Category: Daily Guide Network

It has emerged that illegal gold mining activities also called ‘galamsey’ at Cape-Three-Points, a coastal community in the Ahanta West Municipality of the Western Region, have caused drastic decline in aquatic life along the coast.

Aside the illegal mining activities, there are many poaching incidents involving sea turtles, all of which are contributing to the decline of species along the coast.

This was revealed at the 4th Eco Awareness Festival organised by Ghana Instinct, a non-governmental organization (NGO) at Cape -Three-Points.

The festival was to create awareness on the need to protect one of West Africa’s last remaining coastal forests, safeguard endangered sea turtles, and create sustainable livelihoods for the local people who call the sea their home.

It brought together local residents and environmental experts as well as other visitors including foreign volunteers and school children who performed a drama on adverse effects of illegal mining.

There was also surfing competition and tours to various eco sites.

Ghana Wildlife Society representative, Solomon Kanyezu, said available data shows that many species have declined in number due to environmental challenges at Cape-Three-Points.

He noted that galamsey activities are damaging the virgin ecosystem, causing extensive environmental devastation including habitat destruction and water pollution.

Mr. Solomon Kenyezu noted that his organisation is aware of the massive illegal logging and other activities in the Cape-Three-Points forest reserves, which hinder species recovery and conservation efforts.

According to him, many species, such as sea turtles, and key terrestrial species like birds and monkeys, are declining.

He encouraged other stakeholders and institutions to build synergy to ensure effective protection of species within their lands.

‘The Wildlife Society is working with communities and the marine police to arrest poachers targeting sea turtles on the beaches’, he revealed.

The co-founder of Ghana Instinct, Akwesi Keith Amoako Agyeman McLaren, revealed that, the beach at Cape-Three-Points, is under threat by the activities of galamsey.

He added that the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) Task Force have been deployed to the forest in the community, and the MP for the area, Mavis Kuukua Bissue has pledged her support to help protect the area.

Fidelity Bank’s Deputy Managing Director for Wholesale Banking, Kwabena Boateng, has urged the financial sector, government, and private sector players to ‘move from gatekeeping to gardening’ a shift from cautious lending to active partnership in building the nation’s productive capacity.

Speaking at the 14th Ghana Economic Forum held at the Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel, on the theme ‘Currency Value Addition – A Reset for Sustainable Economic Growth,’ Mr. Boateng emphasised that the real anchor of Ghana’s currency lay not only in its reserves, but in the productivity of its industries and people.

‘What gives a currency its real value is not the paper it’s printed on, or the reserves behind it but the productivity that sustains it,’ Mr. Boateng said. ‘The more we invest in the sectors that create value; agriculture, manufacturing, and exports the more stable and resilient our currency becomes.’

He noted that while Ghana’s economy has made impressive strides in stabilisation, growing by 6.3% in the second quarter and recording single-digit inflation of 9.4%, financing patterns still reveal an imbalance.

‘The services sector continues to expand rapidly, accounting for over 42% of GDP and receiving 36.8% of all bank credit, while manufacturing attracts just 12.4% and agriculture despite its vast potential receives a fraction of that,’ he observed. ‘We have a powerful economic vehicle, but the power isn’t distributed evenly to all its wheels.’

Mr. Boateng cautioned that this uneven distribution creates vulnerabilities, urging financial institutions and policymakers to address the ‘financing conundrum’ that perpetuates high risk and underinvestment in productive sectors.

The key obstacle, he diagnosed, is the perception of risk, noting the Agriculture sector’s high Non-Performing Loan ratio of 54.2%. ‘This creates a cycle of caution: high risk leads to less lending, which leads to under-investment, which in turn perpetuates the very risks we fear. To achieve a true economic reset, we must break this cycle.’

To address this, he called for a systemic reset, one that combines finance, policy support, innovation, and partnerships. Citing Fidelity Bank’s ongoing initiatives, Mr. Boateng said the bank is actively demonstrating how patient, purposeful capital can unlock growth in high-impact sectors.

He highlighted two flagship Fidelity Bank initiatives as proof of concept for this systemic change: The BRIDGE-in-Agriculture Programme, implemented in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, has disbursed over GHS94 million to SMEs and smallholder farmers, focusing on youth and women entrepreneurs.

Combined with direct lending of GHS220 million this year, Fidelity’s total agricultural support now exceeds GHS314 million. Beyond finance, the programme provides technical assistance, market access, and training in climate-smart agriculture.

The Greentech Innovation Challenge initiative bets on young innovators to solve major agricultural challenges in areas like precision agriculture. The bank’s GHS2 million total investment in these green pioneers has already seen the first cohort generate over GHS13 million in revenue, with some expanding to Nigeria and Sierra Leone, validating the strategy of coupling innovation with patient capital.

‘These programmes show that when you combine patient capital with innovation and technical support, you can turn high-risk sectors into high-impact ones,’ Mr. Boateng remarked.

Looking ahead, he urged for stronger public-private partnerships to de-risk the real economy, promote export-linked financing, and expand access to green and inclusive finance for women and youth entrepreneurs. He further called for accountability mechanisms that measure not only credit volumes, but their tangible impact on value creation, exports, and jobs.

Mr. Boateng reaffirmed Fidelity Bank’s resolve to be an active catalyst in Ghana’s transformation journey. ‘At Fidelity, we do not simply lend; we partner to build. We want to see a Ghana where our currency is strong, our industries vibrant, and our people, especially our youth and women empowered to create lasting value,’ he said.

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has warned the government, especially the judiciary, to refrain from imposing excessive bail conditions on some perceived members of the party accused of committing offences against the state.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra yesterday, General Secretary of the NPP, Justin Kodua Frimpong, said such practice contravenes Section 96 of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act, 1960 (Act 30), and Supreme Court precedents, which affirm that bail should not be punitive or withheld merely as a punishment.

According to the General Secretary, state security agencies continue to flout such constitutional provisions with impunity, particularly Article 14 on the grant of bail to persons arrested or detained.

He said the constitution requires that such persons be brought before court within 48 hours or be released either unconditionally or upon reasonable conditions as may be necessary, to ensure they appear at a later date for trial.

He stated, ‘Thus, an accused person who is not tried within reasonable time is entitled to bail irrespective of the nature of the offense. However, recent developments clearly suggest a worrying trend where NPP members are detained beyond the lawful limit, subjected to unreasonable bail conditions, and effectively denied justice.’

‘This is anchored on the constitutional principle enshrined in Article 19(2)(c) that a person accused of committing an offense shall be presumed innocent until proven guilty. However, under this John Mahama administration, such persons are rather presumed guilty until they prove their innocence,’ he added.

Mr. Frimpong also cited some perceived members of the NPP, including Chairman Wontumi, Kwabena Adu Boahene, Abdul-Wahab Hanan, Gifty Oware Mensah, Osei Assibey Antwi and many others who were arrested, with one accused person’s bail condition set to the tune of GHS800 million.

He stated, ‘How ridiculous! Doesn’t this effectively amount to denial of bail, which the law speaks against? Judges, generally, fear to dispense justice according to the law because they fear that they may also suffer the same fate as Justice Torkornoo. Judges are now telling us that we are all not equal before the law and are quoting dictators like Idi Amin of Uganda to justify the unlawful detention of citizens in a democracy.’

The party also criticised the conduct of the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Akurintinga Ayine, accusing him of repeatedly acting as a ‘court of law’ by declaring accused persons guilty even before their cases are filed or while they are still pending in court.

He stated that the Attorney General and Minister for Justice seems not only good at filing nolle prosequi to free his political allies and National Democratic Congress (NDC) members accused of embezzling large sums of money, but also guilty of blatantly abusing prosecutorial discretion.

According to him, the Attorney General appears more interested in striking deals with certain accused persons to use them as prosecution witnesses, in order to secure convictions against former officials of the previous NPP administration.

‘The police are more interested in arresting and persecuting social media activists such as ‘Facebookers’ and ‘Tiktokers’ for allegedly insulting public officials and making or posting disparaging remarks about government officials than fighting insecurity in the country,’ he pointed out.

Such selective justice and intolerance, the party explained, erodes public confidence in Ghana’s democracy and justice system, leading to resurgence of a ‘culture of silence’, where citizens are targeted for expressing dissenting opinions on social media.

Touching on the fight against illegal mining (galamsey), the General Secretary accused the NDC of being enablers of the practice. He cited instances involving some NDC Members of Parliament and party executives who, he claimed, were engaged in irresponsible mining activities even going as far as attacking uniformed military personnel who attempted to stop them.

‘We in the NPP duly acknowledge the existential threats posed by the worsening galamsey situation and are willing and ready to cooperate with the government to fight the menace.

‘We are not going to behave like them when they were in opposition, where they made it look like galamsey was an Akufo-Addo creation and made a lot of political capital therefrom. The NPP is a responsible opposition, and we are ready to assist in tackling this generational crisis for the love of country,’ Mr. Frimpong pointed out.

Rapper Medikal has revealed the inspiration behind the unique name of his newborn son with singer, Eazzy – Space.

The couple recently welcomed their first child together, marking Medikal’s second after his daughter, Island with actress, Fella Makafui.

Speaking in an interview on 3Music TV, the Omo Ada hitmaker dismissed rumours suggesting that Space was not his first child with Eazzy before going on to explain the meaning behind the name.

‘I named my son Space because I want him to grow into an infinite world – limitless,’ Medikal shared proudly. ‘I don’t think it would have made sense giving him any other name,’ he added.

According to a new Ride-Hailing Safety Index Report by Bolt and Ipsos, 81% of Ghanaians view ride-hailing as a safer transport option compared to others, reflecting growing confidence in app-based mobility and its role in improving everyday safety and convenience across cities.

The report, based on surveys in Accra, Kumasi, Tamale, and Takoradi, examines how safety perceptions shape transport choices, technology’s role in building trust, and ride-hailing’s impact on safer urban travel.

Results show that Ghanaians choose ride-hailing primarily for convenience (80%) and safety (45%), underscoring the growing role of app-based mobility in daily life. Nearly all respondents (92%) said they use ride-hailing when seeking safer or more reliable travel, particularly for late-night trips (70%), when walking feels unsafe (50%), or when they are tired or unwell (46%).

The survey also found that women make up 70% of ride-hailing users in Ghana, with the largest demographic between 25 and 34 years, highlighting how digital mobility supports safe, flexible, and independent travel for young urban commuters.

Safety-enhancing features such as real-time GPS tracking (61%), driver verification (57%), and trip sharing (55%) were identified as the most important tools for building passenger confidence.

In total, 94% of passengers agreed that these in-app safety features make them feel more secure when using ride-hailing services.

Importantly, 52% of respondents believe ride-hailing apps help reduce drunk driving by offering a safe and accessible alternative after social events, contributing positively to public safety outcomes.

‘This report gives us valuable insight into how Ghanaians experience and perceive safety when using ride-hailing,’ said Sandra Suzanne Buyole, Regional PR Manager, Ghana. ‘It reinforces that safety is not only a key reason people choose digital mobility, but also an area where continuous investment in technology, driver education, and collaboration with stakeholders can make a lasting difference.’

Adding to this, Ipsos Head of Strategy Africa, Witness Soyinka, said, ‘The findings show that Ghanaians increasingly associate ride-hailing with reliability, traceability, and accountability, qualities that are essential for building long-term trust in mobility services. Safety features that enhance visibility and control are the main drivers of passenger confidence, especially among women and younger users.’

Member of Parliament for Ketu South and Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has strongly refuted allegations that she misappropriated a GHS90,000 support package from the National Lottery Authority (NLA).

Addressing journalists at the refurbished Anoenu Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound, Madam Gomashie clarified that the money was part of the NLA’s Corporate Social Responsibility Fund and was used exclusively to upgrade the facility.

‘That was exactly what I used the money for; not a dime was spent by me,’ Myjoyonline quoted her to have said. ‘It is ridiculous for anyone to suggest that I would take state money and spend it on myself,’ she added.

According to her, the funds were channelled into expanding the once one-room health post into a modern and fully functional centre equipped to meet the reproductive and general health needs of the community.

She detailed that the GHS90,000 investment went into constructing additional rooms, providing essential medical equipment, installing a water closet, and supplying sanitary pads to residents.

A borehole was also drilled to ensure a sustainable water supply for the clinic, following advice from the municipal assembly engineer.

PRESIDENT OF the Federal Republic of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, has received a beautiful wooden carved traditional Asante stool, which is adorned with the official emblem of the Asante Kingdom.

The special gift was given to him by His Royal Majesty, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, when he paid a courtesy call on him at Manhyia Palace, in Kumasi, on Tuesday, as part of his three-day state visit to Ghana.

Nana Otuo Serebuo, the Asante Juabenhene, presenting the stool on behalf of his overlord, the Asantehene, informed the German president that the gift is significant and precious from the Asante king and his people.

In Akan societies, including the Asantes, a stool represents royalty, therefore the gift to the visiting German president is a strong indication that Asanteman and Otumfuo hold him in high esteem.

The Juabenhene stated emphatically that the beautiful stool represents authority and power, stressing that Otumfuo and his people were extremely delighted to host a top dignitary like the German president in Kumasi.

According to him, the German president’s historic visit to the Manhyia Palace, should strengthen the bilateral relations between Asanteman and for that matter Ghana and Germany, to benefit the two countries.

Meanwhile, before the presentation of the stool, Otumfuo and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier had reportedly held fruitful discussions behind closed doors.

Sources at the Manhyia Palace informed the paper that the discussions between the two dignitaries centred mainly on commerce, technology, education and other key areas.

In a related development, Otumfuo also used the occasion to introduce some prominent businessmen in the country to the German president and his delegation.

The prominent businessmen that met and had pleasantries with the German president included Osei Kwame Despite, Dr. Ofori Sarpong, and Dr. Kwaku Oteng, among others.

The Asantehene, since his ascension to the revered Golden Stool of Asanteman in 1999, has been working assiduously to attract investors into the country to boost the national economy and bring relief to the citizenry.

In this regard, the platform that he offered to the Ghanaian businessmen to meet and have discussions with the visiting German president and his delegation, shows that Otumfuo has Ghana’s interest at heart.

Religion, ethnicity and democracy have no place in determining and choosing good and productive leaders in every dispensation.

What is needed is a good leader; attributes being honesty, innovation, resilience and focus among others. It is not about monetary wealth but wealth of ideas, which can change the fortunes of a country positively.

History was made in the Big Apple after Zohran Mamdani won New York’s mayoral election, defying the efforts of billionaires and the American President Donald Trump to deny him the opportunity to serve his New Yorkers.

His religious and demography were no factors in this part of the world where political civility rules.

There are lessons to be learnt from the epoch-making development from the mayoral polls in New York had monetary wealth been a factor, the winner would have come nowhere near the victory he clinched.

When he set out on the record-making journey, many did not believe he could make it; but he has made it, which shows what resilience can do even in the tightest of races.

We would have expected that all things being equal, the Jewish factor would have played against a Mamdani victory, but it rather added to his fortunes. The reason is not far-fetched; ethnocentric and faith bigotry have no place where credible, result-oriented and focused leaders are required.

New York has showed the way for others who might still be clothed in their unwanted and antiquated bigotries to follow.

Shouldn’t such bigots abandon their dozy ideas as they throw tantrums in their bid to win the hearts of delegates in the internal elections of one of Ghana’s dominant political parties? Sure they should, because we have grown past the dark ages of politics.

We need leaders who can think about how to deliver medical products to underserved or not served locations and to leverage upon digital technology in a fast moving world.

Intemperate language and bigotries are functions of backwardness and present those who spot these as unfit to seek leadership regardless of how much they have stashed in their kitties.

As we pointed out in an earlier commentary on the subject, Kwame Nkrumah having observed the trend in our early independence politics passed the Avoidance of Discrimination Act of 1957. That so many years in our independence status such traits continue to rear their ugly heads, shows how some of us still live in the dark years.

Kwame, the alias of Zohran Mamdani, the New Yorker, was born in Uganda having relocated to the US courtesy of his parents. He could not have stood the dollar might of his closest competitor, Andrew Cuomo, whose supporters poured in billions of dollars down the toilet to ensure his loss, as a writer for The American Prospect, Ryan Cooper, wrote in the November 4, 2025 edition, ‘New York City didn’t submit to a campaign of flagrant bigotry from disgraced two-time loser Cuomo; Americans, particularly young ones, can still be politically inspired by a good candidate with a good message; and, not least of all, a bunch of MAGA billionaires flushed millions and millions of dollars down the toilet losing to a brown, Muslim democratic socialist’. According to Forbes, no fewer than 28 billionaires donated at least $100,000 to stop Mamdani, including Daniel Loeb, Barry Diller, Steve Wynn, Reed Hastings, and Alice Walton.

Of course these are great lessons for us in Ghana.

The Islamic University College, Ghana (IUCG) and the Dagbon Kingdom yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance education in Dagbon and the Northern Region as a whole.

Signing on behalf of Dagbon on the campus of the tertiary institution in Accra yesterday was the Mion Lana Alhassan Mahama, Overlord of Mion on one side and Dr. Hassan Kamal Ezzat, President of the IUCG and witnessed by the Vice President of the university, Dr. Hussein Ibrahim (Academic Affairs).

Under the terms of the MoU, which became effective on the date of the signing, ‘the signatories herein mentioned as the President of the Islamic University College, Ghana and the Overlord of Mion, Dagbon, shall commit themselves individually and collectively to the success of the MoU.

‘The Islamic University College, which presently owns exclusive rights over assets and facilities as well as related intellectual property and human resources for the delivery of tertiary education, shall put them at the disposal of the MoU.’

The IUCG’s affiliate Senior High Schools (male and female) countrywide that assist it carry out education delivery and all these are available to service the MoU.

The IUCG and its affiliate institutions across Ghana intend to sustain education delivery to the youth of Dagbon and all citizens of Northern Ghana, and especially those who wish to acquire education and express desire through any of the royal houses of Dagbon or directly on their own.

The deal is also intended to rectify the serious anomaly of inadequate educational facilities and assist in the creation of grounds for transformation of education in Dagbon and the Northern Region in general.

Traditional authorities in Ghana, especially Dagbon and other groups, as per the terms of the MoU are enjoined to assist in the promotion of the IUCG by enrolling their children and wards, male and female, for education and future empowerment.

Traditional areas which send students to the institution shall be awarded attractive bursaries and other benefits.

The MoU is voluntary put together for youth education and empowerment, without any legal binding on both or any of the institutions involved.

The Executive Chairman of KGL Group, Mr. Alex Apau Dadey, is set to deliver an address on ‘Public Private Partnership: A Case Study of Responsible Corporate Citizenship’ at a programme organised by the University of Ghana Alumni Association in collaboration with the University of Ghana.

The address is scheduled to take place today, Thursday, November 6, 2025 at Great Hall, at exactly 5pm. The programme will be chaired by Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana.

Mr. Dadey is expected to share insights from his significant and extensive rich experience in the private sector, highlighting the international best practices and strategies to strengthen the working relationship between African governments, public institutions, agencies and the private sector, particularly within the Ghanaian context and business environment.

Mr. Dadey is anticipated to draw the comparisons between the progress and challenges of public private partnership in Ghana, and the dynamic nature of the public private partnership across Europe, United Kingdom, North America, Asia and the Middle East, offering perspectives and lessons that could potentially benefit Ghana.

As a respected and renowned global business leader, Mr. Dadey’s contributions to the subject matter of public private partnership are expected to resonate widely, particularly in light of the challenges facing indigenous businesspersons in the Ghanaian business environment, especially the unnecessary agenda to undermine the growth of Ghanaian businesses who have been championing responsible corporate citizenship, including payments of taxes to government as well as genuinely undertaking corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate social investment (CSI) activities across the country in support of government’s efforts to develop Ghana.

The KGL Group Executive Chairman strongly believe that, if government ensures the successful implementation of Article 36(2b and c) of the 1992 Constitution, it will lead to the strengthening of jobs and wealth creation in support of the Ghanaian economy as well as restore the greater participation of the private sector in the Ghanaian economy.

According to Article 36(2b and c), ‘the state shall, in particular, take all necessary steps to establish a sound and healthy economy whose underlying principles shall include affording ample opportunity for individuals initiative and creativity in economic activities and fostering an enabling environment for a pronounced role of the private sector in the economy; ensuring that individuals and the private sector bear their fair share of social and national responsibilities, including responsibilities to contribute to the overall development of the country.’

Mr. Dadey, over the years, has proven beyond reasonable doubt that, Ghana can develop through public private partnership arrangements whereby governments are not supposed to bear the risks of investments but rather benefits from the PPP agreements.

The address by Mr. Alex Dadey today, will serve as a call to action for African governments, business leaders, academia, policymakers, media, and the citizens to rally behind the concept of public private partnership as one of the best model to develop Ghana and Africa, especially PPP agreements just like NLA-KGL agreement whereby NLA bears no risks and no commitment of public funds to the project but only benefitting financially from the agreement with KGL.

KGL bears all the risks, liabilities, and losses yet obliged to pay NLA for just using the 5/90 lottery numbers drawn by NLA.

Mr. Alex Dadey was recently awarded by Forbes for being the best in Africa for Corporate Leadership and Innovation.