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Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Amid Assam eviction drives, neighbouring states on guard against influx of ‘illegal immigrants'
With thousands in Assam displaced during the state government's recent spate of evictions, and with more planned, the Northeastern state's neighbours are on tenterhooks. Days after the Nagaland government referred to displaced people as 'illegal immigrants' and ordered 'heightened vigilance' on its border with Assam, Meghalaya and Manipur have now issued similar directions to check their influx. The Nagaland government's move was triggered by an upcoming eviction drive in Uriamghat of Assam's Golaghat district, which borders the state. 'In view of the ongoing eviction drive against the illegal immigrants undertaken by the government of Assam and to prevent possible influx of the displaced individuals to the state as consequence, all Deputy Commissioners are hereby directed to keep vigilance and take necessary measures to ensure the potential influx is kept in check, and law and order is maintained,' read the order issued by the National People's Party (NPP)-led Meghalaya government on Wednesday. Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Thursday met all District Collectors and senior officials, including the DGP and Chief Secretary, to 'strengthen vigilance and security' along the Assam border, to ensure there is no 'infiltration' into the state. 'There are certain vulnerable districts, especially bordering Assam and closer to areas where the eviction drives are going on. Hence, special attention is being given in those districts … We have been informed that no incident has taken place in any of these districts. All the district administrations, police, Village Defence Parties (VDPs), village-level committees, traditional heads and NGOs are being kept in the loop to ensure information regarding movement or individuals is communicated to us and appropriate action is taken,' Sangma said after the meeting. On Wednesday, Manipur, which is currently under President's Rule, issued a similar order, but without explicitly mentioning the eviction drives in Assam. In the order, the Manipur administration directed all District Collectors and Superintendents of Police to ensure vigil at inter-state and inter-district boundaries to 'prevent anyone from crossing into the state's boundaries illegally'. Over the past two months, more than 3,300 families, mostly Muslims of Bengali origin, have been evicted from forest, grazing and government revenue lands in Assam. While the political narrative around the eviction drives is seen as polarising, with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claiming they were being undertaken to mainly stem 'demographic invasion by people of one religion', the crackdowns are against encroachment and not against 'illegal immigrants' as the orders by the Manipur and Meghalaya dispensations suggest. Nagaland Deputy CM Y Patton said the state would deploy additional forces in all areas bordering Assam, while the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Niuland district, which borders Assam, claimed to have sent back evicted illegal immigrants who were intercepted in '200 vehicles on Tuesday'. The state has an Inner Line Permit (ILP) regime that mandates that citizens who do not belong to Nagaland must procure an official travel document issued by the state government to visit or stay. In another bordering district, Mon, the Konyak Students Union has stepped in. 'We are cooperating with the district administration and deploying 100 volunteers from each village to maintain a round-the-clock vigil. We are checking for documentation such as Aadhaar card and ILP for every vehicle entering from Assam,' KSU president Temwang Anagh told The Indian Express.
Al-Ahram Weekly
12-07-2025
- Business
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Dabaa: A flagship national project - Features - Al-Ahram Weekly
Egypt and Russia are working closely together to construct the Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant, a major national project. During his participation in the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of Victory Day in the Russian capital Moscow last month, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to discuss relations between the two countries. According to Presidential Spokesman Mohamed Al-Shennawi, a large part of the discussion highlighted the significant progress being made in the construction of the Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in the northwest of Egypt, a project being developed in cooperation with Russia. 'The two leaders stressed that the Dabaa project is the cornerstone of the strategic relationship between the two countries,' Al-Shennawi said. President El-Sisi emphasised the importance of implementing the Dabaa project on schedule, considering it to be the largest Russian-Egyptian cooperation project since the Aswan High Dam in the 1960s. For his part, President Putin said that the Dabaa project will significantly contribute to developing the Egyptian economy, strengthen the country's energy base, and demonstrate Russia's advanced nuclear technology. El-Sisi and Putin's discussion of the Dabaa project came while senior Egyptian and Russian officials have been holding intensive meetings in Moscow and Cairo in recent weeks to ensure the project goes as planned. In Moscow two months ago, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mahmoud Esmat met with Alexey Likhachev, director-general of Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation, Rosatom, which is constructing the Dabaa NPP. El-Sisi met this week with Likhachev in Alamein city. The meeting, the presidential spokesman said, meant at signing an agreement between Egypt and Russia on the building of the Dabaa NPP and related civil defence mechansims, as well as deals on electricty generation. Esmat said the construction of the Dabaa project is moving at a steady pace and that there is close coordination between Egyptian and Russian officials and technicians to ensure it goes according to the predetermined schedule and guarantee the success of Egypt's first nuclear power station. According to a statement from the Electricity Ministry, Esmat's meeting with Likhachev reflected the continuous coordination and strong cooperation between the Egyptian and Russian teams, aimed at achieving shared objectives. 'It aligns with Egypt's national strategy to develop the nuclear energy sector as a cornerstone of its Vision 2030 and broader development agenda, focusing on sustainable and clean energy sources,' the statement said. Esmat reaffirmed that the Dabaa project enjoyed consistent support from Egypt's political leadership, as it would contribute to meeting the country's rising demand for clean electricity, enhance energy security, and support national development goals. He highlighted that the project exemplifies the deep-rooted strategic partnership between Egypt and Russia and serves as a major component of Egypt's peaceful nuclear energy programme. More than 20 per cent of the Dabaa project has been completed so far, he added. The statement indicated that the meeting between Esmat and Likhachev addressed preparations for the delivery and integration of key electrical equipment, including major transformers, into the national grid. Emphasis was also placed on intensifying training programmes to prepare qualified personnel for the plant's operation, alongside measures to accelerate the project's execution. The meeting also covered the progress achieved in engineering, technical, and administrative areas and in capacity-building, with both sides confirming that work is proceeding on schedule and stressing the importance of maintaining regular joint meetings and mutual visits to monitor developments. The minister underlined the importance of diversified energy sources and clean, renewable power to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions. He emphasised the state's focus on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy as part of a comprehensive strategy for sustainable development and improved energy infrastructure. 'The supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA] was a necessary step before we began the actual construction of the first reactor on the ground,' he said. Likhachev hailed the Dabaa project as the 'flagship of Egyptian-Russian cooperation'. 'This project will help to increase Egypt's GDP by more than one per cent,' Likhachev said, noting that 'over 16,000 workers are working every day on the construction of the Dabaa plant.' He indicated that Rosatom has partnered with over 90 companies from Egypt for the construction of the plant, with 285 contracts worth over $1.2 billion. Likhachev also indicated that the ongoing construction of the plant means that Egypt has joined the world's nuclear club. 'The construction of this plant will allow Egypt to reach a new level of technology and industrial and educational development. The plant will be the largest project of Russian nuclear cooperation in Africa and the largest in Egypt since the giant Aswan High Dam project,' he said. 'Having their own nuclear energy industry has been a dream for the Egyptian people for more than half a century, and it is a great honour for Rosatom to make this dream come true.' Sherif Helmi, chair of Egypt's Nuclear Power Plants Authority, the owner and operator of the Dabaa NPP, also held an important meeting last month with Andrey Petrov, president of the Russian Company Atomstroyexport, the general contractor for the Dabaa NPP. The meeting, attended by senior Egyptian and Russian officials overseeing the Dabaa NPP, discussed the latest developments and progress in this vital strategic project. The discussion focused on the importance of enhancing joint coordination and monitoring the progress of work to ensure its implementation according to the specified timetables. During the meeting, the two sides reviewed in detail progress on the various engineering, technical, and administrative aspects of the project in addition to reviewing future plans and targets for achieving its main phases. Helmi and Petrov affirmed their joint commitment to completing all the work within the scheduled deadlines and emphasised the need to enhance close cooperation and overcome any obstacles to ensure efficient and effective progress. THE DABAA PLANT: The Dabaa NPP is under construction in the Matrouh governorate on the Mediterranean coast 170 km west of Alexandria and 320 km northwest of Cairo. Rosatom is the developer of the $30 billion nuclear power plant, which will be owned and operated by Egypt's Nuclear Power Plants Authority (NPPA). Dabaa is Rosatom's first major nuclear power project in Africa. It will comprise four pressurised water reactors (PWRs) with a total capacity of 4800 MW, which is expected to account for up to 10 per cent of Egypt's power generation capacity. Approval for the plant was obtained from the Egyptian Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority (ENRRA) in March 2019, while the construction permit for the first unit of the plant was issued in June 2022. Rosatom started the construction of units one and two in July and November 2022, followed by the pouring of the first concrete for unit three in May 2023. In January 2024, Al-Sisi and Putin joined together via video conference to watch the pouring of the first concrete for the foundation of the fourth and final power unit of the Dabaa project. El-Sisi said 'this is a historic moment that will forever remain engraved in the history and memory of our nation.' He hailed the project as bearing witness to strong Egyptian-Russia cooperation and an additional milestone to those already achieved throughout history. El-Sisi said the Dabaa plant is progressing at a faster pace than planned, reflecting the importance that the Egyptian state attaches to the energy sector as a fundamental driver of economic growth. The four nuclear reactors at the plant are capable of producing 1200 MW each. They use the innovative GEN III+ design, standard technology used today in generating nuclear power around the world. The first unit is expected to begin commercial operations in 2026, while the commissioning of the remaining three reactors is scheduled for 2029. The Dabaa plant will meet the highest safety standards in compliance with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regulations. The plant will be able to withstand earthquakes of up to an intensity of 9 on the Richter Scale, airplane crashes, explosions, and even tsunamis. Helmi indicated that 'the design lifetime of the plant will be 60 years.' It is expected to generate up to 37 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, meeting around 10 per cent of Egypt's total electricity demand. Plans to construct a nuclear power plant in Egypt were first proposed in 1954, but at the time the country lacked the financial resources necessary to turn this dream into reality. In 1956, Egypt decided to establish the Inshas Nuclear Research Reactor, which was imported from Russia for use in research and studies. This was a Light Water Tank (WWR) type reactor (Light Water Neutron Cooling and Moderation) with a capacity of 2 Megawatts, including an initial fuel load of 3.2 kg of 10 per cent enriched U235 uranium. The reactor is owned and operated by the Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority (EAEA), headquartered at the Nuclear Research Centre in Inshas some 40 km northeast of Cairo. The Inshas project came in response to Israel's decision to build a nuclear complex — the Dimona project — in cooperation with France in the mid-1950s. In 1983, Egypt began to revive its nuclear power programme, and the Dabaa site on the Mediterranean coast was selected to host the first nuclear plant. The plan was aborted following the 1986 Chernobyl accident in Ukraine, however. In April 2013, Egypt approached Russia to renew its nuclear cooperation agreement, focusing on the construction of a nuclear power plant at Dabaa. In February 2015, a further agreement was signed between Rosatom and the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy, in which they 'agreed to launch detailed discussions on the prospective project'. At that time, President Putin visited Egypt and he and President El-Sisi signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on nuclear power. 'If the final decisions are made, they will relate not only to the construction of a nuclear power plant, but also to the creation of a whole new nuclear power industry in Egypt,' Putin said at a press conference in Cairo. According to reports, the Dabaa NPP will cost around $30 billion. It is being financed through a $25 billion loan extended by Russia to Egypt under a financing agreement signed between the Ministry of Finance of Egypt and the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation. In November 2015, an intergovernmental agreement was signed with Russia to build and operate the four reactors, including fuel supply, used fuel, training and the development of regulatory infrastructure. A financing agreement for a Russian state export loan was signed, covering 85 per cent of the cost, with repayments to be made over 22 years in 43 equal semi-annual installments (the first installment is due on 15 October 2029). Egypt can repay Russia in either US dollars or in Egyptian pounds and will pay an interest rate of three per cent. Putin has recently approved an amendment to the Dabaa NPP loan that allows Egypt to pay the installments in Russian rubles instead of the currencies agreed on in the original agreement. In May 2017, the gannounced that the loan was for $25 billion and would cover 85 per cent of the cost of the four 1200 MW units, with Egypt committed to raising the remaining 15 per cent ($5 billion) for construction costs, the import of specialised equipment, and technical and managerial expertise. The Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy stated in 2020 that 'Egypt will pay its 15 per cent of the costs by selling the energy generated from the nuclear reactors at the plant.' 'This project will not be costing Egypt anything' as a result, said Egypt's former electricity minister Mohamed Shakir, noting that the price of electricity produced by nuclear power is much lower than that produced by natural gas. In April 2019, the NPPA received approval for the Dabaa site from the Egyptian Nuclear Regulation and Radiological Authority (ENRRA). In December 2019, the NPPA signed a further contract with engineering company Worley Ltd to serve as a consultant for the Dabaa project to 2030, providing technical support for the NPPA's design review, project management, procurement, construction management, training, procedure development, quality assurance, and the commissioning of the plant. The Covid-19 pandemic in February 2021 led to the slowing down of the implementation of the Dabaa project. In July 2022, however, work resumed at full capacity and construction permits from ENRRA for units one and two were issued. In March and August 2023, ENRRA issued a construction licence for units three and four. The first concrete for unit four was poured in January 2024. * A version of this article appears in print in the 10 July, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
BBC News
10-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Why controversial Ablekuma north dey do rerun elections six months after di December 2024 vote for Ghana
All eyes go dey for one constituency for Accra - di Ablekuma North constituency on Friday 11 July 2025 as di electoral commission for Ghana organize election rerun for dia. Di kontri election management body announce say dem go do rerun for di polls for 19 out of di 281 polling centres sake of dem no fit authenticate di results for dis places. According to di commission, both di goment party di national democratic congress (NDC) and di opposition new patriotic party (NPP) no gree for di results of plenty polling centres during di collation. Di goment party NDC tok say di electoral commission gatz do rerun di vote for 37 polling centres sake of result sheets wia di EC bin use for collation, na scanned copies wia di opposition NPP don present. Di NPP also tok say di goment NDC agents bin verify those scanned copies dem present wey dem carry collate di votes afta di election. Na so di only centres wey dey outstanding na 3, wia di electoral commission gat to collate and declare di winner. But di electoral commission inside one statement on 2 July tok say dem go return di vote for 19 out of di 37 centres. "Di commission bin arrive at dis decision sake of di 19 scanned copies of di result sheet wia dem use for di first collation, no dey verified by di presiding officers for those polling stations." Di commission add say "for some 18 polling centres, our presiding officers don verify wia dem confam results on top di NPP scanned sheets, wia di agents of di candidates all verify dem also." So for those polling stations "we no go rerun di elections for dia." Since di commission announce di 11 July rerun of di elections for Ablekuma north, di goment NDC bin dey campaign for dia to ensure say dem go win di seat to add to dia 188 seats for parliament. Opposition disagree wit electoral commission rerun Di NPP candidate for di 2024 election Akua Afriyie say na she bin win dat elections wit ova 400 votes. During di kasala afta di elections, dem bin go to court wia di court tok say make di electoral commission collate di rest of di results at dat time and declare di winner. But every time di EC go try to gather diaserf to collate di results, chaos go breakout and dem go suspend di process. For one press conference afta di electoral commission announce say dem go rerun di vote, tok tok pesin for di party Justin Kodua tok say "di NPP go boycott dis election rerun." Im argue say dia candiate already bin win di votes wia if di commission go according to di court order wia dem collate di votes, dia candiate Akua Afriyie go win. In fact, di party don enta di high court again afta di electoral commission bin announce di 11 July rerun. Di NPP bin dey ask di court to stop di election rerun for Friday for 10 days until di court go settle on top dia substantive mata. But di high court don dismiss di injunction application by di NPP candiate Akua Afiyie. Dat decision mean say di 11 July election rerun go happun. Di party executives bin tok dia members say make dem boycott di polls. Dem also describe di electoral commission boss and her deputies say dem dey incompetent wit di way dem handle di constituency election kasala. "Wetin di electoral commission don dey do na contempt of court. Di EC gat plenty questions to answer, dia u-turn for dia mata no dey make sense." Im also add say "dis na shame for di EC but for us in di NPP we sabi say our candidate bin win di election wit 414 votes." But for one sharp twist, di candidate herself Akua Afriyie don tok say she go contest for vote, contrary to wetin her party executives bin tok. Already di NDC candidate Ewurabena Aubyn and her party pipo bin dey di constituency to campaign for votes ahead of di Friday 11 July election. Dis two women go try one more time to see if di pipo of Ablekuma North go vote for dem to win or not. Di electoral commission say dem dey ready to organize di polls on Friday wit support of di security agencies. Chaos happun afta di voting, angry supporters burn electoral materials Afta di elections on 7 December for di Ablekuma north constituency, kasala don happun. Thugs wey pipo sabi as angry party supporters bin storm di collation center wia dem attack EC officers. Dem destroy di result sheets of di officers wia dem carry some of di ballot boxes away. Na so many of di presiding officers don lose dia result sheets. In fact, one basic school wey dey close to di collation center wia dem keep di ballot boxes and oda materials bin catch fire. Di fire don scata di electoral materials and all di ballot boxes wia fit serve as reference for some of di vote tally for some polling stations. Normally afta di electoral officer supervise di counting and collation of di vote, dem dey record di figures on top one result sheet (pink sheet). Di sheet gat carbon copies na so dem go give one to di agents of di candidates wey bin stand for dat election. Dis agents go sign on top di result sheet if dem all gree say di results be verified For di case wia di electoral commission no get dia own original copy of di tally sheet, dem fit rely for di carbon copies from di agents. But for dis instance, di goment party NDC say dem gat dia carbon copies of di results wia di NPP bin submit scanned documents, wia di NDC don reject. Di NDC tok say dem no fit verify di figures on top di NPP scanned documents, na so dem call for rerun of di vote. Six months na long time for pipo of one constituency to dey without lawmaker sake of di kasala wey happun for there. Governance pipo say dis kind tin no be good for di kontris democracy and image . For 2020, di electoral commission prevent Santrokofi, Akpafu, Lolobi and Likpe (SALL) pipo from voting during di general elections. As a result, di pipo of SALL neva get representative for parliament for 4 years. Pipo carry di mata go di Supreme Court but till now di apex court neva finish di mata (5 years later). President John Mahama during im campaign ahead of di 2024 elections describe di tin as "cardinal sin for di fourth Republic of Ghana." Sabi pipo say di denial of di SALL pipo dia representation for parliament go go down in history as crime wia di electoral commission don commit against di pipo. For di 2024 elections however di SALL pipo bin vote wia dem now gat representative for parliament. All eyes go dey for dat Ablekuma north constituency for di rerun of di 19 polling centres. Di polls go open by 7 AM (GMT) wey pipo wia gat vote for dat constituency gatz to cast dia ballot to settle dis confusion once a for all. Akua Afriyie or Ewurabena Aubyn? Na only time go tell BBC News pidgin for bring Una all di update from dat election on Friday 11 July 2025.
BBC News
07-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Who be di Ghanaian lawmaker Ernest Kumi wey die
One lawmaker for Ghana wey im name be Ernest Kumi don die afta im sick, im party confam. Di lawmaker of di opposition new patriotic party (NPP) dey represent di pipo of Akwatia for di Eastern region for parliament bifor im die. On Friday im appear on top local media networks for discussion on top morning shows. Di Eastern region branch of di NPP for one statement confam di death wia dem tok say "na heart-breaking news wey don shock di party." "We dey sad about dis news, di pipo of Akwatia and di NPP shock," oga Evans Osei Yeboah wey bin sign di statement tok. Di party for di region add say "Honourable Kumi na dedicated public servant wey dey committed to di development of Akwatia." "We extend our condolence to im immediate family , di chiefs and pipo of Akwatia constituency and di entire NPP across di kontri," di Eastern region tok tok pesin oga Evans Osei Yeboah bin write. Im death don shock pipo as di 40-year-old bin dey parliament on Friday for im work bifor di house adjourn sitting dat day. Na first time member of parliament wey win di controversial seat during di 2024 elections. Controversy bin dey about im parliamentary seat Oga Ernest Kumi bin win di 2024 parliamentary elections for di constituency but opposition party at dat time, di national democratic congress (NDC) tok say dem bin tiff dat election, allegedly. Di NDC tok day irregularities like vote-buying and rigging bin happun for di elections. Di electoral commission declare di results as Ernest Kumi - 19,269 votes wey im opponent , di NDC candidate oga Boakye Yiadom bin get 17,206 votes. But di NDC candidate bin challenge di results for di Koforidua high court wia dem file injunction say make dem no swear oga Ernest Kumi in as MP on January 6, 2025. Na so di court gree wia dem tok say make oga Kumi no hold imserf as MP for di area unless dem determine di substantive case. But during di swearing in ceremony for di new MPs on di night of 6 January 2025, oga Ernest Kumi don enta parliament for di swearing-in. Even tho di clerk bin read one statement on di floor of di house say dem receive court documents say make dem no swear am in, oga Ernest Kumi still dey di chamber wey im recite di oath of office as MP. Na so di high court for Koforidua bin cite oga Ernest Kumi for contempt of court. Throughout di contempt proceedings oga Kumi no attend di sittings, na so di court now issue bench warrant to arrest am. Later, im party di NPP bin write to di court say im no dey available for di court sittings sake of im gatz parliamentary duties, but di court bin reject dat excuse. Lawyers for di MP now enta Supreme Court to challenge di contempt conviction wia dem win. Di Supreme Court for majority 4-1 decision bin quash di contempt conviction of di high court for Koforidua. But di Supreme Court no gree to dismiss di opposition NDC election petition against di results for dat constitution. Di substantive petition case still bin dey bifor di Koforidua high court bifor oga Ernest Kumi don die on 7 July 2025. "Wit dis development, as im don die, di legal matter wia be di election petition wia im dey involved, don end," one private legal practitioner Denis Pwaberi Wedam don tok di BBC. Wetin go happun next For di Ghana electoral laws, if lawmaker die while im dey for parliament, dem gatz to hold bye-election for di constituency. Di party wia di decreased pesin dey represent, go president anoda candidate for dat by-election. Until 2020, four wives of MPs wey die while dem dey parliament don succeed dia husbands. Madama Akanvariba Lydia Lamisi bin enta parliament to succeed her husband David Adakudugu wia bin die on 20 September 2019 afta im fall sick. Since dem she bin win di subsequent elections for 2020 and 2024 to remain for parliament as di MP for Tempane constituency. She dey appointed by President John Mahama now, as minister of state for Public sector reforms. Bifor her, madam Linda Ocloo wia be wife of MP for Shai Osudoku constituency (Desmond William Ocloo) don succeed her husband afta im die for car crash in March 2016. She don win di 2020 and 2024 elections wia she di current president don appoint her as minister for di Greater Accra region. Anoda wife of MP wey die, Lydia Alhassan, don succeed her husband Kyerematen Agyarko wey die as im be MP for Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency. Madam Lydia bin serve di remaining term of office for her husband from 2018 to 2020 bifor she stand elections for 2020 to win di elections for dat constituency. Later for di former government of Nana Akuffo-Addo, dem appoint her minister for sanitation. But for di 2024 elections she bin lose to actor John Dumelo wey don dey represent di pipo of Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency. Di oda woman wey succeed her late husband for parliament na madam Ophelia Hayford wey be police officer. Her husband been die for one robbery aattack when im dey return from campaign. Di NPP now nominate her to replace her late husband for di 2020 elections wia she win am. She bin dey represent di pipo of Mfamtsiman for di central region since den; she also win di 2024 elections to remain for parliament. E no dey clear at dis stage whether im wife go dey interested to succeed her late husband as MP for di Akwatia constituency. If she gree to inherit di seat by her husband, di party (NPP) go nominate her to contest for di by-election wit oda parties. If she win, den she go represent di pipo of Akwatia for parliament but if di party decide to select anoda candidate for di by-election, na dat pesin go be di MP for di area if im win di by-election. Profile of di late Ernest Kumi Ernest Kumi bin comot Akim Wenchi, wia dem born am for Wednesday 5 December 1984. Im be Christian wey dis na di first time im dey represent di pipo of Akwatia for parliament. Bifor im become politician wey win di parliamentary elections, im bin dey work as senior manager - securities and administration for American Tower corporation, according to official informate from di Ghana parliament. Bifor im death, im bin member on top di lands and natural resources committee for parliament. Di late MP Ernest Kumi gat LLB law degree from Mountcrest University college and MBA for corporate governance from di university of professional studies (UPSA).
Business Insider
01-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
70% of Ghanaians believe the country is on right track – Global Info Analytics Poll
A new national poll by Global InfoAnalytics has revealed a sharp increase in optimism among Ghanaians regarding the country's direction, with 70% of voters now expressing confidence that Ghana is on the right path. A recent poll shows increased optimism among Ghanaians regarding the country's direction. 70% of participants expressed confidence, up from 62% in the previous survey. The timing of the poll followed the President's address highlighting economic and governance achievements. This marks a notable rise from the 62% recorded in the April 2025 edition of the same survey. Pollster attributes shift to changing public sentiment The findings, released on 1 July 2025 by Mussa K. Dankwah, Pollster and Head of Research at Global InfoAnalytics, indicate a significant shift in national mood. Only 20% of respondents now believe Ghana is heading in the wrong direction, a marked improvement from April's 26%. The survey, conducted online between 10 and 20 May 2025, sampled 1,092 registered voters through a probability random sampling method. The results carry a 99% confidence level with a margin of error of ±3.82%. One of the key insights from the data is the widespread optimism across almost all regions. Every region, with the exception of the Ashanti Region, showed a majority of respondents affirming that Ghana is headed in the right direction. The Ashanti Region, long viewed as a political stronghold of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), stood out as the only area where this sentiment was not shared. Positive economic indicators may be fuelling confidence The spike in optimism aligns with recent economic improvements. In May 2025, the Bank of Ghana reported a notable appreciation of the Ghanaian cedi against major currencies, which helped reduce inflationary pressures and lower the cost of imported goods and fuel. Additionally, Ghana registered a substantial current account surplus in the first quarter of 2025, buoyed by strong export performance in gold and cocoa. Provisional GDP growth for 2024 was projected at 5.7%, while both the IMF and African Development Bank forecast Ghana's 2025 growth between 4.0% and 4.5%. Presidential address may have influenced sentiment The timing of the poll may have contributed to the positive outlook. The survey period closely followed President John Dramani Mahama's 'First 120 Days in Office' address on 7 May 2025, during which he highlighted progress in economic recovery, governance reforms, and anti-corruption efforts. Although challenges remain, the consistent upward trend in public confidence tracked by Global InfoAnalytics suggests that Ghanaians are beginning to believe in a brighter economic future. For many, the worst may feel like it's behind them, with renewed hope that the nation is on a path toward long-term stability and prosperity.
