Category: Daily Guide Network

Betty Akamani, a 35-year-old woman, has been charged with the murder of her US-based Ghanaian husband, Dr. Kofi Akamani, a Southern Illinois University professor.

The mother of two was charged on Monday, September 21 with two counts of felony first-degree murder and one count of endangering the life or health of a child.

Betty Akamani is accused of shooting her husband, 48-year-old Dr. Kofi Akamani multiple times while he sat in his car in her driveway at her Murphysboro home.

He later died at a Carbondale hospital.

According to court records and the Jackson County State’s Attorney’s Office, the couple had been separated for two years, and were in the middle of a divorce.

In court on Monday, Betty Akamani was denied release. She will remain in the Jackson County Jail.

She is set to appear in court again on October 6 for a preliminary hearing.

According to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO), deputies were called to a reported shooting around 5 p.m. on Saturday, September 19.

The 48-year-old academic was found with gunshot wounds and was rushed to the Memorial Hospital of Carbondale, where he was pronounced dead.

Police say investigations have commenced but are still in the early stages.

The Jackson County Ambulance Service, the Coroner’s Office, and the State’s Attorney’s Office are assisting with the probe.

The Sheriff’s Office added that no further details would be released for now as investigations continue.

Dr. Akamani began his tertiary education in Ghana at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Development Planning, specialising in Urban Planning.

He initially intended to pursue further studies in Urban Planning but was advised that the future of planning lay in sustainable development.

Jeff Harmon, chief communications and marketing officer at SIU, said, ‘It is with a heavy heart that we have learned of the tragic passing of one of our faculty members, Dr. Kofi Akamani. Our deepest condolences go out to his family, friends, colleagues, and students during this difficult time.’

According to a Facebook post by the Southern Illinois University, a vigil is scheduled today at 6 p.m. at the Ag building front lawn. They say a memorial will follow at a later date.

Illegal small-scale mining, popularly known as galamsey, has become one of the most serious environmental threats facing West Africa, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has warned.

According to him, the destructive practice, together with other forms of environmental degradation, is threatening livelihoods, economic security and the quality of life of people across the sub-region.

The Speaker made the observation in an address delivered on his behalf by the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Andrews Amoako Asiamah, at the joint opening ceremony of the ECOWAS Parliament’s seminar and the Second Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament in Accra yesterday.

The seminar is being held on the theme, ‘Climate Change, Environmental Degradation, Population Displacement and Growing Insecurity in the ECOWAS Region.’

Mr. Bagbin said galamsey was contributing to water contamination, deforestation, destruction of habitats, soil erosion and degradation, air pollution, biodiversity loss and health risks.

He said the environmental challenges were interconnected and therefore required an integrated response from countries in the region.

He noted that climate change was already disrupting weather patterns, intensifying floods and droughts and putting increasing pressure on natural resources, while deforestation, pollution and unsustainable exploitation were weakening the resilience of communities.

The Speaker said the consequences of environmental degradation went beyond damage to the environment, as they also affected economic security and the livelihoods of vulnerable populations.

He said the growing insecurity in the region showed that security could no longer be understood only in traditional terms but must also encompass human security, including the safety of people, their livelihoods, food systems and the environment.

According to him, climate change could intensify competition over scarce resources, while environmental degradation could drive migration and expose displaced populations to exploitation and trafficking.

He, therefore, called for greater investment in preventive capacity and resilience-building instead of waiting for environmental and security crises to occur before responding.

Mr. Bagbin urged parliamentarians across the ECOWAS region to support legislation on environmental governance, climate adaptation, disaster preparedness and natural-resource management.

He also called for stronger regional cooperation to address population displacement and protect displaced persons, refugees and host communities.

He stressed that no single ECOWAS member state could tackle the challenges alone because rivers and ecosystems crossed national boundaries, while environmental crimes operated across jurisdictions.

He called for adequate financing for sustainable development, climate adaptation, peace and security, urging the ECOWAS region to strengthen its own capacity to finance these priorities.

Mr. Bagbin said the transition towards a climate-resilient and sustainable West Africa could also create opportunities for economic growth and employment, particularly in climate-smart agriculture, renewable energy and entrepreneurship.

He urged the region to demonstrate political will and solidarity in addressing environmental threats, stressing that the security and prosperity of one-member state were inseparable from those of the entire ECOWAS region.

President John Dramani Mahama has distanced himself from controversial US-based Ghanaian broadcaster, Kevin Taylor, saying he has never met or spoken with him.

According to President Mahama, Kevin Taylor was previously a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) but turned his criticism against the party after becoming disappointed with its leadership.

President Mahama was speaking at a breakfast meeting with the clergy on the theme, ‘Building the Ghana We Want Together.’

‘Kevin Taylor was a member of the NPP. He showed his NPP card on his programme but he has fallen out with the party because of disappointment,’ President Mahama said.

He explained that Kevin Taylor’s disenchantment with the NPP had led him to direct his criticisms at the party and some religious leaders.

‘That is why he has turned his fire on NPP and even added some pastors. For him, I don’t know him and I haven’t spoken to him before,’ the President stated.

President Mahama, however, said he was familiar with Kevin Taylor’s father, who is a chief at Asamankese, and recalled encountering him during one of his campaign tours in the area.

‘He has some people he respects. The other time when I was on a campaign tour at Asamankese, where his father [is] the chief. I know his father,’ he said.

The President indicated that he would rely on that relationship to address concerns surrounding Kevin Taylor’s insults against individuals.

‘I will leverage on that to deal with his issue (insults on people),’ he added.

Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Marketing and Special Duties) of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Gilbert Abeiku Aggrey Santana, has eulogised the Asante Kingdom, describing it as one of the most revered in Africa.

Speaking as a guest judge for last Sunday’s Ghana’s Most Beautiful (GMB) episode, the renowned broadcaster and cultural advocate said the Asante Kingdom stands tall among Africa’s powerful kingdoms for its preservation of cultural heritage.

‘There is no traditional paramountcy that has preserved its heritage like Asanteman. When we say this, this is not tribal bigotry. It is a fact. You can go and check it on Google or anywhere,’ he said.

‘Ashanti Region and Asante Kingdom is known and listed among the 11 to 15 most powerful kingdoms in Africa. From the ancient military prowess of the Asante Kingdom to present-day rich culture and heritage, Asante is the citadel of culture, and its culture and tradition has been preserved.’

Abeiku Santana cited the Manhyia Palace Museum as evidence of the Kingdom’s unmatched historical preservation.

‘If you go to the Manhyia Museum, you see the effigies of the kings and queens, from the first occupant of the Golden Stool to the 16th occupant. There is no traditional paramountcy that has preserved its heritage from antecedent to date where you can go there and see that this is the first king, the second king, the third king. It is only the Asante Kingdom,’ he stressed.

He also highlighted the global influence and reach of Asante culture.

‘Asante has a lot, and I like the fact that you said we are the only region that has a flag. You have your flag, and the flag of Asante is like the flag of Jamaica. The Maroons in Jamaica all trace their roots to Asante. The Asante Kingdom is not regional. It transcends to Côte d’Ivoire, parts of Oti Region, Volta Region, Eastern Region – we have Asante Akyem and all that,’ he noted.

Nollywood actress, Bimbo Akintola, has explained how online attacks over political choices influenced her decision to publicly support Bola Ahmed Tinubu during Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election.

Speaking in an interview with media personality, Chude Jideonwo, Akintola said she was frustrated by the hostility directed at people who expressed political views different from those of their critics.

She said the treatment of veteran actress Joke Silva, who had publicly supported Tinubu, particularly caught her attention.

According to Akintola, Silva was subjected to severe online criticism, including what she described as an ‘inhumane’ comment.

She said the incident prompted her to make her own public declaration of support for Tinubu, despite knowing that she could also face backlash.

‘I’m also supporting Tinubu, kill me, let me see if you can change my mind,’ she recalled saying in a video.

Akintola said her decision was also about defending the right of individuals to hold different political opinions without being harassed.

She criticised the practice of attacking people simply because they support a particular candidate, stressing that political disagreements should not lead to bullying.

‘We have our rights to differences of opinion. You don’t like this man, cool, you have the right not to like him. You prefer this person, good for you. But don’t bully others,’ she said.

Akintola maintained that although people may disagree over political choices, everyone should be allowed to make their own decision at the ballot box.

Ghana may have created one of its most important policy openings in decades to transform agriculture from a producer of raw commodities into a major processing, manufacturing and export industry.

The combination of President John Dramani Mahama’s 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development programme, government’s removal of excise duty on locally manufactured fruit juices, proposed incentives for machinery and equipment used by qualifying 24-hour industries, and improving macroeconomic stability provides a potentially powerful platform for a new generation of Ghanaian agro-industrial businesses.

Properly developed across cocoa, pineapple, rubber, shea, avocado, coconut, oil palm, Bambara beans, chickpeas, millet, quinoa, tiger nuts and other natural crops, the opportunity could exceed US$9billion annually.

At sufficient scale across farming, processing, manufacturing, packaging, logistics, research and exports, the wider value chain could also support an ambition of more than 800,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs.

These would not be jobs for farmers alone. The emerging industries would require engineers, food scientists, processing technicians, machine operators, laboratory specialists, agronomists, drivers, packaging manufacturers, exporters, marketers, logistics companies and young entrepreneurs.

This is therefore not simply an agriculture story. It is an industrialization opportunity built on what Ghana can grow,process, manufacture and sell competitively to domestic and international markets.

For years, Ghanaian agro-processors have faced a difficult contradiction. The country has encouraged agricultural production and local manufacturing while processors have simultaneously confronted taxes, expensive imported machinery, high financing costs, exchange-rate volatility and an inconsistent supply of agricultural raw materials.

Tax relief resets the economic processing

One of the most significant interventions is the removal of excise duty on locally manufactured fruit juices. President Mahama, when assenting to the Excise Act, 2026, specifically highlighted the exemption as an incentive for local production.

Industry associations in Ekumfi and Asebu welcomed the government and Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson’sdecision to abolish the 20 percent excise duty, arguing that the tax had constrained investment across a value chain covering pineapple, papaya, citrus, passion fruit, ginger and coconut.

For processors such as Ekumfi Fruits and Juices, the removal could improve the economics of domestic processing. If factories become more competitive and buy more fruit, farmers can expand acreage, while greater production creates demand for nurseries, irrigation, labor, packaging, transportation and distribution.

24-hour economy offers production platform

The 24-Hour Economy programme provides another part of the industrial platform. The programme is designed around expanding production, employment and exports, while its incentive framework is intended to make industrial expansion and retooling more attractive.

President Mahama announced that qualifying factories registered under the initiative would be allowed to import machinery and equipment for expansion or retooling without paying duties and taxes. The framework also provides import-tax relief for machinery used in strategic agriculture and manufacturing, alongside corporate-tax incentives linked to multi-shift operations.

A juice factory operating one shift could move towards two or three. Cocoa processors could increase capacity utilization, while oil-extraction facilities, cold stores, packaging lines, transport services and export-preparation facilities could operate beyond conventional business hours.

Economic stability is also playing a role?

Stability is equally important, businesses importing machinery, packaging materials and specialized equipment need a predictable exchange rate, manageable inflation and access to long-term financing.

The Bank of Ghana said on September 17 that inflation had returned within its target band, external buffers had strengthened and the exchange rate had remained broadly stable. The direction is encouraging, although borrowing costs remain a constraint.

Ghana needs only a fraction of the global market

Global consumers are spending heavily on healthy foods, functional foods, plant proteins, natural beverages, nutraceuticalingredients and wellness products. The global healthy-foods market is estimated at approximately US$1.16trillion in 2026, while functional foods alone are estimated at more than US$421billion.

Ghana’s proposed US$9billion opportunity would represent less than one percent of the US$1.16trillion market. The country does not need to dominate the industry. It must identify areas where it has agricultural and industrial advantages and capture a commercially meaningful share.

Cocoa should be one of the first pillars. The opportunity extends beyond exporting beans into cocoa liquor, butter, powder, chocolate, beverages, functional ingredients and cosmetics.

Niche Cocoa provides an example of how locally produced cocoa can move through industrial processing into finished products. Its expansion into the United States also illustrates how a Ghanaian value chain can move closer to major consumer markets.

The model should be to grow in Ghana, process in Ghana, add value, build brands and reach global consumers. Government has reinforced this direction, with President Mahamacommitting to process at least 50 percent of Ghana’s cocoa beans locally.

Pineapple and other fruits provide another foundation. EkumfiFruits and Juices connects farms to processing, packaging, branding and distribution. The removal of the excise duty could support expansion beyond conventional juice into fruit concentrates, natural powders, dried fruits, ginger beverages, essential oils, nutraceutical ingredients and wellness drinks.

An expanded Ekumfi-centered fruit ecosystem could support between 12,000 and 25,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs, subject to economic modeling.

Crops must feed into factories

Rubber, shea, avocado, coconut and oil palm offer additional routes into manufacturing, exports and import substitution.

Ghana can deepen its rubber industry from plantations and latex processing into footwear, hoses, seals, construction materials and automotive components. Shea can move from nuts and butter into specialty fats, cosmetics, food ingredients and branded consumer products, creating opportunities for collectors, women-led businesses, processors and exporters across northern Ghana.

Avocado provides a dual opportunity. Premium fruit can be exported fresh, while other grades can be processed into oil, powder, cosmetics, food ingredients and nutrition products. Coconut can supply water, milk, virgin oil, flour, cosmetics, fibre and activated carbon.

Oil palm can support refined oils, food products, soaps, cosmetics and oleo chemicals. It also offers Ghana the opportunity to replace imports and retain foreign exchange.

The common objective is to move from selling raw agricultural materials to producing the higher-value products purchased by final consumers.

Plant protein could become Ghana’s next food industry

Bambara beans, chickpeas, millet, quinoa and tiger nuts could be converted into protein flours, concentrates, plant-based beverages, breakfast products, nutrition bars, healthy snacks and food-manufacturing ingredients.

Bambara could be processed into flour, protein concentrates, beverages and breakfast foods, while millet could support cereals, instant porridge, snacks and nutrition drinks. Chickpeas and quinoa should first undergo agronomic and commercial testing before large-scale production.

Tiger nuts offer opportunities in milk, flour, oil, fibre and functional beverages. Combining these crops with Ghanaian cocoa, coconut, pineapple and ginger could produce distinctive Ghanaian foods for domestic and export markets.

Possible products include a cocoa-and-Bambara protein beverage, a pineapple-and-ginger functional drink, a millet-and-tiger-nut breakfast beverage and coconut-based plant-protein products.

At this stage, Ghana would no longer merely be growing crops. It would be developing food technology built around formulation, intellectual property, manufacturing, packaging, branding and distribution.

Young Ghanaians could enter the industry as agronomists, food scientists, engineers, laboratory specialists, drone operators, machine operators, packaging entrepreneurs, product developers, exporters and brand owners.

US$9 billon ambition needs hard numbers

Reaching the projected US$9billion annual value will require financing from commercial banks, pension funds, insurance companies, development-finance institutions, private-equity funds and local and foreign strategic investors. The funding must cover commercial cultivation, irrigation, processing plants, cold storage, machinery, packaging and export logistics.

Government’s incentives have improved the investment case, but the opportunity will depend on converting the proposed value chains into bankable projects backed by reliable raw-material supplies, long-term financing and confirmed domestic and export markets.

The 2026 edition of The Luckiest Seasonal Draw has been launched in Accra, with organisers unveiling bigger winnings and new reward packages for the last quarter of the year.

The fourth in the series, the draw was officially launched yesterday at the Gold Coast, Kempinski Hotel in Accra.

Organised by GeniusLoci Limited and regulated by the National Lottery Authority (NLA), this year’s draw will run from September 22 to December 19, 2026.

This season comes with three major add-ons in addition to its flagship Ultimate Draw – The Luckiest.

Guaranteed Gifts, More Winners

The first new addition is The Luckiest Gift Promo. Anyone who purchases tickets worth GHS100 is automatically guaranteed a gift, ranging from payment of rent advance, a television set, restaurant vouchers and other goodies.

The second is a Three-Draw Reward Scheme, where three tickets will be randomly selected on the night of the draw to win bonus prizes.

The third is the Community Draw, designed to spread winnings across localities. Four winners will be selected from a pool of 100 communities. If a ticket falls in any of these communities, the holder wins. The first community drawn earns 10 times the ticket value, the second gets seven times, the third five times and the fourth three times.

Beyond the add-ons, the Bonus Draw will pool all 100,000 tickets – 1,000 unique tickets each from 100 communities – for a random selection of three tickets. Each winning ticket will earn 100 times its purchase value.

The grand prize remains The Luckiest Ultimate Draw. One ticket will be randomly picked from the 100,000 tickets to win 1,000 times its purchased value, doubling last season’s 500 times earning.

Tickets sell from as low as GHS1 to as high as GHS5,000.

Speaking at the launch, the Managing Director of The Luckiest, Dennis Adu Twum, said The Luckiest is more than a lottery. It is a purposeful venture where opportunity meets need, harnessing communal participation to uplift communities and redistribute wealth.

He urged the public to participate responsibly, warning that person’s below the ages of 18 are not allowed to participate.

Also, the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Lead, Angela Bamford, mentioned that this year’s CSR will focus on the construction of the Larabanga Community Learning and Empowerment Centre.

She said the CSR agenda is a commitment from the company to give 50% of what the Luckiest make back to stakeholders.

She urged the media to check the company on its CSR projects and hold them accountable.

At the media launch, some journalists who participated in the Luckiest promo received gifts such as 75, 42 and 35 inches flat screen TV, standing fans, chest fridge, watches, cups, and caps among others.

Media personality Cynthia Tima Yeboah, popularly known as Tima Kumkum, says she has come to the conclusion that marriage is not for her, following two failed marriages.

Speaking at the Be Inspired by Tima Women’s Conference 2026, hosted at Faithway International Chapel, the broadcaster stated that despite facing intense criticism from sections of the media over her failed marriage, she remains unbothered.

‘People mock me on social media for my two failed marriages, but I won’t let their words define me. I was being truthful when I said in an interview that I married my first husband as revenge against my ex-boyfriend, but I have realised that people don’t like the truth and are using those words against me,’ she disclosed.

Tima Kumkum, who married for the first time at age 24 to a man identified only as Kwadwo, has been open about her marital struggles.

In a 2021 interview on The Delay Show, she revealed that her first marriage, which lasted five years and produced two children, was a revenge marriage. According to her, her boyfriend had cheated on her with her best friend, so she hurriedly married Kwadwo to spite him.

‘I married my ex-husband just to spite my ex-boyfriend for cheating on me with my friend. It was a revenge marriage. I wasn’t in love with him when we got married, which he knew, but he felt I would grow to love him with time,’ she confessed.

She later filed for divorce, describing it as the best decision of her life.

After four years as a single mother, Tima married for the second time on July 15, 2023, to Dominic Duodu, in a ceremony that attracted huge public attention.

However, the marriage lasted only 21 months. In August 2025, she confirmed that they had been living apart since April 1, 2025, and that their divorce case was before the court.

She described herself as ‘partially single’ and praised her estranged husband as a responsible father.

Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz has added nine players to his squad for the upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia, as well as the international friendly against Morocco.

The additions follow medical uncertainties surrounding some players initially called up for the international assignments.

The new additions include defenders Jonas Adjetey of VfL Wolfsburg, Alidu Seidu of OGC Nice, Ebenezer Annan of Rapid Bucharest and Rockson Yeboah of Osasuna.

Midfielder Rahim Ibrahim of Slovan Bratislava has also been added, alongside forwards Brandon Thomas-Asante of Coventry City, Mohammed Fuseini of Derby County, Benjamin Tetteh of Kalba and Felix Afena-Gyan of Igdir FK.

The Black Stars opened camp in Accra on Monday, September 21, 2026, to begin preparations for the three upcoming matches.

The team will continue training on Tuesday as Queiroz steps up preparations for the qualifiers against Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia and the friendly against Morocco.

Ghana has won the bid to host the 6th Continental Congress of the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) following a unanimous decision by the FAJ Steering Committee at its meeting in Accra.

The decision was taken after the Committee considered the bid submitted by the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) during its two-day meeting held from September 17 to 18, 2026.

The Congress will bring together affiliated journalists’ unions and associations from across Africa to determine FAJ’s programme and priorities, elect its leadership for the next mandate and engage with solidarity organisations and cooperating partners.

The successful bid comes as African journalists confront growing challenges, including attacks on media freedom, violations of journalists’ labour rights as well as increasing economic pressures on journalists and media organisations.

The Steering Committee, at the Accra meeting, called for stronger collective action to defend journalists’ rights and safeguard journalism across the continent.

Ghana’s Growing Role

The decision follows Ghana’s hosting of the FAJ Steering Committee meeting, which was hosted by the GJA with support from KGL Group.

During their stay in Accra, FAJ leaders also met President John Dramani Mahama to discuss media freedom, the safety of journalists, information integrity and the role of independent and quality journalism in Africa’s democratic and development agenda.

Ghana was encouraged to play a leading role in continental efforts to strengthen media freedom and promote a safer environment for journalists.

FAJ President, Omar Faruk Osman, said the growing attacks on journalists, restrictions on their freedoms, labour rights violations and economic insecurity required a stronger and better-organised response.

He called for stronger professional journalism, wider media and information literacy and sustained efforts to protect information integrity.

Commenting on the outcome of the meeting, Mr. Osman said African journalists would respond to the challenges facing the profession through stronger organisation, mobilisation and collective action.

GJA President, Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, also highlighted the welfare and working conditions of journalists, calling for practical measures to improve their safety and professional security as well as closer cooperation among journalists and media organisations.

The FAJ Steering Committee also approved the Federation’s financial and independent audit reports, admitted four new journalists’ organisations to membership and adopted a new communication strategy to increase the voice and visibility of the Pan-African journalists’ movement.

The successful bid means Ghana will now host the 6th FAJ Continental Congress, with preparations expected to form part of the Federation’s work in the coming months.