Lecturer at the University of Education-Winneba (UEW)’s Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Sports, Dr. Ernest Acheampong has called on Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, to work more with people in sports academia to aid in his policy direction for the sector.
He said this in an exclusive interview with Citi Sports following Kofi Adams’ nomination as Sports Minister; Adams has since been sworn in as Minister and recently met the technical team of the Black Stars.
Commenting on a major to-do item, Dr. Acheampong stated in the interview that the Sports Ministry needs a strategic plan to deal with the sector’s issues and added that more collaboration with Universities is the way.
“Sports is huge…and you need experts; because it’s a profession. When you talk about a profession, it has certain characteristics. So, for me, he (Kofi Adams) needs to learn and before he learns, it will take time.”
“I will suggest that he collaborate with the sports universities in terms of policy directions and some of his strategic plan. Without a strategic plan, it will be difficult for him to make positive impact.”
The Ghana Football Association’s Club Licensing Department has approved five venues following their latest re-inspection ahead of the resumption of the Ghana Premier League (GPL).
These include the Tarkwa TNA Stadium, Dr. Kwame Kyei Sports Complex, Dun’s Park Bibiani, Nsenkyire Sports Arena, and Kpando Sports Stadium. These match centers are considered fit, offering an even playing field and a secure safety zone to host games.
Meanwhile, five other venues—Nii Adjei Kraku Park, Tuba Astro Turf, Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium, Nana Fosu Gyeabour Park, and Nana Agyemang Badu Park—have received conditional approval, pending repairs to address identified concerns.
The Baba Yara Stadium, home of Asante Kotoko, and the Legon Stadium, a temporary venue for Hearts of Oak and Legon Cities, must resolve safety zone issues before their next official matches. The GFA has urged the affected clubs to provide solutions promptly.
Elsewhere, Wenchi Sports Stadium, Ampanian Arena, and Berekum Golden City Park face both technical and security challenges requiring repairs and renovations.
These venues remain unapproved until further notice.
Some oil marketing companies have begun marginally reducing fuel prices at the pump following the start of the first pricing window in March.
This marks the second consecutive reduction after three successive price hikes earlier this year.
Total Energies has led the latest adjustment, lowering the price of both petrol and diesel from GHS 15.99 in the second pricing window of February to GHS 15.79 per liter in the first pricing window of March
Shell has also adjusted it fuel prices downward for the first pricing window of March. The price of petrol has been reduced from GHS 15.89 per litre in the second pricing window of February to GHS 15.72 per litre.
Similarly, diesel now sells at GHS 15.77 per litre, down from GHS 15.99 per litre in the previous pricing window.
The reductions are being attributed to falling crude oil prices on the international market and a slight depreciation of the Ghanaian cedi against the US dollar.
This development signals a potential trend, with other oil marketing companies expected to follow suit in the coming days.
In response to growing concerns from commuters, Minister of Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza has issued a directive to contractors working on the Ofankor to Nsawam junction rehabilitation project to ensure the road remains passable for motorists while construction is ongoing.
Agbodza highlighted the need for continuous grading and watering of the road to mitigate the adverse effects of the project’s slow progress on drivers.
“They’ve run out of money. We are not expecting them to be working at the same space as if nothing is wrong, but the fact that they were almost nonexistent at the site, and today we can see some of the things the public was complaining about are being done.
“One of them is their inability to water the road to reduce the dust. Today we can see a lot of watering going on, we can see a lot more reshaping and rolling going on, which means that at least the surface will be better than it is.
“That is what is we are asking them to continue to do until a significant payment is made to them…They should continue to do their best to make sure that the public is comfortable…It should be reasonably motorable,” he said when he inspected the road on Wednesday, March 5.
Minister Agbodza reassured the public that the government is committed to providing the necessary funding to ensure the project’s timely completion.
He emphasised the importance of addressing the current challenges to deliver a fully operational road for the benefit of the community.
“The president is committed to completing all ongoing projects as long as the fiscal space and the financing of this project can be made available by the finance minister…We are not in a good place financially. Despite that we are committed to completing this project, because this is another priority project,” he stated.
Project Manager Abdulai Mahama shed light on the factors contributing to the delays, citing issues with compensation, the relocation of utilities, and other unforeseen challenges.
These hurdles have significantly impacted the project’s timeline, but efforts are being made to overcome them and expedite the completion process.
The leadership of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Upper East Region has suspended 17 additional members, bringing the total number of suspended members in the region to 23.
This follows the earlier suspension of six executives from the Pusiga Constituency. The latest suspensions include 16 current and former executives from the Tempane Constituency and one individual from the Builsa South Constituency.
Speaking to Citi News on Wednesday, March 5, Jambeidu Ibrahim, one of the suspended members from Tempane, accused former Deputy Attorney General and NPP parliamentary candidate for the constituency, Joseph Kpemka, of orchestrating their suspension.
Republican Congressman Tim Burchett tells the BBC that America will no longer be “the world’s peacekeeper” as they are “going to have to protect our own”.
Speaking on The World Tonight, he says: “We’ve done a poor job of protecting our own borders and we’ve stretched our fiscal ability very thin with this war, and we’ve done enough, and it’s time for everyone else to step up.”
Burchett describes the minerals deal with Ukraine, which would see the US gain access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals, as “a masterful move by Trump” and says the presence of American civilians would guarantee Ukrainian security.
“When we start getting the minerals out of there, Russia will not want to harm a hair on an American businessperson’s head,” Burchett explains.
Burchett also welcomes Donald Trump’s decision to suspend arms shipments to Ukraine: “It’s not our war. It’s Europe’s war. We’ve funded this thing from day one. The American taxpayers have.
On Putin, Burchett says: “Putin’s a no-good thug. There’s no question there. But again, here we are messing in somebody else’s business.”
A 22-year-old welder has been sentenced to 18 years imprisonment with hard labour by the Asante Akropong Circuit Court in the Atwima Nwabiagya North District for robbery at Asaase Bokankye, near Akropong.
In the case presided over by Gloria Mensha Bonsu, Williams Amoateng pleaded guilty and was convicted on his plea by the court.
Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Evans Baaba Ayimbisah told the court that the complainant, Blessing Owusu, is a tricycle rider and resident of Atwima Agogo. The convict, Amoateng, and his accomplice, identified only as Jolley, who is currently at large, reside at Asaase Bokankye.
On February 25, 2025, at about 8:00 p.m., Owusu was operating his tricycle (commonly known as pragia), with registration number M-2023-AS 2221, as part of his routine transport business in Abuakwa and its surrounding areas.
Amoateng and his accomplice engaged Owusu’s services to transport them to Asaase Bokankye. However, Amoateng ordered the complainant to stop during the journey, and he complied.
According to the prosecution, the two men alighted from the tricycle, picked up a stick and a stone, and threatened to harm Owusu if he refused to hand over his tricycle, valued at GH¢46,000, along with his day’s earnings of GH¢750.
The criminals took the vehicle and cash and fled the scene.
On February 27, 2025, Owusu spotted Amoateng at Asaase Bokankye and raised an alarm. With the assistance of bystanders, Amoateng was apprehended and handed over to the Pokukrom Police.
During interrogation, Amoateng admitted to the crime in his caution statement, revealing that he had sold the stolen tricycle to an individual at Kumasi-Alabar. meanwhile, when police accompanied him to the location, he was unable to identify the buyer.
Following investigations, he was charged with robbery and arraigned before the court, where he was found guilty and sentenced accordingly.
Ghana is set to revive its oil palm industry as Oro Oil Ghana has secured a 10-year partnership with Nigerian investors to enhance production, expand markets, and modernize farming techniques. The collaboration aims to reduce reliance on traditional methods and improve smallholder farmers’ incomes.
Beyond trade, the strategic partnership will bring Nigerian oil palm investments, expertise, and machinery to complement Ghana’s favorable environment for large-scale cultivation.
With over 10,000 hectares of plantation land, an affordable and abundant workforce, and access to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Ghana is poised for significant industry growth.
Years of neglect and insufficient strategic investment have led to a decline in Ghana’s oil palm production. According to the Oil Palm Development Association of Ghana, the country’s oil palm export for 2024 dropped by more than 50%.
For the Nigerian counterparts, a growth and export-driven strategy for Ghana must include adherence to international best practices to attract investors and boost market confidence.
Nigeria currently consumes approximately three million metric tons of palm oil annually, with Oro Oil Ghana being the largest exporter of Ghanaian palm oil to Nigeria.
According to the CEO of Oro Oil Ghana Limited, Maxwell Commey, the sector’s decline is due to a lack of support, poor planting materials, and a technological gap.
Speaking at the National Economic Dialogue 2025 at the Accra International Conference Centre, which brought together economic experts, policymakers, and industry leaders, Mr. Commey highlighted Ghana’s current cultivation of about 100,000 hectares. He emphasized that this new partnership would mobilize investors and industry resources from Nigeria.
He further noted that the initiative would create employment opportunities, generating 40,000 direct jobs across the value chain while contributing to GDP growth, industrialization, and knowledge transfer in Ghana.
Mr. Commey also reiterated the need for a government-backed land bank initiative to improve production and bridge the supply gap of approximately 250,000 metric tons.
“This partnership aims to foster growth in Ghana’s palm oil industry and establish mutually beneficial cooperation. This is indeed a confidence booster for Oro Oil Ghana Limited and the economy at large,” Maxwell Commey stated.
He also urged the government to provide stronger support to the sector to harness its full potential within local and regional markets.
The two-day National Economic Dialogue 2025, chaired by President John Mahama, is centered on the theme: “Resetting Ghana: Building the Economy We Want Together.”
ospong Group of Companies (JGC) and The Gambia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to replicate its African tailored waste management solution in The Gambia.
This move is seen as an “African solution to an African challenge.”
The signing ceremony was led by the Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources, Honourable Rohey John Manjang and Dr Joseph Siaw Agyepong, Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group, at a brief but significant ceremony in Accra on Monday, March 3, 2025. According to Madam Manjang, there was the need for Africa to devise homegrown solutions to its challenges, stating her ambition to build a waste treatment plant in The Gambia within six months through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
“I know, for Africa to go forward with our limited resources, we need to be innovative in making sure that we fix our problems. We cannot just say that we do not have money,” she said. This follows a five-day duty tour of the Waste Management facilities of the Jospong Group in Ghana by a high-powered 12-Member Gambian government delegation made up of the Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources, Members of their Nationl Assembly (Parliament), Council Members and technical team from their National Environment Agency.
She argued that governments cannot do things alone and must bring the private sector on board. “…that was why I set for myself a 6-month target, up to June, to build a waste management unit with PPP for The Gambia,” she noted. Hon. Manjang assured that the signing of the MoU marked the beginning of a concrete roadmap for implementing a comprehensive waste management solution for the Gambia.
“What we saw this past three days was amazing; it broke our heart for the simple reason that I could not have imagined the solution that the Western countries and institutions proposed with its inherent debt was right here with us in Africa, which does not require much feasibility because this is an African made solution. she lamented.
While envisioning possible challenges, she remained committed to the fact that the dream is achievable. “It is doable, it is workable, it is achievable, and we can do it in The Gambia… what we saw is an all-inclusive solution, it’s from start to finish,” she intimated.
Hon. Manjang was full of praise for the Jospong Group, expressing admiration for their innovative approaches and highlighting the Group’s comprehensive and entrepreneurial spirit.
She called for a collective effort and innovation to enable Africa move forward. “For Africa to go forward, it takes the private sector. It takes a leader to design the future, and it takes the followers to reach the destination,” she indicated.
For his part, the Executive Chairman of JGC, Dr. Jospeh Siaw Agyepong, attributed the progress of his group to divine orchestration. He shared his encounter with the Vice President of The Gambia, which led to the MoU signing. “When ideas marry strategy, the product is money, so money is the son of strategy and ideas. What we need in Africa is ideas and strategy, not money,” he said. Dr. Siaw Agyepong also noted that Africa’s reliance on foreign aid had hindered its progress, cautioning that “If over the years, we’ve been happy with grants and loans, today Donald Trump has told us that we should go and develop our minerals.” He, therefore, encouraged Africa to take charge of its development, citing examples of countries like Rwanda that had made significant progress through determination and innovation.
He further explained that the continent’s over-reliance on foreign aid had led to a lack of determination and innovation. “Collective determination and commitment is what has birthed what is happening in the waste management sector of Ghana,” he noted.
He expressed optimism about the project’s potential for success in The Gambia, urging Gambians to work together to achieve their goals.
Prior to the signing of the MoU, The Gambian delegation, led by Hon. Manjang, paid a courtesy visit to Ghana’s Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Honourable Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, as part of their four-day visit to Ghana.
During the visit, the delegation took the opportunity to tour Jospong’s facilities in Accra and Kumasi, showcasing the company’s expertise in waste management and other environmental service solutions.
At the meeting with The Gambian delegation, Hon. Murtala Mohammed urged The Gambian government to safeguard Ghanaian investors, highlighting the long-standing bond between the two nations.
“The relationship between Ghana and Gambia predates independence. Our former Presidents, Kwame Nkrumah and Sir Dawda Jawara, were friends and comrades in the struggle for independence,” he noted.
According to him, investments will only flow when investors feel safe and their investments are secured.
He advised Jospong to be a good corporate citizen in The Gambia, saying, “You must ensure that your operations promote Ghana and protect the safety of Ghanaians in Gambia.”
“You are not just representing Jospong Group, but Ghana. Your operations should promote Ghana, and we will ensure that you do not embarrass Ghana because the country’s image is on the line,” Hon. Murtala Muhammed firmly assured.
Hon. Murtala Muhammed highlighted Jospong Group’s success in addressing sanitation challenges in Ghana.
“Jospong Group has been instrumental in keeping Ghana clean. Assuming we didn’t have Jospong, what would have happened to Ghana?” He asked.
Honourable Rohey John Manjang, The Gambian Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources, acknowledged the commonalities between Ghana and Gambia, stating that relying on Ghana to solve Gambia’s environmental challenges was apt.
“We have a lot in common with Ghana, and we believe that by working together, we can find solutions to our environmental challenges,” she said.
She noted that adopting environmentally friendly waste management practices was crucial, citing the growing population’s detrimental impact on the environment.
“As our population grows, it’s causing environmental issues. We must manage waste in a way that’s friendly to the environment,” she said.
The Gambian delegation also visited key installations of Jospong Group, including the Accra Composting and Recycling Plant (ACARP), Kumasi Compost and Recycling Plant, the Plastic Recycling Plant, Zoomlion Waste Transfer Station, and the Kpone Re-engineered Landfill site among others.
To scale up efforts to address the challenges of clean water scarcity and inadequate sanitation infrastructure that continue to affect many rural and peri-urban areas in the country, World Vision Ghana and Interplast Ghana have partnered to address such issues.
As part of this collaboration, Interplast has provided HDPE and UPVC pipes and fittings to support the construction of a modified NSUPA solar-powered, mechanized water system.
Developed by World Vision Ghana, the NSUPA Model is an innovative homegrown solution aimed at delivering safe and sustainable water services to communities, institutions, and households.
The system features a submersible pump with accessories, Solar modules mounted on a 4-meter concrete tower, a 10,000-liter storage tank, A HDPE pipe network and Civil works, including standpipes and a permanent handwashing station.
By leveraging solar energy, the NSUPA Model ensures efficient water delivery while promoting sustainability in vulnerable communities. Speaking at the MoU signing, Jean-Claude Mukadi, National Director of World Vision Ghana, highlighted the significance of the collaboration in addressing water access challenges.
“Despite our efforts, research indicates that between 30 to 40 per cent of WASH facilities in Africa are either non-functional or operate below capacity due to poor design, inadequate construction, and management challenges. This partnership with Interplast Ghana will help address some of these technical barriers, ensuring that more communities have access to clean, safe water,” Jean-Claude Mukadi explained.
With operations in 14 out of 16 regions in Ghana, World Vision Ghana continues to impact approximately 100,000 people annually by improving access to clean water, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 ensuring clean water and sanitation for all.
The collaboration between World Vision Ghana and Interplast Ghana signals a shared commitment to building resilient communities, where every child and family has access to clean water and improved sanitation.
