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Follow JM everywhere to sell paraphernalia- Vendor
Ms Rose Danquah
Ms Rose Dankwah is neither a personal bodyguard nor the driver of former President, John Dramani Mahama.
She does not also play any role as a protocol officer or function in any official office of Mr Mahama but when asked whether she occupies any position in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) party which Mr Mahama leads currently, she responded in the affirmative.
Although Ms Dankwah officially holds no identifiable position in the party, she remains one of the popular faces in the party’s colours for her penchant to follow the party’s candidate on every campaign trail.
Ms Dankwah, a resident of Kwashiebu in the Greater Accra Region has become one of the familiar faces around party campaign grounds with the sale of all kinds of NDC paraphernalia.
She said besides making sales to take care of her needs and those of her family, she also gets fulfilment because she loves the NDC party so much.
Speaking in an interview with The Spectator last week when Mr. Mahama visited the Ashaiman Municipality to interact with artisans and informal workers, Ms Dankwah said she had been involved in this for over 20 years with former President Jerry John Rawlings.
She recalled in the past when the business was good and quite promising, especially on the travels countrywide, making good sales.
However, she said, “the times have changed; the job is not lucrative as it used to be.”
Ms Dankwah gets her wares from Accra or Kumasi from people who mostly import from China and displays on the ground and also hawks at rally grounds.
Her paraphernalia ranges from bracelets, necklaces, scarfs, T-shirts, vuvuzela, whistles and many more.
The trader said the business comes with some risk like all other businesses, one being the seasonal drop in sales especially in the off political seasons.
When that happens, she and her colleagues pack the items into store rooms and painfully wait for another four years or any political activity involving the party that they might chance on to sell.
Apart from the party paraphernalia, Ms Dankwah sells anything that would provide her daily bread until another election year beckons.
Fascinatingly, she sells strictly NDC paraphernalia and has no plans to sell other political party items.
This, she explained, is to show her loyalty to the NDC party.
Apart from the few challenges related to her business, Ms Dankwah also has a major headache, that is, her rent which is due for expiry in two months’ time.
“I am scared that I might not be in any good position to settle my rent because the political season is yet to kick off. I am one of the few people praying that the political season would kick off in earnest to start making some money for myself.”
In her view, a huge number of paraphernalia vendors were not party faithfuls like her, acknowledging that “all of them are not like me, some support other parties but there are a few that support no political groupings.”
She was of the view that it was time they formed an association to help make life better for paraphernalia vendors.
By Dzifa Tetteh Tay
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Ghana to locally refine its gold starting October 2025 – Sammy Gyamfi
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board, Sammy Gyamfi, has announced that plans are far advanced for the establishment of a state-owned gold refinery in the country.
Speaking at the 2025 Minerals and Mining Convention, Mr Gyamfi said the refinery will process locally mined gold into bullion instead of exporting it in its raw state.
According to him, it is unacceptable that Ghana, despite being a leading gold producer in Africa, continues to export raw gold known as dore.
He explained that the Gold Board, working with the Bank of Ghana and local refineries, will from October 2025 begin refining gold locally.
He also disclosed that an ultramodern assay laboratory will be built to ensure international standards in testing gold quality.
Mr Gyamfi noted that the refinery will be wholly state-owned and will help Ghana move away from raw mineral exports to value addition.
This, he said, will boost foreign exchange earnings, create jobs, and position Ghana as a hub for gold refining and jewellery production in Africa.
The CEO stressed that the project forms part of government’s strategy to ensure the country benefits fully from its natural resources and to transform the mining sector into a driver of economic growth.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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There is strength in diversity; let’s live in peace – Zanetor Rawlings urges Ghanaians
Member of Parliament for Korle Klottey, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, has urged Ghanaians, especially the youth, to value the peace the country enjoys and to see diversity as a source of strength.
Speaking at the National Youth Conference held at the Pentecost Convention Centre under the theme “Igniting Potential; Inspiring Change”, she warned against being lured into conflicts and divisions fueled by reckless statements from politicians, traditional leaders, religious figures, or academics.
According to her, many young people have no idea what it means to live in a country torn apart by war, and therefore must not take Ghana’s peace for granted.
She stressed that the harmony among different ethnic and regional groups should be protected at all costs, since it is peace that allows citizens to gather freely and safely.
Dr. Zanetor said Ghana’s development depends on embracing diversity and working together.
She urged the youth to tap into this strength so that Ghana would continue to shine as the “Black Star” of Africa and serve as an example for other nations.
She expressed appreciation to the participants for attending the conference and asked for God’s blessings on the country.
By: Jacob Aggrey
