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Janet Asana Nabla criticises Mahama over China curriculum controversy involving Haruna Iddrisu
Presidential candidate for the people’s national party, Janet Asana Nabla has criticised President John Dramani Mahama over his public response to comments by Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu concerning the government’s plans to introduce Chinese language and culture into Ghana’s education curriculum.
In a video posted on her TikTok page on Monday, September 14, 2026, Ms Nabla accused President Mahama of publicly chastising Mr Iddrisu instead of handling the disagreement privately.
Her comments followed a video circulating on social media in which the President reportedly responded to concerns raised by the Education Minister about the inclusion of Chinese language and culture in Ghana’s educational curriculum.
Ms Nabla argued that even if Mr Iddrisu’s comments on the proposed curriculum were inaccurate, President Mahama should have discussed the matter with him privately before addressing it publicly.
“Haruna Iddrisu is your brother. He’s your brother. No matter what the people of Dagbang have done to you, President Mahama, he doesn’t deserve this,” she stated.
She defended Mr Iddrisu’s contribution to the NDC and President Mahama’s return to power, arguing that the Education Minister had been an important part of the political journey that led to the party’s victory.
According to her, Mr Iddrisu had never publicly attacked President Mahama and therefore did not deserve what she described as public humiliation over the curriculum controversy.
Ms Nabla questioned why the President could not have invited the Education Minister for a private discussion to clarify the government’s position on the proposed introduction of Chinese language and culture into the curriculum.
“Even if Haruna says that you are trying to bring Chinese into your educational curriculum, and that is not true, is that how to handle it?” she asked.
She suggested that President Mahama could have first engaged Mr Iddrisu privately and then worked with him to explain the government’s position to Ghanaians.
Ms Nabla further extended her criticism to what she described as the President’s treatment of other former parliamentary colleagues who had worked with him.
She cited former Minister of State, Dr Rashid Pelpuo, claiming that the manner in which he was informed about his removal from office was also inappropriate.
“Rashid Pelpuo was with you in Parliament. Your key brother. Couldn’t you have invited him to your house to tell him that I want to bring you to this, this, this?” she stated.
Ms Nabla described President Mahama’s handling of his former colleagues as “shameful” and accused him of poor leadership.
She questioned why people who supported the President before he returned to power should be treated differently after his election victory.
“You’re a bad leader. You’re a bad leader. And you cannot handle issues. That’s what I’m seeing,” she stated.
The controversy centres on the government’s proposed changes to the education curriculum involving Chinese language and culture, with the issue generating public discussion and differing views over the policy and how it should be communicated to Ghanaians.
By: Jacob Aggrey
A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Sammy Ayeh has picked up nomination forms to contest for the position of Deputy National Communications Officer position.
Announcing his intention, Dr. Ayeh said he is offering himself to help communicate the party’s vision clearly and connect its message with the aspirations of Ghanaians.
He expressed deep gratitude to the party’s National Communications Officer, Lawyer Sammy Gyamfi, describing him as an able leader on whose shoulders he has risen.
“His exceptional leadership, mentorship and confidence in me have shaped my journey and strengthened my resolve to serve,” Dr. Ayeh stated.
He said if elected, he will seek to build on that foundation by strengthening research-driven communication, empowering grassroots communicators, and enhancing strategic media engagement.
Dr. Ayeh humbly appealed to party members and supporters for their support.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The Data Protection Commission has called on the Minority Caucus in Parliament, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, JoyNews and other media houses to protect the personal information of 1,964 Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, the Commission expressed concern over the public disclosure of the evacuees’ personal details, including their names, signatures and records of financial assistance received.
It warned that making such information public could expose the affected individuals to identity theft, fraud and other forms of harm, especially given the threats to their safety that some of them may have faced.
The Commission explained that the 1992 Constitution protects the dignity and privacy of every individual. It also cited the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843), which sets out rules for the lawful collection, use and disclosure of personal information.
While acknowledging the importance of transparency, parliamentary oversight, the right to information and press freedom, the Commission stressed that these principles do not automatically justify the unrestricted publication of personal details.
It said the disclosure of the records by the Minority Caucus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, JoyNews and other media organisations must be assessed based on the law, the purpose of the disclosure and the privacy rights of the individuals involved.
The Commission further noted that although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Parliament are registered data controllers in good standing, their registration does not exempt them from their legal responsibilities under the Data Protection Act.
It has therefore urged all the parties involved to take appropriate steps to protect the affected individuals, including immediately restricting access to or removing personal details from publicly available records where their continued disclosure is not legally justified.
The Commission announced plans to conduct a regulatory review to determine whether the disclosures had a lawful basis, what safeguards were applied and whether the privacy rights of the evacuees had been adequately protected.
It said it would engage the relevant parties as part of the review and take appropriate regulatory action if any breach of the law is established.
The Commission reiterated that protecting personal information and respecting human dignity must remain central to efforts to promote public accountability.
By: Jacob Aggrey
