Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo and GBA president Efua Ghartey

The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has finally released details of the resolutions passed at its 2025 mid-year conference on the ongoing petitions for the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.

The details confirm earlier reports that the GBA is demanding that President John Dramani Mahama revoke the suspension of Chief Justice Torkornoo.

The association stated that the suspension of the Chief Justice by President Mahama was unconstitutional.

It argued that Mahama was not a judicial officer and there are no laws currently that give him the power to use his discretion to suspend the Chief Justice.

“The Ghana Bar Association calls for the immediate revocation of the suspension of the Chief Justice, as it considers the suspension to be unconstitutional, considering the fact that the President, who is not a judge or judicial officer, exercised his discretion to suspend the Chief Justice under Article 146(10) of the 1992 Constitution in the absence of a published Constitutional Instrument, Statutory Instrument, or Regulation(s) governing the exercise of his said discretion as required by Article 296 of the 1992 Constitution,” part of the resolution reads.

The association also demanded that President Mahama immediately release details of the determination of the prima facie case by the President and the Council of State.

“In addition, the Ghana Bar Association calls upon the President of the Republic of Ghana to immediately release the full decision establishing a prima facie case against the Chief Justice, consistent with established precedent. This disclosure is necessary to ensure that the process is conducted in accordance with the principles of transparency and fairness,” it said.

Furthermore, the GBA demanded the withdrawal of a directive from the Acting Chief Justice, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, concerning the assignment of courts and the fixing of dates for newly filed cases and applications.

Read the full resolution below:

BAI/MA

How on earth will cardiac surgeons fight galamsey? Watch as Jennifer Queen slams Prof Frimpong-Boateng

Meanwhile, watch as frustrated Ghanaians speak out on poor network challenges

Minister for Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, has called on traditional leaders to support government efforts to accelerate road infrastructure projects under President Mahama’s ambitious “Big Push” agenda.

He made the call while paying a courtesy call on the paramount chief of Komenda, Okatayi Komeh VII, as he commenced inspection of roads in the Central Region.

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A subsistence farmer from Nankese in the Eastern Region, Kwabena Huletey, is seeking GH¢9.9 million in damages for a seven-year ordeal of wrongful imprisonment that he said shattered his health, family, and livelihood.

Represented by private legal practitioner and activist, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, of Merton and Everette LLP, Huletey has sued the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Prisons Service, and the Attorney General, alleging systemic neglect and false accusations that led to his unjust detention.

According to a report by the Fourth Estate, Huletey’s troubles began in 2015 when he traveled to Akuapem Adawso to plan a customary marriage with 19-year-old Dela Hunukeh, a family friend’s daughter.

Recently separated from his first wife, with whom he had three children, Huletey embraced the match, unaware of the tragedy that would follow.

He soon discovered Hunukeh suffered from a chronic illness, and her family hoped the union would ease the financial burden of her treatment.

Despite his limited resources as a farmer, Huletey shouldered her medical costs, funding trips to health facilities at Adawso, Mampong, Tinkong, and eventually the Koforidua Roman Catholic Hospital.

The financial strain proved overwhelming for Huletey, who was unable to further afford immediate treatment for his fiancée.

After discussions with Hunukeh’s family, they agreed to delay additional hospital visits until Huletey could sell farm produce for funds.

Tragically, Hunukeh passed away before treatment could resume, succumbing to her illness, later identified as pneumonia.

In a twist of events, Huletey was arrested and charged with her murder, despite no evidence linking him to her death.

The Mampong District Court remanded him into custody, pending investigations and a year later, in 2016, the court ordered his release due to the failiure of state prosecutors and the police to bring a case against him.

However, instead of being granted his freedom, Huletey was inexplicably returned to Koforidua Prison by a police officer, with no legal basis.

There, he remained for five more years, abandoned by the system until the Justice for All Programme secured his release in 2022.

The seven years behind bars left Huletey broken.

According to his lawyers, he now battles severe lower back pain, muscle and bone ailments, hearing loss in his right ear, vision deterioration, and cognitive issues, including memory loss and confusion, all exacerbated by prison conditions and medical neglect.

“Huletey was held in Koforidua Prisons for 7 years, for killing someone when the person died from pneumonia. He was not even there when the person died.

“The court struck out the matter, but he was still kept in custody for the 7 years, because the CID just left him inside there,” Barker-Vormawor detailed in a Facebook post.

The emotional devastation, according to the Fourth Estate report, has equally been profound on Huletey.

During his detention, his sister, who relied on him financially, suffered a mental breakdown, his mother died without his knowledge, and he lost contact with his daughter and grandchildren.

The collapse of his marriage and family ties deepened his sense of loss, leaving him with “immeasurable emotional pain and deep psychological trauma,” according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit demands GH¢9.9 million, including GH¢500,000 for violating Huletey’s liberty and fair trial rights, GH¢500,000 for physical and psychological suffering, GH¢2 million for permanent health issues, GH¢500,000 for emotional trauma, GH¢3 million for lost livelihood, GH¢1 million for his marriage’s dissolution, GH¢1 million for separation from his daughter and grandchildren, GH¢1 million for severed family ties, and GH¢400,000 for legal fees.

GA/AE

Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare Addo, has announced that the National Apprenticeship Programme will prioritize the inclusion of marginalized groups, reserving 60% of available slots for women and 15% for persons with disabilities.

Speaking in an interview on Adom FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem, the Minister emphasized the need for inclusive development, stating that women, often marginalized in employment opportunities, are a key focus of the programme.

“Women are a key component of what we are doing because they are mostly a marginalized group. Therefore, we are reserving a percentage of applications for women. We hope to achieve a maximum of 60% of the total applications from women and 15% for people living with disabilities to ensure that our initiative is inclusive for all marginalized individuals in our society,” he said.

The Minister added that men are not excluded. However, he encouraged more women and persons with disabilities to apply in order to ensure broader representation and impact.

“While we welcome applications from men, we hope to see more women apply so that everyone is well represented. Additionally, we are including individuals within the galamsey enclave and those who are being rehabilitated from drug abuse, so they can create a better life for themselves.”

The programme, launched on March 19, is being implemented by the National Youth Authority (NYA) and aims to provide practical, vocational training to equip young Ghanaians with employable skills.

It also targets individuals from galamsey-prone areas and those recovering from drug abuse, offering them a pathway to rehabilitation and sustainable livelihoods.

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, former Vice President of Ghana

Former Vice President and 2024 NPP presidential candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has called for civility and respect for all and sundry within the New Patriotic Party in order to actualise the party’s unity.

Addressing the party stakeholders in Ashanti Region during the national “Thank You Tour”, Dr Bawumia said every effort at uniting the party would be fruitless if party members do not uphold civil discourse and respect for fellow members.

“When your neighbour is at peace, you’ll also be at peace. So, it is very important for all of us to speak to fellow party members in a civil and respectful manner.”

“The unity of our party is very important and all our efforts at promoting peace, civil discourse and respect for all is very key. We cannot be fighting, insulting and disrespecting each other because of internal context and expect unity to prevail,” Dr Bawumia said.

Dr Bawumia urged the party members to desist from insulting one another saying “politics is a contest of ideas and if you support someone, campaign for the person based on what the person can do to help the party and the country. Don’t go about spreading propaganda about an opponent”.

By Iddi Yire  

Accra, April 29, GNA – President John Dramani Mahama in fulfillment of campaign promise to Ghanaians on Tuesday launched the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (Mahama Cares), as part of efforts to relieve the financial burden of sufferers of chronic diseases. 

The launch, which took place at the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC), Accra, saw the President donating his six months’ salary to the Fund. 

It will support specialist-level treatment for a range of chronic diseases, including cancers, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney failure, stroke, and other complications.  

Support from the Fund would be based on formal applications, carefully vetted, and would focus on costs not currently covered under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). 

The Fund’s main source of finance will come from the National Health Insurance Levy (NHIL), the uncapped portion of the NHIL. 

It will also include direct budgetary support from governments, voluntary contributions from corporates, institutions, and individuals, grants, donations, and it will also be able to invest to raise investment income. 

The President said Mahama Cares launch was a landmark initiative introduced by his government to decisively confront the growing burden of chronic Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). 

He said the fight against NCDs was intrinsically linked to their broader national development agenda, particularly the sustainable development goals, and most notably, Sustainable Development Goal Three (SDG 3), which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. 

He noted that specifically, under SDG 3, Target 3.4 commits the global community to reduce premature mortality from NCDs by one third by 2030 through prevention, treatment, and promotion of mental health and well-being. 

President Mahama reiterated that across the globe, NCDs, including cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory conditions, diabetes, and mental health disorders, remain the leading cause of mortality, accounting for over 43 million deaths annually worldwide. 

He said worryingly, the burden was disproportionately borne by low- and middle-income countries, such as Ghana, posing not only a public health crisis, but also a profound social and economic threat. 

President Mahama said NCDs exacerbate poverty, they widen social inequality, and undermine economic development; adding that vulnerable populations, especially those with lower education, limited access to health care, and lower income levels were currently most at risk.  

The President said addressing the NCDs menace was therefore not merely a health imperative, stating that it was essential for advancing economic growth, promoting social justice, and securing environmental sustainability. 

He said NCDs consistently rank among the top 10 causes of death nationwide; stating that “even more disturbing is the steep rise in hospitalized cancer cases, which jumped from 3,487 patients in 2012 to 16,105 in 2016”.  

He said alarmingly, adults aged from 18 to 45, the prime of the nation’s workforce, account for more than half of these cases, 16,000 cases. 

“This troubling trend is driven by a convergence of factors. One, shifting lifestyles characterized by things like tobacco use, alcohol abuse, unhealthy diets, and sedentary behavior. And, increased environmental factors,” the President said. 

“The cost of treatment is not just disturbing. It can be devastating for low-income families. Estimates from our teaching hospitals reveal that the average annual cost of non-communicable disease treatment per patient, averagely, stands at GH¢53,000 annually. And that’s equivalent to about 3,300 US dollars.” 

He said managing chronic conditions imposes crushing financial burdens on families, often pushing them below the poverty line, and deepening their vulnerability.  

“It is estimated that individuals diagnosed with chronic diseases face a 75 per cent likelihood of falling into poverty within five years, regardless of their original economic standing,” President Mahama. 

“And so, it even ruins rich people. I mean, you spend all your money trying to find a cure.” 

He said those battling kidney and cardiovascular diseases were reported to spend between 70 per cent and 95 per cent of their non-food expenditure on health care alone. 

The President said older adults living with chronic conditions spend five times more on health care than their healthier counterparts.  

He said despite the important strides made through the National Health Insurance Scheme; it remains inadequate in fully covering NCD-related services and medications.  

Citing that in 2018, around 48 per cent of all NHIS claims were related to NCDs, yet essential services remain outside the NHIS coverage, leaving families dangerously exposed to out-of-pocket payments.  

“It is against this background that shortly after my election as president, I directed the Honorable Minister for Health to initiate the establishment of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, a commitment captured faithfully in the 2024 People’s Manifesto of the National Democratic Congress,” the President said. 

President Mahama further lauded Reverend Emeritus Professor Seth Aryeetey, the Chair of the National Task Force for the establishment of the Mahama Cares for fulfilling their mandate. 

Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the Minister of Health, reaffirmed the Ministry’s unwavering commitment to achieving universal health coverage for the people of Ghana.  

He said the Ghana Medical Trust Fund aligns strategically with their key sectorial policy frameworks including the National Health Policy 2020, Ghana’s Roadmap for Attaining Universal Health Coverage 2020 to 2023, 2020 to 2030, the Essential Health Services Package 2022 to 2030, and the National Policy on Non-Communicable Disease 2022. 

He noted the Fund not only provides a long overdue lifeline to those bedded by chronic illness, but also positions Ghana as a leader in innovative, people-centered, and compassionate healthcare reform. 

Mr Akandoh said the Bill for the Mahama Cares Fund would be placed before Parliament upon its resumption from recess. 

Rev Emeritus Prof Aryettey, who underscored the need to as many Ghanaians as possible to support the Fund, presented a check of $1,000.00 in support of the Fund. 

Dr Kwame Anim-Boamah, the Chief Executive Officer of UGMC, who on behalf of the Centre made a pledge of GH¢100,000.00 to the Fund, also lauded the President for his visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to strengthen Ghana’s healthcare system. 

GNA  

KOA 

play videoBono Regional Chairman of NPP, Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC

Kennedy Agyapong, a former Member of Parliament for Assin Central, had an altercation with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Bono Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC, during the party’s ongoing nationwide “Thank You Tour” on Monday, April 28, 2025.

Kennedy, who also contested as a presidential aspirant for the NPP, was part of the tour in Berekum in the Bono Region. The exchange occurred after Abronye addressed party supporters at the event.

While addressing the gathering, Abronye tackled critical issues he believed the party needed to resolve, including accusations against him.

He recounted claims that he had masterminded a politically motivated plot against a specific presidential candidate before the party’s internal elections last year.

He also faced criticism for his alleged allegiance to Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the NPP’s 2024 presidential candidate.

Abronye refuted all accusations and expressed his thoughts on what, in his opinion, led to the party’s loss of power.

“Arrogance is what has brought us here,” Abronye exclaimed.

He warned party leaders to desist from making statements that might give the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) an edge ahead of the 2028 elections.

He further cautioned against insults within the party while emphasising the need for genuine unity.

Although Abronye did not direct his remarks to a specific individual, Kennedy Agyapong, who later took his turn to speak, seemingly responded to Abronye with gestures and statements indirectly aimed at him.

Kennedy Agyapong’s three shots at Abronye

1.Beggar

Kennedy criticised individuals who, according to him, fail to contribute financially to the party but act as though they are superior to others.

“Nobody is a better man than the other, but because of this party, some people talk as if they are men. They are not men but women. When it comes to monetary contributions, they cannot partake in it.

“They have to go and beg, yet they talk as if the whole world is for them. If not for the sake of unity, some of them cannot even speak the way they speak because they are even shy coming to my house,” Kennedy said furiously.

2.Poor man with confidence

Kennedy expressed frustration over individuals who display arrogance despite receiving financial support from the party.

“With some, we buy cars for them, and they will come out to do ‘too known.’ I will respect you, but I won’t respond to some people, or else you would see a showdown. I have money; I don’t beg.

3.Talk Anyhow

Kennedy cautioned Abronye to watch his words, stating, “Even you, poor people, think you can talk with confidence, how about rich men like me? Please! Who born dog for you to talk anyhow?”

AM/KA

Meanwhile, watch GhanaWeb’s tour of Odweanoma Paragliding Field below:

Former Chief of Staff, Kwadwo Mpiani, has criticised the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) ongoing ‘Thank You tour’, calling for it to be suspended immediately.

He argues that the tour is ill-timed and unhelpful in the aftermath of the party’s defeat in the 2024 general elections.

Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Tuesday, April 29, Mr Mpiani described the tour as a “misplaced priority” and urged party leaders to shift their focus towards internal reflection and addressing the issues that contributed to the electoral loss.

“There is a need to suspend the ‘Thank You’ tour,” he said. “What is happening is not good for the party. The NPP must take a step back, go indoors, and find a way out of this mess.”

Mr Mpiani clarified that, as he is not a member of the party’s National Council, he is unaware of the reasons behind the decision to embark on the tour. Nevertheless, he questioned its timing and warned that it might deepen internal divisions.

“Maybe if I had been there, I would have given them my advice earlier. But I can’t fault them without knowing the reasons behind the decision. Still, I believe it was the wrong move,” he stated.

He continued, “They should suspend the ongoing ‘Thank You’ tour, get back indoors, look at the issues, and find a better way to approach the members.”

Dr Bawumia, the 2024 flagbearer of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), has commenced a ‘thank-you tour’ following the party’s landslide defeat in the 2024 general elections.

According to the party, the tour forms part of efforts to rebuild and re-energise the party ahead of the 2028 elections, while also appreciating the contributions of party members during the last campaign.

The tour comes on the heels of a report by a 12-member committee, chaired by former Speaker of Parliament, Prof Mike Oquaye, which was established to investigate the reasons behind the party’s electoral loss.

The party declined to make the contents of the report public.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.

Charles Bissue (L) and Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng (R)

Former Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Charles Bissue, has reacted to the 15 new corruption-related charges he has been slapped with by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

In a statement sighted by GhanaWeb, Charles Bissue said that the charges which were filed against him and one Andy Thomas Owusu had to do with the allegation against him in the 2019 “Galamsey Fraud” documentary by Tiger Eye PI.

He said that while he welcomes the decision of the OSP, all the allegations against him are unfounded and will be challenged in court.

“The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has filed a writ seeking to initiate prosecution against me and Mr Andy Thomas Owusu on charges, including the alleged misuse of public office for profit and corruption. This case pertains to the widely publicised ‘Galamsey Fraud’ investigation, as documented in the 2019 Tiger Eye PI report, which has been the subject of public discourse for several years.

“For the record, I categorically assert that I have always acted in full compliance with both the legal and ethical obligations of the office I held and the laws of the Republic of Ghana. Any suggestion of misconduct is baseless and will be vigorously challenged through due process,” parts of the statement read.

Bissue, also a former New Patriotic Party parliamentary candidate for Essikado-Ketan, called for transparency in the hearing of the case by the courts.

He said that the OSP must present the full facts of the case to the court and not edited versions of the documentary by Tiger Eye PI.

“I welcome the OSP’s decision to proceed with this case after more than five years of deliberation. To ensure transparency and fairness, I expect the OSP to submit to the court a complete, unedited, and unaltered version of the video documentary referenced in these proceedings. Ghanaians deserve access to the unvarnished truth and factual evidence, free from distortion or misdirection by external narratives or selective interpretations.

“The timing of this prosecution, occurring under a different government than the one in which I previously served, shows the importance of impartial judicial proceedings. It is my sincere hope that this process will allow all parties an equitable opportunity to present evidence and that the facts will be evaluated fairly, without bias,” he added.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) charged former Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Charles Bissue, and Andy Thomas Owusu with 15 counts of corruption-related offences.

The charges filed at the High Court (Criminal Division) in Accra on April 28, 2025, alleged that between January and February 2019, while serving as IMCIM Secretary, Charles Bissue allegedly accepted a total of GH¢35,000 from one Benjamin Adjapong, directly and through Owusu, to fast-track the renewal of an expired mining licence for ORR Resources Enterprise.

According to court documents sighted by GhanaWeb on Monday, April 28, 2025, Charles Bissue faces nine counts including using public office for profit under Section 179C(a) of Act 29 for receiving GH¢15,000 on January 22, GH¢10,000 on January 30 and another GH¢10,000 on February 8 to bypass IMCIM vetting processes.

He is also charged with corruption by a public officer under Sections 239(1) and (3) of Act 29 (as amended by Act 1034) for accepting bribes to influence official duties.

BAI/AE

How on earth will cardiac surgeons fight galamsey? Watch as Jennifer Queen slams Prof Frimpong-Boateng

Meanwhile, watch as frustrated Ghanaians speak out on poor network challenges

Kwadwo Mpiani, former Chief of Staff under former President John Agyekum Kufuor’s administration and a known member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has criticised Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s ‘thank you tour’ and questioned the rationale behind it.

According to him, the tour is a misplaced priority. “The whole exercise is misplaced. What are we going to thank them for? For not voting for us, or what? So I don’t think this is the time for this kind of exercise,” he said on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Tuesday, 29th April.

He argued that the tour is unnecessary given the party’s poor performance in the 2024 elections. Instead, he believes the focus should be on understanding the reasons behind the defeat and addressing the issues that contributed to it.

“Because we performed so miserably in this election, we have set up a committee to tour the country to investigate what went wrong. I believe the first thing we should do, after identifying the reasons for the party’s sorry state, is not to go out thanking people. The most important thing is to understand what happened and take decisive action,” he stated.

Dr Bawumia, the 2024 flagbearer of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), has commenced a ‘thank-you tour’ following the party’s landslide defeat in the 2024 general elections.

According to the party, the tour forms part of efforts to rebuild and re-energise the party ahead of the 2028 elections, while also appreciating the contributions of party members during the last campaign.

The tour comes on the heels of a report by a 12-member committee, chaired by former Speaker of Parliament, Prof Mike Oquaye, which was established to investigate the reasons behind the party’s electoral loss.

The party declined to make the contents of the report public.

DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.