Author: Kojo Nakkan

The Berekum Divisional Police Command has arrested a 39-year-old man, David Frimpong, for unlawful possession of narcotic drugs at Nyamebekyere, a suburb of Berekum Municipality.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Honourable Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (MP), has arrived in Burkina Faso for a two-day official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and deepening cooperation between the two neighbouring countries.

Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa met Rune Skinnebach, ambassador of the European Union, on Wednesday to discuss strengthening bilateral cooperation, with talks focusing on peace and security initiatives.

Ghana President John Dramani Mahama officially inaugurated the first-ever Tree Crop Investment Summit on Tuesday, underlining his administration’s determination to expand Ghana’s export base and harness the opportunities offered by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The Bono East Regional Police Command of the Ghana Police Service has returned a bag containing GH¢85,000 to its rightful owner after officers discovered it lying by the roadside along the Techiman–Kumasi highway, authorities said.

Member of Parliament for Ofoase Ayirebi constituency, Hon Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has urged the government to urgently restore the cocoa producer price to GH¢3,625 per bag, warning Parliament that the recent reduction threatens livelihoods across cocoa-growing communities.

The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, says Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia will be “no match” for the NDC if the governing party continues to deliver on its promises to the Ghanaian people.

The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has apprehended five individuals impersonating security personnel while extorting illegal miners in the Western Region.

A group of 250 teachers in the Northern Region have formally challenged claims that their appointments were illegitimate, calling for urgent intervention from regional authorities.

The teachers, who belong to the 2023 cohort, submitted a petition to the Regional Minister through the Northern Regional Coordinating Director on Thursday, citing alleged professional and financial injustices.

Mua Maliki, president of the Coalition of Unpaid Teachers, explained that the controversy arose after the Regional Education Director, during a media appearance on Sagani TV in early January, described their appointments as “fake.” Maliki contends this statement contradicts earlier actions by the same official, who had signed their appointment letters, regional postings, and assumption-of-duty documents, even processing their salaries during his tenure as District Director for Savelugu.

“Our Regional Education Director now claims our appointments are fake, yet he personally authorised our IPPD forms and posting letters,” Maliki said. “We were not granted these positions through any irregular means; we applied, were offered the jobs, and have been teaching for over a year. Why, upon assuming office as Regional Director, does he now dispute our legitimacy?”

The teachers emphasised that they had been deployed to various schools, fulfilling their teaching duties long before the current director assumed office. They described the allegations as baseless and harmful to their professional integrity.

The petition was received by the Northern Regional Coordinating Director, who assured the group it would be forwarded to the relevant authorities for consideration. He noted that the Regional Minister was currently engaged with other assignments but would personally receive the petition upon his return.

Maliki and the coalition urged the Minister to expedite the investigation and provide clarity, warning that unresolved disputes could affect educational service delivery in the region.

The petition highlights ongoing tensions in the management of teacher appointments, with affected educators calling for transparency and accountability from the Regional Education Directorate.

As the matter develops, the Northern Region’s education sector stakeholders await official clarification on the status of the 250 teachers’ appointments, which the group insists were legally and procedurally sound.

Veteran lawmaker Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has called for constitutional reforms to require that the Speaker of Parliament of Ghana be a sitting legislator, arguing that the current arrangement risks producing presiding officers disconnected from parliamentary realities.