Category: Daily Guide Network

The year 2026, still in its early stages, might be laden with interesting times on the global sphere and locally of course.

For now, the global stage is posting interesting developments, most of them about ‘this is our hemisphere.’

The ripples from the flexing of muscles on the global stage will definitely impact on Ghana and the rest of the world. The resonance from the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russo-Ukrainian war on us are still fresh in our memories.

The ‘this is our hemisphere’ rhetoric from President Donald Trump alongside his action in capturing the Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro and his wife in a brazen operation by the US Delta Force stunned the world. In the following days, he has served notices of further actions and it would be foolhardy to discount such notices.

While the world watched in awe, President Trump sounded a warning to the remnants of the government in Caracas to play or risk suffering a worse fate than the removed President, now indicted in the US.

Scholars of international affairs and law are under the circumstances redefining the nuances of the subjects as the Monroe Doctrine plays out big time.

The military actions by the US Coast Guard on the waters of the Caribbean ostensibly to enforce sanctions against Venezuelan oil and the pursuance of the Narco War are indicative of an unfolding new world order; one in which the US calls the shots however she wants and wherever she wants them.

Not even the voice of the United Nations (UN) can deflect the Trump action from taking its intended direction.

World powers such as Russia, China and others have of course expressed dismay at the US action in extracting a foreign President from his country, but these have only added to what sounds like a cacophony of decibels, not able to effect a change of plans by the White House.

Ghana has been queried by some local observers for expressing dissatisfaction over the US action, this, according to them, veering off the tangent of the Non-Aligned Movement of which she is a signatory. We are yet to identify other signatories of the movement frowning upon the US action.

Enter the Greenland brouhaha. President Trump has served notice of an intended plan of usurping Greenland because it is in her interest to do so.

By the foregone, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), the military bloc of which Denmark is a member and who manages Greenland, has stated that the US action is a threat to the life of the military alliance.

What happens when President Trump takes the military option to make good his plan of taking over the territory which is in the bosom of Denmark, a NATO member?

The world is definitely on unchartered waters and whatever lies on the horizon remains a matter of conjecture, as the Monroe’s Doctrine rulebook plays out, unhindered civility would definitely give way to the law of the jungle.

We can only watch as a test for the ‘touch one touch all’ principle of NATO is put to an unusual test if Greenland is usurped by mighty USA.

Actor and producer, Kwaku Manu, has revealed that he was once involved in illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, but quit after committing fully to movie production.

Speaking in an interview with Nana Romeo on UTV on January 10, 2026, the actor said he lost interest in galamsey after registering with a movie production company and starting his acting career.

‘When I began doing movies, galamsey didn’t interest me anymore, so I decided to quit and focus on acting,’ he said.

Kwaku Manu described galamsey as a highly dangerous activity, explaining that the search for gold often leads to serious injuries and death.

‘Wherever there’s gold, blood will be shed if care is not taken,’ he stated, adding that excitement and the promise of quick money often make miners forget safety precautions.

He recounted how underground miners risk their lives by ignoring the supports used to hold mining pits, sometimes leading to fatal accidents.

According to him, the desire for money often clouds judgment, even when miners know the risks involved.

Despite its dangers and illegality, Kwaku Manu admitted that galamsey attracts people because of the financial rewards.

‘We know it’s illegal, but the money motivates us,’ he said.

The actor also described galamsey workers, especially those who go underground, as extremely courageous, noting that fear is often outweighed by the promise of profit.

He said quitting galamsey to focus on filmmaking has been one of the most important decisions of his life.

An independent technical report has concluded that the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) has delivered substantial macroeconomic benefits to the economy, far outweighing the trading losses often highlighted in public debate.

The report, titled ‘Evaluating the Macroeconomic Effects of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod)’, was presented to GoldBod on January 4, 2026, by a team of economists from the University of Ghana and the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS).

The authors are Prof. Festus Ebo Turkson and Peter Junior Dotse of the Department of Economics, University of Ghana, and Prof. Agyapomaa Gyeke-Dako of the Department of Finance, UGBS.

Using conservative assumptions and verifiable data, the study assesses GoldBod’s macroeconomic impact by comparing quantifiable benefits, especially reduced gold smuggling and non-debt foreign exchange inflows, with the reported trading losses of the Bank of Ghana (BoG).

The report concluded that GoldBod should be viewed not as a profit-driven trading entity, but as a high-return policy tool for macroeconomic stabilisation and formalisation.

One of the report’s central findings is that GoldBod has significantly reduced gold smuggling by formalising artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) exports.

According to the report, recorded ASM gold exports increased from 63.6 tonnes in 2024 to 103.0 tonnes in 2025, representing an incremental 39.4 tonnes.

The authors argued that this increase plausibly reflects gold previously lost to smuggling but now captured within the formal economy.

Valued conservatively at US$96.5 million per tonne, the formalised gold translated into approximately US$3.8 billion in additional foreign exchange entering the country’s formal system in 2025 alone.

The report directly compared these gains with the BoG trading loss of about US$214 million reported by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

On this basis, it estimated a benefit-cost ratio of roughly 18 to 1. In practical terms, the report noted that formalising just 2.2 tonnes of gold would have been sufficient to offset the reported loss, while the actual scale of formalisation achieved was about eighteen times higher.

Beyond this comparison, the report highlighted major financing savings arising from GoldBod-enabled non-debt foreign exchange inflows.

The report said ASM gold exports facilitated by GoldBod in 2025 are estimated at US$10.8 billion.

Had Ghana sought to mobilise an equivalent amount of foreign exchange through external borrowing, the report estimated that annual interest costs would have ranged between US$756 million and US$1.08 billion, based on borrowing rates of 7 to 10 per cent.

The report said even when the analysis is limited to the plausible reduction in gold smuggling, avoided annual interest costs are estimated at between US$266 million and US$380 million.

The report stressed that these savings are recurring annual benefits rather than one-off gains.

According to the authors, GoldBod-supported foreign exchange inflows have also generated broader macroeconomic gains.

These include higher international reserves estimated at between US$11 billion and US$12 billion, exchange-rate stabilisation and appreciation relative to IMF budget assumptions, and a reduction in the domestic cost of external debt service estimated at about GHS6.2 billion.

The strengthened external position also helped lower the cedi value of imports between January and October 2025 by an estimated GHS50.6 billion and supported disinflation through reduced exchange-rate pass-through.

The report further explains why the reported BoG ‘loss’ is often misunderstood. It argued that much of the headline figure reflects accounting translation effects rather than actual cash losses.

Gold is purchased at near-retail exchange rates to prevent smuggling, but the resulting foreign exchange inflows must be booked at the lower interbank rate, creating an accounting gap.

The true economic cost of the programme, covering fees, purity losses and offtake discounts, is estimated at about 2.5 per cent of gold value, far lower than the headline loss figures frequently cited, the report pointed out.

BoG Details Gold Programme Losses

Meanwhile, the Bank of Ghana (BoG) has released official data on the performance of its Domestic Gold Purchase Programme (DGPP), outlining gold volumes acquired since 2021 and the associated accounting losses recorded under the initiative.

The disclosure, contained in a letter dated January 12, 2026, was issued by the Financial Markets Department of the central bank in response to a request for information from The Multimedia Group.

According to the BoG, the DGPP, which began in June 2021, is a strategic programme aimed at promoting currency stability, which is one of the Bank’s core mandates, by increasing and diversifying the nation’s foreign exchange reserves and strengthening confidence in the economy through improved reserve buffers.

The data show a steady rise in gold purchases over the four-year period, particularly from artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM).

In 2022, the Bank acquired 0.76 tonnes of ASM gold, contributing to a total gold purchase of 3.47 tonnes valued at US$194.43 million. Associated losses for that year stood at GHS74.44 million.

In 2023, ASM gold purchases rose sharply to 24.87 tonnes, with total gold acquisitions reaching 37.02 tonnes valued at US$1.55 billion. Losses recorded under Net G40 and Net G4R transactions amounted to a combined GHS1.37 billion.

The upward trend continued in 2024, with ASM gold purchases increasing to 45.33 tonnes and total gold acquisitions reaching 56.47 tonnes. The total value of gold purchased that year stood at US$4.07 billion, while combined losses under the programme rose to GHS5.66 billion.

For 2025, the Bank reported a significant expansion in activity. ASM gold purchases climbed to 100.60 tonnes, with total gold acquisitions reaching 110.99 tonnes valued at US$11.4 billion.

However, the BoG noted that loss figures for 2025 are still pending external audit confirmation and have therefore not yet been published.

The Bank clarified that losses recorded under Net G40 include losses from both gold and oil transactions conducted under the programme, while Net G4R losses relate to ASM gold as well as other segments of the Gold for Reserves (G4R) initiative.

It further explained that total losses for ASM gold alone amounted to GHS74 million in 2022, GHS2.15 billion in 2023 and GHS4.84 billion in 2024, based on final audited accounts.

Posh La Health and Beauty Care has officially opened its doors, bringing premium beauty and wellness services to Accra.

The grand opening took place on January 10, 2026, at Adomah Heights, 54 Boundary Road, East Legon.

The event welcomed a select group of guests into an atmosphere of elegance, relaxation, and self-care. Light refreshments were served as attendees explored the facility and experienced the brand’s signature approach to beauty confidence and holistic wellness.

Posh La Health and Beauty Care offers a wide range of products designed to enhance both inner and outer wellbeing, including advanced skincare treatments, wellness therapies, beauty boosters, and structured weight loss programmes, all tailored to meet individual needs.

The opening ceremony was graced by notable personalities from the entertainment industry, including award-winning actress Yvonne Okoro and actor Raymond Kyeremangten, among other distinguished guests, who joined in celebrating the launch of the new establishment.

With its official opening, Posh La Health and Beauty Care positions itself as a premier destination for clients seeking innovative, professional, and results-driven beauty and wellness experiences in a serene and luxurious setting.

A tragic road accident at Offinso Old Town in the Ashanti Region has claimed the lives of two people, while two others sustained injuries and are currently receiving medical treatment.

The deceased, a male driver and a female passenger, died after their vehicle caught fire following a collision involving a trailer with registration number GR-1357-W and a mini truck loaded with building materials.

Eyewitnesses’ reports indicate that the incident happened in the early hours of Tuesday, January 12, 2026.

According to residents, the female victim was a building materials trader who was transporting goods from Kumasi to Offinso when the incident occurred.

She and the driver were trapped in the burning vehicle and were burnt beyond recognition, leading to their death.

The bodies of the deceased have since been conveyed to a nearby hospital morgue for preservation and further investigations.

Meanwhile, the trailer driver and his mate, who sustained varying degrees of injuries, are receiving treatment at a local health facility.

Police have taken control of the scene and have commenced investigations to determine the cause of the accident.

Hundreds of adolescents in the Upper East and Northern regions have been reached with essential Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) services and educational programmes following the successful implementation of the Youth for Health (Y4H) project.

The three-year project, which begun in 2022 with funding from the European Union, has empowered these adolescents through creating safe spaces for learning, dialogue and informed choice.

A youth Champion under the Y4H project, and a representative of the Yarigabisi Community, Atanga Seraphina Ayinpoka, sharing her experience said the use of other learning activities helped to reach adolescent girls in her community who prior to that were reluctant.

She also highlighted the need to reach persons with disability with SRHR services, saying, ‘I don’t. because of the criticism or the isolation that was created . so even though we claim we are including them, we don’t see them around us when we call for young people.’ Ms. Ayinpoka further called for funding so the benefits of the project would be sustained.

‘I think NGOs should look at it and make sure they provide those equipment, those items, so that there wouldn’t be a situation where we would go to a clinic to seek for Reproductive Health Service, and they will be like the items are not there or the machinery to be used aren’t available,’ she said.

The project was implemented in Ghana by Marie Stopes International (MSI)-Ghana, Reproductive Choices and Youth Advocate Ghana, with support from Ghana Education Service, particularly the School Health Education Programme Unit and the Ghana Health Service.

Speaking at the project’s close-out meeting held in Accra, Programmes Manager, Abukari Abdul-Mumin (MSIG), said the target age bracket were people aged between 15 to 19 years in districts across the North.

‘We were in Nanumba North, Nanumba South, Nanton District, Saboba District, and Kpandai District. But if you go to the Upper West Region, we worked in the Bongo District, Binduri District, Builsa North District, and the Talensi District,’ he added.

Y4H Project Activities

Mr. Abdul-Mumin, giving an overview of the project activities, said 40 school health and wellness clubs were set-up and operationalised to provide knowledge and skills to young people to make informed decisions about their reproductive health and rights after school hours and on weekends.

‘We distributed autoclave machines, BP apparatus, examination couches, adult weighing scales, IUD plates, implant kits, and instrument drums both in the Northern Region and in the Upper East Region.

‘For comprehensive abortion care, we were able to contribute to the delivery of 2,353 services. For long-term reversible matters, we were able to contribute to the provision of 46,965 services. And then for short-term matters, we were able to contribute to a whopping 270,320 services. short-term methods contributed to 85% of the total services that we provided,’ he disclosed.

Y4H Project Impact

Touching on the impact of the project, Mr. Abdul-Mumin said 24,131 unintended and unplanned pregnancies were averted through the services the project provided, adding that about 30 maternal deaths were prevented.

‘Also, 8,381 unsafe abortions were averted and the project also contributed to a total of 155,810 couple-year protection (CYPs),’ he added. Mr. Abdul-Mumin highlighted that a total of GHS1,208,320 have been saved through the project; money that the government would have pumped into the health sector, but for the intervention of this project.

The Youth for Health (Y4H) project focused on reaching the poorest and most marginalised adolescent girls, including those living with disabilities, and in rural and hard-to-reach areas of Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Zambia.

By unlocking demand and access and contributing towards changes in favour of supportive policies and funding environments, Y4H will increase and sustain access to reproductive choices for girls and young women.

The 2025 West African Soldiers Social Activity (WASSA), Police edition, held at the Police Headquarters on Thursday, January 8, 2026, received a rousing reception from officers of the service and some invited guests.

The event, which marked the Police Service’s annual get-together, witnessed performances from the country’s leading music icons, spanning hiplife, gospel, and traditional music genres.

Opening the event was Kojo Antwi, also known as Mr. Music Man. The legendary Ghanaian musician, performed at the police celebration, bringing his unique blend of highlife, reggae, and Afro-pop to the event.

Kojo Antwi brought his energetic live performances, with his hits like ‘Tom and Jerry’ and other popular tracks. He performed to the amazement of President John Mahama and other government officials present.

Following his performance, gospel star Obaapa Christy mounted the stage, bringing her unique blend of gospel music to the event.

Known as the ‘Queen of Ghana Gospel Music,’ Obaapa Christy, who is credited with hits like ‘Me Te Ase’ and ‘Hyebre Sesafo’, received a standing ovation from the President and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), among other invited dignitaries.

Piesie Esther also lit up the stage at the event with her powerful vocals and energetic performance, with the crowd grooving to her popular hits like ‘Nyame Ye’, and ‘Mo’.

Other performances witnessed on the day include Akosua Agyapong, Daughters of Glorious Jesus, Tagoe Sisters, among others.

The celebration witnessed officers dancing and jamming to the tunes, making the event a top-notch celebration.

Family, friends and admirers of the late gospel musician, Maame Tiwaa, gathered in large numbers on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, for her one-week observance.

The ceremony took place at the Bantama Presby School Park in the Ashanti Region, where mourners came together to sympathise with her family and remember her contributions to gospel music.

Maame Tiwaa, who was a backing vocalist for Yaw Sarpong and the Asomafo music group, died on Sunday, December 7, 2025, after a brief illness.

Many attendees described her as a key voice behind several gospel songs that remain widely known.

Before her passing, she supported Yaw Sarpong during his period of ill health. Her final public appearances were at the 2025 TGMA night, where she paid tribute to him, and later at her son’s wedding.

The gathering reflected the impact Maame Tiwaa had on those who worked with her and followed her music.

Antoine Semenyo made a bright start to his Manchester City career with a goal and an assist against Exeter City, just four days after joining the club.

The Ghanaian forward completed a transfer from Bournemouth last Friday and was thrown straight into action in the FA Cup third-round game against Exeter City where he impressed in a 10-1 FA mauling of the League One side.

Semenyo showed early signs of why City decided to spend £65m to bring him to Etihad Stadium.

He became a fans’ favourite during his three years on the south coast and a goal and assist on his first start will go a long way to ensuring supporters at his new club take to him in the same way.

The Ghanaian was named man of the match in a contest where City racked up double figures for the first time under Pep Guardiola.

It was City’s biggest victory since a 10-1 Second Division thrashing of Huddersfield in 1987, and biggest in the FA Cup since a 12-0 qualifying round win over Liverpool Stanley while playing as Ardwick in 1890-91.

It was also the biggest FA Cup win from a top-flight side since Tottenham Hotspur beat Crewe 13-2 in a fourth-round replay in 1960.

With boss Guardiola serving a one-game touchline ban for receiving three yellow cards, assistant Pep Lijnders stood in for duties during the game and post-match.

‘I think a lot of good performances today,’ said Lijnders. ‘A lot of good individual performances. I think when the team plays like that it becomes easier for the individual, but Antoine is settling well.

‘He is a humble guy and we have followed him for a long time, but he brings something to the frontline – what we really want and what we need.

‘He can attack quick, he wants to chase, he is a guy who doesn’t stop. I think you see today that he can adapt quite quickly to our style. It’s nice to have him with us.’

Nollywood actress, Regina Daniels, has issued a stern warning to her estranged husband, Senator Ned Nwoko, and others, vowing to take legal action over allegations that she abuses hard drugs.

The actress made the declaration in a video posted on her Instagram page on Wednesday, where she addressed the controversy head-on while presenting laboratory test results from a hospital in California. According to the report, Regina tested negative for hard drugs, with the results only indicating the presence of ecstasy, popularly known as molly.

Visibly emotional, Regina said she was forced to speak out after realising the damaging impact of the allegations on her image and family.

‘I don’t believe that I will sit in front of this camera again trying to clear up an accusation that was sent to destroy me,’ she said, adding that the narrative was a deliberate attempt to ruin her brand.

The actress explained that taking the drug test was not merely to defend herself but to reassure her supporters and protect her children’s future.

‘When my children are old enough to understand, they will know that their mother was never a drug addict,’ she stated.

Regina strongly denied using hard drugs, describing the allegations as fabricated and malicious. She warned that those responsible would be held accountable.

‘I will sue. I will definitely sue at the appropriate time,’ she said, stressing that the accusations crossed a line.

The clarification comes nearly three months after Senator Ned Nwoko publicly accused her of drug use. Earlier, Regina had shared footage of herself at a California hospital undergoing the drug test, fueling public interest in the controversy.

The actress concluded by thanking her supporters and reaffirming her resolve to protect her name, reputation and family at all costs.