Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, says his Ministry is working on a new initiative that will allow private businesses to finance the beautification of streets and landmarks in major cities.

Under the arrangement, the businesses will in return get naming rights for those streets and landmarks, as well as advertising space and rights.

He made the revelation during his turn at the Government Accountability Series held at the Jubilee House today.

According to the Minister, the initiative is aimed at enhancing the aesthetics of major cities, improving urban appeal and promoting public-private partnership in city management and maintenance, while easing the financial burden on government.

He said further details and modalities for the scheme will be announced in due course.

By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has become the new leader of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) after delegates approved a constitutional amendment making the party’s flagbearer its leader.

The amendment was approved on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at the NPP’s National Delegates Conference held at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi.

The decision makes Dr Bawumia the leader of the NPP as the party prepares for the 2028 general elections, having earlier been elected as its presidential candidate.

The change was contained in one of 14 constitutional amendments presented to delegates by the party’s Constitution Amendment Committee.

The amendments were approved through a voice vote, with delegates responding in favour of the motions.

The latest amendment reverses a provision approved at the party’s January 31, 2026 conference, which made the National Chairman the leader of the party at all material times.

The approved amendment provides for the flagbearer to assume the leadership of the party when the NPP wins an election and the flagbearer becomes President.

The amendment also reinstates the President as a member of the National Executive Committee when the party is in government.

The Chairman of the NPP Constitution Amendment Committee, Frank Davies, explained that the amendments were necessary to address gaps identified in the party’s previous constitutional review.

The constitutional amendments formed the first part of the conference before delegates proceeded to elect new national executives.

A total of 7,163 delegates from all 16 regions participated in the conference, with voting conducted at 31 polling stations for nine national executive positions.

The Electoral Commission supervised the elections and verified delegates.

Other approved amendments include changes to the election of Vice Chairpersons, allowing candidates to contest specific Vice Chairperson positions instead of being ranked according to the number of votes they receive.

Delegates approved the appointment of three additional Vice Chairpersons, the creation of Deputy Communications Officer positions and the elevation of the Information Technology Officer to an executive position.

Addressing delegates after the constitutional amendments and as the party prepared for the national executive elections, Dr Bawumia called for unity and peaceful voting.

He urged the 47 aspirants contesting nine national positions to accept the outcome of the elections and continue working together for the party.

“Let us vote in peace, accept the results in good faith and leave Kumasi as one family,” he told the delegates.

Dr Bawumia congratulated all the aspirants for putting themselves forward to serve the party and urged those who won to reach out to their fellow contestants.

He assured those who lost that the party would still need their experience and contribution.

The NPP flagbearer further reflected on the party’s reorganisation since the December 2024 general elections, saying the party had listened to its grassroots members and learnt lessons about its organisation, communication and engagement with supporters.

He noted that the party had elected its structures from the polling station to the regional level and had also begun preparations towards its next programme for government.

Dr Bawumia said his early election as the party’s presidential candidate had allowed him and the party to begin work on policy development ahead of the 2028 campaign.

He said various policy committees had been established and engagements with different groups and stakeholders were ongoing.

Turning to national issues, Dr Bawumia used his address to criticise the government over what he described as failures to fulfil several campaign promises.

He specifically questioned the progress of the NDC government’s proposed 24-hour economy, the women’s development bank, electricity tariffs, the cost of transportation and other economic challenges facing households and businesses.

On the economy, he defended the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme, arguing that the programme introduced under the previous NPP administration had contributed to stability in the Ghanaian currency.

Dr Bawumia further criticised the government over the stalled implementation of projects including Agenda 111 and raised concerns about the management of the Free Senior High School programme.

He addressed recent drug seizures involving consignments traced to Ghana, calling for a bipartisan parliamentary committee to investigate how such shipments were able to leave the country.

On the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, he accused the government of failing to deliver on its promises to tackle the problem and restore polluted water bodies.

He criticised the government over promises relating to cocoa prices, teacher and nurse postings, the teacher licensure examination and payments to customers of collapsed financial institutions.

These claims formed part of Dr Bawumia’s political assessment of the NDC government’s performance and were presented by him as reasons why the NPP should return to government.

He accused the government of what he described as the “weaponization of state power” and alleged that different standards of justice were being applied to government supporters and opposition figures.

Dr Bawumia said the NPP would, if returned to power, pursue what he described as one standard of justice for all citizens regardless of political affiliation.

He ended his address by urging the incoming national executives to build a strong party organisation, focus on holding the government to account and communicate the party’s policies to Ghanaians.

The NPP’s new leadership structure and national executive team will now oversee the party’s reorganisation and preparations towards the 2028 general elections.

By: Jacob Aggrey