Packed like Sunday at Labadi Beach.

Wednesday’s here! That means two things: you’ve survived Monday and Tuesday (congrats), and you’re officially closer to Friday than you are to Sunday scaries. We’ve got some good stuff today, so buckle up and let’s roll!

• National: When the Paramount Chief becomes the Miner-in-Chief.

• National: Free SHS brought more students to university but left classrooms looking like concerts—crowded and chaotic.

• International: Heavy metals aren’t just for rock bands—they could be messing with your heart!

• Education: Wanna save the planet and secure free tuition? Mahogany Consult’s scholarship is back with a glow-up.

• Fact of the Day: Collecting rainwater can get you a staycation in jail!

• Politics: Napo tells us why voting NDC is like buying Wi-Fi that never connects.

• National: Swedru traders are feeling the heat—literally and politically—as high pepper prices and low sales turn business into a struggle.

• Politics: Bernard Mornah is calling for forensics like it's a crime scene—but it’s just election forms!

• International: Akufo-Addo calls out the UN Security Council for being as outdated as flip phones.

• National: A chieftaincy dispute in Bunkpurugu spiraled out of control.

QUICK BYTE

• You know how free stuff is always a vibe? Well, the Free SHS policy is one of those. Sure, more students are getting into universities now, but it’s like trying to fit a whole stadium into one lecture hall. Prof. Oteng Ababio from Legon says it’s not cute anymore—classrooms are packed like a Sunday at Labadi Beach, and it’s starting to mess with the whole learning vibe. The Prof is saying the government didn’t plan for the surge in students. Now, they’ve got lecture halls looking like sardine cans, and the quality of education? Well, let’s just say it’s doing the moonwalk—backwards. Want the deets in full? Check out the Deep Dive section.

• Napo’s out here telling Ashanti voters that choosing the NDC is like getting Wi-Fi but no data—it’s a total waste. According to him, the NDC has done Ashanti dirty for years, and it’s time to stop falling for the same tricks. He’s dropping major receipts about how the NDC just doesn't care about Ashanti’s progress, and if you vote for them, you’re basically throwing your ballot into the shadow realm. December 7th is coming fast, and Napo says don’t waste your vote on a party that’s been ghosting you for years. Get the 411 in the Deep Dive section below

• Swedru’s Mandela Market, once buzzing with sales, is now struggling to keep the vibes alive. The traders? Not impressed. Yaa Amanda, who’s been selling in this market for years, says the number of people selling these days is wild. Teachers, police officers—everyone’s jumping on the trade bandwagon, and it’s getting crowded out here. The issue? More sellers, fewer buyers. It’s like a party where everyone brought chips, but nobody brought the drinks. Now, the traders are left wondering, "If we’re all selling, who’s left to buy?" Read more in the Deep Dive Section.

• A whole Paramount Chief has been accused of going full-on galamsey on someone else’s turf! Yup, Oseadeayo Kwasi Kenin IV and his squad, including a Chinese partner (because why not), allegedly straight-up tearing up 85% of Kadesh Mining’s legally owned concession. Bruh, 85%? That’s like swiping 85 fries from your boo’s plate and saying you were just tasting. Not cool. And if you think the Chief is rolling solo, think again. He pulled up with a whole squad: his linguist, a couple of local pals, and a Chinese guy leading the operation like it’s an international collab. Now Kadesh has dragged them to the law and is out here asking the court for a cool GH¢35 million—because galamsey ain’t cheap, fam. To top it all off, the chief didn’t even show up in court—Meanwhile, the squad’s out there claiming they can mine wherever they want 'cause, well, chief things. It’s all messy, and the court’s like, “Stay off the land, bruh.” Read more

• Heavy metals aren’t just found in your rock playlist—they’re in the water you drink, the air you breathe, and even the food on your plate. According to a new study, this exposure might be doing a number on your heart. Researchers have linked metals like cadmium, uranium, and copper to the buildup of calcium in your arteries, a key driver of cardiovascular disease. Read more

• You’re chilling at Wisconsin International University College, Ghana stressing over school fees (as we do), when boom! Mahogany Consult hits you with a scholarship that covers two whole years of tuition. Like, what?! For the second year in a row, they’re partnering with the Future Communicators Foundation to hook up Communication students with some serious cash and career clout. Third and fourth-year students, this is your moment to shine. This year’s theme is all about "Communicating the Climate Crisis: Motivating and Measuring Behavioural Change" (I know, sounds kinda deep, but hear us out). Basically, they want you to whip up a campaign that gets people in Ghana to care about climate change without breaking the bank. Last year’s students went hard with their projects, so the bar’s high, but we know you can crush it. You’ve got till 31st October to submit your ideas at http://futurecomms.org/ Read more

• So Bernard Mornah, the flagbearer of the People’s National Convention (PNC), is calling for something you'd usually expect in a crime drama—a forensic audit. And no, it's not about some stolen treasure; it’s about presidential nomination forms! He’s out here saying, “Let’s CSI this election paperwork!” Why, you ask? Well, he’s pretty sure the Electoral Commission (EC) got it all wrong by disqualifying him (and 10 others) from the 2024 presidential race. According to Bernard, their mistakes weren’t big enough for a red card. He’s big mad like when you realize your favorite snack is sold out. Read more

• President Akufo-Addo is done with the UN Security Council acting like it’s still 1945. Akufo-Addo isn’t just whispering it in the corner either; he’s out here on the big stage, calling for serious change. According to him, global governance needs a serious update to reflect today’s realities, not some post-World War II throwback, trying to handle 2024-level problems. Yeah, not working, especially when it comes to Africa, a continent home to 1.4 billion people. And how many African nations are actually represented? Barely any. It’s like having a group chat where the biggest contributors don’t even get to talk. Read more

• Bunkpurugu just made headlines for all the wrong reasons, folks. A chieftaincy dispute erupted in the North East Region, turning the usually peaceful Naniik and Binbagu communities into a scene straight out of an action movie. Reports are rolling in that one person has tragically lost their life, while others have been injured and homes have been torched. Residents didn’t have time to grab their favorite snacks or even their phones. They fled in such a hurry that they left behind everything but the clothes on their backs. Authorities are on the case, trying to get a grip on the situation. Read more

DEEP DIVE

Free SHS Wahala

So, Free SHS was supposed to be the educational glow-up Ghana needed, right? More students in school, more opportunities for everyone. But fast-forward to today, and it's giving “too much of a good thing.” According to Prof. Martin Oteng Ababio from the University of Ghana, this policy has brought a flood of students into universities. And while that’s dope, the government totally forgot to upgrade the lecture halls, the dorms, or even hire more lecturers.

Now, Prof. Ababio isn’t just dragging for no reason—dude is living this reality daily. He’s got 800 students packed into one lecture hall like they’re all trying to catch the last trotro home. And let's be real, when the lecturer can’t even see the back row, how is anyone supposed to get quality education? It’s not just about showing up; it’s about having the space and attention to actually learn something. And right now, quality is playing hide and seek with quantity.

If you thought that was bad, imagine trying to mark 800 essays. The Prof asked the real questions, “How many essays can you mark in a day?” Spoiler: not enough. With lecturers spread so thin, the academic experience is more like a game of survival. Everyone’s there, but is anyone really learning? Prof. Ababio says the Free SHS policy was a good idea that’s now driving the educational system straight into a ditch.

The Prof is rooting for a solid review of the Free SHS policy, and he’s loving what the NDC is promising in their manifesto. Their plan to relook the policy could be the fix needed to make sure our universities don’t turn into overstuffed canteens. For now, though, it looks like Free SHS is serving a little more “chaos” than “quality.” Read more

Wi-Fi That Never Connects

According to Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, a.k.a. Napo, voting for the NDC in the Ashanti Region is exactly that—a total waste of your ballot, like buffering that never stops. He’s telling everyone, “Don’t throw your votes into a black hole of disappointment.”

Napo didn’t hold back when he hit Tweapeasi with these hot takes. According to him, the NDC is like that friend who only shows up when they need something but forgets you exist right after. He’s saying the NDC has been playing Ashanti people for years—big promises but barely any follow-through.

His receipts? Oh, they’re loaded. Napo threw it back to how the NPP, under John Kufuor, dropped the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) for everyone, but when the NDC got power, they switched up with some capitation nonsense in just the Ashanti Region. Napo's saying it was totally intentional, like the NDC’s personal grudge against Ashanti folks.

And don’t even get him started on John Mahama. Napo quoted him saying, “Even if you build roads with gold, Ashantis won’t appreciate it.” Yikes. Napo’s point? If the NDC doesn't rate you, why rate them? So he’s warning, on December 7th, think twice before you throw your vote into a political void. Read more

Pepper Prices and Broken Promises

Things have gotten so bad that Yaa can’t even stock up the way she used to. Back in the day, she could afford to buy 25-27 bags of pepper from Accra. These days? She’s struggling with 7 bags because demand is that low. And oh, the prices? They’ve skyrocketed. She’s paying up to GH₵500 per bag for pepper—pepper that’s mostly from Togo, by the way. Talk about inflation peppering her business!

It’s not just Yaa feeling the pinch. Abena Sekyiwaa, another Swedru trader, says business is tough because the economy is basically doing the mannequin challenge—stuck in place. Prices are shooting up like the latest TikTok trend, and transportation costs? Out of control. Farmers are charging high, drivers are cashing in on the situation, and traders are just trying to stay afloat. It’s getting harder to make ends meet, and many are racking up debts like it's the new norm.

But the real matter on ground is, these traders—many of them loyal NPP supporters—are starting to feel like they’ve been left on read by the government. Abena, a long-time NPP voter, didn’t hold back, saying the NPP has left them disappointed. Jobs for their kids? Nowhere to be found. And while no one’s expecting the government to hand out cash, the traders are wondering why things have gotten so hard. With the 2024 elections around the corner, the trust is shaky, and the traders are looking for more than just campaign promises. Read more

CHECK OUT WHAT’S TRENDING

• Election 2024 ain’t got nothing on constitution review

• BoG reports 455% rise in loan collectors

NEWS SOURCES

Today’s stories are curated from:

1. www.myjoyonline.com

2. www.ghanaweb.com

3. www.citinewsroom.com

4. www.norvanreports.com

5. www.channel1new.com