Kwesi Pratt Jnr. is the Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper

The Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., has heavily descended on state institutions for spending money on advertisements to convey their congratulatory messages to President John Dramani Mahama.

The veteran journalist expressed concern over the money spent by these institutions in their efforts to convey their goodwill messages, describing it as a waste of resources and an unnecessary action.

Speaking on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, Pratt said, “I have noticed a trend in the newspapers recently. There are full-page color adverts by state institutions congratulating President John Dramani Mahama and Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang. It is a waste.”

The outspoken media personality questioned the value of these costly adverts by state institutions, raising concerns about the country’s financial situation and ongoing struggles.

“We are a debt-ridden country in a financial crisis and state institutions are doing this? What is the sense in this and how will it benefit the country? It is disgusting and an eye-sore,” he fumed.

According to Pratt, there are more appropriate ways for these state institutions to show support for the country’s new leadership.

He specifically mentioned that the leaders of these institutions could focus on working hard to improve the growth and development of the institutions they manage.

“If you want to show love to the president, work hard to improve the institutions you are managing. That is a perfect display of love, not the full-page color adverts they are doing. It has no benefit; it is just a waste of funds and resources.”

He continued, “I wouldn’t have minded if these were limited to the president and his vice, but now the bar has been lowered, and even MPs-elect are given that platform. Where did we learn this behavior from?”

Pratt suggested that the country might want to be cautious about wasting funds and resources, especially as the economy faces its challenges, and perhaps consider adopting approaches that could help manage funds more wisely.

“We have to understand that the country is facing hardships so do things that are necessary and not engage in needless things. The amount for these full-page color adverts is exorbitant. Did their various budgets include these adverts? What a mess,” he concluded.

Watch Kwesi Pratt’s video below:

MAG/EK

Minister of Energy-designate, John Jinapor, made a surprising retreat over the Gold for Oil policy when he appeared before the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Monday, January 13, 2025.

The policy, introduced by the previous government in February 2023 and championed by then Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to mitigate Ghana’s forex crisis and stabilize fuel prices, was heavily criticized by John Jinapor, then Minority Spokesperson on Mines and Energy.

In a post on his X account in November 2023, which was widely reported in the media, Jinapor lambasted Dr. Bawumia for introducing the Gold for Oil policy, describing it as a “scam.”

“When we cautioned them, Dr. Bawumia’s response was, ‘Gold-for-oil is an initiative the textbooks won’t teach you.’ G4Oil was nothing but a scam! The BoG is now seeking to end it,” Jinapor posted on X, referencing a purported intention by the Bank of Ghana to discontinue the policy, which the Central Bank denied at the time.

However, during his appearance before the Appointments Committee, John Jinapor intriguingly embraced the policy he once dismissed as a scam.

“What we will do is review it, analyze it, and ensure that we develop a model that is fit for purpose and guarantees accountability for the gold,” Jinapor said.

In addition to stabilizing the cedi and fuel prices, Jinapor added that the Gold for Oil policy would also support payments to Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and gas suppliers.

To justify his new stance, John Jinapor cited the November 2023 reports alleging an end to the policy, which the Central Bank had denied in a statement at the time.

Meanwhile, many Ghanaians on social media have highlighted the inconsistencies and perceived double standards in the position of the Energy Minister-designate.

Watch as religious leaders pray for Mahama and his family’s well being

Conversations and discussions about the controversial anti-LGBTQ bill have resurfaced under the newly installed government.

The bill dubbed the ‘Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values’, which was passed by the 8th Parliament, became a significant point of contention during the tenure of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

When the private members’ bill was passed with unanimous approval, many speculated that it might receive assent from then-President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, despite the controversy surrounding its criminalisation of homosexuality and its harsh provisions.

Things took an unexpected turn when several lawsuits were filed against the bill, leading to a delay in its signing. Eventually, the bill, which became an albatross for the previous government, remained just a bill and was not passed into law before Akufo-Addo left power.

During his campaign, John Dramani Mahama, who was the NDC’s presidential candidate at the time, expressed his disapproval of same-sex marriages and relationships, emphasising his commitment to ensuring that such practices would not be allowed under his government.

What he said during BBC interview

In December 2024, during an interview with the BBC, Mahama stated that a future NDC government would sign the anti-LGBTQ+ bill depending on its contents and specifics.

According to him, although LGBTQ+ activities do not align with the country’s culture, values, and religious beliefs, there must be thorough scrutiny of what the bill proposes and aims to enforce before it is signed into law.

“It is not an anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, but a Family Values Bill. It was approved unanimously by our Parliament. You see, it’s against our culture, I mean African culture, our religious faith – Muslim and Christian and all that. But I think we must look at the bill, and the president must indicate what he finds wrong with the bill and send the bill back to Parliament or alternatively, he must send it to the Council of State and get the Council of State’s advice,” he stated.

Asked by the interviewer if that is what he would have done, Mahama affirmatively said, “That’s what I would have done.”

What he said during meeting with clergy

During a meeting with the clergy in October 2024, John Dramani Mahama gave his assurance to the clergymen, indicating that under his presidency, such practices will not be tolerated.

“My fathers and mothers in Christ, the current legal impasse created by the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration on the Promotion of Proper Human Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Act, which was passed by Parliament, has set a dangerous precedence for our governance. The constitutional directive for action by the president are quite clear and need not have resulted in this stalemate.

“As I’ve publicly stated, I’m a proud member of the Assemblies of God Church and my faith does not support same-sex marriages or relationships (loud applause for over 20 seconds) nor does it support human-animal relationships, or does it allow people to change their gender as they wish. This is a fundamental belief that I hold and is grounded in my faith. I, therefore, assure you that the promotion of LGBTQ+ and all the pluses will have no place in our schools and communities under my administration,” he said.

However, President Mahama’s recent comments on the controversial topic have attracted attention and sparked widespread concern regarding his shift in position.

What Mahama is saying now

Addressing a delegation of Catholic bishops from the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference during a courtesy call on January 14, 2025, President John Dramani Mahama suggested a government-sponsored LGBTQ+ bill, as opposed to one led by private members.

According to him, making the anti-LGBTQ+ bill a government-sponsored initiative would allow the country’s cultural values to be integrated into various curricula taught to students and would remove the need for a separate bill aimed at enforcing family values in the country.

“I think it should not be a Private Member’s Bill, but a government-sponsored one. If we were teaching our values in schools, we wouldn’t need to pass a bill to enforce our family values, and that is why I think more than even the family values bill, is us agreeing on a curriculum that inculcates these values into our children as they are growing up, so that we don’t need to legislate it.

“I don’t know what the promoters of the bill intend to do, but I think we should have a conversation on it again so that all of us, if we decide to move on the way forward, we move forward with a consensus,” he said.

President Mahama highlighted the challenges encountered by the initial anti-LGBTQ+ bill, including legal and procedural issues.

“But as far as I know, the bill did not get to the president. And so, the convention is that all bills that are not ascended to before the expiration of the life of Parliaments expire. And so, that bill effectively is dead, it has expired,” he stated.

MAG/EK

Former Majority Leader has criticized the recent vetting of three ministerial nominees by the Appointment Committee of Parliament under President John Mahama.

According to the former Member of Parliament for Suame, the vetting process violated Parliament’s Standing Orders, which govern such exercises.

Speaking in an interview on Wontumi TV, the veteran legislator argued that the necessary conditions for the vetting had not been met, rendering the process flawed.

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