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Ghana needs rebirth
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I have always been fascinated by the idea of the being ‘BORN AGAIN’ philosophy or the underlying principle or creed of the Christian faith as espoused in the book of the Apostle John, Chapter 3: 1-6 on the ‘New Birth’.
It is written that “now there was a certain man among the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler (member of the Sanhedrin) among the Jews, who came to Jesus at night and said to Him, “Rabbi (Teacher), we know (without any doubt) that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs (these wonders, these attesting miracles) that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a person is born again (reborn from above – spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified), he cannot (ever) see and experience the kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born, can he?” Jesus answered, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, and unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot (ever) enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh (the physical is merely physical), and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
As a layman in spiritual things, I will only consider what I find fascinating about the whole philosophy of ‘REBIRTH’ or ‘NEW BIRTH’ as it does not connote a new or second physical birth; but more of a ‘rebirth of the soul or spirit; a renewed existence,activity or growth; a renaissance or renascence; revival; renewal; reawakening; resurgence; revitalisation; resurrection; regeneration; rejuvenation; restoration; reincarnation; metempsychosis; or ‘new beginning’.
As we approach three decades of Fourth Republican experimentation or journey of life as a nation and as a people since 1993, I am left in doubt that, the time has come for us all to step back and have an INTROSPECTION of how we want to live the next 30 years of our lives or what legacies, we would wish to bequeath our children and children’s children.
This is exactly why we need to consider the story of Nicodemus at this point in time, considering what we witnessed in our Parliament few days ago.
For someone, who believes in the whole idea of DESTINIES as being an integral part of our DNA, that which carries the genetic information necessary for the organisation and functioning of most living cells and controls the inheritance of characteristics, I believe it is not for nothing that we had a HUNG PARLIAMENT in the 2020 General Election. It is for the same reason that the events of Friday, 26th November, 2021, was necessary for us to pause and consider the issue of REBIRTH, otherwise posterity will judge our generation badly because we did not take the necessary steps for a renewal, revival, reawakening or renaissance of that which gave us the Fourth Republic.
And, it is not about one of the legacies of Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings.
We will recall that, in pursuance of the Consultative Assembly Law 1991 (PNDC Law 253) after several agitations for return to constitutional rule, the Provisional National Defence Council set up a Consultative Assembly to prepare a draft Constitution for the administration of Ghana.
Consequently, the Consultative Assembly submitted the draft Constitution for the Republic of Ghana to the P.N.D.C. on 31st March, 1992.
The said draft Constitution was submitted to a National Referendum held throughout Ghana on 28th day of April, 1992, the draft Constitution was approved by the people of Ghana as the Constitution for the administration of Ghana and in pursuance of the PNDC Law, 1991 (PNDC 253) the Constitution came into force on the 7th day of January, 1993 with the election and swearing-in of Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings as the first President and Head of State of the 4th Republic.
I believe until Prof. John Evans Atta Mills (God bless and rest his soul) assumed office as the third President of the 4th Republic, after the tenure of John Kofi Agyekum Kufuor, there had been lingering thoughts and murmurings for the need to tweak the 4th Republican Constitution a bit.
Maybe, Prof. J. E. A. Mills saw what we are seeing now, the compulsive need for a certain REBIRTH of this nation, starting with a review of the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana. He, on assumption of office in January, 2009, invoked the powers conferred on him by Article 278 (1) of the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana to establish a Commission of Enquiry into any matter of public interest. The President set up a Commission of Enquiry to review the operations of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana.
My interest in the historic antecedent is not whether we need to revisit the Report of the Constitution Review Commission (CRC) with its accompanying WHITE PAPER but to take us all to other occurrences in the country, agitations upon agitations for all kinds of matters; issues of Galamsey and its dire consequences on our environment and our future; issues of armed robberies; the issue of first time in the history of the 4th Republican dispensation a Budget of a Government is ‘rejected’(forget the reverse mirroring antecedent that the Finance Minister’s father once engineered the rejection of Amon Nikoi’s Budget statement years back and for which the latter resigned)for whatever reason (s); issues of ‘unfair’ or unequitable distribution of the national cake, issues of ethics and values; issues of who we are as ‘GHANAIANS’; issues of such petty things as we take for granted years past yet now are big matters leading to offensive, derogatory, demeaning and belittling language on the airwaves; issues of what impact all these matters are having on our children; issues of ‘WHAT IS THE TRUTH’ now as against ‘LIES BEING FORCED DOWN OUR THROATS’everywhere as the new truth in all spheres of our national lives, including the church – where did we get it so wrong as a people and as a nation?
As we approach the 30th anniversary of the 4th Republican dispensation, I want to be like Nicodemus and ask: “HOW CAN GHANA BE BORN AGAIN?”How can we make the effort at changing the narrative, which seems to be staring us in the face as if to ask: CAN’T WE LEARN ANYTHING FROM OUR PAST MISTAKES?
As we start the countdown to SATURDAY, 7th JANUARY, 2023, to celebrate THREE DECADES OF THIS DISPENSATION, my prayers include the fact that for once we would not organise and host a PARTISAN NATIONAL AWARDS NIGHT – where the organisers award themselves and their family members only with the medallions; that we would set up a bi-partisan REVIEW COMMITTEE to assess the work done by Prof. J. E. A. Mills’ CRC with its White Paper for a proposed referendum by June 2022 so that we could begin the REBIRTH of our country, where our children will now be taught and would in turn inculcate the NATIONAL ANTHEM AND PLEDGE into their daily lives as ‘PROUD GHANAIANS’; and where this reawakening will give birth to the ‘NEW GHANAIAN’ as Nicodemus was taught by Jesus Christ.
The author is a Land Economist & Appraiser,
Events Architect & Planner and Sport Business Consultant
By Magnus Naabe Rex Danquah
Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has become the new leader of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) after delegates approved a constitutional amendment making the party’s flagbearer its leader.
The amendment was approved on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at the NPP’s National Delegates Conference held at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi.
The decision makes Dr Bawumia the leader of the NPP as the party prepares for the 2028 general elections, having earlier been elected as its presidential candidate.
The change was contained in one of 14 constitutional amendments presented to delegates by the party’s Constitution Amendment Committee.
The amendments were approved through a voice vote, with delegates responding in favour of the motions.
The latest amendment reverses a provision approved at the party’s January 31, 2026 conference, which made the National Chairman the leader of the party at all material times.
The approved amendment provides for the flagbearer to assume the leadership of the party when the NPP wins an election and the flagbearer becomes President.
The amendment also reinstates the President as a member of the National Executive Committee when the party is in government.
The Chairman of the NPP Constitution Amendment Committee, Frank Davies, explained that the amendments were necessary to address gaps identified in the party’s previous constitutional review.
The constitutional amendments formed the first part of the conference before delegates proceeded to elect new national executives.
A total of 7,163 delegates from all 16 regions participated in the conference, with voting conducted at 31 polling stations for nine national executive positions.
The Electoral Commission supervised the elections and verified delegates.
Other approved amendments include changes to the election of Vice Chairpersons, allowing candidates to contest specific Vice Chairperson positions instead of being ranked according to the number of votes they receive.
Delegates approved the appointment of three additional Vice Chairpersons, the creation of Deputy Communications Officer positions and the elevation of the Information Technology Officer to an executive position.
Addressing delegates after the constitutional amendments and as the party prepared for the national executive elections, Dr Bawumia called for unity and peaceful voting.
He urged the 47 aspirants contesting nine national positions to accept the outcome of the elections and continue working together for the party.
“Let us vote in peace, accept the results in good faith and leave Kumasi as one family,” he told the delegates.
Dr Bawumia congratulated all the aspirants for putting themselves forward to serve the party and urged those who won to reach out to their fellow contestants.
He assured those who lost that the party would still need their experience and contribution.
The NPP flagbearer further reflected on the party’s reorganisation since the December 2024 general elections, saying the party had listened to its grassroots members and learnt lessons about its organisation, communication and engagement with supporters.
He noted that the party had elected its structures from the polling station to the regional level and had also begun preparations towards its next programme for government.
Dr Bawumia said his early election as the party’s presidential candidate had allowed him and the party to begin work on policy development ahead of the 2028 campaign.
He said various policy committees had been established and engagements with different groups and stakeholders were ongoing.
Turning to national issues, Dr Bawumia used his address to criticise the government over what he described as failures to fulfil several campaign promises.
He specifically questioned the progress of the NDC government’s proposed 24-hour economy, the women’s development bank, electricity tariffs, the cost of transportation and other economic challenges facing households and businesses.
On the economy, he defended the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme, arguing that the programme introduced under the previous NPP administration had contributed to stability in the Ghanaian currency.
Dr Bawumia further criticised the government over the stalled implementation of projects including Agenda 111 and raised concerns about the management of the Free Senior High School programme.
He addressed recent drug seizures involving consignments traced to Ghana, calling for a bipartisan parliamentary committee to investigate how such shipments were able to leave the country.
On the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, he accused the government of failing to deliver on its promises to tackle the problem and restore polluted water bodies.
He criticised the government over promises relating to cocoa prices, teacher and nurse postings, the teacher licensure examination and payments to customers of collapsed financial institutions.
These claims formed part of Dr Bawumia’s political assessment of the NDC government’s performance and were presented by him as reasons why the NPP should return to government.
He accused the government of what he described as the “weaponization of state power” and alleged that different standards of justice were being applied to government supporters and opposition figures.
Dr Bawumia said the NPP would, if returned to power, pursue what he described as one standard of justice for all citizens regardless of political affiliation.
He ended his address by urging the incoming national executives to build a strong party organisation, focus on holding the government to account and communicate the party’s policies to Ghanaians.
The NPP’s new leadership structure and national executive team will now oversee the party’s reorganisation and preparations towards the 2028 general elections.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Newly elected National Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus Glover, has pledged to work to ensure peace, unity and respect within the party as it prepares for the 2028 general elections.
Mr Glover said he would work to strengthen the party and help actualise the vision of its flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, becoming President of Ghana in 2028.
He made the remarks in his victory speech at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi after winning the NPP National Organiser position at the party’s National Delegates Conference on Saturday, October 3, 2026.
Mr Glover polled 2,964 votes to win the election, defeating his closest contender, Ali Maiga Halidu, who obtained 2,231 votes.
Emmanuel Korsi Bodja polled 145 votes in the contest.
Mr Glover thanked delegates for electing him and promised to work hard to justify the confidence they had placed in him.
“I will work very hard. What I’ll bring is peace, unity, respect, and that we use for governance,” he said.
He explained that peace, unity and respect were necessary for the party to effectively organise and prepare for the elections.
“If you are doing governance and you don’t bring peace and unity and respect, the work will be hard,” he added.
Mr Glover acknowledged the task ahead of the newly elected national executives, describing it as a major responsibility that would require commitment from members.
“The job is big. There’s a lot of work ahead of us. We need love. We need peace. We need unity,” he said.
He urged members of the NPP to remain united and work together beyond the internal elections.
According to him, his focus would be to contribute to the party’s efforts to win the 2028 general elections, with Dr Bawumia’s presidential bid forming a central part of that objective.
“Dr Bawumia has to become the President of this country. That’s the vision for NPP, that we have to work hard for Dr Bawumia to become the President of the Republic,” Mr Glover stated.
He said he was determined to use his new position to contribute to the development of the NPP and Ghana.
Mr Glover’s election forms part of the new national executive team elected by delegates at the conference to lead the affairs of the party.
The newly elected executives are expected to oversee the party’s reorganisation and strengthen its structures as the NPP prepares for the 2028 general elections.
By: Jacob Aggrey
