Four balls of banku inside a perforated bowl

Have you wondered how the name ’Banku’ came about as a Ghanaian dish?

There is a history behind all Ghanaian dishes, but that of banku may just surprise you as the name came from a language of a tribe in the country.

The name banku originated from the phrase ‘Baa Mi Ku’ in the Ga language, where Baa is a ‘leaf,’ ‘Mi’ means inside, and ‘Ku’ is a term given to a staple food.

According to a video by Kobe Boujee, the food was enjoyed by both the Ga people and the Ewe people because of the connection between the two tribes, although the Ewe people had their own version of making the food which fell under the Akple category.

However, he said the Ga people made banku with only corn dough, whereas the Ewe people added cassava dough to theirs.

The two styles of preparation bought about a little confusion on the originators of the food banku, as people making the ‘agbelima’ called it banku.

It was equally served in the leaf just like how the Gas serve their banku, but the Ewes called theirs banku.

In all of these, one thing was common, banku was still served in a leaf in both places.

Watch the video of Kobe explaining the origin of this food below:

VA/AE

Popular Ghanaian prophet Rev. Isaac Owusu Bempah, renowned for his bold political prophecies, has come under intense scrutiny following his recent prediction concerning the health of Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang. A day before the official announcement of the Vice President’s hospitalization, Rev. Owusu Bempah declared to his congregation that if the nation did not fervently pray for her, sickness would claim her life. His prophecy quickly gained traction, particularly after it was confirmed that the Vice President had been admitted to the University of Ghana Medical Centre on March 30, 2025, due to a sudden illness.

However, a well-respected journalist has now revealed that what Owusu Bempah presented as divine revelation was, in fact, nothing more than classified information leaked to him by informants within both the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). According to the journalist, these well-placed sources within government circles provide the prophet with sensitive details, which he then repackages as “prophecy” to maintain and enhance his influence among his followers.

“This was not a message from God,” the journalist stated. “Owusu Bempah has informants in both the NDC and NPP who feed him inside information. He only repackages it as prophecy to maintain his influence.” The revelation has sparked a firestorm of debate on social media, with many Ghanaians expressing anger and disappointment. Critics argue that the prophet misled his congregation and the general public by presenting leaked state secrets as divinely inspired messages, thereby undermining both the integrity of the religious sphere and the sanctity of confidential government affairs.

The fallout from this exposé has led some citizens to call for a thorough investigation into Rev. Owusu Bempah’s political connections and the methods he employs to access classified information. Many are demanding that those responsible for leaking such sensitive details be held accountable, and that strict measures be taken to prevent the misuse of confidential data for personal gain.

Meanwhile, Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang continues to receive medical treatment abroad. Government officials, including NEIP CEO Eric Adjei, have reassured the public that she is in good health and responding well to treatment. As the controversy unfolds, the incident raises broader questions about the intersection of politics, religion, and the use of sensitive government information in Ghana’s turbulent political landscape.

File photo of a worried man

Dear GhanaWeb,

I’ve been married for over six years now, with two children. My wife left me two years ago, she said she was tired and needed a break from the marriage. At the times, she had a job that was paying her to abandon us.

She left the children with me because, according to her, our marriage was not allowing her focus on her job since her career was important to her.

She eventually went to rent somewhere else and I took care of the children, balance it with my job. Occasionally, she would come home to see the children, but treated me like I didn’t matter. For the over two years she was away, she had no respect for me. We never got intimate and she never cared about that.

Few months ago, she lost that same job she chose over us. She couldn’t tell me but I heard about it from a mutual friend. Her rent was also due for expiration in two months. Guess who’s trying to be a wife again? So funny!

She’s begging me to accept her back to my home because the children need her. She involved her family and everyone has seen how I’ve singlehandedly taken care of the kids for over two years without their mother. This same woman told me some time ago that if I mentioned the children to her like that, she would return my dowry if that’s what would give her the liberty to work and stay away from us.

For two years, she never asked how I got satisfied sexually as a man. She never cooked nor cleaned in this house. Just because of her GH₵6000 monthly salary. If that’s what it takes, I shouldn’t be married because as at when she left, I was earning GH₵15000 minus my fuel allowance. I supported her, I cooked and cleaned the house when it mattered.

I never intimidated her and I committed GH₵5000 of my salary into her account monthly, yet I still covered other expenses at home. When she started this, I didn’t know what to do and I felt so disappointed but not anymore. My life is aligned and balanced with my goals. I handled the children and worked fine with no one’s help, not even a nanny.

I’m seeing someone but it’s just for sex and that rarely happens because most times, I’m engaged with the children or house chores. I haven’t told the children their mother is bad when they ask about her; I rather always said good things about her.

Accepting her back because the job is no more and she can’t afford to live on her own is my problem. What happens if she gets the job back? I told my family the marriage is over already because she couldn’t stay loyal to me when she got money. I cried to her from the beginning because I thought I wouldn’t be able to cope. I offered to increase the money I give her monthly but she didn’t consider us.

I feel we are happy without her and everything is falling in place. Her family has been begging me to accept her but I don’t want to. Am I being fair? I just hope no one calls me a bad person because at this point, I’m confused on what to do. Should I accept her back? Or, should I go ahead with the planned divorce?

FG/AE

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