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Published: August 29, 2026

Published at: 01:18Pm

By Saibu Terry
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‎Former Ghanaian professional footballer Abdul Jafar Samed Issah was in attendance, alongside his spouse Khadija , to support his close friend Jaleen Devon Smith as Croatia secured a convincing 115–80 victory over Latvia in the FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifying campaign on Thursday, August 27, 2026.

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‎Issah, who enjoyed a professional football career with stints in Denmark, Latvia, Ethiopia and other European destinations, made time to cheer on Smith as Croatia bounced back strongly following their defeat to Germany.
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‎Smith was instrumental in Croatia’s impressive performance, showcasing the form and quality that have made him an important figure for the national team. The result provided Croatia with a much-needed boost in their qualifying campaign.

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‎Beyond the sporting arena, Smith and Issah have developed a close friendship over the past year. Their relationship has extended beyond football and basketball, with the pair sharing ideas about potential humanitarian and community-development projects in northern Ghana.

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‎Smith, an American-born professional basketball player who has represented Croatia at international level, has developed a growing admiration for Ghana and is reportedly keen to contribute to initiatives that could positively impact communities in the northern part of the country.
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‎The friendship between the two sports personalities has therefore evolved into more than a personal connection, with discussions around future projects creating excitement among Smith’s supporters and admirers in Ghana.
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‎Smith recently signed with Hapoel Jerusalem, where he is set to compete in the Israeli Premier League and EuroCup. As he continues to make an impact on the basketball court, his growing connection with Ghana through his friendship with Jafar Samad Issah could open the door to meaningful humanitarian initiatives in the future.
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‎For Issah, Thursday’s game was another opportunity to stand firmly behind his friend and celebrate Croatia’s emphatic victory over Latvia.

The Former Finance Minister and MP for Karaga, Hon. Dr. Amin Mohammed Adam Anta, has disbursed funds worth 330,000 Ghana Cedis to support the education of over 200 beneficiary tertiary students in the Constituency under the Amin Anta Education Scholarship Scheme.

The intervention forms part of the MP’s broader commitment to supporting the education of every student in the Constituency, especially those at the tertiary level, and to removing financial barriers that sometimes serve as obstacles to the education of needy but brilliant students.

The Anta Education Scholarship scheme covers beneficiaries pursuing education across Public Tertiary Institutions in the country, including education and health training Institutions.

This year’s beneficiaries stand at 200 students, bringing the total tally to 1,519 beneficiaries who have benefited from the scholarship fund since its inception in 2019 to date, running for seven consecutive years.

The Anta Education Fund is an annual financial aid initiative established by Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam (widely known as Dr. Amin Anta), the Member of Parliament for the Karaga Constituency in the Northern Region of Ghana, to provide financial assistance, pay school fees, and support brilliant but financially needy students from basic school up to tertiary institutions (universities and colleges).

At a durbar at the Karaga Community Center on Friday, August 28th 2026, to disburse the funds to beneficiaries, the Chairman of the Scholarship Fund, Jankpihi Naa, thanked the MP for providing financial assistance to students in the area, describing his initiative as a game changer, opening educational doors and removing barriers for students.

On his part, the MP, Mohammed Amin Adam Anta, said he is committed to ensuring that every child in the Constituency gets the right education and climbs the ladder, suggesting that it is a critical means to success.

The MP also seized the occasion to admonish the students to take advantage of the scholarship opportunity and study hard to aspire to greater heights, as he did not have such an opportunity growing up.

The beneficiaries could not mince words but thanked the MP profusely for the intervention, describing his benevolence as ‘incredible and God-fearing’.

Published by Inusah Dondaliya

21st August, 2026

The Paramount Chief of Kumbungu, Naa Yab Kumbung Naa Yiri II, Naa Alhaji Iddrisu Abu, has firmly asserted that the celebration of the 2026 Damba Festival is taking place as planned, stating that he is leading the People in the Kumbungu Traditional Area to mark the festivities, contrary to the suspension directive announced by Naa Yab-Kugu Naa Adam Abdulai.

According to the Kumbung Naa, celebrating the Damba Festival forms part of the Dagbon customs and Traditions and also symbolizes its cultural heritage, which must be showcased every year and not be ignored due to a unilateral decision by an individual Chief.

Addressing elders and People of Kumbungu at his Palace, Naa Yab-Kumbung Naa stated that there was no wider consultation with chiefs, especially the elders of Dagbon, concerning the suspension of the Damba Festival, stressing that it came to him as a shock, as some of them should have been in the know before such critical information is put out for public consumption.

Further justifying the celebration of the Damba Festival, Kumbungu Naa noted that since the 3-day and a week prayers are observed, coupled with the subsequent installation of the Regent of Dagbang in line with customs and traditions as part of the funeral rites of the late King, the celebration of the Damba Festival is valid without any contravention of the customary laws of Dagbon.

Meanwhile, Naa Yiri also stressed the need for broader consultation and engagement among Dagbon traditional authorities, especially on critical decisions that will be binding on all paramountcies across the Dagbon Kingdom.