News
St John of God Catholic Church celebrates Feast Day
Guided by the axiom that a nation which does not honour its heroes is not worth dying for, the St John of God Catholic Church at Amrahia in the Adentan Municipality has marked its 16th feast day by honouring past church executives.
Running through the citations, the church expressed her gratitude to the recipients for their invaluable, dedicated and selfless services they had rendered to the church.
In his homily,Very Rev Fr Emmanuel Obeng Cudjoe, called on Christians to put their trust in God no matter the difficulties and challenges they faced,adding that the Israelites went through series of problems in the desert in order to take possession of the promised land.
He asked Christians to put their hope in God since he would not fail them. ” Each person has been given an assignment by God to accomplish on earth. Once you are alive, know that you are precious in the sight of God and He who is faithful will not disappoint you, provided you trust in him,” he assured.
Very Rev Fr Obeng Cudjoe said God who worked in mysterious ways, caused Pharaoh’s daughter to save the baby Moses when his father sought to kill all the first-born male babies of the Israelites.
He advised Christians not to grumble when confronted with challenges but put their hope in God.
A former Chairman of the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC),Mr David Combat who gave a brief history of how the church started, praised those who had contributed in diverse ways to the formation of the church.
By Raymond Kyekye
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has interdicted two officers over an alleged illegal scheme involving the issuance of Ghanaian Service Passports to unqualified individuals in exchange for money.
The officers are the Acting Director of Passports, Mahama Yahaya Amantana, and a junior Foreign Service Officer, Alhassan Sumani, who has been identified in petitions received by the Ministry as the alleged mastermind of the scheme.
In a statement issued on November 8, 2026, the Ministry said it had referred both officers to the Ghana Police Service for further investigations and possible prosecution.
It explained that the investigation followed two petitions received by the Ministry, with the first submitted on October 8, 2026, prompting the establishment of a committee on October 13, 2026, on the instructions of the Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
According to the Ministry, the first petitioner claimed to have paid US$29,000 in 2023, while the second alleged that he paid US$5,000 in 2026 to individuals involved in the scheme.
Preliminary findings by the committee have reportedly confirmed that 10 individuals who did not qualify for Service Passports were issued the documents between January 2023 and August 2026 after allegedly making illegal payments to a syndicate.
The Ministry named the beneficiaries as Richard Sakyi Apenteng, Augustina Agyei Boateng, Juliet Amankwa, Rebecca Agyeiwaa, Prince Ahensah, Maybel Ahensah, Twumasi Francis Kwame, Gyabaah Anthony, Frederick Ennin and Bosompem Richard.
It said the alleged scheme had been operating since 2023 and that Sumani, who was described as a key figure in the petitions, had operated as a middleman before joining the Foreign Service on November 29, 2024.
Meanwhile, the Ministry used the statement to reaffirm its commitment to improving passport administration in the country, highlighting reforms introduced under the government of President John Dramani Mahama.
These include the introduction of chip-embedded passports that meet international standards, the establishment of Passport Application Centres in all 16 regions, 24-hour operations, free courier delivery and an electronic tracking system.
The Ministry announced that the passport application fee had been reduced from GH¢500 to GH¢350 to make the document more affordable.
It said the reforms were aimed at improving the security, efficiency, accessibility and integrity of Ghana’s passport administration system.
By: Jacob Aggrey
NanaThomas Kwame Okrah Debrah, the Amansie West District Coordinating Director, in the Ashanti Region, was on Wednesday enstooled Amantiahene and Omanhene Mponuahene of the Akyem Bosume Traditional Area.
The coordinator director, who had been in the traditional acting position, now assumes the stool name Obrempon Otupiri Okrah Debrah of the Akyem Amantia in the Asante Akyem South Municipality of the Ashanti Region, after 10 years of traditional governance stewarship marked by discipline, strong advocacy and unalloyed loyalty to the traditional area.
Amantia is the Mponua division of the Akyem Bosome Traditional Area, under the Paramountcy of Okotwaresuo Kantamanto Oworae Agyekum III, as the Omanhene and President of the traditional council, with Akyem Swedru as Ahenkrom.
He swore the oath of allegiance at a colourful and brief customary rites before, Okotwaresuo Kantamanto Oworae Agyekum III, the Omanhene and President of the traditional council.
The ceremony held in line with the customs,practises and tradtition of the area, and the Chieftaincy Act 2008( Act 759) was chaired and presided over by Obrempong Ayim Mmoronsam III, Amanasaahene, who is also Akyem Bosume Akyeamehene and acting Krontihene.
The Amantiahene and Mponuahene said it was with “profound humility, immense gratitude and reverent heart” to be callled by the ancestors, elders and kingmakers to the sacred stool.
Reaffirming his commitment to the stool and the tradtional area, the astute tradtional and local governance expert expressed appreciation for the “confidence and trust placed on him’” by the kingmakers and vowed to uphold the custom,traditions,practices of the place and provide the needed leadership to facilitate rapid socio- economic development.
Present at the ceremony were Nana Akwesi Obeng, Akyem Bosome Adontenhene and Twafohene of Akyem Brenaase; Abrewa Tia,Nana Amma Desuaa Anamaase Chief Priest; Abusuapanin Akwesi Tenadu; Nana Kwaku Adarkwaa, Kyindomhene Nana Yaw Appiah Duodu; Adontohene Nana Kofi Frimpong Manwerehene.
Alao present were Okotwaresuo Kyeame, Nana Akese Brempong,and host of other Nananom,elders, from the Bosome Traditional Area, and Agona Royal family members of the Amantia Mponua Stool.
