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Security intercepts 53 parcels of smuggled ‘wee’ in Ketu South
The security agencies in the Ketu South Municipality in the Volta Region have foiled another attempt by the notorious cross-border drug cartel there to cross into Togo with a huge consignment of dried leaves suspected be to marijuana, otherwise known as ‘wee’.
This time, three men who were spotted with a sack, by a joint team of personnel from the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority and the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) on a routine patrol exercise last Saturday at Beat 6 of the Ghana-Togo border fled, leaving behind the maxi sack containing the stuff, as the security personnel closed in on them.
The abandoned sack which was taken to the Aflao Sector Command of the GIS was found to contain 53 parcels of the dried leaves, weighing 22,683.3 grammes in total.
This comes barely 48 hours after 31 parcels of cannabis were left behind by four fleeing members of the cartel, at the Beat 11 border enclave near Aflao.
In both instances, the couriers were trying to enter Togo through unapproved routes when the security personnel pursued them.
In the earlier incident, it was established that two of the suspects were Togolese.
The officer in-charge of the Public Affairs Unit of the GIS in the Volta Region, Assistant Inspector Felix Klu-Adjei disclosed these to the Ghanaian Times in Ho yesterday.
He said that a manhunt for all the seven suspects was underway.
Meanwhile, he said that the parcels of dried leaves had been handed over to the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) for further investigations.
FROM ALBERTO MARIO NORETTI, HO
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GEXIM deepens relations with US EXIM Bank
A management team of the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) led by the Acting Chief Executive, Sylvester Mensah met with the leadership of the Export–Import Bank of the United States (US EXIM) on Wednesday April 23, 2025 in Washington DC, United States of America.
The Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM, Mr. James C. Cruse and Vice President, International Relations, Ms. Isabel Galdiz received the GEXIM delegation, which included Deputy CEO for Banking, Mr. Moses Klu Mensah and Head of International Cooperation, Mr. Jonathan Christopher Koney at the headquarters of US EXIM.
The meeting offered the GEXIM team the opportunity to share the strategic direction of the Bank in line with the resetting agenda of the President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama for the repositioning of the Ghanaian economy into an export-led one by providing the requisite investment to Ghanaian businesses.
Mr. James C. Cruse expressed US EXIM’s eagerness to deepen its existing relations with GEXIM and proposed the signing of a new Cooperative Framework Agreement following the expiration of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2019 to utilize US EXIM’s medium term loan guarantees to procure machinery by GEXIM for qualified Ghanaian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
Mr.Sylvester Mensah thanked the Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM for hosting the GEXIM delegation and reaffirmed the Ghanaian government’s commitment to strengthening trade and investment between Ghana and its global partners for economic transformation of Ghana with GEXIM playing a pivotal role.
The two teams will be meeting on the sidelines of the 2025 US EXIM Annual Conference on 29th and April 30, 2025 to explore possible areas of collaboration and matching Ghanaian businesses to American companies. The meeting ended with an exchange of gifts.
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Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation –Pres.Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has expressed concern over the misuse of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) for personal financial gain by individuals in leadership positions.
Speaking during a meeting with Chief Executives of specified entities under the State Interest and Governance Authority (SIGA) on Thursday, March 13, the President directly attributed the dire state of SOEs to their leadership, accusing chief executives, management teams, and governing boards of prioritising personal enrichment over organisational efficiency.
He pointed to bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures as factors draining public funds while SOEs continue to rely on government bailouts.
“Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation by appointees. The chief executives, management, and boards of these enterprises are responsible for this situation. Some SOEs have become perennial loss-makers, draining public funds with bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures while relying on government bailouts as if entitled to them. Many of these entities are at their lowest point in the entire history of the Fourth Republic,” he said.
President Mahama further noted that many SOEs have been plagued by inefficiencies, corruption, and mismanagement, leading to consistent financial losses. He cited the 2023 State Ownership Report by the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), which highlighted systemic inefficiencies and wasteful expenditures within these entities.
He therefore reaffirmed his commitment to reforming under-performing SOEs and ensuring they serve national interests.
He warned that loss-making SOEs will no longer be tolerated and will either be merged, privatised, or closed.
“I will assess you based on your performance. If you do not align with the pace of the reset agenda, you may be asked to step aside. If that adds to the horror movie, so be it,” he added.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
