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
No Tomatoes, Big Trouble: How Burkina Faso’s Export Ban Is Squeezing Ghana
Walk into any Ghanaian kitchen and you will almost certainly find tomatoes. They are the backbone of soups, stews, and sauces, a quiet but indispensable pillar of daily life. Now, that pillar is under threat, and the consequences could ripple far beyond the kitchen. Ghana is grappling with renewed economic pressure after Burkina Faso indefinitely suspended fresh tomato exports to the country, a decision that has laid bare just how deeply Ghana depends on its northern neighbour for one of its most consumed agricultural commodities. Between 70 and 80 percent of Ghana’s tomato supply comes from Burkina Faso, a trade relationship valued at approximately $400 million annually. When that tap is turned off, the effects are swift and far-reaching. The issue came into sharp focus at the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference in Yaoundé, where Ghana’s Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, held bilateral talks with the Burkinabè Ambassador on the sidelines of the summit. The conversation was frank. The suspension, the Minister made clear, is not a minor inconvenience, it is a major economic concern. Madam Ofosu-Adjare warned that the disruption threatens far more than food supply. A prolonged shortage of tomatoes, she cautioned, could trigger price hikes, stoke inflationary pressures, and strain the budgets of ordinary Ghanaian households already navigating a difficult economic climate. Agro-processing businesses that depend on tomato supply would also feel the pinch, and livelihoods across the entire value chain hang in the balance. Burkina Faso, for its part, framed the suspension not as an act of hostility, but as a calculated industrial policy. The Burkinabè delegation explained that the export ban is designed to feed raw materials into newly established tomato processing factories at home, a strategy aimed at retaining value domestically and accelerating industrial growth. In short, Burkina Faso is doing what many developing nations aspire to do: processing its own produce rather than exporting it raw. For analysts watching the situation, the crisis is less a surprise and more a long-overdue wake-up call. Ghana’s heavy reliance on external sources for key agricultural commodities has always carried risk. The suspension, they argue, only makes the urgency more visible, and more costly. The country must invest seriously in irrigation infrastructure, boost local tomato production, and build out agro-processing capacity if it is to reduce its vulnerability to exactly these kinds of external shocks. Despite the tension, both countries left the Yaoundé talks with their diplomatic ties intact. They reaffirmed their commitment to strong bilateral relations and pledged to work toward a mutually beneficial resolution. Ghana is expected to intensify engagement with Burkina Faso while simultaneously exploring alternative supply sources and accelerating efforts to grow more at home. For Madam Ofosu-Adjare, the stakes could not be clearer. Resolving the impasse, she stressed, is not simply a matter of trade policy, it is about safeguarding Ghana’s economic stability and food security. The tomato is small. The problem it has revealed is not. 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
Black Stars Robbed in Vienna: Police Launch Investigation as CCTV Cameras Found Non-Operational
Police in Vienna, Austria, have launched a formal investigation after Ghana’s national football team, the Black Stars, fell victim to a brazen robbery on the eve of their international friendly match scheduled for Friday, March 27, 2026. The incident, which has sent shockwaves through Ghana’s football circles, saw thieves make off with $2,250 in cash and two Rolex watches belonging to players of the national team, striking at the very hotel where the squad had been lodged ahead of the highly anticipated fixture. Adding a troubling layer to the case, Minister for Sports and Recreation Kofi Adams revealed that preliminary reports point to a significant security lapse at the hotel; the CCTV cameras were not operational at the time of the robbery. The revelation has raised urgent questions about the integrity of the hotel’s surveillance system and who bore responsibility for maintaining it. “The initial report we have is that the CCTV was not functioning, and the police are checking when it stopped working and who was responsible for the hotel’s surveillance system at that time,” Adams disclosed. The minister confirmed that Viennese authorities have taken the matter seriously and are conducting a thorough review, working to establish a precise timeline of when the cameras went offline and whether any foul play was involved in their failure. With the cameras down and the robbers having apparently exploited the security blind spot, investigators now face the challenge of piecing together the events of that night without the benefit of footage. Austrian police are said to be working diligently to unravel the circumstances surrounding the theft, examining all available leads. For the Black Stars, the incident cast a shadow over their preparations for the friendly, a match meant to be a moment of national pride on the international stage. Instead, the team found itself at the centre of a criminal investigation far from home, awaiting answers as Austrian authorities race to bring those responsible to justice. Source: Apexnewsgh.com
BoG Unveils Six Pillars of Digital Defence
The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has drawn a bold line in the sand against the rising tide of cyber threats, introducing six strategic pillars that form the backbone of its revised Cyber and Information Security Directive (CISD 2026), a sweeping framework designed to forge a safer and more resilient digital financial sector. At the official launch of the directive, Governor Dr. Johnson Asiama made clear that the stakes go far beyond regulation. “A Safer and More Resilient Digital Financial Industry,” he declared, “is the central pillar of our regulatory philosophy.” For him, the CISD 2026 is more than a policy document; it is a solemn commitment to every individual and business that entrusts their financial data to Ghana’s financial ecosystem. The Governor did not mince words about the dangers lurking in the shadows of the digital economy. He warned that the very progress driving Ghana’s financial sector forward has also opened the door to increasingly sophisticated and persistent threats. “From ransomware attacks that can paralyse a bank for days, to systemic data breaches that can shatter public trust in an instant,” Dr. Asiama cautioned, “the threats we face are no longer just isolated IT incidents; they are national security concerns.” Acknowledging that the Bank of Ghana saw this shift coming, he pointed to the first Directive issued in 2018 as a necessary but now insufficient foundation. “We must be honest,” he said candidly, “a framework designed for the challenges of 2018 cannot adequately solve the problems of 2026.” The time had come, he stressed, to move beyond simple compliance and embrace a posture of active and collective cyber resilience. Six Pillars, One Vision To meet this moment, the CISD 2026 is built around six transformative pillars, each targeting a critical dimension of cybersecurity in the financial sector: AI and Machine Learning Governance As financial institutions lean more heavily on artificial intelligence for fraud detection, credit scoring, and customer service, the directive steps in to ensure these tools operate with transparency, fairness, and security, guarding against the risks that come with algorithmic decision-making. Cloud Computing Security Recognising the rapid shift toward cloud technologies, the directive promotes responsible, risk-based cloud adoption while firmly protecting data sovereignty over sensitive financial information. Proportionality Framework Not every institution faces the same risks or commands the same resources. This pillar tailors cybersecurity requirements to the size and risk profile of each institution, ensuring that smaller banks and fintechs are not crushed under the weight of disproportionate compliance demands. Board-Level Accountability Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT department conversation. The directive mandates that at least one board member possess verified cyber risk expertise, embedding security thinking at the very top of institutional leadership. Inclusive Oversight Ghana’s cyber defences are only as strong as their weakest link. By expanding the directive’s coverage beyond universal banks to include micro-finance institutions, savings and loans companies, fintechs, and partner regulators, the CISD 2026 creates a unified, sector-wide shield against cyber threats. Proactive Defence and Preparedness Rather than waiting for attacks to happen, this pillar pushes institutions to anticipate, prevent, and respond swiftly to evolving threats — shifting the culture from reactive damage control to proactive resilience. Building and sustaining this level of cyber defence does not come cheap. Governor Asiama acknowledged the significant investment required in infrastructure, advanced technology, and most critically, highly skilled personnel. As the Sectoral CERT, the Bank of Ghana has shouldered the initial cost of establishing the Financial Industry Cyber Security Operations Centre (FICSOC), a critical piece of national infrastructure that underpins the entire framework. With the CISD 2026 now in motion, Ghana’s financial sector stands at the threshold of a new era, one defined not by fear of cyber threats but by the confidence and capability to face them head-on. Source: Apexnewsgh.com
Black Stars Targeted in Vienna Hotel Robbery Days Before Austria Friendly
Ghana’s Black Stars arrived in Vienna with football on their minds, but an unsettling incident off the pitch has cast a shadow over their preparations ahead of Friday’s international friendly against Austria. The national football team has been hit by a robbery at their hotel in the Austrian capital, with cash and luxury watches reported stolen from the rooms of players and management committee members. A source at the Ghana Football Association confirmed the incident, which has since drawn the attention of Austrian authorities. Gabby Ofei of the Citi Sport Desk, reporting live on Citi Prime News on Friday, March 27, 2026, was first to put numbers to the loss. According to his account, thieves made off with $2,250 in cash and two Rolex watches, the cash belonging to members of the management committee, and the watches to players. “The report that came in indicates that two valuables have been stolen, a $2,250 cash and two Rolex watches,” Ofei said. “The report indicated that cash belongs to management committee members, and the watches are for the players.” What has made the investigation particularly frustrating, however, is a glaring gap in the hotel’s security infrastructure. The CCTV cameras at the facility where the Black Stars are lodged were reportedly not functioning at the time of the incident, a revelation that has significantly hampered efforts to identify those responsible. “The hotel indicated that their CCTV cameras are not functioning, which has made it difficult for the FA to furnish the Austrian police with proper evidence,” Ofei added. Without usable footage, investigators are left piecing together the incident through other means, slowing what would otherwise have been a more straightforward process of identifying the culprits. Despite the unsettling turn of events, those close to the team say the mood in camp remains composed. Officials confirmed that players and technical staff are calm and focused, determined not to let the off-field disturbance derail their preparations for the scheduled match. The Ghana Football Association, for its part, says it is working closely with the relevant authorities in Austria to support the investigation and has pledged to provide further updates as the situation develops. For now, the Black Stars are pressing on, keeping their eyes on the game, even as the search for answers continues behind the scenes. 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