Africa

Ghana President, Akufo-Addo, Sacks Minister for Corrupt Practices

Published

3 years ago

November 14, 2022

Eric

Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo on Monday fired his junior finance minister over corruption allegations made in an upcoming documentary on illegal gold mining.

The president has “terminated the appointment of the Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, Mr Charles Boahen, with immediate effect,” he said in a statement.

The fallout from the expose by a well-known investigative journalist comes as the government is under pressure over a faltering economy and lawmakers push Akufo-Addo to fire Finance Minister Kenneth Ofori-Atta.

The presidency’s statement said Akufo-Addo’s decision came after “being made aware of the allegations” against Boahen in the documentary “Galamsey Economy,” which is scheduled to be released on Monday.

Akufo-Addo also referred the case to prosecutors for further investigation.

Teasers from the expose show Boahen in what the documentary claims are images of him trying to demand $200,000 from potential investors to give to the vice president to allow them to do business.

Galamsey is a local Ghanaian phrase referring to the illegal or unregulated, small-scale gold mining operations.

Boahen has not commented on the allegations made in the teasers.

But before the sacking was announced, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia on Monday said he was not aware of any meeting in which Boahen had used his name to “peddle influence and collect money from supposed investors.”

“If what the minister is alleged to have said is accurately captured in the video, then his position as a minister of state is untenable,” he wrote on Twitter.

“I will not allow anyone to use my name to engage in corrupt activities.”

The documentary was made by Anas Aremeyaw Anas, whose previous exposes led to a ban on the former Ghana FA president by FIFA and sanctioning of over 50 referees across Africa.

He had also investigated the country’s judiciary leading to the dismissal of over 30 superior and lower court judges in Ghana over bribes to drop cases.

The documentary will have a public screening at the Accra International Conference Centre for two days.

Akufo-Addo has been under increasing pressure after recently opening negotiations with the International Monetary Fund over a potential $3 billion loan to help shore up the country’s economy.

Last month, he appealed to Ghanaians to support his efforts to manage the “crisis” as inflation has hit 40 per cent and the national currency, the cedi, has dropped sharply.

Lawmakers are investigating Finance Minister Ofori-Atta over economic mismanagement and other allegations, though he is leading the talks with the IMF team over the loan deal.

AFP

Africa

Investment Opportunities: Promote Ghana with Your Platforms, Bonsu Charges Chinese Media

Published

3 weeks ago

February 12, 2026

Eric

Ghana’s Ambassador to China, Kojo Bonsu, has appealed to the Chinese media to use their medium to promote Ghana.

Ghana, he said, boasts of several business opportunities, therefore if the Chinese media take keen interest in Ghanaian issues, it would help attract investors from China to Ghana.

According to him, the door of the Ghana Embassy in China is wide open to Chinese journalists, especially those who want to positively project Ghana.

“The Chinese media institutions should henceforth partner with the Ghana Embassy in promoting trade and investment opportunities in both of our sister countries for growth.

“There are potential for growth in various sectors such as infrastructure, clean energy, Information Technology (IT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), healthcare, minerals processing and agriculture,” Mr. Bonsu pointed out.

He was speaking when the Ghana Embassy in China recently hosted a press soiree in Beijing, which was graced by a number of prominent media institutions in China.

The programme was mainly used to promote Ghana’s upcoming 69th independence anniversary celebrations and also highlight investent opportunities in the country.

Kojo Bonsu, who is a former Kumasi Mayor, said Ghana is the safest, friendly and best country for any investor to do business, urging Chinese businessmen to heed his advice.

According to him, Ghana is a democratic nation, which has conducive atmosphere for businesses to flourish, stressing his desire to work and improve Ghana-China relations.

“Ghana is committed to strengthening ties with China. My country is a stable democracy, has business-friendly environment and rich cultural heritage,” Kojo Bonsu stated.

Africa

Mahama Recalls High Commissioner to Nigeria over Election Rigging Allegations

Published

4 weeks ago

February 8, 2026

Eric

President John Mahama of Ghana has ordered the immediate recall of Mohammed Ahmed, known as Baba Jamal, from his position as the country’s high commissioner to Nigeria over allegations of vote buying in Saturday’s parliamentary primaries.

Mahama’s decision was in response to claims that delegates were induced during the National Democratic Congress (NDC) primaries.

Jamal was a candidate in the polls, which he later won.

During the election, Jamal’s campaign team offered 32-inch televisions and boiled eggs to delegates who took part in the primaries.

Jamal confirmed that television sets had been distributed but rejected claims that the act amounted to vote buying.

“So if you give television sets to people, what is wrong with it when you give things to people?” he asked, according to local media JoyOnline.

“Is this the first time I am giving things to people?”

Explaining the reason behind Jamal’s recall, Felix Ofosu, Mahama’s spokesperson, said that while the allegations of vote buying were made against multiple candidates who contested the primaries, Jamal was the only serving public officer among them.

“The President has also noted the public statement by the General Secretary of the NDC indicating that the Party has commenced its own investigations into the allegations arising from the primaries,” the statement reads.

“Without prejudice to the ongoing internal party processes, and strictly in view of the standards of conduct expected of public officers, the President considers it necessary to act decisively to preserve the integrity of public office and to avoid any perception of impropriety or conflict with the Government’s Code of Conduct for Political Appointees.”

Ofosu said the high commissioner’s recall takes effect immediately, and that directives had been issued to the minister for foreign affairs to take the necessary administrative steps.

Africa

Muammar Gaddafi’s Son Saif al-Islam Assassinated

Published

4 weeks ago

February 4, 2026

Eric

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, has died at the age of 53, his political team announced on Tuesday.

The Head of the political team told Libyan News Agency that the young Gaddafi died near the country’s border with Algeria.

His sister confirmed the development, but did not specify the cause of death.

Born in 1972, the younger Gaddafi was once widely seen as his father’s heir apparent. The International Criminal Court had issued a warrant for his arrest, seeking to prosecute him for crimes against humanity related to his alleged role in crushing opposition demonstrations in 2011.