- Chale News
- Posts
- Welcome to the "Obroni Wawu" Pampers era
So, what’s in the bag today?
Health: Ghanaian babies and women didn’t sign up to be test subjects, but here we are.
National: Forget “former Finance Minister”—Ken Ofori-Atta’s new job title is “wanted man.”
Crime: Two guys tried the thug life, but the thug life said, “Not today.”
Crime: Two South Africans and a Nigerian packed more than just clothes—now they’re unpacking legal troubles.
National: NSS personnel might finally get a pay raise, but for now, it’s still “under consideration.
Fact of the Day: What’s hotter? A lightening bolt or the sun?
Economic: Ghana wants to slide back into the debt market, and the World Bank is like, “Babes, don’t do it.”
QUICK BYTE
Some people love profits more than human lives, and it shows. Fake diapers and counterfeit pads are on the market. Yep, some folks have PhDs in wickedness, repackaging used or unapproved sanitary products and reselling them like thrift clothes. The FDA is out here fighting for its life, trying to get these deadly products off the market. But the real plot twist? Some of the seized products are being auctioned back to the same importers. It’s like giving a thief back his tools and expecting him to suddenly find Jesus. If we don’t fight this madness, next thing you know, we’ll be using “refurbished” toothpaste. Read more
If you ever think of robbing someone in your own neighborhood, please, use your head. Adjei Mensah and Philip Ackon didn’t, and now they’re learning the hard way that Cape Coast residents don’t play about community justice.
They had a one-week run as "big-time criminals" before being caught hiding in their own area. Want the deets in full? Check out the Deep Dive section.
Ghana’s former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has officially entered his villain era, and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) is making sure he knows it. While some people were out here thinking he was just a person of interest—you know, like when the police “just want to talk” to you—OSP’s Head of Communications, Sammy Darko, pulled up like "Nah, this man is a whole suspect." As in, not a casual guest at the investigation party, but the main character. The difference between a person of interest and a suspect is like the gap between having a crush on someone and them actually dating you. Read more
Daniel Asiedu, aka “Sexy Dondon” (because every criminal apparently needs a stage name), has been attending court for nine years over the murder of Abuakwa North MP, J.B. Danquah Adu. And now, he’s tired. Yes, the accused killer is crying in court, saying Ghana’s legal system is unfair. Not the family of the murdered MP, not the witnesses, not the court officials—but him. Sir, you have been on trial for nearly a decade. Even SHS students have come, graduated, and are now doing national service. With how long this case is dragging, at this point, even the gavel is tired. His lawyers are planning to file for bail (yes, bail, after nine years). Read more
FACT OF THE DAY
A lightning bolt is five times hotter than the surface of the sun.
Some people go to Kotoka International Airport to catch flights, while others apparently go to catch court cases. Three suspects—two South Africans and a Nigerian—were busted with over 16kg of methamphetamine hidden in their suitcases. Now, instead of boarding their intended flight, they’re taking an express trip to remand custody. Meanwhile, the court has ordered the Legal Aid Commission to find lawyers for the accused, because clearly, they didn’t budget for legal fees in their travel plans. Read more
National Service personnel, your “send momo” days might soon be over. At least, that’s what the Acting Director of the Ghana National Service Authority, Felix Gyamfi, is hinting. He has assured personnel that all outstanding allowances from August to December would start hitting accounts from Thursday, February 13 (Yes, today). And what about an actual pay raise? Gyamfi revealed that Mahama is already “thinking about it” and exploring how to claw back saved funds from reduced corruption to increase the current GH¢715 stipend. No timeline was given, but at least it’s on the table. Read more
You just finished paying off a wild debt that had your debtors nearly calling you out on X. You’ve finally sorted yourself out, started saving a little, and then boom, your friend suggests a "small soft loan" to fund another soft life session. Common sense says no, but something in your spirit whispers, “But what if we outside one more time?” That’s exactly what Ghana is trying to do, and the World Bank is waving a big red flag. Robert Taliercio, the World Bank’s Country Director for Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, basically told Ghana to chill with the borrowing. He said running back to international markets too soon is like texting your toxic ex at midnight. It feels like a good idea now, but by morning, you’re deep in regret with a “hey” left on read. He also pointed out that Ghana has signed up for an IMF program 17 times—seventeen. That’s nearly 70% of our independence years under IMF watch. He’s basically saying, “We’ve been here before. We’ve seen this movie. It doesn’t end well.” Read more
DEEP DIVE
When Your Robbery Career Ends Before It Starts
Some people were clearly not built for a life of crime. Take Adjei Mensah and Philip Ackon, for example—two unemployed guys who thought robbing two sisters at knifepoint in Cape Coast was their golden ticket. Spoiler alert: It wasn’t.
It’s a quiet evening, two sisters—Rosemary and Olivia—are just minding their business, heading home after work. Then, out of nowhere, Mensah jumps out of the bush like a low-budget action villain, waving a knife and demanding a phone. Ackon joins in, grabbing Olivia so Mensah can make off with the prize—a Tecno Spark 7. Because apparently, if you’re going to risk jail time, make sure it’s for the hottest smartphone of 2021.
But here’s where the robbery starts giving “comedy show.” Mensah, in all his criminal wisdom, forgot that Cape Coast is not Accra—everybody knows everybody. The moment Rosemary saw him, she called him by name. Yes, the guy robbed someone who knew exactly who he was. Instead of fleeing, he panicked, twisted her finger for no reason, and bolted.
The sisters screamed, the community rallied, and just like that, Mensah and Ackon went from "armed robbers" to "wanted men" faster than your data disappears when you forget to check bundle rates. A week later, police intelligence caught them chilling in their hideouts, probably thinking they had pulled off the heist of the century. The phone was recovered, and now, the only “calls” they’ll be making are to their lawyers.
And the icing on this ridiculous cake? They actually got bail—but couldn't afford it. Yep, the same guys who risked it all for a 2K phone couldn’t come up with the 10K bail money. Now, they’re stuck in police custody till their next court date. Read more
CHECK OUT WHAT’S TRENDING
NEWS SOURCES
Today’s stories are curated from: