Executives captured in a photo

In a bid to enhance bilateral trade relations between Ghana and Burkina Faso, the Acting Director-General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), Brigadier General Paul Seidu Tanye-Kulono, hosted a high-level delegation from the Burkinabé government at the Authority’s headquarters.

The delegation, led by Ghana’s Special Envoy to the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), Col. (Rtd.) Larry Gbevlo-Lartey, included Burkina Faso’s Minister of Industry, Commerce, and Handicrafts, Serge Poda, Minister of Energy and Mines, Yacouba Zabré, Minister of Environment, Water, and Sanitation, Monsieur Roger Baro; and Burkina Faso’s Ambassador to Ghana, His Excellency David Kabre.

Key stakeholders from various sectors of the Burkinabé economy were also present.

The Burkinabé delegation reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening trade ties with Ghana, emphasizing their preference for Ghana’s ports as the main gateway for transit trade within the Alliance of Sahel States.

Brigadier General Tanye-Kulono assured the delegation of GPHA’s dedication to fostering trade growth and improving economic opportunities for both nations.

“We are committed to realizing the vision of our leaders in boosting trade and enhancing the standard of living for our citizens. We plan to visit Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger to explore avenues for greater collaboration and increased transit trade. Rest assured, we will take the necessary steps to ensure a seamless and efficient trade environment,” he stated.

He further highlighted ongoing efforts to reduce the cost of doing business at Ghana’s ports, revealing that discussions with customs and other key stakeholders are in progress to implement a 24-hour operational system within the clearance chain.

Col. (Rtd.) Larry Gbevlo-Lartey underscored President John Dramani Mahama’s commitment to deepening bilateral ties with Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. He urged all stakeholders to actively contribute to initiatives that would enhance trade and improve living standards across the region.

“The President of Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have discussed building very strong bilateral relations to improve the living standards of their people.

So, I want to urge everyone to play their role not only to do the things that they have been asked to do, but to help in the thinking that will contribute initiatives to make it possible,” he emphasised.

This meeting marks a significant step toward strengthening economic ties and facilitating seamless trade between Ghana and Burkina Faso, paving the way for broader cooperation within the Sahel region.

Deputy Chair of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Victor Brobbey, has expressed worry about the apathetic posture of young people in the 2024 election process.

He observed the youth were either not interested or played along the campaigning with corrupt motives.

He was addressing a youth dialogue event for tertiary student leaders at the KNUST.

“It appears to be that the youth in Ghana seem to be uninterested and more cynical about the political process and about political governance in general,” he stated.

According to Mr. Brobbey, “there were some concerning trends that we felt we needed to address. One of those trends concerns the youth and their role they played in the election.

All these we felt required us to respond by doing programs such as the one we did today to build the capacity with youth and make them more aware of the way in which our governance system can be used more to their advantage,” he explained.

He noted the low voter turnout was partly due to more young people absenting themselves due to their lack of interest.

“The turnout was low throughout the election. I think the turnout was about 60% or so. But it was particularly bad amongst the youth in terms of the things that drive less than positive outcomes in the elections and those tend to be focused or done by the youth. So political activists use the youth to engage in violence and politically disruptive processes,” he said. 

The Deputy Chair of NCCE admonished the youth to get involved in governance and in choosing the right leaders for the country.

“If you do not participate in your governance, you are going to end up being governed by people that are your inferiors, nobody wants that,” he stated.

He urged the youth to actively participate in politics as the youth will ‘inherit democracy.’

“All we need you to do is to show an interest in the political activities of your country. Democracy is for you. As students and people who are going to inherit this democracy, we want your participation, your interest and your presence when we’re engaging,” he encouraged.

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Ing. Kwadwo Twum Boafo, the Chief Executive Officer of FIC

Ing. Kwadwo Twum Boafo, the Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) has underscored the centrality of a positive rating of Ghana by the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) to the successful implementation of the government’s flagship program, the 24-hour economy.

According to him, the success of the 24-hour economy policy hinges on investors’ absolute confidence in Ghana’s economy.

He stated that there would be no better endorsement of the country’s economy than a verdict by GIABA, the regional body of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), affirming that Ghana has a robust and effective anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism financing regime.

It is on the back of this recognition that the FIC under the leadership of Ing. Twum Boafo is working tirelessly and collaboratively with other institutions to ensure that Ghana chalks positive results from the 3rd Round Mutual Review by GIABA.

He noted that various agencies, such as the Bank of Ghana, Ghana Police Service, National Security, and EOCO, among others, are working around the clock to ensure that, by the time the mutual review kicks off in 2026, Ghana will have addressed any shortcomings that could lead to the country being grey or black-listed by FATF.

“President Mahama’s pivot is the 24-hour economy which will enhance the living of Ghanaians and to do that he needs confidence in the finance sector because without that confidence, the 24-hour economy will be dead on arrival. What we are doing is to make sure Ghana is not grey-listed,” he said.

“We should know that the criminals never stop operating so its an ongoing fight and we are here to make sure we are always ten steps ahead of the criminals. I want to assure all Ghanaians that we are doing our best to ensure that nothing untoward happens and we are doing our best to ensure that failure isn’t an option,” he added.

The Director General of the Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), Edwin W. Harris Jr., acknowledged the growing challenge of money laundering in the region and assured that measures are being taken to combat the illicit activity.

“The issue of money laundering in our region is a challenge. However, GIABA and member states are working assiduously to combat this illicit crime. Money laundering and all transnational crimes remain a serious challenge for investment and economic growth,” he stated.

The Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), on the other hand, has been actively collaborating with various institutions to address financial crimes.

Executive Director of EOCO, Abdulai Bashiru Dapilah, highlighted the importance of inter-agency cooperation in tackling money laundering.

“People engage in tax fraud, and some bring in money without passing through the necessary channels. EOCO cannot do it alone, so we collaborate with the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), the Bank of Ghana, and other financial institutions to tackle money laundering. We have recovered over GHS 200 million, as well as properties and other assets,” he revealed.

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Henry Osei Akoto is a leading figure of the NDC

A leading member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Henry Osei Akoto, has expressed his shock over the recent development regarding the arrest of a suspect in connection with the murder of Ahmed Suale.

According to him, it is surprising that just a few days after the dismissal of former Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare, a suspect has been detained in the high-profile case.

He questioned Dampare’s performance during his tenure as IGP, asking what he had done over the years to apprehend those responsible or make any progress in solving the tragic murder of the investigative journalist, Ahmed Suale, seven years after the incident.

The politician, seeking answers on whether the turn of events was merely coincidental, expressed his thoughts on the swift arrest made following the recent change in the police administration.

He also questioned the timing of the development, suggesting that the speed of the arrest seemed notable after the shift in leadership.

“Dampare sacked, and in just 3 days, a suspect has been arrested in the Ahmed Suale murder case. What was Dampare doing for 3 and a half years?” he questioned in a post on his X account on March 17, 2025.

Meanwhile, the suspect arrested in connection with the murder of the late investigative journalist, Ahmed Suale, allegedly leaked the deceased’s pictures to a Ghanaian politician.

According to a report by myjoyonline.com, a source at the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police Service disclosed that a high-ranking member is attempting to interfere in the police’s investigation.

The said officer is allegedly pushing for the suspect to be granted police inquiry bail rather than being immediately processed to court.

This, they say, has, however, created unrest within the police administration as the investigators are determined to resist the influence of the said officer.

It emerged on Monday, March 17, 2025, that the Ghana Police Service arrested Daniel Owusu Koranteng, also known as Akwasi Amakye, in connection with the killing of investigative journalist Ahmed Suale in 2019.

Reports indicate that Amakye, a former colleague of Suale at Tiger Eye Private Investigations, allegedly leaked his photos to a politician before the tragic incident.

Following the murder, Amakye fled to the UK but recently returned to Ghana, leading to his arrest at a salon at Amasaman-Adease.

Dampare sacked, and in just 3 days, a suspect has been arrested in the Ahmed Suale murder case.

What was Dampare doing for 3 and a half years?

— Henry Osei Akoto (@HenryOseiAkoto_) March 17, 2025

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Director of Presidential Initiatives in Agriculture and Agribusiness, Dr. Peter Boamah Otokunor

The Director of Presidential Initiatives in Agriculture and Agribusiness, Dr. Peter Boamah Otokunor, has accused the Akufo-Addo-led government of misappropriating funds.

According to him, the monies meant for the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) project went into private pockets instead of being invested in the program.

Speaking to GhanaWeb Business on the sidelines of the UPSA-IERPP Post Budget Forum in Accra on March 14, 2025, Otokunor stated that the PFJ did not achieve its intended purpose, as no jobs were created, nor was there an abundance of food in the country.

In an exclusive interview with GhanaWeb’s Ernestina Serwaa Asante, he said, “We have realized that the investments that our friends made in agriculture in the past were investments that went into private pockets.”

“Unfortunately, most of the implementations of their policies, like PFJ One and PFJ Two, we saw them planting for food and jobs, but the plant never turned into food, and it never turned into jobs. And so that means that the monies went somewhere,” he added.

To address this, Otokunor explained that the government is combining two old models of input support to make the agricultural sector more robust.

He noted that the government will operate a 360-degree farmer service center. This initiative will prioritize the procurement of inputs at subsidized rates, access to a farmer credit system, and the training of farmers, among other measures.

The Nana Akufo-Addo administration spent GH¢2.9 billion on its flagship Planting for Food and Jobs program between 2017 and 2023.

The program aimed to ensure Ghana’s food security in grains such as rice, maize, soya, and sorghum; plantain, roots, and tubers like cassava and yam; as well as broiler production and processing.

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