The prime minister said unrestricted access to the UK and the EU single market under the Windsor Framework would create the ‘world’s most exciting economic zone’, on a visit to Belfast.
After telling the DUP in Northern Ireland that the new “Stormont Brake,” which puts a stop to important new EU regulations, would allow them to resume power-sharing in the province, he was scheduled to meet with Tory MPs last night to assuage any skeptics.
Mr Sunak said: ‘Northern Ireland is in the unique position in the entire world in having privileged access, not just to the UK home market, which is enormous, but also the European Union single market.
‘Nobody else has that. No one. Only you guys, only here, and that is the prize.’
The PM is likely to win a promised vote on the deal among MPs and ministers said it would be ‘very disappointing’ if it was rejected by the DUP.
Rishi Sunak greets Ursula von der Leyen at latest Brexit talks
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DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson said ‘progress has been made’ addressing its concerns but the party would wait ‘as long as it takes’ to decide on a response. Mr Sunak’s deal, signed on Monday with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, reduces paperwork for goods between Northern Ireland and the UK, while allowing the province to trade freely with the EU.
But critics questioned why the rest of the UK could not have single market access.
Theresa May’s former chief adviser Gavin Barwell tweeted: ‘The government is going to have to explain why if Northern Ireland’s position is so good it would be so bad for the rest of us.’
Mr Sunak’s spokesman said: ‘Because of our respect for the Good Friday Agreement, Northern Ireland’s unique position means it needs to have access to both markets, not least to avoid a border on the island of Ireland.’
After her appearance at a march in Germany in January against the construction of a coal mine, the Swedish activist has been photographed being dragged away by police twice in the past two months.
Following today’s protest in Oslo, Greta and the other participants were briefly detained before being released. She was holding a red, blue, yellow, and green Sámi flag.
The demonstrators were calling for the removal of wind turbines from reindeer pastures on land belonging to the Sámi, an indigenous group living in central and northern Norway, Sweden and Finland, as well as parts of Russia.
Supporters say the transition to green energy should not come at the expense of Sámi rights.
In 2021, Norway’s supreme court ruled that two wind farms at Fosen, near Trondheim, violated the indigenous people’s rights under international conventions.
However, the turbines remain in operation 16 months later.
Reindeer herders say the sight and sound of the giant machinery frighten their animals.
In recent days, Greta joined protestors blocking access to some government buildings.
Greta Thunberg joined other protestors who blocked access to the energy ministry building yesterday (Picture: AP)The activist was briefly detained by Norwegian police before she was released (Picture: EPA)
The increased focus on the issue led the energy minister Terje Aasland decided to call off an official visit to the UK.
In an interview with Reuters yesterday, Greta said: ‘Indigenous rights, human rights, must go hand-in-hand with climate protection and climate action.
‘That can’t happen at the expense of some people. Then it is not climate justice.’
The images of the 20-year-old being lifted by police echoed January’s protest at Luetzerath, near Dusseldorf.
Demonstrators gathered at the abandoned German village to try and prevent the expansion of the Garzweiler coal mine by energy company RWE.
Ghanaian actor and politician, John Dumelo has expressed his displeasure with Ghana’s 66th Independence Day Celebration amid the economic downturn.
According to the 2020 parliamentary candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency, the current state of the country does not make it favourable to commemorate such an event.
He said this in his tweet on Monday, March 1, 2023.
The actor has since called on President Nana Akufo-Addo to call off the event earmarked to observe the day Ghana gained independence.
He added that calling off the celebrations and marking the day with a televised address from the President will help save money for the country.
“Greetings @NAkufoAddo, respectfully we are in hard times, can you please cancel all state, regional, and district Independence Day celebrations? You can do your usual ‘fellow Ghanaians’ broadcast on tv. This will save us millions of cedis. Thanks so much,” he requested.
Ghana’s 66th Independence Day celebration will commence on Monday, March 6, 2023.
The celebration which would be under the theme: “Our Unity; Our Strength; Our Purpose”, would be honoured by thousands from across the country and the world.
The day is scheduled to be marked with national and regional activities including the main ceremony which will be held in the Volta Regional capital of Ho.
During the launch of the event, the Chairman of the National Planning Committee, Lord Commey, disclosed that the President of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embaló would grace the parade as the special guest of honor.
However, President Akufo-Addo together with some dignitaries are also expected to be at the event where he will deliver an address.
Greetings @NAkufoAddo, respectfully we are in hard times, can you please cancel all state, regional and district Independence Day celebrations? You can do your usual “fellow Ghanaians” broadcast on tv. This will save us millions of cedis. Thanks so much.
The engagement ring of the century (yes, the same sapphire sparkler that Kate Middleton now wears) made its debut when Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer announced their engagement on the grounds outside of Buckingham Palace.
First Date As An Engaged Couple
Princess Di looked absolutely gorgeous in a strapless black dress during her first night out as an engaged woman. The pair, who announced their engagement just two weeks earlier, were attending a recital at London’s Goldsmith’s Hall.Central Press//Getty Images
A Very Important Approval
Practice Makes Perfect
Diana and Charles are seen leaving St. Paul’s Cathedral after their first wedding rehearsal on June 12, 1981—47 days before the big day. Hey, if you were getting married in front of the entire world, you’d want lots of practice too.Tim Graham//Getty Images
The Final Dress Fitting
Diana is seen leaving Emanuel’s after the final fitting for her wedding dress a week before the big day.Hulton Archive//Getty Images
The Dress…
Husband and wife designers David and Elizabeth Emanuel were tapped to design Lady Di’s dreamy taffeta gown. The designs were kept secret until the day of the ceremony when the press was given a sketch of what they’d see on the steps of St. Paul’s Cathedral.Central Press//Getty Images
…And Accessories to Match
As with any outfit, the dress just wouldn’t be the same without the accessories. This sketch shows Princess Diana’s heart slippers, created by Clive Shilton, along with the tiny golden horseshoe design sewn into her gown for good luck. And don’t forget the lacy umbrella and pochette.PA Images//Getty Images
Flower Power
This sketch by the Worshipful Company of Gardeners shows the design of her bouquet. The long, flowing collection of flowers—which stood at 42 inches high and weighed a little over 4 pounds—became one of the most memorable in royal wedding history for a reason.PA Images//Getty Images
More Practice
This time, Diana and Charles leave the church only two days before their wedding.Tim Graham//Getty Images
The Spectators
Crowds camped out along the procession route the night before the wedding to ensure a good view.Fox Photos//Getty Images
The Celebrations Begin…
A firework display took place over London on the eve of Charles and Diana’s wedding on July 28, 1981. Princess Diana Archive//Getty Images
…And Continue the Next Morning
On their wedding day, celebrations were seen throughout the United Kingdom. In Wales, the Royal Air Force performed a formation of the Prince of Wales Feathers over Caernarfon Castle.PA Images//Getty Images
The Party Keeps Going
Celebrations continued throughout the area, including Liverpool’s Chinatown. Here, the Lian Dancing Troupe performs a special routine in honor of the newlyweds.Mirrorpix//Getty Images
The Royal Fans
Remember those campers? They lined the streets with British flags and decorations, hoping to get a glimpse at the couple upon their arrival.Princess Diana Archive//Getty Images
Messages From Supporters
They also relayed messages of support for the royal couple along the procession route.Graham Wiltshire//Getty Images
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The Worldwide Media Coverage
Press from every nation, including the United States, set up outposts to live broadcast the events. Here, Today hosts Willard Scott, Jane Pauley, and Tom Brokaw enjoy a spot of tea before the ceremony.NBC NewsWire//Getty Images
Double Take
While the bride in this snap looks identical to the real royal, she’s actually a lookalike posing for a TVsegment.NBC//Getty Images
Commemorative Gifts
After their engagement was announced, items with Prince Charles and Diana Spencer were everywhere. Commemorative mugs, towels, plates, you name it.Tim Graham//Getty Images
Jewels on Jewels
Speaking of gifts, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia gifted the royal couple with jewelry. Pictured here are the green malachite pieces crafted for the Prince and Princess of Wales.PA Images//Getty Images
A Ton of Photographers
Can you imagine driving past all this before your wedding?
The Archbishop Arrives
Robert Runcie, the Archbishop of Canterbury, was one of the most important people at the royal wedding. He not only performed the ceremony, but was instrumental in the planning.Fox Photos//Getty Images
The Cathedral Begins to Fill Up
Wedding guests were shown to assigned seats by ushers as St. Paul’s Cathedral prior to the bride and groom’s arrival. Sure, the venue was packed, but 750 million more people were watching worldwide.Fox Photos//Getty Images
Princess Margaret and Ann Arrive
Two of the most stylish royals, Princess Anne and Princess Margaret, arrived first and did not disappoint. Those colors! Those coordinating fascinators!Princess Diana Archive//Getty Images
The Queen Arrives
Queen Elizabeth looked flawless as mother of the groom in a light blue coat dress and matching fascinator.Princess Diana Archive//Getty Images
The Bridesmaids Make Their Entrance
Princess Diana’s bridesmaids were treated like royalty (granted, some of them were royalty), arriving in a gold carriage.Princess Diana Archive//Getty Images
Lots of Royals Attended…
The day’s festivities drew some of the most important royals from around the world—including Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly.PA Images//Getty Images
…Including American Royalty
First Lady Nancy Reagan wore a blush outfit to the nuptials.Bettmann//Getty Images
Prince Charles Arrives Next
Prince Charles waves to the excited crowds along the processional—an appropriate response to the many people who camped out ahead of his wedding.Keystone//Getty Images
A Glimpse of the Bride
There are few moments more anticipated by the public than this one. Princess Diana arrived at St. Paul’s Cathedral and everyone finally got to see her dress.Princess Diana Archive//Getty Images
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The Long Train Makes Its Debut
When the bride stepped out of the carriage, she revealed a 25-foot-long train and veil. Absolutely breathtaking.PA Images//Getty Images
The Bridesmaids Get to Work
After folding a 25-foot taffeta train into a small carriage, it fell on the bridesmaids to make sure everything was sorted out before Diana processed up the steps of St. Paul’s Cathedral.Tim Graham//Getty Images
Charles Waits for the Bride
Prince Charles patiently waits for Diana to arrive while flanked by his brothers, who were also his groomsmen.PA Images//Getty Images
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The Long, Long Walk
Diana and her father make their way to the altar. Take a closer at the Spencer Tiara—yes, she wore her own family jewels for her big day.Anwar Hussein//Getty Images
A Packed Church
Serge Lemoine//Getty Images
View From the Back
St. Paul’s Cathedral made for a stunning venue for the ceremony.David Levenson//Getty Images
A Curtsy for the Queen
Every bride wants to impress their mother-in-law, but when your mother-in-law also happens to be the Queen, it’s customary to give a curtsy upon seeing her.Tim Graham//Getty Images
Following Up Behind
Sarah Armstrong-Jones, a.k.a. Princess Margaret and the Earl of Snowdon’s daughter, was the chief bridesmaid.Keystone//Getty Images
The Bridesmaids Watch On
Princess Diana had a total of five bridesmaids: Clementine Hambro, Catherine Cameron, Sarah-Jane Gaselee, India Hicks, and Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones. Sarah was even trusted with holding Diana’s bouquet!Mirrorpix//Getty Images
The Spencers Sit in the Front Row
Only a few of Diana’s family members are given the front pew in the cathedral. After walking Diana down the aisle, her father, the Earl of Spencer, took his seat next to his ex-wife, their son Charles, and his mother-in-law, Lady Fermoy.Serge Lemoine//Getty Images
On Monday night, the pair was taken into custody in Brighton.
After over two months on the run, they were apprehended on accusations of child maltreatment and are still being held in police custody.
Teams are frantically searching a sizable area between Brighton and Newhaven in an effort to locate the baby, who has been missing since his birth in early January and has not received any medical care.
Mark Gordon and Constance Marten were arrested on Monday night (Picture: Shutterstock)Police officers and teams from London Search and Rescue at Wild Park Local Nature Reserve todayMore than 200 officers have been urgently searching an area of seven miles by 13 miles for the baby
This morning, officers from London Search and Rescue could be seen in orange hi-vis jackets searching Moulsecoomb Wild Park.
The wooded nature reserve is around a mile from where Marten and Gordon were arrested.
Officers, some wearing jackets indicating they were dog handlers, searched underneath sticks and logs close to where the area meets Hollingbury Golf Course.
At the start of each section of their searches, one shouted: ‘Are we ready? Look behind you, and let’s get going’ before they walked in a line, scouring the area.
A uniformed officer was seen standing guard at the entrance to the park, with dog walkers saying they saw police tape cordoning off parts of the woodland.
Mark Gordon and Constance Marten evaded capture for weeks on end (Picture: PA)A police search team works through an allotment area (Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images)
In a press conference yesterday, police said they still ‘hold hope’ that the missing baby is still alive, but have warned ‘risk to the child is extremely high’.
A Met Police spokesperson said: ‘Whilst we hold hope that the baby is still alive, we agree that the risk to the baby is extremely high.
‘More than 200 officers have been engaged in the search and officers arrived within 6 minutes after the 999 call yesterday that led to the arrests of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon.’
Police have also searched every shed at the Roedale Valley Allotments near where Marten and Gordon were arrested and will remain on site for some time.
An entry on the allotments society Facebook page said officers had forced entry to outbuildings as the hunt for the two-month-old baby continues.
A huge search focused on Roedale Valley Allotments in West Sussex. Locals have been urged to remain ‘vigilent’ in aiding the search.
The couple had avoided police since the infant was born in early January.
They moved around the country, paying for everything in cash and covering their faces when on CCTV.
But a tip-off led to them being detained at around 9.30pm on Monday by officers from Sussex Police in Stanmer Villas.
CCTV footage had showed Marten and Gordon walking past a row of houses in Brighton, both with their hoods up, prior to their arrest.
A neighbour told The Sun the ‘suspicious’ couple walked by her house at 8.40pm with no shopping bags, then returned at 9.25pm carrying two bags of food from a shop.
Walking behind Marten, Gordon can be seen carrying what appears to be a large metal pipe, and can be heard ‘shouting’ at her.
Ghana’s cedi, the world’s second-worst performing currency this year, is heading for more pain after the West African nation missed a self-imposed deadline to restructure its bilateral debt and move closer to tapping foreign aid.
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta wanted to reach a restructuring agreement with bilateral creditors by the end of February to help qualify for a $3 billion International Monetary Fund program.
So far, Ghana has only partially completed the domestic-debt part of the exchange program.
The cedi has slumped 21% against the dollar in 2023, the worst performer among more than 100 currencies tracked by Bloomberg after the Lebanese pound.
Still, the missed deadline doesn’t automatically derail the talks. Rather, it highlights the difficulties Ghana faces as it tries to reduce its debt load and contend with critics ranging from international bondholders to local trade unions.
“For the foreseeable future the cedi will continue to be volatile until we are able to make substantial progress on the external debt restructuring front,” Kweku Arkoh-Koomson, an economist at Databank Group, said by phone.
“The IMF deal is what will cause a clear stability in the cedi,” he added.
Ghana is trying to restructure most of its public debt, estimated at 576 billion cedis ($45 billion) at the end of November. Local bondholders have been asked to voluntarily exchange 130 billion cedis of debt for new bonds that will pay between 8.35% and 15% interest, compared with an average of 19% on old bonds.
Ghana stands to ask external creditors to write off as much as 50% of the debt it owes them — far higher than the 30% the government initially considered, S&P Global Ratings said in a report Tuesday.
“Uncertainty on when the rest of the restructuring will be completed” is influencing cedi volatility, said Courage Boti, an economist at Accra-based GCB Capital Ltd. “To the extent that those things are hanging in the balance now — in that timelines are not very certain — the volatility of the cedi will continue.”
To date, local investors have exchanged 87.8 billion cedis, or 67.5% of bonds under restructuring, for new securities, against an overall target of 80%. The country will have to reorganize obligations owed to local pension funds to complete the domestic exchange, a move that’s running into criticism from trade unions.
The government aims to start “substantive” discussions with international bondholders and their advisers in the coming weeks, Ofori-Atta said last month, offering Eurobond holders some losses while seeking to reschedule payments on bilateral obligations.
Although Musk owns a number of businesses, the majority of his money is invested in his electric car company Tesla. Elon Musk has once more outdueled other billionaires to reclaim his position as the richest man in the world.
The electric car manufacturer Tesla’s stock increased 100% in January, increasing the billionaire’s net worth to $186 billion (£154 billion), according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, and things are looking up for him.
In December, Musk lost the title of the world’s richest person to fashion titan Bernard Arnault, according to Forbes’ real-time wealth tracker.
Musk and Arnault, who owns Louis Vuitton’s parent company LVMH, have lately been neck and neck for the top spot.
Arnault and his family became the richest people in the world as their fortune leapt to $185.4 billion. Their current net worth stands at $184 billion, just a few billion short of Musk’s.
Elon Musk has once again wrestled his way to the top of the billionaire race to retake the title of the world’s richest person
If you’re getting a sense of deja vu, it’s because Musk did the same in 2022 and 2021 when he blew past rival Jeff Bezos to attain the rank of world’s richest person.
Musk owns a number of companies but the bulk of his wealth is tied up in his electric car company Tesla.
Last year, the Tesla co-founder slipped from the top of the billionaire’s list as shares in the automaker declined.
Musk kicked off the year by becoming the first person in history to lose approximately $2 billion. He even set a world record for the largest loss of personal fortune in history according to the Guinness World Records.
Now, an increased investor demand and customer interest in his recently discounted Tesla models, and a better economic forecast, have propped up his fortunes.
In November, Musk hinted at the possibility of Twitter going bankrupt
Musk made his debut on the Forbes list of billionaires in 2012 with an estimated net worth of $2 billion.
Currently, SpaceX is his most valuable company in which he has a $44.8 billion stake.
Besides Tesla and Twitter, which he bought for $44 billion last year, Musk also heads rocket company SpaceX and Neuralink, a startup developing interfaces to connect the human brain to computers.
Charterhouse, organizers of the Annual Vodafone Ghana Music Awards, have announced the date of the 24th Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA).
Referred to as Ghana’s biggest music night, the 24th VGMA is announced to come off on Saturday, 13th May 2023, at the Grand Arena of the Accra International Conference Centre. The event will air live across Ghana on TV3, and across Africa and the world via affiliate media platforms.
Follow Ghana Music Awards on social media – Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – for updates on every information on VGMA, as we build up to the climax of music’s biggest night in Ghana.
The 24th VGMA is produced by Charterhouse, with media partnership from TV3 and proudly brought to you by Vodafone.
Multiple hit making songwriter, Lasmid born Nathaniel Owusu has stated that stardom has not changed him in anyway since he became famous.
“To me I have not changed in anyway but still remain the same person since I became famous after getting my multiple hit songs,” he said as MyNewsGh.com sighted.
Speaking to Amansan Krakye via Showbiz on Property FM, the ‘Friday Night’ crooner said he’s not the outgoing type of person and normally likes staying home doing his own thing.
He continued “I’m that boy who likes to stay indoors more often doing my own thing and learning at the same time but I only come out unless I have a show to perform at.
He added “It’s not like I’m not sociable but not everyone likes doing things in the midst of people though I like being with people but I don’t go out more often.
“I’m not the kind of person who likes going out on the regular because I prefer being indoors doing my own thing but I once in a while I go out to have fun a bit,” he ended on Property Radio in Cape Coast.
Ghanaian musician, Nathaniel Owusu popularly known with the stage name Lasmid has revealed how he ended up with the most unique hairstyle in the music scene.
He told Amansan Krakye the host “I looked at a lot of musicians and the kind of hairstyles that they were having when I was coming into the music scene.
“At that time Stonebwoy had a certain kind of hairstyle like the dreadlocks, Kwesi Arthur and Strongman also had the same thing,” he added.
He continued “So when I looked at their hairstyles I realized if I do mine like them we will all be having similar or the same hairstyles.
“That’s when I thought that why don’t I do it a different way for my hairstyle to stand up but I don’t know how my hair ended up this way,” he said via Showbiz on Property FM.
During an interview on Cape Coast-based Property Radio, Lasmid disclosed that he was determined to have a different hairstyle when he came into the showbiz industry.
“That determination that I had from the beginning, that’s how my hairstyle ended up this way as you can see,” he revealed in an interview monitored by MyNewsGh.com.
Ghanaian television and radio presenter Deloris Frimpong Manso, popularly known as Delay, has urged her followers not to let the internet rush them, stating that life is not a competition.
She said that life works for individuals in their own time zones.
Delay also reminded her followers that everyone runs their race in their own time and that success does not have a fixed timeline.
She used examples of people who achieved success at different stages of their lives, including those who became CEOs at an early age, those who waited years before securing a good job, and those who got married or remained single, to cement her point.
Delay concluded by encouraging netizens to wait for the right moment to act, being well aware that they were on time.
The post comes after the news of Mona4Reall’s alleged fraud case and ten years of sentencing, which has been circulating on social media.
The Ghanaian musician, whose real name is Mona Faiz Montrage, is yet to make any official statement regarding the allegations.
“Guys, don’t let the internet rush you oooooo!!!!! Life is not a competition!!! Life is working for you in your own time zone. You’re not too late or too early. I read this some time ago…
“New York is three hours ahead of California, but that doesn’t make California slow. Someone graduated at the age of 22 but waited five years before securing a good job. Someone became a CEO at 25 and died at 50. While another became a CEO at 50 and lived to 90 years. Someone is still single, While someone else got married.
“Obama retired at 55, and Trump started at 70. People around you might seem to be ahead of you, and some might seem to be behind you. But everyone is running their own race, in their own time. Life is about waiting for the right moment to act. You are very much on time.”
In response to an alleged Ukrainian sabotage gang that has “taken hostages” in Russia, Vladimir Putin is anticipated to convene a meeting of his national security council today.
Unverified reports out of Moscow claim that up to 50 Ukrainians crossed the border in the Bryansk area.
‘An armed group of Ukrainian nationalists’ had penetrated, according to the Federal Security Service, which said in a statement to Russian news media that both its own forces and the army were attempting to exterminate them.
Some disinformation experts have already branded this as propaganda on Twitter, and a ‘possible false flag operation and disinformation campaign’ coming from the Kremlin.
Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to Volodymyr Zelensky, also stressed this was ‘classic deliberate provocation’ from the invader.
In a statement on Twitter, he said: ‘Russia wants to scare its people to justify the attack on another country and the growing poverty after the year of war.
‘The partisan movement in Russia is getting stronger and more aggressive. Fear your partisans.’
Details remain unclear, but Bryansk governor Alexander Bogomaz said they had shot and killed one person.
‘Today, a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group penetrated the Klimovsky district in the village of Lubechanye,’ Bogomaz said on his Telegram channel.
‘Saboteurs fired on a moving car. As a result of the attack, one resident was killed and a 10-year-old child was wounded.’
He said Ukrainian armed forces had launched a drone attack and fired artillery shells at other areas near the border.
The state-owned RIA Novosti news agency reported on its Telegram channel that Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Putin cancelled a planned trip to Stavropol ‘due to the situation in the Bryansk region’.
The president told the FSB this week that it needed to step up its guard against espionage and what he called terrorist threats emanating from Ukraine and the West.
‘Your task is to put a barrier in the way of sabotage groups, to stop attempts to illegally transport weapons and ammunition into Russia,’ he said in a speech on Tuesday.
Ghanaian historian, Nana Osei-Bonsu Sarfo-Kantanka has called on managers of educational institutions across the country to desist from punishing students who speak local languages while in school.
He said they should be encouraged to speak the local languages to better understand the culture and heritage of the country.
The historian attributed his point to the fact that some foreign countries prioritise their local languages, thereby requiring that a person upon arrival in the country speak and understand the language.
Speaking to KMJ on Prime Morning, he said, “If you go to school, it is written ‘Speak English.’ If you spoke the local dialect, you would be spanked. All these things must be removed.”
“If you go to India, you have to learn Hindi to be able to study at the university. Why can’t we learn from them?” He quizzed.
Despite the fact that English is an international language that cannot be abolished, Nana Osei-Bonsu opined that it could be blended with the local languages so as to activate the country’s heritage.
He also believes that the Ghanaian languages are likely to fade out as generations pass, if parents do not insist on speaking the local dialects with their children.
Nana Osei-Bonsu encouraged people to make efforts and speak their local languages at all levels to maintain the cultural heritage of the country and its relevance.
“Even if just twenty people are speaking the language, it should be encouraged at all levels. If we’re able to do that, gradually ours will take over the so-called international language.” In our houses, parents should be serious and speak our local languages with their children,” he entreated.
The country celebrates Ghana throughout the month of March every year to commemorate her Independence. The historian thinks that people’s enthusiasm for the celebration is depleting as the years evolve.
He believes people’s interest is dwindling because most designers in recent times are adding foreign products to their designs.
The historian also indicated that opinion leaders can be blamed for the low interest of the people as they have failed to insist on the involvement of local languages in the school curricula.
As to whether the late Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah would have maintained the country’s heritage if he were alive, Nana Osei-Bonsu said, “Who knows that he would have kept doing what he was doing because politicians are dictated to.”
However, Ghanaians are encouraged to project the culture globally by wearing locally made designs, eating Ghanaian food, and speaking the local languages among others, throughout the month of March.
Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Joseph Boahen Aidoo, has inaugurated a nine-member reconstituted national committee to promote the local consumption of cocoa.
He said while Ghana had made remarkable progress culminating in the significant increase in the per capita consumption from 0.5kg in 2017 to 1kg now, more effort was needed to match local consumption with increased annual production.
“Despite the doubling of our consumption rate over the past six years, our best has not been enough. We cannot be producing so much cocoa and remain low on the league table of consumption of chocolates and cocoa based products, expecting that countries elsewhere will consume for us. That is a moral mistake. Charity, they say, begins at home,” he said.
“Whilst pushing forward the agenda of scaling up productivity, there must be a corresponding effort at increasing local value addition to stimulating consumption of cocoa and ultimately better remunerate our hardworking cocoa farmers,” Mr Aidoo said.
The many Productivity Enhancement Programmes being implemented across the cocoa growing areas have led to an annual production of around 800,000 metric tonnes on average.
The global chocolate industry, from the bean to the bar, is estimated at between US$130 billion and US$150 billion. However, only between 6 per cent and 6.6 per cent of the projected amount comes to the producers – an indication that the real value of cocoa is in processing and value addition.
He said the government and COCOBOD had, over the past 5 years, made concerted efforts towards pursuing the 50 per cent processing policy to ensure that, at least, half of the annual cocoa output is processed locally.
The COCOBOD AfCFTA Cocoa Consumption Committee has also been working tirelessly with local processors to ensure that we smoothly penetrate the African market, he said.
The committee will develop a strategy document for the generic promotion of cocoa consumption in the country and come out with programmes and activities that would create and increase national awareness of the health and nutritional benefits of cocoa as well as identify and implement specific programmes, which will sustain a nationwide cocoa consumption drive.
Mr Aidoo urges the new members of the Committee to give off their best to help create the necessary awareness about the health and nutritional benefits of cocoa and inculcate the habit of consumption in Ghanaians.
Mr Stephen Boafo, the Chairman of the Committee, said there was a need for a policy change and a strong commitment from the authorities.
“We have seen an indication of that commitment and we will at this point seek the full support and sponsorship for the various initiatives the committee will propose,” he said.
“When the industry improves, the benefits will be for all. it shall create employment, bring in foreign exchange, media houses will get adverts, packaging companies will get businesses, transport and delivery companies will not be left out,” he added.
He pledged on behalf of the committee to deliver on the goals to meet expectations.
Former President John Mahama has vowed to scrap ex-gratia if given the nod in the upcoming 2024 elections.
Speaking at the launch of his campaign, Mr Mahama explained that this will be part of measures to ensure financial prudence during his administration.
“The payment of ex-gratia to members of the Executive under article 71 will be scrapped. And the necessary Constitutional steps to abolish that payment will start in earnest in 2025,” he said.
Ex-gratia payments are regarded as part of the end-of-service benefits for a certain class of public servants — and it is paid every four years.
The category of workers who benefit from ex-gratia payment is Article 71 office holders made up of the President, the Vice President, the Speaker of Parliament, the Chief Justice and other Justices of the Supreme Court of the country.
The rest are Parliamentarians, Ministers of State, political appointees and public servants with salaries charged to the Consolidated Fund, but enjoying special Constitutional privileges.
There have been conflicting arguments about the essence of the payment of ex-gratia to Article 71 Office holders, with some commentators and Governance experts describing the practice as an “unfair arrangement.”
The debate resurrected when it emerged that Togbe Afede, the Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State, returned an amount of GHS350,000 paid to him as ex-gratia for serving as a Member of the Council of State.
Togbe Afede described the amount as “outrageous” saying it was “inappropriate for a short, effectively part-time work.”
Mr Mahama has also assured Ghanaians that ex-gratia will become a thing of the past.
“We will also begin the process of persuading the other arms of government other than the executive to accept the removal of these ex-gratia payments,” he mentioned.
A coroner has determined that the death of the first infant to die from Covid in the UK was caused by the misplacement of a breathing tube.
On March 26, 2020, Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab, then 13 years old, was transported to King’s College Hospital in London with symptoms that included fever, coughing, and vomiting.
His family was unable to visit him when he was transferred to intensive care the next day due to hospital procedures in effect at the time.
Ismail, from Brixton in south-west London, died of acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by coronavirus pneumonia on March 30 – three days after he tested positive.
Images of his funeral, which the family were unable to attend as they were self-isolating, circulated widely in the early days of the Covid lockdown.
They showed his coffin being lowered into a grave by four people wearing white protective clothing, gloves and face masks.
Hours before Ismail’s death, an endotracheal tube (ET) used to help patients breathe was found to be in the wrong position and a decision was made by a consultant in paediatric intensive care to leave it and monitor him.
Senior Coroner Andrew Harris said: ‘I am satisfied that he (Ismail) would not have died when he did were it not for the tube misplacement.’
He said some party members who are not happy with what the NPP has done NDC members and want the party to pay them back in similar fashion should they win power in 2024, should not think like that and instead prioritise the overall interest of the party.
“There is no need to seek for political power to repeat NPP’s mistakes,” he said.
Former President Mahama made the remarks while launching his campaign bid to contest the flagbearer role of the NDC in Ho in the Volta Region.
He was of the view that there is no need to come to power with the mindset of vindictiveness as it has been done by the Akufo-Addo-led administration.
MP for Subin Constituency in the Ashanti Region, Eugene Boakye Antwi wants to know what is special about Finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, that, he is still occupying the office despite the numerous calls for his dismissal or resignation.
The Member of Parliament says there are equally people in the New Patriotic Party that have the capacity to run affairs at the ministry.
The former Works and Housing minister’s outburst come on the back of the suffering Ofori-Atta’s stewardship has subjected Ghanaians to, but still occupying the office as if there were no men in the party who can oversee the Ghanaian economy.
According to him, it still boggles the minds of many as to why the President’s cousin is still the one leading negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the $3 billion bailout whilst Ghanaians have expressed their discontentment with his leadership.
Mr. Boakye Antwi who joined a couple of MPs from the Majority caucus few months ago to demand the Finance Minister’s dismissal or resignation has averred the fact that Mr. Ofori-Atta has been able to manage a bank does not guarantee that he can manage an economy like Ghana since the two are different.
He opined there are men in the NPP with common sense who have become MPs and can equally be Finance ministers.
Eugene Boakye Antwi was speaking on Accra-based Citi TV with Umaru Sanda Amadu.
“What is so special about Ken Ofori-Atta that the ordinary NPP member doesn’t have?
“We cannot all run banks but some of us have common sense, that is why we are Members of Parliament.”
“When I go to Subin, I see poverty, I see hardship, and I see people suffering and all these are due to the economy and the person running the economy,” he said on Face to Face.
Emma Pattison, the head teacher of Epsom College, passed away from “shock, hemorrhage, and shotgun wounds to the chest and abdomen,” according to an inquest.
The 45-year-old woman who is thought to have been killed by her husband George passed away following the February incident on the school grounds.
Lettie, her seven-year-old daughter, passed away from a “shotgun wound to the head,” according to the findings of an inquest at Surrey Coroner’s Court.
Emma’s husband, George Pattison, 39, died of a ‘shotgun wound to the head’ the inquest was told earlier this week.
Opening the inquest into Mr Pattison’s death on Tuesday, coroner Simon Wickens said: ‘I would like to offer my deepest sympathies to George’s wider family at this difficult time.’
Mr Wickens today expressed his condolences to those who loved or knew Mrs Pattison and Lettie, whose full name was Ellette Francesca.
After the brief hearing into Mrs Pattison’s death, Mr Wickens said: ‘I would like to offer my condolences to Emma’s family and friends and also the wider community she served and also to the students whose lives she no doubt touched.’
Emma Pattison, 45, her husband George, 39, and their daughter Lettie, seven. (Picture: PA)
The coroner added: ‘I would like to offer my sincerest condolences to Ellette’s family and all who have been touched by her life.’
Toxicology and histology tests were carried out, while Mrs Pattison and Lettie were identified by their teeth, the court heard.
Earlier this week the court heard Mr Pattison’s post-mortem examination was done by Dr Ashley Fegan-Earle at East Surrey Hospital three days after the shooting, coroner’s officer Kelly Truss told Surrey Coroner’s Court.
The cause of death was given as a ‘shotgun wound to the head’, she said.
Following their deaths, Mrs Pattison and Lettie’s loved ones said: ‘To see the esteem in which Emma is held by all who knew her is an enormous comfort.
‘She was everything one could hope for in a daughter, sister, mother, wife, friend, teacher and so much more. We are an extremely close family and family was at the centre of Emma and Lettie’s universe.
Mrs Pattison was headteacher at Epsom College in SurreyEmma and her daughter Lettie
‘The Epsom College community had become part of that universe for them both.
‘Seven-year-old Lettie was Emma’s pride and joy: an adorable, vibrant little girl with a compelling curiosity, a heart-melting smile and an intellect beyond her years.
‘The two of them were inseparable and we take comfort in that they will remain so.
‘Emma had a warm, welcoming smile and sparkling, blue eyes, full of optimism. Over the last 11 days we’ve noticed the sky has been bright blue, with at times a warm glow of pink.’
The scene at Epsom College on February 6
The family’s statement also thanked well-wishers for their messages of support.
A firearm legally registered to Mr Pattison, 39, was found at the scene, Surrey Police said.
Live ammunition is not kept at the school rifle range, it has been reported.
Mr Wickens fixed a date for a pre-inquest review hearing on June 27.
School staff reportedly phoned emergency services after hearing gunshots tearing through the early morning silence on February 5.
Following the family’s deaths, a neighbour described Emma and Lottie both as a warm presence.
‘You used to hear her playing in the garden, she was always asking them questions and just seemed like a happy, inquisitive little girl,’ they told the Telegraph.
Another local woman said Lettie was particularly fond of her dog: ‘She was just a typical, well brought-up, lovely little girl. It’s just tragic.’
Officers confirmed the family’s pet Labrador, Bella, survived the ordeal and is being looked after by relatives.
A pre-inquest review hearing into the deaths has been set for June 27.
Some few years after Ghana gained independence from British colonial rule, the country adopted the cedi notes and pesewa coins to replace the Ghana pounds; shillings, and pence, on July 19, 1965.
Prior to this, the West African Currency Board was first adopted and used mainly for trading purposes across the sub-region in the early 1940s, all through to 1954.
Ghana at the present has adopted the cedi notes and coins as its legal tender.
But how did the country achieve this feat over the years?
In 1957, Ghana made the decision to formally leave the British Colonial Monetary System and adopt the widely accepted decimal system.
The newly-adopted cedi notes and pesewa coins at the time were equivalent to eight shillings and four pence (8s 4p) and bore the portrait of the country’s first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
The name ‘cedi’ was however derived from the Akan word ‘sedie’ meaning cowrie – a shell form of currency that gained popularity and wider circulation in the later part of the 19th century.
The ‘pesewa’ on the hand represented the smallest denomination of the gold-dust currency regime and its name was chosen to replace the British colonial penny.
The host of People & Places on GhanaWeb TV, Wonder Ami Hagan, got access, in 2022, to the newly-refurbished Ghana National Museum, which had specimen of currency notes from the colonial period to date.
A tour guide at the museum recounted that during independence, Ghana had its own currency which has since changed in phases until July 1, 2007, when the last currency was redenominated and changed by the John Agyekum Kufuor administration adpoting the mantra “the value will be the same”.
While some still argue on whether the cedi re-denomination indeed ensured its value remained the same, some analysts have said the move rather put the local currency back against the US Dollar.
The redenomination meant that about that ten thousand cedis is now equivalent to one Ghana cedi.
The government and the Bank of Ghana at the time said the re-denomination was due to the increasing difficulty in maintaining accounting and statistical records.
It further associated problems with accounting and data processing software as part of its reasons for the move.
DISCLAIMER: Independentghana.com will not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article. The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author’s, and do not reflect those of The Independent Ghana
The Institute Energy Security (IES) has questioned the 600,000 barrels of crude oil consignment that arrived at the Tema port in the Greater Accra region on Friday 26th February 2023.
According to the IES, the crude oil aboard the vessel MT Theseus, which Bloomberg reports as “Russian Oil to be stashed in Ghana as pool of buyers shrinks.”
“Documents intercepted by the IES suggest that Planton Gas Oil Ghana Limited is the importer, and has requested for a crude oil storage space of approximately 80,000 metric tonne (MT), equivalent to 600,000 barrels from theTema Oil Refinery (TOR), after nominating the facility as the discharge destination.
“The IES can confirm that the vessel in question is presently at the Tema port anchorage and has issued a notice of readiness (NOR) to the importer, awaiting to berth at either the Single Point Mooring (SPM) system or the Tema Oil Jetty for onward discharge into the storage tank(s). The Institute can also confirm that samples of the crude has been taken for laboratory testing by nominated Inspectors and Agents, with the support of staff at the TOR facility,” IES indicated in a statement.
Below is the full statement from the IES
GOVERNMENT MUST COME CLEAR ON THE 600,000 BARRELS OF RUSSIAN CRUDE OIL ABOARD MT. THESEUS
The Institute for Energy Security (IES) has taken note of a roughly 600,000 barrels crude oil consignment that arrived at the Tema port on Friday 26th February 2023 aboard the vessel MT Theseus, which Bloomberg reports as “Russian Oil to be stashed in Ghana as pool of buyers shrinks”.
Documents intercepted by the IES suggest that Planton Gas Oil Ghana Limited is the importer, and has requested for a crude oil storage space of approximately 80,000 metric tonne (MT), equivalent to 600,000 barrels from the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), after nominating the facility as the discharge destination.
The IES can confirm that the vessel in question is presently at the Tema port anchorage and has issued notice of readiness (NOR) to the importer, awaiting to berth at either the Single Point Mooring (SPM) system or the Tema Oil Jetty for onward discharge into storage tank(s). The Institute can also confirm that samples of the crude has been taken for laboratory testing by nominated Inspectors and Agents, with the support of staffs at the TOR facility.
The IES can also confirm that the vessel is free from any interception and is only awaiting clearance from the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) to berth, and start discharge into TOR’s crude oil tanks.
This the IES finds as troubling given that few days ago, NPA the regulator of the downstream petroleum sector had given a strong indication that should the MT. Tedeus crude oil vessel in question enter Ghana waters it will cause the interception of the cargo. Instead the vessel MT. Theseus sits free, receiving the cooperation of state actors, and is likely to discharge into a national oil facility.
More troubling is the fact that Platon Gas Oil Ghana Ltd processing and distribution capacity is very small, for a size of 80,000 MT crude cargo. The IES finds that between January and December 2022, Platon could process and distribute just 2,849 MT of Residual Fuel Oil (RFO) and Gasoil, representing just 3.6% of the crude oil consignment under discussion. This raises eyebrows, and the IES is tempted to think that the named receiver of the crude cargo Platon Gas Oil Ltd. is only a frontal.
Ghanaians can recollect that in late December 2022 the Deputy Minister of Energy Andrew Egyapa Mercer gave another assurance that the Tema Oil Refinery will commence full operation by the end of February 2023. Could this crude cargo aboard MT. Theseus be the first parcel of crude for TOR to start full operation, after 2 years of shutdown? Could this crude oil consignment be an extension of the government’s Gold for Oil Program?
To clear doubts in the minds of Ghanaians and industry watchers, the IES calls on the government to speak and clarify issues surrounding the arrival of the crude vessel into the country. Government must let Ghanaians know why it failed to block the vessel as suggested by the boss of NPA Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, few days before the arrival of the cargo.
After yelling at a cyclist who later passed away, a pedestrian will be jailed for manslaughter today.
Celia Ward, a retired midwife, was told to “get off the f**king pavement” by Auriol Grey, 49, who made an aggressive and unpleasant gesture in her direction.
A Volkswagen Passat that was unable to stop in time struck her as she stumbled into the road a short while later, killing her instantly.
According to the prosecutor, Simon Spence KC, the two women were traveling in different directions on the ring road’s pavement in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire.
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.
It is illegal to cycle on the pavement, but the court heard police were unable to ‘categorically’ confirm whether the pavement was a shared cycleway.
Mr Dollard said: ‘This is a difficult and tragic case.
Auriol Grey, 49, gestured in a ‘hostile and aggressive way’ towards 77-year-old retired midwife Celia Ward (Picture: SWNS)Celia Ward, pictured with her husband David, died at the scene (Picture: Cambridgeshire Police/SWNS)
‘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.
‘I want to take the time to acknowledge Celia’s family and thank them for their patience and dignity throughout the entirety of the investigation and trial.’
Ghanaian actor, Ras Nene’s three-month-old baby has been laid to rest.
In a video making rounds on the internet, the actor was seen at the graveside together with family, friends and colleagues.
Earlier, news of the death of Ras Nene’s baby dominated the internet with condolences pouring in from scores of sympathizers.
In a series of videos that went viral, the popular skit maker was seen in a pensive mood while being consoled by the likes of Okomfo Kolege, Kyekyeku, and others.
A 20-year-old lady who had no known medical concerns passed away unexpectedly at home, leaving her family inconsolable.
An ambitious beautician named Libbey Peverall passed out in her father’s arms and began frothing at the mouth last Monday at the family home in West Drayton, close to Heathrow.
She lost consciousness, and he tried to perform CPR; nevertheless, she was not able to be saved. An ambulance arrived within ten minutes.
Although Libbey is thought to have had a heart attack, her age and good health meant the tragic event “even stunned the paramedics,” according to the family.
Describing her as a ‘beautiful’ girl without a ‘bad word to say about anyone’, Libbey’s brother Charlie said they have still not received an explanation from doctors as to how she died.
She was said to be taking medication for anxiety and depression brought on by bullying but had not been diagnosed with any physical ailments.
Charlie said Libbey’s dad was making her a cup of tea in the morning when she told him she felt ‘a pain in my chest’.
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Libbey’s heartbroken brother said she was ‘loved by so many people’ (Picture: BPM Media)
He told MyLondon: ‘She suffers from panic attacks so my dad gave her a brown bag to blow in and basically, she just stood up and then collapsed in my dad’s arms.
‘My dad really did try his hardest to help her and he did CPR on her, everything.
‘He tried so hard. Within about five or 10 minutes, ambulances turned up and they tried on her for about an hour and a half with my mum and dad going, “please don’t give up on her, please please don’t give up”.’
The family have set up a Gofundme page to try and raise money for her funeral.
Charlie added: ‘She was loved by so many people, it’s unbelievable.
‘We did everything together, we did football together, and just before Christmas we went to Winter Wonderland together.
‘My mum is in bits, I’m trying to stay strong for her and it feels like I haven’t properly grieved yet.
‘It just feels like she’s on holiday and she’s going to walk through the door soon.’
There are still 53 more trains that need to come over from Spain before the project is complete.
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The carriages are now full of graffiti The train only arrived a few weeks ago
The trains will be introduced to the network in 2024 before a complete roll out takes place by 2026.
The previous design has been given a major revamp on the outside with the red, black and blue colour scheme being replaced by white and turquoise.
Inside the new carriages, the colour scheme also reflects the bright shade of blue.
The will be improved facilities for those with mobility issues with three multi-use areas, in addition to three dedicated wheelchair spaces.
These multi-use areas can also be used to accommodate pushchairs, bicycles and luggage.
The train is currently at the Beckton depot for testingThe trains were unveiled to the public last month
New trains coming to the DLR in 2024
Mr Lord said last month: ‘These new state-of-the-art DLR trains will transform journeys for our customers and help support future growth in east London, which benefits the UK’s economy as a whole.
‘The trains will now go through testing ahead of introduction in 2024 to ensure they provide the reliability both we and our customers expect.
‘I look forward to seeing these across the network and helping contribute to the DLR’s continuing success.’
Speaking at the event Prempeh reminded the gathering of the need for academia and industry to take the call to research seriously.
The minister called for a deeper nexus of industry and the corporate world to engage in quality and strategic studies aimed at finding practical solutions to real issues and actualise research findings to develop our economy.
“The decision by the PURC and GIMPA to establish a Centre of Excellence in Public Utility Regulation; an institutional collaboration to promote and develop competencies and expertise in economic regulation for the electricity, water, natural gas, and other public utility service sectors, is timely and relevant,” he said.
This, Prempeh said is because, emerging dynamics in the energy sector including the energy transition and energy security concerns, require a competent and skillful workforce that is ready to help position Ghana and Africa to secure sustainable outcomes for future generations.
“I urge CEPUR to develop robust programs that will meet the contemporary trends in utility regulation and will also be time tested to suit the dynamics of future trends and requirements,” he added.
“Whilst I congratulate the PURC and GIMPA on the occasion of the launch of the Centre of Excellence in Public Utility Regulation (CEPUR) and also, PURC’s 25th anniversary which was marked in October last year, I have no doubt that the PURC will challenge itself even more to attain higher laurels in the coming years, so as to consolidate its current place among utility regulators in Africa,” he said.
The National Facilitator of Forest and Farm Facility of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nation in-charged of Ghana, Mr Elvis Kuudaar, has urged smallholder farmers in the Upper East Region to integrate sorghum, soya beans, maize, and fish farming which have ready markets into their farming activities.
The National Facilitator made the call when he paid a working visit to some of the Forest and Farm Facility project sites in the Upper East Region on Saturday.
Addressing the Maltaaba Peasant Women Farmers’ Cooperative in their farm site at Yakort in the Nabdam District of the Upper East Region who are into vegetable farming and tree growing, the National Facilitator said there was a ready market for sorghum and soya beans and encouraged them to diversify their farming activities to such crops.
He told the smallholder women farmers to become aggregators and build their capacities to engage in farming, buying, and selling to companies such as Gainliness Ghana which is in dire need of sorghum for the production of Guinness and other related drinks.
He assured the farmers in the project areas that depending on their seriousness, his outfit was ready to support them with mechanised boreholes with solar powers with overheard tanks to go into such activities.
Mr Kuudaar said the project was interested in getting the entire community to get involved in such farming activities to produce in large quantities in order to attract companies who are in need of such produce.
He stressed that he disagreed with the school of taught that share the opinion that the Northern parts of the country were endemic with poverty and indicated that one of the potentials of the area is its richness with underground water.
He mentioned specifically that, majority of the landmarks in the five regions of the north namely; Northern, North-East, Savannah, Upper East and Upper West Regions were endowed with water which could be tapped for all-year -round farming activities instead of relying on One Village, One Dam, which many atimes have disappointed farmers.
The leader of the of Maltaaba Peasant Women Farmers’ Cooperative, Mrs Baninimah Touah thanked FAO for supporting the women who are mostly widows and single mothers and said through the intervention, majority of them have been able to sell the vegetables they harvested from their farm to help cater for their family including paying for their children’s school fees and National Health Insurance Premium.
She however, appealed for overhead tank to help irrigate their large tracks of farms and also fencing materials to prevent animals from destroying their crops.
Mrs Baninimah gave the assurance that they would integrate Sorghum, Soya beans and maize farming into their vegetable farming activities.
The Executive Secretary of Maltaaba Peasant Women Farmers’ Cooperative, Ms Lydia Miyella, said the support the women farmers got from the facility had empowered them to procure a mechanised borehole for farming particularly during dry season.
She added instead of using fertilisers, Weedicides and Pesticides which have their dangerous effects on the soil fertility, the plant and population of water sources, the project had additionally built the capacity of the group to use alternative means such as using animal dropping, grass and plant stocks to make compost manure for framing.
Her case comes to light a week after a girl and her dad from Cambodia were also infected with a similar variant.
The 11-year-old became the first person in the country to die from bird flu since 2014.
She was from the rural province of Prey Veng, and became ill on February 16 after ducks and chickens at her home died suddenly.
She was transferred to a children’s hospital in Phnom Penh but died a week ago.
Her 49-year-old dad tested positive a few days later but has not become seriously ill.
As a result, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said it is ‘worried’ about the spread of bird flu.
Director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, Dr Sylvie Briand confirmed last week that the UN agency is working with Cambodian authorities amid the outbreak.
She said: ‘The global H5N1 situation is worrying given the wide spread of the virus in birds around the world and the increasing reports of cases in mammals including humans.
‘WHO takes the risk from this virus seriously and urges heightened vigilance from all countries.’
Meanwhile, Argentina confirmed its first case of bird flu in industrial poultry this Tuesday.
Secretary Juan Jose Bahillo said on Twitter the avian product exports will be axed as a result.
The case was detected in the southern province of Rio Negro, and now there are concerns the disease could spread and hurt exports from the South American nation.
‘Our poultry products continue to be safe for Argentines. The suspension of exports responds to the requirements of international regulations,’ Mr Bahillo said.
Her case comes to light a week after a girl and her dad from Cambodia were also infected with a similar variant.
The 11-year-old became the first person in the country to die from bird flu since 2014.
She was from the rural province of Prey Veng, and became ill on February 16 after ducks and chickens at her home died suddenly.
She was transferred to a children’s hospital in Phnom Penh but died a week ago.
Her 49-year-old dad tested positive a few days later but has not become seriously ill.
Director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, Dr Sylvie Briand confirmed last week that the UN agency is working with Cambodian authorities amid the outbreak.
She said: ‘The global H5N1 situation is worrying given the wide spread of the virus in birds around the world and the increasing reports of cases in mammals including humans.
‘WHO takes the risk from this virus seriously and urges heightened vigilance from all countries.’
Meanwhile, Argentina confirmed its first case of bird flu in industrial poultry this Tuesday.
Secretary Juan Jose Bahillo said on Twitter the avian product exports will be axed as a result.
The case was detected in the southern province of Rio Negro, and now there are concerns the disease could spread and hurt exports from the South American nation.
‘Our poultry products continue to be safe for Argentines. The suspension of exports responds to the requirements of international regulations,’ Mr Bahillo said.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer contender, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor has pledeged he to restore the defunct NDC Heroes Fund to serve the purpose for which it was set up.
The former governor of the Bank of Ghana gave the assurance during a campaign tour with Greater Accra regional executives of the party in Accra.
The Fund was set up in June 2011 under late President John Evans Atta Mills to assist supporters and loyalists of the NDC who have encountered misfortunes, incapacitation, or other forms of deprivations in the course of their service to the party.
The setting up of the fund followed the efforts put into the general elections by the party grassroots in 2008, leading to the recapturing of power from the NPP with many party faithful putting themselves in harm’s way.
In order to sustain the enthusiasm of the youth and the base of the party, the NDC came up with an insurance policy called the Heroes Fund to reassure and compensate those who go the extra mile for the party, an idea that received popular acclaim from the rank and file.
Without any sustainable measures put in place after the demise of President Atta Mills, the Fund dried up.
Unfortunately, only a few party heroes benefited from the fund at the initial stages. All others who put themselves in harm’s way during subsequent elections throughout the country and suffered injuries in places like Ayawaso West Wuogon, Techiman South and many other places did not get any financial support from the party due to the collapse of the Fund.
The Former Finance Minister believes the Fund is a legacy and hence must be urgently restored. This, he said he would do when elected flagbearer of the NDC for the 2024 election in order to restore and instil confidence and courage in the rank and file of the party.
‘’We cannot afford as a party to be without a support system at a time when there is state-sponsored political violence all over the country, making the political landscape intimidating for the NDC members to come out vigorously to engage in open grassroots mobilisation, policing of ballots, serving as agents and collation of election results.’’
Without this support system, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor argues, the party base has been weakened, and the morale and individual resolve to sacrifice for the party before, during and after elections has vanished, and in its place is apathy.
In 2022, the NDC flagbearer hopeful introduced a different support system for the NDC grassroots better known as the NDC Ahotor business support project to bring a commercial reality to the party activities at the constituency level with a personal investment of GHȼ10 million into the Ahotor business suit for all 275 constituencies.
When fully rolled out, it is estimated to generate an average income of GHȼ6000 per month per constituency. The aim is to make constituency executives financially autonomous and easily facilitate party work.
In May 2022, he was also awarded the British Empire Medal and he has recently given a TedX talk.
Max has raised more than £700,000 for charity by camping outHe has been in his tent for three years
But the teenager has finally decided it’s time to start sleeping indoors again.
Max said: ‘I’ve had the most amazing three years and had some brilliant experiences but I think it’s time for the next challenge now. I still love camping but it won’t be every night now.’
On January 21, Max put a message on his social media accounts, ‘looking for somewhere really cool to camp’ to mark three years of sleeping out – and to celebrate the end of his adventure.
Offers flooded in from all over the UK and abroad. But in the end, it was Broomhill Estate sculpture garden and hotel near Barnstaple, just a few miles from Max’s home, that got the thumbs-up.
The Broomhill Estate will host a mini-festival to celebrate Max’s achievement on April 1 featuring ‘an amazing showcase of music and the magic of Hollywood.’
Max said: ‘It was amazing that so many people got in touch from all over the UK wanting to mark this, but I wanted to stay close to home and celebrate with friends and family nearby.
‘We are going to camp out in the grounds amongst the sculptures and have a big party. There’s going to be bands and live music, fireworks and food, special guests, axe-throwing, and really cool movie memorabilia. It’s going to be epic!’
The festival will include a main stage, headlined by Declan Welsh and The Decadent West, plus an acoustic stage.
There will also be an exhibition of never-before-seen movie memorabilia.
The teenager said his proudest moment was receiving a Pride of Britain AwardMax after he completed his first 100 nights outside His final night in a tent will be on April 1
This will include an ‘Alien v Predator’ showdown with life-size props and items from movies such as Jumanji and Highlander. There will also be a guest appearance from actor Ian Whyte.
Stephen Roberts, chief executive of North Devon Hospice, said: ‘This is a perfect way for Max to finish his fundraising challenge, which has been such an adventure and something he can look back on with so much pride.
‘The funds he raised for North Devon Hospice in this time have made a real difference to the patients and families we support. Max has directly funded 15 nurses for a whole year.
‘In that time, those nurses will have supported in excess of 500 patients who were facing the impact of a life-limiting illness like cancer.’
Max admitted he had ‘mixed emotions’ about ending his reign as ‘tent boy’, adding: ‘I’m not really looking forward to it, I just think it’s time. I will always love being outside and camping, it’s just who I am.’
He said his best moment was the Pride Of Britain award because he got to share it with his whole family and the worst moment was ‘when my tent collapsed and everything got soaked.’
Climate change is playing a major role in stifling development in the north, and it is for this reason that ActionAid Ghana is recommending the Northern Development Authority (NDA) promote agro-ecology and food sovereignty in northern parts of the country, in order to mitigate the ever-growing threat of agriculture under-productivity and food insecurity.“The vulnerability in the North includes the threat of floods, prolonged droughts, rising temperatures, unreliable rainfall, severe windstorms, and other climate-related emergencies which are already negatively impacting agriculture and threatening productivity and food security,” Justin Bayor of ActionAid said during a presentation at the University for Development Studies’ Harmattan School, on the theme ‘Bridging the Gap between North and South’.
Fatalities due to floods in northern Ghana are reported to be alarmingly high and burdensome and are usually occasioned by spillages from the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso.
Between 2018 and 2020, 78 people were killed by floods; 23,371 houses collapsed by floods, rendering 100,000 people homeless; and 94,379 acres of farmland were destroyed resulting in food insecurity in northern Ghana, data from the National Disaster Management Organisation indicate.
Equally, the World Food Programme has indicated that at least three out of every 100 households in the north is either severely or moderately food insecure, and the poor nutritional status of children in the North is about double the national average.
More than 70 percent of the northern Ghana population depends on unimodal rain-fed agriculture for their food, income, and livelihoods. The over-dependence on rainfall, declining soil fertility, etc. – coupled with limited access to inputs, has resulted in low agricultural productivity and incomes.
It is estimated that for a period of 7-8 months in the year, most of the North’s agricultural population have no alternative or complementary means of securing their livelihoods – as infrastructure to support off-season agricultural activities is underdeveloped or non-existent.
ActionAid also recommended that government should work swiftly to ensure women’s enhanced and secured access to and control of land and other productive resources, by lobbying and engaging landowners on the economic value it brings to women and their families.
Climate change has become a developmental issue across the world. Government and its development partners need to adopt a holistic approach to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change in northern Ghana.
Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has disclosed that only 1,079 food service establishments across the country have been issued with the FDA’s Food Hygiene Permits.
The establishments are restaurants, food joints, street-vended food, chop bars and catering facilities.
According to the data, only 1,079 food vendors met the FDA’s minimum food safety requirement out of about 5 ,000 street vendors trained in good hygiene practices from 2021 to ensure that food sold everywhere was safe.
A Food Hygiene Permit is an approval given to a catering facility after meeting basic hygiene requirements in the FDA’s Code for Hygienic Practices for food service establishment.
Mrs Delese Mimi Darko, the Chief Executive Officer of the FDA, said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra.
She said it was illegal for restaurants, for instance, not to display a Food Hygiene Permit at the point of sale, saying the act could attract a fine.
“It is required that all food service establishments display Food Hygiene Permits at the point of sale, the idea of the permit is to boost the confidence of the public when buying the food,” she stated.
Mrs Darko said the safety of food sold by vendors had become a major concern and called on all stakeholders responsible for ensuring food safety like the local assemblies to help enforce bylaws for the safety of all.
She urged food vendors to ensure that they prepared and sold food in clean and hygienic conditions, stating that hot foods must always be kept hot while salads sold to the public be kept on ice.
According to reports today, a day following the publication of Harry’s memoir Spare, King Charles III ordered the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to vacate Frogmore Cottage.
The spokeswoman for Harry and Meghan stated this evening that the couple had received a “request” to vacate their residence.
We can confirm that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been asked to leave their home at Frogmore Cottage, the official added.
It’s uncertain whether the Sussexes will attend King Charles’ coronation in two months (Picture: Getty Images)
This means the couple will no longer have their last remaining home in the UK.
It comes after Omid Scobie, one of the authors behind the Harry and Meghan biography Finding Freedom, claimed the couple were told the home was needed for ‘someone else’.
Harry and Meghan’s relationship with the Royal Firm plummeted to an ‘all-time low’ after Harry’s emotional and embittered memoir was released.
Writing for Yahoo, Scobie said: ‘It’s news, sources tell me, that has left Harry and Meghan stunned, and at least two members of the Royal Family “appalled”.’
He claimed the Sussexes have until the King’s Coronation in May to leave the home – a ‘clear sign of just how sour relations’ have become.
Their belongings will be shipped to their home in Montecito, California, it is understood.
It has been reported that the property has been offered to Prince Andrew, the disgraced Duke of York accused of raping a woman three times.
Prince Andrew, accused by Virginia Giuffre of raping her while she was a teenager, has reportedly been offered the five-bedroom house (Picture: AP)Harry previously claimed that an icy Charles eventually stopped returning his calls (Picture: Max Mumby/Indigo)
Spare was released in January and became the fastest-selling non-fiction book ever.
The tell-all memoir was heavily critical of the royals and saw Harry open up about his time in Afghanistan and scuffles with his brother, Prince William.
He and Meghan moved away from the monarchy in 2020 as they felt increasingly isolated within Windsor Castle and targeted too frequently by the British press.
Since then, Harry said his family have shown little interest in extending an olive branch.
In an interview with the Daily Telegraph last month, Harry acknowledged that his family would find it hard to forgive him after he split from royal life.
He said: ‘Some of the stuff I’ve put in there, well, they will never forgive me anyway.
‘But the way I see it is, I’m willing to forgive you for everything you’ve done.’
Inadequate infrastructure and logistics in public basic schools are contributing to poor performance outcomes in such schools, Professor S.Y Mensah, former Dean of School of Science at the University of Cape Coast, has said.
He said though public schools could boast of well trained and qualified teachers, lack of basic infrastructure was contributing to poor performance of both teachers and pupils.
Speaking at a durbar to climax the 70th anniversary celebration of the Konongo-Odumasi Senior High School, Prof. Mensah, called on the government and other key stakeholders in education to pay serious attention to infrastructural development to help improve academic performance in public basic schools.
The celebration was under the theme, “enhancing quality education for national development under the free SHS policy” and was organised by the old students’ association of the school.
Prof. Mensah commended the school for raising a number of high profile personalities who were contributing in diverse ways to national development.
Reverend Ntim Fordjour, Deputy Minister of Education, said the government was committed to improving quality education delivery in the country.
That was why it had embarked on a number of infrastructural expansion projects at all levels of education across the country.
He said the massive investment in infrastructure in senior high schools across the country was to ensure that each child had access to secondary education to enable him or her to contribute to the country’s transformation agenda.
Dr Benjamin Kwaku Baah, Headmaster of the School, appealed to the government and other key stakeholders to come to the aid of the school to help construct modern science laboratories to help improve science education in the school.
He said management had strengthened discipline in the school to help curb deviant behavior among students on campus.
The management of Ghana Commercial Bank PLC has assured its customers on the Controller and Accountant General’s Department’s (CAGD) payroll that February 2023 salaries have been processed and credited to their accounts.
The management in a statement apologized to the affected customers.
In an earlier tweet, the bank had expressed concerns over difficulties in processing February salaries from the Controller and Accountant General’s Department.
However, the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta has refuted claims that the government is struggling to pay the salaries of public servants.
According to him, the assertion is not accurate.
He said in parliament that: “The Minority Leader said, there have been some challenges with data challenges with salary processes and in his own way what we call terminological inexactitude, is interpreting that to mean, the Republic of Ghana not having money to pay salaries. That is wrong and disingenuous, and we should not allow that to be perpetuated.”
The Minority Leader in Parliament, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, had stated that the government was having difficulties in paying the February salaries of public sector workers.
“As we speak today, government is unable to pay salaries. If you check the Twitter account of GCB Bank, it says it is unable to pay salaries. So, if government is unable to pay salaries, how can it accept assurances that the government every Ghanaian will acquire the Ghana card,” he said.
The Journalist who leaked WhatsApp chats during the pandemic has been criticized by Matt Hancock, who has expressed his ‘great disappointment’ in him.
A “major betrayal and violation of trust by Isabel Oakeshott,” he claimed, was committed when she sent messages to the Daily Telegraph from his position as health secretary.
Although Ms. Oakeshott called it a “ridiculous defense,” she stood by his assertion that the public had no interest in learning the contents of the mails.
What a ludicrous defense, she opined to TalkTV. It is blatantly ludicrous for someone as intelligent as Matt Hancock to claim that the public has no interest in these findings in a statement. He is well aware of this.
Earlier this week around 100,000 private messages from Mr Hancock’s phone were leaked to the press.
Texts showed that Mr Hancock rejected advice to test all residents going into English care homes for coronavirus at the start of the pandemic.
Chief medical officer Professor Sir Chris Whitty told the former health secretary there should be testing for ‘all going into care homes’.
Mr Hancock with Isabel Oakeshott at the launch of his book, Pandemic Diaries earlier this year (Picture: Andrew Parsons / Parsons Media)
But the messages suggest he rejected the guidance, telling an aide the move just ‘muddies the waters’, and introduced mandatory testing for those coming from hospitals.
In further messages released this morning, it came to light that former education secretary Sir Gavin Williamson said some schools wanted to close during the pandemic so staff would have an ‘excuse’ not to work.
They show Mr Williamson asked the then health secretary for help securing PPE for schools, adding: ‘Some will just want to say they can’t [open] so they have an excuse to avoid having to teach, what joys!!!’
Ms Oakeshott said she would not get involved in a ‘slanging match’ with Mr Hancock ‘because it wouldn’t be pretty’.
‘He can threaten me all he likes,’ she told BBC Radio 4’s Today.
‘There are plenty of things I can say about his behaviour, by the way, that I’m not going to do – at least not at this stage – because this is not about Matt Hancock. It is so much bigger than that.’
Pressed on her claim about the message he sent her, Ms Oakeshott said: ‘I’m saying that he sent me a message at 1.20am in the morning. It wasn’t a pleasant message.’
Explaining why she had breached a non-disclosure agreement to hand the cache of WhatsApp messages to the Telegraph, she said it was not motivated by money.
‘Anyone who thinks I did this for money must be utterly insane,’ she said.
‘This is about the millions of people, every one of us in this country that were adversely affected by the catastrophic decisions to lock down this country repeatedly, often on the flimsiest of evidence for political reasons.’
In a statement this morning Mr Hancock said: ‘I am hugely disappointed and sad at the massive betrayal and breach of trust by Isabel Oakeshott.
‘I am also sorry for the impact on the very many people – political colleagues, civil servants and friends – who worked hard with me to get through the pandemic and save lives.
‘There is absolutely no public interest case for this huge breach. All the materials for the book have already been made available to the Inquiry, which is the right, and only, place for everything to be considered properly and the right lessons to be learned.
‘As we have seen, releasing them in this way gives a partial, biased account to suit an anti-lockdown agenda.
‘Isabel and I had worked closely together for more than a year on my book, based on legal confidentiality and a process approved by the Cabinet Office.
Mr Hancock has denied sending ‘menacing messages’ to Isabel Oakeshott (Picture: Getty)
‘Isabel repeatedly reiterated the importance of trust throughout, and then broke that trust.
‘Last night, I was accused of sending menacing messages to Isabel. This is also wrong.
‘When I heard confused rumours of a publication late on Tuesday night, I called and messaged Isabel to ask her if she had ‘any clues’ about it, and got no response.
‘When I then saw what she’d done, I messaged to say it was ‘a big mistake’. Nothing more.
‘I will not be commenting further on any other stories or false allegations that Isabel will make.
‘I will respond to the substance in the appropriate place, at the inquiry, so that we can properly learn all the lessons based on a full and objective understanding of what happened in the pandemic, and why.’
The Chief Justice, Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah, has inaugurated a modern magistrate court complex for the people of Atwima-Kwanwoma District, at Twedie.
The facility was built by the Government through the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development with the District Assemblies Common Fund Secretariat.
Justice Anin Yeboah, speaking at the ceremony, said the construction of the court complex was in fulfilment of the strategic vision of the judicial service to enhance access to quality justice delivery in the area and in the whole country.
It is also part of the frantic efforts to address the deplorable state of physical infrastructure which has impeded justice delivery in the country over the years.
“The people of this beautiful country deserve better, likewise the judges and lawyers and other stakeholders who serve our judicial needs and that is the reason government is embarking on massive infrastructure projects in the judicial sector,” he stated.
Justice Anin Yeboah said the Government was committed to improving the working environment of the judiciary and the construction of new and modern court facilities across the country was a significant demonstration of that commitment.
He commended the government for giving special attention to the infrastructural development in the judicial service and called on the workers to exhibit high maintenance culture to prolong the lifespan of the buildings.
Mr Prince Karikari, District Chief Executive for Atwima-Kwanwoma, commended the Chief Justice for his commitment to improve justice delivery system across the country by building and inaugurating court facilities to increase access to many people.
He said the people in the area were grateful to the government and the judicial service for bringing justice delivery to their doorstep.
Mr Karikari called on the people in the area to be law abiding and conduct themselves well while taking advantage of the court system to seek redress.
ActionAid Ghana has appealed to the Chiefs, Queenmothers, religious leaders, youth, and assembly members to help eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls for the rapid development of the country.
Women and girls are the most vulnerable in society as they are exposed to all forms of violence including, but not limited to, domestic violence, child marriage, forced marriage, sexual violence, and harassment.
Madam Agnes Afua Obour, Co-ordinator, Network of Communities in Development (NOCID), a Kadjebi-based non-governmental organisation, said this on behalf of ActionAid Ghana at a day’s workshop organised by ActionAid Ghana in partnership with NOCID for Chiefs, Queenmothers, religious leaders, youth, and Assembly members at Kadjebi in the Oti Region.
The activity aimed at educating the participants on Laws, Acts and Conventions against the act to help curb the menace.
Madam Obour said any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to results in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to her, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of their liberty whether occurring in private or public should be condemned.
She said instead, there was the need to encourage them to express their feelings when they were in difficult, scary and confusing situations as a show of love and affection.
Mr. Eric Arthur Fynn, Kadjebi District Director of Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), said the 1992 Constitution, Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), Juvenile Justice Act, 2006, Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560), among others prohibited child marriages.
He said in line with Section 15 of the Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560), “any person who contravenes a provision of this Sub-Part commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding [GH₵500:00] or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding one year or to both”.
Mr. Fynn, named poverty, tradition and culture, lack of awareness, gender discrimination, among others as some of the causes of child marriages in Ghana.
He said the act violates the fundamental human rights of the girl-child, so must stop.
The CHRAJ District Director, who also presented a paper on Laws governing Inheritance in Ghana, said both Wills Act, 1971 (Act 360) and the Intestate Succession Law, 1985 (PNDCL 111) contained provisions that are fixated on ensuring that the rights of children to proprietary and financial claims are salvaged if they lost a parent.
He advised the participants, especially the traditional rulers, to follow the provisions in the Act and the Law in distribution of deceased property, whether dead estate or intestate.
Daasebre Oduro Guranim, Paramount Chief of Dodo Traditional Area, in contributing, called for stiffer punishment against perpetrators of violence against women and girls to serve as deterrent to others.
He also called for the amendment to the Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560) as penalty for contravention therein is not deterrent enough now.
In the most recent batch of Matt Hancock’s hacked communications, Sir Gavin Williamson, a former education secretary, said that some schools wanted to close during the Covid pandemic so staff would have a “excuse” not to work.
In May 2020, when teachers and ministers prepared for the start of regular classes again following the first national lockdown, they communicated via WhatsApp.
According to messages obtained by the Daily Telegraph, Sir Gavin requested assistance from Mr. Hancock in procuring PPE for schools. He also stated: “Some will just want to say they can’t [open] so they have an excuse to avoid having to teach, what delights!!!”
Those comments contrast with public statements at the time thanking teachers for their ‘outstanding work’ and praising them for ‘going above and beyond the call of duty’.
Months later, Mr Hancock messaged Sir Gavin congratulating him on getting A-level exams delayed for a few weeks, writing: ‘Cracking announcement today. What a bunch of absolute arses the teaching unions are.’
Sir Gavin responded: ‘I know they really really do just hate work.’
The then-Health Secretary replied with two laughing emojis alongside a bullseye.
Schools minister defends govt after leaked WhatsApps insinuate teachers are lazy
Mr Hancock has said the ‘partial accounts’ have been ‘obviously spun with an agenda’ (Picture: PA)Sir Gavin tweeted that his comments had been ‘about some unions and not teachers’ (Picture: Getty)
Following their publication by The Telegraph, the former education secretary tweeted that his comments had been ‘about some unions and not teachers’.
He added: ‘I have the utmost respect for teachers who work tirelessly to support students.’
The tranche of more than 100,000 WhatsAapp messages was passed to the paper by the journalist Isabel Oakeshott, who was given the material by Mr Hancock when they were working together on a book about his time in government during the pandemic.
In a statement, Matt Hancock said he is ‘hugely disappointed and sad at the massive betrayal and breach of trust’ by Ms Oakeshott.
He added of the leaked messages: ‘As we have seen, releasing them in this way gives a partial, biased account to suit an anti-lockdown agenda.’
The statement went on: ‘Last night, I was accused of sending menacing messages to Isabel. This is also wrong. When I heard confused rumours of a publication late on Tuesday night, I called and messaged Isabel to ask her if she had “any clues” about it, and got no response.
‘When I then saw what she’d done, I messaged to say it was “a big mistake”. Nothing more.
‘I will not be commenting further on any other stories or false allegations that Isabel will make. I will respond to the substance in the appropriate place, at the inquiry, so that we can properly learn all the lessons based on a full and objective understanding of what happened in the pandemic, and why.’
Earlier, Ms Oakeshott confirmed that she had broken an non-disclosure agreement with Mr Hancock – although she argued that her action was overwhelmingly in the ‘public interest’.
She acknowledged however that he was not happy at what she had done.
‘I received a somewhat menacing message from him at 1.20 in the morning,’ she told TalkTV’s Piers Morgan Uncensored.
‘I think he is extremely troubled about how to respond to this, but this is not about him.’
The former health secretary is ‘considering all options’ in response to the leak, with a source close to him saying: ‘She’s (Ms Oakeshott) broken a legal NDA (non-disclosure agreement). Her behaviour is outrageous.’
Nigerian billionaire Abdul Samad Rabiu, who recently regained his position as Africa’s fourth-richest man following a $700-million wealth increase, is now determined to claim the third-richest spot from South African billionaire Nicky Oppenheimer.
With his net worth surpassing $8 billion, as reported by Forbes, Rabiu is on an aggressive pursuit to secure his new goal.
According to Forbes, his net worth has risen from $7.8 billion to $8 billion since the time of drafting this report.
The Nigerian billionaire’s net worth has experienced significant fluctuations in recent months.
After suffering a decline of $545 million in early February, his net worth rose by $700 million on Feb. 24, bringing it to $7.8 billion.
Now, a recent increase of $200 million has pushed his net worth back up to the $8-billion mark which he first surpassed on Dec. 15, 2022.
This latest increase can be attributed to the strong performance of his 98-percent stake in BUA Foods, the unified food business segment of the BUA Group based in Nigeria.
In addition to benefiting from the recent surge in BUA Foods’ share price, Rabiu is also set to receive a substantial dividend of N91.3 billion ($198 million) from his stake in BUA Cement Plc.
The company’s impressive financial performance during its 2022 fiscal year has enabled it to achieve record-breaking profits and accumulate retained earnings of approximately N181.9 billion ($437.5 million), out of which the board of directors has approved its final dividend.
BUA Cement achieved an outstanding 12.14-percent surge in profits, climbing from N90.08 billion ($195.6 million) in 2021 to a historic N101.01 billion ($219.4 million) in 2022, according to its recently released financial statements.
These impressive figures serve as a testament to BUA Cement’s unwavering financial strength and its ability to optimize profitability in a highly competitive market, cementing its position as a top-performing company in the industry.
The ‘White House’, one of the iconic buildings in Tema, is rotting away.
The building is falling apart and steps must be taken immediately to refurbish it to provide the needed office accommodation for the various decentralized departments under the Tema West Municipal Assembly (TWMA).
The two-storey building which looks solid and attractive from afar has not seen any major renovation works since its construction many years ago.
Checks from the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA), the mother assembly of the TWMA, revealed that Tema ‘White House’ was named after the USA White House to mimic its importance and power when the revolutionary officers hijacked it in the early 1980 after it was built to house the TMA.
The cadres of the 31 December Revolution used the space for summons, adjudication and other revolutionary activities.
Mr. Frank Asante, Tema Metropolitan Public Relations Officer told the Ghana News Agency that, the edifice was constructed to house the TMA, as part of the Tema Ministry Enclave concept.
He said the area also had the offices of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Audit Service, Labour, Rent Control, Health Directorate, Ghana Revenue Authority, Environmental Protection Agency, and Agric Department, among others.
He said Nii Armarh Ashitey opted for the construction of the current office of TMA at the business central area to house the Assembly.
When the revolutionaries vacated the building, some decentralized departments were accommodated in it.
In 2010, the then Tema Metropolitan Security Council (MESEC) toured the building and took the decision to relocate the Electoral Commission, and the Tema Magistrate Court from the second floor which had serious structural cracks with the concrete ceiling falling off on workers.
Thirteen years after, when the Ghana News Agency visited the ‘White House’ which is now under the TWMA, it was observed that even though the first and second floors have been vacated, the ground floor still houses the Tema Metro offices of the National Service Secretariat, Non-Formal Education, and Co-operative Department.
Two of the offices have also been recently painted ready to house the Tema West Office of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
Climbing to the first and second floors of the ‘white house’, deep structural cracks and fungal-infested walls were what greeted the GNA. The offices have been long abandoned.
Deep holes have been created in the ceiling as large parts of concrete have fallen off after long years of neglect. The iron rods holding the concrete roofs, are exposed and very rusty, an indication of corrosion due to contact with water, leaking from the roof.
One of the offices had household items with the door locked with a small padlock. The GNA gathered that a lonely woman who was ejected from her room around the area took over the place and made it her home.
Yousif, a Burkinabe haulage truck driver’s mate, who the GNA spotted charging his mobile phone in one of the most corroded and algae infested rooms which used to house the Magistrate Court, said the woman often goes out in the morning and returns at night to sleep.
Ms. Afia Mansa, a food vendor, operating on the compound of the ‘white house’, said she was the unofficial caretaker of the building as she updates officials of the TWMA whenever they visited the place.
Ms. Mansa said day in and day out prospective tenants came around to look at the possibility of renting the place.
Meanwhile, checks at TMWA revealed that the Assembly’s engineers recently visited the White House. GNA
The establishments are restaurants, food joints, street-vendor food, chop bars, and catering facilities.
According to the data, only 1,079 food vendors met the FDA’s minimum food safety requirement out of about 5,000 street vendors trained in good hygiene practices from 2021 to ensure that food sold everywhere was safe.
A Food Hygiene Permit is an approval given to a catering facility after meeting basic hygiene requirements in the FDA’s Code for Hygienic Practices for Food Service Establishment.
Mrs. Delese Mimi Darko, the Chief Executive Officer of the FDA, said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra.
She said it was illegal for restaurants, for instance, not to display a Food Hygiene Permit at the point of sale, saying the act could attract a fine.
“It is required that all food service establishments display Food Hygiene Permits at the point of sale, the idea of the permit is to boost the confidence of the public when buying the food,” she stated.
Mrs. Darko said the safety of food sold by vendors had become a major concern and called on all stakeholders responsible for ensuring food safety like the local Assemblies to help enforce bylaws for the safety of all.
She urged food vendors to ensure that they prepared and sold food in a clean and hygienic condition, stating that hot foods must always be kept hot while salad sold to the public be kept on ice.
“Before you serve any food, wash your hands with soap under running water, and make sure you have clean napkins and clean utensils,” she added.
Mrs. Darko said the form to apply for food safety training was available at any of the FDA offices nationwide.
She said the FDA would this year focus more on street vendor foods and hoped to train and issue 1,000 Food Hygiene Permits in Accra alone.
Checks by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at the Tema Lorry Station in Accra showed that not even one food service establishment at the lorry terminal and its environs had a Food Hygiene Permit.
Some food vendors only had stickers from the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) displayed at the point of sale.
The FDA in 2022 launched a National Food Safety Policy to ensure safe and suitable food for consumers.
The policy is expected to strengthen food safety governance; collaborate for food safety, and promote and ensure harmonisation and the enforcement of laws and regulations of food safety in Ghana in the next five years.
Traders at the Pelungu Market in the Nabdam District of the Upper East Region, have called on the District Assembly to complete a deteriorating Toilet facility constructed in the market.
The toilet facility which was completed in 2018 except for the connection of water to the facility had since been locked up, compelling them to go far to attend to nature’s call, making them miss sales.
Mrs Kolpok Yenbon, a Trader, said the absence of a toilet facility in the market was affecting their businesses, while subjecting them to undue suffering
“The unavailability of a toilet facility in the market is a genuine issue that demands the attention of the President because we are suffering a lot as we must walk far to the bush to enable us attend to nature’s call, and this is affecting our businesses.
“I personally don’t know the benefit of the locked toilet facility here because it has not yielded the purpose for which it was built and has even started deteriorating because children have turned it into a playground ”
Mrs Azumah Saah, a trader at the market, noted that the Pelungu Market was the biggest in the Nabdam District and it was embarrassing for it not to have a toilet facility
“Pelungu Market which l can say is the biggest in the district without a toilet facility for us as traders is shameful to say the least, we pay taxes yet there is absolutely nothing to our benefit and we have been crying for years but the assembly has taken us for granted.
“Politics has disunited us and so we are unable to have a common voice that will immediately draw the attention of duty bearers and l would like to use your medium to appeal to the Assembly once more to come to our aid because we are suffering”, she stressed.
Mr Clement Sobateng, the Assemblyman of the Pelungu electoral area, told the Ghana News Agency that he had on several occasions reported the concerns of the traders, about the stalled toilet facility to the District Assembly but had since not received a positive response.
He added that the absence of a functioning toilet facility in the market was a deterrent to traders and the community at large as it reduces productivity.
Ms Agnes Namoo, the Nabdam District Chief Executive, explained that the toilet facility in question was part of the Government’s Special Initiative projects embarked in the District and the Assembly was working to get a mechanized borehole to put the facility to use
She pleaded with the market women to exercise patience as the Assembly was currently engaging major stakeholders to complete the facility.
A Former Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister has appealed to government to establish shelters in all regions to house victims of Gender based violence and human trafficking.
Nana Oye Bampoe Addo who made the call noted that Greater Accra Region had a few shelters, but the regions lacked them.
“Government should devote more resources in establishing shelters for victims. We need shelters in every region. I am hoping that by now the Ghana Police, Department of Social Welfare, Ministries of the Interior and Gender and Social Protection would have mapped out hot spots of cases rape and defilement.”
Nana Oye said it would be proper for ICT-based methods to focus on areas such as Teshie and Chorkor geographic locations and roll out more education, prevention, and protection of victims and prosecution of those crimes.
The former Minister said these when she launched Operation Underground RailRoad (OUR) Ghana at a ceremony in Accra.
In the late year 2022, Abuse Relief Corps (ARC) Ghana emerged with OUR Ghana to rescue women and children from trafficking and sexual exploitation.
OUR does so by supporting law enforcement and other government agencies through the transfer of equipment and knowledge as well as support to Civil Society Organisations to provide quality aftercare support to survivors of trafficking and sexual exploitation.
The officials of OUR Ghana were also used occasion to present 10 laptops worth GHC90,000 to the Anti Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police Service.
Nana Oye said she was elated to see an increase in conviction cases of Gender Based Violence and Trafficking adding in the year 2012 conviction cases was 0.60 per cent but with OUR Ghana has secured 30 per cent in conviction cases.
“I am happy that the Girl Child Education Directorate of the Ghana Education Service had increased sensitization for girls. OUR Ghana too has now added the teaching of self-defence. This I think is innovative.”
Ex-Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister appealed to stakeholders to address emotional and economic abuse facing women in the country.
According to her traditional and cultural abuse should be tackled to prevent old women being accused of witchcraft.
Mr Fred Akweter Country Manager OUR Ghana, said the merger would provide them the opportunity to expand their capacity and resources in helping sexual abuse and trafficked victims in Ghana.
According to him the merger would also help OUR Ghana to provide the Ghana Police Service in busting child trafficking syndicates in Ghana.
He said government was doing its part in fight human trafficking and sexual abuse, but there was more room for improvement.
Mr David Jacobs, Chief Global Operation Manager, OUR, recounted how his organisation has been providing prosecutorial training to law enforcement agencies saying his organisation was honoured to serve the people of Ghana.
Mr Jacobs was optimistic that programmes rolled out by his organisation that would impact on the lives of children and women in the country.
Robyn Jesse Ern, founder of Abuse Relief Corps (ARS) recalled that despite successes chalked by ARS, its biggest challenge was funding as was therefore elated that OUR has merged with ARS change the narratives of human trafficking and gender-based violence.
OUR exists to rescue children from sex trafficking and sexual exploitation. It is a non-governmental organisation which quickly responds to foreign government requests and institute investigative measures, develops intelligence, and assists in enforcement operation and rescue efforts.
OUR Ghana presented a gift to Robyn Jesse Ern for his immersed role in the fight against human trafficking and sexual abuse.
The Volta Regional capital is witnessing an influx of troops of the various security agencies as the days inch closer for the 66th Independence Day celebrations.
The Region would host the national parade for the first time in the country’s 66-year history, and the city has been thrown into series of activity since the announcement some months ago.
Hundreds of security officers have been sighted in the city weeks ahead for the historic event, to ensure utmost security for the smooth organisation of the event.
The revered warriors looking men are seen commuting to the 5,000-capacity stadium, venue for the parade, lies about two kilometres out of the heart of town, and its unpopulated vicinity grants privacy for the warriors to prepare for the spectacular show of force.
Aircraft and other restricted activities are on the increase, and the unused Ho Airport is seeing some action, prepping for the thousands of dignitaries who would attend the parade by air.
Residents around security facilities such as the Regional Police Training School and the Ho jubilee are witnessing an influx of personnel rehearsing, and the Ho jubilee park, main area of convergence in the Region, has been closed to all activity and dedicated solely to security personnel.
Roads in and around the Municipality are being fixed along with highways connecting the national capital, and over 2,000 streetlights have been installed or replaced.
The Region’s hospitality sector is all out, with even dormant businesses pulsing up to reap the occasion, while all hotels have long been oversubscribed.
The lineup of activities for the 12-day celebration made ample space for the promotion of the Region’s tourism exports, and Regional Coordinating Council and the Ho Municipal Assembly is helping create the typical Volta experience with a week-long food bazaar, and full night of music from artistes from the Region.
An Anniversary debate comes off at the OLA Senior High School Hall on Thursday, and the popular “What do You Know” quiz competition, will be held at the UHAS Cedi Auditorium on Sunday.
The logo of the Anniversary, unveiled at the launch in Ho, imbibes the national colours and it is themed around the tourism acclaim of the Volta; the figure “66” rests on Mountain Afadzato, Ghana’s tallest and the main attraction in the Region.
Tour operators are poised to give visitors a taste of the tourism treat, and with Independence Day falling on a Monday, a joint-racking tour around would be rewarded with the ultimate live parade in all its pomp and splendor.
A round trip by tourism ambassadors from the Region just concluded, whetting the appetite of visitors, and the Saturday offers a ‘Tour Volta Day’ event that would take visitors to popular sites including the canopy walkway-under-waterfall, the Ote Falls, and the well-known monkey sanctuary, the Tafi Atome.
A cycling, photo walk and a hike up the Adaklu Mountain has also been scheduled for Sunday.
The Environmental Health Department is leading a series of cleanup exercises in and around the Municipality and has just completed an intensive Hotel Inspection exercise.
The Department is currently undertaking screening of food vendors, hundreds of whom are expected to serve at the parade venue on Independence Day.
Mr Divine Bosson, Ho Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), told the GNA that the local economy of Ho was projected to grow by several millions cedis in the period around the celebration.
He said aside short-term benefits, the regional capital had received a significant facelift, and the essence of the new stadium project and the coming celebration surpassed popular perception.
“The economic impact of the project should not be overlooked. We should commend the government for the March 6 project. It has added to the expansion of roads and the extension of water for the region.
Hajia4Real and Hushpuppi seem to have the same fate. These two social media stars have short lived fame over fraud allegations.
It started with Hushpuppi. Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, commonly known as Hushpuppi, Hush, or Ray Hushpuppi is a Nigerian former Instagram influencer and convicted felon.
Hushpuppi was detained in Dubai in June 2020 and extradited to the US on charges of money laundering and computer fraud. He will serve just nine years in prison.
He was accused of defrauding 1.9 million victims to the tune of N168 billion. Hushpuppi has already served two years in a US prison.
He was punished after entering a guilty plea to conspiracy to launder money with several individuals both inside and outside the United States.
The 39-year-old internet sensation was first arrested in June 2020. He was initially scheduled for sentencing on February 14, 2022, after he pleaded guilty in 2021.
The date was then moved to July 11, 2022, before it was again postponed to September 21. His sentencing was again shifted to Nov. 7, 2022.
It was later revealed that Hushpuppi’s lavish lifestyle he lived was fully funded by his fraudulent business.
Now, Ghana’s very own Hajia4Real (Mona Faiz Montrage) has found herself in the same mess as Hushpuppi.
She was reported ti have been arrested by the UK police over her alleged involvement in an $8 million fraud.
According to the report, she was arrested on Friday, November 11, 2022, over the shady deal during her recent stay in the United States.
Hajia4Real has already been banned from the United States. The socialite, per new reports, is jailed. She is to serve 10 years imprisonment.
People say that the expensive and enviable pressure lifestyle of Hajia4Real was all financed by illegal activities she does in the dark including fraud.
Hushpuppi and Hajia4Real could have had a life free from trouble and enjoyed their fame but the fraud case has rather raised the dent in their personality to another degree.
Social media has been buzzing with reactions following yet-to-be-confirmed reports that popular Ghanaian socialite and budding musician, Hajia4Real has been jailed for 10 years.
The reports as shared by multiple online sources has sent netizens, especially her fans into a state of frenzy and have reacted.
Majority of persons who have reacted to the report contend that Hajia4Real does not deserve the jail term.
Some of the garnered comments on Twitter suggest that Hajia4Real doesn’t deserve 10 years imprisonment considering her beauty, and sexy body.
A video of a young girl has gone viral on Instagram because of how she danced in public.
In the video posted by @NWE, the young girl moved her body in an amazing and entertaining way.
She took measured dance steps which seemed to have been rehearsed before she stepped on the dance floor.
Girl dances to amapiano sound in a sweet way
Her dance moves were uniform and well delivered so that her audience shouted excitedly.
Dressed in a pink jumpsuit, the girl darted from one end of the stage to the other.
What made the video more entertaining was that the DJ who played for the girl was also a young boy. His confidence added colour to the girl’s dance presentation.
The video has received many positive reviews from Instagram users who have described the girl as a very good dancer.
Ghanaian musician Albert Apoozore popular known as King Ayisoba, decided to use his craft to soothe the aching hearts of mourners at the family home of the late Christian Atsu.
In a video that has since gone viral, the ‘I Want To See My Father’ hitmaker was spotted playing his traditional guitar, called the kologo, as he sang a melodious song to guests and family of Atsu.
He was accompanied by another colleague who played the calabash and danced while Ayisoba sang.
Ghanaian rapper D-Black, known in private life as Desmond Blackmore, has shared videos and a photo of his daughter Alexis online.
The beautiful daughter turned 13 on Wednesday, March 1, 2023. The proud father shared the images to celebrate the young lady.
The father and daughter were spotted having a hearty conversation in the first slide. After bursting into laughter, Alexis brought out pair of black sunglasses and put them on.
The second slide showed the 13-year-old looking all-grown with beautiful braids in an up-close shot.
The last slide showed a younger-looking Alexis picking many wads of Cedi notes from a bag while talking to her dad.
