Category: Local News

President John Dramani Mahama has issued a directive to reverse all allocations and sales of land belonging to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs made by the previous government.

This decision aims to preserve the Ministry’s adjoining land at Airport Residential, which had been claimed by seven organisations and individuals as new owners.

Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, announced the presidential directive on his Facebook page, expressing his gratitude to President Mahama for his unwavering patriotic and decisive support.

Ablakwa emphasised that under his leadership, no land or property of the Ministry, whether located domestically or internationally, would be sold.

“President Mahama has directed that all allocations and sale of land belonging to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the previous government be immediately reversed. Yesterday’s presidential directive will ensure that the Ministry’s adjoining land at Airport Residential which some 7 organisations and individuals claim to be the new owners would now be cancelled and preserved for the people of Ghana,” Ablakwa stated.

He further added, “I am enormously grateful to President Mahama for his unwavering patriotic and decisive presidential backing. Under my watch as Foreign Minister, no land or property of the Ministry, located either home or abroad would be sold. No more State Capture! For God and Country. Ghana First.”

The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has projected a decline in petroleum prices by mid-March 2025, attributing the expected reduction to falling crude oil prices and a slight depreciation of the Ghanaian cedi against the US dollar.

According to the latest Petroleum Price Indicators released by the NPA on February 28, 2025, crude oil prices have dropped by 2.03%, from $75.06 per barrel to $73.53 per barrel.

The decline is largely driven by global market uncertainties, including tensions between the U.S. and Ukraine, new tariffs imposed by Washington, and Iraq’s decision to resume oil exports from the Kurdistan region.

The projected price drop comes as welcome news for consumers, particularly transport operators and businesses that rely heavily on petroleum products.

It also aligns with broader global trends, as oil prices have faced downward pressure due to geopolitical and economic developments.

The NPA report indicates that if current market trends persist, fuel prices at the pump could see slight reductions in the coming weeks, providing some relief to Ghanaians amid ongoing economic challenges.

The National Chief Imam, Dr. Sheikh Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu has made a passionate appeal to individuals and businesses to be charitable and generous to the less privileged in the society especially during the holy month of Ramadan. 

According to him, the significance of Allah’s blessings is for it to be extended to others, hence the need for businesses and individuals to make it a point to occasionally give back to the society and the less privileged.  The Chief Imam said, “When Allah blesses us and gives us great profit margin with our businesses, it is our moral responsible to help those in need and provide same opportunities for them.”

The Chief Imam made these assertions while receiving a donation from Melcom and Melcom Care Foundation at his residence.

Melcom and Melcom Care Foundation donated food items and 1,000 Iftar meals to the National Chief Imam as part of their commitment to social responsibility and community support.  Also, the donation is to aid the National Chief Imam and the Muslim community in their efforts to support the less privileged during the holy month of Ramadan.

The donation was led by key executives from Melcom, including; Madam Sonya Sadhwani (Executive Director), Mr. Ashok Nair (Chief Operating Officer), Mr. Zahed Siddiqui (Chief Information Officer), and Nana Opoku A.kyei (Head of Marketing). 

Dr. Kofi Koduah Sarpong, a strong advocate for structural and policy reforms, has criticised the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) for straying from its primary mandate, arguing that the institution should not be involved in road construction.

Speaking on behalf of the Structural and Policy Reform Committee at the National Economic Dialogue, Dr. Sarpong addressed inefficiencies within state institutions, drawing comparisons between COCOBOD and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

He highlighted concerns over procurement practices and operational inefficiencies affecting both organizations.

Focusing on COCOBOD, he stressed that the institution should concentrate solely on cocoa trading rather than diverting resources into road projects.

“COCOBOD is also not focused on its core business and has inefficient procurement practices just like ECG. To the government, we suggest the following. We should have a holistic and coordinated plan to stop galamsey and improve cocoa and food production as well. This is a major issue for the government to deal with.

“COCOBOD should focus on its core business of buying and selling cocoa. In effect, it has no business in doing roads. We think that it must stop. The Department of Feeder Roads is there, and arrangements can be made for them to look at Cocoa Roads.

“In the past, when some of us were there, we were never constructing roads. We were only helping by giving funds to Feeder Roads to do the work,” he stated.

Dr. Sarpong’s remarks underscore ongoing concerns about inefficiencies in Ghana’s public institutions and the need for clearer policy direction to ensure COCOBOD remains dedicated to its core mandate.

The Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene, has inaugurated a 17-member ministerial committee tasked with revitalizing the region’s declining film industry, popularly known as Kumawood.

With Kumawood facing a downturn in recent years, the committee has been charged with developing a strategic framework to rejuvenate the industry and create sustainable employment opportunities for industry players.

The committee comprises representatives from various sectors of the film industry, including veteran actors Oheneyere Mercy Asiedu and Bill Asamoah. It will be chaired by Bishop Ofori-Adu.

Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday, March 4, Dr. Amoakohene urged the members to remain united and dedicated to their mandate, emphasizing the importance of teamwork in achieving their objectives.

“We as leaders of the country, all we need from you is to unite and work together, because that unity will encourage the president to push more effort to revive the industry. So unity is very key to us as far as the issue is concerned.”

Dr. Emmanuel Akwetey, Executive Director of the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG), has stressed the need for stringent mechanisms to verify the declared assets of public officers to enhance transparency and accountability in governance.

Speaking at the National Economic Dialogue, Dr. Akwetey commended former President John Dramani Mahama for setting a precedent by publicly declaring his assets. However, he emphasized that asset declarations alone are insufficient and called for a verification process to be conducted by the Auditor-General.

“There is also the need for verification of declared assets by the Auditor General. The president has set the standard, he is the first person to announce that he declared his assets, and we all saw it on TV,” he noted.

Dr. Akwetey further urged all public officers to follow Mahama’s example, advocating for greater transparency in asset declarations. However, he questioned whether such declarations would be made publicly accessible for assessment by the citizens they serve.

“But we think that all public officers should do the same. However, it is not clear whether this will be made public. So that the assessment can be done also by the citizens they are representing in the high offices of state,” he added.

Beyond asset verification, Dr. Akwetey called for reforms to separate parliamentary functions from the executive branch to enhance checks and balances. He expressed concerns about the dominance of the governing party in parliament, warning that a lack of political consensus could deepen divisions and hinder constitutional reforms.

“It is essential to decouple parliamentary functions from the executive branch to promote checks and balances in governance. But we have a situation where this time, the governing party has the greatest majority,” he stated.

“With the governing party having almost absolute majority to push the agenda to push reforms, it could do it its way. That could end up intensifying division. Constitutional reforms require consensus even if it will not be entrenched,” he cautioned.

Dr. Akwetey’s remarks underscore the need for institutional reforms to strengthen democracy, ensure transparency, and foster inclusive governance in Ghana.

The government has reaffirmed its commitment to structural reforms and private sector-driven growth, pledging to implement key policy recommendations from the 2025 National Economic Dialogue.

The two-day Dialogue, which centered on six priority areas—including macroeconomic stability—outlined a strategic roadmap for achieving long-term economic resilience and sustainable development.

Speaking at the closing session, Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang underscored the Mahama administration’s dedication to fostering economic growth and implementing measures that deliver tangible relief to businesses and citizens alike.

“The reset agenda is both ambitious and necessary. It requires a concerted effort from all of us—that is, from the government, private sector, civil society, and every Ghanaian citizen.

“I want to assure you that the government of Ghana is fully committed to translating these resolutions into concrete action.

“I have noted all the homework you have given us. Our promise is to collaborate with all sectors and sections of Ghana to ensure that we deliver a homework worthy of an A,” she stated.

An Accra Circuit Court has remanded Stephen Agordotse, a Ghanaian national, into police custody pending his extradition to Abuja, Nigeria, to stand trial for theft.

Agordotse, who served as the Operations Manager at Discovery Logistics and E-Commerce Service in Lagos, Nigeria, is accused of stealing his employer’s vehicle, electronic gadgets, and money.

The court ordered his remand, citing concerns that he might not appear for trial if released.

“Considering the steps being taken by the state to extradite the accused to Nigeria for trial, the accused may not appear before the court if set at liberty. Accordingly, the accused is remanded into police custody,” the court ruled.

Agordotse informed the court that he had been in custody for a month. Meanwhile, the prosecution assured the court that all necessary procedures for his extradition had been completed and requested a short date for the next hearing. The case was subsequently adjourned to March 12, 2025.

According to the prosecution, Agordotse allegedly stole company assets valued at 8,760,000 Naira. The stolen items included a KIA Cerato saloon car, two motorcycles, a laptop, a mobile phone, a flat-screen television, and 180,000 Naira in cash.

On January 13, 2025, INTERPOL Abuja issued a notice stating that Agordotse had been arrested by the Accra Central Police. Following this development, the police took him into custody for further questioning.

In his investigation caution statement, Agordotse admitted to stealing the items while serving as the company’s Operations Manager.

The present and past Chief Executives of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) have faced a daunting task in addressing the filth that has engulfed major parts of the region and the congestion in the Central Business District (CBD). Major drains and rivers continue to be choked with used bottles and other forms of plastic waste. In some instances, individuals dump piles of refuse into these drains, further compounding the sanitation crisis. In the Central Business District of Adum, as well as parts of Kejetia and the Kumasi Central Market, traders and hawkers have taken over pavements and major streets to conduct their business.

Commuters are forced to compete for space with these traders, and footbridges—designated as pathways—have been turned into trading areas. At the Roman Hill section of the Kumasi Central Market, drivers, tricycle operators, and motor riders struggle to navigate freely because traders have occupied the streets to sell their wares. Additionally, some commercial drivers park along the streets to either unload goods or pick up passengers, worsening vehicular traffic and exacerbating congestion in the city. On the main Alabar-Dr. Mensah stretch, motorcycles and tricycles have turned the area into a parking space, forcing commuters and drivers to maneuver their way through to their destinations.

Stagnant water from choked drains along the Alabar high street continues to overflow, flooding the main road. Traders and commuters have no choice but to endure the nauseating stench from the dirty water.

Areas such as Dr. Mensah, Kejetia, K.O., Adhyman Market, and the stretch from Kumasi Zoo to the Racecourse Market are among the worst affected by congestion in the city. Sanitation in these areas remains a daily concern, yet little to no attention is paid to the environmental and health hazards by either the authorities or the traders, who continue to operate in these unsanitary conditions.

The congestion in the CBD and parts of the city worsened when traders were relocated to satellite markets to pave the way for the construction of the second phase of the Kumasi Central Market project.

While some traders agreed to relocate, others—including commercial drivers—refused, fearing they would lose their customers.

Several satellite markets created to ease congestion within the CBD and the Central Market remain underutilized, as many traders have refused to move there, leaving these spaces idle.

For instance, the Afia Kobi (Abinkyi) Market and the Asawase Market currently record low patronage because traders and drivers have not fully occupied them.

The absence of designated parking areas in the CBD and the city as a whole has further worsened congestion, despite private entities establishing parking lots.

I vividly recall the introduction of a night cleaning exercise, which is still in place. However, I doubt it has been effective in addressing the sanitation issues in the metropolis.

Kumasi’s poor sanitation situation is largely due to the lack of enforcement of bylaws and the general public’s attitude toward cleanliness.

The same public attitude can be blamed for the city’s congestion.

The dangers of poor sanitation and congestion must be examined on a broader scale to find sustainable solutions. Failure to do so could result in future disasters, including disease outbreaks that would not only cost lives but also drain the public purse.

The introduction of the monthly cleanup exercise, National Sanitation Day, was making a significant impact in addressing sanitation issues until it was halted.

The COVID-19 pandemic taught us a bitter lesson about the importance of cleanliness in our daily lives, emphasising the need for regular handwashing with soap under running water.

We live in a country where religion is revered—Christians dress properly and wear the finest perfumes to attend worship services on Saturdays and Sundays.

Muslims, on the other hand, perform ablution at least five times a day, washing parts of their bodies before prayer.

Both religions preach that “cleanliness is next to godliness,” yet how well this principle is practiced in real life remains a question for the gods. The next Kumasi Mayor, under the new John Mahama government, will have an arduous task in addressing public attitudes toward sanitation and congestion in the metropolis. In all this, the enforcement of bylaws will be key. The next Mayor must not be one who is easily swayed by political threats, as traders often vow to vote out any government that enforces the laws to the letter.