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Students divided over calls to ban fire rituals at Akenten Appiah-Menka University
Students of Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED) have expressed mixed opinions regarding the performance of rituals by students at various halls of residence in the school.
This comes after the “Chief Priest” of the Opoku Ware II Hall caught fire, was severely injured, and subsequently died while performing rituals on August 25.
According to the students, they occasionally perform such rituals using fire as part of their recreational activities. They expressed shock over the incident.
Following the incident, there have been calls for such activities in the universities to be discontinued.
Speaking to Citi News, some students of the school are of the view that authorities should not prohibit such practices, since they are a source of entertainment. Others have strongly called for such acts to be stopped.
A student who is calling for the cancellation of the rituals argued, “It should be banned. Although, it’s part of socialization in the school, but at the end of it, what are students getting from it? Are they getting something that will develop them, and shape them to become good citizens in the country and the school as such? Is the school getting any benefits from it? No, so looking at the incident, you are a guy you have completed school, that is when you have to enjoy yourself, you make fun of it. How can you make fun with fire and petrol? What are you going to get from it? So I think the school should ban it.”
However, another student who kicked against the cancellation of the rituals on campus said, “Those things shouldn’t be banned, it’s part of university life. Once you have moved from your house to here, you are to learn all those things. Some of us have social problems at home, so if you come here and do those things, it eases stress and mental problems. So I don’t think it should be banned, but we should be careful about how we do it. We should do it in a safe way.”
Source: Citinewsroom.com
Massive celebrations were recorded countrywide as the Black Stars opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto on Wednesday.
Midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi scored the only goal of the match late in the game as he shot in a decent cross from substitute Brandon Asante.
The win gave Ghana a positive start in the competition, placing them in second position behind England, also with three points but with a superior goal aggregate.
After the final whistle, the streets and other viewing centres were turned into partying grounds as fans, mostly clad in the team’s paraphernalia, danced to several World Cup-themed music.
Others blew the vuvuzelas in joyous mood with others putting up a spirited ‘jama’ session.
Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Adentan Constituency, Akosua Manu, has urged party members to move away from what she describes as an “entitlement mentality” and focus on unity, sacrifice and hard work as the party prepares for the 2028 general election.
In a statement titled “Is Loyalty a Queue?”, and posted on facebook, Ms. Manu argued that loyalty to the NPP should not be judged by how long a person has been in the party but by their contributions and commitment to its growth.
According to her, the NPP’s history shows that many of its leaders faced significant opposition from within the party before eventually leading it to electoral success.
She cited former President John Agyekum Kufuor as an example, saying he had to overcome resistance from influential figures within the party before winning power for the NPP in 2000.
Ms. Manu noted that after the party lost power in 2008, former President Kufuor faced criticism and accusations from some party members.
However, she said supporters eventually put their differences aside and worked together to rebuild the party.
She pointed to the experience of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who, according to her, faced opposition from some factions within the NPP despite his long service to the party.
“His trials were ten times what Kufuor endured,” she stated, adding that Akufo-Addo eventually overcame the challenges and became President of Ghana.
Turning to the NPP’s current flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Ms. Manu said he also faced resistance from different groups within the party while seeking leadership.
She praised Dr. Bawumia for contributing to policy-based political discussions in Ghana and for remaining composed following the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 elections.
According to her, party members must now rally behind him in the same way they supported former Presidents Kufuor and Akufo-Addo.
Ms. Manu, however, warned that internal divisions and a sense of entitlement remain major threats to the party’s future.
She argued that some party members place too much emphasis on how long individuals have belonged to the NPP rather than on their contributions and capabilities.
“This entitlement does not question impact. It does not ask what you sacrificed or what you built. It asks only how long have you been here,” she said.
The former parliamentary candidate cautioned that such attitudes could discourage committed members and prevent the party from selecting the best people for leadership positions.
She further called on the party’s incoming national executives to strengthen the NPP’s core values of sacrifice, honesty, integrity and dedication to national development.
Ms. Manu addressed the concerns of young party supporters, many of whom she said became discouraged following the NPP’s electoral defeat in 2024.
According to her, many young people remain eager to see the party return to power but are unwilling to support internal conflicts driven by personal ambitions.
She urged party elders to place the interests of the NPP above their individual goals and to demonstrate leadership that attracts rather than alienates members.
“The NPP is bigger than any one of us. It always has been. Our collective responsibility is to act like it,” she stated.
By: Jacob Aggrey
