News
Queen mothers’ workshop held to build capacity on blood donation
Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies has organised a day workshop for Queen mothers on blood donation in Ghana.
Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies are doing this in partnership with the Global Blood Fund, lending their expertise and support to bring key stakeholders together to create awareness on the critical importance of blood donation during the crisis.
The initiative, held at Holiday Inn Hotel last week, was aimed at building community capacity to be able to reverse 80 per cent drop in blood collections in Ghana due to COVID-19.
According to President and Chief Executive Officer of Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies, Antoinette Gawin, “We laud the First Lady and Queen mothers’ efforts to develop the health infrastructure in your communities and gladly share our global experiences to help craft solutions for you. This is part of our commitment to serve in the communities in which we operate.”
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Blood Service, Ghana (NBSG) Dr Justina Ansah, CEO noted that “We are optimistic each of us has nine pints of blood, and it takes only one pint to save a life.”
She added that the campaign will reach far and wide for every healthy Ghanaian to make the decision to donate blood to save a life.
Currently, thousands of maternal women, cancer patients, children with sickle cell disease and others who need life-saving blood transfusion are at risk.
Approximately 80 per cent of blood collections in Ghana are from students in secondary and tertiary schools and donations mobilised by faith-based organisations.
However, due to the necessary response to curb the spread of COVID-19, schools have been closed and large religious gatherings reduced, leading to 80 per cent fewer blood collections recorded by the National Blood Service.
The Queen mothers of Ghana are mobilising to help the initiative, known as the Champions of Change, to create awareness on the critical importance of blood donation amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
The campaign will also include a social media campaign as well as other upcoming events.
The workshop delivered tools and strategies around donor recruitment and retention to support Queen mothers in their community outreach.
The goal is to help build capacity for safe, available and accessible blood for patients all over the country.
Champions of Change partners in Ghana include The Rebecca Foundation; The Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Foundation, Institute for Research, Advocacy and Training (INSRAT), and SMART Global.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has amended the charges in the ongoing case against former National Petroleum Authority (NPA) Chief Executive, Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, and nine others.
The number of counts has risen from 25 to 54 after investigators uncovered new evidence.
The accused are facing trial for alleged large-scale extortion, abuse of public office, and money laundering involving over GH¢291 million and US$332,000.
According to the OSP, the accused persons allegedly extorted huge sums of money from bulk oil transporters and oil marketing companies under the pretext of carrying out official duties.
The proceeds were reportedly laundered through the purchase of properties and investments in business entities to conceal their source.
The accused persons include Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, Jacob Kwamina Amuah, Wendy Newman, Albert Ankrah, Isaac Mensah, Bright Bediako-Mensah, Kwaku Aboagye Acquaah, Propnest Limited, Kel Logistics Limited, and Kings Energy Limited.
The OSP has also seized and frozen several assets, including tanker trucks, fuel stations, houses, apartments, and parcels of land valued at more than GH¢100 million pending the outcome of the trial.
The case, titled The Republic v. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid & 9 Others (Cr/0603/2025), is currently being heard at the Accra High Court.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The National Operations Directorate (NOD) Surveillance Unit, of the Ghana Police Service has arrested a 32-year-old man, Akoto Nelson, for posing as a police officer during a public event at the Black Star Square in Accra.
The suspect was arrested on Sunday, 19th October 2025, by a team of officers deployed to provide security at a musical concert. The team observed the suspect dressed in a police uniform with the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) behaving suspiciously. Upon interrogation, he admitted that he was not a police officer.
Investigations revealed that the suspect impersonated a police officer to gain free entry to the event, claiming he did not have money to pay the entry fee. He further disclosed that the uniform belonged to a deceased Chief Inspector, identified as Gyasi, from whom he obtained the police accoutrements in 2022.
A subsequent search conducted at his residence in Taifa-Ashaiman uncovered several items that were retained as exhibits. These include one toy P99 pistol, one pepper spray, two ZTE mini handsets, one pepper spray pouch, one ZTE charger, one Xinfa cutter knife, some complimentary cards, one voter ID in the name of Akoto Nelson Elikem, and one birth certificate in the name of Nelson Akoto.
Preliminary investigations further established that the suspect works as a security guard and a messenger at a private company. He remains in police custody and will be put before the court.
