Livestream: Newsfile discusses Ghana Jollof case, cocaine shipment, COVID audit, constitutional reforms

JoyNews’ flagship current affairs programme, Newsfile, will today examine four major national issues that have dominated public discourse over the past week.

The programme will examine the arrest and remand of 40-year-old senior nursing officer Salomey Awiti Bafoh over her alleged links to the controversial “Ghana Jollof” TikTok account.

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Ms Bafoh was arrested at her home in Hansua, near Techiman, on September 13 and later appeared before the Adentan Circuit Court, where she pleaded not guilty to a charge of abetment of crime, specifically the alleged publication and circulation of false news under Sections 20(1) and 208 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29). She was denied bail and remanded for two weeks, with the case adjourned to September 30.

The prosecution alleges that Ms Bafoh acted as a liaison for UK-based TikTok user Barbara Asantewaa Kodua, popularly known as “Ghana Jollof”, and helped recruit others to redistribute videos produced by Kodua.

The allegations, including claims that some of the videos contained inflammatory statements capable of provoking violence, have not been established by the court.

The case has triggered a wider debate about freedom of expression and the use of state security agencies.

NPP flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has called for Ms Bafoh’s release, describing the circumstances surrounding her arrest and detention as “very worrying” and warning against infringements on free speech.

Newsfile will examine the legal, constitutional and broader democratic questions arising from the case.

3.9-tonne cocaine shipment and Ghana’s security systems

The programme will also turn to the seizure of nearly 3.9 tonnes of suspected cocaine by French customs at the Port of Dunkirk on September 10.

The consignment, concealed in a container carrying plastic waste that had departed from Ghana, was valued at about €225 million.

Six people have since been denied bail by the Kwabenya Circuit Court in connection with the shipment. Four of those accused are linked to the Ghana Revenue Authority and face allegations relating to the handling of Customs scanning procedures at Tema Port.

President John Dramani Mahama has subsequently directed the formation of an inter-agency task force to develop a roadmap for strengthening measures to prevent drug trafficking through Ghana’s borders.

The task force has been given two weeks to submit its recommendations, while 10 people, including four Customs officers, are currently being held as investigations continue.

The programme will examine questions surrounding the shipment, Ghana’s port and border security systems, and the wider implications of the seizure.

COVID-19 fumigation expenditure under scrutiny

Newsfile will further examine questions surrounding COVID-19 fumigation expenditure and the apparent disparity between the Auditor-General’s special audit and figures uncovered by investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni.

The Auditor-General’s special audit reported GH¢96.3 million in COVID-19 fumigation expenditure.

However, documents from the Ministries of Education, Local Government and Transport cited in Mr Awuni’s investigation point to at least GH¢780 million spent on fumigation between 2020 and 2022. The investigation found that Zoomlion Ghana Limited received about GH¢775 million of the amount identified.

The discrepancy has prompted questions about what was captured in the special audit and why some expenditure identified in the various ministries was not reflected in the reported figure.

Vice Chairperson of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, Davis Ansah Opoku, has said there is no basis for arrests at this stage, arguing that the immediate priority should be for the Audit Service to explain why expenditure by the Ministries of Local Government and Transport was not captured.

The programme will explore the figures, the audit process and the accountability questions arising from the findings.

Constitutional review and calls for broader consensus

The fourth issue will be the growing debate over Ghana’s ongoing constitutional review process.

The New Patriotic Party has rejected the proposed extension of the presidential and parliamentary terms from four to five years and has called for a Constituent or Consultative Assembly to deliberate on the proposed reforms.

The party has also criticised the scale and process of the proposed amendments, arguing that changes affecting a substantial portion of the 1992 Constitution require broader deliberation.

The concerns extend beyond the NPP. More than 100 civil society organisations, labour groups and professional bodies under the Citizens’ Platform on Constitutional Reform have called for the process to be backed by legislation and clear timelines, while urging greater citizen participation.

The Citizens’ Platform has also rejected the proposed five-year presidential term, arguing that the current four-year mandate can be retained alongside other reforms to improve governance and accountability.

The government, however, has rejected the NPP’s demand for a Consultative Assembly, describing the proposal as without merit and pointing to the fact that the review process has been underway for almost two years.

Newsfile will examine the competing positions, the proposed changes and the broader question of how Ghana should reach consensus on reforms to its constitutional order.

The four issues will form the focus of Saturday’s edition as Newsfile brings together its host and panellists to interrogate developments shaping the national conversation.