Indigenes of Manya Krobo in the Eastern Region are divided over the continuous celebration of dipo puberty rites following what some describe as a violation of the rights of the girls.
While a section believe the values and objectives are still relevant, others think the custom has outlived its usefulness. Dipo is the rich and revered culture of the Manya and Yilo Krobos. The tradition fights early sex pre-marital sex, and early pregnancy.
The puberty right is celebrated in the months of April and May each year. Although only girls are taken through the rites, boys and men are equally bonded by the laws guiding dipo.
Parents are obliged to ensure the celibacy of their girl children or they risk losing them through banishment should they get pregnant before celebrating dipo.
Initially, the girls are confined up to six months or more, and schooled in personal hygiene, ancestral rites, cooking, housekeeping, child birth and upbringing, and how to be good mothers and wives.
But these virtues are now heavily challenged by modernity and foreign religions. Some of the indigenes who spoke to TV3 said they have difficulty in seeing the essence of the rites which they say defies all modern forms of dignity.
The Krobos are now forced to limit the rich tradition in practice, duration and lessons taught. The event is now held officially over four days between Friday dawn and Monday.
The girls are taken through rituals to prove their celibacy before they qualify to partake in the festival.
One crucial part of the rite is when the girls sit on the sacred stone to prove their virginity. Those who are pregnant and the men responsible for their pregnancy face ‘kukudipo’ which is a form of punishment for not maintaining celibacy.
This is also to deter other young girls growing up to be patient until the right time and any lady who partakes in the rites brings honour to herself and her family.
The highlight of the ceremony is when they drop their childhood cloth to be entirely covered in beautiful beads made by the Krobos themselves. The festival again provides opportunity for the people of Krobo to exhibit their rich handmade beads.
Source: 3news.com|Ghana Dipo puberty rite leaves Krobos in limbo
Indigenes of Manya Krobo in the Eastern Region are divided over the continuous celebration of dipo puberty rites following what some describe as a violation of the rights of the girls.
While a section believe the values and objectives are still relevant, others think the custom has outlived its usefulness. Dipo is the rich and revered culture of the Manya and Yilo Krobos. The tradition fights early sex pre-marital sex, and early pregnancy.
The puberty right is celebrated in the months of April and May each year. Although only girls are taken through the rites, boys and men are equally bonded by the laws guiding dipo.
Parents are obliged to ensure the celibacy of their girl children or they risk losing them through banishment should they get pregnant before celebrating dipo.
Initially, the girls are confined up to six months or more, and schooled in personal hygiene, ancestral rites, cooking, housekeeping, child birth and upbringing, and how to be good mothers and wives.
But these virtues are now heavily challenged by modernity and foreign religions. Some of the indigenes who spoke to TV3 said they have difficulty in seeing the essence of the rites which they say defies all modern forms of dignity.
The Krobos are now forced to limit the rich tradition in practice, duration and lessons taught. The event is now held officially over four days between Friday dawn and Monday.
The girls are taken through rituals to prove their celibacy before they qualify to partake in the festival.
One crucial part of the rite is when the girls sit on the sacred stone to prove their virginity. Those who are pregnant and the men responsible for their pregnancy face ‘kukudipo’ which is a form of punishment for not maintaining celibacy.
This is also to deter other young girls growing up to be patient until the right time and any lady who partakes in the rites brings honour to herself and her family.
The highlight of the ceremony is when they drop their childhood cloth to be entirely covered in beautiful beads made by the Krobos themselves. The festival again provides opportunity for the people of Krobo to exhibit their rich handmade beads.
Source: 3news.com|Ghana GhPL Wk 13: Kotoko win as Hearts draw
Kumasi Asante Kotoko were among winners on Match Day 13 of the Ghana Premier League.
The Porcupine Warriors beat Inter Allies 1-0 at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium to move to third on the log.
Captain Amos Frimpong converted a 69th minute penalty to give the Warriors all three points; thus extending their unbeaten run under Coach Michael Osei.
Meanwhile, leaders Hearts of Oak shared the spoils with their host Aduana Stars at the Dormaa Park to keep their position on the log.
Cosmos Dauda got the equalizer for the Phobians.
In other results, champions Ashanti Gold drew goalless at home with Wa All Stars and Dreams Fc also gave up a 2-0 lead to draw with Medeama SC.
The match between Liberty Professionals and New Edubiase was rained off. It has been re-scheduled for Monday, May 23.
Full results:
Berekum Chelsea 1-0 Bechem Utd (Played on Saturday)
Asante Kotoko 1-0 Inter Allies
WAFA 1-0 Techiman City
Aduana Stars 1-1 Hearts of Oak
Dreams FC 2-2 Medeama SC
Hasaacas 2-1 Dwarfs
AshGold 0-0 Wa All Stars
Source: 3news.com|Ghana MzVee abandons GTUC for online course
Speaker mad at MPs over inflated budget on Achimota-Ofankor road project
The Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho, has flayed the Roads and Transport Committee of Parliament, saying its failure to exercise proper diligence over the Achimota-Ofankor Highway project, contributed to the 217 per cent inflation of the project value.
“In fact all of us would have to take the blame; the engineers, those who did not follow procurement procedures and all those who approved of the project,” the Speaker said.
The original value was estimated at GH¢40.4 million, but it was bloated by approximately GH¢88 million, bringing the total cost of the project cost to GH¢128.4 million.
The Speaker, who had days earlier sounded a caution that he would not countenance shoddy work from MPs, also criticised the Ministry of Roads and Highways for making unrelated expenditure in the execution of the project.
A Public Accounts Committee’s Report on the Performance Audit Report of the Auditor General on the Construction of the Achimota -Ofankor Road, which was presented to the House, on Friday, cited the purchase of a BMW saloon car at f $160,305 for the then Minister of Roads and Highways, Joe Gidisu, to use for the inspection of the project.
The vehicle had a comprehensive insurance cover of $6,672.
The Audit, which commenced in June 2012, and was completed in October 2012, covered May 2004 to December 2011.
The New Patriotic Party Administration, in 2006, awarded the contract to the China Railway Group Corporation.
Other unrelated expenses by the Ministry was the payment of GH¢34,764 in allowances for 13 staff of the Ghana Highways Authority (GHA) and the restructuring of the GHA’s archive basement into offices at GH¢50,000.
Others are the renovation of the Deputy CEO’s Office and the training of four staff of the GHA at GIMPA at GH¢33,225; while GH¢11,264 was spent on and the participation of four staff in an Urban Transportation Course at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
The Speaker said with such glaring over-expenditure, the Committee of Roads and Transport had failed Parliament and the nation as a whole.
The Speaker rejected the usual argument that the Committee was not well-resourced for its members to effectively tour the project site to enable it to make their requisite recommendations.
He said that, in any way, should not have prevented the Committee from making proper due diligence in the approval of budget estimates, which had a spillover from the preceding year’s estimates.
“You don’t need money to go round to be able to raise the red flag because every year, the Committee recommends for appropriation the budget for the Ministry and that in considering the estimates due diligence could have been done to detect such expenses outside the normal contract,” the Speaker said.
Alhaji Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, the Majority Chief Whip, said it was time the acquisition of luxurious vehicles to inspect projects was stopped because the nation was facing economic challenges.
He said pick-up vehicles must be acquired by the Government and put in a pool for Ministers to use to inspect various projects instead of buying luxurious vehicles for such inspection anytime a project was being executed.
Mr Osei Kyei-Mensa-Bonsu, the Minority Leader, had earlier argued that the Executive intentionally was incapacitating Parliament by not providing money for the Committees of Parliament to exercise their oversight responsibility as constitutionally mandated.
The Minority Leader said if the Committee on Roads and Transport had properly been resourced to carry out its oversight role all these wastages would have been avoided.
“It is imperative for the various Committees of Parliament to be given the necessary resources to enable them to discharge their oversight functions,” the Minority Leader, who is also the MP for Suame, in the Ashanti Region, advised.
Source: GNA Final year teacher trainees warn gov’t ahead of completion
Man mauled by lions in Chile zoo in apparent suicide attempt
Ghanaians will see unprecedented change – Alan K
Former Minister of Trade Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen has promised Ghanaians a good living if the New Patriotic Party (NPP) reclaims power from the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
He says there will be “unprecedented change in their lives” if NPP wins the 2016 elections.
Speaking at a meeting of chiefs in the Akatsi South Constituency as part of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s four-day tour of the Volta Region, Mr Kyerematen rubbished the infrastructure government is preening itself in as mark of development, stressing that “every government will build schools, hospitals [and] roads”.
“But development is not only about infrastructure. Kwame Nkrumah built roads and schools, even the military rulers also did the same thing. The difference, which must send a message and signal to you, is beyond the schools, hospitals, roads, which government has given you.”
He assured that the NPP is bent on making Ghanaians feel good by creating jobs, which will translate into cash in the pockets of all and sundry.
“If you make a decision to bring the NPP back into government in 2016, the people of Ghana will see an unprecedented change in their lives. I can promise you. If you want to feel good about your life, vote for the NPP.”
By Emmanuel Kwame Amoh|3news.com|Ghana
Twitter: @kwame_amoh
Alan K promises cash in pockets under NPP
Speaking at a meeting of chiefs in the Akatsi South Constituency as part of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s four-day tour of the Volta Region, Mr Kyerematen rubbished the infrastructure government is preening itself in as mark of development, stressing that “every government will build schools, hospitals [and] roads”.
“But development is not only about infrastructure. Kwame Nkrumah built roads and schools, even the military rulers also did the same thing. The difference, which must send a message and signal to you, is beyond the schools, hospitals, roads, which government has given you.”
He assured that the NPP is bent on making Ghanaians feel good by creating jobs, which will translate into cash in the pockets of all and sundry.
“If you make a decision to bring the NPP back into government in 2016, the people of Ghana will see an unprecedented change in their lives. I can promise you. If you want to feel good about your life, vote for the NPP.”
By Emmanuel Kwame Amoh|3news.com|Ghana
Twitter: @kwame_amoh
NPP MP for Abetifi passes away
The New Patriotic Party’s Member of Parliament for Abetifi in the Eastern Region, Peter Wiafe Peprah has died.
He died at the 37 Military Hospital where he had been admitted for sometime.
The 62 year old passed away on Saturday May 21 and is reported to have died of cardiac arrest. The late Member of Parliament defected to the New Patriotic Party from the National Democratic Congress in 2001.
Before his demise he was also the Managing Director of Paramount Distilleries, one of Ghana’s leading alcoholic beverage producers.
In parliament he was a member of the housing and privileges committee as well as the Trade, Industry and Tourism committees of the law making house.
Some colleagues MPs who confirmed the news to 3news.com expressed of the news and described their late colleague as a modest and hard working MP.
Mr. Wiafe Peprah becomes the second Member of Parliament to have died from the Eastern Region in recent times after Joseph Boakye Danquah.
The latter was allegedly murdered with two persons standing trial over his case.
By Martin Asiedu-Dartey|3news.com|Ghana
Twitter: @NewsyMartin Sarkodie, Shatta Wale scoop Social Media awards
Blogging Ghana held its 4th Ghana Blogging and Social Media awards on Friday, May 20 with a spectacular event to reward winners in various categories.
The event hosted at the Chartered Institute of Bankers’ Hall saw various awards presented to individuals and organisations.
There were special performances to entertain the audience at the program that lasted for about three hours.
From an organisational angle, Vodafone Ghana was adjudged the organisation with the best social media presence and the best organisational Facebook page.
Here is the list of other winners:
Organisation with best social media presence – Vodafone Ghana
Artiste with Best social media presence – Shatta wale
Media house with best social media presence – Citi fm
Best YouTube channel artiste – Sarkodie
Best YouTube channel individual – Akumaa Mama Zimbi
Best Instagram – Ameyaw Debrah
Best Facebook profile individual – Maukeni Paddi Kodjo
Best Twitter profile individual – @thenanaaba
Public Official with Best Social Media Presence – Nana Oye Lithur
Best Post 2015 – Kwame Gyan
Best Blog – keniikodjo.com
Best Blogger – Ameyaw Debrah
Best Organisatinal blog – Tonaton Ghana
Source: Nana Afrane Asante|3news.com|Ghana