Rapper and businessman Desmond Blackmore aka D Black has gifted his personal driver known as Mr. Agyemang a brand new car to celebrate his 50th birthday.
In a video circulating online, the music artiste and the CEO of Black Avenue Music is seen handing over the keys to the car to his driver in the presence of friends and family.
Rapper and businessman Desmond Blackmore aka D Black has gifted his personal driver known as Mr. Agyemang a brand new car to celebrate his 50th birthday.
In a video circulating online, the music artiste and the CEO of Black Avenue Music is seen handing over the keys to the car to his driver in the presence of friends and family.
Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Court is due to hear a legal challenge from the opposition MDC Alliance to the election victory of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
He won by just more than 30,000 votes to avoid a run-off election.
The MDC Alliance has accused the ruling Zanu-PF party of rigging July’s poll, which was the first since the ousting of former President Robert Mugabe last year.
The electoral commission has said there was “no skulduggery” involved in the compiling of the votes.
President Mnangagwa has urged the court to throw out the opposition appeal, which has already caused the postponement of his inauguration.
The court is due to make a decision by Friday.
Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa tweeted that his legal team “is ready to defend your vote”:
YOU WIN, WE WIN & ZIMBABWE WINS…The ‘A’ legal team minus the SA team who are at court to secure their permits..The team is ready to defend your vote & victory to reveal God’s Glory!!#Godisinitpic.twitter.com/56M1PWMGKh
Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Court is due to hear a legal challenge from the opposition MDC Alliance to the election victory of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
He won by just more than 30,000 votes to avoid a run-off election.
The MDC Alliance has accused the ruling Zanu-PF party of rigging July’s poll, which was the first since the ousting of former President Robert Mugabe last year.
The electoral commission has said there was “no skulduggery” involved in the compiling of the votes.
President Mnangagwa has urged the court to throw out the opposition appeal, which has already caused the postponement of his inauguration.
The court is due to make a decision by Friday.
Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa tweeted that his legal team “is ready to defend your vote”:
YOU WIN, WE WIN & ZIMBABWE WINS…The ‘A’ legal team minus the SA team who are at court to secure their permits..The team is ready to defend your vote & victory to reveal God’s Glory!!#Godisinitpic.twitter.com/56M1PWMGKh
The Ghana international has been rewarded for his revived form in the Belgian Jupila Pro League for the Royal Antwerp, having featured in all of their four games.
The former Ghana youth right-back ended his three-year absence from the team in September last year when he was handed a call-up for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against the Cranes of Uganda.
The Ghana international has been rewarded for his revived form in the Belgian Jupila Pro League for the Royal Antwerp, having featured in all of their four games.
The former Ghana youth right-back ended his three-year absence from the team in September last year when he was handed a call-up for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against the Cranes of Uganda.
Striker Kwesi Okyere Wriedt scored the only goal for Bayern Munich in their 1-0 win over Nürnberg in the German Regionaliga.
The Ghana striker found the back of the net in the 71st minute to divide the two sides at the Städtisches Stadion an der Grünwalder Straße in München.
Striker Kwesi Okyere Wriedt scored the only goal for Bayern Munich in their 1-0 win over Nürnberg in the German Regionaliga.
The Ghana striker found the back of the net in the 71st minute to divide the two sides at the Städtisches Stadion an der Grünwalder Straße in München.
Head coach of the Black Stars, Kwesi Appiah has named a 21 man squad for the AFCON 2019 qualifier against Kenya next month.
Kwesi Appiah dropped captain Asamoah Gyan as well as the Ayew brothers, who have been out of his squad since the World Cup qualifier draw against Congo in Kumasi.
Meanwhile, there is a return for Kwadwo Asamoah after four years of national team football exile. The Inter Milan star makes a return to Appiah’s squad since playing for the Black Stars at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil 2014.
Belgium based striker William Owusu of Royal Antwerp is the only new addition to the squad as Emmanuel Boateng of Levante misses out through injury.
The team will camp in the East African nation of Ethiopia before leaving for Kenya for the game slated for September 8th.
Ghana Squad
Goalkeepers: Lawrence Ati (Sochaux, France), Richard Ofori (Martizburg,South Africa)
Defenders: Harrison Afful (Columbus, USA) Daniel Opare  (Antwerp,Belgium) Kassim Nuhu (1899 Hoffenheim, Germany) John Boye (FC Metz, France) Daniel Amartey ( Leicester City, England) Andy Yiadom (Reading Football Club, England)
Midfielders: Afriyie Acquah (Empoli, Italy) Isaac Sackey ( Alanyaspor, Turkey) Ebenezer Ofori (New York City FC, USA) Christian Atsu (Newcastle, England) Edwin Gyasi (CSKA Sofia, Bulgaria) Kwadwo Asamoah (Inter Milan, Italy)
Head coach of the Black Stars, Kwesi Appiah has named a 21 man squad for the AFCON 2019 qualifier against Kenya next month.
Kwesi Appiah dropped captain Asamoah Gyan as well as the Ayew brothers, who have been out of his squad since the World Cup qualifier draw against Congo in Kumasi.
Meanwhile, there is a return for Kwadwo Asamoah after four years of national team football exile. The Inter Milan star makes a return to Appiah’s squad since playing for the Black Stars at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil 2014.
Belgium based striker William Owusu of Royal Antwerp is the only new addition to the squad as Emmanuel Boateng of Levante misses out through injury.
The team will camp in the East African nation of Ethiopia before leaving for Kenya for the game slated for September 8th.
Ghana Squad
Goalkeepers: Lawrence Ati (Sochaux, France), Richard Ofori (Martizburg,South Africa)
Defenders: Harrison Afful (Columbus, USA) Daniel Opare  (Antwerp,Belgium) Kassim Nuhu (1899 Hoffenheim, Germany) John Boye (FC Metz, France) Daniel Amartey ( Leicester City, England) Andy Yiadom (Reading Football Club, England)
Midfielders: Afriyie Acquah (Empoli, Italy) Isaac Sackey ( Alanyaspor, Turkey) Ebenezer Ofori (New York City FC, USA) Christian Atsu (Newcastle, England) Edwin Gyasi (CSKA Sofia, Bulgaria) Kwadwo Asamoah (Inter Milan, Italy)
The Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Ken Agyapong has disclosed that his ‘people’ are preventing him from retiring from active politics.
In view of the unexpected resignation of the immediate past Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Otiko Afisa Djaba, Ken Agyapong explained that he wants to enjoy his retirement after turning 60 but his constituents do not understand.
“Take me for instance, I want to leave and go and enjoy my retirement at age 60 but my people still don’t seem to understand,”
“Sometimes you get involved in certain things and you realise no, enough is enough. I have to move on. So, it is only in this country that people are afraid to resign, that is why I am not a minister.
“Because if the thing is not right I will say it. If it is against my superior and he says… Me I will resign. So, I don’t see anything wrong with it”. Ken Agyapong said in an interview with Joy TV.
Commenting on the resignation of Otiko Djaba, the Assin Central MP said “It’s her prerogative, she has every right to decide at what time she wants to be in politics and what time she wants to get out,” “So I don’t see anything wrong with it If she feels that she doesn’t want to be in politics again. You will do it to sometime and you will realise you are tired, enough is enough you have to go and rest”.
“I will hold brief for whatever I have to say, I don’t have any problem with it, If indeed it’s true that she is resigning”.
Ken Agyapong described Otiko Djaba as ‘very, very important’ to the fortunes of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).
He said the former National Women’s Organiser of the party cannot be discounted considering the role she played in winning power in the 2016 elections.
“If nothing at all, her (Otiko) vote is important, so she is relevant and more so she was Women’s Organiser who brought the party to power. She was part of it, she played a role
“So, I cannot stand here and tell you, oh if Otiko has resigned she can resign, no, I can’t say that. She is very, very important and don’t forget, one person that leaves the party has a husband like Otiko has children, has relatives.
“So, if one person resigns, it is not her alone, she has about minimum 50 people that will follow her and you need as President 50 per cent plus one vote so everybody counts, so I will not stand here and discredit her, no”.
The Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Ken Agyapong has disclosed that his ‘people’ are preventing him from retiring from active politics.
In view of the unexpected resignation of the immediate past Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Otiko Afisa Djaba, Ken Agyapong explained that he wants to enjoy his retirement after turning 60 but his constituents do not understand.
“Take me for instance, I want to leave and go and enjoy my retirement at age 60 but my people still don’t seem to understand,”
“Sometimes you get involved in certain things and you realise no, enough is enough. I have to move on. So, it is only in this country that people are afraid to resign, that is why I am not a minister.
“Because if the thing is not right I will say it. If it is against my superior and he says… Me I will resign. So, I don’t see anything wrong with it”. Ken Agyapong said in an interview with Joy TV.
Commenting on the resignation of Otiko Djaba, the Assin Central MP said “It’s her prerogative, she has every right to decide at what time she wants to be in politics and what time she wants to get out,” “So I don’t see anything wrong with it If she feels that she doesn’t want to be in politics again. You will do it to sometime and you will realise you are tired, enough is enough you have to go and rest”.
“I will hold brief for whatever I have to say, I don’t have any problem with it, If indeed it’s true that she is resigning”.
Ken Agyapong described Otiko Djaba as ‘very, very important’ to the fortunes of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).
He said the former National Women’s Organiser of the party cannot be discounted considering the role she played in winning power in the 2016 elections.
“If nothing at all, her (Otiko) vote is important, so she is relevant and more so she was Women’s Organiser who brought the party to power. She was part of it, she played a role
“So, I cannot stand here and tell you, oh if Otiko has resigned she can resign, no, I can’t say that. She is very, very important and don’t forget, one person that leaves the party has a husband like Otiko has children, has relatives.
“So, if one person resigns, it is not her alone, she has about minimum 50 people that will follow her and you need as President 50 per cent plus one vote so everybody counts, so I will not stand here and discredit her, no”.
The Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong says his ‘people’ are preventing him from retiring from active politics.
Weighing in on the shock resignation of the immediate past Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ms Otiko Afisa Djaba), Mr Agyapong explained that he wants to enjoy his retirement after turning 60 but his ‘people’ do not understand.
“Take me for instance, I want to leave and go and enjoy my retirement at age 60 but my people still don’t seem to understand,” Mr Agyapong said in an interview with Joy TV.
“Sometimes you get involved in certain things and you realise no, enough is enough. I have to move on. So, it is only in this country that people are afraid to resign, that is why I am not a minister.
The Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong says his ‘people’ are preventing him from retiring from active politics.
Weighing in on the shock resignation of the immediate past Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ms Otiko Afisa Djaba), Mr Agyapong explained that he wants to enjoy his retirement after turning 60 but his ‘people’ do not understand.
“Take me for instance, I want to leave and go and enjoy my retirement at age 60 but my people still don’t seem to understand,” Mr Agyapong said in an interview with Joy TV.
“Sometimes you get involved in certain things and you realise no, enough is enough. I have to move on. So, it is only in this country that people are afraid to resign, that is why I am not a minister.
As a result, the organization said it has intensified its awareness creation to avert any unforeseen circumstances likely to be brought on by the spill.
The spillage of the dam is likely to be done between Thursday, August 23, 2018 and Thursday August 30.
It was initially slated for the first week of September 2018 but has been rescheduled to August 2018 due to what authorities of the dam say is the unexpected rise in the volume of water in the dam.
“Managers of the Bagre Dam have given notice that the rising trend in the volume of water in the Dam at 80% in the month of August this year as compared to 50% rise in the volume of water same period last year, it has become imperative that spillage of the dam.â€
A similar exercise was undertaken in August 2017 over the same reason.
In a statement issued by the organization, “the communities along the banks of the Black and White Volta are to take note and prepare accordingly for the over flow of the two rivers.â€
NADMO further adds, it will hold a press briefing on Wednesday August 22, 2018 to engage stakeholders on their level of preparedness for preemptive actions to be taken.
Read the full statement below
The National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) will like to inform the general public especially those living along the banks of the Black and White Volta that the SONABEL Authorities of Burkina Faso, Managers of the Bagre Dam have given notice that the rising trend in the volume of water in the Dam at 80% in the month of August this year as compared to 50% rise in the volume of water same period last year, it has become imperative that spillage of the dam, which was scheduled for first week in September this year, be done earlier than scheduled.
The spillage of the dam is likely to be done between Thursday, 23rd August 2018 and Thursday, 30th August 2018.
In this regard, the communities along the banks of the Black and White Volta are to take note and prepare accordingly for the over flow of the two rivers.
As a result of the foregoing, the Director-General of NADMO, Eric Nana Agyemang-Prempeh will hold a press conference at the Conference Room of NADMO at the Headquarters at 10: 00a.m on Wednesday 22nd August 2018 to throw more light on the spillage of the Bagre Dam and readiness of the Coordinating Agencies for Disaster in Ghana to mitigate the effect on our people.
200,000 still at risk from Bagre dam, heavy rains NADMO
In August 2017, NADMO indicated that the combined effect of the water levels of the White Volta rising and the Bagre dam being opened could leave almost 200,000 persons affected by flooding in northern Ghana and beyond.
The impact of the flooding could extend to economic activities because “it is not just the human beings but the livestock and the farms that will be affected so it will have a great impact on cash and the economy of the people within the three northern regions.â€
As a result, the organization said it has intensified its awareness creation to avert any unforeseen circumstances likely to be brought on by the spill.
The spillage of the dam is likely to be done between Thursday, August 23, 2018 and Thursday August 30.
It was initially slated for the first week of September 2018 but has been rescheduled to August 2018 due to what authorities of the dam say is the unexpected rise in the volume of water in the dam.
“Managers of the Bagre Dam have given notice that the rising trend in the volume of water in the Dam at 80% in the month of August this year as compared to 50% rise in the volume of water same period last year, it has become imperative that spillage of the dam.â€
A similar exercise was undertaken in August 2017 over the same reason.
In a statement issued by the organization, “the communities along the banks of the Black and White Volta are to take note and prepare accordingly for the over flow of the two rivers.â€
NADMO further adds, it will hold a press briefing on Wednesday August 22, 2018 to engage stakeholders on their level of preparedness for preemptive actions to be taken.
Read the full statement below
The National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) will like to inform the general public especially those living along the banks of the Black and White Volta that the SONABEL Authorities of Burkina Faso, Managers of the Bagre Dam have given notice that the rising trend in the volume of water in the Dam at 80% in the month of August this year as compared to 50% rise in the volume of water same period last year, it has become imperative that spillage of the dam, which was scheduled for first week in September this year, be done earlier than scheduled.
The spillage of the dam is likely to be done between Thursday, 23rd August 2018 and Thursday, 30th August 2018.
In this regard, the communities along the banks of the Black and White Volta are to take note and prepare accordingly for the over flow of the two rivers.
As a result of the foregoing, the Director-General of NADMO, Eric Nana Agyemang-Prempeh will hold a press conference at the Conference Room of NADMO at the Headquarters at 10: 00a.m on Wednesday 22nd August 2018 to throw more light on the spillage of the Bagre Dam and readiness of the Coordinating Agencies for Disaster in Ghana to mitigate the effect on our people.
200,000 still at risk from Bagre dam, heavy rains NADMO
In August 2017, NADMO indicated that the combined effect of the water levels of the White Volta rising and the Bagre dam being opened could leave almost 200,000 persons affected by flooding in northern Ghana and beyond.
The impact of the flooding could extend to economic activities because “it is not just the human beings but the livestock and the farms that will be affected so it will have a great impact on cash and the economy of the people within the three northern regions.â€
All newly trained teachers from both the Colleges of Education and universities in Ghana are to take licensure examination to enable them secure jobs with the Ghana Education Service (GES), starting September 2018.
The candidates for the examination, including holders of Diploma in Basic Education (DBE), Bachelor of Education (BEd) or a Post-Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) are also expected to pay GH¢220 as their registration fee.
The examination, which will be conducted by the National Teaching Council (NTC) will take place from Monday, September 10 to Wednesday, September 12, 2018, in all Colleges of Education across the country.
However, candidates from Cambridge, Jackson, Holy Spirit, Christ the Teacher, St Ambrose, Methodist-Oda and McCoy Colleges of Education are to choose the nearest College of Education close to them to write the examination.
The NTC, the body mandated to conduct the examination published the details of the examination in the Tuesday, August 21, 2018, edition of the Daily Graphic.
The National Teaching Council is mandated by the Education Act 2008 (Act 778), Section 9 to improve professional standing and status of teachers and to license and register teachers to in Ghana.
The purpose of the Licensing Examination is to enable qualified teachers to acquire a professional license; and also attract excellent young graduates from the universities and Colleges of Education who have the required professional knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to deliver effectively in schools.
All newly trained teachers from both the Colleges of Education and universities in Ghana are to take licensure examination to enable them secure jobs with the Ghana Education Service (GES), starting September 2018.
The candidates for the examination, including holders of Diploma in Basic Education (DBE), Bachelor of Education (BEd) or a Post-Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) are also expected to pay GH¢220 as their registration fee.
The examination, which will be conducted by the National Teaching Council (NTC) will take place from Monday, September 10 to Wednesday, September 12, 2018, in all Colleges of Education across the country.
However, candidates from Cambridge, Jackson, Holy Spirit, Christ the Teacher, St Ambrose, Methodist-Oda and McCoy Colleges of Education are to choose the nearest College of Education close to them to write the examination.
The NTC, the body mandated to conduct the examination published the details of the examination in the Tuesday, August 21, 2018, edition of the Daily Graphic.
The National Teaching Council is mandated by the Education Act 2008 (Act 778), Section 9 to improve professional standing and status of teachers and to license and register teachers to in Ghana.
The purpose of the Licensing Examination is to enable qualified teachers to acquire a professional license; and also attract excellent young graduates from the universities and Colleges of Education who have the required professional knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to deliver effectively in schools.
At least 11 hikers have been killed and others are missing after flash flooding in southern Italy.
They were walking in a gorge in a national park in the Calabria region when they were hit by a torrent swollen by heavy rain.
Eighteen others were rescued, including a 10-year-old boy, the regional head of civil protection told Italian TV. Six people have been taken to hospital.
Local officials say the exact number of those unaccounted for is unclear.
Spotlights were brought in as the search in the Pollino National Park carried on through the night.
Carlo Tansi, head of civil protection, told reporters that when the hikers were hit by the water they were “catapulted out like bullets” and were washed down the valley for about 3km (two miles).
“The Raganello Gorge is narrow and tall, it can get up to 1km (3,200ft) high,” he said. “The gorge filled up with water in a really short time.”
Eugenio Facciolla, chief prosecutor of the provincial capital Cosenza, said rescuers were trying to spot small patches of shore or tiny islands where survivors may have ended up.
The nationalities of the hikers were not immediately known, although the Corriere della Sera newspaper said one of the injured was Dutch and had suffered a broken pelvis.
At least 11 hikers have been killed and others are missing after flash flooding in southern Italy.
They were walking in a gorge in a national park in the Calabria region when they were hit by a torrent swollen by heavy rain.
Eighteen others were rescued, including a 10-year-old boy, the regional head of civil protection told Italian TV. Six people have been taken to hospital.
Local officials say the exact number of those unaccounted for is unclear.
Spotlights were brought in as the search in the Pollino National Park carried on through the night.
Carlo Tansi, head of civil protection, told reporters that when the hikers were hit by the water they were “catapulted out like bullets” and were washed down the valley for about 3km (two miles).
“The Raganello Gorge is narrow and tall, it can get up to 1km (3,200ft) high,” he said. “The gorge filled up with water in a really short time.”
Eugenio Facciolla, chief prosecutor of the provincial capital Cosenza, said rescuers were trying to spot small patches of shore or tiny islands where survivors may have ended up.
The nationalities of the hikers were not immediately known, although the Corriere della Sera newspaper said one of the injured was Dutch and had suffered a broken pelvis.
A 30-year-old musician, who allegedly collected items at the Shoprite mall at Weija without paying for them has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.
David Ike was apprehended after he failed to produce receipts covering the purchase of the items.
Luck also eluded him when some substance suspected to be narcotic drugs were found on him when he was searched by the Police officer on duty at the mall.
Charged with stealing and use of narcotic drugs, Ike has pleaded not guilty.
The court presided over by Mrs Afi Agbanu remanded him into Police custody to reappear on September 4.
Prosecution said the complainant in the matter is a security guard at the West Hills Mall, Weija. Ike has no fixed place of abode.
According to prosecution, on August 12, this year, at about 20:00 hours, while people were busy shopping at the Mall, Ike also entered the Shoprite section of the Mall and picked a bag and loaded it with King cracker biscuits, one medi-soft soap, two Lindor chocolates, two sets of tissue paper, an underwear, two bottles of Voltic water and a packet of Burger Peanuts, all valued at GH¢ 167 without paying for them.
Prosecution said when the accused person walked out of the shop with the items without paying, he was confronted by a security guard to produce receipts covering the items.
Ike could not produce any and he was nabbed and the items were taken away from him. Ike was handed over to the Police on duty at the Mall and when he was searched, one wrapper of a substance suspected to be narcotic drug was found on him.
The prosecution said Ike was handed over to the Weija Police for further investigations.
A 30-year-old musician, who allegedly collected items at the Shoprite mall at Weija without paying for them has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.
David Ike was apprehended after he failed to produce receipts covering the purchase of the items.
Luck also eluded him when some substance suspected to be narcotic drugs were found on him when he was searched by the Police officer on duty at the mall.
Charged with stealing and use of narcotic drugs, Ike has pleaded not guilty.
The court presided over by Mrs Afi Agbanu remanded him into Police custody to reappear on September 4.
Prosecution said the complainant in the matter is a security guard at the West Hills Mall, Weija. Ike has no fixed place of abode.
According to prosecution, on August 12, this year, at about 20:00 hours, while people were busy shopping at the Mall, Ike also entered the Shoprite section of the Mall and picked a bag and loaded it with King cracker biscuits, one medi-soft soap, two Lindor chocolates, two sets of tissue paper, an underwear, two bottles of Voltic water and a packet of Burger Peanuts, all valued at GH¢ 167 without paying for them.
Prosecution said when the accused person walked out of the shop with the items without paying, he was confronted by a security guard to produce receipts covering the items.
Ike could not produce any and he was nabbed and the items were taken away from him. Ike was handed over to the Police on duty at the Mall and when he was searched, one wrapper of a substance suspected to be narcotic drug was found on him.
The prosecution said Ike was handed over to the Weija Police for further investigations.
Globex Energy was among the five oil companies that were suspended by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) for under-declaring or failing to declare returns on fuel they loaded at the Tema Tank Farm (TTF) in 2018.
They others were Union Oil Ghana Limited, Misyl Energy Company Limited, Excel Oil Company Limited, Unique Oil Company Limited and Life Petroleum Company Limited.
Agabet Limited was also suspended for indulging in underhand dealings with respect to declarations made to the Ghana Revenue Authority.
The NPA made the find after reviewing the returns of the companies for January and February this year.
However, a spokesperson for the company, by a letter dated 3 August, 2018, said the NPA cleared the company to resume business in the petroleum downstream activities.
It would be recalled that earlier when the press release suspending Globex Company for tax evasion was published, the Ghana Chamber of Bulk Distributors (GCBOD), came to the defence of Globex Energy Limited that the suspension of that company was not for tax evasion but rather for under declaration of volumes of sales.
Globex Energy Limited wishes to assure its stakeholders that it will continue to abide by the rules and regulations of the energy sector and foster better working relations with all players in the energy sector.
Globex Energy was among the five oil companies that were suspended by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) for under-declaring or failing to declare returns on fuel they loaded at the Tema Tank Farm (TTF) in 2018.
They others were Union Oil Ghana Limited, Misyl Energy Company Limited, Excel Oil Company Limited, Unique Oil Company Limited and Life Petroleum Company Limited.
Agabet Limited was also suspended for indulging in underhand dealings with respect to declarations made to the Ghana Revenue Authority.
The NPA made the find after reviewing the returns of the companies for January and February this year.
However, a spokesperson for the company, by a letter dated 3 August, 2018, said the NPA cleared the company to resume business in the petroleum downstream activities.
It would be recalled that earlier when the press release suspending Globex Company for tax evasion was published, the Ghana Chamber of Bulk Distributors (GCBOD), came to the defence of Globex Energy Limited that the suspension of that company was not for tax evasion but rather for under declaration of volumes of sales.
Globex Energy Limited wishes to assure its stakeholders that it will continue to abide by the rules and regulations of the energy sector and foster better working relations with all players in the energy sector.
Ghana defender Baba Rahman is oozing with confidence ahead of the start of the new Bundesliga season after lasting the entire duration of Schalke O4’s 2-0 win over FC Schweinfurt in the DFB Pokal on Sunday.
Rahman, who rejoined Schalke midway last season from Chelsea has seen his position at the club under threat following the arrival of 20 year old Moroccan left back Hamza Mendyl.
The 24 year old Ghanaian revealed he is a hundred percent fit for the season and he is hopeful of starting ahead of his main competitor for the position, Hamza Mendyl.
“I felt very well, the strength was back, I feel 100 percent again”, Baba is quoted by the “Funke Mediengruppe” after the cup success in Schweinfurt.
“For us as a team that is very good,” added Baba on competing with Hamza for the left back position.
“Yeah, everybody wants to play, I’ve been with this team for a long time and he [Hamza Mendyl] is new.”
After his serious knee injury Baba Abdul Rahman has only completed a single Bundesliga match for the S04. Since 2016, he has been only eight times in the Bundesliga for the miners in the starting eleven.
Ghana defender Baba Rahman is oozing with confidence ahead of the start of the new Bundesliga season after lasting the entire duration of Schalke O4’s 2-0 win over FC Schweinfurt in the DFB Pokal on Sunday.
Rahman, who rejoined Schalke midway last season from Chelsea has seen his position at the club under threat following the arrival of 20 year old Moroccan left back Hamza Mendyl.
The 24 year old Ghanaian revealed he is a hundred percent fit for the season and he is hopeful of starting ahead of his main competitor for the position, Hamza Mendyl.
“I felt very well, the strength was back, I feel 100 percent again”, Baba is quoted by the “Funke Mediengruppe” after the cup success in Schweinfurt.
“For us as a team that is very good,” added Baba on competing with Hamza for the left back position.
“Yeah, everybody wants to play, I’ve been with this team for a long time and he [Hamza Mendyl] is new.”
After his serious knee injury Baba Abdul Rahman has only completed a single Bundesliga match for the S04. Since 2016, he has been only eight times in the Bundesliga for the miners in the starting eleven.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Mohamed Salah make up the three-man shortlist for the UEFA Player of the Year award for the 2017/18 season, European football’s governing body announced on Monday.
Ronaldo — the winner in each of the last two years — and Modric both starred for Real Madrid as the Spanish giants won the Champions League for the third year running, while the latter also won the Golden Ball for the best player at the World Cup after inspiring Croatia on their run to the final.
Meanwhile, Egyptian star Salah scored 10 times as Liverpool made it to the Champions League final, before losing 3-1 to Real in Kiev.
Salah was forced off with a shoulder injury in the first half of that game after a clash with Real defender Sergio Ramos.
He also netted 32 goals in his debut Premier League season, with that tally a record for a 38-game campaign.
Lionel Messi came fifth in the voting by a jury of 80 coaches from clubs who played in the Champions League and Europa League, as well as 55 journalists representing each UEFA member nation.
The Barcelona star came second to Ronaldo last year but also failed to make the final three-man shortlist in 2016.
Atletico Madrid’s France star Antoine Griezmann, who scored twice as his club beat Marseille 3-0 in the Europa League final, just missed out in fourth.
The winner will be named, along with the UEFA Women’s Player of the Year, in Monaco on Thursday, August 30, the same day as the draw for the Champions League group stage.
The nominees for the women’s award are France’s Amandine Henry and Norway’s Ada Hegerberg, who both won the Champions League with Lyon, and Denmark’s Pernille Harder, who lost in the final with Wolfsburg.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Mohamed Salah make up the three-man shortlist for the UEFA Player of the Year award for the 2017/18 season, European football’s governing body announced on Monday.
Ronaldo — the winner in each of the last two years — and Modric both starred for Real Madrid as the Spanish giants won the Champions League for the third year running, while the latter also won the Golden Ball for the best player at the World Cup after inspiring Croatia on their run to the final.
Meanwhile, Egyptian star Salah scored 10 times as Liverpool made it to the Champions League final, before losing 3-1 to Real in Kiev.
Salah was forced off with a shoulder injury in the first half of that game after a clash with Real defender Sergio Ramos.
He also netted 32 goals in his debut Premier League season, with that tally a record for a 38-game campaign.
Lionel Messi came fifth in the voting by a jury of 80 coaches from clubs who played in the Champions League and Europa League, as well as 55 journalists representing each UEFA member nation.
The Barcelona star came second to Ronaldo last year but also failed to make the final three-man shortlist in 2016.
Atletico Madrid’s France star Antoine Griezmann, who scored twice as his club beat Marseille 3-0 in the Europa League final, just missed out in fourth.
The winner will be named, along with the UEFA Women’s Player of the Year, in Monaco on Thursday, August 30, the same day as the draw for the Champions League group stage.
The nominees for the women’s award are France’s Amandine Henry and Norway’s Ada Hegerberg, who both won the Champions League with Lyon, and Denmark’s Pernille Harder, who lost in the final with Wolfsburg.
It is the first major Hollywood film since The Joy Luck Club 25 years ago to feature an all-Asian cast.
Adapted from Kevin Kwan’s bestseller, Crazy Rich Asians tells the story of an Asian-American woman who gets a culture shock meeting her boyfriend’s ultra-wealthy family in Singapore.
Analysts have said its universal themes and entertainment value proved popular with moviegoers.
‘Culturally significant’
Jeff Goldstein, Warner Brothers head of domestic distribution, said word of mouth had been key to the film’s success.
“This movie is so culturally significant and so unique in that there hasn’t been a cast that’s predominately Asian [in years]. This is one of those few projects that a whole studio comes together with lots of passion.”
Seen as a turning point for on-screen representation, high profile, affluent Asian-Americans started a social media movement known as the #GoldOpen campaign.
The campaign offered free screenings across the US to promote the film and raise awareness about the lack of Asian representation in Hollywood.
The film took more than $25m (£19.6m) at the box office over the weekend, which appears to validate the filmmakers’ decision to turn down a lucrative Netflix deal in favour of a riskier cinema release through a Hollywood studio.
In second place was the shark thriller The Meg, which earned $21.2m (£16.6m), while the Mark Wahlberg-led action movie Mile 22 placed third, with $13.6m (£10.7m).
Billionaire Boys Club flops
It wasn’t such a good weekend for Kevin Spacey’s new film, Billionaire Boys Club, which took a record breaking low of $126 (£98) on its opening night in US cinemas.
The film was the last project the actor worked on before sexual assault allegations began to surface, some which dated back more than 30 years.
Billionaire Boys Club had a host of big names on board, including Ansel Elgort and Taron Egerton, but failed to attract the attention of many cinemas, opening in just 10 US cities.
Spacey and Elgort’s last film together, 2017’s Baby Driver, took more than $20m (£15.7m) at the box office in its opening weekend.
Kevin Spacey was first accused of sexual advances in November by actor Anthony Rapp, who alleged an advance had been made in 1986 when he was 14 and Mr Spacey was 26.
Mr Spacey claimed to have no memory of the events, but publicly apologised. He has since issued an “absolute” denial of the other allegations that later emerged.
It is the first major Hollywood film since The Joy Luck Club 25 years ago to feature an all-Asian cast.
Adapted from Kevin Kwan’s bestseller, Crazy Rich Asians tells the story of an Asian-American woman who gets a culture shock meeting her boyfriend’s ultra-wealthy family in Singapore.
Analysts have said its universal themes and entertainment value proved popular with moviegoers.
‘Culturally significant’
Jeff Goldstein, Warner Brothers head of domestic distribution, said word of mouth had been key to the film’s success.
“This movie is so culturally significant and so unique in that there hasn’t been a cast that’s predominately Asian [in years]. This is one of those few projects that a whole studio comes together with lots of passion.”
Seen as a turning point for on-screen representation, high profile, affluent Asian-Americans started a social media movement known as the #GoldOpen campaign.
The campaign offered free screenings across the US to promote the film and raise awareness about the lack of Asian representation in Hollywood.
The film took more than $25m (£19.6m) at the box office over the weekend, which appears to validate the filmmakers’ decision to turn down a lucrative Netflix deal in favour of a riskier cinema release through a Hollywood studio.
In second place was the shark thriller The Meg, which earned $21.2m (£16.6m), while the Mark Wahlberg-led action movie Mile 22 placed third, with $13.6m (£10.7m).
Billionaire Boys Club flops
It wasn’t such a good weekend for Kevin Spacey’s new film, Billionaire Boys Club, which took a record breaking low of $126 (£98) on its opening night in US cinemas.
The film was the last project the actor worked on before sexual assault allegations began to surface, some which dated back more than 30 years.
Billionaire Boys Club had a host of big names on board, including Ansel Elgort and Taron Egerton, but failed to attract the attention of many cinemas, opening in just 10 US cities.
Spacey and Elgort’s last film together, 2017’s Baby Driver, took more than $20m (£15.7m) at the box office in its opening weekend.
Kevin Spacey was first accused of sexual advances in November by actor Anthony Rapp, who alleged an advance had been made in 1986 when he was 14 and Mr Spacey was 26.
Mr Spacey claimed to have no memory of the events, but publicly apologised. He has since issued an “absolute” denial of the other allegations that later emerged.
The death of former UN secretary General, Kofi Annan has sent a wave of sadness all over the world.
The celebrated Ghanaian diplomat on December 6, 2006 bid farewell to his colleagues at the United Nations (UN) in a video after ten years of service as Secretary-General.
The death of former UN secretary General, Kofi Annan has sent a wave of sadness all over the world.
The celebrated Ghanaian diplomat on December 6, 2006 bid farewell to his colleagues at the United Nations (UN) in a video after ten years of service as Secretary-General.
With the passing of former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, stories of his kindness and good humor have come through with the many condolences.
In 2007, the former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan recounted to the Columbia University Alumni gathered at a Paris Conference that he was mistaken for Hollywood Actor Morgan Freeman.
With the passing of former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, stories of his kindness and good humor have come through with the many condolences.
In 2007, the former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan recounted to the Columbia University Alumni gathered at a Paris Conference that he was mistaken for Hollywood Actor Morgan Freeman.
In its fifth year, the Global Enterprise Connect (GEC) Open global golf tournament is set to return to Ghana for a third successive edition with two national qualifying rounds.
GEC Open Ghana will engage the creme de la creme of Ghanaian amateur golf fraternity and corporate leaders. The event will kickoff with GEC Breakfast Connect on 24th August followed by competitive golf as Celebrity Golf Club (Tema) on 25th August an9d at The Royal Golf Club (Kumasi) on 8th September 2018.
GEC Open 2018 is poised to host 54 qualifying rounds in 34 countries making it one of the biggest corporate golf tournament all around the world. Engaging over 3700 corporate leaders and industry stakeholders, the GEC Open is a unique blend of sporting excellence and networking opportunities for partners and players alike.
Two winners from each of the qualifying rounds will get a once in a lifetime opportunity to represent their national colours at the GEC Open World Final – Dubai Corporate Golf World Cup (DCGWC).
A 36-hole tournament, DCGWC will be played over two days at Jumeirah Golf Estate and Emirates Golf Club in December later this year where national winners from 34 countries will compete to be crowned global champions. Dubai Corporate Golf World Cup provides amateur and club golfers with a unique opportunity to experience the thrill and excitement akin to a professional player.
Speaking about the GEC Open activities lined up from August to September, Kwaku Ofosuhene(COO, Rave Group) explained: “GEC Open golf tournament has the vision to be the unrivalled platform for corporate entities across the globe to share the best practices and nurture future growth mutually. This year’s GEC Open would be preceded by an exclusive business breakfast symposium, GEC Breakfast Connect, hosted by the GEC Ghana ambassador, Mr Kwasi Amoafo-Yeboah. We are looking forward to GEC Open Ghana with great anticipation – Play Local, Connect Global.”
The conference will engage over 60 CXO’s from various industries and will feature keynote speaker presentations amidst general networking.
With the support of our generous participants, this years’ tournament will support our local charity partner The S.H.E Rises Foundation with proceeds from all events.
About Rave Marketing Solutions:Â
Rave Marketing Solutions, organizers of the GEC Open, is a bespoke ‘Experiential’ that entrench, engage and influence your customers deriving measurable ROI for brands.
About GEC Open:Â
GEC Open made its debut in 2014 with just one golf round in Dubai. In 2015 and 2016, the event grew in popularity and was played in six and eight countries respectively connecting over 1100 corporates in the GEC ecosystem. Since then, GEC open has matured into a global platform for networking, forging everlasting friendships and business relations. The 2017 edition held 29 golf rounds in 18 countries reaching over 2400 corporate leaders under the aegis 800+ global organisations!
In its fifth year, the Global Enterprise Connect (GEC) Open global golf tournament is set to return to Ghana for a third successive edition with two national qualifying rounds.
GEC Open Ghana will engage the creme de la creme of Ghanaian amateur golf fraternity and corporate leaders. The event will kickoff with GEC Breakfast Connect on 24th August followed by competitive golf as Celebrity Golf Club (Tema) on 25th August an9d at The Royal Golf Club (Kumasi) on 8th September 2018.
GEC Open 2018 is poised to host 54 qualifying rounds in 34 countries making it one of the biggest corporate golf tournament all around the world. Engaging over 3700 corporate leaders and industry stakeholders, the GEC Open is a unique blend of sporting excellence and networking opportunities for partners and players alike.
Two winners from each of the qualifying rounds will get a once in a lifetime opportunity to represent their national colours at the GEC Open World Final – Dubai Corporate Golf World Cup (DCGWC).
A 36-hole tournament, DCGWC will be played over two days at Jumeirah Golf Estate and Emirates Golf Club in December later this year where national winners from 34 countries will compete to be crowned global champions. Dubai Corporate Golf World Cup provides amateur and club golfers with a unique opportunity to experience the thrill and excitement akin to a professional player.
Speaking about the GEC Open activities lined up from August to September, Kwaku Ofosuhene(COO, Rave Group) explained: “GEC Open golf tournament has the vision to be the unrivalled platform for corporate entities across the globe to share the best practices and nurture future growth mutually. This year’s GEC Open would be preceded by an exclusive business breakfast symposium, GEC Breakfast Connect, hosted by the GEC Ghana ambassador, Mr Kwasi Amoafo-Yeboah. We are looking forward to GEC Open Ghana with great anticipation – Play Local, Connect Global.”
The conference will engage over 60 CXO’s from various industries and will feature keynote speaker presentations amidst general networking.
With the support of our generous participants, this years’ tournament will support our local charity partner The S.H.E Rises Foundation with proceeds from all events.
About Rave Marketing Solutions:Â
Rave Marketing Solutions, organizers of the GEC Open, is a bespoke ‘Experiential’ that entrench, engage and influence your customers deriving measurable ROI for brands.
About GEC Open:Â
GEC Open made its debut in 2014 with just one golf round in Dubai. In 2015 and 2016, the event grew in popularity and was played in six and eight countries respectively connecting over 1100 corporates in the GEC ecosystem. Since then, GEC open has matured into a global platform for networking, forging everlasting friendships and business relations. The 2017 edition held 29 golf rounds in 18 countries reaching over 2400 corporate leaders under the aegis 800+ global organisations!
The General Legal Council (GCL) has warned lawyers, judges and academics who pirate law books and sell to law students to desist from it since it constitutes an offence under sections 42 and 43 of the Copyright Act, 2005 (Act 690).
The Council, in a statement, said it has been receiving complaints regarding the patronage and proliferation of pirated law textbooks on the Ghanaian markets, and is particularly concerned because the textbooks involved are authored by Ghanaian lawyers, judges and academics and their original versions are widely available on the Ghanaian markets.
“Lawyers, law students, the entire legal community and the general public are advised to desist from any form of involvement in such criminal activity including patronage of such books under rule 9 of the legal profession (Professional Conduct and Etiquette) Rules, 1969 (L613)â€, the Council warned, adding: “Criminal convictions for such offence may result in disbarment or disqualification from a call to the bar as the case may beâ€.
The Council advised members of the legal profession to patronise and rely solely on the original versions of widely available Ghanaian law books in order to avoid any form of complicity in a criminal offence, “particularly one which deprives industrious members of our profession of the fruits of their labour and discourages the much-needed publication of scholarly works required for the advancement of the legal profession and the law in Ghana.â€
The General Legal Council (GCL) has warned lawyers, judges and academics who pirate law books and sell to law students to desist from it since it constitutes an offence under sections 42 and 43 of the Copyright Act, 2005 (Act 690).
The Council, in a statement, said it has been receiving complaints regarding the patronage and proliferation of pirated law textbooks on the Ghanaian markets, and is particularly concerned because the textbooks involved are authored by Ghanaian lawyers, judges and academics and their original versions are widely available on the Ghanaian markets.
“Lawyers, law students, the entire legal community and the general public are advised to desist from any form of involvement in such criminal activity including patronage of such books under rule 9 of the legal profession (Professional Conduct and Etiquette) Rules, 1969 (L613)â€, the Council warned, adding: “Criminal convictions for such offence may result in disbarment or disqualification from a call to the bar as the case may beâ€.
The Council advised members of the legal profession to patronise and rely solely on the original versions of widely available Ghanaian law books in order to avoid any form of complicity in a criminal offence, “particularly one which deprives industrious members of our profession of the fruits of their labour and discourages the much-needed publication of scholarly works required for the advancement of the legal profession and the law in Ghana.â€
Human Rights Lawyer, Mary Ohenewaa Afful, has called on management of Goil and the government of Ghana to compensate victims of the June 3 flood/fire disaster at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle (Goil Filling Station) in 2015, claiming almost 300 lives and leaving scores of people seriously injured.
At a press conference on Friday at the site of the incident, the lawyer appealed to the management of Goil and the government to meet with the victims and agree on a reasonable amount as compensation. “We are therefore appealing to the Directors of Goil Company Limited and the government of Ghana to meet with the victims and agree on a reasonable amount of compensation for each victim for both survivors and the family members of the deceased victimsâ€, she said, adding “failure to arrange a meeting shall leave us with no option than to resort to the law courts to claim huge sums of damages or compensationâ€.
Ms Afful faulted the filling station for not finding a way to seal all leakages on their premises to clear the void of flammable substances that mixed up with the flood water resulting in fire.
She also indicated that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) both failed to carry out their state-mandated duties by failing to conduct regular checks and inspections to ensure that the place was fit for business activities.
Lawyer Afful indicated that victims had not received monies meant for them which were donated to the AMA to be given to them.
The lawyer disclosed that on August 7, 2018, victims of the disaster met at the office of the AMA and were shocked to learn that all monies were indeed received by the AMA office but there was no documentary evidence to prove the disbursement of the funds.
She revealed that on the same day, they also went to the office of the current NADMO director who showed them documents he inherited from his predecessors. The documents showed only monies received by family members of deceased victims but no document indicated payment of monies to any victim.
She stressed that persons found culpable to have siphoned any money meant for the victims should be dealt with in accordance with the law and the monies returned to the rightful victims.
Human Rights Lawyer, Mary Ohenewaa Afful, has called on management of Goil and the government of Ghana to compensate victims of the June 3 flood/fire disaster at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle (Goil Filling Station) in 2015, claiming almost 300 lives and leaving scores of people seriously injured.
At a press conference on Friday at the site of the incident, the lawyer appealed to the management of Goil and the government to meet with the victims and agree on a reasonable amount as compensation. “We are therefore appealing to the Directors of Goil Company Limited and the government of Ghana to meet with the victims and agree on a reasonable amount of compensation for each victim for both survivors and the family members of the deceased victimsâ€, she said, adding “failure to arrange a meeting shall leave us with no option than to resort to the law courts to claim huge sums of damages or compensationâ€.
Ms Afful faulted the filling station for not finding a way to seal all leakages on their premises to clear the void of flammable substances that mixed up with the flood water resulting in fire.
She also indicated that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) both failed to carry out their state-mandated duties by failing to conduct regular checks and inspections to ensure that the place was fit for business activities.
Lawyer Afful indicated that victims had not received monies meant for them which were donated to the AMA to be given to them.
The lawyer disclosed that on August 7, 2018, victims of the disaster met at the office of the AMA and were shocked to learn that all monies were indeed received by the AMA office but there was no documentary evidence to prove the disbursement of the funds.
She revealed that on the same day, they also went to the office of the current NADMO director who showed them documents he inherited from his predecessors. The documents showed only monies received by family members of deceased victims but no document indicated payment of monies to any victim.
She stressed that persons found culpable to have siphoned any money meant for the victims should be dealt with in accordance with the law and the monies returned to the rightful victims.
Inter Milan star Kwadwo Asamoah has paid a glowing tribute to former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan who passed on this Saturday.
Kofi Annan died aged 80 after a short illness in Switzerland.
The veteran diplomat’s death was received solemnly by several Ghanaians and the international political landscape, with the likes of Barack Obama- former President of the US and the current secretary General António Guterres all paying tributes to the legendary African.
The latest to join is Inter Milan and Ghana midfielder, Kwadwo Asamoah who has been inspired by Kogfi Annan in many ways.
He posted,” He was an inspirational international diplomat with unique distinction. He will forever remain one of the greatest Africans of our time. My thoughts & prayers are with the family of Mr. Annan. #RIP #KofiAnnan”
Kofi Annan served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations, from January 1997 to December 2006. Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize.
He was the founder and chairman of the Kofi Annan Foundation, as well as chairman of The Elders, an international organization founded by Nelson Mandela.
He was an inspirational international diplomat with unique distinction. He will forever remain one of the greatest Africans of our time. My thoughts & prayers are with the family of Mr. Annan. #RIP#KofiAnnanpic.twitter.com/z0dgZC65i4
Inter Milan star Kwadwo Asamoah has paid a glowing tribute to former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan who passed on this Saturday.
Kofi Annan died aged 80 after a short illness in Switzerland.
The veteran diplomat’s death was received solemnly by several Ghanaians and the international political landscape, with the likes of Barack Obama- former President of the US and the current secretary General António Guterres all paying tributes to the legendary African.
The latest to join is Inter Milan and Ghana midfielder, Kwadwo Asamoah who has been inspired by Kogfi Annan in many ways.
He posted,” He was an inspirational international diplomat with unique distinction. He will forever remain one of the greatest Africans of our time. My thoughts & prayers are with the family of Mr. Annan. #RIP #KofiAnnan”
Kofi Annan served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations, from January 1997 to December 2006. Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize.
He was the founder and chairman of the Kofi Annan Foundation, as well as chairman of The Elders, an international organization founded by Nelson Mandela.
He was an inspirational international diplomat with unique distinction. He will forever remain one of the greatest Africans of our time. My thoughts & prayers are with the family of Mr. Annan. #RIP#KofiAnnanpic.twitter.com/z0dgZC65i4
Kofi Annan, the first black African to lead the United Nations, has died at age 80. He served as Secretary-General at a time when worries about the Cold War were replaced by threats of global terrorism, and his efforts to combat those threats and secure a more peaceful world brought him the Nobel Peace Prize.
Annan, who was born in Ghana in 1938, served as the seventh UN Secretary-General, from 1997 to 2006, and was the first to rise from within the ranks of the United Nations staff.
He had also been a member, since 2007, of The Elders, a humanitarian group of a dozen leaders and activists of worldwide stature formed by Nelson Mandela. In 2013, Annan became its chairman.
The Kofi Annan Foundation confirmed his death with “immense sadness” in a statement posted on Twitter.
Annan passed away peacefully Saturday morning after a short illness, with his wife Nane and their three children by his side during his final days, the statement said.
The foundation paid tribute to Annan as a “global statesman and a deeply committed internationalist who fought throughout his life for a fairer, more peaceful world.”
“During his distinguished career and leadership of the United Nations, he was an ardent champion of peace, sustainable development, human rights and the rule of law.”
Despite his many achievements, Annan’s record was not unblemished. He was head of the United Nations’ peacekeeping operations in 1994, when some 800,000 people were killed in the Rwanda genocide, and in 1995 when thousands of Muslim men and boys were massacred in Srebrenica.
Annan would later say that he should have done more to prevent what unfolded in Rwanda, and that events there and in Srebrenica had reshaped his global thinking.
Tributes pour in
As news of Annan’s death has spread, many are paying tribute to a man who became a global figure as head of the United Nations but was also known by those close to him for his warmth, style and charm.
Current UN Secretary-General António Guterres told CNN that Annan had been “an enormous source of inspiration” to him, adding that the late leader had been committed to his principles and values even if he had to pay a heavy price for them.
“He was not only a statesman, he was not only a leader, he was a warm person who would support his friends in difficult moments. He was a true colleague and a true friend,” he said.
US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said Annan “worked tirelessly to unite us and never stopped fighting for the dignity of every person.”
“Kofi Annan devoted his life to making the world a more peaceful place through his compassion and dedication to service,” she added.
The UN Migration Agency tweeted: “Today we mourn the loss of a great man, a leader, and a visionary.”
Today we mourn the loss of a great man, a leader, and a visionary: former @UN Secretary General @KofiAnnan.
UN human rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said he was “grief-stricken” over Annan’s death. “Kofi was humanity’s best example, the epitome, of human decency and grace,” he said. “In a world now filled with leaders who are anything but that, our loss, the world’s loss becomes even more painful.”
In this 2007 file photo, Nelson Mandela and Kofi Annan arrive together at the 5th Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture in South Africa.
A statement from The Elders said its members were “shocked and deeply saddened” by his death. “Kofi was a strong and inspiring presence to us all, and The Elders would not be where it is today without his leadership,” said deputy chairman Gro Harlem Brundtland, adding that the group was resolved to continue to uphold Annan’s values and legacy.
NATO leader Jens Stoltenberg tweeted that the world had lost one of its giants. “His warmth should never be mistaken for weakness,” he said. “Annan showed that one can be a great humanitarian and a strong leader at the same time.”
Carl Bildt, co-chairman of the European council on Foreign Relations and former Swedish Prime Minister, described Annan as “a man of courage, wisdom and friendship” and urged people to read his 2001 Nobel Peace Prize lecture.
Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo extended condolences on behalf of the entire nation and said the Ghanaian flag would fly at half staff across the country for a week, starting Monday. As the first person from sub-Saharan Africa to become UN Secretary-General, Annan “brought considerable renown to our country,” he said.
Zimbabwe opposition leader Nelson Chamisa said he had met with Annan only a few days ago. “A rare breed of diplomat; soft spoken but unshakably firm. He had great love for world peace & democracy,” he wrote on Twitter. “Go well son of Africa, Champion of the world!”
Deeply saddened by the sudden passing of the iconic Kofi Annan whom I met a few days ago. A rare breed of diplomat; soft spoken but unshakeably firm. He had great love for world peace & democracy. A believer in Zimbabwe & its people. Go well son of Africa, Champion of the world!
Former Kenyan Prime Minister and opposition leader Raila Odinga paid tribute to Annan’s “tireless work in stabilizing the world and encouraging Africa to aspire to higher ideals of democracy, respect for human rights and sound governance.”
Annan was remembered in Kenya as the man who “saved the country from collapse following the 2007-2008 post-election violence,” Odinga said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Annan’s efforts to build the United Nations’ peacekeeping potential in a telegram to Guterres, cited by Russian state news agency TASS. “I was lucky to personally interact with Kofi Annan. I have been in genuine awe of his wisdom and courage, of his ability to make informed decisions even in the most difficult, critical situations,” Putin said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said he was extremely saddened by the loss of an “unwavering champion for peace, justice and rule of law” and a “dear old friend.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his sorrow, saying, “We will remember him as having been very active in the international arena and as someone who fought anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the world had lost “not only a great African diplomat and humanitarian but also a conscience keeper of international peace and security.”
The director of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth, praised Annan as a “great leader.”
Former US President Jimmy Carter, also a member of The Elders, said Annan “was a cherished personal friend and an inspiration to all who knew him.”
What shaped his global thinking?
Annan was descended from tribal chiefs on both sides of his family. After studying in Ghana and at Macalester College in St. Paul, in the US state of Minnesota, he joined the United Nations in 1962 as a low-ranking officer with the World Health Organization in Geneva.
He thought he would stay only a few years but ended up spending almost his entire working life with the organization.
UN peacekeeping chief Kofi Annan gives a press conference , on October 13, 1993 in Mogadishu, Somalia. (Photo credit should read HOCINE ZAOURAR/AFP/Getty Images)
While leading the UN’s peacekeeping operations, Annan was involved in decisions that were potentially career-ending but which he managed to survive.
In 1994, the UN Security Council and others including Annan were accused by the UN field commander in Rwanda of ignoring his warnings, which resulted in the world’s reluctance to send troops in and the estimated 800,000 deaths.
Speaking in 2004, Annan said: “I believed at the that time that I was doing my best, but I realized after the genocide that there was more that I could have and should have done.”
The next year, another moment came with the thousands of Muslims who were massacred in Srebrenica as Bosnian Serbs overran a UN “safe zone.”
The Secretary-General at the time, Boutros Boutros Ghali, took the heat for UN failings in two of the darkest episodes of its history. Subsequent UN reports about the body’s handling of the massacres were critical of Annan’s leadership.
Champion of human rights
On taking the helm as Secretary-General in 1997, Annan became a high-profile figure who championed human rights and urged the United Nations to protect civilians if their own governments turned on them.
His first term was highly-rated but his second term, which coincided with the US invasion of Iraq, was not as smooth.
Annan would later call the assault illegal. “I think the worst moment of course was the Iraq war, which as an organization we couldn’t stop — and I really did everything I can to try to see if we can stop it,” he said, speaking in 2006.
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Annan a “truly great” Secretary-General.
“It was an honor to work with him in his efforts to reform the UN, strengthen global health and peacekeeping, and reduce poverty. He made the fight against AIDS and the responsibility to protect civilians in conflict zones true priorities for the UN,” they said in a statement.
“After he left office, he continued his leadership on poverty, environmental, and peace issues through his foundation.” they wrote. “In every phase of his life, he held fast to his Ghanaian roots and set a powerful example of determined leadership while always treating others with respect and dignity.”
In this 2003 file photo, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan greets US President George W Bush before the start of the 58th UN General Assembly.
Former US President George W. Bush, whose pursuit of the Iraq war often set him on a collision course with Annan, paid tribute to him as “a gentle man and a tireless leader of the United Nations. His voice of experience will be missed around the world.”
Former US President Barack Obama said Annan “embodied the mission of the United Nations.”
“His integrity, persistence, optimism, and sense of our common humanity always informed his outreach to the community of nations,” Obama said.
In February 2012, the United Nations appointed Annan the UN and Arab League joint special envoy to Syria. Only six months later, he quit, citing increasing militarization in Syria and “the clear lack of unity” at the UN Security Council.
In a statement released by the United Nations, Guterres described Annan as both a personal mentor and an inspiration to all.
“He provided people everywhere with a space for dialogue, a place for problem-solving and a path to a better world. In these turbulent and trying times, he never stopped working to give life to the values of the United Nations Charter. His legacy will remain a true inspiration for all of us.”
Kofi Annan, the first black African to lead the United Nations, has died at age 80. He served as Secretary-General at a time when worries about the Cold War were replaced by threats of global terrorism, and his efforts to combat those threats and secure a more peaceful world brought him the Nobel Peace Prize.
Annan, who was born in Ghana in 1938, served as the seventh UN Secretary-General, from 1997 to 2006, and was the first to rise from within the ranks of the United Nations staff.
He had also been a member, since 2007, of The Elders, a humanitarian group of a dozen leaders and activists of worldwide stature formed by Nelson Mandela. In 2013, Annan became its chairman.
The Kofi Annan Foundation confirmed his death with “immense sadness” in a statement posted on Twitter.
Annan passed away peacefully Saturday morning after a short illness, with his wife Nane and their three children by his side during his final days, the statement said.
The foundation paid tribute to Annan as a “global statesman and a deeply committed internationalist who fought throughout his life for a fairer, more peaceful world.”
“During his distinguished career and leadership of the United Nations, he was an ardent champion of peace, sustainable development, human rights and the rule of law.”
Despite his many achievements, Annan’s record was not unblemished. He was head of the United Nations’ peacekeeping operations in 1994, when some 800,000 people were killed in the Rwanda genocide, and in 1995 when thousands of Muslim men and boys were massacred in Srebrenica.
Annan would later say that he should have done more to prevent what unfolded in Rwanda, and that events there and in Srebrenica had reshaped his global thinking.
Tributes pour in
As news of Annan’s death has spread, many are paying tribute to a man who became a global figure as head of the United Nations but was also known by those close to him for his warmth, style and charm.
Current UN Secretary-General António Guterres told CNN that Annan had been “an enormous source of inspiration” to him, adding that the late leader had been committed to his principles and values even if he had to pay a heavy price for them.
“He was not only a statesman, he was not only a leader, he was a warm person who would support his friends in difficult moments. He was a true colleague and a true friend,” he said.
US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said Annan “worked tirelessly to unite us and never stopped fighting for the dignity of every person.”
“Kofi Annan devoted his life to making the world a more peaceful place through his compassion and dedication to service,” she added.
The UN Migration Agency tweeted: “Today we mourn the loss of a great man, a leader, and a visionary.”
Today we mourn the loss of a great man, a leader, and a visionary: former @UN Secretary General @KofiAnnan.
UN human rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said he was “grief-stricken” over Annan’s death. “Kofi was humanity’s best example, the epitome, of human decency and grace,” he said. “In a world now filled with leaders who are anything but that, our loss, the world’s loss becomes even more painful.”
In this 2007 file photo, Nelson Mandela and Kofi Annan arrive together at the 5th Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture in South Africa.
A statement from The Elders said its members were “shocked and deeply saddened” by his death. “Kofi was a strong and inspiring presence to us all, and The Elders would not be where it is today without his leadership,” said deputy chairman Gro Harlem Brundtland, adding that the group was resolved to continue to uphold Annan’s values and legacy.
NATO leader Jens Stoltenberg tweeted that the world had lost one of its giants. “His warmth should never be mistaken for weakness,” he said. “Annan showed that one can be a great humanitarian and a strong leader at the same time.”
Carl Bildt, co-chairman of the European council on Foreign Relations and former Swedish Prime Minister, described Annan as “a man of courage, wisdom and friendship” and urged people to read his 2001 Nobel Peace Prize lecture.
Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo extended condolences on behalf of the entire nation and said the Ghanaian flag would fly at half staff across the country for a week, starting Monday. As the first person from sub-Saharan Africa to become UN Secretary-General, Annan “brought considerable renown to our country,” he said.
Zimbabwe opposition leader Nelson Chamisa said he had met with Annan only a few days ago. “A rare breed of diplomat; soft spoken but unshakably firm. He had great love for world peace & democracy,” he wrote on Twitter. “Go well son of Africa, Champion of the world!”
Deeply saddened by the sudden passing of the iconic Kofi Annan whom I met a few days ago. A rare breed of diplomat; soft spoken but unshakeably firm. He had great love for world peace & democracy. A believer in Zimbabwe & its people. Go well son of Africa, Champion of the world!
Former Kenyan Prime Minister and opposition leader Raila Odinga paid tribute to Annan’s “tireless work in stabilizing the world and encouraging Africa to aspire to higher ideals of democracy, respect for human rights and sound governance.”
Annan was remembered in Kenya as the man who “saved the country from collapse following the 2007-2008 post-election violence,” Odinga said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Annan’s efforts to build the United Nations’ peacekeeping potential in a telegram to Guterres, cited by Russian state news agency TASS. “I was lucky to personally interact with Kofi Annan. I have been in genuine awe of his wisdom and courage, of his ability to make informed decisions even in the most difficult, critical situations,” Putin said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said he was extremely saddened by the loss of an “unwavering champion for peace, justice and rule of law” and a “dear old friend.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his sorrow, saying, “We will remember him as having been very active in the international arena and as someone who fought anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the world had lost “not only a great African diplomat and humanitarian but also a conscience keeper of international peace and security.”
The director of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth, praised Annan as a “great leader.”
Former US President Jimmy Carter, also a member of The Elders, said Annan “was a cherished personal friend and an inspiration to all who knew him.”
What shaped his global thinking?
Annan was descended from tribal chiefs on both sides of his family. After studying in Ghana and at Macalester College in St. Paul, in the US state of Minnesota, he joined the United Nations in 1962 as a low-ranking officer with the World Health Organization in Geneva.
He thought he would stay only a few years but ended up spending almost his entire working life with the organization.
UN peacekeeping chief Kofi Annan gives a press conference , on October 13, 1993 in Mogadishu, Somalia. (Photo credit should read HOCINE ZAOURAR/AFP/Getty Images)
While leading the UN’s peacekeeping operations, Annan was involved in decisions that were potentially career-ending but which he managed to survive.
In 1994, the UN Security Council and others including Annan were accused by the UN field commander in Rwanda of ignoring his warnings, which resulted in the world’s reluctance to send troops in and the estimated 800,000 deaths.
Speaking in 2004, Annan said: “I believed at the that time that I was doing my best, but I realized after the genocide that there was more that I could have and should have done.”
The next year, another moment came with the thousands of Muslims who were massacred in Srebrenica as Bosnian Serbs overran a UN “safe zone.”
The Secretary-General at the time, Boutros Boutros Ghali, took the heat for UN failings in two of the darkest episodes of its history. Subsequent UN reports about the body’s handling of the massacres were critical of Annan’s leadership.
Champion of human rights
On taking the helm as Secretary-General in 1997, Annan became a high-profile figure who championed human rights and urged the United Nations to protect civilians if their own governments turned on them.
His first term was highly-rated but his second term, which coincided with the US invasion of Iraq, was not as smooth.
Annan would later call the assault illegal. “I think the worst moment of course was the Iraq war, which as an organization we couldn’t stop — and I really did everything I can to try to see if we can stop it,” he said, speaking in 2006.
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Annan a “truly great” Secretary-General.
“It was an honor to work with him in his efforts to reform the UN, strengthen global health and peacekeeping, and reduce poverty. He made the fight against AIDS and the responsibility to protect civilians in conflict zones true priorities for the UN,” they said in a statement.
“After he left office, he continued his leadership on poverty, environmental, and peace issues through his foundation.” they wrote. “In every phase of his life, he held fast to his Ghanaian roots and set a powerful example of determined leadership while always treating others with respect and dignity.”
In this 2003 file photo, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan greets US President George W Bush before the start of the 58th UN General Assembly.
Former US President George W. Bush, whose pursuit of the Iraq war often set him on a collision course with Annan, paid tribute to him as “a gentle man and a tireless leader of the United Nations. His voice of experience will be missed around the world.”
Former US President Barack Obama said Annan “embodied the mission of the United Nations.”
“His integrity, persistence, optimism, and sense of our common humanity always informed his outreach to the community of nations,” Obama said.
In February 2012, the United Nations appointed Annan the UN and Arab League joint special envoy to Syria. Only six months later, he quit, citing increasing militarization in Syria and “the clear lack of unity” at the UN Security Council.
In a statement released by the United Nations, Guterres described Annan as both a personal mentor and an inspiration to all.
“He provided people everywhere with a space for dialogue, a place for problem-solving and a path to a better world. In these turbulent and trying times, he never stopped working to give life to the values of the United Nations Charter. His legacy will remain a true inspiration for all of us.”
There’s a baby boom in an Arizona hospital and it’s not coming from the maternity ward.
Sixteen nurses who work in the intensive care unit of the Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa are pregnant.
“I know a couple of us did fertility treatments,” nurse Paige Packard said at a news conference Friday.
“That’s how I ended up finding out that everyone was pregnant. I was like, ‘Oh, well, I didn’t plan this. Did we have some kind of pact going I didn’t know about?’” Packard said.
There was no pact. The baby fever is just a happy coincidence.
The nurses said they all like to go to the cafeteria together to satisfy pregnancy cravings. One said she asked a cafeteria worker whether he could make the salad bar more “pregnancy-friendly,” and suggested the cafeteria add pickles and olives.
“The next day there were pickles and olives,” the nurse said.
The nurses also said patients have started to notice the growing bellies at the ICU. A Banner official said the hospital has been planning for the looming nurse shortage for months now. The nurses, who are due between September and February, will go on maternity leave for 12 weeks.
“The 16 nurses are from three different critical care units,” said Heather Francis, nursing director for various ICU units at Banner.
The hospital gave each pregnant nurse a special onesie to celebrate the occasion.
The onesies say: “Relax… my mom is a Banner Nurse!”
There’s a baby boom in an Arizona hospital and it’s not coming from the maternity ward.
Sixteen nurses who work in the intensive care unit of the Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa are pregnant.
“I know a couple of us did fertility treatments,” nurse Paige Packard said at a news conference Friday.
“That’s how I ended up finding out that everyone was pregnant. I was like, ‘Oh, well, I didn’t plan this. Did we have some kind of pact going I didn’t know about?’” Packard said.
There was no pact. The baby fever is just a happy coincidence.
The nurses said they all like to go to the cafeteria together to satisfy pregnancy cravings. One said she asked a cafeteria worker whether he could make the salad bar more “pregnancy-friendly,” and suggested the cafeteria add pickles and olives.
“The next day there were pickles and olives,” the nurse said.
The nurses also said patients have started to notice the growing bellies at the ICU. A Banner official said the hospital has been planning for the looming nurse shortage for months now. The nurses, who are due between September and February, will go on maternity leave for 12 weeks.
“The 16 nurses are from three different critical care units,” said Heather Francis, nursing director for various ICU units at Banner.
The hospital gave each pregnant nurse a special onesie to celebrate the occasion.
The onesies say: “Relax… my mom is a Banner Nurse!”
It was at his elite boarding school in West Africa that Kofi Annan – the man who would later become the world’s top diplomat – learnt one of his most important lessons.
It was, he said later, “that suffering anywhere concerns people everywhere”.
The idea seems to have inspired Annan throughout a life which saw him play a key role in the crises which have shaped the world, from the HIV/Aids pandemic, to the Iraq War and, latterly, climate change.
His humanitarian work would win him a Nobel Peace Prize, but it would also win him a raft of critics.
Annan, the first black African to lead the United Nations, would nonetheless became one of the most enduring and recognised diplomats in modern history.
Changing times
Kofi Atta Annan and his sister, Efua Atta, were born in the city of Kumasi in what was then Gold Coast in April 1938. The twins’ first names meant “born on a Friday” in Akan, while their shared middle name means “twin”.
He grew up in a wealthy family – his grandfathers were traditional leaders, while his father became a provincial governor – in a country still under British rule.
The position – a budget officer with the World Health Organization (WHO) – gave no hint as to the career he was to have over the next four decades, culminating in 1997 when he was elected secretary-general.
But before he got there, he would face one of the biggest scandals of his career.
By 1993, Annan had risen to the post of under secretary-general and head of peacekeeping.
Genocide
The next year, up to 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were massacred in 100 days in Rwanda.
Then, in 1995, up to 8,000 Muslims were executed by Serbian forces in a so-called UN safe area in Bosnia.
In both cases, Annan and his department came under fire – especially after it emerged that his department had largely ignored information that had been passed to them, warning that the Rwandan genocide was being planned.
On the 10th anniversary of the genocide, Annan acknowledged his shortcomings.
“I myself, as head of the UN’s peacekeeping department at the time, pressed dozens of countries for troops,” he said in 2004. “I believed at that time that I was doing my best.
“But I realised after the genocide that there was more that I could, and should, have done to sound the alarm and rally support. This painful memory, along with that of Bosnia and Herzegovina, has influenced much of my thinking, and many of my actions, as secretary-general.”
Despite this, in 1997, at the age of 59, Annan would succeed Boutros Boutros-Ghali as UN secretary-general.
Conflict
Annan had inherited an organisation which, after 52 years, was on the brink of bankruptcy.
He set about reforming the institution, cutting 1,000 jobs out of 6,000 positions at the New York headquarters, while also trying to convince reluctant member states to take responsibility for the world’s many tragedies.
Annan also got the US to pay a backlog of debt it owed the UN.
He also turned his attention to the future, establishing the Millennium Goals – an ambitious set of priorities to meet by 2015, from halving extreme poverty rates to halting the spread of HIV/Aids.
But it was not an easy job.
“I used to say the letters SG do not stand for secretary-general, they stand for scapegoat,” he told the BBC.
In 2001, Annan and the UN were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The citation lauded Annan, the second UN Secretary General to be given the prize, as someone who had brought “new life to the organisation”.
The same year, he was unanimously re-elected for a second term.
But trouble was just around the corner.
Scandal
In 2003, the US – one of Annan’s biggest supporters – announced its intention to go to war in Iraq. In the end, the US bypassed the UN and invaded Iraq with a voluntary coalition.
This drove a wedge between Annan and the superpower. Speaking about the invasion, he later told the BBC: “From our point of view and from the charter point of view, it was illegal.”
This new divide between Annan and the US caused him problems after the “oil for food scandal”, which emerged in 2004, implicated the secretary-general, both professionally and personally.
Kofi Annan: Key dates
1938:Â Born in Kumasi, now Ghana’s second city
1962:Â Starts working at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland
1965:Â Weds Titi Alakija. They have two children, a boy and a girl
1984:Â Marries Nane Lagergren, having divorced a year earlier
1991:Â Twin sister Efua dies
1993:Â Becomes head of peacekeeping operations
1997:Â Appointed seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations
2001:Â Wins Nobel Peace Prize
2006:Â Steps down as secretary-general after 10 years
2012:Â Becomes UN/Arab League Joint Special Envoy on the Syrian crisis
2013:Â Made chair of The Elders, a peace and human rights advocacy group
2016:Â Leads the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, Myanmar
The programme, which was started in 1996 to sell limited quantities of oil from sanction-hit Iraq in return for humanitarian supplies, had been subverted by some of those involved, including businesses, UN officials, international politicians and diplomats.
But more problematic was the fact Annan’s only son, Kojo, had received payments from a company, which was contracted to monitor the programme.
An inquiry the next year cleared him of having used improper influence on behalf of his son, but did find failings in how he had overseen the programme.
In the US, politicians called for his resignation. His reply? “Hell, no.”
Retirement
But 18 months later, in December 2006, he did step down. Now almost 70, it was an age when most people would be glad to put their feet up.
He and his second wife, Swedish lawyer Nane Marie Lagergren, who married in 1984, decided to escape to Italy for a six-week break.
According to The Guardian, after just a week he was bored and decided to venture out to buy a newspaper – only to be surrounded by a gaggle of men wanting his autograph.
Unfortunately, they had mistaken him for US actor Morgan Freeman. Not wanting to let them down, he signed Mr Freeman’s name and fled.
Perhaps the speed with which he became bored was an indicator of what was to come: he set up the Kofi Annan Foundation, which promotes global sustainable development, security and peace, in 2007.
The next year, he led perhaps his most successful diplomatic mission.
The power-sharing agreement he helped broker between Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga and former President Mwai Kibaki put an end to the post-election violence which had left at least 1,000 people dead, and forced 300,000 to flee their homes.
In 2012, he was appointed Joint Special Representative for Syria by the UN and the Arab League, as they tried to find an end to the war.
The next year, Annan was appointed the chair of the Elders, a group started by South Africa’s Nelson Mandela, which brings together former world leaders to work together for peace and human rights.
In 2016, following a request from Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, he became head of an independent commission investigating the Rohingya crisis in her country.
He continued to be vocal on issues like climate change, and an open critic of “macho leaders who believe they have to shine”.
“I’ve discovered retirement is hard work,” Annan joked in an interview with the BBC to mark his 80th birthday.
It was at his elite boarding school in West Africa that Kofi Annan – the man who would later become the world’s top diplomat – learnt one of his most important lessons.
It was, he said later, “that suffering anywhere concerns people everywhere”.
The idea seems to have inspired Annan throughout a life which saw him play a key role in the crises which have shaped the world, from the HIV/Aids pandemic, to the Iraq War and, latterly, climate change.
His humanitarian work would win him a Nobel Peace Prize, but it would also win him a raft of critics.
Annan, the first black African to lead the United Nations, would nonetheless became one of the most enduring and recognised diplomats in modern history.
Changing times
Kofi Atta Annan and his sister, Efua Atta, were born in the city of Kumasi in what was then Gold Coast in April 1938. The twins’ first names meant “born on a Friday” in Akan, while their shared middle name means “twin”.
He grew up in a wealthy family – his grandfathers were traditional leaders, while his father became a provincial governor – in a country still under British rule.
The position – a budget officer with the World Health Organization (WHO) – gave no hint as to the career he was to have over the next four decades, culminating in 1997 when he was elected secretary-general.
But before he got there, he would face one of the biggest scandals of his career.
By 1993, Annan had risen to the post of under secretary-general and head of peacekeeping.
Genocide
The next year, up to 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were massacred in 100 days in Rwanda.
Then, in 1995, up to 8,000 Muslims were executed by Serbian forces in a so-called UN safe area in Bosnia.
In both cases, Annan and his department came under fire – especially after it emerged that his department had largely ignored information that had been passed to them, warning that the Rwandan genocide was being planned.
On the 10th anniversary of the genocide, Annan acknowledged his shortcomings.
“I myself, as head of the UN’s peacekeeping department at the time, pressed dozens of countries for troops,” he said in 2004. “I believed at that time that I was doing my best.
“But I realised after the genocide that there was more that I could, and should, have done to sound the alarm and rally support. This painful memory, along with that of Bosnia and Herzegovina, has influenced much of my thinking, and many of my actions, as secretary-general.”
Despite this, in 1997, at the age of 59, Annan would succeed Boutros Boutros-Ghali as UN secretary-general.
Conflict
Annan had inherited an organisation which, after 52 years, was on the brink of bankruptcy.
He set about reforming the institution, cutting 1,000 jobs out of 6,000 positions at the New York headquarters, while also trying to convince reluctant member states to take responsibility for the world’s many tragedies.
Annan also got the US to pay a backlog of debt it owed the UN.
He also turned his attention to the future, establishing the Millennium Goals – an ambitious set of priorities to meet by 2015, from halving extreme poverty rates to halting the spread of HIV/Aids.
But it was not an easy job.
“I used to say the letters SG do not stand for secretary-general, they stand for scapegoat,” he told the BBC.
In 2001, Annan and the UN were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The citation lauded Annan, the second UN Secretary General to be given the prize, as someone who had brought “new life to the organisation”.
The same year, he was unanimously re-elected for a second term.
But trouble was just around the corner.
Scandal
In 2003, the US – one of Annan’s biggest supporters – announced its intention to go to war in Iraq. In the end, the US bypassed the UN and invaded Iraq with a voluntary coalition.
This drove a wedge between Annan and the superpower. Speaking about the invasion, he later told the BBC: “From our point of view and from the charter point of view, it was illegal.”
This new divide between Annan and the US caused him problems after the “oil for food scandal”, which emerged in 2004, implicated the secretary-general, both professionally and personally.
Kofi Annan: Key dates
1938:Â Born in Kumasi, now Ghana’s second city
1962:Â Starts working at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland
1965:Â Weds Titi Alakija. They have two children, a boy and a girl
1984:Â Marries Nane Lagergren, having divorced a year earlier
1991:Â Twin sister Efua dies
1993:Â Becomes head of peacekeeping operations
1997:Â Appointed seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations
2001:Â Wins Nobel Peace Prize
2006:Â Steps down as secretary-general after 10 years
2012:Â Becomes UN/Arab League Joint Special Envoy on the Syrian crisis
2013:Â Made chair of The Elders, a peace and human rights advocacy group
2016:Â Leads the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, Myanmar
The programme, which was started in 1996 to sell limited quantities of oil from sanction-hit Iraq in return for humanitarian supplies, had been subverted by some of those involved, including businesses, UN officials, international politicians and diplomats.
But more problematic was the fact Annan’s only son, Kojo, had received payments from a company, which was contracted to monitor the programme.
An inquiry the next year cleared him of having used improper influence on behalf of his son, but did find failings in how he had overseen the programme.
In the US, politicians called for his resignation. His reply? “Hell, no.”
Retirement
But 18 months later, in December 2006, he did step down. Now almost 70, it was an age when most people would be glad to put their feet up.
He and his second wife, Swedish lawyer Nane Marie Lagergren, who married in 1984, decided to escape to Italy for a six-week break.
According to The Guardian, after just a week he was bored and decided to venture out to buy a newspaper – only to be surrounded by a gaggle of men wanting his autograph.
Unfortunately, they had mistaken him for US actor Morgan Freeman. Not wanting to let them down, he signed Mr Freeman’s name and fled.
Perhaps the speed with which he became bored was an indicator of what was to come: he set up the Kofi Annan Foundation, which promotes global sustainable development, security and peace, in 2007.
The next year, he led perhaps his most successful diplomatic mission.
The power-sharing agreement he helped broker between Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga and former President Mwai Kibaki put an end to the post-election violence which had left at least 1,000 people dead, and forced 300,000 to flee their homes.
In 2012, he was appointed Joint Special Representative for Syria by the UN and the Arab League, as they tried to find an end to the war.
The next year, Annan was appointed the chair of the Elders, a group started by South Africa’s Nelson Mandela, which brings together former world leaders to work together for peace and human rights.
In 2016, following a request from Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, he became head of an independent commission investigating the Rohingya crisis in her country.
He continued to be vocal on issues like climate change, and an open critic of “macho leaders who believe they have to shine”.
“I’ve discovered retirement is hard work,” Annan joked in an interview with the BBC to mark his 80th birthday.
