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Stop use of illicit drugs! …ER Minister cautions youth
Mr. Seth Acheampong (inset) speaking to the students
The Eastern Regional Minister, Seth Kwame Acheampong, has advised the youth, especially those in Senior High School (SHS), not to allow themselves to be influenced to experiment with illicit drugs.
The experiment, he asserted, may cause them to crave it and become a burdensome part of their daily lives.
According to him, the use of illicit drugs or the abuse of drugs was affecting a lot of the youth, adding that there was a need to address the growing menace, so as not to lead to debilitating effects on the country’s future generation.
He said students relying on illicit drugs could destroy their academic performance and make them a burden to society, advising the youth to rather engage in activities such as sports that offer creative and relaxing alternatives to drugs.
The Eastern Regional Minister was speaking at a day’s seminar organised by the Perfector of Sentiments (POS) Foundation, a youth development and human rights non-governmental organisation, in collaboration with Open Society Initiative for West Africa, for students of the Koforidua Senior High Technical School.
The seminar on the theme, “Prevention of Use of Illicit Drugs: The Youth Our Future,” which was attended by both students and teachers, was purposed to enable POS to interact with them and create awareness about illicit drugs as well as educate them on the dangers associated with drug abuse.
Mr. Acheampong noted that most of the time, the youth were influenced by peer pressure to experience the use of illicit drugs, especially cannabis.
He explained that the abuse of illicit drugs could dull the mind and impair the user’s judgement and would put that person at risk of making wrong and dangerous decisions, indicating that such decisions could affect relationships, performance in school or work, and eventually lead to addictions that could be extremely difficult to overcome.
The Minister revealed that another problem that drug abuse could cause was problems with the law, Narcotics Drug Law 1990 PNDCL 236, where offenders risk heavy fines or imprisonment as such acts could also cause social problems.
The Acting Eastern Regional Officer of the Narcotics Control Commission, Millicent Badu, said it was sad to be called to scenes where young students or youth were arrested or lost their lives due to the illicit use of drugs.
She said there was a need for stakeholders to come together to educate the youth on drug abuse to ensure that they were protected from its dangers.
The Executive Director of the POS Foundation, Mr. Jonathan Osei Owusu, advised the youth, especially students, to desist from the practice to prevent them from being apprehended by the law, adding that being jailed for drug abuse could disrupt their lives and successes.
From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua
The Diaspora Affairs Office at the Office of the President has hosted a delegation of African diaspora women who are in Ghana ahead of a planned Presidential Conferment of Citizenship ceremony.
The Director of Diaspora Affairs, Kofi Okyere Darko, explained in a Facebook post that the visit was a gesture of appreciation by the delegation to the Government of Ghana for its continued efforts to reconnect Africans in the diaspora with their ancestral homeland.
He indicated that the ceremony, scheduled for next Monday, will officially grant Ghanaian citizenship to members of the delegation as part of the country’s broader engagement with the African diaspora.
The delegation was led by Erica Bennett, Founder of the Diaspora Africa Forum.
According to Mr Okyere Darko, her years of advocacy have played an important role in strengthening ties between Africa and people of African descent living abroad.
He noted that the group’s journey towards citizenship represents not only a legal process but also a cultural and spiritual return to their roots.
Also present at the meeting was Natalie Jackson, an attorney who is also expected to receive Ghanaian citizenship during the ceremony. She works closely with renowned civil rights lawyer Ben Crump.
Mr Okyere Darko emphasised that Ghana remains committed to strengthening relationships with the African diaspora and promoting unity, identity, and shared heritage among people of African descent worldwide.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana Tourism Authority is leading Ghana’s participation at ITB Berlin, which opened in Berlin with a vibrant national pavilion highlighting Ghana’s rich cultural heritage, tourism destinations and investment opportunities.
March 5 has been designated as Ghana Day, a special platform to promote Ghana’s languages, cuisine, Kente, festivals and business prospects to the global tourism community. The stand has already drawn strong interest with traditional arts and crafts displays, immersive multimedia presentations and popular Ghanaian snacks.
Seven private-sector players are exhibiting alongside government officials as part of efforts to deepen trade partnerships, expand market access, and attract investment across the hospitality, heritage tourism, ecotourism, and creative arts sectors.
Ahead of the official opening, the Ghana delegation also engaged young Ghanaian investors in Germany in collaboration with V Afrika-Verein and the Ghana Embassy, strengthening diaspora investment linkages and highlighting opportunities within the tourism value chain.
Ghana’s coordinated presence at ITB Berlin 2026 reinforces its strategy to position the country as the Gateway to Africa and a competitive destination for leisure travel and global investment.
