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Re: ARS asks “secessionists” to change name
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- 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
Global Board Chairman of the International Youth Network for United Nations Security Council Resolution (IYNUNSCR)2250, Hopeson Yaovi Adorye, has called on young people across the world to take deliberate action in building peace, justice, and sustainable development.
Delivering the keynote address at the IYNUNSCR2250 Global Youth Assembly held in Accra over the weekend, Mr. Adorye told the gathering of youth leaders that this generation stands at a “defining moment” in history.
He noted that while the world faces rising conflicts, violent extremism, climate pressures, cybercrime, and political polarization, young people are not just victims of these crises.
“The adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 marked a historic turning point by recognizing that young people are simply victims of conflict but indispensable partners in conflict prevention, peacebuilding, mediation, reconciliation, and post-conflict recovery,” he said.
He stressed that peace cannot be taken for granted.
“Peace must be intentionally built. Peace must be protected. Peace must be sustained. More importantly, peace must include everyone,” Mr.Adorye stated.
He defined true peace as more than the absence of war, it exists where justice prevails, human rights are respected, institutions are accountable, and women and youth participate fully in decision-making.
“Without justice, peace remains fragile. Without development, peace remains temporary. Without inclusion, peace remains incomplete,” he added.
Turning to Africa, Mr.Adorye described the continent’s youthful population as its “greatest strategic asset” and not a burden.
“When governments invest in education, entrepreneurship, innovation, digital skills, healthcare, and good governance, young people become drivers of economic growth and democratic stability,” he said.
He warned that the absence of these opportunities creates frustration and conditions that threaten peace and security.
According to him, “Investing in youth is investing in peace. Investing in education is investing in national security. Investing in jobs is investing in stability.”
The Global Board Chairman urged delegates to move beyond advocacy and become practical agents of change. He challenged them to reject corruption, political violence, hate speech, tribalism, and misinformation.
“Let us use social media to educate rather than inflame. To unite rather than divide. The digital world should become a platform for peace, innovation, and global cooperation,” he said.
He further tasked IYNUNSCR2250 members to mentor vulnerable youth, promote mediation, advocate for peaceful elections, support environmental protection, and empower women and girls.
He further added that “History will judge our generation not by the challenges we inherited but by the solutions we created,” Hon. Adorye concluded. “May our voices become voices of reconciliation. May our actions become instruments of peace.”
The Assembly, hosted under the leadership of IYNUNSCR2250 Global President Her Excellency Rev. Dr. Lilian Sally Addo, brought together youth leaders, members of the Global Advisory Board, and distinguished guests to advance the youth, peace, and security agenda.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Two people have died and eight others sustained injuries following a road traffic accident at Dompoase, near Komenda on the Cape Coast-Takoradi highway on Thursday, July 31, 2026.
According to a statement from the Ghana National Fire Service, Central Region, the Komenda Fire Station received a distress call at 18:55hrs. Rescue personnel arrived at the scene 15 minutes later at 19:10hrs.
On arrival, fire officers found one person trapped in a crashed Toyota Hiace with registration number AS 6145-24.
The rescue team worked to extricate the victim, but the person was later pronounced dead at the scene.
Preliminary information indicates that 10 people were on board the Hiace at the time of the crash. Apart from the two fatalities, eight others sustained various degrees of injury.
Three of the injured were said to be in severe condition.
Personnel from the National Ambulance Service transported all the injured to the Elmina Polyclinic for medical care.
An eyewitness at the scene told officials that the accident occurred when an unidentified vehicle traveling from Takoradi towards Cape Coast* attempted to overtake another vehicle.
In an attempt to avoid a head-on collision, the Toyota Hiace, which was traveling from Cape Coast towards Takoradi, swerved and crashed into a broken-down truck with registration number GN 2491-14 that was parked by the roadside.
The Central Regional Fire Command has advised drivers to exercise patience and extra caution on the highway, especially during overtaking and in areas where broken-down vehicles may be present.
“Such incidents can be prevented if road users obey traffic regulations and remain alert,” the statement said.
The identities of the deceased have not yet been released pending notification of next of kin.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
