Category: Daily Guide Network

PRESIDENT Of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and CAF 2nd Vice President, Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, has been appointed as the Chairperson of FIFA’s Anti-Racism and Anti-Discrimination Committee.

His appointment, which runs from 2025 to 2029, marks another milestone in his distinguished career and highlights Ghana’s growing influence in global football administration.

Okraku will oversee FIFA’s global strategy to combat racism and all forms of discrimination in football.

His leadership will focus on promoting equality, inclusivity, and respect across all levels of the sport from grassroots initiatives to elite competitions.

He will be supported by Mark Wade of Bermuda, who has been named Deputy Chairperson, along with 19 other members representing various FIFA Member Associations.

Okraku’s appointment reflects FIFA’s confidence in his experience, leadership, and dedication to using football as a platform for unity and social change.

Before taking up this role, Okraku served as President of the West African Football Union (WAFU Zone B) for two terms and currently holds the position of CAF 2nd Vice President – the third-highest office within the Confederation’s leadership.

Since being elected as GFA President in 2019 and re-elected in 2023, Okraku has led a far-reaching reform agenda that has brought renewed growth, transparency, and development to Ghanaian football.

Earlier in his career, he served on the GFA Executive Committee and worked as the Communications and Marketing Manager for Accra Hearts of Oak, one of Ghana’s most decorated football clubs.

A graduate of the University of Liverpool with an MBA in Football Administration, Okraku combines technical expertise with visionary leadership – qualities that have earned him a reputation as one of Africa’s most forward-thinking football administrators.

MTN Ghana has marked this year’s Customer Service Week with persons with disabilities, focusing particularly on individuals with hearing and visual impairments in Accra.

The event, held at the Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations in Accra, offered participants an opportunity to engage directly with MTN officials and share their challenges with Ghana’s largest telecommunications company.

The day was also used to provide essential services such as SIM number reconnection, MoMo reactivation, and other support services that participants would normally have had to visit MTN offices for.

Some of the key concerns raised included the absence of sign language experts at customer service centres, making it difficult for persons who cannot speak or hear to resolve their issues.

Others mentioned challenges such as dropped calls, wrongful data deductions, SIM blocks, and incorrect MoMo transfers.

Isaac Martey, General Manager for Sustainability and Shared Value at MTN Ghana, acknowledged the issues raised and assured participants that steps were being taken to address them.

He revealed that MTN had already employed a staff member proficient in sign language and was working to improve service accessibility for persons with hearing disabilities, estimated at about 470,000 in Ghana.

‘The fact that our current services don’t necessarily include them is a concern. So, coming here, we wanted to listen first to their problems and then see how together we can craft solutions to ensure they are fully connected, and not treated as an afterthought,’ he said.

Mr. Martey added that MTN intends to lead efforts to ensure the voices of persons with disabilities are reflected in national policies and encouraged other businesses to adopt inclusive practices.

‘Going forward, together with our teams, we’ll devise solutions that reach them as well. It won’t happen overnight, but understanding the problems is the first step. The next will be to co-create solutions that address their specific needs,’ he said.

National President of the Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD), Matthew Kubachua, in a speech read on his behalf by Programmes Manager Seidu Musah Akugri, commended MTN for dedicating the day to promoting accessibility and inclusion.

‘By listening to the experiences of Deaf customers and caring about their challenges, MTN Ghana is taking an important step to make its services accessible and inclusive,’ he noted.

He, however, appealed to MTN to establish a dedicated Deaf Customer Service Line staffed by individuals fluent in Ghanaian Sign Language, including deaf persons themselves.

‘Such a service will not only enhance digital inclusion for our members but also empower Deaf customers to access support independently and confidently,’ he added.

A Nigerian student, Isaac Jesutofunmi Oniti, has reportedly set a record at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

He is said to be the youngest overall graduating student, aged 19, since the founding of the institution in 1952. The former student of Seven Great Princes Academy bagged the enviable title of Valedictorian after earning a record Cumulative Weighted Average (CWA) of 87.23.

The Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Dr. Rashid Pelpuo, has disclosed that nine months into President John Dramani Mahama’s administration, ministers, including himself, have not received their salaries.

Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express on Tuesday, the Wa Central Member of Parliament (MP) explained that the delay was the result of ongoing reforms to the government’s payroll system, describing it as a ‘system of renewal’ aimed at addressing long-term inefficiencies.

‘It’s not that the money isn’t available. We’re trying to resolve the challenges within the entire system so that future payments – for ministers, teachers, and nurses alike – can be made seamlessly,’ he explained.

His comments come as newly recruited nurses and midwives continue to protest over salary arrears. The Coalition of Unpaid Nurses and Midwives staged a demonstration in Accra last Thursday, demanding payment for nearly 7,000 members who claim to have worked for about 10 months without pay.

According to the group, while some 6,500 of their colleagues received their salaries in April 2025 following financial clearance and postings in December 2024, thousands remain unpaid despite repeated appeals to the government.

Dr. Pelpuo acknowledged the widespread frustration but maintained that the issue was systemic and affected multiple categories of public servants.

‘Yes, there’s a problem,’ he admitted and added, ‘But it’s not isolated. If ministers get paid and newly employed nurses and teachers don’t, that’s unfair. The solution must be holistic.’

He further explained that Members of Parliament who are not serving as ministers have been receiving their salaries since the parliamentary payroll system is separate and fully functional.

‘But those who are both MPs and ministers fall under the executive payroll, which is still being aligned,’ he said.

When asked whether other Article 71 officeholders outside the executive arm had been paid, Dr. Pelpuo said he could not confirm.

The minister also denied suggestions that the government’s inability to pay was due to a lack of funds. ‘This is not a cash flow problem. It’s a structural reform meant to ensure equity and efficiency across all sectors,’ he insisted.

Meanwhile, President Mahama recently directed all political appointees to donate one month of their salary to the MahamaCares Medical Trust Fund, a new initiative aimed at supporting the medical needs of vulnerable Ghanaians.

The directive was announced at the launch of the Code of Conduct for Political Appointees at the Jubilee House on May 5, 2025.

‘All appointees are to contribute one month’s salary to the MahamaCares Fund,’ the President stated. ‘This is a modest gesture to help those in medical need.’

The directive applies to ministers, deputy ministers, presidential staffers, chief executives of state institutions, board members, and other political appointees under the executive arm.

Additionally, the President warned that any government appointee who failed to declare assets by the extended deadline of May 7, 2025, would forfeit four months of salary – one month as a contribution to the MahamaCares Fund and three months as penalty for missing the earlier March 31 deadline.

In a related revelation, Dr. Pelpuo alleged that the erstwhile Akufo-Addo administration left behind about 12,000 newly recruited but unpaid public sector workers, creating an additional burden for the incoming government.

He said the inherited payroll backlog, coupled with the ongoing system overhaul, has complicated efforts to regularise payments to all affected categories of workers.

‘The transition came with its own challenges,’ he said. ‘We’re working to fix what we met – not just for political appointees, but for everyone on the government payroll.’

Ghanaian educationist and global thought leader, Professor Kwame Akyeampong, is set to launch his latest book, co-authored with Dr. Sean Higgins, titled, ‘Reconceptualising the Learning Crisis in Africa: Multi-dimensional Pedagogies of Accelerated Learning Programmes.’

The event will take place on October 22, 2025, at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City in Accra.

The book is a powerful critique of dominant global narratives that have long characterised Africa’s education systems as deficient. Drawing on decades of research, fieldwork, and real-world case studies in Ghana, Ethiopia, and Liberia, the authors argue for a radical shift in how Africa’s so-called ‘learning crisis’ is understood and addressed.

Rather than focusing narrowly on test scores and literacy gaps, the book advocates for inclusive, locally grounded, and African-rooted pedagogies that centre children’s lived experiences, local languages, and the relational philosophy of Ubuntu.

The event, supported by T-TEL Ghana, Luminos Fund, Jacobs Foundation, IDP Foundation, Yidan Prize Foundation, and mc2h Foundation, is expected to draw a distinguished audience of academics, policymakers, development partners, civil society leaders, and education practitioners from across the country and beyond.

Prof. Akyeampong, who is currently Professor of International Education and Development at the Open University (UK) and the Founding Director of its Centre for the Study of Global Development, has long championed educational strategies that reflect the cultural, social, and linguistic realities of African learners.

His career spans over three decades, including leadership roles in UNESCO and advisory positions with institutions such as the Luminos Fund, T-TEL, Jacobs Foundation, Yidan Prize Foundation, mc2h Foundation and the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development.

In Reconceptualising the Learning Crisis in Africa, Akyeampong and Higgins argue that:

The ‘learning crisis’ in Africa is not just a technical challenge but an ethical failure of the international development community to uphold educational justice.

Framing African children, teachers, and communities in deficit terms undermines their identity, agency, and potential.

The use of local languages in early education remains a critical but overlooked factor in improving learning outcomes.

Accelerated learning programmes (ALPs) offer effective, scalable models that mainstream schools can learn from.

The involvement of parents, families, and communities is essential to improving foundational learning.

African values and philosophies, especially Ubuntu, must underpin any sustainable education reform.

Case studies from the book, such as Ghana’s Complementary Basic Education (CBE) programme, Ethiopia’s Speed Schools, and Liberia’s Second Chance Programme, demonstrate how contextually relevant ALPs have delivered impressive results for out-of-school and underperforming children.

The launch will also feature a keynote address, a presentation by the authors, a panel discussion with education practitioners, and a book signing and networking session.

Attendees will discuss how the book’s insights can shape ongoing reforms in Ghana’s education sector and across the continent.

Ghana will bid a final farewell to one of its greatest musical icons as the late highlife legend Daddy Lumba is laid to rest on December 6, 2025, in Kumasi. The burial will follow a grand funeral ceremony at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, where thousands are expected to gather in honour of the man whose music defined generations.

The announcement was made via the official Instagram page of the musician, born Charles Kwadwo Fosu, who passed away on July 26, 2025, at the Bank Hospital after a short illness. He was 60.

News of his death sent shockwaves across the nation, triggering an outpouring of grief and tributes from fans, colleagues, and statesmen – including current and former presidents.

In August, the Creative Arts Agency, in partnership with the Fosu family, organised a moving national candlelight vigil at the Independence Square. The vigil, held on August 2, saw thousands of mourners light candles and sing his classics, while simultaneous tributes took place in Germany, the UK, the US, the Netherlands, and across Ghana.

A one-week memorial followed on August 30 at the same venue, drawing a star-studded and politically diverse crowd. Among those in attendance were former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, and former MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong.

The event was filled with heartfelt performances of Daddy Lumba’s timeless hits – including Aben Wo Ha, Sika Asem, and Theresa – songs that continue to echo through Ghana’s cultural memory.

As the nation prepares for his final journey in December, one thing is clear: Daddy Lumba’s music will live forever, even as the legend himself ‘goes home.’

Former Vice President and flagbearer aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, celebrated his birthday last Tuesday in a unique manner.

He foot the medical bills of many children receiving treatment at the Department of Child Health, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

Ms. Akosua Manu aka Kozie, the NPP parliamentary candidate for the Adenta Constituency who is the former Vice President’s special aide, made the presentation on his behalf at the premier referral hospital.

The over GHS80,000 donation covered outstanding medical bills and cost of essential medicines for children in various wards.

According to Ms. Manu, the initiative was motivated by Dr. Bawumia’s compassion for children, particularly those battling health conditions whose families struggle to afford treatment.

‘Dr. Bawumia has always been passionate about children’s welfare. He believes that no child should be denied care because of financial challenges. This support is his way of spreading love and hope on his special day,’ she said.

Nurses and ward in-charges, who received the funds on behalf of the beneficiaries, expressed deep gratitude to Dr. Bawumia and his team, describing the donation as a timely act of compassion that has lifted a heavy burden off many struggling parents.

‘This support has brought relief to families who were unable to pay for their children’s treatment. It is a true blessing,’ one of the ward in-charges remarked.

The atmosphere at the hospital was filled with smiles, gratitude, and heartfelt prayers for the former Vice President.

Many parents and staff thanked him for choosing to mark his birthday with an act of kindness that directly touched lives.

The visit, characterised by warmth and appreciation, underscored Dr. Bawumia’s long-standing advocacy for compassion-driven public service and his belief that leadership must always prioritise humanity.

It would be recalled that Dr. Bawumia adopted a girl abandoned by her parents at the Weija Leprosarium.

He sponsored little Priscilla’s medical treatment in Italy and upon her return he had her admitted at the Roman Ridge School in Accra, where she has begun schooling.

Her first day at the school was a memorable one, as Dr. Bawumia and his friend Father Andrew Campbell, a patron of the leprosarium, engaged with the little girl.

Dr. Bawumia described the moment on his Facebook thus: ‘Today, Little Priscilla, a former resident of the Weija Leprosarium who was rejected by her parents at age two, reached a new milestone in her life, with her first day at school at the Roman Ridge School in Accra.

‘It was an exciting day for her and all who have cared for her including Father Campbell, Donna and Barbara. Priscilla is such an intelligent girl, and I believe she is destined for some great things in life. Congratulations to Priscilla Nonstele!!! May the angels protect you.’

Dr. Bawumia’s relationship with the little girl started when she was four and resident at the Weija Leprosarium as a cured leper.

Touched by her plight, the then Vice President sponsored a surgical procedure on her in Italy, which saw her now using a prosthetic limb.

MATTHEW Opoku Prempeh, the 2024 running mate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), is confident the party will recapture political power in 2028, and return the country back to the path of prosperity.

Without mincing words, he stated emphatically that all the five NPP presidential aspirants are competent and far better than anyone that the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) will present as their flagbearer for the crucial election.

Dr. Prempeh, nicknamed as ‘Napo’, described the NPP’s shocking electoral defeat in 2024 as just a temporary setback, stating categorically that the party learnt its lessons, and would therefore bounce back stronger in 2028.

According to Napo, he would willingly, wholeheartedly and actively campaign for any of the five candidates that the electorates would eventually settle on as NPP flagbearer on January 31, 2026, urging other party members to do so.

‘Any of the five NPP presidential candidates is much better than what the NDC can ever offer Ghana. So I’m much prepared to work for any candidate that will be elected as the NPP flagbearer,’ he stressed.

Napo was speaking during the NPP Manchester Youth Wing Conference in the United Kingdom (UK), which was under theme ‘A formidable youth wing, ready for power’. The event was graced by NPP members in the UK and beyond.

Touching on the outcome of the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections, he said, ‘Defeat is nothing but a lesson. How you learn the lesson and how you practice, will determine whether you will win or fail in your next match.’

According to him, the NPP has realised its shortfalls, which denied the party victory in 2024, promising that with unity and oneness, the NPP can strategise and campaign effectively to wrest political power from the ruling NDC.

‘The 2024 lessons have been learnt, it’s painful. Defeat cannot break our backbone. Don’t let the 2024 defeat paralyze you,’ Napo advised his party members, stating emphatically that the NPP would surely win power in 2028.

According to Napo, what the NPP needs most in order to win the next elections is total unity, ‘and that’s why I started a unity campaign immediately we lost the 2024 elections, because I know that with unity, we can recapture power.’

He pointed out that some aggrieved NPP members decided not to cast their ballots in 2024, and that helped the NDC to win power, saying that the ‘NDC didn’t win the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections, NPP lost the polls.’

Napo stated that the youth have a major and crucial role to play to help the NPP to realise its ambitions of recapturing political power in 2028, urging the NPP youth to make themselves available and work assiduously for the party.

‘Coordinate your TESCON activities because a vibrant TESCON will make our work easier,’ he admonished. ‘Don’t get yourself in unnecessary camps, your camp is NPP camp so don’t let anybody buy your conscience,’ he advised.

Napo also urged the NPP youth to defend and promote the party on social media platforms, saying, ‘The youth wing should be active on social media. One of the core duties of the youth is to fight for the party but not individuals.’

The National Service Authority (NSA) has officially opened the portal for the new registration of potential personnel for the 2025/26 service year, following a directive by President John Dramani Mahama to conduct a technical and forensic audit of the previous Central Service Management Platform (CSMP).

The registration, which spans a week -October 8 to 15, 2025- requires potential personnel to log on to www.gnsa.gov.gh for registration. The new website, established by the Authority, will be utilised for the enrollment, registration, and deployment of national service personnel starting this year.

Director-General of the National Service Authority, Ruth Dela Seddoh, announced that the new posting system has been revamped to streamline the process, enhance transparency, and simplify management.

She said service personnel will continue to follow the usual steps of PIN retrieval, card verification, posting, and allowance tracking, but through a unified and secure digital platform. Also, each user will have a personalised dashboard showcasing their posting details, institution information, duty reports, and a certificate with a QR code.

She added that verification institutions have also been integrated into the new system, enabling them to request and manage personnel more efficiently. The new workflow brings requests, approvals, attendance confirmation, and report validation online, supported by automated processes that drastically cut down delays and reduce manual work.

At the heart of this transformation lies the intelligent posting algorithm, which automatically matches personnel to institutions based on qualifications, regional preferences, and institutional needs.

‘The system considers factors such as educational background, proximity, and institutional capacity, ensuring a more streamlined and effective posting process,’ she added.

Addressing the issue of personnel registration in June 2025, Ms. Seddoh stated that when the system was activated, the Authority recorded just over 12,000 personnel registrants.

‘Unfortunately, due to various issues concerning questionable data presented and the necessity to ensure the integrity of all provided data, I regret to inform you that all registrants who registered in June 2025 will need to re-register, as the previous registration are no longer valid.’

She promised to refund registration fees made for early registration promptly.

She added that this change is to eradicate financial infractions associated with payroll processing, saying, ‘We recognise that inadequate financial controls in the past have resulted in significant losses for the state. Management has taken decisive steps to introduce stringent reforms and enhance internal controls, utilising appropriate banking tools to combat these issues.’

She announced that the official start date for the service is Monday, November 3, 2025, urging potential personnel to complete their registration and fulfil all requirements.

We visit the hospital and consult a doctor when we fall sick. But when our animals: goats, chickens, cows, donkeys, dogs, fowls and even fish that feed and sustain millions of families are sick? They also have doctors: veterinary surgeons, or veterinary doctors. They complete the same demanding six (6) years at university as their human medicine counterparts, followed by a mandatory year of housemanship. Upon graduation, they bear the title Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), and their contribution is just as critical to the health of human beings as that of animals.

Veterinary medicine is not about animals; it’s about protecting humans. Experiments have established that more than 60% of all infectious diseases in human beings have originated from animals, and more than 75% of new and emerging diseases (such as monkeypox, Ebola, COVID-19, and avian influenza) originate in animals before they spill over to the human population.

That is, with each vaccine each veterinary doctor gives to a dog, checks meat, conducts samples in the laboratory, or manages tsetse flies, they are indirectly safeguarding families, society, and the nation at large.

All the same, however, Ghanaian veterinary doctors are undervalued, underpaid, and under-equipped. This has precipitated a crisis that threatens not only animal health but also public health, food security, and national development.

Ghanaian Veterinary Doctors/Position

Ghanaian veterinary doctors are mostly recruited by the Office of the Head of Civil Service (OHCS) and deployed to work under the Veterinary Services Directorate (VSD) under the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. They serve in district and regional offices, border posts, laboratories, and Disease investigation farms across Ghana. They have numerous responsibilities:

Public health protection: Prevention of zoonotic infections such as rabies, anthrax, brucellosis, avian influenza, monkeypox, among others.

Trypanosomiasis and tsetse fly control: Minimising animal losses and sleeping sickness in humans.

Aquatic animal health protection: Protecting the emerging aquaculture industry from bacterial, fungal, and parasitic diseases.

Wildlife health management: Tracking diseases that spill over from wild animals to humans, such as Ebola and coronaviruses.

Food safety and meat inspection: Providing and ensuring safe meat, milk, fish, and egg supplies.

Quarantine and border control: Keeping dangerous animal diseases such as African swine fever out at Ghana’s borders.

Laboratory surveillance, research and testing: Detecting outbreaks early so that they can be stopped in their tracks.

Helping agriculture and the economy: Safeguarding livestock and fish industries, supporting livelihoods for millions.

When veterinary doctors execute their role appropriately, the whole health system benefits. Rabies vaccination in dogs, for example, prevents more than 95% of human rabies deaths. Control of brucellosis in animals prevents a chronic, disabling disease in people. And for every US$1 invested in animal health, the country saves up to US$5 on human health costs.

A Workforce in Crisis

Despite their critical role, veterinary doctors in Ghana face bleak working conditions. An entry-level veterinary doctor earns about GHS 4,000 a month (ie is salary plus critical professional shortage allowance), far less than their medical counterparts in the Ghana Health Service, even though both professions require the same years of training and mandatory housemanship. Unlike human doctors, veterinary doctors receive no allowances for housing, call duty, fuel, clothing, or professional development. There are no tax incentives to help them procure vehicles or essential equipment.

This poor remuneration and lack of incentives have caused a dangerous brain drain. Between 2022 and 2024, Ghana lost more than 35 veterinary doctors to opportunities abroad. At the same time, about 68 young veterinary doctors on government payroll continued to carry the weight of critical national functions at district and regional clinics, entry points, farms, and laboratories. Ghana only resumed employment of veterinary doctors in 2019 after a long 18-year break due to the absence of foreign-trained veterinary doctors. This forced the government to re-engage tired retirees to hold the fort. Now that young professionals are available since Ghana started training Veterinary Doctors with its first batch inducted in 2017, the nation is losing them again, this time to neglect.

The economic loss is significant. Training a veterinary doctor requires state investment in education, housemanship, and infrastructure. When they leave, Ghana not only loses this investment but also loses vital expertise. The country then relies on costly external consultants or overstretched retirees, an approach that is unsustainable for long-term development.

Human Impact of Neglect

The cost of under-funding veterinary services is not an abstraction, but a living reality. Each unchecked case of rabies risks killing a child through a dog bite. Each unquicked warning of bird flu threatens the poultry industry and the incomes of hundreds of thousands of farmers. Each failure to control tsetse flies eats away at cattle, drains meat and milk supplies, and drives rural communities further into poverty.

Aquaculture, the fastest-growing industry in Ghana, is also vulnerable to risk without veterinary control. Fish disease not only cuts down production but also leaves consumers to battle with hazardous products. Under the wildlife sector, uncontrolled diseases such as Ebola or coronaviruses would ignite future pandemics.

In short, veterinary doctors are the line defenders of public health, food security, and economic development. To neglect them is not only unjust, it’s risky.

Labour Relations and Fairness

To add injury to insult, even veterinary doctors have been left out of labour issues. For example, while the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG) deducts funds as association dues from veterinary doctors’ salaries, they were left out of some allowances that were negotiated for, which made them feel abandoned. These paradoxes go ahead to demoralise an already demotivated staff that is lagging when it comes to compensation and appreciation.

A Call to Action

The Ghanaian veterinary doctors’ case must be acted upon right away. It is more about the survival of our public health sector and food security rather than justice. Government and stakeholders need to:

Ensure that veterinary compensation is brought to a level similar to medical doctors in the Ghana Health Service.

Create a cadred recruitment pipeline so that newly qualified veterinary doctors can be integrated into the Civil Service in good time.

Give incentive packages such as housing, risk, fuel, professional allowances, and vehicle and equipment tax relief.

Place veterinary work not only as an agriculture subsector but as a frontline public health sector under the One Health policy.

Conclusion

Veterinary Doctors are not only animal doctors: public health sentinels, food safety officials, border guards, and economic facilitators. Without them, Ghana is in danger of more zoonotic outbreaks, food safety catastrophes, and declining poultry, livestock and fish industries.

If Ghana were to invest in and equitably compensate its veterinary workers, the nation would not only be saving human health expenses but also protecting the health, livelihood, and future of its citizens. It is time.

Veterinarians are Ghana’s quiet guardians of health, food, and prosperity. It is time we gave them the recognition and the investment they deserve.