News

FDA destroys counterfeit pharmaceutical products worth GH₵42m

Published

1 year ago

June 7, 2025

The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) in the Volta Region has destroyed confiscated counterfeit pharmaceutical products worth GH₵42 million.

The products included aphrodisiacs, post pills, body enhancement, antibiotics and processed food among others.

The majority of the contraband was intercepted at the Ghana-Togo border in Akanu, being smuggled into the country. Others were rounded up during routine surveys and swoops on the markets across the Volta and Oti regions.

The products were first shredded and disinfected at the Jopong Group of Company’s Medical Waste Treatment Facility in Akrofu before being disposed of at the dumping sites for burning.

The Volta Regional Director of the FDA, Gordon Akurugu, said they decided to engage the services of the facility to ensure the appropriate disposable of the confiscated counterfeit pharmaceutical products.

He reiterated that pharmaceutical products must only be imported through the airport or sea and not inland borders, and that anyone caught using land borders “to bring in such products would be arrested and have the items seized.”

“We also have to put on record that pharmaceutical products are not supposed to move through the inland borders and that is why such products coming into the country, especially from Nigeria are not allowed in. If you want to import drugs into the country, then it has to be KIA or Tema ports”, he said.

He advised the citizenry to desist from buying pharmaceutical products from unapproved sources to prevent them from consuming counterfeit products, and only buy from approved sources such as pharmacies, over-the-counter chemical selling points, and hospitals.

“We want to take this opportunity to caution consumers. You see that there is a counterfeited procold, Postino 2, and you can see a lot of Afrodesaics. These are products that they bring in to deceive us. You may take them today thinking it will work for you, but I tell you it will have other health implications”, he said.

Mr. Akurugu stressed that his outfit would always be on the high alert to fish out persons engaged in smuggling activities and warned drivers to desist from being used as conduits to perpetrate crime.

He concluded by appealing to other FDA Regional Offices to engage the services of a medical treatment plants in disposing of pharmaceutical products to protect the environment.

The Ho Municipal Environmental Health Officer, Rev Lawrence Senya said they decided to use the appropriate methods to dispose of the confiscated products to “safeguard public health.”

“There are sometimes at places where these drugs are not properly disposed you will find people picking and sending them back into the community”, he said.

He called for the collaboration of the public to weed out persons engaging in inappropriate sales of pharmaceutical products.

“We want to use the opportunity to educate the public that anytime you see somebody who is selling drugs, holding a bag in the streets or lorry parks, you can be certain that those drugs have not gone through the appropriate quarters. That is why they are selling them in that manner. We should not purchase such drugs”, he stressed.

myjoyonline.com

Education

Over 10 Students Arrested Over Okuapeman-Mount Sinai SHS Clash

Published

2 days ago

September 3, 2026

AladdynKing

More than 10 students have been apprehended in connection with the clashes between Okuapeman Senior High School and Mount Sinai Senior High School in the Akuapem North Municipality of the Eastern Region.

The arrests follow reprisal attacks between students of the two schools, which resulted in the burning and destruction of several structures on both campuses in the early hours of Wednesday, September 2, 2026.

Speaking on Eyewitness News on Wednesday, September 2, Eastern Regional Police Commander, DCOP Joseph Owusu-Bempah, said some of the students fled their schools when the police arrived. Still, he warned that their absence would not prevent the police from arresting them.

“We have apprehended them. And there are more,” he said, adding that the police are compiling a comprehensive list of all persons involved in the violence.

He disclosed that the investigation had also uncovered information suggesting that some teachers may have encouraged students to attack their counterparts.

According to him, the police have obtained the names of teachers allegedly linked to the incident and will take action against them if investigations establish their involvement.

“We have the names of the teachers. They have nowhere to go. At the appropriate time, we will arrest all of them, and their names will be published,” DCOP Owusu-Bempah warned.

DCOP Owusu-Bempah assured the public that anyone found to have participated in the violence would be dealt with in accordance with the law, while urging students to return to school and cooperate with the investigation.

He also appealed against any interference in the police process, warning that such actions could undermine efforts to restore calm and ensure accountability.

At Okuapeman SHS, six students were injured and taken to hospital following the incident. The school’s Headmaster said four of the students had since been treated and discharged, while two remained on admission as of Wednesday.

The exact trigger for the clashes remains unclear, but the police have begun investigations to establish what led to the confrontation and identify all those responsible.

citinewsroom.com

Education

GES Releases National Harmonised Prospectus For 2026/27 SHS Admissions

Published

2 days ago

September 3, 2026

AladdynKing

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has announced the release of the National Harmonised Prospectus for prospective Senior High School (SHS) and Senior High Technical School (SHTS) students for the 2026/2027 academic year.

The prospectus is intended to guide parents and students on the essential items required for enrolment, covering both boarding and day students.

GES has urged parents and students preparing for the next stage of their education to carefully review the prospectus and make the necessary preparations ahead of the commencement of the new academic year.

Schools and other relevant stakeholders have also been directed to adhere to the requirements outlined in the prospectus to ensure a smooth, consistent and standardised admission process nationwide.

The release of the prospectus comes ahead of the announcement of school placements and is expected to help newly admitted students and their parents adequately prepare for enrolment once placements are released.

Parents and prospective students are therefore encouraged to familiarise themselves with the approved requirements to avoid challenges during the admission process.

Below is the list of items outlined in the prospectus that parents and guardians are required to acquire for their wards: