Author: SAMUEL

The 2024 Financial Stability Review has shown that cheque usage by volume declined slightly, but the total value of cheque-based transactions jumped by a striking 30.97%, hitting GH₵384.96 billion. This is up from GH₵293.93 billion posted in 2023. The marginal 0.15% drop in interbank cheque volumes under the Cheque Codeline Clearing (CCC) system suggests that while fewer cheques are being written, those that are processed now carry significantly more financial weight. The divergence is a shift toward cheques being used predominantly for large corporate payments, high-value settlements or legacy institutional transactions. The Ghana Interbank Settlement (GIS) platform recorded a 78.12%…

Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has called on African leaders to base electoral contests on policies rather than ballots. Opening the African Political Parties Summit 2025 in Accra, she urged political parties across the continent to prioritise the needs of their citizens while in power. “Policies, when divorced from the pursuit of wellbeing, become empty,” she said. “Our people do not ask us to perform politics for its own sake. They deserve politics that translates into food security, decent jobs, functional schools, accessible healthcare, efficient infrastructure, security, and justice. They expect us to focus not just on the next…

The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has issued a solemn appeal to the media, bloggers, content creators, and the general public to refrain from speculation and unverified commentary concerning the Z-9 Air Force helicopter crash that claimed eight lives. The Ghana Armed Forces cautioned against speculative and unverified commentary on the helicopter crash, warning that such narratives could mislead the public and deepen the grief of bereaved families. It stressed that conclusions based on opinion or conjecture are premature, as a “painstaking” investigation, undertaken in collaboration with international agencies—is already in progress to determine the cause. The military urged media practitioners,…

Ghana is advancing plans for a bold agricultural policy aimed at slashing its $2 billion annual palm oil import bill. This would be achieved by significantly scaling up domestic production and diversifying into high-value tree crops. The plan outlined in the 2025–2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, includes the rollout of a National Palm Oil Industry Policy, which will support the distribution of 1.5 million oil palm seedlings to farmers. It is also to promote large-scale out-grower plantation schemes and provide incentives to expand local processing capacity. The initiative, dubbed the “RedGold” oil palm programme, is expected to catalyse private sector investment,…

Former Member of Parliament for Anyaa Sowutuom, Dr Adomako Kissi, has admitted that the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) decision not to contest the Tamale Central by-election is not a goodwill gesture because of the late MP’s death but a calculated political strategy, as the seat is a stronghold of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). Speaking in an interview on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Tuesday, August 12, Dr Kissi explained that the party’s assessment shows that winning the seat was highly unlikely, making it unwise to commit resources to the contest. “This is not necessarily about the death. The…

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has raised alarm over what it describes as growing and strategic xenophobic blockages preventing both South Africans and foreign nationals from accessing healthcare services. Communication Specialist for MSF, Jane Rabothata, said their recent assessment revealed that more than half of the 15 health facilities visited in and around Johannesburg were blocking people from receiving medical attention. “In addition to visiting the 15 facilities, we also called about 50 patients and visited some at home. They confirmed that they had been turned away from 24 different facilities between Johannesburg, Durban, and Tshwane,” Rabothata said in an interview…

https://youtu.be/1b1VliODPIs?si=A5HNAbmZdVeOT5xO Ghanaians on social media have reacted angrily to the outcome of the Ghana Football Association’s 31st Ordinary Congress at the Ghanaman Centre of Excellence in Prampram on Tuesday, August 12, 2025. The GFA Congress took a significant step by approving a statues amendment to extend the term limits for its president from two to three terms and also to appoint a woman as the Second Vice president of the association. The move to accept the proposal to appoint a woman as a Vice president of the GFA marks a historic step in Ghanaian football, ensuring that a woman holds…

Overlord of the Navrongo Traditional Area, Pe Asagpaare Aniak Woah Balinia Adda II. The Overlord of the Navrongo Traditional Area, Pe Asagpaare Aniakwoah Balinia Adda II, has reminded and appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to fulfil his 2024 campaign promise to upgrade the War Memorial Hospital into a fully-fledged teaching hospital. The traditional ruler made the call during a ceremony at the hospital to receive a consignment of modern medical equipment valued at GHS 500,000, donated by the Navrongo Chapter of the Rotary Club with funding support from the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA). President Mahama, then the…

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno, accompanied by members of the Police Management Board (POMAB), has cut the sod for the construction of a new ward complex at the Police Hospital in Accra. The project aims to provide a dedicated, comfortable space for police personnel, their families, and retired officers who require medical care. Speaking at the sod cutting ceremony on Monday, August 11, 2025, the IGP explained that the idea for the facility emerged after a visit to a colleague on admission at the hospital revealed the need for additional, well-equipped accommodation. The ward complex will cater…

Deputy National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has cautioned its supporters against interpreting the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) withdrawal from the Tamale Central by-election as a gesture of goodwill. According to him, the NPP’s move amounted to political gamesmanship and a tactic to win public sympathy ahead of the upcoming Akwatia by-election. The NPP recently announced it would not field a candidate in Tamale Central following the passing of Member of Parliament Alhaji Dr. Murtala Mohammed. Mr. Ako Gunn acknowledges that political parties have previously opted out of by-elections, citing their own decision not to contest in…