Category: Daily Guide Network

FORMER VICE President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has been hailed for contributing significantly to protect the peace in the country with his early concession of the 2024 national elections.

Yaw Adomako Baafi, a leading member of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), has said Dr. Bawumia’s patriotic action is the reason the country’s peace and unity is still intact today.

He pointed out that tension in the country was rising to the roof level right after the 2024 general election, and Dr. Bawumia’s wise decision to concede defeat early, instantly diffused the tension.

Adomako Baafi has therefore rejected assertions by some detractors of Dr. Bawumia, who have labeled the NPP 2024 presidential candidate as a weak leader because of his early concession.

Contrary to the view of the Dr. Bawumia’s detractors, Adomako Baafi insisted that the ex-vice president is a bold and confident leader, who deserves to be president in 2028.

‘Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is bold and confident, that’s why he is usually calm,’ he said and added, ‘people who usually make noise are weak, but Dr. Bawumia is very calm and a bold person.’

Still showering tons of praises on Dr. Bawumia for his early concession of the 2024 polls, he stated that the patriotic act is among the numerous reasons Dr. Bawumia will be president in 2028.

‘Dr. Bawumia with his early concession has proven to the citizenry that he is not obsessed with political power. It also shows that he’s someone who has Ghana’s interest and peace at heart.

‘That single act by Dr. Bawumia, which certainly helped to protect the peace in the country, has won him numerous admirers, who would love to vote for him as their president in 2028,’ he stated.

According to Adomako Baafi, the other presidential hopefuls in the NPP are also good but Dr. Bawumia easily stands tall among them and would lead the party to victory in 2028.

‘The other NPP presidential aspirants are good, but Dr. Bawumia is the best amongst them. If we don’t honour Bawumia with our votes, posterity will not forgive us,’ he told the NPP delegates.

Adomako Baafi also stated emphatically that Dr. Bawumia was not the reason why the NPP failed to win the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections after ruling the country for eight years.

‘I totally disagree with anyone who will accuse Dr. Bawumia for being the cause of the NPP’s 2024 defeat. The NPP was naked in the area of security, and that was key reason for our defeat,’ he said.

Five persons have been dragged before a High Court in Accra for allegedly attempting to smuggle 100 kilograms of gold estimated at GHS100 million.

Abdul Razak Seidu, Bernard Nkrumah and Ibrahim Aremeyaw were initially hauled before the court last month, where they pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against them.

Abdul Karim and Sadique Abubakari, who were initially on the run, subsequently appeared before the court yesterday and also pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Their lawyer, Paul Bariga, pleaded with the court to grant them bail, assuring it that the accused will make themselves available for the trial.

Together, they are facing a total of seven charges, including conspiracy to commit crime, attempt to smuggle gold, transportation of gold without authorisation, buying gold without licence issued by the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) and failure to comply with GoldBod Tier 2 Licence.

The court, presided over by Justice Ruby Aryeetey, has granted each of the accused persons a bail of GHS50 million with two sureties, one of whom must be justified.

They have been ordered to report to the police every other day until the conclusion of investigations.

One other suspect ? Muhammed Afsah Puthalan, an Indian national, is still on the run as the police mount a manhunt for his arrest.

The prosecution’s fact indicates that on August 26, 2025, the GoldBod Taskforce gathered intelligence that a syndicate was transporting gold from Tarkwa to Accra for onward smuggling out of Ghana.

Acting on the information, the Taskforce mounted surveillance on the Tarkwa-Accra route, which led to the interception of a Toyota Hiace commercial vehicle on August 27, 2025, at Winneba Junction.

Abdul Razak Seidu, who was on board the Toyota Hiace vehicle, was arrested and a backpack he was carrying contained three wrapped yellowish substances, which later was tested and confirmed at the GoldBod Assay Laboratory to be gold with a net weight of 8.2 kilograms, valued at approximately GHS10.2 million.

Investigation so far further disclosed that on several occasions, Seidu transported gold from Tarkwa to Accra under the instructions of Abdul Karim, who provided him with contacts via WhatsApp from Puthalan.

The brief fact indicated that Seidu, in his investigation cautioned statement dated on August 28, indicated that he received gold either directly from Bernard Nkrumah or from his driver, Joseph Acquah alias Kobi, for delivery in Accra.

It said Seidu further admitted that he was transporting the gold from Tarkwa to Accra for delivery to his cousin, Abdul Karim on the instructions of Puthalan.

‘He further indicated that he had made several similar trips in the last ten days preceding his arrest, and he was paid a fee of GHS500 for each trip,’ the facts noted.

The fact further indicated that Nkrumah, under interrogation, corroborated Seidu’s statements, that he supplied gold of varied quantities to Ramfoh Gold Limited, a company not holding any gold trading licence from the GoldBod, through Pathalan and Karim, using couriers like Seidu.

‘He further indicated that between July and August 2025, he purchased and supplied approximately 100 kilograms of gold valued at about GHS100 million to A1 (Ramfoh Ltd.) through A2 and A3 (Pathalan and Karim), using A4 (Seidu) and other couriers. He further confirmed receiving large sums of money, ranging from GHS10 million to GHS30 million on different occasions, through mobile money transfers from A1 and A2,’ the fact added.

Similarly, longtime environmental campaigner, lawyer Awula Serwah of the Eco-Conscious Citizens organisation, in a recent interview with 3News, drew attention to the alarming health and environmental consequences of galamsey, including rising kidney disease cases, premature deaths, birth deformities, and poisoned water bodies.

According to her, over 60 percent of Ghana’s water bodies have been contaminated by mining activities.

She cited figures from the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, which has recorded a fourfold increase in kidney disease cases, as evidence that the crisis is spiraling.

With vivid imagery, she stated: ‘The house is burning, and we are waiting for it to be reduced to ashes before we act. Water is life.’ She summed it up thus: ‘We will not die if we don’t have gold, but we will die without water.’

For its part, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) last week issued a strong warning that Ghana could soon face a nationwide water shortage if the government fails to take decisive action to halt galamsey.

The union raised the alarm during a fact-finding mission to assess the state of water treatment plants in the Kwanyako, Brim, and Akyem areas of the Central and Eastern Regions.

Speaking to JoyNews, the TUC Secretary-General, Joshua Ansah, described the situation as ‘deeply troubling.’

He called on President John Mahama to declare a state of emergency to confront the illegal mining crisis head-on, warning that the TUC will be compelled to take ‘a drastic decision’ if the government fails to act.

‘Galamsey must stop, and it must stop now,’ Mr Ansah stressed.

It was gratifying to learn last month that ‘the Government has declared all water bodies and forest reserves as security zones in the latest measure to root out illegal mining in the country,’ as announced by Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah.

It’s also encouraging that there is a ‘National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), a special-purpose unit established under the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources ‘to coordinate, monitor, and lead intelligence-led field operations against illegal mining (galamsey) activities across Ghana.’

However, how effective can these measures be, against the recalcitrant galamsey operators, some of them, fellow Ghanaians assisting foreigners; and well-armed too, to resist any challenge to their illegal mining?

Should they be allowed to endanger all of Ghana? They demonstrate their infuriating audacity, pepper-in-wound defiance, in videos posted online, posing for the cameras with impunity.

There is an argument that unemployment is the reason for the rise in illegal mining, but since when has unemployment become an acceptable excuse for crime?

Remarkably, despite the long and growing list of organisations calling for a SoE, President Mahama has declared his reluctance to do that, it should be only as ‘a last resort’ – though his party, the National Democratic Congress while in opposition had been strongly championing the need for a SoE.

What I must have missed somehow is their explanation for the change of mind, the present-day opposition to declaring a State of Emergency.

Anyhow, to my mind, the fight has to be an all-out offensive, with chiefs, youth and communities too in the forefront, to complement other measures. For us in Ghana, the WFD theme must relate to ensuring potable water and safe foodstuffs, free from galamsey poisons, for our better future.

And, in my opinion, Ms Serwah’s compelling message is good enough to serve as a slogan for a national call to action: ‘We will not die if we don’t have gold, but we will die without water.’

The Appointments Committee of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has announced the officiating team for the 2025 Women’s Champion of Champions match between Malta Guinness Women’s Premier League winners Police Ladies and Women’s FA Cup holders Faith Ladies.

The eagerly anticipated showdown is scheduled for Saturday, October 18, 2025, at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram, where the two top women’s clubs will go head-to-head for the season’s curtain-raiser trophy.

Experienced referee Mercy Boakyewaa Gyan will take charge of the encounter, assisted by Portia Ofosu and Elizabeth Alela on the lines.

Julian Antieh has been appointed as the fourth official, while Emmanuella Aglago will serve as the match commissioner. Vicentia Kyeremaa will act as the venue media officer, and the GFA’s cameraman will provide live coverage of the event.

The Women’s Champion of Champions match traditionally signals the start of the new domestic women’s football season, pitting league champions against cup winners in a battle for early-season bragging rights.

Fans are expecting a thrilling contest as both Police Ladies and Faith Ladies aim to begin the 2025/26 campaign on a high note.

Telecommunications company, Telecel Ghana, has dismissed claims made by the Minority in Parliament over its involvement in the management of state-owned AT (formerly known AirtelTigo), describing them as ‘misleading and disingenuous.’

In a statement issued by its External Affairs Department, Telecel explained that that its current engagement with AT Ghana stems solely from a National Communications Authority (NCA) directive, not from any merger or takeover arrangement.

According to the company, the NCA instructed the migration of AT Ghana’s network traffic to Telecel’s platform after ATC Ghana shut down AT’s cell sites in August 2025 over unpaid debts.

‘Since September 1, 2025, Telecel Ghana has been providing national roaming services to AT as an interim measure. Without this intervention, AT customers would not have been able to use mobile voice and data services across the country,’ the statement explained further.

Telecel noted that it, like all stakeholders, awaits the outcome of ongoing government processes being handled by transaction advisor KPMG.

Strong Financial Performance

The company further rejected suggestions that it lacks the financial capacity to manage operations in Ghana, revealing that it remains profitable and has recorded ‘a year-to-date net profit of multiple hundreds of millions of Ghana cedis.’

It said it has injected over US$240 million into the business since acquiring Vodafone Ghana in 2023, far exceeding the US$10 million figure cited by critics.

The investments, Telecel said, have gone into clearing legacy debts, modernising infrastructure, and expanding digital services across the country.

‘Till date, none of the over 600 employees in the organisation have been made redundant as promised, and the company has been certified Top Employer year on year,’ it added.

Corporate social responsibility

Telecel also rejected claims that its recent community and health interventions were aimed at gaining political favour, calling such assertions ‘unfortunate and untrue.’

The company cited recent donations of advanced cervical cancer screening equipment to the Korle Bu and Tamale Teaching Hospitals, as well as the Sefwi Wiawso Government Hospital, as part of its long-term corporate social responsibility strategy.

These, it noted, were in line with commitments made during the launch of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund in May 2025.

Telecel also referenced its continued support for the One Million Coders Programme and the sponsorship of several traditional festivals across the country, including Kwahu, Osu, Ningo, Prampram, La, Cape Coast, and Gomoa Dawurampong, stressing that all sponsorship requests came directly from Traditional Councils, not from the Communications Minister.

‘It therefore beats one’s imagination that our support for this year’s Homowo Festival could be interpreted as an attempt to influence decisions concerning AT,’ the company said.

Transparency and governance

Telecel reaffirmed its status as a legal entity operating under the name Ghana Telecommunications Company Limited, with the Government of Ghana holding 30% shares on behalf of the public.

The company said it remains committed to transparency, ethical conduct, and constructive engagement with all stakeholders.

‘We operate with professionalism, transparency, and adherence to the law and are committed to preserving the interests of all stakeholders such as customers, partners, employees, and shareholders,’ the statement stated.

Telecel urged the public to disregard misinformation regarding its role in the ongoing AT matter, saying it remains focused on expanding digital access, improving network quality, and delivering innovative services to millions of Ghanaians.

Talented Ghanaian rapper known for his drill music, specifically in the Asakaa genre, Yaw Tog, born Thorsten Owusu Gyimah, has opened up on how his music friends have abandoned him since his career took a nosedive.

Yaw Tog, who gained popularity with hits like ‘Sore’ and ‘Can’t Stop’ featuring Sarkodie, in an interview with Headless YouTuber, stated that his rise in the early stage of his career was met with numerous mistakes.

According to him, one of his biggest missteps was allowing too many people into his close circle when he first gained nationwide attention with ‘Sore’.

‘My worst experience is allowing too many people to also be in the spotlight with me when ‘Sore’ was on, but now those people them no dey around anymore (sic),’ Yaw Tog shared.

He revealed that a lot of people have since disappeared from his life, emphasising how fame often attracts temporary relationships.

‘Not the guys who were on ‘Sore’ with me specifically, but everybody that came around me at the time. It’s something that I would say I’ve regretted. I don’t even get a call from them anymore,’ he added.

Yaw Tog concluded by saying that although the experience was painful, he has come to accept it as part of the realities of the entertainment industry.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has projected that Ghana’s debt-to-GDP ratio will reach 59.1 percent by the end of 2025.

The forecast, contained in the October 2025 Fiscal Monitor Report, was released during the IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C.

According to the report, the projection is slightly lower than the government’s 60 percent target for the same period. The IMF further expects Ghana’s debt ratio to decline to 56.1 percent in 2026, 53.7 percent in 2027, and 51.3 percent in 2028, suggesting that by 2028, the country will outperform the 55 percent debt-to-GDP benchmark set under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) Programme.

In its World Economic Outlook released on October 14, 2025, the IMF also forecasted that global economic growth will slow from 3.3 percent in 2024 to 3.2 percent in 2025, and further to 3.1 percent in 2026, despite a slight upward revision from its April projections.

The Fund noted that the global economy is being reshaped by new policy measures and trade dynamics, with some temporary boosts expected from fresh trade agreements and tariff adjustments introduced in early 2025.

‘Advanced economies are expected to expand by about 1.5 percent, while emerging markets and developing economies will grow just above 4 percent, reflecting resilient domestic demand in Asia and parts of Latin America,’ the IMF stated.

It added that global inflation is projected to continue easing, though it remains above target in the United States and subdued in several other regions.

An inquest into the death of former world boxing champion Ricky Hatton has been opened and adjourned at the South Manchester Coroner’s Court in Stockport.

The 46-year-old, who earned global fame after winning world titles at light-welterweight and welterweight, was found dead at his home in Hyde on 14 September.

During the brief hearing, the court heard that Hatton was discovered by his manager, Paul Speak, who had gone to his home that day to collect him for a flight to Dubai.

Alison Catlow of Greater Manchester Police told the court that Hatton was last seen by his family on 12 September and had appeared to be in good spirits at the time. He reportedly failed to attend an event the following day as expected.

Senior coroner Alison Mutch said the final cause of death has yet to be determined, though the preliminary indication was hanging. No members of Hatton’s family were present at the hearing.

The full inquest into the death of the man affectionately known in the boxing world as ‘The Hitman’ has been scheduled for 20 March

The Kumasi High Court has adjourned to October 28, 2025, the case involving Akosua Serwaa, who claims to be the legally wedded wife of the late highlife legend, Daddy Lumba.

The case seeks to determine who has the legal and traditional right to perform the widowhood rites of the celebrated musician.

The late Daddy Lumba, born Charles Kwadwo Fosu, passed away on July 26, 2025. His family has since announced that his final funeral rites will take place on December 6, 2025, at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi.

However, that event could be affected by the ongoing legal dispute initiated by Akosua Serwaa against Kofi Owusu Fosu, head of Lumba’s extended family, and Priscilla Ofori, popularly known as Odo Broni.

She is seeking a court declaration affirming her status as the only surviving spouse and the sole individual entitled to perform the widowhood rites.

She also wants an injunction restraining Odo Broni from publicly presenting herself as the musician’s wife.

During yesterday’s proceedings, lawyers for the defendants informed the court that they had filed an application to challenge Akosua Serwaa’s legal capacity to bring the matter before the court.

However, Her Ladyship Justice Mrs. Dorinda Smith Arthur declined to hear that motion, explaining that it was not the business before the court for the day.

Counsel for the plaintiff, William Kusi, argued that the court should instead proceed with the hearing of their injunction application to prevent the defendants from interfering in the widowhood rites.

After listening to both sides, Justice Smith Arthur urged the parties to explore an amicable settlement, noting that the case would be given priority if it proceeds.

The court then directed all parties to file their responses within 14 days before adjourning the matter.

Speaking after the proceedings, Mr. Kusi expressed hope that the case would not drag on until December, warning that such a delay could disrupt the scheduled funeral.

In her statement of claim, Akosua Serwaa insists she is the legally wedded wife of Daddy Lumba and that neither she nor her children were consulted before the family announced the funeral date – which they only learned of through social media.

She contends that her marriage to the musician was valid and subsisting at the time of his death.

She further alleges that the family head informed her that she would not be permitted to perform the widowhood rites, a role traditionally reserved for the lawful spouse.

According to her, Odo Broni surfaced after the musician’s death, claiming to have been married to him and to have had children with him.

Akosua Serwaa maintains that any attempt by the family to allow Odo Broni to perform the widowhood rites would be unlawful, as she believes Odo Broni was never legally married to the late Daddy Lumba.

She is therefore asking the court to intervene to prevent what she describes as an injustice that would deny her rightful recognition as the only legally acknowledged wife of the late musician.

Prudential Bank has kicked off its breast cancer screening campaign in Takoradi, marking the first of five screenings scheduled across the country this month.

Over 300 women participated in the event held at the Church of Pentecost premises at Kwesimintim with the aim of raising awareness on breast cancer.

Head of Brand at the Bank, Jamilla Disu, said ‘the screening is part of our annual initiative to promote breast cancer awareness and encourage people to check for early detection. We believe that early detection is key to saving lives.’

She indicated that similar screening exercises will be conducted in Accra, Tema, Kumasi, and Tamale, providing essential health services to communities across the country.

‘Last year, the Bank screened over 1,200 individuals, with 327 screened in Tamale alone. This year, our target is to exceed this number. The beauty of it is that we are visiting the same centres we undertook the exercises last year. This way, those who benefitted previously have the chance to be checked again,’ Ms. Disu disclosed.

This initiative is part of Prudential Bank’s ongoing efforts to contribute to the well-being of its customers and the communities it serves.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting women worldwide, with over 2.3 million new cases diagnosed globally each year. Men are at risk as well even though it is more prevalent in women. Early detection and treatment can significantly improve outcomes and survival rates among the population.

In Ghana, breast cancer is a significant health concern, with many cases being diagnosed at advanced stages.