A former finance minister, Seth Terkper, has stated that no government has secured GH¢1 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
According to him, the highest the country has received from the Fund is GH¢3 billion when the country was declared as HIPC.
Speaking at the 11th Ghana Economic Forum on October 25, 2022, he said “the highest we have had by way of intervention and that was HIPC was 3 billion. No government ever got 1 billion to do a correction. The highest was GH¢950 million which we did and that came after 2017 to the current administration.”
He also stated that the notion that Ghana was doing well before 2020 needs to be re-examined.
Meanwhile, the Director of the Institute of Economic Affairs, Dr. John Kwakye, has stated that Ghana’s revenue targets have not been ambitious enough to rake in the expected revenue needed for development.
According to him, every country thrives on good policies and the ability to take advantage of resources, but, in Ghana’s case, both have been defective.
“As a country, we need both resources and policies to advance our development. For Ghana, we have lacked adequate resources, and our policies have also been defective in so many areas,” he said.
Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Majority Leader in Parliament, has appealed to the Majority Caucus to halt discussions on the sacking of Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta until negotiations with the IMF have concluded.
Some members of the Majority Caucus in Parliament are mounting pressure on President Akufo-Addo to sack Ofori-Atta, and the minister of state at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen, to restore public confidence in the Ghanaian economy.
Speaking on The Asaase Breakfast Show on Wednesday (26 October), he said, “My advise after hearing them was that, if they were talking about this matter two or three months ago, that would have been different.”
According to the Suame MP, “even the first phase [of negotiation with the IMF] has not been concluded. Those conclusions will be factored into the budget.”
“They [IMF team] have come here on two occasions, the minister has led a team to Washington to follow up for the discussions, they are coming here again next week. And soon after, the conclusions we will derive will be captured into the budget that we are expecting not later than 15 November.
“We are pleading with them that looking at where we are, I am not too sure this is the appropriate time to be talking about this. So, I was pleading to let their feet pause the accelerator pedal for a while, maybe after the budget we could resurrect it. Now is not the best time,” Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said.
The International Monetary Fund is already in talks with Ghana over a US$3 billion deal for budgetary support, aimed at reviving the economy and restoring investor confidence.
Demands of the MPs
Addressing the media in Parliament on Tuesday (25 October 2022), the spokesman for the caucus and MP for Asante Akim North, Andy Appiah-Kubi, said the move will help save the economy from further collapse.
“We have had occasion to defend allegations of conflict of interest, lack of confidence and trust against leadership of our Finance Ministry. The recent developments within our economy are of great concern to the greater majority of members of our caucus and our constituents,” Appiah-Kubi said.
“We are by this medium communicating our strong desire that the president change the Minister [for] Finance and the minister of state in the Finance Ministry without further delay in order to restore hope into the financial sector and reverse the downward trend in the growth of our economy.
“The summary of our concern leads to the plea that the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, and the minister of state at the Ministry of Finance, Charles Adu Boahen, should be removed from office.
“Meanwhile, we want to serve notice 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 or by any other minister. If our request is not responded to positively, we’ll not be present for the Budget hearing, neither would we participate in the debate,” Appiah-Kubi told the media.
The International Monetary Fund has launched talks with Ghana over a US$3 billion deal for budgetary support, aimed at reviving the economy and restoring investor confidence.
Netflix gained 2.4 million new paid subscribers in the third quarter of this year, the company said in an earnings report Tuesday, a reversal for the streamer after reporting losses for the first time in 10 years over the last two consecutive quarters.
Netflix reported 223.09 million subscribers, up from the 220.67 million it reported in July and 213.56 million in the third quarter of last year.
The streaming service beat its own forecast of 221.67 subscribers.
Netflix predicted it will continue to grow its subscriber base and add 4.5 million paid users by the end of the fourth quarter.
The company generated $1.4 billion in net income in the third quarter, down nearly 4% from a year ago, and revenue grew 5.9% to $7.9 billion, both of which beat the company’s forecasts.
Much of the growth came from the Asia-Pacific region, where 1.4 million paid memberships were added in the third quarter.
Netflix’s share price jumped more than 12% in after-hours trading Tuesday and stood at $275.40 as of 8 p.m., after closing at $240.86.
Unauthorized small-scale mining, also known as galamsey, has claimed the life of a young person in Ghana.
In a viral video, some miners were seen carrying a young man’s lifeless body from a galamsey pit in Enchi, a town in the Western Region’s Aowin-Suaman area.
The young man, who was probably in his mid-twenties, was seen being dragged out of the water in the pit by three men.
However, it is unclear whether he drowned or died from another cause.
As he was being dragged out of the pit, the mining equipment the miners were using could be heard working.
A man can also be heard in the video telling those handling the corpse to be cautious.
After he was drugged out, the men standing outside the pit took his body away.
The Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has taken a swipe at members of the majority caucus of Parliament after more than two-thirds of them reportedly demanded that President Akufo-Addo sacks his finance minister over the hardship in the country.
According to him, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament (MPs) have time and again argued that the current hardship Ghanaians are facing is a result of external factors, including the Russia-Ukraine war and the COVID-19 pandemic and not poor economic management.
He, therefore, questioned why the NPP MPs are now calling for the sack of the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, whom they have continuously exonerated from being the cause of the hardship in the country.
“We have a situation where now; the so-called majority caucus has come to the realisation that… the economy is not doing well. That the economy is not doing well, at least partly as a result of the incompetence of the managers of the economy.
“Now pitch that against the singsong all this time that the real cause of the problem is the Russia-Ukraine war. I sitting here, and I am wondering how Ken Ofori-Atta and Charles Adu-Boahen are responsible for the Russia-Ukraine war.
“If the Russia-Ukraine war is the main reason that we are here, why call for the removal of Ken Ofori-Atta and Charles Adu-Boahen, who have nothing to do with the Russia-Ukraine war,” he said.
According to the MP for Team West, Carlos Ahenkrorah, the NPP MPs came to the decision to demand Ofori-Atta’s sack after feedback from their constituents during their recess disclosed that most Ghanaians were unhappy with the government because the finance minister was still at post.
He said that most of the majority caucus MPs spoke about how their constituents were suffering due to the economic challenges in the country.
Speaking in a Neat FM interview monitored by GhanaWeb, Ahenkrorah intimated that they had to inform the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the difficulties of their constituents so that it does not affect the NPP’s fortunes in the future.
“There is a lot of pressure on us. If you go to your constituency office and you listen to the concerns of your constituents, it is very disheartening. Just yesterday, three women visited my office, and they were crying while narrating how they had lost their businesses because the price of a gallon of oil they used to purchase for GH¢60[600] is now selling for GH¢1000,” he said in Twi.
The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Bagbin, will not declare the seat of the three absentee Members of Parliament (MPs) vacant yet.
On Wednesday, October 26, 2022, Mr Bagbin indicated he would not declare the seats vacant without a formal debate on the report submitted by the Privileges Committee.
Delivering his ruling, the Speaker noted: “The preliminary objection for the admissibility of the report is hereby dismissed in limine.”
A former Member of Parliament for the Kumbumgu Constituency, Mr Ras Mubarak, petitioned the Speaker to enforce Article 97(1)c of the 1992 Constitution by referring some four MPs, including Ms Safo, to the Privileges Committee for absenting themselves for more than 15 days without permission.
According to the ex-lawmaker, the Standing Orders of Parliament are not clear as to who can or should raise the matter of absenteeism on the floor of the House for a debate and, or referral by Mr Speaker to the Committee on Privileges but it is incidences like this, if unattended to, that threatens Ghana’s democracy.
Quoting Afrobarometer data, Mr Mubarak said trust in Parliament has fallen by 12 per cent between 2002 and 2019.
The report, he said, ranked Parliament as the third corrupt institution in the country – just behind the police and judges.
“I humbly submit that democracy can only work if Parliament puts the common good ahead of the party and personal interest. At a time of seeming collapse of trust in politics and Parliament as an institution, it is my fervent prayer that the House would rise to the occasion and be united on this matter so as to uphold our constitution and also win back waned public confidence,” the petition stated.
The Speaker of Parliament referred the matter to the committee.
MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, Ayawaso West MP, Henry Quartey and MP for Dome Kwabenya Sarah Adwoa Safo.
Despite several invitations, Ms Safo has yet to appear before the committee.
The Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Ghana, Amer Al Alawi, has refuted reports that Ghana and 19 other African Countries have been barred by his government from entering Dubai.
According to him, reports of the ban are mere rumours because his office has not received any official communication on it yet.
“There is nothing official regarding the rumours in the news. There is no official statement from my government or the other governments.
“So, our daily work routine is the same, it hasn’t changed. Until we find or receive an announcement or an official statement, we can’t talk about it.
“There is nothing. Maybe there is something under process but I can’t assure you,” Amer Al Alawi told the media on the side-lines of a tree planting event to symbolise 50 years of diplomatic ties between the UAE and Ghana.
The ambassador added that the UAE has rather made the process for applying for visas more flexible to make Dubai and other parts of the UAE easily accessible to Ghanaians and other nationals.
His comments come after reports indicated that the UAE had banned nationals of Ghana and 19 other African countries from entering its capital city, Dubai, effective Monday, October 24, 2022.
“The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced a visa ban on nationalities from 20 African countries seeking to visit Dubai.
“Countries affected include Ghana, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Cameroon, Nigeria, Liberia, Burundi, Republic of Guinea, Gambia, Togo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Benin, Ivory Coast, Congo, Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, and Comoros. The ban takes immediate effect,” parts of a Facebook post shared by DW Africa on Monday read.
DW Africa stated that one of the reasons for the ban was that most nationals from the 20 countries always fail to leave Dubai after their visas have expired.
Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has contested Speaker’s decision to allow the plenary to debate the fate of Dome Kwabenya Member of Parliament (MP), Sarah Adwoa Safo and two other legislators over absenteeism.
According to him, the majority is set to challenge the substantive motion if it is brought before the house.
“I totally disagree with the ruling. It doesn’t sit with the constitution and I must express my discomfort with this unfortunate ruling that has been made because it is very inconsistent. We will come back with a substantive motion to challenge the ruling”, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said on the floor of the House right after the ruling.
Alban Bagbin on October 26, 2022, gave a ruling that the report of the committee set up to look into the case of the MP and two others who absented themselves for a number of sittings should be presented before the whole house to be debated.
He, therefore, dismissed the objection of the Majority Leader to the admissibility of the committee report for the consideration of the house.
“As I have noted in this ruling, the decision (sic) on not to admit a motion is the exclusive preserve of the Speaker. In view of the foregoing, the House is well within its right to receive and consider reports of the committee and make a determine arising out of the consideration.
“In the circumstances, it is my ruling that the motion was rightfully admitted and the report of the committee is subject to the consideration of the house. It goes without saying that the (sic) objection of the Majority Leader today (sic) is hereby dismissed…” he concluded his verdict.
It will be recalled that on July 29, 2022, a day after parliament adjourned its first decision to determine the fate of the Dome Kwabenya MP, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo sacked her as the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection.
In a statement, the president said the revocation of the MP’s appointment as minister was to take immediate effect.
“In accordance with article 81(a) of the Constitution, the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has revoked the appointment of Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo, Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya, as Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, with immediate effect.
“The Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah, will continue to act as caretaker Minister for the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, until such a time that President Akufo-Addo appoints a substantive Minister,” the statement from the Presidency concluded.
Sarah Adwoa Safo has been in the United States of America since 2021.
President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in an emergency meeting with leadership and members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) majority caucus in Parliament Tuesday, expressed regret on the approach taking by some 80 of them in their call for the removal of Ken Ofori-Atta and Charles Adu Boahen, as Minister of Finance and Minister of State in charge of Finance, respectively.
In a meeting that was cordial but tense, both sides, sources say, ended the meeting with deeper understanding of each other’s standpoint, with the common belief that the interest of the government, party and nation are paramount and need not be in conflict.
The President, in a passionate, eloquent but sober manner, told the NPP MPs that he would have expected those among them calling for removal of the two men to have first come to him directly on the matter.
There he could have also put his viewpoint and if they were not satisfied with his response then they would have been perfectly understood to advise themselves otherwise.
He told them, the nation was going through economic difficulties and the Presidency was open to ideas from an important arm of the ruling party, such as MPs, on the best way forward. But, the approach may matter as much as the message itself.
Majority Presser
In a press conference held at the foyer in Parliament Tuesday, Andy Appiah Kubi, MP for Asante-Akim North, the spokesperson for the group, demanded the resignation of Ken Ofori-Atta, and Charles Adu-Boahen over the management of the economy.
According to the group of MPs, they will not participate in any government business that involves the Ministry of Finance or have any dealings with the Finance Minister or the minister of state for finance, until both men leave the government.
“We have had occasion to defend allegations of conflict of interest, lack of confidence and trust against leadership of our Finance Ministry. The recent developments within our economy are of great concern to the greater majority of members of our caucus and our constituents.
“The summary of our concern leads to the plea that the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, and the minister of state at the Ministry of Finance, Charles Adu Boahen, should be removed from office.
“Meanwhile, we want to serve notice 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 or by any other minister” Appiah-Kubi said when he addressed the press.
“If our request is not responded to positively, we’ll not be present for the Budget hearing, neither would we participate in the debate,” Appiah-Kubi added.
Wrong approach
The President made it clear to his MPs and the party delegation led by National Chairman Stephen Ntim, that his office has no record of any petition or request for a meeting by the MPs themselves, through the party leadership or the leadership of the majority side in Parliament on the subject matter.
Yes, he has been aware of murmurings, but the approach adopted took him by surprise and that was not the best. An Asaase News source who attended the meeting held also on Tuesday 25 October 2022, at the Jubilee House, says the President also described the timing of the resignation call as ill.
There have been growing calls for the removal of the Finance Minister due to the high levels of anxiety as a result of the persisting economic challenges exacerbated by the steep cedi depreciation.
The timing for the dismissal call, President Akufo-Addo, stressed, was not optimal due to the following reasons:
His government has 20 days more to present the 2023 Budget, which is intrinsically linked to the IMF negotiations. So there is a the need to appropriately reflect the priorities of the IMF negotiations in this critical budget. He called on his MPs to not lose sight of the importance of maintaining focus.
Both Ofori-Atta and Adu Boahen have been leading Bilateral/ Multilateral Negotiations to secure additional funding to support the budget and Ghana’s development programme in line with the manifesto promise of the party.
The President was also clear that the ruling party could not afford any delay in either in concluding the debt sustainability agenda of the country or in securing the IMF programme itself.
He was in doubt over the duo’s determination to conclude the IMF negotiations, secure additional funding and finalise the 2023 budget and appropriation to bring relief to Ghanaians. “You do not change a captain who is steering the ship out of a storm”, he stressed.
There are also concerns over likely negative reaction of the market to new leadership who may not be privy to earlier discussions.
Inspite of all the challenges With the wealth of network and experiences built over the years and on the job, he asked for the two be allowed to finish with the budget and IMF negotiations, and if at the end the vast number of them are still not happy, he has no problem with listening to their concerns and taking the appropriate steps to address them.
For the President, given the exigencies of recent challenges, while he understands the anxieties this is also the time for calm heads.
Consultation
Majority leader, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, according to the source, welcomed the sentiments expressed by the President and told him that the leadership of the majority caucus of Parliament will meet with the MPs demanding the resignation of the Finance Minister and they will consult the “old lady” and revert to him.
NPP MPs are meeting Wednesday afternoon on the matter. Asaase News is gathering that some of the ringleaders are still adamant that the duo must go.
However a large number of the backbenchers who were also for the removal are now shifting to the side of the argument that the two must be allowed to first prepare the budget and conclude the IMF negotiations.
Asaase News further learns that some are even planning another press conference to say the position stays and there are moves to organise a demonstration against the duo.
Party position
The Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Stephen Ayensu Ntim, who was present at the meeting, said the party was fully behind both the Government and the Majority Caucus.
However, he added that the party will await the outcome of the proposed consultation between leadership and the MPs to determine the way forward.
A private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has said he was pleasantly surprised by the press conference held by some Members of Parliament on the side of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) who called on President Akufo-Addo to sack his Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry Charles Adu Boahen.
He said this is an indication that the lawmakers are listening to concerns being raised by Ghanaians.
Mr Kpebu who earlier called for the impeachment of the President following the economic challenges, while speaking on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday October 23, told Eric Mawuena Egbeta on the Mid day news on 3FM Tuesday October 25 that, “I was pleasantly surprised, that also means that they are listening.
“You see how on Saturday we spoke truth to power on Key Points and it resounded with Ghanaians, of course other people had made this call over and over, it means the Parliamentarians are listening , God bless them. That is the honour we were referring to on the Key Points.”
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.
Paramount Chief of the Buipe Traditional Area Buipewura Abdulai Jinapor II has been chosen by the Northern Region executives of the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) to chair the 2021 edition of the Association’s regional awards.
According to the executives, the decision to settle on him was necessitated by his recognition of the media as a tool for development.
“Jira, we have monitored your countless engagement with the media over the years and as a partner in development, we couldn’t have settled on a better person than you to chair our awards this year,” regional Chairman of the Association Yakubu Abdul Majeed told him.
Mr Abdul Majeed eulogized the chief for his commitment to peace not only in the Savannah Region, where he is based, but throughout the three regions of the north.
“Jira, your commitment to peace which is a panacea for development is overwhelming,” he added.
For his part, Buipewura Jinapor II accepted to chair the occasion.
He promised to secure funds for the awards and also made some personal pledge of a bull, rice and an undisclosed amount of money.
“There are a lot of prominent people in the northern enclave and so settling on me is a privilege which I need to honor.
“I love the media and what they do because without the media we can’t develop and so any development-oriented ruler will have to by all means work with the media.”
He admonished the media in the north to use their work and space to project the regions.
“We are lagging behind in everything and we can only catch up with the south if you concentrate on stories that will project the regions of the north in a positive light to attract investors.
“We have the human and natural resources but we are unable to turn them around because of the perception people have about us. You can change that to positivity.”
The 2021 Northern GJA awards is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, November 2, 2022 in Tamale.
Many Ghanaians, including Members of Parliament on the Majority side, have been left disappointed after the highly-expected ruling by the Speaker of Parliament on the fate of their colleague ended in the balance.
The Majority MPs, led by the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, had called for the seat of Sarah Adwoa Safo, MP for Dome Kwabenya, to be declared vacant after she failed to appear in parliament for sittings.
Although the Speaker of Parliament was initially expected to deliver his verdict on the matter in the last meeting of parliament in July 2022, he adjourned it, announcing later that he would give his ruling on Wednesday, October 26, 2022.
However, when Alban Bagbin did, he gave a ruling that the report of the committee set up to look into the case of the MP and two others who absented themselves for a number of sittings should be presented before the whole house to be debated.
He, therefore, dismissed the objection of the Majority Leader to the admissibility of the committee report for the consideration of the house.
“As I have noted in this ruling, the decision (sic) on not to admit a motion is the exclusive preserve of the Speaker. In view of the foregoing, the House is well within its right to receive and consider reports of the committee and make a determine arising out of the consideration.
“In the circumstances, it is my ruling that the motion was rightfully admitted and the report of the committee is subject to the consideration of the house. It goes without saying that the (sic) objection of the Majority Leader today (sic) is hereby dismissed…” he concluded his verdict.
It will be recalled that on July 29, 2022, a day after parliament adjourned its first decision to determine the fate of the Dome Kwabenya MP, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo sacked her as the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection.
In a statement, the president said the revocation of the MP’s appointment as minister was to take immediate effect.
“In accordance with article 81(a) of the Constitution, the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has revoked the appointment of Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo, Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya, as Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, with immediate effect.
“The Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah, will continue to act as caretaker Minister for the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, until such a time that President Akufo-Addo appoints a substantive Minister,” the statement from the Presidency concluded.
Sarah Adwoa Safo has been in the United States of America since 2021.
Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin is happy with events in Parliament where 80 Members of Parliament, MPs, from his party demanded the removal of Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta from office.
The demand was made through an October 25 press conference addressed by Andy Kwame Appiah-Kubi, MP for Asante Akim North, at the precincts of Parliament.
In a follow-up presser, after the breakaway MPs had made their demands known, Afenyo Markin flanked by four other colleagues told the media that the move was a plus for Ghana’s democracy.
He, however, stressed that it was important that the majority and minority caucuses unite and “build consensus on key issues to support the government, to me that is our main agenda but not the usual NPP, NDC partisan attacks.
“Regarding views expressed by the majority on some issues of national importance, I think that is the beauty of democracy, people having the opportunity to express their views,” he added.
He said it was important that where Ghana has gotten to in its democratic exercise, people should be voicing out instead of keeping their thoughts and viewpoints within them for fear of being gagged.
“So, we take all of that in good faith and continue to soldier on and work together for the betterment of our people,” he added.
Breakaway NPP MPs call for Ofori-Atta’s head
The group said it will not do business with the government nor support the 2023 Budget if the president fails to heed their call to remove Ofori-Atta and the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen.
According to them, the move follows previous concerns sent to the government that have not yielded any positive results.
“We have had occasions to defend allegations of conflicts of interest, lack of confidence, and trust against the leadership of the Finance Ministry.
“The recent development within the economy is of major concern to our caucus and our constituents. We have made our grave concern to our president through the parliamentary leadership and the leadership of the party without and positive response,” Andy Appiah Kubi said.
The MPs believe the move will change the current economic situation in the country.
“We are by this medium communicating our strong desire that the president changes the Minister of Finance and the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry without further delay in order to restore hope to the finance sector and reverse the downward trend in the growth of the economy,” he added.
Ghanaian statesman and politician, Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe has revealed that, but for the intervention of the NPP MPs, Ghana would have been on the verge of experiencing a military intervention.
According to him, the call for the dismissal of the finance minister whipped away the plot.
He advised the president to learn from this development as the actions of the NPP MPs are unprecedented.
“Those who made this intervention have saved the 4th republic. We were getting close to military intervention but the MPs actions yesterday totally wiped it off and I think the country should learn from that as well. Akufo-Addo, as I know, will definitely make attempts to change their minds, if they instead allow that, then they will be most hated people in this country or on the political landscape,” he said in an interview with TV3’s Big Issue show.
Speaking on the call for the dismissal of Ken Ofori-Atta, Nyaho-Tamakloe indicated that it did not come to him as a surprise even though it was long overdue.
He added that what the NPP MPs did shows clearly that our democracy can be on course if we want.NPP MPs saved the country from an upcoming coup d’état – Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe
Ghanaian statesman and politician, Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe has revealed that but for the intervention of the NPP MPs, Ghana is on the verge of experiencing a military intervention.
According to him, the call for the dismissal of the finance minister whipped away the plot.
He advised the president to learn from this development as the actions of the NPP MPs are unprecedented.
“Those who made this intervention have saved the 4th republic. We were getting close to military intervention but the MPs actions yesterday totally wiped it off and I think the country should learn from that as well. Akufo-Addo, as I know, will definitely make attempts to change their minds, if they instead allow that then they will be most hated people in this country or on the political landscape,” he said in an interview with TV3’s Big Issue show.
Speaking on the call for the dismissal of Ken Ofori-Atta, Nyaho-Tamakloe indicated that it did not come to him as a surprise even though it was long overdue.
He added that what the NPP MPs did shows clearly that our democracy can be on course if we want.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Suame, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has cautioned his colleague parliamentarians over their push for the sack of Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, October 26, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said that sacking the Offori-Atta now might have a devastating impact on the economy.
He intimated that sacking the finance minister while he is leading Ghana’s bailout negotiation with the International Monetary Fund might have disastrous consequences.
“My own personal thinking is whether or not could be done midstream into the negotiations with the IMF and again midstream in the crafting of a budget.
“What will be the effects of this (the sack) in the negotiation and even its impact on the performance of the currency as we see now? And so Mr. Speaker these are matters that we should interrogate,” Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who is also the leader of the majority caucus, said.
The Minority and Majority Members of Parliament seem to be on the same page following the call to remove the finance minister from office.
While the Minority in Parliament has filed a motion to have Ken Ofori-Atta sacked, the Majority also threatened to boycott the 2023 budget presentation if the finance minister is not relieved of his post.
The MPs explained that their position follows several concerns over the poor management of the economy, which has forced the government to seek IMF assistance.
Four worker unions in the public universities of Ghana have said their ongoing sit-down strike which began on Monday, October 17, 2022, to demand better conditions of service, will still not be called off.
The unions disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday, October 25, 2022, co-signed by the National President of UTAG Prof Solomon Nunoo, GAUA National President Dr Beth Ofei-Awuku, National Chairman of SSA-UoG Mr Isaac Donkor and National Chairman TEWU-Gh Mr Sulemana Abdul-Rahman.
According to the statement, the National Leaders of UTAG, GAUA, SSA-UoG, TEWU-GH, and FUSSAG “attended a meeting with the Employer on Wednesday, 19th October 2022, following an invitation by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC).
“Unfortunately, the outcome of the meeting was not favourable as the Employer was adamant to restore the Vehicle Maintenance and Off Campus Allowances to the adjusted ex-pump rate of GHS10.99.”
It revealed that: “Later that afternoon, the National Leaders attended a hearing at the National Labour Commission (NLC) where the Commission further entreated the parties to continue engaging as per the directive captured in its letter dated 20th October 2022.
“However, considering the facts and evidence before it, the national leaders are of the considered opinion that the Commission should have had no difficulty in making a definite order against the Employer to pay amounts on figures agreed and established by convention.”
It added: “Thus, the National Executive Committees/Councils of the Labour Unions, at their individual meetings, resolved to continue with the ongoing strike action until further notice.”
There has been a surge in reported cases of breast and prostate cancer in Obuasi and its surrounding areas.
According to Dr. Kwadwo Anim, the Executive Director of AGA Health Foundation, the most widely cited reason for the increase in these cases is “westernization”.
Speaking at a Grand Durbar and mini-clinic organised by AngloGold Ashanti to mark this year’s breast and prostate cancer awareness month at Akrokerri in the Adansi North District of the Ashanti Region, Dr Anim said life styles like smoking, alcohol and some eating habits are leading factors according for the rise in these cases.
Breast cancer is a critical medical condition that has stared humanity in the face for several decades, particularly females.
Even though there is no scientifically proven cure for cancer, the condition can be managed if detected early enough.
In 2020, breast cancer was the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women worldwide and accounted for 29.5% of cancer incidence and 22.1% of cancer deaths in Africa. In Ghana, breast cancer accounted for 31.8% of cancer incidence.
Prostate cancer, on the other hand, is a cancer that occurs in the prostate. Prostate is a small walnut-shaped gland in males that produces the seminal fluid that nourishes and transports sperm.
Prostate cancer is reported to be the second leading cause of male cancer deaths in Ghana and in Korle bu Teaching Hospital alone, 20 men were diagnosed with the disease every week.
Dr. Anim also mentioned that people’s quest to seek for herbal and spiritual assistance without going to the hospital to be properly screened has also resulted in some fatalities.
“October every year has been set aside to create awareness about early detection of breast cancer in particular but it seems people are not heeding to the call. In breast cancer, the prerequisite is early detection. Once you report it at the early stage, you can be cured,” Dr Kwadwo Anim ended.
The Stakeholders Engagement Superintendent of Anglogold Ashanti, Edmond Oduro Agyei, on his part, said Anglogold Ashanti has made commitments to improve the living conditions of its communities.
In view of this, the company through its 10-year Socio-Economic Development Plan lined up plethora of health intervention programs targeted at improving quality health care of the people.
“As we have always mentioned, we don’t want to leave our communities the same way we met them so included in our 10-year SEDP which we launched in July was a comprehensive health related programs targeted at providing solutions to the health care needs of the people and this program is one of them”
Anglogold Ashanti as part of its health intervention program has also started capacity building workshops for health workers in Obuasi on infection prevention and other diseases.
Mr. Oduro Agyei said AGA has partnered AGA Health Foundation, GIZ and Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Foundation to screen the people of Akrokerri on breast and prostate cancer as well as other diseases.
The Chief Executive for the Adansi North District, Eric Kwaku Kusi, on his part, underscored the importance of Stakeholders involvement in the fight against breast and prostate cancer.
“You will agree with me that Government cannot fight these diseases alone hence I applaud AGA and its partners for coming together to collectively fight breast and prostate cancer.”
Akrokerri hemaa Nana Serwaa Buruwaa II advised men and women to take the education on breast and prostate cancer seriously.
She added her voice to the call for early detection and treatment.
Eni has definitively ended the procurement of palm oil for use at the Venice and Gela biorefineries for the production of hydrogenated biofuels.
The last shipments arrived in the last few weeks, ahead of the declared goal of becoming ‘palm oil-free’ by the end of 2022.
Eni’s biorefineries in Venice and Gela are already fuelled with ‘waste & residue’ raw materials, such as used cooking oil and animal fats, for more than 85% of their processes, as well as other biomasses regulated by current national and European regulations.
In November, the first load of vegetable oil produced in the Makueni agri-hub in Kenya will arrive at the Gela biorefinery, where castor, croton and cotton seeds are pressed.
These agri-feedstocks, produced by Eni, do not compete with the food chain.
They are grown in degraded areas, harvested from wild trees or are derived from the enhancement of agricultural by-products.
In addition to the country’s agri-feedstocks, whose production will reach 2,500 tonnes of oil by the end of 2022 and 20,000 tonnes by 2023, there is also the collection of waste and residues, including used vegetable oil, collected in Kenya.
The first shipments are on their way to Italy and up to 5,000 tonnes are expected to have arrived by 2023.
In 2014, the biorefinery in Porto Marghera, Venice became the first example in the world of converting an oil refinery into a biorefinery, and today Eni is the first energy major to build a vertical integration model for the supply of its plants, enabling it to promote more sustainable local development in Africa.
Eni’s biorefineries produce hydrogenated HVO biofuels which are destined, either purely or in blended form, for diesel engines, biodiesel for the chemical supply chain, biogpl and biojet for air transport.
Although he has not clearly stated it, President Akufo-Addo has, however, given a roadmap on the possibility of taking action on a demand made on him by some Members of Parliament.
The call by the 80 New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs on Tuesday, October 25, 2022, was for the president to sack the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta.
As surprising as the news has been, particularly since the minister is a member of their party and this is the first time any such thing has happened in the country, it has already brought up suggestions on who could take over as the country’s finance minister.
In an earlier GhanaWeb story, three names have come up for the job: Dr Mark Assibey Yeboah, Professor Gyan Baffour, and Kwame Pianim.
GhanaWeb further places the spotlight on these individuals to understand what they bring to the job, in the instance that they get it.
Below is a profile of Professor Gyan Baffour:
Prof George Yaw Gyan Baffour is currently the Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission and Senior Advisor at the Ministry of Finance.
He is a former Member of Parliament who represented the Wenchi Constituency from 2005 to 2021. He was a professor at Howard University in Washington DC from 1993 to 2021.
He is an economist, a banker and an insurer.
Being an economist, Professor George Gyan Baffour has mainly sat on parliamentary committees that relate to his field, which include the Special Budget Committee, the Education Committee, and the Poverty Reduction Committee, and he was once the Acting Chair of the Special Budget Committee.
The ex-President John Agyekum Kufuor appointed Prof George Gyan Baffour as the Director General of the National Development Planning Commission in 2002. It was during his time that he established the first system for overseeing and assessing the rate of national development.
He oversaw the development of the coordinated program for the Economic and Social Development of Ghana.
Prof George Gyan Baffour is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Economists of Ghana. He was a member of various boards, including the Bank of Ghana (2005-2008), the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research of Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) from 2003 to 2005.
He has a PhD in Industrial Relations from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, a post-Doctorate Diploma from Harvard University of Wisconsin, Madison, and a Bsc (Hons) in Economics from the University.
Prof George Gyan Baffour is currently a Senior Policy Advisor to the Finance Minister, focusing mainly on Sustainable Development Goals and climate change mitigation financing.
He is the UN Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data Ambassador in the UN’s SUN movement focal person for Ghana and Executive Committee Excom Member representing Central and Eastern Africa.
He was appointed Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning of Ghana in March 2005. As a Minister For Planning, he was the Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on SDGs.
President Akufo-Addo has pleaded with some MPs of his party, who are demanding Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta‘s exit, to give his cousin some respite so he concludes the ongoing bailout talks with the IMF.
President Nana Akufo-Addo has pleaded with some MPs of his party, who are demanding Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta’s exit, to give his cousin some respite so he concludes the ongoing bailout talks with the IMF, which are likely to be concluded in about a month.
Reports trickling in from the presidency say that the president tabled the plea when he met the angry MPs over their demand at the Jubilee House on Tuesday evening.
Ghana is seeking a $3-billion extended credit facility from the Brettom Woods institution to restore her ailing eceonomy to good fortunes.
The majority caucus gave the president an ultimatum to dismiss Mr Ofori-Atta and the Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, Mr Charles Adu Boahen, or they will boycott the 2023 budget hearing and other government businesses on the floor of parliament.
The caucus, led by spokesperson Andy Appiah Kubi, MP for Asante Akyem North, issued the ultimatum within the precincts of parliament on Tuesday, 25 October 2022 when the house resumed sitting after a long recess.
He told the parliamentary press corps: “We are members of the majority caucus of the parliament of Ghana and we, here so, present; represent a greater number of the said caucus.”
“My name is Andy Appiah Kubi and I am only here as the spokesperson for the majority group – without more”, he caveated.
Mr Appiah-Kubi continued: “We have had occasions to defend allegations of conflict of interest, lack of confidence [and] trust against the leadership of our finance ministry”, however, “the recent developments within our economy are of great concern to the greater majority of the members of our caucus and our constituents.”
“We have made our grave concerns [known] to the president through the parliamentary leadership and the leadership of the party without any positive response,” he revealed.
“We are, by this medium, communicating our strong desire that the president change the minister of finance and the minister of state at the finance ministry, without further delay, to restore hope to the financial sector and reverse the downward trend in the growth of the economy”, the group demanded.
“The summary of our concerns lead to a plea that the Minister of Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta and the Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, Mr Charles Adu Boahen, be removed from office. We pray that this prayer would be carried to the presidency.”
The caucus then threatened: “Meanwhile, 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 the government by or for the president by any other minister.”
“We hope that those of us at the backbench and members of the majority caucus will abide by this prayer,” the group added.
“We are saying that if our request is not responded to positively, we will not be present for the budget hearing nor will we participate in the debate”, Mr Appiah-Kubi stressed.
Also, the Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG) has demanded that President Akufo-Addo reassign Mr Ofori-Atta and Mr Adu-Boahen if he cannot dismiss them.
The pro-government pressure group said in a press statement that the two ministers are to blame for the poor performance of the Ghana cedi in relation to other international trade currencies.
“The Minister of Finance and the Minister of State at the Ministry, Ken Ofori Atta and Charles Adu Boahen, must be reassigned,” the group demanded.
AFAG’s demand comes a few days after media personality and comic Kwaku Sintim-Misa, alias KSM, asked Mr Ofori-Atta to resign.
He said this in a tweet where he claimed to be giving advice to Mr Ofori-Atta.
Again in the tweet, the award-winning comic posited that President Nana Akufo-Addo, who is cousins with Ken Ofori-Atta, has no desire to sack him from his office for a more competent person to assume it, even though it is the best for Ghana’s ailing economy.
“Advice to Ken Ofori-Atta. Bra [brother] Ken, it is obvious the President cannot and will not fire you,” Mr Sintim-Misa began. “Please do him and Ghana a favour and respectfully resign for a competent financial manager to take charge,” he advised.
According to the TV show host, the resignation of the Finance Minister will be followed by restored confidence in Ghana’s economic recovery.
“I am sure that the financial markets will react positively to the news,” is how he put it.
Also, another entertainment personality, Lydia Forson, recently said: “It makes absolutely no sense that Ken Ofori-Atta is still the finance minister,” and queried: “How?” “He’s lost the confidence of the people!” she argued.
The clamour for Mr Ofori-Atta’s head come on the back of the cedi’s very poor performance against the US dollar.
Bloomberg has named the Ghana cedi as the worst-performing currency in the world.
At the time of KSM and Lydia Forson’s tweets, one needed more than 15 cedis to obtain a dollarin Accra, the capital of Ghana. Recently, the United Kingdom’s Finance Minister Kwasi Kwarteng was sacked and subsequently their Prime Minister, Liz Truss, also resigned.
A section of the Ghanaian public have asked why this is not common in Ghana.
President Nana Akufo-Addo, last week, said Mr Ofori-Atta has
been an excellent handler of the Ghanaian economy and, thus, sees no reason to sack him as being clamoured for by his critics.
Speaking to OTEC FM in the Ashanti Region on the first day of his four-day official working tour of that part of Ghana, Mr Akufo-Addo parried criticisms that his cousin is to blame for Ghana’s return to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for help since he mismanaged the economy. The president said he takes full responsibility for Ghana’s return to the IMF since he took the decision as the head of state.
He argued that the same Ofori-Atta was able to manage an IMF-programmed economy that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) inherited in 2017 to become one of the fastest-growing economies in the world with an average annual growth rate of 7%.
The president, thus, wondered, how he could cut ties with Mr Ofori-Atta as finance minister.
The president said he has a lot of difficulty understanding the clamour for Mr Ofori-Atta’s exit, since, he noted, even the IMF confirmed that the causes of the current economic situation in Ghana are global in nature rather than a result of internal mismanagement. “It is very easy for people to say we went back to the IMF due to mismanagement of the economy. I do not accept that criticism because the reasons why we got into the situation we find ourselves has very little to do with us. In fact, the IMF confirmed it.”
Actor, politician and farmer John Dumelo has called for value addition in Ghana’s agric sector.
In his view, that is the way to go in order to make the local farmer competitive.
Speaking during the 3business agribusiness dialogue on Wednesday, October 26, he said “We have to look at adding value to our produce and also post-harvest losses.
“Most cocoa farmers haven’t tasted chocolate before yet we are the net exporter of cocoa.”
During the event, the 2018 National Best Farmer, James Boateng said Ghana needs to scale up its agricultural production.
He said there was a need to apply technology to scale up production.
He said “we are not even applying the little technology that we have.
“I don’t know why we can’t grow tomatoes and onions in Ghana to the extent that we buy from Burkina Faso. We have issues with logistics.”
He added “We need to look at our inputs. Ghana 2019 did quite well in terms of the provision of inputs and in turn, our maize production increased.”
For its part, former Managing Director of the Stanbic Bank, Naa Alhassan Andani observed that the agric sector of the Ghanaian economy and other parts of Africa has been exposed by global happenings.
He indicated that Ghanaians consume more than they produce locally. This means a lot more foreign exchange earnings is required to bring in additional food supplies to feed the people.
When the exchange rate is affected, he said, it means food supply is heavily affected thereby creating difficulties for Ghanaians.
“This event could not be happening at a better time and I hope our panellist will elevate the conversation to the level of state and to the level of global coordination.
“Agriculture is probably one gifted industry to Ghana, to Africa, not all of Africa, Ghana, . When the fundamentals are weak the exchange rate will expose you.
“On this one in agriculture the fundamentals are that everything we consume in this country, we consume more of our agricultural product in this country than we produce. Therefore for the surplus that you consume you have to bring from outside.
“What do you need? You need foreign exchange and when the foreign exchange is not there the fundamentals will expose you. So I think today’s Ghana and the world economy has exposed us in terms of the way we are organized in our agricultural sector.”
Former Managing Director of Stanbic Bank, Naa Alhassan Andani has called for the consumption of locally produced foods.
He further explained to be able to produce sufficient foods locally, the government needs to put in place the right infrastructure in the agric sector.
The infrastructure he said, should include storage facilities and water systems to ensure year-long farming
“solid infrastructure, storage system, water system, all of it have to be there. when I talk about infrastructure, I am not just talking about physical but scientific and market infrastructure,” he said.
He further indicated that “let us consume what we produce, that is number defender.”
He further observed that the agric sector of the Ghanaian economy and other parts of Africa has been exposed by global happenings.
He indicated that Ghanaians consume more than they produce locally. This means a lot more foreign exchange earnings are required to bring in additional food supplies to feed the people.
When the exchange rate is affected, he said, it means food supply is heavily affected thereby creating difficulties for Ghanaians.
“This event could not be happening at a better time and I hope our panelists will elevate the conversation to the level of state and to the level of global coordination.
“Agriculture is probably one gifted industry to Ghana, to Africa, not all of Africa, Ghana, When the fundamentals are weak the exchange rate will expose you.
“On this one in agriculture the fundamentals are that everything we consume in this country, we consume more of our agricultural product in this country than we produce. Therefore for the surplus that you consume you have to bring from outside.
“What do you need? You need foreign exchange and when the foreign exchange is not there the fundamentals will expose you. So I think today’s Ghana and the world economy has exposed us in terms of the way we are organized in our agricultural sector.”
38-year-old sex worker, Ama Serwaa, has disclosed that out of 24 friends who travelled to Accra to work, only three are still alive.
In a chat on Ghetto Life Story on SVTV Africa, Ama Serwaa mentioned that she came to the capital 22 years ago as a 16-year-old but only engaged in sex work two years ago.
She revealed that 23 other females who came from her hometown to work in Accra are now deceased. Speaking on the dangers of working as a prostitute, Ama Serwaa disclosed that life in the ghetto itself is a risk.
“Some offer Ghs500 to Ghs1000 and you would go because you need the money but it may be dirty money. I won’t go because 21 of us have died.
“Twenty-four of us came to work here and only three of us are left. Some were prostitutes; they had infections and died. Some were thieves, and others smoked and died from hunger,” she said.
The 38-year-old mother of one added that she left her uncle’s house due to mistreatment and has been on the streets for the past 17 years. According to Serwaa, she was knocked down by a car while selling in traffic for a few years.
“I sold pure water and worked as a bus conductor until I started sex work two years ago. My boss sacked me. I was jobless for three years until a friend introduced me to it, but I want to stop because it’s not helping,” she told DJ Nyaami.
Ama advised the youth to be cautious of friends because they can be their downfall or their salvation.
Former Deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Obiri Boahen, has advised President Akufo-Addo to listen to the call by some NPP members of parliament to dismiss Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
According to him, if the concerns of these people are ignored, it could affect the democratic stability of the country.
Speaking on Ade Akye Abia on Okay FM, he said he must consider the call of the NPP MPs as this has never happened in the history of Ghana politics.
“Mr president, we have learnt history; we know history. But, Mr President, in the supreme interest of our tradition, multiparty democracy, please listen to the MPs. You are in a country you don’t take chances when issues of politics are popping up.
“We are in a continent where a small issue can escalate. This is not NPP and NDC issue. This is a national issue which goes down to the stability of western democracy. This has never happened in the country’s history,” he said.
Some Members of Parliament in the majority have threatened to boycott the 2023 budget presentation and debate if the finance minister is not relieved of his post.
The MPs explained that their position follows several concerns over the poor management of the economy, which has forced the government to seek IMF assistance.
“We have had occasions to defend allegations of conflicts of interest, lack of confidence, and trust against the leadership of the Finance ministry. The recent development within our economy is of great concern to the greater majority of members of our caucus and our constituents.
“We have made our great concern to the president through our parliamentary leadership and the leadership of the party without any positive response. 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 in order to restore hope in our financial sector and reverse the downwards trend in the growth of the economy,” Andy Appiah Kubi, MP for Asante Akyem North, who spoke on behalf of the MPs said at a press conference.
Going into the finals of the 2022 National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ), all finalists have each had a taste of the victory they all once again seek.
Whether in many years past, or very recently, each of these three boys schools have another opportunity to prove to the rest of the country why they deserve the bragging rights they so yearn for.
And already, there are those who are seeking to further upset their contenders, or, for others, get another feather in their caps through this victory and make a statement that they are not in this to play.
Besides, this competition is one that, far beyond the schools, is a bragging right for three major regions of the country: the Ashanti, Greater Accra, and Central Regions.
PRESEC Legon
Currently the school to have won the NSMQ the most times since it started in 1994, PRESEC looks to win the competition for the 7th time.
The last time it won the competition was in 2020.
All the other times it has won the competition have been in 1995, 2003 2006, 2008, and 2009.
Prempeh College
The next closest contender in tally is the Prempeh College.
This school was the first winner of the NSMQ in 1994 and are currently the reigning champions.
The Kumasi-based school looks to retain its position as the current title-holders.
Should they win, it would bring the number of times they have won to 5, matching up the number of their closest contenders, PRESEC-Legon.
All the other times the school has won the NSMQ have been in 1996, 2015, and 2017.
Adisadel College
The least victorious school in the 2022 finals of the National Science and Maths Quiz the Cape Coast-based all boys school, Adisadel College.
Having won the competition only once in 2016, the school hopes to have another bragging right from winning this contest.
Regardless of that, the school has been at the finals five times in the history of the competition.
Beating both PRESEC and Prempeh College would be a slaying statement for the school should this happen.
Below is the full list of all the winners of the NSMQ since 1994:
1994 – Prempeh College
1995 – PRESEC–Legon
1996 – Prempeh College
1997 – Opoku Ware Senior High School
1998 – Achimota School
1999 – Mfantsipim School
2000 – St Peter’s Senior High School
2001 – Pope John Senior High School
2002 – Opoku Ware Senior High School
2003 – PRESEC–Legon
2004 – Achimota School
2005 – St Peter’s Senior High School
2006 – PRESEC–Legon
2007 – St Augustine’s College
2008 – PRESEC–Legon
2009 – PRESEC–Legon
2010 no competition was held
2011 no competition was held
2012 – Ghana Secondary Technical School
2013 – St Thomas Aquinas
2014 – Mfantsipim School
2015 – Prempeh College
2016 – Adisadel College
2017 – Prempeh College
2018 – St Peter’s Senior High School
2019 – St. Augustine’s College
2020 – PRESEC–Legon
2021 – Prempeh College
An economist, Dr Sam Ankrah, has said the markets will respond favourably towards the economy if the President heeds calls to remove the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta. According to him, the economy was in dire strait and needed one who will inspire confidence and command the respect of the international community to restore the economy to its former glory.
Dr Ankrah was reacting to calls by some members of Parliament of the ruling New patriotic Party (NPP) who held a news conference a few hours ago to demand the removal of the Finance Minister from office.
The latest development comes amidst growing pressure from all sources for Mr Ofori-Atta to either step aside or face a sack from the President.
Dr Ankrah said the current developments in the economy and the reactions of the markets demonstrates a lack of confidence in the Finance Minister and noted that, if the President responds to the call, his action will restore confidence and the aftermath will be in the interest of the country.
“Let us remember that we play a key role in the international markets and therefore, any move that gives confidence will result in an action. That is what the markets are waiting to see,” he said.
Economy in Q3
The local currency, the cedi, suffered a steep decline in value against the world’s major currencies in the third quarter of the year.
It depreciated against the US dollar, the British pound, and the Euro by 37.5 per cent, 24.1 per cent, and 27.5 per cent respectively on a year-to-date (YTD) basis as of September.
Headline inflation rate accelerated to 37.2 per cent at the end of September 2022 compared to 29.8 per cent at the end of June 2022.
Food and non-food inflation for the end of September 2022 were 37.8 per cent and 36.8 per cent respectively, as compared to that of June 2022 which were 30.7 per cent and 29.1 per cent respectively.
These developments have created unbearable hardship for business leading to retrenchments due to high cost of operations. On the individual side, the developments have heavily eroded their disposable income making life unbearable.
Meanwhile, the country and the international community awaits what the President’s response will be after meeting various interest groups in an attempt to find solutions to the disturbing economic phenomenon.
As the country’s economy continues to struggle and the cedi rapidly depreciates now might be the time to consider active local participation in the country’s extractive sector.
The Ghana mine workers union believes this is critical to checking the repatriation of funds from the country abroad which have contributed to the dire state of the country.
General secretary of the Ghana mine workers union, Abdul-Moomin Gbana stressed that increasing indigenous investment in the mining sector is critical to salvaging Ghana’s economy.
“If you look at the small-scale mining sector, you have about 80 per cent retention of receipts from mining, 20 to 25 per cent can go out for capital expenditure and other expenses and so clearly, if you look at the two algorithms then clearly, the small-scale mining is more beneficial”
“And so it means that if we increase our stake or if we are able to raise indigenous Ghanaians to participate actively in mining or the state increases its stake in these mining companies, what it does is the receipts that we generate will definitely come back into the Ghanaian shores and that we will be able to shore up our position as a country.” He added
The Ghana cedi for instance is facing tough times as it at some point last week traded at GHS15 to the dollar.
The local has depreciated significantly in recent months and at the beginning of the week, the cedi was noted as the world’s worst-performing currency.
That took its losses this year to more than 45 per cent.
The Ghana Union of Traders Associations GUTA for instance believes the challenge with the currency can partly be blamed on the repatriation of funds by multinationals in the country and has called for the regulation of their activities.
Mr Agbana spoke to Citi Business News on the sidelines of a workshop on the gold mining sector organized by Public Services International.
The two-day regional workshop on the gold mining sector was to identify tax incentive regimes in the sector and estimate the loss to domestic resource mobilization and, while learning from other experiences, provide information on the implication for resource sovereignty, public service development, jobs, and sustainable development.
The four destroyed chairs and other properties belonging to the Nana Abu Bonsra Primary School, which was the venue for the elections while the ballot was being counted.
Four persons who were arrested in connection with the disturbances that occurred during the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Constituency elections in Adansi North, have been convicted.
The four, Adjei Evans, Kingord Anku, Francis Amoah and Akwesi Aquah, were also fined GHS 6000 each, by the Bekwai Circuit court, or in default serve three months imprisonment when they appeared before the court, Tuesday, 25 October 2022.
The four destroyed chairs and other properties belonging to the Nana Abu Bonsra Primary School, which was the venue for the elections while the ballot was being counted.
President Akufo-Addo will meet the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament who want the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta be relieved of his duties.
The meeting will take place this evening, Tuesday, October 25, 2022 at 6:30 pm.
The NPP MPs argued that their attempts to get the administration take steps to assist their constituents in light of the failing economy had been ineffective.
Thus, on Tuesday, October 2022, the NPP organized a news conference to express their unhappiness and demand the resignation of Charles Adu Boahen the Minister of State for Finance, and Ken Ofori-Atta.
Andy Kwame Appiah-Kubi, the Member of Parliament for the Asante-Akim North Constituency and spokesperson for the disgruntled Majority group, told the media on Tuesday that sacking Ofori-Atta and Adu Boahen will help restore confidence in Ghana’s economy.
“The recent development within the economy is of major concern to our caucus and our constituents. We have made our grave concern known to our president through the parliamentary leadership and the leadership of the party without any positive response.”
“We are by this medium communicating our strong desire that the president changes the Minister of Finance and the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry without further delay in order to restore hope to the financial sector and reverse the downward trend in the growth of the economy,” he added.
Several Ghanaians had mounted pressure on President Akufo-Addo to remove Mr. Ofori-Atta from office in light of the country’s current economic predicament, which has compelled government to seek support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
On Tuesday, October 25, about 80 Members of Parliament within the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP)were reported to have signed a petition demanding the removal of Ken Ofori-Atta as finance minister.
The group, through a press conference, also demanded the removal of Charles Adu Boahen, who serves as a Minister of State at the finance ministry; a close ally of Ken Ofori-Atta.
The MPs explained that their position follows several concerns over the poor management of the economy, which has forced the government to seek IMF assistance.
The group added that should the president fail to heed to their call, they will no longer do business with the government nor support the 2023 budget.
The MP for Asante-Akim North, Andy Kwame Appiah-Kubi, who introduced himself as the spokesperson for the Majority Caucus, said that several concerns raised on economic management have been sent to government, but are all yet to yield the intended results.
In the wake of the development, some Ghanaians on social media have lauded the confidence of the majority MPs.
Although President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has on numerous occasions backed down against calls to change his finance minister, the pressure now appears to be mounting from within his own party.
Some citizens have also already concluded that the president would likely not dismiss Ken Ofori-Atta, basing their assumption on the close family ties Akufo-Ado has with the finance minister.
While this is yet to come to fruition, GhanaWeb Business has compiled a list of potential candidates who are likely to be the best replacements if Ken Ofori-Atta is taken off the job at the Ministry of Finance.
Dr Mark Assibey Yeboah
Dr Assibey-Yeboah is a former Chairman of the Finance Committee of Parliament. During his tenure as chair, he led many engagements toward sound economic indicators of government.
He has also earned himself a reputation for being an economic guru among his peers.
Prior to Ghana returning to the IMF, Dr Assibey-Yeboah warned of harsh economic conditions and therefore called on the government to resort to the Fund at an earlier time ahead of its July 1, 2022 decision.
He also cast doubts on the government’s ability to raise the projected GH¢6.9 billion revenue target from the controversial Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy), insisting they would not be able to realise the intended target – a prediction which came to be.
Dr. Assibey-Yeboah holds a BSc (Hons) in Agricultural Economics degree from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). He also holds an MS (Agricultural and Resource Economics) from the University of Delaware, USA.
He has earned an MA and a Ph.D. both in Economics from the University of Tennessee, USA specializing in International Macroeconomics, Monetary Economics and Econometrics.
Dr Assibey-Yeboah has worked in various capacities, locally and abroad. He has served as lecturer at the University of Tennessee, USA and worked in a similar capacity as an Adjunct Faculty at Milligan College, Tennessee-USA.
The former lawmaker has also served as a senior economist at the Bank of Ghana and has been a lecturer at the Ghana Telecom Technology University College and Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).
Professor Gyan-Baffour
Prof. George Yaw Gyan-Baffour is a Ghanaian development economist. He was in charge of the former Ministry of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation.
He is credited for the introduction of Ghana’s first Monitoring and Evaluation mechanism which was used for assessing the progress of national development and dubbed the ‘Annual Progress Report’.
Despite the ministry no longer being in existence, the mechanism continues to be used in the monitoring and evaluation tool of Ghana’s development agenda.
He also supervised the preparation of the Coordinated Program for the Economic and Social Development of Ghana (2002-2012), which is a constitutional requirement for the President of the Republic of Ghana.
Prof. Gyan Baffour is also credited for leading the team that prepared Ghana’s first compact under the Millennium Challenge Account.
Prior to leaving for the USA to further his education, Prof. Baffour worked at the Ministry of Industrial Science and Technology from 1974 to 1984.
He is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Economists of Ghana and has served on various boards of institutions, including the Bank of Ghana.
He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in Industrial Relations; a Post Doctorate diploma from Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government; an MA in economic policy from University of Wisconsin, Madison; a BSc. (Hons) degree in Economics from the University of Ghana.
Kwame Pianim
Kwame Pianim is not a stranger when it comes to finance and economic management in Ghana.
The renowned economist is a management and investment consultant who has served in various capacities in government and the private sector.
He served as an Economic Research Officer of the United Nations-USA, from 1964 to 1970.
He was the Acting Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning from 1970 to 1972 and served as Deputy Managing Director of Ghana Aluminum Products Limited, Tema. He was also Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Marketing Board from 1978 – 1979.
The veteran economist also served as the Chairman of Ghana Financial Services Limited at Bayport Financial Services Limited and was the Chairman of the Public Utilities and Regulatory Commission (PURC).
Kwame Pianim attended Achimota Secondary School and holds a B.A. Double Honors in Economics and Political Science from the University of New Brunswick, Canada (1963) and M.A. in Economics from Yale University (1964).
With additional files from the Chamber of Independent Power Producers
Dr. Ernest Addison
Dr. Ernest Kwamina Yedu Addison is an economist and the 15th Governor of the Bank of Ghana.
He attended the Methodist College and the Mfantsipim School for his primary and secondary education. Dr. Addison then proceeded to the University of Ghana and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from 1982 to 1986.
From 1987 to 1989, he obtained an M.Phil in Economics and Politics from the University of Cambridge in England and later a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Economics from McGill University in Canada.
Before he was appointed Governor of the BoG, Dr. Addison served as the former Director of Research at the Bank of Ghana from 2003 to 2011, as well as an Economist at the African Development Bank.
He specializes in financial policy and economic management.
One person has been injured and at least one vehicle has been set on fire following a dispute over a piece of land in Central Dzorwulu, Accra.
The police in a Facebook post on Tuesday, October 25, 2022 , indicated that the burnt car belonged to two men who hired some thugs to destroy a four-bedroom flat.
“The Police responded to the scene to restore calm. Police later had information that one of the vehicles belonging to the suspects, Nana Owusu Banahene and James Quainoo, run into a ditch and was attacked by a mob who pelted them with stones, injured one of the suspects, James Quainoo, and set his car ablaze,” the police added.
The thugs in an attempt to flee from the police whilst executing the assigned task entered into a ditch.
Information gathered by the police shows that before the demolishing began, the perpetrators attacked the occupants of the house.
On Monday, October 24, 2022, a video which saw a middle-aged man driver bleeding profusely in the middle of the streets went viral on Twitter.
A voice was heard from the video stating that someone had been shot.
However, the police have thus far established that nobody was shot during the incident as per what has been circulated.
The law enforcement body, have also stated that the two culprits are in police custody.
In the meantime, while efforts are being made to apprehend all of the other culprits, the injured suspect is receiving medical care at the hospital.
Also, the police has asked the public to maintain calm adding that it is in control of the situation and would update the public on any development.
“The Police are in control of the situation and calm has since been restored. We, therefore, wish to urge the public to remain calm. Further developments will be shared in due course,” the police added.
Lawyer of Aisha Huang, Nkrabeah Effah Dartey, has said his client is engaged in the sale of spare parts contrary to claims that she is engaged in illegal mining (galamsey).
According to him, under no circumstance did his client engage in any activities which involved digging the ground for gold.
He adds that it’s sad that many have tagged her as ‘galamsey kingpin’ among other names.
He said he hopes the court vindicates his client despite the Attorney General’s claim that he has documents and evidence to prove otherwise.
“Aisha Huang is not involved in Galamsey; she sells spare parts for excavators. Aisha Huang has never stood on the lands of Bekwai or anywhere in the Ashanti Region to say she is digging gold. All she does is sell spare parts, but people have called her names, including galamsey kingpin. So let’s see what God will do since the matter is in court. I pray the law will be in the best interest of my client,” he said on Atinka radio during an interview monitored by GhanaWeb.
Speaking on the refusal of the court to grant his client bail, he said if the court fails to grant her continuously, he will go to a higher court for bail.
The Accra Court denied Aisha Huang’s request for bail through her lawyer.
According to the court, she will be in police custody until the case is determined due to the nature of the case and also her being a flight risk.
One of the main contenders in the main opposition race for the 2020 National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) flagbearership race is urging his supporters to rally behind former president John Dramani Mahama for the position of flagbearer for the 2024 general elections to wrestle power from the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).
According to Prof Joshua Alabi, former president John Dramani Mahama is the toast of the people hence the need to support him to wrestle power from the governing New Patriotic Party.
Prof Alabi, a former rector of the University of Professional Studies in Accra came second in the last NDC flagbearer race and subsequently became the campaign manager for the NDC in the 2020 general elections.
Mr Alabi announced his decision not to contest the former president in an interview on Accra 100.5 FM’s evening news programme on Monday, October 24, 2022.
He said there is a need for the rank and file of the party to rally behind the former president to come and save the country from the current economic doldrums that the NPP has imposed on Ghanaians.
He explained that the NDC has a track record of economic recovery adding that in the defunct Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) era, the government that birthed NDC, all efforts were made to regain economic recovery which is what the NPP has come to power to throw away.
He added that from the look of things Ghanaians will not forgive the NDC if it fails to wrestle power from the NPP come the 2024 general elections.
He admitted that the signs are clear on the wall but the NDC as a party needs to work hard to ensure victory.
He noted that the only candidate who can ensure the NDC’s victory is the former president who is tried and tested.
He was of the view that the former president stands tall when it comes to the management of the economy stemming as he decried the way the NPP’s economic management team has woefully failed in the management of the economy.
He also charged that the NPP’s failure to manage the economy has led to the economic challenges many Ghanaians are facing today.
The Deputy Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament, Dr. Clement Apaak, says challenges with food supplies to Senior High Schools are a result of corruption and fraud that have plagued the National Buffer Food Stock Company.
He says the running of the National Buffer Food Stock Company has become inefficient, thereby questioning its usefulness.
Speaking at a press conference, Dr. Clement Apaak cited instances of under-invoicing, the distribution of expired and non-certified food items as some of the fraudulent activities being carried out by the Company.
“Some of the Buffer Food suppliers are simply corrupt and fraudulent. There are instances of under-invoicing; where quantities of supplies to the schools are drastically reduced. Expired food items are supplied to schools.”
“Sometimes, heads are compelled by orders from above to sign for quantities of foods they have not received. We sometimes have suppliers dumping items in excess capacity to schools. There were even instances where schools were supplied with products that had not been certified by the Food and Drugs Authority”.
Dr. Clement Apaak was worried that these acts are compounding the problems of the Free SHS Programme.
“All of these things are captured in the Auditor General’s report, so clearly the Buffer Food Stock Company and the role it is playing is contributing to the challenges of the Free SHS policy.”
Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah is currently topping trends on social media platform; Twitter, after he broke the silence on the cedi depreciation.
This comes after many Ghanaians took to social media to react to the high cost of living and the lack of government effort to curb the cedi depreciation.
On the Interbank forex rates from the Bank of Ghana on October 24, 2022, the Ghana Cedi is trading against the dollar at a buying price of 12.5244 and a selling price of 12.5370.
However, on October 24, the information minister revealed that the government is engaged is in a series of consultations with relevant stakeholders in the financial sector to solve the issue of the cedi depreciation.
Aside from that, the Economic Management Team, chaired by Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia, will also hold a series of meetings with other stakeholders, Asaaseradio.com adds.
This consultation will end with a cabinet retreat, after which the president will address the nation with steps taken to solve the current economic hardship.
Following these revelations, the information minister has topped Twitter trends as many have expressed mixed reactions to this development.
Pharuk FK posted “I’m certain that Kojo Oppong Nkrumah in his private moments will have regrets being the minister of information now. The most difficult job in Ghana now is attempting to defend this government.”
Another user said “The hardest job on earth today is being an information minister to Akufo Addo’s government. Man will say shit then they’ll ask you to come and clarify. I pity Oppong Nkrumah. His credibility gone all in the name of being a minister.”
Here are some of the tweets:
Oppong Nkrumah and the NPP are waiting for cocoa Syndicate loan to stabilise the cedi for 2 weeks max! This loan is a great canker! Oppong Nkrumah is gradually becoming a clown in the face of Ghanaians. He will realise it when he is out of power! @NAkufoAddo
The hardest job on earth today is being an information minister to Akufo Addo’s government. Man will say shit then they’ll ask you to come and clarify. I pity Oppong Nkrumah. His credibility gone all in the name of being a minister.
So wait ooh, Does this mean Ghana as a country don’t have any gold reserve? Other countries that don’t even produce gold do have reserves. If we had a reserve,I think it would have helped us a lot as a country in times like this. ???????? The NPP NDC Len Ofori Atta Kojo Oppong Nkrumah
I can’t believe this. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah on Joy FM, rattled like a Parrot on the deficiencies of the NDC/JDM. It was bcs he said he cld defend the incompetence of Akufo Addo, that was why Hamid was removed & he given the position. How can he be tired now? What a shame. https://t.co/S61kW6X9Sp
The Director-General of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Dr John Ofori Tenkorang, has urged employers to view their contributions to the scheme as an investment and not a mandatory tax.
Dr Tenkorang made the comments during a breakfast meeting with employers held in Takoradi.
The one-day meeting was held to sensitise employers to the activities of SSNIT and their new policy direction.
According to the SSNIT Director-General, the future of workers is of significant importance, therefore, employers should be interested in securing their employees’ future.
“We are here to let you know how important you are to us and the need to contribute for the future of not only your workers but for you, as well,” Dr Tenkorang explained.
He urged employers to invest in the future of their employees.
“It is not my interest to send any employer to court; that should be clear, but there should be a conscious effort for you to invest in your company and your workers.”
He also introduced an app, which will give employers easy access to pay the contributions of their companies and employees.
He stressed that the country’s best insurance company is SSNIT and implored them to be actively involved in their contributions to the scheme.
The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Bagbin, before the recess, had deferred ruling on the future of the Dome-Kwabenya MP in the House.
The Third Meeting of the Second Session of the Eighth Parliament of the Fourth Republic will resume sitting today, Tuesday, 25 October 2022, after it went on recess in July.
The House is also expected to determine the fate of the Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome-Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo, during today’s sitting.
The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Bagbin, before the recess, had deferred ruling on the future of the Dome-Kwabenya MP in the House following her inability to appear before the Privileges Committee over her absence from Parliament.
It is also expected that the Appointments Committee will present its report on the nominees of the Supreme Court who were vetted while the House was on recess.
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta will also be expected to present before the house, the government’s 2023 budget statement during this session.
Some eleven bills including the Anti-LGBTQ+Bill will also be considered during this session of the House.
The Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG) has said the name of Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, has become the meaning of failure and incompetence.
The pro-government group’s General Secretary, Mr Arnold Boateng, said on Monday, 24 October 2022 that “clearly, it looks like the Finance Ministry and the government have dropped the ball on the economy.”
“Reassign the Finance Minister and Adu-Boahen because they have been there for a long time and their activities have caused the mess we are in now”, he demanded in an interview on Accra-based Citi FM.
In Mr Boateng’s view, Mr Ofori-Atta’s “posture does not augur well” for the country’s economic circumstances, adding: “He has lost the trust of the nation.”
“The name Ken Ofori-Atta has become synonymous with failure; synonymous with incompetence and any adjective you can call.”
AFAG also said President Akufo-Addo must tackle the economy “not just by giving a speech but by taking concrete actions which will strengthen the cedi.”
“What is worrying AFAG is there is no concrete assurance either from the President or from the BOG on these issues,” Mr. Boateng said.
“People dropping the ball has led us here and if we do not take the necessary actions, we will have a time bomb on our hands, and we cannot address that.”
The majority caucus of parliament has given President Akufo-Addo an ultimatum: remove Finance Minister Ken OFori-Atta and the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Mr Charles Adu-Boahen, from office, or they will boycott the budget hearing and other government businesses on the floor of parliament.
The caucus, led by spokesperson Andy Appiah Kubi, MP for Asante Akyem North, issued the ultimatum within the precincts of parliament on Tuesday, 25 October 2022 when the house resumed sitting after a long recess.
He told the parliamentary press corps: “We are members of the majority caucus of the parliament of Ghana and we, here so, present; represent a greater number of the said caucus”.
“My name is Andy Appiah Kubi and I am only here as the spokesperson for the majority group – without more”, he caveated.
Mr Appiah-Kubi continued: “We have had occasions to defend allegations of conflict of interest, lack of confidence [and] trust against the leadership of our finance ministry”, however, “the recent developments within our economy are of great concern to the greater majority of the members of our caucus and our constituents”.
“We have made our grave concerns [known] to the president through the parliamentary leadership and the leadership of the party without any positive response”, he revealed.
“We are, by this medium, communicating our strong desire that the president change the minister of finance and the minister of state at the finance ministry, without further delay, in order to restore hope to the financial sector and reverse the downward trend in the growth of the economy”, the group demanded.
“The summary of our concerns lead to a plea that the Minister of Finance, Mr Ken OfoRI-Atta and the Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, Mr Charles Adu-Boahen, be removed from office. We pray that this prayer would be carried to the presidency”.
The caucus then threatened: “Meanwhile, 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 the government by or for the president by any other minister”.
“We hope that those of us at the backbench and members of the majority caucus will abide by this prayer”, the group added.
“We are saying that if our request is not responded to positively, we will not be present for the budget hearing nor will we participate in the debate”, Mr Appiah-Kubi stressed.
Abraham Odoom, a former deputy local government minister has said the country needs to depoliticise food production.
Odoom said the country will suffer greatly if it messes up its food economy.
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Tuesday (25 October) he said, “For me, if there is one thing that should be depoliticised, it is food production … we mess up our food economy, we will all suffer for it.“
He added, “Food security for me has an essential basis in producing what you eat and eating that which you produce. If we can ensure this, it will benefit us for generations.”
“Ghana must start doing something unusual if we want to kick start a renaissance in terms of our taste for foreign goods adding that “Nigeria is a typical example … They eat their rice above all else”.
He said the country needs to be innovative and revisit the School Feeding Programme.
“School Feeding is something that we need to revisit … We can use the School Feeding Programme to re-engineer the local economy for our farmers. The biggest issue we face is a lack of innovation.”
“Change our mindset”
The former deputy minister said the current global challenges present a good opportunity for Ghanaians to appreciate and consume local food products.
“The mind is the greatest asset that we have … When the mindset of the people towards their own products changes then drastic gains will be made.”
“We talk about [changing our] taste on end to no avail. But this current global crisis has brought to the fore the need to have a national conversation on changing our taste to conform with what we have,” he added.
Odoom said policymakers need to take every opportunity they are proffered with to focus on local food production.
“This crisis presents an opportunity for Ghanaians to change our taste in the face of global food inflation,” he said.
Some eighty Members of Parliament (MP) belonging to the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) have called for the sacking of Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.
They also want the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen, removed from post.
According to the legislators, the aforementioned members of the Executive have proven to be incapable of handling the Ghanaian economy which is currently in tatters.
Speaking to the press on Tuesday, October 15, 2022, Asante-Akim North MP, Andy Kwame Appiah-Kubi said “we are communicating our strong desire that the President should change the Minister of Finance and the Minister without further delay in order to restore hope into the financial sector and reverse the downward trend in the growth of the economy.”
He noted that push has come to shove as the concerns of the Majority Group which were tabled before its leadership to the President, have yielded no positive results.
The Majority Group now adds their voice to the many Ghanaians calling for Mr Ofori-Attato be replaced by a more competent individual.
Pressure now mounts on President Akufo-Addo, who has indicated that he has no plans of sacking the current Finance Minister.
The President has explained that Mr Ofori-Atta has proven himself worthy of managing the economy. He cited Ghana’s growth in 2017 to argue that he finds no basis to replace the Finance Minister.
“I came to office in 2017 under a stringent IMF programme. This same man was able to manage the affairs of our economy in such a way that in my first term, we were one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. An average growth rate of 7% which allowed us to initiate programmes such as Planting for Food and Jobs,” he said.
“So somebody who has been able to do that. The current difficulties are not his fault. So how do I do it (sack him)? What will be the basis? What will be the rationale,” he further interrogated.
Ghana is currently battling a high inflation rate of 37.2% as of September, 2022. Also, the local currency continues to lose its value against major trading currencies.
A dollar is trading at about GH15. All these have happened under the watch of Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.
Meanwhile, Mr Ofori-Atta has encouraged Ghanaians to remain calm as the country engages the International Monetary Fund for an economic recovery programme.
He expects that the local currency will begin to appreciate once a deal is agreed upon.
The police have arrested two individuals in connection with the disturbances at Dzorwulu in Accra over a disputed land.
The suspects, Nana Owusu Banahene and James Quainoo, allegedly organised thugs with an excavator to demolish a four-bedroom apartment building at Dzorwulu on Monday (24 October 2022).
The police said before the demolition, the suspects and their accomplices attacked the occupants of the house.
“The police responded to the scene to restore calm,” the statement said. “The perpetrators upon seeing the police abandoned the excavator and escaped from the scene.”
“Police later had information that one of the vehicles belonging to the suspects had run into a ditch and was attacked by a mob who pelted them with stones, injured one of the suspects, James Quainoo and set his car ablaze.”
The injured suspect is at the hospital receiving medical attention, the statement added. Investigation has so far revealed that no one was shot during the incident.
“Investigation continues and all available footages on the incident are being reviewed as part of the investigation process. Efforts are underway to arrest all other perpetrators to face justice,” the police said.
Residents in Tema in the Greater Accra Region are expected to stay indoors on Wednesday, October 26 for the funeral activities for the late Tema chief, OsonnaaNii Adjei Kraku II, to begin.
As part of the activities, there will be a total blackout from 7:00 pm to 12:00 am to honour the dead chief.
Based on this development, the Tema General Hospital have asked its staff to report to work earlier to enable those on the night shift to report to work before the blackout.
In a memo shared by 3news.com, it urged staff on the night shift to report early for handing over so their colleagues could leave on time before the curfew time.
“In view of that, Management is urging all staff scheduled for the night shift on Wednesday 26th October 2022 to report to work by 5:00 pm,” a memorandum issued by the Medical Director of the Hospital to all department heads on Monday said.
“This is to enable the staff who will be handing over and those taking up perform such activities in good time to enable their colleagues return home before the total blackout.”
The Railway Workers Union has called on President Akufo-Addo to immediately direct the Railways Ministry to release some GH¢6 million realized from the auctioning of scrap metals of Ghana Railways Company Limited.
This, they say, will help purchase fuel and finance other operational costs to save the Railways company from collapsing.
Speaking to Citi News in Takoradi, the General Secretary of the Railway Workers Union, Godwill Ntarmah, said the Railway company is “on the verge of collapse and unable to buy fuel to run its manganese haulage lines as well as pay workers their two months’ salaries in arrears.”
They are therefore appealing to government to release the funds to ensure the company survives.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has reportedly banned nationals of Ghana and 19 other African countries from entering its capital city, Dubai.
Even though the reason for the ban was not stated, it was expected to start on Monday, October 24, 2022, according to DW Africa.
“The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced a visa ban on nationalities from 20 African countries seeking to visit Dubai.
“Countries affected include Ghana, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Cameroon, Nigeria, Liberia, Burundi, Republic of Guinea, Gambia, Togo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Benin, Ivory Coast, Congo, Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, and Comoros. The ban takes immediate effect,” parts of a Facebook post shared by DW Africa on Monday read.
This is not the first time Ghana and other African countries have been barred from travelling to Dubai.
Emirates Airline announced on December 28, 2021, that eight African countries will not be accepted to travel to or through Dubai until further notice due to the spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant.
The countries included: Ghana Angola, Guinea, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Cote d’Ivoire and Ethiopia.
A Former Deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Obiri Boahene, has berated the Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, for insulting persons who have been criticising President Akufo-Addo over happenings in the county.
The Okyenhene said that persons who have been criticising the president over the current economic hardship are uncivilized villagers, witches, and wizards who have no sense of appreciation.
“We must appreciate the feat of the President and show him appreciation for what he has done for Ghana. We must defend and protect him.
“Those insulting the President are children of villagers. They are uncivilized. No well-nurtured person will insult an elderly. If you were raised in the Church, you will not insult an elder. If you are not a villager, then you may be a witch or wizard.
“Not all will like you. Even Jesus Christ was crucified. It won’t bother me if they speak with sincerity but when you speak with hate, witchcraft, and envy, you must be careful because one day, one day! one day! one day! One day! The truth will overcome evil lies and envy,” the chief said.
Reacting to this, Nana Obiri Boahene intimated that Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin’s comments were unfortunate.
The former NPP deputy general secretary added that the chief, rather than insulting the critics of the president, should have urged Akufo-Addo to listen to those with genuine concerns.
“Let me be very honest. Such a comment coming from a big chief is not in good taste. You are not some small chief, you are a big chief and you were not talking to your friend, you were talking in public and you uttered such words, it is not good.
“You don’t have to support the NDC or the NPP to make such comments. It was an opportunity for him to urge the president to listen to the cries of Ghanaians. You don’t just call people witches and wizards. It is not good,” he said in Twi in a Neat FM interview monitored by GhanaWeb.
The National Cathedral of Ghana has established a call centre for the ongoing project.
The centre, according to Dr. Joyce Aryee, a Member of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral of Ghana, is to deepen the relationship between the public and the National Cathedral Secretariat.
“As you already know, the project is ongoing and the call centre has become necessary as a way of deepening our relationship with the public. The ultra-modern centre is readily available to assist with information to the public on issues concerning the Cathedral, especially information on those willing to contribute towards the completion of the project,” she said.
She added that there is the need for Ghanaians to support the national project because it will bring great relevance to the country.
“The Cathedral is a historic project with great relevance for all of us as a nation and as many of us as are willing must come together to build this magnificent edifice for God and country,” she added.
The National Cathedral will be a sacred space and infrastructure for formal religious activities of the nation, such as state funerals and presidential inaugural services.
The Member of Parliament Builsa South, Dr. Clement Apaak, has backed teacher unions opposing the appointment of Dr. Eric Nkansah as Director-General of the Ghana Education Service.
Speaking at a Press conference, Dr. Apaak, the Deputy Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament, said the president should have considered the views of the stakeholders before making the appointment.
The unions have argued that the new Director General of the GES is not a professional teacher and is not a good fit for the role.
Dr. Apaak said, “they are right. There are reasons why we have different professionals… Every profession tries to grow their own to eventually become the person at the apex.”
“So when you bring somebody who doesn’t have that requisite background or doesn’t meet their standard, it also affects morale.”
Dr. Apaak also said the appointment of Dr. Nkansah would also breed more friction between the unions and the government.
“It creates problems in terms of policy implementation because whether the President likes it or not, the director general would have to work with the teacher unions.”
“I have sided with the teacher unions because I believe they are in the theatre and I always give them the benefit of the doubt, believing full well that their request, in this case, is not outrageous,” Dr. Apaak added.
The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana says a review of government’s flagship Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) is long overdue.
The Agric Minister recently revealed that government has so far spent GH¢2.6 billion on the program and touted the success of the program.
But that claim has been challenged as food inflation continues to soar, while government figures indicate 6.4 million Ghanaians are food insecure.
Speaking to Citi News, Head of Programmes and Advocacy for the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana, Charles Nyaba believes the Finance Ministry finds the Planting for Food and Jobs unsustainable hence the need for a review.
“The intentions the Ministry of Food and Agriculture has for the Planting for Food and Jobs were not implemented by the Ministry of Finance. The Ministry did not release money for them.”
“Per our conversations with the policymakers in the Ministries, it suggests that the Planting for Food and Jobs is not sustainable, the budget does not support that. So it has to be reviewed in a way that the Ministry of Finance does not pump more money into it. We do not think it is the way to go.”
“We think there could have been a better way of going about it. We could have considered better ways of improving the implementation of the programme. This is the time we need to invest in the Agricultural sector.”
Charles Nyaba has also been explaining to Citi News how the current economic situation is affecting farmers.
“When you take 2021 for instance, we were getting to plough an acre for something between GH¢120 to GH¢150. This year it is going for GH¢250 to GH¢300. These increases have affected us badly.”
The government has given up till November 2, 2022, for all excavators in the country to be registered with the relevant local government authorities.
Any excavator that is not registered in line with this directive shall be seized and confiscated by the State.
“An owner, operator and/or user of an excavator shall, at the time of registration, specify the purpose for which the excavator is being used or to be used and the area where the excavator is being used or will be used,” a statement from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources said.
As part of the registration Metropolitan, Municipal or District Assemblies are to record the name and particulars of the owner of the excavator, the date the excavator was brought into the country, the registration number, the chassis number, the purposes for which the excavator was brought into the country, the area where the excavator is expected to be used and the name and particulars of the current operator and user of the excavator.
The MMDAs are also encouraged to record other particulars they may deem necessary.
This government directive is in line with the fight against illegal mining.
Excavators used in illegal mining have quickened the rate of deforestation and increased the scale of illegal small-scale mining operations.
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources assured that “it will continue to take the necessary measures to protect our natural environment, particularly, water bodies, forests and lands, in a transparent and sustainable manner, anchored on integrity.”
About eight trader groups and importers in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region are threatening to close their shops and stop imports for two weeks to protest the continuous free fall of the cedi against major trading currencies.
The traders who import and sell clothes and wares say the unstable nature of the exchange rate is collapsing their business and also eroding their capital.
The Deputy Secretary of the importers Association in Kumasi, Nana Yaw Agyeman, said the leadership of the various groups is mobilizing members to begin the strike next week.
“At this moment, we are running at a loss. All our capitals are in a ditch,” Mr. Agyeman said to Citi News.
“The inflation is killing us. It is collapsing all our finances, collapsing all our capital, and we cannot sit down for our capital to drain like that,” he added.
The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) went on strike last week over similar concerns.
The strike lasted two days because the government came out with some interventions to appease the importers.
Among interventions and concessions the government has made to GUTA, a Deputy Trade and Industry Minister, Michael Okyere Baafi, said a fixed exchange rate will be maintained at the ports for the next three months to cushion traders who import goods.
The Deputy Minister also said the government will suspend the ongoing invigilation by the Ghana Revenue Authority that has resulted in protests and the closure of businesses, specifically in Adum, Kumasi.
