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Ghanaian community in Germany pays fines for 12 prison inmates in Ashanti Region
• Rev. Frimpong Mensah (left), a member of IPCA in Ashanti Region, Rev Supt. Stella Katso (2nd left),
Prison Chaplain, Supt. Bukari (right) and Mr. Owusu Barimah after the presentation
Moved by the example of Jesus Christ in shedding his blood on the cross of calvary for the forgiveness of sins,a Ghanaian community based in Germany in collaboration with the International Prisons Chaplains Association (IPCA) have paid approximately GH¢ 20,000.00 fines to free 12 prison inmates, who are minor offenders from the various prisons in the Ashanti Region.
The fines were paid before Easter. This was made possible by the group through the effective collaboration of IPCA and discussions held with prisons authorities in the region.
In addition to paying the fine, the group has also given the inmates pocket money to enable them to travel to their hometowns.
The group said it had identified IPCA as a credible partner having followed its activities over the period, especially the global advocacy campaign in fighting for the rights of prison inmates, and interacted with some leading members of the association.
The President of IPCA, Ghana, Rev Steve Mensah said the two groups would concentrate on extending their services to cover other regions with emphasis on female prisoners,
and make a strong case in pushing forward the introduction of Non- Custodial Sentences in the country.
He was full of praise for the Germany-based group, especially Mr Kweku Appiah and Mr. Owusu Barimah and the leading members of the Ashanti Region Branch of IPCA together with the Prison authorities.
IPCA has over the years been spearheading the welfare of prison inmates, feted them and provided them with some basic needs.
He said IPCA would monitor the lives of the freed inmates for a couple of months and support them with some basic needs so that they would not go astray and eventually find themselves back in prison, a situation which would put their work in vain.
By Raymond Kyekye
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Prof Alidu Seidu files nomination for Tamale Central seat
The newly elected parliamentary candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for Tamale Central, Prof Alidu Seidu, has submitted his nomination forms to the Electoral Commission.
As of 10:00 a.m. today, he was the only person who had filed to contest the seat.
Nomination of candidates will close at the end of the day.
Associate Professor and Head of the Political Science Department at the University of Ghana Legon, Prof. Alidu Seidu won the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary primaries in the Tamale Central constituency with a landslide victory.
The elections, supervised by the party’s Elections and IT Directorate in the Northern Region, saw Prof. Seidu poll 840 votes out of the total valid ballots cast.
His closest contender, Lawyer Hanan Gundadow Abdul-Rahaman, secured 536 votes.
The other aspirants could not make significant gains, with Dr. Seidu Fiter obtaining 44 votes, Aliu Abdul-Hamid 23 votes, and the rest recording fewer than 10 votes each.
In all, 1,500 ballots were cast, with 6 ballots rejected and 7 spoilt ballots recorded.
The results were signed and declared by Dr. Arnold Mashud Abukari, NDC Northern Regional Director of Elections and IT.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) held parliamentary primaries in Tamale Central to choose a candidate for the upcoming by-election following the death of the sitting Member of Parliament, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed. Dr. Mohammed, who also served as Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, tragically died in a military helicopter crash in the Adansi Akrofuom District on August 6, 2025, alongside seven others.
His passing left the Tamale Central seat vacant, as required by Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.
The Electoral Commission has scheduled the by-election for September 30, 2025. While the NDC moved quickly to open nominations and vet aspirants, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) announced it would not contest the seat, citing the need to respect the somber circumstances and promote national unity.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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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
