Former Fomena Constituency Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Kwasi Nti, has confirmed receiving GHS1,000,000 from Assin Central Member of Parliament Hon. Kennedy Agyapong.
According to Mr Nti, Mr Agyapong bailed out the party after it failed to honour the agreement to pay him GHS1,000,000 should he step down as requested by independent MP Andrew Asiamah Amoako, who represents the Fomena Constituency.
“The NPP promised me Gh¢Million cedis to step down as the party’s charman after the Fomena MP demand my resignation”.
“I was hesitant to give in to their demands after several calls on me because the NPP did not fulfill the promise they made, even after my resignation they still did not give me the amount they pledged “.
He noted that had Mr Agapong not intervened, the NPP would have been hit with a legal case.
“It took the aspiring presidential candidate of the NPP Hon Kennedy Agyapong to privately give me Gh¢ 1Million to defray my debt and I can assure you this gesture saved the NPP from major legal tussle”, he said.
The agreement between the NPP leadership and Mr Kwasi Nti was made public by the Assin Central MP.
The NPP stalwart interacting with some party delegates at Tema disclosed the role he played for the party to be the majority in Parliament.
The fighting happening in Sudan over power struggle is reported to have claimed about 200 lives.
The Sudanese army and a paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) who began fighting over the weekend are reportedly still engaged in fierce fighting to control the military headquarters in the capital.
Sounds of gunfire are still being heard in Sudan’s capital Khartoum despite mounting pressure for rival groups to cease the fighting.
A justice and democracy campaigner in Khartoum, Hala Y Alkarib, has told the media that she could still hear very loud artillery sounds around her.
“There is nowhere to go because it’s more dangerous to step out and there are no safe routes,” she said, adding that the situation in Khartoum is “extremely deteriorating”.
Both parties have claimed control of the army command as well as the main airport.
A number of Ghanaian youths who engage in sports betting are unable to comprehend the rationale behind the proposed levy taxes on lottery and sports betting.
Government plans to take a 10% withholding tax from winnings in lotteries, sports betting, and games of chance at the point of payout.
According to some bettors, government should rather encourage sports betting and the judicious use of the returns made to help grow the economy.
They noted that should more businesses be created and consumption increase from the monies earned, it will translate into more taxes for the government in the near future.
“Somebody can use GH100 and win GH50,000. You can use that money to establish yourself. So the government should rather pray for us to win and use the money wisely so they can rather tax that,” a bettor told Ghanaweb.
For another, it is just unfair for government to take a portion of his winnings when he bears the losses alone.
“If I try throughout the month and I win just once, it means I lost more than what I win. If I lose GH1000, I can win GH500. If you take 10% out of it, am I making gains or loss,” Kofi (not his real name) said.
Former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, has blamed Ghanaians for the recent controversial Electoral Commission (EC) appointment made by President Akufo-Addo.
The president on Monday, March 20, 2023, swore-in three new members of the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) at the Jubilee House.
Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani, and Reverend Akua Ofori Boateng’s nomination has been welcomed, however, Dr. Peter Appiahene’s appointment has been criticised as it is alleged that he sides with the ruling party, New Patriotic Party (NPP).
According to Mr Amidu, this would not have happened if Ghanaians had held government to account over its past actions.
He noted that due to this cowardice, President Akufo-Addo and his government have been empowered to engage in actions that are contrary to the country’s laws.
“Nana Akufo-Addo would not have abused the spirit of Chapter Seven (7) of the 1992 Constitution on the sanctity of the right to vote and the Electoral Commission if We the People had not in the past five and half years, condoned the Government’s several abuses of power and impunity,” he said.
The former Special Prosecutor holds the assertion that “Autocrats are empowered and emboldened by the conviction that their citizens are so cowardly or passive that they may only feebly criticize government policies and decisions made in abuse of power and with impunity.”
“Autocrats have come to believe that whatever opposition the electorate has against their dictatorial decisions will soon be forgotten in a few weeks of “noise making” and still return them or their chosen successors to power at the next election,” Mr Amidu is quoted to have written by Ghanaweb.
Dr Appiahene is said to have held the following positions in the NPP:
1. Member of the 2022 Bono Regional Election Committee 2. Bono Regional IT Director for Election 2020 3. Bono Regional D-day Coordinator for Elections 2020 4. Member of the National Research and Data Analysis Team for Election 2020. 5. Regional Collation Officer representing NPP at the Bono EC office 6. Regional Collation Officer for NPP Internal Collation for Election 2020 7. Member of the Bono Regional Communications Team 8. Member of Let My Vote Count Alliance. 9. Organised training for all Bono Constituency D-Day Coordinators and Parliamentary Candidates, Chairmen and Secretaries for the 2020 Elections. 10. Organised training for all Bono Constituency IT coordinators and Polling Station Executives for Elections 2020. 11. Funding Member of UENR (University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani)TESCON 12. Patron of UENR TESCON 13. TESCON Member of the University of Education, Winneba
According to the International Monetary Fund’s April 2023 Regional Outlook Report, Ghana used over 45% of its total revenue, excluding grants, to pay interest in 2022.
This pushed the nation to the top spot in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The high interest payments was due to the elevated public debt of the country estimated at 575 billion or $44 billion as of November 2023.
Though the government suspended interest payments on some selected external debts, the interest costs of domestic debt was very high.
Now, the interest payments to be paid this year will depend on a successful external debt restructuring with its creditors – bilateral, multilateral and Euro bondholders.
This may lead to suspension of some of the interest payments or extend the maturity period.
The government in 2023 announced it was highly debt distress, leading to a debt restructuring programme.
Meanwhile, Malawi and Zambia placed 2nd and 3rd respectively in Africa with the highest interest payments in 2022.
They were expected to have spent about 37% and 31% of their revenue excluding grants to pay interest payment.
Sub-Saharan Africa’s public debt ratio at 56% of GDP reaches alarming levels
The IMF said sub-Saharan Africa’s public debt ratio at 56 percent of Gross Domestic Product in 2022—has reached levels last seen in the early 2000s.
“Since the pandemic, the debt increase has been driven by widening fiscal deficits because of overlapping crises, slower growth, and exchange rate depreciations”, it added.
Furthermore, the Fund said elevated public debt levels have raised concerns about debt sustainability, with 19 of the region’s 35 low-income countries already in debt distress or facing high risk of debt distress in 2022—the same situation reported in the October 2022 Regional Economic Outlook: Sub-Saharan Africa.
Government spent ¢33.61bn on interest payments in 2021
In 2021, the government spent ¢33.61 billion on interest payments, the Bank of Ghana Monetary Policy Report disclosed.
According to the report, domestic interest payments accounted for 78.9% of the total interest payments. Total interest payments, however, constituted about 50.4% of domestic revenue.
When it was announced that there had been a more than four-fold increase in those aged 10 to 14 getting pregnant in the wake of the pandemic, it became clear how shockingly sexual abuse of young girls had increased in northern Uganda.
The local council chairman inquires about the hugely pregnant girl’s most recent doctor visit as she looks down at her hands and is no older than twelve years old.
Family members need to be asking this kind of question, but this pregnancy is not typical.
The girl is due to give birth any day and lives alone in a modest house in the Kitgum district.
Her parents’ cassava business failed, so they returned to their village to find money for the family.
“She was left here because here is a little bit nearer to the schools,” chairman Obita David Livingstone says.
“But the unfortunate part, the next room here is where people drink. That alone has exposed her to a lot of challenges.”
No-one knows who the father is, or what happened.
‘Three cases a week’
BBC Africa Eye is only allowed to film this girl, who we are not naming, because Mr Livingstone said he wanted to raise awareness of the sexual violence happening in the community.
“In a week, we always have like three cases of defilement. Sometimes when we get the perpetrator, we have to tie them with ropes and take them, escort them to the police. But they don’t bother to follow it up.”
He is fed up with such levels of impunity.
“There is nobody who can really support the person who has been raped. To me I look at this justice as a weak justice,” the local chairman says.
Defilement means unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl below the age of 18.
According to Uganda’s Health Management Information System, pregnancies among girls between the ages of 10 and 14 increased by 366% during the country’s first Covid lockdown (March-June 2020).
At the regional general hospital in Gulu nearly a quarter of all pregnancies in the last financial year were girls under 18, the age of consent in Uganda.
Image caption,Dr Baifa Arwinyo sees a lot of pregnant teenagers who were victims of rape
Dr Baifa Arwinyo, the head of obstetrics and gynaecology, said: “If I am talking of teenage mothers, all of them are defiled. They are teenagers, they are not supposed to be pregnant.
“You will find that young mothers are the highest proportion of those dying of obstructed labour. The younger the mother, the more the complication.”
‘Sexual abuse was a war strategy’
The high levels of sexual violence are thought to be a legacy of the two-decade conflict in northern Uganda, which was infamous for its brutality.
The war was started by Joseph Kony, head of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a rebel group that wanted to overthrow the government.
His fighters were known for their inhumane treatment of those they abducted: maiming, cutting off lips and limbs, and forcing people into submission through fear.
It is estimated 40,000 children were abducted, forced to become soldiers or sex slaves, and 1.7 million people lived in internally displaced camps.
The rebels moved on from Uganda in 2008, but the after-effects of their atrocities are still present today, according to gender rights activist Pamela Angwech, director of Gulu Women Economic and Globalisation, a grassroots non-governmental organisation (NGO).
“Living within a toxic, minefield environment had long-term effects on the community. People are used to seeing dead bodies, people are used to seeing death. Sexual abuse was used as a military strategy by the LRA team.
“I describe it as the war was fought in the body of the woman and the woman became the battlefield.”
Few people ever saw justice for the heinous crimes committed during the war.
One LRA commander, Dominic Ongwen, was tried at the International Criminal Court (ICC) and found guilty of 61 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity in February 2021.
Kony is also wanted by the ICC but his whereabouts remain unknown.
Image caption,Lawyer Eunice Lakaraber Latim speaks to community members about the level of child abuse
According to lawyer Eunice Lakaraber Latim, who works for NGO Caritas, that legacy of a lack of accountability thrives in northern Uganda to this day.
“Growing up from Gulu, I saw so many children getting defiled, and most of those parents did not have the resources to pursue the justice that their children deserved.”
‘My child lives in pain’
Ms Latim took Africa Eye to the family of a three-year-old girl who was raped by a relative.
The mother only found out after she noticed the child’s style of walking changed. When the police came to arrest her relative, she says they asked her for money to “transport him”.
“I was then expected to feed the prisoner,” says Ms Latim.
“You have to literally pay your way to get justice. You have to pay money for fuel to have the suspect apprehended.
“You’re supposed to provide feeding for them while they’re still at the police station.”
The suspect was held for six months, but because some of the correct legal procedures were not followed, he was released on bail. The mother simply did not have the means to keep pursuing the case.
Police and medical reports confirm that the three-year-old had been infected with a sexually transmitted disease.
“My child is still in pain, even now. The infection has never healed,” her mother said.
“He should face a prison sentence. I didn’t want it to end this way.”
Ms Latim says it is not unusual for the justice system to fail victims, saying they have had a number of cases that have fallen apart.
“There is a lot of corruption. People don’t fear committing crimes here, because they say, if you have money, you will get out. That is what is happening.”
Nachula Damalie, the regional police commander of Aswa, acknowledges the problems with how some cases are handled, but she denied corruption is rife.
“We are not supposed to ask a victim to pay for our services. But sometimes I should accept that we can run out of fuel. Yes.
“Now with the corruption, it has been a general perception that police officers are corrupt, but not all are corrupt, just like any other institution would be. We have good ones and bad ones.”
The Minister of State for Northern Uganda, Grace Freedom Kwiyucwiny, also admits there are problems.
“I can’t deny corruption. Corruption is there. It’s at all levels, even at ministries’ level,” she says.
“We have laws on defilement, we have laws on incest, but somehow again, people just go behind the law and bribe police and then police say, ‘OK, go and settle it at home.’ There are cases which have been prosecuted, but the number is not high.”
None of the suspects in any of the cases BBC Africa Eye investigated were prosecuted.
According to the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, the World Bank has committed $250 million to Ghana Financial Stability Fund (GSFS).
While engaging the press in Washington DC, the minister noted that the said amount would hit the country’s account by the third quarter.
“The World Bank has committed $250 million,” he is quoted to have said by JoyNews.
He explained that the stability fund is being established to ensure that government can intervene in the event of any solvency and liquidity issues.
The Finance Minister noted that currently, talks are underway for donor partners such as the African Development Bank for further resources into the fund.
He added that government will also deposit some money into the fund, and further encouraged other multilateral development banks and bilateral partners to assist the Government of Ghana to secure the stability of the country’s financial sector.
Sergi Roberto will likely miss some time owing to a hamstring issue, according to Barcelona.
After hurting his left leg 15 minutes into a scoreless LaLiga draw against Getafe, the versatile 31-year-old was replaced by Eric Garcia.
After a scan on Monday, Barca discovered that Sergi Roberto had injured his biceps femoral muscle.
The loss of the club stalwart comes before the leaders’ match on Sunday against Atletico Madrid, who are now in third position.
MEDICAL NEWS | Tests carried out this morning have shown that Sergi Roberto has a left hamstring injury. He is out and his recovery will determine his availability. pic.twitter.com/dk0pp0VioO
The 2023 WAFU Zone B U20 Boys Cup of Nations tournament’s draw placed the Ghana U20 squad, the Black Satellites, in Group A.
On April 17, at the WAFU Zone B headquarters in Abidjan, the draw for the second iteration of the competition took place.
Ghana was placed in Group A after the draw and will compete there alongside the host nation, Ivory Coast, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
“Ghana will play Cote D’Ivoire, Burkian Faso, and Niger in the Group A of the WAFU B U-20 Boys Cup of Nations Cote D’Ivoire 2023.
“The pairings were revealed during the draw on Monday, April 17, 2023, in Abidjan,” the Ghana Football Association (GFA) confirmed in a communique on Monday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Nigeria, Benin, and Togo have been drawn into Group B.
The WAFU Zone B Boys championship is slated for Cote D’Ivoire from July 7-21, 2023.
Al Jazeera in its documentary dubbed “Gold Mafia – Episode 4 – Have The King With You” revealed that alleged gold smuggler, Alistair Mathias, refuted claims of having any dealings with Ghana’s President, Nana Akufo-Addo.
This is after he alleged that Ghana’s president is his friend and was his lawyer too.
“Ghana’s president is a good friend of mine. In fact, he was my lawyer,” Mathias was recorded saying.
According to Al Jazeera, “Mr Mathias denied ever being awarded any tender by the Ghanaian government or entering into any government contacts in any African country.”
Reacting to the matter, President Akufo-Addo is said to have told the Arabic media house that “he had no recollection of acting as a lawyer for Alistair Mathias or his company.”
Alistair had earlier revealed that he has been smuggling $40 million worth of gold from Ghana monthly, which is $480 million worth of gold annually.
This too, he also dismissed. “Alistair Mathias denied that he designed mechanisms to launder money and said that he had never laundered money or gold or offered to do such things,” Al Jazeera stated.
Alistair Mathias is said to have also refuted claims of having any working relationship with Emerson Mnangagwa, Ewan MacMillan or any of the African politicians.
Hungary has vowed to extend a ban on Ukrainian grain imports as Slovakia became the third European nation to halt imports due to concerns that a glut is driving down prices and endangering farmers in other European nations.
The European Union must do more to defend Hungarian farmers, according to the agriculture minister of Hungary, Sandor Farkas, who stated on Monday that Budapest may stop imports after June.
“Ukrainian grain imports got stuck in Hungary, driving down prices by about one-third, year on year,” he told parliament, saying he will use “all possible” means to protect Hungarian farmers from market disruptions.
While Slovakia announced its decision to temporarily restrict Ukrainian agricultural imports, several central and eastern European nations claimed they were also considering taking similar action.
To safeguard the interests of their own farmers, officials from Poland and Hungary recently issued prohibitions on the import of Ukrainian grains in response to a recent spike in the price of inexpensive Ukrainian agricultural products within the bloc.
Jaroslaw Kaczyski, the head of the ruling party in Poland, claimed that despite Poland’s support for Ukraine, it was compelled to take action to defend its farmers as the Polish countryside is currently experiencing a “moment of crisis.”
The European Commission has rejected the bans and said in a statement that the “EU’s trade policy is of exclusive competence and, therefore, unilateral actions are not acceptable”.
EU representatives are expected to discuss the issue later this week.
Ukrainian officials have said they regret Poland’s decision, saying while Polish farmers may be suffering, Ukrainians have it worse.
“The first step, in our opinion, should be the opening of transit, because it is quite important and it is the thing that should be done unconditionally and after that we will talk about other things,” Ukrainian Agriculture Minister Mykola Solsky said on Monday.
Talks between Ukrainian authorities and those in Poland, Romania and Slovakia are expected in the coming days.
What’s behind the tensions?
After Russia invaded Ukraine last year, Moscow blocked the Black Sea port’s sea routes, stalling Ukrainian ships from transporting grains and other agricultural products to the rest of the world.
The blockade ended in August with Black Sea grain deal, under which Russia allows the transport of Ukrainian grain.
The EU has lifted all duties on Ukrainian grains and introduced “solidarity lanes” to ensure there are no further obstacles in global exports.
But this move has angered farmers across Eastern and Central Europe.
Roads have been blocked in countries such as Bulgaria and Romania, with farmers protesting that cheaper Ukrainian grain has made them suffer huge financial losses.
Bulgaria’s Agriculture Minister Yavor Gechev said on Monday that while his country is in solidarity with Ukraine “a local glut is being created on the agricultural market, because instead of export corridors, our countries are becoming warehouses”.
His country is also working to ban imports from Ukraine, he said.
On Sunday afternoon in the Portuguese second division, Moreirense defeated Benfica B 7-4 thanks to two goals from Ghana’s Lawrence Ofori.
At the break, the score was 2-0, and the second half was insane with nine goals—six of them in only 13 incredible minutes between the minutes 72 and 85.
Higor Platiny made it 1-0 from the penalty spot in the 29th minute, and Camacho increased the lead in the 35th.
After the break, Andreas Schjelderup scored for the Reds for the first time in the 53rd minute to make it 2-1, but Moreirense only needed four minutes to make it 3-1 with Rafael Santos’ goal.
Henrique Pereira scored one of the most wonderful goals, reducing the score to make it 3-2 in the 72nd minute. At 74 minutes, Pedro Santos made it 3-3, but Moreirense managed to respond and did it in a superior and effective way.
In eight minutes, Alanzinho (75th minute), Kobamelo Kodisang (78th minute), and Lawrence Ofori (83rd minute) gave Moreirense a 6-3 score.
Benfica B still responded with a penalty, by Filipe Cruz in the 85th minute and the game remained open with several approaches from both sides, culminating in the final 7-4 scored by Lawrence Ofori, the only player to score twice in the encounter.
On Saturday afternoon, Aaron Opoku scored a goal in the German second division against Hamburger SV, his previous team.
Hamburger SV was defeated by FC Kaiserslautern 2-0 in the Fritz-Walter-Stadion.
In the early phases of the game, there was nearly never anything offensive. With Jonas Meffert injured for the first time this season, Coach Tim Walter’s team struggled mightily against Lauterer’s tenacious defense.
It wasn’t until the 44th minute that they had their first good opportunity through Meffert’s substitute Anssi Suhonen he took a pass well in the penalty area, but then shot the ball over the goal.
After the break, both teams acted a little more forcefully. The Die Rothosen tired to take the lead with a low shot from Ben Zolinski in the 54th minute, on the other hand, HSV also narrowly missed the chance to score in the 57th minute.
In the 71st minute, Terrence Boyd pounced on a pass from Jean Zimmer and made it 1-0. Aaron Opoku added the second goal in the 85th minute.
Media personality, Bridget Otoo, has revealed that she is among the many Ghanaians who have fallen victim to SIM card identity theft.
She made this known in a Twitter post on April 17, 2023, while responding to concerns raised by FixTheCountry convener, Oliver Barker-Vormawor.
Mr Barker-Vormawor noted that many Ghanaians would in due time seek legal agrees over their Ghana cards being used to register SIM cards not belonging to them.
“This identity theft situation where people’s Ghana cards are being used to register other SIM cards is a huge privacy protection class action waiting to happen,” he wrote.
In reaction, Bridget Otto, revealed that for a very long time, her SIM Card had been registered under the name of one “Richard.”
“I had to always argue when I went to MTN for sim replacement cos I had to prove SIM was mine. I had no idea who registered it on my behalf. Eventually I was able to register it in my name after no one claimed it,” she further stated.
For a long time my Sim Card had bn registered in one Richard’s name. I had to always argue whn I went to MTN for sim replacement cos I had to prove SIM was mine. I had no idea who registered it on my behalf. Eventually I was able to register it in my name after no one claimed it https://t.co/5FT2jmGHSb
On the subject, a computer system analyst, Yayra Koku, has said the National Communication Authority’s (NCA) insistence for only Ghana Card to be used for the registration of SIM card has led to many subscribers using the Ghana Cards of others to register their SIM cards.
To address the challenge, the National Communications Authority plans to introduce a short code for the verifications of identities.
The NCA in a statement on Facebook explaining how the verification will work said: “You just type the shortcode on your phone, and after a verification process using your Ghana card pin, the number of SIMs associated with the Ghana card will be displayed.”
It added that there will be no need for subscribers to physically go to the Telco to verify the same when the short code is operational, by the end of April 2023, after the testing has been completed and approved.
Media personality, Bridget Otoo, has descended heavily on the Ministry of Health over its elevator directive to staff members.
The Ministry of Health in a memorandum restricted its staff from the use of elevators in the facility from the 1st to the 3rd floor.
The Ministry directed its staff not to access the lift on Tuesdays and Thursdays due to the huge amount of money used in maintaining the elevators.
Also, the Ministry explained amongst others the directive was necessitated by the government’s debt restructuring programme.
In response, Bridget Otoo described the directive as “thoughtless” and “clueless.”
She also blamed President Akufo-Addo for seeing to such directive which would impede productivity as well as affect Persons With Disability at the ministry.
The family of the late Albert Donkor has allegedly been briefed by the Police on its investigations into whether the deceased was indeed an armed robber or not.
According to reports from Daily Guide Network, the Police confirmed that the 27-year-old was indeed part of a robbery gang that engaged in a shootout with police officers on April 25, 2022.
The media house refers its information to a police statement sighted.
The Nkoranza District patrol team, on board Service Vehicle No GP 226, the report went on, “was dispatched to the robbery scene and arrived at the scene around 1:00am.”
The robbers opened fire at the police, who returned fire in the course of which a Police Service vehicle was damaged, the statement explained.
The robbers, the report went on, “fled the scene into a nearby bush and were pursued by the police team.”
A subsequent search in the bush led to the discovery of BB cartridges and some mobile phones that were retrieved as exhibits in the investigation.
At the scene of the robbery, police identified the victims and escorted them to the police station to assist in the investigation.
The police put it out categorically that “analysis of the deceased Call Data Records [CDR] established that the deceased was at the scene of robbery on April 25, 2022.”
One of the victims of the robbery, the police stated, also identified the deceased at the Nkoranza Police Station as one of the robbers who attacked them.
The deceased had also admitted to the robbery after he was identified by one of the victims, the police said.
Forensic Investigation
Forensic investigation, according to the police established that the ITEL mobile phone retrieved at the robbery scene belonged to the deceased.
An examination of the ITEL W6004 A56 mobile phone, according to the police revealed the following;
A picture of the deceased’s Voters’ ID card.
A picture of a Rugger pistol with serial number 310-23294 taken by the deceased himself with the weapon in his hands taken at 1:23am on August 15, 2021.
The forensic analysis [DNA] of the grey-like hoodie retrieved in the course of the investigation has confirmed that the hoodie belonged to the deceased.
The deceased, according to the police, led them to the hideout of his accomplices where they came under fire.
The deceased was found with gunshot wounds and was rushed to the hospital, but he was pronounced dead on arrival.
PPSB Investigation
Investigation by the Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSB) into the incident revealed that despite the suspect’s involvement in the robbery, on hindsight, if the police officers who took the deceased to the hideout of his accomplices had acted a little more professionally, they might have been better able to protect him from the gunshots that led to his death.
The Attorney General, after a study of the case docket, has advised that police intensify their effort in apprehending the deceased’s accomplices to face justice.
Attack on Nkoranza Police
It will be recalled that when news of the death of Albert Donkor was announced to the family, some youth of Nkoranza, numbering about 400, armed with stones, clubs and other offensive implements, converged on the road in front of the Nkoranza District Police Headquarters on May 17, 2022 and started burning lorry tyres and wood on the road and also blocked movement of traffic and pedestrians, the police stated.
The mob forcibly entered the charge office, broke into the cells and freed all the suspects in custody.
During the course of the protest, they also caused damage to the following;
Police Service Vehicle No.GP 3325 belonging to Nkoranza District Police
The Divisional Headquarters building
A VW Touareg with registration number GE1071-11 belonging to the District Commander
One KIA SPORTAGE with registration number GW 7895V belonging to D/C/Inspector Frederick Appiah Korang
One exhibit TICO Taxi cab
One exhibit motor bike and LG Television
The mob also made away with two mobile phones and an unspecified amount of money from the charge office.
A police reinforcement team responded to the incident and successfully restored law, order and security.
On the same day, eight of the irate mob, namely Stephen Baffoe, Augustine Duodu, Eric Appiah, Iddrisu Ishmael, Rockson Donyina, Philemon Yaw, Raymond Agyei and Victor Kwadwo Owusu who sustained injuries were sent to St. Theresa’s Hospital, Nkoranza for treatment.
Unfortunately, one of the eight suspects, Victor Kwadwo Owusu was pronounced dead at the hospital. The body of the deceased was deposited at the same hospital morgue for autopsy.
Police therefore initiated investigations and necessary arrangements were made with his family for the post-mortem to be conducted.
The family were given the option to either get an independent pathologist to conduct the autopsy or for the autopsy to be conducted by the police, and they agreed for the police to conduct the autopsy.
On June 6, 2022, the autopsy was conducted by a police pathologist in the presence of the father of the deceased, Mr. James Boamah and the investigator. The pathologist gave the verbal cause of death as severe head injury, fall and brain tumor. The pathologist again informed the family of the option to get a second opinion on the matter if they so wished.
Post-Mortem Report
On June 23, 2022, a copy of the written post-mortem report together with a copy of the coroner’s form were handed over to the deceased family.
However, the family expressed dissatisfaction at the outcome of the post-mortem examination and requested for a second opinion.
On November 27, 2022, the body was conveyed to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital for re-examination and on November 30, 2022, the deceased’s body was re-examined by an independent pathologist at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.
Police are yet to receive a copy of that post-mortem report.
The body has since been released to the family for burial.
The key finding of the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Victor Owusu is that he died as a result of a head injury, fall and brain tumor and not as a result of a gunshot.
In India’s Maharashtra state, twelve individuals have passed away from heatstroke and numerous others have been hospitalized after attending an awards event.
The government-sponsored event lasted several hours and was held outside under a scorching sun.
The event on Sunday, which was meant to honor a well-known social crusader, drew thousands of attendees.
After attending the event, many attendees complained of dehydration and other heat-related illnesses.
Navi Mumbai – a city close to financial hub Mumbai – where the event was held, recorded a maximum temperature of 38C (100F) on Sunday. Health experts have advised people to stay out of the sun during the peak heat hours of 11am to 4pm, especially during April, which is considered to be one of the hottest months in India.
Photos of the event show thousands sitting directly under the sun, with no roof or covering providing any kind of shelter.
Officials told the media that refreshments had been provided at the venue through the day and that booths had been set up to provide medical aid to people, but opposition parties alleged that the event was mismanaged and that it should not have been held at this time of the year.
The event was organised at the Kharghar International Corporate Park grounds to confer an award on social worker Dattatreya Narayan Dharmadhikari, popularly known as Appasaheb Dharmadhikari.
It was attended by top politicians, including India’s Home Minister Amit Shah and leaders from the state’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Local media reported that hundreds of thousands of people attended the event and that it went on for over three hours. Numerous people complained of dehydration, high blood pressure and exhaustion, while close to two dozen people were admitted to hospital.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde called the incident “unexpected and painful” and announced 500,000 rupees ($6,102; £4,913) as compensation to the families of each of the deceased. He said the government would provide free treatment to those who fell ill during the event.
Opposition leaders have accused the government of jeopardising people’s lives. Former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said the event had “not been planned properly” and called for an investigation.
Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe Patil accused the state government of negligence and said people had died because the event was held in April.
India recorded it’s hottest February since 1901 this year, and the country’s weather department has also forecasted an “enhanced probability” of heatwaves between March and May.
Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George, has demanded that government excludes pension funds from its latest planned debt restructuring deal.
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has formally written to the Board of Trustees of Pension Funds.
He noted that the revised proposal is expected to adequately compensate pension funds for the value of their current holdings while easing the government’s cash flow concerns in the years to come.
Reacting to this, Mr Nartey George stated that it is unacceptable that government seeks to torment Ghanaians, particularly when it has already subjected them to torture while undertaking its Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).
Speaking on TV3 on Monday, he also accused the “wicked” government of stealing from the public purse.
“They have raped the public purse. They have stolen the purse, people lost money in financial clean up, debt exchange and now you are going for pensions funds and you say we shouldn’t talk,” he said.
“This is a wicked, clueless and incompetent government,” the Ningo-Prampram MP added.
The proposed offer entails exchanging current Treasury Bond, ESLA Bond, and Daakye Bond holdings for a selection of the currently outstanding new bonds. These bonds, issued in February 2023, mature in 2027 and 2028, respectively, and feature an average coupon of 8.4% with a ratio of 1.15x, thus entailing an increase in patrimonial value.
The proposal also includes an additional cash payment of 10% (strip coupon). The stream of coupons to be received as part of this proposal will, therefore, be 21% compared to the current 18.5% of the outstanding old bonds.
An unknown number of Senior High School (SHS) students are said to be trapped in an STC bus they were travelling by.
They got involved in an accident on Monday morning after their bus with registration number GT-1079-20 collided with a speeding tipper truck on the Kasoa-Cape Coast highway.
The STC bus was heading to Cape Coast from Kasoa.
Personnel from the Ghana National Service and other emergency services are at the scene to rescue them, sources say.
Twenty-five people have been left injured while six others are in critical condition.
Seth Gyimah, a light-heavyweight Ghanaian boxer has melted the hearts of many after his victorious bout against Darryl Sharp, at the Copper Box Arena in London on Saturday.
Despite the fact that the 33-year-old showcased great potential in his second professional fight in his career – an action that impressed the judges, it is his comment after the match that is currently driving his popularity.
Speaking to the media, Seth Gyimah popularly known as Freezy MacBones narrated how much his recent win means so much to him.
According to MacBones, he is eternally grateful to God because he “came from nothing” and struggled to reach where he is now. He wakes up at dawn and trains regularly.
Freezy left Ghana for the UK in 2012 and started training as a boxer later in 2017. While in Ghana, he worked as a construction worker.
🫣 sorry but can’t keep this inside .. thank you everyone for supporting and love . Appreciate y’all .
Individuals living in Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, say they are experience shortage of basic goods such as food and water as fighting continues.
There is no electricity and shops have been closed. Citizens who were unable to restock on their supplies are currently at the disadvantage.
Also, the injured are currently not receiving the best treatment. This is because hospitals are running short on medicine and unable to operate oxygen machines due to a lack of electricity, former foreign minister Mariam al-Sadiq al-Mahdi said.
“They have used all the gasoline they have to run the generators,” she said. “It is really very, very bad… and we don’t know when it will end,” he is quoted to have said by the BBC.
It is expected that the current circumstance will exacerbate as the World Food Programme (WFP) has temporarily halted its work in the country after three of its staff were killed.
Almost 100 civilians have died during the violence, according to the Sudanese doctors’ union.
To quell the damage of Sudan’s power struggle from reaching other territories, the central African country of Chad has closed its 872-mile (1,403 km) eastern border with Sudan “until further notice”.
“Chad appeals to the regional and international community as well as to all friendly countries to prioritise a return to peace,” the government said in a statement.
This comes after Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairman of the African Union Commission, has released a statement on the unfolding situation in Sudan.
The statement says the leader of the bloc is urging “political and military parties to find a fair political solution to the crisis that arose after the 25 October 2021 coup and its disastrous consequences”.
Mahamat is referring to the day the Sudanese military, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, took control of the government in Sudan.
Mr Mahamat’s statement appeals to the army and the RSF to: “immediately stop the destruction of the country, the terrorisation of its population, and the bloodshed during the last 10 days of Ramadan.”
Rear Admiral (R/Adm) Issah Adam Yakubu, the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), has denied allegations made by a Malaysia-based international maritime organization that sought to portray Ghana as one of the nations that recorded the highest number of piracy incidents in 2022.
On Friday, April 14, 2023, at the Naval Headquarters, Burma Camp, Accra, Admiral Yakubu delivered a speech during which he criticized the most recent data on piracy released by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) Piracy Reporting Center as being completely false and deceptive. The Danish government had donated two vehicles to the Ghana Navy’s (GN) Special Boat Squadron.
Citing the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) definition of piracy: “an act of violence or detention perpetrated on the high seas against a ship outside of state’s jurisdiction of 12 nautical miles off its coast”, he said it makes the crime one of universal jurisdiction, thus any state can respond to a piracy incident, anywhere it occurs on the high seas.
With the authoritative definition of piracy by UNCLOS, the Admiral, thus disputed the Maritime Bureau’s redefinition of piracy as “the act of boarding any vessel with the intent to commit theft or any other crime, and with an intent or capacity to use force in furtherance of that act.”
With reference to incidents of petty thefts that occurred on some vessels at Ghana’s Takoradi Harbour, the CNS stated categorically that none of the incidents of petty thefts that occurred on some vessels at the Takoradi Port and anchorage fit any of the two definitions; “In none of those incidents was violence used and none of those vessels reported seeing any intruders onboard. All they reported was the detection of missing petty items, such as paints and ropes stowed on the upper decks, which are outside of living spaces of the vessels”.
Rear Admiral (R/Adm) Issah Adam Yakubu
While admitting that Ghana can do more to improve security at her ports and anchorages, he called on vessel crews to bear full responsibility for what happens onboard their vessels, where law enforcement officers have no access, particularly where no violence nor the threat of it is involved; “It is like leaving your front door open and blaming the police, when thieves sneak in to steal your belongings”, he added.
R/Adm Yakubu emphasized that there have not been any violent attacks or kidnappings against vessels in Ghanaian waters in the previous two years. He claimed that this was due to efforts by GN and its partners to build capacity and share information, which led to an increase in GN’s presence at sea and the deployment of armed guards on fishing vessels.
According to the Kuala Lumpur-based IMB’s 2022 Piracy Report, which does not specify the locations of the alleged actual and attempted incidents of piracy and armed robbery against vessels from January to December 2022, Ghana experienced 7 such incidents, making it the African nation with the highest activity of maritime crimes, with all of Africa recording 21 such incidents.
The report further claimed that there was 1 gun attack, 2 knife attacks, 4 ‘not stated’ attacks, summing up to 1 attempted and 6 boarded incidents.
It is widely believed that some maritime industry practitioners tag particular maritime zones as high risk for shipping vessels, hence encouraging merchant vessels that ply such routes to charge astronomical cost of freight and insurance, in order to increase profit margins of shipping lines.
There have been many cases when crews have sent messages to their shipping companies to allege attempted boarding, stealing of paints, and others, when they actually were birthed at anchorage, and never make the effort to call the local police to register any said crime, attempted or actual.
PSG supporters praised Lionel Messi after he tied Cristiano Ronaldo for the most goals scored in the top five leagues in Europe. Currently, both the Portuguese and the Argentine have scored 495 goals.
Messi completed a play that he initiated by scoring his team’s third goal of the game. The goal was made possible by a fantastic assist from Kylian Mbappe.
In their Ligue 1 matchup against Lens, the top-of-the-table Parisians prevailed 3-1. Together with Messi, Mbappe and Vitinha also scored goals for the French powerhouses.
With the performance, Messi maintained his strong run of form this year. In 34 games across tournaments this season, the Argentine has now scored 20 goals and given 18 assists.
Christophe Galtier’s team, meanwhile, went nine points clear of Lens with the win. They now have 72 points on the board from 31 matches.
Christophe Galtier believed that Paris Saint-Germain could have made more history in Ligue 1 after Kylian Mbappe’s historic performance in their 3-1 victory against Lens.
After scoring in the opening period at Parc des Princes, the forward established himself as the club’s all-time leading scorer in the competition.
The hosts ran riot against their championship rivals, who had Salis Abdul Samed sent off earlier. Further goals in a quick nine-minute span from Vitinha and Lionel Messi boosted the hosts.
Galtier believed his team might have put on a more stunning second half effort, though, even with a win that was easy to come by.
“It was important [to get the win],” he told Canal+. It was a pleasure to win. We benefited from the numerical advantage [we had] in the first half.
“[But] as much in the second half, we let ourselves go a little bit. The positions were no longer respected. We should have been more serious. We have them a little hope.”
Victory refocused matters for Galtier on the pitch following a week in which he had dominated headlines off it following allegations of racism during his time in charge of Nice.
The coach is taking legal action over the claims which he denies, which stems from an email allegedly sent by former Nice football director Julien Fournier at the end of last season.
PSG have given their unreserved backing to Galtier, and touching on the matter, he thanked fans for their messages of goodwill and solidarity.
“It is important to have a lot of support, both [in] public, but also on a personal level,” he added. “It is a great pleasure.
“All the messages that I have received publicly, it warms my heart, as much for me as for my family, my name. All my life I have been enriched by diversity, that’s for sure.”
Doctors in Sudan are once again pleading for medical assistance and outside help to put an end to the violence.
In a post on Facebook, the Sudanese Medical Association appealed for “aid and medical supplies to all hospitals and health facilities in Khartoum and the areas of clashes in the various states”.
Also, it urged the international community, human rights organizations, and diplomatic bodies to exert pressure on all parties to the conflict to put an end to hostilities and ensure the safety of civilians.
It further stated that hospitals and healthcare institutions should have the required security in place in order to ensure the safe transit of ambulances and medical workers.
An aggressive power struggle inside the military leadership of the country is the root cause of the fighting that has broken out in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, and other parts of the nation.
Members of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and regular soldiers are fighting in critical strategic locations throughout the capital.
What’s the background to the fighting?
Since a coup in October 2021, Sudan has been run by a council of generals and there are two military men at the centre of the dispute.
Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who is the head of the armed forces and in effect the country’s president.
And his deputy and leader of the RSF, Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti.
They have disagreed on the direction the country is going in and the proposed move towards civilian rule.
One of the main sticking points is over the plans to include the 100,000-strong RSF into the army and who would then lead the new force.
Why did it all kick off on Saturday?
The violence follows days of tension as members of the RSF were redeployed around the country in a move that the army saw as a threat.
There had been some hope that talks could resolve the situation but these never happened.
It is not clear who fired the first shot on Saturday morning but there are fears that this will worsen an already unstable situation.
Diplomats have urged the two sides to cease fire.
Who are the Rapid Support Forces?
The RSF was formed in 2013 and has its origins in the notorious Janjaweed militia that brutally fought off rebels in Darfur.
Since then, Gen Dagalo has built a powerful force that has intervened in conflicts in Yemen and Libya and controls some of Sudan’s gold mines.
Image caption,Rivalry between Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (pictured) and Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan is at the heart of the problem
It has also been accused of human rights abuses, including the massacre of more than 120 protesters in June 2019.
Such a strong force outside the army has been seen as a source of instability in the country.
Why is the military in charge?
This fighting is the latest episode in bouts of tension that followed the ousting of long-serving President Omar al-Bashir in 2019.
There were huge street protests calling for an end to his near-three decade rule and the army mounted a coup to get rid of him.
But the civilians continued to demand a role in the plan to move towards democratic rule.
A joint military-civilian government was then established but that was overthrown in another coup in October 2021.
And since then the rivalry between Gen Burhan and Gen Dagalo has intensified.
A framework deal to put power back in the hands of civilians was agreed last December but talks to finalise the details have failed.
What could happen now?
If the fighting continues then it could further fragment the country and worsen political turbulence.
Diplomats, who have played a crucial role in trying to urge a return to civilian rule, will be desperate to find a way to get the two generals to talk.
In the meantime, it will be the ordinary Sudanese who will have to live through yet another period of uncertainty.
Abebe Aemro Selassie, the director of the IMF’s Africa Department, has revealed that all requirements have been completed by Ghana for the executive board to approve its request for a program, with the exception of financial assurance from external creditors.
He maintained that “we are now comfortable that all of the measures required for us to present the program to our Executive Board are complete, except for the required financing assurances from Ghana’s external creditors.”
Mr. Abebe stated that the staff will move swiftly to submit Ghana’s programme request to the executive board for approval as soon as Ghana obtains this finance certainty from the external creditors.
He added “And we are now comfortable that all of the measures required for us to present the program to our Executive Board are complete, except for the required financing assurances from external creditors.”
The IMF African Department Director disclosed this in response to a question posed by JoyBusiness in Washington DC USA at the launch of the Regional Outlook Report for Africa.
He therefore entreated Ghana’s creditors to fast-track negotiations by providing the financing assurance needed so the IMF can go to the board for Ghana’s programme approval.
“This is why we are also urging creditors to step forward and provide the financing assurances needed for us to present the program to the Board as soon as possible.
The IMF Africa Boss noted that they are very optimistic and keeping their fingers crossed this will happen in the next few weeks.
Asked about government’s commitment to the programme, Mr Abebe noted that “We are very encouraged by the steps that the government has taken over the last several months since the program request.
He also added that Government has taken several measures that support the programme approval by the board .
“It’s been a very difficult time of course, very difficult, very significant, measures that have had to be taken, and the initial steps that the government has taken are very encouraging.”
“Again, to look back to where I started, we’re very comfortable where –- with all the steps that Ghana has done” he added.
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has interdicted the headmaster of Ghana Senior High School (GHANASCO) in Tamale over the use of toilet cubicles as dormitories for students.
The Senior Housemaster has also been suspended to allow the Regional Director of Education to investigate the matter.
In a statement, the GES instructed the Director to provide his or her findings to the Service in two weeks’ time.
Earlier this week, videos showing how nondisinfected washrooms had been converted into dormitories surfaced on social media.
Students captured on camera bemoaned the current state of their health as they are left with no other alternative than to resort to open defecation since they have occupied the washrooms.
“… we just sit at the back here to eat and the flies (from where we ease ourselves) will be disturbing us. Sometimes when the run is too much it blows the breeze here and the scent is unbearable.
“As am standing here, I was sick just last Friday … I was diagnosed with typhoid and malaria,” a student orated his ordeal.
But the Ghana Education Service has debunked such claims, revealing that its records show that out of the 1790 vacancies declared by the school, “only 1467 students have enrolled.”
This implies that the management of the school has excess capacity to house additional 300 students.
The GES has therefore described the current circumstance as “unacceptable, disturbing and unfortunate.”
The Service has therefore assured to get to the bottom of the matter and ensure that students entrusted in its care operate in a safe environment.
Prof. Ato Quayson, a graduate of the University of Ghana, has been chosen to head the new department of African and African American Studies at Stanford University in the UK.
After the institution’s Board of Trustees accepts the establishment of a department and it is formally opened in January 2024, this is anticipated to occur.
Ato Quayson is currently an English professor and the Jean G. and Morris M. Doyle Professor of Multidisciplinary Studies at Stanford.
His areas of interest in research are urban studies, contemporary diaspora studies, and African post-colonial literature.
Prof Quayson is said to have been a prominent contributor to the proposed department.
According to Stanford’s website, he chaired the committee that issued a report with recommendations for its funding, staffing, faculty hiring, curriculum, and major and minor requirements.
From his undergraduate studies at the University of Ghana, Prof Quayson took his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge, after which he held a Junior Research Fellowship at Wolfson College, Oxford before returning to Cambridge to become Reader in Commonwealth and Postcolonial Literature in the Faculty of English from 1995-2005.
He was also Director of the Centre for African Studies and a Fellow of Pembroke College while at Cambridge.
Prior to Stanford he was Professor of African and Postcolonial Literature at New York University (2017-2019) and Professor of English and inaugural Director of the Centre for Diaspora and Transnational Studies at the University of Toronto (2005-2017).
In 2016 he was appointed University Professor at the University of Toronto, the highest distinction that the university can bestow.
Dr. Shahid Amin Khan, the global chairman of the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC), has visited Ghana en route to the 7th World Summit on Human Rights.
Additionally, he intends to go to several African nations at Abu Zein’s invitation as the IHRC’s Ambassador at Large to the African Union.
Dr. Khan will interact with several individuals and governmental organizations during his three-day tour.
He is accompanied by a few other campaigners and human rights defenders.
Natasa Pirc Musar, Slovenia’s first female president, will preside over the 7th World Summit, which is set to take place in Geneva, Switzerland, from April 22 to 24.
The visit forms part of Slovenia’s first female president’s pre-7th World Summit on Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland.
The duo will be among high-profile dignitaries lined up for the 7th World Summit on Human Rights and International Human Rights Awards in Geneva, Switzerland this year, 2023.
The summit, scheduled from April 22 to 24, this year is expected to draw dignitaries from across the globe.
Among the dignitaries to grace, the event is the Dr Noledi Punder, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Republic of South Africa, Federia Villegos, president of UN Human Rights Council, ambassador of Argentine to UN, Geneva, Kaja Kallas, Prime Minister of Estonia and Abu Zein.
Several such closed-door deliberations have taken place since his arrival on Saturday.
IHRC Chief has extended an official invitation to the president of Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan, to be the Keynote Speaker and Special Guest at the 7th World Summit.
The African multilateral engagements are enhanced due to the consistent diplomatic efforts of Abu Zein.
Dr Khan will make a courtesy call to the President before his departure.
He will depart from Accra on April 19, to Libya for another such same intervention before finally flying to Geneva for the said conference.
Tesco recorded an increase in annual sales, but its earnings fell in half as it struggled with rising costs.
While sales increased 7% to £66 billion, pre-tax earnings fell 51% to £1 billion as a result of “extraordinary” increases in supplier pricing, according to Tesco.
The largest supermarket in the UK added that customers had “an absolutely challenging year” due to rising pricing.
Tesco said that it has made an effort to shield customers from the full impact of rising food prices.
The chief executive of the store, Ken Murphy, predicted that prices will increase through the first half of the year but then “moderate.” He continued by stating that he anticipated the declining sales volumes to “recover”.
On Wednesday, Tesco said it had cut the price of its milk for the first time since May 2020, in a possible sign that price rises for a weekly shop could be starting to ease.
As well as increases in the prices it pays suppliers, Tesco has also seen the cost of running the business – from higher energy bills to wages – climb.
The sharp fall in pre-tax profits was mainly due to a big write-off in the value of its property portfolio. But Tesco’s operating profit also fell, dropping by 6.9% to £2.6bn.
Analyst Sophie Lund-Yates at Hargreaves Lansdown said the dent to profits showed the effects of grocery inflation being one of the most “painful” areas of overall rising costs for consumers.
“That’s where we’ve seen the rise of the discounters, which although much smaller, have forced the main players to up their game,” she added.
Sue Davies, head of food policy at consumer body Which?, said the results showed Tesco was “doing very well” while the cost of living crisis is causing many of its customers to struggle.
“It’s clear that Tesco and all the major supermarkets could be working harder to make food more affordable for customers who need help,” she said.
In January, Tesco chairman John Allan said some food firms may have been using inflation as an excuse to hike prices further than necessary and that the retailer was trying to combat this. Last year, Tesco temporarily removed some Heinz products in a row over pricing.
However, food suppliers hit back at Mr Allan, with the Food and Drink Federation called his comments “difficult” and adding that suppliers had seen a “massive” rise in their costs.
In response, President Ruto who is concerned about the happenings have urged the parties to “address any differences through peaceful means.”
According to him, the security of the people and the stability in Sudan cannot be jeopardized.
The recent incident comes after several days of tense relations between the army and the RSF, which stoked concerns of a potential conflict.
The divisions between the two parties became apparent on Thursday when the military alleged that the most recent RSF actions were unplanned and unlawful.
Unlike many other men on social media, Peter Okoye of P-Square fame has chastised PSG’s Achraf Hakimi for giving his mother custody of his entire assets.
He has also rebuked those in support of the 24-year-old’s action.
Peter Okoye thinks that the Moroccan fullback made an immature choice by disregarding the fact that his wife and children are his personal family.
According to him, men who think they cannot marry because of lack of trust should tie the knot with their mothers.
“I don’t understand why most men are rejoicing over this Hakimi story? Like I don’t get it. The truth is bitter but needs to be told. If you don’t trust her then don’t marry as simple as that. Or are you expecting your wife to surfer after divorce?
Remember!!! The one you trusted with all your property in the name of Mother was once your father’s wife. Make all of una go marry una Mama!… no time! Since Hakimi sense wan ki una,” he wrote.
The spouse of football player Achraf Hakimi, Hiba Abouk filed for divorce and asked for half of his assets.
Nevertheless, the court informed her that her “Millionaire” husband has no property because everything is registered in his mother’s name.
Hakimi receives €1 million per month from PSG, while his mother Mrs Fatima receives €800,000 of this per month.
He does not own any real estate, vehicles, homes, jewellery, or even clothing. He asks his mum to buy him anything whenever he wants it.
The Moroccan international, Achraf Hakimi, has spoken for the first time since last week’s widely circulated allegations that he and his wife Hiba Abouk were divorcing.
The athlete posted images of football with the remark “What a win tonight!” to his Facebook and Twitter accounts.
It had to do with his club team, Paris-Saint-Germain, beating FC Les by a score of 3–12 at the Parc des Princes in Paris, the capital of France, in Ligue 1.
Many have praised him for allegedly outsmarting his wife by putting his properties in his mother’s name, as the viral divorce rumor claims, in response to reactions, particularly on Twitter.
Till date, there is a back and forth about whether or not indeed there is any truth to the divorce narrative especially as trusted news sites have yet to report it, not even the UK tabloids like the UK Daily Mail.
The still yet-to-be-confirmed viral story
The divorce case of the PSG defender and his wife has been in the public domain since the player was accused of rape by a 24-year-old lady in France.
According to multiple reports, Hiba Abouk filed for divorce and demanded half of Achraf Hakimi’s properties in March 2023.
However, according to unconfirmed reports on social media, Hiba Abouk was informed by the Court that her millionaire husband owns nothing because all his properties have been registered in his mother’s name.
This means that Hakimi has no money, property, cars, houses, or jewelry, and even the utensils he has in his house are not in his name.
Social media users have heavily praised the former Real Madrid defender because they believe that if not for his smartness, he would have lost half of his properties.
Many also said that Achraf Hakimi’s unorthodox style will become the blueprint for men who seek to evade such situations during divorce proceedings.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group in Sudan, declared on Saturday that they had taken over the presidential palace and the international airport in the nation’s capital, Khartoum.
They also took control of the airports in the northern city of Maru and the southern city of Ubaid.
The army was then urged to support the people’s cause, according to Reuters. However, the army asserts that the paramilitary units’ assertions are untrue, as reported by AFP.
“I urge senior military leaders to stop the fighting,” US Ambassador John Godfrey tweeted. The Russians are also asking for a cease-fire.
In the capital of Sudan and other cities, according to witnesses, there has been heavy shooting since the morning. The current development follows several days of tension between the army and the RSF, which raised fears of a confrontation. The differences between the two sides surfaced on Thursday, when the military said the recent RSF moves were uncoordinated and illegal.
A Reuters reporter said he saw cannons and armored vehicles deployed in the streets of the capital and heard the sound of heavy weapons fire near both the RSF headquarters and the army. The army claims that the RSF tried to attack its troops in several positions. The RSF, on the other hand, claims that its units were attacked by the army.
A prolonged confrontation between the RSF and the Sudanese army could mean a prolongation of the conflict in a country already struggling with economic collapse and tribal violence. Sudan is trying to return to civilian rule after power struggles and military coups.
The RSF is headed by former militia leader General Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo. He spearheaded the planned transition to democracy, alarming his colleagues in the military administration. The RSF, along with the military, overthrew long-ruling autocrat Omar Bashir in 2019, and the RSF leader has been the deputy leader of the ruling Sovereign Council, the country’s highest body, since 2019. It is composed of representatives of the army and leaders of civil society, headed by Burhán.
According to local activists and news sources, dozens of civilians have died as suspected armed groups assaulted villages in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The attacks happened on Friday in the province of Ituri, which has been a frequent target of community-wide attacks since 2017. Ituri is located near the country’s northeastern border with Uganda.
Charite Banza, the head of local civil society, told the Reuters news agency that Friday’s attack killed about 30 people, “both women and men”.
“They set fire to several houses, looted property,” Banza explained.
Other sources told the AFP news agency that the death toll exceeded 40. A regional administrator named Innocent Matukadala told the news outlet that 36 bodies were found in the town of Kilo Etat, plus another eight in Matete and more in Itendy.
Robert Basiloko, another civil society leader from the area, told AFP he estimated 43 were killed, including five children. “Every day there are deaths,” he said. “We’re tired of it.”
Sources quoted in both Reuters and AFP identified a group of militias called the Cooperative for Development of the Congo, or CODECO, as the suspected culprit in the attacks.
The United Nations reports that violence and insecurity have caused an estimated 1.5 million people to be displaced in Ituri over the past six years.
Due to rising interest rates that allowed the bank to charge clients more for loans, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reported a 52 percent increase in first-quarter profits.
After Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank failed last month, the banking giant saw a noticeable increase in deposits as clients and business rushed to it.
There don’t seem to be many indications of potential banking system instability, at least among the biggest, most sophisticated financial firms in the country, following Friday’s positive reports from JPMorgan, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo.
“These were the most watched bank earnings announcements in over a decade, with market participants scouring the results looking for signs of cracks in the US banking sector. Those analysts looking for signs of the banking crisis were greatly relieved to not find any,” said Octavio Marenzi, CEO of the consulting firm Opimas LLC, in an email.
JPMorgan, the nation’s biggest bank by assets posted a profit of $12.62bn, compared with a profit of $8.28bn in the same period a year earlier. On a per-share basis, the bank earned $4.10 a share, up from $2.63 a share a year ago, beating analysts’ expectations.
Most of the profit growth came from higher interest rates. The bank’s net interest income was $20.8bn in the quarter, up 49 percent from last year. Net interest income is a measure of the difference between what it pays depositors and what it charges for loans.
The largest US lender gained $50bn in deposits at the end of March, even as the rest of the industry saw a 3 percent decline in the first quarter.
Deposits at big banks had been falling for several quarters as consumers spent down their pandemic savings and businesses tapped into their stored cash to pay bills. But with the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in March, businesses have been withdrawing their funds from smaller banks and moving them into the larger banks, which are considered “too big to fail” and have an implicit government backstop.
In a call with reporters, JPMorgan Chief Financial Officer Jeremy Barnum said most of the new deposits flowed into new business and company bank accounts opened in the past month. The new deposits reversed the flow of deposits exiting the bank for several quarters.
As a result of Aker Energy’s efforts to develop the Deepwater Tano/Cape Three Points offshore block, the country is anticipated to experience some notable increases in oil output.
This happens at the exact same time Aker Energy presented its plan of development (PoD) to Ghana’s Ministry of Energy on behalf of its partners.
First oil would have been available by 2020, but Aker Energy has since changed the deadline to 2025. Since 2018, the corporation has consistently delayed submitting the POD, casting question on its dependability and dedication to the expansion of the Pecan field.
The PoD is a legal requirement that details the plan to develop an oil and gas field in an integrated way to produce the hydrocarbon reserves optimally, by considering the technical, economic as well as Health, safety and environmental aspects of the project.
Ghana’s crude oil production in the first to third quarters of 2022 declined by 5.73 percent – lower than the production of 41.53 million barrels for the same period in 2021.
The reduction in crude oil production was attributed to the natural field decline from the TEN and SGN Fields.
However, the latest development could revitalise the country’s crude production has been on a downward trajectory since 2019.
The Chief Executive of Aker Energy, Kadijah Amoah, said in a press statement it is a comprehensive plan of development that will form the basis for sustainable and efficient development of the Pecan field.
The PoD presents an overall plan for the development and production of resources in the DWT/CTP contract area. The phased development plan will start with the development of the Pecan field as a firm phase-one, being the largest of several discoveries in the contract area.
The main Pecan field, located in ultra-deep waters ranging from 2,400 to 2,700 metres deep, about 115 kilometres offshore Ghana, will be developed with a Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel and a subsea production system (SPS).
Given the development, the operator and partners expect the Pecan field development and subsequent phases to provide significant proceeds for Ghana.
“This has been a team effort, and despite the significant challenges we faced we have shown once again our resilience and unflinching commitment to the project. We now look forward to approval of the PoD so we can get to work, developing and producing the resources for the ultimate benefit of Ghanaian people,” said Ms. Amoah.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has reported that a plane carrying rebel prisoners of war has departed Saudi Arabia heading for Yemen while Saudi inmates are scheduled to be released later in the day.
The flights on Saturday are a part of a massive, multi-day exchange involving up to 900 prisoners that takes place in the midst of peace talks that have raised expectations for an end to Yemen’s eight-year-old war between the Houthi rebels, who are supported by Iran, and a Saudi-led coalition.
Before the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr the following week, 318 inmates were moved on four planes on Friday between the rebel-held city of Sanaa and the government-controlled Aden.
120 Houthi rebel captives were on board Saturday’s aircraft from the southern Saudi city of Abha, which took off around 9am (06:00 GMT) and was bound for Sanaa, according to ICRC public affairs and media adviser Jessica Moussan.
Mohammed al-Darwi, a Houthi prisoner freed in the swap, said to Al Jazeera while standing on the tarmac at Sanaa International Airport: “We are happy to return to Sanaa after we were in the prisons of the enemy.”
📢 Day 2 of release operation update: Our first plane carrying 120 former detainees has taken off from #Abha#SaudiArabia and is en route to #Sanaa, accompanied by @ICRC teams. Stay tuned for more updates! pic.twitter.com/JK8v8R6KW3
— ICRC for the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries (@ICRC_kw) April 15, 2023
At least three buses brought the prisoners onto the tarmac at Abha airport, which has previously come under attack from Houthi drones and missiles.
Wheelchairs were positioned near the buses to take some of the prisoners to the plane.
Sixteen Saudis and three Sudanese were expected to be transferred from Sanaa to Riyadh later on Saturday.
Sudan is part of the Saudi-led coalition and has provided ground troops for the fighting.
In addition, 100 Houthis were to be flown on three flights to Sanaa from al-Makha (Mocha) on the Red Sea coast, a town held by the coalition-backed government.
The prisoner exchange is a confidence-building measure coinciding with an intense diplomatic push to end Yemen’s war, which has left hundreds of thousands dead from the fighting as well as knock-on effects such as food shortages and lack of access to healthcare.
Path to peace?
Analysts say eight years after mobilising a coalition to crush the Houthis, the Saudis have come to terms with the fact this goal will not be met and are looking to wind down their military engagement.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who was a 29-year-old defence minister when the war began, has since become the kingdom’s de facto ruler and is keen to focus on his sweeping “Vision 2030” domestic reform agenda.
The Saudi exit strategy appears to have taken new impetus from a landmark rapprochement deal announced with Iran last month.
“This [the prisoner swap] is the first concrete result of not only the Omani mediation, but also the Iran-Saudi agreement which is beginning to bear fruit in Yemen and elsewhere in the region,” Nabil Khoury, former US deputy chief of mission in Yemen, told Al Jazeera.
The China-brokered agreement calls for the Middle East heavyweights to fully restore diplomatic ties following a seven-year rupture, and has the potential to remake regional ties.
Saudi Arabia is also pushing for the reintegration into the Arab League of Iran ally Syria, more than a decade after its suspension over President Bashar al-Assad’s brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protests.
On Friday, the kingdom, which once openly championed al-Assad’s removal, hosted top diplomats from eight other Arab countries in the Red Sea city of Jeddah for talks on Syria. It issued a statement highlighting the “importance of having an Arab leadership role in efforts to end the crisis”.
Returned Houthi prisoners pray on the tarmac upon arrival at Sanaa International Airport [Mohammed Huwais/AFP]
In Yemen, active combat has reduced over the past year following a United Nations-brokered truce that officially lapsed in October but has largely held.
A week ago, a Saudi delegation travelled to Sanaa, held by the Houthis since 2014, for talks aimed at reviving the truce and laying the groundwork for a more durable ceasefire.
The delegation, led by Ambassador Mohammed al-Jaber, left Sanaa late on Thursday without a finalised truce but with plans for more talks, according to Houthi and Yemeni government sources.
Even if Saudi Arabia manages to negotiate a way out of the war, fighting could flare up again among the different Yemeni factions.
“Saudi Arabia has been struggling to draw down its military involvement in Yemen and … seeks a long-term sustainable peace that will allow it to focus on its economic priorities,” said Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House.
“Yet, despite its intention, it will be the longtime broker, investor and conflict guarantor of Yemen.”
Speaking from Washington, DC, former Yemeni detainee Hisham al-Omeisy agreed while the average Yemeni is desperate for peace, a real end to the war may be a long way still.
“A lot of people think that the end of the war will happen in a few weeks or months. I would caution against that,” he told Al Jazeera.
“It [peace] will take at least a year or two because the conflict is not just between the Houthis and the Saudis. It’s protracted and polarised with many parties and factions inside Yemen that need to be brought into an inclusive, holistic, and comprehensive [peace] process.”
Kofi Bentil, senior vice president of IMANI Africa, asserts that Bryan Acheampong, the Abetifi MP, cannot be imprisoned because of his controversial remarks.
In spite of the remarks being offensive, Mr. Bentil claimed that no criminal charges could be brought against them.
He claims that the police will have a difficult time proving their case in court.
On Saturday, April 15, Mr. Bentil made a contribution to JoyNews’ Newsfile show and asked the MP and all politicians to exercise caution when making such statements.
“I have listened to what he said and honestly there is a portion of it that you can take with a pinch of salt as a political speech made in the heat of a moment after a political rally on a political platform.
“Yes, I have condemned it and we must all condemn it but the question is does it rise to the level of a criminal offence for which he must be arrested, investigated and prosecuted and jailed? No, it cannot be proven,” he said.
Abetifi MP Bryan Acheampong has said that the current New Patriotic Party (NPP) will not hand over power to the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
According to him, the party will use whatever means necessary to remain in power in the 2024 general election.
He added that if the NDC dares to use threats, and brute force in the 2024 election, the NPP will show them that they have the men.
According to him, the NDC will collapse and the NPP we will show them that “we have the men”.
Mr Acheampong said this will never happen and that the NPP will stand on a platform to hand over power to the NDC.
Following his comments, the NDC through its legal team has petitioned also the CID to immediately arrest and prosecute him.
Per the petition, the NDC called for the arrest and prosecution of the Minister for Food and Agriculture over what they described as “reckless, dangerous, instigation and unparliamentary comments.”
Due to this, the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has petitioned the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Police Service to arrest ex-president John Mahama for allegedly making treasonable remarks.
The National Organiser of the party Henry Nana Boakye popularly known as ‘Nana B’ said the NPP wants the CID to arrest the National Chairman of the opposition NDC, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia.
According to him, Mr Asiedu Nketia has also made comments that portend great danger to the peace and stability of the country.
The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has identified five crucial steps that will guarantee Ghana’s success in obtaining financial assistance from the IMF.
At the ongoing IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C., USA, the minister provided an overview of these in the Investors’ Presentation.
Electricity tariff hikes
Ghanaians have experienced a continuous hike in electricity and water tariffs since August 2022. According to the government, the tariff increments were necessary to ensure that the Electricity Company of Ghana and Ghana Water Company operate efficiently.
The tariff hikes since then have accumulated to an increase of about 60%. Ofori-Atta noted that this was a necessary condition for Ghana to move ahead with its talks with the International Monetary Fund.
Revenue enhancing measures, including an increase in VAT, E-Levy review
The government, in the 2023 Budget, announced an increment in the VAT rate from 12.5 percent to 15.0 percent, which subsequently took effect on January 1, 2023. Also, the rate for the Electronic Transaction levy was reviewed from 1.5% to 1%. Also, the government is looking to implement some new taxes, including lottery and bet tax, amended excise duty, withholding taxes, etc.
An ambitious 2023 budget
This includes reaching a 1.5% of Gross Domestic Product primary surplus in the medium term, bringing inflation below 8% in the medium term, and restoring external buffers with gross international reserves reaching 3 months of import cover by 2026.
This also includes the government achieving a real Gross Domestic Product growth target of 5% over the medium-term and enhancing competitiveness with exports surpassing 37% of GDP in the medium run.
Another key measure is to ensure fiscal and debt sustainability.
Ofori-Atta said the government is committed to rebuilding reserve buffers, mobilizing external concessional financing from multilateral and bilateral partners, and suspending external debt service payments.
However, the minister assured that government will safeguard social protection programmes and ensure the burden of adjustment is fairly distributed.
“It will reinforce and improve the targeting of social spending to protect the most vulnerable from the impact of the economic crisis, as well as fast-track the implementation of growth-oriented socio-economic policies, such as Ghana CARES, to mitigate the impact of the pandemic and support economic recovery,” the minister said.
On Friday, April 14, 2023, the Ministry of Finance engaged the representatives of the Coalition of Individual Bondholders Groups and the Pensioner Bondholders Forum.
Following the meeting, significant progress has been made on the outstanding domestic debt service obligations.
The meeting chaired by the Deputy Minister, Abena Osei-Asare, MP agreed that the Joint Technical Committee constituted on 18th January, 2023 reconvenes and agrees on a pathway, towards the settlement of the outstanding debt obligations, by 28th April, 2023.
The Ministry of Finance takes this opportunity to thank the Coalition of Individual Bondholders Groups and the Pensioner Bondholders Forum for their forbearance during the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) and subsequent administrative processes.
World Art Day is being observed by artists all around the world today. It was created to draw attention to the creative expressions that exist and the work of international artists.
All forms of art are encouraged on this day so that individuals can broaden their artistic horizons and learn about media they may not be familiar with.
After the Ghana Association of Visual Artists (GAVA) launched the first celebration in 2015 after becoming a member of the International Association (IAA) in 2014, this year will mark the eighth consecutive celebration in Ghana.
Hence, the Association has been spearheading the celebration of the event in Ghana.
The date chosen among many other considerations was Leonardo Da Vinci’s birthdate in his honour, as one of history’s most renowned artists and inventors, who was considered as a symbol of multiculturalism, free speech, world peace, tolerance and vision for the world.
The first official World Art Day celebration took place in 2012 and in 2019, during the 40th session of the UNESCO General Conference, World Art Day was officially proclaimed as a UNESCO observance, and the International Association of Art was made an NGO partner of UNESCO.
Under our chosen theme this year; ‘Expressions through creativity, feel free as an artist to create pieces of art, employing any new media and share with Ghana Association of Visual Artists Facebook page and other social media platforms.
As a climax perhaps, to the celebration in Ghana, the Association is organising a programme with a major patron and lover of Art in Ghana in the next few days.
The President of GAVA, Nana Otuo Owoahene Acheampong has admonished the public to create worldwide awareness of the multiplicity of creative expressions, through our paintings, sculpture, ceramics, illustrations, fashion and textile designing, mosaic, woodwork, set designing, beading, among others.
‘World Art Day’ was founded by International Association of Art (IAA) on April 15, 2012, after a proposition was put forward during the IAA’s 17th General Assembly.
The primary objective was to create a day for the celebration of the Fine Arts and to promote creative activity on an international scale.
The Ministry of Finance in collaboration with the World Bank, Bank of Ghana, and other financial institutions, has launched the National Financial Education Campaign Programme.
The main aim of the program is to strengthen Ghanaians’ financial capabilities and promote responsible financial behaviours since the current development in the country’s economic and financial sector, underlines the need for a more timely and all-inclusive financial education program which lectures the noticeable problems in the financial sector.
The event saw the congregation of industry players in the financial sector which included representatives from the World Bank, Bank of Ghana, Securities and Exchange Commission, National Pensions Regulatory Authority, National Insurance Commission, and the Ghana Microfinance Institutions Network.
A Deputy Finance Minister, Madam Abena Osei-Asare, in her keynote address commended the World Bank for their continuous support to the development of the Ghanaian economy and, for sponsoring the design and roll-out of the National Financial Education Campaign.
She revealed that, many Ghanaians lacked the basic understanding of key financial issues such as the impact of inflation on the value of their money, computation of interest on loans and investments, awareness and use of financial products and services among other things. This, she noted had made it difficult for them to make any informed financial decision.
“Indeed, financial capability of consumers is a major component to building a strong and resilient economy. Without this, many people will resort to the old and unsecured ways of handling monies, such as keeping monies under pillows and mattresses,” she said.
The structure of the financial education campaign allows for radio and TV discussions, public fora, townhall engagements, and social media campaign. Different educational materials have been developed and translated from English into eleven (11) local languages, namely, Ga, Akwapim Twi, Asante Twi, Ewe, Sefwi, Nzema, Dagomba, Dagaare, Kusaal, Mamprugu and Gonja.
The Deputy Minister who is also the Member of Parliament for Atiwa East further stated that, despite the major impact of global pandemic shocks and the domestic debt exchange programme, the Ghanaian financial sector remained resilient, and that the Monetary Policy Committee, in its most recent release, alluded to the banking industry’s relative stability despite recording some losses from the Domestic Debt Exchange Program (DDEP).
She urged the media to take deliberate steps to evaluate products being advertised by financial institutions before advertising these products. She added that, people were highly influenced by financial products and services advertised on radio and television.
The Director of the Financial Sector Division of the Ministry, Mr. Sampson Akligoh, welcoming participants on behalf of the Chief Director of the Ministry of Finance, Dr. Patrick Nomo noted that, the campaign was designed through a collaborative effort by financial sector regulators and industry associations.
He stated that, some financial institutions were not licensed to provide financial services to the public and but were operating illegally in the country.
This, he regretted had resulted in loss of monies (deposits and investments) of many households and business as these institutions bolted with the monies of their depositors and investors.
“To prevent a full-blown financial crisis, the Government through the financial sector regulators between 2017 and 2019 embarked on a comprehensive reform agenda with the aim of ridding the financial sector off illegal, illiquid and insolvent financial institutions as well as to strengthen the regulatory and supervisory framework of the sector”, Dr Nomo said.
He concluded by urging the general public to ensure the financial institutions they wished to work with, were duly licenced and working under regulatory bodies.
Giving an overview of the financial literacy campaign, the chairperson of the Financial Education Multi-Stakeholder Committee (FEMCOM), Mrs. Patience Arko Boham, disclosed that, Asamoah and Williams Consulting and Trans Media Network, was procured to assist in the design and implementation of a five-year national financial literacy strategy (2021-2025) to serve as a blueprint for bolstering the financial capacity of Ghanaians.
“It is important to mention that throughout the process, the World Bank played a pivotal role by providing technical assistance to the team and providing insights from other country experiences to ensure the design of a campaign that will create lasting impact on Ghanaians” she added.
There were solidarity messages from stakeholders including the Bank of Ghana, Securities and Exchange Commission and National Insurance Commission.
The Campaign is scheduled to be conducted in all the sixteen (16) regions of Ghana and predominantly target the informal sector and youth groups.
The 30th Annual Meetings of African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) will take place in Accra, Ghana, from 18 to 21 June 2023.
The event will mark the high point of the Bank’s year-long 30th anniversary celebrations, under the theme “Delivering the Vision. Building Prosperity for Africans”.
The 30th Afreximbank Annual Meetings and 30th Anniversary celebrations will bring together on one platform thousands of people, including African and Caribbean leaders and senior government officials, African, Caribbean and other policymakers, corporate leaders, bankers, academia and other thought leaders.
The meetings will include the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders and an extensive seminar programme, featuring plenaries and side events.
Professor Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank said: “We thank His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his Government for graciously accepting to host Afreximbank’s 30th Annual Meetings. Thirty years ago, the founding fathers of Afreximbank launched a bold initiative for Africans. The hard work of the past three decades, in pursuit of that vision, has shaped what Afreximbank has become today.”
“Member States, clients, customers and partners, the business and international trade community, all those in Africa and the diaspora who strive for the prosperity of African people are invited to join us in Accra to celebrate the Bank’s achievements and reflect on its future in an increasingly turbulent world”, he added.
Afreximbank Annual Meetings are open to all those interested and/or active in promoting African trade and supporting the socio-economic development of African economies.
Finance Minister, Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta, noted that, “It is only fitting that the commemoration of this milestone for Africa’s key Trade Finance institution is co-organised by the host of AFCFTA Secretariat, the Government, and people of Ghana, who are determined torch bearers for Africa’s quest for trade expansion and integration.”
“This is another opportunity to deepen cooperation and seek African solutions to Africa’s challenges,” he further added.
