Hot!
‘Twerking’ not part of borborbor …Paramount Chief stops indecent dancers
Borborbor, the traditional dance of Ewes in the middle belt of the Volta Region, is a prominent feature at public gatherings. It has been in existence for years and often comes with delightful choreography that attracts many people.
Some dance groups design costumes and rehearse performances ahead of major events. However, a few youth groups in an attempt to ‘spice up their show’ have introduced sexually suggestive dance moves also known as ‘twerking’ which natives consider unacceptable.
Indeed, the Paramount Chief of Anfoega Traditional Area, Togbe Tepreh Hodo IV, would tolerate none of such ‘profane borbobor’ when he sat at a durbar of chiefs during the Easter celebrations at Anfoega Akukome on Saturday April 16, 2022.
Activities lined up for the day took off smoothly until a borborbor group from one of the towns was called upon to entertain the gathering.
The group brought on their best performance, moving to rhythm and good tunes before the Master of Ceremony (MC) signalled them to call it off, apparently due to their seductive dance move and somewhat indecent outfit.
They defied the orders and continued the performance which prompted Togbe himself to step in and show them the exit.
“There is something called protocol but I will break it,” Togbe Tepreh Hodo IV said when he grabbed the microphone from the MC.
“We don’t accept this type of dance here. Don’t come and perform this kind of dance in our midst ever again,” he fumed in the local dialect while the gathering responded with thunderous applause.
Other indigenes at the function also endorsed the ‘ruling’ of the Paramount Chief, and expressed reservations on how some young people have sought to change the face of ‘borborbor’ with ‘inappropriate’ dancing styles.
This isolated incident did not take away the splendour of the main event which was to raise funds for development and encourage citizens to reconnect back home.
Togbe Tepreh Hodo IV, in his address, highlighted various projects, including the re-construction of the Community Centre, the Catholic Hospital, and other self-help initiatives in the area.
He urged traditional leaders to lead by example and show commitment to the task they have been assigned, and further asked the citizens and political authority in the jurisdiction to support developmental efforts of the people.
Present at the celebration were Ms. Joyceline Tetteh, Member of Parliament for North Dayi, Mr. Emmanuel Kwesi Bedzrah, Member of Parliament for Ho West, Mr. Archibald Yao Letsa, Volta Regional Minister, Mr Edmund Attah Kudjoh, District Chief Executive for North Dayi, among others.
The dignitaries praised the unity among the indigenes and advised them to continue to give the traditional leaders the necessary support for the progress of the region.
By Ernest Nutsugah
The Global Network of Export-Import Banks and Development Finance Institutions (G-NEXID) successfully held its sixth (6th) Exchange Programme, hosted by the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) Bank in Accra from March 22 to 23 March.
The event brought together member institutions, partner organisations and Ghanaian public entities to advance dialogue on South-South trade, investment and development finance, while also creating opportunities for knowledge-sharing and institutional cooperation.
Organised as a capacity-building and networking platform, the 2026 edition of the G-NEXID Exchange focused on GEXIM’s experience in developing innovative solutions to promote intra-African and extra-African trade.
It also highlighted trade and investment opportunities in Ghana, particularly in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and broader national development initiatives.
The Exchange Programme forms part of G-NEXID’s mandate to foster cooperation among export-import banks and development finance institutions in support of South-South trade and investment.
This 6th edition follows earlier successful programmes hosted by India Exim Bank (2016), BNDES (2017), Indonesia Eximbank (2018), Afreximbank (2019) and Saudi EXIM Bank (2025).
On the first day, participants were presented with G-NEXID institutional information and received an update on the Network’s 2026 work programme.
There were a series of substantive presentations, including an overview of the Ghanaian economy by the Ministry of Finance, with particular attention to debt-related challenges; a presentation by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), on investment opportunities in the country; and institutional presentations by GEXIM and Development Bank Ghana (DBG) on their respective mandates, initiatives, products and services.
Discussions during the sessions underscored strong interest in sector-focused webinars and business dialogues, particularly in agribusiness value chains such as poultry and rice.
Participants also emphasized the importance of continued information exchange and the sharing of best practices, especially in the area of guarantees.
The second day opened with a presentation on the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme, a national economic transformation strategy launched by President John Dramani Mahama in July 2025.
The initiative aims to enhance economic productivity through continuous industrial activity, accelerated export development and strategic import substitution.
As the programme is expected to mobilise both private and development capital, it presents concrete opportunities for G-NEXID members in areas such as co-financing, guarantees, trade finance and technical cooperation.
The programme also featured institutional presentations by guest organisations, namely the African Guarantee and Economic Cooperation Fund (FAGACE) and the West African Development Bank (BOAD), which shared their mandates, initiatives, products and services.
Following these exchanges, the G-NEXID Secretariat held bilateral discussions with both institutions as part of the Network’s ongoing membership drive.
Participants further benefited from a presentation by the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB), as well as a showcase of GEXIM’s key pipeline projects.
On the margins of the Exchange Programme, G-NEXID members also held their 20th Annual General Assembly Meeting to review progress and discuss strategic priorities.
Following the event, participants joined the GEXIM@10 International Conference, held from March 24-25, 2026 under the theme, “A Decade of Enabling Export Trade and Industrial Transformation: Resetting GEXIM for the Next Frontier.”
The conference provided an important platform for exploring how Ghana can strengthen its transition from a primary commodity exporter to a more competitive player in value-added trade and industrial development.
Source – G-NEXID
President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, signed five bills including three amendment bills passed by Parliament into law.
They are: Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill, 2025; University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Bill, 2025; Ghana Deposit Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Growth and Sustainability Levy (Amendment) Bill, 2026; and Education Regulatory Bodies (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
In a brief remark after assenting to the bills, President Mahama explained that the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2026, scraps the Office of Minister of National Security and frees the President’s to appoint any Minister to supervise the security agencies.
He said it also reverses the name of the office of National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), to the original name, Bureau of National Intelligence, (BNI).
This the President said, addresses the confusion between that security agency and a well-known Ghanaian financial institution, the National Investment Bank.
President Mahama also noted that the University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Act, 2026, establishes another University in the Eastern Region, at Bonsu, with three campuses – the main campus at Bonsu in the Eastern Region, with the second campus to be cited at Ohawu in the Oti Region.
The third, the Presdient assed will be located at Acherensua in the Ahafo Region.
Touching on the Amendment to the Growth and Sustainability Levy Act, the President said, “As you’re aware, the act was amended to increase it from 1% to 3%, and so this act reduces it again. That is the levy on mining companies. It reduces it again to 1%, because of the introduction of the sliding scale of royalties.”
He also spoke to the passage of the Government Education Regulatory Bodies Amendment Act, emphasising that amends Act 1023 to grant greater flexibility to private tertiary institutions and the option to Charter.
The Ghana Deposit Protection Amendment Act, the President concluded, is an amendment to an original act that was supposed to guarantee deposits held in commercial banks or financial institutions.
It basically expands protection to include mobile money wallets and other digital platforms, ensuring a wider scope of digital financial assets are secured.
The signing ceremony, was witnessed by the Clerk of Parliament, Mr. Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, Secretary to the President, Dr Callistus Mahama, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Dr Dominic Akrutinga Ayine, Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, Joyce Bawa Mogtari, a Senior Presidential Advisor and a Special Aide to the President, Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, and the Vice President, Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang.
