News
Re: ARS asks “secessionists” to change name
- The attention of the Apostles Revelation Society (ARS) Gbedzi, has been drawn to a story published by your (Spectator) Newspaper on 8th October 2022, particularly on page 26 of the said publication under the above headline.
- The church finds the said publication inaccurate, unfortunate, offensive, misleading and denigrating to the church that has an administration and leadership, more so that the church was never contacted by the reporter for the church’s reaction to the said story.
- It is an undeniable fact that since the death of its Founder Prophet C.K.N. Wovenu on 10th April, 1999, there has been division in the church leading to the emergence of two factions namely “Gbedzi” and Ekporme”. These two factions are well known to members of the church as they operate with separate organisational, management arrangements and leadership.
- We emphasise that in spite of all the issues affecting the Church, the church administration continues to run through the Administrator of the Church with great experience and institutional memory and the church continues to operate from the headquarters of the church at New Tadzewu.
- It is also an undeniable fact that the two main factions have separate organisational, management arrangements and leadership which have been in operation for some years now for which reason there is, therefore, no ambiguity about the leadership of the two main factions and this is known, recognised and accepted by members of both factions.
- It is our case that the group your news article portrayed as the executive committee of the general conference does not exist and it is an attempt to draw undeserved publicity to those persons who participated in that purported meeting subject matter of your newspaper’s publication and to cause further confusion in the church through the impugned story which was handed to your newspaper to be published.
- A simple background check would have revealed to you that there was never any General Conference held by the Church or any of the two factions as was portrayed by your story.
- Additionally, the so-called Chairman Togbui Avli IV as stated in your publication of 8th October, 2022 does not represent any of the two factions since he belonged to the Ekporme faction but has been out of favour with the said faction and, to the best of our knowledge, is currently in court with that faction’s leadership.
- Togbui Duklui Attipoe V and Apostle A. N. Tehn-Addy are also, to the best of our knowledge, currently in court with the Gbedzi leadership.
- It is not in doubt that the so-called group has no constituency in the church, no branches under the church nor control over any property of the church, and above all has no authority to call a meeting let alone a conference of the church.
- We are fortified in our case herein because we do know that the ethics of your profession impose responsibility on you to check your stories before they are published. The interrogatories which arose from your story are:
i. Where is the headquarters of the group you portrayed as the church?
ii. Was the purported conference held at any of the conference facilities of the church and if yes; which facility?
iii. What is the source of the group’s authority to call for and organise a general conference of ARS?
iv. Did you check at the headquarters of ARS and especially with the Administrator of the Church to verify the truthfulness of your story before going to print?
v. Did you give the church leadership or at least the supposed secessionists any hearing so as to present a balanced publication?
- We wish to emphasise that the Gbedzi faction is interested in the unity of the church and has made several attempts and overtures and accommodated all peace initiatives, some of which have been abused by some proponents who have hidden agendas. In spite of these setbacks, we are still open and prepared to make all sacrifices to achieve this. The desired unity we believe, cannot be decreed, rail-rolled or imposed as this group is seeking to do but can only be achieved through dialogue, negotiations and prayers.
- The harm and damage done to the reputation of the Church and the Gbedzi faction by this publication is regrettable.
- We are prepared to sit with you to discuss and provide our (Gbedzi) side of the story and our continuing attempts to bring about unity and harmony into the Church.
- We are sure that the Ekporme faction is also prepared to do the same with you in your pursuit to arrive at the truth and advance peace and harmony in ARS Church.
Spokesperson,
Gbedzi faction,
Volta Region
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The Ghana Tourism Development Company Limited (GTD) in collaboration with the Department of Organisation and Human Resource Management, University of Ghana Business School (UGBS) has marked the 2026 World Safety Day Celebration in Accra.
The event held on Tuesday, April 28, 2026 at the Cedi Conference Centre, Legon was under the theme “Good Psychosocial Working Environment: A Pathway to Thriving Workers and Strong Organizations.”
The day is observed globally to promote safe and healthy working conditions and to raise awareness about both physical and psychological risks at the workplace.
The event formed part of efforts by stakeholders to deepen national conversations on workplace safety, particularly the growing concern about psychosocial well being.
In his keynote address, the Minister for Labour, Jobs and Employment, Dr Abdul Rashid Hassan Pelpuo stressed that workers must not be treated as machines but as human beings with dignity, rights and families.
He explained that unsafe work environments marked by fear, harassment, intimidation and excessive pressure reduce productivity and weaken organisations.
He noted that although physical hazards such as faulty equipment and unsafe buildings remain a concern, psychological risks including excessive workload, bullying, job insecurity and toxic communication are equally dangerous and must be addressed.
According to him, psychological hazards are real, measurable and preventable, and should be treated with the same urgency as physical risks.
He maintained that safe and healthy working conditions are not a luxury but a fundamental right that supports productivity and social justice.
Dr Pelpuo further stated that the government remains committed to strengthening occupational safety and health systems, adding that worker wellbeing is a core responsibility of leadership and not a public relations issue.
He urged employers to create environments where dignity is protected, and workers are empowered to speak without fear.
The Dean of University of Ghana Business School, Prof Ernest Y Tweneboah Koduah noted that the school is committed to shaping a better world of work that is equitable, productive and sustainable.
He announced that the school has secured accreditation from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission to introduce a programme in organisational health and safety.
He explained that gaps in workplace safety in Ghana are linked to weak enforcement, underreporting and limited professional training.
He added that the new programme will equip graduates with the skills to prioritise employee wellbeing as a key organisational responsibility.
Prof Tweneboah Koduah urged organisations to assess psychosocial risks, invest in human resource capacity and create environments where workers can openly discuss mental health concerns.
He emphasised that collaboration between academia and industry is essential to addressing workplace safety challenges.
Delivering remarks on behalf of the Vice Chancellor, the Registrar of the University of Ghana, Emelia Naa Kwantsua Agyei Mensah described the event as historic, noting that it is the first time the university is marking the global observance.
She explained that the focus on psychosocial wellbeing reflects current realities in the world of work.
She stated that employee health, including mental and emotional wellbeing, directly affects productivity, morale and institutional performance.
Mrs Agyei Mensah added that the university is committed to creating a safe and supportive environment for staff and students, beyond minimum legal requirements.
She called on leaders to reflect on the kind of workplaces they create and to prioritise the wellbeing of employees.
CEO of the GTDC, Prof Kobby on his part noted that its participation aligns with its commitment under the Riyadh Declaration, which calls on member states to improve infrastructure and public safety, as well as enhance services, transport, connectivity and accessibility.
He indicated that the company intends to use the platform to highlight Ghana’s readiness to implement the declaration, with a strong focus on worker safety and wellbeing as a foundation for sustainable tourism development.
The event brought together policymakers, academics, industry players and students to discuss strategies for improving workplace safety and promoting healthier work environments across the country.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Minister for Energy, John Abdulai Jinapor, has praised engineers and technical teams working to restore electricity after a fire at the Akosombo Substation disrupted power supply.
He said this after visiting the facility on Monday night to assess ongoing repair works following the incident, which affected the control room and caused the loss of more than 1,000 megawatts of power to the national grid.
During the visit, he interacted with engineers and technicians who have been working continuously under difficult conditions to restore operations.
He said he was impressed by their dedication, courage, and professionalism despite the challenges.
The minister commended the teams for their resilience and sacrifice, noting that their efforts reflect a strong sense of duty and commitment to national service.
He assured them of the government’s full support as they continue with the restoration work.
He also assured the public that authorities are doing everything possible to restore stable electricity supply as soon as possible.
By: Jacob Aggrey
