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Churches should be paid statement was a joke- Dr. Bawumia
The Vice President and flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has clarified his churches should be paid statement made at a meeting with the clergy in the Bono East region last Friday, May 10.
During the meeting, he said “Unless you don’t understand the work the church has done. If you are looking at the buildings, the way they keep the society together, the universities, the hospitals, the schools, it is massive. It is just massive. Many churches have hundreds of schools. So I don’t see, and I will not have a situation where we are taxing churches.”
“We will rather want to give churches incentives to support what the government is doing. I want us to be partners in the way that the development partners are with us. You are our domestic development partners and we will give you incentives to do more,” he stated.
According to him, the statement was a joke, which was taken out of context.
In a meeting with the Clergy in the North East Region as part of his nationwide tour yesterday, the Vice President explained his statement.
He said “Look at the number of hospitals the churches have built. Look at the number of universities the churches have built and the faith-based organizations have built. Look at the number of people the churches and faith-based organizations take care of on a daily basis. Can you imagine, just take a thought for a moment that you wake up tomorrow and all the schools, universities and hospitals the churches have built disappear. They just disappear. How would Ghana be like? Ghana will collapse. Isn’t it? We will not survive in this sort of situation because there will be chaos.”
The Vice President further added that “So at that point I was joking and I said, oh…people are talking about taxing churches. I don’t believe, and we will not tax churches. Because if you look at the work the churches have done, then I was joking then, maybe we should have actually paid them for what they did, not really trying to tax them. But I wasn’t really saying we should pay churches, no. I am saying that we should give incentives to churches to do more.”
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
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Health Minister leads delegation Mimi Darko’s appointment as AMA Director General
Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Minister for Health and Member of Parliament has led a delegation to secure the appointment of Dr Delese Mimi Darko, Chief Executive Officer of the Food and Drugs Authority, as the Director General of the African Medicines Agency (AMA) during the ongoing 2nd Ordinary Session of the Conference of State Parties in Kigali, Rwanda.
This prestigious appointment, achieved through a competitive process, marks a proud and historic moment for Ghana and the entire continent.
It highlights Dr. Darko’s exceptional leadership, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to enhancing public health and regulatory systems across Africa.
The Minister expressed his deep appreciation to President John Dramani Mahama for his strong support and leadership throughout this process.
Mr.Akandoh congratulated Dr. Mimi Darko and Team Ghana for their incredibly successful campaign.
The AMA was established by the African Union on November 5, 2021, with the primary objective of improving access to quality, safe, and effective medical products throughout the continent. Its creation aims to facilitate the regulation and oversight of essential medicines at a continental level while promoting collaboration among African countries and regions.
The Agency’s mission is to provide leadership in creating an enabling regulatory environment for the pharmaceutical sector in Africa, ensuring that the African population has access to essential medical products and technologies.
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Police arrest five suspects involved in robbery cases in Ashanti Region
The Police Intelligence Directorate (PID) in the Ashanti Region has informed the public about a recent breakthrough in the fight against armed robbery in the Denchemuoso District.
Following a series of robbery incidents in the area, on April 22, 2025, PID/Ashanti operatives, acting on credible intelligence, apprehended one Michael Owusu Ansah, alias Baby Last, aged 32.
The suspect had been on the police wanted list since 2016 in connection with a robbery and the murder of Police Officer G/Cpl Frank Essel of SWAT/Ashanti, which occurred at the Open Space Hotel in Denchemuoso on May 19, 2016.
During interrogation, the suspect confessed to engaging in multiple street and residential robberies in Denchemuoso, Atwima-Techiman, Asuoyeboah, and surrounding areas.
He also disclosed that his gang operated with knives, pistols, and pump-action guns.
Further investigations led to the identification and arrest of his accomplices, namely:Emmanuel Owusu, alias Cassidy, Maxwell Gyimah, alias Nana Kwame, Sudais Oxford Ntiamoah, alias The Man Sudais and Rhano Okyere, alias Demon
These individuals were arrested from their hideouts within Atwima-Techiman and Denchemuoso.
However, one suspect, remains at large and efforts are underway to apprehend him and recover the weapons used in the robberies.
All five arrested suspects were arraigned before the Atasomanso Circuit Court on May 13, 2025.
They were remanded into police custody and are scheduled to reappear on June 4, 2025.
