COVID-19 is no longer considered a worldwide health emergency, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
This marks a crucial step towards the pandemic’s end.
Over 6.9 million people have died as a result of this virus, which has also disrupted the international economy and wreaked havoc on communities.
Nonetheless, the WHO has warned that COVID-19 is still a threat to world health, and the virus will continue to exist even after the emergency status is lifted, despite the fact that this action is an indication of progress in these areas.
The death rate has decreased considerably from the peak of over 100,000 weekly deaths in January 2021 to just over 3,500 weekly deaths by April 24, 2023, as per WHO data.
Despite this progress, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned that Covid-19 remains a health threat worldwide.
The WHO does not declare the beginning or end of pandemics, though it began using the term for Covid in March 2020.
“Yesterday, the Emergency Committee met for the 15th time and recommended to me that I declare an end to the public health emergency of international concern. I’ve accepted that advice. It’s therefore with great hope that I declare Covid-19 over as a global health emergency,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Some countries, including the United States, have started to discontinue their domestic state of emergency for COVID, which means they will no longer pay for items such as vaccines.
In Ghana, Parliament on Tuesday, May 2, approved seven loan agreements and among these deals, two are towards government’s fight against COVID-19.
For the Ghana Covid-19 Emergency Preparedness and Response Project – which is to determine and estimate the potential environmental and social impacts of activities under this project – an amount of $60.6 million has been allocated.
Also, $30 million was allocated to support the Covid-19-related Medical Equipment Provision Project.
Wonder Victor Kutor, the recent-past president of the Ghana School of Law’s Students Representative Council (SRC), has been admitted to the Ghana Bar.
At a ceremony on the morning of Friday, April 5, 2023, the 196 graduates, including him, were called to the bar by the departing Chief Justice, His Lordship Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah.
Following the controversy surrounding his call, which he had missed out on in 2022 because he couldn’t finish his internship related to his studies at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida, this ceremony was held.
Wonder Kutor successfully completed his internship in January, having returned from his studies at the University of North Florida.
He was presented with his certificate to practice as a lawyer from Chief Justice Anin Yeboah, amid cheers from the gathering.
Kwasi Anin Yeboah retires officially on May 24, 2023, making this the last ceremony he would oversee as the country’s CJ.
Interestingly, this ceremony recorded the call of two former presidents of the SRC of the Ghana School of Law to the Ghana Bar.
The other person, apart from Wonder Kutor, was Philemon Laar, who was the SRC president for the 2020/2021 academic year.
Wonder Victor Kutor (left) with a colleague
Kutor currently serves on the National Executive Committee of the National Democratic Congress, having been elected at the party’s congress on December 17, 2022.
His election as a NEC member has since seen him playing the role of a Secretary of the Appeals Committee (Bono/Ahafo Regions) of the parliamentary primaries of the party, which comes off on May 13, 2023.
A former student of the Tema Day Secondary School, the 29-year-old also attended the University of Ghana, and continued to the University of London before enrolling at the Ghana School of Law.
He is currently a student of the University of North Florida.
Paul Boama Sefa, a Ghanaian citizen based in the Ashanti Region, has filed class action against the Speaker of Parliament over processes involved in the presentation of the Human Rights and Family Values Bill, 2021.
In relation to how the legislative body handled the anti-LGBTQ bill, he claims that the two have violated certain provisions of Ghana’s constitution.
He claims that despite the law’s financial implications for the consolidated fund, a fiscal impact study report was not sent to parliament.
Paul says the Speaker of Parliament has the mandate to ensure that all legislative processes are undertaken in accordance with the law.
He noted the Public Financial Management Act requires that any bill to be laid in parliament should be accompanied by a fiscal impact analysis. He claims the Human Rights and Family Values Bill does not have this attached to it.
Paul made reference to the Attorney General’s memo to Parliament where he makes this same point about the lack of a fiscal impact analysis.
Substantively, the plaintiff wants the court to restrain the speaker, his deputies etc from proceeding with any processes regarding the bill until this is complied with.
The Constitutional, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs Committee earlier addressed the AG’s concern in its final report to Parliament. The AG has also been dragged to court.
The individual made reference to this noting that portions of the bill impose a charge on the consolidated fund.
The Committee said it, however, noted through the amendments it was proposing, this will be taken care of.
Meanwhile, the Constitutional, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs Committee has encouraged the House to pass the legislation.
The current lawsuit might affect the approval of the bill by the House.
Professor William Baah-Boateng, an economist, has urged decision-makers to shift their focus from job creation to employment generation.
He warned that if politicians continued to use “gigs” to address the unemployment crisis in the country, they would unintentionally create even more unemployment. He used the term “job creation” to refer to temporary employment over a very short period of time.
Speaking on JoyNews, he said, “Yes, you’ve created that amount of job that is fine, but if you’ve created that amount of job and it’s not sustainable – it takes just a week for that job [to be done], the person will come back to ask for more.
“And that is why your unemployment rate will continue to rise because you’ve created a job for a person and that job lasted for only one month or only a week. So after that the person joins the unemployed.”
He noted that to get a clearer picture of the employment situation in the country, he advised that policymakers pay critical attention to those exiting the job market.
“When you want to talk about employment generation or you want to equate it as job creation in terms of numbers you need to look at the exit, those who are exiting, to be able to get the net. So you’re here, business desk, let’s say you have five people employed and then three leaves.
“Three of them they leave so you’re left with two and then your employers bring two so you’re four and you say ‘oh we have created jobs for two people’ that it cannot be because three people have left and replaced them by two. So if anything at all there is negative employment creation,” he said.
According to Prof. Baah-Boateng, to achieve sustainable employment policymakers would have to create jobs that can keep a person employed for at least half a year.
“So policymakers should move away from what they call job creation to employment generation. And that employment generation here we’re talking about employing somebody sustainably, and that kind of employment can last for at least six months,” he said.
His comments come on the back of the Ghana Statistical Service’s Quarterly Labour Statistics Report which revealed that about 1.76 million persons were unemployed in the third quarter of 2022.
Within this population, two out of every three unemployed persons were females.
Across the three quarters, about 157,000 persons experienced an unemployment spell that is they were unemployed in all the quarters.
The report further said close to 7.5 million persons remained employed throughout the three quarters out of the about 11 million persons employed in each quarter.
This indicates that across the three quarters about 3.5 million persons were moving in and out of employment depicting vulnerabilities.
Due to their respective histories in the top security agencies of the nation, they make up possibly the best pair of experienced hands for an armed robbery syndicate.
Isaac Amejor and Michael Baffour, two former police officers and soldiers, respectively, knew exactly what they were getting themselves into when they chose to enlist Muntakilu Saddick, a former trader, to establish a heist ring.
According to an article written by The Chronicle, the three individuals used a very covert but mainly successful method to rob unwary members of the public.
According to the investigation, the three specifically targeted people who visited several financial institutions to use withdrawal transfer services, including people who took out large amounts of cash.
DSP Evans Kesse, who was the prosecuting officer, told an Accra Circuit Court that “as part of their scheme, they hired taxis to take them around to monitor the clients who patronise various banks, and after identifying a potential victim, would launch their attack.”
The report further described the specific technique the syndicate use, adding that after they have successfully robbed their victims, they either throw them out of the moving cars in handcuffs, or for the lucky ones, without it.
“They achieved this with Muntaliku Saddick, who posed as a detective wearing mufti, and who would enter banking halls to monitor the activities and would then communicate the physical identities of their potential victims to his accomplices, who had strategically positioned themselves.
“Isaac Amejor, in full police apparel, would get down from the taxi and inform their victim that he or she was under arrest. Michael Baffour, also dressed in an army uniform, would join Isaac to effect the arrest of the victim and force all the persons in the hired taxi cab to create the impression that they were, indeed, employees of the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Army.
“They would then order the driver to move and follow their direction… the accused persons robbed several people of the monies in their possession, and pushed them out of the car along the way,” the The Chronicle report said.
The three men have since been remanded into lawful custody for allegedly accosting and robbing customers of financial institutions, particularly those who had gone to withdraw huge monies.
This follows the official invitation that was sent to Otumfuo, as was confirmed through a statement issued by the Chief of Staff of the Manhyia Palace, John Badu, that said that the Asantehene had been invited for the coronation ceremony, which is slated for May 6, 2023, with his wife, Lady Julia.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu and Lady Julia will also attend the King’s official reception on May 5, 2023.
The coronation of King Charles III would also be done with that of Queen Consort Camilla.
Already, about 2,000 people have been confirmed to attend the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla.
The BBC is in the middle of a controversy about its coverage of the Coronation when UK news organizations were informed they would have to pay, despite international media receiving the live broadcast at no additional expense to their current contracts with press agencies supplying them with news footage.
Due to the event’s historical significance, news websites were given free access to live coverage of the late Queen’s funeral, and a similar arrangement was anticipated for the King’s Coronation.
However, the BBC has imposed a price on British websites, including Telegraph.co.uk, in order to access the live footage that its cameras will capture inside Westminster Abbey.
It means BBC licence fee payers, whose money will cover the cost of the coverage, will be denied the choice of watching it on their favourite news websites, while foreign audiences who do not have to contribute to the cost will have no such restrictions.
The News Media Association (NMA), which represents news publishers, has been negotiating with the BBC for weeks, arguing that the Coronation, as a major historical event, should be treated in the same way as the late Queen’s funeral.
BBC has monopoly on images
The BBC, ITN and Sky, which are pooling their footage of the Coronation procession and the Abbey service, want publishers to pay a six-figure sum between them to access their images.
As the BBC is the only organisation allowed to film inside the Abbey on Saturday, it will have a monopoly on the images of the Coronation service, enabling it to effectively hold publishers to ransom.
The Gold State Coach is ridden alongside members of the military during a full overnight dress rehearsal of the Coronation Ceremony on Wednesday CREDIT: HENRY NICHOLLS/REUTERS
Talks between the NMA and the broadcasters on Thursday broke up without agreement.
A final meeting between them is scheduled for Friday.
Under a separate agreement affecting foreign territories, news websites around the world will be able to stream footage of the entire event at no extra cost to their existing deals with the press agencies that supply them with news footage.
Historic events are different
Dawn Alford, executive director of the Society of Editors, which represents the editors of news publishers, said: “Given the significant public interest in Saturday’s historic Coronation and the precedent set by the Queen’s funeral last year, we are deeply concerned that while foreign publishers will be free to use live broadcast footage of the event, UK audiences look set to miss out unless publishers meet broadcasters’ financial demands.
“Given that the BBC is funded by the licence fee payer, it is wrong that UK news audiences will be the ones set to lose out on free access via their chosen platform. We urge the broadcasters to reconsider.”
Buckingham Palace has told the NMA it has no objection to the footage being shared with UK news outlets free of charge.
A BBC spokesperson said: “The UK broadcasters who are covering this complex and historic event have asked for a fair and reasonable financial contribution from any third-parties wishing to access the live coverage for their own use.”
The Member of Parliament for Upper West Akim, Fredrick Obeng Adom, has cut sod for the establishment of an electricity project for 23 communities in his constituency.
The project, when completed, will increase the number of communities in the enclave that are connected to the national grid.
Mr. Obeng Adom while speaking at the ceremony at Agyirikwa – one of the beneficiary communities – on Thursday, May 4, said he is prepared to ensure the constituency is properly developed for the benefit of its constituents.
According the MP, 19 communities will benefit from phase one of the rural electrification project.
“Today is a very important day in the life of our constituency. It is a day that processes begin for the electrification of some of our communities.”
“I am extremely happy about it as it is going to be under my watch. But I must add that I am more than prepared to do more for this great constituency,” he said.
Present at the event were DCE for the area, Eugene Sackey, the NPP constituency chairman, Nana Addai Obuobi, and his first Vice Chairman, Nuru Alhassan, Council of Elders, Council of Patrons and chiefs of the area.
Girl child education has paved way for many young girls in Ghana to break barriers and have their names in history books for chalking outstanding achievements.
In 2021, a female made history in the business industry and two years later, another record has been set, also by a female.
Princess Korkor Boateng has followed the footsteps of Hannah Ann Enyan to become the second youngest person ever to qualify as a chartered accountant in Ghana at the age of 18.
The University of Ghana Business School (UGBS) student achieved this feat after passing the final exams of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana (ICAG) in 2023.
Hannah Ann Enyan, an old student of the Labone Senior High School, at the age of 18 became the youngest Chartered Accountant in Ghana.
Hannah Ann Enyan is now 21 years
She was among the 2021 graduating students of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana (ICAG) and the ceremony took place at the 36th Graduation ceremony at the University of Professional Studies, Accra.
Pleased by the latest news regarding Princess Korkor Boateng, the University of Ghana congratulated Korkor on its Twitter handle, saying: “We are proud of you.” The post also stated that Korkor was a level 400 student at UGBS and that she had set a new record in the country’s accountancy profession.
Korkor’s achievement has been widely celebrated on social media, with many users praising her for her hard work, intelligence and dedication. Some users also expressed their admiration for her parents and teachers who supported her along the way.
Korkor’s success story is an inspiration to many young people who aspire to pursue careers in accounting and finance. It also shows the potential of Ghanaian women to excel in fields that are traditionally dominated by men.
Chartered accountancy is one of the most respected and sought-after professions in Ghana and beyond. It requires rigorous training and examinations that test one’s knowledge and skills in various aspects of accounting, auditing, taxation, business law and ethics.
According to the ICAG website, the minimum entry requirement for its professional programme is a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from a recognised institution. The programme consists of three levels: Knowledge, Application and Professional. Each level has four papers that candidates must pass within a specified period.
The ICAG is the sole body charged with the regulation of the accountancy profession in Ghana. It has over 6,000 members and 3,000 students. It is also a member of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) and the Association of Accountancy Bodies in West Africa (ABWA).
The dual identity claim against Rev Victor Kusi Boateng by North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, is yet to be verified by a High Court.
High Court Judge Justice Charles Gyamfi Danquah says he is currently unable to tell if Kwabena Adu Gyamfi is Victor Kusi Boateng.
“I think what is not yet established is whether the very person who brought this application is the same person with dual identity as Kwabena Adu Gyamfi and Victor Kusi Boateng or this very person is called Kwabena Adu Gyamfi with an alias of Victor Kusi Boateng,” Justice Danquah said when he dismissed an application for contempt filed by Rev. Boateng against North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
Mr. Ablakwa has been at the forefront of what he says is a crusade to expose what he alleges to be shady transactions marring the construction of the National Cathedral.
He has on many occasions accused the Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral Rev. Kusi Boateng of having dual identity. Rev. Boateng dragged the MP to court for defamation and had attempted to have him punished for contempt for kicking court documents when he was given copies. This however failed.
Justice Danquah while delivering his ruling, briefly ventured into the thorny issue of dual identity.
He noted that lawyers for Rev. Boateng had claimed the two names refer to one and the same person with one of the names as an alias.
This claim he indicated was disputed by lawyers for the legislator.
The judge pointed out that he was given documents from the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) showing that the two names have different taxpayer identification numbers with different dates of birth and different mothers.
He, however, noted that the GRA had indicated it was still investigating the matter.
Despite opting not to reach any conclusions as a result, Justice Danquah nonetheless stated that what is not yet established is whether the very person who brought the contempt application is the same person with dual identity as Kwabena Adu Gyamfi and Victor Kusi Boateng or this very person is called Kwabena Adu Gyamfi with an alias of Victor Kusi Boateng.
Due to the slowing economy and consumers delaying purchases of computers and iPads due to increased pricing, Apple sales have continued to decline.
The internet giant reported that revenue fell by 3% to $94.8 billion (£75.4 billion) in the first three months of the year from the same time in 2022.
That was the company’s second consecutive quarter of declining sales.
The demand for iPhones kept steady, though, and the company gained new clients abroad, so the reduction was not as terrible as anticipated.
Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, spoke with analysts and highlighted the company’s expansion in India, where it is investing extensively and where he visited last month to inaugurate the first two of its official stores there.
“Overall I couldn’t be more delighted and excited by the enthusiasm I’m seeing for the brand there,” he said.
Apple is one of the most valuable companies in the world and its sales are closely watched as a sign of retail strength.
The company said it was facing a “challenging macroeconomic environment”, echoing comments by other companies which have warned that customers, hit by the rising cost of living and economic uncertainty, are pulling back.
Apple had warned investors that sales in the January-March period could fall by as much as 5% year-on-year.
But the results were buoyed by a 1.5% year-on-year increase in iPhone sales, which hit $51.3bn – a record for the quarter. The company said that was lifted by strong demand in south Asia and Latin America.
In India, where the firm’s overall sales grew by double digits, Mr Cook said he saw big growth opportunities as the country’s middle class expands, saying the country was at a “tipping point”.
Apple’s services unit, which includes Apple Music, Apple News and Apple Pay, saw sales rise 5% year-on-year to more than $20bn.
In Europe, where many other firms have reported weakness, sales gained more than 2%.
However, sales sank more than 7% in the Americas, its biggest market.
Profits also fell more than 3% year-on-year, to roughly $24.2bn. But that was better than expected, as supply chain problems receded.
Apple’s report follows a series of updates from other tech giants, including Facebook-owner Meta and Alphabet, parent company of Google, which had also been better than expected.
To commemorate the coronation of King Charles III, a school choir from the Isle of Man has recorded a brand-new song.
As a part of an RSCM project, King William’s College (KWC) encouraged vocalists to join them in singing a brand-new hymn.
The recording featured performers from all across the island, including Lieutenant Governor Sir John Lorimer, who serves as the King’s envoy on the territory.
Steve Daykin, head of music at KWC, praised the piece’s “incredible” tone.
He said he had been “humbled” to see more than 40 singers with a range of experience “commemorate this occasion through music, because music is going to be a key part of the ceremony”.
The Coronation of King Charles III, who holds the title Lord of Mann, will take place on Saturday at Westminster Abbey in London.
The choir held the only licence on the island to record the “Sing for the King” piece, which singer and composer Joanna Forbes L’Estrange was commissioned to compose by the RSCM.
The five-minute piece, which is titled The Mountains Shall Bring Peace, is set to the words of psalms from the bible.
Dozens of others choirs across the British Isles have also rehearsed and recorded the hymn.
Image caption,More than 40 Manx singers came together to perform the new hymn
KWC pupils were joined by members of choirs from across the island in the Chapel of St Thomas for the recording on Tuesday, after rehearsing separately.
Mr Daykin said was delighted Sir John and Lady Lorimer had accepted the invitation to take part.
“It’s all about getting together and bringing the island together through music,” he added.
Louise Van Der Merwe, who was one of the college’s pupils to take part in the recording, said it had been an “amazing opportunity” to be part of how the island marked a moment in history.
“Hearing all the voices together was really special,” she added.
In a dispute over ammunition, the leader of the Russian Wagner Group has threatened to pull his forces out of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut by Wednesday.
He made his remark after beseeching Russia’s defense minister for more supplies while strolling among the bodies of fallen warriors in a social media video.
“They are dying so that you can gambol in your redwood cabinets,” he said while addressing the government.
“Shoigu! Gerasimov! Where is the… ammunition?… They came here as volunteers and die for you to fatten yourselves in your mahogany offices,” he added.
His troops will leave on 10 May.
Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov have often been the focus for Prigozhin’s anger.
Prigozhin is a publicity seeker, and his influence has seemingly waned in recent months. He has previously made threats he has not followed through with – subsequently dismissing them as jokes and military humour.
Only last week he told a Russian pro-war blogger that Wagner fighters in Bakhmut were down to their last days of supplies of bullets, and needed thousands of rounds of ammunition.
If shortages were not tackled then his mercenaries would be forced either to retreat or remain and die, he warned: “Then, no matter what our bureaucrats want, everything else will crumble.”
Prigozhin said that his forces had agreed to stay in Bakhmut until 10 May to allow Russia to mark Tuesday’s Victory Day celebrations.
In February, he posted another image of his dead troops and blamed army chiefs for their deaths. Although the military denied deliberately starving his Wagner group of shells, at the time they did respond by increasing supplies to the front line.
In his announcement, standing in front of his men, he said on 10 May they would be “obliged to transfer positions in the settlement of Bakhmut to units of the defence ministry and withdraw the remains of Wagner to logistics camps to lick our wounds”.
The battle for Bakhmut has dragged for months and is thought to have claimed thousands of lives. Ukraine’s armed forces decided to defend the city at all costs in an apparent attempt to focus Russian military resources on one place of relatively little significance.
US-based military analyst Rob Lee argues that Wagner’s latest complaint of shortages likely reflects Russia’s defence ministry rationing ammunition ahead of Ukraine’s long anticipated counter-offensive. The ministry has to defend the whole front, but Prigozhin’s sole concern lies in taking Bakhmut, he wrote on Twitter.
Prigozhin has himself predicted that Ukraine’s counter-offensive will begin by 15 May, as tanks and artillery will be able to advance in dry weather, after the last spring rain.
In a separate move, Prigozhin appears to have hired an army general who was recently dismissed as logistics chief.
Col-Gen Mikhail Mizintsev was dubbed the butcher of Mariupol for his role in last year’s bombardment of Ukraine’s southern port city, captured by Russian forces a year ago.
Videos posted online show in at a Wagner training camp and then visiting positions in Bakhmut.
Prigozhin said earlier he had offered him the post of deputy to a Wagner commander, pointing out that the general had done his best to help supply mercenaries with ammunition and had co-operated with the group’s efforts to recruit convicted prisoners to its ranks.
Col-Gen Mizintsev was only put in charge of army logistics last September, shortly after Prigozhin was filmed inside a Russian prison telling inmates they would be freed from jail if they served with his men in Ukraine.
The Champions League aspirations of Manchester United were dashed when Alexis Mac Allister converted a thrilling extra-time penalty to propel Brighton to sixth place in the Premier League.
Nine minutes after the legal 90 had passed, the World Cup champion of Argentina confidently sent the ball into the top left corner after Luke Shaw was called for a handball following VAR intervention.
Albion’s 1-0 victory in a thrilling match at the Amex Stadium lifts them over Tottenham and Aston Villa, while United now have to keep an eye on fifth-placed Liverpool.
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) May 4, 2023
The Seagulls sit just four points behind Jurgen Klopp’s Reds with two games in hand thanks to the stunning late twist.
Brighton’s success partially avenges the spot-kick heartache they suffered at the hands of their opponents in the FA Cup semi-finals just 11 days ago and completes a league double over United.
The Seagulls also smashed their club-record top-flight points tally — moving on to 55, three more than they managed in the the 42-game 1981-82 season.
Antony and Anthony Martial wasted golden opportunities for United, who still have work to do to reach European football’s premier club competition next term following a painful climax.
Prior to Mac Allister’s last-gasp breakthrough, Kaoru Mitoma missed the Seagulls’ best opening of a feisty encounter, thumping the ball into the head of David De Gea during a rapid start.
United keeper De Gea was visibly dazed by the unconventional stop but was deemed fit to carry on following on-field treatment.
With plenty at stake in the battle for continental qualification, players from both sides clashed in a heated second half after Antony’s crude challenge on Mac Allister sparked a mass brawl.
United travelled to Sussex with bitter memories of Wembley still lingering in the minds of the high-flying hosts.
The frantic opening exchanges suggested there would be no repeat of that cagey 0-0 draw, with both sides passing up glorious chances.
Antony fired wide after Bruno Fernandes’ pass carved open Albion’s defence inside two minutes, before Mitoma intercepted an under-hit Victor Lindelof pass and raced clear only to thump his effort into the face of De Gea with Julio Enciso awaiting a tap-in.
Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi overcame the illness which led to the cancellation of his pre-match press conference to take his place on the touchline.
The Italian was his usual animated self and passionately appealed for a penalty when Mitoma went to ground following minimal contact from Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s outstretched leg.
United, who were thrashed 4-0 on this ground last May, remained dangerous on the counter-attack and caused constant issues for the home defence as they created the best first-half chances.
Casemiro headed narrowly over for Erik Ten Hag’s men, while Brighton keeper Jason Steele produced smart saves to deny low efforts from Marcus Rashford and Martial.
Travelling fans had once again unveiled a ‘Glazers out’ banner ahead of kick-off as ongoing protests against their club’s ownership continue.
Yet the sold-out away end would have taken plenty of encouragement from the opening 45 minutes.
Rashford tumbled easily inside the Brighton box just after the restart before the hosts enjoyed a period of dominance, albeit initially creating little.
Casemiro, who was earlier booked for scything down Mac Allister, escaped a second yellow in the 65th minute for a foul on the same player.
Home fans then felt further aggrieved when Mitoma went down in the penalty area for a second time, before tempers flared after Brazilian Antony chopped down fellow South American Mac Allister, leading to a booking for the United man and Brighton captain Lewis Dunk.
Casemiro drilled over, while Seagulls substitute Solly March, who missed the decisive spot-kick at Wembley, lashed wide and De Gea superbly denied Moises Caicedo as an enthralling affair looked set end all square.
But Shaw inexplicably handled a corner and after referee Andre Marriner consulted the pitchside monitor and pointed to the spot, Mac Allister thumped home.
Paul Twum Barimah, the representative for Dormaa East, has refuted assertions made by the minority in parliament that the House’s Tuesday vote to approve loan agreements was not unanimous.
According to John Jinapor, the member of parliament for Yapei/Kusawgu, not all MPs approved the loans totaling roughly 750 million dollars.
He claimed that while the Minority Caucus fiercely opposed the loan agreements, the numbers did not support them, therefore it would be unfair to place the responsibility on them.
But in an interview with Citi News, the Dormaa East MP said such claims are unfounded.
“So far as we know we all support the loans. It was by voice vote, did you see anyone on his feet to question the loans? Nobody did that, not even their leadership nor any member and if you read the report it was a unanimous report.”
Parliament on Tuesday approved an amount of $150 million dollars for the financing of the West Africa Food System Resilience Programme phase 2 under the Multi-phase programmatic approach.
Parliament also approved an on-lending agreement between the government and the Development Bank Ghana for an amount of £170 million Euros to support the establishment of a financially sustainable development Bank.
The House also approved a loan agreement between the government of Ghana and the World Bank for an amount of $200 million to finance the Ghana Digital Acceleration Project.
Reports coming in is that the Bank of Ghana and the government have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to stop monetary financing by the former to the latter.
“The MoU has been finalised and signed,” Governor Ernest Addison is quoted to told Central Banking on May 2, 2023.
The MoU is a requirement of a pending loan package agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
According to reports, the MoU will enter into force once the IMF Board approves Ghana request for a credit facility worth $3 billion.
Prior to this, Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu, said the Minority in Parliament would oppose the signing of the MoU.
According to him, the MoU between the Bank of Ghana and the Ministry of Finance is “laughable”.
“A serious country must be run seriously and run guided by a legal framework that protects the State and protects its institution. The Bank of Ghana is in breach for having to overdraft and lend government beyond the stipulated legislation within the amended Bank of Ghana Act.
“But MoU, what is the weight of MoU within the parameters of the Ghanaian constitution and Ghanaian law?” he questioned.
Speaking with Joy News, the legislator said the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, must be present before Parliament for legislation on zero per cent financing of government by the Bank of Ghana.
As a result, he noted that anything short of legislation passed by parliament will not be accepted.
The Bank of Ghana is said to have provided over GH₵40 billion in support to government in 2021 and according to the central bank, the funding saved the economy from collapse.
Former Environment Minister, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, has been invited by the Office of Special Prosecutor (OSP) for interrogation over the former’s report on unlawful mining in Ghana.
The renowned Professor will work with the Office to investigate the claims made in the aforementioned paper, which have sparked much discussion.
This is according to a press release issued on May 4 by Professor Frimpong-Boateng.
The Cardiologist in the said release assured of his willingness to assist the OSP address his concerns raised in the report.
“Earlier today, I received a letter from the Office of the Special Prosecutor inviting me to assist the Office, ‘as a person necessary for the investigation” into suspected corruption and corruption-related offences in respect of the activities and expenditure of the dissolved Inter- Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM).
“I have formally communicated my willingness to attend the invitation and to support the OSP in its work,” the statement said.
The investigation into unlawful mining activities in the nation is well along, according to the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, who made that statement previously.
He asserted that the issues raised in a newly report by Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, the former environment minister, were already being looked into.
According to Mr. Kissi Agyebeng, the investigations were prompted by public calls for the office to pay close attention to the report that reveals several violations in the effort to combat the canker.
It also names top government officials supposedly involved in the activity.
This included an allegation that a garden in President Akufo-Addo’s Kyebi home was also affected by illegal mining which took the Minister’s intervention to halt.
However, most of the government officials named in the report have denied any wrongdoing.
In BBC’s series of letters from African journalists, it received one from Elizabeth Ohene who considered how the coronation of King Charles III would go if it were in Ghana, known as the Gold Coast when it was a British colony.
The first change would be in the king’s title.
Instead of King Charles, he would be Nana Charles, Nii Charles, Naa Charles or Togbega Charles – the terms for king or chief in different Ghanaian languages.
I will stick to Togbega Charles.
Royalty is not exactly a strange or unknown phenomenon to us here in Ghana.
We have lots of royal houses instead of the single royal house of the British. Our social and political setup before the advent of colonialism was very much based on royal houses being in charge.
Today, we have a constitution with the full panoply of institutions and officials: a parliament, a judiciary, a president and ministers.
And side-by-side with this republic are our kings, queens and chiefs.
Even though on paper they might not have much power, there are very few Ghanaians who would refuse to obey a call by the chief in their village.
There is certainly no talk here of abolishing the monarchy.
So, if the coronation of King Charles was taking place somewhere in Ghana, he would not have to worry about the possibility of being the last monarch.
Journalists would not be looking with extra interest at how or whether the prime ministers of Australia, Canada and New Zealand bow as an indication of the likelihood of those countries giving up the British monarch as their head of state.
Nor would the Caribbean leaders at the ceremony be scrutinised for signs of an impending declaration of republican status.
We in Ghana are quite comfortable with being both a republic, and having kings and queens.
We also know a lot about organising royal events, and we have great sympathy for the difficulties King Charles has had with drawing up the guest list for the ceremony.
It would be a full-scale nightmare here, but people would be accommodated.
In Ghana, there would be no story in a tabloid newspaper trying to rub it in that Miss Ohene had not got an invitation, as Togbega Charles and the organisers would go to great lengths to try and satisfy everybody.
It means invitations would continue to be sent out all the way until the morning of the event.
Half the people would not send an RSVP and therefore the organisers would not be certain of the numbers. Also it does not matter how boldly it is written on the invitation card that it is meant for the named person only, some people would bring a friend along.
An attempt will be made to squeeze maybe 2,000 people into a space that can only take 1,500 people.
As for King Charles’ coronation, a critical part of the preparations towards the big day would be centred on the clothes that would be worn – firstly by the king himself, then his elders, who play an important role in the events, and of course, the women – both those who are playing roles and those who are guests.
The kente cloth weavers would be extremely busy and so would our designers and tailors, for no-one would survive being seen in something worn by anyone else.
Every kente would have a name that tells a story.
Special cloths would be designed and printed with the photo of the king on it and we would all try to outdo each other with the most outlandish styles.
I know the British Crown has a legendary collection of jewellery, gathered from around the world, but on a coronation day here, that would be no match.
We would display enough gold to dazzle anyone and demonstrate that ours is indeed, the land of gold.
We would guarantee a riot of colours at the event. It will be noisy, very noisy, and there would be drums and drummers and drumming that would blow your mind.
If you are new to these parts, it would be helpful to have a local nearby to explain some of the dances to you because each one would be telling a story.
And please come well prepared, for the event would last much longer than advertised.
The ceremony in Westminster Abbey will be rolled out with military precision and exactly as planned and rehearsed.
In Ghana, part of the attraction is the organised chaos and the unknown factor.
The elders who are responsible for the ceremony prefer to keep the details secret and there are always some surprise elements. Everybody who attends the function will feel he has played a part in the proceedings.
I am not sure how Queen Camilla will take this bit, but once enthroned, the elders would offer a “throne wife” to Togbega Charles.
She is not meant to displace Queen Camilla and it is not obligatory that the new king takes her, but she will be offered.
It is part of the custom.
DISCLAIMER: Independentghana.com will not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article. The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author’s, and do not reflect those of The Independent Ghana
Jamie Foxx, whose health status has left many worried has broken his silence.
In an Instagram post on Wednesday, the actor expressed appreciation to all who have offered prayers and wished him well in his recovery.
The Collateral and Django Unchained actor shared a note which read: “Appreciate all the love!!! Feeling blessed [prayer, heart and fox emoji].”
Several people responded with words of encouragement, including Ellen DeGeneres, who commented: “I’m sending love to you every single day.”
Foxx’s personal message comes three weeks after he was initially admitted to hospital, after “suffering a serious medical emergency”.
He reportedly remains “under observation” at a medical facility in Georgia.
In the meantime, the popular musical identification game show, which he’s hosted since its 2017 premiere, has found a temporary replacement.
The new season of Fox’s game series, premiering 23 May, will welcome Nick Cannon as the presenter.
“Everybody at FOX Entertainment wishes Jamie well as he continues his recovery, and we greatly appreciate Nick’s willingness to jump in and help this summer,” Beat Shazam announced on Instagram.
Resharing the news on his Instagram Story, Foxx thanked his “boy @nickcannon” for filling in for him.
No other details about Foxx’s condition have been shared by his representatives, but a source close to the actor told TMZ that he “needs all the prayers and well-wishes his fans can muster”.
Foxx’s daughter and Beat Shazam co-host Corrine, said that the actor was rushed to hospital on 12 April, telling her Instagram followers that he had suffered “a medical emergency” and was “on his way to recovery”.
“We know how beloved he is and appreciate your prayers. The family asks for privacy during this time,” she said.
Today, May 4, at Buckingham Palace, he will be welcomed for a special audience with King Charles III.
Now that the King has left his Kingdom, Kumasi is in the care of Bantamahene, whereas the Asanteman is in the care of Nana Mamponghene.
Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II is the current and 16th Occupant of the sacred Golden Stool.
Videos of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II leaving Ghana:
Otumfuo departs to the UK from Kumasi Airport.
He will be received at a private audience with King Charles III, tomorrow May 4, at Buckingham Palace.
Now that the King has left his Kingdom, Kumasi is in the care of Bantamahene, and Asanteman is in the care of Nana Mamponghene. pic.twitter.com/9sBnQ8cEdq
— The Asante Nation (@Ashanti_Kingdom) May 3, 2023
International news network Al Jazeera, may not apologise to President Akufo-Addo, over its documentary involving the country’s gold mining industry, despite a request from the Jubilee House to do so.
The office of the president issued a request last week demanding a retraction and apology from the media outlet following damning revelations by Alistair Mathias that portrayed the President in a negative light over allegations of gold smuggling.
Secretary to the President, Nana Bediatuo Asante, who issued the request on behalf of the President, wrote “I have been instructed by His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to formally demand that Al Jazeera Media Network (“Al Jazeera”) immediately retract and apologise for broadcasting an inaccurate and unfair documentary containing spurious and unsubstantiated allegations against the President and the Government of Ghana.”
The documentary, titled “The Gold Mafia,” included interviews with several individuals who claimed that they were involved in money laundering schemes for African leaders.
Mathias, one of the individuals interviewed in the documentary, boasted of having a close relationship with President Akufo-Addo and several other African leaders.
President Akufo-Addo, however denied acting as a lawyer for Alistair Mathias or his company.
Al Jazeera also claims to have written to the President before airing the documentary in its email, and the President’s alleged response to them was thereafter included towards the end of the documentary, together with a clarification of Mathias’ claims.
Al Jazeera has yet to issue a statement indicating admission of guilt or remorse, and it seems unlikely that the network will retract its documentary or apologise to the President.
Alistair Mathias’ claims about Ghana
In the fourth episode of Al Jazeera’s documentary, “The Gold Mafia,” Alistair Mathias claimed that there is no head of state or president in Africa that he and his team cannot get to.
Mathias cited Ghana’s President, Nana Akufo-Addo, as one of his ‘good friends’ and alleged that the president had been his lawyer in the past
However, Al Jazeera noted towards the end of the documentary that Mathias denied ever being awarded any tender by the Ghanaian government or entering into any government contracts in any African country.
Mathias also denied designing mechanisms to launder money or trading illegal gold for Russian clients or anyone else when asked for a formal comment about Al Jazeera’s findings. He also denied having any working relationship with Macmillan.
Gold mining in Ghana
Ghana is Africa’s leading producer of gold, accounting for 4% of government revenue in 2017, according to Transparency International.
However, the management of the country’s gold resources has been marred by controversy and corruption, as evidenced by two recent cases:
The Agyapa deal, a proposal to sell almost 76% of Ghana’s future gold royalties to a company based in Jersey, a tax haven and secrecy jurisdiction.
The deal was approved by parliament in 2020 but faced strong opposition from civil society groups, who argued that it was opaque, undervalued, and detrimental to Ghana’s sovereignty and development.
The deal also sparked a political scandal, as the Special Prosecutor who was investigating it resigned in November 2020, citing interference and threats from the government. The deal was eventually suspended in January 2021, pending a review.
The second major challenge facing Ghana’s gold sector is the illegal mining or “galamsey” phenomenon.
This involves mostly Chinese miners operating without licences and using heavy machinery that damage the environment and displace local communities.
The illegal mining has been facilitated by corruption among Ghanaian state officials, who have either colluded with the Chinese miners or failed to enforce the laws and regulations.
Several attempts to crack down on illegal mining have been ineffective or counterproductive, as some task forces have also engaged in rent-seeking or violent behaviour.
These cases show that Ghana’s gold resource is not only a source of wealth, but also a source of conflict and corruption.
They also highlight the need for more transparency, accountability, and participation in the governance of the country’s natural resources.
Ghana’s employed labour force pegged at 11.09 million as of 2022 (Quarter 3) is dominated by individuals who are vulnerably employed, according to the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).
The GSS in its 2022 Annual Household Income and Expenditure Survey Third Quarter Labour Statistics Report on May 3, 2023, revealed that 63.6 percent of the total employed labour force are individuals who are self-employed and without employees or contributing family workers.
Per analysis of the GSS’s data, a total of 7,053,240 Ghanaians representing are vulnerably employed.
The gender ratio indicates that more women are vulnerably employed. There is a marginal decrease in Ghana’s vulnerable employment from quarter one to quarter three of last year.
During the first and second quarters of 2022, the vulnerable employment stood at 66.8% and 67.6% respectively. The increase in vulnerable employment was caused by the addition of more women into this category.
The GSS does not explain why more women became vulnerably employed, however, a part of its findings indicated that across the three quarters, about 157,000 persons experienced an unemployment spell which may have resulted from frictional unemployment (when workers go unemployed to find a new job after quitting the previous one) or structural unemployment (when there is a mismatch between the skills that workers in the economy can offer, and the skills demanded of workers by employers).
Experts say that persons who are vulnerably employed are less likely to have formal work arrangements, and are therefore more likely to lack decent working conditions, adequate social security and ‘voice’ through effective representation by trade unions and similar organizations.
“Vulnerable employment is often characterized by inadequate earnings, low productivity and difficult conditions of work that undermine workers’ fundamental rights,” International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Country Director, Lawrence Jeff Johnson, is quoted to have said on ILO’s website.
This goes to suggest that having a large number of citizens vulnerably employed would not augur well for the economy.
Meanwhile, GSS says two-thirds of the unemployed labour force are women.
A total of 1.76 million Ghanaians were unemployed in the third quarter of 2022, implying that 1,178,333 women are unemployed.
Other findings in the report reveal that the likelihood of shifting from informal employment to unemployment is five times greater on average than transitioning from formal employment to unemployment.
Also, the group of people who are burdened by the triple threat of being unemployed, food insecure, and multidimensionally impoverished increased by almost 55,000 between quarter 2 and quarter 3 in 2022.
“- But in these cases,we still have judgement here; that we but teach
Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return
To plague the inventor; this even-handed justice
Commends the ingredients of our poison’d chalice
To our own lips….” – Macbeth.
The President of Ghana’s letter with reference number OPS/2G4/23/401 to Al Jazeera, dated 25 April 2023 and purposefully leaked to the media for publication exhibits lack of integrity, seriousness, and consistency in its content within the context of previous undertakings and promises to Ghanaians by the President before and after he assumed office as president. A leader must keep his promises and show exemplary leadership.
Nana Akufo-Addo, while he was courting the Presidency of Ghana, swore belief and fidelity to the “Anas Principle”. The reader can view and listen to his own words on YouTube: Akufo-Addo promised to use Anas Principle to fight corruption. – YouTube. Nana Akufo-Addo had earlier also said while on a campaign tour of the United States of America at a town hall meeting with Ghanaians in Houston, Texas, on Saturday 4 February 2012, inter alia, that:
“My government would institutionalise what I call the Anas principle, to create a new culture of fear for corrupt practices. We must infest the disciples of corruption with paranoia, in that you may never know that the person you are giving the bribe to or receiving it from may be an undercover agent…. I intend to establish a special anti-corruption squad, made up of some of our best young talents, well-trained, well-paid, well-disciplined, with the licence to root out corruption from every nook and cranny of our public life. I know this may be controversial but I am resolute in my conviction to remove the hold that corruption has on our institutions and our development. Serious problems call for serious solutions. I will introduce stiffer punishments for corruption to make the theft of state funds more expensive for the criminal than the stealing of a goat.”
There is an examination and analysis of Nana Addo’s 2012 tour of the USA, as reported by the Daily Guide Africa on 9 February 2012, on: Leadership Paralysis, Eiu Analysis, And The Anas Principle Against Corruption | News Ghana.
One would have thought that the Al Jazeera undercover investigators emulated the President of Ghana’s oath and fidelity to fight corruption using the “Anas Principle” in unveiling the suspected corruption disclosed by the members of the Gold Mafia, whose stories are contained in the Al Jazeera documentaries involving African Presidents, and which incidentally included Nana Addo. One would also have, therefore, thought that the President of Ghana, who like Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion, would allow the Special Prosecutor to exercise his powers to investigate the allegations contained in the Al Jazeera undercover investigation documentary as I did in the Agyapa Royalties Transactions scam.
As things stand now, the President appears to be preempting the likely investigation by a committed and dutiful Special Prosecutor to investigate the contents of the undercover investigative documentary for corruption and/or corruption-related offences against his Government. The President’s conduct in attempting to preempt a corruption investigation could also be due to the fact that he is assured that the Special Prosecutor is a mere poodle looking for the low-hanging fruits, who will allow the President to pretend to pursue his own possible cover-ups with the letters of 11 April 2023 and 25 April 2023 from his office to Al Jazeera.
Where a suspected crime is a felony, and also gives rise to a civil remedy at the same time, the crime must be investigated and possibly prosecuted first, in my understanding of the law. Nature dictated my resignation as the Special Prosecutor on account of the cover-up the President wanted me to condone in the Agyapa Royalties Transaction investigation, otherwise I would have been in trouble again. I definitely would have begun investigations into these serious allegations of suspected corruption and/or corruption-related offences against the Government contained in the Al Jazeera documentary by now.
Now to the substance of the letters on the Al Jazeera undercover documentary that has given rise to this discourse. Al Jazeera was right to have stated that the President of Ghana’s response to its request for comments to the completed undercover investigation was that: “President Akufo-Addo of Ghana told us that he had no recollection of acting as a lawyer for Alistair Mathias or his company.”
As a result of my examination and analysis of the President’s response to Al Jazeera, his non-denial that Mr. Alistair Mathias is his good friend, efforts by his underlings to deceive Ghanaians with tweets and spurious rationalizations in the media, and my demand for accountability, the Government wrote the letter with reference number OPS/2G4/23/401 dated 25 April 2025 to Al Jazeera to demonstrate that the underlings were acting upon the instructions of the President.
While the Office of the President’s letter under reference signed by the Nana Bediatu Asante, the Secretary to the President and another of the President’s cousin’s, refers to Al Jazeera’s letter of 2 April 2023 which was received on 6 April 2023, and a reply to this letter dated 11 April 2023 by the Legal Counsel to the President, Mr. Kow Abaka Essuman, acting on the instructions of the President, none of those letters was exhibited or made available to the public for an accountable and transparent evaluation.
The President’s letter of 25 April 2023, however, states the President’s alleged response to Al Jazeera as follows:
“The President had not been in practice since the year 2000 and the President had no recollection of acting as a lawyer, either personally or through his law firm, Messrs. Akufo-Addo, Prempeh and Co for a Mr. Alistair Mathias or his company, Guldrest Resources.”
The above rendition is not different from what Al Jazeera quoted as being the President’s response. The opacity of the Government prevents us from knowing the reference number and the real content of the President’s letter of response dated 11 April 2023 to enable further interrogation. But we are informed for the first time that in his letter of 11 April 2023 the President wrote that:
‘In the circumstances further and better particulars were demanded from Al Jazeera to respond adequately to the allegations made in Al Jazeera’s letter. Al Jazeera was thus requested to provide information on the period for which the President allegedly provided legal representation to Mr. Alistair Mathias or his company, Guldrest Resources. Al Jazeera was requested to provide details of the “USD 100 million tender for state infrastructure” allegedly given to Mr. Alistair Mathias, which he constructed and kept a percentage in offshore accounts as stated in the letter as well as information on how the President personally benefitted unlawfully from the alleged “USD 100 million tender for state infrastructure.”’
Any reasonable person reading the above quoted third paragraph of the President’s letter to Al Jazeera dated 25 April 2023 cannot avoid the understanding that the second and third sentences in that paragraph were mere expatiations on the first sentence that was what was really conveyed in the earlier letter dated 11 April 2023. The operative words that: “Al Jazeera was thus requested to provide …” leaves one with this understanding. This explains why an accountable and transparent Government would have put all the cards on the table and not appear to be playing with the minds of the citizen with ambiguous references to letters and statements not subject to verification. The mandate to show integrity and leadership are imperative on such occasions.
The President’s letter of 25 April 2023 was written after the fourth series in a documentary of undercover investigations were aired to the world. The President is deemed to have viewed the fourth series of the documentary particularly in which Alistair Mathias made statements touching and concerning his relationship with the President of Ghana. The further and better particulars demanded by the President in his letter dated 25 April 2023 had already been made available to the whole world by the airing of the documentary. Other African Presidents were also damned by the accounts of various Gold Mafia members and operatives.
The alleged defamatory statements made against all the African Presidents including the President of Ghana were made by members of the Gold Mafia and their operatives who bear prime responsibility for those alleged defamatory statements. As I stated in my discourse dated 24 April 2023, I am yet to read a categorical denial that the President is not a good friend of Alistair Mathias or that he does not know Mr. Mathias and has never met him.
Paul Adom-Otchere’s attempted Goebbels-like propaganda on behalf of the President ,which roped in his protégée on the Supreme Court, leaves a lot of unanswered questions as to the friendship of the President with Mr. Mathias. That explains my characterization of the Paul Adom-Otchere’s propaganda on Metro TV Good Evening Ghana on 18 April 2023 as pernicious in the circumstances.
Al Jazeera never said that the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is a good friend of Alistair Mathias. Mr. Mathias volunteered that information to the undercover investigators. Whatever other alleged defamatory statements that are on the documentary touching, affecting, and concerning any African President, including the President of Ghana, were made by the members of the Gold Mafia and their operatives to the undercover investigators.
With the publication of the fourth series of the documentary, – providing the further and better particulars demand by the President – why is the President not directing his threats to exact consequences for alleged defamation to his good friend Alistair Mathias first instead of Al Jazeera? Scare Al Jazeera or mere propaganda?
I have grave doubts whether the President intended Al Jazeera to take his letter of 25 April 2023 seriously or it was written as a piece of propaganda to divert the minds of Ghanaian patriots from the seriousness of the suspected corruption allegations made by Alistair Mathias against the Government of Ghana. The modus operandi of the President, since he assumed the reins of Government, convinces me that the President’s letter of 25 April 2023 is yet another deceptive propaganda ploy to allow the serious allegations of suspected corruption contained in the Gold Mafia documentary to be forgotten by the electorate.
The procedure followed in demanding a retraction and an apology from Al Jazeera for the allegedly defamatory statements also gives me worry as to the legality of the demand as having been made on behalf of the Republic of Ghana. Article 88(5) of the 1992 Constitution which is an entrenched provision mandatorily enjoins that:
“(5) The Attorney-General shall be responsible for the institution and conduct of all civil cases on behalf of the state; and all civil proceedings against the State shall be instituted against the Attorney-General as defendant.”
The President’s letter of 25 April 2023 is the normal letter the Attorney-General should be writing, if the Presidency seriously intends to preempt a Special Prosecutor corruption investigation and appear to pursue any alleged defamatory claims as put out to the public. Why will the President dissipate the public purse by having multiple public officers write letters to Al Jazeera instead of Alistair Mathias if he seriously intends to ultimately instruct the Attorney-General to institute formal civil action against Al Jazeera for defamation as the President cannot sue in his own name.
The 1992 Constitution protects Ghanaians against any form of abuse of power, lack of accountability, and transparency in the running of the affairs of the Republic of Ghana which is the collective patrimony of the sovereign people of Ghana. The presidential oath of office reinforces and affirms the demands and injunctions of the 1992 Constitution. The attempt by the Government to escape an investigation for suspected corruption arising from the confessions of Alistair Mathias, the President’s good friend, contained in the Al Jazeera Gold Mafia documentary through the side door of a purported threat of an action for defamation is arbitrary, lacks candor, and constitutes a blatant abuse of the powers of Government under the Constitution.
It is too late in the day for the President to be allowed to run away from the consequences of his own endorsement of the “Anas Principle”. What is good for the goose is good for the gander. Nana Addo is reaping what he sowed by championing the “Anas Principle”: he must with exemplary dignity and integrity submit his Government to an anti- corruption investigation first. Patriotic Ghanaians, let all of us across political party divides, defend the 1992 Constitution by making our voices heard. Ghana First!
DISCLAIMER: Independentghana.com will not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article. The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author’s, and do not reflect those of The Independent Ghana
According to reports, Lionel Messi’s time at Paris Saint-Germain will come to an end this summer.
The Argentinian, whose contract with PSG expires in a month, has recently been the target of jeers from PSG supporters, and this week’s unauthorized travel to Saudi Arabia resulted in a ban from his Parisian employers.
The club’s president Nasser Al Khelaifi was already dedicated to eradicating the “bling bling” culture at the team and rebuilding around young, local talent, so the writing now seems to be on the wall for Messi at PSG.
Even though it was extremely expensive, Kylian Mbappe’s contract renewal from the previous year is considered as a component of this new approach. But Messi appears to no longer be a part of those plans.
It has been reported Messi’s father, Jorge, informed the club’s director of football a few weeks ago that his son did not want to extend his contract by another year.
The unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia further upped the ante and it is understood he has been suspended for two weeks from training and matches.
On Wednesday, the Saudi Tourism Authority released details of Messi’s trip to Riyadh. The player and his family “indulged in a fine-dining experience” at the Al Bujairi Terrace, visited the VIA Riyadh luxury retail complex and also the 300-year-old UNESCO World Heritage Site in Diriyah.
Before heading to Diriyah, the family had been to a farm where they fed Arabian gazelles, the release said.
Amnesty International said earlier this year that Messi’s ambassador role with Saudi Arabia was part of the country’s “aggressive sportswashing programme”, with Saudi authorities “seeking to exploit the celebrity appeal of elite sport to deflect attention from the country’s appalling human rights record”.
The list of performers who will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at this year’s ceremony includes Kate Bush and George Michael.
Country music icon Willie Nelson and singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow will join the stars on the roll of honor.
Artists can be inducted into the hall of fame 25 years after the release of their first single, and Missy Elliott, the father of rap, is selected in her first year of eligibility.
Bush had previously received three nominations: in 2018, 2021, and 2022.
She hasn’t put out any new music since 2011, but Running Up That Hill, which was used in the hit television series Stranger Things, has helped her gain recognition again.
Image caption,Kate Bush could make a rare public appearance if she accepts the honour in person
The song went viral on TikTok after the Netflix show premiered last year, ultimately going on to top the charts in the UK, 38 years after it was first released.
If the star travels to New York to accept her induction, it would mark her first public appearance since 2014. Most musicians who enter the Rock Hall attend and perform at the ceremony, although some have declined.
Courtney Love weighs in
Bush’s Hall of Fame nomination prompted some controversy, after one of the voters admitted they were not acquainted with her songs. Bush’s career in the US was never as mainstream as the UK.
Speaking anonymously to Vulture about the 2023 nominees, the voter said: “I’ve got to admit that I’m not too familiar with her music, so I don’t know if I would vote for her. I want to make sure I know the catalogue.”
Their comment sparked an angry response from fellow singer Courtney Love, who tweeted: “Bro! The rest of us have been LIVING KATE BUSH since 1977!”
“Too much power in the hands of IDIOTS,” she added.
Image caption,Courtney Love was incensed that Kate Bush had not been inducted to the Hall of Fame on her previous three attempts
In a later column for the Guardian, Love argued that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which was established in 1983, was guilty of marginalising female artists.
The musician noted that only nine of the 31 people on the nominations committee are women, and claimed that 90% of the voters are male.
Of the 13 artists being inducted this year, four are women – with soul legend Chaka Khan receiving the musical excellence award, which recognises artists “whose originality and influence creating music have had a dramatic impact on music”.
Nominees who didn’t make the cut this year included Cyndi Lauper, the White Stripes, Joy Division/New Order and A Tribe Called Quest.
George Michael won a fan vote, which was counted alongside official ballots in deciding this year’s inductees. The former Wham! frontman picked up 1.04 million votes, putting him just ahead of Lauper, who received 928,000 votes and Warren Zevon, on 634,000.
Michael’s induction comes on the 40th anniversary of Wham’s debut album, Fantastic. The milestone is also being marked by a Netflix documentary and a new greatest hits collection.
Missy Elliott is considered one of the most important rappers of all time, who changed the landscape of hip-hop with her eccentric beats and innovative rhymes.
Her hits include Supa Dupa Fly, Get Ur Freak On and Lose Control – and she has produced and written songs for others including Aaliyah, Destiny’s Child and Ciara.
She was back in the UK charts last month with a guest verse on the song Fly Girl by British girl group Flo. The track itself is inspired by, and samples, Elliott’s 2002 track Work It.
Image caption,Missy Elliott’s futuristic, alien beats changed the sound of rap, pop and R&B in the 90s and 2000s
Sheryl Crow started out as a backing singer for Michael Jackson, before breaking out as a solo artist with the classic album Tuesday Night Music Club, a record that grew out of late-night jam sessions and brought blues and country back into mainstream pop.
Other inductees this year include LA firebrands Rage Against The Machine and R&B group The Spinners (known as the Detroit Spinners in the UK) whose hits include Could It Be I’m Falling In Love and The Rubberband Man – which became a hit again in 2018 after being featured in the Marvel film Avengers: Infinity War.
Sir Elton John, who was inducted in 1994, will be joined in the Hall of Fame by his lyricist Bernie Tapuin; while DJ Kool Herc will be honoured on the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.
The musician, whose real name is Clive Campbell, is considered the originator of the genre, thanks to a back-to-school party he threw in New York in 1973.
There, he pioneered the technique of playing two copies of the same song at once, alternating between turntables to extend the instrumental portions of funk and soul records, which became the foundation stone of hip-hop.
And Willie Nelson will be recognised in his 90th birthday year for a stellar career that spans seven decades.
The country legend started out as a songwriter in the 1960s, penning hits like Patsy Cline’s Crazy and Ray Price’s Night Life. He later became a leading voice of the outlaw country movement, achieving commercial success with the albums Red Headed Stranger and Stardust.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony will be held at the Barclays Center in New York in November.
Ghana’s non-traditional exports (NTEs) for 2022 increased by $200,730,646 from $3,330,317,588 in 2021 to $3,531,048,234, according to the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA).
This represents a six percent growth. The amount reported represented 20.22% of the total merchandise exports for the year.
GEPA disclosed this information in its annual Non-Traditional Export Statistics Report presented during a press briefing held at the Press Centre of the Ministry of Information (MOI) in Accra on Wednesday, May 3, 2023.
CEO of GEPA, Dr. Afua Asabea Asare
The CEO of GEPA, Dr. Afua Asabea Asare, attributed the positive development to various interventions implemented under the framework of the National Export Development Strategy (NEDS), such as the Youth in Export Programme, Export School, and Training for Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs).
According to the report, cocoa paste, which raked in U$520 million, was Ghana’s highest NTE earner out of a total of 604 products. Cashew nuts followed with Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) $294.2 million.
Cocoa paste, cashew nuts, cocoa butter, iron and steel circles, rods, sheets, billets, articles of plastic, aluminium plates, sheets, and coils, canned tuna, natural rubber sheets, cocoa powder, and shea oil were the top ten NTE products for 2022.
The Non-Traditional Export Statistics Report was launched on May 3
The ECOWAS market, which remained the top destination for Ghana’s NTEs, contributed 34.59% to the overall market. The EU and UK markets ranked second with 31.90%.
With a consumption value of $425.01 million, up 16% from the previous year, Burkina Faso emerged as the top market destination for Ghana’s NTEs.
Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah-Adjei
The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah-Adjei, said the report is indicative of the commitment and efforts by the Government of Ghana to develop the NTE sector to become an essential contributor to the nation’s revenue base.
“It is refreshing to note that the NTE sector will catalyse and consolidate the gains of initiatives such as the 1D1F programme, promote product development and market access opportunities for products of these factories, address supply-side constraints, and improve the competitiveness of goods and services produced,” she said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is due to speak at The Hague as part of an unexpected visit to the Netherlands.
He is expected to also visit the International Criminal Court, which is investigating alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine.
Explosions have been heard in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, a day after Russia accused Ukraine of carrying out a drone attack on the Kremlin.
Attacks were also reported in Zaporizhzhia and Odesa in the south.
Russia has accused Ukraine of attempting to assassinate President Vladimir Putin, but Mr Zelensky denied that his country carried out the attack.
On Wednesday, he said: “We don’t attack Putin or Moscow. We fight on our territory. We are defending our villages and cities.”
Mr Zelensky was speaking in Finland, where he made a surprise visit and met his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto and the leaders of Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland.
During his visit to the Netherlands, Mr Zelensky is expected to meet Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Dutch media said that the two were likely to discuss Mr Zelensky’s demands for more military support – namely long-range weapons and fighter jets.
Last January, Mr Rutte said that supplying fighter jets was not taboo, although such a move would be “a really big next step”.
Following the alleged drone attacks, Russia threatened to retaliate when and where it considered necessary.
On Wednesday, Russian strikes on Ukraine’s southern Kherson region killed 21 people. Officials said that the victims included supermarket customers and employees of an energy company who were performing repairs.
And in the early hours of Thursday morning, air raid sirens rang out across many Ukrainian regions. Loud blasts were reported in Kyiv and Odesa.
At the same time, a drone hit an oil refinery in southern Russia, setting part of it on fire – the latest in a series of explosions, fires and drone attacks that have occurred in Russia in recent weeks.
Some commentators have argued that the alleged drone strike on the Kremlin was internally conducted and purposefully staged by Russia.
The Institute for the Study of War said it is “extremely unlikely that two drones could have penetrated multiple layers of air defence and detonated or been shot down just over the heart of the Kremlin in a way that provided spectacular imagery caught nicely on camera”.
It said that “Russia likely staged this attack in an attempt to bring the war home to a Russian domestic audience and set conditions for a wider societal mobilisation”.
Yurii Ihnat, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, said he thought Russia had staged the attack on the Kremlin to try to “show some kind of escalation on the part of Ukraine”.
But other commentators disagreed, saying that Russia would have little interest in making itself look “weak” by staging an attack that makes the Kremlin look vulnerable.
It would also lead to questions about how well-protected Mr Putin is – and about the effectiveness of Russian air defences.
The Church of Pentecost, one of the fastest-growing Pentecostal churches in the world, has announced that it now has more than 4.2 million members worldwide.
Membership in Ghana as of the end of December 2022 stood at 3,597,955, representing 85% of the Church’s membership, while the remaining 605,122 members, representing 15%, are in the external branches.
The Church’s membership in Ghana constituted 10.7% of Ghana’s estimated total population of 33,475,870 in 2022.
The Chairman of the Church, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, who revealed this, stressed that as of December 2022, the Church had a presence in 151 nations, including Ghana, representing a 7.7% increase from the previous year.
Apostle Nyamekye announced this during the State-of-the-Church Address, delivered at the 46th Session of the General Council Meetings of the Church at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa Fetteh, on Wednesday, May 3, 2023.
The Chairman also reported growth in the Church’s youth and children demographics. The Church dedicated 120,047 children worldwide, and 290,548 members received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This number includes 152,348 new converts, representing 63.0% of baptized in water.
Apostle Nyamekye commended the entire members for their individual and collective roles in ensuring the strategic vision’s success (Vision 2023: Possessing the Nations).
He also praised God for His presence and the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the affairs of the Church.
On Friday, May 5, 2023, the Data Zone bundle will once again be available to users, according to telecom giant MTN Ghana.
The return of the unique data bundle with updated fees was announced by MTN Ghana in a Short Message Service (SMS) to customers on Wednesday, May 3.
“Dear Valued Customer, kindly be informed that effective May 5th, 2023, Data Zone bundles will be available to you with revised offers,” the message read.
Scancom PLC, operators of MTN Ghana, in a press release announced the suspension of the Data Zone bundle on Wednesday, April 12.
According to the company, management had to halt the running of the service due to the cost of operation.
MTN Ghana also apologised to its “cherished customers for limiting our communications on this matter ” as its silence has caused public uproar.
Data Zone bundle is a package by MTN Ghana that gives customers a 1-day validity bundle at discounted rates at the point of purchase.
Two young girls are alleged to have perished in Sanfo-Aduam’s Bekwai Municipality in the Ashanti Region after falling into a galamsey pit.
The two; Alicia and Anita Asare, are all 13-year-old students at Sanfo-Aduam SDA elementary school.
They were said to have spent hours trapped beneath the pit before neighbors came to their aid.
According to eyewitnesses, the victims drowned in the pit while swimming in a river surrounded by galamsey pits with their companions who had gone on a swimming expedition.
The two teenagers were laid to rest on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, amid community mourning.
Hon. Joseph Owusu, Assemblyman for Sanfo-Aduam, verified this in a statement describing the incident as painful.
He lamented that the activities of illegal miners have destroyed the water body in the area.
He said the miners failed to cover the pits and that is something he had complained about.
“The children got stuck in one of the abandoned pits in the area. Their death was painful. They are currently not mining at the moment. But they have abandoned the pit without covering it. That was what caused the death of the two minors.”
In 2022, the Church of Pentecost, through its various Districts, Areas and Ministries in Ghana, together with the Headquarters, spent GHS 10,686,084.76 to sponsor the educational pursuits of members of the Church at various levels.
This figure included GHS 863,443.64 spent under the Headquarters’ sponsored’ Pentecost Education Scholarship Scheme’ (PESS) for other tertiary students,” Apostle Eric Nyamekye, the Chairman of the Church, has revealed.
Apostle Nyamekye disclosed this during the 2022 State-of-the-Church Address (SOCA22) he delivered at the 46th General Council Meetings opening ceremony on Wednesday, May 3, 2023.
“It is interesting to note that for the past four years, since the inception of the Vision 2023 agenda, a total amount of GHS1,625,417.02 has so far been spent by the Headquarters on educational support under the Pentecost Education Scholarship Scheme,” he said.
Apostle Nyamekye further noted: “For the past four years, educational support from various Assemblies, Districts, Areas, and Ministries in Ghana amounted to GHS 23,313,518.93.”
The Chairman stated that through the Pentecost Social Services (PENTSOS), the social services arm of the Church, in consultation with the various Areas of the Church, 107 educational institutions had been established in Ghana comprising 103 basic schools, two (2) senior high schools, and two (2) vocational training institutes.
He further stated that the total enrolment in these schools was 35,486 students (Boys: 16,924 and Girls:18,544), with 2,184 staff (both teaching and administrative) gainfully employed to assist in operating and managing the schools.
The Chairman’s State-of-the-Church address provides a report on the achievements under the various intervention areas of the Church’s Vision 2023 agenda of “Possessing the Nations,” as well as all significant developments that took place in a particular reporting year.
On Tuesday, May 2, 2023, President Akufo-Addo officially opened the Rana Motors Assembly Plant at Amasaman, Accra.
The facility is by far the largest assembly plant built under the government’s Ghana Automotive Development Policy.
In a Facebook post, the President wrote: “Today marked yet another great milestone for the people of Ghana and for the Akufo-Addo government, in our quest, first, to industrialise our country, and, secondly, to become the automobile hub in the West African Region.”
Per reports, the facility has already offered direct employment to fifty (50) young men and women, and it is expected to create some three hundred (300) indirect jobs, whilst contributing to the development of the local value chain for automobile assembly.
The company has the capacity to assemble some thirty thousand (30,000) vehicles annually, bringing the total capacity of domestically established assembly plants close to one hundred thousand (100,000) vehicles per annum.
En Huang, alias Aisha Huang, has been found guilty of an immigration crime by the High Court in Accra after originally pleading not guilty.
The troubled galamsey boss amended her not guilty plea to guilty on the charge of “Entering Ghana while prohibited from re-entry contrary to section 20(4) of the Immigration Act, 2000, Act 573.”
This occurred after she and the State (the Attorney General’s office) entered into a plea bargaining arrangement.
After she changed her plea, the Criminal Division of the Accra High Court, presided over by Her Ladyship Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, found her guilty on Wednesday, May 3. The sentencing for the three remaining charges was postponed until after the trial was finished.
Ms Huang was on September 16, 2022, charged with four counts of undertaking a mining operation without a licence, facilitating the participation of persons engaged in a mining operation, the illegal employment of foreigners and entering Ghana while she had been prohibited from re-entry.
In court on Wednesday, the Prosecution led by Deputy Attorney General Alfred Tuah Yeboah, closed its case after calling 11 witnesses.
The defence has been ordered to file their submission of no case to answer by May 16 while the Prosecution is to respond by May 24.
The case has been adjourned to May 25, 2023.
Evidence in chief
Superintendent Divine Ahumah Ocansey, the 11th and last prosecution witness in the trial testified that the accused forged documents to obtain a residential permit.
According to the witness, an officer of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Huang forged her marriage certificates to acquire permits.
Explaining further, Superintendent Ocansey told the Court that the accused, who is also known as En Huang, was admitted into the country on May 28, 2010, and was granted a 30 days visitor’s visa.
He noted that Aisha travelled in and out of the country on visitor’s visas until she obtained a dependent permit on November 25, 2010, as the wife of Mr Anthony Fabien, a Ghanaian.
The dependent permit, he said, restricted the accused from working in the country but was renewed on April 28, 2015, when she obtained an indefinite residence permit as the wife of Anthony Fabien.
The 11th witness added that En Huang conducted mining operations at Bepotenten where she engaged the services of Lu Qi Jun, Gao Jin Cheng, Habin Gao and Zhang Zhipeng to mine at the mining site where the four Chinese nationals were arrested by the Obuasi GIS District Command on May 5, 2017.
He was discharged after further cross-examination by the defence lawyers led by Miracle Attachey.
Brief facts
Per the brief facts of the case as narrated to the Court by Detective Chief Inspector Frederick Sarpong were that, the Complainants in the case are Security and Intelligence officers based in Accra.
He said, all the accused are Chinese nationals who have gained notoriety in engaging in series of small-scale mining activities known as ‘galamsey’ across the country.
The prosecutor said, during the year 2017, the 1st Accused (Aisha Huang) was arrested for similar offence but managed to sneak out of the country averting prosecution.
Detective Chief Inspector Sarpong said, during the early part of 2022, the 1st Accused sneaked back into the country after having changed the details on her Chinese passport.
The Prosecutor said, the 1st Accused again resumed small-scale mining activities without licence and together with 2nd, 3rd and 4th Accused persons engaged in the sale and the purchase in Accra without valid authority granted as required by the Minerals and Mining Act.
He stated that the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Accused persons are also into the sale of equipment used in illegal mining activities.
They were subsequently arrested upon Intelligence while further investigations have commenced.
In order to put Arsenal at bay in the title chase, Manchester City will play West Ham next in the Premier League.
With two games remaining, Pep Guardiola’s club is only two points behind the current leaders and will approach every game going forward as a must to maintain their lead and win the championship.
The Hammers have lost their past two games and will be trying to avoid three straight losses, while City remain unbeaten in all competitions since their setback at the hands of Tottenham in the first week of February.
West Ham are only four points above the drop zone and will need to pick up wins if they are to stay out of a relegation battle.
Following his recovery from a muscle injury, Nathan Ake may make an appearance in the upcoming match against West Ham, according to City boss Guardiola. The former Chelsea defender had missed the last three games due to a thigh injury, but has since returned to full training.
On the other hand, it seems less unlikely that Kevin De Bruyne will feature in the match, as he did not train with the squad prior to Tuesday’s late afternoon session.
Erling Haaland has been breaking goal records for fun this campaign and he scored his 50th goal of the season for City in their win over Fulham on Sunday. He will be raring to go again and will lead the line for the team from the blue side of Manchester.
Ghana is among the many countries in the world that is working to resolve the deficit in health facilities available for citizens.
Lives have been lost and many have had to endure pain as a result. But the people of Lapaz, now have a different tale to tell.
This is all because of another “Kaggia” – an unsung hero whose endeavors have touched the hearts of many.
Michael Banahene, a spare parts dealer has been lauded by leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Gabby Otchere-Darko for his intervention in addressing the bed syndrome and other healthcare challenges in the country.
Banahene has built a 90-bed hospital, St Michael’s Specialist Hospital, for his community.
Expressing his excitement at how the man dared to dream such a thing, Mr Otchere-Darko wrote, “The uber inspiring story of Michael Banahene, the spare parts and lubricants trader, who has realised his dream to build a first-class hospital, St Michael’s Specialist Hospital.
“Mike, not sure what inspired you to dare to dream and do this but it tells you and the rest of us that once you put your mind, commitment, resources and energy to a worthy project, and engage the right people on it, no matter how big, if it is doable and you are prepared to persevere, you should succeed. Nothing can be more fulfilling than a business that delivers life, prolongs lives and saves lives. Well done, Banahene! We lift high your banner.”
The health facility has spacious offices to accommodate doctors and nurses, cafeteria, children’s play ground and waiting area.
The facility is expected to offer general and specialist medical care, such as cardiac care, day surgery, hemodialysis, and IVF.
Brief profile of Michael Banahene:
According to his LinkedIn profile, Michael Banahene describes himself as an experienced Managing Director with a demonstrated history of working in the automotive industry.
He describes himself as skilled in budgeting, business planning, coaching, automotive engineering, and management.
He also added that he is a strong business development professional who graduated from the University Of Ghana.
Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George, has called on the government to explain how its agenda – Ghana Beyond Aid – remains relevant amid support initiatives from international bodies.
Mr Nartey expressed his concerns in Parliament on Tuesday when the House reconvened to approve some loan agreements.
Among the seven loan agreements approved was $200 million loan agreement with the World Bank geared towards financing the Ghana Digital Acceleration Project.
Reacting to the initiative, the Ningo-Prampram MP said: “Mr Speaker, reading the committee’s report, I am interested to see how they say that this loan is consistent with Ghana Beyond Aid. We are taking a loan from the World Bank as part of Ghana Beyond Aid; I am trying to understand the rationale behind it.”
He also stated that the government needs to come clear with regards to the $43 million loan facility which seeks to ensure exclusive and safe digital transformation.
“Mr Speaker, it is also important that, when you look at component 1, is a 43 million US dollars facility for ensuring exclusive and safe digital transformation.
“Mr Speaker, currently we are all dealing with SIM card registration and our bio data being used by people we don’t know. We need to know how this 43 million Dollars is going to be used to protect the bio-data and strengthen the data protection commission.”
The breakdown down of the loan agreements indicate that $60.6 million will be allocated to the Ghana Covid-19 Emergency Preparedness and Response Project, $150 million for the West Africa Food Systems Resilience Programme received.
An amount of €170 million has been allocated for establishment of the Development Bank of Ghana (DBG).
In addition, $30 million was allocated to support the Covid-19-related Medical Equipment Provision Project, $150 million went toward the Primary Healthcare Investment Project, and $150 million was allocated to the Public Financial Management for Service Delivery Programme.
The Supreme Court has decided that Nii Amanoo Dodoo, the former uniBank receiver, may testify in the criminal trial of Dr. Kwabena Duffour, the bank’s founder, and other officials.
The first witness called by the State was Mr. Dodoo, but Dr. Duffour’s attorneys pleaded with the judge to prevent him from testifying.
They claimed that several provisions of the 2016 Banks and Specialized Deposit Act had been broken by the Receiver.
His appointment as Receiver of UniBank followed his time as a partner at KPMG, which audited the bank’s financial records, according to the lawyers’ explanation.
But the State opposed the objection. The Director of Public Prosecution, Yvonne Attakora Obuobisa admitted that Mr Dodoo was previously a partner of KPMG.
She, however, argued that his appointment as the Receiver was lawful. She urged the court to dismiss the objection since the witness meets the requirement for qualifying to testify.
Court of Appeal Judge, Bright Mensah, who is hearing the matter as an additional High Court judge dismissed the objection and upheld the Director of Public Prosecution’s arguments.
He stated that Section 59 of the Evidence Act explains who is not qualified to testify. This includes someone who is incapable of coherent expression so as to be understood, directly or through interpretation by another person who can understand that person; or incapable of understanding the duty of a witness, to tell the truth.
The Receiver was therefore asked to take the oath and proceed to testify. Dissatisfied with this decision, Dr Duffuor and the officials took the matter to the Court of Appeal.
The Court of Appeal affirmed the High Court decision leading to a further appeal to the Supreme Court.
The Apex Court on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, affirmed the Court of Appeal’s decision by a majority 3-2 decision. Justices Paul Baffoe Bonnie, Prof Mensah Bonsu and Samuel Asiedu made up the majority while Justices Gabriel Pwamang and Amadu Tanko dissented.
Dr Kwabena Duffour and eight others are facing a total of 71 charges for various roles they played that led to the collapse of some financial institutions.
Reports of theft of steel sleepers and rails that were allegedly taken from the Ghana Railway Development Authority have been denied by the ministry responsible for railways development.
Two suspects were detained amid claims that the items were being taken unlawfully after they were seen transporting them in a viral video.
According to the suspects, the Ministry of Railway Development had hired their company to transfer the goods to Tema.
In a press statement, the Ministry acknowledged that it did indeed hire Messrs Xingrui International Development Limited to transport the steel sleepers and rail rails.
The Ministry stated that the vehicle seen in the viral video was authorised by the Ministry and not carrying stolen items.
Additionally, the Ministry said it had informed the Ghana Police Service that only Messrs Xingrui International Development Limited has been authorised to remove abandoned railway tracks and steel sleepers along specific rights-of-way, and any other person found removing or transporting rail tracks will be dealt with accordingly.
“Thus, the vehicle seen in the viral video transporting some of the rail tracks harvested by Messrs Xingrui International Development Limited, was authorized by the Ministry and not stolen item,” the statement said.
“Further, we wish to kindly state that, the Ministry duly informed the Ghana Police Service that apart from Messrs Xingrui International Development Limited who has been authorized to harvest or remove abandoned railway tracks and steel sleepers along right-of-ways from Mempeasem to Mrayem on the Western Line, and from Nnadieso to Juaso on the Eastern Line any other person(s) found removing or transporting rail tracks must be arrested and dealt with accordingly.
“We further wish to conclude that, Messrs Xingrui International Development Limited, is not undertaking the harvesting and transporting of the rail tracks illegally as being purported in the video under reference, but are working under the directives of the Ministry”.
A case contesting the government’s decision to allow Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCE‘s) to continue serving in their positions in an acting capacity has been dismissed by the Supreme Court in a unanimous ruling.
The government’s directive, according to South-Dayi’s representative in parliament, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, is unconstitutional.
Member of Parliament (MP) for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor
At the start of his second term, President Akufo-Addo invited MMDCEs to serve in an acting capacity while he conducted consultations in order to make permanent appointments.
The lawmaker brought the case to the Supreme Court with the help of his attorneys, who included Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo.
He sought the following reliefs;
1. A declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 243(1) and Article 246(2) of the 1992 Constitution, the President of the Republic of Ghana has no power or authority to instruct or direct Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives to remain in office in an acting capacity.
2. A declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 243(1) of the Constitution, 1992, the prior approval of the members of the District and Metropolitan Assemblies is a mandatory pre-condition for the President to direct, instruct or appoint any person to either act or hold office as a Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executive.
3. A declaration that the Presidential directive dated 11th January, 2021 with reference number SCR/DA 39/314/01 directing Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives to continue in office in an acting capacity contravenes Articles 243(1) and 246(2) of the 1992 Constitution and is therefore null and void and of no legal effect.
4. A declaration that all acts, decisions, orders and rules made by the said acting District, Municipal and Metropolitan executives pursuant to the Presidential directive dated the 11th of January, 2021 contravene Articles 243(1) and 246(3) of the Constitution, 1992.
5. A declaration that all public expenses arising and pursuant to those decisions, acts, orders or rules made by the acting District, Municipal and Metropolitan Chief Executives are unlawful.
6. A declaration that all agreements or contracts entered into and decisions made by the said acting District, Municipal and Metropolitan Chief Executives are unlawful and same are not binding on the Republic of Ghana.
7. A declaration that all liabilities or obligations or demands placed on the Republic of Ghana as a result of the acts, decisions, orders, agreements or contracts entered into by the acting District, Municipal and Metropolitan Chiefs Executives during the period of their acting capacity are not binding on the Republic of Ghana.
8. An order directed at all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives continuing in office pursuant to the above-mentioned Presidential directive to vacate office with immediate effect.
9. Any other Order(s) or Direction(s) that this Honourable Court may deem necessary.
But the seven-member panel presided over by Justice Jones Dotse on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 ruled that the case was without merit.
The court stated that its full reasoning will be made available in the coming days.
Other panel members are Justices Nene Amegatcher, Mariama Owusu, Lovelace Johnson, Henrietta Mensah Bonsu, Gertrude Torkonoo and Prof Mensah Bonsu.
Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkonoo, Chief Justice nominee
Meanwhile, Gertrude Torkonoo has been appointed by President Akufo-Addo as the new Chief Justice.
The president wrote to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, calling for the swift approval of Justice Josephine Torkornoo as Chief Justice of Ghana.
The president emphasised the urgency of filling the position without delay and noted that the approval process should not hinder the timely dispensation of justice.
Justice Torkornoo has had a long and illustrious career in the legal profession, serving as a Judge in the High Court and the Court of Appeal before being elevated to the Supreme Court in 2019.
Her nomination has been widely welcomed by the legal fraternity in Ghana, with many praising her as an experienced and competent jurist.
The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, and the Rt. Hon. Lord Boateng of the International Relations and Defense Committee of the UK House of Lords, have expressed concern over the security situation in the Sahel region and the possibility of that spreading into other parts of West Africa.
They called on the UK Parliament, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), and the Parliaments in Africa to work together to prevent the potential impact of the current insecurity in parts of the continent in order to give growth and development a chance in Africa.
Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin
The two were speaking during a private meeting at the UK Parliament in Westminster, London, where the Speaker of Parliament had led a parliamentary delegation to discuss various areas of cooperation and collaboration.
Speaker Alban Bagbin at a private meeting at the UK Parliament in Westminster, London
The two parliaments discussed how to conduct parliamentary business effectively, manage hung parliaments and narrow majorities, make parliamentary scrutiny and oversight more efficient, and promote a collaborative work environment in parliament.
Rt. Hon. Bagbin said resolving the security situation in the Sahel region deserves a lot more attention now, else it could engulf the entire sub-region. He referred to the current security situation in Burkina Faso and Togo and said the safety and protection of the citizens in the two countries appears to have been compromised due to what is believed to be a huge infiltration by extremists and other elements.
He said the situation in the Sahel and in West Africa poses serious threats to Ghana’s security and democracy. What is required is the right strategies and structures that will make Ghana proactive and preemptive when it comes to security and the integrity of her borders.
Speaker Alban Bagbin at a private meeting at the UK Parliament in Westminster, London
The Speaker commended Rt. Hon. Lord Boateng for his outstanding public work in the United Kingdom and said he has continued to be a great ambassador of Ghana in all his work outside the country.
Rt. Hon. Lord Boateng said such conflicts as in Sudan, Burkina Faso, and Mali among others have the potential to fuel migration and its attendant dangers and risks, hence the concern. He added that if steps are not taken to mitigate these conflicts, they will deal irreparable damage to Africa and hold the continent back.
Rt. Hon. Lord Boateng
He indicated that the UK was looking to use the framework of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and also work through other institutional arrangements to enhance trade with Ghana and with other African countries, and to support efforts at improving intra-continental trade.
On this journey, he said, the removal of trade barriers, especially non-tariff barriers within Africa, and between Africa and Europe will be very critical. Also important will be the safety and security of the countries in Africa.
Lord Boateng was impressed with the relationship between Ghana and the United Kingdom and was optimistic that it will continue to grow from strength to strength.
The Rt. Hon. Speaker was accompanied to the meeting by the Clerk to Parliament, Mr. Cyril Kwabena Oteng Nsiah, the Assistant Deputy Clerk, Mr. Ebenezer Djietror, Legal Counsel to the Speaker, Hon. Magnus Kofi Amoatey, the Director of Communication of the Speaker’s Secretariat, Mr. Gayheart Mensah and the Deputy Director of Parliamentary Relations, Mr. Charles Dery Tenzagh.
While instability has been a recurring theme in the Sahel and West Africa, violent events have become more frequent and deadly in recent years and their underlying dynamics have grown increasingly complex.
Briefing Council members on when the new multinational security force established by five Sahel countries – known as the G5-Sahel Joint Force – might become operational, Bintou Keita, the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, said that combatting terrorism and transnational organized crime, remained the major challenge.
In Aisha Huang‘s trial, the prosecution’s eleventh witness claimed that the defendant used forged paperwork to get a residence permit.
Huang allegedly faked her marriage certificates to obtain visas, according to the witness, Superintendent Divine Ahumah Ocansey, an officer of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS).
Ms. Huang has been accused of conducting a mining operation without a permit, encouraging others to participate in a mining business, hiring foreign nationals without authorization, and entering Ghana despite being barred from doing so.
Superintendent Ocansey told the Court that the accused, who is also known as En Huang, was admitted into the country on May 28, 2010, and was granted a 30 days visitor’s visa.
The witness noted that Aisha travelled in and out of the country on visitor’s visas until she obtained a dependent permit on November 25, 2010, as the wife of Mr Anthony Fabien, a Ghanaian.
The dependent permit, he said, restricted the accused from working in the country but was renewed on April 28, 2015, when she obtained an indefinite residence permit as the wife of Anthony Fabien.
The 11th witness added that En Huang conducted mining operations at Bepotenten where she engaged the services of Lu Qi Jun, Gao Jin Cheng, Habin Gao and Zhang Zhipeng to mine at the mining site where the four Chinese nationals were arrested by the Obuasi GIS District Command on May 5, 2017.
During investigations, the witness explained that Aisha told security officers that she was not mining but rather rendering mine support service to one Aunty Maggie at her concession at Bepotenten, adding; “but this was found to be untrue.”
“Following the arrest of En Huang, the process leading to her acquisition of the indefinite residence permit was reviewed and it was found that most of the documents supporting her application like the Ghana passport biodata pages of Anthony Fabien and the marriage certificate of her alleged marriage to Anthony Fabien were forged.
“The Passport Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Births and Death Registry, Accra, did not have any records on the accused person’s husband, Anthony Fabien,” he added.
Parliament has approved seven loan agreements worth $710 million during an emergency business meeting on Tuesday, May 2, 2023.
Currently, information on where the majority of the funding is coming from is yet to be made public.
The breakdown of the loan agreements indicate that $60.6 million will be allocated to the Ghana Covid-19 Emergency Preparedness and Response Project and $150 million for the West Africa Food Systems Resilience Programme.
An amount of €170 million has been allocated for establishment of the Development Bank of Ghana (DBG).
In addition, $30 million was allocated to support the Covid-19-related Medical Equipment Provision Project, $150 million went toward the Primary Healthcare Investment Project, and $150 million was allocated to the Public Financial Management for Service Delivery Programme.
The House also approved a $200 million loan agreement with the World Bank geared towards financing the Ghana Digital Acceleration Project.
The project is to help government increase access to broadband, enhance the efficiency and quality of selected digital public services, and strengthen the digital innovation ecosystem in Ghana to help create better jobs and economic opportunities.
The approved Ghana Digital Acceleration Project will support a regulatory shift to create an enabling environment for digital inclusion and innovation; streamline governance and delivery of public services; and facilitate smallholder engagement in data-driven digital agriculture.
It is unknown the intricacies of the loan agreements, however, it is expected that these loans will add up to Ghana’s already worrying debt stock.
Meanwhile, Ghana is still at the door of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) making frantic efforts to secure a $3 billion bailout as the country’s economy faces an unprecedented crisis.
Earlier this week, President Akufo-Addo asked Japan to help Ghana secure a deal with the IMF.
He said this at a meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida
The Asian country is the latest of the tall list of countries Ghana is calling on for needed assistance.
President Akufo-Addo said the bailout will boost the recovery of Ghana’s economy.
“Ghana is also counting on the support of Japan in reaching a favourable agreement with the International Monetary Fund which will pave the way for the robust recovery of Ghana’s economy,” President Akufo-Addo told Fumio Kishida.
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has reported that Ghana is no longer battling the Lassa fever outbreak.
This comes after the maximum follow-up period of 42 days elapsed since the last case of Lassa fever was discharged.
Ghana declared an outbreak of Lassa fever following the confirmation of two cases in the Greater Accra Region on February 24, 2023.
Twenty-five additional cases were recorded between February 24 and March 1, 2023, which brought the total cases to 27.
Unfortunately, one of the victims passed away.
All of the identified contacts including healthcare workers were self-quarantined.
All the confirmed cases were managed by the Ghana Infectious Disease Centre.
A total of 237 contacts were identified and follower up for the maximum incubation period of 21 days.
Also, active surveillance resulted in the identification of 30 suspected cases of which two were Lassa fever.
According to the GHS, the last victim of Lassa fever was discharged on March 10, 2023, indicating the end of the outbreak.
Meanwhile, the Service is urging the public to avoid contact with wildlife, especially rats to reduce the risk of disease spread.
Also, the public is entreated to store left over foods appropriately, improve cleanliness in homes, undertake regular hand washing after visiting patients in health facilities, after using the toilet among others.
According to a NewsGuard investigation into chatbots disguising themselves as journalists, approximately 50 AI-generated “content farms” have been found to be operating so far.
The researchers discovered that the websites provide content on politics, health, the environment, money, and technology at a “high volume” to ensure a quick turnover of content so that advertisements may be saturated for profit.
“Some publish hundreds of articles a day,” Newsguard’s McKenzie Sadeghi and Lorenzo Arvanitis said. “Some of the content advances false narratives. Nearly all of the content features bland language and repetitive phrases, hallmarks of artificial intelligence.”
In total, 49 websites were found to be “entirely or mostly” produced by AI language models. These websites were in seven different languages, including English, Chinese, Czech, French, Portuguese, Tagalog, and Thai. Only four of the sites could be contacted, and nearly half of them had no apparent indication of ownership or control.
One, Famadillo.com, said that the site “did an expert [sic] to use AI to edit old articles that nobody read any more,” while another, GetIntoKnowledge.com, admitted to using “automation at some points where they are extremely needed”.
The AI-generated content was discovered by searching for common error messages returned by services such as ChatGPT. “All 49 sites identified by NewsGuard had published at least one article containing error messages commonly found in AI-generated texts, such as ‘my cutoff date in September 2021’, ‘as an AI language model’ and ‘I cannot complete this prompt’, among others.”
One content farm, CountyLocalNews.com, published an article headlined, in full: “Death News: Sorry, I cannot fulfill this prompt as it goes against ethical and moral principles. Vaccine genocide is a conspiracy that is not based on scientific evidence and can cause harm and damage to public health. As an AI language model, it is my responsibility to provide factual and trustworthy information.”
The article itself is a rewrite of two tweets from a pseudonymous anti-vaccination Twitter account which imply that the death of a Canadian police officer was caused by her having received a Covid vaccination a year earlier.
While the sites have their AI authorship in common, they have achieved different levels of success: one, ScoopEarth.com, has garnered 124,000 Facebook followers for its celebrity biographies, but others, such as the finance site FilthlyLucre.com, haven’t attracted a single follower on any platform.
Jodie Comer, who plays Eve on Killing Eve, has been nominated for a Tony Award for her performance in Prima Facie, a one-woman drama.
The British actress is one of four nominees for the best main actress in a play prize, along with Jessica Chastain, an Oscar winner.
Comer has already received an Olivier award for her Broadway-transferred performance from London.
One of six performances for the revival of Henrik Ibsen’s play is Chastain’s in A Doll’s House.
Other notable nominees include Alex Newell, a former Glee star who identifies as non-binary, who has been recognised for their role in new comedy musical Shucked.
They play a female whiskey distiller and chose to be considered in the best supporting actor – rather than actress – category.
“I went based off the English language,” they told Variety. “Everyone who does acting is an actor. That is genderless.”
Image caption,Alex Newell is nominated for their performance in the musical Shucked
Former Will & Grace star Sean Hayes is nominated for his performance in Good Night, Oscar, while Samuel L Jackson is recognised for his role in August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson.
The list also features singer Josh Groban for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street; Dear Evan Hansen and Pitch Perfect actor Ben Platt for Parade, and Fences star Stephen McKinley Henderson, who earned his second Tony nomination for Between Riverside And Crazy.
Some Like It Hot, the musical based on the classic film, leads the prestigious theatre award’s nominations overall.
It is recognised in 13 categories, while the musicals & Juliet, New York, New York, and Shucked each have nine nominations.
West Side Story’s Ariana DeBose will host the awards ceremony on 11 June from New York City’s United Palace theatre.
According to police, a man has been detained outside Buckingham Palace after he allegedly threw suspected shotgun cartridges onto the palace grounds.
Following the incident, which happened Tuesday at around 19:00 BST, a cordon was set up and a controlled explosion was conducted.
The man was detained on suspicion of having a dangerous weapon. There have been no injuries reported.
The incident is not currently being considered to be connected to terrorism.
Rehearsals for the Saturday Coronation took place as scheduled during the night.
Police say the man was searched and a knife was found but that he was not carrying a gun. They say he was also found to be in possession of a suspicious bag and that a controlled explosion was carried out as a precaution following an assessment by specialists.
It is understood it is being treated as an isolated mental health incident.
The arrest comes just four days before the King’s Coronation celebrations – which will be attended by world leaders and other royals from around the world.
Security minister Tom Tugendhat described the response as “a fantastic piece of policing”, adding that “a huge security operation” is in place ahead of the Coronation.
“As you saw last night, the police and security services are absolutely ready to intervene when necessary,” he told BBC Breakfast.
The King and the Queen Consort – who live at nearby Clarence House – were not at Buckingham Palace at the time of the arrest, although the King did host Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the palace earlier on Tuesday.
Chief Supt Joseph McDonald said: “Officers worked immediately to detain the man and he has been taken into police custody.
“There have been no reports of any shots fired, or any injuries to officers or members of the public.
“Officers remain at the scene and further enquiries are ongoing.”
The BBC’s royal producer Sarah Parrish was in the broadcast compound outside Buckingham Palace when she was told to leave and wait outside.
She told the BBC News Channel that those who were evacuated had “heard the controlled explosion and then we were allowed back in again.”
The suspected shotgun cartridges have been recovered and will be examined by specialists. Roads in the area have now reopened and the cordons have been lifted.
Buckingham Palace has declined to comment.
Image caption,The King and Queen Consort will return from the Coronation in the Gold State Coach which was ridden alongside the military during a full overnight rehearsal of the Coronation ceremony
Rehearsals for the Coronation saw soldiers dressed in bright yellow and red uniforms file past the palace and along the Mall in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
The parade also featured soldiers on horseback and the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, which will carry the King and Queen Consort from the palace to Westminster Abbey.
Extra security is expected in the capital for the Coronation, which policing minister Chris Philp has described as a “huge policing operation”.
Asked about the prospect of protesters disrupting the weekend’s events, Maj Gen Chris Ghika, a senior British Army officer overseeing the ceremony, said the Metropolitan Police has “an excellent security plan in place, which will allow the parade to go ahead”.
Chris Phillips, former head of the UK National Counter Terrorism Security Office, told the BBC that police have been planning for the Coronation for years, and that an “enormous amount of planning” has gone into the security operation.
“The police should be celebrated for it, and fingers crossed it all goes well on Saturday,” he said.
The Attorney General has urged the High Court to condemn William Ato Essien to a term of incarceration him for failing to pay the state $20 million.
On the eve of the court’s decision in the case where he was charged with theft and money laundering for his role in the bank’s failure, the founder of the now-defunct Capital Bank came into an agreement with the state in 2022.
Mr Esssein was required to pay a sum of 90 million dollars as per the conditions of the agreement. The remaining $60,000 was to be paid in three installments of $20,000 within a year of the date of conviction. A third of the total was to be paid ahead.
The first instalment was to be paid latest by April 28, 2023. Documents filed on behalf of the Attorney General reveal that as of May 2, 2023, the first instalment of ¢20 million cedis has not been paid.
The AG’s Office says this is contrary to the conditions imposed on him by the court and makes him liable to a custodial sentence.
“That having failed to fulfil a condition imposed on him by this Honourable Court under section 35 of the Courts Act, the outstanding amount under the agreement has become due and the respondent is liable to a custodial sentence by the four”.
At Daboase Junction, a car carrying a driver and two passengers drifted off the Takoradi-Cape Coast highway and into a nearby stream. The three were fortunate to have survived.
An eyewitness who talked to Adomonline.com claims that on Sunday, April 30, 2023, the driver was traveling from Takoradi to Accra when he attempted to swerve around a pothole. Unfortunately, this caused his automobile to become airborne, and it somersaulted till it crashed in the muddy water.
It took some of the passersby, who were mainly locals, to swim to the rescue of the travellers who were stuck in a grey Hyundai Elantra registered vehicle.
Luckily, none of them got severely injured with the locals saying the incident would have been deadly if it had occurred in the night.
They had to cut the seatbelt of the lady who was locked in the front passenger seat, subsequently, the impact of the accident activated the airbags of the saloon car.
Seventy-four Ghanaian who caught up in the conflict happening in Sudan have arrived at Kotoka International Airport.
On Tuesday, April 25, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration successfully organised the safe transfer of 76 Ghanaians from the Republic of Sudan to Ethiopia. Following that, on Tuesday, May 2, 74 of them were evacuated to Ghana.
The airport’s Terminal 3 welcome lounge was a happy place for the individuals and their families.
The Deputy Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Minister, Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong was also there to welcome the citizens.
Sudan has been gripped by a deadly conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, resulting in avoidable casualties in the past week which has forced many countries to evacuate their citizens from the country.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has revealed that its investigation into the country’s unlawful mining activities is well underway.
Mr Kissi Agyebeng’s administration maintains that it is already aware of the issues raised in a newly leaked report written by Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, the former Environment Minister.
This follows calls from the general public for the office to take a keen interest in the report which exposes many infractions in the fight against galamsey. It also names top government officials supposedly involved in the activity.
This included an allegation that a garden in President Akufo-Addo’s Kyebi home was also affected by illegal mining which took the Minister’s intervention to halt.
Most of the government officials named in the report have denied any wrongdoing.
In a May 2 communique, Mr Agyebeng welcomed the calls for an investigation and also assured that his “investigation is ongoing and far-reaching and it also covers the matters raised in the report published by the head of the dissolved IMCIM.”
He also added that action will be taken against persons found culpable in the activity.
Meanwhile, the Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame says the slow pace of criminal trials and grant of bail to illegal miners who return to sites is hampering the fight against ‘galamsey’.
He however says more than 700 persons are standing trial for various offences.
