GHANAIAN NEWS - FEBRUARY 2023

Ghana marks 66th Independence Day celebration at Ho, V/R

Remembering Ghana’s 1st President Dr. Kwame Nkrumah @ 66

As Ghana celebrates its 66th independence anniversary, the memory of its founding father Kwame Nkrumah is back in the public limelight. But his legacy in Ghana and across Africa leaves much to be desired.

As Ghana celebrates the 60th anniversary of its independence on March 6, Kwame Nkrumah’s name will stir varied thoughts and emotions across the nation of 27 million. “Today, Kwame Nkrumah is a name clouded in mystery and controversy,” Atsu Aryee from the University of Ghana told DW.

That was different in the early days of his rule. When Ghana gained independence from Britain in 1957, Nkrumah was cheered on by masses of his supporters. “At long last, the battle has ended. Ghana, our beloved country is free forever,” Nkrumah declared to chants of “Viva” from the crowd.

Ghana celebrated her 66th independence anniversary on march 6th 2023. The event was co-hosted with the Adaklu District at the Volta Regional Youth Resource Centre at Adaklu.

The Volta Regional Coordinating Council worked feverishly to put the necessary arrangements in place to make this year’s celebration memorable since the announcement was made.

The theme for this year’s Event: “Our Unity, Our Strength, Our Purpose“. President Umaro Sissoco Embaló of Guinea Bissau, who is also the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), is the Special Guest of Honour.

In the first years after independece, his government started an ambitious economic program aimed at industrializing the country which heavily depended on agriculture. The Volta River hydropower project is still a main electricity provider in Ghana. But many other projects have failed and the large state-owned enterprises he created amassed huge debts due to corruption and mismanagement.

Ghana’s public also soon saw the other side of the firebrand politican who had so strongly advocated for freedom. Nkrumah’s rule became increasingly authoritarian. In 1964, he turned Ghana into a one-party state and later declared himself president for life. Some 10,000 Ghanaians, many of them members of the countrie’s elite, sought refuge abroad. With the economy in free fall, simmering anger at his rule was growing. His government was finally toppled by soldiers while he was on a trip to China in 1966.

A waning legacy

But experts say his politics also

Kwame Nkrumah is regarded as one of the heroes in the fight against colonialismImage: imago stock&people cont’d on pg. 7

By Emmanuel Ayiku, Toronto, ON

cont’d on pg. 5

Presient Nana Akufo Addo and vice President Dr Mahauudu Bawumia

The

Helen Sterling Clarke, B.A.J.D, LL.B

Lead

Ghana marks 66th Independence Day celebration at Ho, V/R

cont’d from pg. 1

More than 5,000 people from across the country, including members of the diplomatic corps, the clergy, traditional rulers and other dignitaries are in the Municipality to participate in the event. In 2017, In 2017 President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo decided the independence celebration be held on a rotational basis to open the regions to the world to boost the local economy.

This is the first time that the Volta Region is hosting the national independence parade, which commemorates the Day Ghana formally weaned itself from British colonial rule. A total of 22 contingents from the various security agencies and 12 from the various schools in the Volta Region took part in the parade and other performances.

The 66 Artillery Regiment in Ho is in charge of the march past. As of Saturday, March 4, 2023, many hotels in the Ho Municipality and

the Adaklu District were reported to have been fully booked – with some even booked a week earlier. The regional capital has been decorated with the Ghana flag, with several offices also draping their buildings in Ghana colours (red, yellow, green) to mark the occasion. Ho township roads as well as the Atimpoku-Ho road have seen some facelifts.

On 6th March 1957, Ghana gained independence after 83 years of British colonial rule – becoming the first sub-Saharan African country to achieve independence from Britain.

The country’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah declared Ghana as “free forever” from colonial rule, marking a historic turning point in the governance of the country. Since that day, every March 6 is celebrated across the country and among Ghanaians abroad with various activities, some of which are observed throughout the month of March.

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GHANA TURNS 66 IN MARCH 2023!

Have we fulfilled our Dreams as an Independent Nation?

The 6th day of March marks the attainment of nationhood by our nation Ghana which we celebrate every year. It is here again! The day is a public holiday for the citizens of Ghana. If March 6 falls on a weekend, the following Monday is also observed as a holiday. Ghana Independence Day is also known as Ghana National Day.

The celebrations commemorate Ghana’s independence from the British colonial rule in 1957. The day is celebrated in public offices with various cultural activities, parades, and other events. Private Citizens celebrate the day with music and taste of Ghanaian dishes, and some may even hoist the national flag at home and abroad.

This year citizens of Ghana abroad celebrated the day at different locations to mark our great milestone: sixty-six (66) years of nationhood and nation-building in a special way.

This year Ghana’s 66th Independence Day Celebration was officially marked at Adaklu District in Ho, Volta Region of Ghana with parades and performances. It was launched with the theme: “Our Unity, Our Strength, Our Purpose“

Well, God has granted Ghanaians another year in our life as a nation. By Ghana’s public service provisions, Ghana as a nation is six years past the retirement age for which 60 years is the top of the maturity age when public servants in that country retire from active work, “go on pension”! In this regard, Ghana is matured and considered at pension age that we should have managed our affairs well, but we have not achieved much in our adult life so far.

Collectively though, we should all take responsibility for the problems we find ourselves in at this age of our nationhood. We have not developed as we should due to challenges we face in the area of governance such as nepotism. For example, some politicians and persons in leadership positions, push their family members and friends into areas they have less or no knowledge about which often leads to underperformance. There is also the issue of “Protocol”- order from above when there is a need for employment at any institutions.

Such unfortunate behaviours have affected the development of Ghana negatively.

Our Health and Education systems lack the physical facilities they need to make them more accessible to the population. Unfortunately, they are not the Government’s PRIORITY. Government officials when they are sick run to seek medical attention in overseas. WHY? Is it because they don’t believe in the systems themselves or the project money is been misused. Again is it because they don’t believe the Health care professionals?, This is very SAD situation indeed.

Corruption has become endemic in the Ghanaian society that it is being openly practiced at almost, if not all government

How Queen Elizabeth II’s Controversial Trip to Ghana Changed the Future of the Commonwealth

In 1961, Queen Elizabeth II planned to go to Ghana, a former British colony that had gained its independence in 1957. But before she left on the trip, which was to take place on November 9 to 20, members of Parliament and the public didn’t want her to go due to rising tensions in a country where President Kwame Nkrumah was well on his way to becoming a dictator. They were wary of the visit becoming too dangerous. On October

19, Winston Churchill expressed these sentiments when he wrote to Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, saying in part: “I have the impression that there is widespread uneasiness both over the physical safety of the queen and, perhaps more, because her visit would seem to endorse a regime which has imprisoned hundreds of Opposition members without trial and which is thoroughly authoritarian in tendency.”

cont’d on pg. 8

Editorial continues

GHANA TURNS 66 IN MARCH 2023!

establishments. Efforts are been made to deal with corruption by appointing Special Prosecutors but so far not much. It is expected of the Government to put its foot down to stamp out such practice that is pushing us back instead of moving us forward as a nation.

The collective apathy and wanton disregard for public property and institutions is ingrained in all of us. The desire to get rich quickly at the expense of the nation and the general good continues. The desire to get into politics and government with the sole purpose of stealing public money is still alive among many of our citizens after 66 years of Independence.

Everyone knows that Ghana has all it takes to develop in a big way to provide good quality of life for its citizens. The country is endowed with great natural resources including productive lands, minerals and good weather almost all year round. Food production should be no problem, but many of our citizens routinely go hungry. We have crude oil in commercial quantities and started production and export

to generate additional revenue. The nation has more intellectual capacity and in almost every sphere of national endeavour that we can embark on, Ghana has enough educated people with the requisite skills to execute the jobs if these human resources are well harnessed.

We have abundant sunshine 365 days a year if we care to tap into solar energy. In fact, our list of abundant resources is endless. To all intents and purposes therefore, Ghana has no excuse and reasons for failure and non-performance as a nation up to its current “Maturity age”. As President Nana Akufo- Addo Dankwa said, “We’re sitting on Resources but we’re hungry” Why? We need the answer from him.

It is in recognition of all the above that Ghana should not be poor and hungry. On this anniversary of 66 years of independence, the leaders and citizens of our country have no excuse, at all, not to perform to achieve good standards of living for its citizens.

We salute Ghanaians, at home, and in the Diaspora, on this anniversary of the nation’s birth.

Photo: Popperfoto/Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth II with Dr. Kwame Nkrumah (R)

Remembering Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah

contributed to the fact that Ghana remains a largely stable country. It never disintegrated into civil strife like many of its neighbors, despite a series of military take-overs in the 1970s and 1980s. “His legacy is the nationalism and patrotism he brought in when he was in power,” the University of Ghana’s Atsu Aryee said.

“This sense of that we are all Ghanaians, that we have one country and that the country must be stable.”

But it’s a legacy that is waning. Scores of school children still line up to visit his mausoleum in the capital Accra. But only a few comprehend what Nkrumah was all about.

“Kwame Nkrumah is still an important name in Ghana, because he led Ghana to independence. But many young people do not really know what happened during his time as president and prime minister,” Burkhardt Hellemann, head of the Ghana office of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation told DW. The Konrad Adenauer Foundation is a political foundation aligned to Germany’s ruling CDU party.

“You can feel that his name still has some influence, but I don’t see his political concepts shaping present-

“Today there is a new African in the world. This African is ready to fight his own battle and manage his own affairs,” he told a jubilant crowd on independence day in the capital Accra.

He argued for a pan-African union as a strong force to counter Western influence. Nkrumah is one of the founding fathers of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the predecessor of the African Union

“His concepts are still mentioned on the corridors of the African Union where they are advocating for greater continental unity,” Nigerian historian Toyin Falola said.

Nkrumah drew criticism for spending lavishly on monuments and prestige buildingsImage: picture-alliance/ dpa/G. Spring

Progress with Integrity: Ghanaian News Canada celebrates 26 years of publishing

With hard work, determination, resilience and dedication, your versatile newspaper, The Ghanaian News is celebrating its 25th year of existence this year.

From its modest beginnings of the 12-page tabloid, the paper has now grown in size and quality to the brilliant and colorful 56-page paper that you on your Newsstands every month and now online at www. ghanaiannews.ca.

The past twenty-five years of our work have certainly involved a lot of challenges. We have broached issues and topics that not sat well with some sections of our community and people in high places in Canada, in Ghana and in other parts of Africa. In all these, we have stood our avowed grounds and stuck to our principles of reporting and analyzing issues in a fair and fearless manner. Along the way we have made friends and stepped on people’s toes, but these have been without prejudice.

In the twenty-five years that we have been in existence, we have traveled around the world participate in many events and activities. We have listened to the views our readers and conveyed theirs to others. We have tried to inform and update you on the state of affairs in our home country. These are experiences of a lifetime. Twenty-five years, a two and half decade, is certainly a huge milestone in the life of a Media Organization. Our achievements, success stories certainly outweigh the challenges and obstacles that

we have encountered along the way. We certainly could not have done this without the community’s support.

In celebrating this momentous anniversary therefore, we wish to salute the countless number of people both within and outside our community who have supported, encouraged and constructively criticized us over the past twentyfive years. We pay glowing tribute to all those who have contributed articles and researched on issues, events and stories that we publish every month. We extend a hand of gratitude to our advertisers whose support has gone a long way in sustaining the huge cost involved in publishing the newspaper. We salute our friends and supporters in the mainstream Canadian society who have recognized the good contributions we are making to this society’s development and have offered continuous encouragement. We also pay glowing tribute to the Ethnic Media Council of Canada for their mentoring support and encouragement.

Finally we wish to assure the community and all our friends that we shall continue the good work and travel the noble path that we have chosen over the past twentyfive years. To the community, we wish to assure you that we shall continue to showcase and champion your interests on critical issues that affect our lives in this society that we have chosen to call “home”. We wish all those joining in our celebrations Happy Anniversary.

day political debates,” Hellemann said. Nkrumah’s political outfit, the Convention Peoples Party (CPP), which he established in 1949, now plays only a minor role in Ghana’s political arena.

Many young Ghanians know little about Nkrumah’s presidencyImage: picture-alliance/dpa/T. Ridley Popular in the continent

Kwame Nkrumah’s name remains popular with many people in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2004, the “New African” magazine asked its readers to choose the greatest Africans of all times. Nkrumah came in second behind South Africa’s former president and anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela.

Nkrumah was greatly influenced by the concept of pan-Africanism during his stay in the United States. He was one of the continent’s most influential political leaders at his time.

Nkrumah’s vision of pan-Africanism

Some scholars and activists still promote Nkrumah’s thesis, Falola, a professor of African Studies at the University of Texas, told DW. “But the debate is not as vibrant as it used to be.”

Despite the African Union taking a stronger role on the continent, Nkrumah’s concept of a “United States of Africa” is not anywhere on the horizon, Falola says.

“After Mbeki and Obasanjo left office, we do not have dynamic African leaders pushing this idea at the moment. Every country seems to be interested in its own affairs, consumed by its own politicis, worried about the decline of its economy, so the bigger idea of panAfricanism is pushed under the table.”

Daniel Pelz

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah

The Big Six

How Queen Elizabeth II’s Controversial Trip to Ghana Changed the Future of the Commonwealth

To aid growing tensions, five days before Elizabeth’s trip was to begin, bombs went off in the capital city of Accra. A statue of Nkrumah was hit, which showed the president was a target. Concerns about the queen possibly becoming collateral damage while with him were heightened.

Her visit was a success from start to finish

From the moment Elizabeth arrived in Ghana, along with Prince Philip, she was surrounded by crowds and excitement. Post-independence, the country had embarked on a program of “African socialism” in an attempt to strengthen its economy after years of colonialism. A neo-Marxist Ghanaian paper found Elizabeth to be “the world’s greatest Socialist Monarch in history.” It was an unusual description for an enormously wealthy hereditary head of state, but indicated how popular she was.

Queen Elizabeth insisted on going to Ghana despite the danger involved But Elizabeth had always been intent on making the trip to Ghana, and the bombings didn’t alter this determination. One reason she was reluctant to reschedule was that she’d already canceled on Nkrumah in 1959 when she became pregnant with Prince Andrew. And though Ghana was part of the Commonwealth, along with other nations that had been part of the British Empire, she knew Nkrumah was getting restless. As head of the Commonwealth, the queen didn’t want to insult or embarrass Ghana by postponing the visit, which could push Nkrumah into leaving the group altogether.

In addition, the queen was aware that Nkrumah was getting closer to the Soviet Union, which wanted to expand its foothold in Africa amidst the Cold War. The Ghanaian leader had even traveled to Moscow that October. Soviet attentions toward Nkrumah apparently led to Elizabeth feeling a bit competitive; at one point she declared, “How silly I should look if I was scared to visit Ghana and then [Soviet leader Nikita] Khrushchev went and had a good reception.” Elizabeth also told her prime minister, “I am not a film star. I am the head of the Commonwealth — and I am paid to face any risks that may be involved. Nor do I say this lightly. Do not forget that I have three children.”

Queen Elizabeth II watches a dance performance in an outdoor parade ground, Tamale, Ghana, November 12, 1961; Photo: Paul Schutzer/ The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images

At a state dinner, Nkrumah toasted Elizabeth by saying, “The wind of change blowing through Africa has become a hurricane. Whatever else is blown into the limbo of history, the personal regard and affection which we have for Your Majesty will remain unaffected.” The queen’s reply touched on the fact that nations of the Commonwealth could disagree without members needing to leave.

Elizabeth also captured attention by dancing with Nkrumah. Having the queen and a former colonial subject arm-in-arm on the dance floor was a way to demonstrate her acceptance of a new footing between their countries.

Queen Elizabeth II with Kwame Nkrumah during her visit to Ghana, November 1961; Photo: Paul Schutzer/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images

The trip had lasting effects on the Commonwealth

Nkrumah wasn’t happy when Elizabeth went to visit the young son of an imprisoned opposition leader during her time in Ghana. But this didn’t affect the overall impact of her trip. With the goodwill she’d generated, there was no more talk of Ghana leaving the Commonwealth.

Elizabeth’s journey also helped Ghana get highly sought-after funding for the Volta Dam, a hydroelectric project that was a centerpiece of Nkrumah’s economic plans. Once she’d returned, Macmillan contacted President John F. Kennedy to say, “I have risked my queen. You must risk your money.” Financial backing from the Americans

for the project soon came through, which cut off a potential avenue of influence for the Soviets.

Elizabeth’s dedication to the Commonwealth meant that this trip

would have been a success simply for helping to hold that organization together. However, the visit also demonstrated how, even as a monarch with limited powers, she still had a role to play on the world stage.

Photo: Paul Schutzer/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images)

Ontario students will have to take a new course to graduate

Here’s what you need to know

Ontario students will soon have to take a technology or trade credit in order to graduate.

Beginning in September 2024, students entering Grade 9 will be required to take a course of “technological education credit”, a move the Doug Ford government says will help guide them toward careers in a skilled workforce.

Students will be able to choose between a number of classes approved through the “technological education” curriculum in order to get their Ontario Secondary School Diploma. The curriculum includes a broad range of topics such as construction, transportation, manufacturing, computer technology, hospitality, and communications.

Exact course details have not yet been provided.

The announcement was made late Friday morning by Education Minister Stephen Lecce in Mississauga, Ont.

The goal of this change, Lecce said, is to create “new pathways to good jobs in STEM and the skilled trades.”

“All students will benefit from a greater emphasis on hands-on

learning experiences and technical skills in the classroom so they can graduate with a competitive advantage in this country,” he said in a statement before the announcement.

Lecce told reporters there are a “massive number of courses available to students today” and more courses are being added every year to address the technological education curriculum. However, the province will require more teachers to meet those needs.

“We have a plan with respect to hiring more of these educators,” he said, adding the government is looking to leverage private sector experience as well.

He also said the addition of another required course will be in addition to the other mandatory to other

graduation requirements, meaning students will still be asked to take classes related to art and physical education.

“This doesn’t crowd out those opportunities,” Lecce said.

Officials noted Friday that men make up more than 70 per cent of workers in trades-related occupations and that they hope mandatory exposure to these courses will encourage more women to pursue careers in the trades.

As it stands, almost 39 per cent of Ontario secondary school students were enrolled in a technological education course in 2020-21. Of those students, the government said nearly 64 per cent were male.

The announcement comes days after the government rolled out a new program that will allow Grade 11 students to earn their high school diploma while doing an apprenticeship.

CTV News

Ontario's Education Minister Stephen Lecce speaks to journalists at the Queen's Park Legislature in Toronto THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

Their Stories, Our History-Why the name Ghana?

By Joe Kingsley Eyiah, OCT, Brookview Middle School, Toronto-Canada

“There has never been a movement where the leader has not suffered for the cause and not received the ingratitude of the people. I like the rest am prepared for the consequences”- Marcus Garvey

This March (2023), Ghana celebrates her 66 years of independence from British colonial rule. This great nation of West Africa before its independence on March 6, 1957 was called Gold Coast! Why the name Ghana? Where from it? Is there anything symbolic and relevant in that name?

I would like to take my readers on a brief journey (education) into the history behind the name, Ghana. The stories of those who lived in the subregion long, long ago have become that history of ours! Yes, the stories of today would become history for those who live tomorrow. And, as Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” I couldn’t agree with him the more!

From the Ancient Ghana to Modern Ghana:

The forefathers of the then Gold Coast led by Osagyefo Dr. Nkrumah chose the name Ghana for the new state from the old Empire of Ghana.

According to research, from ancient times, the Sahara of Africa has been the home to a few but not too well

known civilizations. These ancient civilizations included the Ghana civilization established by the Soninke people after the fall of the Songhai Empire in the 3rd Century AD when they regained their land in the region. Earlier as far back as to 2000 BCE, the Soninke people had built the most ancient cultured settlements in Africa. Some of these well-known locations include Tachitt Walata, Tagnant Cliffs, Augadouhst and Kumbi Saleh. The Soninke called their land “Wagadu” or “Ghanata.”

It is on record that the citizens of ancient Ghana including the Soninke and, their kin tribes Mandinke and others they conquered believed in their God King. However, they also believed in spirits who ‘occupy both living and non-living things.’ Hmmm!

Does that underscore the religious pluralism in our modern Ghana too?

Anyway, the Soninke people were very skillful and hardworking! They are described in History Forum as, ‘very skilled artisans, craftsmen, workers, agrarian laborers, and even superb wordsmith whose oral griots are mimicked by other local tribes such as the “Mende”. Soninke are thought to be one of the first people to utilize and capitalize on the use of “ironware” in the “Sahelian West African” region.’ What? So citizens of ancient Ghana were very hardworking and even used their words to build a prosperous and peaceful society! Why are we of modern Ghana now seem to be doing exactly the opposite for our motherland?

A word to the wise is enough!

The Meaning of ‘Ghana’:

“The Empire of Ghana was called that for the reason that Ghana means king in the Soninke language, Islamic and European scholars named it after the king because it seemed the king controlled everything. Indeed the king of Ghana was very powerful but not a tyrant.

“The King’s power was moderately regulated by those who were in charge of taxes, army, justice, and other duties.”

The foregoing statements about the meaning of Ghana raise serious questions for us, citizens of present

Ghana. I dare to ask the following:

1. Did the first King (President) of modern Ghana, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah become a tyrant and therefore lost ‘his Ghana’?

2. Is the present King (President) of Ghana, Dr. John Atta-Mills not in control of affairs of our nation, as he ought to be?

3. Are people put in trust of positions of the nation’s economy and our justice system over the years failed and failing Ghana miserably?

4. Is every citizen of Ghana become a King (President) of our motherland by our unbridled tongues and unpatriotic behaviors? More could be asked but suffice these few questions for the sake of our brief journey into history behind the name ‘Ghana’.

In conclusion, I think Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and the pioneers who chose the Ghana for our sovereign country 55 years ago were thoughtful and mindful of its meaning. They knew that Ghana was symbolic of the trade in gold as well as salt, iron textiles and crafts; and hardworking in industry of agriculture as well as good management in governance. Let have faith in the name Ghana and as we celebrate our 55th birthday vow to live up to the good name of Ghana, Ghana, forward in progress! HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

Selected GCAO Homework Club Students complete advanced Modern Batik workshop this winter

From Joe Kingsley Eyiah, Toronto

Four students of the Ghanaian Canadian Association of Ontario (GCAO) Homework Club were selected to do an advanced modern batik workshop this winter.

The workshop which was online started in November, last year and ended in February, 2023. The four students involved were Theresa, Alexis, Edna and Emmanuel.

David Kibuuka, a renowned modern batik artist formerly based in Canada instructed the students through zoom every weekend from Uganda where he is now residing. The students’ creative works were photoshopped for final presentation by Ms. Lorena Andrade, a fashion designer/artist based in Toronto.

Some of the finished works sewn into pillows

Four legs good but two legs better

By Edmund Agbeko, Toronto, ON

Just before the news broke publicly, a friend in the Ghana Air Force posted on our Alumni WhatsApp group about the savage murder in Ashaiman of his colleague, who he knew quite well. He was visibly upset and apparently, so were many of his colleagues.

Memories of 2017, when the then Chief of Defence Staff, Lt Gen. OB Akwa, was widely reported to have met edgy, angry soldiers at the Burma Hall in Accra to urge them not to undertake any reprisal attacks on the Denkyira Obuasi township following the horrific murder there of Capt (as he was then) Maxwell Mahama.

My worries were that six years on and with no conclusion of the trial of his alleged murderers, the gruesome murder of yet another soldier could inflame passions that could be difficult to control. Even then, I was stunned by the sheer force of military tanks and personnel as they eventually rolled into Ashaiman as if in a war movie, with a helicopter hovering overhead, and for what purpose I do not know, save to say it was a rampage, no less.

I cannot see how the ‘invasion’ and the subsequent brutalisation of citizens in broad daylight in the brazen full view of cameras can go without condemnation, and loud voices have been raised, rightly, over this unacceptable conduct.

Interestingly, in private conversations, a few people I know have expressed their support for what the military did on the grounds that ‘Ashaiman boys are too rowdy and the level of criminality and hooliganism in that enclave is too much, so the boys in camouflage needed to send a message to them’ or words to that effect.

Some people have come out with that position in defence of what happened. The notion, held by some, that condemning the acts of the military amounts to not caring about the horrific murder of Trooper Imoro Sherrif is simply too risible to even attempt to countenance. Condemning the soldier’s killing and what took place subsequently are not mutually exclusive.

Many of those who rightly condemn what happened in Ashaiman do not lose sleep over the police giving hot, ‘talk true’ slaps to criminal suspects to force the ‘truth’ out of them. They see the enforcing of discipline as tantamount to physical punishment, perhaps arising in part out of our past corporal punishment regime in schools.

In addition, perhaps as part of our collective political DNA arising from our experiences with military and quasi-military governments between 1966 and 1991, we seem hardwired to violence and approve of same as the way forward for our authorities to get a grip on some problems.

We have not quite weaned ourselves off that chapter and moved on, even though our constitution has been in force for three decades. I suppose this is what CDD Director Prof. H. Kwasi Prempeh calls ‘Transition Without Change’.

Sometime ago, police officers around the 37 Military Hospital were said to march lawbreaking commercial drivers to the hospital mortuary to compel them to wash corpses as their punishment. People cheered, even though this was obviously against the law. Commercial drivers were too stubborn and needed to be taught hard lessons - that was the reason!.

In April 2021, task force personnel went into action at Madina’s Zongo Junction subjecting people to all manner of physical punishment for supposedly refusing to cross the highway at the right places. Some were made to kneel down, others were made to sweep, pick litter or squat. Bystanders cheered on the task force.

I screamed on these pages that the task force was simply combating lawlessness with lawlessness and that this would be a nine-day wonder because it was lazy and ineffective. Specifically, I wrote; ‘Article 19(11) of our constitution is clear. “No person shall be convicted of a criminal offence unless the offence is defined and the penalty for it is prescribed in a written law.”

But while the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012, Regulation 154(3) states clearly that pedestrians who fail to use a footbridge or an underpass commit an offence, I am yet to see sweeping, kneeling or squatting defined in law as punishments that may be dished out. To my mind, therefore, it is wrong, as a matter of law, for law enforcers to compel same. Why should we encourage or tolerate lawlessness in the name of preventing lawlessness?’

A couple of well-educated friends called to tell me I was being ‘too-known’, that too much ‘human rights’ and ‘rule of law’ was destroying the country, and that recalcitrant citizens needed to be taught a hard lesson in obeying the law, because after all they would not dare break sanitation or traffic rules if they found themselves strolling in Burma Camp. They were happy for a part of the constitution to be disregarded in the greater interest, they claimed.

I am yet to get their views on whether parts of the same constitution should be disregarded in respect of ‘stubborn’ Ashaiman citizens. How much human rights is enough for a society?

I remember the chants of “JJ, do something before you die!” and ‘let the blood flow’ particularly by students and the youth, when Rawlings burst on the political scene decades ago. To them, ‘disciplining’ the business class and the professional classes, who were mostly middle-aged people they believed to be corrupt, was the way to clean up the society, even if it meant breaking every rule of human decency, natural justice and due process and then stringing them up to shoot them at dawn.

And when J J followed the crowd, eventually, the romantic relationship went downhill when his government entered into a deal with the IMF that came with withdrawal of student subsidies and mass worker retrenchment exercises. We snort in derision at human rights, due process and rule of law as some sort of fanciful, intellectual ‘coat-coat’ luxury talk when it suits us and our prejudices, such as in the infamous Achimota School dreadlock case, or the ban on corporal punishment in schools, claiming that human right claims are a western luxury destroying the country the same human rights, due process and rule of law we are happy to quote ad nauseum in the case of the Ashaiman and other reprehensible brutalities. This is what Prof. Prempeh calls ‘Constitution without Constitutionalism’.

Democracy comes as a package, inconvenient warts and all, not a pick-and-choose box of individually wrapped chocolates. Human rights are not divisible, to be portioned out to cuddly people we like or have sympathy for, and withdrawn from those we find reprehensible, whether errant commercial drivers or pedestrians, recalcitrant students or even hardened criminals.

We must make up our minds, whether we want democracy, with its constitution and human rights provisions and due process ethos, or military rule and its ‘my friend, shut up and obey’ mantra. If we choose democracy, then we must remember that a constitution must necessarily come with constitutionalism, else its words ring hollow and are not worth the paper they are written on.

Obviously, four legs good but two legs better, depending on where you sit. All Animals Are Equal. But Some Animals Are More Equal Than Others.’

IMMIGRATION AND SOCIAL ISSUES

By: James A. Kwaateng, B.A. (Hons), LLB (Hons)

Revisiting Citizenship Applications in Canada

In view of the increasing complexity of current Canadian citizenship applications and the importance and benefits of being a Canadian citizen, among which are visa-free entry to many countries and the general protection from being deported from Canada on grounds of criminality, the topic is being revisited.

Canadian citizenship is obtained either by birth or by naturalization pursuant to the Citizenship Act. However, there are a few exceptions one of which is an application for “Proof of Citizenship” which is available for a person born outside Canada at a time, at least, one of the parents was a citizen of Canada,.

Regardless of one’s age, a person applying for Canadian citizenship must be a permanent resident of Canada. The person must not be under review for immigration or fraud reasons; must not be under a removal order; and must have fulfilled any condition related to his or her permanent resident status. It should however be noted that one does not necessarily need a valid permanent resident card to apply for citizenship.

There is a requirement that citizenship applicants between the age of 18 and 54 years must be able to communicate in either English or French. The applicant needs to meet the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) Level 4 or higher.

Citizenship Canada however accepts various certificates, diplomas and tests as proof of one’s language skills.

Applicants between the ages of 18 and 54 must have adequate knowledge of Canada. Applicants will be required to answer questions related to the rights and responsibilities of Canadians and Canada’s history, geography, economy, government, laws and symbols.

An adult applicant must be physically present in Canada for at least 1095 days (3 years) and are also required to file taxes in Canada for at least 3 years during the five years immediately preceding the date of the application. In the course of calculating the days, the time an applicant spent as a nonpermanent resident could be counted. Each day the applicant spends as a temporary resident or protected person can count as a half-day towards physical presence up to a maximum of 365 days. The time spent outside Canada by a crown servant or a family member of a crown servant can also be included.

Criminality is an obstacle to acquisition of citizenship. Any person who has been convicted of an indictable offence in Canada or an offence under the Citizenship Act, or who has been convicted of an offence outside Canada that is equivalent to an indictable offence in Canada during the four years immediately preceding the application, is prohibited from applying for Canadian citizenship.

Applicants on parole or on probation or serving a term of imprisonment in Canada or outside Canada are ineligible to apply for citizenship. Persons charged with, on trial for, or involved in an appeal for an offence under the Citizenship Act, or an indictable offence in or outside Canada are also ineligible to apply for citizenship. Also on the excluded list are persons being investigated for, charged with, on trial for, or involved in an appeal for or have been convicted of, a war crime or a crime against humanity.

Persons who have been convicted of terrorism, high treason, treason, or spying offences while they were permanent residents or those who have served as members of an armed force of a country or organized armed group and that country or group engaged in armed conflict with Canada while they were permanent residents, are barred from applying for citizenship. Also on the list of prohibitions are persons who have had their citizenship applications refused for misrepresentation in the past five years and those who have had

their citizenship revoked because of fraud in the past ten years.

.A permanent resident who is a minor (under the age of 18) and has a Canadian parent or a parent who is applying for citizenship at the same time, is excluded from the residency requirement and income tax filings. That privilege is not given to a permanent resident who is a minor but does not have a Canadian parent or a parent who is applying for citizenship at the same time. Notwithstanding the above differential treatment of the two categories of minor, all minors are not supposed to meet language and knowledge requirements for citizenship and all minors 14 years and above are required to take the Oath of Citizenship and sign their application forms.

The requirements above are not exhaustive. The foregoing is just an overview of the current requirements for citizenship application. The criteria for Canadian citizenship are changing very fast. Applicants are therefore advised to seek proper advice regarding their eligibility and completion of their application forms, if in doubt.

James A. Kwaateng is an Immigration Law practitioner with his offices located at 168A Oakdale Road, Suite 4, Toronto, Ontario. For thorough discussion of your immigration and related social and legal issues, you may contact him at telephone number (416) 743-2758 for an appointment

Restaurants Canada calls on federal government to adopt phased approach to CEBA repayment

Restaurants Canada proposes a win-win solution for the federal government to save small businesses, and specifically restaurants as they continue to struggle with pandemic-related debt. With the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) loan reimbursement deadline approaching quickly, Restaurants Canada is proposing a 36-month payback extension, with a scale-down model on the forgivable portion. This could save thousands of restaurants and other small businesses from declaring bankruptcy in the near future.

For the majority of Canada’s foodservice sector, including dine-in and takeout restaurants, caterers and bars etc. the pandemic ushered in a period of unprecedented uncertainty, along with major financial challenges. In response, the federal government launched the CEBA program, which gave small businesses and not-forprofits interest-free loans of up to $60,000 to keep doors open and soften the financial blow which so many businesses grappled with.

To ensure that the foodservice sector continues to play a major role in a strong economic recovery, Restaurants Canada’s Federal Pre-Budget

Submission 2023 recommends that the federal government:

• Provides additional leniency to CEBA recipients by extending it for 36 months;

• Implements a scaled-down model on the forgivable portion of the loan with a five per cent decrease every six months to encourage timely repayment.

The extension along with the scaledown model will:

• Offer more time for the government to see the CEBA loans reimbursed; and

• encourage businesses, and specifically restaurants to reimburse their CEBA loans as soon as possible, in order to benefit from a larger forgivable portion.

“The program was a key tool to assist thousands of businesses who had begun waiving their white flag as a result of the pandemic. Without the CEBA program, Canada’s loss of 13,000+ foodservice establishments would have

been exponentially larger. However, coming out of the pandemic, restaurant operators across the country are still struggling to keep their businesses afloat,” said Olivier Bourbeau, Vice President, Federal & Québec Affairs. “For that reason, we are calling on the federal government to adopt our recommendation to implement a phased loan repayment approach for CEBA.

Key findings on the restaurant sector’s use of CEBA loans:

• 83 per cent of table-service restaurant companies and 56 per cent of quick-service restaurant companies received a loan through CEBA; and

• the majority of restaurant operators required these loans to keep staff employed (77 per cent), to pay for utilities (65 per cent), goods from suppliers (62 per cent) and rent (61 per cent).

Extend and restructure the CEBA loans to make repayment possible and more palatable

As the Dec. 31, 2023 repayment deadline approaches, a Restaurants Canada survey has revealed that nearly 20 per cent of the restaurants that have yet to reimburse CEBA will not be able to repay it in part or at all. This finding is unsurprising given that 43 per cent of the foodservice sector continues to operate at a loss or just break even and one in four independent table-service restaurants are not expected to recover from pandemic-incurred debt unless current conditions change.

“The inability of some restaurateurs to pay back these loans is a reflection of the state of our industry as a whole. Our sector emerged from the pandemic as one of the hardest hit financially, with many owners being forced to take on significant debt just to keep their doors open. The industry is also struggling with a number of post-pandemic operational challenges like inflation, labour shortages and supply chain hurdles - all of which are significantly impacting the profitability of these businesses,” said Bourbeau.

Restaurants Canada looks forward to its ongoing collaboration with the federal government to ensure foodservice remains an active part of the nation’s economy. CTV News

Senior military officer acquitted of sexual assault sues government, PM for $6M

Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin, a senior military officer who was acquitted of a sexual assault charge late last year, has filed a $6-million lawsuit against the Canadian government. Fortin, who was dropped as the lead for Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine program in early 2021, has named 16 high-ranking officials in a wide-ranging suit, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, chief of the defence staff Gen. Wayne Eyre, former defence minister Harjit Sajjan and former health minister Patty Hajdu.

A statement of claim filed on Wednesday with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice accuses the officials of “reprehensible, extreme, flagrant and high-handed” conduct and seeks $5 million in general damages and $1 million in punitive damages.

The document alleges that Fortin suffered the damages due to defamation and misfeasance in public office. It also accuses the officials of negligent investigation, the inappropriate public disclosure of private facts, breach of confidence and conspiracy to cause damages.

“He was not afforded due process,” Fortin’s lawyer, Thomas Conway, said in an interview.

“It’s caused him the kind of grief that you expect anyone would go through, facing the kinds of allegations that he had to face publicly.”

Fortin was removed as head of the government’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout in May 2021 pending

the investigation of a historical allegation stemming from his time at military college in 1988.

He was charged with sexual assault in August 2021 and acquitted of the charge last December in the Quebec Superior Court.

The lawsuit alleges that the investigation was grossly negligent and that there was never any basis to make a criminal prosecution in the first place. It accuses officials of dismissing Fortin from the prominent vaccine role for political reasons.

“There is a certain, I would say, chill that has descended over the Canadian Armed Forces relating to all of these allegations of sexual misconduct,” Conway said.

“And we are not by any means trying to trivialize that issue. Not by any means. It’s a serious issue. However, unfortunately, everyone

seems to have tossed out the notion that someone is entitled to … a fair process.”

He added that despite Fortin’s acquittal, there is a stain on his reputation.

“That stain, that damage, is not something that is ever going to be removed unless he seeks redress for what has happened in the courts by way of civil remedy,” Conway said.

The military formally cleared Fortin of misconduct on the balance of probabilities in January, and said it would assign him to a new role. But the lawsuit alleges the Canadian Armed Forces is either refusing or unreasonably delaying his reintegration.

The statement of claim says that’s because defendants it names as “political actors” have “made it clear” to the military’s leadership that Fortin cannot return to his regular duties, have “tarnished” his reputation with the military itself and have created a climate in which someone who “has done nothing wrong” cannot advance their career once someone else makes an allegation.

The Defence Department still intends to reassign Fortin to “appropriate duties commensurate with his rank and experience,” spokesperson Jessica Lamirande said in a statement.

“We will review the statement of claim and will not be commenting further at this time,” she said.

The Prime Minister’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

No statement of defence has been filed responding to the allegations in the lawsuit.

Separate proceedings are still ongoing at the Federal Court of Appeal, in which Fortin is appealing a Federal Court decision that tossed out his request for reinstatement last year.

In that matter, Fortin has argued that he was ousted from the vaccine role due to political interference and without due process. The government has denied those claims. A spokesperson for Fortin said a date has not been set for further proceedings.

Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin speaks to members of the media following an acquittal in his case at a Gatineau, Que., courthouse on Monday, Dec. 5, 2022. Fortin, a senior military officer who was acquitted on a sexual assault charge late last year, has filed a $6 million lawsuit against the Canadian government. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

Every Dollar Counts!, Filing Your Taxes and CRA Audit- Why and How? Part I

By: Eddie Twumasi-Smith, (P.Eng, PMP, CPA, MBA )

The Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) Mission is to “Administer tax, benefits, and related programs, and ensure compliance on behalf of governments across Canada, thereby contributing to the ongoing economic and social wellbeing of Canadians”. (https://www. canada.ca/en/revenue-agency.html)

After filing our annual taxes, year after year, once in a while we are called upon or receive letters of inquiries from the CRA, requesting proof or evidence to validate the details or documents we made during our annual tax filing. This process is a control mechanism put in place by the CRA to check for deviations and errors and implement corrections. As the Canadian income tax system is a self-assessment regime, taxpayers assess their tax liability by filing a return with the CRA by filing deadline. CRA’s assessment of the returns are based on the return filed and information obtained from employers and other sources of income and investments of the individual’s filings. The self assessment tax filing process is prone to miscreant tendencies, abuse, misuse, misstatement, misappropriation and mismanagement. So, with these risks, the CRA has implemented controls and checks to ensure, some of these risks and potential frauds are minimized, correct these errors or totally eliminated.

So, the question is, what are some of the key triggers that alert the CRA to investigate and audit taxpayers and reassess their annual tax filings?

Listed here are some of the triggers or alerts that prompts the CRA to pick on individuals for re-assessments or tax audits. Once an individual is selected for a tax audit, it is not a fun task and many times may lead to further liabilities and in some cases thousands of dollars in payments back to the government. It is therefore advisable that we follow standard tax filing methods and avoid quick fixes, fast moves to cheat or work arounds that may end up being audited. It is key to support our claims with legitimate

documentations to prevent any further actions that may end up at a cost to an individual in the end.

Triggers for CRA Tax Audits

1. In some cases, a taxpayer is randomly selected for an audit. It’s like winning the worst lottery in the world, and there’s nothing you can do to change that. The odds of being targeted for a random audit are dependent on a variety of risk factors,such as income source type (i.e., self employed), where you are located, types of expenses you carry and so on. Inconsistent pieces of a taxpayer’s profile may trigger a review of these risk factors. The more risk factors a taxpayer has, the greater the odds of being audited. Another possible trigger that may lead to a CRA audit can be due to large charitable donations.

2. If charitable contributions are suspiciously large and do not seem to be possible or likely within the confines of a taxpayer’s income, such donations or contributions are very likely to be examined. Further, if charitable contributions are made to organizations suspected of being involved in a tax scheme, there is a very high chance that a taxpayer will be audited. Taxpayers that get audited for charitable contributions, must be able to present the official charitable receipt. This is one of the very few circumstances according to law

where a taxpayer has to present an actual receipt upon request.

3. Vehicle Expenses- Are often arbitrarily determined. When preparing tax returns, often times taxpayers and their accountants pick a reasonable number for vehicle expenses based on an estimate of the percentage of the vehicle usage used for business purposes. Few taxpayers actually keep a log of every trip. This means that few taxpayers can prove to the CRA auditor with absolute certainty, the relative use of the vehicle between personal and business purposes. This makes tax auditors happy. It makes it easy for them to deny vehicle expenses, and this increases the size of their reassessments.

4. Employees Expenses- Issued on a T2200, declaration of conditions of employment, a form signed by employer for employees, for which expenses employees are entitled to deduct certain employment expenses from their income. Perhaps the employee has to pay for their own vehicle to travel to sales calls, or perhaps they have to maintain a home office. As long as the employer requires that the employee pays these expenses in respect of their job, they likely can be deducted from income. Therefore, when some employment expenses are claimed whiles employer does not provide supporting document to attach to these claims, it raises the red flag for CRA audits to dig deeper into expenses. Further review of CRA Guide T4044, Employment Expenses, or the following archived interpretation bulletins: IT352R2 –Employee’s Expenses, Including Work Space in Home Expenses, and IT522R – Vehicle, Travel and Sales Expenses of Employees may help provide insights to what is permissible or not.

5. Child-Care Costs - The CRA regularly conducts mini-audits

to ensure that parents who claim childcare expenses maintain proper documentation. Since many parents claim childcare expenses which would otherwise be ineligible, this area is under careful scrutiny by the CRA.

6. Real Estate Transaction & Rental Income - There is so much opportunity to earn money in real estate, so the CRA pays careful attention to real estate transactions. The CRA frequently audits HST rebates, pre-sale condo flips, new home construction, principal residence exemptions, and many other real estate transactions. If a taxpayer is involved in many purchase and sale transactions, they can expect to eventually encounter a tax audit. Rental income and related expenses for rental properties are prone to deep dive audits, because there are lots of subjective assumptions and expenses that relatively may not be supported with valid documents.

7. Finally, Informant Tips. Many taxpayers are audited because of informant tips. if the tip relates to offshore tax evasion, the informant may earn a reward. Moral of the story; taxpayers who are cheating the system should not count on staying away forever from CRA’s radar, “one day for the thief and another day for the master” and they should similarly be careful about who has incriminating evidence which could be reported to the CRA.

In my next edition on CRA Audit, Why and How? Part II, I shall list some of the steps and approach to adopt when an individual is selected for CRA reassessment or audit. Let try to avoid these and save every dollar we can, for every dollar counts!

A Word To The Wise is Right Here!

For any views or comments, I can be reached via email: eddiesmith77@ gmail.com

Senior military officer acquitted of sexual assault sues government, PM for $6M

cont’d from pg. 13

Fortin, who previously served as commander of the NATO training mission in Iraq and as commander of the 1st Canadian Division, also initiated a complaint with the Military Police Complaints Commission after his acquittal.

When asked about whether Fortin pursued a settlement with the government before filing the suit, Conway would only say that Fortin does not have any interest in getting into extended litigation with his former colleagues, and with an institution he served for more than 30 years.

“Believe me, this is the last thing he wanted to do.”

Defendants named in the Fortin

lawsuit include:

— Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

— Gen. Wayne Eyre, the chief of the defence staff

— Harjit Sajjan, former defence minister and current international development minister

— Patty Hajdu, former health minister and current Indigenous services minister

— Janice Charette, clerk of the Privy Council Office

— Iain Stewart, former head of the Public Health Agency of Canada and current president of the National Research Council

— Jody Thomas, former deputy

minister of national defence and current national security adviser to Trudeau

— Lt.-Col. Eric Leblanc, commander of the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service

— Retired colonel Bruce MacGregor, former director of military prosecutions

— Brig.-Gen. Simon Trudeau, the military’s provost marshal

— Retired brigadier-general Dyrald Cross, who was the supervisor of the complainant in the sexual assault case

— Laurie-Anne Kempton, the assistant deputy minister of public affairs at the Defence Department

— George Young, Sajjan’s thenchief of staff and current acting chief of staff to the fisheries and oceans minister

— Warrant Officer Denise Hachey, a military police investigator

— Brig.-Gen. Alan Mulawyshyn, then-chief of staff for Eyre and now a deputy executive director at Veterans’ House

— The Attorney General of Canada, who is named in the suit as a defendant in the proceeding on behalf of the Canadian Armed Forces, the Department of National Defence, the Ministry of Health, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Privy Council Office and the Public Health Agency of Canada. The Canadian Press

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Financial Tips

Samaritan’s Feet Canada

By Jon Sarpong, Toronto, ON

As families in the GTA prepare for the Easter season, one group is hoping to help hundreds of children, parents, individuals, and seniors, take a first step toward an active spring.

Samaritan’s Feet Canada (a division of Samaritan’s Feet International, a humanitarian aid organization that serves and inspires hope by providing shoes to those in need around the world) is partnering with community agencies across the GTA to provide free pairs of new shoes to members of the community. Since its start in 2003, Samaritan’s Feet International has served over 8.7 million people across 103 countries.

“Many people identify the Easter season as a time of new beginnings,” says Jon Sarpong, President of Samaritan’s Feet Canada. “We hope to help people use this time of year to take on a fresh start, connect with community, and take a step toward active and healthy lifestyles.”

“It’s humbling, we take a lot of things for granted. A lot of people have had a very tough few years throughout the COVID Pandemic. Its great to see people come out with good attitude, seeing them just get a new pair of socks and shoes, how they light up, it keeps life in perspective,” David Owusu, Volunteer Coordinator at INSPIRE 360 Church said.

The community partners that have come together to plan and produce this event are Samaritan’s

Feet Canada, INSPIRE 360 Church, Authentic Community Services Canada, TRIBE Canada, and the Opportunities Centre for Ghanaian Canadians.

Samaritan’s Feet Canada and its community partners will be giving away over 250 pairs of children and adult shoes, on Sunday, April

9, 2023 at 10:30a, as a part of Easter services at INSPIRE 360 Church, 1675 Martin Grove Road (West Humber Collegiate Institute), Etobicoke, ON, M9V 3S3.

If you’d like to receive a free pair of athletic shoes for a child or adult in your family or community, please sign-up at www.samaritansfeetcan.org

Providing shoes to participants

Can you stay in a job for too long?

Some

Tenure at a job is vital for appealing to future employers – that’s the prevailing narrative in the workforce, even though many workers frequently change jobs and have for years. Still, some employees worry about leaving a job before they’ve put in at least a year or even more, in fear that recruiters will admonish them for not sticking with a role, or even judge them as someone who can’t hold down a position.

In ways, it makes sense that the stalwart ‘company man’ – someone who knuckles down at a single organisation for years, if not their entire career –remains on a pedestal. After all, they’re revered for staying power and focus, loyalty and commitment. These are all desirable qualities in a potential hire.

But some experts say there actually can be such a thing as too much staying power. “There are a lot of positive connotations about longevity in a role, but there is a fair degree of negativity as well,” says Jamie McLaughlin, CEO of New York-based recruiting company Monday Talent.

Although there’s plenty to be said for having extended experience – and lots of benefits that can come from digging in your heels with one employer –spending too long in one role may work against people in some cases. Some recruiters feel there’s a ‘tipping point’ at which loyalty can potentially signal complacency. And even for those not applying for jobs, there may be other reasons to start looking around after a while.

The tipping point

There is plenty of truth to the idea that a long stay at a company is generally looked upon favourably. It’s an indication of expertise, says McLaughlin – a safe bet that someone who’s been successful in a position for a long time really knows their stuff –and of company loyalty. It also shows workers have figured out what they want out of a role, he adds.

For some employers, however, there is a point at which staying in one place can start to reflect poorly on a worker. “Eight, nine, 10 years, that’s fantastic,” he says. “But 15, 17, 19 years... there’s a big difference there. I think there is a window where the balance kind of tips a little bit.” For instance, being in one position for that long can signal that professional development has stalled, or that workers have a smaller network.

“If you’ve only been in one industry, in one business, it can make you a little bit one-dimensional,” says McLaughlin.

“From a hiring manager’s perspective, I’d question how diverse is their learning and development style? Are they willing to take risks or are they risk averse? Are they dynamic enough? You might look at that and go, how motivated is this person? Why haven’t they wanted to move?”

Claudia B Kropf, vice president of human resources at the USbased National Automobile Dealers Association, and founder of HR consultancy Monday’s Row, agrees lengthy tenure can make hiring managers wonder if a worker lacks ambition. She believes “the biggest drawback of remaining in a position too long, is getting comfortable with the status quo”, which could make a prospective employer worry someone might be too entrenched in one company’s culture to quicky adapt to another.

“Someone’s been somewhere 15, 20 years, and you have to wonder, are they

institutionalised?” says McLaughlin. “Are they just part of the furniture? How adaptable can they really be?” These questions, combined with existing biases about the inadaptability of older workers, has the potential to be damaging.

Of course, notes Kropf, these judgements are entirely subjective – there’s no universal answer to how all hiring managers will judge longtenured employees. “One person may see loyalty in 15-plus years of service,” she says, “whereas another may see apathy.” It may be up to the applicant, then, to paint that long tenure as a strength, rather than a weakness.

Exceptions to the rule

Although there may be red flags around longevity, there are also nuances buried within the number of years on a CV. For instance, lots of movement within a single company can mitigate some of the negatives associated with staying put. “If you’re somewhere 15 years, but you’ve moved up levels every couple of years, that’s like changing jobs,” says McLaughlin. That makes a lot of time spent at the same company much more palatable, because it implies you’ve gotten lots of varied experience over those years, he says. On the other hand, he adds, “if you’ve been somewhere 15-plus years, and you’ve had one job title, that can be a worry, unless you’re at the very top of your game with nowhere else to climb”. If you’ve been somewhere 15-plus years, and you’ve had one job title, that can be a worry, unless you’re at the very top of your game with nowhere else to climb – Jamie McLaughlin

A worker’s industry can make a difference, too. Some career paths do call for staying put for a decade or more to accrue necessary tenure for a new job title. “If you’re an accountant or a lawyer,” says McLaughlin, “I don’t think there’s as much negative connotation if you’ve been somewhere 10 or 15 years, moved up and made partner. In those professions, that’s pretty much the route you take.”

That stands in stark contrast to, say, creative professions, where he argues moving around is often the best way to further skills and open career options. “When you move from one agency or team to another, your network changes, your client base changes, your boss changes, your learning and development changes. You’re exposed to new challenges, new people, new ideas.”

Plus, says Kropf, the world is constantly changing – and employees must keep up with new technology to stay competitive. Workers whose jobs evolve and offer them new skills don’t can get left behind.

The compensation factor

Beyond the opinions of hiring managers, staying put too long can also have adverse effects on workers, particularly regarding salary.

For many employees, there are plenty of opportunities to gain bumps in pay while staying within a single organisation, as long as there’s a culture of upward mobility – people don’t necessarily have to change employers to see their pay progress at least somewhat. Yet staying in a job too long can potentially hurt earning potential, even if it doesn’t hamper jobtitle growth.

Regular promotion within the same

organisation can mean employees climb the job title ladder just as rapidly as someone who jumps from job to job, says McLaughlin. Yet even if they receive regular raises, staying put can mean less money. A 2022 US survey conducted by the payroll company ADP show people who switched jobs saw, on average, close to 2% more annual wage growth than their former colleagues who stuck around.

This is especially the case amid the current tight labour market, as employers are offer big incentives to bring talent into their organisations. A 2022 survey of more than 2,600 workers in the US by research organisation The Conference Board showed 20% of people who changed jobs during the pandemic saw a 10% to 20% pay increase, and nearly a third of those surveyed got an even bigger bump – over 30% more than they previously made. The pattern is similar in the UK, where job switchers also reaped wage benefits

These salary incentives are among the reasons many people in countries including the US and UK – especially young workers – are currently changing jobs instead of sticking with a single employer.

laziness?

To stay or to go?

Even with all this in mind, however, workers shouldn’t necessarily go running from their long-standing jobs. While there are valid considerations as to whether sticking it out in a position is the best idea, it’s also important that employees are happy.

“If you found somewhere you love,” says McLaughlin, “and you’re comfortable there, you feel you’re looked after there, and you’re paid well and respected, you don’t need to move just for the sake of it.”

But keeping eyes forward at the same time can be a good idea. McLaughlin says if you’re nearing the five-year mark, it’s worth it to assess where you are, and look at what else may be out there.

“You want to make sure your role has evolved with your life; that’s really the benchmark,” he says. “And every five years or so you should be opening the door, just to see what your options might be. Just because you’re having conversations with people doesn’t mean you’re unhappy or you’re changing jobs. You’re just doing due diligence on your career.” BBC

It’s a question that keeps some scientists awake at night: Do spiders sleep?

Daniela Roessler and her colleagues trained cameras on baby jumping spiders at night to find out. The footage showed patterns that looked a lot like sleep cycles: The spiders’ legs twitched and parts of their eyes flickered.

The researchers described this pattern as a “REM sleep-like state.” In humans, REM, or rapid eye movement, is an active phase of sleep when parts of the brain light up with activity and is closely linked with dreaming.

Other animals, including some birds and mammals, have been shown to experience REM sleep. But creatures like the jumping spider haven’t gotten as much attention so it wasn’t known if they got the same kind of sleep, said Roessler, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Konstanz in Germany.

Their findings were published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Roessler and her team dug into the sleep question after she discovered the spiders hanging at night from threads of silk in their lab containers. She had recently scooped up some jumping spiders to study, a common species with a furry brown body and four pairs of big eyes.

“It was just the most unusual thing I’ve ever seen,” Roessler said of the suspended spiders.

The research showed the spiders’ overnight movements looked a lot like REM in other species, she said - like dogs or cats twitching in their sleep. And they happened in regular cycles, similar to sleep patterns in humans.

Many species similar to spiders actually

don’t have movable eyes, which makes it hard to compare their sleep cycles, explained study co-author Paul Shamble, an evolutionary biologist at Harvard University.

But these jumping spiders are predators that move their retinas around to change their gaze while they hunt, Shamble said. Plus, the young spiders have a see-through outer layer that gives a clear window into their bodies.

“Sometimes as a biologist, you just get really, really lucky,” Shamble said.

The researchers still have to figure out if the spiders are technically sleeping while they’re in these resting states, Roessler said. That includes testing whether they respond more slowly - or not at all - to triggers that would normally set them off.

Critters like the jumping spider are very far from humans on the evolutionary tree. Jerry Siegel, a sleep researcher who was not involved with the study, said he’s doubtful that the spiders can really experience REM sleep.

“There may be animals that have activity in quiet states,” said Siegel, of the UCLA Center for Sleep Research. “But are they REM sleep? It’s hard to imagine that they could be the same thing.”

But Barrett Klein, an entomologist at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse who was also not involved with the study, said it was exciting to find REMlike signs in such a distant relative. Many questions remain about how widespread REM sleep is and what purpose it might serve for species, he said.

REM sleep is “still very much a black box,” Klein said. The Associated Press

Do spiders sleep? Study suggests they may snooze like humans

workers stay put at a single company for several years – even decades. Is this a signal of loyalty or

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Ohio man who falsely claimed to be Ghanaian prince sentenced to 20 years in prison

An Ohio man was sentenced to 20 years in prison Wednesday for pretending to be a Ghanaian prince and swindling more than a dozen victims out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Daryl Robert Harrison, who went by Prince Daryl R. Attipoe and Prophet Daryl R. Attipoe, conned at least 14 people out of more than $800,000 according to evidence shown at his trial.

Harrison was convicted in September of mail and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and witness tampering.

For several years, Harrison stole money from people who believed they were investing in African mining and trucking companies, prosecutors said. Harrison falsely claimed that he was a prince from Ghana and had connections to those companies, according to the Justice Department.

Several of Harrison’s victims were congregants of the Power House of Prayer Ministries, where Harrison and his stepfather claimed they were

ministers. According to prosecutors, Harrison and his stepfather used the investment money for personal expenses, including renting a house in Colorado and purchasing luxury cars.

District Judge Michael J. Newman gave Harrison the maximum sentence allowed under the law – 20 years behind bars – more than the 14-year sentence prosecutors had asked for.

“Each of the Defendant’s fraud crimes were committed in a cold, calculated and premeditated fashion,” prosecutors wrote in court filings, describing Harrison as an “extremely selfcentered, self-possessed sociopath who has no respect for societal rules or norms, and further lacks any empathy or sympathy for his victims” that “intimidated and threatened his victims to establish and maintain control over them.”

Harrison had asked the judge for a much lower sentence, highlighting supportive letters written by parishioners and family members. Harrison’s defense attorney also noted that his wife, who is taking care of their six children, is battling stage IV cancer.

Harrison’s stepfather, Robert Shelly Harrison, Jr., pleaded guilty to one felony charge in December. He will be sentenced later this month. Ghanaweb

“Data is key to advancement” - Nation Cheong

By Solomon Kobina Aremu, Toronto, ON

Leaders of the Black/African communities have been urged to put the gathering and dissemination of data at the forefront of all plans and strategies as we move forward as a community to advance our common goals.

The Vice President, Community Opportunities and Mobilization, United Way Greater Toronto, Nation Cheong made the call while delivering the keynote address at the Annual General Meeting of the African Canadian Social Development Council (ACSDC) held on November 13 at the Mozia Women’s Network Society hall in Toronto.

“Data is ruling the world. We have to build the evidence, gather the facts and data that puts the numbers behind the story as we present our case to be heard”, Mr. Cheong said.

He asked what the graduation rate percentage target among black youth was for example.

“As a community we must set a target for graduating rate of the youth and plan, mobilize and implement.”

Cheong emphasized the importance of the leadership of the American Canadian people to generate and use data at the forefront in the fight for social, political and economic change. “With the right data and information about your community you can make a better case for getting the support and resources you need from the government and other organizations to create solutions”.

Using the spread of African Canadians in the country for example he pointed to the fact that 60 percent live in Toronto and that shows the collective power we wield if properly tapped and directed.

He recounted the hardships suffered by Canadians generally during the Covid-19 pandemic but said the disproportionate way it impacts the Black community “reminds us we have to look beyond the superficial and see our common goals through unity. We need to break the cycle”, he concluded.

The Association of Ghanaian-Canadian Law Enforcers Officers (A,G.C.L.E.O) Inaugurated

By Emmanuel Ayiku, Toronto, ON

Association of Ghanaian-Canadian Law Enforcers Officers (A.G.C.L.E O) was formed in 2020.

The association is led by their president, Staff Sergeant Don Yirenkyi who is currently the officer in charge of York Regional Police Intimate Partner Unit. The deputy president is Freda Adjei, a civilian with the Toronto Police Service.

The key objectives of this association include providing assistance to the Ghanaian and racialzed communities through collaborative partnerships and community events. Assist in addressing the needs and concerns of the Ghanaian/racialized communities in Ontario with respect to law and security by directing them to the appropriate law enforcement agencies. Then also to receive direction,

support and to seek counseling from a lawyer of their choice.

The association also provides support, counseling and professional advice to all their members

Members of the association are currently providing presentations in the community and engaging in initiatives to strengthen the relationship between the black/racialized communities and law enforcement officers. They want law enforcement to be a viable career option for many youths within the Ghanaian/racialized communities.

Below are the current board members; President Don Yirenkyi Vice-President Freda Adjei, Prince Opoku Eric Boateng, Frederick Yeboah, Richard Amoatey, Stella OtengTawiah and Mark Affum

Daryl Robert Harrison. Credit: Butler County Ohio Jail

Professor George Dei receives University of Toronto President’s Impact Award

By Perry King, Toronto, ON

Professor George Dei, a globally renowned Black scholar, researcher, writer, and community leader, has been named a co-recipient of the 2023 President’s Impact Award.

This award recognizes and celebrates University of Toronto faculty members whose research has led to significant impact beyond academia. Dei, a Royal Society of Canada fellow and co-founder of the Centre for Integrative Anti-Racism Studies, is being recognized for his influential work advancing anti-racism, race and equity, anti-colonial thought and African Indigeneity in education – and its sustained impact on policies, practices and advocacy for inclusive schooling and Black and racialized youth educational success in Canada and internationally.

“The award is special in that it is a recognition of work that extends beyond academia to have community impact,” says Dei. “Any scholar will take satisfaction in that and, of course, I am indeed grateful, honoured and privileged. I feel proud and humbled with a realization that there is more work to be done in creating a more just, equitable and liberated society.”

Based in OISE’s department of Social Justice Education (SJE), Professor Dei is considered as one of Canada’s foremost scholars on race and anti-racism studies, African Indigeneity and anti-colonial thought – publishing extensively on the topic for decades. In 2021, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Ontario Alliance of Black School Educators for his longstanding work promoting Black and minority youth education. He has 40 books and over 70 refereed journal articles, and numerous national and international awards to his credit.

“Professor Dei has demonstrated tremendous research excellence that has had a worldwide impact, and his work and advocacy are indicative of his lifelong commitment to communities on a local, national and international scale,” said Professor Erica Walker, Dean of OISE. “We are grateful for Professor Dei’s commitment and service to so many and, on behalf of OISE, I congratulate him for receiving this prestigious award from the University of Toronto.”

Numerous OISE faculty have been named to this award. In 2022, Professor Kang Lee was a named recipient. Professor Shelley Stagg Peterson won the award in 2021. Professor Kathleen Gallagher won the award, and was part of the award’s first group of laureates.

President’s Impact Award winners receive a monetary award of $10,000 per year for five years to be used toward their research. Laureates are also designated by the university as members of the President’s Impact Academy, which meets to discuss matters relevant to research impact, offers advice to the Vice President, Research and Innovation, and Strategic Initiatives and advocates for sustained excellence in research and innovation impact within and outside of the University.

Praise, reverence, and stories of inspiration

Many of Dei’s fellow peers and colleagues, overjoyed by this honour, regard him highly and recalled amazing moments with him.

“Professor Dei was the first Professor to write, teach and talk in various community forums about antiracism in our society, schools and places of work,” said Professor Njoki Wane, who currently serves as the SJE chair.

Dei was the first professor to teach many courses – including Indigeneity from a global perspective (in particular that people of African ancestry are Indigenous to Africa), decolonization and the anticolonial, says Wane.

“I still remember the opposition, even threats he received for challenging the status quo; today, these courses have become normalized and everyone is teaching, researching and writing on them. I sincerely hope, people are engaging in these topics from a sincere and genuine standpoint.”

Professor Wane is a co-Director of the Centre for Black Studies in Education, with Professor Ann Lopez, from OISE’s Department of Leadership Higher and Adult Education, who adds: “Professor Dei’s work on anti-racism education, Indigeneity, anti-Black racism decolonizing education has

impacted not only students at OISE, but the wider community, locally and globally.

“He has always called on us to be brave in challenging all forms of oppression in education and schooling, and to be bold in creating space for alternative ways of knowing and constructing praxis that disrupts the taken-for-granted norms,” said Lopez, the director of the Centre for Leadership and Diversity and Provostial Advisor on Access Programs. “Like so many graduates of OISE I had the privilege of Professor Dei on my thesis committee, challenging me to ‘name it’ and engage in research that challenges the status quo.

“Today as Professor Dei’s colleague he still inspires us to be bold and agentive. Professor Dei is an outstanding scholar and mentor and I congratulate him on receiving the President’s Impact Award.”

Wane still remembers sitting in his classes during the 1990s, “as he challenged all his students to speak up about the injustices, both contemporary and historical,” she recalls. “I still remember the pushback when he published his book on School Dropouts of Black students, which he referred to as push-out.”

“Professor Dei has challenged us all to think outside the box and I whole heartily congratulate him on being a recipient of President’s Impact Award.”

Lasting lessons, a strong legacy

Professor Dei’s many students, past and present, have been grateful to engage with and work with.

“As a student of Professor Dei, I have been fortunate to learn from, and work alongside him,” said Marycarmen Lara-Villanueva, an OISE doctoral candidate and the senior coordinator at the Centre for Integrative Anti-Racism Studies.

Despite his renown, Professor Dei’s humility is admired by his learning community, says LaraVillanueva. “In my own work, he has inspired me to build bridges of solidarity, foster relationships, and deeply value the knowledge that emanates from outside institutions, including Elders, youth, and mothers’ knowledges. His legacy is unparalleled,

and I am humbled to be part of the anti-racist, anticolonial knowledge, projects and efforts that he continues to build.”

Kathy Lewis, an assistant curriculum leader at the Toronto District School Board’s Scarborough Centre for Alternative Studies, is reminded of Dr. Dei’s admonishment, “To know is to act politically and courageously.”

“I have come to learn from Dr. Dei that ignorance and inaction are our greatest ordeals that hold us captive against our greatest human possibilities of harmony, grace, and truth. The power of coming to know and to speak differently, that Dr. Dei teaches, encourages the need for us to be critical in all spaces, physical and cognitive,” says Lewis. “It is also our human responsibility to speak the truth about history and now through anti-racist, anti-colonial and decolonial lenses, to have an open-heartedness and an opensacredness of community bonds and fellowship of the true spirit of humanhood, exploring and dismantling the anomaly of all oppressive established boundaries in our world.”

Lara-Villaneva and Lewis are each excited for Dei’s latest honour.

“Wholehearted congratulations to Professor Dei, as the recipient of the President’s Impact Award! Professor Dei’s intellectual impact extends beyond the confines of academia, reaching communities and educators globally,” says Lara-Villaneva.

“Throughout his career, Dr. Dei has encouraged his students to critically interrogate race and racism, while also planting seeds of possibility.”

“My community and I are extremely proud of Dr. Dei’s achievements,” adds Lewis. “We are continuously deeply inspired by Dr. Dei’s leadership, commitment, work, brilliance, humility, and warmth. Dr. Dei’s work is critically crucial to our community and our world, carving the tools necessary that shape our individual and collective hope, vision, and action in achieving systemic, institutional, and individual change, a call for all of our critical consciousness of deeply rooted unchallenged, uninterrogated, and unequal ever-evolving, ever-changing, power relations and constancy that deny our individual and collective truths.

“Congratulations Dr. George Sefa Dei! Thank you for being a true gem.”

And, in receiving the President’s Impact Award, Professor Dei is thankful for so many. “Of course, this award will not be possible simply with me working alone,” he says.

He shares this honour with his family, faculty and staff colleagues, and especially his many devoted students both at OISE and beyond, “all who have mentored me in my academic travelogue over the years,” he says.

“I most definitely make special mention of the local Black communities and groups that have sustained and supported me spiritually, emotionally, and physically in my research, teaching and advocacy work. Without such community, the wounds from our work never heal – even when the scars remain.”

Professor George Dei

Profile of Heads of Governments in Ghana since 1957

It is exactly 66 years ago on March 6, 1957 that Ghana gained its independence from British Colonial rule. The struggle for independence had begun with the United Gold Coast Convention in the aftermath of World War II. However, the man who led the nation to freedom and became its first President was Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Dr. Nkrumah was overthrown in a military coup in 1966. Since then there had been 4 more military interventions with 4 more civilian administrations after each military government. Ghana from 1992 to present has enjoyed a stable government under its 4th Republic. As we celebrate the 65th birthday of our great nation, we bring to our readers the profiles of the heads of governments in Ghana since 1957 when the country became a sovereign state.

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah

(21 Sept; 1909 – 27 April 27 1972)

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah who became the first head of government of independent Ghana under the Convention People Party (CPP) in 1957 was born on Saturday, September 21, 1909 at Nkroful in the Western region of Ghana. He married Helena Ritz Fathia, a relative of President Gamal Abdel Nassar of Egypt in 1958 and had three children with her.

Nkrumah was formerly known as Francis NwiaKofi, but he later changed his name to Kwame Nkrumah. Interestingly, the Fanti teacher who enrolled Francis Nwia-Kofi Ngonlomam into school inadvertently wrote “Nkrumah” for “Ngonloma” and it remained as such. After completing his elementary education at Half Assini, Nkrumah in 1927 entered the Government Training College in Accra (became known as Achimotta School later that year). He obtained his Teacher’s Certificate from the College in 1930. His life as a schoolteacher was brief as in 1932 he became a student at the Roman Catholic Seminary at Amisano near Cape Coast. He left for USA in 1935 to further his studies and obtained his BA degree in 1939 and another one, this time in Theology in 1942, all from the Lincoln University in Pennsylvania.

By 1943, Kwame Nkrumah had annexed MSc Education and MA Philosophy degrees at the University of Pennsylvania, USA. Meanwhile, he had combined his studies with lectureship, a job he did so well

that he was voted the “Most Outstanding Professor-OfThe-Year” by ‘The Lincolnian’ in 1945. In the same year Kwame Nkrumah left USA for London, England to study Law for his Doctoral degree. He shortly met George Padmore in London and they teamed up to organize the Sixth Pan-African Congress in Manchester, England. Thereafter, Nkrumah intensified his activities for the de-colonization of Africa. He wrote his first book titled ‘Towards Colonial Freedom’ in 1947.

In December 1947 Nkrumah returned to Gold Coast and became the General Secretary of United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC). The Colonial government in 1948 detained him and 5 other Executive Members of the UGCC. Nkrumah was dismissed as the General Secretary of UGCC the same year due to his radical stand on independence. He had already formed the Convention Peoples Party (CPP); and declared Positive Action to demand Independence for the then Gold Coast in December 1949. He was arrested in January the following year and incarcerated.

However, while in prison, Nkrumah won the seat for Accra Central in an election held in February 1951. He was immediately released from prison to form new government. Kwame Nkrumah again won the 1956 elections leading to independence and subsequently declared Ghana’s Independence on March 6th 1957.

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah then turned his efforts toward the unification of African States. He therefore held an AllAfrican Peoples Conference in Accra in December 1958.

In 1960 Dr. Nkrumah declared Ghana as Republic. Unfortunately, he became the target of assassination attempts by his ‘political enemies’ as was seen in the Kulungugu bombing in August, 1962. Dr. Nkrumah narrowly escaped death in that attempt on his life.

He turned Ghana into One Party-State with himself as Life President in 1964. Political tension gripped Ghana and Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was deposed in a military coup d’etat while he was on a peace mission to Hanoi, North Vietnam. He went to live in Conakry, Guinea after his overthrow in 1966 until he died naturally in a Romania hospital on April 27th, 1972. His body was brought to Ghana for a fitting burial on July 7th, 1972.

(18th Aug., 1915 – 25th Nov., 1992)

The next head of government after Dr. Nkrumah was a soldier by profession. He was Lt. General Joseph A. Ankrah, a native of Accra.

Gen. Ankrah was recalled from enforced retirement following the February 1966 coup staged by Gen. Kotoka and Gen. Afrifa to be the chairman of the National Liberation Council (NLC) and head of state.

From a very humble beginning, Ankrah had worked hard to obtain his Cambridge School Certificate in 1937. Two years later, he was mobilized into West Africa Frontier Force on the outbreak of the Second World War.

In 1946, he trained as Officer Cadet in U.K. and was commissioned as Lieutenant in 1947. By the dint of hardwork he rose through the ranks over the years to become Lieutenant Colonel. In August 1960 he was appointed Colonel, a position that few Ghanaians could occupy at that time.

He was made a Brigade Commander of the UN Peace Keeping Force in Congo from 1960 to 1961. Ankrah exhibited excellent soldiering qualities that won him a promotion to Brigadier in 1961.

Unfortunately, 3 years after being the head of government has was forced to resign as the Chairman of NLC and head over a bribery scandal.

He died on 25th November 1992 leaving behind several wives and 18 children.

Afrifa was made the Commanding Officer of the Second Battalion of Infantry in 1966. It was during the same year in Kumasi where he was the Commander of First Infantary Brigade under Kotoka that the two planned and carried out the coup that toppled Nkrumah. He became a member of the eight-man ruling NLC, and a Commissioner of Finance, Trade and Economic Affairs. However, he took over as the Chairman of NLC and head of government in 1969 when Gen. Ankrah was forced to resign that position.

In 1972, Gen. Afrifa was arrested and detained for almost the whole year by the National Redemption Council regime under Gen. Acheampong. He led the Popular Movement for Freedom and Justice to protest against UNIGOV and demanding the return of the nation to constitutional rule.

On 16th June, 1979 he was taken from his farm at Mampong and executed by firing squad after the June 4th, 1979 upspring.

of Gold Coast in 1949. Eventually, Dr. Busia became the first African to occupy a Chair in that University.

In 1951 the Ashanti Confederacy elected Dr. Busia to the Legislative Council. He became the leader of the Ghana Congress Party, which joined with the other opposition parties to form the United Party (UP). As a leader of the opposition against Nkrumah, Busia felt his life was not safe and therefore fled the country in 1959 to Netherlands where he worked as Professor of Sociology and Culture at the University of Leiden in The Hague. He later moved to the University of Oxford in England as Senior Member of St. Anthony’s College.

Dr. Busia returned from exile in 1966 after Dr. Nkrumah’s overthrow and got appointed as the chairman of the National Advisory Committee of the NLC. From 1967 to 1968 he served as the chairman of the Center for Civic Education selling himself as the next leader through his countrywide assignments.

In 1968 he formed the Progress Party when the ban on politics was lifted and won elections in 1969 to become head of government (as a Prime Minister following the British type of government). He adopted a liberalized economic system and devalued the cedis by 44% in 1971. This attracted a lot of resistance from the public and while he was away in London his government was ousted in a coup led by Colonel I.K. Acheampong on January 13th, 1972.

Lt. General Akwasi Amankwa Afrifa (24 April, 1936 – 16 June, 1979)

Upon the resignation of Gen. Ankrah in 1969, Lt. General Akwasi Amankwa Afrifa became the chairman of NLC and the head of government.

Afrifa was born at Mampong, Ashanti where he attended the Presbyterian Boys Boarding School. He had his Secondary education at Adisadel College, Cape Coast from 1952 to 1956.

He had his military training, first at the Regular Officer’s Special Training School from 1957 to 1958; and at the Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot, England in 1958, From 1958 to 1960 he continued with his training at the Military Academy in Sandhurst, England; and in 1961 at the School of Infantry, Hythe in England. He returned to Ghana and became the Commander of the Rifle Company and, as a General Staff Officer from 1962 to 1964.

Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia (11th July, 1913 – 28thAugust, 1974)

Gen. Afrifa in October, 1969 handed over the governing of Ghana to Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia and his Progress Party (PP) after the parliamentary elections of that year which the PP won 104 of the 105 seats contested. Thus, Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia, a native of Wenchi in the Brong Ahafo Region became the second civilian head of government in Ghana after Dr. Nkrumah. He was anti – Nkrumaist stance.

The education and career life of Busia could be described as very academic. He entered Mfantsipim College at Cape Coast after completing his elementary education at the Wenchi Methodist School. Busia trained as a professional teacher in 1931 and 1932 at the Wesley College in Kumasi.

From 1936 to 1939 he taught at the Achimota College in Accra during which period he did a correspondence course to gain a first degree with honors in History from the University of London. He went to the Oxford University in England and by 1941 earned his BA degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics as well as MA and Ph.D. degrees in Social Anthropology.

Dr. Busia returned to Ghana and worked as a District Commissioner from 1942 to 1949. He was appointed the first lecturer in African Studies at the University

General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong (23rd Sept., 1931 – 16th June, 1979)

General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong used the general discontent against Busia’s government to stage a coup in 1972 to become the 3rd military head of government in Ghana. Acheampong schooled at Trabuom elementary school near Kumasi where he was born. He furthered his education at St. Peter’s Catholic School in Kumasi and Central College of Commerce at Agona Swedru in the Central Region.

From 1945 to 1957 he worked at Timber Sawmill in Kumasi as Stenographer Secretary; at Kumasi Commercial College as a Tutor; and at Agona Swedru College of Commerce as Vice Principal. He got enlisted as a Private in

Lt. General Joseph A. Ankrah

Compiled by Emmanuel Ayiku and Jonathan Baah Annobil, Toronto, ON

Profile of Heads of Governments in Ghana since 1957

the Ghana Army in 1951 and later went to Cadet training at Mons, Aldershot. Upon his return to Ghana in 1959 he was commissioned Second Lieutenant. Determined to climb the ladder in the Army, Acheampong between 1959 and 1966 attended various courses including one in Personnel Administration at the Staff College. He also trained at Leavenworth, Kansas in USA and later became the Commanding Officer of the 5th and 6th Battalion.

Gen. Acheampong served as the chairman of Western Regional Committee of Administration from 1966 to 1971; and as the Commander of the First Infantary Brigade from 1971 to 1972. When he assumed the head of government of Ghana in 1972, Gen. Acheampong reversed the devaluation of the cedis and refused to pay the debts Ghana owed the outside world. He also embarked on the “Operation Feed Yourself”. However, by 1976 Acheampong’s regime has become unpopular as a result of mismanagement and economics hardships.

His UNIGOV idea which was to do away with partisan government was vehemently opposed with massive protests. There were clashes with his opponents and some protestors were killed in Kumasi. On July 5th, 1978 Gen. Acheampong’s secondin-command, General Fred Akuffo and other members of the ruling supreme Military Council (SMC) staged a palace coup and removed Acheampong as the head of government. Acheampong was confined to his hometown, Trabuom in Ashanti Region until he was picked up and executed alongside other top military officer on 16th June, during the 1979 uprising.

College in 1967; and also at the National Defense College, India in 1973. Posts he held included: Commanding Officer, Airborne Training School in Tamale from 1965 to 1966; commanding Officer, 6th Battalion from 1969 to 1970; Director General of Operations and Planning, Ministry of Defense in 1970. Gen. Akuffo was appointed Army Commander in 1974 and Chief of Defense Staff in 1976.

When he took over from Acheampong, he initiated the return of the country to civilian rule by instituting a new Constitution Drafting Committee. He lifted the ban on politics though some prominent politicians were still banned. Unfortunately, his efforts could not solve the country’s economic problems, which sent workers demonstrating in the streets. Flt. Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings and his men took advantage of the situation in the country and staged a coup d’etat on the 4th of June 1979 to overthrow the SMCII. Rawlings became the chairman of ruling Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) and the fifth military head of government in Ghana. However, the AFRC handed over power to democratically elected head in September, the same yar. Gen. Akuffo was shot by firing squad at the Teshie Military range with Gen. Acheampong and other on June 16th 1979.

parliamentary elections as an Independent Candidate.

Limann left Ghana for London in 1957 and later to France where he obtained his Ph.D. in Political Science and Constitutional Law in 1965 from the University of Paris. He was made Head, Europe Desk at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs form 195 to 1968. In 1967 he served as a member of the Constitutional Commission.

After working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as Head of Ghana’s Mission in Togo and Counselor of Ghana’s Permanent Mission in Geneva, Dr. Limann returned to Ghana in 1975 and when the ban on politics was lifted Alhaji Imoro Egala, a ‘giant’ in the PNP – a group of Nkrumahists-elected him to lead the party. Thus, Dr. Limann became the head of government when PNP won the elections in 1979.

He immediately replenished the depleted food stock in the country and launched the Gold Endowment Fund to attract investors to Ghana. Unfortunately, on 31st December 1981 Flt. Lt. Rawlings took power back from Dr. Limann in a military coup called “a revolution”. Dr. Limann lived a private life till he died of natural causes on 23rd January, 1998 in Ghana.

Trophy as the Best Cadet in flying and airmanship). In April, 1969 he was promoted to Flight Lieutenant.

On May 28, 1979 Flt. Lt. J.J. Rawlings was arrested for muting of the junior officers and men of the Ghana Armed Forces. Before he could be sentenced on June 4, 1979 he was sprung from jail by Major Boakye-Djan and some junior officers. The coup makers formed the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) with Flt. Lt. Rawlings as the head. The AFRC did some ‘house cleaning’ by executing 3 former military heads of state and other military officers by firing squad. They handed over power to Dr. Limann and his PNP government in September, 1979. But Rawlings came back and ousted the Limann government in 1981. He formed the Provincial National Defense Council (PNDC) to carry out a “revolution”.

In 1992, Rawlings resigned from the Army and contested elections on the ticket of National Democratic Convention (NDC) and won. He won again in the 1996 elections.

rule Ghana!) Kufour was then appointed by Rawlings as Minister for Local Government but after nine months in office Kufour resigned from Rawling’s PNDC government due to political incompatability. He then returned to entrepreneurship until 1992 when he came back to politics Kufour lost the presidential elections to Rawlings in 1996 but stood again for presidency and won in 2000 to become the 5th civilian head of government of Ghana. He won the presidency for the 2nd time in 2004.

It is interesting to note that Ghana’s new democracy since 1992 has seen stability and grown over the years. This is evidenced by the fact that the last two presidents of the country, in the persons of Rawlings and Kufour have both successfully served as heads of state for two consecutive terms of 8 years a term each. Kufour will hand over his presidency to a newly elected president in January, 2009, thus, ending successfully his second term in office as the Head of State of Ghana.

Kufour is married to Theresa, a nurse with whom

John Kofi Agyekum Kufour

General Fredrick William Kwasi Akuffo (21st March, 1937 – 16th June 1979)

When Gen. Acheampong was removed in a palace coup on 5th July, 1978 General Fredrick Akuffo became chairman of SMC II and the head of government.

Akuffo who hailed from Akropong-Akwapim in the Eastern Region was educated at the Presbyterian Secondary School at OdumasiKrobo from 1952 to 1955. He got enlisted as an OfficerCadet in the Ghana Army in 1957. He then studied at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, UK from 1958 to 1960; and at the Staff

(12th Dec; 1934 – 23rd Jan; 1998)

Flt. Lt. Rawlings and the AFRC organized elections in 1979 to return the country to civilian rule 3 months after the June 4th uprising. Dr. Hilla Limann who was the presidential candidate for the Peoples National Party (PNP) won the elections to become the third civilian head of government in Ghana. He was sworn in on 24th September, 1979 as the President of the Third Republic of Ghana.

Limann was born on 12th December, 1934 at Gwolu in the Upper West Region. He was named Babini but he was brought up by his uncle, Heli Limann whose name he (Dr. Limann) assumed on entering primary school.

Limann attended Tamale Government Middle School from 1946 to 1949. He became a District Councilor at Tumu in the Upper West Region between 1952 and 1955.

In 1954, he lost

Flight – Lieutenant Jerry John Kwasi Rawlings (22nd June, 1947-)

Flt. Lt. J.J. Rawlings came back to Ghana politics as the sixth military head of government in 1981 and ‘metamorphosized’ himself in 1992 to become the fourth civilian head of government and the President of the Fourth Republic of Ghana. His second and final term of office (by the constitution) expires at the end of this year, 2000.

The only head of government who is still alive is Rawlings. Though a native of Dzelokope in the Volta Region, Rawlings was born in Accra on June 22, 1947 and has since lived almost his whole life in Accra.

He schooled at St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary School at Adabraka in Accra and furthered his studies at Achimota School also in Accra in 1966.

In August 1967 he got enlisted as a Flight Cadet at the Ghana Air Force Station in Takoradi, Western Region. He was selected for Officer-Cadet Training at the Military Academic, Teshie in Accra. Rawlings went for Military Training Course in Takoradi after which he was commissioned as Pilot Officer in January 1969 (won the coveted Speed Bird

Ghana’s 4th Republic saw a smooth changeover from the NDC government to a new government of the National Patriotic Party (NPP) under the leadership of Mr. John Kofi Agyekum Kufour on January 7, 2001. Thus, Mr. Kufour became the fifth civilian head of government after Flt. Lt. J.J. Rawlings.

At the age of 62 years, Kufour who hails from the Ashanti Region of Ghana is the first opposition leader in Ghana to have beaten the incumbent government’s presidential candidate to become the President of Ghana.

Like the first, second and third civilian heads of government, Kufour is well educated. He went to Oxford University in Britain and earned a Masters degree in philosophy, political science and economics. He was called to the bar at Lincoln’s Inn in London in 1961 but he soon returned to Ghana and took to politics.

He became a member of the Constitutuent Assemblies, which drafted Ghana’s republican constitution in 1969 and 1979.

Mr. Kufour won a parliamentary seat and was appointed Deputy Foreign Minister in 1969 when Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia and his Progress Party (PP) came to power. Busia government was overthrown in 1972 and Kufour went into business running a brick and tile factory. However, he returned to politics in 1979 and became the Deputy Minority parliamentary Leader when Ghana returned to democratic rule. That was to be for short time since Flt. J.J. Rawlings overthrew the government of Ghana in 1981.

Prof. John Atta Mills was born on 21 July 1944 at Tarkwa in western Ghana. He graduated in law at the University of Ghana in 1967 before pursuing his legal studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. John Atta Mills then won a Fulbright scholarship at Stanford Law School in the US. He came back to his alma mater the University of Ghana as a lecturer for nearly 25 years.

From 1986 to 1993, Prof Atta Mills was the Acting Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service and the substantive Commissioner during 19931996. He was then selected as the running mate to former President Jerry Rawlings for the 1996 elections, and served as vice president from 1997 to 2001.

He was a keen hockey player, at one time a member of the national team, and also enjoyed swimming.

President Mills had more than one dozen publications in the taxation and law fields to his credit.

The 64-year old former President of Ghana was married to Ernestina Naadu Mills, a director of education and trained marriage counsellor. He died on July 12, 2012, the first sitting President of the country to die in office.

We congratulate Kufour and Rawlings (the only heads of states of our country still alive) as Ghana celebrates its 51st independence anniversary. cont’d on pg. 28

Dr. Hilla Limann

Mr.

Profile of Heads of Governments in Ghana since 1957

again re-elected in 2004 for a third term.

From 2001 to 2004, President Mahama served as the Minority Parliamentary Spokesman for Communications and in 2002 he was appointed the Director of Communications for the NDC. He was sworn-in on Monday, January 7, 2013, as the fourth President of Ghana’s Fourth Republic.

President Mahama has seven children. He is married to Mrs. Lordina Mahama.

President from 1970-1972. Their residence, Betty House at Korle Wokon in Accra, was the headquarters of the Ghana’s first political party, the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) formed at Saltpond on August, 4 1947.

Educational Background

John Mahama wasborn on November 29, 1958 at Damongo, in the Northern Region of Ghana. He is a communications expert, historian, writer, former Member of Parliament and Minister of State, and immediate former Vice-President of Ghana.

He ascended to the high office of President following the death of the incumbent President John Evans Atta Mills on Tuesday, July 24 in Accra.

After completing his education, President Mahama went on to pursue an additional postgraduate diploma in social psychology at the Institute of Social Sciences in Moscow, and returned to Ghana from 1991 to 1996. He worked as Information, Culture and Research Officer at the Embassy of Japan in Accra. another four-year term as the MP for the Bole/Bamboi Constituency. He was

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo (7th President of the 4th Republic, 7th January, 2017 – present)

Ghana’s current President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has what many people have described as an impressive political record spanning about four decades. Born on March 29, 1944 Nana Akufo-Addo was raised at Swalaba in Accra to Mr. Edward Akufo-Addo and Mrs Adeline Akufo-Addo. He hailed from Kyebi in the Eastern Region. His father was Ghana’s third Chief Justice from 1966-1970 and non-executive

He schooled at the Government Boys School at Adabraka, and was later to go to Rowe Road School which is now Kimbu Secondary Technical. He later went to England to study for his O-Level and A-Level examinations at Lancing College, Sussex. He taught at Accra Academy Secondary School when he returned to Ghana in 1962, before going to University of Ghana to read Economics in 1964. He earned a BSc (Economics) degree in 1967. He was subsequently to study law in the United Kingdom and was called to the English Bar (Middle Temple) in July 1971. Nana Akufo-Addo was called to the Ghana bar in July 1975.Akufo-Addo stayed in France for five years as a lawyer at the now-defunct New York-based international law firm, Coudert Frères.

Political Career

He was the General Secretary of People’s Movement for Freedom and Justice (PMFJ) which led “NO” campaign in the UNIGOV referendum of 1978 under General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong administration which was to solicit support against a one-party military government. In 1991, Akufo-Addo served as the Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Danquah-Busia Memorial Club. He travelled throughout the country to establish branches of the Club. These branches eventually metamorphosed into local organs of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) prior to the 1992 general election.

Nana Addo was elected three times from 1996 - 2008 as the Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South in the Eastern Region.He served his nation from 2001 to 2007 as Cabinet Minister, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, and later as a Foreign Minister under the administration of President John Agyekum Kufuor with brilliance and distinction. Akufo-Addo contested the 2008 presidential race and received 4,159,439 votes representing 49.13 per cent of the valid votes cast, in the first round, but was not enough for the 50 plus one percent needed for an outright victory. In the run-off, Nana Akufo-Addo lost to the National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) Presidential Candidate, Professor John Evans Atta Mills. .Akufo-Addo again contested in the 2012 national elections against the NDC candidate, John Dramani Mahama after the demise of President Atta-Mills on July 24, 2012. That election generated considerable controversy, and was finally decided by the Supreme Court in a narrow 5/4 verdict in favour of Mr Mahama.In the 2016 elections, Nana Akufo-Addo competed against six other presidential candidates including President Mahama, of the ruling NDC, Mr Ivor Kobina Greenstreet of the Convention People’s Party and Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom of the Progressive People’s Party. Nana Akufo Addo finally got his dream come true when on December 7, 2016 he won a clear majority in the Presidential elections. He polled 5,716,026 votes representing 53.85 per cent as against his main rival, President Mahama’s 4,713,277 votes representing 44.40 per cent to win the contest in the first round.

An evening with Anita Erskine

By Emmanuel Ayiku, Bowmanville, ON

Tuesday, March 7th 2023 at Bowmanville, Ontario. Professor David Firang of Trent University and his wife organized a special diner in honor of Ms Anita Erskine. The event was attended by some Ghanaian community members, Consul General of Ghana in Toronto and his wife, plus some students and staff of Trent University. Anita Erskine, a former Trent University student was twice named one of the 100 most influential women in Africa, a communication professional, broadcast Journalist, television producer and CEO of Anita Erskine Media

John Dramani Mahama: (July 24, 2012-2016)

Some community Women with Anita Erskine and some Trent University staff

Some Trent University students and staff with Anita

Group of community members with Anita

Presentation of magazine to Anita (R) by Prof. David Firang

Know the first woman to become a professor in Ghana

As part of efforts to mark Ghana Month, we take a look at one of Ghana’s educationists who has made a name as the first-ever female professor.

From a rather low-income background, she fought her way up the ladder to attain the prestigious position of professorship.

Florence Dolphyne today is known as the first female to be appointed as a professor and pro-vice chancellor in Ghana.

Born in 1938 at Akynakrom in the Ejisu-Juabeng District of the Ashanti Region, Florence went through the Wenchi Methodist Primary School to Achinakrom Methodist Primary

School but had to sell kenkey and bread at that point to be able to move ahead with her education, at Mmofraturo Girl’s Boarding School.

After her basic education, she proceeded to the Wesley Girls Senior High School in Cape Coast for her secondary education and did her 6th form section at Mfantsipim School (which was only mixed at 6th form) and she emerged the first female student to win a prize.

She furthered to the University of Ghana in 1958 and graduated with a BA (Hons) degree in English in 1961.

After this, she moved to the School of Oriental & African Studies at the University of London where she earned her PhD.

Florence began her career as a teacher at the Labone Senior High School and then joined academic staff of the University

of Ghana in September 1965.

She is known as one of the founding members of the Department of Linguistics and Ghanaian Languages at the University of Ghana.

From there, she rose to become the Head of the Linguistics Department and also Senior Tutor and Warden of the Volta Hall.

She was appointed Professor of Linguistics in 1996. She also served as Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the university. She was awarded an honorary doctorate (D.Litt) by the University of Ghana in 2004.

--- Part 2

5) Learn To Forgive

Mistakes, offences, disappointments, and surprises are characteristic in any relationship. Anyone who is not ready to accept and deal with them effectively will be a poor lover, companion, family member, or friend. True knowledge of the person you are dealing or living with, resulting from openhearted frequent communication, will always enable you to excuse the one, give benefit of the doubt, and especially understand your partner or friend, forgive or deal with the particular issue effectively in your mind and heart, talk matters over, continue to believe each other, and move along progressively with increasing love in the relationship. Forgiveness is a contract you sign with God in prayer to “forgive the one as Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). It does not mean that when you later see the person you will suddenly feel abundant love in your heart for him or her. You need to allow the circumstances to break and humble you before God, as you thoughtfully apply wisdom to take all the possible physical steps to assure the one of your forgiveness, release the person from the guilt of the offence, and gradually build love and trust again. God has already warned us that unforgiveness will always hinder the answers to our prayers, and prevent God from forgiving our offences against Him (Mathew 6:14, 15; Mark 11:26).

6) Determine To Be A Consistent True Lover

If you want people to love you, then make every effort to give love (first) and learn also to accept love from others, and be a good steward (manager) of love. Let your love and acceptance become faithful and consistent. You can do so by depending on God’s power through prayer and obedience to God’s

word, constant forgiveness, and meaningful acts of love.

In my book The Fundamental And Special Needs of Men and Women, I stated that in my opinion, there are five primary factors that define your love for someone. You must look out for the person’s:

a) Welfare --- what promotes the person’s prosperity and progress in life.

b) Needs --- what is necessary for the one to live normal life as a man or woman in a particular capacity, in order for the person to grow to full maturity. c) Interests --- what delights the person, what he or she engages in to gain satisfaction, what makes the one happy, and what provides joy for the individual according to the person’s personal traits and natural make-up.

d) Rights --- the important things that society or the institution in question (e.g. marriage) requires that the person obtains for himself or herself without denial. e) Opinions --- the sincere ideas, concepts, suggestions, and inputs of the person towards the progress of all of you in the relationship.

7)

Learn To Accept People

If you do not train yourself to make room in your heart to accept people, then it will be difficult for people to accept you, because they will also sense that you do not accept them, and they will therefore find it hard to accept you. The heart of man has a door that you can open or close. Paul told the Corinthians: “Open your hearts (receive us) (1 Corinthians 7:2). I have discovered that the mind is the key to open the heart. Once you make up your mind about someone (to reach out to the one or not) in a positive or negative way, you will either go all out to open your heart to the one, or continually close your heart to the person. There are men who had children with their wives, gave them all the physical care, and died,

leaving behind money and property for the family. But as the wife and children stood by their coffin, they asked in their minds: “Who really is this man?” This is because Dear Daddy (Dear Husband) never really opened his heart to the wife and children, and so the family knew very little about his private life or his mind on various issues of life. You do not have to desire, admire, or have any special liking for everything in the life of someone before you accept the person. Learn the secret of unconditional acceptance with the help of God, while you still maintain your integrity, and gradually relate to the person lovingly and patiently until you become an agent of change in the person’s life, and create a condition for your heart to accept the person more.

You have to evaluate the total person on the basis of God’s love for you and for the one. If he or she is snobbish, mean, and un-loving, then you need to examine the one closely and understand the basis of his or her problem, and not take the attitude too personally as special hatred for you alone, although that could also be true in some instances. Aim at praying for and helping the one by being a good example of love and acceptance. Focus on the good things you see in the person now; admire those desirable qualities, and develop a heart of humility and compassion for the person as you interact with the one, and wait for God to work more in that person to transform him or her and produce other desirable characteristics that are not yet present. You will thereby develop an excellent godly character that will have the capability to face every challenge of love and acceptance boldly and effectively. You will not become a victim of the constant self-pity and downcast spirit of people in relationships that is eating them

up in their private lives, and has rendered them confused, fearful, sorrowful, rejected, dejected, disappointed, and unproductive. You can renew your love and learn real affection and endurance in your relationships, if you tap into God’s power and determine to develop the moral strength in accepting and being kind to the partner, family member, or friend who makes you feel un-loved or unaccepted.

By

Dr. Samuel Kisseadoo, Professor of Biology in Virginia. Ordained Licensed Minister, International Evangelist, and Author. Relationships Marriage & Family Counselor. E-mail: kisseadoo@ msn.com. Website for resources: www.fruitfulministriesint.com.

Tune in to JOY 99.7 FM in Accra, Ghana to listen to Dr. Kisseadoo’s weekly broadcast “Hope For Your Family” on Sat. 5:30am-6am, Ghana time (1:30am-2:00am, US Eastern Time in March-Nov.). Access the broadcast on the Internet with MYJOYONLINE.COM.

For free counseling, programs, prayer, messages, books, speaking engagements, call Dr. Kisseadoo in Virginia, USA, on 1-757-7289330 (or call 233-20-8126533 or 233276-322982 in Accra, or 233275-353802 in Kumasi, Ghana). Ghana Fruitful Ministry E-mail is: fmighana.accra@gmail.com. Call 233-20-8209567 in Ghana to obtain additional rich information from Dr. Kisseadoos’s books in Ghana. Use his name “Dr. Samuel Kisseadoo” to search: RedLeadBooks.com or Amazon.com for some of his books. He can personally mail some copies to you as well.

In Ghana, call Tigo or Airtel 545 and follow the prompts for daily inspirational messages of Dr. Kisseadoo. Permission granted to freely share but with acknowledgement

Overcoming the challenge of feeling un-loved and rejected in your relationships

Florence Dolphyne is the first female professor in Ghana ghanaweb

The rise and fall of Canada’s domestic PPE market

Most Canadian businesses that answered federal and provincial calls during the pandemic to build up a domestic sector for personal protective equipment have collapsed.

The association that represents Canadian PPE companies says 90 per cent of those businesses have been forced to close or pivot to other industries because the federal government and Ontario have given contracts to a massive American company and a Quebec operation.

“We’ve got an industry that is just running on fumes,” Barry Hunt, the president of the Canadian Association of PPE Manufacturers, said in an interview.

“Most of them are out of business and the ones that aren’t out of business are going out of business quickly.”

A major issue, Hunt said, is large PPE orders the federal and Ontario governments placed with American company 3M, which has a facility in Brockville, Ont., and Quebec-based Medicom. Hospitals – who buy as larger groups – have also shut out domestic PPE suppliers, he said.

“There was a promise to procure at the end and that has never happened,” said Hunt, whose association has 15 companies remaining as members.

The scramble for PPE began in the spring of 2020, when governments around the world rushed to procure masks, gowns, gloves and other protective gear as COVID-19 spread.

The virus hit Canada with full force in March 2020.

In April 2020, George Irwin answered government pleas to help. He paused operations at his family-owned toy company, Irwin Toy, to import masks to Ontario.

As many countries struggled to procure masks, Irwin’s connections in China, along with Air Canada’s help, allowed him to secure 2.5 million masks.

That success prompted both the Ontario and federal governments to ask Irwin to consider setting up a plant in Canada, he said. He crunched the numbers and believed he could make a better mask than the ones from China for about the same price.

He received about $2 million in grant money from Ontario and put in about $6 million to build a plant to make masks in Collingwood, Ont.

With his background in toys – a constantly evolving, innovative industry – Irwin worked with others and created an antimicrobial four-layer mask. He also created a reusable and recyclable respirator mask.

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Irwin said he believed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford when they said they wanted to create a domestic PPE sector.

But neither government has purchased a single mask from him, he said.

Irwin’s company went into receivership last summer. He could lose everything, including his home.

“I’m pissed off,” Irwin said. “We did nothing wrong, all we did was make a better product that’s been ignored.”

Others have similar stories.

Paul Sweeny runs Swenco in Waterloo, Ont., a business started by his father 60 years ago.

They make components for safety shoes and, in 2019, got into the N95 mask business after signing a distribution deal with a company in Singapore.

When COVID-19 hit, Sweeny sold a shipping container of N95s in three days.

“We decided right then and there, let’s get into the mask business,” he said.

Ontario gave him a $2 million grant, he said, noting the total investment in the business sits at around $6 million.

Sweeny now has 11 machines in his plant, a massive clean room, automated packaging and robots. The plant has the capacity to make upwards of 25 million masks a month and employ 60 people. But that isn’t happening right now.

“The plant is idle,” Sweeny said, adding he wants no more platitudes from governments.

“Just give me an order so we can get the machines operational.”

Hunt, of the PPE manufacturers association, said governments owe companies who answered the emergency pandemic call. Ottawa and Ontario may have provided funding and helped with research and development, but they haven’t come through with orders, he said.

“If the governments are never going to buy Canadian PPE, and you’ve asked all these companies to invest and develop all this stuff, then give them their money back,” Hunt said.

“Let them get out and transition to start something else.”

What really upsets many companies, Hunt said, is the announcement by Trudeau and Ford in August 2020 that they were investing $47 million

cont’d on pg. 48

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The Annual Ghanaian-Canadian Achievement Awards a celebration of Excellence Honoring our Community Achievers

Hosted by The Ghanaian News Corporation

Call for 2023 Award Nominations Awards Criteria 2023

This year’s (2023) presentation recognizes achievements in the following areas:

1. Community Service: Persons who have consistently volunteered their time for a minimum of two years to a project or cause in our community or the larger Canadian society which has contributed to the quality of life of our community and/or Canadian society.

2. Professional Excellence: A continuous display of professional competence and excellence, devoid of any ethical violations in a person’s professional field of practice which can serve as a model for other professionals in our community.

3. Academic Excellence: Top class performance in academic pursuits at various levels of the educational ladder from High Schools, Colleges (CEGEP in Quebec), University or vocational/Professional training.

4. Cultural Promotion: An Individual, group or organization which has worked consistently to promote Ghanaian culture for visible recognition in Canadian society.

5. Music and Entertainment Film / Video Production: Individual or group artistes living in Canada who have consistently excelled and promoted Ghanaian music, Arts or other entertainment activities to international recognition levels over the past five years .

6. Sports: A consistent performance and achievement in the sports sector which has won nation-wide recognition and thus brought honour to our community.

7. Community Business: Individuals or groups whose pioneering efforts in the business sector have spurred on and motivated other community members to venture into the business field.

9. Volunteerism

10. Religion: Church groups or Religious organizations that have promoted religious and moral values in our community over the past five years

11. Media: Any individual or group of community media persons who have excelled in their field and thus brought honour to our community and to Canadian society.

12. Community Leadership: This award will go to an individual who have provided responsible and effective leadership in various aspects of our community life.

13. Entrerpreneur: Any individual or business enterprise within our community who have worked innovatively to establish a thriving business that contributes to the financial well-being of our community and Canadian society.

14. Heroism: Any individual who have engaged in any acts of bravery to save lives or present the destruction of property.

15. Young Talent: This award is given to young person (especially under the age of 18) in our community who exhibit exceptional talent towards community or national development.

16. Group of the Year: This category recognizes the efforts of very dedicated group of Ghanaians/Associations in our community who work tiredlessly behind the scenes to make our community better. These are those who toil day and night selflessly, often avoiding recognition and the spotlight and at great costs to themselves in many aspects of our community's life. They get involved in community and national events with just one cardinal principle: the betterment of our community

17. Technical Innovation: Individuals or group of persons/organizations who have new inventions or patents in the area of technical advancement

18. National Honour: A community member whose work/contributions have been recognized nationally in Canada and thus brought recognition and pride to our community

2023 Nomination Form

I wish to nominate: Mr./Mrs./Ms/Miss/Dr.........................................................................................

Address...................................................................................Category............................................

For an award at the above event for the following reason :...............................................................

Name of Sponsor.................................................................................Tel #......................................

Please mail, fax or e-mail this nomination form to: The Awards Selection Committee, c/o The Ghanaian News Corporation, 1111 Albion Rd.#103, Etobicoke, ON. Fax: 416-916-6701, Email: awards@ghanaiannews.ca

Deadline for nominations: May 30, 2023

Ghana Flag Raising at Brampton City Hall

By Emmanuel Ayiku, Brampton, ON

As part of Ghana’s 66th Independence celebration, the Ghanaian community in GTA, Canada had a Flag Raising event at the Brampton City Hall to mark the occasion. It was a very short but impressive ceremony. Hon Hakeem Balogun the Consul-General of Ghana in Toronto gave a speech for the occasion. The host Mayor of Brampton Patrick Brown in his speech said “Flag Raising is a symbol of good friendship”. Most of the community members, Nananom and the Consulate staff attended the event

Cutting of Anniversary cake by Consul General

Some GCAO members

Consul General of Ghana in Toronto Hakeem Balogun delivering his speech

Mayor of Brampton Patrick Brown delivering his speech

Community members at roundtable

Cake cutting by Nananom

Group picture of community members and the Mayor Raising of flag by Consul General and the Mayor

G.C.A.O. Women’s Wing in colllaboration with North York Women’s Centre (NYWC) celebrate Women Valentines’ Day & Black History Month

By Jonathan Baah Annobil, Toronto, ON

The event took place at 116 Industry Street, North York, on February 17, 2023. The aim of the event was to encourage women leadership and empowerment. They also celebrated the achievements of some Black Women. There were some discussions on survivors of domestic violence.

Group picture of participants

Some members of community women

Group Panel discussion

PLACES OF WORSHIP DIRECTORY

Ghana Methodist Churches in Canada

( SOCIETIES UNDER THE GHANA METHODIST CONFERENCE)

The Superintendents Minister-In-Charge invites you to worship with us

Toronto Society

Place of Worship: 69 Milvan Drive, North York, Ont. (Finch Av./Milvan) 416-743-4555 (Office) 905-216-2323 (Residence)

Edmonton Methodist 778-237-7339

Ottawa Methodist 613-315-3443

Redemption Methodist Church

Location: 955 Wilson Ave., Unit 12, North York, ON

Weekly Service Schedule: Monday 7 pm - 8 pm

Online Bible Study: Thursday 7 pm - 8:30 pm, Prayer Meeting Friday 7:30 pm - 9 pm

Divine Service, Sundays 10 am - 12:30 pm

BETHANY METHODIST CHURCH-BRAMPTON

PLACE OF WORSHIP1A KNIGHTSBRIGE ROAD (Senior’s Lounge)

Sunday Divine Service 2PM-5PM

Online Prayer Meeting

Fridays at 8PM -9PM 416-800-4317 Code # 9632581

Contact: Robert Frans (289-541-5579)

Felix Gyimah (289-931-8443)

Contacts: Agnes Donkor - 647-881-4808, Felicia Owusu - 647-533-1093, Grace Kubi - 647-608-5373

Holy Trinity Methodist Church, Montreal

Place of Worship: 455 Church Street - Beaconsfield Qc H9W 3S6

Day and Time of Worship

Sunday Divine Service: 12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Friday Prayer Meetings: 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Contact: Bro. Joselin Twumasi 438-881-6640

Ebenezer Methodist Church

Stoney Creek United Church (Chapel)

1 King Street West, Stoney Creek, Hamilton

Contact: Bro. Kofi Bonsu 289-684-6074

Worship Time: 11 am to 1 pm

Peniel Methodist Church Vancouver #2322 1248 82 Ave. Surrey, BC, V3W 3E9

Sister Comfort T. Owusu 647-895-7131

Worship Time: 9 am to 10:30

RICHLY BLESS YOU

Very Reverend Albert K. Appiah,

FOOD FOR LIFE

Bringing the Gospel to our Community

By

Rev. Isaac De-Graft Takyi

THE CHRISTIAN IN 2023: HOW TO REACH OUT IN TOTAL OBEDIENCE

The whole duty of man is summed up in obedience to God’s will.

George Washington

Obedience to God is the most infallible evidence that creatures can exhibit of their sincere and supreme love to him.

Nathanael Emmons

Text 1 Samuel 15

INTRODUCTION

The concept of total obedience is very essential in the life of the believer. It is said, and I believe, that “what you can get by simple obedience, you can never get through fasting and prayer.”

We shall base our article on 1 Samuel 15 and look at what total obedience is, what it demonstrates, what it costs, some examples of total obedience by people, the rewards of total obedience, how to live obedient lives,and last but not the least, pray for grace to live a total obedient life.

According to the dictionary, obedience is the act or habit of obeying, compliance with the commands, orders, or instructions of a superior, or with established rules, laws, or regulations.

Biblically, obedience is the act of submitting to the authority of God and following His commands. It is a demonstration of our love for God and a key element of our relationship with Him. The Bible teaches that true obedience involves not only outward actions but also the attitude of the heart. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commands” (John 14:15), and the apostle John wrote, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). Obedience to God is not always easy, but it is necessary for our spiritual growth and the fulfillment of God’s purposes in our lives.

Total obedience refers to the act of obeying God completely, not just in certain areas of our lives, but in all areas. It involves submitting every aspect of our lives to God’s will and seeking to follow His commands in everything we do.

Total obedience is a demonstration of our love for God and a key element of our relationship with Him.

Total obedience is important in our relationship with God for several reasons.

1. First, it demonstrates our trust in God and our willingness to follow His plan for our lives. When we obey God completely, we acknowledge that He is sovereign and that His ways are better than our own.

2. Second, total obedience helps us to grow spiritually and to become more like Christ. As we seek to follow God’s commands, we are transformed by His grace and become more conformed to His image.

3. Third, total obedience brings blessings and fulfillment in our lives. When we obey God, we experience the joy and peace that come from living in right relationship with Him.

In short, total obedience is essential to our relationship with God because it demonstrates our love for Him, helps us to grow spiritually, and brings blessings and fulfillment in our lives. As Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commands” (John 14:15).

THE COST OF TOTAL OBEDIENCE LUKE 9:23-26

Luke 9:23-26 provides insight into the cost of total obedience. In this passage, Jesus says, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”

This passage highlights the fact that total obedience to Christ requires sacrifice and a willingness to deny ourselves. Jesus calls us to take up our cross daily and follow Him, which means we must be willing to lay down our own desires and agendas in order to follow God’s plan for our lives. This may involve giving up things that are important to us, facing persecution or opposition, and even risking our lives for the sake of the gospel.

Jesus also emphasizes that there is a cost to disobedience. He warns that those who seek to save their own lives will lose them, while those who are willing to lose their lives for His sake will find true life. He also warns that those who are ashamed of Him, and His message will be ashamed when He comes in His glory.

In short, the cost of total obedience is high, but the rewards are even higher. As we deny ourselves and follow Christ, we can experience the joy and peace that come from living in right relationship with Him. We can also know that we are fulfilling our purpose and making a difference for

His kingdom.

THE BIBLE EXAMPLES OF INDIVIDUALS WHO EXHIBITED TOTAL OBEDIENCE TO GOD:

1. Abraham: In Genesis 22, God tested Abraham’s obedience by commanding him to sacrifice his son Isaac. Abraham obeyed without hesitation, showing his complete trust in God’s plan.

2. Moses: In Exodus 4-14, Moses obeyed God’s call to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, despite his doubts and fears. He followed God’s guidance and direction, even when it seemed difficult or impossible.

3. Ruth: In the book of Ruth, Ruth showed her total obedience to God by choosing to leave her homeland and follow her mother-in-law Naomi back to Israel. She trusted in God’s provision and guidance, even in the midst of uncertainty.

4. Mary: In Luke 1, Mary exhibited total obedience to God when she willingly accepted the call to be the mother of Jesus. She trusted in God’s plan and purpose, even when it meant facing ridicule and persecution.

5. Jesus: Of course, the ultimate example of total obedience is Jesus

himself. In Philippians 2:8, we read that Jesus “humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross.” He obeyed His Father’s will completely, even when it meant suffering and dying for the sins of the world.

These are just a few examples of individuals who showed total obedience to God. They trusted in His plan and purpose, even when it seemed difficult or impossible, and they followed His commands without hesitation. May we all seek to follow their example and exhibit total obedience to God in our own lives.

THE REWARDS OF TOTAL OBEDIENCE (PSALM 119:1-2. MATTHEW 7:24-25

Psalm 119:1-2 and Matthew 7:2425 both speak of the rewards of total obedience to God.

In Psalm 119:1-2, the psalmist says, “Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.” This passage highlights the fact that those who obey God’s commands are blessed. They experience the joy and peace that come from living in right relationship with

cont’d on pg. 48

EVANGEL

ASSEMBLY OF GOD CHURCH

314 Rexdale Blvd. Etobicoke, Ont. M9W 1R6

Tel: 416-242-7950

Fax: 416-242-8573

Church Activities

Sunday School: 10a.m. -11:00a.m.

Church Service: 11a.m. - 1:30p.m.

Sunday Evening: 7p.m. - 8:30p.m.

Wednesday Bible Studies: 7p.m. - 8:30p.m.

Friday Prayer Meeting: 7p.m. - 9:00p.m.

I AM ALPHA & OMEGA MINISTRY INT'L

We invite you to worship with us

Church Service:

Sunday Worship: 10.00a.m. - 12.30 p.m.

Wednesday Bible Studies: 6.00p.m. - 7.30 p.m.

Friday Prayer Meeting: 7.00p.m. - 9.00 p.m.

JESUS Loves You

NEW LOCATION

100 Penn Drive, Unit #6, North York, Ont.

Tel: 416-419-6671

Pastor in Charge Rev. Milton Offei

Bishop John Mensah

Church Of Christ Ghanaian Congregation - Toronto

Address: 101 Westmore Drive, Unit 206, Etobicoke (Highway 27/Finch)

Time of Worship: 10am - 12:15pm

Contact: Bro. Fordjour Acheampong: 416-671-4268

Bro. Agyenim Boateng: 647-656-9905

Bro. Christian Kpodjie: 647-405-2068

Lighthouse Assembly of God Church

SUNDAY SERVICES: 9:30 am-1:00 pm - Ghanaian Service

WEEKDAY SERVICES:

Wednesday - Bible Studies 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Friday - Holy Ghost Service 7:00 pm -9:00 pm

LOCATION: 42 Steinway Blvd. Unit 1&2 (Hwy 27/Steeles) Toronto, Ontario, M9W 6Y6 Tel: 416-740-1200 Fax: 416-740-6435

Email: lighthouseagtoronto.org lighthouseag@outlook.com

Good Shepherd Prayer Ministry

Invites you all to come worship with us

Venue: 95 Eddystone Ave unit 4 North York, ON

Time of worship: Sunday:10am - 1pm

Wednesday bible studies 7pm - 9pm

Friday Prayer / Deliverance 7pm - 9pm

CHRIST REDEEMER CHURCH

Pastor-in-charge: Pastor Eric Amoah

Tel: (416) 748-1242 Cell: (416) 300-9970

Church Services

Sunday Service:

Bible Study: 10 a.m.-11a.m.

Worship Service: 11a.m. - 1p.m.

Wednesday: Bible Study 6:30p.m.-7:30p.m.

Friday Night Prayer: 8p.m.-10p.m.

Pastor Eric Amoah

Location: 14 Haas Rd. , #100, Etobicoke, ON, M9W 3A2

Bethel Prayer Ministry Int'l

Do you desire to experience the power and the presence of God demonstrated in your life?

Do you want to experience the marvelous work of God's grace in your life?

Pastor Joseph Nash Sarfo Founder & Pastor-in-charge

The thief cometh not , but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.11.l am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. Amen. John 10 :10-11

Tel: 416 667-9763 cell 647 500-4415 / 647 718-4819 / 416 300-4258

Email:pastorjsarfo@gmail.com

I encourage you to join us in worship regardless of your situation the power of God is available to make you whole

Then, Bethel Prayer Ministry International would like to invite you to visit their church where the word of God is preached powerfully to release the power of God in your life.

COME AND YOU WILL BE BLESSED

Pastor Dennis Awuku Senior Pastor

Contact: Cell. 416-400-8211 Church 416-642-0390

Worship Hours:

Sunday Service: 9am - 1pm Tuesday 9am - 2 pm Consultation

Wednesday: 7pm - 9p.m. Friday: 9pm - 12 pm

Saturday (Prayer Warriors) 6pm - 8pm

Location: 52 Carrier Drive, Unit 12, (Albion/Hwy 27) Etobicoke, Ont., M9w 5S5

Lead Pastor: Rev. Nana Boateng

Rev. Nana Boateng

The Apostolic Church Int'l.

Canada Miracle Assembly

MOVED TO NEW LOCATION

Apostle Jeremiah Mensah (Resident Apostle)

31 Airview Road

Etobicoke, Ontario, M9W 1P6

Meeting Schedule

Sunday (Worship) - 10:00 a.m. -

Resident Apostle contact: 437-217-0085 Office Line: 416-740-1979

Rhema Power of Grace Chapel Int'l

Invites all Christians, Non-Christians and members of the community to join us worship the Great Jehovah

NEW Place of Worship: 135 Oakdale Rd, North York, ON

THE APOSTLES' CONTINUATION CHURCH INTERNATIONAL (CANADA)

Rev. Bishop Joe Bonnah Founder &Pastor-in-charge

Contact Lines: 416-321-2796 (Pastor's Res) 416-747-9225 (Church) Cell: 647-921-2414

10 Belfield Road

Toronto, Ont., M9W 1G1

Tel: 416-247-6629

Fax: 416-247-5308

Website: www.apostlescontinuation.org

SERVICE TIMES:

Worship Service - Sunday 10:30 a.m. Bible Studies Service Wednesday 9:00 p.m.

Night Service - Friday 9:30 p.m.

- Saturday 4:00 p.m.

Worship With Us At These Branches In Canada

North American Headquarters: Toronto 10 Belfield Road Tel: 416-247-6629

Scarborough Assembly 63 Howden Rd., Unit 'F' Scarborough, ON, M1R 3C7 Tel 647-850-

Montreal Assembly 378 Cremazie East Montreal, Quebec, H2P 1E5

Tel: 514-271-9083

Pastor-In-Charge: John Arhin

Contact: Res: 450-687-4916

Cell: 514-654-6178

Glory Pentecostal Ministry of Toronto

Invites all Christians and Non-Christians to join us to worship the Almighty God

We are more tan our conquerors Romans 8:37 "Come and see the manifestation and the power of the Holy Spirit at work"

Welcome Home Evangelistic Ministries

Apostle Charles Anokye-Manu

6 serious wars that made Ghana what it is today

Ghana was never as peaceful as it is today. In fact, the journey to political stability started way back even before Independence in 1956

Written history dating back to the 1800s shows how our ancestors waged bloody wars between themselves and colonial masters all in the thirsty search for political freedom. For those of us who read history at high school or university, you may remember some of these battles including the most famous Yaa Asantewaa War. In this article, we shall be exploring some 7 popular wars of the 19th Century which shaped the landscape of culture and politics in Ghana.

1.

Yaa Asantewaa War

This popular war is also called the War of the Golden Stool. It happened in 1900. It is documented to be the final bloody and massive war between Ashantis and the British Colony. It all started when the British Imperial Government of the Gold Coast demanded that the Ashantis surrender the Golden Stool to them. This stool was and continues to be the throne and symbol of the Ashanti Region. The demand for the Golden Stool by the British ignited the anger of the Ashanti Kingdom whose King, Prempeh 1, had been in exile. The only queen of Ejisu, Yaa Asantewaa, took it upon herself to lead the battle against the British. Unfortunately, Yaa Asantewaa lost the war leading to the arrest of chiefs including the Queen Mother of Ejisu, Yaa Asantewaa, who got exiled to the Seychelles, for 25 years.

3. Ashanti-Fante war of 1806

This was a fierce war between the Ashanti and Fante Confederacy. The disagreement between the Ashantis and Fantes is documented to have grown more severe during the start of the 19th century. It all started when the Asantehene of the Ashanti punished some people for robbing graves. But these charged persons were granted refuge by the Fantes. This led to a war between the Fantes and Ashantis resulting in the loss of over a 1000 lives.

Defeated Asantes bowing before their colonial masters (Photo credit: Getty Images)Originally called the “Sir Garnet Wolseley War”, the Sagrenti War happened between 1873 to 1874 between the Asantes and the British Empire. An army under Sir Garnet Wolseley crossed the Pra River into the Asante territory. The war was called “Sagrenti War” mainly because Ghanaians could not pronounce the name Sir Garnet. The British force, this time proved too strong for the Asante who, after a long and tough fight, agreed to sign a peace treaty at Fomena. At about the same time the British defeated the Anlo people in the Volta area. On the 12th of September, 1874, the whole of Southern Ghana including Anloland became a British colony.

4. Ga-Fante war of 1811

The Ga-Fante war in 1811 was an intense tribal war which continued for years between the Gas and Fates who were also fighting against the friends of both tribes. The Asante won the pitched battle, but then had to retreat in the face of the guerrilla tactics used by the Akwapim in the Akwapim Hills, where the Asante had the disadvantage of not knowing the terrain so well. Akwapim, battled also against the Europeans by conquering Dutch fort at Apam and a British one at Tantamkweri.

5. Battle of Nsamankow

British colonialists staging fierce fight against Asantes The Battle of Nsamankow happened in 1824. It was a first fierce war between British colonial forces and the Ashanti Empire The British force under Charles McCarthy was defeated by an Ashanti force. It is unknown who won this battle but written history shows that 80 British troops were outnumbered by over 10,000 troops.

6. Battle of Amoaful

The Battle of Amoaful was a battle fought on 31 January 1874 during the Third Anglo-Ashanti War when Sir Garnet Wolseley defeated the Ashantis after strong resistance. The attack was led by the 42nd Regiment of Foot. At Amoaful, one combat post-mortem pays tribute to the Ashanti commander: “The great Chief Amankwatia was among the killed. Admirable skill was shown in the position selected by Amankwatia, and the determination and generalship he displayed in the defense fully bore out his great reputation as an able tactician and gallant soldier.” Lance-Sergeant Samuel McGaw won the Victoria Cross during the action. Source: Yen.com.gh

2. Sagrenti War

What Are the Basics of Domestic Abuse and Prevention?

By Stephanie Asare Nti, Clinician, WBG Domestic Abuse Prevention Program

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month in the United States. This is a time to reflect on education and prevention within our communities.

The Importance of Understanding Domestic Abuse in Families

Domestic Violence Awareness month highlights the startling realities of abuse that occur within intimate partner relationships and the family unit. Domestic Violence is a global health concern and a human rights violation that affects millions of people. It transcends international borders and threatens the health and well-being of women, children, families and communities. In addition, it undermines social, economic, political and human development globally. The World Bank Group is working with governments and civil societies in its member countries, along with other development partners, to ensure that every citizen, male or female, may live free from violence.

Domestic abuse is a pattern of behaviors that may include verbal & psychological abuse, social isolation, deprivation, intimidation, control of finances, physical or threat of physical abuse, and sexual assault. Domestic abuse occurs in all settings and among all socioeconomic, educational levels, religious and cultural groups, and within same sex couples. (World Health Organization https://www.who.int/news-room/ fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-women(link is external)). The purpose of this article is to highlight the importance of better understanding domestic violence from a family perspective as it affects everyone in the family. It is important to consider the role of that person within the family system when providing counseling and other supports. Furthermore, in contrast to widespread expectations, couples who experience domestic abuse may still may want to remain together. Therefore, it is important to understand the dynamics that exist within the family and support interventions that help empower each member of the family to live a life free from domestic abuse, and develop strong mutually respectful relationships.

Scope of the Problem:

There has been an increased awareness of the importance of understanding the unique perspectives of all individuals involved in domestic violence: those who are abusive, and those who experience the abuse. Those who engage in abusive behaviors, are commonly referred to as “perpetrators”, or “abusers”, and demonstrate a pattern of coercive control and power tactics over the other partner. The most common perpetrators of violence against women and children continue to be male intimate partners or ex-partners, however cases involving male victims are becoming increasingly common, though still less prevalent. In rare cases couples may be experiencing what is referred to as Situational Couple Violence, also called “common couple violence”, which is not connected to general control behavior, but arises in a single argument where one or both partners physically lash out (Michael P. Johnson, 2008).

Multiple

Variables and Risk Factors:

Risk factors associated with domestic abuse occur at individual, family, community and wider community levels. Some are associated with being a perpetrator of abuse, some are associated with experiencing abuse, and some are associated with both.

Adverse Childhood Experiences

Children who are exposed to domestic abuse experience a range of adverse emotional, psychological, neurobiological and behavioral consequences that could affect their development and longer-term wellbeing as adolescents and as adults. The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study (ACE) revealed that a higher number of adverse childhood experiences (such as exposure to domestic violence, bullying or being bullied; exposure to community violence; physical or sexual abuse during crucial developmental years; drug/alcohol abuse history), increases the risk of health, social and behavioral problems throughout the lifespan.

Stress Within Relationships

There are several factors that may contribute to stress within the family. These may include: working/living in a new country; being away from friends and family; being newly unemployed; normal stresses and strains of being a new parent; being more of a single parent than anticipated; long mission travel; being stuck alone away from your partner and children in a hotel room for days and weekends; culture shock; not speaking the language; being dependent on your partner’s salary; limited leisure activities; co-dependency on a partner, maladaptive coping strategies; addictions and mental health issues.

These risk factors may provide some insight into some of the underlying issues that need to be explored in prevention work within intimate partner relationships and the family unit.

Prevention and Response: The Domestic

Abuse Prevention

Program

For over twenty-five years, the World Bank Family Network (WBFN) has advocated on behalf of families of WBG staff. WBFN has been instrumental in helping gain recognition and support from the institution of the World

Bank for its families dealing with domestic abuse. Through their efforts, the Domestic Abuse Prevention Program (DAPP) was established in 2001.

DAPP offers counseling services to families experiencing domestic violence. The DAPP team includes multi-cultural and multi-lingual licensed clinicians/counselors, a case manager, and a coordinator trained to deal with the very distinct issues that many individuals who experience abuse face. DAPP provides free and confidential assessments, counseling, safety planning, case management, legal consultations, emergency funds, and referral services to all individuals at Headquarters in DC and Country Offices around the world. A 24-hours and 7-days-a-week hotline is available for crisis support. A staff’s employment will not be impacted if a spouse contacts the program. The goal of DAPP is to help empower individuals to access their personal strength and resilience through a process of support, information and resources so that they can make informed decisions and get the help they need.

The Family Consultation Service (FCS), a WBFN program, is a 24-hours/7-days a week confidential counseling service also aimed at helping families deal with general and transitional stress, or personal and family relationship concerns. FCS is located at the World Bank Group’s headquarters in Washington and serves spouses, domestic partners, and other dependents over 18-years old, including those based at headquarters and around the world.

Domestic abuse can happen to anyone and the WBG is committed to providing confidential support. If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, please contact:

• The World Bank Group’s Domestic Abuse Prevention Program 202-4585800 or daprevention@worldbank.org

• Family Consultation Service 202-4585550 (Spouses, partners, and dependents above 18 years)

• In case of a life-threatening emergency, Call 911 or emergency resources in appropriate country.

Lifestyle

This column is devoted to answering your questions on health an d discusions of diseases which are common among the African Canadians.

Tips for Healthy Snacking For your Children

By David Yaw Twum-Barima, MD , MSc, FRCPC

Summer is coming again and kids are at home. In most households both parents are at work during the day and children are left under supervision of a baby sitter or an older sibling. It is always a good idea to take some time to plan for your kids while you are out there working. Let us start with snacking.

Snacking is a major pastime for many kids — and it isn’t necessarily bad. Snacking can help your children curb hunger throughout the day, as well as provide energy and nutrients. But the quality of your children’s snacks is key. Consider these tips for healthier snacking.

Many of these tips may sound unfamiliar to the appetite of the average Ghanaian adult but remember that these are the types of foods your kids are more likely to encounter in their school cafeteria or while playing with their friends.

1. Give your kids a say. Offer comparable choices, such as regular or frozen yogurt, celery or carrots, whole-grain toast or wholegrain crackers, apples or oranges. Better yet, recruit your children’s help at the grocery store when you’re selecting snacks or in the kitchen when you’re assembling snacks.

2. Designate a snacking zone. Restrict snacking to the kitchen. You’ll save your children countless calories from mindless munching in front of the TV.

3. Make it quick. If your children need to snack on the go, think beyond a bag of potato chips. Offer string cheese, yogurt sticks, cereal bars or other drip-free items.

4. Don’t be fooled by labeling gimmicks. Foods marketed as low-fat or fat-free can still be high in calories. Likewise, foods touted as cholesterol-free can still be high in fat, saturated fat and sugar. Check nutrition labels to find out the whole story.

5. Go for the grain. Wholegrain snacks — such as whole-grain pretzels or tortillas and low-sugar, whole-grain cereals — can give your children energy with some staying power.

6. Out of sight, out of mind. If the cookie jar is full, your children will probably clamor for cookies. But if there aren’t any cookies in the house, fresh fruit or raw veggies may seem more appealing.

7. Play with your food. Ask your children to make towers out of whole-grain crackers, spell words with pretzel sticks, or make funny faces on a plate using different types of fruit. Use a tablespoon of peanut butter as glue.

8. Think outside the box. Offer something new, help your children to develop a taste for fruits such as fresh pineapple, cranberries, oranges, apples, banana etc.

9. Revisit breakfast. Many breakfast foods — such as low-sugar, wholegrain cereals and wholegrain toast — make great afternoon snacks.

10. Sweeten it up. Healthy snacks don’t need to be bland. To satisfy your child’s sweet tooth, offer fat-free pudding, frozen yogurt or frozen fruit bars.

11. Pull out the blender. Use Make your own snacks with healthy products such

as skim milk, fat-free yogurt and fresh fruit .

12. Promote independence. Make it easy for older children to help themselves. Keep a selection of readyto-eat veggies in the refrigerator. Leave fresh fruit in a bowl on the counter. Store low-sugar, whole-grain cereal in an easily accessible cabinet, and stock fruit canned or packaged in its own juice in your pantry.

13. Remember your leftovers. A small serving of last night’s casserole might make a great snack.

14. Drinks count, too. Offer your children plenty of water between meals. Liven it up with shaped ice cubes, a crazy straw, or a squirt of

lemon, cranberry or other fruit juice.

15. Keep it safe. Make sure your children’s snacks are age appropriate. Never give foods that pose a choking hazard — such as nuts, raisins, whole grapes or popcorn — to children younger than age 4.

16. Practice what you preach. Let your children catch you munching raw vegetables or snacking on a bowl of grapes.

17. Be patient. Your children’s snacking habits may not change overnight. Look for positive changes over weeks or months.

Teaching your children to make healthy snack choices now will set the stage for a lifetime of healthy snacking. Start today!

(GCAO)

The Christian in 2023: How to Reach Out in Total Obedience

cont’d from pg. 41

Him. They are also able to experience the fullness of God’s blessings in their lives.

Community Leaders, Clergy, Mosque, Parents, Nananom!

Difficult topic but must be addressed….Mental Health, Mental Health!

Do we have Mental Health issues in our community? Yes, Yes, Yes

Do we even know the symptoms of mental health? Only the experts in our community but not a lot.

Is there a stigma regarding Mental Health? Yes

Do we know how to communicate with friends, family members, and community members going through mental health? No

Do we know if we are experiencing mental health but at times in denial? Yes.

Is there any help? Yes

The good news is our community has been granted resources by the federal government to help our community members trained to provide ‘first aid for mental health’. Very soon you will hear of this program to help our community start addressing this very important issue ‘More Culturally Responsive’

My plea to our leaders and community members is to be open to the leaders who will lead this program/project It is in our collective interest to work together on this project/program.

I am not an expert at all but came across these as symptoms of Mental Health and could be more:

• Feeling sad or down.

• Confused thinking or reduced ability to concentrate.

• Excessive fears or worries, or extreme feelings of guilt.

• Extreme mood changes of highs and lows.

• Withdrawal from friends and activities.

• Significant tiredness, low energy, or problems sleeping.

Please let us seize the opportunity to help our community members

E. Duodu

The rise and fall of Canada’s domestic PPE market

cont’d from pg. 31

in 3M to produce N95 masks for the governments over the next five years.

Hunt runs a company that makes reusable and biodegradable respirators – made from corn – with no hard plastic or metal, and believed after conversations with the federal and provincial governments that he, and other Canadian companies, would get business from them.

“We were totally blindsided by the 3M deal,” Hunt said.

The province’s Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery did not answer questions about the deals with 3M and Quebec’s Medicom, or if it planned to help the struggling PPE companies.

Spokesman Colin Blachar said it had created a stockpile of PPE from Ontario manufacturers and that “93 per cent of the forecasted PPE for the next 18

months will be purchased from Ontario or Canadian-based manufacturers.”

Public Services and Procurement

Canada said the federal government took “an aggressive procurement approach” at the start of the pandemic to meet immediate and long-term medical supply requirements. As the pandemic has evolved, the government’s requirements for PPE have too, it said.

“We are grateful for all Canadian companies that answered the Government of Canada’s call to action to support the pandemic response,” spokeswoman Stéfanie Hamel wrote.

“These efforts helped to secure domestic production of critical PPE and medical supplies that were urgently needed by front-line healthcare workers and helped to meet the most urgent and immediate demands for personal protective equipment.”

The Canadian Press

Similarly, in Matthew 7:24-25, Jesus says, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” This passage emphasizes the importance of obedience to Christ’s words. Those who hear His words and put them into practice are like a wise person who builds their house on a solid foundation. They are able to withstand the storms of life and enjoy the security and stability that come from following Christ.

In summary, the rewards of total obedience to God are many. They include blessings, joy, peace, security, and the fullness of God’s blessings in our lives. As we seek to obey God’s commands and follow Christ, we can experience these rewards and enjoy the abundant life that He has promised to us.

LIVING A LIFE OF TOTAL OBEDIENCE—THE HOW?

Living a life of total obedience to God is a daily journey that requires a deliberate and intentional commitment. Here are some practical steps to help you live a life of total obedience:

1. Seek God’s will through prayer and study of His Word. Make a habit of spending time with God each day, seeking His guidance and direction for your life. Read and meditate on His Word, and let it shape your thinking and your actions.

2. Surrender your will to God. Recognize that God’s ways are higher than your ways and submit your desires and plans to His will. Ask Him to help you surrender your will to Him each day.

3. Repent of sin and seek forgiveness. Confess any sin in your life and ask God for forgiveness. Allow His grace and mercy to transform you and empower you to live a life of obedience.

4. Surround yourself with likeminded believers who can encourage and support you in your journey of obedience. Seek out a community of believers who share your commitment to following Christ and who can hold you accountable in your walk of faith.

5. Take practical steps to obey God’s commands. Identify areas of your life where you need to obey God more fully and take practical steps to do so. This may involve forgiving someone, giving generously, or sharing the gospel with others.

6. Trust in God’s faithfulness. Remember that God is faithful

and will reward those who seek to obey Him. Trust in His provision and guidance, and rest in the knowledge that He is with you every step of the way.

In summary, living a life of total obedience to God requires a deliberate commitment to seek His will, surrender your will to Him, repent of sin, surround yourself with likeminded believers, take practical steps to obey His commands, and trust in His faithfulness. As you follow these steps, you can experience the joy and peace that come from living in right relationship with Him.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, total obedience to God is an essential aspect of our relationship with Him. It requires surrendering our will to His and seeking to follow His commands in every area of our lives. The cost of obedience may be high, but the rewards are even greater. As we obey God, we can experience His blessings, joy, peace, security, and the fullness of His blessings in our lives. Living a life of total obedience requires a daily commitment to seek God’s will, surrender our will to Him, repent of sin, surround ourselves with likeminded believers, take practical steps to obey His commands, and trust in His faithfulness. May we all strive to live a life of total obedience to God, knowing that He is with us every step of the way.

LET US PRAY FOR GRACE TO LIVE A TOTALLY OBEDIENT LIVES

• Father, help me to surrender my will to You completely, and to follow Your commands in every area of my life. Give me the strength and courage to obey You, even when it is difficult or costly.

• Lord, please reveal to me any areas of my life where I am not fully obeying You. Help me to see where I need to make changes and give me the grace to do so. May Your Spirit guide me and empower me to live a life of total obedience.

• Heavenly Father, surround me with like-minded believers who will encourage and support me in my journey of obedience. Help me to find a community of believers who share my commitment to following You and who can hold me accountable in my walk of faith. Strengthen our bonds of fellowship and unity and help us to grow together in obedience to You.

22 But Samuel replied:“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord?

To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.” —1 Samuel 15:22-23NIV

FOOD AND RECIPES

Compiled by Nana Ama, Toronto, ON

ABUNUABUNA OR COCOYAM LEAVE SOUP

Abunuabunu is a soup that is very popular in the Brong Ahafo region of Ghana, also made from cocoyam leaves, like the Kontomire stew, this can be served with Banku, fufu, or anything according to your preference.

INGREDIENTS

• Snails or any meat of your choice

• Herrings/dry or smoked fish

• Onion

• Ginger

• Garlic

• Fresh tomatoes

• Kontomire

• prekese

• salt

• peanut butter /groundnut paste (optional) for nkatekonto

METHOD

• Wash the kontomire leaves in a clean bowl and put into a saucepan

• Add a little amount of water and boil under a medium heat

• Remove after 5 minutes when it softens

• Wash the meat and put into another saucepan.

• Wash and cut onions into pieces.

• Add diced onions to meat, add seasoning and salt to taste

• Place it over medium heat

• Chop some onions and pour into a blender, add ginger, pepper and garlic and blend into a smooth mixture

• Pour the blended mixture into the meat on fire.

• Add about 4 pieces of fresh tomatoes and fresh onions

• Add a teaspoon of peanut butter

• Blend the cocoyam leaves and pour it into the soup

• Add about 4 cups of water. You can add more depending on how thick you want your soup to be.

• Remove the cooked onions and cooked tomatoes and blend together.

• Pour the blended mixture back into the soup

• Add this point, you can add the herrings or smoked fish

• Allow the soup to boil for about 15 minutes.

• Add salt or maggie cube to taste

• Add the prekese and allow it to difuse in the soup for about 5 minutes.

• The soup is ready

• Serve with fufu

GROUNTNUT/PEANUT BUTTER SOUP

INGREDIENTS

• 2 medium onions or 1 large one

• 3 very ripe large tomatoes

• A whole chicken, chopped to pieces (we like "boiler" chicken, free range, "koko ya Setswana")

• Garden eggs (optional)

• 12 okra (with ends trimmed)

• 1 scotch bonnet pepper or kpakpo shito

• Ginger

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 rosemary sprig

• 1.75l chicken stock

• 4 tbsp peanut butter

• Water to mix with the peanut butter

METHOD

• Place the whole onion, pepper, tomatoes and chicken pieces in the pot and top with the stock. Cover, bring to the boil and reduce to simmer for 15 minutes till vegetables are soft and tender. Remove the vegetables.

• Blend the vegetables and ginger in a food processor and return to the soup. Bring to the boil then reduce to simmer while you make the peanut butter sauce. If you are using boiler chicken, it can be quite tough, so it may need extra time cooking.

• Meanwhile, make the peanut butter sauce. There are different ways of doing this, I have opted to go for what is easier for me. Scoop the desired amount of peanut butter into a saucepan and put

• Add water a little at a time. This can be quite tricky as the water instantly changes the runny peanut butter properties. I would say it is a similar experience to white sauce, when the milk is added to the flour and butter mixture. Once a smooth sauce is achieved, allow to simmer. You will find the peanut oil begins to separate from the peanut butter. When this happens, you can add the peanut butter sauce to the rest of the soup and simmer for 20 minutes till oil rises to the surface of the soup.

• Check seasoning to your taste. Serve with your favourite carbs such as boiled sliced yam, potatoes or rice, konkonte.

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