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120-Day Social Contract Task Force starts work
President John Dramani Mahama’s 120 Days Social Contract Task Force has held its inaugural meeting following the swearing-in of the full complement of ministers of state.
Chaired by Dr Valerie Sawyerr, Senior Presidential Advisor on Governmental Affairs, the 19-member task force is to ensure that the policies outlined in the NDC Manifesto to be achieved within the first 120 days of President Mahama’s assumption of office are fulfilled.
The president noted that while some of the promises have been delivered, others required a sectoral focus and needed the ministers to be in place.
“Some of the targets were to be achieved within 90 days, while others were in 14 days like the promise to assemble a full cabinet, which has been achieved.
“Others necessarily must go with some things, for instance the removal of some taxes and rationalisation of taxes can only be in the budget because you need to do revenue measures and put those tax instruments before Parliament,” the President said.
“So, all of you are supposed to focus on your sectors and work so that we achieve all the targets that we set ourselves in the 120-day plan.”
President Mahama, referred to Task Force as the G120, and urged them to work closely with the Chairperson, to make sure that the government is faithful to the mandate given it by the people of Ghana.
He noted that the National Economic Dialogue Planning Committee and the Constitution Review Committee have started work. The president lauded the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, for setting up the National Forum on Education Committee.
“The Minister for Education, who was amongst the earliest to be sworn-in has already moved quite fast with the issue of the national education review and so for those of you who were sworn-in later look into your sector ministries and the promises that we made and then work as quickly as possible with the senior presidential advisor on governmental affairs to be able to achieve those targets we’ve set ourselves”, the President said.
The 120 days Social Contract Task Force include Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, Finance Minister, John Abu Jinapor, Energy Minister, Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu Agyare, Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Dr Dominic Akurutinga Ayine, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, Education Minister.
The others are Hon. Dzifa Abla Gomashie, Minister for Tourism, George Opare Addo, Minister for Youth Development, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Minister for Health, and Dr Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo, Minister for Labour, Jobs, and Employment.
The rest are Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Samuel Nartey George, Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Hon. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Mr Prosper Bani, National Security Adviser, Mr Goosie Tanoh, Presidential Advisor on the 24-Hour Economy, Professor Francis Dodoo, Presidential Adviser, Mrs Joyce Bawah Mogtari, Presidential Adviser and Special Aide to the President and COP Kofi Boakye (Rtd.), Director of Operations at the Presidency.
Dr Valerie Sawyerr on behalf of the Team, expressed gratitude to President Mahama for the honour bestowed upon them.
“We know how seriously you take your promises to the people of Ghana. Each promise is best with deep thinking, painstaking calculation, and consideration of various permutations to ensure they are viable, doable, and sustainable,” she said.
“We will not fail you; we will not fail the people of Ghana and God be our helper,” Dr Sawyerr said.
Story credit: Ghana News Agency.
News
Declare a state of emergency in parts of the country affected by illegal mining – Coalition Against Galamsey to Mahama
The Coalition Against Galamsey is asking President John Mahama to declare a state of emergency in areas badly affected by illegal mining.
According to the Convenor of the Coalition, Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey, the situation has gone beyond control and requires urgent action to save lives and protect the environment.
He explained that the Constitution allows a state of emergency to be declared when the actions of criminals threaten essential resources such as water, safety, and the survival of communities.
He said illegal miners were destroying water bodies and depriving large communities of clean drinking water, which is an “essential of life.”
Dr. Ashigbey stressed that the call was not for the entire country, but only for parts of Ghana where the destruction is severe.
He added that declaring a state of emergency in these areas will give government the legal power to act quickly and decisively.
He also called on the President to provide clear timelines and targets to guide the fight against galamsey.
This, he said, would help demonstrate government’s seriousness and commitment to ending the menace.
The Coalition insisted that declaring a state of emergency was no longer a last resort but an immediate step needed to save Ghanaians and protect the future of the country.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
The Ghana Bar Association must be non-partisan in the discharge of their duties – Dominic Ayine urges
The Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dominic Ayine, has called on the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) to remain non-partisan in the discharge of its duties.
He said the credibility of the legal profession would be at risk if the bar allowed itself to be influenced by political interests.
Speaking at the GBA 2025/ 2026 annual general conference, Dr. Ayine reminded members that their first allegiance was to the Constitution and the Republic, not to any government or opposition party.
He stressed that for over three decades, the GBA had played an important role in helping the Supreme Court interpret and enforce the law, but outside the courtroom, its advocacy had often lacked consistency.
Dr. Ayine pointed to past cases such as the 2015 petition against the former CHRAJ Chairperson, Loretta Lamptey, and the 2017 petition for the removal of Electoral Commission Chairperson, Charlotte Osei, where the bar remained silent.
He noted that the association only found its voice during the petition against former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, a stance he said coincided with the position of the opposition.
He questioned why the bar acted differently in those situations, especially since all three cases involved women of repute who held positions in key constitutional bodies.
Dr. Ayine urged the GBA to be the conscience of the republic, saying lawyers must defend the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary, and the rights of citizens regardless of which political party was in power.
He warned against inviting foreign interference in Ghana’s constitutional matters, saying international collaboration should be limited to professional exchanges and not politics.
He further encouraged the GBA to promote integrity among its members, strengthen pro bono services to support the poor, and embrace digital reforms such as e-filing and electronic court records to modernize the justice system.
According to him, the destiny of Ghana is tied to the integrity of the legal profession.
He added that if lawyers stand firm, the country will also stand firm, but if they falter, the republic will stumble.
By: Jacob Aggrey
