By Dennis Peprah  

Kpala, (Eastern), May 03, GNA –The chiefs and people of Kpala, an island community in the Kwahu Afram Plains North District of the Eastern Region have appealed for support towards the completion of a health centre in the area. 

The Ghana News Agency (GNA) gathered that the Freedom Islands Right and Social Transformation (FIRST), a non-government organisation (NGO) operating in the area initiated the project almost a decade ago, and with support from the community members started putting it up. 

However, work on the construction of the project which had reached roofing level had been abandoned and left under the mercy of the weather due to lack of funds to complete it. 

Residents of the fishing community told the GNA that they faced severe barriers in accessing basic healthcare, saying the nearest health facility was several kilometres away and only accessible using a boat or canoe. 

That makes emergency health care, particularly maternal and child health services virtually inaccessible and thereby increasing the vulnerabilities of pregnant women and children. 

According to Mr Jubilee Benson Sedoameda, the Executive Director of the FIRST and a former Assembly Member of the area, cases of maternal deaths, birth complications, and child mortality were very high in the area due to delays in seeking timely medical care. 

“We started the health centre with the community contributions, moulded the blocks ourselves, and we have so far spent about GHS155,000 on it”, he stated, adding, “we need help urgently because our women and children are dying needless deaths and it seems we are forgotten.” 

Mr Sedoameda said though the project remained uncompleted, the community had managed to use some of the rooms for medical attention, saying it lacked medical equipment, furniture, and a reliable water supply. 

He regretted that health workers and nurses were unwilling to accept postings to the community because of the poor infrastructure and living conditions, saying preventable diseases such as malaria, diarrhoea, and respiratory infections were common. 

“Pregnant women are even forced to deliver their babies without the assistance of a skilled nurse,” he stated. 

The situation, however, underscores a broader national concern, as Ghana commits to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) three of good health and well-being. 

Checks show that even though the Kwahu Afram Plains North District Directorate of Health was making strides in reducing maternal and child mortality rates, the situation at Kpala requires urgent attention. 

Poor access to healthcare perpetuates the cycle of poverty in Kpala as frequent illness reduces productivity among fisher folks. 

“With a good health centre, we can save lives and restore hopes to the vulnerable people,” Mr Douglas Boateng, a nurse in-charge of the area told the GNA, saying, “we’ve come this far and just need support to finish what the community has started.” 

GNA 

DEN/BM 

This is the time of year true friends check on each other, and find out their ‘how far’ as they say.

Completely absent-minded I called my nephew Eric and said I was on my way to his office only to be told. ‘I am no longer at the Ministries.

I have been Reset, and currently at home.’ 

The word Reset, originally well intended has acquired such a bad odor, people take to their heels hearing reset drums in the neighborhood.

Labor Day greetings are tricky; you never know whether your neighbor is grinning to celebrate his new job; or on a Labor Day, groaning to cope with labor pains.

While scanning various cases countrywide I came across the biggest reset this Labor week: the nation’s Chief Justice who should normally be settling labor disputes, has herself been reset to idle at a Departure Lounge. School children have been told Justice Gertrude is only under suspension.

Among adults, it is known she is at the Departure Lounge. A successor has already been named, nicknamed as ‘Acting.’ But he was last seen dancing in church and thanking the good Lord for kind mercies.

For those who knew the youthful days of His Lordship Baffoe-Bonnie, his recent ‘dance moves’ betray his past as an Okpo mate of Mensah Sarbah Hall.

For security reasons, however let me say the good old Justice was well behaved in his student days. Our worry being that if appointed, his date of birth entitles him to only a one-and-half-year tenure as Chief Justice, and those ready with welcome greetings should be prepared to add, ‘Farewell, brand new Chief Justice.’

It is notable however that Getty’s suspension and planned sendoff, has brought several concerned groups to their feet, looking desperately for any grave sins she committed. For once a public opinion poll hurriedly concocted by a mercenary pollster reports a 70% public approval of Her Lordship’s dismissal.

That was perhaps inspired by an imaginary mandate in the Constitution such as: ‘The Chief Justice shall be removed by a swift opinion poll across the nation;’ clearly an irrational attempt to trivialize the fourth highest position of the Land.

Unpersuaded, civil society groups are up in arms this week to save the neck of Justice Gertrude Torkonoo, and preserve the dignity of the judiciary: the almighty Trade Union Congress, the Minority in Parliament, the Ghana Bar Association, and others. These are flying protest flags ready to hit the streets to avert a national disgrace. Together with one dissenting voice on the Council of State, the clarion call is ‘JM, Touch not the Anointed.’

The reasons are not hard to find. Justice Gertrude is on record as Ghana’s third Female CJ since independence. Should the axe fall, she would be the first dismissed CJ since 1963, when Nkrumah booted out His Lordship Justice Ako Korsah for acquitting suspects in a major murder trial.

The Second and Third Republics saw no such dismissal; and here comes this setback as Ghana’s democracy deepens and the 4th Republic hits the 33rd milestone.

The planned ousting amounts to terrorism on womanhood, the vulnerable, the judiciary, and a stain on that vision that has gifted Ghana the first female Vice President.

Since independence in 1957, Ghana has produced only 12 females out of a total of 89 justices of the Supreme Court, a dismal 13.5% female participation; and here comes this fresh wound meant to humiliate a 62-year old Chief Justice, and mother.

My own lay experience of a judicial disaster that would have triggered a dismissal was 1995: the historic drama on the appointment of Justice I. K. Abban as Chief Justice. The renowned Abban, earlier reputed as a stubborn Electoral Commissioner, received a baptism of fire when as CJ he erroneously jailed a newspaper columnist inserting a new page in his judgment, to balance the equation.

The GBA was up in arms challenging Abban’s appointment due to a proven lack of integrity. Happily, my ubiquitous pen chronicled the event those days. Listen to my write hand, February 1995.

‘At the time of departure, the Ghana Bar Association was feverishly looking for red bands with which to bury Justice Abban as Chief Justice.

They were going on a sympathy strike in support of the jailed columnist, Mensa Bonsu, and to boycott the courts. If Abban is watching, he must have realized that he has mounted a throne which may turn out to be more problematic than the Veep’s. The real drama, however, will start if the GBA decides to take the Chief Justice to court.’

Yes the GBA took the matter to court, but failed to have the CJ removed.

The current attempt based on more trivial allegations should fall on deaf ears if Ghana seeks a respectable judiciary. Our President Mahama currently treads on slippery grounds and will not be spared by posterity should he opt to humiliate womanhood to consolidate power.

There is every good reason guidelines in the formation of public committees are carefully worded. The golden clause, ‘at least one of whom must be a woman,’ is not a mere cliché. But Justice Torkonoo an astute Judge with formidable credentials is not simply ‘one of whom.’

Listening to a public lecture she gave at a Central University event last year, was breath of fresh air. As child of a teacher she experienced elementary education on various turfs: Tema, Suhum, Winneba, Ajumako, and being a whiz kid, skipped P5. To seal it all, Gertrude attended Motown.

Ask the sages, how many homes ever survived that flippantly sold off the Mother Hen?

Hands off Gertrude.

JM, Touch not the Anointed!

[email protected] 

President Mahama swears in 2nd Deputy Governor of BoG

President John Dramani Mahama has praised the Bank of Ghana (BoG) for its progress in implementing essential reforms to restore stability and professionalism to the nation’s economy. His commendation came after Matilda Asante Asiedu was sworn in as the Second Deputy Governor of the Central Bank.

President Mahama emphasised the positive signs of recovery, noting a gradual restoration of investor confidence. He highlighted the recent performance of the Ghanaian Cedi, which has appreciated by approximately 3.16% in the interbank market and about 5% in the Forex Bureau market over the last quarter.

The president also noted the moderation of inflation, indicating a significant reversal of the volatility experienced last year.

“The economy we inherited was deeply distressed. Investor confidence had plummeted, inflation was soaring, the Cedi had sharply depreciated, and our debt situation was precarious,” President Mahama stated.

He further explained how the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) had initially strained the financial system, impacting liquidity, confidence, and stability.

He attributed the recent progress to disciplined and coordinated institutional action under Governor Dr. Johnson Asiama, his deputy, and the Bank of Ghana’s management team.

“These gains are not accidental. They are a result of careful monetary tightening, improved foreign exchange liquidity, and better synchronisation of fiscal and monetary policy frameworks,” the President noted.

Expressing confidence in the newly sworn-in Deputy Governor, Matilda Asante Asiedu, President Mahama said her expertise would complement the ongoing efforts at the Bank of Ghana.

He also highlighted the significance of the staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during the fourth review of the extended credit facility programme. “This reflects growing international confidence in our reforms and the credibility of our economic governance,” he stated.

President Mahama also expressed optimism about the ongoing implementation of Public Financial Management systems by the finance minister. He anticipates that these measures, including efforts to increase domestic revenue mobilisation, streamline public expenditure, and restore fiscal discipline, will further contribute to his vision of resetting the economy, creating jobs, and improving the lives of Ghanaians.

The second deputy governor, Matilda Asante Asiedu, expressed gratitude to President Mahama for the trust placed in her and pledged her full commitment to his vision.

“To be called to serve at this level, at such a crucial moment in our nation’s economic history, is both an honour and a solemn duty, and I do not take it lightly at all,” she affirmed.

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The national ‘Thank You’ tour of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has moved to the northern part of the country, following a week in the south.

The ‘Thank You’ tour, led by the NPP’s 2024 Presidential Candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, is intended to express the party’s and the Flagbearer’s gratitude to party executives and members, as well as to Ghanaians, for their support despite the party’s defeat.

The tour, which began last weekend, has so far covered the Western, Western North, Bono, Ahafo, Ashanti, and Bono East Regions, with the Flagbearer and party leadership engaging stakeholders of the party at all levels.

The tour has now progressed to the north, starting in the Savannah Region on Saturday.

According to the party’s schedule for the tour, the team will visit the Upper West Region on Sunday, the Upper East Region on Monday, the North East Region on Tuesday, and the Northern Region on Wednesday, 7 May 2025.

The tour will then return to the south, covering the Oti Region, the Volta Region, the Eastern Region, and then the Greater Accra Region in the subsequent days.

Apart from Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who is leading the tour, other members of the delegation include the party’s National Chairman, Stephen Ayesu Ntim (who has left temporarily to attend to an urgent issue), the 3rd National Vice Chairman, General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong, and other leading members of the party.

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Fitch Solutions revises Ghana’s GDP target

Through its subsidiary, BMI – a British multinational research firm Fitch Solutions has kept Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth for 2025 at 4.2 per cent.

The moderate economic growth is marginally higher than the four per cent projection the Government announced in the 2025 Budget and by the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) April 2025 Regional Economic Outlook.

“We maintain our 2025 growth forecast for Ghana at 4.2 per cent. We believe that the impact from global trade tensions will be offset by the rise in gold prices, which will boost Ghana’s export earnings,” it said in its Ghana Country Risk Report.

The report noted that counterbalance in gold prices, combined with lower energy costs, would drive the current account surplus to a record 6.9 per cent of GDP in 2025, supporting the country’s reserves and helping to stabilise the cedi.

“That said, we maintain our view that growth will slow in 2025, following the strong 5.7 per cent in 2024, caused by the end of election-related fiscal stimulus, plateauing oil production, and tight credit conditions,” Fitch stated.

“Our hope for the future is that as the economy stabilizes, as inflation goes down, as the deficit moves back on track with the program objectives, that it will strengthen confidence,” said Mr Stéphane Roudet, IMF Mission Chief for Ghana.

He said this during a roundtable media engagement with Ghanaian journalists on the sidelines of the just-ended IMF/World Bank Group (WBG) spring meetings in Washington, DC, USA.

“… It will also bolster investment and the role of the private sector, and not just in one sector, but our hope is very much that this is going to be the case across the board,” Roudet said.

He urged the government to strictly adhere to the planned targets of the implementation of the US$3 billion Extended Credit Facility (ECF) programme, aimed at restoring macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability and stimulating economic resilience.

“This is very important. It’s not just today, but it’s in the next few years. Programme commitments have to be continued to be implemented,” the IMF Mission Staff echoed.

“We remain steadfast in meeting the IMF programme targets while restoring Ghana’s creditworthiness,” Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, Finance Minister, said when he delivered the 2025 budget earlier this year.

He said the Government would implement a 24-hour economy policy to address the country’s structural economic challenges and stimulate growth and job creation.

Dr Forson said that would be done by creating an integrated, efficient and increasingly export-driven industrial economy that fully utilised its national resources, capital and labour power.

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Gertrude Ankah

Politics

May – 03 – 2025 , 12:32

2 minutes read

Political risk analyst and economist, Dr. Theo Acheampong, has commended President John Dramani Mahama’s recent nominations to the Supreme Court, describing them as experienced legal minds whose elevation will significantly enhance the quality of the nation’s jurisprudence.

Speaking in an interview on JoyNews‘ Newsfie on Saturday, May 3, Dr. Acheampong noted that the nominees bring with them a wealth of experience, having risen through the ranks of the judiciary, including the Court of Appeal.

“If you look at the people that have been appointed to the Supreme Court, clearly they are experienced hands. They have worked through the process all the way to the Court of Appeal, and I think their appointment will enrich the quality of jurisprudence in the country,” he said.

This follows President John Mahama’s nomination of seven Justices of the Court of Appeal for elevation to the Supreme Court. Their appointments are subject to review by the Judicial Council and parliamentary approval.

The nominees include: Justice Sir Dennis Dominic Adjei, Justice Gbiel Simon Suurbaareh, Justice Senyo Dzamefe, Justice Kweku Tawiah Ackaah-Boafo, Justice Philip Bright Mensah, Justice Janapare Bartels-Kodwo and Justice Hafisata Amaleboba.

Meanwhile, the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin has criticised President Mahama’s nomination, describing it as a veiled attempt to implement a third-term agenda.

Speaking at a press conference organised by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Thursday, May 1, Mr Afenyo-Markin warned that the move poses a serious threat to the balance of power and the independence of the judiciary.

“This is not a routine judicial appointment. What we are witnessing is a strategic and deliberate effort to pack the Supreme Court with loyalists,” he stated.

“The nomination of seven Appeals Court judges immediately after suspending the Chief Justice reveals a deeper, more dangerous political ambition—a third-term agenda in disguise.”

The minority leader further accused the president of undermining democratic governance and constitutional principles.

He argued that such actions could erode public trust in the judiciary and destabilise Ghana’s democratic institutions.

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A United Nations judge has been jailed for six years and four months for forcing a woman to work as a domestic slave.

Lydia Mugambe, 50, was studying for a PhD in law at the University of Oxford when police discovered she had a young Ugandan woman at her home carrying out unpaid work as a maid and nanny.

Mugambe, who is also a High Court judge in Uganda, was jailed at Oxford Crown Court on Friday after she was found guilty of modern day slavery offences in March.

In sentencing, Judge David Foxton told the defendant she “showed absolutely no remorse” for her actions and she had looked to “forcibly blame” the victim for what happened.

Mugambe fraudulently arranged a visa for the woman but it stipulated she would be paid to work as a private servant at the diplomatic residence of John Mugerwa, Uganda’s former deputy high commissioner based at the country’s embassy in London.

Prosecutors said Mr Mugerwa sponsored the victim’s visa knowing she would actually work in servitude for Mugambe.

In return, Mugambe would provide him assistance in relation to a separate court case in Uganda in which he was a defendant, the court was told.

The trial heard Mugambe paid for the victim’s flight and picked her up from the airport – but the young woman then became a slave at the judge’s home in Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

Mr Foxton described it as a “very sad case” as he outlined Mugambe’s legal accomplishments, including her work in the protection of human rights.

In a written statement, read to the court by prosecutor Caroline Haughey KC, the victim described living in “almost constant fear” due to Mugambe’s powerful standing in Uganda.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she “can’t go back to Uganda” due to fear of what may happen to her and added that she may never see her mother again.

Ms Haughey said Mugambe exploited her victim by taking advantage of her lack of knowledge about employment rights and misleading her about why she came to the UK.

She said there was a “clear and significant imbalance of power within the relationship” between Mugambe and her victim.

‘Treated as worthless’

The Crown Prosecution Service authorised police to charge Mr Mugerwa with conspiracy but he had diplomatic immunity, which the Ugandan Government did not waive.

Mugambe had denied forcing the young Ugandan woman to do household chores and said she “always” treated her with love, care and patience.

Ch Supt Ben Clark, of Thames Valley Police, said there was “no doubt” that Mugambe had known she was committing offences.

“Modern slavery is an under reported crime and I hope that the bravery of the victim in this case encourages other victims of modern slavery to come forward,” he said.

A University of Oxford spokesperson said the institution was “appalled” by its student’s crimes.

“The university is now commencing its own disciplinary process, which has the power to remove students convicted of serious criminal offences,” the spokesperson added.

Journalists cautioned against propaganda

The Director of Communications at the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Bernard Otabil, has cautioned journal­ists and the media against treating the Central Bank’s stories with propaganda spins.

He said such practices kill inves­tor confidence and also have serious implications for the economy.

Mr Otabil gave the caution at a two-day training workshop organ­ised by the BoG for journalists in the Western and Western North regions in Tarkoradi.

The training, which ended last Wednesday, was part of the bank’s efforts at ensuring that the media accurately interpreted and reported on economic issues, monetary poli­cy decisions and their implications.

Otabil indicated that due to technology advancement, infor­mation and stories travelled with so much speed, but added that attempts to influence BoG stories by spin doctoring would have huge implications for the economy and Ghana’s investment drive.

He said, there were a lot of spin doctors ‘crowding’ the media space, but urged participants to count the Central Bank out in such narra­tives, stating “don’t do propaganda spin when it comes to the Bank of Ghana.”

That BoG, he explained, played a pivotal part in economic manage­ment and that any negative story would have a multiplying effect across the economic value chain, in­cluding Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs), Cedi stability, remittances, fuel prices and incomes.

“As journalists, you have a col­lective responsibility to do accurate reporting. Don’t assume. Work with precision- report with clarity and accuracy. Central Banking is a serious business. Write about the realities of the Central Bank and collectively we build a better Ghana and improve the standard of living for all of us,” Mr Otabil reiterated.

He added that the training programmes, which would be rolled out across the country, were to enhance the journalists’ ability to craft compelling narratives about the policies and objectives of the Bank, especially as far as mone­tary policy is concerned.

Again, the training is part of efforts towards improving strate­gic partnerships and relationships with the media, he stated, saying that the journalists would help enhance BoG policy communi­cation.

Otabil stressed, “Communi­cation remains critical to enhanc­ing the Bank’s policies; therefore, with the approval of management, the Communications Department consistently creates platforms to improve strategic media partner­ships.

The Regional Manager of BoG in the Western Region, Rev. Kofi Assan, also underscored the media and the public as critical stakeholders.

The Western Region Chairman of the Ghana Journalists Asso­ciation (GJA), Desmond Cudjoe, lauded the BoG for the training programme, which he said would equip journalists with the knowl­edge and skills to understand, analyse and accurately report on issues related to finance.

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The Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi, has critiqued the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), dismissing its recent claim that the President’s suspension of the Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo,  violates Article 296(c) of the Constitution as “ridiculous, mischievous and disgraceful”.

The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) on Wednesday, April 24, issued a measured and firm call for adherence to constitutional procedures and the principles of the rule of law in response to the ongoing process for the removal of the Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.

Speaking on Joy News’ Newsfile on Saturday, May 3, Mr Gyamfi defended the President’s action and accused the GBA of hypocrisy and political bias.

He described their position not as a sound legal opinion, but as a partisan narrative aimed at undermining the current administration.

“The claim by the GBA that the President has violated Article 296(c) of the Constitution in suspending the Chief Justice, and their demand for the suspension to be revoked, is mischievous, ridiculous and disgraceful, to say the least,” Gyamfi stated.

“They can have an opinion, but I can also have an opinion — and my opinion on their opinion is that their opinion is ridiculous and disgraceful,” he continued.

Mr Gyamfi contended that the GBA’s intervention was not grounded in constitutional interpretation but instead fuelled by a desire to support the New Patriotic Party (NPP), which he accused them of covertly backing.

“It is not born out of the law,” he said, “but born out of their own determination to always re-echo the contrived narratives of the New Patriotic Party. And what they have done is to expose their true colours — their true colours as an appendage of the NPP.”

The GoldBod CEO further challenged the GBA’s consistency, pointing to their silence during similar actions taken under the previous NPP administration.

Specifically, he referenced the suspension of Justice Paul Uuter Dery and three other High Court judges by former President Nana Akufo-Addo, invoking Article 146(10) of the Constitution.

“Where was the GBA when President Akufo-Addo, in reliance or in accordance with Article 146(10), suspended Justice Dery and three other justices of the High Court?” he asked.

He asserted that the GBA routinely fails to speak up when the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is in government but becomes vocally critical when the National Democratic Congress (NDC) assumes office.

“They always lose their voice when the NPP is in office but quickly regain it when the NDC comes into office,” he said.

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Women have been urged to implement business ideas

Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong, Convenor of Women in Sustainability Africa (WiSA), has urged women in the sustainability sector not to hold back on their ideas due to lack of funding.

She said waiting for money before taking action could hinder progress, adding that taking the first step could attract the necessary support.

“Don’t wait for money, just start, and God will send helpers. Great things happen when women come together,” she said.

Madam Sarpong was addressing participants at the maiden WiSA Summit held in Accra on Thursday, on the theme: “The Role of Women as a Source of Labour and Agents of Sustainability.”

She said WiSA sought to galvanise women across Africa to lead environmental sustainability efforts, promote impactful research, and build resilient, just communities.

The initiative, she said, was born out of the low representation of women in the sustainability sector, which calls for greater support and collaboration to close the gender and inequality gap in the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

She explained that the summit serves as a platform for women to share ideas and build partnerships with key stakeholders, adding: “We want to work with partners to bring all women and women’s groups together to accelerate growth in the sustainability and climate change sector.”

Madam Sarpong emphasised the importance of unity and collaboration with men to achieve common goals.

“The men hold the key to the room. If we fight them, how would you get access to the keys? But, if we do this with them, we can get a copy of the key and have access to the room,” she noted.

Mr Issifu Seidu, Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability, in a solidarity message, pledged support for WiSA, describing the initiative as timely and visionary.

“My office will stand by you to ensure the idea becomes the next big thing on the continent,” he said.

Mrs Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, lauded the initiative as a bold step that responds to the developmental needs of women and the nation.

She said the government was committed to empowering women through policies such as the Gender Policy of 2015 and the recently passed Affirmative Action and Gender Equity Bill.

The summit, organised by WiSA, was held in collaboration with the Ministries of Gender, Children and Social Protection; Labour, Jobs and Employment; and Climate Change and Sustainability, with support from the League of Extraordinary Women Network and EIB Network.

It brought together dignitaries from Ghana and beyond to deliberate on strategies to empower women in sustainability and advance the United Nations SDGs on climate action and gender equality.

Former Vice President of Liberia, Madam Jewel Howard Taylor, and Prince Adewole Adebayo, Flagbearer of the Social Democratic Party of Nigeria, were among the dignitaries.

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Fitch Solutions revises Ghana’s GDP target

Through its subsidiary, BMI – a British multinational research firm Fitch Solutions has kept Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth for 2025 at 4.2 per cent.

The moderate economic growth is marginally higher than the four per cent projection the Government announced in the 2025 Budget and by the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) April 2025 Regional Economic Outlook.

“We maintain our 2025 growth forecast for Ghana at 4.2 per cent. We believe that the impact from global trade tensions will be offset by the rise in gold prices, which will boost Ghana’s export earnings,” it said in its Ghana Country Risk Report.

The report noted that counterbalance in gold prices, combined with lower energy costs, would drive the current account surplus to a record 6.9 per cent of GDP in 2025, supporting the country’s reserves and helping to stabilise the cedi.

“That said, we maintain our view that growth will slow in 2025, following the strong 5.7 per cent in 2024, caused by the end of election-related fiscal stimulus, plateauing oil production, and tight credit conditions,” Fitch stated.

“Our hope for the future is that as the economy stabilizes, as inflation goes down, as the deficit moves back on track with the program objectives, that it will strengthen confidence,” said Mr Stéphane Roudet, IMF Mission Chief for Ghana.

He said this during a roundtable media engagement with Ghanaian journalists on the sidelines of the just-ended IMF/World Bank Group (WBG) spring meetings in Washington, DC, USA.

“… It will also bolster investment and the role of the private sector, and not just in one sector, but our hope is very much that this is going to be the case across the board,” Roudet said.

He urged the government to strictly adhere to the planned targets of the implementation of the US$3 billion Extended Credit Facility (ECF) programme, aimed at restoring macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability and stimulating economic resilience.

“This is very important. It’s not just today, but it’s in the next few years. Programme commitments have to be continued to be implemented,” the IMF Mission Staff echoed.

“We remain steadfast in meeting the IMF programme targets while restoring Ghana’s creditworthiness,” Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, Finance Minister, said when he delivered the 2025 budget earlier this year.

He said the Government would implement a 24-hour economy policy to address the country’s structural economic challenges and stimulate growth and job creation.

Dr Forson said that would be done by creating an integrated, efficient and increasingly export-driven industrial economy that fully utilised its national resources, capital and labour power.

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The government of Ghana, on May 1, 2025, unveiled “The Black Star Experience,” a transformative national initiative aimed at positioning Ghana as the cultural and creative heartbeat of Africa.

The grand launch event brought together government officials, international dignitaries, cultural icons, and creative industry stakeholders.

President John Dramani Mahama, delivering the keynote address, described the initiative as “more than a project; it is a movement.

A movement to reclaim the country’s identity, celebrate our heritage, and unlock the boundless potential of our Tourism, Culture and the Creative economy.”

The Black Star Experience represents a bold reimagining of Ghana’s approach to cultural promotion and tourism development, following successful models implemented by nations such as Rwanda, Morocco, and South Korea.

The comprehensive program aims to showcase Ghana’s rich cultural heritage while creating sustainable economic opportunities across the creative sectors.

A Comprehensive Approach to Cultural Promotion

The initiative is structured around seven key pillars: Cinema, Audio, Cuisine, Aesthetics, Style, Literature, and Culture.

Through these interconnected elements, The Black Star Experience seeks to create a cohesive national narrative that appeals to both domestic and international audiences.

“Ghana is not just a country; we are a legacy,” President Mahama emphasised during his address. “From the ancient empires of Ashanti, Dagbon, and Akwamu, to the Pan-Africanist leadership of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, our history is a tapestry of resilience, innovation, and global influence. Yet, for too long, we have underinvested in the very sectors that define us, culture, arts, and tourism. The Black Star Experience changes that!”

The initiative fulfils a campaign promise made by President Mahama to launch the program within his first 120 days in office. According to the implementation blueprint revealed at the event, The Black Star Experience aims to inject $5 billion into the Ghanaian economy by 2027.

Global Ambitions With Local Roots

Rex Omar, renowned Ghanaian highlife musician and Coordinator of the newly established Black Star Experience Secretariat, highlighted the initiative’s potential to transform Ghana’s creative industries.

“For decades, our artists, musicians, filmmakers, and cultural practitioners have created world-class work without adequate support or infrastructure,” Omar stated. “The Black Star Experience represents a historic shift in how we value and invest in our creative economy. This is not just about attracting tourists—it’s about building sustainable creative industries that provide real economic opportunities for Ghanaians while sharing our cultural richness with the world.”

The initiative includes several ambitious components, including the Creative Connect Conference, a Cultural Heritage Support Program, Talent Optimisation Project, Global Advertising campaigns, Digital Immersive Tourism experiences, and international BSE Experience Shops at major global airports.

Learning From Global Success Stories

The Black Star Experience draws inspiration from successful nation branding initiatives worldwide. The implementation blueprint presented at the launch highlighted case studies from countries like South Korea’s “Hallyu Wave,” which generated $13 billion in K-Beauty sales alone and positioned the country as a global entertainment powerhouse.

Other models referenced include Rwanda’s “Visit Rwanda” campaign, which helped boost tourism revenue from $200 million in 2010 to $620 million in 2023, and Morocco’s “Kingdom of Light” initiative, which attracted 17.4 million international visitors in 2024.

Economc Impact and Job Creation

A central focus of The Black Star Experience is its economic potential. The initiative aims to create thousands of jobs, particularly for young Ghanaians and women in the creative and tourism sectors.

The program will implement several strategic initiatives including:

 The Ghana Experience Guides Initiative, which will train 5,000-10,000 experience guides nationwide.

 Destination Optimization Project to upgrade one tourism site in each region to international standards.

 Global activations across 25 strategic international locations and events.

 BSE Experience Shops in key international airports including Ghana, South Africa, USA, Dubai, and Netherlands.

Year-round Celebration of Ghanaian Excellence

Unlike previous cultural initiatives, The Black Star Experience is designed as a continuous, year-round program.

“This initiative will not be a one-off event but a 365-day experience — a continuous explosion of creativity across every region,” President Mahama explained.

The program will amplify existing cultural festivals and events across Ghana, from Hogbɛtsotso in Anlo to Chale Wote festival in Jamestown and Fetu Afahye in Cape Coast, while also developing new flagship events and experiences.

International Parternerships and Collaborations

The Black Star Experience will actively seek international partnerships with global icons, investors, and cultural institutions to elevate Ghana’s soft power.

The initiative envisions international artists recording albums in Ghanaian studios, Hollywood producing films in Ghanaian locations, and tourists immersing themselves in Ghanaian culture year-round.

Rex Omar emphasized the collaborative nature of the initiative: “We’re not building this in isolation. The Black Star Experience is designed as a framework that brings together government agencies, private sector partners, creative professionals, and communities. By aligning our efforts under this unified brand, we can achieve far more than any single entity could accomplish alone.”

Investment and Infrastructure Development

The Black Star Experience will focus on developing new tourism infrastructure, upgrading facilities at key tourist sites, investing in the creative economy, and implementing comprehensive marketing strategies to promote Ghana’s culture globally.

The Black Star Experience Secretariat will coordinate these efforts across multiple ministries and agencies, ensuring a cohesive approach to implementation.

A Call to Action

President Mahama concluded his address with a powerful call to action: “To our musicians, filmmakers, fashion designers, chefs, and storytellers, this is your time. To investors, Ghana is open for business. To the world, come and experience the magic of The Black Star.”

The launch event featured cultural performances, exhibitions, and interactive experiences that showcased the diversity and richness of Ghanaian culture, providing attendees with a preview of The Black Star Experience vision.

About The Black Star Experience

The Black Star Experience is a flagship initiative of the Government of Ghana, designed to drive cultural rebranding, economic transformation, and creative empowerment through a nationwide calendar of festivals, exhibitions, performances, training, and infrastructure development. It aims to reposition Ghana as the creative and cultural heartbeat of Africa.

The Chief Resident Engineer for the Pokuase-Nsawam Highway project, Kwabena Bempong, has announced a 15-month extension to the project’s completion timeline, shifting the expected finish from July 2024.

The delay is attributed to two key issues: the slow payment of compensation to affected residents and challenges in relocating utility lines.

Out of 76 residents deemed eligible for compensation, 40 have been paid so far.

During an inspection visit by the Roads and Transport Committee of Parliament on Friday, May 2, Bempong urged the government to release the necessary funds promptly to avoid further delays in the road construction.

“Within a year or a maximum of fifteen months, the outstanding works should be completed because we’ve done a lot of the heavy lifting already. And when I say heavy lifting, the concrete works, the drainage works, all these things up there. We have left mainly with some small earthworks and roadworks, and all things being equal, those issues that I raised should be removed.

“The compensation and the relocation of utilities. Once those clear things are cleared, then my twelve months to fifteen months, you know, should be correct. Certain items are time-related. And once they are time-related, if there’s an extension of time, it comes with some cost implications.”

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This is the time of year true friends check on each other and find out their ‘how far’ as they say. Completely absent-minded I called my nephew Eric and said I was on my way to his office only to be told.

‘I am no longer at the Ministries. I have been Reset, and currently at home.’ The word Reset, originally well intended has acquired such a bad odor, people take to their heels hearing reset drums in the neighborhood.

Labor Day greetings are tricky; you never know whether your neighbor is grinning to celebrate his new job; or on a Labor Day, groaning to cope with labor pains.

While scanning various cases countrywide I came across the biggest reset this Labor week: the nation’s Chief Justice who should normally be settling labor disputes, has herself been reset to idle at a Departure Lounge. School children have been told Justice Gertrude is only under suspension.

Among adults, it is known she is at the Departure Lounge. A successor has already been named, nicknamed as ‘Acting.’

But he was last seen dancing in church and thanking the good Lord for kind mercies. For those who knew the youthful days of His Lordship Baffoe-Bonnie, his recent ‘dance moves’ betray his past as an Okpo mate of Mensah Sarbah Hall.

For security reasons, however let me say the good old Justice was well behaved in his student days. Our worry being that if appointed, his date of birth entitles him to only a one-and-half-year tenure as Chief Justice, and those ready with welcome greetings should be prepared to add, ‘Farewell, brand new Chief Justice.’

It is notable however that Getty’s suspension and planned sendoff, has brought several concerned groups to their feet, looking desperately for any grave sins she committed. For once a public opinion poll hurriedly concocted by a mercenary pollster reports a 70% public approval of Her Lordship’s dismissal. That was perhaps inspired by an imaginary mandate in the Constitution such as: ‘The Chief Justice shall be removed by a swift opinion poll across the nation;’ clearly an irrational attempt to trivialize the fourth highest position of the Land.

Unpersuaded, civil society groups are up in arms this week to save the neck of Justice Gertrude Torkonoo, and preserve the dignity of the judiciary: the almighty Trade Union Congress, the Minority in Parliament, the Ghana Bar Association, and others. These are flying protest flags ready to hit the streets to avert a national disgrace. Together with one dissenting voice on the Council of State, the clarion call is ‘JM, Touch not the Anointed.’

The reasons are not hard to find. Justice Gertrude is on record as Ghana’s third Female CJ since independence. Should the axe fall, she would be the first dismissed CJ since 1963, when Nkrumah booted out His Lordship Justice Ako Korsah for acquitting suspects in a major murder trial.

The Second and Third Republics saw no such dismissal; and here comes this setback as Ghana’s democracy deepens and the 4th Republic hits the 33rd milestone.

The planned ousting amounts to terrorism on womanhood, the vulnerable, the judiciary, and a stain on that vision that has gifted Ghana the first female Vice President.

Since independence in 1957, Ghana has produced only 12 females out of a total of 89 justices of the Supreme Court, a dismal 13.5% female participation; and here comes this fresh wound meant to humiliate a 62-year old Chief Justice, and mother.

My own lay experience of a judicial disaster that would have triggered a dismissal was 1995: the historic drama on the appointment of Justice I. K. Abban as Chief Justice. The renowned Abban, earlier reputed as a stubborn Electoral Commissioner, received a baptism of fire when as CJ he erroneously jailed a newspaper columnist inserting a new page in his judgment, to balance the equation. The GBA was up in arms challenging Abban’s appointment due to a proven lack of integrity. Happily, my ubiquitous pen chronicled the event those days. Listen to my write hand, February 1995.

‘At the time of departure, the Ghana Bar Association was feverishly looking for red bands with which to bury Justice Abban as Chief Justice. They were going on a sympathy strike in support of the jailed columnist, Mensa Bonsu, and to boycott the courts.

If Abban is watching, he must have realized that he has mounted a throne which may turn out to be more problematic than the Veep’s. The real drama, however, will start if the GBA decides to take the Chief Justice to court.’

Yes the GBA took the matter to court, but failed to have the CJ removed.

The current attempt based on more trivial allegations should fall on deaf ears if Ghana seeks a respectable judiciary. Our President Mahama currently treads on slippery grounds and will not be spared by posterity should he opt to humiliate womanhood to consolidate power. There is every good reason guidelines in the formation of public committees are carefully worded. The golden clause, ‘at least one of whom must be a woman,’ is not a mere cliché. But Justice Torkonoo an astute Judge with formidable credentials is not simply ‘one of whom.’

Listening to a public lecture she gave at a Central University event last year, was breath of fresh air. As child of a teacher she experienced elementary education on various turfs: Tema, Suhum, Winneba, Ajumako, and being a whiz kid, skipped P5. To seal it all, Gertrude attended Motown.

Ask the sages, how many homes ever survived that flippantly sold off the Mother Hen?

Hands off Gertrude.

JM, Touch not the Anointed!

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.

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.

The National Communications Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, has criticised the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) ongoing nationwide tour.

He described it as a calculated and “desperate effort by Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to revive his political career following the party’s defeat in the 2024 general elections.”

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, Mr. Gyamfi dismissed the NPP’s characterisation of the tour as a “thank you” gesture to supporters. According to him, the tour lacks sincerity and is simply a veiled campaign strategy intended to rebrand the former Vice President ahead of the NPP’s upcoming presidential primaries.

“What the NPP is currently doing is not a thank you tour. What is happening is just a desperate attempt by Dr. Bawumia to revive his political career after leading the NPP to its most embarrassing political defeat. That is what is happening,” he stated.

He accused the NPP of mobilising its entire party machinery to support Dr. Bawumia to grant him an unfair advantage over other aspirants within the party, particularly those who may be eyeing a leadership bid.

He further criticised Dr. Bawumia for attempting to dissociate himself from the Akufo-Addo administration, despite serving as Vice President and head of the government’s Economic Management Team for eight years.

“Just look at who they’re meeting—party executives, not ordinary Ghanaians. And what are they saying? Are there any thank you messages? No. All we hear is Bawumia playing Pontius Pilate—blaming everyone else for the defeat but himself,”

“So for me, what is happening is a charade of a thank you tour,” he added.

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.

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.