News
Removing earwax with cotton buds dangerous
Ms Charlotte Agyakwa, the Deputy Director of Nursing Services, (DDNS) at the Ear, Nose, and Throat (E.N.T), Unit at the Shai Osu Doku Hospital, Dodowa, in the Greater Accra Region, has warned that it was dangerous to use twirling cotton-tipped swabs to remove earwax.
She has advised that people should not introduce any foreign material into the ears whenever they itched, or felt discomfort.
Speaking in an interview with The Spectator recently at Dodowa, she said the wax in the ear had a natural mechanism which got rid of itself at the appropriate time, hence there was no need to use any foreign material to remove it.
The DDNS explained that earwax was a natural moisturiser which prevented the skin inside the ear from becoming too dry, prevented dust, bacteria and other infectious organisms from reaching the eardrum.
Ms Agyakwa, however, explained that there were some people who produced more earwax than others, a situation which caused the ear to block early, and required that the patient should be examined at the hospital and the necessary assistance provided.
She explained that those who had the penchant to remove the wax from the ear, rather made it dry to compound their problem as they pushed the wax further into the ear.
The DDNS, further said those who used twirling cotton-tipped swabs to remove wax in the ear, could accidentally damage the eardrum and further worsened their problem.
She has, therefore, advised people to report at the hospital whenever they were confronted with any problem with the ear.
National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Executive Committee member and Volta River Authority (VRA) Board Member, Wonder Victor Kutor, has described calls for the resignation of Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa as premature and unjustified.
He argued that there was no evidence to establish that the minister had committed any wrongdoing to warrant such demands.
Speaking on Joy News in Accra on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, Mr Kutor questioned what had changed to justify the growing calls for the minister to step down.
He recalled that the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Abu Jinapor, had earlier indicated that the opposition was not accusing Mr Ablakwa of any wrongdoing.
Mr Kutor, therefore, challenged those demanding the minister’s resignation to provide fresh evidence to support their position.
“The call for the Minister to resign is premature, it is untenable. There is no evidence. I mean, what has he done wrong?” he questioned.
He added that documents, including boarding passes, airline receipts and flight manifests relating to the minister’s return journey, had been provided.
Mr Kutor expressed concern that the calls for Mr Ablakwa’s resignation could discourage young politicians from speaking out against corruption and advocating transparency.
According to him, politicians should not be targeted or maligned for demanding accountability, warning that such treatment could create the impression that speaking against corruption could later become a liability when one is appointed to public office.
He maintained that calling for accountability and transparency should not be used as grounds to target public officials without evidence of wrongdoing.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana will host the Africa Festival of Arts, Culture and Creatives (AFESTAC) 2026 alongside Industrial Skills Week Africa (ISWA) 2026 in Accra from December 9 to 12, 2026.
On the back of these programmes, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has called on corporate Ghana, the media and the general public to support the initiative through partnerships, sponsorships and active participation.
The events, supported by the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), will bring together stakeholders to celebrate Africa’s rich cultural heritage, strengthen the creative economy, promote industrial skills development and create employment opportunities for young people.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
