It's not hard to say bye-bye.

Your doctor at Korle-Bu arrived in Canada this morning.

Author

Chale News
August 29, 2024

Chale, there’s something that’s been bothering us.

Why is ‘abbreviated’ such a long word? You too, you don’t understand, eh? Well, we’ve abbreviated today’s top stories for you.😝😜

  • National: Korle Bu docs & nurses are dashing out: Korle Bu’s CEO is crying.

  • National: Akufo-Addo rallies ECOWAS to build a standby force to stop coups.

  • National: Awula Serwaa has got “What is it, haven’t you done enough?” on replay.

  • National: The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission took a hard look at the payrolls of 120 public sector institutions and saved some money.

  • Fact of the Day: Ghanaians have been accused of saying please and sorry too much. But there’s a guiltier culprit.

  • Politics: Mahama plans to industrialize Amasaman under a 24-hour economy.

  • Economic: Cyber-attack hits ECG like a lightning bolt, frying GH₵500 million instantly!

  • National: Ghana’s Hydrological Authority is asking for $5 billion to flood-proof the nation.

  • National: PwC says banks going fully digital in five years is like teaching your grandma to use Snapchat—cute idea, but not happening anytime soon.

  • Crime: Two motorbike thieves set on fire.

  • Entertainment: In Mr. Beautiful’s world, if you’re grumbling about the expenses that come with maintaining more than one wife, then you might be strapped for cash.

  • International: Ugandan ‘healer’ found with 24 skulls: not exactly the herbal remedy we were expecting!

QUICK BYTE

  • Yo, it’s getting wild out here! Ghana’s top hospital, Korle Bu, is waving goodbye to too many doctors and nurses, and the CEO, Dr. Opoku Ampomah, is straight-up worried. He’s sounding the alarm, saying we need to step up our game before our healthcare system taps out. Imagine your favorite restaurant losing its top chefs—yep, it’s like that but way worse. Want the deets in full? Check out the Deep Dive section.

  • President Akufo-Addo is on a mission to keep West Africa from turning into a real-life “Game of Thrones.” He’s calling for ECOWAS to roll out a standby force that can clap back at military coups and all that extra drama messing with the region's vibe. So like a squad ready to pull up whenever someone tries to mess with democracy. Get the 411 in the Deep Dive section below

  • Awula Serwaa, the eco-warrior of the moment, is shouting from the treetops—literally—that Ghana needs to kick L.I. 2462 to the curb. This Legislative Instrument is like handing miners a VIP pass into our forest reserves, and it’s making environmentalists see red. Serwaa’s message? Let’s save the forests before they’re gone faster than your last mobile data bundle! Read more in the Deep Dive Section.

  • USAID is serious about the fish you’re eating. At the Safe Fish Symposium, hosted in partnership with Ghana’s top fishery stakeholders, they spotlighted the importance of hygienic fish handling and processing. Since 2021, USAID’s Feed the Future Ghana Fisheries Recovery Activity has been hustling to train over 3,500 fisherfolk—mostly women—from coastal communities. The goal? To ensure that the fish you buy is as clean as it is tasty. The symposium wasn’t just talk, though. It featured practical demonstrations and cooking exhibitions that showed the best ways to handle and process fish, making sure it stays fresh and safe all the way from the sea to your table. Read more

  • Ghana just scored big savings—GH₵345 million, to be exact—thanks to a rigorous payroll monitoring exercise by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission. This sweep covered 120 public sector institutions, trimming down the wage bill and uncovering some ghost workers in the process. Minister Ignatius Baffour Awuah proudly announced the news, highlighting the government’s commitment to transparency and worker welfare. Read more

  • In what might be the most extreme “don’t try this at home” moment of the week, two guys supposedly in their late 30s, thought it’d be a bright idea to swipe a motorbike in Gomoa Dasum. But before they could even spark the bike, “vroom vroom,” they were nabbed by some locals who were not about to let this slide. They got the kind of street justice that you usually only hear about in wild stories. We’re talking sticks, stones, and eventually, a matchstick. Yes, they were set ablaze right in front of the Gomoa Dasum Community Center. Read more

  • In Kampala, Uganda. Ddamulira Godfrey, claiming to be a traditional healer and herbalist, might have missed the memo on how to keep your practice ethical—because instead of herbs and potions, he was packing 24 human skulls. Mr. Godfrey’s traditional healer buddies are distancing themselves. They’re like, “Nope, not us,”. Just last month, the Ugandan police uncovered another shrine with 17 skulls. Read more

FACT OF THE DAY

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Canadians say “sorry” so much that a law was passed in 2009 declaring that an apology can’t be used as evidence of admission to guilt in legal matters.

The law is called the "Apology Act" and was passed in Ontario.

  • John Dramani Mahama, the NDC flagbearer, is turning up the heat on his industrialization strategy, promising to transform Accra’s Amasaman into a bustling industrial hub. If elected, Mahama plans to align this with his party’s 24-hour economy policy to tackle unemployment head-on. His pitch? Skip Tema and build your next factory in Amasaman. Read more

  • According to Mr. Beautiful, if you think multiple marriages are a waste of money, you might want to check your financial health. In his eyes, it’s not the number of wives that’s the problem; it’s the number in your bank account. You think he’s got a point?

  • ECG’s vault just got a massive shock—GH₵500 million vaporized by sneaky cyber bandits. Think of it as a bad power surge, but this time, it hit the bank account instead of the lights.

    Caught off guard during an operational overhaul, ECG found itself unable to collect revenue for a week—a nightmare when you’re a cash-flow giant pulling in up to GH₵60 million a day. As if the cyber ambush wasn’t enough, ECG is suggesting some inside players might have sabotaged the system. Read more

  • Flooding in Ghana has been a recurring nightmare, and the Hydrological Authority says if they can get their hands on $5 billion, they’ll be very happy. The money will go towards and “end-to-end approach” including dredging rivers, building new drains, managing solid waste, and setting up early warning systems in the entire country. They are pointing to the GARID project in Accra as a model, estimating it’ll cost $285 million just for the Odaw catchment area alone. Read more

  • According to PwC, getting our banks to go fully digital is like trying to get a toddler to give up the tv remote. PwC’s top guy in Ghana, Vish Ashiagbor, is basically saying, “Yo, Ghana, we ain’t ready yet.” He reckons it’s gonna take way more than five years for banks to fully embrace the digital life. Why? Well, apparently, most of us still prefer to see the bank staff in person, just to be sure we’re not sending our life savings to the wrong person. And don’t even get started on the network issues. If you’ve ever tried streaming Netflix in your village, you know the struggle is real. So, until the whole country has reliable internet, our banks might be stuck with a foot in the digital world and another firmly in the brick-and-mortar zone. So, while we wait for that full digital glow-up, it’s probably wise to keep that relationship manager’s number on speed dial, just in case. Read more

  • The banks in Ghana have been out here giving out in loans. In Q2 2024, they went from 0 to 100 real quick, dishing out a whopping GHS 10.8 billion. That’s an 83.1% jump from last year. It’s almost like the banks had a New Year’s resolution to make it rain, and they’re actually sticking to it! Read more

DEEP DIVE

Jakpa is holding Korle Bu by its neck

Korle Bu Teaching Hospital is like that popular joint everyone depends on for the best fufu and aponkye nkakra in town. The one day, the head chef and most of the kitchen staff start leaving for some bougie place where the pay is sweeter, and the perks are plush. That’s exactly what’s going down at Korle Bu, except it’s not fufu we’re talking about—it’s your health, bro!

Dr. Ampomah is practically pulling his hair out because doctors and nurses are packing up and heading to greener pastures faster than you can say “dollar rate.” And it’s not just any health workers; it’s the MVPs with years of experience, like that ICU nurse who knows your vitals better than the person you’ve saved as heartbeat on your phone (yes, we’re calling you out) When they leave, it’s like Korle Bu loses a whole institution.

Why they are dipping is not rocket science. Better pay, less stress, and let’s be real, who wouldn’t want to escape the chaos for a gig that doesn’t feel like a 24/7 survival game? Dr. Ampomah is doing his best to keep them around by opening up higher positions and fixing career roadblocks, but it’s like putting plaster on a bullet wound if we don’t tackle the root cause.

But this isn’t just a Korle Bu problem—it’s a Ghana problem. With over 1,200 nurses jumping ship to the UK last year alone, the health system is on life support. If we don’t act fast, we might wake up one day to find the whole shebang has flatlined, and that’s not a sitcom anyone wants to watch. Read more

We’re starting an Anti-Coup Association

President Akufo-Addo was at the Africa Security Conference, basically telling ECOWAS, “Yo, it’s time we got ourselves a standby force! If this force had been around earlier, West Africa might’ve avoided all the recent coup craziness. Instead, we’ve got countries flipping like it’s a political version of musical chairs—except no one’s having fun.”

Akufo-Addo’s thinking is, if anyone in the region tries to overthrow a government or stir up some insurgent drama, ECOWAS would be there, ready to shut it down faster than you can say, “Not today, Satan.”

With countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger still feeling the heat from terrorists and insurgents, it’s not just about playing defense—it’s about keeping the peace and making sure democracy doesn’t go MIA.

The latest ECOWAS summit had leaders agreeing to make this force happen. What do you think they will call it? Read more

Protect the Trees, Not the Greed

Awula Serwaa, the Coordinator of Eco-Conscious Citizens, is seriously not having it with L.I. 2462, a Legislative Instrument that’s basically giving miners the green light to bulldoze through Ghana’s forest reserves. To put it in perspective, it’s like letting people host wild parties in your living room when you’re not home—except this time, we’re talking about forests that have been chillin’ since 1964 getting wrecked beyond repair.

Serwaa’s latest beef with the L.I. comes on the heels of some shady business going down at the Draw River Forest Reserve. A protected forest that’s supposed to be off-limits is now seeing bulldozers rolling in like they’re at a construction site. No one knows who’s behind it yet, but the damage is starting to show.

Now, Serwaa’s not just pointing fingers; she’s also side-eyeing political parties for sleeping on this issue. With elections around the corner, she’s calling them out for not even mentioning the environment in their manifestos. It’s like they’re playing hide and seek with the real issues, and Serwaa’s not here for it.

In her own words, the question isn’t just about who let this happen; it’s about why. Why would anyone with even a smidge of common sense think it’s cool to allow mining in areas that are biodiversity hotspots? Read more

NEWS SOURCES

Today’s stories are curated from: