Author: newsfilegh

Venezuela’s Supreme Court has ordered Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to assume the powers and duties of acting president following the removal of Nicolás Maduro by the United States, according to a ruling announced late Saturday. Reading the decision during a session broadcast on state television channel VTV, Justice Tania D’Amelio said the court concluded Maduro was in a “material and temporary impossibility to exercise his functions.” Under the order, Rodríguez will “assume and exercise, as acting president, all the powers, duties and faculties inherent to the office of president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela,” citing the need to guarantee…

Ghanaians will observe Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, as a public holiday following an executive decision linked to Constitution Day, the Ministry of the Interior has announced. In a statement issued Friday, the ministry said Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, marks Constitution Day, a statutory public holiday under Ghanaian law. However, because the holiday falls midweek, President John Dramani Mahama has, by Executive Instrument, declared Friday, Jan. 9, as a public holiday to be observed nationwide. The declaration was made in accordance with Section 2 of the Public Holidays and Commemorative Days Act, 2001 (Act 601), as amended, the statement said. Constitution…

Business leader and policy advocate Senyo Hosi has called for constructive criticism and broader national consensus around Ghana’s GoldBod and domestic gold purchase programmes, arguing that while trading losses exist, the overall policy has delivered net economic benefits by shoring up foreign exchange inflows, stabilising the cedi and curbing inflation. Speaking on Joy News’ Newsfile during an extended panel discussion, Hosi said advocacy from civil society groups, the parliamentary minority and analysts such as IMANI’s Bright Simons was healthy for democracy, as it had forced greater transparency and explanation from public institutions. “It is good for accountability,” Hosi said. “It…

A heated panel discussion on Joy Newsfile has reopened debate over the efficiency, risks and transparency of Ghana’s GoldBod and the Bank of Ghana’s gold-linked programmes, with policy analyst Bright Simons arguing that claimed economic benefits do not eliminate the need for rigorous scrutiny of costs and losses. Simons, vice-president in charge of research at the IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, said policies designed for national benefit must still be assessed for efficiency, even when they are not profit-driven. He compared the GoldBod to other statutory policy institutions such as COCOBOD, noting that while COCOBOD exists primarily to support…

Police in the Eastern South Regional Command are investigating five men arrested for allegedly posing as officials of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) and extorting money from miners, authorities said. The suspects, Moses Tapiam (43), Christopher Amakoh (29), Casimir Nunekpeku (29), Wisdom Miwonuko (35), and Paul Agbanu (53), were taken into custody on Friday, January 2, 2026, after reports that they were moving from one mining site to another in Akwadum, near Kibi in the Abuakwa South Municipality, demanding money while dressed in security-style uniforms. According to a police press statement dated January 3, the men claimed to…

GoldBod Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi has strongly defended Ghana’s Gold-for-Reserves (G4R) programme, insisting that what critics describe as “losses” are intentional strategic costs that have delivered substantial national economic gains. Speaking during a panel discussion on Joy NewsFile, Mr Gyamfi explained that the G4R policy was never designed as a profit-making venture. Rather, it was introduced by the Bank of Ghana (BoG) in response to a deep macroeconomic crisis that had left the country unable to borrow foreign currency to stabilise the cedi. “The Bank of Ghana did not wake up one day and say we want to trade…

The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi, has dismissed a petition alleging the unlawful involvement of unlicensed and investigated persons in the board’s operations, describing the claims as misleading and unsupported by evidence. Speaking during a panel discussion, Gyamfi clarified that an individual named Roger, cited in the petition, is not licensed by GoldBod and does not work for the board in any capacity. He explained that Roger serves only as a consultant to Barrock, an entity licensed by GoldBod, stressing that consultancy arrangements do not amount to regulatory control or operational authority within the…

GoldBod Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi has offered an extensive clarification of the Ghana GoldBod’s trading model, pushing back against what he described as persistent misinformation about the state gold trading system and the role of licensed buyers, particularly aggregators. Speaking during a panel discussion on Joy Newsfile hosted by Lawyer Samson Lardy Anyenini, Mr Gyamfi addressed claims that a single company is the sole buyer of gold for the Gold Board, describing the narrative as a fundamental misunderstanding of how the institution operates. He explained that GoldBod runs a structured four-tier licensing regime designed to ensure broad participation, accountability…

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has confirmed that the 2025/2026 academic calendar for Senior High Schools (SHS) and Senior High Technical Schools (SHTS) remains unchanged, while outlining provisions for online and off-campus learning for students in transition schools. In an immediate release dated January 2, 2026, GES management said the calendar issued at the start of the academic year is still in force, urging heads, teachers, students, parents and other stakeholders to take note of the arrangements. Under the single-track system, Forms One and Two will report from January 5 to February 27, 2026, resume from May 4, and end…

Ghana police have arrested three suspects and recovered firearms during intelligence-led robbery operations in Afienya and surrounding communities in the Greater Accra Region. The arrests were carried out by the Police Service’s Special Support Unit following reports of a series of robberies in Afienya, Atadeka, Apollonia and nearby areas. The suspects, identified as Seth Noi Tetteh, also known as “Wonder”, Selasie Emmanuel and Sulemana Osman, were picked up between 24 and 26 December 2025. Police said Seth Noi Tetteh was first arrested at the Atadeka Police Station in connection with multiple robbery incidents. During interrogation, he admitted involvement in several…