Ghana’s one-time vibrant movie industry witnessed actors starring in multiple movies as a result of high demand, especially for local movies which featured Kumawood movie stars.
Nana Ama McBrown has revealed that there was a time in her life when she featured in over 100 movies annually.
“At my peak, I think I was doing more than 100 in a year. Yes, I was doing more than a hundred,” she disclosed on the ‘Stay By Plan’ podcast with Afi and Zuu in March 2023.
The celebrated actress detailed how this was made possible through expertise and a trick which is still in use. According to her, Kumawood movie directors and producers don’t work with bulky scripts.
“In Kumawood, it was about telling our own stories. If you are a little bit grown and understand life, the moment the director shows you something, you already know how to deliver it.
“Mostly in Kumawood, we have a very small script. You know how we do it,” she laughed.
A reduced script allows actors to ‘freestyle’ and make a scene more natural. The remarkable outcome is as a result of life experiences that actors can relate to, this is according to Nana Ama.
McBrown explained that: “It was less paper, the script was like 10 to 15 sheets. Every scene was just a synopsis…acting in the local dialect is like a freestyle. The aim is to understand the scene and get the scenario and because we understand each other, by the time I start, you know where am going.”
Although there has been a decline in the sale of local Ghanaian movies, the industry continues to thrive.
McBrown who now has a tight schedule added that she sometimes shoots just three movies in a year.
Executive Secretary of Ghana EXIM Frozen Foods Association of Ghana, Michael Obiri-Adjei, has said the passage of the three revenue bills in parliament will cause more harm than good to the business community and consumers at large.
According to him, the bills when accented into an Act, will lead to the collapse of businesses, as well as, render people jobless.
In an exclusive interview with GhanaWeb Business, Mr Obiri-Adjei pointed out that there might be a shortage of wholesome foods in the country as importers may run out of business due to the multiple taxes paid on goods.
“The output of the bill will not in my view give government its intended revenue. What they will rather do will be to put a lot of people out of business, it will create job insecurities in the country and it will actually put us in a situation where we do not even have wholesome foods,” the Executive Secretary of Ghana EXIM Frozen Foods Association of Ghana said in the interview with GhanaWeb Business.
Michael Obiri-Adjei noted that government would not rake in the targeted revenue as people would end up smuggling their goods into the country to evade taxes.
“Currently, if you want to import frozen chicken, for instance, you are paying about GH¢400,000 for a 40 ft container. A lot of people would want to circumvent that process and would want to smuggle things from other places. It cuts the FDA from really accessing what exactly is coming into the market,” he stated.
Obiri-Adjei continued, “I think that the repercussion of this bill if accented and becomes an Act is more draconian than the intended positive outlook that the government wants it to have.”
Touching on job security, he said investors would not want to pump their monies into Ghana businesses once there is instability.
Ghanaian musician Wanlov the Kubolor has spoken about his experience with fatherhood, and how COVID-19 affected his plans for having more children.
Wanlov, whose real name is Emmanuel Owusu-Bonsu, revealed that he currently has ten children, with his oldest turning 18 soon.
In an interview with Doreen Abanema Abayaa on Talkertainment, Wanlov shared that he never planned to have children but ended up having them over time.
He said, “I have been having children for a while. It is just ten now. I guess it’s Covid. It slowed me down a bit. I never wanted to have children, and I never planned to have children.”
Wanlov went on to explain that some of his children were planned, while others were not.
“Some of the children came later, my first couple of children came, and some of them were planned, and it keeps going like that. Some of them will be planned, and some of them will not be planned,” he said.
When asked about the ages of his children, Wanlov revealed that his oldest child is his stepdaughter, who is turning 18, while his oldest biological child is a boy named OB, who will be turning 17 in April.
“OB will be turning 17 in April. OB is a boy, but my oldest child is 18. She is my stepdaughter. My third child’s mother already had a daughter when we had our first child together. OB is the boy, and I have a daughter who is turning 18, she is Deborah,” he added.
The moment a bunch of men attempted to steal a delivery rider’s bike is captured on shocking video.
The footage, which was uploaded to Twitter yesterday, appears to have been shot around east London’s Canary Wharf.
Video depicts a struggle between three Deliveroo riders and a group of about five black-clad males who appear to be in a gang.
The bright turquoise jackets and bags that the delivery riders are sporting make them easy to recognize. They are also clutching their bicycles.
The footage was captured after the actual violence started, so it’s unclear how it started, but as the 40-second clip goes on, it seems like more and more individuals are becoming involved in the altercation.
One rider, who was wearing a blue jacket as well as another orange Just Eat delivery backpack, then turned his back and attempted to get his bike and leave the situation.
But a member of the gang dressed in black stopped him from leaving by attempting to snatch the delivery rider’s bike away from him.
The video shows a gang of around five men dressed in black who are involved in a fight with several Deliveroo riders (Picture: @CrimeLdn / Twitter)
The rider clung on to the bike until another member of the gang pushed the man trying to steal it away.
The same gang member, who was wearing a grey hoodie and black coat, was also seen attempting to separate the fighting people in the video.
A Deliveroo spokesperson said: ‘We are extremely concerned by this incident and strongly condemn all forms of violence towards riders.
‘There is no place for this, especially when riders are carrying out a vital role in their communities.
‘We are currently investigating this as a matter of urgency. The safety and well-being of our riders is an absolute priority.’
Metro has also contacted the Metropolitan Police for more information.
Elsewhere in London recently, a shameless Deliveroo customer was branded ‘heartless’ after they stepped over a driver who collapsed on the street while bringing them food.
Ever since the presence of Ghanaian highlife artiste, Quarme Zaggy was felt on the Ghanaian music scene and beyond, he has consistently been working hard.
His hard work over the years has manifested in the various hit songs he has been releasing, the nominations and awards he has been winning as well as the numerous shows he has been performing at all over the country.
Once again, his hard work has been made evident with the release of the list of nominees for the second edition of the Ghana Music Awards Europe. The list of nominees was announced at an impressive event held at the Airport View Hotel over the weekend.
As an authentic highlife artist and obviously a force to reckon with on the music scene, Quarme Zaggy bagged two nominations for the Ghana Music Awards Europe.
He was nominated in the Highlife Song of the Year as well as the Highlife Artiste of the Year categories. For the Highlife Artiste of the Year category, Quarme Zaggy comes face-to-face against the likes Kwabena Kwabena, Kwaisey Pee, Akwaboah, Bisa K Dei, Kofi Kinaata, Fameye, and Daddy Lumba.
Speaking to megashowbiz.com in an exclusive interview after the release of the nominees’ list, Quarme Zaggy noted that for him to be nominated among other great highlife artists is a clear manifestation of the immense highlife talent he possesses and his contribution to making Highlife music recognized all over the world.
He made it emphatically clear that, he would do anything possible to clinch the award. For the Highlife Song of the Year category, Quarme Zaggy’s Galamsey got nominated and with all things being equal, Quarme Zaggy is also hopeful of causing an upset and winning that award.
The Ghana Music Awards Europe would come alive on May 6, 2023, in France at Salle Atrium Route De Cormeilles 95100 Argenteuil.
It said the government, private sector, and GhIE should harmonise efforts to facilitate the training and development of engineering practitioners.
Additionally, GhIE suggested that Ghana needed to create, implement and enforce national engineering standards that conformed to regional and international benchmarks.
The new President of GhIE, Kwabena Bempong, was speaking here at a news conference after a three-day discussion among stakeholders, industry captains and delegates at its 53rd annual general meeting held.
Mr Bempong said for Ghana to achieve a sustainable practice of engineering, public, and private companies, the government and business owners must prioritise ethical behaviour and business practices.
This would promote transparency and fairness, including meritocracy in the development of leadership in succession planning, sustainable institutions and national development, he said.
The GhIE President added, “The crux of Ghana’s innovators and brains are constantly being stripped away, lured with educational opportunities through scholarships and fellowships for postgraduate studies and specialisations.
“As a matter of urgency, government, industry and the GhIE should collaborate to provide the needed resources to improve the capacities of local educational institutions, research centres, and provide the needed opportunities for human capital development.”
To achieve sustainable small-scale mining, Mr Bempong called for the implementation of sustainable development policies, improving skill sets in environmental, social and governance practices, developing a sustainable reserve plan and effective enforcement.
“By adopting this comprehensive approach, we can reduce the environmental impacts of mining operations to promote the long-term social and economic benefits of small-scale mining, and ensure that mining companies operate in an environmentally and socially responsible manner,” he said.
Eight prisoners have reportedly escaped from jail at Nkwanta South.
Police officers at the Nkwanta South Divisional Police Station of the Oti Region are under pressure after the incident.
Information gathered by Adom News suggests that, the incident occurred at about 10:30 pm on Tuesday when a female police officer on duty was about to lock the cells.
According to reports, the suspects forcibly pushed the gate on the officer and fled.
Police in Nkwanta South have confirmed the incident but have refused to give further details.
A Russian military volunteer spent £20,000 on drones for Vladimir Putin’s army, but hackers intercepted the shipment and instead sent dildos and strap-ons.
Mikhail Luchin, 34, raised the enormous sum of money deliberately to aid the Russian troops in wreaking havoc in Ukraine.
Yet because of interference from the Cyber Resistance Group, he ended up with tens of thousands of pounds’ worth of sex gadgets that are allegedly non-returnable.
‘Instead of drones, Misha [Mikhail] will now send to the invader [troops] trucks of dildos, strap-ons and other things useful to every Russian that we ordered and paid for with his card on AliExpress’, the hackers said.
Luchin is a Putin supporter (Picture: Mikhail Luchin/ East2west News)
At first, Luchin said he’d simply just send the items back to AliExpress and get his money back.
But he has apparently since realised that this is not possible.
‘I will open a sex shop here [in Russia], make 300% profit and buy three times more drones’, he has now vowed.
He also told followers ‘it would be good to have a Kalibr [missile]’ to launch at the cyber operatives.
The Cyber Resistance group told InformNapalm site that their mission was ‘important’.
’He collected money and spent it on the purchase of drones for the Russian army’, they said.
‘So it was important to write it off for something else. We decided to order him a bunch of [sex] toys.’
Gospel musician and producer Nacee has released a song titled ‘Aseda’.
‘Aseda’, a Twi word translated into the English language as ‘thanksgiving’ is a soft soul-touching Gospel song that has a simple arrangement fused with sweet melodies.
It encourages people to appreciate what God has done for them and still doing in their life.
This song had been in the studio for about 7 years awaiting God’s appropriate time for release.
“I went through a whole lot and one day in a trance, God made me realize He has done much more for me than I was praying for. It then dawned on me that I hadn’t appreciated Him enough,” said Nacee.
The National Road Safety Association has stated that effective April 5, 2023, all abandoned or disabled vehicles will be forcibly removed from the road.
According to the Authority, it will liaise with the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service to remove or cause the removal of any broken down motor vehicle or trailer left on a roadway or in a circumstance that poses danger.
A statement by the NRSA said the increasing number of disabled vehicles has become a worrying trend that needs to end.
Drivers have therefore been advised to place approved Advance Warning Triangles, one at the front and another at the rear sides of the vehicle or trailer, and contact the towing service company to immediately remove the vehicle or trailer to a safe location.
Nigerian media personality, Chinedu Ani Emmanuel, aka as Nedu, has disclosed that he won’t marry a virgin.
According to him, most virgins are poor at decision-making, noting that non-virgins make better decisions.
He made this known during the recent edition of his ‘The Honest Bunch’ podcast on Monday.
He said, “If I want to get married, I won’t marry a virgin. The fact that you are a virgin does not make you the best woman a man can marry.
“For me, why I think you should marry a girl that is not a virgin, girls who are not virgins, in my opinion, make better decisions better, because most girls who are virgins believe that their virginity is their pride and value,
“They would say my virginity is who I am as a woman. It is everything. I’m a 30-years-old and I’m a virgin.
“Which means, every pride as a woman is that your virginity, so when you get married and you husband dis-virgins you, then what will become of you?
“In that case, anything a man tells you at that point, you agree, but for the experienced lady, you have that mentality to know what is right and wrong.
“But that is not to say been a virgin is bad, it’s my personal opinion.”
Netizens, however, are reacting to his submissions.
The head of the Kremlin is “shut off from the world,” according to a former officer in Vladimir Putin‘s elite personal security team.
After being deployed to Kazakhstan, Gleb Karakulov, 35, broke ranks and defected, making him a wanted man now.
He provided hints about Putin’s mysterious personal life in an interview with the Dossier Center, a London-based investigative organization supported by Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a prominent member of the Russian opposition.
“Our president has turned into a war criminal,” he declared. It is time to put an end to this battle and to speak up.
Karakulov was a captain in Russia’s secretive Federal Protective Service (FSO) tasked with setting up secure communications for the country’s president and prime minister.
In 13 years of service, he says he never saw Putin use a mobile phone.
The Kremlin leader also never requested internet access, suggesting he rarely reads non media or reports from outside Russia.
‘Our president is cut off from the world, he lives in an informational vacuum,’ Karakulov said.
‘He is pathologically afraid for his life. He has surrounded himself with an impenetrable barrier of quarantine and a lack of any information from the internet.’
There have been widespread rumours as to the state of Putin’s health, with many pointing out potential symptoms of serious illness.
The way the Kremlin leader walks, talks and even sits have all been analysed in detail.
But Karakulov said he has taken more than 180 trips with the Russian president, and contrary to widespread speculation, Putin appears to be in good health.
He has only cancelled a few trips due to illness and has annual medical checkups, he said.
It was Karakulov’s job to set up secure communications at the hospital when Putin checked in.
Many had speculated that the Russian ruler’s reluctance to ease the offensive in Ukraine was due to his poor health.
But Karakulov says it isn’t due to his physical health, but his mental state.
‘I understand that he’s simply afraid,’ he said.
Putin’s paranoia has reportedly deepened since the war broke out, and he opts to travel by a ‘nondescript train car’ rather than a plane.
The Kremlin leader has set up identical offices in multiple locations, with matching details down to the desk and wall hangings, and official reports sometimes say he’s one place when he is actually in another, according to Karakulov and prior reporting by a Russian media outlet.
Karakulov’s interview with the Dossier Center gives the world vital insight into the mind of Putin.
The rare defection of a Russian insider raises questions about how deep public support for the war in Ukraine actually runs in Russia.
Karakulov wasn’t the only one from the FSO who wanted out.
An engineer at a regional FSO center in Siberia tried to flee to Kazakhstan in September, shortly after Russia’s draft took effect.
But authorities there sent him back to Russia, where he was sentenced to six -and-a-half years in a penal colony.
Boris Bondarev, a career diplomat in Geneva who quit in May and denounced the war, said there are plenty of Russians who quietly oppose the war but don’t dare speak out, for fear of losing their livelihoods.
A few Foreign Ministry colleagues quit after he did but didn’t go public, he said. He added that, like him, they’re having trouble finding work.
Bondarev is now living as a political refugee on a government allowance in Switzerland, with security constraints he’d rather leave ‘deliberately ambiguous.’
But he doesn’t have regrets.
‘You must do what your what your conscience tells you to do,’ he said.
Ghanaian rapper Eno Barony has been celebrated for her exceptional talent and ability to make a name for herself in a male-dominated space but this she says, was not even her greatest challenge.
At the onset of her career, she had to deal with body shaming and discrimination as a ‘plus size’ woman. On the account of the award-winning rapper, the industry had skinnier women, there was none her size to look up to.
Eno Barony who identifies as the ‘mother of rap in Ghana’ told BBC News Africa how her body size inspired her 2019 hit single ‘Heavy Load’ where she encouraged plus-size women to embrace their beauty.
“When I came into the music scene, I never saw girls my size. Most of the girls I was seeing were skinnier. People were talking about my image so much…it was bothering me. When I accepted myself, as who I am, I did a song called ‘Heavy Load’ and I realized I have fans who are just like me.
“So if you see a woman doing anything male-dominated, you don’t doubt her it,” she charged.
“My name Eno means mother in my native language Twi…somehow, some way, divine intervention, I am like the mother of rap in Ghana.
“If am the mother of rap, Mzbel is like the grandmother. Every girl I knew at that time was dressing like Mzbel,” Eno told BBC Arica News in an interview published in April 2023.
Three doctors have been sentenced by a court in Guinea over death of a young woman who was raped in hospital.
The government said in 2021 that M’Mah Sylla, had died in Tunisia where she had been evacuated for treatment after being raped.
The case caused a great deal of outrage in Guinea.
A court in the capital Conakry has now sentenced Daniel and Patrice Lamah to 15 years in prison and a third doctor, Celestin Millimouna – who is on the run – was given a 20-year sentence.
They were all found guilty of assault and battery as well as carrying out an abortion.
Patrice Lamah and Millimouna were also found guilty of rape.
A suspect in the killing of pro-war Russian blogger Vladlen Tatarsky has been charged with terrorism, Russian officials say.
Darya Trepova was taken to a Moscow court on Tuesday after her arrest the previous day in St Petersburg.
The court ruled the 26-year-old should remain in custody until 2 June.
This comes as a little-known group, the National Republican Army, which has vowed to fight the Putin regime, claimed it carried out the attack.
Tatarsky, 40, was killed on Sunday in a blast in a cafe in St Petersburg where he was due to give a talk. More than 30 people were injured.
In a video released by the authorities on Monday – most likely recorded under duress – Ms Trepova was heard admitting she brought a statuette to the cafe that later blew up.
But she did not say she knew there would be an explosion, nor did she admit any further role.
Russia’s Investigative Committee, which looks into major crime, said she had been charged under the criminal code with “a terrorist act carried out by an organised group causing intentional death” and the “illegal possession of explosive devices by an organised group”.
The committee added that it had evidence the attack was organised by Ukrainian security services with the help of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation.
The foundation, which has released a series of exposés of corruption involving President Vladimir Putin’s entourage, said it was “very convenient” for the Kremlin to blame its critics when Navalny was due to go on trial soon for extremism.
In a separate development on Tuesday, the National Republican Army said it organised the bombing “without any help from foreign structures, let alone security services”. Its statement was carried on the Rospartizan (Russian Partisan) Telegram channel,
It added that the bombing was not aimed at peaceful citizens. Darya Trepova was “innocent” and a “hostage of the system”, it said.
The National Republican Army provided no evidence to back its claim.
The group was one of three Russian organisations that signed a declaration in Ukraine last August pledging to fight the government in Moscow.
Exiled former Russian MP Ilya Ponomarev, who tweeted about the group’s statement, has previously claimed it was behind the murder of TV commentator Darya Dugina. The daughter of prominent ultra-nationalist Alexander Dugin was blown up by a car bomb last year.
Until then the National Republican Army had never been mentioned publicly before.
Tatarsky (real name Maxim Fomin) had been attending a meeting with supporters in the cafe as a guest speaker late on Sunday afternoon.
A video circulating on social media showed a young woman in a brown coat apparently entering the cafe with a cardboard box.
Images showed the box being placed on a table in the cafe before the woman sat down. Another video showed a statue being handed to Tatarsky.
Vladlen Tatarsky posted reports on the Telegram messaging service
Tatarsky was a well-known blogger with more than half a million followers, and had a criminal past.
Born in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, he said he joined Russian-backed separatists when they released him from jail, where he was serving time for armed robbery.
He was part of a pro-Kremlin military blogger community that has taken on a relatively high-profile role since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
Tatarsky is among those who have gone so far as to criticise the Russian authorities, slamming the military and even President Vladimir Putin for setbacks on the battlefield.
But on Monday, he was awarded the posthumous Order of Courage by Mr Putin.
Ghanaian singer-songwriter Gyakie is set for her upcoming tour in the United Kingdom and France, expected to commence on May 18 at Gorilla Manchester.
The tour will continue on May 19 at LaFayette London, May 20 at O2 Institute Birmingham, and conclude on May 26 in Paris.
Gyakie, whose real name is Jackline Acheampong, has been making waves in the music industry with her unique blend of Afrobeats, R&B, and Pop. Her music has been praised for its catchy melodies, relatable lyrics, and infectious beats, and she has garnered a large following both in Ghana and internationally.
The upcoming tour is a significant milestone for Gyakie, who has been steadily building her career over the past few years. She recently released her debut EP “Seed” in August 2020, which features collaborations with Nigerian artists Omah Lay and Bisa Kdei.
Powered by LiveNation, Flip the music, and Smade, the tour promises to be an exciting showcase of Gyakie’s talent and musical style. Fans can expect to hear hits such as “Forever” and “Something,” as well as other songs from the artist.
Gyakie’s breakout single “Forever” has been a massive hit, garnering over 30 million views on YouTube and earning her a spot on Billboard’s “Next Big Sound” chart. The song has also been remixed by Nigerian artist Omah Lay, further cementing Gyakie’s status as a rising star in the African music scene.
Social media users have been reacting to a controversial statement by Nollywood actress, Sarah Martins.
Martins in a post on her Instagram page stressed that it is fair for women to snatch good men from other women she described as careless.
The actress, a close friend of Judy Edochie, Yul’s second wife, made the post amidst massive reactions from the public.
“Never be afraid to snatch a good man from a lousy and careless woman! He deserve to be loved right… Same goes to women….Nobody is above snatching because everyone deserve to be loved right,” she wrote.
The post, however, didn’t sit well with a majority of social media users, who tagged it as a dig at Yul Edochie’s first wife, May.
An Instagram user wrote, “Only if you know the consequences of all you are doing, Shey blessing CEO don collect, you go soon collect”.
See other reactions below:
Cleopatracerdar_ said: “Since you Dey snatch,no man gree carry you come house even if na 50th wife, I tire”
Propertu_by_susan said: “Swear that you are not depressed. As old and haggard as you are, what’s on your bucket list is snatching. See how physically and spiritually empty you look with all the outfits on you. I am glad you are depressed and that depression will end you. You can pretend all you want but we in the medical field knows that this is a sign of chronic depression. We can’t wait for the D-day Bloody IDIAT”
Cinto_cardic commented: “Any man being snatched by you is so desperate and is a community man. Sarah you only belong to one Night stand”
Beatric_blessing wrote: “Disgusting cheap article! Now you make a caricature of a mourning woman. You will weep more than May edochie. You are demonic and heartless. Making such dumb insinuation at this sensitive time that your Juju *hore friend wrecked a peaceful home. Like lincedochie said, evil has an expiration date. Ashawo kobo kobo.”
On invitations to the coronation on May 6, the title “Queen Camilla” will formally be used for the first time.
The Queen Consort title has been used up until now to refer to the King’s wife in official papers and public releases.
She has been using the title since since Queen Elizabeth II passed away in September of last year. In a letter she wrote to her during the Platinum Jubilee, the late monarch suggested she adopt it.
Both Charles and Camilla will be crowned at the ceremony in a month’s time, although the King’s coronation will be the grandest element of the day.
The official invitation, released publicly yesterday, is heavily decorated with symbolic flowers and an appearance from the legendary figure of the Green Man.
Each of the British wildflowers on the letter’s edges appear three times, referencing Charles’s position as the third King with his name.
Invitees are asked to attend by the Earl Marshal, a role currently filled by Edward William Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk, who is in charge of overseeing the big day.
Further details about the coronation have been emerging as it draws nearer, with Buckingham Palace revealing nine-year-old Prince George will have an important role as one of eight Pages of Honour.
The full invitation features flowers, insects, birds, heraldic beasts and the Green Man at the bottom (Picture: Buckingham Palace/PA)
Meanwhile, the White House is reported to be sending First Lady Jill Biden to attend the ceremony in the place of her husband President Joe Biden.
His absence follows historical precedent, as no US president has ever attended the coronation of a British monarch.
However, at the end of last month the Telegraph quoted a source as saying there ‘may still be some efforts under way to see if Biden can be persuaded to come to the coronation’.
The most significant question mark, however, concerns the attendance of Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
It is believed that the couple have received the ornate invitation already, but they have not given any indication of whether it has been accepted.
One scenario that has been floated involves Prince Harry coming along to the ceremony while his wife stays in California to look after their three children.
Matters are complicated by the fact their eldest son Archie has his fourth birthday on May 6, the same day as the coronation.
Royal staff are reportedly working on the assumption the pair will be attending.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has filed 11 new charges against the former Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Development Authority, (NDA) his two deputies, and a private contractor.
Mr. Sumaila Abdul-Rahman, Chief Executive of NDA, and three others namely Stephen Yir-eru Engmen, Deputy Chief Executive (Operations), Patrick Seidu Deputy Chief Executive (Finance & Administration) and Andrew Kuundaari, Chief Executive of A&QS Consortium Limited, have been arraigned before the Tamale High Court presided by His Lordship Eric Ansah Ankomah for alleged breaches of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663).
The OSP, which confirmed the 11 new charges in a tweet shared on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, indicated that all the accused persons pleaded not guilty.
They were granted bail in the sum of GH¢2,000,000 on the condition that they will surrender their passports and not travel outside Ghana without informing the court.
“The OSP today filed 11 new charges against former Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Development Authority, his two deputies and a private contractor. Accused persons have all been admitted to bail to the sum of GH¢ 2,000,000.
“…upon the following conditions: submission of passport to the registry of High Court and not to leave the jurisdiction without informing the court and (3) each accused to produce 2 sureties with an undertaking to pay the bail sum of GH¢ 2, 000,000,” parts of the tweet read.
“Prosecution to file disclosures by April 18, 2023. Case Management Conference has been fixed for May 2, 2023, with the possibility to open Prosecution’s case that same day,” the OSP added.
Background:
The OSP, in January 2023, charged Sumaila Abdul-Rahman and his two deputies, Stephen Yir-eru Engmen, the deputy CEO in charge of operations and Patrick Seidu, the deputy CEO in charge of finance and administration, for alleged corruption.
Also charged with the three is Andrew Kuundaari, the Chief Executive of A&QS Consortium Limited, a private consultancy firm.
The four were charged with conspiracy to directly or indirectly influence the procurement process to obtain an unfair advantage in the award of a procurement contract.
In a series of tweets shared on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, the OSP said that the four accused persons were granted bail after they pleaded not guilty in their first court appearance in the Northern Regional capital, Tamale.
The lookalike of dancehall musicianShatta Wale has officially been unveiled as a video of the young man went viral on social media.
In the video, the replicas of Mr Drew and King Promise were spotted while Shatta Wale’s lookalike gave them a manly handshake.
Meanwhile, the other two gentlemen spotted in the video have sparked debate in the comment section as Ghanaians guessed the celebrities they resembled.
The ‘On God’ hitmaker’s clone was the star of the short viral video as he spoke the local dialect, Fante, while making hand gestures.
A fisherman who trained as a dowser to protect his local river has now built a 34-year career in the trade. He now says he can use Google Earth to discover water, gas, and gold by waving objects near a computer screen, adding that those who are skeptical of his techniques “just do not know.”
Since 1989, Peter Taylor, 82, of Mold, North Wales, has used his divination skills to comb the globe seeking water, rare stones, precious metals, and even shipwrecks. He claims to have struck the bullseye nearly all the time, only missing a few occasions.
Dowsing, a type of divination that seeks to locate where water or valuable materials are buried, has been practised for centuries, although it was banned by the Catholic Church – and cannot be used to reveal lottery numbers, according to Peter.
While Peter is convinced that he has passed on ‘the gift’ of divination to his four children Jane, Jackie, Stephen and Peter, there is no scientific evidence to prove that dowsing actually works.
Dowsers often rely on a variety of tools to help them allegedly sense where buried treasure is located, such as pendulums, wooden wands and dowsing rods, which can be Y or L shaped. Peter was a keen fisherman when he first heard about the mysterious practice on a television programme and decided he would try dowsing rods.
‘Ralph Whitlock – author of Water Divining And Other Dowsing: A Practical Guide, was on TV demonstrating how to find water, both remotely and at the site,’ says Peter, who was in his 40s at the time. ‘I saw the water coming up out of the ground and that’s how I got hooked.’
‘The water in the River Aeron where I fished was being depleted, so I tried copying what they did and found the rods worked for me.’
Peter’s dowsing technique first involves holding a pendulum containing whatever material he is looking for over a map.
When looking for gold, Peter will place a gold ring inside the pendulum, or if he has been asked to find oil and gas, then he uses an oil sample.
‘If I move it across the map while touching the map with my finger at the same time, it creates a connection to that place in the world, wherever it may be,’ says Peter.
Professional dowsing
The practice of dowsing has been discredited scientifically, but as of January this year two of the UK’s 12 water companies were still using the technique to find leaks in the system – down from ten in 2017.
He then observes how the pendulum reacts, and depending on whether it starts spinning clockwise or anti-clockwise, says he can determine whether he’s getting close to the source.
‘You have to learn what means yes and no, which can take learning and time,” he says. ‘It’s difficult to explain, but for me anti-clockwise means yes and clockwise is a no. That way, you can get answers to your questions.’
While in the past Peter has relied on paper maps to start conducting his search, today technology has made his job a lot easier.
‘In the old days I used survey maps, but thanks to technology, I can now use Google Earth to pinpoint the location,’ he says. ‘You can virtually look for anything, diamonds, gold, silver, copper, zinc… even shipwrecks.’
Once the pendulum has homed in on an area where a resource could be located, Peter arranges a site visit and uses his rods to determine where to start digging or drilling.
‘A remote survey gives you a rough idea of where it is within 20 or 30 feet,’ he says. ‘So it’s not very accurate, but it gives you a good guide from where to start your search.’
Peter’s dowsing career has taken him all over the world, including Africa, America, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates, where he claims to have located a water source in the middle of the desert.
‘I didn’t think there would be that much water in the desert,’ he said. ‘You could see the water gushing up – I think it was something like 184 gallons a minute.’
While some people might be tempted to use dowsing for their own personal gain, they will not strike gold, says Peter.
‘I can help others find the oil or the water, but not for myself,’ he said. ‘Just like you can’t use it to find the lottery numbers or gambling.’
That said, Peter has managed to make a living out of dowsing, working for clients of all sizes, from local farmers who are hoping to find water on their land, to multi-national petrol companies. Over the past three decades, Peter claims to have located more than 1,000 boreholes, wells and natural springs.
He charges a minimum fee of £100 to conduct a remote survey of an area, but prices can vary depending on how much time a search takes.
Asked what he says to those who are sceptical of his abilities, he says: ‘You have to show them official references to back up what you are saying, and that’s something I can do.
‘A lot of people are really sceptical and then even when you show them that you can do it, they still don’t believe you.
‘Of course, I have sometimes failed to locate things, maybe four or five times in my lifetime.’
Many theories have been put forward to explain dowsing, with some saying it comes down to the individual making unconscious decisions about geography – however, none have proven to be conclusive.
Peter, whose wife died from breast cancer over two years ago, is concerned that the ancient practice could soon be no more as there are fewer ‘masters’ alive to teach the next generation of dowsers.
‘Dowsing is not straightforward and it takes years to learn,’ he says.
Although he is semi-retired and enjoys a quiet life at his home in Mold, Peter continues to dowse around the UK.
‘I have travelled the world or at least quite a bit of the world,’ he says. ‘Obviously now I’m 82, so I don’t travel as much, but I’m still working on potential borehole locations here in the UK.’
To his knowledge, Peter is the first member of his family to become a dowser, but he believes his four children also have ‘the gift’. His daughters Jane and Jackie work for the council, while his youngest son, Stephen, works in forestry and his other child Peter is retired.
‘I’ve shown them how to do it, but they are far too busy,’ he says. ‘It would nice to see it being carried on because there are so few of us left.
‘It’s essential that we get these young ones following through.’
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a warning after discovering an uncommon tick-borne virus in numerous parts of England.
The first domestic case of the encephalitis virus (TBEV) was discovered in a Yorkshire man who had been bitten by a tick.
Meningitis can result from the infection TBEV, which is spread through tick bites. Prior to the diagnosis being verified at the UKHSA laboratory, the diagnosing physicians who were treating the patient first considered it.
Another human case may have been discovered in Scotland’s Loch Earn region.
The virus has also been detected in Hampshire, Dorset and Norfolk and may be present in other parts of the country.
However, the risk to the public is low and there has only been three confirmed cases so far.
Before 2019, human TBEV had not been domestically acquired in the UK. In 2019 and 2020, two probable cases were reported but in those cases there was no molecular isolation of the virus, so they could not be confirmed.
Dr Helen Callaby, from UKHSA, said: ‘This study confirms the tick-borne encephalitis virus is present in parts of the UK where there are relevant tick and wildlife populations and may occasionally cause disease in humans.
Symptoms of tick-borne encephalitis (TBEV)
High fever
Headache
Stiff neck
Reduced consciousness
Complications from TBEV can cause meningitis and these symptoms include:
Severe headache
Stiff neck
Pain looking at bright lights
Neurological symptoms
Has a fit (seizure), if not known to be epileptic
Sudden confusion or change in behaviour
Weakness or loss of movement in arms and legs
Facial dropping, change in vision or slurred speech
‘Physicians should consider the possibility of tick-borne encephalitis virus when patients present with unexplained encephalitis and a history of tick exposure, even if they have not travelled outside the UK, as the clinicians did in these cases.’
TBEV is common in many parts of the world and is usually found in western and northern Europe and northern and eastern Asia.
Anyone who experiences symptoms or feels unwell after a tick bite should seek GP advice.
Despite the risk to the general public being low, the UKHSA has recommended changes to testing in hospitals.
Dr Callaby added: ‘Although the risk to the general public is very low, it is important for people to take precautions to protect themselves from tick bites, such as covering their ankles and legs, applying insect repellent and checking clothes and your body for ticks, particularly when visiting areas with long grass such as woods, moorlands and parks.’
The European subtype of TBEV is associated with milder disease, with 20% to 30% of patients experiencing clinical disease.
While it is assumed the UK cases are the European subtype, this has not yet been proven.
Cases are on the rise in England, mainly due to increasing numbers of ticks. They live in undergrowth and latch on to humans when they walk through long grass.
Vaccines provide protection but only for a limited time and there is no known cure.
Alongside TBEV, Brits are also at risk of other infections the parasitic arachnids carry, such as Lyme’s disease.
The Deputy Head of the Other Financial Institution Provision Department and an Assistant Director at the Bank of Ghana, Patience Yeboah-Nkansah, is advising all non-bank financial institutions to adhere to the rules of providing their quarterly reports on their operations to theBank of Ghana (BoG).
According to her, the feedback that will be provided by the non-bank financial institutions will enable the Central Bank to report to the board, its development partners and the Ministry of Finance (MoH).
She explained that the submission of the quarterly report will help the Central Bank to come out with policies to better serve the interest of the customers and the operators of the non-bank financial institutions.
She said non-bank financial institutions are not banks so they must operate in their remit and not set out to operate as banks.
She appealed to operators to abide by the laws governing their operations because the BoG would deal with them if they fall foul of the law.
She appealed to the non-banks, for that matter, microfinance operators to do responsible lending.
Madam Yeboah Nkansah issued this warning speaking in an interview at the Microfinance Forum organised by Ghana Microfinance Institutions Network (GHAMFIN) on the theme: ‘Building Resilient and Sustainable Non-Bank Financial Institution’s Sector in the Wake of Current Economic Challenges’.
On his part, Mr Yaw Gyamfi, the Executive Director of GHAMFIN, said the submission of returns has been a challenge to operators.
According to him, some operators have low capital so they shy away from submitting quarterly returns.
He warned that having low capital and failing to submit returns and paying a penalty of GHS12,000 is like using your capital to pay the penalty.
It is on this score, he urged members to adhere to the submission of the returns to avoid infractions.
President Akufo-Addo says the parliamentary approval of his ministers despite the drama demonstrates their competence for the job.
The nominees which include Kobina Tahir Hammond, Bryan Acheampong and others were subjected to a secret ballot before their approval was sealed.
At the swearing-in ceremony at the Jubilee House on Tuesday, President Akufo-Addo called on them to exhibit a high sense of duty and professionalism to help the government address the current difficulties facing the economy.
“Even at the stage of voting in the House, the majority of the members from both sides of the divide believed in your competence and went ahead to give you the nod.
“You have joined the government at the last line of its mandate with about 19 months to go, but I’m confident that there is enough time to make a difference and significant contributions. Your various competencies, experiences and talents make it distinctly possible,” he said
Two new Supreme Court judges, Justice George Kingsley Koomson and Justice Ernest Yao Gaewu were also sworn in with a call on them to be fair and just in the delivery of justice.
Justice George Kingsley Koomson says they will not sacrifice their neutrality on the bench.
“We will continue to serve in dignity, respect, and in honesty. That we shall always protect the fundamental human rights of our people. We are committed to serving with professionalism and impartiality.
“We recognise the enormous nature of the work and the responsibility that comes with it, however, promise to give decisions that are just, fair and in accordance with the law,” he stated.
The significance of Prince George’s participation in the occasion has already been verified by Buckingham Palace.
One of eight all-male Pages of Honor during the coronation will be the nine-year-old.
He’ll be responsible for holding the King and Queen Consort’s robes throughout the ceremony, which should last about 2.5 hours.
George, second in direct line to the throne, could see himself crowed at Westminster Abbey in the future.
Camilla’s grandsons Gus and Louis Lopes, both 13, and Freddy Parker Bowles, 12 are expected to carry out the Pages of Honour role.
Her great-nephew Arthur Elliot, 11, will also join the group.
For the King, his Pages of Honour include Prince George, Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, 13, Nicholas Barclay, 13, Ralph Tollemache, 12, and Charles’s godson Edward.
The coronation is drawing closer and closer, with more plans being unveiled for the weekend of celebrations.
Question marks remain on whether Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will attend in any capacity.
Last night, it was announced that Camilla will be known as ‘the Queen’ with the ‘Consort’ title dropped from May 6.
The King acceded the throne on September 8, 2022, upon the death of his mother – but it is traditional for a full ceremony to be held a significant time later as a mark of respect to the late monarch.
The three children will sit in a carriage behind the King and Queen Consort with their parents the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Other royals expected in the procession out Westminster Abbey will be Princess Anne and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and his sister Princess Alexandra.
Both George, 9 and Charlotte, 7, both accompanied the royal family during the Queen’s funeral procession but Louis, 4, was considered too young at the time.
The children delighted royal fans at the Queen’s platinum jubilee as Louis showcased his cheeky side.
On the palace balcony alongside his siblings he could be seen holding his hands over his ears and pulling many facial expressions.
Louis also shared a sweet moment with Charles as he sat on his lap during the Jubilee Pageant as the parade passed by the royal box.
Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has indicated that he has the unflinching support of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to continue his work as a legislator.
This he said was evident during his vetting adding that his constituents also appreciated his performance and would want him to do more as their representative in Parliament.
He made these statements when speaking to the media at the premises of the NDC Volta Regional Office in Ho after he was vetted ahead of the parliamentary primaries.
“What is important is that it is a clear indication that I have been asked by the party to continue to do the good work that I am doing for the good people of South Dayi,” he said.
He entreated the delegates to keep faith in him as he continues to champion the course of the constituents both in the constituency and in Accra.
Mr Dafeamekpor listed among other things his leadership role in mobilizing youth to demonstrate against the bad state of the Eastern Corridor Road in the constituency, which led to the resumption of construction work on the road.
“The duty imposed on me by the good people of South Dayi to remove Nana Akufo-Addo and the incompetent government is not done. So they are asking me to continue,” he said.
He is optimistic about winning the primaries scheduled on the 13th of May 2023.
“I may have some competition, but I think that competition, when it comes to 13th May, we shall go into the nitty-gritty of that very well”, Mr. Dafeamekpor said.
A 50-year-old trader has been served a four-year jail sentence by the Tema Circuit Court B for attempting to steal a Toyota Camry vehicle belonging to a businessman.
The Court presided over by Ms Bertha Aniagyei sentenced Wahab Alhassan [accused] based on his own guilty plea to the charge of attempting to commit a crime, in violation of section 18 (1) of the Criminal Offences Act of 1960. (Act 29).
According to the prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mrs. Stella Odame, the complainant, Mr Charles Afropong, is a businessman who lives in New Dawhenya, Community 25, while Alhassan is a trader from Suame in the Ashanti Region and a native of Worawora in the Oti Region.
The prosecutor said the complainant owns a black Toyota Camry with a DV number plate, and a ‘for sale’ sticker embossed with his contact information.
She stated that on August 20, 2021, the complainant got a phone call from Alhassan expressing interest in purchasing the aforementioned vehicle.
The complainant and accused, therefore, arranged to meet at Community 25 Junction on Sunday, August 22, 2021.
Alhassan was said to have met the complainant on the agreed-upon date at around 6:00 am and requested to take the car for a test drive on a rough road near Community 25 Junction.
The prosecution said the accused drove the vehicle while the complainant sat in the front passenger seat by his side.
According to the facts, mid-way through the test drive, Alhassan informed the complainant that he had discovered a fault on one of the car’s tyres and thus stopped the car, allowing both of them to get down and inspect the allegedly faulty tyres while the engine was still running.
After convincing the complainant to get out of the vehicle, Alhassan jumped back in and attempted to speed away, the prosecution said.
The accused attempted to drive in a zigzag pattern so that the complainant, who had then jumped on the passenger door, would tumble off.
During the process, Alhassan lost control of the steering wheel and veered into a gutter, severely damaging the vehicle.
According to the court, the accused instantly got out of the vehicle and began running away, but the complainant shouted for help, attracting the attention of the youth in the area, who came out to apprehend Alhassan and handed him over to the Devtraco Police.
An official complaint was filed, and an investigation caution statement was obtained from the accused, who was later charged and brought before the court.
In connection with a financial inquiry into the Scottish National Party, Nicola Sturgeon‘s husband was detained.
A 58-year-old man has been “arrested as a suspect,” according to Police Scotland.
According to reports, Peter Murrell, 58, the former leader of the ruling pro-independence party, was arrested this morning.
Officers are conducting searches at “a number of properties as part of the inquiry,” the national police organization added.
Police Scotland said: ‘A 58-year-old man has today, Wednesday, 5 April 2023, been arrested as a suspect with the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party.
‘The man is in custody and is being questioned by Police Scotland detectives.
‘Officers are also carrying out searches at a number of addresses as part of the investigation.
‘A report will be sent to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
‘The matter is active for the purposes of the Contempt of Court Act 1981 and the public are therefore advised to exercise caution if discussing it on social media.
‘As the investigation is ongoing we are unable to comment further.’
An SNP spokesperson said: ‘Clearly it would not be appropriate to comment on any live police investigation but the SNP have been cooperating fully with this investigation and will continue to do so.
‘At its meeting on Saturday, the governing body of the SNP, the NEC, agreed to a review of governance and transparency – that will be taken forward in the coming weeks.’
The Scottish Government has been approached for comment.
The police probe is looking at what happened to more than £600,000 raised by independence campaigners in 2017, intended to be ‘ring-fenced’ for a second referendum.
But the cash was ‘missing’ from the SNP’s filed books at the end of 2019 when no referendum had been held. It is alleged the fundraised money was used to help with the party’s day-to-day running costs.
Mr Murrell stepped down as the party’s chief executive last month after two decades amid a scuffle over the SNP’s membership numbers.
The part lost 30,000 members in a single year, plummeting from 103,884 in 2021 to 72,186 as of this February.
Ms Sturgeon resigned only weeks before last the leader of Scotland’s government after eight years, saying the time was right to ‘make way for someone else’.
The Chamber expressed concern about the negative impact that the newly introduced taxes by the State would have on businesses, which it said had the potency to collapse many indigenous businesses, affect job creation, and the development of a robust private sector to spear growth.
Mr Clement Osei Amoako, the National President of GNCCI, was speaking at the second edition of the “Western Chamber Bazaar,” held on the theme: “Creating and Promoting Unlimited Opportunities for Goods and Services Through Effective Market Linkages”.
The Bazaar, which was hosted by the Regional Branch of the Chamber, brought together diverse businesses to showcase, sell and create market linkages and future partnerships for local economic growth.
Mr Amoako said the Excise Duty, Growth and Sustainability levy and the Income Amendment Bill, had a devastating effect on the private sector saying, “We cannot ignore the reality that these new taxes are counter-productive, obnoxious and harmful to the development of the private sector”.
Businesses in Ghana are already struggling under the existing tax regimes and the new additions would only exacerbate the turbulent business environment.
The GNCCI President indicated that the new taxes had the potential to make the country less competitive, discourage foreign investment, and make it difficult for local enterprises and businesses to compete with their overseas counterparts.
He said already, the current harsh business environment had seen most businesses shut down, relocated to other countries, or overburden the consumer with operational costs, and urged the government to create a conducive environment for businesses to thrive.
Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, the Western Regional Minister, said the region thrived on enterprises and was keen on seeing the private sector excel, and the Regional Coordinating Council was ready to assist businesses to grow.
He was happy to see the Regional Chamber of Commerce organise such a Bazaar and outreach to increase awareness of indigenous products and encouraged the manufacturing sector to participate in the next event, to showcase products of the region to the world.
The Regional Minister urged businesses in the Region to be resolute and participate in programmes such as the African Continental Free Trade and other such initiatives to grow the private sector.
The Ritz has extended a “unreserved apologies” to a job applicant who received a grooming guideline prohibiting hairstyles with a “Afro-style.”
When Jerelle Jules, 29, read an outdated copy of the guidelines for personal presentation, he was in the final stage of the application process.
He was scheduled to attend a face-to-face interview for the position of dining reservations supervisor yesterday, but he canceled after reading the fine language in the staff regulations, which left him “shocked and unhappy.”
It was then revealed that The Ritz London is “dedicated to a policy of tolerance and equality” and that the document was provided to him in error.
The world famous hotel reacted after Mr Jules, from Hammersmith, West London, raised the issue, saying the rules were damaging to Black people applying for roles. The wording in the policy for men and women forbade ‘unusual hair styles’ such as ‘spiky hair, afro style’.
Before the apology was made Mr Jules told Metro.co.uk that he no longer felt comfortable attending the interview at the five-star hotel in Piccadilly.
He said: ‘I was super-excited to begin with as The Ritz is considered to be one of the most prestigious luxury hotels in the world.
Jerelle Jules applied for a role at The Ritz before checking the smallprint in its grooming policy to find a ban on Afro-style hair (Picture: Jerelle Jules)
‘I was preparing for the interview a few days ahead on Sunday when I thought I’d look at the grooming policy and I was taken aback by it.
‘It specifically states, “no unusual hairstyles such as spiky or afro style”.
‘The word Afro itself is obviously indicative of Africans and after reading that I don’t feel comfortable going to the interview.
‘The policy was updated in June 2021 so this is not something that was written 10 or 20 years ago. It’s a recent policy that shows a lack of awareness about being inclusive to people of colour.’
Mr Jules, who currently works in estates, had been shortlisted for the role after having his application taken on and passing a telephone interview.
He raised his concerns about the grooming policy with The Ritz and in a letter to Hammersmith MP Andy Slaughter.
Mr Jules wrote: ‘I am deeply troubled by this policy as it perpetuates harmful stereotypes and undermines the self-esteem and confidence of Black individuals. As a young Black man, I have always been proud of my natural hair and consider it to be a part of my identity.
‘However, this policy suggests that my hair is not acceptable in the workplace and reinforces the notion that Black individuals must alter their appearance to fit in with mainstream culture.
‘The policy has had a damaging effect on me personally, as it has hindered my confidence in pursuing a career in the luxury hospitality industry.
‘I believe that all individuals should be judged on their qualifications, skills, and abilities, not on their appearance.
‘Discriminatory hiring practices have no place in our society, and it is important that action is taken to address this issue.’
Mr Jules also told his constituency MP that he had been ‘shocked and disappointed’ to read the policy and felt it implied that individuals could not wear their hair in a ‘natural and unaltered state’.
In a statement, the Ritz said: ‘On investigation we have discovered that an out-of-date and incorrect Grooming Policy was regrettably sent to Mr Jules.
‘We have been in contact with Mr Jules directly to offer our unreserved apology for this error and are happy that he has agreed to reschedule his interview with us. We look forward to having the opportunity to meet Mr Jules in person at the hotel later this week.
‘The Ritz London does not condone discrimination of any form and are committed to a policy of inclusivity and equality throughout the hotel.’
Mr Slaughter told Metro.co.uk that he was ‘shocked’ to hear that the outdated policy had been sent to his constituent.
‘This is a horrendous and totally inappropriate attitude for any employer to take and is a clear example of discrimination,’ he said.
‘We need to know when The Ritz changed its policy and why they sent that document to my constituent — they need to be totally open and honest about this. At the moment the apology asks more questions than it answers.
‘We will take this up for my constituent and take it as far as he wants us to.’
The issue of hair and hairstyles has been in the spotlight in relation to schools. In October, the Equality and Human Rights Commission published new guidelines to help ensure that their rules about the different types of presentation, including braids, cornrows and plaits, do not discriminate.
The move followed incidents of pupils with Afro-textured hair being sent home from school for failing to meet grooming policies.
The commission said that schools which ban certain hairstyles adopted by specific racial or religious groups are likely to be committing ‘unlawful indirect discrimination’ under the 2010 Equality Act.
Mr Jules welcomed the apology but still wants to see more done to ensure inclusivity at the landmark hotel.
He told Metro.co.uk: ‘While I appreciate their apology, I still find it unacceptable that the outdated policy was given to me in the first place, and that it perpetuated harmful stereotypes and undermined the self-esteem and confidence of Black individuals.
‘It is essential that organisations take the necessary steps to ensure that their policies are inclusive and do not discriminate against individuals based on their race, gender or any other protected characteristic.
‘While an apology is a good start, I hope that The Ritz will take meaningful action to address the underlying issue and ensure that all of their policies are inclusive and non-discriminatory in the future.’
In the original policy, The Ritz said it would ‘consider genuine requests’ for employees to dress contrary to the grooming policy for ‘religious, gender-based or medical reasons’.
The Chamber of Independent Power Producers (IPPs) says its members are not open to any discussion on the debt restructuring programme.
In a letter, the finance ministry proposed a debt restructuring programme for the power producers, but the IPPs are objecting to the proposal and are instead asking the government to come up with a payment plan for the settlement of about $1.5 billion in arrears.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber, Dr. Elikplim Apetorgbor, who spoke with GBCNEWS, commended the Electricity Company of Ghana for its revenue mobilization drive.
He hoped that the monies collected would be expeditiously paid to the power producers.
He explained that there is no contention over the actual amount the government owes them. He said the power producers are demanding payment schedules to enable them to invest in their operations to enhance power generation.
A YouTube prankster who was shot while being filmed has been placed in intensive care.
When a brawl started, Tanner Cook was in the middle of filming a video in the Virginia retail center Dulles Town Centre.
It’s unknown what the joke entailed, but Tanner, 21, has previously invited strangers to play naked Twister for his videos and faked to puke on an Uber driver.
Alan Colie, 31, the suspect, was charged with aggravated malicious wounding, using a firearm to commit a crime, and firing a handgun within a structure.
Tanner was taken to hospital and remained in intensive care after the bullet pierced his stomach and liver, Mail Online reports.
He spoke to WUSA9 from his hospital bed and he said he had been playing a prank on Colie for YouTube channel ‘Classified Goons’, which has around 40,000 subscribers.
Tanner said: ‘I was playing a prank and a simple practical joke, and this guy didn’t take it very well.’
A friend of Tanner’s was recording the video, which has now been seized by police as evidence, and despite his injury Tanner says he will not be deterred from making prank videos.
Tanner Cook was taken to hospital (Picture: WUSA)Alan Collie was arrested over the shooting (Picture: Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office)Officers were filmed arresting Collie (Picture: WUSA)
Jeramy Cook, Tanner’s father, described the incident as ‘shocking and unnecessary’.
‘They were making a video at the mall and trying to have fun with people and this guy wasn’t having fun,’ he said.
‘There was a phone that was around him and they were interviewing or talking to him, and he didn’t like it and he pulled out his gun and shot my son.
‘I pray for this young man and pray that he finds God in this. I believe that God saved our son’s life, and he could have easily died but that’s not the outcome. God has plans for my son.’
The shopping mall reopened on Monday having been shut down for a full day following the incident.
‘However, they are very real members of your family to you. You’d opened Facebook pages for your fantasy children and communicated with them.
‘You also had a significant interest in Bratz dolls and owned many of them, and this hobby is consistent with your fantasy family life.’
Kell had wanted to dress Cleo up and play with her, believing he was a father, the court was told.
Chief Judge Wager added: ‘I also fully accept your background of deprivation.
‘You’re not to be punished for it. No child in Western Australia should have suffered the neurodevelopmental difficulties, the trauma, the grief and the neglect that you suffered as a child and as a young person.
‘Sadly, in Western Australia, many Aboriginal people have suffered the adverse impacts of colonisation.
‘I fully accept that you’re one of them and I accept that you’ve turned to drug misuse because of the pain and trauma that you’ve suffered throughout your life.’
Speaking last year, Cleo’s mum Ellie said her daughter woke up screaming during her first days back at home and needs all the lights on in the house to fall asleep.
When asked if Cleo remembered the horrific experience, the mother said she recalled ‘why she was taken’.
‘She tells us that she was taken because her baby sister was sick’, she told 60 Minutes.
‘And so she needed to be taken away from us so that we could help her baby sister. She just knows a reason as to what he’s told her.’
Cleo was ‘found with cut and dyed hair’ playing with toy cars in Kelly’s house, which was packed out with Bratz dolls.
Media personality, Nana Romeo has used his platform to preach against fake friends who are quick to destroy one’s relationship by sleeping with their friend’s girlfriends, boyfriends, or spouses.
Romeo who claims to have been a victim of this grave backstabbing, recently narrated how a popular Ghanaian preacher allegedly snatched his ‘serious’ girlfriend. Although the preacher, according to Nana Romeo, confessed to his sins, the radio presenter chose to break their friendship over the betrayal.
A day after Romeo’s narration on ‘Restoration’ with Stacy Amoateng went viral, he took the opportunity to once again lay down the dangers involved in forgiving fake friends.
Speaking on Accra FM, Romeo warned the general public to flee from fake friends, especially those who are quick to have an affair with their loved ones.
“To every man listening to me, if any of your male friends who is fully aware of your relationship status, still go after your lady, to ask her out, you should be wary.
“Don’t cover up for that friend thinking that he is human and can go wrong. If you forgive such a person, they might be the cause of your death. Be warned. Any man who secretly goes after your girlfriend is capable of ending your life with rat poison. This goes the same way with women…do well to cut tides with such evil friends, they can easily poison you to death.
“I repeat that any man or woman who secretly sleeps with your partner is capable of killing you…do away with friends who make a move on your loved ones,” the radio presenter warned.
Thriving Ghanaian rapper Yaw Tog has donated some educational items to underprivileged schools in the country.
This forms part of the activities of his newly launched charity organisation called Tog Life Foundation.
His foundation donated exercise books branded with his image to underprivileged pupils who were elated to meet the talented Yaw Tog
In a video that surfaced online pertaining to the donation, the ‘Sore’ hitmaker was captured taking a selfie with the pupils when they tried to mob him.
In a set of photos, the 19-year-old rapper was captured taking a group picture with the pupils. They beamed with smiles as they raised the branded books that were given to them in the air.
See beautiful pictures from the donation exercise of the Tog Life Foundation.
All 30 aspirants who filed their nominations to contest the upcoming Parliamentary primaries of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Upper West Region have been cleared after successfully going through the vetting process.
The vetting exercise, which was expected to commence at about 9 am on Monday, April 3, started at around 11 am and ended around 11 pm.
Out of the 30 aspirants, Jennifer Nanfuri, the only female, is contesting for the Jirapa Constituency slot against the incumbent MP, Cletus Dapilaah, and Bright Salia.
A press statement signed by the Upper West Regional Communications Officer of the NDC, Issah Kantagyere commended the aspirants and their supporters for exercising restraint to ensure a violence-free exercise.
The Deputy National Women’s Organiser and member of the National Executive Committee (NEC), Abigail Elorm Mensah chaired the five-member vetting committee with Mohammed Alhassan who is also a member of the NEC.
Other members included Abdul Nasir Saani, NDC Upper West Regional Chairman; Alhaji Nurah Issah Danwanaa, Deputy Regional Secretary and Hajia Bintu, Regional Council of Elders’ representative.
The statement entreated the aspirants to place the interest of the party ahead of their personal interests as winning all eleven seats in the region for the party come 2024 was paramount.
“It is a family affair, and we will all need each other collectively to achieve our target agenda of winning all 11 seats and also increase the votes for John Dramani Mahama come December 7, 2024, and this can only be achieved if and only if there is total unity among us,” it explained.
Speaking after going through the vetting process, Bede A. Ziedeng, the incumbent MP for the Lawra, expressed confidence that he would win the primaries overwhelmingly on May 13, 2023, considering his achievement in his first term in office.
“I am confident, absolutely confident that I am going to win this election because of what I have done in the constituency in the health sector, education, and water and sanitation,” Mr Ziedeng explained.
He cited the rehabilitation and mechanisation of two water systems at Eremon and Dowmine Health Centres, the repairing of over 50 broken-down boreholes, donation of three heavy-duty air-conditioners to the cold room of the Lawra Municipal Health Directorate among others, as some achievements in his two years in Parliament.
Mr Ziedeng said he had also supported about 220 students in the Constituency with part-payment of their school fees amounting to ¢250,000 and supported the Brifoh and Lawra Senior High School and the Eremon Senior High Technical School during their distress moments.
On his part, Mr Peter Lanchene Toobu, the incumbent MP for Wa West Constituency, also expressed confidence that the delegates would retain him to lead the party in the constituency into the 2024 general election.
Other aspirants also expressed confidence in emerging victorious in the elections.
Out of the 30 aspirants, 22 are new entrants while the remaining eight aspirants are sitting MPs.
The Wa Central constituency had four aspirants; Nadowli-Kaleo, Daffiama-Bussie-Issa (DBI), Sissala West, and Nandom constituencies had two aspirants each; while Wa West, Wa East, Jirapa, Lawra, Lambussie, and Sissala West Constituencies had three aspirants each.
Ghanaian singer Sister Derby is taking her feature on ex-boyfriend Medikal’s new song, Cold and Trophies, to the next level with a lucrative deal bait.
The African Mermaid, as Sister Deborah calls herself, has released a video to guide competitors in the challenge on how to win the GH₵1,000 cedis cash prize, effortlessly.
The challenge focused on her feature in The Cold and Trophies, where she warns that she is not a homegirl to be messed with.
Sister Deborah sets the first ₵1,000 dance challenge video in a rural homestead setting. She wore a wig with big loose waves in the brightest shade of red hat contrasted nicely with her fair skin and all-black outfit.
Her brother, Wanlove, was also featured in the video in his usual style to support his sister. He wore a crocheted, dazzling yellow dress with a wig to match up.
Kcreretin was, as always, dressed in his schoolgirl fashion noted in his skits with MadeInGhana donning his recognised loose-fitted clothing and hanging locs.
Ghana’s first openly transwoman was also in a chic African print top with a triple ruffled skirt and finished off with ankle-high boots.
Other models were also tastefully dressed as they all danced and grooved to the music in the video, which was shared on her IG page with the caption;
“Sister Derby, but don’t ever call me chef! Tiktok challenge on for 1,000ghc #SDTrophiesChallenge @sisterdeborah”
To win Sister Deborah’s #SDTrophiesChallenge you must be on TikTok, and don’t forget to tag her in the video.
For the first time ever, on May 4, everybody wishing to cast a ballot must bring a form of picture identification.
However, not all forms of identification will be accepted, and those without the proper documentation must apply for a special certificate by April 25. Meanwhile, the registration deadline for voters is April 17.
A blue badge and an older person’s bus pass are additional acceptable pieces of identification, in addition to a passport and a driver’s license.
But travelcards for younger people are not accepted.
Compulsory photo ID will ‘protect the integrity of democracy in the UK’ and ‘ensure the electoral system remains secure, transparent and fair for generations to come’, the Government said when the proposals became law last April.
Postal voting is not affected by the new rules.
The Electoral Commission’s Craig Westwood said: ‘It is important that everyone makes sure they have an accepted form of ID if they intend to vote at a polling station. Postal voting is not affected by the new ID requirement.’
Campaign groups the Electoral Reform Society and Unlock Democracy, along with London mayor Sadiq Khan, previously warned that as many as two million people in Britain do not currently have the right form of ID to vote.
An average of 922 applications per day for a Voter Authority Certificate were made online in England in the week of April 2, up from 803 the previous week, according to PA analysis of Government data.
A total of 36,089 applications have been submitted online in England since February 1.
Next month will see more than 8,000 council seats up for grabs across 230 local authorities, ranging from small rural councils to some of the largest towns and cities.
Polls are also taking place to choose mayors in Bedford, Leicester, Mansfield and Middlesbrough.
No elections are scheduled in London, Birmingham, Cornwall, North Yorkshire or Cumbria.
Rishi Sunak will be hoping to keep Conservative losses to a minimum, in what is his first big electoral test as prime minister.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey will be judged on whether their parties are able to make gains at the expense of the Tories.
No elections are taking place in Scotland and Wales this year.
Local elections in Northern Ireland have been put back two weeks to May 18, to avoid a clash with the King’s coronation on May 6.
Counting in Northern Ireland usually takes a couple of days to complete, due to the system of voting used for council elections, which sees voters rank candidates in order of preference.
Photo ID became law in Northern Ireland in 2002.
Accepted forms of photo ID
Passport issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, a British Overseas Territory, an EEA state or a Commonwealth country
Driving licence issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or an EEA state (this includes a provisional driving licence)
A Blue Badge
Older Person’s Bus Pass funded by the Government of the United Kingdom
Disabled Person’s Bus Pass funded by the Government of the United Kingdom
Oyster 60+ Card funded by the Government of the United Kingdom
Freedom Pass
Scottish National Entitlement Card
60 and Over Welsh Concessionary Travel Card
Disabled Person’s Welsh Concessionary Travel Card
Senior SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
Registered Blind SmartPass or Blind Person’s SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
War Disablement SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
60+ SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
Half Fare SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
Identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card)
Biometric immigration document
Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card)
National identity card issued by an EEA state
Electoral Identity Card issued in Northern Ireland
Voter Authority Certificate
Anonymous Elector’s Document
You will only need to show one form of photo ID. It needs to be the original version and not a photocopy.
Ghanaian musician Amaarae has gotten social media users’ attention with her new look. The talented musician wore a short sleeve white crop top showing off her tummy to an interview at 3FM, a subsidiary of Media General.
The 28-year-old singer Ama Serwaa Genfi paired her look with stunning baggy jeans and a black belt with spikes.
In a combative speech following his arraignment, Donald Trump blasted the criminal accusations brought against him and declared that “our country is going to hell.”
Hours after having his fingerprints taken in a Manhattan courthouse, the former US president said: “God bless you all” while speaking from the ballroom of his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida.
Godspeed to you all. And I never, ever imagined that something similar might occur in the United States.
‘The only crime that I have ever committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it.’
Trump slammed Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s investigation into a hush money payment to a porn star, and called the presiding Justice Juan Merchan a ‘Trump-hating judge’.
He also ripped other probes on him including Georgia’s investigation into whether he and his allies tried to overturn the state election, and a federal investigation into his handling of classified documents that wound up at Mar-a-Lago.
Trump called special counsel Jack Smith – who is overseeing the federal probes into the classified materials and his actions around the January 6 Capitol riot – a ‘lunatic’.
The ex-president also brought up the Hunter Biden laptop scandal and blamed the country’s problems including an economic slowdown on the Biden administration and Democrats.
Some TV news stations did not air Trump’s full speech, even though it ran for less than 30 minutes. MSNBC host Rachel Maddow explained that it was ‘basically a campaign speech in which he is repeating his same lies and allegations against his perceived enemies’.
Meanwhile, ABC News cut it off as Trump claimed that President Joe Biden would provoke an ‘all-out nuclear World War 3’.
Trump walked into his Florida resort to cheers from fans wearing MAGA hats.
His family members who entered Mar-a-Lago smiling included his son Eric Trump and wife Lara Trump, and his youngest daughter Tiffany Trump. Walking behind them was Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who appeared for a speech outside Manhattan Criminal Court before being swarmed by protesters and escorted away by police.
What is Trump charged with and what’s next?
WHAT’S THIS CASE ABOUT?
The grand jury spent weeks investigating money paid during Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign to two women who alleged that they had extramarital sexual encounters with him.
Trump has denied the allegations.
His former lawyer Michael Cohen, who testified as a key prosecution witness, paid Daniels $130,000 through a shell company he set up and was then reimbursed by Trump, whose company logged the repayments as legal expenses.
Earlier in 2016, Cohen also arranged for former Playboy model Karen McDougal to be paid $150,000 by the publisher of the supermarket tabloid the National Enquirer, which squelched her story in a journalistically dubious practice known as ‘catch and kill’.
WHAT’S AN INDICTMENT?
An indictment is the formal charge brought against someone after a grand jury — which is made up of members of the community — votes and enough members agree there’s sufficient evidence to charge someone with a crime.
The indictment against Trump remains sealed, as is standard in New York before an arraignment. But once the document is made public, it will lay out the crime or crimes that Trump is accused of committing.
Sometimes indictments include a lengthy narrative with lots of details about the allegations, while others are more basic and just outline the charges a defendant is facing.
WHAT ARE THE CHARGES?
Trump is facing multiple charges of falsifying business records, including at least one felony offense, according to two people who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss information that isn’t yet public.
Under the law, prosecutors must prove there was an ‘intent to defraud’.
The felony falsifying business records offense requires prosecutors to prove that the records were falsified with the intention of committing, aiding or concealing a second crime.
It’s not clear yet what prosecutors allege the second crime to be, but experts have said it is probably some kind of campaign finance violation.
WHAT’S AN ARRAIGNMENT?
An arraignment is generally the first time a defendant appears in court after being charged.
The judge will tell Trump the charges against him and advise him of his right to go to trial and other things.
Trump will enter a plea of not guilty — as is standard for defendants to do at arraignment. The indictment is expected to be unsealed upon his arraignment.
Trump is expected to walk out of the courtroom because the charges against him don’t require that bail be set in New York.
It’s possible — but unlikely — that Judge Juan Merchan could decide that Trump is a flight risk and order him held, with or without bail, though Trump’s lawyers would vigorously fight that.
WHAT WILL TRUMP’S DEFENSE BE?
Trump’s lawyers have vowed to ‘vigorously fight this political prosecution in court’.
Defense attorney Joe Tacopina has described Trump as a victim of extortion who had to pay the money because the allegations were going to be embarrassing to him. But he says it had nothing to do with the campaign.
Trump will no doubt try to fight the case on multiple fronts. He may try to have the case moved out of Manhattan or New York City entirely — arguing he can’t get a fair trial there — though it’s rare for judges to agree to do that.
Trump may also argue that the statute of limitations has passed.
He has complained that the statute of limitations ‘long ago expired’ because the hush money payments and Cohen’s reimbursements happened more than six years ago.
New York’s statute of limitations for most felonies is five years. For misdemeanors, it’s just two years. But in New York, the clock can stop on the statute of limitations when a potential defendant is continuously outside the state.
Trump visited New York rarely over the four years of his presidency and now lives mostly in Florida and New Jersey.
WHAT ARE THE POLITICAL RAMIFICATIONS FOR TRUMP?
Neither the indictment itself nor a conviction would prevent Trump from running for or winning the presidency in 2024.
Already, the charges have been a boon to his fundraising. The campaign announced Friday evening that it had raised over $4 million in the 24 hours after the indictment became public, far smashing its previous record after the FBI search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club.
Trump’s team over the weekend blasted out emails full of supportive comments from dozens of top Republicans, many of whom had already been supportive of him leading up to the indictment.
Those likely to be facing off with Trump in next year’s GOP primary contests have also slammed the prosecution.
Former Vice President Mike Pence called the indictment ‘an outrage’ and ‘nothing more than a political prosecution’.
Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley said on Twitter that the indictment ‘is more about revenge than it is about justice’.
Biotech investor Vivek Ramaswamy, who is also seeking the GOP presidential nomination, called the indictment ‘a dark moment in American history’.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Saturday accused District Attorney Alvin Bragg of weaponizing the law ‘for political purposes’ to bring a case against a former president, never mentioning Trump by name.
Trump finished his remarks with his familiar campaign slogan.
‘With a very dark cloud over our beloved country,’ he said, ‘I have no doubt that we will make America great again.’
Multiple award-winning Ghanaian singer Kuami Eugene has smoked the peace pipe with thriving young rapper Fotocopy.
A video of them hugging and shaking hands inside the studios of Despite Media’s Okay FM has surfaced online and melted the hearts of many.
This comes after Fotocopy, in a recent interview, alleged that Kuami Eugene refused to feature him on a song. Noting that due to that incident, he hates the ‘Angela’ hitmaker.
Host of the show, Abeiku Santana, in jest hinted that since they have settled their differences, he would sponsor the upcoming feature.
Retired Superintendent of Police, Peter Lanchene Toobu, has described as smart a police officer seen in a viral video pleading with a civilian during a standoff in a forest in Axim.
Amid some public criticisms of the act, the former senior police officer said the officer in the video acted smart by kneeling to plead with the man who has been identified as the leader of a robbery gang in the Axim area.
“One person I would really applaud is the police officer who knelt down to beg in the video. Kwame Asare is claiming that he took money from him and was attempting to arrest him after that. As to whether the officer indeed took money or not that has been referred to the Police Professional Standards Bureau and that is to be determined,” he said.
Mr Toobu who was speaking in an interview with Neat FM monitored by GhanaWeb emphasised that the job of policing can put one in an instance where pulling a trigger to defend oneself is not an ideal solution.
“One thing about the police job is the fact that being in the uniform and wielding a gun does not make you all conquering. There are instances where even though the gun is fully loaded you will not have the braveness to pull the trigger. The one thing that gives you that braveness to shoot and kill a human is when you are doing the right thing but if you find yourself in a difficult situation where shooting can even cause a mob to attack you, use your common sense. When I saw the officer holding the gun and kneeling to beg I said he was smart,” he stated.
The viral video in question shows a gang of men confronting a group of police officers for purportedly seeking to arrest their leader.
Identified in a statement later released by the police as Kwame Ani Asare, the gang leader accused the police officers of seeking to arrest him after paying them a bribe.
Amidst threats, one of the officers is seen in the video going on his knees to plead with the gang leader.
The Ghana Police Service said it received a report on March 28, 2023, that a group of officers from the Axim Police Command had been attacked by the gang in question.
The police stated that it conducted an operation which has led to the arrest of four members of the gang while the leader, Kwame Ani remains at large and on their wanted list.
However speaking to some media houses from a hideout, the gang leader said he was no robber but an informant who has been collecting money from small scale miners and delivering to the police.
According to him, the attempt by the police to arrest him is on the back of his refusal to hand over some GH ₵100,000.00 he had collected from a galamsey site to the police.
He noted that the refusal to hand over the money is a result of the police cheating him out in various previous deals.
But speaking in the interview with Neat FM, Peter Toobu Lenchene who is now the Member of Parliament for Wa West maintained that the officer was smart in begging the gang members.
“When you look at the environment, they were surrounded by guys who are into galamsey and I always say that galamsey is a violent business. You can go and never return; the pit can swallow you up and so people who are into galamsey do not fear guns or death,” he stated.
“Don’t ever play a hero if you find yourself in a situation where your strength and knowledge cannot help you. That is a very smart to do and proves that you are a better security person,” the MP added.
Withdrawing money from a deceased’s account to organise his/her funeral is illegal, a private legal practitioner, Albert Gyamfi, has said.
According to him, the bank account of a deceased person is immediately closed by law when the person is declared dead; therefore, interfering with the property of the deceased is an act that is punishable by law.
He said the family should find a means of organising the funeral of the deceased person rather than withdrawing from his account, which is common in the Ghanaian socio-cultural context.
“Let me sound this warning; the general practice has been that when a person dies, people would want to go into his bank account for money for the organisation of the funeral. That is intermeddling. Wherever the family finds a room to organise the funeral, they should do so. And when probate has been granted, then if there’s any property to liquidate that debt, they use his property to do so.
“But you cannot go into his bank account, withdraw money for the purpose of a funeral. As soon as the person dies, doctors declare him dead, his bank account is closed until probate has been granted,” Mr. Gyamfi cautioned while contributing to a discussion on The Law on Sunday.
He, however, added that if an individual gathers the properties of a deceased person to safely keep the assets but does not deprive the entitled persons of the use of the property, such an act was not categorised as intermeddling with the properties of the dead person.
“If you look at Section 17, the law principally says, unlawfully deprive the entitled persons of the use. So, the law has a mens rea of your unlawfully depriving persons of the use. So, if I am only gathering them for safekeeping, I am not depriving people of the use,” Mr Gyamfi emphasised.
If convicted of making a hush payment to a porn star, former President Donald Trump will probably spend the entire day and night with his security detail.
Trump is the first sitting or former president of the US to be charged with a crime, thus it is unclear exactly what would happen if he were to get a prison sentence.
Trump would likely have Secret Service agents stationed outside his cell next to him around-the-clock, though, since previous presidents have lifetime security from the agency.
‘He would have one or two Secret Service details sitting outside his cell with the correctional officers,’ University of New Haven associate professor Mike Lawlor told the Daily Mail on Friday.
‘It is what the Secret Service does anyway, just in a different setting.’
An unnamed former Secret Service official had a similar assessment.
‘Is an agent going to be with him inside a cell? No,’ the former Secret Service official told Insider in November, but added that there would be at least one agent on the premises to protect Trump even if the individual was not ‘walking on his shoulder out in the yard’.
It is particularly likely that Secret Service agents would follow Trump given he would ‘have a target on his back’, Michele Deitch, a prison oversight expert at the University of Texas at Austin’s LBJ School of Public Affairs, told Insider at the time.
The Former Presidents Act signed in 1958 grants all living ex-presidents entitlement to lifetime Secret Service protection unless they decline it. Richard Nixon is the only ex-president in US history to relinquish his protection, in 1985.
Congress in 1994 had acted to limit protection for future ex-presidents to just ten years after leaving office, as a cost-saving measure. But President Barack Obama in 2013 signed a law restoring lifetime protection for former presidents.
By contrast in the UK, former prime ministers are also afforded lifetime police protection, but it is not anywhere near the level of Secret Service agents.
On Monday afternoon, an 11-SUV motorcade brought Trump from his Mar-a-Lago home to Palm Beach International Airport, where he got on his private jet and flew to LaGuardia Airport. His motorcade was then escorted to Trump Tower, where he is spending the night.
Trump is expected in a lower Manhattan court for his arraignment around 2.15pm on Tuesday.
Late Monday, Trump complained that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg had ‘just illegally LEAKED the various points, and complete information, on the pathetic indictment against me’.
Trump appeared to be referring to Yahoo! News report that he was charged with 34 felony counts business records falsification around a $130,000 payment to silence porn star Stormy Daniels on an alleged affair.
It is expected that Trump will be fingerprinted, but unclear if a mugshot will be taken or if he will have a perp walk. He is unlikely to be handcuffed.
Three incumbent MPs on the Minority side will be going unopposed in the upcoming parliamentary primaries.
They are Mr. Cassiel Ato Forson, Minority Leader in Parliament, Madam Gizella Akushika Tetteh-Agbotui, Awutu Senya West MP and Mr. Daniel Ohene Darko, Upper Denkyira West MP.
Also, Madam Emelia Ankomah, Upper Denkyira East and Mr Nurien Shaibu Migyimah, Assin Central constituencies went unopposed in the Region
However, Madam Sawyer Queenstar Pokuah, incumbent MP for Agona East stands a chance of contesting unopposed if her contender Mr. Eric Turkson’s disqualification hold.
Out of the 56 aspirants who filed to contest the parliamentary primaries for 20 constituencies in the region, three were disqualified by the committee.
The disqualified aspirants are Mr. Paul Ofori Amoah, Agona West, Mr. Ebenezer Quayson, Upper Denkyira West and Mr. Eric Turkson, Agona East constituencies.
20 out of the 23 constituencies in the region took part in the vetting process, three were withheld based on reasons yet to be disclosed by the party.
The withheld constituencies include Assin North, Efutu and Gomoa Central.
Mr Joseph Yammin, the National Organizer of the NDC and the Chairman of the interim vetting committee in an interview with GhanaWeb cautioned the aspirants to conduct campaigns devoid of insults to avoid division and separation among the delegates which could affect the general elections come 2024.
The chairman advised the aspirants to focus on winning both presidential and parliamentary seats for the party and not to fight themselves that the primaries were an internal contest.
Mr Yammin told the aspirants to ensure the vision of the regional executives to win 20 seats in the region was accomplished.
He wished all the aspirants well and success in their contest adding that the party should win at the end of all contests for victory in 2024.
It was reported last night that Prince Harry did inform officials of his former drug use when he asked for a visa to reside in California.
The following question must be answered with a “yes” or “no” while applying for a US visa: “Are you or have you ever been a drug abuser or addict?”
In his best-selling book, Spare, Harry previously acknowledged using several recreational substances, such as cocaine, marijuana, and magic mushrooms.
The admission led to conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation to use Freedom of Information laws in the US to find out who let the Duke into the country.
Harry opened up about his drug use in his memoir, Spare (Picture: Getty)
Under US law, an admission of drug use usually results in a person being denied entry to the States.
But sources close to the Duke of Sussex have insisted that the royal told officials the truth when submitting his application, the Telegraph reports.
The Heritage Foundation has since called for Harry’s visa application to be made public so the American taxpayer can understand whether he was being honest about declaring his drug use.
They have called on the Prince to be ‘totally transparent’ in his response and have issued a deadline of April 12.
Mike Howell, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project, said: ‘This request is in the public interest in light of the potential revocation of Prince Harry’s visa for illicit substance use and further questions regarding the Prince’s drug use and whether he was properly vetted before entering the United States’.
A ban is sometimes overturned following an in-person interview at a US consulate or official immigration office, where a waiver can be issued.
Samuel Dewey, a lawyer acting for America’s Heritage Foundation in its FoI case, said: ‘One condition of a waiver in the case of someone who has admitted drug use could be that the person has to check back with the medical examiner, so that there is some sort of follow-up.
‘But we just don’t know how Prince Harry has been treated and that is why we are asking these questions.’
Reports in the US have suggested Harry was admitted on an ‘O’ visa – given to people of extraordinary ability.
The Heritage Foundation argues if immigration officials did know about the royal’s drug use, Harry’s case raises questions over whether he was given special treatment because he is a prince and his wife is a TV star, which they insist would be illegal.
In response to the Foundation’s calls, a US State Department spokesman said: ‘Visa records are confidential under Section 222(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA); therefore, we cannot discuss the details of individual visa cases.’
Representatives of Prince Harry have been reached for comment.
Incumbent MP for the Asunafo South will be standing unopposed in the upcoming parliamentary primaries of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
This is after the Ahafo Regional Vetting Committee of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) disqualified the former District Chief Executive, Christian Oppong Frimpong, one of the aspirants who filed a nomination to contest the party’s primaries in the Asunafo South Constituency.
According to the committee, Christian Oppong Frimpong forged over 25 delegate signatures on his nomination form to qualify him to contest the Asunafo Constituency.
Speaking in an interview, Nii Boi who is the Asunafo South constituency elections director;
“After he has submitted his form, we had to go through, and we have the branch constituency forms and we had to compare them with that of Christian Oppong Frimpong’s forms. After the comparison, we found out he had forged some of the people’s signatures.
“We petitioned the vetting committee to consider those things and after the vetting, they made a decision that he forged signatories and that is against the rules and he is been ruled out of the game. She forged 25 names and 13 impersonations of signatories.”
Following this development, the incumbent MP, Eric Opoku, will be contesting unopposed in the 2024 general elections.
11 out of 12 prospective aspirants who picked nominations to contest the NDC’s parliamentary primaries in five (5) out of six (6) constituencies in the Ahafo Region were able to file.
Tano South has been put on hold by the party at the national level.
Following a challenging 2022, several Black billionaires around the world have experienced a significant increase in their net worth since the beginning of 2023, leading to a reshuffle in the ranks of the world’s richest Black billionaires.
While some Black billionaires have not fared as well in accumulating impressive wealth gains since the start of the year, others have built on their fortunes, as they continue to chart the growth of their companies.
Notably, Hip Hop’s first billionaire, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, has seen a remarkable surge in his net worth since the start of the year. Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, also experienced a $1.23-billion bump in his net worth this year.
Other individuals who have witnessed a remarkable increase in their net worth include Zimbabwean telecom magnate Strive Masiyiwa, and worth mentioning is Nigerian industrialist Abdul Samad Rabiu, who displaced Egypt’s wealthiest man Nassef Sawiris to become the fourth-richest person on the continent.
In contrast, the multi-industry creative, Kanye West, lost his billionaire status towards the end of 2022 after German sportswear giant Adidas cut ties with him following a string of offensive and antisemitic comments he made in October.
#1 Aliko Dangote
Net worth: $19.9 billion
Nationality: Nigerian
Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, is also the world’s richest Black Billionaire, thanks to his $19.9-billion fortune derived from his fertilizer plant, Dangote Fertilizer, his stake in Dangote Cement Plc, Africa’s largest cement manufacturer, and Dangote Sugar, Nascon Allied Industries.
According to data tracked by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, his net worth has risen by $1.23 billion since the start of the year, from $18.67 billion to $19.9 billion at the time of writing
#2 Robert F. Smith
Net worth: $12 billion
Nationality: American
Robert F. Smith is America’s wealthiest Black billionaire. He is the founder of Vista Equity Partners, a private equity firm focused on software investments that Smith founded in 2000 and has grown to more than $50 billion in assets with annual returns of 22 percent since its inception. Almost all of Smith’s $12-billion fortune stems from his stake in the Texas-based private equity firm.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index, his net worth has risen by $50 million since the beginning of the year, from $11.95 billion to $12 billion.
#3 Abdul Samad Rabiu
Net worth: $8.3 billion
Nationality: Nigerian
Nigerian billionaire Abdul Samad Rabiu’s net worth increased significantly this year, propelling him to the fourth-wealthiest individual in Africa, owing to the sustained increase in the market value of his stakes in BUA Cement and BUA Foods.
According to Forbes, his net worth has risen by $800 million since the beginning of the year, from $7.5 billion to $8.3 billion, solidifying his position as not only Africa’s fourth-richest billionaire, but also the world’s third-richest black billionaire.
#4 Mike Adenuga
Net worth: $6.1 billion
Nationality: Nigerian
Mike Adenuga, a Nigerian telecom billionaire and oil mogul, derives the majority of his $6.3-billion fortune from his investments in Globacom Limited and the Nigerian oil industry through Conoil Producing and Conpetro Limited.
In addition to founding Globacom, one of Nigeria’s largest telecom service providers, he owns 74.4 percent of Conoil Plc, a leading petroleum marketing company that manufactures and sells lubricants under the “Quarto” brand.
#5 David Steward
Net worth: $5.76 billion
Nationality: American
David Steward, America’s second-richest black person, is the founder and chairman of Worldwide Technology, one of the largest African-American-owned businesses. His company has grown from a technology equipment reseller in 1990 to a leading provider of technology solutions.
Steward’s net worth has risen by $746 million since the start of the year, from $5.01 billion on Jan. 1 to $5.76 billion at the time of writing this report, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
#6 Mohammed Al Amoudi
Net worth: $5.31 billion
Nationality: Saudi, Ethiopian
Mohammed Al Amoudi, Ethiopia’s richest man, is worth $5.31 billion, ranking him 479th on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He derives the majority of his wealth from his stakes in Preem, Sweden’s largest oil refiner, Midroc Gold, Ethiopia’s largest miner, and interest in Okote Gold.
#7 Patrice Motsepe
Net worth: $2.7 billion
Nationality: South African
Patrice Motsepe is a South African billionaire and president of the Confederation of African Football. The founder of African Rainbow Minerals, he became a billionaire in 2008.
Aside from his equity position in the company, he has a stake in Sanlam, a Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed financial services firm. Thanks to his $2.7-billion fortune, Motsepe currently ranks as the richest Black person in Southern Africa.
#8 Oprah Winfrey
Net worth: $2.5 billion
Nationality: American
According to Forbes, “The Queen of Talk,” Oprah Gail Winfrey, is the richest Black woman in the world with a net worth of $2.5 billion.
Oprah has turned her 25-year-long hit talk show into a media and business empire.
To preserve and grow her fortune, the leading media mogul has reinvested profits from her show, as well as profits from films such as “The Color Purple,” “Beloved,” and “Selma,” into key assets and entities in the media industry.
#9 Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter
Net worth: $2.5 billion
Nationality: American
Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter’s net worth increased by $1.2 billion this year, from $1.3 billion to $2.5 billion at the time of writing, thanks to the sale of a majority stake in his cognac brand D’Usse to Bacardi in February 2023.
His net worth has increased since 2021, when Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) acquired a 50-percent stake in his Champagne brand, Armand de Brignac.
He made $297 million when he sold a majority stake in Tidal, his high-fidelity music streaming platform, to Jack Dorsey’s Square.
#10 Strive Masiyiwa
Net worth: $2 billion
Nationality: Zimbabwean
Strive Masiyiwa, Zimbabwe’s richest man, ranks as the world’s tenth-richest black billionaire, with a $2 billion net worth at the time of writing this report.
The majority of his fortune comes from a 52.85-percent stake in Econet Zimbabwe, the country’s largest telecom services provider, and a 30-percent stake in EcoCash Holdings, a diverse smart technology group that uses digital and financial technologies to create shared economies, drive financial inclusion, and promote economic empowerment.
#11 Michael Jordan
Net worth: $2 billion
Nationality: American
Michael Jordan’s salary during his career was $90 million, but according to Forbes, he has pocketed $1.8 billion (pre-tax) from corporate partners such as Nike, Hanes, and Gatorade.
Jordan is the chairman and principal owner of the Charlotte Hornets, a North Carolina-based NBA team. Jordan agreed to sell a minority stake in the NBA team for $1.5 billion in 2019. He also has a NASCAR team and a stake in the sports betting company DraftKings.
#12 Michael Lee Chin
Net worth: $1.5 billion
Nationality: Canadian, Jamaican
Michael Lee-Chin is an American-Canadian billionaire and the chairman and CEO of Portland Holdings Inc., an Ontario-based privately held investment firm.
He amassed a fortune through investments in financial institutions such as National Commercial Bank Jamaica and AIC Limited.
The majority of his fortune stems from his 65-percent stake in National Commercial Bank Jamaica.
#13 Robyn “Rihanna” Fenty
Net worth: $1.4 billion
Nationality: Barbadian
Robyn “Rihanna” Fenty, the world’s youngest Black billionaire and renowned musician, is the United States’ second-richest Black woman.
The majority of her wealth stems from her stake in Fenty Beauty, a rapidly expanding cosmetics company that sells her makeup and skincare products on Sephora shelves in the United States, Canada, Mexico, France, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, Singapore, and the Middle East, as well as online to over 150 countries.
#14 Alexander Karp
Net worth: $1.4 billion
Nationality: American
Alexander Karp, the son of a Jewish father and an African-American mother, is the co-founder and CEO of Palantir Technologies, a publicly traded U.S. software company specializing in big data analytics.
#15 Mo Ibrahim
Net worth: $1.2 billion
Nationality: British, Sudanese
Mohammed Ibrahim (Mo Ibrahim) holds the distinction of being both a Black British billionaire and the wealthiest Sudanese businessman thanks to his $1.2-billion net worth.
In 1998, Ibrahim founded Celtel International, one of the first mobile phone companies to serve Africa and the Middle East.
In 2005, he sold the company for more than $3 billion to Kuwait’s Mobile Telecommunications Company.
#16 Tyler Perry
Net worth: $1 billion
Nationality: American
Tyler Perry is an African-American writer, producer, director, and actor who has amassed a fortune through his work.
Perry owns 100 percent of his creative output, which includes more than 1,200 TV episodes, 22 feature films, and at least two dozen stage plays, as well as a 330-acre studio on the outskirts of Atlanta.
His “Madea” franchise, which has grossed over $660 million, accounts for a sizable portion of his $1-billion fortune.
He recently signed a four-film deal with Amazon Studios, a television and film producer and distributor based in the United States and one of Amazon’s subsidiaries.
#17 Sean “Diddy” Combs
Net worth: $1 billion
Nationality: American
The majority of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ wealth stems from his partnership with Diageo to create Ciroc Vodka, a move that saw him take the helm of Ciroc in 2007, guiding the brand from obscurity to multibillion-dollar status.
The African-American businessman became a billionaire on the same day that Kanye West, now officially known as “Ye,” lost his billionaire status due to the termination of his lucrative contract with Adidas.
Since 2019, Combs’ net worth has risen from $740 million to $1 billion.
#18 LeBron James
Net worth: $1 billion
Nationality: American
LeBron James is the first active NBA player to reach the billion-dollar mark.
His pretax earnings with the Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and his current team, the Los Angeles Lakers, total more than $385 million.
Off the court, he has amassed well over $900 million (pretax) in earnings from commercial initiatives and endorsement deals with companies such as PepsiCo, Walmart, and his long-time sponsor, Nike. He also has a stake in Beats by Dre and the Blaze Pizza fan base.
#19 Tiger Woods
Net worth: $1 billion
Nationality: American
Tiger Woods, the world’s greatest golfer, has won more prize money than any other professional golfer in history, totaling $121 million.
The majority of his fortune is derived from endorsements with companies such as Nike, Gatorade, Rolex, and Monster Energy.
Woods also has a golf course design company as well as a live production company.
He is also a shareholder in Nexus Luxury Collection, a global hospitality real estate development and asset management firm.
He also has a stake in a luxury mini-golf experience with multiple Florida locations, as well as a hospital software startup.
Former President Donald Trump, who was charged with 34 felonies for fabricating company records, entered a not guilty plea and became the first American president to do so.
Trump responded “not guilty” to the allegations that he participated in a $130,000 hush payment to porn star Stormy Daniels in order to silence her regarding her allegations of an affair while he was seated stony-faced in Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday afternoon.
Maximum prison time for all related counts is 136 years. Trump was processed and had his fingerprints taken, but neither a mugshot nor handcuffs were taken.
Trump did not address the media on his way into the Manhattan district attorney’s office or courthouse, or on his way out around 3.27pm.
Ex-President Donald Trump’s lawyers Joe Tacopina, Todd Blanche and Susan Necheles spoke to the media briefly outside the courthouse (Picture: Jessica Kwong)
His lawyers, Joe Tacopina, Todd Blanche and Susan Necheles, walked out of 100 Centre Street after Trump’s motorcade departed and spoke to the media briefly.
‘It’s not a good day,’ said Trump’s newly hired attorney Todd Blanche. ‘I don’t expect this to happen in this country… to somebody who was president of the United States.’
Trump was frustrated with the events that unfolded after a grand jury on Thursday voted to indict him, said Blanche, and added that the charges are ‘completely political’.
‘We’re going to fight it,’ Blanche said. ‘Fight it hard.’
As the indictment was unsealed, the crowd – a mix of anti-Trump protesters and fans who wore MAGA hats and clutched 2024 campaign flags – were quiet. There was no notable reaction even in the minutes after it was revealed that Trump was charged with 34 counts.
A Trump supporter, David Rem of Queens, the ex-president’s hometown, held a Trump flag and shouted, ‘We love you Donald, we love you’.
‘I think the charges are nonsense and I ask people just to think about this one fact,’ Rem, 53, told Metro.co.uk.
‘If Donald Trump would’ve announced a month ago that he was not going to run as a Republican candidate, this whole carnival and circus and kangaroo court, would not even have been here today.’
The crowd dispersed quickly after Trump was whisked away from the vicinity, but some Trump opponents stuck around.
Nadine Seiler, 57, who traveled from Waldorf, Maryland, held a large banner that read ‘Trump indicted’ on one side and ‘finally Trump is arrested’ on the other.
‘They charge him with 34 but we know he probably did about 100 but I’m good with that,’ Seiler told Metro.co.uk.
In the early afternoon before Trump’s arrival, people crowded around along a gate at a park outside the courthouse where hundreds of media members camped out waiting.
Protesters waved flags occasionally and blew horns but were largely calm as they waited for Trump’s arraignment and processing.
On Tuesday morning, Trump supporters and opponents clashed at a park outside Manhattan Criminal Courthouse.
His arraignment came more than two weeks after Trump claimed he would be arrested and called on his followers to protest.
Posting on his Truth Social platform on March 18, Trump wrote that ‘illegal leaks’ from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office indicate that ‘THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE & FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK’.
In the days following, law enforcement officials met at the New York Police Department headquarters to discuss security around Trump’s court appearance.
Notably, Trump’s indictment comes as he makes a 2024 presidential bid.
There were recent indications that an indictment was forthcoming.
Daniels and her lawyer in mid-March revealed that they had met with prosecutors at the request of the district attorney’s office.
‘Stormy responded to questions and has agreed to make herself available as a witness, or for further inquiry if needed,’ tweeted Clark Brewster last week.
Daniels shared Brewster’s post and wrote: ‘Thank you to my amazing attorney (who also always spells my name correctly) for helping me in our continuing fight for truth and justice.’
