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President Mahama Unveils Ambitious Military Modernization Plan in 2026 SONA: New Bases, Helicopters, 12,000 Recruits

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Accra, Ghana – February 27, 2026 – President John Dramani Mahama today outlined a sweeping military modernization and security enhancement strategy during his 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Parliament.

He highlighted the need for a capable, modern, and responsive Ghana Armed Forces to protect national sovereignty, secure borders, and safeguard critical economic assets amid rising regional threats.

In a detailed segment on defence and national security, the President announced a multi-year investment program that will strengthen the Army, Navy, and Air Force through new infrastructure, equipment acquisitions, and a significant expansion of personnel.

Key highlights of the plan include:

  • New Forward Operating Bases and Barracks
    Construction is underway on a forward operating base in Ezinlibo along the Western Maritime Corridor to improve maritime surveillance and protect offshore oil and gas installations. Additional military barracks are being built in Ajumako and Dambai to expand state presence and enhance rapid response capabilities in emerging hotspots.
  • Northern Border Security Reinforcement
    Progress continues on the northern border surveillance project, designed to serve as the first line of defence against terrorism, transnational crime, and extremist spillover from the Sahel region. President Mahama stressed the importance of preventing infiltration and maintaining territorial integrity.
  • Air Force Modernization
    Agreements have been signed to procure four new helicopters and one jet for the Ghana Air Force. Simultaneously, grounded aircraft are undergoing comprehensive overhauls to restore full operational readiness, with the President noting: “We are bringing our fleet back into service to maximise availability and strengthen our air capabilities.”
  • Naval and Ground Mobility Upgrades
    Plans are advancing to acquire offshore patrol vessels, armored personnel carriers, protective gear, ammunition, drones, and advanced communication systems. Fifty new vehicles were recently commissioned for the Armed Forces to improve troop mobility and morale.
  • Massive Recruitment Drive
    A progressive recruitment programme aims to expand the Ghana Armed Forces by 12,000 personnel over the next four years. For the first time, the process has been decentralised, allowing prospective recruits to apply and report directly from regional capitals rather than traveling to Accra, making the system more inclusive and accessible nationwide.

President Mahama framed the investments as essential for national defence in an increasingly complex security environment.

“The government will continue to invest in vital defence infrastructure and retooling to ensure our Armed Forces are capable, modern, and responsive,” he declared, linking the upgrades to broader goals of economic security, maritime domain awareness, and counter-terrorism readiness.

The announcements come as Ghana intensifies cooperation with regional and international partners, including recent engagements with US Africa Command (AFRICOM) on counter-terrorism support and joint efforts to address Sahel instability.

The modernization plan is expected to form a core part of the 2026–2029 defence budget and policy framework.

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Ghana Ties Rice Imports to Local Production, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Halts Emergency Admissions, and Other Big Stories in Ghana Today

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These are the most relevant and impactful stories from across Ghana today, presented as concise updates on key developments across the country.

Government to Tie Rice Imports to Local Production in Major Policy Shift

The Ghanaian government is set to introduce a significant policy linking rice import permits directly to investments in local rice production and milling facilities. This move by the Ministry of Agriculture aims to boost domestic farming, reduce the country’s growing rice import bill, and accelerate progress toward food self-sufficiency. Read the full story here

Edem Senanu Questions Procedural Lapses in Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill Process

Chairman of Advocates for Christ, Edem Senanu, has raised concerns over how Parliament’s House of Records handled the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, questioning procedural and drafting issues that emerged after its passage. Read the full story here

Sheikh Shaibu Warns Against Politicising Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill

Spokesperson for the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu, has cautioned the NDC and NPP against turning the anti-LGBTQ+ bill into a political contest, stressing that Ghana already has a broad national consensus on the matter rooted in cultural and religious values. Read the full story here

Honest Ghanaian Rewarded GH¢10,000 for Returning Lost ATM Cash

Fidelity Bank has rewarded Emmanuel Appiah Boateng with GH¢10,000 for his honesty after he returned GH¢4,000 he found left behind at one of its ATMs. Read the full story here

Nigel Gaisie Files GH¢10m Defamation Suit Against Kumchacha

Prophet Nigel Gaisie has sued Prophet Nicholas Osei (Kumchacha) for GH¢10 million over alleged defamatory statements questioning his prophetic ministry. Read the full story here

680 Ghanaians to Be Evacuated from South Africa Amid Xenophobia Concerns

The Ghana High Commission in South Africa has announced plans to evacuate 680 Ghanaians (340 on June 6 and 340 on June 7, 2026) due to xenophobia-related safety issues. Read the full story here

Free SHS Suppliers to Picket at Education Ministry Over GH¢50m Debt

The National Association of Institutional Suppliers (NAIS) will picket at the Ministry of Education on June 11, 2026, over unpaid debts of approximately GH¢50 million for supplies delivered under the Free Senior High School programme since 2023. Read the full story here

Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Halts Emergency Admissions

The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi has temporarily halted new emergency admissions after its Accident and Emergency ward exceeded capacity due to overwhelming patient numbers. Read the full story here

15 dead, 25 injured in head-on collision at Peki-Tsame

At least 15 people have been confirmed dead and 25 others injured following a devastating head-on collision between a container truck and a passenger bus at Peki-Tsame in the Volta Region. The fatal accident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, 2 June 2026, near the premises of Peki Senior High School, prompting an emergency response from personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS). Read the full story here

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Ghana News

Today’s Newspaper Headlines: Wednesday, June 3, 2026

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Wednesday, June 3, 2026. Stay informed with today’s front pages of Ghanaian newspapers, all in one place.

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Is the UN Losing Its Legitimacy? Ghana’s President Says Permanent Security Council Bias ‘Eats Away’ Trust

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The continued exclusion of Africa from permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council is not merely a procedural flaw but a structural imbalance that is systematically eroding the credibility of the multilateral system, Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama warned on Monday.

Speaking at Chatham House, the London-based international affairs think tank, Mahama argued that the UN’s primary decision-making body risks becoming untenable as a steward of global peace and security if it fails to reflect the demographic and political realities of the 21st century.

“This is not nearly a procedural anomaly,” Mahama said. “It is a historical injustice and a structural imbalance that undermines the credibility of the multilateral system itself.”

The president’s remarks come as the UN Security Council (UNSC) remains composed of five permanent members (P5) – the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China – all of which were Allied powers in World War II.

Africa, home to 54 UN member states, the largest regional bloc in the organization, holds no permanent seat and only three non-permanent seats that rotate every two years.

Mahama noted that the representational gap is poised to become more pronounced as global demographics shift. According to UN population projections, Africa will account for nearly a quarter of the world’s population by 2050.

“This eats away at the trust in the system,” a senior official from the Ghanaian presidency later summarized, reinforcing Mahama’s central thesis that legitimacy in global governance requires equitable participation.

The Ghanaian leader affirmed that his government would continue to advocate for “comprehensive reform” of the UN, including permanent, veto-wielding seats for African nations.

The African Union has long pushed for a common position known as the Ezulwini Consensus, which demands at least two permanent seats for the continent, with the same powers and responsibilities as current P5 members.

However, Mahama’s critique extended beyond the Security Council. He linked the UN’s representational crisis to what he described as parallel failures in the international financial architecture. He argued that debt vulnerabilities across the Global South are not isolated fiscal challenges but structural development constraints that limit investment in health, education, infrastructure, climate adaptation, and industrial transformation.

“The international debt system must therefore become fairer, more flexible and more development-focused,” Mahama said.

He also called for reforms to global taxation frameworks, asserting that developing economies should derive equitable value from economic activity generated within their jurisdictions. A stable international order, he warned, cannot be sustained while prosperity remains structurally unequal.

To illustrate the tangible cost of such inequality, Mahama pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic. African nations, he said, discovered that access to vaccines and essential medical supplies depended not on the urgency of public health need but on their position within the global supply hierarchy. That experience, he noted, directly prompted Ghana to launch the Accra Reset Initiative – a strategic framework designed to move Africa and the Global South from dependency toward resilience, and from passive participation toward active agenda-setting in global governance.

President Mahama concluded by rejecting any characterization of Ghana as a passive observer of the changes reshaping the international order.

“We see ourselves as active participants in shaping a more balanced, equitable, and cooperative international system,” he said.

No immediate response was issued by the permanent members of the UN Security Council. Reform of the council requires an amendment to the UN Charter, which must be approved by two-thirds of the General Assembly and ratified by all five permanent members, each of whom holds a veto over their own status.

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