News
Ghana is safe; President satisfied with plans to roll out 24-hour economy
The Minister for Government Communications Felix Kwakye Ofosu has briefed the country of the outcome of President John Dramani Mahama’s first Cabinet Meeting.
“Ghana is Safe. The President has been fully briefed on the state of the economy and is satisfied with policy proposals to address the challenges. He has also been appraised on work done so far to roll out the 24-hour economy policy”, Minister for Government Communications Felix Kwakye Ofosu has revealed during the briefing.
Addressing the presidential press corps after the cabinet’s first meeting on Thursday, Mr Kwakye Ofosu said President John Mahama would appraise Ghanaians on the true state of the economy, which is worse than anticipated, when he presents the State of the Nation Address to Parliament next week.
According to the Minister, the cabinet was briefed on plans to “fully roll out President Mahama’s foremost policy towards transforming Ghana: the 24-hour economy.”
Minister for Finance, Dr Ato Forson, also told the cabinet that the economic situation is dire “and the numbers are even worse than we had known before the elections”, Mr Kwakye Ofosu emphasised.
He announced that more details on the economy and policies to reset will be discussed at the National Economic Dialogue slated for the 3rd and 4th of March 2025.
Various experts and stakeholders drawn from academia, civil society organisations, public servants, and other interested parties will discuss the economy and make recommendations that will be factored into the 2025 budget statement, which will be presented to Parliament on March 11
The Second Deputy Minority Whip, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, has defended the conduct of the Minority in Parliament during Tuesday’s chaotic sitting, insisting their actions were to protect what they believe is a violation of parliamentary procedure.
Explaining the incident, he said the Minority was reacting to developments surrounding a letter which allegedly directed that a seat belonging to the MP for Kpandai be declared vacant despite an earlier ruling by the Speaker.
He argued that the Speaker’s ruling should stand unless overturned by a competent court, and described the sudden reversal as shocking and against parliamentary precedent.
Mr Ahmed said the Minority only attempted to make a statement to register their displeasure, but tensions rose when the Majority Leader insisted on responding instead of commenting, which he said was against the rules.
He also denied claims that Minority MPs crossed the aisle, stressing that they remained within their side and only sought the Speaker’s attention.
He further complained that during proceedings, the Mace—the symbol of authority in the House—was not present and Minority microphones were disconnected, making the process one-sided.
He said the caucus intends to continue pushing to ensure that the MP for Kpandai retains his seat, adding that their next steps will be strategic.
By: Jacob Aggrey
President John Mahama has stated that it is too early for anyone to call for the scrapping of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) despite recent controversies surrounding the institution.
He argued that the office remains an important part of Ghana’s fight against corruption.
He explained that government is strengthening anti-corruption bodies such as the Economic and Organised Crime Office and the OSP, noting that the OSP is the only agency with the power to independently prosecute cases without going through the Attorney General.
President Mahama said many people distrust the Attorney General’s office because it is headed by a government minister, and some fear it may be slow to prosecute its own.
He believes an independent body like the OSP offers stronger accountability, regardless of who is involved.
He admitted that citizens want to see more prosecutions and visible results, but urged the public to give the OSP time.
He encouraged the office to speed up its investigations to show that it remains relevant in the fight against corruption.
By: Jacob Aggrey
