Security analyst Prof. Kwesi Aning has raised concerns about the timing and perceived political undertones of recent actions by Ghana’s security agencies—particularly the demolition of the McDan warehouse and the invitation of NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.

Appearing on Channel One TV, on Saturday, August 2, Prof. Aning called for a critical national discussion on how and when security institutions act on intelligence and enforce decisions.

He pointed to the July 30 demolition of the McDan warehouse along the Spintex Road as an example, questioning both the timing and the legal grounds for the exercise.

“When do statutory security agencies get access to critical information upon which they act, and how should those operations be undertaken? One example is the demolition of this particular structure. When did it become law that that structure ought to be demolished? Has the fact just come out, or has the fact always been there but was politicised?” he asked.

He also cited the National Security’s recent invitation of Chairman Wontumi, suggesting both incidents point to larger issues of governance and consistency.

“The second is the invitation of Chairman Wontumi. When did it become clear that some of the activities by his company had flouted national rules? I am raising these two examples to broaden the conversation about timing, performance, and political control,” he said.

Prof. Aning warned that selective enforcement of laws could erode public trust in national institutions, noting that decisions such as demolitions must follow due process and not appear politically driven.

“When did National Security, or the council, decide that there was a need for a National Security Council-approved operation to demolish a structure? Have the facts always been known to other statutory institutions that ought to have given the permit—or ought not to have given the permit—for that structure to be there?” he questioned.

He concluded by calling for a national conversation around institutional transparency and the need for fair, consistent enforcement.

“This is about institutional capacity and, more importantly, the trust that citizens have in the statutory institutions,” he stated.

Paul Adom-Otchere is former Board Chairman of Ghana Airports Company Limited

Former Board Chairman of the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), Paul Adom-Otchere, has expressed appreciation to several well-wishers and key members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) following his release from the custody of the National Intelligence Bureau on Friday, August 1, 2025.

This comes after he was invited and detained by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) over his alleged role in a revenue assurance contract awarded during his tenure.

In a video shared on his YouTube page on Saturday, August 2, 2025, he acknowledged all the individuals who supported him during his ordeal.

“Thank you so very much to everyone and anyone. Those who like me, those who don’t like me, those who are happy that I was detained. I am overwhelmed with joy and overwhelmed with gratitude. Thank those who were praying for me… the pastors. So many pastors called me from all angles. They called from everywhere,” he noted.

The host of Good Evening Ghana on Metro TV further lauded the former President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and other stalwarts of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Describing Akufo-Addo as “my favourite politician of all time,” he thanked him for calling his wife and expressing concern.

He also expressed appreciation to the former Vice president Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, and his wife Samira Bawumia, and several NPP leading members.

“My gratitude goes to everyone. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, my favorite politician of all time. My wife is so happy with the call that you placed to her. The concern that you show. Mr president, thank you very much. Your wife, Samira, former Vice president. The elephant family.

“Alexander Afenyo- Markin, the Minority Leader, Nana B. General Secretary Justin Kodua. They were on Godfrey Dame’s neck. They were calling him”, he added.

He further expressed appreciation to some legal practitioners and several clergymen for their prayers and support.

Adom-Otchere and two others are currently under investigation by the OSP over alleged procurement breaches, including a sole-sourced contract awarded to a company not approved by the GACL board.

JKB/EB

Meanwhile, watch as Prophet Worlasi shares bombshell prophesies on Bawumia and NPP on The Lowdown:

Kwabena Mintah Akandoh is the Minister of Health

The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has paid an unannounced visit to the Achimota District Hospital to assess the quality-of-service delivery and listen to concerns from patients and staff.

The visit, which was captured in a video circulating on X, showed Mintah Akandoh interacting with patients at the outpatient department.

Many of them raised concerns about excessive wait times, overcrowding, and delays in receiving medical attention.

Akandoh expressed disappointment over the conditions he witnessed and described the long queues and patient frustration as unacceptable.

He called on the hospital management to urgently adopt measures to improve patient flow and reduce delays in care delivery.

“No patient should be spending four to five hours waiting to see a doctor. This points to inefficiencies that must be addressed immediately. Timely access to healthcare is a basic right, and public facilities must ensure this is upheld”, he said.

The hospital’s administrators acknowledged the challenges and attributed the delays to limited staff and a growing number of patients.

They assured him that efforts were underway to streamline operations and enhance service delivery.

Akandoh, who has been advocating for reforms in the public health sector, said he would continue to undertake similar visits to ensure accountability and advocate for better resourcing of district hospitals across the country.

Watch video below

WATCH: Health Minister makes unannounced visit to Achimota District Hospital — listens to patients and directs hospital to reduce long wait times.#CitiNewsroom pic.twitter.com/PXwurfMcA4

— CITI FM 97.3 (@Citi973) August 1, 2025

MRA/EB

Meanwhile, watch as Prophet Worlasi shares bombshell prophesies on Bawumia and NPP on The Lowdown:

Former Greater Accra Regional Minister, Titus Glover, has condemned what he describes as politically motivated efforts to undermine Ghanaian entrepreneur Daniel McKorley, popularly known as McDan.

Reacting to the recent demolition of a warehouse linked to McDan, Glover lashed out at those behind the move, calling them “cowards.”

According to him, President Mahama is grappling with the challenge of job creation for the country’s growing unemployed youth.

He argued that private individuals who are taking the initiative to create employment and support national development should be encouraged and not targeted for political reasons.

“If someone is using his personal resources to employ hundreds, support sports like football and boxing, and train young people in entrepreneurial skills through educational initiatives, why should politics be used to sabotage such efforts? They are cowards,” Glover stated.

He praised McDan’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives across sports, education, and entrepreneurship and urged the public to recognise the impact of such private contributions toward solving Ghana’s employment crisis.

The warehouse, owned by the Executive Chairman of the McDan Group, was demolished late Monday night by operatives believed to be from national security.

The structure, situated along the Spintex Road near Action Chapel, was reportedly torn down around 7:00 p.m.

Sources suggest the demolition stems from an ongoing legal dispute between the McDan Group and the Ghana Airport Company over ownership of the land.

The Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) in a press release on July 30, 2025 announced that it has regained control of over 16 acres of prime airport land following a ruling by the Accra High Court in its favour against subsidiaries of the McDan Group.

The court’s judgment granted GACL full re-entry and possession of two parcels of land, measuring approximately 10.63 acres and 5.66 acres, located near Kotoka International Airport, adjacent to and opposite Action Chapel International.

The lands were leased to McDan Shipping Company and Airport Logistics Limited, both subsidiaries of the McDan Group, since 2012.

SA/MA

How Virtual Reality is enhancing business and customer experience

play videoKweku Ricketts-Hagan is the Member of Parliament for Cape Coast South

Member of Parliament for Cape Coast South, Kweku Ricketts-Hagan, has questioned the rationale behind the Gold-for-Oil programme initiated by the Akufo-Addo government.

Describing the programme as an “unthinkable policy,” he criticised the approach of barter trading Ghana’s gold for oil in today’s global economic system.

He argued that the policy defies modern economic logic, noting that both gold and oil are commodities traded openly on international markets with standardized pricing.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament, the Cape Coast MP said; “The oil for gold, or gold for oil, whatever you call it, that you were doing, which turned out to be one of the unbelievable, unthinkable policies that can ever be implemented in this modern age. We have a world market for gold. We have a world market for oil and you are sitting in some little corner, you are doing a barter trade of oil and gold. How? And you said it’s an economic policy.”

“Gold has a world market price. If anybody wants to buy gold, they go to the market. Oil has a market price. If anybody wants to buy oil, they go to the market. Why would you call somebody in Dubai and do a barter trade in this day and age? I mean, did you set up your own price in that barter trade?” he quizzed.

Ricketts-Hagan further asked that; “Did you have a different price for gold and a different price for oil than what is being given in the world market? What was in for you? And what was in for the other person? Nobody in their right senses will sell oil to you at a price lower than the market and then you may want to sell gold to other people below the world market. It is not surprising.”

According to him, the programme resulted in a staggering loss of $2.4 billion, citing a lack of transparency in pricing, supplier identity, and transaction structure.

“We don’t know who was supplying the oil. We don’t know the price. The government itself didn’t know,” he said.

The Gold-for-Oil policy was a strategic programme launched by the Akufo-Addo government in 2023.

It aimed to utilise the Bank of Ghana’s Domestic Gold Purchase (DGP) programme to support the importation of petroleum products into the country.

The initiative was designed to free up foreign exchange resources and reduce pressure on the central bank’s foreign reserves and the banking sector.

It also sought to procure petroleum products at competitive prices through government-to-government arrangements.

The BoG purchases all gold produced and exported by companies with licensed small-scale concessions, including community mines.

This gold is then used to pay for oil supplies to Ghana, either through barter trade or via a broker channel.

However, the programme’s execution quickly drew scrutiny.

According to the Bank of Ghana, the country recorded some loses of GH¢2.14 billion from the programme, GH¢320 million in 2023 and GH¢1.82 billion in 2024.

The central bank attributed it to exchange rate differentials and petroleum stockpiling.

SA/EB

How Virtual Reality is enhancing business and customer experience

Yvonne Nana Afriyie Opare the Managing Director of GACL

A formal petition has been submitted to President John Dramani Mahama, calling for Yvonne Nana Afriyie Opare, the Managing Director of the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), to stand down pending investigations by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) into a controversial revenue audit contract between GACL and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Ltd (SML).

The petition, written by Gyesi Boako, a Ghanaian citizen and marketing expert and dated August 1, 2025, was addressed to the President at the Jubilee House.

The petition raised serious concerns about possible corruption and procurement breaches tied to the contract, which was reportedly signed by Opare on behalf of the airport authority.

“I, Gyesi Boako, respectfully petition for the immediate stepping aside of Mrs Yvonne Nana Opare, Managing Director of Ghana Airport Company Limited, from office pending the ongoing investigations by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) into the SML revenue audit contract,” portions of the petition states.

The OSP is currently probing a number of public sector contracts awarded to SML, a private auditing and monitoring firm that has, in recent months, come under public scrutiny following revelations about the value and procurement processes behind its agreements with state institutions.

Boako insists that the integrity of the investigation must be protected, and hence Opare’s continued stay in office could risk interference or conflict of interest.

“In the interest of transparency, good governance and accountability in the management of public institutions like airports, it is crucial to ensure that the investigation is not hindered or influenced in any way,” he emphasised.

While acknowledging that Opare is presumed innocent under the Constitution, the petitioner argued that temporarily vacating her position would reflect good faith.

“Stepping aside would demonstrate a commitment to transparency and cooperation with the investigating authorities,” Boako wrote.

The petition outlines several reasons supporting this request, including the need to ensure an uninterrupted and thorough investigation, prevent potential conflicts of interest, demonstrate a commitment to accountability, and maintain public trust in the airport’s leadership and the OSP’s process.

“If this request is granted, it would demonstrate a commitment to accountability and transparency in the management of public institutions,” Boako added, urging the President to act swiftly on what he described as a “critical issue.”

See petition below

Former Board Chairman of the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), Paul Adom-Otchere, has shared a video after his release from detention at the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), capturing an emotional reunion with his family.

Adom-Otchere was invited by the OSP in connection with a revenue assurance contract between GACL and a private firm, allegedly awarded without full board approval.

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By Yussif Ibrahim

Toase (Ash), Aug. 2, GNA – Mrs. Grace Agyemang Asamoah, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Atwima Kwanwoma in the Ashanti Region, has reaffirmed her unwavering commitment to the development of the district during a courtesy call on the Toasehene, Nana Yim Anhwere Ababio. 

The visit formed part of the DCE’s efforts to strengthen ties with traditional authorities and foster unity towards accelerated development.  

She was accompanied by the District Information Officer, Mr. Samuel Antwi, and some constituency party officials. 

The DCE sought the blessings, support, and guidance of the traditional leader, emphasising the importance of partnership and collaboration in achieving her development agenda for the district.  

She used the opportunity to outline her vision and reaffirmed her openness to constructive criticism, suggestions, and community concerns. 

“Nana, I am poised to serve my people wholeheartedly. My blood is Atwima Kwanwoma, and I am a true native of this land. I will remain accessible and open to advice and direction from our chiefs and people,” she assured. 

Mrs. Asamoah also expressed deep appreciation to the chief for his long-standing support, recalling his mentorship during her student days when he served as her lecturer.  

She appealed to the traditional council not to distance themselves from the Assembly, but to work closely with it in addressing pressing issues such as land guard activities, sanitation, security, and other social vices. 

“Should I veer off the right path, I ask that you guide me back with your wise counsel. I am only human,” she humbly added. 

Nana Yim Anhwere Ababio, in response, commended the DCE for her dedication and selfless service to the district.  

He encouraged her to collaborate effectively with stakeholders to ensure meaningful progress. 

He further urged the DCE to strictly enforce the Assembly’s sanitation by-laws and ensure that citizens who neglect communal labour are held accountable.  

“Let those who flout the laws face the necessary sanctions to serve as a deterrent and promote a clean, healthy environment,” he stated. 

On the issue of land guards, the chief emphasised the need for decisive action, reminding the DCE that such activities were banned by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.  

He called for strong collaboration between the Assembly’s Physical Planning Unit and the Ghana Police Service to address the menace with urgency. 

Nana Yim Anhwere also advised the DCE to take a firm stance in holding technocrats within the Assembly accountable, particularly those in the Works Department, Physical Planning, and Revenue Unit, to improve revenue mobilisation and drive development. 

“We are fully committed to supporting your leadership. As the first female DCE of this district, we pray for your success and pledge our continued support to ensure your name is etched in gold,” he assured. 

GNA 

Edited by Yussif Ibrahim/Christian Akorlie  

Kweku Ricketts-Hagan is the Member of Parliament for Cape Coast South

Member of Parliament for Cape Coast South, Kweku Ricketts-Hagan, has questioned the rationale behind the Gold-for-Oil programme initiated by the Akufo-Addo government.

Describing the programme as an “unthinkable policy,” he criticised the approach of barter trading Ghana’s gold for oil in today’s global economic system.

He argued that the policy defies modern economic logic, noting that both gold and oil are commodities traded openly on international markets with standardized pricing.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament, the Cape Coast MP said; “The oil for gold, or gold for oil, whatever you call it, that you were doing, which turned out to be one of the unbelievable, unthinkable policies that can ever be implemented in this modern age. We have a world market for gold. We have a world market for oil and you are sitting in some little corner, you are doing a barter trade of oil and gold. How? And you said it’s an economic policy.”

“Gold has a world market price. If anybody wants to buy gold, they go to the market. Oil has a market price. If anybody wants to buy oil, they go to the market. Why would you call somebody in Dubai and do a barter trade in this day and age? I mean, did you set up your own price in that barter trade?” he quizzed.

Ricketts-Hagan further asked that; “Did you have a different price for gold and a different price for oil than what is being given in the world market? What was in for you? And what was in for the other person? Nobody in their right senses will sell oil to you at a price lower than the market and then you may want to sell gold to other people below the world market. It is not surprising.”

According to him, the programme resulted in a staggering loss of $2.4 billion, citing a lack of transparency in pricing, supplier identity, and transaction structure.

“We don’t know who was supplying the oil. We don’t know the price. The government itself didn’t know,” he said.

The Gold-for-Oil policy was a strategic programme launched by the Akufo-Addo government in 2023.

It aimed to utilise the Bank of Ghana’s Domestic Gold Purchase (DGP) programme to support the importation of petroleum products into the country.

The initiative was designed to free up foreign exchange resources and reduce pressure on the central bank’s foreign reserves and the banking sector.

It also sought to procure petroleum products at competitive prices through government-to-government arrangements.

The BoG purchases all gold produced and exported by companies with licensed small-scale concessions, including community mines.

This gold is then used to pay for oil supplies to Ghana, either through barter trade or via a broker channel.

However, the programme’s execution quickly drew scrutiny.

According to the Bank of Ghana, the country recorded some loses of GH¢2.14 billion from the programme, GH¢320 million in 2023 and GH¢1.82 billion in 2024.

The central bank attributed it to exchange rate differentials and petroleum stockpiling.

SA/EB

How Virtual Reality is enhancing business and customer experience

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II is the ruler of Asanteman

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, bared his teeth at some royals of Agona who came to beg for his forgiveness at the Asanteman Council meeting on Monday, July 28, 2025.

According to a report by opemsuo.com, the Asantehene described the royals as “ingrates” as he narrated events that transpired, which led to their uncle slapping him with a lawsuit.

The King of Asanteman indicated that the issue stemmed from a dispute over the royalty of the then-reigning queen of Agona.

He said that the then-chief of Agona, Nana Kwame Boakye, ceded the stool of the queen mother of Agona to the sister of one Senkyire, who had shown him some kindness.

When Nana Kwame Boakye died, the queen mother wanted to choose his successor, but this was opposed by some who challenged her legitimacy.

The matter was taken to court by one Yaw Marfo, known as Lawyer Adusei of the royal family, who sued the queen mother.

By that time, the Asantehene indicated, he had just been enthroned, and he asked all the parties to take the matter out of court.

“When I ascended the Golden Stool, I ordered that they take the case out of court, which both parties complied with,” Otumfuo said.

The Asanteman Traditional Council investigated the matter and found that the queen was not a royal.

The Asantehene said that he then decided to reward Yaw Marfo by making him the chief of Agona, but he (Marfo) declined, citing health concerns.

He said that Marfo instead presented one Kwame Darkwa, whom Berko, the candidate of Aunty Christy, challenged.

“Then I told him, ‘I only wanted to honour you, but if you can’t ascend, go back and do the needful’. At the time, one Aunty Christy was pushing for Berko to ascend the stool, which resulted in discord. I called them back and gave the kingmakers the chance to choose their preferred candidate. Four opted for Berko and three went in for Darkwa.”

Following the majority of the kingmakers, the Asante then ordered that Berko be enstooled.

A royal of Agona, who lived in London, wanted Darkwa to become the paramount chief of Agona and sued the Asantehene and Asanteman to get the court to reverse the order.

“I sent him a message and warned him about the repercussions of his actions. I told him that, of all people, the descendants of Komfo Anokye are the least I expected this from. You are all aware of how he ended up,” the Asantehene said.

To make matters worse, the royals reportedly seized the Amoampong deity, which the Asantehene characterised as a property of Asanteman, and kept it out of the reach of the enstooled chief.

BAI/SEA

Meanwhile, watch as Prophet Worlasi shares bombshell prophesies on Bawumia and NPP on The Lowdown:

has accused the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) of using the Russia-Ukraine war as a convenient excuse for Ghana’s economic struggles.

Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga

Speaking during the debate on the 2025 Mid-Year Budget Review in Parliament on Thursday, July 31, Mr. Ayariga said the NPP had exaggerated the effects of the war to cover up its own failings in governance.

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