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Kwame A Plus petitions Speaker to remove Abena Osei Asare as PAC chair
Member of Parliament for Gomoa Central, Kwame Asare Obeng, also known as A Plus, has formally written to the Speaker of Parliament, requesting the removal of Abena Osei Asare as Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
In his letter, dated November 3, 2025, A Plus urged the Speaker to act in order to protect the integrity and dignity of Parliament, especially the committee responsible for ensuring accountability in the use of public funds.
He argued that it was inappropriate for Abena Osei Asare, who served as Deputy Minister of Finance during the previous administration, to now lead a committee probing financial irregularities that took place under her tenure.
According to him, “all the matters currently before the Public Accounts Committee occurred under her leadership as Deputy Minister of Finance. She cannot now turn around to demand answers from newly appointed officials on issues that happened under her own watch.”
A Plus described the situation as “an insult to the intelligence of the Ghanaian people,” insisting that those who supervised financial irregularities should not be allowed to sit in judgment over them.
He further claimed that Abena Osei Asare’s close ties with the Ministry of Finance under Ken Ofori-Atta’s leadership undermined the credibility of her position as PAC Chairperson.
He cited several controversial contracts, including the Strategic Mobilization Limited (SML) deal, the ECG-Beijing Jao Loss Reduction agreement, and the Service Ghana Auto Limited ambulance procurement contract, all of which are currently under investigation by the Office of the Special Prosecutor.
A Plus also referred to her public defense of the Ghana Revenue Authority’s Commissioner-General, Rev. Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, when he refused to disclose his age, as evidence that she lacked the moral authority to promote transparency.
He therefore called on the Speaker to take immediate steps to remove her from the role, stressing that her continued leadership would compromise the impartiality of the committee and erode public confidence in Parliament’s oversight role.
Copies of the petition have also been sent to the Majority and Minority Caucuses in Parliament, the Clerk of Parliament, the Public Services Commission, CHRAJ, the Head of Civil Service, and the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs.
By: Jacob Aggrey
A former Sec ond Lady, Mrs Matilda Amis sah-Arthur, has called for urgent action to bridge literacy gaps among young girls in the country to advance gender equality.
She stressed that improving lit eracy among girls was essential not only for women’s empowerment but also for national development.
“Addressing the literacy gap is not a woman’s issue. It is a nation al necessity and, with the passing of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Act, 2024, Ghana is signalling that women belong in leadership, but leadership begins with a book,” she said.
Mrs Amissah-Arthur made the call at an event organised by the Ghana Library Authority (GLA) in Accra yesterday to mark Interna tional Women’s Day (IWD) on the theme: “Her Voice in Libraries: Women Transforming Literacy in Ghana.”
According to her, many girls in Ghana still drop out of school due to poverty, lack of mentorship and limited support systems, warning that without deliberate interven tions some risk becoming part of worrying national statistics.
The former Second Lady encouraged students, particularly girls, to see education not only as a tool for personal advancement but also as a means of empowering future generations.
“Don’t shy away from STEM and ICT subjects. Break into the male-dominated areas and bridge the digital divide,” she added.
Mrs Amissah-Arthur also called for stronger partnerships between men and women in advancing gen der equality, stressing that the issue should be viewed as a national development priority rather than solely a women’s concern.
“Gender equality is not a woman’s issue. It is a development issue. It requires partnership, respect and shared responsibility,” she said.
She further expressed opti mism that with the right support systems, every child, regardless of gender, could achieve their full potential.
In a remark, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Education, Lydia Essuah, said that despite progress made in promoting gender equality in the education sector, challenges remained in ensuring progression, completion and quality learning outcomes for all learners.
She highlighted the important role of libraries in advancing liter acy and lifelong learning skills, and called for increased investment in library infrastructure and services to help build a knowledge-driven society.
The Executive Director of the Ghana Library Authority, Alhassan Ziblim Bentintiche, also under scored the importance of libraries in empowering young people, par ticularly girls, with access to books, digital resources and mentorship opportunities.
He disclosed plans to expand Ghana’s library infrastructure and services to particularly attract the youth and promote literacy.
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
Management of the Metro Mass Transit Limited has accused the government of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of pursuing what it describes as a “create, loot and share” agenda in the sale of portions of the Opera Square Bus Terminal to a private developer.
The Deputy Managing Director of the company, Haroun Apaw-Wiredu, raised the concerns while speaking to journalists at the Opera Square Bus Terminal in Accra on Thursday, March 12, 2026.
He indicated that the management of Metro Mass Transit would not tolerate any further unauthorized development at the terminal and would take steps to protect the property.
According to him, it would be wrong for a private developer to take control of state property for personal economic gain while the company and the public remain silent.
“How can we sit down and allow a private developer, just for his selfish economic gains, to capture state property for himself? No, we cannot sit down,” he stressed.
Mr Apaw Wiredu called on the public to resist what he described as attempts to take over state assets, adding that such actions would disadvantage ordinary citizens.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we must all stand up. We must all wake up. We must fight this level of brazen looting and attempts to milk the system at the expense of ordinary Ghanaians,” he indicated.
He explained that some individuals had been operating around the terminal for many years and alleged that the developer gained access to the land during the previous administration.
Mr Apaw Wiredu stressed that under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama, the company would pursue all legitimate means to protect the terminal from what he described as unlawful takeover.
He added that management would use every legal avenue available to defend the property and prevent any attempt to take control of the land without proper authorization.
By: Jacob Aggrey
