News
Nigerien causes stir…. attacks mallam at K’si Central Mosque
A female migrant from Niger who was looking for a place to lodge at the Central Mosque at Aknatialine, Kumasi, threw decency to the wind and attacked one of the elders from the Zongo Community who she considered a stumbling block to her cause.
This nearly disturbed the relative peace in the area.
The migrant, whose name was not readily available, went to the Central Mosque last Friday with her belongings to look for a place of stay for a while as her colleagues do when they come to Ghana.
The migrant’s anger however reached its peak when the elder, Mallam Gariba Bolga approached her and said that there was no accommodation for her in the premises of the Central mosque as all the female migrants who lodged in the place earlier had already been driven away.
That did not go down well with the woman who fiercely pounced on the elder, pinned him down, amid insults.
The incident happened in the presence of The Spectator Reporter at about 8:30pm, when he saw lot of the youth trooping to the scene.
”Had it not been because the woman was carrying a little child on her back, the youth would have subjected her to severe beatings, though she was not spared some knocks for pouncing on the old man.”
“Allah, she was very fortunate she had a baby, she would have been taught a lesson,” a barber, Sky B, told this reporter.
Some residents of Akwatialine, particularly those close to the Central Mosque had always lived in anxiety following the influx of the migrants from Niger in the wake of the spread of COVID -19.
The number of migrants keeps soaring every day and residents doubted whether they had been tested against the COVID-19.
Niger is bordered by Libya in the North, Benin and Nigeria in the South, Burkina Faso in Southeast, Mali in the West and Chad in the East.
With the closure of the Nigerian border, it is possible for the migrants to come to Ghana through Burkina Faso and the question many of the residents are asking is whether they were tested for COVID-19 before entering.
Residents’ anxiety stemmed from a recent video that went viral on social media of foreigners entering the border at Paga with no official attending to them.
The migrants, mostly women, some nursing mothers and children aged between three and four, “hijacked” the walkway leading to the entrance of the Central Mosque, which they turned into a “kitchen” and a “bathroom”, especially in the evening.
It was in view of this that the elders and opinion leaders decided to sack them from the place.
”They are here in Kumasi as beggars and they are seen mostly “doing serious business” along the Amakom traffic light begging for alms, said a resident.
It is recalled that a sister paper, the Ghanaian Times, in its August 2, 2019 edition, carried a similar story titled, “Migrants Take over Walkway to Kumasi Central Mosque”.
In fact, from 4:30 pm throughout the night, the place was very busy as cooking and washing of clothes and bathing of little children became the order of the day, while they used the porches of the stores close to the mosque as their “bedrooms”.
They wash their clothes and hang them on the fence wall of the mosque.
Earlier, in a chat with some of them, who declined to mention their names, they claimed Ghanaians are religious, easily give alms, and would not harm them.
From Kingsley E. Hope,Kumasi
AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine has broken ground on a modern 1,500-seater multipurpose assembly hall and a secured main gatehouse for New Edubiase Senior High School, in the Adansi South District.
The project, being executed by local contractor AA Engineering and Construction, is expected to be completed within 17 months and forms part of the Mine’s 10-Year Socio-Economic Development Plan (SEDP) — a strategic framework for delivering sustainable development in its host communities.
Beyond the expansive assembly hall, the facility will house a fully integrated administrative complex featuring a dedicated sound room, a 16-seater staff eatery, and suites for the Headmaster and Assistant Headmaster, a bursar’s office, an 18-seater conference room, a 24-seater staff common room, six faculty office spaces and ancillary stores and washrooms.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, the Mine’s Director of Sustainability Management, Edmund Oduro Agyei, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to improving educational outcomes in host communities through impactful and sustainable investments.
The Edubiasehene, Guahyia Oduropanin Birikorang, commended the Mine for the investment, saying the project demonstrated that the company’s development agenda extended well beyond its immediate operational areas.
The Headmaster of New Edubiase SHS, Mr Christopher Appiah Mensah, described the intervention as timely and transformative, noting it would address longstanding infrastructure deficits, improve conditions for teaching and learning, and create adequate space for academic and social gatherings.
“This will greatly enhance administrative efficiency and improve the overall welfare of both staff and students,” he said.
The facility is also expected to boost the school’s capacity to host national examinations and major events, and strengthen its standing as a centre of academic excellence within the district.
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
Stakeholders have been urged to help raise awareness and eliminate the stigma often associated with clubfoot, a treatable condition which occurs in children.
Parents are to seek early treatment for the condition while policymakers strengthen support for early detection, disability inclusion, and child health services in the country.
Clubfoot is a condition present at birth in which one or both feet are twisted inward and downward. If left untreated, experts say a child may face lifelong challenges with walking, which could affect education, employment, and social inclusion.
In Ghana, an estimated 1,000 babies are said to be born with clubfoot every year.
In commemoration of the World Clubfoot Day, marked on June 3 every year, stakeholders create awareness about the condition and, among other things, celebrate the dedication of health professionals who ensure children receive treatment.
In a release copied to the Ghana News Agency, Nana Afua Adutwumwaa Adjetey, Programme Manager, Ghana Clubfoot Programme, noted that many families were unaware of the free treatment available for the condition in Ghana. 
She observed that the lack of awareness continued to delay treatment for children who could have received prompt and life-changing care at no cost.
Treatment, she said, was provided free of charge for children under age five at Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG–Hope Walks) partner clinics across the country.
More than 9,000 children born with clubfoot had received treatment and care through the programme over the past 18 years.
“The treatment follows the internationally recognised Ponseti Method, which uses a series of gentle casts to gradually correct the position of the foot, followed by a brace to maintain correction and prevent relapse. When treatment begins early, success rates are extremely high,” Madam Adjetey explained.
“For many children, the journey begins with a health worker who identifies clubfoot at birth and makes a referral. A few moments of observation can change the course of a child’s life forever.”
“Clubfoot is not a curse; it is not caused by wrongdoing…it is a medical condition that can be treated successfully. Families should never feel ashamed to seek help.”
The Programme Manager said children born with the condition deserved equal opportunities, dignity, and inclusion, and called on communities to support parents rather than “judge them.” -GNA
