General News
Ghana, South Korea Deepen Ties in Agriculture, Trade and Technology Cooperation
Ghana and the Republic of Korea have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations, with a renewed focus on cooperation in agriculture, trade, technology and critical minerals.
President John Dramani Mahama made this known during bilateral talks with the South Korean President, where he highlighted the strong historical and democratic ties that bind the two nations.
“Talking about the historic relations between Ghana and Korea, we are proud of the shared values that bind our two countries. We share a similar historical background, a deep respect for democracy, and a strong commitment to human rights,” President Mahama said.
According to him, these shared values have enabled Ghana and Korea to collaborate effectively on the global stage.
“Ghana and Korea often find themselves taking similar positions on many issues at the United Nations and other international forums. Our relationship is not defined by the distance between our two countries, but rather by the similarity of the values we share,” he stated.
President Mahama also highlighted growing cultural ties between the two countries, noting the influence of Korean culture among Ghanaian youth.
“Before I left Ghana, someone asked me to bring back kimchi. Our young people, including my own children, listen to K-pop music. These cultural connections bring our peoples closer together,” he said.
The President emphasised that agriculture remains a key area of cooperation between Ghana and Korea, particularly in efforts to boost local rice production and reduce imports.
“Our cooperation with KOICA has been very important, particularly in increasing rice production through the K-Rice Belt Project. Rice has now become a staple food in Ghana, and we want to reduce the amount of rice we import,” he noted.
President Mahama also underscored Ghana’s strategic role in Africa through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), whose secretariat is based in Accra.
“Our goal is to position Ghana as a hub for production and exports to the rest of Africa. Ghana has abundant natural and human resources, while Korea has technology and innovation. I believe we can bring these strengths together in a win-win partnership,” he said.
He further called for deeper collaboration in the exploitation and processing of critical minerals, stressing the importance of value addition.
“Korea has the technology, and we believe we can explore these resources together — not exporting them in their raw form, but adding value before exporting them to Korea and other markets,” the President explained.
Touching on Ghana’s cocoa industry, President Mahama reiterated the country’s commitment to expanding value-added production.
“We want to create more value by processing cocoa into products such as cocoa liquor and cocoa butter for export, allowing other industries to turn them into finished products,” he added.
President Mahama also highlighted maritime security as an important area of cooperation between the two countries, particularly in addressing piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.
“Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea is a major concern, and we are pleased that one of the memoranda we will sign today focuses on maritime safety and cooperation,” he said.
He also assured the Korean government that Ghana’s economy is steadily recovering after recent financial challenges.
“We have successfully restructured our debt, and our economy is now back on track. Inflation is declining, our currency has strengthened, and we are meeting our debt obligations,” President Mahama stated.
The President added that Ghana looks forward to renewed access to the Economic Development Cooperation Fund and the signing of a visa waiver agreement for diplomatic and official passport holders to facilitate exchanges between the two nations.
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has officially released the provisional 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) Results for school candidates.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, WAEC announced that candidates who sat for the examination can check their provisional results through their respective schools. The Council also stated that candidates who wish to access their results online may do so through its official website.
According to WAEC, the release of the 2026 BECE Results follows the completion of the marking process and the consideration of examination irregularities by the appropriate committee.
The Council noted that investigations into examination malpractice led to the cancellation and withholding of a number of candidates’ results.
WAEC disclosed that 105 candidates had their entire results cancelled, while the subject results of 496 candidates were also cancelled.
In addition, the Council announced that the subject results of 119 candidates have been withheld, while the entire results of 48 candidates have also been withheld pending further investigations.
According to the Council, these sanctions were approved following investigations into cases of irregularity detected during the conduct of the examination and the marking of scripts.
WAEC explained that the decisions were taken by the 37th Meeting of the Final Awards and Examiners’ Appointment Committee for the BECE, 2026, held on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.
The approved sanctions are as follows:
- Cancellation of Subject Results of 496 candidates;
- Cancellation of Entire Results of 105 candidates;
- Withholding of Subject Results of 119 candidates; and
- Withholding of Entire Results of 48 candidates.
The Council further revealed that the subject results of 2,722 candidates from 229 schools have been withheld for further scrutiny.
It explained that the withheld results may either be released or cancelled depending on the outcome of the ongoing investigations, which are expected to be completed by August 31, 2026.
WAEC stated:
“Meanwhile, the subject results of 2,722 candidates from 229 schools have been withheld for further scrutiny. The withheld results may be cancelled or released based on the outcome of investigations by August 31, 2026.”
The Council urged candidates, parents, guardians and other stakeholders to use only official channels to access the 2026 BECE Results, adding that candidates can obtain their results either through their respective schools or via WAEC’s official online results portal.
The release of the 2026 BECE Results marks the end of this year’s examination process, although investigations into examination malpractice involving affected candidates will continue until the Council reaches a final determination on the withheld results.
A fresh dispute has erupted within the Kantanka family ahead of the funeral and burial of the late Apostle Prof. Emeritus Kwadwo Safo, as lawyer and former MP Sarah Adwoa Safo has issued a strong warning to her younger brother, Israel Kwadwo Safo Kantanka, popularly known as Akofena.
The disagreement centers on the scheduled funeral and burial rites, which are expected to take place on Thursday, July 30, and Friday, July 31. While Akofena, who describes himself as the leader of the Kristo Asafo Church, insists that no funeral activities will be held on those dates, Adwoa Safo has maintained that the ceremony will proceed as planned.
The latest disagreement follows an earlier confrontation between the siblings during Akofena’s installation ceremony as head of the Kristo Asafo family. The incident reportedly turned violent, with Adwoa Safo alleging that gunshots were fired at her vehicle. She was subsequently taken to the hospital for medical attention.
Speaking at a recent press conference, Akofena urged members of the Kristo Asafo Mission and the public to disregard the announced funeral dates.
“I stand by my authority as the head of the Kantanka family and leader of Kristo Asafo to say that any date circulating should be ignored. There is no truth in it,” he stated.
However, during an interview on Okay FM’s morning show, Adwoa Safo dismissed Akofena’s claims, insisting that the funeral arrangements remain unchanged.
“He did not set the funeral date, neither is he the leader. The funeral will go ahead exactly as scheduled,” she said.
Adwoa Safo further revealed that the family has formally requested police protection and informed state authorities about the event to ensure adequate security.
According to her, several high-profile dignitaries, including the Chief of Staff, Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, and the New Patriotic Party’s flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, are expected to attend the funeral.
She also cautioned Akofena against attempting to disrupt the event, reminding him that he and others involved in the earlier confrontation are reportedly on bail and are required to maintain good behavior.
“He should not dare come to the funeral to create chaos. By the grace of God, he failed in his alleged attempt to kill me. We have notified all the security agencies, and anyone who tries to cause violence will face the full force of the law,” Adwoa Safo said.
The public disagreement has intensified tensions within the Kantanka family as preparations continue for the late Apostle Kwadwo Safo’s final funeral rites.
Apostle Kwadwo Safo Kantanka funeral arrangements have been temporarily suspended after the High Court in Accra granted a 10-day interim injunction stopping the planned burial and funeral ceremonies.
The court’s order prevents the Kristo Asafo Mission and all individuals involved in organizing the funeral from proceeding with any burial rites or related activities scheduled for July 30 and 31, 2026.
According to the court’s ruling, all funeral events must be put on hold until the expiration of the 10-day injunction or until the court issues further directives on the matter.
The reasons behind the legal application that resulted in the injunction have not yet been made public.
The Apostle Kwadwo Safo Kantanka funeral had been planned as a two-day state-recognised event expected to attract thousands of mourners, dignitaries, church members, and sympathizers from across Ghana and beyond.
Apostle Kwadwo Safo Kantanka, founder and spiritual leader of the Kristo Asafo Mission, passed away earlier this year. His death marked the end of an era for one of Ghana’s most influential religious leaders, widely known for his contributions to faith, education, technology, and local industrial development.
With the interim injunction now in force, the future of the Apostle Kwadwo Safo Kantanka funeral remains subject to the outcome of the ongoing legal proceedings before the High Court.
The CLOSSAG Elections in Dambai have been overshadowed by growing tension following allegations that several aspiring candidates were disqualified without being given clear reasons during the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOSSAG) elections in the Oti Regional capital on Wednesday, July 29, 2026.
The reported disqualifications have triggered dissatisfaction among some delegates and members, who say the development has cast doubt over the transparency and fairness of the electoral process.
According to information gathered from participants at the election venue, several individuals seeking various positions were informed they could not contest. However, those affected reportedly received no detailed explanation for their disqualification, prompting complaints and calls for accountability from election officials.
The situation became even more contentious after observers noted that the vetting of candidates was taking place simultaneously with the election process. Some members described the arrangement as highly unusual, arguing that all vetting procedures should have been concluded before voting commenced.
They contend that conducting vetting while delegates were casting their ballots created uncertainty and raised questions about the credibility and integrity of the election.
Several affected members have therefore appealed to the CLOSSAG Electoral Committee and the leadership of the association to provide a comprehensive explanation for the reported disqualifications. They are also urging officials to ensure that the election is conducted in a transparent, fair, and credible manner that reflects the democratic values of the association.
Some participants warned that failure to address the concerns could undermine members’ confidence in the outcome of the elections and potentially fuel further disputes after the declaration of results.
Despite the growing concerns, the election process was still underway at the time this report was filed.
CLOSSAG officials had not issued a statement responding to allegations of unexplained candidate disqualifications or concerns about the conduct of the elections.
As members await an official response, many are hopinghopeiation’s leadership will address the issues raised to preserve confidence in the electoral process and maintain unity within the organizatiorganisationort is based on concerns raised by participants at the election venue.
The allegations regarding candidate disqualifications and the conduct of the election had not been independently verified at the time of publication, and CLOSSAG officials had not responded to the claims.
General News
GRIDCo Breakdown Triggered Nationwide Power Outage – Energy Expert Calls for Urgent Grid Overhaul
The Executive Director of the Centre for Environmental Management and Sustainable Energy (CEMSE), Benjamin Nsiah, has attributed the nationwide power outage that occurred around 3:11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, to a system failure at the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo).
In an interview with Kojo Preko Dankwa on Kessben Maakye show in Accra, Mr. Nsiah insisted, Ghana’s transmission network is heavily integrated, with all major power generation sources connected through the GRIDCo platform to a single transmission system. He explained that when GRIDCo’s system developed a fault, it disrupted power transmission from generating plants, including those operated by the Volta River Authority (VRA) and Independent Power Producers (IPPs).
He noted that GRIDCo must first resolve the transmission fault before IPPs can restore electricity to the national grid for distribution to consumers.
Mr. Nsiah said reports of electricity returning to some areas indicate that GRIDCo is gradually restoring its network, allowing power plants to reconnect and feed electricity back into the system.
The energy expert, however, warned that the incident exposes the vulnerability of Ghana’s integrated national grid. He called for the establishment of isolated or “islanded” power systems that can continue supplying electricity to parts of the country even when the main grid suffers a major failure.
According to him, such a policy should be developed by the Ministry of Energy and implemented by GRIDCo to strengthen the country’s energy security.
He also urged the government to provide adequate resources to GRIDCo to improve the resilience of the transmission network and prevent similar nationwide outages in the future.
Mr. Nsiah further commended the government for taking steps to decentralize power generation, noting that relocating some VRA generation facilities to the Ashanti Region is a positive move that will improve electricity reliability and strengthen regional power supply.
By Maurice Otoo
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