Category: Daily Guide Network

Hasaacas Ladies were crowned champions of the 2025/26 Women’s FA Cup after defeating Army Ladies 5-3 on penalties in a dramatic final.

The fiercely contested encounter ended 1-1 after 120 minutes, forcing the match into a tense penalty shootout where the Takoradi-based side held their nerve to secure the trophy.

Hasaacas Ladies entered the final determined to finish the season strongly following their defeat to Ampem Darkoa Ladies in the Women’s Premier League final a month earlier. Army Ladies were equally eager to end their campaign with silverware after missing out on a place in the league final.

Both sides created promising chances in an entertaining first half, but neither could find the breakthrough before the interval.

The deadlock was finally broken late in the second half when substitute Linda Epo gave Hasaacas the lead in the 87th minute, sparking celebrations among their supporters. However, Army Ladies responded almost immediately as Esther Asamoah Yiadom struck two minutes later to restore parity with her seventh goal of the tournament.

With the scores level at the end of regulation time, the final proceeded to extra time, but neither side managed to find the winning goal.

In the penalty shootout, Hasaacas Ladies converted all five of their spot kicks, while Army Ladies scored three and missed one, handing Hasaacas a memorable victory.

The triumph marks Hasaacas Ladies’ second Women’s FA Cup title, having previously lifted the trophy during the historic 2020/21 campaign. Head coach, Raymond Fenny, also etched his name into the history books by becoming the first coach to win the competition twice.

The sanctity of the judiciary is being compromised by assortment of acts of omissions and commissions, a worrying situation which should not be overlooked.

Indeed, when the journey to remove the former Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo as part of a judicial reset package began, the Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) had cause to comment against the project, as did many in Ghana save those who saw no evil in the political manoeuvre.

The concerns raised by the group and others were ignored, and the infraction was effectively put on the dark chapters of the constraints of the separation of powers with the intention of achieving a goal which is anything but in the interest of good governance when the lady was forced out.

President John Mahama did not conceal his intention to change the state of the judiciary even when he was opposition leader.

His ‘unanimous Supreme Court’ allusion sought not only to subject this arm of government to public opprobrium but to prepare the stage for a vindictive agenda dubbed ‘resetting’, which has already claimed its first casualty – the image of the judiciary.

The Machiavellian ploy successfully swept away the former Chief Justice in a manner which can only be rivalled by the Sir Arku Korsah ouster in 1963.

Those who crossed the dots and ‘ts’ painted unambiguously a worrying picture of a tendentious reversal of a digitised supported system to reduce the human interface in the assignment of cases.

Cynics called the directive to have the Acting Chief Justice direct which cases go to which judges a reset order fraught with many obstacles to the rule of law.

Our judiciary has been turned through the deliberate and sustained efforts of politicians at the helm into an arm of government in an unholy alliance with the executive, as observed by the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

This critical arm of government is effectively in the vitriolic mint of social media, unfortunately and effectively drawing comments not inuring to its image and which should be reserved to politicians already in the gutters of local abrasive politics.

The worrying trend taking place at a time when government’s tolerance for criticism is an all-time low and free speech criminalised has seen the number of persons being hauled before judges for such ‘infractions’ rising.

Some of the comments of the Minority Leader when he addressed a press conference last week on the subject, indicted the judge who ordered the remand of the Bono Regional Chairman of the NPP over verbal infractions. This is not good for the image of the judiciary and call for reflection and redress.

We particularly find the portion which touches on the reason behind the remand request by the prosecution rather interesting and disturbing. According to the Minority Leader, remanding the regional chairman because he could repeat the offence for which he was hauled before the judge as being basis for the remand order according to the court, he said, is tantamount to ‘the judiciary serving silence and not justice’. This we find worrying in a country where this proclivity should not have a place. A subtle gagging process as it were is the impression of the interpretation of the order by the Minority Leader.

Unfortunately, the Minority Leader, a learned gentleman of the legal fraternity, has questioned the basis for the action of the bench in this regard and unequivocally so.

The stage for such muddying of the judiciary was set by President John Mahama when he labeled the Supreme Court ‘Unanimous SC’. How else could he describe his mistrust of this arm of government and his readiness to reset it to conform to his whims? Now that he is President, are the infractions as noticed by the Minority Leader the outcome of the executive’s intervention to, as it were, reset the judiciary to fit the reset project?

When tomorrow comes and another reset agenda is undertaken to reverse the aberrations of today, the sanctity of the judiciary would have suffered another nose-bruising development.

Former Chief Executive Officer of National Food and Buffer Stock Company Limited (NAFCO), Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba and his wife, Faiza Seidu Wuni, were yesterday granted a total of GHS63.5 million bail for allegedly stealing and causing about GHS62.6 million financial loss to the state.

Hanan was granted a bail of GHS60 million with two sureties who must be justified, while Faiza Seidu Wuni was granted a bail of GHS3.5 million with two sureties who must be justified.

The two were ordered to deposit their passports at the registry of the court. They were placed on the Stop List at all exit points of the country.

The Attorney General (AG) filed new charges against the couple last Friday after they were initially discharged by the court following the AG’s decision to drop the charges against them.

Dropped Figures

Although they have been charged with 20 counts, the quantum of funds allegedly lost in the previous charge sheet has dropped, with the Attorney General introducing a new GHS734,400 which Hanan allegedly took as rent allowance but did not use same for that purpose.

Godfred Yeboah Dame, counsel for the ex-NAFCO boss, had prayed the court to keep the accused persons on the old terms of the bail initially granted them, while drawing the attention of the court to the fact that the money involved in the allegations had significantly dropped.

Deputy Attorney General, Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, did not oppose the request, telling the court that both the prosecution and the defence had agreed that the old bail terms be maintained subject to the decision of the court.

Justice Francis Achibonga, after noticing that the amount involved in the charges had dropped from what was initially filed, reduced the bail from what was previously imposed on the accused persons.

Allegations

Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba and his wife, Faiza Seidu Wuni are facing a total of 20 charges, including defrauding by false pretences, stealing, wilfully causing financial loss to the state, money laundering, using public office for profit, dishonestly receiving and intentionally causing financial loss to the state.

Court documents indicate that Mr. Abdul-Wahab operating under the name Sawtina Enterprise allegedly stole GHS50,879,210 from NAFCO by transferring it to James Tieku-Apawu, a Regional Manager of NAFCO, between February 2017 and February 2025 under the guise of making payment from the NAFCO account.

He is further accused of defrauding by false pretences by receiving GHS734,400 from NAFCO for rent covering the period of May 2017 and May 2019 at Chain Homes at Tseado in Accra.

The Attorney General alleges that at the time Hanan took the rent allowance, the apartments were not built and he was living somewhere else.

Faiza Seidu Wuni, on the other hand, is accused of defrauding by false pretences in her capacity as the proprietor of Alqarni Enterprise by making a false representation that she had supplied foodstuff to NAFCO, causing the state agency to pay her GHS3,342,759.08 between September 2018 and August 2019.

She is also accused of laundering the said amount by taking possession of it, knowing at the time of taking possession that the money was acquired through stealing from NAFCO.

The prosecution’s brief facts indicate that in 2025, the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and the Office of the Attorney General received information that Hanan has, over the eight years that he was the CEO of NAFCO, embezzled hundreds of millions of Ghana Cedis from NAFCO.

It says EOCO’s preliminary investigations revealed that about GHS70 million had moved from NAFCO’s bank accounts to Sawtina.

The brief fact alleges that further investigations revealed that these funds were transferred in a series of 86 transactions between October 2019 and September 2023.

Medeama will represent Ghana in next season’s CAF Champions League after winning the 2025-26 Ghana Premier League title.

The Tarkwa-based side secured the league crown with a game to spare following their emphatic victory over Heart of Lions on Sunday.

It will mark another opportunity for Medeama to compete on the continental stage after building a growing reputation in African club football over the past decade.

Medeama enjoyed their most successful continental campaign during the 2023-24 season when they reached the group stage of the CAF Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.

They were drawn in a difficult Group D alongside African giants Al Ahly, Young Africans and CR Belouizdad.

Although Medeama did not progress beyond the group stage, the campaign represented a major milestone for the club and gave them valuable experience at the highest level of African club football.

Before that breakthrough, Medeama also enjoyed memorable runs in the CAF Confederation Cup.

In 2016, they reached the group stage after eliminating Mamelodi Sundowns in the playoff round.

The club had earlier announced itself in African football during their continental debut in 2014, when they reached the playoff stage after knocking out Moroccan side Maghreb de Fes before narrowly losing to AC Leopards.

Medeama will now hope to use their previous continental experience to make another strong impression in next season’s CAF Champions League.

A Pragya rider and a passenger sustained serious injuries after the tricycle they were travelling on somersaulted while attempting to beat a traffic light at Asokwa in the Ashanti Region.

The accident happened on Monday near the Asokwa District Court when the rider of the tricycle, bearing registration number M-22-GR 1580, allegedly drove at top speed towards the T.I. Ahmadiyya Primary School area.

According to eyewitnesses, the rider lost control of the tricycle during the attempt to beat the traffic signal, causing the vehicle to somersault and land on its back.

Two other passengers onboard escaped unhurt, while the rider and another passenger sustained deep cuts on their legs and hands.

Some people who had gathered at the court premises for various cases rushed to the scene and helped rescue the victims who were trapped beneath the mangled tricycle.

An eyewitness said the loud sound from the impact caused panic at the court premises.

‘The noise was so loud that I had to run for cover because I did not know what had happened initially,’ the eyewitness recounted.

A police officer stationed at the court, together with some Good Samaritans, managed to pull the injured victims from beneath the tricycle before the damaged vehicle was removed from the road.

Parts of the tricycle, including its windscreen and seats, were scattered on the road, causing temporary traffic congestion in the area.

The injured victims were later rushed to a nearby hospital aboard another tricycle for treatment.

A heated exchange erupted at Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) sitting yesterday between the Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, and the Committee Chairperson, Abena Osei-Asare, over poor telecommunications services in the country.

The confrontation occurred during discussions on the quality of services being delivered by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), with the Minister attributing the persistent challenges to policy failures and weak leadership under the previous Akufo-Addo administration.

According to Mr. George, inadequate regulatory decisions over the years allowed telecom companies to prioritise profits at the expense of consumers.

‘Private businesses are about making profits, and those profits they paid to you over eight years at the Finance Ministry as corporate taxes,’ he said while responding to concerns raised by the Committee Chairperson, who previously served as a Minister of State at the Finance Ministry.

‘Policy decision and policy leadership ought to make sure that we take steps to protect the customer. I am saying that under this reset agenda and under a responsible government, we have done so,’ he added.

His comments, however, drew an immediate reaction from Mrs. Osei-Asare, who interrupted proceedings and urged the Minister to avoid comments she considered offensive and concentrate on the issue before the Committee.

‘I am not heckling you, but we beg you, just go straight to the point,’ she stated.

The interruption triggered a sharp response from Sam George, who appealed to the Ranking Member of the Committee, Samuel Atta Mills, who was presiding over the sitting, to call the Chairperson to order.

Describing her conduct as ‘disruptive’, Mr. George accused the Chairperson of attempting to derail his submission.

‘This is unbecoming of a Member of Parliament, please stop doing this. You have asked a question, I have the floor, you will let me answer the question. Let me finish. If it is your committee then don’t invite us. Respectfully, let me land,’ he said.

Mrs. Osei-Asare, however, defended her intervention, insisting that her intention was to ensure focus and seriousness during the proceedings rather than undermine the Minister.

‘When you come here and we address issues, it is not that we want to talk anybody down, never. But Minister, the situation is serious and that is all the sentiments I am trying to put across,’ she explained.

The exchange briefly disrupted proceedings before calm was restored for the sitting to continue.

Cases of opioids abuse among residents in the mining communities of Tarkwa-Nsuaem in the Western Region have been increasing.

Opioids are a powerful class of drugs primarily used to relieve moderate to severe pain.

This was revealed at a medical outreach initiative organised in Tarkwa under the ‘HEAL Programme’ of the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation.

It was organised in collaboration with the Society of Family Physicians of Ghana and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).

The event saw residents being offered free health screening, treatment, medication, counselling as well as free registration and renewal of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) cards for about 1,000 people.

President of the Society of Family Physicians of Ghana, Dr. Baaba Nnina Damoah, confirmed that chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes dominated cases recorded during the screening exercise.

She said the screening also covered acute illnesses including malaria, respiratory infections and skin diseases among children.

‘This exercise was very important because we are bringing healthcare to the doorstep of the people and identifying conditions early before they become severe,’ she said.

She urged residents to adopt healthier lifestyles by reducing stress, engaging in regular exercise, eating balanced diets, avoiding excessive alcohol intake and smoking.

Abdel Razak Yakubu, the Executive Secretary of Gold Fields Ghana Foundation, explained that the outreach programme had become a quarterly exercise because of worrying health conditions being recorded in host communities.

According to him, previous screenings have shown increasing cases of hypertension, diabetes, joint-related diseases and drug abuse, particularly opioid use among the youth.

‘What we are identifying is high rates of drug abuse, especially opioids and related substances.

‘We do not know whether it is linked to illegal mining and the physical demands of the work, but it is something that requires serious attention,’ he indicated.

He explained that the outreach programme goes beyond screenings, as patients diagnosed with serious conditions are referred for further treatment and monitored to ensure they receive adequate care.

He disclosed that the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation spends about GHS600,000 on each outreach programme, although this year’s exercise cost slightly above GHS500,000 due to support from partner organisations.

The Tarkwa-Nsuaem Manager of the National Health Insurance Authority, Stephen Ayonbisa, encouraged residents to use the NHIS mobile application to renew their memberships conveniently.

Working Ghanaians are emerging from a period of deep financial strain with increasing optimism, improved financial discipline, and reduced stress levels, supported by a stabilising macroeconomic environment, the latest round of the Old Mutual Financial Wellness Monitor (OMFWM) has revealed.

However, the research cautioned that long-term financial vulnerability remains widespread, driven by short-term savings behaviour, low retirement preparedness, and limited access to professional financial advice.

The survey, which focused on urban and peri-urban working Ghanaians aged 20 to 59 earning GHS1,200 or more, provided insight into financial attitudes, behaviours, and resilience across both the formal and informal sectors.

The report said confidence in the economy had more than doubled, rising from 22 percent to 48 percent, with seven in ten working Ghanaians believing the economy would improve over the next year.

As economic pressures eased, financial stress levels halved, dropping from 60 percent to 30 percent, the lowest level recorded in three years of tracking, the report said.

‘After several years of sustained financial pressure, working Ghanaians are finally beginning to experience some much-needed financial breathing room,’ said Roy Punungwe, CEO of Old Mutual Group Ghana.

‘In a more stable macroeconomic environment, people are becoming more intentional, managing debt prudently, exercising greater control over spending, and actively rebuilding their savings,’ he added.

The report, however, noted that more than a third (37 percent) of respondents reported earning more than they did a year ago.

‘Despite this, vulnerability remains pronounced, with 39 percent fear losing their income, and nearly half would run out of money within three months if that income stopped.

‘To mitigate risk, many Ghanaians are diversifying income streams. More than one in four (27 percent) are ‘poly-jobbing’, combining formal employment with side hustles, freelancing, or after-hours work. Younger Ghanaians are especially affected, reflecting limited job security and employment opportunities,’ the report added.

‘What the data shows very clearly is that resilience is being built, but it is fragile. Income may be improving, yet too many households remain just one shock away from financial distress,’ Punungwe stated.

The Old Mutual Financial Wellness Monitor concluded that Ghana was transitioning from survival to recovery, but noted that sustainable financial wellness would require greater engagement with formal financial solutions, improved financial literacy, and stronger trust in the financial system.

‘This research reinforces why Old Mutual exists,’ Punungwe said, and added, ‘Our role is not just to provide financial products, but to build trust, offer guidance, and help working Ghanaians move from short-term resilience to long-term financial security. The optimism is there, with the right support, it can be transformed into lasting wellbeing.’

The Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Dr. Johnson Asiama, says the conflict in the Middle East and rising global energy prices could pose significant risks to the country’s economic recovery, despite signs of strong domestic resilience and improving investor confidence.

Speaking at the opening of the 130th Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting at the Bank Square in Accra yesterday, Dr. Asiama said the initial conditions of the Ghanaian economy had improved meaningfully since the Committee’s last meeting in March 2026, describing the development as ‘a testament to the sustained reform efforts in recent years.’

‘At the same time, a deteriorating external environment, characterised by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and its effects on global energy and commodity prices, is introducing new headwinds that must be weighed carefully,’ he stated.

According to the Governor, at the129th MPC meeting earlier this year, policymakers were uncertain whether the Middle East conflict would be brief or prolonged.

As a result, the Committee developed different scenarios, including one in which Brent crude prices would return to around US$75 perbarrel and another in which prices could remain close to US$100 per barrel through the end of the year.

‘Since then, a clearer picture of the Middle East crisis and its potential effects is emerging. The conflict has not abated, and its economic consequences are now visible in the global data,’ he said.

Dr. Asiama revealed that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz had triggered a sustained rise in global energy prices, while the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had revised its 2026 global growth forecast downward to 3.1 percent from 3.3 percent due to disruptions linked to the conflict.

He further explained that several emerging economies were already recording renewed inflationary pressures, forcing some central banks to pause or reverse earlier monetary policy easing measures.

‘For a commodity-exporting, energy-importing economy such as Ghana, the transmission channels of this external shock are multiple and material through fuel prices, transportation costs, import bills, and ultimately consumer price dynamics,’ Dr. Asiama stated.

Despite the challenges, the Governor highlighted several positive developments within Ghana’s economy, citing easing inflation and the 2026 IMF World Economic Outlook projection of continued economic expansion for the country.

He also disclosed that the current account surplus for the first quarter of 2026 exceeded the same period in 2025 by approximately US$652 million.

The management of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) has strongly denied allegation by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Sekondi, Blay Nyameke Armah, that the STMA used about GHS5.2 million for repainting the Assembly’s main office building.

The MP earlier alleged that the Assembly used the amount from its 2025 share of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) Legacy Projects Allocation solely for the repainting.

Meanwhile, the Assembly has described the MP’s assertion as false.

‘The Assembly wishes to place on record that the claim is false, inaccurate, and misleading,’ it stressed.

A statement issued by the Public Relations Department of the Assembly noted, ‘Our attention has been drawn to a comment by the Member of Parliament for the Sekondi Constituency, Blay Nyameke Armah, alleging that the Assembly used GHS5.2 million for repainting.’

It said, ‘For the avoidance of doubt, the actual cost incurred for the repair and painting works on its main office building was GHS319,683 and not GHS5.2 million as alleged by the MP.’

The statement explained that the works formed part of necessary rehabilitation and maintenance efforts aimed at preserving the structural integrity and improving the working environment of the Assembly’s administrative block.

The Assembly further clarified that the 2025 DACF Legacy Projects Allocation was not used exclusively for the office rehabilitation works.

‘The allocation was also applied towards the completion of other outstanding projects within the metropolis in line with approved development priorities and the Assembly’s commitment to improving infrastructure and service delivery,’ it stressed.

STMA assured residents that the Assembly will continue to prioritise projects and interventions that improve service delivery, institutional efficiency, and the general wellbeing of the people.

The Assembly remains committed to transparency, accountability, and prudent management of public funds.

‘All expenditures undertaken by the Assembly are guided by the approved DACF guidelines, procurement procedures, and public financial management regulations,’ the statement added.

The Assembly has, therefore, urged the public to disregard the misleading allegations and rely on verified information from official Assembly sources.