Arnold Asamoah-Baidoo, a Ghanaian showbiz critic, has openly expressed his opinion following the announcement of the Grammy Awards’ introduction of a new category called ‘Best African Music Performance.’
The entertainment pundit told Amansan Krakye in an interview that Ghana seems to be the only African country mostly excited after the announcement.
He said on Property FM in Cape Coast that it appears Nigerians were enthused about the development because they were already winning big in the international market.
“When you research a bit after Grammys announced their new African category it seems out of all the African countries, Ghana is the only country so happy about it.
“The Nigerians don’t really care because without this category they were winning the Grammys and were getting nominations same applies to other African countries,” he added seen by MyNewsGh.com
Arnold further explained, “Benin wouldn’t care about this category because over the years Angelique Kidjo has been winning and also in South Africa they won’t be too excited about the category because their artistes have been winning a lot of Grammys.
“Ghana seems to be the only African country overexcited about this new Grammys category and it’s understandable because we’ve not been able to win the Grammys after 65 years of its existence,” he justified on the show.
Amidst the circulating news regarding her husband’s past involvement with Yvonne Nelson, Tracey Owusu Addo, the spouse of renowned rapper Sarkodie, has taken to social media to share a post.
Although her post has nothing to do with the current development, it has caused a stir on social media, considering the level of curiosity from fans.
In the said post which highlighted some of her upcoming charity projects, Tracey was seen flaunting her wedding ring in a manner that drew the attention of netizens.
Tracey also threw more light on working with the UNHCR in Ghana to commemorate #WorldRefugeeDay.
However, the post has since garnered over 18,000 likes and 500 interesting comments from social media users.
Private legal practitioner lawyer Kofi Bekai believes the court made the correct decision in scheduling daily hearings on the criminal case presented against James Gyakye Quayson.
The lawyer explained that the court has no regard for individuals.
He stated that everyone is equal before the law and that the law is the law, regardless of their social standing.
He was responding to claims made by some members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), particularly former President John Dramani Mahama, about the High Court’s decision to convene every day and hear the case.
Mahama accused the court of being political and biased.
He then questioned whether serious cases such as murder are heard daily.
The candidate in the Assin North by-election is being intimidated, according to them.
However, the lawyer disagreed with these allegations, claiming that they should have raised their protest to the court’s arrangement.
He stated that if the arrangement was unfavourable and the accused person on trial was unavailable for the days the court would sit, he should have written to the court and explained why.
“What I want Ghanaians to understand is that the court is not a respecter of persons.” The court does not care if you are the President, a Chief, or anyone else. Remember that the judge has the authority and discretion to work unless you were affected by a decision and felt it was unfair, in which case you will seek redress through the Appeals Court.
“The court has agreed to hear the case daily. In addition, the Supreme Court directed that matters involving elections be expedited. We do not want matters to be postponed, and at the end of the day, if the person elected is proven to be ineligible or unconstitutional, he or she will have exhausted his or her tenure.”
“The court has discretion, and the judge has used it.” If you have a legal challenge, you can bring it to court. But you don’t wait to go public and make claims against the court.”
Kwame A-Plus, a well-known social commentator and controversial musician, has come forward to support Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie’s decision to reject a pregnancy from award-winning actress Yvonne Nelson back in 2010.
He said he has no doubts that Sarkodie could probably not be the father of the child considering how deceitful Yvonne Nelson’s mother had been in the revelation of the identity of her own father.
The actress in her memoir “I am not Yvonne Nelson” launched at Peduase Lodge on Sunday, June 19, 2023, revealed that she aborted a pregnancy for Sarkodie in 2010 after a short relationship.
According to her, she took the decision to abort following Sarkodie’s decision not to take responsibility for the child.
Narrating the incident on pages 88-95 of Chapter Eight of her new book, Yvonne Nelson said Sarkodie and his manager at the time accompanied her to a clinic at Mamprobi to get the foetus removed. That was after a failed attempt with pills recommended by a friend.
In the book, she stated that she went to meet Sarkodie at Tema, who was still living with his mother.
A-Plus reacting to the abortion allegation and the book launched by the actress in a Facebook post, A-Plus said Yvonne Nelson made us believe that her mother was a superwoman when she even celebrated her mother on Father’s Day adding that her [Yvonne] mother did everything to make her believe that her father was the most useless man on earth.
He wrote: Yvonne Nelson made us believe that her mother was a superwoman, she even celebrated her mother on Father’s Day. Her mother did everything to make her believe that her father was the most useless man on earth. On his sick bed, the man told his part of the story, revealing to her that he is not her father. She therefore had a DNA test and it was confirmed, according to her that yes, the “Satan” was not her father. Her “real” father was Peter Adjetey, the former speaker of Parliament. That one too the DNA machine was “faulty” so the “real was not realing.” Na asɛm bɛn koraa ni? And you expected Sarkodie, a young up-and-coming guy to accept a pregnancy from someone who was showing some of her mother’s characteristics?
Sark, you made the best decision!!! If you had accepted that pregnancy, the book today would have read, “Sarkodee is not my son/daughter’s father. The real father is Inyanya” or one of her many boyfriends.
Her mother played the victim to make an innocent man look bad even when she knew the real father of her daughter. This is exactly who these daughters of Eve are.
Paramount Chief of Asokore Asante, Nana S. K. B. Asante, has advised the state to scrutinise the 1992 Constitution before embarking on a review of the document.
He emphasised the need for a careful study of the antecedents and merits of the 1992 Constitution as part of the ongoing talks for a review process.
Dr. Asante, a distinguished scholar, constitutional lawyer, and negotiation expert, highlighted the importance of meaningful reform proposals in this exercise.
Drawing a parallel to the Supreme Court‘s approach to constitutional, he explained that considering the background and expert recommendations should precede focusing on the constitution’s text.
Furthermore, he noted that societal challenges such as corruption, economic flaws, and indiscipline should not be solely attributed to the constitution.
The chief expressed these views during the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) constitutional review series, where prominent chiefs shared their contributions to the ongoing discussion on meeting the present requirements.
Speaking on the theme: “Reviewing Ghana’s 1992 Constitution: Viewpoints from the National House of Chiefs,” Nana Asante emphasised the importance of recognising Ghana’s international reputation for democratic and constitutional stability and how it has brought economic benefits.
He cautioned against uninformed criticisms of the constitution and called for a comprehensive analysis of its contributions to consolidating the country’s democracy.
He also addressed the issue of excessive presidential powers, highlighting their origins in the 1979 Constitution and encouraging a detailed examination of all constitutional provisions.
Dr. Asante highlighted the necessity of conducting a realistic analysis of appointments made by the president, including heads of constitutional bodies, judges of the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice, and District Chief Executives. He suggested considering which appointments should remain under the president’s authority and which should be delegated to other bodies.
Regarding the participation of chiefs in politics, Nana Asante deemed it inappropriate but emphasised their potential to contribute to community and national development.
Proposing recommendations on behalf of the president of the National House of Chiefs, Nana Ogyeahohoo Yaw Gyebi II, and Dr. Asante advocated the need to reduce the appointment of ministers of parliament to maintain effective parliamentary oversight.
He also suggested that an independent authority, rather than the presidency, should be responsible for appointing heads of all constitutional bodies, including the Electoral Commission and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ). Additionally, he proposed limiting the number of Supreme Court judges and establishing a second Chamber to serve as a check on parliamentary work.
In his analysis of the revelations made by Yvonne Nelson in her newly published book, Captain Smart has expressed the view that the actress has experienced a lack of genuine love throughout her life.
According to the TV and radio presenter, if not for the quest of finding love, Yvonne Nelson wouldn’t have given Sarkodie a chance at that time. Yvonne Nelson in her book, ‘I Am Not Yvonne Nelson’ revealed that the rapper impregnated her in 2010.
“I had gone for a pregnancy test to confirm what becomes the most obvious conclusion for a sexually active young woman who misses her monthly flow. I was in the company of Karen. And when the test result was ready, I wasn’t strong enough to open it. She did and declared the verdict. Charlie, it dey there!” she exclaimed.
“Sarkodie was a budding musician with the potential to become one of the biggest artists in Ghana and beyond. At the time, however, the future looked uncertain, and his way through the maze of life still appeared too foggy to predict. Success was not guaranteed. He was still living with his mother and was not ready to carry a burden while he was being carried by his mother.
“I wouldn’t call what had developed between us a serious relationship. I gravitated toward people in the music industry. For the longest time in my life, music was my getaway from all the unpleasant things life threw at me. So, I liked his talent. We started talking and got close. Closer,” parts of the book read.
Commenting on the revelation with others about how Yvonne Nelson got cheated on by Iyanya, her Nigerian ex-boyfriend, Captain Smart explains that the actress chose that kind of life then because she was looking for genuine love.
“I have not really read the entire book yet but I have noticed that the young lady throughout her life has been looking for someone who will love her, nothing else,” he said.
“The time they said she dated Sarkodie, I didn’t know Sarkodie by then but the pictures of him back then show that Yvonne was not looking for a rich man. Pappy Kojo too has been named. Look at Iyanya, who at all is he?” he asked.
Speaking during his show on Onua TV, Captain Smart emphasised that “she was just looking for someone to love her”.
The Deputy Minister for Energy, Andrew Mercer Agyapa, has refuted assertions that the ousted Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson, is being prosecuted because the New Patriotic Party (NPP) wants a majority in parliament.
According to him, the ousted MP committed a crime and the fact that his conviction would affect the numbers at parliament is not a reason for him not to be prosecuted.
Speaking in a TV3 interview shared on Facebook on Monday, June 19, 2023, Agyapa Mercer added that the evidence is clear that Gyakye Quayson committed a crime and he has no doubt that he would be jailed.
“This gentleman who is taking the NDC’s abuse willingly, violated the statutory declaration, saying that he owed no allegiance to any other country.
“And I hear some argument to the effect that the man had tendered his application to the Canadian authorities, really and that is exculpatory. Are we serious?”
The deputy energy minister who is also the Member of Parliament for Sekondi, added, “What kind of joke is this? What kind of joke is this? The law is clear on this… He had another citizenship other than Ghana… he is going to jail.”
The High Court in Accra, on Friday (June 18, 2023), ruled that the ongoing criminal trial of ousted Assin North Member of Parliament, James Gyakye Quayson, will be heard daily starting from Tuesday, June 20, 2023.
This was after the presiding judge, Justice Mary Maame Ekue Yanzuh, turned down an application for the trial to be adjourned till after the by-election.
The Court has since fixed June 20, 21, and 23 for the trial to continue.
Quayson was recently ousted from parliament after the Supreme Court of Ghana ruled that he was ineligible to contest in the 2020 parliamentary election because he failed to renounce his Canadian citizenship in time.
But there is still one case the former MP has to face in court after the Office of the Attorney General accused him of deceiving public officers to acquire state documents.
On February 12, 2022, the State charged James Gyakye Quayson with five counts; deceit of a public officer, forgery of a passport, knowingly making a false statutory declaration, perjury, and false declaration.
During their time in the city known for its love and romance, Venice, he romantically proposed to Yvonne Nelson, presenting her with his mother’s ring. However, the actress, who was 29 years old at the time, revealed that while the gesture held great significance for him, it failed to hold the same meaning for her.
Her “preoccupation was how not to ruin his night”, hence her decision to nod as an affirmation when he asked, “Will you marry me?”
The romantic occasion by the man who “checked all the boxes of a decent and modern-day gentleman, the kind of man every sane woman would gravitate toward when she thinks of settling down” did not lead to marriage becauseYvonne Nelson was not into him and while she pondered over how to handle the issue, “His attitude provided a parachute for me to jump out and land safely before the plane of our relationship got into complicated altitudes”, she said in her memoir ‘I Am Not Yvonne Nelson’.
In her narrative, the man (name undisclosed) consistently insisted on dining out, and whenever he left for work, he expected her to resist the tempting calls of hunger until his return.
She wrote: “I remember he once left two fingers of banana as what I should eat so that we go out after about 3 p.m. when he returned. This was not the treatment someone like me who worshipped food would tolerate. After the proposal, while I was deciding how to execute my plan after my return to Ghana, he pushed the nuclear code too early.”
The famous actress also recounted how the man was rude to her friend who had paid her a visit. According to her, the man returned from work and displayed rudeness towards the said friend.
“Esi and I were in the house when he returned. He was rude to her, taking the television remote disapprovingly from her and changing the channel,” she stated. “When Esi failed to get his memo, he called me aside and gave what sounded like a stern instruction. He had expected Esi to leave as soon as he entered the house. His unwholesome attitude had failed to get Esi out so he wanted me to tell her to leave right away.”
Unhappy about what ensued, Yvonne said she “left with Esi and returned his ring to him through DHL.”
Two police officers who were mistaken for armed robbers would have been lynched but for the timely intervention of a reinforcement team of police personnel who came to their rescue.
The angry mob nearly lynched the two security officers whom they had mistaken for armed robbers at nearby Huhunya and engaged them in a hot pursuit in a bid to administer instant justice to them.
The said incident at Nkurakan near Koforidua in the Eastern Region.
The two officers said to be with the Police Intelligence Department (PID) of the Regional Police Command in Koforidua were dressed in mufti and wore earrings to disguise their identities when they embarked on a special anti-narcotics mission to nearby Huhunya to arrest some suspected weed dealers.
Following the arrests of the suspects, the youth of the community who reportedly mistook the officers for kidnappers and armed robbers chased after the two taxi cabs conveying the police and suspects, they managed to catch up with them and subsequently accosted them at Nkurakan.
The confrontation between the youth and the policemen began to draw a large mob to the scene and the security officers sensing danger, jumped out of the taxi and sought refuge at the Nkurakan police station.
One of the taxi cabs was subsequently set ablaze and the other vandalized by the youth.
The youth subsequently massed up at the Nkurakan police station, demanding that the two officers, whom they still insisted were armed robbers and kidnappers, be released to them to enable them administer instant justice.
A reinforcement team consisting of armed personnel drawn from the Counter Terrorism Directorate (CTD) of the Ghana Police Service from Koforidua responded to the situation and managed to whisk their colleagues to safety and restore order after firing several rounds of warning shots with the youth responding by throwing stones at the police.
Assembly man for Nkurakan Electoral Area, Thomas Afedi Amponsah detailed the circumstances surrounding the incident to GhanaWeb in an interview.
“The information is that those that were arrested were not armed robbers but they’re (part) of a unit of the Ghana Police Service and they were carrying out an exercise and you know sometimes most of them wear earrings…so the people also thought they were armed robbers so when they chased them from Huhunya to Nkurakan, it is there that the police got to know that they’re all policemen so they called for reinforcement from soldiers and policemen.
“They fired into the air…according to an eyewitness, those guys from Huhunya chased those men and they were trying to kill them so they managed to burn one of their cars…but the reinforcement team was able to rescue the policemen from the crowd,” narrated the Assemblyman.
The suspects are also said to be in police custody pending further investigations.
In the Awutu Breku District Court, under the jurisdiction of her Worship Naomi Kuntor, Prophet Isaac Kofi Agyir, the leader and founder of the ‘Through Lamp Worship Centre,’ has been sentenced to pay a fine of GH¢50,000. Additionally, he is required to provide a carton of whiskey and a sheep as restitution for impregnating a married woman in Awutu Bereku, located within the Awutu Senya West District of the Central Region.
Somewhere last week the Adontenhene of Awutu Traditional Council sat on the same issue and charged the Prophet to bring the same items as compensation for the man whose wife he impregnated.
The Court affirmed the ruling by the Adontenhene and ordered the pastor to do what the traditional authorities ordered him.
Leader and founder of ‘Through Lamp Worship Centre’ in Gomoa Buduburam pleaded guilty to the charges levelled against him but insisted the woman is his wife too.
“I noticed the strange chemistry between my wife and the pastor and I questioned her about it. I also learnt that the pastor is my wife’s ex-boyfriend. I confronted my wife’s parents, and they told me that they were lovers during their school days but have broken up long ago. I later realized that my wife was refusing to listen to me and even told me that she had lost interest in the marriage with whom I have four kids,” John Baah told Citi News.
Member of Parliament (MP) for Takoradi Constituency, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, has indicated that Ghana’s economic fortunes were improving after setbacks from the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.
He said promises made to Ghanaians during the 2020 election campaign were carefully pursued by President Akufo-Addo and his capable teams through innovation, hard work, and good policies.
He said it was evidenced by the numerous projects such as Hospitals, roads, and factories that have sprouted across the country.
Darko-Mensah who doubles as the Western Regional Minister said this during a community engagement at the Amanful Electoral Area to discuss the current economic conditions in the country.
He indicated the Western Region was benefiting from many roads being built across the region, citing the Tarkwa-Agona Ahanta road and the Sekondi-Takoradi roads as examples.
Emmanuel Avevor, an NPP communicator, said President Akufo – Addo’s government was committed to providing the Western Region with the needed resources to enhance development in the Region.
He mentioned that the Region was benefitting from eleven (11) Hospitals which he noted were at various stages of completion.
Prince Arthur, Assembly Member for the Area, praised the MP for his unwavering support for the residents of Amanful.
The event was the fifth in a series, as communities like New Takoradi, Essikafo-Ambantem No. 2, and Zenith Electoral Areas have already been visited by the MP.
Dennis Osei-Owusu, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the National Teaching Council (NTC) is of the view that the significant increase in failure rates observed in the 2023 Teacher Licensure Examination poses a substantial “national security threat.”
Osei-Owusu stated that the failure rate of teachers who took the re-sit exams is a cause for concern, as it means that many teachers who are yet to join the teaching profession are not fit to be called teachers.
“This is a national security threat that we need to pay attention to as a country. Some of these teachers have written for the ninth time and others for the second time. We really need to pay attention to this because we are talking about teachers coming to train our future generation so if a teacher cannot even spell his or her own name then we have something at hand,” he stated.
Mr Osei-Owusu was speaking in an interview on Eyewitness News on Citi FM in Accra on Tuesday.
A total of 6,451 (83.5%) teachers failed the 2023 Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination conducted in May 2023.
The results were released by the NTC after the teachers wrote the re-sit papers. The number was out of the 7,728 teachers who participated in the re-sit exams, thus only 1,277 passed.
Osei-Owusu explained that the exams were on three basic areas: numeracy, literacy, and essential skills.
The PRO of the NTC explained that the candidates were not from only the colleges of education but the universities.
“But I can emphatically say some of them are not fit to be called teachers,” he said.
He said that the NTC is working to improve the quality of the exams and to ensure that only qualified teachers are allowed to enter the teaching profession.
The Minority in Parliament is urging the Education Committee of Parliament to summon multiple stakeholders within the education sector to address the issue of widespread failure among teachers in the 2023 licensure examination resit.
The Minority says the National Teaching Council, various Colleges of Education and their affiliates, and the Ghana Education Service ought to brief the Committee on the underlying factors contributing to the failure of the teachers.
Speaking to Citi News in an interview, the Deputy Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament, Dr. Clement Apaak underscored the need to invite the relevant stakeholders on the failure in hopes of addressing the issue.
“The stakeholders in education and the parliamentary sub-committee on education in particular ought to hold a hearing by inviting those charged with preparing teachers which will include the colleges of education, the universities that the various colleges are affiliated to, the National Teaching Council, the Ghana Education Service and the Ministry of Education so that we find out exactly where the problem is and why such a colossal number of teachers failed to pass a licensure exam.”
A total of 6,451 out of 7,728 teachers failed the 2023 Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination conducted in May 2023.
In a recently released memoir, renowned Ghanaian actress and movie producer Yvonne Nelson has expressed her regret over a photograph she took with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo during his election victory in 2016.
Yvonne Nelson, known for her outspoken nature, claimed that the president had not lived up to the expectations in terms of general governance and economic management.
The memoir reveals that Yvonne Nelson and her friends visited the then president-elect Akufo-Addo to extend their congratulations shortly after the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and its candidate emerged victorious in the 2016 elections.
According to her, the opposition won the election because, at that time, the nation was grappling with a severe power crisis, known as “dumsor,” which had resulted in significant job losses and adversely impacted small-scale enterprises heavily reliant on electricity.
She spoke about her involvement in the 2015 #DumsorMustStop protest before adding: “A year later, the opposition NPP and its candidate won the 2016 election. The power crisis and its effects were a major sin of the incumbent National Democratic Congress (NDC). Dumsor had resulted in job losses and dealt a deadly blow to the small-scale enterprises that depended on electricity but could not afford alternative sources of power. Even though the NDC administration resolved the crises at a huge cost and through shady procurement deals, the victims of dumsor, corruption, and mismanagement could not forgive the party at the presidential and parliamentary polls.
“The NPP, led by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, won massively in both the presidential and parliamentary elections. Some friends and I went to congratulate the president-elect, Nana Akufo-Addo, with whom we took a photograph. It is a photograph I regret taking.”
She added that Nana Akufo-Addo, who was presented as an incorruptible leader and the antidote to corruption in the public sector and political space, has fallen short of expectations. “He was said to be incorruptible, and Ghanaians thought he was going to be the antidote to mass stealing at the highest level, which is euphemized as corruption. Unfortunately for Ghana and those who trusted in him, he has turned out to be a monumental disappointment whose government’s unbridled borrowing, corruption, and reckless spending plunged the nation into economic dumsor,” she wrote in her book dubbed “I Am Not Yvonne Nelson.”
In her book, Yvonne Nelson, among other disclosures, revealed that she was contacted by a person close to the president to become the parliamentary candidate of the New Patriotic Party for the Ayawso West Wuogon Constituency in the 2020 general elections.
The Deputy Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Alfred Tuah-Yeboah, has categorically refuted any allegations suggesting that the government is making efforts to obstruct James Gyakye Quayson, the National Democratic Congress’ parliamentary candidate, from participating in the forthcoming by-election scheduled for June 27 in the Assin North constituency.
Speaking after Mr. Quayson’s application for the High Court to vary its order to hear his case on a daily basis was adjourned to Wednesday, June 21, Mr. Tuah-Yeboah said the allegations are far-fetched in a sense that inasmuch as Mr. Qyason has the right to contest in the poll, the court also has the right to hear pending cases.
“It is not about him not being allowed to contest the elections. He has the right to contest, and the state also has the right to hear cases pending in court,” he said.
Mr. Atuah-Yeboah also defended the court’s daily hearing of the case against Quayson.
Lawyers for Quayson are seeking to prevent the case from being heard every day which they believe will affect the campaign of the accused who is the NDC’s parliamentary candidate in the Assin North by-election.
Many have criticized the government for attempting to stop the former MP from contesting the seat he once won in the 2020 election.
The NDC through its Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Mustapha Gbande accused the government of trying to influence the court in the criminal case against the MP hopeful who is seeking election in the by-election.
Mr. Quayson is facing charges of perjury and forgery after he contested the Assin North parliamentary election in 2020 despite holding dual citizenship.
The Supreme Court last month ordered Parliament to expunge his name from its records making way for a by-election to be held.
The NDC subsequently fielded Mr. Quayson to be its candidate for the by-election despite the criminal charges against him.
Tragically, an incident has been reported where a man from Guabulga, located in the Walewale district of the North East Region, is alleged to have fatally shot his biological mother.
According to Citi News sources, the suspect returned home on the evening of Thursday, June 15, and asked his wife if dinner was ready.
He was not happy when his wife told him that she was preparing the meal.
Sources say the man, who was under the influence of alcohol, was told by his mother to be patient.
He rushed to his room, returned with a gun, and the mother, who was in the living room, tried to prevent him from shooting his wife.
Unfortunately, he shot his mother in the head and she died instantly.
Alarmed by what he had done, the man tried to escape but was apprehended by residents of the community.
Narrating the incident to Citi News, the Assemblyman for the area, Bugri Gabriel, said that although he was out of town, he rushed back and informed the police, who came to pick up the deceased.
“I was called by community members that an incident had happened and I rushed back home and called the police, who came and picked up the body. The man at the time tried to run away but was apprehended by some community members. The police later came and picked him up. The following day, an autopsy was conducted, and the body was released for burial,” he narrated.
The man is currently in police custody assisting with investigations.
Government has come under heavy criticism from the Minority in Parliament following its announcement of plans to demolish the Tamale Timber Market. The decision has sparked outrage among some NDC MPs who argue that the move will have a detrimental impact on the livelihoods of the traders and the overall economy of the region.
MP for Tamale North, Alhassan Suhuyini, said the government sold the area, which is home to several lumber traders, to a private developer in 2020 for renovation.
He claims that affected traders were not compensated or given alternate places prior to the planned demolition.
“The timber market is a place that a lot of traders in timber products have used to earn their livelihoods and to support their children and to also respond to other family commitments.”
“That place has been a business centre long before I was born and yet in the minister’s answer he says there are no permanent structures over there. So this private developer they have given the contract to can go there and demolish the structures over there without paying compensation to anyone,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, refuted these claims.
He described them as false adding that the granting of leases for redevelopment occurred before he assumed office.
He explained that the initiate forms part of efforts by the government to redevelop the area.
He added that there are no permanent structures in the market, only kiosks and containers.
He also revealed that the Lands Commission, in collaboration with other stakeholders, is working to ensure adequate compensation for those affected.
“Matters relating to the Tamale Timber Aboabo market are beyond our reproach. The records are there for all of us to appreciate. It falls as part of the broader scheme of government redevelopment. The leases which were granted were done before I assumed office and the people who are authorised to grant leases in favour of private developers are the lands commission acting in the name of the president and that is what happened on the 29th August 2020.”
“The claim that there are permanent structures and it is going to affect individuals is an insensitive and palpable falsehood. There are no permanent structures over there, the place has been inspected there are kiosks and containers,” he stated.
“As I speak to you, the Lands Commission is working with all stakeholders including the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly to make sure that these people are compensated adequately,” he said.
Africa Education Watch, an influential education think tank, is advocating for the implementation of a limit on the number of attempts allowed for candidates taking the Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination. This call comes as a response to concerns surrounding the current examination system and aims to enhance its effectiveness and fairness.
This comes after the National Teaching Council revealed that some of the 6,000 candidates who failed the 2023 resit examination had taken the exam on nine previous occasions.
The Executive Director for Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare, told Citi News that the Licensure Examination would ensure that professional teaching standards are enhanced.
“The policy is a great one, and it is a means of separating the boys from the men for a want of a better word and ensuring that teachers who do not have the minimum competence to teach even though have their degrees are not allowed to teach.
“Moving forward, I think the National Teaching Council should put a cap on the number of times one can do a resit and I think that the maximum number of resit that should be permissible should be three.”
Meanwhile, the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) is also calling for a stakeholder dialogue to identify the gaps and propose solutions to curb the annual persistent failure, which is worsening over the years.
“The issue requires a national dialogue, and we need to find out what is the issue because we have been here before, and it was business as usual, but for me, I don’t think it should be business as usual, and we all need to come together and bring all the regulatory bodies on board to find out what it is that we are not doing right.”
Spokesperson of Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has stressed that unlike others, his boss is vying to be a president to serve Ghanaians and not to amass wealth.
In a June 20, 2022 interview on Citi TV, Dr. Gideon Boako, disclosed that Bawumia entered politics to serve and that is the motivation behind his bid to ascend to the presidency on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
He stressed the political weight of his principal stating that Bawumia was the most influential person in terms of ideas and vision in Ghana’s politics.
“I think Dr. Bawumia has been the most influential person in our politics in terms of ideas and vision. A vision that you can identify with. Politics has moved to politics of ideas, so you need such visionary leaders who have organized themselves well and committed themselves.
“You can see through them that they are not into politics to amass wealth for themselves. But they are into politics to ensure that things work. That has been the Vice President, working to make sure things are done properly. The people see him to be a unifier,” he underscored.
Boako also addressed tribal concerns swirling around the candidature of Bawumia who could potentially become the first Northerner to run on the ticket of the NPP as a presidential candidate.
“The NPP has a candidate who is not an Akan, the advantage it brings to the party is that, while there will not be any motivation for an NPP supporter in the Akan area to say I won’t vote for Bawumia because he’s a Northerner and I’m going to vote for a former President John Dramani Mahama who is also a Northerner.
“You are able to consolidate your gains in your strongholds. Then you leave Dr. Bawumia and Mr. Mahama to fight in the strongholds of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) where they both come from.
“And see whether or not your candidate will have a competitive advantage over the NDC in his own backyard. That is where the strength of Dr. Bawumia comes in. Dr. Bawumia has been able to exert a lot of influence to the advantage of the NPP in the North”.
Bawumia will come up against other contenders like Alan Kyerematen, Kennedy Agyapong, Francis Addai-Nimoh, Kofi Konadu Apraku and others in the race to lead the NPP into the 2024 elections.
Between 2003 and 2005, Adam Provan sexually assaulted a fellow cop six times while engaging in a campaign of “controlling and abusive behaviour and sexual violence.”
The 44-year-old was working in the Met’s East Area Command Unit at the time, as well as in 2010 when he twice sexually assaulted a teenage girl in a park.
He met the victim on a blind date through a friend and lied about his age, Wood Green Crown Court heard, which led to the ‘brazen and deliberate’ assault. Despite being 31 years old, he claimed to be 22.
The victim told a relative she had been raped at the time but it was not reported to police until 2016.
Provan was later found guilty and given a nine-year sentence for the attack, but his conviction was quashed in a successful appeal last year.
His retrial, which included the allegations from the second victim, began last month.
Latest London news
Provan denied the charges against him but a jury unanimously found him guilty of all eight counts of rape yesterday.
Provan, who lives near the town of Newmarket in Suffolk, will be sentenced on August 21.
Detective sergeant Victoria James said: ‘These are truly dreadful offences. Provan abused his position to win the trust of both these women. I hardly need to say Provan’s behaviour fell grossly short of what we expect from our police officers.
‘The 2010 assault was brazen and calculated, with clear indication he had planned it beforehand. The second victim suffered a campaign of controlling and abusive behaviour and sexual violence. I commend the incredible courage of both women in helping us bring Provan to justice.
‘The commissioner has been extremely clear there is no place in the Met for anyone who does not uphold the highest standards and where there is criminality we will absolutely investigate and bring before the courts.’
Charles and Camilla attended Royal Ascot for the first time since ascending to the throne, paying a heartfelt homage to the Queen and her passion for horses.
The Royal couple visited the athletic event for the first time in their new roles, wishing racegoers success, and ushering in a new era for Ascot.
In a joint foreword for the official programme, they acknowledged Queen Elizabeth‘s “lifelong interest” in the racing event as they rushed onto the Berkshire course in the customary carriage parade.
The pair waved to the crowds who filled the grandstand on the first of five days of racing and were joined by the Duke and Duchess of Wellington in their carriage.
Behind them travelled the Princess Royal with Camilla’s younger sister Annabel Elliot, the Queen’s nephew Sir Ben Elliot, former co-chair of the Conservative Party knighted in Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list, and his wife Lady Elliot, daughter of musician Steve Winwood.
The late Queen was a passionate racehorse breeder and had more than 20 Royal Ascot winners during her 70-year reign.
In memory of her commitment to the event the race – Platinum Jubilee Stakes- has been renamed the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee stakes.
Before the carriage rides old footage from the Queen’s most memorable Royal Ascot moments was played on the big screens and was applauded by the crowds at the end.
Charles and his wife, who have taken on the late monarch’s thoroughbreds, will be carrying on her tradition and have entered a string of horses over the next five days.
The official programme featured Charles and Camilla’s intertwined cyphers on the cover and in their joint foreword said: ‘We are happy in the knowledge that this historic race meeting continues to be a key influence on the global racing and breeding industries.
‘The royal meeting always played a central role in her late majesty Queen Elizabeth’s calendar and the naming of the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes will be a most appropriate way to mark this lifelong interest.
‘A photographic exhibition in the Grandstand will also celebrate the late Queen’s close association with Royal Ascot, including images of some of her 24 winners.
‘We are sure that this exhibition will prompt many happy memories.’
They went on to say: ‘Finally, we wish the very best of good fortune to all the owners, breeders, trainers, jockeys and hardworking stable staff with runners this week.
‘It is a huge and rare achievement to have a runner at Royal Ascot and we very much hope that you all enjoy the experience.’
The nation’s parliament on Tuesday approved a law allowing gay and lesbian couples to be married and adopt kids together.
The law would go into effect on January 1st, 2024, and is anticipated to receive the president’s approval.
Although it has become a more contentious topic, support for marriage equality among Estonians has grown quickly in recent years.
Around 53% of the 1.3 million population supported it, according to surveys taken in April, compared to 34% in 2021. Around 38% still find homosexuality ‘unacceptable’.
Ethnic Russians – who became a large minority in Estonia over decades of Soviet occupation – make up the majority (60%) of those who oppose same-sex marriage.
Estonia’s LGBT Association said: ‘This is a big step towards equality and justice so that every person can feel valued and protected.’
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas encouraged other post-Soviet countries to follow suit.
She said: ‘My message [to them] is that it’s a difficult fight, but marriage and love is something that you have to promote.
‘We have developed a lot in those 30 years, since we have freed ourselves from the (Soviet) occupation. We are equals among same-value countries.’
Ms Kallas’ centre-right party had previously skirted around the issue of same-sex marriage as some of its MPs wanted to approve civil unions rather than full equality.
But Estonia’s liberal Estonia 200 party and centre-left Social Democrats insisted backing full marriage equality as a condition of joining her in government after elections in March.
Ms Kallas also risked her grip on power to get the bill passed in the face of stubborn opposition led by the right-wing populist EKRE party.
The bill ended up in a stalemate after EKRE submitted hundreds of amendments to hold up Ms Kallas’ wider package of reforms.
Ms Kallas then held a series of confidence votes on the matter, which effectively forced stubborn MPs on her side to back her policies or cause the coalition to topple.
Chairman of Stop TB Partnership Ghana David Kwesi Afreh is pushing for more resources to be channeled towards eliminating Tuberculosis.
He is urging presidential action and commitment to effectively combat tuberculosis (TB) in the country.
This call comes ahead of a High-Level United Nations High-Level Meeting on TB in September.
In an interview on JoyNews’ The Pulse, Mr Afreh highlighted the urgency and significance of Ghana’s participation in this global platform.
“It’s important to note at this point that in 2018, we had the United Nations high-level meeting with tuberculosis. Where, our own president, his Excellency Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo was present to sign onto certain commitments and targets for Ghana. In fact, given this target, we were expecting that by 2022 ending, he would have brought in a lot of energy and that is putting TB on his ownpolitical agenda, to be able to drive resources towards ending TB by 2030.”
He further stressed the need for strong leadership and prioritisation to accelerate efforts in ending TB, a disease that continues to affect countless lives in Ghana.
For him, the crucial role of the President in championing the cause and allocating the necessary resources to fight against TB cannot be underestimated.
“About three people die everyday of tuberculosis in this country. We have not bought all the logistics that need to that we need to cover the whole country for easy access to diagnosis. Sometimes there are shortages of cartridges that are used to do this diagnosis. So it is critically important for him to bring his own political accent onto the fight against tuberculosis.”
The chairman of the stop TB Partnership Campaign also noted there’s the need for Ghana to reset it’s priorities to focus on resource provision for TB control programs including increased funding and sustainable financing mechanisms to strengthen healthcare systems, enhancing diagnostic capabilities, and the provision of quality treatment and care to all those affected by TB.
“It is screening we need to do. Once you have diagnosis, logistics, cartridges and X-ray machines that can diagnose childhood TB is diagnosed in adults. And you have it all over the country and you are empowering civil society to watch in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service and the district levels, you are able to have the situation.”
The call by the partnership echoes the global commitment to end TB by 2030, as outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By prioritizing TB control, Ghana can make significant strides towards achieving this goal, saving lives, and ensuring a healthier future for all.
As Ghana prepares to participate in the upcoming UN High-Level Meeting on TB, the Chairman of Stop TB Partnership Ghana remains hopeful that the government will seize this opportunity to showcase its dedication to ending TB and contribute to the global efforts in eradicating this preventable and treatable disease.
“So we need government, we need the president to come. If we are talking about resources, we need presidential action. Can the President call a business forum for TB where we bring the oil players, media players and banks, so that we all play to the country, the situation we have on hand and the resources that are needed? Let’s see how we can galvanise everybody around the table to the retail.” He told Blessed Sogah.
Many civil society groups under the umbrella of the partnership have held several engagements and contributed significantly to the TB campaign. David Afreh however fears all the gains made may come to a knot if government does not step up its efforts.
“We have worked with most of the partners around on TV on radio and there are house-to-house education that go on. That is what the civil society partners in the country coming from the Stop TB Partnership Ghana do. We have community-level radios, you have even community information centers that are being used. Maybe what is important is how much resources can we pump into strengthening these community-based organisations and that is what is also deficient because as we speak, the government by itself is not able to push money into TB. It is a global fund that has been supporting us and that is why we are not able to achieve the target that we are supposed to achieve.”
Stop TB Partnership has therefore extended an invitation to the President to attend the upcoming UNHLM indicating that;
“The time for action is now, and with the presidential commitment, renewed priorities, and adequate resources, Ghana can pave the way for a TB-free future.”
Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, will plead guilty to two tax misdemeanors and struck a deal with federal prosecutors to resolve a felony gun charge, the Justice Department said Tuesday in court filings.
As part of the plea agreement, the Justice Department has agreed to recommend a sentence of probation for the two counts of failing to pay taxes in a timely manner for the years 2017 and 2018, according to sources.
Hunter Biden owed at least $100,000 in federal taxes for 2017, and at least $100,000 in 2018, but did not pay what was due to the Internal Revenue Service by the deadlines. A judge will have the final say on any sentence.
The plea deal will have immediate reverberations in the 2024 presidential race. It has already jumpstarted political criticism from Republicans of the Biden administration and the Justice Department in the wake of the 37-count federal criminal indictment filed against Donald Trump for his alleged mishandling of classified documents. Trump pleaded not guilty last week.
The charges were detailed in a criminal filing in US District Court in Delaware, where the US Attorney David Weiss, a Trump appointee, has been conducting the investigation that at one time explored allegations of money laundering, foreign lobbying and other potential charges.
The investigation is ongoing, the Justice Department said Tuesday.
But Hunter Biden’s attorney, Christopher Clark, said in a statement that the deal with federal prosecutors will “resolve” the Justice Department’s long-running criminal probe into the president’s son.
“Hunter will take responsibility for two instances of misdemeanor failure to file tax payments when due pursuant to a plea agreement,” Clark said. “A firearm charge, which will be subject to a pretrial diversion agreement and will not be the subject of the plea agreement, will also be filed by the Government. I know Hunter believes it is important to take responsibility for these mistakes he made during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life. He looks forward to continuing his recovery and moving forward.”
In a brief statement, the White House said the Bidens “love their son.”
“The President and First Lady love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life. We will have no further comment,” said White House spokesman Ian Sams.
Trump criticized the Hunter Biden plea deal on Truth Social.
‘Wow! The corrupt Biden DOJ just cleared up hundreds of years of criminal liability by giving Hunter Biden a mere “traffic ticket.” Our system is BROKEN!’
Negotiations to reach a plea deal intensified in recent weeks. Hunter Biden’s legal team sought a meeting with the Justice Department in April, which Weiss attended, and where Hunter Biden’s lawyers gave a presentation detailing why they believe Hunter Biden shouldn’t be charged. Part of their argument included that Hunter Biden paid back taxes owed, including penalties. A spokesman for Weiss declined to comment.
Prosecutors had been examining a 2018 incident in which a firearm owned by Hunter Biden ended up tossed by his then-girlfriend into a dumpster in Wilmington, a person briefed on the matter said. Hunter Biden described in media interviews in 2021 that he was addicted to drugs, which raised the possibility he broke federal law when he bought the firearm.
Federal law prohibits firearms purchases by anyone who uses or is addicted to illegal drugs and CNN previously reported that federal prosecutors were weighing possible charges connected to making a false statement related to the gun purchase.
As a result of the missed IRS deadlines, Hunter Biden is pleading guilty to two misdemeanor counts of willfully failing to pay federal taxes, according to the newly unsealed charging documents.
He was repeatedly warned about his tax obligations, according to the emails, but his attorney told CNN in July 2022 that those years were difficult times for Hunter Biden, given struggles with drug and alcohol addiction. Clark has said that his client has now “fully paid” his IRS tax debts.
Meanwhile, the Republican-controlled House has been scrutinizing Hunter Biden’s financial dealings and exploring the Justice Department’s handling of the investigation as well as any involvement by other Biden family members in overseas deals.
Lawyers for an IRS whistleblower who claims that interference exists in the investigation met with Democratic and Republican congressional investigators to lay the groundwork for what their client hopes to share with Congress, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The IRS whistleblower claimed to have information that “contradicts sworn testimony to Congress by a senior political appointee,” according to a letter from the whistleblower’s attorney. That senior political appointee was Garland, people familiar with the matter told CNN.
One whistleblower who worked for the FBI also has complained to Republican lawmakers that the Justice Department wouldn’t allow agents to take more aggressive investigative steps in the Hunter Biden probe.
Republicans in the House threatened to hold FBI Director Christopher Wray in contempt of Congress until he agreed to let them review a document that summarized claims from an informant who alleged that Joe Biden traded policy actions in exchange for millions of dollars in payments to his family. The informant’s claims were not corroborated by investigators.
Personal struggles:
Hunter Biden’s legal issues come against the backdrop of the personal troubles he’s faced, many of which he addressed in his 2021 memoir.
Biden has been open about struggles with addiction to alcohol and drugs. His 24-year marriage ended in a 2017 divorce and his ex-wife has accused him of spending extravagantly on liquor and strip clubs.
In 2017, he also admitted a relationship with the widow of his late brother Beau. Hunter Biden remarried in 2019 and shares a child with his wife, Melissa Cohen.
As Trump tried to make Hunter Biden a focus of the 2020 campaign, Joe Biden said that he was proud of the strides his son had made to deal with addiction. He issued a similar defense in an interview with CNN last year, telling Jake Tapper that he was “proud” of his son for being straightforward about his battle with drug addiction.
“This is a kid who got – not a kid, he’s a grown man – he got hooked on, like many families have had happen, hooked on drugs. He’s overcome that. He’s established a new life,” Joe Biden said.
After he was elected, Joe Biden vowed to stay out of the Justice Department’s prosecutorial decision-making.
“I’m not going to be telling them what they have to do and don’t have to do. I’m not going to be saying, go prosecute A, B or C,” Joe Biden, then the president-elect, told Tapper in December 2020.
“That’s not the role – it’s not my Justice Department. It’s the people’s Justice Department.”
Attorney General Merrick Garland told a Senate panel in 2022 that there will “not be interference” in the DOJ’s probe into Hunter Biden, and said that the president “is committed not to interfere, not only in that investigation but any other kind of investigation.”
Other investigations into Hunter Biden:
Among the matters under scrutiny in the Justice Department’s probe was Hunter Biden’s efforts, after his father left the vice presidency in 2017, to secure a deal with CEFC China Energy to invest in US energy projects, according to documents released by Republicans from two Senate committees.
The deal ultimately fell through, according to an account Hunter Biden gave in a 2019 New Yorker profile, and the company’s executive was later detained by Chinese authorities amid allegations of corruption.
Additionally, Hunter Biden briefly was the lawyer for the head of an organization backed by CEFC who was later convicted on bribery allegations linked to CEFC.
During the Obama administration, other Hunter Biden business ventures in China raised concerns among White House officials, according to The New Yorker, which reported an equity stake Hunter Biden took in an investment fund involving US and Chinese partners.
Federal investigators also previously examined the Ukraine-linked lobbying work by Hunter Biden as well. Of specific interest was the work the lobbying firm Blue Star Strategies did with Burisma, an energy company whose board Hunter Biden served on from 2014-2019, earning as much as $50,000 a month.
Joe Biden has said that his son’s Ukraine-related dealings had no bearing on his approach to the country as vice president, when he spearheaded Ukraine anti-corruption initiatives for the United States. And State Department officials who were critical of Hunter Biden’s Ukraine activities nonetheless told lawmakers that it did not improperly influence policy-making, according to transcripts of Senate testimony.
The indictment, filed with the Bucharest court, says the four defendants ‘organised a criminal group with a view to committing the crime of human trafficking on the territory of Romania, but also in other countries, such as the United States of America and Great Britain,’ the force said.
It names seven alleged victims, each accusing the Tate brothers of recruiting them with ‘misleading’ claims about love and marriage.
‘The loverboy method,’ the directorate says.
After being taken to Ilfov, the county that surrounds Bucharest, the indictment says the victims were ‘sexually exploited’ and made to produce pornography.
The tapes were, police said, then distributed over social media. The victims were also made to undergo ‘forced labour’.
Tate has been charged with raping one of the victims, while his brother faces allegations he initiated violence.
The incident says Tristan sought to ‘punish’ one of the victims after they refused to continue making pornography and asked to leave.
The four are also indicted for ‘illegal access to a computer system, altering the integrity of computer data, instigation to assault or other violence and assault or other violence.’
It has also requested that a raft of Tates’ assets be confiscated, including ’15 lands and buildings located within the counties of Ilfov, Prahova and Braşov, 15 luxury cars (and) 14 luxury watches’.
In response, Tate tweeted: ‘I’m sure this case has absolutely nothing to do with stealing my wealth.’
It’s unclear when the defendants will stand trial, though the trial could take several years.
A Romanian judge now has 60 days to look over the case files before they can be sent to the courts.
A spokesperson for Andrew Tate said: ‘We embrace the opportunity it presents to demonstrate their innocence.’
The self-crowned ‘king of toxic masculinity’, Tate has long bragged to his mostly young male followers about this wealth while telling them that men are victims of feminism.
He has, among other things, said that women ‘belong’ to men, that they are ‘barely sentient’ and that women who are raped are partly responsible for the attacks.
Tate was removed from the reality TV show Big Brother in 2016 after a video showed him hitting a woman with a belt emerged.
While only recently on Twitter, Tristan claimed that ‘wealthy men’ are ‘targets’ in society today.
In the weeks before his arrest, Tate got into an online spat with Greta Thunberg, the teenage environmental activist.
Member of Parliament (MP) for Asawase, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, has highlighted the need for Ghana’s 1992 constitution to be reviewed.
According to him, the constitution has not helped the country to develop the way it ought to have developed.
The former Minority Chief Whip believes the 1992 Constitution literally helps in the election of dictators as Presidents.
Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, June 20, the lawmaker insisted that the constitution offers the President too much power in the discharge of his duties.
“I have always said with the greatest respect that the 1992 Constitution only helps us to elect a dictator because if you look at the Constitution, all it does is create a monster president who is a superhuman and does almost everything and a lot of checks have to be corrected in the current constitution,” he said.
Mr Muntaka was contributing to an issue that was raised by the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu about the delegation of a Vice President as the acting President in the absence of the President.
Unimpressed with the discussions, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka called for the implementation of the recommendations by the Constitutional Amendment Commission to address such concerns.
“I keep asking what is preventing us from implementing the recommendations of the Constitutional Amendment Commission because since 2013, we have virtually iced it, yet a lot of work has been done and it is just left with the implementation and we have left it hanging.”
“Are we anticipating another amendment seeing that the work the Committee did is very extensive?”he quizzed.
“We all know that in a presidential system, checks and balances must exist, but that is a system that has been very difficult for us to do for the past 30 years,” he added.
The High Court has adjourned the application for James Gyakye Quayson‘s case to vary the order of daily hearings until Wednesday, June 21, 2023.
This decision was made following a request by the prosecution for additional time to react to the affidavit presented in the application.
Quayson’s defense team is seeking to prevent the case from being heard on a daily basis, as they believe it would adversely affect the accused’s campaign efforts. Quayson is the parliamentary candidate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the upcoming Assin North by-election scheduled for June 27.
During the proceedings, Deputy Attorney General Alfred Tuah-Yeboah argued that the state had not had sufficient time to review the affidavit and therefore requested the hearing to be postponed to June 21.
The prosecution also urged the court to continue the cross-examination of its witness on the same day, citinewsroom.com.
However, the defense team, led by Tsatsu Tsikata, opposed the request and urged the court to hear the motion before proceeding with any further proceedings related to the substantive case.
In response, the judge decided to stay proceedings for Tuesday and adjourned the hearing of the motion to Wednesday. A decision on the next adjourned date for the substantive matter will be determined thereafter.
Deputy Attorney General Alfred Tuah-Yeboah expressed his thoughts to the media after Tuesday’s hearing, while members of the NDC, including parliamentarians and former ministers, remained confident of obtaining a variation to the court’s order.
Akwaaba UK, the organizers of the highly anticipated Ghana Party in the Park, have revealed an impressive lineup of stars for the upcoming 2023 edition. Maintaining the tradition of bringing the vibrant Ghanaian atmosphere to the UK, the event promises to be a star-studded affair.
During a press briefing held on Monday, June 19, in Accra, it was officially announced that the renowned Tema-based music group, R2Bees, would proudly take center stage as the headline act, promising an electrifying performance that will leave audiences awe-inspired.
In addition to R2Bees, an incredible roster of talented musicians is set to grace the event with their phenomenal artistry. They include Samini, Medikal, Lasmid, Mr Drew, Cina Soul, Quamina MP, VVIP.
Ghana Party in the Park stands as the largest Ghanaian event beyond the country’s borders, drawing over 10,000 attendees annually.
Positioned as a family-friendly outing, it offers a wide range of activities suitable for people of all ages. These include a children’s corner, a gathering of chiefs, captivating performances by renowned African musicians, a diverse food court, exhibitions showcasing African products and services, and numerous other attractions.
“This event is providing a very unique opportunity for Ghana, arts and culture to be exposed in a very different light, in a very different way,” said Franky5, one of the organisers of the event. “It presents itself with business opportunities. Ghana Party in the Park has metamorphosed into bringing business, bridging the gap between Ghana and the UK by spotlighting Ghanaian businesses in the UK and bringing them back to Ghana.”
Traders at the Sekondi market are bitterly lamenting over the dilapidated state of the market, causing huge financial losses to their businesses as it drives trading activities to Takoradi and other satellite markets.
The over 100-year-old Sekondi Market has seen very little renovation since it was constructed in the late 1920s, when the market was relocated from Sekondi European Town to its current location at Asafo Bongoasie.
The most pressing need of the traders at the Sekondi market is the re-roofing of the market.
At the time of the visit to the market, our Western Regional Correspondent observed that sections of the market sheds had been ripped off, exposing the women in the market to the scorching sun and the rain.
The situation, according to the traders, is rendering their business activities inside the market fruitless, and the hope of getting the problem fixed dwindles by the day since all the pleas to the Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) to come to their aid have fallen on deaf ears.
According to ports, the situation has remained like that for some years now but the traders, on their own accord, have been making contributions to rehabilitate sections close to their stores, all to no avail and are now facing the impact since the rains set in.
“I have lost more than seven pieces of cloth belonging to my customers which was given to me to sow for them, but as usual, we closed the shop one day and went home. That night it rained heavily, and when we returned to the market the following day, my shop flooded, destroying so many things in the shop. Why should that happen,” a seamstress in the market lamented.
As if that were not enough, all the ECG meters in the market are equally exposed to the rain, and for that matter, it is not safe to stay in the shop anytime it rains.
“I have not been able to work in the shop for three weeks now since it started raining, look at how my shop has flooded, and I cannot use the equipment I work with as a hairdresser because the electrical wires are in the rain,” she added.
The traders are therefore appealing to the government to come to their aid as a matter of urgency.
Meanwhile, an attempt by the NDC’s Parliamentary Candidate for Sekondi Constituency, Lawyer Blay Armah, to fix the dilapidated roofing of the market has been strongly contested by the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, arguing that plans are far advanced for the reconstruction of the Sekondi market, so allowing Lawyer Blay Armah to fix the situation would be a no for the assembly.
Corroborating this information, Lawyer Blay Armah told our correspondent that he consulted the Coordinating Director of the Assembly and informed him of his intention to fix the dilapidated roofing of the market for the traders, but he was not permitted to do so.
Adding the decision was born out of a passionate appeal the market women made to him.
“I have seen how the traders are suffering, and the rainy season has worsened the situation. Most of the traders can’t sell whenever it rains, so I went to see the situation and decided to fix the roofing for them. The administrator in the market asked me to speak to the Sekondi sub-metro director, but I rather followed it up with the Coordinating Director since the buck stops with him and then the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), but the Director told me nicely that I should forget it.”
According to him, the Coordinating Director was emphatic that the assembly has plans to fix the market in the future.
“He said they have sent estimates of the market to the Finance Ministry and that they have plans of redeveloping the market to a modern status, so even if they allow me to fix it, my investment will go to waste. But it is my money, and even if I fix it today and it is taken off tomorrow, I won’t be bothered. The traders are suffering, and the plan they are talking about did not start today. They have been promising to fix it over the years, but nothing has happened there and the traders are suffering. A temporal solution is needed for now,” he added.
The Public Relations Officer of STMA, John Last, also indicated that allowing any investment into the market would later go to waste since the assembly has earmarked the market for demolition and reconstruction right after the famous Takoradi market redevelopment.
“We have a programme dubbed the Sekondi-Takoradi Integrated Market Development, and we have already submitted the concept note and all proposals to the Finance Ministry through the Ministry of Local Government [Decentralization and Rural Development]. So, we already have a program for the market, it has been planned for demolition. The Coordinating Director told them the assembly will not encourage any investment that will later go to waste,” he indicated.
That notwithstanding, Lawyer Blay Armah believes he is being prevented from finding temporary solutions for the market women due to political reasons but until the assembly compromised on their stands and finds a temporary solution to the plight of the traders in the Sekondi market the problem lingers on.
In her memoir titled ‘I Am Not Yvonne Nelson,’actress and producer Yvonne Nelson candidly delves into the complexities of her personal life, shedding light on her strained relationship with her mother and the lingering uncertainties surrounding her father’s identity.
With raw honesty and vulnerability, Yvonne Nelson takes readers on an emotional journey, driven by her deep longing to uncover the truth about her father and the profound impact it has had on her perception of her mother.
In chapter twenty-two of her thought-provoking book available to GhanaWeb, Yvonne Nelson shares a poignant account of her last communication with her mother, which took place on her birthday in 2022.
When Yvonne questioned her mother about her father, she allegedly accused her of trying to find a way to bring shame to her, as she had witnessed in her dream.
“She burst into a tirade of accusation and abuse. She told me she knew I was up to something. She said she had dreamt that I would disgrace her, and what was unfolding that morning was not new to her. I was not going to fall for any form of emotional blackmail and I made her know it. I told her she probably knew I would search and find answers beyond her words.
“To dream about it meant her God was talking to her, I told her. It was the reason she should tell me the truth so that we both bring closure to the subject. She was not ready to listen to me. The tirade continued, even after I reminded her that I had not come there to fight, the reason I came with Bible verses.
“I wanted us to talk like a mother and daughter, like two mature human beings who respected each other and saw the need to find a solution that was available. The solution was in her bosom,” she revealed.
The actress-turned-film producer and director candidly expressed her feelings of injustice and heaviness caused by her mother’s refusal to disclose the truth about her father.
Yvonne Nelson admits that her mother’s actions have tarnished nearly all the positive emotions she once held for her, as the deep-seated desire to know her father’s identity has created an emotional barrier, hindering a deeper connection with her mother.
“My mother’s behaviour has erased almost every positive feeling I had for her from my mind. Whenever I try to attach emotions to her, I am blocked by her refusal to tell me who my father is.
“When I had my daughter and experienced sleepless nights and postpartum depression, I developed great respect and appreciation for my mother. I still do. I used to call and ask her how she managed to handle this on three different occasions,” she writes.
She continues by saying that it had been more than a year since her last encounter with her mother and that their only communication had been a fleeting WhatsApp message, such as when she wished her a happy birthday.
“It has been more than a year since I saw my mother. Our last communication was on my birthday in 2022. She sent me a WhatsApp message wishing me a happy birthday: ‘Happy birthday my love. May the God of heaven continue to bless you in all your endeavours in Jesus’ name. Enjoy your day to the fullest,’” she discloses.
The memoir also includes a heartfelt apology from Yvonne Nelson to the man who was revealed to not be her biological father, Mr Okoe Nelson, who has since passed away.
She acknowledges that her words may hold little significance and the timing of her gesture may be imperfect, but she feels compelled to extend her apology nonetheless.
Yvonne Nelson recognizes the importance of acknowledging her actions and their potential impact on others, even if it may not fully rectify the situation.
“I do not know where to begin or what this apology will achieve, but I feel strongly about it. I know I have to do it. I feel I owe you an apology, even if the timing is wrong and my apology may mean nothing to you,” she writes in her memoir.
Yvonne Nelson’s memoir, “I Am Not Yvonne Nelson,” offers a deeply personal glimpse into her life, unveiling the complex emotions, challenges, and relationships that have shaped her identity. It is a courageous exploration of self-discovery, forgiveness, and the relentless pursuit of truth.
Member of Parliament for the Ashaiman constituency in Greater Accra has condemned the ruling New Patriotic Party for the woes and misfortunes of the people under his jurisdiction.
The MP, Ernest Henry Norgbey explained that the poor road network in Ashaiman is a result of neglect by the ruling NPP government.
The politician added that steps taken to address this misfortune and build decent roads for the Ashaiman constituency have proven futile.
“The roads in Ashaiman are in a very terrible shape and the residents, commuters, motorists, everybody is complaining about the roads of Ashaiman. It’s just unfortunate that the NPP government is paying deaf ears to our plight.
“We have been asking series of questions about our roads and the reason why the government is not attending to them but all these questions we ask are falling on deaf ears,” the MP said during a media engagement.
Ernest Norgbey also lamented the large numbers of residents in Ashaiman and the need for facilities that could satisfy the growing number of the constituency’s population.
He further added that Ashaiman only sees development during the regimes of the NDC and yet, a majority of the residents cast their votes for the NPP.
“Ashaiman is a cosmopolitan community and all kinds of people live there and so the numbers are huge. We need the facilities. The facilities are not coming. It is only when NDC is in power that we see something about our roads.
“This government, even though they had about 41 to 45000 voters in Ashaiman, they still refuse to construct our roads and our roads in a very deplorable shape. Everybody is complaining about the roads in Ashaiman,” he added.
Some angry residents of Ashaiman on Monday, June 12, 2023, in a viral video were seen shouting and hooting at the DCE, Albert Okyere in a protest against the poor nature of their roads.
With countless promises from the government and some started road construction projects in Ashaiman, residents continue to bare bear the frustration that comes with using the dilapidated roads to ply their businesses.
Tensions flared during the June 17, 2023 episode of United Showbiz, when film producer and director Ola Michael clashed with artist manager Lawrence Nana Asiamah, widely known as Bullgod. The heated exchange revolved around the contentious topic of Kumawood actor Agya Koo’s alleged exclusion from the movie industry.
The clash occurred when Ola Michael provided an explanation for Agya Koo’s absence from the movie industry, which did not sit well with
During the show, Ola Michael clarified that Agya Koo’s popularity and the energy he brought to the industry resulted in numerous producers wanting to feature him prominently, however, they soon realized the need to showcase the talents of other skilled actors in order to create opportunities for the upcoming generation.
This decision, according to Ola Michael, allowed actors such as Lilwin, Akrobeto, Big Akwess, and Christiana Awuni to gain recognition and contributed to the growth of the movie industry.
Furthermore, Ola Michael revealed that Agya Koo had personally chosen to work exclusively with some selected group of producers and directors. He then emphasized that this situation led to the misconception that Agya Koo had been blacklisted.
Artist manager Bullgod strongly disagreed with Ola Michael’s explanation, describing him as a wicked individual for allegedly playing a part in orchestrating Agya Koo’s downfall. Bullgod questioned Ola Michael’s motives, expressing his belief that the actor had every right to choose whom he wanted to work with.
The debate was intensified as Bullgod challenged Ola Michael’s decision-making process, drawing a comparison to employment situations in which an individual receives written notice if their services are no longer required.
Read excerpts of their conversation below:
Ola Michael: It is not true that Agya Koo was blacklisted in the industry. The whole idea was, we got to a point where everything was about one person [Agya Koo]. We can’t sit in Ghana and just one person’s face keeps on appearing in movies. So, the idea was we should train and put some of the other actors in the industry up so that when that person is unable to work effectively, it wouldn’t affect the industry and that the other people can also take over.
“It got to a time, he selected some producers and directors he would work with but unfortunately for him, the young producers and directors were becoming more than the ones he selected. Also, these young producers were rather working with Akrobeto and Lilwin so, they began to produce more with these people and less with Agya; that is why you people thought he was being blacklisted.
Bullgod: Let me ask you, the meeting that you went to, was he (Agya Koo) part of the meeting?
Ola: He wasn’t supposed to be.
Bullgod: Good, so after saying those things behind him, like a coup.
Ola: It wasn’t a coup It was a plan.
Bull: Whichever way, call it whatever you want to call it, you went to plan that you people are tired so you want to add up, now what did you expect him to do? …I am sure that before you were casting him, you go to him to ask him to come and cast for you, so if you have decided that you cannot work with him again, what do you have to do?
Ola: So, we should tell him we cannot work with him?
Ola: Why should we tell him we cannot work with him?
Bull: You have employment with Okay FM right
Ola: Despite media
Bull: Hope they wrote you a letter that they want to work with you?
Ola: Yes
Bull: If tomorrow they don’t want to work with you anymore, they will write you a letter.
Ola: That is not how the movie industry works.
Bull: No, no, No I was just citing an example.
Ola: Then your example is a stupid example, use the proper example.
Bull: You see, you are a wicked person, and that is why you are saying the example is stupid…all I am trying to say is that Agya Koo didn’t do wrong by choosing the people he wanted to work with…What you people did was wrong.
The Justice Department announced on Tuesday that Hunter Biden, the son of US President Joe Biden, had agreed to plead guilty to three criminal offences.
Due to his failure to file taxes in 2017 and 2018, Biden, 53, consented to enter a guilty plea to two misdemeanour counts. He will also enter a guilty plea to one count of drug user possessing a firearm.
According to Hunter’s lawyer Christopher Clark, “I know Hunter believes it is important to take responsibility for these mistakes he made during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life.” He anticipates advancing and completing his recuperation.
The agreement marks the end of a Justice Department investigation into Biden’s business dealings and finances.
‘The President and First Lady love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life,’ White House spokesperson Ian Sams said.
The flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has promised victory for the party in the Assin North by-election slated for Tuesday, June 27.
He said the imminent victory of the party would be a testament to the government’s abysmal economic performance and urged the people to retain Mr. James Gyakye Quayson as their Member of Parliament to accelerate development.
At a rally to canvass votes for the party at Assin-Bereku, he called on the people not to fall prey to NPP’s promises and vote-buying tricks.
“Our victory in 2024 starts from here and is ordained by God. I’m of the strong belief that God will make the NDC victorious in this by-election.
“God has given the authority to you the people of Assin North to end the economic impunity and leadership paralysis exhibited by the government,” he stated.
Mr. Mahama said the NDC was unperturbed by the vile political propaganda against Mr. Quayson to reduce the NDC’s minority in parliament as he could not be jailed when Nana Appiah Mensah, popularly known as NAM 1, the Chief Executive Officer of defunct Menzgold, a gold dealership firm, was walking freely.
Later, at a similar rally in Assin-Gangan, they promised to complete all abandoned road construction and bridges linking key communities to ease commuting challenges associated with it.
“In the next NDC administration, we shall complete the Senchiame-Gangan-Basafi-Ningo road, which has been stalled for political reasons. We will also construct a bridge on the river to link the district to Twifo-Praso.
Mr. Sammy Gyamfi, the National Communication Director, said the government’s crippling performance in agriculture was yet another story of a government that had failed to honour its campaign promise to the people.
He said the NPP promised to modernize the sector to ensure that the standard of living for farmers improved greatly, adding that the situation was getting even worse.
“There are far-reaching implications for such a poor growth performance for both the economy and the citizenry”, he noted.
Mr Gyamfi observed that the agriculture sector continued to provide the greatest employment opportunities for the majority of the country’s workforce, attracting substantial part of foreign exchange earnings and must be given the attention to help alleviate poverty.
The former Minister for Food and Agriculture and flagbearer hopeful of the New Patriotic Party, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, has made an appeal to the delegates of the party to vote for him to become the flagbearer and represent the party in the 2024 general election.
Addressing the media and supporters who were present as he filed his nominations on June 19, 2023, the former agric minister indicated that the filing of his nomination is a pivotal landmark for the party and for the country if he should win.
“Today marks a landmark in my journey to bear the flag of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and with that, to lead this country into our future prosperity. Let me say here that everybody who has come here including representatives of farmers are here on their own accord. You can’t see any bus, or any big commercial vehicle bringing in people to come and support. The people here have come on their own volution and on their very strong conviction that my candidature for the flagbeareship of this party will be good for the New Patriotic Party and it will be good for the people of Ghana. For this, I am very grateful.
“With the heavy downpour this morning, I thought I will just come with my team but if you look at the teeming crowd which have gathered here including farmers and well-wishers and the huge turnout of the media, it really shows that the people of Ghana are interested in the policies of Owusu Afriyie Akoto,” he said.
Drawing from his track record as the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto noted that he could use the sector as a leverage to develop the country because of its potentials.
He believes Ghanaians have not been able to even scratch the surface of the sector.
“I can assure you, the same way I was able to bring agriculture to the frontline of policy discussions, it will be the same way that agriculture will be used to take us out of the clutches of the IMF. Because the Agric sector in this country has great potentials and we haven’t even scratched the surface of it.
“During the six years of my service in the Akufo-Addo government, we laid the foundations in terms of programmes, legislations, intellectual capacity, and all that, to build an agriculture which will provide the finances both foreign and local to fund our industrial development, our education, health and infrastructure including motorways, farm tracks and all the requirements that we need to make a good country,” he added.
The flagbearer hopeful called on the delegates of the party to consider his candidature and make him the flagbearer in the presidential primaries in August and November 2023 respectively.
“I am therefore assuring you all that having taken this first step today on the road to August 26 for the Super Delegates, I hope I am appealing to the delegates, polling station executives, the electoral area coordinators, the constituency executives, the regional executives, the national executives, the council of elders , the patriots abroad without branches all over the world, I am appealing to you that when the time comes, vote Owusu Afriyie Akoto to make this party great again and also turn things around to ensure that this country becomes possible,” he added.
Two elite Ukrainian troops are being trained by a combat rescuer who has praised their “courage and self-confidence” as they undertake missions of great risk.
Fedir Serdiuk is teaching hundreds of service members, including the nation’s Special Operation Forces (SOF), life-saving first aid and tactical medicine techniques.
He provided insight into how the operators are aiming to ‘win by being better’ by applying all-around battlefield skills on high-risk operations while training the elite forces.
Serdiuk, co-founder of the Pre-Hospital Ukrainian Life-Saving Effort (PULSE), contrasted the Ukrainians’ inter-dependence with the brutality of Vladimir Putin’s forces, who he said were ‘having lunch in trenches alongside their rotting brothers’.
Serdiuk told Metro.co.uk: ‘The SOF operator is very safe and very dangerous at the same time. Safety is ensured by professionalism and skill. The more professional and skillful you are, the more danger and risk you can take on.
‘Because of this, the units can be deployed behind enemy lines or in other places where extraction is difficult. Ukrainian helicopters cannot safely evacuate people from these places because of Russian anti-aircraft systems, so it’s vital that they know how to save lives if an extraction or evacuation is going to take some time. If a unit knows it can save its members and is self-reliant, it will have a very high level of courage and self-confidence.
‘For this reason, we train dedicated medics, but we also train operators. The principle is the same as it is for the SAS and other special forces around the world; if you have that knowledge within a unit, it can be very agile.’
Established in the Cold War and previously part of the Soviet Union’s military intelligence apparatus, the units became part of collaborative efforts between their homeland and Western nations after Ukraine gained its independence in 1991. They have gained vast combat experience since Russia’s military aggression towards its neighbour began in 2014.
The authorised provider is currently delivering training operators with Centre 3, which is similar to the US Green Berets, and the 73rd Naval Centre of Special Operations, which can be compared to the Navy Seals.
After Putin launched the all-out attack, both units have been deployed in the hottest areas of the frontline as well as on missions behind enemy lines.
Serdiuk, 28, who is based in the southern port city of Odessa, has a managerial role that involves scaling up the medical skills base across a wide range of Ukrainian personnel, also including the police and national guard.
The foundation, which he co-founded with Igor Korpusov and Leonid Kopus on the day war broke out, combines training with the supply of modern first aid equipment to medics and lifesavers. Soldiers have spoken to PULSE on camera about how they have used the training to save lives.
One of those to benefit, named as Serhiy, told how he used his new skills to save the lives of wounded comrades — not realising he had enemy shrapnel embedded just millimetres from his carotid artery.
The soldier and a machine gunner he helped rescue, named Oleksandr, made a full recovery after the 56th Rapid Response Unit of the Mechanised Brigade was hit by heavy mortar shelling in the eastern Donetsk region.
Serhiy, who had been preparing to take part in knocking out a Russian position, used duct tape to seal his wound once he realised he had been hit.
‘We train our special forces and the wider military to NATO standards through combat lifesaver courses, which are like first aid-plus courses,’ Serdiuk said. ‘But we don’t stop there. With special forces, it’s all about different scenarios and modelling the situation with a high degree of realism using trucks and forests or whatever environments they are working in.
‘We then combine their tactics and operational requirement and give them the whole picture of how their response should be.
‘The people we train are very well-motivated professionals. They are patriots who are not just there to win by shooting guns, but to win by being better.
‘They consider medicine as part of a wheel comprising different skills.
‘Using this all-round professionalism, they are able to successfully complete missions with a high degree of danger.’
Serdiuk spoke as Ukraine continues a series of counter-offensives in the east and south-east of the country, assessed by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to be making ‘small advances’.
The US Institute for the Study of War said last night that the operations were taking place in at least three sectors of the frontline.
With Ukrainian sources reporting that Moscow is using ‘blocking units’ to gun down its own retreating troops. Serdiuk gave a contrasting picture of life on the other side.
‘The Naval operators have posted footage online from a thermal drone showing Ukrainian special forces saving Russians loaded down with equipment who were drowning in the flooded area around the Kakhovka dam,’ he said. ‘The Ukrainian special forces saved them to take them as prisoners of war who can be exchanged for Ukrainians held by the Russians.
‘As they were rescuing them the Russians opened fire — trying to kill the Ukrainians and their own brothers at the same time. But the Ukrainians succeeded in escaping and gave the prisoners food and dry clothing.
‘Now we have five more prisoners to exchange, so we can bring our people back. This is just one example of the brave operations that the Ukrainian SOF units are successfully undertaking.
‘On the Russian side, we have drone footage showing how they think nothing of killing their own wounded soldiers.
‘When the war started it was shocking, now it’s part of reality. In Ukraine and the West we are steeped in the model that our values are shared by all human beings. When the war started we had a reality check as we saw how Russian soldiers can have lunch in the trenches with the rotten bodies of their brothers around them.’
The entrepreneur told Metro.co.uk he is in no doubt that Ukrainian values will ultimately prosper.
‘Military force alone will never rule Ukraine,’ he said. ‘It is a country of now 37 million people who do not want to be ruled by Putin, and a country which refused to be ruled by Stalin. I am sure of our victory.’
The UK MoD today reported ‘likely’ Ukrainian advances on the shattered eastern city of Bakhmut and towards contested areas around Vuhledar and Orikhiv to the south. A Defence Intelligence update on Twitter said that Yevgeny Prigozhin, owner of the Wagner mercenary group, had taken an ‘unambiguously confrontational’ tone towards Russia’s military authorities.
In London, the focus will turn to the rebuilding effort with a joint Ukraine-UK conference due to begin tomorrow.
Hosted by the UK government, the two-day event is aimed at mobilising international support for Ukraine, especially from the private sector.
Early this morning, a silver BMW was going along the A415 in the Oxfordshire village of Marcham when it veered off the road and hit a tree.
Around 12.10 a.m., emergency personnel arrived to help, but regrettably, two males, both aged 18, and a youngster, also aged 17, were declared dead at the spot.
The driver of the car, an 18-year-old man from Oxfordshire, remains in a critical condition in hospital.
Police say the families of the victims have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers.
Floral tributes have been left at the roadside today, near to where the smash happened.
The victims were all believed to be friends who were driving home when the car veered off the road.
Sergeant Matt Cadmore, of the joint roads policing unit at Three Mile Cross, said: ‘This is an extremely tragic incident which has resulted in the death of three young men.
‘Our thoughts remain with their families and friends at this extremely difficult time.’
Officers are also urging any witnesses to come forward following the fatal crash.
Sgt Cadmore added: ‘I would appeal to anyone who may have witnessed this incident or may have dash cam footage prior to the collision and who has not already spoken to police to contact us.’
Earlier this month, a young couple died in a car crash just five months before they were set to become parents for the first time.
A Tory mayor who expressed regret for participating in an LGBTQ+ Pride celebration because it “contradicts” his convictions has quit.
In Bradford Town Square on June 16, Mohammed Nazam, the mayor of Keighley in West Yorkshire, assisted locals in raising an LGBTQ+ Progress banner.
Since 2019, the town has carried out this every year.
But less than a day later, the Bradford City Council member apologised on a personal Facebook page for his participation in the ceremony.
He told members of Keighley Pakistanis that this ‘lapse of judgement’ caused ‘disappointment and hurt’.
‘I wholeheartedly apologise for my participation in the flag-raising ceremony, as it contradicts my personal religious beliefs, as many of you are aware,’ he wrote.
‘I want to emphasise that I have also personally repented for this error and reflected deeply on the consequences of my actions. Looking back, I realise that I should have respectfully declined the request at the time.’
‘It is my hope that the people who have placed their trust in me within our community can find it in their hearts to forgive me for this lapse in judgment,’ he added.
Nazam, who was elected mayor only last month, immediately faced a chorus of calls for his resignation from locals, politicians and LGBTQ+ campaigners.
One local, Jane Hudson, said: ‘Sorry Nazam you need to resign immediately.’
Another, Jooles Webster-Wright, added: ‘How can a mayor represent the whole town after making a statement like this?
‘Our community clearly doesn’t include everyone.’
Yesterday, the council announced that Nazam had resigned ‘with immediate effect’, adding that council officials will soon meet to elect a new mayor.
‘The Town Council has a long record of supporting and celebrating all sections of the amazingly diverse Keighley community,’ it said in a Facebook statement.
‘The Pride flag will continue to fly proudly in the Town Hall Square for the remainder of Pride Month as planned.’
Earlier that same day, the Bradford branch of the Conservative Party said Nazam has been suspended following a number of complaints.
In a statement following his resignation, Nazam refused to back down while stressing he meant ‘no harm’ to LGBTQ+ people.
Any ‘elected Muslim representative’ attending an LGBTQ+ event, he said, would need to apologise to the Muslim community.
‘I attended the flag-raising for LGBTQ community [sic].
‘This did not conform to my religious beliefs and hence I offered an apology to the Muslim community. All elected Muslim representatives would be in the same position, and if questioned would not be able to offer an alternative narrative.
‘By my apology, I did not mean any harm to any member of my constituency. My religion teaches respect and tolerance for all and the law of the land.
‘Here in the UK, we are proud to have our freedom of expression. People should have the freedom to express their beliefs and live their lives as they wish to.
‘This should apply to all communities and religious beliefs.’
Nazam added that he will now be on the council as an independent.
‘This has been a truly humbling experience from which I have learnt a great deal, I would also like to thank everyone for their love and continued support,’ he added.
A 15-year-old youngster lost his life after having trouble in the water at a Port Talbot beach.
Around 6.10 p.m. last night, emergency services were summoned to the incident at Neath Port Talbot’s Aberavon pier.
Police said the boy was discovered and brought to Bridgend’s Princess of Wales Hospital, where he eventually passed away.
‘Deeply grieved’ by the ‘tragic and unexpected passing away’ of one of its Year 11 students, St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Port Talbot expressed its sorrow.
Head teacher Eugene Scourfield said that support for pupils had been arranged.
He said: ‘Dear Parents,
‘We are deeply saddened by the news of the tragic and unexpected passing away of one of our Year 11 pupils.
‘Please be assured that we have set up provision for support with the help of the NPT Counselling Service and our local clergy.
Wesley Kesse, a popular Ghanaian content creator recognized for his captivating TikTok videos, has made it clear that while he has successfully captured the admiration of many Ghanaians through his content on the social media platform, he would rather not be referred to as a TikTok star.
In his words, he thinks it is time that Ghanaians started addressing him with other bigger name tags, rather than just as a TikTok star because he was into other creative works before the app became popular.
He shared this statement in an interview with Kmjonair on the Joy Prime Morning show.
“I think we need to move from the TikTok star to other things because we used to do different things before TikTok came. Even though we’re still doing what we doing on TikTok, now we fusing it with what we used to do. I don’t mind you calling me an influencer but do not tag me as a TikToker. Everybody is a TikToker once you download the app on your phone,” Wesley Kesse explained to the host.
The brand influencer also said that he is now a jack of all trades because he has now ventured into other areas like acting, dancing, hosting shows, among others, therefore, the tag or label should shift to something bigger.
“If you come to my page for instance, there’s more versatility because I am trying to dance. I am like jack of all trades; I am acting, I am doing get ready with, I am cooking, I am doing everything so we need to drift away from the whole TikTok star and then move to a bigger space”, he added.
Ghanaian actress, Yvonne Nelson, has come under criticism from a section of social media, following her revelations about her ex-boyfriend’s affair with Tontoh Dikeh.
A popular Nigerian blogger, Stella Dimoko Korkus, has criticized the actress for calling out people when she(Yvonne), also has skeletons in her cupboard.
The Ghanaian movie star has since been in the news following the publication of her memoir in which she claimed that Tonto Dikeh had been having affairs with several people, including her ex-boyfriend Iyanya.
Stella after analyzing the development has defended Tonto and lambasted Yvonne for fabricating lies while claiming that her book is false.
The blogger also criticized Yvonne for focusing on Nigerian celebrities to revive her career adding that Tonto and Iyanya never dated.
In a bid to hit Yvonne where it hurts the most, Stella also claimed that Yvonne had a sexual relationship with her ex-friend’s husband and became pregnant for him.
One can recall that a couple of years ago, a Nigerian woman called out Yvonne Nelson for snatching Jammie(her father’s daughter) from her.
Ghanaian hip-hop artist Medikal recently expressed his heartfelt apology to Shatta Michy, seeking to mend their relationship following a misunderstanding that arose a few months back.
Medikal and Shatta Michy have not been on good terms following a comment Medikal made.
GhanaWeb reported earlier that, Medikal had said that Shatta Wale had been a responsible father contrary to claims by Michy that her baby daddy neglected his duties. According to Medikal, Shatta Wale pays his daughter’s school fees, and that makes him a responsible father.
Shatta Michy, who disagreed with Medikal, confronted the singer in public questioning why he made the statement despite constantly stating Shatta Wale doesn’t live up to expectations.
The rapper, who graced his presence at Yvonne Nelson’s book launch in an interview shared how he felt about the whole issue.
According to him, he was surprised Shatta Michy came at him when he had no bad intentions against her, adding that it was his first time meeting Shatta Wale’s ex-partner.
He also advised Shatta Michy to settle any grudge she has with Shatta Wale and try to make peace with him.
“I have never spoken about this anywhere but I just want to say I wish her all the best. She should find peace and I don’t think Shatta hates her or anything and if my friendship with Shatta is a problem to her, she should rub that off her mind because I don’t have anything against her. There is no bad blood and that was my first time seeing her and I was surprised when she came at me”, he said.
Medikal to show how sorry he was extended an apology to Shatta Michy if there had been something he did that he was not aware of.
“So Michy if you’re watching me, if I did something to you and I do not know, I am very sorry, I want you to be happy, take care of your son. You all should be happy”, he apologised.
Renowned investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas has refuted allegations by some Ghanaians, including former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu, that he extorts money from people implicated in his corruption exposés.
Martin Amidu, a former Attorney General and Minister for Justice, described Anas as an ‘anti-corruption entrepreneur’ who makes money out of exposing corruption.
Reacting to this in an interview on DW Africa monitored by GhanaWeb on June 19, 2023, Anas said that he has never engaged in any corrupt activity.
He added that he would not be walking as a free man if any of the allegations against him were true.
“I have dealt with this matter before… Martin Amidu is a senior citizen of Ghana. Me and him have disagreed on this issue publicly, and it is fair. I respect his comment.
“But here I am sitting here, talking to you… Nobody has ever caught me in a bribery scandal. So, like I said, it is fair. He can describe me as he wants.
“Even before Martin Amidu, Atlantic Magazine wrote about me, and they described me as a spy and about 10 other descriptions,” he said.
Anas, however, noted that the criticisms from Martin Amidu are welcomed because they are important in shaping Ghana’s democracy.
“The point is that how does that push the frontiers of our democracy? And I encourage people like Martin, let them stick out their necks, let them talk, let them all make their opinions clear.
“At the end of the day, I know what I’m doing, I am focused on it, and I can tell you, there will be several liberal dossiers of my journalism over a period of time,” he said.
What Martin Amidu said?
The former Special Prosecutor said that Anas lives in the fear of his own shadow as an “anti-corruption entrepreneur” and not a genuine anti-corruption crusader.
In an article on the decision by Justice Eric Baah’s High Court to dismiss a GHS 25 million defamation suit filed by the investigative journalist against Assin Central Member of Parliament Kennedy Agyapong, Amidu said that Anas may have shot himself in the foot by using a power of attorney to file the suit instead of doing that himself due to his fear of his real identity being exposed.
“The rule against the admissibility of hearsay evidence is statutory. Anas A. Anas, the plaintiff, put himself in a situation of being incapable of giving relevant and primary evidence in person and being cross-examined because he lives in the fear of his own shadow as an anti-corruption entrepreneur and not as a genuine anti-corruption crusader.
“Anas A. Anas thus lost the only opportunity to publicly tell the court his version of the facts within his personal knowledge and to be cross-examined to establish his credibility. Genuine anti-corruption crusaders do not hide their faces behind masks,” he wrote.
Rt. Rev. Prof. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana has expressed his dissatisfaction at the rate at which politicians and government officials steal money from government coffers and bring it to the church to offer it to God as an offering.
He has therefore described such an attitude as a sin and therefore must be stopped.
According to him, who ever involves him or herself in a sin, can not think well and make good decisions, adding that the sins we commit in the country hampers the growth of the nation.
He has also charged Ghanaians to stop relying solely on politicians and individuals before doing something for themselves in life.
The Presbyterian Moderator made this call when he joined the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Sefwi Presbytery to celebrate their ten (10) years anniversary at Sefwi Bekwai on Sunday, June 18.
Delivering his sermon to the congregation under the Theme: “Christ In You, The Hope Of Glory”, Prof Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante noted that no one can move forward in life if the person depends solely on an individual or depends on someone for survival.
“Yes, it’s true every one needs someone to hold his or her hand to move forward but that doesn’t mean you should always depend on the person all the time,” he told the Congregation.
He urge Ghanaians especially Christians to do something with their hands, start something small and with faith, determination and hard work backed by prayers God will enlarge their coast.
He said over reliance on the president, politicians for work will keep some lives of Ghanaians at stand still.
He charged politicians to stop spoon feeding Ghanaians all in the name of votes but rather teach them how to fish, show them the way they can strive to make a living since giving Ghc50 and Ghc100 here and there to party supporters all in the name for votes breeds corruption, one of the sins which is killing the country.
Scholarship Fund
The Presby Moderator also promised to set up a scholarship fund to support the Sefwi students in the church in other to further their education.
He further revealed that as they have done it in some other places, he together with his leadership is taking it into a consideration to a build a Presbyterian Senior High School in the Western North Region (Sefwi to be precise) to help the people in the region.
Prof Obiri Yeboah Mante, the Presby Moderator used the occasion to support the Sefwi Presbytery with five (5) motor bikes to be used to reach out to the people in the remote areas as they spread the word of God through evangelism.
Rev Isaac Twum Boateng, planning committee Chairman and Director, Development and social services who spoke with UTV News believes the visit by the Presby Moderator is a motivation to the Sefwi Presbytery.
An old MTV interview of Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie has sparked a fresh controversy after Yvonne Nelson’s revelation that he impregnated her in 2010 and denied responsibility.
In the interview, the host asked Sarkodie, “Who do you prefer, Lydia Forson or Yvonne Nelson?” to which he answered, “I don’t personally know Lydia Forson, but I’ve had an encounter with Yvonne.”
The host seemed shocked and asked, “Really and truly, you chose Yvonne?” Sarkodie quickly explained, saying, “Because I know her, don’t twist it.”
The video has gained new attention after Yvonne Nelson‘s memoir ‘I Am Not Yvonne Nelson’ was launched on June 18, 2023. In the book, the actress disclosed that she became pregnant by Sarkodie when they had an affair in 2010, but he refused to take responsibility for the child. She said she decided to abort the pregnancy because she did not want to have a fatherless child.
In an excerpt from the book, she wrote: “I went for a pregnancy test with Karen, fully aware of what it meant for a sexually active woman like me to miss her monthly flow. When the test result was ready, I lacked the strength to open it. Karen did and revealed the verdict.
“Under normal circumstances, I would have laughed it off, sparking lively conversations and jokes. But this was different. It was a grave piece of information that could turn my world upside down. I wasn’t solely responsible for the situation, so I reached out to the man whose seed had impregnated me. His name is Michael Owusu Addo, a well-known Ghanaian musician better known as Sarkodie.”
These revelations have stirred up discussions about Sarkodie’s past and his relationship with Yvonne Nelson and Lydia Forson.
Aniekwe Francis Chidi, popularly known as Chizzy, a well-known reality TV star, has offered advice to unmarried individuals who may be lacking the necessary financial resources.
His counsel suggests that those in such a situation should carefully consider their financial stability before entering into marriage. Chizzy’s perspective highlights the importance of financial readiness as a crucial factor to ensure a stable and sustainable union.
The former BBNaija ‘Level Up’ participant, who was a rider (Biggie’s agent) during the seventh edition of the show, emphasized the importance of money in marriage.
He insisted regardless of how much people attempt to sugarcoat the matter, the role of money in marriage could never be downplayed.
Chizzy shared his opinion on the matter during an interview on his colleague, Doyinsola David’s podcast after she posited ladies ought to have at least N5 to N10 million before getting married.
Doyin’s response was elicited by Chizzy question on how much she thought a lady should have in her bank account before getting married.
“I think a lot of people are going to find it ridiculous. But I think you should have between N5-10 million.
“Love is not enough at the end. Money is very very important,” the podcaster said.
Consolidating Doyin’s remark, Chizzy cautioned men without money against tying down ladies with marriage but allow leave to go find men who could take proper care of them and their needs.
He noted: “No matter how we want to paint it, money should be involved. Very important.
“If you don’t have money, don’t get married. Let me put it out there. Quote me anywhere.
“If you don’t have money, don’t get married. Please, leave that girl alone. She should go and find someone that has money that can take care of her.”
The news regarding Yvonne Nelson’s book has sparked a range of reactions among Ghanaian celebrities, with particular emphasis on the section that delves into her personal experience with rapper Sarkodie. This aspect of her memoir has stirred significant interest and generated varied responses from notable figures within the Ghanaian entertainment industry. The revelations shared by Yvonne Nelson have prompted discussions, debates, and reflections among her fellow celebrities, further contributing to the buzz and intrigue surrounding her book.
The chapter, ‘Abortion’, which talks about her sexual escapades with the Ghanaian rapper which resulted in a pregnancy and an abortion, appears to be the highlight of the book.
This is because social media has since been awash with comments as more netizens have shared interest in the subject which has been trending online.
The development has also caught the attention of scores of Ghanaian celebrities who have waded into the discussion with interesting opinions.
Some have been captured throwing subtle jabs, others have sided with the actress’ while others have disagreed with her approach to tackling the issues embedded in the book.
The likes of Shatta Wale, D Black, Sista Afia, John Dumelo, Roselyn Ngissah, Akuapem Poloo, Victoria Lebene, Jocelyn Dumas and many others have reacted to the development.
Background
In a series of development captured in her new book, ‘I Am Not Yvonne Nelson’, the actress disclosed how Sarkodie impregnated her in 2010 and refused to accept responsibility.
She also gave a vivid account of how the rapper abandoned her at a clinic in their quest to abort a baby, and never reach out afterward.
A resident of Nima, Geoffrey Obuobi, has been charged with three counts, including stealing and causing unlawful damage. He has been remanded into custody by an Accra Circuit Court presided over by Bright Samuel Acquah.
The suspect was arrested on June 13, 2023, by some residents of Nima with 1×185 copper cables valued at approximately GHC 1,900.00 in his possession as he attempted to escape.
According to the prosecution, his arrest followed the rampant stealing of ECG copper cables from an ECG transformer in Nima, which often resulted in power outages in the community, prompting the service provider to replace the cables.
After his arrest, Obuobi was handed over to the Nima police and later referred to ECG for investigation.
“The complainant, Francis Quansah, is a staff member of the Electricity Company of Ghana Roman Ridge District, while the accused person, Geoffrey Obuobi, is an unemployed resident of Nima. The Accra East District of ECG has been experiencing rampant stealing of electrical cables from their transformers in Nima and its environs. On June 9, 2023, some copper cables were stolen from an ECG transformer at Nima, and they were replaced to restore electric power to their customers.
“On Tuesday, June 13, 2023, the complainant and a team of technicians went to work on the same ECG transformer. After they left the site, the accused person approached the transformer with a cutter and started cutting the core cable, 1 × 185 copper. An alarm was raised, and the accused person was apprehended by people in the neighborhood with the ECG core cable, 1 × 185 copper, valued at GH¢1,900.00 in his possession as he attempted to flee,” stated the facts of the case as shared by the prosecution.
In his caution statement, Obuobi denied the offense and was arraigned before the court on Monday, June 19, 2023.
During the court proceedings on Monday, he pleaded not guilty to the charges and explained that he is a scrap dealer who happened to come across the copper cables while passing by.
The court remanded him into custody, and he is scheduled to reappear on Friday, June 30, 2023.
Miss Helen Biamah Agyapong, an accomplished individual who completed her secondary education at the renowned Aburi Girls High School, has recently achieved a significant milestone by successfully graduating from the prestigious Paris School of Business. The Paris School of Business holds an esteemed position as a first-tier, top-ranking European institution, emphasizing the exceptional caliber of education and training Miss Agyapong has received during her time there. Her notable achievement marks a remarkable accomplishment in her academic journey and sets the stage for a promising future.
At the graduation ceremony held in Paris, France, on Saturday, June 18, 2023, Miss Agyapong was named among the top students who achieved academic excellence from the globally acclaimed academic institution.
The newly-minted graduate, the second child of an accomplished businessman, Mr. Kennedy Somuah Agyapong, popularly known as Kenpong, celebrated the attainment of her degree, with family on hand.
Kenpong a Kwahu man and a proud father, was present with his third son, Kenneth Somuah Agyapong, a high school student of the Alfred Nobel Schule, in Berlin, who flew in from Germany, to share in the glory and honour of his elder sister.
In an interview with GhanaWeb, Kenpong basked in the glory of his 22-year-old daughter’s achievement.
“It is every parent’s honour, to see his or her ward climb the academic ladder. So, I went all the way to France, to support her.
“Witnessing your daughter graduate from an established institution like this, is a wonderful experience. It was one of my proudest moments.
“I congratulate her, on her achievement, and I wish her, the very best in her endeavours,” concluded Kenpong, whose guidance and mentorship of his young daughter has paid great dividends.
Given the litany of businesses owned by her father, in varied industries, young Helen Biamah Agyapong, is positioned, strategically, to walk in her father’s glorious shoes, and help maintain the Kenpong Group of Companies ahead of the competition.
Helen Agyapong began her education at the Morning Star School in Accra, and attended Aburi Girls School before minting her degree at the prestigious Paris School of Business.
Through Kenpong Travel and Tours, one of Africa’s finest traveling agency, Ghana successfully sent more than 2000 fans to support the Black Stars at last year’s World Cup in Qatar.
The Kenpong Group delivered a memorable, quality and reasonably-priced travel experience for fans during the tournament.
Kenpong Travel and Tours has established a reputation as one of the most trusted brands in the air travel industry.
The company has previously helped comfortably jet Ghanaian sports fans to various international tournaments like the African Cup of Nations tournament in Egypt back in 2019.
National Democratic Congress (NDC) has assured its unwavering support for James Gyakye Quayson in his ongoing criminal trial and the upcoming Assin North by-election.
The NDC insists that Mr. Quayson is innocent and has broken no law, and that he is a victim of injustice perpetrated against him by the government.
Speaking in an interview, Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Mustapha Gbande, said that members of the party will be in court in large numbers to show their solidarity with Mr. Quayson.
Mr. Gbande said that while it is widely believed that the government is trying to influence the court in the criminal case against Mr. Quayson, the NDC and the people of Assin North are solidly behind him.
“People believe that government machinery is trying to influence the court to do injustice to Gyakye Quayson, but we don’t believe that he has done any criminality, or he has committed any crime. His lovers are going to be campaigning in his absence and then also see him through the court case. So you cannot pretend to feel what he is feeling, he is not in it alone, he is in it with the party and the party is solidly behind him and Ghanaians are solidly behind him and the people of Assin North are solidly behind him.”
The NDC’s parliamentary candidate for Assin North is expected in court on June 20 to face charges of deceiving a public official and perjury.
His lawyers had attempted to have the trial postponed until after the by-election, but this was unsuccessful.
His lawyers also requested that the proceedings be stayed as the accused is a candidate in the by-election scheduled for June 27, but this was denied.
The court has instead set June 20 for the state to continue with the testimony of its witnesses.
Meanwhile, Mr. Quayson’s counsel has applied to the High Court to review its order that he must appear in court every day for the hearing of his trial.
