News
St John of God Catholic Church inaugurates new PPC executives
• Choir executives
A 24-member Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) Executive was recently inaugurated at St John of God Catholic Church at Amrahia in the Adentan Metropolitan area to serve two years.
Dr Stephen Arthur is the President of the Council while Ms Thyra Mabel Ofoli- Tagoe is the Vice-President and supported by other executive members.
The Church Choir executive was the second to be inaugurated and also mandated to serve a two-year term in office.
In a related development, the Ga Adangbe Society was also inaugurated in the church with the mission to aid in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist and foster better relationship among members.
Very Rev Fr Godfred Nuba Bondi, a visiting Priest from the Wa Diocese of the Catholic Church, in his homily, asked the faithful to take delight in building, “human cathedrals” instead of amassing wealth, sometimes at the expense of others.
He advised that as children of God, they should let their lives be examples for others to emulate, read the word of God diligently, pray fervently and back their faith with action.
“ You cannot impart the word of God to others if you fail to read the Bible. Remember that it was through the word of God that the world was created and for that reason you should use the word of God as your spiritual armour,” he advised.
He assured the congregation not to entertain fears because the light of God would lead them through the darkness of this world, just as it had led the Israelites through the desert to the promised land.
Very Rev Fr Godfred Bondi urged Christians to rely solely on God to gain salvation, adding that the disciples left what they had and followed Jesus Christ. He, therefore, asked, “ whom are you following?
He called on the faithful to pray fervently for the priests and encourage them to move on in their efforts to lead others to Christ.
The outgoing PPC President, Mr Edward Adimazoya said his administrationadopted a leadership of integrity, accountability, humility and transparency during its tenure, adding that leadership was continuity and was optimistic that the new administration would continue from where they had left off.
Dr Stephen Arthur thanked the congregation for the trust reposed in his team and assured that his administration would at the appropriate time share its vision with the church.
By Raymond Kyekye
The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed, has assured Ghanaians that the Ghana Police Service will conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against the headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School, Zakaria Abdulai.
Appearing before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee yesterday, the Minister expressed confidence in the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), COP Lydia Yaako Donkor, insisting that the matter would not be swept under the carpet.
He said he trusted the CID boss to ensure that the case was handled professionally and in accordance with the law.
Muntaka acknowledged that the legal process could be slow, explaining that the courts were on vacation when the matter first came to the attention of the authorities.
However, he maintained that efforts were being made to ensure the case was properly handled.
The allegations came to public attention following an investigative report by journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni, which raised concerns about alleged sexual abuse involving female students at the school.
Reports indicated that about 19 students had been affected by allegations including rape, sexual harassment and other forms of abuse.
The reports also raised questions about whether complaints had been made to school authorities before the matter became public.
The allegations prompted calls for an independent investigation and measures to protect the students from possible intimidation or retaliation.
The Ghana Education Service was reported to have interdicted Zakaria Abdulai while investigations were initiated.
The allegations remain subject to investigation, and the headmaster’s guilt must be established through due process.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
GES directs Ashanti Regional, Obuasi Municipal Education Directors to step aside over Obuasi SHTS scandal
The Management of the Ghana Education Service (GES) has directed the Ashanti Regional Director of Education, Dr. William Amankrah Appiah, and the Obuasi Municipal Director of Education, Mr. Kwamena Owusu-Nketiah, to step aside with immediate effect.
The directive forms part of ongoing investigations into allegations of sexual misconduct involving the headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS), Mr. Zakaria Abdulai.
According to GES, the decision is intended to ensure that the investigations proceed without potential interference, nor the perception of it.
The two directors are to hand over their offices and all state property in their possession to the Deputy Ashanti Regional Director of Education, Mr. Thomas Kwame Boateng.
Management added that the headmaster, Mr. Zakaria Abdulai, also remains interdicted and therefore urged the public to ignore any news circulating that he has been cleared.
Management is calling for calm, support and cooperation as thorough investigations into the matter continue.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
