play videoThe seat of government, the Flagstaff House, was renamed the Jubilee House

Did you know that the current seat of government, now known as the Jubilee House, once hosted the country’s first national zoo?

The first President of Ghana, the late Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, loved animals so much that he kept a collection of animals at the Office of the President, which used to be called the Flagstaff House.

Speaking to GhanaWeb’s Ernestina Serwaa Asante in a special edition of People & Places on GhanaWeb TV, the Director of the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, Edward Quao, narrated how Nkrumah’s love for animals led to Ghana having its first national zoo.

He said that what was Nkrumah’s private collection of both domestic and wild animals was later opened to the general public.

“Dr. Nkrumah, besides everything, was also a lover of animals. Most Ghanaians don’t know, but our first national zoo used to be at the Flagstaff House.

“It was his private collection… that was later made public, especially to kids. He was a lover of animals,” Quao said.

He also added that Nkrumah’s collection of animals included lions, crocodiles, and other wild animals.

“It was a zoo, so there was everything: the crocodiles, the lions, the peacocks, and all other animals were there,” he added.

Watch his remarks about the zoo in the full interview below (from: 22:00)

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You can also watch videos from the National Economic Dialogue below:

File photo of the Ghana flag

The ongoing debate about Ghana’s financial position following the transition from the Akufo-Addo administration to the John Dramani Mahama-led government has left many Ghanaians demanding one thing—transparency. The Majority claims the previous government left no financial buffers, while the Minority insists otherwise. But in all this back-and-forth, one crucial question remains unanswered: Where is the evidence?

If both parties are confident in their claims, the solution is simple—publish the handing-over financial statement and show Ghanaians the truth. Political debates and press conferences will not provide clarity; only official documents can settle the matter. Transparency should not be selective or delayed. The people of Ghana deserve to see the real financial state of the country at the time of transition.

Financial Records Should Not Be Secret

Government financial records, especially during a transition, should not be treated as secret documents accessible only to a select few. These records belong to the people of Ghana, who are the rightful custodians and have the right to know the exact financial standing of their country.

Looking back at previous transitions, financial transparency has always been a point of contention. During the handover from the Kufuor-led New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration to the Atta-Mills-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) in 2009, similar concerns arose. The same happened in 2017 when the NPP took over from the Mahama administration. In each case, political debates took centre stage, but what truly settled the arguments were official financial reports, not press statements or partisan interpretations.

This is why it is necessary for the financial statements to be published. If there is nothing to hide, there shouldn’t be any difficulty in making the figures public.

Revenue Alone Does Not Tell the Full Story

The Minority in Parliament has pushed back against claims that the Akufo-Addo government left no financial buffers. They argue that as of the end of 2024, the government left over GH¢5 billion in buffers from revenue collected by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) in the Treasury Main 2 Account.

However, there is a major flaw in this argument. The Former Minister of Finance, Hon. Mohammed Amin Adam, in his public address, emphasized that the GRA had collected a total of GH¢68.49 billion as of June 2024, surpassing its mid-year target of GH¢67.9 billion. While this demonstrates effective revenue collection, it does not account for the high expenditure incurred.

Revenue alone does not determine financial health—expenditure matters just as much. If the government collected significant revenue but spent even more, then the so-called GH¢5 billion buffer may not be as solid as it seems. Without a clear breakdown of how much was spent on the revenue generated, the real financial position remains uncertain.

Why the Delay in Making Figures Public?

The transition team has received full financial records. These include revenue reports, expenditure details, outstanding debts, and commitments made by the outgoing administration. It is, therefore, surprising that months after the transition, there is still uncertainty over the numbers.

Additionally, the outgoing government continued to operate on unrestricted expenditure until January 6, 2025. If they were operating with a budget, then where are the figures? What was allocated, and what was left behind? Was the GH¢5 billion spent? These are questions that need answers.

Hon. Felix Kwakye Ofosu, speaking on Newsfile hosted by Sampson Lardi Anyenini, noted that he has original copies of the bank statements as of the time they took over, which he could share with the host on Newsfile on Joy News TV. So what prevents them from sharing them with the public?

Ghanaians Deserve the Truth

At the heart of this debate is a simple reality: Ghana’s economy belongs to the people, not political parties. The ongoing disagreements do not benefit the ordinary Ghanaian, who is more concerned about job creation, stable inflation, and economic growth than about which political party wins an argument.

The only way to move forward is for both parties to release the balance sheet. If the figures are clear and unaltered, the public can independently assess the situation.

For too long, Ghana’s politics has been filled with accusations and counter-accusations. The time for speculation is over. It is time to back words with action. Publish the balance sheet now and let the facts speak for themselves.

The Founding President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has stated the name of an individual he believes to be behind the disparaging ‘daughter of a murderer’ comment made during parliamentary proceedings on February 4, 2025.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, Franklin Cudjoe identified the individual he claimed is responsible for the remarks as ‘Abu.’

He urged this ‘Abu’ to take responsibility for his comments and issue an apology to the Member of Parliament of Klottey Korle, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, for making such disparaging remarks directed at her.

Cudjoe argued that in terms of intellect, integrity, and respect, this ‘Abu’ cannot compete with Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings, nor can he be considered her equal or associate, except in their shared roles as lawmakers in Parliament.

“Dear Abu,

“Just apologise to the lady for the uncouth remarks. But for Parliament, you really wouldn’t be fit to be her associate in intellect, respect, and honor,” he posted.

Although Franklin Cudjoe did not explicitly mention the individual’s full name, referring to him only as ‘Abu,’ many critics have linked the comment to Samuel Abu Jinapor, the Member of Parliament of Damongo.

This follows Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin’s directive ordering a formal investigation to identify the MP who made the comment in the chamber.

Bagbin further gave the culprit a week ultimatum to come forward or face severe consequences.

On February 5, 2025, Samuel Abu Jinapor, however, denied the widespread claims accusing him of making unsavory and defamatory ‘daughter of a murderer’ remarks aimed at attacking the character of Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings during a parliamentary sitting.

In a statement on his social media account on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, Abu Jinapor expressed his respect for the family of the late Jerry John Rawlings, emphasising that attempts linking him to the comments are false.

“The general public is kindly advised to totally disregard the suggestion that I made unsavory comments about Hon. Dr. Zanetor Rawlings while she was on her feet on the floor of Parliament contributing to a statement. For the record, the said allegation is absolutely false. I have utmost respect for Former President Jerry John Rawlings, his family and Dr. Zanetor Rawlings in particular,” he said.

The former Minister of Lands and Natural Resources maintained his integrity, emphasising that he does not engage in debates that involve insults or character assassination.

“I have always believed in decent debates and intellectual discourse in Ghanaian public life and Parliament especially, devoid of insults and character assassination!” he added.

It must be stated that it is unclear how many Members of Parliament currently are known as ‘Abu.’

MAG/AE

Meanwhile, watch this Ghana Month special edition of People and Places as we hear the story of how the head of Kwame Nkrumah’s bronze statue was returned after 43 years, below:

The new BoG building is valued at $261.8 million

The Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Johnson Asiama, has disclosed the exact amount of money the central bank, under the leadership of former Governor Dr. Ernest Addison, used for the construction of its new headquarters.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, Dr Asiama disclosed that the initial estimate of $88 million for the project rose to $261.8 million.

He indicated that about $230 million has been paid to the contractor, with the project being around 98 percent complete.

“The total project cost increased to $261.8 million. Mr. Speaker, as of February this year, a total of $230 million approximately has been paid towards the project, with an outstanding balance of $31.8 million to be paid to the contractor,” he said.

Dr. Asiama went on to give a breakdown of the total cost of the project, including over $11 million on furniture.

“Mr. Speaker, a total of $48.3 million has been paid in taxes and levies that were related to the construction. Mr. Speaker, beyond the core building, separate contracts were awarded for other infrastructure.

“These include ICT systems and network infrastructure, which was awarded at a cost of $8.6 million; Integrated Electronic Security systems, which was also awarded at a cost of $15.8 million; and furniture and furnishings, which were also awarded at $11.1 million.”

He explained that some of the new features were “included to ensure that the bank operates in a secure and technologically advanced environment, in line with the needs of a modern central bank.”

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In the meantime, catch the latest Twi News on GhanaWeb TV below:

Meanwhile, watch this Ghana Month special edition of People and Places as we hear the story of how the head of Kwame Nkrumah’s bronze statue was returned after 43 years, below:

By Godwill Arthur-Mensah

Accra, Mar 05, GNA – Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Minority Leader in Parliament, has lauded the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama, for being honest and sincere with cost components of the new Corporate Head Office of the Central Bank.

The Minority Leader’s comments followed a presentation made by Dr Asiama to Parliament on Wednesday regarding the total contract sum of the project.

Mr Afenyo-Markin said, “We must not play political football with everything”.

He suggested that the Speaker of Parliament in the future should set up a bi-partisan committee involving experts to probe into projects of a similar nature “so that we don’t expose our ignorance to the public”.

The Minority Leader also supported the call for a value for money audit into the BoG building to erase any erroneous impression of misappropriation of funds by the previous management of the Central Bank.

On his part, Mr Ayariga Mahama, the Majority Leader, also thanked the Central Bank Governor for coming to the House to apprise members of Parliament on the various cost components of the project.

Mr Ayariga indicated that he had been involved in ensuring transparency and accountability regarding the cost of the construction of the BoG building.

He believed that after the value for money audit had been conducted into the project, the Central Bank Governor would come back to the House to brief them.

Earlier in his presentation, Dr Johnson Asiama announced that $261.8 million was the total cost of the new Corporate Head Office of the BoG located at Ridge, Accra.

He said as of February, this year, $230 million had been paid by the Government and left with $31.8 million outstanding payment to be made.

Dr Asiama said the initial contract sum of the project was $81.8 million in 2019 but subsequently revised to $121.1 million, $222.8 million and finally shot up to $261.8 million at the time of completion in 2024.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo commissioned the facility in November 2024 and currently being occupied by the staff of the Central Bank.

Dr Asiama stated that the Board of the BoG would conduct a value for money audit into the construction of the facility upon being sworn in next week.

The Governor of the GoG said the project was constructed by the Goldkey Properties Limited through a restricted tender process recommended by the Public Procurement Authority

He said the structural integrity audit conducted in 2019 showed that existing BoG headquarters in Accra Central, which was constructed in 1950s was not fit for purpose, hence the decision to build a new facility to enhance security and operational efficiency.

The 20-floor tower BoG headquarters was 98 per cent complete including auxiliary facilities- Electronic Integrated System, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) system, auditorium, liquid and solid waste treatment facility, basement and car park area.

Dr Asiama said the Central Bank would comply with its mandate of ensuring transparency, financial resilience and economic growth.

GNA

Former Minister for Public Enterprises, Joseph Cudjoe, has challenged Finance Minister Dr. Ato Forson’s claim that most State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) are financially struggling.

During the National Economic Dialogue, Dr. Forson painted a grim picture of the financial health of SOEs, stating that nearly all were facing significant operational and financial risks.

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Some 23 constituency executives and members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Upper East Region have been indefinitely suspended from the party for various acts of misconduct.

The suspended individuals include six constituency executives from Pusiga, 16 former and current constituency executives from Tempane, and one member from the Builsa South Constituency.

Letters have been served individually to the affected persons informing them of their suspension.

Those who held executive positions before the suspension have been directed to stop holding themselves out as executives until the regional disciplinary committee completes full investigations into their offences.

Confirming the incident, the Upper East Regional Communications Director of the NPP, Peter Ayinbisa told Myjoyonline the offences of the suspended executives ranged from campaigning against their constituency Parliamentary Candidates which resulted in several complaints from members of the party, and misappropriation of campaign funds.

He said one of them has also been accused of demanding cash from people who sought his assistance to find jobs.

Ayinbisa said the decision to suspend the 23, was made after an “Expanded Meeting of the Regional Executive Committee.”

“The Disciplinary committee will give them a hearing very soon before the final decision can be taken”, he said.

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