From Pilolo to Pitfall

Playtime gone wrong.

Author

Chale News
September 02, 2024

And so, we meet again! A shocking reminder that the journey from Monday to Friday is not the same as the journey from Friday to Monday.

But, still not as shocking as what happened this weekend. Oh, you haven’t heard? You see that bust of the big six around Airport? Eherh, some man bi has gone to break break all!

BEFORE
AFTER

Chale, this one dier, we still don’t understand. He didn’t even spare Nkrumah or Addo Dee’s daddy.😭😭 

Unless, he tells the police he was going mad cos, eeeeiiii!

Ah well, let’s see what other stories we’ve got:

  • Health: Pregnant and cooking with firewood? That smoke could turn your baby into a lightweight champ.

  • National: Makaranta teachers to join GES soon

  • National: Nana Addo’s got a new plan to save the half-built houses at the Saglemi Housing Project.

  • Politics: Obama’s back! Former La MP Vincent Odotei goes solo for 2024

  • National: Galamsey pit plays a hunger game with a pair of twins.

  • Fact of the Day: Some people are not living in 2024!

  • National: Fire dances through shops at Rawlings Park like it’s a nightclub!

  • Politics: Have you heard Cheddar’s 10-year plan?

  • Economic: T-bill hasn’t done well again

  • Politics: Cheddar wants to make money at home.

  • Agriculture: No grain ban to be lifted in November

  • Sports: Jennifer Yeboah shows she’s the woman.

QUICK BYTE

  • There’s a mother in Morkwa, near Twifo Praso who was chilling at home while her little munchkins were playing outside. Then she dozed off for just a sec (because adulting is exhausting), and when she woke up, the kids were gone. Her two-and-a-half-year-old twins, a boy and a girl, found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time—a water-filled galamsey pit that’s been lying around. And just like that, a regular day turned into something straight out of a horror movie. Read more in the Deep Dive Section.

  • Alan Kyerematen is coming in hot with a pledge to Makaranta teachers. If Kyerematen becomes president, he will integrate all of them into the Ghana Education Service (GES). At the launch of Zumunta, the Zongo wing of his party, he highlighted the long-standing snub these Makaranta teachers have faced, working hard yet being excluded from the GES payroll. In his own words, “it’s a long-standing injustice.” Read more

  • The Saglemi Housing Project was supposed to bring us 5,000 houses, but we only got 1,506 half-done units. Now, Nana Addo’s given the green light for a new framework to wrap things up, with the government and a private partner sharing the load and the cash from sales. Long story short, Saglemi is back on the board. Get the 411 in the Deep Dive section below

  • The government's T-bill auction just had a major flop—again. For the second month in a row, they missed their target. The goal was a whopping GH¢5.088 billion, but they ended up with just GH¢4.094 billion. Interest rates are now high too. To cut everything short, if you’re investing, your returns are going to be as unpredictable as the weather these days. Read more

  • Those of you who swear by smoky jollof especially the ones from funerals, Sekyere South’s health officer are warning that inhaling smoke from firewood could lead to serious health issues especially for pregnant women who might have light weight babies. This whole warning came out during a big LPG campaign in the Ashanti Region, where everyone from market vendors to village chiefs was getting schooled on why gas is the way forward. With the new Cylinder Recirculation Model too (you exchange your empty cylinder for a another full one) getting a gas refill won’t mean hitching a ride all the way to the next town. Read more

  • After repping La Dade Kotopon from 2017 to 2020 with the NPP, Vincent Sowah Odotei, aka "Obama," is back on the scene, but this time, he’s going rogue—no party strings attached. According to him, there’s still work to be done in La Dade Kotopon, and he’s the man to finish it.

    Back in the day, after losing the NPP primaries for the 2020 elections, some people in his own party accused him of teaming up with the opposition NDC to sabotage their chances. Obama denied the whole thing but eventually decided to run as an independent anyway, ready to take on the reigning champ, NDC’s Rita Odoley Sowah, and the new NPP contender, Joseph Addo. Read more

  • Nana Kwame Bediako, our very own big dreamer, is planning some bold moves for when he becomes President. He’s saying that no more will our cedis be printed abroad. Instead, he’s ready to bring those printing presses to Ghana, making sure our money is, well, literally home-grown. Read more

FACT OF THE DAY

❝

You may be reading this in the year 2024. But for anyone in Ethiopia, the year is 2016. Meanwhile, in Nepal, it’s 2081 according to the Bikram Sambat calendar. Over in Myanmar, it's 1385, Thailand's rocking in the year 2567, and the Islamic calendar just hit 1446.

Gives new meaning to everybody get ein time.

  • Nana Kwame Bediako, a.k.a. Cheddar, just dropped what might be the boldest career fair invite in history. The man says he’s got a plan to whip up 8 million jobs in just 10 years. If you thought your uncle who promised to get you a job at the family meeting was ambitious, well, Cheddar’s got him beat by a mile. Read more

  • Zongo Lane in at Rawlings Park went from bustling to burning. It all started at a tiny shop. Before anyone could even shout “Fire!” the flames were on a wild spree, torching everything in sight and leaving nothing but smoke. Firefighters swooped in, their capes fluttering behind them (okay, maybe not capes, but you get the idea). The blaze was fueled by more than just the usual kerosene; there were gas cylinders and generators throwing in their explosive two cents. The fire is still blazing though. Read more

  • With crops struggling to stay hydrated, the government threw up a "no grain for export" sign to make sure there'd be enough food for everyone here at home. Now, the new news is, that ban is likely to be lifted in November when things get better. But for now, Ghana’s grains aren’t ending up on someone else’s dinner plate first. Read more

  • Over the weekend, Jennifer Kankam Yeboah was living her best life and scoring goals. She absolutely crushed it for Odisha FC with a first goal just 15 minutes into the match. Even after Odisha FC got knocked down to 10 players, Jennifer was still out there making plays. She popped up with the winning goal, reminding everyone why she was named Women’s Footballer of the Year. With this 2-1 win, Odisha FC is now strutting into the group stage of the Asian Women’s Champions League like they own the place. Read more

DEEP DIVE

Galamsey Games

So, the kids are gone for real.

As for the galamsey pit, it’s not the only one around. There’s hundreds of them, lurking around the community like uninvited guests that just won’t leave, and this isn’t the first time they’ve claimed lives. This year alone, eight people have been swallowed up by these pits of doom. Last year, a pregnant woman fell into one right in her compund. It’s like Morkwa’s been auditioning for a tragic sequel to Jumanji, and sadly, there’s no happy ending here.

What’s the deal with these pits anyway? Glamseyers, digging for gold. That’s what all this is about. The community’s been yelling at the authorities to do something, but all they’ve gotten so far is the sound of crickets. Now, with two more lives lost, the urgency to cover up these pits is higher.

This isn’t just about Morkwa. It’s about all of us, and thoughts and prayers are not enough. We need action. Because no one should lose their kids to a pit that shouldn’t even exist. Let’s see what happens from here. Read more

Saglemi is Back With a Bang!

So, remember that Saglemi Housing Project that was supposed to give us 5,000 affordable homes? (reminds you of that friend who unprovoked, promised you some money and then pretended they forgot, eh?) The government poured in $200 million—yeah, you read that right—only for us to get 1,506 houses that are about as finished as food that’s not sweet.

But don’t worry; Nana Addo is coming in clutch with a new game plan. He’s approved a fresh framework for negotiations, which is just big English for “We’re gonna try to fix this mess.” The idea is that what’s already been built will count as the government's contribution, and the new partner will foot the bill for finishing the rest.

Now, the government didn’t just go with any randoms—they’re bringing in private sector big dogs to handle the rest of the work. They even got Deloitte Ghana to be the referee, making sure everything is above board and no one’s slipping a few cedis under the table. They’ve got some heavy hitters like Afro-Arab Properties Ltd and Dredge Masters-Titanium in the mix, and by mid-September, we should know who’s stepping in to save the day.

Once the houses are finally done, the cash from selling them will be split between the government and the private partner. So, it’s like a 50-50 bet, and we’re all just hoping someone doesn’t run off with the change. Read more

NEWS SOURCES

Today’s stories are curated from: