The newly appointed Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Builsa North in the Upper East region, Mr. Solomon Akogti Ansoabayie, officially assumed office on 23rd April 2025.

In his inaugural address to the assembly’s staff, Mr. Ansoabayie pledged to work collaboratively with them to foster development within the municipality.

He emphasised the importance of teamwork, stating that collective efforts would be crucial in achieving the assembly’s goals.

Mr. Ansoabayie also thanked President John Dramani Mahama for entrusting him with the responsibility of leading the municipality.

The MCE stressed the need for unity among workers to accomplish the assembly’s objectives. He reaffirmed his commitment to driving development in key areas such as infrastructure, healthcare, and education. Additionally,

Mr. Ansoabayie assured the workers of his administration’s dedication to improving service delivery, ensuring that the assembly’s services effectively meet the local community’s needs.

In his welcome address, the Coordinating Director of the Assembly, Mr. Godfred Bamba, assured the MCE of the assembly’s full support and cooperation.

He also highlighted both the strengths and challenges of the assembly, offering valuable insights into areas that require attention.

Mr. Ansoabayie’s assumption of office comes at a time when the municipality is eager to address its development needs.

As the MCE settles into his new role, residents are hopeful for improvements in living standards and enhanced local governance.

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Stack of newspapers | File photo

Below are some of today’s major news headlines:

DAILY GRPAHIC

At IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings: Africa calls for debt restructuring

GJA demands reconstitution of NMC board

Government Gold Fields reach an agreement

THE GHANAIN TIMES

Newborns to receive hepatitis B vaccination

13 perish, others injured in gory accident on Accra-Kumasi Highway

Researchers, policymakers discuss strengthening health systems in Africa

DAILY GUIDE

I didn’t lose over Muslim faith – Bawumia

Mahama sacks TTH CEO, Dr Abdulai Acting

New MMDCEs list out

THE NEW CRUSADING GUIDE

Govt initiates exit plan with Goldfields

Bawumia endorses Prof Ocquaye’s report

CJ rejects misconduct allegations

Dr Ato Forson (Middle) meets World Bank on Ghana’s Energy Compact under Mission 300

The Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has described Ghana’s energy sector as the biggest economic threat in recent times.

Speaking during a deep-dive session on the Ghana Energy Compact under Mission 300 at the World Bank, Dr Forson warned that the sector is grappling with a financial shortfall of approximately $2 billion annually.

He stressed that the magnitude of the shortfall surpasses Ghana’s domestic capital expenditure and must be treated with urgency.

He emphasised that the crisis cannot be resolved through tariff adjustments alone, pointing instead to the need for comprehensive reforms across the entire energy value chain.

“The problem is not just tariffs. The inefficiencies, especially in the distribution sector, are being passed on to the ordinary Ghanaian, making electricity costs unnecessarily high,” the Minister stated.

He added that the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) could reduce the shortfall by half if it addresses these inefficiencies.

To tackle the challenges, he disclosed that Cabinet has approved private sector participation as part of the government’s strategy to revive the sector.

Additionally, a Legislative Instrument (LI) has been submitted to Parliament to allow for the competitive procurement of power generation services.

Dr Forson described the Ghana Energy Compact as a timely intervention and called for its rapid implementation.

“The compact has come at the right time. It will in the long run assist Ghana, and we are praying the process is not delayed,” he said.

He concluded with a strong appeal for urgency from all stakeholders.

“Time is of the essence. We must act quickly if we are to prevent further damage to our economy and improve the lives of Ghanaians.”

SP/MA

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 The Women, Media and Change (WOM­EC) on Thursday launched a cam­paign to advocate good nutrition in the country.

The 18-month “The Nourish Ghana: Advocating for increased leadership to combat malnutrition” project seeks to create a platform for dialogue to strengthen nation­al policy action on nutrition by advocating increase in leadership, funding and accountability.

It also seeks to use the media to disseminate information on issues across all sectors.

Speaking at a stakeholder engage­ment in Accra, the Executive Direc­tor of WOMEC, Dr Charity Binka, said malnutrition was still a major problem for both public health and development crises in the country.

She noted that a recent data from Ghana Demographic health survey 2022 indicated that 18 per cent of children under five years were stunt­ed, six per cent were wasted while 12 per cent were underweight.

Also, she stated malnutrition cost the country approximately 6.4 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annually.

These figures, Dr Binka said demanded urgent action to address the situation, adding that, “if we do not act decisively, we risk compro­mising the health and productivity of future generations.”

“Through collaborative engage­ment with parliamentarians, poli­cymakers, civil society, the media, and community stakeholders, we hope to raise awareness, drive policy change, and increase investments in high-impact nutrition interven­tions,” she underscored.

Dr Binka highlighted that the stakeholder engagement was a call to action to discuss strategies, share ideas, and build partnerships that will improve nutrition outcomes for all.

“We will also reflect on the outcomes of the 2025 Nutrition for Growth (NG) Summit and explore how Ghana can leverage these to accelerate progress,” the Executive Director said.

She urged the government to allocate funding for nutrition specifically in its budget to improve nutrition in the country.

“However, government has committed $6 million in its budget 2026 for nutrition at the Nutrition For Growth Summit (N4G) which is not bad but we can do better, Madagascar which is a smaller coun­try has committed five per cent of it national budget which is great,” she disclosed.

The Principal Planning Analyst of National Development Planning Commission, Nii-Odoi Odotei, said the joint commitment to addressing malnutrition speaks not only to improving public health but also to reinforcing the national develop­ment agenda.

He said malnutrition under­mined the future, contributing to significant economic losses and hindering sustainable growth of the country.

He noted that the country was faced with a complex nutrition landscape, marked by the coexis­tence of undernutrition, micro­nutrient deficiencies, and obesity within the same populations, households, and individuals despite its significant strides in addressing food insecurity and malnutrition.

These challenges, he said de­manded urgent action, particularly as economic vulnerability, shifting food environments, and climate-re­lated threats further limit access to nutritious foods for vulnerable populations.

“The Nourish Ghana initiative is a timely and strategic response to our nation’s pressing nutrition challenges. With evidence show­ing its profound impact on child health and economic productivity, malnutrition poses an obstacle to achieving a resilient and prosper­ous Ghana,” he added

BY CECILIA YADA LAGBA

The Centre for Democratic Movement (CDM) has warned that Ghana risks breaching international legal obligations following the suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.

According to the group, the decision not only defies domestic constitutional procedures but also contradicts international commitments.

In its statement, CDM cited Article 26 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the UN Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary as frameworks violated by the current process.

“Ghana is obligated to ensure judicial independence free from Executive interference. This suspension clearly contravenes that obligation,” the Centre argued.

The group further contended that the investigative process lacks transparency and fairness, calling for the involvement of international bodies.

It urged oversight from institutions such as the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers.

“This moment demands vigilance, not silence,” CDM stressed. “Ghana’s democratic future cannot be bartered for political gain.”

The Centre added that it would engage with diplomatic missions and human rights bodies to ensure accountability and adherence to international standards.

To restore integrity, CDM is advocating for not only a reversal of the suspension but also broader reforms to shield the judiciary from political manipulation.

“We must reaffirm judicial independence as a foundational pillar of the Republic,” the group stated.

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 Director of Research at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), Dr John Kwakye, has provided tips on how to avoid future bailouts from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

He suggests that Ghana must take ownership of its natural resource wealth and manage it judiciously.

This would ensure that the needed revenue to develop the country is generated, he said.

“The way for Ghana to avoid future IMF bailouts is to take ownership of its natural resource wealth and manage it judiciously,” Dr Kwakye wrote on his X page.

He stressed “The only way Ghana can avoid its dependence on foreign largesse is to take ownership of its vast natural resource wealth. And the time to do this is now!  Not taking ownership of Ghana’s vast natural resource wealth for the development of the country is no longer an option!

“Can you imagine that Ghana has: gold, diamonds, manganese, bauxite, lithium, uranium, copper, cobalt, nickel, silicate, iron ore, salt, oil, gas, etc. worth trillions of dollars? So, how can our “poverty” not be self-inflicted?”

Dr Kwakye’s comments come at a time when the Minister for Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, clarified that the recent increases in electricity and water tariffs are part of Ghana’s obligations under its ongoing program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

His comments come in the wake of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission’s (PURC) announcement of a 14.75% increase in electricity tariffs and a 4.02% rise in water charges, both set to take effect on May 3, 2025.

Dr Ato Forson, speaking at a press conference in Accra on Tuesday, April 15, 2025 explained that the tariff adjustments were a requirement for Ghana to access the next $370 million tranche under the IMF deal.

“We have begun the implementation, which you recently saw, the quarterly adjustment by PURC, which was supposed to have been done by last year. But we have ensured that it has been done in line with the statutory benchmark as agreed in the third review,” he explained.

Dr Ato Forson also responded to growing speculation about a possible renegotiation of Ghana’s agreement with the IMF, making it clear that the government has no intention of revisiting the terms.

“Renegotiating presupposes that you don’t believe in the program, and so you want to open up the conversation to look at other parameters of the program. That isn’t the position of the government. The government is committed to the implementation to achieve the objectives of the IMF program,” he said.

The finance minister further acknowledged that although some structural benchmarks and quantitative targets were missed prior to the current administration taking office, the government remains focused on meeting the program’s goals moving forward.

Bernard Antwi Boasiako alias Chairman Wontumi

The Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) has frozen the accounts of Bernard Antwi Boasiako alias Chairman Wontumi, the owner of Akonta Mining and Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), GhanaWeb has learnt.

Information available to GhanaWeb indicates that all bank accounts associated with the embattled mining firm, Akonta Mining, have been frozen by the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC).

The FIC, as per a document sighted by GhanaWeb is acting in accordance with Section 56(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2020.

“Freezing of accounts – 1. Bernard Antwi Boasiako (a.k.a. Chairman Wontumi)

2. Akonta Mining

3. Hallmark Civil Engineering Limited.

“In accordance with Section 56(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2020 (Act 1044), you are hereby directed to immediately freeze all accounts in relation to and in association with the above-named subjects pending further directives,” parts of a letter from the FIC to the relevant financial institutions read.

Chairman Wontumi and Akonta Mining Company have been in the news recently following the revocation of the license of the firm by the Minerals Commission, acting on the orders of the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources.

At a press conference held on Monday, April 21, 2025, lands minister, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah described Akonta Mining Company as a criminal syndicate, allegedly undertaking criminal activities in Ghana’s forests.

The FIC, under the leadership of Ing. Kwadwo Twum Boafo has stepped up efforts against money laundering, making some bold and decisive moves.

It will be recalled that the FIC in March froze the accounts of businessman Richard Nii Armah Quaye and his companies’ following investigations into his activities.

AM/KA

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Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin

The Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has commended the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for successfully rebranding itself to become more acceptable to Ghanaians, despite its origins in a coup.

The Member of Parliament for Effutu shared that during his time at the University of Cape Coast, it was difficult for any student to openly associate with the NDC.

He recounted how students affiliated with the NDC often contested elections on campus but lost heavily due to their association with the party.

Speaking in an interview with KSM in a video shared on social media, Afenyo-Markin praised the NDC for its rebranding efforts on campus, particularly through the establishment of the Tertiary Institutions Education Network (TEIN), which helped the party make inroads among students.

He expressed particular amazement at how the NDC encouraged many of its youth to study law.

“Look at the legal profession. I became alarmed some six years ago when I realized that the NDC was deliberately sponsoring… I think they had a strategy, encouraging a lot of their youth to study law because they recognized that as one of their weaknesses. This used to be an area we considered our bonafide; we took it for granted. It was almost assumed that every lawyer was NPP.

“I agree there were things we took for granted as a party. When you talk to them, it becomes clear that some party leader had sponsored them to study law. In politics, when you go to court, you start noticing this young man is NDC, this young woman is also NDC, and then you realize it’s time to sit up.”

Saa? I told you the NDC of the 90’s is not the NDC you want to go to ‘war’ with now. U better up your Ace game bro… pic.twitter.com/BYFhJYL6gm

— Esi ⚖️ (@EsinamJean) April 23, 2025

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