Brianna Ghey, a transgender adolescent, was found unresponsive by members of the public, and an inquest has been initiated into her death.
In a Warrington park on February 11, 16-year-old Brianna was discovered dead with stab wounds.
The trial for her murder is scheduled to begin at Liverpool Crown Court on July 10 and involves two defendants, both 15 years old.
Because of their ages, neither suspect can be identified.
At a brief two-minute hearing at Warrington Coroner’s Court, Jacqueline Devonish, senior coroner for Cheshire, opened and adjourned the inquest into Brianna’s death until after the trial.
She set a date for a pre-inquest hearing on August 17.
Detective Inspector Nigel Parr, the senior investigating officer for the incident from Cheshire Police said: ‘The investigation is a murder investigation and two individuals have been charged with the murder of Brianna.’
He confirmed the teenager was found ‘unresponsive’ by members of the public in the park and paramedics attended and confirmed the date of death.
A post-mortem examination was carried out at the Royal Liverpool Hospital, results of which were given at the hearing on Tuesday.
Candle vigils for Brianna were held across the country on Valentine’s Day last month, featuring trans flags and signs calling for greater protections.
A GoFundMe page for her family has raised more than £110,000 in less than a month.
The teenager’s funeral will be held in Warrington on March 15.
An appeal has been filed by the pedestrian who was found guilty of killing a cyclist by pointing at her before she rode into oncoming traffic.
After a video of Auriol Grey waving at 77-year-old retired midwife Celia Ward and urging her to “get off the f**king pavement” was shown in court, Auriol Grey was sentenced to three years in prison last week.
A VW Tiguan hit Celia when she fell off her bike and into the road in the following seconds because it was unable to stop in time.
A jury at Peterborough Crown Court found manslaughter-related charges against Grey, who has cerebral palsy.
The 49-year-old was later said to be ‘shocked and devastated’ by the outcome, and a bail application from her defence team failed.
A spokeswoman at the Criminal Appeal Court said: ‘I can confirm that this person has recently lodged an application for leave to appeal sentence.’
She added: ‘As we have only just received this application we do not know when this case will be listed.’
Pedestrian jailed for three years after gesture to cyclist, 77, leads to her death
At Grey’s trial, the court heard police were unable to ‘categorically’ confirm whether the pavement in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, was a shared cycleway.
However, in sentencing, Judge Sean Enright noted that it was a ‘shared path’ for cyclists and pedestrians.
He said: ‘I am sure you knew cyclists used the path, and were not taken by surprise.’
Grey is partially sighted and has cerebral palsy (Picture: PA)Retired midwife Celia Ward with her husband David.
In her police interview, Grey, who has cerebral palsy, told officers she was partially sighted and described the bicycle as travelling fast in the centre of the pavement.
She said she was ‘anxious that I was going to get hit by it’, adding she ‘may have unintentionally put’ out her hand to protect herself.
Her barrister, Miranda Moore KC, argued in court: ‘There was no intention to cause harm or an obvious risk of harm.’
But the judge said Grey’s actions ‘are not explained by disability’ and described her as being ‘territorial about the pavement’, adding: ‘You resented the presence of an oncoming cyclist.’
After the conviction, Detective Sergeant Mark Dollard described the case as ‘difficult and tragic’.
He said: ‘Everyone will have their own views on cyclists, pavements and cycleways but what is clear is Auriol Grey’s response to the presence of Celia on a pedal cycle was totally disproportionate and ultimately found to be unlawful, resulting in Celia’s untimely and needless death.
‘I am pleased with the verdict and hope it is a stark reminder to all road users to take care and be considerate to each other.’
Four Students from the Adenkrebi M/A Basic School, together with 11 others, who excelled in the 2022 BECE have been awarded scholarships to continue their education at the Senior High School level in various parts of the country.
The Fund, known as the Odeefoo Oteng Korankye II Education Fund, was established in 2016 with the vision to see more brilliant but needy students from public schools in the area continue their education to the very top and bring development to the people.
Over 70 students have so far benefited from the Fund with some already in gainful employment.
This year, 15 students who performed outstandingly in the 2022 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) have been handed their scholarship packages and offered admissions into Senior High Schools across the country.
The four, Solomon Abam Laatey was offered admission to PRESEC Boys, Legon; Dorothia Korkor Tetteh-Okwabi, Achimota School; Josiah Akoto Kenny-Hastens, STEM Academy, Abomosu, and Samuel Nii Ofei Adjei, Pope Johns.
Each of the 15 beneficiaries received GHC750.00 cash, with same expected to be paid to them per term, in addition to Mattress, trunk, bucket, blanket, mop, mathematical set, dictionary, calculator, pens, notebook, mosquito net, branded t-shirt of the Fund, among others.
Mrs Elizabeth Kaakie Mann, Municipal Chief Executive for Ga East Municipal Assembly (GEMA), commended the performance of public schools in the BECE and encouraged parents to enroll their children there.
“As you can see from today’s event, all the scholarship beneficiaries are from public schools. It tells you that you don’t need to send your child somewhere to spend a lot of money, because they can equally excel in the public schools”.
She said the performance of the children was as a result of the good efforts made by the Assembly and the Education Directorate to prepare them well for the examination as well as regular monitoring, supervision and motivation.
Mrs Kaakie Mann thanked the teachers for the great services they were rendering and encouraged them to do more to help secure the future of the children.
She paid glowing tribute to Odeefoo Oteng Korankye II for his vision and dedication towards the development of children through education and expressed immense appreciation for the initiative and support for the children in deprived communities and public schools.
The MCE urged the beneficiaries to take advantage of the opportunity offered them and study hard to become great and better people in the future.
The Municipal Director of Education (MDE), Mr. Eric Sey, expressed appreciation to the Chief of Berekuso for instituting the Fund.
He noted that education was the foundation for the development of the country and its progress and therefore such initiatives were catalysts for achieving it.
“This gesture by the Chief is what is needed to complement the Free SHS Education Policy by the government and must be supported,” he added.
The Chief of Berekuso and Founder of the Fund, Odeefoo Oteng Korankye II, thanked the teachers for their efforts and praised the children for their excellent performances and advised them to be studious to maximize the benefits from the scholarship.
He said his expectation was for them to excel in their academic pursuit to help sustain the initiative.
“I don’t expect you to thank me but all I expect from you is to pass and make us proud so that others can also benefit.”
The Berekuso Chief announced the donation of 50 acres of land to the Twafoman Secondary Technical School at Berekuso which he established and presented various learning resource items to the school, including desktop computers, notebooks, exercise books, and pens.
The Queenmother of Agyemantie in the Akuapim South Municipality, Awoyaa Otwiwaa 1, underscored the need for parents to prioritize the education of their children and not neglect their development.
She advised the beneficiaries to focus on their studies and ensure they excel to make the scholarship worthwhile.
As per testimony given in court, the mother’s boyfriend killed a two-year-old girl in a “frenzied and extremely violent attack” and claimed the dog was to blame.
A “happy, beautiful, and busy little girl,” Lola James, passed away on July 21, 2020, after 101 wounds, “catastrophic” head trauma, and eye impairment.
The toddler was killed as her mother slept upstairs, according to 31-year-old Kyle Bevan of Aberystwyth, a seaside town in Wales.
Four months earlier, Bevan had moved into the Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, house of the family.
Lola was a ‘happy’ child, those who knew her said.
He is on trial at Swansea Crown Court along with Lola’s mother, Sinead James, 30, charged with causing or allowing her death.
Bevan was prone to violent outbursts and often used amphetamine, a powerful stimulant also called speed, prosecutor Caroline Rees said.
He subjected the girl to the ‘brutal’ assault while he was alone with her between July 16 evening and July 17 morning, she claimed.
Jurors were shown internet search history that included one made at 6:30am on July 17, reading: ‘My two-year-old child has just taken a bang to the head and gone all limp and snoring. What’s wrong.’
Bevan had taken photographs of the toddler’s injuries across her tiny body, including her blue lips, and filmed her for 22 seconds when she was unconscious.
In footage shown to jurors today, a topless Bevan attempted to make a visibly swollen and bruised Lola stand before allowing her to fall.
He then attempts to place her back on the sofa where she can be heard snoring. ‘She’s gone, she’s gone,’ he says while walking to the camera.
The stepdad asked his mother, a healthcare worker, to phone for an ambulance (Picture: Wales News Service
Bevan sent the photos and video to his mother, healthcare worker Alison Bevan, at 6:58am – she pleaded for her son to phone 999.
Claiming his phone didn’t work, he told his mother to call an ambulance at 7:30am.
Bevan alleged Lola’s injuries were down to the family dog pushing her down the stairs in what Rees called a ‘deliberate lie to cover up his guilt’.
Paramedics arrived to find Lola appeared to be wet, and it is believed, Rees said, she had been scrubbed clean.
The bath was spotless, Rees added, despite the rest of the house being messy. Rees said this suggests Bevan was trying to ‘cover his tracks’.
A vomit and blood-stained grey onesie was found by investigators in the corner of the living room.
‘We say that the injuries noted to Lola, including those which caused her premature death, were the result of a brutal and extremely violent physical assault upon her by Kyle Bevan whilst they were alone together,’ Rees said.
‘We say that, rather than face up to that which he did to the little girl, Kyle Bevan immediately tried to save himself.’
Sinead James told Swansea Crown Court she was asleep upstairs when the incident took place (Picture: Dimitris Legakis/Athena Pictures)
Bevan, she added, tried to ‘take a coward’s escape by trying to place false blame upon the family dog’ despite the wounds being ‘inconsistent’ with accidental injuries.
The prosecution accepted, Rees said, James’ claim she was asleep when this all happened, though she should have been warier of leaving him alone with Lola.
Lola’s mother was ‘well aware’ of Bevan’s violent track record and Lola had even suffered previous injuries in his care.
‘Our basis for this assertion is that she knew her children had sustained injuries whilst in Kyle Bevan’s care in the past and she knew that he had a nasty and violent temper, particularly when under the influence of drugs,’ Rees said.
The baby girl, who was just two years and nine months old, died at Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital in Cardiff.
Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, has lauded President Akufo-Addo over the 2023 State of the Nation’s Address (SONA).
He says President Akufo-Addo’s 2023 State of the Nation Address as one of the best addresses since he assumed office in 2017.
According to him, Akufo-Addo was very candid about the current state of the economy, which is the nation’s true state, and he deserves to be commended.
Speaking in an interview with Ghana’s Nimatu Yakubu Atouyese, he said, “I must say that since 2017, this is one of the best state of the nation addresses I have ever heard from President Nana Addo. Akufo-Addo did not just come to the house to come and fulfil Article 67 of the 1992 constitution; he came to indeed let us know the health of this nation. He gave us a trajectory of where we came from as a nation from 2017 to date, and you remember that before 2020, Ghana was seen as one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, not in Africa.
“…Akufo-Addo was very candid with Ghanian people, he was very clear about what is happening, and he did not mince words with whatever is happening and gave the true state of the nation address.”
President Akufo-Addo appeared before Parliament to give the State of the Nation Address in accordance with Article 67 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.
SONA is a constitutional obligation and yearly tradition where the Commander-In-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces reports on the status of the country, unveils the government’s agenda for the coming year and proposes to Parliament certain legislative measures.
Article 67 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana obliges Members of Parliament (MPs), the Speaker of Parliament and the Judiciary to receive the President’s SONA.
Mrs Cynthia Kwarteng Tufuor, Tema Area Manager, SIC Insurance PLC, has stressed the need for society to continuously acknowledge the contributions of working mothers in the country’s development.
She said although there had been some acknowledgements of women contributions, it was crucial to intensify it.
Speaking with the Ghana News Agency in Tema on International Women’s Day, she said most women in the country, irrespective of their status, married or not, were climbing the ladder of success and contributing significantly to their organisations and country at large.
She said the dynamics were changing because women were now equipping themselves with skills and tools to break bounds, however, other functions they performed seemed to affect their output.
She added that the complexity of their roles both at home and work was one of the main reasons they needed to be appreciated in their endeavours.
Mrs. Tufour called for a friendly and conducive environment where nursing mothers could comfortably work by way of providing daycare and nursery facilities closer to their place of work to effectively and efficiently execute their tasks.
She disclosed that there were some countries that permitted nursing mothers to close earlier from work for the first nine months of delivery, explaining that some of these conditions were necessary to the well-being of mothers in their quest to contribute to national development.
“Women have a lot of impacts, I believe our intuition and everything in working helps a lot,” she said.
Mrs Tufuor said successful women had to make a lot of sacrifices vis-à-vis their family responsibilities.
Mrs Tufuor noted that “women are born with some natural traits such as good listening skills, ability to form relationships, which is a core skill in the insurance companies.”
She added that women over the years had proven to be great managers as they were able to handle leadership positions, adding that “women are born with managerial skills but sometimes societal barriers hinder their growth.”
She said that all women needed was support from each other, encouragement, assisting and mentoring young ones to go through the same challenges.
With over 26 years of experience in delivering top-notch business transformation and performance improvement services, Ms Dzogbenuku is a consummate professional who brings extensive knowledge and expertise to the Deloitte team.
A release issued in Accra said; “Her track record of success spans multiple industries and verticals, including business operations, performance optimisation, enterprise performance management, target operating model design, fixed asset valuation, revenue enhancement, and cost optimisation.”
She has served in various capacities in the delivery of transformation projects across multiple industries, including government and the international donor community, financial services, manufacturing, telecommunications, and fast-moving consumer goods.
“We are excited to have Serwa join our team as a Consulting Partner,” Country Managing Partner of Deloitte Ghana, Daniel Kwadwo Owusu said.
He said “Her wealth of experience and expertise in the consulting industry will be invaluable to our clients and our firm, and we look forward to working with her to drive growth and provide innovative solutions to our clients.
Her appointment is also a testament to our unwavering commitment to empowering women and elevating women leaders within our firm.”
Ms Dzogbenuku on her part said: “I am honored and excited to embark on this new chapter of my career at Deloitte.
My new role represents an incredible opportunity to challenge myself and make a meaningful impact on our people, clients, and society. I am eager to collaborate with colleagues across the global network and leverage our unique strengths to shape the future of our firm’’.
Educational background
Ms Dzogbenuku holds an MSc in Development Finance and a B.A. in Accounting and Economics from the University of Ghana, Legon, and also a Chartered Accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana (ICAG) . She is also a certified Monitoring and Evaluation practitioner.
Role
As the Partner in charge of our Core Business Operations, she will work closely with the Lead Consulting Partner to execute our strategic vision of establishing a preeminent Consulting business in the region while advancing our journey towards undisputed leadership in Professional Services across West Africa.
Ms. Felicia Attipoe, Airside Operations Officer, has called on players in the aviation industry to leverage technology as a catalyst for innovation.
“We need to be innovative in our work, and technology must be the catalyst in this direction,” she said.
Ms. Attipoe made the call when the Ladies of the Airside Operations Section of Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) marked this year’s
International Women’s Day in Accra.
The event was on the theme: “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality,” with focus on ‘the Role of Women in Advancing the Growth of GACL – The case of Airside Operations; Achievements and Challenges.’
Ms. Attipoe, who is a Representative of Airside Ladies Group, highlighted the many contributions of women within the aviation space despite challenges these women faced on the job and appealed for management’s support.
Mr. Charles Hanson Adu, Group Executive, Airports Management Department, highlighted the importance of the airside within the aviation architecture and the invaluable contribution of women over the years.
Mrs. Pamela Djamson-Tetteh, the Managing Director GACL, indicated that “the celebration aims at making the case for gender equality and globally advocating a change in attitude toward women.”
She said it was also aimed at highlighting the diverse aspects of a woman’s existence in male-dominated roles, including Aircraft Marshalling in the aviation industry.
She commended the Ladies of the Airside Operations Section of Airports Management Department for taking the bold step to observe this special day.
The Airside Officer’s role is quite unique and involves overseeing and coordinating airfield operations at an airport, ensuring the safe and efficient operation of aircraft on the airfield and taxiways, including aircraft arrivals, departures, and ground movements, managing the airfield lighting and marking systems to ensure safe and efficient aircraft operations, including setting up cones and barriers as necessary.
Other responsibilities include: overseeing the airfield inspection programme and ensuring that all areas of the airfield meet required safety standards and regulatory requirements, coordinating with air traffic control, ground handling agencies, and other airport stakeholders to ensure seamless airfield operations.
The rest are responding to emergency situations, such as aircraft incidents or airfield closures, coordinating with emergency services as needed, monitoring weather conditions, and providing up-to-date information to airlines and other stakeholders as necessary etc
The International Women’s Day is a global event organized on March 8 every year to celebrate and recognize women’s accomplishments in various disciplines.
MTN Ghana’s financial performance results for 2022 indicate that the company has developed the ability to defy gravity.
In a year when macroeconomic headwinds gathered strength over Ghana’s economy, sending business costs through the roof and dragging effective consumer demand through the floor, MTN still delivered a 28 per cent increase in service revenue to GH¢9.9 billion and an even stronger 30.9 per cent increase in Earnings Before Interest, Tax Depreciation and Amortisation (EBITDA).
This has enabled pre-tax profits to climb to GH¢4.087 billion, up from GH¢2, 849 billion in the previous year. Similarly profit after tax rose from GH¢2.001 billion in 2021 to GH¢2,856 billion last year.
MTN 2022 turbulence
The company’s shareholders will be enthused; at a time that long-term high interest rates have dulled demand for equities, thereby stifling capital gains on shareholdings, MTN Ghana continues to deliver dividends that rank among the most competitive on the Ghana Stock Exchange.
Beyond the company’s sustained extraordinary profitability, it also offers a very generous dividend payout policy.
For 2022, the Board of Directors have proposed to pay out 70.6 per cent of its profit after tax as dividends and this translates to a final dividend per share of 16.4 pesewas per share, up 42.65 per cent over the dividend per share paid in 2021.
Sheer prudence
But just as important is the sheer prudence with which the company is managed as a growing corporate entity. Crucially, the company gets most of its revenues on cash basis – indeed most of it comes from pre-payments by customers – and added to the sheer immensity of its business volumes, which makes it a cash cow.
Consequently, while the sharp rise in financing costs resulting from long-term record high interest rates and the effect of sharp cedi depreciation led to a 6.9 per cent increase in finance costs – the extent of this rise curbed by efficient management of liabilities – finance income grew by 161.3 per cent on gains from the investment of surplus cash in call and fixed term deposits.
The net result was a 26.5 per cent year-on-year decline in net financing cost which was pivotal in achieving a 42 75 increase in after tax profit.
But most crucial of all is MTN Ghana’s huge profit margins, the result of heavy capital investments in infrastructure.
This is supported by exemplary prudence in operating cost control. Indeed, it is instructive that the growth in total costs of 25.35 in 2022 was significantly lower than the average monthly inflation rate of 31.5 per cent. This supported growth in EBITDA of 30.9 per cent in 2022.
In effect therefore, more than half of MTN Ghana’s revenues translate into profit before the deduction of interest costs, taxation, depreciation and debt amortisation.
Those revenues are well diversified and so is their growth, which means that the company’s profitability and growth in profits looks to be secure going forward.
This is because of the underlying strength of MTN’s business which continues to attract more and more customers by the year, most of whom are willing to spend more on its products and services by the year as well.
Total revenue earned by MTN Ghana in 2022 amounted to a little over GH¢9.916 billion, up 28.4 per cent over the GH¢7.723 billion generated in the previous year.
Most of this was in the form of service revenue which grew by 28.3 per cent in 2022 to reach GH¢9.880 billion, – up from GH¢7.701 billion in 2021 – supported by good subscriber management amid the national subscriber re-registration programme, increased investment in the network and the diligent execution of commercial initiatives in voice, data and Mobile Money services.
Last year, the company added 3.3 million more subscribers to its customer base, which consequently increased by 12.8 per cent to reach 28.6 million. This was achieved on the back of GH¢2.1 billion in capital expenditure made by the company to ensure that the entire subscriber base enjoyed an excellent service experience, thereby enticing them to use more services and thus spend more money. This was a quantum leap in capital expenditure of 44.4 per cent, which was GH¢1.485 billion in 2021.
Consequently, voice revenue grew by 24.5 per cent to GH¢3.3 billion. However, even this translated to a marginal decline in the contribution of voice revenue to overall service revenue as the other sources of revenue grew even faster; the contribution of voice revenue fell to 33.1 per cent from 34.15 per cent as of the end of 2021.
Data revenue grew fastest, by 39.8 per cent to GH¢3.9 billion, driven by an 8.3 per cent increase in the number of data users to 13.5 million and a 46.65 increase in data traffic. Consequently the contribution of data revenue to overall service revenue increased from 36.05 in 2021 to 39.2 per cent last year.
MoMo and e-levy
Even though MoMo revenues suffered from the implementation of the controversial e-levy in 2022, MTN’s expansion of its MoMo ecosystem – by growing active MoMo merchants by 4.8 per cent and agents by 17.2 per cent – and the launch of a MoMo business app and continued expansion of advanced service offerings (such as retail merchants payments, micro-loans, micro-insurance and international remittances) combined to increase active MoMo users by 15.0 per cent to 12.7 million, which in turn drove an 11.6 per cent growth in MoMo revenue to GH¢1.9 billion, although its contribution to overall service revenue still declined from 22.5 per cent to 19.6 per cent.
However, digital revenue declined by 18.8 per cent to GH¢144 million due to a 15.9 per cent decrease in the number of active subscribers as the company sought to rationalise its service portfolio. Consequently the contribution of digital service revenue to total service revenue declined from 2.3 per cent to 1.5 per cent.
Financing cost
With financing costs expected to remain high through 2023, MTN Ghana is in customary fashion, thinking outside of the box. While determined to continue offering shareholders generous dividend payouts, it also realises the growing need to use internally generated cash flow to finance its expansion.
Consequently the company is considering – subject to its obtaining the relevant regulatory approvals – offering shareholders the choice of cash or extra shares as the form of dividend payment for the 2022 financial year.
This would allow shareholders who want liquidity to have it, but would at the same time enable it to reinvest capital that would otherwise have been used as cash dividend pay outs to shareholders willing to reinvest their dividend income.
This is yet another illustration of how MTN Ghana uses innovation to stay ahead of the market and stay at the top of its industry to the benefit of all its various stakeholder segments. Not just innovation in the use of technology to design and deliver products and services; but also in the financial strategies and models it deploys.
Expect its shareholders to embrace such innovative offerings with the same enthusiasm that its subscribers embrace its products and service offerings.
Snowfall has prompted an amber weather alert, with “severe disruption” predicted for Thursday afternoon and Friday morning.
From Stoke-on-Trent to Durham, the afflicted region, there are problems.
The Met Office has issued a warning that there is a chance of travel delays, rail delays, and power outages.
According to the forecast, the area will experience “severe winds producing blizzard conditions” from Thursday at 3 p.m. until Friday at noon, along with 30 to 40 cm of snow.
10 day weather trend: Snow moving north (Mar 8-17)
There is also ‘a good chance’ that some rural communities could become cut off as a result of the wild weather.
Snowfall in much of the country will continue until Friday, with a yellow warning for snow covering all of the UK north of Birmingham spanning from 3am on Thursday until 6pm on Friday.
A yellow warning for snow and ice also covers London and the south from midnight on Wednesday until 9am on Thursday.
Large parts of the UK woke up to a fresh blanket of snow on Wednesday.
People play in the snow on the Dunstable Downs in Bedfordshire .
Night-time sub-zero temperatures are predicted in all four UK nations until at least Friday.
Leading charities have encouraged the elderly to take ‘simple precautions’ as the country grapples with snow and freezing temperatures.
Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: ‘With much of the UK waking up to snow this morning we are urging older people to do all they can to keep warm and take care.
‘With high energy bills and food prices still rocketing it is understandable that many may think they have to cut back on food and turn their heating off, but prolonged exposure to cold temperatures can have a substantial impact on their health.
A snowy Stonehenge in Wiltshire today.
‘Having plenty of hot food and drinks throughout the day can help keep the health risks of the cold at bay, as can taking simple precautions such as wrapping up warm when going outside and sleeping with the windows closed at night.’
The cold snap comes as energy prices have risen dramatically since last year following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Ofgem, the government’s independent energy regulator, said information and advice for consumers can be found on their website, and that the Energy Bills Support Scheme can provide ‘valuable extra cash for bills’.
A spokesperson for the ENA, which represents the UK’s energy network operators, said: ‘We’ve provided information to help at powercut105.com, including what to do if the power goes out.
‘The energy networks will be monitoring the weather forecast closely as it develops this week and are ready to take action if needed.’
The procedures to reinforce the border between Ghana and Burkina Faso, as well as to repair the pillars that make up the boundary to their prior condition, have begun.
This is being led by the Ghana Boundary Commission and its counterparts in Burkina Faso.
According to a report by myjoyonline.com, there are concerns that activities of gold miners, as well as other human activities, have affected the 30-year-old boundary pillars.
As part of the processes, the two parties held a first meeting at Paga, in July 2021.
The report indicated that the National Coordinator of the Ghana Boundary Commission, Major General Emmanuel Kotia, speaking at the opening ceremony of the second meeting of the Boundary Commissions of Ghana and Burkina Faso at Ouagadougou, stated that works will get off the grounds soon.
“We will jointly seek funding for the construction of new boundary pillars including intermediary boundary pillars and border post pillars and a monument at a location that we will agree on around the border crossing.
“We will use this opportunity to urge GIZ to seek funding for us to start this project this year. It’s important for us to begin work as soon as possible so our land boundary will not become areas of dispute between border communities,” he said.
On her part, the Permanent Secretary for the Boundary Commission for Burkina Faso, Salimata Dabal, expressed great hopes about the meeting.
Adagbila Boniface Gambila, the Ambassador of Ghana to Burkina Faso, explained that he hopes the longstanding relationship between the two West African countries will help the process.
CSOs, Imani Africa, and the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) have welcomed AGM Petroleum’s announcement that it will relinquish its interest in the South Deepwater Tano (SDWT) block, which contains one discovery, the Nyankom-1X, from a drilling campaign launched by AGM in 2019.
They therefore want more to be done regarding this matter and the whole issue of Aker Energy’s oil holdings in Ghana to ensure the rule of law and fair treatment for Ghana as the sovereign.
They therefore proposed to President Akufo-Addo to immediately commission an enquiry into the Aker-AGM transaction to inject a culture of accountability into the management of the petroleum industry and ensure that the country can count on leadership to avert paying hundreds of millions of dollars on avoidable transactions and also establish the source of the overwhelming power Aker and AGM have had to dictate their terms in the oil industry since 2018 and the preferential treatment they have enjoyed.
They also want the President to recommend clear actions required to develop the Pecan field after Aker has failed to submit an acceptable Plan of Development in five years as an operator of the Deep-Water Tano Cape Three Points (DWT/CTP) block, adding, “Aker has received ten extensions, and it appears imminent that the company will request the eleventh extension with clear indications that Aker has not fulfilled its obligations to Ghana under the terms of its contract”.
They encouraged all well-meaning Ghanaians to join this call for the President to institute this enquiry.
In 2021, AGM and Aker Energy, both significantly owned by the Norwegian businessman, Kjell Inge Røkke, proposed to sell 70% of the SDWT Block and 37% of the DWT/CTP, held by Aker to GNPC at the cost of about $1.3 billion in a joint transaction.
However, Imani Africa and ACEP, in alliance with other well-meaning Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), opposed the transaction after reviewing the costs and policy rationale for the acquisition as it assigned economic benefits to Aker and the costs to Ghana.
“One outstanding prediction in the advocacy at the time was that the information on the Nyankom discovery was too scanty to justify the claims made by AGM that the asset was worth more than $700 million. There was clear contention on the value of the Nyankom discovery arising from the fact that AGM failed to put out even the slightest hint about the commerciality of the ultra-deep-water discovery”, the two CSOs said.
“Subsequently, the company became dodgy about efforts to appraise the discovery. It therefore raised significant suspicion when GNPC decided to acquire that asset with such certainty that oil could be produced from the discovery. In the press statement released by AGM, the company corroborates the predictions we made at the time, stating that; “The SDWT block is situated in ultra-deep waters with substantial investments required to proceed”, they added.
They continued that the quote from AGM is that the Nyankom discovery is not commercially viable, adding, the fact that the block is in ultra-deep waters has always been known.
“The essence of declaring commerciality in petroleum operations is for the contractor to be satisfied that the petroleum discovery is significant enough to generate a positive return on investment with the available technology or justify the development of a new technological solution to develop and produce the discovery”.
They further stated that the relinquishment of the interest raises fundamental questions about the assessments conducted by GNPC and the Ministry of Energy to commit to paying for such an asset.
Furthermore, they said given that AGM did not conduct appraisal post-discovery, it is fair to say that GNPC, as a partner to AGM, should have known the status of the discovery by interpreting the same dataset available to AGM.
“At the least, the turn of events questions the capacity of GNPC as the national oil company and the Ministry of Energy to protect the nation against speculative investments. The situation signals that the government overrates the technical capacity of GNPC and Ministry of Energy at its peril, requiring a relook at some of the technical advice that has landed Ghana in court”, they added.
They concluded that Ghana can be grateful for the advocacy interventions that prevented this calamitous loss.
A military was lynched to death at Ashaiman, a town near Tema in the Greater Accra Region, leaving chaos and sadness in the wake of his death.
The young soldier was allegedly stabbed several times by unknown assailants on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
The unfortunate incident led some personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces to storm Ashaiman and brutalise residents. The assault on residents has been trending online.
1. Real name of the slain Ashaiman soldier
The young man has been identified as Imoro Sheriff. A statement from the Ghana Armed Forces has confirmed his name.
Some checks also reveals that he is affectionately called Nana Kwasi.
2. Age of soldier killed at Ashaiman
The deceased soldier was 21 years old. It had been initially reported that Imoro was 22, but it later emerged that he was born in June 2001 and thus not up to 22 yet.
3. Slain soldier Imoro Sheriff’s education
Imoro Sherif attended Akwamuman SHS in the Eastern Region, where he studied General Arts. He is reported to have completed in 2019.
4. Who are Imoro Sheriff’s parents?
Imoro Sheriff’s father is called Imoro Awudu. His mother is 45-year-old Afia Kyeraa, who has been left weeping by the incident.
5. Hometown of Imoro Sheriff
It is not known where the young man’s parents come from, but he was reported to have been born in Ashaiman and lived and schooled there before attending SHS in Eastern Region.
6. Career of Imoro Sheriff as a soldier
About two years after completing SHS, Imoro enlisted in the Ghana Armed Forces. He passed out in October 2021 after training in Daboya before being posted to the 3rd Infantry Battalion in Sunyani.
He was a trumpeter who played in the military band.
7. Girlfriend of Imoro Sheriff
Whether the young was in a love relationship cannot be confirmed, but a lady known as Nana Yaa Mingle shared a loved-up video with him.
The grandmother of the man who killed her daughter and two grandchildren has criticized the ‘disgraceful’ delay in the parole hearing.
The review was postponed after Carol Quinn’s son and his wife traveled 300 miles round trip to represent the family, who are now experiencing new stress as a result of the proceedings.
It has been more than twenty years since Phillip Geoffrey Austin killed his wife Claire with a bludgeon and a knife before murdering their children, but he is now up for consideration of his release on parole.
Carol said her son, Matthew Golden, and his wife, Vicky, travelled from their home in Northamptonshire to Suffolk the night before the hearing, but as reports about Austin were not available the hearing was adjourned on the day for almost three months.
She told Metro.co.uk that the uncertainty and prospect that Austin may be released have already taken a heavy toll on the family.
Carol said: ‘It was an absolute farce. My son and his wife went to the hearing, I couldn’t go because my husband is not well so there was a Ministry of Justice representative for us.
‘They travelled down the night before because the hearing was near Ipswich.
‘My son read his statement out and the Ministry of Justice representative read mine and my husband’s statement. The offender was asked if he wanted to go into the room, but he refused, he was too much of a spineless coward to face the family. Then they were told it was being adjourned because they didn’t have all of the reports regarding his behaviour from before his crime and since.
‘It’s absolutely disgraceful. We had to have our statements in months ago, so why didn’t they make sure they had theirs?
‘We have been told it will resume on May 16 and a decision will be made two weeks after that, which will take us to May 30, which is the date of my daughter’s birthday.’
Carol Quinn said the loss of her only daughter and grandchildren continues to leave a huge void in the family’s lives
Austin, 53, is due for release after being given a 20-year tariff for killing his 31-year-old wife along with their daughter Jade, seven, and son Keiren, eight. He also bludgeoned the family’s two pet poodles to death as he carried out the murders on July 10, 2000.
Carol, 74, and husband Harry, 76, from Bugbrooke, Northamptonshire, discovered the bodies at the family’s home in Standens Barn, Northampton, after the children failed to attend school.
Austin subsequently pleaded guilty to the murders at court and was given three concurrent life sentences with a minimum of 20 years in March 2001.
At a hearing two years ago, the Parole Board decided he was not eligible for release and also turned down his request for a move to an open prison.
The latest hearing, which took place on February 27, came after Carol told Metro.co.uk how the review process had filled her with a ‘terrible dread’ and she believes Austin will kill again if released.
She further questions why her family had to travel to HMP Warren Hill, a Category C prison in Suffolk where he is being held.
Claire Austin smiles on holiday in the Canary Islands.Keiren and Jade leave behind lives unfulfilled.
The closed jail aims to support some of the most serious offenders in England and Wales into open conditions or release into the community.
‘All we have been told is the reports concern his behaviour before and since,’ Carol said. ‘But he had never been in any trouble before, so I don’t know what they are looking at there. Two years ago there was a hearing, so they must have had the reports then. The Parole Board should have had everything there with them, it’s disgraceful.
‘From what we understand if the next hearing does not take place within three months they have to start from scratch again, so they have set a date a couple of weeks short of the limit.
‘When the hearings do go ahead, we are the ones having to travel to where he is, rather than him being brought to us. We are the victims, yet this is how we are being treated.’
Carol Quinn looks at a picture of her daughter Claire who is no longer in her life
Under UK law, a life sentence must be imposed for murder but this can mean the convicted person being released ‘on licence’.
Only whole life orders prevent an offender from ever being released, except in ‘exceptional compassionate circumstances’.
At parole hearings, an independent board listens to personal statements from victims and their families but ‘makes its decisions by assessing how risky or dangerous the offender is now’, according to the government.
The family has launched a Change.org petition calling for life to mean life, expressing their fears that if Austin is released at a relatively young age he will meet another woman and ‘repeat his murderous actions’.
The campaign, also intended for other families in the same situation, has attracted more than 14,000 signatures so far.
Jade Austin is shown in a picture on the family holiday in the Canary Islands.Keiren Austin smiles on a family holiday two weeks before his life was cut short.
Meanwhile, the family faces the prospects of another hearing and Austin potentially being released into the community.
‘I came off anti-depressants 10 years ago and I’ve had to go back on them again, that is how much this has affected me,’ Carol said.
‘My husband is very ill and it’s really affected my son. His wife cried constantly in the week leading up to the parole hearing.
‘It’s affected every one of us. We are all disgusted by this, we have been left with no faith in the British justice system.’
The Parole Board told Metro.co.uk it cannot comment on individual cases.
A spokesperson said: ‘A panel may adjourn a parole hearing to ensure a comprehensive risk assessment can take place.
‘There are a number of situations where an adjournment may be required, for example more information is required, the prisoner needs more time to complete a course, a witness is not available, or for some other unavoidable reason. The Parole Board does everything it can to avoid these delays.
‘The panel will carefully examine a whole range of evidence, including details of the original crime, and any evidence of behaviour change, as well as understand the harm done and impact the crime has had on the victims.
‘Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority.’
Phillip Austin was given three concurrent life sentences for each of the murders but is being considered for parole.
The Ministry of Justice maintains that the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Court Act (2022) ensures the most serious offenders now face longer behind bars, with whole life orders being the starting point for the premeditated murder of a child.
A spokesperson said previously: ‘Offenders serving life sentences must satisfy the Parole Board that they do not pose a risk to the public before being released from prison.
‘Those who are eventually released face strict licence conditions and can be returned to prison if they breach them.
‘We have also changed the law to make sure the most serious and violent offenders face longer behind bars.’
A musical based on the life of the late US singer Frank Sinatra is set to open in Birmingham in September, producers have confirmed.
The singer, who died in 1998, was best known for hits such as Come Fly with Me, My Way and New York, New York.
Sinatra: The Musical will receive its world premiere at the Birmingham Rep Theatre on 23 September.
It will mark the 70th anniversary of Sinatra’s visit to the city, where he performed during his 1953 UK tour.
Tina Sinatra, the singer’s daughter, believes the musical will shed fresh light on her father’s life.
“I am very proud of our new musical production and I’m especially delighted that, for the first time, we’re going to give you a perspective on my father that you’ve never seen before,” she said in a statement.
The production sees writer Joe DiPietro (known for What’s New Pussycat? and Memphis) join forces with fellow Tony-Award-winning director Kathleen Marshall (Anything Goes and The Pajama Game).
Speaking about the influence of Ol’ Blue Eyes, DiPietro, said: “Growing up, there were two pictures hanging in my grandmother’s kitchen – the Pope and Frank Sinatra.
“So to sit down with Tina Sinatra and hear stories of her father which no one else knows, and then to be able to put those stories on stage – well I think it’ll make for an unexpected and thrilling new musical.”
Marshall added that they were aiming to “create an evening of theatre that is as stylish, sophisticated and elegant as Mr Sinatra, with glorious music from the American Songbook”.
Jukebox musicals
Image caption, Jersey Boys is one of the most successful musicals of all-time
The team behind Sinatra: The Musical will be hoping to replicate the success of other stage musicals based on the lives and careers of famous musicians. Some of the most popular ones include:
Jersey Boys – The Tony and Laurence Olivier Award-winning musical, which premiered in California in 2004, tells the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, from four different perspectives. One of the top 10 highest grossing musicals of all-time, Jersey Boys has travelled from Broadway to the West End to the world. It includes renditions of the band’s hit song such as Big Girls Don’t Cry, Sherry and December 1963 (Oh What a Night).
Thriller – Live: This one celebrates the music of The Jackson 5 and the solo work and life of their most famous member, Michael. Conceived by family friend and author Adrian Grant, the show, which opened in London in 2009, features tracks like I Want You Back, Beat It and, well, of course… Thriller.
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical: The show, which also premiered in California, in 2013, chronicles the early life and career of Brill Building hitmaker Carole King, who, with the help of her first husband Gerry Goffin, wrote and performed some of the most acclaimed songs of the 1960s. It includes classics like One Fine Day, You’ve Got a Friend and Will You Love Me Tomorrow, while Jessie Mueller’s portrayal of the title star won her a Tony Award for best actress in a musical.
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical depicts the life of the US singer from her humble beginnings in Nutbush, Tennessee, to rock stardom. It first opened in London in 2018 before heading to Broadway the following year, so more fans could sing along to tracks like Nutbush City Limits, Private Dancer and The Best. Coronavirus brought Tina, like everyone else, to a halt in early 2020; but the show must go on… and did so from late the following year.
Frank Sinatra: The Musical will show “how the man became the legend”, according to DiPietro. It takes up his story on New Year’s Eve, 1942; with the then-27-year-old about to step out on to the stage at New York’s Paramount Theatre to give a career-changing performance.
As his career starts to set sail, Sinatra is seen struggling to balance life with his wife Nancy, with “the demands and temptations of being the most popular singer in America”, according to press material.
Image caption, US singer and actor Frank Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 50s and 60s
After an affair with the movie star Ava Gardner, Sinatra’s records stop selling and the press turn against him; requiring the star to launch what the show’s producers describe as the “greatest comeback in showbiz history”.
The new show – which will premiere at the West Midlands venue on 23 September, and run until 28 October 2023 – is the first ever official musical based on Sinatra’s life and career.
In 2015, a West End show about the star, who died aged 82 in 1998, helped to bring him “back to life” for theatre-goers. And the same year, his son Frank Sinatra Junior marked what would’ve been his 100th birthday by performing a series of UK concerts.
Sean Foley, the Olivier Award-winning artistic director of The Rep, said the theatre is “thrilled to be co-producing this world premiere production” about the “legendary artist”.
“His was an extraordinary life, and this promises to be an unmissable show about that life.”
Two other women, both believed to be carers, aged 29 and 58, were injured in the attack.
A witness, who did not want to be named, said: ‘The lady who died was a carer. It was quite frightening. The other two injured were also carers.
‘One of them came out and one of them had towels wrapped around their arm. Police and ambulances came down, the police had their guns out.’
Police have now arrested a woman and have charged her in connection with the incident.
The 32-year-old is scheduled to appear at Stirling Sheriff Court tomorrow.
Detective Inspector Scott Roxburgh said: ‘At this time, our thoughts are with the family and friends of the deceased, along with everyone else involved in this incident.
‘We’d like to thank the local community for their patience and understanding as officers carry out enquiries in the area.’
The actor Chaim Topol, best known for his portrayal of milkman Tevye in Fiddler On The Roof, has died at the age of 87, Israel’s president has said.
His death was confirmed by President Isaac Herzog, who described Topol as “one of the giants of Israeli culture”.
Topol was Oscar nominated for his performance in the 1971 film adaptation of the musical.
His other famous film role included in Flash Gordon, Follow Me, and the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only.
Herzog described Topol, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease several years ago, as “a gifted actor who conquered many stages in Israel and overseas, filled the cinema screens with his presence and above all entered deep into our hearts”.
The actor, singer and illustrator, he added, had “represented us with great respect”.
‘Can never top Topol’
Israeli-British TV personality Uri Geller led the tributes, sharing a picture of himself with the “sweet and modest” late star, and former Israeli President Shimon Peres.
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British actor and comedian Omid Djalili also paid his respects, posting: “Anyone who plays Tevye knows he can never top Topol. God rest his soul.”
Meanwhile, Frozen actor Josh Gad offered: “There is no way to overstate how much this man and this performance meant to me.
“Topol is a large reason why I became an actor. In fact, his performance of Tevye in Fiddler was the very first performance I ever saw on a Broadway stage. RIP to a great.”
Image caption, Topol in 1974 as scientist Galileo Galilei in the biographical film Galileo, directed by Joseph Losey and based on the play by Bertolt Brecht
Topol was born in Tel Aviv in 1935, and began his acting career in an entertainment troupe during his Israeli army service.
He rose to prominence in the Israeli comedy Sallah Shabati, which depicted the hardships of a Mizrachi Jewish immigrant family in Israel of the early 1960s, won him an early Golden Globe award for most promising male newcomer.
Film roles followed in both Israel and the US, including the 1975 adaptation of Bertolt Brecht’s Galileo, the 1980 sci-fi adventure Flash Gordon, alongside Brian Blessed, and opposite Sir Roger Moore in the 1981 James Bond movie For Your Eyes Only.
But it was for playing Tevye, a troubled milkman in the village of Anatevka who attempts to maintain his Jewish traditions by marrying off his five daughters, that he will be most remembered.
The role, which saw him perform songs such as If I Were a Rich Man, scored him a second Golden Globe, this time for best actor.
He was on active duty with the Israeli army when he was received his Academy Award nomination – becoming the first Israeli actor to do so – in 1972. But he was granted leave so he could attend the ceremony in Los Angeles.
Image caption, Chaim Topol as the troubled milkman Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof
Speaking to Desert Island Discs in 1983, the actor said he still believed the producers “were very brave to let me have that part”.
“Considering that I was 30-years-old, considering that my English was so limited – a vocabulary of 50 words – I still don’t understand how they let me have it.”
The decision to cast Topol, instead of US actor Zero Mostel, who had made the role famous on stage, was a controversial one at the time but he later thanked his predecessor.
“Anyone who ever plays Tevye should be thankful to Zero Mostel,” Topol was once quoted as saying. “He gave us all room and I know I wouldn’t have done the movie without the advantage of a year’s rehearsal on stage.”
Reprising the role in the 1991 Broadway revival of Fiddler On the Roof, he was also nominated for a Tony Award for best actor.
Topol would play the part more than 3,500 times on both stage and screen from the late 1960s until 2009.
Away from acting, the charitable star founded Variety Israel, an organisation that provides support for children living with disabilities and their families.
He also served as the president of Jordan River Village, a free overnight camp for sick Israeli children.
In 2005, Topl was voted the 90th-greatest Israeli of all time, in a poll by the Israeli news website Ynet. And 10 years later, he was awarded the Israel Prize – the country’s most prestigious award – for lifetime achievement and special contribution to society and the state.
He is survived by his wife Galia and their three children.
His son Omer Topol, this week called his father an “amazing actor who developed all kinds of tactics to cover up the problems that began to arise”.
“When he won the Israel Prize, his Alzheimer’s was in its early stages,” he confirmed.
“He spoke wonderfully at the ceremony, and also at other events, and no one even felt it.”
This week, I am heading to Hollywood for my 20th Oscars. To put it crassly, I am now only one behind Meryl Streep.
Johnny Carson, who hosted the ceremony five times, perfectly described the Academy Awards as “two hours of sparkling entertainment spread out over a four-hour show”.
There is so much truth in that, but The Oscars are still a gold head and shoulders above any other awards show – the only one where everybody turns up. Even Eminem. Eventually.
A no-show in 2003 when Lose Yourself won best original song (he was looking after his daughter and slept through the whole thing), there he was in 2020 with a surprise performance of his 8 Mile anthem on the rather contrived 17th anniversary of its win.
Image caption, Eminem eventually performed his Oscar-winning single Lose Yourself at the Oscars in 2020
No matter how cool or counter-cultural the figure, in the end they all want to go.
Part of the beauty of covering the Oscars is the time difference. UK audiences wake up on a Monday morning, while over in LA it is still Sunday evening, and the winners are heading into the uber-A-list Vanity Fair party, holding Oscars in their hands.
Over the years, I have broadcast as Danny Boyle danced for joy with the cast of Slumdog Millionaire, congratulated Kate Winslet on no longer being the “Colin Montgomerie of the Oscars” after winning for The Reader, following five defeats in a row, and, in 2011, I witnessed a truly extraordinary encounter involving GMTV’s reporter and Tom Hanks. Media caption,
Oscars 2023: The best picture contenders in 40 seconds
She was mid-interview with him, live on TV, when Colin Firth started to walk by, brandishing his Oscar for The King’s Speech. Her decision? Simply to push Tom Hanks away mid-sentence and grab Firth.
Hanks’ response was magnificent. He spent the whole of Firth’s interview walking back and forth, in shot directly behind him, throwing his hands up in the air in pretend fury, while mouthing his mock incredulity at the camera.
Then in 2017, there was the excitement of being live on air into Dotun Adebayo’s Radio 5 Live show, at the exact moment (05:08), when La La Land was wrongly read out as the best picture winner.
Listening back, what is extraordinary is that it takes 2 mins 27 secs for the mistake to be corrected.
Image caption, La La Land producer Jordan Horowitz showing the audience the card with the correct best picture winner – Moonlight – in 2017
I thought that would never be beaten as the biggest Oscars story I would cover, but I was wrong. As wrong as a G.I. Jane joke about Jada Pinkett Smith.
That is what prompted Will Smith to attack Chris Rock on stage at last year’s ceremony, with “the slap heard around the world”.
I commentated on Radio 5 Live Breakfast as Smith arrived at Vanity Fair, posing for pictures with his family, for a full five minutes. On air I dubbed the incident “Men in Thwack”, a name which totally failed to catch on.
Smith is currently banned from attending the Oscars until 2033, by which time Clint Eastwood will be 102. That year could be my 30th Oscars. Unlikely.
So now seemed as good a time as any to reveal the five nominees in my newly made-up category: best Oscars story.
1. ‘Bono! Bono! Bono!’ (2014)
Image caption, Bono with wife Ali Hewson at Vanity Fair’s after-party in 2014 – where Colin Paterson struggled to catch his attention
On 2 March 2014, the Russian President Vladimir Putin received unanimous approval from the country’s parliament to send troops into Crimea.
The following day it was me, not that event, which was the subject of an editorial in the Daily Telegraph.
The reason? I had shouted “Bono” a lot, live on Radio 4’s Today programme. I have just listened back, with a stopwatch. There were 7 Bonos in eighteen seconds.
U2’s frontman had been nominated in best original song for the Nelson Mandela biopic, Long Walk to Freedom.
Today’s presenter, Jim Naughtie, threw live to me in LA, where the red carpet was a melee of movie stars.
I had just started my analysis about how Gravity had won the most awards, but 12 Years A Slave was best picture, when Bono arrived. And I went for it. Again and again.
“Even 24 hours later, many listeners’ toes remain stubbornly curled,” The Daily Telegraph’s editorial began.
It went onto explain how my “cries of ‘Bono!’ had no more effect than Alan Partridge shouting after his presumed friend Dan,” and made the fair point that, “the rule seems to be that six times or more is enough to open the gates of the realm of madness.”
The thing that people forget is Bono did come back. Unfortunately, all he said was, ‘I don’t want to talk about what Nelson Mandela meant to me.” Not an answer worth seven shouts of anyone’s name.
2. Sandra Bullock wins Oscar and Razzie (2010)
Image caption, Sandra Bullock with her Oscar for The Blind Side at the 2010 Vanity Fair Oscars Party
For many of my years reporting on The Oscars, the night before the ceremony was all about the Razzies. These awards “honour” the very worst films of the year and used to be presented during a live show, which all the “winners” avoided.
In 2010 Sandra Bullock managed what no one had ever done; to win a Razzie and an Oscar on consecutive days.
There I was in a local community theatre in LA, watching film geeks laugh as they proclaimed her worst actress for All About Steve, a supposed romantic comedy, in which she played a disco-boot-wearing crossword compiler, obsessed with a local TV reporter (played by a pre-fame Bradley Cooper), with whom she ends up trapped down a mine. It is worse than it sounds.
The huge surprise was that she turned up to collect her Razzie, receiving a standing ovation from the very people who had voted for her awfulness.
Bullock’s acceptance speech was hilarious: “They said that no-one went to see this film, but I know there are over 700 members here. And if I’ve won, that means the majority have to have voted for it, so that means 352 have seen it.”
Bullock then wheeled on a cart, full of All About Steve DVDs and announced that she was going to give one to each person there.
“Thank you,” came a shout from the audience.
“You say that now…” she replied with superb comic timing, something badly missing in the film.
The following night she won best actress for The Blind Side. When I spoke to her afterwards, I wanted to bring up the unique double without being rude, so opted for: “How close will you keep your Oscar to your Razzie?”
Her answer was class: “Right next to each other. It’s all about the balance.”
3. Steve Guttenberg and The Academy (2001)
Image caption, Guttenberg with actress Marlee Matlin at the Oscars in 2008
I covered my first Oscars for Channel 4’s The Big Breakfast, way back in 2001, the year Gladiator was named best picture. The presenter Melanie Sykes was dispatched to the Vanity Fair party, where she ended up in a dispute with Julia Roberts, after touching her best actress Oscar for Erin Brockovich.
My job was to go to the Oscar party of celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck. The guestlist was not quite as A-list, so few of my interviews made it to air.
One that did was with the 80s star, Steve Guttenberg. When he arrived, I asked him where he had watched the ceremony.
“I was there at the Shrine Auditorium,” he replied.
Failing to hide my surprise I asked: “How did you get a ticket?”
“I’m a member of the Academy,” he explained.
My reflex response: “What? The Police Academy?”
Even now I wince when thinking about this and did not bring it up when I next interviewed him, in 2008 when he was playing Cinderella’s father Baron Hardup in the Bromley pantomime.
4. Vomity Fair (2012)
I have a simple rule for when on work trips; do not eat shellfish. In 2012 I broke that rule and never will again.
The day before the Oscars, one of my colleagues hit a milestone birthday and to celebrate, we went to a famous Hollywood restaurant where Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe and Humphrey Bogart used to frequent.
To my horror, the incredibly kind cameraman Travis, had organised a huge plate of oysters to start the celebrations. One by one people turned them down and I felt a rising sense of panic. I literally took one for the team and started to eat. They were delicious. What happened 24 hours later, less so.
There I was standing on the red carpet of the Vanity Fair party, when things started to feel very, very wrong. To put it delicately, Vanity Fair became Vomity Fair. The red carpet went all the colours of the rainbow. It is the only time I’ve seen a squeegee mop at The Oscars.
5. Spike Lee’s ‘cup of tea’ (2019)
Image caption, After realising he was speaking to a Brit, Spike Lee said best picture-winning Green Book wasn’t his “cup of tea”
In 2019, Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman was nominated for best picture. Word spread that when Green Book was announced as the winner, the veteran director had turned his back and left the auditorium in protest.
About 90 minutes later he arrived at Vanity Fair and we tried to get to the bottom of what had happened.
“Green Book seems very similar to Driving Miss Daisy. They just changed the driving positions,” was as far as he would go, before I tried once more.
“Is there something about Green Book that offends you?” I asked.
“Offends?” he replied, his eyes suddenly sparkling, knowing he’d come up with something good.
“Are you British?” he asked me.
“Are you British?” he asked the BBC’s Dan Johnson who was next to me. We confirmed we both were.
“Then let me give you a British answer,” he continued.
“It wasn’t my cup of tea.”
Lee then let out the most marvellous cackling laugh and hopped around in a circle of self-delight, coming back to our microphones once more to repeat, “not my cup of tea!” whilst waggling a finger, before bouncing off altogether, his work done.
By the next day, T-shirts with his quote were on sale and Trevor Noah chose it as his Moment of Zen on The Daily Show.
The Oscars are not everyone’s cup of tea, but come Monday, why not make yourself one, sit back and enjoy the mayhem.
Colin Paterson will be live from the red carpet at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party on both BBC Breakfast and Radio 5 Live Breakfast, Monday 13 March. He will be shouting. A lot.
The act representing the United Kingdom at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest will be revealed on BBC Radio 2 on Thursday morning.
The BBC said an announcement will be made on Zoe Ball’s breakfast programme at 08:30 GMT.
Following the same selection process as last year, the broadcaster has been working with a management company to pick the act.
The UK is one of the last competing countries to reveal its song for 2023.
After years of dismal results, Sam Ryder turned things around for the UK at last year’s competition placing second to Ukraine.
Tap management, which has worked with Dua Lipa and Ellie Goulding, selected the TikTok star and his song Space Man.
Normally, the country who wins hosts it the following year but organisers ruled it was too dangerous in Ukraine, following Russia’s invasion, so the BBC was asked to host it instead.
Earlier this week, tickets for May’s event sold out in 90 minutes, with fans now being warned scammers are targeting their hotel bookings with phishing cyber attacks.Media caption,
The rundown on the 2023 contest in 50 seconds
Most of the 37 competing countries have confirmed the song and act they’ll be sending to Liverpool, with a deadline set for 13 March for for the handful left to say publicly their plans.
There are typically two ways a Eurovision entry is chosen: an internal selection – an act chosen behind-the scenes – or a national selection – a TV show with the winner getting to fly their country’s flag in Liverpool.
A lot of Eurovision fans follow how each country chooses its act with events like “Super Saturday” scheduled gripping devotees across the continent.
Image caption, Rina Sawayama has been teasing fans for weeks on social media
Rumours Rina Sawayama will be this year’s act have been circulating for weeks (which she seems to have been enjoying on TikTok), as well as names like Mae Muller, Birdy and Mimi Webb.
However, Webb denied it when she appeared on Radio 2 on Wednesday (but she could be under strict instructions to keep it a secret).
Ghanaian beauty queen Portia Wekia captivated her followers with fabulous photos to celebrate her birthday.
The 2018 Ghana’s Most Beautiful second runner-up looked heavenly in a white jumpsuit with a detached floor-sweeping cape.
Portia Wekia wore elegant white earrings and white stilettos to match her look. She looked gorgeous in her simple curly hairstyle and subtle makeup for the birthday photoshoot.
Tracy Osei, the wife of the General Manager of Despite Media, Kennedy Osei, has urged women to strive to make a difference in the slightest way possible.
The fashion designer suggested that for women to have a genuine impact on society, they should work to do this alongside others by bringing other women along.
Tracy Osei’s message to women
The mom twins delivered the message to women on International Women’s Day on Wednesday, March 8.
”Dear woman, Be One of Many. As women, no role is ever too minute or too extensive. Wherever we may be, we must strive to make a difference in the smallest possible way we can.
Do not strive to reach the top alone. Pull other women along. For only then have we truly been impactful,” she shared with visuals on Instagram donning a luxury designer wear with a bag to match.
The fashion designer further exhorted ladies to communicate life rather than negativity to others. “‘Encourage and help when you can.”
While Tracy’s message was intended to encourage women, responses in the comments section praised her appearance and expensive wardrobe choices.
Two of Kennedy Agyapong’s daughters, Amanda and Christabel, are starring in a new reality series. A video teaser of the upcoming series, titled the ‘Cedi Life’, shows the two ladies speaking about their siblings.
Kennedy Agyapong famously has 22 children and the sisters were asked if they could name all their siblings.
Amana, 25 years old and Christabel, 24 years old, managed to rattle all the names of their siblings. The ‘Cedi Life’ is a reality show about Ghana from the eyes of some diasporans.
Aside the two Agyapongs, it stars KiDi, Eugy Official, Kwame, Nannette Boakye and Wilglory Tanjong!
The first episode synopsis reads: “Excitement is in the air as everyone arrives and reconnects at the official welcome party of the Detty December season in Accra, Ghana.”
Watch the teaser of the show and the attached first episode:
A member of the legendary Morgan Heritage, Mojo, has argued that on the new version of ‘Stir It Up’, Sarkodie honoured the memory of the iconic Bob Marley.
The comment made on 3Music’s Culture Daily show, Wednesday morning, March 8, 2023, flies in the face of that of local pundits who vehemently argued that Sarkodie desecrated the said song and the legacy of Bob Marley.
“What makes it [a genre, in this instance, Reggae] sacred?” Mojo quizzed. In a series of rhetorical questions, he underscored why artistes cross borders of genre, land and eras to collaborate.
“How do you make what’s old new again?” he first asked.
“How do we introduce [a new generation to an old genre or artiste]?” he went on.
“Like you guys grew up on our [Morgan Heritage] music. How did that happen? Because your parents were listening to it.
“I think [these types of collaborations] makes what’s old new again,” he said.
“But it also makes sure that we as the next generation don’t forget the road that was paved for us.”
He insinuated that the aforementioned commemoration and memorialisation cannot happen if younger generations are not allowed to musically and creatively interact with their predecessors.
Mojo added that younger generations of musicians pay respect to the older by way of collaborations.
“So now [imagine], say Reggae is so sacred [that] it cannot be touched or reimagined the way Sarkodie did on that song…
“It’s just a form of homage and it shouldn’t be looked at as anything else,” he pressed.
He argued that if anyone says differently, they are simply looking to stir trouble for attention.
“Anything beyond that, is just – we’re looking for a headline,” he categorically noted. “I’m sorry.”
Appearing on the interview without Gramps and Peetah, Mojo was proud to admit that the Grammy winner Morgan Heritage is famed not just for Reggae music but cross-genre fusion music.
Media personality Kwame A Plus has reacted to Tuesday, March 7 swoop by the military on Ashaiman official town.
The military said they were in the area to find killers of a young soldier, 21-year-old Trooper Sherrif Imoro, who had been killed by unknown assailants on March 4.
A Plus commiserated with the peaceloving people of Ashaiman who he said had been subjected to the terrorism of criminals living in the notorious area.
“How do you defend this?” he asked after pointing out how the search for a murderer had led soldiers to conduct a swoop “to brutalize everyone including the good people who are already living in fear.”
His full views as posted on Facebook read: “There are criminals living in Ashaiman. These criminals have terrorized the good people of Ashaiman for many years.
“One day, a criminal allegedly murdered a soldier and soldiers went in there to brutalized everyone including the good people who are already living in fear. How do you defend this?” he quizzed
The March 7 military swoop
Dozens of military officers stormed Ashaiman in the operation that saw some soldiers entering the town in trucks, with an armoured car plus a helicopter hovering over the town.
The exercise is said to be in response to the gruesome murder of a young soldier by some unidentified persons on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
Videos of the invasion shared across social media show various forms of assault being meted on residents by the rampaging officers who subjected some of the residents to severe beatings.
In a statement released in the early hours of March 8, the Ghana Armed Forces admitted authorizing the swoop which led to the arrest of 184 persons, of which 150 have been released according Ernest Henry Norgbey, MP for the area.
Reality Tv Star and Brand ambassador, Phyna during an Instagram live video revealed that she wants a Female to win the ongoing Big Brother Titians show.
During the live video, Phyna stated that BBTitans show came too early while noting that it’s not up to a year that the BBNaija season 7 Level up Edition came to an end.
According to her, she will like to learn from any female Housemate that emerges the winner at the BBTitans show.
In her words:
“The BBTitans show came too early and it is not even up to a year that our set left the house
If a female wins the BBTitans show, I will like to learn from her”.
A woman has lament over the way her husband treats which is tantamount to him not respecting their marriage.
According to the woman, her husband pays her everytime they have sex and he even invites her to different hotel where he offers her money after every intimacy.
A Businesswoman shared the distraught woman’s story Online and said that the wife feels disrespected because her man treats her like a runs girl.
The woman further revealed that the man’s habit of paying for her body started when they were dating and she saw it as a fun-filled activity.
However, the problem now is that they have been married for three years and he still pays her every time they gets intimate.
She said they do not have any children yet and she expected that his kink would have stopped now they are Husband and wife.
Watch video below:
My husband pays me every time we meet in the other room — Woman cries out
Debunking the claim, she wrote on her Instagram page, “This morning, my attention was called to a diabolical comment on Gistlover blog that I “slept with a colleague’s husband.
Not only is the comment false, it is diabolical, evil and intended to soil my name.
Not only did I not sleep with the said person’s present husband, I did not have any intimate relationship with her former husband as well.
I do not know why this person’s fans are fixated on continuous tarnishing of my image and bent on causing continuous rancour, but I do know that this is the last time I will be responding to anything regarding this person.
I have moved on. I am focusing only on the future and just want to make movies. By the way, my next production is Queen Lateefah for the big platforms. That is what I will be putting my energy on henceforth, not responding to people whose only goal is to see my downfall.
I will not fall or fail as along as God is on the throne. God is the greatest and to him alone will I continue to owe my sustenance.
Gospel singer Selina Boateng caused a stir at the Celestial Praiz concert in Accra on Monday, March 6, after she was ‘knocked down’ by the Holy Spirit.
She was so engrossed in colleague musician, Piesie Esther‘s performance on stage that she got onto her feet to dance.
It was all rosy at the 10 edition of the event until Selina Boateng decided to take her dance moves a notch higher.
An attempt to slightly swing her feet to Piesie Esther’s rhythm turned out to be an unfortunate miscalculation as she fell in front of the stage.
Some of the attendees rushed to help the ‘Menku Meho’ hitmaker back onto her feet, and the dancing continued.
In honor of this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD), the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has urged continued effort and committed leadership in creating an inclusive environment for the development of women and girls around the world.
The commission expressed concern that women still had to deal with issues of gender inequality that kept them from reaching their full potential.
DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality is the topic of this year’s International Women’s Day celebrations.
The focus is to explore how digital inequality impacts the social positioning of women in society while emphasising the need to expedite the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly Goal five, which seeks to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
In a release signed by the Commissioner, Joseph Whittal, to mark the day, it said the gendered dimension of inequality in the society cut across all spheres: economic development; education; access to health care; income; vulnerability to violence and even political representation.
Inequalities
These inequalities the commission said were fuelled by some cultural and social practices, high levels of illiteracy and a general lack of awareness.
The Worldwide web or Internet, according to the commission, was an essential tool that brought different cultures closer to more people, making it easier and more accessible, saying it also nurtured the rise of new forms of expression for art and the spread of knowledge.
It said there had been a large emergence of the use of technology within sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Ghana, and that, it said, was evidenced by schools, institutions, individuals and businesses deploying and using technology in their daily operations.
It added that although there was increased use of technology within the country, there was still a huge gender disparity, saying the GSS, for instance, recorded that 17 per cent of the Ghanaian population aged 12 years and older did not own any functional ICT device; and the proportion was higher among females, which was 19.3 per cent than males 14.1 per cent and in rural 26.6 per cent than in urban 9.8 per cent areas.
Additionally, it said 29 per cent of Ghanaian women used the internet in 2020 compared to 20 per cent in 2016, which was significant progress towards the closing of the gender gap in accessing the internet.
Harassment
It added that women and girls often experienced online abuse centred around harassment, hate speech, cyberstalking and non-consensual distribution of photos.
It said although Ghana had cybersecurity legislation and a Cyber Security Authority (CSA) with a mandate to regulate cybersecurity activities, including providing technical support for law enforcement agencies to prosecute cyber offenders and promote the protection of children online, these measures appeared inadequate to protect women’s rights online.
Accordingly, the commission urged the government and its agencies, especially the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation (MoC&D) and its agencies, to intensify public education and awareness of the responsible use of technology and the internet and implement innovative policies meant to utilise the internet to reduce gender inequality.
These relevant agencies, it said, should further mount surveillance to arrest and prosecute perpetrators of online bullying of women to serve as a deterrent to others.
As we observe this day, the commission calls on the government and its relevant agencies as a matter of priority to design and/or implement innovative policies to improve access to technology by women and girls in the short through the medium to the long term.
The Ghana Prisons Service (GPS) has indicated that inmates can be adopted. Therefore, they have appealed to philanthropists and other private individuals to adopt inmates and provide them with training.
This will help such persons obtain employable skills to avoid crimes in the country.
The officer in charge of the Gender Unit, Assistant Director of Prisons (ADP) Augustina Mensah-Fiadzo, who has been speaking to Prime Morning, said that some inmates are technically and vocationally skilled but do not have the needed support to be on their own.
Although the Service provides vocational training to some of the inmates, there are no startups for them to begin work after they have been released, thus making them return to their criminal ways.
“When they’re about to go, we have trained them. What they need is to go out and settle. You just give them that support. Society can support them to settle down. So, you can decide to adopt an inmate. If you adopt the inmate, and whenever she’s going, you just provide whatever she needs, and you make sure that you follow up on the person,” she suggested.
She also believes that idleness and social stigma are factors that contribute to most ex-convicts engaging in criminal activity after they are released.
For this reason, she has urged people to embrace and affiliate with ex-convicts who join society after their prison terms.
“I also want to appeal to society; let’s not reject them. They’re our own brothers and sisters. They’ll come back to our society; let’s welcome them with love because when you make them feel like they’re not wanted, the tendency for them to come back to prison is high. So we want to plead with the society: please accept them, love them, and help them settle down so that they don’t come back to the prison,” she pleaded.
The ADP further indicated that the Service has introduced a “Justice for All” programme that seeks to deal with victims’ cases faster while they are in custody to help decongest.
Meanwhile, she has revealed that the institution is in talks with the government to allow minor criminals to do community service instead of imprisonment so as to reduce congestion in the prisons.
Also, DSP Irene Pokuah Wiredu, the Head of Media Relations in the Public Relations Unit, expressed gratitude to Ghanaians for the love and support they have shown the inmates over the years through donations.
However, she called on NGOs and philanthropists to give more support to the inmates as the institution is open to receiving them.
“Our doors are still open for donations. Ghanaians are really doing well. Day-in and day-out, they flood our place with donations and a lot of items for our inmates,” she said.
As the world celebrates International Women’s Day today, DSP Irene is appealing to individuals to provide female inmates with sanitary pads and other necessities to put smiles on their faces.
The sixth prosecution witness in the trial of Aisha Huang stated during his testimony that he sold the accused his farmland along the River Offin for mining.
The witness, Peter Amenya, testified before the trial court under the direction of the prosecution’s Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, that Aisha Huang had contacted him and his brother-in-law about buying the farmland for her mining company through James Ogbey.
He stated in his main testimony, which was read in the court yesterday, “Aisha then sent a surveyor, whose name I do not know, accompanied by James Ogbey to my farm to take measures of the area.
Ms Huang has been charged with undertaking a mining operation without a licence, facilitating the participation of persons engaged in a mining operation, the illegal employment of foreigners and entering Ghana while she had been prohibited from re-entry.
Evidence-in-Chief
After negotiating the price, the witness in his testimony said, Mr Ogbey called the accused person and told her about the size of the land and the price they had agreed on.
He further told the court that the two parties agreed on GH¢ 8,000 per an acre of land, adding: “She asked Obey to bring us to her mining site which was nearby”.
In total, Mr Amenya said he was to be paid GH¢ 22,000 for his two and a half acres of farm.
The accused, he said, gave him an amount of GH¢1,000 as part payment to show her commitment to the purchase of the farmland, adding that the payment was made through Ogbey.
“Two to three weeks after the initial part-payment of GH¢1,000 to me, Mr Ogbey called me to his house and paid me an additional amount of GH¢ 5,000 on behalf of Aisha with the promise that I would be paid the outstanding balance within a short period.
“Prior to the receipt of the GH¢ 5,000, the accused person had cleared everything on my farmland with excavators for mining purposes,” he said.
The witness added that he later heard that Huang had been arrested for indulging in illegal mining and had been deported to China.
Mr Amenya, however, added that since the arrest, nobody had come forward to pay the outstanding amount owed him, together with other farmers.
Cross-examination
During cross-examination, counsel for the accused, Miracle Attachey, asked whether all payments regarding the land were made by James Ogbey.
The witness replied in the affirmative.
He also admitted under cross-examination that he dealt with Mr Ogbey throughout the transaction.
Accused
En Huang has been accused of being deeply involved in illegal mining, commonly called galamsey, especially in the Ashanti Region.
She was deported from the country in 2018 after the state decided to discontinue her trial, in which she was accused of engaging in small-scale mining without a licence.
However, she was said to have sneaked back into the country to allegedly engage in the same activities.
The Attorney-General, then, decided to prosecute her for the alleged crimes before her deportation and new ones committed since her return to the country.
It is the case of the prosecution that Huang had an illegal mining concession at Bepotenten in the Amansie West District in the Ashanti Region and also operated a mining support services company.
She has denied the charges levelled against her and has since been remanded in police custody.
In reorganizing human resources, the Ministry of Health has established a nationwide plan to improve response to public health emergencies.
The five-year approach, known as the Public Health Strategic Plan, lays forth principles to overcome significant obstacles to responding to public health emergencies, such as resource distribution and recruitment.
Often known to as the Health Workforce Strategic Plan, it proposes a road-map that would guide the restructuring of the human resource of the public health workforce and ensuring that the universal health coverage aim is completely fulfilled, utilizing the One Health Concept, by 2030.
It will, among others, guide the equitable recruitment, distribution, progression and possible exit of health workers across all sectors such that the country remains on course in achieving universal health coverage and other global health targets.
Launching the policy in Accra last Thursday, a Deputy Minister of Health, Tina Mensah, said the Health Workforce Strategic Plan was consistent with the country’s vision to ensure that Ghanaians enjoyed healthy and productive lives in a healthy environment.
“This document will support in addressing some weaknesses in health workforce, particularly recruitment, workforce distribution, staff development, and employee motivation and employee migration,” she said.
Premise
She said among the many drivers of the all-inclusive policy was that during the 2017 Joint External Evaluation (JEE) by the World Health Organisation, the country was scored low in Health Workforce Strategy.
A Joint External Evaluation is a voluntary, collaborative, multisectoral process to assess country capacities to prevent, detect and rapidly respond to public health risks whether occurring naturally or due to deliberate or accidental events.
It helps countries to identify the most critical gaps within their human and animal health systems in order to prioritise opportunities for enhanced preparedness and response.
“As a result, some experts said the country needed to draft and implement a health workforce strategy.
It was also recommended that the strategy be reviewed, and reported on, annually.
“We are, therefore, here today to launch the solution to this imminent gap; Ghana’s own Health Workforce Strategic Plan for the next five years,” Ms Mensah said.
She added that the Ministry of Health, together with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, and other stakeholder ministries with interest to influence health outcomes, had worked together to develop the strategic plan to guide the country’s health workforce needs.
A clinical epidemiologist and Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana’s School of Public Health, Professor Ernest Kenu, said it would help to put a stop to the situation where health-related efforts were done in silos.
“During the 2017 Joint External Evaluation, Ghana had a low score in health workforce strategy, but based on this document it will help to address that gap and put all efforts related to health into a consolidated one to be tracked, reviewed and reported on annually,” he noted.
A training for 19 purchasing clerks and four district leaders of CARGILL Cocoa Sourcing Limited was organized by the Akyem Oda District Office of Quality Control Company Limited of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) in preparation for the acquisition of premium cocoa beans at Akyem Anyinase close to Oda.
Post-harvest processing of cocoa beans, good warehousing procedures, and quality management systems at cocoa sheds and depots were among the subjects covered at the training.
Addressing during the occasion, Peter Korang, Deputy Eastern Regional Manager of Quality Control Corporation Limited, instructed that in order to prevent pods from becoming overripe, cocoa should be harvested and broken as soon as possible.
Purchasing
He stressed the need for the purchasing clerks to impress upon farmers to ferment their cocoa beans for six days before drying them.
Mr Korang also urged the participants to advise the farmers against drying cocoa beans on tarpaulins, tarred roads or any surfaces that did not allow good air circulation.
He emphasised that cocoa beans being dried must be stirred frequently to enhance aeration, adding that they should try as much as possible to pick up any foreign materials from the beans.
The Oda District Officer of the company, Michael Tweneboah-Mensah admonished the participants to ensure good warehouse management practices both at the society and depot levels.
Cocoa beans
He urged them to pack cocoa beans into strong jute bags after drying them and stored in well ventilated rooms, adding that the bags must be packed on wooden pallets.
“The nature of the site of premises for the storage of cocoa beans must not be swampy grounds or prone to periodic flooding,” Mr Tweneboah-Mensah stated, stressing that the site should be accessible by motor trucks.
He advised the participants to ensure that the nature of the building for the storage of cocoa beans should be of concrete blocks, bricks or metal clad, while the internal and external wall surfaces must be smooth and have no cracks, neither should the floor surfaces have cracks.
According to the District Officer, the roofs of the cocoa sheds should either be corrugated roofing sheets, asbestos or concrete and the roof should not indicate any likelihood of leakages.
He said the internal walls and gradings of cocoa sheds should be whitewashed and the premises for the storage of cocoa beans must be kept clean always and must not show any evidence of live insects or other forms of infestation.
A Quality Control Officer, Prince Danquah, said for bags of cocoa to be ready for inspection by his outfit, the package must not be poorly sewn, dirty, weak or strained.
Prof. Gordon Awandare, the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana responsible for Student and Academic Affairs, has urged African nations to invest more funds in research to examine problems that impact the continent and offer appropriate remedies.
That’s because the majority of research is supported by funding from outside the continent, and “if you are going to acquire money from outside then people who pay the study would have a voice in what type of research you should perform and where you should publish it and all that,” he claimed.
Prof. Awandare said this in Accra last Monday on the sidelines of the opening of the African Peacebuilding Network (APN) and Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa Publications Writing and Dissemination Workshop.
The participants came from Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Eritrea, South Sudan, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Burundi, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Prof. Awandre said Africans needed to fund their own research and generate the knowledge required, adding that “If somebody funds your research, they would tell you whatever you discover you can’t own it, so you have to share it with them”.
“So we have to fund our own research so that we own the knowledge,” he said,
“So this is where African governments need to think; don’t think about just the next four years/five years or whichever your term of office is.
Let’s think about the future, let’s think long-term and long-term means research, generation of knowledge, ownership of the knowledge and that is what we need to invest in,” he emphasised.
Areas
He said the research could be in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, as well as conflicts with a view to finding solution to them.
Africans, for instance, were in a better position to resolve their conflicts since they understood their culture, belief system and factors that drove them.
Prof. Awandare said knowledge generation was critical if African were to be truly independent and that the significance of their independence could not be fully realised if they could not generate their own knowledge and address their own challenges.
Young scholars
A Lecturer at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana (UG), Prof. Akosua Adomako Ampofo, advised young scholars to be cautious of collaborations when conducting researches.
That, she said, was to ensure the interests of all parties involved in the research are met and to ensure local participants are not short-changed or disadvantaged.
“As collaborators in a research, we may have the same interests but differences in angles of approaching it, so can we find a way of working around some of these realities on my grounds so that I will not suffer the consequences,” she said.
Prof. Ampofo added, “ you need to read the fine print and make sure it’s something your conscious can live with and that tomorrow, you are not going to have problems with the community you are working with.”
She, therefore, urged the scholars to build networks of support and seek out allies who shared similar goals and values as they do when conducting researches.
An Associate Professor and Director of the Centre for Social Policy Studies (CSPS) at the University of Ghana, Dr Nana Akua Anyidoho, called for closer working relationship with policy makers in achieving the country’s developmental agenda.
She also noted that Ghana had always been a forerunner and a space for Pan-African intellectuals and activists to gather and share ideas for the betterment of the continent and the black race, adding “Dr Kwame Nkrumah started having his own All-Africa Peoples Conference.”
Institutions
The Programme Director of the APN, Cyril Obi, said the APN and Next Generation Social Sciences in African was one of the programmes of the SSRC established in 2011 and 2012.
The APN, he said, supported researchers from conflict-affected African countries to produced field-based research and then answer certain questions related to conflict, peace and security with the hope that the knowledge that was produced would help people understand the nature of conflict and peace and help policy makers and practitioners.
On the other hand, he said the Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa was a programme that supported doctor of philosophy students on the continent who are researching on issues around development, conflict and peace.
He called for an inter-disciplinarian and geographical collaboration to make their studies richer and reach out to a wider audience.
In 2019, the Ghanaian government launched a drone service initiative to deliver critical medicine, vaccines, and blood to people in remote areas. President Akufo-Addo praised the service’s success, stating that “Ghana has the largest medical drone delivery service in the world with six Zipline Distribution Centres in Omenako, Mpanya, Vobsi, Sefwi Wiawso, Kete Krachi, and Anum.”
Since the launch of the medical drone distribution centre in Omenako, the service has expanded to include six centres across Ghana, serving approximately 2,500 healthcare facilities across 147 districts in the country. The drones deliver vaccines, blood, and medical products to the Ghana Health Service, the National Catholic Health Service, and other faith-based organizations.
Zipline, the company responsible for the drone service, has delivered nearly eight million doses of routine and COVID-19 vaccines in Ghana since its inception. The service has proven to be transformative for public health in the country, according to early research.
The Government of Ghana has also introduced an e-VAT and e-Invoicing System, leading to an improvement in revenue collection. The drone intervention has been instrumental in addressing healthcare challenges in Ghana, offering hope to many health centers in the country.
A man who discovered the vehicle involved in a fatal collision in Cardiff asserted that police should have begun their search earlier.
Early on Saturday morning, Eve Smith, 21, Darcy Ross, 21, and Rafel Jeanne, 24, perished in an accident.
According to authorities, Sophie Russon, 20, and Shane Loughlin, 32, both survived but are still in critical condition.
The VW Tiguan carrying the five people left the A48 in Cardiff and slammed into some trees in the Saint Mellons neighborhood.
Lewis Pace, 26, and Matthew Pace, 45, had joined a search team set up by friends who were worried about the group’s whereabouts.
After just 15 minutes of searching, the pair found the car shortly before officers arrived on the scene.
The father and son had spotted tyre marks leading off the road and into a wooded area.
The scene in the St Mellons area of Cardiff near where the car was found
Matthew said police arrived ‘about a minute’ after they did.
The wreckage of the VW Tiguan was found in a copse of trees and hidden from the view of the busy road, residential houses and the nearby garden centre.
Matthew told Sky News: ‘I pulled up, I was in the field, in the woods and then she [a police officer] pulled up behind me.
‘She was asking why I was there, and I said: “There’s all tyre marks here” and then her colleague came out, looked at the tyre marks and they got the helicopter to search in this bush and that’s when it was confirmed it was there.’
Rafel Jeanne lost his live in the crash (Picture: Facebook)
Lewis, who was close friends with Rafel Jeanne, added: ‘I’m devastated. I can’t cope, I can’t eat. It’s just devastating.’
Officers believe the car was involved in a collision and came off the A48(M) some time later, but further investigations using CCTV and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) inquiries are needed to establish an exact time.
The friend group in the vehicle had been to a social club in Maesglas, Newport, on Friday night and were thought to then have travelled 40 miles to the Trecco Bay area of Porthcawl.
Police have now confirmed they were last seen at about 2am on Saturday in Pentwyn, Cardiff.
A vigil was held this evening by friends and family of the victims.
Having failed to return home, they were reported missing by their families, the first call coming into the police at 7.34pm on Saturday while further reports were made up until 5.37pm on Sunday.
Hundreds of people took part in searches but Gwent Police did not issue a public appeal for help until 11pm on Sunday.
In a joint statement, Gwent and South Wales Police said a police helicopter was requested to search an area of Cardiff at 11.50pm on Sunday, which the forces said resulted in the vehicle being found at 12.15am on Monday.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has launched an investigation into the police response.
The group were seen in the city in the early hours of Saturday before they vanished.
Tamzin Samuels, 20, a friend of the young women and who helped in the search effort, told the PA news agency: ‘I do think the police could have done a lot more in putting the helicopters out earlier.
‘They only posted the appeal an hour before the girls were found. We found them before the police found them – we rang the police.
‘The search party found the girls before the police found the girls.
‘I think that speaks volumes really, they had all that equipment, and we had cars when we were looking.
‘They were really popular girls, the life of the party, and it was really out of character for them to do what they did, which is why we knew something was wrong.’
Hundreds gathered in Cardiff tonight in a vigil for the friends who lost their lives in the crash.
A crowd of at least a few hundred people arrived on the roundabout on the A48, which has been closed to traffic.
Flowers and candles have been laid out near the scene in a tribute to the victims, who were from Newport.
People also let out heart-shaped balloon bouquets in the air in their memory.
International Women’s Day is a special day set aside to celebrate women and also shed light on some of the major issues women face in the world.
These women celebrities effortlessly combined the stress of being in the spotlight whilst excelling in their various field of work.
It is also a window that is used to celebrate women across the globe highlighting their achievements and impact for people to embrace equality.
Ghana has been working on the development of women in various fields to bring equality to the country. Women have come a long way and have broken the glass ceiling several times while proving their mettle in many fields. From science and technology to astronomy, politics and sports, women have achieved a benchmark in every profession.
Over the years, women have gained momentum in various fields. And Ghanaian women are no exceptions.
Their equal participation and leadership and public life are essential to achieving a better growing country and younger generations.
Oheneyere Gifty Anti
Forever a superwoman. Her consistency in the media space has all of us in our feelings and that we love. Keep shinning superwoman.
Diana Hamilton
Ghanaian gospel musician, Diana Hamilton has proven to be one of the best female artists currently. She isn’t giving up despite the male domination and we are proud of her.
Nana Akua Addo
Fashion goddess making Ghana proud in the world. Well-done.
Nana Aba Anamoah
There couldn’t be any better mentor in the media space than you. It’s the way you do it for us.
Nana Ama McBrown
The actress is a superwoman and we applaud her for her great influence in the entertainment industry.
Lydia Forson
The superwoman who inspires young ladies to speak up for themselves. We applaud you for your contributions.
Lady Dentaa Amoateng
Obviously “the big man in the business. We are proud of you
Naa Ashorkor
Consistently growing and never giving up is a sign of a strong woman. Congratulations!
Serwaa Amihere
Serwaa is strong and she makes broadcasting envious. Continue being strong.
Berla Mundi
You have risen through the odds. We love your humility too. Keep soaring!
The Koforidua Youth Resource Center, which includes an estimated 1.8 million US dollars FIFA football field, a volleyball court, a basket court, a tennis court, and an ICT centre, has become a habitat for some creatures and is now overtaken by weeds, according to a Joy News report. The 5,000 seater spectator stands have also been left to deteriorate.
Weeds takes over the koforidua sport complex ongoing project
The Koforidua Sports Stadium is one of ten multipurpose sports centres that the government in the country. The other nine multi-purpose stadiums planned for regions such as Wa, Navrongo, Yendi, Nyinahin, Dormaa Ahenkro, Dunkwa-On-Offin, Axim, Ho, and Keneshie are approaching completion.
The project was designed to be completed by the contractor in nine months.
In late 2019, President Akufo-Addo toured the facility to assess progress on the project. According to reports, the president was pleased with how the project was progressing.
However, the contractor left the site due to the government’s failure to meet its financial obligations, and the work already done has begun to wear off. Furthermore, phase two of the project, which was scheduled to be completed by 2022, is still underway.
paintings on the wall are gradually deteriorating
The people of the Eastern region have expressed their displeasure about how the project has been abandoned and have called on the Minister for Youth and Sports to take measures to bring back the contractor to complete the project.
Landlady Rejoice Gblorkpor is urging the government to introduce policies that support landlords financially, as a way of addressing the high rent rates imposed on tenants by some landowners.
Gblorkpor contends that landlords wouldn’t demand two years rent advance, which is against the law, if they had access to loans to help maintain their properties.
In an interview with The Independent Ghana, Gblorkpor argued that the six-month rent advance stipulated by law is not sustainable because some property owners solely depend on rent payments for their daily upkeep, and thus to address the issue of irregular payments, most of them have resorted to yearly advance payments.
However, if the government decided to provide financial support, Gblorkpor believes landowners will not have to rely on tenants to cover building management bills and other personal expenses.
“I think it should be a broader deliberation so that we will understand the reason why we shouldn’t do that and the support they [government] will give some of us.
The landlady, Rejoice Gblorkpor.
Section 25 (5) of the rent Act states that “Any person who as a condition of the grant, renewal or continuance of a tenancy demand in the case of a monthly or shorter tenancy, the payment in advance of more than a month’s rent or in the case of a tenancy exceeding six months, the payment in advance of more than six months rent, shall be guilty of an offence and upon conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding 500 penalty units which is equivalent to 600cedis or a term of imprisonment not exceeding two years.”
However, the issue of landlords/ladies charging exorbitant rates as rent advance payment has been the norm in the country for many years.
While many have described it as illegal given Section 25 Subsection Five of the Rent Act, some Landlords have justified the move with a claim that it is within their mandate to charge any amount they deem fit since there was no government support (in terms of financing) when they (landlords) were constructing their houses.
On her part, Madam Gblokpor, a landlady with about eight rooms leased out, admits that taking the two years rent advance is indeed inordinate, and a great challenge to tenants, however, they are left with no other option, given the country’s economic situation and financial challenges they (landlords) encounter.
“As I sit here, I’m a widow. Now, if I weren’t doing any work apart from the renting business. I’ll find it very difficult,” she stated.
She, thus, called for a stakeholders meeting between the government and Landlord/ladies in the country, over the illegal charge of more than six months rent advance by most landlords in the country.
The story of homeless people in Accra
“So in that case, if the government has a policy or agents who will go to houses and seek their problems. If in six months the money does not reach I’ll support you this way [ in terms of loan] so that when you get the rest of the money we pay back.
“If not and there’s no support it will be something (difficult) because I am lucky to be doing my business. What about those who are not doing their business and are old,” she added.
Ghanaian actress cum socialite, Efia Odo has mentioned that she will never be worried if the songs she produces will not be accepted by Ghanaians.
She said that whatever she is doing is out of passion and not to please people hence, she will not be worried when her songs are being listened to or not.
Speaking to MzGee on United Showbiz which was aired on March 4, 2023, she explained to the host how she would feel if her songs are left untouched by Ghanaians.
“Oh I will never be worried because I do it from a passionate place, I put passion in it so if Ghanaians or some Ghanaians will not regard me as a musician, there are other people who will regard me as a musician. So, I keep saying it is not by force. There are so many musicians in this country who started to make music more than five years now but they cannot accumulate 2000 views on YouTube”, she stated.
The Ghanaian actress added she believes that it requires a build-up, patience, and commitment to grow in the entertainment industry, citing the YouTube Influencer, Kwadwo Sheldon as an example of how he began on a small scale but has now become one of the YouTube influencers in Ghana.
Efia Odo told the host, “Look at Kwadwo Sheldon who now has a number of views on YouTube, he started with the YouTube how many years ago so it’s all about build-up, patience, and commitment”.
The government has raised more than GH¢4.5 billion from the sale of short-dated securities at the lowest rate since June 2022.
It resold the 91-, 182- and 354-day bills on Tuesday at a benchmark rate of 24.16 per cent, significantly lower than the earlier offer rate of 35 per cent that was rejected last Friday.
The Ministry of Finance had earlier declined offers from dealers at 35 per cent, insisting that the market was ripe for lower rates after the successful conclusion of the domestic debt exchange programme (DDEP).
The low rates during Tuesday’s re-auction motivated the government to accept bids in excess of its targeted amount of GH¢2.77 billion.
The results of the auction published Wednesday showed that bids totaled GH¢6.151 billion but the government accepted GH¢4.5 billion.
While the 91-day bills were sold at 24.1610 per cent, the 182-day and the 254-day instruments were sold at 26.5564 per cent and 27.544 per cent respectively.
All rates are now the lowest since June when rates climbed up to 25 per cent and continued the upward surge to a peak of 36 per cent last month.
Reports indicate that the Ministry of Finance is working at resetting the rates to align with lower rates achieved in the long-dated horizon as a result of the DDEP.
The programme saw the swapping of about GH¢87 billion of high cost, shorter-dated bonds for low cost, longer-dated ones.
Veteran actress, Auntie Bee has disclosed that several men have come into her life following the demise of her partner, actor Bob Santo some two decades ago.
According to the actress, she has been unlucky with love as men who come into her life, only do so for her body.
Once her goals don’t align with a man, the actress is quick to call for a breakup and move on with her life.
On the account of Auntie Bee, she has been praying for a husband who will love and cherish her but if that never happens, she will continue to live her best life regardless.
“It’s been over 20 years since Santo’s demise… I have had a lot of men come my way. I have been sexually active and you know how it works. Gloria Sarfo onetime got me a man, and many have come my way. I am looking for a husband, the ones that came in were after pleasure. That’s not what I want, I am praying for my own man but if it never happens, life goes on,” she told Firelady on The Visdel Show.
Eulogizing her late lover, the actress disclosed that she burst out into laughter anytime she comes across Santo’s comic videos on the internet.
“We are alive by grace…I haven’t seen Santo in my dreams, it was just once that he spoke to me in a dream after his demise…the dream was interpreted to me and I was told to continue my acting career per his wishes…I laugh anytime I come across his videos on social media,” she said.
Her mother, Anna Cerowicz, told the Sun: ’She doesn’t know where she is or what happened.
‘She had panic attacks throughout the night when she came round so they sedated her.
The scene in the St Mellons area of Cardiff where the car was found (Picture: PA)Bank worker Sophie Russon was trapped for two days in the wreckage (Picture: Media Wales)
‘She’s in shock and has a lot of injuries. You can’t recognise her.’
Anna said her thoughts went out to the parents who had lost children in the horror crash.
She added: ‘She [Sophie] was in a small space, cold, scared stiff and not able to reach her mobile phone.
‘There’s no words to describe it. I can’t imagine how long it’s going to take for her to get over this. She’s going to need a lot of support.
‘I’m heartbroken for the families of Eve and Darcy. They’ve lost a child at the end of the day, I nearly lost mine.’
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has launched an investigation into two police forces over the search for missing victims.
It came after a friend of Rafel Jeanne discovered the car after just 15 minutes of searching.
The group had been to a social club in Maesglas, Newport, on Friday and are thought to have then travelled 40 miles to the Trecco Bay area of Porthcawl.
Fireworks were let off at a vigil tonight near the scene of the crash (Picture: PA)People brought signs and balloons to pay tribute to the three friends that lost their lives (Picture: PA)
After failing to go home, the five were reported missing by their families.
A vigil was held at the crash site on Tuesday evening where around 1,000 people gathered, lighting candles and flares while others rode mopeds, motorbikes and quad bikes around the roundabout.
A firework display lit up the sky above St Mellons for around 30 minutes while family and friends looked on.
Police have confirmed the group were last seen at about 2am on Saturday in Pentwyn, Cardiff.
In a joint statement, Gwent Police and South Wales Police said a helicopter was asked to search an area of Cardiff at 11.50pm on Sunday, which the forces said led to the vehicle being found 25 minutes later.
Under a new proposed laws, immigrants who enter the UK illegally are prohibited from requesting asylum or leaving the nation again.
In an effort to discourage people from using tiny boats to cross the Channel, Home Secretary Suella Braverman announced the modifications.
The Illegal Migration Bill will also establish an annual cap on the number of refugees that the UK will resettle through “safe and legal ways,” with Parliament deciding on the specific number.
It will mean that the home secretary’s “responsibility to remove” takes precedence in law over someone’s claim to asylum. This follows a rule approved in June of last year making it unlawful to arrive on the coast of the UK without permission.
But the efforts have been criticised by refugee groups, who say they are unworkable and will only make the system more costly and chaotic.
The bill will push ‘the boundaries of international law’, Suella Braverman told the Daily Express, but not break it.
Announcing the move in the House of Commons today, she said: ‘The need for reform is obvious and urgent.’
She added: ‘They will not stop coming here until the world knows that if you enter Britain illegally you will be detained and swiftly removed.’
Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper suggested there was little difference between the bill introduced today and last year’s bill from Priti Patel which ‘did not work’.
She said: ‘Today’s statement is groundhog day,’ adding: ‘Britain is better than this.’
The number of small boats arriving on the shores of the UK has increased significantly in recent years (Picture: Getty Images)Home Secretary Suella Braverman announcing the move in the House of Commons (Picture: UK Parliament)
It is expected to take several months for the law to come into effect even if the process goes smoothly, though the government says it will apply retrospectively once it does.
The topic of tackling small boats and the effects of the new legislation are likely to be top of the agenda at a meeting between Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the French president Emmanuel Macron on Friday.
Last year, a total of 45,756 migrants reached Britain via the English Channel, according to Home Office statistics, up from just 280 in 2018.
More than 3,000 people have arrived on UK shores on small boats so far this year.
There were 74,751 asylum applications in 2022, the highest annual number since 84,132 were recorded in 2002.
Ahead of the announcement, director of the European Council on Refugees and Exiles Catherine Woollard told told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme: ‘[The proposals] are likely to create considerable suffering, and we suppose that’s part of the intention.
‘But they won’t serve as a deterrent, as people will still try to come to the UK because of where they’re coming from.’
Enver Solomon, head of the Refugee Council, said the plans would ‘add more cost and chaos to the system’.
He added: ‘It’s unworkable, costly and won’t stop the boats.’
Following 25 years of unpaid domestic work, a businessman was forced to pay his ex-wife £180,000.
Based on the effort required throughout their marriage, the charge was calculated using the minimum wage.
The 204,624.86 euros, or roughly £182,000, were ordered to be paid over by Ivana Moral’s husband in a divorce settlement that was made public today.
The amount was determined by Velez-Malaga, southern Spain, court judge Laura Ruiz Alaminos.
He discovered that Ivana, who has two girls with her ex, had been in charge of all home maintenance.
She spent nearly all her time ‘essentially working in the home, which meant looking after the home and the family and all that involves,’ the divorce ruling stated.
Speaking to Cadena Ser radio, Ivana claimed her husband wanted her solely to work within the home or occasionally within gyms he owned, where she handled ‘public relations and acted as a monitor’.
She told the radio station: ‘I have dedicated myself exclusively to housework, looking after my husband and the house.
‘He made me take on the specific role’ of doing domestic chores, to the extent that ‘I was in a place where I couldn’t really do much else.’
The marriage between Ivana and her husband was governed by a separation of property regime.
It meant that the earnings of each party was theirs alone.
As a result, the arrangement ‘would have left Ms Moral with no access to any of the wealth acquired through years of partnership’, i reports.
She told the newspaper: ‘Clearly this was a case of abuse to be completely excluded financially (by my ex-husband) with nothing left after my marriage ended, so me and my daughters were left with nothing after all these years of putting all my time, energy and love in the family.
‘I was supporting my husband in his work and in the family as a mother and a father. I was never allowed access to his financial affairs; everything was in his name.’
Her ex, who had aimed to divide their home and possessions following a divorce , is likely to appeal the decision.
He must also pay her a pension equivalent to £444 per month as well as £356 and £533 to his two daughters, who are now aged 20 and 14.
On the occasion of her 33rd birthday anniversary, broadcaster Serwaa Amihere witnessed friends, colleagues, and followers celebrating her life and achievements as a young media personality.
Serwaa, who marks her birthday on International Women’s Day, March 8, topped social media trends with her iconic photos.
The celebrant’s white dress gave her a divine look that highlighted her beauty and gracious smile.
Testifying the Lord’s goodness in an Instagram post, the famous broadcaster wrote: “…and God continues to show me Mercy and Grace. May I see many more years of such blessings.”
The viral photos have been accompanied by good wishes and special prayers for Serwaa, who is known for her love of fashion and the finest things in life.
The second edition of ‘BolgaWeDey’, an exhibition that attracts local businesses and micro enterprises has been held in Bolgatanga, the Upper East Regional capital.
Organised by Offshore Events, an event planning and advertising company and a subsidiary of the Youth Network for Societal Transformation, a Non-Governmental Organisation, the ‘BolgaWeDey’ exhibition fair seeks to present local micro and small enterprises with the opportunity to showcase their products and network for market linkages.
Dealers in various products including baskets, leather works, traditional food, local organic food products, traditional and Ghanaian wear such as smock among others converged at the GHANASS hotel to showcase their products.
The event was also part of efforts to mark Ghana Month which calls on all Ghanaians to patronise made in Ghana products to help boost local businesses and grow the economy.
Mr Christopher Kevin Asima, the Executive Director, Offshore Events, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, noted that the ‘BolgaWeDey’ exhibition fair which was free was part of a bigger agenda to organise a festival in the coming year.
He said the idea was to give opportunity to people from the region who were producing local products using the local raw materials available in the region to exhibit their products and build linkages to grow their businesses.
“It is open to any product especially those who are producing things in the Upper East Region, that is, the production must be done here in the region but if your production is not done here but then the raw materials for whatever you are producing, hail from Upper East Region, you are allowed to exhibit,” he said.
Mr Asima explained that as part of the fair, the Offshore Event was targeting at identifying challenges and weaknesses including packaging, marketing and advertisement among other businesses and assist them to address them for improved patronage.
“Last year, we spoke to a number of them and connected them to people that could get companies to brand their products and we have achieved that because when you look at these products, you will see that the packaging has improved,” he said.
Going forward, he said, businesses would be supported to digitise their products especially with the use of social media to ensure that their products could sell on the international market and easily be accessed, adding “this will help get companies that can support them to expand their businesses”.
Mr Rex Asanga, the Chief Executive for the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly, lauded the organisers of the exhibition and said it would help give exposure to the numerous potentials of the region to the international community.
He said the Assembly was working to create enabling environment for local businesses to thrive so as to contribute to the growth of the local economy and urged the business owners to take advantage of such opportunities to increase sales.
Mr Matthew Naamlebna Akayeti, the Founder of Hights Enterprise, who uses groundnuts, sesame, baobab seeds among others to produce oil, noted that some of the major challenges facing local small businesses were the issue of capital to expand and the bureaucratic nature of acquiring and renewing licenses from the Ghana Standards Authority and the Food and Drugs Authority.
He therefore called for support to help expand their businesses as well as appealed to the institutions to make acquiring of licenses flexible to help businesses to grow.
This “horrifying” video captures the moment an electric motorcycle battery made of lithium ion material detonated, starting a house fire that required hospitalization for five persons.
A resident in Illingworth, Halifax, is seen in the video hurrying downstairs in the middle of the night after hearing popping noises.
A few seconds later, the battery blows up, igniting the living room and causing the home to catch fire.
Following the blaze, which started on February 24 at around 1am, five people who were present in the building at the time were brought to the hospital.
All of them got smoke inhalation, and one additionally had mouth and windpipe burns.
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) has now warned people of the dangers of lithium batteries and urged them not to leave them charging unattended.
Watch manager John Cavalier said: ‘While fires involving lithium batteries are common, having a video showing the violence of the fire’s development is not.
‘It’s clear to see in the video that the fire is absolutely horrifying – none of us would want this to happen in our homes.’
He said the popping sound indicated the e-motorbike batteries were failing due to ‘thermal runway’ – when too much heat is generated within a battery.
WM Cavalier went on: ‘Because lithium batteries can be found in a range of items, we frequently attend fires involving them. They can be found in cars, bikes, scooters, laptops, phones, and e-cigarettes, amongst many other items.
‘Any other type of fire we deal with has usually developed slowly, and people are able to get out quickly. However, battery fires are so ferocious and spread so quickly that there isn’t as much time to escape.
‘To help keep everyone in your family safe, don’t leave lithium batteries to charge unattended, don’t put them in the way of exits or in hallways and unplug chargers when the batteries are at full capacity.
‘I’d like to thank the owner of the house who gave us permission to use the video – it clearly shows the dangers associated with lithium batteries and could help to save lives in West Yorkshire.’
WYFRS’s lithium battery safety advice
Always use the correct and branded charger for the battery.
Buy the correct and branded replacement battery for the device.
Do not use batteries with damaged casings, or casings that may be damaged.
Do not use batteries that appear swollen or appear to have deformed in any way.
Avoid storing, using, or charging batteries at very high or low temperatures.
Don’t leave batteries continuously on charge. Once the charging cycle is complete, remove the battery from the charger.
Charge batteries away from combustible items and preferably where they can be monitored.
Never cover chargers or charging devices, for example a laptop and/or its power pack on or under bedding.
When travelling by air, lithium batteries must be carried in your hand luggage.
Don’t leave batteries unattended or charge them anywhere that blocks your exits.
