News
Teenage girls abuse emergency contraceptives in Wa
Mrs Charity Banye, Director at the Department of Gender in the Upper West Region has expressed concern on the excessive use of emergency contraceptive pills by most teenage girls in the Wa Municipality as permanent family planning method.
She said that wrongful use of the drug could have catastrophic effect on those who patronised it without recourse to professional advice from qualified health personnel.
“As its name suggests, it is an emergency pill that is taken after accidental sexual relations such as rape, defilement or unplanned acts to prevent unplanned pregnancies not a drug that is taken after every sexual act.
“Most teenage girls in the Wa Municipality abuse the drug instead of abstaining from sex or seeking permanent family planning solutions. This could pose threats to their health,” she warned.
Mrs Banye stated this at a teenage mothers’ leadership conference at Wa recently when she took her turn to address the participants on sexual education.
The Programme which was at the instance of the LifeAgain, a non-governmental organisation in the region brought together some 120 beneficiary teenage mothers of the organisation to share challenges, ideas and success stories after having received assistance from the NGO to continue with the life that was truncated by unplanned pregnancy and childbirth.
The Director stated that the best method for the girls to stay safe from sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies was to abstain from sexual relations and rather channel those energies wasted in unfruitful relationships to their studies.
“As the name indicates, it is a family planning method; what family are you planning at this age and with whom, that boy who hides behind the building on the blind side of your parents? You need to place more value on yourself and stay chaste”, she advised.
She stated that there had been instances where men had denied pregnancies because they claimed the ladies were given emergency pills but the ladies had to bear the responsibility of the child alone.
“Emergency contraceptive pills could interfere with your menstrual cycle and also cause other side effects which can affect your studies if you are a student or your entire day if you are engaged in other forms of activities”, she said.
She used the opportunity to appeal to the young ladies to take care of their bodies but not allow males dose them with emergency pills after sexual relations that could have been prevented.
The Wa Municipal Girl-Child Education Officer, Pognaa Amamata Mumuni lamented that pre-marital sex had become frequent among the young, particularly teenagers and appealed to them to stay away from such acts.
She stated that sex was the preserve of married couples which was created by God for a purpose in the marriage so it was unhealthy for young girls to participate in it when they were still dependent on their parents.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Organisation, Ms Saudatu Mohammed also appealed to beneficiaries of the programme put the help they had received from her her NGO to good use.
From Lydia Darlington Fordjour, Wa
Ahyiresu and Abofrem, two quiet communities in the Atwima Mponua District, have been shaken to the core by a chilling midnight drama that reads like a nightmare.
A pastor and a young mother stand accused of attempting to bury a five‑month‑old baby girl alive, a crime that has ignited outrage and disbelief across the township.
According to police, Apostle Richmond Akwasi Frimpong, 36, Head Pastor of the Anointed Grace Prayer Ministry at Kuffour Camp, conspired with his uncle Emmanuel Appiah, 53, and the child’s mother, 23‑year‑old Beatrice Agyapomaa, to dispose of the infant, Anaya Achiaa, under the cover of darkness.
A fourth suspect, Emmanuel Donkor, remains on the run.
The suspects were caught near a refuse dump around 10 pm on April 9, 2026, after a vigilant resident, Akwasi Twezor, noticed their suspicious movements.
When confronted, they claimed the child was already dead and had palace approval for burial. But Twezor’s instincts proved right—the baby was still alive, gasping faintly for breath.
Chief Linguist, Nana Yaw Badu, later confirmed that Frimpong had misled him earlier in the evening, securing permission for burial by falsely declaring the child dead.
The infant was rushed to the Abofrem Clinic, where she is now responding well to treatment. Police described her as “very beautiful.”
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Evelyn Yitamkey, Commander of DOVVSU in Bibiani, confirmed that the suspects have been provisionally charged.
Frimpong faces attempted murder and conspiracy charges, while Agyapomaa and Appiah are charged with conspiracy and abetment.
They were remanded by the Bibiani Circuit Court, presided over by Judge Frank Asiedu Nimako, to assist investigations.
The docket has been forwarded to the Attorney General’s Department for advice, ASP Yitamkey indicated.
The attempted crime has provoked fury among residents, many suspecting ritual motives aimed at bolstering the pastor’s influence.
Crowds attempted to attack the suspects outside court, but police intervention prevented mob justice.
The Assembly Member for Ahyiresu, Yusuf Suleiman, has assured residents that justice will be pursued swiftly.
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
The forecourt of the African University of Communications and Business (AUCB) in Accra came alive on Friday with colour, creativity and innovation, as Level 300 students transformed the space into a lively exhibition of ideas.
Under the theme “Building meaningful brands beyond the logo,” the students invited patrons into a world where ordinary products were reimagined through storytelling, design and purpose.
From scented candles to innovative food concepts, each stand told a unique story, one that went beyond aesthetics to capture identity, value and human connection.
For many of the students, the event was more than just an academic exercise; it was a moment to dream out loud.
Guided by their lecturer, Peter Wonders, they explored what it truly means to build a brand in today’s competitive world where trust, consistency and experience matter just as much as logos and slogans.
Chairman of the occasion, Nana Kum Gyata VI, in his remarks said a brand is what people say about you when you are not present.
At the end of the presentations, awards were presented to deserving groups with Vida Nyaneba emerging as the overall best branding student.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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