The Exclusive

  A delegation from Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology recently undertook a technical visit to the Agroecology and Circular Economy for Ecosystem Services project’s Multicultural Technology Park (MTP) at Fumesua, hosted by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research – Crops Research Institute. The visiting team was guided through the park by Dr. Clement Oppong Peprah (Research Scientist, CSIR-CRI), Dr. Kwaku Onwona-Hwesofour Asante, and Mr. Reuben Nutefe, who provided detailed briefings on the design, operations, and strategic intent of the MTP. The tour showcased the MTP as a living platform where agroecology and circular economy principles are translated into practical systems. Discussions focused on integrated crop–livestock models, organic waste valorization, nutrient cycling, and low-emission farming approaches that collectively contribute to improved soil health, resilient food production, and reductions in air pollutants linked to agricultural activities. ...

   The Private Newspapers and Online News Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) has strongly condemned a recent High Court ruling that temporarily restrains investigative journalist Innocent Samuel Appiah from publishing findings of an ongoing corruption investigation. In a press statement issued on December 29, 2025, PRINPAG described the decision by Justice Nana Brew of the Human Rights Court 2 in Accra as a troubling development that threatens press freedom and accountability in Ghana. The court granted an interlocutory injunction preventing Mr. Appiah from publishing details of his investigation into alleged corruption involving Cynthia Adjei and the Lysaro Group, despite the fact that the investigative report had not yet been made public. PRINPAG argues that the ruling amounts to prior restraint, a practice the association says undermines the media’s constitutional role as the Fourth Estate and weakens public interest journalism. “The injunction, issued before publica...

   The Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) has officially resumed crude oil refining operations after several years of inactivity, marking a major milestone in efforts to revive Ghana’s downstream petroleum sector and strengthen national energy security. The restart follows the successful completion of major Turnaround Maintenance (TAM) works on the refinery’s Crude Distillation Unit (CDU), carried out between August 1 and October 30, 2025. The three-month maintenance exercise was executed in line with international engineering, safety, and operational standards, restoring the core processing systems of the refinery. After the TAM works, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) conducted extensive regulatory and safety inspections and subsequently cleared TOR to resume operations, having confirmed full compliance with mandatory requirements. With regulatory approval secured, refining operations officially began on Friday, December 19, 2025. For the first time in several years, refined petro...

  By Kwame Asare A few disgruntled Newspapers have intensified what appears to be a coordinated smear campaign against the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) and its Chief Executive Officer. The campaign is allegedly being orchestrated by the Editor and Publisher of The Source, Mr Wilberforce Asare, with the apparent objective of maligning, defaming and deliberately undermining the integrity of the MIIF CEO, without provocation. According to a senior official of the Fund, Mr Asare has openly admitted that he was contracted by some former board members and past executives of MIIF to embark on sustained negative publications against the CEO. The purported aim of the campaign, the official said, is to pressure the MIIF CEO into publishing the Fund’s 2024 financial statements on its website and issuing a press release on MIIF’s letterhead. The official further disclosed that Mr Asare claimed his so-called “paymasters” had instructed him not to relent until their demands were met. A...

  The Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has assured the media fraternity that no law would be passed to stifle the work of journalists while he remain in charge of the affairs of the legislature. In a speech read on his behalf by the Member of Parliament for La Dade-Kotopon and Deputy Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Rita Naa Odoley Sowah at the 3rd Annual Dinner Night of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) in Accra on Monday, the Speaker acknowledged fears within the media landscape that laws intended to regulate digital communications were increasingly being used to harass and intimidate journalists and undermine their work. The Speaker, who has been in the Chamber since the inception of the Fourth Republic in 1993, added that existing legislation that poses a threat to press freedom would also be reviewed. The assurance comes amid growing concerns over the use of electronic communications laws to threaten the work o...

   The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources says it is set to revoke the licenses of some large-scale mining companies due to regulatory breaches. This decision has been informed by a rigorous review of large-scale mining operations, which is currently ongoing by a special committee tasked with that purpose. At the behest of the Minister, Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah (MP), the committee has announced the list of the first 50 affected companies with breaches such as holding leases without operating Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) or Water Resources Commission (WRC) permits. This move forms part of the government’s multi-pronged strategy to deal with illegalities plaguing the mining sector. The review exercise is designed to ensure that mining at all levels is done with recourse to appropriate protocols and due procedures, in line with the government’s vision of upholding safe, responsible and sustainable mining. This exercise follows a similar one conducted for sma...

   President John Dramani Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government have recorded strong public approval after just one year in office, according to the 2025 Citizens’ Perception Survey on Governance and Politics conducted by Feedback Africa. The nationwide survey, presented by Professor Smart-Sarpong, Team Lead for Feedback Africa and Professor of Statistics at the Kumasi Technical University, assessed citizens’ views across 138 districts in 261 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), offering a broad snapshot of public sentiment on governance performance in 2025. At the apex of the assessment, President Mahama emerged as the strongest-rated public official, with 74 percent of respondents describing his performance as “very good.” This places the President firmly within the “very good” category on the survey’s grading scale, which rates scores above 70 percent as very good and above 80 percent as excellent. The overall performance of the ND...

   Story by: Nana Reuben The ACE4ES Multicultural Technology Park (MTP) has taken a major step toward becoming a regional agriculture data and learning hub following the successful installation of two advanced weather stations at its cassava research fields in Fumesua. Between 15 and 19 December 2025, UK-based technology experts Joshua Brett and Cevdet Bulut led the deployment of the system at the cassava section of CSIR-Crops Research Institute. One station enables continuous transmission of temperature, rainfall, humidity, solar radiation, and leaf wetness data, while the second captures wind speed and direction. Together, they provide a high-resolution environmental picture critical for understanding disease dynamics in cassava under changing climate conditions. The new infrastructure strengthens ongoing work under the UK–Brazil–Ghana Partnership for Cassava Disease Prevention. By integrating historic environmental data, visual symptom scoring, environmental risk indices, a...

  Felix Agbedor, Founder of the Progressive Charity Foundation Project, is set to embark on an orphanage visitation on December 26 at the SK Darko Gracious Foundation in Nsawam, Eastern Region, as part of his mission to preach the Gospel through practical Christian service. Ahead of the visit, Mr. Agbedor paid a preparatory visit to the SK Darko Orphanage Home to interact directly with management and the children, with the aim of understanding their most pressing needs and ensuring that the support to be provided is meaningful and impactful. The SK Darko Gracious Foundation was established by a visually impaired philanthropist whose dedication and resilience have continued to inspire many, despite his physical challenge. His commitment to caring for vulnerable children has turned the home into a place of hope and refuge for orphans and disadvantaged children in the Nsawam area. Felix Agbedor’s upcoming visit forms part of the Progressive Charity Foundation Project’s annual traditio...

According to Sulemana Briamah, "the AG's advice could have diverse implications. But given the terrible nature of the licensing deal, both commercially and legally, the least expected will be an advice that makes it possible for NLA to earn millions of cedis from its  5/90 lotto sold online. The current Director-General of the NLA has already told Parliament that the NLA can earn more from the deal". One may ask if Sulemana Briamah sincerely knows this aforementioned fact that the NLA-KGL deal can NEVER be cancelled based on its commercial and legal standpoint then why was he persistently demonizing the KGL on his Facebook wall?  Now, let me also use this opportunity to rebutt some of the erroneous reasons put forward by Sulemana Briamah while we look forward to the AG's advice on the NLA-KGL licensing deal: 1. Under Act 722, NLA to conduct or operate lottery in Ghana is NOT the same as NLA to Sell or Retail lottery in Ghana. According to Section 4(1) of Act 722, ...

  Executives of Gold Fields Ghana met with their counterparts at the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF or the Fund) on Thursday, December 18, 2025, to discuss the operations of the company, potential investment opportunities for the Fund, and areas of collaboration. The discussions held on December 18, 2025, highlighted the critical role of Gold Fields’ investments in Ghana which accounts for 31% of Gold Fields’ global production. The delegation from Gold Fields Ghana Ltd was led by Mr Elliot Twum, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Ms Emma Morrison, Regional Head, Corporate Affairs, and Mr William Empeh, Head, Human Resource. MIIF delegation was led by Mr Kwabena Barning, Chief Technical Officer, and other senior management members. Among the many things discussed in the meeting, Mr Twum, in his presentation, stressed...

  Article by Sergey LAVROV  dedicated to the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia–Africa Partnership Forum _____________________________ (December 2025) Russia–Africa:  New Horizons for Old Friends Cairo will soon host an important political event: heads and officials of the foreign ministries of Russia and the African countries will gather in the hospitable capital of Egypt to assess the state of Russian–African relations and set out the ways of their development. For the first time, the ministerial conference of the Russia–Africa Partnership Forum, which is the official name of our meeting, will take place on the African continent. We are glad that a year ago, during the first such conference in the Russian city of Sochi, our partners responded to the proposal to host the ministerial conference in 2025. Let me recall that the Partnership Forum was established back in 2019. We have already successfully held two Russian–African summits – in Sochi in 2019 and in St....

   Deputy Education Minister Dr. Clement Abas Apaak has urged the diaspora to partner local intellectuals to expand global opportunities and build pathways that align education with work. Delivering an address at the Diaspora District Global Education Conference in Accra on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, Dr. Apaak said sustainable progress depends on collaboration rather than replacement. “To the diaspora: your role is not to rescue or replace, but to connect with local brilliance and build together for global opportunity,” he stated. He emphasized that Ghana’s development agenda must be anchored in co-creation. “We must co-create systems where talent can thrive wherever it is found,” Dr. Apaak said, adding that the future young people deserve requires intentional partnership. “The future where young people graduate with purpose, confidence, and pathways will not happen by accident. It will happen because we chose to work together.” The Deputy Minister called for a shift from r...

   Deputy Education Minister Dr. Clement Abas Apaak says Ghana’s education system must be deliberately aligned with the opportunity to prepare young people for work and national development. Dr. Apaak made the call in Accra on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, while delivering an address at the Diaspora District Global Education Conference. He stressed that education without clear pathways after graduation leaves young people exposed. “Education must be intentionally connected to opportunity, to workforce development, to entrepreneurship, to industry, to policy, and to the real lives young people are expected to build after graduation,” he said. He explained that achieving this vision requires strong, coordinated partnerships across sectors. “This is where partnership becomes essential,” Dr. Apaak noted, outlining the distinct but complementary roles of stakeholders. “Educators shape minds and potential. Industry understands skills, markets, and the future of work. Government sets...

   Deputy Education Minister, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, has emphasised the importance of empowering adolescents across the country in order to advance national development goals. Delivering the keynote address at the National Launch of the Education Plus Initiative at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra on Wednesday, 10 December 2025, Dr. Apaak described the programme as “an integrated and transformative approach that ensures learners are not only in school, but are safe, healthy, informed, supported, and empowered.” He explained that the initiative brings together education, health, gender equality, youth development, and social protection to create an environment where adolescents, particularly girls, can achieve their full potential. Highlighting Ghana’s progress in education over the past two decades, Dr. Apaak noted achievements such as gender parity at the basic level, the Free Senior High School policy, and the provision of sanitary pads for girls in schools. However, he a...

In conversations on land administration and public security, it is equally important to recognise the steady and often unseen efforts of officers whose work has contributed meaningfully to peace within our communities. Over recent years, incidents of landguardism within the Greater Accra Region have declined noticeably, particularly in areas that were once regarded as volatile flashpoints. Communities such as Asalaja, Oyarifa, Ablekuma, Baatsona, and surrounding localities have experienced a marked reduction in landguard-related violence, intimidation, and open confrontations. This progress reflects the consistent hard work, operational discipline, and leadership of the Police Anti-Land Guard Unit under the command of Supt. Nafiu Shittu. Through intelligence-led operations, sustained patrols, prompt response to distress calls, and coordinated enforcement actions, the Unit has helped restore calm and confidence in affected communities. The work of the Anti-Land Guard Unit is frequently ...

   The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has officially launched a Virtual Branch to enhance convenience, accessibility and efficiency in pension service delivery for members across the country. The initiative was launched on Tuesday, December 17, 2025, at the forecourt of the Virtual Branch car park, with the Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation, Hon. Samuel Nartey George, serving as Special Guest of Honour. The speech was delivered on his behalf by the Deputy Minister. Speaking at the event, the Minister said the Virtual Branch aligns with Government’s broader digital transformation agenda and President John Dramani Mahama’s 24-Hour Economy and National Reset Agenda, which seek to leverage technology and innovation to expand productivity and access to essential public services. He noted that the platform allows workers to access SSNIT services anytime and anywhere, without the need to visit a physical office, describing it as a pr...

   In a significant demonstration of interfaith support and community development, the Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, on behalf of the group, has announced a major donation towards the completion of the Zoomlion Central Mosque, Ashalley Botwe-Nmai Dzorn. Speaking at a heartfelt ceremony attended by the Imam of the Mosque, Imam Adams Abdullahi, and community leaders, Dr. Agyepong donated GHS200,000 to ensure the project’s swift conclusion. On the donation, he stated exactly: “Imam, this facility has been a long-time project. We're proud to announce our contribution to its completion, including covering the remaining costs and providing instruments to support its operations. We're also supporting the installation of a generator to ensure its smooth functioning. We believe in giving back to the community, and this is our humble contribution. We're grateful for the opportunity to support this worthy cause and look forward to seeing it benefit...

  The Hon. Joana Gyan Cudjoe Teacher Initiative, led by the Member of Parliament for Amenfi Central, Hon. Joana Gyan Cudjoe, has made a significant impact in the district, supporting 39 schools with a total enrollment of 8,829 pupils and 137 teachers. The initiative has provided financial support to these schools, with a total amount of GHS 84,240 per month, translating to GHS 589,680 for 7 months. The supported schools include Agyedum D/A, Obing Methodist Primary, Chichiso No.2, and many others, with each school receiving between GHS 8,400 and GHS 22,400 for 7 months, depending on the number of teachers and enrollment. The initiative aims to promote education and support teachers in the district, recognizing the crucial role they play in shaping the next generation of leaders. Hon. Joana Gyan Cudjoe's efforts have been commendable, and her commitment to education is expected to have a lasting impact on the community.

   Prof. Enyonam Yao Kwawukume, Chairman of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons (GCPS) and Vice Chancellor of Family Health University, has urged newly inducted members of the College to pursue innovation, uphold ethics, and embrace teamwork as they transition into advanced medical practice. Addressing graduates at the Membership Induction and Graduation Ceremony in Accra, Prof. Kwawukume blended humour with inspiration, encouraging the new doctors to cultivate inner peace as a driver for excellence. He stressed that once a doctor is centered and confident, professional growth becomes more natural. He challenged the inductees to push beyond routine medical practice and adopt a research-oriented mindset. Prof. Kwawukume cited the example of a medical student who once pioneered the concept of double gloving in surgery, reminding graduates that breakthrough ideas often come from curious minds, not just senior physicians. He urged them to observe small details in patient ...

   The Jospong Group of Companies, led by its Executive , Elder Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, and his wife, Dr. Mrs. Adelaide Siaw Agyepong, has built and dedicated an ultra-modern, state-of-the-art church building in honour of God. The newly christened Pentecost International Worship Centre - Trassacco (PIWC-Trassacco),which is a 2,500-seat auditorium will serve both the PIWC and E-Church congregations. The dedication service also included the handover of a fully furnished mission house for the Resident Minister. *A Testament to Faith and Facilities* The new church stands as the culmination of the Jospong Group’s deep-rooted“culture of gratitude to God.” What began as a small daily devotion in 1995 has, over decades, evolved into a major spiritual tradition and now, this architectural landmark. Apostle Professor Opoku Onyinah, the immediate past Chairman of the Church of Pentecost, acknowledged this unique corporate faith by appointing the church’s “first-ever corporate chaplain ...