News
President Mahama to meet Auditor-General, Chief Justice and Attorney-General over misuse of public funds
President John Dramani Mahama is set to meet the Auditor-General, Chief Justice, and Attorney-General on Thursday to decide on strict measures against public officials responsible for financial losses reported in the Auditor-General’s report.
The President expressed worry over the growing cases of financial irregularities and reckless use of public funds by state institutions. He said this during the 12th Annual Conference of Governing Boards, Chief Directors, and Chief Executives in Ho.
President Mahama described the situation as unacceptable and promised that those found guilty of misusing public funds will face swift punishment.
“Recently I’ve been watching the Public Accounts Committee and it’s so pathetic. Every year, we hear all kinds of reckless acts involving public funds and resources,” he lamented.
He noted that the government is seeking a fast-track process to punish offenders to serve as a deterrent to others.
“We must have a fast-track process so that people who cause financial loss to the state will quickly face justice. Until there’s a deterrent, we’ll continue to see the same problems every year,” the President said.
President Mahama revealed that the government has not fully implemented a constitutional provision requiring Parliament to set up a committee to follow up on the Auditor-General’s findings.
He stressed that such a committee would help ensure that recommendations are enforced.
He further criticized the poor performance of Audit Report Implementation Committees (ARICs) in government institutions, saying they fail to act on recommendations from the Public Accounts Committee.
The President added that Thursday’s meeting would explore ways to make officials accountable for their actions and prevent the continuous misuse of public funds.
“After Thursday, I’m sure we’ll come up with a way to ensure that persons who misuse state resources are held to account so that others do not follow suit,” he noted.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Mrs Patience Antonio, a Child and Family Development Advocate, has called for a national campaign to reduce the growing reliance on breast milk substitutes among nursing mothers in Ghana.
According to Mrs Antonio, scientific evidence shows that breastfeeding improves a child’s emotional stability, boosts intelligence, strengthens the immune system, and provides long-term health benefits. She made these remarks in an interview with The Spectator in Accra last week, emphasizing the importance of breastfeeding for a child’s overall development.
She explained that breastfeeding is not just a biological act of feeding but a key emotional and developmental bridge between mother and child. She also highlighted the need for the recommended six-month maternity leave period to ease the pressure on mothers to return to work prematurely.
“Breastfeeding creates intimacy and trust. It assures the baby of love and security, which becomes the foundation for their emotional health,” Mrs Antonio noted, warning that abandoning exclusive breastfeeding could have long-term implications on children’s social and emotional wellbeing.
Consequently, she called for a minimum of five months of fully paid maternity leave for Ghanaian mothers to enable effective breastfeeding, bonding, and healthier child development. She also urged workplaces to implement family-friendly policies, including private spaces for breastfeeding, flexible working arrangements for nursing mothers, and stronger support systems for new parents.
Mrs Antonio further encouraged families and society to actively support mothers during breastfeeding, stressing that many women struggle due to lack of assistance at home or the pressure to return to work too soon. She emphasized, “If we want a healthier, emotionally stable generation, then we must make breastfeeding a priority and support mothers to do it without stress.”
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
Spectator
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The Nanvili Community School in the Mion District of the Northern Region is facing severe infrastructural challenges, affecting teaching and learning for pupils in the area.
The school, which serves five surrounding communities with a total of 58 pupils, has deteriorated to the extent that many children have stopped attending classes. Poor classroom conditions and the lack of desks have made teaching and learning difficult. During a visit to the school, the gate-free classrooms were found filled with goat and sheep droppings.
During the rainy season, both teachers and pupils are often cut off from the school due to bad roads and flooding. Teaching activities are frequently suspended for weeks, negatively affecting academic performance.
The Assemblyman for the area, Mr. Dawuni Mutawakil, expressed concern, noting that the situation is worrying since these pupils are expected to compete with their counterparts in urban areas who have access to better facilities. He added that due to limited space, classes have been merged, with pupils from Primary One and Two, Three and Four, and Five and Six sharing the same classrooms.
The Chief of Nanvili, Abu Kassim, also appealed to the government and non-governmental organisations to come to the aid of the community. He emphasized that the current state of the school discourages children from nearby communities from attending.
Both the Chief and Assemblyman have called for urgent intervention to improve infrastructure and provide furniture for the pupils to ensure quality education for children in the Nanvili area.
By Geoffrey Buta, Nanvili, Northern Region
Spectator
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