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SML Deal: MFWA to petition RTI Commission over presidency’s refusal to grant request
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is set to challenge the Presidency’s refusal to release the complete KPMG audit report on the controversial Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) contract.
Executive Director of the Foundation, Sulemana Braimah dissented with the presidency’s stance and the rationale cited for denying the RTI request for the report.
Speaking on PM Express on JoyNews, he argued that since the report has been deliberated upon and the President has already issued opinions and directives, its release would not affect his position as claimed.
“So what is it that the president would say, ‘well if I issue it out there, it will affect my deliberative processes or review an opinion?’ Those opinions have been communicated, unless the president has, or the report contains something that the president would want to hide from the public,” Mr Braimah said.
“That is why tomorrow (Tuesday) we’re actually submitting a petition to the RTI Commission, challenging the decision of the presidency on our request,” he added.
This comes after the Presidency declined a Right to Information (RTI) application submitted by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) seeking the full KPMG audit report on the revenue mobilisation agreement between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Ltd (SML).
Citing section 5 (1) (a) and (b) (i) of the RTI Act, the Presidency stated that it has the right to reject requests for information deemed crucial. According to the Presidency, the KPMG report contains sensitive information falling under these provisions.
However, Mr Braimah believes the President misinterpreted section five of the RTI Act, where it has the right to reject requests for information deemed crucial like the KPMG report.
“If you read the section five that they referenced, it’s quite clear that we are talking about a report that has been submitted to the President, and he is yet to communicate about it or yet to make known whatever it is, then, of course, you would say, well, it’s still under consideration, the president is still deliberating on the matter,” he explained.
“But we are talking about a report that has been submitted. The President has come out clearly to tell us what was contained in the report and his position on the report. And so, if you read section five, quite clearly, I think it’s a misinterpretation of the provisions of section five, basically, to, you know, do a denial,” Mr Braimah added.
He stated that MFWA through this petition hopes the RTI Commission take steps to ensure that the presidency grants their request and releases the full audit report.
Background
The SML contract, awarded by the Ministry of Finance and GRA, triggered scrutiny after an investigative report found irregularities in its procurement and performance. SML, an offshoot of a timber company, was tasked with undertaking revenue assurance services in the downstream petroleum sector.
An investigative report in December of 2023 by The Fourth Estate indicated that SML Ghana won the sole-sourced contract though it had no prior experience in revenue assurance. It also found that the company had no evidence to back its claim that it had saved the nation from potential revenue losses amounting to GH₵3 billion.
President Akufo-Addo, following the investigative report, suspended the contract and appointed an international audit and accounting firm, KPMG, to audit the contract.
Source: myjoyonline.com
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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
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Ghana to locally refine its gold starting October 2025 – Sammy Gyamfi
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board, Sammy Gyamfi, has announced that plans are far advanced for the establishment of a state-owned gold refinery in the country.
Speaking at the 2025 Minerals and Mining Convention, Mr Gyamfi said the refinery will process locally mined gold into bullion instead of exporting it in its raw state.
According to him, it is unacceptable that Ghana, despite being a leading gold producer in Africa, continues to export raw gold known as dore.
He explained that the Gold Board, working with the Bank of Ghana and local refineries, will from October 2025 begin refining gold locally.
He also disclosed that an ultramodern assay laboratory will be built to ensure international standards in testing gold quality.
Mr Gyamfi noted that the refinery will be wholly state-owned and will help Ghana move away from raw mineral exports to value addition.
This, he said, will boost foreign exchange earnings, create jobs, and position Ghana as a hub for gold refining and jewellery production in Africa.
The CEO stressed that the project forms part of government’s strategy to ensure the country benefits fully from its natural resources and to transform the mining sector into a driver of economic growth.
By: Jacob Aggrey
