Features
TUC: Still standing accused?
• Dr Anthony Yaw Baah, TUC General Secretary
Readers, about two months ago, a very concerned Labour Consultant and Member of the Ghana Association of Certified Mediators and Arbitrators, Mr Seth Abloso, wrote a detailed petition to the Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress of Ghana (TUC), reporting the criminal conduct of two “unfit” persons nominated by the TUC to represent Oganised Labour on the Boards of Trustees of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA).
Indeed, the petition was titled:” Petition for the withdrawal of unfit persons as representatives of Oganised Labour on the Boards of Trustees of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust and the National Pensions Regulatory Authority.”
The petition was copied to: (a) Member Unions of Organised Labour (b) the Governor of the Bank of Ghana (c) the Managing Director of GCB Bank LLC (d) the Chief Labour Officer (e) the Director General – SSNIT (f) the Chief Executive Officer – NPRA (g) the Executive Secretary – Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (h) the Executive Director – Ghana Integrity Initiative and the two “unfit” persons.
The petition named the two “unfit” persons as John Senanu Amagashie, General Secretary of the Union of Industry, Commerce and Finance Workers (UNICOF) and Alex Nyarku-Opoku, who doubles as National Chairman of UNICOF and a Manager of the Burma Camp branch of GCB Bank LLC. Mr Nyarku-Opoku is also the Chairman of the General Council of the TUC.
Mr Abloso’s petition to the TUC Secretary General was fully highlighted by this column in the May 21, 2022 edition of The Spectator, and readers may refer to it.
In simple language, the petition was asking the TUC to replace the two “unfit” TUC nominees on SSNIT and NPRA Boards with new nominees, who are fit to represent Organised Labour on the two Boards.
Deeply reflecting on the criminal charges characterising the two “unfit” persons in Mr Abloso’s petition to the leadership of the TUC, one would have expected an institution like the TUC, to have responded to the petition to redeem its “infested” image in the matter but it has still not done that.
Lawyers for the two “unfit” persons have, however, written to Mr Abloso, asking him to “retract” what they claim as “defamatory and libellous statements” against their clients, as contained in his petition, besides rendering an apology.
The letter from the law firm (Law Alert Group) representing the two “unfit” persons, dated 10th June, 2022, was signed by Charles Bawaduah Esq. The letter warned Mr Abloso , stressing that within two weeks after the receipt of the letter, a legal action would be instituted against him if a “retraction” and an “apology” had not been rendered.
Having received the letter from the law firm on 22nd June 2022, Mr Abloso responded appropriately to it, re-affirming all the statements he made in his petition to the TUC leadership and further expatiated them.
Mr Abloso’s letter to the Law Alert Group, defending his statements on the two “unfit” persons makes very interesting reading.
His letter to the lawyers dated 30th June, 2022, emphatically stated: “The issues at stake are matters of public record and same have not been challenged in any way by Mr Alex Nyarku-Opoku and Mr John Senanu Amagashie and UNICOF.
“As matters stand now, Section 177(1) (c) of the Company Act, 2019 (ACT 992) remains relevant and indisputable. The unfit persons need to withdraw, be withdrawn or be restrained from being part of the Management or Directorship of any Company, whether limited by shares or limited by guarantee.
“Alternatively, I invite your clients to a joint verification of the records within one (1) week upon receipt of this letter, which outcome should conclude this matter and I await their favourable response to the request for verification.
“My request for Organised Labour through the Secretary General of the TUC to cause the withdrawal of Mr Nyarku-Opoku and Mr Senanu Amagashie from the Board of Directors of NPRA and the Board of Trustees of SSNIT, as Organised Labour representatives is based on the decisions of the High Court and records of the Judicial Service of Ghana, which are matters in the public domain and are not a fabrication.
“Mr Nyarku-Opoku was found by the ruling of the National Labour Commission (NLC) of 2nd June, 2017, to have lied on oath. The High Court affirmed this decision on 24th June, 2019, which has been acknowledged by him, rendering it as self-confessed misconduct.
“This alone renders him unfit to hold a position in the Union of Industry, Commerce and Finance Workers (UNICOF) , let alone in the TUC , and how much more to serve on a Public Board?
“He, together with Mr Amagashie, among others, were found by the NLC and the High Court decisions to have multiple breaches of the UNICOF Constitution, including perpetuating administrative and adjudicative injustice, and by the same Constitution they were debarred from holding any elective office in the UNICOF , having accepted their guilt of breach of the Union’s Constitution, but defiantly and illegally staying on , despite cherished principle that nobody should benefit from breaching the law.
“So, how did they get into the structures of the TUC and get appointed as Board Member of NPRA and SSNIT, representing Organised Labour ?
“The TUC Secretary General knew or ought to have known that the said individuals were unfit and should not have entertained their nomination for consideration to the said Boards.
“In fact, the logical expectation was that upon receipt of my letter identifying them as unfit for purpose, Mr Nyarku-Opoku and Mr Senanu Amagashie should have resigned on their own accord to relieve the Secretary General and Organised Labour of the burden of recalling them
“The loan facility with GCB Bank which enumerated their prowess in deceiving the Bank to obtain a loan was put in public domain when UNICOF instructed same to be filed at the High Court in suit No. MSIL/03/2019.
“In the said loan facility agreement signed by the two unfit persons, they submitted that there was no litigation or arbitration proceedings taking place, pending or threatening against the UNICOF or its assets, which may have material adverse effect on its business, assets or financial position, knowing very well that this declaration is a blatant falsehood as Suit No. MSIL/03/2019, NLC vrs UNICOF was ongoing at the High Court, Accra.
“These pieces of information are public and verifiable. Your letter did not state the individuals had commenced or completed any processes to purge themselves of their unlawful conduct per the NLC ruling and their making false claims to obtain a loan on behalf of UNICOF from the GCB Bank.
“Mr Nyarku-Opoku and Mr Senanu Amagashie appear to be embroiled in another case bordering on fraud, which is also before the courts in Suit No. GJ/0226/2021.
“In this case, UNICOF under the supervision of the same individuals, has admitted to procuring , in other words, engineered the stealing of a GCB Bank customer’s Statement of Account, which wrong doing, according to the Bank, Mr Nyarku-Opoku has owned up being the one from whom UNICOF obtained the said stolen document. This is a criminal misconduct, which I cannot be convinced is befitting of a Board Member.
“However, by your letter Mr Nyarku-Opoku and Mr Senanu Amagashie are telling the people of Ghana, especially members, contributors and beneficiaries of SSNIT and the Pensions Schemes as well as business community that despite their lead roles in the above fraudulent incidents, they are fit to represent Organised Labour as Board Members of SSNIT and NPRA ?
“The leadership of Organised Labour and the TUC Secretary General’s silence and inaction in immediately withdrawing them from the Boards appear to be tacitly supporting and or covering up their misconduct and thereby tainting the image and credibility of the Boards.”
Readers, from Mr Abloso’s detailed response to the lawyers of the two “unfit” persons on the Boards of SSNIT and the NPRA; is the TUC leadership still justified in pretending to be “deaf and dumb” over the whole issue ?
Contact email/ WhatsApp of author:
asmahfrankg@gmail.com (0505556179)
By G. Frank Asmah
On Sunday, October 11, 2026, it was the turn of Ghanaian Catholics in Finland to lead the singing in the church service of the African Catholic Chaplaincy in Finland (ACCF).
It was indeed a spirit-filled feeling for worshippers present. And for the Ghanaian migrants, the occasion also brought back to them memories of church services in their home country, Ghana.
The ACCF has a roster for each country/community to sing from time to time. Next Sunday will be the turn of the Nigerian community. Other communities that usually sing are the Kenyan/Tanzanian community, the Cameroonian, the Ugandan, group, etc.
A powerful religious experience
The mass services of the Chaplaincy usually give a powerful religious experience and a display of cultural diversity, especially in occasions such as when the Bishop of Helsinki, Bishop Raimo Goyarrola, celebrated mass with the Chaplaincy on Pentecost Day, May 24, 2026.
There was a similar time of spiritual joy last month (September 27, 2026) when Emeritus Bishop Teemu Sippo, former Bishop of Helsinki, visited the Chaplaincy. Bishop Teemu was the main celebrant, assisted by the Chaplain, Reverend Father Thomas Otieno.
Last Sunday, Reverend Father Bernard Sor, a Ghanaian Catholic priest based in Austria, was the main celebrant in the mass service where he performed a rite of baptism. Fr Bernard had celebrated mass a few months ago when he visited his sister and her husband in Helsinki. 
All these well-attended religious occasions indeed leave lasting memories. The homilies (peaching) by the priests usually emphasize religious tenets such as the importance of loving and serving God in truth, existing in peace with our fellow humans to promote unity in diversity, etc.
Unity in diversity and a colourful display of cultures
The African Chaplaincy church services usually produce impressive displays of diverse cultures from different parts of Africa and elsewhere. The events are often spiced by rich cultural displays of dances and colourful attires which are a delight to watch.
On special occasions, members of the Ghanaian Catholic community, in their gay and colourful kente attire and with adowa dance and music, usually lead the procession into the church. Other communities such as the Cameroonian, Nigerian, Kenyan and Tanzanian as well as Sudanese/South Sudanese groups also put up well-choreographed performances from their cultures.
The African Catholic Chaplaincy in Finland
The African Chaplaincy was founded on June 4, 2017, which was a Pentecost Sunday, in a Pontifical High Mass celebrated by Monsignor Emeritus Sippo S.C.I., the then Bishop of Helsinki, at the St. Mary’s Catholic Parish Church in Helsinki.
The Chaplaincy was created by Bishop Teemu in collaboration with the Diocesan body when they detected a great flocking of African immigrants to Finland, the majority of whom were Catholics. This was to give the immigrants a possibility to integrate into the Finnish society by worshiping as Catholics and in their African cultural identity.
The responsibility of the Chaplaincy was given by Bishop Teemu to Father Dr Leonard Wobilla Shwei, who is thus the first Chaplain and ably led the Chaplaincy. He was succeeded a few years ago by Father Thomas Otieno, who continues to move the Chaplaincy forward. Thank you!
GHANA MATTERS column appears fortnightly. Written in simple, layman’s terms, it concentrates on matters about Ghana and beyond. It focuses on everyday life issues relating to the social, cultural, economic, religious, political, health, sports, youth, gender, etc. It strives to remind us all that Ghana comes first. The column also takes a candid look at the meanings and repercussions of our actions, especially those things we take for granted or even ignore. There are key Ghanaian values we should uphold rather than disregard with impunity. We should not overlook the obvious. We need to search for the hidden or deeply embedded values and try to project them.
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
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She did not find out he was cheating. She found out he was drowning.
It was two weeks after their beautiful wedding. The jollof was still in the fridge. A loan officer called her number-not his-and politely asked, “Madam, please tell your husband to pay his overdue loan. We have been calling him.”
That was how she discovered her new husband had entered their marriage with a hidden debt of over GH¢ 40,000. No cheating. No other woman. Just a financial secret.
And that is how many Ghanaian marriages begin to die. Not with a shout, but with a secret alert on a phone.
We prepare for the wedding. We do not prepare for the wallet.
What is money honesty?
Let me define it simply. Money honesty is not that you both earn the same. It is that you both know the same. It is the ability to sit down and say without fear:
“This is how much I earn.”
“This is how much I owe.”
“This is how I was raised to see money.”
“This is what scares me about money.”
Financial transparency is not about control. It is about clarity. You cannot build trust on top of secrets.
Many couples tell me, “Counsellor, we love each other, love will handle money.” I always answer, “Love is the car, but money honesty is the fuel. Love without honesty cannot move.”
How To Buy Your Marriage Insurance Today – My 5-Step Protocol
If you are engaged, newly married, or even 20 years in marriage, you can still fix this. At Counsellor Prince & Associates Consult—CPAC, this is what I give couples:
Step 1: The 90-Minute Money Naked Session.
No phones, no blame. Each partner writes down on paper: Monthly income, monthly debts, monthly family obligations, savings, and your biggest money fear. Then you exchange papers. Read it. Don’t react for 24 hours. Just absorb.
Step 2: Create OUR Money, YOUR Money, My Money.
You need three pots. OUR money for rent, food, school fees, utilities, properties, and the like— joint contribution. YOUR money and MY money—a small agreed allowance no one questions. This stops the feeling of being controlled.
Step 3: The No-Secret Debt Rule.
Agree from today: No new loan, no new hire purchase, no new family financial commitment above GHS 500 without telling each other first. Not permission, but information.
Step 4: Talk About Your Money Personality.
Are you a Spender or a Saver? Are you Risky or Safe? Most Ghanaian marriages are a Spender married to a Saver. Neither is wrong. But if you don’t understand your partner’s personality, you will call his saving “stinginess” and her spending “wastefulness.”
Step 5: Do a Monthly 30-Minute Money Date
Not an argument date. Light, with tea. “How did we do this month? What worried you? What should we plan for next month?” Couples who do this divorce far less.
My Final Word
Before you say “I Do” at the altar, have pre-marital counselling and also have the money talk on the sofa.
Ask your partner:
“If I lost my job today, how long can we survive?”
“What debt are you bringing into this marriage?”
“How much do you send to your family monthly and will that continue?”
If he or she gets angry that you asked, don’t get married yet. A person who is angry about accountability will be abusive about money.
Marriage insurance is not bought at Star Assurance or Enterprise. It is bought in honest conversations when no one is watching.
The wedding costs one day. The marriage costs a lifetime. Don’t enter a lifetime contract and covenant with hidden costs.
You can still insure your marriage today.
Source:
Counselor Prince Offei, CPAC’s founder, is a leading Mental Health Professional, Marriage Counsellor, Author, ADR Expert/Arbitrator, and Spectator Newspaper Columnist. He writes on relationships, marriage, parenting, special needs support, and their connection to mental health. For therapy, counselling, or enquiries, contact Counselor Prince & Associates Consult (CPAC) in Accra on 0559850604 / 0551428486.
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