The President, Vice-President and staff at the Presidency have collectively donated GH¢6.1 million to the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, also known as Mahacare, to support the Fund’s operations. …
… At the other end of the scale, Ministers and Government Officials were perceived as the least corrupt institution with a score of 4.54, followed by the Presidency at 4.84 and the Military at 4.90. …
… He pointed to his own election in 2021 as an example, saying the preference of the Presidency at the time did not determine the outcome of the vote. …
Former Presidential Legal Adviser Kow Essuman has challenged the Mahama administration to publish the Presidency’s 2024 staffing report, saying the government’s silence on the issue raises serious transparency concerns. …
Minister for Government Communications, Felix Ofosu Kwakye, has dismissed claims that staff salaries at the Presidency have increased under the current administration, describing the allegation as a “flat lie”. …
Presidential Staffer Beatrice Annan has defended the staffing levels at the Presidency under President John Dramani Mahama, insisting that the current administration remains committed to maintaining a lean government and safeguarding public resources. …
… The ministerial awards programme has attracted public attention in recent weeks, triggering debate on social media and drawing comments from the Presidency. …
… The controversy has prompted intervention from the Presidency, which has directed ministers, chief executives of state institutions and other political appointees not to accept or participate in awards organised by private entities without prior approval. …
… The controversy became so intense that the Presidency was compelled to distance itself from the awards, clarifying that it neither organised nor endorsed the event. …
… The controversy deepened after the Presidency distanced itself from the awards, stressing that the recognition was the work of a private organisation and not an official government assessment of ministerial performance. …
The President, Vice-President and staff at the Presidency have collectively donated GH¢6.1 million to the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (Mahacare), generated from six months of the President's salary, one month's salary contributions from presidential staff, and deductions from government appointees who missed asset declaration deadlines. The funds are intended to support the Trust Fund's operations and improve healthcare delivery nationwide.
Why it matters
President and Presidency staff donate GH¢6.1 million to Ghana Medical Trust Fund from salary contributions and late asset declaration penalties, supporting healthcare delivery nationwide.
The President, Vice-President and staff at the Presidency have collectively donated GH¢6.1 million to the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (Mahacare), generated from six months of the President's salary, one month's salary contributions from presidential staff, and deductions from government appointees who missed asset declaration deadlines. The funds are intended to support the Trust Fund's operations and improve healthcare delivery nationwide.
A June 2026 National Tracking Poll by Global InfoAnalytics found the Ghana Police Service scored 6.45 out of 10 on a corruption perception index, with the Immigration Service second at 5.69. While Police and Immigration scores improved slightly from previous waves, Business Executives recorded a worsening trend, and overall public optimism on anti-corruption declined from 56% to 54%.
Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has emphasised that he is not appointed by the President but elected by Members of Parliament, and therefore his primary loyalty is to the legislature and the nation rather than the Executive. He noted that although a President may express a preference during the Speaker's election, such views are not binding on Parliament, citing his own 2021 election as an example.
Former Presidential Legal Adviser Kow Essuman has challenged the Mahama administration to publish the Presidency's 2024 staffing report, arguing that government silence raises transparency concerns and that Ghanaians are entitled to know whether the obligation to submit the report was fulfilled.
Government Communications Minister Felix Ofosu Kwakye has dismissed claims that staff salaries at the Presidency have increased, stating the current staff inherited the same salaries and conditions as their predecessors. He argued that once arrears owed to former Article 71 office holders are paid, the total wage bill will be lower due to reduced staff numbers, and that salaries were approved by Parliament on 6 January 2025 under the previous government.
Presidential Staffer Beatrice Annan has defended the Presidency's staffing of 808 employees (233 political appointees and 575 civil and public service personnel), arguing that the current administration remains committed to a lean government and that staffing strength under Mahama is lower than the previous NPP government.
Big Events Ghana founder Prince Mackay defended his organisation's reputation following public criticism of a recent ministerial awards scheme, asserting that the company has organised awards for 17 years and built a solid track record in Ghana's events industry.
Governance expert Prof. Baffour Agyemang-Duah has raised concerns about the increasing number of awards being presented to public officials by private organisations, arguing that democratic accountability and electoral judgment, rather than award schemes without transparent criteria, should be the true measure of their performance.
The founder of Big Events Ghana has defended honouring Greater Accra Regional Minister Linda Ocloo at the Ghana Ministers Awards, saying the decision was based on measurable performance during a defined assessment period (2025 to May 2026) rather than public sentiment over recent flooding incidents in Accra.
The founder of Big Events Ghana defended naming Greater Accra Regional Minister Linda Ocloo as the country's best-performing minister, arguing that the award was based on performance between 2025 and May 2026, before recent flooding incidents in Accra. The Presidency distanced itself from the recognition, stating it was a private organisation's assessment, not official government evaluation.
President John Dramani Mahama has directed all Ministers of State, Chief Executive Officers of State Institutions and other political appointees to obtain prior approval from the Office of the President before accepting awards from private organisations. The directive aims to protect public service integrity and address concerns about awards from entities with unclear credentials and assessment standards.
Metro Mass Transit Limited has clarified that 100 newly acquired 29-seater Isuzu buses inaugurated by the Vice President are intended for intercity services across Ghana, not for intra-city operations in Accra. The procurement is part of a strategic initiative supported by the Presidency and Ministry of Transport to expand the state-owned company's capacity.
President Mahama has said the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill faces unresolved questions over parliamentary quorum and legislative procedure that must be addressed before he can consider assenting to it. He noted the Speaker is working to address these concerns, and the bill will undergo legal review by the Attorney General and Presidency counsel once formally transmitted.
Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, Minority Leader in Parliament, has accused senior NDC government figures of abandoning governance to position themselves for the 2028 presidential succession race, claiming the competition is distracting ministers from addressing pressing national crises and worsening economic hardships. He cited concerns raised even by the President's Executive Secretary about the early succession campaign.
President Mahama has praised Yaa Naa Abukari and the Northern Regional House of Chiefs for their role in achieving and maintaining peace in Dagbon, calling it a model example of conflict resolution through traditional authority, state leadership, and community cooperation.
The Administrator of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund has called on Ghanaians, corporate institutions, and development partners to support expansion of specialised healthcare access across the country. The Fund aims to establish at least three comprehensive cancer centres with advanced diagnostic and treatment facilities, and currently Ghana has only three radiotherapy machines in the public and private sectors.
Ghana's High Commission has advised Ghanaians in Pretoria to exercise caution ahead of demonstrations planned for April 28 by the March Organisation over immigration grievances, urging residents to avoid protest areas, shop owners to close temporarily, and community members to avoid social media content that could be perceived as inflammatory.