In a bid to ensure a peaceful and orderly electoral process, the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has announced a nationwide ban on the operation of drinking beer bars on December 7, 2024, Election Day.
This move aims to prevent potential disturbances and maintain public safety during the critical voting period.
The NCCE, an independent and non-partisan institution dedicated to promoting democracy and civic education in Ghana, has been actively engaging with various stakeholders to foster a conducive environment for the upcoming elections.
Earlier this year, NCCE Chairperson Kathleen Addy emphasized the importance of youth engagement, tolerance, and combating monetization in politics.
As part of its strategic focus areas for the 2024 general elections, the NCCE has been working closely with the Ghana Police Service to address key issues that could undermine the country’s democratic progress.
The commission’s efforts include targeted initiatives to empower and educate young people to resist violent and extremist influences.
The Election Day alcohol ban is a significant step towards ensuring that Ghanaians exercise their right to vote without undue influence or disruptions.
By closing drinking and beer bars, the NCCE aims to minimize potential hotspots for conflict and promote a peaceful electoral process.
A return of former President John Dramani Mahama to the Presidency next year will mark a revolution in youth development, Mr. Brogya Genfi, Deputy Director in charge of Special Duties for the NDC, has hinted. He said the former President was committed to implementing tailor-measured solutions to address the multifaceted problems confronting young people in Ghana. Speaking at a community engagement at Effiduase-Asokore in the Ashanti Region as part of the campaign tour of the National Chairman of the NDC, Mr. Genfi said the return of Mr. Mahama would bring hope to the millions of Ghanaian youth struggling to make ends meet. The pro-youth policies captured in the NDC youth manifesto is expected to tackle joblessness among the youth while promoting economic growth, he opined “The next government of the NDC under the leadership of President Mahama will prioritise job creation with the youth being at the center of programmes and policies geared towards economic growth,” he stated. He said the implementation of the 24-hour Economy Policy would create job opportunities for young people finding it difficult to earn income for a good living. He also spoke about the Youth Apprenticeship Programme (YAP) which seeks to support young people interested in learning a trade by paying for their training. “President Mahama is promising free academic user fees for first-year students in all public tertiary institutions and easy access to the Students Loan Trust Fund in the ensuing years,” he told the crowd. He debunked claims that former President Mahama had plans of cancelling the Free Senior High School Policy, saying that the NDC would rather improve the policy by addressing the numerous challenges bedeviling the programme. He said the current state of the programme required a massive review to eliminate the teething problems, adding that it was unfortunate for elements of the government to misconstrue the intention as cancellation. The NDC, he noted, had the track record of addressing overcrowding in senior high schools by expanding facilities during the regime of the late Prof. John Atta Mills, when SHS was extended to four years by the previous government. He entreated the Ghanaian youth to vote for the NDC to restore hope for a better future. Mr. Raymond Opoku Agyemang, the NDC Parliamentary Candidate for Effiduase-Asokore, implored the electorate to bring back the NDC to power for accelerated development He said the current government had abandoned most projects initiated by the NDC in the constituency and urged the people to vote in the interest of development and not party affiliation.
Donald Trump has confirmed Elon Musk will co-lead the new department of government efficiency as he named Fox News host and National Guard veteran Pete Hegseth as defence secretary.
The president-elect said on Tuesday that Mr Musk, the Tesla and X owner who is also the world’s richest man, will work with former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the department, which is known as DOGE for short.
Meanwhile, Mr Trump’s pick of Mr Hegseth as his defence secretary came as a surprise to many, with critics pointing out his lack of experience and noting his opposition to “woke” ideas promoting equity and inclusion.
Mr Hegseth previously said men and women serving together “makes the situation more complicated” and that while diversity in the military is a strength, he said it was because white men and men from other ethnic backgrounds “can perform similarly” but the same isn’t true for women.
Appointing Mr Musk fulfills a promise Mr Trumpmade to the tech billionaire after he endorsed him in the race for the White House, and poured more than $119m (£92m) into canvassing for him in the seven battleground states.
In a statement, the president-elect said Mr Musk and Mr Ramaswamy “will pave the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies”.
Mr Musk has previously made clear his desire to see cut backs on “government waste” and in a post on his X platform suggested he could axe as many as three-quarters of the more than 400 federal departments in the US, writing: “99 is enough”.
In a separate post, he wrote: “Threat to democracy? Nope, threat to bureaucracy.”
In a string of picks for his second administration, Mr Trump also said he would nominate former director of national intelligence John Ratcliffe to be director of the CIA.
Image:Donald Trump and Elon Musk in Butler, Pennsylvania. Pic: AP
What is DOGE?
Despite its name, the DOGE is not a government agency and is instead set to provide “advice and guidance” from the outside of government.
The statement released by Mr Trump said it will partner with the office of management and budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to government never seen before”.
This will likely mean both Mr Musk and biotech entrepreneur Mr Ramaswamy will be allowed to continue working in the private sector and serve without Senate approval, Sky News’ US partner network NBC reported, as they would technically not be federal workers.
Image:Vivek Ramaswamy will lead the department with Mr Musk. Pic: AP
Federal employees are generally required to disclose their assets to ward off any potential conflicts of interest and to divest significant holdings relating to their work.
After being elected president in 2016, Mr Trump handed over control of his business empire to his sons in order to try to avoid a conflict of interest. The move was later criticised by the director of the office of government ethics that it did not go far enough and Mr Trump “still [knew] what he owned”.
‘More efficiency and less bureaucracy’
A deadline of 4 July 2026 has been put in place for the new DOGE to conclude its work.
The DOGE acronym coincides with a popular meme and the name of the cryptocurrency Dogecoin that Mr Musk promotes.
Mr Trump added: “A smaller government, with more efficiency and less bureaucracy, will be the perfect gift to America on the 250th Anniversary of The Declaration of Independence. I am confident they will succeed!”
Mr Musk said in the statement the department will “send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in government waste”.
The billionaire has in the past called for the federal budget to be slashed by $2trn (£1.56trn) but has provided few details on how that could be achieved.
Meanwhile, Mr Ramaswamy, who threw his support behind Mr Trump after suspending his own bid for the presidency in January, has previously called for mass lay-offs in federal agencies.
The union representing federal workers said in a statement on Tuesday if the DOGE implements these recommendations, or ones similar, it would “mean massive cuts” to multiple departments.
Trump assembles top team
Mr Hegseth is a former Army National Guard captain who is well-known in conservative circles as a co-host of Fox News Channel’s Fox & Friends Weekend.
As Mr Trump’s defence secretary, he takes the place of retired high-ranking army general Lloyd Austin.
Image:Trump is interviewed by Fox and Friends co-host Pete Hegseth in 2017. Pic: Reuters
A staunch conservative who embraces Mr Trump’s “America First” policies, Mr Hegseth has pushed for making the military more lethal.
During an interview on The Shawn Ryan Show podcast, he said allowing women to serve in combat hurts that effort.
“Everything about men and women serving together makes the situation more complicated, and complication in combat, that means casualties are worse,” Mr Hegseth said.
Earlier this week, president-elect Mr Trump named Susie Wiles – who ran his 2024 presidential campaign – as his White House chief of staff, the first woman in history to take up one of the most important non-elected roles in Washington.
Florida senator Marco Rubio is reported to be named as secretary of state, who serves as the president’s chief foreign affairs adviser and the country’s top diplomat.
If chosen, Mr Rubio would be the first Latino member of the president-elect’s top team, but Mr Trump could still change his mind on the appointment.
Below is a list of appointments Mr Trump has made for his administration so far:
• Susie Wiles, White House chief of staff • Pete Hegseth, secretary of defense • Elon Musk, co-lead Department of Government Efficiency • Vivek Ramaswamy, co-lead Department of Government Efficiency • Mike Waltz, national security adviser • Tom Homan, “border czar” • Elise Stefanik, United Nations ambassador • Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff for policy • Lee Zeldin, head of the Environmental Protection Agency • Mike Huckabee, ambassador to Israel • Steven Witkoff, special envoy to the Middle East • John Ratcliffe, CIA director • William McGinley, White House counsel • Kristi Noem, secretary of homeland security.
A total of 16 people have died, and 115 others have been infected in the ongoing cholera outbreak in various parts of the country within the past month. Dr. Dennis Laryea, Head of Disease Surveillance at the Ghana Health Service, told the Ghana News Agency that 1,350 suspected cholera cases have been reported in the Greater Accra, Eastern, Central, and Western Regions. He noted that cholera infections have been recorded in about 12 districts across these four regions, with a Case Fatality Rate of 1.2 percent. Dr. Laryea explained that while most infections were not severe, fatalities occurred due to delays in reporting cases to health facilities. “Deaths are occurring because most of the patients who had cholera tried to self-medicate; some report to the hospital three days after the cholera infection,” he said. Dr. Laryea stated that the lack of clean water in some of the affected districts, the practice of open defecation, and poor hand hygiene were significant contributors to the ongoing cholera outbreak. He urged the public to frequently wash their hands with soap and water and use hand sanitizers where clean water was not available. Between 2017 and 2023, Ghana did not experience a major cholera outbreak, though a few indigenous cases were reported. Dr. Laryea pointed out that regular handwashing with soap during the COVID-19 outbreak was an effective measure in controlling infectious diseases. Cholera is an acute diarrheal infection caused by ingesting food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cholera remains a global public health threat, reflecting inequities and a lack of social development. Symptoms of cholera include frequent diarrhoea, vomiting, dehydration, abdominal cramps, fever, headache, fatigue, dry mouth, and reduced urine output. If left untreated, severe cases can be fatal within hours. Most individuals infected with cholera may not exhibit symptoms, but the bacteria can still be present in their feces for one to ten days, potentially contaminating the environment and infecting others. A minority of patients develop acute watery diarrhoea with severe dehydration, which can lead to death if not treated promptly. Cholera transmission is closely linked to inadequate access to clean water and sanitation, with at-risk areas including peri-urban slums and camps for internally displaced persons. Early detection and treatment are essential to prevent complications and reduce mortality. The Ghana Health Service has advised the public to drink only treated water, eat properly cooked food, avoid close contact with infected individuals, practice good hygiene (including washing hands with soap under running water), ensure proper disposal of feces, and seek medical attention at the nearest health facility if experiencing severe diarrhea and vomiting.
Some female farmers took centre stage at the Sunyani West Municipal celebration of the 40th National Farmers Day, held at Fiapre in the Bono Region.
Hajia Mariama Salifu Dumasua Mantukwa won the Best Woman in Agricultural Award, having six hectares of cassava, 10 hectares of plantains, half a hectare each of pepper and garden eggs.
She also has 800 fowls, four cattle, 70 goats and a sheep.
For her prize, she received a tabletop refrigerator, a radio cassette player, three pieces of wax print, 10 bags of organic fertilizer, 10 bars of key soap, four pairs of Wellington boots, and five cutlasses.
Madam Mariama Abubakar was the second runner-up and received similar items. She has 17 hectares of maize, eight hectares of cassava, three hectares of garden eggs, two hectares of pepper and three hectares of okro.
In addition to these are two hectares of tomato, a hectare each of yam and cowpea, two hectares of plantain, 17 Goats, five sheep, and 45 local birds.
Madam Esther Oboshie from Amanfoso also emerged the Best Agriculture Extension Officer in the Municipality.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the side-lines of the celebration, the award winners expressed their gratitude and encouraged unemployed women to engage in farming as a commercial activity to support the upkeep of their families.
They called on traditional authorities to release lands to women who were interested in commercial farming and urged financial institutions to also provide loans to them.
Bismark Yelbouri, a 21-year-old physically challenged farmer, received a bicycle, knapsack sprayer, Wellington boot, cutlasses, key soap, wax print and fertilizers and weedicides.
Mr John Nkaw, the Country Director, Action Aid Ghana, a non-governmental organisation and a sponsor of the programme, said women in agriculture remained essential for the promotion of gender equality and improving livelihoods.
He expressed worry over the myraid of challenges women farmers were confronted with, including limited land access and credit facilities, saying those challenges ought to be tackled to attract more women into commercial farming.
As the population grew, Mr Nkaw said ActionAid Ghana would continue to support smallholder farmers and women to contribute meaningfully towards accelerated national development, while empowering them economically.
Two Ugandan men have been detained for allegedly insulting President Yoweri Museveni, First Lady Janet Museveni, and the president’s son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, on TikTok.
David Ssengozi, also known as Lucky Choice (21), and Isaiah Ssekagiri (28) appeared before Magistrate Stella Maris Amabilis, who ordered their detention at Kigo Prison until November 13 for an initial court hearing.
The two men, along with a third defendant, Julius Tayebwa (19), face charges of hate speech and spreading “malicious information” against the president’s family and musicians associated with the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).
Prosecutors claim the content they shared on TikTok was intended to “ridicule, degrade, demean, and promote hostility” toward the first family and others linked to the NRM.
While both Ssengozi and Ssekagiri denied the charges, their detention follows a recent government crackdown on criticism of state officials.
In September, a police spokesperson cautioned the public against “abusing” the president, calling it an offense. This follows a similar case in July, when a 24-year-old was sentenced to six years in prison for a TikTok video critical of the president and his family.
This incident highlights ongoing criticism of Uganda’s approach to internet freedom and freedom of expression. Rights groups frequently report on the government’s restrictive stance, with the U.S. government recently noting limitations on internet freedom.
In 2022, Ugandan author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija fled the country after being detained over Twitter comments about the president and his son, alleging he was tortured in detention.
Angola head coach, Pedro Goncalves has taken a swipe at Ghana ahead of their Matchday five clash of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
The Palancras Negras who have already qualified for the tournament, will host the Black Stars at the Estádio 11 de Novembro on Friday, November 15.
After criticizing the Baba Yara Stadium playing surface despite their win on their opener, Goncalves has assured that they will play a good game against the Black Stars on a good pitch.
“We will play good football, with wonderful players, a great atmosphere, a good stadium, and a great pitch. We will do our best to beat one of the best teams in Africa,” the Portuguese trainer told GhanaSportsPage in an interview.
The Black Stars wrapped up their training session on Tuesday evening. They are expected to jet off to Luanda later today.
Otto Addo and his men, who are aiming to qualify for the tournament after a poor start, will wrap up their qualifiers with a home against Niger on Monday at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Ghana, who sit 3rd in Group F, will need to win their games and hope Sudan loses their final games against Niger and Angola.
Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has hailed the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on parliamentary seats as a victory for the country’s constitutional democracy.
The Court’s decision, delivered by a majority of 5-2, clarifies that the Speaker of Parliament lacks the power to unilaterally declare seats vacant.
Controversy
The dispute began when Speaker Alban Bagbin declared four parliamentary seats vacant, citing the MPs’ filing to contest as independent candidates.
Afenyo-Markin contested the decision, arguing it was unconstitutional and aimed at undermining the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) majority.
The Ruling’s Impact
The Supreme Court’s verdict affects four prominent MPs: Cynthia Mamle Morrison (NPP, Agona West), Peter Yaw Kwakye-Ackah (NDC, Amenfi Central), Kwadjo Asante (NPP, Suhum), and Andrew Asiamah Amoako (Independent, Fomena).
The decision affirms their current standing as legitimate members of the 8th Parliament.
Afenyo-Markin’s Reaction
In a statement, the Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin emphasized that the ruling is not a victory for one side or a defeat for another, but rather a triumph for Ghana’s constitutional democracy.
He extended a hand of friendship to colleagues across the political divide, urging them to redirect their energies toward serving the people of Ghana.
The Majority Leader also reaffirmed his respect for the Speaker’s office and distinguished service to the nation.
Afenyo-Markin called on all members of Parliament to view this moment as an opportunity for renewal, approaching their duties with fresh vigor and determination to work together in the spirit of constructive dialogue and mutual respect.
The Supreme Court’s landmark ruling marks a significant milestone in Ghana’s parliamentary history, reaffirming the Constitution’s supremacy.
However, ahead of the upcoming December 7 general elections, Afenyo-Markin’s call for unity and cooperation among MPs.
Professor Martin Tamatey, a heart surgeon and Acting Director of the National Cardiothoracic Center at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, has cautioned Ghanaians against adopting lifestyles that could lead to heart problems later in life. He noted that many individuals over the age of 40 were increasingly reporting acquired heart diseases, in addition to the congenital cases seen at the hospital. Prof. Tamatey gave the warning during a donation event in Accra by the Ghana Airports Company Limited to support needy patients in need of heart surgery. Congenital heart disease refers to birth defects that affect the heart’s normal function, while acquired heart disease, or cardiovascular disease (CVD), develops after birth due to factors such as infections or pressure on the heart. According to 2024 data from the National Cardiothoracic Center at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, CVD prevalence in Ghana ranges from 16 to 17 percent. The data also revealed that 60 percent of deaths among adults were due to heart-related diseases, with 6.5 percent of those deaths linked to diabetes and 19 percent to hypertension. Prof. Tamatey explained that individuals could also experience complete heart block, a condition where the heart beats abnormally slowly or irregularly due to issues with the electrical pulses that regulate the heart’s rhythm. He identified key risk factors for acquired heart disease, including high cholesterol, hypertension (high blood pressure), and diabetes. Those with acquired heart problems might experience symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, swelling in the ankles, feet, legs, and abdomen, palpitations, nostril flaring, and fatigue. To prevent future heart issues, Prof. Tamatey stressed the need of regular exercise, healthy eating, maintaining a healthy weight, managing stress, quitting smoking, limiting alcohol consumption, regularly checking blood pressure and diabetes levels, and ensuring adequate sleep. He also urged individuals to remain vigilant about their cardiovascular health, advising those already on blood pressure and diabetes medications to continue their treatments and consistently monitor their cholesterol levels to keep them under control.
The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has suspended the Foreign Exchange Trading License of Consolidated Bank Ghana (CBG) with effect from November 26, 2024. In a statement on Tuesday, November 12, the Central Bank said the suspension, which would last for a month, was in accordance with Section 11(2) of the Foreign Exchange Act, 2006 (Act 723). It attributed the decision to some breaches of the foreign exchange market regulations, including Updated Guidelines for Inward Remittance Services for Payment Service Providers dated November 2023. The other breaches pertained to the Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism as well as the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (AML/CFT&P) Guidelines for Accountable Institutions in Ghana dated December 2022. The Central Bank indicated that the license of CBG would be restored at the end of the one-month suspension once it was satisfied that CBG had put in place effective controls to ensure strict adherence to the foreign exchange market regulations. “By this statement, the Bank of Ghana cautions foreign exchange market players to adhere strictly to the applicable forex market regulations and guidelines,” the Central bank stated.
