NDC

Claim: Former President John Mahama and current flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress has claimed that in the 4th Republic, Ghana’s highest inflation was recorded during the tenure of Dr Mahamadu Bawumia.

Verdict: This is false. Data from the Bank of Ghana shows that in 1995 and 1996, the country recorded higher inflation rates than the 54%  recorded in December 2022.

Full Text

Former President and flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress John Mahama has asked Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia five questions, who is also contesting for president in the 2024 elections.

John Mahama asked the Vice President and the head of the government’s Economic Management Team, why the country’s inflation rate rose to 54%.

“Why did inflation rise to its highest in the 4th Republic of 54% under your watch as EMT chair,” he queried.

Indeed, in December 2022, Ghana’s inflation rose to 54.1%. However, is that the highest in the fourth republic?

Verification

The Bank of Ghana provides historical data on Ghana’s inflation. Since the fourth republic was born in 1993, we have monitored Ghana’s inflation rate.

DUBAWA Ghana observed that in May 1995, Ghana’s inflation hit 56.12%. The rate continued going up for the rest of the year, peaking at 70.82% in December before falling slightly to 69.20% in January 1996.

It was not until June 1996 that Ghana’s inflation dropped to 48.42%, lower than the 54.1% inflation recorded in December 2022.

Below is the Bank of Ghana data showing inflation rates between 1992 and 1996.

The International Monetary Fund also provides historical data about Ghana’s inflation trend. Their data is an annual average instead of the month-by-month presentation by the Bank of Ghana. According to their data, Ghana’s inflation increased by 59.3% on average in 1995, which is also higher than the 54.1% recorded in 2022.

Conclusion

Ghana’s December 2022 inflation of 54.1% is not the highest in the fourth republic. Between May 1995 and May 1996, Ghana recorded inflation rates higher than the 54.1% attained in December 2022.

Claim: A quote card allegedly created by TV3 claims that “about 8.4 million Ghanaians, or 24.5% of the population, went a day without food.” This they attributed to the Ghana Statistical Service.

Verdict: False. DUBAWA’s research reveals that the content of the information on the quote card purported to be coming from the Ghana Statistical Service does not exist.

Full Text

As Ghana heads towards the 2024 election in December, the economy and the general cost of living are among the key issues determining who will win the election.

The two leading political parties, the governing New Patriotic Party and the major opposition National Democratic Congress, have promised to improve Ghanaians’ standard of living when they are elected in the December election.

However, a viral quote card with the designs and logos of  Media General has surfaced on Facebook, particularly in pro-National Democratic Congress (NDC) circles, claiming that “about 8.4 million Ghanaians, or 24.5% of the population, went a day without food” The content was attributed to a supposed 2023 report on food insecurity by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).

Given the content of the information and how directly it affects the citizens, DUBAWA decided to investigate it.

Verification

DUBAWA started the investigation by contacting the local media house, Media General, which created this quote card to ascertain the authenticity of the claim. The media house confirmed that the fact card emanated from them but was quick to add that the content was a quote made by Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minority Leader in Ghana’s Parliament.

During a presentation in parliament on Monday, March 11, 2024, by Cassiel Ato Forson (Point 42, page 10) on the True State of the Nation Address,  said, “8.4 million Ghanaians, or 24.5% of the population, went a day without food.”

This statistic was reportedly sourced from the Ghana Statistical Service’s (GSS) 2023 food insecurity report. The quote has recently gained traction on social media, with pro-NDC accounts sharing it widely.

DUBAWA further reviewed the official website of the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) to locate the cited 2023 report on food insecurity. Despite a search of various reports, the researcher  found no document or publication titled “Food Insecurity Report 2023.” Other reports published around that period do not reference the 8.4 million figure or the claim about 24.5% of Ghanaians going without food for a day.

Again, the researcher contacted Paul Seneadza, a GSS public relations staff member, to clarify the existence of such a report. The communications department could not corroborate the claim. According to him, the GSS did not produce such a report, and the statistic mentioned was not part of their documented research.

During a Google Advanced Search for the specific quote, a similar statistic from 2017 emerged. In a report from the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) at the University of Ghana, it was noted that “8.4 million Ghanaians, at the time, were unable to afford 3 cedis a day.”

While these figures are strikingly similar, they refer to two different contexts, periods with different institutions.

Conclusion

After examining the available evidence, it is clear that the fact card’s content and the Minority Leader’s claim are false. The GSS has not released a “Food Insecurity Report 2023.” The data provided in the viral fact card relates to research done in 2017 by ISSER, not in 2023.

A cloud of uncertainty hangs ominously on the chamber of Parliament after the Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin declared four seats of ‘disloyal’ Members of Parliament vacant.

With two months to the end of the parliamentary cycle, the declaration manifestly alters the sitting positions of Members of Parliament, making the hitherto Minority members, become the Majority.

But the leader of government business in Parliament Alexander Afenyo Markins is convinced the Speaker’s ruling and declaration on Thursday October 17, is a travesty of justice and cannot stand the test of legal inquest.

He has filed a suit at the country’s Supreme Court, the highest court of the land in a bid to overturn the Speaker’s ruling

Background

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) threatened to  compel  a number of MPs on the majority side to vacate their seats after they announced plans to run as independent candidates in the upcoming 2024 elections.

The party says it will invoke Article 97(1)(g) of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, which states: 

“A member of Parliament shall vacate his seat in Parliament (g) if he leaves the party of which he was a member at the time of his election to Parliament to join another party or seeks to remain in Parliament as an independent member;”

Haruna Iddrisu, the Member of Parliament for Tamale South, who made the threat, believes this move could shift the current parliamentary dynamics and give the NDC a majority in Parliament.

“The minority must become the majority for Wednesday next week. I assume this must happen if there is constitutional and legal proprietary law in Ghana.

“Because any nuanced interpretation of Article 97 provides that if a member of parliament on a political party ticket like NPP defects and files to be independent, that MP ceases to be a member of parliament.”

On Thursday, the NDC Minority in Parliament brought the issue to the attention of the Speaker for a decision to be made.

The Speaker obliged, citing the law and precedents and terminating the parliamentary careers of the four MPs, at least for the eighth Parliament of the fourth Republic.

Alban Bagbin said the decision by the MPs to contest the 2024 elections in December as independent candidates is evidence of disloyalty to their constituents and must vacate their seats.

The affected MPs are Gender Minister Cynthia Morrison who intends to run independently. The others are the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament and MP for Fomena, Andrew Asiamah Amoako, Kwadjo Asante of Suhum, and Peter Yaw Kwakye-Ackah, the National Democratic Congress (NDC)’s MP for Amenfi Central.

Even before a decision will be taken, the matter had already become a subject of interest and conversation

The Political Context

The opposition NDC  held  a narrow minority, but the potential disqualification of four MPs running as independents could change this.

According to Haruna Iddrisu, the Article clearly mandates that MPs who contest elections as independents, after being elected on a party’s ticket, forfeit their parliamentary seats. He argues this would automatically disqualify the MPs in question, including Cynthia Morrison.

Iddrisu’s interpretation suggests that the MPs’ decision to run as independents signalled their defection from the New Patriotic Party (NPP). Hence, they are no longer recognised under the Constitution.

“And if an independent member of parliament, by virtue of the provision of Article 97 1(g), an independent joins a political party, that independent loses constitutional recognition and does not belong to parliament. And even if an NDC candidate, MP, defects to become an independent, he ceases to be a member of parliament,” he said.

Article 97(1)(g) in perspective?

Article 97(1)(g) of Ghana’s Constitution states that:

“A member of Parliament shall vacate his seat in Parliament if, having been elected to Parliament as a member of a political party, he leaves that party to join another party or becomes an independent member.”

This clause provides the constitutional basis for MPs to vacate their seats under two conditions:

1. If they leave the party under whose ticket they were elected to join another party.

2. If they become independent after being elected as a party member.

The article aims to prevent “cross-carpeting” or switching allegiances mid-term, a practice that can disrupt parliamentary stability.

Constitutional Interpretation and Precedent

However, there is room for a nuanced interpretation of Article 97(1)(g). Constitutional lawyer Alexander Abban explains that MPs elected on a party’s ticket are only required to vacate their seats if they formally leave the party during the term of the current Parliament. Simply expressing an intention to contest future elections as an independent does not necessarily trigger this clause.

Cynthia Morrison remains an NPP MP in the current Parliament despite announcing her plans to run independently in 2024. According to Abban, unless Morrison formally declares she has left the NPP, she cannot be forced to vacate her seat. The mandate she received from her constituents in the 2020 elections remains valid until the end of this parliamentary term in January 2025.

“If Cynthia Morrison were to declare that from today, she is no longer NPP but CPP, then it will kick in immediately because she has declared so,” Abban explained. “But for now, she says she is NPP, but in the ensuing election of 2024, she wants to contest as an independent candidate.”

Abban further pointed out that an MP’s mandate is for the full parliamentary term, adding that a political party can choose not to enforce its own internal rules against the MP.

“It would be the responsibility of the political party to oust the person if they choose to enforce their laws,” he added. “But unless the person has formally switched allegiances during this term, Article 97(1)(g) would not automatically take effect.”

This position is supported by past precedents. For instance, in 2020, the MP for Fomena, Andrew Amoako Asiamah, contested as an independent after being ousted by the NPP. However, he retained his seat until the end of the parliamentary session because he did not formally declare himself independent during the life of the 7th Parliament. The NPP only wrote to the Speaker, triggering Article 97(1)(g) when Asiamah officially defected.

The NDC’s Strategy: Political or Legal?

The NDC’s move to invoke Article 97(1)(g) could be seen as both a legal manoeuvre and a political strategy. Legally, the NDC would have to prove that the MPs have officially defected from the NPP. Unless the NPP formally writes to the Speaker indicating that these MPs have left the party, Article 97(1)(g) may not apply.

Sammy Obeng, Executive Director of Parliamentary Network Africa, explains that the precedent set by the Fomena MP’s case would require the NPP to take formal steps to trigger the MPs’ disqualification.

“In the case of the Fomena MP, the NPP wrote to the Speaker, indicating that the MP was no longer a member of the party, hence triggering Article 97(1)(g),” Obeng noted. “I’m not too sure if either the NPP or NDC have written yet to the Speaker to indicate that these MPs are no longer members of their party.”

Obeng also emphasised that if the NPP does not formally declare the MPs as defectors, the NDC may face challenges in enforcing the constitutional provisions.

“If the precedent is anything to go by, we may now need to hear if the parties have officially communicated to Mr Speaker about these MPs [and why they are] no longer being part of their party,” he added.

Politically, however, the NDC could use this issue to create uncertainty within the NPP ranks, potentially weakening their hold on Parliament. The NPP may also hesitate to expel the MPs, as doing so could reduce their majority and complicate the government’s legislative agenda two months into the next election.

Conclusion

While Article 97(1)(g) provides a clear mechanism for disqualifying MPs who switch allegiances, it remains unclear whether the NDC can force the four MPs to vacate their seats merely based on their intent to run as independents.

The NPP’s response and whether they formally declare these MPs as defectors will be key in determining the outcome of this issue.

Claim: Dennis Miracle Aboagye, the Spokesperson of Ghana’s governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) 2024 Campaign, says Akonta Mining Ltd, a company owned by the party’s Ashanti regional chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, was licensed to mine in 2013 under the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Verdict: False. DUBAWA’s investigations showed that Akonta Mining Limited was not licensed to mine in 2013, as Mr Aboagye alleged. The Minerals Commission’s data revealed that the small-scale mining company was issued the Reconnaissance License and Prospecting License on June 15, 2011, and Dec. 31, 2012, respectively. However, under the ruling NPP, the company’s two mining leases, Samreboi and Abokoase, were issued on July 23, 2021.

Full Text

The destruction of water bodies and forest reserves in Ghana has become a significant topic in the media. Professional groups, including the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), have called on President Nana Akufo-Addo to conduct a nationwide moratorium on mining activities.

See media reports on the calls for a ban on small-scale mining here, here, and here.

Akonta Mining Ltd, a small-scale operation owned by the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP)’ Ashanti regional chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, was recently accused of illegal mining in a forest reserve.

Reacting to the claim on Accra-based Joy News, Dennis Miracle Aboagye, the Spokesperson of NPP’s 2024 Campaign, said there is no evidence that the small-scale mining company is carrying out an illegal operation as alleged.

“Akonta Mining [Ltd] is a licensed small-scale mining. Since when did small-scale mining become illegal? So, the fact that somebody owns a mining concession does not make it illegal…what the license does is that once you are regulated to mine a safe and appropriate way that does not affect our environment,” Mr Aboagye said.

The former Akuapem North District Chief Executive (DCE) said Akonta Mining Limited was licensed to mine in 2013 under the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and not the NPP.

“Unless you have contrary evidence to prove that Akonta mining [is engaging in illegal mining] …Because Akonta Mining didn’t get their license [under] the NPP. They got their license in 2013 under the NDC government and are doing their small-scale mining,” he said.

See minutes 4:49 to 5:56 of the video for Mr Aboagye’s comment on the operation of Akonta Mining Limited.

Also, see here a post on the video on X (formerly Twitter).

The social media platform revealed that as of Sept. 24, 2024, the video shared by Accra-based Joy News had received over 1,277 views within five days.

The post on X also received over 12,223 views, 79 reposts, 269 likes, 78 bookmarks, and 17 comments.

DUBAWA decided to probe the claim as part of its campaign against misinformation and disinformation in Ghana.

Verification

DUBAWA’s investigations showed that Akonta Mining Ltd was not licensed to mine in 2013 under the opposition National Democratic Congress, as Mr Aboagye alleged.

The Minerals Commission’s data revealed that the small-scale mining company was issued the Reconnaissance License and Prospecting License on June 15, 2011, and Dec. 31, 2012, respectively.

There are various mineral rights and license regimes in Ghana, including Reconnaissance Licence (RL), Prospective License (PL), Mining Lease (ML), Restricted Mining Lease (RML), and Small-scale Mining License (for only Ghanaians).

Of the mineral rights and license types, the Reconnaissance License and Prospective License do not involve the extraction of minerals in the country.

Ghana’s mining law has disclosed that the reconnaissance license permits the holder to explore for a maximum of 12 months, renewable. However, this license does not involve drilling and excavation activities.

Also, the Prospective License permits the holder to search for minerals and undertake evaluation activities that do not exceed 750 contiguous blocs within three years. It is renewable with a reduction of the area to not more than half.

The mining lease and other mineral rights permit the holder to extract minerals from the designated land.

Touching on Akonta Mining Ltd’s activities, the Minerals Commission noted that the company’s two mining leases, Samreboi and Abokoase, were issued on July 23, 2021, not 2013.

According to the license type granted to Akonta Mining Ltd. in 2011 and 2012 under the erstwhile NDC government, the company had no right to carry out extractive activities in the country.

DUBAWA’s visit to the Ghana Mining Repository managed by the Minerals Commission disclosed that Akonta Mining Ltd applied for a mining lease to mine in Samreboe on April 13, 2021, approved within three months on July 23, 2021.

The Minerals Commission has shown that the mining lease on Samreboe will expire on July 22, 2051, and that of Abokoase will expire on July 22, 2031.

Conclusion

Akonta Mining Ltd, a company owned by NPP’s Ashanti regional chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, was not licensed to mine in 2013, as Mr. Aboagye alleged.

Claim: Social media users have alleged that the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Director of Elections manipulated the party’s ballot position during the presidential election balloting process.

Verdict: False. DUBAWA’s analysis revealed that at the time the NPP knew its ballot position, other candidates sitting close to the NPP had not yet opened their ball-like items containing their positions. Additionally, the paper in front of Peter Mac Manu, Head of Electoral Services for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s campaign team, was not the official ballot position paper but rather a paper from an earlier balloting that determined the order in which political parties would select their positions. Furthermore, key political parties, including the National Democratic Congress (NDC), have denied any claims of a ballot position swap.

Full Text 

In the lead-up to the general elections, the Electoral Commission (EC) has faced intense scrutiny, with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) raising multiple accusations of alleged irregularities in the voter registration process. Despite this, on Sep. 20, 2024, political parties participated in the balloting process to determine their positions on the ballot paper for the upcoming elections. By the end of the process, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) secured the first spot, while the NDC took the eighth.

However, following the balloting, a claim went viral suggesting that the NPP had swapped its ballot position with another candidate. The claim was supported by a video showing Evans Nimako, the NPP’s Director of Research and Elections, handing a piece of paper to someone seated next to him. This action led Facebook user Alfred Ogbamey to claim that a ballot swap had occurred, questioning the integrity of the EC by stating, “Why can’t one blindly trust anything organized by the EC without monitoring?”

The claim was further amplified when NDC Online and Gyabeng Samuel posted about it on Facebook, which has received over 100,000 views. This has sparked widespread condemnation in the comments section, with users labeling the EC and the NPP as corrupt. 

In response to these allegations, DUBAWA launched an investigation to verify the authenticity of the claim.

Verification

First, DUBAWA sought to understand the procedures involved in the ballot-picking process to assess whether any swapping could have occurred. Before the balloting by the various political parties, the Director of Electoral Services at the Electoral Commission (EC), Benjamin Bano-Bioh, outlined a two-stage process. DUBAWA referenced the live feed by Weozor TV, which captured the entire event as published on YouTube.

According to Benjamin Bano-Bioh, the first stage determined the order in which political parties would select their ballot positions, while the second stage was where they officially picked their positions for the election. Mr. Bano-Bioh explained, “This is the first stage. You are picking for the order. The second stage is when you will pick your position on the ballot. If you pick ‘Number One’ in the first stage, it means you will be the first to choose in the second stage. The number you pick in this stage will be your position on the ballot.” This statement can be verified between 45 minutes 13 seconds and 45 minutes 30 seconds of the video.

The process was carried out smoothly, with each party receiving a number that determined the order for the final ballot position selection. In the second stage, the ballot papers were placed in a green polythene bag, and parties chose their positions according to the order established in the first stage. This can be seen from 1 hour 46 minutes onward in the video.

Did the NPP swap its ballot position? 

DUBAWA first analyzed the viral video that allegedly showed the NPP swapping its ballot position. To gain a clearer perspective, DUBAWA referred to the full live stream of the event, which was captured by Woezor TV. According to the footage, the NPP’s Director of Elections, Dr. Evans Nimako, opened the round ball-like item containing the paper with the party’s ballot position at 1 hour 49 minutes 20 seconds into the live stream.

After revealing the position, Dr. Nimako immediately passed the paper to the Head of Electoral Services for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s campaign team Peter Mac Manu, who was seated right beside him. Upon receiving it, Mac Manu smiled, and Dr. Nimako stood up, jubilantly holding a book celebrating that the NPP had secured the Number 1 spot on the ballot. This moment matched the exact scenario depicted in the viral video published by Facebook user Alfred Ogbamey, though the angle from behind made it hard to discern the details.

There were additional claims that the NPP swapped positions with Kofi Akpaloo, the flagbearer of the LPG, who was seated next to Peter Mac Manu. However, DUBAWA’s analysis of the video showed that when Dr. Nimako opened the NPP’s ballot item, Kofi Akpaloo had just taken his seat and had not yet opened his ballot item. This evidence confirmed that no swap occurred between the NPP and any other candidate.

Reaction from NDC

It is also important to note that if any such swap had occurred, the NDC would have opposed it and demanded an investigation. However, in response, the NDC’s Director of Elections, Dr. Omane Boamah, refuted the allegations in a Facebook post on Saturday, September 21. He acknowledged the party’s issues with the Electoral Commission but emphasized that they would not engage in baseless accusations for political gain. 

“There was no swap of ballots between Kofi Akpaloo and the NPP,” he confirmed.

Conclusion 

The claim that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) swapped its ballot position during the presidential election balloting process is false. DUBAWA’s investigation revealed that at the time the NPP discovered its position, other candidates, including Kofi Akpaloo of the LPG, had not yet opened their ballot items. Furthermore, the paper seen in front of Peter Mac Manu, a member of the NPP team, was from an earlier round determining the order of selection, not the final ballot position. Key political parties, including the National Democratic Congress (NDC), have also denied the allegations of any ballot position swapping.

Claim: An online platform, Adomonline.com, reports that six NDC executives have defected to the NPP in Hohoe.

Verdict: Misleading. Our findings indicate that only three branch executives defected, not six, as claimed by the publisher.

Full Text

A subsidiary of the Multimedia Group Limited, adomonline.com, published a news story claiming that six branch executives of the National Democratic Congress from various branches in the Hohoe Constituency have crossed carpets and have joined the New Patriotic Party in the same constituency. Read the story here.

The story was also published by theghanareport.com. 

The news named the following as those who defected to the NPP. Joseph Yawovi Adzewod is the youth organiser of the Hohoe Midwifery Branch; Bansa Kal is the secretary of the Municipal Hospital Branch; and Sulemana Mustapha is the organiser of the Janana Electoral Area.

It also stated that Mr Adzewoda spoke in an interview with Adom News, explaining their defection was due to the “massive developmental projects being executed by the Member of Parliament, John Peter Amewu…”

The post has attracted attention among supporters of the two political parties, especially those from the Hohoe Constituency.

The Hohoe constituency is the only seat in the Volta Region that has fallen into the hands of the governing New Patriotic Party. And  John Peter Amewu won it with clear margins in the 2020 elections. As the incumbent intends to retain the seat, the National Democratic Congress is also poised to win it back, just as the party had done in all parliamentary elections in the Fourth Republic. The incoming December 2024 election is set to be a fierce one, with Worlanyo Tsekpo as the NDC candidate.

As most political actors are fond of propagating false or misleading news in election years, this piece of reported information is already making the rounds on several platforms. DUBAWA, therefore, decided to check the integrity of the report.

Verification

In verifying the story, the researcher had to scrutinise its content. Eyebrows were raised when it was observed that the headline of the story said six members defected while the main body or story mentioned only three.

DUBAWA called the Hohoe Constituency Communication Director of the New Patriotic Party, Mr Samuel Atsu Azasu, who was also mentioned in the story. He was said to have granted an interview to Adom FM. We wanted Mr Azasu to confirm the defection first and then the number. He said there were defections from the NDC to the NPP in the constituency, yet he could not provide the exact number since they were massive and could not keep an official count. He also said that most of the defected wanted anonymity. The only number he could authoritatively confirm were the three executives mentioned by name.

The researcher then proceeded to the National Democratic Congress and contacted Rev. Dr Stephen Tettey, the Communication Officer of the NDC in the Hohoe Constituency.

He confirmed that there were defections alright, but the numbers, as reported in the media, were exaggerated. He stated that only three of such people notified the party. They were truly executives. He also confirmed the names. Currently, the NDC has a total of 1,107 branch executives in addition to 28 constituency executives. 

He added, however, that Mr Joseph Yawovi Adzewoda, one of those named to have defected, had written back to the party, regretting his action and asking that his return be made public.

When DUBAWA spoke to Mr Adzewoda, he confirmed his return to the NDC. He was not able to tell us why he made the U-turn. Unlike ordinary members of the party who have no obligation to inform the party about their defection to another party, executives, be they branch, constituency, regional, or national, are duty-bound to announce their resignation and defection to another party officially.

Conclusion

The claim by the publishers that six branch executives crossed the carpet from the NDC to the NPP is misleading, as only three can be confirmed by both the NDC and NPP. The number has been exaggerated. 

This report was produced under the DUBAWA Non-Urban Journalists Mentorship project to promote a culture of truth and verification in non-urban newsrooms in Ghana with support from the US Embassy in Ghana.

Claim: The  Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, claims that during the tenure of Dr. Stephen Opuni as Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board under the Mahama led administration,  production of one million metric tonnes of cocoa was recorded. 

False! Data from the Ghana Cocoa Board shows that production of one million metric tonnes of cocoa was  recorded during the 2010/2011 crop season under Anthony Fofie, a former Ghana Cocoa Board Chief Executive who served under the Atta Mills government. Dr. Stephen Opuni’s tenure began in 2013, thus making the claim untrue.

Full Text

The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, has claimed that cocoa production hit 1 million during the tenure of Dr Stephen Opuni as the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) under the NDC government. 

“Research reveals that in 10 years, Ghana’s cocoa production will dwindle due to the activities of galamsey. When we came into government under Dr. Opuni, he made sure he implemented an aggressive cocoa rehabilitation and replanting exercise to the extent that under Dr. Opuni and the NDC we had achieved the one million tonnes mark,” he said in the Akan language.

He was speaking in an interview on the Pampaso Show on Radio Gold on September 28, 2022. The claim can be found from the 2 hours 28 minutes 34 seconds to 2 hours 29 minutes 12 seconds of the show, which was streamed live on its Facebook page. It has received over 7,000 views.

Verification 

The cocoa industry in Ghana is highly regulated by the state through the industry regulator, Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD).  According to Bloomberg, Ghana is one of the largest producers of cocoa in the world.

However, to understand the claim made by the NDC chairman, there is a need to know the terms of office of the former chief executive of COCOBOD, Dr. Stephen Opuni and his predecessor.  

Dr. Stephen Opuni began his tenure as the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) from November 30, 2013 to January 13, 2017. This was when former President Mahama became president after the demise of late President John Evans Atta Mills. 

Prior to Mr. Opuni’s appointment, Anthony Fofie was the Chief Executive of COCOBOD. His tenure began on December 16, 2008, and ended on November 30, 2013.

DUBAWA relied on data from the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to ascertain if the claim made by the NDC Chairman was true.  The mission of COCOBOD is to encourage and facilitate the production, processing, and marketing of good quality cocoa, coffee, and shea nut in all forms in the most efficient and cost-effective manner.

On its website, it has given a breakdown of regional production of cocoa beginning from 1947/1948 crop year till 2019/2020.

Cocoa Production from 2008/2009 – 2019/2020
Crop Year	Production (tonnes)
2008/2009	710,639
2009/2010	632,037
2010/2011	1,024,553
2011/2012	879,349
2012/2013	835,467
2013/2014	896,220
2014/2015	740,254
2015/2016	778,044
2016/2017	969,511
2017/2018	904,739
2018/2019	811,747
2019/2020	766,977
2020/2021	1,033,132

In the table above, it was only in the 2010/2011 crop season under Mr Anthony Fofie that Ghana recorded over a million tonnes of cocoa. During the tenure of Dr. Stephen Opuni, from 2013 to 2017, the highest cocoa production was recorded in the 2011/2012 crop season as 896,220 metric tonnes. 

It is, therefore, evident that one million metric tonnes of cocoa production was recorded under Anthony Fofie whose tenure as the Chief Executive of COCOBOD began from 2008 to 2013.

Conclusion

Clearly, the claim by the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Samuel Ofosu Ampofo that the production of 1 million tonnes of cocoa was recorded under former Ghana Cocoa Board Chief Executive, Dr. Stephen Opuni, is completely false.

Claim: The  Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo says apart from Ghana and Nigeria, all the other West African countries have single-digit inflation. 

Data from Trading Economics and the national statistical offices of some West African countries show that Sierra Leonne, The Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, and Senegal have all recorded double-digit inflation.

Full Text

The  Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo,  says that aside from Ghana and Nigeria, all the other West African countries have single-digit inflation.

He was speaking on a program called the Pampaso Show on an Accra-based radio station, Radio Gold, on September 28, 2022. His claim was made while lamenting what he described as the poor state of the economy.

According to him, “When you look at the West African countries, the last time I checked, Nigeria’s inflation was about 19%. All the other remaining countries have recorded single-digit inflation.” Speaking in the Akan language, he added that Ghana appears to be the only country suffering from hyper inflation as a result of the Ukraine war.

The claim can be found from the 2 hours 27 minutes 25 seconds to 2 hours 27 minutes 44 seconds.  The show which was also streamed on Facebook has garnered over 7,000 views.  

Verification 

According to the United Nations, West Africa includes the following countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte D’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.

However, it is important to note that, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo made a similar claim in an interview on Ekosiisen, a program on Accra-based Asempa 94.7FM on June 14. This claim was also rated false after a DUBAWA fact check. 

Since the claim was again made in September, DUBAWA  decided to use inflation rates for August in all 16 West African countries to find out if his claim is true this time round. 

Inflation is defined as the rate of increase in prices over a given period. It can occur when prices rise due to increases in production costs, such as raw materials and wages.

We used the inflation rates for August because for an inflation rate to be calculated, the month has to end and since September has not ended at the time of filing this fact check, we had to use August.

We used data from the national statistical office of some West African countries and Trading Economics, a financial agency that provides economic statistics of several countries.

In our research, DUBAWA found that out of 16 West African countries, eight (8) countries had recorded double-digit inflation rates. These countries are Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Guinea, Mauritania, Senegal, and Burkina Faso.

And Cape Verde, Benin, Côte D’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Niger, Togo, and Mali, are the only countries that have recorded inflation rates of 6.6%, -0.3%, 6.2%, 9.1%,6.28%, 3.8%, 6.9% and 7.5% respectively.

However, countries like The Gambia, Guinea Liberia, Mali, and Niger had their latest inflation rates recorded either in February, July or June as cited in Figure 1. 

Inflation Rates in West African Countries In August
Country	August
Ghana	33.9%
Nigeria	20.52%
Sierra Leonne	28.15%
The Gambia	12.3% (July)
Guinea	12.5% (June)
Benin	-0.3%
Burkina Faso	18.1%
Cape Verde	6.6%
Côte D’Ivoire	6.2%
Guinea-Bissau	9.1%
Liberia	6.28% (July)
Mali	7.5% (February)
Mauritania	11.1%
Niger	3.8% (July)
Senegal	11.3%
Togo	6.9%

Given this, it is clear that Ghana has the highest inflation rate in West Africa, with 33.9%. Benin comes at the bottom with -0.3%, the lowest inflation rate in the subregion as of writing this report. 

Conclusion 

Sierra Leone, the Gambia, Guinea, Mauritania, and Senegal have all recorded double-digit inflation; therefore, the claim that aside from Ghana and Nigeria all the other West African countries have recorded single-digit inflation is completely false.