It’s been another eventful week. We covered a lot of politics as expected because we’re approaching active campaign season for the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections. While President Mahama is promising to fight illegal mining activities with artificial intelligence, Bawumia reaffirmed his stance on LGBTQ rights in Ghana. But as they were busily campaigning, an old story came back to life: Nana Oye Bampoe Addo has taken legal action against her ex-partner Tony Lithur, citing a deliberate attempt to damage her reputation locally and globally.
We also bring you fallouts from the 3i Summit that took place over the week.
Mahama Promises to Use Ai to Fight Illegal Mining, Bawumia Says NO to LGBTQ Again
This week, former president John Mahama proposed to use artificial intelligence technology to monitor small-scale mining and illegal mining activities if he is elected president in the upcoming general elections in December.
He made this promise while speaking at the 3rd Annual Transformational Dialogue on Small-scale Mining’ organised by the University of Energy and Natural Resources in Sunyani.
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“We will introduce and encourage technological innovation to improve capacity for coordinated monitoring of the small-scale mining sector and reduce environmental impact. This will include using AI to locate all small-scale mining and galamsey operations and track excavators,” he said.
In other news, his main opponent, the vice president Dr Mahamudu Bawumia also stated that he will not permit the activities of the LGBTQ+ community if he becomes president. He made this claim reaffirming his pledge to uphold and protect the values and traditions ‘that define Ghana’ and preserve the nation’s cultural identity as the president.
“On this matter of LGBTQ, I want to say again without any equivocation that we will not allow it in Ghana. It is not going to be allowed. Our Bible says no, our Quran says no, and our people say no, so no. That is the answer.” Dr. Bawumia said.
Our take: We understand that Ghana is at that stage of socio-economic development where issues like technology influence the outcome of elections. It is what the NPP has banked on for a long time. Mahama just joined the chat on that but we would like to see a comprehensive plan of how AI will be used to curb illegal mining, especially in a country where even military force has failed to do so.
Nana Oye Lithur Drags Ex-Husband to Court for Defamation, Martin Amidu Wants Kissi Agyebeng Out
It seems people are trying to work on their image in anticipation of the outcome of the 2024 elections. Renowned human rights lawyer, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, has taken legal action against her ex-partner Tony Lithur, citing a deliberate attempt to damage her reputation both locally and globally.
This issue is an offshoot of a 2018 divorce petition filed against Nana Oye Bampoe in which Mr Lithur alleged that she (Nana Oye Bampoe) “was a lazy, irresponsible, adulterous, cruel and violent mother, as well as engaged in acts contrary to her professional ethics as a human rights lawyer.”
According to the new lawsuit filed on April 25, 2024, Nana Oye is seeking redress for the defamatory statements made against that divorce petition, which she claims has maliciously harmed her image and professional standing. Read more on this story here.
In the latest plot twist in Ghanaian politics, former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, submitted a petition to President Akufo-Addo to consider the removal of the current Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyabeng, from office.
The president on May 6, 2024, submitted the petition to the Chief Justice for consideration. However, the former Auditor General, Daniel Yao Domelevo, has questioned the motive behind Amidu’s petition. He also criticized the entire move saying corruption beneficiaries will fiercely resist and retaliate using all means available when attempts are made to tackle corruption.
3i Summit and the Tech Convo in Ghana
The inaugural 3i Africa Summit took place in Accra from May 13 to May 15, 2024. The event, organized collaboratively by the Bank of Ghana, the Development Bank of Ghana, and the Monetary Authority of Singapore brought together policymakers, innovators, and investors to chart the course for Africa’s digital economy.
The summit was under the theme “Unleashing Africa’s Fintech and Digital Economic Potential”.
At the summit, the Bank of Ghana (BoG), the Development Bank Ghana (DBG), with its digital partner Proxtera, and supported by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) announced a new initiative to disburse US$100 million to the Ghanaian Micro, Small, Medium Enterprise (MSME) ecosystem.
The Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Addison, said the initiative is an indication of the central bank’s dedication to collaborate with stakeholders to contribute to economic growth and that the project aligns with the government’s broader economic transformation objectives.
- Mr Eazi on AI and Music
During a panel discussion on Fintech and the Creative Economy at the Summit, Mr. Eazi explained how AI can change the traditional music-making process used by creatives.
He referenced the making of the “Lion King: The Gift” album, where he used the strenuous traditional methods of making music, such as melodic construction and writing to emphasize how AI can make the making of music easier.
Mr. Eazi also spoke about the integration of technology into modern copyright protection laws and music platforms.
