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New Times Corporation observes solemn moment for demise of News Editor
The Acting Editor of the Spectator Mrs Georgina Quaittoo delivering her address
Staff of the New Times Corpo¬ration (NTC) have observed a one-week ceremony in memory of Castro Zagina-Tong, the former News Editor and Acting Sub-Editor of The Spectator newspaper.
![Mr Francis Xah Former News Editor of The Spectator [left]chatting with Mr Mahama Boagra-Zangina family members and Mrs Quaittoo Acting Editor of the Spectator](https://spectator.com.gh/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Mr-Francis-Xah-Former-News-Editor-of-The-Spectator-leftchatting-with-Mr-Mahama-Boagra-Zangina-family-members-and-Mrs-Quaittoo-Acting-Editor-of-the-Spectator-scaled.jpg)
Mr Zangina-Tong died suddenly on August 1, 2023 at his residence. Also present at the event was some fami¬ly members of the deceased.
The ceremony served as a moment of reflection for the NTC commu¬nity, honouring Mr. Zangina-Tong’s contributions and encouraging unity and personal growth among its members.
“The news of our brother’s pass¬ing hit us hard. A day prior to his demise, he was present at work and was part of a departmental staff meeting to discuss the production of the paper. We had no inkling that he would not be at work the next day,” She revealed.
However, citing Proverbs 19:2 during the solemn event, Mrs Quait¬too,encouraged the staff and family of the deceased to humbly accept God’s will for their lives as “we cannot question God about His will.”
In her opening remarks, Mrs Georgina Naa-Maku Quaittoo, Acting Editor of The Spectator paid respect to the deceased and recounted fond memories of their interactions with him.
She lauded his dedication to the corporation but said the shock of the sad news was profound, as they had not foreseen such an occur¬rence.
Delivering a message on unity and hope, a lay preacher of the Meth¬odist Church of Ghana (MCG), Mrs. Agatha Osei drew parallels from the story of Lazarus in the Bible urged the staff to lead lives worthy of em¬ulation and to seek solace in God.
Mrs Osei also urged the staff to concentrate on their current pur¬suits, recognising uncertainty of the future.“What legacy will you leave be¬hind? What words will people speak of you in your passing? These ques¬tions underscore the importance of leading lives others can aspire to. The assurance of an afterlife hinges on one’s faith in Jesus,” she said.
Sharing memories of Mr. Zangi¬na-Tong, a member of the Profes¬sional and Managerial Staff Union (PMSU), Mr. Andrew Parker urged the staff to recognise the inevitability of death and acknowledge the fleeting nature of life.
The Acting Managing Director (Ag MD) and Editor of the Ghanaian Times (GT), Mr. Dave Agbenu, re¬vealed his personal relationship with the deceased and highlighting his friend’s compassionate nature.
Mr Agbenu mentioned the impor¬tance of regular health check-ups and fostering a sense of camarade¬rie among colleagues.
Brother of the deceased, Mahama, Boagra-Zangina, expressed gratitude to the NTC staff for their support in honouring their brother and urged them to uphold peace and harmony at all times.
By George Obeng Osei
The Member of Parliament for Nsawam Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh Dompreh, has expressed concern over delays in the release of the District Assemblies Common Fund, warning that the situation is stalling development across the country.
On his facebook page, he described as a matter of urgent national importance, the Minority Chief Whip pointed to what he sees as a growing crisis of unpaid contractors, abandoned projects, and halted infrastructure works in many districts.
He noted that several communities are grappling with half completed schools, unfinished health facilities, abandoned markets, deteriorating roads, and stalled sanitation projects.
According to him, many contractors who have executed projects for district assemblies have not been paid, forcing some construction firms to demobilise from sites while workers lose their jobs.
He stressed that the District Assemblies Common Fund is not a discretionary allocation but a constitutional requirement under Article 252 of the 1992 Constitution, intended to support development at the local level.
In his view, years of delayed releases and accumulated arrears have weakened district development financing and disrupted projects meant to improve living conditions in communities.
He further argued that some payments made in recent years were largely the settlement of old debts rather than funding for new or ongoing projects, a situation he believes has affected contractor confidence and local economic activity.
He described the issue as more than a budgetary challenge, characterising it as a development emergency and a governance concern.
He therefore urged the appropriate authorities to pay outstanding DACF arrears, settle contractors who have completed their work, and ensure that transfers to districts are automatic and predictable.
He maintained that decentralisation can only succeed when district assemblies receive adequate and timely funding to carry out development projects.
He emphasised that stalled projects directly affect ordinary citizens, since they rely on such infrastructure for education, healthcare, transportation, sanitation, and economic activities.
He called for renewed attention to grassroots development, insisting that national progress should not be concentrated only in major cities but extended to all communities.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Richard Appiah, the footballer who killed two children and stored part of their bodies in a fridge at Abesim in the Bono Region in 2021 has been handed a lifetime sentence.
This was after a five member panel of judges at the Accra High Court returned a verdict of guilty against the convict.
Appiah, 32, also a draughtsman would spend the rest of his life in prison after he was convicted of murder.
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BY MALIK SULLEMANA
