When Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was sworn into office at the forecourt

of the Black Star Square as the president of the republic on January 7, 2017, 1 United States Dollar (USD) was equal to GHC 4.1 and 1 Great Britain Pound

Sterling (GBP) was equal to GHC 5.90. The country’s Debt to Gross Domestic

Product (GDP) was 54 percent, and the national debt stock had reached GHC 122.6

billion.

The year-on-year inflation rate as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI)

was 15.4 percent in December 2016, down by 0.1 percentage point from the

15.5 percent was recorded in November 2016. This was condemned by the New Patriotic Party and its protagonists.

Prior to the 2016 elections, they branded these indicators as ciphers of incompetence and ineptitude by the government of former president John Dramani Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC). They denigrated, vilified,

maligned and eviscerated former President John Mahama with all sorts of

disparaging adjectives.

They promised to better manage th
e economy with a lower exchange rate, lower debt to GDP, lower inflation, and a lower cost of living.

Today 1 USD is equal to GHC15, while 1 GBP is equal to GHC17.80 (this is in

despite the fact that the government has suspended servicing its foreign

debt, the situation would have been worse than it is now.

Inflation is 24 percent, and debt to GDP is 104 percent. The country’s debt stock is currently close to GHC 700 billion.

A bag of cement was sold at GHC 20 in 2016 but GHC 90 today, a gallon of

diesel was GHC 18 in 2016, and today a litre is selling at GHC 16.60; therefore, a gallon is GHC 61.42 (from GHC 18 in 2016 to 61.42 in 2024) under the current

government who claimed to be competent. The unemployment rate was 7 percent

in 2016, today it stands at 17 percent.

In 2016, according to Transparency International released corruption

perception index (CPI), the NDC’s worst performance was 43, which is better

than the NPP’s best performance of 41.

In view of the above economic indicators, it evid
ently shows that the NPP are

the worst managers of the economy and the perfect description of incompetence. Ordinarily, one would have expected the NPP and their protagonists to bow their heads down in shame and shut up. Yet they have the temerity and impudence to go around the country, claiming to be better managers of the economy. How and what did we do to deserve this blatant disrespect and insult?

Despite the obvious failure and the country’s lack of direction, these same

people are shamelessly and disrespectfully shouting ‘breaking the eight’

instead of ‘fixing the mess’. If they had principles, integrity, and a scintilla of respect for Ghanaians, they would not even contest the 2024 elections.

The obvious lack of remorse, regret, and admission by the members of the

Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government towards Ghanaians after these glaring and

unprecedented monumental economic mismanagement is appalling, disgusting, nauseating, and an insult to the wisdom of Ghanaians.

The members of the government and
their communicators have shown clear

disrespect to Ghanaians, they do not think we are intelligent, they think

Ghanaians are gullible and naive.

The least Ghanaians deserve from the current government is an honest apology. Each time, the NPP communicators try to justify the current economic mess with the flimsiest excuse of COVID-19. It irritates every organ in my body, which is an insult to our intelligence. They should credit Ghanaians with some level of intellect.

In actuality, this government has benefited from COVID-19 and is still benefiting. The only government in the world that has introduced COVID-Levy is the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government. This is despite the fact that the government has received over USD 1 billion from the IMF and the World Bank as a COVID-19 relief fund.

I crave the indulgence of the government and its communicators to stop

talking, because one dollar is GHC15, one pound is GHC 17.80 for GOD’S fake.

Stop insulting our intelligence; stop adding insults to injury. Credit us wi
th

some intelligence, show some remorse and regrets, admit your failure and

apologise.

Source: Ghana Web

Currency Analyst Collins Appiah has blamed leadership failure for the continuous depreciation of the cedi.

It follows the latest criticism from Minority MPs who have accused the government of doing little to address the situation.

The local currency has lost ground to the major trading currencies like the US dollar, Euro, and the pound sterling with analysts projecting 18 cedis to a dollar by the end of the year.

Addressing the media in parliament, Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson decried the impact of the development on businesses and individuals.

The former deputy finance minister charged the vice president and the head of the economic management team to immediately take steps to reverse the trend instead of dancing on the campaign trail.

‘I want to use this opportunity to urge the Vice President to quit his off-beat dancing on the campaign trail and focus on the dancing cedi. There’s a lot awaiting our country as a result of reckless mismanagement by Alhaji Bawumia’s government,’ he stressed.

He was worried that the Dr Bawumia who doubles as the New Patriotic Party’s flagbearer was too fixated on his campaign for election than rescuing the ailing currency.

However, commenting on this issue on the Morning Starr, Collins Appiah has urged the government to prioritize industrialization else the narrative will remain the same.

‘Let’s look at the industrialization of our economy. Why do we still continue to import toothpick into Ghana, why do we import maize, rice, or oil? Why are we not investing in those sectors? I think investing in industrialization is a long-term solution for me.’

‘The Cocoa syndicated loan is not sustainable for our economy,’ he added.

Earlier, the Ghana Union Traders Association (GUTA) also expressed its frustration over the current state of the local currency.

Source: Ghana Web

The Parliament of Ghana on Friday, May 17, 2024, approved the ministerial and deputy ministerial appointees of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, nominated on February 14, 2024.

This approval followed a walkout by the Minority Caucus of Parliament during a debate in the House on the approval of the new ministerial and deputy ministerial appointees of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

The walkout occurred after the Chairman of the Appointment Committee of Parliament and 1st Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu, moved a motion for the House to approve the report of the committee on the appointments, which was approved by its members by a majority decision.

The Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, argued that his side could not take part in the decision to approve Akufo-Addo’s appointees.

‘Let the records reflect that the NDC majority process cannot be part of this approval process to further increase the size of this government. Mr. Speaker, let the record reflect.

‘With these few words, Mr. Spe
aker, I want to signal that we are walking out and let it be recorded that they took this decision themselves; we are not part of it. Mr. Speaker, we have counted their numbers already, and we know the numbers,’ he said before leading his members to leave the floor of Parliament.

The Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin after announcing that the motion for the approval of the appointees had been passed; listed the as follows.

1. Andrew Egyapa Mercer, Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture

2. Lydia Seyram Alhassan, Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources

3. Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah, Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development

4. Ophelia Mensah Hayford, Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation

5. Darkoa Newman, Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection

6. Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye, Minister for Health

7. Titus Glover, Minister for the Greater Accra Region

8. Fatimatu Abubakar, Minister for Information

9. Daniel Machator, Minister for Oti Region

10. Dr. Benjamin Sekyere Yeboah, Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection

11. Sylvester Tetteh, Deputy Minister for Information

12. Charles Acheampong, Deputy Minister-designate for the Ministry of Communication and Digitalisation

13. Adelaide Ntim, Deputy Minister for Health

14. Alexander Akwasi Acquah, Deputy Minister for Health

15. Vincent Ekow Assafuah, Deputy Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development

16. John Kobina Sanie, Deputy Minister for Energy

17. Collins Adomako Mensah, Deputy Minister for Energy

18. Dr. Prince Hamidu Armah, Deputy Minister for Works and Housing

19. Kingsley Nyarko, Deputy Minister for Education

20. Festus Awuah Kwofie, Deputy Minister for Employment and Labour

21. Akwasi Konadu, Deputy Minister for the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources

22. Musah Abdul Aziz Ayaba, Deputy Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development

Source: Ghana Web

Ethiopia and Morocco have put in bids to host the next African Media Convention (AMC) in May 2025.

They are the only countries that made proposals to hosting the largest media gathering in Africa, at the close of applications on Friday, May 17,2024.

The bidding teams of both nations presented their proposals to delegates before the curtains were drawn on the third AMC, which Ghana hosted in its capital city of Accra.

The Ethiopian touted their country’s long-standing history as the origin humanity with a rich tapestry of the arts, culture and ancient monuments.

The event, they said, would be hosted in the Adwa Museum, located in the central area of Addis Ababa. It is a public institution dedicated to human history, art and culture.

Its permanent collection numbers some eight million works.

The Adwa Museum was established in 2024, largely based on the collections of various items used during the Adwa war.

The team said though the people had gone through a lot challenges since their colonisation, they h
ad prevailed as a resilient, beautiful and progressive people.

The country, they said, was ready with its infrastructure, resources and favourable visa subsidies to host the event.

Two delegates were allowed were allowed to speak on each bid.

Though their bid was supported by one of the delegates, the other opposed it, saying accepting it would be tantamount to endorsing that country’s rather ‘high record of jailing journalists’.

Morocco’s bidding representative for his part, spoke about the longstanding peaceful co-existence among the diverse ethnic groupings of the country.

He said Morocco boasted a unique presentation of peoples of Berber, African, Arabian and European ancestry enjoying a beautiful social cohesion.

He said the people were very welcoming, the media was vibrant and the infrastructure were available to give the delegates a beautiful and impactful experience.

The Moroccan Government was ready to host the event, he said.

Both delegates who made contributions after the presentation suppo
rted the bid, saying that endorsing Morocco would ensure the inclusivity in the prosecution of the African Media agenda.

They said the first three events had been hosted by countries in the Eastern, Southern and Western regions of the continent. Therefore, it was just right to give the next opportunity to the Northern region on a rotational approach basis.

They contended that every country had their peculiar challenges regarding media freedoms and limitations.

However, a country’s decision to host the Convention should be considered as their willingness to learn from best practices for advancement.

Meanwhile, the Steering Committee of the African Media Convention, chaired by Mr Churchill Otieno, also the President of the Africa Editors Forum, will make a final determination of the next host nation of AMC in the coming days, taking into consideration the facts on the ground.

The three-day AMC was held on the theme: ‘The African Media We Want: Enhancing Freedom, Innovation, and Environmental Sustainability
in a Dynamic Media Landscape’.

The event brought together hundreds of participants across the continent, including policymakers, Ministers of State, academia, researchers and media practitioners.

The AMC is an annual conference providing a platform to reflect on the fundamental role of journalism on the continent, celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom and deliberate on measures to safeguard media freedoms.

The inaugural Convention took place in Arusha, Tanzania in 2022, followed by a successful second gathering in Lusaka, Zambia in 2023.

The forum also focuses on promotion of access to information, the safety of journalists and media viability in the African Union Member States.

It’s being organised by UNESCO Addis Ababa Liaison Office to AU and UNECA, the African Union, hosted by Ghana’s Ministry of Information, the Ghana Journalists Association, with various media partners.

The stakeholders have collaborated to develop an action plan and would advocate policies that foster a free, vibr
ant, and impactful press across the continent.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Parliament of Ghana, on Friday, May 17, 2024, passed a $150 million loan agreement between the Government of Ghana and the World Bank.

There was an intense debate in the house over the loan agreement, with the minority side of the house, led by the Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, totally opposed to it.

The minority accused the government of misappropriating a previous loan facility meant for the same purpose, which is to desilt drainage systems in the Greater Accra Region.

They also raised concerns about some of the items that the $150 million was going to be used for.

The Majority Caucus, led by the Majority Leader, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, argued that the loan was necessary to ensure that the drainages are desilted to help avert floods in the Greater Accra Region as the rainy season commences.

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, ordered a headcount of the MPs on the approval of the loan agreement after his ruling that the loan had been approved by a voice vote.

After the hea
dcount, Speaker Bagbin announced, ‘Honourable members, at the end of the headcount, the ayes have 137; the nays, 132. Honourable members, the ayes have it.’

The minority still tried to get a resolution on the loan agreement rejected, but their efforts proved futile.

It will be recalled that the Majority Caucus in Parliament requested the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, to reconvene the House to address urgent government issues in a timely manner.

The caucus aimed to tackle key government items, including the adoption of the Thirty-Fourth Report of the Appointments Committee and a motion for additional financing.

The letter, signed by the Majority Leader, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, invoked Article 112(3) and Order 53 of the Standing Orders of Parliament, which permits 15% of the members of the House to ask for Parliament to reconvene.

“Additional Financing Agreement between the Government of Ghana (GoG) and the International Development Association (IDA) for an amount of US$150 million to finan
ce the ongoing Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project.

“Request for Tax Exemption for selected beneficiaries under the 1D1F Programme,” portions of the letter read, as reported by citinewsroom.com.

The letter also elaborated on the reasons for the urgent summons and its intended outcomes.

Source: Ghana Web

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged the African media to capitalise on the opportunity and work efficiency inherent in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to drive growth in the industry.

He noted that the use of AI in news collection and dissemination had an unprecedented impact on the media environment and encouraged it to be used responsibly.

‘AI holds immense potential for the media industry,’ the President told a gathering of some eminent journalists at the closing session of the Third African Media Convention (AMC), which was hosted in Accra, Ghana.

He said the media had its reputation and integrity to protect in the line of duty.

President Akufo-Addo warned that AI should not be used for the wrong reasons so that it does not become ‘a source of evil,’ and that utilizing AI to generate fake information and other unhealthy practices should not be accepted.

He said Journalists were expected to be mindful of ethical norms to build public trust as they tried to educate and inform socie
ty.

The three-day Convention brought together media experts, scholars, journalists’ unions and associations, editors, policymakers, as well as cooperating partners from around the African continent, UNESCO, and African Union (AU) Commission.

It discussed the emerging technologies in the media landscape, advancing best practices amid the fast-evolving news industry and creating new revenue opportunities through partnerships.

The key highlights related to the state of the media in Africa, Artificial Intelligence, and its impact on new media, bringing the newsroom into the business of news, and revenue and innovation-winning ideas for sustainability and growth.

The African Media Convention is currently the largest gathering of media stakeholders and policymakers on the continent.

It is an initiative of the African Editors’ Forum (TAEF) designed to safeguard the hard-won media freedoms and safety of journalists on the continent.

The maiden edition was held in Arusha, Tanzania, in 2022.

President Akufo-Addo
emphasized the importance of environmental sustainability and urged the media to promote education to raise awareness among the public.

He emphasized the need to raise public awareness to build an environmentally sustainable culture because the health of the environment is tied to humanity’s overall development and growth.

He drew attention to the need to expose the public to emerging environmental issues, such as climate change and its impact on global development, saying this should be at the heart of contemporary media practice.

Mr Churchill Otieno, President of the African Editors’ Forum, said the Convention enabled the participants to assess and discuss the situation of the right to press freedom on the continent, identifying areas where journalists faced repression, violence, or censorship.

It also strengthened ties between different actors, such as the media and civil society organisations as well as international bodies, to work together to promote and protect the right to press freedom.

More imp
ortantly, the Convention highlighted the importance of truthful and accurate information, particularly that which condemns and investigates the environmental crisis and its effects.

Source: Ghana News Agency

A leading member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Henry Osei Akoto, has criticized President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo concerning a petition that is seeking the ousting of Kissi Agyebeng from the Office of the Special Prosecutor.

According to him, he believes that although the petition is said to have been submitted by former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, President Akufo-Addo is implicated in the effort to dismiss Agyebeng from his post.

He asserted that the president intends to replace Kissi Agyebeng with an individual who aligns better with his vision and will act in accordance with his directives to circumvent future prosecutions.

‘I think the burgeoning removal of the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng is a grand scheme by President Akufo-Addo and the Akyem Mafia to remove the man from office and fix a partisan apparatchik who will not prosecute them when Bawumia finally loses miserably,’ he wrote on his X page.

His comments followed a JoyNews report revealing that a petition for the
removal of Kissi Agyebeng as Special Prosecutor has been forwarded by President Akufo-Addo to the Chief Justice.

The petition, dated April 30, 2024, was presented to the president by the former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, and was relayed to Justice Gertrude Torkonoo on May 6, 2024.

Amidu was reported to have cited procurement irregularities in the acquisition of vehicles for the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and alleged misconduct involving judges and the administration of justice.

Additional accusations encompass the infringement of citizens’ rights via arrests and detentions, breaches of the right to information, and the inappropriate appointment of staff to the office.

In accordance with Article 146 of the Constitution, the Chief Justice is currently assessing whether there is sufficient initial evidence to constitute a committee for Agyebeng’s potential impeachment.

Source: Ghana Web

The Shama District Assembly is set to develop a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Master Plan to help influence policy directions on improving the environmental sanitation practices within the district.?

The 10-year WASH Master Plan, which is expected to be fully completed and launched by the end of August this year, is being drawn in collaboration with the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC).

The plan’s overall goal is to identify the current state of the WASH sector and forge collaborations among key players and institutions to improve inter-sectorial coordination geared towards addressing WASH gaps within the Shama District.

As part of planned activities to formulate the plan, the Assembly, in partnership with the NDPC has organised an inception meeting, at Shama, to inform stakeholders about the objectives and strategies to be rolled out in coming out with the Master Plan.?

The meeting was attended by representatives from Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the WASH sector, tradition
al and religious leaders, the private sector, corporate institutions, and development partners among other stakeholders.?

Mr. Ebenezer Dadzie, the Shama District Chief Executive (DCE), speaking at the opening of the meeting said the WASH Master Plan sought to represent a comprehensive and innovative approach to address the challenges confronting water and sanitation issues in the district.?

He said: ‘The WASH master plan as I have already mentioned, will address the current challenges and gaps in water, sanitation, and hygiene services in our District by conducting a thorough assessment of the existing infrastructure and service.?

‘It will then prioritize areas for improvement and implement targeted interventions to ensure access to clean water, safe sanitation, and good practices for all residents.’

Additionally, he noted that the plan would involve community participation and engagement to ensure that solutions were locally appropriate and sustainable in the long term to help systematically improve the
overall well-being of the people.

Mr. Dadzie called on all stakeholders to contribute their quota to ensure a successful development and implementation of the plan, ‘so that together, we can create a future where clean water flows, sanitation accessible to all, and hygiene practices are ingrained in our daily lives.’

Dr. Kodjo Mensah-Abrampa, the Director-General of the NDPC, said the Master Plan was to help the Assembly meet its own sanitation-related medium-term plans and contribute to realising the national WASH target where every citizen would have access to safe water,? and safe and hygienic environment by at least 2030.

He said the plan would guide the district in its actions, and provide the necessary analysis to establish gaps in WASH systems and how to collectively manage the identified nuisances to attain the set targets.?

Mr Anthony Quaicoe, Shama District Development Planning Officer, giving an overview of some of the plan’s proposed implementation modalities, said they would work closely with
local, regional, and national authorities to align policies, secure funding, and ensure coordinated implementation of the WASH Master Plan.

At the community level, they would empower residents to be active stakeholders to provide feedback, monitor progress, and promote sustainable practices to help sustain the initiative, he said.

He said: ‘We will engage private companies, utilities, and service providers to leverage their expertise, resources, and innovative solutions, while also seeking partnerships with global organizations to share best practices, access funding, and stay abreast of the latest advancements in the WASH sector.’

Source: Ghana News Agency