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Author: aejay_wp

  • CAF boss Ahmad responds to criticism from ExCo member Musa Bility

    Confederation of African Football (Caf) president Ahmad has responded publicly for the first time to the criticism levelled at him by Caf Executive Committee (ExCo) member Musa Bility of Liberia.

    Earlier this month, Bility resigned from two positions within African football’s ruling body, saying he could no longer work under a president who Bility claimed was ‘leading this noble organisation in the wrong direction’.

    Bility followed up his resignation by calling for an urgent ExCo meeting.

    Read: CAF president Ahmad allegedly involved in shady deals

    Ahmad, speaking in French, broke his media silence on the eve of the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations final in Niger on Saturday, telling journalists, “We have 23 ExCo members, but it’s only one or two of them who are talking.

    “You never heard from the other members. The inclusive nature of running football was the reason behind our meetings, but no one has raised any major concerns,” Ahmad said.

    Bility had written to his fellow Caf ExCo members, urging them to assess Ahmad’s decisions to redistribute the 2021, 2023 and 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Ahmad insists Caf made the right decisions to reallocate the hosting rights of the three tournaments.

    “Much has been said about the decisions regarding the allocation of Afcon, but can people talk about it today?

    “Who was right except the Caf with the support of our Heads of State, with our African culture based on wisdom, conciliation and solidarity?”

    Bility also questioned how Caf was able to sign a commercial deal without ExCo approval. Ahmad said Caf no longer has the right to market its own rights, and he again maintained that the Executive Committee is consulted on a regular basis.

    “The statutes of the Caf oblige me (Caf President) to organise two Executive Committee meetings every year but we organise three or four since I assumed the reins.

    Read: CAF President Ahmad Ahmad mobbed together with Nyantakyi at mosque in Ghana

    “Regarding meetings of the emergency committee held in between meetings of the Executive Committee, there is a statutory requirement for the president to organise such meetings.

    “At least every two months, there is a meeting of the Emergency Committee. How can we meet and the members of the emergency committee not be able to make decisions?” said Ahmad.

    Bility’s recent statements indicate divisions among those leading the African game, which Ahmad refutes.

    “You can ask other members of Caf. It is only the President that has a mandate to represent Caf. No other person got that mandate. I have nothing to answer to him [Bility].

    “What is important is to carry on with my administration. The Caf I want to put in place is one of a united African football family. The plan is to continue in that way.

    “The difference is perhaps I am more of a politician who see things differently. I don’t create any division in my management. Up till this moment everything I have on my agenda to develop football is on track.”

     

    Source: BBC 

  • Afriyie Acquah scores as Empoli thrash Sassuolo in Serie A

    Ghana midfielder Afriyie Acquah scored for Empoli who recorded an emphatic home win over Sassuolo in the Italian Serie A on Sunday afternoon.

    Acquah netted his second goal of the season in the 3-0 win at the Stadio Carlo Castellani.

    The 27-year-old doubled Empoli’s lead before halftime after Krunic had opened the scoring on 34 minutes.

    Read: Performance of Ghanaian players abroad: Yiadom returns with a bang

    Acquah received a fine pass from Diego Farias and showed brilliant composure inside the box to bury the ball into the bottom left corner.

    Farias sealed the win with a fantastic solo effort in the second half.

    The victory takes Empoli three points above the relegation zone.

     

    Source: Ghanasoccernet.com 

  • Cost of opening savings account still high in Ghana

    Data released by the Bank of Ghana(BoG) has shown that cost of opening a savings account in Ghana is still high.

    According to the data which captured 12 banks, seven of the banks will require that you make an initial deposit of 50 cedis in a savings account.

    Read: GN Savings and Loans in talks with another bank to improve liquidity

    The data named Bank Charges shows that you will need a minimum initial deposit of 50 cedis to open a savings account in adb bank, Barclays, Sahel Sahara bank, Bank of Africa, Consolidated Bank, Energy Bank, and Fidelity Bank.

    The data released in January 2019 also shows that only First Atlantic Bank out of 12 banks named required between zero to 100 cedis to open a savings account.

    Apart from First Atlantic Bank which requires no initial deposit to open an account, Access bank and CAL bank will require that you make an initial deposit of 10 cedis.

    Read: BoG sued over announcements to close down some Savings & Loans companies

    This is followed by FBN which will require that you make an initial deposit of 20 cedis.

    Next is Ecobank. You will have to make an initial deposit of 30 cedis with Ecobank to open savings account.

    Meanwhile, you will need a minimum initial deposit of 50 cedis to open a savings account in adb bank, Barclays, Sahel Sahara bank, Bank of Africa, Consolidated Bank, Energy Bank, and Fidelity Bank.

    But how much do you need as your minimum operating balance for a savings account with these banks?.

    For First Atlantic Bank your minimum operating balance could be from zero to 100 cedis. This means that your savings account at the bank will be operational with no funds. You will need five cedis as minimum operating balance with Access bank.

    This is followed by CAL bank with a minimum operating balance of 10 cedis while ADB bank and Sahel Sahara bank will require 20 cedis as minimum operating balance.

    Bank of Africa will require that you hold a minimum operating balance of 30 cedis in your savings account.

    Meanwhile, Barclays, Consolidated Bank, Energy Bank, and Fidelity Bank will require that you hold 50 cedis as your minimum operating balance in your savings account.

    Interestingly, almost all the banks above do not charge you a maintenance fee for savings account except Fidelity bank which charges 10 cedis per month after exceeding 2 free withdrawals per month if not then no charges.

    According to the Bank of Ghana, the data was released to promote transparency in the provision of banking services.

    Source: citinewsroom.com

  • Asamoah Gyan proud of Kayserispor teammate Bernard Mensah for grabbing winner against Goztepe

    Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan has praised compatriot and Kayserispor teammate Bernard Mensah for scoring the winner for his side in their 2-1 win over Goztepe in the Turkish Super Lig on Sunday.

    Mensah, who is on loan from Spanish giants Athletico Madrid grabbed the winner with two minutes left on the clock.

    “When you are proud of your fellow countryman, your young brother who is making a name for himself . You got the winner for us today. Keep working,” Gyan tweeted stating how proud he is of Mensah.

    Read: Bernard Mensah’s late volley helps Kayserispor sink Goztepe

    The goal was Mensah’s third league goal of the campaign in 20 super lig appearances.

    Kayserispor broke the deadlock when Deniz Turuc set up Tjaronn Chery for the first goal of the game in the 14th minute.

    The home side held on to the lead until the 83rd minute when Goztepe found a way back into the game.

    Read: Gyan will give us more options – Bernard Mensah

    Once again, Turuc was involved in the goal, but this time around, he sent the ball into his own net to make the score 1-1.

    When all looked headed for the sharing of spoils, Mensah won it all for The Anatolian Star, putting the ball at the back of the net on the assist of Chery two minutes to full-time.

    The three points have moved Kayserispor to 11th on the league table, two places above Goztepe.

    Asamoah Gyan missed the game due to fitness concerns.

     

    Source: Ghanasoccernet 

  • Mali secure first U-20 AFCON title on penalties

    Mali beat Senegal 3-2 on penalties to claim their maiden Total U-20 Africa Cup of Nations title following a 1-1 stalemate after extra time in Niamey. 

    The Aiglons held their nerves in the pulsating shootouts to hand Senegal their third successive defeat in the final.

    Mamoutou Kane’s charges open the score at Stade General Seyni Kountche after fifteen minutes when Boubacar Traore hammered home Hadji Drame’s delivery as Senegal found themselves behind for the first time in the tournament. 

    Read: U-20 AFCON: Ghanaian players stranded in Niger cry for help

    Youssouph Dabo’s Les Lionceaux replied seventeen minutes from normal time through FC Metz’s Amadou Ndiaye who volleyed in the equalizer from close range to force the match to extra time and penalties. 

    Senegal missed their first spot kick when midfielder’s spot kick hit the post. 

    Read: Cobblah’s Ghana U-20 AFCON failure excuse gets backing

    The young Malians converted their three consecutive penalties through Boubacar Traore, Lassana Ndiaye and Abdoulaye Diaby. 

    The tournament’s leading goalscorer Amadou Ndiaye missed his kick before teammate Ousseynou Niang also missed to secure Mali the title.

     

    Source: cafonline 

  • Vodafone simplifies product offerings for customers

    Vodafone has taken its customer commitment a notch higher by streamlining its mobile offerings to ensure easy choice and convenience for customers.

    The telecommunications company says it arrived at this decision following issues it identified were affecting customers, such as indecision when choosing a preferred bundle from the numerous options in its product portfolio.

    Read: Vodafone 4G; how the journey unravelled

    Using customer insights, the telecommunications giant has today introduced eight unique value-packed bundles, which will replace its tall list of integrated bundles. 

    These will empower customers, to choose an ideal monthly, weekly or daily plan based on their usage. 

    The new eight bundles, namely Red 1, Red 2, Red 5, Red 10, Red 20, Red 25, Red 50 and Red 100, offer minutes for calls to Vodafone numbers, calls to other networks, and international destinations in specially designed packages. They also offer SMS and data to enable customers connect to the things that matter to them.

    Read: Vodafone partners Facebook to introduce Express Wi-Fi service to Ghanaians

    Commenting, Pushpinder Singh Gujral, Consumer Business Unit Director at Vodafone Ghana said, This is a game changer for us in the way customers access our product offerings. Our commitment is to ensure the customer is truly satisfied and empowered to make informed choices without complexities. From today, we are giving Ghanaians every reason to find in us, the right partner to keep them confidently connected”

    Customers can subscribe to any of these unique bundles by dialing *7070# or *151*3# to subscribe. 

    The new bundles are also available on the MyVodafoneApp. Customers can download this free Vodafone app from the Play Store or App Store.

    Source: Vodafone Ghana

  • Government to inaugurate Korle-Klottey, five other new districts on Tuesday

    Government will on Tuesday, February 19, 2019, simultaneously inaugurate six newly created Municipal and District assemblies in the country.

    The six are the Korle-Klottey Assembly with the capital to be Osu, the Ablekuma Central with the capital Laterbiokorshie, Ayawaso Central Assembly with Kokomlele as its capital.

    Read: Zanetor pioneers project to improve carbon footprints in Klottey Korle

    The rest are Achiase Assembly with Achiase as its Capital, Anloga Assembly with Anloga as its capital and the North East Gonja Assembly with Kpalibe as its capital.”

    At a press briefing on Sunday, Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said, “a number of ministers of state have been designated to conduct the inaugural ceremonies on behalf of his Excellency the president.”

    “It is the expectation of government that this will further deepen decentralization and development in these districts,” he added.

    Read: Appoint Samuel Ocquaye as Osu Klottey Korley MCE — NPP youth

    The Korle-Klottey Municipal Assembly, Ablekuma Central Assembly and Ayawaso Central Municipal Assembly have been carved out from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA).

    The North-East Gonja District Assembly is being carved out of the East Gonja Municipal Assembly in the Northern Region.

    The Achiase District Assembly is being carved out from the Birim South District Assembly in the Eastern Region, and Anloga District Assembly is being carved from the Keta Municipal Assembly.

    Read: Konadu laughs off Mahama-Zanetor ticket suggestion

    There are currently 254 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and the creation of the five MMDAs will bring the number to 260.

    In November 2018, the government presented nine Legislative Instruments to Parliament seeking to create five new districts in the country

    In 2017, a Bill was passed to allow the creation of 38 new districts, which the Local Government Ministry hoped would help bring development closer to the people.

    Source: citinewsroom.com

  • Ex-Trump aide should be jailed for 19 – 24 years – Mueller

    US President Donald Trump’s former election campaign chief Paul Manafort should be jailed for up to 24 years, special counsel Robert Mueller says.

    Manafort was convicted of financial fraud on charges relating to his work as a political consultant in Ukraine.

    He accepted a plea deal on the charges in return for co-operating with Mr Mueller’s probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 US election campaign.

    But he was found guilty earlier this week of breaching his plea deal.

    The 69 year old, who was one of the first people to be investigated in the probe, was found to have lied to prosecutors.

    Read: Paul Manafort: Trump ex-aide lied to prosecutors, judge rules

    On Thursday, US District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled that Manafort had “made multiple false statements” to the FBI, Mr Mueller’s office and a grand jury.

    On Friday, a court document filed by Mr Mueller’s office said it agreed with a US Department of Justice calculation that Manafort should face between 19 and 24 years in prison and a fine of between $50,000 (£39,000) and $24m.

    “While some of these offences are commonly prosecuted, there was nothing ordinary about the millions of dollars involved in the defendant’s crimes, the duration of his criminal conduct or the sophistication of his schemes,” the document reads.

    “The sentence here should reflect the seriousness of these crimes, and serve to both deter Manafort and others from engaging in such conduct.”

    In her ruling on Wednesday, Judge Berman Jackson said there was evidence that showed Manafort had lied about three different topics, including his contacts with Konstantin Kilimnik, a Russian political consultant. Prosecutors claim Mr Kilimnik had ties to Russian intelligence.

    Read: Trump condemns attacks on media after BBC incident

    What was the plea deal?

    Last August, Mr Manafort was convicted on eight counts of fraud, bank fraud and failing to disclose bank accounts.

    A month later he pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiracy against the US and one charge of conspiracy to obstruct justice in a plea bargain with Mr Mueller. The agreement avoided a second trial on money laundering and other charges.

    The plea deal meant Manafort would face up to 10 years in prison and would forfeit four of his properties and the contents of several bank accounts – but deadlocked charges from the previous trial would be dismissed.

    It was the first criminal trial arising from the Department of Justice’s investigation into alleged Russian interference in the presidential election.

    However, the charges related only to Manafort’s political consulting with pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine, largely pre-dating his role with the Trump campaign.

     

    Source: BBC 

  • New Regions: Allow Akufo-Addo to use his wisdom to appoint Ministers – Group

    A group calling itself, Alliance for Development (AFD) of the ruling New Patriotic Party in the Western Region has passionately appealed to some party members to stop maligning others and hide behind some unknown youth group to put pressure on President Akufo-Addo to nominate their prefer choices to occupy the Regional Minister’s positions which may need substantives to fill the gap as a result of the creation of the new regions.

    The Spokesman for the group, Mr Kofi Nimako Danquah in a press statement copied to the media, pleaded with members of NPP who are sponsoring allegedly some stories in the name of traditional chiefs and some unknown youth group pressuring the President to nominate their choices to stop since His Excellency Nana Addo Darkwa Akufo-Addo is far above such propaganda.

    Read: New regions: GSS collating data on inflation

    Mr. Kofi Nimako, a former critic of the Western Regional Deputy Minister, Hon. Gifty Eugenia Kusi said it is his wish that the President elevates the Deputy Ministers whose substantive Ministers might be moved to head the new Regions to replace them as substantive Ministers, he thinks the final decision lies with the President who is a man of full wisdom and takes wisdom decisions.

    He believes the President wisdom decision in appointing those Deputy Ministers two years ago who have worked creditably well will be applied this time around but not this ‘staged managed media propaganda’.

    Read: New regions: No point in explaining choice of capitals Dan Botwe

    He bemoaned the statement by some people that the President should remove older generation replace with younger ones as unfortunate but appealed to the President to disregard such statement which is insulting and indictment to him since he is the one who appointed them two years ago.

    He also believes the President knows who will be good for the Regions which shall not be based on a particular generation.

    The group, therefore, used the opportunity to commend the President for introducing Free Education at the Secondary level which has enabled more vulnerable children to be enrolled.

    The group leaders also commended the President for creating the new Regions which will bring developments to the doorstep of the citizenry.

    Read: ‘History will remember ‘courageous’ Akufo-Addo for creating new regions’ – Dan Botwe

    A leading Member of the group and a former Constituency Executive of Tarkwa-Nsuaem appealed to the Government of His Excellency Nana Addo Darkwa Akufo Addo to complete the Ahwetiaso-Bogoso road and the Bonsa-Benso road and also to GNPC to speed the rate of work at an AstroTurf project at Dompim all in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Constituency.

    On Wednesday, February 13, 2019, Nana Addo publicly presented the Constitutional Instrument on the creation of the six newly created regions when he hosted delegations of chiefs from the new region.

    Speaking at a ceremony to present Constitutional Instrument (C.I.) 113 for the creation of the regions at the Jubilee House, he named Nalerigu and Damongo as the capital for North East and Savannah region respectively. He also named Techiman as the capital of Bono East Region.

    Goaso was also named as the capital for the Ahafo Region whiles Sefwi-Wiawso was named as the capital of the newly-created Western North Region.

    The President named Dambai as the capital for the Oti Region.

    Here are the capitals of the newly created regions:

    North East Region – Nalerigu

    Savannah Region – Damongo

    Bono East Region – Techiman Ahafo Region – Goaso

    Western North Region – Sefwi-Wiawso

    Oti Region – Dambai

    The group comprises of some former NPP Constituency Executives, Council of Elders, Electoral Coordinators, some former polling stations executives, some current polling station executives among others.

    Source: Daniel Kaku

  • Prince Boateng happy to make 400th career appearance at Camp Nou

    Ghana and Barcelona forward, Kevin-Prince Boateng, is excited over making his 400th appearance in professional football against Valladolid at the Camp Nou in the La Liga.

    The 31-year old who is on loan at Barca made his debut in the La Liga against Valladolid to achieve this fate.

    Read: Kevin-Prince Boateng disappears after debut for Barcelona

    Boateng played the last half hour at the Nou Camp as a substitute for Luis Suarez.

    Despite thieves raiding his house, the player expressed his joy for making his 400th appearance at the Camp Nou.

    Read: Messi wants Kevin-Prince’s contract cancelled?

    “Emotional night behind me!! I am blessed 400 professional games, especially playing the 400th in Camp Nou”

    Kevin-Prince Boateng had around £350,000 worth of possessions stolen from his house while he was playing for Barcelona against Valladolid.

     

    Source: 

  • Fulani herdsmen kill one, injure others in Agogo; set village ablaze

    Seven armed men suspected to be Fulani herdsmen have killed one and injured several others at Abrewanko a farming community in Asante Akyem Municipality of the Ashanti Region, MyNewsGh.com has confirmed.

    According to the reports gathered by this portal, the armed men also set the entire village on fire after shooting two people in the community over what is yet to be established.

    One of those who sustained gunshot wounds died on the spot while the other victim has been rushed to Agogo government hospital for treatment, MyNewsGh.com confirmed from police sources.

    Read: 2 Fulani men shot dead in Karaga

    The sad incident occurred Saturday February 16, 2019 at about 3pm which has rendered hundreds of the residents of the Abrewanko community homeless with calls for support from the National Disaster Management Organisation(NADMO)

    In a telephone interview with a resident in the community, he explained to MyNewsGh.com that the herdmen stormed the community with guns and other deadly weapons and asked they all vacate the village or they will kill all of them.

    The two who sustained the wounds tried facing them but were shot according to the account of the resident which saw most of them fleeing the village for fear of their lives but this did not stop the miscreants from torching houses

    Agogo Municipal Police Commander, DSP James Ameka who confirmed the sad incident to MyNewsGh.com revealed that 5 people sustained various degrees of injuries after the incident.

    According DSP James Ameka, two other persons have gone missing and their whereabouts unknown suspecting they may have been killed and their bodies dumped elsewhere.

    Read: 6 Fulani herdsmen to be repatriated

    He revealed that herdsmen looted properties belonging to the people in the community including motorbikes adding that situation has put fear and panic in the people within community and as a result they are living in fear.

    “After the incident, I went to the community with my men including the DCE Hon Oti Boateng. We did not meet the herdsmen. The left the community after their actions. Investigation is ongoing” he disclosed to MyNewsGh.com urging the residents to have faith in the police saying the police is ready to protect them.

    Meanwhile a combined team of armed police and military personnel have been deployed to the community to ward off the further attacks.

    Source: mynewsgh.com

  • Crocked Asante Kotoko midfielder Richard Senanu to miss Nkana FC clash

    Asante Kotoko will be without hardworking midfielder Richard Senanu for their next CAF Confederation Cup Group C clash against Nkana FC.

    Senanu picked up an injury during last Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Zesco United at home.

    Read: How Kotoko brought back love for football

    He was stretchered off and had to be replaced by Habib Mohammed, a new signing.

    According to reports, he will be out of action for weeks after undergoing a medical examination at the Kamfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.

    Kotoko will face Nkana FC on Sunday, February 24 2019.

    source: GHANAsoccernet.com

  • January inflation lowest in six years

    The average change in the price levels of consumer goods and services measured by inflation dropped to its lowest in six years, the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has reported.

    The inflation rate for January 2019 was 9.0 per cent, which was 0.4 percentage points lower than the 9.4 per cent recorded in December 2019. The monthly change rate for January 2019 was 1.0 per cent.

    The January 2019 rate is the lowest after the 8.8 per cent recorded in January 2013.

    The acting Government Statistician, GSS, Mr David Kombat, said a combined pressure from both the food and non-food inflation basket contributed to the decline of the rate in January 2019.

    Read: New regions: GSS collating data on inflation

    The food inflation rate for January 2019 was 8.0 per cent compared with 8.7 per cent recorded in December 2018.

    The non-food inflation rate for January 2019 was 9.5 per cent compared with 9.8 per cent recorded in December 2018.

    The main “price drivers” for the non-food inflation rate were transport (13.4 per cent), clothing and footwear (12.8 per cent), recreation and culture(12.7 per cent), furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance (11.2 per cent) and miscellaneous goods and services (9.6 per cent).

    On the other hand, the “price drivers” for the food inflation rate were coffee, tea and cocoa (12.4 per cent), fruits (10.0 per cent), meat and meat products (9.8 per cent) and mineral water, soft drinks, fruits and vegetable juices (9.3 per cent).

    Mr Kombat said the non-food inflation rate of 9.5 per cent was 1.5 percentage points higher than the food inflation rate of 8.0 per cent.

    Read: BoG to review inflation target as policy rate hits 6-year low

    The inflation rate for imported items was 10.8 per cent in January 2019 compared to the 11.1 per cent recorded in December 2018, while the inflation rate for locally produced items was 8.3 per cent in January 2019 compared to the 8.7 per cent recorded in December 2018.

    At the regional level, four regions – Upper West, Brong Ahafo, Western and Ashanti – recorded inflation rates above the national average of 9.0 per cent.

    “Upper West Region recorded the highest year-on-year inflation rate of 10.8 per cent, followed by Brong Ahafo Region (9.9 per cent), while the Upper East Region recorded the lowest year-on-year inflation rate (7.7 per cent) in January 2019,” he said.

    Source: Graphic.com.gh

  • Ghana ready for VW operations – Fitch

    Ghana and two other sub-African countries have the required infrastructure and consumer base, albeit small, to support Volkswagen’s planned operations in the sub-region, ratings agency, Fitch says in a report.

    According to the report, “Our telecoms team believes that VW’s target markets, namely Ghana, Ethiopia and Rwanda, are developing quickly and the fast pace of growth in the 3G and 4G subscribers means that the urban population will be well placed to utilise app-based ride sharing and ride hailing, such as that proposed by VW. VW last year announced its readiness to start an automobile factory in Ghana.

    Furthermore, it emphasized that “our Consumer team believes that mobility concepts can serve as an introduction to car brands that consumers will be able to afford as their disposable incomes rise, while in the meantime providing consumers with an alternative method of personal transportation.

    Read: Ratings agency Fitch confident of Ghana hosting VW plant

    VW is therefore providing the blueprint for carmakers to test the waters in emerging markets (EMs) in the future, which gives automotive brands some exposure and reduces the risks to operating in EMs.

    In analysing a niche market for mobility concepts, the report said “We believe that there is a niche market for “Mobility Concepts”, such as app-based ride sharing or shuttle-on-demand services, in the Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA)region, as there is a gap in the market between consumers who are not yet able to afford a vehicle but do not want to use public transport, such as buses and mini bus taxis.”

    Additionally, it noted that the Mobility Concepts target market will benefit from professional tourists, who travel for business purposes and are unlikely to utilise traditional public transport. This niche market has remained relatively untapped due to the significant cost of vehicles n SSA countries, especially in countries such as Rwanda, Ethiopia Uganda and Ghana, which makes these markets unattractive for ride sharing operators, such as Uber.

    Vehicle ownership very low

    The report pointed out that passenger vehicles, both used and new, remain too expensive for the vast majority of consumers in SSA to afford, as countries in the SSA region have high barriers of ownership in the form of high import taxes and low income levels.

    Read: Kantanka automobile to benefit from same incentives as VW

    This is reflected in the SSA region’s performance on Autos Sales Risk/Reward Index (RRI), which ranks the attractiveness of automotive sales markets based on several criteria.

    Under the ‘vehicle ownership, per 1,000 people’ category, the SSA region only manages an average score of 17.7 out of a possible 100, significantly underperforming the global average of 50.0, which highlights how significant the barriers are for vehicle ownership in the region.

    This further demonstrates the potential for ride sharing and app-based ride hailing services in the region, especially as there is a growing upper middle income bracket, which falls within the mobility concept target market of consumers who cannot afford to own vehicles but do not want to use traditional public transport.

    Higher income consumers limited but supportive

    The report explained that the consumer team believes that there is a small yet growing number of higher income consumers who fit into the Mobility Concepts target market.

    “We estimate that the total target market size for mobility concepts in Ghana, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, Gabon and Cote d’Ivoire is around 1.5 million people”, the report added.

    The mobility concepts’ target market will further benefit from the growing number of business travellers who will be unlikely to utilise the public transport in the majority of SSA countries.

    Source: thefinderonline.com

  • 233 communities to benefit from grid expansion in Ashanti Region

    A total of 233 communities in the Ashanti Region will benefit from a grid expansion project being undertaken by the Electricity Company Ghana (ECG).

    The expansion scheme, which is expected to enhance distribution of electric power in settlements which has seen an increase in population growth, economic activities and new physical developments, is being implemented under the Special Grid Intensification Project (SGIP).

    It is expected to begin in March this year and end within six months.

    Mr Samuel Boakye-Appiah, Managing Director of ECG, made this known at the inauguration of storage facilities for the project at Boadi, near Kumasi.

    He said SGIP costing $ 8.2 million would cover over 900 communities across the ECG operational areas in the Country.

    The Managing Director said selected communities under the eleven business districts of ECG in the Ashanti Region, comprising Abuakwa, Bekwai, Danyame, Dunkaw, Effiduase, Konongo, Mampong, Manso Nkwata, New Edubiase, Offinso and Suame, would benefit from the project.

    Mr Boakye-Appiah said the storage facility consisted of two warehouses, two office blocks, two workshops, a lube bay, canteen, water hydrant, conference hall and offices.

    He said the three main objectives of the project are to ensure reliable power supply, improved operational efficiency and enhanced customer care in the Ashanti Region and the entire nation.

    The project would help reduce distribution system loses, frequency and duration of outages as well as improve voltage level and network capacity.

    The Managing Director said the ECG would continue to collaborate with all stakeholders to ensure that the power supply chain was discharged in an efficient and reliable manner.

    Source: ghananewsagency.org

  • Essien recalls crucial role his mother played in his career

    Former Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien has paid tribute to his mother Aba Gyandoh for the crucial role she played in his early football career.

    According to Essien, his mother encouraged him to join the national U-17 team when he was a schoolboy.

    “When I was selected for the national Under 17 side, I was in school at the time and my mum said it’s going to be a difficult one, do you really want to go?,” Essien said in an interview with FIFA TV.

    Read: Essien, Desailly land FIFA ambassadorial roles

    “I think my answer was no. My mum sat me down and said, my son, you should go”.

    Essien represented his country at the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship, before featuring at the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship.

    He has been appointed an ambassador for the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup.

    Source: Graphic.com.gh

  • I want to appear before AWW commission NDC candidate

    The National Democratic Congress parliamentary candidate for the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election, Delali Kwesi Brempong, has expressed interest to appear before the Justice Emile Short Commission set up to investigate the violence that characterized the poll.

    He said the Commission is yet to invite him formally to testify and he will willingly oblige.

    Violence erupted at the Bawaleshie Park area during the election resulting in six persons sustaining gunshot wounds.

    Read: ‘Akufo-Addo’s AWW Commission of Inquiry is to overshadow police investigation chief biney

    Six others have also been arrested with several others being brutalized by armed masked men reportedly from the National Security.

    Speaking in an interview with Akwasi Nsiah on Ghana Kasa on Kasapa FM, Brempong disputed claims by the National Security Minister, Albert Kan Dapaah that the gunshots fired at La Bawaleshie on that day came from his house.

    “I am a pharmacist and not a gun manufacturer so how could I fire gunshots from my house?” Brempong asked.

    He said the Minister was not truthful with the Commission.

    Read: AWW Commission probing violent attacks begins work today

    “I opted out of the election due to the violence so how could I cause such atrocities and turn out to say I am opting out,” the candidate remarked.

    The three-member Commission of Inquiry set up by President Akufo-Addo has a month to complete its public hearings.

    Source: starrfm.com.gh

  • IBF Lightweight champion Commey takes a swipe at ‘Gameboy’

    Richard Oblitey Commey, newly crowned International Boxing Federation (IBF) Lightweight world champion, has taken a swipe at his long time local rival, Emmanuel “Gameboy” Tagoe.

    According to Commey, his longest rival Tagoe, football star Asamoah Gyan has invested hugely into the career of Tagoe, but the he had nothing to show for it, hence there was no need concentrating on his rival.

    “Asamoah Gyan has invested a lot for him to get a title like this (world title), but ask him where is it? Has he got anything like this (world title)?” Commey added.

    Tagoe, the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Africa Lightweight champion was reported to have challenged Commey to a bout, since they were in the same weight division, adding that; “Commey cannot run away from me”.

    Read: I was destined to be a world champion – Commey

    But according to the new champion, even though he is not “scared”of Tagoe, he was not interested in taking up any challenge from him.

    Commey,31, said he was focused on fighting internationally for more world titles and would not allow himself to be distracted.

    “Honestly speaking, I ain’t scared of him, but why would I challenge a fellow countryman. We want more world champions in this country,” he said.

    Commey said this upon his arrival to a heroic welcome at the Kotokoa International Airport on Thursday, February 14, after he won a world title for the first time in his career and became the ninth Ghanaian world champion.

    Commey destroyed Russia’s Isa Chaniev in two rounds to win by a technical knockout at the Ford Centre in Frisco, Texas, on February 2, 2019.

    The new champion attributed his emphatic victory to having the best of training under new trainer, Andre Rozie.

    source: ghananewsagency.org

  • Samuel Tetteh scores as LASK Linz reach semifinal of Austrian Cup

    Ghana winger Samuel Tetteh scored a brilliant goal as LASK Linz thumped St. Poulten 6-0 in the quarter final of the Austrian Cup.

    Tetteh rounded up a good day for LASK with his side’s sixth goal of the day in the 70th minute.

    Brazilian attacker João Victor Santos Sá began the mauling in the 24th minute, the first of his two goals on the day before Thomas Goiginger added the second seven minutes later.

    Four minutes later Joao Klauss Mello made it three before Santos Sa added his second with three minutes to head into the break.

    Read: Samuel Tetteh disappointed with Europa Cup elimination

    It was all free flowing football for the Whites and Blacks as Thomas Goinginger scored his second and LASK’s fifth in the 61st minute.

    Former WAFA winger Samuel Tetteh then completed the riot with a fine finish in the 70th minute.

    Samuel Tetteh was introduced into the game in the 67th minute before grabbing his goal three minutes later.

  • I was destined to be a world champion – Commey

    Newly crowned International Boxing Federation (IBF) Lightweight world champion, Richard Oblitey Commey, has said, he was not surprised by his latest landmark achievement, because he was “destined” to be a world champion.

    Commey, 31, received a red carpet treatment on his return to his homeland on Thursday, February 14, after he won a world title for the first time in his career and became the ninth Ghanaian world champion.

    Addressing the media at his arrival, Commey said he was a natural winner who was in the waiting for a bigger glory.

    Read: I worked hard for this title Richard Commey

    “For me winning a world title is no doubt, because I have won national titles to intercontinental so what was on left is this (world title). Winning this feels like it was my destiny to win a world champion. And now I’m a world champion and I’m happy. And it means everything for me because it is the dream of every boxer to be a world champion,” he said.

    The new champion however noted that, he worked hard for the opportunity and his hard work paid off for him.

    He said, he would take the moment to enjoy the title as he look forward to an even better future where he would unify a lot of the world titles that comes his way.

    Commey noted that, he would definitely welcome a possible clash with World Boxing Association (WBA) and World Boxing Organisation (WBO) Lightweight champion, Vasyl Lomachenko, but wants to ensure that his injured right hand from his last bout, heals completely before deciding on his next move.

    Commey destroyed Russia’s Isa Chaniev in two rounds to win by a technical knockout at the Ford Centre in Frisco, Texas, on February 2, 2019. The new champion attributed his emphatic victory to having the best of training under new trainer, Andre Rozier.

    source: ghananewsagency.org

  • Use Bible to find better partner – CCC Youth advised

    Young and adult Christians seeking to enter marriage institutions must be prayerful at hand for a better husband and wife, head pastor and founder of the Calvary Charismatic Centre (CCC), Rev. Ransford Obeng has admonished.

    According to the international preacher, one of the easiest things for believers and non-believers is making proposal to a woman therefore must be done on God’s principles.

    “Men can say all kinds of sweet words to you [women] if they want you for marriage and the women too sometimes can pretend. One thing in marriage is that is not easy as you may see it”, Rev. Ransford Obeng told youth of Ayigya branch of CCC during a watch night service held attended by reporter Kwabena Danso-Dapaah.

    The preacher therefore advised youngsters particularly members of the Church to “seek God’s direction for anything they are doing on this barren life” as young Christians

    “The Bible is the holy book to save anyone from bad marriage and that must not be taken for granted”, Rev. Obeng pointed it out.

    “Bible should be our guide before and in marriage especially in difficult times”, he added.

    Source: Kwame Danso Dapaah

  • Short bursts of intense exercise ‘better for weight loss’

    Bursts of high intensity interval training (Hiit) may be more effective for weight loss than longer less intense workouts, a study suggests.

    The research, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, analysed results from 36 earlier studies.

    Although all the participants lost weight, those doing Hiit saw a 28.5% greater weight loss.

    The researchers cautioned that Hiit may not be suitable for everyone.

    “Hiit might increase the risk of injury and impose higher cardiovascular stress,” they said.

    What does the study say?

    Researchers from the Federal University of Goias, Brazil, analysed data from 576 men and 522 women of varying levels of fitness.

    Interval training was defined as cardiovascular exercise which involved repeated brief bursts of intense effort, interspersed with recovery periods. Cycling, swimming, running and boxing were included.

    These workouts were compared with longer continuous moderate intensity workouts, most of which were between 30 and 45 minutes. All participants exercised for at least four weeks.

    Those doing interval training lost on average 1.58kg (3.48lb) compared with the 1.13kg (2.49lb) lost by those doing lower intensity workouts.

    Sprint interval training seemed to be particularly effective for weight loss, although researchers did caution that the wide variety of training programmes made it difficult to recommend one regime in particular.

    The NHS currently recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, such as cycling or brisk walking, every week.

    ‘Results impressive’

    Dr Niels Vollaard, a lecturer in health and exercise science at the University of Stirling, said the results were counterintuitive as most people burned more calories during longer moderate exercise.

    “There are two possible explanations,” he said.

    “Firstly, Hiit may lead to greater energy expenditure after exercise – metabolism may be increased for up to a day following a Hiit session.

    “Secondly, after a Hiit session, you may be less hungry.

    “In our research, we have shown that appetite hormones are indeed affected.

    “It is, however, not easy to study whether energy intake is reduced as a result of this in the longer term when following a Hiit routine, so at the moment we are still unsure exactly what the reason is.”

    Source: bbc.com|Laurel Ives|BBC Health

  • Chiefs, youth root for Mireku Duker as new Western Regional Minister

    A-cross-section of traditional rulers and youth in the Western Region have made a passionate appeal to His Excellency, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to as a matter of urgency, appoint the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tarkwa-Nsuaem, Mr. George Mireku Duker as the new Western Regional Minister.

    The recommendation follows the creation of the new Western-North Region and the re-assignment of current Regional Minister, Dr. Kwaku Afriyie as the interim Minister for the Western-North Region.

    This revelation came to light when GhanaWeb sampled views of some traditional rulers and some youth in the Region regarding their expectations of the new Regional Minster.

    Read: Kidnap scare: Stop heightening insecurity – Western Region Police command

    According to them, Mr. Mireku Duker has worked at the Local Government sector and has the expertise in the local governance system and the decentralization process in the country.

    He is also the Deputy Chairman on the committee of Mines and Energy in Parliament.

    The youth contended that it is high time a young, vibrant, workaholic and humble young politician like Mr. Mireku Duker was appointed as the Western Regional Minister to bring his expertise to bear on development of the Region.

    They said the time has come for the older generation to give way to young ones to man the Region with the zeal and energy at their disposal.

    According to the youth, the Western Region abounds in rich natural and human resources but were yet to be harnessed holistically to inure to rapid development of the Region and the country at large.

    The youth noted with concern that barely two years in office, Mr. Mireku Duker has initiated more developmental projects in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem municipality.

    Read: Sefwi Wiawso named capital of Western North region

    What is more striking, they revealed, was how constant the presence of Mr. Mireku Duker was felt not only in his constituency alone, but most communities within the entire Region as he honoured most of the invitations extended to him during social functions and developmental durbars.

    The youth were convinced that with his humility and sense of commitment and dedication to duty, Mr. Mireku Duker will work hand in hand with the traditional council, traditional rulers, politicians, security agencies, the mass media and all manner of persons who matter in the rapid socio-economic advancement of the Western Region.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • US Envoy visits Kufuor, Rawlings, Mahama

    Screenshot 2019 02 17 at 7.29.43 AM

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  • Nigeria Elections: Trouble brewing; Electoral Commissioner will be ‘killed’ – Prophet Badu Kobi

    Founder and leader of the Glorious Wave Church International, Prophet Emmanuel Badu Kobi has predicted doom for Nigeria ahead of their general elections.

    Nigeria were to hold their Presidential elections on Saturday, February 16, 2019, to elect a new President for the country but was postponed, the Presidential Election which was originally scheduled to come off on, February 16, 2018 to Saturday, has been moved to February 23, 2019.

    Read: Nigeria rebels threaten more attacks if Buhari is reelected

    Already, political figures, actors, musicians and the entire Nigerian population have been gunning for one candidate against the other but only their vote will determine who emerges victor after the general elections on Saturday.

    Delivering a sermon before his congregation on a church service day, Prophet Badu Kobi gave what he calls a prophetic message to Nigerians, claiming the elections will be a “do or die” affair.

    He stated that there will be violent clashes between the opposition parties and ruling party in the general election.

    The Prophet added that the Electoral Commissioner might be killed during the elections.

    Read: Over 91m Nigerians now desperately poor, says report

    “Nigeria, there’s trouble ahead for your country. That election you think is coming to pass in February, there is a problem So, Nigerians must pray otherwise these elections, it is do or die. And the opposition is never ready to give it to the ruling government,” he said.

    “The ruling party of Nigeria wants to steal the elections from the North and it will be North fighting North. And the Electoral Commissioner who is on the side of the ruling party will have a problem. If he is not careful he will be killed,” he stated.

     

    Source: peacefmonline.com 

  • Five killed in Nsawam accident

    Five persons have died while six others sustained various degrees of injuries in a fatal accident at Adoagyir, a suburb of Nsawam in the Eastern Region.

    The bodies of the deceased three females and two males have been deposited at the Nsawam Government Hospital Morgue.

    Read: Bride shockingly dies in fatal accident on her wedding day

    The accident occurred Thursday evening at about 21:00 pm when a Rhino KIA truck with registration number GES 3695-18 transporting bags of sachet water driving from Adeiso to Nsawam lost control of the steering wheel and hit a Mazda Taxi cab before running into the victims who were part of customers at a fast food joint buying fried rice killing the five on the spot.

    It is not clear what exactly led to the gory accident, but it is believed the driver failed break.

    source: starrfm.com.gh

  • Short Commission: Same questions, different responses – Report

    The Emile Short Commission started its hearing on Thursday to unravel what led to the violence during the Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency by-election on January 31.

    Read: EC in ‘sankofa’ mode, dumps Charlotte Osei’s controversial logo

    So far, there has been a lot of revelations, contradictions and confusion as those who have appeared before the Commission made their submissions.

    source: Myjoyonline.com

  • Man jailed 12 years for defiling niece

    A 25-year-old farmer residing at Abura-Edumfa in the Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese (AAK) District of the Central Region who sexually abused his 16-year-old niece has been sentenced to 12 years imprisonment.

    Michael Ofosu, the convict after the act gave his niece 50 pesewas and warned her not to disclose her ordeal to anyone.

    The convict pleaded guilty to incest and was convicted on his own plea when he appeared before a Cape Coast Circuit Court Presided over by Mrs Abena Amponsah Buansi.

    Read: Man jailed seven years for having anal sex with minor

    Prosecuting, Detective Inspector John Asare Bediako said on Friday, January 4, 2019, at about 1300 hours, the convict was in his room while the victim was washing some items on the compound of the same house.

    He said the convict lured her and managed to carry her through the window into his bed and forcibly had sex with her.

    The Prosecution said after ejaculating into her the convict used a towel to wipe the drops of semen in her vagina and warned her not to tell anyone about it.

    He said however when the girl was coming out of the room, she met one of her Aunties, Ms Aba Atta whom she told about her ordeal and she, in turn, reported the incident to the police in Abura Dunkwa leading to the arrest and subsequent prosecution of the convict.

    source: ghananewsagency.org

  • Its Dambai, Sefwi Wiawso for Oti, Western North

    President Akufo-Addo yesterday announced the creation of two more regions in addition to the existing 14 regions.

    The new regions, created with Constitutional Instruments (CI), are the Western North carved out of Western Region and Oti Region carved out of the Volta Region.

    Sefwi Wiawso is the capital for Western North Region, while Dambai is the capital for Oti Region.

    The Akufo-Addo administration has created six new regions in fulfillment of one of its major manifesto promises. Presently, Ghana has 16 regions.

    Read: I would have made Jasikan or Nkwanta capital of Oti Region Obed Asamoah

    So far, government has committed an amount of GH¢120 million as seed money to help to set up structures for the new regions, with an amount of GH¢20 million allocated to each region.

    President Akufo-Addo promised to ensure equitable distribution of national resources.

    He has since directed Western Regional Minister Dr Kwaku Afriyie to serve as caretaker minister for the Western North Region until a substantive one is appointed.

    President of the Western Regional House of Chiefs and Paramount Chief of the Sefwi Wiawso Traditional Area, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, thanked President Akufo-Addo for the honour done them, and fulfilling a campaign cum manifesto promise.

    He said demand for the region started in the 1950s, but all attempts to get successive governments to do it literally fell on deaf ears.

    For him, the creation of the Western North Region was a dream come true.

    He also expressed hope that the move would set the area on a path of growth and development.

    He said: “We, the chiefs and people, pledge our unflinching support in your quest to make Ghana a better place.”

    People from the Oti Region who had gathered at the forecourt of the Jubilee House jubilated wildly when the president named Dambai as capital for the region.

    The Krachiwura and head of the delegation, Nana Mprah Besemuna, thanked President Akufo-Addo and his administration for paying heed to their request for a region several years after similar requests to successive governments failed to yield the desired result.

    He also thanked all who supported their cause from the beginning when it started before independence.

    According to the president, “The creation of the Oti Region and indeed the other five regions gives the nation another opportunity to reorganize the distribution of public services and infrastructure to serve better the needs of people from these new regions.”

    To that end, he indicated that “government is determined to maintain the momentum of the success of the popular demand for the six regions as I indicated to the delegation from North East, Savannah, Ahafo, Bono East and Western North regions. I constituted within one week of the declaration of the results of the referenda a seven-member committee to plan and oversee the rapid development of the new regions.”

    The committee is chaired by the Minister for Regional Re-organisation and Development, Dan Kwaku Botwe; Minister for Planning, Professor Gyan Baffour; Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama; Minister for Special Development Initiatives, Mavis Hawa Koomson; Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta; Minister for National Security, Albert Kan Dapaah and Presidential Advisor, Dr Kwame Amoako Tuffuor as members.

    source: dailyguideafrica.com

  • Sacked cop, 2 others in court for impersonating EOCO

    SA dismissed police officer and two staff of Energy Bank Ghana Limited have been dragged before court for extorting GH?70,000 from a Chinese woman who is being investigated by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).

    Cyril Lumor Frank, who was dismissed from the Ghana Police Service for misconduct, was said to have conspired with two staff of Energy Bank Ghana Limited- Mark Boakye and Prosper Kwahie Sossoe- to extort the money from the unsuspecting Chinese.

    EOCO had written a letter to Energy Bank requesting information on three Chinese, who are under investigation by the anti graft body.

    Read: Maurice Ampaw dares EOCO over Menzgold car

    But the information was leaked by Mark Boakye to Cyril Lumor.

    Armed with the information, Lumor approached one of the Chinese nationals under investigations, Esther Chen and posed as Charles Ofori who is a staff of EOCO.

    Mr. Lumor demanded $15,000.00 from the Chinese and promised her that he would end the investigations.

    The Chinese, out of fear, gave him GH?65,000 which was shared among the three accused persons.

    The sacked police officer on February 8, 2019 went back to the Chinese to collect the remaining GH?5,000.00.

    The anti graft body saw the dismissed cop taking the money from an agent of the Chinese.

    He was arrested and the money seized by EOCO.

    The three were hauled before an Accra Circuit Court on 11 counts, including defrauding by false pretences, abetment to defraud, money laundering and personating.

    Read: EOCO chases Maurice Ampaw over Menzgold car

    They were granted bail in the sum of GH?70,000 with two sureties.

    A surety, according to the court, presided over by Harriet Akweley Quaye, should be person in gainful employment with salary of not less than GH?1,500.00 a month.

    They are to reappear on February 19, 2019.

    Source: dailyguideafrica.com

  • Emmanuel Boateng says goodbye to Levante teammates amid Dalian Yifang switch

    Emmanuel Boateng’s move to Chinese Super League side Dalian Yifang is virtually done with the UD Levante striker having said his goodbyes to his team-mates.

    Boateng underwent a successful medical tests ahead of his move to the Blue Hawks on Monday in Madrid.

    The deal is expected to cost around €22 million, making the striker the second most expensive player in history.

    The 22-year-old is understood to have said his goodbyes to his Levante team-mates already following a visit to the Bunol training ground.

    Read: Levante demand $16m for Emmanuel Boateng from Chinese side

    “I will miss everyone at Levante. Thanks to the fans, coaches and my teammates for their unflinching support during my stay” Boateng told Kickgh.com in an exclusive interview.

    “Levante is like a family and I am still a supporter of the club despite leaving to join a new club”

    Boateng shot to the fame in Spanish football in the side’s 5-4 win over Barcelona last term, with him bagging a hat-trick in the game.

    In 2017, he joined Levante UD from Portuguese club Moreirense on a transfer fee around 2.9 million euros.

    He scored eight goals with two assists in his 48 appearances for Levante UD during his stay.

    source: GHANAsoccernet.com

  • Hearts of Oak to face Dreams FC on Sunday

    An agreement has been reach for a friendly match this Sunday between Accra Hearts of Oak and Dawu based side Dreams FC at the Theatre of dreams, Ghanacrusader.com can confirm.

    Read: Former Hearts of Oak forward Luis Agyeman on trials in Zimbabwe

    Both sides were going to face each other in the GFA Normalisation Committee cup scheduled for this weekend but following the abrupt cancellation of the competition after some premier league clubs and the Committee failed to agree on a couple of matters, the two premier league sides have decided to engage themselves in a friendly tie.

    Now Hearts of Oak Coach Kim Grant and his charges will be involved in their 13th friendly since the former Black Stars striker took charge later last year, recording 11 wins, a defeat and a draw.

    Read: Hearts of Oak beat Sekondi Hasaacas in friendly at Gyandu Park

    Dreams FC have also played two friendlies, winning 3-0 against the Black Satellites plus a 2-0 win over Division One side Tudu Mighty Jets.

    The game is set to kick off at 15:00 GMT.

    Source: Ghanacrusader.com

  • Akonnor feels the love

    When Charles Kwabla Akonnor was appointed Asante Kotoko head coach in October, his history with archrivals Accra Hearts of Oak became a major talking point. Many Asante Kotoko fans became suspicious of the management team that sorted out the strange appointment of someone who had had past dealings with their eternal rivals.

    The fans preferred a die-hard Kotoko insider whose disgust for the Accra club brimmed with fire and blood. A hard-nosed figure who despised anything rainbow and treated every encounter with the Phobians as a match to die for.

    Read: CAFCC: C.K. Akonnor reveals tactics for Nkana FC clash

    Akonnor, a man of very balanced temperament was burdened with fans expectations and issues of acceptability when he took over the reins. Issues with his body language and team structure amid impatience from inconsiderate critics set a rough patch in his early days.

    However, the narrative has changed with the embrace the former Hearts of Oak coach is relishing, especially after qualifying the club to the money zone of the CAF Confederations cup this year.

    Read: Akonnor hails Annan as Kotoko bags GHC440,000 from gate

    The fan response after the win over Zesco United yesterday in the Confederation Cup further fortified the newfound affection between Akonnor and the fans he was brought in to delight.

  • Asamoah Gyan returns to training with Kayserispor teammates after injury recovery

    Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan trained with his Kayserispor teammates after four weeks out with an injury.

    The striker is expected to be included in the Kayserispor team that hosts Goztepe on Sunday in the Turkish Super Lig.

    Read: Asamoah Gyan’s wife reacts after DNA test proved her innocence

    Gyan took part in the one hour thirty minutes training, which saw the players go through some warm up sessions before manager Hikmet Karaman divided the team into three group as he sent them through some tactical drills.

    The Ghana international has had a difficult season, due to injuries but has featured seven times and has a goal to his name in the top flight league.

    Read: Asamoah Gyan’s lawyer reveals why he left him

    Gyan’s return from injury is good news to Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah, who will need his captain in June for the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

  • 8 out of 10 insurance violators arrested by task force, sent to CID for caution statement – NIC

    National Insurance Commission (NIC) task force has arrested about 10 business operatives doing work without securing commercial insurance license as well as not possessing a fire insurance certificate.

    Members of the task force say they have sent three notices to the erring parties but they chose to be intransigent. The taskforce is made up of personnel from NIC, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) and the Ghana Police Service (GPS).

    Read: Electronic payment for public services starts July — Veep

    A task force member observed it was criminal offense for a property owner to erect a commercial structure and not have it insured as the owner bore a duty of care to anyone coming to the premises to transact business failure of which the defaulter must be prosecuted.

    It emerged although some business operators had the insurance certificate, they had not displayed it. Suck folks were impressed upon to do so however those whose license had expired were given the opportunity to renew.

    Meanwhile, some arrested business operators were angry at the manner of their arrest with eight from the ten refusing to comply for which they were sent to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for their caution statement. The NIC says it shall continue to embark on the enforcement exercises to have commercial premises and even private homes insured for the safety of all.

    Read: Renaming of Ho Technical University put on hold Registrar

    The NIC draws its powers from section 183 and 184 of the Insurance Acts, 2006 (Act 724) which requires a person who constructs or causes to be constructed a commercial building to insure the liability in respect of construction risks with a registered insurer.

    Source: goldstreetbusiness.com

  • Learn from AirtelTigo to avoid business collapse Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry

    Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah, has called on dying industry players to merge with their counterparts to stay in business and also create more job opportunities for Ghanaians.

    Read: AirtelTigo making life simple

    Speaking at the official launch of the AirtelTigo business at the Mariott Hotel in Accra, he said, “It is very sad that when many companies do not do well knowing perfectly that the only solution they have is to merge with a stronger partner or make themselves available to be acquired, they will rather see their companies die. We are asking the industry players to see this coming together of AirtelTigo as a solution to many of the collapsing companies Ghana”.

    Mr Ahenkorah added that running a telecommunications network business is pretty difficult and industry players should not sit down for their businesses to collapse.

    Read: AirtelTigo making life simple

    He noted that the Ministry of Trade will be embarking on a strategic industrialization programme to support Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the country to strengthen the industry and make it thrive more.

    The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry revealed that SMEs are the backbone of the trade industry since it boosts the Ghanaian economy.

    He said, “The SMEs have supported our economy up and today and we have to do everything possible to make them feel important so they can keep supporting the economy. Adding that, it is the reason for coming up with legislation acts to have an enterprise authority and the National Board for Small Scale industries into a regulatory body that will assist SMEs to do better”.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Mpohor MP tours ongoing road project sites

    Member of Parliament for Mpohor Constituency in the Western Region, Mr. Alex Agyekum has paid a first working visit to the Engineers, Foreman and the field workers on the Apowa – Mpohor-Bemso road.

    The 15.5km Bitumen Surface stretch is being funded by the Government of Ghana (G.o.G) and executed by M.S. J.P.P. construction and services Ltd.

    Mr. Alex Agyekum, who is also the Chairman of the Select Committee on Youth, Sports and Culture in Ghana’s Parliament hinted that the Eshiem-Manso-Benso Bitumen surfacing will soon see a positive approval from the Minister by next month.

    He said he is seriously lobbying for it to be awarded on contract and from the assurance he has received from the sector Minister he is is confident that the deplorable road will be rehabilitated this year.

    Mr. Agyekum praised the Minister, Hon. Amoako Atta and the Feeder Roads Manager for agreeing to increase the scope of work on the 51.5km Apowa-Mpohor-Benso road to be done by increasing the axle load capacity due to future heavy duty vehicles that will ply the road.

    On his part, the District Chief Executive of the Mpohor District, Hon. Ignatius Asaah Mensah commended the President who cut sod together with the MP and himself late last year for the commencement of work and pledged the Assembly’s support for early completion of it.

    Hundreds of drivers who ply the road and some residents express delight to the Member of Parliament, Honourable Alex Agyekum and the District Chief Executive Ignatius Asaah Mensah for their efforts in seeing this road back to life

    The Member of Parliament was accompanied by the District Chief Executive and some Constituency Executives led by the Chairman Mr Appiah and the first Vice Chairman Mr Razak.

    In a related news the Director of Monitoring, Evaluation and Research at the National Sports Authority, Mr Kwame Baah has apologized to Mr. Alex Agyekum in his recent statement that contradicted the MP’s speech at Mpohor during the 2019 Cross Country event that was hosted at Mpohor for the first time..

    In a letter to the Member of Parliament he attributed the misunderstanding to some facts he was not privileged to at the time he went to the media and apologised for the unfortunate incident.

    The MP accepted the apology and commended Mr Kwame Baah for showing remorse in his apology letter and promised to work with him to promote Sports in the Mpohor constituency but advised him not to allow himself to be used by certain individuals seeking political agenda and who will do everything possible to discredit all the developments in the constituency.

    Source: Daniel Kaku

  • Senegal condemns ex-leader’s call to burn voters card

    Senegal’s government has condemned calls for violence by former President Abdoulaye Wade, who claims the presidential poll scheduled later this month is rigged in favour of the incumbent Macky Sall.

    The government says calls by the 92-year-old former leader for people to attack polling stations and burn their voter cards and electoral rolls are irresponsible and subversive.

    Mr Wade, who lives in France, returned to Dakar last week after his son was barred from standing in the poll due to a corruption conviction.

    Read: Senegal blocks popular opposition candidates from presidential race

    As a result, his party – Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) does not have a presidential candidate.

    The government added that Mr Wade’s attitude would not be tolerated and that any illegal action will be sanctioned.

    Mr Wade – who has been a leading figure in the country since the 70s still has a base of supporters but it is unclear whether they will dismiss or listen to his calls for violence.

    He led the West African nation from 2000 – 2012. He stepped down after he was defeated by President Sall while seeking a controversial third-term.

     

    Source: BBC 
     

  • RBS warns of Brexit harm as profits double

    Royal Bank of Scotland has reported profits of £1.62bn for 2018, more than double the £752m it made a year earlier.

    RBS chief Ross McEwan called the results “a good performance in the face of economic and political uncertainty”.

    Mr McEwan said the UK economy faced “a heightened level of uncertainty related to ongoing Brexit negotiations”.

    He told the BBC that Brexit could have a bigger impact on the economy than the Bank of England has suggested.

    Mr McEwan said: “Larger corporations are pausing on their investments. And this cannot be good for the economy long-term because those large corporations then employ smaller businesses and individuals.

    Read: Brexit: Theresa May suffers fresh Commons defeat

    “If this goes on for a long period of time we’re going to see the economy slowing down more than the Bank of England suggested.

    “We have a very small period of time left until the end of March and it’s time that our politicians got to the conclusion so that we can get some certainty going forward.”

    He said that 2018 saw benign economic conditions continue, with low defaults by customers on their loans.

    But the bank’s statement noted the potential impact of “ongoing political uncertainties and geopolitical tensions” which could affect its customers, and, as a result, defaults were expected to increase this year.

    The bank was rescued by the government in 2008 in the aftermath of the financial crisis at a cost of £45bn and it still owns 62% of the company.

    In October, RBS paid its first dividend to shareholders since its bailout. In its latest results, the bank announced a final dividend of 3.5p per share, and also a 7.5p special dividend, which means the Treasury is set to receive £977m.

    While the government is still RBS’s main shareholder, it also has about 190,000 private investors.

    Read:Ford warns no-deal Brexit would be ‘catastrophic’

    The government has been selling off blocks of shares it owns in the bank, and aims to have sold all of its stake by 2024.

    But loses money every time it does this as it paid 502p a share and they have not yet returned to that level. RBS shares are currently trading at about 240p.

    RBS has continued with its plan to shrink itself. Its assets, which in banking largely means its outstanding loans, shrank from £738.1bn to £694.2bn.

    Before the financial crisis, it was briefly the largest bank in the world by assets.

    The bank said the switch from physical to digital services was continuing to grow rapidly with 6.4 million customers now regularly using its mobile app, a 16% rise from 2017.

    Competition in the mortgage market meant profit margins remained thin, it said.

    Its net interest margin – the difference between what it pays for deposits and what it charges for loans, and a key measure of a bank’s ability to make money – shrank to 1.98% from 2.13%.

     
    Source: BBC 

  • Egyptian President Sisi may rule until 2034

    Egypt’s parliament has overwhelmingly voted to approve draft constitutional changes that could extend President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi’s time in office by another 12 years.

    Mr Sisi is due to stand down in 2022 when his second four-year term ends.

    But 485 of the country’s 596 lawmakers voted on Thursday to lengthen presidential terms to six years and let Mr al-Sisi serve another two.

    Several Egyptian human rights groups have spoken out against the decision.

    The changes, first proposed earlier this month, will now be drafted into legislation and put to another parliamentary vote. If approved again, Egypt will then hold a referendum.

    What are the changes?

    Article 140 of Egypt’s constitution, approved in a referendum in 2014, currently states that the president serves four-year terms and may only be re-elected once.

    Read: Unpacking the polls: Nigeria edition ( part 1)

    But under proposed changes, the 64-year-old leader would be allowed to stay in power until 2034.

    He would also get new powers to appoint judges and the public prosecutor.

    The changes would also give Egypt’s military broad powers to “[safeguard] the constitution.”

    Other amendments included the introduction of a second parliamentary chamber, a 25% quota for women in parliament and “appropriate representation” for minority Coptic Christians, young people and those with disabilities.

    How are people reacting?

    President Sisi’s supporters in parliament argue the longer term limits are needed to allow him more time to complete economic reforms and development projects.

    But his critics fear it is an attempt to further entrench his rule in the country.

    Eleven Egyptian human rights groups, in a joint statement, said the provisions were “disingenuous attempts to sugarcoat [the government’s] authoritarian power-grab”.

    Signatories include the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies and the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms.

    Read: Algeria’s ruling party backs president Bouteflika for fifth term

    Lawmakers have also spoken out against the vote.

    “We are placing absolute powers in the hands of one person… at a time when the people were expecting us to give them ‘bread, freedom, social justice and human dignity’,” Ahmed Tantawi, an opposition MP, said on Wednesday, using the slogan of the 2011 uprising that overthrew then-President Hosni Mubarak.

    Mr Sisi, a former army chief, led the military overthrow of Egypt’s first democratically elected President, Mohammed Morsi, in 2013 following protests against his rule.

    Since then, he has overseen what human rights groups say is an unprecedented crackdown on dissent, leading to the detention of tens of thousands of people. Mr Sisi recently denied detaining any political prisoners.

    The President has also led a military campaign against Islamic State militants in the country’s Sinai Peninsula.

    He was re-elected last April after winning 97% of the vote, facing no serious competition because several rivals dropped out or were arrested.

     

    Source: BBC 

  • Ko Ni: Gunman gets death penalty in murder of Myanmar Muslim lawyer

    Two men have been sentenced to death in Myanmar for the murder of a Muslim lawyer, Ko Ni, in broad daylight at Yangon International Airport in January 2017. Nick Beake reports from Yangon.

    It’s hard to imagine a more chilling photograph.

    The assassin has crept up on his elderly target, who’s holding his grandson in his arms. The gun’s practically touching the head of the unsuspecting victim.

    What happens in the next second – captured on camera – will rob a family of a grandfather and Myanmar of arguably its best hope of a more democratic future.

    The murder of prominent lawyer Ko Ni shocked Myanmar to its core.

    For many, it was a brutal and brazen reminder that although this country may have a civilian government, the Burmese military still calls the shots.

    Kyi Lin, who fired the gun, and Aung Win Zaw who helped in the murder have now been sentenced to death in a much-criticised trial. Two others have been found guilty.

    It’s unlikely the men will actually be executed as its believed Myanmar has not enforced the death penalty for more than 30 years.

    Read: Venezuela in crisis: All the latest updates

    And there is an overriding feeling justice has not been served. 

    As the legal adviser to Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party, Ko Ni had been looking for ways to change Myanmar’s military-drafted 2008 constitution. It had made him powerful enemies.

    “For me, he is a hero,” Ko Ni’s eldest daughter tell me in the family flat in downtown Yangon. Yin Nwe Khaing, a doctor, sits next to her mother who gently wipes away her tears.

    “He sacrificed everything for his belief and for the truth. He is a very great man and a brave man. We miss him so much.”

    Democracy misses him too. Under the constitution which Ko Ni was trying to replace, the military automatically takes a quarter of seats in both the upper and lower houses of parliament.

    Any change to the constitution requires approval from more than three quarters of MPs, so the military holds a veto.

    It also enjoys control of three key security-linked ministries under the current arrangement.

    The 2008 constitution also barred Aung San Suu Kyi from becoming Myanmar’s President, because it stipulates no one with foreign children can take the job.

    Suu Kyi was ruled out as she had two sons with her late British husband.

    It was Ko Ni who was credited with creating the role of state counsellor – to be above the president – which now allows Su Kyi to lead the civilian government. It was a move which blindsided and infuriated the generals. 

    The murder of Ko Ni has regularly been held up as the most graphic illustration of the way the military still has Myanmar by the throat – despite having relinquished political power after five decades of military dictatorship.

    But the army has always denied being behind the killing.

    Read: Over 91m Nigerians now desperately poor, says report

    This despite the alleged mastermind being a retired Lieutenant Colonel. Interpol has issued a “red notice” for Aung Win Khine’s arrest but he has seemingly slipped away. Or is being protected.

    Three of the men who appeared in the dock were once military men. It was only the hired gunman, an antique smuggler from Mandalay called Kyi Lin, who had no apparent army links.

    On the second anniversary of Ko Ni’s death, friends, family and foreign diplomats packed into the upper floor of a restaurant in Yangon to celebrate his life and demand justice.

    Aung San Suu Kyi, who had stayed away from the funeral in 2017 and had said little about the assassination of her friend, appeared in a video message calling for the truth to be exposed.

    The American Ambassador Scot Marciel was among those in the audience. 

    Earlier I’d asked him if he thought the murder did indeed encapsulate the way the army is still in control.

    “The military remains very powerful and a culture of impunity remains very strong and that is very concerning,” he said. “Obviously it needs to be overcome if Myanmar is to succeed.”

    What hope for justice from this court case?, I asked.

    “It’s really a test of the Myanmar system, of whether after years of human rights violations with impunity there can be justice done.”

    Well, the verdicts have now been delivered and despite the four convictions few believe this is what justice looks like.

    A country where the chief architect of a fairer future is cut down, and the system he was fighting to change remains perfectly intact.

     

    Source: BBC 

  • Asamoah Gyan’s wife reacts after DNA test proved her innocence

    Asamoah Gyan’s wife, Gifty Gyan, has reacted to the news that a paternity test has proven the Black Stars captain to be the father of their three kids.

    Gyan, in October 2018, was reported to have filed for divorce from Gifty at the Divorce and Matrimonial Division of the High Court, Accra.

    Read: Delay celebrates with Gifty Gyan after paternity results came out

    The report as carried by YEN.com.gh stated that Gyan had also denied being the father of their three children and demanded a DNA test to be carried out on all three to determine if he is their father.

    The court, after some back and forth, set a date for the paternity test. The paternity test which’s result was read in court on Wednesday, February 13 pointed to a high degree of certainty that Gyan was the father as all 20 genetic markers prove so.

    Read: Asamoah Gyan, Gifty’s DNA test results out, all 3 kids are his

    Following the development, Gifty has taken to social media to give a simple reaction.

    Sharing a photo of herself with popular on-air-personality, Deloris Frimpong Manso aka Delay, Gifty wrote: “No words”.

    YEN.com.gh checks revealed that Delay had also shared the same photo on Instagram to congratulate Gifty on the victory.

    “Congratulations my darling sister Gifty WOOOOWW,” Delay wrote. Gifty responded to Delay’s congratulatory message with an emoji of the thankful hand.

    Source: Yen.com.gh

  • Kasim Adams passed fit for first game in 2019

    Ghana international Kasim Adams is in line for his first action of 2019 as Hoffenheim prepare to face Hannover 96 in the German Bundesliga on Saturday.

    Owing to fitness issues, the defender has not featured for Die Kraichgauer since the December 19 league clash with Werder Bremen.

    He made a matchday squad return for the January 18 welcome of Bayern Munich but went missing again from games against Freiburg, Fortuna Dusseldorf and Borussia Dortmund – Hoffenheim’s last three fixtures.

    Read: Ahmed Adams denies rejoining Asante Kotoko

    “Kevin Vogt is fit again and has resumed normal training. He’ll be able to play,” Hoffenheim manager Julian Nagelsmann said at a press conference ahead of Saturday’s league tie.

    “Kasim Adams is also fit and a candidate for the starting XI.

    “I expect Joelinton will be able to play. He trained separately today but everything was okay.

    “Ermin Bicakcic will definitely miss out, however.”

    Adams has made seven league appearances in the German topflight so far.

    The 23-year-old joined Hoffenheim last summer, signing a five-year deal from Swiss side Young Boys.

    He was once on the books of Spanish side Real Mallorca and local club Medeama.

    source: Goal.com

  • John Legend on US gun culture: ‘It’s insane, it’s radical and it’s terrible’

    On Tuesday night, John Legend headlined a Motown tribute concert, celebrating the record label’s 60th anniversary.

    Alongside Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder, the star performed a selection of Marvin Gaye hits, including the timeless, socially-conscious soul anthem What’s Going On?

    “I’ve always been inspired by Marvin Gaye,” says Legend, on the phone from his home in LA the following morning.

    “He showed us that activism can be part of your art; and that art can inspire other people’s activism.”

    It’s a lesson the 40-year-old has applied throughout his career, most notably on the 2010 album, Wake Up, which resurrected and reframed protest songs from the 60s and 70s for a modern audience.

    Read: Venezuela in crisis: All the latest updates

    Today, he releases a protest song of his own, Preach, that was inspired by the onslaught of negative news coming out of America – gun violence, bigotry, child separation, police brutality.

    “Get home every evening and history’s repeating,” he sings, over minor-key organ chords. “Turning off my phone cause it’s hurting my chest.”

    “It’s stressful to read the news sometimes,” says the singer. “Sometimes we can get so frustrated and throw up our hands, and it’s important that we realise we can actually do something.”

    The song’s chorus – “I can’t sit and hope / I can’t just sit and pray” – is directly targeted at US politicians, and their reluctance to tackle the country’s gun laws.

    “Every time there’s a gun massacre in America, which is way too often, politicians come out and say, ‘We send our hopes and prayers to the victims and their families’ and then they don’t do anything about it,” he says.

    “So the song is basically a rebuke of the people in power.

    ‘Change can happen’

    “If you look at any polls, there’s only a small minority that are against background checks, a small minority that are against other regulations. We’re looking at 80 or 90% approval on a lot of these provisions. So it really is the politicians who are lagging behind the people.”

    “But then, that gets to the whole problem with our system, that moneyed interests and lobbyists and corporations carry more weight with politicians than the people do, too often, and we need to change that too.”

    “The gun problem is insane, it’s radical and it’s terrible.”

    In the song’s refrain, Legend sings, “I try to do the things / I say that I believe / I can’t just preach, baby, preach”; and the star says he was “directly inspired” by the survivors of Parkland school shooting a year ago – especially Emma Gonzalez and David Hogg, who have campaigned for background checks and challenged America’s powerful gun lobby.

    “This is really a tribute to their activism,” says Legend, who accepts that Preach won’t move the dial on the issue of gun ownership.

    “I don’t know that a song would ever convince someone to change sides,” he admits, but stresses the importance of “using my career to fight for justice”.

    “It’s a tough time but I’m also optimistic we can make change happen. I’ve been a part of that before and I think it’s possible for us to do it again.”

    Read: Parkland anniversary: Moment of silence marks one year since school shooting

    The star’s own activism has focused on prison reform. He’s played a part in establishing two charities – FreeAmerica and Unlocked Futures – which support former prison inmates; and campaigned for Florida’s Amendment 4, which restored voting rights to former felons (Legend’s own mother was jailed several times during his childhood for drug-related problems).

    Along with his wife, Chrissy Teigen, he donated $288,000 to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in honour of Donald Trump’s 72nd birthday last June. And he’s also contributed to films such as 12 Years A Slave and Selma, which document the turbulent history of black America.

    His parallel careers in film, music and TV work have helped the star become an EGOT – one of only 15 people who’ve won a competitive Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award.

    “Did I get a laminated card? No!” he laughs. “A few of my friends jokingly sent me little trophies; but there’s no official EGOT Academy or anything.”

    Unusually, the star skipped Sunday’s Grammys ceremony in LA – although not because of any dispute with the Recording Academy (“John got an EGOT and egot lazy,” his wife tweeted).

    So what does he make of artists like Childish Gambino, Kendrick Lamar, Jay Z and Kanye West deciding to boycott the ceremony?

    “Historically, the Academy’s had a problem with hip-hop [so] I understand the impulse to withdraw and not participate and say, ‘this is all bullshit’ but of course that doesn’t fix the problem,” he says.

    “I would love for the solution to be that we, as younger artists, as artists in the hip-hop community, got more involved and make up a larger bloc of the votes, so the music we make gets its proper dues.

    “But I also understand the reactions of people that say, you know, ‘screw it, I don’t want to show up.’

    “It’s a conundrum.”

    Sunday’s awards saw Childish Gambino win song of the year and record for the year for This Is America – the first time a rap song has won either category.

    “Honestly, I was surprised,” says Legend. “I didn’t think that was going to happen. But I was happy at the same time. I think that’s a big deal.”

    “Maybe it will encourage more artists to say, ‘maybe the Grammys aren’t so bad after all’ and actually get involved.”

     

    Source: BBC 

  • Venezuela in crisis: All the latest updates

    Venezuela has plunged into a major political crisis amid a growing row over President Nicolas Maduro’s future as the country’s leader. 

    Maduro started a second term on January 10, following a widely boycotted election last year that many foreign governments refused to recognise.

    On January 23, Juan Guaido, leader of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, declared himself interim president.

    Shortly after Guaido took an oath swearing himself in, US President Donald Trump publicly recognised him as the country’s leader. In response, Maduro broke off diplomatic ties with the United States and gave US diplomats in the country 72 hours to leave.

    US violating UN charter principles, says Venezuela FM

    Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza has announced the formation of a group that believes the UN Charter’s commitment to non-interference in another country’s affairs is being violated, particularly in the South American nation.

    Read: Venezuela crisis: Maduro condemns ‘extremist’ Trump

    Arreaza was surrounded by diplomats from 16 countries including Russia, China, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Cuba and Nicaragua.

    He told reporters at UN headquarters in New York on Thursday there were many more supporters.
    Venezuela official calls US aid a ‘spectacle’

    Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza says that “the momentum of the coup that the government of the United States was promoting is over – it didn’t happen”.

    He told reporters at UN headquarters in New York on Thursday that the US needs to rethink its strategy because “the loyalty of our armed forces has already been proved”.

    Arreaza dismissed a February 23 deadline set by self-declared president Juan Guaido to bring badly needed food and medicine into Venezuela, saying the opposition leader doesn’t control a single policeman and “whatever he says is absolutely absurd”.

    He said President Nicolas Maduro controls the government and is the only one who can give deadlines. Maduro is blocking the aid, saying that Venezuelans are not beggars and that the move is part of a US-led coup.

    Read: Venezuela crisis: Aid lorries stuck in Colombia border city

    Arreaza called the assistance a “spectacle that the US is organising” and denounced US sanctions against Venezuela.

    “The US has blocked our economy,” he said. “The cost of this blockade is over $30bn – and they are sending this so-called humanitarian aid for $20m. So what is this? I’m choking you, I’m killing you, and then I’m giving you a cookie? So that’s a show.”

    Venezuela prosecutor to probe Guaido appointments

    Venezuela’s chief prosecutor says he’s launched an investigation into opposition leader Juan Guaido’s appointment of a transitional board of directors for the state oil company.

    Attorney General Tarek William Saab said Thursday in a news conference that Guaido’s appointments are part of an illegal power grab.

    Saab says he’s investigating the board members designated to oversee PDVSA and its Houston-based subsidiary Citgo. He calls the appointments by Guaido and the National Assembly a “circus.”
    Guaido has also appointed several ambassadors, including a representative to the United States.

     

    Source:  aljazeera.com

  • Carpenter kills girlfriend over slippers

    A 39-year-old carpenter at Official Town, a suburb of Ashaiman in the Greater Accra Region, has allegedly killed his girlfriend following an argument over a pair of slippers.

    The culprit, Michael Gaewoanu Asem, reportedly strangled the deceased, Adwoa Serwah, a trader, to death over the slippers he supposedly bought for another female.

    The lifeless body of the deceased who resides at Ashaiman Newtown has since been deposited at the Police Hospital morgue, awaiting autopsy.

    Read: Man stabs and kills brother over goat, dog meat

    Confirming the incident to DAILY GUIDE, Chief Superintendent Adamu Seidu, Crime Officer of the Tema Regional Police Command, explained that on February 9, the deceased visited the suspect at his residence at Official Town.

    According to the crime officer, when they were together, the deceased spotted a pair of brand new female slippers in the room and questioned whether it was for her.

    He said that the suspect responded in the negative and told the deceased the slippers rather belonged to his supposed former girlfriend.

    Out of jealousy, a misunderstanding ensued between them which later led to a fight. The suspect claims the deceased used a kitchen stool to hit his head but he managed to overpower her and strangled her to death, according to Chief Superintendent Seidu.

    Read: Woman gets 20 boyfriends to buy her iPhones, then sells them to buy a house

    He continued that upon noticing he had committed murder, the suspect allegedly picked the corpse and deposited it behind a house in the same vicinity.

    The crime officer stated that the corpse was later identified by some residents who informed the police, and it was conveyed away for preservation and further investigation. He indicated that while investigation was ongoing, police picked intelligence which led to the arrest of the suspect.

    According to him, the suspect has however confessed to the crime and has been taken into police custody for further investigation.

    Source: Dailyguidenetwork.com

  • Karela United players boycott training over unpaid salaries

    Players of Karela United have boycotted training over their unpaid salaries, according to reports.

    The Nzema based club are reported to have not paid the salaries of their players in the last four months leading to the resistance of players to train.

    According to information gathered, the players were hopeful of getting some part of their unpaid salaries had the Normalisation Committee’s Special Competition not been cancelled.

    Read: Karela United players boycott training over unpaid salaries

    However, after the NC confirmed on Tuesday the tournament was cancelled, the players decided to stop training and demand the monies owed them.

    Meanwhile, it is understood the Parliamentary select committee on Sports will be meeting the NC and club administrators to settle the stand off between the two parties.

    Karela United were promoted into Ghana Premier League after winning the 2017 Division One zone two league.

  • Dreams FC line up double header friendly against Hearts of Oak

    Dreams FC will engage in a double header friendly with Ghanaian giants Hearts of Oak, as both sides continue to prepare for the return of football in Ghana.

    The Dawu based club will host the Phobians at the Theatre of Dreams on Sunday, February 17th.

    The two sides will square off for the second leg in Accra at the Accra Sports Stadium in February 24th.

    Read: Hearts of Oak beef up technical team

    The friendly encounter will replace the cancelled Normalisation Committee Special competition, which was schedule to begin this weekend.

    Fourteen Premier League clubs decided not to participate in the competition, excluding Dreams FC, one of the two sides to confirm participation.

    However, Administrative Manager of the club Armeenu Shadow later apologized to the top brass of the club for confirming participation without consultation.

    Both Hearts and Dreams have built some level of rivalry and games between the two clubs attracts huge spectatorship.

    source: GHANAsoccernet.com

  • LIVESTREAMING: Commission of Inquiry probe Ayawaso West Wuogon violence Day II

    The three-member Commission of Inquiry tasked to investigate circumstances surrounding the gunshot injury of at least six individuals at the recent Ayawaso West Wuogon by-elections has commenced proceedings. Yesterday which was the first day, saw Interior Minister Ambrose Dery, Minister of National Security Albert Kan-Dapaah and Minister of State in charge of National Security at the presidency, Mr. Bryan Acheampong were cross examined.

    Read: Boycotting Commission of Inquiry act of cowardice – Allotey Jacobs to NDC Executives

    The Committee which includes comprising Chairperson, CHRAJ Boss, Justice Emile Short, law lecturer, Prof. Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu as well as Patrick Acheampong.

    Kofi Abotsi Of Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) Law School is serving as its secretary.

    Read: By-election: National Security deployed masked men, not I – Bryan Acheampong clarifies

    Chairperson of the EC, Jean Mensah, is first to be examined by the Commission today.

    Source: backend.theindependentghana.com

  • Pentecostal and Charismatic Council threatens nationwide demo over vigilante groups

    The Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) has given political parties a three-month ultimatum to disband all vigilante groups else it will embark on a nationwide protest.

    “Speaking at the 2019 Conference of the Council, its President, Rev Prof. Paul Frimpong-Manso, said political parties have failed the country with the continuous use of vigilante groups to foment trouble,” state-owned broadcaster, GBC reported, Thursday.

    Read: Vigilante groups to be banned – Ambrose Dery tells Short Commission

    The Council wants Ghanaians to reject any political party that fails to ban vigilante groups.

    This is not the first time the Council has condemned vigilante groups in the country.

    In November 2017, the Council released a statement to condemn the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) for looking unconcerned while vigilantes affiliated to the party cause mayhem in Karaga, Tumu and Techiman.

    Read: Vigilante group members cannot be arrested Bryan Acheampong

    “It is becoming worrying when these ruling party vigilantes seem to be emboldened by each passing day as a result of the seeming inaction of the Police Service and defiant statements from some party executives in support of these hoodlums.

    “The activities of these criminal elements wrapped in party colours in the last one week in Karaga, Tumu and Techiman could not be described as mere co-incidence but a worrying phenomenon that is gradually getting out of hand and that could be threatening our national security set up,” the Council had said in that statement.

    The GPCC is a faith-based organisation and the umbrella body of over 200 Pentecostal and Charismatic Christian church denominations and para-church organisations in Ghana.

    Source: Myjoyonline.com