Category: Daily Guide Network

Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Former Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has condemned the demolition of the La Pleasure Beach, describing it as wanton and bizarre.

In a statement issued in Kumasi on Saturday, October 3, 2026, Dr. Bawumia said La Pleasure Beach is socially, economically, culturally and internationally significant, having evolved into the most vibrant beach resort in the country.

He said the beach is a source of livelihood for thousands of people, especially the youth, and is extremely important to the nation and the people of La in particular, noting that it has been the hub of many international functions and shows.

‘During the NPP government’s tenure it was one of the key places which supported the successful Year of Return and related activities which put Ghana on the map,’ he said.

Dr. Bawumia said it was sad that the enclave has been demolished, adding that it was particularly painful and surprising that even movable assets which the owners could have removed easily were destroyed.

‘I am convinced that we must make La beach a major tourist and economic enclave and I pledge my commitment to the people of La especially the businesses at La beach to make that happen,’ he said.

He outlined a five-point plan to restore the beach economy if given the opportunity.

‘We will rebuild the beach economy and issue leases to each business. We will redesign the space to meet standards and assist the operators to run it,’ he said.

‘We will secure the space for Labadi Beach Hotel and others and allow them to coexist with smaller businesses who together create the beach ecosystem. We will engage the owners of LABOMA beach and resolve their issues and work with them to establish their business and make them compliant with law. We will also work on the lagoon and resolve issues related to flooding and the environment,’ he added.

Dr. Bawumia said he is committed to saving the thousands of jobs that the beach economy supports and to improve them.

The Minister for Defence, Dr. Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, has launched the 2026 Poppy Appeal with a call on Ghanaians to support the welfare of veterans.

Launching the appeal at the VAG Club House on Friday, October 2, 2026, Dr. Adjei said the Poppy Appeal should not be seen merely as fundraising but as a national expression of gratitude to men and women who served, sacrificed and suffered for Ghana.

‘The poppy is a simple flower, but it carries a powerful message. It represents remembrance, sacrifice, service and gratitude,’ he said.

He said the 2026 appeal is significant because the generation of pre-independence veterans is rapidly disappearing, with only a few remaining.

He described them as a living bridge between Ghana’s colonial military history, independence and the modern Ghana Armed Forces.

Dr. Adjei recalled the difficult conditions of Ghanaian soldiers in the Burma campaign during the Second World War and said the nation must ensure the remaining veterans live with dignity.

‘We cannot wait until the last pre-independence veteran is gone before we fully appreciate what their generation gave to us,’ he said.

He said funds from the appeal will support healthcare, medication, welfare and infrastructure through the Veterans Administration Ghana (VAG), and appealed to corporate Ghana, financial institutions, traditional leaders, MPs, MMDAs and individuals to contribute.

The Executive Director of VAG, Brig Gen Seidu Mumuni Adams (Rtd), appealed for support to establish district offices for veterans and their widows and widowers, noting that VAG currently operates in 10 regions with 72 districts but lacks adequate infrastructure.

Duraplast Limited is expected to resume full production today, following a fire that destroyed the company’s entire stock of products stored at its warehouse in the North Industrial Area at Avenor, Accra.

The fire, which broke out in the early hours of Thursday, October 1, 2026, affected the company’s warehouse and parts of neighbouring facilities.

Bismark Tsatsu, Systems Manager responsible for Health and the Environment at Duraplast, said the company was assessing the extent of the damage and preparing to restock its warehouse.

He said management was confident of returning to full operations early next week.

‘This morning we will continue with the assessment, and then we’ll look at where we’ll begin, you know, restocking our production. So, we plan to resume full operation by Monday, hopefully,’ he told Accra-based Starr FM.

Mr. Tsatsu said the fire was believed to have originated from the nearby Islam area, where a cooking gas explosion reportedly triggered the blaze.

‘This was caused by a fire that emanated from the Islam area where there are residences there. I don’t know the full details, but what I know is somebody was cooking, and then gas exploded, and then we have the story that we have,’ he said.

He said the company was yet to determine the full financial cost of the incident, although all products that were on the warehouse floor at the time of the fire were destroyed.

‘By estimation of damage, we can’t readily put a figure on the damage caused, but our entire stock of product on the floor at the time of the fire incident totally got damaged,’ he said.

Despite the extent of the damage to the warehouse, Mr. Tsatsu said the company was relieved that the fire was prevented from spreading to its main factory.

He said the main factory housed critical machinery and other equipment which could have significantly disrupted production if they had been affected by the fire.

Mr. Tsatsu credited the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) and other state authorities with helping to contain the blaze and prevent further damage.

‘Thankfully, we were able to prevent the fire from spreading to our main factory where there were machinery and other equipment. Thankfully, we were able to save that with the help of the Ghana National Fire Service,’ he said.

He also commended other state authorities for providing security and maintaining law and order at the scene.

Meanwhile, the company’s other sites remain operational, allowing customers to continue accessing Duraplast products, including pipes and water tanks, through alternative outlets.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Manhyia South, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, was released from the custody of Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) after a High Court granted him a bail of GHS10 million, as he was arraigned for allegedly causing financial loss to the state.

Mr. Awuah had spent two nights in the custody of EOCO after he reported himself at the anti-graft agency which had secured a warrant to arrest him as well as search his premises and office.

The MP, who is also a private legal practitioner, is facing charges of conspiracy to commit a crime, dissipation of public funds and intentionally causing financial loss to the state.

He has pleaded not guilty to the charges which relate to a GHS3.9 million loan facility SIC Life Savings and Loans granted to Equity Savings and Loans, which the lawyer was later contracted to retrieve as well as the accrued interest.

Condemnation

Mr. Awuah was detained by EOCO on October 1 when he reported to the agency accompanied by his lawyers and fellow MPs.

His detention drew wild condemnations and accusations of abuse of power against the leadership of EOCO as many suggested there was no need to keep him in custody since he reported himself.

Parliament, in a statement, condemned the continued detention of the legislator who had surrendered himself, calling for his immediate release.

The statement said the Speaker of Parliament ‘considers the circumstances surrounding the Member’s detention a matter of serious concern to Parliament, raising questions about the rights of the Member, the privileges and independence of Parliament, and the proper exercise of investigative powers.’

Parliament affirmed that MPs are not above the law but pointed out that where a member is reasonably suspected of having committed an offence, the law must take its course.

‘Members of Parliament do not act merely in their personal capacities. The law, therefore, recognises certain safeguards governing interactions between Members and other organs of State. These safeguards are intended not to shield Members from accountability, but to protect the independence of Parliament and the mandate of the people they represent,’ the statement said.

Bail Application

Samuel Atta Akyea, counsel for Mr. Awuah, in his application for bail prayed the court to grant the accused a self-recognisance bail, given the fact that he is a Member of Parliament and a lawyer.

He also assured the court that the accused is not a flight risk, pointing to the MP’s voluntary surrender to EOCO and his subsequent cooperation with the anti-graft agency.

Deputy Attorney General, Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, did not oppose the application for bail but urged the court to impose strict conditions that will compel the accused to make himself available to the court and investigators.

The court, after hearing arguments, granted Mr. Awuah a bail of GHS10 million with two sureties, all whom are his colleague MPs.

The court further ordered the MP to make himself available for investigations. He will reappear in court on November 26, 2026.

‘Above Board’

Speaking to the press after the proceedings, Mr. Awuah said he is above board and no dirt can stick on him.

‘I have, through it all, been in very good spirits and I’m extremely grateful to the people of Ghana who have seen through the propaganda of the NDC. The support they’ve given me is massive, and I will assure them that I am indeed above board. No dirt can stick on me,’ he said.

Under a reset agenda, untoward actions take place even when these are matters pendent in courts and awaiting adjudication.

The recent demolition exercise of the Polo Beach Club regardless of multiple lawsuits yet to be disposed of brings to the fore once more the rate at which impunity is being stretched under the President John Mahama’s administration.

Last week ended on a sore note when besides the illegal demolition of seven beach houses, Sappers from the 48 Engineer Regiment descended upon workers of the affected businesses, inflicting upon them assortment bruises. The nasty and crude assaults were reminiscent of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) days. No wonder people regard the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as an extension of the killer junta PNDC.

We have taken note of the interesting yet instructive damage control intervention of Stan Dogbe in the face of the unenviable public backlash.

Not even the finest PR consultants can save the face of President Mahama and his woeful performing government in the face of massive human rights abuses.

Stan must come again. The buck stops on the desk of the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, President John Mahama.

What a watery defence! The operation was a National Security mission under the aegis of the Labadi Beach Hotel. Sounds pedantic and unconvincing under the circumstances when the National Security Secretariat, operations et al, come under the Presidency.

This tendency for the President to flee responsibility for actions of the state as represented by the multitude of agencies under him is becoming notorious.

The President must learn to take responsibilities for untoward actions of the agencies he superintends as executive head of state.

The impression that the President is not served daily national security briefings by the relevant officers cannot be acceptable. Are we saddled with a national security lapse in which the President is denied the true picture of the nation on daily basis or even shorter frequencies as demanded by the constitution?

It would appear that is not the case and that the President is merely running away from the negative outcomes of actions undertaken in his name.

This special nonsense carried out by crestfallen Richard Jakpa, the Special Director for such missions, is worrying.

We and the rest of our compatriots would not take this crap from the Deputy Chief of Staff when he seeks to absolve the President from the nonsense, especially since Jakpa had served notice to do as he has finally done.

When the ownership of a hotel ostensibly directs the National Security Secretariat to destroy local businesses as witnessed last week, Ghanaians must question the integrity of governance at the hands of the President.

They are wailing who have lost their sources of livelihoods, including those who have invested millions of Ghana Cedis and dollars in a promising beachfront business. This coming at a time when the much publicised campaign season 24-Hour Economy job creation mantra has proven to be stillborn, tells us more about the incompetency of persons piloting the ship of state.

Stan Dogbe, we have been duly reminded about the incident when you seized a reporter’s gadget and destroyed it. The destructive traits runs through the DNA of the NDC as a political party, and it is regrettable.

Listening to Raymond Archer when he subtly warned members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) about what awaits them when the NDC comes to power in a pre-2024 presidential election interview makes it clear that the ruling party is on a vengeance mode.

More demolitions, more arrests are on the way. But is that what Ghanaians voted for?

Ghanaians did not vote for the destruction of their businesses for foreign takeovers.

The inability of the government to meet its development goals, not a single one has been achieved even as it continues on a vengeance spree, smacks of incompetence or executive recklessness. Tomorrow is pregnant.

The Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has been asked to get his facts right about the benefits Ghanaian taxpayers receive from the lottery industry.

While reacting to a recent statement which sought to downplay the benefits accruing to taxpayers from the lottery business by the Finance Minister, Dr. Razak Opoku, a financial economist, lecturer and a former Head of Publications of the National Lottery Authority (NLA) stated that the facts on the grounds are in sharp contrast to the Finance Minister’s GHS10m claim which, according to him, is a case of misinformation being fed him.

KGL Pay GHS326m To GRA, NLA

He said Ghanaian taxpayers, through the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), received over GHS153 million from KGL on April 16, 2026, for the 2025 financial year alone.

Ghanaian taxpayers, through the NLA, he added, benefited from over GHS173 million from KGL.

‘As Finance Minister, he needs to be interested in understanding how the NLA received GHS173 million from KGL, while the Ministry of Finance received only GHS10 million in dividends from the NLA,’ Dr. Opoku reiterated.

For the records, according to him, ‘other 29 private lotto operators licensed by National Lottery Authority also paid GHS 44.9 million to the NLA in 2025.

‘I sincerely believe that these 29 licensed private lotto operators equally pay taxes to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA),’ he said.

Dr. Opoku said it is never true that this is the first time taxpayers are benefitting from lottery business since 2018.

The major problem of NLA, according to him, is wastage of financial resources. It does not make sense for NLA to use over 90% of its income on Good Causes Foundation and other CSR activities and pays only GHS10 million dividend to the Ministry of Finance.

Continuing, he stated that it is not necessarily about reviewing of agreements but it is about tackling wastage of financial resources at the NLA as a resetting government.

‘The more NLA receives, the more they use the money on needless internal operations and activities at the detriment of the taxpayers,’ he added.

Musician, Criss Waddle, has condemned the demolition of tourism business structures at La Pleasure Beach, questioning why the government did not explore negotiations with the affected businesses before resorting to demolition.

In a post on X on October 2, 2026, the musician argued that authorities could have reached an agreement with the businesses and used a percentage of their earnings to support measures aimed at tackling flooding in the area.

‘Exactly what I’m saying, why can’t we negotiate with the businesses that have already established there to pay a percentage of their income to the government so that it can be used to acquire equipment that helps during flooding,’ he asked.

Criss Waddle said the demolition would negatively affect businesses and the people whose livelihoods depend on them, stressing the need for authorities to provide a meaningful alternative.

‘The thing about demolition at beachfronts is you will have to replace it with something meaningful, nicer, and safer than what was demolished,’ he stated.

He further warned the government that if alternative businesses or employment opportunities are not created before the next election, the affected business owners and workers could respond at the polls.

‘That has to be done before ELECTIONS or the business owners and employees will use that as leverage to vote against you,’ he added.

The President of the South East Ghana Union Mission (SEGUM), Pastor Col. (Rtd.) Peter Nyarko Duodu, will join Seventh-day Adventist Church leaders for the 2026 Annual Council of the General Conference Executive Committee meeting scheduled for October 7 to 14, 2026, in USA.

A statement issued by the Communications Department of the South East Ghana Union Mission said the event, which would be held at the headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, under the theme ‘Called for Mission,’ is a major global leadership gathering of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

It said the conference is expected to bring together the leaders of the General Conference, Division Presidents, Union Presidents, and other church administrators and representatives from various parts of the world to deliberate on matters affecting the mission, administration, growth and advancement of the church as well as serve as an avenue to conduct the business of the church and discuss its mission to the world.

‘For the South East Ghana Union Mission, this gathering carries particular significance. As a newly established Union Mission, SEGUM’s participation represents its first appearance at this level of the global Seventh-day Adventist leadership gathering,’ the statement pointed out.

It noted that apart from the President of the South East Ghana Union Mission, Pastor Col. (Rtd.) Peter Nyarko Duodu, other notable individuals will also attend the conference, including the President of the West-Central Africa Division, Union Presidents and other leaders of the church.

It mentioned that during the Annual Council meeting, the SEGUM President is expected to join other leaders to discuss issues that would contribute to the growth of the church globally.

The church further called on members across the territory to remember Pastor Col. (Rtd.) Peter Nyarko Duodu, the SEGUM Administration, the leaders of the West-Central Africa Division, Union Presidents, delegates and participants in prayers, while expressing gratitude to the leadership of the church for their support to the South East Ghana Union Mission.

‘As global church leaders gather under the theme ‘Called for Mission’, may God grant wisdom, unity, spiritual discernment and renewed commitment to the proclamation of the everlasting gospel,’ it added.

The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, popularly known as Asanteman COKA, has assured Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia that the region will not disappoint him in the 2028 general election.

He said the Ashanti Region remained united and committed to working towards the NPP’s return to power, insisting that the region would lead the party’s campaign for victory in the next presidential election.

Addressing party supporters at the NPP National Delegates Conference at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi on Saturday, Chairman COKA said he would personally lead the region’s mobilisation efforts ahead of the 2028 polls.

He declared that the party’s grassroots structures, from the polling station through the constituency to the regional level, would be activated to ensure that the NPP secured maximum support for Dr. Bawumia.

‘Ashanti will not disappoint you, Dr. Bawumia,’ he said, stressing that hard work, determination and unity would be crucial to the party’s efforts ahead of the 2028 elections.

Chairman COKA said the people of Ashanti had witnessed what he described as Dr. Bawumia’s competence and vision, and were prepared to support his presidential bid.

He, therefore, urged party members to remain united, put aside personal differences and work together to strengthen the NPP’s structures.

‘We will work harder than ever before, from the polling station to the regional level, to ensure that every vote counts,’ he stated.

The NPP National Delegates Conference, held at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium on Saturday, brought together 7,163 delegates drawn from all 16 regions to consider proposed constitutional amendments and elect national officers.

The Ashanti Region had the largest delegation with 1,122 delegates, followed by Greater Accra with 773 and Eastern Region with 732. Forty-five aspirants contested nine national executive positions.

The conference formed part of the NPP’s preparations towards the 2028 general election, with the election of national executives expected to shape the party’s organisational direction in the coming years.

Chairman COKA concluded that Ashanti would ‘lead the way and set the pace’ for the 2028 elections, with the region determined to help the NPP reclaim power.

MT Asharami Ghana, a 40,000-cubic-metre Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) carrier, has delivered 5,000 metric tonnes (MT) of LPG on its maiden voyage to Ghana, which has boosted efforts to strengthen energy security, improve LPG supply reliability and position the country as a strategic hub for regional energy trade.

Purpose-built to serve Ghana and neighbouring markets, MT Asharami Ghana forms part of Sahara Group’s integrated LPG infrastructure strategy.

Welcoming the vessel, the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Dr. John Abdulai Jinapor, described its arrival as a major boost to the country’s clean energy ambitions.

‘The arrival of MT Asharami Ghana represents a significant step forward in our quest to expand access to cleaner energy solutions for Ghanaians. As we work towards increasing LPG adoption across the country, investments like this are essential to strengthening supply reliability and achieving our clean cooking objectives,’ he said.

The Minister said the nation’s ambition to increase LPG utilisation and improve energy security could only be achieved through strong partnerships between the government and responsible private-sector investors.

‘We commend Sahara Group for standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Ghana over the years in supporting our aspirations for energy security, economic growth and sustainable development. The success of our energy transition journey depends on credible and committed partners,’ he added.

According to Wale Ajibade, Executive Director of Sahara Group, the vessel represented far more than an investment in maritime infrastructure, noting that Ghana’s target of increasing LPG adoption to 50 percent of households by 2030, from about 30 percent currently, made investments in supply infrastructure increasingly important.

‘At Sahara, we see MT Asharami Ghana as a symbol of confidence in Ghana’s future and the country’s growing role in regional energy trade. It reflects our unwavering belief in Ghana’s immense potential and our determination to work alongside stakeholders to deliver sustainable energy solutions that improve lives, create opportunities and drive inclusive growth,’ the Executive Director stated.

He added that the vessel formed part of a broader integrated infrastructure strategy combining shipping, storage and downstream distribution to strengthen the country’s LPG value chain.

The Managing Director of MT Asharami Ghana, Yaa Serwaa Alifo, said the vessel’s arrival represented the company’s vision and a bold statement of its commitment to the country’s energy future.

She said MT Asharami Ghana would help ensure that homes, businesses and families across the country had reliable access to cleaner cooking fuel.

She further acknowledged the support of the Government of Ghana, the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, the National Petroleum Authority, Sahara Group’s leadership and other stakeholders whose collaboration had helped the company to execute the project successfully.