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Spend time to raise children in godly manner – Pastor tells parents
Many parents no longer spend time with their children to pray and read the Bible because of the economic situation and societal pressure
Many of such busy parents have found a safe haven in the church where they leave their children with Sunday School teachers to train them on their behalf.
However, the Greater Accra East Children’s Ministry Director of the Assemblies of God Church, Pastor Mrs Susanna Atisu has cautioned parents to desist from such behaviour as raising godly children was first of all the responsibility of parents before all others.
Speaking with The Spectator she said although Sunday School teachers were committed to teaching children to be the best they could be, holistic grooming and nurturing must start from the home. “Do not leave the training of your children to Sunday School teachers.
Be responsible as parents,” she advised. Pastor Mrs. Atisu said it was critical for parents to instil godly principles in their children so they will be God-fearing and have a personal relationship with Him even at a young age.
She said although some children who had good Christian training from home drifted, they were more likely to repent by the Holy Spirit compared with those who did not have it.
She encouraged parents to lead exemplary lives at home and make time for family devotions to raise godly children. Pastor Mrs Atisu said raising children in the fear of God, is key to producing better leaders which would benefit the society immensely. The quiz, brought together 15 participating churches.
The Holy Spirit Assemblies of God took the first position followed by New Life and the Central Assemblies of God who took the third position. They received cash prizes, trophy and certificates with some of the contestants being selected to represent the Tema District at the Regional level of the quiz.
The Captain of the Holy Spirit Assemblies of God Church team, Miss Nyamedzi Anderson, said they worked hard to prepare for the quiz and was happy it had paid off.
She said it was a great experience as it was their first time of participating and promised to work harder so that they could win at the Regional level and beyond.
The quiz was aimed at testing the knowledge of the children in scriptures, history of the Assemblies of God Church and the 16 fundamental truths of the Church to improve their knowledge and also train them to love the church.
From Dzifa Tetteh Tay, Tema
A former Sec ond Lady, Mrs Matilda Amis sah-Arthur, has called for urgent action to bridge literacy gaps among young girls in the country to advance gender equality.
She stressed that improving lit eracy among girls was essential not only for women’s empowerment but also for national development.
“Addressing the literacy gap is not a woman’s issue. It is a nation al necessity and, with the passing of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Act, 2024, Ghana is signalling that women belong in leadership, but leadership begins with a book,” she said.
Mrs Amissah-Arthur made the call at an event organised by the Ghana Library Authority (GLA) in Accra yesterday to mark Interna tional Women’s Day (IWD) on the theme: “Her Voice in Libraries: Women Transforming Literacy in Ghana.”
According to her, many girls in Ghana still drop out of school due to poverty, lack of mentorship and limited support systems, warning that without deliberate interven tions some risk becoming part of worrying national statistics.
The former Second Lady encouraged students, particularly girls, to see education not only as a tool for personal advancement but also as a means of empowering future generations.
“Don’t shy away from STEM and ICT subjects. Break into the male-dominated areas and bridge the digital divide,” she added.
Mrs Amissah-Arthur also called for stronger partnerships between men and women in advancing gen der equality, stressing that the issue should be viewed as a national development priority rather than solely a women’s concern.
“Gender equality is not a woman’s issue. It is a development issue. It requires partnership, respect and shared responsibility,” she said.
She further expressed opti mism that with the right support systems, every child, regardless of gender, could achieve their full potential.
In a remark, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Education, Lydia Essuah, said that despite progress made in promoting gender equality in the education sector, challenges remained in ensuring progression, completion and quality learning outcomes for all learners.
She highlighted the important role of libraries in advancing liter acy and lifelong learning skills, and called for increased investment in library infrastructure and services to help build a knowledge-driven society.
The Executive Director of the Ghana Library Authority, Alhassan Ziblim Bentintiche, also under scored the importance of libraries in empowering young people, par ticularly girls, with access to books, digital resources and mentorship opportunities.
He disclosed plans to expand Ghana’s library infrastructure and services to particularly attract the youth and promote literacy.
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
Management of the Metro Mass Transit Limited has accused the government of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of pursuing what it describes as a “create, loot and share” agenda in the sale of portions of the Opera Square Bus Terminal to a private developer.
The Deputy Managing Director of the company, Haroun Apaw-Wiredu, raised the concerns while speaking to journalists at the Opera Square Bus Terminal in Accra on Thursday, March 12, 2026.
He indicated that the management of Metro Mass Transit would not tolerate any further unauthorized development at the terminal and would take steps to protect the property.
According to him, it would be wrong for a private developer to take control of state property for personal economic gain while the company and the public remain silent.
“How can we sit down and allow a private developer, just for his selfish economic gains, to capture state property for himself? No, we cannot sit down,” he stressed.
Mr Apaw Wiredu called on the public to resist what he described as attempts to take over state assets, adding that such actions would disadvantage ordinary citizens.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we must all stand up. We must all wake up. We must fight this level of brazen looting and attempts to milk the system at the expense of ordinary Ghanaians,” he indicated.
He explained that some individuals had been operating around the terminal for many years and alleged that the developer gained access to the land during the previous administration.
Mr Apaw Wiredu stressed that under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama, the company would pursue all legitimate means to protect the terminal from what he described as unlawful takeover.
He added that management would use every legal avenue available to defend the property and prevent any attempt to take control of the land without proper authorization.
By: Jacob Aggrey
