Sunderland has named Michael Beale as their new head coach, securing his services until the summer of 2026.
The appointment follows the departure of Tony Mowbray earlier this month, and the Black Cats express confidence in Beale’s ability to guide them back to the Premier League.
Beale, who left the Gers two months ago, said: “It’s a huge honour to be joining the Sunderland family.
“The existing coaching team deserve huge credit for the way they navigated the interim period.
“Like all of the staff at the club, they will continue to be vitally important moving forward alongside the incredible fans that make SAFC such a unique club.
“It’s clear there is some excellent work being done at senior and academy level and I’m excited to support those efforts and implement my own ideas as we build on the strong identity already established within the club.”
🤝 Sunderland AFC is delighted to announce the appointment of Michael Beale as the Club’s new Head Coach.
Sunderland’s recent struggles under Tony Mowbray led to his departure, despite guiding the team to the playoffs last season. The standout performances of Jobe Bellingham and interim coach Mike Dodds have kept their promotion hopes alive.
Currently seventh in the Championship table, Sunderland is gearing up for their upcoming game against Coventry at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.
Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman expressed delight in securing Michael Beale as the new head coach, citing the club’s long-term monitoring of his career.
“He has an excellent and well-founded reputation for developing players and he is an outstanding progressive coach aligned with our playing identity and naturally fits within our structure alongside Mike and the wider team.
“We continue to trust in our established process of identifying the right candidates to take us forward at these junctures and although Michael has had a setback, we feel we are getting him at the right time in his coaching journey and our journey as a club.”
Michael Beale, with prior Championship experience, garnered praise during his tenure as QPR boss from June to November 2022.
Subsequently, he assumed the managerial role at Ibrox. However, his stint in Scotland proved less successful, marked by a lack of trophy wins with Rangers, leading to his dismissal after only 10 months in charge.
A young West Ham fan is praying for Ghana to be kicked out of the 2023 African Cup Of Nations (AFCON) to enable the Hammers have back Mohammed Kudus.
Kudus is expected to be absent from West Ham camp for about a month due to the tournament that will take place from January 13 to February 11, 2024, in the Ivorian cities of Abidjan, Bouake, Korhogo, San Pedro, and Yamoussoukro.
Ghana will be based in Abidjan, where they will play Egypt, Cape Verde, and Mozambique in the group stage.
Kudus has proven to be a great asset to West Ham and for this young fan, he has been mesmerized by Kudus’ attack, which saw to the club’s recent victory.
“Let’s just hope that Ghana gets knocked out early so we can have him back. I’m telling y’all. He brings like the full package. He defends alright and his attack just flawless. He is so good and I love it when he does that celebration. It’s so good,” the male fan said.
🚨ICYMI: This West Ham supporter wants Ghana to exit The African Cup Of Nations ( AFCON) so that Kudus can become available for them.
^ { Yvonne Nelson #UCLdraw Kwesi Arthur UPSA Rigged BBLs John Terry Temba Kolo Muani Ahmed Musa Simps Martinez Ghana Card pic.twitter.com/yusH2m2TRR
— Citizen Tech (Laptops & accessories) (@besttechghana) December 18, 2023
Over the weekend, Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen, and Lucas Paquetá delivered an early Christmas gift to east London, orchestrating West Ham United’s commanding 3-0 Premier League triumph over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Kudus, maintaining his exceptional form, netted two goals in the first half, while Bowen secured the third after the break. Paquetá contributed significantly with three assists as the Hammers climbed to seventh place with 27 points from 17 games.
In the 22nd minute, Kudus showcased his prowess with a remarkable pitch-length counter, initiated by Emerson, Edson Álvarez, and Paquetá. Breaking free down the right, Kudus cut inside and unleashed a left-footed drive from 20 yards, beating Nelson Semedo and goalkeeper Dan Bentley.
Just ten minutes later, Kudus found himself in a familiar position, courtesy of a brilliant diagonal pass from the Brazilian. Racing past former Hammer Craig Dawson, he confidently slotted the ball home with his right foot.
Already, West Ham United manager David Moyes has expressed his concern about the impact of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations on his team.
“We’ve got Mo Kudus, and we’ve also got Saïd Benrahma from Algeria and Nayef Aguerd from Morocco. The disappointing bit, and the thing we’ll need to manage, is losing those players for a month during the African Cup of Nations. But that’s part of it,” he said.
Parliament faced intermittent power outages during its session today.
The lights went out while Majority Chief Whip and MP for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, was addressing the House.
The incident led to mockery from the Minority side, prompting criticism from Annoh-Dompreh, who expressed displeasure at the Minority’s reaction.
He noted that the current erratic power supply is not comparable to what was experienced under the Mahama-led administration.
“What’s your problem? This is better than what we experienced under you. You should know this. Sam George, you should know this. This is far better than what we endured under your tenure,” he said.
Despite Frank Annoh-Dompreh’s comments, the Minority continued to mock the Majority, with an MP shouting, “You go explain tire,” implying that no amount of explanation can erase the fact that “dumsor” (erratic power supply) has returned under the Akufo-Addo-led government.
A few minutes later, Parliament was once again illuminated. The cause of the power restoration remains unclear, whether it was due to power being restored or a backup generator being activated.
Staff of the Ghana Grid Company, GRIDCo are threatening the return of incessant power cuts, popularly known as dumsor, which plagued the country some years back.
This is due to the failure of the government to settle some arrears of industry players.
In a statement registering their displeasure over the situation, the aggrieved staff noted that there will be a return of ‘dumsor’ this Christmas if the financial status of the company is not improved with immediate effect.
“The main cause of the poor cash flow situation is because the Cash Waterfall Mechanism which is used as the mode of payment to the industry players within the sector is not working and is suspected to have been discontinued,” they stated.
In the statement issued by the Senior Staff Association’s National Chairman and addressed to the Minister of Energy, the Board Chairman, and the Chief Executive of GRIDCo, the staff are pointing accusing fingers at ECG for their refusal to pay, in full, for the services rendered to them by the company.
They explain that GRIDCo bills ECG – their major customer – over GH₵100 million per month, out of which only about 18% to 25% is paid, and in an irregular manner.
Parliament faced intermittent power outages during its session today.
The lights went out while Majority Chief Whip and MP for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, was addressing the House.
The incident led to mockery from the Minority side, prompting criticism from Annoh-Dompreh, who expressed displeasure at the Minority’s reaction.
He noted that the current erratic power supply is not comparable to what was experienced under the Mahama-led administration.
“What’s your problem? This is better than what we experienced under you. You should know this. Sam George, you should know this. This is far better than what we endured under your tenure,” he said.
His comments did not prevent the Minority from ridiculing the Majority the more. An MP shouted, “You go explain tire,” indicating that no amount of explanation can take away the fact that “dumsor” is back under the Akufo-Addo-led government.
A few minutes later, Parliament was lit once more. It is unknown if power was restored or if a plant had been turned on.
Staff of the Ghana Grid Company, GRIDCo are threatening the return of incessant power cuts, popularly known as dumsor, which plagued the country some years back.
This is due to the failure of the government to settle some arrears of industry players.
In a statement registering their displeasure over the situation, the aggrieved staff noted that there will be a return of ‘dumsor’ this Christmas if the financial status of the company is not improved with immediate effect.
“The main cause of the poor cash flow situation is because the Cash Waterfall Mechanism which is used as the mode of payment to the industry players within the sector is not working and is suspected to have been discontinued,” they stated.
In the statement issued by the Senior Staff Association’s National Chairman and addressed to the Minister of Energy, the Board Chairman, and the Chief Executive of GRIDCo, the staff are pointing accusing fingers at ECG for their refusal to pay, in full, for the services rendered to them by the company.
They explain that GRIDCo bills ECG – their major customer – over GH₵100 million per month, out of which only about 18% to 25% is paid, and in an irregular manner.
Parliament experienced an intermittent power outage during its sitting today.
The lights went out while the Majority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament (MP) for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, was speaking on the floor of the House.
The unfortunate incident generated mockery from the Minority side of Parliament.
Frank Annoh-Dompreh, who was displeased by the Minority’s action, criticised its members for complaining about a phenomenon they failed to address.
The Nsawam-Adoagyiri MP, stated that the erratic power supply currently being experienced is nowhere close to what was experienced under the Mahama-led administration.
“What’s your problem? This is better than what we experienced under you. You should know this. Sam George, you should know this. This is far better than what we endured under your tenure,” he said.
His comments did not prevent the Minority from ridiculing the Majority the more. An MP shouted, “You go explain tire,” indicating that no amount of explanation can take away the fact that “dumsor” is back under the Akufo-Addo-led government.
A few minutes later, Parliament was lit once more. It is unknown if power was restored or if a plant had been turned on.
Staff of the Ghana Grid Company, GRIDCo are threatening the return of incessant power cuts, popularly known as dumsor, which plagued the country some years back.
This is due to the failure of the government to settle some arrears of industry players.
In a statement registering their displeasure over the situation, the aggrieved staff noted that there will be a return of ‘dumsor’ this Christmas if the financial status of the company is not improved with immediate effect.
“The main cause of the poor cash flow situation is because the Cash Waterfall Mechanism which is used as the mode of payment to the industry players within the sector is not working and is suspected to have been discontinued,” they stated.
In the statement issued by the Senior Staff Association’s National Chairman and addressed to the Minister of Energy, the Board Chairman, and the Chief Executive of GRIDCo, the staff are pointing accusing fingers at ECG for their refusal to pay, in full, for the services rendered to them by the company.
They explain that GRIDCo bills ECG – their major customer – over GH₵100 million per month, out of which only about 18% to 25% is paid, and in an irregular manner.
President Akufo-Addo has provided clarification on his decision not to assent to the Criminal Offences Amendment Bill 2023, the Criminal Offences Amendment Bill Number 2, 2023, and the Ghana Armed Forces Amendment Bill 2023.
In a letter to Parliament, the President explained that his decision is rooted in the potential financial impact on the state’s consolidated fund and a violation of Article 108 of the constitution.
He noted that, after consultations with the Attorney General, it was advised that the Ghana Armed Forces Amendment Bill 2023, a private member’s bill sponsored by Madina MP Francis-Xavier Sosu, has financial implications on the consolidated fund due to the associated cost of incarceration.
President Akufo-Addo suggested that the private member’s bill would need to be reintroduced to Parliament in due course on his behalf.
“Upon a thorough review of the relevant constitutional legislative frameworks specifically Article 108 of the constitution and section 100 of the Public Financial Management Act 2016, Act 921, it is evident that the bill is introduced as private member’s bills by the honourable member of Parliament for Madina Constituency, Francis-Xavier Sosu do not conform with the provisions of the constitution.
“These bills which avoid the death penalty and criminalise the activities of witch doctors retain substantial financial obligations on the consolidated fund and other public funds of Ghana due to the projected cost related to imprisonment, sustenance and healthcare for those who will be convicted under the days when they become law.”
“Therefore, in light of this significant fiscal impact, these bills should not have been introduced with the fiscal impact analysis. Access to such an analysis precludes these bills from being properly classified as private member’s bills. The legislative power entrusted to parliament comes with responsibilities to ensure that all enacted laws comply with the constitutional provisions safeguarding the nation’s fiscal integrity and avoiding the principles of governance.”
“Mr Speaker, it is for the above reasons that I in preserving the sanctity of the legislative process refuse to assent with yours. I take this opportunity to reiterate my support for the contents of the bills and my intention for them to be reintroduced in parliament on my behalf in due course. Yours sincerely, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo,” he stated.”
The Minority caucus in Parliament is urging the immediate suspension of a 10-year contract between the Finance Ministry and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) for revenue assurance services.
Ranking Member on the Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament, John Jinapor, characterized the contract as a “rip-off” and a “burden on taxpayers” designed to enrich “greedy politicians.”
He has called for its suspension until a probe by the minority caucus can investigate potential mismanagement.
“We do not believe that there is value for money, this contract is a rip-off, this contract only ends up filling the pockets of greedy politicians and individuals.
“We cannot allow the taxpayer to be burdened with such unnecessary contracts that only go a long way to fill the pockets of individuals, so we would advise, that immediately that contract should be suspended pending a parliamentary investigation. When we go into it and find out that all those allegations are true, we will ensure that this contract is abrogated.”
Mr. Jinapor also expressed concerns about a possible delay in negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) due to Ghana’s failure to service its external debts.
There are reports indicating that the IMF board meeting to consider the second tranche of a crucial $3 billion credit facility has been postponed until January 11, 2024. Jinapor cautioned that this delay could seriously jeopardize the hard-won economic gains that the government has achieved.
The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has made a commitment to restore economic stability if elected as president.
Expressing confidence in the capable individuals within the NDC, Mahama believes that they can address the economic challenges created by the current government under President Akufo-Addo.
While addressing students at the Sefwi Wiaso Nurses Training College, Mahama emphasized that a future NDC government would strive to establish a solid foundation for the country’s economy.
“I met some drivers, and they apologized to me for voting me out. A gallon of petrol during my time was GH¢14, but now it’s above … or more; I can’t even tell. All these things are a result of the mismanaged economy.
“We buy fuel with dollars, so if the economy is not managed well and the dollar-to-cedi rate is lower, the prices of goods and services will decrease, but because the economy has been mismanaged, petrol is expensive. The NDC has the men and women to manage the economy very well. When we come back to power, we will ensure we make life better for you people,” he stated.
He attributed the current surge in fuel and food prices to what he described as the mismanagement of the economy by the Akufo-Addo administration.
The Guinness World Records has approved the application of a 26-year-old Ghanaian named Stephen Nartey Takitey, who is attempting to break the world record for the most football (soccer) socks put on in 30 seconds.
Takitey, hailing from Tema, submitted his application in June and received confirmation of acceptance on November 28th.
“Hello Stephen Takitey, We are pleased to inform you that your application has been accepted under the following title: Most football (soccer) socks put on in 30 seconds.”- Says Guinness World Records in their reply to Stephen.
Stephen Nartey Takitey will be attempting to break world record on the 21st of December at Tema.
Pavol Durdik from Slovakia currently holds the record for the most normal socks.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reportedly rescheduled the board meeting to review Ghana’s second review under the Fund program and consider the disbursement of $600 million to January 11, 2024.
This decision follows significant progress made by Ghana with its external bilateral creditors, particularly with China, regarding the terms of restructuring the bilateral debt.
Negotiations with China, one of the Co-Chairs of the Official Creditor Committee (OCC), have advanced, leading to optimism that all outstanding issues will be addressed before the new board meeting date.
A draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) from the Official Creditor Committee would have been issued by now, but a concern from one of the members reportedly caused a delay.
Earlier challenges in reaching an agreement with China had led to the rescheduling of the IMF board meeting dates, with the latest being January 11, 2024.
The rescheduled date is expected to provide sufficient time for the resolution of any remaining issues and for the Official Creditor Committee to issue the necessary MoU on Ghana’s debt restructuring.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has clarified that reports suggesting the reinstatement of eleven headteachers who were interdicted for charging unauthorized fees to Form One students are false.
The headmistress of the Ghana Senior High School in Koforidua and seven other headteachers in different senior high schools across the Ashanti Region were interdicted for allegedly selling unauthorized items to Form One students.
The GES emphasized that the interdiction was a result of the headteachers blatantly ignoring directives, and there has been no reinstatement. The public has been urged to disregard such reports.
A total number of 11 headteachers have been interdicted by the Ghana Education Service (GES) for charging unapproved fees during the admission of first-year students in their respective institutions.
Seven head teachers in SHSs across the Ashanti Region have been directed to step aside for allegedly imposing unauthorized fees on first-year students.
In a number of press statements, the Ghana Education Service announced that it has launched investigations into the actions of the headteachers.
The affected individuals are Mrs. Selina Anane Afoakwa (Headmistress of Kumasi Girls SHS), Mr. Nataniel Asamoah (Headmaster of Asanteman SHS), Mr. Andrews Boateng (Headmaster of Kumasi Senior High Technical School), and Mr. Kwadwo Obeng-Appiah (Headmaster of Manso-Edubia SHS).
Additionally, Mr. Daniel Boamah Duku (Headmaster of Agric Nzema Community SHS), Ms. Gladys Sarfowah (Headmistress of Nkawie Senior High Technical School), and Mr. Ampong Ahmed Omar (Headmaster of Collins SHS) are included in the list.
According to the GES, the headteachers have been accused of charging students various unapproved fees, including payments for house dues, books, calculators, admission process, printing of slips and files, and hymn books.
This action follows similar interdictions of headteachers in the Greater Accra and Eastern regions for unauthorized sales of items to students.
Mr. Afi Yaw Stephen, Headmaster of Berekum Senior High School, and Mr. Joseph Jilinjeh Abudu, Headmaster of Odomaseman Senior High School, were both directed to step aside in separate letters by the GES for selling items not approved by the education authorities.
Mr. Afi Yaw Stephen was accused of charging unauthorized fees, including “Borla fees,” “motivation fees,” and “lunch bag” charges.
On the other hand, Mr. Joseph Jilinjeh Abudu has been accused of charging students GHC45 for hymn books, SRC fees, brown khaki, and other unapproved items.
The headteachers of O’Reilly Senior High School and Ghana Senior High School were interdicted for alleged unauthorized activities.
Nadia Lartechoe Annan of O’Reilly SHS and Patience Naki Mensah of Ghana Senior High School were suspended for unauthorized activities, including the collection of admission fees and the sale of ceremonial cloth, tracksuits, and other items to incoming Form One students.
Meanwhile, President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Angel Carbonu, has issued a stern warning to headteachers nationwide, urging them to adhere to the government’s policy prohibiting the sale of items to students within school premises.
Defending champions Manchester City are set to go up against FC Copenhagen in the Champions League Round of 16, while Arsenal will be facing Porto.
Copenhagen, having secured the second spot in a group featuring Bayern Munich and Manchester United, will return to Manchester to take on Pep Guardiola’s Treble-winning side.
Meanwhile, Arsenal avoids potential clashes with PSG and Inter Milan, drawing Porto, currently sitting third in the Portuguese league.
Other notable matchups include PSG vs. Real Sociedad, Real Madrid vs. RB Leipzig, Bayern vs. Lazio, Barcelona vs. Napoli, Inter vs. Atletico Madrid, and PSV Eindhoven vs. Borussia Dortmund.
The first legs are scheduled for the second and third weeks of February, with return matches in early March.
Ollie Watkins has disclosed that his specific celebration, following his winning goal for Aston Villa against Brentford, was directed at a home supporter.
The England striker said he was being abused by the fan throughout the game and “it felt right I celebrated in front of him”.
Watkins scored 49 goals for the Bees before joining Villa in 2020. The incident in the 85th minute led to a chaotic conclusion to the match, with eight additional cards being issued, including a red card for Boubacar Kamara. Prior to this, Ben Mee had already been sent off for a mistimed tackle.
The Villa forward said: “There was one individual who was abusing me all game so it only felt right that I celebrated in front of him.
“That caused a bit of a reaction but I’m glad we got three points.
“[Thomas] Frank asked why I celebrated like that and I told him. We’re still on texting terms. Thomas knows I wouldn’t just celebrate like that.
“I feel like I’ve done so much for the club.”
Ollie Watkins’ goal celebration caused a melee
Following the game, Villa issued a statement expressing support for their star striker.
It read: “Aston Villa FC wants to express its support for Ollie Watkins and we ask the authorities to investigate this incident to find this individual.
“Zero tolerance to abuse in football.”
Brentford manager Thomas Frank regretted the ill-tempered end to the game, suggesting that players on both sides were to blame.
He said: “It’s an emotional game but you show class and I don’t think there was enough in the whole game.
“I said [to my players] they gave everything, pleased with their performance and tough to take but when things are going against you, no matter, it’s important you show class.”
Aston Villa FC wants to express its support for Ollie Watkins and with the utmost respect for the big majority of Brentford fans and for the club, we ask the authorities to investigate this incident to find this individual. Zero tolerance to abuse in football. pic.twitter.com/zcoLbTZRDv
Social media users have expressed dissatisfaction with President Akufo-Addo’s recent statement regarding the prospect of having a First Lady from Zongo, a Muslim-majority inner city.
The president highlighted the historical significance that could arise if his Vice President were to succeed in the 2024 presidential elections. The individual under consideration is the current Second Lady, Samira Bawumia.
“If by the grace of God, Mahamadu Bawumia wins the presidency in December 2024, we will have a Zongo First Lady in Ghana,” Akufo-Addo said in Nima, a suburb of Accra.
On Twitter (now X), the majority of commentators have questioned the president’s assertion, urging him to specify the exact significance of having a First Lady from the Zongo.
Some individuals posed rhetorical questions, asking whether Nima, one of the most well-known Zongos in Ghana, has witnessed any notable improvements during the seven years that President Akufo-Addo, a resident of the area, has been in office.
The Nima resident who became president sacked those living close to his house and pimped the area in front of his house. That's the only transformation that Zongo has seen in 7 years. Again, the Zongo Vice goes around making promises that never gets fulfilled. https://t.co/6OlVPy8UxU
That's true talk. Our president makes a mockery of himself whenever he has no script in front of him. What do we get from a " zongo first They want to politicise next years elections.
Manchester City concluded 2023 with an impressive 4-1 victory over Everton, extending their winning streak to four matches in the Barclays Women’s Super League.
Despite missing an early penalty, Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw rebounded with a remarkable hat-trick at Walton Hall Park.
Jill Roord contributed to the success with a first-half strike, solidifying Manchester City’s dominance on Merseyside. Despite Aurora Galli’s unstoppable effort providing a consolation goal for Everton, it was not enough to thwart City’s triumph.
Khadija Shaw now leads the division’s goalscoring charts with 10 goals, marking her second hat-trick of the season. The fixture also marked a milestone for Laura Coombs, who celebrated her 100th appearance for the club.
Manchester City’s overall record in 2023 reflects 22 wins, three draws, and seven losses, showcasing a strong performance throughout the year.
Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane continued their impressive form, contributing to victories for Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Bellingham scored the opening goal as Madrid defeated Villarreal 4-1, with the England star heading in a superb cross from Luka Modric, securing his 13th LaLiga goal of the season.
The win propelled Madrid to the top of the table, pending Girona’s match against Alaves on Monday.
Meanwhile, Harry Kane netted twice, becoming the fastest player to reach 20 Bundesliga goals, as Bayern Munich secured a 3-0 victory over Stuttgart.
In the early stages, the England captain tapped in a pass from Leroy Sane. Kane then scored with a header in the second half, helping Bayern bounce back from their previous 5-1 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga.
Despite the win, Bayern remains four points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen, with a game in hand. Kane expressed his delight, describing it as Bayern’s best performance of the season.
He said: “That was probably our best performance of the season, if I’m honest.
“We wanted to show dominance in a really big game after last week’s result. We had really good intensity.
“We didn’t allow many chances throughout the game and we could have scored a few more goals.
“It was a really good performance and everyone who came in to the starting line-up played really well.
“There will always be times when players are sick and injured. We need the entire team.”
Documents sighted by The Independent Ghana indicate that the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has requested a master plan for the development of land abutting Achimota Forest from Okaikwei North Municipal Chief Executive.
The letter to the MCE dated October 2023 was shared by Vice President of Imani Africa, Bright Simons.
In the said letter, the Ministry noted that by the Forests (Cessation of Forest Reserve) Instrument 2022 (E. I. 144), as amended by the Forests (Cessation of Forest Reserves) (Amendment) Instrument, 2023 (E. I. 234), portions of the Achimota Forest, measuring approximately 260.06 acres or 105.25 hectares, ceased to be a forest reserve.
“In preparing the master plan, the District LUSPA shall take into consideration the protection of the ecological integrity of the Forest Reserve which abuts the land,” parts of the letter read.
In May 2022, the Achimota Forest brouhaha emerged, which involved the declassification of the said land.
Lands Minister, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, in Executive Instrument (E.I) 144 on behalf of the President stipulated that effective May 1, 2022, the land on which the Forest is located shall cease to be a forest reserve.
He noted that portions of the land will be returned to the Owoo family and government will redevelop the remaining into the likes of High Park of London and Central Park of New York, where Ghanaians can go and enjoy the beauty of nature.
Samuel Abu Jinapor requested that the Forestry and Land Commissions, as well as the Owoo Family, furnish the ministry with information on all transactions surrounding the Achimota Forest.
The Minister sought to find out what exactly had happened since 1927 when about 1,185 acres of land were acquired by the State and later constituted as a Forest Reserve in 1930 under the name Achimota Firewood Plantation Forest Reserve.
The CEO of the Forestry Commission, Mr. John Allotey, was expected to submit all leases granted by the Forestry Commission over the land, any amendment or variations to those leases, as well as any sublease or assignment granted over any part of the land.
Also, in a separate letter, James Ebenezer Dadson, the Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission, was asked to provide the ministry with information on de-gazetting, leases, subleases, assignments, and other transfer or disposition of any part of the lands in question, whether made by the Forestry Commission or any other person.
The Nii Owoo family, said to be allodial owners of the land, were expected to submit to his office all subleases and assignments granted by the Family to any person.
They were also to provide the names and addresses of all beneficiary owners of any part of the land acquired in 1927, per the statement. These pieces of information was to bring finality to the matter.
According to Mr Simons, after a year government began probing the matter, no resolution has been announced, but rather government’s is interested in giving out portions of the land to private developmers.
“So, more than a year after the govt promised a comprehensive inquiry into Achimota Forest land affairs, it would seem that it has decided that the time is now ripe to release a large swath of the forest to developers for more condos & shopping malls in Accra. Who forest epp,” he wrote in a tweet.
Ghana Twitter has talked enough about nonliving natural resources (lithium et al). What about resources of the living kind? Remember Achimota forest? Well, a new letter has surfaced showing that the govt actually planned to redevelop the whole site until "alarm blow". https://t.co/SDfuXkBURV
The Fourth Estate, in its recent investigation, has uncovered rot in a contract between the Finance Ministry and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML), and how the company failed to save Ghana over GHc3 billion in revenue as it had earlier claimed.
Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited in 2020 started revenue assurance services to the government of Ghana.
The GRA and the Ministry of Finance contracted SML to monitor the volumes of petroleum products lifted. However, the GRA told The Fourth Estate that the figures SML churned out as its monitoring of volumes were not the ones GRA uses to calculate petroleum taxes or revenue for the state. The GRA uses figures from the loading gantries, which the authority was using even before SML was contracted.
The Dormaahene, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyeman Badu II, has offered additional remarks concerning the injunction preventing his participation in the final funeral rites of the Berekumhene scheduled for November 2023.
Addressing an event in the Bono Region, he emphasized the irony of a mysterious individual like himself being subjected to an injunction that bars attendance at a public event.
“Ever seen a chief who is not mysterious, yet becomes the subject of an injunction before a funeral can be held? I am the very one who such can be done to and by extension the people of Bono,” he stated at the gathering.
The Dormaahene, who is also a sitting High Court judge, expressed concern over recent chieftaincy-related disturbances in Sampa, located in the Bono Region.
Narrating a series of events, he highlighted that the installation of a new paramount chief had become entangled in litigation, initially referred to Manhyia for resolution after facing challenges at the Bono House of Chiefs.
According to him, the resolution at Manhyia was not followed by the proper legal process for court approval, leading to complications. The Dormaahene suggested that the failure to seek court approval could be attributed to the unfortunate incidents, including deaths and gunshot wounds, that occurred during the coronation of the new chief in Sampa.
Sampa is situated in the Bono Region, bordering Côte d’Ivoire, and serves as the capital of Jaman North District.
Regarding his ban from the Berekumhene’s funeral, Agyeman Badu II expressed that he will forever recall the circumstances surrounding the prohibition. The Sunyani High Court issued a restraint on his attendance on November 22, citing the potential for a breach of peace, especially with the presence of Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II on the same day.
The court order was a response to an application presented by a member of the Berekum Traditional Council, Osabarima Kyere Yeboah Darteh II.
Liverpool’s failure to score for the first time since April denied them the top spot in the Premier League as Manchester United secured a goalless draw. The result cost Liverpool a chance at a club record and allowed Manchester United to stem a recent defensive crisis.
Erik ten Hag’s United successfully kept Liverpool at bay, despite Jurgen Klopp’s team finishing the game with five attacking players. The goal drought for Manchester United on Liverpool’s home turf extended to 507 minutes, but they managed to secure a valuable point.
Despite Liverpool’s dominance and numerous attempts (34 shots in the game), they couldn’t convert their chances into goals. Mohamed Salah’s efforts were thwarted by a solid United defense and goalkeeper Andre Onana. The draw prevented Liverpool from reclaiming top spot in the Premier League.
In the last few minutes of the game, United’s Diogo Dalot received a controversial double-yellow card sending off. The result leaves Manchester United with just one win in six matches, while Liverpool, despite their dominance, couldn’t secure the victory they were seeking.
During a seminar organized by the University of Ghana Student Representative Council (SRC) with the theme “Inspiring the Next Generation of Leaders, the Big Conversation,” Opoku Prempeh, who currently serves as the Energy Minister, expressed his perplexity over the school’s inclusion of “Legon” in its name.
Opoku Prempeh argued that as Presec is situated in the Madina Atomic enclave, he finds it puzzling why the school associates itself with “Legon.”
Despite Presec’s consistent victories in the National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ), he emphasized that this does not automatically designate the school as the best in the country. Opoku Prempeh contended that the title of the best school belongs to Prempeh College in Kumasi, his alma mater.
In jest, he said, “Presec is located in the Madina constituency; how is it then called Presec Legon? Identity crisis. They always rush and become second; that is why they’re called ‘Pre-sec’, you rush to become second.”
He remarked in Twi, “But what I am trying to say is that they might win and not be number one; they might win and not be the best because the circumstances of the win might be different.
“Look, the newly appointed Chief Justice went to Wesley Girls, and the biggest girls’ school is Mfantsiman, not very far away from Wesley Girls. How many times has Wesley Girls won the Science and Maths Quiz?
“So, it is not always the ones who win that are the best, because maybe the number of students Wesley Girls has or takes in a year and the output, they produce…” he added.
Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has been recognized as the 6th most inspiring individual in Africa by the African Regional Journal.
The African Regional Awards, organized by Tarj Events under the auspices of the African Regional Journal, aim to celebrate individuals who serve as sources of inspiration and motivation for the collective African citizenry, encouraging others to follow in their footsteps.
In the African Journal Publication, they explained what makes a person inspiring: “Truly inspiring people share two fundamental qualities: they believe in themselves and they believe in others. But they also share other critical traits that make those around them to aspire to improve themselves…to reach further, and to leap higher.”
Individuals, according to Tarj Events, were handpicked throughout the region of Africa by the African Regional Journal Team.
“In their research, the Team relied primarily, but not exclusively, on vetted information gathered from authentic sources, and then authenticated by information obtained from print, radio, television, and social media sources.”
“The selected candidates were chosen based on their impressive and documented accomplishments in their respective professional sectors. These sectors include business, governance, social impact, and creative inventiveness. Indeed, painstaking efforts have gone into the selection of deserving candidates for this laudable award recognition.”
Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has an impressive track record, having been honored as the Best Minister in both 2017 and 2019. Additionally, he holds the prestigious Havard Ministerial Fellow recognition.
His accolades extend to receiving numerous awards, with the most recent being an Honorary Doctorate Degree conferred upon him by the University of Cape Coast, acknowledging his exceptional leadership qualities.
Furthermore, he has been similarly honored by the Universities of Education, Winneba and Professional Studies with honorary degrees. The Ghana Civil Service has also recognized him, commending his “sterling leadership qualities” through an award.
National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer John Dramani Mahama has denounced the government for allegedly politicizing the distribution of premix fuel.
During an engagement with fisherfolk in Axim, Western Region, as part of his “Building the Ghana We Want” tour, Mahama acknowledged the concerns raised by locals who asserted that they were not receiving adequate premix fuel for fishing.
In his response, Mahama criticized the current government, holding it responsible for the reported challenges faced by artisanal fishers, suggesting that the government’s actions have negatively impacted their work.
“When we were in power, we set up the landing beach committee, and at that time, anyone could be a member. The premix was distributed judiciously. But now, fuel diversion and mismanagement of the distribution of premix fuel appear to have reached its peak. The NPP government is politicizing the distribution,” he lamented.
Mr Mahama reiterated his commitment to enhancing the fisheries sector and pledged significant reforms if elected in the upcoming general elections.
“I know that by God’s grace, the NDC will win the elections, and I promise to improve the fisheries sector if elected in the 2024 polls. I will give you a sector minister who will perform better,” he said.
In Takoradi, residents expressed support for the NDC leader’s 24-hour economy campaign policy during his tour.
Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen, and Lucas Paquetá delivered an early Christmas gift to east London, orchestrating West Ham United’s commanding 3-0 Premier League triumph over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Kudus, maintaining his exceptional form, netted two goals in the first half, while Bowen secured the third after the break. Paquetá contributed significantly with three assists as the Hammers climbed to seventh place with 27 points from 17 games.
In the 22nd minute, Kudus showcased his prowess with a remarkable pitch-length counter, initiated by Emerson, Edson Álvarez, and Paquetá. Breaking free down the right, Kudus cut inside and unleashed a left-footed drive from 20 yards, beating Nelson Semedo and goalkeeper Dan Bentley.
Just ten minutes later, Kudus found himself in a familiar position, courtesy of a brilliant diagonal pass from the Brazilian. Racing past former Hammer Craig Dawson, he confidently slotted the ball home with his right foot.
Despite Wolves attempting a comeback and a VAR decision disallowing a Pablo Sarabia goal for offside, Bowen sealed the victory by capitalizing on another precise pass from Paquetá, calmly slotting the ball past Bentley.
The lead counsel for the embattled spokesperson of The New Force Movement, Francis-Xavier Sosu, has stated that the legal team is prepared to file a new application demanding the Ghana Immigration Service to produce the documents his client is accused of forging.
The lawyer revealed that they have already requested a copy of the purported forged document from the Immigration Service.
In an interview with Citi News, Francis-Xavier Sosu affirmed that if their attempts to obtain the alleged forged documents through official channels are unsuccessful, the defense team will not hesitate to file a new application to address the matter.
Ms. Shalimar Abbiusi, a Belgian national associated with the Movement, was detained by the National Investigation Bureau during its inquiry into the Movement’s formation.
Ms. Abbiusi was subsequently brought before the Kaneshie District Court, where she was granted bail amounting to GH¢20,000 and required to report to the police three times a week.
“It is important that the Immigration Service will disclose these documents to enable us to advise our client because as far as we are concerned, the documents that are alleged to have been forged were not documents that were forged by our client. So we really want to know those documents, and we have even requested for the officers who actually did those visas and so on and so forth.”
“That will help us properly interrogate the issue because, as far as we are concerned, she was never in charge of the process that led to the procurement of her document, which then led to the procurement of her visa. We are hopeful that they will provide us with those documents by the close of the day on Monday. If we don’t have them, we will be forced to file a new application for an order for them to produce those documents before we go into the merits of the matter.”
The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) in the Central Region has cautioned the public against purchasing and consuming potentially harmful products, especially during the Christmas festive season, under the guise of promotions and discounted prices.
The FDA has raised concerns about the prevalent practice of releasing products nearing their expiration date into the market at significantly reduced prices, posing risks to unsuspecting consumers during the holiday season.
Francisca Obeng, the Principal Regulatory Officer of the FDA, emphasized in an interview with the Ghana News Agency the importance of purchasing only FDA-approved products. She urged the public to be proactive in safeguarding their health and personal safety by scrutinizing expiration and manufacturing dates, as well as avoiding products that appear bloated or dented.
“It is also very important to pay attention to the storage conditions of the products; ensure that the food you are buying is not directly under the sun or on the floor or in any other unwholesome condition,” she said.
Madam Obeng emphasized that consumers of ready-to-eat foods should check for the Food Hygiene Permits and Street Food Vending Permits of the sellers to ensure that they are purchasing from safe and approved sources.
“If you have to buy food from the street, be sure that the vendor is medically certified, keeps good hygiene principles and has a hand washing station with a neat environment,” she said.
Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has called on the government consider an increment in remuneration to deal with the mass exodus of nurses and other health experts.
He made this recommendation while debating the Health Ministry’s 2024 budget last week.
“Mr. Speaker, I think that we should look at the remuneration [of nurses]. If we look at the compensation, it was over and above what was allocated and if people have left, the compensation should then climb up. We should do a proper audit of the nurses who have left to know the deficit and should be able to employ to replace those who have exited.”
He made the call after the Ghana Health Service (GHS) revealed that a total of 3,688 health personnel have left the country to seek greener pastures within the last three years.
The Ghana Health Service says the figure comprises professional and critical caregivers.
Some health professionals leaving the country have cited poor working conditions in Ghana as the reason for vacating their positions to seek greener pastures abroad.
In the first of this series, The Fourth Estate’s Evans Aziamor-Mensah, Adwoa Adobea-Owusu and Manasseh Azure Awuni revealed that Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML), which started revenue assurance services to the government of Ghana in 2020 had made a number of false claims.
The company claimed in February 2023 that it had saved Ghana over GHc3 billion in revenue that would have been lost to the state but for its services in the contract it signed with the Ministry of Finance and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
The investigation found this claim to be completely false. The Managing Director of SML, Christian Tetteh Sottie, claimed he did not know about the figure when The Fourth Estate confronted him with counter evidence. He said the media, including the state-owned Daily Graphic, had taken a presentation SML made to the GRA board out of context and reported the wrong information. He said SML had called the journalists to draw their attention to the supposed error.
When asked why the story of saving Ghana GHc3 billion was still on the website of SML the morning of the interview with The Fourth Estate, in July 2023, he said, “I don’t of any website matter(sic).”
When asked why the story of saving Ghana GHc3 billion was still on the website of SML the morning of the interview with The Fourth Estate, in July 2023, he said, “I don’t of any website matter(sic).”
SML admitted its false claims and deleted them from the website of SML shortly after our interview
The company had also claimed that its services had stopped “under-reporting, diversion and dilution of fuel products and general non-compliance in the petroleum industry sector.”
When The Fourth Estate confronted the company with evidence that it did not perform any of those services that tackled those problems, which were the causes of revenue leakages in the downstream petroleum sector, SML admitted its claims were false and deleted them from the website of SML that same day.
SML also admitted its ultrasound metres at the nation’s fuel depots were less accurate than the metres of the loading gantries at the depots, which are calibrated and certified by the Ghana Standards Authority every six months.
The GRA and the Ministry of Finance contracted SML to monitor the volumes of petroleum products lifted. However, the GRA told The Fourth Estate that the figures SML churned out as its monitoring of volumes were not the ones GRA uses to calculate petroleum taxes or revenue for the state. The GRA uses figures from the loading gantries, which the authority was using even before SML was contracted.
The Managing Director of SML, Christian Sottie, denied knowledge of the GHc3 billion savings and claimed the media misreported SML. But the story is still on the website of SML.
SML also confirmed to The Fourth Estate that it had never detected any case of under-declaration since it started its monitoring services for the GRA over three years ago.
Apart from the false claims, SML does not tackle any of the problems identified as causing revenue losses in the downstream sector, a fact SML and government officials admitted when we interviewed them.
This notwithstanding, the Ministry of Finance, in June 2023, instructed the GRA to expand the scope of SML Ghana’s work.
A Ministry of Finance letter sighted by The Fourth Estate said the “Honourable Minister [Ken Ofori-Atta] has determined that there is the need to monitor the production and shipment of oil and gold out of the country.
“To this end, he will like to expand the Revenue Assurance work being performed by SML to include upstream oil drilling by the production companies and the gold mining companies,” the letter dated June 22, 2023, stated.
The Ministry of Finance letter on the expansion of SML Contracts to cover oil and gold production in Ghana
Sources close to the Ministry and SML Ghana have confirmed the contract has been signed and stakeholders in the mining industry have been contacted in writing to help SML operationalise the terms of the contract.
Last week, representatives from the GRA and SML met the Ghana Chamber of Mines to discuss the execution of the contract. The Fourth Estate’s sources familiar with discussions at the meeting said SML invited the Ghana Chamber of Mines to visit the company to inspect the setup it is putting in place to implement the new contract. The Chamber is to visit.
Per the terms of this new contract, the government will pay SML US$0.75 for any barrel of oil produced in Ghana.
Ghana currently produces between 160,000 to 170,000 barrels of oil per day. The Pecan field project is expected to add 80,000 barrels per day in a year, a Deputy Minister of Energy, Andrew Mercer, recently told Reuters.
SML’s share of US$0.75 per barrel a day means the company will make at least US$120,000 per day from the 160,000 barrels per day.
The contract also mandates the state to pay SML Ghana 0.75 per cent of the total amount of gold that is produced and monitored in Ghana. Ghana is currently the largest producer of gold in Africa, beating South Africa with 3.7 million ounces of Gold in 2022.
Using the 2022 production figures to estimate SML’s earnings, the company’s 0.75% share of 3.7 million ounces at a global price of US$1,800 per ounce (as contained in the Finance Minister’s 2024 budget statement) will amount to US$50 million from the gold sector alone.
The Contract spells out what should be paid to SML under the gold and oil upstream petroleum sectors. Together with the downstream sector, the company will be paid over $100 million a year
Together with the downstream and upstream petroleum sectors, SML Ghana will be paid more than US$100 million by the government of Ghana through the “revenue assurance” contracts.
This money is more than the amount allocated to 19 out of the 27 ministries in the 2024 budget of the Republic of Ghana by the Ministry of Finance.
The amount due SML per this contract is more than the annual revenue from many taxes, including the controversial electronic transaction tax (E-Levy).
The contract term is 10 years which means the company would have rake-in 1 billion dollars in 2032
“A typical create loot and share”, a mining expert.
A mining expert who spoke to The Fourth Estate on condition of anonymity described the engagement of SML to monitor gold production as a “typical create, loot, and share” scheme to plunder the resources of the state.
The source said SML has no role in the mining sector and won’t perform any function that is not already in place to monitor and assure revenue for the government.
“To put it simply, what we do here is that we crash rocks in search of gold. After crashing, we take the rocks that have gold particles to what we call the Gold Room to extract the gold,” the source explained.
“In the gold room of every mining company, we have officials of the Ghana Revenue Authority to protect the government’s interest and calculate taxes on whatever we produce,” the source continued.
The source further explained that aside from the GRA officials, the Gold Room also has officials from the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC), the state institution certified to grade, assay, value and process precious minerals.
“The PMMC is the government’s assayer, so they take samples of the gold we produce to their labs in Accra to test and report of the percentage of actual gold in the bars.”
The source said the mining companies in Ghana refine their gold outside the country and reports from the gold refineries abroad are returned to Ghana for reconciliation with the PMMC report.
“For instance, if the PMMC’s test report says a bar has 97% gold and 3% silver, and the refinery report says it has 94% gold and the rest are of silver and other metals, the report is reconciled.”
The source explained that all the gold that leaves the mines is airlifted by helicopters with security protection to the Kotoka International Airport in Accra for onward export.
“Between the mines and the airport, anything could happen, so we have Customs officials in every helicopter that lifts the gold from the mines to Kotoka, where they hand over to their superiors for the paperwork and export.
“So, what is SML coming to do?” the source asked. “Are they coming to do the work of PMMC or GRA?”
The Petroleum Commission says it is not aware of the contract with SML
The regulator of the upstream sector, the Petroleum Commission, has told The Fourth Estate that it has no knowledge of the contract with SML to monitor petroleum production in Ghana. It also said in a response to a right to information request that it has no report of leakages in the sector, a reason SML was contracted to monitor.
The Commission, according to its official website, was established by “an Act of Parliament, 2011 (Act 821) as a result of hydrocarbon discoveries in commercial quantities, to regulate and manage the utilisation of petroleum resources and, coordinate the policies in the upstream petroleum sector.”
Executive Director for Africa Centre for Energy Policy, Benjamin Boakye
The Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), Benjamin Boakye, told The Fourth Estate that, SML’s role is needless and would result in loss of revenue to Ghana without adding value to the process.
“Recently, Tullow installed new metering systems that will be calibrated by the Standards Authority. Is the Finance Ministry saying that those metres are wrong?,” he asked.
In a control room in Tema in the Greater Accra Region, officials of Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) tried to convince The Fourth Estate of its wild claims that it had helped to save Ghana billions of cedis that would have been lost in the downstream petroleum sector but for its intervention.
The company also tried to justify why it receives up to GH₵24 million monthly payments from the government of Ghana in a questionable contract it signed with the Ministry of Finance and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
A year-long investigation by Evans Aziamor-Mensah, Adwoa Adobea-Owusu and Manasseh Azure Awuni of The Fourth Estate, however, revealed that the company, with the help of a section of Ghana’s media, had made false and unsubstantiated claims of its operations that have served as the basis for the payment it received. It appears the Ministry of Finance and the GRA were aware the claims were false, for some officials of the GRA said they had confronted the company about its claims of savings and volumes on two separate occasions.
(Left)A picture of the false claim that SML made and (right) a picture of the disappeared claim on its website.
A few hours after the reporters confronted the management of SML with the findings of the investigation and asked for a response, the major services it claimed to render to the government disappeared from the company’s website.
The investigation also uncovered that at a time players in the downstream petroleum sector were questioning the relevance of SML’s involvement, the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori Atta, initiated a more outrageous deal that would entitle the company to over $100 million every year for the next 10 years.
In the first of this series, we focus on a 2019 contract the Government of Ghana signed with SML. The contract was signed at a time when superior and comprehensive measures had already been introduced by the government in 2018 to curtail losses in the downstream petroleum sector.
SML admits false claim of services it renders to the GRA
Managing Director of SML Ghana, Christian Sottie
SML Ghana started what it calls “revenue assurance” services to the GRA in the downstream petroleum sector in June 2020. The downstream sector is responsible for the refining, distribution, and retail of oil and gas products. The Managing Director of the company, Christian Tetteh Sottie, said SML was an offshoot of a timber company he would not name.
Online records, however, link SML to Evans Timbers Limited. The CEO of SML, Evans Adusei, is also the CEO of Evans Timbers GH, a company that won a defamation case against The Informer newspaper in 2014. In that case, Justice Uuter Paul Dery, who was later dismissed by the Judicial Service of Ghana for bribery and corruption, ruled that the newspaper could not substantiate its claim that Evans Timbers GH used its political connections with Chief of Staff Kojo Mpiani to undertake dubious transactions.
SML registration details at the Office of the Registrar of Companies
Information The Fourth Estate obtained from the Office of the Registrar of Companies shows that Evans Adusei is the sole shareholder of SML. Also, Evans Adusei and his daughter, Esther Adusei, are the directors of the company. SML’s principal activities are “general trading and services, import and export of general goods and audit service activities.”
The Managing Director of SML, Christian Tetteh Sottie, was Ghana’s Controller and Accountant-General from 2005-2009 and is currently a board member of the Internal Audit Agency. He was once an Assistant Commissioner at the GRA.
In 2019, when the GRA entered into an agreement with SML Ghana, Mr. Sottie was the Technical Advisor to the Commissioner General of the GRA. Mr. Sottie left his job as the Technical Advisor to the GRA Commissioner General in the same year to manage SML Ghana in 2020 when the company started implementing its contract with the GRA.
The GRA has been the only customer of SML Ghana since its establishment, according to Mr. Sottie. This means at the time the company was handpicked for the contract through the single source procurement method, it had no prior experience in the services it claimed to have expertise.
A procurement expert and consultant, Kobina Ata-Bedu, says the contract raises questions about a possible breach of Ghana’s procurement laws. He questions the basis for which a company that had no prior experience in the services being procured was single sourced for the contract.
To justify its contract and why it has been paid hundreds of millions of cedis by the government of Ghana, SML falsely claimed that it was rendering a wide range of services that had stopped malfeasance in the downstream petroleum sector.
On its website, SML stated: “The SML Digitalisation of downstream petroleum product measurement has stem(sic) the tide of under-reporting, diversion and dilution of fuel products and general non-compliance in the petroleum industry sector.”
As part of this investigation, The Fourth Estate team spent months interrogating the systems put in place by the Government of Ghana through its sector agencies and third-party contractors to curtail the anomalies SML Ghana claimed to be tackling. The team had rare access to the National Command Centre of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), where we interviewed officials of the NPA and private sector service providers.
Third-party companies working with the NPA were responsible for checking dilution, diversion, under-declaration and other anomalies in the sector. The Customs Division of the GRA also has officials at the depots and various entry points to ensure that all petroleum products that enter the country are properly accounted for. They do this with independent monitors who police the processes for the owners of petroleum products at various points of the product chain.
The Fourth Estate team also toured some fuel depots in the country and interviewed depot operators as well as oil marketing companies and officials of the GRA. The evidence gathered showed that SML’s claim that it was checking diversion, dilution and under-declaration was completely false.
Our investigation revealed that the introduction of the Enterprise Relational Database Management System (ERDMS) in 2018 had curtailed the continuous operations of oil marketing companies that owed the government in taxes and margins and did not pay within the stipulated time. This was confirmed by the GRA and NPA.
The NPA and GRA said the ERDMS had curtailed under-reporting and other anomalies in the downstream petroleum sector.
A company called Rock Africa was also engaged by the NPA to electronically monitor the tankers that load petroleum products at the depots. The electronic seals send signals to the NPA Command Centre if a truck discharges products outside the fuel station it is supposed to discharge.
This, according to the NPA, curtails the diversion of tax-free petroleum products that are declared as exports to landlocked West African countries but sold in Ghana.
Another company, Nationwide Technologies Limited, had been engaged to undertake fuel marking, which tackles the problem of dilution and the smuggling of petroleum products into the country.
Our investigation showed that the problems that occasioned revenue leakages in the sector were being tackled by different companies to the satisfaction of state authorities, but SML was not one of them. SML, regulatory authorities, and independent operators in the sector could not establish any of the problems SML was solving.
Mr. Sottie also admitted to The Fourth Estate that SML was not into checking underreporting or anomalies in the downstream sector.
“We don’t go into that,” he said when we asked whether SML had “ever detected or identified any issues of under declaration.”
Despite evidence to the contrary, SML made false claims on its website about resolving the problems “under-reporting, diversion and dilution of fuel products and general non-compliance in the petroleum industry sector.”
Officials of the Petroleum Division of the GRA expressed shock when The Fourth Estate team mentioned the listed services SML claimed to provide. SML was contracted to render the services to the GRA.
The GRA officials, led by the Head of Petroleum, Meshack Kwame Danso, were present when we visited SML to confront the company with our findings. Before we started our interview, the GRA officials said SML needed to clear the air on the stated service before we began our interview.
The Company’s Managing Director, Christian Sottie, said SML did not state anywhere that the company was providing services that checked under-declaration, dilution, and diversion of petroleum products. When we pointed out the claims to the management of SML from the company’s website, Mr. Sottie said the information was put on the website in error.
“Oh no, we are not involved in diversion. We are only at the depots. If the thing [petroleum product] is lifted, we don’t know if [it is diverted],” Mr. Sottie said.
He added: “It is GRA, Customs, that will determine where it goes, and they will follow up. We are not capable. We don’t have men outside.”
A few hours after our meeting, the claim of providing services that checked dilution, diversion and under-declaration disappeared from the website of SML.
Executive Director for Africa Centre for Energy Policy, Benjamin Boakye
The Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Energy Policy, Benjamin Boakye, told The Fourth Estate that players in the industry were surprised when the government awarded a contract to SML. He said solutions to most problems in the sector had already been provided and they wondered what SML was coming to do.
Mr. Boakye said the remaining problems in the sector were not at the depots, where SML was stationed to monitor. By problems, Mr Boakye was referring to the non-payment of taxes and margins by OMCs after the sale of products. Even at the depots, the GRA confirmed to The Fourth Estate that it was practically impossible to lose products—and by extension, revenue to the state—even if there were no electronic systems in place.
False Claim of Saving Ghana GH₵3 billion
The false claim by SML made it to the headlines and front pages of newspapers, including the state-owned Daily Graphic. When the company was confronted with evidence, it denied ever claiming to save Ghana GH₵3 billion
The Fourth Estate also confronted the Managing Director of SML Ghana with the figures the company churned out as savings Ghana made in the downstream petroleum sector because of its operations.
First was the claim SML made in March 2021 that it had saved Ghana over GH₵1 billion in revenue because of its services.
The company started its operations in 2020. From the revenue figures we obtained from the GRA, the difference in the total revenue from the downstream petroleum sector between 2019 and 2020 was GH₵800 million.
So, if all the incremental revenue in the sector were attributed to the company’s operations, it would still fall short of the GH₵1 billion it claimed to have saved Ghana.
In February 2023, SML Ghana made a more audacious claim that became the banner headline in Ghana’s biggest newspaper, the state-owned Daily Graphic. The story also received wide coverage in major media outlets in Ghana. In its report to the media, the company claimed its operations had helped to save Ghana GH₵3 billion.
Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, was the first to claim that the SML contract had resolved the problems that caused “two to three billion cedis losses” in the downstream petroleum sector
The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, was the first to mention billions of losses in the sector, which SML Ghana was going to save. When he commissioned the operations of SML in 2020, Mr. Ofori-Atta claimed that, by engaging SML, the government had eliminated the problems which existed prior to the entry of SML and “it was about two to three billion cedis of losses”.
“We are really excited about this change where we can now determine and get the exact revenues we want,” Ken Ofori-Atta said.
SML Ghana admitted it did not perform the services it listed on its website as curtailing irregularities in the sector and deleted them from its website after we confronted its management.
But even if the company was carrying out those services and all the incremental revenue within the period of its operations was credited to its efforts, the figure would have been GH₵2.4 billion cedis and not the GH₵3 billion it claimed to have saved.
When we put these facts to the managing director, he said he did not know about the GH₵3 billion savings.
“What I want is the agreement from here that the figures are not accurate and that we cannot say that your intervention saved GH₵3 billion,” The Fourth Estate’s Manasseh Azure Awuni insisted that Mr. Sottie should admit the false claim, which was still on the website of the company even while the interview was taking place.
“I have told you that [in terms of the] GH₵3 billion, I am not aware [of it] because when we were told about the publication, we even called the journalist … I think he [journalist] picked it out of context,” Mr. Sotie responded. “I can’t remember the GHS 3 billion. I remember the GHc 1 billion.”
MANASSEH: But the GH₵3 billion was from your outfit?
MR SOTTIE: Yes, you remember when you were talking, I was still speaking about GH₵1 billion. Because, after one year, that was the statement I put out.
MANASSEH: So, who put the GH₵3 billion out?
[The IT Systems Engineer of SML Ghana, Prince Sarpong, interrupts the interview and whispers into Mr. Sottie’s ears].
MR SARPONG: It was a mistake because if you look at other publications, it was just a consultation between GRA and SML. I did the presentation, and I was giving them the expected revenue. Our system can generate expected revenue, so what we did was not even the accurate figure because only GRA can give accurate figures. So, that is a caption by journalists.
MANASSEH: The problem here is that if the journalist made a mistake, it is also on your website this morning even as we speak [in July 2023]. This has been there since February [2023]. So, if a journalist makes a mistake and reports something I did not say, and I put that same thing on my website, then it means an endorsement.
MR SOTTIE: As for me, I don’t know about any website matters.
The Managing Director of SML, Christian Sottie, denied knowledge of the GHc3 billion savings and claimed the media misreported SML. But the story is still on the website of SML.
When asked how much SML was paid for its services in the downstream sector, Mr. Sottie said he did not know. The GRA has not responded to our Right to Information request for the contract and payments made to SML. We sent letters to the GRA in July and November 2023 but neither letter has been acknowledged. The Ministry of Finance is also yet to respond to our request for information sent in November.
Sources close to the Ministry of Finance have, however, revealed that payments to SML are done monthly. Payment details sighted by The Fourth Estate show that SML receives up to GH₵24 million a month for its contract in the downstream sector alone, a figure that may rise when the company finishes the extended contract to undertake tank gauging at the depots.
With the current figures, the company receives at least GH₵240 million for services whose value it could not show when we asked.
“SML Ghana is essentially a plugin into the revenue stream of the state taking money for no job done because what they are supposed to be doing is already being done. It’s just people finding ways to hive off some of our revenues into private pockets and the reasonable thing to do is to cancel that contract,” Benjamin Boakye said of the contract.
Is SML Responsible for Revenue Increment in the Downstream Petroleum Sector?
An official of the National Petroleum Authority explains to The Fourth Estate team how the ERDMS makes it impossible for oil marketing companies owing the government to trade
While SML Ghana claimed its activities resulted in revenue increases—which it interpreted as savings for Ghana—in the downstream petroleum sector, the GRA told The Fourth Estate that revenue increments in the sector are due to two factors.
One of the factors, according to the GRA, is an increase in the volumes of petroleum products imported and consumed in the country. As the economy grows and more people buy vehicles, industries and other economic activities that are fueled by petroleum products also increase. The volumes of petroleum products, therefore, grow naturally from year to year.
“It is not only the volume increase that gives us an increase in revenue. Sometimes, within the period, there are changes in [tax] rates. The tax is on specifics. It’s on volumes so as the rate changes, … as the volume increases, the revenue will naturally grow,” Napoleon Simons of the Policy and Programs Unit of the GRA told The Fourth Estate.
SML Ghana admitted to The Fourth Estate that it does not import petroleum products and its operations have not added a litre of petroleum product to the volumes.
Since SML started its operations, the government of Ghana has increased tax rates twice and added new taxes on petroleum products, according to the GRA. This means more revenue for the government, and a company that played no role in either of the two variables cannot take credit for revenue increment and purported savings for the state.
The GRA and NPA said revenue losses in the sector occurred when oil marketing companies lifted petroleum products from the depots and absconded with taxes. Some OMCs also claimed that the petroleum products were meant for sale in other West African countries and, therefore, were not supposed to attract tax, but they turned around to sell them in the country. The state regulatory institutions have put in measures to track and stop these practices and SML Ghana is not involved in any of these systems.
The measures put in place before SML Ghana was contracted were said to be adequate according to players in the industry and state regulators.
The CEO of the NPA, Dr. Mustapha Hamid, said the ERDMS installed by the NPA and linked to the GRA’s system “allows us to disable people from operating or lifting petroleum products once they are found to be in default of whatever statutory margins or taxes or levies that they haven’t lived up to. So, the absence of the ERDMS at that time where things were done manually and so on was perhaps some of the regulatory challenges. But since that system was installed, a lot of that has been stemmed.”
Sukhwinder Singh, the manager of the Accra Plains Depot Limited, said there was no problem with the ERDMS. He said it ensured “hundred percent” efficiency and transparency.
The ERDMS was introduced in 2018 a year before SML was engaged. Officials of the GRA said the ERDMS resolved the loss of revenues that occurred when the process was manual. Apart from helping to track volumes, the ERDMS ensures that the trading and transportation of petroleum products are done on a digitized platform that has the GRA, NPA, oil marketing companies and bulk oil distributors on board. An oil marketing company that is indebted to the government in taxes and margins is automatically disabled on the ERDMS from loading petroleum products anywhere in the country.
Head of Petroleum Downstream, GRA, Samson Anim
“Once we are able to track whatever is happening on the ERDMS to ICUMS [Integrated Customs Management System], by and large, you would have tracked all your volumes. And once you are able to track your volumes, you are likely to get your taxes right,” said Samson Anim, the head of GRA’s downstream petroleum sector.
The Managing Director of SML Ghana, however, said his company had taken credit for revenue increment in the sector because its operations may have deterred those diverting and under-declaring fuel products.
When asked to name at least one instance in which SML Ghana detected anomalies in the sector or by any sector through his company’s work, Mr Sotie said there was none.
This was in addition to his earlier admission that the company did not perform any of the functions aimed at curbing the anomalies—under declaration, diversion and dilution of petroleum products.
Refusal of Information on contracts and payments
When The Fourth Estate asked the Managing Director of SML Ghana how much his company was paid by the government for its services, he claimed he did not know.
The GRA officials we interviewed for this story also said they could not give us the cost and copies of the contract when we asked. They said they did not have the authorisation to disclose such information and suggested that we write to the Commissioner General of the GRA for that information.
In July 2023, we wrote to the Commissioner General of the GRA but have since not received any response.
The Fourth Estate has also written to the Ministry of Finance, which jointly signed the contract, but we have not received any response to our questions.
The Right to Information Law, under which we made the request considers it a refusal if the institution or agency fails to respond after 14 days.
What SML Currently Does
SML Ghana says its ultrasound metres at the fuel depots across the country record volumes of petroleum products lifted at the loading gantries. The GRA, however, does not use the SML figures for revenue collection.
SML Ghana has metres attached to pipelines at the fuel depots, which record the volumes of products that flow through the pipelines to the loading gantries and give SML real-time records of the volumes that go through the pipelines.
Operators in the industry say the real-time readings at the depots mean nothing because taxes or revenues are not collected in real time. They are collected only after the fuel product is lifted and sold.
Besides, the Ghana Revenue Authority and the National Petroleum Authority do not use SML’s figures to collect taxes or margins on petroleum products.
The gantries are where fuel tankers of the OMCs load petroleum products. The readings of these metres at the gantries determine the volumes of products that leave every fuel depot at the end of each day. These recordings at the gantries are the ones used for tax purposes and not the SML Ghana readings.
SML Ghana also scans the Waybills that GRA officials receive at the fuel depots, which are intended for later reference should an issue arise with an oil marketing company’s indebtedness and there’s the need for a reference.
Sources within the GRA told The Fourth Estate that their officials can scan these documents if they are given the scanners, equipment and resources given to SML through the contract. The sources say GRA does not need a third-party company to scan documents GRA officials collect as part of their work at the depots.
The Executive Director of ACEP told The Fourth Estate, “A very flamboyant GRA with a lot of people packed there who are supposed to deliver the same service. And we assume suddenly that they cannot deliver that function and we need the private sector to be able to do that. I think perhaps, it’s time to evaluate some of these arrangements and save ourselves some money.”
Why GRA Uses “More Accurate” Metres for Revenue, not SML Readings.
The metres at the loading gantries are more accurate than the SML metres. Readings of these metres are the figures the GRA and NPA use for calculating taxes and margins. SML has admitted these metres are more accurate than the SML metres.
SML Ghana has explained to The Fourth Estate that its ultrasound metres are not intrusive, so they are less accurate than the other metres.
Hamdan Abubakari, the Head of Engineering at SML Ghana told The Fourth Estate that contact metres at the loading gantries of the depots, which are calibrated and certified by the Ghana Standards Authority every six months, take more accurate readings than the SML metres, which are non-contact metres installed outside the pipes.
“The contact metres are always the best,” Mr. Abubakari of SML, emphasised why the SML metres are not as accurate as the ones at the loading gantries.
He said those metres are more accurate because they get the actual amount of fuel that flows through the pipelines and are loaded. The SML metres, he said, are external and use sound technology to take measurements.
The recording from metres at the loading gantries, according to the GRA, is captured on ERDMS, an electronic platform for transacting business in the entire supply chain process within the petroleum chain industry. This platform has the NPA, GRA, bulk distribution companies (BDCs) and (OMCs) on board to ensure transparency, facilitation, and tracking of transactions.
The ERDMS is connected to the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS). Taxes and revenues from the sector are calculated from the volumes that go through the ERDMS and customs.
None of that involves the figures churned out by SML through its “revenue assurance” services.
At all the depots, GRA officials measure the volumes of petroleum products in the tanks before the beginning of work at the end of each day’s business. The GRA has custody of the seals to valves of every tank, and, until the designated GRA officials open, no depot in Ghana can load petroleum products.
These and other rigorous measures make the role of SML irrelevant in the sector, according to some operators of the depots who want to remain anonymous.
Duplication of Roles
The management of SML also told The Fourth Estate that the scope of its contract had been expanded to include the tank gauging at the depots. With this service, the company said it was in the process of installing an automatic tank gauging system that would show the quantity of fuel in the tanks at the depots.
Apart from the fact that the GRA gauges the volumes of products in the tank at the beginning and end of business every day, some of the depots have already installed tank gauging systems. When The Fourth Estate team visited Chase Petroleum, one of the biggest fuel depots in Ghana, we saw the metres, whose measurement corresponded with the recording of the GRA officials stationed at the depots.
NPA CEO, Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, said they consider SML Ghana’s decision to undertake automatic tank gauging “potentially duplicitous.”
The Chief Executive of the NPA, Dr. Mustapha Hamid, told The Fourth Estate that some management members of the NPA had raised concerns about possible duplication of roles when they learned that SML Ghana had been contracted to undertake automatic tank gauging.
“Potentially, we consider it duplicitous. However, we have agreed to meet with them [SML] to understand the real rationale for which they also want to do an automatic tank gauging system,” Dr. Hamid told The Fourth Estate.
The NPA has a system that tracks the lifting and transportation of fuel products from the depots to the tanks of the oil marketing companies. With that system, the NPA can tell the volumes of petroleum products in all the fuel stations across Ghana at any given time.
The authority says it was already in the process of extending it to the depots to have an end-to-end system and wonders why another company was engaged to do the same thing.
The GRA further added that even without the other electronic systems put in place, it would be almost impossible to lose petroleum products at the depots, where SML has its metres. Officials of the GRA explained that many players with different roles and interests are present every time to police the products at every point.
A Senior Revenue Officer (SRO) of the GRA at the Tema Oil Refinery(TOR) Collection, Naomi Chartey, told The Fourth Estate that it is impossible to steal fuel products due to measures that had been put in place by the NPA and the GRA.
“The product is owned by the BDC [Bulk Distribution Companies], so the BDC must be in the known. Customs must be in the known, and for most of the depots, access to the depots is controlled by us. We have national security at the depots. We have NPA reps at the depots. So, by the time you are done [compromising all the players to dupe the system], you will realise that exercise is not even lucrative. Even when there are no systems, it is virtually impossible and we haven’t had such a case ever since,” Ms Chartey said.
Cancel SML’s contract
The Executive Director of ACEP, Ben Boakye, said the SML Ghana contract is only a duplication of roles being performed by the NPA, the GRA and other third-party companies in the sector. He, therefore, demands a cancellation of the contract.
When asked if he would have advised the GRA Commissioner to contract SML for this revenue assurance services if he were still the technical advisor, Mr Sottie said he could not answer.
President Akufo-Addo has denied the Speaker of Parliament’s claims that he is now a lame-duck president following the selection of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer for the 2024 election.
President Akufo-Addo emphasized that he will fulfill his presidential duties until January 7, 2025, as mandated by the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.
On Tuesday, November 21, Speaker Alban Bagbin called for collaboration between the government and the Minority side to prevent potential stalemates.
Speaker Bagbin suggested that Dr Bawumia’s election could lead to a shift in loyalties among MPs, possibly causing neglect of their responsibilities to the current president, whom he referred to as leading a ‘lame-duck’ administration.
“I expect the majority who have a limping majority leader, limping because when you look at his back you’re less than those in front of you.
“You have a lame duck president, a lame duck because you have elected a flagbearer and loyalty and commitment are shifting. So your president is now lame duck president.”
“You need this side of the house to support you to finish your eight years. And so if you don’t behave well we have a difficulty in proceeding as a nation,” he said.
But during a gathering of chiefs and residents in Nima, Accra, President Akufo-Addo reiterated his authority over the country, affirming that he will continue to lead until January 7, 2025, in accordance with the constitution.
“Speaker Bagbin says I am a lame duck. Well, that is his language. I am still the president of the republic and I will continue to do so until January 7, 2025. I have no doubt that the power to make decisions and to carry out policies is still firmly in my hands, and I am not going to let it go.”
“So I don’t know what he is talking about when he says I am a lame-duck president. I am not a lame-duck president,” President Akufo-Addo stated.
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has passionately defended the Ghana-Barari DV lithium agreement, highlighting key components that make it unprecedented, Ghanaian-centered, and an improvement from previous agreements.
Speaking at a forum organized by some Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Jinapor shared crucial details about the deal, dispelling false narratives and addressing political misconceptions that have arisen.
The Minister asserted that, in the history of the country, no government has signed a more profitable deal with the interests of Ghanaians at its core.
He explained various clauses within the agreement, emphasizing a departure from historically exploitative approaches to Ghana’s mineral resources and aligning with the government’s strategic direction of adding value to the country’s mineral wealth.
The Lands Minister mentioned the listing of Bavari DV on the Ghana Stock Exchange which allows for potential Ghanaian investment through the purchasing of shares, the obligation for local participation and the value addition clauses as key components of the deal that contrary to some assumptions, ensures that Ghanaian interests reign supreme in the exploitation of the lithium ore.
“This is the first time that by law, we have made provisions that this company will have to list on the Ghanaian Stock Exchange. They are also required to have a minimum of 30% Ghanaian participation. We already have 19% so we have 11% and it could be more. This arrangement is the number one factor which in my mind jettisons the colonial term of mining.
“The second one is value addition. We’ve always had export of raw materials but this is the first time we have signed a mining lease with clauses which states that they will have to retain a significant proportion of the value chain by establishing a technical plant and refinery here in Ghana. It has never happened before,” he said.
Armed with credible and relevant information from other countries, Hon. Jinapor, maintained that the lease agreement is the best the country could have negotiated.
“Australia accounts for 52% of global lithium production. Chile account for 25%. Zimbabwe is the largest lithium producing country in Africa and their grades are better than ours but when it comes to royalties, Australia pegs its at 5%, Mali pegs its 6% and Zimbabwe at 5%. The Ghana government has negotiated a 10% benefit which is twice Zimbabwe and Australia and 4% more than Mali,” he said.
He also refuted accusations that the deal has been shrouded in secrecy, explaining the transparency has been the hallmark of this deal and that the signing ceremony with an active media presence is enough indication of the commitment by the government to the tenets of transparency and accountability.
Whiles welcoming criticism and feedback from the public, Hon. Jinapor urged critics to propose alternative and better deals instead of outlandishly rubbishing the one signed by his outfit.
He assured Ghanaians that the government will continue to pursue strategies, policies and commitments that serves and protect the best interest of the country.
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources in October, signed the first-ever Lithium Lease Agreement with Lithium Atlantic, an Australian mining firm, for mining of the mineral at Ewoyaa in the Central Region.
Meanwhile speaking on Joy Fm’s Super Morning show earlier on Friday, December 15th 2023, the Lands Minister used the platform to dismiss claims by a section of the public that the whole deal is being rushed stressing that “ government didn not rush in signing Atlantic Lithium agreement .”
Former Chief Operations Officer (COO) of Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Daniel Axim, who is on trial for allegedly causing financial loss to the State alongside Christine Sedinam Tamakloe Ationu, displayed intense emotions in court.
Daniel Axim, after undergoing a mental examination at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, has been declared mentally sound and fit to stand trial. His lawyer, Augustines Obour, had requested the court to refer him for a psychiatric examination.
Following the positive outcome of the medical evaluation, the prosecution expressed the intention to continue with the trial after the court had ordered both accused individuals to open their defense.
However, during the court session on Thursday, December 14, 2023, Daniel Axim informed the court that his lawyer, Augustines Obuor, was absent and had indicated to him that he was opting out of the case. When asked about legal fees, Axim stated that he had already paid all legal fees to his lawyer.
“As has been my usual practice, a day before the case, I will call him,” he told the Court.
“He told me that he is opting out of the case. I was very disturbed so I pleaded with him that with my current financial status, I cannot afford another lawyer,” emotionally stricken Daniel Axim said as he broke down in tears while searching for his handkerchief to wipe his tears.
Upon questioning by Justice Asare-Botwe, a Justice of the Court of Appeal presiding over the case as an additional High Court judge, the second accused confirmed that he had indeed paid his legal fees to his lawyer.
“My Lady, I have finished payment of whatever he (Lawyer) charged me,” adding, “I told him I will come and see him to see whatever reasons so I will plead with him so he comes back.”
Justice Asare-Botwe, upon hearing the concerning situation, expressed surprise that a lawyer would abandon his client after receiving full legal fees. The judge emphasized that, according to the rules of the court, counsel for the accused cannot opt out of the case without formal discharge by the court.
“By our ethical rules you (lawyer) cannot collect someone’s (accused) money in full according to you (Daniel Axim)” and decide not to represent his client.
The Court of Appeal judge said, “That’s is unethical and as for me I will not allow this to pass me by.”
“Why according to you (Daniel Axim), you have paid the lawyer in full and the lawyer has not come to the Court to be discharged only to decide to say he is out of the case?” Justice Asare-Botwe wondered.
The judge said, for a lawyer to withdraw his services he ought to have come to the Court with an application for the Court to discharge him upon hearing the reasons.
“I will not be like others… A lot of my colleagues see these things and do nothing about them, as for me, If I see something wrong I say it and report,” Justice Asare-Botwe stated emphatically.
The court indicated that, if the information provided by the accused is accurate, the lawyer would be reported to the Disciplinary Committee of the General Legal Council for appropriate action.
Justice Asare-Botwe, visibly upset, questioned why a case of this nature had been lingering in court for four years.
“How can I see through this as a professional person like (Mr Axim) been on interdiction be in Court for four years?”
“….What is wrong that an accused person who is presumed innocent be in court for four years when he is on half salary? ….Even those on full salary cannot bear this,” she said while acknowledging the tears of the Accused person in Court.
The court indicated that, if the information provided by the accused is accurate, the lawyer would be reported to the Disciplinary Committee of the General Legal Council for appropriate action.
Justice Asare-Botwe, visibly upset, questioned why a case of this nature had been lingering in court for four years.
Daniel Axim, the former Operations Manager of MASLOC, and “absconded” Mrs. Attionu have been charged with eighty counts of stealing, causing financial loss to the state, causing loss to public property, improper payment of public funds, unauthorised commitment resulting in financial obligation for the government, money laundering and contravention of the Public Procurement Act.
They have pleaded not guilty and admitted to bail while the prosecution has closed its case after calling four witnesses.
Mrs Tamakloe Attionu has since last year been declared absconded by the Court after failing to appear in Court.
Comedian Kenny DeForest, known for his appearances on shows like “The Late Show with James Corden” and “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” has tragically died at the age of 37.
The stand-up comedian lost his life after being struck by a car while riding his bicycle in Brooklyn. He succumbed to his injuries at Kings County Hospital on Wednesday, December 13, five days after the accident.
“Kenny underwent neurological surgery to remove a piece of his skull and relieve pressure from a brain bleed at Kings County Hospital,” a GoFundMe page read.
The page read, “Kenny DeForest is and was a truly positive influence on all the lives he touched. Kenny died on Wednesday December 13th at Kings County Hospital surrounded by his parents, family, and friends. Kenny’s final moments included some of his favorite songs, stories of his childhood, and memories of his extensive positivity and joy for life. Kenny’s impactful life will continue on through the gift of organ donation. Even in death he will continue to make meaningful improvements in the lives of others.”
A fundraiser was initiated to cover the extensive medical bills for Kenny DeForest’s care during his final days. The goal was to raise $150,000, and the campaign has surpassed expectations, collecting over $178,000.
During a courtesy visit to the Paramount Chief of Sefwi Wiawso Traditional Area, Katakyie Kwasi Bumagama II, former President John Dramani Mahama received two requests from the traditional leader for consideration.
The paramount chief expressed his desire for the restoration of certain traditional political powers that have been withdrawn from traditional leaders by the state.
According to him, the absence of these powers has created challenges in the administration of chiefdoms and communities, leading to acts of recalcitrance and deviancy.
“I am glad you have visited me in my palace. Let me make this point that politicians have taken the powers of the chiefs, who are now powerless to the extent that when we summon people to appear before us, they threaten to take me to court, but this was not the case in the past.
“If Mahama wants to come back then he should give us that authority again, and if that request is granted all the chief will support him,” he said.
The Paramount Chief of Sefwi Wiawso Traditional Area, Katakyie Kwasi Bumagama II, also requested that former President John Dramani Mahama continues the developmental projects initiated in the Western North Region.
He highlighted that although the region was created during President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s tenure, there is still a need to complete various developmental projects to bring the region on par with others like Ashanti and Greater Accra.
The appeal was made during Mahama’s visit as part of his tour of the Western North Region.
“Akufo-Addo said he has given us a region but the region is not complete, so as he (Mahama) is coming back, what is he coming to support us with to uplift the region to be on the same level with the Ashanti region… so this is my request,” he said.
The Committee on Subsidiary Legislation in Parliament is considering the increase of the amount paid to secure passports from GH¢100 to GH¢644 following a submission by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.
This represents over 500 percent increase in passport fees.
Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the sector minister, revealed this information while speaking on the floor of Parliament before the approval of a GH¢1.127 million budget estimate for her ministry.
She holds the position that the cost of passports must be increased as the cost of producing the booklets has surged.
“Ghanaians pay just about GH¢100 for a passport, To produce one passport booklet, it costs GH¢400, which means that for every passport that an applicant acquires, the government has to put in GH¢300 and this is not sustainable,” she said in an interview.
She also informed the House to expedite the approval of the surge in passport price since it is high time Ghanaians pay “realistic prices.”
“On the cost of passports, it is not sustainable, therefore, I will plead with this honourable house to look at the issue for us. It is already before the subsidiary legislation committee, and I’m hoping that Ghanaians will pay realistic prices for passports. At the moment, passports don’t serve as IDs, we have national ID cards. Therefore, those who need passports are those who need them to travel, and I don’t think that they would want us to continue to subsidize it.”
It is expected that the move to increase passport fees will meet stern resistance from a section of the general public, particularly those adversely affected by the country’s economic crisis.
Road tolls are likely to be reintroduced in 2024, as revealed by the Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Attah, during the consideration of the 2024 budget statement and economic policy in Parliament.
The reintroduction is seen as a response to the government’s decision to cancel road toll collections in 2021 after introducing the e-levy, which did not meet expectations.
The ministry emphasized the need for a national dialogue on financing road construction. The reintroduction of tolls and the call for a national dialogue on road financing were welcomed by Minority Chief Whip Kwame Agbodza.
“I think the minister has done the right thing. I will maintain that the suspension was in a haste. By the time we suspended it we were getting 78 million. Mr. Speaker 78 million can pay SMCs, small medium contractors who were weeding the roadside because today we can’t pay them. So I welcome the bold decision by the minister to reintroduce the debate on road tolls as well.
“The minister is proposing for a national dialogue on road financing. Mr. Speaker I think that is the appropriate thing to do. Let us all have a conversation on how we fund our roads. We can never have enough loans from World Bank or free money from anywhere, so let’s have a debate on how we fund our roads internally,” he said.
Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has expressed support for the decision to reintroduce road tolls, asserting that it is a positive move. He emphasized the importance of implementing a digitalized toll collection system when reintroducing tolls to prevent potential losses to the state.
“Mr. Speaker, at the time we were receiving almost about, just a little over 70 million. That over 70% of tolls collected ended up in wrong hands. I hold the view that this reintroduction of the road tolls… should come with a digitalised solution to sustain it so that the human interface will be minimized if not to be eradicated,” he said.
Parliament has approved ₵4.6 billion for the ministry’s services for next year.
Ghanaian singer and entrepreneur, Afua Asantewaa Aduonum, who is currently attempting to break the Guinness World Record for the longest singing marathon by an individual, has noted that she felt emotional upon realising she had Ghana’s self-acclaimed dancehall king, Shatta Wale’s approval for her initiative.
During an appearance on GTV’s breakfast show with Kafui Dey, Afua noted that she cried.
Afua said, “I cried when I realized Shatta Wale was in support of my singing marathon and said he is praying that he could make it to the venue on the day.
Meanwhile, she has asked Shatta Wale to send her the lyrics to some of his songs to make it easier for her to sing during the marathon.
“But I want to tell Shatta that he should send me his patois lyrics, I’m finding it difficult to get the words right”.
The singing marathon led by Afua Asantewaa Aduonum aims to focus on Ghanaian music across all genres. Scheduled to perform non-stop from December 24 to 27 in Accra, Ghana, she has set a target to sing for 117 hours or more.
The current record holder is Sunil Waghmare, who achieved the feat in Nagpur, India, from March 3 to 7, 2012, by singing a diverse selection of popular Indian songs without repetition within four hours.
The venue for the Guinness World Record for the longest singing marathon attempt by Afua Asantewaa O. Aduonum, has been changed from the Aviation Social Centre to Akwaaba Village, currently under construction near the Airport Roundabout.
This was communicated by the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) in a press statement dated December 12, 2023.
“The change in venue is to help accommodate the huge numbers who have expressed interest in attending to support our own Afua Asantewaa, break the record,” the notice explains.
In that circular, the GTA also announced that it has officially entered into a partnership with Afua Asantewaa O. Aduonum.
Ghanaian singer and entrepreneur, Afua Asantewaa Aduonum, who is currently attempting to break the Guinness World Record for the longest singing marathon by an individual, has requested that Shatta Wale, one of Ghana’s self-acclaimed dancehall Kings, send her the lyrics to some of his songs to make it easier for her to sing during the marathon.
She made this request during an appearance on GTV’s breakfast show with Kafui Dey. Asantewaa’s plea comes after Shatta Wale expressed his support for her on social media.
In an interview, Afua said, “I cried when I realized Shatta Wale was in support of my singing marathon and said he is praying that he could make it to the venue on the day. But I want to tell Shatta that he should send me his patois lyrics, I’m finding it difficult to get the words right”.
The singing marathon led by Afua Asantewaa Aduonum aims to focus on Ghanaian music across all genres. Scheduled to perform non-stop from December 24 to 27 in Accra, Ghana, she has set a target to sing for 117 hours or more.
The current record holder is Sunil Waghmare, who achieved the feat in Nagpur, India, from March 3 to 7, 2012, by singing a diverse selection of popular Indian songs without repetition within four hours.
The venue for the Guinness World Record for the longest singing marathon attempt by Afua Asantewaa O. Aduonum, has been changed from the Aviation Social Centre to Akwaaba Village, currently under construction near the Airport Roundabout.
This was communicated by the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) in a press statement dated December 12, 2023.
“The change in venue is to help accommodate the huge numbers who have expressed interest in attending to support our own Afua Asantewaa, break the record,” the notice explains.
In that circular, the GTA also announced that it has officially entered into a partnership with Afua Asantewaa O. Aduonum.
Nigerian comedian, Mark Angel has reacted to a viral video of Emmanuella in a ‘seductive’ black dress.
Emmanuella, a 13-year-old comedian, had many people talking online when a video of her displaying her teenage physique in a black dress and showing some skin went viral.
Reacting to this, Mark Angel, who is responsible for the upkeep of Emmanuella, has noted that he did not approve of the wearing of the outfit and the recording of the video.
“The video was shared without my consent or the consent of her handler,” he wrote in his Instagram story.
He explained that Emmanuella took one of the outfits of her elder sister, innocently took a video, and shared it on her WhatsApp status.
Unfortunately, a family friend, whom Mark Angel believes should have known better to engage the family first on her concerns with the video, downloaded the footage and shared it on her TikTok platform.
“I want to address a situation involving my child: Emanuella’s recent video that has been circulating on social media. Unfortunately, she innocently wore inappropriate clothing belonging to one of her elder sisters without our knowledge, posted it on her WhatsApp status but unfortunately a view-hungry adult (who I believe should have done the right thing by calling to report the child’s behaviour considering that we consider her a family friend) She downloaded the video and posted it on her own TikTok account without considering that the child may have posted that video without fully understanding the consequences,” he wrote.
According to him, Emmanuella may have taken the video “without understanding the full consequences.”
Nonetheless, he is sorry for the discomfort it may have caused her fans and all other persons.
“I take full responsibility as a parent and I sincerely apologize for any discomfort or concern this may have caused. I’m addressing the situation with my child, emphasizing the importance of making responsible choices.
“Please understand that this was a mistake, and I am taking steps to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” he added.
Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has attributed the challenges faced by Parliament in effectively executing its oversight role over the Executive Arm of Government to the inequitable distribution of resources.
Speaker Bagbin argues that the government’s allocation of 600 million Cedis is insufficient to empower the legislature adequately, especially when compared to the consistently higher allocations received by the executive in the billions of Cedis.
Speaking at a Press Soiree in Ho, Volta Region, as part of the commemoration of 30 years of uninterrupted parliamentary democracy in Ghana, Mr. Bagbin emphasized the necessity for reforms to strengthen parliamentary governance in the country.
“If the Presidency in an annual budget can take, for example, 3 billion cedis and the whole arm that is to hold the president to account is given about 600 million cedis, now how can that weak body hold that mighty executive to account, how is it going to happen?.”
The Speaker further emphasized that the challenges in overseeing the executive are compounded by the lack of support from the government for the media.
He underscored the crucial role of the media in supervising all three arms of government and expressed concern that, in Ghana, the media is often perceived as a private enterprise with insufficient attention to its conditions of service or accountability mechanisms.
“If the media which is supposed to hold the three of us accountable is not even catered for, the media is seen in Ghana as a private enterprise and nobody cares whether there is conditions of service or not.”
She contended that the bill, as it stands, is against the Constitution of Ghana and should be rejected.
Partington emphasized that the current version of the bill lacks clarity in identifying who constitutes an LGBTQ person, highlighting a perceived deficiency in the legislation.
“First of all the bill does not even define who an LGBT person is, there is no definition. So how are you going to identify who an LGBT person is?”
“There is a certain part of the bill that talks about romantic displays of affection. How do you define romantic affection between the same sex? So do you see two men holding hands apart of the LGBT community? These are some of the concerns that we have raised from the bill and so many other parts that we have issues with,” Madam Partington stated.
She holds that the assertion that the bill will create homophobia in the country.
“Persons suspected to be LGBT are being forced from their houses, landlords and landlords are going through a forced eviction process. We really have to be concerned with this bill as Ghanaians and understand that it will not just affect LGBT community.
“I have always said that Amnesty International completely rejects this bill, it should not exist and criminalizing persons for an activity that happens in their bedroom is actually against international human rights laws. So we should not even be considering it.”
According to her, the group will proceed to court should the bill be passed into law.
“It is against the 1992 Constitution so all these things we have to consider. For Amnesty International should the bill be passed we will take it to court. As we are allowed to so that is the agenda we have,” she added.
Nigerian comedian, Mark Angel has rendered an apology over a viral video of Emmanuella in a ‘seductive’ black dress.
Emmanuella, a 13-year-old comedian, had many people talking online when a video of her displaying her teenage physique in a black dress and showing some skin went viral.
Reacting to this, Mark Angel, who is responsible for the upkeep of Emmanuella, has noted that he did not approve of the wearing of the outfit and the recording of the video.
“The video was shared without my consent or the consent of her handler,” he wrote in his Instagram story.
“I take full responsibility as a parent and I sincerely apologize for any discomfort or concern this may have caused. I’m addressing the situation with my child, emphasizing the importance of making responsible choices.
“Please understand that this was a mistake, and I am taking steps to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” he added.
Mark Angel explained that Emmanuella innocently borrowed one of her elder sister’s outfits, recorded a video, and shared it on her WhatsApp status.
However, a family friend, who Mark Angel believes should have contacted the family first to address any concerns, instead downloaded the video and shared it on her TikTok platform.
“I want to address a situation involving my child: Emanuella’s recent video that has been circulating on social media. Unfortunately, she innocently wore inappropriate clothing belonging to one of her elder sisters without our knowledge, posted it on her WhatsApp status but unfortunately a view-hungry adult (who I believe should have done the right thing by calling to report the child’s behaviour considering that we consider her a family friend) She downloaded the video and posted it on her own TikTok account without considering that the child may have posted that video without fully understanding the consequences,” he wrote.
According to him, Emmanuella may have taken the video “without understanding the full consequences.”
Nonetheless, he is sorry for the discomfort it may have caused her fans and all other persons.
Chairman of the Subsidiary Legislation Committee and Member of Parliament for Bolga East, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has underscored the potential economic advantages associated with legalizing the industrial use of cannabis.
Referring to studies conducted by the United Nations Commission on International Trade and Development, Dr. Ayine pointed out the positive impacts observed in countries that have legalized cannabis cultivation.
These benefits include economic growth, industrial development, increased foreign exchange, employment opportunities, and medicinal applications.
“Mr. Speaker, studies conducted by the United Nations Commission on International Trade and Development indicate that the industry has potential benefits for countries that have legalized its cultivation and management. These include economic, industrial, foreign exchange, employment, and medicinal benefits. Every part of the industrial hemp plants, from the roots to the flowers and seeds, has potential industrial and medicinal benefits, which can be beneficial to the economy of the country,” he said.
Dr. Dominic Ayine’s comments were made in response to the recent development of a Legislative Instrument designed to regulate the cultivation and management of cannabis for medicinal and industrial purposes, following the passage of the parent law by parliament.
Meanwhile, Minority Chief Whip, Governs Kwame Agbodza, has raised concerns about the potential negative impact on mental health and questioned the feasibility of regulating cannabis use.
“Unfortunately, the young man taking weed in this country is not going to take what he has to the laboratory to test HPC content before taking it. And none of you is talking about the potential for abuse or how badly it would degenerate the mental health we already have in the country. Why are we pretending that this is going to solve our problems in the country? Minister, do you even know how many people are taking weed illegally, to the extent that you are going to license the people and show them where to store the weed?”
The Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George, has criticized Amnesty International, describing them as a bunch of hypocrites.
This reaction comes after the human rights organization announced its intention to take legal action against the Promotion of Proper Human Rights and Ghanaian Family Value Bill 2021 (anti-LGBT bill) if passed by Parliament.
Amnesty International’s Country Director, Genevieve Partington, argued for a revision of sections of the bill in an interview on Starr FM, stating that the bill, in its current state, goes against the Constitution of Ghana and should be rejected.
“It is against the 1992 Constitution so all these things we have to consider. For Amnesty International should the bill be passed we will take it to court. As we are allowed to so that is the agenda we have,” she said.
In an appearance on Starr Chat on Starr FM with Bola Ray, Sam Nettey George criticized Amnesty International, asserting that the international body cannot remain silent over President Akufo-Addo’s refusal to sign the Witchcraft Bill.
“Amnesty International they are a bunch of hypocrites. The Country Director just wants to earn her salary, Christmas is coming and she needs to earn her bonus and other stuff. Where is Amnesty International when the President has refused to assent to the Witchcraft Bill? The Witchcraft Bill takes away the Human Rights of mothers and some grandmothers in parts of this country.
“When the President refused to assent to it, it has been almost almost two weeks, have you heard Amnesty International talk about it? Have they said a word about it? So if Amnesty International is really interested in human rights why have they not called out the President for refusing to assent to the bill.”
Amnesty International’s vision is to create a world where everyone can enjoy the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights mechanisms.
To achieve this vision, its mission is to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of these rights.
President Akufo-Addo has chosen not to give his approval to the Criminal Offences Amendment Bill 2023, the Wildlife Resources Management Bill 2023, and the Armed Forces Amendment Bill 2023.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, criticized the President on November 27, 2023, for not informing Parliament of his position on the Criminal Offences Amendment Bill 2023, which aims to criminalize attacks on alleged witches.
However, a communication from the Presidency contradicted claims that the President had decided not to approve the Bills and denied receiving them until November 27, 2023.
In a letter to Parliament on Monday, December 4, President Akufo-Addo conveyed to the House that he is unable to give his approval to the three bills until the associated constitutional matters are resolved.
The letter was read to members of the House by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin. He said the president in his letter noted that “upon review he noted some constitutional matters related to its passage” that must be addressed before he assents to them.
The Criminal Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2022, which makes it an offence to accuse any person of being a witch, was passed by Parliament five months ago.
The Minority, championed by the MP for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu, maintained that the failure of the President to assent to the bill constituted a constitutional breach which should not be countenanced.
The District Chief Executive for Kadjebi in the Oti Region, Wilson Agbenyo, has reported that calm has been restored at Ahamanso Junction following a clash between residents and the task force of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) and officers of National Security.
According to Mr. Agbenyo, the task force had arrested an individual suspected of smuggling cocoa beans, leading to anger among some residents. Allegedly, the residents then attacked a National Security officer, resulting in a confrontation.
“I was in a meeting when I received a call informing me about an incident at Ahamanso Junction in my district. I promptly contacted the NIB officer, Mr. Oware, instructing him to go to the scene and report the situation to me. Within an hour, he briefed me on the events. Every year during the cocoa season, National Security and COCOBOD deploy officers and teams to the border towns, and this year was no exception.”
“I was informed that around 6:00 a.m., a man on a motorbike was accosted and questioned about his destination with the cocoa. It was reported that he informed the officers that he was going to sell it at the PBC [Produce Buying Company], and they requested to accompany him. While en route from Ahamaso Junction, the motorbike rider swerved and attempted to flee, but the National Security apprehended him,” the DCE said.
Wilson Agbenyo added that two of the three people who sustained gunshot wounds received treatment at the St. Mary Theresa Hospital in Papase and have been discharged. The third person, who is still admitted, suffered a tibia fracture and is being prepared for transfer to the Ho Teaching Hospital to consult with an orthopedic surgeon.
Nigerian comedian, Mark Angel has reacted to a viral video of Emmanuella in a ‘seductive’ black dress.
Emmanuella, a 13-year-old comedian, had many people talking online when a video of her displaying her teenage physique in a black dress and showing some skin went viral.
Reacting to this, Mark Angel, who is responsible for the upkeep of Emmanuella, has noted that he did not approve of the wearing of the outfit and the recording of the video.
“The video was shared without my consent or the consent of her handler,” he wrote in his Instagram story.
Mark Angel explained that Emmanuella innocently borrowed one of her elder sister’s outfits, recorded a video, and shared it on her WhatsApp status.
However, a family friend, who Mark Angel believes should have contacted the family first to address any concerns, instead downloaded the video and shared it on her TikTok platform.
“I want to address a situation involving my child: Emanuella’s recent video that has been circulating on social media. Unfortunately, she innocently wore inappropriate clothing belonging to one of her elder sisters without our knowledge, posted it on her WhatsApp status but unfortunately a view-hungry adult (who I believe should have done the right thing by calling to report the child’s behaviour considering that we consider her a family friend) She downloaded the video and posted it on her own TikTok account without considering that the child may have posted that video without fully understanding the consequences,” he wrote.
According to him, Emmanuella may have taken the video “without understanding the full consequences.”
Nonetheless, he is sorry for the discomfort it may have caused her fans and all other persons.
“I take full responsibility as a parent and I sincerely apologize for any discomfort or concern this may have caused. I’m addressing the situation with my child, emphasizing the importance of making responsible choices.
“Please understand that this was a mistake, and I am taking steps to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” he added.
Ghana’s two major political parties, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), are expressing reservations about the Electoral Commission (EC)’s proposal to close the 2024 elections at 3pm.
The EC, led by Chairperson Jean Mensa, has defended the decision to shift the voting closure time from 5:00 pm to 3:00 pm during the upcoming general elections.
Mensa emphasized that the adjustment is aimed at facilitating transparent and orderly collation of votes by electoral officers in broad daylight. Despite this explanation, Richard Ahiagbah, the NPP’s Communications Director, has urged the EC to ensure that the proposed change does not disenfranchise eligible voters.
In an interview with Citi FM on Thursday, December 14, he stated that the party would only accept the proposal if the Commission assured them that voters would be given the comfort they deserve and that none would be turned away.
“We receive that with some cautious optimism, to the extent that the EC can provide us with the necessary comfort that electorates would not be found wanting on the day of the election. But assuming that they provide that comfort for us, it is ideal for us to be able to close the polls early so that collation and things that need to be done to prepare results are done in daylight before dark.”
“So I think that is the import of that proposal that we first need to be sure that it will not result in people being turned away,” he stated.
Mustapha Gbande, the Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), cautioned on Citi FM that the party would resist any attempts by the Electoral Commission (EC) to manipulate the election in favor of a particular political party. He stressed that it is premature for the party to make any comments on the EC’s position at this stage.
“For us, we welcome a response that will give Ghanaians a feeling that there’s a credible, transparent general election at the end of the day. We have resolved as a party that we are going into 2024 with full force, we are going to an election to win. Rigging that election is a great impossibility and will be resisted with all force, so it behoves on the EC to assure all political parties of a transparent election.”
He added, “That will be a big relief for this country. It’s early days yet, we will see as the conversation unfolds what our technical directors will advise the party to do, what the NPP will come up with, and what other parties will come up with.”
Nigerian comedian, Mark Angel has reacted to a viral video of Emmanuella in a ‘seductive’ black dress.
Emmanuella, a 13-year-old comedian, had many people talking online when a video of her displaying her teenage physique in a black dress and showing some skin went viral.
Reacting to this, Mark Angel, who is responsible for the upkeep of Emmanuella, has noted that he did not approve of the wearing of the outfit and the recording of the video.
“The video was shared without my consent or the consent of her handler,” he wrote in his Instagram story.
He explained that Emmanuella took one of the outfits of her elder sister, innocently took a video, and shared it on her WhatsApp status.
Unfortunately, a family friend, whom Mark Angel believes should have known better to engage the family first on her concerns with the video, downloaded the footage and shared it on her TikTok platform.
According to him, Emmanuella may have taken the video “without understanding the full consequences.”
Nonetheless, he is sorry for the discomfort it may have caused her fans and all other persons.
“I take full responsibility as a parent and I sincerely apologize for any discomfort or concern this may have caused. I’m addressing the situation with my child, emphasizing the importance of making responsible choices.
“Please understand that this was a mistake, and I am taking steps to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” he added.
Former PNC General Secretary, Atik Mohammed, and Presidential Staffer, Mr Dennis Miracles Aboagye, nearly had a showdown on the Kokrokoo show on Peace FM on December 14, 2023.
The two were discussing the controversial lithium agreement signed between the State and Barari DV Ltd, a subsidiary of Atlantic Lithium Ltd.
The mining lease, granted for 15 years to Barari, a subsidiary of Atlantic Lithium Limited, an Australian company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) and the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange, covers an area of 42.63 km² in and around Ewoyaa in the Mfantseman Municipality of the Central Region.
The $250-million project, located in Ewoyaa, Mfantseman Municipality in the Central Region, is set to commence production by 2025. The deal includes a 10% royalty and 13% free carried interest by the state, surpassing the existing 5% and 10%, respectively, for other mining agreements. Barari DV Ghana Limited is also required to contribute 1% of its revenue to a community development fund for the upliftment of the mining area.
Mr Atik Mohammed during his submission, noted that the current deal suggests that the government has sought to protect the interest of foreign investors against those of the average Ghanaian citizen.
“Government is trying to justify why we can’t get the big deal, and rather protecting the interest of investors to the neglect of the Ghanaian interest,” he said.
While making his point, Miracles interjected and said, “No, you can’t say that.”
Host, Kwame Sefa Kayi, entreated Miracles to allow Atik make his point. In response, Miracle said “No, I can’t let him finish.”
Atik who was dissatisfied with Miracles’ behavior then asked him, “Who are you? Who are you to tell me you can’t let me say that.”
In his defence, Miracles Aboagye stated that Atik accused him of trying to protect a private entity.
“He said I am trying to protect the interest of a private firm,” the presidential staffer said.
“Is that what you heard?” Atik quizzed and Sefa Kayi quickly confirmed that “that is not what he said.”
Atik then added that “He (Miracles) was not even paying attention. He was just fidgeting with his phone. You just heard something and it pricked you so you decided to say something.”
A calm Miracles then said “if it is not matter you are discussion, then that is fine.”
&w=707&quality=100)
