News
Creative Arts Agency holds Entrepreneurship Townhall Meeting
Creative Arts Agency in collaboration with Global Entrepreneurship Network-Ghana (GEN-Ghana) last Friday held the Creative Arts Entrepreneurship Town Hall Meeting that brought together established entrepreneurs from various creative industries.
The meeting which was to inspire, educate and inform people on entrepreneurial opportunities in the creative sector was one of the activities to commemorate the 13th Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) celebrated from November 8 -14, in over 150 countries including Ghana.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Creative Arts Agency, Gyankroma Akufo-Addo in her address at the event held at the Conference Room of the Agency, said the Creative Arts Agency was established in 2014 to be a conduit between government and industry.
She added that the focus of the agency was to develop the industry by professionalising it to enable players compete globally.
According to her, an industry without a professional body to draw ideas from, would struggle in the dark, and the meetng will help bridge the gap between the creative industry and entrepreneurial opportunities available.
The panel made up of Joel Nettey, World President & Chairman International Advertising Association, Sadiq Abdulai , Chief Executive Officer of 3 Media Network, Theresa Ayoade, Chief Executive Officer, CharterHouse Productions West Africa and Mantse Aryeequaye, Director, Chale Wote Street Art Festival, shared their entrepreneurial journey and experiences on how they started, the mistakes they made, challenges they faced, how they dealt with those challenges and how creative arts as an industry could be viable.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Minister for Government Communications, Felix Ofosu Kwakye, has dismissed claims that staff salaries at the Presidency have increased under the current administration, describing the allegation as a “flat lie”.
In a response to a post on Facebook, Ofosu Kwakye said the current staff at the Presidency inherited the same salaries and conditions approved for their predecessors.
He argued that once arrears owed to former Article 71 office holders are paid, the total wage bill for the current administration will actually be lower due to a reduction in staff numbers.
“It is in fact a mathematical certainty that the total amount paid in salaries to the current staff will be smaller compared to yours once your arrears are paid because of the reduction in numbers,” he stated.
The Minister noted that delays in paying arrears to past Article 71 office holders are not new.
“Arrears owed to past Article 71 office holders is nothing new or unheard of. Many others before you have suffered same,” he said.
Ofosu Kwakye also stressed that the salaries and conditions in question were approved by Parliament on 6th January 2025, under the previous government.
He pointed out that the Constitution bars any changes to those salaries until a new committee is set up to determine emoluments for Article 71 office holders under the new administration.
“No such committee has been set up by President Mahama and no alteration has been made,” he clarified.
“So on what basis, apart from pure lies and mischief, can a claim of ballooning be made?” he concluded.
The response follows public debate over the size and cost of the presidential staff, with critics alleging a spike in the wage bill.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi and the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, has initiated plea negotiations with the Attorney General’s office in the GH₵30 million Exim Bank fraud case.
Information available to ghanaiantimes.com.gh indicates that lawyers for Bernard Antwi Boasiako aka Chairman Wontumi & 2 other accused have formally written to the Attorney General to enter into plea negotiations on the charges of defrauding by false pretenses, money laundering, and intentionally causing financial loss to a public body.
A plea bargain, under Section 162C of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) (Amendment) Act, 2022 (Act 1079), allows an accused person to plead guilty to lesser charges in exchange for a reduced sentence.
The agreement must be approved by the court after the Attorney General assesses factors such as the strength of evidence, recovery of state funds, and public interest.
Wontumi is facing four counts after his arrest by the Economic and Organised Crime Office in May 2025.
Prosecutors allege he used forged documents to secure a GH₵30 million facility from the Ghana Export-Import Bank to finance equipment for his mining company, Akonta Mining Ltd.
The state further charges him with money laundering and causing financial loss to the state.
He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and was granted GH₵50 million bail with two sureties. The case is currently before the Accra High Court.
The Attorney General’s office is yet to confirm whether negotiations will proceed.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
