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Hawa Koomson demands bail for nurse held over alleged link to “Ghana Jollof”
Aspiring National Women’s Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Hawa Koomson, has called for the immediate release on bail of Madam Salomey Baffoe, a 40-year-old nurse and mother of three, who has been remanded over alleged links to the anonymous social media account “Ghana Jollof.”
In a press statement dated September 17, 2026, Hon. Koomson said Madam Baffoe was picked from her home in Hansua, Techiman, close to midnight on Sunday, September 13, and her whereabouts were unknown to her family for two days.
According to the statement, both police and regional National Security officials initially denied knowledge of her detention, before she was later brought before the Adenta Circuit Court on Wednesday and remanded.
Hon. Koomson said the detention exceeded the 48-hour constitutional limit and that the prosecution accuses her of conspiring with “Ghana Jollof” to overthrow the government, yet her charge sheet had not been served on her defence before the hearing.
“As a woman, a mother and a sister, I write with a heavy heart… A woman who spends her days caring for the sick at Abrafi Hospital was taken from her home at night and kept away from everyone who loves her. Her three children were left behind in Techiman, waiting for a mother who did not come home,” the statement read.
The former minister said she was not placing anyone above the law, but insisted that suspicion is not evidence and that a mother’s freedom must not be gambled away in the hunt for an anonymous account.
“Earlier this month it was Efya Royal. Today it is Salomey. Ghanaian women deserve to know which of us will be next,” she said.
Hawa Koomson has therefore appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to direct the Minister for National Security, the National Security Coordinator, the Director-General of the National Investigations Bureau and the Inspector-General of Police to:
She called on Authorities to grant Madam Baffoe bail to go home to her children while investigations continue, explain why she was held beyond the 48 hours permitted by the Constitution.
Again she demanded that her family and lawyers are given full and regular access to her, and night-time arrests of women and circulation of their photographs on mere suspicion.
She thanked the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association for standing by their member and expressed solidarity with the nurse’s husband, mother and children.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Sammy Ayeh has picked up nomination forms to contest for the position of Deputy National Communications Officer position.
Announcing his intention, Dr. Ayeh said he is offering himself to help communicate the party’s vision clearly and connect its message with the aspirations of Ghanaians.
He expressed deep gratitude to the party’s National Communications Officer, Lawyer Sammy Gyamfi, describing him as an able leader on whose shoulders he has risen.
“His exceptional leadership, mentorship and confidence in me have shaped my journey and strengthened my resolve to serve,” Dr. Ayeh stated.
He said if elected, he will seek to build on that foundation by strengthening research-driven communication, empowering grassroots communicators, and enhancing strategic media engagement.
Dr. Ayeh humbly appealed to party members and supporters for their support.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The Data Protection Commission has called on the Minority Caucus in Parliament, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, JoyNews and other media houses to protect the personal information of 1,964 Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, the Commission expressed concern over the public disclosure of the evacuees’ personal details, including their names, signatures and records of financial assistance received.
It warned that making such information public could expose the affected individuals to identity theft, fraud and other forms of harm, especially given the threats to their safety that some of them may have faced.
The Commission explained that the 1992 Constitution protects the dignity and privacy of every individual. It also cited the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843), which sets out rules for the lawful collection, use and disclosure of personal information.
While acknowledging the importance of transparency, parliamentary oversight, the right to information and press freedom, the Commission stressed that these principles do not automatically justify the unrestricted publication of personal details.
It said the disclosure of the records by the Minority Caucus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, JoyNews and other media organisations must be assessed based on the law, the purpose of the disclosure and the privacy rights of the individuals involved.
The Commission further noted that although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Parliament are registered data controllers in good standing, their registration does not exempt them from their legal responsibilities under the Data Protection Act.
It has therefore urged all the parties involved to take appropriate steps to protect the affected individuals, including immediately restricting access to or removing personal details from publicly available records where their continued disclosure is not legally justified.
The Commission announced plans to conduct a regulatory review to determine whether the disclosures had a lawful basis, what safeguards were applied and whether the privacy rights of the evacuees had been adequately protected.
It said it would engage the relevant parties as part of the review and take appropriate regulatory action if any breach of the law is established.
The Commission reiterated that protecting personal information and respecting human dignity must remain central to efforts to promote public accountability.
By: Jacob Aggrey
