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Otumfuo Osei Tutu II receives warm welcome in Toronto ahead of Black Stars-Panama match
via GhanaWeb5 min read
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, was greeted enthusiastically at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada. His visit precedes a match between Ghana's Black Stars and Panama. During his stay, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II is scheduled to host a Breakfast Business Meeting, participate in the opening of the Ghana Sports Village, also known as Sankofa Square, and engage with the Black Stars players. He will also lead a delegation to support the Ghana-Panama match at BMO Field. A video shared on X on June 16, 2026, showed many Ghanaians at the airport, dressed in traditional attire and waving Ghana flags, to welcome the Asante monarch. The atmosphere reflected the excitement of the Ghanaian community in Toronto. Otumfuo will also attend the Culturefest's fan festival at Toronto's Sankofa Square, an event celebrating African and diasporan culture through music, fashion, and cultural displays. This event is part of the global FWC26Tribe campaign, aiming to celebrate Ghanaian culture and strengthen community connections through football, arts, and business, and will feature a public watch party for the Ghana-Panama World Cup 2026 group-stage encounter on June 17, 2026.
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Six government-sponsored Ghanaian master's students at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom have renewed calls for urgent intervention regarding unpaid tuition fees and living stipends. The students, Noah Krah, Emmanuel Boakye, George Osei Buabeng, Abena Fosuaa Gyasi, Irene Pomaa Kumi, and Dwomoh Evelyn, stated that the Government of Ghana, through the Ghana Scholarships Authority, has not paid any tuition fees or stipends since they arrived in the UK in September 2024. The total outstanding obligation is £238,852, comprising £154,000 in tuition fees for the 2024/2025 academic year and £84,852 in stipend arrears from September 2024 to September 2025. This amounts to GH¢3,420,360.00 at an exchange rate of GH¢14.32 to £1. The students allege they were compelled to forfeit 12 months of unpaid stipends to obtain a "Letter of No Objection" for a UK Graduate Visa. They have completed all academic requirements but cannot graduate or receive certificates due to the unpaid fees. They have faced severe financial hardship, relying on support from friends, church members, and charitable organizations. The students are urging the government to provide a definite payment date and settle all outstanding obligations before Loughborough University's graduation ceremony on July 7, 2026.
Johnbusco Avom Aduko, President of the Borla Taxi and Tricycle Association BTTA, has called on the government to adopt a proactive approach to waste management, citing increasing difficulties in managing the country's sanitation challenges. His remarks follow reports of numerous tricycle operators, involved in refuse collection, being stranded along the Mallam-Kasoa Road due to disruptions at major waste disposal sites in the Greater Accra Region. Operators have pointed to the closure of a dumping site on Mortuary Road and flooding at the Weija-Oblogo landfill as reasons for reduced disposal options, leading to long queues and collection delays. Aduko emphasized the need for long-term planning over emergency responses, noting that proposals for transfer stations have not been implemented. He believes efficient waste management could generate revenue and create jobs. Additionally, Pennante Naa Ayikailey Bruce-Vanderpuije, a Senior Research Scientist at the CSIR-Water Research Institute, warned that flooding at the McCarthy Down landfill site risks contaminating the Densu River, which supplies the Weija Dam, a critical water source for Accra.
Bernard Antwi Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi and the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party NPP, has stated that natural disasters led to his legal issues with the Ghana Export-Import Exim Bank. Wontumi is considering a plea bargain in the case. He explained in an interview that in 2018, he secured funds from Exim Bank for a commercial farm in Sekyere, providing collateral and receiving a term sheet. He claims the bank even directed them to an insurance company for farm coverage. According to Wontumi, heavy rains subsequently destroyed the maize farm, which he describes as a natural disaster beyond his control. He highlighted that his company was the first runner-up in the national Farmers’ Day celebration in 2018, indicating the project's significant scale. Wontumi denies any impropriety, asserting that he followed due process in obtaining the loan. The charge sheet, filed on May 15, 2026, alleges that he obtained GH¢14.3 million from Exim Bank in 2018 for a large-scale farming project that did not materialize as planned. Wontumi, Thomas Antwi-Boasiako, and Wontumi Farms Limited face charges including defrauding by false pretenses, forgery, money laundering, and causing financial loss to a public institution. The state claims documents were forged, equipment purchases were questionable, and funds were allegedly diverted, leading to losses exceeding GH¢30 million. Wontumi has pleaded not guilty and his lawyers have requested a plea bargain.