News
AWUSCO final year students inducted into old student’s union
Some final year students in a picture with an old student
A total of 793 final year students of Awudome Senior High School (AWUSCO) in Tsito have officially been inducted as members of the Old Student’s Union of Awusco (OSUA) with a call on them to uphold the high morals of the school.
The induction was part of OSUA’s activities to boost the membership drive of the union and register more old students.
The National President of OSUA, Prof. Leonard Kofitse Amekudzi, said the induction ceremony was an opportunity to get the final year students into the union since it was difficult to have majority of them at one venue after they complete school.
Prof. Amekudzi said the union has been a very vibrant tool in the development and marketing of the school.
He said it had also helped to promote healthy environment for excellent academic work and better opportunities for the younger generation of students from the school.
He urged the final year students to see the completion of Senior High School (SHS) as just the beginning of a long educational ladder and urged them to get into jobs, whether voluntary or paid for, even as they wait for their West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results.
The Headmaster of AWUSCO, Mr Courage Meteku, praised the old students for the good works they were doing for the school and appealed to the various year groups to continue to support the school to achieve excellence.
The students were excited to be part of the old students union and pledged their commitment to it.
In attendance at the ceremony were the national vice president, Mr Kofi Tawiah Cofie, some national executives, some executives of some year groups and old students.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
An Accra High Court has set November 4, 2026, to rule on the bail application filed by the former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.
The bail application is pending his appeal against a 20-year jail sentence.
The court fixed the date after hearing arguments from both counsel for the applicant and the prosecution.
Chairman Wontumi is seeking bail pending the determination of his appeal challenging the conviction and sentence.
The court will deliver its ruling on whether to grant the bail application on November 4.
The Conviction
On July 20, 2026, an Accra High Court presided over by Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay convicted Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, on 6 illegal mining-related charges.
He was found guilty of assigning mineral rights without ministerial approval and intentionally facilitating an unlicensed mining operation, contrary to the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) as amended, in connection with Akonta Mining Company Limited’s operations on the Samreboi concession in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve in the Western Region.
The law provides a custodial sentence of 15 to 25 years for those offences. The court sentenced him to 20 years imprisonment and a fine of 10,000 penalty units [GH¢120,000]. The court said failure to pay the fine will attract an additional 3-year term, to run concurrently.
His company, Akonta Mining Company Limited, was also fined after the court considered mitigating circumstances.
Current Bail Application
His legal team filed a bail application pending appeal in August 2026. The application was first scheduled for August 19 but was adjourned. Today, October 15, 2026, the court heard arguments from both sides and fixed November 4, 2026 to rule on whether to grant bail.
The defence argues he is not a flight risk, respected all bail terms before conviction, and that his appeal has 19 grounds with strong prospects of success. The State, represented by Deputy Attorney General Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, opposed bail, arguing he poses a flight risk and that his grounds do not meet the exceptional circumstances threshold for bail after conviction.
Other Cases Pending
Despite the 20-year sentence, he still faces two other major cases:
A Ghana Exim Bank case where he, together with Wontumi Farms Limited and another accused, allegedly obtained over GH¢14.3 million between 2018 and 2022 under false pretences for a farming project, using forged documents, leading to losses exceeding GH¢30 million.
Charges include defrauding by false pretences, uttering forged documents, money laundering and causing financial loss to the state.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has urged the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to intensify efforts to recover unpaid taxes from public institutions and businesses cited in the Auditor-General’s reports.
The committee asked the Authority to verify the amounts owed and collect outstanding payments from organisations including the Ghana Airports Company Limited, Ghana Water Company Limited and the Electricity Company of Ghana.
The call was made when the GRA appeared before the Committee yesterday.
This comes as the GRA reported that it had exceeded its revenue target by the end of September.
The Chairperson of the Committee, Abena Osei Asare, commended the Authority and the Auditor-General for their work, but called for greater transparency in tax collection, stressing that taxpayers should pay only what is required by law.
Representatives of the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) also appeared before the Committee, with the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition and its agencies expected to appear next.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
