Category: Daily Guide Network

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has begun a nationwide search for parliamentary candidates ahead of the 2028 general election, the flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has disclosed.

The exercise, according to Dr. Bawumia, is aimed at identifying candidates with the best prospects of winning parliamentary seats, rather than relying solely on the outcome of internal primaries.

He said the search would cover constituencies across the country and form part of efforts to ensure that the party presents candidates capable of defeating their opponents in the 2028 elections.

Dr. Bawumia made the disclosure when he spoke to some party executives on Sunday, October 4, 2026, following the NPP’s National Delegates Conference at which new national executives were elected.

He said the party also intended to organise its parliamentary primaries as soon as possible to bring the internal election process to an end.

Dr. Bawumia said the candidate-selection process would be made as transparent as possible, stressing that financial strength should not be the main consideration in determining who becomes a parliamentary candidate.

‘We want to make the process as transparent as possible. On the parliamentary candidate side, what we are trying to do is to do candidate selection across all the constituencies because some people can win parliamentary primaries. After all, they have money, but they cannot win the election,’ he said.

According to him, the NPP could lose a parliamentary seat if it allowed a financially strong candidate to win a primary when that person did not have the support required to win the general election.

‘If you leave it to them to win the primary, but you’ve lost the seat ab initio,’ he said.

Dr. Bawumia explained that the proposed candidate search was intended to address that challenge by providing the party with independent assessments of potential parliamentary candidates.

He said the NPP would commission more than one independent assessment of prospective candidates and compare the findings before making decisions.

‘The work on the candidate search is going on, and we’re going to have more than one candidate search from independent sources, and we’ll compare what they are saying,’ he stressed.

He said where the assessments identified an individual as having a strong chance of winning a particular constituency, the party would approach that person and encourage them to contest.

The NPP flagbearer said the ultimate objective was to ensure that candidates selected through the party’s processes had the capacity to retain existing seats and win back constituencies currently held by the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The move comes as the NPP begins preparations for the 2028 general election following the conclusion of its national executive elections.

The new national leadership is expected to oversee the party’s reorganisation and preparations for the next general election, including the selection of parliamentary candidates across the country’s constituencies.

Daniil Medvedev was defaulted from the China Open after hitting a spectator in the face with a ball during his semi-final against Novak Djokovic.

Third seed Medvedev trailed Djokovic 7-5 5-3 when the Serb hit a winner beyond him for 15-15.

The ball ricocheted off the back of the court and Medvedev swiped at a backhand in annoyance, sending the ball into the air and hitting a spectator who was sitting in the front row of the stand behind him.

The fan doubled over holding his face and was still holding his eye as he was helped out of the arena.

After speaking with umpire Mohamed Lahyani and an ATP official, Russia’s Medvedev approached the net to shake hands with Djokovic.

‘Terribly sorry to the spectator, first of all,’ Medvedev said.

‘I’m trying to get in touch with him, if he wants it. Hopefully I can apologise in person and see how he feels.

‘I just hope he’s OK. That’s the most important. I just really care about him right now.’

Djokovic – who was defaulted from the 2020 US Open for a similar incident – expressed sympathy for the fan and Medvedev afterwards.

‘It’s a bit of a shock to be honest. I hope that person is not badly injured,’ he said.

‘I also feel sorry for Daniil. I know exactly how he feels to be disqualified in a big match.

‘I am sure that Daniil did not want to do this intentionally.’

The woes of Techiman-based 40-year-old senior nurse, Salomey Awiti Bafoh, were reduced yesterday after the Adenta Circuit Court granted her a bail of GHS100,000 with two sureties following her remand for allegedly aiding ‘Ghana Jollof’ to distribute false information online.

The woman, a mother of three, was reportedly picked up from her home on the night of September 12, 2026, following accusations of serving as a liaison for ‘Ghana Jollof’ to distribute insult-filled contents on social media.

She was remanded into custody by the court on September 17, and two attempts by her lawyer, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah – one at the Circuit Court and the other at the High Court, to secure bail for her were unsuccessful.

Appearing before the court yesterday, Mr. Awuah, who was himself granted bail on Saturday following his detention by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), prayed the court to grant the nurse bail, pointing out that she had been in custody for the last three weeks.

The application was not opposed by the Deputy Attorney General, Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, who was in court for the prosecution.

The court, presided over by Her Honour Angela Attachie, granted Madam Bafoh a bail of GHS100,000 with two sureties to be justified.

The court directed that the sureties must be civil servants earning not less than GHS3,000 monthly salary.

The accused was further directed to report to police once every two weeks. The case was adjourned to February 17, 2027.

‘There couldn’t have been a better outcome for me than this… It’s been a very sad journey, a difficult moment that has had our skin getting encumbered in the game,’ Mr. Awuah told journalists after the court proceeding.

Remand

On September 17, Salomey Awiti Bafoh was remanded into custody for two weeks for allegedly ‘serving as liaison’ for Barbara Asantewaa Kodua (Ghana Jollof) to publish and circulate false news on social media.

Madam Bafoh has been charged with one count of abetment of crime – publication of false news for her alleged role in the circulation of Ghana Jollof’s videos which many consider to be vile, further raising concerns about insults gaining their way into Ghanaian politics.

Although Barbara Asantewaa Kodua appears on the prosecution’s charge sheet as the second accused person, no specific charges were levelled against her.

The police, however, indicated in its summary of facts that she used her social media platform to produce and publish videos containing offensive and inciting statements with the potential to provoke violence.

They further accused her of threatening to ‘overthrow the Government of Ghana,’ adding that Ghana Jollof said ‘she will burn Ghana amongst other things.’

Wanted

The Ghana Police Service has declared Barbara Asantewaa Kodua wanted for being behind the ‘Ghana Jollof’ account on TikTok used to hurl vile insults at government officials.

A poster shared on the social media pages of the Service pointed out that the suspect is currently ‘hiding’ in the United Kingdom and was last seen on August 4, 2022 at the Accra International Airport.

The woman, said to be 40 years old, is fair in complexion and is wanted for allegedly inciting violence through her social media videos.

‘Anyone with information about the suspect, should kindly contact the nearest police station or call 0500100010,’ the poster added.

ýPhysician Specialist, Department of Cardiology, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr. Florence Koryo Akumiah, has disclosed that cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Ghana, contributing to 18% of total national deaths.

According to the landmark 2023 WHO STEPS survey, one in five Ghanaian adults (approximately 3.7 million people) lives with hypertension, with a higher prevalence among women (25.3%) than men (18.2%).

ýShe stressed that high rates of overweight, obesity, and elevated cholesterol particularly affect women, while men show lower rates of blood pressure control and higher rates of alcohol and tobacco use. Furthermore, younger adults aged 35 to 45 are increasingly presenting with severe complications such as strokes, kidney disease, and hypertensive emergencies.

She made this presentation at the Meatless Monday Health Journalists Engagement World Heart Day 2026, organised by the Communication Initiatives for Change (CiC) – Meatless Monday Ghana to strengthen the capacity of health journalists to provide accurate, evidence-based and sustained public education on the theme for this year’s World Health Day.

According to her, the vast majority of CVD risk factors are driven by everyday lifestyle habits. ‘Excessive sodium intake is a major driver, compounded by hidden salt in stock cubes, seasoning powders, instant noodles, fast foods, and traditional delicacies like koobi, momoni, and kako. Salt sensitivity among Black populations exacerbates this risk.’

Dr. Akumiah stated that, ‘physical inactivity due to sedentary occupations, low consumption of fruits and vegetables, alcohol intake, and the growing popularity of shisha and vaping amongst the youth aggravate the population’s cardiovascular risk profile.’

According to her, addressing this crisis requires coordinated, multi-level action under the global World Heart Day mandate to ‘Don’t Miss a Beat’. Individuals must prioritise routine screenings, increase physical activity, and reduce salt intake.

She added that community and public institutions need to foster healthier environments and debunk treatment myths. At the national policy level, public health leaders must enforce sodium and trans-fat labeling, integrate routine cardiovascular screenings into primary care nationwide, and ensure affordable access to essential cardiac medications.

The Programmes Manager, Diet and Healthy Living Program, Nutrition Department, FHD, Ghana Health Service, Mrs. Catherine Adu-Asare explained that non-communicable diseases are an issue of grave concern, with 45% of deaths attributed to them. ‘While these conditions used to be seen as far away, we now have children as young as 15 or 16 developing stroke and hypertension,’ she stated.

Mrs. Adu-Asare disclosed that a study showed that only about 15% of people eat for health and nutrition reasons, while the majority eat out of convenience and cost. Processed foods contain preservatives and hidden chemicals that are unhealthy when consumed in large portions. Additionally, 9.9% of people do not meet minimum physical activity recommendations, as modern lifestyles limit exercise.

According to her, consuming unhealthy diets high in salt, sugar, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, yet low in fiber, negatively alters blood pressure. Bad cholesterol deposits plaque within the blood vessels, narrowing the pathway for blood flow and causing elevated blood pressure. This plaque buildup, alongside inflammation and clot formation, ultimately leads to heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure.

To address these risks through nutrition, she outlined the structure of a four-star diet for a healthy person without underlying conditions. The first star consists of staples like maize, rice, cassava, and plantain, which form our base but contain starch. The second star consists of legumes and seeds, such as beans, cowpeas, lentils, and agushis. The third star consists of fruits and vegetables, which are given three stars due to the high importance of consuming them, and finally, the fourth star consists of animal-source foods.

‘Additionally, fiber is your heart’s best friend. Dietary fiber helps reduce bad cholesterol levels and regulates blood sugar. You obtain fiber from whole grains, oats, brown rice, local unrefined grains, beans, legumes, as well as whole fruits and vegetables. Instead of drinking fruit juice where the fiber has been strained out, eat the whole fruit. That way, you receive both the vitamins and the fiber that protect your heart and digestive system,’ she stated.

According to the Executive Director of Communication Initiatives for Change (CiC) – Meatless Monday Ghana, Mr. Emmanuel Fiagbey, Meatless Monday is an initiative aimed at managing cardiovascular diseases and broader non-communicable diseases through dietary choices. Founded in 2003 with Johns Hopkins University’s Center for a Livable Future, the campaign has expanded globally to promote overall health preservation.

Fuseini Yakubu Abanga and Alhassan Yakubu Abanga are the only twins holding top positions in the two dominant political parties in the country. People wonder how the two interact about their political divergence. We can confirm that their relationship, regardless of their belonging to different political camps, is cordial and bereft of rancor. Perhaps, once in a while light debates, full of mirth, ensue.

Fuseini emerged victorious as the National Youth Organiser in the recent New Patriotic Party (NPP) national executive polls in Kumasi.

Popularly called NPP Abanga, he was born in Boinsu, Enchi, in the newly created Western North Region to peasant farmers. His life cuts across regions and languages. He lived in the Western, Bono, Central, Upper East and the Greater Accra regions and immersed himself in the socio-cultural activities of these regions. With his mother born in Kumasi, and his grandmother living there, Abanga lived in the Ashanti Region from childhood.

He lived in popular towns like Fufuo, Enfansi, Boukrom and he enjoyed the communal life rife in the region.

Abanga began his education at the Boinsu King of Kings Preparatory and Junior High School, Ashanti Region. In 2014, Abanga gained admission to read Political Science and Archaeology at the University of Ghana – a place where he learnt for a degree but also carved his niche in politics and people.

The TESCON Train

Abanga was a Representative of Jubilee Hall on the university campus. While in Level 100, he contested for the position of TESCON Organiser and won. Similarly, in 2015, Abanga contested the position of TESCON President, but his candidature suffered a setback. In the process of resolving that setback, he met with the then NPP National Organiser, John Boadu, who took him under his wings – training him to become the mobiliser he is today.

A very effective mobiliser, he is credited with partaking and organising major demonstrations in the country.

His twin brother, Alhassan Yakubu Abanga, is a rising star in the National Democratic Congress (NDC), where he is the youngest National Vice Chairman of the party.

He is described as a silent operator, his operations said to have helped in the NDC victory in the 2024 polls.

MTN Ghana is positioning the country to become a major hub for Africa’s emerging gaming and digital entertainment industry, leveraging the continent’s creative talent, expanding smartphone usage and advanced telecommunications infrastructure.

Chief Executive Officer of MTN Ghana, Stephen Blewett, said Africa had the talent and creative capacity to develop globally competitive games tailored to the continent’s market.

Speaking at the MTN DigiFest Gaming Conference, Mr. Blewett said gaming represented one of the biggest opportunities for Africa’s digital economy, with Ghana capable of playing a leading role in the development and export of locally created games.

‘The future of the next big breakout in Africa will be gaming,’ he said, adding that the continent’s creative talent provided a strong foundation for developing games locally.

He said MTN was particularly interested in supporting an ecosystem where games could be ‘built in Africa, for Africa’, with Ghana serving as a hub for development and distribution.

According to Mr. Blewett, the rollout of advanced telecommunications infrastructure, particularly fifth-generation (5G) technology, would be critical to unlocking the potential of the gaming industry.

MTN Ghana has secured one of Ghana’s 5G licences, and he said the company intended to deploy the technology to provide the high-speed, low-latency connectivity required for modern gaming and other interactive digital services.

He said the evolution of the gaming industry was also creating opportunities beyond traditional gaming consoles and specialised hardware.

With smartphones becoming increasingly powerful and mobile broadband access expanding, Mr. Blewett said consumers could now access games and other forms of digital entertainment through devices they already used daily.

This, he said, was lowering entry barriers for consumers and creating new opportunities for developers to reach large markets without relying solely on conventional gaming platforms.

Mr Blewett further said MTN Ghana intended to leverage its extensive customer base and distribution network to help local developers commercialise their products.

He said MTN Ghana had approximately 31 million subscribers, while the wider MTN Group served more than 300 million customers across 16 African markets.

He said MTN Ghana currently led the wider group in gaming adoption, providing a strong platform for local developers to test, launch and scale their products.

The company’s customer base and distribution infrastructure, he said, could give Ghanaian developers access to a substantial domestic market while creating opportunities to expand successful products into other African markets.

Chief Digital Officer of MTN Ghana, Ibrahim Misto, said the company was seeking to move beyond its traditional role as a telecommunications provider and become a more active participant in Ghana’s technology and innovation ecosystem.

The Bank of Ghana (BoG), in collaboration with the Ghana Police Service, has arrested seven people in Accra for allegedly using Ghana cedi notes to produce money bouquets and cakes for commercial purposes.

The arrests form part of the central bank’s enforcement drive against the misuse and abuse of Ghana cedi notes and coins.

The Head of the Statistics Office at the Currency Management Department of the BoG, Dinah Bonzi, said the arrests were intended to send a strong warning to individuals and businesses engaged in the practice.

She said the use of banknotes and coins to make money bouquets, money cakes and similar decorations for weddings, birthdays, graduations and other events constituted the misuse and abuse of the currency and was illegal.

According to her, the seven suspects were arrested at various locations in Accra after they were found producing the items for commercial purposes.

‘Following today’s arrest on the alleged abuse of the Ghana currency, the bank wants to clearly state that persons found engaging in, aiding, promoting or facilitating such acts will be arrested and prosecuted by the appropriate law enforcement agencies,’ she said.

Ms. Bonzi stressed that the cedi was the legal tender of Ghana and must be treated with respect, warning that its misuse or abuse was an offence that could attract sanctions under the law. She said the suspects would be prosecuted and could face fines or imprisonment.

The BoG has previously warned the public against spraying money at events, making bouquets and decorations from banknotes, writing on or altering currency notes, and other practices that damage or improperly handle the currency.

Ms. Bonzi urged the public to desist from such practices, saying the latest arrests should serve as a clear warning to anyone involved in the misuse of the cedi.

‘Today’s arrest should serve as a clear warning to the public. Let us all handle the Ghana cedi with dignity,’ she said.

The Chairperson of the Executive Women Network (EWN), Janet Sunkwa-Mills, has recounted the remarkable growth of the network over the past decade.

According to her, EWN started 10 years ago with just six founders, but today boasts 200 members drawn from both the private and public sectors.

She noted that over the past decade, EWN has grown to represent 28 industries in Ghana, with members making significant impact across these sectors. Mrs. Sunkwa-Mills disclosed that during this period, the network has directly impacted more than 10,000 lives, including both members and non-members, through capacity building, corporate mentoring and coaching, donations, corporate social responsibility activities, and youth empowerment projects.

Mrs. Sunkwa-Mills further noted that considering that EWN members hold decision-making positions in multinational companies and public institutions, the full economic impact of their work cannot be easily measured, but it is substantial.

She explained that when EWN undertakes mentoring and coaching programmes for corporate institutions, they provide modest contributions to support the running of the organisation, in addition to membership dues, but these sources alone are not enough. ‘We are committed to achieving more through EWN 2.0. To realise that vision, we need additional support and sponsors to help us take our work forward,’ she appealed.

Finance Officer of MTN Ghana, Antoinette Kwofie, has congratulated the Executive Women Network (EWN) on its 10th anniversary.

Addressing the EWN conference, she said a decade of impact is no small achievement, noting that EWN’s journey proves what is possible when women deliberately create pathways for others to grow and lead.

She said at MTN Ghana, that belief shaped the establishment of the Yellow Ladies Network, its employee network for women, which she chairs as founding chair, with support from EWN. Through mentorship, leadership development, career conversations and wellness initiatives like the ‘Mbaa Komo’ programme, MTN continues to strengthen confidence and expand opportunities for women, she stated.

Mrs. Kwofie added that MTN is advancing its commitment to achieve gender balance by 2030 because diverse leadership drives innovation and sustainable growth. She noted that this year also marks MTN Ghana’s 30th anniversary, stressing that the future of Ghana will be shaped significantly by the progress of its women. ‘Let us continue building a future where women have the confidence to lead, the support to succeed, and the opportunity to realise their potential,’ she urged.

Aduana FC General Manager Takyi Arhin says Ghana Football Association (GFA) president Kurt Okraku should not be judged solely by the performance of the Black Stars.

Okraku and his administration have faced criticism following Ghana’s poor start to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, with the Black Stars losing 2-0 to Ivory Coast before surrendering a two-goal lead in a 4-2 defeat to The Gambia.

The results have left Ghana bottom of Group C without a point.

However, Arhin believes the performance of the senior national team should be separated from the GFA’s wider responsibilities.

‘I don’t see why people should use Black Stars as a yardstick to measure Kurt Okraku,’ he told Sporty FM.

He argued that the GFA is the custodian of the national teams, while the state also has a responsibility to fund and support them.

‘It’s high time we decouple the work of the GFA from that of the national team. The GFA is just a custodian of the national team; all national teams belong to the state,’ he said.

Arhin also praised Okraku for supporting clubs, particularly the recent GHS 1 million financial assistance to Ghana Premier League clubs.

‘When it comes to the normal GFA work, Kurt is on top; the national teams belong to the state, and they need to invest,’ he added.

The Black Stars will face Somalia in a double-header in November as they seek to revive their qualification hopes.

Meanwhile, the GFA has formed a five-member committee to search for a new head coach following Carlos Queiroz’s departure.

The committee is expected to submit its report to the Sports Ministry on Friday, October 9.

Dancehall artiste Shatta Wale threatened to slap his DJ during a tense moment at his ShattaFest concert in Ho after a song change appeared to disrupt his performance.

The incident occurred on October 3, 2026, at the Youth Resource Centre in Ho, where Shatta Wale performed before a large crowd as part of the annual event organised in collaboration with Momofest.

In videos circulating online, Shatta Wale is seen confronting DJ Alinko after the DJ allegedly switched songs while he was performing. Clearly displeased with the interruption, the musician questioned the DJ’s actions before issuing a stern warning.

‘You think we are playing here. I will slap you,’ Shatta Wale said.

The artiste’s head of security, Abonko, was also seen on stage gesturing towards DJ Alinko, seemingly indicating that the DJ had already been cautioned about the issue.

The brief confrontation did not stop the concert, as Shatta Wale continued his performance and entertained fans who had gathered for the second edition of ShattaFest in the Volta Regional capital.

The event also featured performances from other supporting acts and dance groups, including Volta-based musician Chief One, DGL Academy and DWP Academy.