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Tension brews at Egyambra in Ahanta West
There is simmering tension at Egyambra, a farming community in the Ahanta West Municipality of the Western Region as 21 families are up in arms with the Chief of the area, Nana KofiAmo lll, who has ordered the bereaved families to pay money and drinks (Nkae Nsa) before they bury their dead relations.
As a result, the families have petitioned the Police Administration to intervene immediately as the matter could degenerate into anarchy, and called for the transfer of the Municipal Police Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Valentine Akposu for failing to ensure peaceful settlement of the issue at stake.
The letter dated May 5, 2022, and written by their counsel, Mr Yaw Anokye Frimpong from John Konny Chambers to the Director, Police Professional and Standard Bureau (PIPS), Accra, was copied to the Western Regional Minister, Regional Police Commander, Regional Crime Officer, as The Spectator source disclosed.
The stalemate over the matter stems from the directive by Nana Kofi Amo III that, the families should pay ‘Nkae nsa’, that is money and drinks, else they would not be permitted to bury their dead ones.
“It is our fervent hope that you would treat the matter with the urgency it deserves so that the people of Egyambra can put fear behind them, especially where they allege that, some time ago, one of their people was killed through acid dousing by some unknown persons.” counsel pleaded.
The petition recalled that on April 4, 2022, the families through their counsel, wrote a petition to the Western Regional Police Commander to take immediate steps to avert what could be a volatile situation at Egyambra.
It submitted that, Nana Amo III with the backing of Ahanta Omanhene, Nana Baidoe Bonsoe XV, informed them that anyone who failed to pay him the ‘Nkae Nsa’ upon the death of their relative would not be permitted to bury the corpse at the public cemetery and any attempt to disobey the order would be met with the pouring of acid or any deadly substance on them.
The letter further said that, the Regional Police Commander acted swiftly on the matter and that the Municipal Security Committee (MUSEC) organised a meeting on April 26, 2022, but, surprisingly, the Municipal Police Commander directed the aggrieved people to settle the matter with Nana Amo III, otherwise the chief would be right in using his machomen and other agents to pester them.
Further, the Police Commander, they complained, failed to take note of a more recent High Court judgement which tried the merit of the same ‘nkae nsa’ payment that the chief lost.
The lawyers stressed “Our clients say after the comments made by the aforesaid officer, the chief sent some youth to Egyambra with substances believed to be acid, blatantly displaying same at the public cemetery to scare mourners from burying their dead.
“We have instructions from our clients to report the conduct of the police officer to you for further investigations and possible transfer from the area because he has demonstrated that he cannot do anything to bring peace to the place he is serving,” the petitioners said.
Meanwhile, in the letter to the Western Regional Police Commander, dated April 4, the Egyambra families wrote that, since their ancestors migrated from various locations to settle at Egyambra stool land 40 years ago, the custom had been to pay the said notification drink to the Amantwe family which owned that cemetery lands, whether “it is an Amantwe candidate who occupies the Egyambra stool.”
Responding, Nana Amo acknowledged the court ruling on whether he holds the capacity to exact the nkae nsa but, explained that the Abusuapanyin could receive same.
“The families have buried some of the dead elsewhere and we know that there will be a burial on Friday, June 17 at Egyambra.” he told The Spectator.
From Clement Adzei Boye, Takoradi
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Focus on more pressing issues like Galamsey, not hate speech – Ellen Ama Daaku to Mahama
An aide to former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia,Ellen Ama Daaku has advised President John Dramani Mahama to shift his attention from social media hate speech to more urgent national issues such as illegal mining.
Speaking in an interview, she noted that the President’s recent comments about tracking the IP addresses of people who spread hate speech were unnecessary.
According to her, President Mahama must first define what he considers to be hate speech before seeking to punish people for it.
Ms. Daaku argued that the President himself had benefitted from hate speech and social media attacks in the past when he was in opposition.
She said even during his time in government, he described his opponents and their tribesmen in unpalatable terms, which later drew complaints from former President Nana Akufo-Addo to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
She stressed that harsh criticism of leaders on social media should not automatically be considered hate speech, adding that former leaders, including former President Nana Akufo-Addo had all been subjected to it.
“He is only feeling what Nana Akufo-Addo went through for eight years,” she remarked.
While acknowledging the need to regulate misconduct online, Ms. Daaku insisted that going after social media activists should not be a priority.
She noted that many political activists, including herself, had been insulted and attacked online but never called for arrests.
She concluded that President Mahama should focus his energy on solving pressing problems such as galamsey and the economy instead of concentrating on critics on social media.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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Prof Alidu Seidu files nomination for Tamale Central seat
The newly elected parliamentary candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for Tamale Central, Prof Alidu Seidu, has submitted his nomination forms to the Electoral Commission.
As of 10:00 a.m. today, he was the only person who had filed to contest the seat.
Nomination of candidates will close at the end of the day.
Associate Professor and Head of the Political Science Department at the University of Ghana Legon, Prof. Alidu Seidu won the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primaries in the Tamale Central constituency with a landslide victory.
The elections, supervised by the party’s Elections and IT Directorate in the Northern Region, saw Prof. Seidu poll 840 votes out of the total valid ballots cast.
His closest contender, Lawyer Hanan Gundadow Abdul-Rahaman, secured 536 votes.
The other aspirants could not make significant gains, with Dr. Seidu Fiter obtaining 44 votes, Aliu Abdul-Hamid 23 votes, and the rest recording fewer than 10 votes each.
In all, 1,500 ballots were cast, with 6 ballots rejected and 7 spoilt ballots recorded.
The results were signed and declared by Dr. Arnold Mashud Abukari, NDC Northern Regional Director of Elections and IT.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) held parliamentary primaries in Tamale Central to choose a candidate for the upcoming by-election following the death of the sitting Member of Parliament, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed. Dr. Mohammed, who also served as Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, tragically died in a military helicopter crash in the Adansi Akrofuom District on August 6, 2025, alongside seven others.
His passing left the Tamale Central seat vacant, as required by Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.
The Electoral Commission has scheduled the by-election for September 30, 2025. While the NDC moved quickly to open nominations and vet aspirants, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) announced it would not contest the seat, citing the need to respect the somber circumstances and promote national unity.
By: Jacob Aggrey
