The ghastly incident happened during a verbal altercation between the two neighbours over who has the right to have in his possession keys to the source of water in the house.

A neighbour, who was present, said the wife of the victim, identified as Nana Sarfowaa, was demanding the keys to the water reservoir from Mr Asiedu, but he refused to release the said keys and attempted to beat madam Sarfowaa. 

The victim, who is madam Sarfowaa’s husband in a bid to save the wife from being beaten, rather in the end suffered severe cutlass wounds on the head.

ALSO READ:

• Land guards allegedly inflict cutlass wounds on Immigration Officers for making…

• Gunshots fired as irate youth invade NDC office [Video]

The victim, Richard Cudjoe, is currently receiving medical attention.

When contacted on phone by Empire News’ Emmanuel Ohene-Gyan, the Kwesimintsim police commander Supt Lennox Aidoo said the suspect has been charged.

He will be put before a competent court of jurisdiction on Wednesday, May 19, 2021.

Dr Prince Armah, says the evidence from the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation in 2018 showed that, out of a total of 5,573 researchers in public research institutions, only 1,452 representing 26.1% were females.

As if that is not bad enough, out of 233 scientists in nuclear science who were counted in 2018, only 23.2% were women.

The first time MP made these comments to mark the International Day for Women and Girls in Science commemorated on the 11^th of February every year.

Dr Armah said the under representation of women in professional and academic endeavours, especially in the sciences, could pose a major risk to the future of the country.

“We are currently in the midst of a technological revolution that has made science integral to our personal lives and our national destinies. We cannot afford to leave women behind. In fact, we will be unable to move forward without them,” he said in the statement.

According to him, “women were routinely shut out of many mainstream activities, including the right to formal education, adding, “this created a self-perpetuating myth about the supposed abilities of women, which in turn led to further discrimination and exclusion.”

He stated that the country cannot continue to shut out the greater proportion of our populations from contributing to such a significant endeavour, insisting, “we deprive ourselves of talents and potentially world-changing innovations.”

Dr Armah, who is also an advocate for inclusive education, admits attempts have been made in the past to reduce the gaping disparity between men and women in the pursuit of STEM education and career prospects but a lot more needs to be done.

“I believe what we will need to do is to tackle the inequity in STEM education in relation to gender stereotypes, deprivation, rurality, and disability in STEM education and careers, particularly in districts that are under-served by STEM learning and other science engagement activities,” he added.

Explaining why it is important to have increased participation of women in STEM, Dr Armah said: “The education of females in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics is imperative from three perspectives based on empirical studies on gender and STEM. The first perspective is that of human rights — the need for all to be educated and be given equal opportunities. The second perspective is scientific — women boost scientific outcomes in terms of diversity, creativity, bias reduction, and promotion of robust knowledge and solutions. The third perspective is developmental — that is, the ability of men and women to acquire knowledge in and benefit from STEM opportunities. In fact, STEM fields have been shown by research to be prerequisites to societal and individual advancement.

Among the interventions needed to change the narrative, Dr Armah said “we have to expose our daughters to STEM and related career options as early as possible. We can do this through our natural interactions as parents, guardians and teachers…We can go back to the Girls in Science programmes or create new programmes with similar missions. We can set up STEM centres with a focus on women and girls. The important thing is to allow girls a chance to learn about science, interact with mentors and where possible, acquire basic skills in the field. This is what we did in Kwesimintsim when we organized a ‘Women in ICT’ programme to equip young women with basic ICT skills. Women and girls have every potential they need to succeed in science, they simply need our support to start the journey.”

In addition, the Kwesiminstim MP, who was also the immediate past Director General of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA), said the roles of women in science and related fields must be highlighted across the country to encourage young women.

“Around the country, we have many sterling women who are playing exceptional roles in the sciences, including in the ongoing global battle against Covid-19. We need to show young women and girls that they are just as able as their male counterparts,” he stated.

He was also quick to applaud the organizers of the National Science and Maths Quiz for the consistent use of women as Quiz mistresses and the conscious efforts to inspire women to the sciences.

“The urgency of this task is not in doubt. Ghana cannot be left out of the science-based revolution that is sweeping the world. We cannot do this with one hand tied behind our backs, as it were. But that is exactly what we will be doing if we do not get more women involved in the sciences. That is why this day is especially important. The opportunity it affords us to reflect, revise and retool must not be missed. A generation from now, our girls could be at the forefront of global innovation. It is possible if we begin now,” he stated.

He said it is only through unity of purpose that people of Kwesimintsim will develop.

Speaking at a thanksgiving service at the Prayer Camp Assembly of the Pentecost Church in Anaji, Dr Armah said he was driven by his faith to take up the position and will be guided by Christian principles in carrying out his duties.

He assured the congregation of his unifying mission, saying, “I will be an MP for everyone, not just those who voted for me.”

He further promised to be a listening leader and one who will be “guided only by the best interests of the constituency”.

Dr Armah also expressed his profound gratitude to God for what he said was his enduring grace and guidance that had culminated in his elevation to the position of Member of Parliament, assuring the congregation that he will continue to be guided by God in his actions as their representative.

He also thanked the voters, who had shown faith in him by giving him their mandate.

The service, which drew a crowd of enthusiastic party supporters, was to thank God for the candidate’s victory in Kwesimintsim as well as the New Patriotic Party’s success in the presidential and parliamentary elections.

Dr Armah contested the election on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party after defeating the incumbent with nearly 60 percent of the vote in the party’s primaries held in June.

The general election on 7th December saw him overcome a spirited challenge from the National Democratic Congress’ candidate, winning more than 12,000 votes more than all his opponents combined.

In the presidential contest, President also won comfortably in the constituency, gaining about 4,000 votes in this election than he did in 2016.

Dr Armah joins the fresh cohort of MPs who will be sworn in on 7th January, 2021.

Currently the Director General of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, he is credited with overseeing the successful implementation of the most exhaustive reforms to the national curriculum in a generation, while invigorating the agency itself.

Many expect that he will be invited to join the government as President Akufo–Addo reconstitutes his team for his second term.

Adom News reporter, Nana Kwesi Koomson, said the angry youth burnt tyres to prevent Electoral Commission (EC) officials from entering the town because the incumbent Member of Parliament, Joseph Mensah, failed to complete a road project he promised.

What even worsened the case, he said was after Municipal Chief Executive, Kojo Acquah, also claimed they had received funds to complete the project which turned out to be false.

MORE:

• No parliamentary election for voters in Guan District – EC

• Numerologist drops winner of December 7 polls

• Bulldog opens up on rumours that Shatta Wale has sacked him

Meanwhile, the leader of the youth has been arrested by the police to allow the EC officials access to the town to commence the voting process.

Watch the video below:

After his overwhelming victory in the party’s primary to unseat the incumbent, Dr Armah has made inroads into the camp of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) even before the EC will officially accept the parliamentary candidates for the election.

Close to one hundred members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Kwesimintsim constituency have defected to the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

According to them, the defection is in appreciation of the sound policies implemented by the Nana Akufo-Addo led administration.

At a press conference held Saturday to announce the defection, some of the members regretted what they claimed was several years of neglect endured under the erstwhile John Mahama administration, the same candidate who incidentally is clamouring for yet another term in office.

Brandishing their old NDC cards to show the genuineness of their decision to defect, the new members said the Nana Akufo led- government has churned out innovative and pro-poor policies which have significantly improved the lives of Ghanaians.

The spokesperson for the group, Mr. Theophilus Fiagbe said given the quality and dynamic leadership they have seen of the NPP, he insisted that the New Patriotic Party is more capable of developing Ghana.

He was also enthralled by the leadership skills exhibited by the NPP parliamentary candidate, Dr. Prince Hamid.

“Given what I have seen so far, I have no doubt in my mind that the NPP has the right policies and the men to transform the country,” he stated.

The defectors pledged their unflinching support and allegiance to the party and its ideals. They also promised to work tirelessly to secure four more years for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and elect Dr. Prince Hamid Armah in the December elections.

In welcoming the defectors to the NPP, the NPP Kwesimintsim parliamentary candidate, Dr. Prince Hamid Armah stated that it was heartwarming and refreshing for them to acknowledge the good works of the NPP government.

He stated that NPP was the only party that can truly transform the fortunes of Ghana for the benefit of all.

Dr. Armah assured them that when elected, he would perform to the best of his ability in order to justify the trust and confidence of the defectors and others who would also support his first term bid.

The Kwesimintsim seat is one of the safest for the NPP, having overwhelmingly voted for the party since 1996.

Dr Armah was in June elected the party’s parliamentary candidate, defeating the incumbent in a fiercely contested primary.

The group comes barely a month after the Executive Secretary of NaCCA, Dr Prince Armah, beat the incumbent Member of Parliament for Kwesimintim in the Western region in the New Patriotic Party primary.

‘Armah Ladies’ held its inaugural general meeting on Sunday, July 5, 2020, to outdoor and swear in its interim executive body.

The meeting also focused on the voter registration exercise and how it’s members can support the drive with a view to securing overwhelming victory for the party’s parliamentary and presidential candidates.

The meeting brought together women from all nine electoral areas in the constituency.

In attendance were Dr Prince Hamid Armah, the New Patriotic Partys’ parliamentary candidate for the Kwesimintsim constituency, Madam Abena Kwallah, the party’s Western Regional Women’s Organiser and Madam Perpetual Appiah, Women’s Organiser, Kwesimintsim Constituency.

Speakers at the event stressed the need to promote and defend the ideals of the party and for women to play an active role in the party’s affairs.

In particular, they were asked to ensure the success of the current voter registration exercise by supporting “Agenda 30,000,” a driver to register at least 30,000 voters by the club.

Madam Abena Kwallah stressed the need for the group to co-exist peacefully with other similar groups in the party for the ultimate benefit of the party. On her part, Madam Appiah said the women of ‘Armah Ladies’ were poised to make a difference in the affairs of the party, especially in the December general election.

In his address, Dr Armah thanked the women of the Association for their support and the honour done him and promised to work hand in hand with them to achieve their common objective of a greater Kwesimintsim of peace, security, opportunity and advancement. He said the support from women was an indication of the strength of the movement and its capacity for success.

An interim executive body, led by Madam Faustina Cudjoe, was outdoored and sworn in by Madam Abena Kwallah. Madam Appiah was named as Mother Superior of the organisation.