News
Ransford Antwi, set to upset the apple-cart in Sunyani East
Mr Antwi
The race for the Sunyani East Constituency parliamentary seat has become keener and hotter following the decision by Mr Ransford Antwi, an Independent Candidate to join the race for the December general election.
Mr Antwi, a Sunyani based businessman and philanthropist, has pledged to challenge the longstanding dominance of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate in the forthcoming general election.
It has traditionally been a stronghold of the NPP since 1996, however, Mr Antwi seem undeterred by NPP’s strength, vowing to upset the apple-cart.
His reason for that belief is simple – the NPP and their candidate have failed to meet the developmental needs of the people.
This, he believes is buttressed by the large army of the youth and some influential figures within the constituency and abroad throwing their weight behind his candidacy.
Mr Antwi in handshake with former president kuffour
Mr Antwi says his candidacy provides hope and progress for the community.
And it appears his campaign is going on smoothly with a section of the youth, especially the first time voters in the constituency have bought into his ideas.
In separate conversations with a number of them at a campaign activity, they made it clear to The Spectator in an interview that they were relishing a change because it appears they have been taken for granted for a long time.
Reputation
Mr Antwi with former president JJ Rawlings
Mr Antwi is a royal from Sunyani with a strong reputation for honesty and integrity. His connection with the youth and readiness to help in various community activities have earned him significant support from the electorate.
He remains very confident in winning the seat in December following a recent survey from Infoanalytic which identified him as the favoured candidate among the others.
“My decision to contest for the Sunyani East parliamentary seat is to reverse the downwards spiral of developmental needs in the constituency.
My primary focus would be on development and job creation and equip a significant number of the youth with skills to enhance their employability if am elected” he stated.
“When I declared my intention to contest, some people thought that I was just joking and that I would collect money from other contestants and abandon my dream, but I want to assure you that I am in it for the long haul.
Mr Antwi said he boast of a ‘solid’ team on the ground working hard to maintain the momentum and leave nothing to chance.
He expressed concern that the Sunyani East constituency and the broader Sunyani area have diminished in stature due to the absence of substantial developmental initiatives.
The deteriorating condition of Sunyani’s roads characterised by potholes, the neglected regional library and absence of a sports stadium for the constituency would be my priority.
“The youth needs someone to provide them with leadership, offer them employable skills, hence the plan to establish a youth development centre where majority of them would be trained.
There would also be a dedicated office to receive the people and hold regular Town Hall meetings to share ideas from the people to help push forward to constituency’s development agenda.
In all of these, financial support remain a biggest challenge faced by his campaign team because everybody wants to wear his T-shirts and other paraphernalia.
“This comes as a huge cost,” he added.
Challenges
Coming into a contest like this also has a few challenges which Mr Antwi is trying very hard to deal with.
“Some of the people think that I am a rich person because I am a businessman. Others also think that once I am contesting for the election, I have a lot of money to spend and they must come for their share.
But that, according to him, was certainly not the case.
“I’m working within my means. I have some little donations I received from some people who believe in this course to pull through.
Business
Mr Antwi is the owner of Sun-city radio, one of the most popular radio stations in the region. He also owns a fleet of businesses.
Business aside, Mr Antwi is passionate about doing philanthropic work. Through his Sun-city outreach team, he has been able to liaise with some medical doctors to organised health screening for the aged to deal with health complications such as hernia, glaucoma and general health issues in the constituency and beyond.
As a football enthusiast and highly connected figure in football circles, the Sunyani East constituency parliamentary aspirant said he used his influence to secure kit sponsorship for the senior national team in the past.
He was part of a team that hired the services of Ratomir Djokovic from Serbia who supervised Ghana’s qualification to its first World Cup in Germany in 2006.
He is a staunch supporter of BA United, Asante Kotoko and Manchester United of England.
Education
Mr Antwi completed the St Patrick’s Middle School in 1987 and continued to Twene Amanfo Senior Technical High/Sunyani Senior High for his A Level Certificate and completed in 1993.
He had his National Service with the Bono Regional Hospital before proceeding to the Institute of Management Studies in Kumasi where he obtained a Diploma in Business Management.
He later worked with MTN Ghana before venturing into private business.
Family
He is the first born of children to the late Stephen Kwame Antwi and Madam Helena Dankwa.
Mr Antwi and his family at Manchester United stadium UK
Mr Antwi is married to Sufura Mohammed Suraj with whom they are blessed with four beautiful children – Emily Dankwa Antwi, Denise Antwi, Ransford Kofi Antwi and Zara Afia Kuruwaa Antwi.
His favourite meal is fufu with groundnut soup.
Mr & Mrs Antwi
Advice
He advised the youth to stay focused as they work towards realising their dreams.
According to him, the future of this country rests in the arm of the youth so it was important for any government to formulate policies that would ensure their development.
Mr Antwi also encouraged the youth to shun acts that would plunge their various communities into chaos, especially with elections approaching.
By Daniel Dzirasah, Sunyani
A new international whitepaper on democracy in Africa has placed Ghana’s Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, at the centre of a major research study on the role of opposition parties in strengthening democratic governance across the continent.
The study is being conducted by the African Chamber of Content Producers (ACCP) in partnership with the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) Ghana.
It uses Ghana’s 2025/2026 parliamentary session as a case study to examine how opposition parties can contribute to peace, development and democratic stability.
President of the ACCP, Nana Dwomoh-Doyen Benjamin, said the research forms part of a wider continental project aimed at identifying successful governance models in Africa.
He explained that the chamber is interested in promoting positive African stories and finding practical democratic systems that other countries can adopt.
Mr. Dwomoh-Doyen said political differences should not create division or hostility among leaders and citizens.
He stated that despite belonging to different political sides, people must work together in the interest of national development.
According to him, Ghana’s democratic journey and parliamentary system made the country an important case for the study.
The whitepaper, titled “A Strong and Responsible Opposition in Africa: A Ghanaian Case Study (2025/2026 Review)”, reviews the Minority Leader’s parliamentary activities, including his statements, motions and media engagements.
Researchers are also conducting public opinion surveys in Accra, Kumasi and Tamale as part of the study.
Head of ACCP’s Liberia branch, Dr. Murphy T. Jackson, said African countries should formally recognise and support the office of the Leader of the Opposition through legal structures and institutional resources.
He noted that such systems would help reduce the chances of unconstitutional changes of government on the continent.
Head of Research at ACCP Ghana, David Adofo, described Ghana’s opposition institution as one of the strongest in Africa.
He said although the current research focuses on Ghana, future studies would examine opposition institutions in other African countries.
Deputy Secretary General of UPF-Ghana, Tegha King, stressed the importance of a responsible opposition in national development.
Speaking on behalf of the Universal Peace Federation and the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP), he said opposition parties should not be seen as enemies of progress.
According to him, respectful debate, alternative policy ideas and cross-party dialogue are necessary for strong democratic institutions and national peace.
The research comes at a time when some African countries are experiencing political instability and military takeovers.
Despite these challenges, Ghana continues to be recognised as one of Africa’s stable democracies, having recorded several peaceful transfers of power since 1992.
The completed whitepaper will later be submitted to an international peer-reviewed journal, while the abstract has already been made available upon request.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
NuGhana Expat Center to launch ‘AfroTango Platform’ to support diasporans in Ghana and Africa — Nana Kofi Opoku-Agyemang
The Executive Director of the NuGhana International Expat Center, Nana Kofi Opoku-Agyemang, has disclosed that the organisation is preparing to launch the “AfroTango Platform” to support diasporans with integration in Ghana and across Africa.
According to him, the platform is intended to help diasporans navigate African systems, which many often find difficult to understand after relocating from Western countries.
“The AfroTango Platform will provide a structured bridge, offering orientation, vetted service referrals, and a trusted community to help them integrate smoothly for business or relocation,” he said.
Mr. Opoku-Agyemang made the disclosure while speaking about a proposal submitted by the NuGhana International Expat Center to the government of President John Dramani Mahama for the establishment of a specialised multi-agency Diaspora Protection and Human Capital Task Force.
According to their statement, the proposal has been submitted to the President and shared with key institutions, including the Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI), the Ministry of the Interior, the Office of National Security, the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Office of Diaspora Affairs, and the Black Star Experience Secretariat.
Mr. Opoku-Agyemang explained that the proposed task force would help protect diasporans and foreign nationals from organised fraud and exploitation while also helping the country benefit from their expertise, investments, and professional skills.
He noted that many diasporans relocating to Ghana often face challenges such as land disputes, business fraud, and difficulties finding trusted people to guide them through local systems.
President of the African Chamber of Content Producers (ACCP), Nana Dwomoh-Doyen Benjamin, who endorsed the proposal, described the initiative as timely and necessary.
According to him, the leadership of NuGhana understands the realities and expectations of diasporans because of their experience living in Western countries.
He appealed to the government to consider the proposal seriously, stating that it could help protect lives and investments while encouraging more diasporans to contribute to national development.
The statement identified key challenges facing diasporans, including organised land and business scams, the absence of a unified system to engage skilled professionals entering the country, and fears over investment security.
Some diasporans who spoke on condition of anonymity also welcomed the initiative and said a state-backed protection system would give them more confidence to relocate and invest in Ghana.
NuGhana said it has already built a human capital and risk database over the past four years to catalogue diasporans and foreign nationals according to their professions, skills, investment interests, and reported incidents.
The organisation added that it is ready to engage the President’s designated team to demonstrate its database and begin a pilot phase of the proposed framework.
By: Jacob Aggrey
