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NZEMALAND CRIES FOR ACCELERATED DEVELOPMENT

It is incontrovertible that once upon a time the Nzema State, the birth place of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana, was forgotten following the blackest moment that cloaked Ghana when his administration was toppled in a February 1966 coup that gave birth to the National Liberation Council made up of such people as General Ankrah, Colonel E. K. Kotoka and Major Akwasi Amankwah Afrifa, all of blessed memory now.
Today, Nzemaland is the economic powerhouse of our energy mix. God, in His infinite wisdom, protected the Nzemaland for about 40 years and in May 2007 turned the rejected and forgotten stone to become the cornerstone for the builder (Government). Nzemaland (the forgotten source) is back again in the scheme of things in the country because of an expansive deposit of black gold in commercial quantity found there.
It is a trite knowledge that Nzemas are fortunate to have oil in their area but this ostensibly is not reflecting in the lives of the youth in particular in terms of employment and scholarships. This was clearly amplified some few years ago by the loquacious and ubiquitous MP for Assin Central, Hon Kennedy Agyapong, that “the Nzemas were getting nothing from the oil in spite of them being owners of the land”.
It is regrettable that a lot of people who have risen to prominence in the Nzema area have stood on the shoulders of some prominent Nzema giants but have always hornswoggled (shortchanged) the youth with all sorts of El Dorado and utopian promises. It is even sadder to find out that a whopping US$15,000 000 out of a colossal pay-out to the Ewusie Osei Group in 2011 by the Kosmos Energy meant for the entire West Cape Three Point is missing as referenced by the Special Prosecutor, Mr Martin Amidu, on Ghanaweb on 27th August, 2019.
As at the time of this publication, nobody had succeeded in tracing the whereabouts of the ‘People’s Dough’(that amount) from the national kitty. To add insult to our injury, which we are quietly bearing like a Saint, in November 2019, during the gift spree occasioned by the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation as revealed by the Vice Chairman of PIAC, Dr Thomas Stephens, GNPC doled out large sums in Ghana Cedis to support the following institutions and events:
1. Damba Festival 400, 000.00
2. Ghana JournalistsAssociation 50, 000.00
3. Ghana Boxing Association 30, 000.00
4. First Lady’s Rebecca Foundation 120, 000.00
5. EOCO 550, 000.00
6. Okyenhene’s 20th Anniversary Celebration 1, 500, 000.00
We the Nzema youth in the Diaspora, in collaboration with Youth for Development in the Nzemaland, feel it is very disingenuous and troubling if all this largesse of GNPC could be enjoyed by all these institutions, without it considering causing a similar economic windfall on the Nzema people.
In the midst of this plethora of resources in the Nzemaland, the Nzema State is suffering debilitating economic bottlenecks in development such as bad roads, unwholesome water, poor health facilities, lack of funding and scholarships, poor school buildings and inadequate instructional materials, and lack of jobs. We believe, at this critical juncture of our historic consciousness, the Nzema Youth in the diaspora and the Youth for Development can no longer look on with blasé attitude as our resources are carted away without compensatory royalty and equity, all in the name of national development. The people and the Nzema State deserve better.
The Nzema Youth in the Diaspora and the Youth for Development of the Nzemaland, in collaboration with the Great King Kaku Aka III of the Nzema State, who, since his ascension to the throne, has shown commitment to the development of the youth and the entire Nzemaland, are appealing to the Government, GNPC, Ghana Gas, ENI and all companies drilling oil not to skirt the Nzemas out of their Corporate Social Responsibility and other compensations.
Another area where the Nzemas have been shortchanged, which is of much concern to the youth both home and abroad, is the naming of the oilfields. How can a raw material be found in a vicinity or district and some different names are put on where it is sourced? The oilfield is in the Tano Basin, which is part of the three offshore basins in Ghana, namely the Tano Basin, Saltpond Basin, and the Accra-Keta Basin. The Tano Basin was strangely named West Cape Three Point Basin. It is interesting to note that the Voltaian Basin, which is still under exploratory stage, is called the Voltaian Basin. The name should be changed to Tano Basin or Nzema Oilfield to classify Nzema among areas where oil is produced to enable this rich resource area to attract investments.
We believe if Obuasi Goldfield, which is now AngloGold, was once called Obuasi Goldfield, then West Cape Three Point should be changed and called Nzema Oil. Adamus Gold Mines should bear the name Nkroful or Nzema Goldfield like the Chirano Gold Mines and Tarkwa Gold Mines; all these can promote accelerated economic development and improve the living standard of the Nzemas.
This blatant disregard for the Nzema tradition and culture and disrespect for our traditional authority should stop with the utmost immediacy. The oil find in the Nzema state should be a catalyst for accelerated development in the area. Period.
The Nzema Youth in the Diaspora
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AG’s Department advised Godfred Dame to drop charges against Dr. Johnson Asiama – Dominic Ayine reveals

The Attorney General, Dr. Dominic Ayine has revealed that an internal memo prepared by the Prosecutions Division of the Attorney General’s (AG) Department before he assumed office recommended that criminal charges against the current Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Johnson Asiama be dropped.
Dr. Ayine disclosed that even though the advice was offered to his predecessor, he refused to heed to the counsel and rather pursued the case in court.
“This was the advice from the Prosecutions Division of the Attorney General’s Department to the former Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, which recommended that the charges should be dropped”, Dr. Ayine said.
“Based on these revelations it was difficult for me to press ahead with the prosecution of the current Governor of the Bank of Ghana and that is why I dropped all the charges against him,” he said explaining reasons behind the decision to discontinue the case.
Dr. Dominic Ayine disclosed this at a news conference in Accra to update the public on reasons for filing nolle prosequi for a number of court cases involving high profile members of the of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.
“In coming to this decision, I am fortified by the Rule 40(2)(a) of the Legal Profession (Professional Conduct and Etiquette) Rules, 2020 (L.I. 2423) which provides that, in a criminal case, a prosecutor shall refrain from prosecuting a charge that the prosecutor knows is not supported by the facts”
Background
Government in 2020, began the prosecution of Dr. Johnson Asiama, who was then the Second Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, along other accused persons on fraudulent breach of trust, money laundering, conspiracy to commit crime, and violations of the Bank of Ghana Act.
For Dr. Asiama, he was charged with contravention of the Bank of Ghana Act for granting a facility of 300 million cedis to Universal Merchant Bank and for causing financial loss to the state in the sum of 150million cedis.
Charge of financial loss
In reaction to this, Dr. Ayine said the state was not pursuing a charge of financial loss again since 300 million cedis have been recovered, leaving the 150 million cedis outstanding.
I did not see the need to pursue the case. Evidence adduced so far fell significantly short of what was required to convict the accused. I therefore find it interesting that the state pressed ahead with prosecution, which I consider as a total waste of time”, he said.
Dr. Ayine pointed out that charges against some other people have not been dropped.
“I have not yet dropped the charges against the remaining accused persons because I am currently in discussions with the receivers in order to understand the financial implications of any decision I may take in these cases,” he concluded.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
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Dzifa Gomashie launches three-day consultative meeting of ECOWAS Member States on copyright under AfCFTA

The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie (M.P), on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, launched the three-day Consultative Meeting of ECOWAS Member States for a Coordinated Response to Copyright Issues in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Since January 1, 2021, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has brought together 54 countries of the continent and seeks to bring all member States of the African Union (AU) by bringing together key institutions as the common market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC) the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), the Southern Economic Community of Central Africa States (ECCAS), the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), the Arab Maghreb Union and the Community of Sahel-Saharan States.
The objective of this meeting was to provide a coordinated response to the consideration of copyright issues in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) while taking into account the national legislation of ECOWAS member countries.
In her opening remarks, the Minister for Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts emphasised that Ghana recognizes the immense potential of AfCFTA to stimulate economic growth, promote innovation, and foster cultural exchange across the African continent. Realizing these potential hinges on the establishment of a robust and harmonized intellectual property rights framework, with copyright at its core.
She urged the ECOWAS Member States to have a shared responsibility in ensuring that the National copyright laws align with international standards while reflecting the unique needs and circumstances of our region.
She was optimistic that, the consultation meeting would provide a valuable platform for member states to engage in open dialogue, exchange best practices, and identify areas of convergence in our respective legal frameworks.
The Minister further enumerated some key issues that attention should be paid to in the formulation of the legal framework or reference point when it comes to Intellectual property (IP).
i) The scope of copyright protection.
ii) Enforcement mechanisms
iii) Collective management organization
iv) Exceptions and limitations
v) Cross-border cooperation
Concluding her remarks, Abla Dzifa Gomashie encouraged Member States to seize the opportunity to work together towards a future where creativity is celebrated, innovation is rewarded, and the cultural wealth of our region is safeguarded for generations yet to come.