Culture

‘I don’t even deserve to live,’ fraudulent Ghanaian chef arrested for forging GWR says

Published

6 months ago

July 8, 2024

Fraudulent Ghanaian chef, Ebenezer Smith, who was arrested after he claimed to have broken the Guinness World Records (GWR) for the longest cooking marathon by an individual, says he is so ashamed of himself and does not deserve to live.

The cook, who is fondly called “Millennium Chef Smith”, was arrested and detained on Tuesday at the La police station in Accra for faking the GWR award after he publicly announced himself as the new world record holder, claiming he cooked non-stop for 802 hours and 25 minutes.

Smith had claimed he started the cook-a-thon on February 1 and ended on March 6, allegedly clocking about 33 days to beat the existing world record of 119 hours, 57 minutes, and 16 seconds, achieved by Irish chef, Alan Fisher in Matsue, Shimane, Japan, from 28 September to 3 October 2023.

To back up his claim, Smith had presented a certificate he said was given to him by authorities of the GWR.

But on Wednesday, a spokeswoman of the GWR, Alina Polianskaya, told BBC Pidgin that Smith’s claims were “not true” while the certificate he presented was also fake and did not emanate from them.

“The current and true record holder for the longest cooking marathon (individual) is 119 hours, 57 minutes, and 16 seconds, achieved by Alan Fisher (Ireland) in Matsue, Shimane, Japan, from 28 September to 3 October 2023,” Polianskaya said.

Following the revelation by Polianskaya, the Ghanaian police arrested Smith following a disagreement with his sponsor, the Amadia Shopping Centre, Spintex, where he held his cooking marathon.

He was accused of breaching a contractual agreement by failing to inform the shopping centre about the alleged award, a deception that turned Smith into a persona non grata with a barrage
of condemnation on social media, with many Ghanaian users who supported his attempt, expressing shock and disappointment.

Smith who opened up on his fake GWR record spoke out on Monday saying he is so ashamed of what he did.

“I have been following GRW for long. They (GWR) have a lot of certificates on their online pages. So I just picked one and edited it with my details,” Smith confessed in an interview with GHOne TV.

“After Hilda Bassey did it, I have been thinking about it. And then all of a sudden I decided, after Afua did her sing-a-thon, I decided to make a step,” Smith said.

“Tracking the history has always been sequential, like numbers with the application reference. So I landed on the application reference of Adu Safoa. And then I built something for myself.”

Smith who also revealed that his assistant was not aware of his criminal act, said his sponsors spent more than GH¢300,000 on him, adding that he is ready to face any action from them.

“I can’t tell the exact amount my sponsors invested but it may be more than GH¢300,000.

“Words won’t be enough, at this point, I give my life out to my sponsors to do to me as they wish. I don’t even deserve to live because it’s too much for me to bear,” he added.

Click to comment

Culture

Ghana’s Supreme Court dismisses suit challenging anti-LGBT bill

Published

3 days ago

December 19, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Ghana’s Supreme Court has dismissed two separate suits challenging the legality of one of the proposed anti-LGBT legislations awaiting assent into law by the president.

The separate suits were filed by two legal practitioners, Amanda Odoi and Richard Sky, challenging the bill, seeking to declare it illegal and prevent the president from signing it.

The two cases had challenged the constitutionality of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill.

But in a ruling on Wednesday, the Supreme Court unanimously decided to dismiss the legal challenges to the new anti-LGBT legislation that has been criticised by rights groups.

The controversial bill was passed earlier this year by Ghanaian lawmakers with three years imprisonment for people identifying as LGBT and five years for forming or funding LGBT groups.

While dismissing the cases, presiding judge, Justice Avril Lovelace-Johnson, who delivered the ruling on behalf of the seven-member panel, said the cases were premature.

“Until there’s presidential assent, there is no act, the two cases were “unanimously dismissed,” she said.

The ruling is the latest blow to the LGBTQ community in Ghana and paves the way for the president to sign into law what many say is one of Africa’s most restrictive piece of anti-LGBTQ legislation.

President Nana Akufo-Addo, whose term in office ends on 7 January, had delayed signing it pending the outcome of the Supreme Court challenge but the judges said the case could not be reviewed until it had been signed it into law.

It expected that incoming president, John Mahama, will sign the bill into law as he had always expressed his support for the bill during his electioneering campaigns.

Culture

UNESCO lists Ghana’s Kente cloth as cultural heritage

Published

4 days ago

December 18, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The iconic Ghanaian Kente, a piece of clothing, has been recognized as a cultural heritage on UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The global recognition, according to the UN body, is coming under the 2003 Convention for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage highlights the cultural and historical significance of the vibrant, handwoven textile.

In a citation on its website, UNESCO describes the Kente cloth as “originating from Ghana’s Asante and Ewe communities and renowned worldwide for its bold colors, intricate patterns, and deep symbolic meanings, embodying the creativity and identity of the Ghanaian people.”

Ghana’s Tourism Minister, Andrew Egyapa Mercer, described the recognition as a testament to Ghana’s commitment to preserving its cultural heritage.

“This achievement places Ghana at the forefront of global efforts to safeguard and celebrate cultural traditions,” he noted.

In a statement acknowledging the recognition, Mercer said the “Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MoTAC) expressed gratitude to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, UNESCO, and the artisans, cultural institutions, and traditional authorities who contributed to this milestone.”

“Special acknowledgement is given to the Bonwire and Agotime communities for their enduring role as custodians of the craft.

“As Ghana celebrates this historic moment, MoTAC reaffirms its dedication to promoting and preserving the nation’s rich cultural legacy.”