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Ghana celebrates Nkrumah’s 117th birthday
Nkroful became a tourist attraction as hundreds of residents and visitors gathered at the Ellembelle District of the Western Region in honour of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
The 2026 Nkrumahfest celebrations, which marked Dr Nkrumah’s 117th birthday, was held under the theme: “Nkrumah @117: Celebrating His Enduring Legacy – Africa Must Unite or Perish.”
The celebrations formed part of a week-long programme which included a community football gala, communal labour, a candlelight procession, inter-faith service, homecoming activities, food and cultural competitions, a People’s Assembly, school quiz and cultural competitions, brass-band procession, a grand durbar and musical concert.
The climax featured a grand durbar at Nkroful, where speakers called for renewed commitment to the ideals of African unity, self-determination, self-reliance and development associated with Dr Nkrumah.
The festival brought together traditional rulers, political leaders, members of the Nkrumah family, academics, Pan-Africanists and visitors from across Ghana and beyond to reflect on the life, ideas and contribution of the former President to Ghana’s independence and African unity.
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources and Member of Parliament for Ellembelle, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, said the celebration should go beyond commemorating the former President and serve as an opportunity for Ghanaians to assess how far the country and Africa had progressed towards his vision.
The festival also provided an opportunity for the people of Nzema to showcase their rich cultural heritage through traditional ceremonies, local cuisine, music and other cultural activities.
The 2026 NkrumahFest therefore ended with renewed calls for Ghanaians and Africans, particularly the youth, to study and draw lessons from Dr Nkrumah’s ideas on African unity, self-reliance and sustainable development.
By Spectator Reporter
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An Accra High Court has set November 4, 2026, to rule on the bail application filed by the former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.
The bail application is pending his appeal against a 20-year jail sentence.
The court fixed the date after hearing arguments from both counsel for the applicant and the prosecution.
Chairman Wontumi is seeking bail pending the determination of his appeal challenging the conviction and sentence.
The court will deliver its ruling on whether to grant the bail application on November 4.
The Conviction
On July 20, 2026, an Accra High Court presided over by Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay convicted Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, on 6 illegal mining-related charges.
He was found guilty of assigning mineral rights without ministerial approval and intentionally facilitating an unlicensed mining operation, contrary to the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) as amended, in connection with Akonta Mining Company Limited’s operations on the Samreboi concession in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve in the Western Region.
The law provides a custodial sentence of 15 to 25 years for those offences. The court sentenced him to 20 years imprisonment and a fine of 10,000 penalty units [GH¢120,000]. The court said failure to pay the fine will attract an additional 3-year term, to run concurrently.
His company, Akonta Mining Company Limited, was also fined after the court considered mitigating circumstances.
Current Bail Application
His legal team filed a bail application pending appeal in August 2026. The application was first scheduled for August 19 but was adjourned. Today, October 15, 2026, the court heard arguments from both sides and fixed November 4, 2026 to rule on whether to grant bail.
The defence argues he is not a flight risk, respected all bail terms before conviction, and that his appeal has 19 grounds with strong prospects of success. The State, represented by Deputy Attorney General Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, opposed bail, arguing he poses a flight risk and that his grounds do not meet the exceptional circumstances threshold for bail after conviction.
Other Cases Pending
Despite the 20-year sentence, he still faces two other major cases:
A Ghana Exim Bank case where he, together with Wontumi Farms Limited and another accused, allegedly obtained over GH¢14.3 million between 2018 and 2022 under false pretences for a farming project, using forged documents, leading to losses exceeding GH¢30 million.
Charges include defrauding by false pretences, uttering forged documents, money laundering and causing financial loss to the state.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has urged the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to intensify efforts to recover unpaid taxes from public institutions and businesses cited in the Auditor-General’s reports.
The committee asked the Authority to verify the amounts owed and collect outstanding payments from organisations including the Ghana Airports Company Limited, Ghana Water Company Limited and the Electricity Company of Ghana.
The call was made when the GRA appeared before the Committee yesterday.
This comes as the GRA reported that it had exceeded its revenue target by the end of September.
The Chairperson of the Committee, Abena Osei Asare, commended the Authority and the Auditor-General for their work, but called for greater transparency in tax collection, stressing that taxpayers should pay only what is required by law.
Representatives of the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) also appeared before the Committee, with the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition and its agencies expected to appear next.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
