Features
The Ghanaian Diaspora and fake pastors
Today, I write about an issue I have been worried about for some time now. It is about how some pastors deceive other people, both at home and abroad.
My focus, however, is more on members of the Ghanaian Diaspora and how they are deceived and even duped by some pastors in Ghana. Please, do not get me wrong; I know there are many genuine and good pastors out there who help to solve people’s problems through powerful prayers and other kinds of support.
My point here is about false prophets or fake pastors who take advantage of others’ predicament to make claims and so-called prophecies in order to dupe unsuspecting people.
Highly religious
Many members of the Ghanaian Diaspora are highly religious. For example, in Europe research studies on religion and migrants indicate an increasing growth of the Charismatic or Pentecostal churches.
In Finland, the many emerging Pentecostal and Charismatic churches are dominated by Ghanaian and other African migrants or people who identify with their African roots.
Many Ghanaian migrants count on their faith and religious convictions and experiences to understand and explain their social realities, including difficult situations such as sickness and suspicions of witchcraft attacks.
Encounters with Pastors in Ghana
Aside their regular pastors, many members of the Ghanaian Diaspora also consult pastors (or even fetish priests) in Ghana to help them with prayers or incantations for spiritual help and protection.
There are many people who believe in men of God. But, I am sure that if you ask some migrants they will tell you many stories of having paid monies to pastors in Ghana only to realise later that it was not worth putting their trust in those so-called men of God.
Usually, the pastors would ask the migrants themselves or a family member of the migrant to give some money with which to work out a remedy for the problem facing the person in question.
Such so-called men of God can give some outrageous ‘prophecies’ in order to put fear in people and make them pay sums of money.
Desperation or fear of spiritual attacks
It is understandable that when one is faced with hardship or some unfortunate situation such as ill-health or loss of job and other opportunities, you become desperate and may seek help from pastors.
Some people are even of the view that the entrenched belief in spiritual things and supernaturalism, as others may term it, would always make people believe in the claims and activities of even fake pastors, no matter how distasteful
Ignorance
Some people think that there is too much ignorance and many people are simply vulnerable. Some people are of the opinion that ignorance is largely the cause. But the question is, is it all about ignorance? That is, do such bad pastors capitalise on merely the ignorance of the people?
How I wish it would not always be a case of people being simply gullible and following the fake pastors.
Occultism or hypnotism
But some people believe that the fake pastors carry out the bad things not just because the people are ignorant, but because the so-called men of God hypnotise their victims.
It is believed that many such pastors are into occultism and only use the name of God to cover up and deceive others. Otherwise, how else would they succeed in taking huge sums of monies from the victims?
To me, these bad pastors use psychology to hoodwink their unsuspecting adherents. No matter what it is, surely there is the need to prevent the duping activities of bad pastors.
Regulations and education
There is need for regulations to curtail such activities by the bad pastors whose untoward behaviours create distaste in society. Their actions undoubtedly create unpleasant perceptions about even the genuine pastors.
As for members of the Ghanaian Diaspora, I think many would heave a sigh of relief if they can find a way to avoid being swindled by fake pastors or that there are quick avenues for redress.
Some people have even suggested that our chiefs and queens should get involved in any action to check the activities of fake pastors who dupe people.
Finally, I wish the media would also play a key role in educating people. There is need for fearless media people who would probe into the activities of fake pastors rather than giving them attention and propagating the false messages of such so-called men (and women) of God.
Happy New Year to you all! Thank you!
By Dr Perpetual Crentsil,
Ghanaian lecturer,
The University of Helsinki in Finland
Walk into any supermarket in Accra, Kumasi, or Tamale today, and you will see the modern Ghanaian diet packaged as ‘progress.’ You will see breakfast cereals with cartoon mascots, fruit drinks that are mostly sugar and colour, and snacks promising energy and happiness in bright fonts.
Even products loaded with salt and unhealthy fats often wear a health halo labeled as fortified or natural, while the real nutritional risk is hidden in tiny print on the back. This is not just a consumer inconvenience; it is a public health blind spot. Ghana is living through a silent surge of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like hypertension, diabetes, and stroke.
These conditions quietly drain household income and steal productive years. According to the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates, NCDs are now responsible for nearly 45 per cent of all deaths in Ghana.
We cannot build a healthy nation on a food environment designed to confuse people at the point of purchase. Ghana must mandate simple front-of-pack warning labels (FOPWL) on high-sugar, high-salt, and high-fat packaged foods because consumers deserve truth at a glance, and industry must be pushed to reformulate.
Why Back-of-Pack Labels Are Not Enough
In theory, consumers can read nutrition panels. In reality, most Ghanaians shop under pressure, limited time, rising prices, and children tugging at their sleeves. The back label is a relic that requires a high cognitive load to interpret—essentially, the seller knows what is inside, but the buyer cannot easily tell.
This ‘information asymmetry’ is not fair. It is not consumer choice when the information needed to choose well is deliberately difficult to find.
Simple warning labels like the black octagons used in the Chilean Model act as a ‘stop-and-think’ nudge. They do not ban products but they simply tell the truth so people can decide.
Reshaping Our Food Environment
A generation ago, Ghana’s meals were mostly home-prepared, like kenkey and banku with soups and stews. Today, ultra-processed foods have become the norm, especially in urban areas. Children are growing up with sugary drinks and salty snacks as everyday items, not occasional treats.
If Ghana is serious about prevention, we must act where decisions are made—thus, the shelf. Warning labels protect parents from sugar traps and pressure the market to improve. When warning labels are mandatory, manufacturers start to compete to make healthier recipes to avoid the stigma of the label.
Addressing the Pushback
Industry will argue that labels create fear or that education alone is enough. However, health education is slow; labels work immediately. While the informal street food sector is a challenge, regulating pre-packaged goods is the practical starting point because the supply chain is traceable. We cannot wait until the whole system is perfect; we must start where action is feasible.
A 2026 Implementation Roadmap for Ghana
To move from talk to action, Ghana needs this 5-step plan:
- Issue mandatory regulation: The Ministry of Health, Food and Drug Authority (FDA), and Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) must define the label format and nutrient thresholds for all pre-packaged foods.
- Simple, bold symbols: Use plain language and clear symbols, such as “HIGH IN SUGAR,” designed for busy families, not experts.
- Transparent thresholds: Adopt technically defensible standards adapted to the Ghanaian diet.
- Transition and enforce: Provide a 12–18 month period for manufacturers to reformulate, followed by firm enforcement at ports and retail centers.
- National literacy campaign: The Ghana Health Service must pair labels with public messages explaining why high salt or sugar increases disease risk.
Conclusion: Truth Is Not a Luxury
Prevention is cheaper than treatment. A warning label costs little compared to the price of dialysis, stroke rehabilitation, or lifelong diabetes complications. A black octagon on a box of biscuits is more than a label; it is a shield for the health of all Ghanaians. It is time to put the truth where we can see it, right on the front.
By Abigail Amoah Sarfo
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Natives of the Kenkey Kingdom were mad with joy. They were still recovering from the hangover of the kingdom’s loss of the African Cup when their spirits were rekindled. Their great warrior, Zoom Zoom, stormed Melbourne and made sure that every Australian refused food. And that was after he had drawn contour lines on the face of their idol, Jeff Fenech.
Not only did the terrible warrior transform Old Boy Jeff’s face into a contour map useful for geography lessons, but he also accomplished the feat of retaining the much-envied super-kenkeyweight title against all odds. The warrior had not been eating hot kenkey for nothing.
The Fight Against Fenech
When Jeff Fenech bit the dust in the eighth round, I was tempted to consider if Adanko Deka could not have faced him in any twelve-rounder, title or non-title bout. Adanko has improved tremendously, and soon he would be facing Pernell Whitaker.
Sincerely, I was pessimistic about Azumah’s man, who the last time took him through twelve grueling rounds of rough boxing. I expressed my fears to my colleague Christian Abbew, alias Gbonyo, who surprisingly had total confidence that the Australian brawler would fall, predictably in Round Five.
Gbonyo gave reasons for his contention, all of which I counteracted using the age factor. Fact is, I didn’t know that contrary to the laws of nature, Azumah was all the time growing younger.
When Fenech fell briefly in round one, I asked my brother whether it was the same Fenech that fought Azumah in Las Vegas. Sure, it was the same Fenech, all out to beat Azumah before his countrymen.
But the African Professor had no intention of making the Australian a hero. As he spun round the desperate Aussie, dancing and stinging out his jabs, it was not too long before I realized that the end was near.
The Eighth Round Showdown
Two minutes into the eighth round, the African ring-master proved to the whole world that he was a true son of Bukom. He himself was cornered, but like the tough nut he is, he managed to break free before overwhelming the panting Australian with several blows that made him crash headlong.
Moments after, the referee, expressing fatherly sympathy, stopped the fight to prevent an obituary. After the ordeal, Fenech’s fairly handsome face was full of newly constructed hills, valleys, ox-bow lakes—whatever. I noticed that his nose was very tired and had a miniature volcano sitting restlessly on it. Obviously, Jeff’s wife will have to nurse that nose back to its normal shape—but I’d advise her not to use iodine, otherwise her dear husband will wail like a banshee.
Reflections on Boxing
Because Mohammed Ali was the kind of boxer kids liked, many school-going kids often entertained the wish of becoming like him. I remember one day when I told my father I wanted to become a boxer, and he advised me to first complete my education to the highest level. Then, if I decided to become a boxer and was knocked out a couple of times, I’d fall back on my degrees and make a living.
Boxing used to be interesting when bouts were fought more with the mouth and tongue than with gloves. You had to brag well, psychologically belittling your opponent before beating him up physically. Mohammed Ali became a very successful pugilist because he also managed to become a poet. He often blew his horn across America, calling himself the “pretty boxer” and opponents like Joe Frazier “the gorilla.”
Ali made a living fighting hard fists like Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Jerry Quarry, George Foreman, Leon Spinks, and Trevor Berbick. Twice he came back from retirement to fight just for money. It was Larry Holmes who finally pensioned him, and since then the great Ali has never been himself.
The Path Ahead for Azumah
When Azumah nailed Jeff Fenech on the cross and barked almost immediately that he was after the head of Pernell Whitaker, I was happy but concerned. I would have been happier if he had announced his resignation there and then—he would have been more of a hero. Beating Fenech in Australia is more newsworthy than facing Whitaker in the States.
With Whitaker, it might be a little difficult. The “Sweet Pea” is agile, has a crooked body like a snake with diarrhea, and stands awkwardly as a southpaw. He is known for having the fastest pair of fists and the rare ability to dodge punches no matter how close they may be.
Much as I do not doubt that Azumah can take his title, I also don’t want him to retire beaten. I want him to retire as a hero and live a fuller, healthy life.
As Azumah himself said after dishing Fenech, he is now a professor and has something to show for it. Like a true professor, I think it is time he resigned and took up training young talents who could draw inspiration from him and become like him in the future.
Closing Thoughts
I must say that although ageing boxers like Larry Holmes and George Foreman are making a name for themselves, boxing is not like the Civil Service, where you can even change your age and retire at 74. Zoom Zoom has delighted the hearts of the natives, and Sikaman will forever hold him in high esteem—but only when he retires as a hero.
This article was first published on Saturday, March 7, 1992.
