News
Ministry confiscates excavators, other mining equipment in Western North Region
Officials from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, on Tuesday, confiscated eight excavators and mining-related equipment at some illegal mining sites in Tugakrom in the Suaman District of the Western North Region.
Other mining equipment at some of the sites were burnt by the national security operatives on the orders of the Minister, Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh, who led the operation.
This was after the team, including military personnel undertook enforcement exercise in the area, which has seen about 100 acres of land destroyed by activities of illegal mining.
The visibly angry minister could not hide his disappointment at the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Suaman, Mr Christian Baah, and the District Police Commander, Theophilus Boateng, for failing to halt illegal mining in the area.
Addressing journalists, Mr Asomah-Cheremeh, said, the DCE and the police commander conspicuously failed to protect some nine excavators seized from illegal miners earlier this year in the area.
He said that the seized excavators were placed in the custody of the DCE and the District Police Commander.
However, when the minister returned later, some major parts of the excavators were missing, thus, making it impossible to transport them.
Eight of the seized excavators, he said, were found on illegal mining sites at Tugakrom on Tuesday during the enforcement operation, a situation which compelled the minister to chide the local authorities.
The actions of the DCE and the District Police Commander, he said, would be communicated to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for possible disciplinary actions.
Mr Cheremeh called on Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to support government in the fight against illegal mining, and to protect the country’s vegetative cover and water bodies from grittier degradation.
He encouraged indigenes of mining communities to rightfully acquire into small-scale mining licences for their mining activities.
By Claude Nyarko Adams
Ahyiresu and Abofrem, two quiet communities in the Atwima Mponua District, have been shaken to the core by a chilling midnight drama that reads like a nightmare.
A pastor and a young mother stand accused of attempting to bury a five‑month‑old baby girl alive, a crime that has ignited outrage and disbelief across the township.
According to police, Apostle Richmond Akwasi Frimpong, 36, Head Pastor of the Anointed Grace Prayer Ministry at Kuffour Camp, conspired with his uncle Emmanuel Appiah, 53, and the child’s mother, 23‑year‑old Beatrice Agyapomaa, to dispose of the infant, Anaya Achiaa, under the cover of darkness.
A fourth suspect, Emmanuel Donkor, remains on the run.
The suspects were caught near a refuse dump around 10 pm on April 9, 2026, after a vigilant resident, Akwasi Twezor, noticed their suspicious movements.
When confronted, they claimed the child was already dead and had palace approval for burial. But Twezor’s instincts proved right—the baby was still alive, gasping faintly for breath.
Chief Linguist, Nana Yaw Badu, later confirmed that Frimpong had misled him earlier in the evening, securing permission for burial by falsely declaring the child dead.
The infant was rushed to the Abofrem Clinic, where she is now responding well to treatment. Police described her as “very beautiful.”
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Evelyn Yitamkey, Commander of DOVVSU in Bibiani, confirmed that the suspects have been provisionally charged.
Frimpong faces attempted murder and conspiracy charges, while Agyapomaa and Appiah are charged with conspiracy and abetment.
They were remanded by the Bibiani Circuit Court, presided over by Judge Frank Asiedu Nimako, to assist investigations.
The docket has been forwarded to the Attorney General’s Department for advice, ASP Yitamkey indicated.
The attempted crime has provoked fury among residents, many suspecting ritual motives aimed at bolstering the pastor’s influence.
Crowds attempted to attack the suspects outside court, but police intervention prevented mob justice.
The Assembly Member for Ahyiresu, Yusuf Suleiman, has assured residents that justice will be pursued swiftly.
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
The forecourt of the African University of Communications and Business (AUCB) in Accra came alive on Friday with colour, creativity and innovation, as Level 300 students transformed the space into a lively exhibition of ideas.
Under the theme “Building meaningful brands beyond the logo,” the students invited patrons into a world where ordinary products were reimagined through storytelling, design and purpose.
From scented candles to innovative food concepts, each stand told a unique story, one that went beyond aesthetics to capture identity, value and human connection.
For many of the students, the event was more than just an academic exercise; it was a moment to dream out loud.
Guided by their lecturer, Peter Wonders, they explored what it truly means to build a brand in today’s competitive world where trust, consistency and experience matter just as much as logos and slogans.
Chairman of the occasion, Nana Kum Gyata VI, in his remarks said a brand is what people say about you when you are not present.
At the end of the presentations, awards were presented to deserving groups with Vida Nyaneba emerging as the overall best branding student.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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