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President Mahama joins Asanteman to observe Akwasidae

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President John Dramani Mahama on Sunday joined As­anteman to celebrate the first Akwasidae festival in the year 2025, at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi.

Akwasidae is a sacred traditional festival celebrated by the Ashan­ti people of Ghana where they honour their ancestors, seek their blessings while the Asantehene sits in state to receive homage from the people.

President Mahama’s presence at the festival marked his first official visit to the Ashanti Region after a decisive victory in the 2024 elections that has seen his non-consecutive second term in office as Head of State.

An atmosphere often charged with vibrant traditional drumming and dancing, showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the Ashanti people saw the Asantehene per­form customary rites to promote the well-being and prosperity of his people.

As usual, kente was in vogue capturing the attention of some foreigners who were attending the highly patronised festival for the first time.

Delivering his speech, President Mahama, bemoaned the dire eco­nomic crisis Ghana was currently facing which required collective efforts to salvage the situation.

According to him, “this particu­lar crisis is characterised by a high rate of inflation, macroeconomic instability, a depreciating currency, and a debt default which has shut us out of the international credit market.”

The President thus appealed to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to leverage his influence in supporting efforts to address the economic challenges of the country.

Praising the Asantehene for his pivotal role in fostering economic growth in his previous administra­tion, President Mahama described the current situation as “more daunting challenge than we have ever experienced in our history.”

“Your Royal Majesty, as a former president between 2013 and 2017, we faced macroeconomic insta­bility and I remember some of the times we had obstacles in our way of bringing stability to our economy and restoring economic growth.

I had the privilege of calling on you to use your influence and diplomacy to smoothen the path so that it could open up the path towards prosperity and progress and anytime I called on you, you didn’t hesitate. And I would like to thank you for your cooperation I enjoyed with you at that time.”

“As we have inherited a difficult economic situation, I will be calling on you again from time to time. And I know that anytime I call on you, you will not hesitate so that we work together to put our nation back on its feet.”

President Mahama reaffirmed his commitment to advancing de­velopment in the Ashanti Region, pledging to complete stalled and abandoned infrastructure projects, particularly in the healthcare sector.

On his part, Asantehene, Otum­fuo Osei Tutu II, urged President Mahama to fulfil all promises made to Ghanaians.

The Paramount Chief of Mam­pong Traditional Area, Dasebre Osei Bonsu II, speaking on behalf of the Asantehene, stated; “We would like you to please remem­ber always the undertakings and promises you have made. I implore you to fulfil all your promises to us in the great Asante Kingdom.

“We have absolute trust in you that you shall not let us down. All ongoing developmental projects within the kingdom and across all kingdoms, you will fulfil them.”

 FROM KINGSLEY E.HOPE, KUMASI

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 Heritage Month Ghana trends

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Since the institution of the Heri­tage Month celebration in Ghana, it has offered citizens opportuni­ties of a lifetime to learn about their cultures and lifestyles.

Ghana’s version is observed in the month of March, coinciding with the country’s Independence Day celebra­tions on March 6.

Heritage Month features festivals, food fairs, arts, crafts, and music events to highlight the economic and social value of preserving national heritage.

Though a brainchild of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), the celebra­tion has been driven to greater heights by local media with the organisation of several events to create the needed euphoria.

Among the events are the Heritage Caravan and Back To Your Village Food Bazaar pow­ered by Accra-based Citi FM and Citi TV, Wear Ghana Festival and the Gɔbɛ festival powered by 3News.

The Heritage Caravan is a road trip which takes patrons across more than half of Ghana’s regions to offer a distinctive road trip that allows participants to explore the various re­gions of Ghana, providing an up-close encounter with the country’s histori­cal and cultural heritage.

In addition to these roles played by the media, news anchors and other presenters appear on screens immac­ulately garbed in locally made outfits, bringing out the beauty of our tradi­tions.

Today, The Spectator news­paper selected a few of the media personalities that are working to give the cel­ebration a global dimension to project the country.  

 By Andrew Nortey

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 MoMo vendor 24 murdered at Kwadaso

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• Mobile money shop
• Mobile money shop

 A disturbing crime has shaken the Kwadaso Onion market communi­ty in Kumasi, leaving family and friends grieving the loss of a young life.

Identified only as Junior, a 24-year-old mobile money vendor, was found murdered in his room on Saturday, March 8, 2025.

According to eyewitnesses, Junior had returned home the previous day with a substantial amount of money, over Gh¢20,000.

It was suspected that the killers might have been motivated by the large sum of money in Junior’s posses­sion.

A police source that confirmed this to The Spectator, said investigation has been launched into Junior’s mur­der, but so far, no arrests have been made.

The Kwadaso community is reeling in shock, calling for justice and an end to the atrocity that has claimed the life of a young and promising individ­ual.

Junior, is believed to be a native of Ejisu Onwe, and was known to his col­leagues and friends as a hardworking and diligent individual who worked at the Kumasi Race Course.

His tragic death serves as a stark reminder of the risks and challenges mobile money vendors faced.

The incident comes barely a month after Patricia Nimako, a 27-year-old Mobile Money (MoMo) vendor, was shot and killed at Krofrom, Kumasi in the Ashanti region by an unknown assail­ants.

The suspected armed robbers fled with the deceased cell phones and an amount of GH¢10,000 on Thursday, February 13, at approximately 3:00 p.m.

The two armed robbers reportedly stormed the kiosk where the deceased was operating and without any provo­cation shot her dead.

There has not been any arrest yet by the police.

 From Kingsley E. Hope , Kumasi

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 Learn how to prepare local dishes…Queen mothers urge young women

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• Some local dishes

 In a heartwarming display of inter­generational wisdom, queen moth­ers from local communities in the Obuasi enclave shared their expertise on how to prepare local diets with young ladies on the International Women’s Day event, courtesy of An­gloGold Ashanti, Obuasi Mine.

Beyond the fanfare, these revered women leaders took centre stage to impart a vital life skill: traditional cooking as they guided eager students and other young ladies through the art of preparing local delicacies.

In fact, the aroma of ‘Abunabunu’, ‘Aprapransa’, ‘Enuhu’, ‘Akaw’, ‘Tuo Zafi’ (TZ), among others, wafted through the air to the extent it could attract people from a distance, as the queen mothers entertained the young women with tales of resilience, entrepreneurship, and community building.

This year’s International Wom­en’s Day Celebration was under the theme: ‘Accelerate Action for Wom­en’s Equity.’

As the event drew to a close, the queen mothers gave words of wisdom upon their young guests.

From Nana Amoanima Dede, Queen mother of Adansi she stated that: “Never forget your roots, and always remember that the kitchen is not just a place for cooking, but for building connections and forging communi­ties.”

Nana Akua Dwum II, Queen moth­er of Edubiase, on her part urged the young ladies to learn how to prepare traditional dishes in order to preserve cultural heritage of the nation.

Earlier, the Managing Director of the mining company, Samuel Boakye Pobee, mentioned their readiness to roll out an “All-Women Apprentice­ship Programme, aimed at empow­ering young women in the Obuasi communities in entrepreneurship.”

He said the project would include women in basic technical skills and their capacity building to boost their employability to reshape perceptions of women’s roles in traditionally male-dominated industries.

According to the Managing Director, the mining company’s commitment “is to empower young people with specialised skills, and progressive knowledge to make them financially independent.”

The company, he indicated, was accelerating action towards wom­en’s equality at the Obuasi Mine and within host communities with the aim to build a foundation to create an inclusive and supportive business culture.

Mr Pobee expressed the need for innovative approaches and dedicated efforts to encourage and invest in women’s participation in all fields, including all levels of technical and operational areas and must be inten­tional and deliberate.”

 From Kingsley E. Hope, Obuasi

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