Minister for National Security has responded to false accusations leveled against him by Mr Kevin Taylor concerning his involvement in illegal mining (Galamsey).

In a statement released by the minister, he stressed that the allegations were false and without merit and are intended to tarnish his image.

Read Statement Below

REBUTTAL OF UNFOUNDED ALLEGATIONS AGAINST HON. ALBERT KAN-DAPAAH

My attention has been drawn to recent unfounded and baseless allegations made
by Mr. Kevin Taylor, a social media commentator, falsely accusing me of
involvement in Illegal Gold Mining activities, commonly known as “Galamsey”.

These allegations are false and without merit. I wish to emphatically state that I
have no concessions and I am not engaged in any form of mining whether legal or
illegal.

These malicious claims are a deliberate attempt to tarnish my reputation and
distract from my work.

I urge the public to disregard these baseless accusations and remain vigilant against
misinformation, particularly on social media platforms.

SGD
HON. ALBERT KAN-DAPAAH

By:
Dr. Joshua Jebuntie Zaato

HE Dr Bawumia is the most consequential Vice-Presidents in the 4th Republic of Ghana. Even before he came into office, not only did he demonstrate his economic and financial knowledge and bona fides, but he also successfully prosecuted the case against the then-incumbent government and successfully labelled them as incompetent. A tag that Ghanaians agreed with, and it stuck on the NDC like glue. In office, he didn’t take a back seat and do normal boring VEEP ceremonial stuff. He got his hands dirty by designing, proposing, and helping to implement some of the most consequential policies that have contributed to the upliftment of this country and with that global praise. He proposed and championed policies under digitalization, mobile money interoperability, just to mention a few, and medical drones, etc. In a country where corruption allegations are thrown around willy-nilly, none is yet to be thrown at him, and the few desperate attempts have refused to stick. Here, even his opponents come to his defence as one of the honest and cleanest politicians of our time.

But it is in the area of strategic leadership that we can see the genius and humility of Dr Bawumia. By strategic leadership, I am referring to the broader policy roles of policymakers and Senior Management who are responsible for the management of public agencies. Strategic leadership is vital for sponsoring, endorsing, and even providing critical political support for policy reform and innovation in government. The leadership scholar Wart (2003) argues that strategic leadership is supposed to provide a sense of direction and vision, an alignment with the environment, a healthy mechanism for innovation and creativity, and resources for invigorating organizational culture. Governance and leadership expert Donaldson (1995) further argues that the role of leadership in reforms and innovation is critical because of its presumed ability to understand the ambiguous intentions of policymakers. HE Dr Bawumia understood this task when he successfully championed the digitalization agenda in the government. He understood this when he moved the government and, for that matter, Ghana to be one of the leading governments in Africa to champion digitalization and provide digital services to citizens. He demonstrated this when he led and championed financial inclusion in the country.

The scholar Schein (2004) also emphasized the unique functions of leadership in creating an enabling environment and culture in organizations for higher performance. Such a leadership must be creative and have the skills to translate the government’s broad policies and intentions into programs that can be implemented to achieve intended targets. Doing so calls for knowledgeable, selfless, informed, and entrepreneurial leadership to manage for results. We see all these qualities in Dr Bawumia.

But above all, it’s his humility and down-to-earth nature that inspire a lot. As Wart (2003) has argued, good leadership should provide an alignment with the environment, offer a healthy mechanism for innovation and creativity, and create a resource for invigorating the organizational and national culture. Dr Bawumia’s efforts to improve the already cordial relationship between Muslims and Christians in Ghana are legendary. This Muslim feels very comfortable in an Orthodox Charismatic church. He celebrates Mass with and fetes lepers at Easter and Charismas. He turns the Jubilee House into a party ground to host Muslims during Ramadan and for Iftar Meals. He pays for the construction of Mosques and Churches, all to the glory of God/Allah. He adores traditional Ghanaian culture, and whenever he has the opportunity to meet a traditional chief, his knowledge of traditional etiquette is always on display and commendable.

In the current campaign, only one leader has taken full responsibility for his time in office. Where he has failed, he levelled with Ghanaians. He demonstrated this truth and humility when he said he was against the E-Levy but could not stop it. He demonstrated his true character when he publicly acknowledged the battles he lost in Cabinet on some taxation policies. Where he disagrees with the incumbent President on issues like the E-Levy taxes, he has said so and said so publicly. But we can and should also celebrate his successes like the digitalization agenda, mobile money interoperability, financial inclusion, religious tolerance, and his incorruptibility.

H.E, Dr Bawumia has what it takes to user this country into a better, brighter, and prosperous future. He has demonstrated it in opposition, in government as VEEP, and will surely deliver as President if and when given the chance. Such consequential leaders with a sharp mind, good hearts, love of his people, and the ordinary man are difficult to come by. In this turbulent global environment, Ghana needs smart, intelligent, and steady hands to help move us forward. Dr Bawumia has proved that he is the man for the job.

“The African Electoral Institute (AEI) strongly condemns the incidents of the removal of flags and billboards of opponents and replaced with culprits’ choice/choosing as disturbing.

This action undermines the spirit of multiparty democracy which requires/dictates political tolerance and the principles of peaceful coexistence among political parties as essentials for democratic growth and development.

African Electoral Institute calls on the police to investigate and take appropriate action since ‘a stitch in time saves nine.’

AEI also calls on all political parties to promote peaceful competition and respect each other’s rights. We also urges the Electoral Commission to address this incident at the Inter-party Advisory Committee (IPAC) level to ensure a level playing field.

African Electoral Institute entreat all political parties

to work together to maintain a peaceful and democratic environment for all.

SIGNED:

Deputy Director of Communications and External Relations

Joshua Nii Adjin-Adjin Tettey

Small-scale mining in Ghana is considered a major source of livelihood for many people in rural areas, with about one million citizens engaging in it. However, the increase in unregulated mining (galamsey) activities over several decades has resulted in severe land degradation, biodiversity loss, contamination of our water bodies, and the acidification of soils that are deleterious to our socio-economic environment.

Illegal mining became prevalent under the NDC’s government in 2010. Excavators and mercury were introduced during their tenure, which accelerated the poisoning of our water bodies and the degradation of our land. This problem, perpetuated by both individuals and groups and never checked under the NDC’s rule, has been a major source of concern for Ghana ever since. Despite the Nana Addo-led administration’s efforts to minimize and eventually eliminate these illegalities after declaring a national emergency, they remain a major issue.

PROGRESS MADE

The Nana Addo-led administration has implemented several measures to mitigate this menace, including seeking the support of chiefs, who are the custodians of lands, and vetting small-scale miners to ensure they understand and comply with the legal and regulatory requirements of mining. Mining activities were halted for one and a half years to facilitate identification and deal with unlawful mining activity. Operation Vanguard was established to deal with the turbidity of our water bodies and protect our lands. Training and deployment of about 300 river wardens and over 300 mining guards equipped with drones, motorbikes, trucks, and mobile communication devices to monitor mining activities, in addition to security agencies being deployed to combat illegal mining activities.

The openness and transparency of H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo have yielded observable results. Excavators are the deadliest equipment in illegal mining, and this necessitated the Cabinet of the President placing a temporary ban on the importation of further excavators until further notice. A geo-tracking system was installed on certified excavators to ensure easy monitoring to curtail them from going beyond their legally acquired concessions.

There are no more open illegal mining operations as there used to be, although some miscreants still carry out their activities in remote forests. The joint security teams are working tirelessly to curtail such operations. The regular reports of deaths are no longer news items as they used to be due to low safety standards, and some arrests have also been made, including the deportation of some foreign nationals and fines on individuals. These interventions are gradually picking up, and the successes chucked so far will be continued and strengthened with Dr. Bawumia’s bold vision in the mining sector.

HIS VISION

Dr. Bawumia’s bold vision to protect and improve the activities of small-scale miners will empower them to grow their operations by formalizing the Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) sector with the help of the Minerals Commission and other major stakeholders to ensure that their activities are done responsibly and sustainably. The gold produced will be sold to the Bank of Ghana and stored in our gold reserves, as he also aims to stabilize the Ghana Cedi by backing it with gold.

In line with this, all miners who mine within the scope of their temporary license, which will be issued by the District Mining Committees, which include Chiefs, and engage in responsible and sustainable mining will be given a license and will not have their excavators seized. By Section 92 of Act 703, the District Municipal Assemblies will be equipped to supervise small-scale activities at the various mining districts and ensure they comply with reclamation and revegetation procedures. All Ghanaians engaging in small-scale mining will register as members of the Ghana Small Scale Miners Association with their Ghanacard and enroll in a pension scheme.

Dr. Bawumia’s bold vision also includes training small-scale miners on sustainable mining and abolishing VAT on exploration services to encourage more exploration, which will empower our universities and the Geological Service Department. Abandoned shafts will be converted into community mining schemes in collaboration with large mining companies, as well as opening new ones. Audits will be conducted on all concessions to identify those who are complying with the conditions of their license, decentralizing the Minerals Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to district levels, and setting up a state-of-the-art mining unit in collaboration with the private sector.

Dr. Bawumia will also establish the Minerals Development Bank in collaboration with the private sector, which will allow small-scale miners to secure the financing required for their concessions. This will stop the fronting of foreign nationals and also allow more indigenous people to participate and give direct employment to Ghanaians. He will also establish a London Bullion Market Association (LBMA)-certified gold refinery within four years of assuming power. Through the establishment of the minerals bank and the LBMA, Dr. Bawumia will create many millionaires in the small-scale industry.

By Neil Owusu

Over the years, Ghana has sought financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during economic instability. Ghana’s relationship with the IMF dates back to the 1980s when it implemented its first Structural Adjustment Program (SAP). Since then, Ghana has engaged with the IMF multiple times, including in 2009, 2015, and most recently in 2022, each time with varying impacts on the economy and the public sector.

While these programs often come with much-needed financial support and policy guidance, they have also attracted significant criticism, particularly for their impact on public sector jobs. One of the major points of contention is that IMF-backed economic reforms often result in austerity measures, including restrictions on government spending, which directly affect employment in the public sector. In the 1980s and 1990s, under IMF and World Bank guidance, Ghana implemented widespread reforms to reduce government expenditure, including the retrenchment of public sector workers. During this period, tens of thousands of public sector employees were laid off, particularly in government ministries, state-owned enterprises, and public service departments. The rationale was to cut down on the public wage bill, which was seen as unsustainable and a major contributor to Ghana’s budget deficits. In addition to layoffs, the government imposed hiring freezes, preventing the replacement of workers who retired or left the public sector. This led to a reduced capacity to deliver public services and caused significant discontent among civil servants and the general population.

In 2015, Ghana entered another agreement with the IMF, this time seeking to stabilize the economy after years of fiscal mismanagement and mounting debt. The $918 million Extended Credit Facility (ECF) came with conditions that included reducing the public sector wage bill, which had ballooned to unsustainable levels. The government was required to control the wage bill, which accounted for more than 70% of tax revenues at the time. This led to widespread dissatisfaction among public sector workers, who saw their real incomes eroded by inflation and rising living costs.

In 2022, Ghana once again turned to the IMF for a bailout, seeking $3 billion in assistance to stabilize the economy amidst high inflation, a depreciating currency, and rising debt levels. As with previous programs, there were concerns about the impact on public sector employment, with austerity measures likely to affect jobs in government ministries and state-owned enterprises.

This current administration focused on fiscal consolidation and strong public finances in the budgets for 2023 and 2024 as part of its efforts to reestablish macroeconomic stability. These initiatives are supported by structural changes meant to improve public financial management, boost domestic resource mobilization, and establish an atmosphere that more effectively encourages the growth of the private sector. Protecting those who are poor and marginalized is essential while implementing drastic changes to get out of an economic slump. Considering this, the government’s implementation of fiscal consolidation and spending rationalization measures because of the IMF PC-PEG program resulted in a faster rate of increase in the overall budget allocation to the education sector than it did in the period before the IMF. Specifically, from GHC 20.39 billion in 2022 to GHC 24.77 billion in 2023, the nominal education budget grew by 21.5% in 2023. From GHC 24.77 billion in 2023 to GHC 32.79 billion in 2024 – a rise of 32.4 percent – the budget for the 2024 fiscal year experienced a somewhat larger increase.

What makes this program different from earlier IMF initiatives, which typically entail a hiring freeze in the public sector is the fact that Ghana Education Service (GES) enlisted 13,713 teaching and 1,566 non-teaching staff members for the 2022–2023 school year. The Ministry of Finance granted GES financial authorization to hire 16,500 more teachers and 1,500 non-teachers this year to increase the number of workers in pre-tertiary education.

However, the detrimental effects of IMF programs on public sector employment have been a key point of contention for Ghana throughout the years. Considering this, the government reaffirmed its position during discussions with the Fund and its commitment to safeguarding social investments and jobs in the public sector.

Dr. Gideon Boako, the Spokesperson for Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has expressed confidence that the Vice President is set to make history by leading the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to victory in the 2024 general elections, breaking the traditional eight-year power rotation between Ghana’s two major political parties.

Addressing supporters in Duayaw-Nkwanta during the submission of his nomination forms to the Electoral Commission, Dr. Boako emphasized that the NPP’s vision of “breaking the eight” will be realized through the combined effort of hard work and divine intervention, adding that, Dr. Bawumia’s leadership will solidify the NPP’s continued governance beyond the usual two-term cycle.

He explained that, the NPP has proven itself as the best party with a track record of delivering on its promises and Dr. Bawumia’s leadership has been exceptional, and even the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) recognizes his achievements and hence the consistent unnecesary attacks on his integrity.

Dr. Boako compared the leadership of Dr. Bawumia with that of NDC’s flagbearer, former President John Mahama, arguing that Mahama’s tenure as Vice President was marked by failure, whereas Bawumia has shown outstanding leadership, noting that, this contrast positions Dr. Bawumia as the leader capable of making history for the NPP.

He further highlighted that the 2024 elections will be a decisive choice between progress and regression, stressing Dr. Bawumia’s role as a visionary leader who embodies progress.

Dr. Boako also pointed to the newfound unity within the NPP as a critical factor in the party’s preparations for the 2024 elections. He cited the collaboration between key figures, including Kennedy Agyapong, who have rallied behind Dr. Bawumia following one of the most fiercely contested flagbearer races in the party’s history. This unity, he said, is a testament to the work of the party’s leadership and grassroots members and is a significant advantage as the NPP seeks to retain power.

“The party’s unity is a beacon of hope, and with the support of all members, we are confident that we will break the eight-year cycle,” Dr. Boako said.

Thousands of enthusiastic supporters from the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Tano North constituency gathered on Monday to support Dr. Gideon Boako, the parliamentary candidate for the area, as he filed his nomination forms for the 2024 general elections.

Dr. Boako, a native of Bomaa and current Vice Presidential Spokesperson, has garnered considerable support within the party after securing a decisive victory over the incumbent Member of Parliament during the NPP primaries. His candidacy has energized the base, with many seeing him as the fresh face capable of steering Tano North toward new growth and development.

Among the dignitaries present at the nomination event were Nana Basoa, Council of State Member for the Ahafo Region, Municipal Chief Executive Hon. Ernest Kwarteng, regional party executives, and constituency executives led by Chairman Kakari Apau. In a noteworthy moment, members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) were also seen cheering for Dr. Boako, signaling a rare display of cross-party goodwill.

After submitting his nomination, Dr. Boako took time to engage with market women in Duayaw-Nkwanta, reinforcing his commitment to staying connected with grassroots communities. His message of inclusivity and development resonated with many in attendance, particularly as he emphasized human capital development as a key pillar of his vision for Tano North.

Speaking to the media, Dr. Boako expressed confidence in his chances of winning the parliamentary seat. “While I do not underestimate my opponent, I believe the openness I have shown and the growth we have achieved together over the past few years will make me the preferred candidate,” he said.

He also called on his supporters to maintain peace and decorum as the campaign heats up, urging them to remember that their opponents are “brothers” within the same political family. Dr. Boako stressed the importance of unity as the NPP heads into a pivotal election season.

With his nomination now filed, Dr. Boako’s campaign is expected to gain further momentum as he works to build on his reputation as a development-oriented leader with a vision for the future of Tano North.