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Mindshift at Labone SHS: Zhikay Ikejunior, Champion Rolie charge students to live consciously Online
Ghanaian online journalist and digital advocate, Zhikay Ike Junior, with his Mindshift Campaign train, on May 2, 2025, made a stop at the Labone Senior High School to engage students and educate them about the responsible use of social media in today’s fast-changing online world.
The Mindshift Campaign, a youth-focused initiative designed to inspire, educate, and guide students towards a more purposeful use of social media, was joined by celebrated professional dancer Champion Rolie to share his experience and expertise with the students.
Admired for his talent and strong online following, Champion Rolie took the stage and spoke about his journey as a dancer.
He opened up about how social media became a tool for his growth and exposure, highlighting how he leveraged it to build a meaningful brand and make a difference.
Beyond the fame, Rolie emphasized the importance of academic excellence, advising students to take their books seriously while they pursue their talents.
Following Rolie’s address, Zhikay Ike Junior steered the students into a deeper conversation about the power and permanence of the digital space. He posed critical questions that sparked reflection among the students: Are you controlling your social media, or is social media controlling you? He reminded them that the internet never forgets, and every post, comment, or share contributes to their digital footprint one that could either build or damage their reputation in the long run.
Zhikay urged students to become intentional digital citizens by being mindful of the people and pages they follow, stressing that online influences subtly shape their thoughts, interests, and personalities. “Social media is not just a platform—it’s a mirror of who you are becoming,” he said.
The event underscored a simple yet powerful message: the next generation must do things differently. In a rapidly growing digital world, young people must not replicate the mistakes of their predecessors. Instead, they must navigate with knowledge, purpose, and integrity.
As the event drew to a close, the students left not with just selfies and memories but with a renewed perspective on the role of social media in their lives, as the Mindshift Campaign didn’t just inspire but planted seeds of change.
Troubled and anxious citizens in Damongo of the Savannah Region have expressed concerns about the number of young people, believed to be under the age of 18, involved in ‘shisha’ smoking in pubs and drinking spots within the township.
Eyewitnesses say the minors were seen patronising nightlife venues, where Shisha smoking happen in the open.
The situation has sparked renewed public concern over the enforcement of child protection laws and regulations governing the operations of entertainment centres in the municipality and country as a whole.
An eyewitness, who spoke to The Spectator on conditions of anonymity for security reasons, noted that the situation was becoming increasingly common.
“This is not a one-off incident. It is becoming very common, but residents like us cannot openly report or speak about it because our lives will be at risk,” he said.
Under Ghanaian law, minors were prohibited from patronising Shisha.
Public health experts have consistently warned that shisha use exposes users to harmful substances that can negatively affect brain development, respiratory health, and overall well-being, particularly among young people.
The residents believe the alleged incidents point to broader challenges relating to youth supervision, substance abuse, and weak enforcement of existing regulations and have called on municipal authorities, security agencies, and regulatory bodies to intensify monitoring of pubs and entertainment centres to ensure compliance with the law.
In an effort to address the menace, Mr Salisu Be-Awurbi, the Savannah Regional Minister, has led public education campaigns, engaged security agencies, and supported enforcement actions to address the rising use of illicit substances in the region.
Wura Kelly Seidu Boresah I, the Chief of Damongo, has also called on all stakeholders including parents, community leaders, institutions, and young people to actively support efforts to curb drug abuse, warning that the rising consumption of hard drugs poses a serious health threat to the future of the youth in the Savannah Region.
He also cautioned individuals involved in the sale and distribution of illicit drugs to immediately desist from the practice, stressing that offenders will face arrest and prosecution in accordance with the law.
From Geoffrey Buta, Damongo, Savannah Region
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Dr Theresa Baffour, an advocate for ending violence and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SAHM SAHW Foundation, has said that society plays a critical and pivotal role in breaking the cycle of domestic violence.
According to her, domestic violence is a major contributor of making women, who are mostly the victims, mentally derailed and unable to engage in economic activities.
She said this when the foundation called on the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, to solicit support for the initiative by the “Strong and Healthy Minds, Strong and Healthy Women” (SAHM SAHW) to combat domestic violence within the Ga State.
The visit was occasioned by the fact that domestic violence cases have become quite prevalent in the Ga communities and is retarding growth.
According to her, the canker was an impediment to national development because the victims were usually tortured and would have to go through series of therapies to return to the right state of mind.
Dr Baffour mentioned that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) places a mental toll on women, and was, therefore, important to break the cycle through comprehensive mental health support, crisis intervention and empowerment programmes in communities with high rates of GBV.
This intervention, she underscored, would help in empowering the denigrated victim of domestic violence to soundly heal, build and thrive.
Dr Baffour added that the initiative would provide holistic, trauma-informed mental health care and advocacy for young women affected by domestic violence.
According to her, the above statement would create safe spaces for healing and equipping them with entrepreneurial skills for renewed hope and empowered life.
The Ga Mantse pledged his support for the laudable initiative to combat domestic violence and also acknowledged the need to address it in the Ga State.
Further endorsement came from Justice Julia Naa-Yarley Adjei Amoah, Chief of Staff at the Office of the Ga Mantse, as she commended the team of SAHM SAHW Foundation for taking a bold step to end the canker in the Greater Accra.
She added that it was a step in the right direction to save vulnerable women from torture, stress and emotional abuse.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
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