The Government has declared Thursday, April 11, as a statutory public holiday to mark the celebration of Eid-ul-Fitr.
A statement issued by the Interior Minister, Henry Quartey, urged the general public to observe the day throughout the country.
“The general public is hereby informed that Thursday, April 11, 2024, which marks Eid-ul-Fitr, is a statutory public holiday and should be observed as such throughout the country,” the statement said.
Eid-ul-Fitr is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to mark the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting (sawm).
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The holiday marks the conclusion of the 29 or 30 days of dawn-to-sunset fasting during the entire month of Ramadan.
The date for the start of any lunar Hijri month varies based on the observation of a new moon by local religious authorities, so the exact day of celebration varies by locality.
PRESS RELEASE BY THE OFFICE OF THE GBORBU WULOMO-SHITSE ON THE REPORTED MARRIAGE RITES ON NAA OKROMO IN NUNGUA LAST SATURDAY
It has become necessary that the Office of the Gborbu Wulomo-Shitse set the record straight on the matters arising concerning the customary and traditional rites that was performed over the weekend for Naa Okromo to assume the role as Naa Yoomo Ayw?mo?de.
Naa Yoomo Ayw?mo?de is one of four roles played by indigenes of Nungua of particular heritage and ancestry from time immemorial. The title Naa Yoomo Ayw?mo?de which goes with the appellation “W? Dokum Yoo” says much about how far in time the office goes.
The Gborbu deity has four Traditional and Religious wives in Nungua alone and they are Naa Ashiele, Naa Ohemea, Naa Bosuafi and the final one is Naa Yoomo Ahwemoede. The Gborbu deity has other wives outside Nungua, some are Akornode in Larteh, etc. Per traditional customary rites, Naa Yoomo Ahwemoede performs a peculiar traditional role which is different from the other three wives.
Being a “Boi Ekaa Yoo”, Naa Yoomo Ayw?mo?de Aids the Gborbu Priest in performing special rites for the Gborbu deity which includes:
Dud? mli Nu Woo which she performs three times in a year to usher in the Kplejoo Homowo celebrations.
Jenten nihoom? which is to feed all deities at the cardinals of the Meridian Rock which is at the center of the world and its situated in Nungua.
She is the mother of all the Priests and Priestesses in Nungua.
She is responsible for carrying the corn wine to the Town Square (Festival grounds/Ablokor Jaanor) for Praises and thanksgiving to God Almighty.
She is responsible for cleaning and ablution of the Gborbu Temple during the annual Kplejoo Homowo Festival.
She is responsible for the Aywemoede deity and Shade deity which is purely performed by a virgin
We would like to emphasize that, there is no canal relationship or marriage involved as perceived by many. For the records, the other wives to the deity have their respective legal husbands.
The items presented on Saturday 30* March, 2024 were not the usual items presented during marriage rites, rather, they were to aid Naa Yoomo Aywemoede to carry out her traditional duties as already mentioned.
Whenever the role becomes vacant, “atswaa tso he” to wit, spiritual consultations are made to determine who should take up the office. To add, persons from a particular home are selected for this role.
After the demise of the former occupant, which was over 300 years, it fell on Naa Okromo who was prophesied before her birth to take up the mantle as Naa Yoomo Aywemoede. Naa Okromo remained in her mother’s womb for about two (2) years before birth through the intervention of the Gborbu deities she was delivered and consecrated. She sat without walking for two (2) years. Through divine interventions, consultations and prayers to the Gborbu deity, she stood to walk.
This makes her a mystery child. She has been preserved in maintaining her virginity till now to assume her role as Naa Yoomo Aywemoede which she begun Six (6) years ago. Quoting from the M.J FIELDS RELIGION AND MEDICINE OF THE GA PEOPLE “chapter 3: at every woryoos yele yeli… there are always to be seen a dozen or so children of all ages painted with white clay and dressed in white.
These are children born in response to prayers to the particular gods or spirits.
Naa Okromo is one of such children for which reason she was chosen by the Gborbu deity for this role.
Events that unfolded on Saturday saw some excesses like all other events of which verbal misrepresentation and over exaggeration by some people who took over the microphone after the actual M.C is done with the presentation. We wish to debunk and disassociate ourselves from this misrepresentation and over exaggeration which without doubt are the cause of this disaffection.
We want to send this message to the general public and all media houses both home and abroad that Nuumo Borketey Laweh Tsuru XXXIII, Gborbu Wulomo-Shitse will for no reason attempt to violate the constitution of the republic which over the years has expressed and shown by way of his actions as a defender. For any clarity concerning Nungua, we will entreat all and sundry to contact the Office of the Gborbu Wulomo-Shitse.
Thank you.
Signed:
Rev. D. N. Gyasi Ankrah
Director of Administrations
Office of the Gborbu Wulomo-Shitse
The NPP 1st Vice Chairman in Atwima Nwabiagya south and Philanthropist Mr John Kwame Duodu popularly known as Sir John has donated food items, cash and other commodities to Muslims in Abuakwa and Nkawie Mosque at the Atwima Nwabiagya south in observance of the Holy Month of Ramadan.
The donation came on the heels of his desire to support the Muslims during this Ramadan period as part of his annual compassionate gesture.
The items donated to these two Muslims communities includes:4 Bags of Sugar, 4 Cartons of milk, boxes of Nescafe, Tins of Milo, boxes of Lipton and among others-all total to GHC9,000 according to him.
Speaking at after the distribution, Mr John Kwame Duodu reaffirmed that helping the Muslims in his constituency and beyond would continue to remain a priority for him especially during Ramadan.
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“I don’t consider myself rich. My difference with people is that, whatever I have, I want to share it with people especially the needy ones because that is what Allah and God has asked us to do.
According to him, the government alone can’t provide for the citizens so two years ago when aspiring to become 1st Vice Chairman in his constituency, he promised to collaborate with the government, DCE and MP to ensure that any little he has will be shared to those in need hence this gesture to the Muslims.
He then called on other members of the ruling NPP to emulate this benevolent action of him and support the vulnerable irrespective of your position.
Receiving the items, the Nkawie Zongo Chief Yusif Muhammed and Abuakwa Zongo Chief Alhaji Saani Muhammed hails NPP for their support to Muslims since ascending the seat in 7 years ago.
They however,expressed appreciation to Sir John for his immense contributions towards Muslims in the ara of Ramadan period.
The leadership of the Christ Apostolic Church of Ghana (CACG) has eulogized Parliament for passing the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill into law.
According to the Church, the passing of the bill Parliament has assured the people of Ghana that the Parliamentarians were ready to fight for the good of the people of Ghana.
Addressing the media in Kumasi over the weekend, The Trustee Chairman and Leader of the Christ Apostolic Church of Ghana, Apostle Abraham Amoh, appealed to the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to follow the good gesture and example by the Parliamentarians and sign the bill.
Apostle Amoh
He explained that there was the need for the President to listen to the voice of the populace and in the interest of the majority of Ghanaians sign the bill to make it a law to bind all Ghanaians.
Apostle Amoh stated that although Ghana remains a secular state, there was a need for the President to consider the cultural values and beliefs of all various ethnic groups and faith-based Organizations and do what the people are looking for to promote peace in the country.
He also reminded the President to be mindful of the rich cultural values that keep the nation in good shape and not people’s adopted cultures.
The Trustee Chairman explained that “there is the need for the culture of the various ethnic groups in the country to be protected and strengthened to protect the cultural values and moral activities which make up what the country stands for”.
Advice to political parties
He mentioned that since both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parties have governed this country before, it was time to compare their administration, vision and how they delivered for Ghanaians to allow one of the parties to move the nation forward.
Apostle Amoh urged Ghanaians to carefully select which of the two parties has the people of Ghana at heart by implementing the right policies that stand the chance of changing the living standard of the people through poverty alleviation initiatives.
He advised the Electoral Commission to be transparent and fair in their duties in the coming elections and also urged leaders of the various political parties to caution their followers to be disciplined and follow election guidelines for a peaceful Ghana before, during and after the elections.
END
Wishing all my Muslim brothers and sisters strength, patience, and spiritual fulfilment throughout this Ramadan.
#Ramadan Mubarak! 🌙
– Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang
Prof.Jane Nana Opoku Agyemang
Wishing all my Muslim brothers and sisters strength, patience, and spiritual fulfilment throughout this Ramadan.#Ramadan Mubarak! 🌙 pic.twitter.com/zuFQDosDQn
— Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang (@NJOAgyemang) March 11, 2024
The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has commended the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Ghana for its contributions to the country’s development since its establishment 100 years ago.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission was established in the then Gold Coast 100 years ago and on Thursday, February 22, thousands of Ghanaian Ahmadis joined members from neighbouring countries at Pomadzi in the Central Region to commemorate its Centenary Anniversary.
Speaking as a Special Guest of the Centenary Convention, Vice President Bawumia acknowledged the contributions of the Ahmadiyya Community to Ghana’s development as well as its impact on the propagation of Islamic tenets in Ghana.
“From its establishment in the Gold Coast a century ago, the Ahmadiyya Mission, undoubtedly, has contributed significantly to the state of Islam in Ghana today,” Dr Bawumia said.
He added: “The story of Islam in contemporary Ghana, especially the story of the continuous quest to propagate the true tenets of the religion such as peace, equality, compassion, the pursuit of knowledge and respect for all, cannot be fully told without the remarkable contributions of the Ahmadiyya Community.
“One hundred years after setting out a noble revival mission, the revival that the Ahmadiyya Mission Ghana aimed for has manifestations in the spheres of education, health, enhancement of social relations for the promotion of national peace, fostering co-existence in our multi-cultural and multi-religious country, as well as engendering good governance.”
Dr Bawumia reserved special praise to the Ahmadiyya Community, for their efforts in the health sector and education, which he said is in line with his personal belief of transforming the youth through education and making education freely accessible to all.
“Two areas the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has made significant contributions, in its 100 years’ revival mission, which deserve much commendation, are education and health sectors, where the Community has built seven hospitals.”
“As a staunch advocate for the development of the youth through education, I am highly impressed by the remarkable contributions and impact the Community has made in the education sector, throughout the country. To have built a total of 315 schools at the primary, junior and senior high school levels, as well as one college of education, is truly impressive and commendable.”
“Many Ghanaians, regardless of religious affiliations, have benefited from your decision to focus on education, which is in line with our government’s vision to invest in education and make it freely accessible to all Ghanaians at the secondary level.”
Dr Bawumia also extolled the Ahmadiyya Community for its contributions to religious harmony, peace-building and promotion of good governance.
“Through our Free SHS, policy, which also reflects the tenets of your reawakening mission, secondary education, since 2017, has been freely available to every Ghanaian throughout the country.
“This has resulted in a record enrolment from a total of 800,000 students in 2016, to the current 1.4m students; a 75% increase in just 7 years. Thanks to the policy, we have also achieved gender balance in senior high school enrolment, a marked improvement on the hitherto, higher male enrolment, as many families who could not afford school fees, chose the easy but sad option of truncating the education of their female wards,” the Vice President noted.
The Chairman of The Church of Pentecost (CoP), Apostle Dr Eric Nyamekye, has described the late former Chairman of the church, Apostle Dr. Michael Kwabena Ntumy, as a man greatly loved by God.
He said the late Chairman, in spite of all the challenges he went through, dedicated his entire life to the service of God.
For him, Apostle Ntumy remained the most loved leader of the church, asking the church to name one person who was more loved by the church than Apostle Ntumy.
Apostle Nyamekye was delivering a sermon at the memorial and burial service of the late former Chairman of the church, which was held at the forecourt of the State House in Accra on Saturday, February 24, 2024.
The well-attended event, brought together leaders of the church, clerics from other churches, political leaders including the former President, John Dramani Mahama and the current Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
Apostle Ntumy dedicated his life to the ministry, beginning at age 26 and later serving as chairman for two terms from 1998 to 2008.
A retirement service was held for Apostle Ntumy in September 2023, in Hamburg, Germany, marking the end of his 39-year ministry.
Speaking on the title: “A man greatly loved”, Apostle Nyamekye compared the life of Daniel with that of Apostle Ntumy, saying that it was God who had called him to give him rest after his labour.
He said Apostle Ntumy remained one of the dedicated leaders of the church who until his death, continued to contribute in diverse ways to the growth of the church, particularly in the production of the church’s literary materials.
Apostle Dr. Ntumy Survived 2 Food Poisoning, 3 Assassinations, 18 Operations – Apostle Eric Nyamekye reveals
By Michael Petit Mawugbe
At the funeral of Apostle Dr. Michael Kwabena Ntumy held at the State House on Saturday, the Chairman of Pentecost Church, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, eulogised the departed former chairman, revealing that he survived two food poisoning, three assassination attempts and 18 surgeries within 15 years.
He said, “In spite of all these predicaments, this great man of God, who is dearly loved, did not lose faith in God.”
“He spent three quarters of his life in hospital. He was a wonder. He always went to the theatre and came back,” he disclosed.
He added, “When he died, my definition of miracles changed … The late Apostle Ntumy will rise to receive his allotted inheritance.”
He described the late apostle as a wonderful person who was gifted to the church by God.
He, therefore, called on the congregation to emulate the good deeds of the man greatly loved by all.
The funeral of Apostle Dr. Ntumy attracted massive attendance. Some of the dignitaries who attended the funeral were former President John Mahama and Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
Aps.Eric Nyamekye, Chairman,The Church of Pentecost
Exactly 5:30am today, the Ashanti Regional Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Francis Adomako led about 200 party members drawn from the constituency and polling station organisers from Nhyiaeso, Asokwa, Bantama, Subin and others including the students’ wings of the party in Universities around Kumasi to sweep the streets of the Manhyia community.
Starting from the Dr Mensah Market, a popular selling place, the NPP members swept and scrubbed the gutters from the Total Filling station and other adjoining routes upwards to the entrance of the Manhyia Palace.
Cleaning with joy amidst brass band music, the NPP organisers for about three hours brought traffic to a standstill as they cleaned and cleared debris along the principal streets to the revered Manhyia Palace.
Speaking to the media, Mr Francis Adomako said ‘’this clean up exercise is to honour our King as he celebrates the 150th anniversary of the Sargrenti War with a mammoth durbar tomorrow and as a political party whose interest is to see Otumfuo projected in good light to the world, we do not want to see any dirt around the Manhyia Palace tomorrow’’.
Francis Adomako, Ashanti Regional Organiser of the NPP dropping debris into a waiting garbage vehicle provided by Zoomlion
Flag-bearer Policy Statement:
Meanwhile, the regional organiser has asked Ghanaians especially the people of the Ashanti region to stay hopeful of good policies from its flag-bearer, Dr Alhaji Mahamodu Bawumia as he speaks to the nation later today.
He noted that projects and initiatives such as the continuation of the Phase two project of the Kejetia Market, the continuation and construction of the Boankra in-land port, the construction of the Suame Interchange and many other road constructions earmarked by this government would be mentioned for attention.
The Ashanti Regional Organiser stated that the NPP party was upbeat about winning the 2024 general elections, adding that today’s policy statement by the Vice President and flag-bearer of the NPP would show the way.
‘’We in the NPP are convinced that the policy statement by our flag-bearer today would show clearly the direction he would want to lead this country on and we are sure policies and programs such as the continuation of the phase two construction of the Kejetia market, Boankra Inland Port construction, Suame Interchange and many other roads due for construction would be mentioned for attention’’, the Regional organiser asserted.
Reactions To Clean Up Exercise:
Madam Veronica Boateng, a hawker at the Dr Mensah Market arena commended the NPP for the gesture of cleaning and scrubbing gutters at the selling place.
“ Traders and sellers including myself seldom clean up this place and no wonder this has occasioned the serious stench that emanates from here’’, Madam Boateng noted.
Kwame Adarkwa, a shoe maker said the exercise by the NPP members was commendable and asked other political parties to learn from them.
“When I got here and saw the NPP members holding long brooms, scrubbing brushes and other cleaning tools I was very happy and I pray those of us who also sell here will learn from this and keep thisnplace and the gutters tidy at all times’’,Mr Adarkwa stated.Story By Michael Ofosu-Afriyie
Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has firmly stated his position on LGBTQ issues and the proposed legislation regarding human sexual rights and Ghanaian family values, commonly referred to as the anti-gay bill.
Addressing the issue during a breakfast meeting with the Clergy in Koforidua on Wednesday, January 31, Mr Mahama stated that his faith is against same-sex marriages, emphasizing the natural order of creation.
“The faith I have is against a man marrying a man and a woman marrying a woman,” Mr Mahama said, adding “I don’t believe that a man can wake up and say he feels like a woman so he wants to change his sex to a woman, I don’t think that is right.”
John Mahama,2024 NDC Flagbearer
Mahama also voiced his concerns about the Electoral Commission’s proposal to move the voting date from December to November.
In Mahama’s view, the new proposals have the potential to raise doubts about the integrity of the elections.
The Electoral Commission has suggested moving the voting date from December 7 to November 7 and has also indicated its intention not to use indelible ink for the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections.
According to Mr. Mahama, the proposed changes could lead to chaos if not executed effectively, questioning why the EC waited until a mere eight months before the polls to propose such significant reforms.
He emphasized the need for transparency and careful consideration in implementing any reforms to maintain the credibility of the electoral process.
“After every election, we sit and consider electoral reforms and we agree on what to do. Since 2020, we have only 9 months to another election and the EC has now come with major changes. No indelible ink and different reforms. When you do that it doesn’t build the confidence of the people in the electoral process.
“We have returned to IPAC after the Peace Council intervened and now they [EC] are saying they want to change the Election date and that they want to bring a new CI to change the old CI but our concern is why wait till now? You don’t spring surprises on people, what if it doesn’t work and it leads to some disturbances…so that is our position.”
