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NPP must choose a winnable leader – Dr. Palgrave Boakye Danquah
Former Government Spokesperson on Governance and Security, Dr. Palgrave Boakye Danquah, has said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) must focus on selecting a leader who can deliver victory in future elections.
During an interview with Channel One TV, he declared his support for Kennedy Agyepong, describing him as the “variable” the party needs to revive its chances after past candidates failed to secure expected votes in Zongo and Muslim communities.
Mr. Boakye Danquah explained that religion and ethnicity have never been deciding factors in Ghana’s elections.
He pointed to former President John Dramani Mahama, a Christian from the North, who won in Muslim communities, as evidence that Ghanaians vote beyond religious or tribal lines.
He also reacted to some claims he attributed to Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, saying it was unfortunate if factual discussions were being turned into tribal or religious debates.
He stressed that Dr. Bawumia’s tribe or religion was never considered when he was selected as running mate, vice president, or party leader.
According to him, Kennedy Agyepong qualifies as a potential leader since Members of Parliament in the Fourth Republic have often gone on to become presidents.
He noted that aside from Jerry John Rawlings and John Evans Atta Mills, all other presidents had passed through Parliament before leading the country.
Mr. Boakye Danquah argued that electoral victory is not about presenting the same candidate multiple times but about the value a candidate brings.
He recalled how Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s persistence from 2008 and 2012 eventually led to victory in 2016, but warned that the NPP had since lost about 1.7 million votes, which must be addressed.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The spokesperson for Okuapehene, Ohenenana B.S. Opoku, has dismissed social media reports that there is insecurity in Okuapemam and for that matter an indefinite ban has been placed on the celebration of this year’s annual Odwira Festival.
Ohenenana Opoku, who is also a member of the Odwira Festival Planning Committee, said Odwira would be celebrated and all the necessary arrangements have been made for a peaceful celebration.
According to him, there is no merit in all the allegations on the media space because there has not been any chieftaincy dispute in any of the divisional heads in the area.
“There is absolute peace in Okuapeman, therefore, all Okuapeman citizens living in Ghana and abroad should come home to celebrate the Odwira Festival.”
In a press briefing at the Okuapeman Palace in Akropong on Friday, Ohenenana Opoku described the allegations as false, stating that all the divisional chiefs have been gazetted and recognised in Ghana’s Chieftaincy records.
He said Okuapemam has been celebrating Odwira Festival for the past five years under the leadership of Oseadeeyo Kwasi Akuffo III without any dispute.
He emphasised that Okuapeman constitutes 17 major towns with their own chiefs under Okuapemanhene and that nobody has the right to ban or stop any chief from celebrating it.
Ohenenana Opoku appealed to the people of Ghana to come and enjoy the Akuapem Odwira Festival which is one of the best cultures in Ghana.
In view of that, the Yagbonwura, Bii-Kunuto Jewu Saole, has accepted to grace the festival as the special guest of honour.
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
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Childdren and pregnant women in Ghana are unknowingly being exposed to toxic levels of lead in everyday products, a new study by UNICEF and the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has revealed.
The nationwide study, which covered all 16 regions, found dangerous levels of lead contamination in items such as cosmetics, food, and household products, posing significant threat to public health, particularly to children and women of childbearing age.
A statement on the report copied to The Spectator in Accra on Monday explained that several commonly used items contained alarmingly high concentrations of lead.
Lead, a heavy metal used in batteries, paints, ceramics, and other industrial materials, is highly toxic even in small quantities.
Experts warn that it can cause irreversible brain damage, developmental delays, learning difficulties, and behavioural problems in children.
The study stressed that there were no safe levels of lead in the human body.
Traditional eyeliners known locally as kaji kaji or kholi, which many mothers use to brighten their children’s eyes, had contamination levels tens of thousands exceeding permissible limits.
White baked clay, called shire, ayilor, or farinkasa and commonly consumed by pregnant women to ease nausea, also tested positive for lead contamination in about 25 per cent of samples, with the highest rates recorded in the North East and Greater Accra regions.
Ground turmeric, a staple spice used across Ghana, was found to be contaminated in 42 per cent of samples, with particularly high levels in the Greater Accra (84 per cent), Central (75 per cent), and Bono (60 per cent) regions.
Similarly, locally prepared corn-based cereal (Tom Brown) showed lead contamination in 4.4 per cent of samples, mostly from the Eastern Region.
Old plumbing systems and certain cookware were also identified as possible sources of exposure, as lead can leak into drinking water or food during cooking.
The health impacts are severe. Lead exposure can cause anaemia, stunted growth, hearing loss, seizures, and pregnancy complications such as low birth weight and miscarriage.
UNICEF has, therefore, called for immediate national action to address the crisis, calling for public awareness campaigns, stricter enforcement of product safety standards, and routine screening for lead exposure, especially among vulnerable groups.
UNICEF reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Government of Ghana and relevant partners to eliminate lead exposure and safeguard the health of every woman and child.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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