Ahead of the official launch of the No Fees Stress policy by President John Dramani Mahama in Koforidua, government spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu has announced that disbursements have already reached around 15,000 students across the country.

The update was shared via a post on social media platform X on Thursday, July 3, 2025.

“About 15,000 students have received disbursements under the policy. Remaining students will receive payments shortly after verification,” Kwakye Ofosu confirmed.

The government says the rest of the qualified applicants will be catered for once their documents are validated.

The policy, a major campaign promise of President Mahama during the 2024 elections, is being administered by the Students Loan Trust Fund (SLTF) and is designed to ease the financial burden on first-year students enrolled in public tertiary institutions.

It waives academic user fees for students admitted into accredited degree and diploma programmes at universities, technical universities, and polytechnics.

The SLTF earlier confirmed that more than 22,000 applications have already been validated, with payment processing ongoing.

Students are being encouraged to submit their applications via the official No Fees Stress portal, where records are cross-checked against admission lists from participating schools.

The Vice-President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, had announced at KNUST’s 58th Special Congregation that the full rollout of the policy would begin from Thursday, July 4, 2025.

She stressed that the initiative is not just a welfare intervention but a strategic tool to widen access to tertiary education without financial bottlenecks.

If this initiative isn’t just politically motivated and proves to be sustainable in the long term, then it’s truly a huge relief.

The financial burden parents and students endure—especially at the start of tertiary education—is often overwhelming.

Removing academic user fees at this critical stage could ease that stress significantly and help level the playing field for many deserving students who might otherwise struggle to afford higher education.

Source: Liberalprint.com

President John Dramani Mahama, on Thursday, July 3, administered the oath of office to seven new justices of the Supreme Court at the Jubilee House.

The ceremony marks a significant expansion of Ghana’s apex court, as the judiciary prepares to handle an increasingly heavy caseload, particularly involving constitutional and electoral matters ahead of the 2024 general elections.

The appointments—made in line with Article 144 of the 1992 Constitution—followed the necessary constitutional processes, including advice from the Judicial Council, consultation with the Council of State, and parliamentary approval through the Appointments Committee.

The new justices are Justice Senyo Dzamefe, Justice Sir Dennis Dominic Adjei, Justice Gbiel Simon Suurbaareh, Justice Kweku Tawiah Ackaah-Boafo, Justice Philip Bright Mensah, Justice Janapare Bartels-Kodwo, and Justice Hafisata Amaleboba.

All seven bring years of experience from the Court of Appeal.

While President Mahama used the occasion to emphasise the importance of integrity, fairness, and impartiality in the judicial process, not everyone has welcomed the move without reservation.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has raised concerns, suggesting the appointments may be politically motivated.

However, such criticisms must be weighed against the growing reality of judicial workload pressures.

From a practical perspective, and based on multiple media reports in recent months, the Supreme Court has faced a mounting caseload—stretching timelines and affecting delivery.

In my opinion, expanding the bench is not only lawful but necessary.

Regardless of political interpretations, the judicial system must be adequately resourced to function effectively.

For a court tasked with interpreting the Constitution, resolving electoral disputes, and handling complex civil and criminal appeals, having more hands ensures timely justice and reduces the risk of bottlenecks.

The focus now must shift from political rhetoric to performance—ensuring these new justices serve with distinction, as President Mahama charged them to do.

Source: Liberalprint.com

Paul Nana Kwabena Aborampah Mensah, the Programme Manager for Security Sector Governance at the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), has expressed shock over the Electoral Commission’s (EC) decision to organize a rerun of the 2024 parliamentary election in 19 polling stations within the Ablekuma North Constituency.

Aborampah Mensah said the EC’s latest decision contradicts its earlier communication while reacting to the news on Morning Starr with Naa Dedei Tettey on Thursday, July 3.

“I was a bit amazed and shocked when I heard and I read the press statement. I say this because of multiple communications from the Electoral Commission prior to this release,” he said.

According to him, the EC had previously maintained that only three polling stations were outstanding, and that measures were in place to collate those results.

“One on radio, letters, first letter to Dampare to provide security for them to collate the outstanding three and to them they had all the things that enabled them to collate the others, the only outstanding of the three, one to Yuhuno when he took over from Dampare,” he noted.

He further referenced a meeting between EC Commissioner Bossman Asare and Parliament, during which the EC reiterated that only three polling stations were pending collation.

“The third one was Bossman Asare meeting with Parliament and repeating the stand of the Electoral Commission that they were left with only three outstanding stations to collate.

“So I was surprised of the U-turn when I saw and read the statement yesterday,” he added.

The Electoral Commission, on Wednesday, July 2, announced a fresh parliamentary election in 19 polling stations in Ablekuma North.

The rerun is scheduled for Friday, July 11, 2025, following months of unresolved tension between the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) over the disputed 2024 parliamentary results in the constituency.

Source: Liberalprint.com