Former National Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Bernard Mornah, has criticized president Akufo-Addo for allegedly relying on false information, such as the impact of credit rating agencies’ downgrades on the local economy.
Mornah asserts that the economic challenges are clearly evident to everyone.
President Akufo-Addo previously described the downgrades by credit rating agencies as reckless, linking them to exacerbating challenges faced by African countries, including Ghana.
For example, Fitch Ratings downgraded Ghana’s Long-Term Local-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to ‘RD’ from ‘CCC’ in April of this year.
However, Mornah argues that the agencies provided positive ratings to Ghana when the economy was performing well, so it cannot be deemed incorrect if they are now issuing negative ratings.
“One of the lies is to blame the rating agencies for the economic challenges, clearly, we are in a crisis,” he said on the Big Issue on TV3 while contributing to a discussion on the state of the economy.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Asante Akim North, Andy Appiah-Kubi, has expressed confidence that President Akufo-Addo will sign the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill once it is presented to him by Parliament.
The Bill, officially known as the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021, was received and commenced debate in Parliament on July 5th, with Speaker Bagbin presiding over the proceedings.
Appiah-Kubi, who made the initial submission on the Bill, stated that it accurately represented the views of the broader Ghanaian society regarding same-sex relationships, and he believed that all 275 Members of Parliament supported it.
In an interview with Oyerepa FM after the deliberations, he said:
“The clergy, civil society even the Muslim community, so the whole Ghana is unanimous in the rejection of such invitation to engage in LGBT, so the president has no option. He has no option but to assent to the Bill.
“I am very positive and hopeful that the president will assent to it and then we can have it as law” he added.
Member of Parliament for Asante Akyem North, Andy Appiah Kubi, is optimistic that President Akufo-Addo will not object to accenting into law the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill following its approval by Parliament.
However, should the president register some concerns, the MP stated that he would have no other option than to sign into law the anti-LGBTQ bill.
“The clergy, civil society, even the Muslim community, so the whole Ghana is unanimous in the rejection of such an invitation to engage in LGBTQ so the President has no option.
“He has no option but to accent to the bill. I am positive and hopeful that the President will accent to the Bill to be law,” the lawmaker told Starr News.
During the presentation of the report, Chairman Kwame Anyimadu Antwi argued that the bill has undergone careful adjustments to align with the constitutional framework of the country.
Following overwhelming support from both sides, Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin called for any opposing views to be expressed, but no dissenting voices emerged.
However, taking into account the significant number of members present in the house on July 5, 2023, the Speaker announced his decision to still allow for a debate on the matter.
After undergoing rehabilitation work that began in August of the previous year, President Nana Akufo-Addo has officially commissioned the newly redeveloped Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park in Accra.
The 5.4-acre park, initially constructed in 1992 as a tribute to Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president, aims to honor, preserve, and promote his significant contributions. Surprisingly, this redevelopment marks the first substantial facelift the park has received since its establishment.
The renovation project, costing an estimated US$3 million, is part of the Ghana Tourism Development Project (GTDP), a larger initiative supported by the World Bank with a budget of US$40 million. The GTDP is designed to enhance tourism performance in selected destinations throughout the country.
During the opening ceremony, President Akufo-Addo emphasized that the park’s refurbishment was carried out to match the extraordinary legacy of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, a Pan-Africanist who played a crucial role not only in Ghana’s liberation but also in the liberation movements across Africa.
The president called upon the Ministry of Tourism and the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) to develop effective marketing and promotional strategies to ensure that the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park attracts one million visitors annually.
“Prior to this rehabilitation, the Park’s annual visitor turnout was estimated at a little over 90,000. However, with Ghana strongly placed on the continent’s tourism map it is possible for one million visitors, both domestic and inbound, to come here annually,” he said.
As part of measures to make the country a hub of heritage tourism in Africa, the president touted the several museums and other heritage attractions which are being constructed or renovated in various parts of the country.
“The construction of museums including the Bonwire museums, the Yaa Asantewaa Museum, Aborigines Museum in Cape Coast and a Memorial Enclave in Tamale are all in the offing,” he disclosed.
The president asked the GTA to work closely with metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to ensure that the upcoming ‘December in Gh’ events this year are well-executed, as the initiative has come to stay.
He tasked sector players to adopt sustainable tourism practices in order to deepen gains of the sector and to make it viable.
World Bank Country Director for Ghana, Frank Larporte, lauded the newly renovated facility and described it as a visionary project by government.
“As we honour Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s legacy, the World Bank wishes to congratulate the government of Ghana and the president for this facelift,” Mr. Larporte said.
He reiterated the Bank’s commitment to supporting viable projects such as the rehabilitation in order to create jobs and generate revenue for the country.
Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta said his ministry will continue to invest in projects which have massive potential to raise sustainable income for the state, adding: “The ministry wants many of these projects replicated across the country”.
Sector minister Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal noted that the ministry will continue investing in the tourism sector to put the country’s potentials on the global map.
The facility
The facility’s renovation started in August last year, entailing total refurbishment of the Mausoleum and t Park. At its unveilling, the facility had a newly built Presidential Library, a training centre, new restaurant, VVIP lounge, an Artistic Freedom Wall, a befitting car park, state of the art lavatory, music and light fountain, digitised revenue collection system and many other ancillary facilities.
The Park, according to Dr. Awal, has created an additional 50 permanent jobs and many indirect ones upon its completion.
The facility will expectedly contribute significantly to the country’s 1.2 million anticipated international tourist arrivals in 2023, with an estimated corresponding revenue of US$3.4billion.
President Akufo-Addo has announced that government has commenced work to see to the construction of a number of museums to honour some of Ghana’s greats.
Among the heros to be venerated include; Queen mother of Ejisu, Yaa Asantewaa, the Big Six comprising;Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ebenezer Ako-Adjei, Edward Akufo-Addo, Joseph Boakye Danquah, Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lamptey and William Ofori Atta, among others.
Also, government is working on a memorial park in Cape Coast for the Aborigines, a memorial enclave in Tamale for the founders of the erstwhile Northern People’s Party to symbolise their participation in the drive for national independence and the completion of the ongoing works at the Bonwire museum.
President Akufo-Addo made this known when he commissioned the newly revamped Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park in Accra today, July 4, 2023.
In his speech, the president tasked the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture to ensure the country brings in one million tourists annually just to tour the newly revamped Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park.
“Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park which attracted some 90,000 annually before the renovation, is now expected to attract over one million tourists annually. I’m charging the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, and its agencies to devise effective marketing and promotional strategies, to achieve the target of 1 million domestic and international tourist visitations to the Park,” he said.
The park which is located on the coast of Accra was built by the late Jerry John Rawlings in the year 1990 in honour of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President. It was subsequently opened to the public in 1992.
Since its construction, the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park had not seen any revamp. On 19th July 2022, the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, cut sod for the commencement of the rehabilitation and redevelopment of the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Mausoleum.
This was after the government in 2018 secured a US$40 million loan facility from the World Bank through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture to strengthen the tourism environment.
Now in its upgraded state, the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park houses a presidential library, an audio-visual Fountain which incorporates captivating visuals and synchronized music, an upgraded road and drainage Network among others.
On their part, the family of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah expressed appreciation to government for the redevelopment of the Memorial Park.
Tourism plays a crucial role in driving economic growth, and in Ghana, it holds the position of the third-largest contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
In 2021, the tourism sector generated a substantial revenue of $2.1 billion, and its contribution increased to approximately $2.3 billion in the following year.
Looking ahead, the government has set ambitious goals for the tourism sector, aiming to achieve a revenue of $4 billion by 2024.
Source: The Independent Ghana | Andy Ogbarmey-Tettey
The Minority in Parliament has informed the Speaker that they will abstain from participating in the House proceedings on court days concerning their colleague, James Gyakye Quayson.
The leader of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, stated that they will instead accompany their colleague during his court hearings.
This announcement was made by the Ajumako Enyan Essiam lawmaker on Tuesday, July 4, following the swearing-in of the Assin North MP.
“We wish to serve notice that the entire Minority will accompany our colleague today and any other day that he is to appear in court and we are solidarising with our colleague and we will not participate in the business of the House anytime our colleague is in court and we will be withdrawing from the Chamber after this ceremony if the court processes happen today.”
The former Deputy Finance Minister highlighted that Mr. Quayson’s electoral success is a clear indication that Ghanaians are dissatisfied with the Akufo-Addo government.
He emphasized that this victory demonstrates that Ghanaians cannot be influenced solely by financial incentives or virtual projects in exchange for votes.
“The people of Assin North have sent a clear message to all politicians and the government of the day especially, that they cannot be lured with money not be intimidated by threats and it is the same message that Ghanaians are sending to us that in the year 2024, they will exercise their franchise based on their conscience and no amount of threats will dissuade them from voting out the administration that we are witnessing.”
“Ghanaians are really appalled by the abysmal economic mismanagement, poor governance, and increasing level of corruption leading to the unprecedented economic hardship being experienced by the people of Ghana and the time has come for the political class to have a rethink about the worsening monetization of our elections and its negative impact for our democracy,” Dr Forson added.
James Gyakye Quayson has been officially sworn in as the Member of Parliament for Assin North on Tuesday, July 4. This follows his victory in the by-election held on Tuesday, June 27, after the Supreme Court ruled his previous election illegal.
Quayson’s main opponent, Charles Opoku of the New Patriotic Party, secured the second position with 42.15% of valid votes. The Liberal Party of Ghana’s Bernice Enam Sefanu received a minimal number of votes.
The voter turnout was reported to be high at 74.23%, according to officials of the Electoral Commission.
Quayson is currently facing charges of forgery, perjury, deceiving a public officer, and making a false declaration regarding his Canadian citizenship during the 2020 election. He has filed a motion at the High Court for a stay of proceedings pending an appeal, seeking to halt the ongoing trial until the appeal is determined.
The refurbished Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, worth $3.5 million, will be inaugurated on July 4, 2023, by President Akufo-Addo.
The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, after 25 years without significant improvements, has undergone a much-needed facelift.
The park’s fountains, a major attraction, were not functioning properly, and the museum’s leaking roof posed challenges for visitor tours.
The VIP lounge, corridor, and washrooms were also in poor condition. Recognizing the importance of tourism, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo secured a loan to develop the sector and allocated funds for the rehabilitation and redevelopment of the park.
On July 4, 2023, the park will be officially commissioned by President Akufo-Addo, highlighting the New Patriotic Party’s understanding of its historical significance and its contribution to Ghana’s history.
Hence, the Government sparing no efforts in its quest to ensure that the monument is uplifted to a status befitting of the first President of Ghana whilst also generating the needed resources for the country.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has reaffirmed the commitment of his administration to revitalizing the struggling economy.
He emphasized that his government is diligently working towards restoring the economy to a robust state.
In recent times, the economy has faced significant challenges, including rising prices of goods and services, an unsustainable debt burden, and a fluctuating currency, leading the government to seek a $3 million bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
During the Eid-Ul-Adha celebration on Wednesday, June 28, the President addressed Muslims and attributed the stability in petroleum product prices and the local currency to a decrease in inflation.
“I said at the height of the COVID-19 pandemicthat we do not know how to bring back lives, but we know how to bring back an economy. I stand by those words. Insha Allah, we are working to restore the economy to full health, and, Insha Allah, we shall do so”.
“The currency has seen some stability lately, and, through the Gold for Oil Programme, we have seen the stability in the prices of petroleum products as well, all of which are bringing inflation down. Things are getting better, and will get better, I can assure you. Things are getting better and will get better”.
He assured his commitment to implementing policies such as the 1-District-1-Factory, Planting for Food and Jobs, and Free Senior High School, among others.
“We have continued to keep the lights on. We have continued to provide free SHS education. We have continued to ensure drone delivery of critical medicines to needy and remote communities. We have continued to keep the Zongo Development Fund. We have continued to build new roads and repair old ones. We have continued with our 1 -District-1 -Factory policy, and the Programme for Planting for Food and Jobs.
Akufo-Addo has declared that the government will continue to pursue policies and programmes that ensure “things are getting better ”.
He provided reassurance that the situation would continue to improve.
The President emphasized that the government’s steadfastness and dedication in upholding its key policies, programs, and adapting new strategies amidst the economic crisis had played a crucial role in securing an International Monetary Fund (IMF) program within an unprecedented timeframe, and he reassured that this unwavering attitude and commitment would persist in effectively navigating through the challenging period.
Those policies, the President added, had resulted in the economy growing by 4.2 per cent in the first quarter of this year.
Eid-ul-Adha prayers
President Akufo-Addo gave the assurance when he addressed a large section of Muslim faithful during the celebration of Eid- ul-Adha at the Black Star Square in Accra on Wednesday.
In attendance were the Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, ministers of state, the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Nuhu Sharubutu, the German Ambassador, Daniel Krull, and some Muslim clerics.
Eid-ul-Adha or the Feast of Sacrifice is the second and the largest of the two main religious festivals of Islam.
It honours the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice one of his sons, Ismail, as an act of obedience to God’s command.
The National Chief Imam and the Vice-President, together with some few dignitaries, slaughtered a cow to signify the essence of the ceremony, just as Allah offered Ibrahim a ram to be slaughtered instead of Isaka.
Economy
President Akufo-Addo said in spite of the hardships precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the government was standing by its major policy commitments.
“We have continued to keep the lights on, we have continued to provide Free SHS education,” he stated.
He indicated that the government would continue with services such as drone delivery of critical medicines to needy and remote communities, keep the operation of the Zongo Development Fund, build new roads, repair old ones and accelerate work on the One-District, One-factory policy as well as the Planting for Food and Jobs initiative.
President Akufo-Addo said aside from obtaining an IMF programme and the first quarter economic growth, the currency had seen some stability lately.
He explained that through the gold for oil programme, “we’ve seen the stability in the prices of petroleum products as well, all of which are helping to bring inflation down,” and assured that things would get better.
Commitment
President Akufo-Addo reiterated his commitment to all religious communities, both the majority and minority, that just as the 1992 Constitution offered all citizens the right to manifest the religion of their choice, he would respect that.
He indicated that having two Vice-Presidents of the Muslim faith in the two New Patriotic Party (NPP) governments should be a clear indication to Muslim parents that there was value in educating their children.
The President stressed that they should be encouraged that the nation afforded all children the opportunity to rise to the highest possible calling, and therefore encouraged parents to take advantage of progressive policies in the education sector to educate both their male and female children.
President Akufo-Addo cited Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States of America, Hajia Alima Mahama, and the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Lariba Zuweira Abudu, as examples of female Muslims who had risen in society, adding that there was value in educating the Muslim girl-child.
National Imam
In a speech read on his behalf, the National Chief Imam urged Muslims to abide by the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed and eschew wrongdoing.
Sheikh Sharubutu said they should also abide by the example of Ibrahim in obeying the command of God to sacrifice.
The National Chief Imam added that just as they celebrated Eid-ul-Adha, they should continue to praise and reflect on the sacrifice of the Prophet Ibrahim, the father of Monotheistic faith, who showed his readiness to do the will of Allah.
Sheikh Sharubutu urged the Muslim faithful to learn from the need to sacrifice whatever good things they might have for one another so that the world would be filled with love, mutual respect and compassion for absolute peace.
President Akufo-Addo has congratulated the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for their victory in the just-ended Assin North by-election.
The NDC’s Gyakye Quayson on Tuesday, June 27, beat his closest contender, Charles Opoku of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Assin North by-election by obtaining 17,245 votes out of the total valid votes of 29,962, representing 57.56 per cent.
Mr Charles Opoku, on the other hand, garnered 12,630 of the votes cast, representing 42.17 per cent while Bernice Enyonam Sefenu of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) secured 87 votes.
Despite the defeat, President Akufo-Addo urged the rank and file of the ruling New Patriotic Party “to keep their heads up.”
He highlighted that in a democratic government there are winners and losers. The President however entreated NPP supporters not to lose hope as “we live to fight another day.”
“We once held the Assin North seat, and I am confident that, sooner rather than later, Assin North will be blue again,” he added.
Yesterday, Tuesday, 27th June 2023, Ghana’s democratic credentials were strengthened even further, following the conduct of peaceful and credible elections in the Assin North by-election.
I congratulate warmly the Chairperson and Members of the Electoral Commission, again, for… pic.twitter.com/4uSCpGNHWQ
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo has described the just-ended by election as peaceful and credible. He praised the Electoral Commission (EC) and the Ghana Police Service for a job well-done.
“The security services are to be commended for maintaining law and order during the holding of the elections; as is the media for providing extensive coverage before, during and after the elections,” he wrote.
Source: The Independent Ghana | Andy Ogbarmey-Tettey
The legal team of James Gyakye Quayson, the Member of Parliament-elect for Assin North constituency, will today start an appeal process in the Court of Appeal, Criminal Division, to challenge the order for their client to face daily trial by an Accra High Court judge.
The move by lead counsel for Mr Quayson, Tsatsu Tsikata, is to ensure that the MP-elect gets a fair trial in the criminal case he is facing.
In an affidavit signed by Justin Pwara Teriwajah, Quayson’s lawyer, it is argued that the High Court judge, in her ruling allowing for daily trial proceedings, made “errors of law.”
The affidavit also highlights that the court’s ruling took a political turn when President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addomade prejudicial comments following the ruling.
According to the affidavit, President Akufo-Addo emphasized a comment made by his Attorney General, suggesting that Gyakye Quayson acted irresponsibly by running for a parliamentary seat while facing criminal charges.
The relevant section of the affidavit states:
“That, apparently emboldened by the ruling of the court on 23rd June 2023, the extremely prejudicial, unjustified and insulting remarks of the Attorney-General were escalated to the level of the president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
“That, at a campaign rally for the candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the said President made many prejudicial remarks, inclusing some to the effect that the voters in Assin North Constituency should not vote for a candidate who could end up in prison.”
The affidavit also includes a link to the GhanaWeb article containing the quoted comments and states that the accused will seek permission from the court to present a video clip of Akufo-Addo’s remarks at the campaign rally.
In addition to the appeal against the trial order, Quayson’s legal team has filed an application for a stay of proceedings until the appeal is resolved. The application is based on several alleged errors of law committed by the trial judge, which are claimed to have violated Quayson’s right to a fair trial.
Despite facing trial on five charges, the MP-elect participated in and won the by-election held on June 27, as announced by the Electoral Commission.
Quayson secured a total of 17,245 votes, representing 57.56% of the total votes cast. His closest contender, Charles Opoku of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), received 12,630 votes, accounting for 42.15% of the votes.
Bernice Enyonam Sefenu of the Liberal Party Ghana (LPG) secured 87 votes, which represented 0.29% of the overall tally.
The by-election in the Assin North constituency was conducted to fill the parliamentary seat left vacant following a legal battle questioning Quayson’s eligibility due to dual citizenship concerns.
Founder and leader of Glorious Word Power Miracles Church International, Rev Bishop Isaac Owusu Bempah, has made a surprisingrevelation by claiming ownership of the voice on a leaked audio tape that went viral earlier this month.
The tape, purported to be him, contained threatening remarks towards the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akufo Dampare, and had received widespread criticism from Ghanaians.
In the audio, some of the menacing statements directed at the IGP included references to the speaker’s arrest and alleged mistreatment in 2021, suggesting it as the motivation behind the threats.
“Maame, tell Dampare that Akufo-Addo is aware of my contributions to his success, and now that I have started making noise, he is feeling the pressure. Tell Dampare that I am saying that he will regret becoming IGP, and tell him I said what I will do to him in Ghana he will regret. Let him know that if it wasn’t for me Akufo-Addo couldn’t have become president.
Tell Dampare that he has met his match, and he will see what I will do to him. If it wasn’t for me, Akufo-Addo wouldn’t have become president, never. …Tell him that I will never forgive him on this earth… Tell Dampare that he will regret his position as IGP,” parts of the audio revealed in the local dialect, Twi.
Following the release of the audio and the subsequent backlash, Rev Owusu Bempah issued a statement denying any knowledge of its creation and refuting the validity of the voice attributed to him. He expressed disbelief that any right-thinking person would boast about committing atrocities or heinous crimes as confidently heard in the audio.
“My attention has been drawn to an audio circulating on social media, alleged to be my voice. I wish to emphatically state that I have no knowledge about the creation of the said audio and I also deny categorically that the voice of the speaker in the audio is mine.
“To the best of my knowledge, I have not at any time spoken with any person, whether on phone or in an interview where I have made any such comments attributed to me. I do not believe that any right-thinking person would proudly go about telling others about atrocities or heinous crimes he/she has committed with such confidence as is heard in the audio,” part of the statement said.
He expressed his strong belief that the audio was concocted by individuals with malicious intentions, seeking to damage his reputation and incite public disaffection towards him.
However, the founder of Glorious Word Power Ministry International has now recanted his earlier submission on the content of the audio. He now says, the voice in the audio is actually his.
During a recent address to his congregation, Rev Owusu Bempah clarified that the portion of the audio implicating the President Akufo-Addoin an alleged murder on the Tema motorway.
“Someone’s car somersaulted on Tema Motorway, ask him if the time I met with Akufo-Addo he was there. Ask him if he knows the relationship I have with Akufo-Addo, “ the voice in the audio said.
Rev Owusu however said, “The voice that I went with Nana Addo to commit murder is not my voice, but the voice about the IGP Dampare is mine. After our arrest, I made some comments about the treatment I received. I am not above the law and the law must deal with me when I am found guilty.”
Rev Owusu Bempah also expressed concern over the current focus on statements he made about two years ago, emphasizing that those remarks were made during a time when he was dealing with his arrest. He clarified that he currently harbours no ill feelings towards the IGP.
He recounted the distressing details of his arrest and the mistreatment he endured at the hospital while still under arrest.
“You cannot take the law and abuse the person. That I be handcuffed when there is a drip on me. The handcuff is placed where the drip is, I have been cut by the handcuffs, and I am bleeding. I am seeking answers and the officer is nonchalant, aggravating my pain with the handcuffs. He says it is ordered from above.
“The car that came with eight armed and hooded people had not been addressed, at the time, I spoke out of pain and poured my heart out to whoever came to me, I did not understand why I had to be treated like an animal,” he lamented.
Rev Owusu Bempah was arrested on September 12, 2021, by the Accra Regional Police Command for allegedly creating and circulating multiple videos that contained threats, brandishing of weapons and assault on police personnel.
The arrest followed a heated confrontation between Rev Owusu Bempah and a converted fetish priestess, Nana Agradaa, over the weekend. Rev Owusu Bempah and some of his followers reportedly stormed the premises of Nana Agradaa and threatened her with guns.
Rev Owusu Bempah and three other suspects, namely Michael Boateng, Frederick Ohene and Nathaniel Agyekum, were arraigned before an Accra Circuit Court on September 13, 2021. They pleaded not guilty to charges including disturbing public peace, offensive conduct conducive to breach of peace, threat of death and assault of public officers.
Rev Owusu Bempah fell ill on September 13, 2021, while in police custody and was taken to the Police Hospital for treatment. He spent two hours at the hospital before being discharged and returned to the cells.
He later claimed that he was maltreated by the police and handcuffed to his hospital bed.
Founder and leader of Glorious Word and Power Ministry International, Prophet Isaac Owusu Bempah, has distanced himself from a leaked audio tape that implicates him and President Akufo-Addo of Ghana in a murder conspiracy.
In mid-June, a social media audio tape surfaced, allegedly featuring Prophet Owusu Bempah’s voice, making damning revelations about President Akufo-Addo, the 2016 general elections, and issuing a strong warning to Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare.
The audio tape claimed that some people died or suffered accidents and amputations as part of a deliberate plot for President Akufo-Addo to assume power.
“Let him know that if it wasn’t for me Akufo-Addo couldn’t have become president. Tell him because Akufo-Addo became president, someone’s leg has been amputated… Someone’s car somersaulted on Tema Motorway, ask him if the time I met with Akufo-Addo he was there. Ask him if he knows the relationship I have with Akufo-Addo.
“Because of Akufo-Addo, a young guy named Albert who gathered NPP supporters to approach me had his car somersaulted on the Tema Motorway. It was so severe that they had to cut the car before retrieving his body,” a part of the audio said.
Addressing the Tema Motorway incident, Prophet Isaac Owusu Bempah in his latest sermon, described the claim as spurious.
The man of God stated that “The part of the audio that indicated that I took President Akufo-Addo to Tema to kill someone is false. It is not my voice.”
Prophet Isaac Owusu Bempah, however, acknowledged that “I was the one who made the remarks regarding the IGP.”
In the said audio tape, Prophet Owusu Bempah noted that Dr Akuffo Dampare would deeply regret assuming the position of IGP and hinted at retaliating for the alleged mistreatment during his arrest and an alleged plot to assassinate him.
“Let him know that the two of us cannot be contained in Ghana. And tell him that I will show him that I made Akufo-Addo a sitting president before he was appointed as the IGP. Also, inform him that he cannot kill me or harm me in any way. Let him joke around, and he will see what I am capable of.”
“Tell him that I will never forgive him on this earth… the way he and Victor Kusi Boateng were coming to kill me in Kumasi. I have all the information. So, I am giving you this message. Inform him that I have already told Ernest Owusu Bempah and Chairman Wontumi. Chairman Wontumi doesn’t even pick up my calls. If you don’t pass on this message to Dampare, I will be disappointed in you. Tell Dampare that he will regret his position as IGP,” he added.
Background
Reverend Isaac Owusu Bempah was arrested on September 12, 2021, with four accomplices by the Ghana Police Service.
He was arrested for allegedly storming the home of converted fetish priestess Nana Agradaa, now referred to as Evangelist Patricia.
He was charged with offensive conduct conducive to breach of peace, threat of death, and assault of public officers.
He was later granted a GH¢200,000 bail on health grounds on September 15, 2021, with two sureties.
President Akufo-Addo’s recent remarks regarding thelikelihood of Gyakye Quayson facing imprisonment in the ongoing legal tussle have sparked controversy and ignited debates among political observers and individuals alike.
One of such individuals is multiple awarding-winning investigative journalist and writer Manasseh Awuni Azure, who has raised questions about the President’s apparent certainty regarding the outcome of the ongoing legal case, expressing his bewilderment at the President’s confidence in determining the fate of the embattled Member of Parliament.
In a Facebook post, Manasseh posed the following query: “Akufo-Addo has told the people of Assin North not to vote for Gyakye Quayson because he cannot work from prison. Why is the president so sure that Mr. Quayson will end up in prison?”
Manasseh’s comments followed President Akufo-Addo’s speech at a rally where he addressed the constituents of Assin North, urging them not to support Gyakye Quayson due to concerns about his ability to fulfill his duties while incarcerated.
“We should not support or vote for individuals who are entangled in legal controversies that may eventually lead them to face imprisonment.”
He has raised the issue of whether such statements could potentially constitute contempt of court.
“Is this not contempt of court? How does he know the outcome of a case that is just starting?” he quizzed.
Background: James Gyakye Quayson, the former Member of Parliament for Assin North, has been embroiled in a legal battle regarding his dual citizenship status.
After winning the election, concerns were raised regarding his eligibility to hold public office. The Supreme Court of Ghana ruled in favor of the petitioners, declaring his election null and void.
To fill the vacant parliamentary seat, a by-election is scheduled for tomorrow, June 26, 2023.
Gyakye Quayson will contest on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), while Charles Opoku represents the New Patriotic Party.
President Akufo-Addo has shown his generosity at a time deemed to be most controversial in the country’s political space.
In 48-hours to the event that decides the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) majority in Parliament, President Akufo-Addo made a move that is suspected to influence the electorates to swing towards the ruling party during the Assin North by-election.
On Sunday, the President worshipped at the Assin North Pentecost Church to thank God for his mercies, as well as solicit the votes of electorates for Tuesday’s election.
President Akufo-Addo clarified that although he is the father of the country, he has a responsibility to chair the affairs of the party, hence ensure the NPP’s victory in the upcoming by-elections.
To show the party’s support for the good works done by the Pentecost Church, the President, on behalf of the NPP, presented a sum of GHS150,000 to the leadership of the church.
He clarified that out of the total, GHS100,000 has been drawn from the coffers of the party, while the remaining GHS50,000 is given from his own volition.
In his campaign message, he entreated the congregants to “Give me (him) someone I (he) can work with” in the name of Charles Opoku.
“I’ve have a year and six months. There are so many things left to do. I need someone who can come and speak with me,” he added.
The NPP’s Charles Opoku and the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) James Gyakye Quayson are expected to engage in a keen contest.
Mr Quayson is no new face in Assin North. In 2021, he was sworn-in as the Assin North MP but after the discovery that he held dual citizenship during the 2020 parliamentary elections, the results have been annulled. The Cape Coast High Court’s decision and the Supreme Court’s corroboration that Mr Quayson unlawfully won the seat has prompted this by-election.
Meanwhile, the President has urged for a violence-free election as contrary could impede the development of the constituency and the nation at large.
“Let us make sure Tuesday’s by-election does not record any form of violence. We know that if we commit the election into the hands of God, it will be peaceful,” he said.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has addressed the situation concerning the ousted Member of Parliament (MP) for the Assin North Constituency, James Gyakye Quayson, during a speech delivered to residents of Assin North on Sunday, June 27, 2023, at a local Church of Pentecost. Akufo-Addo sought to clarify that it is not him or his New Patriotic Party (NPP) government who are responsible for the prosecution of the removed MP, but rather the laws of the country that are catching up with him.
Responding to claims by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) that Quayson would still receive votes even if he were jailed, the President questioned the rationale of voting for a candidate who would ultimately end up in prison. Akufo-Addo emphasized the need for an MP who can address the challenges faced by the constituency and work collaboratively to find solutions.
In a gesture of support, President Akufo-Addo also donated a total of GH¢150,000 to the Church of Pentecost to aid in the construction of the Pentecost University in Assin North.
The background to the situation revolves around a Supreme Court ruling on May 17, 2023, which ordered the expulsion of James Gyakye Quayson from Parliament. The court declared that Quayson was not eligible to contest the 2020 general elections due to his failure to prove the renunciation of his Canadian citizenship at the time of filing his nomination.
Consequently, the Assin North seat was declared vacant by Parliament, leading to the Electoral Commission of Ghana announcing a by-election on May 27, 2023, to fill the vacant position. However, Quayson still faces another case in court, as the Office of the Attorney General has accused him of deceiving public officials to obtain state documents.
On February 12, 2022, James Gyakye Quayson was charged with five counts, including deceit of a public officer, forgery of a passport, knowingly making a false statutory declaration, perjury, and false declaration.
As the by-election unfolds, Assin North constituents will have the opportunity to choose their new representative, with the outcome significantly impacting the constituency’s future political direction.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo made a highly anticipated appearance at the final rally of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Assin North on June 25, ahead of the upcoming by-election scheduled for June 27. During his speech, President Akufo-Addo passionately endorsed the NPP’s candidate, Charles Opoku, asserting that he was a superior choice compared to James Gyakye Quayson of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Following the conclusion of his speech, President Akufo-Addo turned around and was pleasantly surprised to see Akua Donkor, the founder of the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP), standing behind him with a cheerful expression. Displaying his amazement, President Akufo-Addo joined Akua Donkor in a spontaneous dance, much to the delight of the enthusiastic crowd. Taking advantage of the moment, Akua Donkor requested a photo with the President, which he happily obliged, amidst the lively singing of the crowd.
The Assin North by-election was necessitated by the removal of James Gyakye Quayson from his position as lawmaker due to a Supreme Court ruling, which invalidated the processes leading to his nomination as a parliamentary candidate in 2020. Despite this setback, Quayson has been retained as the NDC’s candidate, setting the stage for a closely contested race against Charles Opoku of the NPP. Political analysts have predicted a highly competitive election, with potential outcomes favoring the NPP.
As the by-election draws closer, the political atmosphere in Assin North remains charged with excitement and anticipation. Both the NPP and the NDC have intensified their campaigns to secure victory in this pivotal electoral contest. President Akufo-Addo’s presence at the NPP’s final rally, coupled with his enthusiastic endorsement of Charles Opoku, has undoubtedly injected further momentum into the party’s campaign, heightening the stakes for all parties involved.
On June 27, the residents of Assin North will exercise their right to vote and determine their new representative. The outcome of this by-election will not only shape the dynamics within the constituency but also carry broader implications for Ghana’s political landscape. As the nation eagerly awaits the election results, all eyes will be on Assin North to witness the democratic process unfold and to ascertain which candidate will emerge victorious in this closely watched race.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has told residents of Assin North that they deserve a member of parliament who is not constantly involved in legal disputes.
He was addressing on June 25 at the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) last rally in Fosu, where the party urged supporters to cast their votes en masse for Charles Opoku, the party’s parliamentary candidate.
Akufo-Addo argued that electing Charles Opoku would mean choosing a legislator who is not distracted by other matters and can concentrate on his or her legislative responsibilities.
He was referring to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate James Gyakye Quayson who is standing to win a seat he was ousted from by the Supreme Court last month and is currently facing criminal charges at an Accra High Court.
The president said the case of Quayson, a dual nationality case is likened to that of a former NPP MP for Bawku Central who was jailed for contesting for a parliamentary seat despite holding Ghanaian and British citizenship.
He explained: “That Ghanaians easily forget and that is why he (John Mahama) said that. What happened to Adamu Dramani Sakande during his presidency, he seems to have forgotten. It is the exact same thing that has befallen Quayson.
“Was it politics that led to Sakande’s jailing during his presidency? Why is he relating it to that now, let us be truthful, we should be truthful, people should stop lying to people in the villages.
The by-election has attracted a lot of political activity in the past few weeks. Campaigns ended on June 25 ahead of the vote.
President Akufo-Addo led the New Patriotic Party’s final rally in the constituency campaigning for the candidacy of Charles Opoku who according to a poll is leading marginally.
The US Secretary of the Treasury, Janet L. Yellen, has lauded President Akufo-Addofor his unwavering dedication to Ghana’s economic reforms.
That, she said, was of essence to boost economic growth and resiliency, particularly in the wake of the country’s progress on debt restructuring under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programnme.
Ms. Yellen commended the President during a meeting with the latter on the sidelines of the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact, in France, on Thursday, June 22.
President Nana Akufo-Addo was one of the key global personalities invited for the Summit, organised by French President, Emmanuel Macron.
A report by Reuters on the sidelines of the meeting, monitored by the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said the two personalities discussed efforts to evolve the multilateral development banks to combat 21st Century global challenges.
They also deliberated on work to mobilise climate and infrastructure financing for Ghana and other African countries during the engagement.
The IMF, in May this year, congratulated the West African nation on the US$3 billion IMF-supported programme approved by the Executive Board.
“We stand with Ghana as it implements reforms to address the current economic and financial crisis and help build a better future for all Ghanaians,” a statement by the Fund noted.
The June 2023 Summit for a New Global Financial Pact is borne out of the cascading consequences of concurring climate, energy, health and economic crises, particularly in the most vulnerable countries.
It aims to propose solutions to finance issues that go beyond the climate question, including access to health and the fight against poverty.
The COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and their successive consequences have reduced the fiscal and budgetary space of many countries – affecting their ability to finance their populations’ access to basic social services.
As a result, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) noted a decline in human development in nine out of ten countries around the world in 2022, mainly due to a drop in life expectancy and an increase in poverty.
In a statement, the French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, declared the Summit would aim to “build a new contract with the North and the South”, in order to facilitate the access of vulnerable countries to the financing they needed to address the consequences of ongoing and future crises.
Issues at stake at the Summit encompass restoring fiscal space to countries facing short-term difficulties, especially the most indebted countries, as well as fostering private sector development in low-income countries.
The event also seeks to encourage investment in green infrastructure for the energy transition in emerging and developing countries, and mobilising innovative financing for countries vulnerable to climate change.
The Deputy Ranking Member of the Financial Committee in Parliament, Isaac Adongo, has criticized President Akufo-Addo for blaming rating agencies for contributing to the country’s economic woes.
The Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga Central is of the view that the ratings of these international rating agencies have a great deal in borrowing from developed countries.
Isaac Adongo further described President Akufo-Addo as a dishonest man for enjoying the benefits of high financial ratings but having a problem with low ratings from the same bodies when their findings are nothing but the truth.
“You see the dishonesty, when the rating agencies were rating us high and we were going to the capital markets and showing them the rating of Ghana and collecting the $3 billion, were we in bed with them to deceive the investors? What have the rating agencies said that is not true?
“They should tell that man [Akufo-Addo] that rating is not a diplomatic manoeuvre, he should stop going around his peers and telling them stories. The rating agencies and the capital market predates his own life, and it is part of the global financial system that has come to be accepted. He has been a beneficiary of it,” Adongo said.
President Akufo-Addo during the 30th Africa Export and Import Bank annual meetings, took a swipe at rating agencies for their “reckless” downgrades of African economies during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
He noted that these downgrades have led to countries, especially Ghana being shut out of the international capital market.
“I can comfortably and convincingly say this as the AU champion for African financial institutions and leader of a country, which recently had to deal with one of the most difficult periods in his post-independence history, difficulties which were exacerbated by the reckless behaviour of rating agencies that engaged in pro-cyclical downgrades shutting Ghana out of capital markets and turning it liquidity crisis into a solvency crisis.
“The country which had become the favourite child of bondholders, and had successfully gone to market at the height of the pre-Covid downturn was suddenly shut out of international capital markets,” Akufo-Addo said during his speech at the 30th annual meetings of Afreximbank.
President Akufo-Addo’s persistent jabs at credit rating agencies, according to Professor Lord Mensah, an associate professor at the University of Ghana Business School’s Department of Finance, expose the government.
According to him, President Akufo-Addo’s comments are because of the government’s inability to borrow from the capital market to cover up the non-performance of the economy.
President Akufo-Addo speaking to African leaders at a tribute to the AfriExim bank accused global rating agencies of recklessly downgrading Ghana’s credit rating, effectively compounding the country’s economic woes.
But speaking on Morning Starr with Francis Abban on Tuesday June 20, Professor Lord Mensa says the President and his Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta are only upset because the country has been cut off from the international capital market.
“If you look at the posture of the President and the Finance Minister, clearly it is the accessibility of the capital market that is the problem.
“The capital market deals with confidence that investors will have in your economy. But by word of mouth, say that the rating agencies are being reckless and by doing so it may affect our economic performance is different,” Prof. Lord Mensah disagreed with the President’s statement.
He continued: “We were using the capital market to shadow our non-performance of the economy, that kind of economic management where you go and borrow and come and cover up as if you have dollars meanwhile they are borrowed which you have to pay in the long run and immediately you were blocked from the international market, look are what happened to us.”
Professor Godfred Bokpin, an economist and lecturer at the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS), has called for the resignation of President Akufo-Addo, citing the inability to effectively govern with a maximum of 40 ministers.
Bokpin argues that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program secured by the country is not a definitive solution to the ongoing economic crisis. He stresses the importance of the government implementing additional measures alongside those recommended by the IMF.
The academic suggests that the government should reduce the number of ministers and consider dissolving unnecessary agencies during these challenging times.
Additionally, merging certain ministries could help curtail government expenditure.
“Why can’t we do that? If any president comes and says that he can’t do that, he should resign.
“We are not looking for perfect people to govern this country because we can’t get that here. If the president cannot govern this country with less than 40 ministers, he should step down.
“We said that government with this number of people because we don’t have the budget to sustain all of that. Collapse that, sell the V-8s,” he said.
Professor Bokpin was speaking at the Graphic Business/Stanbic Bank Business Meeting. The theme was “The Current Economic Situation and You.”
The economist also explained that the IMF is not an entity that embarks on recovering economies by itself.
According to him, the international body does not have a single case study of a country that it has transformed economically.
He explained that Ghana use to shine under the body but the country presently shows otherwise.
“This is how the IMF works. If any of us is thinking that the IMF certainly will come and transform our economy, IMF doesn’t do that.
In fact, IMF doesn’t have a single case study of a country they have transformed economically. In the time past, Ghana use to be a shining example of IMF interventions but this is where we are now.
The lecturer, therefore, indicated that the country needs to decide on specific interventions or strategies to achieve the “broad fiscal policy framework” prescribed by the IMF.
CEO of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye, has stated that hospitals refusing to accept NHIA cards would soon lose their accreditation.
In his view, it is important for hospitals to provide healthcare to all persons including people with NHIA cards.
According to Dr Okoe-Boye, the refusal of hospitals to accept NHIA cards contradicts the principles upon which the authority was established and undermines the goal of achieving universal healthcare coverage and leaves vulnerable individuals without proper medical assistance.
“Before the end of the year, some hospitals are going to be decredentialed by us, decredentialed means that they are going to lose their credentials. Any hospital that is decredentialed, I would not be surprised would go and bring Chiefs to come and beg because 80 per cent of all hospitals in Ghana, survive with NHIA so when we withdraw the license they cannot operate.
“The IGF of 80 per cent of all hospitals in Ghana, as for government hospitals it is 90 per cent, they survive only because Health Insurance continues to pay them every month,” Dr Okoe-Boye said when speaking to the media on Tuesday, June 20.
Dr. Okoe-Boye also expressed his frustration with the constant negative portrayal of the NHIA and its services.
He believes that such criticism only serves to tarnish the reputation of an institution that has made significant strides in improving healthcare access for all citizens.
The former Deputy Health Minister acknowledged that there is always room for improvement within any organization, including the NHIA, however, he believes that continuous bashing and negative portrayals hinder progress and do not contribute to the betterment of the healthcare system.
He called for a change in the narrative and encouraged stakeholders to engage in constructive dialogue with the NHIA to address any concerns and improve the delivery of healthcare services.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, said the country’s current economic problems are a result of credit rating agencies’ repeated downgrades of Ghana’s economy.
Such “reckless downgrades,” according to Akufo-Addo, are not in the best interests of developing nations like Ghana.
Speaking in Accra at the African Export-Import Bank’s 30th anniversary celebration, Akufo-Addo claimed that such ratings place unnecessary pressure on African economies.
Stressing the impacts of the ratings, president Akufo-Addo said being “the AU champion for African financial institutions and leader of a country that recently had to deal with one of the most difficult periods in his post-independent history, difficulties that were exacerbated by the reckless behaviour of rating agencies that engaged in pro-cyclical downgrades that shut Ghana out of the capital market and turned a liquidity crisis into a solvency crisis.”
Akufo-Addo also highlighted the risks and costs associated with African nations relying on foreign capital markets.
In his keynote address, the president said that it is important for Africans to build their own indigenous financial institutions in order to achieve economic growth through domestic resource mobilization and private sector development.
He explained the drawbacks of depending on foreign capital, citing financial leakages, high borrowing rates, and interest payments as key issues.
According to him, such reliance undermines the growth of domestic financial institutions and hampers the development of African economies.
He ended his speech by proposing some interventions that African leaders should embrace to overcome the current economic challenges.
He emphasized the importance of capitalization and effective coordination with the African Union.
“Unless we have strong financial institutions, we are not going to develop. We have learnt over the decades that relying on foreign capital is both risky and costly.
It has resulted in huge financial leakages to a high cost of default-driven borrowing rates and interest payments and underminesthe growth of our financial institution’s domestic resource mobilization and private sector development.”
On Monday, president Akufo-Addo, has left Ghana for a six-day working trip to Spain, France, and the United Kingdom (UK).
At the joint invitation of the King of Spain, His Majesty Felipe Juan Pablo Alfonso VI, and the King of Jordan, His Majesty Abdullah II Bin Al-Hussein, President Akufo-Addo will on Tuesday, 20th June 2023, participate in the Aqaba Process meeting of West Africa and the Sahel in Cordoba, Spain.
He will travel to Paris, France, at the invitation of the French President, H. E. Emmanuel Macron, to participate in the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact, to be held from 22nd to 23rd June, 2023 and proceed to the United Kingdom on 23d June, 2023 for a private visit.
He was accompanied by the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Hon. Dr Kwaku Afriyie, and officials of the Presidency.
President Akufo-Addo will return to Ghana on Saturday, 24th June, 2023 and in his absence, the Vice President, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, shall, in accordance with Afticle 60 (8) of the Constitution, act in his stead.
President Akufo-Addo has emphasized the risks and drawbacks associated with African nations relying on foreign capital markets.
He highlighted the need for Africans to establish and strengthen their own financial institutions in order to achieve economic growth through domestic resource mobilization and private sector development.
President Akufo-Addo drew attention to the negative consequences of depending on foreign capital, including financial leakages, high borrowing rates, and interest payments during his keynote address at the 30th AGM of the African Export and Import Bank (Afreximbank).
He stressed that such reliance undermines the growth of domestic financial institutions and hampers the overall development of African economies.
He urged his fellow African leaders to prioritize the establishment of strong financial institutions to foster prosperity across the continent.
“Unless we have strong financial institutions we are not going to develop, we have learnt over the decades that relying on foreign capital is both risky and costly. It has resulted in huge financial leakages to a high cost of default-driven borrowing rates and interest payments and undermine the growth of our financial institution’s domestic resource mobilization and private sector development,” President Akufo-Addo said.
Mr Akufo-Addo outlined some interventions that African leaders should embrace to overcome the current economic challenges. He emphasized the importance of capitalization and effective coordination with the African Union.
“There is capital and effective coordination with the African Union. Despite constant efforts made by many African governments during an extremely economic global operating environment, our economic financing institutions remain highly under-capitalised,” the President noted.
Afreximbank, a key player in facilitating trade and economic development in Africa, has taken a significant step by providing $10 billion in funding for the establishment of an adjustment fund.
This fund aims to support countries under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a landmark agreement aimed at boosting intra-African trade and economic integration.
President Akufo-Addo has encouraged nurses and midwives to embrace postings to rural areas, where their valuable services are in high demand.
He said the refusal of some healthcare professionals to accept postings to some parts of the country was not helpful to efforts at making quality healthcare services accessible to all Ghanaians.
The President made the call on Friday at a grand durbar to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the School of Nursing and Midwifery, of the College of Health Sciences of the University of Ghana, Legon.
The anniversary is being celebrated under the theme: “Resilience in Developing Nursing and Midwifery Workforce: Embracing Technology and Promoting Excellence.”
Underlining the need for the equitable distribution of healthcare professionals across the country, President Akufo-Addo thought it was unfair for health workers to be concentrated in cities and urban areas to the detriment of people in rural settings.
He asked nurses and midwives to emulate their forebearers who accepted work in any part of the country even when the national infrastructure was not the best and without the incentive packages being offered presently by the government.
“Our schools of Nursing and Midwifery have got a good reputation and have been training good nurses and midwives who easily find work in all parts of the world.
“But the nurse-population ratio in our country remains unsatisfactory after 66 years of our nation. We currently do not have the number of healthcare professionals with the right mix of skills and expertise in some of our regions, districts, and deprived communities, especially in the newly created regions and districts.
“Nurses refusing postings is particularly distressing. I want to use this platform to encourage all health practitioners to follow the worthy example of your great forebearers who readily accepted postings in their early years when the national infrastructure was even more harrowing than it is.
“Therefore, I am appealing to you as passionately as I can to accept postings to all regions and district hospitals where your services are most needed,” he said.
The deputy ranking member on the education committee inparliament, Dr. Clement Apaak, has claimed that since 2017, the government has not provided funding for senior high schools’ ICT and libraries.
According to him, as part of the Free Senior High School (policy the government was supposed to pay for the ICT for SHSs but has failed to do that.
This comes on the back of the National Food Buffer Stock Company giving a fourteen-day’s ultimatum to settle over 200 million Cedis owed the Ghana Foodsuppliers association.
According to the suppliers, since the 2021 academic year, the government has failed to settle arrears of over 200 million Cedis which the association has threatened to stage a protest at the Ministry of Education to press the government on their demands.
Speaking to the media with Francis Abban, the spokesperson of the Ghana Food Suppliers association, Kweku Amedume said the association will not frustrate implementation of Free SHS policy as he took a swipe at the posture of CEO for Ghana Buffer Stock Company Abdul Hanan Wahab.
Commenting on the challenges, the Builsa South lawmaker stated that he cannot fathom why the government is adamant to review the FSHS policy.
“As part of the variables that constitute free, the government is supposed to take up the cost of ICT and library fees. Since 2017 the government has not paid even one pesewa. The government has not even regulated even one pesewa to any Senior High School in this country to cover the fee for ICT and library.
“So the truth is that the programme has challenges. Let’s sit down as a nation and let’s discuss the issues and bring in all the stakeholders and let’s agree on the way forward,” Dr. Apaak stated on Metro TV.
He continued: “I cannot fathom why the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia NPP government has been so adamant. Almost all stakeholders in the educational space have called for this review. Even the President sometime last year admitted that yes he has heard the calls and that he is not averse to taking another look at the implementation of the programme and the challenges.”
The Builsa South MP further stated that what the IMF and Minister for Information have said with regards to Free Senior High School policy and flagship programmes there should be attempts for a review by now.
The future hangs uncertain for the hundreds of artisans and traders who have long operated at Odifuor Asare Park in Amakom, Kumasi. Their livelihoods are now at stake following a high court ruling on Friday, June 16.
For nearly four decades, the 3.4-acre land has served as a bustling hub for various skilled workers, including mechanics and food vendors.
But a private individual laid claim to the land, challenging the artisans’ longstanding presence and usage.
Over 300 artisans embarked on a legal battle against the private individual, seeking to establish their rightful ownership of the land.
Regrettably, the ruling declared the land to belong to the private individual, leaving the artisans in a state of uncertainty and potential displacement.
The ruling has left the artisans grappling with the fear of losing their source of income and the economic stability they have built over the years.
“We are more than three hundred people operating in the area. All these persons have apprentices. I have worked at the place for the past 38 years. I was the first to start operating there. The KMA allowed us to engage in our activities there. Even if they want to sell the land, we can buy it,” Akwasi Addai, one of the mechanics stated in an interview with Citi News.
In light of this verdict, the aggrieved individuals are now reaching out to the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and President Nana Akufo-Addo, appealing for their intervention to prevent the potential loss of their source of livelihood.
“We are appealing to the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and President Akufo-Addo to intervene. We have no one to come to our aid,” one of the affected persons, Georgina Mensah appealed.
Emmanuel Addai, the lawyer representing the affected persons, has expressed the intention to appeal the court’s decision on behalf of his clients.
He urged the artisans to remain calm during this process, assuring them that legal action will be taken.
Efforts to contact the private individual involved in the case have thus far been unsuccessful.
President Akufo-Addo has emphasized the importance of nurses and midwives accepting postings to rural and underserved areas where their services are most needed.
The President expressed concern that the refusal of some healthcare professionals to accept assignments in certain parts of the country hindered efforts to ensure accessible and high-quality healthcare services for all Ghanaians.
He made his concerns known during a grand durbar commemorating the 60th anniversary of the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Ghana, Legon,
Under the theme “Resilience in Developing Nursing and Midwifery Workforce: Embracing Technology and Promoting Excellence,” the anniversary celebration highlighted the need for healthcare professionals to embrace technology and excel in their field.
President Akufo-Addo stressed the significance of equitably distributing healthcare professionals across the country. He viewed the concentration of health workers in cities and urban areas as unfair to the people residing in rural settings.
The President called upon nurses and midwives to follow the example of their predecessors who willingly served in any part of the country, even in challenging conditions without the present government’s incentive packages or optimal national infrastructure.
“Our schools of Nursing and Midwifery have got a good reputation and have been training good nurses and midwives who easily find work in all parts of the world.
“But the nurse-population ratio in our country remains unsatisfactory after 66 years of our nation. We currently do not have the number of healthcare professionals with the right mix of skills and expertise in some of our regions, districts, and deprived communities, especially in the newly created regions and districts.
“Nurses refusing postings is particularly distressing. I want to use this platform to encourage all health practitioners to follow the worthy example of your great forebearers who readily accepted postings in their early years when the national infrastructure was even more harrowing than it is now.
“Therefore, I am appealing to you as passionately as I can to accept postings to all regions and district hospitals where your services are most needed,” he said.
Vice president, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has reiterated his dedication to propelling Ghana towards enhanced transformation and economic progress under his potential presidency.
Following the submission of his presidential nomination form at the party headquarters in Accra on Friday, June 16, Dr. Bawumia addressed enthusiastic party supporters and promised to change the fortunes of the country under his presidency.
He expressed his intent to build upon the strong foundation laid by the current administration led by President Akufo-Addo.
“I believe that it is time to move Ghana to the next level by building on the foundations we have put in place so far…Together with you, I want to see a Ghana where we leverage technology, data and systems for inclusive economic growth. I want to make Ghana the digital hub of Africa. I want us to bridge the digital divide and apply digital technology and artificial intelligence for the transformation of healthcare, education, and public service delivery amongst others”.
He further emphasized his unwavering dedication to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Ghana throughout his 22-year journey, spanning from his tenure as Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana during the Kufuor era to the present government.
“Over the last 22 years, I have worked hard with you for the NPP and for Ghana from during the Kufuor era as Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, through our years in opposition and now in government.
“During this period, I have sacrificed for the party, I have defended the party in good times and in challenging times, I have never wavered nor slacked. Never! and I have built a solid track record of performance as Vice President with an unflinching loyalty to our party and government through rain or shine,” he added.
Only 17 of the 5,400 schools under trees have been completed by the Akufo-Addo-led-administration since 2021, according to some Civil Society Organisations and teacher groups.
A report put together by 10 CSOs including STAR-Ghana, CAMFEDand ActionAid added that at the current pace, it will take Ghana more than 300 years to eradicate the over 5,400 schools under trees, sheds and dilapidated structures.
“There are over 5,400 schools existing under trees, sheds and dilapidated structures, a situation which negatively affects, teaching, learning, and learning outcomes. The general learning environment is not only a disincentive for teachers to accept postings but also demotivates existing teachers while making school attendance unattractive to students.
“The government in 2021 announced a programme to replace all schools under trees, sheds and dilapidated structures with decent new school buildings by 2025. To date, only 17 have been completed. Given the current pace, it will take Ghana more than 300 years to eradicate the over 5,400 schools under trees, sheds and dilapidated structures, which is unacceptable.”
The report added that between 2015 and 2021, public basic schools grew by 12 per cent with private schools growing by 68 per cent but in the medium term 2018-2021, only an average of 0.8 primary schools were constructed each year per district.
The slow growth of public schools, due to the lack of adequate investment in basic school infrastructure suggests the government is shifting the responsibility of providing free compulsory universal basic education to the private sector, which is beyond the financial reach of the poor.
The CSOs and teacher groups also criticised thegovernment’s one student, one laptop initiative.
“Government’s plan to procure 1.3 million laptops to replace textbooks in Senior High Schools across the country does not represent efficient and prioritised use of public funds in the face of a heavily underfunded basic education sub-sector”.
The CSOs also made a number of recommendations they believe could help revive the country’s educational system if adhered to.
“The government must develop an emergency infrastructure expansion plan for overcrowded urban and peri-urban schools. The Plan must also include a purposive approach to bridging the 25 percent gap between primary and JHS while providing new schools for underserved communities. The government must deploy desks to all the 2.3 million pupils in underserved schools. Partnerships with the Forestry Commission and the private sector should be pursued,” the organisations recommended.
President Akufo-Addo has stated that the late Prof. Ama Ata Aidoo was an outstanding writer, an advocate for African women as well as the world at large.
The President said he and Prof. Aidoo were contemporaries at the University of Ghana and “she brought a lot of glory to our country, by her works, her personality and by the cause she stood for”.
President Akufo-Addo was speaking when the family of the late Prof. Aidoo paid a courtesy call on him at the Jubilee House in Accra yesterday to officially announce the death of the professor and burial arrangements.
The delegation was led by the Head of the Ogyadze Asona Family of Abora Nkwanta, Ebusuapanyin Kwamena Essandoh Aidoo.
Other members of the delegations were the deceased’s daughter, Kinna Likimani; Emmanuel Eduful Esaah, Dr Agnes Akosua Aidoo, Ambassador Ekua Prah, Kwesi Baffoe Intsiful, Josephine Gyimah, Lucy Aikins, Abena Duma Aidoo and Ojo Arko Erskine. Burial
Professor Aidoo will lie in state on July 13, 2023, and be buried in her hometown, Abiadze Kyarkor in the Mfantsemen Municipality in the Central Region the following day.
She would be given a state-assisted burial.
Thanksgiving Service would be held on Sunday, July 16, 2023, at the Good Shepherd Methodist Church, Abiadze Kyarkor.
Prof. Aiddo who passed on May 31, 2023, was a Ghanaian author, poet, playwright, politician and academic.
She was the Secretary of Education from 1982 to 1983 under President Jerry John Rawlings’s PNDC administration.
Some of the books she authored are Anowa, The Dilemma of a Ghost, The Girl who Can, Our Sister Killjoy, No Sweetness Here and Changes: A Love Story.
Great loss
President Akufo-Addo said the death of Prof. Aiddo was a great loss to the nation and that the two of them had maintained a good relationship since their student days.
He further described her as one of the most distinguished citizens of this generation and expressed appreciation to the family for formally informing him of her demise and pledged to attend the funeral.
“It is my decision that the late Prof. should be given a state-assisted burial because she deserves it.
It will also offer the opportunity for the people to pay their due respect, express their appreciation and gratitude for a life that was strongly dedicated to the country,” the President added.
He said the Office of the Chief of Staff would collaborate with the family to plan towards a fitting burial for the late Prof. Aidoo. Deceased’s wish
Ebusuapanyin Kwamena Essandoh Aidoo disclosed that while alive, Prof. Aidoo requested that the family should not preserve her remains for more than six weeks, a wish the family said would be fulfilled.
Government is rolling out significant incentives to drive interest in commercial agriculture with the ultimate aim of revamping the ailing economy.
Under the Novel Agricultural Focus Economic Enclave, the government is making available suitable lands fitted with power supply, irrigation, warehousing, and other inputs to enable stress-free farming across the country.
To address bureaucracy, the government has tasked the Millennium Development Authority to implement the agenda.
The President also provided the fine details on the Novel Agricultural Focus Economic Enclave.
According to him, under the Novel EEP, “government is facilitating the availability of suitable and well-prepared land fitted with farm roads, power supply, irrigated water, some farming equipment and much-needed infrastructure for trainee farmers’ accommodation, grain processing import and equipment storage and warehousing.”
The 8-point agenda highlighted by President Akufo-Addo are:
Supporting commercial farming and attracting educated youth into commercial farming.
Building the country’s life manufacturing sector
Developing engineering machine tools in ICT digital economy industry
Fast-tracking digitisation
Developing Ghana’s Housing and Construction Industry
Establishing Ghana’s regional hub
Reviewing optimising implementation of government’s flagship and key programmes
Creating jobs for young people and expanding opportunities to the vulnerable in society including physically challenged persons
The chief of Mempeasem in Accra, Nii Torgbor Obodai Ampaw, has issued an apology for not standing up during the national anthem at the Green Ghana event held on the University of Ghana campus last Friday.
In a statement released on Monday, July 12, 2023, Nii Torgbor Obodai Ampaw acknowledged that he was feeling physically weak and unwell on that particular day, which prevented him from standing for the national anthem.
Responding to media reports and President Akufo-Addo’s directive regarding his actions, Nii Torgbor Obodai Ampaw clarified that he immediately expressed his apologies through the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey, who was present at the event.
Nii Torgbor Obodai Ampaw further explained that his medical condition significantly affected his ability to stand during the national anthem on that specific occasion.
Background
On Friday, June 9, 2023, Ghana observed Green Ghana Day to plant 10 million trees as part of efforts to recover the vegetation cover lost.
However, the day was not devoid of drama as the Chief of Mempeasem, Nii Torgbor Obodai Ampaw, and his elders refused to stand when all were directed to rise to observe the national anthem after the arrival of the president.
Observing this, President Akufo-Addo fumed, and subsequently directed the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quarter, to engage the traditional authorities.
Sources say the issue was clarified and the traditional authorities followed protocol in subsequent activities including rising for the national anthem to mark the end of the event.
Nii Torgbor Obodai Ampaw’s explanation
“… I will like to state for the records that I did not elect to willfully refuse to stand to observe of the national anthem. No patriotic son of the land will do so, let alone a chief, more so in the presence of the president and other distinguished guests.”
“I did not stand up to observe the national anthem because I felt weak. Even though I was not well and was on medication, I endeavoured to attend the programme because I share the vision of the President for the Green Ghana Day initiative. I was hoping everything will go as planned so I could retire home in time to continue with my recuperation.
“Unfortunately for me, the programme commenced rather late, I had been sitting for a considerable period of time and thus, felt weak from the efforts of the medication and my ill health, by the time the national anthem was being observed, which was why I was unable to stand on my feet to observe it.”
“…I immediately apologised through the Regional Minister to the President. After that, even though I was still not feeling well, I did my best to stand on my feet for the opening prayer and subsequently, the second observation of the national anthem at the end of the programme in reverence to the President and all the distinguished guests. This is contrary to the erroneous impression being created in some circles that I sat throughout the programme.
“I wish to assure the president and the good people of Ghana, that I am law abiding citizen of this country and also as a chief, it is incumbent on me at all times to uphold the sovereignty of this nation as enshrined in the national anthem.
“I will like therefore [to state that], but for my temporary incapacitation, I will never refuse to willfully properly observe something as important as the national anthem. I am therefore by this communication, unreservedly apologising, and also encouraging all Ghanaians to exercise restraint with their reactions, especially as directed to the number gentleman of the land.
“The president is the custodian of our sovereignty and thus, it is his duty at all times to be zealous in defending same. I wish to thank all Ghanaians for their concern for our forward march and wish mother Ghana peace and prosperity. May God bless our homeland Ghana and make it great and strong.”
Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, has appealed to the government to increase its budget allocation to the judicial service to ensure its sustained growth.
In her acceptance speech after being sworn-in as Chief Justice today, June 12, Justice Torkornoo noted that government has made a significant investment towards the growth of the judicial service.
She highlighted the digitalization of court processes as one of the benefits derived from the government’s numerous developmental projects.
However, Justice Torkornoo, stated that despite the achievements chalked, much remains to be done, hence the need for increased investment through a rise in budgetary allocation for the Judiciary.
Parts of her speech read: “As much as the Judiciary appreciates the level of investment being made in yhr physical structures of new courts, we have also taken steps to review all rules of court to enhance their operation and application in digital arenas.
“Your Excellency, it is clear to me as an active player in all the different facets of the reform initiatives we have referred to above, since I joined the Judiciary in 2004, that to speed up the efficiency and effectiveness of our systems, so much more is need for and from the Judiciary than determination and our vowed purpose.
“There is a need to expedite the National digitalization agenda to allow for easier networking of all stakeholders.
“There is a need to increase the budget of the Judiciary to allow us room to expand our infrastructure in the automation and digitalization agenda because undoubtedly, the efficiency of court processes and administration is assured with more deliberate use of technology.”
According to the Chief Justice, only 26 per cent of courts are networked and only 12 per cent of courts have been brought into the bracket of full automation in the operation through digitalization of their processes.
Justice Gertrude Torkornoo lamented the laborious processes some courts in the country continue to practice despite the advancement of technology.
Bemoaning the relatively low acceptance of the digitalization drive in the judicial system, Justice Torkornoo revealed that just 62% of courts in the country use computers while tackling the issue of automation.
This implies that 48% of courts continue to use the” laborious inefficient models of taking evidence in manuscript, and managing administration.”
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo has expressed his determination to continue being a dependable and trustworthy partner to the Judiciary.
“I want to assure Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo that just as I did with her predecessor, I will be a dependable and trustworthy partner of the judiciary,” he said.
The President noted that this would ensure that “the Executive and the Judiciary work together in the spirit of mutual respect to consolidate the tenets of good governance for the benefit of the Ghanaian people.”
Ghanaian politician and businessman, Kojo Bonsu, has revealed that he is considering to shutdown his businesses as a result of the country’s economic woes.
According to him, Ghana’s current economic climate is the most challenging he has witnessed in his lifetime.
“My businesses are struggling. I just had a meeting and I’m even going to close down,” he said.
Kojo Bonsu also urged the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia-led administration to desist from constantly blaming COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine War for Ghana’s impoverished state.
He said that he believes that the country’s economy was already in ruins before the aforementioned misfortunes struck.
“The most challenging? Yes. If you talk about Ukraine and COVID, before COVID, we had a lot of business problems. So, I wouldn’t see why government always talks about COVID and the Russia-Ukraine War.
“It’s the way they’ve handled things. They haven’t put their mouth where it fits. They haven’t cut their coat according to their size. Unnecessary expenditure has brought Ghana into this situation. They waste money, so, definitely, the citizens of this country may have problems,” he added.
President Akufo-Addo is set to administer the oath of office to Justice Gertrude Araba Essaba Torkornoo as the new Chief Justice of Ghana.
Justice Torkornoo assumes the position following the retirement of Justice Kwesi Anin Yeboah in May.
She is expected to be sworn in at the Jubilee House.
After receiving parliamentary approval on Wednesday, June 7, following concerns by the NDC MPs on the Appointments Committee, Justice Torkornoo is now set to take on the role.
Notably, this appointment marks President Akufo-Addo’s third selection for the Office of Chief Justice since assuming office in January 2017.
Profile of Justice Torkornoo
Full name: JUSTICE GERTRUDE ARABA ESAABA SACKEY TORKORNOO
Supreme Court, Judicial Service of Ghana
Date of Birth – 11th September 1962.
Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo (Mrs) joined the Judicial Service in 2004 as one of the first Justices of the Commercial Division of the High Court. She has been active in the core reform agenda and activities of the Judiciary and the Judicial Service of Ghana (JSG) since 2005.
The organs through which these reforms have been implemented have included the specialized divisions of the High Court, the Judicial Training Institute, administrative committees set up to ensure the implementation of the automation and digitalization of court work and administration of JSG, the streamlining of alternative dispute settlement mechanisms in justice delivery, and communication channels between the Judiciary and its stakeholders.
Leadership Profile
The leadership roles Justice Sackey Torkornoo has played in ensuring the achievement of judicial reforms include being vice chair of the E-Justice Oversight and Implementation Committee (E-Justice OC) from its inception in 2019 and chair of the E-Justice OC since August 2021.
She has served as a member of the faculty and Governing Board of the Judicial Training Institute, vice chair of the Internship and Clerkship Committee of the Judiciary since 2012, Supervising Judge of the Commercial Division of the High Court since 2013, member and chair of the E-Judgment Committee since 2010, member and chair of the Publications and Editorial Committee of the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana since 2006, and member and chair of various ad-hoc committees needed for the smooth administration of the work of JSG.
Justice Sackey Torkornoo has served as a judicial leader in the development and oversight of several reform projects of the Judiciary involving the European Union, USAID, DFID, and collaborations with other African countries. She has also been a member of the Law Reform Commission since 2016.
E-JUSTICE Oversight and Implementation Committee
The leadership requirements of this Committee include liaising with all external stakeholders in the provision and sustainability of the infrastructure of the E-Justice, setting up and overseeing the activities of all staff, Judges and committees involved in managing the infrastructure, ensuring cultural change from the use of manual systems to operating in the virtual realm and planning for the progressive achievement of electronic justice delivery nationwide.
Currently, her work as chair of E-Justice includes ensuring the streamlining into efficiency, the use of the Ghana Case Tracking system commenced as part of the Security Governance Initiative implemented by the Judicial Service of Ghana, Ghana Police Service, Economic and Organised Crimes Office, Ghana Prisons Service, National Signals Bureau, and Ministry of Justice and Office of the Attorney General. This work is being supervised by the Ministry of Communications and Digitalization.
The E-Justice Oversight Committee has also conducted a close examination of the High Court Civil Procedure Rules CI 47, the District Court Civil Procedure Rules CI 59, and the Criminal and Other Offences Act Act 29 to ensure that all rules that govern judicial proceedings allow for easy implementation of E-Justice. The outcomes of that work will be presented to both the Rules of Court Committee for statutory reforms, and to the Ministry of Communications and Digitalization for incorporation into the scope of works for the next phase of E-Justice deployment.
Supervision of the Commercial Division of High Court
As Supervising Judge of commercial courts since 2013, Justice Sackey Torkornoo has set the agenda for and chaired the meetings and programs of the Users Committee of the Commercial Courts. She has quietly ensured the sustenance of a keen culture of efficiency in the commercial division of the High Court nationwide through leadership initiatives such as ‘brown bag learning sessions’ for Judges of the court, consistent meetings with staff and leadership of the court, engagements with external service operators such as process servers, valuers, auctioneers and the Users Committee of the court and presentation of policy briefs to Chief Justices on needed reforms in commercial justice delivery as well as the administrative needs of the court.
Justice Sackey Torkornoo presided over the implementation of the Business Environment Engineering Project (BEEP) funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom.
Her leadership directions in that project ignited and provided the Ministry of Trade and Industry with guidance on the introduction of Users Committees into other institutions that participated in the BEEP project. The BEEP project further influenced the active development of the Business Environment Reforms being streamlined into national institutions by the MOTI.
She serves as chair of the Technical Working Group on ‘Enforcing Contracts’ set up to steer change in the business law environment. Outcomes of the work of the BEEP project within the Judiciary included the design of necessary reforms in the monitoring and evaluation of data collection currently being implemented by the Judiciary, the design of necessary reforms in the post-judgment and execution part of justice delivery, and reforms in streamlining of ADR in commercial justice delivery in Circuit and High Courts that led to the passage of High Court (Civil Procedure) Amendment Rules 2020, CI 133.
Judicial Training
As part of the faculty of the Judicial Training Institute since 2005 and a board member of the JTI since 2018, Justice Sackey Torkornoo has actively participated in initiatives to enhance the learning of Judges through awareness of distinctions between judicial skills, the social context of judicial work and core black letter law. This work has included being a trainer of trainers, the development of a curriculum for teaching Judicial Ethics, a manual for training in Judicial Ethics, and the lacing of applications of ethical principles into the daily routines of Judges. Through being a constant trainer in Judicial Ethics, she has worked to motivate Judges to aspire to excellence through the development of research and writing skills, case and courtroom management, as well as the application of judicial ethics in their work and private lives.
Learning Resources
After assuming the chair of the Editorial Committee for the Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana in 2009, Justice Sackey Torkornoo led the publication of an annual magazine for Judges, ensuring that issues pertinent to the development of competence in the judicial career and the discharge of the Judiciary’s constitutional mandate were brought to the fore in this magazine. She has also chaired the E-Judgment Committee responsible for developing electronic research resources for Judges since 2012 and has achieved the current creation of an e-judgment research resource with key-word search-ability properties for Judges.
In her work as vice chair of the Internship and Clerkship Program, Justice Sackey Torkornoo has actively participated in the smooth administration of the internship and clerkship program run jointly with law faculties, law firms, the Judiciary, the Ghana Bar Association and the Ghana School of Law since 2012.
Awards
In 2010, Justice Sackey Torkornoo became the first awardee of a scholarship by the International Association of Women Judges, after a global selection process. She undertook and excelled in an LLM in Intellectual Property, International Law and Internet Law at the Golden Gate University, San Francisco where her thesis on reforming Ghana’s Copyright Law relating to Folklore and Art was published as the lead article in the University’s Annual Survey on Comparative and International Law.
In 2015, she was awarded the Women of Excellence Award in Judicial Integrity under the auspices of the Ministry for Gender, Children and Social Protection.
While not compromising on the quality of her courtroom work and judgment writing, Justice Sackey Torkornoo has become noted for excellence in administrative leadership, continuing study, teaching, writing, and the judicial ethics of competence, diligence and integrity. She has served under and worked closely with four Chief Justices namely Chief Justice George Kingsley Acquah (decd), Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood (Rtd), Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo (Rtd) and Chief Justice Anin Yeboah.
She was promoted to the Court of Appeal in October 2012 and to the Supreme Court in December 2019.
CURRICULUM VITAE
JUDICIAL WORK
Dec 2019 – date: Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana, with responsibility for constitutional cases, final appeals over chieftaincy cases, supervisory jurisdiction over superior courts, final appellate jurisdiction in the judicial hierarchy, and presidential election petitions. Panel member in the 2021 presidential election petition.
OCT 2012 – APRIL 2019: Justice of Court of Appeal, Ghana with responsibility for hearing and determining appeals from High Courts. Sat on the court of appeal panels in Kumasi (Oct 2015- July 2017), and Tamale (Oct 2017 to December 2019).
Averaging two judgments a month, she assisted with and wrote more than 180 well-researched appellate judgments on substantive law, legal philosophies, rules of procedure & equity, delivered with a focus on doing substantial justice and avoiding miscarriage of justice.
MAY 2004 – OCT 2012: Justice of High Court, Ghana and Judge / Neutral with responsibility for court-assisted mediation & negotiation in pre-trial settlement conferences.
During the period, she wrote more than 150 well-researched judgments delivered after the adjudication of commercial disputes; and more than 350 disputes were resolved and un-appealable decisions were recorded after mediated settlements.
ADMINISTRATIVE AND SUPPORT WORK IN THE JUDICIARY
Chair, E-Justice Committee – Leading the planning of automation of all levels of courts, procurement and incorporation of the use of electronic resources and software in the work of Judicial Service
Supervising Judge – With oversight responsibility for the smooth running of Commercial Divisions of High Courts since 2013.
Chair, ‘Enforcing Contracts’ Subgroup of the Business Regulatory Reform Program – A program for designing and implementing interventions to ensure efficient enforcement of contracts with funds from the World Bank and executed under the auspices of the Ministry for Trade and Industry.
Chair, The Business Environment Enablement Program – Multimillion pound sterling project for reforming commercial justice delivery implemented by the Judiciary with funds from DFID, United Kingdom between 2015 and 2020.
Chair, E-Judgment Committee – Planning and implementation of electronic library resources for the Judiciary and Judicial Officers since 2015.
Vice-Chair – Internship and Clerkship Program for the Judiciary.
Faculty Member – Judicial Training Institute – facilitating learning in Judicial Ethics, Judgment Writing, Case Management, Courtroom Communication, and Commercial Law.
Member – Governing Board of Judicial Training Institute – Responsible for planning and monitoring training programs and learning resources for the Judiciary and Judicial Service staff.
Member, Editorial Committee of Association of Magistrates & Judges of Ghana – Responsible for leading the publication of Journals, Newsletters & Magazines for the Judicial Service and the Judiciary.
Member – Committee responsible for the development of the Judicial Charter and other written resources for the Judiciary.
Chaired interview panels for the engagement of senior officers of the Judicial Service.
Chaired various committees for procurement of equipment and construction services for the Judicial Service.
PRE-JUDICIARY WORK EXPERIENCE
1997-2004 Managing Partner, Sozo Law Consult – Law Firm providing consultancy services for business ventures, project planning and supervision, advocacy in litigation, arbitration and negotiations;
Chief Executive of SLC Law Forum – A Publishing, Training & Research Support Service for Business Law (subsidiary of Sozo Law Consult). Organized several training programs in Commercial Law topics and legal skills such as negotiation of project contracts for the business community. Undertook consultancy services for the Business Law Division of the Ministry of Justice. Led the publication of A Handbook on Business Law, and the annual publication of Legislative Watch;
1994-1996 – Director, Fugar & Co, Accra Responsible for assisting with the management of the law firm and its project initiatives while continuing to work as solicitor and barrister
1987-1994 – Associate, Fugar & Co, Accra
Working as Solicitor engaged in the negotiation & drafting of commercial agreements, project documentation; company secretarial services; Barrister assisting with or leading litigation in all levels of courts.
During this period, she also worked as:
External Solicitor for City of Tema – Giving legal advice on Administrative Law issues for the Tema Municipal Assembly; commencing and defending legal actions against TMA; leading the negotiation of development projects for the municipality.
Facilitator in Construction Law and Project Management Training Programs for the Ministry of Roads & Highways, Ghana Institute of Engineers, Ghana Institution of Architects, Ghana Institute of Construction.
Awards:
1989 – Received award from the International Bar Association for the top essay in a global essay competition on international law considerations in project contracts organized to assist with increasing knowledge of lawyers in construction and project contracts. The prize included cash and working in the Construction Law Department of Nabarro Nathanson, a top 20 law firm in London, UK
Academic Research, Articles, Publications
‘The Doctrine of Sovereignty in International relations v. The doctrine of Sanctity of Contracts – The case of renegotiating the Ghana Valco Agreement’.
International Business Lawyer Dec 1989
‘Human Rights, Indigenous Rights, Minority Rights, Looking at the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples through the lens of tribal groups in Ghana’.
Research Paper on International Human Rights submitted as part of an LLM Requirement; Golden Gate University 2011.
‘Nuremberg, Congo, and Libya, Has Might Remained Right Or Right has become Might; A Look at the International Commitment to peaceful resolution of Conflicts.
Research Paper on Peaceful Settlement of Disputes Between Nations submitted as part of an LLM Requirement; Golden Gate University 2011.
‘Fitting Square Pegs in Round Holes – The Vexed Question Of Harmonizing International Legal Regulation Of Traditional Cultural Expressions in Intellectual Property Law’
Research Paper presented at Fulbright Symposium on International Law Developments, Golden Gate University, San Francisco, 2011
Creating Capital from Culture, Rethinking the Provisions on Expressions of Folklore in Ghana’s Copyright Law
Volume XV111, Spring 2012; Annual Survey of International & Comparative Law, Golden Gate University School of Law
Considerations (Non-Considerations) of International Law in Domestic Decisions of the Superior Courts In Ghana
Judicial Journal, 2014
‘The Case for Prioritization of Commercial Justice Reforms in Africa: Lessons from Ghana’ –
Paper delivered at Conference on Administration of Commercial Justice in Africa – Arusha, TANZANIA, September 2007
‘A review of Remedies in Intellectual Property Cases under Civil Procedure Rules 2004 CI 47’ –
Presented at Conference on ‘Reviewing the Scope of Intellectual Property laws in Ghana’ – WIPO/Judicial Service of Ghana, June 2008
Judicial Ethics Training Manual (Chief Editor), 2009
‘Can we thrive in a virtual world’
Presented at ‘2022 Bench/Bar/Faculty Lectures in Ghana April 2022
Several articles on the tension between interest rates and debt sustainability, other commercial law subjects, judicial ethics and leadership published in the Judicial Journal (now The Bench) between 2009 and 2022
EDUCATION
2010-11 – LLM, Intellectual Property Law – Golden Gate University San Francisco, USA
2001 – P.G.Dip, International Law & Organizations for Development, Institute of Social Studies (now part of Erasmus University), The Hague, Netherlands
1986 – Professional Certificate in Law, Ghana School of Law
1984 – BA- Law & Sociology, University of Ghana
1980 – GCE A Level, Achimota School, Accra
1978 – GCE O Level, Wesley Girls’ High School, Cape Coast
Other Trainings and Presentations
2022 Technology and the Courts – Singapore
2022 Navigating Presidential Petitions, the Law and Remedies. (Seminar organized in preparation for the 2022 Kenyan elections) Mombasa, Kenya
2018 Ghana’s Strategic Plan In Combatting Pharmaceutical Crimes – West Africa Regional Training Center of US Embassy, Accra
2017 Trends in Intellectual Property Litigation – WIPO, Geneva
Commercial Justice and Legal Ethics – Law Society of Zimbabwe
2016 Managing Electoral Petitions -Judicial Training Institute, Ghana
2010 Auditing Systems of Justice Delivery – Malawi
2008 a. Diplomatic Immunity
Judicial Case Management – Judicial Training Institute, Ghana
2007 a. Judicial Ethics
Labor Law Access to Justice – Judicial Training Institute, Ghana
2007 Facilitating Judicial Education–National Judicial Inst, Canada in collaboration with Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute, Ottawa, Canada
Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights -Global Intellectual Property Academy, Virginia, USA
2006 a. Mining Law – Environmental Protection Agency
Electoral Laws – Judicial Training Institute
2005 a. Finance and Accounting for Judges – Judicial Training Institute
2005 b. Fighting Counterfeit Medicines in Sub-Saharan Africa South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa
Mediation and Arbitration, International Law Institute Washington
2004 a. Legal Integration in West & Central Africa – The OHADA module, Dakar, Senegal
Development of Commercial Courts- RIPA International, UK
2003 Program for Advanced Leadership, Haggai Institute, Hawaii
2000 Legal Issues in Structuring Public Private Partnership Projects – Institute of Public Private Partnerships, Washington, DC
1998 Alternative Dispute Resolution’; University of Ghana, LECIA
1997 ADR & Conflict Management; University of Ghana, LECIA
1995 International Construction Contracts; The Study Group, Oxford, UK
OTHER INTERESTS
Writing Poetry, Plays and Fiction, Evangelism
Books and Plays
Gertrude Torkornoo (Ed.) ‘Business in Ghana – A handbook on laws and regulations’ 1st Edition – 2000; 2nd Edition – 2003 (Published by SLC Law Forum)
Gertrude Torkornoo (Ed) ‘Legislative Watch’ (A research tool on the laws amended, reviewed and newly passed in Ghana) – From 1997 (Updated annually until 2002; now being developed as an electronic resource) (Published by SLC Law Forum)
Gertrude Torkornoo 2010, ‘The Child and the Rainbow’ – Anthology of Poetry printed by Combert Impressions
Gertrude Torkornoo 2010, ‘The Wise Still Hear the Birds’ – Anthology of Poetry printed by Combert Impressions
Plays – Blood & Roses (2016); The Richest King (2017); A Day For Rain (2018) (Written for Radio)
Memberships
2018 – present: Member, Governing Council, Central University 2016 – present: Member, Law Reform Commission of Ghana 2016 – present: Fellow, Ghana Institute of Construction 2010 – present: Member, International Association of Women Judges 2007 – present: Fellow, Commonwealth Judicial Educators Institute, Canada 2005 – present: Faculty member, Haggai Institute for Advanced Leadership, Singapore/Thailand and Hawaii, USA 2004 – present: Member, Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana 1992 – present: Executive Board Member, Aglow Fellowship International, Tema 1991 – Council Member, Theovision International
Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo is married to Mr. Francis Torkornoo, a Pharmacist, and has four daughters and three grandchildren.
Speaker Alban Bagbin has instructed all members of parliament (MPs) to desist from engaging in any other activity today apart from planting of trees.
The speaker gave the order to enforce the planting of 10 million trees seedlings directive by government to commemorate Green Ghana Day.
Drawing inspiration from successful tree-planting endeavours in other parts of the world, such as Dubai, where deserts have been transformed into lush forests, Alban Bagbin highlighted the need for a comprehensive approach to tree planting in Ghana.
He acknowledged that while the survival rate of planted seedlings needed improvement, it was crucial to persevere in the face of challenges.
Mr. Bagbin stressed the importance of taking action and not using concerns such as illegal mining, known asgalamsey, as a reason to abandon tree planting efforts.
He emphasized that refraining from planting trees would only exacerbate the situation. Instead, he encouraged members of Parliament to lead by example and engage their constituents in the tree planting exercise.
In light of his support for the cause, Mr. Bagbin announced that there would be no parliamentary sitting on Friday to allow members to participate in tree planting activities.He called for collective efforts in nurturing and growing trees to ensure their long-term survival and the positive impact on the environment.
“The tree planting you’ve seen in the Middle East, Dubai and the rest where they really bring trees and plant for a desert to be turned into forest. That is tree planting. What we do here is planting seedlings and we should talk about growing trees.
“We plant and go away and the survival rate is what we are talking about which we have to work on. But I believe that it’s better to do this than to say that because there is galamsey (illegal mining) we will not plant the trees, then we will worsen the situation,” Mr. Bagbin stated.
He continued: “So please I want to encourage members to continue and let’s grow the trees together and I will direct that honorable members to as usual proceed to lead their constituents in the exercise. So there will be no sitting on Friday.”
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, in collaboration with the Forestry Commission also urged all Ghanaians and residents to actively participate in the national tree-planting exercise.
Today, Friday, June 9, 2023, marks the third edition of Green Ghana Day.The event forms a vital component of an ambitious afforestation and reforestation agenda aimed at restoring the country’s depleted forest cover.
On Thursday, 8th June 2023, President Akufo-Addo commissioned the National Aquaculture Centre and Commercial Farms.
The aim of the National Aquaculture Centre is to produce quality fish products, and create employment through the training of the local population as fish farmers, with emphasis on graduates from our universities.
The Centre complements the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development’s programme on Aquaculture for Food and Jobs (AFJ), and reaffirms government’s determination to reduce graduate unemployment in the country.
He also used the opportunity to interact with this year’s winners of the Junior Graphic Essay Competition.
He had the honour of being the reviewing officer at the graduation parade of Officer Cadet Course Intake 31 of the Prisons Service, at the Prison Officers’ Training School, Roman Ridge.
At the graduation ceremony for Intake 31 Officer Cadets of the Prisons Service, the president entreated the graduands to continue to carry forth the ideals of the Prisons Service, which have been imbued in them during training.
“I urged them to let discipline and professionalism guide their conduct at all times. I implored them also to internalize the principles of vigilance, humanity and fortitude. These must be their watchwords in their relationship with their fellow officers and the inmates,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
He assured winners of this year’s Junior Graphic Essay Competition and all Ghanaians that the Akufo-Addo government remains committed to providing quality education for all our youth.
“Government will continue to invest in the development of our educational system, ensuring that every child has access to the tools and resources they need to succeed. We will create an environment that fosters creativity, critical thinking, and innovation, empowering our youth to shape the destiny of our nation and our world,” he pledged.
The Municipal Chief Executive of Keta, Emmanuel Gemegah, has been accused by some youth in the area of abusing his authority in the sale of premix fuel.
The youth say that the MCE has shrouded the sale and distribution of the commodity in secrecy.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday, June 7, the youth group said that the MCE’s actions are affecting the fisherfolk, their families, and the entire municipality.
They called on President Akufo-Addoand the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture to immediately investigate and take the necessary measures to curb the situation.
The Concerned Youth have also threatened to stage a mammoth protest if the appropriate authorities ignore their concerns.
The statement said: “It is obvious that in Ghana, fish and fisheries are integral parts of livelihood, culture, and heritage in all coastal-fishing communities, and this makes important contributions to the socio-economic development and well-being of the people, especially the people of Keta Municipal Assembly.”
“However, the sale of consignments to fisherfolk in the Keta Municipal Assembly (KeMA) of the Volta Region has been bedevilled with improprieties and lack of transparency and accountability, and abuse of power by various MCEs, and it is worst under the leadership of Hon. Emmanuel Gemegah.” MCE rejects allegations
Meanwhile, the MCE, in an interview, denied the allegations.
He said that the youth smuggle the product to neighbouring countries without giving it to the intended fisherfolk.
“It is not true,” he said. “I was not in town and I only returned to town yesterday. But they forwarded their press release to me.”
“What I can say is that, I have information that some premix fuel will be arriving this morning. I have only worked against them smuggling the premix fuel to neighbouring countries and hoarding same. That is my only crime.”
President Akufo-Addo has reiterated his government’s strong commitment to protecting the environment amidst the challenges posed by climate change.
In light of the pressing global need for sustainable measures to mitigate the negative impacts of global warming, the President emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts.
On the occasion of the 2023 Green Ghana Day to plant 10 million tree seedlings this year, President Akufo-Addo highlighted the significance of ongoing initiatives such as the Green Ghana Project.
In his address at the University of Ghana, Legon, President Akufo-Addo called upon all Ghanaians to actively contribute to the preservation of the environment.
Recognizing the unprecedented global environmental challenges that threaten our existence and the fate of our planet, the president stated that the climate crisis affects our health, livelihoods, security, and our future.
“We are living in a time of unprecedented global environmental challenges that threaten our existence and the faith of our planet. The climate crisis is affecting our health, livelihood, security, and our future and it is the major obstacle to sustainable development.
“The inter-governmental panel on climate change reports that human activities have emitted some 2.4 trillion of carbon dioxide since the pre-industrial era and half of that amount remains in the atmosphere till this very day.”
The Green Ghana Project aims to restore Ghana’s forest cover through extensive tree-planting campaigns and other conservation endeavors.
To bolster Ghana’s reforestation efforts, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, urged citizens to embrace a sense of ownership and accountability toward the trees they plant. By fostering a collective responsibility, Ghana can enhance its endeavors to restore forest cover and combat deforestation.
Additionally, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, emphasized the urgent need for action, highlighting the substantial decline in Ghana’s forest cover over the years.
He called upon all individuals, without exception, to actively contribute to the restoration of Ghana’s forest cover.
Ghana is commemorating Green Ghana Day today, June 9, to plant 10 million tree seedlings.
The 2023 edition of the Green Ghana Day is under the theme “Our Forests, Our Health” and being held at the University of Ghana, Legon with President Akufo-Addo, Lands Minister Samuel Jinapor and others in attendance.
This year’s edition was launched by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II on Wednesday, 17th May, 2023 at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
Green Ghana Project forms part of measures to restore the country’s lost forest cover, and degraded landscapes as well as inculcate values of planting and nurturing of trees in the citizens.
Parliament of Ghana in collaboration with the Forestry Commission will hold a short exercise within the precinct of Parliament.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin will lead Members of Parliament and the Parliamentary Service Staff to plant about 300 tree seedlings at Parliament House, the official residence of the Speaker, Deputy Speakers, Leader’s village, Clerk-to -Parliament among others.
President Akufo-Addohas emphasized the significance of enhancing the well-being and rehabilitation of prison inmates as a top priority for both his government and the Ghana Prison Service.
He said that the government and the Prison Service had put in place a number of measures to improve the conditions of prisoners, including improving healthcare, food security, education, and vocational training.
“The key stakeholders of the Prison Serviceare the inmates and in line with the mandate to ensure welfare, rehabilitation and reformation, this government and prison authority have put in place pragmatic interventions in healthcare, food security, education and service training to improve progressively their conditions,” he stated.
President Akufo-Addo was speaking at the graduation ceremony of intake 31 of the Prison Service, which consisted of 450 new prison officers, in Accra on Thursday.
He also said that the government was committed to improving the welfare of prison officers and urged the new officers to treat prisoners with respect as they discharged their duties.
“The Ghana Prison Service plays a vital role in the criminal justice system and security architecture of the country. As such, as prison officers, you will be called upon to serve in prison establishments all over the country. You must ensure utmost respect for the laws of the land and the lives of prisoners who are committed to your care,” he added.
President Akufo-Addo again asked the officers to be practical, innovative and ensure that they rose to the occasion when duty called.
The highly anticipated Green Ghana Day is scheduled to take place tomorrow, on Friday, June 9, 2023, throughout the entire country.
This nationwide initiative aims to plant an impressive 10 million seedlings.
The event was inaugurated in 2021 by President Akufo-Addo, organised under the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, as part of the government’s ambitious afforestation and reforestation agenda.
The primary objective of the initiative is to restore the country’s depleted forest cover, which has been adversely affected by illegal small-scale mining and timber logging activities.
The maiden edition targeted to plant five million trees, but ended up planting over seven million seedlings.
In 2022, more than 26 million trees were planted, exceeding the 20 million target.
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II officially launched this year’s edition of the Green Ghana Day on Wednesday, May 17 at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, urging all well-meaning Ghanaians to support the tree planting exercise.
The revered King said the Day presented an opportunity for Ghanaians to show patriotism and commitment towards protecting the country’s forest cover and leave the younger generation a much richer and greener Ghana.
“Government cannot do it alone. We must all get involved and support Government to come to grips with these matters,” Otumfuo Osei Tutu said.
The Asantehene pledged to lead his chiefs and people to plant 2.5 million trees to protect the enclave of Lake Bosomtwe in the Bosomtwe District of the Region.
The Government since 2017 has been taking several measures to restore the country’s lost forest cover, hence the Green Ghana Project is a necessary intervention to create national awareness of the necessity for collective action towards the restoration of the degraded landscapes.
The programme also aims at inculcating values of planting and nurturing of trees in the citizens, particularly among the younger generation, to mitigate the negative effects of climate change as well as beautifying the environment.
Averagely, more than 81 percent of the seedlings planted in 2021 survived while 72 per cent survived in 2022.
National Communication Officer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused President Akufo-Addo of orchestrating Domelevo’s removal over an alleged illegal payment made by Yaw Osafo Maafo to Kroll and Associates Limited, a UK firm.
“If Domelevo was still in office as Attorney General, Kroll will not have gone on that $1 billion… That Kroll matter was what precipitated the dismissal of Yao Domelevo.
“Because he had the courage to fight against corruption to the very doorstep of the president by indicting the president’s closest associate and senior minister, Osafo Maafo, for illegally paying $1 million,” he said.
Sammy Gyamfi also said that the Osafo Maafo only won a suit he filed against the former AG because he (Domelevo) was fired.
“What led to the court decision? It was after he indicted Osafo Maafo and Osafo Maafo went to the court and then before the court could pronounce on the matter, Domelevo was sacked.
“One day after he was sacked from Office and Mr Asiedu was asked to act on his behalf. Asiedu then writes a letter to the Supreme Court that he is satisfied with the work that Kroll has done,” he said.
Background:
Before President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo asked Domelevo to proceed on leave in 2020, he surcharged Yaw Osafo-Maafo for alleged financial infractions he had committed.
Domelevo claimed that the current Senior Advisor to the President, Osafo-Maafo, when he was Senior Minister, colluded with the Finance Ministry to pay UK firm, Kroll and Associates Limited, US$1 million for no evidence of work done.
However, the acting Auditor-General(A-G), Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu, a day after Daniel Domelevo began his 167 days ‘forced’ leave, cleared Osafo-Maafo of any wrongdoing.
In order to protect the ocean’s ability to regenerate,President Akufo-Addohas called on African countries to enhance their domestically defined contributions and adaptation strategies.
This would ensure that the ocean continues to deliver substantial economic, environmental, and social value for the continents’ development.
The President made the call when he opened the National Blue Economy Summit (NBES) in Accra on Wednesday.
The summit is on the theme “Our Ocean’s Health, Our Prosperity, Our Planet’s Security.” It brought together blue economy experts to brainstorm and drive policy on the marine ecosystem.
The objective of the two-day summit is to reverse marine pollution and enhance the management and restoration of the marine and coastal ecosystem of the nation.
It also aims to mobilise transformative ocean action to achieve the United Nations(UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Blue economy refers to the sustainable use of coastal and marine resources for economic growth and improved livelihoods and jobs.
President Akufo-Addo explained that the health of the planet and the health of the peoples of the world are linked to the health of oceans, which are now under pressure from unsustainable fishing practices, pollution, marine debris, habitat loss, ocean acidification and climate change.
He told the gathering that the ocean, the lifeblood of the planet, generated half of the world’s oxygen supply, drove the global economy through transport trade, and provided food and sustenance, mineral resources, energy, employment, and livelihoods, as well as cultural recreation value for billions of people around the world.
“The consequences of neglecting the ocean are dire not just for the millions of people who depend on it for their livelihoods, but also for the health of our planet.
“There is therefore the need to preserve and protect the ocean and all its resources…We need to take decisive actions now to safeguard the ocean’s capacity to regenerate and continue to deliver substantial economic, environmental and social value for our development.”
President Akufo-Addo noted that in Ghana’s instance, its coastal exclusive economic zone stretches 218,00 square kilometres, and is home to over 7.5 million people.
Sadly, Ghana’s coastal and marine resources face significant threats in the form of biodiversity loss, pollution, ocean dumping, overfishing, illegal and unreported and unregulated fishing, piracy, and trafficking.
Those threats, the President said, “are avoidable” and the inability to deal with them held consequences for the livelihoods of many people, affecting food security prospects, critical infrastructure, important ecosystems and the security and stability of the entire African region.
“Like many other coastal African countries, the blue economy provides us with food, employment, and income. For instance, some 10 per cent of Ghana’s workforce is employed in the fishing sector which also accounts for 4.5 per cent of the country’s GDP.
“Additionally, 70 per cent of Ghana’s trade is carried by sea through the ports of Tema and Takoradi. We are well positioned to benefit from the ocean resources if sustainably managed,” he said.
The President thus proposed a five-point agenda for urgent action at the country and continental levels to protect the ocean, the planet, and the wellbeing of all.
He said the continent must prioritise sustainable management of its oceans by establishing and enforcing robust regulations to prevent overfishing and promote responsible fishing practices.
“We must collaborate closely with our international partners as well to establish marine protected areas, safeguarding critical habitats and promoting biodiversity conservation.”
Secondly, the President suggested that Africa deepens strategic partnerships and build a progressive coalition led by the private sector, academia, civil society organisations and community leaders, for enhanced ocean health and the accelerated development of communities.
He said the Continent must be deliberate in ensuring greater and smarter investments into ocean action.
President Akufo-Addo also urged investment in research and technological advancements and innovation to navigate the challenges to the blue economy to pave the way for a brighter future.
He also called for international cooperation, the sharing of data and research findings and collaboration on joint projects.
“We must recognize the interconnectivity of our global community and the need for international collaboration. The challenges facing the ocean transcend borders and no single nation can tackle them alone…We can leverage the collective wisdom and expertise of nations worldwide.
“Together, we can drive innovation, develop sustainable solutions, and address the pressing issues that threaten the ocean. The ocean is the life source of our planet, a healthy ocean, human wellbeing, and sustainable ocean management are inseparably interconnected,” he stressed.
He urged participants at the summit to, as a matter of urgency, propose policies that would help Ghana and the rest of the African continent protect its oceans and marine life.
President Akufo-Addo’s administration is allegedly the worst in Ghana’s history, according to veteran media personality, Kwasi Kyei Darkwah, often known as KKD.
According to him, Ghana is at the worst place ever under Akufo-Addo since its independence because all the economic indicators under his watch are at unprecedented levels.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, May 30, 2023, KKD added that the current government is also the worst when it comes to nepotism, favouritism and corruption.
“Right now, our hope is in the IMF, I don’t know which ‘38-year-old boy’ is going to tell us what to do… my point is who leaves his house at Ridge and goes to somebody’s house at Kaneshie to say ‘Charlie things are not going well in my home, come and manage my home for me for the next 3 to 5 years’.
“Who does that and still says we are brilliant? And even worse you get Gabby writing things like ‘the alternative is scary’. Dude, you are the worst… this is not about NPP, NDC, CPP, or whatever. This is the worst government we have ever had in this country. The worst ever! Look at all the metrics,” he said.
The veteran journalist explained that the Akufo-Addo government is the worst because of corruption, bad decisions, nepotism and poor policies.
A private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu, has expressed his enthusiasm and anticipation for President Akufo-Addo to step down from governance in approximately 16 months from now.
In an interview on 3FM Sunrise on May 31, the lawyer indicated that the president’s absence would provide Ghanaians with an opportunity to bring about a change in the governance system and better the lives of many.
“This morning as I woke up, my excitement was that very soon, in about 16 months to go, Akufo-Addo will no longer be president.
“It’s so exciting, yeah, very very exciting that at least, we have the chance to try again at improving our governance system because he has come to run down everything so that he can rule as a dictator. So, we have an opportunity to start afresh. It is exciting that at long last, the 8 years is almost over and Ghana can try again,” Martin Kpebu said on the show.
In addition, the lawyer urged Ghanaians to shed their timidity and embrace courage, highlighting that the prevailing cowardice has contributed to the mismanagement of the country’s economy, leading it to its current state.
He emphasized the need for a change in mindset and a willingness to confront the challenges facing the nation.
“Our timidity is something we should work on because as a people, I can’t just imagine that we sat down, sat down and sat down and just given the president the leeway to reign as a dictator.
“People are not talking enough; people are so timid. The country does not belong to the president alone. You remember him in opposition, he insulted everybody. Everybody was corrupt, every president was a thief and they did nothing. He was the only one who knew everything,” Kpebu concluded.
Vice President, Mahamudu Bawumiahas expressed confidence in becoming Ghana’s president.
Addressing a crowd of enthusiastic supporters alongside Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Letsa, Dr. Bawumia acknowledged and appreciated their unwavering support.
Proclaiming to resounding cheers and applause, he stated, “I want you to know that I appreciate your support, we are going to break the eight. First of all, we are going to have to go and file for the flagbearership, which I am going to do.”
This announcement carries immense significance, signaling a notable development in the internal politics of the NPP as preparations for the upcoming 2024 presidential elections intensify.
On May 30, 2023, Dr. Bawumia’s campaign team, comprising Sammi Awuku, Fred Oware, and Ayisi Boateng, collected his nomination forms from the party’s headquarters, underscoring the significance of his candidacy. Widely regarded as one of the frontrunners in the race, his aspirations have gained considerable momentum.
In recent weeks, Dr. Bawumia has embarked on an extensive nationwide campaign, engaging with party executives, grassroots supporters, and influential figures in various communities.
The Vice President’s campaign has centered around showcasing his impressive track record in implementing key government programs, including the successful One-District-One-Factory initiative and the transformative Planting for Food and Jobs program.
Dr. Bawumia’s determination to secure victory in the flagbearership race is underpinned by his vision to transcend the traditional eight-year limit, symbolizing a renewed era of leadership and progress. With aspirations to assume the highest office in the land, he emphasized the importance of unwavering support from his followers.
The NPP’s upcoming flagbearership race promises to be an intriguing contest that will shape the party’s future trajectory. As Dr. Bawumia’s campaign gains momentum, his economic expertise, advocacy for digitalization, and ability to effectively communicate government policies position him as a formidable contender.
With the nation eagerly observing the dynamics of the race, the NPP’s internal politics take on heightened significance, setting the stage for a transformative and consequential journey towards the 2024 general elections.
