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Dr. Edward Kofi Sutherland (MD, MPH, DrPH), a distinguished faculty member at Ensign Global University and Site Director for West Africa at the Center for Global Surgery, University of Utah, has been recognized among Ghana’s Top 10 Medical Experts at the prestigious China-West Africa Health Summit 2025, which was held from August 20th to 22nd, 2025, in Accra.

This honor celebrates Dr. Sutherland’s exceptional contributions to medical practice, research, and healthcare leadership, as well as his unwavering dedication to transforming healthcare outcomes in Ghana and across West Africa.

Leadership at the Oncology Forum

In addition to receiving this recognition, Dr. Sutherland chaired the Oncology Forum at the Summit, where he led compelling presentations and discussions on:

Integration of AI in oncology

Cancer prevention and early detection

Treatment accessibility across Ghana and West Africa

Health equity and strategic partnerships

The forum featured renowned guest speakers from leading institutions in Ghana and China, generating insights with the potential to influence cancer policy and clinical practice across Ghana and Africa.

‘Being recognized among Ghana’s Top 10 Medical Experts and chairing the Oncology Forum has been a profound honor. This milestone underscores not just my personal journey but also the collective commitment of my colleagues and partners dedicated to transforming healthcare outcomes in Ghana and West Africa. It also reflects the significant role of Ensign Global University and the Center for Global Surgery, University of Utah, in advancing medical education, public health, and strengthening healthcare systems in the region.’

Organized by the Health Community of West Africa Association (HCOWA) in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Summit brought together hundreds of delegates from across Africa and Asia under the theme:

‘Advancing Cancer Care through Innovation, Knowledge Exchange, and Strategic Partnership.’

The prestigious Awards Ceremony also celebrated exceptional doctors, nurses, pharmacists, hospitals, health associations, and healthcare institutions demonstrating outstanding impact in advancing health systems across West Africa.

The police has arrested eight (8) foreign nationals for engaging in illegal gold exploration and purchase in the Banda District of the Bono Region, an act which contravenes the new Gold Board Act, Act 1140 of 2025.

Police officers at the site of operation retrieved items, including a cash amount of GHS23,450, quantities of raw gold and gold dust, mercury, and a lighter used in gold processing as exhibits.

The suspects include Sayaba Ziba, Kienu Dobou, Osman Tunabu, Nana Alhassan, and Wadrago Abdulai.

The rest are Aliu Sali, Ibrahim Wulba, and Alhassan Imoro.

The suspects, made up of Nigerians, Ivorians, and Gambians, were arrested while actively engaged in illegal mining and gold trading operations in Wewe community, Banda District.

They are currently in police custody, assisting the regional police command with their investigations. The police said they were operating without a licence.

A press release signed by Chief Inspector Thomas Akeelah, the Ghana Police Service’s spokesperson for the region, indicated that the suspects were arrested on October 2, 2025, at Wewe following sustained intelligence and surveillance.

The statement said the items retrieved from the suspects would be forwarded for forensic examination as part of the investigation, after which they would be prepared for court after further investigation.

The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), National Security and the police, in an earlier operation on May 14, apprehended several foreign nationals attempting to smuggle kilograms of gold out of the country.

Six suspects were apprehended in two separate operations. The first batch of three suspects were arrested in the Ashanti Region before the enforcement of the Ghana Gold Board Act, 2025 (Act 1140).

These individuals were arranged to be deported after their arrest occurred before the April 30 deadline for foreigners to exit Ghana’s local gold trade.

The second batch of three suspects were arrested in Anyinam after the new law took effect.

These individuals faced prosecution under the new law, which reserves local gold trading exclusively to the Gold Board. Authorities confiscated gold counting machines and cash (dollars) from them.

The Ghana Gold Board has issued a stern warning to individuals trading gold without a licence.

As of May 1, 2025, the board noted that it will be a punishable offence to purchase or deal in gold in Ghana without a valid licence from the Ghana Gold Board.

This move aims to curb illegal gold trading, smuggling, and price distortions in the gold market.

THE AFRICAN Union Youth Council (Club), Nigerian Chapter, has nominated event organiser and media personality, Regina Adu Safowah, for the distinguished position of African Youth Ambassador.

Known for her philanthropic work and youth advocacy role, Adu Safowah would be inducted as the Youth Ambassador during the youth diplomatic conference, which comes off on October 15, 2025, at the Army Resource Center, Asokoro, FCT-Abuja, Nigeria.

The event’s key highlights will include keynote speeches, panel discussions, networking opportunities, and a special ambassadorial award.

The African Union Youth Club (AUYC), Nigeria Chapter is the Nigerian branch of the African Union Youth Club initiative under the coordination of the African Union Southern Africa Regional Office (AU-SARO).

Guided by the African Union Youth, aligned with the African Union Agenda 2063, ‘The Africa We Want’, AUYC Nigeria seeks to galvanise Nigerian youths at home and in the diaspora toward becoming active drivers of Africa’s development agenda.

In the invitation letter, sighted by the paper, the event organisers registered their pleasure in hosting Adu Safowah for the forthcoming ceremony, saying, ‘We are also pleased to inform you of your nomination for the distinguished position of African Youth Ambassador.

‘Becoming an African Youth Ambassador is an opportunity for the ideals of the African Union Youth Council to play a pivotal role in shaping a better future for Africa as we gear towards the actualisation of the African Union Agenda 2063. The AUYC ambassador package has been carefully curated to equip you with the tools necessary for this important role.’

Adu Safowah, who was pleased with the invitation, shared it with Inspector General of Police, Mr.Christian Tetteh Yohuno at the National Police Headquarters.

CONTROVERSIAL MEDIA personality, Sally Mann, has joined many Ghanaians in questioning Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa on the criteria used in selecting the five personalities to be granted diplomatic passports as part of a move to strengthen the country’s cultural and people-to-people diplomacy.

Speaking on her show, Showtym on Adom TV, Sally Mann emphatically stated that the likes of Sarkodie, Shatta Wale, King Promise among other big names deserve the honour of being given diplomatic passports.

She said, aside from Wode Maya and Rocky Dawuni, the other three did not merit a diplomatic passport, questioning their level of influence in attracting diasporans to Ghana.

‘Aside from Wode Maya, Rocky Dawuni, no other person on it deserves a diplomatic passport. Because in Ghana, our biggest exports are music and football. There has not been any other person in this country who has marketed the country in those two sectors,’ she pointed out.

Sally Mann added that, ‘When you travel outside the country, the first name people mention is Asamoah Gyan, Stephen Appiah, and Michael Essien. If you want those who can attract the masses to Ghana based on the assignment given by government, who is Anita Erskine? She does not have enough popularity to bring any diaspora person here, and that’s in my opinion.’

‘Same as Lady Dentaa, yes Grammy’s, GUBA awards among others – but those projects she initiated are for her personal interest, just as the musicians and the footballers have been doing their personal projects,’ she added.

Sally Mann expressed disappointment in the government’s inability to honour the likes of Sarkodie, Shatta Wale, Stonebwoy, and King Promise, stressing, ‘If you look at Wode Maya, his impact is felt across the continent, so his diplomatic honours were expected. But to abandon the likes of Sarkodie, who has advocated for Ghana’s diplomatic passport for a long time, for you to choose Anita because she is a correspondent for MNET’s Studio 53, I think they did a disservice to us.’

Sally Mann further stated that the diplomatic passports issue was a family and friends affair, saying, ‘Honourable Okudzeto Ablakwa, it wasn’t carefully planned at all, this is a family and friends giving diplomatic passports to people. If it was properly planned, the two segments selling Ghana are music and football. Yes, they might deserve it, but they are C-listed people to consider.’

Sally Mann’s submission follows an earlier submission made by media personality Nana Aba Anamoah questioning the criteria used to select five Ghanaians for diplomatic passports.

She argued that the selection process seems elitist, favouring English-speaking personalities over those who promote local languages. She believes Nana Ama McBrown, a popular Ghanaian actress, deserves a spot on the list due to her significant influence in Ghanaian communities worldwide.

BIBIANI GOLDSTARS extended their impressive start to the Premier League season with a narrow 1-0 win over Swedru All Blacks at the Swedru Sports Stadium on Saturday.

A decisive strike from forward Michael Nkoah just two minutes into the second half proved enough to hand the defending champions all three points in a fiercely contested Matchday 4 fixture.

The newly promoted All Blacks made a strong start, inspired by their vocal home crowd, and dominated much of the opening half.

Despite creating several clear chances, they were left frustrated by poor finishing and the disciplined defending of GoldStars, led by the experienced Vincent Atingah.

After soaking up early pressure, GoldStars found their moment soon after the restart. Nkoah timed his run to perfection to meet a well-weighted through ball before calmly slotting past the onrushing goalkeeper to break the deadlock.

The hosts pressed relentlessly for an equaliser, with substitute Hakim Mohammed nearly rescuing a point in stoppage time when his thunderous strike crashed off the woodwork.

GoldStars themselves were denied a second goal earlier when Samuel Atta Kumi’s close-range effort also struck the post.

American music mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has been sentenced to 50 months in prison after being found guilty of charges related to transporting individuals for sexual encounters.

The sentence was handed down by a federal judge in Manhattan on October 3, 2025. In addition to the prison term, Diddy was fined $500,000 and will serve five years of supervised release after completing his sentence.

During the court hearing, Diddy apologised for his actions, calling them ‘disgusting and shameful,’ and expressed remorse to the victims.

He was convicted in July 2025 under the Mann Act, but was cleared of more serious charges including sex trafficking and racketeering.

Diddy’s lawyers have said they plan to appeal the ruling, arguing that the judge considered evidence from charges he was acquitted of.

The rapper and producer has already spent about a year in custody and could serve roughly three more years in prison.

The case marks a major fall from grace for one of hip-hop’s biggest figures, once known for his business empire and chart-topping hits.

The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has outlined a five-pillar strategy to tackle illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, in the country.

The strategy emphasises stakeholder engagement, regulatory reforms, law enforcement, reclamation, and alternative livelihoods as the foundation for eliminating illegal mining and promoting responsible small-scale mining across the country.

The sector minister, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah (MP), who also doubles as the caretaker Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, said the move forms part of efforts to safeguard Ghana’s environment, water bodies, and mineral resources.

He disclosed this when President John Dramani Mahama held a stakeholder dialogue with civil society in Accra on galamsey.

Mr. Buah said the first pillar which is stakeholder engagement and collaboration will work towards bringing together everyone, including traditional leaders, local authorities, academia, civil society organisations, and residents, to build consensus against illegal mining through educational campaigns to encourage local ownership of the fight and promote responsible mining practices.

He noted that the Ministry is also strengthening the Licensing Regimes and monitoring mechanisms to ensure that only properly registered miners operate within the law.

‘The Ministry is also driving a decentralisation agenda to ensure that District Mining Committees are a central part of the process of the issuance of mining licences – they are to make recommendations to the Minerals Commission before any licence is issued,’ he added.

Mr. Buah said the law enforcement pillar involves close collaboration with law enforcement agencies to clamp down on unlicensed operators while protecting legally compliant miners.

‘The establishment of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) – as the operational nerve centre for the coordination of all anti-illegal mining law enforcement operations is instrumental in the successes that the government has chalked so far. Digital tools are being deployed to track excavator imports, and geotagging and geofencing their use within stipulated jurisdictions,’ he said.

The fourth pillar involves the rehabilitation of degraded lands and the restoration of polluted rivers.

Under this pillar, the sector minister said two key initiatives have been launched – the Tree for Life Reforestation Programme and the Blue Water Initiative, respectively.

He also indicated that special attention is being given to communities severely affected by galamsey, with reclamation projects already underway in several regions.

‘Forest Reserves and Water Bodies have also been declared Security Zones to be manned by the NAIMOS task force.

‘Under the Blue Water Initiative, the first leg is the deployment of Blue Water Guards who serve as community vanguards in the riverine areas, driving awareness creation, warding off illegal miners on waterbodies, and serving as first responders for NAIMOS along the major waterbodies.

‘Through their work, some nine hundred (900) water pumps confiscated from illegal miners have been disbursed to farmers through the Ministry of Agriculture for better use,’ he added.

Mr. Buah again listed the provision of alternative livelihoods, which aims at providing sustainable economic opportunities for communities dependent on galamsey, as one of the strategies being used to fight illegal mining.

The strategy involves the training and support in agriculture, agro-processing, and other vocational ventures to reduce reliance on illegal mining. The Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP) is the vehicle driving this programme.

‘It is fundamentally designed to achieve sustainable community transformation through three critical objectives; the Promotion and facilitation of environmentally responsible cooperative mining, Provision of vocational, technical, agricultural, digital, and entrepreneurial training to youth and women to equip them with relevant skills for alternative employment and self-employment, and the Restoration of lands degraded by illegal mining for productive use in agriculture, forestry, and other income-generating activities,’ he said.

According to the Minister, this multi-faceted approach will not only curb illegal mining but also ensure that small-scale mining contributes meaningfully to the country’s economy without destroying its environment.

President John Dramani Mahama pledged full transparency in the fight against illegal mining activities.

‘I’m determined. We need your support. We need your criticism, your advocacy, your pressure. Continue to put our feet to the fire, and let’s win this fight together. Our great-grandfathers gave us a beautiful country with trees and beautiful rivers, and we should not hand over poisoned water bodies or desecrated forests to our children and great-grandchildren. I want to personally assure you that as President, I will also continue to put pressure on the Minister and other officials in charge to deliver on our promise,’ the President said at the meeting.

Bishop Alfred Jackson, Presiding Bishop of the Tabernacle Praise Association of Churches International, USA, has urged Christian leaders to shift their focus from titles and positions to genuine service and discipleship.

Delivering a message at a leadership conference hosted by the Kumasi branch of the church, Bishop Jackson said many church leaders risk being distracted by titles rather than the true calling of ministry.

‘The Bible says if a man desires to be a bishop, he desires a good thing. But God also gave clear qualifications,’ he explained. ‘It is never about the title but about doing the work of ministry. Jesus Himself did not come as ‘Apostle Jesus’ or ‘Archbishop Jesus’. He came simply to do the will of the Father.’

Bishop Jackson reminded participants that the role of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers is to equip believers for service and build up the body of Christ. ‘Satan is never afraid of titles,’ he warned and added, ‘He fears the power of God and the anointing upon a believer’s life.’

The two-day conference, themed ‘Experiencing Divine Overflow’, was held on October 2-3 at the Tabernacle Praise Church premises in Kumasi. Lead Pastor of the Kumasi branch, Rev. F. Lendor, explained that divine overflow is about receiving abundance from God and extending blessings to others.

‘When Jesus said out of your belly shall flow rivers of living water, He meant that God’s blessings are not just for us, but to overflow into the lives of others-through spiritual gifts, finances, or talents,’ Pastor Lendor said.

The event also featured teachings on leadership, evangelism, the power of the Holy Spirit, financial stewardship and cross-cultural missions, led by international facilitators including Dr. Melvin G. Miller, Elder Latonya Buchanan, Evangelist Linda Simpson and Bishop Dr. Jackson G. Wean.

Organisers said they expect participants to return to their congregations with renewed energy and a stronger commitment to winning souls and building the church.

IT HAS emerged that a 10-year-old miner miraculously survived the mining pit collapse incident which claimed seven lives at Kasotie-Kyekyewere electoral area in the Atwima Mponua District of the Ashanti Region.

Identified only as Yaw by the police, the minor was said to be among the illegal miners who were buried under the sand for sometime before they were finally rescued and rushed to the hospital for treatment.

A Nyinahin District Police statement, which the DAILY GUIDE has sighted, disclosed that young Yaw and three other illegal miners, including a female miner, were rescued alive last Wednesday evening.

Four Survivors

‘Four victims, namely Yaw, aged about 10 years old, Afia Pokuah, aged about 50 years old, Oppong, aged 25 years old, and Festus Asare, aged about 27 years old, were rescued alive.

‘They were rushed to the Mpasaaso Clinic and that they have been detained for treatment,’ the police disclosed, and added that bodies of all seven people, who died under the debris, have been identified.

Names Of Seven Dead People

The police mentioned the dead people as Afia, aged about 25 years; Kwame Nkansah, aged about 43 years; Kofi George, aged about 30 years; and Anthony Acquah, aged about 28 years.

The rest were also identified by the Nyinahin District Police as ‘Otuo Serebuo, aged 20 years, Paul Frimpong, aged 28 years and Kwame Shadrack, aged 23 years’.

The police said the dead bodies have since been deposited at the Nyinahin Community Mortuary for preservation and autopsy, as investigations into how the mining pit collapsed is still underway.

Search For Bodies End

According to the police, the search for bodies in the deep mining pit has official been completed, indicating that all their checks pointed to the fact that all those who were trapped in the pit have been accounted for.

‘The pit was further excavated and thoroughly searched, but no evidence was found to warrant the continuation of the search for additional bodies. Consequently, the search has been declared closed,’ the police stated.