Akwatia MP, Kofi Bentil clash on Newsfile over how 3.9 tonnes of cocaine left Ghana [Video]

Newsfile, JoyNews' flagship current affairs programme, will air on September 19, 2026, to explore four significant national issues that have captured public attention recently. Hosted by Samson Lardy Anyenini, the programme will broadcast from 8:00am to 12:00pm on Joy 99.7 FM, JoyNews, and other platforms. The topics to be discussed include the Ghana Jollof case, a cocaine shipment, COVID-19 fumigation costs, and constitutional reforms.

The first discussion will centre around the arrest and remand of Salomey Awiti Bafoh, a 40-year-old nursing officer, for alleged involvement in the "Ghana Jollof" TikTok account. Bafoh was apprehended on September 13 and appeared before the Adentan Circuit Court, pleading not guilty to charges of abetting crime under Sections 20(1) and 208 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).

She was denied bail and remanded for two weeks, with the case now adjourned to September 30. The prosecution claims that Bafoh served as a liaison for the UK-based TikTok user Barbara Asantewaa Kodua, popularly known as "Ghana Jollof," and aided in the recruitment of others to redistribute videos produced by Kodua. The allegations, including the dissemination of inflammatory statements that could incite violence, have not been substantiated in court.

The programme will delve into the legal, constitutional, and democratic implications of the case, including the free speech debate led by NPP flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who has called for Bafoh's release, deeming the arrest circumstances "very worrying."

Next, the programme will address the seizure of approximately 3.9 tonnes of suspected cocaine at the Port of Dunkirk on September 10, concealed within a container carrying plastic waste that had originated from Ghana. The consignment was valued at approximately €225 million, and six individuals have been denied bail by the Kwabenya Circuit Court.

Four of the accused are associated with the Ghana Revenue Authority and face allegations related to Customs scanning procedures at Tema Port. President John Dramani Mahama has appointed an inter-agency task force to develop a plan to enhance measures aimed at preventing drug trafficking through Ghana's borders. The task force is expected to submit recommendations within two weeks, while ten individuals, including four Customs officers, are currently under investigation.

The programme will scrutinize the circumstances surrounding the shipment, Ghana's port and border security systems, and the broader implications of the seizure.

The third topic will involve a critical examination of COVID-19 fumigation costs and the discrepancies between the Auditor-General's special audit and investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni's findings. According to the Auditor-General's report, GH¢96.3 million was allocated for COVID-19 fumigation. However, documents from the Ministries of Education, Local Government, and Transport cited by Mr. Awuni indicate that at least GH¢780 million was spent on fumigation between 2020 and 2022.

Notably, Zoomlion Ghana Limited received about GH¢775 million of the total identified expenditure. The investigation has sparked questions regarding the accuracy of the special audit and the reasons behind the omission of certain expenditure figures from the reported amount. Vice Chairperson of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee, Davis Ansah Opoku, maintains that arrests are premature, emphasizing that the Audit Service should first explain the discrepancies in the documentation.

Newsfile will investigate the figures, the audit process, and the accountability issues raised by these findings.

Lastly, the programme will explore the ongoing constitutional review process in Ghana. The New Patriotic Party has rejected the proposed extension of presidential and parliamentary terms from four to five years, advocating for a Constituent or Consultative Assembly to deliberate on the proposed reforms. The party also criticizes the scale and process of the amendments, arguing that changes affecting a significant portion of the 1992 Constitution require broader deliberation.

This stance is shared by over 100 civil society organizations, labour groups, and professional bodies united under the Citizens' Platform on Constitutional Reform. The platform has also rejected the proposed five-year presidential term, urging for the current four-year mandate to be retained while implementing other governance and accountability reforms.

The government, however, has dismissed the NPP's call for a Consultative Assembly, asserting that the proposal is unwarranted and emphasizing that the review process has been ongoing for almost two years. Newsfile will present the competing perspectives, the proposed changes, and the overarching question of how Ghana should collectively reach consensus on reforms to its constitutional framework.