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We’re looking for Monday’s house! We just want to ask them one simple question. Like “Monday, why are you so quick to come back? Hah! Monday borns, please advise your person oo, yoo!
Anyway, since Monday doesn’t waste time, here are your stories for today:
Politics: NDC’s got a new plan to fix unemployment, but is it big boss moves or just sweet talk?
Crime: 100 bags of cocoa beans, a tipper truck, and a Togo-bound smuggling plot? The Anti-Cocoa Smuggling Taskforce wasn’t having any of it!
National: Ghana’s new water policy steps up the fight against galamsey and aims to provide cleaner, affordable water to all,
Politics: Ghana's politics is trapped in an NPP-NDC merry-go-round, and the media’s playing DJ—KOD says it’s time to switch up the vibe.
Fact of the Day: Straight lines don’t exist.
Economic: Borrowing your way through life? Nah fam, BoG’s Deputy Governor says we’re digging ourselves into a hole.
Politics: Caught smuggling fertilizer? Basintale says jail time’s waiting—no cap!
Health: Think water's gonna be clean in no time? Nah fam, it might take 15 years to detox those rivers.
National: The government's done playing—forest mining regulations are on the chopping block!
QUICK BYTE
So Malik Basintale of the NDC isn't playing. He's accusing some bigwigs in the ruling NPP of smuggling fertilizers out of Ghana to our neighbors in Burkina Faso and Togo. Yep, you heard that right—essential fertilizers meant for our struggling farmers are being sneaked across borders, leaving local farmers high and dry. Basintale says that this shady business is part of an organized network and that if the NDC wins the election in December, those involved will face the music—translation: jail time. He’s not holding back either, promising, “Wallahi, they’re going to jail!” Looks like things are about to get real spicy if the NDC pulls through. Read more
So the NDC just came through with a mega promise—1.7 million jobs by 2029. Sounds wild, right? But before you start updating your CV, let’s break this down. Uncle John Mahama says they’re about to MAN-UP (yes, that’s the actual acronym) and hit the streets with job opportunities like your favorite waakye seller on a Monday morning. Five pillars, a whole lot of talk, and some serious "we’re not the NPP" energy. But NPP’s been flexing too, saying they’ve created 2.3 million jobs already (no receipts though). So, it’s looking like a job wars showdown! Want the deets in full? Check out the Deep Dive section.
Ghana’s got a new water policy, and it’s like the big boss to 'galamsey' (illegal mining). You know how everyone’s always talking about how our rivers look like chocolate drink? Well, the Ministry is done with that life and is telling miners to back off. If we don’t chill with this pollution thing, we might end up buying imported water, and trust me, it won’t be cheap like pure water.The new policy is not just about saving our rivers from turning into clay soup though. It’s also here to make sure folks in rural areas don’t pay more for water than city people. Because seriously, paying extra for H2O when you’re far from Accra? Nah, that’s wicked. Get the 411 in the Deep Dive section below
The Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Maxwell Opoku-Afari, is basically like, “Yo, borrowing to fund the country’s development? Nah, that’s not sustainable!” Turns out, Ghana’s been out here swiping the credit card of life without really saving or investing much. Dr. Max says our savings game is weak—like, under 10% weak—and we need to fix that ASAP if we’re gonna stop running to Uncle IMF every time we need cash. Read more in the Deep Dive Section.
The Anti-Cocoa Smuggling Taskforce just went full-on detective mode at Old Akrade and busted a tipper truck crew trying to smuggle 100 bags of cocoa beans to Togo. The crew thought they'd be slick by hiding the beans under chippings, but national security was like, "Nah fam, we got this." Why all the cocoa drama, though? Turns out, Ghana’s cocoa sector is having a rough time—prices in neighboring Togo and Ivory Coast are chef’s kiss because of their stable currency and relaxed regulations. So, some folks are out here trying to cash in across the border. Read more
FACT OF THE DAY
There’s no such thing as a straight line. Zoom in close enough to anything and you’ll see. Even a laser light beam is slightly curved.
Every four years, we hit replay on a never-ending political track—NPP this, NDC that. KOD, the Movement for Change’s VP candidate, has had enough and he’s not holding back. KOD called out Ghana’s media for keeping this political duopoly alive like a bad song on repeat. According to him, the press is helping these two parties hijack the country while our brightest minds watch from the sidelines like it’s a sold-out show. He’s basically saying, we’re sitting on a goldmine—literally—but we’re out here begging for pocket change from the IMF, and if we don’t change the tune soon, KOD warns, we’ll keep dancing in circles with poverty as our partner. Read more
Ghana’s water bodies are seriously messed up, thanks to illegal mining (cough galamsey cough), and Dr. Bright Boafo Boamah, a toxicologist, says fixing the mess could take 10-15 years. Imagine waiting that long to undo all the damage caused by toxic chemicals like mercury and cyanide. Not exactly a quick rinse, right? Read more
Our beloved forests have been taking major Ls because of mining, and everyone’s over it. In a big move, they’re revoking the regulation (LI 2462) that allowed mining in forest reserves. Yep, you heard right, no more forest-digging. This all started when organized labor threatened a nationwide strike if things didn’t change—turns out, they weren’t just bluffing. The Attorney-General rolled into Parliament with the revocation papers on October 10th, and now the ball’s in Parliament’s court. They’ve got 21 days to give the thumbs up or down, but unless two-thirds of them veto it, LI 2462 is as good as dead. #forestcomeback Read more
DEEP DIVE
NDC Promises 1.7 Million Jobs
You’re chilling at home, scrolling through TikTok, when boom, the NDC drops news that they’ve got a master plan to create 1.7 million jobs by 2029. Yep, they’re calling it the ‘MAN-UP’ strategy—‘cause clearly, nothing says "we got you" like a motivational acronym, right? They’re saying this plan will undo all the employment drama the NPP's been serving up. According to them, we’re about to move from jobless streets to booming businesses. But let’s be real—do we believe it, or is it just another campaign vibe?
So, what’s the tea with this MAN-UP thing? Well, they’re talking about revamping institutions, leveling up mindsets, and setting up a ‘National Employment Trust’—which sounds fancy, but will it deliver? Meanwhile, the NPP’s over here flexing, claiming they’ve already created 2.3 million jobs, but here’s the gag—unemployment numbers keep climbing. So who's telling the truth? Are we really getting jobs or just more broken promises wrapped up in acronyms?
But fam, let’s talk about the real issue—this job market is savage! If you’re lucky enough to even have a job, there’s a 70% chance you’re in that ‘working poor’ gang, hustling your heart out for vibes and low pay. The NDC says their plan is going to change all that. We’re talking modernizing laws, boosting productivity, and even throwing in a women’s bank—because why not, right? Still, we’ve heard these promises before. Remember when ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’ was supposed to be a thing? Yeah, exactly.
So here’s the real question: Is this MAN-UP plan our ticket out of jobless-land, or just another playlist of empty promises? Only time will tell, but until then, better keep that LinkedIn updated and your side hustle strong. 'Cause in this economy? You never know which plan will actually get you paid. Read more
Water: The Next Bougie Commodity?
Ghana’s water bodies have been taking major hits from illegal mining, and it’s no secret that the galamsey menace is making a mess of rivers and lakes across the country. At the MOLE XXXV WASH conference, Kwaku Quansah from the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources dropped some truth bombs. If things continue like this, Ghana could be importing water in the near future—and it’s going to cost a lot. The new 2024 Water Policy, rolled out by the Ministry, aims to change all of that.
This policy, which revises the 2007 version, isn’t just about combating galamsey. It’s also addressing the fact that many people living in rural areas are paying more for water than those in urban centers, which is totally backwards. According to Quansah, water is a public good, and everyone should have equal access without burning a hole in their pocket.
How do they plan to fix this? By focusing on sustainable financing and pulling in Small Water Enterprises to help. These small players could play a big role in bringing affordable water to hard-to-reach places. The Ministry is hoping to leverage community resilience and local government partnerships to reach the most underserved areas.
Ghana already hit the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) early with the help of the previous policy. With this new one, there’s hope that similar progress can be made toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 6), which focuses on clean water and sanitation for all. The MOLE conference discussed topics like policy, sustainable financing for water, and building resilience through smart water management—basically, all the tools needed to make this policy work.
If all hands are on deck, Ghana might just turn the tide in the fight against galamsey and make sure clean water is a right, not a luxury. Read more
BoG Guy Says Borrowing Ain’t It!
You’ve been living your best life on credit, borrowing cash left, right, and center, thinking “It’s cool, I’ll pay it back someday.” But one day, you wake up and realize you're drowning in debt, and that lavish vacay isn’t looking so fun anymore. That’s basically what Dr. Maxwell Opoku-Afari, BoG’s Deputy Governor, is saying about Ghana. We’ve been out here flexing on borrowed money for years, but Dr. Max is like, “Fam, this isn’t sustainable. We can’t keep borrowing like we’re in a never-ending loop of student loans.”
He says our savings rate is embarrassingly low, like, “Don’t-check-your-bank-app-because-it-hurts” low—under 10%. Meanwhile, other countries at our level are out here saving like their future depends on it. Dr. Max’s point? We need to start thinking long-term. If we don’t stack up those savings, we’ll be stuck going back to the IMF like it’s a toxic ex we can’t quit.
And let’s be real, borrowing at wild interest rates to fund things that don’t even pay for themselves? That’s like taking a loan to buy sneakers when you can’t even pay rent. Dr. Max is basically calling us out for bad money habits on a national level. Read more
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