An NDC communicator has defended the government’s decision to reject MTN Ghana’s proposed GH¢20 million support package for Ghanaians affected by xenophobic attacks in South Africa, arguing that accepting the money could have undermined Ghana’s dignity and diplomatic position.

The government’s decision to decline the offer sparked public debate, with some questioning why Ghana would turn down substantial corporate assistance at a time when citizens were being evacuated from a difficult situation in South Africa.

However, supporters of the decision have argued that the move was about more than money — it was about the principle of protecting Ghanaian citizens and ensuring that responsibility for the crisis does not shift away from the South African authorities.

Government says funds were already available

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has maintained that the government rejected the offer because it had already made adequate financial arrangements for the ongoing evacuation and reintegration of affected Ghanaians.

In a statement issued on August 26, the Ministry said it appreciated MTN Ghana’s gesture but could not accept it because government resources had already been secured for the humanitarian exercise.

The Ministry further disclosed that the government’s position had already been communicated directly to MTN Ghana’s Board Chairman, Dr Ishmael Yamson, and the company’s Chief Executive Officer during their meeting with Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa on August 14.

MTN had proposed GH¢20m support package

MTN Ghana Board Chairman Dr Ishmael Yamson had earlier disclosed that the company initially set aside GH¢10 million to welcome Ghanaians returning from South Africa.

The company later decided to double the amount to GH¢20 million and establish a fund aimed at providing longer-term support to affected returnees as they rebuilt their lives in Ghana.

Yamson also acknowledged that MTN should have engaged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs earlier before publicly discussing the planned intervention.

‘This is about Ghana’s dignity’

Defending the government’s position, the NDC communicator argued that Ghana could not allow the situation to be reduced to a question of receiving money from a company with strong links to South Africa.

The communicator’s position is that accepting the donation could have weakened Ghana’s diplomatic posture at a time when Accra was demanding meaningful action to address recurring xenophobic attacks against African nationals in South Africa.

A similar argument has been made by international relations analyst Dr Ishmael Hlovor, who said rejecting the money could help Ghana sustain diplomatic pressure on South Africa to address the underlying causes of xenophobic attacks.

According to Dr Hlovor, accepting the support could potentially allow South African authorities and businesses to portray themselves as helping victims without addressing the deeper responsibility for preventing the attacks.

Government promises transparency

Despite declining MTN’s offer, the Foreign Affairs Ministry has stressed that the government remains committed to financing the evacuation and reintegration of affected Ghanaians.

It has also promised to publish a comprehensive account of the total cost of the evacuation exercise once it is completed, saying the disclosure will promote transparency and accountability.

The government has further reaffirmed that it remains committed to creating a favourable business environment for international companies operating in Ghana, regardless of where their parent companies originate.

A debate bigger than GH¢20 million

The controversy surrounding the rejected donation has therefore developed into a broader debate about Ghana’s diplomatic posture, corporate responsibility and the dignity of the state.

While critics may argue that GH¢20 million could have provided valuable assistance to affected Ghanaians, supporters of the government’s decision believe the country must be careful not to allow financial assistance to overshadow the larger demand for accountability and lasting solutions to xenophobic attacks.

For the NDC communicator, the rejection was therefore not simply about turning down money.

It was about sending a message that Ghana’s dignity, sovereignty and the protection of its citizens must remain paramount.

Motorists in Ghana could soon face a major change in the way traffic offences are detected, recorded and penalised as the Ghana Police Service rolls out an electronic traffic enforcement system.

The initiative, know own as TraffiTech-GH, is an automated traffic enforcement platform designed to detect road traffic violations electronically and issue notices to vehicle owners.

According to the Ghana Police Service, the system is expected to begin issuing electronic Notices of Violation from July 18, 2026, marking a major shift away from traditional roadside enforcement.

Cameras to catch traffic offences

The electronic system is designed to use digital monitoring technology to identify motorists who violate traffic regulations.

The Ministry of Transport has confirmed that the technology can detect offences including speeding, red-light violations and other dangerous driving behaviours.

This means motorists could increasingly be identified through automated systems rather than relying solely on police officers stopping vehicles at the roadside.

A major change for motorists

Under the new system, motorists who commit detected offences are expected to receive electronic notices detailing the violation.

The move is part of broader efforts to modernise traffic enforcement and reduce road crashes by using technology to monitor driver behaviour.

The Ministry of Transport has described the automated enforcement system as part of efforts to find technological solutions to Ghana’s road-safety challenges.

Police target dangerous driving

The introduction of electronic traffic tickets comes amid persistent concerns over road crashes and dangerous driving in Ghana.

By automating the detection of certain offences, authorities hope to improve enforcement while creating a more systematic record of traffic violations.

The technology could also help reduce dependence on physical roadside encounters between motorists and traffic officers.

Police warn motorists about fake notices

The move has also created concerns about potential fraud.

In February 2026, the Ghana Police Service dismissed a fake electronic traffic violation notice circulating online that reportedly demanded money from motorists.

The development highlights the need for motorists to verify any electronic traffic notice they receive through official channels rather than sending money to unknown individuals or accounts.

What motorists should expect

With electronic enforcement becoming part of Ghana’s road-safety strategy, motorists will need to pay closer attention to traffic regulations.

Speeding, jumping red lights and other dangerous driving practices could increasingly result in electronically recorded violations, even when a police officer is not physically present.

The Ghana Police Service’s TraffiTech-GH initiative signals a new era in traffic enforcement — one where cameras and automated systems could be watching the roads and issuing tickets to offenders.

For motorists, the message is simple: obey the road rules, because the next traffic ticket may come electronically.

Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has launched a strong criticism of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), accusing the institution of applying different standards to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

His comments follow concerns reportedly raised by the IMF over political appointments to the boards of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), including the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA).

In a statement shared on social media, Dafeamekpor questioned what IMF Country Directors expect from NDC governments whenever the party is in power.

He said he had observed what he described as a worrying tendency by the IMF to quickly criticise an NDC administration over policies and decisions which, according to him, the same institution previously allowed NPP governments to implement.

According to Dafeamekpor, there have been instances of prominent NPP politicians serving as board chairpersons of major state institutions under the administration of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

He cited Peter Mac Manu and Hackman Owusu-Agyemang as examples, noting that they served as Board Chairmen of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority and the Ghana Cocoa Board respectively during the Akufo-Addo administration.

Dafeamekpor argued that the political affiliations and senior positions held by such individuals within the NPP should have been taken into consideration when the IMF assessed political appointments to SOE boards.

“Obviously, the IMF didn’t know this and, of course, didn’t also know the political coloration nor rank of these men who led GPHA and Cocobod Boards at the time,” he stated.

The South Dayi MP further claimed that he could provide the IMF with a comprehensive list of senior NPP officials and Members of Parliament who served on the boards of various State-Owned Enterprises between 2017 and 2024.

He added that he could also produce similar information covering the period between 2001 and 2008, when the NPP was previously in government.

Dafeamekpor said the IMF’s recent comments concerning GoldBod, together with what he described as the institution’s latest report, had convinced him that the Fund had entered Ghana’s local political arena.

Addressing the IMF Country Director directly, he said the reports suggested to him that the institution had “taken sides” in Ghana’s political conflict.

“By your tainted GoldBod report a couple of weeks prior and your present report in question, [it] tells me without doubt that you have descended into the local political arena of conflict and taken sides opposite to me,” he said.

He subsequently questioned the IMF’s neutrality and independence as an international financial institution.

“You must never be trusted again as an independent and neutral supra-national financial institution,” Dafeamekpor added.

The MP also expressed anger over Ghana’s gold and the IMF’s reported position on GoldBod, declaring that Ghana would no longer sell its gold to the institution.

“As for our gold, ‘forgerrit’. We will no longer sell it to you,” he said.

He accused the IMF of allegedly fabricating and skewing reports about Ghana with what he described as a strong anti-NDC bias.

“You can continue to fabricate and skew our country reports with a huge anti-NDC slant,” he stated.

Dafeamekpor ended his remarks with a strong endorsement of the Ghana Gold Board, popularly known as GoldBod, declaring:

“GoldBod ad vitam!”

DUNKIRK, France — September 11, 2026: French customs authorities have seized nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine concealed inside a container of plastic waste that arrived at the port of Dunkirk from Ghana.

The shipment, valued at approximately €225 million (about US$260 million) on the street, was intercepted after French authorities identified a suspected organised criminal network behind the consignment.

According to reports, the container was carrying plastic waste and had originated in Ghana. Part of the shipment was reportedly destined for Antwerp, Belgium, before French customs officers intervened at Dunkirk.

The seizure is one of the major cocaine interceptions reported by French customs in recent years and highlights the continued use of legitimate commercial cargo to move illegal drugs into Europe.

French authorities said the cocaine has since been destroyed, while France’s organised crime prosecutor has opened a formal investigation into the suspected trafficking network. Investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding the shipment and the people believed to be involved.

Those found responsible could face serious criminal charges, including organised importation of narcotics and participation in a criminal association, offences that can carry prison sentences of up to 10 years under French law.

The case also underscores growing international cooperation in tackling the movement of cocaine through European ports. Authorities across Europe have increasingly focused on containers arriving from regions used as transit points for narcotics destined for European markets.

For Ghana, the seizure is likely to renew attention on the country’s role in international maritime trade and the need for stronger controls to prevent legitimate export shipments from being exploited by international trafficking networks.

Authorities have not indicated that the Ghanaian exporter or any specific individuals in Ghana were involved in the alleged trafficking operation. The investigation remains ongoing.

The seizure does not by itself establish wrongdoing by the legitimate parties connected to the shipment, and any individuals ultimately accused will be entitled to due process.