*Johannesburg erupts in applause as Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings makes history in the Pan African Parliament chamber* The gavel had barely fallen before the room broke into a sustained ovation. By 131 to 51, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings has secured the role of 2nd Deputy President of the Pan African Parliament, becoming the first woman from the West African Caucus to hold the position since the institution was established in 2004. The 2nd Deputy President functions as the equivalent of a 2nd Deputy Speaker. In practice, that puts Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings on the Parliament’s presiding bureau alongside the President and two other deputies. She will help set the legislative agenda, chair sessions when the President is absent, and oversee committee coordination across the 55 African Union member states represented in Midrand, Johannesburg. The position carries weight in shaping policy debates on trade, peace and security, and regional integration. For decades, the West African bloc h

Majority Caucus Defends BoG Over GH¢15.6 Billion Operating Cost The Majority Caucus in Parliament has defended the Bank of Ghana over its reported GH¢15.6 billion operating cost for 2025, insisting that the expenditure does not affect the central bank’s core mandate of regulating Ghana’s economy. Addressing a press conference in Accra parliament on Thursday, the Member of Parliament for Sagnarigu, Issah Atta, stated that the authority of the central bank is grounded in law and not determined by the strength of its balance sheet. According to him, central banks across the world have recorded losses while still maintaining effective control over inflation and economic stability. He cited the European Central Bank, which reported losses in 2023 and 2024, as well as the Federal Reserve System in the United States, which has faced continuous income shortfalls since September 2022. The MP also referenced the Czech National Bank, noting that it operated with negative equity for 17 consecu

MP Calls for Deeper Reforms in Energy Sector, Not Leadership Changes The Member of Parliament for Afigya Kwabre North, Collins Adomako-Mensah, has pushed back against calls for the removal of top energy sector officials, describing such actions as misplaced and ineffective. Speaking at a press briefing, the MP criticized demands for the dismissal of the CEO of the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) and the reshuffling of leadership within the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in the Ashanti Region. According to him, Ghana’s ongoing electricity challenges are rooted not in individual leadership failures, but in deeper financial and policy constraints affecting the sector.“Calling for resignations may generate headlines, but it will not generate electricity,” he stated. He highlighted key issues including chronic underfunding, unresolved obligations to Independent Power Producers, and deferred maintenance across the sector—factors he says have worsened since early 2025. On recent incident

MP Calls for Deeper Reforms in Energy Sector, Not Leadership Changes The Member of Parliament for Afigya Kwabre North, Collins Adomako-Mensah, has pushed back against calls for the removal of top energy sector officials, describing such actions as misplaced and ineffective. Speaking at a press briefing, the MP criticized demands for the dismissal of the CEO of the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) and the reshuffling of leadership within the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in the Ashanti Region. According to him, Ghana’s ongoing electricity challenges are rooted not in individual leadership failures, but in deeper financial and policy constraints affecting the sector.“Calling for resignations may generate headlines, but it will not generate electricity,” he stated. He highlighted key issues including chronic underfunding, unresolved obligations to Independent Power Producers, and deferred maintenance across the sector—factors he says have worsened since early 2025. On recent incident

PARLIAMENT ENGAGES STAKEHOLDERS TO FINALISE STUDENT PARLIAMENT CHARTER. The Parliament of Ghana, through its Department of Public Engagement, has held stakeholder consultations on a proposed Student Parliament Charter to guide its work with student groups at tertiary institutions affiliated with Parliament. Speaking at the forum, Director of Public Engagement, Supt. (Retd.) Mrs Effia Tenge said the proposed charter is intended to create a structured, inclusive and non-partisan platform where students’ ideas can be heard, debated and refined. She urged students to actively contribute to shaping the document, describing the process as an opportunity to give them a meaningful voice in governance, leadership, and national development. Key issues discussed included governance structures, membership, electoral processes, non-partisanship and inclusion, with particular attention to gender balance and disability representation. Participants welcomed the initiative as a step towards