Archives

Gunmen stormed the palace of a local sub-chief in Poayamire, a community in the Binduri District, on the night of Wednesday, April 9, 2025. The attack left one person dead and two others injured.

Among the victims was Naba Atamburi, the sub-chief, along with two of his family members. All three sustained gunshot wounds during the assault.

They were rushed to the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital for emergency treatment, but one of the injured died on the way.

While the motive behind the attack remains unclear, residents believe it may be linked to the ongoing Bawku conflict.

Tensions in the area have heightened in recent weeks, particularly after an alleged police shooting that claimed a life.

Since the resurgence of the conflict in October 2024, at least 83 people have lost their lives in related violence.

Security forces have yet to issue an official statement on the latest incident. Investigations are underway as authorities work to restore calm to the troubled region.

The Ghana Police Service has apprehended a suspect involved in a disturbing assault incident that went viral on social media.

The suspect, identified as Dawuda Sumaila, was arrested on April 9th, 2025, following an intelligence-led operation.

Sumaila is accused of physically attacking a young man with a machete near a fuel tanker in a shocking video that has since circulated widely.

The incident occurred on Friday, April 4th, 2025, at Anyinam in the Eastern Region. The viral footage shows Sumaila assaulting the victim, drawing public outrage and sparking calls for justice.

Sumaila, who works as a tanker driver’s mate, is currently in police custody, where he is assisting with ongoing investigations into the matter.

The Ghana Police Service has assured the public that they are handling the case with urgency and that further details will be provided as the investigation progresses.

John Awumi, Chairman of the Food and Beverages Association of Ghana (FABAG), has raised serious concerns over the recent surge in prices of goods and services, describing the increases as “illogical” and lacking any clear justification.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Thursday, April 10, Awumi questioned the rationale behind the price hikes, highlighting inconsistencies within the broader economic context.

“For me, it defies logic. If you look at fuel prices, the government has done a couple of things that have cancelled VAT on insurance, which has allowed transport fares to be stable for some time. Yet a tipper truck of sand has increased from Ghc2,700 to Ghc3,000 in the Greater Accra region, and stones have increased from Ghc3,400 to Ghc4,000. What is the basis for these increases? I don’t understand,” he lamented.

Awumi urged the government to take a more proactive role in monitoring and addressing such unexplained price movements. He emphasized that the current situation requires greater oversight and transparency.

He called on the Ministry of Trade to investigate the root causes of the price hikes and gather accurate data to help inform national economic planning.

“Looking at trends, the government needs to take a hand in that. We must be interested in our economy. Because you just come in and you have a certain area of the country, you just increase the price, and there is no basis.

“A pepper seller will tell you that it is because of the dollar. A bean seller, an okra seller, and all the others will tell you it is because of the dollar. It is time the Ministry of Trade goes down and gathers these figures to know what they can do so that the figures the church puts out as inflationary figures reflect what is on the ground,” he stated.

Awumi’s remarks reflect growing public frustration over the rising cost of living, especially in light of stable fuel and transport prices, which many expected would ease the pricing pressures on basic goods and construction materials.

The National Coordinator for the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP), Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, has issued a stern warning to the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, demanding that he presents the Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, to the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) by 10:00 a.m. today, April 10.

According to Vanderpuye, failure to comply will result in Ntim Fordjour being forcibly taken from his residence by security forces.

On Wednesday, operatives from the NIB stormed the residence of Rev. Fordjour in an attempt to arrest him over allegations he made regarding two suspicious aircraft that landed at Kotoka International Airport—claims that suggest potential drug trafficking and money laundering. However, the operation was later suspended without an official explanation.

Addressing the development, Vanderpuye revealed that the operation was called off following a plea by Afenyo-Markin, who gave assurances to National Security that he would voluntarily present Rev. Fordjour for questioning by 10:00 a.m. today.

Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Thursday, Vanderpuye emphasized that the Minority Leader had previously reached an agreement with government officials to ensure the voluntary appearance of any caucus member required by National Security.

“Somebody must advise Ntim Fordjour, and I will let Afenyo-Markin exercise that opportunity given him today. By 10:00, he must present Ntim Fordjour for the questioning that he is supposed to face so that we can all have our peace,” Vanderpuye stressed.

He also condemned the actions of some Minority MPs who reportedly gathered at Rev. Fordjour’s residence to resist the operation, describing their behavior as inappropriate and disrespectful.

“What they did yesterday was unruly and uncalled for, and a total disrespect for the security services. Talking of the warrant, a police officer can effect an arrest without a warrant. If the Minority Leader does not present him today, we shall plug him from his house,” he declared.

Only 37% of businesses in Ghana currently accept or use digital payments, with the agricultural sector recording the lowest level of adoption.

This is according to a new report on the Adoption of Digital Financial Services by Business Firms in Ghana, jointly released by Retail Finance Distribution (ReFinD) and the Institute for Statistical Social and Economic Research (ISSER) with support from the Ghana Statistical Service.

The report notes that digital payments adoption and usage is highly uneven, concentrated in Greater Accra and regional capitals. It further adds that female managers significantly boost revenue and merchant account adoption and usage.

Key barriers to adoption and usage include knowledge gaps, fraud concerns, and perceived uncertain returns.

Significant digital payments adoption and usage gaps exist across firm sizes, sectors, formality, and location. To address these gaps, the report recommends that policymakers might implement targeted interventions.

These include enhancing firms’ understanding of adoption and usage benefits, strengthening fraud prevention, and creating incentive structures for business-specific digital payment systems. Enhanced cyber security is crucial for building trust.

Commenting on the report, the Director of ISSER Prof. Peter Quartey noted that: “There are a number of reasons why adoption is low. One, is the uncertainty in the business environment and there is also the cost element and taxation and few other constraints but overall leveraging the digital financial inclusion is one of the surest way of including the unbanked in financial services,”

Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the First Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, the Director of Fintech and Innovation, Kwame Oppong, emphasized that the findings will play a critical role in shaping policies aimed at deepening financial inclusion.

“Despite the progress made in financial inclusion challenges still persist. Evidence by the widening gender gap and the digital inclusion and so the report produced under this initiative is timely.

“I have no doubt that the findings from this research will inform policy and make our approaches to financial inclusion more effective,” he said.

Ghana could lose up to $500 million in government revenue if it proceeds with plans to refine its lithium domestically, according to a new report by the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI).

The analysis warns that a state – or privately-run refinery would only break even if it purchases lithium concentrate at below-market prices—undercutting revenue from royalties, taxes, and dividends from current mining operations.

The modeling compares two scenarios: exporting raw lithium spodumene concentrate versus processing it locally. The results are stark—exporting yields higher net revenue for the government, especially if concentrate is sold to Chinese refineries, which currently dominate the global market and operate at far lower costs.

In the medium-price scenario, refining locally reduces expected government revenue from $2.7 billion to $2.2 billion. Even with a 20-year operational refinery, losses exceed $300 million, largely due to Ghana’s high capital costs, limited feedstock, and lack of refining expertise.

In contrast, China controls over 90% of global lithium refining, benefitting from economies of scale, cheap reagents, and state-backed subsidies. Most new refineries outside China—including in Australia and Europe—have either been cancelled or delayed due to similar cost hurdles.

NRGI recommends Ghana adopt a “mine-and-monitor” strategy—starting lithium production at Ewoyaa swiftly, supporting exploration, and tracking global refining trends before committing public funds to a potentially loss-making refinery.

While calls for local value addition remain strong, the report urges policymakers to weigh economic feasibility and opportunity costs—highlighting that the projected $500 million loss exceeds Ghana’s entire 2024 education budget for basic schools.

The Minority in Parliament has condemned what it describes as an attempted intimidation of Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, Ranking Member on Parliament’s Interior and Defence Committee and Member of Parliament for Assin South, by the National Investigations Bureau (NIB).

This follows the MP’s recent allegations regarding two suspicious flights at the Kotoka International Airport, which he claimed were carrying drugs and cash.

Speaking to the media after a failed attempt to arrest the MP at his residence in Accra on Wednesday, April 9, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin declared the caucus’ unwavering support for their colleague and their refusal to be intimidated.

He described the move by the NIB as politically motivated and aimed at silencing dissent within Parliament.

Afenyo-Markin stressed that the Minority remains committed to ensuring transparency and accountability in investigating the allegations made by the MP and insisted that due process must be followed.

He also called on the public to remain alert and support efforts to uphold justice and fairness.