L' Observateur Burundi

Madam Milicent Asiwome Tsormana, a 46-year-old mother of three at Tayagagbor, a suburb of Keta in the Volta Region, has chosen to work as a cutler (sharpener), defying all the odds.

She encouraged the youth to believe in themselves and strive beyond the odds to achieve their goals.

Madam Tsormana said her determination to work as a cutler stemmed from the difficulty she faced during her youthful days, which made her to strive to improve her lot through hard work, perseverance, and determination, regardless of all forms of stigmatisation.

‘I have been in this business for the past 16 years, and this is what helped me to take care of the educational needs of my three children to the highest level, it is not good to be idle,’ she told the Ghana News Agency in an interview on Wednesday.

Madam Tsormana said it was her dream to be a fashion designer but after years of struggle, she decided to be a cutler, a trade she learnt very fast, defying all the odds.

The challenges she faced were the acquisition of the e
xpensive filling machine and spare parts, frequent power outages, and stigmatisation, among other things.

‘As a professional cutler for many years, I have gathered experience in sharpening vehicle and motorcycle brake pads, machetes, hoes, and others and this has given me hope,’ she added.

‘I named my shop ‘Let Them Say’ because many thought being a cutler is a job for only men, and many look down on me sometimes but they do not know how helpful this work has been to me all these years.’

She said age did not matter in learning, ‘so the youth should be encouraged to engage in one or two ventures for a brighter future.’

Madam Tsormana appealed to philanthropists, individuals, corporate organisations and the Government to help her expand her work to train others.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The dedication of March as a Heritage or Ghana Month has been described by the majority of Ghanaians as apt and a testimony to relive the country’s venerable cultures and traditions.

The move rebrands the rich cultural heritage with focus on various local foods, dance, tourist potentials, fashion, history, language, and lifestyles among others that signify the true identity of the Ghanaian.

It is a clarion call for reverence and a reminder to all to uphold these precious systems, values and norms bequeathed to the nation by the forebears.

Preserving the cultural and traditional heritage is equated to preserving the very foundation of existence to promote unity, bonding, pride and cohesion across all ethnic groups of the country.

It is obvious one cannot tell the story of Ghana’s rich culture without mentioning the beautiful varieties of beads reminiscent of ancient and contemporary aesthetic traditional rites such as naming ceremony, marriage, festivals, and funerals.

The creation and the use of beads wa
s identified as one of the oldest arts of culture form, which has been in existence for over 100,000 years, when the forebears drilled holes in animal bones, teeth and grooves to create jewellery.

Research indicates that in the olden days, the resourcefulness of mankind produced beads by often utilising whatever objects was available, which includes ostrich eggshells, skulls, sea snail shells and others that travers their paths.

These are drilled and carved to make beautiful ornamental beads and crowns.

In the modern day, materials used include wood, leather, plastics, glass, stone and metal to produce some of the revered varieties of beads in Africa.

The Kiffa, Kakamba, Chevron, Millefiori, Vaseline, white heart, ‘Gblotsi,’ and the ‘Adzagba’ beads are to mention but a few of the commonly found ones on the local Ghanaian markets and artefact shops.

Notably, one can make his or her own jewellery by stringing different colourful beads (small bauble or jewel with a hole in the middle for string) on a long c
ord, tied on the wrist, waist, neck, ankle and other body parts.

For most Ghanaian men and women, beads occupy a sacred spot, especially waist beads, to signify wealth, fertility, femininity and masculinity within specific contexts.

Meanwhile, studies have revealed that beads were also won for posture, weight tracking, protection, strength, beauty, sexual desire, and growth, whilst waist bead also showcase social standing and royalty among some Ghanaian chiefs depending on its quality and price.

In Ghana, majority of beads are produced by people of Krobo in the Eastern Region and the Ashantis. The commodity plays a vital role in modern Krobo culture such as naming ceremony, marriage, funerals and during durbars and parades.

Colour is a crucial determinant of how beads are used and for which occasion, while black symbolises power and protection, blue beads signifies loyalty and truth. Brown beads show earth stability with purple and gold representing good health, power and wealth as well as royalty, spirit
uality and wisdom, respectively.

The precious Ghanaian beads are used as necklaces, anklets, curtains, earrings, rings, bangles, coasters, counting during lessons, and tableware accessories among other usage.

Various religious bodies, including Christian denominations such as the Roman Catholic Church, Oriental Orthodox Churches, and Shinto, Umbanda, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism used to counts beads in their worships during prayers, chanting with these beads worn as anklets, with peculiar visible ones on arms, knees, waist and neck.

Beads are cherished and used by most Ghanaian ethnic groups such as the GaDangmes, Akans, and Ewes.

In Africa, countries such as Nigeria, Benin,Togo, Ivory Coast, Senegal, South Africa, Guinea, Mali, Ethiopia, Mauritania, Sudan, Libya, Cameroon use beads heavily.

There are beads that have exclusive affinity to some tribes, notably the Krobo beads of Ghana, Dogon beads from Mali, Fulani beads from Western, Northern and Central Africa, Yoruba in Nigeria and Maasai in Kenya and Tan
zania.

In other parts of the world, a good number of countries such as Peru, Guyana, Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan, Tibet, India and Honduras use beads for different purposes, for instance in such as trading, social events and cultural life, design, and decorations.

Meanwhile, a recent research revealed that many ladies in the contemporary world, in the spirit of modernity, prefer to adorn waist chains and other ropes instead of waist beads for different reasons, to toast femininity, signify spirituality against evil forces and for sexual appeal.

Waist beads signify beginning of womanhood and health tracking

Agbatadua Togbi Kumassah, a historian and spokesperson for Togbi Sri lll, the ‘Awormefia’ of Anlo State, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said beads in both the ancient and modern days had different uses and purposes.

With their different names and colours, beads help to differentiate between twins, chiefs and queens, fetish priests, religious leaders, and community elders.

‘In our traditi
on, It is a taboo for men to put on waist beads. It gives women that beauty, sexual strength, fertility, wealth, well-being or maturity, health tracking and others.’

He urged the public to prioritise the importance of beads as part of the Ghanaian culture and inculcate into the young ones the essential roles it played in culture and tradition.

Madam Janet Fiawogbe, a trader in beads at Keta in the Volta Region, said the patronage of waist beads among ladies and the youth had decreased since many no more cherished their significance but preferred gold or copper jewellery or their derivatives.

She urged traditional authorities, tourists and the aged to inculcate the importance and significance of beads in the young generation to appreciate their worth and take pride in owning the jewellery.

Other dealers in beads attest to good market for the commodity, especially during key events like festivals, with foreigners being the notable patrons.

For centuries, beads and beadwork have played an important role in
many African societies, with Ghana not an exception.

They serve not only as items of trade but in social and cultural life.

These must be preserved and improved upon where necessary to give them the appeal that will ensure their seamless transition from the current generation to the next.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Dr Hafiz Bin Salih, former Upper West Regional Minister, has urged Moslem leaders to guide against religious fundamentalism to safeguard the long-standing peace Ghana has enjoyed.

He said the country cherished its accolades as the most peaceful nation in the West African sub-region and that must be upheld and preserved.

Dr Salih, reassigned as the Upper East Regional Minister, was addressing Muslims in Wa, on Thursday, during the Eid prayer.

Hundreds of Muslims in the township gathered at the old T. I. Ahmadiyya Senior High School to observe the Eid prayer, marking the end of the month of Ramadan.

He said religious differences in some countries in the sub-region, including Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Mali were affecting the development of those countries.

He observed that abuse of substances such as tramadol and tobacco had become a trend among the region’s youth, affecting their holistic growth.

‘Many of our youth are addicted to these substances, a situation that is jeopardising their future,’ he lament
ed.

Dr Salih called on Islamic preachers to tailor their messages in advocating against substance abuse by highlighting the negative effects.

He appealed to the people to report illicit drug peddlers in the region to law enforcement agencies as part of measures to help nip the menace in the bud.

He encouraged Muslim youth to take advantage of the Government’s flagship programmes, especially those in agriculture, as that was a promising sector for employment to ensure food security.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has called on stakeholders to help curb the diversion of transit cargoes as the practice leads to a loss in revenue to the country.

Mr Fechin Akoto, the Acting Deputy Commissioner of the Suspense Regime, GRA-Customs Division, said it was the Division’s objective to ensure cargo diversions were rooted out completely.

At a stakeholder engagement in Tema on the securities of transit cargo, Mr Akoto said the clearing agents had agreed that there was no cargo diversion.

During the engagement, the stakeholders discussed overloading and over-gauging of transit vehicles, shedding of overloaded transit vehicles resulting in malfeasance, and weight declaration on trucks by agents at transit terminals.

Other issues discussed were the containerisation of higher-risk goods, the monitoring of transit goods along the corridors to the exit points, and the introduction of SIGMAT (the ECOWAS Regional Network for Transit Trade) to strengthen transit goods.

The meeti
ng also served as a platform to highlight challenges of transistors of goods from the ports to their destination.

Mr David Songotu, the Transit Manager, Tema Port, called on stakeholders to collaborate to ensure that transit trade accrued the actual revenue needed for the country.

He added that many people worked in the transit trade; therefore, the need to encourage its growth.

Mr Albert Annan, the Oti Regional Maintenance Manager, Ghana Highways Authority, cautioned transit truck drivers against overloading.

‘When the trucks are not overloaded, all of us will be safe on our road; the more you overload, the more you reduce the lifespan of the road infrastructure, and the more we spend more money on maintenance.’

Mr Emmanuel Kuagbelah, the Deputy Operations Manager at Ghana Link, said the engagement would facilitate the clearance of goods at the ports of Ghana.

Source: Ghana News Agency

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has called on Ghanaians to reject all forms of divisiveness that threaten the country’s unity and cohesion.

He has urged for tolerance and peaceful coexistence among practitioners of all religions in Ghana, particularly as the country approaches the election period.

President Akufo-Addo made the call on Thursday when he joined the Muslim community at the Independence Square in Accra to mark this year’s Eid-al-Fitr.

Eid-al-Fitr marks the end of the month-long fasting in the Islamic month of Ramadan.

The President cautioned that as the election season approaches, Ghanaians should avoid disinformation and manipulative propaganda that could undermine the country’s democracy, rule of law, and fundamental rights.

‘I make this point, particularly, because we are in an election year and there is the tendency for self-seeking people to exploit our differences of religion and ethnicity to foment divisions in order to promote narrow, parochial, sectarian and political agenda,’
he said

President Akufo-Addo stated that the age of technology and news media, which also provided people with a high degree of anonymity, provided a space for the peddling of half-truths and blatant lies to form perceptions.

‘We should be careful about the spread of misinformation and disinformation, especially such misinformation and disinformation that destroys the hard-earned reputation of people,’ he said.

The President thus urged Muslims and Ghanaians not to ruin people’s reputations for politics.

‘Let us remember that this country is more important than our personal egos and ambitions.’

The President told the gathering that the significance of Ramadan was not lost on the average Muslim since it sought to inculcate the spirit of sacrifice, brotherhood, commitment to ethical living, love of family and nation and God-consciousness.

‘I urge you not to abandon these values after the passage of Ramadan…indeed the purpose of Ramadan is to instill these values in us and for us to keep them all our lives.

‘These are the exact same values every nation needs in order to develop. No Muslim has been unable to fast in this month of Ramadan because they did not have what it takes either to eat the dawn meal or break their fast during Iftar thanks to the time-tested practice of communal sharing of the feast at dawn and in the evenings.

‘Let us make this spirit of togetherness a national value that would give true meaning to the principle of one nation, one destiny. Let us, therefore, eschew all forms of divisiveness that have the potential of destroying the unity and cohesion of our country,’ he said

President Akufo-Addo reminded the gathering that Ghana remained the envy of the world due to the religious unity it created and the practice of various religions in a circular state that promotes religious freedom.

He urged them to continue to promote religious harmony and co-existence because ‘it is the essence of Islam, which means submission to the essence of Allah.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Francis Kwadwo Oppong, the Dormaa West District Chief Executive (DCE), has advised Moslems to clothe themselves with peace and love, enshrined in the Holy Quran, to control their lives as the nation gears towards the Election 2024.

Describing Islam as an embodiment of peace and unity, he said the Ghanaians looked forward to seeing those virtues manifesting and shaping the lives of Moslems after they had successfully gone through their 30-day Ramadan fast and prayers.

Mr Oppong gave the advice when he addressed a gathering of Moslems at the Nkrankwanta Presbyterian School Park, to climax the end of the Ramadan fast and prayers.

He expressed appreciation to the members of the Islamic faith for their unceasing prayers and intercession for the nation.

He said he was optimistic and convinced that with the fasting and prayers, God would bless Ghana and sail the nation through a peaceful and violent-free general election.

Mr Oppong explained the government was on course resuscitating and putting the national
economy on sound footings amid the global economic downturns, saying the nation’s economy now had a promising, resilient growth.

Alhaji Issah Sadique, the Dormaa West Chief Imam, stressed the commitment of the Muslim community in the area to support the development aspirations of the district, and expressed appreciation to the DCE for his assistance to the Moslems throughout the Ramadan period.

Source: Ghana News Agency