The Akwatia constituency has lost its esteemed Member of Parliament, Ernest Kumi, who passed away following a short battle with illness. While the exact circumstances of his death remain undisclosed, it is understood that he was actively participating in parliamentary proceedings just a week prior to his demise, according to reports from Joy News’ parliamentary correspondent, Kweku Asante
The sudden passing of MP Kumi sends shockwaves through the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the broader parliamentary community, where his insights and contributions will be sorely missed. As a relatively new MP, Kumi had found himself at the center of a highly publicized legal challenge questioning the validity of his parliamentary seat.
Interestingly, Kumi’s death occurs mere weeks after a significant legal development: the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn his conviction for contempt of court. This conviction stemmed from the disputed 2024 parliamentary election results. Earlier, in February 2025, the Koforidua High Court had ruled against Kumi, finding him guilty of ignoring a court order that prohibited him from taking the oath of office as an MP. The court had subsequently issued a warrant for his arrest due to his non-appearance in court and apparent disregard for its directives.
Ranking Member of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee
Former Deputy Education Minister, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, has criticised the Mahama administration for deploying a Police SWAT team against unpaid teachers who were peacefully demanding their salaries at the Ghana Education Service (GES) headquarters.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, June 24, he condemned the treatment as unjustified and a violation of their dignity.
Rev. Ntim Fordjour, who now serves as the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, questioned the rationale behind such heavy-handed action against educators.
“Under President Mahama, POLICE SWAT is called on unpaid teachers to heckle them out of the Ghana Education Service HQ for simply demanding their lawful pay. What crime did they commit to face such humiliation?” he posted.
He further decried what he described as the insensitivity and intolerance of the Mahama-led government, noting that such actions undermine the morale and respect accorded to teachers in society.
“What happened to the dignity of teachers?” he asked, adding that the government’s response exposed a disturbing lack of empathy towards the teaching profession.
Johnson Asiedu Nketiah (right), National Chairman of NDC, in a conversation with Kimathi Rawlings (left), the son of former President Jerry John Rawlings, during the event. Picture: CALEB VANDERPUYE
The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has urged the members of the party to emulate the values of accountability, probity and selfless service to the country as exemplified by the party’s founder, Jerry John Rawlings.
Those principles, he stressed, must inform a structured set of national values to guide the conduct of citizens and public officials and called on the party members to lead a national effort to redefine Ghana’s moral compass based on Rawlings’ values and principles.
“Let’s take the lead to try to redefine our national values.
There is no country that has developed without national values,” Mr Asiedu Nketiah said.
Rawlings birthday
Mr Asiedu Nketiah, who made the call last Sunday to celebrate the birthday of the party’s founder, the late President Jerry John Rawlings, renewed calls to reset Ghana through his values and also uphold his legacy.
The event took place on what would have been the late President’s 78th birthday and is expected to take place every 22nd June. It also took place at the party’s national headquarters in Accra.
In attendance were the NDC party faithful, party executives, members of the council of elders, some members of the late president’s family and a cross-section of the public.
Ideals
Mr Asiedu Nketiah challenged Ghanaians to embrace and embody the ideals of the late former president.
The party Chairman also proposed legislative action to formalise this effort.
“Let’s take the debate to Parliament and define our national values so that we can judge our leadership and our citizens going forward,” he said.
He cautioned that without those benchmarks of conduct evidently displayed by Rawlings, the country would remain vulnerable to disorder and abuse of power.
“If you are deviating from the national values, there is something we can use to measure your conduct,” the party chairman added.
Mr Asiedu Nketiah then praised Rawlings’ practice of lifestyle audits and advocated the return of public asset declarations by officials.
“It doesn’t matter where you are placed as a citizen; you must always remember that you have to account for your stewardship,” he declared.
Reset campaign
For his part, the party’s General Secretary, Fifi Kwetey Fiavi, asserted that the NDC’s 2024 “Reset Ghana” campaign aligned with President Rawlings’ lifelong purpose.
He insisted that the reset must begin with individuals, particularly those within the NDC.
He proposed that the commemoration of President Rawlings’ birthday should serve as an annual moment for national reflection and regeneration.
“Let 22nd June be a day not just for Rawlings but for the very regeneration of the soul of our country,” he declared.
The event also saw the cutting of a birthday cake and singing of patriotic and party songs by the gathering.
Photo courtesy: Getty Image. Ken Ofori-Atta is said to be out of the country for medical reasons
Ghana’s former finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta has been placed on Interpol’s red notice list for allegedly using public office for personal gain.
This comes after Ghanaian prosecutors declared him a wanted person as well as a fugitive from justice, as he was outside the country, over his alleged involvement in several corruption cases when he was in government.
A red notice is not an arrest warrant but a request to police worldwide to detain someone pending extradition.
Ofori-Atta, who is said to be out of the country for medical reasons, has not commented on the allegations, but he has said he has been unlawfully treated.
The AFP news agency is quoting Frank Davies, on Ofori-Atta’s legal team, criticising the prosecutor’s approach.
“We submitted medical records in good faith, and the office has chosen to ignore them,” Mr Davies told AFP.
“The special prosecutor is not being sensitive to the issues at hand, especially knowing that Mr Ofori-Atta is unwell and receiving treatment.”
The 65-year-old has been accused of causing financial losses to the state.
The allegations include questions over procurement procedures in the building of a controversial national cathedral, which remains a hole in the ground despite the alleged spending of $58m (£46.6m) of government money.
Ofori-Atta’s lawyers had offered to represent him but the state prosecutor said they could not respond to criminal charges on behalf of their client.
In February, Ofori-Atta appealed to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to remove his name from the wanted list and provided a definite return date in May.
State prosecutor Kissi Agyabeng accepted Ofori-Atta’s assurance and subsequently took his name off the wanted list.
But in March Ofori-Atta filed a lawsuit, claiming unlawful treatment and requesting removal of related content from the OSP’s social media platforms.
Early this month, Ofori-Atta was re-declared a wanted person and a fugitive from justice after failing to appear before an investigative panel.
Agyebeng subsequently formally initiated the Red Notice request, seeking international help in tracking down the former official, local media reported.
“We want him here physically, and we insist on it. A suspect in a criminal investigation does not pick and choose how the investigative body conducts its investigations,” Agyebeng said.
In the Red Notice released on late Thursday, Interpol said Ofori-Atta is wanted on charges of “using public office for profit”.
He was finance minister from January 2017 to February 2024, when the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was in power.
The NPP lost last December’s elections to the National Democratic Congress.
President John Mahama, who was inaugurated in January, went on to establish an investigative committee known as Operation Recover All Loot.
The committee has received over 200 complaints of corruption, amounting to more than $20bn in recoverable funds.
Mahama has directed the attorney general and minister of justice to launch investigations into these allegations, stating that Ghana will no longer be a safe haven for corruption.
However, some Ghanaians have criticised him for discontinuing cases against his former allies on trial.
Minority Members of Parliament (MPs) staged a walkout from parliamentary proceedings on Thursday, May 29, in protest of the continued detention of New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi.
Chairman Wontumi was arrested by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) on Tuesday, May 27, and is being investigated for alleged financial loss to the state. He was granted bail of GH¢50 million with two sureties, but spent the night in custody after failing to meet the bail conditions.
Minority Leader Afenyo-Markin announced the walkout, stating that the Minority would boycott parliamentary proceedings until EOCO reviews and varies the bail conditions and releases Chairman Wontumi. The MPs chanted a line from Ghana’s national anthem before walking out and announced plans to trek to EOCO’s offices.
The Majority side has not commented on the matter.
