Ghanaian music icon Samini has raised concerns about the low earnings of actors in the country’s film industry, emphasizing that their remuneration does not match the effort and dedication they put into their craft.
During an appearance on the Sincerely Accra podcast, Samini reflected on his own experiences on movie sets, revealing that despite having acting talent, he has not pursued it as a career due to the physical and financial challenges involved.
“It’s a very, very draining profession to be in,” he remarked.
He noted a significant disparity between what musicians and actors earn, stressing that those in the film industry deserve better. He pointed out that A-list musicians can take home between GH₵150,000 and GH₵250,000 for a full-band live performance, while lesser-known musicians earn between GH₵15,000 and GH₵20,000 for a 30-minute show.
In contrast, A-list actors struggle to secure GH₵10,000 to GH₵20,000 for an entire film project, which may require up to three weeks of rigorous work on set.
“Some of the big names can push for up to GH₵25,000, but that even depends on who is hiring them. Meanwhile, lesser-known actors are sometimes paid as little as GH₵2,000 for weeks of work. It’s crazy, and something has to be done about it,” he stated.
To address this issue, Samini proposed a structured payment system that ensures fair compensation. He suggested that A-list actors should receive no less than GH₵50,000 per movie, B-list actors should be paid at least GH₵30,000, and no mainstream actor should earn below GH₵15,000 for any role.
According to him, implementing such a structure would not only improve the financial well-being of actors but also enhance the overall quality of Ghanaian films. He urged producers, directors, and key industry players to reassess how actors are compensated.
“I think you can afford to pay them slightly more,” he added.
President John Mahama has pledged to run a government rooted in humility and accountability, ensuring that power is exercised without arrogance or abuse.
Speaking during his first State of the Nation Address on February 27, 2025, he assured Ghanaians that his administration would uphold the highest standards, holding his appointees accountable for their performance.
John Mahama said, “The arrogance of power you so much abhor will be a thing of the past. I will enforce and demand the highest standards of performance from those I have chosen to work with me to improve the circumstances of our country.”
Acknowledging the dire state of the economy, Mahama reaffirmed his commitment to stabilizing it and easing the burden on ordinary citizens.
He said: “Mr Speaker, I would be remiss if I didn’t admit that the entire economic value chain is indeed in the ICU, as I recall mentioning a few years ago when we were still in opposition. The economy is even worse than we envisaged, but this gives us ample opportunity to be innovative in our efforts to reset and rebuild it.”
The Deputy Director of Operations at the Presidency, Mustapha Gbande, has weighed in on the controversy surrounding the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s (OSP) classification of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta as a fugitive.
Speaking with JoyNews on Monday, February 17, 2025, Gbande supported the OSP’s actions, emphasizing that the government will employ all available means to facilitate Ofori-Atta’s extradition should he fail to comply with the OSP’s summons.
He reassured that, if unexpected complications arise, the state will ensure that the case proceeds, and a thorough inquiry is conducted to verify the allegations, including those tied to the National Cathedral project.
“Should Ken Ofori-Atta refuse to come, every measure will be deployed to bring him down to this country. If for any reason, he passes on, his dead body will be prosecuted and jailed and every stolen money belonging to the people of Ghana will be retrieved,” he said.
Mustapha Gbande, stressed the party’s responsibility to live up to its pledge to pursue accountability for corrupt officials and recover state resources.
He refuted allegations that the government’s actions were aimed at unfairly targeting individuals from the former administration.
“It is not just an agenda of government, but a mandate. We went to campaign to retrieve monies stolen from us and Ken Ofori-Atta is one of them.”
On February 12, 2025, the OSP named former finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta as a key figure in four major corruption inquiries, which include investigations linked to the National Cathedral project, Strategic Mobilization Limited (SML), and two other matters.
In a press briefing on the same day, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng announced that Ofori-Atta is now classified as a wanted individual and must urgently return to Ghana for questioning.
This move has been widely recognized as a significant development in the government’s ongoing efforts to tackle corruption, complementing its broader mission to overhaul national priorities.
Security expert Dr. Adam Bonaa is advocating for tackling conflicts on a more localized level within Ghana.
This call follows an alarming rise in reports of violence that could jeopardize the nation’s recent peace efforts.
The violence has left communities in fear, especially those directly impacted.
Speaking on Starr Today with Tutuwaa Danso, Dr. Bonaa highlighted that addressing these issues locally is essential, as failing to do so will only lead to their recurrence.
“We have over-centralized the fight against conflict in this country. As a result, we do not have a policy that addresses conflicts in a localized manner. For instance, we tend to apply a one-size-fits-all approach to conflict resolution, using the same methods in different contexts. This approach has failed in various instances. For example, the method used to resolve the Dagbon crisis is being applied to the Bawku situation, and the approach used in Bawku is being attempted in Anyensuano and Nkwanta South, with no success.”
“Some of us have argued that conflict resolution should be localized. If a conflict is not of national scale, the solution should also be local. Unfortunately, over the years, we have tried to impose a universal solution. I have called for a more tailored approach, and we have the national security policy document, which I believe is a good framework that can be developed further. However, have we assessed the key performance indicators (KPIs) outlined in that document to determine if we can localize solutions effectively? We have yet to do that.”
“The Peace Council lacks the authority to enforce its decisions. It cannot hold anyone accountable. The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) is also under-resourced and incapacitated, making it difficult for them to educate local communities on past conflicts. Until these issues are addressed, we will continue to face recurring conflicts across the country. There needs to be a solution to this,” he added.
In parallel, Muqtar Mumuni Muqthar, Executive Director of the West African Centre for Counter-Extremism (WACCE), has called on the government to seize firearms in Bawku to help reduce escalating tensions in the area.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on the Ghana Police Service to step up security measures at collation centres across the country.
This appeal follows reports of vandalism allegedly carried out by National Democratic Congress (NDC) supporters, triggered by delays in announcing some parliamentary results.
Both President Nana Akufo-Addo and President-elect John Dramani Mahama have condemned these actions.
At a press briefing in Accra on Wednesday, December 11, NPP General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong urged the Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo-Dampare, to take swift and decisive action to prevent further disruptions.
“We’re calling on the police, Mr IGP, the safety of this country is in your hands. Everybody is watching you, everybody is counting on you. Let your men provide maximum security at all collation centres.
“So that officers of the Electoral Commission can do their constitutional duty of making sure we have credible parliamentary candidates-elect in our next Parliament.”
Security analyst Dr. Adam Bonaa has proposed that President Akufo-Addo’s name should be excluded from the list of Ghana’s former presidents when he leaves office on January 7, 2025.
During a discussion on TV3’s Ghana Decides 2024 programme, which was followed by Ghanaweb, Dr. Bonaa explained that the President’s behavior while in office does not deserve recognition among the country’s past leaders.
“If it is possible, let us expunge Nana Addo’s name from the list of ex-presidents if he becomes one. Listen, what Nana Addo has done to this country… I am old enough to have witnessed many of the coups that took place in this country, but we never experienced some of the things that happened under Nana Addo. And yet, we had takeovers here and there.
“This means we have come far, Nana was instructing chiefs to get up and greet him, doing all manner of things, and you ask yourself, ‘Where did we go wrong?’ What has taken place… a lot of my friends in the NPP are so disappointed. It is because of Nana Addo’s bad, irresponsible, reckless, and looting government that we find ourselves where we are,” he added.
President Akufo-Addo assumed the presidency in 2017 after winning the 2016 election in the first round, having previously run in the 2008 and 2012 elections.
He will step down on January 7, 2025, just before John Mahama is inaugurated as the new president.
Presidential candidate for the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), Kofi Akpaloo, has called on European embassies to implement visa bans on individuals who cause disruptions during the upcoming December 7 elections.
He argued that such measures would serve as a deterrent to electoral misconduct, preventing offenders from leaving the country.
This request comes in response to the United States’ recent decision to impose visa restrictions on individuals who undermine Ghana’s democratic processes. The policy, which was announced on October 28, 2024, focuses on specific individuals rather than targeting the entire population or government, as outlined in Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act.
Speaking to the press, Akpaloo revealed that he had personally approached U.S. Ambassador Virginia Evelyn Palmer, urging her to encourage European embassies to adopt similar policies. He believes such actions would enhance the credibility of Ghana’s electoral process and foster accountability among all parties involved.
“Looking at the way things are going, I think this election is going to be more peaceful. Recently, we all heard from the American Embassy that anybody who is going to cause chaos will be denied a Visa to travel outside the country.
“I spoke to the American ambassador as I was seated beside her to ask the European counterpart to also issue the same statement and she said yes, she is going to do that very soon, and she believes the British high commission is going to follow suit”.
The Ghana Police Service has committed to taking strong action against those who attempt to incite violence before, during, or after the December elections.
According to the police, holding perpetrators accountable will send a clear message and deter others from engaging in destabilizing activities.
In a discussion with the Civic Forum Initiative at the Police Headquarters in Accra on Tuesday, November 19, Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akufo-Dampare, stressed the service’s commitment to a zero-tolerance policy on violence.
He reassured the public that the police would take all necessary steps to maintain peace and ensure the law is enforced throughout the electoral process.
“You should be rest assured, we will engage where we have to engage. We will deescalate where we want to deescalate but when we have to be ruthless in the enforcement of the law, within the context of the rule of law, we will stop at nothing.
“So, Ghanaians should be with us and bear with us, have our back for us to confront anybody who wants to take the peace of this country for granted.
“We hope and remain convinced that the campaigning period will also remain peaceful. We are now focusing on the D-Day and the post-D-Day,” he stated.
The People’s National Convention (PNC) commemorated the 43rd anniversary of the overthrow of President Dr. Hilla Limann of the Third Republic of Ghana on December 31.
According to the party, the democratically-elected People’s National Party (PNP) government was ousted by the PNDC government in a military coup.
In a press statement released by the General Secretary of PNC, Janet Asana Nbla, on Sunday, it was emphasized that Dr. Limann, who governed for 27 months, stood for moral values and strongly condemned selfishness, greed, and corruption, considering them the greatest “social evil.”
The party expressed its dissatisfaction with how Dr. Limann was treated, especially considering his principled stance.
The statement noted,“Interestingly, the PNDC government that removed him from office on allegations of corruption never found any evidence against President Hilla Limann or his appointees, or immediate family members acquiring wealth at the expense of the taxpayers”.
The PNC clarified in the statement that the 1981 coup that led to Dr. Limann’s overthrow resulted in a decline in the quality of life for Ghanaians and brought immense hardship to the entire country.
It emphasized that Ghanaians lost their “dignity and sense of importance due to this coup.”
Calling on Ghanaians to celebrate Dr. Limann’s remarkable and selfless leadership, the PNC stated, “His exemplary life must inspire and serve as a form of education to the younger generation about the true nature of politics as a means to serve and not to be served.”
The party urged individuals to strive to exemplify the values exhibited by Dr. Limann, ensuring that the pursuit of political power is driven by a genuine desire to uplift the pride and well-being of Ghanaians, rather than selfish motives.
Additionally, the PNC revealed plans to introduce ‘Limannism’ as a subject at all levels of education in a future PNC government, aiming to instill in the younger generation principles of selflessness, morality, and compassion.
The statement concluded by asserting that the PNC would serve as the “Biblical David” to confront and eliminate the “Goliath” of corruption from the country.
“His exemplary life must inspire and serve as a form of education to the younger generation about the true nature of politics as a means to serve and not to be served.
“We should strive to exemplify the values exhibited by Dr Limann, ensuring our pursuit of political power is not driven by selfish motives but rather by a genuine desire to uplift the pride and well-being of Ghanaians,” the statement further said.
The party added that “A future PNC government would introduce ‘Limannism’ as a subject at all levels of education to help instil in the younger generation principles of selflessness, morality, and compassion.
“It will require the PNC to serve as the Biblical David to confront and eliminate the Goliath (corruption) from this country.”
The United Nations rights office has expressed concern over the fatal shooting of a teenager by police, which has sparked unrest throughout France.
However, the office also sees this situation as a potential opportunity for addressing underlying issues.
“This is a moment for the country to seriously address the deep issues of racism and racial discrimination in law enforcement,” spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said.
“We also emphasize the importance of peaceful assembly. We call on the authorities to ensure use of force by police to address violent elements in demonstrations always respects the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality, non-discrimination, precaution and accountability.”
CEO of Zeepay, Andrew Takyi-Appiah, has advocated for a nationalistic approach to support for Ghanaian start-ups.
Mr. Takyi-Appiah opined that the various financial institutions in the country should be willing to give loans to local enterprises to boost their businesses, which will also have a positive impact on the Ghanaian economy.
Contributing to a panel discussion on the Citi Business Festival Forum moderated by the Head of News at Citi TV/Citi FM, Vivian Kai Lokko, dubbed ‘Reimagining the Digital Economy’, the Chief Executive Officer of Zeepay observed that most people struggle to acquire the necessary capital to start their businesses.
He further suggested thatbanksshould open their doors for start-ups to access loans and push their businesses forward.
“It will be good if we have a nationalistic pride that, for the first time, we are also going to lift the local companies up and give them those opportunities and teach them the efficiency to reach their goals. I also think that one of the enabling conversations is the fact that we desperately need to redefine start-ups,” Mr. Takyi-Appiah posited further.
“Our part of the world is such that you cannot even get a bank loan, let alone get private equity to support you. But if we start to redefine the start-up conversation, maybe even banks will start to look at start-ups differently and provide them with hand-holding support, so that they will have the resources to support the infrastructure,” he added.
He also charged local enterprises to ensure that they deliver quality services, which will attract more customers to their businesses.
“We need to start looking at aspects like fulfillment because we cannot have a digital economy without fulfillment. Fulfillment is the reason why you buy on Amazon and receive your goods. The backend is the infrastructure, which includes human beings and logistics that bring it to your doorstep. It would be great if local entities also understand the local economy and come up with fulfillment platforms,” the Zeepay CEO admonished.
President Akufo-Addo has stated that Ghanaians can now embrace and shake hands with one other in public with ease.
The review of COVID-19 safety measures comes at a time when the World Health Organisation has stated that COVID-19 is no longer a public health emergency.
The president revealed the ease with COVID restrictions when he addressed the country on Sunday, May 28, 2023, in his last update on the country’s preparedness towards the fight againstCOVID-19.
“That culturally defining Ghanaian symbol, the handshake, was prohibited and frowned upon and we were advised not to hug our children and our loved ones…
“… Fellow Ghanaians, throughout these trying times, I kept urging all of you to believe that this, too, shall pass. Dare I say that this too has passed? The emergency is over, and we can safely lift many of the oppressive restrictions we have had to endure, we can shake hands, we can hug, we can visit, and we no longer have to wear masks,” he said.
The president, however, urged that such practices as the “regular hand washing and other personal hygiene measures” be maintained “so they become entrenched national habits.”
In 2020, Ghana sternly enforced safety protocol measures such as social distancing, no public gatherings, use of sanitizer and washing of hands regularly with soap.
The Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has revealed the hidden circumstances that led to Ghana’s former President John Agyekum Kufuor being confined to a wheelchair.
According to the king of the Ashanti Kingdom, the former president failed to prioritize his health after he survived an accident on his way to the castle while he was president.
He detailed that former presidentJohn Agyekum Kufuor decided to put the country above himself when he had the accident despite his advice to him not to overwork.
Speaking at a dinner in Ransford in the United Kingdom (UK), Otumfuo said;
“He cannot walk and I said to him that it was his own fault. He had an accident on his way to the Castle, he was safe and went to the 37 military hospital and returned to the Presidency to work. I called him from Kumasi and he said [I’m in the office].
I asked what are you doing there, Ofa (Uncle)? and he said [I’m okay, nothing happened to me I’m fine]. I told him Ofa (Uncle) you better go home and rest. And I told him Ghana will still be there if you die. But he stayed in the office till 4pm before he left the office. This is the amount of sacrifice he had for Ghana,” starfmonline.com quoted Otumfuo as having said.
On November 14, 2007, former Ghanaian President John Agyekum Kufuor, also then Chairman of the African Union, escaped unhurt when a private car crashed into his vehicle, rolling it over several times.
‘The car finally rested on the sidewalk and the people around helped his security men to pull him out. The president came out holding his head’, an eyewitness said.
A man using a Mercedes Benz, ignored the siren of the presidential convoy and drove straight into Kufuor’s vehicle at the Opeibea House traffic light Intersection on the Airport – 37 Military Hospital road.
The man who caused the accident was put before a Motor Court in Accra and charged with four counts of dangerous driving, negligently causing harm, driving under the influence of alcohol and failing to give way to the presidential convoy.
Investigations further revealed that the accused was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident, and when tested with an Alco Sensor III, his alcohol level read 0.41% instead of the legal limit of 0.08%.
It was alleged that the accused person admitted to taking at least one bottle of alcoholic beverage before the incident.
TheNational Petroleum Authority(NPA) has warned inhabitants of the Volta and Oti Regions against indulging in fuel smuggling to Togo.
The authority has emphasised the dangers of this illegal activity and urged citizens to avoid participating in it.
Fuel smuggling has become a significant issue in the region, with many people transporting fuel across the border to Togo, where they sell it for a higher price.
However, the NPA has warned that this practice is not only illegal but also poses serious risk to the smugglers and the general public.
The Volta Regional Director of NPA, Godwin Konu, gave the warning during a media engagement organised by the NPA in the Volta Regional capital Ho.
According to Godwin Konu, the fuel being smuggled may be of inferior quality and may contain harmful substances that could damage engines and lead to accidents.
Furthermore, smuggling fuel through illegal channels also contributes to the loss of revenue for the government, which could be used to fund various development projects in the region.
Mr. Konu has reiterated the NPA’s commitment to working with other relevant agencies to clamp down on fuel smuggling and to ensure that the public is adequately informed about the risks associated with such illegal activities.
He has therefore called on residents to report any suspicious activity related to fuel smuggling to the appropriate authorities.
He has also urged the general public to use legal channels to purchase fuel and to ensure that they are buying from licensed fuel stations.
The journalists expressed their readiness in helping the NPA achieve its aim of clamping down smuggling of fuel to and fro Togo andGhana.
In response to the warning, some residents have expressed their support for the NPA’s efforts and have pledged to cooperate with the authorities to put an end to fuel smuggling in the region.
Others have called for stricter penalties for those caught engaging in the illegal trade.
The NPA’s caution comes as part of its ongoing efforts to promote the safe and legal use of petroleum products in the country.
Martin Kpebu, a constitutional lawyer based in Accra, has recommended that the country’s new Chief Justice (CJ), Mrs. Gertrude Torkonoo, use her time in office to establish additional divorce courts in order to reduce the backlog of divorce cases.
He said the situation of the backlog of divorce cases is a significant cause of worry for lawyers.
He explained that divorce courts are few in the country.
He said because divorce courts are few, it takes about two to three years to dispense justice in the country.
He narrated that Accra has only three divorce courts hence the need for the new CJ to establish more of these courts to help deal with the rising cases of divorce.
He said there is the Land Court, Commercial Court, divorce court and general court and the divorce courts are always inundated with cases.
Mr Kpebu made this suggestion to the new CJ while speaking in an interview on the mid-day news on Accra 100.5 FM on Thursday, April 27, 2023.
“We claim we are Christians but go to the divorce court and see what is happening there, the courts are overwhelmed with people seeking divorce over child support and upkeep,” he said.
He stressed more and more young people who claim to be Christians are seeking divorce over issues that can be addressed at home.
The minister of defense, Dominic Nitiwul, has asked theGonja Traditional Councilto provide the 155th armored regiment in Damongo extra land so that it can expand its facilities.
According to him, the presence of more military personnel will further enhance the peace and security in the area.
Speaking at a short programme to commission a 30-unit accommodation for junior officers, the Minister of Defence reiterated the commitment of government towards the expansion of infrastructure at all garrisons across the country.
“We know that adequate and appropriate military accommodation play an important function in the wellbeing and performance of the military personnel and government shall therefore continue to explore acceptable ways of mitigating accommodation challenges of all garrisons across the country.
“I wish to use this opportunity to appeal to traditional authorities especially my father, the Yagbonwura, the regional minister and all stakeholders to ensure the allocation of more lands to the military for future development.”
He believes the existence of the military in the Savannah Region will consolidate the peace of the region while opening up economic development.
He applauded the Military High Command for their continuous cooperation with government to facilitate the enormous infrastructure springing up across all military camps.
For his part, Commanding Officer at the 155 Armoured Regiment Lieutenant Col. Philimon Hoffman lauded the Chief of Defense and the army staff for seeing to the completion of the project.
“It is worth noting that the beginning was not easy but with the fortitude of the Chief of the Army Staff and the High Command, today the camp is operational and the regiment is happy with the work done so far. But like Oliver Twist, we humbly ask for more projects.”
The Minister later commissioned a 30-unit junior officers accommodation.
He, together with his entourage, also paid a courtesy call on the Yagbonwura.
The 155 Armoured Regiment in Damongo was established in 2021 as part of the expansion drive of the Ghana Armed Forces.
The regiment initially deployed five officers and 26 soldiers but the strength has increased exponentially to some 484 soldiers.
Ghana has lost its status as an agricultural nation to service, according to Godfred Bokpin, a professor at the University of Ghana Business School.
Even with the service status, he said, it is only based on retail and wholesale thereby relying heavily on importation.
Once the country imports heavily, it creates jobs for others countries and creates unemployment domestically, he added.
Speaking at the 3Business Economic SustainabilitySummit held in Accra on Tuesday April 4, Prof Bokpin said “Ghana, from independence, was known for agriculture but today Ghana is not known for agriculture. Ghana is known for service but the question is, is Ghana really a service-based economy?
“The answer is no. Typically, if you look at the economic transformation when a country begins from agriculture and suddenly service is leading it tells you that that economy is matured so it has gone through that process but in the case of Ghana we started off agriculture being the leading contributor to the GDP and then we skipped industry, that is what the data is telling us and then we jumped straight to service.
“That service sector is actually not quality service, it is the sector that is driven by retail and wholesale, largely import. Once your service sector is leading particularly in the area of retail and wholesale, once your industry isn’t doing well then it means the bulk of what is happening is going to be important, typically once you import, you are important unemployment.”
Over the first five months of operation, theGhana Revenue Authority (GRA) monitoring teams had recovered more than GH86 million for government.
The teams, which conduct market surveillance for compliance, comprise the Tema team, based at Tema Harbour; Eastern Frontier, based at Dabala in the Volta Region; Western Frontier in Kumasi, Ashanti Region, and the Vehicle Task Force whose operation is nationwide.
Their operation also led to the interception and detention of 273 uncustomed vehicles between the last quarter of 2022 and the end of February 2023.
Speaking to journalists about the initiative in Accra, the Commissioner of Customs of the GRA, Seidu Iddrisu Iddisah, said the recoveries made by the team would contribute to the revenue drive of the state and ensure that the security of the country was intact.
Background
The Customs Division of the GRA came up with the monitoring team initiative to ensure importers pay the right amounts of duty and also to serve as a tool to curtail smuggling across the country.
In October 2022, four monitoring teams were inaugurated to undertake risk-based and intelligence-driven operations across the country.
The teams also arrested some uncustomed goods and carried out other related assignments which involved the interception of substances suspected to be Indian hemp, among others.
According to the Customs Division of the GRA, an assessment of the operations of the teams between October, 2022 and February, 2023 indicated that the teams had significantly impacted on revenue mobilisation.
No compromise
Giving a breakdown of the amount recovered to the state, Mr Iddisah said the Tema team alone collected GH¢85 million while the Western Frontier team also recovered a total collection of GH₵1.46 million.
The Vehicle Task Force intercepted and detained 193 uncustomed vehicles in the last quarter of 2022 and 80 vehicles between January and February 2023.
Mr Iddisah explained that the monitoring teams served as another layer of security measures put in place by the Authority.
The Commissioner of Customs said the monitoring team was also one of the layers of enforcement as the monitoring teams operate at certain strategic areas to ensure that “if someone is able to dodge from the entry points, these teams will be able to apprehend them for the right amount of duties and customs processes to be done.”
He commended the teams for the successes chalked up, saying since they were “set up towards the latter part of last year to February, Tema team alone has collected over GH¢85 million and seized other goods that did not meet the standards required for the country”.
The Commissioner of Customs said in the operation of the teams there was no room for compromise and cautioned that the team would not compromise on any unethical exercise by any importer or trader against the country’s customs laws.
Harassment
On the concerns of some team members harassing innocent traders at some of the country’s borders, Mr Addisah admitted that such complaints had been made in the public domain but without any concrete evidence.
“We have always encouraged people to come out with evidence of our team members harassing individuals or any form of corruption so that we can investigate and deal with the officers involved.
He explained that the teams were guided by a code of ethics and conduct and when it was breached, the necessary sanctions were applied accordingly.
Martin Kpebu, a private attorney, has asserted that he has given up advocating for gays in society since he cannot speak on behalf of the faceless.
According to him, they should come out and speak or fight for themselves for themselves
Mr Kpebu explained that he is aware of big lawyers in thiscountry who are homosexual but are not prepared to come out publicly to defend their actions.
Speaking on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, April 1, he said “To be very frank with you I do not intend to go into the merits of the debate on LGBTQ. I have made comments on it in the past, briefly stating that if some people want to fight for it it is within their right to fight for it but the reason I am no longer interested in joining this debate aggressively is that the people who practice LGBTQ, they don’t want to show their faces. So I ask, how am I going to advocate for a faceless person?
“So that is the disconnect. It is a very sensitive matter, I have been crying here Saturday to Saturday that the Ghanaian doesn’t want to fight, this is another of that. Privately, I have seen big lawyers involved, big lawyers who are gays and they can’t fight for themselves and you are saying Kpebu should come and fight, no, you can’t fight everything. There are big lawyers, I am telling you on authority, in this country involved and they don’t want to show their faces. At least they should come out, let’s see them explain their situation.
“I have been telling some of them privately that if we even get fifty of them to snap a picture, and come out to address a press conference when they speak, they will evoke compassion.”
The discussion on the Key Points centered on President Akufo-Addo’s decision to dissociate from the Proper Human Sexual Rights & Ghanaian Family Values Bill also known as the Ant-Gay Bill.
Proposed under a Private Members’ Bill, the anti-gay bill is expected to criminalise some of the activities of homosexuals in Ghana.
Answering a question put to him at the Jubilee House on Monday, March 27 when US Vice President Kamala Harris called on him, President Akufo-Addo confirmed that the bill is currently before Parliament, which will decide on it, but most of its provisions are being fine-tuned.
“It hasn’t been passed, so the statement that there is legislation in Ghana to that effect is not accurate,” he said.
“Parliament is dealing with it and at the end of the process, I will come in,” he added.
President Akufo-Addo welcomed US Vice President Harris to the seat of government as part the latter’s three-day visit to the country.
She stressed how strongly she feels about the importance of supporting and fighting for the cause of human rights including rights of LGBTQs.
“For the American press who are here, you know that a great deal of work in my career has been to address human rights issues, equality issues across the globe including as well as the LGBTQ community and I feel very strongly about the importance of supporting freedom and supporting and fighting for quality among all people.”
Ghana’s first president of,Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, had his image engraved on a Guinean coin.
Dr. Kwame is said to have been close friends with Guinea’s first president, Sekou Toure as during his reign as president of Ghana, he sent £10 million to Guinea when its economy was being destroyed for voting for independence from France.
During Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s overthrow in 1966, Sekou Toure said “Ghanaian traitors have been mistaken in thinking that Nkrumah is simply a Ghanaian. He is a universal man.”
Ghana’s first president went into exile in Guinea after a coup to overthrow him in 1966 and was made a co-president of thecountry by his friend, Sekou Toure.
Sekou Toure revered and loved his friend so much that even in death, he honoured Dr. Kwame Nkrumah by embossing his face on the 5 sylis note and coin of Guinea.
This syli currency was Guinea’s legal tender between 1971 and 1985 and the word means elephant.
President of theGhana Union of Traders Association(GUTA), Dr. Joseph Obeng, has voiced his displeasure over the three revenue tax revenue that has been approved by Parliament.
Dr. Obeng bemoaned the implications of the taxes approval and said it will affect the rate of tax compliance by businesses because it will be a discouraging act to honour.
He said Ghanaian businesses are particularly not competitive in the West African Sub-Region due to the high taxes that they have to pay.
“Businesses are not competitive in the subregion and that is why some of us have to go and buy goods from Togo, so additional taxes will really affect our trade. It is going to make us pay a multiplicity of taxes and that is why we called it an obnoxious tax system.”
Dr. Obeng further lamented the high commercial lending rate which he said is another big incentive for businesses in the country.
Commercial lending rate is at 40 percent, and how do you wantbusinesses to pay this and still have money to pay all these taxes? We are very disappointed at how we are producing our democracy here because it is all about imposition, this approval is going to impede our growth.”
Parliament yesterday, March 31, passed the Income Tax Amendment Bill, Excise Duty Amendment Bill, and Growth and Sustainability Amendment Bill which collectively, are expected to generate approximately GH¢4 billion per year to supplement domestic revenue.
Dr. Obeng also tasked the government to look at other sectors to raise revenue other than overly burdening local businesses with taxes.
We should curtail the leakages at the Free Zones and warehousing to help raise the needed revenue.
Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi, and a few other locations across the nation are likely to experience flash floods from April to June, according to the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet).
The flash floods might make some routes impassable, according to GMet’s seasonal estimate for 2023.
“The total cumulative rainfall amount for March April May (MAM) both in time and space will be near normal to above normal at the eastern coast of the country, South Western parts of the country towards the north-western parts of the country will experience normal to below normal rains and the extreme North Eastern parts of the country will experience below normal to near normal rains,” GMet said in a statement.
The statement said, the rest of the country will experience near normal rains adding that, March, April, May, and June is the major rainfall season for the south of the country (8°N and below).
“At the peak of the MAM/AMJ season, there is a high probability of heavy rains accompanied by strong winds and lightning which could lead to flooding and damage to structures. There is also a high probability of experiencing relatively short to normal dry spells at the beginning and towards the end of the season.
“Places such as along the coast and its inland areas are likely to have some surplus rainfall, albeit not so significant from the normal rainfall. The western parts of the country will also experience some deficit rainfall amounts for the MAM and AMJ seasons.”
Road users are thus advised to be mindful when plying roads and refrain from driving through floodwaters.
“Light aircrafts are advised to take utmost care and avoid flying through deep convective clouds that are associated with severe turbulence and lightning, especially in the afternoon hours. Motorists should be mindful of fallen trees and objects on roads during or after a storm.”
The World Health Organization has raised alarm about the measles epidemic in some areas of the country and has called for prompt vaccination of unvaccinated infants to stop the spread.
Speaking in an interview on the yet-to-be-aired JoyNews’ Foreign Affairs, the Deputy Director General, Dr. Anshu Banerjee said there was a “need to organise catch-up campaigns to find children who hadn’t received the measles vaccine earlier.”
This he indicated, is due to the fact that measles is a very infectious disease, adding that “we have seen measles outbreak increase…”
Parts of the country were hit by the outbreak following weeks of shortage of critical vaccines.
Notable areas with high recorded cases were the northern parts of the country, with over 100 cases.
Also, the Ketu South Municipality recorded 10 cases of measles during the period of vaccine shortage.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) have received the first consignment of vaccines with which the vaccination exercise has resumed across the country.
According to the Director General of the GHS, Dr. Patrick Kumah Aboagye, as the Service has received the first consignment, he hopes others come in soon.
He assured that the quantity received per the first consignment will be enough for a minimum of six weeks immunisation across the country.
He therefore urged parents to make their children available for vaccination when they are due.
“The first batch of the vaccines just arrived and we have doses in BCG, oral polio vaccine and then the measles vaccine. They just arrived with the accessories, syringes, safety boxes. Immediately, they are being discharged to the regions and then vaccinations will start across the country,” he said.
The head of the committee overseeing roads and highways in parliament,Kennedy Osei Nyarko, wants the price of road tolls to be set at GH5.
He added that paying GH5 as toll will assist the government increase money for the country.
He was speaking to journalists about the government’s proposed reintroduction of road tolls and said only that amount of money will be considered as the toll rate.
“After suspending the road tolls for more than a year, why do we just add 50 pesewas to it? As the Roads Committee Chair, I will not support anything less than GH¢5. I am doing that based on the average road toll in the subregion and globally which is $1.”
The Ghana Education Service(GES) has declared today, Tuesday, March 7, 2023, a holiday for all students across the country.
This comes after the nationwide celebration of Independence Day that took place on Monday.
On Monday, March 6, 2023, thousands of students from all over the country gathered in Adaklu in the Volta Region to commemorate Ghana’s 66th anniversary of independence.
Various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies also celebrated the event at the local level giving students the opportunity to take part in the 6th March parade.
“It is announced for the information of all schools and the general public that Tuesday 7th March has been declared a holiday for all school children in Ghana,” GES said in its statement.
GES further explained, “this is to enable them have some rest after preparing vigorously for the Independence Day anniversary Parade”.
Schools, according to the GES will fully resume on Wednesday, March 8, 2023.
According to President Akufo-Addo, the country’s crime rate has drastically decreased as a result of increased police visibility.
In the president’s view, the visibility has brought discipline on the roads and made communities safer.
Speaking at the presentation of some 100 Toyota Hilux Pick Ups and 600 motorbikes to the Police Service, President Akufo-Addo said the government will continue to support the police to reduce crime in the country.
“We are all witnesses to the increase in police visibility which has contributed to improved police response time. Instilling discipline on our roads is one of the areas the police have made a lot of gains.”
The one hundred (100) pickup vehicles, six hundred (600) motorbikes and six (6) APC vehicles are to be used by the Formed Police Units (FPUs) in all regions of the country.
Until recently, the FPU was only stationed in Accra.
However, through support from the government, the Unit was extended to Kumasi in the Ashanti Region and is now being formed in all the other regions. All regions across the country are soon going to benefit from the services of this specialised unit.
These Regional FPUs will be spread across one hundred and forty (140) bases in various communities in all the regions. Without any doubt, their presence will enhance greatly security, law and order in the country.
The President added that “all of these are evidence if any were needed, of Government’s commitment to the continuous retooling of the Police, a responsibility my government takes very seriously”.
“It is borne out of the fact that the police play a critical role in the development of our country, hence the need to ensure that the Police Service is adequately resourced to discharge its duties for the safety and security of all of us, as well as for the growth of economic activity.”
The Ledzokuku Municipal Assembly has been instructed by Mr. Francis Asenso-Boakye, Minister for Works and Housing, to take immediate action to halt ongoing building development activities by some private developers on theKpeshie Lagoon Wetlands in Teshie, a suburb of Accra prior to the rainy season.
This came to light when the Minister, accompanied by officials of the Ministry, the Hydrological Services Authority and some Municipal Assemblies within the Greater Accra region, embarked on a working visit to inspect progress of ongoing drainage works in selected flood prone areas in the city, and also to assess the readiness of the completed drainage infrastructure ahead of the rainy season.
The Kpeshie Lagoon Wetlands, the Kordjor River, all in the Ledzokuku Municipal Assembly, as well as the La Dade-Kotopong where parts of the buffer is, have been built on by many private developers, including Messrs RA CONGLOMERATE, operating without the appropriate building permits, and eventually filling the reserved buffer, which is meant to hold excess volumes of water flow during heavy rains.
In recent times, several illegal structures comprising of residential buildings as well as heavy encroachment by developers in some notable wetlands have conspired to thwart the investments of Government in its efforts to provide drainage infrastructure across the country.
Orders of the President
This unfortunate development caused President Akufo-Addo to issue directives to all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs) to pull down structures that are illegally sited on waterways and in wetlands.
He has therefore called on the Assemblies under whose jurisdictions the illegal constructions are taking place, to take the necessary step to comply with the directives of the President and demolish structures that have been erected within wetlands or in waterways, and thereby, further exposing the city to the devastating effects of perennial flooding.
The sector Minister expressed shock at the rate at which the Kpeshie Lagoon Wetlands and its buffer reserve areas are blatantly being filled with construction materials by private developers.
Mr. Asenso-Boakye reminded the Assemblies of the directives of the President to pull down structures that are illegally cited within or on the way of wetlands or waterways that have the tendency to contribute the perennial flooding in the country.
“It is unfortunate that despite the heavy investment in drainage infrastructure over the years, irresponsible behavior of private developers continue to expose the city, especially in areas, which hitherto, were not noted for flooding”. The Minister stated.
The sector Minister said the power to embark on a demolition of the illegal structures lies within the Assemblies and therefore called on them to act swiftly to avert flood related disasters with the onset of the rainy season.
Commenting on the need to demolish structures built on waterways and in wetlands, the MCE for the La Dade-Kotopon where the Kpeshie Lagoon buffer is, Mr Solomon Kotey Nikoi said, “the Assembly’s efforts to stop the building of illegal structures have become a challenge that need the urgent intervention of its supervising Ministry. Efforts to stop, demolish, and arrest culprits have been met with assaults by landguards and death threats.”
He suggested that Government constitutes a national taskforce to deal with the menace of encroachment in wetlands.
On the security challenge, the Works and Housing Minister assured of his readiness to engage his senior colleague at the Local Government Ministry to solicit the support of security authorities to deal with private developers who are bent on thwarting the efforts of government with blatant disregard for the laws, towards the flooding menace.
There has been an increase in enrolment across the country since the Free Senior High School concept was introduced in 2017.
The increased enrolment also led to increased demand for furniture, accommodation and other resources to facilitate effective teaching and learning.
It is based on this that the President Akufo-Addo-led government has since 2017 donated thousands of furniture and other resources to schools to promote effective teaching and learning at the pre-tertiary education sector.
The Press Secretary at the Education Ministry, Mr Felix A. Baidoo, who disclosed this said the government has since 2017 distributed a total of 1,155,240 pieces of furniture to Senior High and Basic Schools across the country.
He stated that out of the number 925,793 were distributed to SHS while the remaining 229,447 went to Basic Schools in the country.
Demand-driven supply
Again, he stated that the demand-driven furniture distribution, is aimed at creating enabling and conducive environment in the classrooms.
Mr Baidoo disclosed this after accompanying a team of media personnel to Benje Furniture Company Ltd at Weija in the Weija Gbawe Municipality in Accra on Friday where 5,000 dual desks were being dispatched to the Kpandai District in the North East region.
The trip to Benje Furniture Company Ltd was geared towards providing evidence that the government’s readiness to distribute furniture to schools is real and not a rhetoric.
Ongoing distribution
According to the Press Secretary, the loading of the 5,000 pieces of furniture to Kpandai District was part of 40,000 pieces of furniture being distributed to schools which have requested additional furniture across the country.
He explained that although the government desired to distribute the right quantity of furniture to schools, that depends on the demands of schools at a particular point in time.
This, he said is to ensure that the furniture went to the right institutions or schools which need them most to avoid sending the furniture to schools which did not need them while others which needed them have not been supplied yet.
Mr Baidoo indicated the government’s preparedness towards supplying the needed resources to all schools across the country towards enhancing the development of education.
Exercise restraint
He appealed to all schools yet to be supplied with furniture and other resources to exercise restraint as the right processes are being followed to ensure that all resources reached those who need them.
The Chief Executive Officer of Benje Furniture Company Ltd, praised the Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, for procuring the furniture from the local market since such a move would help boost the operations of local companies.
He explained that the procurement of the furniture locally would also help empower local industries to do more towards strengthening their operations.
The CEO pledged to ensure that all the furniture would be delivered within three weeks so that the beneficiaries would be able to use it for its intended purpose.
Records
Records available at the Education Ministry indicate that a total of 65,779 pieces of furniture were supplied to Basic Schools in the country in 2018, 54,000 was supplied by District Assembly Common Fund in 2020, 69,459 in 2021 while the distribution of 40,000 to Basic Schools for this year is currently underway.
The SHSs also received 65,779 furniture in 2018, 54,000 in 2020, 69,459 in 2021 while the distribution of 40,209 for this year is ongoing.
The distribution of furniture to the schools usually comes in the form of dual desks, teacher’s chairs and tables, library tables and chairs, common room tables and chairs, KG chairs, cupboards, notice board, dining hall tables, dining hall benches, computer lab chairs and bunk beds among others.
Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, a private legal practitioner, has advanced reasons why individual bondholders must embrace the government’s debt restructuring offer.
According to him, the Ghanaian economy could crash if the bondholders do not quickly accept the offer as outlined by the Ministry of Finance.
Gabby, in a series of posts on social media, warned against the agitations surrounding the deal and encouraged the bondholders to play their role in the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).
“Ghana is in a very difficult place. What we are seeing with the mobilisation of agitation on individual bondholders poses a real and serious risk worse than what we witnessed when opposition to E-Levy succeeded in derailing an already shaky macroeconomic situation from 2021,” portions of his tweets read.
“The debt exchange programme is voluntary for individual bondholders but a very necessary evil for our economy.
“Its success is critical to restoring macroeconomic stability, securing an IMF prog. It hits those of us holding bonds very hard. A straight no to it is no solution!”, Mr Otchere-Darko stressed.
“If the no-compromise opposition to it wins, what then has been achieved? It may lead to national debt default.
“So what then happens to the value of your bonds after! Potentially worthless. If participation is low, we jeopardize resolving the economic crisis and hardships”, he wrote.
Gabby Otchere-Darko concluded his tweet storm by reminding Ghanaians that the country’s economy is not in a good shape and that certain uncomfortable measures ought to be taken to restore it.
“I’m sorry but we have to face the hard/painful truths. We ain’t sitting pretty. Our focus must be on how the burden to individual bondholders may be possibly eased; but not to take the hardline position of simply saying no to participation. It will come back to hit us harder!”.
This comes after two extensions of the expiration date by the Finance Ministry.
The decision to include individual bondholders was necessitated after government was forced by labour unions to abandon plans to include pensions in the debt exchange programme which was first announced in December 2022.
Government has assured road contractors across the country that it will continue to work in their interest to ensure prompt payments of the debts owed them.
According to Government, it will pay “a chunk” of the debts before the end of 2022.
Speaking at the festival of lessons and carols held by the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Roads and Highways, Sector Minister, Kwasi Amoako-Atta said:
“Contractors of this country are doing a yeoman’s job despite all the difficulties, and I want to assure them that government will continue to work in their interest and all their outstanding payments from now onwards will be done from time to time”.
He noted that: “A chunk of outstanding (payments) are going to be effected before the end of the year and it will continue.”
The Minister further appealed to persons living in areas that are yet to benefit from government’s road development to be patient.
“The people deserve to have good roads.”
“I appeal to all those who haven’t had their turn to be patient and calm,” the Minister said.
President Akufo-Addo has defended the need to complete the construction of the National Cathedral.
He insists that the controversial project will signify an appreciation to God who he believes has spared the country from conflicts and plagues over the years.
According to him, the project whose 2023 budgetary allocation approval has been suspended will be geared toward thanking God for “sparing us the ravages of civil war that have bedevilled the histories of virtually all our neighbours and the outbreak of deadly mass epidemics but also as a rallying point for the entire Christian community of Ghana, which represents seventy-plus per cent of the population.”
He spoke during the centenary celebration of the Ga Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana at the Black Star Square in Accra on December 18.
Addressing the congregants, President Akufo-Addo further courted the support of Ghanaians to make the country a better place for all.
“I need the support of every Ghanaian, together with the prayers of the church, to help me and my government carry out our mandate successfully,” he added on Sunday.
Key among the clergy present at the event were the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rev. Prof. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante.
On December 13, the Trades and Industry Committee of Parliament put on hold the approval of ₵80 million allocated for the construction of the National Cathedral.
The allocation, which was made to the Ministry of Tourism (MoT), failed to receive endorsement by the Committee because members want more answers from the sector Minister.
According to Tamale Central MP, Murtala Mohammed who disclosed this to JoyNews, until the Committee is satisfied, they will approve the Ministry’s estimates without the funds allocated to the National Cathedral.
“What the Committee decided was that we cannot just approve this GH₵80 million, we must know how the other ¢339 million was spent. What did it constitute?
“The ¢80 million you want us to approve, how did it find space in the budget line of the Ministry of Tourism when the Minister and the directors could not speak to the questions we were asking? What constitutes the ¢80 million, they should give us a breakdown,” he disclosed in an interview with JoyNews.
In the wake of the economic downturn, many are asking why the construction of the National Cathedral remains the subject of big-ticket spending in the spending plans of the government.
Already, some ¢339 million has been spent on the project, an edifice that President Akufo-Addo says is his personal pledge to God.
But, the Okyehene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin II has pleaded support for the building of the National Cathedral so as not to bring shame to President Akufo-Addo.
Former President John Dramani Mahama has blamed the freeze in employment for the public sector announced in the 2023 budget on the reckless spending and mismanagement of President Akufo-Addo and his appointees.
Speaking at the 13th Congregation of the Accra Business School on Saturday, the former President painted a gloomy picture for the country in the coming years and urged the graduates to venture into entrepreneurship or look to the private sector for employment.
“Unfortunately, parastatals that were thriving a few years ago have been run into the ground by political appointees who have mismanaged the affairs of the state-owned enterprises. These constraints further the ability of the public sector to employ.
“Let me put our situation in a better context. Compensation cost for 2022 was estimated at 55.3 percent of tax revenue, which means off all the taxes we collect we spend 55.3 percent to pay wages and salaries for the public sector alone, amortisation and interest payments consumed the rest of our taxes,” the former president said.
Mr Mahama added that the “situation has compelled the government this year to announce a freeze or a ban on public-sector employment. This makes the situation rather dire for you…unfortunately due to mismanagement and reckless expenditure by the government over the last five years, the private business environment is also in a very poor state today.”
The former President’s comments follow the government’s announcement of a freeze on hiring into the public and civil service effective January 2023 as part of cabinet directives for expenditure rationalisation in the 2023 Budget as the country readies itself for a bailout from the International Monetary Fund.
There have been similar freezes on public sector employment in 2008 and 2014.
The Ministry of Interior has declared Friday, December 2, 2022, as a public holiday to be observed by Ghanaians across the country.
“The general public is hereby reminded that Friday, December 2, 2022, which marks Farmers’ Day, is a Statutory Public holiday and should be observed as such throughout the country,” the Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery, in a statement said.
The first Friday in December every year is set aside in Ghana to honour and recognise farmers and fisher folk in the various regions, for their efforts in the promotion of agriculture.
Last year’s National Farmers’ Day was celebrated in Cape Coast in the Central Region.
The minority side in parliament has indicated that it will not approve any further loan agreement by the government of Ghana in Parliament.
According to the minority, the approval of further loans will worsen the debt situation in the country.
Member of Parliament for Asuogyaman Constituency Thomas Nyarko Ampem said in an interview that “Government of Ghana has brought a loan agreement for us to approve and three different loans agreement. One for two hundred million dollars and two each for one hundred and fifty million dollars. We have taken a very simple decision that looking at our debt situation we are unable to support further approvals for further loans because believe that if you are in a hole you don’t continue to dig further.”
He added that the minority is waiting for the Minister of Finance to give a clear path that government has taken to ensure the country is out of the current debt situation otherwise the minority will not support any additional loans.
Current data from the United Nations COMTRADE database have indicated that Ghana imported US$151million worth of raw sugar in 2020 alone – with the country being ranked 45th largest importer of the commodity globally.
The commodity is also ranked among the first ten most-imported products into the country, as Ghana’s essential food imports bill continuously rise year by year – currently valued at US$2billion according to the finance ministry.
The data also added that the imports of sugar and sugar confectionery was US$158.3million in 2019, with Mexico, Brazil, USA, Guatemala, France and India being the lead importers.
Data from the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) show that the country consumes about 370,000 tonnes of sugar annually, with domestic production currently at an all-time low.
Industrial and domestic supply prospects
Huge supply opportunities exist for large industrial sugar importers, such as FNJ Investments, Fan Milk, Multi-Pac, Kasapreko, Stallion Industries, Nutrifoods and Blow Chem, among others
The Ministry of Trade and Industry has further projected that domestic consumption of sugar in Ghana could rise to 872,000 metric tonnes in 2030.
Similarly, the West Africa sub-region – which is also forecast to experience rapid growth in sugar consumption – also presents a potential sugar export market for Ghana. Amid these market potentials and existing congenial climatic and lithospheric conditions, production of sugar remains at zero.
The Sugar Industry in Ghana
Ghana’s sugar industry is virtually fully dependent on imports. Local production remains negligible at a mere 150 tonnes in 2013 according to the UN data, and there’s a mere 6,000 hectares of sugar plantation in existence.
With two sugar mills in Asutsuare and Komenda, these facilities have been lying idle since 1983 largely due to inefficient management. However, the Komenda Sugar Factory was revived in 2015 and 2016 – but was shut down shortly after due to lack of raw materials.
Attempts to revive Komenda sugar factory
In 2016, government secured a US$35million loan from the Export-Import (EXIM) Bank of India and invested it in the factory. An additional US$24million was set aside to support out-grower farmers.
The factory, which was inaugurated on May 31, 2016 to produce sugar, became stillborn due to a multiplicity of factors that were touted as technical and operational challenges.
On June 3, 2020, however, Trade and Industry Minister Alan Kyerematen announced in parliament that Cabinet had officially approved Park Agrotech Limited as a new strategic investor to operate the factory.
That notwithstanding, the current status of the investment by Park Agrotech is unknown.
Nevertheless, a number of plans, according to the trade ministry, are also underway to develop sugar-cane plantations for a second revival of the Komenda sugar factory.
Also, plans by multinational trading house Cargill to build a sugar refinery in Tema are a possibility.
GEPA’s NEDS projections
Meanwhile, GEPA through the National Export Development Strategy (NEDS) has designed a blueprint for harnessing the full potential of sugar production to curb the rising imports.
In the NEDS, the Authority has projected revenues from the export of sugar by 2029 to be US$1.2billion.
Ghanaian statesman, Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe is disappointed in the way President Akufo-Addo has managed the country’s affairs.
According to the politician, the personalities surrounding the president have not done much in pushing the country in the right direction.
For him, the downturn the country is currently experiencing is a testament to the fact that the President’s disciples have contributed little in nudging the President toward national development.
“These are people who are afraid to tell him exactly what is happening. This has happened to a lot of Presidents in this country. If Nana Addo will listen, I’m sure the way he is going right now he will never go there,” he added.
Speaking to JoyNews, Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe insisted that his advisors and helpers have failed to tell him the true situation.
Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe says that if the President were abreast of all the issues, persons accused of corruption under his watch should have been axed by now.
“People have been accused of several things, there have been infractions all over since Akufo-Addo came to power, what has been done to them?” he asked.
“I know Nana Addo was not like that, so what has happened? I’m surprised. The Nana Addo that I knew is not the one that is ruling Ghana now,” he told JoyNews‘ Benjamin Akakpo.
So far he believes the country has retrogressed under the Akufo-Addo administration adding that the President and his cohorts are to blame.
He listed a number of people who could have coerced the President in the right direction if govern the chance.
They conclude; “Charles Brobby, myself, Kwesi Pratt. There are people who will tell him exactly what is happening.”
The Member of Parliament for Sagnarigu, Alhassan Bashir Fuseini, has called out what he described as the cowardice of his colleagues on the majority side of parliament in their decision not to support their vote of censure motion against the Minister of Finance.
Speaking in an interview with JoyNews and monitored by GhanaWeb, the outspoken National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP expressed shock at the MPs’ decision not to support their vote.
He explained that it amazes him that the MPs, who had earlier called for the minister to be sacked, would in turn throw away an easy opportunity to get their request granted.
“The man is a walking disaster, and once they themselves have come to the conclusion that Ken Ofori-Atta is a disaster, this is an excellent opportunity for them to walk the talk when they told us Ken Ofori-Atta was a disaster and must go.
“If you have been parasitising and they call for free food, it’s like your wife has just cooked, so, why is it that now that they have free food – the opportunity that the censure is moved, and now they’re running away.
“So, it is abundantly clear that they will be reneging on their responsibility,” he sad.
Alhassan Bahir Fuseini, also known as A.B.A. Fuseini, further stated that regardless of the position of the NPP MPs, they in the NDC will prove to Ghanaians that they are the ones concerned about their concerns and their well-being.
“I now say that today is a historic day in parliament, that the people will see who is truly beholding to the national interest of this country; who is truly standing up for the oppressed masses; who is truly standing up for the excruciating hardships that our people are suffering,” he said.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has proposed a vote of censure in Parliament.
Should it pass, it would make the appointment of Ken Ofori-Atta as Minister of Finance invalid in the eyes of parliament, forcing the president to officially sack him.
A Supreme Court Judge, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie has cautioned the General Legal Council against lowering the standards for admission into the Ghana School of Law.
According to the Supreme Court Judge, it is imperative for persons seeking to study law to meet the requirements of the profession.
Speaking at a dinner for persons qualified to be called to the bar, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie underscored the need to maintain high standards of the legal profession in order to enhance justice delivery in the country.
“This year if they pass we will pass them, if they fail, they will not be admitted, and we are not going to lower standards just to accommodate anybody who has applied. Law is law and you must meet the requirements,” Justice Baffoe-Bonnie said.
His comments come after over 80 percent of students passed the final examination conducted in July by the Independent Examination Committee (IEC) of the General Legal Council (GLC) to select qualified students of the Ghana School of Law (GSL).
The general position of Ghana’s law is that the GLC is the primary institution that regulates legal education in Ghana.
Citi News‘ analysis of the results revealed that some 81 percent of the over 800 Part Two Professional Law Course students – defined as candidates who started and completed their professional law course on various campuses of the GSL – passed.
However, 18 percent of candidates who sat for the exams failed at least one or more of the papers written in July 2022.
The percentage of successful candidates belonging to the post-call law class – defined as persons who have been called to the Bar in other common law jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Nigeria and The Gambia was, however, lower; at over 60 percent.
Around 33 percent of post-call candidates failed at least one paper, meaning they are ineligible to be considered for the Ghana Bar this year.
Put together, some 850 candidates of the Ghana School of Law are fit to be considered for the Ghana Bar on November 11, 2022, provided they have equally met other requirements, such as “Good character”
Edwina Nana Addo, the daughter of Ghana’s first gentleman Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is making great strides in the entrepreneurial space and has built a grand restaurant which attracts some of the most affluent people in the country.
Edwina’s eatery is named NsuomNam, a fine Twi name which gives it a touch of Ghanaian heritage.
NsuomNam means fish from the water, and as the name suggests, the restaurant specializes in seafood and is said to be one of the best seafood restaurants in Accra per reviews on Google.
Since its opening, the restaurant has been met with criticism from Ghanaians as they felt $6 Million was too much money for a restaurant. Business, however, started booming for Edwina, although the restaurant was opened not long ago.
NsuomNam hosts some of the most affluent peeps in the country, and celebrities like Jackie Appiah, Nadia Buari, Majid Michael, and others have been spotted at the luxurious eatery. YEN.com.gh has compiled some photos and videos of the grand restaurant.
1, The entrance of the eatery is nothing you’ll expect less of a $6 Million restaurant. The beautiful white walls and its classy glass entrance screams luxury. At night the eatery looks even more beautiful with its beautiful lights, letting it stand out in the darkness of the night.
2. NsuomNam seems like the new house for the rich. A week ago, some of Ghana’s most affluent movie stars partied hard at the restaurant.
4. Edwina has good taste for decor, and NsumNam reflects her excellent taste as the restaurant treats its patrons with not just good food, it provides a serene environment.
5. Exquisite seafood is hard to find In Ghana, but NsuomNam looks like it is about to set itself apart from the current competition as the restaurant provides some of the most exclusive seafood menus.
The United Nations has indicated its readiness to scale up support for Ghana under its newly-proposed Cooperation Framework.
Under a previously signed framework, a total of $440 million was expended in assisting the country towards achieving her developmental need.
However, in what he describes as “realignment,” the UN Resident Coordinator in Ghana, Charles Abani, revealed that the new framework (2022-2025) is expected to scale up assistance to over $500 million.
“This is a gross increase in the value that comes through the UN system into Ghana. The 261 (million) that we announced at the Global Citizens (festival) is the core part of that and that has been secured already.”
UN Resident Coordinator in Ghana, Charles Abani
“For the rest, we are in the motion of raising that fund, which backs my pledge that we stand ready to support,” Charles Abani told JoyNews.
In its report titled, ‘The Impact of the War in Ukraine on Sustainable Development in Africa’, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) noted that “Africa is facing a double crisis with the combined effects of the war in Ukraine and of the Covid-19 pandemic – now is a critical time for action.”
“It is time to intensify efforts and reframe development finance, strengthen resilience in African economies, and foster economic transformation as a key driver for change in Africa,” the report added.
Charles Abani [left] and Blessed Sogah
Commenting on the report, Charles Abani noted that the UN is collaborating with Ghanaian agencies to avert the impact of these exogenous factors hindering sustainable development.
“We need to ensure that we are investing in things that matter most. We should work more on strengthening Ghana’s institutions and the capacity of Ghanaians,” he stressed.
The United Nations is hopeful the government of Ghana will cooperate with its officials to successfully flesh out the cooperation framework.
President of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Dr. Humphrey Ayim-Darke says the source of hope for industry in the midst of the economic challenges is that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
He called on industry to rally behind the measures outlined by the President to tackle the economic difficulties in the country.
Speaking on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday November 5, he said “Our case as an industry is, what are the remedies? It is necessary that at this stage we gather the courage as the president did and then from there, with what he has outlined as part of his proposed solutions, players in the space or actors in the various sectors of the economy should quickly rally around the said call and then develop modalities to circumvent the challenges.”
He added “What can we say are the source of hope? That there is light at the end of the tunnel, how quickly can we all come together and take charge and seek to rectify the destruction that has befallen us. This has been the position of AGI leadership.”
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-0Addo in his public address on Sunday October 30 said the success of the government’s efforts at diversifying the structure of the Ghanaian economy from an import-based one to a value-added exporting one is what will, in the long term, help strengthen our economy.
“We are making some progress with the 1D1F but our current situation requires that we take some more stringent measures to discourage the importation of goods that we can and do produce here.
“To this end, we will review the standards required for imports into the country, prioritise the imports, as well as review the management of our foreign exchange reserves, in relation to imports of products such as rice, poultry, vegetable oil, tooth picks, pasta, fruit juice, bottled water and ceramic tiles, and others which, with intensified government support and that of the banking sector, can be manufactured and produced in sufficient quantities in Ghana. Government will, in May 2023, that is six (6) months from now, review the situation. We must, as a matter of urgent national security, reduce our dependence on imported goods, and enhance our self-reliance, as demanded by our overarching goal of creating a Ghana Beyond Aid.
“Much as we believe in free trade, we must work to ensure that the majority of goods in our shops and market places are those we produce and grow here in Ghana. That is why we have to support our farmers and domestic industries, including those created under the 1-District-1-Factory initiative, to help reduce our dependence on imports, and allow us the opportunity to export more and more of our products, and guarantee a stable currency that will present a high level of predictability for citizens and the business community. Exports, not imports, must be our mantra! Accra, after all, hosts the headquarters of the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area.”
He added “as the French would say, l’argent n’aime pas le bruit, to wit, money does not like noise, sika mpɛ dede. Where there is chaos, where there is noise, where there is unrest, you will not find money. If you talk down your money, it will go down. If you allow some unidentifiable person to talk down your money, it will go down.
“The recent turbulence on the financial markets was caused by low inflows of foreign exchange, and was made worse in the last two to three weeks, in particular, by the activities of speculators and the Black Market. An anonymous two-minute audio message on a WhatsApp platform predicting a so-called haircut on Government bonds sent all of us into banks and forex bureaus to dump our cedis, and, before we knew it, the cedi had depreciated further. All of us can play a part in helping to strengthen the cedi by having confidence in the currency, and avoiding speculation. Let us keep our cedi as the good store of value it is. To those who make it a habit of publishing falsehoods, which result in panic in the system, I say to them that the relevant state agencies will act against such persons.
“Indeed, some steps have been taken to restore order in the forex markets and we are already beginning to see some calm returning. We will not relent until order is completely restored. The following actions have been taken thus far: 1) enhanced supervisory action by the Bank of Ghana in the forex bureau markets and the black market to flush out illegal operators, as well as ensuring that those permitted to operate legally abide by the market rules. Already some forex bureaus have had their licenses revoked, and this exercise will continue until complete order is restored in the sector;
“2) Fresh inflows of dollars are providing liquidity to the foreign exchange market, and addressing the pipeline demand; 3) the Bank of Ghana has given its full commitment to the commercial banks to provide liquidity to ensure the wheels of the economy continue to run in a stabilized manner, till the IMF Programme kicks in and the financing assurances expected from other partners also come in;
” Government is working with the Bank of Ghana and the oil producing and mining companies to introduce a new legal and regulatory framework to ensure that all foreign exchange earned from operations in Ghana are, initially, paid to banks domiciled in Ghana to help boost the domestic foreign exchange market; and 5) the Bank of Ghana will enhance its gold purchase programme.”
Aspiring general secretary of the NDC, Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah, has called for a united front among all people of diverse ethnic groups to help promote the unity of purpose for Ghana’s development.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Hogbetsotso Festival of the Anlo state, the current Elections Director of the NDC said, “while the quest for political power is critical in spearheading development, the gracing of the Hogbetsotsoza by the Asantehene, Outhmfuo Osei Tutu II, following the special invitation by Awomefia Togbe Sri signifies a longstanding effort to bring all cultures in Ghana together.”
Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah also took time to interact with former President John Dramani Mahama, leading chiefs in the Volta region, leaders of the NDC across all levels of the party, opinion leaders, elders, members and sympathisers of the party to assure them of his commitment towards a united party in the National Delegates Congress in December.
Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah has declared his intention to vie for the General Secretary position because he believes “Ghana is at the crossroads having been led by the incompetent leadership of Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo-Addo and vice president Mahamudu Bawumiah” who heads the economic management team.
Elvis Afriyeh Ankrah, insists, “following the comprehensive development undertaken by the John Mahama-led administration, it has become imperative for the NDC to be elected in the 2024 elections to give hope to the ordinary Ghanaian and restore the dwindling economy” back on track.
The Hogbetsotso has become one of the most prominent festivals in Ghana which seeks to rally all Ewes across the country and unify other Ghanaians of other ethnic groups towards the development of the country.
The Executive Director of Crime Check Foundation (CCF), Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng who lost his wife to breast cancer seeks answers to whether a Covid-19 injection his late spouse took triggered the disease.
Mr. Kwarteng in his narration of how his wife, Amina Oppong Kwarteng died, said she complained of a lump in her left breast three weeks after she had gone for a Covid-19 jab.
Whiles speaking in an interview with Radio Ghana, it baffled him how in a few weeks her healthy wife’s condition deteriorated so fast that she did not survive despite her treatment in one of the countries with the experts in curing cancers.
“By the time she went to the hospital for treatment, her lymph nodes which fight against diseases had been damaged,” he indicated.
Mr. Kwarteng wants an investigation into who and what category of persons could go for the injection.
“Could it be that there is a category of people who must be eligible for the Covid jab? I think it is worth digging deeper because I suspect the injection triggered the disease. Let’s investigate further the composition of people who should take the jab,” said.
However, Mr. Kwarteng’s consolation has been his lead in the fight against the disease, which gave him a big blow.
The vision of his wife whiles she was in her sick bed mounting an unending fight against breast cancer, according to him, has cemented his motivation to save the lives of patients who cannot afford treatment.
This birthed the Meena Breast Cancer Foundation (MBCF).
“Cancer is very destructive. It does not matter if you have money when the damage has been caused already. It is not all about the money though we need to support the passion and the drive to create awareness of the deadly disease.
With passion, the support will follow so we are keeping the momentum across the country. Taking up my wife’s dreams and vision to help needy patients consolidates my motivation to go all out,” he said.
The MBCF has begun a sensitization and screening outreach in Senior High Schools across the country.
Information Minister, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, has said that the president Akufo-Addo cannot single-handedly solve the challenges facing the country.
It is for this reason he believes all Ghanaians must get on board, performing their individual respective roles to ensure that together, the nation’s problems are resolved.
Speaking on Peace FM in an interview, the information minister sought to put the speech of the President to the nation on Sunday, October 30 in perspective.
Although he assured that pragmatic measures including the 12 major ones outlined by the President in his speech are being taken to ensure a turnaround in the economy, he noted that it’ll take a joint effort on the part of the President, government, stakeholders and the entire Ghanaian populace to achieve this.
“The problems we have, not only one person can solve them. If everybody leaves everything to the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to handle, it will not work.
‘If everybody leaves things to government alone to handle, we all need to come on board.
… Whatever we do, if people sell and add a 100% profit to it, it won’t change much. We can’t use police to chase these traders. So we have to find a way to work together to bring some of these things under control,” he said.
According to Oppong-Nkrumah, there are arrangements for meetings between the president and some local producers, to ensure that local production is boosted and exports are reduced.
“The president will engage with local producers within the next week or two to bridge the bottlenecks that exist that are their products from getting on to the market,” he added.
Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Suame MP and Majority Leader, has explained portions of a statement he signed, in which President Akufo-Addo pleaded with some Majority MPs to allow Ken Ofori-Atta conclude Ghana’s negotiations with the IMF and present the 2023 budget. The appeal came after the majority MPs organised a press conference to demand the finance minister’s removal from office.
According to the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, the president when he met the Majority MPs did not categorically say he will dismiss Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, and Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen, after the IMF negotiations and 2023 Budget reading and appropriation.
He explained in a Joy News interview monitored by GhanaWeb that, “the President did not say that. To quote his words, he said ‘let’s finish with this, the IMF and the budget thereafter, we should hold on until after these’.”
Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu continued that the president’s statement could result in an ‘either or’ decision.
“It could be. I mean, either of them is subject to interpretations that ‘okay hold on after the events then we come back and discuss,’ or ‘hold on after the event I will act.’
“’I will act’ may not necessarily mean that ‘I will do that’. According to what the President told us, you hold on until…so it could be that ‘I’ll come back to consider it’ or ‘I’ll give in to your demands’.
“The plea was – hold on until after these events, the IMF discussions and the budget. In fact, I even added when there appeared to be some unclarity about what happens after the presentation of the budget, I said no if the budget is presented by a person, you’d require that same person to shepherd the appropriations.
“And that is how come for the avoidance of doubt I said let us include the appropriation so that there’s no doubt in anybody’s mind that after the budget has been read then agitations will start again,” Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu noted.
About 95 NPP MPs demanded the immediate dismissal of the Finance Minister.
The MPs at a press conference stated that the continuous stay of Ken Ofori-Atta in office was delaying the IMF bailout the country is seeking due to the fact that the Minister has lost all credibility.
They demanded the President to either remove him or face a boycott of his business in Parliament.
The President, however, appealed to them for more time for the embattled Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to conclude negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) before any talks of resignation.
Government says its appointees will still have the 30 percent slash in salaries as part of austerity measures to mitigate the country’s current anti-growth economy.
President Akufo-Addo said the decision to still hold on with the policy was agreed on at the just ended Cabinet Retreat at Peduase Lodge.
He made this known on Sunday, October 30, 2022, while updating Ghanaians on the state of the economy.
“We have decided also to continue with the policy of 30% cut in the salaries of political office holders including the President, Vice President, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, MMDCEs, and SOE appointees in 2023.”
Additionally, government is also continuing with the 30% cut in discretionary expenditures of Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
Earlier this year, the President announced a slash in his salary by 30% with immediate effect following the outset of economic difficulties.
While announcing a 50% cut on fuel for government machinery, he said his ministers were not exempt from the salary cut.
The President’s decision according to him was to send a signal to citizens about the need to sacrifice as the country goes to the International Monetary Fund for support.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has described former President John Mahama’s speech on the state of the economy as a desperate attempt to return to power.
The former President on Thursday, October 27, 2022, described current economic challenges as the worst Ghana has ever witnessed and recommended amongst other things a cut down in government expenditure as a measure to restore fiscal stability.
But the ruling party says the alternatives proffered are not relevant to the challenges faced by the country.
In an interview with Citi News, Deputy General Secretary of the NPP, Haruna Mohammed, indicated that the recommendations are much ado about nothing.
“It is rather unfortunate that listening to His Excellency the former president, you do not hear any pointy alternatives. They are all lamentations and rhetorics, all desperate attempts to return to power. But then, as always has been, Ghana is a democratic state and accepts diverse opinions, so we will allow such views to pass through.”
Meanwhile, the party is urging Ghanaians to remain steadfast as government takes steps to address the teething challenges facing the economy.
“We have a working government and team and are tirelessly working towards economic recovery,” he added.
Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has admitted that Ghana’s foreign exchange systems appear to be loose.
This he believes has contributed to the current economic challenges confronting the country.
He maintains that government and key stakeholders have to look at tightening the foreign exchange regime by reconsidering innovative ways of production.
Speaking at the Standard Chartered digital banking Innovation & Fintech Festival in Accra, the Vice President said government will present details of addressing this shortfall of the exchange rate in the coming days.
“It is very clear that our foreign exchange regime is quite loose, and that is why we are going to see how we can tighten our foreign exchange regime. In broad terms, you cannot address the current economic situation without addressing the fiscal and debt sustainability, production and foreign exchange regime.”
Dr. Bawumia underscored the importance of major policy changes in the wake of a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“Once those [negotiations with the IMF] are concluded, it will be clear that it will not be, and it should not be business as usual because we have to adjust to the new global and domestic realities,” the Vice President said.
For one, he said the nature of production needs to change because Ghana has more trade surpluses and current count deficits, “which means that a lot of the foreign exchange that we are earning from our trade doesn’t stay in Ghana.”
Vice President Bawumia also said Ghana would be working to reduce import dependency to address Ghana’s forex problems.
Ghana’s global-worst depreciating currency has been noted as one of the main causes of inflation amid the current economic crisis.
Vice President Bawumia said the President would address the nation in the near future, where the government’s plan “will be fleshed out in specifics.”
“More importantly, if we are going to address this, this economy must be digitalized,” the Vice President added.
The Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has taken a swipe at members of the majority caucus of Parliament after more than two-thirds of them reportedly demanded that President Akufo-Addo sacks his finance minister over the hardship in the country.
According to him, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament (MPs) have time and again argued that the current hardship Ghanaians are facing is a result of external factors, including the Russia-Ukraine war and the COVID-19 pandemic and not poor economic management.
He, therefore, questioned why the NPP MPs are now calling for the sack of the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, whom they have continuously exonerated from being the cause of the hardship in the country.
“We have a situation where now; the so-called majority caucus has come to the realisation that… the economy is not doing well. That the economy is not doing well, at least partly as a result of the incompetence of the managers of the economy.
“Now pitch that against the singsong all this time that the real cause of the problem is the Russia-Ukraine war. I sitting here, and I am wondering how Ken Ofori-Atta and Charles Adu-Boahen are responsible for the Russia-Ukraine war.
“If the Russia-Ukraine war is the main reason that we are here, why call for the removal of Ken Ofori-Atta and Charles Adu-Boahen, who have nothing to do with the Russia-Ukraine war,” he said.
According to the MP for Team West, Carlos Ahenkrorah, the NPP MPs came to the decision to demand Ofori-Atta’s sack after feedback from their constituents during their recess disclosed that most Ghanaians were unhappy with the government because the finance minister was still at post.
He said that most of the majority caucus MPs spoke about how their constituents were suffering due to the economic challenges in the country.
Speaking in a Neat FM interview monitored by GhanaWeb, Ahenkrorah intimated that they had to inform the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the difficulties of their constituents so that it does not affect the NPP’s fortunes in the future.
“There is a lot of pressure on us. If you go to your constituency office and you listen to the concerns of your constituents, it is very disheartening. Just yesterday, three women visited my office, and they were crying while narrating how they had lost their businesses because the price of a gallon of oil they used to purchase for GH¢60[600] is now selling for GH¢1000,” he said in Twi.
After roles in The Baby-Sitters Club, A Million Little Things, and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, the 14-year-old actor is currently starring in the No. 1 movie in the country, Black Adam, alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
In the film, he plays Amon Tomaz who lives in Kahndaq and is the son of a university professor named Adrianna Tomaz (Sarah Shahi). In the DC comics, Amon was enslaved at a young age and Adrianna was his sister, and Black Adam grants him a portion of his power, and he becomes the hero Osiris.
In the movie, Amon helps his mom in her mission to free Kahndaq, Black Adam’s home country, which is located in the Middle East from a criminal organization named Intergang. Bodhi, whose father is Egyptian, recognizes the huge responsibility he had with this role to represent younger fans and his community.
“It’s still rare to see an Arabic protagonist, especially in superhero movies,” Sabongui tells Complex over the phone. “A big part of Black Adam and why I’m so excited about it is that even though I’m not a superhero, I still get this opportunity to paint Middle Eastern and North African people in this positive light, which isn’t something that I saw so much growing up.”
The concept of representation was also a big driver behind Johnson’s decision to take on this role. The news that he would be playing a superhero for the first time surfaced 15 years ago, a year before Sabongui was born. The young actor now plays an integral role in the film since Amon is the one who convinces Black Adam to use his powers for good. After Sabongui’s initial excitement to be working with Johnson, he realized there was also a lot to learn from him as an actor and as a person.
“His mentality when making a movie is to always put the audience first, which I picked up on. He’s not thinking about the studio or the critics or anything. He’s just like, ‘So when the audience sees this, are they going to like that? Are they going to laugh at that?’” Sabongui says.
“He’s truly making movies for the people and it’s never coming from a place of ego or selfishness from him, and he’s doing what’s going to make people happy. And I think that is just honestly a great mentality to have when you’re the biggest movie star in the world.”
This new wave of Hollywood stars seems to have one thing in common—they’re not trying to be boxed in. After starring in a film that brought in $140 million globally at the box office opening weekend, Sabongui still has his sights set on excelling as an athlete in school and attending college.
“I still do love acting and I do want to keep going down this path for sure,” he says. “But there are also things I want to do outside of it that interest me as well.”
Complex caught up with the actor after the movie’s release to talk all about his experience filming, learning how to skateboard on set and what it was like working with Dwayne Johnson. Black Adam is now in theaters.
UN Resident Coordinator in Ghana, Charles Abani
Charles Abani [left] and Blessed Sogah