Category: Daily Guide Network

Dancehall musician, Kaakie, has made a major career switch from music to healthcare after earning a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) qualification and launching a mental health practice in the United States.

The musician, born Grace Kaki Awo Ocansey, is now professionally known as Dr Grace Aidoo, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC.

Kaakie recently launched Kaylora Holistic Wellness and Recovery, a US-based mental health practice offering psychiatric and therapeutic services.

Her new career marks a return to her original professional path. Before becoming a household name in Ghana’s dancehall scene, Kaakie studied nursing and midwifery at the University of Ghana.

She rose to fame after participating in the television music competition Stars of the Future, where she finished fifth. Her appearance on the show eventually opened the door to a professional music career.

After working with producer JMJ and signing with Xtra Large Music, Kaakie established herself as one of Ghana’s prominent female dancehall artistes.

She released popular songs including Ewoo, Too Much, Toffee Pon Tongue and Zuuchia, while also earning recognition at the Ghana Music Awards. In 2013, she won Best New Artiste of the Year and Reggae/Dancehall Song of the Year.

However, even during the height of her music career, Kaakie maintained her connection to healthcare. She continued working as a registered general nurse while pursuing music and spoke publicly about the challenge of balancing both careers.

Over time, healthcare became the stronger focus.

In 2019, she earned a master’s degree from Anglia Ruskin University in the United Kingdom. A year later, she explained in an interview with Joy FM that her desire to contribute to healthcare, particularly maternal health, had grown stronger than her passion for continuing in music.

Kaakie subsequently moved into mental health care, earning a Master of Science in Nursing with a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner specialisation from Walden University in 2025.

Her latest achievement, the Doctor of Nursing Practice, has now taken her healthcare career to the doctoral level.

Through Kaylora Holistic Wellness and Recovery, she provides services including psychiatric evaluations, medication management, ADHD care, psychotherapy, couples’ therapy, treatment for anxiety and depression, bipolar disorder care, and trauma and PTSD support.

The practice also provides child and adolescent psychiatric care, court-ordered psychiatric and DUI evaluations, and telehealth services.

Kaakie’s transition from one of Ghana’s popular female dancehall artistes to a doctoral-level mental health practitioner represents a significant change in her professional life.

The Business Outsourcing Services Association Ghana (BOSAG) has stepped up its push to create 100,000 jobs by 2030 through Ghana’s outsourcing sector, tabling a new proposal for a dedicated services-export programme under the government’s 24-Hour Economy initiative.

The proposal, dubbed, ‘SERVE24’, was unveiled at the third High-Level Government-Industry Roundtable on Ghana’s Outsourcing Sector hosted by eServices Africa Ltd (eSAL) in Accra.

Held under the theme ‘Scaling Ghana’s Outsourcing Sector through the 24-Hour Economy: Infrastructure, Talent and Market Access for 100,000 Jobs,’ the roundtable brought together government officials, industry leaders, development partners and investors.

Guest Speaker, Presidential Advisor to the 24-Hour Economy Authority, Augustus Goosie Tanoh, described outsourcing as one of the sectors most naturally aligned with the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme (24H+).

He said outsourcing is already a true 24-hour industry, operating across global time zones, and offers a pathway to export earnings and youth employment without exporting people.

Mr. Tanoh acknowledged the strategic importance of SERVE24 and confirmed the Authority’s willingness to work with BOSAG to incorporate a services-export focus within the 24-Hour Economy framework.

He said the Authority would welcome BOSAG’s participation in developing the planned Ogua Tech Park at the University of Cape Coast, which will include a 3,000-seat BPO facility, student accommodation and training infrastructure.

Opening the roundtable, eSAL Founder and CEO and BOSAG Board Chair, Kojo Hayford, announced plans to establish a new delivery centre in Tamale in the fourth quarter of 2026 to serve Francophone West Africa and the Sahel.

BOSAG Chief Executive, David Gowu, said Ghana has over 138,000 graduates entering the labour market annually, with the economy absorbing only a fraction, making outsourcing a practical pathway to employment.

He noted the global outsourcing market is valued at about US$1.5 trillion, yet Africa captures only 2.8 percent, despite its youthful population. Ghana, he said, already hosts global players like Teleperformance and Concentrix alongside local operators like eSAL, with the sector employing over 20,000 youth.

GIZ, a strategic partner of BOSAG, said talent development and targeted infrastructure investments can unlock opportunities outside Accra. Head of Component, Business/Invest and Cluster Focus, Invest for Jobs, Simon Hochstein, highlighted ongoing collaboration with eSAL to pilot outsourcing in Tamale.

The roundtable concluded with alignment among stakeholders on the need to accelerate growth of the outsourcing ecosystem to drive exports and jobs.

Delta Air Lines is taking sports fandom to 35,000 feet with a new global partnership that will bring live sports to international flights.

Beginning this fall, customers on long-haul international routes to and from the United States will be able to watch major sporting moments live from their personal devices through Delta Sync Wi-Fi.

Under a new deal with global sports marketing agency IMG, Delta will offer access to Sport 24 and Sport 24 Extra – the first and only dedicated live sports channels available on airlines and cruise ships worldwide.

Customers can log onto Delta Sync Wi-Fi using their SkyMiles Membership and connect to a web player featuring the two channels. The service is free to join.

Sport 24 will offer round-the-clock coverage of some of the world’s most-followed competitions, including the NFL, NBA, Premier League, UEFA competitions, Formula 1 and Grand Slam tennis, with programming prioritised based on the most relevant live event at the time.

‘As Delta continues to build for a more global, connected future, we’re focused on making the onboard experience more relevant to where our customers are going and what they care about,’ said Ranjan Goswami, Delta’s Chief Marketing and Product Officer.

‘Live sports bring people together across borders and time zones.

‘The move is part of Delta’s push to become the leading premium airline for sports fans. On long-haul flights where customers often cross oceans and time zones while games unfold back home, the airline says 85% of sports fans agree that watching sports provides a sense of normalcy.

‘Sport 24 offers an unmatched portfolio of live sport and we understand how important it is for passengers to have more choice in how they can experience live sport on board,’ said Richard Wise, SVP Content and Channels at IMG. ‘We’re proud to partner with Delta to help its passengers tune into the action live, wherever they are.’

‘Delta said Sport 24 expands its existing sports lineup, which on domestic flights includes FOX One streaming for NFL on FOX, MLB and NASCAR, UFC on CBS via Paramount+, Amazon Prime Thursday Night Football on Live TV-equipped aircraft, coverage from The Athletic, and its interactive SkyPicksS game for SkyMiles Members.

The Sport 24 channels will be available exclusively through the Delta Sync Wi-Fi portal on international routes.

Veteran Ghanaian actress, Irene Opare, has expressed her admiration for dancehall star Shatta Wale, describing him as one of her favourite musicians.

Speaking in an interview, the movie legend said although acting is her passion, music holds a special place in her heart.

‘I love doing movies, but I love music. I really love music. Movie is my passion. Fine, I love doing it, but music is my thing. On a regular day, if you find me at home, you see me dancing, playing music and dancing,’ she disclosed.

When asked about her favourite artiste, she mentioned Shatta Wale.

‘Shatta for life is our life. Shatta. That’s my favourite,’ she said.

According to her, Shatta Wale possesses a rare quality that sets him apart from many musicians and even politicians.

‘Shatta is a real guy. Shatta has something that most musicians don’t have. Most personalities don’t have. Even politicians, a lot of personalities don’t have something that Shatta has, which is charisma,’ she stated.

Comparing him to the late former President Jerry John Rawlings, she added: ‘Shatta is like Rawlings for me. They have charisma. If you don’t like Shatta, if you hate Shatta, Shatta has insulted your mother, your father, and you hear that Shatta is coming down the road, you will run to embrace him. That is the charisma I’m talking about.’

She concluded by reaffirming her support, saying: ‘Shatta for life is our life.’

Direct Aid has extended humanitarian support to flood victims in Manhean Zongo through the donation of essential relief items.

The donation is intended to assist the affected families recover from the impact of the recent floods.

The support followed an initiative by the Chief of Manhean Zongo, Sarki Ali, who engaged Direct Aid and facilitated the organisation’s visit to the community to assess the needs of residents affected by the disaster.

During the visit, Direct Aid presented a range of relief items, including beds, bedspreads, blankets, cleaning materials, mosquito nets, and other essential supplies to support households that lost personal belongings and experienced difficult living conditions due to the flooding.

The donation provided immediate assistance to affected residents, particularly those who needed bedding materials and sanitation supplies to restore comfort and improve hygiene within their homes after the floods.

Speaking during the presentation, representatives of Direct Aid expressed their commitment to supporting vulnerable communities and responding to humanitarian needs whenever possible. They emphasised the importance of working with local leaders to identify communities requiring urgent assistance.

The Chief of Manhean Zongo, Sarki Ali, expressed appreciation to Direct Aid for responding positively to his call and for extending their support to the people of Manhean. He noted that the gesture would bring relief to families who had been severely affected by the floods.

The donation forms part of Direct Aid’s commitment to providing relief and support to communities facing difficult circumstances.

Management of Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) and Ghana Oil Company Limited (GOIL) have held a strategic meeting to explore further opportunities for collaboration in the supply and off-take of petroleum products produced by the refinery, building on the existing business relationship between the two institutions.

Briefing the Managing Director of GOIL and his team, the Managing Director of TOR, Mr. Edmond Kombat, highlighted the significant strides made in ramping up refinery operations, with particular emphasis on the swift and smooth execution of ongoing restart and supply processes-demonstrating renewed operational discipline at the refinery.

As one of TOR’s key offtake partners, GOIL’s continued collaboration remains important as TOR works to increase the supply of petroleum products to the Ghanaian market. The engagement also provided an opportunity for both institutions to identify additional areas of cooperation as TOR continues its Resetting, Transformation and Optimisation journey.

The discussions focused on strengthening and deepening the strategic partnership between TOR and GOIL to: enhance petroleum products supply security; strengthen market resilience; support greater price stability at the pump; as well as contribute to a more efficient and reliable downstream petroleum sector.

The partnership between the two institutions is critical to strengthening Ghana’s energy security and advancing the broader national interest.

TOR has given an assurance of its commitment to building strong partnerships with key industry stakeholders such as GOIL to support Ghana’s energy security and deliver sustainable value to the Ghanaian consumer.

Actress, Selassie Ibrahim, has lost her husband, former Minister for Food and Agriculture, Ibrahim Adam.

Selassie mourned her late husband on Instagram on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, sharing a series of photographs capturing memorable moments they shared as a family.

The photos included intimate family moments as well as pictures of the couple, including one from Ibrahim Adam’s recent birthday celebration.

‘Rest well. Our hearts are broken beyond words. Your legacy lives on,’ she wrote in her tribute.

Ibrahim Adam reportedly passed away at the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC), where he had been receiving medical treatment.

He was an animal scientist and veteran politician who served as Agriculture Secretary before becoming Minister for Food and Agriculture under former President Jerry John Rawlings.

He also represented the Choggu/Tishigu Constituency in Parliament from 1997 to 2001.

Beyond his political career, Ibrahim Adam served as Board Chairman of the Agricultural Development Bank.

Selassie Ibrahim and Ibrahim Adam were married and had two children together, a son and a daughter.

Following his death, the family announced that his remains would be airlifted from Accra to Tamale, where he would be laid to rest in accordance with Islamic rites.

Electricity consumers in the Ketu South Municipality have petitioned the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) over what they describe as persistent and excessive billing, accusing the power distributor of subjecting residents and businesses to financial hardship and psychological distress.

Addressing a press conference, Napoleon Gbeti, who spoke on behalf of electricity consumers in the Ketu South Municipality and beyond, said problems associated with ECG’s billing system had persisted for about five years, resulting in widespread frustration among consumers in the municipality and beyond.

According to Mr. Gbeti, the concerns included inaccurate bills, excessive estimated consumption, backdated billing, continued billing of disconnected accounts and other anomalies that had made it difficult for consumers to determine and pay for the actual electricity they consumed.

He said it was unacceptable for customers with functioning meters to be billed based on estimated or ‘predictive’ consumption instead of actual meter readings. He argued that the primary purpose of installing meters was to accurately measure the amount of electricity consumed by customers.

The petitioners alleged that some customers had received the same meter readings and consumption figures repeatedly for several months, while others who had consistently paid their bills were suddenly presented with backdated bills covering periods dating several years earlier.

They cited instances where a bill issued in August 2026 had its previous meter reading backdated to November 2024, resulting in an inflated bill even though the customer had paid bills issued during the intervening period. They also complained that accounts belonging to customers who had been disconnected for years continued to generate bills.

The petitioners further raised concerns about faulty meters that were no longer in use but allegedly continued to generate bills, as well as replacement meters that they claimed were not properly captured in ECG’s billing system. They said such lapses allowed consumption to accumulate until customers were eventually presented with large lump-sum bills.

They also alleged that actual meter readings taken by ECG meter readers were sometimes ignored by the billing system, resulting in customers being underbilled for several months before receiving large adjustment bills. They argued that consumers should not be made to bear the financial burden of billing errors for which they were not responsible.

The petitioners therefore called for the suspension and replacement of the newly introduced billing software, an end to disconnections over disputed bills, and monthly meter readings for all customers. They also demanded the cancellation of debts arising from inaccurate or disputed bills, improved customer service and urgent measures by ECG and the government to restore public confidence in the electricity billing system.

There was a time when choosing a university required a fairly uncomplicated investigation. You checked whether the institution existed, whether it was accredited, whether it offered your programme, and, if your parents survived the fees, you went to school.

Ghana has apparently added another stage to the process.

After graduation, kindly check whether the institution that graduated you is recognised.

The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has published a list of 100 institutions that it says are currently not recognised because of various quality assurance concerns.

The list travels confidently across the globe, from Mexico to India, America, Switzerland, Nigeria, Zambia and back home to Ghana, proving that higher education, like galamsey and football disappointment, now enjoys impressive international cooperation.

GTEC is careful with its language. It has not announced that every institution on the list is fake, nor that every qualification issued is automatically worthless. It says the institutions are currently not recognised and advises the public to exercise due diligence regarding certificates issued by them. Excellent advice.

Unfortunately, due diligence tends to arrive in Ghana at about the same time as the ambulance: after something has happened.

Imagine studying for four years, paying fees semester after semester, attending lectures, writing examinations, defending a thesis, buying a graduation gown, inviting Auntie Mansa from London, taking 317 photographs beside artificial flowers and finally adding three letters behind your name on LinkedIn.

Then GTEC publishes a list. You scroll casually. Number 23. Not yours. Number 45. Still safe. Number 60. Ei.

Suddenly, the framed certificate hanging majestically in the sitting room begins to look at you differently.

The Republic has always had a healthy respect for education, but somewhere along the way we developed an even healthier respect for titles. A Ghanaian may forgive you for owing him money, but introduce yourself as ‘Dr’ and his voice immediately drops by two octaves.

We love titles so much that some business cards require an appendix. Dr. Reverend Professor Apostle Engineer Lawyer Chairman Chief Executive Ambassador. By the time the actual name arrives, the meeting is almost over.

This is why GTEC’s list should concern us beyond the comedy.

Eleven entries are Ghana-based or partly Ghana-based. Among them are institutions in Kumasi, Effiduase and elsewhere. So this is not merely about somebody sitting in Accra ordering an exotic online doctorate from a university whose campus may be located somewhere between a website and divine revelation.

Real people may be spending real money, investing real years and presenting real-looking certificates whose recognition they may not have properly verified.

And here the authorities must also accept part of the interrogation.

If an institution is operating openly, advertising programmes, recruiting students, collecting fees and perhaps holding graduation ceremonies, how much of the burden should fall on an eighteen-year-old applicant and his parents to discover that the regulator has concerns about it?

‘Do your due diligence’ is sensible.

But regulation cannot become a national treasure hunt in which the citizen must first become Sherlock Holmes before paying school fees.

The stronger system is one where recognition status is easy to check, warnings are loud and continuous, enforcement is visible, and questionable institutions do not enjoy years of sunshine before somebody publishes a list.

Still, the immediate lesson is painfully simple.

Before paying fees because the brochure contains photographs of smiling graduates in gowns, check GTEC.

Before accepting admission because the institution has ‘International’, ‘Global’, ‘American’, ‘Swiss’, ‘Royal’ or ‘University’ somewhere in its name, check GTEC.

And before adding ‘Dr’ to the family WhatsApp group and changing everybody’s saved contact, perhaps check GTEC twice.

Because in the modern Republic, acquiring knowledge is no longer enough.

You must also confirm that the institution which certified the knowledge is known to the people whose job is to know institutions.

Otherwise, after four years of lectures, assignments and school fees, you may discover that the most important course was the one nobody put on the timetable: Due Diligence 101.

Iliman Ndiaye has completed a remarkable rise from non-league football to the Premier League’s elite after joining Manchester City from Everton in a deal worth up to £65 million.

The 26-year-old Senegal international has signed a five-year contract at the Etihad Stadium, with City paying an initial £60m plus a further £5m in potential add-ons.

Ndiaye’s move comes just over six years after he made his professional debut in England’s seventh tier, highlighting the extraordinary journey that has taken him to one of the world’s biggest clubs.

‘I’ve worked my whole life for an opportunity like this,’ Ndiaye said. ‘City are one of the best clubs in the world and I’ve seen them win everything as I’ve grown up.’

The winger had attracted interest from several clubs during the summer. Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal held talks with him, while Tottenham had reached an agreement with Everton on Friday for his transfer.

However, Spurs’ move collapsed after Richarlison reportedly failed to agree personal terms over a potential return to Everton, preventing the proposed deal from going ahead.

Ndiaye’s arrival is part of another major spending spree by City, who also agreed a British joint-record £125m deal for Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez on the same day.

The club’s other summer arrivals include Elliot Anderson, Geronimo Rulli, Ayyoub Bouaddi, Allan Elias, Jeremy Monga and Pierce Charles.