News
COVID-19 disrupts ‘normal life’ in Parliament
The disruption to social life, forced by the novel corona virus, was brought to bear yesterday when Parliament operated at half capacity; not by will, but by compulsion to stop the further spread of the respiratory disease.
Out of the 275 lawmakers, only 140, representing 50.90 per cent, were allowed onto the floor of the House when the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, came to present the mid-year budget review and economic policy of the government for the 2020 fiscal year pursuant to section 28 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921).
“The Minister [for Finance] shall, not later than the July 31 of each financial year, prepare and submit to Parliament a mid-year fiscal policy review” the section reads adding that the presentation should contain a brief overview of recent macroeconomic developments of government, an update of macroeconomic forecasts undertaken by government and an analysis of the total revenue and expenditure amongst others.
The legislators, in various shapes and colour of nose masks, sat a chair apart to comply with the physical distancing etiquette in compliance with the COVID-19 preventive protocol.
With admission to the House on ‘first come, first served’ basis, as outlined by Speaker Aaron Mike Oquaye on Thursday, MPs who arrived after the House was ‘full to capacity,’ had to observe proceedings on televisions in their respective offices or alternatively in the public gallery.
With the public barred from participating in this year’s exercise, the gallery, which used to house diplomats, traditional rulers, other dignitaries and the local and international media at such events was virtually empty.
Before the two-hour presentation by Mr Ofori-Atta started at about 1pm, the MPs chit-chatted at considerable distances all in compliance with the COVID-19 preventive protocol.
Dressed in all white, Mr Ofori-Atta’s presentation was interspersed with periodic cheers, jeers and boos from either side of the House depending on what they heard.
Unlike in the past where the cheers and jeers virtually made hearing finance ministers on such occasions difficult, there was calm and order in the House making Mr Ofori-Atta audible.
While at it, the MPs could be seen taking notes; probably in preparation for the debate on Monday. It could be said that the House was generally decorous parting away from previous presentations where placards were displayed to convey messages.
The House, however, bounced back to life after the finance minister finished his presentation at about 3: 00 p.m. to a standing ovation from the majority side of the House.
Calling for a continuation in leadership as he concluded his presentation, Mr Ofori-Atta said the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government was the best to steer the country out of the economic quagmire forced by the coronavirus pandemic. Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, seconding the motion for adjournment described the presentation as a “sermon of manifesto promises and pledges rather than mid-year budget review,” to loud laughter by his caucus.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
The Northern Regional Police Command has arrested three men believed to be part of a kidnapping syndicate responsible for abducting a 42-year-old man in Wapuli, a community in the Yendi District.
The suspects, Haruna Seidu, Amidu Bandi and Osman Bandi allegedly kidnapped the victim and demanded GH¢100,000 from his family for his release.
According to a police statement, officers from the Regional Police Intelligence Directorate were deployed to Wapuli after the incident was reported.
The team conducted surveillance and launched a rescue operation.
On Friday, December 5, 2025, police successfully rescued the victim and arrested the suspects after what was described as an intense exchange of gunfire.
The suspects were later taken into custody and are expected to be arraigned before court.
The Police said the a fourth suspect, who is believed to have sustained gunshot wounds during the operation, is currently on the run.
They urged the public to provide any information that may lead to his arrest.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong advocates Bold educational reforms at the UK House of Lords during Global Education Summit.
On November 27 2025, global development leaders, policymakers, education experts and civil society organisations gathered at the UK Parliament’s House of Lords for the Global Education Summit hosted by The Baroness Verma of Leicester and organised by the African British Business Forum.
The high-level event focused on the global rise in out-of-school children and the urgent reforms required to deliver equitable, quality education for all.
Among the distinguished Speakers was Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong, Founder & President of Women in Sustainability Africa (WiSA) and General Manager of the EIB Network, who delivered a compelling address on the theme “Breaking Barriers: Empowering Out-of-School Children Through Education.”
In her remarks, Nana Yaa who is currently celebrating 26years of Service in the Media, emphasized that education must be viewed as essential national infrastructure, not charity.
Borrowing experiences from her 18 years of empowering women and young people, she presented a strong case on how Africa’s poor educational systems tie into the poor state of its Gender Equality gap.
According to her, unlocking access to education is one of the most effective ways to strengthen economies, empower women and young girls, build resilient communities and drive sustainable development.
She highlighted that each child excluded from learning represents deferred innovation, delayed opportunity and a weakened society.
Nana Yaa noted that the barriers keeping millions of children out of school are complex and interconnected—ranging from poverty and cultural norms to geographical isolation and digital exclusion.
Addressing these challenges, she argued, requires solutions that are equally comprehensive and multi-layered.
Nana Yaa stressed that girls remain disproportionately affected, and investing in girls’ education has a transformative impact across several Sustainable Development Goals, including gender equality, poverty reduction, health outcomes and climate resilience.
Nana Yaa advocated for the expansion of flexible, inclusive and community-responsive educational models, such as mobile classrooms for remote and nomadic communities, community learning hubs, after-hours programmes for working children, radio-based instruction for low-tech areas and digital platforms designed to reach learners regardless of connectivity challenges.
She warned that without deliberate action, the digital divide would continue to widen, pushing already vulnerable children further to the margins.
During her presentation, she introduced three major reforms WiSA is seeking Partners for, aimed at reshaping educational access across Africa and beyond.
These are the Digital Bridge for Out-of-School Children (DBOC), the Community Education Stewardship Hubs (CESH) involving local women educators and youth volunteers and the Teen-focused Global Skills Accelerator for Out-of-School Teens (GSA-OT).
She also underscored the need for education systems that support instruction, inclusivity and healing, particularly for children experiencing autism, trauma, displacement or conflict.
Nana Yaa emphasised that emotional and psychological support must be integrated into educational frameworks in order to restore confidence, stability and long-term learning capacity.
The summit concluded with strong commitments from stakeholders to adopt sustainable financing models, strengthen data-driven policies and expand cross-sector partnerships.
The African British Business Forum reaffirmed its commitment to championing innovative, scalable solutions to educational inclusion across the UK, Africa and the wider global community.
