Tulips of Herald

 By Shine Esi Kwawukumey  H.E. President John Dramani Mahama President John Dramani Mahama yesterday cast Ghana’s recovery as inseparable from Africa’s self-reliance, using his State of the Nation Address to push a bold continental sovereignty agenda. Such bold pan africanist declaration was first made by Ghana's founder, Dr Kwame Nkrumah at the nation's birth.  He said Ghana's independence was linked to the total liberation of the African continent, which was under colonial rule and exploitation.  Sixty nine years later, a man born a year later, told Ghana's Parliament that while economic stabilisation at home was gaining ground, the broader mission was to reposition Ghana within a confident, coordinated Africa capable of shaping its own destiny in a rapidly shifting global order. “Ghana is back. Ghana is working again and is open for business,” he declared, but quickly added that national resurgence must feed into what he termed the Accra Reset, a framework aimed a...

By Shine Esi Kwawukumey  Ebo Taylor is dead.  The legendary highlife and Afrobeat musician whose career spanned more than six decades, blending traditional Ghanaian rhythms with jazz, funk and global influences, bid his fans farewell in a rather unusual way.  Mr Taylor died on 7 February 2026 at 90 years old, just one day after the soft launch of EboFest, a festival created in his honour and held at Alliance Française in Accra on Friday, 6 February.  Born Deroy “Ebo” Taylor on 6 January 1936 in Cape Coast, Taylor rose to prominence in the late 1950s as a guitarist and bandleader with influential ensembles such as the Stargazers and the Broadway Dance Band.  He later took his Black Star Highlife Band to London, where he worked with pioneering Nigerian Afrobeat artist Fela Kuti, before returning to Ghana to produce recordings for major artists and refine his signature fusion sound.  Over his long and distinguished career, Taylor became known as a central figu...

 By Shine Esi Kwawukumey  What began as a young teacher’s memory of a struggling rural school has come full circle thirty-three years later. Kofi Yeboah, a communication lecturer at Wisconsin International University College, Ghana, has fulfilled a long-held dream by donating about 700 books to Miaso Krobo D/A Basic School in the Fanteakwa North District of the Eastern Region, the very school where he once served as a national service teacher in 1992. The books, which include storybooks for the lower primary and textbooks for Basic 1 to 9, were presented at a colourful durbar attended by traditional leaders, education officials, teachers, parents, and pupils. “I still remember the classrooms made of mud with palm fronds as roofing.  Anytime it got cloudy, classes had to close because when the heavens opened up, it also rained inside the classroom,” Mr. Yeboah recalled, his voice filled with nostalgia. “It has always been my wish to return to this school, and I’m happy tha...

By Shine Esi Kwawukumey The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) on Saturday, October 11, 2025, climaxed the West Africa Media Excellence Conference and Awards (WAMECA) with a grand ceremony at the Alisa Hotel in Accra, celebrating outstanding journalists from across the sub-region for excellence, ethics, and impact in journalism. The event, which concluded two days of discussions on “Journalism and Digital Public Infrastructure in Africa,” drew over 200 guests, including journalists, diplomats, civil society leaders, and development partners. Ghana’s Minister of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Hon. Samuel Nartey George, was the special guest of honour.  In an impassioned, unscripted address, he extended a warm Ghanaian welcome to participants and delivered frank reflections on the current state of journalism in Ghana, revealing that one of his first actions as minister was the closure of 63 radio stations for regulatory violations. He stressed that the move ...

 By Shine Esi Kwawukumey  Executive Director, MFWA, Sulemana Briamah The 2025 West Africa Media Excellence Conference and Awards (WAMECA) brought together journalists, media practitioners, digital innovators, and policymakers from across the continent to deliberate on the theme “Journalism and Digital Public Infrastructure in Africa.”  The two-day event, organized by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), explored the intersection between technology and journalism, highlighting how digital public systems can strengthen transparency, accountability, and inclusion in governance and the media space. The opening session set the tone for a deep, thought-provoking exchange on the evolving relationship between digital technology and the media.  Panelists and participants emphasized the urgent need for African countries to build and sustain digital infrastructures that serve the public good, systems that not only enhance communication and access to information but also...

 By Shine Esi Kwawukumey  Shine Esi Kwawukumey  Exactly a week ago, something truly beautiful happened.  Apostle Philip Dela Fiator, Founder of the Living Word Charismatic Church International (LCCI) at Nungua Cold Store, honoured me with a touching citation and invited me to dine with him, the Chairman, and the pastors of the church. It was a wonderful surprise, one I never expected.  Honestly, it never even crossed my mind when I was invited to attend the church’s 5th anniversary celebration. Apostle Fiator on the left  Five years ago, Apostle Fiator, who was then Reverend, called me one Saturday evening to decorate the church auditorium for Sunday service.  It was very short notice, but I agreed because I wanted to support his ministry.  Out of love, I said, “Let’s get it done.” That night, we ran around, gathered what we could, and worked late to make the place look beautiful in the church’s colours.  When we were done, he asked how much ...