General News
Fibre cuts, grid instability undermine network quality — Sam George`
Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has identified frequent fibre optic cable cuts and instability in Ghana’s national electricity grid as two major factors undermining the quality and reliability of telecommunications services across the country.
Speaking on the challenges facing the telecommunications sector, Sam George said poor network quality is not always the direct result of failures by mobile network operators, as critical infrastructure outside their control can significantly affect service delivery.
The minister said the problem requires a broader national response involving telecommunications companies, utility providers, road contractors and other stakeholders.
Fibre cuts disrupting services
According to Sam George, frequent damage to fibre optic cables has become a major headache for the telecommunications industry.
Fibre cables are essential to the transmission of voice and data services, meaning damage to critical lines can disrupt internet connectivity, mobile services and communication networks.
The minister explained that road construction, excavation works and other infrastructure projects sometimes result in fibre cuts, creating outages that affect thousands of customers.
He stressed that protecting critical telecommunications infrastructure must become a national priority if Ghana is to improve the reliability and quality of its digital services.
Grid instability hits telecom infrastructure
Beyond fibre cuts, Sam George pointed to instability in the national electricity grid as another major challenge.
Telecommunications infrastructure depends heavily on stable power to keep towers, transmission equipment and data systems operational.
When there are power fluctuations or outages, telecom operators are forced to rely on backup power systems, including generators and batteries, to keep networks running.
According to the minister, such disruptions can affect network performance and increase the operational costs of service providers.
Not every network problem is the telcos’ fault
The minister’s comments appear to push back against the widespread assumption that poor call quality, slow internet or network outages should always be blamed solely on mobile network operators.
While acknowledging the responsibility of telecom companies to improve their services, Sam George argued that external infrastructure challenges can have a direct impact on network performance.
The issue, he suggested, requires all stakeholders to work together rather than placing the entire burden on the telecommunications companies.
A call for stronger coordination
Sam George called for improved coordination between telecom operators and agencies undertaking construction and utility works.
He believes stronger systems are needed to prevent contractors from accidentally damaging fibre infrastructure, while also ensuring that electricity supply to critical telecommunications installations remains reliable.
The minister’s remarks come as government continues to push its digitalisation agenda and expand access to high-quality internet and mobile services.
The bigger challenge
For millions of Ghanaians, complaints about dropped calls, slow internet and sudden network outages have become part of everyday life.
Sam George’s explanation points to a much wider problem behind those frustrations.
The fibre can be cut. The power can go off. And when either happens, the network suffers.
As Ghana pushes towards a more digital economy, the minister’s message is clear: improving network quality will require more than asking telecom companies to fix their systems — the infrastructure supporting those networks must also work.
Ghanaian fashion personality Osebo The Zaraman has raised concerns over an alleged plan to remove the remains of the late Apostle Prof. Emeritus Kwadwo Safo Kantanka from his burial site in Winneba.
In a video shared on Sunday, September 6, 2026, Osebo claimed that some individuals linked to the Kristo Asafo Mission were behind the reported move.
He appealed to the Ghana Police Service to intervene and prevent the alleged action, describing the situation as worrying.
Osebo, however, did not provide evidence to publicly establish the claim, and no official confirmation has been issued by the Kristo Asafo Mission or the family.
Who was Kwadwo Safo Kantanka?
Apostle Prof. Emeritus Kwadwo Safo Kantanka was a respected Ghanaian industrialist, inventor and religious leader.
He founded the Kristo Asafo Mission and established the Kantanka Group of Companies, which became known for locally manufactured and assembled vehicles and other technological innovations.
His contributions to Ghanaian industry and his religious work made him one of the country’s notable personalities.
Osebo’s latest comments have once again drawn public attention to issues surrounding the late industrialist’s burial and legacy.
GAZA CITY — An eight-year-old Palestinian girl and her father were killed in an Israeli airstrike on their vehicle in western Gaza City, according to reports from local medical sources and media outlets.
The girl, identified as Wafaa Akila, was reportedly killed on Sunday, September 6, on what was supposed to be her first day of school. She was travelling with her father when their vehicle was struck in the western part of Gaza City.
According to KPD Online reports, Wafaa did not return home after her first day of school. Her death has drawn attention to the continued risks faced by Palestinian civilians, particularly children, amid ongoing violence in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military said the strike was aimed at a Hamas militant, while reports identified the victims as Wafaa and her father.
The incident occurred as schools reopened and families attempted to resume aspects of daily life amid the continuing conflict.
Reports also said that other Palestinians were wounded in separate strikes in the area around Gaza City.
Wafaa’s death has sparked renewed concern over the protection of children and civilians caught in the conflict, with calls for greater international attention to civilian casualties.
The killing comes as Gaza continues to face a severe humanitarian crisis, with civilians living amid widespread destruction and persistent insecurity.
The founder of Blissful Home Basic Academy, Kasoa, Mrs Agnes Lartey has appealed to the Ghana Education Service (GES) to consider a form of soft Corporal Punishment for pupils in Basic Schools instead of totally abolishing it. She made the appeal during the 17th Speech and Prize-Giving Day of the School.
The African environment cannot completely do away with corporal punishment and therefore needs a mild dose of it regulated by the GES due to the changing dynamics of time.
She argued that
Although the Biblical advice of ‘Spare the rod and Spoil the Child’ does not necessarily imply the frequent use of the cane, Corporal Punishment does correct children for the better.
She therefore appealed to the Minister of Education, Hon. Haruna Idrisu to take a second look at the issue of Corporal Punishment in Basic Schools.
General News
CSIR-Water Research Institute will become centre of excellence in water research by 2030 — New Director
The newly inducted Director of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research–Water Research Institute (CSIR-WRI), Dr Emmanuel Obuobie, has set an ambitious 2030 target to transform the institute into Ghana’s leading centre of excellence for water research.
Dr Obuobie, a Senior Research Scientist specialising in Hydrology and Climate, made the commitment after officially taking over as Director of the institute.
His vision comes at a critical time when Ghana faces growing challenges around water security, pollution, climate change and sustainable management of the country’s water resources.
New Director unveils ambitious 2030 vision
Dr Obuobie wants CSIR-WRI to emerge as a leading institution for water-related research, generating scientific evidence that directly supports national development and policymaking.
The vision is not limited to producing academic research. It is aimed at strengthening the institute’s ability to develop practical solutions to Ghana’s water challenges and position the country as a hub for water research and expertise.
Water pollution remains a major threat
Ghana’s water bodies continue to face serious pressure from illegal mining, agricultural activities, climate variability and other forms of environmental degradation.
The CSIR-WRI has already been involved in research and technical interventions aimed at understanding and addressing these challenges.
For instance, researchers from the institute have participated in government’s pilot testing of innovative technology designed to treat polluted water from small-scale mining areas, including assessments of heavy metals, mercury, lead, turbidity and other water-quality indicators.
Research must translate into solutions
The new Director’s vision also comes against a broader push within CSIR to ensure that scientific research moves beyond laboratories and academic publications to deliver measurable national impact.
CSIR has previously stressed the importance of partnerships with industry and other stakeholders to translate research into practical, market-ready solutions.
For the Water Research Institute, that could mean deeper collaboration with government agencies, universities, development partners, private-sector players and communities.
Climate change adds urgency
Water security is becoming increasingly connected to climate change, with changing rainfall patterns, droughts, flooding and increasing pressure on freshwater resources posing significant risks.
Dr Obuobie’s expertise in hydrology and climate is therefore particularly relevant to the institute’s future direction.
The ambition is to strengthen research capable of helping Ghana better understand, manage and protect its water resources in the face of these emerging threats.
A research institution with national importance
The importance of CSIR-WRI extends beyond scientific research.
Reliable and safe water is directly connected to public health, agriculture, industry, energy production and economic development.
The institute’s work therefore has implications for virtually every major sector of the Ghanaian economy.
As Ghana grapples with polluted rivers and growing concerns over water security, the new Director believes stronger science and evidence-based solutions can help reverse the trend.
The 2030 countdown begins
Dr Emmanuel Obuobie’s target is bold: by 2030, CSIR-WRI should no longer simply be viewed as another research institution, but as Ghana’s centre of excellence for water research.
Achieving that ambition will require investment, modern research infrastructure, skilled scientists, international partnerships and, perhaps most importantly, a clear pathway for turning research findings into action.
With Ghana’s water resources facing mounting threats, the next four years could determine whether the institute’s 2030 vision becomes a landmark achievement—or another unfulfilled institutional promise.
General News
Free Primary Healthcare goes live: Over 4,500 facilities ready — 135 districts implement policy
Ghana’s Free Primary Healthcare programme has officially gone live in 135 districts across all 16 regions, with 4,574 health facilities now participating in the government’s ambitious push to take basic healthcare closer to communities.
The programme, announced by Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, is being rolled out first in deprived districts as government seeks to shift healthcare delivery away from a predominantly hospital-based system towards prevention, early detection and community-level care.
4,574 facilities now providing free primary care
The participating facilities include:
- 3,781 CHPS compounds
- 746 health centres
- 48 polyclinics
Facilities operated by the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) and other partners are also participating in the programme.
Government’s first-phase target is 150 deprived districts, meaning the remaining 15 districts are expected to be added before the end of 2026. The broader objective is to extend free primary healthcare nationwide by the end of 2027.
No NHIS card? You can still access the service
One of the major features of the programme is that residents in the implementing districts do not need an active NHIS card to access services covered by the Free Primary Healthcare initiative.
Beneficiaries can visit participating facilities, register and receive the appropriate services. The programme is designed to complement, rather than replace, the National Health Insurance Scheme.
However, the Minister stressed that the initiative should not be mistaken for universal free hospital care. Services are focused primarily on the primary healthcare level, while cases requiring specialist treatment, surgery or hospital admission remain subject to the relevant financing arrangements.
Government distributes thousands of equipment
To prepare the health system for the rollout, the government says more than 24,500 pieces of medical equipment have been distributed to primary healthcare facilities.
The Ministry has also received 5,000 health worker bags containing basic equipment for house-to-house healthcare activities.
More than 7,000 motorbikes and tricycles are expected to support health professionals travelling into communities, particularly underserved areas.
Healthcare moves beyond the hospital
A major focus of the programme is preventive healthcare.
Health workers are expected to reach people in their communities through house-to-house visits and outreach activities, allowing conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and other health risks to be detected before they become severe.
The Health Minister cited an early example involving health workers and the Ghana Private Road Transport Union, where commercial drivers were screened for basic health conditions. One driver reportedly recorded a systolic blood pressure reading above 200mmHg and was prevented from driving that day.
‘Don’t pay illegal charges’
Mr Akandoh has issued a strong warning to health workers against demanding money for services that are supposed to be provided free of charge.
He urged beneficiaries to report any health worker who attempts to charge them illegally, saying the Ministry would investigate such complaints and take disciplinary action where necessary.
Dedicated complaint lines have also been announced. Telecel users can call 06447, while MTN users can call 0544446447 to seek assistance or report concerns.
The bigger ambition: healthcare before illness strikes
The rollout represents one of the major components of President John Dramani Mahama’s health sector reforms, with the government seeking to change the emphasis from treating advanced illnesses to preventing and detecting diseases earlier.
With 135 districts already live, more than 4,500 facilities participating and expansion to 150 districts targeted by year-end, the government is betting that bringing healthcare directly to people’s doorsteps can make prevention—not expensive treatment—the new frontline of Ghana’s healthcare system.
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