What are big men afraid of?

Losing elections is the number one answer on the board.

Author

Chale News
October 03, 2024

Nothing ruins your Friday…like finding out it’s only Thursday.😂😂

On the brighter side, we've got stories for days. Starting with:

  • Politics: No ban on galamsey ‘cause losing votes is scarier than illegal mining.

  • National: The Galamsey protest is about to get real in Accra – 3 days, 0 chill.

  • Economic: Brace yourselves, food prices are on a run with no chill in sight!

  • National: GhIPSS just added two powerhouses to its squad, in HR and Corporate Affairs.

  • Fact of the Day: Did you know women get constipated more than men?

  • Politics: National Tenants Union backs Mahama’s housing hustle—calling out NPP’s 'dada nnoa'.

  • Economic: Fuel prices could go beast mode thanks to Israel-Hamas tensions,

  • National: Cape Coast residents can now expect cleaner water.

  • Economic: Bank of Ghana says ‘let there be oil!’ – $120 million up for grabs!

  • Politics: If I take the presidential seat, it’s eviction time for Akufo-Addo at his Nima crib—no cap! (Go to trending stories for this particular one)

QUICK BYTE

  • So, apparently, the government’s been ghosting the idea of banning galamsey (you know, that illegal mining drama) ‘cause they're more shook about losing votes than actually stopping the whole mining madness. Asante Akim South’s MP, Kwaku Asante-Boateng, just laid it all out, saying the fear of losing power is what’s keeping them from shutting down the diggers. Asante-Boateng’s like, “Look, we’re tryna break the 8, but a ban on galamsey? That's basically like handing out Ls before election day. Read more in the Deep Dive Section.

  • Food prices? Yeah, they’re doing that thing where they just keep going up, like your rent. GAWU (General Agriculture Workers Union) is saying, “Y’all better buckle up ‘cause it’s about to get wild out here.” Inflation for September just hit 21.5% (ouch), and with food inflation jumping from 19.1% to 22.1%, it’s safe to say your waakye money isn’t stretching like it used to. The big problem? Galamsey and the dry spell. So, unless something drastic happens soon, we’re probably going to be eating beans and dreaming of jollof till at least early 2025. Fun times, right? Want the deets in full? Check out the Deep Dive section.

  • The streets of Accra are about to get busy for the next three days as activists rally to demand the release of 53 of their own, who got locked up during an anti-galamsey protest last week. From today till October 5th, folks will be marching from Legon to Black Star Square, calling out galamsey, and also telling the authorities, “Release the gang or we’re not leaving.” The Ghana Police Service has also issued a little “don’t even try us” warning, threatening to break up any crowd they think might cause trouble. Get the 411 in the Deep Dive section below

  • GhIPSS just pulled a serious power move with two new appointments— First up, Clemencia, the new Head of Corporate Affairs and Communications, has more than 25 years of storytelling magic in her arsenal. Think about that—she’s been doing strategic communication moves since some of us were still learning our ABCs! Clemencia’s basically the go-to for anyone trying to get the lowdown on GhIPSS. Meanwhile, Ebow’s coming in hot as the new Head of HR and Administration. With over 15 years of keeping companies’ workforces on point, this guy knows how to keep the office buzzing. He’s worked his magic at heavy hitters like Republic Bank and Deloitte, so it’s safe to say GhIPSS’ employees are in good hands. Read more

  • A patient gets transferred to a hospital, expecting to be taken care of, only to be left hanging, abandoned like an unread group chat message at Ojobi. Sadly, she didn’t make it. Fast forward to today, and the Ministry of Health is on a mission to get to the bottom of this whole mess. Now, the officials from Winneba's Trauma and Specialist Hospital are under serious investigation. The Ministry decided to pass the case to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Attorney General (AG) to dig deep and get the facts straight. Isaac Ofei Baah, the Ministry’s PR guy, said this move is about giving the implicated officers a fair chance to explain themselves. Were they following orders or acting solo? Well, the CID and AG are about to find out, ‘cause this isn’t some casual office mix-up. Nah, we’re talking potential criminal charges here. Read more

FACT OF THE DAY

❝

With hormones doing the cha-cha every month, women's colons can turn into a traffic jam. So, that’s why they get constipation is more often than men.

  • The National Tenants Union of Ghana (NATUG) just hitched their wagon to Mahama’s housing policies, and let’s just say they weren’t subtle about it. They reviewed the housing proposals from both the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and decided Mahama’s plan to transform Rent Control into an independent Rent Authority was more their vibe. Plus, Mahama’s promise of low-interest rent advance schemes? Yeah, that hit home (pun intended). Meanwhile, NATUG threw some major shade at the NPP’s housing promises, calling them “recycled, unfulfilled, and broken.” Basically, they’re done with the same old empty speeches. Read more

  • Yo, Cape Coast! The water struggle is real, but guess what? Ghana Water Limited (GWL) is out here serving up some major hydration upgrades! After some serious teamwork, they’ve managed to clear up the muddy situation at the Sekyere Hemang Water Treatment Plant. Turbidity levels dropped from a “can’t-see-the-bottom” 14,000 NTU to a more manageable 9,000 NTU. What does that mean for you? Basically, you’re about to enjoy 2.7 million gallons of water per day instead of slurping down the murky stuff. The Central Regional Minister, Justina Marigold Assan, and her squad are working hard to keep those water sources clean, so let’s give them a virtual high-five and make sure we’re using that sweet H2O wisely! Read more

  • The Bank of Ghana is flexing its financial muscles and has announced it’s auctioning off a cool $120 million to Bulk Oil Distribution Companies (BDCs) in Q4 of 2024. That’s right—$40 million each month from October to December to make sure those oil importers are well-stocked and ready to roll. It’s like a Black Friday sale, but instead of flat-screen TVs, it’s all about that sweet, sweet fuel! So, if you’re wondering when the oil money drop is happening, mark your calendars! October’s auction kicks off with $20 million, followed by more opportunities in November and December. Read more

DEEP DIVE

“Galamsey Ban? Nah, We Like Our Seats Too Much!”

It’s December 7, Election Day. You roll up to the polls, but your favorite MP? Missing in action. Why? ‘Cause apparently, taking a stand on galamsey is like setting yourself up for a massive political L. That’s exactly what Asante Akim South’s MP, Kwaku Asante-Boateng, is lowkey hinting at. He’s like, “Guys, let’s be real, if we drop the hammer on galamsey now, we're pretty much sending our political careers straight into the bin.” 2020 was a hot mess. The NPP tried to play hero, cracked down on the mining, and all of a sudden…poof, they lost seats faster than your TikTok views on a flop post.

Asante-Boateng didn’t hold back either. He’s out here serving truth tea, saying the government’s been tiptoeing around a total ban ‘cause losing elections? Way scarier than illegal miners digging up the place. Like, imagine putting your career on the line for a cause, only to get ghosted by the voters in these mining communities. It’s like asking a party to throw a total shutdown on something that brings in some serious cash flow to voters, and expecting them to cheer for you? Bruh, that’s a hard pass.

He’s practically saying, “Listen, in politics, we’re all out here tryna win. You think we’ll risk it all to ban galamsey and catch hands from our own people? Nah, fam, we gotta keep our seats warm.” It’s basically like trying to quit sugar right before cake season. You know it’s bad for you, but…cake. Same vibes with galamsey—everyone knows it’s wrecking the environment, but also, no one’s trying to take that political L before 2025.

So while the government keeps giving this ‘to-ban-or-not-to-ban’ dance, galamsey’s still out here flexing, and MPs? Well, they’re holding onto those seats like their lives (and votes) depend on it. Spoiler alert: they kinda do. Read more

Activists Hit the Streets

A squad of 53 people gets arrested for protesting to save the Mother Ghana (literally), and now a whole new gang is pulling up to the streets of Accra to get them out while also pointing fingers at galamsey like, “Yo, can we stop destroying our environment for once?” It’s giving major "we're not leaving till justice is served" energy.

Now, the route for this protest? It’s like a mini Accra tour. Starting from Legon’s Okponglo, they’re hitting all the major spots—Shiashie, Shangri-La, Airport Traffic Light, Parliament—and wrapping things up at Independence Square. If it wasn’t for the whole ‘fighting injustice’ thing, it could pass for a scenic walk through town.

Social media is eating this up. Everyone and their dog is out there tweeting, posting, and hashtagging their support. It’s like a movement that grew overnight. But while the Twitter warriors ( still learning to say X) are doing their thing, the boots-on-the-ground folks are out here facing real heat. The police aren’t exactly in the mood for chit-chat and have already said they’ll break up any funny business. It’s like they’re waiting for someone to sneeze wrong so they can step in. Read more

Food Prices Keep Climbing

Remember when you used to walk into the market and actually afford veggies without breaking a sweat? Yeah, good times. Now, thanks to inflation and food prices doing the absolute most, buying tomatoes feels like paying rent. GAWU is out here dropping the bombshell: it’s only going to get worse. Why? Well, because illegal mining (aka galamsey) is not only ruining our farmlands but is also making sure we won’t be seeing any significant increase in food production. Translation: the hunger games are about to get real.

Edward Kareweh from GAWU came in hot, warning us to prepare for even higher prices from now till, oh, let’s say, early 2025. Yep, you read that right. The year isn't even over, and we’re already looking at more food inflation. It’s like someone hit the "no mercy" button on our food supply. Between the dry spell turning our farms into deserts and galamsey treating our water bodies like it’s their playground, things aren’t looking too spicy for us (pun intended).

Sure, the government has thrown a few policy interventions our way, but Kareweh’s not impressed. He’s basically saying, "Nice try, but if galamsey isn’t dealt with, those policies are as good as expired milk." The land’s being wrecked, the water’s disappearing, and farmers are fighting a losing battle. So, unless some serious changes happen, your food budget is going to keep feeling like you’re living in a bad episode of Broke But Hungry.

For the past five months, inflation was actually chilling, giving us a little hope that things might get better. Then September hit, and BAM—food inflation went off like an uninvited guest at a party. While non-food inflation decided to calm down (thanks, but no thanks), food inflation said, “Hold my drink,” and shot up from 19.1% to 22.1%. So yeah, you might want to start making friends with beans and plantain (maybe forget the plantain), because it looks like jollof and aponkye nkakra might be a luxury for a while. Read more

NEWS SOURCES

Today’s stories are curated from: