General News
SONA: Cocoa Sector Reforms Necessary Despite Painful Impact — Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has defended the government’s decision to revise the producer price of cocoa, describing the move as a necessary economic reform aimed at stabilizing the sector and protecting Ghana’s long-term financial future, despite the short-term challenges it may create for farmers.
Addressing Parliament during the State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Mahama acknowledged the concerns of cocoa farmers following the price adjustment but stressed that the decision was unavoidable due to liquidity pressures in the sector.
“In the last week, we have had to take the painful but necessary decision to revise the producer price of cocoa to achieve competitive pricing and resolve the acute liquidity challenges in the sector,” President Mahama stated.
He explained that the government faced a difficult economic choice, noting that failure to implement the reforms would have forced the country into additional borrowing, potentially worsening Ghana’s debt situation.
“Failure to do this would have meant borrowing billions in borrowed funds. This unplanned expenditure would have taken us right back to the very devastating economic problem we have only recently begun to escape,” he said.
President Mahama further revealed that previous economic challenges had placed significant financial strain on the national budget, making prudent fiscal management essential to sustain economic recovery.
He assured cocoa farmers that the reforms are not intended to disadvantage them but rather to ensure sustainable and fair returns for their labour.
“While fully understanding the concerns and protests of our farmers, I can firmly assure them that the reforms announced by government will see a total transformation of the cocoa sector,” he said.
According to the President, the restructured pricing system will provide greater transparency and help farmers maintain decent profit margins while covering the cost of production.
“It will guarantee them a fair and transparent price that enables them to meet the cost of producing the commodity and making decent margins,” he added.
President Mahama emphasized that economic leadership requires making tough decisions to protect the broader population from future hardship.
“The difference between economic hardship and avoiding the same is the exercise of sound economic judgment. And I’m determined to take decisions that ensure our collective well-being and avoid the suffering of all our citizens,” he stated.
He acknowledged that the reforms may be unpopular in the short term but insisted they were necessary to secure Ghana’s economic transformation and ensure the sustainability of the cocoa sector, which remains a key contributor to foreign exchange earnings and rural livelihoods.
“These are difficult decisions to take, but I had to take them,” he concluded.
General News
TikToker Camilla Alhassan Jailed One Year for Spreading False Claims About President Mahama
TikToker Camilla Alhassan has been sentenced to one year in prison by the Accra Circuit Court after pleading guilty to charges of offensive conduct and publishing false news.
The sentence was handed down on Thursday, July 16, after Alhassan admitted to sharing videos on social media in which she falsely claimed, without any evidence, that President John Dramani Mahama buried 32 cows as part of rituals to secure victory in the 2024 general election.
Speaking after the ruling, her lawyer, Kwadwo Gyamfi Bonsu, disclosed that the court dismissed the charge of electronic abuse, explaining that it lacked the legal jurisdiction to determine that particular offence.
Despite dropping the electronic abuse charge, the court convicted Alhassan on the count of offensive conduct and imposed a one-year custodial sentence.
According to her lawyer, the defence pleaded for a more lenient sentence, but the judge maintained that the increasing spread of false information and similar offences required a punishment that would serve as a deterrent.
Camilla Alhassan was arrested and prosecuted by the Ghana Police Service after the videos gained widespread attention on social media. Prior to sentencing, the court had also ordered a pregnancy test during an earlier hearing as part of the proceedings.
President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed his government’s commitment to equitable national development, declaring that no region of Ghana would be neglected because of its electoral choices.
Speaking during the sod-cutting ceremony for the construction of a 24-Hour Economy Model Market at Juapong in the Volta Region as part of his Resetting Ghana Tour, President Mahama said his administration was determined to ensure that every part of the country benefited from development projects.
He rejected the notion that any region should be taken for granted or left behind because of the way its people voted in elections.
“Our mandate, given to us by the good people of Ghana, is to govern the country for every Ghanaian,” he said. “Our commitment to the Volta Region is founded on fairness, equity and our constitutional responsibility to ensure balanced national development across the whole country.”
The President noted that the Volta Region had made an immeasurable contribution to Ghana’s development and deserved its fair share of national progress.
He said government was deliberately investing in infrastructure and public services across the country, including healthcare, education, roads, transport, agriculture, agro-processing and modern markets to improve livelihoods and create economic opportunities.
President Mahama made the remarks after cutting the sod for the construction of the Juapong 24-Hour Economy Model Market, one of a series of markets to be built nationwide under the government’s flagship 24-Hour Economy initiative.
Prophet Dr. Power Man has predicted that Ghana may witness the loss of some prominent personalities in the coming days, including a well-known lawyer and politician who has served the nation.
Speaking on Kessben 92.9 FM’s Awurade Akasa programme hosted by Prophet Richard Afful, the man of God was asked about what lies ahead for Ghana and its citizens.
According to Prophet Dr. Power Man, the country would move from a period of “tears of joy” into a time of great sorrow, as he claimed he had seen difficult moments ahead for the nation.
“I saw a prominent person in Ghana, a politician who is a lawyer and has served the nation. He is a very prominent person,” he stated.
He added that from July 14, 2026, through December 2027, Ghanaians would hear reports of the passing of some notable personalities.
“From 14th July till 2027 December, we will hear about the death of prominent people, about four or three people in the country,” Prophet Dr. Power Man said.
When asked by the host whether the people involved would be young or old, the prophet responded that some would be elderly while others would be young.
He further explained that when it comes to such situations, sickness may not always be the cause, adding that “death is what is meant to be” and should not always be attributed to witchcraft
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