Government has donated one million cedis to support victims of the fire disaster that swept through the Kantamanto Market in Accra on January 2, 2025

The presentation follows a pledge by the President, when the Kantamanto Traders Association, comprising 13 different groups, paid a courtesy call on him a week after he officially assumed office.

The Chief of Staff, Mr Julius Debrah, who made the presentation on behalf of the President, John Dramani Mahama also, expressed readiness to facilitate plans to rebuild the market into a multi-purpose modern facility to enhance businesses of used clothes dealers and other traders.

“There is hope. The President was elected to solve problems and he is ready to help devoid of politics” Mr Debrah noted.

The Chief of Staff expressed government’s sympathy especially in these difficult times for the heavy losses. He emphasized the need for the traders to open up for dialogue on plans to redesign the enclave, open up access for rapid response with adequate security to prevent another major disaster.

The Chairman of the Kantamanto Traders Association, Rev. Opoku Afreh, on behalf of over 13 groups, whose leadership were present thanked the President for the support.
He said over half of the Kantamanto was totally razed down including millions of cedis in sales made yet to be deposited at the banks.
“One wholesale, which has never been torched and bales of clothes worth $1.7million were totally destroyed” he emphasized.

Rev. Opoku disclosed that, they have negotiated a deal with ACCESS Bank, which is ready to advance a loan of $100million to build a modern market.

He however called for government’s intervention to address a dispute over the affected land.
Present were the two Deputy Chiefs of Staff, Stanislav Dogbe and Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, the Legal Advisor to the President, Marietta Brew Oppong and some Presidential Staffers
The January 7 Kantamanto Market fire disaster destroyed more than 7,000 shops.

President John Dramani Mahama has assured that he will superintend a tolerant government and will not hound critics, as was witnessed under the previous administration.

He is therefore urging the public to feel free and speak out as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution.
He believes opening up to constructive criticism, will not only help in shaping decisions on governance issues.

The President was speaking when the Institute of Public Relations – Ghana (IPR -Ghana) called at his office on Wednesday, January 22, 2025.

“I know that under the last administration, there were a lot of issues that led to our downgrading on the Press Freedom Index but together, we can work to restore Ghana to its pride of place in terms of media freedom and free expression,” the President Mahama emphasized.

The courtesy call by the Executive Committee and Council members of IPR- Ghana, was to congratulate the President for his re-election, and to pledge their readiness to work with him to implement his policies to rest Ghana.

President John Mahama is a member of IPR-Ghana, announced plans to restructure the Information Service Department to make it more responsive and efficient. This is said has become necessary because of new media and the expected role it must play to help disseminate government policies.

President of Institute of Public Relations Ghana, Madam Esther Cobbah, said they will readily offer their expertise when needed

She also used the ocassion to unite the President to join IPR-Ghana’s 50th anniversary celebrations which will be attended by IPR-international

She also appealed to an office space for their Secretariat, a request the President said will be considered in her unflinching support for the President and his government.

“The Institute is willing and ready to provide communication support towards the realization of your national objective. Please call us and we’ll be here to support. We are a party to your army,” she assured.

The President, John Dramani Mahama will this Friday, January 24, 2025 begin his nationwide Thank You Tour from the Volta Region.

The tour, according to a statement signed by the Minister designate for Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu,”will be welcomed with a grand durbar of Chiefs, Queenmothers, opinion
leaders, religious leaders, members of various labour unions, and key representatives
from the informal sector.

It said the tour will enable the President to express his appreciation to the people of Ghana for the overwhelming support and trust reposed in him.

President Mahama won the December 7, elections massively beating his closest contender, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia of the New Patriotic Party, NPP by over 1.6million votes.

Find below the full statement

A delegation of the General Council of Assemblies of God, Ghana, the Nyankpen and Wengam families , and Cedar Mountain Chapel has paid a courtesy visit to President John Mahama in Accra to formally inform him of the demise of Madam Deborah Wengam, mother of the General Superintendent of Assemblies of God, Ghana Rev Stephen Wengam.

They used the occasion to invite the President to the funeral service on Saturday, 25th January, 2025 at the Forecourt of the State House in Accra.

The delegation was led by the Assistant General Superintendent of Assemblies of God, Ghana Rev Dr Godwin Tito Agyei.

Rev Tito Agyei eulogized Madam Wengam who had been a member of the church for 71years. He especially commended her for raising a visionary leader , Rev Wengam, for the church.

Rev Tito Agyei said the funeral is attracting people of all walks of life and a huge delegation from the international community.

The Assistant General Superintendent thanked President Mahama for quickly visiting to commiserate with the bereaved family on hearing of the passing of Madam Wengam.

The President commended the late Madam Wengam for serving her generation well by producing a prominent leader for the church in particular and society at large.

President Mahama consoled Rev Wengam and family and prayed that the soul of Madam Wengam rest in peace.

A Nippon Founda6on Scholar with a Master of Laws Degree (LLM) in International Mari6me Transport Law from the prestigious IMO- International Mari6me Law Institute in Malta, Joyce is a recipient of the IMO-Legal Committee Chairman’s coveted award for the best student in International Maritime  Transportation Law and a Certificate of Excellence in Maritime Administration and Management.

She holds a Qualifying Certificate in Law (QCL) and is qualified for Law Practice both in Ghana and in England and Wales, and is a Partner in the law firm, Praetorium Solicitors.
Joyce is a member of the Ghana Bar Association , the African Women Lawyers Association, the Women in International Shipping and Trade Association (WISTA), a Member of the Chartered Ins6tute of Logis6cs (CILT) Ghana, and an alumnus of the US- International Visitor Leadership Programme.

She has sterling leadership qualities, is a team lead par excellence, a public speaker and communicator, a gender activist , and a good governance, peace, and security policy practice advocate.

She is a proud product of three of Ghana’s foremost secondary schools—
Wesley Girls’ High School, St Francis Girls’ Secondary School, and Tamale Secondary School.

She also holds a Master of Arts (MA) in interna6onal security and conflict resolu6on from the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Ins6tute, a Master of Arts degree in Development Communication , and a management certificate in Maritime Law with over 20 years of post- qualification experience.

Joyce served as Ghana’s Deputy Minister for Transport from May 2013 to January 2017. She was responsible for the formulation, dissemination , and implementation of the government’s transportation policy for the fifteen  transport sector agencies under the supervision of the Transport Ministry, Joyce had oversight responsibility for aviation, maritime, inland waterways, railways, and road transport services.

Before she was appointed deputy minister, Joyce served as Director, Legal and Estates, and Solicitor Secretary of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority, a Ghana Club 100 Company.
Joyce is adventurous, a dreamer, and is inspired by her family. She has recently become a contributor to a book, A Compendium of Stories. Her hobbies include coaching, reading, wri6ng, traveling, and exercising.

Joyce is married and is blessed with four children.

President John Mahama has ordered immediate investigation into the Obuasi mine clashes which left eight (8) people dead.

The fatalities followed out between illegal miners and soldiers deplored to protect the company’s concession.

According to a press release signed by the Director General Public Affairs, Brigadier General E. Aggrey – Quashie the military officers were compelled to defend them selves when over 60 galamseyers who breached the Anglo Gold Ashanti mines security fence fired at officers, on Operation Halt II duties.

Meanwhile government has asked management of Anglo- Gold Ashanti to bear the medical expenses of the injured individuals fully and to facilitate the burial arrangements for those who have lost their lives.

A statement by Acting Spokesperson for the President, Felix Kwakye Ofusu added. “The security agencies have been asked to take prompt action to restore peace in the area and implement measures to prevent similar occurrences.

Accra, Ghana – In a notable development, Afetsi Awoonor, son of the late renowned Ghanaian poet Prof Kofi Awoonor, has been appointed as the acting Managing Director of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST).

This pivotal decision was formalized through an appointment letter signed by Secretary to President John Mahama, Dr Callistus Mahama. The appointment is in accordance with Article 195(1) of the Constitution, pending consultations with the Public Services Commission and the awaited guidance from the Minister for Energy and Green Transition.

Awoonor assumes the leadership position at BOST following the tenure of Edwin Alfred Provencal, which was marred by a series of corruption allegations. Provencal, the third and final MD under the previous administration, replaced the initial boss Alfred Obeng Boateng, who was embroiled in a scandal involving the sale of contaminated fuel. Subsequently, Provencal’s successor, George Mensah Okley, resigned in 2019 amidst purported contract-related issues.

A young and accomplished business leader and entrepreneur, Awoonor boasts nearly two decades of valuable experience in steering diverse teams and projects within both the private and public sectors. In his previous role as a senior partner at DOC Africa, he revolutionized Liberia’s mining initiatives, yielding projected revenues exceeding $2 billion through innovative contractual frameworks. Awoonor is recognized as a distinguished senior executive renowned for his transformative influence in the extractive industries of sub-Saharan Africa, encompassing oil, gas, and mining.

His extensive expertise encompasses energy strategy, financial modeling, supply chain management, and fostering strategic relationships, consistently driving operational excellence and delivering exceptional financial outcomes. Awoonor’s leadership has been instrumental in shaping groundbreaking projects, ranging from optimizing national petroleum reserve programs to crafting pioneering mining agreements that have contributed substantially to revenue generation. His profound regional knowledge spans over 20 African nations, augmented by a global impact that extends to prestigious speaking engagements at premier forums in Switzerland, the USA, and South Africa.

Having previously served as the government relations and business development manager at BOST in 2016 under the leadership of Kingsley Awuah Darko, Awoonor played a decisive role in spearheading Ghana’s inaugural Strategic Petroleum Reserve Programme during the incumbent president’s first term. He held pivotal responsibilities as the Government Relations Manager at BOST, overseeing governmental and commercial interactions.

Awoonor’s appointment aligns with the president’s overarching vision of empowering young talents to contribute to national development. With a proven track record in structuring, negotiating, and implementing strategic partnerships across Africa, particularly in the energy and defense sectors, Awoonor brings a wealth of expertise to his new role. Notably, he established JBW Limited in 2011, a pioneering defense and energy tech startup operating across Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, where he currently serves as the Chairman of the Board.

Amidst this significant development, the Senior Staff Union of BOST has extended heartfelt felicitations to the newly appointed MD, expressing unwavering confidence in Awoonor’s illustrious career trajectory. The union anticipates that his extensive experience will be instrumental in steering BOST towards a prosperous future, and has pledged full support and collaborative engagement to advance the company’s strategic objectives.

Furthermore, the union commended President Mahama for appointing Awoonor to this pivotal role, underscoring the president’s commitment to entrust highly qualified individuals with leadership roles in critical institutions across Ghana.

President John Dramani Mahama has tasked an 8-Member Constitutional Review Committee chaired by Professor H Kwesi Prempeh, Executive Director of the Ghana Center for Democratic Development(CDD-Ghana) to solicit proposals and make recommendations for the review of the 1992 Constitution to improve governance.

The committee has five months to present its recommendations.

Members of the made up of experts drawn from the judiciary, governance think tans and civil society platforms witb good track record of commitment towards nation building.

The comittee includes Rainer Akumperigeya as Secretary, a former Chairperson Charlotte Osei, Dr Esi Ansah, Ibrahim Tanko Amidu, Dr. Godwin Djokoto, and Justice Sophia Adinyira.

The committee has among other things been tasked to identify gaps and challenges in the implementation of previous constitutional review efforts in 2010 and 2023 and engage with stakeholders to gather diverse perspectives, and formulating actionable recommendations to strengthen Ghana’s constitution.

A statement signed signed by Acting Spokesperson for the President, Felix Kwakye Ofosu said “the committee will present it’s recommendations for constitutional amendments within five (5) months for consideration by the government ”

– Below is a copy of the statement announcing the composition of the committee