Speaking during the Africa Prosperity Dialogue 2025 at the Accra International Conference Centre on Thursday 30 January, Gwen Mwaba reiterated the bank’s commitment to addressing Africa’s infrastructure deficit.

“Bridging Africa’s infrastructure gap requires an estimated $130 billion to $170 billion annually. Addressing this challenge demands innovative approaches. Afreximbank is committed to financing transformative projects that will reshape the continent’s infrastructure landscape,” she stated.

She highlighted the bank’s ongoing efforts to mobilize both public and private investments to close the financing gap, which has long impeded the continent’s development. According to her, creating a sustainable infrastructure ecosystem requires not only financial backing but also strategic partnerships and policy harmonization to attract investments.

Mwaba further emphasised the importance of infrastructure in driving economic growth, fostering regional integration, and enhancing trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). She reaffirmed Afreximbank’s dedication to supporting projects that improve transport networks, energy systems, and digital connectivity, positioning Africa as a competitive global player.

“To attract investment, we must create ecosystems that foster transparency, reduce risks, and drive innovation. Only then can we transform Africa into an interconnected marketplace that benefits all its people. Beyond debt financing, Afreximbank is supporting infrastructure development through equity investments under its subsidiary, the Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA). Through its comprehensive guarantee offerings and project preparation facility, Afreximbank is ensuring the successful realization of key infrastructure projects.

“Yet, infrastructure is not just about physical structures—it is about connections. It is about linking nations, communities, and economies. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) presents a remarkable opportunity to enhance trade and foster collaboration,” she added

His criticism comes after the Akufo-Addo statue, which was unveiled in November 2024 as part of the former president’s “Thank-You Tour” in the Western Region, was vandalized on January 13, 2025. The statue, located in front of the Effia Nkwanta Hospital in Sekondi, sparked controversy from the outset, with some residents questioning Akufo-Addo’s contributions to the region.

Jon Benjamin took to Twitter to share his stance, writing, “Nobody should ever put up a statue of themselves while still alive, let alone while still in office.”

The vandalism, allegedly carried out by supporters of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has sparked mixed reactions. While some condemned the act as disrespectful, others viewed it as a sign of public frustration with the former president.

The NDC has distanced itself from the incident, with party representatives denying any involvement and calling for restraint in resolving political disagreements.

Jon Benjamin’s remarks have since fueled a larger debate on the appropriateness of self-honoring acts, especially among political figures.

Source: Opera.com

According to him, a series of alarming incidents from 2020 where she claims Hawa Koomson, on four separate occasions, brandished a gun and threatened her life were trivial and false.

In his statement, he has asked the NDC parliamentary candidate to provide police evidence that backs his allegations towards Hawa Koomson.

He also claims that Phyllis Naa Koryo Okunnor was arrested in connection with her possession of a gun and the stabbing of the son of the Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East, Mavis Hawa Koomson on the dawn of Sunday, June 2, 2024.

In his point of view, therefore, urged authorities to allow Ghana Police Service to conduct full investigation into the matter.

Read full statement below:

‘King Lu writes ”~ Recent allegations that Hon. Hawa Koomson has threatened the NDC parliamentary candidate at gunpoint four times, is not true. The NDC PC can provide police reports to prove that.

Incident Summary:
– On the day Hon. Hawa Koomson left for a summit in Korea, her son Ato was stabbed.
– The NDC parliamentary candidate is implicated in the failed assassination attempt.
– The police are urged to investigate thoroughly and bring all perpetrators to justice.
– The NDC candidate is considered a prime suspect in the attack.
– In a related development, following the failed assassination attempt, the NDC candidate was seen returning to the electoral office with a pump-action gun. Questions arise about her intentions in carrying a firearm to the EC office.

Authorities should allow the police to conduct a full investigation.

#HawaKoomson

Source:  Mymcyonline.com || Agyenim Boateng

Aligned with the United Nations 68th Commission on the Status of Women’s priority theme, “Count Her In,” Plan International Ghana underscores the urgent need to examine pathways to greater economic inclusion for women and girls worldwide.

Plan International Ghana emphasizes the critical role of investing in women and girls to drive progress and create a more equitable and sustainable world for all. The organization highlights the widening economic and social inequalities, emphasizing the need to protect the rights of young women and girls in all fields, including entrepreneurship, education, leadership, and digital spaces.

According to the UN Gender Snapshot 2023 report, the world is failing to achieve gender equality, with more than 340 million women and girls projected to live in extreme poverty by 2030. To address this, governments must prioritize gender-responsive financing and increase public spending on essential services and social protection.

As we mark International Women’s Day, it is imperative that we recognize the invaluable contributions of women and girls and commit to ensuring their full participation and economic empowerment.

Plan International Ghana remains dedicated to championing gender equality through various programs and initiatives, including promoting access of girls and young women to inclusive quality education, healthcare, economic opportunities, and leadership roles.

On this International Women’s Day, Plan International Ghana calls on governments, civil society organizations, businesses, and individuals to invest in women and girls. By recognizing and addressing their unique challenges, we can accelerate progress towards achieving gender equality and creating a brighter future for all.
Plan International Ghana joins other organisations in calling on policymakers to value, recognize, and account for the vital contribution women make to economies worldwide through paid and unpaid care work.

Additionally, Plan International Ghana calls on all stakeholders to commit to putting women and girls at the center for achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by making critical investments in their present and future, including:
• Supporting women and girls’ leadership promotion, which is essential for achieving gender equality and building inclusive societies that will harness their diverse perspectives, talents, and experiences to drive positive change and create a more equitable world for all.

• Provision and promotion of access to inclusive quality education and skills development, particularly in STEM, to ensure they acquire the knowledge and expertise needed to excel in diverse endeavors.

• Financial Inclusion and Entrepreneurship Support by facilitating access to affordable credit, savings, and insurance services for women and girls. Additionally, providing entrepreneurship support such as training, mentorship, and access to markets fosters their ability to start and grow businesses.

• Eradication of social and gender norms and barriers, including stereotypes, discrimination, and obnoxious cultural and religious beliefs and practices.

• Women and girls’ empowerment, which involves ensuring access to healthcare services, including reproductive health, and providing family support mechanisms such as affordable childcare and parental leave policies.

• Promotion of workplace Equality and Opportunities that entail creating inclusive workplaces free from gender-based discrimination and bias; promoting equal pay for equal work, leadership opportunities, and career advancement pathways for women and girls in all sectors of the economy and continuous breaking barriers, challenging stereotypes, and creating a workplace culture where everyone thrives.

• Advocating for legal and policy Reforms that promote gender equality and protect the rights of women and girls, including addressing discriminatory laws and practices that hinder their economic empowerment.

Overall, investing in women and girls’ economic empowerment is not only a matter of social justice but also a strategic imperative for sustainable development and inclusive growth. By unlocking the full potential of women and girls, we can create a more prosperous and equitable society for all. The commitment to realizing the potential of young women and girls is critical for advancing gender equality and sustainable development in Ghana.

According to him, the minister is fake, describing him as someone who’s addicted to watching póŕń videos.

Bongo Ideas further questioned the minister over why he still has pòno videos on his hard drive even after  attending the international prayer festival which was recently held at the Trade Fair Site in Accra.

“ He is acting all religious yet  he has 1TB of pòrń videos on hard drive, likes póŕń on X, lies, defends government’s failure, pockets corruption money and has several girlfriends. Never idolize an African politician”, Bongo Ideas reacted on minister’s presence at the prayer festival.

Even though there is nothing wrong in idolizing politician figures, nut the blogger insisted that no one should admire any African politicians.

“Never idolize an African Politician!”

Source: mymctvonline.com || Elvis Agyenim Boateng

One of the forces sustaining Ghana’s democracy has been the use of traditional authorities, the chieftaincy institution, made up of chiefs and queenmothers.

Sadly, in spite of the key role that the chieftaincy institution plays in the sustenance of the country’s peaceful co-existence and democracy, the institution is fraught with many disputes and conflicts.

Many of the disputes and conflicts related to the institution in the country have to do with succession lines to stools and skins.

In fact, some land disputes are even linked to the same chieftaincy disputes, as in, which chief or stool or skin has the right to sell a parcel of land.

Many families (gates) are in court fighting the authorities of certain people as chiefs or queenmothers.

They are fighting the legitimacy of such people because they are either not royals or it is not yet their turn to become chiefs or queenmothers.

It is for this age-long challenge affecting the country’s chieftaincy institution that the National House of Chiefs, in collaboration with the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), initiated moves 20 years ago to have lines of succession to stools and skins codified to help address the various chieftaincy disputes across the country.

Indeed, Article 272 (b) of the 1992 Constitution mandates the House to undertake the progressive study, interpretation and codification of customary law with a view to evolving, in appropriate cases, a unified system and compiling the customary laws and lines of succession, applicable to each stool or skin.

In fact, the move to have the various traditional areas document their succession lines was highly welcomed by many Ghanaians and stakeholders, including the country’s development partners.

Fortunately, the project, which was aimed at building a good database to end enstoolment and enskinment disputes, received funding from the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and the Ghana Government.

Sadly, after 20 years of the project, only six out of 300 traditional areas in the country have validly completed the documentation of their lines of succession.

The six traditional areas are Offinso, Tepa, Awutu, Berekum, Hwidiem and Kwahu.

Many Ghanaians and stakeholders, particularly investors, are wondering why such a move has received less attention from the country’s chieftaincy custodians.

People are wondering whether or not funds are not forthcoming from the sponsors or that the traditional authorities are not interested due to vested interests and rivalry from the various gates to the stools or skins.

The Daily Graphic wishes to remind our traditional authorities that peace cannot be bought with money; hence, the need for them to co-operate and support the implementation of the succession codification project.

It is sad that we have lost many industrious sons and daughters of the country through the various chieftaincy disputes and conflicts across the country.

The violent chieftaincy conflicts, which we have witnessed across many parts of the country, could have been avoided entirely had the succession codification project been treated with the needed attention.

Today, our security personnel who could have been deployed to tackle criminal activities such as armed robbery on our roads are now being deployed to warring communities due to chieftaincy disputes.

The Daily Graphic would want to urge the National House of Chiefs, the NCCE, the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and the government to revisit this laudable project to ensure its successful implementation.

We believe that the successful implementation of the codification exercise will help address the numerous chieftaincy disputes across the country.

Preventing chieftaincy disputes is one of the key things that could promote our country’s democracy and peaceful co-existence in our various communities; hence, boosting investor confidence in our economy.

Additionally, preventing chieftaincy disputes across the country will also help to promote our rich culture and promote growth and development.

Source : Daily Graphic

One of the false, weak and wishy-washy excuses the EC Chair, madam Jean Adukwei Mensa sought to canvass at her press conference yesterday to justify the EC’s dogged determination to suppress first-time voters, is her claim that the Commission is acting within the constraints of its work-plan and budget as approved by Parliament.

Nothing could be further from the truth than this barefaced lie which once again betrays the sinister and ulterior motive by this Jean Mensa/Bossman Asare-led EC to frustrate first-time voters.

The Commissioner’s attempt to once again draw in Parliament into the ongoing discussions about the EC’s deliberately-bungled voter registration exercise is pathetic to say the least. Parliament in considering the Electoral Commission’s budgetary estimates for 2023, its Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) from 2023 – 2026 and the Electoral Commission’s actual Appropriation for 2023, did not take a pesewa out of the Commission’s requests. It is therefore highly contrived to seek to introduce Parliament in a bid to justify its unpopular and unreasonable decision to restrict the registration of voters to its District Offices.

Indeed, both Appendix 4A (MDA Expenditure Allocation) of the 2023 Budget Statement, and the Third Schedule of the Appropriations Act 2022 (Act 1090), as well as the EC’s own  Programme-Based Budget Estimates contained in its MTEF, put the EC’s total  budget for 2023 at GHS386,047,606. Out of this figure, the EC budgeted a rounded figure of GHS56,059,846 for registration of voters in 2023.

It is important to state that the Electoral Commission’s budgetary allocation for 2023 is far more than all the budgetary allocations of the Ministry of Information and its Agencies, the National Development Planning Commission, the National Media Commission, the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, and the Right to Information Commission, put together.

It must also be emphasized that not a penny of the EC’s budget was varied to its disadvantage as the Commissioner sought to claim yesterday and this is evidenced in their appropriation. Her claim that the ongoing drudgery she has put Ghanaians through has to do with budgetary constraints is one that must be treated with utmost contempt.

There can be no justification on the part of an Electoral Commission that is hell-bent on disenfranchising voters by placing strictures and fetters on the inalienable right of Ghanaians to register to vote in public elections and referenda, instead of implementing programs to expand that right as it is enjoined by law to do.

Jean Mensa will not be allowed to use Parliament as a convenient excuse for her lawless conduct and as representatives of the people, we will soon be demanding accountability from her and the other Commissioners.

-Hon. Kwame Governs Agbodza ,Minority Chief Whip

It is refreshing to learn that there is an ongoing development and im­provement of infrastruc­ture at tourist and heritage sites in the country. This forms part of a broader effort to develop the entire tourism sector to reposition Ghana on the global tourism map.

This move was long overdue as the state of infrastructure at some tourist sites such as linking roads, and social amenities are nothing to write home about. Over the years, tourists, industry watchers and the general public have always demanded that authorities develop tourist sites to make them worth visiting.

It is against this background that the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture secured a $40 million loan facility from the World Bank to among other things finance upgrade of infrastructure at tourist and heritage sites.

The facility which was secured in 2019 is the financial backbone for the implementation of the Ghana Tourism Development Authority (GTDP).

The four components of the project are Strengthening tourism enabling environment; Develop­ing tourism sites and destinations; Tourism enterprise support and project management and institu­tional strengthening.

Component two-developing tourism sites and destinations is very fascinating. To say nature has blessed Ghana with eco-tourism sites would be an understatement. There are eco-tourism sites located across the length and breadth of Ghana. However, most of these sites have been in their ‘raw states’ since their discovery.

For example, in the erstwhile Brong Ahafo Region (Bono, Bono East and Ahafo), there are many tourist sites including the Kintam­po Waterfalls, Buabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary, Fuller Falls, Buoyam Bats Caves, Kunsu Slave Caves and Wench-Nchiraa Water­falls.

Other sites are Duasidan Mon­key Sanctuary near Dormaa-Ahen­kro, Dandwa Waterfalls in the Nkoranza Municipality, Menji crocodile pond in the Tain District, Mim Rock, and Kunsu Josua Wa­terfalls near Kintampo.

However, most of these sites have seen very little or no infra­structural development. Roads connecting to these places are unmotorable, there are no recre­ational centres, and befitting places of convenience. These have culmi­nated to adversely affect patronage of these sites, thus denying the country benefits such as revenue.

With the implementation of GTDP under the watch of the Tourism Ministry, I hope that work will go according to schedule and specifications at all the tourist sites earmarked to benefit from the project.

There is no doubt that upgrad­ing tourist sites is a catalyst to attracting more patrons. A classic example is the Kintampo Water­falls. The site received a facelift af­ter the infamous disaster in March 2017 which claimed 17 lives who were mostly students of Wenchi Methodist SHS.

After the disaster, staircases at the waterfalls were reconstructed to be friendlier, places of conve­nience, pavilions and changing rooms were given facelifts. An 80 by 90-meter suspended canopy walkway has also been construct­ed at the waterfalls. The site was reopened to tourists in November.

These developments have elevat­ed Kintampo waterfalls as one of the preferred tourists’ destinations in the country. Statistics from the GTA indicate that in 2021, a total of 19,021 tourists (domestic and foreigners) visited the site generat­ing revenue of GH¢124,168.

Speaking with journalists during recent inspection tour of the Kintampo Waterfalls, Prof. Ga­briel Eshun, Technical Advisor of GTDP, indicated that “government is looking for a new pathway to diversify the economy to increase the country’s Gross Domestic product (GDP) from existing tra­ditional ways such as cocoa, timber and minerals, hence the decision to invest in the sector.”

He indicated that “more recre­ational facilities will be constructed at eco-tourism sites as it was done at the Kintampo waterfalls. Cur­rently, there is ongoing laying of pavement blocks at walkways here. More iconic tourist sites will be developed to attract more tourists into the country as well as enhance domestic tourism.”

The ultimate goal of the Tour­ism Ministry is to leverage GTDP to transform the industry and make it the leading contributor to Ghana’s gross domestic product (GDP).

However, one thing that needs to be addressed to make the dream a reality is the deplorable nature of road networks within the location of most iconic tourist sites. Some of the roads are unmotorable, especially in the rainy seasons.

Again, development should not be a one-off initiative. There must be a sustainable plan for tourism growth and development. Today, we are seeing upgrades and devel­opment thanks to GTDP. Author­ities must look beyond securing loans and grants for such develop­ments in future.

Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) are the primary beneficiaries of tourism and therefore it would be a step in the right direction if there can be a deliberate policy where the various Assemblies would allocate part of their resources to develop these tourist sites in their localities.

At least, the Assemblies could periodically finance reshaping of the roads and construct and main­tain basic social amenities to make the sites more hospitable to attract more tourists. This will go a long way to boost revenue generation and create job opportunities.

[The writer is the Bono Region Correspondent of the Ghanaian Times]

BY DANIEL DZIRASAH

When the Gang of 4 was smashed, China was at the bottom of the abyss of retardation.

Twenty years of the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution had left the country in economic ruins.

Deng Xiaoping, the man who was seen to be second only to Liu Shaoqi in capitalist deviation, was sent for, from the cowshed.

Three times Deng Xiaoping had climbed to the top, then been toppled and sent to the cowshed for uttering unthinkable blasphemy.

Now with Liu Shaoqi dead in jail in 1969; Zhou Enlai,who always felt Deng Xiaoping was needed and possibly protected him from death, was dead and Mao was now dead, the system realised Deng was needed.

China was on its knees in 1976 when Deng Xiaoping was sent for. He immediately focused on Enhancing Mindsets.

Deng asked to be placed in charge of the education schedule.

He called thirty-three top Chinese intellectuals, mainly Professors, and sat to listen to them tell him what should be done. This meeting lasted five days.

After five days of listening, Deng Xiaoping got up and gave a three hour long now famous rousing speech. During which he outlined the essential elements of the reforms he would call the second revolution.

Some of the Professors wept. After ten years of being called the “stinky 9th category”, here was Deng Xiaoping saying their knowledge was the primary productive force that would save China. He would rehabilitate intellectuals and thinking. And he established “seek truth from facts”, a Maoist precept, as a central and foundational principle of the reforms.

Deng Xiaoping then convened the hierarchy of the Communist Party, with the full and heavy involvement of The Chinese Academy of Sciences. Science here being a universal descriptor of all knowledge.The meeting lasted thirty-six days.

It was here that Deng established he would not seek vengeance against Mao. That Mao was fallible but “Mao Zedong Thought” was the basis for a prosperous future China. And that Mao was his leader.

These were fundamental shifts. To call Mao fallible required rare courage.

Deng Xiaoping also established that he would try “The Gang of Four” for crimes against humanity. For they were zero, a thousand points below zero. And they had to be punished for the deaths of hundreds of millions which came about as a result of their policy.

It was at this famous thirty six day meeting that Deng Xiaoping laid out, in my view, his most profound canons.

1. The voice and needs of the people was the ultimate guide. The party had to seek its legitimacy from raising their living standards.
2. That class struggle should not be the principal motive force of Maoist-Leninist-Marxism. Liberation of the productive forces to raise living standards and guarantee shared dignity and shared prosperity was the objective of socialism.
3. That China would always do what was right for China and not pander to others expectations.
4. That opening up China would take 20% of the world, at the time, out of poverty. It was therefore mandatory to do it.
5. That market economics and socialist economics were not contradictory. They needed a delicate balance.

Thence started the reforms. Really taking off in 1980, after Deng, the 5-footer, had consolidated his political power base.

Today in China, one of the very highest honours to aspire for is to be among what the Communist Party calls the top 200 academics. I encountered this in April when I was there.

The state lavishes them in a life of relative luxury. Theirs is to do nothing else but think for China.

In 1980, at seventy-six, Deng had launched the twenty year plan to take China from $200/capita GNP, to $800/capita in twenty years.

In 1989, China was well ahead of the pathway to hit the number, and livelihoods had risen significantly. Deng had also revised the goal to $1000/capita.

The civilian who had led army units with outstanding Generals like Liu Bocheng (the one-eyed General), Deng Xiaoping was exhibiting rare and prodigious strategic and operational capabilities as a leader.

At eighty-five, and just about to retire, Deng showed why Lee Kwan Yew described him as the most impressive man he ever encountered.

With eleven years still to go, Deng asked that the third generation of Chinese leaders  – he belonged to the second with Mao, Lin Biao, Liu Shaoqi, Liu Bocheng and others, were the first – to convene a group.

The task of this group was to think through the fifty years that will follow 2000. Deng Xiaoping! When cometh another?

I was in various levels of my principal school process from 1971 when I went to kindergarten, to 1992 when I graduated as a chemical engineer.

I have worked since 1992 and received world class leadership training from one of the best companies in the world, in terms of human resource management. At least in my view.

From, 1971 to 2023, Deng Xiaoping was only mentioned in leadership training when I was doing the training. Yesterday, I asked my graduate son whether in his leadership training he ever heard of Deng. He said he did not.

Any wonder then that so many African intellectuals think neoliberal capitalism is what God handed over to Moses on tablets of stone on Mount Sinai?

Deng Xiaoping’s selected works feature him speaking to more African Presidents than any other set of Presidents. What did they take away?

Deng Xiaoping urged Africa to unite in its dealings with the world. To focus on liberation of the productive forces in our own African way.

Did our own intellectuals hear him? Will there now be a Renaissance? Or are we the problem – lazy and timid?

I was recently told by a group of Ghanaian professionals, in all seriousness, that we cannot think about development beyond an hour at a time .We get tired.

In shock all I could say was: but we spend hours at church and at funerals? Are we really a people serious about eliminating poverty?

We need a mindset revolution. That is my final statement. Intellectuals must rise up and seize the moment.

Yaw Nsarkoh,
Monday, 18 September 2023.