Top 10 most-read news stories of 2020

Ghana’s leading online portal, GhanaWeb in the year under review has served its readers with the best of news content from sports, politics, business, entertainment, and lifestyle.

Some of the news reported by the portal was greeted with fierce opposition by the affected parties while GhanaWeb was hailed by others who positively benefited from the stories we published on our platform.

As we end the year 2020 with all the tragedies that came with it, we give you a recap of ten of our stories that received the highest readership from Thursday, December 1 2019 to date.

See the top ten most-read stories on GhanaWeb in 2020 below:

The richest black woman on earth is Nigerian

Read the full story originally published on Friday, January, 10, 2020, on Ghanaweb

In January 2020, social media was set ablaze by Nigerians when it came out the richest black woman on planet earth was from the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Forbes revealed that 62-year-old, Folorunsho Alakija of Nigeria, an oil magnate is the wealthiest black woman in the world.

According to the American-based business magazine, Folorunsho Alakija has an estimated wealth of $600 million as of November 2012.

The report added that the Nigerian woman rose to the top of their list after unseating renowned media executive, talk show host, and philanthropist, Oprah Winfrey.

The story becomes the first on our tall list of stories with 326,062 pageviews from Friday, January 10 to the time this report was filed.

LIVE UPDATES: Counting and declaration of 2020 election results

GhanaWeb's comprehensive-text coverage of the just 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary elections is the second on our list with 224,706 page views.

The LIVE UPDATES story was put up on our website a day after eligible voters had cast their votes in their respective polling stations and collation and counting were underway.

The 2020 election is the eighth of the fourth republic and has the highest number of registered voters. 8,810,283 representing 51.7% of the total number of registered voters are female while 8,217,358 representing 48.26% are male.

The 2020 Presidential election was the first time in the country’s history that a former president contested.

Read the full story originally published on Monday, December, 7 2020, on Ghanaweb

Jerry John Rawlings is dead

Former President, Jerry John Rawlings passed on about three weeks to the 2020 general elections.

The founder of the National Democratic Congress and the first President of the 4th Republic of Ghana died at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, a week after having been admitted for a "short term illness".





He died on Thursday, November 14, 2020.

The story to announce his death to Ghanaians had 219,636 page views on GhanaWeb.

Read the full story originally published on Thursday, November, 12 2020, on Ghanaweb

Fidelity Bank speaks on Kennedy Agyapong, Angel Obinim 'war'

Fidelity Bank Ghana Limited responded to claims by New Patriotic Party's Member of Parliament, Kennedy Agyapong that the Founder and Leader of the International Godsway Church, Daniel Obinim is using their facility for money laundering.

The Member of Parliament for the Assin Central Constituency when speaking on Net 2TV alleged Daniel Obinim and some of the staff of Fidelity Bank are involved in money laundering.

In a statement issued and signed by the Brands and Communications officer of the bank, Carlotta Bannerman Amande, the bank refuted the claims made by Kennedy Agyapong.

“Our attention has been drawn to some statements made by Hon. Kennedy Agyapong on Net 2 TV alleging that Bishop Daniel Obinim is using the Bank to engage in Money Laundering.”

“The Bank wishes to state on record and assure all stakeholders that it has always complied with all applicable Bank of Ghana requirements with respect to foreign exchange transactions. We are unable to comment on individual customer transactions”, the statement said.

This story had 208,886 page views on GhanaWeb.

Read the full story originally published on Tuesday, March, 24 2020, on Ghanaweb

Ghana legalizes cannabis for health and industrial purposes

Ghana legalized the use of cannabis for health and industrial purposes in March 2020 to join other African countries to drive economic and health benefits from the plant.

This was done on Friday, March, 20 when Parliament passed the legalization of cannabis for health and industrial purposes into law the Narcotics Control Commission Bill, 2019.

The law made the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) a Commission with enhanced powers to oversee the industrial use of some narcotic substances.

Ghana joined the likes of Malawi, Zimbabwe, and South Africa who are changing their laws on narcotics.

This story was read 161,184 times.

Read the full story originally published on Saturday, March, 21 2020, on Ghanaweb

Kumawood actor Bishop Bernard Nyarko dies

Ghanaians particularly entertainment lovers were thrown into a state of shock and sorrow following reports of the demise of Kumasi-based actor, Bishop Bernard Nyarko.

The news of the popular actor was announced by musician, ace radio presenter, and DJ, Andy Dosty on Instagram.





"Oh Lord, I don't want to believe you're gone. God be with you my friend," an Instagram post by Andy Dosty read.

The cause of death is yet to be made public by the family of the late Bishop Bernard Nyarko.

This story has had 159,029 page views from the time it was published to date.

Read the full story originally published on Saturday, May, 2 2020, on Ghanaweb

Alert: Mobile-money fraudsters introduce new scheme

Then news about the mobile money fraud was the 7th most-read story on GhanaWeb in the year 2020.

This news story had 142,762 page views from the day it was published by this news
portal.

Below are the Golden Rules of Mobile Money (MoMo):

Never disclose your PIN to anyone

Never approve any transaction you have not initiated

Call 100 If you want to crosscheck or verify any information

You must not entertain any calls from people who claim to be working for any telecom operator and are calling you to assist them to do a transaction that requires a PIN.

Under no circumstances must you key in your PIN to do a transaction you did not initiate yourself

MTN Ghana’s official number is 0244300000. Even then if you are not convinced call 100 to verify.

Vodafone Ghana’s official number is 0505555111orcall 100 to verify.

AirtelTigo Ghana’sofficial numbers for any verification are 0307000000 or 0277881096. You could call 100 to verify.

Glo Mobile Ghana’s official numbers: 0230010100 and 0230010200. You also may call 100 to verify.

Read the full story originally published on Tuesday, December, 31 2019, on Ghanaweb

'Year of Return': Lady narrates how she bought back her iPhone from Circle

Ghanaian born British Youtube beauty guru, Kaiser Coby lost her iPhone 11 Pro Max at Bloom Bar in Accra on December 22, 2019.

Kaiser Coby was part of the ‘Returnees’ to Ghana when it marked 400-years after the first enslaved Africans arrived in Jamestown in Virginia during the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.



Her phone was stolen when she went with her twin sister Mariah Coby at the famous Bloom Bar where they had gone to have fun.

She later had to go and buy back her stolen phone at circle, in Accra.

This story had 133,694 page views.

Read the full story originally published on Friday, January, 17 2020, on Ghanaweb

NPP's Sir John is dead

The story about the death of the former General Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, popularly known as Sir John comes 9th on our top 10 charts.

This news story has been read 133,343 times from the day it was published to the time this report was filed.

Sir John was reported to have died at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital after a short illness.

The renowned lawyer-cum-politician died after testing positive for the novel Coronavirus, GhanaWeb gathered.

Read the full story originally published on Wednesday, July, 1, 2020, on Ghanaweb

Don’t come begging for help in future - Shatta Wale to Jackie Appiah

Dancehall artiste Shatta Wale's clash with actress Jackie Appiah over his decision to take money before he accepts to be a Coronavirus ambassador completes our top ten charts.

This story was read 131,724 times from Wednesday, April 1 2020 to date.

Shatta Wale's outburst came after Jackie Appiah questioned why the Shatta Movement boss would ask for money before he agrees to become an ambassador for COVID-19.

Shatta Wale told TV3 in an interview that he made the request not because he’s a money-conscious person but rather to send a message across to the government that celebrities/entertainers are business persons.

He noted that because most celebrities in Ghana have failed to see their craft as a business, they’ve not been able to save much and as such, they always beg during times of challenges.

Read the full story originally published on Wednesday, April, 1 2020, on Ghanaweb