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
Mahama Champions Transparency and Accountability in Bold Governance Overhaul
From the heart of Philadelphia, President John Dramani Mahama stood before a gathering of Ghanaians in the diaspora and delivered a message that resonated far beyond the walls of the meeting hall, a promise to transform how Ghana is governed. With conviction in his voice and urgency in his words, the President laid out a sweeping agenda of reforms designed to root out corruption, restore public trust, and redefine what it means to hold public office in Ghana. “We are committed to building a government that Ghanaians can trust — a government that is accountable, transparent, and fully responsible to the people,” President Mahama declared. At the center of this agenda are two landmark initiatives: a new national anti-corruption strategy and the Public Office Accountability Bill. Both, the President stressed, are being fast-tracked for implementation, a signal that his administration is not content with promises alone, but is moving with deliberate speed toward action. The anti-corruption strategy, as President Mahama described it, is not a routine policy document. It is a direct assault on systemic graft, a comprehensive framework built to detect, prevent, and prosecute corruption at every level of government. Beyond enforcement, it aims to cultivate a culture of ethical conduct among public officials, reinforcing the idea that integrity is not optional but foundational. Complementing this is the Public Office Accountability Bill, which will enshrine in law the standards expected of those who serve in public roles. It will create binding legal frameworks to hold officials answerable for misconduct, drawing a clear line between public service and personal impunity. “Public office is a public trust,” the President said firmly. “If you choose to serve the people, you must be prepared to be held accountable. These reforms are about ensuring that trust is never violated.” For Mahama, these are not merely regulatory measures, they are transformative tools, the bedrock upon which Ghana’s development must be built. He painted a vision of a nation where public resources are managed with care, where leadership is guided by conscience, and where institutions are strong enough to stand on their own. “Our people deserve a government that works efficiently, responsibly, and transparently,” he said. “With these initiatives, we are ensuring that the systems managing our resources are accountable, and that leadership is guided by integrity and service to the nation.” The Philadelphia engagement also carried a deeper symbolism. By taking this message to Ghanaians abroad, President Mahama acknowledged the diaspora not merely as spectators of Ghana’s story, but as active partners in writing it. He described them as vital contributors to the country’s socio-economic growth, a community whose investment, ideas, and influence are woven into the fabric of national development. As the President concluded his address, his words carried the weight of both a challenge and a commitment. “These reforms are central to Ghana’s progress,” he said. “They are about protecting our democracy, empowering our institutions, and ensuring that public service remains a noble calling, guided by the highest standards of integrity.” In Philadelphia, far from Accra, President Mahama made one thing unmistakably clear, the work of rebuilding Ghana’s public trust has already begun. Source: Apexnewsgh.com
Nkwanta Violence: IGP Deploys Armoured Vehicles as Five Bodies Recovered
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno has deployed additional security personnel and armoured vehicles to Nkwanta in the Oti Region following renewed violent attacks in the area. The Inspector-General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohuno, moved swiftly on Wednesday night, ordering the deployment of two armoured vehicles and officers from the National Police Operations unit to the Nkwanta South Municipality in the Oti Region, following a fresh wave of violent attacks that sent shockwaves through the area. The deployment, confirmed in a statement issued by the Oti Regional Police Headquarters in Dambai on Thursday, March 26, was a direct response to the deteriorating security situation on the ground. According to the Police, the IGP’s decisive overnight intervention has since helped restore calm, with authorities indicating that the situation is currently under control. A joint team comprising personnel from the Police, Military, Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI), Defence Intelligence, and the Ghana National Fire Service recovered five bodies in the aftermath of the attacks. The victims, three males and two females, were found at two separate locations, a grim testament to the scale of the violence that had gripped the community. Investigations have now been launched to establish the full circumstances of the incident and to identify and prosecute those responsible. In the meantime, the Police are appealing for the cooperation of residents. Authorities are urging people in Nkwanta and surrounding communities to remain calm and to share any information that could assist the ongoing investigations. The statement, signed by Deputy Superintendent John Nchor, also carried a pointed warning against the spread of misinformation, cautioning that false information and inflammatory actions risk undoing the fragile calm that security forces have worked to restore. The deployment of armoured vehicles to Nkwanta signals the seriousness with which the IGP is treating the situation. For residents of the Oti Region, the hope now is that the presence of reinforced security will hold, and that answers about what happened and who is responsible will not be long in coming. Source: Apexnewsgh.com
IES Sounds Alarm: Ghana’s Power Sector Drifting Into Dangerous Territory
Ghana’s power sector is edging into a “higher-risk zone” as rising electricity demand continues to outstrip critical investments in transmission infrastructure. Ghana’s power sector is drifting into dangerous territory, and the alarm is growing louder. As electricity demand climbs on the back of stronger economic activity and rising household consumption, the infrastructure meant to carry that power across the country is struggling to keep pace. The result, analysts warn, is a system under mounting stress, and one that may not hold if urgent action is not taken. That is the sobering assessment of the Institute for Energy Security (IES), whose latest analysis paints a picture of a grid buckling under the weight of its own growth. Peak demand has now surpassed 4,280 MW, a figure that reflects a busier, more energetic economy, but the transmission network has not grown with it. “The system is increasingly characterised by congested transmission corridors, rising technical losses, overloaded infrastructure, and ageing, obsolete equipment,” the IES analysis noted, warning that these combined pressures “pose a direct threat to grid stability, system reliability, and the efficiency of power delivery.” In plain terms: Ghana’s power system is entering a higher-risk zone, and without timely intervention, supply shortfalls, especially during peak demand periods, are no longer a distant possibility. The economic stakes could hardly be higher. A power sector riddled with inefficiencies drives up operational costs for businesses, erodes industrial productivity, and slows economic growth. For a country with ambitious development targets, an unreliable grid is not just an inconvenience; it is a structural liability. The IES is not merely sounding the alarm. It is also offering a roadmap out. The think tank is calling on government, regulators, and development partners to treat transmission network reinforcement as a matter of national strategic importance. The proposals it has put forward are wide-ranging and technically specific, but they share a common thread: the grid needs to be modernised, expanded, and made more resilient, now, not later. At the heart of the recommendations is the need to upgrade existing transmission infrastructure with high-capacity conductors to ease system overloading and reduce technical losses. Alongside this, the IES is pushing for the development of additional high-voltage transmission circuits to boost bulk power transfer across the grid and shore up supply to major load centres, particularly when demand peaks. Reinforcing key transmission corridors is also on the list, to create alternative power flow paths and reduce the risk of single-point failures that could cascade into wider outages. Investments in reactive power compensation, the think tank adds, would improve voltage stability and support the integration of renewable energy sources, an increasingly important consideration as Ghana looks to diversify its energy mix. The replacement of ageing transformers and substation equipment, the IES argues, has become non-negotiable. These are the bottlenecks quietly undermining system reliability, and clearing them is essential to meeting modern technical standards. Expanding transformation capacity at critical nodes would not only accommodate growing demand but also build in the redundancy needed for a more stable supply. Reducing both technical and commercial losses across the network is equally critical, improving transmission efficiency and making power delivery more cost-effective for consumers and operators alike. Finally, the IES points to the untapped potential of stronger regional interconnection. Boosting cross-border electricity trade would not only improve Ghana’s competitiveness in the West African power market but also open the door to generating revenue through electricity exports. The message from the Institute is unambiguous: the decisions made today about transmission infrastructure will shape the reliability and competitiveness of Ghana’s power sector for decades to come. “Decisive action is not optional,” the IES stated. “It is imperative.” Source: Apexnewsgh.com
Galamsey Fight: NAIMOS Cries Out for Vehicles, Funds to Sustain Operations
The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat has called for increased logistical and financial support to strengthen its operations against illegal mining. The men and women fighting Ghana’s galamsey menace need more than resolve; they need resources. That was the candid message from Col. Dominic Buah, Director of Operations at the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), as he addressed journalists at the Secretariat’s Editors’ Forum and Quarterly Press Briefing on Wednesday, March 25. Standing before the gathering, Col. Buah did not mince words. The fight against illegal mining, he made clear, is being waged with one hand tied behind its back. Operational vehicles are in short supply, funds are stretched thin, and the tools needed to sustain the campaign in the field are simply not enough. “We need vehicles, we need money, we need all the resources,” he said plainly. His appeal was directed not only at the government but at the private sector and civil society as well. Col. Buah urged corporate organisations and non-governmental bodies to step in and fill the gap, offering a straightforward incentive: public recognition. “Corporate bodies who want to support, why not? We will acknowledge you and then make it known to the whole nation,” he said, framing contributions as both a patriotic duty and an opportunity for goodwill. But the briefing was not all about stretched budgets and resource gaps. Col. Buah had a sharper message for a different audience, the illegal miners themselves. NAIMOS’s operations in the field have not gone unchallenged. In several mining communities, anti-galamsey task force members have met with resistance, raising serious concerns about the safety of personnel on the ground. Col. Buah addressed this directly and without ambiguity. He warned that his operatives would not stand down in the face of armed confrontation. The Secretariat’s personnel, he stressed, are trained, equipped, and prepared to defend themselves, and anyone who tests that readiness will face the full consequences. “We will not stand and watch anyone use weapons against us. We are better trained in weapons and therefore warn that anybody who dares, NAIMOS will deal with them ruthlessly,” he declared. He pressed the point further, leaving no room for misinterpretation: “It is a problem we are trying to address, and we have the right to self-defence, and let no galamseyer miss that. If you go to the field with weapons and you try to fire them, a lot more will be at you.” The message from NAIMOS on Wednesday was twofold: a hand extended to potential partners and a firm warning to those who would stand in the way of the law. The Secretariat is asking for help, but it is also making clear it will not be intimidated. Source: Apexnewsgh.com
ECOWAS Court Saves AG From Deadline Miss in Torkonoo Rights Battle
The ECOWAS Community Court of Justice has granted an application by Deputy Attorney-General Dr Justice Srem Sai to regularise a defence filed out of time in a human rights case brought by former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo. When former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo found herself removed from office under Article 146 proceedings of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, she did not go quietly. Convinced that the process had trampled on her fundamental human rights, she took her fight to the Human Rights Court. But the battle did not end there. Following her subsequent dismissal, Justice Torkonoo carried her case further, this time to the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, amending her application to challenge not just her suspension, but her outright removal from the bench. The ECOWAS court had earlier allowed that amendment, though not without resistance. The Attorney-General objected, but the court overruled those objections and directed the state to file its defence within 30 days. It was a clear instruction with a firm deadline, March 1, 2026. The Attorney-General’s office, represented by Deputy Attorney-General Dr Justice Srem Sai, missed it. When the defence was eventually filed, it arrived late, accompanied by a quiet appeal to the court’s discretion to admit it anyway. Justice Torkonoo’s counsel was having none of it. They argued that the filing was out of time, that no formal application for an extension had ever been made, and urged the court to strike out the defence entirely. Dr Srem Sai pushed back. His position was that the state had never been properly served with the court’s directive in the first place, that the Attorney-General’s office had been in the dark about the timeline until a hearing notice landed on their desk. Once aware, he told the court, the defence was filed without delay, even with a public holiday interrupting the process. He appealed to the court to act in the interest of justice. The court was not entirely persuaded by that reasoning. It pointed out that under common law practice, counsel who are present in court when an order is delivered are deemed to have notice of it, no separate service required. It also noted that the proper course of action would have been to file a formal application for an extension of time, not simply attach a request to the late defence. Counsel for Justice Torkonoo pressed the point further, reminding the court that the directive had been issued in the presence of the Attorney-General’s own representatives, making any claim of ignorance difficult to sustain. Yet, in a notable turn, Justice Torkonoo’s legal team stopped short of opposing the state’s oral request for an extension. They asked only that, should the court grant it, they be given the opportunity to file a response. In its ruling, the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice granted the extension of time, admitted the state’s amended defence, and gave Justice Torkonoo’s side seven days to file their reply. The procedural battle has been settled, for now. The deeper fight over the former Chief Justice’s removal from office continues. Source: Apexnewsgh.com