Category: Daily Guide Network

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Sanitation Court has fined seven persons a total of GHS4,200 for breaching the city’s environmental by-laws through open defecation and indiscriminate dumping of refuse at unauthorised locations.

The convicts – Albert Quaye, Kwame Owusu Ansah, Daniel Nunoo, Razak Siedu, Haruna Abdul Rauf, Desmond Okeyika, and Moro Sebere – were found guilty by the court presided over by Rosemond Vera Aryeetey and each fined 50 penalty units, equivalent to GHS600.

Those unable to pay the fine will serve three months in prison.

Prosecutor, Nii Okine Aryee, told the court that the offenders were arrested by AMA Public Health Officers during a special sanitation enforcement operation on October 7, 2025.

The exercise, led by the Head of Public Health, Florence Kuukyi, formed part of the Assembly’s intensified efforts to curb unsanitary practices and promote public hygiene across the capital.

The AMA said the enforcement campaign targets individuals and households engaged in activities such as open defecation, littering, and dumping refuse at unauthorised sites – actions that pose health risks and undermine Accra’s cleanliness drive.

In a statement, the Assembly reiterated its commitment to enforcing sanitation laws to maintain a cleaner environment.

It warned that offenders will face swift prosecution and urged residents to comply with sanitation regulations.

‘Keeping Accra clean is a shared responsibility,’ the AMA stressed, calling on all citizens to support efforts toward achieving a clean, green, and healthy capital city.

The Head of the Global Freedom Network (GFN), Franca Pellegrini, has called for renewed global commitment to ending modern slavery, describing the challenge as ‘immense but surmountable through faith, unity, and action.’

Speaking at the GFN’s tenth anniversary gathering in Accra, Ms. Pellegrini expressed both gratitude for the network’s achievements and urgency about the ongoing fight. She recalled the GFN’s founding in December 2014, when twelve global religious leaders from Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, and Buddhism signed a historic declaration at the Vatican to eradicate modern slavery within a generation.

‘That moment was not just symbolic,’ she said. ‘It signalled that slavery is a moral crisis – and that faith communities have a unique role in confronting it.’

Ms. Pellegrini explained that over the past decade, GFN has mobilised faith leaders worldwide, equipped communities to recognise and respond to slavery, and championed survivor-led initiatives that ensure lived experiences inform policy and action. The organisation has also fostered strong partnerships among faith communities, governments, and civil society to strengthen prevention and promote ethical practices.

She warned that despite these successes, modern slavery persists, with more than 50 million people worldwide trapped in various forms of exploitation, from forced labour to domestic servitude and child marriage, and asked stakeholders to take decisive steps towards ending this menace.

‘Slavery continues to evolve adapting to conflict, climate change, migration, and inequality. Our response must match its scale and complexity.

‘Ending modern slavery is the work of all of us together. Faith leaders, use your pulpits as platforms for freedom. Governments, let your policies uphold dignity. Civil society, continue to reach the marginalised. Survivors, your leadership is essential.’

‘The road ahead is long, but our unity makes it possible. May our faith guide us, our unity give us strength, and our action bring freedom, dignity, and justice to all,’ she said.

The founding executive director of the Sanneh Institute, Dr. John Azumah, drew links between slavery and religion, and admitted that there were many instances where religious leaders used scriptures to justify the act.

‘Faith leaders in many different ways have been complicit in using very oppressive religious texts to justify slavery; religion was always corrupted to justify the practice,’ he said.

He also urged the government to prioritise the passage of a bill aimed at addressing witchcraft accusations, highlighting that the recent change in parliament has hindered the progress of this important legislation, which was close to being approved.

‘We have campaigned along with faith leaders in this room and other organisations for the last four years to really get the government to pass a bill against witchcraft accusations. We managed to get a bill passed in 2023 by Ghana’s parliament, but unfortunately, the bill was not signed into law. We’re praying that the current government will take responsibility and do something about this kind of danger to our vulnerable,’ he added.

The Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union of the Trades Union Congress (TEWU of TUC-Ghana) is calling for a 50 per cent base pay rise as it heads into salary negotiations with the government.

According to TEWU, only a substantial pay rise can restore fairness and cushion workers against the prevailing economic pressures.

National Chairperson, Salamatu Mahamah Braimah, said the union expects a significant improvement in workers’ conditions, stressing that rising living costs, utility tariffs, and increased fuel prices have significantly eroded the real value of workers’ salaries, hence the demand.

‘We are selling our labour, and as you know, each time things change, it means that our working conditions must change as well. So we are going into these negotiations with the mindset that there will be an improvement in the base pay.

‘I think the minimum will be 50%. So even if the government gives us 100%, we will say thank you, Mr. Government or Mr. President and walk away,’ she said.

Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Dr. Rashid Pelpuo, acknowledged the concerns raised and said the government would review the proposal carefully.

He expressed hope that any agreement reached will reflect both the needs of workers and the state’s financial capacity.

He assured that the government will carefully assess the proposal as part of ongoing negotiations with organised labour.

The Minority in Parliament has criticised proposals by some Majority Members of Parliament (MPs) calling for an increase in the enlistment age into the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), describing it as an attempt to smuggle ‘overage party foot soldiers’ into the military.

The Ranking Member of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee and New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Assin South, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, said the suggestion was a ‘misconceived and misguided populist agenda’ that would undermine professionalism in the security services.

Reacting to public statements by Sam Nartey George, MP for Ningo-Prampram and Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation, and Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, MP for South Dayi and Majority Chief Whip, Rev. Fordjour declared, ‘We will resist every attempt by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to load their overage foot soldiers into the Ghana Armed Forces.’

‘The Armed Forces is not a dumping ground for overage NDC foot soldiers. It is extremely backward and dangerous to force unqualified people into the military as a reward for party patronage,’ he asserted.

He further cautioned NDC leadership, including Cabinet Ministers and parliamentary leaders, against what he called ‘undue interference’ in the ongoing recruitment exercise by the Ghana Armed Forces, which he said must remain credible and professional.

His comments come after Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor, in a detailed post on X (formerly Twitter), compared Ghana’s military recruitment age limits to those of other countries in Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America.

According to Mr. Dafeamekpor, while the country’s upper age limit for enlistment is currently below 30, many nations allow recruits up to 35 years or older.

He cited examples such as Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Nigeria, and Togo, where maximum enlistment ages range between 30 and 35 years, and others like Germany, Australia, and the United States, where limits extend even higher.

‘So, in Ghana, we can extend our age limit to say 35 years or even 40 years depending on medical fitness and non-combatant roles. We need new ways of doing things,’ MP Dafeamekpor suggested.

Echoing a similar sentiment, Sam George argued on Facebook that many Ghanaians in their thirties remain physically fit and mentally capable of serving the nation, and should not be excluded from enlistment based solely on age.

‘I honestly believe it is time for our beloved nation to re-examine the maximum age for enlistment into our military services,’ he wrote.

‘There are people in their 30s who are physically fit and sound enough to serve. We must not deny them this opportunity simply because of their age. An upper limit of 35 years would serve our young people better,’ he added.

However, Rev. Ntim Fordjour dismissed the call as politically motivated, warning that any attempt to alter the recruitment standards for partisan gain would be met with firm resistance from the Minority.

He insisted that recruitment into the Ghana Armed Forces must remain strictly merit-based, transparent, and insulated from political interference to safeguard national security and the integrity of the institution.

The Black Stars took a giant step towards automatic qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a 5-0 convincing victory over Central African Republic in Morocco.

The senior national team now need just one point from their remaining qualifying match against Chad which is scheduled for October 12, 2025 at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Ghana could still achieve automatic qualification even if they lose the next game against Chad as they have a superior 8-goal advantage over Madagascar.

A 20th minute goal from Mohammed Salisu set the Stars on course to qualify as the team held on to end the first half without conceding.

The Black Stars made a slow start to the game but gained momentum after the first goal, and dominated the game from that point on.

The second half was a one-sided game which saw Ghana ran riot with four unanswered goals from Thomas Partey Partey, Alxeander Dziku, Jordan Ayew and Kamaldeen Sulemana who scored his first goal for the Stars,.

Ghana now needs just a draw in their last game to play in their fifth FIFA World Cup.

The Black Stars will go into the last qualifying game with confidence after the eye-catching game against Central African Republic.

They now top Group I with 22 points, three clear of second-placed Madagascar who won defeated Comoros in a 2-1 dramatic game.

Otto Addo’s team has now won seven of nine World Cup qualifiers, losing one against Comoros and drawing the other 1-1- against Chad.

The Upper West Regional Police Command has arrested two men, Sherif Abdulai, 30, and Mahamuda Lamin, 25, in connection with some murder cases recorded in the region since 2021.

The suspects were arrested following investigation into the recent killing of a night security guard.

Speaking with the media, Upper West Regional Police Commander, ACP Francis Yiribaare, said one of the suspects has confessed to killing 15 people.

According to him, the suspect admitted during interrogation that he has killed 15 people in the Wa Municipality since 2021, prior to the recent murder of Yahaya Issah, and confessed that he usually targets watchmen and sometimes mentally challenged persons.

‘He confessed that he had killed three mad men and two watchmen at Bole, one mad man in Banda Nkwanta and a mad woman in Bambs, both in the Savannah Region. He carries victims on his shoulder and buries them in bushes unnoticed,’ ACP Yiribaare stated.

ACP Yiribaare disclosed that the cases under investigation include some 15 murder cases recorded in the region between 2021 and 2022, and the recent case involving the murder of a watchman, Issah Yahaya, at Wa-Dobile on September 21, 2025.

He explained that in most of these cases, the victims were watchmen who were attacked while on duty, and they were either strangled to death or suffered head injuries from being hit in the head with blocks.

He revealed that following a careful review of the cases and the pattern that seemed consistent in all the cases, the Inspector General of Police, Christian Tettch Yohuno put together a team of intelligence officers and investigators from the National Headquarters and dispatched them to the Upper West Region to work with the regional team.

He disclosed that based on initial forensic analysis and acting on credible intelligence, the police arrested suspect Mahamuda Lamin on October 3, 2025, who led them to the second suspect.

He noted that the second suspect, Sherif Abdulai, an ex-convict who goes by aliases, Saani, Mohammed and Critos, was arrested at Adabiya, a suburb of Wa on Monday, October 6, 2025.

The Upper West Regional Police Commander also disclosed that a search conducted on him led to the retrieval of a Villaon keypad mobile phone and an X-Base solar-powered portable radio. Both items were later positively identified as property of the deceased, Issah Yahaya, and upon interrogations, the suspect claimed that he had bought the phone from a galamsey site in Bole.

The Upper West Regional Police Commander said both suspects are in the custody of the police assisting with investigation, adding that suspect Mahamuda Lamin was put before the Wa Magistrate Court, where he was remanded into police custody to reappear on October 21, 2025.

A 45-year-old woman at Assorko Essaman in the Shama District of the Western Region identified as Regina Nyame, has died under some bizarre circumstances.

The woman and her daughter, Sheila Baidoo, 21, were in their room when someone allegedly set the building ablaze, which led to the death of the woman.

Even though the perpetrator of the alleged crime has not been identified, the residents suspect a jealous boyfriend of the deceased might be behind the attack.

Sources had it that the alleged perpetrator poured petrol into the room through the window and set it ablaze.

According to the residents, the suspected boyfriend became very angry after the woman recently informed him that she could no longer marry him.

Narrating her ordeal in an interview with Takoradi-based Connect FM, Sheila Baidoo said she was in the bedroom with her mother around 10 p.m. on Tuesday when the incident happened.

She indicated that her mother was asleep while she was still on her phone browsing social media.

She said, ‘All of a sudden, someone poured petrol and set the room on fire. It happened so fast that I could not understand what was going on, the whole room caught fire instantly.’

She said in an attempt to save her mother, she managed to pass through the fire to call for help.

‘I managed to run through the flames to call for help. People in the area rushed in and managed to quench the fire and pulled my mother out.

‘She was rushed to the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital but passed away later due to the severity of her burns.

‘The doctors were preparing to transfer her to another facility yesterday morning, but she unfortunately passed away,’ she disclosed.

Sheila stated that she also suffered some burns on her back, and was receiving treatment at the same hospital.

She asserted that her stepfather had been having issues with her mother for some time.

‘I did not see him setting the fire, but witnesses say the person they saw allegedly pouring the fuel matched his description,’ she added.

‘My mother recently told him she could not marry him, a rejection that might have triggered the act,’ she alleged.

Meanwhile, the Assembly Member for the electoral area, Nana Kwesi Arko, has indicated that the police have begun investigations into the incident.

Crude oil production declined by 25.92 percent, from 24,857,477.52 barrels in the first half of 2024 to 18,415,410.74 barrels in the first half of 2025.

The decline, revealed in the 2025 Semi-Annual Report by the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC), highlights the country’s struggle to attract new investments in the upstream petroleum sector, with no new petroleum agreement signed since 2018.

Speaking at a press briefing on the report’s findings, PIAC Vice-Chair, Odeefuo Amoakwa Buadu VIII, urged government and relevant agencies to take urgent steps to reverse the downward trend and attract more investment into the country’s oil industry.

‘The Committee observed that, for period-by-period comparison, crude oil production declined by 25.92 percent, from 24,857,477.52 barrels in H1 2024 to 18,415,410.74 barrels in H1 2025,’ the report stated.

Covering the period January to June 2025, the report examines key aspects of petroleum revenue management, including production data, liftings, total revenue accrued to the State, allocations, utilisation of the Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA), and the management of the Ghana Petroleum Funds.

The Committee recommended that government focus ABFA allocations on fewer, well-defined infrastructure projects, funding them from start to finish, and ensure completed projects are properly branded.

It also urged that more ABFA resources be directed toward completing the Agenda 111 project for the benefit of citizens.

‘The Committee reiterates its earlier recommendation that the country should develop a broad-based, long-term national development plan approved by Parliament to ensure continuity in the use of national resources, including the ABFA,’ the report noted.

PIAC also revealed that the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) had reported centrally earmarked projects to be financed from the ABFA, a practice deemed non-compliant with Article 252(3) of the 1992 Constitution, which mandates that monies accruing to the Fund be distributed among all District Assemblies.

Additionally, the report disclosed that no expenditure was incurred under the government’s ‘Big Push’ programme for infrastructure development, despite an allocation of US$146.36 million from petroleum revenues during the review period.

The Committee assured the public that, although its mandate is primarily advisory, it remains committed to collaborating with all stakeholders to ensure that revenues generated from the country’s petroleum resources are used effectively and transparently.

THE GHANA Football Association (GFA) has released the official programme for the first-ever MTN Elite U19 Championship, an 11-day youth tournament aimed at developing and showcasing emerging football talent across the country.

Set to take place from October 23 to November 2, 2025, the competition will bring together ten Regional Football Association (RFA) U19 teams at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram.

Preparations for the event will begin with a media soiree on Monday, October 13, followed by the official launch and draw on Tuesday, October 14.

A stakeholder engagement meeting between the Organising Committee and the ten RFA chairmen will then be held on Wednesday, October 15 to finalise technical and logistical arrangements for the championship.

Participating teams are expected to report to Prampram on Thursday, October 23, with the tournament officially kicking off on Friday, October 24, 2025.

Sponsored by telecommunications giant MTN, the Elite U19 Championship serves as a key youth development initiative aimed at discovering, nurturing, and advancing young footballers from the grassroots.

It will provide a valuable platform for players from the second division and regional leagues to demonstrate their skills, gain competitive experience, and draw the attention of national selectors, top academies, and professional clubs.

The initiative forms part of the GFA’s broader ‘Power to the Youth’ policy, and aligns with major football development programmes such as the FIFA Talent Development Scheme (TDS), the Elite Academies Project, and the Catch Them Young Refereeing Programme.

According to the GFA, the maiden MTN Elite U19 Championship represents a significant step in Ghana’s football development structure, serving as a bridge between grassroots participation and elite performance – and setting the stage for the discovery of the country’s next generation of football stars.

Tragedy struck the farming community of Koben in the Adanse Asokwa District of the Ashanti Region when a 35-year-old man, identified as Joshua, allegedly murdered his 65-year-old father, Mr. Kwasi Akoma, following a misunderstanding over proceeds from their cocoa farm.

According to reports, the unfortunate incident occurred on Monday, October 6, 2025. Residents disclosed that the suspect and his father had been engaged in a long-standing dispute over how income from their jointly operated cocoa farm was being shared.

In an interview with DAILY GUIDE, some residents alleged that Joshua had been accusing his father of denying him a fair portion of the farm’s earnings. The disagreement reportedly escalated into a heated confrontation during which the suspect allegedly struck his father on the head with a pestle.

‘The two have been fighting recently over the cocoa farm proceeds. The son claimed the father wasn’t giving him his fair share. During a quarrel, he hit his father with a pestle,’ a resident recounted.

The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Police have since arrested the suspect to assist in investigations, while the body of the deceased has been deposited at the hospital morgue for autopsy.

Authorities say investigations are ongoing to determine the full circumstances surrounding the incident.