In the heart of Ghana, where the vibrant streets of Accra pulse with life, an invisible enemy is lurking in the air – pollution.

The latest 2023 Annual World Air Quality Report, meticulously assembled by IQAir, has painted a grim picture of Ghana’s air quality, marking it at an all-time worst.

Accra, the bustling capital, stands as Africa’s 10th most polluted city, echoing a growing concern across the continent.

Over the years, Ghana’s air quality has been on a worrying trajectory. In 2022, Ghana held the 27th spot among the world’s most polluted countries.

However, the latest report positions Ghana at the 17th spot, showcasing a stark decline in air quality. The average PM 2.5 readings, a crucial indicator of air pollution, have been steadily rising.

In 2023, the PM 2.5 reading soared to 33.2 µg/m³, marking an all-time high and highlighting the severity of the situation.

City rankings further underscore the severity of the issue across Africa. Accra finds itself among the top ten most polluted cities on the continent, with only 3.8% of African cities meeting the WHO annual PM 2.5 guideline in 2023.

The report sheds light on the broader African context, revealing that only 10 out of 134 countries worldwide managed to achieve the WHO annual PM 2.5 guideline, signalling a pressing need for urgent action.

Air pollution is not just a statistic; it’s a silent killer with profound implications for public health. Exposure to PM 2.5 pollutants, originating from various sources including combustion engines, industrial processes, and wildfires, has been linked to a myriad of health issues ranging from respiratory diseases to cognitive impairment, affecting individuals of all ages.

Air pollution in Ghana results in approximately 28,000 deaths annually, equating to approximately one person dying every 19 minutes.

The repercussions of air pollution extend beyond health concerns, encompassing economic ramifications as well.

A report by the Clean Air Fund warns that without crucial urban development interventions, the economic cost of air pollution in rapidly expanding urban cities like Accra could skyrocket to a staggering $137.8 billion by 2040, underscoring the urgent need for comprehensive policy measures.

The 2023 World Air Quality Report serves as a wake-up call, urging governments, organizations, and communities to unite in combating this looming crisis.

Accurate measurement of air pollution, coupled with robust policy frameworks and collaborative efforts, is imperative to safeguarding human health and fostering sustainable development across the continent.

As the sun sets over the bustling streets of Accra, a call to action hangs in the air – a reminder that the fight against air pollution is not merely a battle for statistics, but a collective endeavour to protect the well-being of present and future generations. It’s time to clear the air and pave the way for a healthier, cleaner future for all.

The widow of John Kumah, the late deputy Finance Minister and New Patriotic Party (NPP) member of Parliament for Ejisu in the Ashanti Region, has emphatically stated that her husband did not die from food poisoning, contrary to circulating reports in sections of mainstream media and social media.

Instead, she clarified that he courageously battled a severe illness for over a year.

Speaking in an interview with Asaase News, Apostle Lilian Kumah said her late husband had been battling with a terminal disease for nearly a year now since it was discovered by his doctors in Germany and that is what her husband succumbed to on Thursday, 7 March 2024, and not food poisoning.

Stop the speculation

In a very sobering and grieving voice, Apostle Mrs. Lilian Kumah, who is also the General Overseer of Disciples of Christ Ministries, asked all those speculating about the cause of the death of her husband to put a stop to it because it is exacerbating the pain of her immediate family and the larger Kumah family.

She also called for swift police action against known persons such as Blessed Godsbrain Smart, popularly known as Captain Smart, who has publicly stated that her late husband was poisoned but has not been made to provide any evidence to prove the wild claim he has made about the death of John Kumah.

“Why is it that someone (referring to Captain Smart) has been this bold to claim that he knows for a fact that a person like John Kumah who has served his country virtually all his life, was poisoned, while he was working for his country and party (New Patriotic Party, NPP), why should we sit down and not bring that person to book.

“If it is true that a person who is not dead but alive claims that he knows how my husband (John Kumah) died and that he was poisoned, and that person is still moving around for the past three weeks, it hurts me, it saddens me and I do not know how best to express my frustrations about these false claims by Captain Smart,” Apostle Lilian Kumah said.

“If there are laws in this country concerning such false claims, I think this is the time for the leadership of the land to bring that wicked person (Captain Smart) to book to prove his false claims and to point out the persons who were involved in the poisoning of my late husband,” Mrs. Kumah further stated.

The August diagnoses

Speaking about the real cause of the death of her husband, Apostle Lilian Kumah pointed out that John Kumah was diagnosed with a blood-related disease sometime in August 2023 in Germany when she accompanied her husband for a medical check-up.

Mrs. Kumah added that throughout all the medical check-ups of her husband in Germany and Ghana, not once did any of the medical doctors they encountered, ever mention the issue of poisoning in the blood vessels of her husband, the late John Kumah.

“My husband went through pain but he never showed that he was in pain. He went through all the pain to do everything he needed to do during the period of his ill-health.

“He was motivated by a particular motto that he always operated by which is, “We don’t do what is convenient, we do what we are commanded to do”. So [despite] all the pain, he endured,” Mrs. Kumah remarked.

“Right from day one since he was diagnosed in Germany, I have been part of the medical processes my husband went through, and no one, none of the doctors ever told me that my husband’s medical situation was because of poisoning.

“I have all the medical reports both from Germany and Ghana and food poisoning has never been mentioned in any of the reports,” the late John Kumah’s widow added.

Last moments

Dr. John Kumah died at about 12:40 PM at the Suhum government hospital after an ambulance he was travelling in together with his wife and medical doctor, from Ejisu to Accra was diverted to the Suhum medical facility when the doctor on board noticed that Mr Kumah’s condition was fast deteriorating.

On arrival at the hospital, a little after 11:00 am on Thursday, 7 March 2024, the medical team tried to stabilize him so could continue with his journey to Accra for his onward planned journey to Germany where he has been receiving treatment for his health challenge. However, the Suhum government hospital’s efforts failed to keep him alive.

The investigator in the trial of Nana Appiah Mensah alias NAM1, the CEO of defunct Menzgold Ghana Limited, has told a High Court in Accra that the accused used celebrities to induce members of the public to invest in his companies which were engaged in illegalities.

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Charles Nyarko, their investigations revealed that neither NAM1 nor his companies – Menzgold and Brew Marketing Consult were licensed by the Minerals Commission to sell gold or gold products to the general public, indicating that “the accused persons were involved in illegalities from the start.

He also told the court that neither NAM1 nor his companies were authorised by the Bank of Ghana (BoG) to take deposits from the general public.

“The accused persons induced the general public that they were authorised to run those businesses. That was not the only inducement, the accused person used celebrities to induce our complainants to invest with A2 and A3 (Menzgold and Brew Marketing),” the investigator told the court.

He mentioned some of the celebrities as Okyeame Kwame, Stonebwoy, Becca, Jackie Appiah and Joselyn Dumas.

“These celebrities were found on billboards of Menzgold with branded Menzgold chips in the catchment area of the second and third accused. My Lord, with this, with careers that these celebrities built for themselves over the period, our complainants fell into this inducement,” DSP Nyarko added.

NAM1 and two of his companies – Menzgold Ghana Limited and Brew Marketing Consult Ghana Limited are facing 39 counts of defrauding by false pretence, inducing members of the public to invest and money laundering.

Funds Transfer

The investigator told the court that per a letter dated January 10, 2019, the police requested information from the Office of the Registrar of Companies on all companies linked to NAM1 and a total of 27 companies were linked to him.

Led in his evidence-in-chief by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, the witness indicated that investigations revealed that Zylofon Media was established as a company solely in the entertainment business, however, NAM1 transferred substantial funds from Menzgold and Brew Marketing Consult to Zylofon, totaling GH¢84,480,811.00.

On July 20, 2018, an amount of GH¢2 million was transferred to Zylofon Media, while a total of GH¢26,930,997.00 was transferred from the account of Brew Marketing to Zylofon between March and December 2017.

Another GH¢55,549,814.00 was transferred from the Bank of Africa account of Brew Marketing to Zylofon Media between January and April 2018.

DSP Nyarko states that except for the fact that NAM1 owned Menzgold, Brew Marketing Consult and Zylofon Media, “I found that there was no justifiable reason for the huge transfers from A3 (Brew Consult) to Zylofon.”

The investigator also revealed the transfer of huge sums of money totalling GH¢155,552,141.30 from Brew Consult into the personal account of NAM1.

He gave the breakdown as a transfer of GH¢113,400,000.00 which was paid to NAM1 personally between October 18, 2017 and July 13, 2018.

Between April and December 2017, a total of GH¢23,410,000.00 was transferred from the account of Brew Marketing Consult and withdrawn by NAM1.

Again, the investigator revealed that another GH¢18,742,141.30 was transferred from the account of Brew Consult to NAM1 between January and April 2018.

DSP Nyarko also revealed that between July 11 and August 15, 2018, an amount of GH¢66 million through cheque payments was made to Abigail Mensah, who is the younger sister of NAM1.