News
Police coordinate search for missing fishing Canoe and seven crew Members
The Western Regional Marine Police Command is collaborating with the Ghana Navy, Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), Fisheries Commission and fishing communities to locate a missing fishing canoe and its seven crew members.
The update was contained in a statement issued on October 20, 2026, and signed by Chief Superintendent of Police Olivia E. T. Adiku, Head of the Public Affairs Unit, Western Region.
The canoe, identified as Second Chance, is owned by Nana Kweku Atta.
He reported at the Fishing Harbour Police Station in Sekondi on October 18, 2026, that the canoe left Sekondi Fishing Harbour on October 9, 2026, for a fishing expedition offshore Axim and had since not returned.
Preliminary investigations show that repeated attempts to contact the crew have been unsuccessful. A further update suggests the canoe may have suffered engine failure and drifted towards Tema and the Volta coast, but its last known position is yet to be confirmed.
The Western Naval Command, GMA, Fisheries Commission, relevant coastal police stations, chief fishermen and the Eastern Naval Command in Tema have been alerted to assist in the search.
The Police said they are working with the relevant agencies to establish the canoe’s last known position and locate the crew, while urging fishing communities along the coast to report any sightings to the nearest police station.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
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
