The NIA says it has cleared a backlog of Ghana Cards since 2023

The National Identification Authority (NIA) has called on applicants whose National Identification Cards have been with the Authority since 2023 to pick them up, effective today, April 7, 2025.

According to a communiqué issued by the Authority, the issuance of printed backlogs and first-time registration of Ghana Cards will begin in all NIA District Offices in the Greater Accra Region on Monday, April 7, 2025.

“All Ghanaians who applied for the first issuance, replacement, or update of personal records from June 2023 in Greater Accra and have not yet received their cards are assured that, effective Monday, 7th April 2025, the issuance of the Ghana Cards will begin at the respective District Offices (in Greater Accra) where they registered.”

“Additionally, all Ghanaians aged 15 years and above who have not yet registered for the Ghana Card are encouraged to visit any NIA District Office in the Greater Accra Region starting Monday, 7th April 2025, to get registered,” a statement by the NIA sighted by GhanaWeb Business read.

The Acting Executive Secretary of the NIA, Yayra Koku, stated that all districts have been provided with enough blank cards to print cards for new applicants for free, except for replacements and updates (which require the replacement of a card), for which applicants are to pay GH¢125 and GH¢60, respectively.

“All other regions (Volta and Oti excluded) have received sufficient cards to print all backlogs. We will notify the general public when the cards are ready for collection,” he wrote on his page on X.

The NIA emphasised that the issuance of printed backlog Ghana Cards and first-time issuance (new registrations) at all NIA District Offices are free of charge.

“The public is urged to report any NIA staff who demands a fee in exchange for these services,” the statement added.

The National Identification Authority reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that all Ghanaians possess the Ghana Card for identification purposes.

SSD/MA

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One of the supposed certified Bank of Ghana boxes

The Director in Charge of Special Operations at the National Security Secretariat, Richard Jakpa, has claimed that the Bank of Ghana has confirmed ownership of boxes containing millions of counterfeit cedi and dollar notes found in 12 shipping containers intercepted at a warehouse in Sapeiman, Accra.

Speaking to the media at the warehouse in a video shared by Citi FM, Jakpa indicated that the reason for his heightened concern is that the boxes containing the counterfeit currency have been confirmed as belonging to the Bank of Ghana.

He alleged that not only had the central bank confirmed the boxes used in the importation of fresh currency into the country as theirs, but the inscriptions on the boxes indicated that the monies they contained had been certified as authentic.

“This is the reason why I’m serious about this. These are Bank of Ghana boxes. These are the same boxes used to import currency, when we print money outside Ghana, they arrive in boxes like this.

“We brought in Bank of Ghana officials, and they admitted these are their boxes. And you see this ‘RMD’, it means the money that came in was certified as genuine and intact by the Bank of Ghana. This is their own certification,” he said, pointing at one of the boxes in the container.

He added, “When I asked them, they said ‘yes, it is from their office, they wrote this.’ So I asked, what are your boxes doing in this place?”

The National Security director stated that the containers had not yet been fully opened, as investigations were still ongoing to identify the individuals responsible for the items.

He also noted that the agency had gathered evidence linking some suspects to the warehouse in question.

Background:

National Security officers recently intercepted a massive stash of counterfeit US dollars, Ghanaian cedi notes, and suspected gold bars hidden in 12 shipping containers at a warehouse in Sapeiman, Accra.

According to multiple reports on X, two of the containers are still missing, and a manhunt has been launched for suspects, including a ringleader known only as “Alhaji.”

The containers were traced to a warehouse in the Ga South Municipality, where a late-night special operation was conducted following a tip-off.

The counterfeit currencies, primarily bundles of US dollars, were discovered concealed in wooden boxes covered with cement. Additional fake notes were also found in boxes sealed with plywood and layered with charcoal.

In addition to the counterfeit cash, boxes containing metal bars suspected to be gold, along with fake Ghana Army uniforms and boots, were also discovered.

Two of the containers remain unaccounted for and are currently being actively tracked by National Security operatives.

BAI/MA

Meanwhile, catch the first in the series of our special episodes on Forgotten Forts on People and Places on GhanaWeb TV below. This episode focuses on Fort Amsterdam at Abandze:

By Daniel Agbesi Latsu

Kadjebi (O/R), April 7, GNA – Mr. Moses Komla, a Kadjebi-based Carpenter, died on the spot when his motorbike crashed into a stationary cargo truck with registration number WR 3274 C parked at Dzindziso, a farming community in the Oti Region.

Mr. Komla, who was carrying his friend, Assistant Station Officer (ASO) Edward Amedy of the Kadjebi District Command of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), was returning from Dodi-Papase, another farming community in the Kadjebi District, when the unfortunate incident occurred between 1830 and 1900 hours on Sunday, April 6.

Mr. Hamza Lucman, an Assemblyman for Dzindziso Electoral Area, stated in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that he received a distress call about the accident that night.

When he arrived at the scene, he found the deceased lying on the ground, while ASO Amedy was also on the ground but conscious.

He mentioned that the Police, with the support of residents, transported the injured to St. Mary Theresa Catholic Hospital, Dodi-Papase, while the deceased was taken deposited to the Hospital’s Morgue.

Mr. Luckman said the accident might have resulted from the cargo truck, as the driver parked the faulty car in the middle of the road without any road sign.

Superintendent Frank Nana Asomaning, the Kadjebi District Police Commander, confirmed the accident when reached by GNA and stated that investigations are ongoing.

GNA

MA/CA

Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Kumbungu Constituency, Ras Mubarak, on April 9, 2021 opined that the cultivation and commercialization of marijuana can lead Ghana to become the highest foreign exchange earner.

“In Ghana, we have large tracts of land which support the growth of marijuana and promise higher yields. It will also create jobs for our farmers who after harvesting their food crops have to wait till another planting season, leaving their lands fallow. But if we can plant marijuana during that fallow period, it’ll be a huge source of revenue to the country”, he said.

Read the full story originally published on April 9, 2021 by happyghana.

Former Member of Parliament (MP) for the Kumbungu Constituency, Ras Mubarak says Ghana should begin to appreciate the immense economic value of marijuana rather than keep classifying it as an illegal substance.

He argues that legalizing and commercializing the substance under strict regulations can ultimately lead to it surpassing cocoa and oil to becoming the highest foreign exchange earner for the country.

According to him, Canada and the United States of America are both raking in billions of dollars annually from the commercialization of marijuana and wants Ghana to follow suit.

“We need to dissuade the minds of people. We’ve depended so much on cocoa and soon we will have to stop relying on oil too and we will not be gaining any revenue from that. So we need to look at generating revenue from our other resources”, he stated.

He believes Ghana has arable farmland to produce and compete if not surpass the multi-billion dollar marijuana industry of Canada and the US. “In Ghana, we have large tracts of land which support the growth of marijuana and promise higher yields. It will also create jobs for our farmers who after harvesting their food crops have to wait till another planting season, leaving their lands fallow. But if we can plant marijuana during that fallow period, it’ll be a huge source of revenue to the country”, he mentioned.

Ras Mubarak was interviewed on the Happy Morning Show hosted by Raymond Nyamador and aired on e.TV Ghana and Happy98.9FM.

Especially in the era of COVID-19 and with the country facing economic challenges, the politician believes Ghana would have been better off had it legalized the use and sale of Marijuana strictly for industrial and medicinal purposes.

The farmer who insists he has never intentionally ingested marijuana shared that he might have used eye-drops and hair creams which were made from the substance. “The closest I have ever come to taking marijuana was when someone gave me ice cream which I did not know was made from weed”.

The battle to legalize Marijuana in Ghana has increased in recent times with celebrities, MPs and others championing the cause.

In March 2020 however, the Ghanaian Parliament passed the Narcotics Control Commission Bill, which will allow the use and cultivation of Marijuana for medical and industrial uses — but only the variety that is better known as hemp.

The new law limits the allowable concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the plants — the substance that gets people high — to not more than 0.3%.

Recreational Marijuana use remains illegal in Ghana.

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Bank of Ghana’s new Headquarters

The Bank of Ghana (BoG) is set to auction $120 million to Bulk Oil Distribution Companies (BDCs) in the second quarter of 2025.

This forms part of its broader strategy to ease foreign exchange demand pressures and support the stability of the Ghana cedi.

The auction calendar, according to a news article on bog.gov.gh, scheduled across six dates from April to June, are exclusively for Bulk Oil Distribution Companies to secure dollars for petroleum imports, a key driver of forex demands in the country.

Each auction will offer $20 million, bringing the total allocation for the second quarter to $120 million.

The auctions form part of targeted interventions by the Central Bank to manage volatility in the foreign exchange market, especially in the downstream petroleum sector where dollar demand is typically high.

According to the published calendar, the first auction is set for April 10, with subsequent auctions on April 29, May 14 , May 28, June 12 and June 26.

“The Bank of Ghana announces for the information of all Authorised Foreign Exchange Dealing Banks, the Bulk Oil Distribution Companies (BDCs) FX forward Auction Calendar for the second quarter of 2025. In accordance with the BDCs Forex Forward Auction guidelines, bids are invited as per the prescribed format to purchase United States Dollars against Ghana cedis, separately on each auction date and should be submitted via the dedicated email of the bank,” it said.

Bids are to be submitted by authorised foreign exchange dealing banks on behalf of BDCs during designated hours on each auction day.

The results of each auction will be announced later in the afternoon.

The Central Bank has also urged all authorised dealers to adhere strictly to the auction guidelines available on its website.

SP/AE

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A STUDENT of the Adventist Senior High School (SHS) in Kumasi, who perhaps wanted to show off by taking his father’s gun to school, has ended up shooting another student, causing facial injuries to her.

The suspect, a second-year student, (name withheld) took his father’s locally manufactured pistol to school without his father’s knowledge last Friday.

He was, reportedly, showing the gun to his friend when the pistol accidentally fell down and fired. The pellets of the bullets then hit the face his female colleague (name withheld), also a second-year student who was at the scene.

She suffered facial injuries and was rushed to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, where she was treated. The suspect was also arrested by the police to assist in investigations.

Efforts were also being made to arrest the suspect’s father, who is said to be the owner of the locally manufactured pistol, to assist the police in their investigations.

According to grapevine sources, some angry people at the scene, initially attempted to manhandle the student, but he was saved and handed over to the school authorities.

Police Statement

The Ashanti Regional Police Command, in a press release, confirmed the disturbing shooting report and said they have initiated an investigation into the Friday, April 4, 2025 shooting incident.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that a 16-year-old second-year student (name withheld) brought a locally manufactured pistol loaded with one BB ammunition to school.

“The student allegedly attempted to show the firearm to his classmate. During the exchange, the firearm accidentally discharged, hitting another student,” the statement, sighted by the paper, disclosed.

Authored by DSP Godwin Ahianyo of the Ashanti Regional Police Public Affairs, the report disclosed that the juvenile suspect has since been apprehended and detained, adding that the empty cartridge has been recovered and retained as evidence.

“During the questioning, the suspect stated that he took the weapon from his father’s bedroom without his father’s knowledge,” he said, indicating that the suspect’s father, who is the owner of the gun, would be arrested.

“Authorities are actively working to locate and arrest the father to assist with the investigation,” police statement, which was written on April 5, 2025, indicated.

School’s Statement

Meanwhile, the Headmistress of the Adventist SHS, Grace Kafui Ayi, in a press release, said the school swiftly reported the case to the police when they heard about the shooting incident.

She said per their investigations, they learned that the suspect was said to have threatened to shoot his colleague student with the gun, prior to the shooting incident.

“The incident happened on April 4, 2025 at 9:30am when the school was on break (first break). Per investigation from other students in his class, one male student indicated that he (the suspect) showed him the gun. He pointed the gun at him (Samuel Manu).

“Samuel out of fear hit the gun to other direction and it triggered and hit the face of the victim, and she started bleeding profusely. It was then reported to the school authorities,” the headmistress said.

FROM I.F. Joe Awuah, Kumasi

Long, flowing wigs and weave extensions have dominated the catwalks of Ivory Coast’s massively popular beauty pageants for years.

Contestants in the West African nation often spend a huge amount of money on their appearance, from outfits to hairdos – with very few choosing the natural look.

In more than six decades, there have only been two notable exceptions, the most recent was Marlène-Kany Kouassi, who took the Miss Ivory Coast title in 2022 – looking resplendent with her short natural hair, the crown becoming her only adornment.

Her victory was not only unusual in Ivory Coast but across the world, where Western beauty standards are often the desired look both for those entering contests and for the judges.

Changes are slowly creeping in – last December Angélique Angarni-Filopon, from the French Caribbean island of Martinique, made headlines when she was crowned Miss France, mainly because of her age – she is 34 – and she also sported short Afro hair.

But this year the organisers of the Ivorian competition are shaking things up right from the start.

Wigs, weaves and hair extensions have been banned from the preliminary stages of the competition, which are held in 13 cities across the country (as well as two abroad for those in the diaspora).

“We want the candidates to be natural – whether with braids or straightened hair, it should be their own. Beauty must be raw,” Victor Yapobi, president of the Miss Ivory Coast organising committee, told the BBC.

Ivory Coast is the only African country enforcing the ban for a national competition.

Mr Yapobi said the organisers in Ivory Coast had long been trying to promote a more natural look – for example cosmetic surgery is a no-no and skin lightening is frowned upon.

“We decided this year to truly showcase the natural beauty of these young women,” he said.

Other changes have also been implemented, like allowing slightly shorter women to compete – the minimum is now 1.67m (5.4ft), increasing the age by three years to 28 and – crucially – lowering the entrance fee by more than $30 (£25) to $50.

“This change in criteria is because we observed these young women were putting up a lot of money to participate, and it was becoming a bit of a budget drain.”

When the BBC joined the first preliminary pageant in Daloa, the main city in the western region of Haut-Sassandra, one contestant was overjoyed by the new rules – feeling it gave her a better chance of success as she prefers not to wear wigs.

“I would see other girls with long, artificial hair, and they looked so beautiful,” 21-year-old Emmanuella Dali, a real estate agent, told the BBC.

“This rule gives me more pride as a woman – as an African woman.”

The move aimed at celebrating natural African beauty has sparked a lively debate across the country, where wigs and extensions are popular.

As a fashion choice, many women love the creativity that wigs and weaves allow them. They also serve as what is called “protective style”, which means minimising the daily pulling and tugging on hair that can cause breakages.

This was reflected by some contestants in Daloa who felt the rule removed an element of personal expression.

“I’m a wigs fan. I love wigs,” said contestant and make-up artist Astrid Menekou. The 24-year-old told the BBC she was initially shocked by the no-wig, no-extensions stipulation.

“I didn’t expect this rule! But now? I like my hair, and that’s OK.”

The new rule has made the competitors think more about concepts of beauty – and changed some opinions, like those of Laetitia Mouroufie.

“Last year, I had extensions because I thought that’s what beauty meant,” the 25-year-old student told the BBC.

“This year, I feel more confident being myself.”

Should the competition influence attitudes beyond the pageant world, it could have huge economic implications.

Wigs from human hair, which can last for years if cared for properly, can range in price from an estimated $200 to $4,000, while synthetic ones cost around $10 to $300.

Ivory Coast’s hair industry is worth more than $300m a year, with wigs and weaves making up a significant share of that market.

“This rule is not good for us,” Ange Sea, a 30-year-old hairdresser in Daloa, told the BBC.

“Many women love wigs. This will hurt our business and we make more money when working with wigs and weaves.”

At her salon, glue will be used to carefully attach wigs to make them look more natural and women will spend hours having weaves and extensions put in.

It shows how deeply engrained wig culture is in West Africa, despite a natural hair movement that has been gaining momentum among black women around the world over the last decade.

Natural hair products have become much more readily available and natural hair influencers proliferate on social media worldwide with advice on how to manage and style natural hair, which can be time-consuming.

It used to be considered unprofessional to wear one’s hair naturally and it would have been extraordinary to see black female TV stars on screen or CEOs in the boardroom with natural hair.

According to Florence Edwige Nanga, a hair and scalp specialist in the main Ivorian city of Abidjan, this is often still the case in Ivory Coast.

“Turn on the TV [here], and you’ll see almost every journalist wearing a wig,” the trichologist told the BBC.

“These beauty enhancements are fashionable, but they can also cause problems – like alopecia or scalp infections,” she warned.

With the preliminary rounds under way, arguments over whether pageants should be setting beauty rules or women should decide such things for themselves continues.

The outcome may be that there is more of an acceptance of both in Ivory Coast, allowing women to switch styles up – between natural hair and wigs and weaves.

Mr Yapobi said the feedback he had received over the new rules was “extraordinary” and clearly showed it was having an impact.

“Everyone congratulates us. Everyone, even from abroad. I receive emails and WhatsApp messages from everywhere congratulating us for wanting to return to our roots.”

He said no decision had been taken about whether the wig ban would apply to the 15 contestants who make it to the final of Miss Ivory Coast 2025.

This extravaganza will take place at a hotel in Abidjan at the end of June and will be broadcast on national TV.

“If it works, we’ll continue and carry on this initiative in the years to come,” Mr Yapobi said.

For Doria Koré, who went on to be named Miss Haut-Sassandra, her crown holds even more significance: “Winning with natural hair shows the true beauty of African women.”

Ms Dali said she was walking away with something even more valuable – self-confidence: “I didn’t win, but I feel proud. This is who I am.”

National Security officials discover fake BoG cash boxes

The discovery of official Bank of Ghana (BoG) cash boxes at the center of a major counterfeiting operation at Sapeiman, a suburb of the Ga West Municipality in the Greater Accra Region, has raised serious concerns over potential regulatory failures and the security of Ghana’s financial systems.

The incident has brought to light the alarming possibility of insider involvements in what is being described as one of the most sophisticated criminal operations uncovered in recent years.

During a site inspection, the Director of Special Operations at the National Security Secretariat, Richard Jakpa, confirmed that the recovered money boxes were authentic Bank of Ghana properties.

“Authorities have verified that these boxes are genuine,” Jakpa stated, raising further questions about how state-sanctioned financial assets ended up in the hands of a covert criminal network.

The operation, uncovered in February, was being conducted under the guise of a modest battery-charging shop located in an abandoned building.

The elderly man running the shop, known locally as the “Battery Doctor,” is suspected of serving as a front for the illegal activities, including the large-scale production of counterfeit currency and fake gold bars.

Authorities seized ten 40-foot containers filled with forged Ghanaian cedi and US dollar notes, along with gold-plated metals.

SP/AE

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Accra, April 7, GNA – Consolidated Bank Ghana LTD (CBG) Monday  announced the appointment of Dr Naomi Wolali Kwetey as the new Managing Director of the Bank, effective March 26, 2025.

“She takes over from Mr. Daniel Wilson Addo, who has served CBG as Managing Director from its inception on August 1, 2018,” an official press release issued to the Ghana News Agency, said in Accra.

The Board Chairman, Mr. Yaw Asamoah, expressed his profound appreciation to Mr. Daniel Wilson Addo, the outgoing Managing Director, for his visionary leadership.

 “Mr. Addo has been instrumental in establishing a strong foundation for the Bank, navigating challenging waters, and ensuring growth and stability,” the release quoted him as saying.

“His tenure has had a lasting impact, and the Board extend their deepest gratitude for his invaluable contributions. We wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”

Dr Naomi Wolali Kwetey, according to the release,  “brings 30 years of extensive experience in the financial sector, covering corporate relationship management, treasury, credit administration, branch banking marketing, and operational risk management.”

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Ghana, a Master of Business Administration in International Banking and Finance from the Birmingham Business School, and a Doctorate in Business Administration and Management from Nobel International Business School (NiBS).

“With her extensive background in banking, finance, and strategic management, Dr. Naomi Wolali Kwetey brings her expertise to steer the affairs of CBG, accelerating impact and propelling transformative growth,” the Board noted.

It reaffirmed CBG’s commitment to delivering “customer-centric innovations and sustainable financial solutions with a strategic focus on SME lending, digital banking expansion, and corporate partnerships.”

GNA

BAS

Students of East Airport International School (EAIS) in Accra have been introduced to Project-Based Learning (PBL) through a specialised session on the theme: “Understanding the Role of Hydrogen in Electric Mobility.”

The initiative forms part of ongoing efforts to transform STEM education in Ghana by equipping students with practical skills and innovative thinking for solving real-world challenges.

Funded by The British Council and The Royal Academy of Engineering, the initiative is part of a broader project to embed PBL methods into Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education in Ghana with clean energy taking centre stage.

Hydrogen, often described as the fuel of the future, was brought to life in the classroom as students explored its real-world applications in electric mobility.

Through an interactive session led by Dr. Tabbi Wilberforce Awotwe a Ghanaian-born lecturer in Engineering Education at King’s College London, students were encouraged to think creatively, brainstorming their own hydrogen-powered vehicle ideas while examining the environmental advantages of sustainable transport.

“I am truly honoured to have engaged with such enthusiastic learners and dedicated educators,” Dr. Awotwe remarked after the session. “Project-Based Learning goes beyond classroom instruction — it transforms students into problem solvers and innovators. Ghana is full of talent, and initiatives like this are essential in unlocking that potential.”

His call for long-term partnerships between Ghanaian and UK institutions also signals a growing recognition of the need for global collaboration in addressing climate challenges through education.

“We need to move beyond one-off engagements,” he added. “There is a need for structured, long-term collaboration that allows for shared learning, exchange programmes, joint curriculum development, and co-supervised student projects.”

The programme, still in its early stages, is expected to reach over 650 students nationwide, not just in high schools but also at the university level. Its goal is to nurture a generation of innovators ready to work in emerging fields like clean energy, robotics, and artificial intelligence.

Teachers at EAIS hailed the session as both inspiring and transformative, noting the enthusiasm and curiosity it sparked among students. “Our students were actively engaged, asking questions, thinking critically, and coming up with innovative ideas,” said one STEM coordinator. “This is exactly the kind of exposure they need to prepare for the future.”

As Ghana rethinks its education strategy to align with sustainable development goals, the integration of clean energy topics into STEM classrooms reflects a growing awareness that tomorrow’s engineers and scientists must also be environmental stewards.

This new direction in STEM education could position Ghana not just as a consumer of clean technologies, but as a leader in African-driven solutions for a greener future.

National Security officials discover BoG cash boxes

The discovery of official Bank of Ghana (BoG) cash boxes at the center of a major counterfeiting operation at Sapeiman, a suburb of the Ga West Municipality in the Greater Accra Region, has raised serious concerns over potential regulatory failures and the security of Ghana’s financial systems.

The incident has brought to light the alarming possibility of insider involvements in what is being described as one of the most sophisticated criminal operations uncovered in recent years.

During a site inspection, the Director of Special Operations at the National Security Secretariat, Richard Jakpa, confirmed that the recovered money boxes were authentic Bank of Ghana properties.

“Authorities have verified that these boxes are genuine,” Jakpa stated, raising further questions about how state-sanctioned financial assets ended up in the hands of a covert criminal network.

The operation, uncovered in February, was being conducted under the guise of a modest battery-charging shop located in an abandoned building.

The elderly man running the shop, known locally as the “Battery Doctor,” is suspected of serving as a front for the illegal activities, including the large-scale production of counterfeit currency and fake gold bars.

Authorities seized ten 40-foot containers filled with forged Ghanaian cedi and US dollar notes, along with gold-plated metals.

SP/AE

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