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…but NPP rubbishes claim
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) government has debunked claims by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) that it had failed to fulfill most of its manifesto promises leading up to the 2016 election.
It said the Akufo-Addo-led government made 388 promises in its 2016 manifesto and not 631 as claimed by the NDC at its press conference earlier yesterday.
In a press conference held yesterday in Accra, the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said the claims by the NDC was false and that the opposition party had lifted words from the vision and strategy framework of the NPP manifesto and copied the words and phrases as articulated in them and created them as new promises in order to increase the promises.
He said “this is attempt to distort the base and claim that we have made a declaration that is dishonest. This attempt itself is the true definition of intellectual dishonesty.”
According to the Minister of Information, the NDC had added on to the 235 new promises to its initial promises of 388 thereby increasing it to 631.
Mr Nkrumah said the NDC had made two claims saying that the first one is the claim that whilst government in its report in February this year, outlined 388 promises and accounted for them, they (NDC) have discovered an extra 235 promises which the government has hidden or refused to account for.
“The second claim was that, the NPP has failed in delivering 86 per cent of this supposed 631 promises, “in other words, they claim we have only achieved 14 per cent of this supposed 631 promises,” he said.
The NDC had in an earlier press conference accused the government of “mind-boggling” intellectual dishonesty because it was not being candid with citizens in terms of delivering on its 2016 manifesto.
A presentation on the promises of the NPP which was led by Samual Okudzeto Ablakwa, the North Tongu MP, said the fulfilment of the NPP’s promises was woeful.
“You are given four good years of the destiny of the people and all you can do is 14 per cent. And even this we have been so generous. You scored an F.”
“You don’t even have the courage to apologise for it and try to see if you can make amends but you think you can lie your way through by understating the number of promises that you made,” he argued.
Source: Ghanaian Times
A former Sec ond Lady, Mrs Matilda Amis sah-Arthur, has called for urgent action to bridge literacy gaps among young girls in the country to advance gender equality.
She stressed that improving lit eracy among girls was essential not only for women’s empowerment but also for national development.
“Addressing the literacy gap is not a woman’s issue. It is a nation al necessity and, with the passing of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Act, 2024, Ghana is signalling that women belong in leadership, but leadership begins with a book,” she said.
Mrs Amissah-Arthur made the call at an event organised by the Ghana Library Authority (GLA) in Accra yesterday to mark Interna tional Women’s Day (IWD) on the theme: “Her Voice in Libraries: Women Transforming Literacy in Ghana.”
According to her, many girls in Ghana still drop out of school due to poverty, lack of mentorship and limited support systems, warning that without deliberate interven tions some risk becoming part of worrying national statistics.
The former Second Lady encouraged students, particularly girls, to see education not only as a tool for personal advancement but also as a means of empowering future generations.
“Don’t shy away from STEM and ICT subjects. Break into the male-dominated areas and bridge the digital divide,” she added.
Mrs Amissah-Arthur also called for stronger partnerships between men and women in advancing gen der equality, stressing that the issue should be viewed as a national development priority rather than solely a women’s concern.
“Gender equality is not a woman’s issue. It is a development issue. It requires partnership, respect and shared responsibility,” she said.
She further expressed opti mism that with the right support systems, every child, regardless of gender, could achieve their full potential.
In a remark, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Education, Lydia Essuah, said that despite progress made in promoting gender equality in the education sector, challenges remained in ensuring progression, completion and quality learning outcomes for all learners.
She highlighted the important role of libraries in advancing liter acy and lifelong learning skills, and called for increased investment in library infrastructure and services to help build a knowledge-driven society.
The Executive Director of the Ghana Library Authority, Alhassan Ziblim Bentintiche, also under scored the importance of libraries in empowering young people, par ticularly girls, with access to books, digital resources and mentorship opportunities.
He disclosed plans to expand Ghana’s library infrastructure and services to particularly attract the youth and promote literacy.
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
Management of the Metro Mass Transit Limited has accused the government of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of pursuing what it describes as a “create, loot and share” agenda in the sale of portions of the Opera Square Bus Terminal to a private developer.
The Deputy Managing Director of the company, Haroun Apaw-Wiredu, raised the concerns while speaking to journalists at the Opera Square Bus Terminal in Accra on Thursday, March 12, 2026.
He indicated that the management of Metro Mass Transit would not tolerate any further unauthorized development at the terminal and would take steps to protect the property.
According to him, it would be wrong for a private developer to take control of state property for personal economic gain while the company and the public remain silent.
“How can we sit down and allow a private developer, just for his selfish economic gains, to capture state property for himself? No, we cannot sit down,” he stressed.
Mr Apaw Wiredu called on the public to resist what he described as attempts to take over state assets, adding that such actions would disadvantage ordinary citizens.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we must all stand up. We must all wake up. We must fight this level of brazen looting and attempts to milk the system at the expense of ordinary Ghanaians,” he indicated.
He explained that some individuals had been operating around the terminal for many years and alleged that the developer gained access to the land during the previous administration.
Mr Apaw Wiredu stressed that under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama, the company would pursue all legitimate means to protect the terminal from what he described as unlawful takeover.
He added that management would use every legal avenue available to defend the property and prevent any attempt to take control of the land without proper authorization.
By: Jacob Aggrey
