News
In the hot seat with Minister Adams
Coming events are said to cast their shadows before them.
This age-long axiom is a suggestion of some initial effects indicating the nature of an event to be felt before it happens.
Some of these shadows can be pictured looking at the posture of the Minister of Sports and Recreation (MoRS), Mr Kofi Iddie Adams, less than a month in office.
Although he appear new to the system, his ideas or ways he intend to tackle issues in the sector could be one that could make or unmake him.
One major observation is his doggedness to strengthen the National Sports Authority (NSA), the supposed biggest agency under the Ministry but appears often overshadowed when it comes to football.
Ahead of a much sought after engagement with the leadership of the FA, Minister Adams has hinted of a directive to process all national teams’ events through the NSA.
That would obviously mark a shift from the previous arrangement where the FA was granted direct access to the Ministry and the NSA is only involved regarding the preparation of grounds for matches.
As the technical wing of the Sports Ministry, one cannot fault Minister Adams and as he explained in an interview in the course of the week, “it is the law at work, I am not saying that.”
What this mean is that the NSA would be handed responsibilities way beyond those that they have performed over the years. This will surely bring to the fore their actual technical capabilities.
The announcement of the cancelation of first class travel arrangement for the various national teams, especially the Black Stars would be another move which implementation would be closely monitored.
Again, if I heard right, Minister Adams also called for a review of the selection of centres to host Ghana Premier League (GPL) matches in a bid to curb hooliganism in the game.
In his view, if only eight centres met the criteria, then matches should be played only on those venues and clubs be compelled to choose some of these venues as home grounds.
That is another tough measure which implementation could be problematic because at the lower divisions, there are also cases of hooliganism but centres are few.
Minister Adams is also concerned about having value for money in the provision of infrastructure for sports events.
That will lead to an initiative where MoSR will issue licenses’ to those contracted to provide such services.
Considering the number of astro turf pitches across the country with a chunk of them not meeting the required standard to host GPL matches, Minister Adams call falls in the right place.
Some of these astro turfs constructed with the tax payers’ money are just pleasing to the eye but cannot serve the purpose for its construction.
In issuing those licenses, turfs at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence at Prampram, at the defunct Gomoa Fetteh Feyenoord and the WAFA pitch at Sogakope should be the yardstick.
Other issues on initiatives to get the corporate sector involved in sports, ridding it of corruption, running it like business, introducing some of the defunct events that served as hunting grounds for talents for the various sports discipline are welcoming.
All of these suggest that there are interesting times ahead in the sports sector which Minister Adams must be firm and fair in implementing them.
For the true lovers of sports development and promotion and not their selfish interest, they must remember Minister Adams in prayers or whichever religion they practice for wisdom and guidance.
As a Christian himself, Minister Adams should continually pray from Psalm 91:5-8 which reads “You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you.”
On that note, I welcome Minister Adams to the hot seat as Sports and Recreation Minister.
By Andrew Nortey
News
NSA Boss commends President Mahama for swift payment of NSP allowances
The Acting Director-General of the National Service Authority (NSA), Felix Gyamfi, has lauded President John Dramani Mahama for his swift intervention in clearing all outstanding allowances owed to National Service Personnel (NSP) across the country.
Speaking at a press conference held at the NSA Headquarters in Accra today, Mr. Gyamfi expressed gratitude to the President for ensuring that all service personnel received their stipends within just 15 days of his administration.
“I want to sincerely commend His Excellency John Dramani Mahama for his dedication to the welfare of Ghana’s youth. The speed and efficiency with which he addressed the payment of outstanding allowances in just two weeks is highly commendable,” he stated.
Assurance
He assured personnel that delays in allowance payments would now be a thing of the past, as the government, under President Mahama’s leadership, has prioritised timely disbursement.
Mr. Gyamfi revealed that all outstanding allowances for National Service Personnel from September 2024 to January 2025 have been fully settled.
He provided a detailed breakdown of the payments made:
September 2024 (Backlog): 10,712 personnel paid
October 2024 (Backlog): 10,712 personnel paid
November 2024: 98,145 personnel paid
December 2024: 98,145 personnel paid
January 2025: 98,145 personnel paid
He acknowledged the immense contributions of service personnel to Ghana’s socio-economic development, particularly in sectors such as education, health, agriculture, and local governance.
“We recognise the vital role that National Service personnel play in driving national development. That is why this government has made it a priority to ensure they receive their allowances on time,” he said.
Appreciation
The NSA boss also extended his appreciation to the Minister of Finance, Hon. Cassiel Ato Forson, and the Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, Hon. George Opare-Addo, for their roles in facilitating the prompt payment of the allowances.
In a bid to enhance efficiency and prevent future payment delays, Mr. Gyamfi announced plans to integrate a biometric-driven payroll system into the NSA’s operations.
The new system, according to him, will provide real-time insights into validated payments, allow personnel to access electronic payslips, and introduce a transparent mechanism for addressing payment discrepancies.
He urged all personnel to adhere strictly to the monthly evaluation calendar to ensure smooth processing of allowances. Mr. Gyamfi announced that the NSA had released PIN codes for 16,289 trained teachers from 36 colleges of education to commence their national service registration.
Expired accreditation
However, he noted that 22 institutions had expired accreditation with the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), affecting 9,769 graduates. “To maintain compliance and service credibility, registrations from these institutions will be put on hold until their accreditation status is regularised,” he said, urging affected institutions to renew their accreditation by August 31, 2025.
The NSA boss also revealed plans to revamp the Authority’s farm projects under President Mahama’s “Feed Ghana” agenda. The initiative will focus on increasing productivity in animal husbandry, aquaculture, poultry, and crop production while partnering with schools to revive school farms.
Mr. Gyamfi announced that the NSA Restaurant would now operate 24/7 as part of efforts to support President Mahama’s 24-hour economy policy. The restaurant will introduce delivery services, drive-through options, catering for events, and live band music on Friday nights.
Ghost names
Addressing the issue of ghost names and those allegedly responsible, the Director-General emphasised that the matter was under thorough investigation. He stressed his commitment to upholding due process and ensuring that nothing compromises the integrity of the inquiry.
“If you judge me by my demeanour, you might think I would hesitate to take action against those found culpable. But let me assure you that once the state investigative machinery completes its work, anyone implicated will face the full force of the law. There will be no exemptions, no leniency,” he cautioned.
He reiterated the NSA’s commitment to financial transparency, revealing that all user agencies had been directed to use the Ghana.Gov platform for payments to the Authority.
The measure, he explained, would ensure accountability and prevent fraudulent activities.
The Acting Director-General reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening the NSA, ensuring that national service becomes more impactful.
“The NSA is at a turning point, and my leadership is committed to prioritising and promoting initiatives that matter to personnel, staff, stakeholders, and the nation. With strategic planning, efficient deployment, agricultural innovation, and financial transparency, we will transform the NSA into a world-class institution,” he promised.
News
GEXIM Management Discusses Collaboration With Danish Ambassador
A team from the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) led by the Acting Chief Executive, Sylvester Mensah, on Wednesday February 12, 2025 met officials of the Danish Embassy in Ghana, led by the Head of Mission, His Excellency Tom Nørring at the embassy in Accra.
The meeting afforded the management of the Bank the opportunity to provide a deeper insight into the operations and mandate of the Bank as well as explore possible areas of mutual interest for collaboration with the embassy and other key Danish public and private sector players.
Sylvester Mensah highlighted the vision of the Bank to become a strong financial institution that will be a key engine in the development of Ghana’s export trade, facilitate cross border trade and make Ghana a pillar in regional and continental trade.
He added that the Bank is seeking to advance the policy priorities of the government in the areas of accelerated export trade, increased food production, support agribusiness and to generate growth in job opportunities.
He further emphasized a priority focus on the garment sub-sector for mass employment at a relatively short time as an area for partnership, collaboration and funding for onward lending.
On his part, His Excellency Nørring expressed his appreciation to the Chief Executive and his team for the opportunity to explore avenues of working with the embassy as well as Danish institutions for the benefit of Ghanaian and Danish businesses.
He expressed his optimism of a great collaboration across various sectors. Some “next steps” were agreed upon for immediate follow-up.
Other members of the GEXIM team were Mr. Moses Klu Mensah, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, responsible for Banking and Business Operations and Mr. Jonathan Christopher Koney, Manager, International Cooperation.
