fact-check – Adomonline.com

False! Ghana cedi NOT world’s worst-performing currency

Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 19:17:21 +0000

Claims suggesting that the Ghana cedi is the worst-performing currency in the world have been circulating on both social media and news media platforms. The claims follow a report by Graphic Online, citing a Bloomberg report.

The Bloomberg published a story titled “Ghana Cedi’s World-Beating Performance Upended by Imports Surge”. The story indicated that the Ghanaian currency, which had recently been performing well against the dollar, is now recording losses.

This, according to the story, was because of a surge in demand for dollars by companies paying for imports.

However, checks by Fact-check Ghana from Bloomberg indicate that the Ghana cedi is not the worst-performing currency in the world now.

According to Bloomberg, the year-to-date gains of the Ghana cedi, which was in June this year around 50% against the dollar, have indeed been reducing. The cedis’ gains waned through July and August.

Currently, according to Bloomberg’s currency ranker, the Ghana cedi has a net gain of 21.99% against the dollar. At 21.99%, the cedi is the second-best-performing currency in the world, after the Russian ruble.

Which currency is the worst-performing currency?

The worst-performing currency, according to Bloomberg’s currency ranker, is the Argentine Peso, which has a net loss of 24.33 against the dollar since January 2025. The Turkish lira and Ethiopian Birr follow with net losses of 14.11% and 10.66%, respectively.

The Ghana cedi is therefore not among the list of worst-performing currencies.

Fact-check Ghana has observed that Graphic Online edited its initial headline of the Ghana cedi being the world’s worst-performing currency to the worst-performing currency in the third quarter.

The Ghana cedi has indeed lost about 13% of its gains to the dollar, which is relatively the highest loss since July.

While it is true to say the cedi has relatively lost considerable value within the period of consideration, the currency is still among the highest-performing currencies at a net gain of 21.99% and cannot be counted among the worst-performing currencies in the world currently.

In conclusion, claims that the Ghana cedi is the worst-performing currency in the world now are completely false.

Source: FactcheckGhana

There were multiple pickup location changes before helicopter crash – Obuasi MCE recounts [Audio]

Gertrude Okyere — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 10:35:11 +0000

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Obuasi West, Faustilove Appiah Kannin, has recounted her final conversations with Samuel Aboagye, one of the victims of the August 6 military helicopter crash in the Ashanti Region.

Aboagye, who was serving as Acting Deputy Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), was aboard the ill-fated Z-9 Air Force helicopter that went down in the Adansi Akrofuom District — a tragedy that has plunged the nation into mourning.

Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Madam Kannin revealed that Aboagye contacted her early that morning to coordinate transport for their mutual acquaintance, former Minister Alhaji Muniru Limuna Mohammed, who was also among the victims.

“I was coordinating the event, and he first called around 6:45 a.m. to inform me that our godfather, Alhaji Muniru, was flying to Obuasi and I should pick him up at the airstrip. I told my driver to prepare the car to go and meet him,” she recounted.

Shortly after, she received a call from Alhaji himself, confirming that Aboagye had spoken to her. She assured him preparations were underway and believed they had not yet departed from Accra.

The MCE explained that a series of location changes followed as the morning unfolded, reportedly due to bad weather affecting the helicopter’s ability to land.

“Around 8 a.m., Aboagye called again, asking that the driver meet them at Ofori Stadium. Then he changed the plan back to the airstrip. Later, at about 9 a.m., he instructed the driver to head to the Black Park, near the event grounds,” she said.

Madam Kannin said she was unaware Aboagye himself was aboard the helicopter, as all their discussions focused on Alhaji Muniru.

http://www.adomonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Obuasi-West-MCE-on-pickup-locations-of-helicopter-crash-.mp3

“After that last call, I tried reaching both of them, but neither picked up. That was the last time I heard from them,” she recalled solemnly.

The crash claimed the lives of eight distinguished Ghanaians: Dr Edward Omane Boamah, Minister of Defence; Dr Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Minister for Environment, Science and Technology; Muniru Mohammed, Acting Deputy National Security Coordinator; Samuel Aboagye, former parliamentary candidate; Dr Samuel Sarpong, Vice Chairman of the NDC; Squadron Leader Peter Bafemi Anala; Flying Officer Manean Twum-Ampadu; and Sergeant Ernest Addo Mensah.

Alhaji Muniru and Dr Murtala were buried on Sunday, August 10, in line with Islamic rites, with an inter-denominational state burial for all victims scheduled for August 15.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has confirmed that investigations are underway, with support from international experts, to determine the cause of the crash.

Listen to the MCE in the audio attached above:

Source: Gertrude Otchere

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Council of State member escapes highway robbery as gunmen steal cash and rifle

Gertrude Okyere — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 14:15:12 +0000

Police have confirmed a brazen armed attack on the convoy of Pe Ditundini Adiali Ayagitam III, the Chiana-Pio and Upper East Region’s representative on the Council of State, during which gunmen exchanged fire with security personnel and escaped with cash, electronics, and a high-powered rifle.

The incident occurred on Sunday, July 20, near Mile 40 on the Buipe–Tamale highway in the Savannah Region.

According to police, the convoy was ambushed by unidentified armed men while returning from the Northern Development Conference in Tamale en route to Kumasi.

Details of the Attack

The Buipe Police received a distress call around 5:00 p.m. and dispatched a highway patrol team to the scene. Upon arrival, officers came under heavy fire, prompting a swift tactical response. However, the attackers managed to flee before any arrests could be made.

A police bodyguard assigned to the chief told investigators that approximately 15 armed men—some of them masked—blocked the road and opened fire indiscriminately. He returned fire with his pistol but was forced to retreat into nearby bushes when the weapon malfunctioned, leaving behind a CZ assault rifle in the vehicle.

Stolen Items

Upon his return, the bodyguard discovered that the assailants had made away with the rifle, his iPhone 13, and several valuables belonging to the chief and his driver.

Reported stolen items include:

Two iPhones
A Samsung phone
GHS 41,000
USD 200
CFA 3,000
A Lenovo laptop
A smart wristwatch
A pair of reading glasses
A hat

The driver, Jacob Apanyina, was also robbed of GHS 800 and an iPhone 11.

Crime scene investigators recovered three spent BBB cartridges and fifteen AK-47 shell casings.

Ongoing Investigations

A team from the Regional Police Intelligence Directorate has been deployed to the area to assist in the investigation. Police say they are working with local informants to track the suspects and recover the stolen rifle.

No injuries were reported in the attack.

Source: Asaase Radio

Ablekuma North rerun: Videos of some attacks could be AI-generated – Anthony Nukpenu

Gertrude Okyere — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 17:06:22 +0000

The Greater Accra Regional Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Anthony Nukpenu, has questioned the authenticity of some viral videos purportedly showing acts of violence during the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun.

In an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, Mr. Nukpenu described some of the incidents as regrettable but raised doubts about the accuracy and origin of certain videos circulating online.

“The attacks must be condemned, but I am happy that there were no gunshots or deaths. It must be on record that the thugs are not from NDC stock. They could be from the NPP because, in politics, when you disappoint people, they can turn against you. But some of these incidents are being exaggerated and could have even been generated through AI,” he stated.

Reacting specifically to the attack on former Awutu Senya East MP, Hawa Koomson, Mr. Nukpenu said he was shocked by the news.

According to him, he met and interacted with Madam Koomson, Akuapem North MP Sammi Awuku, and Political Aide to Dr. Bawumia, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, at the Methodist Church polling station where the attack reportedly occurred.

Expressing his sympathy, Mr. Nukpenu added that the party intends to visit Madam Koomson to commiserate with her and offer an apology.

He also expressed optimism that the police will investigate the incidents thoroughly and bring the perpetrators to justice.

The Ablekuma North rerun has drawn national attention following months of political wrangling over the results of the 2024 parliamentary election.

The Electoral Commission (EC) ordered a rerun in 19 polling stations after disputes over missing endorsements and irregularities.

Source: Gertrude Otchere

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Papa Myxtro: The intriguing story of footballer turned broadcaster

Joshua Tigo — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 11:03:09 +0000

When Obeng Kwaku Andy, popularly known as Papa Myxtro, takes his seat behind the microphone each weekday on Asempa FM, the entire country tunes in.

Myxtro orchestrates Ghana’s most-listened-to sports program, the Ultimate Sports Show, with the rhythm of a former footballer and the voice of a born broadcaster.

But long before he started captivating radio audiences, Papa Myxtro was wearing captain’s armbands, calling the shots not from a radio studio, but from the centre of the pitch.

Papa Myxtro’s journey into the world of sports wasn’t launched with a mic; it began with a ball.

A gifted midfielder, he played for King Faisal and Asante Kotoko, two of Ghana’s most storied football clubs.

His leadership qualities soon took centre stage as he captained the University of Cape Coast (UCC) football team and went on to lead the Ghana National University Team at both the World and African University Games.

Obeng Kwaku Andy, popularly known as Papa Myxtro

This competitive spirit, combined with sharp communication skills, would later fuel his rise in the media industry.

Papa Myxtro’s first professional taste of media came at Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), where he began learning the ropes of broadcast journalism.

With time, passion, and relentless drive, he moved through the ranks, holding roles at FOX FM, ATL FM, and Hot FM before finally landing at Asempa FM – the Mecca of Akan sports radio.

Today, he stands as the host of Ghana’s biggest sports show, Ultimate Sports Show, delivering top-notch commentary, interviews, breaking sports news, and razor-sharp analysis every Monday to Friday.

In 2024, Forklex crowned Papa Myxtro as Best Sports Show Host of the Year, an accolade that confirms what his loyal listeners have known all along: that he’s not just good at what he does, he’s the best.

His background as a professional footballer gives him a rare edge as he speaks not only from research but from experience.

Whether he’s breaking down tactics, critiquing performances, or debating VAR calls, Papa Myxtro’s voice carries both insight and authority.

At the heart of Papa Myxtro’s craft is a deeply held value: objectivity.

For him, sports journalism is not about hype or hero-worship. It’s about honesty, clarity, and accountability; serving both the audience and the employer with respect and diligence.

His goal? To inform, entertain, and empower, while ensuring every listener walks away with something valuable —whether it’s a laugh, a statistic, or a strong opinion.

Obeng Kwaku Andy, popularly known as Papa Myxtro

More than just a voice, Papa Myxtro maintains close contact with his audience through WhatsApp and social media platforms.

He listens as much as he speaks. His influence extends beyond the radio dial, often inspiring others with his story of transition from the football pitch to the broadcast studio, from tackles to talk time.

He is particularly passionate about helping others overcome challenges, drawing from his own experience of climbing the ranks against the odds.

Papa Myxtro’s mission is simple yet powerful: “Keep getting better.” He’s on a continuous journey to elevate the Ultimate Sports Show, ensuring it stays relevant, exciting, and informative.

His vision for Ghanaian broadcasting is full of hope; a future where media is fast, fact-based, and impactful.

And as Tiger Woods once said – Myxtro’s favourite quote – “I love to compete. That’s the essence of who I am.”

It’s a mantra that keeps Papa Myxtro sharp, focused, and always ready to deliver.

“To my cherished listeners, I hold you in the highest regard. Every time I sit behind the mic, it’s to give you my very best. Thank you for walking this journey with me—I’ll keep earning your trust, one show at a time.”

Obeng Kwaku Andy, aka Papa Myxtro – from midfield passes to powerful broadcasts, he’s still running the game even if it’s on a different field.

Juror dismissed in Diddy trial over ‘inconsistencies’

Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 07:21:44 +0000

A juror in the sex trafficking trial of rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs has been removed after giving inconsistent answers about where he lives.

During jury selection, the juror indicated on a questionnaire that he lived in the Bronx area of New York. But more recently, he told a court staffer he had moved in with his girlfriend in New Jersey.

On Friday, Judge Arun Subramanian said he had found “several inconsistencies” between the juror’s answers in court transcripts, which he said could suggest a desire to “be deceptive” in an effort to get on the jury.

Lawyers for Combs had opposed the decision, saying that Combs would be “substantially prejudiced by the dismissal” of a black male from the jury.

The juror has been replaced by an alternative juror, a 57-year-old white father from Westchester.

Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution.

The possible dismissal of the juror has been discussed by lawyers for the past week.

Lead prosecutor Maurene Comey had asked that a juror be dismissed for what she described as “a lack of candour”.

The prosecution said the juror had disclosed that he recently moved to New Jersey with his girlfriend and had been staying there for most of the trial.

When he was questioned behind closed doors, the juror said he was staying in an apartment in the Bronx, New York, during the week, for four to five nights, when he was working and doing jury duty.

But the juror had said at an earlier stage, in a prospective juror interview several weeks ago, that he lived in the Bronx with his fiancée and daughter.

At one point, the juror had also mentioned living with an aunt, but later omitted her.

The judge said he had found “several inconsistencies” between the juror’s answers in the court transcripts.

The inconsistencies, the judge said, could point to a desire to “shade answers” and raised serious questions about the juror’s “candour” and his “ability to follow instructions”.

The judge noted that there were six alternative jurors to preserve the “integrity” of the court. “Removal of the juror is required, in this court’s view,” the judge said.

One of Combs’ lawyers, Xavier Donaldson, objected to the judge’s inclination, saying it is “very, very common” for New Yorkers to move between the city and New Jersey.

He said he believed the court is “equating inconsistencies with lying.”

“I do believe he will be able to follow instructions,” Donaldson said, adding that Juror No. 6 has been “awake – I can’t say they all have been awake”.

The defence’s main objection related to the juror’s race, with Donaldson noting that the trial’s jury was the most diverse he had seen in his three-decade career.

“That part is important to me and my client,” Donaldson said, adding that if the court were to dismiss the juror, it would be “a step backwards.”

“I don’t generally play the race card unless I have it in my hand,” Donaldson said.

Combs’s legal team had requested a mistrial should the juror be dismissed.

‘Wonderful thing’

Federal prosecutors rejected the implication that they were making decisions based on race, commenting that it was a “wonderful thing” that the jury was diverse.

The judge said the jury in the trial does not raise concerns about diversity, adding: “The court cannot and should not let race factor into what it should do.”

On Monday, the judge said: “There is nothing the juror can say at this point that can put the genie back in the bottle and repair his credibility.”

Eight men and four women were selected for the jury, along with six alternates. The trial is in its sixth week.

The prosecution plans to finish presenting its case this week, at which point the defence will have the chance to call its own witnesses.

Why I won’t abandon Chairman Wontumi in EOCO custody – Paul Yandoh [Listen]

Gertrude Okyere — Tue, 27 May 2025 20:32:33 +0000

The Ashanti Regional Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Paul Yandoh, says he will not abandon Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Wontumi, following his arrest.

Mr. Yandoh has vowed to remain at the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) premises until the NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman is released.

The arrest occurred shortly after Wontumi left the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters in Accra on Tuesday.

In an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, Mr. Yandoh condemned the act, questioning the rationale behind it.

“I cannot leave the EOCO office when our Chairman has been arrested. What wrong has he committed? This is not right. What is happening in this country? Was it an election we went to or a coup d’état?” he questioned.

He lamented that Chairman Wontumi has been denied access to his legal team while in custody.

http://www.adomonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Paul-andoh-on-Wontumis-arrest-.mp3

Mr. Yandoh called on all Ghanaians to rise and speak against what he described as an attack and abuse of NPP members.

“This is not right and we must speak against it. What has happened to the normal way of inviting or interrogating people?

“He reported to the CID office yesterday and was asked to return today, so if EOCO had any business with him, they should have invited him. It is Wontumi today, and who knows who will be next,” he stated.

Chairman Wontumi had earlier reported to the CID for further questioning over alleged involvement in illegal mining activities, including mining in forest reserves and entering protected areas without proper authorization.

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Verified: Bawumia’s claim NDC gov’t has added less than one tonne of gold to reserves true

Gertrude Okyere — Wed, 21 May 2025 17:45:29 +0000

During a recent address to the Young Executive Forum in London, Ghana’s former Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, claimed that the current NDC administration has yet to add even a single tonne of gold to the country’s official reserves.

CLAIM: “Sixty-five years after independence, we had only 8.7 tonnes of gold reserves. But in just two years, we increased that to 30 tonnes—a significant buffer for our currency. Since the NDC took over, they haven’t added even one tonne.”

An examination of data from the Bank of Ghana corroborates this claim.

As of end-May 2023, Ghana’s gold reserves stood at 8.78 tonnes.

By December 2024 reserves had risen sharply to 30.53 tonnes, an increase of 21.75 tonnes.

Since the NDC assumed office in January 2025, growth in gold reserves has been modest.

By end-April 2025, reserves had inched up to 31.37 tonnes, marking a net addition of 0.84 tonnes—below the one-tonne threshold cited by Dr. Bawumia.

VERDICT: Dr. Bawumia’s claim that the NDC government has not added a full tonne of gold to Ghana’s reserves since taking office is supported by data from the central bank.

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It’s a big risk, like a lottery – GPRTU PRO on 15% fare reduction [Audio]

Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy — Wed, 21 May 2025 08:34:50 +0000

The Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), Abbas Ibrahim Moro, has shed light on the recent decision to reduce transport fares by 15%, effective Saturday, May 24, 2025.

Speaking in an interview on Adom FM’s morning show Dwaso Nsem, Mr. Moro described the move as a calculated risk aimed at relieving the burden on passengers following a drop in fuel prices.

“What we’ve done is just like playing the lottery—it’s a big risk. It can either go against us or benefit us, but we believe it’s the right thing to do,” he said.

Mr. Moro revealed that the fare reduction was agreed upon after a meeting between the GPRTU national executives and officials from the Ministry of Transport.

He stated that the decision was primarily influenced by the 18% drop in fuel prices across the country.

“Fuel prices have dropped, and that’s the only factor we’ve considered. Typically, we adjust fares based on a third of the fuel price change, but this time we opted for a 15% reduction to ease the burden on passengers,” he noted.

He admitted that some drivers may resist implementing the new fares but warned that there will be consequences for defiance.

http://www.adomonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/GPRTU-ON-TRANSPORT-FARES.mp3

“If your Union has decided, you have no option but to comply. If any driver refuses to reduce the fare as directed, passengers should report them to the nearest police station. We are not saying anyone should be beaten. Please, don’t beat any driver—just report them,” Mr. Moro stressed.

Addressing claims that he allegedly encouraged passengers to assault non-compliant drivers, Moro strongly denied it.

“I never said drivers should be beaten. That’s not even appropriate. What I said was that passengers should report such drivers to the authorities,” he clarified.

On how the GPRTU plans to ensure compliance and prevent arguments with passengers, he encouraged transport operators to display both the old and new fares.

“To avoid unnecessary arguments, we always advise our members to post both the old and the new fares clearly for passengers to see,” he said.

He also acknowledged the pressure from passengers for fare reductions and urged them to be patient and cooperative.

“Passengers didn’t even give us time—they kept calling us to reduce fares. We understand them, and that’s why we’ve acted now,” he stated.

He concluded by expressing hope that all stakeholders, including other transport unions, will come on board to implement the fare reduction.

“When the time comes, we believe we can all come together and reduce the fares to benefit everyone,” he added.

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Mahama’s inauguration: Burkina Faso’s Traore’s sidearm and its implication

Dennis Adu — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 13:13:46 +0000

On January 7, 2025, Burkina Faso’s transitional leader, Capt. Ibrahim Traoré attended the inauguration of President John Mahama at the Independence Square in Accra.

Clad in brown camouflage and a red beret, the military officer-turned-head-of-state caught widespread attention for his presence and his visible sidearm tucked in a holster. He had the side arm throughout the event, and even when he mounted the stage to exchange pleasantries with President Mahama and Vice President Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang.

Traoré, carrying the side arm as a visiting official while standing near Ghana’s newly sworn-in president, has sparked debate across social media within and outside Ghana.

Some Ghanaians here, here, here and here described the move as inappropriate and a breach of the new president’s security. They argue that foreign leaders usually rely on their host countries for security during official visits and that Traoré maintaining a sidearm and using his private security during the event was abnormal within diplomatic circles.

Traoré’s supporters have challenged this position with the suggestion that his outfit and holstered firearm only reflect his military background and indicate a precautionary step against any potential attack, given that he came to power through a military coup.

Additionally, arguments have been made that he likely got clearance from Ghana’s security before his action.

However, on both sides of the argument, one major question lingers in supporters’ minds: Does Ibrahim Traoré carry a sidearm to every public event outside his country?

DUBAWA has been digging.

Traoré’s international travels

It is worth highlighting that since Ibrahim Troare seized power in 2022, he has had limited travel outside his country. His travels within Africa were only to Niger and Mali–two countries Burkina Faso has joined to form the Alliance of Sahel States and indicated their decision to exit the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

His attendance at Mahama’s inauguration makes it his first official trip to a country in Africa outside Mali and Niger.

His only travel outside Africa has been to Russia to attend the Russia-Africa Summit.

Did he carry a sidearm during these visits? Video and photo materials DUBAWA has assessed suggest so.

On his first foreign trip to Mali in November 2022, Ibrahim Traore did not carry a visible sidearm like in Ghana. This video of his arrival and interaction with Malian leader Assimi Goïta in Bamako did not show him with a side arm. Another angle of the video confirms the same.

Screenshot of Capt. Traoré’s meeting with Mali’s Assimi Goïta in Bamako without a sidearm.

There was no evidence of him carrying a sidearm at the Russia-Africa summit in July 2023. Media evidence such as this and this confirms that he was without a visible sidearm during this meeting.

Screenshots from Capt. Traoré’s meeting with Russia’s Putin in St. Petersburg without a sidearm. Credit: Alexander Ryumin/TASS Host Photo Agency via REUTERS.

In July 2024, Troare attended the inaugural summit of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) in Niger’s capital Niamey. This was his last foreign trip before he attended John Mahama’s inauguration in Accra. A video from France24 showed that Troare had a sidearm on him on his arrival in the country.

Screenshot from AFP video showing Capt. Traoré armed while walking beside his host, General Abdourahamane Tchiani of Niger

There have been other instances such as this when Capt. Traoré received a delegation of Russian military chiefs in Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou. During the interactions, he had his sidearm strapped.

Based on the above, there is evidence that Capt. Ibrahim Traoré has worn his sidearm while near a foreign country’s leader; his action in Ghana with President John Mahama is not new.

There is also evidence that shows him without a sidearm in other high-level meetings, so the basis for carrying a sidearm or going without it when meeting foreign country leaders cannot be definitely confirmed.

Security implications of Traore’s sidearm at Mahama’s inauguration

Security analyst and International Relations expert Dr Vladimir Antwi-Danso emphasised that the security of visiting dignitaries is solely the host country’s responsibility under normal international protocol.

“So, protocol-wise, if you have invited a head of state into your country, your security should take care of the security of the guest in all dimensions. And because of that, preliminary meetings or preliminary notes are shared. For example, the security of Burkina Faso and the security of Ghana share notes on how the security will be provided. So, if he is coming with his own bodyguards and security and that sort of thing, we will negotiate as to how they should be handled,” he told DUBAWA.

He noted that preliminary security meetings are typically held between the two nations before such visits to agree on managing security. These arrangements often include negotiations on whether visiting officials or their security teams may carry arms.

He referenced the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s visit to Ghana, during which strict negotiations led to the surrender of his bodyguards’ weapons to Ghanaian security upon arrival.

“For example, Gaddafi normally goes around with 30 people, 30 bodyguards. Very well-armed. I remember this very well: when Gaddafi was coming here some time ago, Peter Nanfuri, who was the IGP, we negotiated with Libya to surrender all their arms to Ghanaian security. And when they were going, they would take their arms back. Gaddafi didn’t want it, but Nanfuri insisted. I knew this because I was somehow involved somehow in the conversation.

“In Captain Traoré’s case, the decision to allow him to carry a sidearm might reflect a variation from standard protocol or an oversight by Ghanaian authorities. I know that Russia is the only place he didn’t take his sidearm because the Russian security team won’t allow such negotiations.”

Antwi-Danso warned that deviations from established norms could expose the host nation to serious international ramifications if anything happened to the guests on their soil.

Is the sidearm a matter of distrust in Ghana’s ability to protect him?

Antwi-Danso stressed that Traoré’s decision to carry a weapon does not necessarily indicate a lack of trust in Ghana’s security arrangements. Instead, it reflects his standard accoutrement, especially given Burkina Faso’s ongoing insecurity challenges and the potential threats he faces as a transitional leader.

“Such an incident could be misconstrued as a lack of trust in the host nation’s ability to provide adequate security. This could set a precedent for future visiting leaders to insist on carrying arms, undermining Ghana’s sovereignty in managing security during state visits.”

To avoid similar breaches in future diplomatic events, Antwi-Danso recommended that Ghana’s security agencies adhere strictly to international diplomatic norms and ensure that all guests comply with local security arrangements.

“Effective communication and negotiations between the host country and the visiting dignitary’s security team must be prioritised to avoid ambiguities,” he added. “Security agencies should receive advanced training in international diplomacy and security management to navigate complex situations.”

Conclusion

President Mahama’s inauguration was incident-free. However, security experts have advised the country to ensure that no foreign leader carries arms to any official event.

Six Trump executive orders to watch

Dennis Adu — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 12:50:53 +0000

Donald Trump has signed sweeping executive orders on his return to the US presidency, vowing swift action on some of his top campaign issues.

Among the directives that have gained the most publicity are an immigration crackdown and rollbacks of some climate-friendly policies.

But even presidential powers have their limits – and in some cases, he faces hurdles before his plans can become reality.

Here are six of Trump’s eye-catching actions with analysis by BBC reporters, who give their verdict on whether each order could take effect.

Declaring drug cartels as ‘foreign terrorist organisations’

By Bernd Debusmann Jr, at the White House

What does the order say?

The order argues that cartels have “engaged in a campaign of violence and terror” throughout the hemisphere, and flooded the US with crime, posing a national security risk to the US.

Additionally, the order specifies that the US policy is to “ensure the total elimination” of these groups in the US. It gives US agencies 14 days to provide recommendations on which groups are to be designated and be ready to expedite the removal of individuals from the US.

What are the roadblocks?

Designating a cartel as a terrorist group could open the door to prosecuting US citizens or even legitimate businesses found to be somehow tied to those groups. The designation could also strain relations with countries including Mexico, which has vocally called for its sovereignty to be respected.

What is the potential impact?

For one, the designation of these groups as foreign terrorist organisations could ultimately be used to justify military action against targets in Mexico or other countries in which similar groups operate.

The designation could also see the US federal government dedicate more resources and enhanced legal tools to fight cartels and other gangs, and go after their business and financial interests on both sides of the border.

While it would make “material support” of these groups a crime, it remains unclear what that could mean. In theory, that could mean that drug dealers and users, including US citizens, could be charged with aiding terrorists – as could US citizens or businesses on the border that are extorted to pay them.

Pulling out of Paris climate accord

By Nadine Yousif, Toronto

What does the order say?

The executive order asks the US ambassador to the UN to “immediately” submit a formal written request to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement.

It says the accord does not reflect the country’s values or its economic and environmental objectives.

What are the roadblocks?

Any country can withdraw from the global climate pact, but UN regulations mean the process of removing a country can be drawn out.

Trump announced his intent to withdraw during his last term in 2017, but it was not formally finalised until 2020. We can expect another waiting period this time of at least one year.

President Joe Biden rejoined it shortly after taking office in 2021

What is the potential impact?

The US is responsible for around 11% of global greenhouse gas emissions, making it the second biggest polluter behind China. This damages the global effort to limit emissions.

Its withdrawal in the past has raised issues of trust on climate leadership, and questions about whether the agreement itself has been effective.

The withdrawal is also in line with Trump’s goal to boost domestic oil and gas production, though the US is already the number one producer of both in the world. It is one of several of Trump’s reversals of environmental protections that were enacted by the Biden administration.

Ending birthright citizenship

By Jake Horton, BBC Verify

What does the order say?

This order aims to end birthright citizenship for children born in the US to immigrant parents who are in the country illegally, as well as those born to parents who are in the country on a temporary basis.

There have been reports that the administration will enforce the order by withholding documents, such as passports, from people it deems ineligible for citizenship.

What are the roadblocks?

The principle of birthright citizenship is established in the US Constitution. The 14th Amendment says that “all persons born or naturalized in the United States” are citizens of the United States.

The legal challenges are already under way – one claims the order is “unconstitutional, and flouts fundamental American values”.

“Ultimately this will be decided by the courts. This is not something [Trump] can decide on his own,” Saikrishna Prakash, a constitutional expert, told the BBC.

What is the potential impact?

Trump has threatened mass deportations, which could include those whose birthright citizenship is revoked if Trump is successful in enforcing this executive action.

Legal cases could ultimately have to be decided by the US Supreme Court, which could take a long time.

Withdrawing from World Health Organization (WHO)

By Dominic Hughes, health correspondent

What does the order say?

The order says the US was withdrawing “due to the organization’s mishandling of the Covid-19 pandemic”.

Trump’s longheld antipathy towards the WHO is rooted in a perception that it was dominated by – and so soft on – China, which the president has long believed was responsible for the spread of the virus.

It also mentions “unfairly onerous payments” the US made to the WHO.

What are the roadblocks?

It is the second time Trump has ordered the US be pulled out of the WHO. He began the process and Biden later reversed the decision after taking office.

The US exit won’t take effect until 2026 at the earliest, but leaving will require the approval of Congress.

On paper, the Republicans have a majority in both houses of Congress. But their numerical advantage is slim, and it would only take a few Republican defectors to potentially block the move.

What is the potential impact?

“Catastrophic”, “disastrous”, “damaging” is how some global public health experts are describing it.

Of the 196 member states, the US is by far the largest individual funder, contributing almost a fifth of the total WHO budget.

It’s possible that funding could disappear almost overnight and that could have an impact on the ability of the WHO to respond to emergencies.

There is also concern among some scientists that this would leave the US isolated when it comes to access to programmes such as pandemic preparedness and seasonal influenza strain sequencing, which is used to develop annual flu jabs.

That could ultimately harm the health of Americans, and the US national interest.

Some argue US withdrawal could prompt further reforms of how the WHO works, making it a body that better serves the public health needs of people around the globe.

Renaming Gulf of Mexico

By Jake Horton, BBC Verify

What does the order say?

The order calls for the Gulf of Mexico to “officially be renamed the Gulf of America”.

Trump can change the name of the Gulf on official US government documents.

This has happened on some documents already – including a weather update from Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, which refers to “an area of low pressure moving across the Gulf of America”.

What are the roadblocks?

Trump can’t force other countries or companies to change the name.

For example, it’s currently still labelled as the Gulf of Mexico on Google Maps.

What is the potential impact?

There’s no formal international agreement for the naming of maritime areas – although there is a body that seeks to resolve disputes if raised.

So Mexico could raise an official dispute, and allies of the US and Mexico could be caught up in a diplomatic spat between the two countries.

In response to the order, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said the US can call it the “Gulf of America”, but this won’t change what Mexico and the rest of the world call it.

The US recognises two sexes, male and female

By Ben Chu and Lucy Gilder, BBC Verify

What does the order say?

“It is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female. These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality,” it says, adding that the federal government will use the term sex, not gender identity.

President Trump’s team argues that requirements to refer to transgender people in government facilities and workplaces by pronouns that match their gender identity violates the US Constitution’s First Amendment on freedom of speech and religion.

States like Kansas and Montana have already legislated to enshrine a biological definition of sex into law.

What are the roadblocks?

There are likely to be legal challenges.

The Human Rights Campaign, which represents LGBTQ+ people, stated that “we will fight back against these harmful provisions with everything we’ve got”.

These challenges could work their way up to the US Supreme Court which, with its conservative majority, could rule in Trump’s favour.

What is the potential impact?

Prisons and settings such as shelters for migrants and rape victims would be segregated by sex under the plans, which campaigners say will help safeguard women. But transgender rights groups say trans women could be put at a heightened risk of violence.

Official identification documents, including passports and visas, would have to state whether the individual was “male” or female”. US citizens would no longer be able to select “X” as a third option.

Photo claiming reconstruction of Akufo-Addo’s destroyed statue is misleading!

Dennis Adu — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 12:13:23 +0000

Claim: Social media posts on X (formerly Twitter) have circulated a photo claiming that the recently destroyed statue of Ghana’s ex-President Nana Akufo-Addo is currently under reconstruction.

Verdict: Misleading! A Google Reverse Image Search conducted by DUBAWA revealed that the photo is not recent. It dates back to November 8, 2024, when a video of the statue’s creation surfaced on social media.

Full Text

Some users on X, Eddie (@dfwEddie) and Ãbdül (@IamAbdul___), both with substantial followings, shared a photo claiming that the statue of former President Akufo-Addo, damaged in January 2025, is being reconstructed.

The statue, unveiled in November 2024 at the Effia-Nkwanta roundabout in Sekondi-Takoradi, was erected to honour Akufo-Addo’s contributions to the Western Region.

The unveiling, led by Regional Minister Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, celebrated the projects initiated during Akufo-Addo’s administration.

On December 16, 2024, a noticeable gaping hole in the statue’s leg was discovered. Whether this damage was intentional or due to a defect remains unclear. Investigations commenced shortly after.

However, the statue became a subject of criticism and was mysteriously destroyed at about 1:30 a.m. on January 13, 2025, days after the inauguration of a new administration.

Hours later, at 9:11 a.m., Eddie (@dfwEddie) posted a photo captioned, “Fixing in progress…the statue de3 efor dey (sic),” which quickly garnered over 250,000 views. Many users were misled into believing reconstruction was underway.

One user, @Listo_Mensah, commented: “It will be destroyed again. Don’t worry.”

Another user, @DensuAddo, accused the statue’s creator, alleging he orchestrated the damage to claim funds for repairs.

Given the potential for misinformation, DUBAWA launched an investigation.

Verification

Using Google Reverse Image Search, DUBAWA traced the image to a video widely shared in November 2024. On November 8, Instagram user @KSSnewsglobal posted the video with the caption: “The making of President Akufo-Addo’s infamous statue in the Western Region.”

The video shows the same craftsman, tools, and materials in identical positions, proving the image is from the statue’s creation, not its reconstruction.

More videos of the construction from two months ago can be seen here, here, and here.

Additionally, a keyword search showed no credible news outlet reporting any ongoing statue reconstruction.

Conclusion

The claim that Akufo-Addo’s statue is under reconstruction is misleading. The circulating image is from November 2024, predating the statue’s destruction.

Video of market fire happened at Madina market in Guinea, not Ghana

Dennis Adu — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 02:19:38 +0000

Claim: Fire has engulfed parts of Madina market and bus station in Accra.

Verdict: False. Using digital tools, DUBAWA found that the video circulating on social media to support the claim is about a fire incident in Guinea, not Ghana.

Full Text

Social media posts such as this on Instagram, this on X, and this and this on YouTube claim fire engulfed part of the Madina market and bus station in Accra.

The claims were made days after recent fire outbreaks at the Saglemi Affordable House project and Kantamanto market in Accra, suggesting a strange spate of fire outbreaks in Ghana.

More than 20,000 people have been reached with the claim, and some users have responded with comments such as “Ei this is becoming unbecoming hmm” and “Ei everywhere Dey burn now” to suggest they believe the claim.

In the 18-second video, the language of communication used by young men frantically working to salvage items from the fire was noted to be foreign to Ghana. This prompted DUBAWA to fact-check the claim.

Verification

DUBAWA manually reviewed the video many times to identify relevant clues about the location, and noted that one of the vehicles in the video had a registration plate that was foreign to Ghana.

This information supports the hypothesis that the video is not from Ghana.

After multiple reverse image searches, DUBAWA found that the video had been shared by Gossip.CI, an Ivorian blog, which labelled it as coming from Guinea.

Based on the lead, the researcher assessed a list of 15 major news websites in Guinea and visited each of them.

On three websites, Guineematin.com, Guineenews.org, and Lelynx.net they had publications about a fire incident at Madina bus station in Conakry, Guinea.

On Guineamatin.com, for instance, it is reported that a “fire broke out this Friday, January 3, 2025, at around 4 p.m., at the bus station of Madina, the largest market in Guinea.”

The report further said Elhadj Ousmane Horoya Sylla, secretary general of the Guinean Transport and General Mechanics Trade Union, said, “The fire started in a container containing flammable goods and products, such as juice. Next to it was a vehicle loaded with petrol and two minibuses. When the fire spread, it was not possible to control the flames.”

Crisis24, an international organisation focused on making experience-based security risk management services accessible, also published an article about the impact of the fire in Guinea.

A Guinea-based Facebook page, La Nature du Fouta, shared videos from the fire incident, such as this and this.

Marché Madina is a very popular market in Guinea and is reported to be one of the biggest in West Africa.

In Ghana, the Madina market is one of the largest markets in the capital, Accra.

Conclusion

The video being shared to claim a fire outbreak at Madina bus station in Accra is of a fire incident at Madina in Conakry, Guinea. There was confusion around the name. The fire incident at Marché Madina in Guinea was mistakenly assumed to have happened at Madina market in Accra.

Did President Akufo-Addo urge US to invade Burkina Faso?

Dennis Adu — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 17:27:02 +0000

Claim: President Akufo-Addo has asked the US to invade Burkina Faso over the presence of Wagner forces, a viral tweet has suggested.

Verdict: Misleading! Although President Akufo-Addo expressed misgivings about insurgency and the presence of the Wagner group in Burkina Faso, he did not call on the US to invade.

Full Text

A viral tweet claims that President Akufo-Addo, in a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and other officials while he was chairperson of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), urged the US to invade Burkina Faso, Ghana’s northern neighbour, over the presence of the private Russian military company Wagner.

The claim, backed by a video of a meeting between President Akufo-Addo and top US government officials, has since reached over 23,000 people.

In the last week, there has been a trend of negative sentiments against President Akufo-Addo on X (formerly Twitter). Most of the tweets, such as this and that, have described him as a “Western puppet.”

Given the diplomatic implication of this video, DUBAWA decided to investigate.

Verification

The video reference used to make the claim was from December 14, 2022, when President Akufo-Addo met US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and other US state officials on the sidelines of the US-Africa Leaders’ Summit in Washington, DC.

In the 5 minutes long video, President Akufo-Addo is heard referencing earlier conversations about insurgencies on the continent because he is going ahead to express his discomfort with terrorism in Burkina Faso along Ghana’s northern borders.

Below is a full transcript of what he said:

Today, Russian mercenaries are on our northern border. Burkina Faso has now entered into an arrangement to go along with Mali in employing the Wagner forces there. I believe a mine in southern Burkina has been allocated to them as a form of payment for their services. Prime Minister of Burkina Faso in the last 10 days, has been in Moscow, and to have them operating on our northern border is particularly distressing for us in Ghana. Apart from not accepting the idea of great powers once again making Africa their theatre of operation, we have a particular position that you know about over the Ukraine war, where we have been very vocal and upfront about condemning the invasion by Russia and, therefore to now have this group on our border is a matter of some considerable disquiet and concern for us. We would really like to have a privileged opportunity to talk about these implications and what we believe ought to be the case.

This is what took place during the discussion with the congress yesterday, which I found very fruitful. And we would like [that] the themes of that discussion, which should be the themes that we should continue to address. To what extent can we have you as a partner in confronting these threats? It is very important that ECOWAS and the West African area remain a democratic space. There is a reason for the actions taken over the coup d’états in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Guinea, and ECOWAS has been very consistent in refusing to deal with these governments because of the undemocratic nature of their ascension to power.

The commitment to democratic values and institutions is a high priority for our states. We in Ghana have been through all kinds of arrangements. In past governance arrangements, one-party states, and all kinds of experiments have taken place, and our people are now very clear in their minds. And our people are not very clear in their minds. They want to go down the avenue for democratic engagement, and that is why the last 30 years of the fourth republic have been the most stable in our country’s history. We want to do everything to preserve that, but there are enemies of democracy who are working hard in West Africa today, and therefore, it is important that we bring that matter to your notice and see to what extent we can engage you as a reliable partner in the pushback of those forces.

There are other areas, of course, of great significance too, such as cooperation for economic growth and development and for making prosperity for our people, which is to some extent part and parcel of this same fight. If the young people have things to do, they are not going to be recruits for terrorist forces, so all of that is part and parcel, but specifically, what we can do about the terrorist threat in West Africa is now the major security concern of all our states, especially the coastal states. Up till now, the last six months have been relatively free of these threats, but now on all our common borders, Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Cote d’Ivoire are these forces that are operating there. We have to find a way to be able to respond and respond effectively to protect our populations.”

An analysis of the transcript of President Akufo-Addo’s discussion with US officials did not show him calling on the US to invade Burkina Faso. From the transcript, it is clear that President Akufo-Addo expressed dissatisfaction with incidents of terrorism, the presence of Wagner in some West African countries, and the spate of military coup d’états in West Africa and asked for US support to tackle such incidents. Nowhere within the clip did he urge the US to invade Burkina Faso.

Conclusion

Based on the video transcript, DUBAWA concludes that President Akufo-Addo did not ask the US to invade Burkina Faso over the presence of Wagner forces of insurgency in the country.

FALSE! Bawumia didn’t say he was “okay” with 38.2% of results allegedly polled

Dennis Adu — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 17:09:04 +0000

Claim: Multiple social media users shared a flyer in which Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the 2024 flagbearer of Ghana’s governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), allegedly said he was “okay with the 38.2%” of the valid votes he recorded in the Dec. 7, 2024, Presidential election.

Verdict: False. DUBAWA’s search showed Ghana’s Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, did not make the alleged claim. There is no indication that Dr Bawumia recorded 38.2% of the valid votes cast in the Dec. 7, 2024, Presidential election. The Electoral Commission (EC)’s provisional results showed Dr Bawumia had 41.32 of the valid votes, and NDC’s flagbearer, John Mahama, recorded 56.68% of the votes. Also, Gideon Boako, an aide to Dr Bawumia, has disputed the claim on Facebook.

Full Text

Multiple social media users shared a flyer in which Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the 2024 flagbearer of Ghana’s governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), allegedly said he was “okay with the 38.2%” of the valid votes he recorded in the Dec. 7, 2024, Presidential election.

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia conceded defeat and congratulated the President-Elect, John Dramani Mahama.

However, some X users have alleged Dr Bawumia has expressed his satisfaction with the “38.2%” of the valid votes he recorded in the general election.

“I am okay with the 38.2%. Because if I get a greater percentage today, what will I get in 2028,” Dr Bawumia reportedly said.

The flyer featured the logo of the Accra-based media outlet TV3. For the flyer, see here, here, and here.

A screenshot of the flyer

Data on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) showed that the flyer shared received over 235,823 views, 352 comments, 743 reposts, 7,534 likes, and 112 bookmarks.

Below are some reactions to the Facebook flyer. See here.

DUBAWA decided to probe the claim as part of its campaign against misinformation and disinformation in Ghana.

Verification

DUBAWA’s search showed Ghana’s Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, did not make the alleged claim.

There is no indication that Dr Bawumia recorded 38.2% of the valid votes cast in the Dec. 7, 2024, Presidential election.

The Electoral Commission (EC)’s provisional results showed Dr Bawumia had 41.32 of the valid votes, and NDC’s flagbearer, John Mahama, recorded 56.68% of the votes.

Also, Gideon Boako, an aide to Dr Bawumia, has disputed the claim on Facebook.

In a Facebook post on Dec. 26, 2024, Dr Boako cautioned Ghanaians to ignore the flyer and its content.

“Kindly ignore this fake news,” Dr Bawumia’s aide said.

Similarly, DUBAWA contacted TV3, the media outlet whose logo is featured on the flyer. However, the Accra-based media organisation denied creating the flyer.

Conclusion

Therefore, it is not true that Dr Bawumia, the 2024 NPP Presidential candidate, has expressed his satisfaction with the purported “38.2%” of the valid votes cast in the Dec. 7, 2024, presidential election.

NAPO’s claim Mahama promised GH¢5 for the dollar and GH¢1 for kenkey, false!

Dennis Adu — Wed, 25 Dec 2024 00:37:28 +0000

Claim: The running mate of NPP’s Presidential Candidate, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, aka NAPO, said President-elect John Dramani Mahama had said he would bring the dollar rate to GHC 5 and the price of kenkey to 1 Cedi before the Dec. 7 elections.

Verdict: False! A thorough investigation by DUBAWA, including keyword research and a review of Mahama’s public statements and campaign communications, shows that Mahama has never promised to bring the dollar rate to GH¢5 or reduce the price of kenkey to GH¢1. Instead, he focuses on stabilising the cedi, tackling inflation, and implementing broader economic recovery measures.

Full Text

Speaking in an interview with journalists posted on X by UTV, after a parliamentary session on December 19, 2024, the running mate of NPP’s Presidential Candidate, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, also known as NAPO, said: “Mahama said he will take the dollar to 5 Cedis and Kenkey 1 Cedi…, we are waiting.”

NAPO wouldn’t be the only one putting out such a statement, as a similar statement on Threads can also be found here.

DUBAWA decided to investigate further to know if Mahama truly claimed due to the virality of misinformation before and after elections, according to a report from the Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition 2024.

Verification

Thorough investigations, including Google’s keyword research conducted by DUBAWA, revealed that President-elect John Dramani Mahama has never claimed to have brought the dollar rate to GH¢5 or reduced the price of kenkey to GH¢1.

Instead, Mahama pledged to address Ghana’s economic challenges directly, with a focus on stabilising the cedi and reducing inflation, once he assumed office on January 7, 2025.

During a courtesy visit by Mourad Louhaida, the Algerian Ambassador to Ghana, on December 12, 2024, Mahama emphasised the need for decisive actions to restore economic stability.

“We are looking to focus on bringing Ghana back up in terms of economic growth, stabilising the currency, and bringing down inflation. And this is the time Ghana needs to work even closer with its partners, including China,” Mahama stated.

Furthermore, in a statement issued on May 29, 2024, in response to reports suggesting Mahama would stabilise the cedi within 100 days, among others, Mahama’s spokesperson Joyce Mogtari clarified:

“To quote him, Mahama stated, ‘Our number one priority will be stabilising the economy and restoring a stable currency. We will launch an urgent economic recovery and fiscal consolidation plan following a national economic dialogue to be held within one hundred days of assumption of office.’”

She emphasised that Mahama’s focus is on fiscal discipline and responsible economic management, which includes reducing government expenditures, tackling waste and corruption, and expanding the tax net to boost revenues.

Researching various campaign archives before December 7 elections, it was clear that Mahama never made such a statement about the dollar exchange rate or the price of Kenkey rather, the Presidential Candidate of the Movement for Change, Alan Kyeremateng was reported by many media platforms for promising to reduce the dollar to below 5 Cedis, during his historic Mega Victory Walk in the Greater Accra Region, on 2nd November 2024.

Lastly, a review of credible media outlets and online archives by DUBAWA found no credible reports supporting Napo’s claim.

Conclusion

Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh’s claim that Mahama promised to bring the dollar rate to GH¢5 and reduce the price of kenkey to GH¢1 is false. Mahama’s actual statements and campaign objectives are focused on stabilising the economy and addressing the broader issues of inflation and currency stability.

Did Alan Kyerematen snub ex-President Kufuor at funeral event in Kumasi?

Dennis Adu — Wed, 25 Dec 2024 00:00:48 +0000

Claim: A viral video circulating on social media claims that Movement of Change leader Alan Kyerematen ignored ex-President John Agyekum Kufuor at the funeral of Kwame Addo Kufuor Jnr by greeting others seated nearby and failing to shake the former President’s hand.

Verdict: Misleading! Alan Kyerematen had already greeted ex-President Kufuor earlier. The video only shows him greeting the Apagyahene, who had not been seated when Kyerematen initially greeted Kufuor. A fuller video posted by Graphic Online provides clarity on the matter.

Full Text

Multiple social media accounts, including several on X (formerly Twitter), shared a short video of Alan Kyerematen greeting a chief seated next to ex-President John Agyekum Kufuor at the funeral of Kwame Addo Kufuor Jnr at the St Cyprian’s Anglican Church in Kumasi on Thursday, December 19, 2024.

The clips suggest Kyerematen intentionally ignored Kufuor, with captions implying political tension or disrespect.

One viral post by user KOJO DYNAMIC (@AnnanPerry) received over 30,000 views with the caption: “Alan Kojo Kyerematen swerve Kuffuor.”

Another account, Nana Otabil (@NanaOtabil12), posted: “Alan K nso. You meet the man at his nephew’s funeral, you greet everyone, and leave him? A whole President Kufuor? Ah!”

Similarly, X user Gabriel Okyere (@yourMPgabbi) added:

“Times and Seasons. The comments suggest Alan is hurt and has the right to be disrespectful to Kufuor. I can only imagine Akufo Addo of 2009 doing the same to Kufuor with these X’tings online… Nana Nyame Nkoaaa ne nokwarefo.”

The claims spread widely, fuelling speculation about political tension between Kyerematen and the former President. Hence, DUBAWA decided to dig further.

Verification

DUBAWA investigated the claim and found the viral video to be misleading. The video online focuses only on Alan Kyerematen greeting the Apagyahene but omits earlier footage showing Kyerematen greeting ex-President Kufuor.

A fuller video posted by Graphic Online reveals the context that Alan Kyerematen had greeted ex-President Kufuor earlier when the Apagyahene was not yet seated.

Later, when the Apagyahene joined the gathering, Kyerematen stood to greet him, which explains why he did not shake Kufuor’s hand again at the moment, as shown in the viral video.

Alan Kyerematen gets out of his seat to greet ex-President Kufour at the same funeral event | credit: @Graphicgh/X

This explanation debunks claims that Alan Kyerematen deliberately ignored Kufuor or acted out of pettiness.

Conclusion

The claim that Alan Kyerematen snubbed ex-President Kufuor at a funeral event is misleading. A complete video of the event shows that Kyerematen greeted Kufuor earlier and later returned to greet the Apagyahene. The incident has been taken out of context to misinform the public.

Claim cloves water cleanses vagina infection, scientifically unproven

Dennis Adu — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 12:01:36 +0000

Claim: A Facebook user claims cloves water can be used to get rid of yeast infection and tighten the vagina.

Verdict: False. There is no substantial scientific evidence that suggests cloves water can be used to cure yeast infection and tighten the vagina. Moreover, gynaecologists say despite antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, cloves have not been scientifically tested to cure vaginal infection.

Full Text

Despite daily breakthroughs in the efficacy of pharmaceutical drugs, a good number of Africans still rely on herbal medicine as an antidote to specific ailments.

A Facebook user, Angela Nwosu Page, claims cloves water can cure vaginal yeast infection.

“I am going to teach you the proper way to use cloves water to treat yeast infection, mouth odour, even (staphylococcus). No matter how long you have carried the (staphylococcus) around, cloves water would eradicate it,” the Facebook user asserted.

“For all sorts of toilet infections, you can make your natural remedy (referring to the cloves) and drink it, and it is all gone,” she added.

Ms Nwosu went ahead to give the recipe for preparing the liquid.

As of Tuesday, November 19, 2024, the Facebook post earned over 1 million views, 16,000 comments, and 85,000 likes.

Most users who had viewed the post and commented only registered interest in testing the herbal antidote.

“I will try this. Thanks for sharing.” Onyinye Cecilia reacted.

“What’s the quantity to be taken?” Amarachi Mercellina Ohuakanwa asked.

“Please, Mami, can men use cloves to get rid of the infections?” Helen Okoro asked.

A similar claim was also posted on TikTok.

Because the recommendation is non-pharmaceutical and novel, DUBAWA decided to verify the claim.

Verification

Cleaveland Clinic mentions the presence of eugenol—an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial chemical—in clove oil. However, it quotes Erik Modlo, who works at Cleaveland Clinic Main Campus, saying that adding small quantities of cloves to food is not threatening. There is no substantial evidence that cloves can be used for medicinal purposes.

Consuming cloves can have many benefits, including easing dental pain and managing gum disease, lowering blood sugar, protecting against cancer, relieving itchy skin, and improving breathing. However, the article does not mention that cloves cure any diseases highlighted by the Facebook claimant.

In an interview with Scientific America, Paul Nyirjesy, an obstetrician–gynaecologist, pointed out that the public perception of cloves as an antidote to vaginal infection is because of the presence of allicin. Allicin is considered fungicidal. However, Dr Nyirjesy said, “It is challenging to assess the potency of such infections.”

He further stated that whenever people insert anything, such as cloves, into the vagina, they could incur severe irritation or burn in that area.

An article on vaginal yeast infection by MedicalNewsToday informs that the condition arises as a result of Candida yeast overgrowth in the vagina. The condition occurs due to disturbances or imbalances between the presence of bacteria and vaginal yeast. About 75% of women are bound to experience this condition.

However, the outlet advises individuals with the infection to immediately contact a doctor. It also listed some medications that an infected person can consume over-the-counter (OTC), such as butoconazole (Gynazole-1), clotrimazole (Gyne-Lotrimin), miconazole (Monistat 3), and terconazole (Terazol 3).

But MedicalNewsToday also recommended homemade treatment, including the application of boric acid vagina suppository and oral or vaginal application of yoghurt.

What experts say

DUBAWA interviewed gynaecologist Qudus Lawal, who works at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo State, about the Facebook claim. He stated that there is no scientific evidence to back the claim up.

He posited that cloves have antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, “but it is not enough to heal or cure for those purposes, as there is no scientific evidence to use them for treatment about those conditions.”

Corroborating Mr Lawal, Akinkuade Abimbola, a gynaecologist at Garki Hospital in Abuja, explained that no scientific research validates the Facebook claim.

“The truth is that anything you put into your vagina becomes a foreign body, no matter how good the content of the thing is. It will irritate the vagina and cause soreness. When this wound heals, it causes what we refer to as gynaetresia, that is, the narrowing of the vagina due to fibrosis from poor healing.

“This is what some people call vagina tightness, but to a gynaecologist, it is an abnormal condition that may reduce women’s reproductive quality of life,” he explained.

Conclusion

DUBAWA’s findings show that the claim is false. It is not scientifically proven, and gynaecologists and researchers have debunked it.

Did Johnson Asiedu Nketia promise to cancel free SHS if NDC is elected?

Dennis Adu — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 13:00:52 +0000

Claim: A trending video shows NDC Chairperson Johnson Asiedu Nketia allegedly stating that the NDC will cancel the Free SHS policy if elected in 2024. He suggested the policy is unsustainable.

Verdict: False! Johnson Asiedu Nketia did not say that the NDC party plans to cancel the Free SHS policy if elected into power in the upcoming elections. DUBAWA’s investigations reveal that the video was edited and framed to distort Johnson Asiedu Nketia’s utterances concerning the free SHS policy and the double-track system.

Full Text

A video has been circulating specifically on TikTok showing Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), informing the public that the NDC will cancel the free SHS policy when they come into power. This video has accumulated over 474,900 views, 16,500 likes, over 6,000 shares, and over 1,000 comments.

This has sparked discussions and comments about the NDC’s political intentions; while some users say the video has been doctored, other social media users have decided to vote to keep the free SHS policy running.

Since its inception in September 2017, the Free Senior High School policy has been the subject of national discussion, with comments for or against the policy sparking continuous debates in the nation’s media space. DUBAWA decided to look into the authenticity of this video as several commenters suggested it had been manipulated.

Verification

The researcher first conducted a keyword search on the subject. The findings revealed

that several news outlets had reported on Mr Asiedu Nketia’s activities in the Ashanti Region. Still, none had reported that he announced the abolition of the free SHS policy.

The researcher also found reports of Johnson Asiedu Nketia accusing the NPP of sabotaging his campaign by doctoring his video.

The researcher also carefully studied the full-length video and discovered that the footage circulating had been framed and re-edited to misinterpret what Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia said.

In the full-length video , Asiedu Nketia explains how the NDC will review the free SHS policy and cancel the double-track schooling system, saying,

“The Free Senior High School Policy is good, but we [NDC] will not leave it in the state it’s in. We will review it. We will make changes to it. This change we intend to make is the reason the NPP is going about claiming we[NDC] will cancel it.”

“He went on to say that they [NPP] have arranged the school system like a traffic light—red track, yellow track and green track. As for that one, no matter what they do, when the NDC comes into power, we will cancel that track, track system.”

This was during a political rally in the Ashanti region.

Following the circulation of the video claiming he announced the NDC would cancel the free SHS policy, Mr Asiedu Nketia has, in another video, publicly refuted the claim, saying, “Everything I say is recorded by the media and even streamed live on Facebook for all to see.”

Other media spaces like Citinews and Joy News Checks also debunked the claim of the viral video.

Conclusion

Based on the above search and findings, the video circulation about NDC’s Johnson Aiedu Nkeitah abolishing the free SHS when elected into power is false. DUBAWA’s investigations reveal that the video was edited and framed to distort Johnson Asiedu Nketia’s utterances concerning the free SHS policy and the double-track system.

Source: Ghana.dubawa.org

Claim e-Levy and Betting Tax are used to generate electricity in Ghana is misleading!

Dennis Adu — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 12:39:12 +0000

Claim: A social media user alleges that the Ghanaian government uses revenue from the e-levy and betting taxes to power the country’s electricity generation.

Verdict: Misleading! While the government collects revenue from the e-levy and betting taxes, there is no evidence to suggest that these funds are explicitly allocated to electricity generation. Instead, Ghana’s electricity sector operates under a complex financing structure involving tariffs, levies, and funding agreements.

Full Text

An account on X, @acheampongHarry, has shared a TikTok video posted by @fantecomedy, which has attracted over 83,000 views, claiming that Ghana is using e-levy and betting tax to power the country regarding electricity generation.

“They know that no matter what, dumsor will come. You see how Captain Smart is bringing on this game. Why do we have light this time?… people should look for their generators. It was e-levy and betting taxes that were helping to sustain our lights, and Ghanaians said they don’t want that now…” he said.

Some users who reacted to the post had these to say:

Louis Rich, with the handle @ToscanEkow, wrote,

“I wonder how some of you here reason cap. Where is the evidence to back his claim? Charlie, e do aaa you squad for reason small. If Ghana really owes Nigeria, why would they wait for Mahama to come before we start to experience dumsor? Can’t we experience it now?”

Another user, iamEb_en with the handle, @iamEb_en reacted:

“It’s funny how people talk anyhow without searching or getting facts well; everything said it’s true … ask yourself why ECG boss left his position without any reasons …. They is dept at ECG ….even hubtel that creates the app for them …ECG owes them $289m plus…[SIC]”

With the tendency to misinform the public, DUBAWA decided to investigate further.

Verification

DUBAWA first decided to investigate

i) E-levy Revenue Usage:

The e-levy, introduced to enhance government revenue, is allocated to various national priorities, including debt servicing, infrastructure, and social services. Electricity-specific allocations have not been explicitly stated in government budgets or official communication.

ii) Betting Tax Revenue:

Betting taxes are a relatively new revenue stream in Ghana, primarily designed to increase government funds. Like the e-levy, these taxes contribute to the general revenue pool but are not explicitly tied to electricity generation.

iii) Electricity Financing in Ghana:

Electricity generation and distribution in Ghana are primarily funded through tariffs, government subsidies, levies like the Energy Sector Levies Act (ESLA), and international agreements. The ESLA, for example, directly supports energy sector sustainability by covering debts and operational costs. New initiatives such as the Emissions Levy, also help adjust tariffs to meet rising operational costs.

Conclusion

The claim that e-levy and betting tax revenues are used specifically to sustain electricity generation in Ghana lacks substantiated evidence. While these taxes contribute to national revenue, electricity funding involves diverse mechanisms and sources beyond these two streams.

Source: Ghana.dubawa.org

Ghana Fact-checking Coalition records over 100 false publications during 2024 elections

Dennis Adu — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 02:11:11 +0000

The Ghana Fact-checking Coalition, a group of fact-checkers, has reported over 100 false publications related to the 2024 elections in its Election 2024 Media Situation Room.

According to the coalition’s findings, 85.3 per cent of the false narratives were spread on social media, followed by 8.8 per cent on television stations, 4.4 per cent on news websites, and 1.5 per cent on radio stations.

Mr. Kwaku Krobea Asante, Coordinator of the Coalition, disclosed this during a press briefing at the Media Situation Room in Accra.

The data was collected and analysed over the course of a week, covering publications before, during, and after the December 7 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.

Mr. Asante noted that political parties were the primary targets of misinformation and disinformation.

He added that the two main presidential candidates were particularly affected, followed by the Electoral Commission and its officials, who were also subjects of false narratives.

“Most of the narratives we monitored under the election integrity at some point targeted the Electoral Commission, its oﬃcers and oﬃcials,” he said.

Mr. Asante explained that, in the lead-up to the elections, it became clear that disinformation would pose a significant challenge.

This prompted the formation of the Ghana Fact-checking Coalition, which was established to monitor and counter false information.

He raised important concerns about content moderation and social media regulation in the country.

Mr. Asante further stated that the Coalition is compiling a comprehensive report based on their findings, which will be shared with relevant stakeholders to help address the increasing spread of misinformation and disinformation in Ghana.

False! NDC’s Prof Naana Jane did not advocate for some SHSs to be reserved for the privileged

Dennis Adu — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 23:41:18 +0000

Claim: Viral TikTok’s post claims that Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has said that schools like Prempeh and Presec should not be part of the Free SHS policy.

Source: nartpee69, TikTok, also seen on Facebook and threads. (Archived here, here & here).

Verdict: False

Explanation: The claim is attributed to Kumasi-based Kapital Radio and features the station’s name, logo and news card design. However, when the team went through the organisation’s social media handles, we did not find the particular artwork there.

Fig 1: Claim as seen on TikTok

The Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition also ran a keyword and reverse images search and found that no major media house reported this claim. The National Democratic Party’s Vice Presidential aspirant has also debunked the post on her official Facebook page.

Source: Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition

True, Bawumia recorded zero votes at some polling stations in Bawku

Dennis Adu — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 23:34:02 +0000

Claim: Two social media users (here and here) claim the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, recorded zero votes in some polling stations in Bawku.

Verdict: True

The Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition’s checks at various polling stations in Bawku revealed that Dr. Bawumia received zero votes in several polling stations within Kusasi-dominated communities.

Sources attribute it to a longstanding feud between the Kusasis and the Mamprusis, which reportedly led to chiefs in the Kusasi areas instructing their subjects not to vote for Dr. Bawumia, who is of Mamprusi descent.

Additionally, before the elections, the NPP was banned from campaigning in the Kusaug Traditional Area.

Below are the results from some of the polling stations sent in by some correspondents:

Name of candidate	Polling station	Result
Mahamadu Bawumia	Nyorugu	0
John Dramani Mahama		464

Name of candidate	Polling station	Result
Mahamadu Bawumia	Kpalugu Checkpoint	0
John Dramani Mahama		450

Name of candidate	Polling station	Result
Mahamadu Bawumia	Kpalugu Primary School	0
John Dramani Mahama		395

Name of candidate	Polling station	Result
Mahamadu Bawumia	Aviondago	0
John Dramani Mahama		270

Name of candidate	Polling station	Result
Mahamadu Bawumia	Nayoko No.2	0
John Dramani Mahama		345

Name of candidate	Polling station	Result
Mahamadu Bawumia	Nayoko No.1 JHS	0
John Dramani Mahama		419

Name of candidate	Polling station	Result
Mahamadu Bawumia	Narangzua primary	0
John Dramani Mahama		286

Name of candidate	Polling station	Result
Mahamadu Bawumia	Old Education	0
John Dramani Mahama		385

Name of candidate	Polling station	Result
Mahamadu Bawumia	Sabungari	0
John Dramani Mahama		1002

Name of candidate	Polling station	Result
Mahamadu Bawumia	Pentecost church	0
John Dramani Mahama		482

Source: Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition

Reports suggesting President Akufo-Addo is hospitalised, false

Dennis Adu — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 03:47:41 +0000

Claim: President Akufo-Addo was rushed to the hospital for medical attention

Source: Phoenix News website Archived Here

Verdict: False!

Explanation: Checks by the Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition at the presidency have confirmed that this claim is false and that the president is in good health.

Source: Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition

Viral video of Akufo-Addo reacting to election result, old and unrelated

Dennis Adu — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 03:42:27 +0000

Claim: TikTok user, menu. tabor shared a video of President Akufo-Addo, implying that his reaction in the video is his response to the December 7, 2024 election results. “See President Nana Addo’s reaction seeing the results” the caption read.

Source: menu.tabor (on TikTok)/ video

Verdict: False

Explanation: The Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition’s verification through a Google reverse image search reveals that the video is an old video from May 2019, captured during a football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Ajax in the UEFA Champions League. The video is, therefore, in no way related to the elections.

Source: Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition

Video of vandalized police station happened in Techiman South Police station not Lamashegu

Dennis Adu — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 03:30:46 +0000

Claim: An Instagram video shared on TV3 is alleging that the Lamashegu Police Station was vandalized by some youth in Tamale.

Source: TV3 (Instagram)

Verdict: Misleading

Explanation: The same video was shared by Channel One TV on X , showing NDC youth storming the Techiman South Police Station, which served as a collation center.

Upon comparing the footage from both posts, it was confirmed that the building shown in the video is located in Techiman South, not Lamashegu. The video shared by TV3 actually depicts the events in Techiman South, not the Lamashegu Police Station.

Source: Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition

Misleading! NDC National Organiser not locked up in Ashanti Region

Dennis Adu — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 01:57:38 +0000

Claim: NDC members lock up National Organiser Joseph Yamin in Ashanti Region

Source:@MrIrish3 (X) and @kwadwosheldon. (Archived here & here).

Verdict: Misleading!

Explanation: A violent incident was recorded on December 6, 2024, when the NDC national organiser was addressing a press conference in Kumasi. Footage reviewed by the Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition showed a man angrily addressing the executives, knocking off microphones from the table (here, here, here). However, the video captions suggesting that Yamin was locked up by the aggrieved party supporters are false because the national officer was seated while the supporters who said they had no issues with any party member explained the reason for their action.

Source: Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition

False! President Akufo-Addo’s statue has not been torn down

Dennis Adu — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 01:15:43 +0000

Claim: A Facebook user, Francis Kennedy Ocloo, shared a picture of President Akufo-Addo’s statue at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi and another statue that has been toppled, claiming that the torn down statue was President Akufo-Addo’s statue.

Source: Facebook Click here. (Archived).

Verdict: False

Explanation: The Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition using Google reverse image search found that the image is that of Confederate General, William Carter Wickham, an American politician in the 1800s. His statue was toppled during the Black Lives Matter protests that rocked the United States in 2020. The Coalition also confirmed that the president’s statue is still standing in Sekondi. The claim is therefore false.

Source: Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition

No evidence of ballot stuffing at Whyte Gate Hotel

Dennis Adu — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 01:12:55 +0000

Claim: NDC busted EC for booking Whyte Gate Hotel at Galilea for ballot stuffing with military and police protection.

Source: @fanti_boy (X). (Archived here).

Verdict: Insufficient Evidence

Explanation: Our sources present at the event told the Ghana Fact-checking Coalition that after the scuffle at the hotel premises, there was no indication as to whether or not an incident of ballot stuffing had occurred. However, they mentioned that the hotel owner disclosed that Joseph Nyarni, the Municipal Chief Executive for the Ga South Municipal Assembly, was responsible for the unusual military presence at the hotel.

Source: Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition

No evidence of Russian interference in Ghana’s election

Dennis Adu — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 00:25:21 +0000

Claim: A post in a pro-NPP Facebook group, “NPP Official’s Ashley Anston,” suggests that Russia might have interfered in Ghana’s election. The post states: “Russia interfered in the 2016 & 2024 elections in mighty United States sabotaging Hillary Clinton & Kamala Harris respectively thru misinformation. Is Ghana a victim?”

Source: Public Facebook group – NPP Official’s Ashley Anston archived here.

Verdict: False

Explanation: No credible evidence exists to substantiate the claim. Misinformation campaigns like those attributed to Russia in other nations are often highly visible and well-documented. In Ghana’s case, the Coalition of Fact-Checkers has actively monitored social media platforms during the election period and debunked several instances of misinformation. However, there has been no credible report or evidence linking Russian interference to Ghana’s electoral process.

Source: Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition

Fake! Ursula Owusu’s account did not warn X followers against trolling her

Dennis Adu — Sun, 08 Dec 2024 22:51:10 +0000

Claim: A viral tweet allegedly from Ursula Owusu-Ekuful warns followers she will not tolerate disrespect after her loss in the Ablekuma West Constituency parliamentary elections.

Source: X (Archived here)

Verdict: False!

Explanation: The X (formerly Twitter) account that made the viral tweet is not the official X account of Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the Communication and Digitalization Minister and Ablekuma West MP. Her official account on X is @UrsulaOw NOT @UrsulaOwusu_. In the bio for @UrsulaOwusu_ it is stated that the account is a parody one.

Source: Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition

False! NPP Gov’t didn’t reduce unemployment to 4%

Dennis Adu — Sun, 08 Dec 2024 22:49:06 +0000

Claim: An X handle claimed that the NPP inherited an unemployment rate of 8.4% but brought it to 4% by employing 2.6 million Ghanaians.

Source: X (formerly Twitter)

Verdict: False

Explanation:

While the unemployment rate in 2016 was indeed 8.4%, according to the latest Labour Statistics Bulletin by the Ghana Statistical Service, the average unemployment rate for the first three quarters of 2023 was 14.7%, not 4% as claimed.

Regarding the number of jobs created under the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration, the government has been inconsistent. Various government officials, including Vice President and NPP Presidential Candidate Dr. Bawumia, have claimed that over 2 million jobs were created. However, multiple Fact-Check Ghana reports here and here have flagged these claims as baseless and unsupported by evidence.

Source: Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition

True! Men who confronted soldiers in Obuasi East are receiving treatment in a hospital

Dennis Adu — Sun, 08 Dec 2024 03:05:07 +0000

Claim: An X user shared a video claiming that two men who confronted soldiers during the voting exercise in Obuasi East are now receiving treatment in a hospital.

(Source: @RoGoat7 (X) (Archived here).

Verdict: True.

Explanation: We compared the video of the two men in a hospital with the video of the scuffle and found them to be the same people. Although their shirts were now off, the men were still wearing the same trousers spotted in the initial video. Similarly, an unidentified man who appeared in the scuffle video was also seen with them at the hospital. The X user’s claim is, therefore, true.

Source: Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition

EC has not confirmed that KT has lost his seat

Dennis Adu — Sun, 08 Dec 2024 00:56:14 +0000

Claim: KT Hammond has lost his seat. (Source: Facebook, Twitter)

Verdict: False

Explanation

Reports that the Member of Parliament for Adansi Asokwa Constituency, K. T Hammond, has lost his seat are not confirmed yet. The Ghana Fact-checking Coalition gathers that the Electoral Commission is still collating results from the various polling stations and has yet to declare a winner. An EC officer in the Asokwa Constituency confirmed to the Coalition that the collation of votes is ongoing and no winner has been declared yet.

Source: Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition

Pro-NPP X accounts spread hate and false claims targeted at NDC’s John Mahama

Dennis Adu — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 22:54:05 +0000

On X (formerly Twitter), a coordinated network of accounts is driving hashtags such as:

#IncompetentMahama

#FailedMahama

#1TouchForBawumia

#BawumiaForPresident

These accounts are spreading harmful disinformation targeting John Dramani Mahama, the Presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). For example, the lead account at the centre of this campaign, Kwaku Brown (@kwakubrownies), alleged that Martin Amidu accused John Mahama of being “the father of all corruption” in the Airbus scandal. In another instance, the account claimed that Mahama sold his Dubai hotels to a former Minister of Lands and Natural Resources. Both claims have been fact-checked by the Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition and found false (see here and here).

We continue monitoring these hashtags for harmful content related to the elections.

DATA SHEET:kwakubrownies

Source: Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition

35 Togolese nationals arrested, repatriated at Aflao border

Dennis Adu — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 22:48:11 +0000

Claim: A Facebook user claims a group of Togolese brought in by the NPP were arrested in Ketu South and repatriated.

Source: Facebook

Verdict: Misleading

Explanation: The Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition has confirmed that the Ghana Immigration Service picked 36 suspected individuals on the eve of election day. After a thorough screening, 35 of them were found to be Togolese. They have since been repatriated. Even though the Ghana Immigration Service confirmed the incident, they did not establish which political parties masterminded the influx of the Togolese nationals.

Source: Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition

Did Nelson Mandela make statement about Mahama?

Dennis Adu — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 16:45:48 +0000

Claim: A TikTok user shared a video attributing a statement made by South Africa’s former president, Nelson Mandela, to ex-President John Dramani Mahama, claiming: “Wait and see what Nelson Mandela said about Mahama.”

Source: finderek1/TikTok. (Archived here).

Verdict: False

Explanation:

Research by the Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition using Google Lens revealed that the excerpt attributed to Nelson Mandela originated from an interview conducted by Ted Koppel at the Aaron Davis Hall, City College of New York. This occurred well before John Dramani Mahama became a significant figure in Ghanaian politics.

Additionally, Mandela passed away in December 2013, and he couldn’t have made any statements about Mahama in 2024.

Source: Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition

True, one person has died from Tolon shooting incidence

Dennis Adu — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 16:34:44 +0000

Claim: A WhatsApp video reports a shooting incident leading to the death of an individual in a branded NDC T-shirt in the Tolon Constituency.

Source: WhatsApp

Verdict: True.

Explanation: Reports from WANEP election observers in Tolon confirm that there was a shooting in Nyankpala in the Tolon constituency. The Northern Regional Peace Council also confirmed the incident to the Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition.

Source: Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition

NPP borrowed more than GHS1 trillion between 2017 and 2024 NOT GHC 622 billion

Dennis Adu — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 16:26:10 +0000

Claim: X user @scottbolshevik claims that from 2017 to now, Ghana has borrowed over GHC 622 billion, with the Bank of Ghana illegally printing GHC 60 billion and leveraging mobile money systems for additional funds.

Verdict: False

Explanation: According to a 2023 report by FactCheck Ghana and Bank of Ghana’s Summary of Economic Financial Data(2024), Ghana’s borrowing figures over the years are as follows:

Year	Borrowed figures(GHS)
2017	142,546,700,000
2018	173,102,200,000
2019	218,228,900,000
2020	291,630,700,000
2021	351,787,000,000
2022	575,000,800,000
2023	610,000,000,000
Total	1,749,294,300,000

From the data above, Ghana has borrowed over GHS1 trillion between 2017 and 2024, which is more than the GHS622 billion as claimed. The Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition did not find any evidence to support the claim that the Bank of Ghana printed GHS 60 billion illegally.

Source: Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition

John Dumelo didn’t send SMS calling Maa Lydia a ‘Husband Killer’

Dennis Adu — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 16:17:53 +0000

Claim: X users @NanaKwame_off, @GrefDuah, and @AmoakoKwam claim NDC Parliamentary candidate for Ayawaso West Wuogon, John Dumelo, called Maa Lydia a husband killer in bulk SMS to constituents.

Verdict: False

Explanation:

The Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition checked with multiple voters in the constituency and they denied receiving a message with such content from John Dumelo.

We subjected the screenshot of the alleged text to Forensically, a digital image forensics tool, and it revealed some cloning effect. The noise analysis feature of the tool showed that the name of the sender (JohnDumelo) was superimposed on an existing name.

We also spoke to Mr Dumelo who denied sending the alleged text message to his constituents, describing it as ‘fake news’.

Source: Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition

Viral video of Kennedy Agyapong criticising NPP for vote-buying, not related to Dec. 7 elections

Dennis Adu — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 13:22:46 +0000

Claim: A video of Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong claiming the New Patriotic Party (NPP) wants to buy votes from electorates has gone viral. It was posted on X by National Democratic Congress (NDC) Communication Director Sammy Gyamfi in the heat of the campaign as Ghana heads to elections on December 7.

Verdict: Misleading. The video is an old video of Kennedy Agyapong speaking in an interview during the NPP flagbearer’s race he contested a year ago, on November 2, 2023. The Assin Central MP was referring to NPP delegates who were alleged to have been paid huge amounts of money to vote during the incumbent party’s ‘flagbearership’ position before the December 7 election.

Full Text

On December 1, 2024, Sammy Gyamfi, NDC’s Communication Director, posted a video of Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong to his over 268,000 followers on X.

The caption of the video reads, “REJECT NPP’S CASH FOR VOTES AND VOTE FOR A MAN WHO CAN CREATE JOBS – KENNEDY AGYAPONG TO VOTERS [SIC]”

In the 01:20-second video Sammy Gyamfi posted, which garnered over 160,000 views as of Dec. 2, 2024, the NPP legislator was talking to an interviewer and proudly asking electorates to oppose vote buying.

Speaking in the video, Kennedy Agyapong said this in the Akan language:

“Now they are using money to buy your conscience. They mean that if they keep you hungry for eight years, and they later come to you with a little incentive, they can buy your conscience. This time, we should show them that [Ken then gave a proverb in Akan] ‘if we didn’t hear the rain pour in the night, the soaked earth in the morning easily tells us it actually poured’.

“If you [Bawumia] could have done anything, you had enough time to do it. After 8 years, our kids are looking for jobs, and they are not getting them; police, immigration, fire service, prisons, teaching, nursing, and local government positions are now for sale. As a delegate, you pay GHC 10,000… one of the Bolga, Upper East delegates told me that.

“One of the regional executives told me that she paid GHC 10,000 for her daughter to get enrolled into the police, but she didn’t get the slot after paying… so they should vote for someone who will bring jobs, and if there are jobs, there is no need for anyone to pay for it.” Kennedy Agyapong slammed delegates who were rooting for Dr Bawumia and other aspirants who wanted to be flagbearers of the NPP last year.

But the caption of Sammy Gyamfi’s post on X misled some followers into believing Kennedy Agyapong was talking about electorates in general ahead of the Dec. 7 elections. In contrast, he was only referring to delegates participating in the NPP internal elections when he was standing for the position of flagbearer last year.

Others also believed he was endorsing NDC’s presidential candidate, John Mahama, against Dr Mahamudu Bawumia of the NPP.

Reacting to the post, Kay, a user on X with the handle @NyhiraPapa, queried ex-President Mahama’s tenure as president.

“What jobs did Mahama create? Every liar, like you, licks their mouth when talking. That’s all that you did yesterday at UTV showbiz. You lie too much, and you’re so confident in lying that it will take you another 20 years in opposition,” he wrote at 10:41 AM on Dec 1, 2024.

Moreover, another X user, MarkPopo, with the handle @MarkPopo136728, said:

“We will refuse to be swayed by these corrupt big men who only come to us when they need our votes with a small token. We will vote against the NPP massively in the upcoming elections. The time for change is now,” he wrote at 5:03 PM on Dec 1, 2024.

Nonetheless, the video Sammy Gyamfi shared can also be found on Facebook, Instagram, and other accounts on platforms such as X.

With the tendency to confuse and mislead people ahead of the Dec. 7 elections, DUBAWA decided to investigate further.

Verification

In investigating this video, DUBAWA found the original video of Kennedy Agyapong speaking against the New Patriotic Party (NPP) gestures two days prior to the NPP’s flagbearers’ election, which took place on November 4, 2023.

The part Sammy Gyamfi posted can be seen at the 41-minute-38-seconds of the full video.

The interview was also streamed live on Nov 2, 2023, on the channel by the owner of the account, a Ghanaian journalist, Dan Kwaku Yeboah, who has since reached over 28,808 views on the popular video platform YouTube.

Again, fact cards pop up periodically in the original video posted on his YouTube channel, in which he asks NPP delegates to vote for him on November 3, 2023. This shows that it’s an old video taken to push a different narrative as the elections inch closer.

Additionally, to verify the fact that Kennedy Agyapong wasn’t talking to Ghanaians as a whole, and, he was speaking to delegates in the NPP, he commented a few seconds before the initial viral video saying,

“If he [Bawumia] did the work well, why would he want to buy your conscience…? Because they have disappointed you, the delegates…” before he proceeded with the statement that is being disseminated that he is asking Ghanaians to vote out the NPP in 2024. This can be found in the 41-minute-23-second part of the original video that was streamed live.

Conclusion

The video of Kennedy Agyapong shared by Sammy Gyamfi, suggesting the Assin Central MP was urging Ghanaians to reject the NPP in the upcoming December 7 elections, is misleading. The original video, recorded during the NPP flagbearers’ race in November 2023, shows Kennedy Agyapong addressing delegates and criticising internal vote-buying.

Source: ghana.dubawa.org

Explainer: What percentage of votes does NDC require in Volta and Ashanti Regions to win Dec. 7 elections?

Dennis Adu — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 12:48:08 +0000

As Ghana approaches the December 7 general elections, there is rising political tension amid calls for a peaceful atmosphere.

Citizens are gearing up to exercise their democratic rights, while presidential candidates are, as expected, making their final appeals for votes.

Nonetheless, Thursday, December 5, will mark the end of campaign activities, with the NDC and NPP holding their final rallies before polling day.

However, beyond the rallies and promises, voting patterns from past elections provide vital insights into what each party needs to secure to win. NDC and NPP have made claims, setting percentage targets of votes that should get them to win.

This analysis by DUBAWA delves into historical voting trends in the Volta, Oti, and Ashanti Regions to answer a critical question: What percentage of votes does the NDC need in Volta and Ashanti to win over the NPP?

Volta and Oti Region Voting Patterns (1992-2020)

The Volta Region has been the NDC’s strongest fortress since 1992.

Below is a detailed breakdown of the party’s performance against the NPP over the years:

Volta Region Historical Data

Year	NDC Votes (%)	NPP Votes (%)
1992	93.24	3.61
1996	94.55	4.73
2000	86.28	7.90
2004	84.06	13.68
2008	82.46	15.38
2012	91.39	7.41
2016	87.67	10.81
2020	84.81	14.14

Voting Trends in Volta and Oti Regions (1992-2020) A chart illustrating NDC’s dominance over the years in Volta and the gradual rise of NPP in Oti. (Data source: Peace FM election database)

Oti Region Performance

Before 2018, the Oti Region was part of Volta. It officially became a separate entity following a referendum, with its capital being Dambai. Here’s how NDC and NPP have performed in Oti since 2016:

Year	NDC Votes (%)	NPP Votes (%)
2016	63.43	34.58
2020	62.78	35.67

Ashanti Region Voting Patterns (1992-2020)

The Ashanti Region has consistently been the NPP’s stronghold.

Below is a summary of the party’s dominance over the years:

Year	NPP Votes (%)	Outcome
1992	60.54	Lost
1996	65.8	Lost
2000	80.5	Won
2004	76.97	Won
2008	74.39	Lost
2012	70.86	Lost
2016	76.27	Won
2020	71.64	Won

NPP’s Performance in Ashanti Region (1992-2020): A chart showing the correlation between NPP’s vote share in Ashanti and national outcomes against NDC. (Data source: Peace FM election database).

Key insights from DUBAWA

NDC in Volta and Oti Regions

The NDC’s dominance in Volta remains critical. Any significant reduction below 80% could jeopardise their chances in 2024, especially as Oti remains a more competitive landscape for the NPP.

In Oti, the NPP’s growing vote share (35% in 2020) indicates the need for the NDC to intensify campaigns to maintain at least 60% of the vote.

Critical questions tackled by DUBAWA based on historical voting patterns in Ashanti and Volta Regions, including Oti, from 1992 to 2020:

What percentage does the NDC require in Volta?

The NDC needs to secure at least 80% of the votes in the Volta Region to maintain its dominance in 2024. This level of support is critical to offset NPP’s strength in Ashanti and swing regions.

What percentage does the NDC require in Oti?

Given the NPP’s steady rise in the Oti Region, the NDC must achieve at least 60% of the votes. Falling below this threshold could weaken the NDC’s overall chances in the 2024 national election.

What percentage does the NDC require in Ashanti?

The Ashanti Region has been challenging for the NDC due to NPP’s rooted dominance. However, to make a significant impact, the NDC must aim for at least 30% to 35% of the votes in Ashanti.

In 1996, when the NDC came close to this range with 33.8%, they won the national election.

However, in 2016 and 2020, the NDC’s vote share in Ashanti dropped below 30%, correlating with losses in the national polls.

A performance above 30% in Ashanti would demonstrate increased support and be crucial in neutralising NPP’s numerical advantage in 2024.

Does winning 75% of Ashanti guarantee NPP victory?

No. While a strong performance in Ashanti is vital for the NPP, their national victory depends on strong results in swing regions, particularly Greater Accra, Central, and Western.

Swing Regions Matter

Both parties must perform well in swing regions like Greater Accra, Central, and Western to secure a national win. For instance, the NPP secured over 74% in Ashanti in 2008 but lost the national election due to weaker outcomes in Greater Accra and Central Regions.

Conclusion

While Volta and Ashanti Regions remain key battlegrounds for NDC and NPP, neither stronghold guarantees victory.

The outcome of the December 7 elections will ultimately be determined by how well each party performs in swing regions.

Both political parties must strategically target Greater Accra, Central, and Western to secure the presidency.

Source: ghana.dubawa.org

Explainer: Does winning 75% of Ashanti Region guarantee NPP victory in 2024?

Dennis Adu — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 03:10:31 +0000

Ghana’s voters will elect a new president in less than 16 days. Campaigns have intensified, with many political bigwigs taking every opportunity to sell their mandates and visions ahead of Dec. 7, 2024.

On the road to elections, on Nov. 13, 2024, Nana Akomea, Vice Chairman of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s campaign team, appeared on GH Today on GHOne TV and made a claim that sparked much debate.

According to Nana Akomea, if the New Patriotic Party (NPP) secures 75% of the votes in the Ashanti Region, they will win the 2024 presidential election.

However, is this claim valid, or does historical data present a more complex picture?

The Ashanti Region: A key stronghold for the NPP

The Ashanti Region is widely regarded as the NPP’s traditional stronghold, with a long history of overwhelming support for the party in presidential elections.

This region is crucial to the NPP’s electoral strategy, contributing significantly to their national vote tally.

Given its size and political importance, a strong performance in Ashanti is often seen as a major factor in securing victory at the national level.

The 75% Target: Fact or fiction?

Nana Akomea’s statement implies that achieving 75% of the vote in Ashanti guarantees a national win for the NPP.

This assertion may seem plausible on the surface, especially given the NPP’s history of strong performance in the region.

However, a closer look at the historical data reveals a more nuanced reality.

A Review of NPP’s Performance in Ashanti from 1992 to 2020

To assess the claim’s validity, it is important to analyse voting patterns in the Ashanti Region over the years and how they correspond with national election outcomes.

Here’s a summary of the NPP’s vote share in Ashanti during presidential elections from 1992 to 2020:

1992 Election: In the 1992 election, Albert Adu Boahen of the NPP received 60.54% of the total votes in Ashanti, but the party lost the national election to Jerry John Rawlings of the NDC.
1996 Election: John Agyekum Kufuor of the NPP garnered 65.8% of votes in Ashanti but still lost the national election to Jerry John Rawlings.
2000 Election: In the 2000 election, Kufuor achieved 80.5% of the Ashanti vote and won the national election against John Evans Atta Mills of the NDC.
2004 Election: Kufuor again won 76.97% of the votes in Ashanti and secured a second term as president.
2008 Election: In this election, Nana Akufo-Addo of the NPP won 74.39% of the votes in Ashanti but lost the national election to John Atta Mills of the NDC. The NPP’s performance in other regions, such as Greater Accra and the Volta Region, was much weaker, contributing to their loss.
2012 Election: Nana Akufo-Addo won 70.86% of votes in Ashanti but lost the election to John Mahama of the NDC, primarily due to strong support for Mahama in other regions.
2016 Election: In the 2016 election, Akufo-Addo secured 76.27% of the votes in Ashanti and won the national election, defeating John Mahama.
2020 Election: In the most recent election, Akufo-Addo secured 71.64% of the votes in Ashanti and still won the national election against John Mahama, illustrating that other regions played a significant role in securing victory.

Data source: Peacefmonline election database

Key observations made by DUBAWA

From the historical data, DUBAWA made the following key observations about the NPP’s performance in Ashanti and its correlation with national outcomes:

When the NPP secured over 75% in Ashanti: In the years 2000, 2004, and 2016, the NPP won more than 75% of the votes in Ashanti, and in all three cases, they won the national election.

This trend suggests that a strong performance in Ashanti can be a strong foundation for an NPP victory.

When the NPP secured less than 75% in Ashanti: In 1992, 1996, 2012, and 2020, the NPP did not secure the national election because the support, though significant, was less than 75% in Ashanti.

This shows that securing a high percentage of votes in Ashanti alone does not guarantee a national win if the NPP performs poorly in other regions.

2008 election: The 2008 election is a notable outlier. In this election, Nana Akufo-Addo secured 74.39% of the votes in Ashanti, a figure close to the 75% threshold.
Despite this strong showing in Ashanti, the NPP lost the national election, largely due to weak performance in other key regions like Greater Accra and Volta, which were strongholds for the NDC.
The Importance of Other Regions: The 2020 election provides further evidence that winning Ashanti by a large margin does not automatically ensure victory.
Despite securing 71.64% of the votes in Ashanti, Akufo-Addo’s victory was secured through strong support in other regions, particularly Greater Accra, which played a decisive role in his win.

Conclusion

While securing 75% of the vote in the Ashanti Region greatly increases the NPP’s chances of winning the national election, it is not guaranteed.

Historical evidence suggests that the party’s performance in other regions, particularly in swing areas like Greater Accra and Central Region is in determining the overall winner.

The 2008 election serves as a cautionary tale, where even a high percentage of votes in Ashanti could not overcome losses in other regions.

Similarly, the 2020 election demonstrated that the NPP could still win without reaching 75% in Ashanti, provided they performed well in other key regions.

In conclusion, while a 75% vote share in Ashanti strengthens the NPP’s position, it does not automatically result in a national win.

To secure victory in 2024, the NPP will need to perform well in Ashanti and other critical regions across the country.

Source: ghana.dubawa.org

Misleading! Mahama didn’t leave office with debt-to-GDP ratio at 56%, inflation at 15%, unemployment rate at 8%

Dennis Adu — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 02:55:00 +0000

Claim 1: A Facebook user claims John Mahama, the NDC 2024 flagbearer, left office on January 6, 2017, when Ghana’s debt-to-GDP ratio was 56%.

Verdict: False!

Explanation

Data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Ministry of Finance showed that Ghana’s debt-to-GDP ratio was above 72% in 2016 when Mahama exited office, not 57%, as claimed.

Claim 2: A Facebook user claims John Mahama, the NDC 2024 flagbearer, left office on January 6, 2017, when Ghana’s inflation was 15%.

Verdict: True!

Explanation

The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS)’s 2016 year-on-year inflation rate confirmed that the inflation rate, as of December 31, 2024, was 15%.

Claim 3: A Facebook user claims John Mahama, the NDC 2024 flagbearer, left office on January 6, 2017, when Ghana’s unemployment rate was 8%.

Verdict: True!

Explanation

The GLSS 7 survey conducted between October 2016 and October 2017, confirmed Ghana’s labour force comprised 12,244,318 people, with 11,216,724 employed and 1,027,596 unemployed. Using the unemployment rate formula, dividing 1,027,596 by 12,244,318 and multiplying the result (0.0839) by 100%, the unemployment rate for 2016/2017 was 8.39%, rounded to 8.4%. Therefore, the social media user’s claim is true.

Source: Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition

No evidence to support claim of Goasomanhene’s death during election ritual for John Mahama

Dennis Adu — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 02:52:31 +0000

Claim: X user @NanaKwame shared a flyer in which the Goasomanhene reportedly died while consulting a deity for John Mahama, the 2024 NDC flagbearer, to win the upcoming polls.

Verdict: Insufficient evidence.

Explanation: No evidence supports the claim that the Goasomanhene died while consulting a deity.

Rumours of the death of the paramount chief of the Goaso Traditional Council, Nana Akwasi Bosompra, are not new.

In November 2024, stories about his alleged death were reported online, but he refuted it during an interaction he had with the media.

Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition’s sources close to his palace say he has been unwell for a while and is currently responding to medical treatment.

Source: Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition

Claim NAPO was denied speaking at NPP Rally, false!

Dennis Adu — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 02:37:24 +0000

Claim: X user @LongLyf2 claimed that NPP Vice-Presidential candidate Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh was not allowed to speak at the final rally.

Verdict: False.

Verification: Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh was among the speakers who addressed the crowd at the party’s final rally in Accra.

He spoke for three minutes following former President Kufuor’s address to the party faithful.

Source: Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition

Martin Amidu did not accuse Mahama of being father of corruption

Dennis Adu — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 02:24:04 +0000

Claim: An X (formerly Twitter) user claims that Martin Amidu accused John Mahama of being the father of corruption in his new revelation about the Airbus scandal.

Verdict: False

Verification: In 2020, the Office of the Special Prosecutor, headed by Martin Amidu, released a report on investigations into the Airbus Scandal. It was about the impropriety of Ghana’s acquisition of three military aircraft from Airbus during the Mills-Mahama Administration. In his report, Amidu referred to John Mahama as ‘Government Official One.’

Subsequently, Amidu resigned from Office in the same year. He has, therefore, not conducted any new investigations into the matter. Mr Mahama was later cleared of any corruption-related activity this year by the current Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng.

Ghana Fact-Check Coalition finds no evidence to support the claim.

Source: Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition

False! Ghana 7th not 3rd, most food-secure African country

Dennis Adu — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 02:17:24 +0000

Claim: At the final rally of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Dec. 5, 2024, the flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, said: “If you ranked the countries by food security, Ghana is number three in Africa in all the 54 countries.”

Verdict: False!

Verification: The Global Food Security Index, which evaluates 113 countries based on the affordability, availability, quality, and safety of food, ranked Ghana 7th in Africa in its last report in 2022. Meanwhile, the country ranks 83rd globally with an overall score of 52.6.

Therefore, the claim is false.

Source: Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition

Yamin attacked by NDC ‘thugs’ in Kumasi, but Kofi Boakye wasn’t there

Dennis Adu — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 02:05:06 +0000

Claim: NDC security boys attacked Joseph Yamin and ex-police chief Kofi Boakye at a press conference in Kumasi, an Accra-based media outlet alleges.

Verdict: Misleading!

Explanation: Verification by the Ghana Fact-checking Coalition confirms that the NDC’s National Organiser, Joseph Yamin, held a press conference on December 6, 2024, in Kumasi, Ashanti Region, which irate youth of the party disrupted.

However, the Coalition’s checks have revealed that Former Commissioner of Police Kofi Boakye was not present at the said press conference, as claimed in a GhanaWeb report.

This has been confirmed by several journalists and eyewitnesses who were present at the event.

Our checks also reveal that Mr Boakye left Kumasi this morning to go to Accra to cast his ballot.

Source: Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition

The picture of Stonebwoy in an NDC shirt is doctored

Dennis Adu — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 01:59:18 +0000

Claim: A Facebook user shared an image of renowned Afro dancehall artist Stonebwoy clad in an NDC shirt on Dec. 4, 2024.

Verdict: False

Explanation: The picture is doctored. The Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition conducted a Google reverse image search and found that the image first appeared online on Feb. 22, 2022. Find other links to the photo posted on Facebook in 2022 here and here.

A collage of the original picture (on the left) and the doctored picture (on the right.)

The Ghana Fact-checking Coalition found no publication by any major media outlet confirming Stonebwoy’s allegiance to the NDC. However, the artist’s head of security confirmed the picture as “edited.”

Source: Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition