News
FDA orders recall of Franko Herbal Mixture over drug contamination
The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has ordered the recall of Franko Herbal Mixture from the market within 14 days after laboratory tests found that it contained diazepam and paracetamol, which were not declared as ingredients.
The FDA has also shut down the manufacturing factory of Franko Herbal Centre at Jacobu in the Ashanti Region over the findings.
In a press release dated October 19, 2026, the Authority stated that the mixture was registered as a herbal medicinal product containing Carica papaya, Alstonei boonei and Tetrapleura tetraptera.
However, laboratory analysis established that the product had been adulterated with diazepam, a prescription medicine used to treat conditions including anxiety and seizures, and paracetamol, a medicine commonly used to relieve pain and fever.
The FDA warned that the presence of the two medicines in a herbal product poses serious health risks to consumers.
According to the Authority, diazepam can interact with other medicines and increase the risk of severe sedation, breathing difficulties, coma and death. It added that long-term use or abuse of the drug could also cause confusion, forgetfulness, dizziness, fatigue, hallucinations and impaired judgment.
The FDA further cautioned that an overdose of paracetamol could cause severe liver damage and acute liver failure, which can be fatal if not treated promptly.
The Authority explained that the sale of adulterated herbal medicinal products is an offence under Section 111 of the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851). It also noted that herbal medicines must not contain undeclared drug substances or be manufactured and marketed in a false or misleading manner.
The FDA has directed Franko Herbal Centre to comply with the recall and warned that failure to follow the directive could result in further regulatory sanctions, including criminal prosecution.
It said the recalled products would be disposed of safely under its supervision.
The Authority has urged the public to stop purchasing and consuming Franko Herbal Mixture. It has also called on retailers and distributors to comply with the recall directive and report anyone selling the product to the nearest FDA office to ensure its complete removal from the market.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
GES directs Ashanti Regional, Obuasi Municipal Education Directors to step aside over Obuasi SHTS scandal
The Management of the Ghana Education Service (GES) has directed the Ashanti Regional Director of Education, Dr. William Amankrah Appiah, and the Obuasi Municipal Director of Education, Mr. Kwamena Owusu-Nketiah, to step aside with immediate effect.
The directive forms part of ongoing investigations into allegations of sexual misconduct involving the headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS), Mr. Zakaria Abdulai.
According to GES, the decision is intended to ensure that the investigations proceed without potential interference, nor the perception of it.
The two directors are to hand over their offices and all state property in their possession to the Deputy Ashanti Regional Director of Education, Mr. Thomas Kwame Boateng.
Management added that the headmaster, Mr. Zakaria Abdulai, also remains interdicted and therefore urged the public to ignore any news circulating that he has been cleared.
Management is calling for calm, support and cooperation as thorough investigations into the matter continue.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has joined the family of the late Professor Jason Atta Kwei Arday, the Ghanaian community in the UK, and other dignitaries for a memorial service in Southwark, UK.
In a post, Mr. Ablakwa described the service as deeply moving and unforgettable, held in honour of the late professor’s memory.
According to him, in keeping with the government’s pledge, he joined the family, Ghana’s High Commissioner to London, British MPs, Ministers, the Mayor of London, Cambridge scholars, Prof. Arday’s students and loved ones to pay respects and honour his inspiring legacy.
Mr. Ablakwa noted that Prof. Arday’s accomplishments as the youngest Black professor appointed at the University of Cambridge and his widely appreciated charitable contributions will continue to inspire generations.
“The Government and People of Ghana will continue to stand by our compatriots everywhere they are in the world. As we do so, we profess our commitment to justice, equality and the creation of a new world,” he said.
He prayed for fortitude for the family in what he described as an extraordinarily difficult time.
“We shall always remember Prof. Arday for his response when asked what he will wish to do to change the world: ‘I would take a thread and a needle, and I’d interweave love into our society’,” Mr. Ablakwa added.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
