Ten recruits undergoing training in Ghana’s security services have been dismissed for violating a ban on mobile phones, Interior Minister Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak has disclosed.

The Minister said the dismissals were part of efforts to enforce discipline and ensure that recruits adhere strictly to the rules governing security service training.

Speaking to students of Sakafiya Islamic Senior High School in Kumasi on Saturday, August 29, Mr Muntaka said the incident reflected a broader concern about indiscipline among some young people entering the security services.

According to him, more than 500,000 people applied for positions in the latest security services recruitment exercise, but only about 10,000 were eventually selected.

He explained that recruits are required to surrender their mobile phones when they report to training school. However, some trainees allegedly concealed their devices and continued using them, particularly at night.

“Some of them were caught. At least, I have been written to, at least about 10 students have been dismissed from training school for holding phones,” the Minister said.

Mr Muntaka questioned why recruits would deliberately disregard clearly established rules, arguing that discipline should be developed from the secondary-school level.

He urged students to take school regulations seriously, noting that the ability to obey rules and respect authority is essential for anyone seeking a career in the security services.

In a related development, the Interior Minister disclosed that more than 6,000 applicants were disqualified during additional medical screening introduced as part of the security services recruitment process.

Speaking in an interview with Pan African TV on Saturday, Mr Muntaka revealed that more than 100,000 applicants underwent medical examinations.

Due to the large number of applicants and concerns about the physical and psychological well-being of personnel within the security services, authorities expanded the screening process to include drug testing and mental health assessments.

The Minister said more than 4,000 applicants tested positive for prohibited substances and consequently failed the drug screening.

Another 2,000 applicants were disqualified following mental health assessments.

“Interestingly, over 4,000 people failed the drug test, and we have over 2,000 who also failed due to mental health conditions,” he stated.

Mr Muntaka said the additional screening measures were necessary to ensure that individuals recruited into Ghana’s security agencies meet the required physical, psychological and professional standards.

Source:3News

The Ministry of Education has announced the rescheduling of the release of the 2026/2027 Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) results from Monday, August 31, 2026, to Friday, September 4, 2026.

The Ministry announced in a press statement dated August 30, 2026, explaining that the decision follows requests from some parents, guardians, students and Heads of Schools for additional time to complete the submission and uploading of students’ data onto the platforms of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the CSSPS.

According to the Ministry, the extension is intended to give all qualified students sufficient time to complete the required processes and ensure that their information is properly captured in the system for placement into Senior High Schools (SHSs) and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.

The Ministry disclosed that approximately 20,000 qualified students had, as of the date of the statement, not yet had their school choices uploaded onto the CSSPS platform by their Heads of Schools, parents or guardians.

It explained that extending the release date would help prevent pending submissions from denying the affected students the opportunity to participate fully in the placement exercise.

The Ministry has therefore urged parents, guardians, students and Heads of Schools to take advantage of the additional period to submit and upload all outstanding information within the revised timeframe.

The Education Ministry further reiterated its commitment to ensuring a fair, transparent, efficient and orderly placement process, to give every qualified student a meaningful opportunity to secure placement in an SHS or TVET institution.

The revised schedule means that students and parents who were expecting the 2026/2027 placement results on August 31 will now have to wait until Friday, September 4, 2026, for the results to be released.

The statement was signed by Hasmini Mohammed, Press Secretary of the Ministry of Education.

Ghana’s  Foreign Affairs Minister, Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa, has called on African leaders to undertake honest introspection into the root causes of conflicts on the continent and take urgent steps to address them.

Mr Ablakwa made the call when he addressed the African Union Executive Council’s extraordinary meeting on Conflict Resolution and Prevention in Angola.

According to him, Africa must end what he described as the “normalisation of conflict and extremism” and intensify efforts to build a peaceful and transformed continent.

He urged African leaders to focus on the underlying drivers of conflict, including injustice, limited opportunities for young people, underdevelopment, corruption, exploitation of natural resources, intolerance and political insincerity.

He also cautioned against African countries and leaders allowing themselves to become pawns for external or proxy forces, stressing the need for greater ownership of the continent’s peace and development agenda.

Mr Ablakwa said Africa was running out of time to create the new and transformed continent envisioned by its people, particularly the youth.

He cited the recent movement of more than 72,000 young Africans who breached fences in an attempt to enter Ceuta in Spain as a disturbing reminder of the urgency to address the socio-economic conditions confronting young people across Africa.

He said the situation should strengthen the resolve of African leaders to “silence the guns” and redirect resources currently being spent on conflicts towards creating jobs and expanding opportunities for the continent’s youth.

Foreign Affairs Minister stressed that sustainable peace in Africa would require more than military interventions, arguing that addressing injustice, poverty, unemployment, corruption and underdevelopment must form a central part of the continent’s conflict-prevention strategy.

Tension has reportedly gripped Gbane, a mining community in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region, following a confrontation between some angry youth and armed security guards attached to Nanlamtaaba Enterprise.

Nanlamtaaba Enterprise is a small-scale mining company operated by Zongdaan Boyak Kolog, popularly known as Poloo.

According to a report shared on the Facebook page of media personality Kwadwo Baffour, the confrontation reportedly resulted in gunshots, sparking fear and panic among residents in the community.

The circumstances leading to the clash remain unclear, as details surrounding what triggered the confrontation have yet to be established.

Residents are said to have been left alarmed by the incident, with concerns growing about a potential escalation of tensions between the youth and the personnel protecting the mining operation.

Further details, including whether there were injuries, arrests or property damage, are yet to emerge.

More information is expected as authorities and other sources provide clarity on the incident.

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The SHOOVA Initiative, a newly established Ghanaian not-for-profit organisation, has been officially launched in Accra with a commitment to addressing the impact of irresponsible mining while creating sustainable opportunities for the country’s youth.

The organisation was launched on Friday, August 28, 2026, at the Cedi Conference Centre of the University of Ghana, Legon, during a ceremony that brought together stakeholders from government agencies, non-governmental organisations, traditional authorities, educational institutions, development partners and the private sector.

The ceremony was chaired by Baafuo Adu-Yeboah, Adwareasehene of the Dormaa Traditional Council, who presided over the event and joined other distinguished guests in emphasising the urgent need to restore Ghana’s degraded lands and provide meaningful opportunities for young people.

SHOOVA Initiative was founded by William Odame Agyekum, President and Founder of the organisation, in response to the growing effects of irresponsible mining, youth unemployment and other developmental challenges affecting communities across Ghana.

Speaking at the launch, Executive Secretary Rev. Opon-Yeboah said the organisation was established to respond to the twin challenges of irresponsible mining and youth unemployment, while also addressing broader development concerns confronting communities across the country.

He explained that SHOOVA’s work would focus not only on restoring degraded lands but also on equipping young people with the skills and opportunities needed to contribute positively to their communities and the country’s development.

According to the SHOOVA Initiative, its mission is to ignite a restoration movement in Ghana by empowering the next generation of technical leaders with world-class skills, ethical grounding and environmental stewardship.

The organisation believes that equipping young people with technical expertise, responsible citizenship and environmental consciousness can help Ghana address the damage caused by irresponsible mining while creating a new generation of skilled professionals capable of driving sustainable development.

SHOOVA’s vision is to see communities scarred by irresponsible mining transformed into centres of environmental renewal, technical excellence, sustainable enterprise, and dignified opportunities for residents.

The Board and Management of the organisation said its approach would go beyond enforcement and conventional land reclamation efforts.

Instead, SHOOVA intends to place deliberate investment in people, skills development, responsible citizenship, sustainable enterprise and community transformation at the centre of its interventions.

The organisation said it recognises that environmental degradation has consequences that extend beyond damaged land and water bodies, affecting the livelihoods, economic prospects and social wellbeing of communities.

It therefore maintains that lasting environmental restoration cannot be achieved without also restoring the people and communities whose lives and livelihoods have been affected by environmental degradation.

Through its planned interventions, SHOOVA seeks to link environmental restoration with youth empowerment, technical training and sustainable economic opportunities, particularly for young people who could become key actors in rebuilding degraded communities.

The launch marks the beginning of what the organisation describes as a restoration movement aimed at creating a more sustainable future while ensuring that young Ghanaians have the skills and opportunities to participate meaningfully in the country’s development.

SHOOVA Initiative operates under the motto: “Restoring Lives and Lands.”