So when did you realize it was illegal?

If you haven’t had breakfast yet, then let’s start with a taste of Ghana, please.

But if you’ve already had kyibom and hausa koko then abeg, clear space and use it as dessert!

• Politics: James Kofi Annan is like, "I put in the work since 2009, don’t just tear it down like it’s a bad IG post" – as Effutu's Municipal Assembly cuts his billboards in a "lawless" showdown.

• Health: GHS hits us with a COVID-19 throwback.

• Sports: Angola’s coach just took the Black Stars' AFCON chances and put them in the “Nope” zone.

• Business: Bank of Ghana’s giving banks a hard reality check on outsourcing – no more offloading big jobs without permission, or it’s GHS 12K in the piggy bank penalty.

• Politics: NDC vs. NPP: Who's really keeping the lights on, and who's dimming the future?

• Fact of the Day: Allodoxaphobia is the only phobia that doesn’t care to hear what you think!

• Agriculture: Cashew farmers are calling for fair prices – or the government might just catch the consequences on election day!

• Politics: Kumasi might just get its very own National Theatre – Mahama’s making big promises to the arts crowd!

• Business: Pepsi’s Ghana bottling operations are now in the hands of Indian billionaire Ravi Jaipuria’s Varun Beverages.

QUICK BYTE

• You’ve been putting up billboards since 2009 – some for your business, others for political campaigns – and one day, you find them ALL knocked down. That’s exactly what James Kofi Annan, NDC's candidate for Effutu, is dealing with. The Effutu Municipal Assembly just decided to have a field day with his nearly 50 billboards, calling it “lawless,” “impunity,” and honestly, a whole mess. James ain't taking it lying down, and he's ready to fight it out in court. Want the deets in full? Check out the Deep Dive section.

• BoG just walked into the room like your mom when she finds out you tried outsourcing chores to your little sibling. They're dropping some serious rules, and if banks don’t follow them, they’re getting slapped with a GHS 12K fine. Yep, BoG’s new outsourcing directive means banks have to keep the big-deal stuff – like managing risks and keeping tabs on suspicious transactions – strictly in-house. Get the 411 in the Deep Dive section below

• Wenchi's cashew farmers are sitting on their farms, tallying up their expenses, and realizing they’re barely scraping by. The reason? They’re selling raw cashew nuts (RCNs) without a set price – it's like showing up to a marketplace with no price tags and hoping for the best. So now they’ve issued a bold ultimatum to President Akufo-Addo: Set a fair minimum price for RCNs before December 7, or we’ll be planting a different seed on election day. Read more in the Deep Dive Section.

• With the big elections creeping closer than that “low battery” notification, Ghanaians are wondering: Is it the NDC or NPP we should trust to keep us from sitting in the dark. And for those keeping score like Nana Amoasi VII, under the NPP, the lights have flickered less. But with all the resources they’ve got, we kinda expected them to set the bar higher. Instead, we’re still dancing with dumsor. And as for the NDC, even with fewer resources and more outages back in their day, Nana says they did alright. It’s like comparing two chefs – one with a full pantry, the other with leftovers – and both making something edible. So, who’s winning this battle of the bulbs? According to Nana, we’re all in the same boat of “hmm, they could’ve done better.” Read more

• Angola’s coach, Pedro Goncalves, just took a shot at Ghana’s AFCON dreams, calling them “low to impossible”. It’s one thing to have doubts, but Goncalves really went full zero faith mode on the Black Stars. And honestly, with Ghana sitting third in Group F and scrambling for points, it’s starting to feel like a drama series we didn’t sign up for. Ghana needs a major comeback to even think about staying in the tournament. We’re up against Angola this Friday, and also banking on Sudan losing both of their matches just for a slim chance to sneak in. Basically, it's like praying for rain in a desert – not impossible, but very “we’re gonna need a miracle” vibes. Read more

• So, Mahama’s pulling up with theatrics – literally. He’s promising Kumasi a brand-new National Theatre if the NDC comes out on top in this year’s election. Yep, we’re talking state-of-the-art lights, mics, curtains that actually close, and a stage that doesn’t squeak like it’s haunted. Apparently, this isn’t just some new plan he pulled out of a hat; he says it’s been on the agenda since the 2020 NDC manifesto. And it seems he’s ready to dust off that promise and bring it back, telling Kumasi’s creative community that this time, it’s real. No more “it’s coming soon” vibes – he’s talking now or never if NDC wins. Read more

• So, remember when we all got really good at handwashing and sanitizing during COVID? Well, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) wants us to dig up those skills again, but this time to battle cholera! The outbreak’s getting intense, with 16 lives lost and 116 cases across Accra, Eastern, Central, and Western regions. GHS says it’s not rocket science – keep those hands clean, watch that food and water, and maybe, just maybe, we’ll dodge this bullet too. Apparently, a lot of the fatalities could’ve been avoided if people sought care early instead of rolling into the hospital like, “Surprise, it’s me…in critical condition.” GHS is saying if you’re hit with severe diarrhea and dehydration, don’t play tough – get yourself to the hospital. Like, yesterday. Read more

• Billionaire Ravi Jaipuria just dropped $15.1 million to take over Pepsi’s bottling operations in Ghana, officially making him the latest boss in Ghana’s soda game! With this deal, Jaipuria's Varun Beverages is pulling Pepsi, 7Up, Mirinda, and Mountain Dew under one fizzy empire in Accra. And it’s not just Ghana – he’s snagged Tanzania's bottling operations too, bringing his East African takeover tab to a cool $169.6 million. Read more

DEEP DIVE

Fix Prices Now or Face the Polls

The farmers, led by their chief spokesperson, Nana Adu Boamponsem V, are not just looking out for themselves but for the entire cashew value chain. Imagine the confusion of buyers and sellers doing a pricing dance every season – this back-and-forth is hurting their business. Fixing a price before the election? That’s like locking in a promise, Nana Adu says. And it doesn’t matter who wins the elections; they’ll have to follow through.

And here's the twist: farming cashews is not as cheap as it used to be. Production costs have gone up, fueled by a shaky cedi and skyrocketing international market prices. So, if the Tree Crop Development Authority (TCDA) doesn’t pull all the numbers into the mix before setting that price, farmers will be left counting losses instead of profits. They’re saying, "Look, if we’re aiming to make cashews the next cocoa, then let’s go big or go home.”

As if things weren’t tense enough, Nana Boamponsem threw in another curveball: let foreign buyers buy directly from farmers if the local buyers don’t meet the minimum price. If the government isn’t paying attention, it might just end up harvesting some major backlash on election day. These farmers have made it clear – it’s either a fair price or a fair warning. Read more

Don’t let me catch you slipping

Banks have been wildin' with outsourcing lately – handing off all kinds of tasks like they’re on a reality show called "Extreme Delegation." Sure, outsourcing can save them some cash, but BoG’s like, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, not when it comes to the stuff that keeps your customers safe.” BoG’s not here for any cost-cutting nonsense if it means the big roles get outsourced to some random third party who might be treating sensitive data like free samples at a mall. We’re talking about your KYC checks, anti-money laundering protocols – basically the stuff banks need to get right.

And this isn’t just a “suggestion.” BoG’s treating this like a summer camp checklist – by July 1, 2025, all banks need to have it down. If they miss the deadline? Well, it’s GHS 12,000 down the drain, and BoG might be sending even stricter “grounding” penalties. To add salt to the wound, they’ve got to go back and comb through every single contract to make sure nothing big slipped through the cracks. Read more

Your Honour, they are straight up lying!

You've been hustling for years, minding your business, putting up billboards for a legit reason, right? Then one morning, someone says, “Nuh-uh, we’re tearing all that down!” 😳 That’s what happened to James Kofi Annan, the NDC guy trying to make waves in Effutu. Nearly 50 of his billboards, like boom, gone – and the whole thing’s happening in the middle of court proceedings.

So, James is like, “Hold up, I’ve been doing this billboard thing since 2009, and even the NPP used them before!” He goes on to call the Effutu Municipal Assembly "lawless" for taking down the billboards, and he’s not backing down anytime soon. This isn’t some random billboard business; it's been a real hustle. It’s not like he slapped up some stickers on light poles. These things have been standing proudly all across Effutu since since.

Now, the NPP is pointing fingers, saying the billboards didn’t have permits. But James is over here like, “Excuse me, y’all know that’s a lie.” The allegations? Total cap. Read more

CHECK OUT WHAT’S TRENDING

• Kwadwo Mpiani says, ‘The judiciary should stay out of Parliament's business

• Opambour's not playing with Vim Lady—say one more word and it’s curse time

• Sister Debby calls out Asiedu Nketiah—hypocrisy much?

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