Ghana's flagship current affairs programme, Newsfile, is set to return on Saturday, September 26, with host Samson Lardy Anyenini leading discussions on four major issues dominating Ghana's national conversation. The programme will examine the reported confrontation involving Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO). The discussion will focus on parliamentary immunity, arrest procedures, and the limits of law-enforcement powers.
The programme will also turn its attention to Ghana's growing drug-trafficking concerns, amid alarm over recent drug busts and calls for stronger action against narcotics trafficking. The panel will examine the role of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) and whether existing measures are sufficient to tackle the growing threat. The discussion comes as MPs have been recalled to address the issue.
Another key issue to be discussed is the growing debate over arrests linked to speech and online activity. President John Dramani Mahama has called for restraint in dealing with speech-related cases, alongside the continued detention of a nurse whose case has generated public discussion about freedom of expression and the enforcement of laws governing online content.
The final major topic will focus on the US$235 million water debt linked to the desalination plant. The programme will examine how Ghana came to face the substantial liability despite the plant having reportedly cost about US$126 million, and why the facility is not currently delivering the expected water supply.
Joining Samson Lardy Anyenini on the programme are several notable guests, including Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, Vice-Chair of the Subsidiary Legislation Committee and member of the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee of Parliament. Other guests include Inusah Fuseini, former MP for Tamale Central and former Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, and Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, Ranking Member of the Defence and Interior Committee and MP for Assin South.
The panel will also include Alexander Twum-Barimah Esq., Deputy Director-General of NACOC, Bobby Banson, a lawyer and lecturer at the Ghana School of Law, Makola, and Dr John Osae-Kwapong, Director of Quality Assurance and Institutional Effectiveness at Ashesi University and an institute fellow with CDD-Ghana.
The discussion on Newsfile aims to provide insights into these pressing national issues, exploring the complexities and potential solutions. The programme will offer a platform for in-depth analysis and debate, featuring a diverse range of perspectives from the guests.
Key points
- The EOCO-MP arrest and parliamentary immunity will be a major discussion point on the programme.
- The growing threat of drug trafficking in Ghana and the role of NACOC will also be examined.
- The US$235 million water debt and the desalination plant's underperformance will be another key topic.
