Category: Daily Guide Network

The Abusuapanyin of the late Daddy Lumba’s family, Kofi Owusu, popularly known as ‘Tupac’, has renewed his appeal for peace between the musician’s wives following the successful one-year remembrance ceremony.

Speaking at the event, Kofi Owusu stressed that his responsibility as the family’s Abusuapanyin is to foster harmony rather than take sides in disagreements.

He said he believes it is important for family members to show understanding towards one another, noting that people often go through personal challenges that are not visible to others.

According to him, the successful organisation of the remembrance ceremony presents an opportunity for all parties to put their differences behind them and work towards reconciliation.

Kofi Owusu urged the two women to end the public exchange of accusations and curses, saying the family’s greatest wish is to see them living peacefully.

He expressed confidence that reconciliation is possible with God’s guidance and prayed for the day both women would come together to honour Daddy Lumba’s memory in unity.

The family head further stated that if the two wives decide to jointly preserve and celebrate the late musician’s legacy, he would willingly offer his support in his role as Abusuapanyin.

His comments come amid continued public interest in the relationship between Daddy Lumba’s wives as the family seeks to safeguard the legacy of one of Ghana’s greatest highlife musicians.

NINETY THREE (93) people, including suspected drug barons in Kumasi and Atwima Nwabiagya Municipality in the Ashanti Region, have been nabbed in a major police operation, aimed at stopping the sale and use of illicit drugs, as well as reduce criminal activities.

Giving the breakdown, the police disclosed that those apprehended during the successful security operation comprised 65 Ghanaian nationals and 28 Nigerian nationals, indicating that 58 of the suspects are males and 35 females.

A police statement, confirming the arrests, disclosed that ‘Among those arrested are Nurudeen Gafaru (28), Abdul Gafaru (29), Iddrisu Alhassan, alias ‘Tagor’ (33), Akwasi Afriyie (27), and Prince Chidera Okekelawe (25), a Nigerian national.

‘The suspects are believed to be key figures in the illicit narcotics trade within the region and are assisting the Police with ongoing investigations into suspected drug trafficking and other organised criminal activities.’

The police said the operation, which was conducted between July 15 and 24, 2026, saw the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Special Operations Team (SOT) storming known ghettos and criminal bases in Kumasi and Atwima Nwabiagya Municipality.

‘During the period under review, the Special Operations Team carried out coordinated operations at Afari, Nkawie, Ntobroso, Ahodwo, Ampabame, Atonsu Ahensan, Atonsu Gyinyase, ‘Thinker’ at Alabar, Asokore Mampong, Sawaba Adinyase, Buobai, Atimatim, Kronum, and Sawaba.

‘The operations, conducted between July 15 and 24, 2026, formed part of the Service’s ongoing efforts to combat illicit drug trafficking, dismantle organised criminal networks, maintain law and order, enhance public safety, restore public confidence in policing, and strengthen intelligence-led policing across the country.

‘The operations targeted identified criminal hideouts and suspected drug trafficking hubs,’ Superintendent Godwin Ahianyo, the Head of Public Affairs Unit of Ashanti Regional Police Command, disclosed in the press release.

He said exhibits recovered during the operations include ‘Forty (40) compressed parcels, each weighing approximately one kilogramme, containing substances suspected to be narcotic drugs. Quantities of 120 mg, 225 mg, and 250 mg Tramadol tablets.

‘Quantities of Ecstasy tablets, three (3) wraps of substances suspected to be cocaine, quantities of dried leaves suspected to be narcotic substances, thirty (30) locally manufactured toffees suspected to contain narcotic substances, suspected narcotic-infused beverages and narcotics processing materials.

‘One (1) unregistered red motorcycle suspected to have been used in the distribution of narcotic substances, quantities of unregistered pharmaceutical products, including Crestor 10 mg tablets and PD Injection and quantities of expired pharmaceutical products, including Zentel (Albendazole 200 mg), Rantolidon, and Cytotec 200 microgram tablets.’

Superintendent Ahianyo stated that all 93 suspects, together with the retrieved exhibits, remain in police custody, with investigations and the necessary legal processes underway.

He said preliminary investigations uncovered suspected commercial sexual exploitation activities at one of the operational locations, noting that ‘Investigations are ongoing to establish possible links to organised exploitation networks, human trafficking facilitators, and immigration-related offenses.’

The Ghana Police Service, he disclosed, remains steadfast in its commitment to dismantling organised criminal networks, combating illicit drug trafficking, and protecting communities through sustained intelligence-led policing.

‘The Service assures the public that these operations will continue across the country as part of its efforts to maintain peace, enhance public safety, and strengthen public confidence in policing,’ he indicated.

HEALTH WORKERS, market women and civil servants in Sunyani thronged the Ebenezer Presbyterian School last Friday for a free community health screening organised by Sustainable Impact Makers International (SIMI).

The outreach marked the official start of SIMI’s three-day summit on health equity, themed ‘Health Equity in Action: From Periods to Parenthood, For All.’ About 1,000 participants benefited from services including nutrition talks, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) registration, mental health consultations, and checks for dental, prostate, and eye conditions.

Founder and President of SIMI, Dr. Evelyn Botwe, said the screening was designed to take healthcare directly to the people. ‘If access is created, the people will utilise it, and that’s how we promote health. Beyond infrastructure, we must train the workforce to add the human piece to it – making health delivery dignified, not like we are doing people a favour,’ she stated.

Dr. Botwe said SIMI’s work has always been rooted in the community, with a strong focus on maternal and child health due to disparities in maternal mortality in Ghana and among Black and Brown communities globally. Through its programmes, SIMI supports women from conception until their child is 18 months old, covering medical bills and healthcare.

The organisation has worked with nearly 90 women in Sunyani communities with no recorded childbirth complications. As part of the summit theme, SIMI also runs the Feminine Hygiene and Blooming Butterfly Programme, which educates girls on menstruation and menstrual hygiene.

To ensure continuity of care, SIMI partnered with NHIS officials at the screening to register new members and settle outstanding balances for those already enrolled. ‘We have a registration form with disclaimers and specialists in every room. If we detect anything, you get a referral right there to continue with the same doctor,’ Dr. Botwe said.

Dr. Botwe disclosed that SIMI has reached over 20,000 lives across Ghana, New York, and Belize. In Ghana alone, the reach is over 6,000 people, making it the organisation’s biggest area of investment. Dr. Evelyn Botwe says the organisation is ready to take its community health model beyond Sunyani, as it has spent years perfecting a model that works – and now it’s time to scale.

‘We are hoping to not only do this in Sunyani. Obviously, there is a need here, and we presume there is a need in other places as well. We now have the blueprint of what works,’ she said, and added, ‘We now know that we Ghanaians can mobilise and have non-profits that do what foreign non-profits come to do.’

‘The SIMI future looks like creating a system that centralises our data so we can communicate our own impact on the ground. That way, the blueprint we have, we are able to replicate it in other areas of the country for success,’ she added.

We shall continue to touch on the smelly and obnoxious subject of public tribunals and the unconvincing tales about its so-called supplementary role in the justice delivery system.

It is anathema which no well-meaning Ghanaian should welcome back into the country.

The thought behind its promotion and subsequent legislation is to remove the obstacles which due process bring in the way of revolution-minded individuals in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as they set out to persecute political opponents.

The inherent checks as contained in due process is something the revolution-minded NDC activists abhor and would do all they can to replace what they can manipulate to their advantage. The public tribunals as they intend to constitute them would use the much dreaded blueprint of the 80s to further their bloody cause.

Such elements would rather tribunal rating adjudications are disposed of within 49 days and should be devoid of the necessary legal technicalities which ensure proper best practices and time-tested justice delivery.

Were the dead able to talk, those who died when they were presented before the faceless judges making up the tribunals of the 80s would have joined in kicking against the re-ignition of the anathema which sent hundreds to their early graves.

Is that what we want returned to this country which has moved on since the inception of constitutional rule? Certainly no.

For those obsessed with bringing their political opponents who allowed them to dodge prosecution for double salaries, the best way to achieve their wicked goal is the reintroduction of the public tribunal.

Allowing a reintroduction of kangaroo courts which slapped crazy sentences upon the accused is to show preference for national backwardness.

We can bet that had the previous political administration ruled with the mindset of thwarting due process and not supportive of the rule of law as it were, many appointees of today would have been in jail. That however was not the stock-in-trade of the government at the time.

With the contrary being the mindset of the incumbent administration, which is nostalgic of the ‘revolutionary days’, the temptation for public tribunals is too irresistible to be ignored. Not when the numbers in Parliament can be manipulated to achieve a goal regardless of public opprobrium.

The similarities between the public tribunals and the prevailing reset judiciary, as well as the general operation of the state’s investigative entities are too palpable to be brushed aside.

The hefty bail conditions, the Gestapo-style arrests and the hiding of suspects away from their families and even their lawyers, not forgetting the extraction of pleas under duress, all show similarities of the revolutionary period of the contemporary history.

Beating of political captives in the dungeons of security agencies to extract pleas and confessions have been alleged in recent times; traits of the public tribunal days, and they want us to sing hallelujah for this?

The Asokwa Circuit Court 2 in Kumasi has convicted two people who posed as health workers of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) after they pleaded guilty to forging staff identity cards and practising medicine without registration.

The convicts, Evelyn Ataa Amankwah, 33, a private nurse, and Collins Agyemang Badu, 22, a student nurse, were each fined GHS12,000 after admitting to the offences before Judge Vida Achia Yeboah.

The two were charged with conspiracy to commit crime, forgery of document, and practising medicine without registration.

ASP Stephen Ofori, police prosecutor, told the court, the complainant was a Public Health Officer at KATH.

According to him, investigations revealed that in June 2026, Evelyn Ataa Amankwah approached the operator of a printing press in Kumasi with samples of KATH staff identity cards and requested forged copies to be produced.

The forged cards identified Ataa Amankwah as a Disease Control Officer and Agyemang Badu as an Enrolled Nurse of KATH. The printing press operator reportedly produced the fake identity cards for a fee of GHS200.

The prosecutor narrated that on June 23, 2026, at about 10:00 a.m., the two visited shops at Asokwa in Kumasi, where they introduced themselves to traders as KATH health workers using the forged identification cards.

The court heard that the pair rendered health services to members of the public and administered suspected drugs while impersonating officers of the hospital.

Their activities were detected by KATH’s Public Health Unit, which, together with the hospital’s security team, mounted an operation at Asokwa.

ASP Ofori said the two were arrested at the scene and found in possession of the forged KATH identity cards, vaccines, medications and other medical items while holding themselves out as Public Health Officers of the teaching hospital.

They were subsequently handed over to the police for investigations.

During interrogation, both accused persons admitted the offences in their caution statements.

The prosecutor stated that following investigations, the police charged them with conspiracy to commit crime, forgery of document and practising medicine without registration.

ASP Ofori told the court that the forged documents included a Disease Control Officer Staff ID No. 42024116 and an Enrolled Nurse Staff ID No. SDCF42024107, both purportedly issued by KATH but known by the accused persons to be false.

After the two pleaded guilty to the charges, the Asokwa Circuit Court 2 convicted them and imposed a fine of GHS12,000 each. Failure to pay the fine will attract a 12-month imprisonment term with hard labour.

The Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament’s Finance Committee and Member of Parliament (MP) for Tano North, Dr. Gideon Boako, has questioned the government’s claims of strong economic performance, arguing that an economy cannot be described as healthy if it continues to borrow to finance recurrent expenditure such as public sector salaries and the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme.

According to him, the government’s reliance on borrowing to meet basic obligations raises concerns about the sustainability of the country’s public finances despite official claims of macroeconomic improvement.

Dr. Boako maintained that a genuinely strong economy should be capable of generating sufficient domestic revenue to finance key government programmes without resorting to borrowing for routine expenditure.

He said while the government continues to project confidence in the economy, the realities reflected in its financing decisions tell a different story and expose underlying fiscal weaknesses.

Speaking during a discussion on the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review on Peace FM, Dr. Boako said the government’s actions were inconsistent with its claims of economic recovery.

‘An economy described as doing well should not be borrowing to pay salaries and fund Free SHS as we are seeing under this government,’ he said.

On Ghana’s reported inflation rate, he argued that rising food prices being experienced by consumers do not reflect the official figures.

The Tano North MP said the cost of essential food items, particularly tomatoes, suggests that many Ghanaians continue to face significant cost-of-living pressures despite government assertions that inflation has declined to around five per cent.

Dr. Boako argued that the disconnect between official economic indicators and everyday market prices raises legitimate concerns about the true state of the economy and the lived experiences of ordinary citizens.

He further stated that current economic conditions are exposing what he described as inconsistencies in the government’s narrative on the country’s economic performance.

He pointed at the price of tomatoes in Accra as an example.

‘A piece of tomato sells at GHS10 in most outlets in Accra, yet we are told inflation is around five per cent. What you make of that is as good as what I am thinking. The settings are exposing a lot about the government,’ he said.

Nigerian singer, Peter Okoye, popularly known as Mr P, has stirred controversy on social media after suggesting that Nigeria’s indigenous languages offer little practical benefit.

The former P-Square member remarked while interacting with fans on X during a family holiday in Paris, France.

Earlier, the singer shared his excitement over hearing his children speak French fluently, writing: ‘Still in Paris! Watching my kids speak French so effortlessly makes me think… maybe it’s time to own a crib here in Paris.’

However, when a fan asked, ‘Hope they can speak Igbo, too?’ Peter replied, ‘And who naija language help? Make I hear word abeg.’

His response quickly sparked criticism online, with many social media users accusing him of disrespecting his cultural heritage.

Several critics pointed out that Peter has incorporated Igbo and other indigenous languages, including Yoruba, into many of his hit songs, helping him connect with audiences and build a successful music career.

Residents in the host communities of Gold Fields Ghana Limited have praised the company’s Foundation for funding two major legacy road projects in the communities.

The projects include the 2.26 kilometre (km) Budo City to Bogoso Junction road, which is estimated to cost $1.26 million. It is designed to improve traffic flow and expected to be completed this year; the 14.2km Samahu-Pepesa road, which will cost $5.3 million, is expected to be completed by the end of next year.

The residents thanked the Foundation for easing severe transportation difficulties as well as helping local farmers move produce to markets.

This came to light when the Board of Trustees of Gold Fields Ghana Foundation undertook a site visit to the two major legacy road projects within the Tarkwa-Nsuaem and Prestea-Huni Valley municipalities.

The Chief of Huniso of the Apinto Divisional Council, Nana Nvidah, expressed heartfelt gratitude to Gold Fields for addressing the previously deplorable state of the roads.

He said the initiative reaffirms Gold Fields’ commitment to sustainable development that will serve generations yet unborn.

He then recommended the renewal of Gold Fields’ mining lease for the company to continue its numerous development projects.

Later in an interview, Ken Ashigbey, Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber of Mines, called for the establishment of a Mineral Revenue Management Act.

He said, ‘Just as Ghana has a Petroleum Revenue Management Act, we should also have a Mineral Revenue Management Act which will ensure that government puts a portion of the mineral revenue into the Heritage and Stabilisation funds for the proper development of host mining communities.’

He reiterated his call for the mineral royalty receipts allocated directly to mining communities to be increased from the current eight per cent to 30 per cent.

According to him, the move will ensure that communities hosting mining operations derive tangible and equitable benefits from the country’s mineral wealth.

He also called on the residents to support Gold Fields’ development efforts, and added that if a mining company has a long lease, it could take long term investments in the various host mining communities.

Elliot Twum, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Gold Fields Ghana Limited, noted that the mining company remains committed to driving socio-economic growth.

He explained that the Board members of Gold Fields Ghana Foundation used to sit at the office to assess and approve projects the Foundation present to them.

‘But this time round, we want to visit the project sites to ascertain whether the projects we approve are really those going on at the various sites,’ he noted.

He urged the contractors for the projects to do good jobs and called on the various beneficiary communities to also take good care of the projects.

Dr. Matthew Kofi Ayeh, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Prestea Huni Valley, stressed the profound impact of the projects and said they will drastically boost agricultural productivity for local farmers.

Ghana’s tallest man, Abdul Samad Sulemana, has passed on at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH).

The man who passed yesterday was battling with a health condition, gigantism, while being treated at the Nalerigu Baptist Medical Centre in the North Eastern Region from where he was transferred to the TTH.

He was recipient of support from businessman Ibrahim Mahama, who promised to foot all his medical bills.

Fondly known as Awuche, he was born in 1994 and his height was 7ft 8inches.

Gigantism was responsible for his continuous growth and it related spinal curvature.

Universal Merchant Bank (UMB) has appointed accomplished banking executive Victor Opoku Brijuu as Group Head, Branch Network Up-Country, strengthening its executive leadership team as the Bank continues its transformation journey.

His appointment underscores UMB’s strategic commitment to building a high-performing, customer-centric branch network that consistently delivers commercial excellence, operational efficiency, and exceptional customer experiences across the country. As the Bank continues to deepen customer relationships and expand its retail banking footprint, Victor’s leadership is expected to play a pivotal role in accelerating sustainable growth and reinforcing UMB’s position as Ghana’s preferred relationship bank.

Bringing close to two decades of distinguished banking leadership, Victor has established a reputation for driving business growth, leading complex commercial portfolios, and developing high-performing teams across Ghana’s financial services industry. His experience spans corporate banking, regional business leadership, strategic relationship management, and business transformation, making him one of the industry’s accomplished banking executives with a proven ability to translate strategy into measurable business outcomes.

In his role, Victor will provide strategic leadership for UMB’s up-country branch network, including Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Western and Northern regions, with responsibility for driving commercial performance, strengthening customer engagement, enhancing operational excellence, and embedding a high-performance culture across the Bank’s retail franchise. He will also champion initiatives aimed at improving branch productivity, expanding market penetration, and ensuring that every customer interaction reflects UMB’s unwavering commitment to service excellence.

Commenting on the appointment, Managing Director of UMB, Dr. Philip Oti-Mensah, said:

‘UMB’s transformation journey demands leaders who combine strategic vision with disciplined execution and an unwavering focus on customers. Victor has consistently demonstrated these qualities throughout his career. His commercial acumen, leadership capability, and deep understanding of the banking landscape make him exceptionally well positioned to lead our branch network into its next phase of growth and transformation. We are delighted to welcome him to the UMB family.’

Prior to joining UMB, Victor served as Head of the Large Corporate Department and Regional Head at First Atlantic Bank Ghana, where he led strategic engagements with some of Ghana’s leading corporate institutions while successfully structuring complex credit and trade finance transactions across diverse sectors, including manufacturing, mining, pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, FMCG, exports, and personal care. His leadership contributed significantly to business expansion, portfolio growth, and strengthened market presence.

His tenure as Regional Head further distinguished him as a results-oriented leader with a strong ability to align regional execution with corporate strategy. By combining commercial discipline with deep market insight, he expanded business opportunities, strengthened stakeholder relationships, and built resilient, high-performing teams that consistently delivered sustainable growth.

Victor’s career has also seen him occupy key leadership positions at Energy Bank Ghana Limited and Bank of Africa Ghana, where he gained extensive experience across corporate banking, business development, relationship management, strategic planning, and risk management. This breadth of experience provides him with a comprehensive understanding of Ghana’s evolving banking landscape and the leadership required to drive long-term institutional success.

Speaking on his appointment, Victor Opoku Brijuu stated, ‘I am honoured to join UMB at such an exciting point in its transformation journey. Branches remain the heartbeat of banking and the most visible expression of our promise to customers. My focus will be on empowering our people, strengthening customer relationships, and building a consistently high-performing branch network that combines operational excellence with exceptional customer experience. Together, we have a unique opportunity to redefine relationship banking and create lasting value for our customers, communities, and stakeholders.’

Victor is recognised for combining strategic thinking with disciplined execution and a relentless focus on results. His ability to build trusted relationships, unlock commercial opportunities, and develop resilient, high-performing teams has distinguished him throughout his career. Colleagues and industry peers alike regard him as a thoughtful leader who inspires confidence while delivering sustainable business outcomes.

He is a product of Sekondi College and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from the University of Cape Coast and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Finance from Coventry University, United Kingdom. His extensive executive leadership experience equips him with the strategic perspective and analytical depth required to lead in today’s dynamic financial services environment.

Victor’s appointment reflects UMB’s continued investment in exceptional leadership as it builds a future-ready banking institution anchored on innovation, operational excellence, and enduring customer relationships. His addition to the executive leadership team further strengthens the Bank’s capacity to deliver its long-term strategic ambitions while positioning the branch network as a key catalyst for growth, customer loyalty, and sustained value creation.