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CJ’s ‘tongue-slip’ should be treated as an application for early retirement – Prof Yankah tells Mahama 

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CJ’s ‘tongue-slip’ should be treated as an application for early retirement – Prof Yankah tells Mahama 

Professor Kwesi Yankah, a former Minister of State in charge of Tertiary Education, has said the Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie’s ‘tongue-slip’ should be treated by President John Dramani Mahama as an application for early retirement.

In a write-up on Facebook, Prof Yankah raised four concerns about the Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie.

He argued that the four concerns raised questions about the independence and moral authority of the office.

Prof Yankah, in his write-up titled “CHEAP JUSTICE?”, argued that Ghana’s justice system was losing its value and whether the scale of justice had become tilted.

Prof Yankah noted four major concerns about the Chief Justice: his appearance at a thanksgiving service, his participation in government-related activities, his participation in a government delegation to the USA and Canada for the 2026 World Cup, and his comments on state-owned enterprises.

Parts of his write stated, “The last straw was this September when he ignored multiple judicial issues overflowing his in-tray, and strayed into the realm of state-owned enterprises, which was none of his formal business. Here, CJ   waxed political without apologies. He stunned his audience, comparing the high productivity of current staff to their dismal performance in the previous Government now in opposition. Justice Baffoe-Bonnie only stopped short of chanting a party slogan.

The incident was without precedence and courted anger and shock across the landscape: a rude awakening that Ghana’s scale of justice had been vandalised by the Chief himself, who then loses any moral authority to lead an independent judiciary. In traditional settings, he would have walked back home barefooted, destooled.

In the current case, though, our CJ has only three months to retire, having gotten his new position close to his send-off”.

He concluded, “If so, CJ’s tongue-slip should be simply interpreted by the President as an APPLICATION FOR EARLY RETIREMENT.

In truth, CJ’s venerable title as ‘Chief’ has faded too soon, leaving behind an impaired reputation and a tilted scale of justice.

CHEAP JUSTICE?”

Read the full post below:

“CHEAP JUSTICE?

By Kwesi Yankah

Is Ghana devaluing Justice?

But woe unto anyone who was named ‘Justice’ even at birth. It’s even worse if Justice was conferred later in life as a title. In either case, please don’t run across the village square beating your chest as King Solomon; for Justice is also a cross, indeed an eternal burden that may trail you until death do you part. The title may sentence you to a life of misery: solitude, loneliness (‘anti-so ’), when you realise overnight that you are always home alone. If you break jail and escape to a normal social life, Justice Asomasi, please be prepared for the ‘kwɛnsekwɛnses’ as said in Cape Coast. That is indeed the current plight of Justice Baffoe Bonnie: guilty for breaking jail.

If you were a judge of the Supreme Court those days, people stole glances at you in public; and sinners could even flee, fearing possible orders of ‘monkye no.’  To ever meet a Chief Justice was rare since he was by law often in disguise: wig, gown plus a frown. He was a virtual archbishop; alpha and omega; King Solomon’s next of kin. The world of justices became more common in 2013, during the Supreme Court hearings on the 2012 elections, when the baritone voice of Justice Atugugba on live TV brought ‘deities’ to your doorstep. I myself never knew he was mortal enough until 2019, when in my capacity as a temporary big man, I sat next to him at an official function in Accra. I was surprised to have survived a 30-minute chat with him and to learn that he was even an uncle to my classmate in Legon.

With Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie, I knew he was courting trouble when, soon after his big appointment in 2025, he was ‘caught’ at a thanksgiving church service making merry and dancing like a mortal: waste-line liberated, hands mid-air, singing joyously, and virtually lost in merriment.

Unbeknownst to him, TV cameras followed, ignoring the media convention: ‘New Chief Justice dances in church, please switch off cameras.’ I knew Baffoe-Bonnie fairly well in his Sarbah Hall days, and was aware that unrestrained, his regular dance moves could set off a fire alarm!

I had also followed him as part of the historic Supreme Court panel whose ruling ratified the Mahama/Amissah-Arthur presidency. In 2025, Baffoe came under close scrutiny on his appointment as Chief Justice to replace Ghana’s third female CJ (Torkonoo), who had been unfairly removed. In replacing the beloved CJ, had Ghana exchanged its digital colour television for a black and white analogue? The answer now blows in the wind.

May 2026, our CJ travels to the US/Canada for the World Cup with Govt delegation, joining in the joyous celebration of Ghana in matches won (no problem, but eyebrows were raised). Next stop, joining Government delegations mourning with the Gold Boy Sammy on the passing of his in-law. (No problem, but eyebrows raised.)

The last straw was this September when he ignored multiple judicial issues overflowing his in-tray, and strayed into the realm of state-owned enterprises, which was none of his formal business. Here, CJ   waxed political without apologies. He stunned his audience, comparing the high productivity of current staff to their dismal performance in the previous Government now in opposition. Justice Baffoe-Bonnie only stopped short of chanting a party slogan.

The incident was without precedence and courted anger and shock across the landscape: a rude awakening that Ghana’s scale of justice had been vandalised by the Chief himself, who then loses any moral authority to lead an independent judiciary. In traditional settings, he would have walked back home barefooted, destooled.

Find below a sampling of the public uproar in the media:

‘The JDM boy has taken over Government PR’…’ Judiciary independence is gone…’ ‘A disgrace to the judiciary…’ ‘Desecrating the office of CJ…’ ‘When I saw the video, I said Jesus we are doomed…’  ‘CJ has won a political jersey.. grounds for resignation’… ‘He has overstepped his bounds’— ‘the judiciary is now led by a politician,’ etc.  And then this bombshell: ‘He has been working with us since 2012…’

The September breaking news reminds me of the late 1990’s when the Council of State ‘absent-mindedly’ vacated their office and became presidential errand boys: welcoming the President at the airport, reading speeches on his behalf, etc. Then also was the horror story of one great Justice, who got promoted as CJ in 1996, but immediately stumbled by jailing a columnist in error. My write hand at the time, charitably advised the President to quickly write to the CJ, and ‘apologise unreservedly for any embarrassment the promotion has caused him.’

In the current case, though, our CJ has only three months to retire, having gotten his new position close to his send-off.

If so, CJ’s tongue-slip should be simply interpreted by the President as an APPLICATION FOR EARLY RETIREMENT.

In truth, CJ’s venerable title as ‘Chief’ has faded too soon, leaving behind an impaired reputation and a tilted scale of justice.

CHEAP JUSTICE?”

See the post below:

@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ
@ghnow_ Hon. Ewurabena Aubynn is empowering constituents of Ablekuma North through poultry farming by distributing birds and supporting sustainable livelihood opportunities. 🐔🇬🇭 #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

Calls for CJ’s resignation disproportionate – Catholic Bishops

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Calls for CJ’s resignation disproportionate – Catholic Bishops

The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has said calls by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) for Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie to resign over his comments are disproportionate.  

The Catholic Bishops highlighted that the Chief Justice’s comments during the engagements raised concerns about his neutrality and the political independence of the Judiciary, but calls for his resignation were disproportionate.

According to the Catholic Bishops, the available evidence does not establish that the Chief Justice is partisan or that the Judiciary has been compromised.

The Catholic Bishops also noted that the Chief Justice was entitled to visit public institutions, assess their performance and acknowledge improvements without such actions being considered improper.

They, however, argued that the Chief Justice’s reference to the “past eight years” could easily be interpreted within Ghana’s political context as a comparison between the current administration and its predecessor, adding that the comment could create an impression of political endorsement and undermine public confidence in the neutrality of the Judiciary.

In a statement issued on Sunday, September 6, the Conference stated, “There is nothing improper, in itself, in the Chief Justice visiting public institutions, acquainting himself with their operations, or commending genuine improvement. These institutions belong to the people of Ghana, and every citizen, the Chief Justice included, has a legitimate interest in seeing them run efficiently and accountably.

The difficulty lies not in the visits themselves, but in the political character that some of his remarks, in particular his reference to the “past eight years”, can reasonably be understood to have acquired. In our national context, such a phrase is readily heard as a comparison between the present administration and its predecessor”.

The Catholic Bishops further dismiss calls by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) for Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie to resign over comments.

“We wish to be clear that none of this amounts to a suggestion that the Chief Justice is partisan, or that the Judiciary has been compromised. Such conclusions would go well beyond the evidence available to us, and calls for his resignation on this basis alone strike us as disproportionate to the offence. The Chief Justice, like any citizen, is entitled to his own convictions. The question is not whether he may hold them, but whether his public conduct in office should ever create room for reasonable doubt about where he stands”.

“We respectfully suggest that the better course would have been to commend the achievements of SSNIT and MIIF on their own merits, encouraging continued efficiency, accountability, and service to the Ghanaian people, without setting one administration’s record against another’s. The same positive message could have been delivered without inviting the very perception now at issue”, the Catholic Bishops’ added.

Read the full statement below:

“The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has followed with interest the recent remarks made by the Chief Justice, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, during his visits to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) on 2 September 2026. We offer these reflections not to inflame a controversy, but in the hope of contributing calmly to the nation’s understanding of judicial ethics and public trust.

There is nothing improper, in itself, in the Chief Justice visiting public institutions, acquainting himself with their operations, or commending genuine improvement. These institutions belong to the people of Ghana, and every citizen, the Chief Justice included, has a legitimate interest in seeing them run efficiently and accountably.

The difficulty lies not in the visits themselves, but in the political character that some of his remarks, in particular his reference to the “past eight years”, can reasonably be understood to have acquired. In our national context, such a phrase is readily heard as a comparison between the present administration and its predecessor. What may have begun as a straightforward assessment of institutional performance thus took on, at least in appearance, the character of a partisan judgment.

We note that this concern has already been raised publicly, including by the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development, which cautioned that such remarks risk creating an impression of political endorsement and could weaken confidence in judicial impartiality. We note, too, that the Judicial Service has since clarified that the Chief Justice’s observations were made in good faith, without intention to compromise judicial independence, and has reaffirmed his commitment to the integrity of the Judiciary and to equality before the law. We receive that clarification in good faith.

Nevertheless, we believe the episode raises a question that deserves the sober attention of the whole nation, not only of the Judiciary. The office of Chief Justice is not that of an ordinary public commentator. The courts may at any time be called upon to adjudicate disputes involving the Government, political parties, or public institutions, and citizens must be able to approach them without wondering whether the Chief Justice has, even inadvertently, aligned himself with one political era over another. Judicial independence is not only a matter of actual impartiality; it also depends on the visible, unmistakable appearance of impartiality. A judge, and especially the head of the Judiciary, must be, and must be seen to be, above the partisan contest.

We wish to be clear that none of this amounts to a suggestion that the Chief Justice is partisan, or that the Judiciary has been compromised. Such conclusions would go well beyond the evidence available to us, and calls for his resignation on this basis alone strike us as disproportionate to the offence. The Chief Justice, like any citizen, is entitled to his own convictions. The question is not whether he may hold them, but whether his public conduct in office should ever create room for reasonable doubt about where he stands.

We respectfully suggest that the better course would have been to commend the achievements of SSNIT and MIIF on their own merits, encouraging continued efficiency, accountability, and service to the Ghanaian people, without setting one administration’s record against another’s. The same positive message could have been delivered without inviting the very perception now at issue.

We appeal, finally, to all sides to receive this moment as an occasion for reflection rather than an opportunity for partisan advantage. The governing party ought not to treat criticism of the Chief Justice as an attack on its own record, nor should the opposition treat his remarks as proof that the courts have been captured. The same standard of restraint must be asked of every public office holder, regardless of who occupies it or which party is in government.

We continue to hold the Judiciary, and all who serve the nation in public office, in our prayers, and we pray that God may grant our leaders the wisdom to serve truth, justice, and the unity of our common home”.

See the post below:

@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ
@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ

‘Positive message could have been delivered without political comparison’ – Catholic Bishops tell CJ

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‘Positive message could have been delivered without political comparison’ – Catholic Bishops tell CJ

The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has told Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie that his positive comments during his visits to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) could have been delivered without political comparison.

According to the Catholic Bishops, the Chief Justice was entitled to visit public institutions, assess their performance and acknowledge improvements without such actions being considered improper.

They, however, argued that the Chief Justice’s reference to the “past eight years” could easily be interpreted within Ghana’s political context as a comparison between the current administration and its predecessor, adding that the comment could create an impression of political endorsement and undermine public confidence in the neutrality of the Judiciary.

In a statement issued on Sunday, September 6, the Conference stated, “There is nothing improper, in itself, in the Chief Justice visiting public institutions, acquainting himself with their operations, or commending genuine improvement. These institutions belong to the people of Ghana, and every citizen, the Chief Justice included, has a legitimate interest in seeing them run efficiently and accountably.

The difficulty lies not in the visits themselves, but in the political character that some of his remarks, in particular his reference to the “past eight years”, can reasonably be understood to have acquired. In our national context, such a phrase is readily heard as a comparison between the present administration and its predecessor”.

They added, “ We respectfully suggest that the better course would have been to commend the achievements of SSNIT and MIIF on their own merits, encouraging continued efficiency, accountability, and service to the Ghanaian people, without setting one administration’s record against another’s. The same positive message could have been delivered without inviting the very perception now at issue”.

Read the full statement below:

“The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has followed with interest the recent remarks made by the Chief Justice, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, during his visits to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) on 2 September 2026. We offer these reflections not to inflame a controversy, but in the hope of contributing calmly to the nation’s understanding of judicial ethics and public trust.

There is nothing improper, in itself, in the Chief Justice visiting public institutions, acquainting himself with their operations, or commending genuine improvement. These institutions belong to the people of Ghana, and every citizen, the Chief Justice included, has a legitimate interest in seeing them run efficiently and accountably.

The difficulty lies not in the visits themselves, but in the political character that some of his remarks, in particular his reference to the “past eight years”, can reasonably be understood to have acquired. In our national context, such a phrase is readily heard as a comparison between the present administration and its predecessor. What may have begun as a straightforward assessment of institutional performance thus took on, at least in appearance, the character of a partisan judgment.

We note that this concern has already been raised publicly, including by the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development, which cautioned that such remarks risk creating an impression of political endorsement and could weaken confidence in judicial impartiality. We note, too, that the Judicial Service has since clarified that the Chief Justice’s observations were made in good faith, without intention to compromise judicial independence, and has reaffirmed his commitment to the integrity of the Judiciary and to equality before the law. We receive that clarification in good faith.

Nevertheless, we believe the episode raises a question that deserves the sober attention of the whole nation, not only of the Judiciary. The office of Chief Justice is not that of an ordinary public commentator. The courts may at any time be called upon to adjudicate disputes involving the Government, political parties, or public institutions, and citizens must be able to approach them without wondering whether the Chief Justice has, even inadvertently, aligned himself with one political era over another. Judicial independence is not only a matter of actual impartiality; it also depends on the visible, unmistakable appearance of impartiality. A judge, and especially the head of the Judiciary, must be, and must be seen to be, above the partisan contest.

We wish to be clear that none of this amounts to a suggestion that the Chief Justice is partisan, or that the Judiciary has been compromised. Such conclusions would go well beyond the evidence available to us, and calls for his resignation on this basis alone strike us as disproportionate to the offence. The Chief Justice, like any citizen, is entitled to his own convictions. The question is not whether he may hold them, but whether his public conduct in office should ever create room for reasonable doubt about where he stands.

We respectfully suggest that the better course would have been to commend the achievements of SSNIT and MIIF on their own merits, encouraging continued efficiency, accountability, and service to the Ghanaian people, without setting one administration’s record against another’s. The same positive message could have been delivered without inviting the very perception now at issue.

We appeal, finally, to all sides to receive this moment as an occasion for reflection rather than an opportunity for partisan advantage. The governing party ought not to treat criticism of the Chief Justice as an attack on its own record, nor should the opposition treat his remarks as proof that the courts have been captured. The same standard of restraint must be asked of every public office holder, regardless of who occupies it or which party is in government.

We continue to hold the Judiciary, and all who serve the nation in public office, in our prayers, and we pray that God may grant our leaders the wisdom to serve truth, justice, and the unity of our common home”.

See the post below:

@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ
@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ

Ghana’s Gold trade takes a hit as Middle East conflict disrupts shipments

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Ghana’s Gold trade takes a hit as Middle East conflict disrupts shipments

Data from the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and the World Bank has revealed that Ghana’s gold export volumes declined marginally in the first half of 2026, with shipment disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict.

According to the BoG data, the Middle East conflict is affecting the country’s key gold export value chain.

The data show that gold export earnings increased sharply despite a slight decline in volumes.

The Bank of Ghana data showed the value of gold exports rose by 49% to US$12.50 billion, from US$8.39 billion in the same period of 2025.

“The increase was largely driven by a 49.7% rise in the average realised gold price to US$4,463.80 per fine ounce.

However, gold export volumes remained broadly flat at 2.80 million fine ounces, representing a 0.5% decline from the 2.81 million fine ounces recorded in the first half of 2025,” Joynews stated.

BoG attributed the marginal decline largely to shipment disruptions following the onset of the Middle East conflict.

Also, the World Bank has also highlighted the impact of the tensions on Ghana’s gold export routes.

The World Bank revealed that Ghana was forced to reroute some gold shipments through Shanghai and India after disruptions affected the traditional route in the United Arab Emirates.

“Ghana’s gold refining routes through the United Arab Emirates were disrupted, requiring costly rerouting to Shanghai and India and adding logistical delays to a key export value chain.”

Reports suggest the disruptions have therefore added costs and delays to an export sector.

In other news, the Ghana Chamber of Mines has disclosed that Ghana has been ranked sixth among the world’s largest gold-producing countries in 2025 after producing 185 tonnes of gold.

According to the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Ghana improved its traditional seventh position, with the country overtaking the United States following an increase in domestic production and a decline in US output.

Christopher Nyarko, the Director of Analysis, Research and Finance at the Chamber, made this known during an interview on Channel One TV’s The Point of View on Monday, August 17.

Christopher Nyarko stated, “We are number six. We’re number six now, right after Peru. So globally, China, Russia, Australia, Canada, Peru, then Ghana comes in, and then the United States follow”.

“Last year [2025], Ghana overtook the US, but traditionally, we’ve always been number seven,” Mr Nyarko said.

“Last year [2025], they ran into a number of technical issues. So production for the country as a whole dropped. And of course, given the dynamics in Ghana, we saw Ghana displace the United States,” he added.

He, however, noted that rankings among some of the leading producers can vary depending on the source of data.

“Even depending on the kind of source of your data, there’s always some tension between Russia, China, and Australia, in terms of who is the largest producer,” he said.

Ghana’s sixth-place ranking comes after a record year for domestic gold production, with small-scale mining accounting for 52.38 per cent of total output, overtaking the large-scale sector for the first time in more than 100-years.

Meanwhile, the Chamber has projected further growth in Ghana’s gold production in 2026, predicting national output between 6.1 million and 6.7 million ounces.

@ghnow_ Hon. Ewurabena Aubynn is empowering constituents of Ablekuma North through poultry farming by distributing birds and supporting sustainable livelihood opportunities. 🐔🇬🇭 #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ
@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ

Maleek Basintale ‘runs away’ from accountability

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Maleek Basintale ‘runs away’ from accountability

Maleek Basintale, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), has been accused of running away from accountability after the agency reportedly refused to provide information on contracts awarded to Zoomlion for youth-related projects.

According to The Fourth Estate, their journalists have requested access to details of the YEA’s contracts with Zoomlion but were denied access to the information.

The Fourth Estate further disclosed that the matter has since been referred to the Right to Information (RTI) Commission for determination.

The Fourth Estate news flyer also read, “Youth Employment Agency denies MFWA access to information on its contracts with Zoomlion for youth-related projects. Matter before RTI Commission”.

In related news, the John Dramani Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) government has been exposed for preaching transparency while failing to practise it.

The Mahama government, despite portraying itself as an administration committed to openness and accountability, more than 21 government institutions under the Mahama administration allegedly failed to provide information requested by journalists from The Fourth Estate.

According to The Fourth Estate, between January 2025 and July 2026, the institutions failed to respond to, or release requested information on 24 separate occasions through Right to Information (RTI) requests, raising questions about the government’s commitment to transparency.

The NDC opposition also promised to ensure access to information, which was anchored in the NDC’s resetting agenda manifesto promising to fully implement and operationalise the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989).

Parts of a new article published by The Fourth Estate detailed, “In June 2025, The Fourth Estate requested information from the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs on the full list of dumpsites Zoomlion Ltd. was said to have excavated through a multi-million-cedi contract with the government. The ministry failed to respond despite an internal appeal to the then minister, Ahmed Ibrahim.

In the same month, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources failed to release information on the list of companies President Akufo-Addo had granted permits under the LI2462 to mine in forest reserves that had been designated as globally significant biodiversity areas.

In September 2025, the National Communications Authority (NCA) refused to release information on how much KGL Technologies had received through its USSD platform for the 5/90 online lottery. The information was necessary for The Fourth Estate’s investigations into the terrible NLA-KGL deal, but the NCA did not budge.

In March 2026, the Ghana Highways Authority (GHA) promised that it would make available copies of the government’s flagship Big Push project in two weeks. But after five months, the GHA appears to have reneged on its promise. The Fourth Estate, through the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), has submitted a petition to the RTI Commission for a review.

The GHA, in May 2026, again failed to release information on abandoned prefabricated bridges Ghana procured through a 43 million-pound loan, despite an internal appeal to the Acting Chief Executive Officer, Mallam Issah Ishak.

The Finance Ministry oversees fund disbursement to all government institutions, but when The Fourth Estate requested information on its budgetary allocations and disbursements in April 2026, it chose not to respond. An internal appeal has been sent to the minister, Cassiel Ato Forson. Still, the Ministry has failed to provide the information.

The Finance Ministry has also decided to close the door on information on the details of the work of the technical committee established by President Mahama to investigate the NLA-KGL contract. In May 2026, an application requesting a copy of the full report of the committee was sent to the Office of the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice. The Attorney-General’s office said the MFWA should check with the Office of the President. The Office of the President, in turn, said the MFWA should contact the Finance Ministry for it. But the Finance Ministry has gone quiet, despite a follow-up appeal to the Minister.

The Attorney-General’s office has also refused to disclose information on how much the state has recovered from the Republic vs. Kwabena Duffour and 7 others case. An appeal has been sent to Attorney-General Dr Dominic Ayine, but that has changed nothing”.

See the post below:

@ghnow_ Hon. Ewurabena Aubynn is empowering constituents of Ablekuma North through poultry farming by distributing birds and supporting sustainable livelihood opportunities. 🐔🇬🇭 #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Hon. Ewurabena Aubynn is empowering constituents of Ablekuma North through poultry farming by distributing birds and supporting sustainable livelihood opportunities. 🐔🇬🇭 #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ

“It is normal” – Martin Kpebu on alleged GH¢70,000 vetting bribe

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“It is normal” – Martin Kpebu on alleged GH¢70,000 vetting bribe

Martin Kpebu, a private legal practitioner, has said payments made to Members of Parliament during parliamentary activities did not start today.

According to Martin Kpebu, payments made to Members of Parliament during parliamentary activities are a longstanding practice and have become normal.

He alleged that such payments are routinely made to MPs during vetting exercises, committee meetings, legislative proceedings and parliamentary programmes.

Lawyer Kpebu also recounted parliamentary activities surrounding the passage of budgets and legislation.

Speaking on TV3’s The Key Points on September 6, 2026, Martin Kpebu stated, “These payments didn’t start today. It’s normal… when a person is going for vetting, they usually give money out to their committee members. And it’s not just even their committee alone”.

“Many committee meetings. Many. Money is routinely paid. You are going to pass legislation. Money is paid. They say, okay, take us to this and this conference or out of Accra. You pay a certain number of days,” he added.

“I remember even some years ago, MPs had to go on a tour of a mining company. When they got there, they said they would not get down unless they were first given their envelopes,” he said.

Lawyer Kpebu’s comments come after the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) announced that it had commenced preliminary investigations into an alleged GH¢70,000 payment connected to the work of Parliament’s Appointments Committee.

The OSP disclosed that the investigation follows a purported memorandum circulating in the media, allegedly authored by Mrs Appiagyei and addressed to the Minority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh.

According to the OSP, they had taken note of the document and were investigating its authenticity, the source of the alleged funds and the purpose for which the money was provided.

The OSP highlighted that the suggested document has raised concerns about the source of the funds and whether they bore the hallmarks of extortion of the nominees.

“Given the constitutional importance of the Appointments Committee of Parliament and the need to safeguard the integrity of the vetting process, and taking into consideration the content of the document to the effect that Hon. Patricia Appiagyei purportedly cast doubt on the source of the alleged funds and that it had the hallmarks of extortion of the nominees, the OSP has commenced preliminary investigation into the veracity of the document, the source of the alleged funds, and the purpose of the alleged funds,” the statement said.

They further disclosed that they have dispatched a communication inviting Hon. Patricia Appiagyei to attend the OSP and assist it with the preliminary investigation.

Meanwhile, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, the Second Deputy Minority Whip, has refuted reports that Deputy Minority Leader Patricia Appiagyei returned a GH¢70,000 bribe allegedly given to members of Parliament’s Appointments Committee in connection with the vetting of ministerial and Supreme Court nominees.

According to Jerry Ahmed Shaib, there was “no truth whatsoever” in the claims and urged the public to disregard the information circulating.

Speaking to TV3 on Friday, September 4, he disclosed that he had spoken directly with the Deputy Minority Leader.

He disclosed that the Deputy Minority Leader was upset by the reports and did not understand their basis.

Jerry Ahmed Shaib stated, “There is no truth whatsoever in that story. I have spoken particularly to my Deputy Minority Leader who has been very upset with the seeming whatever is going round. She doesn’t even understand it, and she is very upset”.

“She thinks that we should be careful how some of these things are generated,” he added.

“So, I can tell you on authority that I have not dealt with anyone, she has not dealt with anyone, I do not know who is dealing with this and where this is coming from.”

“She had not received any money from anyone, and she does not know where this is coming from with a certain signature of hers.”

Watch the video below:

@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ

Family offers GH¢50,000 bounty to find hit-and-run driver who killed Law Student on Tema Motorway

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Family offers GH¢50,000 bounty to find hit-and-run driver who killed Law Student on Tema Motorway

The family of Ivan Baidoo, a Level 200 law student at Central University, who died following an alleged hit-and-run accident on the Tema Motorway, is appealing to the public for information.

Reports suggest Ivan was knocked down by a vehicle on August 27, 2026, with the driver allegedly leaving the scene after the incident.

Following his death, his family has launched a public appeal for information that could help identify the driver involved and bring the person responsible to justice.

The family has placed a GH¢50,000 reward for credible information leading to the arrest and successful prosecution of the alleged culprit or culprits.

Also, the family is urging anyone who witnessed the accident or has information about the circumstances surrounding the incident to come forward.

According to the notice, information can be provided through +233 20 250 4411, with the family assuring informants that all information will be treated with strict confidentiality.

The late Ivan was pursuing his law degree at Central University.

In related news, in January 2026, Nelson Blay Nokotey, a level 300 Top-Up Journalism student of the University of Media, Arts and Communications (UniMAC), tragically died.

The student was knocked down by an unregistered vehicle on the N1 Highway.

According to eyewitness reports, the driver initially faked concern but later fled the scene, leaving Nelson’s body, which was discovered by a police patrol team.

The Public Affairs Directorate, UniMAC, in a statement, described the tragic incident as a painful loss that has left the school community in deep mourning and disbelief.

UniMAC revealed that the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Eric Opoku Mensah, has met with Nelson’s family.

Also added that the Vice-Chancellor has engaged both the Students’ Representative Council and the wider student body to share in their grief and offer support.

UniMAC further added that it is working closely with the Police Service to identify and apprehend the driver for the student’s untimely death.

Meanwhile, Kwadwo Poku, a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) communication team, has said the Ghana Police Service’s failure to arrest the hit-and-run driver in the death of Charles Amissah is “problematic”.

According to Kwadwo Poku, with all the cameras Ghana have invested in around the country, the police must bow their heads in shame over their failure to arrest the driver.

Speaking on the JoyNews AM Show on Monday, 11 May, Kwadwo Poku stated, “The bit that baffles me is that up to today, the police have not been able to arrest the hit-and-run driver. That is strange”.

“With all the cameras we have invested in around the country, the police should bow their heads in shame, and nobody is talking about it. I think that is a very, very big problem,” he stated.

Kwadwo Poku added, “In today’s Accra, it’s not possible. Those Huawei cameras, the white poles—they are at every junction, every corner of Accra. I challenge the police on this platform; it is not possible that somebody will do a hit-and-run in Accra and the police are not able to track who that person is,” he said.

“That means that infrastructure is really not worth investing in,” he noted.

“We need a report from the police. I am pleading with the IGP; let’s get a response on this. I think closure will be important for the family,” he said.

@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ

“The anger of the masses is justified” – Kwesi Pratt

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“The anger of the masses is justified” – Kwesi Pratt

Kwesi Pratt Jnr, a Veteran journalist and Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, has weighed in on suggestions that the John Mahama-led NDC government is exploring ways to build a National Cathedral.

According to Kwesi Pratt, it is easy to understand the righteous anger of supporters and members of the NDC.

He argued that NDC supporters’ anger is justified over hints of reviving the National Cathedral, as the party won power partly by opposing state-funded construction in a secular republic, building demolitions, and importing a foundation stone from Israel.

In a post on X, Kwasi Pratt wrote, “It is easy to understand the righteous anger of supporters and members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) over suggestions that the government is exploring ways to build a National Cathedral.

There can be no doubt that the NDC rose to power with a huge majority partly because of the stand it took against the building of a national cathedral.

The party argued then that the Government had no business committing substantial national resources to the building of a cathedral in a secular democratic republic.

The rank and file of the NDC also complained about the knocking down of ultra-modern buildings to make space for a cathedral.

They were unhappy with the importation of a stone from Israel to be planted in the foundation of the cathedral.

That some #NDC leaders claim today that building the cathedral was acceptable suggests a lack of commitment to implementing campaign promises.

The anger of the masses is justified”.

His comment follows Mahama Ayariga, the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, revealing that President John Dramani Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have no objection to the National Cathedral.

According to Mahama Ayariga, the NDC government wants a consensus on the location and funding of the National Cathedral project.

Mahama Ayariga called on Christian denominations to deliberate on the project and agree on a common position before engaging President Mahama.

The Local Government Minister proposed bringing together leaders of the Catholic Church, Protestant denominations and other Christian organisations for a dispassionate discussion on the National Cathedral.

Speaking when the Christian Council of Ghana paid a courtesy call on him, Mahama Ayariga stated, “Based on what I pick from the conversations, then I will organise for us to engage with His Excellency, the President, for some direction as to how to proceed. I know for a fact that the President does not think there is anything wrong with the country having a national cathedral.

“Again, I know that the NDC as a party had issues with the location; is that okay? We had issues with funding sources. We just need to sit, all of us, around the table and build a consensus, and then the President will be able to lead us in the right direction,” he said.

“If we secure a united front as Christians, I believe His Excellency President John Mahama will be able to lead us to wherever we want to go as a church,” he said.

Also, Mahama Ayariga earlier pledged to mobilise funds for the construction of the abandoned National Cathedral if the project receives the backing of the Christian community and President John Dramani Mahama.

According to Mahama Ayariga, the National Cathedral was a good idea, but badly executed.

Appearing before Parliament’s Appointments Committee for his vetting as part of the process leading to his possible approval as Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, he stated, “I believe that Ghanaians are deeply religious even though constitutionally, we are regarded as a secular state. I believe that having cathedrals, church buildings, mosques and other worshipping centres are great and exciting things that enable the practice of religions.

“And so in my opinion, I don’t think there is anything wrong with having a national cathedral for the Christians of the country. And if you are talking about the National Cathedral that Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo initiated when he was president, I don’t see anything wrong with it. I think it was a good idea that was badly executed. I personally had issues with the location.”

“I want to assure this House that if I am approved, I will engage the leadership of the Christian Community and if they want to still have it, I will engage with the President and if it is his wish, I will mobilise funds [for] its construction,” he said.

See the post below:

@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ
@ghnow_ Shatta Wale departs to Kumasi for a show #GHNow #fyp ♬ Body Pains – SHATTA WALE

‘National Cathedral the most significant policy blunder since Ghana’s independence’ – KSM

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‘National Cathedral the most significant policy blunder since Ghana’s independence’ – KSM

Kwaku Sintim-Misa, popularly known as KSM, a Ghanaian satirist and talk show host, has said the National Cathedral project is the most significant policy blunder since Ghana’s independence.

According to KSM, why is Ghana considering returning to the infamous, notorious cathedral? arguing that the cathedral is one of the most senseless ideas that Ghanaians have had.

Kwaku Sintim-Misa stated, “But that statement, dear Honourable Ayariga, that was the dumbest thing to have come out of the mouth of somebody who is coming up as a new minister to take charge”.

“You’re going to go back to this infamous, notorious cathedral. This cathedral, which is one of the most senseless ideas that we Ghanaians have said, we’re going to pawn money, what, $19 million, whatever, into building a cathedral.

“A cathedral which, in our intelligence, decided that we’ll import a stone from Israel… And this, for some people, it is one of the most intelligent decisions ever made. For me, it is one of the dumbest, most painful [decisions],” he said.

KSM highlighted that while a government can make a national policy commitment, the National Cathedral originated from a personal pledge made by former President Nana Akufo-Addo, adding that such a pledge should not have resulted in government resources being used to finance the project.

KSM added, “And then your administration comes to power, and so he had to use the money from the government to build a cathedral. It is wrong. We all know how useless it is. National Cathedral, it is the most significant policy blunder since Ghana’s independence, in my view.

“When you look at our needs versus our demands, there is a poor country. You have to build schools, and you have to build a hospital,” he noted.

The Satirist and talk show host also questioned the role of the Christian Council of Ghana in discussions about reviving the project.

He argued that the Christian community should be more concerned about whether the project and the manner in which it was pursued reflect Christian values.

“If the Christian Council will not be happy with the fact that the cathedral has been shoved to the will of affections, then overview the Christian Council, then I tell you that you Christians, you don’t know the teachings of Christ.

“You don’t know the teachings of Christ. Because if you know and understand the teachings of your Christ that you worship or the God that you worship, this is all unnecessary to the highest point,” he stated.

KSM further argued that a project intended to be a house for God should be pursued with integrity and transparency.

“You know, so to build a house for God, you would think that it has been approached with such a degree of righteousness,” he said.

“So be very correct because we are building a house for God. We better stay in the right lane and do something for God. No! On the contrary, there’s so much looting and so much shady,” he added.

KSM’s comment comes on the heels of Mahama Ayariga, who revealed that President John Dramani Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have no objection to the National Cathedral.

According to Mahama Ayariga, the NDC government wants a consensus on the location and funding of the National Cathedral project.

Mahama Ayariga called on Christian denominations to deliberate on the project and agree on a common position before engaging President Mahama.

The Local Government Minister proposed bringing together leaders of the Catholic Church, Protestant denominations and other Christian organisations for a dispassionate discussion on the National Cathedral.

Speaking when the Christian Council of Ghana paid a courtesy call on him, Mahama Ayariga stated, “Based on what I pick from the conversations, then I will organise for us to engage with His Excellency, the President, for some direction as to how to proceed. I know for a fact that the President does not think there is anything wrong with the country having a national cathedral.

“Again, I know that the NDC as a party had issues with the location; is that okay? We had issues with funding sources. We just need to sit, all of us, around the table and build a consensus, and then the President will be able to lead us in the right direction,” he said.

“If we secure a united front as Christians, I believe His Excellency President John Mahama will be able to lead us to wherever we want to go as a church,” he said.

Watch the video below:

@ghnow_ Shatta Wale departs to Kumasi for a show #GHNow #fyp ♬ Body Pains – SHATTA WALE
@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ

Military officers destroy Changfan machine near Weija dam

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Military officers destroy Changfan machine near Weija dam

Some Military officers have destroyed a Changfan machine being used for dredging activities on the Densu River at Tetegu near Weija dam.

The military actions follow concerns over activities being carried out on the Densu River, with reports suggesting that illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, is taking place in parts of the waterway.

The military’s move to destroy the Changfan machine, however, raises questions over the nature of the activities being carried out on the river and whether the equipment is being used for authorised dredging or illegal mining.

Earlier, Wilfred Ayitey Blankson, the Presiding Member of the Weija Gbawe Municipal Assembly, had dismissed reports that illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, is being carried out on the Densu River at Oblogo near Weija.

According to Wilfred Ayitey Blankson, the activities being conducted on the river are legitimate dredging works aimed at removing silt and reducing the risk of flooding in communities along the waterway.

He highlighted that the ongoing works are intended to mitigate flooding and protect communities located along the Densu River, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall and dam spillage.

Mr Blankson disclosed that the dredging is being undertaken by private entities with the approval of the Assembly.

He stated, “There are private individuals on board helping the Assembly dredge the Densu River. We can all attest to what happened when the dam was spilled and the rains set in; the Municipality went through a lot”.

“To the best of my knowledge, we are partnering with most of the companies within the municipality to do the dredging so that people at SCC, Oblogo, Weija, Pambros will have some relief,” he added.

Reports by UTV Ghana shared footage showing a floating platform constructed from wood planks, plastic barrels, and ropes on the dam water, interspersed with shots of nearby residential areas and the dam’s banks.

The development has since raised serious concerns about the possible threat to the dam and Accra’s water supply, with residents calling on the relevant authorities to urgently investigate how the machine was brought to the area and determine the purpose for which it is being used.

Reports detailed that the Weija Dam supplies around 80% of Accra’s drinking water from the Densu River; the channels close to the dam have raised concerns over potential pollution of one of Ghana’s drinking water sources.

However, a UTV reporter who spoke to some community leaders revealed that they were unaware of how the chanfang machine found its way to the area. They, however, believe the machine may have been brought in to clear sand from the water body.

The Chief of the area also disclosed that the traditional authorities had not been officially informed about any activity taking place near the dam. According to him, all they had observed was the machine gathering sand from the area.

The UTV reporter further disclosed that the community could not, however, confirm whether the activity was linked to illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, stressing that they were unable to determine the exact purpose for which the machine was being used.

@ghnow_ Shatta Wale departs to Kumasi for a show #GHNow #fyp ♬ Body Pains – SHATTA WALE
@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ

GH¢70,000 bribe memo fake – Deputy Minority Whip

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GH¢70,000 bribe memo fake – Deputy Minority Whip

Jerry Ahmed Shaib, the Second Deputy Minority Whip, has refuted reports that Deputy Minority Leader Patricia Appiagyei returned a GH¢70,000 bribe allegedly given to members of Parliament’s Appointments Committee in connection with the vetting of ministerial and Supreme Court nominees.

According to Jerry Ahmed Shaib, there was “no truth whatsoever” in the claims and urged the public to disregard the information circulating.

Speaking to TV3 on Friday, September 4, he disclosed that he had spoken directly with the Deputy Minority Leader.

He disclosed that the Deputy Minority Leader was upset by the reports and did not understand their basis.

Jerry Ahmed Shaib stated, “There is no truth whatsoever in that story. I have spoken particularly to my Deputy Minority Leader who has been very upset with the seeming whatever is going round. She doesn’t even understand it, and she is very upset”.

“She thinks that we should be careful how some of these things are generated,” he added.

“So, I can tell you on authority that I have not dealt with anyone, she has not dealt with anyone, I do not know who is dealing with this and where this is coming from.”

“She had not received any money from anyone, and she does not know where this is coming from with a certain signature of hers.”

Background 

The development follows a purported memo in which Patricia Appiagyei, the Deputy Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Asokwa, returned GH¢70,000 allocated to her in connection with the work of Parliament’s Appointments Committee from the Majority Chief Whip.

According to the Deputy Minority Leader, she cannot accept money whose source she does not know.

Patricia Appiagyei’s memo dated September 2, 2026, and addressed to Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh, with Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin copied, disclosed that she was returning the money primarily because she does not know the source of the money being given to her.

She further explained that she did not want to derive any financial benefit from a process involving the vetting of members of the governing side’s leadership.

The Deputy Minority Leader disclosed that she was uncomfortable receiving any financial benefit linked to the vetting of political colleagues appointed to leadership positions, specifically referring to the vetting of Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga and Environment Minister Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings.

 In a memorandum dated September 2, 2026, Patricia Appiagyei stated, “It is with regret that I return the amount of seventy thousand cedis (GHS70,000.00) allocated to me as an advance of money from the Majority Chief Whip of Parliament of Ghana”.

“I am returning the money on the basis of the fact that, primarily, I do not know the source of the money being given to me,” the Deputy Minority Leader said.

“My first reason is the fact that I do not want to enjoy any financial benefit under any circumstances to vet our own colleagues in leadership from the other side, being either Hon. Mahama Ayariga or Hon. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings,” she wrote.

“Due to the Minority’s protest and non-participation in the vetting of the three Judges… on a matter of principle, I consider it totally unthinkable that I should enjoy any gift presented by any of the above judges,” she stated.

“It is also not my intention to extort any money from any of the above judges,” she added.

“In lieu of the above, and also in support of the Minority Leader’s decision to return his share of the amount sent to him in that respect, I humbly return the amount of seventy thousand cedis (GHS70,000.00) to be sent back to the Chief Whip of the Majority Caucus in Parliament, bringing to his attention my reasons for doing so,” she wrote.

She further concluded her memo by reaffirming her allegiance to the Minority Caucus, stating: “I remain committed to the position of our Caucus.”

@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ
@ghnow_ Hon. Ewurabena Aubynn is empowering constituents of Ablekuma North through poultry farming by distributing birds and supporting sustainable livelihood opportunities. 🐔🇬🇭 #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ

OSP commences probe into alleged GH¢70,000 payment to Patricia Appiagyei

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OSP commences probe into alleged GH¢70,000 payment to Patricia Appiagyei

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has announced that they have commence a preliminary investigation into an alleged GH¢70,000 payment reportedly offered to Deputy Minority Leader and Asokwa Member of Parliament, Patricia Appiagyei.

The OSP disclosed that the investigation follows a purported memorandum circulating in the media, allegedly authored by Mrs Appiagyei and addressed to the Minority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh.

According to the OSP, they had taken note of the document and were investigating its authenticity, the source of the alleged funds and the purpose for which the money was provided.

The OSP highlighted that the suggested document has raised concerns about the source of the funds and whether they bore the hallmarks of extortion of the nominees.

“Given the constitutional importance of the Appointments Committee of Parliament and the need to safeguard the integrity of the vetting process, and taking into consideration the content of the document to the effect that Hon. Patricia Appiagyei purportedly cast doubt on the source of the alleged funds and that it had the hallmarks of extortion of the nominees, the OSP has commenced preliminary investigation into the veracity of the document, the source of the alleged funds, and the purpose of the alleged funds,” the statement said.

They further disclosed that they have dispatched a communication inviting Hon. Patricia Appiagyei to attend the OSP and assist it with the preliminary investigation.

Meanwhile, the Minority Caucus of Parliament has said a purported memo claiming the Deputy Minority Leader had returned a GH¢70,000 gift allegedly given to her in connection with the recent vetting of ministerial and Supreme Court nominees is fake.

According to the information gathered, the Minority Caucus has vehemently denied any knowledge of the purported memo.

The Minority Caucus in parliament stressed that the document was not authentic.

Copies of the said memo are now trending on social media with fake stamps on them.

The development follows a purported memo in which Patricia Appiagyei, the Deputy Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Asokwa, returned GH¢70,000 allocated to her in connection with the work of Parliament’s Appointments Committee from the Majority Chief Whip.

According to the Deputy Minority Leader, she cannot accept money whose source she does not know.

Patricia Appiagyei’s memo dated September 2, 2026, and addressed to Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh, with Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin copied, disclosed that she was returning the money primarily because she does not know the source of the money being given to her.

She further explained that she did not want to derive any financial benefit from a process involving the vetting of members of the governing side’s leadership.

The Deputy Minority Leader disclosed that she was uncomfortable receiving any financial benefit linked to the vetting of political colleagues appointed to leadership positions, specifically referring to the vetting of Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga and Environment Minister Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings.

 In a memorandum dated September 2, 2026, Patricia Appiagyei stated, “It is with regret that I return the amount of seventy thousand cedis (GHS70,000.00) allocated to me as an advance of money from the Majority Chief Whip of Parliament of Ghana”.

“I am returning the money on the basis of the fact that, primarily, I do not know the source of the money being given to me,” the Deputy Minority Leader said.

“My first reason is the fact that I do not want to enjoy any financial benefit under any circumstances to vet our own colleagues in leadership from the other side, being either Hon. Mahama Ayariga or Hon. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings,” she wrote.

“Due to the Minority’s protest and non-participation in the vetting of the three Judges… on a matter of principle, I consider it totally unthinkable that I should enjoy any gift presented by any of the above judges,” she stated.

“It is also not my intention to extort any money from any of the above judges,” she added.

“In lieu of the above, and also in support of the Minority Leader’s decision to return his share of the amount sent to him in that respect, I humbly return the amount of seventy thousand cedis (GHS70,000.00) to be sent back to the Chief Whip of the Majority Caucus in Parliament, bringing to his attention my reasons for doing so,” she wrote.

She further concluded her memo by reaffirming her allegiance to the Minority Caucus, stating: “I remain committed to the position of our Caucus.”

Some netizens reacting to the development stated, “From the halls and corridors of the very law that should govern us. The stench of corruption smells so strong. All hope in this country we call our motherland is lost”.

A netizen added, “The country is rotten from the top. All the 3 arms of govt are corrupt. Even the Public Accounts Committee that sits on audit findings take money from every institution summoned to appear before them”.

One X user added, “Something similar happened under the previous administration. Ayariga made a similar allegation, everyone denied it, and the matter eventually died. This one will likely follow the same path”.

“That institution eh, no wonder the quality of work coming out of that institution is nothing to write home about. The day things will be right in that house, the citizenry will live comfortably. Shameless group of people,” an X user added.

See the post below:

@ghnow_ Shatta Wale departs to Kumasi for a show #GHNow #fyp ♬ Body Pains – SHATTA WALE
@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ

“That was the dumbest thing to have come out of your mouth” – KSM slams Ayariga’s Cathedral comment

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“That was the dumbest thing to have come out of your mouth” – KSM slams Ayariga’s Cathedral comment

Kwaku Sintim-Misa, popularly known as KSM, a Ghanaian satirist and talk show host, has slammed the Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, over his comment on the possible revival of the National Cathedral project.

KSM, speaking on his show, criticised the Minister’s position on the National Cathedral, describing it as one of the dumbest things to have come out of his mouth.

According to KSM, why is Ghana considering returning to the infamous, notorious cathedral? arguing that the cathedral is one of the most senseless ideas that Ghanaians have had.

Kwaku Sintim-Misa stated, “But that statement, dear Honourable Ayariga, that was the dumbest thing to have come out of the mouth of somebody who is coming up as a new minister to take charge”.

“You’re going to go back to this infamous, notorious cathedral. This cathedral, which is one of the most senseless ideas that we Ghanaians have said, we’re going to pawn money, what, $19 million, whatever, into building a cathedral.

“A cathedral which, in our intelligence, decided that we’ll import a stone from Israel… And this, for some people, it is one of the most intelligent decisions ever made. For me, it is one of the dumbest, most painful [decisions],” he said.

KSM highlighted that while a government can make a national policy commitment, the National Cathedral originated from a personal pledge made by former President Nana Akufo-Addo, adding that such a pledge should not have resulted in government resources being used to finance the project.

KSM added, “And then your administration comes to power, and so he had to use the money from the government to build a cathedral. It is wrong. We all know how useless it is. National Cathedral, it is the most significant policy blunder since Ghana’s independence, in my view.

“When you look at our needs versus our demands, there is a poor country. You have to build schools, and you have to build a hospital,” he noted.

The Satirist and talk show host also questioned the role of the Christian Council of Ghana in discussions about reviving the project.

He argued that the Christian community should be more concerned about whether the project and the manner in which it was pursued reflect Christian values.

“If the Christian Council will not be happy with the fact that the cathedral has been shoved to the will of affections, then overview the Christian Council, then I tell you that you Christians, you don’t know the teachings of Christ.

“You don’t know the teachings of Christ. Because if you know and understand the teachings of your Christ that you worship or the God that you worship, this is all unnecessary to the highest point,” he stated.

KSM further argued that a project intended to be a house for God should be pursued with integrity and transparency.

“You know, so to build a house for God, you would think that it has been approached with such a degree of righteousness,” he said.

“So be very correct because we are building a house for God. We better stay in the right lane and do something for God. No! On the contrary, there’s so much looting and so much shady,” he added.

KSM’s comment comes on the heels of Mahama Ayariga, who revealed that President John Dramani Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have no objection to the National Cathedral.

According to Mahama Ayariga, the NDC government wants a consensus on the location and funding of the National Cathedral project.

Mahama Ayariga called on Christian denominations to deliberate on the project and agree on a common position before engaging President Mahama.

The Local Government Minister proposed bringing together leaders of the Catholic Church, Protestant denominations and other Christian organisations for a dispassionate discussion on the National Cathedral.

Speaking when the Christian Council of Ghana paid a courtesy call on him, Mahama Ayariga stated, “Based on what I pick from the conversations, then I will organise for us to engage with His Excellency, the President, for some direction as to how to proceed. I know for a fact that the President does not think there is anything wrong with the country having a national cathedral.

“Again, I know that the NDC as a party had issues with the location; is that okay? We had issues with funding sources. We just need to sit, all of us, around the table and build a consensus, and then the President will be able to lead us in the right direction,” he said.

“If we secure a united front as Christians, I believe His Excellency President John Mahama will be able to lead us to wherever we want to go as a church,” he said.

Watch the video below:

@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ
@ghnow_ Shatta Wale departs to Kumasi for a show #GHNow #fyp ♬ Body Pains – SHATTA WALE

Why nearly 55,000 BECE candidates missed out on SHS placement

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Why nearly 55,000 BECE candidates missed out on SHS placement

Kofi Asare, the Executive Director of the Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch), has explained why the number of Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates who failed to meet requirements for SHS placement has skyrocketed, rising from 13,019 in 2025 to 54,995 in 2026.

According to Kofi Asare, between 2022 and 2025, the number averaged about 11,000 candidates a year, or roughly 1.9% of candidates.

His post highlighted the dramatic rise in BECE candidates failing to qualify for senior high school placement, surging from 13,019 (2.2%) in 2025 to 54,985 (8.9%) in 2026, as shown in an accompanying Eduwatch chart based on Ministry of Education data.

Kofi Asare attributed the increased number of BECE students failing to qualify for SHS placement to stricter enforcement of the policy disqualifying students who score a grade 9 in English, Mathematics, or Science, unlike the more flexible application in 2022-2025 when non-qualifiers averaged around 1.9%.

The EduWatch Executive Director noted that roughly 4% of candidates statistically fail these core subjects like Math, English and Science at BECE.

In a post on X, Kofi Asare wrote, “The proportion of BECE candidates who did not qualify for school placement has risen sharply, from 13,019 in 2025 to 54,995 in 2026.

Between 2022 and 2025, the number averaged about 11,000 candidates a year, or roughly 1.9% of candidates.

In 2026, however, the 54,995 candidates represent 8.9% of the cohort, an increase of about 7 percentage points from the 2.2% recorded in 2025.

The sharp rise suggests that the Ministry of Education may be applying the “9 in English, Mathematics or Science means no placement” rule more strictly than in previous years, when the rule appears to have been applied more flexibly.

NB: Statistically,4% will always fail Math, English and Science at BECE.

The monkey and the baboon may live together, but they do not share the same tail.-Larteh Proverb!”

The development follows, the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) Secretariat Coordinator, Sherif Sulemana, has disclosed that 55,000 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE)candidates fail to meet requirements for placement

He detailed that out of the nearly 620,000 who sat for the BECE exams, about 565,000 candidates have qualified for placement into Senior High Schools.

He explained that candidates who fail in either English or Mathematics are disqualified, even if they perform well in other subjects.

Speaking on JoyFM’s Super Morning Show on Thursday, September 3, Mr Sherif stated, “Based on our analysis, we have about 565,000 qualified for placement this year”.

“Those people have not failed in either English or Mathematics. So, you are disqualified from placement if you have failed in either English or Mathematics,” Mr Sherif explained.

He disclosed that the examination results also revealed varying levels of performance among candidates.

“You find out somebody got one, somebody got ten over 100, somebody got, say, twelve, twenty over 100, and that qualifies as a failure,” he said.

Mr Sherif further disclosed that approximately 55,000 candidates did not meet the requirements for placement.

When asked about the number of candidates who did not qualify for placement, he stated, “There are about 55,000”.

“If you look at the data for the performance of the candidates, we only had about 17 per cent of the candidates getting aggregates from 6 to 18,” he said.

“We only had about 252,000, or about 35 per cent of the candidates, getting from aggregate 6 to 24,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Education Service (GES) has released the National Harmonised Prospectus for prospective Senior High School (SHS) and Senior High Technical School (SHTS) students for the 2026/2027 academic year.

The National Harmonised Prospectus is intended to guide parents and students on the essential items required for enrolment.

According to the GES, parents and students preparing for the next stage of their education must carefully review the prospectus and make the necessary preparations ahead of the new academic year.

The GES also urged schools and relevant stakeholders to adhere to the requirements outlined in the prospectus to ensure a smooth, consistent and standardised admission process nationwide.

In a statement signed by Daniel Fenyi, Head of Public Relations at GES read, “Ahead of the release of the school placements, this prospectus is intended to provide parents and students with clear guidance on the essential items required for enrolment, ensuring that all newly admitted SHS students are adequately prepared to begin the academic year”.

“Parents and students are encouraged to carefully review the prospectus and make the necessary preparations ahead of the commencement of the 2026/2027 academic year”.

“Schools and other relevant stakeholders are also expected to adhere to the requirements outlined in the National Harmonised Prospectus to ensure a smooth, consistent and standardised admission process nationwide,” the statement added.

See the post below:

@ghnow_ Shatta Wale departs to Kumasi for a show #GHNow #fyp ♬ Body Pains – SHATTA WALE
@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ

Weija Gbawe Assembly denies report of galamsey near Weija dam, says ongoing works are dredging

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Weija Gbawe Assembly denies report of galamsey near Weija dam, says ongoing works are dredging

Wilfred Ayitey Blankson, the Presiding Member of the Weija Gbawe Municipal Assembly, has dismissed reports that illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, is being carried out on the Densu River at Oblogo near Weija.

According to Wilfred Ayitey Blankson, the activities being conducted on the river are legitimate dredging works aimed at removing silt and reducing the risk of flooding in communities along the waterway.

He highlighted that the ongoing works are intended to mitigate flooding and protect communities located along the Densu River, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall and dam spillage.

Mr Blankson disclosed that the dredging is being undertaken by private entities with the approval of the Assembly.

He stated, “There are private individuals on board helping the Assembly dredge the Densu River. We can all attest to what happened when the dam was spilled and the rains set in; the Municipality went through a lot”.

“To the best of my knowledge, we are partnering with most of the companies within the municipality to do the dredging so that people at SCC, Oblogo, Weija, Pambros will have some relief,” he added.

Earlier reports by UTV Ghana shared a  footage showed a floating platform constructed from wood planks, plastic barrels, and ropes on the dam water, interspersed with shots of nearby residential areas and the dam’s banks.

The development has since raised serious concerns about the possible threat to the dam and Accra’s water supply, with residents calling on the relevant authorities to urgently investigate how the machine was brought to the area and determine the purpose for which it is being used.

Reports detailed that the Weija Dam supplies around 80% of Accra’s drinking water from the Densu River; the channels close to the dam have raised concerns over potential pollution of one of Ghana’s drinking water sources.

However, a UTV reporter who spoke to some community leaders revealed that they were unaware of how the chanfang machine found its way to the area. They, however, believe the machine may have been brought in to clear sand from the water body.

The Chief of the area also disclosed that the traditional authorities had not been officially informed about any activity taking place near the dam. According to him, all they had observed was the machine gathering sand from the area.

The UTV reporter further disclosed that the community could not, however, confirm whether the activity was linked to illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, stressing that they were unable to determine the exact purpose for which the machine was being used.

In related news, some months ago, the spillage from the Weija Dam left over a hundred homes submerged.

According to reports, Schools and businesses in communities including Tetegu, Oblogo, and parts of Weija have been shut down as floodwaters inundated homes and submerged roads; some areas are now only accessible by canoe.

Residents of Weija have revealed that the floodwaters have risen to window level in some homes, with families having to relocate belongings to higher ground or seek temporary shelter elsewhere.

According to one resident, his television and other belongings had been destroyed by the floodwaters, revealing that he was unable to salvage any of his livestock.

Another affected resident also revealed that his household appliances had been damaged, calling for the need for urgent desilting of choked gutters.

Residents further expressed concern that no officials had visited the area to assess the damage, and they are appealing to government authorities and disaster management agencies to provide immediate relief support and also implement long-term measures to prevent other occurrences.

@ghnow_ Shatta Wale departs to Kumasi for a show #GHNow #fyp ♬ Body Pains – SHATTA WALE
@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ

Since when did John Mahama become scary? – John Boadu quizzes 

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Since when did John Mahama become scary? – John Boadu quizzes 

John Boadu, an aspiring National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has said talks of President John Dramani Mahama running for a third term have become funny to him.

According to John Boadu, since when did John Mahama become scary when it comes to elections?

He boldly stressed that the NPP had defeated President Mahama in previous elections and, therefore, had no reason to fear his possible bid for another term.

John Boadu recounted that the 2012 presidential election, which was won by then-President Mahama, was challenged in court before the results were upheld, adding that the NPP subsequently defeated him by more than one million votes in 2016 and over 500,000 votes in 2020.

Speaking in an interview on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo on September 1, 2026, John Boadu stated, “When they brag about John Mahama going for a third term, it becomes funny for me because since when did John Mahama become scary when it comes to elections?

 We contested him in 2012, and it went to court before he was declared. In 2016, we beat him by over one million votes, and in 2020, we beat him by over 500,000. So, if he has won in 2024 and become president, what makes him scary? If he likes, he should come for a fourth term,” he said.

The NPP man further stressed that the NPP must win the 2028 elections, detailing that the NPP could face a more difficult task in 2032 if it fails to win the 2028 elections.

He explained that a defeat for the NPP in 2028 could allow the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) to present a new presidential candidate in 2032.

“It is a must for us to win the 2028 elections because if we don’t win, the NDC would get a new presidential candidate, which will make it very difficult for us to win the 2032 elections because they would have a sitting president,” John Boadu warned.

Meanwhile, Concerned Ghanaian Citizens have called on President John Dramani Mahama to consider leading the country beyond 2028.

According to the group, they are not speaking on behalf of any political party but for what it described as millions of ordinary Ghanaians calling for continuity.

They argued that the government’s Reset Agenda had recorded progress in the areas of economic management, taxation, governance, job creation, social protection, infrastructure and environmental protection.

They further credited the government for helping to stabilise inflation and strengthen the Ghana cedi, while also restoring business confidence and advancing Ghana’s debt restructuring efforts.

The Concerned Ghanaian Citizens praised the government for abolishing taxes including the Electronic Levy, Betting Tax and Emissions Levy, labelling the measures as relief for businesses, young people and mobile money users.

The group argued that the gains being recorded under the Reset Agenda required continuity beyond Ghana’s constitutionally permitted two terms.

Speaking at a press conference held at Asamankese in the Eastern Region on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, the Concerned Ghanaian Citizens stated, “We have gathered here today not on behalf of any political party, but on behalf of millions of ordinary Ghanaian citizens who are crying for continuity”.

“We are here to make a humble and passionate appeal to His Excellency, President John Dramani Mahama, to listen to the voice of the people and consider leading Ghana beyond 2028.”

They further added, “Ghanaians are saying two terms are not enough to finish the resetting. The foundation has been laid in 2025. The architecture must be completed.”

“The market woman, the okada rider, the young coder and the farmer – they are all asking for continuity.”

Watch the video below:

@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ
@ghnow_ Shatta Wale departs to Kumasi for a show #GHNow #fyp ♬ Body Pains – SHATTA WALE

Memo claiming Deputy Minority leader returned GH¢70k vetting bribe fake – Minority Caucus

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Memo claiming Deputy Minority leader returned GH¢70k vetting bribe fake – Minority Caucus

The Minority Caucus of Parliament has said a purported memo claiming Deputy Minority Leader, Patricia Appiagyei, had returned a GH¢70,000 gift allegedly given to her in connection with the recent vetting of ministerial and Supreme Court nominees is fake.

According to the information gathered, the Minority Caucus has vehemently denied any knowledge of the purported memo.

The Minority Caucus in parliament stressed that the document was not authentic.

Copies of the said memo are now trending on social media with fake stamps on them.

The development follows a purported memo in which Patricia Appiagyei, the Deputy Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Asokwa, returned GH¢70,000 allocated to her in connection with the work of Parliament’s Appointments Committee from the Majority Chief Whip.

According to the Deputy Minority Leader, she cannot accept money whose source she does not know.

Patricia Appiagyei’s memo dated September 2, 2026, and addressed to Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh, with Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin copied, disclosed that she was returning the money primarily because she does not know the source of the money being given to her.

She further explained that she did not want to derive any financial benefit from a process involving the vetting of members of the governing side’s leadership.

The Deputy Minority Leader disclosed that she was uncomfortable receiving any financial benefit linked to the vetting of political colleagues appointed to leadership positions, specifically referring to the vetting of Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga and Environment Minister Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings.

 In a memorandum dated September 2, 2026, Patricia Appiagyei stated, “It is with regret that I return the amount of seventy thousand cedis (GHS70,000.00) allocated to me as an advance of money from the Majority Chief Whip of Parliament of Ghana”.

“I am returning the money on the basis of the fact that, primarily, I do not know the source of the money being given to me,” the Deputy Minority Leader said.

“My first reason is the fact that I do not want to enjoy any financial benefit under any circumstances to vet our own colleagues in leadership from the other side, being either Hon. Mahama Ayariga or Hon. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings,” she wrote.

“Due to the Minority’s protest and non-participation in the vetting of the three Judges… on a matter of principle, I consider it totally unthinkable that I should enjoy any gift presented by any of the above judges,” she stated.

“It is also not my intention to extort any money from any of the above judges,” she added.

“In lieu of the above, and also in support of the Minority Leader’s decision to return his share of the amount sent to him in that respect, I humbly return the amount of seventy thousand cedis (GHS70,000.00) to be sent back to the Chief Whip of the Majority Caucus in Parliament, bringing to his attention my reasons for doing so,” she wrote.

She further concluded her memo by reaffirming her allegiance to the Minority Caucus, stating: “I remain committed to the position of our Caucus.”

Some netizens reacting to the development stated, “From the halls and corridors of the very law that should govern us. The stench of corruption smells so strong. All hope in this country we call our motherland is lost”.

A netizen added, “The country is rotten from the top. All the 3 arms of govt are corrupt. Even the Public Accounts Committee that sits on audit findings take money from every institution summoned to appear before them”.

One X user added, “Something similar happened under the previous administration. Ayariga made a similar allegation, everyone denied it, and the matter eventually died. This one will likely follow the same path”.

“That institution eh, no wonder the quality of work coming out of that institution is nothing to write home about. The day things will be right in that house, the citizenry will live comfortably. Shameless group of people,” an X user added.

Meanwhile, back in January 2017, Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, alleged that each member of the Appointments Committee of Parliament (ACP) was given a GH¢3,000 bribe.

He revealed that the bribe was paid by the then Minister-designate for Energy, Boakye Agyarko, to facilitate his vetting.

The Bawku Central MP, in a radio interview in 2017, alleged that Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak had given GH¢3,000 to each minority member on the ACP.

According to Mahama Ayariga, Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak told him that it was Joseph Osei-Owusu who had given the money to him, with the explanation that it was from Agyarko.

He revealed that, together with his fellow Minority MPs, he returned the money because they had initially thought it was a sitting allowance.

However, Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak denied the allegation, and a five-member committee was later instituted to investigate the matter.

See the purported memo below:

@ghnow_ Shatta Wale departs to Kumasi for a show #GHNow #fyp ♬ Body Pains – SHATTA WALE
@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ

7 illegal miners killed in galamsey pit collapse

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7 illegal miners killed in galamsey pit collapse

Seven illegal miners commonly known as galamseyers have been killed in a mining pit collapse.

Reports detailed that the seven bodies have been recovered from a collapsed mining pit at Manso Kaneago in the Amansie South Municipality of the Ashanti Region,

According to the reports, eight illegal miners were trapped while searching for gold deposits.

The incident occurred on Thursday around 10 pm when the mining pit collapsed while the miners were working at the site.

National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) officials, together with the District Security Council (DISEC) and the Police, are making desperate efforts to retrieve the remaining body still trapped underground.

According to officers, about 12 miners were operating at the site when the incident occurred.

Officials disclosed that four of them managed to escape, while the remaining eight were trapped underground.

Reports revealed that Officials from NADMO, the Police and the District Security Council are expected to return to the site to continue the search and recovery operation for the remaining victim.

Meanwhile, the dead bodies have been deposited at the morgue.

In related galamsey news, Paa Kwesi Schandorf, the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, has cautioned against treating a state of emergency as a “magic wand” for tackling illegal mining (galamsey).

According to Paa Kwesi Schandorf, the declaration of a State of emergency on galamsey could impose restrictions on mining activities.

He argued that the declaration will not itself address the underlying causes of illegal mining, adding that it could halt mining activities and impose stringent restrictions.

Paa Kwesi Schandorf highlighted that the practical implications and potential benefits of declaring a state of emergency must first be clearly evaluated.

Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Point of View, Paa Kwesi Schandorf stated, “We should be careful not to consistently indicate or project a state of emergency as a certain magic wand, if once implemented, would automatically transform our fortunes”.

He further argued that some restrictions and security measures associated with the declaration of a State of emergency are already being implemented by NAIMOS.

“I’m not equating the state of emergency to NAIMOS intervention. I’m just saying that we should be careful not to consistently project that as that magic wand that will transform our fortunes,” he said.

Paa Kwesi Schandorf further stressed that President John Dramani Mahama has maintained that any decision to declare a state of emergency would be guided by security assessments.

The Lands Ministry spokesperson maintained that there is no immediate need for a state of emergency.

@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ
@ghnow_ Shatta Wale departs to Kumasi for a show #GHNow #fyp ♬ Body Pains – SHATTA WALE

‘Window dressing’ as Lands Minister says he’s “turned the corner” in galamsey fight

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‘Window dressing’ as Lands Minister says he’s “turned the corner” in galamsey fight

The Mahama government’s fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, has once again come under scrutiny after the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, declared that the country has “turned the corner” in tackling the menace.

The Land Minister’s optimistic assessment has therefore reignited questions about whether the fight against galamsey is genuinely making progress or whether the government is simply projecting an image of success.

According to the Lands Minister, the Ankobra River has been cleared of thousands of Changfan machines and illegal mining (galamsey) operators following a year of sustained patrols.

Speaking on Thursday, September 3, 2026, after joining NAIMOS and Navy Special Forces on a 16-kilometre patrol of the Ankobra River from Dominase to Gwira Banso in the Western Region, the Lands Minister claimed that the government’s fight against galamsey is clearly yielding results.

Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, during the tour, stated, “I have been informed that we are close to 3000 machines that have been cleared not only on the Ankobra, Birim and other rivers. Over 237 arrests, with 144 of them being foreign nationals.

This clearly shows that we are turning the corner; we are using more intelligent lead operations. We are being intentional about these operations, and the results are showing. We have shifted from the periodic raids and moved into permanent deployment, which is showing these results”.

He further added, “If you have followed this difficult work in the last close to 2 years, you will not be sitting on any TV in Accra talking that we are not making progress with the fight against illegal mining.

You have to come to the Ankobra and look at what the Ankobra looked like last year, and today it is clear.  We have not gotten to the point where we want to see the river blue, but we have made great progress changfans machines and the thugs”.

While the government insists that recent interventions are beginning to yield results, many critics argue that the claims amount to little more than “window dressing” in the face of continued destruction of Ghana’s forests and water bodies.

One of those critics is Ken Ashigbey, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, who has warned that Ghana is getting to a point of no return in the menace of illegal mining, locally called galamsey.

According to Ken Ashigbey, there is a growing boldness of illegal miners and attacks on security personnel that point to a worsening galamsey crisis.

He disclosed that there is evidence that shows that galamsey has spread to some areas in Ghana where it was previously absent about two years ago.

Ken Ashigbey argued that Ghana’s best bet at stopping galamsey is under President John Dramani Mahama but warned that the President would become a lame duck soon, as he would no longer be contesting for office.

Speaking in an interview on ChannelOne TV on August 31, 2026, Ken Ashigbey stated, “There are places where we’re seeing galamsey happen today that were not happening in 2024. The level of impudence that we’re seeing today, we’re not seeing it in 2024. One of the elements that we’ve all considered is the issue of forests, the fact that there’s some good work that has been done.

“But if you look at where we are going now, where now the people are becoming so bold that they can attack eight military men with a colonel, they get police people, and they are able to confiscate (their weapons),” he fumed.

He added, “So we are getting to a point of no return, and unfortunately for us, unfortunately, we have a president who does not have another tenure, so our best bet is this current president. Unfortunately, he does not have another two years to deal with it because very soon he will become a lame duck.”

Ken Ashigbey stressed that there is a need for a strong will to ensure that all persons implicated in cases of illegal mining, including politicians and traditional authorities, are dealt with by the laws of the country.

“We need to also deal with the issues that are currently confronting us. So I will not depart from holding the MCEs, DCEs, the chiefs, the police commanders in these communities (accountable),” he said.

Watch the video below:

@ghnow_ Shatta Wale departs to Kumasi for a show #GHNow #fyp ♬ Body Pains – SHATTA WALE
@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ

“NDC do not need you to comment for us” – Chief Justice told

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“NDC do not need you to comment for us” – Chief Justice told

Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Gbande, has said the party do not need Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie to comment for them.

Mustapha Gbande explained that the NDC has its own structures and officials responsible for communicating the government’s policies and achievements and therefore has no reason to rely on the Chief Justice to advance its political interests.

He further highlighted that the Chief Justice is not NDC, adding that he doesn’t know him to be NDC.

Gbande, however, maintained that holding the highest judicial office does not strip Justice Baffoe-Bonnie of his identity as a Ghanaian citizen or prevent him from sharing views based on his personal experiences.

Speaking on Joy FM on September 3, 2026, Mustapha Gbande stated, “The Chief Justice is not NDC. I don’t know him. I don’t know him to be NDC. The NDC does not need a Chief Justice to comment for us”.

“Every citizen must also speak on their own experience as far as governance is concerned. And the Chief Justice is a citizen of Ghana,” he stated.

Mustapha Gbande further dismissed the suggestion that the Chief Justice’s commentaries amounted to misconduct serious enough to warrant his resignation.

“I don’t think the Chief Justice should resign. I don’t know him. I don’t know his opinion. I don’t think that this is a comment that calls for anybody’s resignation,” he stressed.

“For me, I don’t find anything wrong with the comment of the Chief Justice. And I don’t think that it is strange,” he added.

Meanwhile, angry Ghanaians on social media have descended heavily on the Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie over his recent remarks.

According to netizens, the Chief Justice’s comments amount to an endorsement of the current government while serving as a rebuke of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.

Others also wonder whether he had begun campaigning for the NDC, suggesting that his remarks blurred the line between judicial independence and partisan politics.

One user wrote: “Your office is not a campaign platform. You are not an NDC spokesperson. You are the head of an independent judiciary that is supposed to stand above the political fray. When you start scoring the previous administration while touring state institutions under the current one, you erode the very confidence you claim to protect. Smh.”

“The arm of government that is supposed to ‘check and balance’ the executive arm is rather bootlicking the executive arm. The CJ has tarnished the image of that office. In a serious country, he will resign and go home,” another user wrote.

“I think this dude is an NDC man through and through,” another X user claimed.

One other user questioned: “And they wanted Ken Ofori Atta to come and face ‘justice’. Whoever advised him not to come should be paid quadruple. Any future govt should strip off his retirement benefits. Backstabber.”

A netizen added, “Ghanaians did not appoint you to grade governments. They expect you to deliver justice without fear or favour, not to validate one side’s narrative. If state organisations are performing better now, say so without the political dig. If you must reflect on the past, do it without sounding like a party activist.

This kind of language from the Chief Justice damages the judiciary more than any criticism from outside ever could. Stay in your lane. A very sad day for Mother Ghana… a whole CJ….,” one other user noted.

@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ
@ghnow_ Shatta Wale departs to Kumasi for a show #GHNow #fyp ♬ Body Pains – SHATTA WALE

‘Not a single pesewa will be borrowed for Accra-Kumasi Expressway’ – Ato Forson

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‘Not a single pesewa will be borrowed for Accra-Kumasi Expressway’ – Ato Forson

Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, the Finance Minister, has revealed that the full funding required for the construction of the Accra-Kumasi Expressway will be secured by the end of this year.

According to Ato Forson, the funding required for the construction of the Accra-Kumasi Expressway will be secured without borrowing from other entities.

In a post on his X page on Friday, September 4, 2026, Ato Forson disclosed that the funding arrangement could mark the first time Ghana has fully secured financing for an infrastructure project of this scale before construction begins.

The finance minister wrote, “Hearty congratulations to our indefatigable army on a stellar job.

By the end of this year, the full funding for the transformational Accra-Kumasi Expressway will be ready.

This could be the first time funds for a project of this scale have been fully secured before construction begins.

For the avoidance of doubt, not a single pesewa will be borrowed for this project!”.

His comment follows the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) sharing a video update on their near-completion of clearing the 176km Accra-Kumasi Expressway, with just 6km remaining to reach Sawua.

The video highlighted disciplined day-and-night operations using bulldozers and heavy equipment to clear the 176km Accra-Kumasi Expressway.

GAF’s video documents engineering progress, planning sessions, and community engagement.

The video shared by the Ghana Armed. Forces was captioned, THE RACE TO SAWUA

The finish line is in sight. Out of 176 kilometres of challenging terrain, just 6 km remain!

The elite Ghana Armed Forces Engineers have pushed through with absolute grit.

Watch the incredible journey of military discipline, precision, and unwavering service to the nation. The Race to Sawua is almost won!”

The video has drawn praise from Ghanaians who recommend assigning more road projects to the military for timely, high-quality results.

It will be recalled that during the 2025 budget presentation, Ato Forson disclosed that the Accra-Kumasi Expressway is the flagship of President Mohammed’s Big Push infrastructure program.

According to the Finance Minister, the project will include eight interchanges, three major bridges, round-the-clock service areas, and automated tolls, aiming to boost connectivity between Accra and Kumasi.

He disclosed that it will be “Ghana’s first fully modern six-lane bi-directional Class A expressway, a highway worthy of a nation on the rise. Stretching 198.7 kilometres, this expressway will become the central spine of Ghana’s economy, linking our capital city, Accra and Kumasi, the heartbeat of the Ashanti Region and also cutting through the Greater Accra and Eastern Regions, creating a powerful southern-northern economic corridor that connects people, markets, and opportunities. To achieve this, the expressway follows a brand new alignment.”

See the post below:

@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ
@ghnow_ Hon. Ewurabena Aubynn is empowering constituents of Ablekuma North through poultry farming by distributing birds and supporting sustainable livelihood opportunities. 🐔🇬🇭 #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ

“Let there be peace” – Afenyo-Markin, A-Plus call for calm after Gomoa-Effutu clashes

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“Let there be peace” – Afenyo-Markin, A-Plus call for calm after Gomoa-Effutu clashes

The Member of Parliament for the Effutu Constituency and Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, and the Gomoa Central MP, Kwame Asare Obeng, popularly known as A-Plus, have called on their constituents to remain calm and allow peace to prevail following violent clashes between residents of Gomoa Oguaakrom and New Winneba over a land dispute.

In a viral video shared on X, the two MPs were captured in a video calling on their respective constituent to allow peace to prevail following violent clashes.

Afenyo-Markin, speaking in the video, expressed concern over the tensions and assured residents that steps were being taken to restore peace.

He stated, “Fellow residents of Gomoa and Effutu, we have all heard about the recent clashes between our communities. My colleague and I wish to assure you, as Members of Parliament, that we are deeply concerned and committed to restoring peace.”

“…We urge everyone to remain calm. On Saturday, we will visit the affected communities to engage with you directly and understand the root of the problem. We must not allow such incidents to happen again,” Afenyo-Markin stated.

On the other hand, A Plus assured residents that measures had already been taken to restore calm.

The Gomoa Central MP warned that those responsible for terrorising residents would be dealt with decisively.

A-Plus stated, “Measures have already been put in place to restore calm between Gomoa and Effutu, and we will deal decisively with any group of individuals terrorising others in the area. I am fully committed to this effort, and together, we will ensure peace prevails. Let there be peace among us”.

Meanwhile, A Plus had earlier alleged that one of the Minority Leader and Effutu Member of Parliament Alexander Afenyo-Markin’s boys shot and killed one of the three people who died in the Gomoa-New Winneba clash.

Speaking on CITI eyewitness news, Kwame A Plus alleged, saying, “One of Afenyo-Markin’s boys shot and killed one boy who was about 1km away from where the issue was happening. He knows him; call him and ask him if I am lying.

I will send you a picture of him; everywhere he goes, he follows him. Me, my boys when they misbehave, I sack them. He is the minority leader; he cannot be harbouring these boys around him. If nobody can advise Afenyo-Markin, he is my childhood friend; I will tell him in his face”.

You can not keep these people around you as the minority leader and expect me to make peace and be laughing; it is not going to happen. The three people who were killed are all Gomoa people. One of his boys shot and killed Abeiku”.

He further alleged that police officers killed two people and injured 19 during the violent clash between residents of Gomoa Oguaakrom and New Winneba in the Central Region.

According to A-Plus, the police arrived at the scene with live ammunition and opened fire on residents.

Kwame A-Plus further alleged that one of the victims was shot dead about two kilometres from the main scene of the confrontation.

He added, “The police came there, shot and injured 19 people, and killed two. Where did the police come from? They got a call from somewhere, and I suspect that it was a higher authority. They were given express orders. They were killed by police”.

“One person even died about two kilometres away. These guys moved a motorbike, went there, saw the guy. Many people were standing there. He saw him; he called him; he said, ‘Don’t come close to me.’ When the guy moved, he just shot him in public. Shot and killed him there, point-blank. He has not been arrested,” he alleged.

He further added, “The police stated that the Gomoa people came with guns. Where is the evidence? Where is the evidence? Do you have any evidence to support that claim that Gomoa people came with guns to attack anybody?” he asked.

“When people went to police headquarters to attack and beat, physically attack a suspect at the police headquarters, what did the police do? The police couldn’t do anything,” he alleged.

“If somebody can go to the police headquarters, attack a suspect, beat him in the presence of police at the police headquarters, and the next day, the only thing they did was peace,” he said.

Watch the video below:

@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ
@ghnow_ Hon. Ewurabena Aubynn is empowering constituents of Ablekuma North through poultry farming by distributing birds and supporting sustainable livelihood opportunities. 🐔🇬🇭 #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ

SHAME! 2017 Appointments Committee bribery scandal haunts Mahama gov’t after NPP MP returns GH¢70k bribe

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SHAME! 2017 Appointments Committee bribery scandal haunts Mahama gov’t after NPP MP returns GH¢70k bribe

The controversy surrounding an alleged GH¢70,000 payment linked to members of Parliament’s Appointments Committee has revived memories of one of Ghana’s most controversial parliamentary bribery scandals.

In 2017, nearly a decade after Samuel Okudzeto, Alhassan Suhuyini, and Mahama Ayariga alleged that some GH¢3,000 bribes were paid to them after the vetting of Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko to help facilitate his approval.

The Bawku Central MP, in a radio interview in 2017, alleged that Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak had given GH¢3,000 to each minority member on the Appointments Committee.

According to Mahama Ayariga, Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak told him that it was Joseph Osei-Owusu who had given the money to him, with the explanation that it was from Agyarko.

He revealed that, together with his fellow Minority MPs, he returned the money because they had initially thought it was a sitting allowance.

However, Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak denied the allegation, and a five-member committee was later instituted to investigate the matter.

Today, Patricia Appiagyei, the Deputy Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Asokwa, decision to return GH¢70,000 bribe allocated to her in connection with the work of Parliament’s Appointments Committee from the Majority Chief Whip has once again placed questions about money, political influence and parliamentary vetting, raising fresh questions about the influence of money in Ghana’s parliamentary approval process.

According to the Deputy Minority Leader, she cannot accept money whose source she does not know.

Patricia Appiagyei’s memo dated September 2, 2026, and addressed to Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh, with Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin copied, disclosed that she was returning the money primarily because she does not know the source of the money being given to her.

She further explained that she did not want to derive any financial benefit from a process involving the vetting of members of the governing side’s leadership.

The Deputy Minority Leader disclosed that she was uncomfortable receiving any financial benefit linked to the vetting of political colleagues appointed to leadership positions, specifically referring to the vetting of Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga and Environment Minister Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings.

 In a memorandum dated September 2, 2026, Patricia Appiagyei stated, “It is with regret that I return the amount of seventy thousand cedis (GHS70,000.00) allocated to me as an advance of money from the Majority Chief Whip of Parliament of Ghana”.

“I am returning the money on the basis of the fact that, primarily, I do not know the source of the money being given to me,” the Deputy Minority Leader said.

“My first reason is the fact that I do not want to enjoy any financial benefit under any circumstances to vet our own colleagues in leadership from the other side, being either Hon. Mahama Ayariga or Hon. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings,” she wrote.

“Due to the Minority’s protest and non-participation in the vetting of the three Judges… on a matter of principle, I consider it totally unthinkable that I should enjoy any gift presented by any of the above judges,” she stated.

“It is also not my intention to extort any money from any of the above judges,” she added.

“In lieu of the above, and also in support of the Minority Leader’s decision to return his share of the amount sent to him in that respect, I humbly return the amount of seventy thousand cedis (GHS70,000.00) to be sent back to the Chief Whip of the Majority Caucus in Parliament, bringing to his attention my reasons for doing so,” she wrote.

She further concluded her memo by reaffirming her allegiance to the Minority Caucus, stating: “I remain committed to the position of our Caucus.”

For the Mahama government, the development threatens to reopen an old chapter of political controversy; however, this time around the tables have turned as they are the governing party facing questions similar to those once directed at the NPP government under Akufo-Addo.

@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ
@ghnow_ Shatta Wale departs to Kumasi for a show #GHNow #fyp ♬ Body Pains – SHATTA WALE

“Ghana, in all indications, is not going in the right direction” – Priest boldly tells Mahama

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“Ghana, in all indications, is not going in the right direction” – Priest boldly tells Mahama

Rev Fr Louis Cecilia Adu-Poku, a Catholic priest, has told President John Dramani Mahama that Ghana is not going in the right direction.

According to the Catholic Priest, President Mahama must listen to people who will tell him the truth and make decisions in the interest of the country.

Rev Fr Adu-Poku of the Archdiocese of Kumasi made this known during a mass.

He also criticised the Mahama government’s handling of illegal mining, commonly known as “galamsey”.

The priest argued that Ghana’s galamsey menace has worsened under Mahama’s administration, despite the president’s pledge to tackle the menace within his first 100 days in office.

Rev Fr Adu-Poku stated, “Respectfully give a listening ear to people who will tell you the truth. This nation, in all indications, is not going in the right direction”.

“You promised to stop Galamsey within your first 100 days; we’ve gone beyond that… Galamsey has worsened under your tenure,” he said.

The priest also criticised what he described as attacks on people who openly raise concerns about the government, urging Mahama to listen to what he called “discerning voices” and take decisions that would serve the national interest.

He further added, “Some of us have prayed. And we know people who are working behind the scenes to turn this nation over,” he said, without identifying the individuals or groups he was referring to.

“You have a few years to leave the scene. It is either you allow God to make a name with you or disgrace yourself before you leave the scene.”

“On our part, we are going to pray for you because God has chosen us to do that,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ken Ashigbey, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, has warned that Ghana is getting to a point of no return in the menace of illegal mining, locally called galamsey.

According to Ken Ashigbey, there is a growing boldness of illegal miners and attacks on security personnel that point to a worsening galamsey crisis.

He disclosed that there is evidence that shows that galamsey has spread to some areas in Ghana where it was previously absent about two years ago.

Ken Ashigbey argued that Ghana’s best bet at stopping galamsey is under President John Dramani Mahama but warned that the President would become a lame duck soon, as he would no longer be contesting for office.

Speaking in an interview on ChannelOne TV on August 31, 2026, Ken Ashigbey stated, “There are places where we’re seeing galamsey happen today that were not happening in 2024. The level of impudence that we’re seeing today, we’re not seeing it in 2024. One of the elements that we’ve all considered is the issue of forests, the fact that there’s some good work that has been done.

“But if you look at where we are going now, where now the people are becoming so bold that they can attack eight military men with a colonel, they get police people, and they are able to confiscate (their weapons),” he fumed.

He added, “So we are getting to a point of no return, and unfortunately for us, unfortunately, we have a president who does not have another tenure, so our best bet is this current president. Unfortunately, he does not have another two years to deal with it because very soon he will become a lame duck.”

Ken Ashigbey stressed that there is a need for a strong will to ensure that all persons implicated in cases of illegal mining, including politicians and traditional authorities, are dealt with by the laws of the country.

“We need to also deal with the issues that are currently confronting us. So I will not depart from holding the MCEs, DCEs, the chiefs, the police commanders in these communities (accountable),” he said.

@ghnow_ Shatta Wale departs to Kumasi for a show #GHNow #fyp ♬ Body Pains – SHATTA WALE
@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ

Before you say yes, check Marrify – Ghana launches marriage verification App

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Before you say yes, check Marrify – Ghana launches marriage verification App

Marry Right Ghana, in partnership with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, has launched Marrify, an app for marriage verification.

Marrify lets users verify a prospective partner’s marital status by querying official records from the Registrar-General’s Department, courts, and Ghana Gazette.

The app, developed by Marry Right Ghana, allows checking if venues, churches, pastors, and Imams are licensed to perform marriages.

Reports suggest the app was launched on August 28, 2026, in Accra.

The initiative aims to reduce emotional, financial, and legal risks in marriages, as shown in the video of the event and app demonstrations.

Parts of a graphic news article disclosed, “The initiative is to help individuals carry out important checks before entering into a marriage and avoid the emotional, financial and legal complications that may arise when critical information about a prospective partner is not properly verified.

Beyond checking a prospective partner’s marital status, the Marrify app is a publicly searchable platform that enables the public to verify whether marriage venues, churches, pastors and Imams are duly licensed and registered to conduct marriages in Ghana.

The move is to promote greater transparency and accountability in marriage administration while helping prospective couples make more informed decisions before committing to marriage”.

Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, speaking at the launch, commended Marry Right Ghana for introducing an initiative aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability and public confidence in marriage administration.

The Gender Minister emphasised that marriage extends beyond a legal union, highlighting its social, cultural and economic significance for individuals, children, families and communities.

In other news, Her Ladyship Justice Dorinda Smith-Arthur, a High Court Judge in Kumasi, has stated that the act of Ghanaian couples conducting both customary and ordinance marriages waste of time and resources.

The High Court Judge explained that under Ghanaian law, the two marriage types are independently valid and legally recognised.

According to Her Ladyship, Dorinda Smith-Arthur, the performance of both ceremonies at the same time is unnecessary.

The High Court made this comment while presiding over a case filed by Akosua Serwaa Fosuh, who is seeking the court to declare her as the only lawful surviving spouse of the late Daddy Lumba.

Watch the video below:

@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ
@ghnow_ Shatta Wale departs to Kumasi for a show #GHNow #fyp ♬ Body Pains – SHATTA WALE

Galamsey ‘arrives’ in Accra

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Galamsey ‘arrives’ in Accra

Ghana’s illegal mining menace, commonly known as galamsey, has long been associated with mining communities; however, it appears to be creeping closer to Ghana’s capital, Accra, triggering fear among residents around the Weija Dam following the emergence of a chanfang machine near the dam.

In a viral UTV Ghana footage showed a floating platform constructed from wood planks, plastic barrels, and ropes on the dam water, interspersed with shots of nearby residential areas and the dam’s banks.

The development has since raised serious concerns about the possible threat to the dam and Accra’s water supply, with residents calling on the relevant authorities to urgently investigate how the machine was brought to the area and determine the purpose for which it is being used.

Reports detailed that the Weija Dam supplies around 80% of Accra’s drinking water from the Densu River; the channels close to the dam have raised concerns over potential pollution of one of Ghana’s drinking water sources.

However, a UTV reporter who spoke to some community leaders revealed that they were unaware of how the chanfang machine found its way to the area. They, however, believe the machine may have been brought in to clear sand from the water body.

The Chief of the area also disclosed that the traditional authorities had not been officially informed about any activity taking place near the dam. According to him, all they had observed was the machine gathering sand from the area.

The UTV reporter further disclosed that the community could not, however, confirm whether the activity was linked to illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, stressing that they were unable to determine the exact purpose for which the machine was being used.

In other news, Rt. Rev. Dr Abraham Nana Opare Kwakye, the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, has said the government can crush illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, if they want to.

According to the Presby Moderator, the government must demonstrate the political will needed to end galamsey.

He argued that the government has the authority and capacity to tackle Ghana’s galamsey menace, calling for decisive action to be taken.

Speaking in an interview with Bernard Avle on Channel One TV’s The Point of View on Wednesday, August 26, Rt. Rev. Dr Kwakye stated, “All of us are aware that this nation is in a direction that is not going to help us. The communities where mining is taking place are getting destroyed. And our waters are polluted. And we spend huge amounts of money to treat water”.

“I think that government has the political power. It also has the might to crush galamsey. If government wants to crush galamsey, government is able to.”

“I pray that this nation will rise up together. It looks like we are not angry enough to deal with it. Whatever the problems, let’s deal with galamsey because it affects me. It affects you,” he said.

“We sit in Accra; there’s no galamsey going on here, but we are all reaping from what is happening in these places,” he said.

The Presbyterian Moderator further called for a bipartisan approach to tackling illegal mining.

“We are not partisan. We are looking at the welfare and development of our nation,” he said.

“What we are seeking is for this nation to do what is right. And for this nation to be united. And that is why we are asking for a bipartisan approach. It’s important that we save ourselves,” he said.

“The water that is polluted does not ask whether your lips are NDC or New Patriotic Party. They don’t seek your partisan colours,” he said.

‘I want results, not just a state of emergency’

He, however, expressed reservations about calls for the declaration of a state of emergency to deal with illegal mining, saying, “I think it’s getting worse when people say they want a state of emergency. I personally, I do not know what they mean. A state of emergency might be declared, and it may not yield fruit”.

Watch the video below:

@ghnow_ Hon. Ewurabena Aubynn is empowering constituents of Ablekuma North through poultry farming by distributing birds and supporting sustainable livelihood opportunities. 🐔🇬🇭 #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ
@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ

‘The old man’s agenda will benefit Ghana; do everything to ensure he succeeds’ – CJ endorse Mahama gov’t

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‘The old man’s agenda will benefit Ghana; do everything to ensure he succeeds’ – CJ endorse Mahama gov’t

Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie has endorsed President John Mahama’s agenda as beneficial to Ghana while calling for full support to ensure his success.

According to the Chief Justice, Pres. Mahama’s agenda will benefit all Ghanaians, and he should be supported to succeed.

In a GHOne news card, Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie was quoted as saying, “The old man[Pres. Mahama]’s agenda is one that will benefit Ghana. We should do everything to ensure that he succeeds…”.

It will be recalled that on Wednesday, September 2, the Chief Justice, Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, toured some state institutions where he questioned how Ghana sank so low in the past eight years under the former administration.

The Chief Justice expressed astonishment at the performance of some state institutions over the past eight years.

According to Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, comparing the current progress of some state institutions with their performance over the past eight years, he wonders what went wrong in the last eight years.

The Chief Justice lauded the performance of the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) and other public institutions under the current Mahama administration.

Speaking during a visit to MIIF on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, he said he was impressed by what he had seen at the institution and other state entities.

Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie stated, “I must congratulate you. I mean, you have done marvellously well. Sometimes, when we hear about the things that you have done and the things that some organisations are doing now, we wonder. Some of us keep wondering what we really have been doing in the past eight years”.

“We’ve just come back from SSNIT. We went to SSNIT this morning, and the kind of things that we heard and what we had heard even before we went there, if you compare that with the fact that, not too long ago, SSNIT was preparing to sell its prized assets like the Labadi Beach Hotel, you wonder how Ghana could have sunk so low,” he added.

The Chief Justice, following these remarks, has come under sharp criticism online, with many questioning his statements, which have since gone viral.

According to netizens, the Chief Justice’s comments amount to an endorsement of the current government while serving as a rebuke of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.

Others also wonder whether he had begun campaigning for the NDC, suggesting that his remarks blurred the line between judicial independence and partisan politics.

One user wrote: “Your office is not a campaign platform. You are not an NDC spokesperson. You are the head of an independent judiciary that is supposed to stand above the political fray. When you start scoring the previous administration while touring state institutions under the current one, you erode the very confidence you claim to protect. Smh.”

“The arm of government that is supposed to ‘check and balance’ the executive arm is rather bootlicking the executive arm. The CJ has tarnished the image of that office. In a serious country, he will resign and go home,” another user wrote.

“I think this dude is an NDC man through and through,” another X user claimed.

One other user questioned: “And they wanted Ken Ofori Atta to come and face ‘justice’. Whoever advised him not to come should be paid quadruple. Any future govt should strip off his retirement benefits. Backstabber.”

A netizen added, “”Ghanaians did not appoint you to grade governments. They expect you to deliver justice without fear or favour, not to validate one side’s narrative. If state organisations are performing better now, say so without the political dig. If you must reflect on the past, do it without sounding like a party activist.

This kind of language from the Chief Justice damages the judiciary more than any criticism from outside ever could. Stay in your lane. A very sad day for Mother Ghana… a whole CJ….,” one other user noted.

See the post below:

@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ
@ghnow_ Hon. Ewurabena Aubynn is empowering constituents of Ablekuma North through poultry farming by distributing birds and supporting sustainable livelihood opportunities. 🐔🇬🇭 #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ

Deputy Minority Leader returns GH¢70,000 vetting ‘BRIBE’ for ministers, Supreme Court nominees

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Deputy Minority Leader returns GH¢70,000 vetting ‘BRIBE’ for ministers, Supreme Court nominees

Patricia Appiagyei, the Deputy Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Asokwa, has returned GH¢70,000 bribe allocated to her in connection with the work of Parliament’s Appointments Committee from the Majority Chief Whip.

According to the Deputy Minority Leader, she cannot accept money whose source she does not know.

Patricia Appiagyei’s memo dated September 2, 2026, and addressed to Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh, with Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin copied, disclosed that she was returning the money primarily because she does not know the source of the money being given to her.

She further explained that she did not want to derive any financial benefit from a process involving the vetting of members of the governing side’s leadership.

The Deputy Minority Leader disclosed that she was uncomfortable receiving any financial benefit linked to the vetting of political colleagues appointed to leadership positions, specifically referring to the vetting of Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga and Environment Minister Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings.

 In a memorandum dated September 2, 2026, Patricia Appiagyei stated, “It is with regret that I return the amount of seventy thousand cedis (GHS70,000.00) allocated to me as an advance of money from the Majority Chief Whip of Parliament of Ghana”.

“I am returning the money on the basis of the fact that, primarily, I do not know the source of the money being given to me,” the Deputy Minority Leader said.

“My first reason is the fact that I do not want to enjoy any financial benefit under any circumstances to vet our own colleagues in leadership from the other side, being either Hon. Mahama Ayariga or Hon. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings,” she wrote.

“Due to the Minority’s protest and non-participation in the vetting of the three Judges… on a matter of principle, I consider it totally unthinkable that I should enjoy any gift presented by any of the above judges,” she stated.

“It is also not my intention to extort any money from any of the above judges,” she added.

“In lieu of the above, and also in support of the Minority Leader’s decision to return his share of the amount sent to him in that respect, I humbly return the amount of seventy thousand cedis (GHS70,000.00) to be sent back to the Chief Whip of the Majority Caucus in Parliament, bringing to his attention my reasons for doing so,” she wrote.

She further concluded her memo by reaffirming her allegiance to the Minority Caucus, stating: “I remain committed to the position of our Caucus.”

Some netizens reacting to the development stated, “From the halls and corridors of the very law that should govern us. The stench of corruption smells so strong. All hope in this country we call our motherland is lost”.

A netizen added, “The country is rotten from the top. All the 3 arms of govt are corrupt. Even the Public Accounts Committee that sits on audit findings take money from every institution summoned to appear before them”.

One X user added, “Something similar happened under the previous administration. Ayariga made a similar allegation, everyone denied it, and the matter eventually died. This one will likely follow the same path”.

“That institution eh, no wonder the quality of work coming out of that institution is nothing to write home about. The day things will be right in that house, the citizenry will live comfortably. Shameless group of people,” an X user added.

See the memo below:

@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ
@ghnow_ Hon. Ewurabena Aubynn is empowering constituents of Ablekuma North through poultry farming by distributing birds and supporting sustainable livelihood opportunities. 🐔🇬🇭 #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ

“The data speaks for itself; Did he lie?” – Franklin Cudjoe defends Chief Justice

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“The data speaks for itself; Did he lie?” – Franklin Cudjoe defends Chief Justice

Franklin Cudjoe, the President of IMANI Africa, has defended the Chief Justice, Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, over his comments on the performance of state institutions.

The IMANI president dismissed suggestions that the remarks by the Chief Justice were politically motivated.

According to Franklin Cudjoe, there was nothing inherently wrong with the Chief Justice commenting on public matters during an official engagement.

Mr Cudjoe noted that the Chief Justice was only responding to a presentation on the performance of state institutions and was therefore genuinely expected to offer his observations.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Midday News on Thursday, September 3, Franklin Cudjoe stated, “Is it not the truth that some of these state institutions are performing better? Come on, just look at the data. What are you talking about? I mean, the data speaks for itself. It is a fact. Did he lie? I mean, did he lie?”.

“Everybody has an opinion,” he said. “Nobody is suggesting to the Chief Justice that he can’t speak on any public matter.”

“I don’t see anything wrong with it. I don’t see why people are thinking that it is political,” he added.

It will be recalled that on Wednesday, September 2, the Chief Justice, Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, toured some state institutions where he questioned how Ghana sank so low in the past eight years under the former administration.

The Chief Justice expressed astonishment at the performance of some state institutions over the past eight years.

According to Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, comparing the current progress of some state institutions with their performance over the past eight years, he wonders what went wrong in the last eight years.

The Chief Justice lauded the performance of the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) and other public institutions under the current Mahama administration.

Speaking during a visit to MIIF on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, he said he was impressed by what he had seen at the institution and other state entities.

Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie stated, “I must congratulate you. I mean, you have done marvellously well. Sometimes, when we hear about the things that you have done and the things that some organisations are doing now, we wonder. Some of us keep wondering what we really have been doing in the past eight years”.

“We’ve just come back from SSNIT. We went to SSNIT this morning, and the kind of things that we heard and what we had heard even before we went there, if you compare that with the fact that, not too long ago, SSNIT was preparing to sell its prized assets like the Labadi Beach Hotel, you wonder how Ghana could have sunk so low,” he added.

Meanwhile, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has boldly told the Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie that he swore an allegiance to Ghana’s Constitution, not to a President. 

The NPP questioned the neutrality of the Chief Justice following what it describes as his vow to do everything possible to ensure the agenda of President John Dramani Mahama succeeds.

According to the NPP, the Chief Justice’s comments are language for party propagandists, of a kind exclusively reserved for NDC communicators and serial callers.

The NPP General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, in a statement issued on September 3, 2026, described the comments by the Chief Justice as inappropriate for the head of Ghana’s Judiciary.

The NPP argued that the Chief Justice, as head of an independent arm of government, must remain politically neutral and uphold his judicial oath to administer justice without fear, favour, affection or ill will.

They further criticised the Chief Justice’s frequent presence at events involving political appointees of the current government, stressing that such conduct could undermine public confidence in the Judiciary’s neutrality.

The NPP further questioned the Chief Justice’s reported commitment to doing everything possible to ensure the success of the President’s agenda, particularly as some persons associated with the NPP are facing prosecution under the government’s Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) initiative.

“Let it be stated plainly: this is not the language of a Chief Justice. It is the language of a party propagandist, of a kind exclusively reserved for NDC communicators and serial callers, and it has no place whatsoever in the mouth of the head of Ghana’s Judiciary”.

“A Chief Justice swears a single oath, and it is to the Constitution: to no President, no party and no agenda,” the party stated.

@ghnow_ Hon. Ewurabena Aubynn is empowering constituents of Ablekuma North through poultry farming by distributing birds and supporting sustainable livelihood opportunities. 🐔🇬🇭 #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ
@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ

Angry Ghanaians descend on ‘political’ CJ Baffoe-Bonnie

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Angry Ghanaians descend on ‘political’ CJ Baffoe-Bonnie

Angry Ghanaians on social media have descended heavily on the Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie over his recent remarks.

It will be recalled that on Wednesday, September 2, the Chief Justice, Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, toured some state institutions where he questioned how Ghana sank so low in the past eight years under the former administration.

The Chief Justice expressed astonishment at the performance of some state institutions over the past eight years.

According to Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, comparing the current progress of some state institutions with their performance over the past eight years, he wonders what went wrong in the last eight years.

The Chief Justice lauded the performance of the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) and other public institutions under the current Mahama administration.

Speaking during a visit to MIIF on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, he said he was impressed by what he had seen at the institution and other state entities.

Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie stated, “I must congratulate you. I mean, you have done marvellously well. Sometimes, when we hear about the things that you have done and the things that some organisations are doing now, we wonder. Some of us keep wondering what we really have been doing in the past eight years”.

“We’ve just come back from SSNIT. We went to SSNIT this morning, and the kind of things that we heard and what we had heard even before we went there, if you compare that with the fact that, not too long ago, SSNIT was preparing to sell its prized assets like the Labadi Beach Hotel, you wonder how Ghana could have sunk so low,” he added.

The Chief Justice, following these remarks, has come under sharp criticism online, with many questioning his statements, which have since gone viral.

According to netizens, the Chief Justice’s comments amount to an endorsement of the current government while serving as a rebuke of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.

Others also wonder whether he had begun campaigning for the NDC, suggesting that his remarks blurred the line between judicial independence and partisan politics.

One user wrote: “Your office is not a campaign platform. You are not an NDC spokesperson. You are the head of an independent judiciary that is supposed to stand above the political fray. When you start scoring the previous administration while touring state institutions under the current one, you erode the very confidence you claim to protect. Smh.”

“The arm of government that is supposed to ‘check and balance’ the executive arm is rather bootlicking the executive arm. The CJ has tarnished the image of that office. In a serious country, he will resign and go home,” another user wrote.

“I think this dude is an NDC man through and through,” another X user claimed.

One other user questioned: “And they wanted Ken Ofori Atta to come and face ‘justice’. Whoever advised him not to come should be paid quadruple. Any future govt should strip off his retirement benefits. Backstabber.”

A netizen added, “Ghanaians did not appoint you to grade governments. They expect you to deliver justice without fear or favour, not to validate one side’s narrative. If state organisations are performing better now, say so without the political dig. If you must reflect on the past, do it without sounding like a party activist.

This kind of language from the Chief Justice damages the judiciary more than any criticism from outside ever could. Stay in your lane. A very sad day for Mother Ghana… a whole CJ….,” one other user noted.

Read the comments below:

@ghnow_ Shatta Wale departs to Kumasi for a show #GHNow #fyp ♬ Body Pains – SHATTA WALE

Lies! Agric Minister’s promise of “tomato abundance” remains a mirage as prices skyrocket by 158%

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Lies! Agric Minister’s promise of “tomato abundance” remains a mirage as prices skyrocket by 158%

On Thursday, July 9, the Agric Minister, Eric Opoku, appearing before Parliament’s Committee on Assurances, promised Ghanaians that the country will experience a tomato glut in 3–4 months.

According to Eric Opoku, to prevent post-harvest losses, the government is putting in place an off-take system to guarantee a market for farmers, while engaging tomato processors to purchase the expected surplus.

He further disclosed that the government is also investing in solar-powered boreholes to support year-round irrigation, enabling farmers to increase production beyond the traditional growing season.

Eric Opoku stated, “We have put in place a lot of measures and within the next three to four months, the results will be there for everyone to see. This is another big assurance.

We are anticipating a glut of tomatoes in the coming months and are thinking about how we can get processors to off-take from our farmers. We are doing a lot of solar-powered boreholes across the country”.

The Agric Minister expressed confidence that the measures will strengthen domestic tomato production, improve market opportunities for farmers and gradually reduce Ghana’s dependence on imported tomatoes while supporting the country’s broader food security agenda.

However, two months after the Agric Minister promised that Ghana would experience an abundance of tomatoes, his promise appears to be falling flat, as prices of the commodity continue to soar across markets.

Despite the Agric Minister’s assurances of increased tomato production and improved supply, consumers are facing the opposite reality, with the price of tomatoes reportedly rising by as much as 158% this is according to the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) August 2026 data.

According to the Ghana Statistical Service, during August 2026, Fresh tomato prices surged by 158.3% year-on-year making the commodity the biggest price mover recorded.

Government Statistician, Dr Alhassan Iddrisu, presenting the August Consumer Price Index, said the significant increase in fresh tomato prices highlights the varying price experiences of consumers across different commodities.

“Fresh Tomatoes more than doubled in price (+158.3%) while Lime fell 33.7%: the overall Y-on-Y inflation of 5.0% hides very different experiences at the market”, he noted.

The GSS data show that fresh tomatoes recorded the highest year-on-year price increase among the commodities tracked in August.

Meanwhile, earlier this year, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) signed a landmark Public-Private Partnership aimed at tackling Ghana’s tomato imports by achieving national self-sufficiency.

On Thursday, April 16, 2026, the agreement was signed by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and FarmMate Limited to boost domestic tomato production.

Reports by Graphic stated, “The initiative is expected to expand tomato cultivation from about 1,000 acres currently under FarmMate’s operations to 40,000 acres nationwide. At full scale, it targets the production of 400,000 tonnes of fresh tomatoes annually, supported by processing capacity of 20 tonnes per hour and the delivery of 200,000 tonnes of tomato puree each year”.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, stated, “The implementation of the programme will significantly reduce Ghana’s import dependence, address price volatility, reduce losses during glut periods and ensure availability during lean periods”.

He further noted that the initiative would “ensure guaranteed off-take for farmers, improve incomes, productivity, and confidence to scale, deliver consistent quality supply for traders, processors, and consumers”.

However, the over 158.3% increase in the price of tomato has raised fresh questions about the government’s efforts to stabilise food prices and whether the promised abundance of the staple crop will be materialised.

Ghanaian households and food vendors struggle with the rising cost of tomato; the development has put the Agric Minister Eric Opoku’s earlier assurances under renewed scrutiny.

See the post below:

@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ
@ghnow_ Shatta Wale departs to Kumasi for a show #GHNow #fyp ♬ Body Pains – SHATTA WALE

Preach virtue, practice vice: “Transparent” Mahama govt refuses more than 24 RTI requests

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Preach virtue, practice vice: “Transparent” Mahama govt refuses more than 24 RTI requests

The John Dramani Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) government has been exposed for preaching transparency while failing to practise it.

The Mahama government, despite portraying itself as an administration committed to openness and accountability, more than 21 government institutions under the Mahama administration allegedly failed to provide information requested by journalists from The Fourth Estate.

According to The Fourth Estate, between January 2025 and July 2026, the institutions failed to respond to, or release requested information on 24 separate occasions through Right to Information (RTI) requests, raising questions about the government’s commitment to transparency.

The NDC opposition also promised to ensure access to information, which was anchored in the NDC’s resetting agenda manifesto promising to fully implement and operationalise the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989).

Parts of a new article published by The Fourth Estate detailed, “In June 2025, The Fourth Estate requested information from the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs on the full list of dumpsites Zoomlion Ltd. was said to have excavated through a multi-million-cedi contract with the government. The ministry failed to respond despite an internal appeal to the then minister, Ahmed Ibrahim.

In the same month, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources failed to release information on the list of companies President Akufo-Addo had granted permits under the LI2462 to mine in forest reserves that had been designated as globally significant biodiversity areas. 

In September 2025, the National Communications Authority (NCA) refused to release information on how much KGL Technologies had received through its USSD platform for the 5/90 online lottery. The information was necessary for The Fourth Estate’s investigations into the terrible NLA-KGL deal, but the NCA did not budge.

In March 2026, the Ghana Highways Authority (GHA) promised that it would make available copies of the government’s flagship Big Push project in two weeks. But after five months, the GHA appears to have reneged on its promise. The Fourth Estate, through the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), has submitted a petition to the RTI Commission for a review.

The GHA, in May 2026, again failed to release information on abandoned prefabricated bridges Ghana procured through a 43 million-pound loan, despite an internal appeal to the Acting Chief Executive Officer, Mallam Issah Ishak.

The Finance Ministry oversees fund disbursement to all government institutions, but when The Fourth Estate requested information on its budgetary allocations and disbursements in April 2026, it chose not to respond. An internal appeal has been sent to the minister, Cassiel Ato Forson. Still, the Ministry has failed to provide the information.

The Finance Ministry has also decided to close the door on information on the details of the work of the technical committee established by President Mahama to investigate the NLA-KGL contract. In May 2026, an application requesting a copy of the full report of the committee was sent to the Office of the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice. The Attorney-General’s office said the MFWA should check with the Office of the President. The Office of the President, in turn, said the MFWA should contact the Finance Ministry for it. But the Finance Ministry has gone quiet, despite a follow-up appeal to the Minister.

The Attorney-General’s office has also refused to disclose information on how much the state has recovered from the Republic vs. Kwabena Duffour and 7 others case. An appeal has been sent to Attorney-General Dr Dominic Ayine, but that has changed nothing”.

Meanwhile, Minister in charge of Government Communications, Felix Ofosu Kwakye has denied reports of a deliberate attempt by many public institutions to deny access to information.

Felix Ofosu Kwakye is quoted by The Fourth Estate saying, “As a government, there’s no policy of concealment,” he noted. “We do not have a policy that says that various government agencies in various sectors should conceal information because we are uncomfortable or anything.”

“We believe that the law has inbuilt mechanisms to provide remedies for persons who are aggrieved by the conduct of public institutions regarding their unwillingness, or if you like, inability to disclose information that is requested for,” he said.

See the full list of institutions compiled by the Fourth Estate below:

Full-list-of-RTI-refusals-2025-2026Download
@ghnow_ Shatta Wale departs to Kumasi for a show #GHNow #fyp ♬ Body Pains – SHATTA WALE
@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ

“He’s a liar! One of Afenyo-Markin’s boys shot and killed my boy” – A-Plus

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“He’s a liar! One of Afenyo-Markin’s boys shot and killed my boy” – A-Plus

Kwame Asare Obeng, popularly known as A-Plus, the Member of Parliament for Gomoa Central has alleged that one of the the Minority Leader and Effutu Member of Parliament Alexander Afenyo-Markin boys shot and killed one of the three people who died in the Gomoa-New Winneba clash.

Speaking on CITI eyewitness news, Kwame A Plus alleged, saying, “One of Afenyo-Markin’s boys shot and killed one boy who was about 1km away from where the issue was happening. He knows him; call him and ask him if I am lying.

I will send you a picture of him; everywhere he goes, he follows him. Me, my boys when they misbehave, I sack them. He is the minority leader; he cannot be harbouring these boys around him. If nobody can advise Afenyo-Markin, he is my childhood friend; I will tell him in his face”.

You can not keep these people around you as the minority leader and expect me to make peace and be laughing; it is not going to happen. The three people who were killed are all Gomoa people. One of his boys shot and killed Abeiku”.

He further alleged that police officers killed two people and injured 19 during the violent clash between residents of Gomoa Oguaakrom and New Winneba in the Central Region.

According to A-Plus, the police arrived at the scene with live ammunition and opened fire on residents.

Kwame A-Plus further alleged that one of the victims was shot dead about two kilometres from the main scene of the confrontation.

He added, “The police came there, shot and injured 19 people, and killed two. Where did the police come from? They got a call from somewhere, and I suspect that it was a higher authority. They were given express orders. They were killed by police”.

“One person even died about two kilometres away. These guys moved a motorbike, went there, saw the guy. Many people were standing there. He saw him; he called him; he said, ‘Don’t come close to me.’ When the guy moved, he just shot him in public. Shot and killed him there, point-blank. He has not been arrested,” he alleged.

He further added, “The police stated that the Gomoa people came with guns. Where is the evidence? Where is the evidence? Do you have any evidence to support that claim that Gomoa people came with guns to attack anybody?” he asked.

“When people went to police headquarters to attack and beat, physically attack a suspect at the police headquarters, what did the police do? The police couldn’t do anything,” he alleged.

“If somebody can go to the police headquarters, attack a suspect, beat him in the presence of police at the police headquarters, and the next day, the only thing they did was peace,” he said.

Meanwhile, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Minority Leader and Effutu Member of Parliament, has broken his silence following the deadly violence in New Winneba that claimed the lives of three individuals and injured multiple.

The minority leader called on the police and other security agencies to swiftly investigate the deadly violence.

Afenyo-Markin quizzed how a group of youths armed with guns, machetes and clubs could mobilise and enter New Winneba in broad daylight without attracting the attention of security personnel.

Speaking on Citi FM’s Eyewitness News, Afenyo-Markin stated, “My word to the Police, and I speak directly to the divisional commander. ACP, divisional commander, please. I have always told you to be firm. Please be firm and keep the peace”.

“This was not done in the night. It’s broad daylight, morning, walking, and chanting one song to another community,” he said.

He further questioned the level of security intelligence available ahead of the incident.

“What did they do? What were their early warnings? These are quite disturbing,” he said.

“If indeed the Regional Command, assisted by the headquarters of Ghana Police, join forces and they get into the community day and night, within a week, I am very positive that they will get to know all those behind,” he said.

“Nobody should take the law into his own hands or hers and plan any revenge,” he said.

However, the Police announced that three people have been confirmed dead and about 15 others injured following violent clashes in New Winneba.

According to the Police, the Tuesday, September 1, 2026 incident stems from 300 armed people with guns, stones, cutlasses and sticks from Gomoa Oguakrom, Gomoa Yenkuadze and Gomoa Pomadze who stormed New Winneba Township at about 10:40 a.m.

The armed men allegedly attacked residents and vandalised shops, stores and other properties belonging to residents of the community.

The Police disclosed that the injured, including a police officer, have been taken to the Trauma and Specialist Hospital in Winneba for treatment.

The Police statement issued on X stated, “POLICE BRING VIOLENCE AT NEW WINNEBA UNDER CONTROL: IGP DEPLOYS REINFORCEMENT TEAM TO ENHANCE SECURITY

On 01/09/2026 at 1040 hrs,  about 300 irate mob wielding guns, stones, cutlasses and sticks from Gomoa Oguakrom, Gomoa Yenkuadze and Gomoa Pomadze stormed the New Winneba Township, and other stores and residence of the natives, attacked them and caused damage to properties.

About 15 injured victims have been sent to the Trauma and Specialist Hospital in Winneba, including an officer, and 3 have been confirmed dead.

Meanwhile, police from Winneba Divisional Headquarters and Agona Swedru District Patrols have been deployed to control the situation.

The IGP has deployed a reinforcement team, including two armoured vehicles from the National Headquarters, to beef up security.

The situation is currently under control.

Full details will be communicated later.

Public Affairs Unit/CR

Chief Inspector Isaac Evans Ettie”.

Watch the video below:

@adumuahsamuelgmail.com 'Afenyo-Markin is a liar. One of his boys shot and killed one person' — A-Plus exposes Minority Leader. #winneba #kumasitiktokers #trendingvideo #ghanatiktok #viral_video ♬ original sound – SAMMY OBEY
@ghnow_ Shatta Wale departs to Kumasi for a show #GHNow #fyp ♬ Body Pains – SHATTA WALE
@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ

“A CJ swears a single oath to the Constitution” – NPP boldly tells Chief Justice

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“A CJ swears a single oath to the Constitution” – NPP boldly tells Chief Justice

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has boldly told the Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie that he swore an allegiance to Ghana’s Constitution, not to a President.  

The NPP questioned the neutrality of the Chief Justice following what it describes as his vow to do everything possible to ensure the agenda of President John Dramani Mahama succeeds.

It will be recalled that on Wednesday, September 2, the Chief Justice, Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, toured some state institutions where he questioned how Ghana sank so low in the past eight years under the former administration.

The Chief Justice expressed astonishment at the performance of some state institutions over the past eight years.

According to Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, comparing the current progress of some state institutions with their performance over the past eight years, he wonders what went wrong in the last eight years.

The Chief Justice lauded the performance of the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) and other public institutions under the current Mahama administration.

Speaking during a visit to MIIF on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, he said he was impressed by what he had seen at the institution and other state entities.

Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie stated, “I must congratulate you. I mean, you have done marvellously well. Sometimes, when we hear about the things that you have done and the things that some organisations are doing now, we wonder. Some of us keep wondering what we really have been doing in the past eight years”.

“We’ve just come back from SSNIT. We went to SSNIT this morning, and the kind of things that we heard and what we had heard even before we went there, if you compare that with the fact that, not too long ago, SSNIT was preparing to sell its prized assets like the Labadi Beach Hotel, you wonder how Ghana could have sunk so low,” he added.

According to the NPP, the Chief Justice’s comments are language for party propagandists, of a kind exclusively reserved for NDC communicators and serial callers.

The NPP General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, in a statement issued on September 3, 2026, described the comments by the Chief Justice as inappropriate for the head of Ghana’s Judiciary.

The NPP argued that the Chief Justice, as head of an independent arm of government, must remain politically neutral and uphold his judicial oath to administer justice without fear, favour, affection or ill will.

They further criticised the Chief Justice’s frequent presence at events involving political appointees of the current government, stressing that such conduct could undermine public confidence in the Judiciary’s neutrality.

The NPP further questioned the Chief Justice’s reported commitment to doing everything possible to ensure the success of the President’s agenda, particularly as some persons associated with the NPP are facing prosecution under the government’s Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) initiative.

“Let it be stated plainly: this is not the language of a Chief Justice. It is the language of a party propagandist, of a kind exclusively reserved for NDC communicators and serial callers, and it has no place whatsoever in the mouth of the head of Ghana’s Judiciary”.

“A Chief Justice swears a single oath, and it is to the Constitution: to no President, no party and no agenda,” the party stated.

Below is the NPP’s full statement…

“The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has taken note, with profound shock and disgust, of a video circulating publicly in which the Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana descends from the sacred heights of the Bench into the trenches of partisan politics, offering comparative political commentary to the effect that the current NDC government and its appointed CEOs are performing better than the eight years of the previous NPP administration.

Let it be stated plainly: this is not the language of a Chief Justice. It is the language of a party propagandist, of a kind exclusively reserved for NDC communicators and serial callers, and it has no place whatsoever in the mouth of the head of Ghana’s Judiciary.

The Constitution of the Fourth Republic, in Articles 125 and 127, establishes the Judiciary as an independent arm of government, subject to neither the control nor the direction of any person or authority, and the judicial oath binds the Chief Justice above all to do justice to all manner of persons without fear or favour, affection or ill will. Regrettably, this video is no isolated lapse.

It is the culmination of a pattern the nation has observed with mounting alarm. Long before this pronouncement, the Chief Justice had made himself a familiar presence at the functions of political appointees of this government. A Chief Justice who travels and celebrates as a courtier of the Executive cannot thereafter sit as a neutral umpire in cases to which the Executive is a party. He has presented himself not as the impartial head of an independent Judiciary but as a leading member of the National Democratic Congress in judicial robes, and if political commentary is his true vocation, he should resign forthwith and formally take up membership of the NDC, where such contributions are handsomely rewarded.

The NPP jokes not with his declared vow that everything must be done to ensure that the agenda of the President succeeds. Which agenda, My Lord? The President’s declared agenda includes Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL), under which persons associated with the NPP are being arraigned before the very courts over which he presides.

When the head of the Judiciary pledges his exertions to the success of the Executive’s agenda, what conclusion is an accused person standing in the dock, or indeed any citizen, to draw? A Chief Justice swears a single oath, and it is to the Constitution: to no President, no party and no agenda.

The day he does otherwise, he ceases to be a judge and becomes an instrument of the very power he was appointed to check. We have already observed the extraordinary alacrity with which vacation warrants have been issued in special political cases involving members of the NPP. The incarceration of Chairman Wontumi is evidence enough: justice in this Republic now proceeds at two speeds, remarkable haste for opponents of the government and serene leisure for its friends. In the considered view of the NPP, this is the agenda at work, the judicial machinery by which the President’s wish to see persons associated with the NPP imprisoned is being brought to pass.

The Chief Justice’s words and conduct lend chilling credence to the widespread concern that the leadership of the Judiciary is coordinating with Jubilee House. By word and by deed, he has shut the door of justice against every Ghanaian who declines to sing from the President’s hymn sheet and has willed and surrendered the Judiciary to the President and his agenda men.

A Judiciary that vows loyalty to a President’s agenda is no Judiciary at all; it is a third chamber of Jubilee House, distinguished only by its robes. We cannot overlook the ironical part of all these developments: that several courts and offices of the Judiciary lie in disarray: courtrooms crumbling, registries overwhelmed and staff labouring under conditions that directly affect justice delivery. He has not visited a single one of these ailing courts to assess their deplorable state, nor raised his voice for their retooling and refurbishment. He has instead metamorphosed into the monitoring and evaluation officer of the Executive, abandoning his own collapsing house to tour the state agencies of the government for purposes known only to God.

With respect, My Lord, the leaking roofs are in your courts, not in the ministries. He has delivered no reforms to improve justice delivery and no relief for the litigant strangled by delay; his one visible programme has been the hatchet job of targeting opposition voices. A Chief Justice whose legacy is persecution rather than reform has forfeited every claim to the confidence of the nation. The NPP hereby serves notice that it will in due course convene a major press conference at which the full record of the Chief Justice’s appalling conduct will be laid before the nation in unsparing detail.

The Judiciary belongs neither to the President, nor to the NDC, nor to the Chief Justice; it belongs to the people of Ghana, who are entitled under the Constitution to courts that are blind to politics. 2 We therefore demand that the Chief Justice immediately and unreservedly retract his partisan commentary and his vow of loyalty to the President’s agenda or, failing that, resign forthwith and formally join the NDC, whose cause he has chosen to champion from the Bench and that the President immediately fill the Council of State vacancy and publicly disavow any arrangement touching the Chief Justice’s post-retirement future.

The courtroom is the last refuge of the ordinary Ghanaian, and the NPP will resist its conversion into an instrument of political persecution with every lawful means at our disposal. History will record who stood where when the independence of Ghana’s courts was put to the test. God bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong”.

@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ
@ghnow_ Shatta Wale departs to Kumasi for a show #GHNow #fyp ♬ Body Pains – SHATTA WALE

CJ’s remarks are language of a party propagandist and serial callers – NPP fumes

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CJ’s remarks are language of a party propagandist and serial callers – NPP fumes

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has questioned the neutrality of the Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie following what it describes as his vow to do everything possible to ensure the agenda of President John Dramani Mahama succeeds.

It will be recalled that on Wednesday, September 2, the Chief Justice, Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, toured some state institutions where he questioned how Ghana sank so low in the past eight years under the former administration.

The Chief Justice expressed astonishment at the performance of some state institutions over the past eight years.

According to Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, comparing the current progress of some state institutions with their performance over the past eight years, he wonders what went wrong in the last eight years.

The Chief Justice lauded the performance of the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) and other public institutions under the current Mahama administration.

Speaking during a visit to MIIF on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, he said he was impressed by what he had seen at the institution and other state entities.

Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie stated, “I must congratulate you. I mean, you have done marvellously well. Sometimes, when we hear about the things that you have done and the things that some organisations are doing now, we wonder. Some of us keep wondering what we really have been doing in the past eight years”.

“We’ve just come back from SSNIT. We went to SSNIT this morning, and the kind of things that we heard and what we had heard even before we went there, if you compare that with the fact that, not too long ago, SSNIT was preparing to sell its prized assets like the Labadi Beach Hotel, you wonder how Ghana could have sunk so low,” he added.

According to the NPP, the Chief Justice’s comments are language for party propagandists, of a kind exclusively reserved for NDC communicators and serial callers.

The NPP General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, in a statement issued on September 3, 2026, described the comments by the Chief Justice as inappropriate for the head of Ghana’s Judiciary.

The NPP argued that the Chief Justice, as head of an independent arm of government, must remain politically neutral and uphold his judicial oath to administer justice without fear, favour, affection or ill will.

They further criticised the Chief Justice’s frequent presence at events involving political appointees of the current government, stressing that such conduct could undermine public confidence in the Judiciary’s neutrality.

The NPP further questioned the Chief Justice’s reported commitment to doing everything possible to ensure the success of the President’s agenda, particularly as some persons associated with the NPP are facing prosecution under the government’s Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) initiative.

“Let it be stated plainly: this is not the language of a Chief Justice. It is the language of a party propagandist, of a kind exclusively reserved for NDC communicators and serial callers, and it has no place whatsoever in the mouth of the head of Ghana’s Judiciary”.

“A Chief Justice swears a single oath, and it is to the Constitution: to no President, no party and no agenda,” the party stated.

Below is the NPP’s full statement…

“The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has taken note, with profound shock and disgust, of a video circulating publicly in which the Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana descends from the sacred heights of the Bench into the trenches of partisan politics, offering comparative political commentary to the effect that the current NDC government and its appointed CEOs are performing better than the eight years of the previous NPP administration.

Let it be stated plainly: this is not the language of a Chief Justice. It is the language of a party propagandist, of a kind exclusively reserved for NDC communicators and serial callers, and it has no place whatsoever in the mouth of the head of Ghana’s Judiciary.

The Constitution of the Fourth Republic, in Articles 125 and 127, establishes the Judiciary as an independent arm of government, subject to neither the control nor the direction of any person or authority, and the judicial oath binds the Chief Justice above all to do justice to all manner of persons without fear or favour, affection or ill will. Regrettably, this video is no isolated lapse.

It is the culmination of a pattern the nation has observed with mounting alarm. Long before this pronouncement, the Chief Justice had made himself a familiar presence at the functions of political appointees of this government. A Chief Justice who travels and celebrates as a courtier of the Executive cannot thereafter sit as a neutral umpire in cases to which the Executive is a party. He has presented himself not as the impartial head of an independent Judiciary but as a leading member of the National Democratic Congress in judicial robes, and if political commentary is his true vocation, he should resign forthwith and formally take up membership of the NDC, where such contributions are handsomely rewarded.

The NPP jokes not with his declared vow that everything must be done to ensure that the agenda of the President succeeds. Which agenda, My Lord? The President’s declared agenda includes Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL), under which persons associated with the NPP are being arraigned before the very courts over which he presides.

When the head of the Judiciary pledges his exertions to the success of the Executive’s agenda, what conclusion is an accused person standing in the dock, or indeed any citizen, to draw? A Chief Justice swears a single oath, and it is to the Constitution: to no President, no party and no agenda.

The day he does otherwise, he ceases to be a judge and becomes an instrument of the very power he was appointed to check. We have already observed the extraordinary alacrity with which vacation warrants have been issued in special political cases involving members of the NPP. The incarceration of Chairman Wontumi is evidence enough: justice in this Republic now proceeds at two speeds, remarkable haste for opponents of the government and serene leisure for its friends. In the considered view of the NPP, this is the agenda at work, the judicial machinery by which the President’s wish to see persons associated with the NPP imprisoned is being brought to pass.

The Chief Justice’s words and conduct lend chilling credence to the widespread concern that the leadership of the Judiciary is coordinating with Jubilee House. By word and by deed, he has shut the door of justice against every Ghanaian who declines to sing from the President’s hymn sheet and has willed and surrendered the Judiciary to the President and his agenda men.

A Judiciary that vows loyalty to a President’s agenda is no Judiciary at all; it is a third chamber of Jubilee House, distinguished only by its robes. We cannot overlook the ironical part of all these developments: that several courts and offices of the Judiciary lie in disarray: courtrooms crumbling, registries overwhelmed and staff labouring under conditions that directly affect justice delivery. He has not visited a single one of these ailing courts to assess their deplorable state, nor raised his voice for their retooling and refurbishment. He has instead metamorphosed into the monitoring and evaluation officer of the Executive, abandoning his own collapsing house to tour the state agencies of the government for purposes known only to God.

With respect, My Lord, the leaking roofs are in your courts, not in the ministries. He has delivered no reforms to improve justice delivery and no relief for the litigant strangled by delay; his one visible programme has been the hatchet job of targeting opposition voices. A Chief Justice whose legacy is persecution rather than reform has forfeited every claim to the confidence of the nation. The NPP hereby serves notice that it will in due course convene a major press conference at which the full record of the Chief Justice’s appalling conduct will be laid before the nation in unsparing detail.

The Judiciary belongs neither to the President, nor to the NDC, nor to the Chief Justice; it belongs to the people of Ghana, who are entitled under the Constitution to courts that are blind to politics. 2 We therefore demand that the Chief Justice immediately and unreservedly retract his partisan commentary and his vow of loyalty to the President’s agenda or, failing that, resign forthwith and formally join the NDC, whose cause he has chosen to champion from the Bench and that the President immediately fill the Council of State vacancy and publicly disavow any arrangement touching the Chief Justice’s post-retirement future.

The courtroom is the last refuge of the ordinary Ghanaian, and the NPP will resist its conversion into an instrument of political persecution with every lawful means at our disposal. History will record who stood where when the independence of Ghana’s courts was put to the test. God bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong”.

@ghnow_ Hon. Ewurabena Aubynn is empowering constituents of Ablekuma North through poultry farming by distributing birds and supporting sustainable livelihood opportunities. 🐔🇬🇭 #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ
@ghnow_ Shatta Wale departs to Kumasi for a show #GHNow #fyp ♬ Body Pains – SHATTA WALE

Every day, 3 people out of 2 million people in the Western Region contract HIV

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Every day, 3 people out of 2 million people in the Western Region contract HIV

The Ghana AIDS Commission has disclosed that its 2025 HIV projected figures released this year show that about 23,000 people are currently living with HIV in the Western Region.

According to the Ghana AIDS Commission, an estimated three new infections are recorded every day in the Western Region out of the 2,060,585 people, based on the 2021 Population and Housing Census.

Antonio Francis, the Western Regional Technical Coordinator of the Ghana AIDS Commission, however, revealed that there has been a slight decline in the rate of new infections.

He stressed that failure to reduce new HIV infections through a combination of effective treatment and multiple prevention measures could undermine Ghana’s goal of ending AIDS by 2030.

Speaking to Channel One TV in Sekondi during an HIV/AIDS Stakeholders Review Meeting, Antonio Francis stated, “Per the 2025 HIV estimates and projections which were done by the Ghana AIDS Commission and the report came out this year, we can say that for the Western Region, we have roughly 23,000 plus people that we estimate are living with the virus in the region.

“If you look at the rate of new infections, it has reduced slightly from somewhere around 992 persons newly infected with HIV.

“What this means is that, if you should do a further breakdown, it means that every day we are getting at least three people getting infected in the region.”

In other news, the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) has announced that Ghana will begin deploying condom vending machines across the country by the last quarter of 2026 in efforts to boost HIV prevention.

According to the AIDS Commission, the machines are expected to be installed at lorry stations, mosques, stadia and shopping malls, to enable people to obtain condoms privately.

The AIDS Commission also revealed plans to extend the initiative to public institutions like washrooms in ministries, departments, agencies and financial institutions.

Director-General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Dr Kharmacelle Prosper Akanbong, revealed that machines would be designed differently depending on the characteristics of the communities.

Speaking at the dissemination meeting in Accra on the 2026 HIV Estimates and Projections, Dr Kharmacelle Prosper Akanbong stated, “The machines will not all be the same. Depending on the peculiar characteristics of a local population, the machine deployed could be electronically operated or manually administered”.

He further recounted that Ghana had previously introduced condom vending machines that dispensed packs of three condoms for 50 pesewas, but the programme collapsed after many of the machines were vandalised.

“People were forcefully emptying the machines to take the coins,” he said.

Also, the Ghana AIDS Commission have revealed that about 337,435 Ghanaian people of all ages are currently living with HIV in Ghana, with 13,951 new infections recorded in 2025.

Out of the 337,435 Ghanaians living with HIV,  315,513 are adults aged 15 years and above, while 21,922 are children below 15 years.

Also, 19,528 adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19 are living with HIV, with young people aged 15 to 24 years accounting for 33,317 cases.

However, the Ghana AIDS Commission revealed that Ghana recorded a decline in new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths, with the latest national estimates.

The Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) disclosed that the 2025 National HIV Estimates and Projections report indicates that new HIV infections reduced from 16,189 in 2024 to 13,951 in 2025.

They further detailed that AIDS-related deaths also declined from 13,429 to 12,051 within the same period, representing nearly a 14% reduction.

See the post below:

@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ
@ghnow_ Hon. Ewurabena Aubynn is empowering constituents of Ablekuma North through poultry farming by distributing birds and supporting sustainable livelihood opportunities. 🐔🇬🇭 #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ

Computerised School Selection and Placement to be released tomorrow – Education Ministry

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Computerised School Selection and Placement to be released tomorrow – Education Ministry

The Education Ministry has announced that the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) results will be released tomorrow, Friday, September 4.

According to the Education Ministry, they are fully prepared to release the placement results tomorrow, Friday, September 4, after delays caused by thousands of candidates who were unable to upload their data.

Speaking on the Joy FM Super Morning Show on Thursday, September 3, Press Secretary and Spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, Hashmin Mohammed stated, “We are set to release the placement results tomorrow [Friday]. When we thought we could release it as of last week, unfortunately, we had some students who were unable to load their data into the CSSPS system. And then, looking at the number, the number was huge”.

“If we are operating on an equity-based system, we needed to offer them the opportunity to extend the date so that they would be able to upload their data into the system for them to be placed into a school,” he said.

“One of the requirements is that once you are qualified, you need to be placed into a school,” he said.

“As I am speaking to you now, we’ve had about 18,000 who have inputted their data into the system,” he disclosed.

“The remaining 2,000, we know where they are. They are the special needs schools. And special needs schools, they don’t need to go through the choice confirmation,” he explained.

“Their schools only give us the list, and then we place them manually into the system because their schools are already defined,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Education Service (GES) has released the National Harmonised Prospectus for prospective Senior High School (SHS) and Senior High Technical School (SHTS) students for the 2026/2027 academic year.

The National Harmonised Prospectus is intended to guide parents and students on the essential items required for enrolment.

According to the GES, parents and students preparing for the next stage of their education must carefully review the prospectus and make the necessary preparations ahead of the new academic year.

The GES also urged schools and relevant stakeholders to adhere to the requirements outlined in the prospectus to ensure a smooth, consistent and standardised admission process nationwide.

In a statement signed by Daniel Fenyi, Head of Public Relations at GES read, “Ahead of the release of the school placements, this prospectus is intended to provide parents and students with clear guidance on the essential items required for enrolment, ensuring that all newly admitted SHS students are adequately prepared to begin the academic year”.

“Parents and students are encouraged to carefully review the prospectus and make the necessary preparations ahead of the commencement of the 2026/2027 academic year”.

“Schools and other relevant stakeholders are also expected to adhere to the requirements outlined in the National Harmonised Prospectus to ensure a smooth, consistent and standardised admission process nationwide,” the statement added.

Also, Sherif Sulemana, the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) Secretariat Coordinator, has announced that about 565,000 candidates who sat for the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) have qualified for placement into Senior High Schools.

He detailed that out of the nearly 620,000 who sat for the exams, about 565,000 candidates have qualified for placement into Senior High Schools.

Speaking on JoyFM’s Super Morning Show on Thursday, September 3, Mr Sherif stated, “

“Based on our analysis, we have about 565,000 qualified for placement this year,” he said.

“Those people have not failed in either English or Mathematics. So, you are disqualified from placement if you have failed in either English or Mathematics,” Mr Sherif explained.

He disclosed that the examination results also revealed varying levels of performance among candidates.

“You find out somebody got one, somebody got ten over 100, somebody got, say, twelve, twenty over 100, and that qualifies as a failure,” he said.

Mr Sherif further disclosed that approximately 55,000 candidates did not meet the requirements for placement.

When asked about the number of candidates who did not qualify for placement, he stated, “There are about 55,000”.

“If you look at the data for the performance of the candidates, we only had about 17 per cent of the candidates getting aggregates from 6 to 18,” he said.

“We only had about 252,000, or about 35 per cent of the candidates, getting from aggregate 6 to 24,” he added.

@ghnow_ Shatta Wale departs to Kumasi for a show #GHNow #fyp ♬ Body Pains – SHATTA WALE
@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ

This is why a UK MP’s $11k salary is the same as a Ghanaian MP’s $5.3k salary

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This is why a UK MP’s $11k salary is the same as a Ghanaian MP’s $5.3k salary

Bright Simons, the Vice President of IMANI Africa, has explained why the United Kingdom MP’s $11,000 salary is the same as a Ghanaian MP’s $5300 salary.

In a social media post, Bright Simons compared the salary of a UK MP and a Ghanaian MP via purchasing power parity to UK MPs’ higher nominal pay, adjusting for Ghana’s lower costs in Accra versus London.

His post further contrasts the pay gap between Ghanaian nurses who earn about 8% of an MP’s salary versus 40% for equivalent UK NHS nurses, highlighting a 12.5x socioeconomic distance imposed by public pay policy.

Bright Simons further noted that Gen Z commentators are challenging the justification for such disparities more forcefully than prior generations.

In a post on X, Bright Simons wrote, “*Policy Bites from the News Reel*

Analyst Caleb Ziblim at Ghanaian media giant Multimedia says Ghanaian Members of Parliament (MPs) have been given a 100% pay hike.

Their base salary has thus jumped from GHS 30,000 to GHS 60,000.

When millennial Shatta Wale heard that Ghanaian MPs earn $2650 (GHS 30,000) a month. He expressed total shock.

First, he says it is ridiculously small. Second, he doesn’t think that if that were true, MPs would be able to afford the cars and houses he sees them in.

Shatta clearly wouldn’t see anything wrong about MPs earning $5300 a month. It might make their cars and houses less incongruous.

In fact, some millennials point to MPs of the United Kingdom earning $11,000 base pay a month.

Gen Zee commentators (analyst Caleb Ziblim’s kind and kin) are like: “wait a frigging minute!” Look, we have Internet, okay?

First, there is something called Purchasing Power Parity. A dollar in the UK buys less than it does in Ghana and a bit more in the US, home of the dollar.

So, the $11k the UK MP earns is actually like $12,240. And the $5300 the Ghanaian MP earns feels more like $12,220. Almost equal!

Then there is the cost of living. UK MPs must work in London and keep a flat there. Ghanaian MPs work in Accra. Accra rent (crazy as it is) is still ~60% lower than in Greater London.

So, what’s with the pre-internet arithmetic, Gen Zees dare Millennials.

Well, for us policy analysts, the real issue is how to set the socioeconomic distance between politicians and the average citizen by fiat of public pay policy.

The average band 5 NHS nurse (entry-level degree nurse) with 4 years’ experience hits ~$4400 a month. That is 40% of the salary of a UK MP.

A GHS nurse of equivalent standing (using Single Spine 18L rank in 2024 with ~19% cumulative adjustment since then) earns about $425 a month, base. That is 8% of the Ghanaian MP’s base.

A whopping 12.5x socioeconomic distance imposed by public pay policy. Even at the old pay scale, it would still be more than 600% higher than a degree nurse.

Methinks this time, Gen Zees are sounding more serious than Millennials.

Howzat?”

The Vice President of IMANI Africa’s remarks follow reports by Joynews Analyst Caleb Ziblim, who revealed that Ghanaian Members of Parliament (MPs) have been given a 100% pay hike.

According to Caleb Ziblim, the projected amount is derived from the new salary structure that took effect in 2025, following an adjustment in the salaries of MPs, ministers and other public officials under the Mahama government.

He disclosed that MPs previously received about GH¢30,000 a month up to 2024 before the adjustment was made.

Caleb Ziblim further stressed that the GH¢60,000 figure does not include the allowances MPs receive.

In a video shared on X, Caleb Ziblim, Research and Data Analyst at JoyNews, disclosed, saying, “So, we know that for the past four years, the MPs, ministers and all of that were making about GH¢30,000 a month, but then from 2025 going, they are now making GH¢60,000 a month, so that’s about the problem”.

“About GH¢30,000 four years ago up to 2024. So, after 2024, there’s an adjustment in our salaries, and now the new salary structure will mean that the basic salary is about GH¢60,000 every month,” he stated.

“That’s without the allowances. So, that’s about double,” he added.

“So, we are assuming that the jump from 100 million to now 248 million is because the president is now using the new and approved salary structure by Parliament, so this could explain why the jump from 100 million to 248 million,” he explained.

See the post below:

@ghnow_ Hon. Ewurabena Aubynn is empowering constituents of Ablekuma North through poultry farming by distributing birds and supporting sustainable livelihood opportunities. 🐔🇬🇭 #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Adu Boahene spotted at the Accra High Court earlier today #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

Watch GAF’s incredible journey on the 176km Accra-Kumasi expressway project with just 6km to go

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Watch GAF’s incredible journey on the 176km Accra-Kumasi expressway project with just 6km to go

The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) have shared a video update on their near-completion of clearing the 176km Accra-Kumasi Expressway, with just 6km remaining to reach Sawua.

The video highlighted disciplined day-and-night operations using bulldozers and heavy equipment to clear the 176km Accra-Kumasi Expressway.

GAF’s video documents engineering progress, planning sessions, and community engagement.

The video shared by the Ghana Armed. Forces was captioned, THE RACE TO SAWUA

The finish line is in sight. Out of 176 kilometres of challenging terrain, just 6 KM REMAIN!

The elite Ghana Armed Forces Engineers have pushed through with absolute grit.

Watch the incredible journey of military discipline, precision, and unwavering service to the nation. The Race to Sawua is almost won!”

The video has drawn praise from Ghanaians who recommend assigning more road projects to the military for timely, high-quality results.

Some Ghanaians reacting to GAF’s video stated, “Wow am amazed and honestly this is a strong message to other Africans Nations Across African. Keep the great job going; maybe God bless and keep the defenders of the African nations”.

A netizen added, “Seeing this brings me so much joy. I hope the presidency rewards the entire project and subsequent projects to the GAF. Kudos, our men!”.

One X user added, “If this number of machines are the only machines used and they’ve reached this far then that’s a massive discipline and focus on the work done. Kudos”.

Additionally, a netizen added, “This is what we expect from @GhArmedForces .. you are Ghanaians before becoming this institution.. it shouldn’t stop here, help US develop the country. Also consider helping the ministries follow up on developments eg: contracted roads, building etc.. be part of our growth!!!”

It will be recalled that during the 2025 budget presentation, Ato Forson disclosed that the Accra-Kumasi Expressway is the flagship of President Mohammed’s Big Push infrastructure program.

According to the Finance Minister, the project will include eight interchanges, three major bridges, round-the-clock service areas, and automated tolls, aiming to boost connectivity between Accra and Kumasi.

He disclosed that it will be “Ghana’s first fully modern six-lane bi-directional Class A expressway, a highway worthy of a nation on the rise. Stretching 198.7 kilometres, this expressway will become the central spine of Ghana’s economy, linking our capital city, Accra and Kumasi, the heartbeat of the Ashanti Region and also cutting through the Greater Accra and Eastern Regions, creating a powerful southern-northern economic corridor that connects people, markets, and opportunities. To achieve this, the expressway follows a brand new alignment.”

Watch the video below:

@ghnow_ Hon. Ewurabena Aubynn is empowering constituents of Ablekuma North through poultry farming by distributing birds and supporting sustainable livelihood opportunities. 🐔🇬🇭 #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ
@ghnow_ Hon. Ewurabena Aubynn is empowering constituents of Ablekuma North through poultry farming by distributing birds and supporting sustainable livelihood opportunities. 🐔🇬🇭 #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

“CJ Baffoe-Bonnie must resign” – People’s Alliance for Governance and Accountability demands 

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“CJ Baffoe-Bonnie must resign” – People’s Alliance for Governance and Accountability demands 

The People’s Alliance for Governance and Accountability (PAGA) has demanded the resignation of Chief Justice, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, following his tour of state-owned institutions.

According to PAGA, the Chief Justice’s decision to question what Ghana had been doing over the previous eight years was not a neutral comment about judicial administration.

They argued that it was a political assessment of the record of a previous government and an endorsement of institutions operating under the present government.

Their statement comes on the heels of Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, who questioned how Ghana sank so low in the past eight years under the former administration.

The Chief Justice expressed astonishment at the performance of some state institutions over the past eight years.

According to Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, comparing the current progress of some state institutions with their performance over the past eight years, he wonders what went wrong in the last eight years.

The Chief Justice lauded the performance of the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) and other public institutions under the current Mahama administration.

Speaking during a visit to MIIF on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, he said he was impressed by what he had seen at the institution and other state entities.

Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie stated, “I must congratulate you. I mean, you have done marvellously well. Sometimes, when we hear about the things that you have done and the things that some organisations are doing now, we wonder. Some of us keep wondering what we really have been doing in the past eight years”.

“We’ve just come back from SSNIT. We went to SSNIT this morning, and the kind of things that we heard and what we had heard even before we went there, if you compare that with the fact that, not too long ago, SSNIT was preparing to sell its prized assets like the Labadi Beach Hotel, you wonder how Ghana could have sunk so low,” he added.

Read the People’s Alliance for Governance and Accountability statement below:

  1. 1.The People’s Alliance for Governance and Accountability (PAGA) is deeply troubled by the decision of the Chief Justice, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, to tour state-owned institutions, including the Minerals Income Investment Fund and the Social Security and National Insurance Trust, and to make public comments praising their current performance.
  2. During his visit to MIIF, the Chief Justice reportedly questioned what Ghana had been doing over the previous eight years. This was not a neutral comment about judicial administration. It was a political assessment of the record of a previous government and an endorsement of institutions operating under the present government.
  3. The Chief Justice is not a government spokesperson, development commissioner or supervisor of state-owned enterprises. He is the head of the Judiciary. His primary duty is to protect the courts, improve justice delivery and preserve public trust in the independence of judges.
  4. Articles 125 and 127 of the 1992 Constitution establish the Judiciary as an independent arm of government. This independence must be real and visible. A Chief Justice who tours institutions controlled by the Executive and publicly praises their performance weakens the distance that should exist between the Judiciary and the political administration of the state.
  5. There may be nothing improper about the Chief Justice meeting public officials on matters affecting the courts. The problem arises when such visits become tours of government institutions and are followed by comments that appear to praise one administration while condemning the record of another. That crosses a dangerous line.
  6. MIIF, SSNIT and other state institutions may become parties to cases before the courts. Their decisions, investments, contracts and use of public funds may be challenged by citizens, workers, pensioners, companies or political actors. How can those parties be confident of an impartial hearing when the head of the Judiciary has already praised the performance of the institutions concerned?
  7. Justice must be delivered without fear, favour or political attachment. It must also be seen to be delivered in that manner. The test is not limited to whether the Chief Justice believes he can remain impartial. The public must be able to look at his conduct and reasonably trust that no party has received favour or gained privileged access.
  8. These visits create a serious appearance of bias and a possible conflict of interest. Should a dispute involving any of these institutions reach the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice’s previous praise may become an issue. This is an avoidable burden on the Judiciary and an unnecessary threat to the credibility of future proceedings.
  9. Ghana’s courts already face delays, overcrowded dockets, poor infrastructure, limited access outside the major cities and declining public confidence. The Chief Justice should be leading a national effort to address these problems. Touring state-owned enterprises and passing judgment on the performance of governments does nothing to reduce the suffering of citizens waiting years for justice.
  10. Former Chief Justices maintained the restraint, distance and dignity required by the office. We are unaware of any Chief Justice in the Fourth Republic who embarked on such tours and publicly assessed the comparative performance of state institutions under competing political administrations. Justice Baffoe-Bonnie is lowering the standard of an office that must remain above partisan politics.
  11. His conduct also raises a wider question of trust. A Chief Justice who publicly praises institutions associated with the Executive cannot expect citizens to ignore the perception created by his own words and actions. Confidence in the courts cannot be commanded. It must be earned through restraint, fairness and visible independence.
  12. PAGA has therefore lost confidence in Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie’s judgment and ability to protect the political neutrality of the office of Chief Justice. His conduct does not inspire confidence in his leadership of the Judiciary.
  13. The Chief Justice’s conduct creates the disturbing impression that he is sacrificing the independence of his office to gain favour with the Executive,  in pursuit of recognition or a future appointment to the Council of State after his retirement.
  14. We call on Justice Baffoe-Bonnie to resign as Chief Justice in the interest of the Judiciary and the Republic. If he refuses to resign, the bodies and persons clothed with constitutional authority must consider the lawful processes available under Article 146 of the Constitution.
  15. We also call on the Judicial Council to examine these visits and issue clear rules governing the engagement of serving judges with the Executive, political officeholders and state-owned institutions. Judicial officers must not place themselves in situations that create reasonable doubts about their independence or impartiality.
  16. This is a defence of the Judiciary. Courts derive their authority from public confidence. Once citizens begin to see the head of the Judiciary as an ally, admirer or public defender of an administration, every politically sensitive decision of the courts becomes open to suspicion.
  17. Justice Baffoe-Bonnie must understand that he holds the office in trust for the people of Ghana. The Judiciary does not belong to a government, political party or group of state officials. It belongs to the Republic.
  18. The Chief Justice has placed that trust in danger. He should take responsibility and leave office before further harm is done to the standing of the Judiciary and the administration of justice in Ghana.

Signed

People’s Alliance for Governance and Accountability (PAGA)

@ghnow_ Hon. Ewurabena Aubynn is empowering constituents of Ablekuma North through poultry farming by distributing birds and supporting sustainable livelihood opportunities. 🐔🇬🇭 #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Hon. Ewurabena Aubynn is empowering constituents of Ablekuma North through poultry farming by distributing birds and supporting sustainable livelihood opportunities. 🐔🇬🇭 #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ

Over 23,000 living with HIV in Western Region as 3 new cases are recorded daily

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Over 23,000 living with HIV in Western Region as 3 new cases are recorded daily

The Ghana AIDS Commission disclosed that its 2025 HIV projected figures released this year show that about 23,000 people are currently living with HIV in the Western Region.

According to the Ghana AIDS Commission, an estimated three new infections are recorded every day in the Western Region.

 Antonio Francis, the Western Regional Technical Coordinator of the Ghana AIDS Commission, however, revealed that there has been a slight decline in the rate of new infections.

He stressed that failure to reduce new HIV infections through a combination of effective treatment and multiple prevention measures could undermine Ghana’s goal of ending AIDS by 2030.

Speaking to Channel One TV in Sekondi during an HIV/AIDS Stakeholders Review Meeting, Antonio Francis stated, “Per the 2025 HIV estimates and projections which were done by the Ghana AIDS Commission and the report came out this year, we can say that for the Western Region, we have roughly 23,000 plus people that we estimate are living with the virus in the region.

“If you look at the rate of new infections, it has reduced slightly from somewhere around 992 persons newly infected with HIV.

“What this means is that, if you should do a further breakdown, it means that every day we are getting at least three people getting infected in the region.”

In other news, the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) has announced that Ghana will begin deploying condom vending machines across the country by the last quarter of 2026 in efforts to boost HIV prevention.

According to the AIDS Commission, the machines are expected to be installed at lorry stations, mosques, stadia and shopping malls, to enable people to obtain condoms privately.

The AIDS Commission also revealed plans to extend the initiative to public institutions like washrooms in ministries, departments, agencies and financial institutions.

Director-General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Dr Kharmacelle Prosper Akanbong, revealed that machines would be designed differently depending on the characteristics of the communities.

Speaking at the dissemination meeting in Accra on the 2026 HIV Estimates and Projections, Dr Kharmacelle Prosper Akanbong stated, “The machines will not all be the same. Depending on the peculiar characteristics of a local population, the machine deployed could be electronically operated or manually administered”.

He further recounted that Ghana had previously introduced condom vending machines that dispensed packs of three condoms for 50 pesewas, but the programme collapsed after many of the machines were vandalised.

“People were forcefully emptying the machines to take the coins,” he said.

Also, the Ghana AIDS Commission have revealed that about 337,435 Ghanaian people of all ages are currently living with HIV in Ghana, with 13,951 new infections recorded in 2025.

Out of the 337,435 Ghanaians living with HIV,  315,513 are adults aged 15 years and above, while 21,922 are children below 15 years.

Also, 19,528 adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19 are living with HIV, with young people aged 15 to 24 years accounting for 33,317 cases.

However, the Ghana AIDS Commission revealed that Ghana recorded a decline in new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths, with the latest national estimates.

The Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) disclosed that the 2025 National HIV Estimates and Projections report indicates that new HIV infections reduced from 16,189 in 2024 to 13,951 in 2025.

They further detailed that AIDS-related deaths also declined from 13,429 to 12,051 within the same period, representing nearly a 14% reduction.

@ghnow_ Adu Boahene spotted at the Accra High Court earlier today #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Former Ghanaian boxer Ayitey Powers has apologised to NSA Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah following his arrest over alleged threats, pleading for his forgiveness. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

Retract or resign and join NDC – NPP issues ultimatum to Chief Justice

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Retract or resign and join NDC – NPP issues ultimatum to Chief Justice

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has issued an ultimatum to the Chief Justice, Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, to resign and formally join the National Democratic Congress (NDC) after what it describes as partisan political comments.

According to the NPP, the Chief Justice must retract his partisan political comments or resign and join the NDC.

The NPP General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, in a statement issued on September 3, 2026, described the comments by the Chief Justice as inappropriate for the head of Ghana’s Judiciary.

The NPP argued that the Chief Justice, as head of an independent arm of government, must remain politically neutral and uphold his judicial oath to administer justice without fear, favour, affection or ill will.

They further criticised the Chief Justice’s frequent presence at events involving political appointees of the current government, stressing that such conduct could undermine public confidence in the Judiciary’s neutrality.

The NPP further questioned the Chief Justice’s reported commitment to doing everything possible to ensure the success of the President’s agenda, particularly as some persons associated with the NPP are facing prosecution under the government’s Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) initiative.

“A Chief Justice swears a single oath, and it is to the Constitution: to no President, no party and no agenda,” the party stated.

The NPP statement comes on the heels of Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, who questioned how Ghana sank so low in the past eight years under the former administration.

The Chief Justice expressed astonishment at the performance of some state institutions over the past eight years.

According to Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, comparing the current progress of some state institutions with their performance over the past eight years, he wonders what went wrong in the last eight years.

The Chief Justice lauded the performance of the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) and other public institutions under the current Mahama administration.

Speaking during a visit to MIIF on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, he said he was impressed by what he had seen at the institution and other state entities.

Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie stated, “I must congratulate you. I mean, you have done marvellously well. Sometimes, when we hear about the things that you have done and the things that some organisations are doing now, we wonder. Some of us keep wondering what we really have been doing in the past eight years”.

“We’ve just come back from SSNIT. We went to SSNIT this morning, and the kind of things that we heard and what we had heard even before we went there, if you compare that with the fact that, not too long ago, SSNIT was preparing to sell its prized assets like the Labadi Beach Hotel, you wonder how Ghana could have sunk so low,” he added.

Below is the NPP’s full statement…

“The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has taken note, with profound shock and disgust, of a video circulating publicly in which the Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana descends from the sacred heights of the Bench into the trenches of partisan politics, offering comparative political commentary to the effect that the current NDC government and its appointed CEOs are performing better than the eight years of the previous NPP administration.

Let it be stated plainly: this is not the language of a Chief Justice. It is the language of a party propagandist, of a kind exclusively reserved for NDC communicators and serial callers, and it has no place whatsoever in the mouth of the head of Ghana’s Judiciary.

The Constitution of the Fourth Republic, in Articles 125 and 127, establishes the Judiciary as an independent arm of government, subject to neither the control nor the direction of any person or authority, and the judicial oath binds the Chief Justice above all to do justice to all manner of persons without fear or favour, affection or ill will. Regrettably, this video is no isolated lapse.

It is the culmination of a pattern the nation has observed with mounting alarm. Long before this pronouncement, the Chief Justice had made himself a familiar presence at the functions of political appointees of this government. A Chief Justice who travels and celebrates as a courtier of the Executive cannot thereafter sit as a neutral umpire in cases to which the Executive is a party. He has presented himself not as the impartial head of an independent Judiciary but as a leading member of the National Democratic Congress in judicial robes, and if political commentary is his true vocation, he should resign forthwith and formally take up membership of the NDC, where such contributions are handsomely rewarded.

The NPP jokes not with his declared vow that everything must be done to ensure that the agenda of the President succeeds. Which agenda, My Lord? The President’s declared agenda includes Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL), under which persons associated with the NPP are being arraigned before the very courts over which he presides.

When the head of the Judiciary pledges his exertions to the success of the Executive’s agenda, what conclusion is an accused person standing in the dock, or indeed any citizen, to draw? A Chief Justice swears a single oath, and it is to the Constitution: to no President, no party and no agenda.

The day he does otherwise, he ceases to be a judge and becomes an instrument of the very power he was appointed to check. We have already observed the extraordinary alacrity with which vacation warrants have been issued in special political cases involving members of the NPP. The incarceration of Chairman Wontumi is evidence enough: justice in this Republic now proceeds at two speeds, remarkable haste for opponents of the government and serene leisure for its friends. In the considered view of the NPP, this is the agenda at work, the judicial machinery by which the President’s wish to see persons associated with the NPP imprisoned is being brought to pass.

The Chief Justice’s words and conduct lend chilling credence to the widespread concern that the leadership of the Judiciary is coordinating with Jubilee House. By word and by deed, he has shut the door of justice against every Ghanaian who declines to sing from the President’s hymn sheet and has willed and surrendered the Judiciary to the President and his agenda men.

A Judiciary that vows loyalty to a President’s agenda is no Judiciary at all; it is a third chamber of Jubilee House, distinguished only by its robes. We cannot overlook the ironical part of all these developments: that several courts and offices of the Judiciary lie in disarray: courtrooms crumbling, registries overwhelmed and staff labouring under conditions that directly affect justice delivery. He has not visited a single one of these ailing courts to assess their deplorable state, nor raised his voice for their retooling and refurbishment. He has instead metamorphosed into the monitoring and evaluation officer of the Executive, abandoning his own collapsing house to tour the state agencies of the government for purposes known only to God.

With respect, My Lord, the leaking roofs are in your courts, not in the ministries. He has delivered no reforms to improve justice delivery and no relief for the litigant strangled by delay; his one visible programme has been the hatchet job of targeting opposition voices. A Chief Justice whose legacy is persecution rather than reform has forfeited every claim to the confidence of the nation. The NPP hereby serves notice that it will in due course convene a major press conference at which the full record of the Chief Justice’s appalling conduct will be laid before the nation in unsparing detail.

The Judiciary belongs neither to the President, nor to the NDC, nor to the Chief Justice; it belongs to the people of Ghana, who are entitled under the Constitution to courts that are blind to politics. 2 We therefore demand that the Chief Justice immediately and unreservedly retract his partisan commentary and his vow of loyalty to the President’s agenda or, failing that, resign forthwith and formally join the NDC, whose cause he has chosen to champion from the Bench and that the President immediately fill the Council of State vacancy and publicly disavow any arrangement touching the Chief Justice’s post-retirement future.

The courtroom is the last refuge of the ordinary Ghanaian, and the NPP will resist its conversion into an instrument of political persecution with every lawful means at our disposal. History will record who stood where when the independence of Ghana’s courts was put to the test. God bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong”.

See the statement below:

@ghnow_ Ghana represented at the 2026 Yosakoi Festival in Kochi, Japan 🇯🇵 The Yosakoi Festival is one of Japan's 10 largest festivals. It has been held for more than 60 years as a summer pastime for people in Kochi. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Adu Boahene spotted at the Accra High Court earlier today #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

Sammy Gyamfi files motion to strike out Afenyo-Markin’s suit, calls it ‘incurably defective and incompetent’

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Sammy Gyamfi files motion to strike out Afenyo-Markin’s suit, calls it ‘incurably defective and incompetent’

Lawyers for Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) CEO Sammy Gyamfi have filed a motion to set aside the defamation suit filed by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin.

According to reports, Sammy Gyamfi, through his lawyers, has filed a motion for the court to set aside the Minority Leader’s defamation suit, describing the writ as incurably defective and incompetent.

The post shared by TV3 on X stated, “Lawyers for GoldBod CEO Sammy Gyamfi have filed a motion to set aside the defamation suit filed by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, describing the writ as incurably defective and incompetent”.

The development follows Sammy Gyamfi ordering his lawyers to formally notify the High Court of their readiness to accept service of a writ filed against him by the Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin.

According to Sammy Gyamfi, he has not been served with any writ in regard to Afenyo-Markin’s announcement in Parliament on Monday, August 24, that he had initiated legal action against him.

Sammy Gyamfi, through his lawyers, Ayine & Partners, has now written to the Registrar of the High Court, General Division, Accra, expressly authorising his lawyers to accept service of the writ and all accompanying processes on his behalf.

His notice dated August 26, 2026, is headed: “Notice to Accept Service of Writ on Behalf of the 1st Defendant in Osahen Alexander Afenyo-Markin v. Samuel Adu Gyamfi and Anor.”

The notice was signed by Seth Nyaaba, Solicitor for the 1st Defendant, on behalf of Ayine & Partners.

The solicitors disclosed that they had received “express instructions and authority” from Mr Gyamfi, the first defendant in the suit, to accept service of the writ of summons and all accompanying originating processes.

They further directed the court to take notice that service of the writ and any accompanying processes could be effected on Mr Gyamfi through their chambers at Ayine and Partners, House No. C809/29, 1st Close Lily Street, East Legon, Accra

Meanwhile, Lawyers for Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the plaintiff in a defamation suit against Ghana Gold Board Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi, have denied claims that he is avoiding service of the writ filed against the accused.

On August 29, 2026, in a statement issued, Afenyo-Markin said assertions suggesting that he had failed to serve Gyamfi were false.

They disclosed that the writ was filed on August 24, 2026, and two days later, lawyers for Gyamfi, Ayine & Partners, formally informed the Registrar of the High Court that they had their client’s express instructions and authority to accept service on his behalf.

The statement added that the Bailiff subsequently served the writ on Gyamfi’s lawyers based on the written undertaking.

The statement further alleged that the lawyers returned the writ on August 27, claiming that their client had changed his mind about authorising them to accept service.

They further argued that in any event, under Order 7, rule 12(2) of the High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, a writ is duly served once it is delivered to a lawyer who has undertaken in writing to accept service on behalf of a client, adding that  Sammy Gyamfi has been validly served.

See the post below:

@ghnow_ Former Ghanaian boxer Michael Ayitey Okai, popularly known as Ayitey Powers, has been freed after the Dansoman Circuit Court discontinued the case against him over an alleged death threat against National Sports Authority (NSA) Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Ghana represented at the 2026 Yosakoi Festival in Kochi, Japan 🇯🇵 The Yosakoi Festival is one of Japan's 10 largest festivals. It has been held for more than 60 years as a summer pastime for people in Kochi. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

FDA cracks down on unregistered baby diapers

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FDA cracks down on unregistered baby diapers

The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has intensified market targeting of unregistered baby diapers and other diaper products being sold without the required regulatory approval.

According to the Authority, they cannot vouch for the safety, quality or effectiveness of products that have not been registered and assessed under its regulatory framework.

The FDA disclosed that its two-day exercise is being conducted in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis and the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality, with officials inspecting shops, warehouses and other points of sale.

The authority disclosed that the operation is aimed at identifying and removing unregistered baby diapers from the market, adding that its checks will extend to all diaper products, including adult diapers, that do not have the required registration.

John Laryea Odai-Tettey, the Western Regional Director of the FDA, said the Authority cannot guarantee the safety or quality of products that have not undergone the required registration and assessment processes.

“Adult diapers and other related products found without the necessary registration will also be taken off the market. Unregistered products remain a major concern because their safety, quality, and effectiveness cannot be guaranteed,” Mr Laryea said.

In related news, the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has cracked down on Arcan Bitters, ordering Unni Associates Company Limited to recall the product from the market within 14 days.

According to the FDA, the manufacturing facility located at Parkoso in the Asokore Mampong Municipality of the Ashanti Region has also been shut down.

The FDA disclosed that laboratory tests conducted on the 35% Alc/Vol drink revealed that it had been adulterated with Sildenafil Citrate, a Phosphodiesterase Type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor commonly used to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary arterial hypertension.

The FDA highlighted that the inclusion of an undeclared pharmaceutical ingredient in a registered food product poses severe health risks to consumers.

The FDA further emphasised that the adulteration breaches Section 100(3) of the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851), which prohibits the production, sale, or advertisement of adulterated products or goods that deviate from prescribed safety standards.

The Authority also noted that labelling and packaging a food item misleadingly or deceptively constitutes a regulatory offence.

“The presence of Sildenafil Citrate in a food product poses serious health and safety risks to the public. Sildenafil Citrate can interact with other medicines to cause a sudden drop in blood pressure, which may lead to stroke and heart attack,” the FDA stated in an official public notice. The regulator added that exposure to the substance “may cause long-term health problems, including loss of vision and hearing”.

“Arcan Bitters appears to have flouted all these requirements and more. Arcan Bitters is registered with the Authority as a Food Product (an alcoholic drink) and must not contain any drug substance,” the statement noted.

@ghnow_ Adu Boahene spotted at the Accra High Court earlier today #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Former Ghanaian boxer Michael Ayitey Okai, popularly known as Ayitey Powers, has been freed after the Dansoman Circuit Court discontinued the case against him over an alleged death threat against National Sports Authority (NSA) Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

Police killed 2, injured 19 during Gomoa-New Winneba clash – A-Plus alleges

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Police killed 2, injured 19 during Gomoa-New Winneba clash – A-Plus alleges

Kwame Asare Obeng, popularly known as A-Plus, the Member of Parliament for Gomoa Central, has shockingly alleged that police officers killed two people and injured 19 during the violent clash between residents of Gomoa Oguaakrom and New Winneba in the Central Region.

According to A-Plus, the police arrived at the scene with live ammunition and opened fire on residents.

Kwame A-Plus further alleged that one of the victims was shot dead about two kilometres from the main scene of the confrontation.

Speaking on Eyewitness News on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, A-Plus alleged, saying, “The police came there, shot and injured 19 people, and killed two. Where did the police come from? They got a call from somewhere, and I suspect that it was a higher authority. They were given express orders. They were killed by police”.

“One person even died about two kilometres away. These guys moved a motorbike, went there, saw the guy. Many people were standing there. He saw him; he called him; he said, ‘Don’t come close to me.’ When the guy moved, he just shot him in public. Shot and killed him there, point-blank. He has not been arrested,” he alleged.

He further added, “The police stated that the Gomoa people came with guns. Where is the evidence? Where is the evidence? Do you have any evidence to support that claim that Gomoa people came with guns to attack anybody?” he asked.

“When people went to police headquarters to attack and beat, physically attack a suspect at the police headquarters, what did the police do? The police couldn’t do anything,” he alleged.

“If somebody can go to the police headquarters, attack a suspect, beat him in the presence of police at the police headquarters, and the next day, the only thing they did was peace,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Police announced that three people have been confirmed dead and about 15 others injured following violent clashes in New Winneba.

According to the Police, the Tuesday, September 1, 2026 incident stems from 300 armed people with guns, stones, cutlasses and sticks from Gomoa Oguakrom, Gomoa Yenkuadze and Gomoa Pomadze who stormed New Winneba Township at about 10:40 a.m.

The armed men allegedly attacked residents and vandalised shops, stores and other properties belonging to residents of the community.

The Police disclosed that the injured, including a police officer, have been taken to the Trauma and Specialist Hospital in Winneba for treatment.

The Police statement issued on X stated, “POLICE BRING VIOLENCE AT NEW WINNEBA UNDER CONTROL: IGP DEPLOYS REINFORCEMENT TEAM TO ENHANCE SECURITY

On 01/09/2026 at 1040 hrs,  about 300 irate mob wielding guns, stones, cutlasses and sticks from Gomoa Oguakrom, Gomoa Yenkuadze and Gomoa Pomadze stormed the New Winneba Township, and other stores and residence of the natives, attacked them and caused damage to properties.

About 15 injured victims have been sent to the Trauma and Specialist Hospital in Winneba, including an officer, and 3 have been confirmed dead.

Meanwhile, police from Winneba Divisional Headquarters and Agona Swedru District Patrols have been deployed to control the situation.

The IGP has deployed a reinforcement team, including two armoured vehicles from the National Headquarters, to beef up security.

The situation is currently under control.

Full details will be communicated later.

Public Affairs Unit/CR

Chief Inspector Isaac Evans Ettie”.

@ghnow_ Ghana represented at the 2026 Yosakoi Festival in Kochi, Japan 🇯🇵 The Yosakoi Festival is one of Japan's 10 largest festivals. It has been held for more than 60 years as a summer pastime for people in Kochi. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Former Ghanaian boxer Michael Ayitey Okai, popularly known as Ayitey Powers, has been freed after the Dansoman Circuit Court discontinued the case against him over an alleged death threat against National Sports Authority (NSA) Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

FDA cracks down on Arcan Bitters, orders product recall within 14 days

Makay
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0
FDA cracks down on Arcan Bitters, orders product recall within 14 days

The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has cracked down on Arcan Bitters, ordering Unni Associates Company Limited to recall the product from the market within 14 days.

According to the FDA, the manufacturing facility located at Parkoso in the Asokore Mampong Municipality of the Ashanti Region has also been shut down.

The FDA disclosed that laboratory tests conducted on the 35% Alc/Vol drink revealed that it had been adulterated with Sildenafil Citrate, a Phosphodiesterase Type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor commonly used to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary arterial hypertension.

The FDA highlighted that the inclusion of an undeclared pharmaceutical ingredient in a registered food product poses severe health risks to consumers.

The FDA further emphasised that the adulteration breaches Section 100(3) of the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851), which prohibits the production, sale, or advertisement of adulterated products or goods that deviate from prescribed safety standards.

The Authority also noted that labelling and packaging a food item misleadingly or deceptively constitutes a regulatory offence.

“The presence of Sildenafil Citrate in a food product poses serious health and safety risks to the public. Sildenafil Citrate can interact with other medicines to cause a sudden drop in blood pressure, which may lead to stroke and heart attack,” the FDA stated in an official public notice. The regulator added that exposure to the substance “may cause long-term health problems, including loss of vision and hearing”.

“Arcan Bitters appears to have flouted all these requirements and more. Arcan Bitters is registered with the Authority as a Food Product (an alcoholic drink) and must not contain any drug substance,” the statement noted.

In other news, the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), with the support of the Ghana Police Service and National Security, has stormed Makola Market in Accra to seize cigarette-shaped candy being sold at the Makola Market in Accra.

Reports suggest traders involved in the sale of cigarette-shaped toffees were also picked up.

The development follows complaints and social media posts raising concerns about the sale of the products on the Ghanaian market.

The FDA, in a Facebook post on Saturday, August 29, revealed that the products were seized during the operation.

They further disclosed that one suspect was arrested in connection with their sale.

According to the FDA, the depiction and advertising of tobacco and tobacco-related products are prohibited under the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851), and the Tobacco Control Regulations, 2016 (L.I. 2247).

They further disclosed that regulations prohibit the advertisement and depiction of tobacco and related products in the media and at points of sale.

The FDA highlighted that the enforcement action forms part of its efforts to ensure that regulated products available on the Ghanaian market are safe for the general public.

@ghnow_ Adu Boahene spotted at the Accra High Court earlier today #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Former Ghanaian boxer Ayitey Powers has apologised to NSA Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah following his arrest over alleged threats, pleading for his forgiveness. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

55,000 BECE candidates fail to meet school placement requirements – CSSPS

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55,000 BECE candidates fail to meet school placement requirements – CSSPS

The Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) Secretariat Coordinator, Sherif Sulemana, has disclosed that 55,000 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE)candidates fail to meet requirements for placement.

He detailed that out of the nearly 620,000 who sat for the BECE exams, about 565,000 candidates have qualified for placement into Senior High Schools.

He explained that candidates who fail in either English or Mathematics are disqualified, even if they perform well in other subjects.

Speaking on JoyFM’s Super Morning Show on Thursday, September 3, Mr Sherif stated, “Based on our analysis, we have about 565,000 qualified for placement this year”.

“Those people have not failed in either English or Mathematics. So, you are disqualified from placement if you have failed in either English or Mathematics,” Mr Sherif explained.

He disclosed that the examination results also revealed varying levels of performance among candidates.

“You find out somebody got one, somebody got ten over 100, somebody got, say, twelve, twenty over 100, and that qualifies as a failure,” he said.

Mr Sherif further disclosed that approximately 55,000 candidates did not meet the requirements for placement.

When asked about the number of candidates who did not qualify for placement, he stated, “There are about 55,000”.

“If you look at the data for the performance of the candidates, we only had about 17 per cent of the candidates getting aggregates from 6 to 18,” he said.

“We only had about 252,000, or about 35 per cent of the candidates, getting from aggregate 6 to 24,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Education Service (GES) has released the National Harmonised Prospectus for prospective Senior High School (SHS) and Senior High Technical School (SHTS) students for the 2026/2027 academic year.

The National Harmonised Prospectus is intended to guide parents and students on the essential items required for enrolment.

According to the GES, parents and students preparing for the next stage of their education must carefully review the prospectus and make the necessary preparations ahead of the new academic year.

The GES also urged schools and relevant stakeholders to adhere to the requirements outlined in the prospectus to ensure a smooth, consistent and standardised admission process nationwide.

In a statement signed by Daniel Fenyi, Head of Public Relations at GES read, “Ahead of the release of the school placements, this prospectus is intended to provide parents and students with clear guidance on the essential items required for enrolment, ensuring that all newly admitted SHS students are adequately prepared to begin the academic year”.

“Parents and students are encouraged to carefully review the prospectus and make the necessary preparations ahead of the commencement of the 2026/2027 academic year”.

“Schools and other relevant stakeholders are also expected to adhere to the requirements outlined in the National Harmonised Prospectus to ensure a smooth, consistent and standardised admission process nationwide,” the statement added.

@ghnow_ Former Ghanaian boxer Ayitey Powers has apologised to NSA Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah following his arrest over alleged threats, pleading for his forgiveness. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Adu Boahene spotted at the Accra High Court earlier today #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

Full list of GES 2026/2027 SHS National harmonised prospectus for admission

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Full list of GES 2026/2027 SHS National harmonised prospectus for admission

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has released the National Harmonised Prospectus for prospective Senior High School (SHS) and Senior High Technical School (SHTS) students for the 2026/2027 academic year.

The National Harmonised Prospectus is intended to guide parents and students on the essential items required for enrolment.

According to the GES, parents and students preparing for the next stage of their education must carefully review the prospectus and make the necessary preparations ahead of the new academic year.

The GES also urged schools and relevant stakeholders to adhere to the requirements outlined in the prospectus to ensure a smooth, consistent and standardised admission process nationwide.

In a statement signed by Daniel Fenyi, Head of Public Relations at GES read, “Ahead of the release of the school placements, this prospectus is intended to provide parents and students with clear guidance on the essential items required for enrolment, ensuring that all newly admitted SHS students are adequately prepared to begin the academic year”.

“Parents and students are encouraged to carefully review the prospectus and make the necessary preparations ahead of the commencement of the 2026/2027 academic year”.

“Schools and other relevant stakeholders are also expected to adhere to the requirements outlined in the National Harmonised Prospectus to ensure a smooth, consistent and standardised admission process nationwide,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, Sherif Sulemana, the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) Secretariat Coordinator, has announced that about 565,000 candidates who sat for the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) have qualified for placement into Senior High Schools.

He detailed that out of the nearly 620,000 who sat for the exams, about 565,000 candidates have qualified for placement into Senior High Schools.

Speaking on JoyFM’s Super Morning Show on Thursday, September 3, Mr Sherif stated, “

“Based on our analysis, we have about 565,000 qualified for placement this year,” he said.

“Those people have not failed in either English or Mathematics. So, you are disqualified from placement if you have failed in either English or Mathematics,” Mr Sherif explained.

He disclosed that the examination results also revealed varying levels of performance among candidates.

“You find out somebody got one, somebody got ten over 100, somebody got, say, twelve, twenty over 100, and that qualifies as a failure,” he said.

Mr Sherif further disclosed that approximately 55,000 candidates did not meet the requirements for placement.

When asked about the number of candidates who did not qualify for placement, he stated, “There are about 55,000”.

“If you look at the data for the performance of the candidates, we only had about 17 per cent of the candidates getting aggregates from 6 to 18,” he said.

“We only had about 252,000, or about 35 per cent of the candidates, getting from aggregate 6 to 24,” he added.

Below is the list of items outlined in the prospectus:

@ghnow_ Former Ghanaian boxer Ayitey Powers has apologised to NSA Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah following his arrest over alleged threats, pleading for his forgiveness. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Adu Boahene spotted at the Accra High Court earlier today #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

“Stay out of partisan political arena” – Prof Kwaku Asare tells CJ after his ‘past 8 years’ remark

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“Stay out of partisan political arena” – Prof Kwaku Asare tells CJ after his ‘past 8 years’ remark

Ghanaian legal scholar and law professor, Prof Kwaku Asare, popularly known as Kwaku Azar, has told the Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie to stay out of the partisan political arena.

Prof Kwaku Asare warned the Chief Justice against making public comments that could be perceived as partisan political statements.

He argued that although he understood the Chief Justice’s sentiment, he is worried about the phrase “the past eight years”.

Prof Kwaku Asare highlighted that the Chief Justice’s phrase “the past eight years” carries an unmistakable partisan meaning in Ghana’s political discourse that could be understood, fairly or unfairly.

In a Facebook post on September 2, 2026, labelled “The Burden of the Robe,” Prof Kwaku Asare wrote, “The Chief Justice is reported as saying:

“Sometimes when we hear how well some state organisations are doing now, we wonder what we’ve been doing for the past eight years and how Ghana could have sunk so low.”

I understand the sentiment. But I worry about the language.

“The past eight years” carries an unmistakable partisan meaning in our political discourse. Coming from the Chief Justice, it can therefore easily be understood, fairly or unfairly, as an assessment of one administration relative to another.

That is territory the head of the Judiciary should avoid.

Judges do not cease to be citizens when they assume office. But the robe necessarily constrains their public speech. This is especially so for the Chief Justice, whose words inevitably carry the institutional weight of the Judiciary.

We rightly insist that politicians respect judicial independence and stay out of the judicial arena.

The obligation is reciprocal.

Judges, particularly the Chief Justice, must also exercise the restraint necessary to stay out of the partisan political arena.

The point is not whether the observation is right or wrong. Nor is it about the motives of the speaker.

It is about protecting an institution.

There will be cases before our courts involving the acts and omissions of the previous government. There will be cases involving this government. No litigant should have reason to wonder whether the head of the Judiciary has formed a favourable or unfavourable view of any administration.

Judicial independence requires political restraint, from politicians toward judges, and from judges toward partisan politics.

The higher the judicial office, the heavier the burden of restraint.

PS: Yɛde post no bɛto hɔ. Yɛnyɛ comprehension consultants.

Da Yie!”

Prof Kwaku Asare’s comments come on the back of Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, who questioned how Ghana sank so low in the past eight years under the former administration.

The Chief Justice expressed astonishment at the performance of some state institutions over the past eight years.

According to Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, comparing the current progress of some state institutions with their performance over the past eight years, he wonders what went wrong in the last eight years.

The Chief Justice lauded the performance of the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) and other public institutions under the current Mahama administration.

Speaking during a visit to MIIF on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, he said he was impressed by what he had seen at the institution and other state entities.

Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie stated, “I must congratulate you. I mean, you have done marvellously well. Sometimes, when we hear about the things that you have done and the things that some organisations are doing now, we wonder. Some of us keep wondering what we really have been doing in the past eight years”.

“We’ve just come back from SSNIT. We went to SSNIT this morning, and the kind of things that we heard and what we had heard even before we went there, if you compare that with the fact that, not too long ago, SSNIT was preparing to sell its prized assets like the Labadi Beach Hotel, you wonder how Ghana could have sunk so low,” he added.

See the post below:

@ghnow_ Students of Mount Sinai SHS and Okuapeman School have clashed violently, with fires reportedly destroying facilities at both schools. Six Okuapeman students were injured, while several classrooms and other facilities were damaged. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – jack
@ghnow_ Adu Boahene spotted at the Accra High Court earlier today #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow

“Nothing will happen if the police fire at you and break your legs’ – Police Commander warns students

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“Nothing will happen if the police fire at you and break your legs’ – Police Commander warns students

DCOP Owusu-Bempah, the Eastern Regional Police Commander, has cautioned students of Okuapeman Senior High School and Mount Sinai Senior High School to desist from pelting stones at police officers.

The Police Commander warned that pelting stones or attacking police officers constitutes a criminal offence, warning that officers will use all lawful means available to defend themselves.

Speaking to the students on September 2, 2026, DCOP Owusu-Bempah stated, “And if they give the order for you to vacate the school and you decide not to vacate, or you vacate and decide to link up with some miscreants in town, those hoodlums who have been urging you to misbehave, we will look for you and treat you like a common criminal.

“And those of you who have been throwing and pelting policemen with stones, an attack on a policeman is a criminal offence. I heard that oftentimes when they come, you pelt them with stones.

“When I heard that, I was very upset. And you let them go free. If you pelt a policeman with stones, they will also find a way to defend themselves in whatever manner.”

The police officer further cautioned, “So, don’t say that because you are a student, you can just throw stones and hurl them at somebody’s father or mother. They will fire at you and break as many legs as they could, and nothing will happen to anyone.

“So, if you are here and you think that you are stubborn, that you are the one who can throw stones at the headmaster, pelt the teacher with stones, or set fire to government property, remember that some other people passed through this school.

“They didn’t ban the school; otherwise, you wouldn’t be here. It is your turn to also come and acquire knowledge and go and assist society. Then you have decided that you want to fight.”

The development follows the Eastern Regional Security Council (REGSEC) closing down the Okuapeman Senior High School and the Mount Sinai Senior High School in the Akuapem North Municipality.

The development follows a violent clash between students of Okuapeman Senior High School and Mount Sinai Senior High School in the Eastern Region has resulted in significant destruction of school property on both sides.

It has been alleged that the clash stemmed from a misunderstanding over tablets distributed to students by the Ghana Education Service (GES).

However, it is unclear what triggered the attacks, but the incident occurred at about 2 am on Wednesday, September 2, 2026.

Six students of Okuapeman SHS (OKUASS) were hospitalised after sustaining injuries.

According to the Okuapeman SHS headmaster, 4 of the students who were rushed to the hospital after the incident have been treated and discharged, with the remaining two still on admission.

The information gathered disclosed that the Visual Arts studio, the teachers office and 7 other classrooms at the Okuapeman SHS have all been burnt and also exams papers and certificates.

In Mount Sinai Senior High School, the storeroom and boys’ washroom have been burnt.

According to reports, REGSEC, after inspecting the extent of damages at both schools, subsequently directed the closure of both schools.

Students of Mount Sinai have been ordered to leave campus before 1 pm on Wednesday, September 2, while students of Okuapeman SHS leave on the morning of Thursday, September 3.

Eastern Regional Minister Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey, addressing students, described the incident as unfortunate.

She highlighted that the students’ conduct fell far below government’s expectations of young people being trained to become responsible.

The Minister stated, “We are building a nation, not destroying one. It is a very sad note. This is not what we are looking for from you”.

“Our expectation as government is that we are growing you up for the future, so that one day, when we are not in, we’ll get a President among you, a minister among you, a teacher among you, a policeman among you [and] a fire service person among you.”

“Now that government is making sure we build the infrastructure that will take care of you so that the double track stops and we have single track, this is what you have decided to do,” she stated.

“We are building a nation; we are not destroying a nation. We are resetting our schools and resetting you students too.”

“Investigations are going on. Those who started throwing the stones here, both here and Okuapeman, we are not going to allow you to go scot-free,” she warned.

She further advised students to return peacefully to their respective homes immediately after being released by school authorities.

Watch the video below:

@ghnow_ Adu Boahene spotted at the Accra High Court earlier today #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Students of Mount Sinai SHS and Okuapeman School have clashed violently, with fires reportedly destroying facilities at both schools. Six Okuapeman students were injured, while several classrooms and other facilities were damaged. #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – jack
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