Author: THE NEW REPUBLIC

By Nelson Ayivor The Member of Parliament for Sunyani West, Millicent Amankwaah, has pushed back against critics who mocked her online after a verbal slip during a parliamentary address on the killing of Ghanaian tomato traders in Burkina Faso. The incident occurred on February 19, 2026, as the MP contributed to a debate on the tragic deaths of eight Ghanaian traders and extended sympathy to their families. In the course of her remarks, she mistakenly pronounced “bereaved” as “believed”, an error that was swiftly clipped and circulated across social media platforms, attracting ridicule and questions about her competence. What might…

By Nelson Ayivor Ghana has formally notified the government of Togo of its decision to seek international arbitration to delimit the maritime boundary between the two countries. In a statement issued on Friday, February 20, 2026, the government said the boundary would be determined through recourse to arbitration under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). A maritime boundary dispute between Ghana and Togo over offshore oil exploration began in December 2017 and May 2018, when Togolese authorities halted two Ghanaian seismic vessels conducting deep-sea data acquisition in an area near Togo’s waters. The development came…

By Nelson Ayivor The Ghana Centre for Democratic Development has credited President John Dramani Mahama with easing financial strain in Ghana’s health sector through the uncapping of the National Health Insurance Levy, describing the move as a critical stabilisation measure after a period of severe funding stress. This assessment formed part of CDD-Ghana’s one-year review of the Mahama administration, presented by Dr. Kojo Pumpuni Asante, Director of Policy Engagement and Partnerships at the CDD. According to Dr Kojo Pumpuni Asante, health sector reforms over the past year have largely focused on restoring financial stability following constraints inherited from the previous…

By Nelson Ayivor The Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) has signaled a transformative shift in its operational trajectory, moving beyond its traditional role as a domestic royalty collector to become a formidable sovereign investor within the sub-regional mining landscape. This strategic expansion aims to leverage Ghana’s mineral wealth to pursue high-impact co-investment initiatives and regional partnerships. By recalibrating its focus toward the monetization of royalty flows and the competitive deployment of capital across diversified assets, MIIF is positioning itself to maximize long-term value for the Republic of Ghana while asserting its presence as a world-class institutional investor. “Our goal is…

By Nelson Ayivor President John Dramani Mahama has signed the 24-Hour Economy Authority Bill into law, paving the way for the government to begin implementing one of its flagship economic policies aimed at boosting productivity, investment and job creation. Mahama assented to the bill in a brief ceremony ahead of the 13th Cabinet meeting, describing it as a long-awaited strategy for economic transformation. “This Bill, which Ghanaians have been waiting for, was one of our flagship strategies for economic transformation,” he said after signing. The president said the process took longer than expected as the government conducted due diligence to…

By Godson Bill Ocloo The recent terrorist attack in Burkina Faso that claimed the lives of Ghanaian tomato traders is more than a tragic incident, it is a stark warning. This attack signals a dangerous evolution in West Africa’s conflict landscape, where economic lifelines, civilian livelihoods, and cross-border trade corridors are increasingly under deliberate threat.Across the Sahel, violence is no longer confined to military or governmental targets. Markets, farms, and informal trade routes, the arteries of regional economies, have become prime targets for armed groups. This shift from conventional conflict to the civilianization of violence exposes ordinary people to unprecedented…

By Nelson Ayivor The National Democratic Congress has extended warm Ramadan wishes to Muslims in Ghana and across the world, calling for the holy month to inspire unity, compassion, and renewed national commitment to justice and inclusiveness. The message, issued by the party’s National Secretariat, acknowledges the spiritual significance of Ramadan and the enduring role of the Muslim community in Ghana’s democratic and socio-economic development. In its statement, the NDC described Ramadan as a sacred period marked by fasting, prayer, reflection, sacrifice, and deepened devotion to Allah. According to the party, the holy month goes beyond personal spirituality and offers…

By Nelson Ayivor The Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, has revealed that while over 2,200 churches were unregistered in Greater Accra as of 2025, thousands more operate nationwide without formal registration. Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, the sector Minister, Ahmed Ibrahim announced plans to introduce a digital registry system aimed at streamlining registration and providing accurate data on churches across the country. “We will establish a formal collaboration with the Registrar General’s Department, the Office of the Attorney General, and the Ministry of Justice to assess records of churches registered as companies limited by…

By Godson Bill Ocloo The recent terrorist attack in Burkina Faso that claimed the lives of Ghanaian tomato traders is not merely another tragic incident in the Sahel’s protracted crisis. It is a strategic warning. It signals a dangerous evolution in the region’s conflict dynamics one in which economic lifelines and civilian livelihoods have become deliberate targets. Across the Sahel, violence is no longer confined to military installations or state symbols. Markets, farms, and trade corridors are increasingly under threat. According to the Global Terrorism Index 2024, the Sahel now accounts for nearly half of all terrorism-related deaths worldwide. Burkina…

By Bill Godson Ocloo The recent terrorist attack on Ghanaian tomato traders in Burkina Faso has once again exposed the fragile security architecture of the West African sub-region and the growing vulnerability of ordinary citizens caught in the crossfire of violent extremism. According to reports, the traders — largely from farming and trading communities in northern Ghana — were attacked while conducting routine cross-border business. Several were injured, goods were destroyed, and thousands of cedis worth of tomatoes meant for Ghanaian markets were lost. From National Security to Human Security Traditionally, security has been framed in terms of territorial defence…