Renowned Musician honoured

Mr Sackey at the Organ with Young Choral on stage

A concert was recently organised in honour of Mr. Raphael Anthony Sackey, a renowned Composer, Director of Music Haven and Music Educationist, to celebrate his contribution to the enrichment of music in liturgical celebrations in the Catholic Church and many Churches for the past 40 years.

The Concert dubbed: Celebration Time, and staged at the Assembly Hall of the Our Lady of Mercy Senior High School at Tema, Community 2, attracted over 10 Choirs from various Churches within the Tema Metropolis, as well as hundreds of music lovers.

The occasion coincided with the 5^th Anniversary of the formation of Young Chorale, an inter-denominational choir at Tema, which organised the event.

According to Mr. George Kwame Edzie, Founder and Director of group, the concert was to celebrate Mr. Sackey, who he described as sharing in the philosophy and passion of the music ministry.

The Yong Chorale, and Mrs. Alice P. Sackey (wife of the celebrant) presented citations to Mr. Sackey for all his immeasurable contributions to the animation and growth of music as well as the training of other musicians in the art of music.

There were piano recitals by Mr. Sackey and three of his students at the ceremony, which drew loud applause from the audiences.

Earlier, Messrs. Kweku Haizeil; Augustine Sobeng and Joseph Maxwell Ossei-Little, also took turns to display their talents at the Three Manuel Electronic Organ to play a collection of tunes in honour of Mr. Sackey.

Among the collections played included Back Prelude (BWV553) and Tuba Tune by C.S. Lang; Fugue in G-Major and Fugue in G-Minor by J.S. Bach (BWV 578), as well as the Festive Trumpet Tune by David German and Trumpet Voluntary by Jeremiah Clarke.

Similarly, St. Johns Choir and the St. Joseph the Worker Choir at the St. Joseph the Worker Parish, Tema Community 8; with the Jubilee Youth Choir, and the Good Shepherd Choir from the Good Shepherd Parish Tema, Com. 2 were in attendance.

The Heaven Jewels Singing Band; Star of the Sea Choir from Takoradi were among a lot of Choirs who performed lively repertoires of songs at the function.

Mr. Sackey later played the organ to accompany the performance staged by the Young Chorale, under the baton of Mr. Edzie, to sing selected G.F. Handel pieces comprising And the Glory, And He Shall Purify and His York is Easy to the admiration of the gathering.

Born in a family of musicians in the 60’s at Sekondi in the Western Region, Mr. Sackey developed love for music, after he was introduced to the piano by his mother (late Mrs. Cecilia Sackey) at age 8. By age 12, Mr Sackey was already a full-fledged organist performing during Mass and other functions.

He has by far taught and worked with over a dozen Choirs and singing band in the Western, and Greater Accra (Tema Metropolis) Regions for more than 40 years.

Mr. Sackey, a product of the St. Mary’s Minor Seminary and Secondary School, Apowa, attended Takoradi Polytechnic, then Institute of Professional Studies and the University of Ghana. He holds an M. Phil. in Music and is a Cambridge University International Examiner in Music and International Baccalaureate Diploma Examination Moderator in Music.

With the honour of preparing hundreds of students for external Music examination over the years, the celebrant, who is currently a Doctoral Student in Business Administration, hinted of plans to establish school to promote the study of sacred music in the Church and society at large.

He believes that music, which enlivens liturgical celebrations and edifies the soul should be encouraged and stimulated in our daily lives.   

In recognition of Mr. Sackey’s enormous contributions to music in the liturgy, Pope Benedict IV honoured him with a Papal Award on 25^th December 2008, which then Archbishop Leon B. Kalenga presented to him in May 2010.

Among dignitaries at the function was Very Rev. Fr. Dr. John K. Louis, a former Administrator of the Holy Spirit Cathedral, Adabraka, who said the opening prayer.

Mr Sackey with the citation flanked by Mr. Edzie and others.

Fr Cletus Forson marks Silver Jubilee

Scores of Priests, Religious, relatives and well-wishers recently attended a thanksgiving Mass to commemorate the silver jubilee Anniversary of the Priestly ordination of Rev. Fr. Dr. Cletus M. Kwame Forson, at the Holy Rosary Catholic Church at Adentan in the Archdiocese of Accra.

Fr Forson, a Lecturer at the University of Professional Studies and Priest-in-charge of the Church was ordained a Priest at Akatsi in then Keta-Ho Diocese on 18^th July 1992.

Preaching the homily, Fr. Appiah who thanked God for the life of Fr. Forson, his parents, relatives and teachers, urged Christians to exercise patience and hasten slowly like God, who allows the weeds planted by the wicked one to grow alongside the good one until the harvest time.

While noting that “Every anniversary is a story,” the homilist explained that anniversaries were an act of thanksgiving to God for all He has done in the lives of an individual or the celebrant.

Fr. Appiah, who recalled some childhood memories of the celebrant, stated that celebrations are happy moments and cause of joy.

He described the celebrants as an opened-person, who is reconciliatory in nature and very understanding.

Concelebrants at the well-attended Mass were Rev. Msgr. Peter Huletey, Vicar General of the Keta-Akatsi Diocese; Rev. Msgr. Vincent Antie, Rector of the Jasikan Diocesan Pastoral Counselling Centre at Nsuta-Buem; as well as Very Rev. Simon Kofi Appiah, Lecture at the University of Cape Coast.

Others Priests included Very Rev. Frs. Michael E. Gbordzor and John Odzamgba, Principal of the Comboni Technical School and Parish Priest of Holy Cross Parish at Sogakofe respectively.

In a congratulatory remark, Rev. Msgr. Huletey described Fr. Forson as a Priest “open to goodness and close to evil, urging him to keep it up. He prayed for more glorious years in the priestly ministry of Fr. Forson.  

Fr. Joseph Donkor on behalf of the Buem Priests congratulated Fr Cletus on the occasion and urged him to forged ahead in the Lord who called him to his Priestly ministry.

Similarly, Prof. Albert Puni, Dean of Management Studies at the University of Professional Studies, in a remark commended Fr Forson, whom he referred to as an astute lecturer, for his enormous contributions to development of Ghana and the Church.  

Some chiefs and a queen mother as well as Mr. Kofi Adams, the National Organiser of the National Democratic Congress, were among dignitaries who graced the occasion.

At part of the anniversary Fr. Forson’s relative presented a cheque of GH ₵ 3, 000 and vested him with a new vestment and a kente cloth, while the various societies in the Church presented him numerous gifts.

Mr. Raymond Danso, Chairman of the Church Pastoral Council, presenting a citation to Fr. Forson, commended him for the changes and work done within the four months he had been in-charge of the Church. 

“Though, we have been together for barely four months, we have come to love and accept you as our father, brother, priest and friend” the citation captured.

An elated Fr. Forson, thanked his grandparents, parents and relations for the care and support given him throughout his formative years at Tetema-Buem. He also thanked all for contributed to his priestly ministry.

‘Don’t take us for granted’-CHAG cautions

The Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) has called on government not to take for granted the services member facilities of the Association were rendering a large segment of Ghanaians in the rural area.

As provider of over 40 percent of health care in the country, the new Chairperson of the CHAG Board has entreated government as a matter of urgency expedite repayment of the debts owed CHAG Facilities by the National Health Insurance Scheme.

Dame Dr. Agatha Ekua Bonney, the CHAG Board Chairperson made the appeal to government interview, highlighting the serious threat the indebtedness was posing to health care provision in rural areas and in the entire country.

She narrated the huge pressure on facilities to pay their suppliers and the shortage of critical medical consumables to help sustain the delivery of health care to Ghanaian.

She described the huge debts of over 13 months as severely hampering the delivery of quality healthcare and demoralizing genuine efforts of many CHAG Facilities dotted around remote areas to provide quality health care.

Dame Dr. Akua Bonney strongly appealed to the Government to as a matter of urgency consider settling the indebtedness of NHIA and ensure the immediate reimbursement to the health facilities for services they were rendering.

She expressed the desire of the Association to continue to dialogue with the government to ensure the settlement of the debts owed its member facilities, while pledging CHAG’s commitment to work with other stakeholders to find lasting solution and sustainable means of funding health care in Ghana. 

“As a Christian association we are unable to lay down our tools due to our principles of compassion to the patient, even though our facilities are really suffering” she echoed, appealing to the Government to consider their plight and ensure that payment were made to save the health facilities from collapsing.      

Funding NHIS

To ensure NHIS is not starved of cash, the CHAG Board Chairperson suggested that NHIS Fund be decoupled from the consolidated fund and used solely for what it was established for.

Given the challenge of the huge indebtedness to health facilities, she observed that ensuring sustainable health funding was paramount, to the delivery of quality health care, which is critical to Ghana’s development.   

Dame Dr. Ekua Bonney, stated that CHAG which started the pilot of project of the health insurance at Nkoranza in the 90s is very much interested in its sustenance, but said if the NHIS were properly managed it would not be facing the challenges it was facing.

“Make NHIS fund work solely as it was set up,” she stressed. 

Vision

The Chairperson said the New Board would work in line with the vision of the founding fathers and ensure that CHAG and its member facilities become the best quality health care delivery centres throughout the country.

Under their three-year mandate, the Chairperson noted that the Board would prioritize patient care and satisfaction in the delivery of quality health care at throughout CHAG member facilities in the country.

She explained further that appropriate patient care and customer satisfaction were a prerequisite in the process of giving holistic healthcare delivery.

As CHAG marks its Golden Jubilee this year, Dame Dr. Ekua Bonney said the association would introduce strategies to improve and uphold high standards of holistic health care to the patient, which includes strengthening staff orientation on the new trends in patient care and customer satisfaction at all levels.

Faced with the hurdle of dwindling donor funds, huge debt of NHIS to facilities and a commitment to continue the provision of quality healthcare delivery; Mr. Sam Sarpong Appiah, Vice Chairperson, shared the vision of the Board to pursue mobilization of fund locally to augment other sources of funds.

He therefore called for a change in mentality and attitude in order to mobilize funds locally to aid the continuous operation of the health facilities in the country.

The Vice Chairperson said the Board vigorously promote prudent financial management regimes of funds and encourage close working relations between facilities and communities in which they operate in to rally support for their growth. 

Poor and sick fund  

In spite of the financial constraints, the Chairperson and the Vice reiterated the fact that most CHAG facilities were doing their best to assist patient meet the cost of treatment through the Poor and Sick Fund they established.

The Board Chairperson pledged CHAG’s committed to continue providing holistic health care delivering, which will offer spiritual, mental and emotional health care that hinges on the tenets of respect for patient’s dignity, and concern for the health needs of clients in a Christ like manner.

New Board members

Among the 16-member Board of CHAG chaired by Dame Dr. Agatha Akua Bonney, assisted by Mr. Sam Sarpong Appiah; as well as Dr. Yao Yeboah; Alex Kofi Osei Owusu, ESQ.; Mr Osei Yaw Asamoa; Mr. Mauurice Adu-Amankwah; and Mr Julius Wellens-Mensah.

Others are Mr. Peter K. Yeboah, Executive Director of CHAG; Dr. Elias K. Sory; Joseph A. Aryitey, ESQ.; GEAORGE A. Adjei, ESQ.; Ms. Margaret Mary Alacoque Dapilah, and Dr. Frederick E.M. Kustsienyo, as well as Mr. Lawrence Ofosu Adjare; Mr Enoch Osafo, and Presbyter Jonas Gershon Dzodzodzi.