News
We shall take The Spectator to new heights – Editor
The new Editor of The Spectator, Mr Emmanuel Amponsah, says he will adopt an enterprising editorial culture to make it possible for the newspaper to appropriately inform, educate, entertain and inspire readers, so as to attract wider readership to rake in more revenue.
“The return to profitability to cope with the changing trends in the media landscape means The Spectator will be using creative and innovative approach to enhance consumer satisfaction experience, and loyalty,” he said.
Mr Amponsah was speaking on Monday in an interaction with the Editorial staff of this paper in Accra about what he plans to do to turn around the fortunes of the weekly newspaper.
He said in view of the thirst of people for quality news, and also their desire for exclusive stories, “there is the need to fill this vacuum in the newspaper to catch the eye of readers.”
The Editor said an aspect of life that was of great interest to readers, which The Spectator was going to aggressively pursue, was social-related matters in their various dimensions.
Amongst others, Mr Amponsah said the weekly newspaper would focus in-depth on the performance of various business entities in the country to catch the eye of readers.
“Dealing with business issues as well as highly social and human-interest stories will make The Spectator stand the chance of capturing the attention of a substantial number of readers and help rake in more revenue,” he said.
Mr Amponsah said that he intended making The Spectator venture big into digital/online media with in-depth analyses of credible news to capture more consumers, particularly the youth, who have acquired high taste for online news.
He noted that introducing attractive products and services would be of great interest to vendors, readers and other stakeholders, adding that, “with the needed support and cooperation from all of us, the sky will be the limit.”
Until his appointment, Mr Amponsah, who is a Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) graduate with more than 32 years experience in journalism, was the Deputy Editor of the Ghanaian Times, the flagship newspaper of the New Times Corporation (NTC).
Before assuming the role of Deputy Editor three years ago, Mr Amponsah was the Business Editor of the Ghanaian Times, where his job responsibilities involved selecting and analysing business and finance news for publication in the Ghanaian Times.
Prior to that, he was in charge of the Sports Desk of the Ghanaian Times and doubled as a columnist (The Watchdog) for the erstwhile Evening News.
A product of GIJ and Saint Thomas Aquinas Secondary School, both in Accra, Mr Amponsah’s areas of interest include sports, business/finance and environment.
He has attended a number of national and international conferences and tournaments, and written extensively on global and local events bordering on various fields of human endeavour.
The Board of the New Times Corporation (NTC) appointed him the new Editor of The Spectator, the weekly newspaper of the NTC on Monday, November 2, 2020.
He took over from Mrs Tina Aforo, who retired from the company in August, 2018.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
News
NPP condems arrest of Okatakyie Afrifa Mensah
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has condemned the arrest and detention of Okatakyie Afrifa Mensah by operatives of the National Security.
In a statement signed by the General Secretary, Justin Kodua noted that “This unlawful action by the marauding operatives of the National Security is the latest installment of the ongoing series of state-sponsored attacks on the media by the NDC government, in their desperate attempt to silence the media and curtail press freedom.”
According to the him, “The Party condemns in no uncertain terms this state-sponsored lawlessness and commends the many well-meaning Ghanaians who spoke loudly against this shameful conduct by the National Security. We also commend the young people and the team of lawyers who stormed the National Security Secretariat this evening to see to the release of the abducted journalist.”
“The NPP wishes to remind President Mahama and his government that the Ghana that was bequeathed to them on January 7, 2025, was a free country. It was the bastion of democracy, underpinned not only by the existence of functioning democratic institutions but also by our unflinching commitment to upholding press freedom as enshrined in Chapter 12 of the 1992 Constitution,” they added.
Read the full statement below
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 19, 2025
*NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY CONDEMNS THE UNLAWFUL ARREST OF VETERAN JOURNALIST, OKATAKYIE AFRIFA MENSAH BY NATIONAL SECURITY OPERATIVES*
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) condemns the unlawful arrest and detention by operatives of the National Security, of Okatakyie Afrifa Mensah, a veteran journalist, who has been critical of the John Mahama administration.
This unlawful action by the marauding operatives of the National Security is the latest installment of the ongoing series of state-sponsored attacks on the media by the NDC government, in their desperate attempt to silence the media and curtail press freedom.
The Party condemns in no uncertain terms this state-sponsored lawlessness and commends the many well-meaning Ghanaians who spoke loudly against this shameful conduct by the National Security. We also commend the young people and the team of lawyers who stormed the National Security Secretariat this evening to see to the release of the abducted journalist.
The NPP wishes to remind President Mahama and his government that the Ghana that was bequeathed to them on January 7, 2025, was a free country. It was the bastion of democracy, underpinned not only by the existence of functioning democratic institutions but also by our unflinching commitment to upholding press freedom as enshrined in Chapter 12 of the 1992 Constitution.
In line with this commitment, the country also went through the painstaking process of repealing the Criminal and Seditious Libel Law in 2001, a process that was spearheaded by the immediate past President, H.E Nana Addo Akufo-Addo, who was then the Attorney General of the Republic.
It is therefore completely repugnant and unacceptable for the John Mahama administration to be using State Security to intimidate political opponents as well as media personnel in a bid to silence all critical voices This, in fact, is an egregious affront to our democratic and constitutional tenets.
We call on the Ghana Journalist Association, the Media Foundation of West Africa, Civil Society Organizations, and all stakeholders to join us in demanding an immediate cessation of this tyranny and growing culture of state-sponsored attacks on the media.
Enough is enough.
…Signed…
JUSTIN KODUA FRIMPONG
GENERAL SECRETARY
News
We have built enough buffers to pay all DDEP obligations – Finance Minister Ato Forson
Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has assured banks that the government has built sufficient financial buffers to meet all Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) obligations this year.
Speaking at a high-level meeting with over 22 Managing Directors of banks, he reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fiscal responsibility and restoring confidence in the financial sector.
“We do not intend to default,” Dr. Forson declared.
“All outstanding holdouts have been paid, and we have put in place the necessary buffers to ensure that every single DDEP obligation for this year will be met.”
The Minister explained that these buffers were created through fiscal discipline, strategic investment cuts, and prudent resource allocation.
As part of this approach, the government has reset goods and services expenditure to 2023 levels and is working to achieve a primary surplus of 1.5% to sustain economic stability.
He also announced plans to submit a fiscal responsibility rule to Parliament, which will set a debt ceiling that the Ministry of Finance cannot exceed.
This measure aims to prevent excessive borrowing and reinforce financial discipline.
Beyond ensuring timely DDEP payments, Dr Forson revealed that the government is taking deliberate steps to reduce reliance on the Treasury bill market.
By improving coordination between fiscal and monetary policies, the government aims to stabilize interest rates and ease liquidity pressures on the banking sector.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
