School, Ms Francisca Atsu of Sokode Lokoe MA Basic School said, “The Regional Minister was here earlier to speak to us and also to encourage us. We’ve done our best. I assure him that we will make him and our parents proud.”
At Taviefe SHS Centre, Ms Valentina Sakpla of Taviefe R.C Basic School added, “We are expecting good results to make everyone proud and for our own good.”
Mr David Dotse, Supervisor at Kabore School, hosting 11 schools, with a standby ambulance on site to cater for any health emergency, reported smooth proceedings. –GNA
