The Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), Mr. Malik Basintale, today officially introduced his two newly -appointed Acting Deputies to the staff at the Head Office.
Mr. Abubakar Abdul-Kudus Saana, Deputy CEO – Operations, and Madam Prisca Sedinam Kekeshie, Deputy CEO – Finance & Administration, were presented as part of a strategic move to strengthen leadership and enhance operational efficiency within the organization.
The Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Bernard Ahiafor, says while he maintains a good working relationship with Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, he often struggles with what he describes as the latter’s “excesses.”
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Monday, February 3, the Akatsi South MP expressed frustration with his Effutu colleague’s approach to committee matters, particularly his tendency to backtrack on agreed decisions.
“I have a very good relationship with him, but sometimes I find it very difficult to take the excess,” the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament admitted.
“I am one particular person who will not agree on one thing with you, and after a few minutes or a few hours, you behave as if that was not what we agreed upon. It pisses me off.”
He dismissed Mr Afenyo-Markin’s claims that the Clerk of the Appointments Committee had been partisan or had withheld reports from him, emphasising that all committee members, including the Minority Leader, receive the necessary documents.
“There is nothing that the clerk of the committee has put out there that we have not agreed upon. There is no occasion that the clerk will not give me and give the Minority Leader a draft report.
“Even if you go back to recap, there are instances where the two of us will be sitting down, and the clerk will hold two reports, give me one, and give him one—in the full glare of the camera,” Ahiafor explained.
He suggested that Mr Afenyo-Markin’s background as a former Majority Leader may be influencing his expectations and approach to leadership in his current role as Minority Leader.
“It’s about time for him to realise that he is no longer the Majority Leader, but he’s a Minority Leader. He can use any adjectives to describe himself—mighty, happy, whatever—but for me, he is in the minority,” Mr Ahiafor stated.
“It doesn’t look like he understands that, and sometimes I believe he forgets himself.”
Bernard Ahiafor also clarified that, by parliamentary practice, committee clerks do not take directives from the Ranking Member but from the Chairman of the Committee.
“By our practice, clerks of the committee don’t take decisions from the Ranking Member. They take decisions from the Chairman of the Committee. That is why their letters mostly read, ‘I have been directed by the Chairman of the Committee,’ not the Ranking Member.
“But because he is coming from the Majority point of view, I think he sometimes forgets himself and fails to realise that he is now in the Minority,” he emphasized.
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The newly appointed Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Dr. Johnson Asiamah has outlined a firm commitment to addressing the country’s ongoing economic challenges, particularly persistent inflation, as part of the central bank’s core mandate.
In his first official meeting with Deputy Governors Dr. Maxwell Opoku-Afari and Elsie Addo Awadzie, Dr. Asiamah acknowledged the need for key policy adjustments to respond to the macroeconomic pressures that have weighed heavily on growth.
While specifics on the measures were not revealed, the Governor assured that these would be communicated at the appropriate time.
With inflationary trends continuing to exert strain on the economy, Dr. Asiamah emphasised that the central bank is carefully assessing the need for strategic modifications to its policies.
However, he made clear that his leadership transition would not disrupt the bank’s operational continuity or its strategic direction.
“We are focused on our mandate, and that remains unchanged. While there will be minor adjustments in response to the current economic challenges, we will communicate those at the right time,” Dr. Asiamah said.
The Governor’s remarks come at a time when Ghana continues to face inflationary pressures and uncertainty in its macroeconomic environment, raising expectations for a steady yet adaptive approach from the central bank under his leadership.
Kwami Sefa Kayi
Supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has rejected the apology of host of Peace FM’s Kokrokoo Morning Show, Kwami Sefa Kayi and calls for the party to return to the show.
The NDC boycotted the Kokrokoo show in May 2020 after describing the host, Kwami Sefa Kayi as a dictator and bias.
A statement signed by Sammy Gyamfi, said the decision was taken following the radio station’s ‘unfair paneling system that the production team of that programme has continuously foisted on the
The Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), General Thomas Oppong-Peprah, has assured the new Defence Minister, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, of the readiness of the Ghana Armed Forces to keep Ghana’s territorial integrity safe.
General Thomas Oppong-Peprah said this when he, together with the Service Chiefs, paid a courtesy visit to Dr Omane Boamah at the Ministry of Defence (MOD) in Accra on Monday, 3 February 2025.
The visit was to formally congratulate him on his new role and reaffirm their commitment to working with him to enhance national security.
General Oppong-Peprah, on behalf of Officers, Soldiers, and Defence Civilian Staff, congratulated Hon Dr Omane Boamah and wished him well in his new position. The CDS also pledged his loyalty and readiness to work with the Minister to keep the country’s territorial integrity safe by land, sea and air.
Also present at the meeting were the Chief Director MOD, Mr Lawoetey Tettey, the Chief of Staff GAF, Lt Gen Joseph Prince Osei Owusu and Air Commodore Edward Kwasi Gyamfi, Principal General Staff Officer at MOD.
Dr Edward Omane Boamah Dr Omane Boamah has provided the assurance that, he would work hard to address the challenges faced by the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), particularly in providing accommodation for troops and in the procurement of logistics.
He also commended High Command of GAF for working assiduously to maintain a peaceful atmosphere, free from violent extremism and terrorism at all times.
A Kotoko fan was killed by supporters of Nsoatreman FC
Ghana Premier League giants Asante Kotoko have announced their withdrawal from the GPL following the death of staunch supporter Nana Pooley.
In a statement released on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, the club stated that all first-team activities have been put on hold and will only resume after justice is served.
Chairman of Parliament’s Appointments Committee, Bernard Ahiafor, has warned that the Minority will be referred to the Privileges Committee if he fails to render an unqualified apology to the Clerk of Parliament’s Appointments Committee.
Alexander Afenyo-Markin, in an outburst captured live on television, accused Gifty Jiagge-Gobah of being partisan, a claim he reiterated in multiple press conferences and media interviews.
He alleged that she was working in favour of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
According to reports, his remarks contributed to starting a brawl among committee members, forcing a halt to the vetting process that day.
In response to the chaos, Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin suspended four MPs and instructed the Clerk to lodge a formal complaint with the police.
Providing an update on the incident during an interview on PM Express on Monday, the Adaklu MP described Afenyo-Markin’s attack on Jiagge-Gobah as “very reckless, very needless, and uncalled for.”
The Akatsi South MP further stated that the matter is far from over, stating, “A Member of Parliament cannot behave in that manner.”
He revealed that Mr Afenyo-Markin’s conduct would be referred to the Privileges Committee, where he could face severe consequences if he does not take the opportunity to apologise.
“Yes, he should join me in apologizing to the Clerk of the Committee. If he takes advantage of the opportunity, there will be no need to refer him to Privileges.
“If he fails to do so, then we will follow the rules, and whatever is applicable will be enforced,” Ahiafor stated.
In the coming days, Mr Afenyo-Markin will be given a chance to apologise and resolve the matter amicably. However, if he refuses, the disciplinary process will commence.
Despite the controversy, Afenyo-Markin has received strong backing from the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), which has accused Speaker Bagbin of acting autocratically by suspending three of their MPs.
The party has labelled the move as unacceptable, arguing that it undermines its ability to hold the government accountable.
Meanwhile, the Appointments Committee is set to reconvene soon for the vetting of deputy ministerial nominees, expected to be announced by President John Mahama in the coming days.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has expressed readiness to effectively partake in the National Education Forum, to highlight funding shortfalls within the educational system of the country.
This comes after President John Dramani Mahama established an eight-member committee to oversee the organisation of the National Education reform, to publicly dialogue on ways to improve on the educational sector in the country.
In an interview on the Channel One Newsroom, General Secretary of GNAT, Thomas Tanko Musah raised concerns regarding debts owed the West African Examination Council (WAEC), the challenge of financing the School Feeding programme for basic schools across the country and the capitation grant which lies in arrears.
He further lamented the growing concern of student indiscipline witnessed recently in some Senior High Schools and called for reforms in the disciplinary system.
“The major problem facing us is funding. All the problems we are going to discuss, it is about where to get money, pay for them. And like I always say, capitation grant is in arrears for over two years. We are owing WAEC for over GH¢100 million. The school feeding, we are owing. How can we feed students GH¢1.30 a day?
“We will go there and bring to their attention that currently as a people, we have lost the effective aspect of training our children which has to do with character and conscience. And we will run into danger when we train children with knowledge and they don’t have character.
“We must revisit the issue where we have disabled the headmasters and everything, otherwise we will be in trouble in the coming years.”
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Political analyst and Executive Director of Global InfoAnalytics, Mussa Dankwa has raised concerns over a viral video showing Upper East Regional Minister, Donatus Akamugri Atanga, spraying cash on his supporters. Mussa Dankwa suggest that this act poses an early test for President John Dramani Mahama, as similar displays of wealth have led to investigations by the Office of the Special Prosector(OSP) in the past.
In a Facebook post, Mussa Dankwa pointed out the potential cultural context of the gesture, noting that in the Northern Ghana and among Zongo communities, it is common to throw money at drummers as a form of appreciation. However, he cautioned that public officials must do so in a manner that does not create the impression of an opulent lifestyle.
“Mahama has a first test case in his hands as the newly appointed regional minster does what some people did and were hauled to the OSP,” Dankwa noted.
He further questioned how Atanga’s actions would be perceived in comparison to past incidents where parliamentary candidates were reported to the OSP for similar acts. “How differently will people see this from what some of the Parliamentary candidates did amd were reported to the OSP? Be circumspect” he advised.
Mussa Dankwa drew a contrast between Atanga’s gesture and that of Haruna Iddrissu’s, who was recently seen showering small amounts of money on drummers while others did the same for him. According to Dankwa, such acts are clearly cultural, whereas Atanga’s display raises ethical concerns.
The video has sparked debates on social media, with some agreeing that public officials must be mindful of optics, while others argue that cultural traditions should be not be misinterpreted. As the discussions continue, it remains to be seen whether this issue will attract further scrutiny from the Presidency.
https://www.facebook.com/100001460752425/posts/pfbid0iTdGvqUzxieT6xjSPP8Pk1ogLodmNMCdsyQkcAagGzHPDsUxbHYNWwYypTChPY7l/?app=fbl
Mrs Grace Awuah, a gospel musician, last Saturday marked her birthday with donation of assorted items to the Grace Land Orphanage Home at Bawjiase in the Central Region to alleviate some of their challenges.
The items she presented to the orphanage were bags of rice, sugar, toiletries, fruits, soap, biscuits, and bags of water.
Mrs Awuah who goes by the stage name Grace J. and also the Chief Executive officer of Grace J Foundation Ministry, a non-governmental organisation said she lost her parents during her childhood, “So I know how difficult it is and I decided to set up the foundation to assist the underprivileged.
“So I use this opportunity of my birthday to assist the orphanage to put smiles on the face of the children and the management. By the grace of God I have been doing this for the past two years.”
The management of the orphanage, expressed appreciation to Mrs Awuah for coming to the aid of the home, and appealed to other philanthropists to support the home to expand and accommodate the increasing numbers of orphans.
BY TIMES REPORTER
Xandy Kamel is a Ghanaian actress and TV presenter
Ghanaian actress cum media personality, Xandy Kamel, has opened up on what she describes as the unfair treatment she endured while she was working at Angel TV.
In an interview with Zionfelix on February 3, 2025, Xandy, while expressing her frustration, narrated how she was treated poorly despite giving her best to the company.
She said she was laid off without any clear explanation, adding that she was asked to stay home after a change in management.
“Someone had damaging evidence about the owner of Angel TV, and I had to go behind the scenes and plead with him to delete it. To wake up one morning only to hear there had been a change in management and I should stay home until further notice is heartbreaking.
“I’ve been at home for the past three years… They only paid us when I called to inquire about my return, but even then, salaries came for three months and then stopped. I couldn’t keep calling them about it,” she said.
Xandy further explained how she initially joined Angel TV to host a show but ended up hosting three different programs without asking for a salary increase.
“I was paid around GH¢2,000, and I did all these things for peanuts. To be treated unfairly after giving my all is an insult,” she added.
The media personality also highlighted the poor working conditions faced by staff at Angel TV, even in life-threatening situations.
“Angel TV took a lot from me. I couldn’t do things for myself because I was doing three shows and even worked as a producer. Sometimes we would finish late at night with no driver to take us home. The staff is often left vulnerable and attacked. Management there is terrible,” she lamented.
Watch the video below:
Also watch Miki Osei Berko’s interview on Talkertainment below:
JHM/EB
Inusah Fuseini has criticised Afenyo-Markin for his attacks on Appointments Committee clerk
The former Member of Parliament of Tamale Central, Inusah Fuseini has strongly criticised the Minority Leader, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin for his harsh remarks directed at a Clerk of the Appointments Committee.
In response to the Minority’s press conference led by Afenyo-Markin on February 3, 2025, where he called for the clerk’s removal from the committee over alleged partisan conduct, Fuseini expressed deep disappointment.
He stated that Afenyo-Markin’s outburst and how he addressed the matter did not align with the leadership and maturity expected of him.
Fuseini argued that the Minority Leader should have explored all available avenues to resolve the issue without resorting to attacks. Instead, he failed to follow the appropriate procedures for addressing his grievances and acted impulsively and emotionally.
“Afenyo-Markin allowed his emotions to overcome him. There are known procedures for parliament to deal with such situations. As a leader of the House, you should explore the possibility of amicably resolving an issue rather than letting your emotions take over. It doesn’t show leadership and maturity. You did that with impunity and in fact, I was disappointed,” he said.
The former lawmaker provided insight into the established rules and regulations governing the conduct of parliamentary staff, highlighting the avenues that Afenyo-Markin should have pursued in addressing the issue.
He stated that the clerk, who had been accused by the Minority, should have been referred to her superiors, who would have been responsible for determining the facts of the matter.
He condemned the attacks on the clerk by the Minority, both in the media and during the vetting process.
“If you think that the Clerk of Parliament is behaving in a manifestly biased way towards your side, there are procedures to deal with that in parliament. The Clerk of Parliament is the head of the Parliamentary Service and the clerk to the committee is a member of the Parliamentary Service.
“The Parliamentary Service has rules and regulations regarding how officers behave so why will you boil over and talk to an adult and a staff as if she didn’t matter,” he added.
His comments follow calls from the Minority Caucus in Parliament for the immediate removal of the Appointments Committee clerk, citing what they deemed to be her unprofessional conduct in carrying out her duties.
Addressing the press on Monday, February 3, 2025, the leader of the Minority Caucus, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, expressed his strong displeasure with the clerk’s conduct, accusing her of being partisan and working in favor of their opponents, the Majority caucus.
He disclosed that an official report has been lodged with the Clerk of Parliament, hoping for her removal from the committee.
“We have reported it to the clerk and we hope that the clerk, after engagement, will come back to us. But for now, we don’t want the clerk on the Appointments Committee again. We are calling on the clerk of parliament to remove her from the Appointments Committee unless she is ready to turn a new leaf and be a professional to engage us,” he said.
MAG/EK
Meanwhile, watch as Afenyo-Markin explains how he became rich
President John Dramani Mahama
The National Tripartite Committee, comprising representatives from the government, employers, and Organised Labour/Associations, has officially begun discussions to set the 2025 minimum wage.
The negotiations, which commenced on Monday, February 3, 2025, are aimed at determining the minimum wage rates for the upcoming year.
In a statement released by Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the acting spokesperson for the President, it was announced that the negotiations will also address base pay adjustments for public sector employees, which will be aligned with the minimum wage discussions.
“Given that negotiations for both the minimum wage and the base pay for the 2025 financial year are behind schedule—as they were expected to be completed by the end of April 2024, per the Public Financial Management (PFM) Act.
“Government is calling on social partners (government, employers, organised labour) to work expeditiously to complete the negotiations in time to inform the 2025 Budget,” the statement concluded.
In line with Section 113 (1) (a) of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651), the National Tripartite Committee increased the national daily minimum wage from GH¢14.88 to GH¢18.15 effective January 1, 2024.
See the full statement below:
MA
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Deceased Kotoko fan, Yaw Frimpong well known as Pooley
Yaw Frimpong alias Nana Pooley a staunch supporter of Asante Kotoko encouraged the club’s fans to pray for the team in their game against Nsoatreman.
The deceased fan noted that Kotoko’s chances of winning the league would be impacted by their performance in their next two away matches which were against Nsoatreman F.C and Young Apostles.
Pooley called on Kotoko supporters residing in the Bono Region to come out in their numbers to support the team, boosting the players’ morale to win the game.
In an interview with King Eben on Lawson FM, the deceased fan expressed optimism about Kotoko defeating Nsoatreman.
“With the two away matches against Nsoatreman and Young Apostles, if we manage to get four points, it will be fine. Nsoatreman defeated us last season, so I would like us to beat them and draw against Apostles. The players have assured us that they would win the games.
“I would urge the fans to pray for the team. Those in Dormaa, Sunyani, Berekum, and its surroundings should come and support us. I would never underrate Nsoatreman because they have a good team with a better coach,” he said in Twi.
Unfortunately, Pooley was fatally stabbed during a melee at the match on January 2, 2024.
Multiple reports suggest he was stabbed five times and succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) have banned Nsoatreman from using their home venue and initiated a probe into the violent incident to identify and punish the culprits.
Watch Pooley’s video below:
This is Pooley, the Asante Kotoko fan stabbed to death in Nsoatre! He loved his team! pic.twitter.com/7pk0zETLuZ
— Fentuo Tahiru Fentuo (@Fentuo_) February 2, 2025
Watch the latest edition of Sports Debate below:
SB/EK
Government is faced with a critical decision regarding tax policies as it considers the removal of the e-levy, betting tax and emission levy.
While these levies have been described as a burden on businesses and individuals, their removal could result in a significant shortfall in government revenue.
This raises questions about how the state will compensate for the lost income whether by introducing alternative taxes or cutting public expenditures.
Speaking during the Deloitte Ghana 2025 Tax and Regulatory Outlook webinar, Partner of Tax and Regulatory Services at Deloitte Ghana, Gideon Ayi Owoo, highlighted the implications of potential tax cuts on government revenue and the economy.
“If the government abolishes the e-levy, betting tax and emission levy, it will result in a significant decline in tax revenue. The previous administration introduced the betting tax to generate additional revenue from the gaming activities popular among the youth. However, the current ruling party considers these taxes a nuisance.
Nonetheless, businesses should anticipate the introduction of alternative taxes by the government,” he said.
Beyond direct taxes, import duties and levies play a crucial role in government revenue.
However, high import duties have also contributed to inflation, making goods more expensive for consumers.
Policymakers and stakeholders have in recent times debated whether reducing these import taxes could help drive industrialisation and boost local agribusiness.
“Import taxes directly affect imported goods and contribute to inflation.
A government’s pledge to lower import duties and taxes can support industrialisation and agribusiness, benefiting the country. However, to make this feasible, the government must find alternative revenue sources or cut expenditures,” he said.
The trade and industrial sectors have long advocated lower import duties, arguing that such a move would encourage more investment in local production.
However, he noted that balancing that with the government’s need for revenue remained a challenge.
With potential changes in the tax regime, businesses must prepare for possible shifts in fiscal policy.
Experts predict that if the government eliminates certain taxes, it may introduce new ones to compensate for the revenue shortfall.
These could come in the form of broader consumption taxes, corporate levies or adjustments to existing tax brackets.
However, the Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has rejected claims that the government needs to adjust tax rates to generate revenue for the country’s rebuilding efforts.
While addressing questions before the Parliamentary Appointments Committee during his vetting, Dr Forson outlined his strategy to boost revenue without increasing taxes.
He emphasised the importance of improving tax compliance as a key measure.
“We don’t necessarily need to increase taxes to raise revenue. We have the tools at our disposal, and I will work closely with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to ensure we collect the necessary revenue by enhancing compliance,” he said.
The discussion at the Deloitte Ghana webinar provided insights into the regulatory landscape that businesses and investors should expect in 2025.
Tax policies remain a critical component of economic management, and how the government navigates these changes will determine the fiscal health of the country in the coming years.
While the ruling administration considers the e-levy, betting tax and emission levy as a nuisance, the economic reality suggests that eliminating them without a solid revenue replacement plan could create financial strain.
As businesses and individuals await further clarity on tax policies, many are bracing for possible adjustments in other areas of taxation.
Many of us are grappling with the midlife hair mare. Common complaints include thinning, decline in quality and easy breakage – and last year I exacerbated matters by unintentionally dropping a stone.
Swift weight loss made my hair noticeably puny at the sides and around the temples.
Trichologist Anabel Kingsley explains that hair follicles age just as our skin does. At the same time, hormone fluctuations impact growth: oestrogen (a female hormone) levels decline, while the ratio of androgens (male hormones) rise in relation, causing loss and density changes.
Anabel’s Philip Kingsley clinics recommend paying attention to your scalp health, stress levels and diet. At her clinics, they check protein, iron, vitamin B12 and zinc levels. She also advises against low-carb diets, since ‘carbohydrates provide energy to maintain the growth of rapidly dividing hair cells’.
‘Think of proteins as your hair’s building blocks and complex carbs as the builders,’ she says. Hence the problem with restrictive diets and Ozempic causing hair loss.
Her Density Amino Acid Protein Booster supplement does what it says on the tin (£33 for 120 capsules, philipkingsley.co.uk), while the Density Healthy Hair Complex (£33 for 60) contains the vitamins and minerals Anabel’s experts most commonly see deficiencies in at their clinics.
As if menopause wasn’t enough, Shabir Daya, co-founder of Victoria Health, alerts me to another hair-loss factor: winter hair thinning. ‘This is when hair sheds or becomes weaker due to cold weather, dry air and reduced sunlight, restricting vitamin D,’ he says. ‘It can lead to breakage, a dry scalp and diminishment.’
Shabir’s solution is biotin (vitamin B7), which is found in foods such as egg yolks, nuts, soya beans and bananas. Try Solgar’s Biotin 5,000mcg (£22.50 for 50, victoriahealth.com) or Superior Hair (£33 for 90). The latter is also packed with zinc and copper.
In terms of topical solutions, there’s TYPEBEA’s G1 Overnight Boosting Peptide Serum (£43, sephora.co.uk), a bestseller from Rita Ora and beauty mogul Anna Lahey’s hair-growth firm.
It is proven to reduce hair loss by 60 per cent in three months. The star ingredient is Baicapil, a botanical complex which stimulates cells.
My hairdresser also recommended something akin to the midlife holy grail – a product that claims to improve sparseness while also inhibiting grey hairs: Living Proof Scalp Care Density Serum (£54, cultbeauty.co.uk). It should be used daily, but I was nowhere near as dutiful.
Yet, months on, this cocktail of pea-sprout extract and amaranth peptides has had a discernible effect. My hair is denser, glossier and darker, too – presumably thanks to the Anti-Grey Complex, an antioxidant and amino acid ‘smoothie’. Only imagine if I’d used it religiously.
Supplements and serums will take time to have an impact. What to do in the meantime?
Shabir admires Color Wow Xtra Large Bombshell Volumizer (£24, victoriahealth.com), while my fine-haired, 62-year-old tester raves about Revolution Hair R-Peptide 4×4 Leave In Restore Mask (now £9.60, revolution beauty.com), saying: ‘I almost don’t recognise my own hair!’
I favour a body-building shampoo and conditioner such as UKLash UKHair Growth Shampoo and Conditioner (now £12 each, sephora.co.uk). Also in my arsenal are the double acts by Moroccanoil and Sam McKnight, plus Viviscal, Dove Pro-Age, and L’Oreal’s Extraordinary Clay Rebalancing range. Josh Wood Colour Root Smudge (£15, boots.com) is an instant morale booster for sparse scalps, too.
The Ordinary GF 15% Solution
Immediately selling out upon launch on January 7, The Ordinary’s GF 15% Solution (£13.50, boots.com) has been a colossal hit. GF stands for ‘growth factors’ – a class of peptides that play a role in repair, for skin that looks and feels younger. They strengthen the skin barrier, too. To get them at this price is phenomenal.
Shop
The presenter, 57, says she only started wearing make-up every day at the age of 45, but adds that now ‘a bit of mascara and lipstick is vital to my being’.
She swears by Ilia Lip Sketch Hydrating Lip Crayon (£26, sephora.co.uk) and Hourglass Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara (£32). She also uses Estee Lauder’s DayWear Sheer Tint Release Advanced Multi-Protection Anti-Oxidant Moisturiser SPF15 (£54) to give her skin a youthful glow.
Lisa Eldridge Pinpoint Concealer Micro Correcting Pencil
Is it any wonder make-up artist Lisa Eldridge was awarded an MBE by the King in the New Year honours list? She’s not merely a national treasure but an international one, too.
Her latest launch, Lisa Eldridge Pinpoint Concealer Micro Correcting Pencil (£27, lisaeldridge.com), is a gamechanger. It camouflages spots and broken capillaries and is brilliant at lifting shadows. Think of it as her no make-up make-up, perfect-skin technique in product form.
Pinpoint’s 1.5mm tip allows you to micro-dose coverage. Its gel formula blends seamlessly into skin and offers a soft-focus, matte, genuinely skin-like – and waterproof – finish.
Shop
Drowsy The Beauty Sleep Body Cream
Drowsy The Beauty Sleep Body Cream (£45, drowsy sleepco.com)
A silky sleep enhancer with muscle and brain-relaxing magnesium and essential oils.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has strongly condemned the recent suspension of three of its Members of Parliament (MPs) by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, on Friday, 31st January 2025.
In a statement issued on Monday, February 3, it described the move as “selective” and “autocratic,” warning that it could undermine the role of the minority in Parliament and stifle accountability.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, suspended four Members of Parliament (MPs) for two weeks following a chaotic incident that occurred during Thursday’s sitting of the Appointments Committee which resulted in the destruction of tables and microphones.
Read also: Speaker suspends Dafeamekpor, Annoh-Dompreh and 2 others over Appointments Committee chaos
“The party sees this selective, and autocratic posture of the Speaker as very dangerous, with all these actions packaged to cow the minority into submission, consequently weakening its potential to hold the government accountable,” the statement read.
The NPP expressed grave concern over what it called an increasingly authoritarian approach by the Speaker, which it argued was designed to “cow the minority into submission”.
The party contends that such actions are detrimental to the democratic processes in Parliament and are a direct attempt to weaken the ability of the opposition to hold the government accountable.
In a firm rebuttal of the Speaker’s decision, the NPP emphasized that it would not accept the suspension of its MPs, asserting that the move was in “flagrant disregard” of the Constitution and the principles of natural justice.
The statement reiterated the party’s commitment to defending the rights of its members and protecting the integrity of parliamentary procedures.
The NPP further voiced its support for the minority caucus, which held a press conference earlier today, Monday, February 3, to address the issue.
The party reiterated its unflinching support for its MPs, calling on all Members of Parliament to stand united in the face of “repression and unfairness.”
“The party hereby reiterates its position that it stands with its eighty-eight (88) gallant Hon. Members to address all forms of repression and unfairness in the application of the rules governing Parliament and the nation,” the statement concluded.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Kevin Taylor a US-based vlogger has alleged that minority leader of parliament Alexander Afenyo Markin is collapsing banks in Ghana.
According to Kevin Taylor, Afenyo Markin’s Square Logistics GH LTD defaulted a GHS 18,462,405.96 and Excel Courier a GHS 3,975,226.27.
Kevin Taylor in his post with an image of loan defaulters wrote, “Afenyo MARKIN collapsing banks in Ghana”.
DAR ES SALAAM, Feb. 3, (Xinhua/GNA) — Tanzania hosted 5.36 million tourists in 2024, a record high and breaking its target of attracting 5 million tourists by 2025, said Pindi Chana, minister for natural resources and tourism, Friday.
Chana told a meeting of stakeholders in the tourism industry, including investors, travel companies, and government officials in the port city of Dar es Salaam, that out of the total tourists that visited the country’s attractions, 3.22 million were domestic tourists and 2.14 million were international visitors.
The tourism sector generated approximately 4 billion U.S. dollars in revenue last year, falling short of the ambitious target set by the government of raking in 6 billion U.S. dollars by December 2025.Antelopes run at Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, May 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Hua Hongli)
The official attributed the impressive number of tourists to the government’s strategic efforts to promote the industry, after challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in recent years.”These efforts have effectively showcased Tanzania’s breathtaking landscapes and rich cultural heritage, positioning the nation as a desirable travel destination,” said Chana.
The meeting also served as a platform for discussing future strategies, with Chana emphasizing the necessity of continued collaboration among stakeholders to enhance Tanzania’s tourism offerings.
GNA
Renowned economist Joe Jackson speaking on GhanaWeb TV’s BizTech
Renowned economist and Chief Executive Officer of Dalex Finance, Joe Jackson, has shared key insights on how tax relief measures can drive Ghana’s economic recovery.
Speaking in an interview with Mawuli Ahorlumegah on GhanaWeb TV’s BizTech, he highlighted the impact of tax cuts on businesses and households, strategies to boost investor confidence, and the need to balance government revenue with public spending.
Joe Jackson also emphasised the importance of long-term policies for sustainable economic growth, urging policymakers to adopt tax strategies that stimulate business expansion while maintaining fiscal stability.
He also painted a grim picture of Ghana’s economic situation, stating that the country is “broker than ever” due to economic mismanagement over the last three years.
Jackson highlighted the severe fiscal challenges, rising debt levels, and dwindling government revenue that have left the economy in distress.
“Ghana’s financial struggles have been worsened by poor economic policies, excessive borrowing, and a lack of fiscal discipline, which have led to increased hardship for businesses and households,” he told GhanaWeb Business.
Additionally, he called on the new government to implement stringent measures to navigate economic challenges while introducing policies aimed at fostering a resilient economy.
Watch the full interview below:
MA
The Minority leader and Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has firmly declared that the Minority will not succumb to any form of intimidation or bullying from the NDC Majority.
Despite growing pressure, Afenyo-Markin emphasised that the Minority remains resolute and will not be forced into submission by such tactics.
Addressing the press on Monday, 3 February, Afenyo-Markin stated “We, the mighty few, will not allow ourselves to be intimidated. We will never surrender to such tactics. All the issues that have been thrown at us are merely designed to scare us, but none of them will work.”
Afenyo-Markin went on to highlight the unprecedented level of cooperation the Minority has shown towards the NDC Majority.
“For the record, this is the first time in the history of the Fourth Republic that the minority in Parliament has allowed the government to form its administration and appoint ministers within record time. We have been more than cooperative,” he explained.
However, Afenyo-Markin made it clear that this cooperation had been met with increasing intimidation and bullying.
“They are bullies. They intimidate, and if you’re not strong, they will bully you. But we will never surrender to any bully,” he said firmly.
The MP also connected the growing intimidation to the chaotic events that transpired on Thursday. “It is out of this intimidation that, one way or another, the situation exploded into chaos that evening,” Afenyo-Markin explained.
“We had an agreement that only three nominees would be vetted that day. My deputy leader, who represented our caucus’s interests, had an understanding with the committee chair.
But unexpectedly, six more nominees were paraded for vetting at 10 PM, completely disregarding our agreement, which led to the breakdown in order.”
Afenyo-Markin went on to discuss the escalating physical intimidation the minority has faced.
“The NDC has sent their full soldiers to intimidate us. The insults, the bullying, and the physical attacks – it’s becoming unbearable. Sometimes, they push us as we walk. We’ve brought this to the attention of the Parliamentary Police,” he said, expressing deep concern over the safety of his colleagues.
With the situation becoming increasingly tense, Afenyo-Markin highlighted the need for enhanced security. “We are taking extra steps to ensure our safety, as their thugs are becoming too numerous. We don’t feel safe, and all of this has contributed to our stance on that night,” he stated.
Despite the ongoing challenges, Afenyo-Markin reaffirmed that the minority would continue to uphold the principles of democracy.
“The NPP is known for its gentlemanly conduct. We don’t engage in physical confrontation, but protest is an essential part of democracy,” he said, making it clear that their actions were a legitimate response to the circumstances.
In conclusion, Afenyo-Markin appealed to the majority leader, whom he praised for his diplomatic leadership, to intervene and address the growing obstruction.
“I urge the majority leader to calm the wild dogs who are obstructing the government’s work,” he said, calling for an end to the tactics that have been disrupting the smooth functioning of government.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
The Ghana Police Service has arrested former Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour Awuah, along with two others, in connection with a violent clash during a football match between Nsoatreman FC and Kumasi Asante Kotoko FC over the weekend.
The incident which occurred on February 2, 2025, at Nsoatre in the Bono Region resulted in the death of a Kotoko supporter.
The other suspects, identified as Agyemang Duah Owusu and Kyeremeh Joseph, are also in police custody.
In a statement issued on February 3, the police confirmed that all three suspects are assisting with investigations.
“A search conducted in the room of suspect Agyemang Duah Owusu led to the retrieval of two dresses with suspected bloodstains and an MP 23 pistol with 15 rounds of ammunition.”
The Inspector-General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, has expressed condolences to the family of the deceased and the leadership of Kumasi Asante Kotoko FC. He assured them of a comprehensive investigation.
A special team from the Criminal Investigation Department Headquarters has been deployed to assist the Bono Regional Police Command in the ongoing investigation.
The game, which ended in a 1-0 defeat for Kotoko, was marred by heated confrontations both on and off the pitch.
Tensions escalated when players clashed, prompting the referee to issue four red cards. The situation spiraled further out of control after the final whistle, leading to violent scenes between rival supporters.
A Daily Guide Report
Martin Kpebu is a private legal practitioner
A member of John Mahama’s Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) team Martin Kpebu has rejected claims by the minority leader Afenyo Markin that drones were used to spy on his private properties.
According to Martin Kpebu, it is a false Operation Recover All Loot committee sent drones to spy on Afenyo Markin’s properties.
Speaking in an interview with CITI NEWS, Martin Kpebu dismissed the allegations, “It is false. The ORAL committee has not sent any drones to spy
Once a little child with dreams of playing football to the highest level, Kevin Wiedlich has now become an inspirational figure looking to make others realize their goals.
Born in Hamburg, Kevin has lived almost all of his life in Germany despite boasting Ghanaian roots.
The 35-year-old began his senior career with VfL 93 Hamburg, a football club from the city of Hamburg but Kevin barely had the chances as he managed eight appearances for the club with one goal to his name between July 2007 and July 2008.
His lack of minutes led to him sealing a move to USC Paloma in 2008 and eventually to FC Sylt, all on free transfers.
TSG Neustrelitz, BFC Dynamo, Energie Cottbus, Fortuna Köln and Teutonia 05 were among some of the clubs he went on to play for with the latter being his last team.
Kevin’s most product time in Germany came on the field was with Energie Cottbus where he netted 20 times in 114 appearances across all competitions racking up 12 assists in the period.
Since the summer of 2024, Kevin has been acting more as a Sporting Director Teutonia 05 as he seeks to hang up his boots.
Kevin lived his dream but his regret would be not accomplishing it at the highest level.
Even while he was playing, he had others in mind.
Kevin set up the Write the Future Academy with his partner, Kusi Kwame. The institution is based in Hamburg.
The academy aims at training talented kids from the age of 10 as well as shaping up professional players and helping their fitness ahead of preseason.
One of the players who has come through and trained at the club is Black Stars forward Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer.
While in Germany, Kevin never forgets his Ghanaian roots. “It’s very important to us to support football in Ghana as our roots are there,” he told Joy Sports.
Every year, he and Kwame, through the academy, travel to Ghana to support two clubs with training equipment and football kits.
In his own words, Kevin says, “We are in close contact with them and see it as our responsibility to help wherever we can so the players have the opportunity to develop further.”
Just like its name, the Write the Future Academy, will be a source of good things for the Ghanaian community as Kevin is committed to seeing its success.
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General Overseer of the Alabaster Ministry International, Prophet Kofi Oduro
Prophet Kofi Oduro has added to the pile of criticism directed at Prophet Ogyaba following the public revelation of his extramarital affairs.
The General Overseer of Alabaster International Ministries has strongly condemned Prophet Ogyaba’s actions, labeling it a disgrace to the body of Christ.
He has emphasised that as a prophet of God, Ogyaba holds an office of great trust, and his primary mission is to guide God’s people to salvation, not to take advantage of them.
“When you fall into adultery, you give others the chance to speak ill of God’s name. As Christians, we must avoid certain shameful behaviours that tarnish God’s reputation. Just look at how some pastors have allowed people to speak badly about God’s work. You’ve given God’s enemies the chance to blaspheme and ridicule him because of your actions,” he stated while addressing the congregation.
He continued, “You have a wife, and someone comes to your church. It is your duty to lead that person toward salvation. Even if you are a false prophet, as long as you are in charge of God’s flock, you must think wisely.”
Prophet Oduro further emphasised, “It is not your role to take off her bra or abuse her. You hold a sacred office, and you must not abuse that trust. There’s too much defamation and slander going on in the pulpit of God. Too much blood on the pulpit.”
He also stated that anyone who claims to be a man of God but cannot control their sexual urges is unfit for the ministry.
“Anyone who cannot control himself does not deserve to be in the pulpit. If God hasn’t called you, go and sit somewhere. Stop the work and sell cassava. Because you have money and influence, you blackmail people into doing these things,” he added.
Prophet Oduro then issued a stern warning to Prophet Ogyaba, stating, “I am speaking to Ghanaian promiscuous prophets: repent! The blood of those girls you’ve slept with is on your head. You will die a miserable death.”
Prophet Oduro concluded by stating that he is an example of a man of God who would never fall victim to sexual sin.
“If a woman strips and stands in front of me, I won’t have any thoughts, not even a feeling in my mind, let alone in my body,” he firmly stated.
He also directed blame toward the side chick involved, asking, “The lady didn’t find anyone else other than a pastor to have an affair with? She knows the pastor is married, but still went ahead. Those influential people who used to frequent the airport, why didn’t she choose any of them?”
Also watch Miki Osei Berko’s interview on Talkertainment below:
EB
The 1st Deputy Speaker of Parliament and Chairman of the Appointments Committee of Parliament has accused the Minority Leader, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, of being behind the chaos that was seen in Parliament during the ministerial vetting on Thursday, January 30, 2025.
According to Bernard Ahiafor, Afenyo-Markin was the one who ordered the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament on the Appointments Committee to cause the commotion that was seen.
Ahiafor, the Member of Parliament (MP) of Akatsi South, who made these claims in an interview on JoyNews on Monday, February 3, 2025, said that the Minority Leader gave the orders for the NPP MPs to act in the manner they did.
He added that right after giving the order, Afenyo-Markin, the MP of Effutu and Ranking Member of the Appointments Committee, walked out so it would seem he was not involved in what transpired.
“The Minority Leader played it smart and safe. I heard him asking them to do some of the things that they did. But when they were about to start, he left the room. It was later that he came back to the room. So at the scene, the actual scene where they were dragging the table and putting the chairs on the table, he was, at that material moment, not in the room. When he came, he couldn’t even move to my left side. He was behind me, at my right side.
“But I know that Jerry was under his instruction to move to go and stop Akandoh from taking the seat to be sworn in. He asked his side that they should all put on the microphone. I heard him saying they should call some people to come to the vetting room,” he said.
The 1st Deputy Speaker of Parliament also refuted assertions that Speaker Bagbin’s suspension of some of the MPs involved in the incident was too harsh.
He indicated that the legislators could have even been given a stiffer punishment for what transpired.
“As a matter of fact, if we want to go into the nitty-gritty of this particular matter, they may suffer harsher punishment than the suspension.
“I heard people arguing that the suspension should have been eight days instead of two weeks. And it all boiled down to the same thing. Saying eight days and two weeks is the same thing.
Because naturally, the eight sitting days amount to two weeks because the sitting days of Parliament in a week are four,” he explained.
About the parliamentary fracas:
The altercation stemmed from the vetting of Minister of Health-designate Kwabena Mintah Akandoh and Minister of Foreign Affairs-designate Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
The Minority Caucus accused the Majority Caucus of violating an agreement to vet only four nominees for the day, which led to heated exchanges.
Tensions escalated into physical confrontations, with microphones and furniture destroyed, and one of the vetting tables overturned.
Following the incident, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, suspended four Members of Parliament (MPs) for two weeks.
The suspended MPs are: Frank Annoh-Dompreh (NPP, Nsawam-Adoagyiri); Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor (NDC, South Dayi); Alhassan Tampuli (NPP, Gushegu); Jerry Ahmed Shaib (NDC, Weija-Gbawe).
As confirmed by GhanaWeb’s George Ayisi, a special parliamentary committee, chaired by Ho West MP Emmanuel Bedzrah, has been tasked with investigating the incident and submitting a report within 10 days.
Additionally, Speaker Bagbin directed the Clerk of Parliament to file a formal complaint with the Ghana Police Service for a criminal investigation into the MPs’ conduct.
The Speaker also declared that no public funds would be used to repair damaged parliamentary properties and that MPs found culpable would be surcharged for the repairs.
BAI/EK
Meanwhile, watch as Afenyo-Markin explains how he became rich
You can also watch videos from the Minority after chaos erupted during Mintah Akandoh’s vetting
The Ghana Association of Banks (GAB) wants a more robust legal framework to address loan defaults, arguing that defaulters must face stringent consequences to deter others from exploiting loopholes in the judicial system.
John Awuah, Chief Executive Officer of GAB, stressed the need to send a strong signal that loan defaulters will find no hiding place in the courts.
According to him, the persistent challenges with loan recovery continue to undermine the financial sector’s ability to lend freely – contributing to higher interest rates and a constrained credit environment, especially for individuals and businesses who need the facilities the most.
“In Ghana, it is not uncommon for a customer who has borrowed money and is being chased by a bank for payment to retort that the bank should take the matter to court: not because they have a genuine case, but because they know the court system will tolerate and accommodate them. We must make it hostile for recalcitrant and deliberate loan defaulters – people who borrow with no intention of repaying,” Mr. Awuah said in an exclusive interview with B&FT.
His concerns come at a time when private sector credit, despite modest recovery, is yet to reach it’s pre-2022 macroeconomic crisis levels.
The Bank of Ghana’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), in its statement following its 122nd meeting on January 27, noted that nominal private sector credit growth increased to 26.3 percent in December 2024 compared to 10.7 percent in December 2023.
In real terms, credit to the private sector expanded by two percent, marking a significant turnaround from the 10.2 percent contraction recorded in the previous year.
Despite this progress, the industry’s Non-Performing Loans (NPL) ratio remains a pressing issue, rising to 21.8 percent in December 2024 from 20.6 percent a year earlier.
Mr. Awuah described this as a major concern, explaining that high impairments discourage lending and weaken banks’ ability to support economic growth.
“Impairment is a cancer to the industry. When you give ten loans and make good money on nine but one goes bad, everything made on the nine disappears. That’s why banks are cautious when lending. It’s not about high interest rates generating profits – rather, it’s about managing risks and high interest rates increases the probability of default,” he explained.
The situation, he added, is exacerbated by systemic weaknesses that make loan recovery a lengthy and often futile process.
“There is a Borrowers and Lenders Act which stipulates that if a collateral is registered in the collateral registry and there is a default, the lender only needs to notify the court and enter execution. This process should take two to three months, but instead we see cases dragging on for two to three years due to unnecessary legal delays,” he stated.
To address these challenges, GAB’s CEO stated that the Association has been working closely with the judiciary to ensure that judges have a comprehensive understanding of financial and banking matters. The Association, in collaboration with the Judicial Training Institute, has conducted training programmes for judges including those at the Commercial Courts, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
“We took them through a comprehensive training programme on the Global Master Repurchase Agreement (GMRA) process because when financial disputes arise, the courts need to understand the documentation involved to be able to adjudicate the dispute,” Mr. Awuah explained.
“We also conducted refresher-training on the Borrowers and Lenders Act to address the misapplication of laws that often leads to delays in loan recovery,” he added.
As part of broader judicial reforms, GAB has also played a key role in reviving the Court Users’ Committee, a platform that brings together judges, lawyers, banks, and businesses to discuss ways to streamline the judicial process for financial cases.
The CEO commended the Chief Justice for her swift action in ensuring the Committee resumed operations, describing it as a crucial step in improving the efficiency of court proceedings related to loan defaults.
“Not every time are banks right, and not every time are borrowers right. The question is, how do we make the legal process more efficient so that those who are right get justice quickly? We want a system where banks can recover funds on time and reinvest them in the economy instead of waiting years for legal resolutions,” he noted.
Beyond judicial reforms, the banking sector has also invested in improving mortgage and collateral registration to facilitate loan recovery. GAB has collaborated with the Lands Commission to create a dedicated corporate office for banks and other corporate entities, ensuring a seamless process for registering mortgages and other financial transactions.
“We built a fully-equipped office complex for the Lands Commission, complete with computers, scanners and printers, solely for commercial transactions related to banks. This eliminates long queues and the missing documents syndrome, which have been major bottlenecks in the past,” Awuah stated.
Despite these interventions, Ghana’s financial sector continues to grapple with a weak credit culture that makes lending risky.
Mr. Awuah stressed that unlike in other jurisdictions where a borrower’s financial behaviour is fully documented, Ghana lacks a robust credit scoring system.
“In other countries, if you default on your rent you cannot secure a bank loan. If you owe taxes, you cannot access credit. Every financial behaviour is tracked and scored. But in Ghana, banks lend based on partial knowledge of a borrower’s financial exposure. We don’t know if a business owes suppliers or if all their inventory is financed through unpaid suppliers’ credit,” he lamented.
The absence of a centralised credit scoring system has led to cases where borrowers with a history of default continue to secure loans from multiple financial institutions. According to Awuah, some individuals take loans just before relocating abroad, using the money to settle their families while leaving their debt unpaid.
“Most of the doctors and nurses who have migrated from this country, as soon as they are about to travel, approach banks for loans and then disappear. These are real challenges banks are facing, yet people keep asking why banks are not lending more,” he observed.
The CEO also highlighted the risk posed by government contractors, who frequently secure loans based on contracts that remain unpaid for years. “When we hear on the radio that contractors have not been paid for two or ten years, what it really means is that banks have not been paid for two or ten years. The contractor takes the money, but the real lender is the bank,” he said.
With an NPL ratio exceeding 21 percent, Mr. Awuah noted that this is not an ideal time for banks to be aggressive in lending – especially given the high interest rate environment. “It’s really not a time for banks to be bullish on lending when interest rates are not favourable for the financial system. We need to address systemic weaknesses before we can expand credit meaningfully,” he cautioned.
The issue of non-performing loans remains a major concern, particularly in the SME sector. While personal loans tend to have lower default rates due to their payroll-based structure, SMEs, government contractors and greenfield agricultural ventures contribute significantly to the high NPL ratio.
“The SME sector is a big piece of the puzzle. Many of them struggle with cash flow issues and by the time a bank is chasing them for repayment, they simply cannot pay. In agriculture, especially greenfield projects, challenges like droughts and market fluctuations make loan recovery even more difficult,” he explained.
Addressing these issues requires a collective effort, Mr. Awuah noted, urging all stakeholders to take an active interest in reforming Ghana’s credit culture. “If we clean up the credit system, make people accountable for their financial obligations and strengthen judicial enforcement, banks will have more confidence to lend and interest rates will naturally come down,” he emphasised.
GAB has pledged to support the newly-launched credit scoring company in Ghana, My CreditScore, which aims to build a database of borrowers’ credit histories. Awuah believes this will be a game-changer in distinguishing responsible borrowers from habitual defaulters.
“We must be able to separate the good from the bad. If we know a borrower’s full financial exposure, we can price credit accordingly. A clean credit system benefits everyone – banks, businesses and the entire economy,” he further stated.
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According to Ghanaweb report, Ghanaian gospel musician DSP Kofi Sarpong has opened up about the treasured memories he shared with the late Evangelist Agnes Aba Annan, the mother of gospel singer Empress Gifty. In an interview with GhanaWeb’s Isaac Dadzie, Sarpong fondly recalled the strong bond he had with Evangelist Annan, who affectionately referred to him as a son.
Sarpong described the late Evangelist Annan, popularly known as Agaga, as a person who brought joy to everyone she met. He emphasized her generous nature and the affection she showed to those close to her daughter, Empress Gifty, noting that Agaga had a unique ability to make others feel welcomed and valued.
“We all know that our mother paid her dues when she was alive. She entertained everybody and for me, she called me a son. Anyone who was close to Empress Gifty, Agaga took the person as her child,” DSP Kofi Sarpong shared. He expressed his heartfelt condolences, adding, “I will say may her soul rest in peace because we will meet one day.”
Sarpong also extended his sympathy to Empress Gifty, expressing hope that she finds solace in this difficult time. “To my sister Empress Gifty, I pray that the Lord will console her. There is an assurance that the Lord is with her,” he added.
Evangelist Agnes Aba Annan, who passed away at the age of 70, was a revered figure in the Ghanaian entertainment and gospel music scene. Apart from her gospel work, Agaga was a well-known actress and featured in numerous TV commercials. Despite her age, she was recognized for her vibrant, outspoken, and bubbly personality, making a lasting impact on those around her.
The funeral service, held at the Tema Community 8 school park, saw an outpouring of support from members of the creative arts community. Notable figures such as Diana Asamoah, Joe Mettle, Kofi Kinaata, Broda Sammy, and others joined DSP Kofi Sarpong to pay their respects and comfort Empress Gifty during this emotional time.
Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Bernard Ahiafor, has addressed allegations made by Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, regarding the handling of the committee’s vetting reports.
In a TV3 interview, Afenyo-Markin claimed that he had not received the draft report on the vetting process, which led to an exchange between him and Ahiafor.
Business mogul and philanthropist Mr. Ibrahim Mahama has met with 13-year-old Melchizedek Adio Baafawiise, the youngest student ever admitted to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
The meeting, held in Accra on Monday, February 3, 2025, brought together Melchizedek and his parents for an inspiring conversation about education, ambition, and the future of science in Ghana.
During the meeting, Mr. Ibrahim Mahama, a strong advocate for youth empowerment and academic excellence, commended the young physics prodigy for his remarkable achievements.
Melchizedek, who hails from Bole in the Savannah Region, made headlines after scoring an impressive 5 As and 3 Bs in the WASSCE at just 13 years old, earning him a place at KNUST to study for a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics.
As part of an effort to nurture his passion for science and mining engineering, Mr. Ibrahim Mahama offered Melchizedek an exclusive learning experience aboard one of his private jets.
The young scholar was taken into the cockpit whilst being flown back to Kumasi enroute to campus, where he got a firsthand look at the technical operations of an aircraft, aligning with his deep interest in physics and aerospace engineering.
Melchizedek, who initially aspired to become a pilot before shifting his focus to physics, was visibly excited about the opportunity.
“This experience reinforces my belief that understanding the principles of physics can open doors to many fields, including aerospace engineering,” he said after the cockpit tour.
Beyond offering mentorship, Ibrahim Mahama also pledged full educational funding for Melchizedek to support his studies at KNUST and beyond.
The businessman assured the young prodigy and his family that he would cover all tuition, accommodation, and essential academic expenses to ensure he reaches his full potential without financial barriers.
His parents expressed their gratitude to Mr. Ibrahim Mahama for taking an interest in their son’s academic journey, providing him with a unique opportunity to explore aviation technology up close, and securing his future with financial assistance.
Mr. Ibrahim Mahama encouraged Melchizedek to continue striving for excellence, assuring him of his unwavering support.
“Young minds like Melchizedek are the future of Ghana. It is our responsibility to support and nurture them so they can reach their full potential,” he stated.
Tems expresses gratitude to Seyi Sodimu following Grammy win
Tems has expressed her unreserved gratitude to Seyi Sodimu, following her second win at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles
The singer clinched her second win at the 67th annual Grammy Awards with her remix of classic song Love Me Jeje.
Hajia Saudatu Sulemana Muntaka, mother of Interior Minister and Member of Parliament for Asawase, Alhaji Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, has passed away at the age of 83.
She died on Monday afternoon at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital after a short illness. Her death coincided with the day her son officially assumed his duties at the Interior Ministry following his swearing-in by President John Dramani Mahama last week.
The Asawase MP has often credited his mother for his success, praising her upbringing and support.
Tributes have been pouring in from constituents, with many offering condolences and prayers for the late Hajia Saudatu.
The Interior Minister has arrived at the family home in Kumasi to oversee preparations for the burial, scheduled for Tuesday.
Businessman, Kennedy Agyapong
Kennedy Agyapong during his campaign in the New Patriotic Party presidential race recounted how he rejected US$3million bribe from an Indian businessman.
According to him, he has never taken bribe and is not corrupt.
Read the full story originally published on February 2, 2023 by www.ghanaweb.com.
New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential hopeful, Kennedy Agyapong, has said that he is not corrupt and that he has never taken a bribe.
Speaking in an interview on Good Evening Ghana on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, which was monitored by GhanaWeb, Agyapong said that he will never engage in activities that will make him rich at the expense of the people of Ghana.
He then proceeded to narrate how he rejected a $3 million bribe from an Indian businessman who wanted to get a government project with his help.
“I met an Indian last week and he said there is a project that he thinks I can influence. The actual cost of the project is ($)26 million.
“The guy comes to say that he can do it for $9 (million) and of course as a businessman, he has to make a profit with whoever introduced him, $3 (million), making $12 (million). Then he said to me, I’m going to give you $3 million so I will add it to the $12 (million) to make $15 million and I said no to him.
“I said Ghana first, I don’t want the $3 million if you know you can do the job for $12 million so be it. The young men that come from America with their tickets and everything whatever you want to give to them it is okay but me I will not take any money,” he narrated.
Agyapong, the Member of Parliament for Assin Central, said that the business told him that he (Agyapong) is the only person, he has met in Africa who has rejected such a huge amount of money.
“The Indian man, who was there with his young engineer son, said wow, I have goose pimples. I have worked in Africa for 22 years and I have never seen an African reject $3 million like you did,” he said.
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The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Akweley Ocloo, has pledged to restore 70% of Accra’s streetlights within the next 50 days as part of efforts to improve security and visibility in the city.
According to her, addressing the issue of faulty streetlights is one of her topmost priorities.
Speaking to journalists in Accra on Monday, February 3, Ocloo reaffirmed her commitment to enhancing the capital’s infrastructure and ensuring well-lit streets within her first 50 days in office.
“In fact, within 50 days in office, all these things should be fixed. I will make sure that at least 70 percent of the streetlights should be fixed.
“So these are some of the things we are going to check, and like I said, I am going to work together with the MMDAs.”
She also announced security and sanitation as her key priority areas for the country’s capital city.
Outlining her vision for the region in her first meeting with the management and staff of the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council, Linda Ocloo announced the reintroduction of the Regional Sanitation Day and an award scheme for the cleanest city, aimed at improving sanitation in the capital.
She stated that municipal and local district assemblies would be supported to become self-sustaining as part of the new government’s “Resetting Agenda.”
She further revealed her intention to work closely with the traditional authorities alongside religious organizations to deepen decentralization and participatory governance.
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The Member of Parliament (MP) for Suame, John Darko, says the Minority will not participate in the ad-hoc committee set up by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, to investigate last week’s chaos during the sitting of the Appointments Committee.
He argued that the move by the Speaker is illegal, and as such, New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs will not engage with it.
“I believe our members will not join; our members are not going to be part of this illegality,” he said on on Monday.
Mr. Darko added, “When you speak to the NDC members, ask them: What authority does the Speaker have to set up a committee? Apart from Order 362, there is no provision that gives the Speaker the authority to set up a committee.”
According to him, the standing orders of Parliament do not permit the Speaker, as an individual, to establish such committees.
He explained that the standing orders only allow for a committee to be set up through a motion raised by the leaders of either side, which must then be seconded by the House. At that point, the Speaker would play a role in approving the establishment of the committee.
However, Mr. Darko pointed out that these procedures were not followed. “The Speaker is not the House, and there hasn’t been any motion. A Speaker on his own cannot set up a committee,” he said.
Background
Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate the chaos that occurred during the Appointments Committee’s sitting on Thursday, January 30th.
The disruption arose from a disagreement between the minority and majority over the further vetting of ministerial nominees, which escalated into a physical altercation, damaging tables and microphones.
The Speaker has since suspended four MPs believed to have incited the disturbances: three from the minority and one from the majority.
Mr. Bagbin’s decision has faced criticism from legal experts and, in particular, members of the opposition party.
Derek B. Laryea Africa Digital Economic Forum Director
The recent vetting of Hon. Samuel George as the incoming Minister for Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovation has sparked a wave of optimism among technology enthusiasts, industry professionals, and the general public. His extensive knowledge, clear vision, and practical approach to tackling long-standing challenges in Ghana’s tech sector have left many feeling reassured about the future. One of the most pressing issues he addressed during his vetting was the controversial SIM registration policy, a matter that has frustrated Ghanaians for nearly 15 years.
The Sim Registration Challenge: A History of Frustration
Sim registration in Ghana has been a contentious issue, marked by inefficiencies, long lines, and widespread dissatisfaction. Under the previous administration, Mad. Ursula Owusu led a SIM registration initiative to curb mobile-based fraud and enhance security. While the intentions were noble, the execution left much to be desired. Ghanaians had to endure hours, and for some days, under the scorching sun to register their SIM cards. The process was plagued by technical glitches, poor coordination, and insufficient public education, resulting in widespread panic and frustration. Despite these efforts, mobile-based fraud remains prevalent in Ghana today, raising questions about the effectiveness of the previous exercise. Critical issues such as database integrity, the validation process, and the alignment of stakeholders were not adequately addressed, leaving gaps that undermined the policy’s objectives.
A Refreshing Approach: Hon. Samuel George’s Vision
Hon. Samuel George’s approach to Sim registration marks a significant departure from the past. Unlike previous exercises, which were rushed and imposed strict timelines, the incoming Minister has signaled a more thoughtful and collaborative process. His proposal focuses on building a robust and sustainable system that prioritizes accuracy, efficiency, and public convenience. At the heart of his plan is a collaborative effort between the National Communications Authority (NCA), the National Identification Authority (NIA), and Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). The goal is to design a validation process that ensures every SIM card in Ghana is tied to a specific National Identification Card. This approach will involve cleaning the current SIM database, identifying unregistered or improperly registered SIM cards, and taking corrective action. The incoming Sector Minister has indicated a commitment to reinvent the SIM registration process without rushing into implementation timelines, a critical factor that often incited panic among Ghanaians.
The Clean Database Initiative: A Game-Changer for Ghana
One of the most promising aspects of Hon. Samuel George’s proposal is the focus on creating a clean and reliable SIM database. Preliminary estimates suggest that roughly 18% of the current database may require cleaning or deletion. These SIM cards will be flagged, and their users will be notified by their respective MNOs to update their registration details. Users who fail to comply within a specified timeline will have their SIM cards blocked, ensuring that only properly registered cards remain active. The impact of a clean SIM database cannot be overstated. For citizens, it means enhanced security and reduced risk of mobile-based fraud. A verified database will make it easier to track and apprehend individuals who use mobile networks for illegal activities. For businesses, it means a more secure environment for digital transactions, fostering trust and confidence in Ghana’s growing digital economy, which is the experience for many advanced economies.
Why This Approach Matters
The new Government’s approach is not just about fixing past mistakes; it’s about laying a foundation for the future. By avoiding the imposition of arbitrary timelines, the Government is eliminating the panic and chaos that have characterized previous exercises. Instead, they are prioritizing a phased and systematic process that ensures accuracy and inclusivity. This approach also demonstrates a deep understanding of the challenges faced by ordinary Ghanaians. By leveraging technology and collaboration, the incoming Minister and his government are proposing a solution that minimizes inconvenience while maximizing effectiveness. It is a clear indication that this administration is committed to listening to the concerns of the people and addressing them in a meaningful way.
A Call to Action: Supporting the New Direction
The success of this initiative will depend on the collective effort of all stakeholders. I personally recommend the government, regulatory bodies, MNOs, and the public to work together to ensure a smooth and successful implementation. Citizens must equally be educated and encouraged to respond promptly to notifications from their MNOs and update their registration details as required. By doing so, they will not only protect their own interests but also contribute to the broader goal of creating a safer and more secure digital environment for all.
Ghanaians have a unique opportunity to support this vision and play our part in building a digital ecosystem that is secure, efficient, and inclusive. Together, we can turn this promise into reality and pave the way for a brighter future for generations to come.
Derek B. Laryea Africa Digital Economic Forum Director
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
![Afenyo-Markin [L] and Jerry Ahmed Shaib](https://cdn.ghanaweb.com/imagelib/pics/547/54782876.295.jpg "Afenyo-Markin [L] and Jerry Ahmed Shaib")
Afenyo-Markin [L] and Jerry Ahmed Shaib
Chairman of Parliament’s Appointments Committee, Bernard Ahiafor, has alleged that Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin insulted Weija-Gbawe MP, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, during a heated vetting session on January 30, 2025.
According to him, Afenyo-Markin attacked Shaib causing tensions during the proceedings.
“Afenyo-Markin called Jerry Shaib silly and told him he wasn’t doing what he brought him to the vetting to do. Any member of the committee who listened to them heard the insults,” he said.
Speaking in an interview on TV3 on February 3, 2025, Ahiafor also addressed concerns over the Appointments Committee’s decision to proceed with vetting President Mahama’s ministerial nominees despite the Minority’s boycott on January 31, 2025.
He clarified that the committee maintained a quorum, allowing them to continue their work lawfully.
“The suspension of two out of the eleven members did not mean we could not work,” he stated.
According to Ahiafor, the Minority’s walkout stemmed from misinformation by Minority Chief Whip, Habib Iddrisu, who allegedly claimed that Speaker Bagbin had ordered a halt to the committee’s activities pending a reconstitution.
“The Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, said the Speaker had postponed the meeting to Monday, February 3 at 11:00 AM and that the Committee could continue its work,” Ahiafor reiterated.
The revelation comes amid heightened tensions in Parliament following chaotic scenes during the vetting process.
The disturbances led to the suspension of four MPs, Rockson Dafeamekpor, Hassan Tampuli, Frank Annor Dompreh, and Jerry Ahmed Shaib, by Speaker Alban Bagbin.
AM/KA
You can also watch the latest episode of Everyday People on GhanaWeb TV below:
AfCFTA is key towards driving Africa’s trade and infrastructure growth
Africa Law Practice International (ALPi) has reiterated its commitment to championing and advancing the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA).
It said as knowledge partners, capacity builders and trade experts as related to the AfCFTA, “we continue to provide training, business advisory services and resource related publications.”
Madam Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, a Member of the Group, speaking at a press conference, said the Group’s practice was in three categories, legal corporate and commercial advisory, dispute resolution and management and other professional services.
The press conference is to update the market on ALPi activities in the preceding year and inform the public on its activity roll-out for the coming year, disseminate information regarding the African footprint and highlight their continued expansion within Africa.
The Group comprises ALP NG & Co. (Nigeria), Africa Legal Associates (Ghana), ALP Uganda, ALP Kenya, ALP Tanzania, ALP South Sudan, ALP Namibia (Shimaneni & Com.), ALP Mauritius, ALP Professional Services Limited (ALP-PSL) and ALP Audit as a dynamic network of leading African legal and professional service firms delivering innovative, client-focused solutions across the continent.
She said these had spread across various areas, including energy and natural resources; technology, media and telecommunications; financial services, banking and capital markets; infrastructure and real estate.
Others are public sector & regulatory; transport and Africa trade; corporate and compliance services; and emerging markets.
She said with a goal of holistically addressing client needs, their service delivery involved cross-selling and the provision of services by various practice areas and groups across the several offices and affiliates.
“Our integrated approach combines deep local knowledge with global expertise, enabling us to serve clients seamlessly across multiple jurisdictions,” she added.
Madam Badejo-Okusanya said built on the pillars of excellence, integrity, and collaboration, they bring together legal, financial, and strategic expertise to deliver comprehensive solutions that drive value for their clients.
Mr Uyiekpen Giwa-Osagie, a Member, said they had been partnering with private and public sectors and driving this infrastructure connectivity.
He said in Nigeria, for example, they were advising one of their clients building 10 million square kilometers of green real estate opportunities.
He said the Algeria pipeline, when completed, should be able to feed gas to both Europe from Algeria but also drop spurs in different countries on its way.
These are the kinds of projects that “we are pushing, and this is the kind of thing we believe we should be involved in to drive the African dream and foster regional cooperation.”
Giwa-Osagie said there was the need to have infrastructure connectivity that brings the continent together, while reducing costs and tariffs to improve growth and development.
A middle-aged Nigerian man has confessed to sleeping with over 1000 women after discovering he was HIV positive.
Speaking in a podcast session, the man confessed to sleeping with these numerous women as a form of payback.
According to him, he sometimes paid a little between 700-1000 which is equivalent to 10 Ghana Cedis to sleep with his victims.
Akamuguri Atanga Donatus, the Upper East Regional Minister-designate, turned the streets of Bolgatanga into a celebration ground upon his return from Accra. Standing through his car’s sunroof in a pristine white kaftan, he waved the Ghana flag while distributing money to the excited crowd below.
According to eyewitnesses, the minister’s convoy was met with drumming and dancing as it entered the regional capital. The celebration followed his successful appearance before the Appointments Committee, where he had pledged to restore peace to the troubled Bawku area.
The jubilant atmosphere reflected the community’s support for their new leader, who holds impressive academic credentials. His educational background includes a Masters Degree in Human Rights and a Bachelor’s degree in Social Studies and Mathematics from the University of Education-Winneba.
The minister-designate’s previous role as Coordinator of the National School Feeding Programme has given him valuable administrative experience. His service as Presiding Member of the Bongo District Assembly has also equipped him with local governance expertise.
The welcoming ceremony demonstrated the strong connection between the minister and his constituents. Traditional drummers lined the streets while supporters danced and cheered throughout the procession.
The event marked a significant moment for the Upper East Region’s leadership transition. Local residents expressed optimism about the future under the new minister’s guidance.
The celebration highlighted the cultural richness of the Bolgatanga welcome tradition. Drumming and dancing continued as the minister’s convoy made its way through the main streets.
The minister’s gesture of throwing cash to the crowd reflected a common practice during celebrations in Ghana. The act was received with enthusiasm by the gathered supporters who had waited hours for his arrival.
The appointment comes at a crucial time for the Upper East Region’s development agenda. The new minister’s leadership will be essential in addressing various regional challenges and opportunities.
The warm reception indicated strong community backing for the new appointment. Local leaders and citizens alike participated in welcoming their new regional minister-designate.
Source
In a remarkable showcase of talent that defies age, Kumasi, Ghana, has introduced an extraordinary young girl who is making waves in the beauty industry at the tender age of three. Known affectionately as the “mini stylist,” this pint-sized prodigy has captured the admiration of many, including popular Ghanaian musician Gyakie, as her influence reaches far beyond the borders of her local community.
The vibrant streets of Kumasi, where hair is often viewed as a canvas for self-expression, have become the backdrop for Nana’s burgeoning hairstyling career. For many little girls in the area, hairstyling transcends mere grooming; it is an art form that allows them to showcase their creativity and flair. Nana, with her natural talent for hairstyling, transforms ordinary hairstyles into stunning masterpieces. Her imaginative approach includes playful braids, intricate twists, and the use of colorful accessories, leaving her clients and their mothers in awe of her skills.
Nana’s journey into the world of hairstyling began under the watchful eye of her mother, a local hairstylist. Inspired by her mother’s artistry, Nana picked up a comb larger than her tiny hand and began to mimic the techniques she observed. With an infectious smile and a playful spirit, she would often experiment with different styles, and soon, videos of her at work—braiding, pinning, and adorning hair with dazzling pieces—began circulating on social media. The clips quickly captivated viewers, showcasing not only her surprising skills but also her delightful personality.
As news of Nana’s talents spread throughout Kumasi, her reputation began to soar. Social media platforms became abuzz with admiration for the little stylist, drawing attention from various corners. When Gyakie, celebrated for her soulful voice and rising stardom in the music industry, learned about Nana, she felt compelled to reach out and support this emerging talent. Gyakie, known for her dedication to hard work and creativity, praised Nana’s unique flair, expressing her excitement for what the future holds for this young artist.
This unexpected connection highlights the significance of nurturing talent from an early age. Ghana’s rich cultural heritage emphasizes the interplay between style and personality, particularly through hair. Nana embodies this spirit, showcasing how encouragement from both the community and influential figures can propel young talent into the spotlight.
Nana’s rapid rise to fame serves as a powerful reminder that greatness can emerge from the most unexpected places. Her journey, still in its infancy, reflects the potential that exists within every child, waiting to be uncovered and celebrated. The exposure she receives at such a young age not only elevates her own prospects but also inspires countless other children in her community to explore their passions and talents.
As Nana continues to enchant her clients and gain recognition, her story underscores the importance of supporting creativity and artistry in all its forms. The community of Kumasi, along with admirers from afar, eagerly anticipates the next chapter in this young stylist’s journey. With the influence of figures like Gyakie cheering her on, there’s no telling just how far Nana’s talents will take her in the ever-evolving world of beauty and fashion.
In a society where the arts are deeply cherished, Nana stands as a beacon of hope and inspiration. Her whimsical creations not only highlight her innate gift but also emphasize the power of community support and encouragement. As she navigates this exciting path, one thing is clear: Nana is not just a stylist; she is a harbinger of creativity and joy in the world of beauty.
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The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey, has clarified that the previous SIM card registration exercise was not useless but rather incomplete.
His remarks come after the Minister-Designate for Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovation, Sam Nartey George, announced plans for a new SIM card re-registration process to correct issues from the previous exercise.
In 2022, the government required SIM cardholders to link their numbers with their Ghana Cards. However, the process was marred by inefficiencies, long queues, and SIM blockages for those who failed to comply.
During his vetting, Sam George criticized these challenges and pledged to introduce a more seamless system that integrates directly with the National Identification Authority (NIA) database.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Citi FM on Monday, February 3, Ashigbey explained:
“I wouldn’t say it is useless. I would say it was incomplete. The thing about it is the fact that the biometric data that was collected was not reading properly.”
He pointed out that the fingerprint data was not captured as accurately as the NIA’s system, stressing the importance of using the NIA database as the “single point of truth.”
“What we should have done was use the NIA database to complete the cycle,” Ashigbey noted.
He explained that while the initial phase of SIM registration verified data against the NIA database, the second phase—biometric verification—was flawed.
“We do the liveliness test, we do the likeliness test, we collect the biometric data, but we don’t compare it with the single point of truth, which is the NIA database,” he stated.
Ashigbey emphasized the need to correct this gap to ensure the new registration process is comprehensive and effective.
In February, 2020, the Parliament of Ghana ratified the decision of the government to spend nearly $900 million on a “multipurpose” dam in Pwalugu, a small northeastern town just 20 km south of the Border with Burkina Faso, Ghana’s northern neighbor.
~$360 million of this amount was allocated to the 60 MW hydropower plant itself; $474 million to the network of canals and weirs needed to create an irrigation system for farmers; and $55 million to a 50MW solar plant.
Separate contracts had been signed for these three components.
For example, in May 2019, the government entered into an agreement with PowerChina International, a Chinese state-owned EPC contractor, for the $474 million irrigation system project component.
Following this contract between the Ministry of Agriculture and PowerChina International, the Ministry of Finance insisted on entering into the subsequent contracts covering the two power plants, which it did in December of the same year.
The joint project costs as submitted to the Ghanaian parliament are presented below.
However, due to objections by some parliamentarians, the tax portions were removed from the final tally bringing the cost of the project down from about $965 million to ~$900 million. The Ministry of Finance pledged to fund the entire project through the budget and committed an immediate amount of ~$91 million, nearly 85% of which was to come from the proceeds of a recent Eurobond issuance.
The following disbursement schedule was presented to Parliament.
As we now know, the Finance Ministry, with the obvious acquiescence of the Presidency, decided not to allocate the Eurobond money to the project. Just about $12 million was paid from the government budget to the contractor, and apart from a celebrated worker camp (see VRA PR materials below) and a few rough access roads, nothing much came out of the money spent.
In the lead up to the 2024 Ghanaian general elections, the issue of corruption took center-stage. The then Opposition NDC accused the ruling NPP government of rampant looting. The Pwalugu Dam “scandal” became emblematic of this campaign to compel NPP officials to account for their “loot” should the NDC win power.
Since his decisive victory in the December 2024 polls, the NDC candidate, now President of Ghana, has fulfilled his promise to initiate a program called Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) to retrieve looted funds from former government functionaries. Not surprisingly, members of his party has called on him to immediately act on the Pwalugu Dam matter. The interim head of ORAL has cited the Pwalugu Dam scandal in some of his various engagements with the media.
The Limits of ORAL
Whilst the ORAL initiative is widely popular with the vast majority of objective voters, and the issues of waste and graft are of huge policy significance, some activists like myself from Ghana’s policy think tanks believe that the current mainstream framing can be problematic.
I have tried to explain in other essays that the problems of graft and waste in Ghana rarely manifest in the form of embezzlement seen in countries like Nigeria. They are often wound up within the very fabric of a dysfunctional policy environment.
Thus, whilst the effect is often the same, billions of dollars of wasted funds, the solutions must involve elaborate reforms rather than the quick-and-easy raid-and-retrieve impression created by ORAL’s devoted followers.
When I read that the new Agric Minister has announced a termination of the Pwalugu Dam contract, I felt that this is another opportune moment to double down on advocacy to recruit more citizens to my point of view.
Before I delve into why I believe that the Minister’s call is highly incomplete, misdirected, and therefore misconceived, forgive me as I take a quick detour to explain my overall thesis about the problems of waste and graft in Ghana, and I daresay Africa. Those in a hurry can skip the following section in its entirety.
On katanomy and the dysfunction of the politics-policy-law continuum in Ghana/Africa
An easy way to appreciate the point is to consider the flow as a spectrum. The heat of politics cool down into the light of policies which, when distilled, may evolve into strict laws.
I find it irresistible to apply a few insights from Plato’s The Laws. It is a work less sublime than his majestic The Republic but, nevertheless, more practical. I choose Plato only because his views are widely known and relatively straightforward. There are of course several sophisticated Fante and Akuapem scholars of the 19th and early 20th centuries I could have called upon for help, but this piece is much too short for a detailed exposition.
In The Laws, one of Plato’s characters describes the evolution of law in any state as a progression from persuasion to compulsion, and a constant oscillation between the two modes.
By inference, in a serious participatory democracy, governance swings from the chaos of opinions into the growing enlightenment of policy and finally settles upon laws and other legal instruments (including contracts) which must be enforced until reversed by the backward swing of the process.
My view is that in many African countries the spectrum has been totally fractured and shattered. Politics live on its own plane and has little to no interaction with policy. Laws are often on paper but are haphazardly enforced and rarely express the enlightened march of policy. Hegel’s owl is stuck on a tree, it does not fly.
I call this phenomenon by a new word, katanomy. It is a term I have coined from two Greek roots: “kata” (fragmented) and “nomos” (governance). Those who have mastered it, the katanomists, rise to the top of the polity often to the amazement and confusion of their fellow citizens more given to deliberation and analysis.
The fact that power is acquired through a politics with almost no real linkage to policies often means that only the aggregate effects of policies on the broad conditions of life matter. There are no real stakes attached to the individual policies themselves.
Moreover, if possible, political theatre is used to distract from any close scrutiny of policies. In Ghana’s specific case, the policies are often simply procurement vessels for amassing Public Relations (PR) equity, money through crony kickbacks, and patronage networks. I have described a specific variant of the whole phenomenon as “state enchantment“.
Because the political process is all there is and the policy community is highly weak and fragmented, policy monitoring and evaluation is a useless endeavour. No government official has much to fear from the poor execution of a specific policy or the lax enforcement of a particular law or contract. Only the combined effects matter but only to the extent that political theatre can or cannot be used to show a marginal overall improvement or decline in the general standard of life in comparison with one’s electoral opponents.
My honest view is that in parts of Asia and the “West”, individual policies are chained more tightly to vested political interests and to the political consciousness of the masses, raising the stakes in political terms for the effectiveness of policy execution.
I apologise to those who only here for ORAL and Pwalugu for how long this has taken. I also apologise to those genuinely interested in the katanomy idea that I cannot develop it further here. I intend to pick up the subject again in a future piece. For now, back to Pwalugu.
Some poorly known facts about the Pwalugu Dam
Plans to build various small hydro dams across Ghana’s many rivers have long been part of the policy record of Ghana, all the way back to the early colonial period. Fascinatingly, even though Pwalugu is consuming all the attention, two of these dams – Hemang and Juale – are in an identical situation, with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake. The fact that virtually all readers are unlikely to have heard of them is mere testament to my point about policy marginalisation.
The first serious discussions about building a dam at Pwalugu actually took place in the 1960s, most notably the Japanese Nippon Koei’s studies in 1967. The strategy was revived in the 1990s, starting with a study by France’s Coyne et Bellier in 1992, and continued to feature in development plan after development plan throughout the 4th Republic.
Two hopes have always driven this interest: a) weaning up to 25,000 hectares of land in the North from rain-fed agriculture and thereby reducing the import of cereals like rice; and b) reducing the spate of flooding that periodically destroys the livelihoods of tens of thousands of Ghanaians living in the White Volta Basin.
Despite the obvious importance of these goals, it was not until 2013 that the government moved seriously towards implementation. As I have explained, policy rarely ties into politics in Ghana because specific policy failures do not get politicised enough to serve as a strong feedback loop against poor executive/ministerial performance.
The only reason Ghana moved forward at all in 2013 was because the government managed to borrow funds from the likes of the French development agency, AFD, and the World Bank to conduct expensive feasibility studies.
Curiously, no one has raised any questions about why, in the last few decades, more than $60 million have been spent on various planning and feasibility studies for the dam with nothing much on the ground to show for it. That should imply that the only reason why the $11.9 million paid to the Pwalugu Dam contractor has become an issue is because politicians decided to score a few political points devoid of the policy context or ramifications.
The second poorly understood fact is that the political claims made for the project are largely suspect.
Someone seems to have belatedly recognised that the dam is positioned in the Mamprusi area, where the former ruling party’s candidate in the 2024 elections, Ghana’s ex-Vice President (Veep), comes from. Obviously, its progress would have made it hugely significant in electoral terms. So, the benefits of the project were catapulted into the stratosphere in “political talk” and project coordination was moved to the Office of the Veep.
It was then declared that the project would immediately halt all perennial flooding, provide water to 30,000 households in the Walewale town, a major Mamprusi ethno-political base, and bring power to most homes.
None of these claims were strictly true.
I. There were no water treatment plants or pumping stations in the design of the project;
II. the power generated would have been far more expensive than the rate at which NEDCO, the electricity distributor for Northern Ghana, sells power; and
III. whilst some flooding could be mitigated, the dam is far from a panacea to that problem.
The flooding point merits a few more words. A careful review of the environmental impact studies for the dam should show that the bulk of the flood mitigation planning related to flooding that could be caused by the dam itself and somewhat less with abating natural flooding trends in the White Volta Basin.
As researchers have shown in the case of Akosombo and the lower Volta Basin, building a dam can actually worsen the flood picture for an area. Tractebel, the environmental engineering consultants for Pwalugu Dam, was thus arguably more focused on designing models for preventing this from happening.
At any rate, a major factor in the flooding situation is the role of the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso.
Occasional spillage from this dam overwhelms even the mighty Akosombo dam, despite it being located many miles downstream.
If Akosombo, with its 150 billion cubic meters of storage, struggle to contain Bagre spillages, it is hard to understand how Pwalugu, with its 2.6 billion cubic meters of equivalent storage, can somehow absorb all the runoff from Bagre plus that of the various other tributary sources of water-flow across a basin spanning the breadth of Northern Ghana.
Below, I have posted a few tables and graphs to add colour to the main point: Pwalugu would have made a contribution to containing flooding but it cannot on its own substantially curb the threat. Multiple smaller interventions across the basin may well yield a greater overall benefit.
The supremacy, yet marginalisation, of Policy
The above discussion raises the core policy issues casting very serious doubt on the prospect of Pwalugu, despite the nearly $100 million that has been spent chasing the dream over the last couple of decades.
Three key policy trade-offs define the challenge: creating a dam high and wide enough to generate enough power, building an irrigation network dense enough to boost food security without inundating too many existing communities, and designing both systems to mitigate as much flooding as possible.
Only a highly complex process that in policy analysis we call multi-criteria optimisation would yield the right answers in an inquiry such as the above. Yet, that entire process was outsourced to foreign consultants with minor inputs from VRA engineers and Water Resource Commission experts.
Ghanaian politicians and their assorted collaborators contributed little to resolving these trade-offs and conceptual tensions. Once again, policy and politics are like oil and water in Ghana, and never the twain shall meet.
The politics around harvesting votes in Mamprusiland was completely severed from any of the policy choices at stake despite the massive implications for citizens whichever side the chips fell on.
In the end, the consultants presented a chart of project options in 2014. This was not the result of any weighty political compromises but the pure outcome of their further analysis, undertaken at additional cost to Ghana. They had settled on a choice that they believed optimised the total benefits and mitigated the most risks associated with the dam. No doubt they discussed it with officials at the Ministry and their political bosses but missing any of the ingredients of a national policy debate, stakes were low.
The World Bank took one look at the resultant cost of the project in 2017 and washed its hands off the fundraising effort. The African Development Bank also demurred. Still, none of this became politicised. Politicians were thus under no serious pressure to think creatively and conceive an alternative concept at a low enough cost able to actually attract funding.
The reader can conceive another world in which policy options, preferences, and design criteria are linked to energetic political vested interests in Ghana.
A Ghana where GUTA obsesses over the minutiae of tax waiver policies. A world where small-time/cottage industry operators in Mamprusiland prefer the power generation benefits to the irrigation bonanza. Where an association of such manufacturers can team up with civil NGOs to argue vociferously that the solar plant component of the project to be sited in Kurugu miles away from the hydro-dam has no real synergy with the rest of the project. Pointing out that the solar plan has capex costs barely 20% of the hydro-dam’s, they would have insisted on its decoupling as the most sensible approach in order to improve financing prospects.
A Ghana of multiple vested interests buoyed by middle-class solidarity in important policy matters that rise to the level of political consequence and force political parties to react and realign. Tainting citizens with the brush of partisanship would be nonsensically impotent in such a world because it would be the politicians scrambling to align. We would not have citizens scared to death of being associated with empty, slogan-based, welfare clubs masquerading as political parties. Alas, that Ghana does not yet exist.
Why Pwalugu Dam was doomed to fail
The political decision to fund the project using Eurobonds proceeds and the national budget instead of redesigning it to make financial sense is, to cut to the chase, the reason why the project was doomed.
The government’s subsequent decision to bundle it into the Sinohydro package was yet another poorly thought through adaptation that led nowhere as the Chinese have changed their initial approach of funding inefficient projects in Africa in exchange for broader strategic stakes in host societies. It was the last nail in the coffin of abandonment.
Meanwhile, political theatre could continue unabated. The President “cut the sod” for the project to commence, as he usually does.
The Veep declared it the “largest investment ever in Northern Ghana” and everywhere dance troupers and silky-voiced radio announcers held forth on the glorious gospel of Pwalugu.
When by 2022, it became clear to all and sundry that the dam project would not proceed, the Veep resorted to a strange new technique: trying to publicly cajole the World Bank into dishing out funds for the dam despite their having expressed their policy disagreements five years back. After all, in Ghana, policy is hardly a barrier, is it? What is a twisted policy or two among friends, hey?
The way forward according to the new government
The policy proposal of the new government is to cancel the contract due to non-performance, mobilise fresh funding for the project, and re-award the contract. None of the specific policy content will become politicised, of course. No vested interests in Ghana will mobilise to press specific design preferences on policy grounds.
Everything will center on whether the government was able to jail someone for “chopping” (i.e. embezzling) the ~$12 million advanced payment to the contractor or not, with partisans arrayed on both sides in shouting matches consisting primarily of repeating the same talking points but at higher decibel levels.
Consequently, don’t be surprised if no detailed document is presented by the new government to provide a full account of how we got here, what strategies are available to the government, and why a particular course of policy action is preferable. Such transparency only matters when the policy stakes are high, which in Ghana is never the case.
Why the new approach will prolong the mess
Yet, a thorough examination of how and why the Pwalugu Dam policy has failed so far should show that what the new government has outlined has no serious policy content at all. Let’s walk through the steps.
When the previous government decided to use the single-sourcing approach to award the contracts to PowerChina on the basis that they did not see the prospect of saving any money through competitive tendering, and the Parliament rubber-stamped the approach, the tone for the ensuing project management was set and any chance of getting a serious development-finance funder on board was scuttled.
Otherwise, the government’s subsequent total disregard of the contractual terms would not have happened. As the reader may recall, in a katanomic setting, policy distention from political seriousness is followed by lax legal behavior. Even though the government had signed a contract and had it ritually ratified by parliament, it soon became clear that it had no intention of following its terms.
In the contract with PowerChina for the irrigation component, for instance, funds were meant to be released by the government to relevant agencies for purposes of monitoring and evaluation. The stipulation was, naturally, promptly ignored.
A payment progress schedule, such as the one presented to Parliament, was incorporated by contract and accordingly ratified by the parties. Naturally, this too was ignored.
A quick look at the three project contracts shows that the $11.9 million being bandied about was far lower than what the government committed to pay in the first year of construction, about $91.4 million.
More problematically, the government breached the contract by refusing to advance the 15% that it committed to the contractor in exchange for a performance security guarantee reportedly issued by Stanbic Bank.
“Termination” is misdirection
For the government to be in a position to terminate for non-performance, it should have paid at least $135 million in total in mobilisation, a sum higher than the year one commitment. It is entirely unclear who agreed to such a large upfront payment when 10% (~$90 million) is usually the norm in such contexts. Anyway.
What is more, Ghana’s negotiators decided to adopt the FIDIC contract template hook, line, and center meaning that all the performance terms are as per FIDIC project governance terms, which are quite sympathetic to contractors in the kind of position PowerChina is in. No wonder then that the government has not seen it fit to exercise its delay penalty rights under the agreement.
Now, here is the bombshell.
In 2023, PowerChina, the contractor, did give formal notice of its intention to “demobilise” from the site. By that time, it had triggered disbursements of ~$60 million of the advanced payment commitment commensurate with the guarantee issued by Stanbic (which may well have expired on its own terms by now). Of course, as we now know, the government made a single-tranche payment of ~$12 million and then promptly forgot about its legal obligations.
Neither the new Agric Minister nor the previous government is interested in explaining to the public that the contractor is actually demanding an extra $12 million from Ghana for three unpaid payment certificates!
Let that sink in, rather than ORAL retrieving $12 million for Ghanaians, the country is actually on the hook for an additional $12 million. In response to Ghana’s delayed payments, the contractor has dismantled the workers’ camp it built. The ragtag feeder roads it built have also all become unmotorable.
In just the same way that dysfunctional policy design led to Ghana spending nearly $100 million on planning with little progress on the ground, dysfunctional legal behavior has led to ~$24 million of contractual liability without any tangible benefits.
The current Agric Minister’s approach so far does not hint strongly at a new way of thinking and doing things. He is talking about terminating a contract when the provisions for dispute resolution in the existing contract clearly call for the setup of a Dispute Adjudication Board before even proceeding to arbitration.
He is talking about termination whilst refusing to address the messy project history. And, most worryingly, he has put nothing on the table to address the fundamental issue leading to all this waste associated with the Pwalugu Dam: the project’s lack of bankability and the absence of clarity around the massive complementary investments that must be made if the social objectives of food and human security are to be met.
As mentioned in preceding passages, optimising the three criteria of flood prevention, energy generation, and irrigation leads to a highly costly set of computational outcomes that may satisfy engineers but cannot arrive at bankability and social policy coherence.
It leads to power that is much too expensive (a $366 million dam that generates 60 MW of electricity); a 20,000-hectare irrigation complex in an area full of peasant farmers who lack the resources to manage the last-mile costs and engineering of connecting to the irrigation weirs, even if the gravity-based flow model cuts operational costs upstream as per project design; and a flood mitigation apparatus that, even in a benign scenario, reduces water inflow into the Akosombo dam and will do little to stop catastrophic flooding resulting from Bagre spillages.
None of these issues are likely to attract serious attention and creative solutions because in Ghana, policy is rarely politicised enough to matter, and legal contracts are hardly worth the paper they are written on so why bother with preparatory rigour before signing them?
What does all this mean for ORAL
It should be self-evident by now, but if not, let me recap. Yes, there is massive waste in Ghana, some of it no doubt driven by a love for kickbacks that blinds decision-makers to strategic incoherence. But the waste is bound up with the entire apparatus of the policymaking process.
Cutting ongoing waste and preventing previous mistakes from continuing to build up more waste are the biggest tasks confronting the ORAL policy. Transforming ORAL into a policy that can actually save and recover public resources, however, requires of us to more tightly link the politics to the policy foundations, and of course to pay more fidelity to our laws and legal covenants.
The big question is whether such a transformation from the status quo can happen solely for ORAL without broader changes to the governance architecture of Ghana.
And so what?
Fundamental to the process of lowering waste is the need to raise the stakes for politicians in high-resource policy decision-making. For that to happen, a critical mass of citizens must be as energised by policy options and tensions as the masses are about partisan politics in Ghana.
My personal mission is to radicalise enough citizens who can connect policy failures and their consequences with the high stakes of national politics. If you are reading this, let me know if I have succeeded in converting you.
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A major scandal has erupted within the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) following shocking revelations about the prolonged absenteeism of an employee, Ms. Gloria Nkrumah.
Documents obtained through the Right to Information Act have uncovered severe lapses in oversight, with Ms. Nkrumah reportedly showing up to work for only 203 days over four years.
NORTH TEXAS — In her dental office in Garland, Dr. Elizabeth Acquaye is known for her warm smile and excellent care. But beyond her daily practice, there’s another side to her that few patients see.
CBS News Texas
“Helping someone you know is easy. But to help someone you don’t… that takes a special heart,” Dr. Acquaye said.
Her journey began at the age of 8 when she emigrated from Ghana to North Texas. She pursued a career in dentistry and eventually opened her own practice in Garland. But her impact goes far beyond the walls of her clinic.
“It’s like, you could have been vacationing, but instead, you chose to go across the ocean to help someone who will remember it for the rest of their lives… like it helped me,” she said.
Each year, Dr. Acquaye returns to Ghana, where her family still lives, to transform lives and smiles. She operates her own nonprofit, Healing Hearts and Hands, which provides dental care to poor and disadvantaged children in villages and orphanages across Ghana.
“For some of these children, it’s the first time they’ve ever gotten their teeth cleaned or seen a dentist,” she said.
Dr. Acquaye fundraises for all the supplies for her trips, which aim to help 3,000 patients annually. Last year, however, the number nearly doubled, with close to 7,000 people receiving care — a powerful reminder of the immense need for healthcare in these rural areas.
“It’s hard for these people in rural areas to have access to medical and healthcare,” Dr. Acquaye said.
Despite the overwhelming demand, Dr. Acquaye remains passionate about making a difference. She believes that even if her efforts only help one person, it’s all worth it.
“If I can just influence one of them to go back and do something like this when they get older… then it’s worth it,” she said.
For more information about her 2025 trip and nonprofit, visit Healing Hearts and Hands.
Kwahuhene, Daasebre Akuamoah Agyapong II
Daasebre Akuamoah Agyapong II, Omanhene of the Kwahu Traditional Area, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, to initiate an investigation into offences committed by five chiefs in their attempt to depose him as the overlord of Kwahu.
According to the paramount chief, the offences of the said chiefs committed under Sections 63 (a) and (I) of the Chieftaincy Act, 2008 (Act 759), relate to the improper procedures in their attempt to remove him and also offences for damage to property on Friday, January 25, 2025.
The accused chiefs are:
Nana Asiedu Kwalxvig IV, Abene Akyeamehene
Nana Simpt Owiredu, Krontihene of Abene
Nana Ntim Sampong, Baamuhene of Abene
Nana Barfour Nyarko, Wrempehene of Abene
Nana Kwasi Among, Akwamuhene of Abene
According to Daasebre Akuamoah Agyepong II, the said chiefs failed to adhere to the legal procedures stipulated under Section 63 of the Chieftaincy Act before attempting to depose him.
“They did not first lodge a formal charge against me or obtain a ruling from the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs. Despite this, they falsely declared that I had been deposed and, on a Saturday in January 2025, proceeded to name Barfour Akoto Osei as Daasebre Akuamoah Boateng III, thereby permitting him to impersonate the Omanhene of Kwahu, which contravenes Section 63 (a) of Act 759.
“Furthermore, these individuals, along with their accomplices, unlawfully invaded my palace, which I had locked, and forcibly broke into the premises with the assistance of hired thugs. During the unlawful entry, they caused significant damage to property, including door locks, to facilitate their false claim and the installation of Barfour Akoto Osei as the new chief,” Daasebre Akuamoah Agyepong II stated in his petition to the IGP.
You can also watch the latest episode of Everyday People on GhanaWeb TV below:
Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has praised Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey for his crucial goal in the team’s 5-1 win over Manchester City.
Arteta described Partey’s goal as the “turning point” in the game, which restored Arsenal’s lead just over a minute after Man City’s Erling Haaland had equalised.
Partey’s shot, which cannoned off Man City defender John Stones and beat Stefan Ortega in goal, was a significant moment in the game.
Arteta credited the goal with shifting the momentum in Arsenal’s favor, allowing the team to dominate the game and score three more goals.
Arteta shared the view of Man City manager Pep Guardiola that Partey’s goal was a decisive moment in the game.
“Yeah, that’s another thing that went our way, because, emotionally, I think that was a turning point,” Arteta said.
“We reacted so quickly, had a bit of luck in that action, and that set the tone for the team in the stadium as well, to go and win the game.”
The win over Man City was a significant statement by Arsenal, and Partey’s goal played a key role in the team’s convincing victory. The goal was Partey’s third in 23 league appearances this season.
According to Ghanacelebrities.Actress Xandy Kamel has come under heavy criticism from social media users after publicly defending Prophet Ogyaba, the embattled man of God who has been accused of having an affair with a church member. Kamel, in an interview, suggested that people should not judge the prophet for his personal failings, particularly regarding the alleged infidelity.
During the interview, Kamel argued that while Prophet Ogyaba’s actions were certainly questionable, it was important not to overlook his overall character and spiritual standing. She claimed that all men cheat, and therefore, Ogyaba’s behavior could be excused as a mere weakness for women. Kamel went on to assert that the prophet could still remain a credible man of God despite his personal shortcomings, as his gifts and calling should not be overshadowed by his human flaws.
“Men of God are still men,” she emphasized, defending the prophet’s actions while maintaining that his personal indiscretions should not define his spiritual authority.
However, Kamel’s comments sparked outrage across social media platforms, with many users accusing her of hypocrisy, particularly in light of her past public rants about her own experience with infidelity. The actress had previously made headlines when she left her ex-husband after allegations of cheating, and many found her defense of Prophet Ogyaba to be contradictory.
One netizen criticized Kamel, saying, “Sorry to say this but you left your ex-husband for the same reason, yet you’re here defending your so-called favorite pastor. If it’s so easy to forgive, why didn’t you stay?”
The backlash continued to pour in as many users expressed their disbelief over Kamel’s stance, questioning why she would defend the prophet in the face of infidelity when she had previously been vocal about leaving her own marriage due to similar issues.
Kamel’s defense of Prophet Ogyaba has sparked a larger conversation on social media about the expectations and behavior of public figures, particularly those in the religious community. While some may have agreed with her view that men of God are human and capable of making mistakes, the overwhelming sentiment on social media was one of disappointment in the actress’s perceived double standard.
As the controversy continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how Kamel will address the growing criticism and whether her comments will have any lasting impact on her career and public image.
Former President John Dramani Mahama has taken steps to demand the removal of the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Mensa, and three other officials. The petition, filed on grounds of alleged “gross incompetence,” seeks to question the credibility of their performance in office and calls for accountability in the nation’s electoral processes.
In the petition submitted to the relevant authorities, Mahama expressed concerns over what he described as recurring inefficiencies and irregularities within the Commission. According to him, these alleged shortcomings, if not addressed, pose a significant threat to Ghana’s democracy and could undermine public trust in the EC’s ability to conduct credible elections.
The individuals named in the petition include EC Chairperson Jean Mensa and her deputies, whose conduct Mahama claims has been marred by systemic failures. These alleged failures, he said, came to light during critical moments in the management of past electoral events. Mahama believes the issues are not isolated but part of a broader pattern that requires decisive action to safeguard the integrity of the electoral body.
The former President also criticized the EC’s handling of the voters’ register and other electoral-related processes, emphasizing that transparency and fairness must be the foundation of the Commission’s work. He reiterated that his petition is not a personal vendetta but a patriotic effort to strengthen Ghana’s democratic institutions.
Reacting to the petition, some members of the public and political commentators have shared mixed opinions. While some support Mahama’s stance, others argue that the move could be seen as politically motivated. Critics suggest that the timing of the petition, with elections approaching, could potentially stir tensions within the political landscape.
The Electoral Commission has yet to respond to the allegations raised in the petition. However, legal experts have pointed out that the removal of an EC Chairperson or other officials is a complex process that requires concrete evidence and adherence to constitutional provisions.
This development has drawn attention to the broader debate about the independence and performance of Ghana’s Electoral Commission. Many Ghanaians are now closely monitoring the situation to see how the government and other relevant authorities address the concerns raised by the former President.
As the story unfolds, the petition could spark significant political discourse in Ghana, potentially influencing the narrative leading up to the next elections.
Source: Ghanaweb
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