Kudus (L) assisted Richarlison (R) twice against Burnley

Mohammed Kudus announced his arrival at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in style, producing a dazzling Premier League debut performance that inspired Tottenham Hotspur to a 3-0 victory over Burnley in north London, on Saturday, August 16, 2025.

The Ghanaian midfielder, who only days ago featured in Spurs’ Super Cup final defeat to PSG, showed flashes of his quality in that game.

Why Kudus Mohammed and Nuno Mendes are trending After UEFA Super Cup

But against Burnley, Kudus shifted into full gear, dictating play and delivering two assists that left the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium buzzing.

His first moment of magic came when he whipped in a precise cross for Richarlison to volley home, opening Thomas Frank’s account as Spurs manager.

If the first assist showcased his vision, the second underlined his flair. Another well-measured Kudus delivery found Richarlison again, and the Brazilian responded with an acrobatic volley that is already being hailed as an early contender for Goal of the Season.

As the crowd was still reliving that moment, Brennan Johnson capped off the afternoon, latching onto a slick Tottenham move and chipping delicately over Martin Dubravka to make it 3-0.

But the spotlight belonged to Kudus. His energy, creativity, and decisive contributions gave Spurs a cutting edge they had lacked in the season opener, and his link-up with Richarlison hinted at a partnership that could define Tottenham’s new era under Frank.

For Spurs fans, it was more than just three points, it was a glimpse of what their new signing can bring: drive, brilliance, and a touch of magic.

FKA/AE

Meanwhile, watch the trailer to GhanaWeb’s upcoming documentary on teenage girls and how fish is stealing their futures below:

“Children must be safe and feel safe in school; only then can they truly learn.”
— Arne Duncan (Former U.S. Secretary of Education, 2009 – 2016)

Introduction

Ghanaian schools, once regarded as safe havens for learning and discipline, now face an alarming wave of violence that threatens education at all levels. From Senior High Schools (SHSs) to universities, conflict, weapon possession, and serious fights have created fear and uncertainty for students, teachers, and communities.

Incidents of School Violence

In January 2025, clashes broke out between Accra Technical Centre and Kinbu Secondary Technical School, followed by a machete fight between Kumasi Technical Institute and Kumasi Anglican SHS. Again, February recorded a stabbing at Salaga SHS, where police recovered a pistol and ammunition, arresting 20 students. Also, Sokode SHS in the Volta Region was shut down after violent confrontations with residents.

Tragedy struck Adventist SHS at Bantama in April, when second-year student Suzzy Pinamang suffered a permanent eye injury after a male classmate allegedly brought a gun to class and accidentally discharged it.

In June, ethnic tensions at Nkwanta SHS in the Oti Region claimed three lives: two girls shot on their way home and a boy killed by a stray bullet in class. July brought a grim succession of incidents as Bawku SHS became a centre of tragedy when final-year student Hakim Kundima was fatally shot on campus.

That same day, two students at Nalerigu SHS were killed in related shootings. While it can be said that these occurred in conflict areas, school violence is no longer confined to conflict zones. The month also saw a fatal stabbing over money at St Joseph Technical Institute, the killing of a Wa T.I. Ahmadiyya SHS student after a quarrel over an unwanted video, chaos at Zuarungu SHS over a stolen phone, and a viral video from Accra Academy showing students attacking a junior with a cutlass.

The violence has also reached tertiary institutions. In February, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology was shaken by the suspected murder of final-year student Joana Deladem Yabani.

A University of Energy and Natural Resources student survived a machete attack while returning from night classes in March. In contrast, gunmen killed one student and injured another at Gambaga College of Education. Also, in April, a first-year student at the University of Education, Winneba, died by suicide.

Teachers have also become targets. Assaults on educators are increasing, with unions accusing authorities of inaction and advising members to withdraw services when threatened. When those entrusted with shaping young minds cannot feel safe, the foundation of education begins to crumble.

Causes of School Violence
The drivers of this surge in violence are complex: weak discipline enforcement, peer pressure, poor parental supervision, social media glorification of aggression, and easy access to illegal weapons. In troubled areas like Bawku, machetes, pangas, and guns have entered campuses.

Response by Authorities
In Bawku and Nkwanta (Oti region), authorities closed all affected schools, evacuating students preparing for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). The Small Arms Commission and Peace Council are working to curb the flow, while the GES and National School Inspectorate Authority have intensified code-of-conduct enforcement, inspections, and security agency collaboration.

Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu’s July 2025 directive for urgent inspections and disciplinary action signalled official recognition of the crisis.

Consequences of School Violence
The cost is profound: lives lost, physical and psychological trauma, eroded trust between teachers and students, and disrupted academic activities. Beyond discipline issues, these attacks undermine education’s mission to provide safe, supportive spaces for growth and social cohesion. Closures and curfews derail exam preparation, while repeated exposure to violence leaves students traumatised, affecting attendance and performance.

Way Forward
Addressing this siege demands a comprehensive approach, stronger campus security, peer mediation, counselling, positive student leadership, and deeper parental and community involvement. Ethnic and communal disputes that spill into schools must be addressed at their roots. Securing campuses must be non-negotiable, with long-term measures like risk mapping, reinforced perimeters, and rapid-response systems.

Alternative learning platforms, from radio lessons to safe temporary sites, should ensure education continues during crises (activating Education-in-Emergencies should be non-negotiable).

Schools must also rebuild civic responsibility. Discipline should be firm but fair. Counselling services should be expanded, and teachers trained in trauma-informed care and conflict resolution. The justice system must act decisively; those who bring weapons to school or orchestrate attacks must face swift consequences. “Investigations are ongoing” will not save the next student. When impunity ends, deterrence begins.

Conclusion
Ghanaian schools are at a crossroads. Ending this siege requires not just soldiers at the gates, but a collective refusal by parents, chiefs, pastors, and policymakers to normalise violence. If we lose the classroom as a place of peace, we will lose more than exam results and the very citizens who can hold our democracy together. That is a price the nation cannot afford to pay.

The writer is a Communications Associate with the Institute for Education Studies (IFEST_Ghana), an education think tank in Ghana.

E/R: Three Chinese nationals arrested for galamsey at Akyem Abaam

A 25-year-old cook in Ho, Jemima Kwaku, who allegedly burnt her 11-year-old son on the belly, back, and other parts of his body with a heated pressing iron as punishment for losing his pen at school, is standing trial at the Ho Circuit Court.

The court, presided over by Abdul O. Hakeem, was told that the accused locked the helpless child in a bedroom before carrying out the brutal act at Ho Barracks–New Town.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Noah Amuzu, prosecuting, said the incident occurred on July 15 this year.

The accused, who appeared before the court on July 21, pleaded not guilty to causing harm.

According to the prosecution, the accused became enraged when she discovered her son no longer had the pen she had bought for him. The boy explained that a classmate had borrowed it but forgot to return it, adding that he would collect it the next day.

Unsatisfied with the explanation, the accused ordered the boy into the bedroom. She then plugged in a pressing iron and, when it became hot, pressed it onto the boy’s belly, chest, lips, shoulders, backside, and other parts of his body.

The court heard that the accused later warned the boy not to tell anyone about the incident.

However, when the boy went to school on July 18, his class teacher noticed he was unusually quiet and withdrawn. On being questioned, he mustered the courage to narrate his ordeal. The teacher informed the headmaster, who reported the matter to the police.

The accused was arrested, and the boy was taken to the hospital for treatment. In her caution statement, the accused admitted to the offence.

The court was further told that the boy is now in the care of social workers. The accused has been remanded into prison custody until August 19

It would be recalled that a similar incident occurred in Ho in May last year, when a 62-year-old woman, Margaret Gafa, was arrested and prosecuted for burning her nine-year-old niece for failing to sell all the kebabs she had given her before school. That child was also taken into social care.

Mr. Baba Awuni, the Central Tongu District Health Director, has warned that hypertension and diabetes are becoming major causes of death and disability.

Speaking at a commissioning of a Health Kiosk in Adidome, Mr. Awuni raised serious concern over the rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the district, warning that that hypertension complications were the leading cause of institutional mortalities in the first half of 2025.

He further noted that the incidence of Diabetes Mellitus within the same period rose by 8.16 percent compared to the corresponding period in 2024.

Mr. Awuni said: “District health records show that total reported NCD cases increased from 14,758 in 2023 to 15,326 in 2024. New hypertension cases also rose from 1,478 in 2023 to 1,569 in 2024, while outpatient department (OPD) attendance reached 91,016 cases in the last reporting year.”

He expressed concern that many adults in Central Tongu remain unaware of their blood pressure and sugar levels, often discovering their conditions only during emergencies or after severe complications have set in.

“These diseases are largely preventable and manageable when detected early, but late presentation continues to undermine our efforts to save lives,” he said, calling for urgent and sustained public health education.

The Health Directorate, he said, would intensify community sensitisation, screening exercises, and preventive health campaigns.

Mr. Awuni welcomed initiatives such as the recently commissioned health kiosks, which he said would bring basic screening and health services closer to residents in markets, transport hubs, and rural communities.

He stressed that early detection, lifestyle modification, and regular medical check-ups were key to reducing the growing burden of NCDs in Central Tongu.

Source: GNA

By Maxwell Awumah

Ho (V/R), Aug. 16, GNA –The  Cross-Border Women Traders Association (CBWTA), has urged the government to urgently make Free Movement a reality, to unlock the promise of the  African Continental Free Trade (AfCTA) of empowering grassroots commerce. 

According members of the association,  for decades, African leaders have spoken passionately about dismantling trade barriers and uniting the continent.  

Yet, for the thousands of women whose livelihoods depend on moving goods across African borders, the reality of free movement remains painfully elusive. 

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, Mr. Oscar Akaba-Norvixoxo, National Coordinator of the CBWTA, said the African Union’s Free Movement Protocol and ECOWAS’ Protocol on Free Movement of Persons already exist on paper, but slow and fragmented implementation continues to strangle cross-border commerce. 

“Every delay at the border, every unnecessary inspection, and every demand for unofficial payment cuts into profits, wastes time, and undermines the dignity of hardworking traders,” he noted. 

Women account for more than 60 per cent of informal cross-border traders in West Africa. They transport fresh produce, textiles, and daily essentials, often trekking long distances under extreme heat, only to face lengthy queues, red tape, and sometimes harassment.  

For them, free movement is not an abstract policy — it is the difference between profit and loss, safety and risk, progress and stagnation. 

Fully implementing free movement, Mr. Akaba-Norvixoxo said, would reduce delays, lower transaction costs, expand access to wider markets, protect perishable goods from spoilage, and create safer trading conditions by reducing exposure to corruption and abuse. 

The CBWTA is calling on the African Union, ECOWAS, and national governments to fast-track measures that make free movement a lived reality.  

“Including grassroots women traders in planning and monitoring will ensure that policies reflect actual conditions on the ground,” he stressed. 

A flagship initiative the Association is championing is the Women Traders Border ID Card, which will formally recognise registered women traders, streamline customs procedures, and reduce harassment.  

The card would also connect traders to digital tools — including e-trader registration, e-duty compliance systems, online market access, and e-finance services — to professionalise and scale up women-led cross-border businesses. 

The CBWTA says it is ready to, Train members on their rights under free movement protocols, provide policymakers with data on trade barriers and harassment, Partner in gender-sensitive border modernisation projects, Roll out the Women Traders Border ID Card in partnership with border agencies. 

“Free movement in Africa is not just about trade — it is about dignity, opportunity, and economic justice,” Mr. Akaba-Norvixoxo said.  

“AfCFTA and ECOWAS have laid the groundwork. Now governments must deliver — and support innovations like the Women Traders Border ID Card that put policies into practice. 

For the women who power Africa’s markets, the time to act is now,” he added. 

GNA 

Edited by Benjamin Mensah