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Alban Bagbin installed Chief in Suma
Speaker Bagbin(third left) on his way to the installation
The Suma Traditional Council (STC) at Suma in the Bono Region on Saturday installed the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin as a chief with the stool name Nana Adosorkorhene I.
The Speaker’s installation was to recognise his show of strength against western powers in the promotion of LGBTQ+ activities in the country.
It would be recalled that in July this year the Suma Traditional Council also awarded the Highest Order of the Suma State Adinkra award to Mr Bagbin for his advocacy on the anti- LGBTQ+ bill.
The colourful coronation was preceded by initiation rites performed behind closed doors before the coronation at the forecourt of the Suma Palace.
Mr Bagbin arrived at the Palace adorned in a beautiful smock and accompanied by his wife, Minority Caucus in Parliament, staff of the Parliamentary service board and other dignitaries.
Also in attendance were a delegation from the clergy made up of members of the Pentecostal Council, local council of churches led by the Bishop of Sunyani Diocese, Mathew Kwasi Gyamfi.
The occasion was to climax a week-long crusade organised by the STC for God’s blessings and protection on the Suma State under the theme “Who the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”
The Omanhene of the area, His Royal Majesty Odeneho Dr Affram Brempong III said Ghana’s culture was under threat and all effort must be made to preserve the culture, values and traditions of the Ghanaian society against any abominable indoctrination.
He said the Parliament of Ghana must pass the human and sexual rights and family values Bill 2021 into law to safeguard the moral fabric of the Ghanaian society.
The paramount chief explained that the Adosorkohene title given to Mr Bagbin means a tower of strength derived from the Suna deity which protected their ancestors against their enemies during wars and that people associate with Mr Bagbin of his resolve to ensure that Parliament pass the bill into law.
The Speaker of Parliament on his part expressed his excitement and delight for the honour bestowed on him by the chiefs and people of Suma.
His coronation, he said, was not for him alone but for the institutions of Parliament and Ghana as a whole.
He assured that Parliament will do the right thing to ensure that the LGBTQ+ bill was passed into law, adding that the cost of LGBTQ+ activities on the health system of the country cannot be borne by the state.
Mr Bagbin explained that countries promoting homosexuality were facing the brunt of it, stressing that Ghana will not be intimidated to tolerate such a bad culture.
He said his recent call for a change in the governance structure of the country to allow chiefs, religious bodies and the media was aimed at strengthening the democratic culture of the country.
He commended the chiefs and people of Suma for preserving their rich culture which he said had stood the test of time and called for peace and unity among traditional authorities in the country.
From Daniel Dzirasah, Suma Ahenkro
The Global Network of Export-Import Banks and Development Finance Institutions (G-NEXID) successfully held its sixth (6th) Exchange Programme, hosted by the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) Bank in Accra from March 22 to 23 March.
The event brought together member institutions, partner organisations and Ghanaian public entities to advance dialogue on South-South trade, investment and development finance, while also creating opportunities for knowledge-sharing and institutional cooperation.
Organised as a capacity-building and networking platform, the 2026 edition of the G-NEXID Exchange focused on GEXIM’s experience in developing innovative solutions to promote intra-African and extra-African trade.
It also highlighted trade and investment opportunities in Ghana, particularly in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and broader national development initiatives.
The Exchange Programme forms part of G-NEXID’s mandate to foster cooperation among export-import banks and development finance institutions in support of South-South trade and investment.
This 6th edition follows earlier successful programmes hosted by India Exim Bank (2016), BNDES (2017), Indonesia Eximbank (2018), Afreximbank (2019) and Saudi EXIM Bank (2025).
On the first day, participants were presented with G-NEXID institutional information and received an update on the Network’s 2026 work programme.
There were a series of substantive presentations, including an overview of the Ghanaian economy by the Ministry of Finance, with particular attention to debt-related challenges; a presentation by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), on investment opportunities in the country; and institutional presentations by GEXIM and Development Bank Ghana (DBG) on their respective mandates, initiatives, products and services.
Discussions during the sessions underscored strong interest in sector-focused webinars and business dialogues, particularly in agribusiness value chains such as poultry and rice.
Participants also emphasized the importance of continued information exchange and the sharing of best practices, especially in the area of guarantees.
The second day opened with a presentation on the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme, a national economic transformation strategy launched by President John Dramani Mahama in July 2025.
The initiative aims to enhance economic productivity through continuous industrial activity, accelerated export development and strategic import substitution.
As the programme is expected to mobilise both private and development capital, it presents concrete opportunities for G-NEXID members in areas such as co-financing, guarantees, trade finance and technical cooperation.
The programme also featured institutional presentations by guest organisations, namely the African Guarantee and Economic Cooperation Fund (FAGACE) and the West African Development Bank (BOAD), which shared their mandates, initiatives, products and services.
Following these exchanges, the G-NEXID Secretariat held bilateral discussions with both institutions as part of the Network’s ongoing membership drive.
Participants further benefited from a presentation by the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB), as well as a showcase of GEXIM’s key pipeline projects.
On the margins of the Exchange Programme, G-NEXID members also held their 20th Annual General Assembly Meeting to review progress and discuss strategic priorities.
Following the event, participants joined the GEXIM@10 International Conference, held from March 24-25, 2026 under the theme, “A Decade of Enabling Export Trade and Industrial Transformation: Resetting GEXIM for the Next Frontier.”
The conference provided an important platform for exploring how Ghana can strengthen its transition from a primary commodity exporter to a more competitive player in value-added trade and industrial development.
Source – G-NEXID
President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, signed five bills including three amendment bills passed by Parliament into law.
They are: Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill, 2025; University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Bill, 2025; Ghana Deposit Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Growth and Sustainability Levy (Amendment) Bill, 2026; and Education Regulatory Bodies (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
In a brief remark after assenting to the bills, President Mahama explained that the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2026, scraps the Office of Minister of National Security and frees the President’s to appoint any Minister to supervise the security agencies.
He said it also reverses the name of the office of National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), to the original name, Bureau of National Intelligence, (BNI).
This the President said, addresses the confusion between that security agency and a well-known Ghanaian financial institution, the National Investment Bank.
President Mahama also noted that the University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Act, 2026, establishes another University in the Eastern Region, at Bonsu, with three campuses – the main campus at Bonsu in the Eastern Region, with the second campus to be cited at Ohawu in the Oti Region.
The third, the Presdient assed will be located at Acherensua in the Ahafo Region.
Touching on the Amendment to the Growth and Sustainability Levy Act, the President said, “As you’re aware, the act was amended to increase it from 1% to 3%, and so this act reduces it again. That is the levy on mining companies. It reduces it again to 1%, because of the introduction of the sliding scale of royalties.”
He also spoke to the passage of the Government Education Regulatory Bodies Amendment Act, emphasising that amends Act 1023 to grant greater flexibility to private tertiary institutions and the option to Charter.
The Ghana Deposit Protection Amendment Act, the President concluded, is an amendment to an original act that was supposed to guarantee deposits held in commercial banks or financial institutions.
It basically expands protection to include mobile money wallets and other digital platforms, ensuring a wider scope of digital financial assets are secured.
The signing ceremony, was witnessed by the Clerk of Parliament, Mr. Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, Secretary to the President, Dr Callistus Mahama, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Dr Dominic Akrutinga Ayine, Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, Joyce Bawa Mogtari, a Senior Presidential Advisor and a Special Aide to the President, Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, and the Vice President, Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang.
