News
Police cautions salon operators on COVID-19
The Public Relations Officer of the Tema Regional Police Command, Chief Inspector Mrs. Stella Dede Dzakpasu has cautioned operators of beauty, hair and barber’s salons to desist from attending to their clients without wearing nose masks
She said the situation was more serious because the closeness between a client and the providers of the service created an atmosphere where the latter breathed on the former as they were usually seated on shorter seats thus compromising their health and safety.
She called on the Police and City authorities to focus their attention on salons to call them to order so as to prevent the shops from being places which spread the virus and stressed that salons were not exempted from COVID-19 protocols.
She has ,therefore, also advised them to limit the number of clients they attend to at a time to ensure reasonable physical distancing as part of efforts to curb the spread of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).
The advice followed an observation by “The Spectator” that many providers of these services in the Tema Metropolis and its environs flouted the directive of wearing face masks while attending to their clients.
They neither took the appropriate precautions to protect themselves, their co-workers nor clients with total disregard for all safety protocols.
Chief Inspector Dzakpasu said plans were in place to meet the leadership of such businesses to educate them on the need to take the protocols of the COVID-19 seriously so that their facilities did not serve as places that spread the virus.
A Client, Adjo Totso said she had been compelled to change her salon so many times because she observed that many salons did not like to ensure that their staff or apprentices put on their masks.
“I have been tagged as being a difficult person because I always insist that if you do not wear a mask you won’t do my hair. I cannot take chances” she said.
She said the Tema Regional Police Command was intensifying education but that should not be mistaken to mean that people could not be arrested for flouting the safety protocols.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has opened applications for members interested in contesting as its parliamentary candidates in the 2028 general elections.
In a statement issued on Thursday, October 29, 2026, the party said interested members must declare their intention to contest between Sunday, November 1, and Tuesday, November 10, 2026.
According to the statement signed by the party’s Communications Director, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, prospective candidates must complete an online form within the specified period.
The party said a non-refundable application fee of GH¢5,000 would be charged to each prospective candidate.
It added that all applicants would undergo vetting and screening to determine their eligibility to contest on the party’s ticket.
The NPP announced plans to organise capacity-building workshops for prospective candidates in December 2026. The workshops will be held across the Northern, Middle and Southern zones, with details of the venues to be announced later.
The party stressed that the guidelines would apply to all prospective candidates, including sitting NPP Members of Parliament who wish to contest again.
It further warned aspirants against starting campaign activities following the opening of the application process.
According to the statement, the existing directive prohibiting campaign activities remains in force until the party gives official clearance.
It cautioned that anyone who violates the directive would face appropriate sanctions under the party’s constitution and regulations.
The NPP said the process was designed to promote fairness, transparency and equal opportunities for all aspirants as it prepares to select candidates for all 276 constituencies ahead of the 2028 elections.
It urged prospective candidates to follow the guidelines and conduct themselves with discipline and respect for one another throughout the process.
The party said its broader objective was to strengthen unity within its ranks and rebuild public confidence ahead of the 2028 general elections.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
eputy Foreign Minister accompanies Veep to Shanghai to champion Global South reform, industrial drive
Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, James Gyakye Quayson, accompanied Vice-President Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang on a successful working visit to Shanghai, China, from 15th to 19th October 2026, at the invitation of the East China Normal University (ECNU).
The highlight of the visit was the 2026 Global South Academic Forum held on 17th October, which brought together over 200 scholars, policymakers, political party leaders and media professionals from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, under the theme “Global South Political Parties: Governance and Modernisation.”
In her keynote address, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang asserted that political independence is only truly the beginning, stating that “winning political power and governing effectively are related but not the same responsibility.” She called for stronger South-South cooperation, multilateralism and reform of the global financial architecture to end debt traps, ensure fair risk assessments and promote climate policies that respect different national circumstances.
On 18th October, she addressed a business forum with Chinese investors, linking Ghana’s 24-Hour Economy policy to industrialization. Warning that training youth without factories creates unemployment, she appealed for factories to be established in Ghana to serve the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) market, with priority on value addition in cocoa processing, shea butter, cashew, coconut and timber.
On October 19, Ghana’s Ambassador to China, Kojo Bonsu, hosted a dinner at the Shangri-La for the Vice-President, attended by members of the Ghanaian community and business leaders, who praised the thorough preparation by the Ghana Embassy staff for the visit.
Throughout the trip, Mr. Quayson coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to align the engagements with Ghana’s jobs and transformation agenda.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
