Author: johnmahama

Campaigners sue Ghana’s government to block mining of Atewa Forest biodiversity hotspot.Conservationists assist a forest reserve in Zambia to restore itself.Forest certification is expanding rapidly across the Congo Basin.EU bans imports of products linked to deforestation.See All Key Ideas Campaigners sue Ghana’s government to block mining of Atewa Forest biodiversity hotspot Twenty NGOs and individuals are taking legal action to prevent the Ghanaian government from mining bauxite in the Atewa Forest Reserve, a biodiversity hotspot that is also the source of water for some 5 million people. “It is unfortunate that we have to fight our own government…

Introduction For many children in Ghana, the promise of education remains unfulfilled. Despite significant increases in school enrolment over the past decades, more than 1.9 million children of basic school-going age (4–14 years) were out of school as of 2023. Additionally, many children who are in school are not acquiring foundational literacy and numeracy skills. Evidently, the outcomes of the 2022 National Standardized Test suggest that 48.7% and 50.8% of Basic 4 pupils failed to meet basic competency levels in literacy and numeracy, respectively. Besides, the Learning Adjusted Year of Schooling for about 11.6 years of primary SHS education is…

Kofi Job and his wife, Dr. Esther Gyebi As the founders of the Kofi Job Foundation, Mr. Kofi Job and Dr. Esther Gyebi have made an indelible mark on Ghana’s economic sector, particularly in the areas of health, education, employment, infrastructure, and religion. Transforming Healthcare in the Ashanti RegionOne of their most notable achievements is the donation of over GH¢3 million to five major hospitals in the Ashanti Region, including:Okomfo Anokye Teaching HospitalSuntreso Government HospitalKumasi South HospitalTafo Government HospitalManhyia District HospitalThese funds enabled the hospitals to purchase essential equipment, such as incubators, Sepap machines, and firefly machines, which were previously…

Retired Supreme Court Justice William Atuguba has delivered a scathing critique of Ghana’s political system, arguing that the foundational principle of separation of powers has collapsed under excessive presidential control. Speaking on The Assembly podcast hosted by Dr. Ayure-Inga Mark Agana, Justice Atuguba painted a picture of a system where the judiciary, legislature, and executive are too closely intertwined, undermining the checks and balances essential to a healthy democracy.“Our constitutional framework does not provide for a strong and wholesome separation of powers,” Justice Atuguba asserted. “While we nominally have distinct branches—executive, judiciary, and legislature—the reality is that the president appoints…

Following the recent issues that have surrounded the sacking of the former Managing Director of SIC PLC, Hollistar Duah-Yentumi, and her refusal to leave the post, the Member of Parliament of Effiduase/Asokore, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriye, has shared some new details. These details, shared as third-party content made available to him, indicate that Duah-Yentumi is supposedly a National Democratic Congress (NDC) member married to a sympathiser of the New Patriotic Party in the Assin Central Constituency of the Central Region.According to his post, the embattled former SIC MD worked under the late President John Evans Atta Mills, and the then-Vice…

Ewurabena Aubynn, the 2024 National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate for Ablekuma NorthEwurabena Aubynn, the 2024 National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate for Ablekuma North, has charged that the Electoral Commission (EC) is treating the NDC unfairly in the ongoing election dispute.She claims that the commission frequently leaves the NDC out of important aspects of the process, and that the EC’s failure to adequately involve them has been a significant obstacle.“The EC barely communicates with the NDC side of this process. This has been our complaint all along. Even during the collation exercise, they rarely informed us in good…

An endangered plant known as the “corpse flower” for its putrid stink is about to bloom in Australia – and captivated the internet in the process, with thousands already tuned in to a livestream ahead of its grand debut. The titan arum plant, housed in the Royal Botanic Gardens of Sydney, blooms only once every few years for just 24 hours. Affectionately dubbed Putricia, it will release a smell described as “wet socks, hot cat food, or rotting possum flesh”. The long wait and uncertainty as to when Putricia will bloom – have spawned jokes and even a unique lingo…

Member of Parliament for Assin South, Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, has slammed North Tongu MP and Minister-designate for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, over what he described as double standards.The former Deputy Education Minister noted that the Chairman of the ORAL Committee failed to provide just nine documents regarding his business, rent, and properties to the Appointments Committee.Speaking on Accra-based Metro TV on Thursday, February 6, Rev. Ntim Fordjour said Ablakwa appears to care about his own reputation but remains insensitive to that of others.“He went there with three or four bags full of documents about other people’s properties, lands,…

The Director of Communication at the Bank of Ghana, Bernard Otabil, has described inflation as an “armed robber” stealing from the pockets of Ghanaians. Speaking at a media capacity-building workshop in Ho, Otabil stressed that Ghana’s current inflation rate is alarmingly high, eroding people’s earnings and negatively impacting their standard of living.The workshop was designed to equip journalists in the Volta Region with the necessary knowledge and skills to understand and effectively report on inflation, its causes, and its broader effects on the country.Otabil emphasized that the high inflation rate remains a pressing concern, making accurate and responsible reporting crucial…

Ghana stands on the precipice of a technological leap, poised to harness the power of the atom and reshape its energy future.For decades, the prospect of a Ghanaian nuclear power plant has shimmered on the horizon, a testament to the nation’s long-standing commitment to nuclear technology.This ambition isn’t a recent whim; its roots stretch back to the very dawn of Ghana’s independence. Under the visionary leadership of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the Atomic Energy Commission was established in Kwabenya, Accra, laying the foundation for a future powered by nuclear energy.This early investment in nuclear science laid the groundwork for Ghana’s…