News
Labour minister launches Ashanti regional health and safety taskforce
The Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment, Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo has launched the Ashanti Regional Taskforce on Health and Safety Compliance to improve workplace safety and strengthen adherence to national labour laws.
At the launch, Dr Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo, affirmed government’s commitment to protecting the health, safety and dignity of workers across the country.
He noted that every workplace accident carries both a human and national cost.
He stressed the need for stronger monitoring systems and full compliance with laws such as the Labour Act and the Factories, Offices and Shops Act.
Dr.Pelpuo described the new taskforce as an important decentralised structure that brings workplace safety enforcement closer to communities, enterprises and workers.
By setting up the regional taskforce, he explained, the ministry is moving part of its operational strength from the capital to the regions to ensure quicker response, stronger oversight and clearer accountability.
The minister outlined the responsibilities of the taskforce, including supporting labour officers with inspections, improving coordination at the district level, guiding employers and workers on safety standards and ensuring that enforcement is practical and sustainable.
He encouraged Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives to take an active role, noting that their leadership is essential to the success of the system.
Dr Pelpuo also urged employers and workers to treat workplace safety as a shared responsibility.
He explained that employers must back their legal obligations with real action, such as training, safe equipment and regular checks, while workers must follow safety rules and report hazards.
The Chief Director of the Ministry, Hamidu Adakurugu, stressed that workplace safety is a national priority that requires collective effort.
He praised the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council and local authorities for their support and thanked regulatory bodies, the private sector and civil society for their collaboration.
By: Jacob Aggrey
A 30-year-old man has been sentenced to 25 years imprisonment with hard labour by the Bekwai Circuit Court for his role in a 2022 robbery at a mining site at Manso Akwasiso in the Ashanti South Region.
The convict, Dominic Ofori, also known as Fanta, was arrested on 16th February 2026 after years on the run. He pleaded guilty before the Bekwai Circuit Court to robbery contrary to Section 149 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 Act 29, and was accordingly sentenced to 25 years imprisonment with hard labour.
On March 20, 2022, the Manso Adubia District Police received intelligence that a group of armed men from Manso Abodom were planning to attack a mining site at Manso Akwasiso to rob the owner of gold concentrate. Acting on the information, police mounted a coordinated operation and laid an ambush at the site.
At about 5:30 pm the same day, four-armed men arrived at the site, fired indiscriminately, and robbed the miners of their gold concentrate. The police team on surveillance intervened, resulting in an exchange of gunfire.
Three of the suspects, Abu Abubakar, Musah Latif, and Gideon Takyi, sustained gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead on arrival at St Martins Catholic Hospital at Agroyesum. Dominic Ofori escaped at the time but was later arrested and put before the court.
The Ashanti South Regional Police Command has assured the public of its continued commitment to combating violent crimes and bringing offenders to justice.
The Ashanti Regional Police Command has arrested 45-year-old Isaac Boafo, also known as “Duabo King,” for allegedly publishing false news intended to cause fear and panic.
Police said the arrest follows a viral TikTok video in which Boafo claimed that four officers at the Central Police Station in Kumasi engaged in inappropriate conduct with commercial sex workers during night patrols in Asafo.
Officers from the Police Intelligence Directorate (Ashanti Region) apprehended Boafo after receiving intelligence about the video.
During questioning, he admitted to creating the video to attract views and engagement online, and acknowledged that he could not prove the allegations.
Boafo also admitted making comments about the President of the Republic for content purposes and could not defend those statements.
He has been formally charged and is in detention as investigations continue.
The Ashanti Regional Police have warned the public against publishing or sharing false information on social media, noting that such acts can cause fear, panic, and damage reputations.
They said anyone found engaging in similar conduct will face legal action.
By: Jacob Aggrey
