Features
The President’s special chair …and emerging controversies
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
In most general sense, a chair is a piece of furniture designed for the purpose of allowing a single person to sit or recline. It is an item of furniture that provides sitting for more than one person, often referred to as a sofa, settee, bench or so on.Sitting in a wrong office chair, can cause major health issues and one can simply avoid this by investing in an ergonomic chair. A good office chair can bear wonders for your back. It works by improving your posture, reducing unnecessary back pains and reducing hip pressure.
Research has shown that, slouching, and similar postures while sitting can cause backaches, headaches and poor concentration. Ergonomic chairs are more comfortable than normal chairs because they are user-friendly. You can adjust all features of the chair to fit your individual needs until you are totally comfortable.
SPECIAL
PRESIDENTIAL CHAIR
For some time now, there has been controversy from the point of view of the public over a special presidential seat being used by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at both state and private functions across the country of which viral photos keep trending on social media more frequently. The now famous seat of the President, has been spotted carried in a V8 vehicle that followed the president anywhere he attended public functions.
The brouhaha over this strange development on the part of the president, has imputed several rumours, speculations and conjectures about the motives behind the practice, especially when he has to travel to any public functions across the country with this special chair. Some have said that the practice, is purely associated with spiritual direction offered to the president. Rumours are that, the President’s personal prophet, had cautioned him to avoid publicly offered chairs and use his own private chairs anywhere he goes.
SPECULATIONS ABOUT THE SPECIAL CHAIR
Another strange reason is that the President’s special chair has a special purpose to perform while he sits on it. It is being alleged that the chair is not a mere seat, but an electronic device put together to keep him from fallen asleep.It is said that the seat is actually a contraption filled with a device that delivers mild electrical vibrations to keep the President awake. Explaining how the device works, an unimpeachable source within the presidency, was once quoted within social media circles to have stated that, “It is really a simple device that is remotely controlled. The trusted aides handling the remote control, are under instructions to deliver a certain level of electric shock to the President at specified intervals. The shock is not delivered to cause him to jolt, but rather, to deliver some vibration to keep him awake”.Whether this assertion is true or not, is something yet to be established and comfirmed.
GABBY’S
EXPLANATION
However, Mr. Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, a Special Aide to the President and his right-hand man, was quoted to have debunked all the conspiracy theories and assertions on his Facebook page, explaining that the roaming chair, was due to the deadly Corona virus pandemic which rocked the entire world in 2019, including Ghana.
It is recalled that during his official tour of the North East Region in 2020, President Akufo-Addo, visited PAD 95.1 FM for an interview along with his presidential seat and that was captured in the social media. The usual studio seat, according to the picture that made rounds, was shifted aside and replaced with his special chair. Also, during his visit to the Ashanti Region in that same year, his special presidential seat was taken along with him for an interview with Wontumi Radio Station among others.
PUBLIC CURIOSITY
ABOUT THE
Nobody is against the President carrying and using a special chair at any given functions across the country and even beyond the borders of this country, provided the costs involved in transporting this special chair will be borne or absorbed by the President himself. If for any good reasons regarding his health and doctors have advised that he should use a special seat as a means of dealing with his problem, that will be fine and also becomes a state funded issue since he is the president and the number one gentleman of the land as such, the laws will allow that to happen. In all these propaganda theories being bandied around in the social media by some personalities, neither the President nor any of his spokespersons, have given reasons as to why this special chair always has to travel with the President anywhere he goes to put an end to some of these mere speculations. It is on the basis of such development that one finds it difficult to comprehend what is happening in the face of the current economic challenges that has brought about high cost of living among the citizenry.
HUGE COST INVOLVED IN MOVEMENT OF CHAIR
The cost of travelling with this presidential seat on board the V8 vehicle to public functions across the country will be at a huge cost, running into millions of Ghana cedis at the expense of the state. Apart from that, the number of luxurious vehicles including V8 that follows the president in convoys during his local travels is another financial drain to the country which needs to be looked at with critical lenses. What is more disturbing, is the fact that a whole V8 is assigned to convey a chair with a driver and a guard. That is, indeed, very strange and difficult to imagine.
A vital question people continue to ask is that; If it is not for any good or tangible reason, why can’t the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDCEs), make available special seat just like what the President always travels with, even if it should be electronically manufactured, to accommodate the president in their localities anytime he travels to their areas and cut down the cost of travelling with this special seat on V8 from the presidency in Accra to the districts and regional capitals.
GHANA IN
COMPLETE MESS
This country is in a terrible financial and economic crisis, as the President himself has admitted when he recently came to our homes through radio and television broadcast to the nation.
There is high depreciation of the local currency against the US dollar, inflation keeps escalating to an unimaginable level, the cost of fuel is astronomically high, thus affecting the cost of transportation among Ghanaians, high level of state debt and heavy fluctuations in foreign direct investment, volatile prices of goods and services among other economic challenges. We have gone to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to seek a financial bailout to restructure our ailing economy. There is a general disaffection among the people as they continue to experience severe hardships.
AVOIDING PROFLIGATE LIFESTYLES
While steps are being taken to resuscitate our shattered economy and restore confidence in the economy, there is the need for the government and its appointees, to lead by example by cutting down all the unnecessary spending and also to plug all the loopholes in our financial management. Things that are not of essence and beneficial to our course of development must be got rid of, in order to conserve our meagre foreign exchange.
It is also important that, we downsize our government by cutting down the number of ministers of state and merging some of our ministries to avoid duplication of functions.There is a clarion call by Ghanaians to the President to sack or remove some of his non-performing ministers and bring in fresh minded people with ideas to help him to prosecute his development agenda which is a call in the right direction.
TOUGHER MEASURES NEEDED TO REVAMP ECONOMY
The going is, indeed, very tough, rough and, therefore, we have to adopt and apply stringent measures to resuscitate our ailing economy which is in a state of comatose. Ghanaians deserve better because they have sacrificed a lot for this nation to the present state, and the time to do this is now. Let those who have ears, listen now!
Contact email/WhatsApp of author:
ataani2000@yahoo.com 0277753946/0248933366
By Charles Neequaye
Today, I focus on the Apostolic Church International in Finland, as I continue with my description of institutions and personalities and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland.
The Apostolic Church International, Finland (or, Apostolic International Association Ry) was established in October 9, 2023. The Church in Finland has seen significant strides and accomplishments within the short time that it has been established in Finland, which must be highlighted.
History of the Church in Ghana
The Apostolic Church Ghana originated from the 1904–1905 Welsh revival, officially established in Ghana (then called Gold Coast) in 1935 following connections between a local prayer group in Asamankese (a town in southern Ghana), led by Peter Newman Anim, and the Apostolic Church, UK. There were historical splits in 1939 and 1953, but the Apostolic Church attained autonomy in 1985.
Today, the Church is headquartered in Accra. Last year (2025), it dedicated its new 10-storey headquarters, “The Apostolic Church Tower,” in Frafraha, Adenta West in Accra.
Activities of the Apostolic Church in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland conducts church service on Sundays. The service starts at 11a.m. in the morning and closes by 1 p.m. in the afternoon. There are no other activities during other days for now.
The Minister in charge of the church in Finland is also the Area Head of Italy Area. He is Pastor Daniel Kofi Addison who is the new Italy Area Head, and has just been transferred from UK South Area to Italy Area during the just-ended Council Meeting in March this year. Italy Area comprises Italy, which has 13 Assemblies, Germany, one Assembly, and Finland, one Assembly.
Elder Ebenezer Amoaning-Coffie is the Presiding Elder in charge of the Assembly in Finland. A Presiding Elder is responsible for day to day activities of the church (Assembly) and reports to the District Pastor, or in the absence of the District Pastor, reports to the Area Head.
Achievements
The Apostolic Church International, Finland was officially registered under the Finnish Law, guaranteeing freedom of worship and providing legal foundation for future growth. The church service is conducted in both English and Twi.
The church opens its doors to all people of every nation, especially Ghanaians who are in Finland and other African nationals. Now, the membership comprises Ghanaians, Nigerians and Sierra Leoneans.
The Church and the Ghanaian migrant community in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland plays a prominent role as a religious group that serves Ghanaian migrants and others in the Finnish society.
Thus, the Apostolic Church is a religious body for Ghanaian migrants in Finland and other nationalities who want to worship with them for diversity and better intercultural and multicultural understanding.
Elder Amoaning-Coffie said that the main and primary aim of the church is to bring people closer to God. “We aim to win souls for Christ. We aim to preach the gospel to the world. By propagating the gospel to the people, we are hopeful that they will turn away from any ungodly ways and be good individuals in the community and in society in general”, he stated.
He said that everything is going well so far. A key challenge, however, is how to get more members especially the youth. As a new Assembly, we are in need of instrumentalists, for example. We pray to God Almighty to help us do His work, the Elder disclosed.
Integration
By its activities, the Apostolic Church is helping to ensure integration of its members well into the Finish society. This is important since social interaction and citizens’ well-being are an important part of the integration process in Finland.
As I mentioned some time ago, the role of migrant associations and groups such as the Apostolic Church acting as bridge-builders for the integration and inclusion of migrants through participation in the decision making process and by acting as a representative voice is highly appreciated in Finland. Thank you!
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
The landscape of the Ghanaian palate is shifting, and not necessarily for the better. In our bustling urban centres, from the streets of Accra to the suburbs of Kumasi, a quiet culinary revolution is taking place; one where the mortar and pestle are being replaced by the pizza oven and the deep fryer. This transition from traditional staple foods like fufu, banku, akple, kenkey, tuo zaafi, and ampesi toward “continental” dishes is more than just a change in appetite; it is a reflection of a deeper social struggle with identity and prestige.
The illusion of modernity
For many, “stepping out” for a meal has become synonymous with consuming foreign cuisine. There is an unspoken social hierarchy where a bowl of Abunuabunu is relegated to the village category, while burgers, pizzas are branded as prestigious choices. We have reached a stage where we equate foreign with modern and local with primitive.
This perception is a dangerous illusion. Our traditional dishes are marvels of culinary engineering complex, nutrient-dense, and deeply rooted in our history. When we choose a processed foreign import over a meal made from local tubers or fermented maize, we are not just changing our lunch; we are eroding the indigenous knowledge attached to our local ingredients and foods.
We need to turn the consumption of indigenous grains and tubers like millet, sorghum, and plantain into a statement of self-worth and national pride.
The cultural and health erosion
Every time a local dish disappears from a restaurant menu to make room for foreign fast food, we lose a piece of our cultural fabric. Traditional Ghanaian cooking is an art that requires patience and skill. By choosing the convenience of foreign fast food, we are raising a generation that may know the taste of a pepperoni pizza but cannot identify the rich, earthy profile of Prekese or the subtle tang of well-fermented dough dishes like corn porridge, banku, etew, abolo, agidi or kamfa, and kenkey.
Furthermore, we are at the crossroads of a nutrition transition. Replacing high-fiber, indigenous crops with calorie-dense but nutrient-poor foreign fast foods is driving a rise in lifestyle diseases such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, cancer, and liver disease. We are trading our longevity for 15-minutes convenience or unhealthy diet.
A call for culinary patriotism
It is time for us to appreciate, preserve, and promote our indigenous foods and culinary traditions. We need to be proud of our local dishes, ingredients and cooking methods, rather than relying heavily on foreign or imported foods. We must stop viewing our local delicacies as low-class and start treating our culinary heritage as the high-end gastronomy it truly is.
True sophistication does not come from imitating Western fast food; it comes from innovation and adding values to our own resources. We see glimpses of this potential in the rise of branded Sobolo and the creative use of gluten-free plantain flour in modern baking of flour-based dishes such as bread, cakes, biscuits and others. This is the path forward. We must elevate our local dishes, making them as accessible, affordable, presentable and trendy as any foreign alternative.
To the hospitality industry: Innovate or stagnate
Our hotels and high-end restaurants must lead the charge. They must stop relegating local dishes to the “traditional corner” of the buffet, and apply the same culinary finesse given to imported dishes to our Fante Fante, apapransa, aborbi tadi, fetritoto, akple, abolo, yakayeke, fufu, ampesi, kokonte, wasawasa, tubani, apapransa, mpotompoto, kelewele, aliha, brukutu, pito, and other local dishes. The industry must enhance customer experiences making eating local dishes the ultimate luxury experience for both tourists and residents alike. We must elevate the presentation of our foods by using modern plating techniques to show that a bowl of light soup can be as visually stunning as a French consommé. We need to reclaim our Ghanaian plate before it is too late.
To the policy makers: Let us encourage buying of local ingredients to promote the local food industry and economy. There should be educational programmes and talks about the nutritional and cultural benefits of local foods so that people understand their value.
We need to encourage serving traditional dishes at school programmes, parties, and celebrations instead of only fast foods,
To the Youth: Let us value and appreciate our traditional dishes instead of always choosing foreign foods. There must be balance in our choice of local and foreign dishes. Confidence in our culture encourages others to respect it too. Our local dishes can also be promoted by sharing pictures, recipes, and videos on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp to make them attractive and trendy.
Young citizens must learn from their parents and elders how to prepare local meals to keep the knowledge and cultural relevance alive. Local dishes can be modernised to appeal to younger generations and tourists.
Conclusion
We cannot afford to trade our heritage for foreign cuisines which are gaining grounds across the country at an alarming rate. We must disabuse our minds of the perception that anything foreign or imported is better than those locally made. Our health, economy, and identity are tied to the soil. It is time to stop apologising for our local flavours and start celebrating them. It is possible to embrace modernity without losing ourselves and our cultural identity. Let us make the Ghanaian kitchen the heart of our modern identity once again.
By: Marilyn Gadogbe
