An earth tremor with a magnitude of 2.8 on Friday, hit James Town in the Greater Accra Region, according to the Ghana Geological Survey Authority.
The tremor was slightly felt in High Street, Ridge and some parts of Accra Central.
According to the Authority, the earth tremor did not cause any damage as it is a minor one.
In December last year, two earth tremors hit Ghana’s capital. They occurred on December 12 and 16 respectively.
Meanwhile, the Survey Authority has noted that it has been difficult to predict earth tremors as it is a natural occurrence.
However, it noted that “the Authority is committed to continuously monitoring these events and informing the public appropriately to ensure public safety and minimize risk.”
Former member of parliament for Akwatia in the Eastern Region, Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed, has changed his district to Nima in the Greater Accra Region.
He has started making plans to run in the National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) parliamentary primary for the Ayawaso East constituency.
Naser Toure Mahama, a sitting NDC member, is the target of his efforts.
According to Baba Jamal, he has resided in Nima for many years and purchased his first home there, despite the fact that he comes from Akwatia, where he was initially elected as a representative to Parliament on the NDC ticket.
Sounding ironic and deciding not to talk about the sitting MP, even though he has sent out signals that Naser Toure Mahama is “unknown” by the media, not vocal in Parliament and not known by his constituents, Baba Jamal said it was his intention to fight for what is due Nima and the entire Ayawaso East constituency if given the opportunity by NDC delegates and he goes ahead to win in 2024.
His plan is to root for development projects in Nima located in the heart of Accra.
”I don’t think Nima is receiving what it deserves as a constituency,” he said in a radio interview on Accra based Okay FM, monitored by Graphic Online on Friday morning (Mar 19, 2023).
Baba Jamal, who is a legal practitioner is currently a Deputy Director in charge of Legal Affairs for the NDC.
He served as MP for Akwatia from Jan 2013 to Jan 2017 and also served as a deputy minister.
The head of medicine at the Ho Teaching Hospital, Prof. Yaw Asante Awuku, has urged the government to cover kidney disease treatment under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
According to him, most people are unable to afford renal disease treatment due to its high cost, therefore included it in the NHIS’s coverage would greatly benefit patients in getting access to healthcare.
Speaking at a celebration for World Kidney Day in Godokpoe, a suburb of Ho, Prof. Awuku stated that the only way to keep treating kidney disease in the nation was to get it covered under the NHIS.
He said the country had challenges when it comes to the treatment of kidney disease and that through research, they had seen 1in 10 medical ward admission included chronic kidney disease that required dialysis which was very expensive.
Prof. Awuku mentioned hypertension, diabetes and smoking, self-medication as some risk factors and called on the citizens to adopt a healthy lifestyle and go for regular screening to know the state of their kidneys.
On the theme: “Kidney Health for All; Preparing for the Unexpected, Supporting the Vulnerable,” Prof. Awuku noted that preparation for unexpected events was incredibly important for kidney patients.
He called for intensive community education on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) including kidney disease and highly subsidised and accessible hemodialysis services, and institutionalisation of kidney transplant programmes in Ghana.
The Professor urged policymakers to adopt integrated health strategies that prioritise prevention, early detection, and management of NCDs, including kidney disease.
“Health care services should also provide equitable and proper access to care for chronic patients in times of emergency.”
Prof. Awuku also asked policymakers to include emergency preparedness plans in the management and detection of NCDs and proritise these conditions.
The Queen mother of Ho-Dome, Mama Attrato II who chaired the programme urged the media to continue to highlight issues related to kidney disease and to educate the public on the risk factors.
She said a lot of people continue to indulge in acts including excessive drinking of alcohol, smoking and others which posed risk to their kidneys, and asked the media to help sensitise the citizens.
The Queen mother said, the kidney, like any other part of the body, required extra care, and therefore, appealed to the citizenry to avoid a lifestyle that could cause damage to their kidneys.
Dr Lord Graceful Mensah, Acting Medical Director at the Ho Teaching Hospital, in a welcome address, noted that kidney disease was among the leading causes of NCDs that required early detection, prevention and treatment.
He said kidney disease was not a respecter of person and there was the need for all to pay serious attention to it, as it carried a lot of burdens including frequent visits to the hospital.
President Akufo-Addo has told Ghanaians to anticipate a further drop in the prices of petroleum products at the fuel pumps.
Delivering the 2023 State of the Nation Address in Parliament on Wednesday, the president noted that the Gold Purchase Programme by the Bank of Ghana and the Gold for Oil Policy are already bearing fruit.
According to him, the average price of petrol at the pump, which had risen to twenty GHS20 a litre, in the middle of December 2022, is now GHS18.30 a litre.
“The price of diesel had risen to more than twenty-three cedis and seventy pesewas (GH¢23.70) a litre and is now selling on the average at thirteen cedis and eighty pesewas (GH¢13.80) a litre, which is a reduction of almost ten cedis a litre.”
“We expect this trend of falling fuel prices to reflect soon in our daily lives, since transport fares affect the price of everything. I hope the trend of prices going up and coming down become a regular feature of our retail economy as is being demonstrated in the fuel prices. Because, as we all know, prices, especially of petroleum products, used only to go up in our country,” he added.
The president is rest assured that the Gold Purchase Programme by the Bank of Ghana and the Gold for Oil Policy will help Ghana preserve its foreign exchange, especially the US dollar, as well as stabilise the price of oil products such as petrol and diesel on the domestic market.
“We have already seen some success on both fronts with the price of US dollars and petroleum products falling since we announced the policy and began to implement it,” he added.
About 34 residents who were detained by the military on Tuesday, according to Ashaiman MP Ernest Norgbey, have been turned over to Tema Police Command.
According to him, he will be following up to know the outcome of the screening and if there is a need for them to be bailed.
“We still have about 34 men with the military, which this afternoon the CDS told me they were sent to the Police High Command in Tema,” he said.
Families had earlier claimed that 48 hours after a relative’s detention, they had still not heard from them.
Mr. Norgbey reaffirmed that he is making every effort to secure the release of the 34 residents.
Recall that on Tuesday morning, some military men entered Ashaiman following the death of a young military officer. In an effort to identify the soldier’s killers, the soldiers brutalized a number of locals.
Footages shared on social media show armed military personnel brutalising residents.
However, the Ghana Armed Forces has said the operation was merely a swoop in a man-hunt for some criminals and not for vengeance.
According to GAF, “the military operation, which was sanctioned by the Military High Command, was NOT to avenge the killing of the soldier but rather to fish out the perpetrators of the heinous crime.”
They added that their “swoop” had led to the arrest of about 184 suspects aged between 21 and 47 years old and they have since handed them over to the military police who will subsequently send them over to the Ghana Police Service for screening and further action.
According to Mr Norgbey, although admission of excesses has been made by the Military High Command, he will not back down on petitioning the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice to investigate the incident.
This, he stated, is because he wants the officers, who were on the ground to arrest the killers of the soldier, for which reason they acted ultra vires, to be sanctioned.
“So we are still pushing for the punishment of the officers that went on the ground and also perpetrated the heinous crime on the residents,” he reiterated.
Meanwhile, the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament together with the Ministry of Defense and the Military High Command will pay a visit to the Ashaiman community on Thursday, March 16.
Chris Hughton, the Black Stars’ newly appointed head coach, has selected his 25-man squad for this month’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Angola.
The Black Stars will play Palancras Negras on March 23 at the Baba Yara Sports stadium before traveling to Luanda for the rematch on March 27.
Players who were a part of Ghana’s World Cup squad in Qatar last year predominate the 25-man roster.
Meanwhile, Baba Rahman has been dropped due to an injury problem, and Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, who has been a regular in the squad, was not invited.
Goalkeepers: Lawrence Ati Zigi (FC St. Gallen), Abdul Manaf Nurudeen (Eupen), Joseph Wollacott (Charlton Athletic)
Defenders: Tariq Lamptey (Brighton and Hove Albion), Denis Odoi (Club Brugge), Gideon Mensah (Auxerre), Patrick Kpozo (Sheriff Tiraspol), Daniel Amartey (Leicester City), Joseph Aidoo (Celta Vigo), Mohammed Salisu (Southampton FC), Alexander Djiku (Strasbourg)
Midfielders: Thomas Partey (Arsenal FC), Majeed Ashimeru (RSC Anderlecht), Abdul Salis Samed (Lens), Edmund Addo (Spartak Subotica)
Wingers: Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace), Osman Bukari (Red Star Belgrade), Joseph Painstil (Genk), Kamal Deen Sulemana (Southampton FC), Ransford Yeboah Königsdörffer (Hamburger SV)
Forwards: Mohammed Kudus (Ajax Amsterdam), Andre Ayew (Nottingham Forest), Kamal Sowah (Club Brugge), Inaki Williams (Athletic Bilbao), Antoine Semenyo (AFC Bournemouth)
🚨 𝗕𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗦 𝗦𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗗 𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗧 📜#BlackStars Coach Chris Hughton has named his Twenty-five man squad for this month’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Angola.
Despite ongoing rumors that he might leave Barcelona for Manchester United, Frenkie de Jong has stated he has no plans to do so.
In the off-season, the 25-year-old midfielder was extensively connected with a move to Old Trafford, but it never happened despite United’s Dutch manager Erik ten Hag’s best efforts to persuade him.
De Jong’s contract issue with financially troubled Barcelona made the matter more convoluted and prolonged, stoking rumors that United would make another approach for him at the end of this current campaign.
De Jong, who is under contract at Camp Nou through 2026, has made it clear that he has no intention of leaving.
“I was calm because I knew I wanted to stay at Barca and I haven’t changed my mind,” De Jong told RAC1.
“I had always dreamed of playing for Barcelona and I want to succeed at Barca. Right now I’m calm and I want to continue at Barca.”
De Jong, who joined Barcelona from Ajax in 2019, added that he had plenty left to achieve with the Catalans.
“I’ve never won LaLiga,” he said. “It’s my fourth year here and it’s the time I’ve been closer. But there is still a long way to go.
“It is our main goal and we will give everything to achieve it.”
Of the 24 La Liga games Barcelona has played this season, De Jong has made 18 starts and four substitute appearances, ensuring he has played a significant role in their success as they lie nine points in front with 14 games remaining.
“The four-midfielder system benefits me, but beyond that, this year I’m playing more at the base of midfield, where I feel more comfortable,” he said.
“And then, I have more freedom to move, to drive and overcome lines. Busquets helps me a lot because he transmits a lot of calmness. He’s very confident with the ball and defensively he’s much better than people think.”
Jose Mourinho, the head coach of Roma, would not describe their 2-0 victory over Real Sociedad in the first leg of their Europa League round of 16 match as a victory.
The Giallorossi earned the victory at home with to goals from substitute Marash Kumbulla and Stephan El Shaarawy, giving them a commanding lead going into the second leg in San Sebastian.
Mourinho was unsatisfied despite that and advised care because a quarterfinal spot was on the line.
“This 2-0 is only good if we don’t lose by three in the second leg,” Mourinho told Sky Sport Italia. “I will never say it’s a good result after the first leg.”
Mourinho acknowledged Roma have a complicated schedule around the second leg on Thursday 16 March, with a Derby della Capitale against Lazio three days later.
“Now we have a dangerous week,” the Portuguese said. “After the return with Real Sociedad we play against Lazio, even if for me playing with them is like playing with Milan or Juve, but in this city it is not like that.”
Roma actually had only 40 per cent possession against Sociedad, yet generated three shots on target compared to the Spanish side’s one.
Despite not declaring it a good result, Mourinho said his side controlled the game and deserved the win.
“I liked the organisation, the effort and the empathy on the pitch,” Mourinho said.
“We all helped each other. It’s hard to play against teams who field a midfield diamond. We faced it against Empoli and RB Salzburg, but it’s difficult.
“We needed a strong mentality because when you don’t have the ball for a long time, mentality is crucial. We controlled the match despite having less possession.”
“I liked the organisation, the effort and the empathy on the pitch,” Mourinho said.
“We all helped each other. It’s hard to play against teams who field a midfield diamond. We faced it against Empoli and RB Salzburg, but it’s difficult.
“We needed a strong mentality because when you don’t have the ball for a long time, mentality is crucial. We controlled the match despite having less possession.”
With a 4-1 victory over Real Betis in the first leg of their Europa League round of 16 match at Old Trafford, Manchester United got back on track.
An unchanged United team passionately responded a few days after being humiliated by Liverpool to advance to the quarterfinals.
Erik ten Hag’s team did not have it all easy, as Ayoze Perez equalized in the first half after Marcus Rashford had given the home team an early lead.
However, a solid second half gave United the upper hand. Antony guided home a distinctive curler, Bruno Fernandes scored with a goal, and Wout Weghorst added further gloss to the score.
United came out of the blocks flying and having already seen a Weghorst goal disallowed for offside, took the lead in the sixth minute as Rashford capped off a fine counter-attack to smash into the top corner.
Before Betis equalized against the flow of play when Juanmi flicked a pass to Leicester City loanee Perez, who hammered into the far corner and gave David de Gea no chance, Claudio Bravo was called upon to deny Weghorst and Rashford.
The visitors came close to taking the lead two minutes before halftime. De Gea carelessly passed the ball to Juanmi, who then fed a pass to Perez, but United got away with it because Lisandro Martinez deflected Perez’s pass onto the post.
Seven minutes after the break, Antony cut inside onto his left foot and curled the ball past Bravo from outside the box to give United the lead once more.
The hosts’ advantage was doubled just six minutes later, Fernandes finding space at the near post to head Luke Shaw’s corner home despite Bravo getting both hands to the ball.
Bravo kept the scoreline respectable with a number of crucial saves but could do nothing as Weghorst tucked home on the rebound after Scott McTominay’s effort was saved, with United on course for the quarter-finals.
Minister for Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, has entreated all and sundry to give the appropriate reverence to the few Ghanaians who have dedicated their lives to protect the country.
Speaking to the media following a meeting with Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee and some members of the Ghana Armed Forces, he noted that such an environment will inure to the benefit of citizens, particularly civilians.
His comment comes as a response to the recent murder of a military officer in Ashaiman and the invasion by the military which has generated talks about democracy and abuse of power by the security agency.
“…incidences like this in the life of the country do happen, we are shaping up a country and we are going to have some of these regrettable incidences happening. But I will still appeal to the people of Ghana to be very respectful of people in uniform, it will help all of us but I will not say anything until the committee itself and we have gone on Thursday to visit the place and ascertain for ourselves.”
He continued, “One of the reasons we are not going immediately is that it is still ongoing and we don’t want to compromise with it and that is why we tasked our colleagues to tone down the statement. We want a peaceful Ghana and that’s all.”
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Defence Committee Kennedy Agyapong said the minister apologised on behalf of GAF and will visit the area next week Thursday.
The military invaded Ashaiman, brutalising innocent residents after the murder of one of their own on Saturday dawn.
The incident happened on the dawn of Tuesday, March 7, 2023, at the Official town in Ashaiman during a heavy downpour.
Reports indicate that residents have been forced to stay in their rooms until there was calm.
Member of Parliament for Twifo Atti Morkwa, David Vondee, has advised the NPP government to desist from painting a picture that sells COVID-19 as an evil phenomenon.
According to him, the pandemic has provided them the opportunity to take more monies from Ghanaians through the COVID levy, hence they should be grateful.
He made this known while speaking to the Independent Ghana following the delivery of the 2023 state of the nation address by President Akufo-Addo.
According to President Akufo-Addo, the National Health Insurance System (NHIS) paid a total claim of GH1.014 billion to healthcare providers as of December 31, 2022.
He claimed that was as a result of the program’s enhanced claims management procedures, which placed a focus on electronic claims and paperless systems at its Claims Processing Centers.
In the State of the Nation Address (SONA) he gave on Wednesday in Accra, he predicted that in 2022, processing of electronic claims would account for roughly 70% (70%) of all submissions.
“We must be cheered by the improvements being made in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to make access easier. The scheme is currently one of the better-digitalized institutions, and I hope they get the public support that they need,” he said.
The President lauded the NHIA for developing a self-enrolment mobile application (My NHIS App) that allowed Ghana Card holders to self-enrol in the scheme, as the application enabled registration and renewal for oneself and others by linking NHIS cards to Ghana cards.
“In 2022, over 5 million members’ data was linked to their Ghana card to enable them to access healthcare using the card,” he said.
He said his administration introduced drones in the delivery of critical medicine, vaccines, and blood to people in remote parts of the country “and today, Ghana has the largest medical drone delivery service in the world with six Zipline Distribution Centres in Omenako, Mpanya, Vobsi, Sefwi Wiawso, Kete Krachi and Anum”.
The President said Zipline, through the national-scale drone delivery services, had delivered some 14.8 million (14,809,463) units of life-saving medicals, vaccines, and blood products to health facilities in Ghana by the end of 2022.
He said childhood vaccines top the list with the delivery of 8.3 million doses, followed by 2.05 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines.
Five hundred thousand effective biomass cookstoves will be distributed to more than 350,000 homes in the nation by 2024, according to the Renewable Directorate of the Ministry of Energy.
When representatives from the Ministry of Energy took some media personnel on a tour of the Rekoff Company at Joma Ablekuma in the Ga West District of the Greater Accra Region, which has been contracted by the Ministry to produce the cookstoves, Doris Duodu, the directorate’s senior programs officer, revealed this.
“The project targets low-income households in urban and peri-urban communities nationwide”, she said.
According to a Senior Official of Rekoff Co Ltd, Mr. Francis Kugblenu, who conducted the team around the premises to observe and explain the manufacturing process, the company produces about 500 units of the cookstoves per day, with a work force of 100, majority of whom are women.
He further stated that the company’s activities have helped create several jobs in the catchment area, thereby boosting the local economy.
Mr. Kugblenu explained that sand is hardened into a mould in the shape of a stove which is normally obtained from either the Volta Region or Central Region.
With the aid of some mortar, the mould is then set in a cookstove manufactured with metal sheets that have been hammered into shape, resembling a traditional coal pot.
Ms. Duodu explained that there are several other production outlets engaged by the Ministry for the production of cookstoves, and that each of these cookstoves is accorded a serial number to enable easier tracking from production to warehouse as part of the accountability process.
Ms. Duodu further revealed that under the 5-year project (2019 to 2024), 413,792 improved cookstoves have been produced so far, with 374,130 distributed so far, whilst stolen and damaged ones amount to about 3,002.
The team further visited households in the vicinity, where some people, particularly women, have been beneficiaries of the improved cookstoves, in order to ascertain their benefits.
Unanimously, the view among those interviewed was that these cookstoves had brought theme enormous benefits as they no longer have to deal with harmful smoke emissions and that financially, the cookstoves had enabled them save considerable amount of money as they now use far less charcoal for the same amount of fuel.
Ms. Duodu expressed the optimism that the Ministry will be able to meet its targets and help create further awareness of the immense environmental and other benefits of the improved cookstoves.
The sale of used condoms for some Ghanaians is no news, but those in demand of these items has left social media users dumbstruck.
One of the sperm merchants who interacted with TV3, Kiki, noted that pastors are on top of the list of buyers.
“I will not mention names, but a lot of the condoms are requested by pastors,” she said.
Kiki recounted that one of her recent transactions was with an evangelist in the Volta Region.
According to Kiki, she also has clients at Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.
Whatever these used condoms are used for remain unknown to this sperm merchant. Kiki says she is not perturbed about having no knowledge of what the condoms are used for.
For Kiki, all she is concerned about is receiving cash for the product she provides.
Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram in the Central region, Sam Nartey George, has condemned President Akufo-Addo over his silence on the brutal and reckless treatment the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) subjected to indigenes of Ashaiman on March 7, 2023.
Residents of Ashaiman awoke to a brutal military invasion on Tuesday dawn following the murder of a 21-year-old military officer, Sherif Imoro.
The move of the Ghana Armed Forces has been met with various reactions, some in support and others greatly condemning the actions of the military.
Member of Parliament for Ketu South, Dzifa Gomashie, has entreated the government to remove taxes on sanitary towels as they cannot be considered luxury goods.
Speaking to the Independent Ghana after President Akufo-Addo’s 2023 State of the Nation Address, the legislator noted that sanitary towels are not similar to luxury goods such as make-up, jewelry among others.
Footballer Moustapha Sylla, 21, passed away on Sunday after collapsing during a local league game.
On matchday 20 of the domestic season, Sylla, a player for Racing Club d’Abidjan—the 2020 domestic champions—fell to the ground at the Stadium Robert Champroux. Paramedics took her to the hospital, but she was later declared dead.
“The player collapsed during a Ligue 1 championship match, where his club — Racing Club d’Abidjan — were facing Sol FC d’Abodo.” former Ivory Coast Football Federation vice-president Sory Diabate told ESPN.
“He gave up his spirit after being transferred to the hospital.”
Didier Drogba, a former Chelsea player, has since demanded that more be done to safeguard the nation’s players.
In a video of the incident, Sylla appeared to stumble before losing his balance and falling to the ground motionless, prompting opposition players to signal to the referee to halt the contest.
“The club’s management address sincere condolences to his biological family,” read a statement published by his club. “Rest in peace Moustapha, rest in peace lion.”
Neither the club nor the federation gave a cause of death.
Reacting to Sylla’s death on Monday, former Ivory Coast striker and FIFA presidential hopeful Drogba called for more action to be done to protect the country’s players.
“Condolences to Ivorian football,” wrote Drogba, whose international teammate Cheick Tiote died following a cardiac arrest during training in 2017. “Three deaths of Ivorian professional league players in less than four years.
“Where are the compulsory medical visits for each professional’ player? The blood tests, the ECGs, the stress tests? When will sports medicine arrive?”
Ivory Coast centre-back Simon Deli, currently playing with Turkish side Adana Demirspor, also acknowledged the passing of the young defender.
“Rest in peace, soldier,” he posted on social media, with a photograph of the 21-year-old, while the Ivorian Federation offered its “saddest condolences to the family, as well as players and management of RCA, during these moments of pain and emotion.”
Left-back Sylla was previously on the books of Malian giants Djoliba AC, with whom he won the domestic title in 2022, before returning to his homeland with RCA in September.
It has emerged that other than offering their bodies for most often money, they also supply used condoms to those in need of it at fee.
A sex worker, Sharon, in a feature yet to be aired by TV3, has provided details as to how she is able to sell used condoms to her clients.
According to Sharon, her main source for used condoms are hotels set up in Accra. She has an agreement with the cleaners in these hotels who collect the used condoms and supply it at a fee.
Labadi, she said, is where a chunk of the used condoms are from.
She noted that running out of stock is not a thing she faces because she always receives the package even under bizarre deadlines.
“If I call my hotel cleaners, before night falls, they can deliver about five or ten pieces of condoms containing sperm,” she is quoted to have said.
In Ghana, the purchase of sperm is not surreal, however, the use of cleaners and the presence of an unauthorised merchant are novel.
To get sperms, one can visit a health facility that deals with sperm donation. Men who donate their sperms are paid a lofty amount of money.
Convener of pressure group, #FixTheCountry movement, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, has criticised President Akufo-Addo over his continuous silence on the current trend of events in Ashaiman.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, he said it is unacceptable for the president to commiserate with blacks outside the country when they lose their loved one in a brutal manner but fail to do same for indigens.
“We are in a time of national conversation about the role of the Ghana Army and what is done in our communities. Also, importantly, a young man has lost his life, a military official, has lost his life in a circumstance which does not benefit the kind of national image we have of ourselves. It is important as a President who has shown no hesitation in tweeting about deaths of people. George Floyd for example would keep mum and shut up about the death of a military officer. “
“I think it is very unfortunate. As I understand now, he has not reached out to the family. It doesn’t show leadership and I am very disappointed. In the state of the nation address, he failed to tackle the issue,” he added.
While delivering the 2023 state of the nation address, President Akufo-Addo failed to address the chaos that has befallen Ashaiman.
Some Members of Parliament in the Minority, such as Sam Nartey George, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, criticised the president for omitting such an important issue from his address.
Meanwhile, the police are investigating some residents who were detained by the military during their swoop on Wednesday to capture the individuals who murdered Sherrif Imoro, a soldier, in cold blood over the weekend.
On the other hand, the public continue to discuss the happenings in Ashaiman. While a section believes the military did no wrong, others say otherwise.
Vice Chairperson of the Defense and Interior Committee in Parliament, Ophelia Mensah Hayford, has noted that there is a high chance that the committee will probe the ongoing mayhem in Ashaiman.
Speaking to the press, she noted that the Ashaiman MP, Ernest Henry Norgbey, is yet to make a statement on the matter.
“When that statement is made, the Speaker has the right to refer and definitely, he will refer it to us. That is when we also move in to the committee for a fact-finding mission to ascertain what happened,” she added.
On Tuesday, officers of the Ghana Armed Forces invaded Ashaiman and subjected some residents to unlawful activities. This was in response to the murder of one Sherif Imoro over the weekend.
Per a statement from the Ghana Armed Forces, the swoop was sanctioned to enable the military capture the perpetrators of the heinous crime.
Many individuals including former President John Dramani Mahama have condemned the happenings in Ashaiman.
According to reports, 150 out of the 184 individuals detained have been released. They were in police custody.
Devin Booker created Phoenix Suns history with 44 points in the Suns’ 132-101 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Durant was scheduled to start for the Suns, but during warm-ups he strained his ankle, and he was declared ineligible to play in the game on Wednesday at the Staples Center.
While Durant wasn’t available, Booker put on a display, becoming the first player in franchise history to have four straight games with at least 35 points.
Booker checked out in the fourth quarter after only 28 minutes on the court and finished with 44 points on 17 of 23 shooting from the field and six of ten from beyond the arc.
The Suns guard had 30 points by half-time in the blowout win which gave fourth-placed Phoenix a cushion on the chasing pack for the Western Conference playoffs spots.
Veteran guard Chris Paul added 18 points with nine assists and four steals, while Terrence Ross scored 24 points in 23 minutes off the bench.
For the Thunder, Lindy Waters III top scored off the bench with 23 points including six three-pointers, while Josh Giddey had 10 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
The Dallas Mavericks lost Luka Doncic to injury as their defensive struggles continued with a 113-106 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, who are still without star center Zion Williamson.
The Mavs slipped to eighth in the west with the defeat and will be sweating on Doncic’s fitness, exiting in the third quarter with a strained left thigh after 15 points and eight assists.
C.J. McCollum landed six-of-eight three-point attempts in his 32 points for the Pels, who made 13-of-27 from beyond the arc, compared to Dallas’ 16-of-46.
Hawks triumph despite Porzingis career-high
Kristaps Porzingis scored a career-high 43 points, but it was not enough as the Washington Wizards lost 122-120 to the Atlanta Hawks.
De’Andre Hunter’s go-ahead three-point play with 1:07 left in the fourth quarter settled the tight win, as new Hawks head coach Quin Snyder saw his side improve to 33-33.
Atlanta guard Trae Young scored 28 points with 10 assists and three steals, while Porzingis was outstanding, shooting 17-of-22 from the field including seven-of-10 from three-point range.
Thomas Muller conceded that Bayern Munich needed some luck to defeat Paris Saint-Germain and advance to the quarterfinals of the Champions League on Wednesday.
At the Allianz Arena, in the first half, Matthijs de Ligt’s goal-line clearing from Vitinha saved Julian Nagelsmann’s team after Yann Sommer’s mistake gave the PSG midfielder an open goal.
After Kingsley Coman’s first-leg goal, De Ligt then hooked off the line to keep Bayern ahead 1-0 in the tie. After that, Nagelsmann’s team took control of the second leg.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting came back to haunt his former side PSG with a second-half strike before Serge Gnabry sealed progression, though Muller was thankful for the fine margins fell for Bayern.
“You have to be honest, in a football game like this there are always moments when you need luck on your side,” Muller told DAZN.
“We had that one moment when Yann loses the ball, which Matt clears the ball on the line. If it goes to 1-0 there, you don’t know how the teams will react to that.
“But we shed our shyness in the second half in particular, we were clearer in defence, so we played the better game in the second half and deserved to win.”
A 3-0 aggregate triumph saw Bayern progress to the Champions League quarter-finals for the 21st time, no other club has managed to reach the last eight as often.
A battling performance, coupled with clinical finishing, marked continued progression under Nagelsmann, whose side have put a poor start to 2023 behind them to fight back in the Bundesliga title race.
Nagelsmann was disappointed with what he saw in the first half as PSG twice went close to levelling the tie on aggregate, but the Bayern coach was impressed with his team’s second-half response.
“In the first half we did what we discussed before the game wrong, PSG pulled a lot of players into the build-up, we then let ourselves be pulled into position, were too impatient,” he told DAZN.
“The spaces were too big. We had a lot of space with the ball, but we were too scared.
“We didn’t do that anymore in the second half, we won the ball well and gained a lot of depth down the right. We were clearly better in the second half and deserved to win.”
According to reports, Manchester United will make three significant acquisitions in an effort to keep up the momentum from this season.
According to rumors, manager Erik ten Hag has a long list of forwards on his priority targets list.
But, the Red Devils will probably want to add to their midfield lineup to help Fred, Christian Eriksen, Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, and the others.
Fichajes reports Manchester United are planning a bumper £115million (€130m) offer for Real Madrid’s French midfielder Eduardo Camavinga.
The report claims United are major admirers of Camavinga, who has not fully convinced since his move to Santiago Bernabeu in August 2021.
United view the 20-year-old as a major world-class talent, although Los Blancos may be reluctant to let him go.
ROUND-UP
– ESPN claims Harry Maguire is on the chopping block at Old Trafford with Manchester United looking to sell several first-players including the England defender. Newcastle United are the favourites to sign him while West Ham are in contention, reports 90min.
– Paris Saint-Germain are circling for Newcastle United’s Dutch defender Sven Botman, reports iNews. Botman previously spent time in France with Lille.
– Vinicius Junior could leave Real Madrid, with president Florentino Perez open to letting him go in order to sign PSG’s Kylian Mbappe, claims El Desmarque. Vinicius Junior and Madrid are yet to agree on a new deal with the Brazilian’s contract expiring in 2024.
– Eden Hazard will not exit Real Madrid anytime soon, with the Belgian midfielder intending to remain with Los Blancos until his contract expires in 2024, according to The Athletic.
– CBS Sports claims Arsenal’s Reiss Nelson has drawn interest from French club Nice along with Premier League outfit Brighton and Hove Albion. Nelson netted a dramatic late winner in the Gunners’ 3-2 victory over Bournemouth on Saturday.
– Bayern Munich are on the verge of tabling new contract offers to Lucas Hernandez and Jamal Musiala , per Fabrizio Romano. Agreement on the Hernandez deal is imminent, while new Musiala’s long-term contract is a priority.
FC Bayern consider Lucas Hernandez new deal just matter of time, as the agreement is imminent and his extension was already decided after the injury 🔴⏳ #FCBayern
Bayern are also working on the proposal for Jamal Musiala's new long term deal, one of the future priorities. pic.twitter.com/DRSvT1n4QO
This morning, Ukraine was the target of a round of Russian airstrikes, according to reports.
The attacks mark the largest day of Russian missile attacks on Ukraine since late January, when dozens of structures were hit across numerous areas, killing 11 people.
Power outages were caused by a mass missile attack that hit an energy facility in the port city of Odesa, according to its governor Maksym Marchenko. Even though there were no casualties reported, residential areas were also impacted.
“About 15” strikes hit Kharkiv city and region, with “critical infrastructure facilities” and a residential building targeted, regional administration chief Oleg Synegubov said.
In western Ukraine, at least five people were killed in Lviv after a rocket hit their home, the region’s governor Maksym Kozytskyi said on Telegram.
One person has died and two others were injured following drone and missile strikes in the Dnipropetrovsk region, according to governor Serhii Lysak.
Europe’s largest nuclear power plant has been left without an electricity supply following a Russian strike and is currently running on diesel generators, says Ukraine’s nuclear energy operator.
“The last line of communication between the occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP and the Ukrainian power system was cut off as a result of rocket attacks,” Energoatom said in a statement.
Russia-installed officials in the Moscow-controlled part of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region said the halt in electricity supplies from Ukrainian-held territory was “a provocation”.
The complex has been under Russian occupation since early March last year, although Ukrainian technicians still operate it.
Both Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of repeatedly shelling the plant amid global concerns it could lead to a major radiation incident.
After watching his team lose to AC Milan in the Champions League semifinals, Antonio Conte says he is glad to continue leading Tottenham.
After a scoreless second leg in North London, Spurs lost 1-0 overall, and the Italian coach was booed by the home crowd as soon as the game ended.
In addition to losing to Championship team Sheffield United in the FA Cup last week, Spurs will have another trophyless season in 2022–23, and their top–four position is also quite vulnerable.
Although there has been growing talk about the 53-year-future, old’s there was no indication of an impending departure in his post-game press conference.
Conte said: “This is not the right day to talk about my future, but I have a contract with Tottenham.
“Tottenham know very well my thoughts. At the end of the season, we will meet and then we will make a decision.
“I think the situation is really clear. One year and three months since I started to be the coach of Tottenham and I always say the same thing — we need to have time and patience.
“At this time, we don’t have a solid foundation to be competitive and to win, in my opinion. W
“We try to work and understand who are the right players to create that foundation and improve the team. But at the moment, the club knows very well what are my thoughts.
“I have a great relationship with my chairman and Fabio Paratici. But it doesn’t mean I don’t tell them what is my vision.”
Incomparable exits
Antonio Conte believes Tottenham’s FA Cup and Champions League exits should not be compared
Though the former Chelsea boss confessed he was disappointed to exit Europe’s premier competition, he reaffirmed his belief that Spurs were heading in the right direction.
Conte also urged the club’s supporters to not compare the Milan loss with their embarrassing cup defeat to the Blades, which he said was considerably more frustrating.
He explained: “I think we’ve made a step forward from last season. Last season we ended up in the Conference League and lost games to teams like Vitesse and Pacos Ferreira.
“This year we made the Champions League knockouts and lost to a team who, we shouldn’t forget this, won Serie A last season.
“The FA Cup game was really bád, really really bad. The players know very well that we missed a big chance to fight for a trophy then.
“Today, I think in this type of game, there is a big difference in the opponent.
“We are talking about a big team with big history. A great team. We cannot do comparisons about these two defeats.
“It is not easy but at the same time, we have to continue to work. I’m really sorry to the fans but we cannot invent a win that in one day, a trophy goes into our training ground.
“We have to build. We have to have patience.
“I understand it for the fans, they don’t have patience because for a long time Tottenham is not winning but what I can promise is that we will work really hard for this club.”
Conte and Spurs must now bounce back quickly from this damaging defeat, with Nottingham Forest visiting North London in the Premier League this Saturday.
Enzo Fernandez thinks Chelsea are headed in the right direction under Graham Potter after securing a Champions League quarterfinal matchup against Borussia Dortmund.
Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz’s goals helped the Blues recover a first-leg deficit to win 2-0 on Tuesday at Stamford Bridge and win the match 2-1 overall.
The triumph represented Potter’s first back-to-back victories since 2023 after a trying few months that saw the former Brighton and Hove Albion manager come under increasing pressure.
Fernandez believes the team is moving in the right path under the Englishman and insists they must stick with him given these gains.
“We’re going to be staying on this path, and we keep hope things carry on improving,” Fernandez said.
“It was a great plan from our coaches for the game. We had trust that the team could do it.
“We had more people running in behind and many people working at the back. We just had to do our jobs and follow that game plan.
“When we play at home, it helps the confidence of the group. We played really well and we believe in the path that we are working on.”
Fernandez, who moved from Benfica to Chelsea in January after winning the World Cup with Argentina, has occasionally found it difficult to adjust to life in the Premier League thus far.
But, he put on one of his better performances against Dortmund and claims he is becoming more at ease every day in the hopes of leading the Blues on another successful European run.
A soldier from the 3rd Battalion Infantry in Sunyani is said to have been killed on Friday in Tafia, an Ashaiman neighborhood in the Greater Accra area.
Imoro Sheriff, 21, allegedly visited his lover nearby before being slain by a gang.
Immediately after leaving the girlfriend’s house, Imoro—whose rank can not be immediately confirmed—was attacked with knives and other weapons.
Every time Imoro visited Ashaiman, where he was born and raised, it was rumored that he would pay the girlfriend a visit.
The father of the deceased, Asanubu Imoro, confirmed the death of his son. He heard of his son’s death via social media.
Asanubu Imoro said the son, who was based in Sunyani, Bono Region, informed him that he was attending a military programme in Accra and will visit family members on Friday.
“We were expecting him. When we called his number late into the night, there was no response. Somebody showed me a video and asked, do you know this man, that was when I identified my son.”
According to Asanubu Imoro, the military and other security agency have been in close contact with the family as investigation into the killing is on going.
Meanwhile, the military are in Ashaiman ensuring their find the culprits. They have abused residents in their quest to bring justice to their fallen colleague.
Dancehall artiste, Stonebwoy, has condemned the recent happenings in Ashaiman, which have left many Ghanaians worried.
Officers of the Ghana Armed Forces have stormed Ashaiman after the death of an officer in the area. The security officers have prevent free movement by the residents as they conduct their investigations.
In a press release, Stonebwoy said “it’s 9 am in New York and I’m just waking up to the news of what’s going on in my beloved Ashaiman”.
He continued that “I unequivocally condemn all acts of violence and lawlessness, whether it relates to the brutalisation of innocent civilians or unlawful killing of a member of the armed forces. May all those culpable be found out and made to face the law fully”.
These are some of the reasons i regret being a citizen of Ghana,foolish country like this got to think of it are the authorities trying to tell us that they can’t fish out the murderers.OMG!!!Do You Think This Can Happen In America??#Ashaiman#soldierpic.twitter.com/MkFfAOM2oU
The opposition National Democratic Party (NDC) has reacted to President Akufo-Addo’s assertion that he inherited a catastrophic economy from the previous NDC government led by John Dramani Mahama.
At the just-ended 66th anniversary commemoration of Ghana’s independence held at Adaklu in the Volta Region on Monday, March 6, 2023, the president said he inherited a severely-challenged economy, whose rate of growth, at the time, was the lowest in over two decades.
In response, the Deputy National Communications Officer of the NDC, Godwin Ako Gunn, stated that the president does not comprehend economics if, after seven years in office, he continues to place the responsibility on his predecessor.
If the president cares to know, the NDC lost power in 2016 and he assumed office in 2017.
“So what is the rationale in still blaming your predecessor for the mess you have created because of your mismanagement?”
The president must have some sort of myopia, according to the NDC’s deputy national communications officer, for him to have said that.
He asserts that the president is contrasting apples with oranges.
He emphasized that what had happened during the president’s reign was clearly black and white.
About 90% of Muslims who were unable to travel to Mecca for a pilgrimage in 2022 have been reimbursed by the Ghana Hajj Board.
Alhaji Farouk Hamza, the Executive Secretary of the Hajj Board, who made this announcement, also noted that finances for the remaining pilgrims are still intact and that they can get in touch with the board to get their money.
He advised the impacted pilgrims who have not yet received their refunds to either get in touch with the Hajj Board Secretariat for their money or top up if they want to pay for the pilgrimage in 2023.
In July 2022, about 3,000 Ghanaians departed for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to conduct the Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam.
Due to the numbers requested by the organizers of the annual event, some Ghanaians couldn’t embark on the journey and subsequently demanded a refund of their monies, which the board promised will be paid as soon as the paper works were done.
Alhaji Farouk Hamza who spoke during an interview on Kumasi-based Zuria FM said, “some people paid and could not make it to Mecca in 2022. We have invited all those people to come for their monies. Even those who paid GH¢26,500 were invited to take GHC39,000. Over 90 percent have contacted the Board and they have been refunded. Just a few of the affected people have not yet taken their monies, although we have asked them to come for a refund. The amount which is GHC39,000 is intact. The Board has also opened an option for them for a top-up if they want to be part of this year’s pilgrimage.”
The Hajj Board has announced that prospective pilgrims to Mecca will pay $6,500, which translates to GH₵75,000 each this year.
The Board states that the GH75,000 in cedi equivalent will be on effect until March 31, 2023, after which it may be revised in accordance with the then-current US dollar exchange rate.
The Hajj Board’s executive secretary stated that the convenience of Ghanaian pilgrims traveling to Mecca in 2023 will be given top priority.
He stated that the Board was putting forth great effort to build upon the accomplishments it had recorded during the 2022 trip.
In order to provide flexibility and comfort for potential pilgrims, he continued, the Hajj Board has tapped into Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s initiatives and digitalized its payment processes.
Alhaji Farouk also explained that a payment portal has been introduced which gives the opportunity of prospective pilgrims to pay monies in instalments from a minimum of GHC5,000.
He assured that the Hajj Board will do all it can to make the 2023 Hajj a successful one.
For the second time in less than eight weeks, Tesla is lowering its prices.
According to Reuters, the automaker has once again reduced the cost of its more expensive, older Model S sedan and Model X SUV.
Although these vehicles were ground-breaking when they were introduced in 2012 and 2015, they now face fierce competition from far more recent models from manufacturers like Rivian, Lucid, Mercedes, Porsche, and BMW. As a result, only 5% of Tesla’s total global sales in 2022 came from the Model S and Model X combined.
A Tesla Model S with two motors and all-wheel drive cost $104,990 in 2022. Tesla reduced the cost of around 10% in January, bringing it down to $94,990. At $89,990 right now, it is $5,000 less expensive.
For those who want to go really fast, the Model S Plaid, which uses three motors for a sub-2-second 0–60 mph time and a 200 mph top speed, is now $109,990, $5,000 less than last week and $26,000 less than you’d have paid in 2022.
The Model X SUV sees even bigger discounts. After heavy price drops in January, Tesla has now cut an extra $10,000 from Model X prices. That means the all-wheel-drive dual-motor version now starts at $99,990, with the triple-motor Plaid Model X starting at $109,990.
How long those prices will stay is anyone’s guess. Within less than a month of enacting its January price cuts, Tesla had already increased the prices of the Model Y crossover again.
Director of the College of Academic Affairs and Research at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, Professor Kwesi Aning, has criticized the Ghana Armed Forces for wreaking havoc on Ashaiman residents.
On Tuesday, March 7, military forces raided Ashaiman and brutalized anyone they came across in response to the alleged murder of a military officer nearby.
According to Prof. Aning, the military’s actions are regrettable, unlawful, and an infringement on the authority of the Ghana Police Service to make arrests.
Speaking to the media, the security analyst said “all crimes are punishable by law, but in punishing those crimes, we cannot take the law into our own hands.”
He maintained that though the killing of the military personnel is condemnable, under no circumstance should the military have moved to the area in an attempt to arrest the supposed killers.
“When a person is in uniform representing the state of Ghana and you attack that person, you’ve attacked the state of Ghana. The response mechanism for those who feel offended was to go to the police and report because it is the Ghana Police Service that is the frontline agency that should have undertaken the investigations, find the evidence, and use it to prosecute those arrested.”
“It is unfortunate that the friends of this young man who has unfortunately died, have taken the law into their hands and brought the reputation of Ghana into disrepute,” Prof Aning added.
According to reports, unidentified assailants stabbed a 22-year-old soldier with the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) band to death on Saturday morning.
According to sources, the sad situation happened when the soldier was returning from his girlfriend’s home in Taifa and moving toward his residence in Zongo-Laka in Ashaiman.
The Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, has been excused from Parliament due to the measures being taken to solve the nation’s scarcity of pediatric immunizations.
the Health Minister who was scheduled to appear before Parliament on Tuesday, March 7 to provide answers for the vaccine shortages was excused by the Speaker.
This is the second time the Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu failed to appear before the House as he was unable to honour a February 28 scheduled appearance.
Notwithstanding reports by the National Health Insurance Authority that more than GH70 million had been authorized for the purchase of the vaccines, certain regions of the country have been affected by a lack of vaccines in recent months.
The Head of the Health Committee of Parliament, Nana Ayew Afriyie, became concerned about the precarious situation and and requested that the Minister of Health and other agency heads be present at an urgent meeting on Tuesday, February 28.
Meanwhile, the Paediatric Society of Ghana has revealed that over 500 cases of measles have so far been recorded in the country due to the unavailability of essential vaccines.
Dr Hilda Boye, the newly elected President of the Paediatric Society of Ghana said the situation is quite worrying because the delay in the arrival of the vaccines can potentially escalate the disease.
“As we speak, we are looking at about 500 suspected cases of measles. So we are worried because we are just sitting and watching, and it is getting worse by the day and that is expected also because it is an infectious disease, and we really shouldn’t have come to this place in the first place.
“We know how bad these illnesses are, and we know that there is a solution and everybody had to sit up so that we don’t get to this point,” Dr Boye said on the Citi Breakfast Show on Tuesday, March 7.
The military has detained 72 Ashaiman residents in the Greater Accra Area to question them over the death of an officer over the weekend.
Although it is unknown to what barracks the residents have been transferred, Ashaiman constituency Member of Parliament, Ernest Dogbey, stated in an interview that more than 72 residents had likely been detained.
According to reports, roughly 20 highly armed soldiers entered the neighborhood at dawn on Tuesday and began attacking locals, preventing them from even leaving their houses.
“The soldiers are on the street and preventing everyone from stepping out. I should have left for work by now, but I can’t even step out,” an eyewitness said.
Another eyewitness said “We gathered that a military man was killed, a young man, I don’t know what led to his death, but some military have come to the area and nobody can go out. They knock on your door and once you step out you will receive slaps”.
“It is very dangerous and everybody is scared to go out…they are using their boots, and hands to attack anyone they see. If you are a young man they just attack you and if you are a woman and dressed in a certain way you become a suspect to them.”
The invasion of the soldiers come after a 22-year-old soldier with the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) band in Sunyani in the Bono Region was reportedly stabbed to death by unknown attackers Saturday dawn.
The soldier, according to sources, was returning from his girlfriend’s house in Taifa and heading towards his residence at Zongo-Laka in Ashaiman when the unfortunate incident occurred.
Though he was carrying a laptop and other electronic gadgets the attackers made away with only his iPhone.
Police are currently investigating the circumstances under which the soldier was killed and appealing for information from the public.
The Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin has received an unqualified apology from kingmakers in the Begoro Traditional Area, which is part of Akyem Abuakwa State in the Eastern Region, for the inappropriate remarks made by a few angry Asona Royal family members last week.
Three years after Daasebre Awuah Kotoko II, who served as Begorohene and Benkumhene of Akyem Abuakwa, passed away, there was a chieftaincy dispute involving the installation of a new Begorohene.
On February 27, 2023, a small group of disgruntled members of the Asona Royal Family, led by their spokesperson Daniel Darko, held a press conference where they unintentionally accused Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin of trying to break the law by installing one Amfo Amoama who is not eligible to sit on the stool.
Additionally, they claimed that Okyenhene had set a date for the installation of Amfo Amoama through the state secretary of Akyem Abuakwa despite a national house of chiefs appeal case prohibiting all parties from doing so.
They urged President Akufo Addo and IGP Dr. George Akufo Dampare to step in and stop the process to prevent bloody violence.
Due to a protracted conflict among the four royal families in the Asona Royal line that climb the stool, a new Chief has not been installed three years after the deaths of Daasebre Awuah Kotoko II, Begorohene, and Benkumhene of Akyem Abuakwa traditional territory.
The stool is currently being contested by four people.
Speaking to Journalists, the Kingmakers led by Ankobeahene of Begoro Traditional Area, Barfuor Owiredu Agyarko Minta III said Amfo Amoama from Antwi Kwasi family has been duly elected by kingmakers with majority decision and same has been upheld by the Judicial Committee of Akyem Abuakwa traditional Council and Eastern Regional House of Chiefs as qualified to ascend the stool.
He, therefore, condemned allegations against Okyenhene of attempt to circumvent customs to enstool Amfo Amoama as Begorohene.
Meanwhile, addressing the media, the Head of Antwi Kwasi family of Begoro, Abusuapanyin Obeng Boateng apologized to Okyenhene and urged the opposing faction to respect the judgements of Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council and Eastern regional House of Chiefs.
He urged the public to disregard reports that Begoro is sitting on a looming time bomb of bloody violence stating that Begoro is peaceful, and enstoolment of new Begorohene will be peaceful when Okyenhene fixes new date .
For Abusuapanyin Kegya and Ragent Queen Mother of Begoro, Nana Adwoa Kessewa the three year vacant state of the Begoro stool is affecting development in Fanteakwa District therefore imperative for Amfo Amoama to be enstooled as early as possible to enable him facilitate development in Begoro.
In his statement at Ghana’s 66th Independence Day celebration on Monday, March 6, 2023 in Tamale, the capital of the Northern Regional State, concerned Northern Regional Minister Alhaji Shani Alhassan Shaibu revealed this.
The circumstance, which does not bode well for effective learning among the students who should take their education seriously, was lamented by the minister.
“This does not auger well for us. As stakeholders, we need to critically assess the current situation looking at the gaps in existing interventions in order to achieve coherent and sustainable interventions for eliminating teenage pregnancies in our schools,” Hon. Alhaji Shani Alhassan Shaibu said.
The Minister further made a clarion call for peace and unity since they are the bedrock of development.
“I call for closer collaboration among us all stakeholders to achieve the desired goals for peace. Let us remember that the dividends of progress and development can only be achieved if we have the required. Despite our diverse socio-economic structure, let us put aside our differences and create a united front for Mother Ghana’s progress.’
Meanwhile, the Independence day anniversary parade was attended by contingents from the various security agencies, cadet corps from second cycle institutions, and pupils from basic schools in the Tamale metropolis under the theme “Our Unity Strength, Purpose”.
Awards and certificates were presented to 16 schools in the metropolis for their performance in the parade. Although the parade began early, some school contingents suffered severe dehydration which nearly undermined the celebration’s beauty.
At Ghana’s 66th Independence Day celebration in Ho on March 6, 2023, the rich “voodoo” tradition of the Volta people was on display.
The crocodile that greeted President Akufo-Addo at the parade materialized out of thin air.
The crocodile, in accordance with regional tradition, was a component of the Zagbetor, a revolving raffia.
Without using its feet, the raffia-made Zagbetor could rotate and move from one location to another. Its feet were totally undetectable.
This was to showcase the magical and spiritual efficacy of the deity in the area and how they possess supernatural powers to move about without legs.
At the parade, the Zagbetor was rotating and putting up gymnastics when a crocodile dropped from nowhere, moved straight to President Akufo-Addo, and prostrated in obedience to a higher authority.
The scene caught the attention of many, considering how the crocodile was able to obey human direction and carry out the task without any fault; it was under the influence of supernatural power.
Many believe the people of the Volta region hold their culture in high regard, and at the parade, they graciously displayed it with pomp and pageantry.
A 30-year-old farmer has been sentenced to 12 years in prison with hard labor by the Bibiani Circuit Court, presided over by His Lordship Caleb Abbaido, for defiling a minor.
At Sehwi Kwame Tawiakrom, close to Sehwi Debiso in the Bia West District of the Western North Region, the suspect had unlawful carnal knowledge of the eight-year-old girl.
He admitted guilt and was charged accordingly.
Chief Inspector Agyeman Benjamin, the prosecuting attorney, said to the court that on January 16, 2023, around 2:00 pm, the convict, Kwadwo Asare, departed home for some work on his farm, which is close to the victim’s home.
Upon getting to the victim’s residence, he called the eight-year-old girl to accompany him to his farm and collect something for her mother. When both got to a nearby cocoa farm, Mr Asare forcefully grabbed the victim, removed her pant and had sexual intercourse with her on the ground.
He threatened to kill the bleeding victim should she reveal the ordeal to her parents, which she complied.
However, the victim could not walk properly for days which attracted the attention of her father, Kwabena Asiamah, to check what was happening to her daughter. In the process, the victim’s father found some unusual fluid in the pant and vagina of his daughter.
It was during interrogations the victim disclosed that suspect Mr Asare forcibly had sexual intercourse with her in a cocoa farm.
The incident was reported to the police at Adjofua subsequently, the suspect was arrested.
A police medical report form was issued for the victim to undergo a medical examination which indicated that there was hymen laceration.
Thus, it is taking action to make sure businesses having unclaimed profits send the money to the office.
This is done in an effort to deter businesses from borrowing unclaimed dividends.
Speaking at an event hosted by the UK Ghana Chamber of Business, the Registrar of Companies, Jemima Oware, revealed that her office has developed an interest-bearing account in both dollars and cedis to manage these earnings.
“There are quite a number of companies that have actually dividends. The committee of experts saw that instead of these unclaimed dividends sitting in the company’s accounts and then the company borrowing people’s unclaimed dividends, after three months if the shareholders haven’t come for it or those who are supposed to benefit haven’t come for it then you are supposed to transfer these funds to the Office of the Registrar of Companies who have also opened an interest bearing account in both cedis and US dollars”.
Under section 73, 74 of the act, we will manage it [unclaimed dividends] for seven years. So the same bulletin is going to put out names of shareholders who have to come and get their dividends if it’s due, and if after seven years they do not come for it, then the law says that 50% is going to be transferred to the government.
She added that the other 50% will go to the Office of the Registrar of Companies.
“We will use it for investor education, research, entrepreneurial development and advanced company law, she explained.
The Coalition of Nation Builders Corps (NABCo) has accused the government of using phony representatives to march in the Independence Day parade as NABCo beneficiaries.
The Coalition stated in a statement that the “young men and women” posing as NABCo trainees were actually members of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
They are demanding an apology from the government.
The Coalition argues that given their current economic circumstances, no reasonable trainee will drive to the parade grounds and stand in the hot sun to celebrate Ghana’s independence.
“At this juncture that we are going through inhuman treatment, for history sake, people may see celebration of Independence Day as an important occasion, but realistically the celebration is needless to we NABCO trainees in this time of severe hardships and cruel economy.
“Our critical investigation after the programme indicates that, the young men and women who were in traditional cloth were NPP party faithful who were compelled to represent NABCO Trainees,” part of the statement read.
The Coalition further wondered why the government would think NABCO trainees will march when their nine months arrears have still not been paid.
“A critical and analytical look at the pictures clearly show a well-organized group of minors paraded to match to deceive and create a smokescreen that the NABCO programme is in activation, but the fact remains that, the NABCO scheme collapsed right after 2020 elections,” it said.
Olalere Michael, a 40-year-old mobile police sergeant has shot himself in the head in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara state after murdered his sweetheart Bamidele Cecilia Oluwatosin and then
The incident took place on March 2, 2023, on the grounds of the Redemption Model Nursery and Primary School, Agba Dam, Ilorin, which is housed inside the Chapel of Redemption UMCA.
The late officer is survived by his wife and two daughters.
The mother of Desmond, a student at the school who will be celebrating his third birthday on May 12, 2023, was said to be the late Tosin, who worked as a maid at the Banquet Hall across from the Government House, according to Daily Trust.
It was gathered that some parents refused to allow their children attend school on Friday because of the incident which caused panic around the area.
According to residents and shop owners around the school who spoke to the publication, the deceased mobile police officer trailed his lover to the school premises and waited for her to come pick up her child before opening fire on her at close range.
Some of them were astonished as to why “A young and promising guy like this would kill himself because of a side chic, without considering what his beautiful family will face.”
“The officer was dressed in a camouflage police uniform. He entered the school premises at about a few minutes before 8am in his Toyota Corolla car earlier than his female friend who had brought her son to the school later.
“Immediately she walked him, he brought out his AK-47 rifle and shot Oluwatosin on the chest three times at close range and she died on the spot.
“He thereafter shot himself on the throat which blew off some part of his head and the two of them were there in a pool of blood before the police came to evacuate their bodies about one hour later. It was really a gory scene”, a resident, Olaleye Arodeyo, told Daily Trust.
It was further gathered that the late officer with force number F/NO 497093 was attached to one of the aides of the Kwara State Governor but recently left the position. It was while serving at the Government House that he met Oluwatosin.
Residents who spoke on the issue said they have been dating for a while but trouble started when the late Oluwatosin said she was no longer interested in the relationship.
“What we understand is that Oluwatosin had a fiancé abroad whom she had a son for, and who was preparing to come to Nigeria having left for Dublin about a year ago.
“Because of that, she wanted to end the affair which triggered their frosty relationship and their fatal end,” one of the residents, Mrs Hannah, said.
Unconfirmed reports said Olalere had told some of his colleagues on the day of the incident that he was going to kill somebody and also kill himself.
“But many of them didn’t believe him because he was doing very well as a police officer. He had two houses, one in Iloffa and Omu-Aran, Oke-Ero and Irepodun local government areas of the state. Here in Ilorin, he was staying in the Barrack and had a very beautiful wife and two daughters,” a police source told the publication.
It was further gathered that the late Olalere had tried severally to convince Oluwatosin to rescind her decision to end the relationship but to no avail.
Residents said he had visited the family house of the deceased female friend a few days before where he allegedly made away with some electronics and other items he was said to have bought for her.
“This was at the height of his frustration over the situation. But Olalere was very much in love with her and I believe that was why he killed her and shot himself,” Mr Bello, another resident of the area, said. A female provision seller in the area who simple identified herself as Mrs Benedicta said;
“Most times, when the man (Olalere) is around, they used to come to my shop to buy things. I never knew he was a police officer because he doesn’t wear his uniform and seldom comes down from the car.
“But from their disposition, you could see that he truly loves her. This is very sad. Oluwatosin should be in her 30s and a very beautiful woman. It was after the incident we learnt that she had a fiancé abroad who was coming to Nigeria,” she added.
According to the spokesman of the police command, Ajayi Okasanmi, their corpses have been deposited at the morgue of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH).
“What we can establish now is that the two of them were lovers but at a point, they had a misunderstanding which led to the mobile police officer trailing her to the school, shot her and also killed himself in the process. It has nothing to do with police brutality.
“But the Commissioner of Police, Paul Odama, has ordered investigation of this unfortunate incident. No arrest has been made yet. But I can assure you that the report of the investigation will be made public as soon as it is ready,” Okasanmi added.
I must, first of all, welcome our Special Guest of Honour, the President of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau and current Chair of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), His Excellency Umaro Sissoco Embaló, and members of his delegation to Ho, capital of the Volta Region, and to Adaklu, the venue for this ceremony. Senhor Presidente, você é bem-vindo ao Gana.
Ghana is proud of the strong ties of cooperation and friendship that exist between our two countries, and I am also happy that President Embaló succeeded me as Chairperson of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS. It is my hope that our two nations will continue to work together to build a sustainable future of progress and prosperity for our respective countries and populations, and to maintain healthy relations between our two nations.
Your Excellency, we are very glad that you accepted our invitation to share this special day with us. Even though you have been to our country on many occasions, your stay has largely been in Accra, our nation’s capital. Today, you are in Adaklu and, I dare say, in one of the most beautiful, and serene parts of our country, and you are amongst people who pride themselves on their sense of hospitality. I hope that, by the end of the visit, you will agree with this claim.
I extend the appreciation of the nation to the children from all across the nation who took part in the march, and I commend the cultural groups for their spectacular performances, which exemplified the greatest aspects of Ghanaian culture. It is always a delight also to watch personnel from our security services on parade, putting up spectacular drills. This year’s parade and display of drills are no exception, and, have become eagerly awaited aspects of our independence day celebration. Kudos to them!!
Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the part of Ghana that has produced, arguably, the nation’s two greatest composers, Ephraim Amu, composer of that great anthem, Mia denyigba lorlor la (Yen ara asase ni), who taught us to take pride in our culture, and Phillip Gbeho, composer of Ghana’s vibrant and much loved national anthem; Daniel Chapman Nyaho, one of Ghana’s most eminent administrators who, at independence, helped ensure a seamless transition when the British left; the Reverend Ametorwobla, that powerful orator who proved you could be both a priest and a politician; and Esther Ocloo, née Nkulenu, trail-blazer and industrialist extraordinaire, whose entrepreneurial spirit lives on. This is part of Ghana that also gave us Komla Agbeli Gbedemah, Ghana’s first Minister for Finance and one of the founding fathers of our nation, and the charismatic Jerry John Rawlings, first president of the Fourth Republic and Ghana’s longest-serving head of state.
The greatest achievement of our independence is the fact that we have welded different ethnic entities into one nation. Although the Gold Coast was the precursor to our independent Ghana, it was a collection of disparate groups. It was the attainment of independence that gave us our common identity as Ghanaians.
An important historical fact is that, of all the different peoples that have formed our modern nation, it was only the people of the Volta, Oti and part of the current Northern Regions who had the unique opportunity to choose to join the territory that became Ghana at independence. I am referring, of course, to the 1956 plebiscite in which, on May 9th of that year, the people of the then British Togoland voted to join the Gold Coast on the attainment of her independence a year later. Without that significant historical event, we would not have Ghana as we know it today.
Today, we celebrate the anniversary of the day we achieved the enviable status of becoming the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to be free of colonial rule, and, with this, came the weighty obligation to serve permanently as a barometer of the continent’s progress.
Sixty-six (66) years down the line, we have worked hard to live up to this responsibility, even though we acknowledge that we have not fully realised our potential and the dreams and aspirations of our forebears, who fought for the independent Ghana we have today.
For well over a century, our forebears fought to liberate our nation from the chains of colonialism and imperialism. The several wars fought against the British by the Ashantis, the last of which featured the celebrated Yaa Asantewa; the successful mobilisation of public opinion by the Aborigines Rights Protection Society, whose leading spirits were Jacob Sey, Joseph Casely-Hayford, John Mensah Sarbah, Kobina Sekyi, against the sequestration of our lands by the British; the formation, in 1947, of the nation’s first political party, the United Gold Coast Convention, UGCC of blessed memory; the triggering of mass resistance by Nii Kwabena Bonney (Boycott Hene) through the boycott of goods of European traders; the riots that consumed the nation following the senseless shootings of unarmed ex-service men at the Christiansborg Crossroads on 28th February 1948 and the killings of Sergeant Adjetey, Corporal Attipoe and Private Odartey Lamptey, which enraged the people and sparked riots across the country; the subsequent arrest of the UGCC leaders, who have gone down in history as the legendary “Big Six”, JB Danquah, Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lamptey, Edward Akufo-Addo, Ebenezer Ako Adjei, William Ofori-Atta, Kwame Nkrumah, by the colonial authorities, who held them responsible for the disturbances; the establishment of the Watson Commission, which helped design the path towards independence in 1957; and the formation, in 1949, of the Convention Peoples’ Party by Kwame Nkrumah, together with K.A Gbedemah and Kojo Botsio, which, thereafter, became the principal organ for the prosecution of the nationalist agenda.
Our forebears were united and strengthened in realising one common purpose – the attainment of independence. It did not matter where they came from; it did not matter which tribe they belonged to; it did not matter which religious persuasion they subscribed to; and their standing in society certainly did not matter. They recognised the fact that colonialism did not inure to our nation’s collective benefit, and they were determined to end it. And, indeed, they did.
On that historic night of 6th March 1957, after decades of agitation by the pioneers and members of the nationalist movement, Kwame Nkrumah, our nation’s first leader, made the momentous proclamation of Ghanaian independence at the Old Polo Grounds in Accra, which we celebrate with joy every year.
The theme for this year’s celebration, “Our Unity, Our Strength, Our Purpose”, should imbue in us the constant desire to seek the progress, prosperity and development of Ghana, no matter the circumstances confronting us.
The 4th Republic represents the longest period of stable constitutional governance in our history. We should be united in the goal of protecting it, for it is only its free, democratic form of governance and the intelligent management of the economy that will bring the upliftment Ghanaians to want and deserve.
We should continue to strive to ensure that no Ghanaian child is denied access to quality education, hence the groundbreaking and transformative Free SHS policy. We should continue to guarantee access to affordable healthcare for all in every part of our country, by continuously improving the National Health Insurance Scheme, expanding healthcare infrastructure and enhancing general health delivery; we should continue to work towards achieving food security, and the modernisation of our agriculture; we should continue to work to become a value-added, industrialised economy, which no longer depends on the production and export of raw materials, but on the things we make; we should continue to work to open up all parts of our country through the construction of roads, rail, ports and airports; we should continue to work to improve accountability, efficiency and transparency in the delivery of public services; we should continue with the process of digitalisation; we should continue the difficult but necessary task of ridding our environment of the menace of galamsey; and we should continue to pay our taxes, and demand that our leaders put them to good use.
Above all, we should continue to guard and protect jealously the security and integrity of our nation against dangers from outside and within our borders.
We cannot allow those who seek to divide us along the lines of ethnicity or religion to succeed. Let us deepen the cohesion that exists amongst us, and let us wear, with pride, the badge of being called Ghanaian. There is no better homage we can pay to the memories of all those who fought to free us from the shackles of colonialism and imperialism than to dedicate this 66th independence anniversary to working even harder for the unity, strength and purpose of our dear Ghana.
Fellow Ghanaians, I am very much aware of the current difficulties confronting our nation, and we are working hard to resolve them. But, maybe, we should also count our blessings on how, together, we are managing the difficulties. We all see the images around the world. Here in Ghana, we have not had any fuel queues, we have not suffered shortages of food and essential items, nor the catastrophe of dumsor. Undoubtedly, major global developments have had a negative impact on our domestic economic performance. We have witnessed historic highs in global inflation and food prices; rising global interest rates triggered by the tightening of monetary policy of central banks across several advanced economies to tame rising inflation; an energy crisis with crude oil prices reaching unprecedented highs, at one point, above one hundred and twenty dollars (US$120) per barrel; the strengthening of the US dollar against all other currencies; the tightening of global financing conditions especially for emerging markets and developing economies; and the largescale disruption of the global supply chain.
These phenomena have manifested in Ghana in the form of the depreciation of our currency, the decline in gross international reserves, high inflation, elevated debt burden, significant fiscal stress, constrained domestic and external financing, and reduced GDP growth. It is these that have brought hardships upon our people. Government has deployed a number of fiscal interventions to help bring relief to Ghanaians, and, I am confident that, sooner rather than later, we will see significant results of relief and recovery. In two days, on Wednesday, 8th March, I will, in the Chamber of Parliament, deliver a Message on the State of the Nation, where I will delve into much greater detail the entirety of the package of policies Government is implementing to bring back the days of rapid growth.
Fellow Ghanaians, there is one thing I want all of us to remember, and that is that, when I assumed office on 7th January 2017, I inherited a severely-challenged economy, whose rate of growth, at the time, was the lowest in over two decades. By dint of hard work, prudence and creativity, we managed to turn things around, creating an economy which, for the years 2017, 2018, and 2019, the years before the onset of COVID-19, was amongst the fastest growing economies not only in Africa but also in the world, recording an annual GDP growth rate of seven per cent. We were the best place to do business in West Africa, and, in 2021, we were described as the most attractive destination for investment in West Africa. The next 22 months of my mandate will be focused on restoring the economy we had before COVID and the Russian invasion of Ukraine to a period of rapid growth. It is a solemn pledge I am making to you, my fellow Ghanaians, and one which I am determined to fulfil.
Before I take my seat, I want to inform you that, in fulfilment of the announcement I made at last year’s Founders’ Day Celebration, I will, on Tuesday, 14th March 2023, confer national honours on some citizens of our country, who distinguished themselves in the fight against the pandemic of COVID-19. Through their actions, they helped protect and preserve our population and won global acclaim for Mother Ghana. I will, also, on that day, express the nation’s gratitude to the legal team of men and women who were charged with ensuring that the maritime boundary dispute with Ghana’s immediate, western neighbour, the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, ended favourably for Ghana, thus ensuring that our western maritime resources, including their potential oil and gas reserves, remained legitimately in our possession.
I am sure we all saw the three (3) helicopters belonging to the Police Service joining this morning’s celebration. It is the first time in our nation’s history that the Police Service is employing the use of helicopters to improve its operational efficiency. The acquisition of these helicopters is to honour the pledge I made at the 2019 end-of-year Police WASSA, and I assure the officers, men and women of the Service of Government’s continued support in helping them to discharge effectively their mandate.
Ladies and gentlemen, in choosing to celebrate this year’s Independence Day in the Volta Region, I hope it affords all of us the opportunity to enjoy the beauty and breathtaking scenery that abounds here. This is the Region that has the highest mountain in Ghana, and other spectacular peaks from which to gaze at the surrounding splendour. This is the Region that has marvellous waterfalls and naturally occurring landscapes and historic monuments on its coast. It is the Region of spellbinding and beautiful music and intricate dances. It is a Region with interesting cuisine. It is a tourist destination without comparison. I urge you all to explore its unique attractions.
In conclusion, fellow Ghanaians, I want to assure you that my devotion to the Ghana Project is unwavering. The enemy we face is not each other. We can only win this battle if we stick together, and pull in the same direction, regardless of our divergent viewpoints. I am confident that we are on the right path, and I ask for your support so that we can continue the transformation of Ghana in peace.
Once again, on behalf of all of us, I thank President Embalo and his entourage for coming to join us on our special day. Happy 66th Independence Anniversary Celebration to us all, and may God Almighty bless us all, and our homeland Ghana, and make her great and strong.
Marcus Rashford is urging his teammates to “trust the process” in order to prevent Manchester United’s 7-0 loss to Liverpool from being the season’s defining moment.
A week after ending their six-year trophy drought in the EFL Cup final, Erik ten Hag’s team was brutally destroyed at Anfield.
In this match, Liverpool handed United their biggest-ever defeat, and the manner of the collapse was reminiscent of United’s awful performances from last season.
Rashford, who was instrumental in steering a United comeback before Sunday’s game, now wants to make sure their season doesn’t get derailed.
“I wish we could play a game today to try and put things right,” Rashford wrote on Twitter. “The result is the result, and we can’t see past that!
“We must not let it define our season. We have to trust the process and stick together.”
I wish we could play a game today to try and put things right. The result is the result, and we can’t see past that! We must not let it define our season. We have to trust the process and stick together.
In Sunday’s 7-0 victory over Manchester United, Liverpool’s players collided with a pitch invader who is being sought out and barred from the stadium.
On a spectacular day at Anfield, Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez, and Mohamed Salah all scored hat tricks as Jurgen Klopp’s team defeated their opponents in a record-breaking triumph.
Nevertheless, a spectator went onto the field to join the players during the celebrations following Roberto Firmino’s seventh goal of the match, slid, and hit Andy Robertson.
Left-back for Liverpool As Robertson was knocked to the ground, Klopp became incensed and was seen yelling at the perpetrator as he was taken away by security.
The club stated in a statement on Monday that more action will be taken.
Liverpool FC has begun an immediate investigation to identify and ban the individual pitch runner from Sunday's Premier League fixture against Manchester United at Anfield.
“Liverpool FC has begun an immediate investigation to identify and ban the individual pitch runner from Sunday’s Premier League fixture against Manchester United at Anfield,” it read.
“The offender ran onto the pitch and collided with Liverpool players, risking injury, as they celebrated the seventh goal in front of the Main Stand.
“There is no excuse for this unacceptable and dangerous behaviour. The safety and security of players, colleagues and supporters is paramount.
“The club will now follow its formal sanctions process and has suspended the alleged offender’s account until the process is complete.
“If found guilty of the offence of entering the pitch without permission, the offender could face a criminal record and a lifetime ban from Anfield and all Premier League stadiums.
“These acts are dangerous, illegal and have severe consequences.”
The Golden Generation player from Belgium, Toby Alderweireld, has announced his retirement from active duty.
The 34-year-old, who played 127 times for his country over the course of a 13-year career, is third in Red Devils history in terms of total caps.
The former Tottenham and Atletico Madrid center back Toby Alderweireld played for Belgium at five successive major competitions, including three World Cups and two European Championships. He was also a part of the Russia 2018 team that came in third place.
Yet after a discouraging group stage exit in Qatar the previous year, he has now become the most seasoned player on their team to retire from international competition.
“As a little boy, I dreamed of playing for the national team,” Alderweireld told the Belgium national team’s official website. “I am very grateful and proud that this dream has become a reality.
“I can look back, 14 years later, on 127 international matches, three World Cups, two European Championships and countless beautiful memories.
“With pain in my heart, I announce that I will retire from the Red Devils with immediate effect I have given myself completely, physically and mentally.
“I want to thank all my team-mates and the staff for the unforgettable moments we shared together. Without them, none of this would have been possible.”
Alderweireld made his debut against Chile in 2009, although he didn’t start playing regularly until 2013.
He later played for them at the World Cups in Brazil in 2014, Russia in 2018, Qatar in 2022, as well as Euro 2016 and Euro 2020.
His resignation follows team-mate Eden Hazard’s decision to bow out following their poor Qatar campaign.
Later this month, Belgium will compete in a Euro 2024 qualifying match against Sweden and a friendly match against Germany for their first games under new coach Domenico Tedesco.
President Akufo-Addo has entreated Ghanaians to desist from immensely dwelling on the challenges the country is facing.
According to the president, the people of Ghana should also make it a point reflect on some of the achievements Ghana has chalked over the years.
Addressing Ghanaians while commemorating the 66th Independence Day celebration, he said “Fellow Ghanaians, I’m very much aware of the current difficulties confronting our nation and we are working hard to resolve them. And maybe, we should also count our blessings in how together we are managing the difficulty.
We all see the images around the world. Here in Ghana, we have not had any fuel queues, we have not suffered shortage of food and essential items. All the catastrophe of ‘dumsor’. Undoubtedly, major global developments have had a negative impact on our domestic economic performance.”
He mentioned that historic highs in global inflation and food prices, rising global interest rates triggered by tightened monetary policy of central banks across several advanced economies to take rising inflation have had a negative impact on the local currency and elevated the country’s debt burden.
President Akufo-Addo has however assured that his government has been working hard to restore an indebted and challenged economy it inherited in 2017.
This year’s celebration was held at Ho in the Volta Region for the very first time under the theme “Our Unity, Our Strength, Our Purpose.”
The Special Guest of Honour for the celebration was President Umaro Sissoco Embalóof Guinea Bissau, who is also the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
Arsenal’s comeback victory over Bournemouth in the English Premier League has drawn a response from Ghanaian player Thomas Partey.
On Saturday afternoon at the Emirates, Partey gave Arsenal the boost they needed to come back from two goals behind and defeat Bournemouth 3-2.
According to Partey, “this will raise the spirit of the team and of the fans to keep on supporting. This is the football that we all want to play.”
The former Atletico Madrid player credited the never-say-die attitude of his team with the comeback victory against their rival after the game.
“I think it is the spirit of never giving up,” Partey said when asked if such goals prove this Arsenal team do not know when they are beaten.
“The belief that we have in the team, the belief that the fans have in us, is pushing us game after game. I think we have deserved every win that we have had this season.
“I think it’s another game that we were able to go down and then we are able to go up and win the game.
The 29-year-old pulled one back for the Gunners five minutes after they went down 2-0, following goals from Philip Biling and Marcos Senesi for Bournemouth.
Ben White pulled parity for Arsenal with 20 minutes remaining before Reiss Nelson stole victory for the Gunners late in extra time.
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