Ronor Motors has condemned CHRAJ’s recent report regarding a contract with the Ghana Revenue Authori

Indigenous automobile supplier Ronor Motors Ghana Limited has condemned the recent decision by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), accusing it of overpricing vehicles in a contract with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), describing the findings as “unfair, dangerous, and a threat to Ghanaian enterprise.”

In a detailed statement issued through its lawyers, the company said the CHRAJ report was based on a “simplistic comparison” of its vehicle prices with those of Toyota Ghana Limited, without accounting for variations in specifications, warranty terms, and delivery obligations.

“It is disappointing that CHRAJ would arrive at such conclusions by relying only on price differences between suppliers, without appreciating the context or technical details of the procurement,” the release noted.

Ronor Motors argued that its pricing was lawfully approved by the Public Procurement Authority (PPA), the official regulator of public contracts, after rigorous due diligence.

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“Ronor Motors complied fully with all statutory processes. The PPA verified and approved our prices before the contract was awarded,” the company emphasized. The firm said CHRAJ’s approach disregards due process and risks “undermining local Ghanaian businesses” that compete fairly within the rules of public procurement.

“We cannot build a self-reliant economy if regulatory institutions use reports that cast doubt on law-abiding local firms,” the company’s solicitor, Joseph Dindiok Kpemka, said.

Ronor Motors, which has supplied vehicles to several government institutions and Members of Parliament for over a decade, said it would challenge CHRAJ’s findings at the High Court to defend its integrity.

“We will not allow our reputation to be destroyed by a flawed report. We stand by our record as a transparent and patriotic Ghanaian company,” the statement concluded.

Read the full statement below:

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The Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs has called on Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to fully adhere to the newly launched planning documents to ensure proper spatial development across the country.

Deputy Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, said the Revised Manual for the Preparation of Spatial Plans, Zoning Guidelines and Planning Standards, launched by the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority (LUSPA), would serve as a vital legal and technical reference for all development planning at the local level.

In an interview on the sidelines at the launch of the Revised Manual for the Preparation of Spatial Plans, Zoning Guidelines and Planning Standards, in Accra, Madam Sowah underscored the importance of the documents, noting that “everything we do as a nation or as a people should be backed by law”.

“These documents are very beneficial because, as MMDAs, we work with developers and communities, and without legal backing, it becomes difficult to sanction unlawful developments, which will guide us on how to plan our districts and communities properly,” she added.

“The revised Spatial Planning Documents are therefore not just mere updates or technical documents. They are tools for empowerment, Planners and Built Environment Professionals, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), Consultants, Academia, and all stakeholders involved in the spatial planning process,” she stated.

The Deputy Minister indicated that the documents came at a critical time in the developmental agenda of the country as government deepened decentralization and enriched the capacities of Regional Coordinating Councils and local authorities through government flagship programmes such as the Big Push Programme, Ghana Infrastructure Plan and 24-hour Economy Programme.

“There is an urgent need to equip our Local Government Actors with tools and guidance for smarter, more collaborative, and effective planning. These documents provide a consistent approach to spatial planning nationwide for the development of new areas or the redevelopment of existing ones.

With the revised spatial planning documents now launched, Ghana is reinforcing its commitment to efficient land use, sustainable urban development, and environmental protection for the benefit of all communities.

Madam Sowah urged MMDAs to be proactive in enforcing planning laws to curb indiscriminate construction, especially along waterways and within buffer zones.

“Sometimes you see a development coming up, and though a ‘stop work’ order is issued, construction continues until the building is roofed,” she lamented. “It’s time we stopped that. The Assemblies have the authority to ensure that only permitted developments proceed,” she said.

The Deputy Minister emphasised that assemblies must collaborate effectively between their Works and Development Planning Departments to monitor and regulate physical developments in line with approved plans.

“It baffles my mind when people fill up river bodies and build on them, only to call on authorities for help when floods occur. The time to act is now, the reset agenda is on, and we must stop such developments immediately,” she emphasised.

Component Manager of the Programme for Sustainable Economic Development (PSED) of GIZ Leticia Erny, which partnered with LUSPA in reviewing the guidelines, said the updated documents marked a major milestone in Ghana’s spatial planning framework.

She said GIZ worked closely with LUSPA and other institutions to update the 2011 guidelines through a series of workshops and consultations to incorporate new standards across various sectors, including natural resource protection and environmental management.

“We believe these guidelines will help MMDAs improve their planning, align spatial development with national standards, and better protect natural resources,” she noted.

Ms Erny added that beyond the guidelines, effective coordination, citizen participation, and accountability were essential to achieving sustainable land use and spatial development.

She added that the launch marked an important step in strengthening local governance and ensuring that Ghana’s development followed a coordinated and lawful spatial framework.

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In Ghana’s growing private sector, few names inspire as much respect or controversy as Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, Founder and Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies. His work through Zoomlion Ghana Limited has shaped the country’s waste management and environmental sustainability agenda for nearly two decades. Yet, his story is as much about vision and innovation as it is about the politics of success, and the high cost of national amnesia.

“Leadership is not about perfection — it’s about purpose. It’s about imperfect men who still choose to make perfect contributions to their nation’s destiny.” — Nana Kofi Barfour

The Story

In the grand conversation about Ghana’s progress, one name echoes quietly yet powerfully, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong.

From running a small printing press in Accra to leading one of Africa’s most diversified conglomerates, Dr. Agyepong’s journey reads like a blueprint for resilience and faith in purpose. His rise is not merely a personal victory; it’s a demonstration of how entrepreneurship can become a tool for national transformation.

At the heart of his legacy lies Zoomlion Ghana Limited, the sanitation powerhouse that turned waste management from a civic afterthought into a structured, technology-driven industry. Through Zoomlion, he redefined environmental sustainability in Ghana, providing jobs, creating public awareness, and changing the way the nation manages its waste.

But his vision has long crossed borders. Through the Jospong Group of Companies, Dr. Agyepong has expanded operations into over ten African countries, establishing subsidiaries such as Zoomlion Liberia, Zoomlion Togo, Zoomlion Sierra Leone, Zoomlion Zambia, and Zoomlion Angola. The group also runs Jospong Engineering and Manufacturing Limited, AH Hotel and Conference Centre, Atlantic Waste Recycling Limited, and Accra Compost and Recycling Plant (ACARP), all contributing to industrial growth and environmental protection in Ghana and across Africa.

Each of these ventures represents his larger ambition: building a pan-African model of sustainable enterprise driven by local innovation, youth employment, and environmental responsibility.

And yet, behind the empire is a man, human, fallible, yet unwavering in his belief that Africa’s greatness must be built by Africans. His life, full of lessons and imperfections, remains a living argument that purpose, not privilege, is the foundation of impact.

The Impact

Under Dr. Agyepong’s leadership, Zoomlion Ghana Limited evolved into a national and continental force for environmental transformation. Today, its operations sustain over 300,000 direct and indirect jobs, particularly for youth and women, and its international branches employ thousands more across West and Southern Africa.

In Liberia, Togo, Zambia, and Sierra Leone, Zoomlion has introduced modern waste management systems, street cleaning technologies, and recycling programs, partnering with local governments to address environmental health challenges. These interventions have improved public sanitation, created employment, and inspired new municipal frameworks for sustainable waste management across the region.

Within Ghana, Zoomlion’s work has gone beyond waste collection, it has fostered a new consciousness about sanitation, public hygiene, and civic responsibility. The company’s street sweeping programs, plastic recycling plants, and waste-to-energy projects have strengthened urban management and improved the nation’s health outcomes.

Through the Jospong Group, Dr. Agyepong’s initiatives align closely with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

His Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs also reflect this commitment, supporting education through scholarships, promoting sanitation education, and donating essential materials to hospitals, schools, and assemblies. By combining innovation and compassion, the Jospong Group continues to show that business success and social impact can indeed coexist.

“Entrepreneurship, when guided by conscience, becomes a force for renewal.”

The Challenges

Before Zoomlion’s emergence in 2006, Ghana’s sanitation landscape was in a dire state. Waste collection was largely informal, dominated by unregulated tricycle collectors and poorly equipped local assemblies struggling to manage growing urban waste. Major cities like Accra, Kumasi, and Takoradi were overwhelmed by filth, with refuse piles choking drains, open dumping sites contaminating groundwater, and cholera outbreaks becoming an annual occurrence.

It was into this vacuum that Zoomlion emerged, bringing structure, equipment, innovation and technology-driven management systems to a sector that had long been neglected. The company introduced mechanized sweeping, waste segregation, and nationwide collection systems, working hand in hand with local authorities and the government to improve urban sanitation. Over time, public spaces became cleaner, disease outbreaks reduced, and Ghana’s environmental image improved across the sub-region.

However, the very success that defined Zoomlion’s rise has also become the source of its scrutiny. Over the years, some critics have questioned the transparency and cost of its government contracts. In response to growing public debates, the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and government institutions undertook reviews of their partnerships, and in 2023, the YEA Sanitation Module contract with Zoomlion was not renewed.

Officially, the decision was justified as part of a “policy restructuring” meant to decentralize sanitation management and empower local assemblies. Yet, insiders and industry watchers interpret the move differently, as a politically charged decision with undertones of what some have described as yet another “business coup d’état.”

For years, the YEA module had been one of Ghana’s most effective youth employment interventions, engaging tens of thousands of young people in waste management while simultaneously improving sanitation outcomes nationwide. Its sudden termination disrupts livelihoods and weakens sanitation capacity in several municipalities. Without Zoomlion’s logistical network, trucks, bins, and trained personnel, many districts found themselves ill- equipped to manage the surge in waste collection demands.

The results are visible: heaps of uncollected refuse, clogged gutters, and growing sanitation lapses, especially in urban centres. This reversal could roll back years of progress in environmental hygiene and disease prevention.

Beyond the environmental cost lies an economic one. The withdrawal of a key private player like Zoomlion from state-supported programs not only reduces youth employment but also undermines investor confidence in Ghana’s public-private partnership (PPP) framework. When thriving indigenous businesses become casualties of political realignment, the broader economy suffers.

“When politics begins to define which businesses deserve support, national progress becomes collateral damage.”

Still, through these headwinds, Dr. Agyepong remains undeterred. He continues to champion innovation through waste-to-energy projects, recycling initiatives, and regional expansions, proving that genuine vision is resilient even when challenged by shifting political tides.

Reflective Thoughts

Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong’s story is not just one of business success; it’s a portrait of perseverance, faith, and transformation. His work has touched lives, inspired communities, and positioned Ghana as a regional leader in environmental innovation.

“In a nation hungry for change, why do we often tear down those who build?” “How can we claim to pursue sustainable development while crippling the very enterprises that make it possible?” “Should political transitions mean the death of national progress?”

Despite his human imperfections, Dr. Agyepong’s legacy remains one of service, a man who turned waste into wealth and vision into opportunity.

Perhaps Ghana’s real challenge is not a lack of visionaries, but a lack of recognition for them. Until the nation learns to honour its living builders, progress will remain fragile, and greatness will always be delayed.

Indigenous automobile supplier Ronor Motors Ghana Limited has condemned the recent decision by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) accusing it of overpricing vehicles in a contract with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), describing the findings as “unfair, dangerous, and a threat to Ghanaian enterprise.”

In a detailed statement issued through its lawyers, the company said the CHRAJ report was based on a “simplistic comparison” of its vehicle prices with those of Toyota Ghana Limited, without accounting for variations in specifications, warranty terms, and delivery obligations.

“It is disappointing that CHRAJ would arrive at such conclusions by relying only on price differences between suppliers, without appreciating the context or technical details of the procurement,” the release noted.

Ronor Motors argued that its pricing was lawfully approved by the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) — the official regulator of public contracts — after rigorous due diligence.

“Ronor Motors complied fully with all statutory processes. The PPA verified and approved our prices before the contract was awarded,” the company emphasized.

The firm said CHRAJ’s approach disregards due process and risks “undermining local Ghanaian businesses” that compete fairly within the rules of public procurement.

“We cannot build a self-reliant economy if regulatory institutions use reports that cast doubt on law-abiding local firms,” the company’s solicitor, Joseph Dindiok Kpemka, said.

Ronor Motors, which has supplied vehicles to several government institutions and Members of Parliament for over a decade, said it would challenge CHRAJ’s findings at the High Court to defend its integrity.

“We will not allow our reputation to be destroyed by a flawed report. We stand by our record as a transparent and patriotic Ghanaian company,” the statement concluded.

Trade-based money laundering has emerged in West Africa’s fight against illicit finance

Trade-based money laundering has emerged as the new front in West Africa’s fight against illicit finance, as regulators warn that criminal networks are exploiting trade and banking systems to move billions of dollars across borders undetected.

At the 2025 FATF/GIABA Joint Experts Meeting in Accra, Director-General of the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), Edwin W. Harris Jr., said trade-based financial crimes are now among the most complex and least understood threats facing the region.

He cautioned that no country can yet claim victory against money laundering or terrorist financing.

“To be absolute and say we are winning the fight, nobody can say that,” Mr. Harris said. “But efforts are being made daily and the meeting here is part of that collective push.”

The Accra forum brought together anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CFT) experts from across the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) global network to discuss emerging typologies, with trade-based crime topping the agenda.

According to Harris, criminal groups increasingly exploit cross-border trade systems, digital payment channels and corporate fronts to move illicit proceeds, undermining tax collection, distorting markets and eroding public trust in financial institutions.

He noted that GIABA’s ongoing regional project on trade-based financial crime will help develop risk indicators and case studies to guide banks, Customs agencies and regulators in detecting suspicious trade flows.

“Our response must be agile, evidence-based and regionally coherent,” he said.

The problem’s scale is staggering. Data reviewed by Business & Financial Times revealed that between April 2020 and August 2025 commercial banks in Ghana alone facilitated about US$20billion of foreign transfers without corresponding imports. The transactions, representing roughly GH¢31billion, were made through import declaration forms that failed to meet documentation thresholds set by the Bank of Ghana.

Some financial analysts have said that several banks processed multiple transfers for the same clients despite red flags, suggesting weak compliance oversight. Less than two percent of all transfers during the five-year period were matched with actual imports, resulting in about GH¢22.6billion of estimated revenue losses from unpaid duties and taxes.

Albert Kojo Twum Boafo, Chief Executive Officer-Ghana Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), described this trend as deeply worrying and said the country is strengthening its legal and operational response ahead of GIABA’s third-round mutual evaluation.

“We are first to undergo the third-round peer review and several measures are being enacted to enhance how we deal with money laundering,” he said. “The criminals are using sophisticated tools – including artificial intelligence – and we must stay ahead of them.”

Boafo said the FIC works closely with banks to flag suspicious trade transactions but urged faster cooperation.

“If banks alert us in real-time, we can act immediately instead of after funds have been dissipated,” he added.

The meeting also highlighted regional progress, with Burkina Faso and Nigeria recently removed from FATF’s “grey list” of jurisdictions under increased monitoring.

Harris said the delisting reflects “growing maturity in the region’s collective response”, but cautioned that vigilance remains critical as illicit trade networks evolve.

Lawyers of Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid have denied OSP’s claims that his assets have been confiscated

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has shared details of assets it has seized or frozen in the case involving former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, and nine others.

This comes after lawyers for Dr Abdul-Hamid refuted the OSP’s earlier claim that it had confiscated assets of the suspects in the case worth over GH¢100 million and US$100,000.

In a post shared on X on Thursday, November 6, 2025, the office shared a list of the assets it had seized or frozen in the case, including real estate holdings, fuel stations, and logistics vehicles.

“The OSP confirms the seizure and freezing of assets exceeding GH¢100 million and US$100,000, including real estate holdings, fuel stations, and logistics vehicles, in connection with the ongoing prosecution of former NPA CEO Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid and others.

“Additional assets remain under active tracing as part of continuing investigations into the alleged extortion and money laundering scheme,” the OSP stated.

Lawyer for former NPA boss denies OSP claims, says no GH¢100m assets frozen

It added, “These actions are consistent with the OSP’s mandate under Act 959 to preserve suspected proceeds of corruption pending final determination of the case by the court.”

See the full list below:

The OSP confirms the seizure and freezing of assets exceeding GH₵100 million and US$100,000, including real estate holdings, fuel stations, and logistics vehicles, in connection with the ongoing prosecution of former NPA CEO Dr. Mustapha Abdul Hamid and others.

Additional… pic.twitter.com/QlRB4Y6gri

— Office of the Special Prosecutor-Ghana (@ospghana) November 6, 2025

BAI/AE

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The Deputy Minister for Defence, Ernest Brogya Genfi, has disclosed that Ghana’s presidential aircraft, the Falcon 900 Executive Jet, is currently undergoing final tests in France after an extended maintenance and repair process.

Addressing Parliament in Accra on Thursday, November 6, Mr Genfi explained that the aircraft was sent to Dassault Falcon Service in Le Bourget, France, on March 11, 2025, for a mandatory 24-month and 1,600-flying-hour periodic inspection.

He said the inspection is a compulsory airworthiness requirement aimed at ensuring that all critical maintenance and functional checks are completed before the aircraft is cleared to fly.

“Mr. Speaker, the Falcon 900 executive aircraft was ferried to Dassault Falcon Service in Le Bourget, France, on Tuesday, 11 March 2025, for the 24-monthly and 1,600-flying-hours periodic inspection. This inspection is a mandatory airworthiness requirement that ensures that all main maintenance and due-list tasks compiled for the inspection are completed,” he stated.

The Deputy Minister further explained that corrosion spots were earlier detected within the aircraft’s fuel tanks, which initially delayed its return. Those issues, he said, have since been resolved following extensive repairs.

However, during the inspection process, additional fuel leakages were identified in the right-hand wing tank, leading to further delays.

“After successfully repairing the section of the wing that experienced the leakages, other challenges were encountered while reinstalling the lower panel beneath the wing,” he noted.

Mr. Genfi told Parliament that Dassault Aviation subsequently invited the Falcon wing’s original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to conduct an on-site assessment and provide technical recommendations to speed up the process. The OEM completed the necessary repairs, and the right-hand wing has now been fully restored.

“Upon completion of the rectification, the aircraft will undergo a leak test of the fuel tanks, a third engine ground run, painting of the wing lower panel, and finally, an acceptance flight will be performed,” he said.

He assured the House that the Falcon 900 executive aircraft would return to Ghana once all required technical tests and safety checks have been successfully completed.

New solar project to power Ghana’s 24-hour economy – Mahama

Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid is former CEO of National Petroleum Authority

The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has shared details of assets it has seized or frozen in the case involving former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, and nine others.

This comes after lawyers for Dr Abdul-Hamid refuted the OSP’s earlier claim that it had confiscated assets of the suspects in the case worth over GH¢100 million and US$100,000.

In a post shared on X on Thursday, November 6, 2025, the office shared a list of the assets it had seized or frozen in the case, including real estate holdings, fuel stations, and logistics vehicles.

“The OSP confirms the seizure and freezing of assets exceeding GH¢100 million and US$100,000, including real estate holdings, fuel stations, and logistics vehicles, in connection with the ongoing prosecution of former NPA CEO Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid and others.

“Additional assets remain under active tracing as part of continuing investigations into the alleged extortion and money laundering scheme,” the OSP stated.

Lawyer for former NPA boss denies OSP claims, says no GH¢100m assets frozen

It added, “These actions are consistent with the OSP’s mandate under Act 959 to preserve suspected proceeds of corruption pending final determination of the case by the court.”

See the full list below:

The OSP confirms the seizure and freezing of assets exceeding GH₵100 million and US$100,000, including real estate holdings, fuel stations, and logistics vehicles, in connection with the ongoing prosecution of former NPA CEO Dr. Mustapha Abdul Hamid and others.

Additional… pic.twitter.com/QlRB4Y6gri

— Office of the Special Prosecutor-Ghana (@ospghana) November 6, 2025

BAI/AE

Ghana’s gambling industry has changed rapidly in recent years. What used to be a niche market tied to local kiosks and betting centers has now moved online. Sports betting in particular has become part of everyday life for many, driven by mobile phones, internet access, and the country’s deep-rooted football culture.

From Street Corners to Smartphones

Ten years ago, most people placed their bets by walking into small shops. Today, all you need is a phone and some mobile data. The shift did not happen overnight, but once it started, it picked up speed. Now, you can place bets in the middle of a conversation or on your way to work. For a lot of young Ghanaians, especially football fans, apps like betway’s sport betting zambia are just another part of their phone routine.

The Numbers Keep Climbing

The growth is not just visible. It is measurable. A few years ago, there were only about a dozen licensed betting companies in the country. Now, that number is over 30. In 2019, the online gambling industry made around 27 million US dollars. More than half of that came from sports betting. By 2024, experts expect the total to hit 57 million. Some even predict it will go past 900 million dollars across the entire gambling sector by next year.

That kind of jump does not happen in a vacuum. It is tied to how easy betting has become. The apps are fast. Payments are simple. And the odds often look tempting enough to turn a small bet into a big win. Or at least, that is the hope.

Who Is Placing the Bets

A survey from 2022 showed that over 40 percent of people in Ghana had placed a sports bet in the past year. That is a huge chunk of the population. Many are young, some are students, and quite a few are doing it regularly. Football is the main attraction. European leagues, especially the English Premier League, dominate. But local matches get attention too.

Advertising Everywhere

Betting brands are no longer on the sidelines. They are front and center, sponsoring football clubs, taking over radio ads, and appearing across social media. You see their names on jerseys, on billboards, even in music videos. The business of betting has become part of the mainstream.

Big Money, Big Questions

The government knows there is serious money in this. The Ghana Revenue Authority hopes to collect a billion cedis each year from gambling related taxes. In 2023, a new rule added a 10 percent tax on all betting and lottery winnings. It was not exactly popular, but it is here. Meanwhile, betting companies are spending around 200 million cedis a year on advertising alone.

Not Without Risks

But growth like this brings problems too. More young people are betting, sometimes recklessly. Stories of financial struggles, debts, and missed school fees are becoming more common. Regulators are now looking into stricter rules. Some want to ban betting centers near schools. Others are calling for better age checks and limits on how much people can bet.

What Comes Next

Ghana’s gambling boom is far from over. If anything, it is just getting started. But how the country handles the challenges will matter just as much as the profits. Done right, the industry could provide jobs, entertainment, and revenue. Done wrong, it could leave too many people behind. For now, all eyes are on the next move. From the regulators. From the companies. And from the bettors themselves.

The Association of Online Drivers is calling on ride-hailing platforms to review the 30% commission charged on each trip, describing it as unsustainable and exploitative.

According to the group, the high deductions by platforms such as Bolt, Yango, and Uber are eroding drivers’ earnings and making it difficult for them to stay financially viable.

Executive Chairman of the Association of Online Drivers, Augustine Mensah, speaking at a media briefing on Thursday, November 6, issued a one-week ultimatum for the companies to engage with the association to negotiate a downward review of the commissions.

“It’s GHC15 and out of the GHC15, because we use their platform, 30% is being deducted from this GHC15. Can this 30% itself, without any deduction, fuel a driver’s tank if the tank is empty to drive for 50 minutes? The answer is no. Because it’s not even up to a bottle of petrol.

“On behalf of the executives of the Association of Online Drivers, and on my behalf, we demand an immediate meeting between Uber, Bolt, and Yango. So that we can all deliberate on how this 30% charge can be dropped,” he said.

Augustine Mensah further stated that if the ride-hailing companies fail to engage the association to address their demands, members will be advised to increase their earnings in the coming months through to the end of January next year.

He added that the association will also petition President John Dramani Mahama on the issue if their concerns remain unresolved.

“If they refuse to meet the leadership of the Association within 7 days, before today, November 6, we will declare what we call ‘Operation Offline from November, December 2024, up to the end of  January 2026. What this means is that we will advise our members and even non-members that this festive season, we’re not going to pick passengers on the Apps.

“Even when they request and we get there, depending on the destination, we will put them offline and send them to their destination, and collect the money for ourselves.

“Maybe when we do, it will compel them to do the right thing by reducing the 30%. Failure to meet us, we will march to the presidency to petition H.E. President John Dramani Mahama over this issue,” Mr Augustine Mensah warned.

…..

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The OSP, led by Kissi Agyebeng (L), says the court should not release Mustapha Hamid’s passport

Former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, who is currently being prosecuted by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) in the GH¢291 million NPA case, has reportedly filed an application in court seeking the release of his passport.

According to the OSP, the embattled former NPA boss is requesting the release of his passport to enable him to undertake an urgent political assignment in Canada.

The OSP stated that it has opposed the application, which is scheduled to be heard by the court on Thursday, November 13, 2025.

“The Criminal High Court is scheduled to hear, on 13 November, an application filed by the first accused person, Dr Mustapha Hamid, seeking the release of his passport in the ongoing GH¢291 million case involving allegations of extortion, abuse of office, and money laundering against him and nine (9) others in connection with the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).

“Dr Hamid contends that the release of his passport is necessary to enable him to travel to Canada to attend a political engagement. The Republic, however, has opposed the application,” the OSP stated in an update on the case shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, November 6, 2025.

As part of his bail conditions, Dr Abdul-Hamid was ordered by the court to surrender his passport. He was also placed on the OSP’s stop list, preventing him from using any of the country’s exit points to leave Ghana.

The OSP has filed 54 criminal charges against several top former and current NPA officials, along with associated business entities, for alleged large-scale extortion, abuse of public office, and money laundering.

OSP reacts to Mustapha Hamid’s ‘my matter is useless’ comment

The case, titled The Republic v. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid & 9 Ors (Cr/0603/2025), involves allegations of financial malfeasance totalling over GH¢291.5 million and US$332,407.47.

GH¢280m NPA Scandal: Mustapha Hamid, associates face money laundering, extortion charges

A report released by the OSP on October 19, 2025, alleged that officials of the state agency engaged in large-scale extortion, abuse of public office, and money laundering.

The accused persons are alleged to have extorted vast sums of money in both local and foreign currencies from bulk oil transporters and oil marketing companies while performing their official duties.

The proceeds were reportedly laundered through various means, including the acquisition of properties and the establishment of business entities, in an attempt to conceal the illicit origins of the funds.

The ten accused persons named in the charge sheet are:

Mustapha Abdul-Hamid

Jacob Kwamina Amuah

Wendy Newman

Albert Ankrah

Isaac Mensah

Bright Bediako-Mensah

Kwaku Aboagye Acquaah

Propnest Limited

Kel Logistics Limited

Kings Energy Limited

In connection with the trial, assets valued at over GH¢100 million have been seized and frozen by the state.

These assets include a range of properties believed to have been acquired using the alleged illicit funds, such as:

Vehicles, including tanker trucks

Fuel stations

Houses and apartments

Parcels of land

BAI/MA

Watch the promo to GhanaWeb’s latest documentary, which uncovers the evolution of ‘kayamata,’ an exploitative practice fueled by love charms and manipulation, titled, “The Dark Side of Kayamata,’ below:

‘Stop it right there!’ – Abena Osei-Asare ‘scolds’ Sam George at PAC sitting

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I recently listened to Dr Mensah Otabil, one of Ghana’s most eloquent preachers, speak about the debate on the use of Ghanaian languages in our classrooms. His argument, though intellectually stimulating, was deeply troubling. He suggested that English is now a global language and that languages rise and fall through history; that Latin once dominated and disappeared, and therefore we should be thankful that our own inherited tongue, English, happens to be the one the world now speaks.

He gave the example of Portuguese-speaking African countries whose isolation, he argued, shows the disadvantage of non-global languages. He even challenged his congregation to write a book in Dagaare or any Ghanaian language and see who would read it. These remarks, while rhetorically sharp, reflect a misunderstanding of what language truly represents and why the debate on mother-tongue education is not about global popularity, but about identity, power, and the liberation of the African mind.

The argument that English is global is true, but it is not profound. It tells us about history, not destiny. English became dominant not because it is inherently superior, but because it rode on the back of empire, conquest, and commerce. To celebrate this dominance as a blessing is to confuse survival with success. When a Ghanaian child is taught entirely in English, he or she learns to think through borrowed metaphors and imagine the world through foreign eyes. This is not empowerment; it is dependency. It produces generations fluent in the language of their colonisers but mute in the language of their own souls. Language, in an Afrocentric sense, is not merely a tool of communication; it is a vessel of being. Every word carries within it a people’s history, their moral rhythm, and their spiritual memory. To strip education of indigenous languages is to strip learning of identity and meaning.

Dr. Otabil’s comparison between English and Latin also misses the point. Latin did not die because it was weak; it evolved into Italian, Spanish, and French, languages that still carry its essence. The Romans never abandoned their linguistic heritage; they transformed it. If Ghana followed the same logic, we would be developing Twi, Ewe, Ga, Dagbani, Nzema, and Dagaare as academic and technological languages, allowing them to grow and modernise rather than decay from neglect. Languages die not because they lack beauty or structure, but because states abandon them. To call their death inevitable is to absolve ourselves of the responsibility to preserve our own voice.

Language also carries within it the pride of not living in another’s shadow. It is the quiet declaration that we do not need permission to exist, to think, or to name our own reality. People who abandon their language surrender not only their grammar but their dignity; they begin to borrow voices to express their pain and names to describe their dreams. No nation that speaks only in another’s language ever truly speaks for itself. When we glorify English as our fortune, we unwittingly thank history for our own dispossession. A confident nation does not measure its worth by how fluently it imitates others, but by how boldly it speaks in its own tongue.

You do not want your children to grow and become less assertive, folding inward like an octopus retreating into its shell. Already, there is a global fragmentation over who a true English speaker is. Some call theirs the original version, whether British, American, or Australian, and others who speak it with local colour or accent are dismissed as secondary speakers. That alone should tell us that language can make one subconsciously subservient. To constantly measure your voice by someone else’s standard is to live permanently in a state of apology. True liberation is when we no longer need linguistic permission to be confident.

Language is not just an academic concern; it is a moral and psychological question. In African cosmology, words are sacred because they embody spirit. To name something is to give it life. When we abandon the languages that shaped our ancestors’ prayers and philosophies, we disconnect from the moral rhythm that once ordered our communities. The crisis of self-doubt in postcolonial Africa is not genetic; it is linguistic. A child who is taught that his first language is backward will carry that shame into adulthood. Yet a nation that teaches its children in their own languages cultivates confidence, creativity, and belonging. This is why countries such as Japan, Korea, and Finland educate in their native languages yet lead the world in science and innovation. They understand that true development begins with self-understanding. They use English as a bridge, not as a throne.

The real issue is not English versus Twi or English versus Ewe; it is authentic thinking versus imitation thinking. When people are forced to think in a language that does not emerge from their cultural experience, they think for others rather than for themselves. Mother-tongue education does not isolate us from the world; it grounds us so we can meet the world as equals. English should remain a bridge to global discourse, but the foundation must be our own linguistic and cultural soil. A bridge without roots connects nothing; it floats in borrowed air.

Dr Otabil’s sermon reveals something deeper than theology; it reveals how thoroughly the African elite have internalised the logic of colonial modernity. We reject colonialism politically yet continue to defend it linguistically. To argue that we should be grateful for English is to confuse the chains for the crown. The decolonisation of the African mind cannot happen while we continue to think, dream, and define success in the vocabulary of our colonisers. To restore our languages in the classroom is not to turn backwards; it is to move forward on our own terms. It is to tell our children that their thoughts matter, that their grandmother’s language is capable of philosophy, and that the tongue that first called them by name is worthy of teaching science, law, and literature.

Language is the highest form of cultural sovereignty. People who cannot teach their children in their own language will always learn the world through another’s shadow. Our task is not to replace English with Akan or Ewe but to place English in its rightful position, a tool, not a teacher, a bridge, not a throne. The day Ghana rediscovers the pride and poetry of its own languages will be the day we stop apologising for our existence. For as long as we borrow words to name ourselves, we will remain a borrowed people. The freedom we seek is already in our tongue.

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By Dr Manaseh Mawufemor Mintah

Environmental Policy Scholar | Writer | Afrocentric Student

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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.