Kofi Ahovi

  A Question of Fairness I am a Ghanaian writer passionate about environmental sanitation and the work of private waste management companies, especially the prestigious Zoomlion Ghana Limited. I am concerned when people, including Manasseh Azure Awuni, appear to undermine a company that has created jobs, helped address sanitation challenges and contributed to Ghana becoming the West African regional hub for sanitation, waste management, and circular economy policy support. For more than a decade, Manasseh has unjustifiably criticised Zoomlion and its owner, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, through articles and commentaries that, in my view, have focused almost exclusively on alleged wrongdoing while rarely acknowledging the company’s achievements or its owner’s ingenuity. That raises a fundamental question: Can journalism be considered fair and balanced when its scrutiny of one company remains overwhelmingly negative over many years? Constructive criticism, we all know, should identify pr...

  Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, has authorised the release of GH¢370,000 from his share of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) to support the fixing, reshaping and maintenance of badly deteriorated sections of roads and related infrastructure in the constituency. The intervention covers seven road projects, including the Doninga–Kanjarga, Doninga–Siniensi, Uwasi–Fumbisi, Kanjarga–Fumbisi, Nyambisa, and Wiesi–Fumbisi roads. According to the Office of the MP, the intervention is intended to provide immediate relief to communities while efforts continue to secure more comprehensive government-funded road projects for the constituency. The largest allocation of GH¢100,000 has been assigned to the Kanjarga–Fumbisi Road, while GH¢50,000 each has been allocated to the Doninga–Kanjarga, Doninga–Siniensi and Wiesi–Fumbisi roads. The Uwasi–Fumbisi Road has been allocated a further GH¢40,000, while GH¢30,000 has been earmarked for the Nyambisa Road and ...

  The Managing Director of the Accra-Kumasi Expressway Limited, Engineer Francis Ahlidza, has announced that the 175.6-kilometre Accra-Kumasi Expressway is expected to be completed by December 2028. Engineer Ahlidza said the   project is being structured around a two-year construction period, with physical works expected to commence in January 2027 following the completion of the procurement and contractor selection processes. Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Tuesday, September 15, Engineer Ahlidza disclosed that the procurement process for the contractors has already commenced, with firms being invited to express their interest in undertaking the major road project. He explained that the selection process will be conducted in two stages and will involve international competitive procurement to ensure that qualified firms are selected for the project. We are working with a two-year construction period starting at the end of this year. We have started the procuremen...

 A tiny rural village in central England has voted to secede from the United Kingdom in protest over plans to house more than 1,000 migrants at a former military site nearby. The referendum took place on Tuesday in Piddington, Oxfordshire, with an overwhelming majority of voters backing the symbolic plan to pursue self-determination as a principality, Susannah Parden, vice chair of the parish council, announced on Wednesday. We had 312 votes counted, which is nearly 92% of the ballot papers issued,” she said, revealing that there had been 285 votes in favor, 26 against and one spoiled ballot. The referendum was held in response to government plans to house up to 1,250 adult male migrants at the Bicester Garrison, a former military site near the village. Piddington is home to 358 people, according to 2021 data from the Diocese of Oxford, a church and a village hall – there is no local store, post office or pub. The result of the vote holds no legal weight, but it is the latest sig...

  Producer price inflation rose to 4.4% in August 2026, up from 4.0% in July, as higher prices in the mining and quarrying sector pushed up the cost pressures facing producers. The latest data from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) also shows that producer prices increased by 2.5% month-on-month, compared with 2.0% in July. The figures measure changes in the prices received by domestic producers for their goods and services and are provisional. Mining and quarrying emerged as the biggest driver, recording annual producer inflation of 4.9%, up from 3.5% in July. The sector, which carries the largest weight in the PPI at 43.7%, contributed 2.1 percentage points to the overall 4.4% inflation rate. The increase was largely linked to crude oil and natural gas, where producer inflation reached 12.9% in August. Mining support services recorded 5.7%, while mining of metal ores recorded a smaller decline of 0.4%. The industrial sector is also facing firmer cost pressures. Producer inflati...

  The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has ordered the immediate shutdown of Empire Cement Ghana Limited at Weija in the Greater Accra Region over alleged breaches of its environmental permit and air pollution control requirements. The directive, dated September 14, 2026, followed investigations triggered by several complaints from members of the public about alleged air pollution and nuisance associated with the company’s operations. The EPA subsequently moved to enforce the shutdown at the company’s premises on Wednesday, September 16, 2026. According to the Authority, its investigations found that the factory was releasing sustained visible particulate matter and gaseous emissions into the surrounding environment. The EPA said the emissions had potential negative implications for the environment, adjoining land uses and public health. The enforcement action was taken under Section 35 of the Environmental Protection Act, 2025 (Act 1124), which provides the EPA with powers...