Tetteh Quarshie walked

So degree holders can run.

Author

Chale News
January 30, 2025

So, what’s in the bag today?

  • National: At this rate, Ghana’s biggest export isn’t cocoa—it’s degree holders with one-way tickets.

  • National: America’s out, funding’s down bad—Ghana’s health budget just entered its broke era!

  • National: Vetting or Vibes? Some Nominees Get 10 Minutes, Others Get an Endurance Test!

  • National: Facilitation or bribery? MPs admit receiving cash after vetting—but insist it’s just a ‘good job’ handshake."

  • National: BoG ex-Deputy Governor walks free as state drops charges—what’s next for the banking scandal?

  • Politics: Afenyo-Markin says he’s been going easy on the NDC—but for how long? 👀

  • Fact of the Day: Do you know how Chicago got it's name? Find out today.

  • National: One minute you’re fighting 27 charges, next minute it’s ‘my God has done it, finally.’

QUICK BYTE

  • Ghana is slowly turning into a reality show where the grand prize is a visa stamp. 78% of educated Ghanaians are ready to pack their bags, with job seekers leading the charge. The economy is wicked, salaries are stingy, and flight bookings are booked and busy. The way things are going… Get the 411 in the Deep Dive section below

  • Former Auditor General Daniel Domelevo is wondering why some ministerial nominees are grilled for hours, while others are in and out so fast, you’d think they were just passing by. Take the Finance Minister, for example—four and a half hours of intense questioning, probably answering the same thing 10 different ways. Meanwhile, some nominees barely settle into their seats before they’re dismissed. What can you even prove in 10 minutes? That you know how to say “thank you for the opportunity”? And let’s not even talk about the unnecessary questions. Domelevo says if a nominee flops on the job, we should be blaming the committee for doing more fun and games than facts and figures. Read more

  • Imagine you’ve been in a situationship for years, vibing, catching small-small feelings, then boom! One day, they hit you with the “I think we should see other people” speech. That’s basically what America just did to Ghana—except instead of love, it’s a $138.7 million aid breakup, and instead of emotional damage, it’s real-life consequences for health programs. Want the deets in full? Check out the Deep Dive section.

FACT OF THE DAY

Chicago is named after Shikaakwa, a wild smelly garlic-onion that once grew in the area.

  • MPs on Ghana’s Appointments Committee receive money from the Chief of Staff after vetting nominees—but don’t call it bribery! Former First Deputy Speaker Joseph Osei-Owusu says it’s just “facilitation”, but ex-Auditor General Daniel Domelevo isn’t buying it. If Parliament is truly independent, why is the Chief of Staff handing out ‘thank yous’? Read more

  • After six years of courtroom gbas gbos, Dr. Stephen Opuni is finally free, and he’s giving all the credit to Jehovah Overdo. The former COCOBOD boss was facing a 27-count buffet of charges, including defrauding by false pretenses, money laundering, and causing financial loss to the state. But in a plot twist, the Attorney-General woke up one morning and said, you know what? Forget it. And Opuni? Oh, he did not hold back. He said, and we quote, “The living God I serve has disgraced, cursed all my enemies, my persecutors and destiny haters.”

  • Dr. Johnson Pandit Asiama, former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, is officially off the hook! The state has discontinued all charges against him, removing him from the list of individuals accused in connection with the collapse of UniBank and UT Bank. The accused have long argued that the banks’ collapse was due to systemic failures rather than mismanagement. With the state now withdrawing charges against Dr. Asiama, one big question remains: Is this a sign of shifting priorities, or is the case losing steam? Read more

  • You ever seen a cat stretch lazily in the sun, knowing full well it could pounce but choosing vibes over violence? That’s Afenyo-Markin right now. The man literally said, "I haven’t even started opposing yet." hich, if we’re being honest, sounds a lot like when your mum says, "I’ll deal with you later." You just know it’s coming. Read more

DEEP DIVE

America Said “It’s Not You, It’s Us

For years, Ghana has been getting steady financial love from the US to support things like malaria treatment, maternal health, and, most crucially, the fight against HIV/AIDS. But now? That soft life is over. Uncle Sam is packing his dollars and leaving us to fend for ourselves like a broke uni student who just lost their allowance. The $69.2 million set aside for health is gone, meaning life-saving meds and programs might now be in God’s hands—literally.

Since 2007, the US has been investing in Ghana’s HIV/AIDS fight like a dedicated sugar daddy, pouring over $132 million into prevention and treatment. But now that the funding tap is dry, people who rely on these services might be left stranded. No more free HIV tests like party souvenirs, no more easily accessible meds. It’s giving “every man for himself” energy, and that’s scary.

So, what now? Ghana has to start looking for a new financial bestie or risk major setbacks in public health. Maybe China? The EU? Even Dubai sef? At this point, anyone willing to send Momo is a potential suitor. But one thing is clear—this breakup wasn’t mutual, and we’re definitely the ones crying in the corner while America moves on like nothing happened.

Moral of the story? Don’t put all your eggs in one donor basket, because one day, they might just wake up and say, “We’re done.” And boom—next thing you know, you’re in a financial heartbreak hotel. Read more

And the grand prize is… a visa stamp!

At this point, Ghana is giving group project where everyone wants to leave the workload for one person. The latest Afrobarometer survey says 78% of highly educated Ghanaians are plotting their exit like a well-planned prison break. The way people are holding their certificates and refreshing Canadian visa requirements, if Accra had a passport queue leaderboard, some of you would be top 10 speedrunners.

Back in 2017, only 20% of Ghanaians were seriously considering japaing—fast forward to 2025, and that number has more than doubled. It’s not even just the unemployed; even those with full-time jobs are eyeing flights like a last-minute ticket to a Wizkid concert. And the destination of choice? North America. Because apparently, the land of free WiFi and stable light is calling Ghanaians like a pastor giving altar call.

The reason? Money, of course. The economy is playing hide-and-seek with prosperity, and people are tired. 55% say they want better job opportunities, while 33% just want to escape economic gbas gbos. And honestly, can you blame them? When your monthly salary is giving ‘exposure’ instead of money, and tomato prices are fluctuating like crypto, even Ama Ghana herself might be considering relocation.

But this mass migration trend has us asking the real question—na who go fix the country? If all the degree holders leave, who’s staying to run the show? At this rate, Ghana might soon be like a WhatsApp group where all the admins left, and now everyone is just sending memes with no direction.

NEWS SOURCES

Today’s stories are curated from: