The United Nations has strongly condemned the recent attack on Ghanaian troops stationed in Southern Lebanon.

In a statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, the organisation expressed deep concern over the incident, describing the assault as “ferocious” and reaffirming its commitment to the safety of UN peacekeepers.

The statement highlighted the UN’s solidarity with the Ghana Armed Forces, whose personnel were reportedly targeted while serving under the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). It further called on all parties in the region to exercise restraint and respect international law, particularly the protection of peacekeeping forces.

The Secretary-General reiterated that attacks on UN personnel are unacceptable and stressed the importance of ensuring the safety and security of troops deployed on international peacekeeping missions.

The UN’s condemnation follows reports that Ghanaian soldiers were injured during the attack, prompting urgent calls for an investigation and accountability.

The Cyber Vetting and Enforcement Team under the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) has arrested a 23-year-old student, Nhyira Papa Kojo Egyir Hayford, for allegedly publishing obscene material online, contrary to Section 280 of the Criminal and Other Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).

According to the Police, the team came across intimate videos involving the suspect while conducting routine cyber patrol on Friday, February 27, 2026. The videos, which had gone viral on social media, were reportedly posted on a public Snapchat account with the username @biggforddd123.Investigators say the recordings involved multiple women and were filmed between 2023 and January 26, 2026.

The suspect was subsequently invited by the Police for questioning, during which he admitted to posting the videos on Wednesday, February 25, 2026. He told investigators that the posts were in response to a TikTok challenge known as “Anti Shakira’s.”

He also admitted recording another sex video in 2023, which he claimed to have sold to an American woman identified as Naya for $600, an amount he said was equivalent to about GH¢6,500 at the time.One of the women featured in the videos, identified as Portia Ampofo, was also invited by the Police to assist with investigations.

Following preliminary investigations, the suspect was handed over to the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters for further inquiries.
Police said the suspect was later granted enquiry bail on Thursday night as investigations continue.

The Police have meanwhile cautioned the public against posting obscene and related materials online, stressing that such acts are criminal offences under the laws of Ghana.
They added that law enforcement agencies will continue to monitor online platforms to ensure the internet remains safe for all Ghanaians.

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President John Dramani Mahama has renewed his call for discipline in national life while reaffirming his administration’s commitment to intensifying the fight against corruption.

Speaking at Ghana’s 69th Independence Day celebration held under the theme “Building Prosperity, Inspiring Hope,” the President warned that corruption continues to deprive the country of critical resources needed for development.

The national event, attended by past and present statesmen, parliamentarians, members of the diplomatic corps and other dignitaries, was marked by military drills and poetry recitals commemorating Ghana’s independence from British colonial rule in 1957.

Addressing the gathering, Mahama said the misuse of public funds has direct consequences on citizens’ lives.

“Every cedi that is stolen from the public purse represents a classroom robbed of textbooks, a hospital that will go without medicines, a road that will remain uncompleted and a young graduate who will be denied opportunity,” he said.

According to the President, his administration is strengthening institutions and safeguarding anti-corruption agencies from political interference to ensure accountability.

“Under my leadership, we are not just fighting corruption with words alone. We are strengthening institutions, protecting anti-corruption agencies from political interference and ensuring that no individual, regardless of their status or party, is above the law,” he stated.

However, Mahama stressed that government alone cannot win the battle against corruption without the support of citizens.

He called for the cultivation of a national culture of integrity where honesty is valued and public service is regarded as a sacred responsibility.

“Independence granted us freedom, but freedom demands responsibility,” he said.

The President emphasised the need to restore discipline across all aspects of national life, including the management of public resources and adherence to the rule of law.

“We need to re-establish discipline in our national life — discipline in how we manage public resources, discipline in adhering to the law and discipline in how we treat one another in public life,” he said.

Mahama also urged citizens to demonstrate genuine patriotism through their everyday actions, noting that national development requires collective responsibility.

“True patriotism must be shown through our everyday actions — the citizen who protects public property, the public servant who treats every Ghanaian with respect and the entrepreneur who chooses to invest in Ghana’s future,” he said.

He further appealed to Ghanaians to place national interest above partisan, ethnic or personal considerations.

“Above all, we must place country above party, above tribe and above personal interest. Ghana is bigger than any one of us,” the President added.

Mahama also addressed the youth, acknowledging their aspirations and frustrations while urging them to combine the opportunities provided by modern technology with discipline, resilience and excellence.

“The future belongs to those who prepare for it,” he said, encouraging young people to harness digital tools for education, entrepreneurship and innovation.

The President also used the occasion to congratulate 52 students who received the Presidential Independence Day Awards earlier in the week and commended Keta Secondary Technical School for winning the 69th Independence Day Quiz Competition.

He further disclosed that he has assented to the 24-Hour Economy Authority Bill, describing it as a major economic reform aimed at boosting productivity and generating jobs across sectors such as manufacturing, logistics and transportation.

Mahama concluded by reiterating that discipline, integrity and national unity remain essential for building a prosperous Ghana.

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The Member of Parliament for Offinso South, Dr. Isaac Yaw Opoku, who also serves as the Ranking Member on the Parliamentary Committee for Food, Agriculture, and Cocoa Affairs, has criticised President John Dramani Mahama for failing to acknowledge Ghana’s rising food insecurity rate of 38.1% in his State of the Nation Address delivered to Parliament last week.

Contributing to the debate on the President’s address, presented in accordance with Article 67 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, the legislator said the address was “full of omissions,” particularly the absence of key data highlighting the worsening food situation in the country.

According to him, a recent report by the Ghana Statistical Service indicates that food insecurity in Ghana has risen to 38.1%, yet the President failed to make any reference to the troubling statistic in his address to the nation.

“Mr. Speaker, conspicuously missing was the recent report by the Ghana Statistical Service that food insecurity has risen to 38.1%. The President failed to recognise this,” he told the House.

He further cited a study by the Institute of Economic Affairs which indicates that 71% of Ghanaians are worried about rising food prices, arguing that the omission of such critical concerns from the national address paints an incomplete picture of the country’s economic realities.

Agriculture sector under scrutiny

The Offinso South lawmaker attributed the growing food crisis to what he described as poor support for the agriculture sector.Quoting figures from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture’s Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (2026–2029), he said the ministry had failed to meet several key production targets.

According to him, while the ministry targeted the procurement of 5,000 metric tonnes of maize seed, only 2,000 metric tonnes were procured—representing 40% of the target.Similarly, he said a target of 10,000 metric tonnes of rice seed resulted in the procurement of just 1,000 metric tonnes, representing 10% of the intended volume.

The situation with fertiliser, he added, was equally worrying.“Mr. Speaker, fertiliser procurement was targeted at 395,786 metric tonnes, but only 50,000 metric tonnes were procured, representing 12.6%,” he told Parliament.

He also noted that planned procurements for 45,000 litres of chemicals to control fall armyworm and 30,000 kilogrammes of biorational insecticide recorded zero purchases.

According to him, these failures stem largely from inadequate funding for the ministry.He claimed that by the end of the third quarter of 2025, only 16.9% of the ministry’s GH¢229 billion allocation had been released.

Rising food imports

The MP warned that the lack of investment in agriculture is forcing the country to depend heavily on imported food.He said Ghana’s food import bill exceeded $3 billion in 2025, a situation he believes is worsening the plight of local farmers.

“Every farmer today is suffering,” he said, adding that cashew farmers have also been hit by a 26% drop in prices.

Cocoa farmers in distress

Turning to the cocoa sector, Dr. Opoku said cocoa farmers are currently facing severe financial difficulties.He claimed that many cocoa farmers had not been paid for their produce since October, despite promises made by the government.

According to him, the government had pledged to pay GH¢6,000 per bag of cocoa, but the payments have not materialised.

He further alleged that the Ghana Cocoa Board owes licensed buying companies more than GH¢11 billion, a situation he believes is affecting payments to farmers.“If payments are made at the rate of GH¢1 million per month, it will take more than a year to clear the arrears owed to farmers,” he argued.

Questions over anti-corruption commitment

Mr. Opoku also questioned the government’s commitment to the fight against corruption.Although he welcomed the President’s proposal to introduce a Public Office Holders Code of Conduct Bill, he argued that Ghana already has sufficient anti-corruption laws.

“What we lack in this country is not laws, but the political will to enforce them,” he said.He further accused the government of shielding members of its own party from prosecution while allegedly targeting political opponents under the guise of fighting corruption.

“The evidence rather shows the President shielding members of his party who are involved in wrongdoing,” he claimed.

Mr. Opoku maintained that the government must demonstrate genuine commitment to addressing food insecurity, supporting farmers, and enforcing anti-corruption measures if it hopes to meet the expectations of Ghanaians.

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