News
Ntotroso celebrates annual Apomasu Yam Festival
THE chiefs and people of Ntotroso in the Asutifi North District of the Ahafo Region on Saturday celebrated their Apomasu Yam Festival at Ntotroso amidst pomp and pageantry.
The colourful festival, which featured a week-long activities including traditional cultural rites, was held under the Theme: ‘Mining and Tradition: Building Resilient Communities through Sustainable and Responsible Mining.’
It attracted a lot of guests including chiefs, politicians, businessmen and women, foreigners, school children and members of the public amidst drumming and dancing.
The Apomasu Yam Festival, celebrated biennially, honours the Apomasu deity believed to safeguard the community’s wellbeing.
The festival also served as a fundraiser to support ongoing educational infrastructure projects initiated by the Ntotroso Traditional Council.
Addressing the people, Barima Twereku Ampem III, Paramount chief of Ntotroso, said the Apomasu festival was not merely a celebration of harvest, but signifies a spiritual homecoming as well as a moment of thanksgiving to the Almighty God and to the ancestors for protecting the land, blessing the farms, and sustaining them.
The festival, he noted, symbolises renewal of unity, purpose and collective responsibility to protect the land entrusted to us.
Touching on the menace of illegal mining activities, Barima Twereku Ampem, who is also the president of the Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs, pledged the support of the chiefs and people in the area to complement government’s efforts at finding a lasting solution to the problem.
According to him, illegal mining remains a threat not only to our environment but to national security and long-term development of the country.
He, however, urged the government to ensure strict enforcement of the law, in a fair, consistent and transparent manner so as to deal with the menace.
The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, who led the government delegation, commended the chiefs and people of Ntotroso for organising a successful festival.
He praised their commitment to be accountable and transparent in their dealings with the people.
“Most leaders finds it difficult to be accountable to their people. What you have shown here is a demonstration of your commitment to honesty and integrity—a virtue that must be emulated by who aspire to lead,” he stated.
He later donated a cash of Gh₵100,000 to support the celebration.
After more than 300 years of existence, Ntotroso has seen a lot of changes both the social and economic fronts.
From a largely subsistence local economy, Ntotroso and other surrounding communities have now been placed on the global map of gold producing areas following the acquisition of mining concession in 2003 by Newmont Ahafo Mines.
From Daniel Dzirasah, Ntotroso
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The Tema Regional Police Command has arrested a 30-year-old driver, Bismark Kpormeno, for possession of a large quantity of compressed plant materials suspected to be Indian hemp.
The arrest was made on Sunday, 31 May 2026 by officers of the Tema Highway Patrol Unit during an operation along the Tema-Ada road.
According to police, the suspect was driving a Hyundai Mighty I container truck and failed to stop when signaled. He attempted to evade arrest but was pursued and apprehended at Bondase.
A search of the vehicle revealed twelve 12 sacks and eighty 80 parcels of compressed plant materials concealed in a container and wrapped in sellotape.
Preliminary investigations show the narcotics were allegedly loaded at Kpeve in the Volta Region and were being transported to Ada.
The suspect is currently in police custody assisting with investigations. The truck and exhibits have been impounded for evidential purposes.
The Tema Regional Police Command says it remains committed to combating drug trafficking and other criminal activities.
They also urged the public to support law enforcement by providing timely and credible information on suspicious activities.
Firefighters from the Peki Fire Station of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) responded swiftly to a fatal head-on collision involving a Mercedes-Benz container truck (WR 1553-C) travelling from Nkwanta to Accra and a Mercedes-Benz passenger bus (GR 3215-E) travelling from Battor to Kabiti in the Oti Region.
The crash occurred at Peki-Tsame near Peki Senior High School in the early hours of Tuesday, 2nd June 2026.
A total of forty (40) persons were involved, comprising twenty-one (21) males, fifteen (15) females, and four (4) children.
Through a coordinated rescue operation, firefighters extricated 25 injured casualties, including 23 adults and two children.
Sadly, 15 persons lost their lives, made up of nine males and 6 females.
The injured were conveyed to the Peki Government Hospital for treatment, while the deceased were handed over to the Police, who conveyed them to the hospital mortuary for preservation and further investigation. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.
The Ghana National Fire Service has extended its deepest condolences to the bereaved families and urges all motorists to observe road traffic regulations, avoid dangerous driving practices, and exercise maximum caution on the roads to help prevent accidents and save lives.
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