Ghanaian actor,Wayoosi, has projected Dr. Likee as the biggest YouTuber in the country currently.
He said although there is an influx of ‘YouTubers’ in the country currently, Dr. Likee stands tall.
Wayoosi made these statements while stating that it was the comic actor who introduced him to YouTube.
He explained that his life changed after Dr. Likee advised him to join the online platform at an event in Sefwi.
A few years down the lane, Wayoosi said he has made money, even more than he earned in his Kumawood acting days.
Touching on how much he earns from the digital platform, Wayoosi said he makes more than GHC20,000 at the end of every month from the content he publishes on YouTube.
Earlier this month, BeyoncĂŠâs latest album, Renaissance, won Best Dance/Electronic Music Album at the 2023 Grammy Awards. As the pop star took the stage to accept the award, cameras captured Diplo yelling a few words to a person seated next to him. Some internet lip readers believed the producer said something to the effect of, âThey bought that.â
However, Diplo has denied throwing any shade at BeyoncĂŠ. The producer, who previously clarified that what he actually said was, âIâm glad to be part of this,â recently DMâd Instagram account Hollywood Unlocked to further explain why he was not dissing Bey.
âYou know I didnât say that lol,â Diplo said regarding the aforementioned rumor, before sharing an official statement that sheds light on his respect for BeyoncĂŠ.
âBeyoncĂŠ[âs] album was legendary (Iâm a BeyoncĂŠ stan. Remember I produced some classic dance songs for her, like âTil the End of Timeâ and âGirls Run the Worldâ),â he said in an official statement to Hollywood Unlocked. âWhatâs important to understand was that her intention was 100 percent.
“She did the work, found the real producers, and she made classics. So, she deserves her flowers, and when she won, I was just proud to see my nomination on the screen in the huge arena.â
Following a decision by the Energy Ministry to dissolve the Board of the Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company Limited (GCML), the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers-Ghana (COPEC) is calling for Frances Essiam to be immediately removed.
The Chamber has asked for a detailed report on the investigations conducted so far by the three-member committee into accusations of financial malfeasance and procurement breaches against the CEO.
This comes on the back of an order by President Akufo-Addo to dissolve the Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company (GCMC) Board.
The directive follows the impasse between the Chief Executive Officer of the GCML, Frances Essiam and the board of the company.
A letter ordering the dissolution of the Board read âHis Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has directed that the necessary steps be taken to dissolve the Board of Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company Limited in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act and the Companyâs Regulations.
âIn this regard, you are kindly requested to take note of the directive as in paragraph one (1) above and act accordingly.
âPlease ensure that all documents and items belonging to the Board are handed over to the Company Secretary.
âMeanwhile, please accept the gratitude of the President for the services you rendered to the nation.â
But the Chamber insists there are suspicions the Ministry may be shielding the CEO in the matter as the Findings of the committee did not exonerate the CEO and must be made public to clear any doubt in the minds of Ghanaians. âAs a precursor and a precedent to good corporate governance of all other State-Owned Companies (SOEs) across the country, one would have expected the report or outcome of the committeeâs findings will be published to detail whatever the real issues are through our private checks indicate the report did not in any way vindicate the CEO of the allegations but the public who followed these developments so far are only being given a communique to the effect of a desolution of the Board.â
Below is the full report
CHAMBER OF PETROLEUM CONSUMERS-GHANA
GCMC BOARD DESOLUTION:
SACK GCMC MD TOO IMMEDIATELY OR PUBLISH REPORT.
05/07/18
The Current state of the Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company (GCMC) indeed leaves a lot to be desired following from the recent impasse between the Governing Board and the Managing Director.
Accusations bothering on financial malfeasance and procurement breaches against the Md in respect of a $5million equipment procurement and some Ghc 2.5 million sole-sourced expansion works within the company as well several other unilateral decisions without any regard or recourse to the governing board got to a head in May this year when the company had to be locked up full day to prevent the Seven Member Board from holding a board meeting inside the premises of GCMC.
This then forced the Board to convene the meeting outside the premises of the company at which they unanimously agreed to suspend the MD who they believe was acting against good corporate governance practices.
This suspension decision will be subsequently also suspended and a three Member Ntrakwa Committee constituted to probe all the issues and submit a report in two weeks.
The said Committee has submitted itâs findings or report on the matter which has subsequently led to a decision to so far suspend only the BOARD.
As a precursor and a precedent to good corporare governance of all other State Owned Companies (SOEs) across the country, one would have expected the report or outcome of the committeeâs findings will be published to detail whatever the real issues are though our private checks indicate the report did not in any way vindicate the CEO of the allegations but the public who followed these developments so far are only being given a communique to the effect of a desolution of the Board.
One is tempted to ask Is this latest action to indicate the CEO has been cleared of all charges? or rather another vile attempt to cover up whatever the alleged rots, stealing and breaches that has been occasioned at the company for which the Board raised issues?
Do we take it as another case of protecting the Governmentâs favorite whiles the real issues are swept under the carpet as this might also send a wrong signal to all other State Owned Companies across the country such that the supervisory functions of the Board as vividly captured in the 2016 Public Financial Management Act 926 page 90.
Corporate Ghana and indeed the ordinary public is looking keenly as to the eventual outcomes of this particular development and whether the functions of the Governing Boards of other SOEs will not suffer negatively going forward following from the outcomes of this particular issue.
Even though the government is under no obligation to state reasons for its recent actions or decision we believe it will be prudent to clear the myriad of issues arising from the numerous accusations bothering on malfeasance and procurement breaches.
Where the Board having found evidence of wrong doing and procurement breaches which they have uncovered and duly petitioned on same to the Ministry and having subsequently gone ahead to invoke their jurisdiction to sanction an offending member ie the MD rather gets dissolved whiles the CEO whose activities remain suspicious remains at post.
We believe Ghanaians will want closure on this matter and will be happy for the Ntrakwa Committee Report to be published immediately or the CEO also face a stiffer sanction as anything other than this has the huge tendency to gag all other Governing Boards of SOEs across the country and will render their use ineffective going forward.
To prevent catastrophes like the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in a moldy apartment, social housing supervisors will need to obtain certifications.
Following his recognition that social housing residents were being “inexcusably let down,” housing secretary Michael Gove announced the measures.
Following the toddler’s passing, the adjustment, according to the Cabinet minister, will ‘push up standards’ everywhere.
In December 2020, Awaab passed away from a respiratory disease brought on by mold in his Rochdale, Greater Manchester, house.
Awaab Ishak died just over a week after his second birthday
In response to his death, ministers have proposed that landlords will have to investigate and fix damp and mould in social housing within strict time limits under what would be known as Awaabâs Law.
On top of those reforms, Mr Gove on Sunday announced new rules that will mean around 25,000 managers across the sector will be required to have an appropriate level housing management qualification.
Managers must have a qualification that comes from a provider regulated by exams watchdog Ofqual and that is equivalent to a level 4 or 5 certificate or diploma in housing.
The changes will be made through amendments to the Social Housing (Regulation) Bill, according to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
This will put legal pressure on landlords to investigate and fix damp and mould in social housing within strict time limits.
The shocking mould within the familyâs flat (Picture: MEN Media)
Any landlord who fails to meet these new rules risks being fined.
The social housing regulator will also have tough new powers, allowing it to enter properties with only 48 hoursâ notice and make emergency repairs with landlords footing the bill.
Officials believe the new requirements will professionalise and drive the âculture change neededâ in the sector.
The Bill is the latest step in response to the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire, with the Fire Safety Act enacted and the Building Safety Act passed last year.
Mr Gove said: âThe Grenfell Tower tragedy and, more recently, the death of Awaab Ishak showed the devastating consequences of residents inexcusably being let down by poor performing landlords who consistently failed to listen to them.
âWe know that many social housing residents are not receiving the service or respect they deserve.
âThe changes we are delivering today will make sure social housing managers across the country have the right skills and experience to deliver an excellent service and drive up standards across the board.â
Awaab Ishak family statement following inquest into toddler’s death
Chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing, Gavin Smart, said: âWe believe housing professionals should do all they can to ensure that tenants and residents have access to good quality, affordable homes; that they are treated with dignity and respect; and that their voices and views are heard and taken account of in decisions that affect them.â
Grenfell United, a group of survivors and bereaved family members of the victims of the west London tower blaze that took 72 lives, said: âFor six years we have worked relentlessly to hold the Government to account to change social housing for tenants across the country.
âWe never gave up. We pushed for professionalisation and for robust regulation to ensure residents are treated with respect and humanity.
âWhilst there is a long way to go, we welcome the amendment. We believe this will play a part in the legacy of positive change and make a significant difference to social housing tenants.â
What happened to Awaab Ishak?
Two-year-old Awaab Ishak, died in December 2020 from a respiratory condition caused by mould in the one-bedroom flat where he lived with his parents in Rochdale.
His dad, Faisal Abdullah had previously complained to Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) about the mould.
When he first reported it in 2017, he was told to paint over it.
In June 2020, Mr Abdullah instructed solicitors and initiated a claim over the recurring issue but policy meant any repairs would not be done until an agreement had been reached, the inquest heard.
A health visitor also contacted RBH to raise the issue in July 2020 and an inspection found mould in the kitchen, bathroom and a bedroom cupboard, which all needed treatment.
Ms Kearsley said the mould was due to ânormal daily living activitiesâ and a lack of effective ventilation.
She said: âI find as a matter of fact that no action was taken and, from July 2020 until December 2020, Awaab continued to have chronic exposure to harmful mould.â
Awaab was taken to Rochdale Urgent Care Centre on December 19 with shortness of breath and transferred to Royal Oldham Hospital before being discharged, the court heard.
The coroner said the family should have been told to call an ambulance or take him directly to Royal Oldham Hospital if he had further difficulties.
Awaab deteriorated the next day and his parents were advised by the Community Childrenâs Nursing Team to take him back to the Rochdale Urgent Care Centre.
He went into respiratory arrest and then cardiac arrest while being transferred to Oldham where he died.
In childhood bedrooms across the world, teenagers are toiling away in the hopes of making playing their favourite game â Roblox â a full-time job.
Some pocket enough to pay for degrees, others earn more than their parents, and a growing number are en-route to becoming millionaires.
Roblox is a multi-platform game that allows people to play a wide variety of games, create their own games or chat with others online
It boasts 202 million users a month with players logging in from across the world.
The game recently came under fire for a number of inappropriate games such as âdepression roomsâ and âsex roleplaysâ.
But for the majority, playing the game is a safe, even lucrative, experience.
Usernames such as Loleris and badcc may mean nothing to the older generation, but in the Roblox world these people are celebrities.
They made their fortunes as teenagers by developing in-game experiences that reached widespread popularity.
Young people are now doing everything in their power to follow in their footsteps.
Roblox has more than 58.8 million daily active users (Picture: Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/REX/Shutterstock)
Itâs a growing and bustling young industry with millions of pounds at stake.
But the skyrocketing popularity of the game is still relatively unknown in the offline world and â crucially â to many childrenâs parents.
Ammon Runger, based in Washington State, America, is one of those Roblox users making thousands throughout the year.
He hopes to turn his profits into millions one day.
Ammon started playing the game as a shy high school student and quickly grew in confidence and skills.
He began playing in 2015 and launched a YouTube channel two years later. Now, Roblox is essentially his full-time job besides his tender age of 18.
Ammon told Metro.co.uk: âI donât think the public really understands what Roblox is like nowadays and how much it has grown.
Ammon hopes to encourage other young people to make their mark online (Picture: Ammon Runger)
âThereâs literally 15-year-olds helping to run multi-million dollar game studios from their bedrooms.
âIâve grown up with the game and worked or dabbled in every corner of the Roblox ecosystem so I have spoken about this a lot to other developers. Some teams are turning around a million dollars a month, itâs insane.â
Ammon saw his rise to success come as a result of getting involved in âMad Cityâ, one of the most popular in-game experiences in Roblox.
He became community director of the game and also spent his time with various other users to create video content and edit footage.
Ammon speaks with a wisdom beyond his years, and the use of words such as âclientâ demonstrates how these âjobsâ arenât just teenagers playing pretend, theyâre taking their work seriously.
He said: âMy parents were hesitant when I started investing time into this.
How do children make money on Roblox?
Roblox lets users to create their own mini-games, which are known as âexperiencesâ.
Similar to Minecraft, you may see games inspired by television shows or films.
In-game experiences, such as popular creations JailBreak and Mad City, help attract children to Roblox.
Millions of children across the world spend time on their game and making in-app purchases which have led to the companyâs healthy profits.
In return, those behind popular experiences are able to make money from Roblox.
The company also launched a Developer Exchange program last October, which sees creators transform the virtual currency earned through their games â called Robux â into real live cash.
As early as 2017, Roblox was handing out more than $30 million to young developers on its platform.
âBut when I started making thousands of dollars by playing Roblox, they were far more open to me pursuing it.
âI know not to put my eggs in one basket, with the Internet in general things can be built up and taken away so easily.
âWe donât know what YouTube or Roblox will be like 20, 40 years down the line or if people will still be watching gameplays. This is all still fairly new so thereâs hard to predict.â
Roblox are aware of their young workforce, and say everything is being done to support them.
It may take âyearsâ to hone profitable skills, but anyone can get started.
A Roblox spokesperson told Metro.co.uk: âAt its core, Roblox is all about supporting creation and self-expression â today there are more than 32 million virtual experiences on the platform, built by a growing global community of creators and developers.
Teenagers are able to create their own games and make money by doing so (Picture: Shutterstock / Diego Thomazini)
âAnyone can start building on Roblox straight away, for free, with no upfront costs and no coding experience needed.
âAnd while not everyone can turn a hobby into a source of income, and those that do often take years to hone their skills, weâre incredibly proud of the growing number of developers who started on the platform as hobbyists and were able to do that so successfully that they are now running their own development studios.
âToday, more and more people and professional studios are able to find success doing what they love on Roblox â bringing their creative visions to life.â
Many young people are inspired by the YouTubers or creators they watch online, and diligently follow their every output.
But when trying to re-enact their success, many children and teenagers become disheartened when they struggle to grow the same audience.
Ammon stressed that patience is key.
Ammon aged 11 â at the start of his online gaming journey (Picture: Ammon Runger)
The 18-year-old continued: âI started out as just a fan of all these youtubers that you see everywhere, like I was just your average viewer.
âI was just another person in the huge bucket â one view out of the hundreds of thousands on all these peopleâs videos.
âBut I really put in the work and I made connections with all of all these creators â itâs possible for anyone to do that with consistency.
âIf youâre on YouTube, you may not be like zero to a million subscribers. It may not be even zero to 100,000 subscribers, but you will see something.
âAs long as you have a computer and you have the ability to learn, anybody can start something like this. And thatâs why itâs so prevalent and why so many people are doing it.
âIf you learn how to program and code then you never know, you could make a game that blows up and next thing you know youâll be running a multi-million dollar game studio for Roblox. Itâs a pretty cool vertical.â
Ghanaian afrobeats and high-life singer-songwriter, KiDi, has shared some of his childhood stories, making it seem he had a troubled childhood.
In an interview on The Doreen Avio Show, he stated that his intransigent behaviour led him to many troubles at home and school.
KiDi stated that this incident pushed his father to order for+ his clothes to be stripped off of him and for him to parade around the neighborhood.
He further noted that he had that punishment imposed on him because his father was done with his troubles and wanted him to change for the better.
âMy dad called my big sister. He was like, âstrip him naked; everything. No supporter, nothing, and then, when youâre done, put on his church shoes. So picture this: a young kid, naked, wearing only church shoes,” he said.
The Lynx Entertainment signee added that he was reported to his father for eating his teacher’s food without permission.
The Golden Boy, as he is affectionately called, explained that after that punishment, he had to change his poor ways.
Despite his poor behaviour, the ‘Gyal Dem Sugar’ further stated that he was a highly driven person who participated in several extracurricular activities at school, such as sports, art, and entertainment.
All Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) that purchase petroleum products under the governmentâs Gold for Oil (G40) programme will be required to sign an undertaking to guarantee a reduction in their prices at the pumps.Â
The decision, according to the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), was intended to ensure that consumers benefited from the programme.Â
Ghana took delivery of 40,000 metric tonnes of petrol and 35,000 metric tons of diesel last week under the G40 programme â in addition to the 40,000 metric tons of diesel that arrived in the country last month.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr. Abass Ibrahim Tasunti, Head of Economic Regulation at the NPA, said the authority was optimistic that the new arrival would lead to a “minimal reduction” in fuel prices at the pumps.
He said a number of OMCs in the top 25 companies had confirmed their readiness to lift the product.
“The discharge is complete, and the products are now about to go to the market. Definitely it is expected that because the prices are a bit competitive compared to the other sources of import, it would lead to some minimal reduction,” Mr. Tasunti said.
He added: “Prices are deregulated; so, with this (G40) coming in, we have to monitor the prices of the OMCs that are lifting the product.”Â
Mr Tasunti said as part of the implementation criteria, interested OMCs would be required to sign the undertaking, adding that companies that failed to comply with the agreed requirements would be sanctioned.
“The undertaking is being signed in all its terms and conditions to ensure that the requirements or guidelines the (OMCs) are supposed to meet, including the reduction in prices for G40 products, are met,” he said.
The government announced the Gold for Oil Policy in November last year as an innovative measure to exchange gold for petroleum products instead of US dollars.
The government said the move was intended to reduce the demand for dollars for the importation of petroleum products and, by extension, reduce the rate of depreciation of the cedi.
It is estimated that the country requires about $400 million to import petroleum products monthly, out of which the Bank of Ghana is able to supply only $120 million to petroleum importers.
The government expects the Gold-for-Oil program to account for half of all petroleum products imported into the country.
The NPA has indicated that only OMCs with at least 45 outlets across the country would be eligible to lift the latest consignment under the G40 programme.
The authority said the move would ensure that consumers felt the impact of the programme in terms of a reduction in the price of petrol and diesel at the pumps.
Two government sources told CNN that Britain and the EU have achieved an agreement on new trade regulations in Northern Ireland in an effort to settle a contentious issue that has stoked post-Brexit tensions in Europe and on the island of Ireland.
Prior to a declaration regarding the agreement in the House of Commons, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen came in the UK on Monday for final discussions with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. According to Buckingham Palace, Von der Leyen will also have tea with King Charles III at Windsor Castle.
Negotiations intensified in recent weeks, after months of impasse over how to handle border checks in Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK but shares a land border with the Republic of Ireland, an EU member state.
Now that a deal is done, Sunak faces a political backlash from hardline Euroskeptics in his Conservative Party.
Von der Leyenâs meeting with the King has proved controversial. âThe King is pleased to meet any world leader if they are visiting Britain and it is the Governmentâs advice that he should do so,â the Palace said when it announced the sit-down.
According to a royal source, the meeting would be an opportunity for King Charles to discuss topics including the war in Ukraine and climate change.
But it was criticized by some prominent unionist figures.âI cannot quite believe that No 10 would ask HM the King to become involved in the finalising of a deal as controversial as this one,â former Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster wrote in a tweet. âItâs crass and will go down very badly in NI.â
A new deal would update the arrangements known as the Northern Ireland Protocol, signed with Brussels by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, which attempted to recognize the delicate situation that Brexit created in Northern Ireland.
Ordinarily, the existence of a border between an EU member state and a non-EU nation like the UK would require infrastructure such as customs posts. But during the period of sectarian strife known as the Troubles, security posts along the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland became a target for paramilitary groups fighting for a united Ireland.
In theory, the Northern Ireland Protocol was intended to do away with the need for border infrastructure. It was agreed that Northern Ireland would remain within the EUâs regulatory sphere, and that goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain would be checked before they arrived â effectively imposing a sea border.
That enraged the pro-British unionist community in Northern Ireland, who argued they were being cut off from the rest of the UK and forced closer to the Republic. Disputes about the arrangements, in part, have been a barrier to the restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly, which has been suspended since 2017. The sharing of power between unionists and republicans is a key part of the Good Friday Agreement â the peace deal that marked the end of the Troubles.
The wrangling has also affected trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the extent that the UK has not fully implemented the protocol.
A new case study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease describes the diagnosis of dementia in a 19-year-old Chinese male who has had memory issues since he was 17 years old.
The teenager was identified as having “probable” Alzheimer’s disease by doctors at the Capital Medical University in Beijing after a battery of tests. If the diagnosis is accurate, he will be the youngest person ever known to have the debilitating condition.
Age is the primary risk factor for the condition, which is why this most recent example is so unique.
The exact causes of Alzheimerâs are still largely unknown, but a classical feature of the disease is the build-up of two proteins in the brain: beta-amyloid and tau. In people with Alzheimerâs, beta-amyloid is usually found in large quantities outside of neurons (brain cells), and tau âtanglesâ are found inside axons, the long, slender projection of neurons.
However, scans failed to show any signs of these features in the 19-year-oldâs brain. But the researchers did find abnormally high levels of a protein called p-tau181 in the patientâs cerebrospinal fluid. This typically happens before the formation of tau tangles in the brain.
Nearly all cases of Alzheimerâs disease in people younger than 30 are due to inherited faulty genes. Indeed, the previous youngest case â a 21-year-old â had a genetic cause.
Three genes have been linked to Alzheimerâs disease in the young: amyloid precursor protein (APP), presenilin 1 (PSEN1) and presenilin 2 (PSEN2).
These genes are involved in producing a protein fragment called beta-amyloid peptide, a precursor to the previously mentioned beta-amyloid. If the gene is faulty, it can lead to an abnormal build-up (plaques) of beta-amyloid in the brain â a hallmark of Alzheimerâs disease and a target for treatments such as the recently approved drug lecanemab.
People only need one of APP, PSEN1 or PSEN2 to be faulty to develop Alzheimerâs disease, and their children have a 50:50 chance of inheriting the gene from them and developing the disease, too.
However, a genetic cause was ruled out in this latest case as the researchers performed a whole-genome sequence of the patient and failed to find any known genetic mutations. And nobody in the teenagerâs family has a history of Alzheimerâs disease or dementia.
The young man also had no other diseases, infections or head trauma that might explain his condition. It is clear that whatever form of Alzheimerâs he has, it is extremely rare.
Alzheimerâs and dementia research, conceptual image. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of a human brain on a screen (Picture: Getty/Science Photo Libra)
Severely impaired memory
At the age of 17, the patient started having problems concentrating on his school studies. This was followed a year later by the loss of his short-term memory. He couldnât recall if heâd eaten or done his homework. His memory loss became so severe that he had to drop out of high school (he was in his final year).
A probable diagnosis of Alzheimerâs disease was confirmed by standard cognitive tests used to detect memory loss. The results suggested his memory was severely impaired. The brain scans also showed that his hippocampus â a part of the brain involved in memory â had shrunk. This is a typical early sign of dementia.
A brain biopsy would be too risky, so understanding the biological mechanisms of his dementia is difficult â and this case remains a medical mystery at this point.
Cases of early-onset Alzheimerâs disease are on the rise in younger patients. Sadly, this is unlikely to be the last such rare case that we hear about.
Several people have fallen prey to online scammers; from romance fraud, shopping fraud to investment scam, people have lost huge sums of monies to these fraudsters.
To help curb this growing menace, the cybersecurity authority has warned Ghanaians, especially internet users, to be careful while browsing to safeguard their information and monies from being stolen by some unscrupulous people.
For people who shop online, it is advisable to always pay for the goods you order on delivery rather than be on the assurance that the goods purchased will be delivered.
This gives the buyer the chance to also check the goods to ensure that what was ordered was what was delivered.
It is also advisable not to buy from unknown shops.
Online buyers must only buy from reputable shops and websites.
For shops that were recommended to buyers by friends and loved ones, it is advisable to do due diligence on the shopping site before purchasing any item(s).
Buyers have to also verify the accounts based on recommendations to avoid being duped.
It was a moment of celebration for Mercy Johnsonâs husband, Prince Okojie as he revealed he emerged winner to represent the Esan North-East/Esan South-East federal constituency at the Federal House of Assembly.
Sharing a video, which showed the moment the returning officer announced him as the winner, Prince Okojie wrote in his caption:
âWith gratitude to God Almighty, My Family and the support of the good people of AGBAZILO, I was declared the winner of the Election for the Federal House of Representatives. Esan North-East/Esan South-East federal constituency 2023. Thank you for all your support and love. I am sincerely grateful â
Sir Keir Starmer will assert that if a future Labour administration does not implement a growth strategy, Britain may become poorer than those in Poland, Hungary, and Romania.
At a speech on Monday, the Labour leader will explain why his economic plan is the “sole game in town” for getting the UK out of the Conservatives’ “low pay, high tax, doom-loop.”
He will express concern about a potential “brain drain” from Britain if the nation’s economy is not revived.
The party projects that, based on its examination of World Bank data, eastern European competitors will overtake Britain in terms of wealth possibilities within the next 20 years.
The speech in central London is set to expand on Sir Keirâs unveiling of five âmissionsâ his party will focus on if it wins the next general election.
Judge me on whether you feel better-off after five years of a Labour government
As well as commitments on energy, the NHS, crime and childcare, Sir Keir pledged to secure the highest sustained growth in the G7, along with providing good jobs and productivity growth in every part of the country.
Sir Keir is expected to tell voters that they will be able to âjudge me on whether you feel better-off after five years of a Labour governmentâ.
The Opposition leader, according to a pre-briefed extract of his speech, is set to say: âWe need to be frank about the path of decline the Tories have set our country on.
âThe British people are falling behind while our European neighbours get richer, in the east as well as in countries like France and Germany.
âIâm not comfortable with that; not comfortable with a trajectory that will soon see Britain overtaken by Poland.
âNor am I prepared to accept what the consequences of this failure would mean.â
He is set to add: âI donât want a Britain where young people, in our great towns and cities, are left with no option but to get out.
âA brain drain, not just to London or Edinburgh, but to Lyon, Munich and Warsaw. Thatâs not the future our country deserves.â
Labour said its calculations of Britainâs wealth decline were based on assuming UK gross domestic product (GDP) â a measure of the economyâs health â per capita continues to grow at a similar rate of 0.5% in real terms as it did between 2010 and 2021.
That compares with 3.6% for Poland, 3% for Hungary and 3.8% for Romania in the same timeframe.
Should that trajectory be sustained, then it would mean the average Briton would be poorer than their Polish counterpart by 2030 and less well-off than those residing in Romania and Hungary by 2040.
Labour said the partyâs leader will pledge to âfind the courage to take on vested interestsâ as he strives to âunlock the potential of every region and every nationâ if he becomes prime minister after the next election, which is expected by the end of January 2025.
Officials briefed that Sir Keir will lay out how higher growth will be passed straight to families under his proposals.
A paper detailing Labourâs plan for meeting and measuring its progress on its growth mission will be published ahead of the speech.
The nine-page document, seen by PA news agency, says that having the highest sustained growth in the G7 would mean income growing faster, people having more savings, jobs in new and growing industries, along with vibrant high streets.
Sir Keir will argue that, having set out a Labour green prosperity plan, its ambitions to make Brexit work better and also enhance the British Business Bank, his party already has a âcredible, long-term plan which represents the determination of our party to create more wealthâ.
After the speech, the leader and shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves will host a roundtable of business leaders.
Conservative Party chairman Greg Hands said Labourâs plan for government included ÂŁ90 billion of âunfunded spendingâ.
Mr Hands said: âThe last time Labour left office, there was no money left, debt was spiralling, and unemployment soared â something the British people will never forget.
âEveryone already knows what Labour would do to the economy â with ÂŁ90 billion of unfunded spending, that would just lead to endless borrowing and higher debt.â
The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) says fuel prices at the pumps are set to see decline in the first window March 2023.
According to COPEC, prices of both petrol and diesel have all declined marginally within the period whiles Crude price has also minimally dropped from $82.99/barrel to $82.48/barrel (-0.61%)
âThough the Dollar exchange rate has seen a slight increase from averages of GHS12.4697 to GHS12.8650 (3.17%) per $1, further considering the CBOD rate of about $1=GHS14.00, the following shall form the predicted retail figures for Petroleum products from computations by the technical and pricing team, for the 1st pricing window of March under the price deregulation programme of the National Petroleum Authority.
âWith the international price decreasing from $878.41/MT to $849.25/MT (-3.32%), the retail price works up to GHS13.66/L. Petrol Retail prices are therefore expected to drop by 3.73% from the current Mean value of GHS14.20/L,â COPEC stated in a release dated February 27, 2023.
It further stated that âWith the International price decreasing from $854.00/MT to $809.38/MT (-5.22%), and the increase in the Dollar rate, the expected mean retail price for the next window shall be GHS13.98/L. Thus, Diesel prices are therefore expected to drop by 4.04% from the current Mean value of GHS14.57/L.â
Below is the full statement from COPEC
CHAMBER OF PETROLEUM CONSUMERS ACCRA
27/02/2023
FUEL PRICES SET TO DECLINE-FIRST WINDOW MARCH
Following from the basic assumptions, that; prices of both petrol and diesel have all declined marginally within the period whiles Crude price has also minimally dropped from $82.99/barrel to $82.48/barrel (-0.61%)
Though the Dollar exchange rate has seen a slight increase from averages of GHS12.4697 to GHS12.8650 (3.17%) per $1, further considering the CBOD rate of about $1=GHS14.00, the following shall form the predicted retail figures for Petroleum products from computations by the technical and pricing team, for the 1st pricing window of March under the price deregulation programme of the National Petroleum Authority,
Which window commences on Wednesday, 1 March 2023. All understated Predictions are factored to be within (+/-)5%.
Petrol
With the international price decreasing from $878.41/MT to $849.25/MT (-3.32%), the retail price works up to GHS13.66/L
Petrol Retail prices are therefore expected to drop by 3.73% from the current Mean value of GHS14.20/L
Diesel
With the International price decreasing from $854.00/MT to $809.38/MT (-5.22%), and the increase in the Dollar rate, the expected mean retail price for the next window shall be GHS13.98/L
Thus, Diesel prices are therefore expected to drop by 4.04% from the current Mean value of GHS14.57/L
Mean Price of Petrol and Diesel
The Mean price of Petrol and Diesel shall be 13.82/L.
LPG
With the international price increasing from $699.45/MT to $702.50/MT (4.94%) the projected retail price of LPG is expected to increase by about 4.36% from the current average of 13.86/kg to GHS14.46/kg.
These expected drops in prices for the second time running since the second pricing window of February 2023 does not have any correlation with the much touted Gold for Oil programme as these movements are simply a derivative of market forces at play within the period, we still await the reductions the two cargoes brought in this month will add to the relieving the suffering of the petroleum consumer
Advice on LPG consumption.
The current high retail prices of LPG has contributed to consumption generally dropping by 12% year on year in 2022,
It will be prudent If authorities did take a second look at the factors contributing to high prices of a commodity which Ghana has in enormous commercial quantities to ensure price stability or decline if the governmentâs 50% penetration target is to be ever achieved and to continuously promote its usage with the overall environmental promotion in mind.
Cardi BÂ says community service has opened her to new to a âjourneyâ in life.Â
The âWAPâ rapper took to Twitter on Saturday to share her experience with her 28.2M followers.
âCommunity service has been the best thing that has happened to me. Almost like a spiritual journey because sometimes I leave these centers in tears. Those people that we leave behind, they just need somebody to talk, and a lil push and YOU might be able to change their life forever,â the 30-year-old tweeted.
Last September, the star took a plea deal in her 2018 strip club fight case. She pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors of 3rd-degree assault and 2nd-degree reckless endangerment to avoid jail time. The judge ordered her to perform a mandatory 15 days of community service. Her other 12 indictments, placed by Queens were dropped.
In earlier reports, Cardi B was identified as person who ordered her entourage to attack two bartenders, Jade and Baddie G. Allegedly, the brawl stemmed from accusations that Jade slept with her husband, Offset. The pair tied the knot in 2017.Â
The Grammy winner turned herself in to police three months after the incident. She initially rejected the plea deal in 2019.Â
As for her community service, Cardi has served in church, school, and prestigious organizations in NYC. TMZ reports that she recently partnered with the NYPD for a âGirl Talkâ seminar fulfilling her arrangement.Â
Cardi recently tweeted an image of herself before heading to service, saying, âmy brains are burning from waking up early, community service then studioâŚ.but I did the crime. I only have myself to blame.âÂ
The cocoa industry in Ghana is currently facing one of its greatest dangers ever as illegal gold miners keep attacking cocoa plantations, including those that have recently undergone rehabilitation thanks to a national initiative.
The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) had warned that the industry could head for a disaster if the illegal activities were not checked. Â
Raising the alarm, the Executive Director of Cocoa Health and Extension Services, Rev. Edwin Afari, said the National Cocoa Rehabilitation Programme being undertaken by COCOBOD at a cost of about GH¢4.8 billion was under severe threat from illegal mining (gamalsey) activities.
âRecently, I was around the Boinso area in the Aowin municipality of the Western Region and for about 36.5 hectares that we did, they have cut down all of them for galamsey,â he told journalists in Cape Coast last Friday on the margins of a ceremony to award 15 visually impaired cocoa farmers from the Central, Western and Brong Ahafo cocoa regions for their immense contribution to cocoa production.
He said the situation had gone from bad to worse over the past 10 years, and consequently, appealed to the Minerals Commission to refrain from giving mining concessions to miners in cocoa growing areas, while urging all stakeholders to help curb the negative impact of galamsey on cocoa production in the country.
Rev. Afari stated that illegal mining activities were alarming in the Western South cocoa region, including the Wassa Akropong corridor, and parts of the Ashanti Region including Manso Adubia, Antoakrom, and Anyinam in the Eastern Region where a lot of hectares of juvenile cocoa farms had been destroyed.
Rehabilitation programme
On September 24, 2020,  President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo launched the National Cocoa Rehabilitation Programme at Sefwi Wiawso in the Western North Region, with the objective of rehabilitating farms affected by the Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease (CSSVD) which had become unproductive.
The programme, which had earlier been successfully piloted in some of the worst CSSVD-affected cocoa growing areas had since been expanded to all other cocoa growing regions.
Under the programme, COCOBOD bears the full cost of the two-year-long rehabilitation process which involves the cutting of the diseased trees, treating the farms and replanting with disease-tolerant, early bearing, high-yielding cocoa varieties.
In addition, COCOBOD gives GH¢1,000.00 per hectare to each farmer whose farm is affected by the disease, while in the case of tenancy, both the affected tenant farmers and their landowners are compensated.
Maiden awards
The awards ceremony, the first of its kind, was organised by COCOBOD with support from the Agricultural Manufacturing Group Limited (AMG Ghana) and Mondelez Cocoalife International, all companies operating in the cocoa value chain.
Aged between 50 and 78 years, the farmers have been working for 15 to 60 years, with seven of them still active.
Each of them received six bags of fertiliser, two pairs of Wellington boots, two machetes, chocolates and other cocoa products, and an undisclosed amount.
One of the awardees, Kofi Esuon, was however honoured posthumously.
Efforts hampered
Rev. Afari said the project to rehabilitate swollen shoot-affected cocoa farms and moribund cocoa farms were being derailed by galamsey activities.
âWe havenât even accounted for the harvesting that will be coming. It is just the investment; the compensation that we give to the landowners and farmers; planting of plantain suckers, cocoa trees, extension services, among others,â he further stated, adding âall the work we have done in there has gone to waste.â
Dramatic change
On a larger scale, Rev. Afari indicated that many forest areas where cocoa was grown had been taken over by illegal mining activities.
He stated that apart from the rehabilitated farms, illegal miners were buying out huge tracts of land meant for cocoa farming for illegal mining.
âEven if you donât sell your farm to them, they dig around it, preventing you from accessing the farm,â he stated.
Stringent measures needed
He said if stringent measures were not taken to reverse the situation, national cocoa volumes produced could be significantly affected.
âWhen we lose several hectares of cocoa we have planted, Ghana is going to suffer,â he stated.
He indicated that another area of concern was the ageing cocoa farmer population, which according to surveys in the seven cocoa producing regions, averagely hovered around 55 years.
That, he noted, did not augur well for the sustainability of cocoa production.
Rev. Afari encouraged other professionals to enter into cocoa farming, saying âwhether you are a doctor, engineer, nurse, development expert, you can venture into cocoa farming.â
Production
Touching on production figures, he said: âWe did 1.47 million tonnes last two years but last year was not good because of the weather and so we came down to about 683,000 tonnes.â
This year, he said COCOBOD was targeting 850,000 tonnes and, hopefully, move on to a million or more next year.
Rev. Afari called on other stakeholders including farmers, chiefs and the media to support efforts at promoting the economic value of the farms, which had more lasting economic value than selling the land to illegal miners.
Disadvantaged farmers
Rev. Afari said the award initiative was to appreciate disadvantaged cocoa farmers for their continuous contributions to the cocoa industry and to encourage them to give of their best.
He commended the awardees for their strength of mind and resilience in the face of challenges and for contributing their quota to national development.
âIf you work diligently with your heart and mind, that is a special kind of sight,â he stated.
The executive director indicated that this year, COCOBOD would focus on cocoa pruning, undertake pollination and pest control exercises to help increase the countryâs production.
Increase production
The Director, Agronomy at COCOBOD, Samuel Asare Ankamah, stated that the awards would ultimately encourage the increase in productivity.
The Central Regional Chief Farmer, Nana Kwesi Ofori, who chaired the function, said the perseverance and commitment of the visually impaired farmers in the face of adversity was commendable and urged other farmers to take inspiration from their works to do more.
He expressed the hope that the initiative would not be a ânine-day wonderâ but would be sustained to encourage even more farmers with disabilities to produce more.
Gratitude
Kwesi Adu, who spoke on behalf of the awardees, thanked COCOBOD for the gesture.
Another awardee, Vida Boakye, called for subsidised inputs to help them increase production.
American rapper, Kodak Black, has been declared wanted by authorities in Florida.
This is according to TMZ reports.
An arrest warrant was reportedly issued by a Broward County judge on Thursday, February 23 and filed in court on Friday after the rapper allegedly violated the conditions of his bail by failing to show up for a random drug test on Feb. 3. Authorities claim that when he finally did come in on Feb. 8, he tested positive for fentanyl. If he is apprehended, Kodak has been ordered to be kept in custody until his hearing from a previous case involving oxycodone is held.
Kodak was arrested in July of 2022 after police pulled the Back for Everything artist over. Police claimed they discovered 31 oxycodone pills following a search of the vehicle he was in. In response to the arrest, which took place in Ft. Lauderdale and saw him being charged with possession of a controlled substance without prescription and trafficking in oxycodone, Kodakâs attorney Bradford Cohen said that the rapper was legally prescribed the oxycodone that cops seized from the rapper. According to TMZ, Cohen also said that Kodak suffered from âchronic painâ as a result of being shot in Los Angeles in Feb. of 2022. Kodak was eventually released after posting bond. A condition of his release is that he be regularly drug tested.Â
Shortly after the shooting, which occurred outside The Nice Guy during Super Bowl weekend, Justin Bieber and Kodak were reportedly sued by two men. Mark Schaefer and Adam Rahman claimed they were shot in the incident and are placing blame on Kodak for allegedly escalating the situation. Theyâre also suing the venue, Los Angeles County, the City of Los Angeles, and the City of West Hollywood.Â
Complex has reached out to Bradford Cohen for comment regarding the arrest warrant. Stay tuned as more information becomes available.Â
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) opened nominations for its presidential and parliamentary candidates for the 2024 general elections on February 22.
According to a timetable released by the Party at its Functional and National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, submission and filing of nomination forms would take place from Monday, March 20, 2023, to Wednesday, March 22, 2023.
The vetting of the aspirants would be held from Monday, March 27, 2023 to Wednesday, March 29, 2023.
After the vetting, aspirants who have issues with the vetting process would have the opportunity to appeal from March 30, 2023 to April 6, 2023 after which the election would come off on May 13.
In addition, the parliamentary aspirants will pay GH¢5,000 as their nomination fee while the filing fee is pegged at GH¢40,000.
Interestingly, some new faces in the party have picked nomination forms to contest as parliamentary candidates in various constituencies across the country.
We, at Pulse Ghana, chronicled seven (7) of these new candidates and the constituencies they are contesting in.
Edem Agbana: The former National Deputy Youth Organizer has picked up nomination forms to contest as parliamentary candidate for Ketu North.
He is hoping to succeed the outgoing Ketu North MP, Mr. James Klutse Avedzi.
Mr. Edem Abgana explained in a lengthy Facebook post why he did not run for any position in the party’s upcoming national elections, despite being persuaded by many party opinion leaders.
Edem Agbana
According to him, he took the decision after the 2020 general elections after consulting several elderly people in the party.
âIt was not an easy period of waiting for God. Fast Forward, God gave us the signs that we needed, and we took a decision NOT to contest for a national position this year.
âMany people were disappointed, I was summoned by some elders and leaders of the party, and I needed to answer many questions. Fast forward, here we are, I didnât pick forms for any national executive position. I am very grateful to the NDC for the opportunity to serve as DNYO.
âWe started working on the next project – to represent the people of Ketu North as the Member of Parliament. The enormity of the work ahead scared me at the beginning, but there is something about God, when He gives you a direction, He makes provision for you,â he revealed.
Charles Asiedu: The son of NDCâs Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketia will be contesting to become the Parliamentary candidate for the Tano South constituency.
He holds a Master of Arts Degree in Organisational Leadership and Governance from the University of Ghana Business School. He is also a product of the Ghana Institute of Journalism.
He has a certificate in Political Leadership and Party Organisation from the NDCâs Ghana Institute of Social Democracy.
Charles Aseidu
Dr. Titus Beyuo: The former General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) is contesting the primaries in the Lambussie-Karni Constituency in the Upper West Region.
He said the decision to come to this was taken after a prolonged period of introspection and extensive consultations with family, friends and critical stakeholders.
Dr. Titus Beyuo
Baba Sadiq Abdulai: The CEO of 3 Music Network, has announced intentions to contest for a parliamentary seat in the general elections come 2024.
Sadiq will be contesting as a Member Of Parliament candidate for the Okaikoi Central Constituency on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress.
Baba Sadiq Abdulai
Linda Assibi Awuni: The engineer has announced her decision to contest the primaries of the NDC in the Adentan Constituency.
In a statement announcing her intent, the KNUST alumni said her quest was âborne out of my resolve to ensure a better leadership for the Adentan Constituency and Ghana under H.E. John Dramani Mahama in 2025 and beyond.â
Mrs Awuni believes her contribution will be geared towards helping the opposition party secure election victory in 2024.
Linda Assibi Awuni
Emmanuel Kojo Jones-Mensah: The young businessman has picked up nominations to contest in the Keta Constituency in the Volta Region.
âI have officially picked up [forms for] the upcoming NDC parliamentary in Keta slated for May 13,â he stated.
âIn coming to the decision to enter the parliamentary race, I have taken cognisance of the current state of the underdevelopment, alarming poverty level, youth unemployment, failing educational standards and general decadence of Keta Constituency, to which there is urgent need for paradigm shift.â
Emmanuel Kojo Jones-Mensah
Fred Nuamah: Actor and business mogul Fred Nuamah is seeking to contest the National Democratic Congressâ parliamentary slot for the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency.
He is the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana Movie Awards, an annual award show that recognises excellence in the Ghanaian film industry.
President Akufo-Addo has eulogised the late King of Gonja, Yagbonwura Sulemana Tuntumba Bore Essa I.
He said the deceased had been a blessing to his presidency.
President Akufo-Addo said this when he led a government delegation to the seventh day âAduaâ (Prayers) for the late Chief of Gonja, who died on Sunday, February 5, 2023, at Damongo in the Savannah Region.
The President said the contribution of his late friend, Yagbonwura Tuntumba Bore Essa I, to national development, particularly the resolution of the Dagbon crisis and the establishment of the Savannah Region, will never be forgotten.
âThere are two things that will always stick in my mind when I come to think of him. First, the contribution he made as one of the three eminent chiefs in the resolution of the Dagbon crisis.
âIt was a blessing for me when I became President to have these eminent chiefs in place to help in the governance of our country. And the history of our country will never forget his contributions and participation in that successful enterprise,â he stated.
âAnd the second was (contribution to development) the role he played leading to the demand for the creation of Savannah Region. It was his insistence we had the referendum and allowed the people of Savannah to express their preference of choice and ultimately, made it possible for me to sign a Constitutional Instrument that created the Savannah Region. He will always be the founder of Savannah Regionâ, the President indicated.
The President donated GHâľ100,000, 20 bags of rice, and a bull towards the funeral.
Present at the Jakpa Palace were representatives of traditional rulers, thus Dagbon, Ashanti Moi, Wa and politicians from across all the political divides and security personnel.
Meanwhile, according to Gonja Traditional Council sources, the late Kingâs successor will perform all traditional rites in the coming weeks to prepare for his enskinment in Damongo.
Gospel musician Evangelist Diana Asamoah has declared her intentions of running along with the NPP frontrunner elect after the upcoming presidential primaries as a running mate in the coming general elections, calling on the leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to make her request known.
According to the artist, the most important trump card she will bring to the table will be spreading the word of God to every household in Ghana despite having a lot to offer the party, she said.
The Mabo Wo Din composer made her request known in a discussion on UTV’s entertainment show on Saturday, February 25, stating her loyalty to the NPP party.
The NPP is looking forward to electing a frontrunner for the race for the presidential seat coming 2024.
Runners intended to contest in the race are former Trade Minister Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, former Agric Minister Dr. Afriyie Owusu Akoto, former Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko, former NPP General Secretary Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, former Mampong MP Francis Addai Nimoh, and Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku.
Evangelist Diana Asamoah is hoping to rally behind the frontrunner elected as running mate for the race for presidential seat coming 2024 general polls.
On Sunday, The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Thaddeus Attah of the Labour Party (LP) as the Eti-Osa Federal Constituency seat winner in the House of Representatives.
Mr Attah defeated famous singer Bankole Wellington, aka Banky W, and Babjide, son of Musiliu Obanikoro, a former minister of state for defence, at the polls.
Thaddeus Attah of the Labour Party (LP)
Funmilayo Odukoya, the INEC Returning Officer, declared Mr Attah the winner on Sunday at the Collation Centre, Lagos State Model Nursery and Primary School, Marwa, Lekki 1.
âThat Thaddeus Attah of LP, having satisfied the law requirement, is now declared the winner and is returned elected, signed by me. Thank you so much,â she said.
Mr Attah won with 24,075 votes, beating his counterparts, Mr Olubankole Wellington (Banky W) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who had 18,666 votes, and Mr Babjide Obanikoro of the APC, who had 16, 901 votes.
BVAS Complaint
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), before INEC announced the results, the party agents and INEC officials disagreed over the authenticity of the results even before the presiding officer declared.
APC and PDP representatives refused to accept the results announcement unless their complaints were addressed.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the PDP agent, Aderemi Adeshina, claimed that some voters were disenfranchised in some polling units in the LGA.
Mr Adeshina also claimed that results recorded in some units after the elections were not transmitted through the BVAS machine.
Nigerians React to Banky Wâs Loss
The ten-over-ten singer and husband to famous actress Adesua Etomi was contesting for the third time in the House of Representatives.
Unfortunately, he lost a second time since he began his political career.
Banky Wâs fans were shocked at the election outcome and attributed his loss to not joining the Labour Party.
feel so sorry for Banky W ngl, man had put in too much work to lose again this time
Out of desperation for better governance, well-meaning Nigerians will unintentionally neglect people with genuine interest in leadership, to vote into power incompetence, clowns, wolfs disguised as sheep whoâll take advantage of Labour Party. Banky W deserves a win, but sadlyâŚ
People just voted party all through in many places instead of character or a candidate. Itâs really sad to see Banky W of the PDP lose Etiosa to Thaddeus Attah of Labour party. Banky worked so hard and heâs the most qualified. pic.twitter.com/fLHvSgrBcd
As part of its corporate social responsibility, the Tema North District of the Tema Region of the Electricity Company of Ghana has made a donation to the Remar Ghana Orphanage in Tema
The donation, worth ¢3,000 included rice, oil, gari, beans and water.
Two monthsâ worth of electricity bills were also paid for as part of the donation. As the donation was made on Ghanaâs Chocolate Day, the children received bars of chocolate from the donors.
Leading the Tema North District for the donation, the District Manager, Tamara Asomanin-Wiafe said âthe management of the home had made an appeal on Accra based Metro TV, calling for support from benevolent organisations and individuals to come to its aid as the situation was getting critical.
This donation, was therefore in response to the appeal made.
She also added, that âwe work within a jurisdiction. Rhema Home operates within the same jurisdiction. We therefore thought it prudent to provide this support as part of our social responsibility in the interest of the public.â
To the children, she told them that they have a bright future ahead of them regardless of their current situation and that they should always remember to be thankful to The Lord.
She also made a promise of continued assistance to the Orphanage.
On receiving the items, the Director of the Home, Edward Gasper thanked the team for the donation, saying that âon behalf of the Home, I, the Director want to use this opportunity to let you know that you and your team have solved some monthsâ worth of expenses and we are truly gratefulâ.Â
The management of the Tema North District was supported by the Districtâs representatives of the junior and senior staff unions and the Power Queens Club. These are identifiable groups in the organisation.
The Electricity Company of Ghana has a policy on corporate social responsibility which outlines the various areas where such must be focused on. The areas include health, education, social welfare and community and national development.
Ghana is demanding a for a more precise definition of what counts as child labor child labour as new European Union law on the practice kicks in.
This according to the Employment and Labour Relations Minister is imperative to ensure domestic chores are not mistaken for child labour.
The Labour Minister, Ignatius Baffour Awuah also said the countryâs cultural practices must be considered in matters relating to the subject.
âWe have always insisted that the original hazardous activity framework which was used as the yardstick of measuring childrenâs involvement in cocoa production had to be reviewed through your instrumentality we have that.
âThe cocoa industry is currently being handled by persons whose ages are above 45. So how do we sustain this industry going into the future if we do not train young people to be in it?
âAnd we need to do that with a combination of formal and informal education and most of these people learn informally from their parents outside school hours.â
The call follows the introduction of a new law on child labour.
Under the new regime, Member States would be responsible for the enforcement of the provisions of the regulation.
The national authorities of the states further empowered to withdraw products made using forced labour from the EU market, following an investigation.
Customs authorities would also identify and stop products made using forced labour at EU borders.
At a meeting at the Jubilee House, the German Labour and Social Affairs Minister Hubertus Heil says enforcement has started.
Veteran American actress Sheryl Lee Ralph beautifully modelled in royal Ghanaian kente cloth to the NAACP Image awards.
Ralph turned up at the show in the kente cloth designed by famous Ghanaian designers PistisGh.
Sheryl Lee Ralph wore the corseted kente gown to the 2023 NAACP Image awards held the night of Saturday, February 25th 2023 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in California.
Ralph revealed her Ghanaian designers spent over 1,000 getting the beaded gown ready.
âHow proud and happy we are to introduce you to Pistis Ghana Limited. The husband and wife team of Kabutey and Sumaiya who spent 1000 hours constructing this gown of beaded royal Kente cloth for me @naacpimageaward,â she wrote.
Popular actor and musician, Olurotimi Akinosho, popularly known as Rotimi, says he recorded his verse on the âCryptocurrencyâtrack in 15 minutes.
âThe song at the moment is moving organically because it feels so natural and I did my verse in 15 minutes because it was effortlessly just fly, itâs once in lifetime top opportunity because I was like letâs just shoot the video and get it going,â he said
Itâs a collaboration between Kuami Eugene and Rotimi which was released on February 23, and is already receiving a lot of airplay.
Speaking on Hitz FM, Rotimi stated that he is a big fan of Kuami Eugene and they have been talking hence when he dropped his record online he decided to jump on it.
He added that he had also heard about the âSingleâ hit maker from mutual friends.
Asked aside from being a fan and hearing about him, what was that unique thing that made him want to work with the Rockstar, Rotimi stated that Kuamiâs style of music is what attracted him to work with him.
He added that itâs different, natural, and also works well with his sound too and it was just ok to jump on it.
âHis tone, not a lot of people have that type of tone and not a lot of people make quality music anymore so it didnât matter what record he did, it didnât matter what feature he did, itâs just that certain people just have that sound and it meshes well with my sound,â he said.
Rotimi is currently in Ghana to shoot a music video for the hit song âCryptocurrency.â
Rotimi is popular for his hit song âIn My bedâ and for playing the role of Andre Coleman in the popular hit series, âPowerâ, which features the likes of 50 Cent, Omari Hardwick, Method Man, Mary J Blige, and others.
In describing Labour’s goal to achieve the highest sustained growth in the G7, Sir Keir Starmer stated that immigration is not “the answer to all of our issues.”
The Labour leader admitted that there was a short-term need for migrant labor due to a lack of workers, but he emphasized that the UK’s “skills deficit” needed to be fixed instead of importing workers from outside.
He promised that the growth strategy of his party would raise living standards “all across the country” in a speech he gave on Monday in the City of London.
Addressing business leaders, Sir Keir said Britain needs âgrowth from the grassroots, where wealth is created everywhere, by everyone, for everyone. Where we take off the blinkers to the potential of an active government that sets the direction and where we come together in a partnership, raise our collective sights beyond the day-to-day, deliver the long-term solutions our country needsâ.
He continued: âThe model for growth that weâre absolutely focused on is a model that increases living standards everywhere.â
He dismissed a model where wealth is created in London and the South East and redistributed to the rest of the UK.
âI want that productivity, those good jobs, everywhere across the country,â he said.
âIt canât be just London and Manchester and Leeds, itâs got to be everywhere.â
The Labour leader also emphasised that stability is crucial in attracting investment to the UK.
âWe have heard loud and clear about the need for certainty â that basic truth: chaos has a cost â that investors need a clear framework with policies that are always fully costed, fiscal rules, sound and followed rigorously, constraints accepted, institutions respected and not bypassed.
âA rock of economic stability. Our entire mission for growth is built on that, and donât doubt it for a second.
âBut honestly, isnât that the least we should expect? I think so. Britain needs certainty, yes, but also change.â
Asked about businessesâ pleas to allow more migrant workers to come to the UK to fill labour shortages, Sir Keir said: âWe recognise the short-term problem and we are not going to be anti-business or anti-growth or anti-farming about this and allow short-term problems to create long-term problems.
âBut we do have to get ourselves off the idea that migration is the answer to all of our problems.
âWeâve had a skills problem in this country for decades.
âWe want to fix the fundamentals. Iâm still struck by how many children leave school without the skills they are actually going to need for the jobs they are likely to be doing, the lives they are likely to be leading.â
A visa scheme for industries hit by Labour shortfalls would be âmore likelyâ than granting young people from the European Union access, Sir Keir indicated.
A paper detailing Labourâs plan for meeting and measuring its progress on its growth mission was published before the speech.
The nine-page document says a future Labour government âwill create stronger links between our evidence-led, points-based immigration system and our skills bodies to make sure we have the skilled workforce we needâ.
The paper also says that having the highest sustained growth in the G7 would mean income growing faster, people having more savings, jobs in new and growing industries, along with vibrant high streets.
In his speech, Sir Keir said the entire UK needs improved relations with the EU, ânot just Northern Irelandâ, and âa fixed Brexit dealâ is required.
âA reset relationship with the EU, with the whole of the country, not just Northern Ireland,â he said.
Labourâs plan on growth, he added, is âthe only show in townâ.
After the speech, Sir Keir and shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves hosted a roundtable meeting of business leaders, including Dragonsâ Den star Deborah Meaden and Professor Jagjit Chadha of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.
For his role in the AppleTV+ movie Emancipation, Hollywood legend Will Smith earned the Best Actor award at the 2023 NAACP Image Awards.
The film recounts the tale of Peter, a runaway slave who struggles against a cruel Louisiana plantation owner to gain his freedom.
Smithâs portrayal in the movie has received praise from both critics and viewers, and his victory at the NAACP Image Awards is evidence of his acting prowess and commitment.
The NAACP Image Awards, which honour the accomplishments of African Americans in literature, music, film, and television, have long served as an environment for advancing social equity and diversity.
Throughout his career, Smith has been a strong proponent of social justice and racial equality, using his celebrity to raise awareness of pressing problems and spur action.
His Best Actor award win at the NAACP Image Awards is a testament to his dedication to these principles and the entertainment business.
During his acceptance speech (which Variety reports Smith did not deliver in person), Smith dedicated his award to all who have battled for freedom and equality throughout history.
He also thanked fellow Emancipation cast members and crew for their devotion to the movie.
He then urged everyone to continue the struggle for justice and use their words to change the course of events.
o deal with the fallout and altercation between Will Smith and Chris Rock, the 2023 Oscars committee have assembled a crisis team.
Viewers will remember the infamous incident between Rock and Smith after the former made an insensitive comment regarding Smithâs wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith who was also in attendance at the awards ceremony.
The comment inspired Will Smith to stand up and slap Rock before retreating to his seat and verbally berating the comedian.
At the time, many viewers expressed shock and disappointment at the two actorsâ actions on social media.
Following the shocking incident, the Oscarsâ committee issued a statement condemning the event and adding that they did not support aggression or violence of any kind.
As stated previously, the Oscars assembled a crisis team in reaction to the slapping incident to handle the fallout and protect the awards ceremonyâs longstanding reputation.
The team will work to minimise any harm to the Oscarsâ image and make sure that the incident does not overshadow the program or inflict mental or physical harm to anyone in attendance.
The event serves as a reminder of the value of upholding professionalism and respect in stressful circumstances as well as the requirement that public figures such as celebrities control their feelings.
It also highlights the need for effective stress management strategies and the intense competition and pressure that can develop in the entertainment business.
Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Rashid Bawa, has said that his office will take steps to safeguard the safety of Ghanaians living in the country of West Africa.
Currently, polls have officially ended in the country, with collation underway.
Despite what has been generally described as a relatively peaceful election, there have been some pockets of disturbances in some polling units across the country.
But speaking on JoyNewsâ The Probe/Nigeria Decides on Sunday, Mr Bawa said Ghanaians in that country will be shielded from harm.
âSo far thereâs no incident involving a Ghanaian. But weâre still monitoring because itâs quite fluid. Until the elections is declared and situations return to normal, we are not resting on our oars.
âWeâre in touch with almost all the associations across the federation; from Maiduguri down to River States. Hopefully, we can go through this period and thereâll be no incidentsâ, he told host, Emefa Apawu.
He continued, âWe want to assure Ghanaians who have got their relatives here that all things are being done to ensure the safety of Ghanaians during this periodâ.
Meanwhile, Rashid Bawa, says he is not surprised by the results compiled so far by the countryâs electoral management body.
Earlier, the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), announced results from Ekiti state with Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) leading in that regard.
Reacting to the trickling results on JoyNews, Mr Bawa said with hesitation that, he is not surprised at the present outcome.
âI hardly, would want to talk about it but Iâm not too surprised. Itâs expected. If you look at where the results is coming fromâ, he said.
âNigeria is actually divided into geographical zones. We have the North, we have the South-South and we have the South-West. The South-South are largely the Igboâs.
âThe South-West are the Youbaâs. And the North are the Hausaâs, the Hausaâs Fulani. Now these major tribes have got three leading candidates. Each candidate wherever heâs coming from, has his strengthâ, he explained.
Mr Bawa continued, âSo when you look at most of the results, if itâs the North that is dropping in, youâll realise that the candidate from the North gets most of the votes.â
The government’s reviewer of terror legislation was anticipated to recommend on Monday that Shamima Begum and other British women who join the Islamic State be permitted to come home.
Just a few days after Ms. Begum lost her legal battle to return to the UK, Jonathan Hall KC was scheduled to deliver a speech at King’s College London.
Even though there is “credible suspicion” that she, who was then 15 years old, and two other London schoolgirls were victims of trafficking when they joined the Islamic State in 2015, the government’s decision to take her citizenship on national security grounds stands.
But Hall KC was expected to argue that British or formerly British women should have the right to return from Syria, which would bring the UK in line with the position in the United States.
Hall KC, who was appointed as Independent Review of Terrorism Legislation in 2019, was expected to say that the UK is âat a crossroadsâ, the Times reports, as it comes under pressure from allies including the US to bring them home.
The US has repatriated dozens of Americans and the Biden administration has said the camps in Syria threaten western security.
Hall KC was set to acknowledge MI5 fears about the risk that British IS members pose but will point to how they are currently left in limbo in camps in Syria.
He was expected to say that women are less likely to have travelled for the purpose of fighting and may have less autonomy in being able to leave Syria, the Times reports, but now make up the majority of detained people linked to the UK.
The power to revoke citizenship was extended by the Immigration Act in 2014 and can only be used in cases where a person has âconductedâ themselves âin a manner which is seriously prejudicial to the vital interests of the UKâ and where the secretary of state has âreasonable grounds for believing that the person is able, under the law of a country or territory outside the United Kingdom, to become a national of such country or territoryâ.
But ministers are under pressure to accept the return of foreign fighters and other IS supporters held in Kurdish-controlled territory in Syria after the defeat of the terror group.
Ms Begum married and later had three children, all of whom have died. She emerged back into public view four years later in February 2019 after the defeat of IS in Syria forced her and thousands other of the extremist groupâs followers to flee into a Kurdish controlled part of the country, where she remains in a detention camp run by the Kurds.
Following the outcome of Ms Begumâs case, a Home Office spokesperson said: âThe Governmentâs priority remains maintaining the safety and security of the UK and we will robustly defend any decision made in doing so.â
Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has said it has lost GH¢4.8 billion worth of investment in 35 hectares of cocoa farms to illegal mining (galamsey) activities at Boinso in the Western Region.
The investment covered the planting of new cocoa trees and plantain suckers, compensations to landowners and farmers, extension services, among other activities it was undertaking to scale up the countryâs cocoa production.
Rev Edwin Afari, Executive Director, Cocoa Health, and Extension Division said a recent visit to the area saw that all the cocoa trees they planted had been cut down for galamsey.
âWe have not even accounted for the harvesting that will be coming. It is just the investment; all the work we have done over there has gone to waste and so you can imagine what is happening,â he lamented.
He was speaking to the Ghana News Agency on the sideline of a ceremony to award some 15 blind cocoa farmers, a novelty by the Board to whip up interest in cocoa farming, particularly among persons with disabilities.
He observed that galamsey had had a dramatic impact on the cocoa industry in Ghana over the last 10 years, and as a major earner of foreign exchange, the country could suffer the blunt if the illegality continued.
Rev Afari averred that the State cocoa company was facing a hard time reviving the industry as cocoa farmers were giving out their farms willingly or under compulsion for galamsey.
âIn the southern part of the Western North and some parts of Ashanti Region, especially the Manso Adobea, Antoakrom and the Enyinam areas, a lot of the miners are causing us a lot of trouble.”
âThey are cutting away all the newly planted cocoa trees that we have, and it is really causing us a lot of investments,” she said.
He said Ghana risked losing its cocoa and, therefore, called on government, the Minerals Commission, and chiefs to help fight the menace to save the industry by not giving out concessions in cocoa-growing areas.
âBecause this is what gets us foreign exchange and shores up our Cedi when it is depreciating, and also gives government more room to invest in all the development areas,â he said.
And to the farmers, Mr Afari noted that âthe lump sum money may be good now but not in the future because cocoa is there all the time.
âIf you do it well and you get 25 bags per hectare, you will be getting more money than you are getting now.â
He further expressed concerns over the aging population of cocoa farmers, citing the attendant looming dire impact on the economy and general development.
He was worried that many young people were not interested in agriculture in spite of the vast potential in the sector.
He admonished the youth, especially professionals from all fields, to venture into cocoa to create wealth for themselves and the country.
Rev Afari said the country was targeting 850,000 tonnes of cocoa this year as against last yearâs 683,000.
Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Rashid Bawa, has stated that he is not surprised by the preliminary results of the ongoing elections in Nigeria.
Earlier, the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), announced results from some states with Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) leading in the Ekiti State.
Reacting to this development on JoyNews, on Sunday, Mr Bawa said with hesitation that, he is not surprised at the present outcome.
âI hardly, would want to talk about it but Iâm not too surprised. Itâs expected. If you look at where the results is coming fromâ, he told host, Emefa Apawu.
âNigeria is actually divided into geographical zones. We have the North, we have the South-South and we have the South-West. The South-South are largely the Igboâs.
âThe South-West are the Youbaâs. And the North are the Hausaâs, the Hausaâs Fulani. Now these major tribes have got three leading candidates. Each candidate wherever heâs coming from, has his strengthâ, he explained.
Mr Bawa continued, âSo when you look at most of the results, if itâs the North that is dropping in, youâll realise that the candidate from the North gets most of the votes.
If itâs coming from the South-West, which is the Yorubaâs, then the candidate who is coming from that particular zone gets most of the votes. So this is how it isâ.
Collation is presently underway, following the close of polls on Saturday, February 25.
Meanwhile, some aggrieved political parties have expressed their grievances with the conduct of the polls; alleging attempted rigging.
The elections have however been described as peaceful by many pundits and observers, despite isolated incidents of violence at some polling units.
Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, last year announced that government will be reintroducing the collection of road tolls on selected roads in the country this year.
The reintroduction of the road toll was one of the revenue measures contained in the 2023 budget presented to Parliament by the Finance Minister.
âThe fiscal policy measures to underpin the 2023 Budget for consideration and approval by Parliament include the reintroduction of tolls on selected public roads and highways with a renewed focus on leveraging technology in the collection to address the inefficiencies characterized by the previous toll collection regime,â paragraph 462 of the 2023 Budget statement read.
But the Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah has disagreed with the reintroduction of the road tolls.
Narrating how he once, as Regional Minister, had to personally get involved in distributing tickets in order to ease the traffic congestion on a certain road in the Ashanti Region, he noted that bringing back the tolls will cause unnecessary traffic.
To him, he will only subscribe to the idea of reintroducing road tolls on the condition that it will be electronic.
“We should consider maybe electronic but if we are to go back to the previous form, I won’t support it because it gives headache”, he said during “Kokrokoo” panel discussion programme on Peace FM.
A former National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Peter Mac Manu, has commented on the ongoing Nigerian elections.
Speaking as an Election observer of the Democratic Union of Africa, Peter Mac Manu said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of Nigeria has done what it could to ensure a successful election.
According to him, elections entail a lot of processes that require everyone, from the electoral commission to the electorate to play their roles well in order to make the exercise successful.
The former Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) stated that, while Nigeriaâs election had some challenges, such as delay in the provision of election logistics and pockets of violence, the INEC has fulfilled its mandate.
Speaking on JoyNewsâ The Probe/Nigeria Decides on Sunday, Mr. Mac Manu said, âon the eve of the election, we expected a peaceful orderly election, and as a matter of fact, I would say INEC has done its bit, because there are other major stakeholders, who are to contribute their bit.â
According to him, from his observations on the day of the elections, there was order at the various polling units, and that election materials had been distributed to these polling units in preparation for the election.
He said, âYesterday, on my rounds, to the polling units, it was orderly. The day before, at dawn, at the registration centres, where in the morning, election materials were distributed to the poll units, the vehicles were there, the drivers were there.â
However, he noted that some factors, such as the financial crisis and fuel shortages, may have had an impact on the INEC and may have contributed to the delay in the deployment of logistics to some polling stations.
âYou have to take all these into a holistic consideration to be able to know whether some polling stations were late in opening, but these are some of the reasons.â
Mr Mac Manu, however, disclosed that INEC promised to extend the time for the closing of voting beyond 2:30pm should there be a delay, and this promise was fulfilled.
He reckoned that, âNigeria has a huge voter population, 93 million. And about 93% collected their PVCs (Permanent Voters Card), so itâs a huge task. Nevertheless, when you break it into the 37 states, the 774 local government areas ⌠and you come to the 176 thousand plus polling stations, then it becomes manageable.â
With that, he stressed that election is a total cooperation from all stakeholders such as media, security, political parties and civil society groups and reiterated that the INEC did its best.
Nigeria went to the polls on Saturday, February 25, 2023 to elect a new president after almost eight years of Muhammadu Buhari being in power.
A total of 18 candidates were campaigning for the top job, but according to opinion polls only three have a realistic chance of winning.
On Monday, when the head of the European Commission traveled to London to discuss the protocol with the prime minister, Rishi Sunak might reach an agreement on a Brexit settlement involving Northern Ireland.
After months of negotiations, Mr. Sunak is reportedly approaching “final talks” with Ursula von der Leyen, which could result in a breakthrough, according to Downing Street. Early in the morning, Mrs. von der Leyen arrived in London.
Before disclosing the specifics of any reached agreement to voters and Lawmakers, Mr. Sunak intends to brief his Cabinet.
However, if the deal doesnât meet the requests of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), the party could continue to prevent a Northern Ireland devolved government from forming.
The deal could also pit the prime minister against hardline Brexiteers on his own backbenches.
MPs may get to vote on âpart of the dealâ, according to reports, but Downing Street has not fully committed to giving Parliament a vote.
The government exceeded its treasury bill target by 75% in its latest auction held on February 24, 2023.
According to the Bank of Ghana results, the government secured GH¢5.06 billion from the 91-day, 182-day, and 364-day bills.
The 91-day bill gathered GH¢2.93 billion, the 182-day bill secured GH¢665.99 million and the 365-day bill secured GH¢1.46 billion.
Interest rates hovered around 35.5% which is still quite high, a situation many analysts have raised concerns over.
The target for the auction was GH¢2.88 billion therefore the oversubscription was 75% away from the target.
Analysts have noted that the interest rates are too high for the government and may cost the government more when they mature.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta noted that the main financing source for the 2023 budget is treasury bills and concessional loans.
According to him, this has become the case because of the closure of the international domestic bond market.
He made the comment when he appeared before parliament on February 16, 2023.
“Mr Speaker, as the domestic international domestic bond markets are shut, for the financing of government programmes, we are relying on treasury bills and concessional primary sources of financing for the 2023 budget,â he noted.
Nigerians are divided over the loss of musician turned politician, Olubankole Wellington, popularly known as Banky W, in the Eti-Osa Federal Constituency seat race.
While a section of the Nigerian populace who sympathised with Banky W believe he deserved the seat, others also contended that Mr Wellington did not secure the seat because he was not affiliated with the Labour Party.
Taking to Twitter, some Nigerians shared their opinion on the matter.
“Seriously Banky W deserves to win this election for the Eti-Osa Federal Constituency seat but the love Lagosians have for LP caused him to lose to Thaddeus Attah of Labour Party, a South East man for that matter,” one tweep said.
Seriously Banky W deserves to win this election for the Eti-Osa Federal Constituency seat but the love Lagosians have for LP caused him to lose to Thaddeus Attah of Labour Party, a South East man for that matter.
When they said Peter Obi can't lead effectively because LP does not have members in National Assembly, they didn't know they were preparing the people to vote LP everywhere even if they didn't know the candidate. Sorry Banky, na collateral damage đ pic.twitter.com/CiUlzDAqQf
After disclosing that the company is seeing a “huge decline in income,” Elon Musk reportedly let go at least 200 employees at Twitter.
The New York Times (NYT) reported late on Sunday that the job losses over the weekend represent about 10% of Twitter Inc.’s personnel and are the most recent round of layoffs since Elon Musk assumed control of the social media platform in October.
According to the NYT investigation, which relied on people with knowledge of the situation, those fired on Saturday night included product managers, data scientists, and engineers.
Mr Musk last month said the company has a headcount of about 2,300 active employees.
The latest round of cuts comes after mass layoffs in early November, which saw Twitter let go around 3,700 employees in a cost-cutting measure by Mr Musk, who had acquired the company for $44 billion.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Mr Musk said in November that the service was experiencing a âmassive drop in revenueâ as advertisers pulled spending amid concerns about content moderation.
Twitter recently started sharing revenue from advertisements with some of its content creators.
Energy policy analyst Benjamin Nsiah wants government to re-direct its dollar auction policy towards the importation and pricing of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) in the country.
According to him, the move will address the soaring prices of LPG which have witnessed an increment from around GH¢8 per kilogram in January to GH¢15 per kilogram in the second pricing window of February 2023.
In a statement , the energy policy analyst believes that the current prices of LPG is discouraging small businesses and households from using clean cooking methods.
âThe high and unchecked surging of LPG prices is likely to reduce its consumption in 2023, negatively affecting the government’s policy target of achieving 50% LPG penetration of households by 2030, and making this deadline one of the unachieved deadlines on the LPG agenda,â he noted.
He continued, âFurthermore, households forced to use unclean cooking fuels like firewood and charcoal due to the non-affordability of LPG contribute to depleting the country’s forest cover, causing respiratory diseases and contributing to climate change.â
He however noted that government’s previous interventions, including the Bank of Ghana forex auction to the Bulk Distributing Companies (BDCs) and the Gold for Oil policy through Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST), have somewhat stabilized or reduced the prices of petrol and diesel throughout 2022 and the first two months of 2023.
To address this, Benjamin Nsiah suggests that government re-directs its dollar auction policy towards LPG imports and pricing as BDCs would hardly need auction dollars to import diesel and petrol due to the Gold-for-Oil policy, which just commenced implementation.
âThis would have a better impact on LPG price reduction compared to the scrapping of the taxes and levies of about GH¢1.21 per kilogram, which make up approximately 9 percent of the LPG price build-up in February,â the policy analyst said.
âIt has become necessary to internalize the pricing of LPG and make it affordable, given the trend of international LPG prices, which has been on an upward trajectory since December 2022, rendering the impact of scrapping taxes insignificant in subsequent windows,â he concluded.
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South Africa, ranked as one of Africaâs âBig 5â wealth markets alongside Egypt, Nigeria, Morocco, and Kenya, collectively holds more than one half of the continentâs total wealth.
With a total private wealth exceeding $650 billion, South Africa maintains its position as Africaâs largest wealth market and most industrialized economy.
Many individuals within the country have seized the opportunities within and outside its economy to create wealth for themselves while simultaneously contributing value to society.
Johann Rupert is a prime example.
As a prominent luxury mogul and billionaire businessman, he holds the notable distinction of being South Africaâs wealthiest individual, and the second-richest man in all of Africa.
This is largely attributed to his diverse business interests, spanning from luxury ventures in Switzerland under Richemont, to private investments in South Africa through Remgro Limited.
With numerous other ultra-wealthy individuals vying for a spot on the coveted richest list, it has become increasingly crucial to keep an eye on the top seven wealthiest South African billionaires and track the growth of their fortunes since the beginning of the year.
This is especially vital as global equities undergo a rebound after a lackluster performance in 2022.
#1 Johann Rupert
Net worth: $12 billion
Source: Diversified
Johann Rupert is South Africaâs wealthiest man, with a net worth of $12 billion stemming from his investments in luxury goods companies Compagnie Financiere Richemont, Reinet Investments, and Remgro, a South Africa-based investment vehicle.
His net worth has risen by $1.04 billion from $10.9 billion at the start of the year to $12 billion due to the performance of his 9.14 percent stake in Richemont, a Swiss luxury goods company with a diverse portfolio of premium brands including Chloe, Dunhill, Alaa, Cartier, and Delvaux.
#2 Nicky Oppenheimer
Net worth: $8.5 billion
Source: Diversified
Nicky Oppenheimer is the second-richest South African billionaire and the third-richest billionaire in Africa, with a net worth estimated to be around $8.5 billion.
His fortune is held in private equity investments in Africa, Asia, the United States, and Europe through the London-based Stockdale Street and Johannesburg-based Tana Africa Capital.
In 2012, the billionaire sold his familyâs 40-percent interest in De Beers to Anglo-American for $5.2 billion in cash, bringing his familyâs 80-year ownership to an end.
Since the start of 2023, Oppenheimerâs net worth has increased by $475 million.
#3 Patrick Soon-Shiong
Net worth: $8.5 billion
Source: Healthcare
Patrick Soon-Shiong, the Chinese-South African transplant surgeon, bioscientist, and biopharma billionaire, is the 24th richest person in the world, with a reported net worth of $8.81 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
He became a billionaire through his development of the cancer treatment Abraxane and the subsequent sale of his pharmaceutical companies, APP Pharmaceuticals, and Abraxis BioScience, for a combined $7.5 billion.
He now holds a 76-percent stake in late-stage immunotherapy firm ImmunityBio, which has contributed an additional $811 million to his net worth.
#4 Patrice Motsepe
Net worth: $2.8 billion
Source: Mining, Investments
Patrice Motsepe, a South African billionaire mining tycoon and the founder of African Rainbow Minerals (ARM), is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the country.
Established in 1997 as South Africaâs first Black-owned mining corporation, ARM has extensive holdings in iron, coal, copper, gold, platinum, and other precious metal mines.
Motsepeâs current ownership of ARM stands at 39.7 percent, and the company is now worth more than $1.3 billion.
Despite his net worth declining by $400 million since the start of 2023, from $3.2 billion to $2.8 billion, Motsepe continues to be a powerful force in the African mining industry.
#5 Koos Bekker
Net worth: $2.4 billion
Source: Media, Investments
Koos Bekker, a renowned entrepreneur whose smart investments and business acumen have propelled the success of companies like Naspers, a multinational holding company based in Cape Town, and Amsterdam-based Prosus N.V., an investment group, has established himself as one of Africaâs wealthiest individuals.
His impressive net worth of $2.4 billion is derived mainly from his stakes in Naspers (0.96 percent) and Prosus NV (0.89 percent), with his shareholding in Naspers alone being worth R13.53 billion ($740 million).
#6 Christoffel Wiese
Net worth: $1.1 billion
Source: Retail
Christoffel Wiese, a South African billionaire, built his fortune through his Pepkor retail empire, which expanded into other African countries.
After Steinhoff International acquired Pepkor in 2015, Wiese lost his billionaire status when the company disclosed accounting irregularities in 2017.
In 2022, Wiese regained his wealth through a settlement with Steinhoff, which included a five-percent stake in Pepkor. His main asset is Shoprite, along with holdings in Tradehold, Brait, and Invicta Holdings.
#7 Michiel Le Roux
Net worth: $1 billion
Source: Banking
Michiel Le Roux, who founded Capitec Bank, one of South Africaâs leading retail banks, roughly 21 years ago, derives the majority of his $1 billion net worth from his 11.41-percent shareholding in Capitec Bank, a Stellenbosch-based banking company.
His net worth has declined from $1.9 billion to $1 billion, mainly due to a $160-million surge in the market value of his equity position in Capitec Bank.
The commanders of the 11 aircraft carriers in the US fleet make up a select group of United States Navy officers, including the 51-year-old.
There is only one woman in that group, Capt. Bauernschmidt. She is the only woman to have ever held the helm of a US aircraft carrier, one of the biggest and most potent warships ever to sail the seas.
She told CNN, “(It’s) undoubtedly one of the most amazing occupations in the world.”
It is generally seen as an understatement.
The USS Abraham Lincoln, a 97,000-ton, 1,092-foot Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, is commanded by Bauernschmidt. It is comparable to a tiny city at sea with about 5,000 people on board.
Itâs also one of the centerpieces of US military might. More than 60 aircraft are aboard the Lincoln, including F-35C stealth fighters, the most advanced warplanes in naval aviation.
US aircraft carriers âare ready to control the sea, conduct strikes, and maneuver across the electromagnetic spectrum and cyberspace. No other naval force fields a commensurate range and depth of combat capabilities,â a US Navy fact sheet says.
âIn times of crisis, the first question leaders ask is: âWhere are the carriers?ââ the fact sheet says.
Bauernschmidt says answering that call is a privilege.
âThereâs absolutely no more humbling sense of responsibility than to know that I was selected to lead the men and women that have chosen (to) defend our nation,â she told reporters on a recent visit to the warship during maneuvers off Japan.
Growing up in Milwaukee, Bauernschmidt knew she had an affinity for the sea. âI have always loved the water, and swam and rowed competitively,â she says. But joining the Navy was more practicality than ambition.
âI came upon my service in a roundabout way.â she says. âI knew I would be paying for my college education and I wanted to find a major I was not only interested in pursuing but would allow me to find a job to repay student loans.â
With a strong interest in math and science, and that love of the water, she settled on a major in ocean engineering.
Only a handful of colleges offered it, the US Naval Academy in Maryland being one. With tuition paid, it was the choice for Bauernschmidt.
But when she arrived at the campus in Annapolis, the thought of being the first woman to command an aircraft carrier wasnât even something she thought possible.
âAbsolutely not. I didnât even understand this was an option when I first started on this adventure,â Bauernschmidt says.
When she entered the Naval Academy, it wasnât an option.
It was only in November of 1993 â six months before Bauernschmidtâs graduation from that Naval Academy â that Congress passed legislation allowing women to serve on US Navy combatant ships.
That âchanged almost everything about womenâs service in the Navy,â Bauernschmidt says.
A few months before graduation, Naval Academy midshipmen are allowed to request their first assignments. Bauernschmidt chose aviation and began the path to her current command.
She learned to fly helicopters, became a flight instructor, deployed on destroyers and aircraft carriers and eventually commanded a helicopter strike squadron.
She then attended the Naval War College, earning a Masters degree in strategic studies before serving in the US Secretary of Stateâs Office of Global Womenâs Issues.
After that Bauernschmidt attended the Navyâs Nuclear Power School, learning the science and engineering behind naval nuclear power plants in what Naval Sea Systems Command calls âthe most demanding academic program in the US military.â
Sheâd need that knowledge aboard the Lincoln, which is powered by two nuclear reactors, as she became the executive officer, the second in command, in 2016.
Almost five years later, after a stint commanding the amphibious transport dock USS San Diego, Bauernschmidt took command of the Abraham Lincoln.
âEach new job and opportunity strengthened my leadership, and challenged me to be the best version of myself,â Bauernschmidt says.
âIâve had a phenomenal career where Iâve been given incredible opportunities.â
Even jobs she didnât really want were opportunities, she says.
âSometimes you will learn the most and grow the most in a situation or job you did not want to be in or to do.
âNot every job Iâve done in the Navy is a job I wanted, but I learned and took everything out of every job I could,â Bauernschmidt says.
Even though sheâs risen to a powerful position, Bauernschmidt acknowledges the many challenges still faced by women in the Navy.
As of December 31, only 20% of the Navyâs active duty force of 342,000 personnel are women, according to the serviceâs demographic data.
As a Department of the Navy gender relations survey from February relates, âsocial media is filled with anecdotes and shared experiences about instances of sexism, discrimination, accessing help, and reporting and seeking justice for sexual harassment and sexual assault. Itâs clear there are challenges that must be overcome for meaningful change.â
âThese are challenges bigger than the military,â Bauernschmidt says. âWe constantly work to improve the environment and sailor programs to support our most important resource â our people during their careers.â
At Bauernschmidtâs rank of captain and above, the Navyâs gender gap is even more stark. Only 13% of those 3,075 officers are women, Navy data shows.
So Bauernschmidt does feel an extra sense of responsibility as the first woman to command an aircraft carrier, but she seems to see it as evolutionary, not revolutionary.
âWhile women have accomplished a lot, I look forward to the day we donât have to celebrate firsts,â she says.
Bauernschmidt says support sheâs had from the entire Navy community was crucial in getting her to that bridge on one of the biggest warships in the world. And she says sheâs still learning now.
âOvercoming any challenge for me starts with ownership â know your job and do your job to the utmost of your ability every day. It is hard to argue with someone doing exceptional work supporting the mission and the team,â she says.
The thousands of sailors she leads challenge her and keep her growing, she says.
âLeadership is hard,â Bauernschmidt says.
âTo effectively lead a team, department, or command, you have to understand the organization and yourself. You have to meet them where they need a leader and you have to know yourself well enough to know how to meet them where they are,â she says.
Her advice to those under her command, and to anyone with aspirations: follow through on a daily basis.
âI try not to just complete a task, but own the outcome of my work,â she says.
For inspiration herself, she quotes an NFL superstar, Arizona Cardinals defensive end JJ Watt: âSuccess isnât owned, itâs leased and rent is due every day!â
Pay that rent, and you might find yourself with one of the rarest jobs in the world: commander of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
This follows numerous complaints received by NUGS, from students across the country about the non-payment of student loans despite a long period of applications.
A statement issued by NUGS, Sunday, February 26, 2023, signed by its President, Dennis Appiah Larbi Ampofo, entreated students who are beneficiaries of the loan or have applied to âcalm downâ
According to the Union, âIt is unfortunate to also note that the last semester arrears have also not been paid, this is a huge problem in the face of the current situation in the country with students facing inability to register and continue their academic activity.â
It noted, “At the moment about 70,000 students have applied.â
It indicated that some institutions have issued notices cautioning students about the impending deadline for registration of courses for the academic year which began a few weeks ago.
âKNUST is set to write mid-semester exams from 27 February 2023, itâs unfortunate that several of our students, risk not being able to write exams due to inability to pay their fees as a result of non-payment of student loans,â the statement continued.
NUGS, therefore, called on the Student Loan Trust Fund and the government, to as a matter of urgency, pay qualified applicants of the student loan immediately.
A couple in Warwickshire, England, found a letter from King Charles to his “granny” when they were cleaning up their attic over the holiday break.
“Hello, Grandma.” I’m sorry to hear you’re sick. The letter, beautifully handwritten on lined notepaper from Buckingham Palace and dated March 15, 1955, when the King was six years old, reads, “I hope you will be better soon.”
On the reverse, there are doodled circles and colorful kisses with the words “Lots of love from Charles.”
It was discovered inside an envelope addressed from Queen Elizabeth II to the Queen Mother, providing a âthree generation run,â Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers and who is responsible for the sale of the letter, told CNN Thursday.
Finding the letter, which Hanson estimates could fetch as much as ÂŁ10,000 ($12,000) at auction, left the couple âgobsmackedâ as they sifted through their loft.
âIt had belonged to my late grandad Roland Stockdale,â the seller, a 49-year-old farm manager who has not been named, said in a statement.
âMy wife said âwow, look at that!â We were pretty gobsmacked but we werenât sure whether anyone would be interested in it.â
Stockdale worked for the Metropolitan Police where he was part of the Queenâs personal protection force during the 1950s after he had left Carlisle, northern England, and his previous job as a farm worker, the seller added.
Stockdaleâs folder containing the letter had âbeen gathering dustâ in various attics for â30 to 40 yearsâ as it was passed around family members following his death.
âI have absolutely no idea how he came to have the letter written by King Charles when he was a boy,â the seller said. âItâs one of many things he kept.â
Citing postcards and birthday greetings that Stockdale received from the Queen and Queen Mother, Hanson hypothesized that âthese keepsakes were gifted to the officerâ since he âwas clearly so highly regarded.â
The couple found other royal memorabilia in the folder, including an invitation to a dance at Balmoral Castle, a note signed by the Queen Mother, gift tags signed by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, as well as a copy of the Queenâs 1956 Christmas broadcast.
For many musicians in Ghana, it is always a dream to have their songs cross the nation’s borders and get international recognition.
One of the surest ways for a song to garner much-coveted international attention is to be featured as a soundtrack in a globally recognized. Such features bring not only worldwide recognition but also financial rewards.
Over the years, some Ghanaian artistes have had the privilege of getting their songs featured in international movies in Hollywood and other platforms like Netflix.
1. Black Sherif – Creed III
Black Sherif is the latest Ghanaian musician to achieve this feat. He featured on a soundtrack for Michael B Jordan’s Creed III movie, which premieres on March 3, 2023.
The song titled Blood, Sweat and Tears, produced by American rapper J Cole’s Dreamville record label has Bas and Kel-P on it alongside Black Sherif.
The Minister of Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, has disclosed that the Kotoka International Airport has raised over GH¢136 million within four years.
According to him, the accumulated revenue was from its opening in September 2018 to December 2022.
Kwaku Asiamah made this known during a presentation in Parliament last week.
“Mr Speaker, Terminal 3 of Kotoka International Airport became operational in 2018 up to today, revenue generated from September 2018 to December 2022 is GH¢136,525, 961 million from these private entities.”
The Kotoka International Airport (KIA), was originally a military airport used by the British Royal Air Force during World War II in 1946.
The facility was later handed over to civilian authority after a successful pull-out by the military.
In response to globalization and the growing demand for air travel at the time, a development project was launched to reconfigure the structure into a terminal building in 1956.
The airport is operated by Ghana Airports Company Limited, which has its offices on the airport property and serves as a sole international airport.
Following the discovery of a problem with the rocket’s ground system, SpaceX and NASA decided to cancel a crew launch to the International Space Station.
The launch was aborted with around two minutes left in the countdown due to an issue with the TEA-TEB ignition fluid, which is used to ignite the SpaceX Falcon 9’s rocket engines during takeoff.
SpaceX systems engineer Kate Tice commented on Monday’s webcast that the decision to cancel the launch was made “out of an excess of caution.”
The four astronauts, who were strapped into their Crew Dragon capsule atop the rocket in the hours leading up to launch, disembarked from the spacecraft after waitingfor the 230-foot-tall (70-meter) rocket to be drained of its fuel. Theyâll stay on site at Kennedy Space Center until the next launch attempt.
NASA said it would now look to launch the SpaceX Crew-6 mission at 12:34 a.m. EST Thursday, March 2 âpending resolution of the technical issue preventing Mondayâs launch.â
The agency said it would skip a launch opportunity on Tuesday because of an unfavorable weather forecast.
âIâm proud of the NASA and SpaceX teamsâ focus and dedication to keeping Crew-6 safe,â NASAâs Administrator Bill Nelson said in a blog post.
âHuman spaceflight is an inherently risky endeavor and, as always, we will fly when we are ready.â
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule were slated to lift off from NASAâs Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 1:45 a.m. ET Monday. But the clock was stopped by engineers that oversee the ground systems with less than three minutes left.
This mission is expected to mark the seventh astronaut flight SpaceX has carried out on NASAâs behalf since 2020.
The Crew-6 team that will launch onthe SpaceX capsuleinclude NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen, a veteran of three space shuttle missions, and first-time flier Warren Hoburg, as well as Sultan Alneyadi, who will be the second astronaut from the UAE ever to travel to space, and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.
Once Bowen, Hoburg, Fedyaev and Alneyadi are on board the ISS, theyâll work to take over operations from the SpaceX Crew-5 astronauts who arrived at the space station in October 2022.
Theyâre expected to spend up to six months on board the orbiting laboratory, carrying out science experiments and maintaining the two-decade-old station.
The mission comes as the astronauts currently on the ISS have been grappling with a separate transportation issue.
In December, a Russian Soyuz spacecraft that had been used to transport two cosmonauts and one NASA astronaut to the space station sprang a coolant leak. After the capsule was deemed unsafe to return the astronauts, Russiaâs space agency, Roscosmos, launched a replacement vehicle on February 23. It arrived at the ISS on Saturday.
Internationally recognised Ghanaian rapper, Black Sherif, has caused a stir online after he was captured complaining bitterly about the Indomie he bought.
In the video, after he received his pack of Indomie that he ordered from the food vendor, he questioned why the pack felt light since he paid a lot for the food.
The food vendor then hinted that what he paid for is what he got in the pack he is holding.
There were some voices in the background who insisted that the pack was light because the eggs were scrambled and mixed with the Indomie.
Black Sherif then responded saying that he was not pleased with the quantity of food he was holding.
Following a CNN investigation into the group’s operations in July of last year, the European Commission sanctioned a Russian individual and Meroe Gold, a subsidiary of Russia’s Wagner Group, for assisting the exploitation of Sudan’s gold resources.
According to a statement posted on the EC’s legal platform EUR-LEX on Saturday, the EU named a Russian national named Mikhail Potepkin and Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner Group subsidiary in Sudan, Meroe Gold, listing them “for serious human rights abuses, including torture and extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and killings, in several countries, including Sudan.”
âMikhail Potepkin is the director of Meroe Gold, a front company for the Wagner Groupâs operations in Sudan, and is involved in the activities of M-Invest, Meroeâs parent company. He has a leadership role in the Wagner Group in Sudan and has close ties to Yevgeny Prigozhin,â according to a statement from the European Council.
A CNN investigation last July was the first to expose the mechanism by which Wagner and Meroe Gold were operating in Sudan, circumventing US sanctions on the group.
Multiple interviews with high-level Sudanese and US officials and troves of documents reviewed by CNN last summer painted a picture of an elaborate Russian scheme to plunder Sudanâs riches in a bid to fortify Russia against increasingly robust Western sanctions and to buttress Moscowâs war effort in Ukraine.
The evidence also suggested that Russia colluded with Sudanâs beleaguered military leadership, enabling billions of dollars in gold to bypass the Sudanese state and to deprive the poverty-stricken country of hundreds of millions in state revenue.
In exchange, CNNâs investigation found, Russia lent powerful political and military backing to Sudanâs increasingly unpopular military leadership as it violently quashes the countryâs pro-democracy movement
Despite Yevgeny Prigozhinâs denials, the European Council has now confirmed CNNâs findings, stating that Meroe Gold continued to operate in Sudan as a âhedge for the Wagner Groupâs operationsâ via a Sudanese shell company.
âThrough its affiliation with the Sudanese army, the Wagner Group has secured the right to mine Sudanese gold and export it to Russia,â the Saturday statement by the European Council said.
10 suspects have been arrested in connection with a recent communal clash at Wenchike, a town in Chereponi in the North East Region.
The clash was said to have occurred as a result of a chieftaincy disagreement between 2 Chokosi factions in the community.
Four people were killed and over 25 houses were burnt in addition to motorbikes and other property.
According to the National Disaster Management Organization, over 600 people have been displaced by the violence. Schools remain closed as the community is deserted.
Speaking to JoyNews, the District Chief Executive, Hajia Zuweiratu Nashiru, said the 10 suspects had been remanded for two weeks to reappear in court.
The DCE assured that the suspects will be made to face the law if found guilty.
The Police Council, presided over by Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has received complaints from several aggrieved Ghana Police Service (GPS) members regarding their promotions.
According to the officers, although they have met the requirements in the Policy Guidelines of the Service and have been granted study leave for higher academic credentials, they are yet to receive their promotions.
The officers filed their petition through lawyer Joseph Ayikoi Otoo.
The petitioners claim several attempts to have their concerns addressed through petitions sent to the Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare, haven’t received the desired attention.
The IGP recently speaking at a durbar with police officers in the Bono Region, noted that the police administration under his watch has been committed to rewarding hard work, performance and dedication.
According to him, his administration is ensuring that officers are promoted on merit and not necessarily on academic achievements.
âFor this whole idea that we are the people who know our rights and that, why is this person promoted and not promoted while the laws are there? It means you donât read â go and read your CI.
âWhat you should know is that something that has never happened before has happened on our watch and that type of promotion that is done probably to some few people at headquarters and others, we changed it⌠the Commanders they know the people who are killing themselves for this job, identify them as long as they are two years in their rank, we will promote them,â the IGP said.
But laywer Ayikoi Otoo in his petition to the Police Council said despite the existence of Regulation 37(7) of C.I. 76 âall officers on Study Leave With Pay who graduate are by reason of having obtained higher academic qualifications given âAcademic Promotionsâ with an entry into the Police College.â
Read the full petition below:
The Chairman, Police Service Council, Accra. PETITION FOR REDRESS
THE HUMBLE PETITION which I present on behalf of your Petitioners SHOWETH; 1.THAT all your Petitioners whose names are captured in the attached list are Police Officers and serving in various capacities in the Ghana Police Service throughout Ghana.
2.That it is common knowledge that the Police Service has Policy Guidelines amongst which is a provision for grant of Study Leave with pay to deserving officers who apply to enable them to improve their academic capabilities and competencies by acquiring higher academic qualifications.
3.All Your Petitioners applied for the 2017/2018 Academic Year Study Leave with Pay programme for Tertiary Courses ranging between two(2) to four (4) years.They qualified and were made to enter into a Bond to serve the Police Service upon completion of their various courses for at least Five (5) years.
4.Each and every Petitioner entered into the requisite Bond upon condition that the Bond would be estreated when breached.
5.Your Petitioners were then granted the Study Leave with Pay upon a further conditions that during periods of vacation they will return to perform their duties but disqualified from writing any promotion examination during the period in School as well as from enjoying any increment in their salaries.
6.Your Petitioners were also reminded of Regulation 37(7) of the Police Service Regulations C.I.76 which in any case has routinely appeared in all Letters approving Study Leave with Pay as a policy save that it has by the time the approval was granted them become a regulation.
7.Upon successful completion of their studies,Your Petitioners were awarded Degrees and other Professional qualifications as appropriate.
8.Your Petitioners in accordance with laid down procedures, wrote to the Police Service Administration and attached their Certificates and applied for âupgradeâ which is understood to mean âAcademic Promotionsâ individually, but in response they were all congratulated on their achievements but the Administration remained silent on their promotions except that those qualified for administrative promotions got them not academic promotions.
9.In the absence of any other explanation from the Police Administration for the delay in a response to their Applications for âUpgradeâ,Your Petitioners decided to come together as a group describing themselves as âPersonnel On Study Leave With Payâand sent a Petition dated 6th September 2021 in substance appealing to the Police Administration through the current IGP then in an Ag capacity âto have a second look at Regulation 37(7) of C.I. 76, its interpretation,implementation and effects in the Service â,BELIEVING THAT MIGHT BE THE STUMBLING BLOCK.
10.When they did not hear from the Police Administration, they sent a reminder and then In December 2021,Your Petitioners received a response to their Petition which only directed that they should channel their Petition through their respective chain of command as required by Service Instructions (S.I.)45.
11.On the face of the response which was terse,it did not reject the Application for âUpgradeâbut the attitude of the Police Administration of asking each Applicant to apply individually through their respective chain of command,when they have a common concern,conveyed to them an unwillingness on the part of the Administration to address their âAcademic Promotionsâ issue and it is against that background that they have approached me to send this Petition on their behalf.
12. From the mass of evidence before me,it cannot be denied neither can it be concealed that what appears as Regulation 37(7) of C.I. 76 is not a new provision but a Policy the Administration has been familiar with for several years as part of Policy Guidelines on Study Leave with Pay.All successful Applicants in the past have been reminded of that Policy.
13.Be that as it may,Your Petitioners say that inspite of the existence of that policy, all officers on Study Leave With Pay who graduate are by reason of having obtained higher academic qualification given âAcademic Promotionsâ with an entry into the Police College.
14.I wish to submit on behalf of your Petitioners that looking at regulation 37(7) of C.I.76,it vests the Police Administration with a discretion just as when it was contained in the Policy Guidelines and requires a broad liberal and purposive interpretation so as to take into consideration the history of the provision and the goal of the Police Administration in awarding Study Leave with Pay to successful candidates for the benefit of the Service.
15.Your Petitioners recall that in the Study Leave For 2011/2012 Academic Year Approval Circular with reference No SO/G 4/33C/V 5/243 dated 19th December,2011, Police Administration added the following;âHowever the Administration wishes to announce further,the temporary suspension of provisions of the Policy Guidelines onâAcademic Achievements while on the Jobâand that certificates acquired from the courses pursue(sic) MAY NOT NECESSARILY ATTRACT PROMOTIONS.
16.Notwithstanding the Suspension of âAcademic Achievementsâas stated supra, the available evidence shows that all graduates of the 2011/2012 Academic Year were promoted and sent to Police College.
17.It ought to be stressed on behalf of Petitioners that a promotion is a right that a worker earns from an employer and it is usually provided for in Conditions of Service or Senior Service Regulations.Conditions for promotions in the Police Service are provided for under Regulation 37 of Police Service Regulations C.I.76.
18.In broad terms promotions are made by the Police Appointments and Promotions Board and the Police Council based on recommendations by Assessment Committees. The limited procedure which can be gathered from that Regulation is that Candidates for promotion may be recommended after they have passed a Promotion examination;or having regard to seniority and length of service served,subject to satisfactory performance assessment of good conduct or by special recommendations based upon meritorious acts of bravery or valour in the prevention of crime or outstanding performance of duty or on a recommendation of the Police Appointment and Promotion Advisory Board; a Senior Officer under whom the officer serves taking into consideration:integrity and good conduct;efficiency, attitude towards work and sense of responsibility; experience and capacity for cooperation with other officers;ability to offer leadership;seniority and whether the officer has served the required number of years in the relevant post; or upon completion of not less than four years satisfactory service subject to availability of vacancy
19.The last criterion is contained in Regulation 37(7) of C.I. 76 which I intend to set out herein in extenso for full effect; âAn officer who attains higher academic qualification is not entitled to promotion by reason only of that academic qualificationâ.
20.A literal interpretation of the sub regulation in my opinion means that though a criterion of promotion in the Police Service is by attainment of higher academic qualification while on the job, the the Police Appointments and Appointments Board and the Police Council can take other factors into consideration apart from the academic qualification.
21.It is submitted on behalf of the Your Petitioners that the sub regulation under reference ie 37(7) vests the Police Administration with discretion to use higher academic qualification in addition to other criteria for promotion.This is because if the draftsman intended to absolutely prohibit that mode of promotion,he would not have lacked the language to use such as the mandatory âshallâ instead the verb âisâ.
22.Thus by choosing the verb âisâ coupled with the phraseâ âby reason onlyâ the interpretation will be that attainment of higher academic qualification is very much a factor for promotion which the Police Service Promotions and Appointments Board and Police Council can take into consideration for purposes of promotion albeit not the only criterion.
23.It follows therefore that the onus is on the Police Service Appointments and Promotions Board and the Police Council to demonstrate to the Petitioners that though they have met the criterion of achieving higher academic qualification,for some other reason/s they do not qualify to be promoted which can happen only when they receive responses to their requests for academic promotions.
24.Inspite of the fact that they are yet to receive any official responses the Petitioners have no reason to doubt that they are all qualified for promotion even if other criteria are taken into consideration and are therefore at a complete loss at the treatment being meted out to them by the Police Administration.
25.Thus Your Petitioners can say with all the emphasis at their command that it has never happened that graduates who enjoyed Study Leave with Pay were denied opportunity of academic promotions.That being the case it can be deduced that the Police Administration has acquiesced and had allowed all graduates to proceed to the Police College in accordance with exercise of their discretion.
26.It was that conduct on the part of the Police Administration which led Your Petitioners to also have a legitimate reasonable expectations that having successfully graduated they will benefit from academic promotions, which unfortunately has proven elusive so far.
27.Thus to deny Your Petitioners the opportunity now will smack of arbitrariness, capriciousness or bias either by resentment,prejudice or personal dislike towards Your Petitioners.
28.Happily the Police Administration has not responded to say Your Petitioners have been denied academic promotions due to Regulation 37(7) of C.I.76. Further, the Guidelines for Promotions expected to be published in the Service Instructions(S.I.) provided for under Regulation 37(8) to regulate promotions in the Police Service have not yet been published and therefore it appears the doors are not shut against Your Petitioners.
29.In the circumstances,I hereby present this Petition on behalf of Your Petitioners humbly praying that the Police Administration opens the doors to Your Petitioners to enable them enjoy the fruits of their labour by allowing them to enter the Police College. RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED.
Hon J. Ayikoi Otoo For and on behalf of PETITIONERS
