TIG Post

Author: Phoebe Martekie Doku

  • Chief Biney vows to ‘expose’ alleged police officer who infiltrated anti-Bawumia demonstration

    Chief Nixon Biney, the Deputy National Organizer of the National Democratic Congress(NDC) continues to hold the position that an officer of the Ghana Police Service allegedly infiltrated the demonstration he staged with some Ghanaians against, Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia on Friday, October 28, 2022.

    It will be recalled that during the protest, Chief Biney who was the brain behind the demonstration, raised alarm over what he suspected to be a police officer who was planted among the demonstrators to mar the peaceful march.

    The allegations of Chief Biney were vehemently rejected by the Deputy Chief of Staff Emmanuel Adumua-Bossman who scolded Chief Biney over the allegations.

    “These officers have been here trying to protect life and property and also to ensure that this thing moves on as smoothly as possible. So, to accuse them of something they may not even be aware of is a bit unfair,” he said.

    But in a post on his social media handle, the NDC Organizer hopeful vowed to expose the said police officer with evidence that validates his claim.

    Chief Biney claimed that the police after their failed attempt to stop the demonstration resorted to other tactics to ‘frame’ him by infiltrating the protest one of their own.

    “It was in the spirit of ensuring that the voices of the suffering masses are heard by Dr. Bawumi, our self-acclaimed economic messiah and our vice president that I took the bold decision to peacefully picket at his office, which is also my right as a citizen of our beloved Ghana.

    “I, as a responsible citizen, took the path of law and order by informing the police as stipulated by the constitution and laws of Ghana of the intention to embark on the protest.

    “After several meetings which ended with mutual agreement on the manner in which the protest will be conducted, the Police acting in bad faith applied to the court to seek an injunction to restrain me from holding the protest. Strangely enough, the police fix which was filed on Wednesday 26th Oct, to be heard on 27th Oct, just a day before the scheduled protest. Fortunately, wisdom prevailed and the court rejected the application for injunction however, made orders to vary the venue of the protest and other related issues.

    “I complied with the orders of the court and ensured that there were 19 other protesters who accompanied me to march to the DVLA office on the Switchback Road where the representative of the vice met me to receive the petition however, the Ghana Police decided to frame me up by using an outmoded police intelligence gathering style by infiltrating my peaceful action with a fool of a police officer. When they were exposed, they denied it by lying that this fool of a police officer was not from the Ghana Police Service but there are a lot to share soon,” he stated on social media.

    On Friday, Chief Biney led hundreds of Ghanaians to walk from Kawukudi Park to the DVLA head office in Accra to register their anger over what they believe to be poor handling of the economy by Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.

    The demonstrators held the view that the Dr Bawumia who was head of the Economic Management Team has failed at his job.

  • Government to support specific industries to help close import gap

    Abena Osei-Asare, the deputy minister for finance has said the government will support specific industries in Ghana in a bid to close the country’s import gap.

    President Akufo-Addo on Sunday announced plans by the government to review the current import regime to create market for local products.

    “We will review the standards required for imports into the country, prioritise the imports, as well as review the management of our foreign exchange reserves, in relation to imports of products such as rice, poultry, vegetable oil, tooth picks, pasta, fruit juice, bottled water and ceramic tiles, and others which, with intensified government support and that of the banking sector, can be manufactured and produced in sufficient quantities in Ghana,” the president said.

    “Government will, in May 2023, that is six months from now, review the situation. We must, as a matter of urgent national security, reduce our dependence on imported goods, and enhance our self-reliance, as demanded by our overarching goal of creating a Ghana Beyond Aid,” he added.

    Appearing on The Asaase Breakfast Show on Monday (31 October), Osei-Asare said some goods have already been identified under the initiative.

    “Already, I know the Ministry of Trade has identified certain products that we believe within the short to medium term, we can produce to reduce our imports on these items,” she told the host Kwaku Nhyira-Addo.

    “Everything that the government will have to do in the form of financing, capacity building and any form of assistance, government is ready to do that to assist, so that these identified group of businesses will be supported to help close the import gap,” Osei-Asare said.

  • It is not Akufo-Addo’s job to apologise to Ghanaians – Presidential Staffer

    A Presidential Staffer, Dennis Miracles Aboagye has said it is not Akufo-Addo’s job to apologise to Ghanaians for the current economic crisis the country is facing.

    According to him, the duty of the president is to take Ghanaians out of the economic crisis the country is facing rather than apologise.

    His comment comes on the back of calls by some Ghanaians on social media who have raised concerns over Akufo-Addo’s failure to apologise to Ghanaians for the current economic crisis including IMF bailout after he vehemently spoke against it.

    After his address on the economy on October 30, some social media users including ace broadcaster, Nana Aba Anamoah, raised questions after the address on Twitter with the caption “No apology. No acceptance of responsibility. Nothing, absolutely nothing!”

    Speaking on the Big Issue on TV3, the host quizzed why the president did not apologise to Ghanaians after Ghana went to IMF, Miracles Aboagye responded “apology for what?”

    He continued “I need to clarify this, when as speak I speak as a Ghanaian, when I say the people and you also say the people whose words are you taking? Is it not all of us. The president’s job is not to come to us and come and be crying and apologising to us. The president job is to find a way out of the situation for us”.

     

  • Gov’t appointees to continue with 30 percent salary cut

    Government says its appointees will still have the 30 percent slash in salaries as part of austerity measures to mitigate the country’s current anti-growth economy.

    President Akufo-Addo said the decision to still hold on with the policy was agreed on at the just ended Cabinet Retreat at Peduase Lodge.

    He made this known on Sunday, October 30, 2022, while updating Ghanaians on the state of the economy.

    “We have decided also to continue with the policy of 30% cut in the salaries of political office holders including the President, Vice President, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, MMDCEs, and SOE appointees in 2023.”

    Additionally, government is also continuing with the 30% cut in discretionary expenditures of Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

    Earlier this year, the President announced a slash in his salary by 30% with immediate effect following the outset of economic difficulties.

    While announcing a 50% cut on fuel for government machinery, he said his ministers were not exempt from the salary cut.

    The President’s decision according to him was to send a signal to citizens about the need to sacrifice as the country goes to the International Monetary Fund for support.

  • Watch how Akufo-Addo’s V8 convoys left Manhyia Palace

    The President of any country usually moves around with a convoy for official, sometimes ceremonial occasions; albeit with varying number of vehicles that escort same.

    In Ghana, President Akufo-Addo, like other presidents before him, are seen during many official and ceremonial events, being escorted by a number of vehicles, usually V8.

    It was a similar sight when President Akufo-Addo was captured leaving the palace of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II in his presidential vehicle, being escorted by a convoy.

    This was after the President paid a courtesy call on the Asantehene at the Manhyia palace during his tour of the region earlier this month.

    A set of black V8 vehicles lined up at the frontage of the Manhyia Palace and drove off one after the other after the President sat and was ready to move.

    President Akufo-Addo, during his visit, touched on issues regarding illegal mining and how to deal with the canker.

    Meanwhile, the president has been criticized on some occasions in the past, for using a long convoy when going on trips around the country.

     

     

  • Financial sector clean up not Ofori-Atta’s idea, it was an IMF conditionality – Analyst

    Financial Analyst Dr Michael Dawson has responded to claims that the financial sector clean –up which has ensured that the financial sector is solid , robust and resilient was Ken Ofori-Atta ‘s idea.

    “Let me state that the decision to undertake the reforms in the financial sector was mooted by the IMF. Thus, the clean-up was part of the IMF Conditions for the country.

    “You remember the asset quality review which was executed during the NDC era. The asset quality review gave a sense of the state of the banks. Former Finance Minister Seth Tekper and Governors appointed by President Mahama are aware of the malfeasance which was discovered after the asset quality review of the Banks.

    “During the NDC era, the IMF published several reports warning the Bank of Ghana to take some corrective measures within the banking sector, but the NDC government failed to clean up the sector. I think we should stop politicizing the benefits of the banking sector reforms.The reforms have led to stability and confidence in the financial sector.

    “I can tell you that, some depositors were not getting back their funds from some of the financial institutions. Some of the banks had also breached several banking regulations. Indeed, the financial system at the time, was on the brink of total collapse. The central bank had clearly explained that the clean-up was based on poor business practices and weak capital positions of the banks and financial institutions. I am aware that the liabilities of some of the banks were more than their assets”.

    Dr Dawson made these comments in a write up following a statement by President Mahama that the Honourable Ken Ofori-Atta proposed and introduced the idea of the reforms in the banking sector.

    “I will say that the resilience shown by the banking sector is due to the comprehensive financial sector reforms that took place before the Coronavirus pandemic. You can imagine what would have happened if the banking sector reforms wasn’t done. We would have woken up one day to see a collapse of the Ghanaian economy. The measures taken safeguarded the investments of 4.6 million depositors. There is confidence now in the sector. The exercise was crucial for stability and confidence in the financial sector”.Dr Dawson said.

     

  • I welcome disagreements – Bagbin on reactions to his ruling on Adwoa Safo

    Speaker Alban Bagbin has said he welcomes dissenting views being expressed on his rulings in the House.

    This comes after he was heavily criticized by the Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu on his ruling to refer Dome-Kwabenya Member of Parliament Sarah Adwoa Safo to the plenary for debate.

    Addressing a press conference in Accra, Speaker Bagbin said “The Supreme Court sometimes disagrees, sometimes the decision can be unanimous but after a few months they themselves realize they erred. I always welcome disagreement. It is a language that sometimes I feel uncomfortable about but as for the disagreement, it is welcomed.”

    Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu had told him that his understanding of law on how to handle a lawmaker who has been absent without permission, was wrong.

    Addressing the press after the Speaker’s ruling Adwoa Safo, on Wednesday October 26, Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu who is lawmaker for Suame said “The Speaker is totally wrong in his understanding of the law, that is why I repeated that he has sent us on a very obsequious path, it doesn’t help Parliament.”

    Mr Bagbin ruled that Parliament will debate on the removal or otherwise of Adwo Safo.

    Delivering his ruling in Parliament on Wednesday October 26, Speaker Bagbin said “The house is well within its right to receive and consider the report from the committee and make a determination.

    “It is my ruling that motion be was rightfully admitted.”

    Sarah Adwoa Safo absented herself for more than the stipulated 15 days.

    The Majority caucus wanted her seat to be declared vacant but this was opposed by the Minority, who felt she should be heard first.

    The Speaker also questioned the authority of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs to declare her seat vacant.

    In March, Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu disclosed that Sarah Adwoa Safo had requested a month-long leave from the House.

    Subsequently, the Speaker referred her case and that of two other MPs, namely Henry Quartey, MP for Ayawaso Central and Kennedy Agyapong, MP for Assin Central, to the Privileges Committee for hearing.

    Speaker Bagbin, who deferred ruling on the matter before parliament went on recess, promised to do so when sitting resumes.

    In a formal communication to the House on Tuesday, the Speaker noted that because there were few things to transact just after the assumption, he deferred the ruling to Wednesday.

     

  • Why ‘Sika mmpɛ dede’ is social media’s takeaway from Akufo-Addo speech

    Government communicators over the past few weeks partly blamed the fast-depreciating local currency on speculations.

    This critique found expression in President Akufo-Addo’s speech on Sunday night.

    According to him, negative speculation about the cedi has an attendant effect on how the forex market reacts.

    At a time when the government is struggling to restore confidence in an economy in crisis, the president says such conversations are pointless.

    “Fellow Ghanaians, as the French would say, l’argent n’aime pas le bruit, to wit, money does not like noise, sika mmpɛ dede. Where there is chaos, where there is noise, where there is unrest, you will not find money. If you talk down your money, it will go down. If you allow some unidentifiable person to talk down your money, it will go down,” he said in his address.

    He was speaking on the state of the economy and measures taken to salvage the situation as talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) continue.

    The country is in an economic crisis leaving a dire impact on all sectors.

    Ghana is currently at the doors of the Fund seeking a possible $3 billion support amid intensifying hardship, skyrocketing fuel prices, a rising cost of living and a depreciating cedi.

    The reactions from social media to this comment are not even about the ‘what’ but rather, the manner in which he said it.

    Essentially, this will not be the first time the multi-lingual President has used a different tongue to articulate his point, especially regarding finances.

    Between his ‘y3te sika su, nanso 3kom di y3n’ comment in 2016 as a presidential candidate and today’s ‘Sika mp3 dede’ as President, something has to give, according to Ghanaians on social media.

    It is trending on the microblogging website, Twitter with nearly 3,000 tweets garnered so far.

    Here are some of the reactions:

    The president, Nana Addo says: Sika mp3 dede, we’re talking so much about the cedi. That is why it is dropping.

    — Samuel Sesah🇬🇭 (@Dr_Sesah) October 30, 2022

    “Sika mp3 dede…” – Nana Addo, 2022.

    Meaning you pple dey make noise that is why the economy is what it is.

    — Paul (@kojoayitey) October 30, 2022

    So I learnt the meaning of “sika mp3 dede” to wit means the noise y’all making about the economy and hardship in the country ain’t gonna solve our problems but rather worsen it. So lass lass y’all should shut up and suffer..herhh! Na so we dey for this country? Ei

    — Crystal 🦋 (@_thecrystal_) October 30, 2022

    NADAA says “sika mp3 d3d3” to wit, the noise y’all making about the economy been hard ain’t gonna solve shit! It’s rather gonna worsen everything 🤣🤣🤣💔💔💔 eeeeiiii GHANA 🇬🇭!!! https://t.co/mTVAfF5qiq

    — Fantse Girl Sika (@SikaWarmann) October 30, 2022

    The whole country is about to be silent because the president said Sika mp3 Dede 😭

    If you call me and I don’t talk… here’s my reason

    — Candace ✨ (@adwoa_lotty) October 30, 2022

    Nana Addo simply translated @stonebwoy‘s bawasaba lyrics “Sika mp3 rough, me mp3 dede” into French as “l’argent n’aime pas le bruit, to wit, money does not like noise, sika mpe dede.

    — AmpauPrince_ (@AmpauP) October 30, 2022

    “Sika mp3 Dede” this man really nor Dey take Ghanaians do anything 😂😂😂

    — Ara Maestro 🇬🇭🐬 (@_MukadasMaestro) October 30, 2022

     

  • Gov’t announces 5 measures to stop free fall of cedi

    The Government of Ghana has adopted five measures to prevent further free fall of the cedi.

    President Akufo-Addo announced these measures on Sunday, when he addressed the nation on the country’s current economic crisis.

    The measures he said are:

    1. Enhanced supervisory action by the Bank of Ghana in the forex bureau markets and the black market to flush out illegal operators, as well as ensuring that those permitted to operate legally abide by the market rules. Already some forex bureaus have had their licenses revoked, and this exercise will continue until complete order is restored in the sector.
    2. Fresh inflows of dollars are providing liquidity to the foreign exchange market, and addressing the pipeline demand;
    3. The Bank of Ghana has given its full commitment to the commercial banks to provide liquidity to ensure the wheels of the economy continue to run in a stabilized manner, till the IMF Programme kicks in and the financing assurances expected from other partners also come in;
    4. Government is working with the Bank of Ghana and the oil-producing and mining companies to introduce a new legal and regulatory framework to ensure that all foreign exchange earned from operations in Ghana are, initially, paid to banks domiciled in Ghana to help boost the domestic foreign exchange market; and
    5. The Bank of Ghana will enhance its gold purchase programme.

    President Akufo-Addo said he was confident that “these immediate measures designed to change the structure of our balance of payment flows, sanitise the foreign exchange market to ensure that the banks and forex bureaus operate along international best practices, together with strengthened supervision, will go a long way to sanitise our foreign exchange market, and make it more resilient against external vulnerabilities going forward.”

    The cedi was tagged by Bloomberg as the worst-performing currency in 2022 with its trading value at around GH¢14 to a dollar.

    Prices of products such as fuel, cooking oil, rice and other imported items have gone up astronomically within the last few weeks following the depreciation of the cedi.

    The continuous free fall of the cedi compelled the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) to declare a strike to force government to take steps to strengthen the currency.

     

     

     

  • Dental and Medical Council urges doctors to remain in Ghana

    The Dental and Medical Council has called on Health professionals not to seek greener pastures abroad as the country is losing health professionals.

    This call was made at the induction of newly qualified Medical and Dental practitioners.

    Speaking as the chairperson of the induction ceremony, Member of the Dental and Medical Council, Dr. Constance Addo-Yobo, who acknowledged this phenomenon, pleaded with the newly inducted health professionals not to seek greener pastures abroad to the detriment of the health sector in the country.

    Dr. Addo-Yobo also urged doctors to make sacrifices within the country too.

    “Please accept postings to the regions and the districts outside Accra and Kumasi. You will learn a lot there,” she said.

    “Also, do not be tempted to look for greener pastures in places like the UK and other countries, like some of your colleagues are already doing.”

    “Let us halt this brain drain. It has taken the taxpayer a lot to invest in your education,” Dr. Addo-Yobo implored.

     

     

  • ‘Ken must go’ – KKD calls for sack of ‘greedy’ finance minister

    Veteran broadcaster, Kwasi Kyei Darkwah, popularly known as KKD, has called for the sacking of the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta.

    According to KKD, there is overwhelming evidence that points to the fact that there have been a lot of thieveries under his tenure.

    For this reason, the broadcaster has called for the axe to fall on the head of the country’s chief financial officer.

    Speaking in an interview on the JoyNews channel on Monday, October 31, 2022, and monitored by GhanaWeb, KKD explained that just like some 80 Members of Parliament calling for the minister to be sacked, it is the right decision.

    He explained that things have gotten so bad that even MPs who will usually tread cautiously in their dealings with the president no longer care how hard they step on his foot.

    “I saw someone who had used the brand of KFC, I don’t know why but about 22 people sent it to me… but if you think of it carefully, those MPs who stood up to speak have acted with courage; courage they got from their constituents. Because don’t forget this; because of the way our government is set up, nearly every MP whose government is in power, is angling for a ministerial position so they try as much as possible not to offend the president but I think they’ve gotten to a point where they think ‘even if this president gives me an appointment, I don’t want it’,” he said.

    KKD added that it is time for Ken Ofori-Atta to be sacked as the Minister of Finance.

    Likening him to an uncle who takes advantage of a very critical situation for his selfish interests, the veteran broadcaster asked that he is sacked.

    He also explained that the actions and performance of the finance minister have brought disgrace to his clan, a clear indication of his greed.

    “Ken must go! Ken must go because there has been too much thievery under him; thievery which we simply want to call, ‘Oh, it’s unethical’ but I’m telling if you live in a home where two children have sickle cell and one has (sic) and you have an uncle in the home that says things have gotten so bad, we need to go borrow money to perform a surgery for these children.

    “And that uncle then goes to see somebody from whom he can borrow money; all he needs is a $100 million, and the person from whom he’s borrowing money, will also ensure that he makes $9.8 million, Ghanaians, will you trust that uncle? That uncle is Ken Ofori-Atta.

    “You have embarrassed us, you have disgraced our fathers. Your father came to live a good life but you have disgraced us; you have disgraced the Akyem people and other tribes who have married into our clan because they include the Akyem, the Akuapem and the Nzema. You have disgraced us; you are greedy,” he said.

  • I have always insisted Akufo-Addo is empty – Asiedu Nketiah

    Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has said he has always had the notion that President Akufo-Addo is empty ever since he, Asiedu Nketia, was a member of parliament.

    According to him, due to Akufo-Addo’s arrogance, he failed to learn from former President John Dramani Mahama’s address which had solutions and proposals.

    In a Facebook post, he indicated that President Akufo-Addo’s address on Ghana’s economy on October 30 was “nothing beyond the smoke”.

    “I have always insisted that President Akufo-Addo is empty. I formed this opinion many years ago as an NDC Parliamentarian. He was representing the NPP in Parliament. Listen critically to him, and you will know he is full of smoke. Nothing beyond the smoke.

    “President Mahama set the right tone in his brilliant address with solutions and proposals at the UPSA for Akufo-Addo to learn from. But arrogance and lack of capacity deprived him of the opportunity to drink from his predecessor’s fountain of wisdom,” he said.

    He urged Ghanaians to join the NDC to vote against the NPP in 2024.

    “But there’s hope! We have elections 2024 to win to rescue Ghana from this incompetent and clueless NPP government that is determined to use foul means, including violence, to steal the outcome of the elections,” he stated on Facebook.

  • 13 grabbed over galamsey in Dormaa East

    Thirteen persons have been arrested in the Dormaa East District of the Bono Region for engaging in illegal mining, popularly called galamsey.

    They were grabbed following a joint operation involving personnel of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), National Investigation Bureau, Dormaa East District Police Command, and Dormaa East Assembly Members.

    The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Dormaa East, Emmanuel Kofi Agyeman, who briefed journalists after the operation, said the suspects were arrested at different locations in the district engaging in galamsey on Saturday.

    He said at Supre, in the Dormaa Akwamu area, the suspects Atanga Kenneth, 25, Amalia Augustine, 23, Amalia Michael,20, Alameya Joshua, 20, and Akasoa Rosemary, 20, were arrested while actively engaging in Illegal mining along the Supre River.

    Mr Agyeman said similarly at Kotodwe, in Wamfie, Godfred Amoako, 24, and Adomah Jones, 30, were arrested when they were preparing to prospect for gold in a cocoa farm along the Apampramu river.

  • Boko Haram suspect, 2 others arrested in Ghana

    A joint security made up of military, police, and immigration officers have arrested a suspected Boko Haram fighter in the Upper East Region of Ghana.

    According to a Joynews report, the suspect, identified as Hassan Hussein, was traced by the joint security force to his hideout in the region’s capital; Bolgatanga where he was arrested on Sunday, October 30, 2022.

    Preliminary investigations reveal that; the suspect has links with Nigerian Jihadist group; Boko Haram. Security sources say the suspect was found with a wound suspected to be from a gunshot.

    The report also indicated that the suspect’s arrest comes after an earlier arrest of two individuals by immigration personnel stationed around Nasia barrier in the Mamprusi West Municipality of the North East Region, had mentioned Hassan Hussein as their leader.

    Police have since begun investigations whereas the other two suspects have been asked to be brought to Accra for further investigations.

  • The presidency video rallying Ghanaians to unite to fight economic challenges

    With video snippets teased from as far back as when Ghana’s first president, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, stood at the Polo Grounds in Accra to declare the country’s independence in 1957, to many others by past presidents, the sitting government has produced what many people believe is a shot in the foot.

    Posted on Twitter by the official account of President Akufo-Addo, the 2 minutes 19 seconds video explores portions of speeches made by past Heads of State, as well as a voice narrative message calling on Ghanaians to rally around the president to solve the current economic hardships.

    This is coming only hours after the president addressed the country through a recorded televised video on the current economic challenges.

    In his address of October 30, 2022, President Akufo-Addo admitted the fact that the country is facing difficult times, while outlining some 12 measures the government intends to explore in dealing with the situation.

    The measures are restoring macroeconomic stability through ab IMF-supported program, tackling cost of living by working to stabilize prices of petroleum products through new supply arrangements, encourage traders to tone down profiteering which is contributing to inflationary pressures, restore debt sustainability by reducing debt to GDP ration to 55% by 2028, and improve national resources and liquidity by raising revenues from 13% to 18%-20% of GDP.

    The rest are to pursue inclusive growth while protecting the poor, energy sector reforms to reduce the risk of the sector to the budget, reduce budget rigidities by capping statutory funds, continue with efforts to reduce central government expenditure through budget cuts of 30%, start the process of discouraging importation of rice, poultry, vegetable oil, fruit juices, etc; tackle currency speculation to limit volatilities to the cedi, ensure no haircuts to treasury bill holders in the debt restructuring strategy.

    In what appears to have been a re-affirmation or a continuation of the president’s address, the new video reminded Ghanaians that the country has been at its worst before.

    “We have travelled down this path before, where we joined forces. When we came together as one people with a common destiny, we rose. In the early 1980s, there was famine, our people were sent back from Nigeria. Food was scarce and there were queues and we survived because we stuck together.

    “In the 200s, we went HIPC and struggled but again, we stuck together and rose together,” the video said.

    It went on to restate the global economic challenges that have contributed to the current economic challenges being faced in Ghana, calling on Ghanaians to once again come together.

    “Due to a combination of global economic challenges: COVID-19, the Russian evasion of Ukraine, and supply chain challenges, we are in a difficult situation. Once again, the forces are pulling us together. Let’s unite around our common challenges and rise together,” it added.

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has assured Ghanaians that he would, as he has done before, turn things around for the country.

    Watch the president’s video below:

  • Akufo-Addo outlines 12 measures to restore economic stability by 2028

    As part of the measures to restore Ghana’s economy to prosperity, the government have outlined some steps to be taken to stabilise the economy by 2028.

    This was outlined by the president during his address on October 30.

    Here are some of the measures Akufo-Addo outlined

    1. To restore and sustain debt sustainability, we plan to reduce our total public debt to GDP ratio to some fifty-five per cent (55%) in present value terms by 2028, with the servicing of our external debt pegged at not more than eighteen per cent (18%) of our annual revenue also by 2028.

    2. We are committed to improving the revenue collection effort, from the current tax-revenue to GDP ratio of thirteen (13%) to between eighteen and twenty per cent (18-20%), to be competitive with our peers in the West Africa Region. The GRA is rolling out an extensive set of measures to support this enhanced revenue mobilisation. All of us must do our patriotic duty and support the GRA in this exercise.

    3. We are aiming to restore and sustain macroeconomic stability within the next three (3) to six (6) years, with a focus on ensuring debt sustainability to promote durable and inclusive growth while protecting the poor.

    4. We have decided to review the reforms in the energy sector, capping of statutory funds, implementation of the exemptions Act and a new property rate regime. We have decided also to continue with the policy of thirty percent (30%) cut in the salaries of political office holders including the President, Vice President, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, MMDCEs, and SOE appointees in 2023, just as we will continue with the thirty percent (30%) cut in discretionary expenditures of Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

    5. we will review the standards required for imports into the country, prioritise the imports, as well as review the management of our foreign exchange reserves, in relation to imports of products such as rice, poultry, vegetable oil, tooth picks, pasta, fruit juice, bottled water and ceramic tiles, and others which, with intensified government support and that of the banking sector, can be manufactured and produced in sufficient quantities in Ghana.

    6. We must, as a matter of urgent national security, reduce our dependence on imported goods, and enhance our self-reliance, as demanded by our overarching goal of creating a Ghana Beyond Aid.

    7. We must work to ensure that the majority of goods in our shops and market places are those we produce and grow here in Ghana. That is why we have to support our farmers and domestic industries, including those created under the 1-District-1-Factory initiative, to help reduce our dependence on imports, and allow us the opportunity to export more and more of our products, and guarantee a stable currency that will present a high level of predictability for citizens and the business community. Exports, not imports, must be our mantra! Accra, after all, hosts the headquarters of the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

    8. Enhanced supervisory action by the Bank of Ghana in the forex bureau markets and the black market to flush out illegal operators, as well as ensuring that those permitted to operate legally abide by the market rules. Already some forex bureaus have had their licenses revoked, and this exercise will continue until complete order is restored in the sector;

    9. Fresh inflows of dollars are providing liquidity to the foreign exchange market and addressing the pipeline demand;

    10. The Bank of Ghana has given its full commitment to the commercial banks to provide liquidity to ensure the wheels of the economy continue to run in a stabilised manner till the IMF Programme kicks in and the financing assurances expected from other partners also come in;

    11. Government is working with the Bank of Ghana and the oil-producing and mining companies to introduce a new legal and regulatory framework to ensure that all foreign exchange earned from operations in Ghana is initially paid to banks domiciled in Ghana to help boost the domestic foreign exchange market; and

    12. The Bank of Ghana will enhance its gold purchase programme.

  • Akufo-Addo is in office but not in power – KKD

    Kwasi Kyei Darkwah (KKD) has stated that he does not believe President Akufo-Addo is in control of things in Ghana.

    The veteran broadcaster explained that many indications point to the fact that while the president is in office, he does not wield any power.

    Speaking in a Monday, October 31, 2022, interview on Joy News and monitored by GhanaWeb, KKD stated that the fact that Members of Parliament on his side of parliament have openly expressed non-confidence in his chief financial officer, Ken Ofori-Atta, should tell he is failing.

    “If nobody remembers anything I say today, please remember this; yesterday, I listened to our president for about half an hour and I learnt for sure that he’s in office but not in power.

    “If the people who make laws; the ones on your team… are saying that no, you’re failing us but we can’t tell you directly that you’re failing us, so we’re going to put the blame on your finance minister for now, eventually, we will get to you, are you really in power?” he stated.

    KKD also explained that issues such as the president’s recent chattering of private jets, a situation where the country does not even have the money to buy such luxurious planes, make it even more profound that he is actually not in charge of things.

    “If you give a speech of 30 minutes and instead of telling us how ashamed you are that you let some of the people you appointed, who had no common sense to tell you, Emperor, you have no clothes, but made you sign, or have somebody you’ve authorized sign to go and rent a plane your nation cannot afford, and they came and give us the stupid justification that by that way, he can have a shower in the sky… how are you in power?” he quizzed.

    Among the things that KKD has proposed to the Akufo-Addo government is for him to sack all his deputy ministers and further reduce the number of his ministers.

  • Withdrawal of my military protection politically motivated – Bagbin

    The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has resurrected the issue about the withdrawal of his military protection as he describes the action as politically motivated.

    Mr. Bagbin who questioned the basis for the action says it is puzzling that the state maintained what he calls battalion for the Electoral Commission Boss even after withdrawing the few military personnel attached to his office.

    The Ghana Armed Forces in January withdrew the military personnel attached to the security detail of the Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin.

    Government has dismissed suggestions that the withdrawal of the military attachment to the Speaker of Parliament by the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) is an attempt to stifle his protection.

    But speaking on the issue publicly for the first time during an engagement with the parliamentary press corps, Mr Bagbin listed a number of individuals whose offices are relatively below that of the speaker of Parliament yet enjoying military protection.

    “The Chief Justice has a military, as well as Ministers, have their own and each Supreme Court Judge but the EC Chair has a battalion. My brothers at the Ministry of Defense and Interior both have and the Attorney General has his own. The same as the Minister for Finance but the Speaker is not entitled to a military,” he bemoaned.

    “When I was second deputy Speaker, the Office of the same President approved his staff sergeant to by military attaché. For four good years, the staff sergeant was with me.

    “Now, I’ve been elected as the Speaker, which is a higher position, and the same president says I’m not entitled to military attachment,” Mr. Bagbin lamented.

    Nonetheless, Mr. Bagbin assured the public his security is guaranteed regardless of the withdrawal of the military attachment.

     

  • Authorities at Mount Mary College of Edu. trying to embezzle Ghc279k feeding fee – Trainees allege

    Teacher trainees at Mount Mary College of Education in Somanya in the Eastern region are agitating over attempts by management of the college to allegedly embezzle Ghc279,104 supposed to be reimbursed to them.

    The students say they paid for their feeding for four months waiting for reimbursement from government, however when the fund was released by the Student Loan Trust Fund for onward disbursement to the students with GHc 784.00 for each student management has refused to pay the amount to them.

    The students numbering 356 said authorities are supposed to refund an amount of GHc 279,104.00 but claimed they have not received any amount.

    However, the students say they have evidence that their colleagues from other colleges like Gbewaa College of Education, Bagabaga College of Education, St. Joseph College of Education, Enchi College of Education among others have received theirs.

    The students accused the SRC of conniving with the management on the alleged embezzlement.

    They also complained of poor feeding despite the payment by government through the student loan Trust Fund.

  • Ten victims of child trafficking rescued on Volta Lake – IJM

    The Oti Regional Police Command, the Department of Social Welfare (DSW) of Krachie East and Biakoye Districts, with support from International Justice Mission (IJM), have rescued ten children recruited into fishing on the Volta Lake.

    In two different operations launched on 5th and 7th October 2022 respectively brought nine and one children to safety.

    Seven of these survivors were identified to be victims of child trafficking and the other three, of hazardous child labour.

    “The rescue happened in the early hours of Wednesday, October 5 in Adakope in the Krachie East District of the Oti Region. Six trafficked children and 3 others in forced labour were rescued. Five suspects (boat masters) were arrested.

    “The survivors, aged 9 to 16 years, were subjected to neglect and emotional abuse. They were used by their boat masters for hazardous fishing activities on the Volta Lake. This included hook and line and bamboo fishing. At the time of rescue, many of them suffered Malaria, STIs, skin infection, bilharzia, oral hygiene and malnutrition,” a member of International Justice Mission-Ghana, Kojo Owiredu Kissi narrated in a press release dated October 27, 2022.

    Below is the full details of the operations

  • Economic crunch: It is difficult to applaud Akufo-Addo – Martin Kpebu

    Private legal private practitioner, Martin Kpebu, has berated President Akufo-Addo for failing to transform the economy from a Guggisberg state within eighteen months as he promised while in opposition.

    According to him, the situation was painful to the extent that it compelled citizens like himself to discharge a constitutional obligation by ‘speaking truth to power’.

    Reacting to Akufo-Addo’s state of the economy address on Accra-based Joy News on Sunday, October 30, the lawyer said President Akufo-Addo’s speech was full of sloganeering stressing that nothing was going to change in terms of the prices of goods and services.

    Although he said some supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) are not happy with the state of the economy, they expect persons like himself to applaud the president.

    Kpebu, who admits to being a staunch supporter of Akufo-Addo in the 2016 and 2020 elections, emphasized he cannot applaud the president since he has done nothing new in his administration to deserve it.

    He was reacting to a question on whether or not assurances from the president to move the economy from being largely import-dependent to becoming export-oriented was enough.

    “… that’s the one I made the point over and over. That’s what he [president Akufo-Addo] refers to as the Guggisberg economy that we are not adding much value, and so when he came, 18 months…now we have done six years…I have seen some of the comments on social media. It’s painful. Sometimes it’s difficult for me to comment this way, but there is nothing else we have to do.

    “The constitution says that citizens must also play their roles, and part of the role-playing is that we speak truth to power because sometimes when I look at some of the comments on the platforms, the one from NPP sympathizers, you can see they are not happy. They expect that we should applaud the president, but there’s nothing new. You heard what GPRTU said,” Kpebu stated.

    “Bottom line, the price from Accra to Kasoa is staying the same tomorrow. The price of kenkey is staying the same as GH₵3; Koko, that has increased from GH₵1 to GH₵3 tomorrow morning, will still be GHC3. Kufuor gallon that’s the oil that was GH₵500 has now gotten to GH₵1200. Tomorrow Kufuor gallon oil will still be GH₵1200. Nido, which about two weeks ago GH₵45 and was increased top GH₵60 a few days ago, tomorrow will still be GH₵60.

    “I have been checking prices over the past two weeks, and so the prices that increase from about two weeks ago, tomorrow when we go to the market will still be the same. So in such a case, it’s difficult to applaud the president,” he added.

    Martin Kpebu used the opportunity to further rally support for his upcoming ‘kume preko’ demonstration slated for November 5.

    Akufo-Addo, in his October 30 address on the economy, admitted that the country was in crisis while rallying support for various government interventions to stem the tide.

    “We are in a crisis; I do not exaggerate when I say so. I cannot find an example in history when so many malevolent forces have come together at the same time.

    “But, as we have shown in other circumstances, we shall turn this crisis into an opportunity to resolve not just the short-term, urgent problems but the long-term structural problems that have bedevilled our economy,” he said.

    But like before, President Akufo-Addo blamed the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war as causative factors for the economic woes.

  • Promote teachers, association members to their designated rank – GNAT to GES

    The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has raised concerns over the Ghana Education Service‘s unwillingness to promote teachers and association members to their designated ranks.

    According to him, this delay has caused increased agitation among teachers, which could lead to labour unrest.

    In a communique signed by the president of GNAT, Rev Issac Owusu, he said some of the agitations, aside from the promotion, also include “failure to supply laptops, allowances payment and opening of base pay negotiations among others.

    “Some teachers who were promoted/upgraded since 2015 have not been placed on the right scale. Council finds this irritating and provocative, and with the potential of disturbing the peace on the education front. Council therefore calls on the Ministry of Education/GES to resolve this issue and all other matters relating to Lower Rank promotions by the end of December 2022.” The president stated

    Aside from that, GNAT said the decision by the Ministry of Education to appoint a Director General of the GES, Dr. Eric Nkansah, who is not an educationist, sets a lousy precedent among hardworking teachers and educationists; they, therefore, called for the removal of the new GES boss before November 4, 2022.

    “The position of Director-General of the Ghana Education Service is the preserve of Educationists, and has been occupied by Educationists since its creation in the 1970s, and remained as such, even under the military regimes. Council found the replacement of Prof. Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa with Dr Eric Nkansah, a Banker, as both unfortunate and untenable. In the circumstance, therefore, Council calls for the revocation and subsequent appointment of an Educationist to occupy that office by 4′ November 2022.”

  • Stop describing rich people as thieves – Bishop Tackie-Yarboi

    The Presiding Bishop of Victory Bible Church International, Bishop N. A. Tackie-Yarboi, has admonished Pastors and Christians to desist from describing rich people as thieves.

    According to Bishop Tackie-Yarboi, many wealthy people worked very hard day and night for their money and properties and therefore cannot be called thieves.

    “Some people may acquire their monies through dubious means but not all rich people are thieves,” he noted.

    He made the statement during an annual gathering of the congregants dubbed Wonderful Jesus at the VBCI Headquarters, Accra Ghana.

    He was preaching on the topic; “Clarifying Unmerited Favour and Merited Favour” emphasising that man needs to work hard to provoke blessings.

    “Unmerited favour is only for our salvation but for the rest of everything in life you have to work for it. Remember God doesn’t come down himself but uses people and
    the only favour we don’t merit is our salvation,” he explained.

    Quoting from the book of Luke 2:40, he admonished the congregants to seek for wisdom and understanding about how the world system is operating.

    Bishop Tackie-Yarboi added that, “after you have been saved, then every favour you must get, you have to work for it.”

    He finally charged Christians to stop being timid and cowards and get up to fight for higher positions.

     

  • Government seeks to amend policy and legislative environment for credit unions – Deputy Labour Minister

    The government, in the coming months, will seek to amend the policy and legislative environment to enable credit unions to support cooperative societies and local economic development and job creation.

    The Deputy Minister for Labour and Employment, Bright Wireko Bobby made this known at the International Credit Union Day held in Ho over the weekend.

    According to Mr. Wireko Bobby, the sector will continue to engage and interact with stakeholders to fine-tune the draft cooperative bill for passage into law.

    “We hope to do so within the lifetime of this Parliament because it is long overdue. We will continue to guide you around the clock to achieve this important objective. We have indeed come far. And the International Credit Union day should remind us of the need for introspection on the future of cooperatives in Ghana” he said.

    Government seeks to amend policy and legislative environment for credit unions – Deputy Labour Minister

    The Deputy Minister noted that he has no doubt that the association will be able to weather the storm and ensure that the contribution of credit unions to the national economy is maximized for sustained growth and development of the country.

    He said across the globe, credit unions play vital roles in connecting cooperatives to financial and non-financial services, not only for an individual or family interest, but generally for economic development.

    “Through the immense contribution of credit unions, cooperatives have established a significant presence in both developed and developing countries. We serve more than 1 billion members across the globe,’’ he said.

    The Volta National Board Chairman of Credit Unions Association (CUA) Limited, Dr. Benard B.B Bingab noted that International Credit Union [ICU] celebrates the spirit of the global credit union movement and the day is recognized to reflect upon the credit union movement’s history, hard work and share member experiences.

    Government seeks to amend policy and legislative environment for credit unions – Deputy Labour Minister

    Dr. Bingad noted that the ultimate goal is to raise awareness about the great work that credit unions are doing around the world and give members the opportunity to get more engaged.

    “As we continue to chart the path of financial well-being for all, today is another chance to show the nation and the world at large how we are improving our members’ lives and also help more people improve their financial well-being through accessible and affordable products and services provided by credit unions,” he said.

    Dr. Bingad noted that credit unions offer opportunities and competitive credit, among other relevant financial services which have impacted positively, the lives of many people around the world.

    According to the Chairman of Volta Chapter, Doh Redacord the celebration is meant to look beyond the local community to recognize the credit unions for the important roles they play in many distressed urban and rural areas in the world.

    Mr. Doh Redacord noted that many people would not have been able to have access to financial services without credit unions, adding that credit unions have consistently carried on the traditions set forth by their founders and represented the values.

    General Manager for CUA, Cyprian K.A. Basing said the role of credit unions cannot be overemphasized; particularly in the challenging times triggered by an unfavorable and volatile external environment that has crippled many economies, organizations and individuals around the world.

    “As we know, credit unions have over the years played significant roles in transforming the economic development of their members and have significantly brought people together to cooperate towards liberating themselves from financial challenges and the shackles of poverty” Mr. Basing said.

    He noted that, despite the challenges, the credit unions movement has remained vibrant due to the core products and services advanced by CUA to credit unions in the country.

    “These products include; the central fiancé facility, deposit guarantee scheme and risk management programs; tailored to provide firm pillars for the development and sustainability of credit unions and their members in Ghana,” Mr. Basing said.

    On projects and partnerships, he said the Ghana Financial Sector Project (GFSP) is supporting the implementation of a project to support CUA and the credit union movement to acquire a core banking software that will enhance the operations, reporting and supervision

    The program was sponsored by the Credit Union National Association, The American Credit Union, World Council and the Volta Chapter of CUA.

  • Government releases feeding funds to Buffer Stock Company, SHSs

    The government has said it has released funds to the National Food Buffer Stock Company and the Senior High and TVET Schools across the country for feeding.

    In a statement, the government said GH¢126,000,000 had been released to the National Food Buffer Stock Company for non-perishable food items.

    GH¢72,106,603 was released to the Senior High and TVET Schools across the country to cover perishable food items & recurring expenditures.

    The statement said the money was released over the last four weeks.

    “The Public is therefore assured of the Ministry’s commitment to ensuring the timely supply of adequate and quality food items to all second cycle institutions,” the statement noted.

    “The Ministry further reiterates Its dedication to ensuring smooth and effective distribution of other resources in its quest to improve and sustain quality education in Ghana.”

    The Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools had been complaining about the delays in releasing the funds for feeding.

    It also warned that many food suppliers had threatened to suspend supplies, while others had withheld the food supplies due to the non-payment of their monies.

    Some headteachers had even threatened to close down their schools because of these feeding challenges.

    Find below the full statement

     

     

  • Minority demands clarity on EC’s voter identity data

    The Minority in Parliament is demanding the appearance of the National Identification Authority(NIA) and the Electoral Commission before the House to clarify concerns with the current data of Ghanaians under their control.

    The Minority says this is a result of plans by the EC to rely on the Ghana Card from the NIA for the 2024 General Elections.

    Speaking on the Floor of Parliament, the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, says statistics from the NIA must reconcile with that of the EC before any such a move could be undertaken.

    “Let us see the discrepancy and variance in your numbers because we will not accept any attempt by the Electoral Commission to disenfranchise any Ghanaian because they want to rely on an ID card which is not available to Ghanaians.”

    The Minority Leader also called on the house to constitute an ad hoc committee to oversee the implementation of recommendations of the Public Accounts Committee on the Auditor General’s Report.

    “Parliament must help the public purse in getting this committee constituted,” Mr. Iddrisu said.

    He added that there had been meetings with the Majority Leader, and they agreed that “probably we should get a retired jurist or a retired member of Parliament with good standing on account.”

    In his response, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, said there is an existing committee to the effect and the Public Accounts Committee must present a report on their work for consideration by the house.

    The Speaker further said he has not received any briefing from the EC on its plans to use the data of the NIA for the elections.

    He noted until such is done, the EC “should forget about laying any such instrument in the House.”

  • ‘Mahama’s recommendations are much ado about nothing’ – NPP

    The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has described former President John Mahama’s speech on the state of the economy as a desperate attempt to return to power.

    The former President on Thursday, October 27, 2022, described current economic challenges as the worst Ghana has ever witnessed and recommended amongst other things a cut down in government expenditure as a measure to restore fiscal stability.

    But the ruling party says the alternatives proffered are not relevant to the challenges faced by the country.

    In an interview with Citi News, Deputy General Secretary of the NPP, Haruna Mohammed, indicated that the recommendations are much ado about nothing.

    “It is rather unfortunate that listening to His Excellency the former president, you do not hear any pointy alternatives. They are all lamentations and rhetorics, all desperate attempts to return to power. But then, as always has been, Ghana is a democratic state and accepts diverse opinions, so we will allow such views to pass through.”

    Meanwhile, the party is urging Ghanaians to remain steadfast as government takes steps to address the teething challenges facing the economy.

    “We have a working government and team and are tirelessly working towards economic recovery,” he added.

     

     

     

  • Economic crisis: Suspend importation of goods that can be made locally – Government told

    As part of measures to mitigate the effects of the depreciation of the cedi, a political science analyst, Prof. John Osei Bobbie, has asked government to implement some trade restrictions.

    This request comes weeks after traders in Accra closed their shops to protest the current economic conditions.

    The closure came after the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) directed all members to embark on a three-day strike to protest the current economic conditions.

    Some traders who spoke to Atinka News at Abbosey Okai lamented the depreciation of the cedi against the US dollar, adding that it is making it difficult for most traders to stay in business.

    In an interview with the host of Atinka FM’s AM Drive, Kaakyire Ofori Ayim, Prof. John Osei Bobbie, called for the suspension of imported goods that can be produced locally.

    According to the political science analyst, government should see to it that traders import goods that cannot be readily produced in Ghana.

    Citing toilet rolls as an example, Prof. John Osei Bobbie did not see the sense in importing the product when it is already being produced locally.

    “There are some goods that, after being imported, end up at the dam site, despite the fact that we send millions of dollars to import them.” It’s past time to impose trade restrictions on some products imported into the country. These are some of the reasons why MPs want a new Finance Minister. Why should we spend dollars to import toilet rolls into the country when we can produce them locally? The importation of certain goods into the country must be halted,” he added.

     

  • Mahama calls for legislations to ban collateralisation of statutory fund

    Former President, John Dramani Mahama, has called on parliament to pass legislations that will stop governments from using statutory fund as collateral for loans.

    He said the “wanton collateralisation” of almost all statutory funds for the purpose of taking more loans had been unhelpful.

    It had limited the financial capacity of the funds set up to help government meet basic obligations, the former President said Thursday evening in an address on the economy hardship in the country on the theme: “The Ghana we want”.

    The situation, he said would inhibit the chances of future governments to run successful administration due to limited access to financial resources.

    “Government should de-securitise these funds and add them onto the public debt as part of the discussions on debt restructuring,” he said.

    Mr Mahama estimated that freeing the funds from the burden of collateralisation and the renegotiation of energy sector Independent Power Producer Payment (IPP) payment could guarantee government access to revenue of about GH¢ 16 billion in 2023 to GH¢ 19.4 billion in 2025.

    “This will significantly ease the cash-crunch, which has crippled many sectors resulting in government’s inability to meet such basic obligations as supplying food to secondary schools and providing textbooks for basic schools, ” he said.

    Mr Mahama called for a moratorium on all non-concessional borrowing, canvassing bilateral partners for more concessional financing and grants and a stop to Central Bank’s financing of government above the five per cent threshold, especially through currency printing.

    He also called on government to leverage its competitive advantage in the energy sector to partner the private sector and mobilise the needed infrastructure and investment to export energy to other west African countries and save foreign exchange due to limited importation.

    “It is regrettable that in the last six years, government has been unable to bring any new oil or gas prospects into operation,” he noted.

     

  • Lawyer Ralph Poku-Adusei donates GHC50,000 to support Kokofu Community Centre and Okogyeasuo JHS works

    A private legal practitioner and indigene of the Kokofu Traditional Area in the Ashanti Region, Ralph Poku-Adusei, has donated GHC50,000 to officials of the Kokofu Traditional Area to support two construction projects in the local district.

    The two projects under construction are the Kokofu Community Centre and a teacher’s bungalow at Okogyeasuo Junior High School, both situated in the heart of the traditional area.

    GHC30,000 from the donation will go to contractors working on the Kokofu Community Centre and GHC20,000 to those executing the teacher’s bungalow at Okogyeasuo Junior High School.

    Ralph Poku-Adusei (second from right) with members of his family during the presentation

    The donation was made on Thursday 27 October 2022 by Lawyer Poku-Adusei at a sitting of the Kokofu Traditional Council.

    Nkabomhene

    Nana Kwadwo Ateffah, Nkabomhene of the Kokofu Traditional Area, led the lawyer and members of the Poku-Adusei family to make the presentation.

    In his remarks before the actual presentation, the Nkabomhene of Kokofu said Lawyer Poku-Adusei, as an indigene of Kokofu and member of a royal family with a claim to the Kokofu paramountcy, sees the urgent need to complete the construction of the local community centre for the people of the area and the teacher’s bungalow at Okogyeasuo JHS.

    That, the Nkabomhene said, is what motivated him to support the projects with the donation.

    Gratitude of Kokofu

    The linguist to Barima Offe Akwasi Okogyeasuo II, the paramount chief of the Kokofu Traditional Area, received the donation on the chief’s behalf.

    The chief then registered to him the gratitude of the people of Kokofu for Lawyer Ralph Poku-Adusei’s kind gesture.

    Barima Offe Akwasi Okogyeasuo directed his linguist to advance the cash donation to the two contractors working on the projects, who were both present at the ceremony, so that they could use the cash immediately for the purpose intended.

    Profile of Ralph Poku-Adusei

    Ralph Poku-Adusei is the managing partner at Trent Legal (Amansie Chambers).

    He is a British-trained and well-seasoned legal practitioner with over 11 years’ experience in all facets of corporate and commercial practice, land acquisition and criminal practice, and has been intimately involved in leading landmark litigation.

    Throughout his years as a lawyer, he has advised and represented successfully both local and international clients working in Ghana. He is a member of the Ghana Bar, the Bar of England and Wales and the International Bar Association.

    His alma maters include the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple in the UK, Manchester Metropolitan University, the University of Law in the UK (formerly the College of Law of England and Wales), the Ghana School of Law, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana and Opoku Ware SHS (OWASS)..

    He doubles as an entrepreneur with over ten years in business leadership. He is the owner of First Cedi Investment Ltd, a real estate development company, and the proprietor of Firstcedi Micro-Credit Enterprise, which provides lending services to the communities within and around the municipality of Bekwai in the Ashanti Region.

    Lawyer Poku-Adusei is a relentless optimist, an effective communicator and a motivator who identifies and leverages assets in teammates to reach organisational goals.

    His academic and entrepreneurial prowess notwithstanding, he is a philanthropist who believes in giving back to society. As such, in 2018, he set up a non-governmental organisation called the Ralph Poku-Adusei Foundation to provide humanitarian support services to the poor and needy/less privileged in society.

    Lawyer Ralph Poku-Adusei

    This organisation has been of great benefit to orphans, widows, widowers and the aged in the Bekwai community.

    Lawyer Poku-Adusei hails from the Oyoko family of Kokofu in the Ashanti Region. He is married to Gloria Gyan-Baffour, a daughter of Professor George Gyan-Baffour, the seasoned economist and politician. They are blessed with two children: a daughter and a son.

    About Kokofu

    Kokofu is a town in the Bekwai Municipal District. The traditional area is home to more than 118 towns, spread across four districts of the Ashanti Region.

    Cities, towns and well-known sites near Kokofu include Abooso, Adwinase Number 2 and Kuntanse. The name “Kokofu” originated from the expression “Koo-ko afuom”, meaning “soft cocoyam farm”.

    The place is a semi-developed settlement within the municipality. It hosts one tertiary institution: the Kokofu Nursing Training College, which has produced, over a period of time, a host of professional nurses for Ghana.

     

  • Non-gold royalties’ collection: EOCO joins MIIF inter-agency task force

    The Economic and Organized Crimes Office (EOCO) has joined efforts to improve royalty payments and collections due the state from the mining sector in Ghana.

    EOCO has thus become the newest member of a group of related agencies in the extractive and minerals sub sector led by the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF).

    MIIF is the statutory body that receives royalties on behalf of the state, manages the equity interest of Government of Ghana in large-scale mining companies. The Fund subsequently invests these dividends and royalties on behalf of the people of Ghana.

    The Inter Agency collaboration is borne out of a framework to enhance the collection of royalties, expand the royalties net and streamline communication on royalties’ payments especially from non-gold mining sector such as salt mining, sand winning, limestone, granite, and quarrying.

     Strategic collaboration  

    The collaboration which was initiated by MIIF in December 2021, has improved the efficiency in collections of non-gold royalties through collaborative efforts of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) which is responsible for the collection of royalties on behalf of MIIF, the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) which assesses standards and accurate production measurements of minerals and the Minerals Commission (MINCOM), the regulator of the mining sector.

    The Inter-Agency committee comprises officials from the Minerals Commission, the regulator of the sector, Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).

    The Chief Executive Officer of MIIF, Edward Nana Yaw Koranteng, welcomed the inclusion of EOCO to the Inter-Agency. “The inclusion of EOCO” Mr Koranteng indicated “adds a new dimension to this all-important initiative and we will leverage on their expertise and infrastructure to help identify and collect royalties from these mineral types”.

    Results so far

     “Payments of Royalties from quarries since we started this Inter-Agency Collaboration in December 2021 have gone up by over 100%.  For the first time in Ghana’s history, Sand Winners who had never paid royalties to the State are now making good their commitments and paying royalties.

    “The Salt and Limestone sectors are performing above 200% on pre-November 2021 figures. We could end the year at circa GHc 30 million which was lost to the state previously” Edward Koranteng said.

    The collaboration is also yielding reconciliation of data, collection of data and information sharing much quicker.  We are dilating on the same information and adopting a singular multifaceted strategy because we are all in one room thinking about solutions and efficiency.

    “This helps us to leverage our experiences for innovation. For example, through this inter-agency, the business development unit of MIIF has built a geo-mapping system covering most of the non-gold minerals.

    “We are working together, with the relevant laws and mandates leaving no room for exploitation by those who want to take advantage of the system by deliberately living in the crevasses. This is the true benefit of working together” Koranteng added.

    EOCO’s role

    The Economic and Organized Crime Office established by the Economic and Organized Crime Office Act, 2010 (Act 804) is a specialized agency to monitor and investigate economic crimes and on the authority of the Attorney-General prosecute these offences to recover the proceeds of crime and provide for related matters.

    “It has as part of its mission; detecting, investigating, preventing and prosecuting all serious economic and organized crimes in Ghana. The non-payment of royalties offends the law.

    “There are instances where some of the practices of companies in the mining sector border on clear attempts to evade their payment obligation through very complex schemes.

    “What EOCO further brings to the Inter- agency is a law enforcement muscle and also the ability to detect and investigate these practices” Koranteng said.

    The Executive Director of EOCO, COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah stated that, “EOCO has a mandate to investigate crimes and prevent the occurrence of same”.

    “To be able to do this we need to better understand the mining sector to enable a full deployment of our resources, collect and package evidence professionally and to protect data collected.

    “This is what we bring to the Inter Agency Framework”. We are excited to be part of an all-government collaboration.” The EOCO boss said.

    About  MIIF

     MIIF is a sovereign minerals fund mandated by the Minerals Income Investment Fund Act 2018, (Act 978) as amended, to maximize the value of dividend and royalties’ income accruing to the Republic of Ghana in a beneficial, accountable and sustainable manner and to monetize Ghana’s mineral wealth in a manner which would bring long term value to Ghana.

    MIIF also has 100% ownership of Agyapa Royalties Company, the only state-owned gold royalties company in Africa. MIIF has plans to list Agyapa on the London Stock Exchange and the Ghana Stock Exchange.

    MIIF has invested in the Toronto, Frankfurt and now Ghana listed Asante Gold Corporation which has just opened the lucrative Bibiani gold mine and is on the verge of acquiring the Kinross Chirano gold mine in Ghana.

    The acquisition will create one of the largest gold mining companies in West Africa. MIIF is also planning to invest in lithium and other upcoming gold projects.

  • BizTech: ‘When the fundamentals are weak, the exchange rate will expose you’ – Economist

    An economist at the University of Ghana, Prof. Godfred Alufar, has reiterated Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia‘s stance on the weak state of Ghana’s exchange rate.

    According to him, the depreciation of the local currency is due to fundamental factors that must be tackled.

    The Ghana cedi has come under intense pressure in recent times as it fell by more than 50% to the US dollar to sell at an all-time high of GH¢16.

    In this week’s edition of BizTech, Prof. Bokpin highlighted the importance for the government to act swiftly to arrest the cedi.

    He also explained that Ghana’s economic crisis cannot be solved by ‘magic’, therefore pragmatic steps must be taken to ensure that the crisis comes to an end.

    On calls for the resignation of the Finance Minister, Prof Bokpin said, “that is not the only change we want. Beyond that, it will not amount to so much just changing the finance minister. We must go a step further and reduce the number of ministers and the government size overall, including the staff at the presidency.”

    He also stated that the government must fast-track its negotiations with the International Monetary Fund in order to secure the expected financial support as soon as possible.

     

  • Don’t target domestic creditors in debt restructuring – Ato Forson to government

    The Minority Spokesperson on Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson says targeting domestic creditors in a possible debt restructuring will hurt the Ghanaian economy.

    Ghana’s debt stood at GH¢402.4billion as of July 2022.

    According to Dr. Forson, debt relief in excess of GH¢200 billion is needed to make Ghana’s current debt sustainable.

    Speaking at the “Building the Ghana We Want” lecture at the University of Professional Studies, Accra on Thursday, October 27, 2022, the former Deputy Finance Minister admonished the government to avoid a mickey mouse form of debt restructuring.

    “One of the biggest dilemmas in solving debt restructuring is the extent to which the burden should be borne by holders of the debt instrument governed by domestic and foreign laws and that’s what people call domestic foreign debt restructuring. Restructuring domestic dent is like surgery, you only do it if you must and you avoid it if it might do more harm than good. It is a dangerous tool,” Dr. Ato Forson stated.

    He added: Restructuring your domestic debt should be thought through well. Imagine the consequences of haircuts. On the face value of your interest on your bond, imagine waking up one early morning only to be told that your GH¢1 million in government bond has suddenly become GH¢700,000 to the extent that the government has taken GH¢300,000 of your money, imagine that! Pension funds will suffer a drop in value.”

    “Tier 2 and Tier 3 pension payout will drop from already low levels. Tier 1 SSNIT reserve will drop in value, SSNIT capacity to pay pensions will certainly suffer, and Insurance companies’ reserves will fall with implication for benefit payment, unfortunately. Local banks, other deposit-taking institutions, savings & loans, and rural banks will all suffer.”

     

  • Chief Justice advocates ban on acquisition of license by small-scale miners

    Chief Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah has called for a ban on the acquisition of licenses by small-scale miners in the country. This, he said, will promote sanity in the country.

    His Lordship, Justice Baffoe-Bonney, who relayed the message on behalf of the Chief Justice, called for a complete stop to the issuance of licenses to small-scale mining companies. He urged licensed surveyors to master digitalization and adapt to changing times to remain relevant in the Association.

    The Chief Justice noted some “lazy” licensed surveyors contribute to the rising land litigation issues the country is dealing with.

    According to him, these roadside surveyors, who work without ethical standards, only sign plans for paltry amounts without thinking about the adverse effects of their actions.

    “I believe that for now, we should stop issuing licenses either for small-scale legitimate mining companies. It is difficult to know who is a legitimate miner and who is a “galamseyer”. Apart from the Obuasi, Prestea, the recognized Gold miners, for now, everybody should be banned so that we can have some sanity”.

    He added that the oath sworn by some licensed surveyors had become mere rhetoric.

    Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah said this at the 4th Seminar and Annual General Meeting of Licensed Surveyors Association of Ghana.

    “Permit me to talk about the ethical standards that we are fast losing out on some licensed surveyors. The oath sword and same imprinted on plans before signing has remained mere rhetoric. I am very convinced, and it is my considered view that, if licensed surveyors appraise themselves with all the processes in the field, they shall append their signatures on true work done on the ground.

    His Lordship Chief Justice Anin-Yeboah also called for a strong collaboration between LiSAG and the judiciary to ensure a better working relationship.

    “I will call on LiSAG to deepen their collaboration with the judiciary. I know you have begun some engagements, and I urge you to design capacity-building workshops to train judges on the rudiments of your practice and the changing phase you so espouse.

    “The changing phase also means a new way of working with the judiciary to ensure sanity in land registration since the cadastral plan is one of the foremost documents to be relied on for the transactions.

    “We are ready to assign some of the licensed surveyors to our courts so that they can assist the judges understand the plans or maps before hearing and, in some cases, conduct an independent survey for contesting parties.”

    President of The License Surveyors Association of Ghana, LISAG, Samuel Larbi Darko, has cautioned land buyers in seeking the services of unlicensed individuals who pose as professional surveyors in the demarcation of lands and property. According to him, background checks from the lands commission or the License Association should be made on surveyors before any contract is made.

    This he said will ensure the protection of a contractor in case of a breach of law. He bemoaned the high cost of instrumentation and duties and called on government to support in financing of the Association.
    The event was held on the theme: “The Changing Phase of Cadastral Surveying for Effective Land Management”.

    Mr Larbi-Darko said before one engaged a surveyor to map out a land, the individual needed to ensure that the surveyor was licensed and registered to do a professional job.

    He stressed that that had become necessary due to the activities of “quack’ and unregistered surveyors in the system, whose unprofessional conduct was affecting the reputation and integrity of the profession.

    The Licensed Surveyors Association of Ghana, LISAG, was initially thought of to address the welfare needs of its members. The Association came to being formally on the 14th of September, 2005, during a meeting at the headquarters of the then survey department in Accra. The licensed surveyor’s Association of Ghana has gone through a number of phases in its development as an Association.

    It has gained a lot of recognition due to its public position on issues of land management and its collaboration with the Land Commission. The Association, which started off as a welfare body for its members, has now morphed into an Association that is championing the national agenda.

    The Association has not had a change of leadership since its inception and only organized its first-ever elections at the last Annual General Meeting held in October 2021. Numbers have since grown to almost two hundred members, and with an innovative policy that is helping the course of its members.

    The Vice President of the international federation of surveys, Kwame Tenadu Snr, charged members of the Association to show commitment in the execution of their duties to make the association work. He advised them to prioritize digitalization to ensure efficiency in their duties.

    The head of decentralized services/ office of the local government services, Dr. Nana Ato Arthur, indicated that the activities of unqualified individuals posing as Licensed surveyors are negatively affecting land mapping in the various districts of the country. He charged stakeholders in the Association to be vigilant and report defaulters to face the full rigours of the law.

    He also urged the Association to collaborate with the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to ensure proper land demarcation at the local level.

    “The activities of unqualified individuals have negatively affected the mapping processes within the districts. I wish to therefore charge all stakeholders to look out for such persons in an effort for them to face the full rigours of the law. I am told that some people get away with contentious plans through the connivance of professional licensed surveyors. This attitude is not professional. I, therefore, call on licensed surveyors not to append signatures on any fraudulent plans. Let us rise to a higher calling and ensure the highest ethical standard”.

    He said land management was a major challenge the MMDAs faced, hence the need to collaborate with them to ensure proper land mapping and usage.

    Licensed Surveyors are a body of authorized Surveyors poised to undertake the demarcation and survey of land for the preparation of cadastral plans on behalf of the Director Survey and mapping division of the Lands Commission.

  • We all have an interest in the NPP; we will not sit for you to destroy it – Kofi Kapito to Akufo-Addo

    The Chief Executive Officer of the Consumer Protection Agency, Kofi Owusu Hene, a.k.a. Kofi Kapito, has bemoaned the current state of his party, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

    Speaking in a Neat FM interview monitored by GhanaWeb, Kofi Kapito accused the party’s leadership and council of elders of looking on unabated as some members, including President Akufo-Addo and his appointees, destroy the image of the party through their actions.

    He also bemoaned the failure of the NPP government to address the challenges Ghanaians are facing and the recent utterances of the president against persons who have been criticising his government.

    “… today, [the] president is telling his critics that he is unconcerned whether people vote for the NPP or not. I think he was not feeling well that day and so I will forgive him.

    “But what I am trying to say is that when it comes to the party (NPP), as they have been saying in their hometown that they will [not] sit for Okyeman to be destroyed, I, Kofi Kapito, will not sit aloof for the NPP to be destroyed,” he said in Twi.

    He went on to commend the NPP Members of Parliament (MPs) who demanded that President Akufo-Addo sacks the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, for his poor management of the economy.

    “God bless Eugene Antwi Antwi. God bless Patrick Boamah. Andy Appiah-Kubi, all of them, have done well for their courage to take this step,” he added.

  • M.anifest announces tracklist for ‘Madina To The Universe’ album

    Ghanaian rapper, M.anifest has released the tracklist for his much-anticipated album, “Madina To The Universe.”

    Speaking on the creation of the album, the GodMC hitmaker said “It’s been a painstaking journey molding these tracks into the beauties they are and stringing them together as one cohesive piece.”

    The album consists of 15 songs and features Ghana’s M3nsa and Moliy, Chicago-based rapper Vic Mensa; Nigeria’s Adekunle Gold, Patoranking and Ladipoe; as well as Tanzanian-born Tiggs da Author, who is based in London.

    The songs on the album include; MTTU, Confusion, Best for you, Game over, Unicorn flow, La vida, Clean and pure, among others.

    M.anifest announces tracklist for 'Madina To The Universe' album

    He also expressed gratitude to all who joined hands in making the album a success. “Grateful to all my collaborators for showing up and showing out,” he stated.

    ‘Madina To The Universe’ will be released on Thursday, November 18, 2021.

    According to musician, born Kwame Ametepe Tsikata in a tweet, ‘Madina To The Universe’ is inspired by the community he grew up in.

    “Madina is my ‘village’. A formative place for me as a child. Beyond memories, it is where my mom and grandma still live, alongside colourful people and places that have shaped the window through which I see the world.”

    M.anifest announces tracklist for 'Madina To The Universe' album

    M.anifest is an award-winning Ghanaian rapper and musician known for musical boundary crossing, multilingual wordplay, and a refreshing approach that acknowledges both his Ghanaian upbringing and his sojourn in the West.

    He has collaborated with musical giants such as Burna Boy, Damon Albarn (Gorillaz), Tiggs Da Author, Erykah Badu, Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers) and Tony Allen.

  • Ofori-Atta must go, I support NPP MPs’ demand – Agyeman-Duah

    A Governance Expert Professor Baffuor Agyeman-Duah has said he supports the call by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament to the President to sack his Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry Charles Adu Boahen.

    Prof Agyemang Duah said he personally made this call in the past when the economy started deteriorating.

    Speaking in an interview with TV3’s Alfred Ocansey on the Ghana Tonight show, the CEO of the Kufuor Foundation said “I will be a hypocrite if I say I don’t agree [with the calls] because personally, I have made this call over the past several months since the economic started nose down.”

    Pressure is being mounted on President Akufo-Addo by some Ghanaians including his own Members of Parliament, to sack the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and Mr Adu Boahen.

    The Majority caucus in Parliament have threatened to boycott the presentation and debate on the 2023 budget statement if President Akufo-Addo does not remove Mr Ofori-Atta and Adu Boahen.

    The NPP MPs believe that the prevailing economic situation in the country does not make it right for the two gentlemen to remain in office hence the President must ask them to go.

    Addressing a press conference in Parliament on Tuesday, October 25, a lawmaker for Asante Akyem North, Andy Appiah Kubi said “We are unhappy with the developments in the country, we consulted our constituents who also expressed same sentients.

    “We want the President to remove Ken Ofori and Chares Adu Boahen.

    “We are by this medium communicating our strong desire that the President changes the Minister of Finance and the Minister of State in the Finance Ministry without further delay.

    “We want to serve notice, and notice is hereby served that until such persons as aforementioned are made to resign or removed from office, we members of the Majority Caucus here in Parliament will not participate in any business of Government by or, for the president by any other Minster.

    “We hope that those of us in the back bench and members of the Majority caucus will abide by this prayer.

    “We are saying that if our request is not responded to positively, we will not be present for the budget hearing neither will we participate in the debate.

  • Delay in posting physician assistants to health facilities is bad – Physician Assistant Association

    The Ghana Physician Assistant Association says continuous delay in posting physician assistants to health facilities is derailing the country’s effort to achieving universal health coverage by 2030.

    The Association observed whilst some health facilities in hard-to-reach areas that are in dire need of the services of physician assistants, qualified PAs remain home awaiting placement.

    “Delay in getting financial clearance for qualified Physician Assistants is arguably the main reason for the large numbers of unemployed Physician Assistants. I want to use this opportunity to make a passionate appeal to the Ministries of Health and Finance to expedite the processes leading to the issuance of financial clearance and subsequent employment of these qualified healthcare cadres” President of the Association, Emmanuel Yaw Appiah noted.

    He was speaking at the 19th Annual General Conference of the Ghana Physician Assistants Association.

    Most health facilities in the country are manned by physician assistants.

    These cadre of healthcare professionals handle about 70% of the health needs of rural and underserved populations.

    They consult, request for laboratory investigations, prescribe medication, and perform minor surgeries among other responsibilities.

    But the Ghana Physician Assistants Association expressed concern over what they claim to be proper recognition.

    “Although the Physician Assistant remains a key player and actor in the health care delivery machinery especially at the Sub-district level, not much has been done through policy formulation and implementation to capacitate and resource the Physician Assistant to function effectively and efficiently at the Sub-district level, the fulcrum and vehicle for the attainment of Universal Health Coverage for all.

    “it is unfortunate to note that despite the many years of existence of the PA Profession, there has not been any properly established career progression pathway in the
    profession. It is our hope that the current deliberations on-going amongst the officials of the
    Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, Medical and Dental Council of Ghana, the Academia and Ghana Physician Assistant Association (GPAA) will bring about the establishment of clear career and academic pathways for the PA profession”

    The Association is also unhappy with what they described as unfavorable policies by their regulator, the Medical and Dental Council (MDC).

    “Most of our members are demanding that we exit the MDC and get a new regulatory body to that will supervise and manage the affairs of physician assistants. The MDC always formulate policies that serve the interest on medical officers at the expense of physician assistants. So there is huge pressure on leadership for a slip because of the kind of things the regulator has done”, Mr Appiah said.

    The 3-day conference which afforded members the opportunity to deliberate on their challenges and way forward into the future was themed “Strengthening and Maximizing the sub district level for effective, efficient and equitable healthcare service delivery: The role of the stakeholder”.

  • Stephen Ntim is not a timid soul – NPP

    A Deputy Director of Communications of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Kamal Deen Abdullah, has clapped back at the party’s Former Deputy General Secretary, Nana Obiri Boahen after the latter described the National Chairman, Stephen Ntim as a timid soul.

    Nana Obiri Boahen, has criticized the approach used by the National Chairman, Stephen Ntim in handling the agitations of some NPP MPs asking for the dismissal of Ken Ofori-Atta and Charles Adu Boahen.

    He said in an interview with Okay FM that the never-before-seen action of the MPs could create political instability if not handled well.

    Obiri Boahen stated that he expected the NPP chairman to have held a crunch meeting with the party leadership and its steering committee and informed them about how dire the situation was rather than issuing a holding statement.

    “This is not the usual NPP and NDC politics on who did this or who did that. This is a very serious national issue that goes down to national stability of the country and western democracy. It is scary. Nothing like this has happened before in Ghana ever since Don Diego Di Azambuja landed in Ghana.

    “It’s nearing 100 out of 138 MPs if you just add 20. And the chairman of the party says…what are you coming to do? Stephen Ntim what are you coming to do? If you are a timorous soul; please get out of politics. If you don’t have courage; exit politics. Stephen Ntim as the chairman of the party….this thing is scary for the party.

    “The statement you issued; you have said you will hold a crunch meeting with the National Executive Committee and steering committee this Friday to inform them about the development. You said in your statement that ‘party leadership will control’… what will you control? What is coming is scary,” he said.

    But Kamal Deen Abdullah who’s also a spokesperson for Chairman Stephen Ntim, responding to the comments by Nana Obiri Boahen in an interview on Okay FM took exception to the description of Chairman Ntim as “timid” saying it does not define who he is.

    Urging Nana Obiri Boahen to retract the word, Kamal Deen Abdullah described Chairman Ntim as a bold and courageous person but as an experienced politician, he (chairman) also applies diplomacy and tact in handling issues when necessary for positive results.

    “Chairman Ntim needed to engage with the disgruntled MPs to ensure there’s peace in the party and government. He needed to handle the matter using a good approach that will prevent further tension in the party and government and that is exactly what he did.

    “Chairman Stephen Ntim believes is jaw-jawing it is not always that one has to be confrontational. We have governance to take care of, we have a party to take care of, and also a parliament to take care of. There are certain things you have to look at the timing and get your actions right. He acted well and at the right time.”

    Kamal Deen Abdullah added that the Stephen Ntim led-National Executive body has a way of strategizing to ensure there’s always peace and unity in the party and further urged party members to be patient with leadership and believe in them to lead the party into victory in 2024 elections.”

    On Tuesday, October 25, about 80 NPP MPs held a press conference to demand the dismissal of Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen.

    They argued that new persons when appointed to take the place of the duo will bring back the needed confidence in the economy which is struggling.

    The Member of Parliament for the Asante-Akim North Constituency, Andy Kwame Appiah-Kubi, who spoke on behalf of the MPs threatened to boycott the 2023 budget reading and debate if President Akufo-Addo fails to dismiss the two ministers.

    But the NPP in a statement signed by Stephen Ntim said it was engaging with the government, the Parliamentary Group, and other stakeholders and called for calm.

    The president subsequently held a meeting with MPs and party leadership where it was agreed that the duo especially Ken Ofori-Atta is allowed to stay in office to conclude negotiations with the IMF.

     

     

  • Don’t allow GES staff to supervise WASSCE again -Africa Education Watch to WAEC

    Education think tank, Africa Education Watch, is admonishing the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) to stop the use of supervisors from the Ghana Education Service (GES) and solely use external supervisors during the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

    The group made the call at the launch of its 2022 WASSCE monitoring report.

    “The low number of supervisors that were appointed by WAEC was a huge challenge in the supervision of the just-ended WASSCE. WAEC must end the use of GES staff as supervisors and use external agents to supervise the WASSCE”, Programme Officer at the Africa Education Watch, Kwasi Nimo Jnr. stressed.

    He also said, findings showed that centers that had GES supervisors recorded high cases of exam malpractice.

    This he says is problematic as the country strives to fight the canker of examination malpractices, hence, the reversal of the practice.

    “GES staff cannot be made to supervise their own students with an interest for them to pass to enhance their own KPIs. This is what we are recommending because our monitoring report showed that, whenever there are WAEC supervisors on the ground, there is orderliness and no cheating”.

    The education think tank added that the Ministry of Education (MOE) and WAEC should re-negotiate the fees for invigilators and supervisors to realistic levels and ensure prompt payments.

    The report revealed that the involvement of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) contributed greatly to the low incidence of question leakages.

    It also called on the Ministry of Education to explore the possibility of providing access to market-led, pre-university distance programs for candidates who score at least E8 in all subjects to improve and pursue other careers.

     

  • Appointment of Eric Nkansah as GES boss good idea – ATAG

    A teacher union group known as All Teachers Alliance Ghana (ATAG) is describing the move by some teacher Unions to kick against the appointment of the new Director General of Ghana Education Service(GES), Dr. Eric Nkansah, as impulsive.

    This comes on the back of the president’s appointment of Dr. Eric Nkansah as the new Director General of the Ghana Education Service.

    According to the union, Dr. Eric Nkansah’s appointment is proper and timely.

    Speaking to Citi News, the National Chairman of ATAG, Isaac Ofori said he believes that the new Director General has come to make room for “smart and capable young teachers who have been excluded from power structures and decision-making processes at the education service.”

     

  • Take stringent measures to fight ailing economy – Citizen Coalition to gov’t

    The Coalition for Democratic Accountability and Inclusive Governance wants the government to immediately take stern measures in solving the current economic challenges facing the country.

    This comes after several complaints by the citizenry and several civil societies about the high prices of goods and services, the depreciation of the cedi against the dollar, and calls for the resignation of the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta are clear indicators that the country is battling economic mishaps.

    Outlining some measures including the resignation of the Finance Minister, and the reshuffling of ministers and their deputies, the Director of Advocacy and Policy Engagement at the Centre for Democratic Development and a member of the coalition, Dr. Kojo Pumpuni Asante said government must find ways to cut down on expenditure to revive the economy and gain public trust.

    “This crisis offers us a rare opportunity to take bold and courageous steps that will not only restore confidence and repair the strained relationship between state citizens and government, but also help charge a pathway forward through the crisis. We think there are specific morale-boosting actions that should signal readiness, which includes subjecting its leadership to accountability, cutting expenditures, plugging leakages in government spending, and tackling corruption in this regard.”

    “We fully endorse the call by many citizens, the majority of NPP MPs, and many well-meaning Ghanaians, who have asked for the disposal of the Finance Minister and his deputies.”

    “The President should urgently take morale-boosting measures by reshuffling his ministers. Given what has transpired over the last year, it is evident that they have not been excellent, contrary to the President’s assessment”.

    The coalition also known as the Citizens Coalition indicated that the government has lost the trust of bringing back the economy despite the current negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, thus fighting in gaining back the trust should be their focus instead of the current political gimmicks.

    “There is a broken trust between the government and its citizens. That trust has to be rebuilt. And one of the actions that have to be rebuilt really needs to be with the finance minister. The finance minister has to be held accountable. It is a trust-building measure.”

    “So whatever the government is going to do for us citizens to think that they are acting with credibility, they are serious about going forward, it has to be something that is substantial and definite and that’s why everybody says the Finance Minister. He is in charge of the economy, so he must be held accountable. I’m sure the other capable people can continue with the work”.

     

  • Here is what to expect from parliament next week

    Seven ministers are expected to appear before the house to respond to questions, which include urgent and oral questions.

    The ministers expected to appear are the Minister for the Volta Region, Minister for the Interior, Minister for Food and Agriculture, Minister for Health, Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Minister for Railways Development, and Minister for Roads and Highways.

    The ministers will respond to over 40 questions during the week.

    Aside from that, motions may be debated and their consequential resolutions, if any, taken during the week.

    The Business Committee urged Ministers of State to endeavour to attend the House to respond to questions whenever they are scheduled to do so.

    Also, some presentations of papers are expected this week, which include the Annual Report of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission for 2020; the Reconciliation Report on the Petroleum Holding Fund for the year 2021; and the Annual Public Debt Management Report for the year 2021, among others.

    Aside from that, motions may be debated and their consequential resolutions, if any, taken during the week.

  • Mahama’s ‘Building the Ghana We Want’ lecture was a lamentation of his own failures – Deputy Majority Whip

    The Deputy Majority Chief Whip of the 8th Parliament, Habib Iddrisu, has described the ‘Building the Ghana We Want’ lecture by ex-President John Dramani Mahama as a useless exercise.

    According to him, the former president failed to proffer any tangible solution to the country’s challenges.

    In a TV3 interview monitored by GhanaWeb, Habib Iddrisu added that Mahama only engaged in mere fabrications and lamentations of his own failures as president.

    “Yesterday, I literally wasted my time listening to the ex-president. I listened throughout his speech, and I couldn’t actually understand. In fact, it was very empty. In fact, it was a lamentation of his own mistakes.

    “At the end of the day, there is nothing new that he said yesterday that he had not said before. His presentation was empty in terms of facts. It was empty in terms of data. It was a lamentation of his own mistakes,” he said.

    He reiterated that the former president did not give any solution to the challenges in the country, adding that, left to him alone, the Akufo-Addo government would not give any attention to the statements Mahama made.

    Meanwhile, former President John Dramani Mahama, while delivering the lecture at the University of Professional Studies, Accra, UPSA; lamented the state in which Ghana finds itself economically, stressing that the buck stops with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

    He holds, however, that Akufo-Addo has refused serially to take responsibility for the current mess.

    Mahama said that the country had been left to ministers who were performing below par but who the president insists are ‘excellent.’

    He recalled an incident last December where Akufo-Addo said the economic challenges were “not my fault; he refuses to take responsibility,” Mahama stressed.

    The former president insisted that mismanagement was at the heart of the current crisis and not a pandemic or war, “Ghana has been turned into a family heirloom,” Mahama noted.

    According to him, the National Democratic Congress remained ready to share pragmatic steps on how to deal with the current challenges despite the refusal of the New Patriotic Party government to seek support, even if through back channels.

     

  • NPP MP seeks interpretation of Bagbin’s ruling on Adwoa Safo, others at Supreme Court

    The Member of Parliament for Ahafo Ano North on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Sulemana Adamu Sanid, has dragged the ruling of the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, to the Supreme Court.

    The MP is seeking the apex court’s interpretation of the ruling of the Speaker on the matter of absenteeism by his three colleagues.

    The three MPs are Sarah Adwoa Safo, Kennedy Agyapong, and Henry Quartey of the Dome Kwabenya, Assin Central, and Ayawaso Central constituencies, respectively.

    According to a report by graphic.com.gh, the Ahafo Ano North MP, Sulemana Adamu Sanid, is seeking the Supreme Court’s interpretation on the matter because he disagrees with the verdict of the Speaker of Parliament.

    The report added that the NPP MP said he wants “the Supreme Court to clarify the operationalisation of Article 97 (1) (c) to be sure if the ruling by the Speaker of Parliament was in consonance with the 1992 Constitution.”

    Andy Kwame Appiah-Appiah, who is counsel for the MP, said his client believes that a determination has already been made by the Court of Appeal, being the precedence as was in the case of Kwaku Asare [Kwaku Azar] vs. Attorney General.

    He is said to have said that in such an instance, as has been determined to have been the case of the three absentee MPs, an “automatic vacation of the seat” should apply and that the only job for the Committee of Privileges in Parliament is for the affected MP(s) to explain why they were absent.

    He added that the only work, in this matter, that the Privileges Committee – which looked into the absenteeism of the MPs -, had to play was to look at the “reasonableness or otherwise of the explanation without more,” as mandated by the 1992 constitution.

    In his ruling on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, Alban Bagbin concluded his 18-page report by stating that parliament should receive the report of the committee and have its contents debated upon.

    This was however not pleasant news to the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who immediately got up to challenge the Speaker of Parliament, describing his ruling as “unfortunate.”

  • We’re deceiving ourselves with galamsey fight if politicians behind it aren’t arrested – Asantehene

    The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has once again berated the government for failing to take the needed steps to curb the menace of illegal small-scale mining, popularly known as galamsey.

    According to the Asantehene, the government knows the politicians and government officials who are financing galamsey activities but has failed to arrest them, and it is rather arresting and prosecuting galamseyers, who are mere tools being used by these politicians.

    He added that if the government does not start arresting persons who finance galamsey activities, it will never be able to stop the menace.

    “We all know that the galamsey we are all talking about is being championed by some Ghanaians and these Chinese and other nationals they bring in. You are pretending as if you don’t know the people who are into it, but you know all of them.

    “You are always arresting galamseyers at the sites, but who takes the gold away? Do the illegal miners on the field have the money to buy the excavators they are using; can they afford the chamfans? It is someone who has bought these equipments for them. The illegal miners are people who don’t have jobs and have been employed by these financers and are being paid daily. What have they done wrong?

    “Government officials, politicians are all implicit in the galamsey menace. They have all bought these excavators and the chamfans… If we don’t arrest them, then we are deceiving ourselves with this fight against galamsey,” he said in Twi at the Manhyia Palace as he was receiving a document on galamsey from the Multimedia Group.

    The Asantehene said that the very thing about galamsey is that it is destroying water sources for many people.

    He added that if galamsey is not stopped, it will very soon contaminate the country’s cocoa which will have a devastating effect on Ghana’s economy because no country will accept Ghana’s cocoa exports.

    Meanwhile, the pollution of water bodies by galamsey seems to be getting to the sea.

    A viral video sighted by GhanaWeb showed how galamsey activities had heavily polluted parts of the Atlantic Ocean along the Central Region.

    The narrator in the video indicated that the sea, which was looking brownish, was being polluted by galamsey water from the Pra River.

    “I’m here at Awona beach, off the Cape Coast road towards Takoradi. You can see the ocean over here. See how brown it is. That is all from the River Pra. That is all muddy matters from galamsey actives.

    “See all the way over there, the Pra River all the way, all this water is brown. All galamsey water,” he said.

     

  • Highlights of John Mahama’s address on Ghana’s economy

    John Dramani Mahama, the 2020 presidential candidate of the country’s main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), addressed the nation on Thursday, October 27, 2022, from Accra.

    The event, dubbed ‘Building the Ghana We Want,’ allowed the former president of Ghana to diagnose what he believed are the current problems the country is facing, as well as proffer solutions to how to make them better.

    Reading a 39-page address at the UPSA Hall in Accra, the former president outlined a number of issues that he believes can save the country from further economic mess if the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government implores them.

    Below are highlights of his speech as put together by GhanaWeb:

    1. Reducing the public debt, debt service obligations and creating fiscal space

    “The biggest problem with our economy today is the huge size of our public debt, estimated to be around GH¢ 522 billion by close of this year. This must immediately be tackled and stopped from growing further.

    “To achieve this:
    1) An immediate moratorium must be placed on all non-concessional borrowing.
    2) Government must actively canvass our bilateral partners for more concessional financing and grants.
    3) There must be a stop to Central Bank financing of government above the 5% threshold. The current printing of money to finance Government’s deficit is further fueling inflation.
    4) Government must stop collateralizing statutory funds for the purpose of taking on more loans. The wanton collateralization has been unhelpful.”

    2. Cutting cost, reducing waste, and spending wisely

    Under this, he called for the down-streaming of the size of ministers, secretariats and agencies, the cutting down of the budget of the Office of the President, check waste in government expenditure and corruption, the suspension of non-essential projects, and a call for greater transparency in public procurement.

    “It is a notorious fact that corruption has defeated the Akufo-Addo government. In fact, it is fair to say that there has never really been a fight against corruption under Akufo-Addo.

    “The graft and misapplication of public funds by government appointees call for radical action and not shielding of perpetrators, as we have sadly witnessed in the last few years.”

    3. Stabilizing the currency, cutting the import bill and job creation

    While expanding this point, John Dramani Mahama called for a consideration of the Operation Feed Yourself program of 1976, as a measure of sustaining progress in agricultural production, with a focus on small scale producers.

    He also called for the Akufo-Addo government to leverage on the country’s energy and petroleum sectors to help shore up the economy.

    “We do enormous damage to our currency, the cedi, and our economy, when we spend billions of dollars on the importation of rice, sugar, tomato products, frozen fish, poultry, meat products and vegetable cooking oils.

    “Yet we have more than the potential to produce here to feed ourselves and even export. It is estimated that forex outlay for food products for which we have a comparative advantage to produce locally amounts to some $3 billion every year.

    “It is said that out of adversity comes opportunity. Restriction of importation of some of these products, side-by-side with increased local production, is a realistic proposition that we need to begin to consider.”

    What Ghanaians can do to support the economy:

    President John Dramani Mahama however called on the citizenry to play a critical role in all of this.

    Basing his call for domestication, he urged people to patronize more local products and avoid the needs to patronize things from overseas.

    “While responsibility for the difficulties we face lie with the Akufo-Addo and Bawumia government, there are things we can do as citizens in our own small way to minimize the suffering we are going through and help Government turn the situation around.

    “A good way to start will be to regulate and minimize out expenditure by sticking to only the things that we really need. As much as possible, we need to acquire and sustain a taste and preference for locally manufactured products.

    “If we must buy consumables or food products, let us choose that rice or chicken that is produced locally so that it doesn’t become necessary to find millions of dollars to import the same items.

    “Let us consciously eat more of our local foods like yam, local grains, cassava, beans, local fruits, and vegetables. That way, we reduce demand for foreign currency, reduce the pressure on our own currency and boost domestic production to create a win-win situation.

    “Cut down on non-essential foreign travel and cut down on expensive foreign products in our homes. If there ever was a time to be thrifty, this is it!”

     

  • It is time to re-visit Acheampong’s ‘Operation Feed Yourself’ – Mahama

    Ex-President John Dramani Mahama has stated that Ghana must return to the ‘Operation Feed Yourself’ policy implemented by its one-time military leader, General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, in the 1970s.

    According to the former president, even though General Acheampong had his faults, his ‘Operation Feed Yourself’ policy was largely successful because it led to the country producing virtually everything it eats.

    The former president said that Ghana cannot continue to export food that it can produce because it is one of the main reasons for the Ghana Cedi’s continuous depreciation and the high inflation in the prices of food items.

    Mahama, who made these remarks during the presentation of his ‘Building the Ghana We Want’ lecture, said that Ghana spends nearly $3 billion annually to import food it can produce locally which is very worrying.

    “General Acheampong, despite the depraved corruption that swallowed him up in later years, was off to a good start in the early part of his regime. His “Operation Feed yourself” and “Operation feed your Industries” programmes yielded massive results during the period from 1972 through to 1976.

    “We do enormous damage to our currency, the cedi, and our economy, when we spend billions of dollars on the importation of rice, sugar, tomato products, frozen fish, poultry, meat products and vegetable cooking oils.

    “Yet we have more than the potential to produce here to feed ourselves and even export,” he said.

    Mahama proposed that the government must put measures in place to support large-scale commercial agricultural production to achieve food self-sufficiency because supporting small-scale farming is not enough.

     

  • Court adjourns Sarfo Kantanka bribery case to 27 February 2023

    A Kumasi High Court has adjourned the alleged bribery case, involving Alexander Sarfo Kantanka, the ex-nominee for the position of Chief Executive for the Juaben Municipal Assembly in the Ashanti region.

    Kantanka was alleged to have paid monies to some assembly members to influence them to confirm his nomination by President Akufo-Addo.

    The case was adjourned to 27 February 2023, after the court granted a request by the prosecution to hear the case omnibus.

    “The prosecution had pleaded with the court to fix the trial for a week to help reduce the risk and cost of travelling from Accra to Kumasi for the trials and that request was granted.

    The judge also fixed 28 February, 1 March and 2 March for the hearing”, reported Asaase News’ Jonathan Ofori.

    Meanwhile, a second prosecution witness Prince Opong Kyekyeku an assembly member for Bomfa Ahenbronum electoral area mounted the box and was cross-examined by the counsel for the accused person, Denis Osei Antwi.

    Oppong Kyekyeku has also denied receiving a bribe from the accused person.

    He, however, recalled that he received an amount of GHC1000 from a personal assistant of the accused person to take a mentally challenged person to the hospital.

    Amadu Emmanuel Basintale, who represented the Office of the Special Prosecutor, told journalists after the proceedings at the court that the prosecution intended to call five witnesses for the trial.

    They would include three assembly members, a police officer, and an officer from the Office of the Special Prosecutor.

     

  • Police arrest 29 suspects over Ashaiman violent clashes

    At least 29 suspects have been picked up by the police for their involvement in violent clashes between two factions at New Tulaku, Ashaiman, in the Greater Accra Region in the small hours of Friday (28 October 2022).

    Initial investigation has disclosed that a misunderstanding between two rival factions at the New Tulaku meat market resulted in the attack in which six people sustained various degrees of injuries, the police said in a statement.

    The injured are currently at the hospital receiving medical attention, and are all in stable condition, according to the medical authorities.

    The suspects in the Ashaiman violence | Photo: Ghana Police Service
    The suspects in the Ashaiman violence | Photo: Ghana Police Service

    The police have since restored calm and deepened personnel presence at Ashaiman and its environs.

    Investigation continues and all those involved will be brought to justice, the police added.