Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has lost more than GH₵88 million between January 2024 and May 2025. The losses were caused by illegal connections and pipeline tampering in the Northern Region. This is said to largely contribute to the Tamale Water Crisis.
This was revealed at the launch of a new initiative called “Tamale in Focus.” The campaign aims to stop the revenue leakages affecting GWCL’s ability to supply reliable water.
A Non-Revenue Water Officer at GWCL said the illegal activities have made it difficult for the company to operate effectively. He noted that the problem is widespread and urgent.
The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) is leading the initiative in partnership with GWCL and the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo).
PURC’s Regional Manager, Ali Simon Jarana, said the debts facing utility companies are now at dangerous levels. He warned that if the situation is not addressed, companies like GWCL and NEDCo could collapse.
He added that utility providers are under financial pressure, and rising customer debts are exacerbating the situation.
Northern Regional Minister Adolf Ali John also spoke at the event. He said anyone caught tampering with utility infrastructure will face the law.
He stressed that GWCL and NEDCo are the only public utility companies serving the region. He warned that their survival is at risk due to mounting debts and illegal connections, especially in Tamale.
The Alliance for Gban Development, a youth group in the Gban community of the Talensi District in the Upper East Region, has raised the alarm over what it describes as growing threats, intimidation, and insecurity allegedly orchestrated by Zongdan Boyak Kolog, popularly known as Poloo and his associates.
Speaking at a press conference held in Gban over the weekend, the group’s secretary, John Kpal Bognaab, laid bare the community’s grievances and called for swift government and security intervention to avert looming chaos.
The Alliance for Gban Development accused Poloo, a native of the nearby Yameriga community, of repeatedly disturbing the peace in Gban through unauthorized mining activities and violent attacks.
The group stated that Poloo, who had made his fortune through small-scale mining in Gban, had failed to respect the collective transition to large-scale mining, which Earl International Group Ghana Gold Limited manages.
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According to Mr. Bognaab, Poloo was part of prior engagements and agreements between stakeholders during the transition to large-scale mining. “We have evidence that Polo participated actively in these engagements sponsored by the mining company. Yet, he now denies any involvement and has resorted to threats, intimidation, and provocation,” he stated.
The youth group narrated a series of violent incidents, including a shooting spree on January 25 and 26 this year when Poloo allegedly led a group believed to include armed men to storm the community mining area. “They fired sporadic gunshots, causing panic and forcing residents, including schoolchildren and health workers, to flee,” Mr. Bognaab recounted.
In response to this accusation, Tiroug Yaro Zumah, who identified himself as personal Secretary to Poloo, denied the claims that Poloo was trying to destabilize the peace of Gban. But when he was pushed further, Mr. Zumah said that even though Poloo “was taken to court for allegedly firing arms and possessing arms,” the claims against him may not be valid.
In a more recent development on May 31, a combined team of police and military officers arrested eight men allegedly hired by Poloo, who were reportedly armed and moving menacingly through the area. The youth group claims that Poloo holds no valid mining lease in Gban, a claim they say is backed by checks with state mining regulatory agencies.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the press, we wish to state clearly, based on our checks with the state agencies regulating the mining sector, that Poloo has no valid lease or concession anywhere in Gban. The lease he has been holding onto is currently not valid and, for want of a better word, non-existent,” Bognaab emphasized.
Regarding this claim, Secretary to Poloo Tiroug Yaro Zumah refuted it. “Poloo owns a legitimate concession, and his license is very active. He had an issue with Earl International, where Earl International wanted to acquire his concession by force. He went to court, and the court injunctured Earl International from operating on his concession. We have written to the police that people who are mining on Poloo’s concession are illegal miners,” Mr Zumah stated.
Members of the group who came out in their numbers expressed deep concern that without immediate intervention, the region could become the next flashpoint of violence. They called on the Minerals Commission to publicly clarify that Poloo has no legal mining claim in Gban and urged security agencies to expedite their investigations, applying the law firmly and impartially.
“We are lucky to have avoided casualties twice. But who knows what a third visit from Poloo might bring?” Bognaab warned.
In addition to law enforcement action, the group appealed to the Tongraan, the traditional overlord of the Talensi area, to summon the Yameriga chief and elders to caution their relative. “We believe if he has any respect for family and tradition, he may be restrained,” said the secretary.
The group also extended an invitation to the regional authorities, MDCEs, and the Upper East Regional Minister to intervene and help mediate the rising tensions. They also encouraged Earl International to deepen its engagement with the local youth and chiefs to ensure sustainable coexistence and employment for the people of Gban.
“We want peace, not war. But if we are forced to defend our lives and future, we will do so,” Secretary Mr. Bognaab concluded, reiterating the Alliance for Gban Development’s commitment to defending their community through lawful and peaceful means.
The Northern Regional Security Council (REGSEC) has announced a new directive aimed at reducing juvenile loitering and improving public safety: children under 18 found roaming the streets at night will be arrested and detained.
This move was unveiled by Northern Regional Minister Adolf Ali during Eid-ul-Adha prayers at the Tamale Jubilee Park, an event attended by hundreds, including Professor Amin Alhassan. The minister raised concerns over a growing trend of unsupervised minors wandering the streets after dark, a pattern that poses serious risks to their safety and development.
Authorities believe these nighttime wanderings are exposing young people to dangerous behaviours, particularly the abuse of illicit substances like tramadol and cannabis—an increasing threat in communities such as Tamale and Yendi.
Parents were strongly cautioned to take responsibility for their children’s whereabouts during nighttime hours, with the Regional Minister warning that those who fail to do so could face punitive consequences. The new measure, REGSEC suggests, is as much about parental accountability as it is about child protection.
This isn’t the region’s first attempt to confront child delinquency. In 2017, a similar campaign under the “Tamale Project” was launched to address youth misconduct and drug abuse. While it led to the arrest of hundreds of children in its early days, the initiative was marred by criticism over lack of stakeholder consultation, particularly accusations levelled at then-Mayor Mr Superior.
This time, the regional leadership is opting for a more inclusive approach. In a recent visit to the region, Interior Minister Muntaka Mubarak met with traditional leaders, religious figures, and local stakeholders to build consensus around the broader effort to tackle rising social vices.
The current initiative signals a renewed commitment to community-led discipline and child protection in the Northern Region.
The Sherigu forest belt in Ghana’s Upper East Region is under serious threat as illegal mining and firewood harvesting steadily degrade the environment. The Anglican Diocesan Development and Relief Organisation (ADDRO) highlighted growing environmental damage and its impact on the local community during a World Environment Day Street campaign.
According to ADDRO’s Northern Ghana Climate Resilience Program, illegal mining is gradually taking hold in Sherigu. Young men and women are increasingly drawn into small-scale, unregulated mining activities—commonly known as galamsey—leading to environmental destruction and significant health risks for those involved.
Sherigu’s forest once served as a natural anchor for the community, but its role is being undermined. Many women have turned to harvesting firewood from the forest as a primary source of livelihood. However, there is little or no effort to replace the trees being cut down. This destruction of the last remaining trees could ultimately make life unbearable for everyone.
The campaign also raised alarms about the widespread use of plastic, especially in food and shopping packaging. Representatives from the Forestry Department, the Department of Food and Agriculture, and local assembly members joined the call for more responsible waste practices and stronger environmental protections.
Women participants urged for increased livelihood support to reduce reliance on environmentally harmful practices. Some have already begun benefiting from ADDRO interventions, including support for small ruminants, savings and education programs, agricultural inputs, and entrepreneurship training.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) is demanding swift justice following the murder of Pharmacist Mohammed Zia-Ulhak Zibrim, who was shot dead outside his home in Bolgatanga on the evening of Thursday, June 5, 2025.
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Zibrim, CEO of Zimax Pharmacy and General Secretary of the Upper East Regional Branch, was reportedly attacked while seated in his vehicle shortly after returning from work.
In a statement released on June 9, the PSGH condemned the killing as a “heinous and barbaric act” against a young professional committed to healthcare and peace. “We are deeply saddened and outraged by this murder,” the Society said, adding that Zibrim was a “vibrant professional who dedicated his life to the service of humanity.”
The PSGH described the loss as a tragedy for the entire profession, noting that pharmacists are essential providers of life-saving services. “This act represents not only a personal tragedy for his family and loved ones but also a loss to the pharmacy profession and the nation at large,” it stated.
The Society also suggested that Zibrim’s murder may be linked to the protracted Bawku conflict, pointing out that he was of both Mamprusi and Kusasi descent. “He symbolised the very unity and cohesion that our society desperately needs,” PSGH said. “It is deeply tragic that he may have become a victim of the very conflict that should have been resolved long ago.”
Calling for immediate action, PSGH urged the Ghana Police Service and other security agencies to expedite investigations and bring those responsible to justice. It also appealed to the government to intensify peace-building efforts in Bawku and bolster protection for community pharmacists and other healthcare professionals who work late.
“The needless shedding of innocent blood must come to an end,” the Society stressed. It requested additional security measures for pharmacists in the Upper East Region while investigations into the incident continue.
The PSGH extended its condolences to Zibrim’s family—his wife, four children, and parents—saying, “The PSGH mourns with you and stands firmly with you in this moment of grief.”
The Minister of Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, has referred Indian construction firm JMC Projects to the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice after the company allegedly received $29.6 million in mobilization funds but failed to execute the Tamale-Savelugu-Walewale road project.
According to the minister, the $29.6 million payment represented 20% of the total $158 million contract sum. Yet, the contractor had completed just one per cent of the first phase of the 113 km road, which spans from Savelugu to Walewale. The project, which began in June 2022, was expected to be completed by December 2025.
Mr Agbodza told Parliament that the contractor made efforts to change its name to Kalpatura Projects after receiving the funds. He also disclosed that the company later demanded an additional $14 million, claiming it had mobilized staff and equipment to the site—a request the government rejected.
In March 2024, the company served a notice of contract termination and allegedly attempted to relocate its equipment from the Ghana site to another project in Guinea without the ministry’s approval.
The minister said the contractor cited Ghana’s domestic debt restructuring as the reason for halting the project. He added that this move came after the firm had already drawn down nearly $30 million following a sod-cutting ceremony led by former Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia on June 17, 2024.
“Unbeknownst to the former Vice-President, who promised the project would resume, the contractor had already notified the ministry of its withdrawal months earlier,” Mr Agbodza revealed.
He expressed frustration over the loss, stating, “At a time Ghana owed contractors over GH¢20 billion, it’s disturbing that we managed to pay $30 million to a firm that delivered no meaningful work.”
The minister warned that JMC Projects would either be compelled to complete work equivalent to the amount paid or face legal consequences based on recommendations from the ministry.
Residents of Bole in the Savannah Region are celebrating the official opening of a new Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) office—a development expected to significantly ease the stress of accessing licensing services in the area.
Until now, residents had to travel long distances to Tamale or Wa for basic DVLA services. The new regional office eliminates that challenge and brings services closer to home.
At the commissioning ceremony, the Member of Parliament for Bole and Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Yussif Sulemana, called on staff to uphold high standards of professionalism. He issued a stern warning against misconduct, stating that anyone found flouting the rules would face disciplinary action.
Julius Neequaye Kotey
“Anyone who misbehaves at this office—especially locals privileged to be employed here—should know that I’ll fully support the CEO in taking necessary action, including dismissal,” he warned.
Mr Sulemana also expressed appreciation to DVLA CEO Julius Neequaye Kotey and President John Dramani Mahama for their role in bringing development and employment to Bole. He encouraged residents to utilize the new facility to obtain proper documentation, which would reduce police harassment over missing or expired licenses.
DVLA CEO Julius Neequaye Kotey advised the public to avoid dealing with middlemen or paying unofficial charges. “All official fees will be clearly displayed. Payments must only be made as directed,” he emphasized.
He also thanked Bolewura Sarfo Kutuge Feso I for releasing 60 acres of land for the DVLA’s permanent regional complex in the future.
The Wa Circuit Court has sentenced two men, Abdulai Ibrahim alias Baba, 34, a driver’s mate, and Abdulai Kipo, 36, a butcher, to a combined 46 years in prison for their involvement in multiple robbery incidents.
Presided over by His Honour Jonathan Avoogo, the court found the two guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery and robbery itself. Ibrahim received a 28-year sentence with hard labour, while Kipo was sentenced to 18 years, also with hard labour.
The duo were linked to a string of robberies in the Napogbakole, Danko, SSNIT, and Konta areas within the Wa Municipality in the Upper West Region.
Their arrest followed intelligence-led investigations by the Upper West Regional Police Intelligence Directorate, which gathered substantial evidence to secure their conviction.
In a statement, the Upper West Regional Police Command welcomed the ruling, stating that it reinforces their commitment to law enforcement and public safety. “The verdict underscores our resolve to make the region safe and to pursue criminals without relenting,” the statement said.
The police also assured the public of continued efforts to clamp down on crime and protect lives and property in the region.
