The Week in Review

Monday was a holiday as it coincided with the Muslim feast of Eid-Ul-Fitr which marks the end of a month-long fasting in Ramadan. Unlike many other holidays, this one was full of activities.

President John Dramani Mahama and Vice, Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur strategically chose to address Muslims in two different cities; Kumasi and Accra respectively.

The president joined Muslims at the Kumasi Central Mosque in the Ashanti Region where he made comments deemed to be in response to the nationwide protests to demand action on the country's dwindling economic fortunes.

He promised the economy would show signs of recovery by the end of the year.

Monday also saw an embarrassing disagreement between the Ghana Immigration Service and the Ministry of Health over Ghana's preparedness to deal with the Ebola scourge if the disease should hit Ghana.

The Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Immigration Service, Francis Palm Deti had said that only four of the country's 42 entry points were equipped with facilities to screen people for potential carriers of the Ebola virus . But the Ministry of Health disagreed.

The previous day, Sunday, Myjoyonline had secured documents detailing arrangements under which the government of Ghana was going to divest itself of the Electricity Company of Ghana.

Unhappy with the publication, which some media incorrectly reported as a decision to sell ECG, Energy and Petroleum Minister, Mr. Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah who probably had been rolling his sleeves to respond, issued a statement debunking the story.

In the statement, the minister insisted ECG was not for sale .

On Tuesday morning, Mr. Kofi Buah granted Joy FM's Super Morning Show an interview, in which he said the arrangement was only to put ECG on a management contract . 

And then, Martin Amidu did his thing again. He obtained a verdict from the Supreme Court ordering businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome to refund some 51.2 million cedis judgment debt award he obtained from the state . The contract on the basis of which he got the payments were declared unconstitutional by the court. 

On the health front, the  La General Hospital recorded five deaths as cholera cases overwhelmed hospital authorities. 

To the relief of many businesses, the Bank of Ghana lifted the ban on the importation of dollars into the country. 

Wednesday started with a story of Kumasi-based businessman, Kwabena Kesse having been arrested for allegedly engaging in money laundering . 

Opposition leader Akufo-Addo brought the central Business District of Accra to a standstill with the launch of his third bid to lead the New Patriotic Party to the 2016 elections at nearby Akoto Lante. He described the governing National Democratic Congress' Better Ghana Agenda as an empty and cynical slogan . 

Later that day, President Mahama restored the freedom of some 1,000 prisoners by granting them pardon. 

Wednesday also came with the sensational story of a sex scandal hitting the Northern Regional capital, Tamale. Some 37 women who had the misfortune of sleeping with one man had explicit photographs of their encounters with the man leaking in the hugely conservative Muslim town. 

On entertainment, music producer Panji Anoff publicly declared he is gay . 

Thursday, July 31, 2014, Senior Economic Advisor to the President, Dr. Nii Moi Thompson, revealed government may seek technical assistance from the International Monitory Fund as it looks for solutions to the country's economic challenges.

An inter-ministerial committee held a press conference later to outline government's plans towards dealing with the Ebola virus. The country representative of the World Health Organisation, speaking at that press conference, said Ebola is not an airborne disease .

Still on Ebola, government imposed restrictions on the movement of Liberian refugees in Ghana .

Friday was pretty slow but the Ebola scare continued. Fishing communities in the Central Region live in anxiety as fishermen returning from Liberia were not screened for the Ebola virus .