The onset of May has been a bit chaotic. With barely a week gone by, the country has recorded the murder of three servicemen on two different occasions. While petrol prices increase significantly, the Gallup Report finds that 54 per cent of Ghanaian workers are stressed at work.
Korle Bu Hospital denies power outage [dumsor] brouhaha but Glovo and Société Générale still exit the Ghanaian market. But what are Mahama and Bawumia promising going into the 2024 General Elections?
In our weekly round-up, we bring you stories that made the headlines for the week.
Soldier Shot Dead at Kasoa, Two Policemen Suffer Same Fate While Fuel Price Spikes But Majority of Ghanaian Workers Are Stressed at Work
On the eve of May, a tragic incident happened at the Millennium City in Kasoa. A military man was killed in a land dispute. It is reported that a confrontation arose when the deceased and his companions confronted workers on a piece of land they claimed ownership of.
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Unfortunately, matters couldn’t be resolved as gunfire erupted killing the army officer. The Police say one suspect has been apprehended.
“Preliminary Police investigation has established that the suspect, Benlord Ababio, allegedly shot the soldier at Millenum City Kasoa on Tuesday, 30th April 2024, at about 4:20 pm. The victim sustained gunshot wounds and was rushed to the Mother and Child Hospital at Kasoa for medical attention. However, he was later pronounced dead by the medical authorities,” the police stated in a press release.
Three days later, on Tuesday, May 2, two off-duty police officers suffered a similar fate inside Trassacco Valley when unknown gunmen pulled up on them and shot them without picking anything. This has led to a police manhunt for the assailants.
“The Ghana Police Service is on a manhunt for two gunmen who fatally shot two off-duty Police officers sitting in front of their private residence at Block factory, East Trassacco, Accra, today Thursday 2nd May 2024 at about 6:00 pm,” the police said.
If you’re Ghanaian, you must at this point be used to how an increase in petrol prices has a direct effect on the prices of goods and services. This week, the price of petrol surged, climbing from an average of GH¢14.99 two weeks ago to a range between GH¢15.22 and GH¢15.40, depending on the fuel station.
Despite the price of diesel dipping, there’s still a taint on the government’s touted Gold for Oil policy that was supposed to stabilize fuel prices with the continuous increase in the price of petrol every pricing window over the past two months.
A new Gallup report suggests that young workers and those in exclusively remote or hybrid work locations experience greater levels of stress. The report suggests that stress levels remain at an all-time high for the global workforce in Ghana with 54% saying they experience stress daily at their jobs.
If you’re in this category, our health expert and clinical psychologist, Dr. D, has outlined ways that you can deal with stress in this article.
Société Générale, Glovo, Exit the Ghana Market
E-commerce and delivery platform, Glovo, says it is shutting down operations in Ghana from May 10, 2024, to redirect investment resources to 23 other countries. Just before we could know the reason, another exit news hit us within the week. Société Générale, a French bank, has made the decision to withdraw from the Ghanaian market just twenty years after entering. Alongside Ghana, the bank has also chosen to exit operations in two other African countries, namely Tunisia and Cameroon.
Sources close to the bank reveal that Société Générale has enlisted the services of investment bank Lazard to seek potential buyers for its operations in Ghana, Cameroon, and Tunisia.
Ejisu Elects Boateng, Kwadaso MP Caught in Alleged Vote Buying
The people of Ejisu Constituency elected NPP’s Kweku Boateng to continue the legislative work started by the late John Kumah. He pulled 55.8 percent (27,782) of the total votes, while former MP of the area, Kwabena Aduomi, chalked 43.24 percent (21,536). The by-election was not without its drama as MP and lecturer, Dr Kingsley Nyarko, was captured on camera giving money to some EC officials.
While the Electoral Commission withdrew the officers temporarily, the Ghana Police has invited the MP for Kwadaso Constituency and two short-term staff of the Electoral Commission (EC) for questioning, as it investigates alleged bribery from the Ejisu by-election that took place on Tuesday.
Medikal Sells out the O2 Indigo, Afronita and Abigail Thrills Britain’s Got Talent
The UK had a thing for Ghanaian entertainment creatives this week, as Ghanaian rapper, Medikal etched his name in history books as one of two rappers from Ghana to have sold out the O2 Indigo on Friday, May 3. The Sowutuom rapper drew crowds from across the UK and had A-list artists from Ghana performing alongside him on stage.
The same regional territory hosted Ghana’s dance sensation, Afronita and dance prodigy, Abigail to a mesmerising dance performance on Britain’s Got Talent show.
The duo’s performance won the hearts of the judges and audience for their ability to combine traditional African dance styles with contemporary flair. The short teaser which is going viral at the moment, has received a positive response from Ghanaians and social media commentators.
