News
Politicising gender-based violence harmful —Dakoa Newman
A Former Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ms Dakoa Newman, has called for an end to politicising gen der-based violence.
She said it should be “treated as a national emergency.”
According to her, politicising gender-based violence was harmful, as it distracts and deters women from achieving their political dreams.
“Gender-based violence in politics should not be politicised. If we truly want more women to participate, we must address these issues collectively. Some women are tagged with names such as witches, prostitutes just for contesting for elections.”
She said this during an engagement with non-elected women parliamentary candidates organised by Abantu for Development.
The session was on the theme “Strengthening Activism for a Gender-Responsive Elections 2024 in Ghana.”
The ex-MP for Okaikwei South stated that “Standing for election requires courage and sacrifice. As women, we often give up time with our families, our children, and our personal lives to pursue leadership. Whether you win or not, that effort must be recognised.”
Ms Newman noted that losing an election, while painful, should not mark the end of a political career. “It can be a stepping stone to new opportunities in governance and party leadership,” she added.
Recalling her own experiences during the 2024 elections, she stressed that political violence discourages many women from entering politics.
On financing, she urged partners and stakeholders to go beyond workshops and invest directly in women aspirants. “Financing is the number one barrier. Without resources, women cannot effectively compete. Organisations must support candidates with funding, research, and constituency-specific tools,” she emphasised.
Dr Mensah-Kutin, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Abantu for Development, revealed that 119 women contested in the 2024 parliamentary elections, out of which 78 did not win their seats.
She stressed that their contributions remained important for shaping future advocacy and strengthening women’s representation.
She also noted that although the Affirmative Action Law was passed in 2024, it came too close to the elections to be fully implemented, making platforms such as this engagement critical in pushing for increased participation of women in governance.
She called for full implementation of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024 (Act 1121), noting that its 30 per cent quota must be applied strictly across all levels of governance.
The event was supported by the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) which seeks to reflect on the experiences of women candidates during the elections.
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has amended the charges in the ongoing case against former National Petroleum Authority (NPA) Chief Executive, Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, and nine others.
The number of counts has risen from 25 to 54 after investigators uncovered new evidence.
The accused are facing trial for alleged large-scale extortion, abuse of public office, and money laundering involving over GH¢291 million and US$332,000.
According to the OSP, the accused persons allegedly extorted huge sums of money from bulk oil transporters and oil marketing companies under the pretext of carrying out official duties.
The proceeds were reportedly laundered through the purchase of properties and investments in business entities to conceal their source.
The accused persons include Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, Jacob Kwamina Amuah, Wendy Newman, Albert Ankrah, Isaac Mensah, Bright Bediako-Mensah, Kwaku Aboagye Acquaah, Propnest Limited, Kel Logistics Limited, and Kings Energy Limited.
The OSP has also seized and frozen several assets, including tanker trucks, fuel stations, houses, apartments, and parcels of land valued at more than GH¢100 million pending the outcome of the trial.
The case, titled The Republic v. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid & 9 Others (Cr/0603/2025), is currently being heard at the Accra High Court.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The National Operations Directorate (NOD) Surveillance Unit, of the Ghana Police Service has arrested a 32-year-old man, Akoto Nelson, for posing as a police officer during a public event at the Black Star Square in Accra.
The suspect was arrested on Sunday, 19th October 2025, by a team of officers deployed to provide security at a musical concert. The team observed the suspect dressed in a police uniform with the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) behaving suspiciously. Upon interrogation, he admitted that he was not a police officer.
Investigations revealed that the suspect impersonated a police officer to gain free entry to the event, claiming he did not have money to pay the entry fee. He further disclosed that the uniform belonged to a deceased Chief Inspector, identified as Gyasi, from whom he obtained the police accoutrements in 2022.
A subsequent search conducted at his residence in Taifa-Ashaiman uncovered several items that were retained as exhibits. These include one toy P99 pistol, one pepper spray, two ZTE mini handsets, one pepper spray pouch, one ZTE charger, one Xinfa cutter knife, some complimentary cards, one voter ID in the name of Akoto Nelson Elikem, and one birth certificate in the name of Nelson Akoto.
Preliminary investigations further established that the suspect works as a security guard and a messenger at a private company. He remains in police custody and will be put before the court.
