The visit was aimed at assessing the progress of facilities

The Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MESTI), Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to sustainable waste management and job creation through the circular economy framework.

As part of efforts to understand and enhance ongoing projects in the sector, he embarked on a tour of major recycling facilities under the “Establishing a Circular Economy Framework for the Plastic Sector in Ghana” (CEF-PS) Project on March 3, 2025.

The minister visited Nelplast Eco (Katamanso, Ashaiman), Universal Plastic Products and Recycling Ltd (Tema Motorway, Borteyman), SEA Recycling Company (Trade Fair), and the Integrated Recycling and Compost Plant (IRECOP) Zoomlion (James Town).

The visit aimed to assess the progress of these facilities, understand their needs, and ensure that government support is directed towards impactful projects.

Speaking during the tour, Murtala Mohammed emphasized the importance of firsthand assessment before approving funds for recycling initiatives.

“As a new minister, I took the time to review the projects the ministry is executing and those yet to be finalized. I felt it was necessary to bring myself up to speed and develop an appreciation for these projects,” he stated.

He explained that his visit was crucial in ensuring that financial resources allocated to these recycling initiatives were being utilized effectively.

“If I need to approve hundreds of thousands of dollars for a project, I need to see the facilities firsthand. I want to be convinced that what I am approving is worthwhile. The structures I have seen so far are encouraging,” he added.

The minister also highlighted the employment potential of these recycling projects, expressing optimism about the number of jobs that could be created across the country.

“It is refreshing to hear that the plan is to have similar facilities in every region. I can only imagine the number of jobs that will be generated as a result. However, beyond job creation, we must also ensure that the incentives provided are sustainable and do not lead to challenges like those we faced with electronic waste management,” he noted.

AM/KA

You can also watch Godfred Dame’s full speech on legal case withdrawals below:

The former Deputy Finance Minister, Dr Stephen Amoah, has stressed the urgent need for Ghana to address fundamental economic issues to achieve long-term stability.

Speaking on JoyNews PM Express on Monday, March 3, he argued that Ghana’s economic struggles are not limited to any particular administration but stem from deep-rooted structural problems that successive governments have failed to fix.

“There are so many wrong economic fundamentals that if we fail to realise and fix them, it doesn’t matter who is in government,” the Nhyiaeso MP stated.

One of the major concerns he highlighted was Ghana’s heavy dependence on imports, which he described as a major weakness.

According to him, the nation’s reliance on external economies makes it vulnerable to global shocks, as was evident in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“If you depend on somebody, it means that you are in trouble. If something happens to the person, it happens to you. I think one of such experiences is what we had after the COVID. You can say whatever you want, but we depend on somebody’s economy,” he explained.

He also stated that the high cost of doing business in Ghana is a major hindrance to economic growth, emphasising the need for structural reforms.

“A country that government, most of the time, borrows on the domestic market at a higher rate than the private sector is not done anywhere in the economic jurisdiction works that T-bills give you returns higher than comparative assets from the private sector,” he stated.

Dr Amoah further raised concerns about Ghana’s approach to monetary policy, particularly its inflation-targeting strategy.

He argued that while reducing inflation is important, there are broader economic factors that need to be addressed.

The Nhyiaeso legislator called for a strategic economic model that promotes self-reliance, reduces borrowing, and ensures a competitive business environment.

He insisted that without fixing these foundational issues, economic progress would remain elusive, regardless of which party is in power.

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The founding president and CEO of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has proposed a radical approach to governance reform aimed at tackling Ghana’s entrenched public financial mismanagement.

Speaking at the National Economic Dialogue in Accra, he introduced what he called the RESET Challenge— Revitalising the Economy through Stewardship & Ethical Transformation — a model designed to inject transparency, accountability, and intrinsic motivation into public service.

“The current approach to governance in Ghana is a broken machine running on outdated controls and suffocating bureaucracy. We need a system that promotes stewardship rather than just tightens bureaucratic nooses,” Mr Cudjoe declared.

He argued that Ghana’s political culture has trapped public officials in a cycle of self-preservation, where they manipulate the system for personal gain rather than serve the national interest.

The RESET model, he explained, is built on five key principles aimed at fostering ethical leadership:

1. Ministers and Chief Directors will voluntarily sign onto a transparent governance framework outlining a clear sectoral vision.

2. They will commit to radical transparency and open data policies to allow for public scrutiny.

3. They will host bi-weekly town halls—both virtual and physical—where all procurement, performance metrics, and policy decisions are openly discussed.

4. Citizens who participate will be enrolled into a stakeholder group that will provide continuous feedback on governance.

5. Every six months, public officials will be evaluated based on their performance and engagement.

“Our hope is that this will invigorate the current PFM controls and bring them to life in a way that makes them meaningful to citizens,” Franklin Cudjoe explained.

Read also: The governance albatross in public financial management: Time to consider the stewardship model?

IMANI’s proposal also seeks to ensure that public accountability is driven by public officials’ own patriotic ambition rather than external pressure or fear of audits.

“This is not just another government oversight mechanism. It is designed to be powered by the moral imagination of our public officials—those who truly desire to leave a legacy of progress,” he said.

Mr Cudjoe acknowledged that Ghana cannot entirely discard traditional oversight mechanisms, but he insisted that RESET would complement and enhance them.

“Naturally, this model will not replace the formal audits and PFM controls. But our hope is that it will infuse them with new energy, making governance more human-centered rather than purely bureaucratic,” he explained.

IMANI’s stewardship model, Cudjoe argued, is particularly crucial in a political landscape where partisanship and patronage have compromised decision-making.

“We have reached a stage where large partisan groupings actively lobby for public resources, disregarding national priorities. Our governance system must be built to withstand such sectional pressures,” he warned.

He also revealed that IMANI had previously experimented with a public sector leadership award, but found that traditional award schemes did not effectively boost intrinsic motivation.

“That was too top-down. RESET, on the other hand, is designed to be an organic system where public officials hold themselves accountable,” he explained.

Ending his presentation, Cudjoe challenged policymakers and the public to engage in the conversation and refine the RESET model.

“Join us in refining this idea or design your own even better stewardship model. But one thing is clear—Ghana cannot continue with business as usual. We must RESET governance if we are to secure the future of this nation,” he concluded.

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 objective of the visit was to gain deeper insights into the Commission’s operations

The Minister for Interior, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, accompanied by Acting Chief Director Doreen Annan, two Directors, his Personal Assistant, and the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry, paid a working visit to the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons (NACSA).

The objective of the visit was to gain deeper insights into the Commission’s operations, ongoing initiatives, and challenges.

Welcomed by the Executive Secretary, Dr. Adam Adamu Alhassan Bonaa, and the Management Team, the minister engaged with the leadership and staff of the Commission, including officers in the regional, municipal, and border offices who joined virtually.

He acknowledged NACSA’s significant contributions to promoting peace, security, and stability in Ghana and the broader ECOWAS region.

Muntaka reaffirmed his commitment to addressing some of NACSA’s pressing challenges, including securing a permanent office building for the Commission. He assured the Commission of his dedication to supporting its work.

He stressed that as the government continues to reset Ghana, no agency under the Ministry of the Interior would be left behind.

A key highlight of the minister’s visit was his pledge to work closely with the Commission to facilitate the passage of the National Control List and the proposed Arms Bill.

This legislation is expected to strengthen the country’s legal framework for arms control and enhance efforts to combat the illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons.

The minister also underscored the need for stronger collaboration and coordination among stakeholders to tackle the menace of illicit arms.

The visit marked a significant moment, serving as an opportunity for the minister to familiarize himself with the Commission’s work and as the first official engagement between the Ministry and the entire NACSA staff since Dr. Bonaa’s appointment as Executive Secretary.

Expressing his commitment to the role, Dr. Bonaa reaffirmed his dedication to advancing NACSA’s mandate of preventing, combating, and eradicating the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Ghana.

GA/KA

Meanwhile, watch a video of AG’s remarks on Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi’s arrest plus more others from the National Economic Dialogue 2025:

The original bill expired at the end of the previous parliament. It’s unclear whether the speaker of the new parliament will admit the bill for consideration.

Gay sex is already punishable by up to three years in prison in the conservative West African country.

President John Dramani Mahama has said he would prefer the bill to be state-sponsored, ensuring broader support and consultation.

“I do think that we should have a conversation on it again so that all of us, if we decide to move that bill forward, move it forward with a consensus”, he said.

Supporters claim the legislation would help preserve what they consider to be Ghanaian culture and family values.

However rights groups have decried the legislation as draconian.

“The anti-LGBT rights bill is inconsistent with Ghana’s long-standing tradition of peace, tolerance, and hospitality and flies in the face of the country’s international human rights obligations,” said Human Rights Watch researcher Larissa Kojoué last year.

“Such a law would not only further erode the rule of law in Ghana, but could also lead to further gratuitous violence against LGBT people and their allies.”

Va-Bene Elikem Fiatsi, a Ghanaian trans woman and LGBT activist, told the Reuters news agency the bill’s reintroduction was “disheartening and hard to process” but insisted LGBT activism would continue.

The bill’s potential impact on Ghana’s economy is a significant concern.

The country’s former finance minister warned that passing the bill could result in Ghana losing up to $3.8bn (£2.9bn) in development funding from the World Bank and affecting its $3 billion (£2.3bn) IMF support programme.

Opposition lawmaker John Ntim Fordjour told Reuters the country no longer needed to fear economic sanctions, citing the election of US President Donald Trump.

“The global political climate is favourable for conservative values as demonstrated in the bold conservative pronouncements of President Donald Trump,” he said.

The bill was first introduced to parliament in 2021 but has faced many delays.

Pope Francis is alert after suffering two episodes of “acute respiratory failure” on Monday afternoon, the Vatican has said.

Doctors were forced to intervene to clear mucus from the Pope’s lungs, an update from the Holy See said, though it said he was alert throughout.

The 88-year-old pontiff has resumed the use of an oxygen mask and ventilator to assist his breathing, but remains “alert, focused and cooperative”, the Vatican said.

This is now the third serious downturn since the 88-year-old pontiff was admitted to the hospital 18 days ago with pneumonia.

On Friday, Pope Francis suffered an “isolated” breathing crisis involving vomiting, the Vatican said.

Updates from the Holy See reported that he responded well to oxygen therapy, with Vatican officials saying on Sunday the Pope no longer required “non-invasive mechanical ventilation, only high-flow oxygen therapy”.

Following Monday’s episodes, Pope Francis has resumed that mechanical ventilation.

His illness has meant that Pope Francis has been unable to deliver his traditional Angelus prayer in person for three weeks in a row, with the Vatican publishing his written comments instead.

Officials said the text, sent from his hospital room in Rome, had been written “in the past few days”. In it, the Pope thanked people for their prayers and thanked his medical team for their care.

He will also miss the procession and mass this Wednesday that mark the first day of Lent, the six-week period leading to Easter.

Hundreds of Catholics gathered outside in St Peter’s Square on Monday for an eighth evening to pray for the Pope’s health, many carrying rosary beads as they headed across the cobbles towards the Basilica.

The crowd, a mixture of priests and nuns based in Rome and Catholic pilgrims here for a Jubilee year, were led by an American cardinal.

“I come every night to pray, but this night I am pretty worried,” Javier, a Romanian priest, voiced the feelings of many on the square. “We still have hope, but it doesn’t look good.”

“It looks bad, and that’s a shame because we really like Francis,” Patricia, a Spanish catholic from Toledo, told the BBC.

She was following the prayers with her husband and young daughter.

“He’s really opened the doors of the church to many, like LGBT people. I think they will look for a more conservative pope next, to stop the change.”

Catholics have also been visiting the Gemelli hospital in Rome to pray for him – hoping he might come to the window, as has happened in the past.

But although the Vatican recently described the Pope’s condition as stable, he remains too sick even to greet the crowd below.

The Pope was admitted to hospital on 14 February after experiencing breathing difficulties for several days.

He was first treated for bronchitis before being diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs.

The pontiff is particularly susceptible to pneumonia, an infection of the lungs that can be caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi, after he contracted pleurisy – an inflammation of the lungs – as a young man and had a partial lung removal.

Vatican sources stress, as they have all along, that the Pope’s condition remains complex – his doctors remain cautious – and he is not out of danger.

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Minister of Transport, Joseph Bukari Nikpe

Minister of Transport, Joseph Bukari Nikpe has directed the Director-General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), Brigadier-General Paul Seidu Tanye-Kulono, to investigate allegations of unjustifiable staff promotions within the Authority.

During a courtesy visit to GPHA, Mr. Nikpe emphasized that promotions should be based on merit and fairness, rather than political affiliations. He stressed that GPHA is a business entity and should operate with professionalism and efficiency, rather than allowing political considerations to influence its internal decisions.

“The port is a business hub, and all decisions made must reflect that reality.

Promotions should be fair and justified, not politically motivated,” the Minister stated.

In response, Brigadier-General Tanye-Kulono assured the Minister that he had already begun reviewing the promotions process, adding that any irregular advancements found would be reversed accordingly.

The directive is expected to restore transparency and integrity within GPHA’s human resource management, ensuring that promotions are granted equitably and based on competence.

Lawyers representing Dr. (MH) Williams Sarpong Anarfi, the Chief Executive Officer of Spintex Medical Center, have called on the public to dismiss what they describe as “false and baseless claims” made against their client on a social media broadcast.

In a statement issued by Gomdah & Associates on Monday, March 3, 2025, the firm said there has been an attempt to tarnish Dr. Anarfi’s reputation and expose him and his family to harm through misleading allegations. According to the legal firm, the claims were aired on a Facebook Live programme on the page Loud Silence Media between Wednesday, 26th February, and Friday, 28th February 2025.

The lawyers assert that the broadcasts falsely portrayed Dr. Anarfi as fraudulent and involved in shady dealings with the Presidency of Ghana, allegations they categorically deny.

“We also wish to state that our client is not fraudulent and has never been involved in any fraudulent deals with the Presidency of the Republic or anyone else, nor is he seeking to defraud anyone, including the Presidency,” the statement read.

The lawyers further clarified that Dr. Anarfi, a licensed medical professional and entrepreneur, is not a politician and does not reside in Dubai, countering claims suggesting otherwise.

“Indeed, our client has not even traveled to Dubai the whole of this year, and so the claim by [the broadcaster] that our client is currently in Dubai is completely false,” they added.

Gomdah & Associates suggested that the attacks on Dr. Anarfi may be linked to a business transaction he and his partners proposed to authorities, which could threaten the interests of others.

“Our client strongly believes that these personal attacks on him and his family… could only have been motivated by a motive to get our client and his partners to back out of a business transaction,” the statement noted.

The legal team also raised concerns about the broadcaster’s actions, which included posting pictures of Dr. Anarfi’s parents and naming his siblings, thereby inciting harm and hate against the family. The statement condemned the call to shut down Spintex Medical Center, located along Spintex Road in Accra, where Dr. Anarfi serves as CEO.

In response, the lawyers have announced plans to pursue legal action against the individual responsible, their media platform, and any facilitators of the publication, including Meta, for defamation.

“We wish to state that we have our client’s express instructions to institute legal proceedings,” they affirmed.

The statement, signed by Ali Gomdah Abdul-Samad, Esq., Head of Chambers, urged the public to disregard the allegations and uphold Dr. Anarfi’s “hard-earned respected reputation.”

GA

You can also watch Godfred Dame’s full speech on legal case withdrawals below:

Illegal mining has destroyed water bodies and farm lands

The Minority Caucus in Parliament has raised concerns over alleged illegal mining activities involving some key figures of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), just weeks after their electoral victory.

Addressing the press while presenting their alternative State of the Nation Address, the Minority acknowledged the long-standing challenges in the fight against illegal mining (galamsey), stating that successive governments have struggled to curb the menace.

“The fight against galamsey has been difficult, no doubt. President Mills struggled with it, President Mahama struggled with it in his first term, and despite the best of efforts, President Akufo-Addo also struggled with it,” the Minority stated.

They criticized the NDC for making “so much propaganda” about illegal mining while in opposition but failing to provide evidence before Parliament’s Appointments Committee to back their claims that the previous NPP government was complicit in galamsey.

The Minority further pointed to recent reports suggesting that some NDC leaders in the Ashanti Region have taken advantage of the situation and begun illegal mining operations.

“Media networks are now reporting that weeks after the election, known NDC kingpins in the Ashanti Region have invaded some forests and commenced galamsey activities,” they alleged.

Citing a January 19, 2025, report by the Daily Graphic, they revealed that about 60 illegal miners breached AngloGold Ashanti Mines’ security fence at Cote D with the aim of entering the Deep Decline.

“The decision to enter the Deep Decline was because of a promise made to these illegal miners by the leadership of the NDC during the campaign,” the Minority asserted.

They condemned what they described as double standards in the fight against illegal mining and urged the government to take swift action to prevent further environmental destruction.