ghananlpcommunity/ghana-gov-speeches-sentences huggingface dataset:
The project is designed to identify, acquire, and secure suitable lands for investment in commercial oil palm plantations and related processing industries, including mills and other downstream value-addition enterprises.
This initiative is expected to address one of the major constraints to agricultural investment by providing investors with secure and readily accessible land for large-scale production.
The geospatial mapping of identified areas is currently underway to support effective planning, land management, and investment decisions.
The Ministry is also actively engaging traditional authorities and other key stakeholders within the selected districts to secure the necessary community support and facilitate land acquisition processes.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, the Land Bank Project represents a transformative intervention that will unlock investment opportunities, promote agro-industrial development, create employment, and contribute to Ghana’s broader economic growth and industrialisation agenda.
Reforms in the Administration of State Lands Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, One of the major governance reforms undertaken by the Ministry has been the implementation of Cabinet-approved recommendations to restore integrity, transparency, and accountability in the administration of public (state) lands.
We have comprehensively reviewed the processes governing the allocation and leasing of state lands by introducing a revised and standardized Public Land Application Form (Form 5), strengthening internal approval procedures, and Ensuring that all allocations are subject to enhanced oversight and strict compliance with established guidelines.
To protect the national interest and guarantee value for money, Government has also proposed a new premium framework that aligns state land values with prevailing market prices and initiated the publication of market valuation data to improve transparency, and established a Public Land Protection Task Force to prevent encroachment and unauthorized developments on public lands.
These reforms are intended to ensure that state land transactions are done in a more transparent, accountable, and efficient manner to safeguard public assets while restoring confidence in Ghana’s land administration system.
OFFICE OF THE ADMINISTRATOR OF STOOL LANDS (OASL) Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands continued to play a critical role in strengthening customary land administration, enhancing revenue mobilisation, and promoting accountability in the management of stool land resources during the period under review.
As part of its revenue mobilization mandate, the Office recorded significant growth in stool land revenue collections during the period under review.
By the end of June 2026, a total of GH₵265.61 million had been mobilized against an annual target of GH₵351.88 million, representing approximately 75.48% of the target.
In line with Government's commitment to improving public access to land administration services, the Office expanded its operational presence across the country through the establishment of four new offices out of the five targeted for the year, at Derma in the Ahafo Region, Abesim in the Bono Region, Kwabenya in Ga East, and Amamole in the Ga South District in the Greater Accra Region.
In accordance with Section 14 of the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036), a new Customary Land Secretariat was established within the Sunyani Traditional Area and upgraded the Mim and Hwidiem CLS.
These initiatives are contributing to improved land governance, enhancing record management, and reducing land-related disputes through the application of Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms.
GHANA BOUNDARY COMMISSION Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, the Ghana Boundary Commission continues to make progress in safeguarding the territorial integrity of our nation and strengthening cross-border cooperation during the first half of the year.
The Commission and its Ivorian counterparts have jointly reaffirmed 150km of its land boundaries, resulting in the construction of 37 boundary pillars by the 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces.
An additional 200 km will be reaffirmed by the end of the year.
The Boundary Commissions of Ghana and Burkina Faso have held a series of bilateral meetings, set up a joint technical committee for boundary reaffirmation, and developed a workplan for the construction of our shared boundary pillars before the close of the year.
The Commission, in conjunction with the Ghana Navy, conducted an independent maritime patrol of Ghana’s Eastern Maritime Boundary in the second quarter of 2026 aimed at safeguarding our territory and will be conducting a joint patrol on the Western Boundary with its Ivorian counterparts in the third quarter, in line with the 2017 International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) ruling.
CONCLUSION Today, I have presented not merely an account of my Ministry’s performance, but a statement of purpose.
From restoring our forests and protecting our rivers, to reforming our mining laws, modernising land administration, and strengthening our natural resource institutions, one message is clear: Ghana's natural resources will no longer be managed for the benefit of a few, but for the prosperity of all.
There comes a defining moment in the life of every nation when its people must choose whether to protect their inheritance or surrender it to lawlessness.
That moment is now.
The fight against illegal mining is a defining environmental battle of Our generation.
Our rivers are not for sale.
Our forests are not expendable.
Our mineral wealth is a sacred national inheritance that we have a duty to protect.
Let me be clear, the era of impunity is over.
Government will continue to pursue every individual, every financier, and every criminal syndicate that profits from the destruction of our environment.
The law will be applied without fear or favour.
But this battle cannot be won by Government alone; it is Ghana's fight.
I call on all traditional leaders, religious leaders, miners, security officers, media houses, communities, and citizens to stand on the side of our nation.
As Osagyefo Dr.
Kwame Nkrumah reminded us, "The forces that unite us are intrinsic and greater than the superimposed influences that keep us apart."
Today, those forces must unite us to reject greed, reject complicity, and defend our national heritage.
History will judge our generation by how we responded to this defining challenge.
Let it be said that we chose courage over complacency, unity over division, and patriotism over personal gain.
The battle against illegal mining is difficult, but the Ghanaian spirit is stronger.
We will not retreat.
We will not relent.
Together, we shall reclaim our rivers, restore our forests, protect our natural wealth, and secure a greener, stronger, and more prosperous Ghana for generations yet unborn.
Together, we shall win this fight.
May God bless you all, and may God continue to bless our homeland, Ghana.
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen of the press.
As you may recall from our previous engagements, this government, under the leadership of His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama, remains unwavering in our commitment to eradicate the scourge of illegal mining—an environmental sin against humanity and, against God.
We promised to carry the good people of Ghana along with periodic updates, and today, I am here to provide key developments in this fight.
Last month, we assured the nation that we would intensify efforts to trace the financiers and owners of the heavy-duty equipment used for illegal mining.
Today, we are pleased to announce a significant breakthrough in this critical fight.
One of the most egregious cases we have uncovered involves Akonta Mining Company Ltd., a company legally registered and granted a government lease to mine responsibly off-reserve outside the forest.
The company, however, does not possess an entry permit into the forest reserve of the Samreboi enclave of the Western North Region.
Yet, investigations reveal that Akonta Mining has flagrantly abused this lease.
In August 2022, the Forestry Commission, with the assistance of the Ghana Police, made some arrests of persons associated with Akonta Mining, encroaching on the forest reserves, specifically compartment 161.
The docket was supposedly transferred to Accra for further action, and yet nothing was heard of the case.
This company has not only trespassed into protected reserves but has become a criminal syndicate, selling access of the Aboi Forest Reserve to illegal miners for a staggering GH₵300,000 per concession.
Worse, these illegal miners operate under Akonta’s protection, devastating the River Tano and surrounding forests with impunity.
They have encroached compartments 49 and 121 of the Tano Nimri forest reserve.
We gathered a team of investigators to go undercover to make enquiries about the details of this operation.
Our undercover team uncovered a well-oiled machinery of destruction: One Mr.
Ayisi (a representative of Akonta Mining) is the liaison on these dealings – he serves as the gatekeeper, negotiating fees and granting illegal access.
The concessions are then subleased to individuals like one “Mr.
Henry” and another individual identified as “Shark” who are to oversee the devastation of the Aboi Forest Reserve and the Tano River.
As part of the agreement between Akonta Mining and the illegal miners, weekly royalties of 250 grams of gold are to be paid to the company, lining the pockets of Akonta’s collaborators.
Another heartbreaking revelation is that this criminal enterprise thrives because of the active collusion and connivance of some forestry officers and some security personnel.
Here is how it works – Part of the GH₵300,000 fee goes to Akonta Mining, a portion goes to Mr.
Henry, Shark, and their cohorts, and another portion goes to the forestry and security officials, according to investigators.
These officers take a cut as a service charge in exchange for protection and tip-offs in the event of an impending raid.
There is no control over the activities of these illegal miners whatsoever.
They continue to destroy with impunity, knowing that they are operating under the cover of the lease of Akonta Mining Company Ltd Some interviews conducted with a few residents indicate that the modus operandi of Akonta Mining is to use force to enter and destroy even the farmlands and produce of poor farmers in the area.
Armed with this intel, on the eve of Good Friday (17th April 2025) an intelligence-led operation by the Ghana Police Service and the Forestry Commission led to the raid of six illegal mining sites linked to Akonta Mining.
The operation in Compartment 49, which began at 5 a.m.
and lasted a whopping 12 hours, resulted in: 51 arrests (8 Chinese, 39 Ghanaian men, 4 Ghanaian women) Seizure of about 30 excavators, 5 recovered and impounded at the operation base 2 Pump-action guns loaded with 5 and 2 rounds of BB cartridges each, 1 single-barrel gun retrieved Confiscation of 2 Toyota Hilux pickups, 1 Toyota RAV4, 4 motorbikes, and a cache of mining equipment All suspects have been transported to Accra, in custody pending prosecution.
In light of the overwhelming evidence, I have authorized the Minerals Commission to take steps to revoke the lease of Akonta Mining Co.
Ltd with immediate effect.
I have directed that forestry officials connected to these illegalities be immediately interdicted pending further investigations and prosecution.
The security agencies have been notified to investigate security officers who have had dealings with Akonta Mining in this particular Forest Reserve.
The Attorney-General has also since been briefed and has taken over the investigations for further action.
Akonta Mining does not have a lease to mine in the Tano Nimiri Forest reserve, and their mining activities in the forest are illegal and criminal.
And that, the Mahama government will stop at nothing to bring the company to book.
This is a warning to all large-scale mining concession holders hiding behind legal leases to fund the destruction of our forests and river bodies.
We know some of your schemes – We are coming after you!
To the youth engaged in illegal mining: There is a better way.
We stand ready to support you with better alternatives.
But to those who persist in defiance, the state will act without mercy!
To the media and the Ghanaian people: Your vigilance is crucial.
Report illegal mining activities, and trust that this government will act.
Let me be clear: We will not stop until galamsey is completely uprooted.
We will not stop until our waters run blue, we will not stop until our forests are turned green We will not stop until the soul of our country is healed!
We will not stop until every financier, every enabler — the real architects of this destruction — will face the full rigors of the law.
We will name, shame, and prosecute them publicly.
I will now take your questions.
The Office of H.E John Dramani Mahama has become aware of another false and scurrilous claim by a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe, that former President Mahama "... took home the fattest ex-gratia of GH¢14 million in 2013..." We urge the public to ignore the unintelligent rants of the said Kwame Baffoe who has gained notoriety for fabricating and propagating falsehood on behalf of Nana AkufoAddo against John Mahama.
His claims are false.
President Mahama never took any such ex-gratia payment of GH¢14 million in 2013 or at any other time during his 25 years of distinguished public service.
Fortunately, exgratia payments are a matter of public record and are available in the office of the Chief of Staff or the Controller and Accountant General's Department.
We challenge the office of the Chief of Staff and the Presidency to provide proof of the payment of any such amount and stop using idle miscreants among its ranks to spread falsehood.
It will be surprising if any such payment had been made to the former President and has not been reflected in any of the numerous Auditor General’s reports presented to Parliament since 2013.
We know that it is a stock in trade of President Akufo-Addo and his cronies to launch a campaign of calumny and false allegations against the personality of President Mahama anytime they have their backs against the wall.
As usual, this latest falsehood is a failed decoy to suppress the national discussions about the hardship Ghanaians are going through because of the clueless, inept, hopeless incompetence, and poor governance of the Akufo-Addo and Bawumia administration.
It is a porous response to John Mahama’s promise to urgently re-look and review issues related to the emoluments of Article 71 office holders including ex-gratia payments.
We want to reiterate the points made by President Mahama recently that a next NDC Government will run an administration with a leaner government and far less ministers than Ghana has ever seen and ensure a cut in waste and exercise of frugality in everything Government does.
The NDC is also committed to the implementation of a review of the 1992 Constitution, which should among others, place a cap on the number of Supreme Court Justices and face the issues of Article 71 head on.
John Dramani Mahama has officially assumed office as Ghana’s sixth President of the Fourth Republic, taking the oath of allegiance and the presidential oath to begin his term.
The swearing-in ceremony, conducted by Ghana’s Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo, took place on Tuesday, 7th January 2025, at Parliament and the iconic Black Star Square in Accra.
Earlier in the ceremony, Ghana’s first female Vice-President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, took the oath of office and the vice-presidential oath, marking another historic moment in the nation’s political history.
This marks a significant return to the presidency for John Mahama, who previously served as Ghana’s fourth President of the Fourth Republic from 7th January 2013 to 6th January 2017.
Notably, he becomes the first President under the Fourth Republic to lose an election and later reclaim the presidency.
His return to office follows two subsequent election campaigns, culminating in a resounding victory.
Below is his full inaugural speech
I thank you, sincerely, for answering my invitation to attend this campaign launch.
I am delighted by this opportunity to engage with you, the good people of Ghana, once again.
I am greatly humbled to be addressing all of you present here, the millions glued to your television and radio sets, and those tuning in via the internet in Ghana and across the world.
Thank you for sharing your morning with me.
I do not take this for granted.
As I drove onto the campus of the University of Health and Allied Sciences, built during the tenure of our Great Party, I could not help but feel a sense of fulfilment that the dream and vision of our late President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, has been actualized in a most beautiful way.
The Volta Region retains a towering significance in the history of our great party the NDC.
Our founder and former President Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings of blessed memory, whose courage and vision inspired the formation of the NDC, hailed from this region.
Other stalwarts, dead and living, like Security Chief, Captain Kojo Tsikata, Literature Icon and former Chairman of the Council of State Professor Kofi Nyidevu Awoonor, Former Speaker Edward Doe Adjaho, Ambassador Dan Abodakpi, former Transport Minister, the late Dzifa Aku Attivor, and many others too numerous to mention, are all natives of this region, and have toiled tirelessly to build our great party the NDC and our beloved nation, Ghana.
It is no coincidence that we are holding this launch here as a tribute to the many illustrious sons and daughters of the Volta Region who have toiled and continue to work tirelessly for our great party.
The English Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1817 wrote a famous poem titled “Ozymandias”.
This was a cautionary tale about a ruler who was so full of pomp, arrogance, and a deluded sense of self-importance.
One is struck by the poet’s description of the clueless ruler as he goes on to boast: “My name is Ozymandias; King of Kings; Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
Tragically, according to the poem, when one looked around for these so-called works, one saw nothing except the decay.
This poem mirrors our present national circumstance in a most uncanny way.
Fellow country men and women; my brothers and sisters, I thank Professor Joshua Alabi, the Convenor of my Campaign Committee, a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies, Accra, and an aspirant in the 2019 Presidential primaries for picking my nomination forms last week.
I also wish to thank the hundreds of party supporters who accompanied Professor Alabi to perform that task on my behalf.
By that action, I have officially joined the race to contest for the flagbearer slot of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2024 elections, which I consider to be the most important and defining poll of our time.
I have not taken this step lightly.
It has been the product of months of prayer, broad consultations, and sober reflection.
I have searched my soul and paid close attention to your voices, to your daily struggles, to our present predicament.
At this stage, Ghana demands experience, not experiments!
4 Ghana demands togetherness, not divisiveness!
Now is the time for bravery of heart and clarity of purpose.
Six years ago, despite our best efforts, the people of Ghana entrusted the management and administration of this country into the hands of the NPP.
They did so in the hope that the many mouth-watering promises made to them would translate into meaningful action that would mark an improvement in their living conditions and the general wellbeing of our country.
Six years on, those hopes have been dashed.
Instead of the prosperity and progress that was promised, the last six years have been, perhaps, the most difficult and challenging period in our history.
This government has been clueless and, in many cases, callous.
The unthinkable has happened and our country is broken on all fronts.
Ghana is bankrupt.
We are saddled with debt we simply cannot pay, and we have suffered the global humiliation of defaulting on our debts and being downgraded by credit rating agencies to the lowest levels in our history.
Our economy is in its worst ever shape, with suffering and pain on an unprecedented scale.
Hyperinflation and an ever-increasing price of basic items including food have all combined to inflict unbearable pain on millions of Ghanaian households.
Parents are being forced to make hard choices between seeking prompt health care for their sick children and providing meals with their meagre resources for families.
5 Our middle class stands the real risk of being wiped out on the back of an obnoxious debt restructuring programme.
The poor who depend on the middle class for employment and sustenance are on their own and uncertain of their fate.
Our aged pensioners have not been spared either.
In the past few weeks they have been compelled to stage public manifestations in defense of their livelihoods even in their elderly state.
Who would have thought that Ghana would come to a juncture where a government would mete out such shabby treatment to our senior citizens whose only crime is that they put their life savings in what is considered the safest financial instruments in the world - Government Bonds.
We are at this most depressing phase in our history where our economy has been destroyed because of the systematic mismanagement, misguided and clueless policy choices, and incompetence of President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Bawumia.
While our people struggle to keep their heads above water, government officials continue to exhibit high levels of greed, corruption, arrogance of power, dishonesty, blatant state capture and conflict of interest.
Unsurprisingly, no one in this NPP government wants to take responsibility for anything, including their flagbearer hopefuls, most of whom were part of their Economic Management Team.
They continue to lay blame for their economic disaster on external factors whose relationship with our present sorry circumstances are at most tenuous.
We all know that this economic collapse has been years in the making just as we know it was entirely avoidable.
Amid all the suffering, the government remains obstinate and refuses to back down from the costly missteps that led us here in the first place.
They continue to waste the precious little we have on dodgy and misguided projects, programmes and on a bloated government.
As they tighten the noose on the helpless citizenry by piling on more taxes and expropriating our money through measures like the domestic debt exchange, government offers no semblance of genuine sacrifice on its part.
The national decay of the last six years has not been limited to the economy.
It extends to all aspects of our lives.
Our hitherto trusted state institutions today stand as pale shadows of themselves, undermined, and politicized to the point that they consider themselves an extension of the governing New Patriotic Party.
The youth see no future in their country of birth.
They see no silver lining at the edge of the clouds, which often appears dark and gloomy, with no ray of sunshine seeping through.
Who is to blame them when after years of struggling to earn an education, they are condemned to unemployment and acute lack of opportunities?
7 If not remedied, through my agenda to Build The Ghana We Want Together from 2025, some graduates and post-graduate degree holders may hit the pension age and never employed in their entire lives, save for national service.
It should worry us deeply that the average young Ghanaian would grasp any opportunity to flee the despondent climate under which they live in favour of even the most menial jobs in other countries.
We have always had our people going in search of greener pastures abroad, but the current mass exodus of active workers and professionals is profoundly worrying.
The loss of all hope that anything good can come out of this country or that any available opportunities will be equitably shared among our people has accounted for this.