Former Chairman of the Fomena Constituency for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Akwasi Nti, has revealed why he decided to no longer side with the Alan Kyerematen camp but switch to the Bawumia team.
According to Mr Akwasi Nti, he was abandoned by the former Trade Minister, Mr Kyerematen, during one of his difficult days in the NPP.
Mr Nti noted that on three separate occasions, he was suspended by the party over his support for Mr Alan Kyerematen, but not once did the presidential candidate hopeful ever reach out to him.
“Everybody knew I was a supporter of Alan but I have been suspended three times when I was following him and he never picked up a phone to ask me how I was doing during those difficulties. I have been suspended for three times and nobody called me on the phone from his camp even to find out how I was doing,” he said.
Mr. Akwasi Nti, a former New Patriotic Party (NPP) chairman of the Fomena Constituency
Mr Akwasi Nti says he is now a staunch supporter of Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
“I am for Bawumia and I won’t hide it. I support Dr Bawumia 100% and I want him to succeed,” he said, adding that “I will work to ensure that this vision becomes a reality.”
Mr Akwasi Nti made the statements in an interview with Kumasi-based Angel Fm.
Vice President Dr Mahamadu Bawumia though has not publicly declared his intentions to contest the election, indication by some leadership in the party shows he is likely to contest with many tagging him as the presumptive flagbearer considering the massive support from the grassroots.
The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has set November 4, 2023, as the date for its presidential primaries to select a flagbearer for the general elections in 2024.
Managing Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Samuel Dubik Mahama, has noted that the power producer has so far only been able to recover half of the debt owed it by consumers.
The ECG is owed about GH¢5.7 billion but according to Mr Dubik Mahama, “we have collected in excess of GH¢2 billion.” “That is less than half,” he added.
“But we have one more week to go before I am able to give my figures. I will sit down, do an assessment and then see. Why are people not paying? We will disconnect and prosecute,” he said.
The ECG on March 20, 2023, embarked on its revenue mobilisation exercise which is expected to end on April 20, 2023.
Meanwhile, the ECG has responded to claims that its initiative forms part of conditions Ghana is supposed meet before receiving a credit facility worth $3 billion.
According to Mr Mahama, such reports are false and should be disregarded.
“If someone says this is IMF driven, it is very sad. That means that you don’t want to applaud ECG, because we took our time, and suffered what we had to suffer to get to where we are now. The dashboard showed us where we were leaking, where we were bleeding and what the billing system is saying, and then we lost our moral high ground by sitting in the office and being owed GH¢5.7 billion”.
“So we said let’s all move out in one month and see if we can close the gap and see if we can make everybody happy. Through this exercise, one of the things that will happen is that we will be able to clean our books,” Mr Mahama explained.
The Minister for Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku-Prempeh, has informed the general public of the mismanagement happening at the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) despite the many opportunities government has provided to revive the company.
Engaging the media during the Electricity Company of Ghana’s (ECG) revenue mobilisation exercise on Wednesday, the minister stated that TOR sank a business opportunity in the premix fuel market.
According to him, TOR is currently unable to account for condensate worth over $2.5 million.
“I gave TOR a new business opportunity in the premix fuel market, that all the condensates from Ghana Gas should go to TOR for them to use it for blending and premix fuel. The last time I heard, over $2.5 million worth of condensate has got missing from TOR,” the Minister stated.
TOR has been non-operational for some time now due to significant losses and according to the Energy Minister, a committee was set up to reconcile the losses.
“They have over $500 million in debt sitting there. Go and look at how the debts are accumulated. People bring their crude to refine, and there are crude losses,” he added.
Despite the challenges, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh says government is working relentlessly to ensure TOR is revived.
“Government, I can tell you, is doing so much work to bring TOR together. As we speak, there are proposals lying down in TOR. The Attorney General is having a look, CEGA is having a look, and the finance ministry. We will do all we can to bring it back,” he stated.
Tech company Seagate has been fined $300 million (£241 million) by US officials for allegedly breaking export laws by sending hard drives to China’s Huawei.
After export restrictions were put in place in 2020, Seagate Technology delivered Huawei equipment valued more than $1.1 billion, according to the Department of Commerce.
The fine is the most recent action taken by the US government to halt the export of advanced technology to China.
According to US sources, China’s military may use this equipment.
According to the Commerce Department, Seagate shipped 7.4 million SSDs to Huawei for nearly a year following the rule’s imposition by the previous administration of President Donald Trump.
It continued to do so “even after Huawei was placed on the Entity List for conduct inimical to our national security,” Matthew Axelrod of the department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) said.
“This settlement is a clarion call about the need for companies to comply rigorously with BIS export rules, as our enforcement team works to ensure both our national security and a level playing field,” Mr Axelrod added.
Huawei’s other two main hard drive suppliers had stopped exports to the Chinese firm in accordance with the new rule, the department said.
The penalty will be paid in instalments of $15m every three months for the next five years, Seagate said.
It comes as the US continues its drive to curb sales of technology, such as advanced computer chips, to China.
As part of its efforts to reduce sales of American goods to Huawei due to worries about national security and foreign policy, the US placed Huawei on a list of companies with trade restrictions in 2019.
The technology, according to Washington, might be used by the Chinese military to assist abuses of human rights or pose other threats to US national security.
The charges have been consistently refuted by the Chinese government.
Many Western nations have recently taken action against Chinese technology businesses due to security concerns.
Equipment installation on networks in the US, Australia, Japan, India, and Canada has been prohibited for firms that specialize in 5G technology, such as Huawei, ZTE, and Hytera.
Meanwhile, the UK government has ordered equipment installed by Huawei to be removed from 5G networks by 2027.
Earlier this week, Chinese surveillance technology giant Hikvision denied that it was illegally disguising its products sold to the US government to enable Chinese espionage.
A report by Originally, a safety standards oriented company, has revealed that some exports made by Ghana and its three major gold trading partners from 2013 to 2016 have been unaccounted for.
According to the report on the global illicit economy, an amount of over $6 billion is yet to be accounted for from engagements between Switzerland, India, the United Arab Emirates and the West African country.
The figure is expected to rise significantly if all export and import data between all of Ghana’s gold trading partners were to be examined.
For example from 2013 to 2016, the gold import-export variance between Ghana and Switzerland amounted to over 3 billion dollars. While Switzerland gold import figures revealed that they had imported close to $7 billion worth of gold from Ghana, Ghana’s official records indicated an export of a little over $3 billion.
Ghana is reported to lose over $2 billion annually in unpaid royalties and taxes on gold smuggled out of the country. This information is attributed to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.
Also, Originally identified Ghana, Sudan, Ethiopia and Uganda as major illegal gold trading routes with export destinations being Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, and India.
Originally noted that “Local gold refineries are being extensively used to launder gold from illicit sources in an artisanal mining sector involving several million people, forced labor, and high risks.”
The report comes on the back of an investigative piece by Aljazeera which recently stoked debate about how some Ghanaian officials could be complicit in illicit gold trades and money laundering activities for a group of mafias controlling the gold industry in Africa.
A gold trader exposed in Al Jazeera’s Gold Mafia investigative documentary, Alistair Mathias, has revealed that he smuggles $40 million worth of gold from Ghana monthly.
Alistair Mathias, described by the investigative reporters as a financial architect who builds money laundering schemes for corrupt politicians, said “I’ve been doing it for about 13 years now, 14 years. In Ghana I do one ton. I do $40 million every month out of Ghana.”
He further alleged that President Akufo-Addo is his friend and lawyer.
“Ghana’s president is a good friend of mine. In fact, he was my lawyer,” Mathias was recorded saying.
He has since recanted his statements, and President Akufo-Addo has told Al Jazeera that he has no recollection of acting as a lawyer for Mathias or his company.
The United State government has registered its displeasure against the arrest of Tunisia opposition leader, Rached Ghannouch, and the closure of the opposition Ennahdha party headquarters
On Thursday, a Tunisian judge ordered the imprisonment of Rached Ghannouchi, the Ennahda party leader and a prominent critic of President Kais Saied.
Mr Ghannouchi had been arrested and detained on Monday by Tunisian authorities.
In response, the US Department said in a statement that the arrests of opposition leaders and the banning of opposition meetings represented a “troubling escalation by the Tunisian government against perceived opponents”.
“The government’s obligation to respect freedom of expression and other human rights is larger than any individual or political party, and is essential to a vibrant democracy and to the US-Tunisia relationship,” it said.
Following the altercation on the touchline during their Premier League matchup earlier this month, Tottenham and Brighton have each been fined £100,000.
Both managers, Cristian Stellini and Roberto De Zerbi, were removed to the stands following the incident, which happened in the 58th minute of Spurs’ 2-1 victory over the Seagulls.
Temperaments erupted following a match in which Brighton lost to their opponents after having two goals and a penalty claim overturned by VAR reviews.
When asked about the incident after the game on April 8, Spurs interim head coach Stellini told Sky Sports: “I don’t like to be involved when there is a fight or something too aggressive. I’m quiet and focused on the game.
“I try to do my job. I want to speak only about my team and the game, not what happened between us and them on the bench.”
Fellow Italian De Zerbi responded to BBC Sport: “I am used to always respecting everyone and I want the same towards me.”
The FA charged both clubs for the “mass confrontation” and confirmed the fines on Wednesday, saying: “Both clubs admitted they failed to ensure that their benches conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and did not behave in a way which is improper during the 58th minute.”
Sudan’s conflict between the army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues for a sixth day.
Due to the chaos, residents have been fleeing Khartoum, and this is due to fear about dwindling food supplies and the collapse of medical services.
According to Norway’s ambassador to Sudan Endre Stiansen, the current conditions are “hellish”.
Per reports, about 270 people have died as a result of the unrest happening.
Sudan’s paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces on Wednesday said it set up a call centre to receive distress calls from the citizens and foreigners in the capital, Khartoum.
“The room operates under the supervision of a force comprising various legal, medical and rescue teams, a direct communication mechanism is allocated to serve 24/7, to provide humanitarian aid and contribute to evacuations and resolve insecurities,” the group said in a statement posted on Twitter.
It said the room was located in the RSF’s controlled areas in Khartoum.
Meanwhile, the Libyan National Army (LNA), a group of armed forces loyal to Gen Khalifa Haftar, has denied providing support to a rival party in Sudan amid the deadly fighting.
Gen Haftar heads Libya’s parallel government in control in the east of the country, but which is not recognised by the international community
“The General Command categorically denies reports of providing support to one party against the other,” LNA spokesman Ahmad Mesmari is quoted as saying in statement by the Reuters news agency.
He said the army was ready to play a mediating role between the rival parties in Sudan.
According to his record label, 25-year-old K-pop sensation Moonbin has passed away.
He was discovered unconscious by his manager on Wednesday night at his flat in Seoul, according to police, who were cited by South Korean media.
“He appears to have taken his own life but an autopsy is being reviewed to determine the exact cause of death,” police said.
Moonbin “unexpectedly left our world and became a star in the sky”, a tribute from his label Fantiago said.
He started in show business in the 2000s as a young actor and model. When he was 11 years old, he made his acting debut in the well-known Korean drama series Boys Over Flowers. He joined the well-known boy band Astro in 2016 at the age of 18.
Moonbin belongs to an exclusive group of K-pop celebrities with a career that has lasted his entire life. Although he doesn’t have the same amount of popularity outside as BTS or Blackpink, Rob Schwartz, an Asia correspondent for Billboard Magazine, told the BBC that he is incredibly well-liked at home.
He continued by saying that record producers expect K-pop celebrities to consistently generate hits while they are also subject to enormous pressure from followers on social media to look and sound ideal.
Since 2020, Moonbin had been performing with another Astro member Sanha in a duo. Moonbin & Sanha had been in the middle of a world tour, and their last performance was in Bangkok on 8 April.
The label Fantiago said all of Astro’s members were returning to Seoul on Thursday to gather for Moonbin’s wake. The statement from the label also asked people to “refrain from speculative and malicious reports” so that Moonbin’s family could pay their respects in peace.
Moobin’s sister Moon Sua is also a K-pop singer, part of the girl group Billlie. The siblings had previously spoken in public interviews about their dependence on each other.
South Korea has the highest rate of youth suicide among developed countries. While its overall suicide rate is falling, deaths of those in their 20s are rising. The K-pop industry alone has seen four suicides in recent years.
Singer and actress Goo Hara was found dead at her home in Seoul in 2019. Her close friend, K-pop star Sulli, killed herself after a long struggle with online bullying in the same year. In 2018, Minwoo of boy band 100% died at home, with his label only saying he had suffered cardiac arrest. Jonghyun, the lead singer of SHINee, one of South Korea’s biggest boy bands died in 2017.
Moonbin joined the Fantagio’s trainee programme as a child before eventually joining Astro. The group was originally six performers, but one member left in February 2023.
Astro fans – known as “Arohas” – have been mourning Moonbin’s death. Known as an all-round performer, he had been seen as the boy band’s most celebrated dancer.
Pictures on social media showed fans on Wednesday night laying flowers and post-it notes at impromptu street memorials in South Korea. Fans also strung up purple and silver balloons – colours that had featured prominently at the singer’s last performance in Thailand.
Image caption,Moonbin, left, and Sanha of Astro last year
At a recent concert, while on the “Diffusion” tour with Sanha to promote the duo’s latest EP record, Moonbin told fans that he had been going through a difficult time, Korean broadcaster SBS reported.
“I want to confess one thing, I’m actually feeling really bad. There might have been a lot of signs from which people could notice since the concert started, so I’m also very sorry to you guys.
“I’m working out and trying to pick up things that I’ve left little by little. I chose this job so I need to be happy so that I can make fans happy as well,” he said in a live broadcast over social media.
The duo was set to perform in Macau this Saturday, followed by Indonesia and Japan in May.
The Federal Government of Nigeria’s federal government did not fall behind on interest payments to China for loans, according to the Debt Management Office (DMO) of Nigeria.
According to local media, Nigeria incurred a $90 million (£81 million) penalty after its debt to China increased to $240 million (£217 million) over the previous two years.
The country’s railway lines were supposedly renovated thanks to the financing.
The DMO referred to the accusations as untrue in a statement on Wednesday, asserting that Nigeria was completely committed to honoring its debt obligations and had not missed any deadlines for debt service.
“Nigeria remains unwaveringly committed to fulfilling its debt obligations in a responsible and timely manner,” the statement added.
It urged the public to ignore the reports. As of December 2021, the DMO said, Nigeria’s debt to China stood at $4.1bn. It was, however, silent on the current status of the Chinese loans to Nigeria.
Nigeria has in recent years suffered revenue losses following a spate of attacks on rail tracks and the kidnap of train passengers that resulted in the stoppage of train services on some routes for a while.
Yemen’s Houthi Prime Minister Abdulaziz Bin Habtour has been engaging survivors of the recent crush in Sanaa’s Al Thawra hospital.
He was accompanied by other officials including Health Minister Taha Al-Mutawakel.
Bin Habtour said: “We are firstly checking on the injured and those who died.
“The interior and health minister, members of the public prosecution, the head of the Supreme Judicial Council and all other relevant officials, have proceeded with their legal duties to examine this unfortunate event and to find a serious solution for this to never happen again.
“We are experiencing a great tragedy, a large number of our citizens have died during this stampede.”
It is reported that at least 78 individuals have died in a crowd at a school in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, while receiving donations for Ramadan.
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT: At least 78 people were killed in a stampede in Sanaa, Yemen, as hundreds gathered in a school to receive charitable donations, witnesses and Houthi media said https://t.co/2mbUWIzikgpic.twitter.com/O1OM8s6JLc
Hundreds of people packed inside the school to accept donations totaling roughly $9 (£7) per individual, according to Reuters. The incident took place in the closing days of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month that is distinguished by a period of fasting.
The individuals in charge of allocating the funds have been detained, and an investigation is ongoing, according to the interior ministry.
According to President William Ruto, the country has “managed to put together a programme that has taken us away from looking for USD500 million every month to buy our fuel needs, which was slowly snowballing into a crisis.”
Analysing the fact that Kenya would save USD500 million monthly, Mr Gabby Octhere-Darko quizzed “Are we seeing a new and sustainable global paradigm of de-dollarisation?”
Kenya expects to see an appreciation of the shilling as pressure on the dollar declines.
The dollar has in recent months come under severe scrutiny in its position as the main medium of global trade, Brazilian president Lula da Silva recently questioned the ‘might’ of the dollar asking why countries cannot trade in their own currencies.
In the case of Ghana, the exchange rate was a huge issue through last year, along with galloping inflation and high cost of living; the government admitted an economic downturn which pushed it to seek a US$3 billion bailout with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
According to the Managing Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Samuel Mahama, the company discovered that over 15,000 of its customers in Kwabenya were tapping electricity illegally.
“We carried out ‘Know Your Customer Drive’ in Kwabenya, and we found out that we had over 15,000 customers that we didn’t know,” he said.
He made this known while speaking to Asaase radio on Wednesday.
The ECG boss noted that the power producer has now turned its attention to Adenta.
“We are tagging everybody with a unique QR code, …we want it to be coded so we can have a tailor-made service for you,” he added.
Meanwhile, the managing director of the ECG has served notice to defaulting customers and organisations that it will soon start naming and shaming to further its revenue mobilisation drive.
Appearing on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Wednesday (22 March), Samuel Mahama, said people calling to intervene on behalf of defaulters should desist.
He said “the phone calls should stop because, at the end of the day, you have to do the right thing. Let’s not politicise this.
“As for the calls, they keep coming because we have realised that we are so quick to point out when it comes to state agencies that haven’t paid.
“So, next week if they don’t pick up the slack, we are going to do that name and shame for the people of Ghana to see who the major culprits are.”
“I think the brand Joseph Agbeko has done it all,” he explained.
“As a fighter, I gave my all to make my people happy and proud so I want Joseph Agbeko to be treated as my legacy and I want to live to see the legacy of Joseph King Kong Agbeko.
Agbeko dethroned Luis Alberto Perez to become the new IBF bantamweight titleholder in 2007, before defending it in December 2008.
He also held the Commonwealth bantamweight title from 2004 to 2006; the IBO bantamweight title in 2013; and challenged once for a super bantamweight world title against Abner Marez in 2013.
Following the shooting at a 16th birthday celebration in Alabama over the weekend that left four people dead and 32 injured, two teenage males have been charged with murder.
According to the police, Ty Reik McCullough, 17, and Travis McCullough, 16, were detained on Tuesday night.
Four counts of reckless murder have been brought against each defendant, according to the authorities, and additional charges are anticipated.
The suspects would face adult-level charges, according to a prosecutor.
Officials gave relatively little details at a press briefing on Wednesday, saying that the investigation into the shooting on Saturday in Dadeville was only getting started. There was no mention of a motivation or the kind of weapon used.
Four of the 32 injured people are still being treated at hospitals, and four of them are currently in serious condition, according to the police.
“We are going to make sure everyone of those victims has justice and not just the deceased,” Sergeant Jeremy Burkett of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) said.
The agency added: ” These individuals have been charged after a complex and thorough investigation was conducted with assistance from a multitude of law enforcement agencies.”
Until Wednesday, police had offered few details since the shooting on any suspects in the case.
The deceased victims have been identified as Marsiah Collins, 19; Phil Dowdell, 18; Corbin Holston, 23; and Shaunkivia Smith, 17.
Mr Dowdell died trying to save his sister Alexis, his family has said. He was a star athlete on his high school’s American football team and had been due to graduate to go to Jacksonville State University on a sports scholarship.
One of his friends and school football teammate told the BBC: “Phil to me was an amazing friend. God’s got an angel.”
There were about 50 people at the party, which was held at a local dance studio.
Dadeville, a town of roughly 3,000 residents, is about 60 miles (100 km) northeast of the state capital of Montgomery.
In Al Nassr’s Saudi Pro League match against Al-Hilal on Tuesday, Cristiano Ronaldo committed a wrestling maneuver – Flying Neckbreaker – that seemed more appropriate in a WWE ring.
The Portuguese football star was given a booking by English referee Michael Oliver in the 57th minute of play for putting midfielder Gustavo Cuellar in a headlock and smashing him to the ground. He was given a yellow card.
Oliver, who was invited as a special guest for the championship match, was kept busy the entire time.
Odion Ighalo, a former striker for Manchester United, effectively converted both of the penalties he gave the home team. Oliver also gave Al Nassr a penalty at first, but changed his mind following a VAR review.
The 2-0 loss dealt a significant blow to Ronaldo’s aspirations of winning the Saudi Pro League in his debut season with Al Nassr.
For failing to indulge the Ghana Union of Traders’ Association (GUTA), spokesperson on Governance and Security Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, has rendered an apology on behalf of government.
Parliament on March 24, 2023, approved Excise Duty Amendment Bill 2022, Growth and Sustainability Levy Bill, 2022, Ghana Revenue Authority Bill 2022 and Income Tax Amendment Bill 2022, which have been assented to by President Akufo-Addo.
This took place despite objections from stakeholders in the business industry such as GUTA.
Speaking on TV3 on Wednesday, GUTA’s President Dr Joseph Obeng noted that his outfit feels disrespected as government failed to engage them to come to an agreement.
Accepting the concerns raised by GUTA on the show, Mr Boakye-Danquah apologised to GUTA “for the lack of consultation”.
He, however, disclosed that the bills are not new as being perceived by the stakeholders.
“These bills that have been assented [to] by the President were already in place,” he stated.
“These are amendments that have been made to these bills to further boost our economy.”
Health Minister Kwaku Agyemang Manu has confirmed the failure of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), a social intervention programme introduced by government to provide financial access to quality health care for residents.
Speaking to the media, the minister noted that the NHIS is no longer able to subsidize the cost of medical care of some illnesses as expected due to extortion by some healthcare providers.
“From the end-user point of view, it looks like the health insurance is not working. I am a patient and I know what it is,” Mr Agyemang Many said on Tuesday.
“The complaints that are coming about how those who are subscribed to health insurance are treated in almost all our facilities. So why should we shouldn’t use the harsh word… extorting from the poor patients,” he added.
According to the minister, he has been a victim of health institutions charging unapproved prices and now resorts to paying cash to get quality treatment,
“I pay when I go to Ridge Hospital. I pay when I go to UGMC. I don’t even present my insurance card….,” he recounted.
Government is able to subside medical bills of citizens through the enforcement of the National Health Insurance Levy (NHIL), which is 2.5% levy on goods and services collected under the Value Added Tax (VAT).
Also, government generates funds from “2.5 percentage points of Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) contributions per month; return on National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) investments and premium paid by informal sector subscribers.”
Report coming in is that New Patriotic Party (NPP) supporters in Akyem Swedru constituency of the Eastern Region have threatened to vote against the party should the incumbent MP, Kennedy Nyarko be retained.
The supporters claim that the MP has not been productive as expected with regards development in the constituency.
One of the many issues facing the constituency is the lack of good roads. They noted as Chairman of the Select Committee on Roads and Transport in Parliament, Mr Nyarko should have been able to lobby and get their roads constructed.
They have also accused the MP of ‘’gross disrespect and divisive attitude’’, per reports from Onua News.
Mr Kennedy Nyarko has been in Parliament since 2012.
The Council of State has been urged to reconsider its recommendation about the appointment of Dr. Peter Appiahene and Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani to the Electoral Commission (EC) by the leadership of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Despite the objections voiced by numerous stakeholders in Ghana’s democracy, President Akufo-Addo nevertheless swore in these two.
Article 70(2) of the 1992 Constitution dictates that such appointments be made in consultation with the Council and the NDC believes the Council has a role to play to get the President reverse the appointments.
In its petition dated Monday, April 17, the NDC argued that these appointments if not reversed will hamper the public confidence in the EC.
“Prior to his appointment to the Electoral Commission, Dr Peter Appiahene had played various roles for the New Patriotic Party in the Bono Region. Indeed, he touts himself in his political profile and personal credentials as a ‘strong NPP man with a lot of experience in election issues in Ghana.’”
“It is our considered view that the appointment of a personality with such overwhelmingly partisan credentials into the Electoral Commission will hamper public confidence in the constitutionally independent body and undermine the conduct of free, fair, and transparent elections in Ghana.”
“On the appointment of Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani, our background search reveals that she has well-known New Patriotic Party leanings. Aside from the fact that Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani is herself an activist of the ruling New Patriotic Party, she is married to one Sheikh T.B. Damba, a former Second National Vice Chairman of the NPP, and Ghana’s immediate past ambassador to Saudi Arabia, from 2017 to 2021,” excerpts of the petition said.
The party stated among his political positions in the NPP as follows: • Member of the 2022 Bono Regional Election Committee of the NPP; • Bono Regional IT Director for Election 2020 for the NPP; • Bono Regional D-Day Coordinator for Election 2020 for the NPP; • Member of the National Research and Data Analysis Team for Election 2020 for the NPP; • Regional Collation Officer for NPP Internal Collation for Election 2020; • Member of the Bono Regional Communication Team of the NPP.
Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia who is yet to declare his presidential ambition has received enormous support and endorsement from political figures ahead of the 2024 general elections.
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), on the other hand, as expected, believes the Vice President poses no threat to their quest for power come 2025.
But pollster, Ben Ephson, who has waded into the conversation asserts strongly that victory will be the New Patriotic Party’s, however, on the condition that Dr Bawumia is made flagbearer.
According to Mr Ephson, the Vice President is assured of victory for two reasons – he is accepted by the Christian community and the fact that all Muslims would choose to have one of their own as President.
In an interview with Onua TV in early April, Mr Ben Ephson said “If Bawumia is made the flagbearer of NPP, he comes with two main advantages; that is many Christians feel comfortable with him even though he is a Muslim and Muslims who used to vote for the NDC would switch and vote for NPP.”
The Managing Editor of Dispatch also noted that the Muslim community would side with the ruling party as they feel used by the NDC over its inability to provide a Muslim running mate.
“The Muslims have now noticed that the NDC has taken them for granted for far too long because they don’t take Muslims for even running mate,” he asserted.
Although Vice President Dr Bawumia has not made an official statement on running in the next presidential election, some Ghanaians believe the Vice President is lacing his boots to do so.
They hold this assertion because of the statement – “It is Possible!” – shared by Dr Bawumia on his social media pages on April 4, 2023. He has on several occasions spoken about the NPP’s ability to break the 8-cycle governance.
Should the Vice President register interest, he is expected to go up against former Trade Minister, John Alan Kyerematen, former Agric Minister, Dr Afriyie Akoto, former Minister of Energy, Boakye Agyarko, Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, Presidential Spokesperson and General Secretary of the party, Kwabena Agyepong, former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Joe Ghartey, who is also the MP for Essikado-Ketan; a former MP for Mampong, Francis Addai-Nimoh, and a former Minister of State, Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, who is also a former MP for Offinso North.
The ruling party has announced that nominations for the Presidential primaries will open on May 26, 2023, and close on June 24, 2023. On November 4, 2022, the NPP will hold its National Congress to elect its flagbearer for the next general elections.
Ghanaian journalist, Umaru Sanda Amadu, is displeased with the government’s decision to provide Muslims with only one public statutory holiday to commemorate this year’s Eid-ul-Fitr.
In a Twitter post, the Citi FM\TV journalist argued that currently, it is unknown exactly which day Eid-ul-Fitr falls as no one has been able to sight the new moon yet.
For Mr Sanda Amadu, it is unacceptable, although understandable that the Minister of Interior, Ambrose Dery, went ahead to announce Saturday, April 22, as Eid-ul-Fitr which would later be observed on Monday, April 24, since it falls on a weekend.
“No Muslim is certain when the Eid-ul-Fitr will be! But Ghana’s Minister for The Interior has already stated that it’ll be on Saturday. I don’t blame him. By law, he’s supposed to announce a Holiday, days ahead which he does after consultations.
Muslims know that the Eid…could be on Friday or Saturday, depending on whether or not we sight the new crescent on Thursday evening,” Mr Sanda Amadu wrote.
It is expected that the new crescent will be observed on Thursday evening but that information is not guaranteed.
Mr Sanda Amadu therefore believes it would be wise enough to declare two holidays to ensure Muslims are not deprived should the moon be witnessed on Thursday evening or later than the expected date.
“Muslims deserve two days holiday for Eid because from the foregoing, if Eid falls on Friday, which is possible, Muslim workers can’t celebrate because it’s not a holiday!” he suggested.
could be on Friday or Saturday, depending on whether or not we sight the new crescent 🌙 on Thursday evening. Muslims deserve two days holiday for Eid because from the foregoing, if Eid falls on Friday, which is possible, Muslim workers can't celebrate because it's not a holiday! pic.twitter.com/AfYTPYrJdP
As it stands now, “His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Ghana, has by Executive Instrument (E), in accordance with Section 2 of the Public Holidays and Commemorative Days Act, (Act 601) declared Monday, 24th April 2023 as an additional public holiday”.
Eid-ul-Fitr serves as an avenue for Muslims to crown Ramadan. This year’s month-long fasting by Muslims started on March 22, 2023, to mark the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.
Ramadan
Ramadan is the Arabic name for the ninth month in the Islamic calendar.
It is considered one of the holiest months for Muslims and is marked by a period of fasting, considered one of the Five Pillars of Islam, which include faith, prayer, charity and the pilgrimage to Mecca.
Muslims have an early morning meal before dawn, known as suhoor or sehri.
They do not eat or drink anything including water until they break their fast after sunset for the evening meal, called iftar or fitoor.
Fasting is observed only by those in good health.
Some Muslims are exempt:
Those who are sick or ill and whose health will be affected by fasting
Children who have not reached puberty – although some begin to practise fasting before then
Health Minister Kwaku Agyemang-Manu has criticized the frequency with which the general public sues medical personnel for alleged subpar care and malpractice at specific hospitals in the nation.
At a meeting in Kumasi, Mr. Agyemang-Manu addressed senior Ghana Health Service management and mentioned that his office had just received letters from the Attorney General’s office from people suing medical professionals for some services they provided.
The concerned minister claimed that such incidents were increasing in frequency.
“What I’m seeing in the Ministry are issues of litigations. For the past few weeks, almost every week, at least we get one letter from the Attorney General’s office. Somebody has sued a staff or doctor with problems with care or service delivery, and they want us to come out with information to go to court. Earlier on, when I came, the issues were not that much, but it’s becoming very common”.
He therefore pondered if it was a case of lack of professionalism or negligence on the part of healthcare providers.
“So what is it? Deliberate efforts to try to go to court? Or for us to go to court? Have we forgotten how we were trained to be professionals? Negligence or what’s happening? Since you are senior managers of care of what we do in health, discuss how these court matters can be resolved”.
He also tasked the health care providers to ensure the National Health Insurance Policy achieves the purpose for which it was initiated.
“The poor woman in the rural areas who do not have money to pay for service, please begin to think of them as well. My plea is that NHIS delays, but why do we extort monies from the poor patients? You understand what catastrophic expenditures are,” the Health Minister complained.
A former interior minister from the Gambia has been accused of crimes against humanity and other offenses by Swiss prosecutors.
They charge Ousman Sonko of complicity in and failing to stop deliberate attacks against Yahya Jammeh’s opponents.
In the authoritarian government of Mr. Jammeh, who ruled The Gambia for more than 20 years after gaining control in a military coup in the mid-1990s, Mr. Sonko held a number of important positions.
Mr. Sonko is accused by the prosecution of supporting and taking part in repression up until 2016.
A memorandum circulating on online tabloids reveals that the Board of Directors of GIHOC Distilleries Company Limited has set up an interim management committee to handle the day-to-day running of the State-owned Enterprise (SOE).
This committee will remain relevant till Mr Maxwell Kofi Jumah, the Managing Director of the company who has taken ill, returns to take over matters.
Lawyer Annette Obenewaa Adutwum, Hon Richmond Sam Quarm and Mr. Damiel Odame according to the Memo will act as Chairperson, Vice Chairman and Member respectively per the memorandum dated April 17, 2023.
It is unknown to the public what Mr Maxwell Kofi Jumah is battling with regards to his health.
Some recent images of his in the media show that Member of Parliament (MP) for Asokwa Constituency in the Ashanti Region has lost some significant amount of weight.
The now and before of Mr.Maxwell Kofi Jumah
News of the physical changes of the GIHOC Boss broke when he was seen at a Dr. Bawumia’s campaign group activities.
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has come under fire from US Professor of Economics, Steve Hanke for what he describes as assigning blame for Ghana’s current economic distress.
According to Prof Steve Hanke, Mr Ofori-Atta is denouncing the role he has played in Ghana’s debt worsening.
Ghana is yet to receive a $3 billion credit facility from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) due to delay in receiving assurance from its external creditors.
Responding to the issue, Prof Hanke said “Ghana’s Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta is disappointed that foreign lenders had been ‘slow to act’”.
As 33 African countries suffer from record debt burdens, Ghana’s finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, is disappointed that foreign lenders had been 'slow to act.' Instead of recognizing MISMANAGEMENT, he's blaming the CREDITORS for Ghana's debt burden. https://t.co/j1BT2zmNvC
In the midst of ongoing hostilities in the nation, a schoolteacher in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, told the BBC that one of his students was struck in the head by a stray bullet.
Residents were becoming accustomed to the “scary” condition, the instructor, who went by the name Mo, told the BBC’s Newsday show on Wednesday.
“No one is listening or respecting the ceasefire,” he claimed, stating that loud artillery booms could be heard on Wednesday morning.
The teacher asked to transfer the interview to a safer location as gunfire temporarily interrupted the conversation.
A makeshift grave for a student killed on campus surroundings at the University of Khartoum
Credit: Facebook
Mo said food supplies were getting less and less every day as shops and supermarkets remain closed. “Electricity is stable but any moment it can go off,” he said.
Schools and universities are calling on humanitarian organisations to help evacuate dozens of stranded people and students.
But Ghazali Babiker, Sudan’s acting director for the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières, said that even aid agencies trying to help have been cut off.
“With this war no-one can walk out on the street. Everyone is trapped in their location,” he said.
It came as the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) traded blame for violating a 24-hour humanitarian truce that was declared on Tuesday.
Nearly 200 people have been killed in the fighting which began on Saturday.
As part of efforts by government to address the menace of flooding in Accra, the La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly is set to demolish about 785 buildings on waterways.
This is in conjunction with the President Akufo-Addo’s directive to ensure that buildings that impede the free flow of storm water in drainage channels are cleared.
Addressing the press on Monday, the Minister for Works and Housing Francis Asenso-Boakye (MP) disclosed that the Assembly is currently working on the necessary logistics to undertake the assignment.
The sector minister observed that while government is determined to build resilient communities that can withstand and reduce the incidence of flooding especially in Accra, certain human activities have hugely contributed to thwart the investments in the provision of drainage infrastructure.
The Minister observed that activities of developers in areas such as Tseaddo, Kpeshie Reserves, Railway Reserve Line at Roman Ridge, Villagio site, Amanfro as well as Teshie Bush Road in the Ledzokuku Municipal Assembly have led to the destruction of buffers meant to hold storm water.
Other human activities, Asenso-Boakye revealed, have reduced the capacity of some rivers, resulting in backflow which in the process flood communities upstream, noting that these illegal activities are widespread in many parts of the country.
With every attempt to stop the illegal reclamation of lands which is fiercely resisted by armed land guards, Asenso-Boakye disclosed that the Ministry has engaged the support of the Ministry of National Security for the Assemblies to enforce planning laws and building regulations as a way of halting the haphazard development on wetlands and other water bodies across the country.
“I asked the Assembly to ensure the work stops and further action taken against the developers, “the minister added.
They engaged in meter bypass, meter tampering and direct connections, thereby consuming electricity of 868,000 kWh worth GH¢1,100,000.
Public Relations Officer, ECG Accra West Region, Fred Baimbill-Johnson, disclosed that the said amount has been recovered.
According to him, the sophistication of the illegalities identified shows a resolve by some customers to deny the company of revenue from the electricity they use.
“Power has been disconnected to these customers. They have been surcharged for the electricity they used without paying and charged a penalty fee for engaging in the illegalities. Also, depending on the gravity of the offence, we will hand some cases over to the police for prosecution,” Mr Baimbill-Johnson said.
He added that the company hopes that these cases will serve as deterrents to other customers to desist from any acts of illegality against the company.
Staff of the ECG have since the 20th of March been on an exercise to visit all customers to demand the payment of debts owed the company and audit the health of its meter installations.
The ECG Accra West General Manager, Ing Emmanuel Akinie revealed that the company is investing heavily in technology to help identify customers who engage in illegalities.
“We have introduced some smart meter solutions on pilot basis, which give us real-time updates of what is happening on a customer premises. It signals our office once the meter-case is opened, bypassed or tampered with” he said.
Ing. Akinie signaled plans to roll out more of such smart meters to aid in the fight against illegalities.
The Accra West region has eight operational districts. These are Ablekuma, Achimota, Amasaman, Bortianor, Dansoman, Kaneshie, Korlebu and Nsawam.
The West African Examination Council (WAEC) Ghana, has made public the timetable for the 2023 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
In a public notice, WAEC revealed that the first paper, Religious and Moral Education 2, will be written on Monday, August 7.
The other subjects to be written on the said day include: Religious and Moral Education 1 (Objective), English Language 2 (Essay), and English Language I (Objective).
The candidates will write Integrated Science 2 (Essay), Integrated Science 1 (Objective), Ghanaian Language and Culture 2 (Essay) on Tuesday, August 8, 2023.
WAEC explained that both Papers “(2 & 1 for each subject are to be taken in one sitting without break. Where the duration indicated on the question paper differs from what is on the timetable, the one on the question paper should be followed”.
The Council stated that that extra time will be given to candidates with visual and hearing impairment.
“Extra time for candidates with visual and hearing impairment. Candidates with visual and hearing impairments are to be allowed an additional 50% of the time allotted to other candidates,” WAEC added.
According to the GSMA’s annual ‘State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money 2023’, published today, mobile money services are growing faster than predicted around the globe, as digital services continue to rise in popularity.
The report, published annually by the GSMA and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, demonstrates that rates of adoption are even quicker than expected, with the number of registered mobile money accounts growing by 13% year on year, from 1.4 billion in 2021 to 1.6 billion in 2022.
While it took the industry 17 years to reach the first 800 million customers, this is extremely significant growth as it has taken just five years to reach the next 800 million.
In 2022, daily transactions via mobile money reached $3.45 billion, exceeding the $3 billion amount predicted in 2021. Total transaction value for mobile money grew by an incredible 22% between 2021 and 2022, from $1 trillion to around $1.26 trillion.
However, in many areas worldwide, more work is still needed to help give underserved communities access to safe, secure and affordable financial services. With 1.4 billion people worldwide remaining unbanked, the GSMA Mobile Money Programme is working with mobile operators and industry stakeholders worldwide to create a robust mobile money ecosystem, increasing the relevancy and utility of these services and ensuring their sustainability.
The 2023 report shows there are now 315 live mobile money deployments across the globe, with peer to peer (P2P) transfers and cash-in/cash-out transactions still among the most popular use cases. Bill payments using mobile money grew by 36% year-on-year – faster than any other use case – and the industry continues to focus on use case diversification, playing an important role in digitising economies.
Pandemic-driven uptake
As the world increasingly moves on from COVID-19, mobile money services have continued to show resilient growth that was instigated during the pandemic. Up to 400 million accounts were added during the pandemic alone. This rapid uptake is largely due to the technology’s role in enabling millions of people across low- and middle-income countries to access digital financial services. This upward trend continues, with the number of accounts active on a 30-day basis also growing by 13 per cent year-on-year to 401 million in 2022.
The report also shows that, during 2022, mobile money-enabled international remittances grew by 28% year on year – to $22 billion. During the pandemic, many diasporas sent more funds via mobile money to friends and family than ever before. As a result, international remittances grew significantly in both 2020 and 2021, as many senders favoured mobile money for its efficiency, speed, safety and cost-effectiveness. The trend continued in 2022, albeit at a slower rate.
Closing the gender gap
Mobile money is also continuing to drive financial inclusion for the world’s unbanked, particularly amongst women in rural communities, where access to mobile money can play a transformational and empowering role.
However, according to the latest GSMA data, there is still a mobile money gender gap that has shown signs of widening over the last year, particularly in India, Indonesia and Pakistan. Mobile phone ownership is one of the main drivers of the mobile money gender gap, however, a number of other barriers and cultural norms also prevent women from adopting mobile money. As a result, women in low- and middle-income countries are currently 28% less likely than men to own a mobile money account.
Growing agency networks
The number of mobile money agents also increased significantly last year, with a 41% increase between 2021 and 2022. The overall number of agents went from 12 million in 2021 to 17.4 million in 2022. The number of active agents increased by 25% to 7.2 million in 2022. A lot of this growth came from Nigeria, where a more liberal regulatory regime meant an increase in mobile money providers. Agents continued to prove to be an invaluable part of mobile money services and were responsible for two-thirds of all cash-in transactions in 2022.
“It is promising to see the continued growth of mobile money worldwide. Mobile money has afforded millions of unbanked and underserved people in low- and middle- income countries access to digital financial services, for the first time,” said Max Cuvellier, Head of Mobile for Development, GSMA.
“However, even with this significant growth, there is still a long way to go to bring those services to over a billion people worldwide who remain unbanked. The GSMA is therefore encouraging governments worldwide to keep developing the enabling policies that can support mobile money deployments and further boost the growth of this crucial ecosystem. Doing so helps accelerate the digitization of national economies and build financial resilience, allowing communities to support themselves in uncertain times,” he added.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has been accused of attempting to break into several homes in Sudan and loot.
According to gender justice and democracy campaigner Hala Y Alkarib, she has been collecting testimony from friends and colleagues across the capital city, Khartoum.
She asserts that the RSF lacks a supply chain and is therefore relying on looting.
There is nobody to protect the people, she says, “because the Sudanese military and Sudanese police – both of them former partners of the RSF – are not quite oriented to provide or extend protections to civilians”.
With shops shut and power supplies intermittent at best, she says Khartoum’s inhabitants are at high risk – because many on the outskirts rely “100% on the informal economy” and people living in the centre used to have to leave the city to be able to put food on the table but now can’t.
There is nowhere to go, because it’s actually way more dangerous to step out because there is no safe routes, there is no instructions from the military, in terms of where to go. There is no hotlines, it’s extremely random. Some people are trying to leave the city but it’s extremely complex because, from what we’re hearing, there is also pockets of fighting that’s extending around Khartoum,” Hala Y Alkarib Gender Justice and Democracy Campaigner added.
Meanwhile, Sudan’s army has rubbished claims by its paramilitary RSF rivals that a day-long ceasefire agreement had been reached, calling it mere propaganda.
“We are not aware of any coordination with the mediators and the international community about a truce, and the rebellion’s declaration of a 24-hour truce aims to cover up the crushing defeat it will receive within hours,” a Sudan Armed Forces spokesman states on the Army Twitter page.
“We have entered a critical phase and our efforts are focused on achieving its objectives at the operational level,” the army statement adds.
Accra Great Olympics of the Ghana Premier League’s Saint Osei PRO has disclosed that the team is relocating owing to costs.
The Ghana Football Association yesterday authorized the Great Olympics’ appeal to shift their home matches to their alternate match venue in Sogakope for the balance of the season.
At the beginning of the season, the Club Licensing Committee of the GFA licensed the Accra Sports Stadium and the WAFA park for use by Accra Great Olympics FC as their primary and backup sites, respectively.
“Yes, it is true we have changed the venue because of cost at the Accra Sports Stadium for now. You know that our position on the league table is not good and now we need intensive camping,” he is said to have said on Peace FM.
“We need to play on astroturf WAFA Park is our alternative park so we want to acclimatize ourselves with the place and play the rest of our matches there. But mainly from costing if you juxtapose that with Accra Sports Stadium this one is far far better.”
According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the Sudanese health system “will almost go into a collapse” if fighting lasts much longer.
It said that providing humanitarian help in and around the capital Khartoum was all but impossible.
According to Reuters, the chairman of the IFRC mission for Sudan, Farid Aiywar, told reporters on Tuesday that there had been calls from organizations and residents besieged in the city “asking for evacuation.”
The combat between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has resulted in around 200 fatalities and more than 1,800 injuries.
Interest in the Ghana U-17 team has increased as a result of the Black Starlets‘ victory at the UEFA U-16 Development tournament.
After defeating Switzerland to win their third straight match, the two-time World Cup champions, who have struggled to make an impact recently, were crowned champions at the young development tournament in Serbia.
Ramsey Asumadu’s two goals and Bosman Debrah’s goal gave the two-time world champions a 3-2 victory over Switzerland.
The recent stellar performance of the Black Starlets has reignited interest in the U-17 squad.
The team had a flying start to the tournament after inflicting a 4-0 win over host country, Serbia, where Benjamin Tsivanyo bagged hat-trick.
Karim Zito and his charges made it back-to-back victories after beating Spain in their second game.
Despite being reduced to nine men in the second half, the Black Starlets held on to secure all three points with a 3-2 win.
The West African powerhouse wrapped up with a win over Switzerland. The team scored ten goals and conceded four in the three matches played at the tournament.
Meanwhile, Benjamin Tsivanyo clinched the goal king gong after scoring five goals in three matches.
The presence of some Egyptian soldiers in neighboring Sudan who are not taking part in the present battle has been confirmed by Egypt’s President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi.
He said that they weren’t taking sides in the battle between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary organization and that they were only there as part of a cooperative training initiative.
A video that the RSF said showed Egyptian soldiers “turning themselves in” at the Merowe military air base in northern Sudan was released on Twitter on Saturday.
“I hope we retrieve these forces at the fastest earliest time,” Mr Sisi said.
The president made the comments during a meeting with the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces on Monday, part of which was broadcast on the privately owned Extra News TV.
He said Egypt would not interfere in Sudan’s “internal affairs”, but added it could play a role in mediating between factions “to encourage them to cease fire”.
Within a day of its launch, the GoFundMe page for high school student Ralph Yarl, who was shot twice after ringing the wrong doorbell, had amassed more than $2.6 million.
According to the GoFundMe website, Yarl, a Black youngster from Kansas City, Missouri, was shot on April 13 while picking up his younger twin brothers.
The GoFundMe was arranged by Faith Spoonmore, who identified herself as Yarl’s aunt, and explained that the 16-year-old didn’t have his phone with him and went to the incorrect block in a middle-class neighborhood.
After someone answered the door, Yarl was shot in the head, and after he went to the ground, he was shot again, according to Spoonmore.
Spoonmore described Yarl as a “fantastic kid” who attended scholar programs, plays the bass clarinet in his school orchestra and jazz band, and is a member of his school’s science olympiad team and student technology association.
Yarl also seeks a music scholarship at Texas A&M, where he hopes to study chemical engineering, Spoonmore added.
“Ralph was looking forward to graduating high school and finally getting the opportunity to visit West Africa before starting college,” Spoonmore wrote.
The funds raised on the GoFundMe page come from more than 68,000 donations, and have already exceeded the fundraiser’s goal of raising $2.5 million. The money is to be used for medical bills and therapy, wrote Spoonmore. Additional funds left over are earmarked for Yarl’s college expenses, his trip to West Africa, and “other expenses,” she added.
She wrote that Yarl is “doing well physically,” but has “a long road ahead mentally and emotionally” to recover from the shooting.
Yarl was released from hospital on Sunday, is able to walk, and is recovering at home, his father told the Kansas City Star.
Police on Monday identified the shooter as Andrew Lester, an 85-year-old white man. He is charged with armed assault, the Clay County prosecutor said.
Multiple celebrities and national figures have condemned the shooting.
“A young Black boy HAS THE RIGHT to accidentally go to 115th Street instead of 115th Terrace WITHOUT BEING SHOT,” musician Questlove wrote on Instagram.
During the Black Starlets’ triumph over Switzerland to win the inaugural UEFA U-16 Development Tournament in Serbia, former Black Stars head coach Milovan Rajevac was spotted.
Rajevac, a former member of the West African superpower, got together with them again to support the young team.
In the years 2008–2010 and 2021–2022, the Serbian manager led the Black Stars. After a disastrous second stint as coach of Ghana, he was fired.
After defeating Switzerland to win their third straight match, the two-time World Cup champions, who have struggled to make an impact recently, were declared champions in Serbia at a young development competition.
A brace from Ramsey Asumadu and Bosman Debrah’s strike ensured the two-time world champions secured a 3-2 win over Switzerland.
The Black Starlets outstanding performance has rekindled interest in the U-17 team while tipping them for greatness.
The team had a flying start to the tournament after inflicting a 4-0 win over host country, Serbia, where Benjamin Tsivanyo bagged hat-trick.
Karim Zito and his charges made it back-to-back victories after beating Spain in their second game.
Despite being reduced to nine men in the second half, the Black Starlets held on to secure all three points with a 3-2 win.
The West African powerhouse wrapped up with a win over Switzerland.
The Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) has revealed that its Executive Director, COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, has frozen a total of 95 cars with authorisation from a High Court.
However, these vehicles are not in the possession of EOCO.
According to EOCO, anybody who is in possession of any of the vehicles “is hereby requested to report with the said vehicles and all necessary documents to EOCO not later than 3rd May, 2023.”
EOCO stressed that it will take steps to have the vehicles confiscated in accordance with the law after the said deadline.
These are vehicles believed to have been stolen and smuggled into the country. EOCO noted that information privy to the organisation indicates that about 400 luxury vehicles suspected to have been stolen from the USA and Canada are in the country.
The said vehicles were alleged to have been obtained through fraud and other crimes and shipped into the country, with some being displayed for sale in a number of garages in Accra.
Individuals and businesses will relatively pay higher for goods and services in the coming days, the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI) has warned.
The Chamber made this revelation after President Akufo-Addo assented to the new tax bills – Excise Duty Amendment Bill 2022, Growth and Sustainability Levy Bill, 2022, Ghana Revenue Authority Bill 2022 and Income Tax Amendment Bill 2022 – passed by Parliament.
According to Chief Executive of GNCCI, Mark Badu-Abaogye, consumers will have to bear the additional cost that will arise from the new taxes measures.
This, he said has become necessary as businesses are already struggling to stay afloat following COVID-19 and the current economic crisis, hence the need for consumers to adjust their budget.
“These taxes are going to force businesses to pass on the cost in the form of prices to customers. So we should brace ourselves for an increase in prices of goods and services.
“Businesses are not even making profits and cannot absorb these taxes. If you take the excise duty for instance, businesses will have no option than to push the prices to consumers.”
Citing the Growth and Sustainability Levy Bill, he noted that taxing collapsing businesses 5% on their profits will inevitably lead to their shut down.
“If you take the Growth and Sustainability levy, the businesses are not making profits and you want to tax 5% out of it. So, what we’re saying is that we don’t want businesses to collapse”, he said.
“I don’t think the IMF will be happy to see our businesses collapse because the amount of money that we will spend resuscitating the businesses and bringing them back to profitable level will be more than the $3 billion that we are looking for”, he added.
Following the amendment of the Excise Duty Bill 2022, Ghanaians will pay 20% of excise duty on sweetened beverages and 50% on alcoholic beverages.
Prior to the amendment of the Income tax bill, the government charged (5, 10, 17.5, 25 and 30 per cent) respectively on all income of an individual in employment, whether it is received in cash or in kind.
Full details of the current rates are yet to be made available to the public but it is certain that Ghanaian workers and consumers will pay more.
Report coming in is that Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Torkornoo has been shortlisted to take over the position of Chief Justice after Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah retires.
These are unconfirmed reports as President Akufo-Addo is yet to officially communicate his appointment.
Chief Justice Anin-Yeboah is expected to retire from office as he turns 70. A new Chief Justice will be appointed by President Akufo-Addo to steer the helm of affairs from May 24, 2023.
Should the new Chief Justice be Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Torkornoo as reported, she will become the third female Chief Justice in the history of Ghana, following the footsteps of Justices Georgina Theodora Wood and Sophia Akuffo.
Profile ofHer Ladyship Justice Gertrude Torkornoo
Justice Gertrude Torkornoo who turns 62 in September this year completed her Professional course in law at the Ghana School of Law in 1986.
After law school in 1986, Justice Gertrude Torkornoo did her national service with the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Legal Aid Center in Accra.
Her pupillage was with Fugar & Co, where she went on to become an Associate and later, a Director of the firm. In January 1997, she set up Sozo Law Consult and became the Managing Partner.
After 18 years of law practice, Justice Torkornoo was invited to join the judiciary in 2004 as a Justice of the High Court of Ghana.
In October 2012, she was promoted to the Court of Appeal and rose to become a Justice of the Supreme Court, the apex court, in 2019 after her appointment by President Akufo-Addo.
She is well known for being one of the Supreme Court judges who presided over the 2020 presidential petition case between John Dramani Mahama and the Electoral Commission and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
She holds an LLM in Intellectual Property Law from Golden Gate University, San Francisco, USA and a Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) in International Law and Organizations from the then International Institute of Social Studies, the Hague, Netherlands.
The 2023 Domestic and Outbound Tourism Survey has been published by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).
Later in the year, three other surveys are anticipated to be released: the Ghana International Travellers’ Survey (GITS), the Accommodation Units Survey (AUS), and the Tourism Supply Establishment Survey (TSES).
The surveys, which will be conducted over a three-year period, will be crucial to calculating the TSA, according to the GSS.
According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, the sector in 2019 generated $1.7 trillion in revenues and employed one out of every 10 workers globally. Although the ensuing year (2020) saw a decline owing to the Covid-19 pandemic the subsequent years 2021 and 2022 have witnessed a strong rebound.
It is to this end that the GSS is conducting the four surveys primarily aimed at compiling the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) which will serve as a basis for computing the sector’s true relevance to the national economy.
The GITS which is a year-long survey commenced in 2022 is mainly intended to obtain inbound tourism expenditure to develop Tourism Satellite Accounts (TSA) for Ghana.
The main objective of the Accommodation Units Survey (AUS) is to measure the level of supply and demand for commercial accommodation facilities in Ghana and the TSES is envisioned to provide benchmark data on the revenue of tourism establishments to compute the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) for the country. Both the AUS and TSES shall commence in the last quarter of 2023.
The current survey being launched, the DOTS is a national survey which is designed to obtain domestic and outbound tourism data that will lead to the computation of the TSA.
Preparatory activities for the DOTS commenced in May 2022. The final preparatory activity, the listing of structures to select the required households was completed in early April, 2023.
To enhance quality, the GSS said field officers after the listing exercise are being retrained for deployment for the first round of data collection.
Teams from GSS will cover the entire country seeking the aforementioned data.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey on Monday held bilateral talks with her Latvian counterpart H.E. Edgars Rinkvis at the Ministry.
The meeting focused on deepening cooperation between the two countries. A business forum was also organised as part of the activities for the official Visit.
Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, on her part, encouraged the Latvian business delegation to explore investment opportunities in Ghana and forge partnerships with their Ghanaian counterparts for accelerated economic trade relations, leveraging on the reach of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which offers a single continental market for goods and services.
In response, H.E. Mr. Edgars Rink expressed his Government’s readiness to deepen economic relations in areas of education, technology, security, food security, and agriculture.
He announced that despite the recent global challenges, there was a marked 25% growth in Ghana-Latvia trade relations in 2020 and hoped that the scope of cooperation could be further expanded.
The two Foreign Ministers recalled high-level visits exchanged between the two countries and looked forward to enhancing fruitful relations on issues of mutual interest in the areas of Information Communication and Technology (ICT), education, health, security, food security, and agriculture among others for the benefit of the two countries.
The visit by H.E. Mr. Edgars is a follow-up to Ghana’s Foreign Minister’s visit to Latvia in 2018 which rekindled economic relations between the two countries.
On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Free Zones Authority (GFZA), Amb. Mike Oquaye Jnr, encouraged the business delegation to explore investment opportunities in the Ghana Free Zones enclaves such as business process outsourcing, call centers, hardware, ICT infrastructure development, data processing, software development, research and development, and incubation centers.
The Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Promotion Center (GIPC), Mr. Yaw Amoateng Afriyie also urged the Latvian business delegation to recognise Ghana as an essential commercial partner, a country that offers opportunities as well as a conducive investment climate for investors in the sub-region.
Citizens who aid the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) address the issue of illegal connections in the country stand a chance of earning some money.
The ECG has pledged to give whistleblowers 6% commission on the money recovered during its operation to clamp down illegal connection.
Engaging the media on Monday on Peace FM’s Kokorkoo morning show, Managing Director of ECG, Samuel Dubik Mahama, made this known.
“It is 6%, you get a 6% commission. We are coming to publicise it. If you report anyone for engaging in illegal connection you will be given 6% out of the recovered bill,” he is quoted to have said by Ghanaweb.
ECG recovers GH¢2.5 billion
Over a month ago, ECG commenced a nationwide exercise to recover some GH¢5.7 billion owed by its customers in unpaid bills.
The exercise according to ECG has so far led to the recovery of about half of the said amount.
According to Mr Dubik, the exercise had become necessary as the debt situation had reached worrying levels, thus it had become important to ensure that revenue was improved to preserve the integrity of the company.
He said while the company had an idea about the debt situation, the picture was better painted after ECG upgraded its digitalization process, hence the need to reverse the situation before it negatively affected operations.
It appears that President Akufo-Addo has suffered a direct hit from the activities of illegal miners in the country.
A report that has surfaced on online platform suggests that the president’s residence at Kyebi has been affected by illegal mining also known as “galamsey”.
The report, said to be authored by former Minister of Environment and Technology, Prof. Frimpong Boateng, at the end of his tenure as leader of the government’s galamsey taskforce indicated that the president’s garden is beyond recognition.
The issue about galamsey having affected the president’s Kyebi residence was contained on page 29, where the dismissed minister stated:
“The impunity in the Eastern Region is exemplified by near unbelievable activity in Kyebi.
“I had a telephone call from Mr. Eric Antwi of the Office of the President and he narrated that the youth organizer of the NPP in Kyebi was excavating for gold in a field close to the house of H.E. the President of the Republic. When we checked it was true.
“Indeed part of the garden of the President had been affected. Apparently, the President did not know about this.”
According to him, “We quickly dispatched a bulldozer and an excavator to the area to reclaim the land and vegetate it.”
“I need not say that nothing happened to the local youth organizer who caused the damage,” he added.
A new malaria vaccine created by researchers at Oxford University has been approved by Nigeria.
The move comes days after Ghana became the first country in the world to approve the (R21) vaccine.
Mojisola Adeyeye, the director-general of Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration, stated that the vaccine would be used to prevent malaria in children between the ages of five months and three years, who are the most vulnerable population.
The approval is rare because it occurs before the vaccine’s final stage trial results, which are anticipated to show an effectiveness of 80%, are released.
Nigeria has the highest number of malaria deaths worldwide.
The disease kills more than 6,000 people around the world every year – many of them children in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) is investigating the claim that Fijai Senior High School in the Western Region is charging illegal fees from parents.
A committee has been set up to probe the matter has been given two weeks to submit its findings to management.
The Service made this known while announcing the interdiction of the headmaster of Fijai Senior High School Kenneth Agbomodze in a press statement dated April 18, 2023.
Meanwhile, the Education Director in the Western Region will take over the running of Fijai Senior High School.
New Patriotic Party (NPP) Presidential candidate hopeful, Kennedy Agyapong, has revealed that he cannot be intimidated by money in his quest to becoming Ghana’s president.
Speaking to party faithful in the Awutu Senya East Constituency as part of his campaign, the Assin Central Member of Parliament said he will willingly prove his affluence by being extra charitable.
“Whoever thinks he is a man and would want to scare me with money when the time comes, I will show him that I am also a man and that I have richer. I will put on a show here in Awutu Senya East, I will display cash,” he stated to chants from elated NPP members.
As sighted in the video shared by Oman Channel, the flagbearer hopeful entreated electorates to be bold in choosing who they wish to lead the country come 2025.
“So let everyone have patience. We want peace in NPP so we can win the elections but the fact that we want peace does not mean anyone should try and scare us. Nobody can scare you. When it comes to the election vote for whomever you wish to vote for. You have your own mind,” he said.
The NPP has set November 4, 2023, to hold presidential primaries to elect a flagbearer.
The winner of the contest will lead the party as its flagbearer in the 2024 presidential elections.
A new device called Butterfly IQ is making waves in the medical world, touted as the new stethoscope.
The handheld ultrasound scanner is quickly becoming a staple in hospitals and clinics around the world, offering a more precise and efficient way to diagnose patients.
Butterfly IQ was developed by Butterfly Network, a company founded in 2011 by Dr. Jonathan Rothberg. The device uses artificial intelligence to interpret ultrasound images, making it easier for doctors to identify abnormalities in the heart, lungs, liver, and other organs.
Unlike traditional stethoscopes, Butterfly IQ offers a visual representation of what’s happening inside the body.
The new device called Butterfly IQ
According to a case study published by Butterfly Network, Dr. John Martin, a cardiologist and the former president of the American Heart Association, says he prefers using Butterfly IQ over a stethoscope because it provides more information. “I can see more with the ultrasound than I can with the stethoscope,” he says.
Butterfly IQ is also portable and easy to use, making it a game-changer for doctors working in remote locations or in space. In fact, the device was recently used by astronauts on board the International Space Station to diagnose a medical emergency.
The medical community has taken notice of Butterfly IQ’s potential. In 2022, Butterfly Network inked a deal with the Medical University of South Carolina to provide portable ultrasound devices to the institution.
The agreement aims to “transform healthcare” by making it easier for doctors to diagnose and treat patients.
While Butterfly IQ may never fully replace the stethoscope, it’s clear that the device is changing the way doctors approach patient care. With its high level of accuracy and ease of use, Butterfly IQ is proving to be a valuable tool in the fight against disease and illness.
