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Six New Envoys present credentials to President Akufo-Addo
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Friday, 23rd February, 2024, received the letters of Credence of six envoys at a brief presentation event at the Jubilee House, in Accra.
They are H.E Mr Park Kyongsig, Republic of Korea; H.E. Ms. Polly Ioannou, Republic of Cyprus; H.E. Mr Peter Ryan, Ireland; H.E. Mrs. Annika Hahn-Englund, Republic, Sweden; H.E. Mr Mahlaba Almon Mamba, Kingdom of Eswatini; H.E. Mr David Buom Choa, South Sudan.
Korean Ambassador, H.E Mr Park Kyongsig, emphasised the long-standing ties between Ghana and the Republic of Korea and touched on a range of areas to enhance further ties of cooperation.
Based in Cairo, Egypt, but with a diplomatic mission in Accra, H.E. Ms. Polly Ioannou, of the Republic of Cyprus, said discussions are underway for the possibility of Cyprus to enter into an educational pact with Ghana through scholarship grants on maritime security and other highly advanced security areas.
H.E. Mr Peter Ryan of Ireland, touched on the shared commitments to multi-lateralism between Ghana and Ireland and the dual roles played on the international stage through peacekeeping efforts.
Swedish Ambassador, H.E. Mrs. Annika Hahn-Englund, indicated that, it is her priority to further promote economic and trade relations, and to ensure that Swedish companies in Ghana thrive on the pillars of mutual cooperation and benefit. On multi-lateralism, she also commended Ghana on the successful completion of her term on the United Nations Security Council and encouraged Ghana to push further to reverse the number of political takeovers across the sub-region.
High Commissioner of the Kingdom of Eswatini, H.E. Mr Mahlaba Almon Mamba, conveyed the best wishes of his country to Ghana on the upcoming Independence anniversary and towards a successful hosting of the 13th African Games, as well as, a successful bid for the Secretary General position of the Commonwealth, by Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey.
H.E. Mr David Buom Choa, South Sudan pledged to collaborate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration in a deliberate effort towards deepening the relations between the two countries.
President Akufo-Addo wished the new envoys well as they begin their tour of duty in Ghana, and pledged to ensure that through them, the friendship and relations between Ghana and their respective countries will be further strengthened.
Source: Presidency.gov.gh
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Focus on more pressing issues like Galamsey, not hate speech – Ellen Ama Daaku to Mahama
An aide to former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia,Ellen Ama Daaku has advised President John Dramani Mahama to shift his attention from social media hate speech to more urgent national issues such as illegal mining.
Speaking in an interview, she noted that the President’s recent comments about tracking the IP addresses of people who spread hate speech were unnecessary.
According to her, President Mahama must first define what he considers to be hate speech before seeking to punish people for it.
Ms. Daaku argued that the President himself had benefitted from hate speech and social media attacks in the past when he was in opposition.
She said even during his time in government, he described his opponents and their tribesmen in unpalatable terms, which later drew complaints from former President Nana Akufo-Addo to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
She stressed that harsh criticism of leaders on social media should not automatically be considered hate speech, adding that former leaders, including former President Nana Akufo-Addo had all been subjected to it.
“He is only feeling what Nana Akufo-Addo went through for eight years,” she remarked.
While acknowledging the need to regulate misconduct online, Ms. Daaku insisted that going after social media activists should not be a priority.
She noted that many political activists, including herself, had been insulted and attacked online but never called for arrests.
She concluded that President Mahama should focus his energy on solving pressing problems such as galamsey and the economy instead of concentrating on critics on social media.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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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
