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Midnight coffin carrier scares Abuakwa Manhyia residents
Fear gripped inhabitants of Abuakwa Manhyia in the Atwima Nwabiagya South District of Ashanti when a strange man was seen carrying a white coffin, deep in the night, to the town, ostensibly for some ritual purposes.
The strange man who declined to mention his name when he was arrested, had gone to deposit the coffin in the middle of the ‘T’-Junction of the town.
It contained nine brand new padlocks with their keys, a black coat, a pair of blue trousers, a white shirt, and a red tie.
The inhabitants were divided over the issue with some claiming that it was a ritual relating to the upcoming general elections as political parties jostled for political power, while others linked it to “juju money”or sakawa.
The inhabitants have appealed to the Sumankwahene (Head Priest of the Manhyia Palace) to do something about the incident to save their lives.
According to an eye witness, Kojo Setor Amenu,”this is not the first time something like this has happened here, and young boys and girls die mysteriously afterwards”.
“We used to wake up to see coffins sitting in the middle of our roads and within two or three days, young boys and girls will die for no reasons so this has led some of us to keep watch over our town when it is dawn, in order to stop these things,” Amenu said.
He said at about 1:00am on Tuesday, he saw a young man carrying a white coffin on top of an unregistered Toyota Corolla to the ‘T’ Junction of the town.
Mr Amenu, said that the man, who was not known to them in the town and its environs, tried putting the coffin down and as a result, we approached him.
He said, the man tried to give excuses that the coffin belonged to a traditional priestess who had been in the town for a year.
“But his claims were proven to be false when the priestess was called to the scene at that hour, and she said she had no knowledge of the coffin,” Amenu indicated.
He said this infuriated the youth at the scene to throw punches at the man for trying to use the inhabitants for his dubious agenda,”but elderly people in the town intervened and he was spared but he could have been lynched”.
Another eye witnes, E.K. Asare did not understand why the elders decided to take the man to the Abuakwa-Manhyia police station, without proper security measures resulting in his escape.
From Kingsley E.Hope,Kumasi
Mr. Alfred Nii Kotey Ashie, the Member of Parliament for the Odododiodioo Constituency in the Greater Accra Region, has assured the Accra Street Academy of his support in achieving its mission of uplifting vulnerable children within the community to break the cycle of poverty. “Without the needed support, your efforts may go round in circles due to the enormity of the task. This should not be left on the shoulders of the Academy alone. You need support from both government and the private sector. With that, the Academy would be in a good position to shape the future of these children on the streets,” he said.
The Accra Street Academy, originally formed in 1985 as a boxing arena, now serves as a school for deprived children, with most of its population numbering hundreds of pupils being neglected children from the streets of Jamestown and its environs. Mr. Alfred Nii Kotey Ashie made these remarks at the annual stakeholders’ meeting and fundraising event held over the weekend under the theme “Empowering Street Children: Health and Wellness.” The event is one of the Academy’s annual programmes, organized to raise funds and other forms of support to aid the school in catering to the needs of the children and holding its Christmas get-together.
According to the MP, it is worth noting that these children are taught and provided with two meals and a snack daily through the support of benevolent members of society. In view of this, he promised to facilitate the acquisition of documents needed for the construction of an Astroturf within the school’s premises. He noted that “every child has the right to play, and therefore I pledged to do my best to secure the needed documents” for the project to commence.
The legislator disclosed that over the years, the academic programmes of the Accra Street Academy have transformed children surviving on the streets into successful adults. He therefore urged other members of society to partner with the school to “help pupils rise higher for a better Ghana.” In the 2025/26 academic year, 22 pupils were absorbed by the Accra Metro Education Directorate as they transitioned into various Junior High Schools, while still returning to the Accra Street Academy for academic support.
Ms. Yvonne Abba-Opoku, a chartered governance advisor and senior executive in the nonprofit and charity sector, stated that the best gift to give a child was education.
By Spectator Reporter
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Mrs Regina Kudom, Senior Midwifery Officer at the New Atuabo Health Centre in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality, has urged expectant mothers to attend antenatal clinic regularly for safe delivery.
She revealed that “in Tarkwa and its environs many pregnant women prefer staying at prayer camps, we are not against that, you can be there, but when your time is up for your antenatal session make sure you attend.”
Mrs Kudom gave the advice when the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation (GFGF) observed the World Prematurity Day with pregnant women at New Atuabo, Huniso and Awudua health centres.
World Prematurity Day falls on November 17, every year, and it is celebrated to raise awareness about the challenges faced by pre-term babies and their families.
She said research suggested that sex during pregnancy could soften the cervix and potentially aid in labour preparation.
“That is the reason why we encourage pregnant women to have sex with their partners, if they do not have any health implications,” she added.
Mrs Kudom appealed to the GFGF to upgrade the New Atuabo health centre as the current structure was too small because they received many patients daily.
Madam Ayishetu Mohammed, Project Coordinator for GFGF, explained that they received donations from Project C. U. R. E and the items were given to health facilities in their operational area.
She stated that they noticed there were baby dresses, sanitary pads, and baby apparel, so they decided to distribute them among expectant mothers in three of their host communities.
Madam Mohammed said because the foundation was interested in preventive care, they brought a midwife from the Tarkwa Mine hospital to educate the pregnant women.
She extolled the midwives in New Atuabo health centre for the education they gave to the pregnant women and implored them to heed to the advice given during antenatal visits to reduce maternal deaths in the Tarkwa Nsuaem and Prestea Huni-Valley Municipalities.
Mr Paa Kwasi Egan, Deputy Chief Physician Assistance, emphasised that a pregnant woman being anemic meant she was not eating a balance diet, and added that, “Some of these women do not have money to buy food or visit antenatal clinics.”
He said when men follow their wives for antenatal visits, they would be educated extensively on why they should provide funds for their pregnant wives.
Mr Egan, therefore, encouraged all men to be involved in their pregnant wives’ antenatal care appointments so they could learn more about pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting. – GNA
