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Eastern Regional Minister urges House of Chiefs to amicably solve disputes
The Eastern Regional Minister and Chairman of the Regional Security Council (REGSEC), Mr Seth Kwame Acheampong has raised concern about the increasing threat to security and public safety posed by chieftaincy disputes in some parts of the region.
According to him, the hydra-headed problem of chieftaincy disputes continued to be a threat to peace and security in the region, adding that the disputes arose mostly from disagreement over traditional boundaries, property and the right to stool occupancy.
“Indeed, it is not within the purview of the REGSEC to adjudicate these disputes as they are to be resolved by the traditional authorities themselves,” he said and appealed to the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs to step up their efforts in resolving the disputes to pave way for development in the communities in the region.
Mr Seth Acheampong made these statements yesterday during the end of year general meeting organised for this year by the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs in Koforidua.
The meeting was purposed to enable the chiefs take stock of the activities of the House during the past year and to plan for the coming year.
Mr Seth Acheampong indicate that the REGSEC has, on a number of times, been compelled to take certain decisions to avert breach of peace in some parts of the region in accordance with the provisions of the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2020, (Act 1030).
“I humbly plead with Nananom to bear with the security when such situations arise. It is in the interest of peace,” he said.
He stated that he was aware the House was doing it best to solve the disputes and called on them to continue to support the REGSEC to ensure peace and security in all the traditional areas in the region.
Speaking on capacity building, the Eastern Regional Minister said for the chiefs to be able to perform their function in contemporary times, there was the need to build their capacity to catch up with the complexities in today’s traditional governance.
“It is however important to note that there is a paradigm shift in the functions performed by traditional leaders in contemporary times as they have to tackle poverty, illiteracy, crime, injustice, and environmental degradation among others.”
He said for that reason it has become imperative for traditional leaders to be trained in traditional leadership issues, land administration, conflict management, records and documentation management.
He added that their training could be effective and become useful if they were carried out regularly and extended to cover sub-chiefs and other staff of Traditional Council who play key roles in traditional governance.
For his part, the President of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs, Nene Sakite II appealed to community members to unite behind their traditional rulers to enable various traditional areas to continue to witness massive development in the years to come.
He stated that development must go hand in hand with peace and unity, adding that chieftaincy institution was the security bedrock of the country, hence the need for parliament to give chiefs back their powers to operate efficiently to maintain peace, security and development
He revealed that the House has been able to dispose off eight chieftaincy cases and would do its best to solve the remaining cases.
From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua
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.
