Ghana Declares Good Friday and Easter Monday as Public Holidays
The Ministry of the Interior has officially declared Friday, April 3, and Monday, April 6, 2026, as statutory public holidays, giving Ghanaians across the country the opportunity to fully observe the Easter season. The announcement was contained in a press release issued on March 30, in which the Ministry confirmed that the two dates mark the observance of Good Friday and Easter Monday, respectively. The Ministry called on the general public to recognize both days as public holidays throughout Ghana, in accordance with the country’s official holiday calendar. The declaration was signed by the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, lending official weight to what is one of the most significant periods in the Christian calendar. Good Friday and Easter Monday hold deep religious meaning for Christians around the world. Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, while Easter Monday celebrates his resurrection, together forming the cornerstone of the Christian faith. In Ghana, the holidays are widely marked with church services, religious processions, family gatherings, and vibrant community events that bring people together across the country. By making the declaration official, the Ministry ensures that citizens are not only free to rest from work, but are also able to fully participate in the spiritual and cultural observances that define the Easter period. With the holidays just days away, Ghanaians are being encouraged to make the most of the season. Source: Apexnewsgh.com
Former Defence Procurement Chief Referred for Prosecution Over GH¢4.8M Vehicle Deal
The Public Accounts Committee has referred Frank Oliver Kpodo, former Director of Procurement at the Ministry of Defence, to the Attorney-General for prosecution in connection with the alleged purchase of six vehicles worth GH¢4.8 million. The matter came to a head following mounting pressure from Majority Chief Whip Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, who called for Mr Kpodo’s immediate interdiction. At the heart of the controversy were allegations that falsified documents had been used in an attempt to procure the vehicles, intended for monitoring the 2024 general elections, raising serious red flags about the integrity of the transaction. The case had already attracted scrutiny from the Auditor-General, who disallowed store receipt vouchers valued at GH¢4.8 million during a special audit of government commitments and payables. The audit found that the vehicles in question were never supplied, casting doubt on the legitimacy of the procurement process. When Mr Kpodo, now serving as a procurement officer at the Ministry of Lands, appeared before the Committee on Tuesday, March 31, he offered an explanation that did little to ease tensions. He claimed the vehicles had initially been delivered but were subsequently removed amid concerns that payment might not be made. He added that he had later advised management to extend the contract agreement. His account, however, failed to satisfy Committee members. Mr Dafeamekpor was particularly scathing in his response, challenging Mr Kpodo on the whereabouts of the vehicles and the specifics of the deal. “You personalize the transactions, so they became your personal burden,” he said. “How many vehicles were involved? If you can’t tell us where the vehicles are, at least tell us how many there were. So for me, my demand is that the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources should interdict this man. He should be interdicted.” With the Committee unconvinced by Mr Kpodo’s explanation, the Ranking Member, Samuel Atta-Mills, moved swiftly, referring Mr Kpodo to the Attorney-General for prosecution, bringing the matter one step closer to a formal legal reckoning. Source: Apexnewsgh.com
Best Year, Worst Year: The Story of How Ghana’s Anti-Corruption Office Fought to Stay Alive in 2025
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) delivered some of its strongest operational results in 2025. And in the very same year, it came closer than ever to being wiped off the map. Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng laid this uncomfortable paradox bare at the National Dialogue on the Office of the Special Prosecutor on Tuesday, March 31, describing 2025 as a year the institution would not soon forget, for all the wrong reasons, and all the right ones. “2025 was our best year of performance; at the same time, it was our worst year of existential troubles,” he told the gathering. “Why should Kissi and a few officers of the Office of the Special Prosecutor always fight existential battles just to keep this office running?” It is a question that cuts to the heart of a deeper problem. An institution designed to pursue corruption at the highest levels of government found itself, in 2025, spending precious energy not on investigations, but on its own survival. The threat was real, and it came from within Parliament itself. In December 2025, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga and Majority Chief Whip Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor drafted a Private Member’s Bill seeking the outright repeal of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959). The bill’s memorandum argued that eight years of OSP operations had exposed deep structural and constitutional flaws, chief among them, a duplication of prosecutorial functions between the Special Prosecutor and the Attorney-General, which the drafters said had created institutional friction, overlapping mandates, and delays in criminal proceedings. In plain terms, some of Ghana’s most powerful lawmakers wanted the OSP gone. The bill did not advance. President John Dramani Mahama stepped in and requested that it be suspended, a move that, for now, kept the office breathing. But the episode left a mark. It demonstrated, with startling clarity, that the OSP’s existence is not guaranteed, and that its most persistent threats do not come from the corrupt, but from those with the power to change the law. Agyebeng, speaking from that experience, turned to civil society with both an appeal and a challenge. The OSP, he argued, cannot survive on the goodwill of presidents alone. It needs champions beyond the corridors of power, voices in communities, in boardrooms, and in the media, willing to defend it when politicians come calling with repeal bills and memorandums. “When I become the former Special Prosecutor, I want to look back and say: civil society forged this office and civil society preserved it,” he said. “It is your handiwork. Do not let it die.” The words carried the urgency of someone who has seen how quickly things can unravel. Ghana built the OSP to be a guardian of public accountability. In 2025, it needed to guard itself. The dialogue on Tuesday was, in many ways, a call to action, a reminder that anti-corruption institutions are only as strong as the public will that stands behind them. Whether that will prove strong enough remains, for now, an open question. Source: Apexnewsgh.com
Ghana’s Special Prosecutor Warns of Political Threats to His Office
He has spent years chasing corruption. Now, he says, the politicians are chasing him back. In a striking address that laid bare the fragile reality of Ghana’s anti-corruption architecture, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng stood before the National Dialogue on the Focus of the Special Prosecutor on Tuesday, March 31, and delivered a candid warning: the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) is under siege, not from criminals, but from the political class it was created to hold accountable. Speaking with unusual candour, Mr. Agyebeng revealed that the OSP’s continued existence owes much to the goodwill of President John Dramani Mahama, at a time when a bill reportedly drafted by the Majority in Parliament seeks to scrap the institution entirely. Without that presidential support, he suggested, the office might already be gone. “Politicians consider the OSP as bad news for their interests,” he said plainly, framing the institution not as a bureaucratic body but as a threat, one that powerful people have consistently sought to neutralise. It is a sobering picture. An office established to pursue corruption, now spending its energy defending its own right to exist. But Agyebeng’s message was not one of defeat. It was a rallying cry. He called on civil society and the broader Ghanaian public to become active defenders of the OSP, arguing that an anti-corruption institution cannot survive on the goodwill of any single president. Today’s ally, he implied, could be tomorrow’s adversary. The office needs something stronger and more durable than political favour; it needs constitutional protection. The Special Prosecutor made clear that what is at stake is not just the fate of one institution, but the integrity of Ghana’s long-term fight against corruption. An OSP that must constantly battle for its survival cannot fully focus on its mandate. And a mandate left unfulfilled means impunity left unchecked. “We must build this office for the ages,” he said, “so that future Special Prosecutors do not spend most of their time fighting for survival instead of executing their mandate.” The words landed with the weight of lived experience, a prosecutor who knows, perhaps better than anyone, how easily the tools of accountability can be dismantled by those with the most to lose from them. Ghana built the OSP to go after corruption. The question Agyebeng posed on Tuesday is whether Ghana has the will to protect it long enough to let it do just that. Source: Apexnewsgh.com
Finish What Was Started: Akufo-Addo Calls on Government to Complete Agenda 111 Hospitals
The launch of the Kyebi Government Hospital’s centenary celebrations over the weekend became more than a milestone event. It became a platform for an urgent national conversation about the state of Ghana’s healthcare infrastructure, and the fate of 111 hospitals that remain unfinished. Former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, whose administration launched the ambitious Agenda 111 initiative to construct hospitals across all 111 districts in Ghana, used the occasion to make a direct appeal to the current government: complete the hospitals. Not for political credit, he urged, but for the people who need them. “We must also be honest, not every project was realised, not every project was completed,” the former president acknowledged, with a candour rarely heard in political circles. “At some facilities, we reached advanced stages that could not be finished before our term ended. Agenda 111 must be continued. Continuity, not disruption, is how health systems succeed.” It was a moment of rare self-reflection, paired with a clear call to action. Healthcare, Akufo-Addo stressed, must never become a casualty of political rivalry. But while the former president looked outward to the unfinished hospitals scattered across the country, the Overlord of Akyem Abuakwa State, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, turned attention to the very ground they stood, a hospital that has served the community for a hundred years, and yet still lacks the basic tools of modern medicine. “I am not the only one frustrated, but the nurses and doctors over there are equally frustrated,” the Overlord said, his voice carrying the weight of decades of unmet expectations. “100 years later, there is no scan machine in Kyebi Hospital, there is no quality laboratory in Kyebi Hospital.” His words painted a sobering picture: a facility old enough to have witnessed a century of Ghanaian history, still struggling to provide the standard of care its patients deserve. Osagyefuo Ofori Panin called on all stakeholders to rally around the hospital and invest in its transformation. Inside the wards, the situation is even more telling. The Medical Superintendent of the Kyebi Government Hospital, Dr. Isaac Adu-Opoku Antwi, revealed that children and pregnant women are currently sharing the same ward spaces, a reality that, he said, is directly undermining the quality of care being delivered. He made a pointed appeal to government for the construction of a dedicated maternity block, a children’s ward, a physiotherapy unit, and residential accommodation for health workers. Taken together, the voices that rang out at Kyebi over the weekend told a single, consistent story: Ghana’s healthcare system is crying out for investment, completion, and political will. The Kyebi Government Hospital turns 100 this year. The question now is what the next chapter will look like, and whether those in power will answer the call. Source: Apexnewsgh.com
Tragedy at Accra Newtown: School Building Collapse Kills Three, GES Orders Students to Stay Home
The school bells will not ring at Accra Newtown Experimental D/A School, not for now, and not until it is safe. A devastating building collapse at the institution has claimed three lives, left twenty people seriously injured, and sent shockwaves through the education community, prompting the Ghana Education Service (GES) to issue an immediate directive: students must stay away. The tragedy, which has cast a dark shadow over the school and its surrounding community, has also reignited urgent questions about the state of school infrastructure across the country, questions that authorities can no longer afford to answer slowly. On Monday, March 30, 2026, the Director-General of GES, Prof. Ernest Kofi Davis, visited the scene for a briefing with security officials before speaking to Citi News. His message was measured but firm. An emergency meeting, he confirmed, would be convened to determine the path forward. Until the remaining structures can be thoroughly assessed and declared safe, no student will be permitted on the premises. “We are going to work with the regional and the national team,” Prof. Davis said. “We will work with the estate department to ensure that the other structure is indeed fit for that purpose. If they are not, we will advise the students not to go into such areas.” The caution is well-founded. With one building already reduced to rubble and lives already lost, the priority now is ensuring that what remains standing does not become the next hazard. GES says it will work closely with its estate department to carry out urgent structural assessments before any decision is made about resuming academic activities. Beyond the immediate grief and disruption, the collapse at Accra Newtown has exposed a deeper, more troubling reality: the fragile condition of school buildings that thousands of Ghanaian children walk into every day. For many, the tragedy is not just a story about one school. It is a warning about many others. As the investigations and assessments get underway, families are left mourning, students are left in limbo, and the nation is left confronting an uncomfortable truth: the infrastructure meant to educate Ghana’s children must also be safe enough to protect them. Source: Apexnewsgh.com
Audit Bites Back: Rans Logistics Returns GH₵19.1 Million to the State
One week after Ghana’s Auditor-General released a damning special report flagging a string of financial infractions, one of the companies at the centre of the controversy quietly did what many thought might take months: it paid up. Rans Logistics, a firm cited for overpayments tied to grain transportation contracts and the mysterious disappearance of thousands of tonnes of rice and maize, has refunded GH₵19.1 million to the state. The swift repayment came before investigators had even wrapped up their work, sending a clear signal that the audit was drawing blood. Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Nyarko Ampem broke the news on Monday, March 30, 2026, while appearing before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which is currently scrutinising the audit’s findings. Standing before the committee, he walked them through the timeline with quiet satisfaction. “On March 10, I presented the findings of the audit to Parliament,” he said. “Exactly a week later, on March 17, one of the companies identified, Rans Logistics, has gone ahead to refund GH₵19.1 million to the state.” But the refund, significant as it is, does not close the chapter on Rans Logistics. The Deputy Minister revealed that the audit had also uncovered that the company was paid for more than 7,000 metric tonnes of rice that were never accounted for, grain that, on paper, simply vanished. “We are expecting the value of these 7,000 metric tonnes of rice to be reimbursed as well,” Nyarko Ampem told the committee. “The Attorney General is working with his team to recommend the right course of action for all identified infractions.” For the Deputy Minister, the episode is proof that accountability mechanisms can work, and work fast, when applied with intent. The audit, he stressed, was never about punishment for its own sake. It was about protecting the public purse. “This example shows the importance of the audit,” he said. “It was intended to protect state resources, and it is already beginning to achieve its purpose.” As Parliament’s PAC continues to dig into the full scope of the Auditor-General’s report, the Rans Logistics repayment stands as an early, and telling, result. The investigation is far from over, but the message to other flagged entities is already written on the wall. Source: Apexnewsgh.com
Ketu North MP Meets Over 600 Youths Failed by Security Recruitment, Promises Support
The Member of Parliament for Ketu North, Edem Agbana, has convened a meeting with more than 600 young constituents who applied to join various security agencies but were unsuccessful in their bids for enlistment. The engagement, held on Sunday, brought together the affected applicants in what the MP described as a deliberate effort to offer encouragement and a sense of direction to those left disheartened by the recruitment process. Mr. Agbana disclosed that the meeting was driven by the emotional toll the failed applications had taken on many of the youth, several of whom had reached out to him personally, expressing deep concern about their futures. For many, he noted, joining the security services represented far more than a career choice; it was seen as a vital lifeline out of unemployment and poverty. Addressing the gathering, the MP urged the young people to resist despair and remain open to alternative pathways, while also taking time to respond to their concerns and questions surrounding the recruitment exercise. He shed light on the highly competitive nature of the process, pointing out the stark reality that authorities are often tasked with selecting around 10,000 recruits from a national pool of over 500,000 applicants. Beyond words of encouragement, the meeting took a practical turn as discussions shifted toward identifying tangible opportunities for the youth. Employment prospects and entrepreneurship, particularly in agriculture and small-scale businesses, featured prominently in the conversation. In a bid to turn engagement into action, Mr. Agbana revealed plans to establish a database of the applicants, which would serve as a tool for connecting them with job openings as they emerge. He called on individuals and organisations with employment opportunities to partner in supporting the youth. The MP also extended an assurance to those with entrepreneurial ambitions, pledging to offer assistance where he is able. While acknowledging that unemployment remains one of the country’s most pressing challenges, Mr. Agbana expressed cautious optimism, voicing confidence that ongoing government initiatives will help broaden economic opportunities and drive job creation across both the public and private sectors. Source: Apexnewsgh.com
Ghana’s Foreign Ministry Rallies Staff to Welcome Minister After Historic UN Victory
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has directed all directors and staff to gather at the Accra International Airport to receive the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, as he returns home from a landmark diplomatic mission. According to an official circular issued by the Ministry, Minister Ablakwa is expected to touch down from New York, United States, on Monday, March 30, 2026, at 6:45 a.m. He will be received at the airport’s VIP Lounge, where assembled staff are expected to extend a warm welcome befitting the occasion. The homecoming comes on the heels of a significant diplomatic achievement — Ghana’s successful leadership in steering the adoption of a historic resolution at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The resolution formally recognises the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialised chattel enslavement as the gravest crime against humanity, a milestone celebrated as a triumph for Ghana and the broader African world. The Ministry underscored the importance of the occasion in its circular, urging directors to make their presence felt as a show of solidarity and appreciation for the Minister’s efforts on the world stage. The directive was issued by Divina A. Seanedzu, Director of Human Resource and Administration at the Ministry, who called for full cooperation from all invitees. Copies of the circular were also forwarded to the Chief Director, Coordinating Directors, and the Head of the Delivery Unit, ensuring the message reached all relevant stakeholders ahead of the Minister’s arrival. Source: Apexnewsgh.com
A Historic Moment for Africa: Mahama Hails UN Adoption of Reparations Resolution as Major Diplomatic Breakthrough
On Wednesday, March 25, 2026, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a landmark reparations resolution, one that Ghana had championed, and in doing so, opened a new chapter in the long and unfinished conversation about justice for the transatlantic slave trade. President John Dramani Mahama did not mince words about what the moment meant. Writing on X the following day, he described himself as “overjoyed”, a word that captured not just personal satisfaction, but the weight of history finally being acknowledged on the world’s most prominent multilateral stage. “I am overjoyed by the adoption by the UN General Assembly of the resolution declaring the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialised chattel enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity,” the President wrote. The resolution, which secured 123 votes in favour, calls for renewed global commitment to reparative justice for African countries and descendants of enslaved people. It urges member states to engage in structured dialogue and take concrete, measurable steps to address the deep and lasting social, economic, and cultural wounds inflicted by slavery, wounds that, for many communities, have never fully healed. The vote was not without opposition. The United States, Argentina, and Israel voted against the resolution, while 52 countries chose to abstain. Washington, in particular, described the motion as “highly problematic,” acknowledging the historical reality of slavery but raising questions about who the intended beneficiaries of reparations should be. Fifty-two countries abstained, reflecting the complexity and sensitivity that still surrounds this conversation on the global stage. Yet the numbers told a story of their own. With 123 nations voting in favour, the resolution passed with a clear and commanding majority, a signal that the international community’s appetite for reparative justice is growing, not fading. For President Mahama, the outcome was the fruit of determined international cooperation. He credited the African Union, CARICOM, and a coalition of committed partners whose collective effort transformed what began as a proposal into a binding resolution of the world’s foremost international body. The President framed the resolution as far more than a diplomatic achievement; it is, in his view, an act of moral recognition. It honours the millions of Africans who were stolen from their homelands, stripped of their humanity, and subjected to one of history’s most brutal systems of exploitation. And it places that recognition not in the margins of history, but at the centre of international law and conscience. Drawing on the enduring words of Toussaint Louverture, the Haitian revolutionary who himself became a symbol of resistance against slavery and oppression, President Mahama underscored the principle that has driven this effort from the beginning. “The greatest weapon against oppression is unity,” he referenced — a reminder that the resolution’s passage was itself a product of that unity, and that the work ahead demands even more of it. Because for Mahama, the vote is not the destination. It is a beginning. He called on nations across the world to sustain the momentum, to stand in solidarity, and to commit to the deeper, harder work of restoration. “We must stand united in seeking the restoration of the humanity and dignity of our forebears who were enslaved and sold,” he urged. In the halls of the United Nations, history was made. But in the words of Ghana’s President, the truest measure of this moment will be what the world chooses to do next. Source: Apexnewsgh.com