Ghanaian international Andre Ayew, says he is prepared to offer his best to assist Nottingham succeed in the English top division.
The 33-year-old has joined Nottingham Forest on loan until the end of the season as a free agent after parting ways with Qatari champions Al Sadd last Sunday.
Ayew will wear the shirt number 42 during his time on Trentside.
After his unveiling, the most capped player for Ghana said he is ready to give his all in order to help the club stay in the English top-flight.
“I know what I can bring to the team, I’m ready to give my all and make sure that we are able to stay in the Premier League.” he said.
In June 2015, he moved to the Premier League and joined Swansea, registering 12 goals and five assists in 35 appearances during his first spell at the Liberty Stadium.
The following summer, Ayew moved to West Ham United in a then club-record deal, going on to make 50 appearances in all competitions for the London club.
Ayew returned to Swansea for a club-record fee in January 2018, scoring a further 35 goals in 106 appearances for the Welsh side.
In July 2021, Ayew joined Al Sadd and scored 15 goals in 21 league matches as they were crowned Qatar Stars League champions last season.
Leaving Qatar having netted 22 goals in 39 games for Al Sadd, the experienced forward returns to England and becomes The Reds’ 30th signing this season.
The “Legacy Warriors” Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT) initiative, which honors the 400th anniversary of the first time african people were sold as a commodity, will be a potent and ground-breaking approach to mark this occasion.
Additionally, it will be a window into the african community’s future and a memory of the past.
There are a number of digital paintings in it that show influential african people in a positive and strong light.
In a release issued by the organisation, it said “Non-fungible tokens are pieces of digital content linked to the blockchain, the digital database underpinning cryptocurrency such as bitcoin and ethereum.”
“We are excited to see the impact this project will have and the potential it has to create wealth and opportunities for the black community in Ghana and the world around,” he said.
He said “Each artwork is a one-of-a-kind NFT, allowing collectors to own a piece of history and to support the Next400’s mission.
The project has been launched on the Sutudu.com platform and has unique features such as the ability to split initial sales and royalties at the point of sale and to create royalty options for first-time buyers as an incentive for being an early adopter.”
The US-based Ghanaian entrepreneur believes Ghana has the potential not only to be a leader in the adoption and use of this technology but also a place that sparks innovations with this technology.
According to him, the NFT project will be soon introduced to Ghanaians this year to educate, inspire, and involve them in the Next400 mission.
Commenting on the NFT project during the launch, the CEO of the Sutudu digital platform, Khoa Le, said Sutudu was committed to empowering creators and projects that have the potential to change and positively impact society.
He said the Next400 Legacy Warriors project was a perfect example of that adding that “we are honored to be a part of it.”
“The platform not only facilitates the buying and selling of NFTs but also provides resources and support for projects that aim at positively impacting society.
Sutudu calls this “NFT 2.0” – NFTs with human purpose and true investment capabilities. Next400 serves as a utility that will have a token gating feature to gain access to high-profile people and investors through the Sutudu platform,” Mr Le added.
The release said the launch was attended by artists, entrepreneurs, activists, and community leaders, who came together to support Next400’s mission and vision for the black community.
After the engagement, he felt touched by the boy’s story and brought it to the attention of the management of HOGF and a decision was quickly taken to assist the poor boy.
Mrs Boateng said the boy needed a lot more help to see him through school and entreated other well-meaning individuals and corporate Institutions to contact Hands of Gold Foundation if they wanted to give him some form of assistance.
Recounting the incident, Mrs Nyarko said she met the boy almost unconscious in an area around Kutunse some time ago.
Humanitarian
On humanitarian grounds, she decided to offer him assistance by carrying him to the nearest hospital for care.
She gathered later that the boy had lost his mother not long ago to HIV/AIDS and as a result, his father abandoned him and absconded with another woman.
Mrs Nyarko said while on admission, the boy was also diagnosed of the disease.
After weeks of medical attention and treatment, he was discharged about a week ago but was detained due to his inability to pay the bills.
Mrs Nyarko thanked the foundation and encouraged them to extend this benevolence to other people who may genuinely need help.
Hands of Gold Foundation is an Accra-based non governmental organisation that primarily focuses on the welfare of women, children and the vulnerable in society.
Ghanaian entrepreneur and a philanthropist, Osei Kwame Despite, as part of his 61st birthday celebration paid homage to former President John Agyekum Kufuor.
In what has become an annual ritual, business mogul and owner of Despite Group of Companies, Osei Kwame Despite again marked his 61st birthday in grand style.
With over 15 expensive G-Wagon and Brabus vehicles as escorts, Dr. Kwame Despite was captured among other things, driving a red vintage car while parading through some streets in Accra.
As part of the celebrations, he visited former President, John Agyekum Kufuor at his residence, together with a couple of friends from the East Legon Executive Club.
In what appeared as a show of humility, Dr. Despite knelt before the former president who was seated, while shaking his hands.
Mr. Kufour blessed him and offered the business mogul a seat beside him.
Earlier, Despite as part of activities to mark the day donated huge sums of monies and food items to the Mampong School for the Deaf.
He also commuted to Dr. Ofori Sarpong’s home after meeting some members of the East Legon Executive Club.
On his arrival, he was greeted by the members of the executive club with smiles, a raucous welcome, and a birthday song.
Watch the video of Despite meeting Kufour:
After the birthday song, Dr. Kwame Despite gave a warm embrace to each team member to express his gratitude for joining him in celebrating his special day.
The 61-year-old businessman wore a simple but stylish long-sleeve shirt that he paired with a pair of blue-and-black trousers.
He complimented his appearance by donning a pair of dark eyeglasses and a dark-coloured ivy hat.
To commemorate the CEO of Despite Media Group’s birthday, additional events will be taking place throughout the day, which GhanaWeb would do well to cover.
He urged present bondholders to keep their bonds till they mature.
John Kumah made the claim while reiterating the government’s earlier warning over the difficulties with trading old bonds.
“Let me advise those who want to hold on to the old bonds, you have to hold on till the end of maturity. So if your bond will end in 2027, please no matter your situation don’t try to sell it because there will be no market for the old bonds, we are transitioning all the bonds to the new ones,” he is quoted by myjoyonline.com.
This comes after the government announced that even though individual bondholders are still included in the programme, the agreement reached by the government and the Ghana Association of Bankers and other stakeholders smacks of significant progress and an indication of the programme’s success.
He, therefore, called on stakeholders to roll on to the programme even as the deadline has been extended to February 7, 2023.
“It’s guaranteed, once we have promised we have to deliver, but we are able to give that assurance because others are willing to come to the new market but if everybody says we are staying in the old market we can’t honour it,” he said.
Ghana Armed Forces organized the 2022 End of Year West African Soldier Social Activities (WASSA) with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the Special Guest of Honour.
WASSA is a social event organised every year by the military to foster comradeship among the officers and men of the army.
The fun-packed event was graced by amazing performances by the live band of the Ghana Armed Forces and Ghanaian musician, Black Sherif.
Akufo-Addo could not stay glued to his seat in the face of the amazing performance and he invited the Member of Parliament for Korle Klottey, Zanetor Agyeman Rawlings, to the dance floor.
The president did not disappoint as he could be seen showing off some impressive high-life dance moves.
The two were later joined on the dance floor by other dignitaries including Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul and Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery.
Fast-rising Ghanaian musician Sharkels teams up with Heros Beatz on this newest banger Rape is Bad.
Sharkels and his co-star sing and rap about rape and its harmful effects, campaigning for perpetrators to think about how their actions affect their victims.
The song challenges society to think about the canker and work towards eliminating it.
Rape Is Bad is produced by Fabulous.
Profile
Sharkles
Sharkels is a fast-rising Ghanaian singer-songwriter with a penchant for socially uplifting music.
Sharkels performs Afropop, Hiplife and dancehall genres of music.
He is known for singles such as Ghanaian Girl, Life, Makuma, My Baby, Jaye and many others.
Sharkels has features with Nigerian and Tanzanian artists under his belt as he builds a portfolio for his budding career.
The talented artist is currently under no management and seeks representation.
If you’re a talent manager or label executive searching for a fast-rising star with an aim of changing the world, through music, contact Sharkels on sharkelsgh@gmail.com.
Mr Baffour Awuaj added that he decided to do so because he does not want to be caught in a double-salary web.
The minister, who is the MP for the Sunyani West Constituency in the Bono Region, made this disclosure while speaking in an interview with Accra-based Citi FM on Wednesday, February 1, 2023.
In an interview, Naro revealed that he has been unable to sleep for the past two weeks after juju allegations were levelled against him.
The Actor turned Musician has had a lot of people question the source of his wealth several times due to his benevolent nature and this he says, is giving him sleepless nights.
Naro made the comment on Lifestyle TV’s Entertainment show Ebitz with host Nana Ama Gyapong.
On why he switched from acting to music, this is what Naro had to say, “five years ago I went on set and something happened which I wasn’t happy about and so I stepped aside a little bit and chose to pursue music because life presents a lot of opportunities to us and it is up to human beings to choose their paths”.
During Dr. Osei Kwame Despite’s 61st birthday celebration, what was described as Abeiku Santana‘s over display of reverence, proactiveness, and acts of service became the talk of town – more specifically on social media.
The popular broadcaster was at the ‘beck and call’ of his employer, (Despite), as he facilitated the various activities on his boss’ ‘big day’ but netizens believe Abeiku’s efforts to impress the ‘big men’, particularly his boss, went unnoticed.
Mr. Santana, in one of the videos from the event that went viral, tried to ‘squeeze in’ a handshake with Mr.Osei Kwame Despite but went unnoticed.
This stirred mixed reactions on social media as some believed that it could perhaps, be an oversight while others insist that he was totally snubbed.
In separate video from the event, Abeiku, who was spotted among Despite and his friends was the only one ‘singing his lungs out’ to a happy birthday song that was meant to be sang by everyone in a chorus form.
This amplified the trolls on social media, as many individuals who chanced on the said video lambasted the broadcaster for what they describe as selling himself short.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Abeiku had faced an encounter of this sort, as in earlier developments, including Despite’s 60th birthday, he went through a similar fate.
Popular business mogul, Dr. Osei Kwame Despite turned 61 years on Thursday, February 2, 2023, and celebrated with his friends, mainly members of the East Legon Executive Men’s Fitness Club.
Parts of the line-up of activities took place at his friend, Dr. Ernest Ofori Sarpong’s residence.
Despite, together with his entourage, paid a courtesy call on former president John Agyekum Kuffour and also visited the Mampong School for the Deaf where they made some donations.
Watch how Despite Snubbed Abeiku Santana When Opana wanted to Shake his hand…..Poor man wan Rock shoulders with rich man…..Sia 😂😂😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/ngAgRIZ5Uz
It’s about to go down!! Members of East Legon Executive Fitness Club welcome birthday celebrant, Dr. Osei Kwame Despite in a grand style #UTVGhanapic.twitter.com/QtDleuqn9O
Two astute politicians in the country, Former Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Koku Anyidoho and Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong, have dared former President John Dramani Mahama to tell Ghanaians what he will do different if he is given the nod as President of the republic in the upcoming 2024 elections.
Former president John Dramani Mahama has been referred to severally as the presumptive presidential flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) going into the 2024 general elections.
This is ahead of May 13, 2023 presidential primaries that are expected to formally elect the NDC’s flagbearer for 2024.
Mahama, who was president between 2012 and 2017, is being challenged by two opponents to show what he will do differently if given the nod after losing two successive reelection bids in 2016 and 2020 to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, Member of Parliament for Assin Central had harsh words for Mahama in a recent interview, describing his desire as borne of greed and that he is not an option given his previous record in office.
Agyapong who is an NPP flagbearer hopeful said on Metro TV’s Good Evening Ghana programme earlier this week: “If you compare the two governments, Akufo-Addo and Mahama, Mahama is not an alternative to Ghana because the man has been fortunate to succeed Atta Mills for two years.
“He has been fortunate to go one term which is four years, six years and we saw what happened in this country, so, what is he going to tell Ghanaians again. What is Mahama going to tell Ghanaians?” he asked.
On his part, Koku Anyidoho, a former deputy General Secretary of the NDC also asked Mahama to justify why he deserves to be returned in 2024.
The avowed Mahama critic tweeted his challenge on February 2, 2023.
“If John Mahama wants to be President again for only four years, let him tell us what he will do differently,” he tweeted.
According to Mr. Worlanyo K. Siabi, CEO of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA), the government is still owed 14 million Ghana cedis for free water that was provided to various water distribution businesses in the various Metropolitan and Municipal District Assemblies (MMDAs).
The Chief Executive Officer of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA), Mr. Worlanyo K. Siabi, stated during the Public Account Committee hearing that a total of 37 million Ghana cedis for water systems managed under community management, of which GHS22 million has been disbursed to the MMDAs.Cardi B in court after failing to complete community service for strip club assault
Speaking to Class 91.3 FM, the Accountant at the Kitampo Water Supply System, Mr Seth Asamoah Afriyie, said the indebtedness of public institutions to the various utility companies is collapsing their operations.
He lamented that out of a total debt of GHS569,000, GHS368000 is owed by state institutions that have still not paid since 2020.
At a press conference on the Auditor-General’s report on the Covid funds, the National Communications Officer of the NDC, Mr Sammy Gyamfi, told journalists on Wednesday, 1 February 2023: “The Auditor-General also noted that in line with update No.6 of the President’s address to the Nation of 9th April 2020, non-governmental organisations and individual private water sellers provided free water services to their clients and customers at the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies from April 2020 to December 2020 and submitted a total bill of GH¢37,609,791.71 for 2020.”
“However, a review of COVID-19 free water bills at the Community Water and Sanitation Agency by the Auditor-General disclosed that there were no actual water bills generated and submitted to the Agency by the NGOs and Private Individual Water providers to support their claims.
“The Auditor-General could not verify the bill and validate the dubious payment of GH¢37,609,791.71 by the Ministry of Finance to these NGOs.”
According to the Union, the majority of its members were gradually switching from growing maize, rice, beans, and other basics to producing cashews.
The GAWU has about 60,000 members, including smallholder farmers and agricultural laborers in the formal and informal sectors who work along the value chain.
He cautioned that the shift to tree crops could threaten the country’s food security systems in the near future if urgent action were not taken to encourage farmers to expand their cultivation of staple foods to meet demand.
“In 2022, the cost of fertiliser alone quadrupled compared to prices in 2021. The cost of tractor, combine services, pesticides, land preparation, and other essential inputs also went up. So, farmers are struggling and for that matter they are exploring alternative ways to survive.” Mr Kareweh said.
“In the Bono Region, there is a growing change to tree crops like cashew. Lands that were used for maize production are now being used for cashew production…if agriculture production suffers and the staple areas are okay, the effect on food security and food prices would be minimal,” he added.
Ahead of the 2022 crop season, the Government reduced the subsidy on chemical fertilisers from 38 percent (in 2021) to 15 percent, which meant that farmers had to pay more for the commodity.
A bag of fertiliser which was selling at an average GHS250 in 2021 shot up to about GHS400 by the middle of 2022.
Mr Kareweh described last year’s season as “a difficult year” for farmers, saying that many of them could not apply fertilisers to their farms on time, leading to low yields.
He said the heavy rains in the Bono regions as well as the spillage of the Bagre Dam also flooded large swathes of farmland, which reduced the income of farmers in the affected areas.
The agriculture sector, which grew at 8.4 percent in 2021, was projected to grow at 0.7 percent by the end of 2022.
In the 2023 Budget Statement and Economic Policy, the Government outlined a number of policies for the agriculture sector, including an investment of GHS50m to augment agriculture value chain; promotion of local production and use of organic fertiliser, and the extension of $400m agricultural insurance to farmers.
Mr Kareweh said GAWU was not confident that agriculture sector would perform better this year because the structural challenges affecting the sector, including high cost of farm inputs had not been addressed.
He urged the Government to conduct a comprehensive audit of the sector as well as policies that had been implemented over the years to diagnose the magnitude of the challenges in the sector.
“We also need to engage the real stakeholders in the sector to understand the problem and find ways to resolve them.” Mr Kareweh said.
The average share of the agriculture sector to Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased from 19.1 percent in the first half of 2020 to 21.3 percent for the same period in 2021.
The sector employs about 60 percent of the population and accounts for 65 percent of the country’s land area.
Dr. Kwame Despite, gave the Mampong-Akuapem School for the Deaf GH200,000 in cash for his 61st birthday on February 2, 2023.
His cash donation also included other gift items ranging from bottles of water and soft drinks, bags of rice, gallons of cooking oil, mattresses, and pillows for use by the students with hearing disabilities.
On Thursday, Dr Despite topped social media trends with the display of affluence by his friends who joined him in the celebration. Family members, including the sons of Despite, were also present at their father’s birthday celebration, which was broadcasted by United TV and a host of bloggers.
The man of the day also paid a courtesy call to Ghana’s former president, John Agyekum Kufuor, at his residence in Peduase with a long entourage consisting of luxury vehicles.
Despite’s annual ritual of donating on his birthday, has won him applause from Ghanaians, who showered him with praise for his kind heart and love for the less privileged in society.
Management and students of the Mampong-Akuapem School for the Deaf thanked the businessman for blessing them with the huge donation.
He added that “they need to give details so that we can all interrogate the issue, and not hide behind we are going to buy forex for the local market…only for it to turn out to be a fiasco, a lie, then I think that they have not treated all of us fairly. The gold-for-oil policy seems dead on arrival because the cargo that was delivered seemed not to have had any impact on pump prices. I think they should halt or end this dangerous expedition and go back to fixing the cedi.”
Even though the first consignment was received in January, fuel prices have increased twice in 2023.
Duncan Amoah, has thereby, questioned the Bank of Ghana’s failure to auction dollars to the Bulk oil distribution companies since the policy is to help deal with the cedi’s depreciation.
“If you tell us gold-for-oil is a shield for forex so that the BDCs’ demand for forex and the pressure it puts on the cedi goes down, and it ends up that we rather took the dollar, real cash from here to now go and import, shouldn’t you have auctioned the dollars to the private firms to reduce the pressure that the BDCs are facing as opposing to this dangerous transaction?” Mr. Amoah questioned.
AC Milan have suffered a fall from grace in the 2022-23 campaign and a poor run of form leaves them sitting fifth in Serie A.
Last season’s champions are currently 15 points behind leaders Napoli and have only won one of their five league games in 2023.
With a derby clash against Inter Milan on the horizon, followed by a crucial Champions League tie against Tottenham, it is important for Stefano Piolo to recapture his side’s form in the coming days.
Ahead of Sunday’s Milan showdown, we take a deep dive into what has gone wrong for the Scudetto’s current holders.
A sloppy summer
Piolo took over in 2019 and opted to recruit a mix of established talent and upcoming stars.
The likes of Fikayo Tomori, Sandro Tonali and Olivier Giroud were all brought in to create a solid foundation for a squad that included two of Milan’s most prized assets in Theo Hernandez and Rafael Leao.
All of these players had a significant role to play in the Rossoneri’s title success in 2021-22 and the expectation was for them to carry their momentum into the current campaign.
However, the 19-time Scudetto winners were unable to secure many of their top targets in the summer, with Sven Botman opting for Newcastle and central midfielders Renato Sanches and Enzo Fernandez also turning down the Italian side.
Instead, they signed a mix of untested and risky players, including Charles De Ketelaere, who was an unknown product from Belgium and is yet to score in the top flight this season.
Although it is unfair to judge a player after only a few months at a new club, De Ketelaere has not had the instant impact that Milan fans will have been hoping for as they looked to retain their title.
Unsustainable football
Pioli is stubborn when it comes to his coaching and he values loyalty and tradition over evolution and new methods.
This has led to a somewhat stale atmosphere within the squad and the insistence on playing in a 4-2-3-1 formation has allowed opposition teams to exploit their weaknesses this term.
Much of the focus is on Hernandez and Leao, who operate on the left for Milan. Although their influence has proven to be a success in the past, a lack of form throughout the team has left them with no back-up plan.
Their pressing game has noticeably declined and their work out of possession has taken a hit in the current campaign.
It may just be a case of opponents figuring out their tactics, but it is visibly evident when watching Milan that they are not flowing with the same intensity that saw them win the league ahead of rivals Inter in 2022.
Issues at the back
Milan have conceded more goals from set-pieces (seven) than they did across the entirety of the last campaign (six) and they are on course to let in more in total than they did during their title charge.
Their match against Roma earlier in January was an example of their woeful defending from dead-ball situations.
Jose Mourinho’s side came from two goals down to draw and they have since gone on to concede 11 times in three Serie A matches — including a 5-2 defeat to 16th-placed Sassuolo last time out — and suffer defeat in both cup competitions.
A significant injury to goalkeeper Mike Maignan may have had a role to play in the decline in form. The Frenchman was a key contributor to their success last season.
The Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year came in to replace Gianluigi Donnarumma when he departed for Paris Saint-Germain and has done a stellar job between the sticks for the champions.
His absence is certainly making a difference — Maignan conceded only 21 times in 32 games last season, Ciprian Tatarusanu has come in to ship the same amount in just 13 starts.
Mike Maignan has been a big miss for AC Milan
Pioli’s promise
Pioli has promised that his side will overcome their poor run of form and admits that they have not been good enough this season.
Speaking recently, he said: “Nobody should think that the players don’t want to overcome this moment or that they don’t put 100% into it to do better.
“There has always been great focus and will. We overcome this moment by working, as we have always done. We have always believed in our work.
“The last three games have been negative overall. We can do many things better both in attack and defence. Right now it is the collective that has to help the individuals and not vice versa.
“Nothing has changed within the group. There is great cohesion and availability. Clearly there are a few less smiles and silence, therefore more attention to work.
“The group works because it is aware and feels a great sense of duty towards the club and the fans.”
Milan are only two points behind rivals Inter in second and a win over them at the weekend would take them above their neighbours and provide a timely boost for angry fans.
An Accra Circuit Court has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of an Economist, who allegedly took GHS475,500.00 from an unemployed woman under the pretext of investing it in the salted fish business but failed.
Alex Kodua, 42, charged with defrauding by false pretence, failed to come to court for his plea to be taken.
When the case was called on Wednesday, February 1, 2023, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Maxwell Oppong, prosecuting, informed the Court that the accused person, described as an Economist, had been informed several times to come to court but had failed.
The prosecution, therefore, prayed to the Court for a bench warrant for the arrest of the accused person.
The Court presided over by Samuel Bright Acquah, issued the warrant for the arrest of the accused person.
The case has been adjourned to February 28, 2023.
The prosecution said the complainant Theresa Duku was unemployed and resided at Ogbojo, Accra while the accused person was a resident of Oyarifa-Amanfrom, Accra.
It said in October 2021, the complainant lost her job as a banker and the accused person, who was her friend, approached her with claims that he was into purchase and supply of salted fish locally known as “Kako”.
The prosecution said the accused person convinced the complainant that, if she was able to invest her money into the said business, she could get good returns.
It said the accused person thereafter demanded and collected cash of GH30,000.00 from the complainant under the pretext of investing the same into the said business.
The prosecution said some days later, the accused person brought some returns to the complainant as profit he had generated from the money.
It said the accused person, after winning the complainant’s trust, asked her to contact her friends, who may also be interested in the deal.
The prosecution said the complainant fell to the prank and raised funds from her family and friends to the tune of GH475,500.00.
It said the complainant handed over the funds to the accused person, who promised to use the money to order the said salted fish for her to enable her to do the business herself.
The prosecution said the accused person after collecting the money went into hiding and suddenly stopped communications with the complainant.
It said on July 12, 2022, the complainant reported the issue to the Police and the accused person was traced and arrested in his hideout.
The prosecution said the accused person admitted the offence and pleaded for the Police to give him up to the end of August 2022 to return the money but failed.
It said the investigation, however, disclosed that the accused person had never been into the purchase or supply of any salted fish as he claimed.
He said that in order for the region to fully recover from the COVID-19 PANDEMIC’s effects by 2024, policymakers must refrain from enacting new taxes and levies or raising existing ones. He was speaking at the 4th AviationGhana Stakeholders Meeting, which was held on Tuesday, January 31, 2023 in Ghana’s capital Accra.
The time is not right to raise taxes or enact new ones. West Africa is the most expensive place for airlines to operate, according to numerous studies. Simply put, the taxes are too much.
He said the high taxes, fees and charges are responsible for the high cost of Air tickets in the region.
The 4th Aviation Ghana Stakeholders Meeting was organised under the auspices of the Ministry of Transport and the Board of Airline Representatives, Ghana (BARGH). The Programme was sponsored by Turkish Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, and RwandAir, Africa World Airlines (AWA), with support from the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), and Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL).
A young man in Singapore has sued a woman after she turned down his advances for love.
According to the man identified as K Kawshigan, the woman’s rejection has caused him emotional trauma.
K. Kawshigan threatened to sue Nora Tan when she rejected him, but initially put the lawsuit on hold after she agreed to attend counseling sessions with him, which she did for a year and a half.
When Nora Tan continued to reject his romantic advances and eventually cut contact with him, he filed two lawsuits.
One suit was filed in a high court with a claim of $2.3 million, for allegedly causing ‘damage to his stellar reputation’ and ‘trauma, depression and impacts’ to his life.
He filed a second suit with a magistrates’ court, asking for $16,700 in damages for breaching an agreement to improve their relationship after she stopped attending counselling sessions.
The latter suit was later dismissed by deputy registrar Lewis Tan, who reportedly called the suit ‘manifestly groundless and without foundation’ and said the court would not be an accessory to Kawshigan’s calculated attempt to compel engagement from Tan.
The court ruled that the two had been friendly after meeting in 2016, but their friendship broke down in 2020 after there was some miscommunication about the nature of their relationship.
The woman then obtained a restraining order against Kawshigan, who then filed the lawsuit in the magistrate court while the other case was pending.
However, the two will reappear before the court on 9th February.
In 2022, Africa Airlines reported a $628 million loss. This year, these losses should drop to at least $213 million. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), demand will increase this year compared to previous year by 27.4%.
By the end of 2024, according to IATA projections, demand should reach 2019 levels again.
He charged airlines operating in the country to make it a priority to provide safe, reliable, and comfortable flights for passengers.
“Customer service delivery is very important in the airline industry and I will entreat all the airlines to provide safe, reliable, and comfortable flights to their passengers. They should always remember that the Passenger comes First,” Kwaku Ofori Asiamah said in his address.
The Minister was a special guest at the 4th AviationGhana Stakeholders Meeting 2023 held at the Holiday Inn Hotel., Accra on Tuesday, January 31, 2023.
At the 4th Aviation Ghana Stakeholders Meeting, several issues were discussed with a focus on the post-covid 19 recovery process and the journey ahead; the commissioning of the Tamale and Kumasi airports, as well as the way forward for the industry.
European top-flight football clubs have dominated the sports sector in terms of revenue per year, with 15 of the top 20 sports teams being European football clubs. This article will explore how these clubs have earned so much money and why they dominate the sports industry.
Broadcasting Revenue
Football is the most popular sport on the planet, and it is this popularity that makes it so valuable to broadcasters. In 2015, the Premier League received over 6.5 billion dollars in broadcasting rights, compared to the roughly 1.3 billion dollars paid to La Liga. This is why television rights are so hotly contested between the companies that can afford to bid for them.
Champions League
The Champions League is the most prestigious club competition in Europe and is only available to those who compete in Europe’s premier club championship. This is why finishing in the top four of the Premier League is usually a fierce competition, with those who miss out paying the price. For example, Manchester City earned approximately 100 million dollars from their Champions League exploits in the 2015-2016 season.
Parachute Payments
Despite 93 million dollars in parachute payments to soften the pain of relegation, it can still be a horrific experience for teams at the bottom of the Premier League. This is due to the gap between the Premier League and the divisions below it in the football pyramid, which is significantly wider than the distance between those in the Championship and those in the Champions League.
Online Football Betting A Growing Source of Revenue for Football Clubs
Online football betting has become increasingly popular in recent years, and it is another source of revenue for football clubs. Many online betting companies like MelBet and Linebet offer odds and markets on football matches, and they often feature promotions and bonuses for customers to take advantage of. This increased interest in online football betting has led to a rise in the amount of money being wagered on the sport. This, in turn, has led to an increase in revenue for football clubs, as they can monetize the popularity of the sport and attract sponsorship deals from betting companies. It is important to note that this industry is heavily regulated and some countries may have restrictions or laws that prohibit online gambling.
It is worth noting that as online betting is a relatively new way of generating revenue for football clubs, the impact it has on the overall revenue is still not clear. Nonetheless, it has become a significant stream of income for the clubs and the industry is expected to grow in the coming years.
Conclusion
Football clubs dominate the sports industry in terms of revenue per year, thanks to their popularity and the lucrative broadcasting and Champions League deals. This is why television revenue is the most important source of cash for football clubs. However, it also highlights the divide between the top clubs and the rest of the field, which can make it difficult for teams at the bottom of the Premier League to survive.
The Chairman of the Alliance of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) claims that the gold-for-oil trade is plagued by a number of corrupt scandals.
He asserted that the gold is bought from Ghanaians and sold on the world market, usually involving the participation of a third party organization and the execution of an international contract between the two parties, which is subject to parliamentary approval in accordance with Ghanaian law.
He continued by saying that the company that will also be providing the nation with its oil would need a contract between the nation and the said company, which also needs parliamentary approval but that has been neglected in the entire contract agreement.
“If this went into parliament, I believe all these controversies won’t come up. First of all, we won’t sell the gold we’re selling to Ghanaians though the gold will be bought from them. It will be sold on the international market. “And we will be trading with a third party, rumours also say that the first tranche of the 40,000 is a Russian company that brought the money, which means that, there’s going to be an agreement between the company and the nation.
“And such an agreement is an international transaction and per the Constitution’s article 181, such deals need parliamentary approval.
“Also, the person who will be supplying the petroleum product to Ghana will go through some level of agreement and such trading agreement needs parliamentary approval.
“We will fight this deal till our demands are met because there’s a corruption risk related to it, which needs to be prevented.
“I don’t know if parliament are sleeping or what, because parliament needs to invite those leading the process to interrogate them in parliament so that if there are any policy documents, they can take and investigate properly into the deal because we’re tired of corruption activities in this country,” he said.
Background:
Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia in November 2022 announced the government’s plan to undertake the gold-for-oil initiative. The deal hinged on buying oil products with Ghana’s gold instead of the US dollar.
Dr Bawumia on Facebook earlier explained that the usage of gold to purchase oil would also address Ghana’s dwindling foreign reserves as well as reduce demand for US dollars by oil importers.
“It will fundamentally change our balance of payments and significantly reduce the persistent depreciation of our currency,” the vice president earlier wrote.
Under the policy, the government believes that using gold to purchase oil products would also bring stability to the exchange rate market and ensure domestic oil operators do not solely depend on foreign exchange to import products.
The New Jersey Republican Party (NJGOP) in the United States has unreservedly condemned the murder of one of its members, Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfuor, a Ghanaian-American.
According to multiple reports by news portals, the 30-year-old, from Sayreville, New Jersey, was found inside her car with multiple gunshot wounds just before 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 1, 2023.
The police have since said they believe she was the intended target of the shooting, but they do not have a clear motive, the report added.
Eunice Dwumfour, who was a business analyst and part-time EMT, is said to have been elected to the council in 2021.
The NJGOP statement was issued by Chairman Bob Hugin, who mourned the demise of Dwumfour describing it as one that came about as a result of ‘senseless violence.’
His statement eulogized her for among others, “the steadfast dedication to the community, as well as her deep and abiding Christian faith.”
“We have the utmost confidence that law enforcement will bring the perpetrators of this heartbreaking tragedy to justice. God Bless Councilwoman Dwumfuor and her family,” the statement concluded.
Full statement: NJGOP Statement on the Murder of Sayreville Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfuor
TRENTON – “On behalf of the New Jersey Republican State Committee, I would like to express our horror and deepest sorrow at the senseless violence that claimed the life of Sayreville Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfuor. We will remember Eunice for the steadfast dedication to the community, as well as her deep and abiding Christian faith. We have the utmost confidence that law enforcement will bring the perpetrators of this heartbreaking tragedy to justice. God Bless Councilwoman Dwumfuor and her family. Chairman Bob Hugin
A security analyst, Dr Adam Bonaa has described the capital town of the Upper East Region, Bawku as a complete war zone.
He said people who have visited Bawku in the last year will attest to the fact.
Speaking in an interview on Joy FM’s Top Story on Thursday, he said, “.. Bawku is a war zone, it doesn’t look like the way we are describing it. It is a complete war zone,” he emphasised.
According to him, the 11th mechanised military unit based in Bawku can also confirm his comment, adding that “even they themselves become overwhelmed.”
“In recent days, I have intercepted some audios from young people in Bawku threatening that they have what it takes to flush out the military, you must be prepared to actually make such a statement and come out with such a statement,” he added.
This comment is against the backdrop of the military in Bawku being accused of killing some residents.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has rejected claims that its personnel deployed to Bawku to restore calm and maintain order have killed seven locals.
According to GAF, the reportage is untrue and should be ignored.
GAF in a press release issued on Thursday, February 2, and signed by its Director of Public Relations, chronicled several incidents of violent attacks in the area.
However, the release stated that the soldiers engaged a group of armed men and neutralised six of them.
Reacting to this development, he asserted that the trend happening in Bawku is worrying.
According to him, “the sporadic fighting with the military did not start today.”
Dr Adam Bonaa added that the current escalation could probably stem from the presence of jihadists at the border.
He, therefore, called for a thorough investigation as there are rumours of suspected jihadist presence.
The security analyst further called on the state to pay more attention to the conflict in the area.
The Uber driver at the centre of the viral audio accusing the police of planting narcotics in his car will be seeking psychiatric treatment.
A District Court in Achimota has ordered that a psychiatric examination be conducted on Patrick Asiedu, the Uber Driver allegedly behind the viral video accusing the Police of planting drugs in his car after stopping them.
The Court presided over Prince Owusu, made the order on January 31, 2023, after Asiedu, the Uber Driver had made his second appearance before it.
The court has, therefore, remanded the accused person into police custody to reappear on February 14.
Asiedu is facing three charges.
His plea has been reserved.
The Police in a statement a couple of weeks ago said preliminary investigations indicated that Asiedu was not a medical doctor as he claimed in the audio he shared on social media.
According to the Police, further investigations revealed that the purported video recordings did not happen as narrated by the accused.
It said the said story “was a total fabrication by the suspect”.
The founding member of the Liberal Party emphasized the significance of running a self-sufficient government in an interview with Nana Otu Darko on CTV’s Dwabr3 Mu on Thursday, February 2, 2023.
According to Mr. Akpaloo, “three things are required for the country to be self-sufficient,” and the government must actively support local agriculture to stop imports of essential goods used in the nation.
“We must stop the importation of poultry and support our poultry industry, farmers with huge amounts. How much chicken do we consume as a country, then we allocate money, invest to the farmers to produce.”
He noted that, as a country, once we are able to project how much needs to be produced for consumption, applying the economies of scale, will make the cost of production cheaper.
“If let’s say we need 100,000 Metric tonnes per annum, we should be able to produce 400,000 metric tonnes per annum. There’s something known as Economies of Scale, in Economics when you’re producing on a large scale, it allows Cost per Unit to be cheaper.
“If we’re able to help the farmers produce the poultry needed, it as a country, it will reduce cost of production per bird, it will make cost of production per bird cheaper. So there would be no need to import chicken from outside.”
Mr Akpaloo noted that contrary to claims that it will make importers of such products lose their source of livelihood, it would not.
“For those saying that, those who deal in the importation of such products will lose their source of livelihood. No they will now buy from the poultry farmers, and then bring it to the market. So the money they change into dollars to import etc, will stop.”
“The same thing applies to rice. We consume a lot of rice, but we import the bulk of it so why don’t we support the local farmers. We can have a perfume rice factory, so after harvesting, we process it into perfume rice, Ghanaians love perfume rice,” he explained.
He stressed that a Liberal Party government will make the country self-sufficient and even extend it to other West African countries.
“In that same way you need to make room so that when you produce on a large scale, you can store them, so you need a storage facility. So you have to make a deliberate and conscious effort to do this. You don’t need to travel outside to get money to do it, you should be able to find money from Ghana here to do”
“Yes we will do it and even more. We’ll do it so we can export to neighbouring West African countries, my target is not the Western world but the West African countries,” Mr Akpaloo stated.
Founding member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe has endorsed Francis Addai-Nimoh‘s bid to become flagbearer ahead of NPP’s presidential and parliamentary primaries geared towards the 2024 general elections.
According to the NPP stalwart, Addai-Nimoh is a unifier who doesn’t come with the political baggage of ethnicity and religion yet remains a formidable candidate who can lead the NPP into the next elections.
He advanced that it would be wise for the party to consider the candidature of Francis Addai-Nimoh at this crucial time when the party needs someone to help them ‘break the eight.’
“Now let me warn the delegates, I want the delegates to be very careful because if you miss this man, you will regret it terribly. This is a man with enormous experience, and he understands governance, this is a man who is peaceful and will not run this country down and de is a man the whole country should follow.
“…you see me here today because when I see Addai-Nimoh, I know we still have hope in our party. This is a man of integrity, accountability, humility, and professionalism,” Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe said according to citinewsroom.com report.
Meanwhile, prominent names that have popped up in the NPP flagbearership race include; Trade and Industry Minister Alan Kyerematen, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Agric Minister Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto.
The latest to join the race was Addai-Nimoh, the former Member of Parliament who declared his intention to contest the NPP’s flagbearership on February 1 2023.
Mobile money, digital banking, and the promotion of financial technology solutions, which have all gained popularity across the nation, including rural areas, were, in the Bank’s estimation, the three main drivers of inclusion over the ten-year period.
“Ever since then, various policies have been issued to promote fintech solutions – of which the current Payment Systems and Services Act 2019 (Act 987) is at the core. Based on the principle of proportionate regulation, six risk-based licence categories with corresponding permissible activities are accommodated in the Ghanaian fintech space; thereby permitting participation by fintechs of varying size,” Dr. Addison explained.
“It is to be noted that this seemingly unusual policy approach is supported by about a decade of evidence on fintechs’ impact on financial inclusion. Subsequent increases in Ghana’s financial inclusion to 58 percent and 68 percent in 2017 and 2021 were largely due to fintech products and services delivered on the back of mobile money,” he added.
Despite the progress, which sees Ghana better the sub-Saharan Africa average of 55 percent, Dr. Addsion emphasised that much work still needs to be done to improve financial inclusion – especially for women, the unbanked, and underserved segments of the population.
He also stressed the importance of financial education and awareness, especially to protect users from fraudsters and scammers.
Market Development
The domestic digital finance market has recorded growth across all segments according to recently-released data from the BoG, a development that augurs well for the national digitisation and cash-lite agenda.
The cumulative value of transactions for segment leader – mobile money – exceeded the GH¢1trillion barrier for the first time, to close 2022 at GH¢1.07trillion. This came despite a decline from GH¢90.5billion in March to GH¢77.4billion and GH¢77.2billion in June and July respectively, ostensibly as users reacted to enforcement of the E-levy. Recovery began in August, with December accounting for GH¢112billion – a 47.2 percent increase over the GH¢82.9billion recorded in December 2021.
This dwarfed the value of transactions executed by cheques, which came in at approximately a quarter of mobile money with GH¢254.4billion – while Internet banking saw GH¢80.3billion worth of transactions completed.
Also on the digital front, E-zwich, Gh-link and the Ghipss Instant Pay (GIP) recorded GH¢14.64billion, GH¢551.3million and GH¢58.7billion worth of transactions respectively.
Reaffirming the BoG’s commitment to promoting financial inclusion through digital channels, Dr. Addison further stated: “Let me assure you that the Bank of Ghana is committed to the fintech agenda, and has demonstrated this through the conducive regulatory environment created for fintechs to thrive”.
Other developments
The BoG last month extended an invitation for financial innovators who seek to improve financial inclusion to submit applications for admission into its regulatory sandbox.
The invitation, which is open to registered financial institutions and unlicenced fintech startups, will support innovations in new digital business models not currently covered explicitly or implicitly under any regulation; new and immature digital financial service technology; as well as innovative and disruptive digital financial service products that have the potential of addressing a present financial inclusion challenge, the central bank said.
Freedom Jacob Caesar popularly known as Cheddar and other prominent Ghanaian figures attended Dr. Osei Kwame Despite‘ 61st birthday party.
Cheddar graced the occasion dressed in a green T-Shirt.
Known for his highly addictive fashion sense, Cheddar some what disappointed fans as he walked with Despite – who was well dressed in an expensive long sleeve shirt- looking ‘normal’.
Netizens have said that Cheddar probably got the round-neck shirt from a second-hand cloth ‘foose’ shop.
Check out comments on social media after sighting Cheddar in the shirt walking with Despite in a trending video.
As compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 10.7941 and a selling price of 10.8049. At a forex bureau in Accra, the dollar is being bought at a rate of 12.30 and sold at a rate of 12.80.
Against the Pound Sterling, the Cedi is trading at a buying price of 13.2364 and a selling price of 13.2508 as compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 13.2832 and a selling price of 13.2976.
The Euro is trading at a buying price of 11.7877 and a selling price of 11.7984 as compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 11.7811 and a selling price of 11.7928.
At a forex bureau in Accra, Euro is being bought at a rate of 12.70 and sold at a rate of 13.50.
The South African Rand is trading at a buying price of 0.6314 and a selling price of 0.6318 as compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 0.6290 and a selling price of 0.6294.
At a forex bureau in Accra, South African Rand is being bought at a rate of 0.50 and sold at a rate of 1.10.
The Nigerian Naira is trading at a buying price of 42.6235 and a selling price of 42.7050 as compared to yesterday’s trading at a buying price of 42.7242 and a selling price of 42.7798.
At a forex bureau in Accra, Nigerian Naira is being bought at a rate of 14.00 Naira for every 1 Cedi and sold at a rate of 19.00.
Our forex bureau rates are provided by Afriswap Bureau De Change in Osu, Accra.
National Organizer of the New Patriotic Party, Henry Nana Boakye, alias Nana B has alleged that former President wants to be President for another eight (8) years should he be given the nod as President in the 2024 elections.
He also alleges that the changes made in the leadership of the minority caucus by the National Executive Committee of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has the full backing of former President John Mahama and that it is part of bigger plot to extend his reign in the event he becomes president.
According to him, there are discussions within the corridors of the NDC on how to circumvent the constitution to get John Mahama to govern for eight years if wins the 2024 election.
In view of this sinister move, Nana B claims that John Mahama with alleged collusion from some members of the NEC is planting persons in key positions in parliament.
He is therefore challenging John Mahama and the NDC to come out and state publicly that he will not embark on such mission in the event that he becomes president.
“The selfishness and greediness in Mahama is that he wants to go for 8 years in the unlikely event that he wins the 2024 elections. The plan is either to amend the constitution or go to the Supreme Court interpretation of constitution on the eight-year term.
“The plan is to convince Ghanaians that the four-year terms is not enough and therefore should be extended. Mahama will come back and not be excited by a four-year mandate. This discussion is going on in the deeper circles of the NDC.
“They are finding ways and means, constituting teams on how they can make it possible for Mahama to govern for eight years. If you think I’m lying, I’m daring him to say it during his campaign that his will rule for only four years. I’m challenging Mahama to say that he will govern for just four years.
The NDC on Tuesday, January 24, made some changes to its leadership in Parliament.
Ranking Member of the Finance Committee and Member of Parliament for Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam Constituency in the Central Region, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has replaced Tamale South MP, Haruna Iddrisu as the Minority Leader.
Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, MP for Ellembelle has also replaced Ketu North MP, James Klutse Avedzi as the Deputy Minority Leader while Kwame Governs Agbodza, MP for Adaklu has also replaced Asawase MP, Muntaka Mubarak as the Minority Whip.
The decision has since sparked outrage among some sections in the Party, with some NDC Members of Parliament publicly opposing the move.
Southern African countries dominated the continent’s growth markets and wealth in 2021, experiencing the fastest growth compared to 2020.
Total private wealth in Africa was $21 trillion between the first quarter of 2021 and the last quarter of 2022. This included 136,000 approximations of millionaires with net assets of at least $1 million each, 6,700 approximations of multi-millionaires with net assets of at least $10 million each, 305 approximations of cent-millionaires with net assets of at least $100 million each, and 18 approximations of billionaires with net assets of at least $1 billion each.
Nigeria’s total private wealth stood at $228 billion, with many multi-millionaires, cent-millionaires, and three billionaires. Morocco’s total private wealth stood at $125 billion, with many multi-millionaires, cent-millionaires, and two billionaires.
Algeria, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania have one billionaire each with many multi-millionaires and cent-millionaires, while Ghana, Kenya, and many other countries have many multi-millionaires and cent-millionaires. South Africa, Egypt, and Nigeria make up about 56% of Africa’s wealth (wealth of individuals).
As the wealth reports for 2023 are gradually emerging, let’s take a look at the top African countries with the highest number of billionaires.
Congolese giants, TP Mazemba have completed the signing of Ghana defender Abdul Ismail Ganiu.
The club in a statement on Thursday, February 2, said it has signed the experienced forward on a two-year deal.
At TP Mazembe, Abdul Ismail Ganiu has been signed with a lot of expectations and will be given a key role to play.
“TP Mazembe have secured the signing of Ghanaian central defender Ismail Ganiyu (26) on a two-year deal after leaving Al-Talaba of Iraq. He previously played for Asante Kotoko,” an official club statement from the Congolese club said.
In the past, Abdul Ismail Ganiu had various stints with Ghana Premier League clubs Wa All Stars and Karela United.
He has been capped three times by the Black Stars of Ghana and could make a return to the national team if things go well at his new club, TP Mazembe.
Despite the difficult operating environment, the petroleum marketing company’s recently released unaudited financial statements showed a remarkable increase in profit.
In contrast to the N3.08 billion ($6.68 million) reported in 2021, the company’s earnings more than doubled in 2022, reaching an astounding N6.22 billion ($13.51 million).
The substantial growth in the group’s revenue can be attributed to its exceptional performance in the final quarter of 2022, resulting in a profit of over N3.28 billion ($7.12 million), surpassing the entire 2021 profit of N3.08 billion ($6.68 million).
This remarkable achievement showcases the group’s financial stability, strategic planning, and effective execution of its business model, which has resulted in a substantial increase in its earnings. This impressive growth further solidifies the group’s position as a leading player in its industry and its ability to continuously deliver outstanding financial results.
As a result of its resilient financial performance, the group’s retained earnings increased from N17.62 billion ($38.2 million) in 2021 to N22.1 billion ($48 million), while shareholders’ equity expanded from N21.79 billion ($47.3 million) at the end of 2021 to N26.27 billion ($57.05 million).
Adenuga, the chairman of Conoil and the founder of telecom service provider Globacom, holds a majority (74.4 percent) stake in the oil marketing business.
As of press time on Feb. 1, the group’s shares were trading at N26.5 ($0.0575) per share, bringing Conoil’s market capitalization to a staggering N18.4 billion ($40 million), while Adenuga’s 74.4-percent stake in Conoil is worth N13.7 billion ($29.75 million).
Ghanaian Afropop, dancehall and reggae artist Stonebwoy has released a new single “More Of You.”
The track was produced by GRAMMY-nominated American/Jamaican producer Supa Dups and is the third single since Stonebwoy’s historic global signing with Universal Music Group (UMG) label divisions, Def Jam Recordings in the U.S., 0207 Def Jam in the UK and Def Jam Africa in early 2022.
A feel-good, sexy love song, “More of You’s” lyrical tenderness comes with a message of longing and desire.
Aimed towards his homebrewed ladies, the song is soulful, yet uplifting making it a perfect dancehall track for hot nights on the dancefloor.
Stonebwoy always brings the love back to Africa and “More of You” remains true to his belief in lighting up his Ghanaian roots, with rhythm, beat and lyrics.
After the success of his debut single “Therapy” and follow-up of “Gidigba,” Stonebwoy has been relentlessly touring the globe, headlining festivals and selling out stadiums, whilst working with established international producers.
He recently became the first Ghanaian artist to hit 100 million streams on the Audiomack platform.
Continuously trailblazing through the world of popular music, the award-winning artist is no stranger to success, and his new work continues to amass millions of streams while his social platforms are blowing up with nothing but pure love for the African music sensation.
Iconic in musical stature, Stonebwoy has raked in no less than 45 different types of awards for his outstanding contribution to the industry, and continues to break new ground with every single, movie or video release.
With the status of BHIM (Bless His Imperial Majesty) coined by his ardent supporters, Stonebwoy keeps returning the love straight back to his fans and praising above all, God, for his catapult to fame.
Talented, humble and gifted with a flawless work ethic, whether he’s headlining a stadium on international shores or singing a stripped down, unplugged set for an intimate TV performance, Stonebwoy has the world in the palm of his hand every time he sings.
Speaking in an interview with Kwabena Mensah Abrompah on Radio Univers, he asserted that the Inspector-General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare, formed a special investigative unit to look into the mysterious murder of Ahmed Suale in order to bring sanity to the journalism field, but there has been no update in years and as journalists strive to be comprehensive reporters, it is necessary to press the police to inform Ghanaians of the latest developments in the investigation.
“…therefore, we have to ask them how far with the investigations. We need to apply pressure always on them. Once in a while, we need to remind them again, we need to put pressure on the CIDs or the police always to find solutions.”
He added that in his opinion the police service and the other security services will only be forced to reveal the truth if journalists apply the required pressure on them as well as question them about the efficiency of the special unit investigative team.
Hussein-Saule was assassinated in Madina on Wednesday, January 16, 2019, by two unknown assailants.
The assailants shot him twice in his chest and once in his neck after breaking into his car. The Ghana Police Service is still investigating his murder, but no one has been arrested yet.
The month of February was ushered in by the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, commissioning a newly constructed 300-bed unit at the 37 Military Hospital.
According to the president, in a Facebook post he shared, the freshly inaugurated facility will house newly appointed military personnel during their basic training in medical treatment.
Meanwhile, during the ceremony, popular Ghanaian performer, Black Sherif entertained attendees, including the president.
In several photos posted on the president’s Facebook, Black Sherif could be seen performing for the president, who grinned while the singer entertained him.
Blacko arrived at the event dressed in his casual t-shirt, a pair of pants, and a matching cap, despite being scheduled to play at such an important event.
Along with the commissioning, President Akufo-Addo gave the military high command control of the UN Level IV COVID-19 Field Hospital, which is close to the Air Force Base in Accra.
He didn’t stop there though, as he also cut the first sod for the General Headquarters Office Complex for GHQ and the two thousand (2,000) housing units for the Navy.
It took the intervention of soldiers from Kamina Barracks in Tamale to rescue workers of NEDCO after they were locked up and held hostage by staff and security officials of the University of Development Studies (UDS).
The incident according to multiple media reports occurred when the employees of the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) visited the UDS City Campus to disconnect power supply over debts owed.
The Loss Control Supervisor for NEDCo, Samuel Kumi in an interview with Adom News said the school owed the company as much as GH₵447, 000 in unpaid electricity bills.
“Upon the disconnection, the security and staff of the school locked the main gate of the campus and ordered them to reconnect the lights or they wouldn’t allow them out,” he stated.
The Loss Control Officer said he reported the incident to the management of the company who called on the military to intervene.
Member of Parliament for Tamale North, Alhassan Suhuyini, has taken a swipe at his colleague MP for Ejisu, John Kumah, over some comments the latter made over the Domestic Debt Exchange (DDE) programme.
Suhuyini said it was unjustifiable that Kumah will ask bondholders who are stiffly opposing portions of the DDEP not to be emotional about discussions on the matter.
He holds that the government through such comments and posturing does not do itself any good to the extent that they have created the economic mess that the country is in and must be more diplomatic with the people who are supposed to shoulder a burden they did not create.
“That I shouldn’t be emotional about that money that I have sweated to earn. Don’t tell me not to be emotional. And like I said, I don’t know John Kumah to be stupid, he is my friend, he is not stupid but the comment is silly, it’s stupid, it’s stupid.
“Don’t tell people who are about to lose their money, they are about to pay for your indebtedness,” Suhuyini charged during an in-studio interview on Accra-based Power FM (February 2).
He likened the DDEP to a person going to borrow money that they are unable to repay, so, they approach someone to help them settle the debt yet you are being bossy about the issue.
“The language you will use to get me to pay that debt is not the language that our government is using,” he said adding that posture of government wreaked “arrogance, and that for me is worrisome. It is not even what they say but what they project,” he added.
What John Kumah said:
Kumah, a deputy Finance Minister earlier this week clashed with one of the leaders of the individual bondholders forum on a radio discussion.
He accused Senyo Hosi of engaging in emotions and politics at a time the country needed none of that to get out of the current economic crisis.
“It becomes very difficult to engage in public discussions on emotional topics like the debt exchange programme. But I am particularly disappointed in my brother Senyo Hosi because we go way back and I didn’t expect this contribution from him. For him to attack me and call me dishonest and miseducating the public.
“It is very unfortunate for him to come being emotional and talking politics rather than the issues we’re discussing.
“I am a politician and I can go very political but that is not why we are here, we are trying to encourage people to understand what is going on and what is best for everybody,” he is quoted by myjoyonline.
After three extensions, the final deadline to subscribe unto the DDEP has been pegged at February 7, 2023.
Ghanaian football legend Nii Odartey Lamptey has spoken highly of Black Stars midfielder Mohammed Kudus and tipped him to reach greater heights at Ajax.
Kudus was linked with a move away from the Dutch giants both in the summer and this past January window but ultimately ended up stay.
The former PSV star expressed his happiness that Kudus is building his football profile at Ajax Amsterdam, a club renowned for producing football legends such as Frank Rijkaard, Clarence Seedorf, Edgar Davids, Patrick Kluivert, Wesley Sneijder, Edwin Van Der Sar and Marc Overmars.
“He can still grow, he is a young chap and I am very happy where he is playing now in the Netherlands, it’s easy for him to grow and I am sure when he stays there quite a bit longer, he will be better than he is now,” said Lamptey in an interview with Citi Sports.
The former Ghanaian international continued by saying that Kudus has a great future in football and that he is excited to see how far the young player would advance.
Kudus will continue to develop into a top player with the opportunities and resources he has access to in the Netherlands, according to Lamptey.
Multiple media outlets have reported that the event took place when representatives of the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) went to the UDS City Campus to cut off the campus’ power supply due to unpaid bills.
“Upon the disconnection, the security and staff of the school locked the main gate of the campus and ordered them to reconnect the lights or they wouldn’t allow them out,” he stated.
The Loss Control Officer said he reported the incident to the management of the company who called on the military to intervene.
ActressYvonne Nelson, has provided details of how she recently sacked some six social media influencers from her set.
Speaking to radio host, Naa Ashokor on Asaase FM’s Between Hours show, the award-winning actress revealed that November/December 2022 were part of the most difficult times in her life.
According to her, she was shooting a reality show with some social media influencers who mostly appeared nonchalant whenever they appear on the set.
Yvonne Nelson revealed that most of them appeared on the set unprepared and without any knowledge of their lines for the reality show they were shooting.
She added that because they appeared unserious, she was forced to sack six of them at a go, leaving Jacqueline Mensah and another social media influencer.
The CEO of YN production added that she had to invite the police in to resolve the issues because she needed a refund for the money, she paid to these them.
The Assin Central Member of Parliament made an appearance on Metro TV’s Good Evening Ghana program earlier this week to affirm his determination to see the election through to the end but to emphasize that he will not be a running mate should he lose.
He said, “I will support him (Bawumia) as an NPP member and for his campaign, but I don’t want to be his running mate.”
Asked by the host, Paul Adom Otchere on what his contribution will be to a Bawumia campaign if the vice president wins the race, Kennedy Agyapong said he will go ahead and support his campaign but maintained that he will not be his running mate.
“If I don’t win, I am a party member; I am party member I will help,” he stated.
The likes ofKennedy Agyapong, Kwabena Agyapong, Joe Ghartey, Dr Afriyie Akoto and Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, Francis Addai-Nimoh and Kofi Konadu Apraku have all announced their bids for the NPP flagbearership.
Meanwhile, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia who is yet to officially announce his bid is tipped as a lead contender in the race.
Ghanaian international Andre Ayew, has agreed to a short-term contract with Nottingham Forest and will play in the English Premier League once more.
The English top-flight club announced the acquisition of the Black Stars captain on Thursday evening.
“Nottingham Forest is delighted to announce the signing of Ghana captain André Ayew.
“The forward joins on a free transfer following his recent departure from Al Sadd and has signed a deal until the end of the season.
“André will wear the shirt number 42 during his time on Trentside,” an official club statement said.
In the unveiling, Andre Ayew posed with his father and Ghana legend, the great Abedi Pele.
At Nottingham Forest, the former Swansea City man will be playing a key role to help the team to stay in the English Premier League at the end of the 2022/23 football season.
Check out pictures from Andre Ayew’s unveiling below:
The AGI also objected to beverage manufacturers being classified as Commercial Bottled Water and Drinks, a new category of water consumers.
Last August, the category was established with a tariff of 316 percent increment, which was eventually reduced to 172 percent last month. Companies that now fall under the new category formerly belonged to the industry class, which increased by 48 percent in the most recent evaluation.
However, with the implementation of the new utility tariffs announced by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) for the first quarter of this year having taken effect on February 1, the AGI said this significant increment is a retrogressive decision with dire consequences for the industry and utilities.
“With the foregoing, AGI is calling on the PURC to maintain its beverage sector companies in their industry category which has seen a 48 percent increment in water tariff. We believe industries are high-revenue customers for Ghana Water Company and deserve equity in the water pricing we see.
“We urge the government to help stem the tide of our macro-economic instability, which is a major trigger for some of the changes in tariffs levels and price hikes,” its president, Seth Twum-Akwaboah, said during a press conference in Accra.
The AGI is an umbrella body of leading domestic manufacturers, and buttressing its call for a fair review said the principle of equity was largely missing in the major tariff review conducted in August last year for water – when a particular customer category was asked to bear a 316 percent increment in a single tariff review.
“The AGI wishes to reiterate that a tariff increment of 316 percent and subsequently 172 percent for its beverage sector under Industry will have dire consequences for Industry and the Ghana Water Company.
“Our Utilities risk losing revenue if this trend ends up collapsing the companies. We think it is unfair for the PURC to demand a significant share of the revenue from the Industry, whose cost of service is cheaper. We urge the PURC to make public the real cost of service for each consumer category to engender transparency and fairness,” Twum-Akwaboah said during a press conference in Accra.
On the reclassification of beverage producers, he said: “We do not think the creation of a new consumer category addresses the challenges in our water distribution system. Such an astronomical tariff increment in a single revision is retrogressive and shows no empathy for Ghana’s ailing Industrial sector. We all need to wake up to the looming collapse of our local industries, which hold the key to job creation and our economic recovery”.
Extra burden
Twum-Akwaboah explained that industries are already under pressure from an unstable business environment and were hoping to see signs of recovery this year.
He, therefore, lamented that the plight of local producers could be further worsened by the utility tariff increment; as well as inflation at 54.1 percent, VAT at 21.9 percent, rising fuel prices and threats of excise duty increments.
All these developments, he bemoaned, pose a serious threat to employment prospects and the survival of businesses. “Again, we have noticed a 48 percent increment in water tariffs for industry effective this February, which is a significant deviation from the 8 percent average increment as announced,” he added.
Indeed, within a period of fewer than six months, electricity tariffs have also shot up significantly on two occasions – 26.6 percent in September 2022 and 29.9 percent for this quarter, totalling a whopping 56.5 percent.
He asserts that Organized Labor has no faith in this administration, especially when it comes to the execution of the Domestic Debt Exchange scheme.
We no longer have faith in this government, Mr. Koomson charged, because they initially refused to go to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“The president in a nationwide address told us there will be no haircut on investments in government bonds. What are seeing today? Hair cuts all over,” he added.
He was of the view that this is the 17th time the country has gone to the IMF for a financial bailout but all this assistance did not come with DDE “so why DDE at this time?” he queried.
“You cannot keep a friend you don’t trust,” he also said. “If you continue to keep a friend you don’t trust you will one day fall for his pranks.”
He explained that Organised Labour decided to have the emergency meeting on February 1, 2023, to reiterate its stance contained in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the government on December 22, 2022, for pension funds to be exempted from the DDE programme.
Meanwhile, Organised Labour has served notice it will fiercely resist attempts to go contrary to the agreement.
Organised Labour served this warning in a press release dated February 1, 2023, and jointly signed by the General Secretary of Trades Union Congress (TUC), Mr Isaac Bampo Addo, president of the Forum and Ken Koomson, Deputy Secretary General of Ghana Federation of Labour.
The release said: “Per the agreement between the Government of Ghana on Thursday, December 22, 2022, with the finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, Ignatius Baffour Awuah, Employment and Labour Relations executing same on behalf of Organized Labour, paragraph 1 as follows: Government has decided to grant exemption to all pension fund in the DDE programme.
According to him, a number of business owners are not paying their taxes on time and are not following the electronic Value Added Tax (VAT) system as required.
After the GRA detained five branch managers of the Koala (Osu and Cantonments) and Max Mart (37 and Cantonments) branches, as well as the Palace Shopping Mall, Labone branch, he made the comments while speaking to press on Thursday, February 2, 2023.
The five branch managers were sent to the Customs headquarters for their statements and then handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department of the Police.
The initiative is part of an ongoing nationwide VAT inspection exercise to ensure tax compliance and retrieve taxes due the state.
In his submission, Mr. Annan noted that t he GRA has embarked on several exercises to ensure businesses comply with the law but some have refused to do it.
He said Section 41 of the VAT Act 2013, (Act 870) as amended by Act 1082 and Act 1087, states that every registered VAT taxpayer is required to issue an electronic VAT invoice with details that are prescribed by the Commissioner-General when they provide services or supply goods.
However, some businesses are breaching the law and that is why we have embarked on this exercise.
He said our job is to mobilise revenue and once you are found not to obey the law, we will come after you. We are not comfortable arresting people. But if you push us to the wall, we will come after you. We persuade people to comply but when all these tools fail, the ultimate is enforcement”, he said.
He stressed the need for business owners to comply with the tax law and avoid being in contravention of the law.
The Sanitation and Water Resources Minister, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, has bemoaned the poor state of the Birim River due to the activities of illegal miners.
She says the Birim River is one of the most polluted river bodies in the country.
She attributed the pollution to the ‘galamsey’ menace in the Eastern Region.
The Minister was responding to questions from the Ranking Member on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Kofi Okyere Agyekum on the Begoro and Osino water treatment plants and their ability to supply clean water to the communities in that enclave.
Responding to the question posed, she noted that the polluted Birim River which is the source of water makes it difficult.
“One of the most polluted water bodies is the Birim and that will be the raw source for our raw water. So if at the end of the day, we borrow money through the vision of the President and the water source is polluted, what will be the result,” she asked.
According to her, there are processes involved in water supply, and the Ministry has submitted a financial term sheet to the Finance Ministry.
She added that the Chief Director is currently following up on it. Mrs. Dapaah indicated that the Ministry hopes to receive feedback from the Finance Ministry after the negotiation with the International Monetary Fund.
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