News
Trouble looms in Ada …over missing names of Chiefs in festival brochure
Nene Kabu Abram Akuaku II
Trouble is looming in Ada over the omission of some chiefs in the official brochure for the recently held Ada Asafotufiami festival.
Notably from the Kabiawe Clans, the pictures and names of key chiefs such as Nene Owusie Sakpiti II, Nene Kabu Dzabaku Kubi V, the Ada State Dzase and Naana Dagojo Dumaaley I-Paramount Queenmother of Ada were omitted.
Also missing from the festival brochure was the Divisional Chief of Korgbor, Nene Akiti III.
There was, however the unauthorised inclusion of pictures and names of some individuals who were not chiefs nor members of the Ada Traditional Council yet featured on the brochure.
The development, according to a source close to the Ada Traditional Council (ATC), has angered the Paramount Chief Dzetse Nene Kabu Abram Akuaku III.
Consequently, the source indicated that the development could result in a crunch meeting by the Paramount Chief to resolve the issue and persons found culpable could be sanctioned according to the laws of the land.
The meeting would ultimately correct certain mistakes that occurred during the festival, strengthen the unity among traditional leaders, and safeguard the integrity of the paramountcy.
“The disagreements and disregard to higher authority in certain decisions greatly troubled the Paramount Chief. It has the tendency to embarrass the entire Ada State and disrupt one of the most prestigious festivals in Ghana, hence the need to call everyone to order,” the source told The Spectator.
According to the source, these and other unresolved matters were causing disunity and unrest within the traditional leadership, a situation he said does not augur well for development.
“We need to understand that in all things, Ada comes first, hence the need to put differences aside, become united, and work towards growth,” the source emphasised.
The source reminded that without unity and mutual understanding among the leadership, Ada would be denied of development.
The source highlighted the importance of identifying and addressing people within the leadership that may be hindering progress with their actions, stating, “We need peace and unity to progress, so if there are people in our ranks that are against that, then they must be dealt with according to the laws of the land.”
He stressed that the activities of the paramountcy must be handled professionally to protect its image and avoid such compromises in future.
He said in future, the backgrounds of people should be investigated before elevated to the status of chiefs to avoid such troubles.
This year’s Ada Asafotufiami festival, held on August 1-8, attracted thousands of guests and celebrated the rich cultural heritage of the Ada State.
By Michael D. Abayateye
The Speaker of the Algerian Parliament, Mr. Azouz Nasri, has arrived in Accra to take part in the Next Steps High-Level Consultative Conference on the implementation of the landmark United Nations Resolution on the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans.
He was received at the Jubilee Lounge, Kotoka International Airport, by Ghana’s First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Bernard Ahiafor.
The 3-day conference runs from June 17–19, 2026 in Accra. It will bring together parliamentary leaders, diplomats, civil society, and other key stakeholders to reflect on the implications of the UN Resolution for Africans and people of African descent worldwide.
Organisers say the meeting is aimed at advancing a coordinated global framework to strengthen advocacy around the Resolution and provide practical guidance for its implementation across member states.
The Resolution is described as a historic step toward acknowledging the transatlantic slave trade and addressing its lasting impact, with this conference marking one of the first high-level efforts to move it from declaration to action.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Aspiring National Chairman for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Awentami Paul Afoko, has stated that the party has a unique opportunity to annex power in the 2028 elections.
According to him, the one person who has been on Ghana’s ballot paper for several elections will not be on the ballot paper in the 2028 elections, paving the way for the NPP to properly market its flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who is already a formidable force to reckon with and will go ahead to win the polls.
He argued that voters already know him, he’s battle-tested and ready to win.
He reiterated that the NPP will have a well-marketed candidate in the 2028 election and just as the party did in 2016 when it annexed power from a sitting government, the same can be done.
The Former NPP National Chairman, however, noted that this can be possible if the NPP unites as a unit and approach the elections with all the seriousness it deserves to ensure that its quest for victory does not become a mirage.
Mr Awentami Paul Afoko made this known when he met with Regional Executives, Patrons and Elders of the party in the Volta, Oti and Eastern Regions yesterday.
“For the first time we have a unique opportunity. At the time I put the New Plan for Power in place, we knew that the sitting president could go again and if he won another term, we would sit in opposition for twelve years.
We had to put a plan in place to make sure we come to power and we came to power. This time around, he will not be on the ballot paper and this offers us a unique opportunity, but without unity we will not get there,” he stated.
“As for unity, it is not negotiable. You can’t sit here and look at the lady sitting next to you and say I don’t like her so we can’t work together. We are working together for power, and if we let emotions get in the way, we lose” he said.
“Those of you who are old enough to remember Muhammad Ali the boxer, he is in the ring with you, he’s talking and calling you names then you get emotional and he takes advantage. Emotions won’t give us power. I didn’t get anything so I won’t support; no, let that go because it is in the past,” he noted.
Afoko, who is pushing his 3R Agenda of Reunite, Rebuild, and Recapture power, said the party must adopt a clear message to win back the confidence of Ghanaians and believes, with Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, whom he described as the right candidate will guarantee the NPP victory in the 2028 polls.
“For years I chose to work quietly behind the scenes, supporting the NPP in private,” Afoko said.
“But recent developments have compelled me to step forward. We need to get our party back into winning ways, and that starts with unity of purpose,” Afoko reiterated.
He framed the upcoming period as a test of whether NPP politics would mature or remain stuck in cycles of blame, but was optimistic that everyone who loves the party would come on board to realize the goal of making Dr Mahamudu Bawumia the next President of Ghana.
By: Jacob Aggrey
