Vice President, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has begun a three-week medical leave as of April 7.
As per reports, this development comes after her doctor recommended she take time off to focus on her health and recovery.
The Vice President was flown abroad for further treatment after receiving initial care at the University of Ghana Medical Centre in Accra.
During a community engagement in Lagos, Nigeria, on April 6, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa reassured the public that Prof. Opoku-Agyemang is recovering well and will be resuming her duties shortly.
Ablakwa expressed gratitude for the outpouring of prayers and support from Ghanaians both at home and abroad, which he believes has played a role in her recovery.
Responding to circulating rumors about her health, Ablakwa dismissed what he called “vicious and unGhanaian propaganda,” urging the public to focus on Prof. Opoku-Agyemang’s strength and achievements instead.
He further highlighted her inspiring journey as a role model for young girls and women, acknowledging her efforts in breaking barriers.
President John Dramani Mahama has named Alex Percival Segbefia as the Chief of Staff to the Vice President, alongside other key appointments to strengthen the Office of the Vice President.
The newly appointed officials are expected to play pivotal roles in advancing the “Resetting Ghana” agenda aimed at building a prosperous nation.
The announcement was made by Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the Minister of State-designate for Government Communications, in a Facebook post.
The team includes:
Alex Percival Segbefia – Chief of Staff to the Vice President
Mrs. Alberta Graham – Head of Administration
Professor Theresah Ennin – Presidential Staffer & Special Aide to the Vice President
Ms. Daniella Mavis Mathias – Secretary to the Vice President
Dr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo – Policy Adviser, Political
Prof. Sharif Mahmud Khalid – Policy Adviser, Economic
Dr. Hamza Zakaria – Policy Adviser, Economic
Ms. Mansa Amoa Awuah – Policy Adviser, Finance
Dr. Miriam Rahinatu Iddrisu – Policy Adviser, Social Sector
Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has officially made history as Ghana’s first female Vice President, a landmark achievement in the country’s political landscape.
She was sworn into office on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, at the Independence Square in Accra by Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, marking a historic milestone in Ghana’s leadership.
Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang swears the oath of allegiance administered by the Chief Justice to become officially, Ghana’s first ever female vice president. A historic moment for Ghana, Congratulations 🇬🇭 pic.twitter.com/xJzdVha6gk
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang’s journey to this momentous role reflects a life dedicated to education, leadership, and the empowerment of women and youth. Her career has spanned academia, politics, and public service, with her commitment to social change leaving an indelible mark on Ghana.
Born on November 22, 1951, in Cape Coast, Central Region, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang’s academic pursuits began at Wesley Girls’ High School, followed by higher education at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in English and French, and later a Master’s in English. Her academic journey continued at York University, Canada, where she earned a PhD in English Literature.
Her remarkable academic career at UCC spanned over three decades, culminating in her appointment as the university’s first female Vice-Chancellor from 2008 to 2012. During her tenure, she implemented key reforms and overseen significant infrastructure developments at the institution.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang’s political career began in 2013 when she was appointed Minister of Education under President John Mahama. As Education Minister, she played a key role in the implementation of the Free Senior High School program and worked to enhance the welfare of teachers.
In 2020, she broke barriers again when she was selected as the running mate to President John Mahama, inspiring women and girls across the country. Although the 2020 election ended in defeat, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang’s dedication to Ghana’s progress earned her a second opportunity, leading to her historic inauguration as the nation’s first female Vice President.
This initiative aims to facilitate credit purchases for Ghanaians, allowing them to buy items and pay in installments.
Dr. Bawumia believes this transition from a cash-centric economy to a credit-supportive framework will benefit small businesses and young entrepreneurs.
During a recent campaign event in Assin Fosu, he emphasized the system’s potential to stimulate economic growth, generate jobs, and enhance access to credit for individuals.
He stated, “This system will open up new opportunities for individuals and small businesses to access credit, which in turn will drive economic growth and job creation.”
Additionally, at the event, Okumanin Baffour Asare Kyeahene II, the Paramount Chief of the Afutuakwa Traditional Area, urged Dr. Bawumia to address the pressing issue of poor road conditions in the Assin Central Constituency, which is a significant concern for local residents.
Former Deputy Upper West Regional Minister, Abu Kansangbata, has hailed the National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) vice-presidential candidate, Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, as a person of impeccable character.
Describing her as a valuable asset for the party in the upcoming 2024 general elections, he commended her performance during the official introduction ceremony.
In a Facebook post, Abu Kansangbata lauded Prof Naana Jane’s effective communication on contemporary issues, highlighting her qualities of humility, honesty, sincerity, and maternal demeanor.
“Yesterday, my boss arrested the attention of viewers and listeners. The delivery was effective, relevant on contemporary issues. Her composure and demeanor can be summed up in few words: humility, honesty, sincerity and motherly. God bless her.
“For me, she hold key to support JDM victor in 2024 polls: unblemished in character. Unparalleled in competence. She is an asset that must be protected… the battle has now started, from polling stations, wards, and consistency and regional executives, to communicate the good report from JDM office,” he wrote.
He expressed confidence in her ability to support John Dramani Mahama (JDM) to victory in the 2024 polls, emphasizing her unblemished character and unmatched competence.
Expressing gratitude to the NDC leadership for providing a conducive environment for Prof Naana Jane’s success, he thanked JDM for his trust in her.
Abu Kansangbata also acknowledged the party members for their wise choice and praised the former president and flagbearer for his leadership.
“Thanks to the rank and file of the party, for making that brilliant choice, more especially, the former president and flagbearer of our great party,” he added.
Prof Naana Jane was officially introduced by the NDC at a well-attended event in Accra, where she affirmed her commitment to securing victory for the party and leaving a lasting legacy for the people of Ghana.
Amidst ongoing debates surrounding LGBTQ+ rights in Ghana, the Association of Progressive Muslims has issued a directive to Vice President, Mahamudu Bawumia, urging him to advocate for the enactment of the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill into law.
The association has urged Bawumia to ensure President Akufo-Addo puts his signature on the legislation to make it a law.
They have also urged the Vice President to uphold his stance against LGBTQ+ practices in Ghana.
In a press release dated April 11, 2024, the Association commended Dr. Bawumia for publicly declaring his opposition to homosexuality.
However, they emphasized the importance of ensuring concrete actions, urging him to persuade President Akufo-Addo to sign the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill into law.
“Good news for mother Ghana and we’re so glad Alhaji Bawumia has listen to our call finally. However, we expect him to in the coming days, ensure that his boss, President Akufo-Addo signs the Anti- LGBTQ Bill for this matter to be brought to finality. Without that, we’ll assume it is the usual political antics to deceive Ghanaians, like in the case of his promise to build Cape Coast a harbour, like his claim of shifting the focus of the economic management policy from taxation to production which, turned out to be the shifting of the focus of economic management policy from production to more taxation.” the release signed by President of the Association, Umar Harris stated.
Dr. Bawumia reiterated his stance during Eid Al Fitr celebrations in Kumasi, aligning his opposition with his religious beliefs and Ghanaian cultural norms. However, the Association urged him to translate his words into tangible actions by advocating for the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill’s passage.
“It is important to note our cultural, societal and norms as well as values as Ghanaians frown on the same sex marriage. Further, as a Muslim my view on this matter aligns with the position of my religious faith. My faith is strictly against the practice of LGBTQ+, No ifs, no buts. Therefore, I personally cannot support that which my religion and indeed all major religions in Ghana as well as our societal norms and values clearly forbid. All major religious are opposed to the practice and I stand opposed to it now and I will stand opposed to it as president,” he said.
“Ghanaians have leant many bitter lessons from Dr. Bawumia and Nana Addo, and won’t fall for any of his political gymnastics again. This is the same man who inspired hope into the poor that Mobile Money will not be taxed so Ghanaians should accept it to save his government from going to the IMF, what happened in the end? Mobile money tax was introduced and yet proceeded to the IMF.
“Ghanaians expect action and not his usual rhetoric. The only way to prove his commitment on the LGBTQ is to persuade his boss, President Akufo-Addo to sign the Anti- LGBTQ Bill as soon as possible,” the release concluded.
In a significant stride towards enhancing the quality of education in Ghana, Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has inaugurated the School Licensing and Inspection Management System (SLIMS), a groundbreaking initiative by the National Schools Inspectorate Authority (NaSIA).
The launch, which took place yesterday at the Alisa Hotel Accra, aims to modernize educational administration in both private and public schools. Its objective is to bolster efficiency and transparency by streamlining inspection planning and execution, automating report generation, and ensuring immediate and transparent transactions.
Addressing the gathering, Vice President Dr. Bawumia commended NaSIA for its innovative endeavors in transforming education regulation through SLIMS. He remarked, “The system fundamentally embodies the Government’s commitment to leveraging technology to revolutionize education and ensure that every child in Ghana accesses high-quality education.”
Dr. Bawumia emphasized the significant role of private education providers in Ghana’s educational landscape, acknowledging a historical lack of regulation before 2017.
The NPP administration, as outlined in its 2016 manifesto, pledged to enhance collaboration with the private sector for quality education delivery. This commitment materialized through the establishment of NaSIA, entrusted with overseeing private schools.
“In 2017, when the Akufo-Addo-led administration set out to fulfill the promises we made in our 2016 Manifesto, this included shifting the structure and content of our education system. We have clothed the National Schools Inspectorate Authority (NaSIA) with the needed regulatory powers for efficient supervision and regulation of pre-tertiary schools. This has empowered, strengthened, and equipped the Authority as an independent body to fully carry out its mandate leading to the development of SLIMS,” Dr. Bawumia stated.
The Inspector General of Schools at NaSIA, Dr. Hilda Haggar Ampadu, expressed gratitude for the government and stakeholders’ support in implementing SLIMS.
She noted, “The launch of SLIMS signifies a significant milestone in our journey towards enhancing educational quality and accountability in Ghana. This system will streamline our inspection and licensing processes, alleviate constraints due to limited resources and cumbersome procedures, and empower schools with the tools necessary to enhance teaching and learning outcomes.”
Before the Authority’s comprehensive digitalization initiative in June 2019, school inspections were labor-intensive and manual, resulting in excessive paperwork and significant delays in generating inspection reports.
The licensing process was equally burdensome, hindering progress. To address these challenges, the Authority revamped its Inspection Evaluation Framework (IEF), Inspection Handbook, and digitized forms.
This overhaul markedly streamlined the inspection process, reducing the average inspection time per school from a week to just a day, and condensing the inspection report length from 46 pages to a concise 10 pages.
Currently, the Authority has successfully implemented the Inspection and Licensing Modules, with the remaining three modules in progress, promising further enhancements for seamless processes.
SLIMS will be accessible through password-controlled login and will feature mini dashboards for schools to monitor their progress and seamlessly submit data to the Ministry of Education’s dashboard.
Former presidential aspirant candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kennedy Agyapong, has noted that he will never settle for the role of Vice President.
In an interview on the KSM show, the Assin Central MP was asked if he would accept an offer by NPP flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia to be his running mate and, upon winning the 2024 elections, the Vice President.
He replied, “No, I wouldn’t do it. To tell you the truth, why I cannot be a Vice President is that I will speak my mind and I’m not going to be mate.”
When I say Bawumia is a puppet and doesnt have an independent mind to run things,you come at me with emotions. Here’s Kennedy confirming my stance 😂. pic.twitter.com/yTaXJrJU3A
This comes after Dr Bawumia delivered his vision speech as the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) at the UPSA auditorium on February 7, 2024, where he used the analogy of a mate and a driver, where the mate had limited control over driving; hence, in his position as a vice president.
He expressed how limited his powers and authority over decisions are, hence his desire to become president to be able to run the affairs of the country well.
As stated by Mr. Owusu, a vice president is a co-driver and not a mate. As mandated by the constitution, a vice president is one who is eligible to step in as president in the absence of the president.
“But the nature of a vice president is that you are ready when the president is not there; you are there. That is why the constitution of the land says that when the president is not there, you are there. You are ready for the possibility. So a mate is not ready but vice president, you are ready.”
A senior political science lecturer at the University of Ghana–Legon, Dr. Asah Asante, has advised Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to reconsider his proposal to abolish the National Service Scheme.
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, addressing ministers, NPP leadership, and party supporters at UPSA in Accra, revealed his intention to make the National Service Scheme non-mandatory under his presidency, allowing students the choice to opt-out.
Expressing his dissent on the Morning Starr with Francis Abban, the senior political science lecturer contested the Vice President’s stance on the National Service Scheme.
“I disagree with him. The National Service, if you look at it carefully, is one of the areas that have come to support this government.
The government is running away simply because they have not been able to pay them and pay a realistic amount of money to them,” Dr. Asante asserted.
He highlighted the significant role the National Service Personnel Scheme plays in supporting rural areas facing human resource challenges.
Dr. Asante emphasized the potential for improvement rather than outright removal, stating, “I thought that we could have really improved it and made sure that they receive their allowances on time and then you direct them to another area.”
Dr. Asante urged the Vice President to reconsider and propose an alternative, emphasizing that discarding the National Service would result in a significant deficit in societal functioning.
“You go to certain rural areas you will realize their support. National Service plays a key role so why are you taking it away? I thought that we could have really improved it and made sure that they receive their allowances on time and then you direct them to another area”.
“I think that the Vice President must relook at that and come up with something else. Throwing National Service away no, it is going to be a big deficit in our way of life,” Dr. Asante stated.
Vice PresidentDr. Mahamudu Bawumia delved into the intricate narrative of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) economic journey, asserting their triumph over challenges inherited from the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Highlighting the NPP administration’s efforts, Dr. Bawumia emphasised their successful steering of the economy back to stability, only to face an unforeseen disruption with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Despite their initial strides, the global health crisis brought about an abrupt standstill to economic activities, imposing an unparalleled strain on nations worldwide.
The Vice President candidly revealed that, despite persistent oversight, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war cannot be ignored as significant contributors to the recent economic downturn.
Drawing parallels to the historic economic upheaval of the 1930s, he underscored that numerous countries experienced negative GDP growth due to these global events.
“We may be tired of hearing it but there is no denying of the fact that the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war resulted in the greatest economic depression in the world since the 1930’s with most countries recording negative GDP growth,” Dr. Bawumia stated during an address at the University of Professional Studies Auditorium(UPSA) in Accra.
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who is also the presidential candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), stressed the need for prioritizing and investing more in the creative sector to unlock its immense potential.
During a surprise visit to Akwaaba Village, where singer Asantewaa Aduonum is attempting to break the world record for the longest individual singing marathon, the Vice President expressed concerns about the sector’s underinvestment hindering its growth.
“What is clear to me is that talents exist. There is a massive amount of talent in the creative arts but I don’t think we invest sufficiently in the sector.
“I believe that the returns on the investment could be high for the country because we are looking at job creation, exchange earnings and so on. But I don’t think that we have done sufficient over the years and we have to pay attention to this sector,” he said.
He asked Ghanaians to continue supporting the singer.
“What Afua is trying to do is to break a world record and it is not very easy to do. So on a day like this [Christmas day] when everybody is spending time with their families, It could be very lonely and I think that as Ghanaians we should give her all the support and encouragement we can.
“So I think we should give her all the support so I thought I should stop by here and let her know that Ghana is behind her and she should go ahead and break the record.”
“I have been following and I think that she is doing great. I think that Wednesday we will be back here by the grace [of God] and we will be back here to break the record,” he added.
Host of Egyaso Gyaso on Okay FM, Afia Pokua, also known as Vim Lady, has forecasted a triumph for Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential primaries scheduled for November 4, 2023.
She pointed out that the Vice President has the upper hand due to his 15-year track record of self-promotion and the advantage of incumbency, while Kennedy Agyapong entered the race more recently.
“There is nothing that will surprise me in this NPP election, I’ve predicted everything that will happen in this NPP congress but Bawumia will win this election. I’ve already told you. If you are for Kennedy Agyapong you don’t have to agree with me, I am saying what I have seen.
“This election, Kennedy Agyapong has really done well because Bawumia started marketing himself from 2008 while Kennedy Agyapong started recently.
“So, if you look at the period that Bawumia has had, the laxity; the fact that he is a sitting Vice President… he’s had the opportunity to sell himself for a long time. The advantage is on Bawumia’s side,” she said.
Vim Lady highlighted that if Ken had begun earlier, the outcome would have been different.
“If you compare it to the fact that Ken recently came into the race, then technically if Ken had the same period Bawumia has had, then maybe he would beat him. But with this election, Bawumia will win,” she said.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is scheduled to choose its presidential candidate for the 2024 election on Saturday, November 4, 2023. The candidates vying for this position include Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Kennedy Agyapong, Francis Addai-Nimoh, and Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto.
In the Offinso North, Offinso South, and Afigya Kwabere Constituencies in the Ashanti region, supporters of Alan Kwadwo Kyeremanten and NPP flag bearer candidate Kennedy Agyapong have expressed their support for Vice President Dr. Mahammadu Bawumia.
Spokesperson for the group and Vice chairman of the Offinso North Constituency, said during a news conference that “although they believed in the brand Alan Kyerematen vision for Ghana, however, Alan’s resignation from the NPP ahead of the November 4th 2023 presidential primaries has compel them to work and vote for a credible candidate who is equally competent to lead NPP and Ghana’’.
He described Alan’s resignation as shocking “I was shocked when I heard the resignation by Alan from the NPP. That’s past now and I have moved on. I was responsible for coordination of his campaign activities in 15 constituencies. I was earlier invited to work for Kennedy Ohene Agyapong but I declined to join the winning team. We are very few here now but trust me there are a lot of people I’m bringing to the camp of Dr. Bawumia from Alan’s Camp within the NPP.’’
He also urged all supporters of Alan Kyerematen and Kennedy Agyapong to follow the example of openly supporting Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia and throw their support behind him in preparation for the November 4th election.
During a press conference, New Patriotic Party supporters wearing Alan Kyerematen campaign T-shirts removed them and displayed Dr. Bawumia’s campaign T-shirt, affirming their complete shift from their previous allegiance.
Campaign activities led by Kennedy Ohene Agyapong and Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia have intensified throughout the region.
Kennedy Agyapong has been notably influential at the grassroots level, potentially affecting Dr. Bawumia’s target vote in the Ashanti region.
The Second Lady, Samiratu Bawumia, is set to embark on a 3-day campaign tour in the Ashanti region starting on Monday, October 16, 2023.
Her tour will involve meetings with regional executives, constituency executives, polling station executives, coordinators, and party delegates.
The Second Lady’s campaign tour aims to shed more light on why party delegates should consider her husband, Dr. Bawumia, as the best candidate to lead the NPP into the 2024 elections.
One of the flagbearer hopefuls of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwabena Agyepong, has revealed a significant step he took before the collective decision made by him and other aspirants who sought a centralised system for their internal polls.
In preparation for the special delegates congress, scheduled for August 2023, aimed at streamlining the number of aspirants for the NPP’s flagbearer position, all candidates except Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, advocated for a centralised voting process.
However, during an interview with Kofi TV, the former General Secretary of the NPP, Kwabena Agyepong, disclosed that he personally sent a text message to the vice president to inform him of the decision.
He emphasized that this decision was made with no negative intentions or ulterior motives.
“The idea was that if all the 900 people or so are brought to one location and we all vote, it would be of great help. This would also ensure that people are not singled out because of who they voted for. And we did all this with good intention.
“When doing this, we did not leave the vice president out of it. I personally sent him a text message on the day we were doing this, asking him what his thoughts were on the decision. And I did same to all the aspirants,” he said.
Kwabena Agyepong emphasized that the decision to opt for a centralised voting system is rooted in past experiences, where individuals faced victimization based on how they voted in the decentralised system.
He further explained that with the country’s expansion of regions, the review of the voting process becomes even more crucial, considering that while the decentralised system might have worked in the past, a better alternative is needed now.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has set November 2023 as the date for electing its presidential aspirant for the 2024 general elections. Prior to that, the party has scheduled a special delegates congress in August, following the NPP’s constitution, to narrow down the current 10 hopefuls to 5 candidates.
It is alleged that supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Nkawkaw forced Majority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh and his group out due to an unfinished stadium project.
According to a report from Adomonline.com, Annoh-Dompreh’s speech, in which he advocated for Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia as the party’s flagbearer, was abruptly interrupted, causing unrest in the hall.
While the NPP polling station women’s organizer, Berikisu Saani, denied any physical confrontations, Annoh-Dompreh was compelled to leave the venue as he failed to calm down the agitated supporters.
The Nkawkaw stadium, a project promised by Annoh-Dompreh, remains unfinished, intensifying the frustrations of party members.
Saani stressed the importance of completing the stadium project before the 2024 general election, urging the government and constituency leaders to prioritize it. She emphasized the significance of securing both the seat and peace in the constituency.
Expressing her disapproval of the supporters’ actions, Saani called for a more respectful approach to addressing grievances.
“No one exchanged punches at the Paris hall. On Tuesday, Bawumia’s team, headed by Annoh Dompreh, came to visit us, but there was no trading of blows. Annoh-Dompreh assured us that the Nkawkaw stadium would be built for us. After he finished addressing us, some people interrupted him and said, He should stop the lies,” NPP polling station women’s organiser, Berikisu Saani, told Adomonline.com
MP for the Nkawkaw Constituency, Joseph Frimpong, promised that the contractor would arrive by August 15, 2023.
The NPP’s Electoral Party Coordinator, Paul Deyen, explained throughout the chaos that the youngsters were merely venting their dissatisfaction and not provoking any disorderly incidents.
Minister of Railway Development, John Peter Amewu, had a momentary slip of the tongue when he introduced Alan Kyerematen as the incoming Vice President of Ghana.
Amewu was addressing a large gathering of New Patriotic Party (NPP) supporters at Liberty Park in Dansoman on July 4, 2023, during the presidential flagbearer hopeful’s constituency delegates durbar.
As the penultimate speaker before Alan took the stage, Amewu praised Alan’s impact and record within the party and his contributions as a member of previous NPP governments.
However, during the formal invitation to Alan to speak, he unintentionally referred to him as the incoming Vice President before quickly correcting himself.
“With all honour and respect, I want to use this opportunity to introduce the incoming Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, in the person of Hon. Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen,” he said to cheers.
He swiftly rectified his mistake as Alan approached him, clarifying: “as the incoming president of the Republic of Ghana.”
Alan descended from the platform and proceeded to deliver his speech, which contained impassioned segments. He urged the delegates to remain steadfast and courageous, emphasizing that if Ghanaians heeded his words, the government would not have to seek a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Expressing gratitude, Alan Kyerematen extended his appreciation to the delegates for their unwavering support and the impressive turnout at the event.
He acknowledged their aspirations for power and confidently asserted that he, Alan Kyerematen, was the individual capable of fulfilling those aspirations for the NPP.
“I would like to thank you all, I am very happy for coming in your numbers. God bless you all. And I know that all delegates who are present here are interested in power, and the person who can give you power is me, Alan Kyerematen,” he affirmed.
Wife of the late Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur has revealed that she repeatedly suggested to her husband that he step down from the office of Vice President of the Republic.
Speaking in an interview with Joy News on June 29, 2023, Matilda Amissah Arthur explained that she had often asked him to step down from his position but on a second thought she recognized the importance of his voice within the government and the potential vacuum that his resignation would create.
Matilda stated, “Many times, many times but after I said that (he should resign) I realized that if he goes out, who will say the kind of things he says, so he should be there even if he is not listened to, say it and make a difference.
“I believe that if you are the only person who is doing the right thing in a place, not just politics, anywhere and you are the only person, don’t be discouraged, stay there and do the right thing, say the right thing, make a difference and it will impact, even if it has an impact on one person, you have done your job.”
According to her, she firmly believed that Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur’s presence in the government was necessary to advocate for the right causes and ensure the country was on the right track.
Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur served as the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana to John Dramani Mahama from 2012 to 2016. His untimely death in 2018 was a great loss to the country, and his late wife’s revelation provides a deeper understanding of his commitment to making a positive impact during his time in office.
I advised my husband several times to resign as Vice President – Matilda Amissah-Arthur, wife of late former Vice President, Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur. #JoyNewspic.twitter.com/mLGEune9OS
A private legal practitioner, Kofi Bentil, has said that it is illegal for police to confiscate a vehicle over the driver’s inability to provide the original driving license at the time.
Speaking to the media he said “carrying a photocopy of a drivers license is entirely lawful as a prima facie proof of the existence of that license. The Police can request that the original be produced in 24hours without impounding the car”.
“The law in Ghana does not allow you to impound cars because the driver doesn’t have his or her license with them. the car is not evidence in that context!! there is no probable cause or justification for impounding the vehicle,” he added.
Mr Bentil indicated that the law in Ghana allows the driver to produce the license in 24 hours.
“You don’t have any right to amend that on your whims,” he told the Police.
Some police officers have been reported to have impounded vehicles that the drivers did not have the original copies of the lives on them.
But Mr Bentil who is also Vice President of Imani Africa said in a Facebook post that “If you continue infringing peoples rights like these, one of these days someone will sue the Ghana Police for impounding their vehicle without probable cause and take damages for distress and loss of use from the Police (Not DVLA).”
Beos is his full statement…
Dear GHANA POLICE / DVLA
The LAW in Ghana DOES NOT ALLOW YOU TO IMPOUND CARS BECAUSE THE DRIVER DOES NOT HAVE A LICENSE ON HIM!! the car is NOT Evidence in that context!! there is no probable cause or justification for impounding the vehicle.
The law in Ghana allows the driver to produce their license in 24 hours. You dont have any right to amend that on your whims.
Carrying a photocopy of a drivers license is entirely lawful as a prima facie proof of the existence of that license. The Police can request that the original be produced in 24hours WITHOUT IMPOUNDING THE CAR.
If you continue infringing peoples rights like these, one of these days someone will sue the Ghana Police for impounding their vehicle without probable cause and take damages for distress and loss of use from the Police (Not DVLA).
YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE SYSTEM (AND I BELIEVE YOU DO) TO TAKE THE PERSONS PARTICULARS AND REQUEST THEM TO REPORT AT A POLICE STATION WITH THE NECESSARY PAPERS FAILING WHICH YOU CAN CAUSE THEIR ARREST.
A former representative for Tema East, Titus Glover, stated that all parties involved must work together to combat unlawful small-scale mining (Galamsey).
The government is involved, Chiefs, the media and civil society are all involved, he said while speaking on the Big Issue on TV3 Wednesday April 26.
He further admitted that fighting the menace has been a daunting task however, the President and his government are determined to continue to war against the practice.
The former Deputy Transport Minister further urged the president to sack “all persons who are making his work difficult.”
He indicated the criticisms aroundgalamsey do not go to the people who making the work of the President difficult rather, they go to the President and the Vice President.
Titus Glover said he is not comfortable when the President and the Vice are constantly attacked for the galamsey menace.
Africans, according to Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, have long been stuck in an aura of impossibility.
This, he said, was probably the result of the experience of years of slavery and colonialism.
“We don’t believe in ourselves. However, for us to realize our full potential and set ourselves apart, we need to break the shackles of impossibility mindset and embrace the mindset of possibility.
“African countries can do what the Advanced countries have done and more. It is possible,” he said on Saturday April 15 while speaking as the guest speaker at a gathering of students, academics and the business community at Harvard university during the African Development Conference at the Harvard Law School on the theme “reimagining Africa’s growth on our terms.”
He indicated that at the heart of this vision is the transformative power of technology.
“In my view, the greatest bane to the development of Africa is our inability to solve the basic problems of the absence of unique identity for our population, functioning property address systems, financial inclusion, payment systems, efficient public service delivery, etc. that underpin our economic activities.
“For many years after independence we have been trying to transform our economies without data and transparent systems. Without data and systems African countries cannot participate in the fourth Industrial Revolution,” he said.
Vice President,Dr Mahamudu Bawumia will address participants at the 2023 Harvard Africa Development Conference (ADC) which will be held at the Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
The Conference, which is organised annually by the African Caucus of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and the Harvard African Law Association, will be held on Saturday, April 15-16.
A statement issued by the Spokesperson of the Vice President,Dr Gideon Boako, on Tuesday, April 11 said Dr Bawumia will deliver the keynote address.
He will return to Ghana thereafter on Tuesday, April 18.
The African Development Conference convenes students, academia and practitioners to highlight and explore critical issues related to the development of the African continent.
After the Accra Central Mosque, the renovated Kumasi Central Mosque can be regarded as the second-largest mosque in Ghana.
Today, Friday, March 3, 2023, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia will dedicate the 7,000-seat mosque, which also has a 100-person ablution center and 30 underground restrooms.
The Vice President alone provided the funding for the Mosque’s reconstruction and upkeep, making it one of Kumasi’s most up-to-date structures and fulfilling a promise he made to the Muslim population in the Ashanti region.
In addition to 11 equipped offices, the mosque also features a conference room with a capacity for 500 people, two-bedroom flats, and other exquisite electrical fixtures.
Despite the government’s claims that the policy is an intervention for the poor, the policy analyst contends that it is a business to profit some individuals.
He added that the plan was a vote-buying strategy intended to retain the existing administration in power.
Mr. Kwofie continued by claiming that the strategy was poorly thought out and not sustainable.
For him, the policy will fail in the same way that the Nation Builders Corp (NABCO) did.
The NRAS is designed to make rental accommodation more accessible, affordable, and convenient by taking away the unfair burden faced by lower-income households and the youth across the country of multi-year rent advance payments demanded by landlords.
The Scheme will target individuals in the formal and informal sectors with identifiable and regular income. The rent advance loans will be paid directly into landlords’ bank accounts, who would also have to register with the Scheme.
The initial rollout, with a seed funding of GHs 30m, will take place in the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Western, Eastern, Bono East, and Northern Regions, where data from the Ghana Statistical Service shows renters have the greatest challenge with rental accommodation, he said at the launch.
ILAPI’s boss stressed that the scheme would breed corruption because it lacks transparency in who really needs this scheme.
Read his full opinion below;
What the government didn’t tell you about the National Rental Assistance Scheme
1. The national Rental Assistance Scheme (NRAS) has a website built at a cost of taxpayers contributions. Remember NABCO also had a website.
2. The NRAS is a business not a social intervention as claimed by the government. The cost of your 1 year rent would be paid by the government. An interest of about 20% is on your monthly payment of the rent fee. This would be paid to the government monthly.
3. The government has a share of the 20% interest which will be collected by a private firm.
4. The NRAS has allocated GH30 million for the program. At the time of writing this, the seed money has not hit the NRAS’s account and likely the program will be delayed. Remember GH30 million was equally used to train MMDAS to implement NABCO and could see the end results????????????.
5. The NRAS is a vote buying business scheme of the government to maintain the regime. All vote buying programs of the government have led to wasteful expenditures. Don’t for get NABCO, NEIP, Free Fertilizer Distribution, and youth in Afforestation.
6. It has no well-thought-out policy paper to guide the implementation and for reviews in future.
7. The NRAS is not driven by taxes or tax policies for its sustainability. Ghana has a poor loan repayment culture at the individual level due to high dependency ratio and extractive economic institutions.
This scheme would breed corruption looking at lack of transparency in who really needs this scheme.
A white paper is needed immediately to guide the implementation.
A seed money of GHC30 million isn’t enough for this program and must be relooked.
Vice President of Gambia, Badara Alieu Joof has been reported dead in China after a short illness.
President of Gambia Adama Barrow made this known to the public on his twitter page today january 18 2023
Reports from the international media said, Mr. Joof had not been seen in public for some months now.
President Barrow picked Mr Joof as vice-president after he was re-elected in December 2021 for a second term.
The media added that , In June, Mr Joof expressed dissatisfaction about the conduct of public affairs, explaining that Gambians had great expectations, however “business as usual” would not yield great result.
Several busloads of migrants were dropped off in front of Vice President Kamala Harris’ residence in Washington, DC, on Christmas Eve in 18 degree weather late Saturday.
An initial two busloads were taken to local shelters, according to an administration official. More buses arrived outside the vice president’s residence later Saturday evening. A CNN team saw migrants being dropped off, with some migrants wearing only T-shirts in the freezing weather. They were given blankets and put on another bus that went to a local church.
Tatiana Laborde, managing director of SAMU First Response, said her group was prepared for Saturday night’s arrivals. Busloads of migrants have been arriving in Washington weekly since April.
“The DC community has been welcoming buses from Texas anytime they’ve come since April,” she said. “Christmas Eve and freezing cold weather is no different. We are always here welcoming folks with open arms.”
It’s not clear who is responsible for sending the migrants to the Naval Observatory, though CNN reported earlier this year that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had sent buses of migrants north, including to a location outside Harris’ home.
Abbott is one of at least three Republican governors who have taken credit for busing or flying migrants north this year to protest the Biden administration’s immigration policies. He previously confirmed in September that his state had sent the buses to Harris’ residence at that time.
The Minister of Trade and Industry, has promised to cover the printing costs of all the New Patriotic Party (NPP) delegates’ albums for the 275 seats in the nation before the party’s flagbearer primary.
The seasoned politician made this pledge during his official meeting with the new national executives of the party at the National Headquarters at Asylum Down in Accra.
In addition to the pledge, the minister, also known as Alan Cash, donated an amount of one hundred thousand Ghana cedis (GHc100,000) to the HQ to support the day-to-day administration and management of the party’s activities as well as its executives.
The meeting, which was to interact with the hierarchy of the party in line with solidifying relationships between them and the government, saw scores of top-ranking officials join the minister.
Addressing the assembled party faithful, Alan Kyerematen urged the leadership of the party to earn the trust of grassroots voters by conducting a fair and unbiased election.
He called on them to rally behind the leadership of the party and the government in these difficult economic times.
“We can only break the eight if we stay together and act as a unit. We can survive through cooperation and commitment to our various duties. The national executives will organize one of the best national delegate conferences in recent years. To this end, I am going to fund the entire printing cost of all 275 constituency delegates’ albums.
“It is to help the party conduct the election… A free and fair election will trickle down to the average voter since they won’t feel manipulated or machinated,” Alan Kyerematen told the assembled party sympathisers.
The soft-spoken trade and industry minister also urged members to support the government in its industrial transformation drive and job creation and to discuss how the party can win the 2024 general elections.
He used the platform to also highlight the success stories of the One District, One Factory (1D1F) programme, among a host of other activities that the party can take advantage of and communicate to Ghanaians the benefits that they can derive from them.
Accompanying the minister were Sylvester Tetteh, MP for Ngleshie Amanfrom; Carlos Ahenkora, MP for Tema West; Catherine Afeku, former Minister for Tourism; Yaw Buaben Asamoa, former MP for Adenta; Dr Alhassan Samare, former Upper East Regional Minister; Alhaji Mumin COP aka Jack Sparrow, a senior NPP member in the Northern Region and Board chairman of GNPA; and some others.
Alan Kyerematen has already contested in three previous flagbearer primaries and has been heavily tipped by political experts to replace President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the presidential candidate of the NPP in the 2024 general elections.
So far, names such as the vice president, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, and the Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, have come up as potential contenders for the vacant position.
Kojo Poku, an energy specialist, said that no civil society organizations have participated in the vice president’s gold-for-oil barter strategy to date.
He claimed that the policy’s introduction was hasty since the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) had only recently started talking about the change.
Kojo Poku pointed out that because running policies with CSOs was an essential component of their execution, the vice president ought to have postponed the release.
He also added: “I don’t even think you can come out with any. Government said they were going to do Agyapa, civil society said it wasn’t going to be possible and Agyapa was not done. GNPC said they were going to do Aker but we said it wasn’t going to be possible to do it and they couldn’t do Aker. PDS, we said it wasn’t going to last, it did not last.
He continued, .”.We in civil society have a track record in analyzing government policies and telling government that if we do not do extensive and proper engagement, this policy will not work and they do not listen, they just go ahead.”
“This seems to be one of those policies. I don’t know who in the energy sector that Dr Amin Antah [Deputy Minister of Energy] said they have engaged but I can assure you that they have not engaged anyone within our space, within the civil society space,” Kojo Poku stressed .
“I speak to quite a number of them and none of them has been engaged. My little investigation I have done shows that it was an initial discussion at the NPA level and nobody knows why it ended up on the Facebook page of the Vice President,” he noted.
The Vice President in a Facebook post announced that “Government is negotiating a new policy regime where our gold (rather than our US dollar reserves) will be used to buy oil products. The barter of sustainably mined gold for oil is one of the most important economic policy changes in Ghana since its independence.
“The barter of gold for oil represents a major structural change. My thanks to the Ministers for Lands and Natural Resources, Energy, and Finance, Precious Minerals Marketing Company, The Ghana Chamber of Mines, and the Governor of the Bank of Ghana for their supportive work on this new policy. We expect this new framework to be fully operational by the end of the first quarter of 2023,” he added.
Meanwhile, Dubai oil firm ENOC has denied being in talks with Ghana on the gold for oil barter arrangement.
A recent outburst by outspoken New Patriotic Party(NPP) Member of the Parliament(MP) for Assin Central Constituency Kennedy Ohene Agyapong has lend some credence to assertions that Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s role in management of the economy has been thwarted by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
Dr. Bawumia has in recent times been accused of failing to demonstrate his economic prowess as Head of the Economic Management Team following the bad performance of the cedi against the dollar among other economic challenges.
However, the onsets of events and significant instances have raised concerns over the efforts of the Vice President in finding solutions to the current economic situation.
It has strongly been asserted that Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is effectively obstructing the Vice President on matters that bother on key economic decisions and actions.
Speaking to party members in Bolgatanga as part of his campaign to be elected flagbearer of the NPP, Kennedy Agyapong lamented the loss of some $12 million as a result of the depreciation of the Ghanaian currency.
“From March this year to August this year, through exchange rate, I have lost $12 million. So today I don’t even count it,” he said to delegates.
The maverick MP stated that he would not have bullied by a Finance Minister if he were in the position of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
“If I’m a vice president, how can a finance minister bully me?” He questioned.
This recent outburst has been described by political watchers as grapevine information that points to a worrying situation where it is believed that Ken Ofori Atta as Finance Minister is given priority over the Vice President in decision economic decisions making.
Thanks for reading from MyNewsGH as a news publishing website from Ghana. You are free to share this story via the various social media platforms and follow us on; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc.
About 48 districts in six regions of the country will benefit from a US$450 million credit facility under the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) project, which was launched in Bolgatanga.
The project is intended to support the northern parts of the Gulf of Guinea countries, which suffer instabilities owing to food insecurity, climate change, conflict,
and violence.
It will be implemented in the Upper East, Northern, Upper West, North East, Savannah, and Oti regions. Other countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, and Benin, will also benefit from the credit facility.
Launching the project in Bolgatanga, the Upper East regional capital, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia noted that “the project has been conceived and designed to address the effects of the spillover of conflicts and extremism from the Sahel region with its vulnerability, because of the exposure to the impact of
climate change, strengthen local institutions, improve economic opportunities, and build public trust.”
He also indicated that out of the total amount, US$150 million would be used to implement development projects in the 48 districts across the six regions.
The Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation, and Rural Development, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, would ensure the implementation of the project in the districts.
Dr Bawumia said the project would focus mostly on communities in the Upper East Region, which has 15 municipalities and districts, and their residents, especially women and children, who are exposed to terrorist attacks.
“Thus the project focuses on dealing with issues relating to fragility, conflict, and violence. This is very significant as countries all over the world are pursuing strategies to address these challenges in view of the anticipated worsening of the situation if the necessary interventions are not promptly instituted,” he added.
While highlighting the relevance of this project, he cautioned the implementing agencies of the project both at the national and sub-national levels, stressing that implementation delays would not be tolerated.
He entreated implementers to remain committed to the due processes outlined in the project documents.
“Indeed, Ghana must ensure that the delivery of the project through the decentralised structures culminates in the outcomes and impacts contained in the
project appraisal document and implementation manual,” the Vice President said.
He also expressed profound gratitude to the World Bank for the credit facility, which is intended to complement the government’s efforts at building resilient humans.
On his part, the Country Director of the World Bank, Mr Pierre Frank Laporte, said the Bank was deeply committed to collaborating with the government through
the new Country Partnership Framework to address spatial and other inequalities, improve socio- economic and improve governance to promote inclusive growth and poverty reduction.
He further noted that the SOCO project has been designed to improve the livelihoods of vulnerable communities in the North to proactively prevent the
spread of conflict from the Sahel, reduce vulnerability to climate change, and strengthen local institutions.
The Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation, and Rural Development, Mr Daniel Kwaku Botwe, also pledged commitment to ensuring the project is properly supervised and completed in time.
“We will ensure that there is value for money and the aspirations of the people will be met. That is the assurance we can give,” he added.
The World Bank may be approached by the government for financial support in order to complete the Pwalugu multipurpose dam project, according to the Vice President, Dr Bawumia.
It will be recalled that the government cut sod for the $993
million Sinohydro funded Pwalugu multifunctional dam project in
2019 with the goal of providing flood control, irrigation for year-round farming, and electricity.
But because of a lack of funding, the project has been put on hold.
In 2021, the consultant for the multi-purpose Pwalugu Dam, Prof.David Millar, expressed doubt about the project’s completion
within the government’s stipulated 48-month period.
On his part, the exclusion of the dam from the government’s budget shows no indication that it will be built.
He added that Ghanaians should reduce their expectations for the
completion of the dam, particularly due to the current economic hardship.
However, speaking at the launch of the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) project in Bolgatanga, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia mentioned that the project was faced with financial constraints, hence the urgent need to seek support from the World Bank.
According to the Vice President, the aforementioned project is one the government is keen on completing due to its numerous benefits, such as climate resilience, among others, which is another reason why he “believes the World Bank should really take a keen interest in it, and development partners as well.”
“One of the major projects that the government has a major intention to see happen in the Northern regions of Ghana because it will really impact climate resilience, food production, flood control, and so on, is the Pwalugu multipurpose dam project” Dr Bawumia noted.
He further went on to appeal to the World Bank, saying, “I want to put it on the table that we will be discussing this project further with you [the World Bank] so that we can see to its construction.”
In response, Naab Kasom Yelazoya, the Paramount Chief of Nangodi, praised the government’s initiative to work with the World Bank to hasten the construction of the dam and urged the World Bank to act quickly to address their situation.
“I would plead with the World Bank to respond to our call immediately to start the construction of the Pwalugu multipurpose dam. We taught the constitution of the dam would have come much earlier and so already we have lost so much time so we are pleading that the World Bank comes to our aid.”
The incumbent government approved US $700 million for the
construction of a multipurpose dam at Pwalugu in the Talensi District in 2019.
It is reported to be the largest investment any government has
ever made into infrastructure expansion in the northern sector since Ghana’s independence.
The construction of the dam will serve as a receptor, as it is expected to hold large volumes of water spilled from the Bagre Dam for irrigation purposes and the generation of electricity.
Malawi’s Vice-President Saulos Chilima has been arrested on suspicion of accepting bribes in exchange for government contracts,according to the country’s anti-corruption agency.
According to the statement, he is accused of receiving $280,000 (£230,000) from a British businessman “and other items.”
On Friday, Dr. Chilima pleaded not guilty to the corruption charges.
He had already been stripped of his authority when he was first charged by the Anti-Corruption Bureau in June.
It had accused him and 83 other Malawian officials of having corrupt dealings with a British businessman named Zuneth Sattar.
Dr Chilima, who is now out on bail, is facing six charges, the first time a sitting vice-president has been in this position in Malawi.
He was questioned by anti-corruption officials on Friday morning in offices that had been cordoned off by security officials. Previous attempts to question him had been disrupted by his supporters.
His backers appeared to clash with police as he entered the court in the capital, Lilongwe, on Friday afternoon, the Reuters news agency reports video from local media as showing.
While some Malawians see the arrest as a serious move in the fight against corruption, Dr Chilima’s backers say that it is part of a political witch hunt.
Mr Sattar, who was born in Malawi, was arrested in the UK in October last year and is out on bail.
He is accused of using connections with senior Malawi government officials and politicians to fraudulently obtain contracts to supply goods and services.
The contracts related to armoured personnel carriers, food rations and water cannons, the Financial Times reported in May.
Mr Sattar has denied all wrong doing.
Dr Chilima came to power in 2020 as the running mate of President Lazarus Chakwera. They are from different political parties but entered a coalition to defeat the incumbent Peter Mutharika.
The vice-president had previously campaigned on an anti-corruption platform, promising to end decades of sleaze in government and ending poverty in one of the world’s poorest countries.
“Corruption has the power to rupture a country and its people beyond repair. Corruption has the power to make a government lose its legitimacy over its people,” the vice-president is quoted in a 2021 Anti-Corruption Bureau newsletter as saying.
Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has called on all Ghanaians to rally behind the country’s senior national team ahead of their opening match in the ongoing 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The Black Stars, on Thursday, November 23, 2022, will kick off their world cup campaign against Portugal who are tipped as one of the tournament’s favourites.
Ahead of the Thursday match, Vice President Bawumia has shared a message to the players and the entire nation.
A video shared on the vice president’s Facebook page opens with Dr Bawumia showing off his football skills, including a rainbow flick.
“The moment has come for the Black Stars to take on the world. We have a group of talented players who have been selected and they cannot be intimidated by anyone. I want to urge the Black Stars to play their hearts out for mother Ghana. We can stand the world; we have done it before and we can do it once again. They should go out and emulate the historic deeds of their predecessors. God bless you all, we can do it. Go Ghana go, go black stars go,” Dr Bawumia said.
Ghana is placed in Group H paired with South Korea, Uruguay and Portugal.
The Black Stars, led by Otto Addo as head coach and Dede Ayew as captain, is seeking to qualify from a tight group for the nation’s third appearance at the Mundial.
Vice President Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has given yet another hope to Ghanaians that the current economic crisis will be turned around by the government.
Quoting Isaiah 40:31 from the Holy Bible, the Vice President said the government with renewed strength and hope in the Lord will ensure that the economy bounces back.
“As children of God, there will always be moments of hopelessness, despair, doubt, fear and uncertainty but our hope in God is always our source of strength and the motivation in these periods,” he said.
The Vice President gave the assurance while speaking at the 70th anniversary celebration of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church in Tema Community 1.
He conceded that Ghana is going through economic difficulties but assured that “we will ride this storm”.
“As your government, we do recognise the difficulties and uncertainty we are experiencing in our country but with renewed strength and hope in the word of the Lord, we are forever confident that we will ride this storm and turn things around to the glory of our Lord.”
A leading member of the ruling New Patriotic Party, Nana Obiri Boahen is wondering how Ghanaians will be able to enjoy the upcoming Christmas festive season amidst the current economic hardship.
In an interview on Okay FM’s morning show Ade Akye Abia, the former NPP Deputy General Secretary bemoaned the recent spike in prices of goods and services citing the current price of locally distilled gin, Akpeteshie as an example.
“I am not a person who likes to politicise issues but the bottom line is that prices of goods are shooting up and we are compelled to ask ourselves if we will be able to celebrate the Christmas. Do you know akpeteshie which used to be cheap is now selling at GH¢4 per tot? Now a full bottle of akpeteshie is going for GH¢25.
“It shows how prices of every item has shot up and it is very alarming. We need to accept the reality,” he added.
Despite the admission by Mr Obiri Boahen, the NPP stalwart expressed confidence that his party will maintain power in 2024 when Ghana goes to the polls.
Obiri Boahen who has openly endorsed Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to succeed President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo noted that his preferred candidate will by all means win the party’s upcoming flagbearership race and go ahead to win the national elections despite the current state of the economy.
“But that notwithstanding my inner self tells me that Dr Bawumia will win,” he said.
Ghana in recent months has been plunged into harsh economic difficulty with a rise in fuel prices and daily rise in inflation.
Some analysts say the current situation has the potential to affect the chances of the ruling party in the 2024 elections.
However, elements within the NPP believe the party still stands a chance to maintain power.
Some members of the NPP in Anloland asked the Spokesperson of the Awoamefia, Agbotuada Kumasah, to render an unqualified apology to Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, over his comments in regards to the booing of the Vice President at the just-ended Hogbetsotso durbar.
According to the youth, the comments suggest that there was a deliberate attempt to embarrass the vice president.
“Such comments from no less a person than Agbotadua Kumasah, made it look like the Vice President was deliberately invited by the Anlo state to be disgraced,” the group said in a letter signed by the convener, Augustine Ocloo.
The statement also added claims that the vice president was booed for touting achievements that were untrue as there have been developmental activities in the Anlo-land since the NPP assumed office.
“Agbotadua Kumasah cannot be too naive not to have seen the developmental activities that this government had undertaken in Anlo-land, a government Agbotadua Kumasah is an appointee for in the Keta Municipal assembly.
“We, the disgruntled NPP youth of Anloland, cannot stand aloof while this disgraceful, uncalled for, uncultured, and developmentally crippling behaviour goes unanswered.”
The youth thus urged the President of the Anlo Traditional Council to take disciplinary action against Kumasah.
“The Anlo Traditional/State Council should explain to we the youth why they allowed members of the Hogbetsotso planning committee to set and lay the Vice President such ambush.
“We also demand that disciplinary action be taken against Agbotaduah Kumassah for displaying such infantile attitude when he was rather expected to use the fine opportunity to emphasize the positives of the celebration,” myjoyonline.com quoted.
Dr. Gideon Boako, the spokesperson for the Vice President, has indicated that somebody contacted him earlier this year, claiming to be an investor and wanted to enquire about the ‘appearance fee’ to meet his boss, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
According to him, he did not probe further to know the background of the investor “because it was of no interest to me.”
Dr. Gideon Boako while speaking on Asempa FM’s ‘Ekosii Sen’ programme on Monday, November 14 stated that he spoke to the investor on phone.
“The exact day, I may not be able to tell, but they contacted me this year, 2022. I laughed and asked, an appearance fee? Why? is it that Kotoko and Hearts of Oak are going to have a super clash,” he said while laughing.
Dr Gideon Boako further stated that the supposed investor asked whether the ‘appearance fee’ is a norm, to which he replied, “no, that cannot happen. If that was the case, then I am not a poor man. I told them the Vice President as I know him, will never entertain such a thing. If you are his staff and entertain such a thing, you do that at your own risk.
“I told them that well, I do not know that person, but I will say categorically that the person did that on his own behalf and not on behalf of the Vice President because as far as I know the Vice President, it will never happen.
“I said to them that if the Vice President gets to know of that, he will recommend for the person to be questioned by the security agencies. It was only yesterday that Tiger Eye revealed the name of the person they were talking about,” Dr. Boako explained further.
Charles Adu Boahen, the dismissed Minister of State in charge of Finance had earlier alleged that the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia will require $200,000 as an appearance fee to meet prospective investors.
This was revealed by Anas Aremeyaw Anas in his latest undercover documentary dubbed “Galamsey Economy”.
The investigative journalist noted that Adu Boahen, in the undercover piece told his Tiger Eye PI team who posed as investors that Dr. Bawumia would also require some positions from the investor for his siblings to get his backing and influence in establishing a business in Ghana.
But Dr. Bawumia in a statement on Monday, November 14, denied the accusations and called for an investigation into the allegations.
Dr. Gideon Boako, an aide to Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, has contradicted claims by the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen, that the Vice President will need US$200,000 as an appearance fee from any investor.
According to him, the Vice President is smart and discreet whenever he is dealing with individuals seeking to invest in the economy.
Charles Adu Boahen had allegedly told investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, in an undercover recording that Bawumia required about USD200,000 as an appearance fee from an investor to get his backing and influence in establishing a business in Ghana.
The celebrated investigative journalist in a November 14, 2022 post on his Facebook timeline stated that when his Tiger Eye PI team met with the Minister of State in charge of Finance in UAE, he spoke about Bawumia’s financial demands before agreeing to assist any investor.
“You mean, like appearance fees and stuff? I mean he, himself (the Vice President), if you give him some (USD) 200,000 or something as a token, as thank you, appreciation, that’s fine. He’s not really, he’s not really (like) that. All he needs is to worry about his campaign money in 2020,” Charles Adu Boahen is quoted to have said
But when the Tiger Eye team got in touch with Dr Gideon Boako, the Economic Advisor and Spokesperson at the Office of the Vice President, he denied that the Vice President has authorized or discussed with anybody to solicit funds for his political ambitions or to accept an appearance fee/token for an investor to meet with him.
“So, on top of my head and having been with him closely, I will say no. I know how discreet he, the Vice President, is and he is smart and he wouldn’t even dare do such a thing,” Dr Boako remarked.
Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ undercover documentary dubbed ‘Galamsey Economy’ shows at the Accra International Conference Centre at 4.00 PM.
The local currency has become a major victim of an economic downturn that has been epitomized by massive depreciation against the United States dollar, galloping inflation (currently at over 40%) and the general rise in the cost of living.
The ‘Papa’ as he is known, however, believes that prayer was a good means of arresting and stabilizing the depreciating currency aside from economic and political interventions.
In a November 7, 2022 video posted on his official Twitter handle, Duncan-Williams implores his congregation to open their mouths and pray for the stability of the cedi.
“All things are possible to him that believes, I said all things are possible to him that believes. We speak to the cedi. We prophesy to the cedi, let the cedi stabilize.
“Open your mouth, put your hands together, prophesy, speak to the cedi… open your mouth, speak to the cedi, prophesy, arrest the cedi, stabilize it in prayer. In the name of Jesus,” he added.
The government is hoping to reach a deal with the International Monetary Fund, IMF, for an economic support programme aimed at shoring up the economy and easing the burden on ordinary Ghanaians.
President Akufo-Addo and his government have come under heavy scrutiny for failing to address the current economic challenges in the country.
The prices of goods and services have been continuously rising all year round, with inflation currently at over 40 per cent.
The Ghana cedi has been ranked the worst currency in the world among 148 currencies tracked by Bloomberg, overtaking Sri Lanka’s rupee, having depreciated by nearly 50 per cent so far in 2022.
What Akufo-Addo said about Ghana being in a crisis
Amid an economic downturn, calls for Akufo-Addo to resign has heightened with a November 5, 2022 protest dubbed ‘Kume Preko Reloaded’ making the loudest call as activists and politicians marched in Accra to press home that demand.
The government is meanwhile, grappling with an economic crisis, which along with the galamsey scourge and corruption are the major drivers for the call on Akufo-Addo to resign along with his Vice President, Mahamadu Bawumia.
Akufo-Addo in his October 30 address on the economy blamed the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war as causes for the country’s economic woes.
While admitting that the country was in crisis and rallying support for various government interventions to stem the tide, he said the situation was not peculiar to the country as many nations across the world were also experiencing difficulties.
“We are in a crisis, I do not exaggerate when I say so. I cannot find an example in history when so many malevolent forces have come together at the same time.
“But, as we have shown in other circumstances, we shall turn this crisis into an opportunity to resolve not just the short-term, urgent problems, but the long-term structural problems that have bedeviled our economy,” he said.
But like before, President Akufo-Addo blamed the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war as causative factors for the economic woes.
Vice President, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia, says it is wrong to measure government’s performance only by the current post-COVID-19 economic difficulties.
He said the country’s economy outlook before the onset of the pandemic was positive; thus the reason the government continued to attribute the current crisis to factors emanating from the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.
“Judging government by the development in the global space and not including the performance of the economy when we assumed office in 2017 to 2020 is an anti-climax. And we all know that period gave us a strong economy.”
Dr Bawumia said this in an address at the 60th Anniversary celebration of Hogbetsotsoza at the Anloga park.
According to the World Bank, Ghana’s GDP growth rate was 8.1 percent in 2018 ; 6.5 percent in 2019; 0.5 percent in 2020 and 5.4 percent in 2021.
Dr Bawumia said the government had chalked many successes across all sectors, including school infrastructure, railways, fish landing sites, interoperability, restored teachers and nurses allowances as well as many transformational policies and programmes.
The listing of the achievements was, however, not well received by a small section of the celebrants, who protested audibly.
Nevertheless, the Vice President said these successes were unequal to successive governments’ performance on all fronts.
The Government, he said, was working assiduously to stem the high food and fuel prices and urged Ghanaians to be patient.
He identified with the strong cultural heritage of the Anlo people, which is a panacea for the development of the creative industry, an enabler and a driver for sustainable national development.
He said Keta and Anloga continued to harness a chunk of the tourism traffic and urged the residents to maintain the peace at all times.
Togbi Sri III, the Awoamefia of Anlo, said COVID-19 denied them the organisation and celebration of the festival for two years, the same way its effects were wreaking havoc on the economy.
He said the Russia-Ukraine war had added another dimension to the crisis with escalating fuel hikes, food shortages and high inflation.
He appealed to the people to remain patient with the government for a permanent solution to the difficulties.
The Awoamefia bemoaned the increasing exodus of professionals from the Anlo area, saying they needed their collective support to the development of the area.
He said the time had come for them to redirect their efforts at building a solid Anlo State to serve as a motivation for the young ones.
The Asantehene Otumfuo Osei-Tutu II, said his forefathers and the Anlos forged a military pact, which he wanted to practicalise through development to benefit the two kingdoms for a win-win situation.
He said he had been yearning for an occasion like that to demonstrate to the whole world that Asantes and Anlos were inseparable and could only work to better the fortunes available to them.
He said it was time to maximise the human resouces of the two kingdoms and improve the productivity and creativity of their people.
Daasebre Akuamoah Agyapong II, the Kwahuhene, said he agreed to particiate in the fesitival to forge stronger ties due to the positive mindset of the people towards work and peacebuilding.
King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, the Ga Mantse, who presided, appealed to the Anlos to unite and forge a common front for development to thrive, adding that, they should close their ranks and not allow politicians to divide you.
The festival also known as Hogbeza, which commemorates the legendary exodus of the Ewe-Dogbo folks from Notsie in present-day neighbouring Togo, some 400 years ago.
The festival was held this year after its suspension in 2020 and 2021 in compliance with COVID-19 protocols and was attended by people from far and near, diplomats, politicians and the clergy.
Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has disclosed that every child born within the borders of Ghana will be issued a National Identification Card (Ghana Card) number at birth, starting from the first quarter of 2023.
The vice president, who disclosed this in a series of tweets he shared after a meeting on the integration of databases in Ghana on November 3, said that this puts Ghana at par with advanced countries.
“Today, I chaired a meeting the integration of the databases of the Ghana Health Service, National Health Insurance Authority, National Identification Authority, the Ghana Statistical Service. We have been working on this for a year now.
“As a product of the work, I am happy to announce that from the end of the first quarter of next year, children born in Ghana will be issued a National ID card (Ghana Card) number from birth as is done in many advanced nations,” part of the vice president’s tweets read.
The integration between the Ghana Card and the Tax Identification Numbers, SSNIT cards, Passport, DVLA, Bank Accounts and SIM cards started in 2021.
Already, the Ghana Card has been merged with Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT); National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and Tax Identification Number (TIN) of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA); a move which has seen an increase in the database of these institutions.
Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has admitted that the long delay in the construction of the Pwalugu Multipurpose dam project is as a result of financial constraints.
Speaking at the launch of the Northern Development Authority’s five-year strategic plan in Tamale, Dr. Bawumia said government will look for funds to construct the dam.
“Even though the project is facing financial challenges, we are determined to find the resources to complete the construction of the dam.”
Sod was cut for the construction of the Pwalugu Multipurpose dam project in 2020 and was to be funded with a Sydohydro facility of $993 million.
The project awarded to China Power International group was scheduled for completion four years after the sod cutting.
The project was aimed at addressing the perennial flooding associated with the spillage of the Bagre dam from neighbouring Burkina-Faso and also providing 60MW and 50MW of hydro and solar electricity respectively.
But physical construction of the project at Kurugu in the North East Region is yet to commence after two years and ten months into the project execution period.
Last week, peasant farmers in the Northern part of the country demonstrated over the delay in the construction of the dam.
The farmers expressed fears that the project had been abandoned and called for a probe into it.
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.
Naa Puowele Karbo IV, the Paramount Chief of the Lawra Traditional Area, has commended the Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumiafor his efforts in supporting and assisting the president in steering the affairs of the nation.
He expressed his admiration and lauded the Vice President for his hard work, focus and bringing dignity to the high Office of the Vice President and hoped that his efforts would be rewarded for his digitisation and transformation agenda to assist President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
“Since assuming the high Office of the Vice President, you have brought dignity, respect and prestige to that office and we pray your efforts are sustained and your competence, effectiveness, efficiency, commitment, hard work, determination and dedication to the duties and responsibilities of the office are widely acclaimed locally and internationally,” Naa Karbo stated.
He made the commendation when the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, paid a courtesy call on him at his palace.
Touting the achievements of the vice president, Naa Karbo noted that his conduct, demeanour, focus, steadfastness and working harmoniously with the president should enable both of them to achieve their vision so as to galvanise the youth to take appropriate steps to take leadership roles and transform society.
“In particular, you have shown by your conduct, demeanour and steadfast support and assistance to the president that a vice president can work harmoniously with a sitting president and enable him to achieve their common vision.
“It is my prayer and hope that your effort at galvanising the youth to remain focus, steadfast and determined to realise the common vision of both the president and his vice will be rewarded by the youth with the appropriate price of leadership at the appropriate time,” Naa Karbo stressed.
Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo, joined the list of politicians who wished Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia a happy 59th birthday.
The Vice President on Friday, October 7 marked his birthday with a celebration at his residence with some cured lepers from the Weija Leprosarium and prominent personalities, particularly politicians.
In a Facebook post, Adwoa Safo shared a picture of the Vice President with the caption: “Stride into 59 Years of Allah’s Fulfilment and Greatness, Dr. Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia”.
About Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia
Dr. Bawumia was born on October 7, 1963, in Tamale to the late Alhaji Mumuni Bawumia, former Chairman of the Council of State (1992–2000), and Hajia Mariama Bawumia.
Born into a large family, Mahamudu Bawumia was the twelfth of his father’s 18 children and the second of his mother’s five. Mahamudu Bawumia attended the Sakasaka Primary school in Tamale and gained admission to Tamale Secondary School in 1975. He was President of the Ghana United Nations Students’ Association (GUNSA) in 1981.
After graduating from Tamale Secondary School, he went to the United Kingdom where he studied banking and obtained the Chartered Institute of Bankers Diploma (ACIB). He took a First Class Honours Degree in Economics at Buckingham University in 1987.
He then obtained a master’s degree in Economics at Lincoln College, Oxford, and obtained a Ph.D. in Economics at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1995.
His areas of specialization include Macroeconomics, International Economics, Development Economics, and Monetary Policy. He has numerous publications.
He became an economist and banker by training and went on to serve as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Ghana between 2006 and 2009.
Dr. Bawumia was running mate to Nana Akufo-Addo in the 2008 and 2012 elections which they lost. He became Vice President on his third attempt with Nana Akufo-Addo after winning the 2016 and 2020 elections.
He said, “we need more of our women to rise to positions of authority that will enable them influence policies, especially those that will affect the fortunes of other women.”
Mr Agyeman made the observation at the just ended biennial congress of the GTA Ladies Club.
The congress brought members across the regions to discuss ways to help the organization achieve its goals, empower each other and to exchange views and ideas aimed at improving the welfare of female staff.
He congratulated the Club for the commitment and efforts towards the successful operations of the GTA and urged them not to relent in their efforts to creating a more formidable force of the Authority.
Mrs. Doreen Fianko, Founder of the Club, said there were many conscious and unconscious biases around women, which hindered their progressive forward movement.
“This is the reason why women need to be empowered and allowed to redefine their gender roles and to make strategic life choices which will allow them more freedom to pursue their desired goals.”
Mrs. Emma Rachael Akua Oduro, Outgoing President of the Club, urged women in the Tourism, Arts, Culture and Hospitality industry in Ghana, to mentor and coach one another through support groups to meet up with the growing demands within the industry.
She said the club was formed over two decades ago to, among other things, improve the welfare of the female staff through the exchange of ideas, promote the image and advancement of members as well as to assist the management to achieve the basic objectives of the Authority and offer constructive suggestions and criticisms.
The Ladies’ Club has a membership of about 200 drawn from all the 16 regions of Ghana.
Some activities that took place during the congress include, leadership training programme, empowerment summit, a donation exercise, election and swearing in of new executives, tour and picnic.
The newly sworn in executives include Madam Francesca Quansah, President, Ms Abigail Kwayisi, Vice President, Madam Selase Tettevi, Organizer, Nana Yaa Boadu, Assistant Organizers, Madam Millicent Nweada, Public Relations Officer, Madam Ellen Gyeambea, Secretary, and Madam Dela Melchidek, Financial Secretary.
The bodyguard of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Suleiman Salifu has presented 60 bags of cement and Ghc12,000 cash to victims of recent flood disaster at Koforidua Asokore Zongo community.
A taxi driver died after building collapsed on him having rescued occupants of the house trapped by the flood.
Dozens of residents were displaced by the flood caused by overflow of Nsukwao river.
A week after the disaster the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) is yet to provide relief items for the victims.
Suleiman Salifu bodyguard to the Vice President who is about to be outdoor as Chief of Koforidua Asokore Zongo, on Thursday October 6,2022 dashed to the community to make the presentation to the community.
He told Starr News Dr. Bawumia was disturbed by the situation hence supported him to mobilize resources to come to the aid of the victims.
Sulaiman Salifu said the Asokore Zongo community needs some basic social amenities hence about 200 streetlights will be provided to illuminate the community to improve security.
Additionally,he is engaging Zongo Development Fund for construction of boreholes and drainage facilities to curb the perennial flooding in the community.
“At this moment we trying to speak to Zongo Development Fund for Boreholes ,and then two toilets for the community .I have already written the letter so we will push it .We are looking for about 200 streetlights so that we can give it to the community because now we’ve realized that there are somethings going on in the community that is really disturbing .People are selling drugs here and it is giving us problem that is what we even have to put lights everywhere to take that thing out of Zongo” Sulaiman Salifu said.
Some of the victims were grateful to Vice President’s bodyguard for the kind gesture.
Assembly member for Asokore Zongo Electoral area Mumuni Laminu said the donation is timely given that most of the victims are struggling due to lack of support after the disaster.
Almost a week after the flood disaster occured in New Juaben North, victims are yet to receive relief items despite lossing everything to the floods.
203 households were both collapsed completely and partially damaged.
One person died whilst 2686 made up of 977 children and 1708 adults displaced by the floods.
Five basic schools in the municipality which include Akwadum M/A Junior High School and Islamic Basic JHS all in Akwadum and other communities have been shut down due to the floods.
A former Deputy Information Minister in the Mahama era says the Vice President has been a “disaster” as the head of the economic management team.
Felix Kwakye Ofosusaid Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s role in leading the economic management team has been a ‘”waste of time”.
The aspiring MP’s comment is in reaction to a recent downgrade by credit rating agency, Moody’s, to junk status.
“Moody’s downgrades Ghana again. This time to Caa2.
“Bawumia has been an unmitigated disaster and a complete waste of time as head of the Economic Management Team”, he said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
The rating downgrade to CAA2, it said, reflects the recent macroeconomic deterioration, further heightening the government’s liquidity and debt sustainability difficulties and increasing the risk of default.
Despite Ghana’s tightening of monetary policy in response to the global price shock, it said inflation continues to rise from high levels and the currency has been under very significant pressure.
He added, “combined, a sharp rise in interest rates, high inflation and a rapidly weakening currency exacerbate the government’s debt challenges”.
Moody’s also pointed out that, “Without external support, the government’s policy levers to arrest a worsening macroeconomic backdrop and heavier debt burden are extremely limited; the government’s small revenue base, largely and increasingly absorbed by interest payments, further intensifies the policy dilemma between competing objectives, including servicing debt while meeting essential social needs. As a result, the risk of an eventual default has increased”.
Meanwhile, government has reiterated its commitment to dealing with the current economic challenges, to place the economy back on a sound footing.
Senior Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has said that President Akufo-Addo’s meeting with Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) and chiefs on the fight against illegal small-scale mining (‘galamsey’) will have no impact.
According to him, the meeting will have no effect because the president has all the powers needed to fight the menace but has chosen not to use same.
Speaking in a Joy News Interview monitored by GhanaWeb on Wednesday (October 5), Kofi Bentil added that the president organised the meeting just to show that he is doing something in the fight against ‘galamsey’.
“It (the meeting) will not make any difference. It is the president that has all the power. So, when you have the power to do what you need to do and you go round suggesting that you are seeking the assistance of other people, who do not have any power or don’t have any real power to deal with the matters, it is just window dressing.
“I think he wants to show some activity. Activity is not necessarily progress. Unfortunately, I don’t think it is going to yield anything,” he said.
Kofi Bentil further stated that chiefs and MMDCEs whom the president met might be involved in ‘galamsey’ and they will not be putting in the needed efforts or help with the needed information to stop it.
He added that the president needs to call for a state of emergency if he truly wants to stop ‘galamsey’.
“That is why again I go to the call of Occupy Ghana to impose a state of emergency. The president can actually impose a state of emergency and go to Parliament even after the fact or can go to Parliament and request that it should be imposed now. If he doesn’t do it then he doesn’t want to do it because he can do it,” he said.
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo, during his meeting with chiefs and MMDCEs in Kumasi, urged chiefs across the country to get themselves involved in the fight against illegal small-scale mining since they are the custodians of lands in the country.
“80 percent of the lands in this country continue to be under your custody, much of it having been acquired through the blood and sacrifices of your ancestors. The remainder of 20 percent which I hold in trust of the people of Ghana, derived from state acquisition from you.
“What this means is that ultimately, the welfare of the state of the lands is our joint responsibility, although by statute the minerals in the soil belong to the president in trust for the people,” he noted.
The Member of Parliament for Suhum Constituency, Hon. Frederick Opare Ansah has described as desperate propaganda an attempt by some faceless people to misrepresent Dr. Bawumia’s engagements during his working tour of some parts of the north this week.
During his tour, which took him to the Northern and North East Regions between Sunday, October 2 to Wednesday, October 5, the Vice President paid courtesy calls on traditional rulers and inspected a number of ongoing Government projects, including Agenda 111 District hospitals.
The Vice President also met with the party faithful, who he thanked for their continuous support to the government and urged them to, in spite of the current economic challenges, be proud of the NPP Government’s achievements in various sectors, which he listed to them.
However, some people, who the Hon Opare Ansah says are internal party saboteurs, are, throgh social media, propaganda, spreading falsehood about the Vice President’s tour.
It is these claims Hon Opare Ansah, who was a member the Vice President’s delegation for the tour, has completely rubbished as “desperate propaganda” by people he adds, desire to lead the party in 2024 and see the Vice President as a threat.
Speaking to Omanhene Kwabena Asante on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme from the north on Wednesday after, Hon. Opare Ansah said even those behind the propaganda know very well how decent and decorous a politician Dr. Bawumia is.
“Everybody knows Dr. Bawumia is a decent and a decorous politician who speaks to issues and doesn’t insult,” said Opare Hammond.
“From 2007 when he emerged on the national scale, 2012, 2016 and 2020, Dr. Bawumia has been meeting people, and he has also been campaigning with the President. Have you ever heard he has said something indecent before?”
“I sat in all the meetings throughout the tour and nothing like that happened. All that these desperate people are putting through propaganda, artworks and articles on social media are coming from our own NPP brothers, who support some other people who intend to lead the party.
Opare Ansah described the Vice President’s tour of the North as very successful, as it gave him the opportunity to “inspect on-going projects, re-assure Chiefs and people of the north of government’s commitment to completing these projects, as well as provided opportunities for our party to interact with the Vice President on government’s development efforts, as he also thanked the party for their support to him over the years to partner President Akufo-Addo both as a running mate and as Vice President.”
The Suhum MP had some words of advice to internal NPP members who specialise in deliberately smearing their opponents with dirt to desist from that, as it is detrimental to the overall interest of the NPP party.
“Let us stop such dirty politics because it is not healthy,” he said.
“We will finish the internal contest and face the NDC. In the past, some of these people said many things against Nana Akufo-Addo in 2007 and after our internal contest, the NDC used these lies against our candidate.
“My advice to my NPP brothers is that we should have a healthy contest devoid of insults, lies and fabrications so that when you meet your brother in the future you can comfortably look him in the face and say this is my brother.
“There is no iota of truth in their desperate propaganda
You can’t deliberately throw dirt on your brother and turn around and accuse him of being dirty.”
Dr. Bawumia’s delegation to the North included: the Minister of Interior Hon. Ambrose Dery, Sports Minister Hon. Mustapha Ussif, a number of Deputy Ministers, CEOs of State Agencies including immediate past National Organiser of NPP Sammy Awuku, Presidential Advisor on Health Dr. Nsia Asare, a number MPs from various regions, party executives and stalwarts of the NPP, including Chairman Odeneho COKA.
The Paramount Chief of Bunkpurugu Traditional Area, Naba Alhaji Abuba Nasinmong, has urged the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to focus on his good works for the country and not be discouraged by the negativity of his opponents, who he said, will always find negative things to say about the Vice President.
Welcoming Dr. Bawumia, who is on a working visit to the north, to his Palace on Tuesday, the Bunkpurugu Naba, commended the Vice President for his “indefatigable leadership,” and the recognition he has given to the people of Bunkpurugu and the north in general, adding that God will crown his efforts.
“I am excited to have you present at my Palace, once again, to pay a courtesy call on me and my people in the Bunkpurugu Traditional Area. We are highly delighted having you with us today, because of the recognition you have given us as a people in this part of our country,” Naba Abuba Nasinmong, who was flanked by his elders and indigenes of the community, said.
“You are a true statesman and an astute modern politician who has efficiently aided the first gentleman of the Ghanaian State, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to maintain law and order, peace and tranquillity, and implementation of people-centred policies that have touched the life of every Ghanaian, especially in the Bunkpurugu-Nakpanduri District such as Free SHS policy, Planting for Food and Jobs, an extension of electricity, an improvement on our roads, etc.”
As he lauded Dr. Bawumia and the Akufo-Addo Government, he expressed his support and “wholehearted” encouragement to the Vice President not to be discouraged by the negativity of his critics.
“Permit me to wholeheartedly express the following: your opponents would always find negative things to say about you, but continue with your good works and Almighty God will grant you victory.
“I wish to, on behalf of my people, assure you of our maximum support.”
The Vice President has been on a working tour of the northern part of the country since Sunday.
After touring the Northern Region on Sunday and Monday, paying courtesy calls on traditional leaders, and inspecting ongoing government projects, the Vice-president took his tour to the North East Region on Tuesday.
The Government’s construction of Agenda 111 District hospitals is among the key government projects the Vice President has been inspecting on his tour.
