The Alpha Beta Education Centre (ABEC) in Accra has launched a $350,000 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) project to provide free structured programmes and training for students and teachers.
According to the Director, ABEC, Dr Naomi Adjepong, the two-year project would also afford the school the opportunity to add to its existing facilities, including Information Technology, Science and Innovation labs.
She said this when she launched the project at the school’s 35th anniversary and founders’ day celebration held on the theme “Celebrating 35 Years of Impact” over the weekend.
Dr Adjepong noted that 35 years is a significant milestone in the school’s mission of providing academic excellence for which reason the STEM project would ensure that more students and Ghanaians obtained industry-related skills to increase development in the country.
She revealed that the unavailability of equipment and educational materials to facilitate STEM education in schools is negatively affecting the county’s development and the African continent.
“Regardless of Africa’s talent pool, there’s likely to be a limited domestic skilled STEM workforce resulting in the recruit of foreign talent for STEM-related jobs,” she added.
Dr Adjepong said that the students would have the chance of interacting with industry persons who would mentor them to stimulate their interest in STEM and subsequently explore STEM-related careers.
As such, the Director of ABEC used the opportunity to call for an unending investment into STEM education across the country to accelerate development.
She commended the founders of the school for their immense contribution towards the development of Ghanaians and wished all staff, parents and students of ABEC a happy anniversary.
Reminiscing his days at ABEC, broadcaster and alumni, Emmanuel Kwame Sarpong, noted that the training and guidance from the school shaped him into the person he was.
He therefore lauded ABEC for the rich education it had offered over the years and applauded it for the project.
Mr Sarpong urged students to leverage the resources available to them to build themselves academically to contribute towards the development of the country.
Established in 1988 with six children and one member of staff, ABEC helps expose children to a rich and varied teaching and learning environment.
The school seeks to broaden the outlook of students; encourage the best examples of Christian morality, and service to others; and to develop skills which will enable them to compete favourably and be global agents of change.
The immediate past Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Professor Kwasi Opoku Amankwah says he and the Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum must take full responsibility for the fraudulent acts exposed in the Computerised Selection School Placement System (CSSPS).
Reacting to the “School Placement for Sale” documentary in an interview with JoyNews on Monday, Prof. Amankwah explained that he wrote to the Criminal Investigations Department of Ghana Police while he was in office, to deal with the alleged corruption issues in the CSSPS.
This, he said was part of measures to accept his responsibility as the Head of GES to ensure that corruption-related matters with CSSPS are dealt with.
“If there is fraud in the matter then myself as Director General and the Minister should take responsibility.
“I fully accept that and I fully agree, but that is also the reason why I knew that I am part of it, I took measures to ensure that the issues relating to corruption and payment of monies and things like that have been dealt with and I wrote to the CID and the PMI,” he stated.
This comes after The Fourth Estate released its new documentary ‘School Placement for Sale’.
The documentary captures parents, guardians and officials in charge of the school placement, making deals to put wards in desired institutions.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum has assured that persons found wanting in the expose will be dealt with as he promises to work with the relevant security agencies.
“If this is going on, there is a cartel. It has to be stopped and I will work with security agencies to make sure this does not happen under me as the Minister for Education.
“Free SHS is not for sale, so if anybody thinks they can manipulate the system and do something untoward, it has to be stopped,” he told JoyNews.
Real Madrid will face bitter rivals FC Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semi-finals after the draw was made at the Spanish FA’s headquarters on Monday.
Osasuna will clash with Athletic Bilbao in the other semi-final fixture.
The matches take place on four different dates in February, March and April with the Spanish FA having a scheduling headache.
Real Madrid are playing in the FIFA Club World Cup which begins on Wednesday and ends on February 11, and then two legs of the Champions League last 16.
Real Madrid and Barca meet in the first leg at Camp Nou on March 1 and will play the second leg at Santiago Bernabeu on April 4 or April 5.
Osasuna will play Athletic Bilbao on Feb. 8 and March 1.
The semi-final represents a chance for La Liga and European champions Real Madrid to get revenge for their 3-1 loss two weeks ago in the Spanish Super Cup against FC Barcelona.
Barca are currently the league leaders after they moved on to 47 points with their 1-0 win at Girona on Saturday.
Founder and leader of the Life Assembly Worship Center, Christian Kwabena Andrews, has urged his followers not allow his personal marital challenges to affect their faith in God.
Addressing his congregants on Sunday, the embattled preacher, popularly known as ‘Osofo Kyiri Abosom’, charged his members to draw a line between their devotion to God and his marital affairs.
He said those who follow him must focus on the spiritual nourishment they receive from him, without being distracted by what goes on in his personal life as a married man.
Talking to his audience in the local Twi dialect, he said “From today, if any Ghanaian asks you about the state of my marriage, tell them it is indeed over.
“Listen, I am the reason you’re here. You’re not here because of marriage. So tell your colleague church members to stop the gossip.
“My wife wasn’t present when God called me. The power I wield is exclusive to only me, and not a shared property with my wife.
The preacher gave this advice while announcing his separation with his wife, Princess Andrews.
The two have been blessed with three children, with Princess lending support to him in his endeavours as a man of God.
But addressing his congregation, he stressed that the marriage hit the rocks, after his wife decided to jilt him for having an affair with another woman.
According to the preacher cum politician, the affair has resulted in a beautiful child whom he will soon outdoor to the general public.
The 2020 flagbearer of the Ghana Union Movement (GUM), however noted that he is unperturbed by the said development.
While defending his actions, he explained that many beautiful women exist and therefore his wife’s decision to abandon their marriage does not bother him.
He added that, his aggrieved wife is currently seeking legal redress on the back of his affair.
Meanwhile, the comments by the preacher have been met with mixed reactions.
In a series of reactions monitored by MyJoyOnline.com, a few have sympathised with the preacher over his actions.
On the other hand, others have criticised his deeds and questioned his integrity as a preacher.
According to his critics, it is unacceptable for a man of God like him to be involved in such an act of infidelity and be unremorseful about it.
His critics further argue that his conduct sets a bad example for his followers and therefore he must not be proud of his alleged adulterous behaviour.
Christian Kwabena Andrews rose to fame during the 2020 presidential elections where he finished third behind President Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and former president John Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
His campaign message, which was largely inspired by the ideologies of Ghana’s first president, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, drew a lot of attention to him, plus a considerable following.
Following his suddeen emergence and performance in the race, some pundits and political analysts subsequently touted him as the much talked about ‘third force’ to break the duopoly of the NDC and the NPP.
However, after the 2020 polls, he has been visibly missing in the political discourse.
At the moment, there are no indications as to whether he will put up another fight in the 2024 contest against the NDC and the NPP.
But sources close to the preacher say he is lacing his boots to contest the presidency again in 2024 after his earlier attempt in 2020.
Apart from his political engagements, ‘Osofo Kyiri Abosom’ is known for his sermons about demonic powers and his penchant for breaking into shrines to burn deities and destroy fetish activities.
The Head of the Legal Department of the West African Examinations Council, Rev. Victor Brew, has clarified the grading system used for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
According to him, the performance of students at various schools determine their grades. The grades awarded to students from various schools are dependent on their performance.
Speaking to Roselyn Felli on Prime Morning, Monday, Rev. Victor Brew explained that students who may be the best in their schools may not meet the first 4% range targeted by the WAEC grading system as it is a nationwide competition.
“…it’s the grading system and also the performance of their candidates, because mind you, if you’re a local champion where you keep getting 80s, know that if someone else has been getting 99, then you pray that your 80 falls within the 4% otherwise, you’re going to get a grade 2, and that doesn’t mean you’re not good. You’re good, but others are better,” he explained.
For the purpose of the variation of the grading system, he urged school managers to avoid comparing cohorts of their institutions, as the “Norm-Referenced Grading System” used by WAEC varies yearly.
Rev. Victor Brew further revealed that the implementation of the grading system is done in collaboration with the government, thus making grade 9 the lowest and not a failure in the BECE system.
Explaining how the grading system is done, he said, “If the first 4% are to get grade 1, what it means is that if you took mathematics, unlike English, someone can get 100% in mathematics. So, what happens is that your candidate or the champion of your school in math gets 80% during your mock trials or 89%, but then when you join forces with the candidates across the country, the question is whether your champion in math in your school can beat all the champions across the country such that your champion falls within the first 4%.”
For this reason, he said WAEC is not to be blamed for the failure of candidates, as a particular batch may not fall within the range of the national grading system for the year.
Meanwhile, he thinks a coalition of a total number of candidates acquiring a grade in each subject across the country within a year will inform policy-making so as to help improve the system.
Addressing the issue of the cancellation of the exams for some candidates, he said it is done based on the rules and regulations provided for the year groups before and during the exams.
He has also notified parents whose children’s papers have been cancelled that they are permitted to appeal for remarking.
According to a statement, Bawuah will oversee the bank’s operations across Africa, excluding Nigeria.
She is the first female CEO of the UBA Africa and her appointment demonstrates the bank’s commitment to diversity.
Bawuah’s appointment brings the number of female directors across the UBA Group to eight, a report by Nairametrics says.
Before her appointment as the bank’s Africa CEO, Bawuah was UBA’s Regional CEO for West Africa, managing operations in nine subsidiaries including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. She had also served as the CEO of UBA Ghana.
Commenting on Bawuah’s appointment, the UBA Group’s Board Chairman, Mr Tony Elumelu, said, “Abiola has contributed significantly to the growth of UBA Africa for close to a decade. She brings a wealth of experience in commercial banking, and stakeholder engagement. It also gives me great pleasure that with her appointment, the UBA Group Board has now become a majority female board.”
The bank also announced other key executive appointments across the group.
The appointments include: Regional CEO of UBA West Africa, Chris Ofikulu; Deputy Managing Director of UBA Ghana, Uzoechina Molokwu; Managing Director/CEO UBA Liberia, Ayokunle Olajubu; CEO of UBA UK, Theresa Henshaw; Deputy CEO in UBA America, Usman Isiaka; and Group Treasurer, Adeyemi Adeleke, all appointments subject to their various local regulatory approvals.
Bob Marley will be rolling in his grave over Sarkodie’s one-way rap that was placed along the lyrics of ‘Stir It up’, a song he personally wrote for his wife, this is according to Blakk Rasta.
The famous radio presenter who doubles as a reggae musician is of the strong view that Ghanaian rapper, Sarkodie failed to honour Bob’s legacy but rather desecrated it.
“You urinate right into the grave and walk away, laughing like a madman on heat. It hurt me so much that I decided never to talk about this issue,” he said.
Speaking on his show on 3 FM, Blakk Rasta sided with talent manager, Mr Logic, who claim there was nothing special about Sarkodie’s re-make of ‘Stir It Up’.
Blakk Rasta rated the new project as a disaster. He said: “The thing Mr Logic said is going to bruise some ego but I’m going to bruise more ego with what am going to say.
“What Sarkodie did was nothing but a desecration of the legacy of Bob Marley. It is so shameful, what Sarkodie did is nothing but a desecration of the holy music…should I go deeper? It is like a king has been buried and you go and dig him up, and steal the gold and diamonds that he’s been buried with.”
The president of the local football governing body, FUFA, Eng. Moses Magogo, has revealed that every member of the team (players and officials) that was in Algeria for the 2022 African Nations Championship (CHAN) will receive a package of $2,500 (about Shs9m).
Uganda Cranes’ journey at CHAN came to an end last Sunday following a 3-1 defeat to Ivory Coast at Nelson Mandela Stadium in Algiers, Algeria.
The team finished third with four points in a group that included Senegal, Ivory Coast, and DR Congo.
Speaking at the luncheon on Sunday at the FUFA Complex in Mengo, Magogo applauded the 23-man squad despite failing to qualify for the knockout stage for the first time in six attempts.
“I know many people look at results on the field, but as administrators, we consider a number of factors. There was a huge difference between the team that played at CHAN in Cameroon and the current squad. The difference this time, there were positives in terms of the performance of players,” said Magogo.
“I have always said that results do not paint the whole picture. We know this team is in a transitional period, and whatever we are going through is part of the process. Unfortunately, the fans and everyone else want to win, but world-over transitions take time. It can even take two or three generations to return to the best,” he added.
Magogo said that as FUFA, they were supposed to reward everyone with about $1,800 (about Shs6.6 million), but they decided to make it $2,500 (about Shs9 million) as a way of motivating the squad.
Meanwhile, FUFA will receive $300,000 (about Shs1.1 billion) from Confederation of African Football (CAF) as prize money for Uganda Cranes after the team finished third in Group B at the ongoing CHAN tournament in Algeria.
The winner will receive $2 million, an increase from Morocco’s $1.25 million for winning the 2020 edition in Cameroon.
Also, before the tournament, FUFA received Shs2 billion from the government to prepare for the competition.
Fuel prices are likely to go up between 7 per cent and 13 per cent for the first pricing window of February 2023, Institute for Energy Security (IES) has predicted.
Currently, a litre of petrol is sold at around GH¢13.60 while diesel is sold at GH¢15.52 per litre, with LPG selling at around GH¢11.29 per kilo.
Per the projection of IES, a litre of petrol is likely to be sold for over GH¢14 while diesel will be sold for around GH¢16 per litre.
In a statement issued by IES and signed by Adam Yakubu, Research Analyst, it said the projected increase in fuel prices is due to the sharp depreciation of the cedi during the last two weeks and the rising international fuel prices as observed on the global S&P Platts platform.
The energy think tank pointed out that the increase in fuel prices would be occasioned despite the government’s receipt of approximately 41,000 metric tonnes of diesel under its ‘Gold for Oil’ programme.
“Based on the rising international fuel prices as observed on the global S&P Platts platform, linked with the local currency’s value decline against the greenback, the Institute for Energy Security (IES) estimates a 7% to 13% jump in the prices of gasoline [petrol], gasoil [diesel], and LPG over the next two weeks ending February 14, 2023.
“The rise in domestic fuel prices would be occasioned despite the government’s receipt of approximately 41,000 metric tonnes of Gasoil under its ‘Gold for Oil’ programme, and that consumers must be prepared to buy, for instance, a litre of gasoline [petrol] for roughly GH¢15 in the coming days,” it stated.
Although IES believed both petrol and diesel would be going up from Wednesday 1st February 2023, Star Oil, one of the Oil Marketing Companies, in a public notice issued on Monday, informed its customers that it expects petrol prices to go up while diesel prices likely to remain stable or unchanged, citing 41,000 metric tons of diesel brought into the country under the Government gold for oil programme.
The international crude oil benchmark, Brent, increased to about $86.14 per barrel on average terms from a previous average rate of $81.72 per barrel.
This represented a 5.41 per cent increase in average price over the last two weeks.
Following an initial steady grind upwards to $88.16 per barrel at the close of January 23, Brent crude oil price settled lower on Friday, January 26, 2023, making the commodity’s weekly finish flat to lower.
Brent closed Friday’s trading at $86.66 after closing the day before at $87.28 per barrel, up from the year’s low of $72.50.
The National Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Henry Nana Boakye (Nana B) has chastised the National Democratic Congress (NDC) over its parliamentary leadership reshuffle.
According to him, the reasons the NDC has given for the reshuffling have been defeated considering their replacements.
He said Ajumako-Anyan-Essiam MP, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, can attest to the fact that he is no match to Tamale South MP, Haruna Iddrisu, when it comes to political experience and competence demonstrated over the years.
The NDC Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, in justifying the reshuffle said it forms part of the reorganisation process to help the party capture political power during the 2024 elections.https://www.youtube.com/embed/3dlFpd8k-60
Touching on the timing of the party’s decision and its intended effect, Mr Nketia stressed that the timing is in line with plans to fully prepare the party for the race ahead.
On what informed this new leadership reshuffle, Mr Nketia said as the days of the elections get closer, the debates on the floor of Parliament will change to issues on the economy, infrastructure and energy, hence it is important they [NDC] put the best in those fields to properly argue their stance.
But reacting to the development on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, Nana B asserted the reasons were lame and grossly untenable.
In his view, Ato Forson as the Ranking Member on the Finance Committee was doing an excellent job and nobody was jostling for the position with him.
He said he therefore believes Ato Forson could have served the purpose the NDC is seeking going into the 2024 election without a reshuffle.
“Ato Forson is the loudest voice we hear on the Minority side on economic issues, even Haruna allows him to address press conferences on the economy. Nobody has taken his position from him and has over the years been given the opportunity to talk and freely express himself so what is the basis for the reason Asiedu Nketia gave?” he quizzed.
Nana B further stated: “If they are considering someone who can steer economic affairs, then they should endorse Dr Kwabena Duffuor as flagbearer. He has been a Finance Minister and governor and therefore fit for purpose.”
The chief of Kweiman, Nii Anang Amartey, has raised concerns over what he says is the massive encroachment of Kweiman lands by the Chiefs of Oyarifa, Amanfrom and Danfa.
According to him, some individuals including the NPP Greater Accra Regional youth organiser, Moses Abor, have taken over the land in the area as the land is no longer serving its initial purpose which was cattle rearing.
Nii Anang Amartey said several petitions to the government have proven futile they are therefore calling of the Inspector General of Police and the Greater Accra Regional Minister to intervene to prevent landguards and security personnel from encroaching further.
Narrating the incident from the past, he said that somewhere in 1970, the government acquired the land from Kweiman Danfa and Amrahia.
The government then named it ‘Kweiman-Amrahia daily farm’ to rear cattle, but as time went on, the government did not use the land again so, they decided to take back our land.
Danfa and Amrahia were compensated but those at Kweiman had issues between the families involved and who the amount involved in the compensation should go to.
They therefore decided to go to court to settle it so they know who government should give the compensation to.
The chief said they won the case in 1992 and have since sent petitions and letters to government.
In 2019, they however noticed that some people have encroached on the land, so they started calling on government to draw their attention to it.
“…We found out that there was going to be a demolition, so the government sent one Clement Dzato to us.
“He came and said the government said he should embark on the demolishing. Since 2019 to now he has sold more than 80 per cent of our land. 80 acres and he is there today with his land guards and boys.
“We applied to the then NPP chairman Freddie Blay to help us. He introduced us to Ben, Ben brought Moses Abor – they are national security personnel and are helping us. We came with his team and said they are helping us, but right now as I am speaking, Moses Abor’s own is worse. So, we don’t know what to do hence the reason we want the government to intervene,” he said in an interview.
Hapoel Haifa failed to break a streak of 11 years without a win (the last one was achieved in the 11/12 season) against Hapoel Be’er Sheva and went down by a goal scored after 35 seconds by Eugene Ansah after a slalom on the way to the goal.
Roni Levy’s apprentices dominated for many minutes in the center of the field, neutralized the third ranked team and had several opportunities but were wasteful: Itai Boganim’s kick from the edge of the box went over the goal. Hanan Meman’s shot was stopped by the crossbar in the midst of pressure minutes into the second half.
Hatem Alhamid returned to the pitch after a month and a half and the Lithuanian Arbidas Novikovas made his debut.
Hapoel Be’er Sheva will take on Sekzia Ness Ziona in their next league game.
After what was supposed to be a merger that should benefit all the institutions of higher learning involved in it, there is already an intense agitation by the largest of these three bodies.
The University of Media, Arts, and Communications (UniMAC), the first public university established by an Act of Parliament (Act 1059), is a merger of three specialised institutions: the Ghana Institute of Journalism, the Ghana Institute of Languages, and the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI).
However, the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) has stated that it is dissatisfied with management issues following the UniMAC merger and has threatened to withdraw from the merger.
GhanaWeb sources indicate that lecturers appear to be unhappy with the management of UniMAC.
“We are convinced that the merger cannot proceed without the statute, hence, we resolve to mount pressure on the interim council to attach much more seriousness to the enactment of the statute, to forestall the impending confusion and anxiety on our campuses, as a result of the excesses of the UniMAC management.
“Failure to act swiftly on the statutes will give us no option than to protest for GIJ’s withdrawal from the merger,” the source said.
The source also added that UTAG-GIJ members are of the view that the merger is needless because it involves three unequal institutions.
He explained that among the institutions involved in the merger, only GIJ is a fully-fledged university, and it would have been thought that the government would allow GIJ to absorb GIL and NAFTI.
“That did not happen. We suspect the merger is a move by government to silence GIJ and make it easier for government to control the university. For this reason, we are saying that for the merger to be operational, the government should amend the Act that establishes UniMAC, and make GIJ acquire the other two institutions. GIJ commands more resources than the other two combined. If this request is not granted, we will withdraw and be on our own,” he stated.
In the meantime, the lecturers at GIJ have resolved to wear red armbands from Monday, January 30, 2023, through Friday, February 3, 2023, as a way of pressing home their demands.
As part of the coronation rites as a queen mother of Sowutuom, (Sowutuom Noya Manye), Ayisha Modi was spotted in a sacred room, where she went through fortification for her role.
In some viral pictures online, Ayisha was bathed with white paint from head to toe.
Ayisha Modi, sat on a local mat on the floor, in the said room, together with her friend who kept her company.
The interior of the room captures among other things, a molded sculpture of a skeleton and a huge statue of a lion.
Ayisha shared pictures of her ‘confinement’ on social media while labelling the sacred room as a ‘Room of 99 spirits.’
Background
Controversial Ghanaian socialite cum music investor, Ayisha Modi, was enstooled as a queen of Sowutoum in Accra on January 29, 2023.
She was crowned as a development queen-mother of Sowutoum at an illustrious ceremony held in the town’s Palace and witnessed by scores of patrons Including celebrities.
What Ayisha Modi said about her ‘new status’
Prior to her coronation, Ayisha Modi established that she is required to maintain a dignified lifestyle and also strictly abide by the rules of the chieftaincy title.
In an earlier Interview with Kwaku Manu, Ayisha disclosed her Intentions to discontinue her controversial lifestyle on social media.
“The elders have spoken to me about things I cannot do now that I am a queen mother, and I need to respect that. From today, I have stopped granting interviews and going live on social media to attack anyone.
“In fact, when I see something wrong, I will pretend I haven’t seen it, and that is because of my new position. Now I want my peace of mind,” she told Kwaku Manu in his Aggressive interview posted on YouTube today, January 25.
Gucci appointed Sabato De Sarno, a senior fashion designer at Valentino, as the Italian brand’s new creative director. De Sarno will succeed Alessandro Michele, who left Gucci in November after seven years as creative director.
“I am deeply honored to take on the role as Creative Director of Gucci,” De Sarno said in an official statement. “I am proud to join a House with such an extraordinary history and heritage, that over the years has been able to welcome and cherish values I believe in. I am touched and excited to contribute my creative vision for the brand.”
Prior to joining the Valentino back in 2009, De Sarno spent time at Prada and Dolce & Gabbana.
“I am delighted that Sabato will join Gucci as the House’s new Creative Director, one of the most influential roles in the luxury industry,” Gucci CEO Marco Bizzarri added. “Having worked with a number of Italy’s most renowned luxury fashion houses, he brings with him a vast and relevant experience. I am certain that through Sabato’s deep understanding and appreciation for Gucci’s unique legacy, he will lead our creative teams with a distinctive vision that will help write this exciting next chapter, reinforcing the House’s fashion authority while capitalizing on its rich heritage.”
François-Henri Pinault, Chairman & CEO of Kering, the French luxury goods group which owns Gucci said: “One hundred and two years after Guccio Gucci opened his first store in Florence, Gucci remains one of the most iconic, prominent and influential luxury houses in the world. With Sabato De Sarno at the creative helm, we are confident that the House will continue both to influence fashion and culture through highly desirable products and collections, and to bring a singular and contemporary perspective to modern luxury.”
De Sarno will make his runway debut at Milan Fashion Week in September.
An educational forum has been held in Cape Coast to mark the International Day of Education with a call on stakeholders to support education financing to improve standards.
The Director General of the Institute of Educational Planning and Administration of the University of Cape Coast, Dr Michael Boakye-Yiadom who made the call said while government’s budgetary allocation to the sector was woefully inadequate, stakeholders must not look on as this could compromise quality.
He said the country must not give up in striving to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals on education adding that all must devise innovative ways to get all in school and support finance education for enhanced quality.
The forum was organised by the Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, a semi autonomous Institute at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) that trains educational planners, leaders and administrators and a UNESCO category two institution in collaboration with the Cape Coast office of the Ghana Education Service and the University Practice Senior High School.
Theme
This year’s celebration was on the theme, Invest in People, Prioritize Education.
The first International Education Day was celebrated in January 24, 2019.
Dr Boakye-Yiadom said in 2001 at an international educational forum, the government of Ghana pledged a minimum of 23 percent of budgetary allocations to education.
However, he noted this year’s allocation was 12 percent, one of the lowest in many years.
He said public funding of education would never be enough in any country and particularly in developing countries charging, traditional rulers, district assemblies and the private sector to support finance education.
1.2 million out of school
He said about 1.2 million Ghanaians between the ages of four and 17 were out of school.
Out of the number, he noted that almost one million had never been in school saying figures should be a worrying concern for all.
Huge investments
He all levels of education from basic to tertiary required huge investments in infrastructure and teacher development to increase access and improve quality.
He said it was sad that some senior high school graduates with good grades could not get admissions into tertiary institutions because of limited facilities.
He said if the country did not effectively mobilize to work towards achieving the sustainable development goals on education it would not be attained.
Dr Boakye-Yaidom urged stakeholders to consciously make efforts towards educating all from the individual to the national level.
He indicated that visits to some of the communities in and around Cape Coast indicated that some of the children were not in school because they still did not understand the relevance of education.
Others did not have mentors and role models who inspired them to go to school.
Developing mentors
He said IEPA was considering developing mentors and roles for communities across the country to encourage them to go to school and stay in school. Peer role models
He said if every young person in school encouraged one person to go to school the problem would be almost solved.
He said as they developed their leadership skills through peer inspiring out of school children to go back to school.
Stay in school
He advised the students to stay in school and encourage others to stay in school.
Speaking on theme, the Metropolitan Director of Education of Cape Coast, Ms Phyllis Krobea-Asante said education held the key to developing productive and functional workforce essential for accelerated socio-economic development.
She said government must increase its allocation to education from 12 percent to 23 percent saying the future benefits of such investments would silence all critics.
She said to this end the nation must continue to prioritize education and to help prepare the youth for the future saying that was the best way to ensure growth and development and bridge the gap between the rich and the poor.
Ms Krobea-Asante called on educators to invest in the future by invest time and resources in positively mentoring the students into productive citizens to themselves and society.
Nigerian singer, Iyanya has reacted to the viral video that showed him pushing off a man who was spraying him money.
A Twitter user with the handle @Pettyrebel shared a video of Iyanya throwing off a man that was spraying him money.
Captioning the video she wrote; “So Iyanya came to Awka yesterday, na our pablo dem push like that”.
Taking to his Twitter page, Iyanya explained that the fan kept slapping the money on his face even when he tried to get the man to stop but he refused.
The singer stated that he felt disrespected by the fan’s actions hence his reason for shoving the guy off the stage.
He said: “The guy kept slapping my face with the money and I tried to hold his hand and he continued.
“First no matter how much you are spraying, don’t slap someone with it, that’s disrespectful.
“Where are you? I need to slap your face with naira notes and let’s see how you will feel after 3 slaps,” he added when another fan told him he should not have reacted.
The Manager of the Spintex road branch of China Mall has been arrested by a joint task force of Police and officials of the Ghana Revenue Authority(GRA) over non-payment of taxes.
It is immediately not known how much tax the company owes the GRA but Citi News’ Kennedy Twumasi reported that the manager was picked up Monday morning by a taskforce from the country’s revenue authority.
The manager of Sneda Mall on the Spintex Road was also arrested by the taskforce for the non-payment of taxes.
In October 2022, the GRA shut down some branches of China Mall over non-compliance with Ghana’s electronic VAT system.
GRA has embarked on a special operation to clamp down on companies defaulting on their tax commitments.
According to the GRA, a number of taxpayers have failed to file their returns through the authority’s certified invoicing system thus dwindling the revenue collection for the state.
Speaking ahead of an exercise to arrest business owners who have defaulted in the payments of their VAT, the Commissioner of the Domestic Tax Revenue Division (DTRD) of the authority Edward Appenteng Gyamerah said they will continually embark on such swoops to ensure that companies do the needful.
The Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) Programme of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has called for a sustained financing and cross-sectoral approaches to fight the menace in the country.
The lack of resources, the Programme notes, has become a significant barrier to the control, elimination, and eradication of NTDs in the country.
What are NTDs?
The term NTDs is used to describe a group of 20 communicable diseases that prevail in tropical and subtropical countries and affect more than one billion people globally, according to the statistics by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The 20 NTDs are: Buruli ulcer; Chagas disease; dengue and chikungunya; dracunculiasis; echinococcosis; foodborne trematodiases; human African trypanosomiasis; leishmaniasis; leprosy; lymphatic filariasis; mycetoma, chromoblastomycosis and other deep mycoses; onchocerciasis; rabies; scabies and other ectoparasitoses; schistosomiasis; soil-transmitted helminthiases; snakebite envenoming; taeniasis/cysticercosis; trachoma; and yaws.
Of the 20 NTDs identified by the WHO, 14 are found in Ghana, prominent among them being Trachoma; Buruli ulcer; Yaws; Leprosy; Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT or sleeping sickness); Leishmaniases; Lymphatic filariasis; Onchocerciasis (river blindness); Schistosomiasis, and Soil-transmitted helminthiases.
NTDs mainly affect populations living in poverty and in close contact with infectious vectors— viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi and toxins.
The disease cause devastating health, social and economic consequences to those affected by it.
Financing NTDs
Explaining why the Programme is calling for a sustained financing and investment on NTDs, the Deputy Programme Manager, Dr Joseph Kwadwo Larbi Opare, said ending NTDs will make our health systems more resilient and our world a more equitable and safer place.
For him, by bringing renewed attention to NTDs, building political will and mobilising resources, and putting individuals and communities at the centre of the response, “we can collectively generate the attention and resources needed to deliver against the targets outlined in the WHO 2030 NTD road map and SDG3.”
“That is why, together and united, we will make the case for investment, and push for concerted action and financing on World NTD Day 2023,” Dr Opare noted.
He explained that investing in NTD programmes would create a ripple effect in society, adding that “it leads to better education, health, and employment outcomes, and transforms lives and communities.”
In addition, he observed, investing in NTD programmes would equally help to reduce gender inequity, stigma, and preventable mortality and morbidity, pointing out that “the case for investment is clear.”
He further observed that addressing NTDs requires cross-sectoral approaches that span from bringing medicines to the ‘end of the road’ – thus making universal health coverage a reality, relieving the associated mental health burden, and tackling fundamental human rights issues.
Dr Opare said investing in NTDs is a global health and development success story, noting that so far, 46 countries including Ghana have eliminated an NTD, showing that progress is possible towards elimination and eradication of the disease.
Currently, he noted, every district in Ghana has at least two of the NTDs, calling also for a sustained awareness on the disease in order to reduce its impact on people, saying “the disease keep children out of school and parents out of work.”
In addition, he explained, NTDs are endemic in poor communities and promotes poverty and intense stigma.
Action now!
Dr Opare called on all stakeholders, particularly duty bearers to join the fight in their various capacities to help the country to become free from NTDs.
“Everyone has a key role to play,” he noted, saying “This year, we invite you to ask our leaders to act now, act together and invest in neglected tropical diseases.”
World NTDs Day
This year’s World NTD day, which falls today, January 30, 2023, is on the theme “Act now. Act together. Invest in neglected tropical diseases.”
The day is celebrated to raise awareness on the need to address issues on Neglected Tropical Diseases.
The National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah has defied an advice by the Council of Elders of the NDC for all stakeholders to desist from making public pronouncements following the disagreements over a reshuffle in the Minority leadership in Parliament.
In defying the Council of Elders’ advice, Mr Asiedu Nketiah addressed a press conference in London and insisted that extensive consultations were done before the leadership of the NDC decided to reshuffle the Minority leadership.
Why did we struggle to get an NDC Speaker?
Mr Asiedu Nketiah said his priorities as national chairman of the NDC was to see the NDC parliamentary caucus working together and also cooperating with the Speaker of Parliament.
“Why did we struggle to get an NDC person elected as a Speaker of Parliament. There are certainly some advantages and those advantages can be tapped into when your leadership is cooperating with the Speaker. So we cannot have a situation where NPP leadership is cooperating with the Speaker, and our NDC leadership have challenges cooperating with the Speaker.”
“And if you are given a party whose leadership in Parliament is not working together, what will you do, you make the changes or you resign, and I’m not about to resign,” Mr Asiedu Nketiah said in his justification for the reshuffle.
Related: Be circumspect – NDC’s Council of Elders to party members on leadership changes
The Council of Elders of the NDC had urged all party faithful, including Members of Parliament (MPs) to be circumspect on their utterances concerning the recent changes to the Minority leadership.
Last week it came out that the NDC per a letter addressed to the Speaker of Parliament had changed its leadership in Parliament with Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah and Governs Kwame Agbodza replacing Haruna Iddrisu, James Klutse Avedzi and Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka as Minority Leader, Deputy Minority Leader and Chief Whip respectively.
The revelation was received with divergent views by different stakeholders of the party, with some NDC MPs signing a petition against the move.
Read also:
Changes in NDC parliamentary leadership: MPs, party faithful express varied opinions
73 NDC MPs sign petition against reshuffle
Out of the 137 minority MPs, 73 of them signed a petition asking the National Executive Committee of the NDC to reverse the decision to reshuffle the Minority leadership.
They petitioned the Council of Elders to intervene arguing that the decision was not made by any of the constitutional bodies of the NDC, that is neither Congress, National Executive Committee (NEC), Functional Executive Committee (FEC), the Council of Elders or the members in Parliament themselves, who said the decision came as a surprise to them.
Responding to the petition, the Council of Elders in a press statement dated January 28, 2023, acknowledged it had received it and would work on it expeditiously together with other related matters.
“While this process is underway, the Council urges our Honourable Members of Parliament, Party leadership at all levels and all concerned persons to refrain from further public pronouncements on the matter in the larger interest of our great NDC. This is a time to be circumspect in order not to play into the hands of our detractors.
“The Council assures the rank and file of the Party of an early and principled resolution of the issues and ultimately, the NDC will emerge stronger and more united.
“We urge all members of the NDC to re-dedicate themselves to working for victory in the Presidential and Parliamentary elections in 2024, to alleviate the suffering of the Ghanaian people.
Asiedu Nketiah’s press conference
But at a press conference in the UK, Mr Asiedu Nketiah said, “those who are claiming that nobody had been consulted, I want to tell them that this is one of the most, the decisions over which there have been the most consultative process, everybody who needed to be consulted was consulted.”
“But the decision is our decision, the decision cannot be the decision of people who were consulted, I hope that is clear.”
“If you have the responsibility of taking a decision, you take your decision after the consultation, so don’t go blaming those people you have consulted, because each of them will give you their views and then you sit down to synthesize the views and then your decision may reflect some of the wishes of some of the people who gave the advice, but eventually it becomes to your decision.
“The suggestions are mere raw materials for the decision but the final product is your work.”
“And so as a leader, I take full responsibility for the decision, and I don’t want anybody to blame anybody at all for that decision, I take full responsibility for the decision,” Mr Asiedu Nketiah said.
Why did we struggle to get an NDC Speaker? –
Mr Asiedu Nketiah said his priorities as national chairman of the NDC was to see the NDC parliamentary caucus working together and also cooperating with the Speaker of Parliament.
“Why did we struggle to get an NDC person elected as a Speaker of Parliament. There are certainly some advantages and those advantages can be tapped into when your leadership is cooperating with the Speaker. So we cannot have a situation where NPP leadership is cooperating with the Speaker, and our NDC leadership have challenges cooperating with the Speaker.”
“And if you are given a party whose leadership in Parliament is not working together, what will you do, you make the changes or you resign, and I’m not about to resign.
A number of Okada Riders at Assin Manso in the Assin South District of the Central Region have staged a wild protest demanding the whereabouts of their colleague.
Emmanuel Kwaku Amoah, 16, locally known as Vision, recently completed Junior High School (JHS) and engaged in the Okada riding business while waiting for his results.
The victim got missing on Monday 23rd January 2023, after he received a call to pick up a pillion rider from one of the villages but has since not returned.
His mysterious disappearance has sparked protests among the okada riders in the area in the quest to know where and what exactly has happened to their colleague.
The Chairman of the Okada Riders Union, Alex Gbli, said although this is the first time a motorbike rider has disappeared in such circumstance, they are gripped with fear and panic as they don’t know who will be the next target.
Meanwhile, other members of the protestors clad in red headbands, and armbands chanted war songs to register their displeasure.
According to them, as a result of the incident, they have reduced their working hours which is affecting their livelihoods.
However, the angry okada riders and some of the relatives of the missing boy besieged Assin Anyinabrim Police Station to demand the release of a suspect who has coincidentally been arrested.
According to agitators, “the suspect, whose name has only been given as Kofi was arrested for allegedly murdering a yet-to-be-identified person.
“We believe he knows the whereabouts of our brother and colleague because the missing boy’s motorcycle was found on his veranda with the number plates and other parts of the motor removed.
“It is a clear indication that he is aware of the boy’s whereabouts which is why we are demanding his release,” they angrily said.
The family of the victim is also demanding the whereabouts of the victim from the police.
They are, however, urging the police to do a massive investigation into the matter.
Assin South District Police Command, however, calmed the protestors down and assured them of their commitment to investigate the matter thoroughly to ensure the boy is found whether dead or alive.
Chiefs and Elders at Assin Manso have since started searching for the victim.
Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Addison has lamented that the emerging signs of the current macroeconomic conditions in the country are spilling over to the banking sector.
According to him, profitability levels have declined alongside other financial soundness indicators within the Ghanaian economy.
“Profitability levels in the banking sector have declined, driven by the mark-to-market losses on investments, higher impairments on loans, and rising operating costs.”
“Profit-after-tax was GH¢3.9 billion at the end of December 2022, representing 18.9 percent contraction year-on-year, compared to 12.3 percent annual growth recorded in 2021.”
Dr. Ernest Addison made this known when addressing journalists at the 110th MPC press briefing on January 30, 2023.
He further pointed out that the latest macro-prudential risk assessments indicated increased pressure on solvency and liquidity of banks ahead of the implementation of the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme.
“To moderate the potential impact on the sector, the Bank of Ghana has announced some regulatory reliefs for banks to help preserve financial stability.”
He was however optimistic that the government of Ghana having reached a Staff Level Agreement (SLA) with the IMF will provide measures to put the fiscal on the path of consolidation.
“The concerns being expressed in the public domain relating to high government expenditures have been addressed in the SLA and reflected in the 2023 Budget,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Central Bank on January 30, 2023 hiked the monetary policy rate by 100 basis points from 27 to 28 percent.
The 37 Military Hospital has been sued together with a doctor, the Chief of Defence Staff and government by a family of a 48-year-old man who died at the facility.
The plaintiff is also demanding GH¢2 million damages for medical negligence leading to the deceased’s death.
The family contends that the death of Solomon Asare Kumah at the hospital in October 2019 was due to a breach of contract and negligence by the hospital and the doctor, Col. Dr Gao Appiah who took care of him.
Per the writ filed in 2021, the family argues that, “the hospital and its employees failed to exercise due care when they wrongly inserted Solomon’s breathing tube under his skin thereby denying oxygen for a considerable amount of time and as such causing stain on his heart and other organs and thus causing his death.”
The particulars of the negligence complaint were that, the 3rd defendant (Hospital) and its employees responsible for Solomon’s care, particularly the 4th defendant, (doctor) failed to exercise due care when they wrongly inserted Solomon’s breathing tube under his skin thereby denying him oxygen for a considerable amount of time and as such causing a strain on his heart and other organs and causing his death;
“The 3rd defendant and its employees failed to provide the appropriate standard of care when they failed to notice within reasonable time that Solomon’s tube had been wrongly inserted until he (Solomon) became extremely bloated;
“The 3rd defendant and its employees responsible for Solomon’s care, particularly the 4th defendant, failed to exercise due care when they failed to ensure on 16th September, 2019, that the drill required for Solomon’s surgery was in good working condition before cutting open Solomon’s skull, thereby exposing his body and organs to considerable strain and clotting in the vein, a condition which required an expensive procedure costing Solomon and his family the Ghana Cedi equivalent of five thousand five hundred United States Dollars (US$5,500.00) plus other expenses to treat;
“The 3rd defendant and its employees failed in their duty of care to Solomon when they failed to notice that Solomon had developed symptoms of clotting in the vein; and the 3rd defendant failed in its duty as a referral hospital to ensure that it had the requisite tools and equipment to treat Solomon’s condition before admitting him,” the writ stated.
Reliefs being sought
The family per the writ issued in 2021 is seeking the following reliefs…
a. A Damages of two million eight thousand two hundred and fifty-nine Ghana Cedis and fifty-seven pesewas (GH¢2,008,259.57) for negligently causing the death of Solomon Asare-Kumah;
b. Compensation to the widow and family members for mental distress, which eventually led to the death of Solomon’s father;
C. General damages for breach the contract between Solomon and the dr3 defendant;
d. An order for the recovery of special damages for breach of contract and for negligence resulting in the following losses;
The sum of twenty thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢20,000.00) being funeral and other expenses incurred; the sum of thirty-six thousand two hundred Ghana Cedis (GH¢36,200.00) being the sums of money collected from Solomon and or his family by 4th defendant through deceit, and unconscionable contract; the sum of ten thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢10,000.00) being the expenses incurred by family during Solomon’s 60-day stay at the 3rd defendant’s facility; and sum of the Ghana Cedi equivalent of five thousand five hundred United States Dollars (US$5,500.00) being expenses incurred for the IVC filter procedure at the National Cardio Centre, Korle-Bu;
e. Any other reliefs the Honourable Court deems fit;
f. Costs including solicitor’s fees of forty thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢40,000.00).
EIB Network’s Legal Affairs Correspondent, Murtala Inusah, reports that the High Court in Accra is expected to rule on an application from the family seeking the Chief of Defence Staff and the Hospital to release the report of its investigation on the matter pending the determination of the substantive matter.
Parties
The Plaintiff is the customary successor, and the administrator of the estate of Solomon Asare-Kumah (deceased) and brings this action in the capacities indorsed on the writ.
The Attorney General – 1st Defendant is the principal legal adviser to the government of Ghana and the constitutionally designated defendant for all suits against the State.
The Chief of Defence Staff – 2nd defendant is the head of the Ghana Armed Forces, and has oversight responsibility for the operations of the 3rd defendant herein.
37 Military Hospital- 3rd defendant is a state-owned referral hospital located in Accra, and was at all times material to the facts giving rise to the instant action, the employer of the 4th defendant.
Col. Dr Gao Appiah (doctor)- The 4th defendant is an employee of the 3rd defendant and the consultant surgeon in charge of the care of Solomon Asare-Kumah during his stay at the facility of the 3rd defendant.
More than 30,000 printed Ghanaian passports are gathering dust at the Accra and Kumasi passport application centres following the failure of the applicants to collect them.
Even though the passport office has communicated to the applicants that their passports are ready, they have still not collected them.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration under which the passport office operates has expressed concern over the growing number of uncollected printed passports.
In a statement dated Monday, January 30, 2023, the Ministry called on all passport applicants who are yet to collect their passports to visit their respective passport application centres to do so, as they would be required for future renewal.
Below is a copy of the statement
UNCOLLECTED PASSPORTS AT VARIOUS PASSPORT APPLICATION CENTRES
ACCRA, 30TH JANUARY, 2023 – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration wishes to inform the general public, particularly passport applicants about the urgent need for them to collect their printed passports from the various Passport Application Centres (PACs).
The Ministry is concerned that even though applicants have been informed through text messages that their passports have been printed and sent to the various Passport Application Centres, most of them are yet to be collected. Accra and Kumasi Passport Application Centres alone have about thirty thousand (30,000) uncollected passports.
In view of the above, the Ministry is calling on passport applicants who are yet to collect their passports to visit their respective Passport Application Centres to do so, as they would be required for future renewal.
Passport Applicants can also call the Ministry’s Client Service Unit on the following numbers to confirm the status of their passport applications — 024 079 3072, 024 091 3284.
While thanking the general public for their cooperation on this important matter, the Ministry takes the opportunity to assure that the Passport Office remains committed to its mandate of delivering enhanced service to the general public.
According to the Chief Executive, this is evident in the creation of over seventeen thousand (17,000) jobs in the last four months by the Youth Employment Agency through its Community Heath Worker Programme CHWS, Prisons Office Assistants, Community Protection Assistants, the YEA Jobcentre and partnerships with the private sector.
This represented the total five thousand and four hundred (5,400), who were concurrently passing out at the various Police Training Schools in the country.
In his speech, the CEO averred that Akufo-Addo’s government aligns with Ghanaians and agrees that we are not in normal times and charged YEA and other Agencies to refocus creating employment and improving conditions of service for employees. According to him the Agency has already created over 17,000 jobs since his assumption as CEO and is poised to create thousands of more jobs before the close of 2023.
Apart from rolling out the traditional modules, allowances of Beneficiaries have now been increased to 500 cedis. There is also a deepened partnership with the diplomatic community and private sector to create more private sector led jobs.
Mr Agyepong also told the gathering that, YEAs new agenda also creates a platform for people in the technical and Artisan sector with an oncoming partnership with NEIP, NVTI, GEA etc.
To the Beneficiaries under the Community Protection Assistants CPAs module, the CEO advised them not to compromise on their professional integrity in the course of discharging their duties in the communities.
He added that the Agency would not hesitate to endorse sanctions to weed out any CPA personnel by the GPS for infractions in the rules of their engagement.
Mr Kofi Agyepong explained that such caution was against the background of assurance by the GPS to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (M.O.U) with the Agency to give consideration and priority to CPA personnel in future recruitment into the mainstream service.
He explained that the Agency had taken the necessary steps to clear all outstanding arrears owed beneficiaries to disburse their minds of engaging in malfeasance.
He assured that the NPP government under the leadership of His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had made strenuous efforts in spite of the economic turbulence to release funds timeously to meet the monthly stipends of the Beneficiaries.
The passing out ceremony was concurrently held in Pwalugu Police Training School led by the Deputy CEO in charge of Operations, Alhaji Ibrahim Bashiru, in Accra by Director Technical Service Chris Arthur, Eatern Region by rhe Regional Director Jerry Adu Poku.
Kayserispor’s Ghanaian midfielder Bernard Mensah is injured. The former Vitoria SC player, who was removed from the Istanbulspor squad, will not be able to play for four weeks.
Mensah, who was injured in the left back muscle during the weekday training and was found to be torn after the MRI, was not included in the Istanbulspor match squad.
The Ghanaian football player, who went to Portugal for his treatment, will not be able to play in the upcoming matches of Istanbulspor, Başakşehir, Giresunspor, and Fenerbahçe.
Kayserispor especially their technical team is shocked by this news due to Mensah’s impact on the Kayseri-based club.
Bernard Mensah this season in the Turkish Super Lig has made 18 appearances, scored three goals, and assisted one for Kayserispor. Last season he made six appearances and scored twice in the Super Lig.
He has also made four appearances for the senior national team the Black Stars and scored once.
Ghanaian actress Priscilla Opoku Agyeman, popularly known as Ahuofe Patricia, has sadly announced the passing of her beloved mother.
The beautiful screen star, who shot to fame through comedy skits, took to social media to mourn her loss with adorable pictures of her lookalike mother.
In a post on her Instagram page, Ahoufe Patri paid a glowing tribute to her mother whose beauty gives pictorial evidence of the source of the actress’ incomparable beauty.
Additionally, she told her 2.8 million followers that she knows her mother is resting in the bosom of her creator but she feels lonely.
“I know you are resting. But I feel so lonely,” the caption of the pictures read.
Patricia, however, did not share further details about her mother’s death.
Concerned friends including Kalybos, Gloria Sarfo, MzGee, Berla Mundi, and others have throng her page to commiserate with her.
A visually impaired supporter of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) by the name of Agya Bray, has shared the experience of his GHc50, 000 investment at Databank being locked up due to the ongoing Domestic Debt Exchange Programme of the government.
Speaking in an interview on Akoma FM, Agya Bray, who sells medical products, said that he went to the bank to withdraw his investment, which had matured, only to be told that there were no funds available.
He added that the bank told him that if he insists on getting his money back, he will have to lose GHc16,000 of his investment.
“I did not invest in a government bond. In 2007, I invested ¢500,000,000 (GHc50,000) in products of Ken Ofori-Atta’s Bank (Databank), called the M-Fund and F-Fund. I went there for my money this past Tuesday, and they said that they don’t have any money for me.
“They told me that they can’t give me any money, and they were saying some things about haircuts and the IMF bailout the government was seeking. And I asked them why the government should be using my money to borrow from the IMF.
“Then they told me that if I wanted my money, they would let someone pay me, but I am going to lose ¢160,000,000 (GHc16,000),” he said in Twi.
The NPP supporter said that he has always voted for the party, but if people like him lose their money due to the government’s debt exchange programme, they will abstain from voting in the upcoming 2024 elections.
Information hovering on the internet suggests there is fire on the mountain in the home of Ghanaian actress Bibi Bright after she gave birth to a baby of mixed race. Reports claim Bibi Bright has welcomed her 3rd child with her husband Akwasi Boateng. But this time, she gave birth to a white baby boy which has raised questions about the paternity of the baby.
This is because the couple is both black and there’s no logical explanation for this outcome of birth. One this that’s obvious in this situation is Bibi might have cheated on her husband.
According to details shared by blogger Aba The Great on Instagram, the infidelity of both Bibi and her husband who got married in July 2018 has been top-notch.
Sometime in July 2020, Bibi reportedly caught her husband in bed with another actress, which they later denied ever happening.
On the back of this new development, it is reported that the families of the couple have met to solve the issue but they could not reach a conclusion as Bibi’s husband denied being responsible for the half-caste baby and continued to question her about its real father.
The report adds that Bibi, after being under too much pressure, moved back to her father’s house and eventually traveled out of the country.
Her two daughters are with her estranged husband but she left with her half-caste baby boy.
According to the report, Bibi Bright claims she prefers her lover who is obviously a white man to her Ghanaian husband.
The youth of South McCarthy in the Weija Gbawe Municipality of the Greater Accra Region have denied reports of their anger being directed at the owner of Royal VVIP, Mr Robert Tang, for allegedly blocking some drains in the area.
According to some recent media reports, the Chinese businessman has courted the resent of the youth in the area due to his activities blocking some drains in the area.
But addressing the recent reports in a statement copied to GhanaWeb, the youth of South McCarthy denied any such allegations against the businessman.
“We have heard reports claiming the youth of McCarthy South McCarthy complaining about some drainage blockage at Mallam Junction but we are not aware of any such compliant. The report claims that the owner of Royal VVIP, Mr Robert Tang has blocked the drainage system in our area but the truth that ought to be told is that we used to have challenges with water coming from Mallam Junction but the government has thankfully come to fix that. What is now left is for a gutter to be constructed to ease the flow,” a spokesperson for the group, Sariki Abubakar Sidique said.
Contrary to the media reports, the youth group noted that Mr Tang has over the years been helpful in dealing with the issue of drainage in South McCarthy.
“We used to have challenges with the water and as the youth, we rose up and called on companies and residents around but they all failed us. It was this same Mr Robert Tang they are accusing who paid for an excavator to dredge the gutter from end to end. He paid for four days of week and we suggested that the payment be made to the municipal assembly who received the payment and brought an excavator to conduct the dredging.
“So we are surprised as youth and residents of South McCarthy to be hearing these reports. In the future, if we are to require his assistance, how will we approach him? We have appealed to government to construct the gutter for us. But before that is done, we need to dredge the drains every year during the rainy season. We are aware they have land issues with him but we also know that is a matter for the chiefs and other authorities to deal with. We ask that whatever their issues with him are, they deal with it and leave us out of it,” they added.
Areas within Weija-Gbawe Municipality, including McCarthy Hill South, Panbros, Menskrom, Salvation, Wiaboman, and other communities, are known to experience perennial flooding.
Residents say they are hopeful that a lasting solution can be found for dealing with the challenge they face when it comes to flooding.
The Member of Parliament for Yendi, Farouk Aliu-Mahama, has said that Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia should be the flagbearer of his party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Being a presidential or parliamentary candidate of a party, he believes, should not be based on the number of years one has been a member of the party.
He said that people saying it is the turn of Alan Kyerematen to be the flagbearer of the NPP are wrong because there were people on the scene before him, including Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, who contested with ex-President John Agyekum Kufour.
Aliu-Mahama, who made these remarks in a JoyNews interview monitored by GhanaWeb on Sunday, added that the vice president over the past few years has proven that he has the capacity and the competence to transform Ghana.
“My support for Dr. Bawumia is not because my late father wanted to see him at some point. I have seen the vice president, within the shortest possible time, become a force to reckon with in this country.
“He has moved the country as a vice president; he has done a lot. He has the vision to do more with the support of the president and has carried himself to the admiration of everybody; he is very competent.
“The vice president at least can lead Ghana to the promise land… Dr. Bawumia is somebody who stands tall, in the last 16 years, everything is about Bawumia. Even those who don’t like Bawumia are speaking about him,” he said.
He warned the party to be careful with how it handles the upcoming presidential primaries to ensure that it does not divide the party as it did in 2008, which led to the party losing the election.
He added that even though all the persons who have expressed interest in contesting in the party’s flagbearership race are competent, only one person can emerge as the winner.
Meanwhile, the vice president has been projected to be the flagbearer of the NPP in a recent study co-conducted by Outcomes International Ghana and the Centre for Sustainable African Development Initiatives (C-SADI) UK.
According to the survey, the most popular candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer position in all 16 regions of Ghana is the vice president.
In all, the survey got responses from around 197,000 NPP polling station executives (PSEs) in all the regions.
“Data was obtained mainly through computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) technology between 15th November 2022 and 15th December 2022. Based on 95% confidence level and 2% margin of error a sample size of 6000 PSEs was used. However, 5641 PSEs were successfully interviewed (response rate of 94%) from all 96 constituencies.
“Greater Accra region had the highest number of PSEs interviewed with 1142 PSEs followed by the Ashanti region with 869 PSEs corresponding to 20.2% and 15.4% respectively. More than half of PSE’s who participated in the survey were Akan (54% [n=3056 PSEs]), and 46% (n=2585 PSEs) were non-Akan. In terms of religious distribution, 78% of the PSEs were Christian whilst 20.6% were Muslim,” the report stated.
The list below explores the top 10 richest football club owners in 2023. These people have invested heavily in their cubs and are now reaping the fruits of their labor.
10. Dietmar Hopp & family – Hoffenheim ($4.3 billion)
Dietmar Hopp pauses during a Bloomberg Television interview in St. Leon-Rot, Germany. Photo: @Stephen Young/Bloomberg via Getty Images Source: Getty Images
Full name: Dietmar Hopp
Date of birth: 26th April 1940
Age: 82 years (as of 2023)
Place of birth: Baden Wurttemberg, Southern Germany
Nationality: German
Club: Hoffenheim
Profession: Entrepreneur
Net worth: $4.3 billion
Dietmar Hopp & family own Turn- und Sportgemeinschaft 1899 Hoffenheim e.V., alias TSG 1899 Hoffenheim or Hoffenheim, a German professional football club based in Hoffenheim. The family owns Dietmar Hopp Stiftung, a firm that supports sports, medicine, education and social programmes.
Dietmar Hopp’s net worth (and that of his family) is about $4.3 billion as of 2023.
9. Todd Boehly – Chelsea FC ($5.3 billion)
Todd Boehly listens during the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, U.S.A. Photo: @Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images Source: Getty Images
In May 2022, Todd Boehly and other business people acquired Chelsea FC from Roman Abramovich. They parted with nearly $5 billion to acquire the football club. Todd Boehly’s net worth is $5.3 billion.
He co-founded Eldridge Industries, an elite investment company, in 2015. He is the chair and CEO of the consultancy and finance firm.
8. Zhang Jindong – Inter Milan ($7.4 billion)
Zhang Jindong speaks during the conference of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd cooperating with Suning Commerce Group Co. Ltd. Photo: @Visual China Group via Getty Images Source: Getty Images
Full name: Zhang Jindong
Date of birth: 23rd March 1963
Age: 59 years (as of 2023)
Place of birth: Tianchang, Anhui, China
Nationality: Chinese
Club: Inter Milan
Profession: Entrepreneur
Net worth: $7.4 billion
Zhang Jindong chairs Suning.com, one of China’s e-commerce companies and largest appliance retailers. In June 2016, his private firm called Suning Holdings bought 70% of F.C. Inter Milan for $300 million. Today, Zhang Jindong’s net worth is $7.4 billion.
7. Nasser Al-Khelaifi – Paris Saint-Germain ($8 billion)
Nasser Al-Khelaifi addresses the press during the presentation of Layvin Kurzawa to the media at Parc des Princes in Paris, France. Photo: @Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images Source: Getty Images
Full name: Nasser bin Ghanim Al-Khelaifi
Date of birth: 12th November 1973
Age: 49 years (as of 2023)
Place of birth: Doha, Qatar
Nationality: Qatari
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Profession: Entrepreneur
Net worth: $8 billion
Nasser Al-Khelaifi is the head of Qatar Sports Investments, a company that owns the French team, Paris Saint-Germain. He masterminded the $233 million transfer of Neymar from Barcelona to PSG.
PSG owner’s net worth as of 2023 is $8 billion. This amount comes from his myriad of businesses, including chairing beIN Media Group and chairing Qatar Sports Investments. He is the president of PSG and Qatar Tennis Federation and the vice president of the Asian Tennis Federation for West Asia.
6. Robert Kraft – New England Revolution ($10.6 billion)
Robert Kraft testifies during the murder trial for former Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez at Bristol County Superior Court in Fall River, Mass. Photo: @Aram Boghosian for The Boston Globe Source: UGC
Full name: Robert Kenneth Kraft
Date of birth: 5th June 1941
Age: 81 years (as of 2023)
Place of birth: Brookline, Massachusetts, United States of America
Nationality: American
Club: New England Patriots
Profession: Entrepreneur
Net worth: $10.6 billion
Robert Kraft bought the New England Patriots for $172 million in 1994. Today, the team is worth about $6 billion. It has won six Super Bowl rings.
Kraft’s sports portfolio also includes the New England Revolution MLS club. In 2017, he started a professional video gaming team in Boston. Robert Kraft’s net worth is $10.6 billion.
5. Philip Anschutz – Los Angeles Galaxy ($10.8 billion)
Philip Anschutz attends the Forbes Media Centennial Celebration at Pier 60 in New York City. Photo: @Taylor Hill/FilmMagic Source: Getty Images
Full name: Philip Anschutz
Date of birth: 28th December 1939
Age: 83 years (as of 2023)
Place of birth: Russell, Kansas, United States of America
Nationality: American
Club: Los Angeles Galaxy (LA Galaxy)
Profession: Entrepreneur
Net worth: $10.8 billion
Philip Anschutz has built fortunes in railroads, oil, telecom, real estate, sports, and entertainment. He is the majority owner of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and has a stake in MLS’s Los Angeles Galaxy.
Besides, he owns the Crypto.com Arena, where the Kings play. His firm, Anschutz Entertainment Group, operates at least 350 owned or affiliated arenas and concert venues in different parts of the world. Philip Anschutz’s net worth is $10.8 billion as of 2023.
4. Stanley Kroenke – Arsenal ($12.9 billion)
Stanley Kroenke attends the Allen & Co. Media and Technology Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, U.S.A. Photo: @Scott Eells/Bloomberg via Getty Images Source: Getty Images
Full name: Enos Stanley Kroenke
Date of birth: 29th July 1947
Age: 75 years (as of 2023)
Place of birth: Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
Stan Kroenke is a real estate and sports mogul with an international portfolio. He is the owner of Arsenal FC, and ranks fourth on the list of the top 20 richest football owners in the world.
The entrepreneur also owns Los Angeles Rams, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, and Colorado Rapids. His net worth is $12.9 billion as of 2023.
3. Andrea Agnelli & family – Juventus ($19.1 billion)
A picture of Andrea Agnelli, the president of Juventus F.C. Photo: @Mauro Ujetto/NurPhoto via Getty Images Source: Getty Images
Full name: Andrea Agnelli
Date of birth: 6th December 1975
Age: 47 years (as of 2023)
Place of birth: Turin, Italy
Nationality: Italian
Club: Juventus
Profession: Entrepreneur
Net worth: $19.1 billion
Although the Agnelli family is the primary owner of the football club Juventus, Andrea Agnelli is the face of the enterprise. He serves as the president of the club and also chairs the European Club Association ECA.
Aside from owning the Juventus football club, Andrea and his family are merchandisers in the motor industry, producing machines such as Fiat, Alfa Romeo, and Ferrari. Andrea Agnelli’s net worth (and his family’s) is $19.1 billion.
2. Dietrich Mateschitz – FC Red Bull Salzburg ($20.7 billion)
Dietrich Mateschitz, Red Bull owner, during day six of F1 Winter Testing. Photo: @Marco Canoniero/LightRocket Source: Getty Images
Full name: Dietrich Mateschitz
Date of birth: 20th May 1944
Age: 78 years (as of 2023)
Place of birth: Sankt Marein Im Murztal, Styria, Austria
Nationality: Austrian
Clubs: Red Bull Salzburg, RB Leipzig, and NY Red Bulls
Profession: Entrepreneur
Net worth: $20.7 billion
Dietrich Mateschitz is known for co-founding the ubiquitous energy drink called Red Bull in 1987. Before then, he was a marketing executive for Blendax, a German consumer products company.
The billionaire comes second on the list of the richest football club owners in 2023, with a net worth of $20.7 billion. He owns FC Red Bull Salzburg in Austria and RB Leipzig in Germany.
1. Sheikh Mansour – Manchester City ($30 billion)
Sheikh Mansour Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum during the Awards Ceremony at the UAE Tour. Photo: @Artur Widak/NurPhoto Source: Getty Images
Full name: Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Date of birth: 20th November 1970
Age: 52 years old (as of 2023)
Place of birth: United Arab Emirates
Nationality: Emirati
Club: Manchester City
Profession: Politician and entrepreneur
Net worth: $30 billion
Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, alias Sheikh Mansour, is renowned for owning Manchester City, a famous Premier League club. The Emirati politician and entrepreneur also owns other clubs, including Melbourne City, New York City, Mumbai City, Belgian side Lommel SK, and Uruguayan team Montevideo City Torque.
Sheikh is the deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and is ranked as the world’s richest football club owner in 2023. He has a net worth of $30 billion.
Summary of the richest football club owners in 2023
Rank
Club Owner
Club
Net worth
1
Sheikh Mansour
Manchester City
$30 billion
2
Dietrich Mateschitz
FC Red Bull Salzburg
$20.7 billion
3
Andrea Agnelli & family
Juventus
$19.1 billion
4
Stanley Kroenke
Arsenal
$12.9 billion
5
Philip Anschutz
LA Galaxy
$10.8 billion
6
Robert Kraft
New England Revolution
$10.6 billion
7
Nasser Al-Khelaifi
Paris Saint-Germain
$8 billion
8
Zhang Jindong
Inter Milan
$7.4 billion
9
Todd Boehly
Chelsea FC
$5.3 billion
10
Dietmar Hopp & family
Hoffenheim
$4.3 billion
Which is the richest soccer team in Spain?
The wealthiest soccer team in Spain is Real Madrid with a net value of $5.1 billion as of 2023. Real Madrid’s members (socios) have owned and operated the club since its establishment.
The wealthiest soccer team in the world is Real Madrid with a net value of $5.1 billion. It has an annual revenue of $761 million.
Who is the richest football club owner in the world?
The wealthiest football club owner in the world in 2023 is Sheikh Mansour. He owns Manchester City and has a net worth of $30 billion.
Who is the richest owner of a football club in the world?
The richest owner of a football club in the world today is Sheikh Mansour. His net worth is $30 billion and he owns Manchester City.
What is Man City owner’s net worth in 2023?
Manchester City owner’s name is Sheikh Mansour. His net worth is $30 billion.
Who is the richest club owner in the Premier League?
The richest club owner in the English Premier League is Sheikh Mansour, the owner of Manchester City. He is worth $30 billion.
Who is the richest sports club owner?
The wealthiest sports club owner is Steve Ballmer, who owns The Los Angeles Clippers. The Los Angeles Clippers is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. Ballmer’s net worth is $91.4 billion as of 2023.
The richest football club owner is worth billions of dollars. Many of the wealthiest football club owners globally are renowned businesspeople and entrepreneurs.
The 35-year-old actor hit Studio 8H this week to host Saturday Night Live for the first time.
During his monologue, he talked about going through his very public break-up with Lori Harvey. “20 years later, I just directed my very first movie, Creed 3,” he said. “But right after that, I went through my very first public break-up. Now, most people after a break-up would be like ‘I’ma get in better shape.’ But I was already in Creed shape. So I had to be like, ‘Alright, I’ma learn a new language.’” He then says in Spanish that he’s on Raya.
Afterwards, he was approached by several SNL cast members who playfully shot their shot for a date.
Jordan spoke about the milestone gig during a recent appearance on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, revealing he’s had somewhat of a presence within the SNL offices for the past 10 years.
“It’s going great. I literally just did rehearsal just now,” he told the host about his SNL experience. “It’s a machine and they are so fantastic and great at what they do, and it’s been a great process.”
Fallon then asked Jordan to talk to him about “the pillow.”
“Oh, yeah, the pillow,” the actor said. “OK, I walk into the office, and they’re like, ‘Alright, this might be a little weird. We actually have been living with you for the last 10 years’ … It was one of the producer’s birthday, and one of the other employees there got her a pillow, right? And it was a life-sized, almost like a pregnancy pillow, of me printed on both sides … I said, ‘Whose pillow is that?’ And, you know, the lady was like, ‘Oh, it’s mine … Listen, our hours here are so crazy, everybody takes naps, you know, at some point during the day.’”
Jordan is now gearing up for the premiere of Creed III, which will mark the actor’s directorial debut. The film—starring Jordan as Adonis “Donnie” Creed—marks the ninth installment of the Rocky franchise, and the first Creed sequel since 2018. The movie hits U.S. theaters March 3.
Dr Tony Aubynn, the Management Committee of the Black Galaxies says the team were shambolic against Niger.
Ghana faced Niger in Oran over the weekend for the quarterfinal game at the Miloud Hadefi Stadium.
However, the Galaxies who were hoping to win the trophy for the first time suffered a 2-0 defeat against their West African neighbours to bow out of the tournament at the quarterfinal.
However, Dr Aubynn beleives Ghana’s failure to win laurels at the tournament did not reflect a poor standard of the local league as some people had suggested because it was that same league that had produced some of the finest players like the Barniehs who were being pursued by top clubs abroad.
He also argued that it was the same league that produced players to form a team which beat Nigeria to qualify, taking solace in the fact that Cameroon also lost to Niger at the group stage.
”Not necessarily, otherwise, it’s the same league where some clubs are picking the Barniehs and others,” he told Graphic Sports.
“Cameroun were also beaten by Niger. Countries like South Africa, Nigeria etc failed to qualify. Our team was simply shambolic on the day; it’s not a horrible team,” he said.
The team will arrive in the country later today. The Black Galaxies were awarded $400,000 for playing at the quarterfinal.
Six people are dead and three others injured after a crash between a tour bus and freight truck in upstate New York.
CNN reports the accident took place around 6:00 a.m. on State Highway 37 in Louisville, a small town on the US-Canada border, when both vehicles collided into one another. It’s not yet known which vehicle crashed into the other. State Police said the accident left one person in critical condition and two others seriously injured. The injured were transported to Massena Memorial, Canton-Potsdam Hospital, and Claxton Hepburn Medical Center.
Officials described the crash site as “gruesome,” TV station WWNY reported.
“The facts about the cause of this accident are unknown at this time,” spokesperson Randolph P. Ryerson for Penske, the rental company of the truck involved in the accident, told CNN in a statement.
“We do not yet have specific information about the rental vehicle involved or information about who was driving the rental vehicle at the time of the incident,” Ryerson added.
It is unknown how many people were on board the tour bus when the crash took place, though State Police confirmed the bus held as many as 15 people. It’s also unclear where the tour bus was headed. Additionally, the highway was shut down for traffic for 12 hours following the incident.
Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly invited four Manchester United stars to Al Nassr game to say a proper goodbye to them.
The Portugal international is arranging a reunion with some of his closest friends at Man United.
The veteran striker completed a stunning move to Saudi Arabia in January after his abrupt Manchester United exit.
Ronaldo quit Old Trafford prematurely back in November after the Red Devils terminated his contract.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner parted ways with the Premier League giants with a few months left on his contract.
According to The Sun, the forward’s unanticipated departure from the Theatre of Dreams happened when he was on international duty with Portugal at the 2022 World Cup. That means that the 37-year-old never got the opportunity to say a proper farewell to his teammates at Man United.
Blueface and Chrisean Rock dropped a music video for their new collaborative track “Dear Rock” this weekend in which the two got married.
As reported by TMZ, the couple did in fact visit a wedding chapel on Friday, but it looks like Blueface and Chrisean were simply shooting a video for their new song. The video features Chrisean wearing white, lace-accented gown, holding hands with Blueface, as the pair appear to exchange vows in front of an altar.
Earlier this week, Chrisean was spotted shopping for wedding dresses in Downtown Los Angeles. Video shared by TMZ and Hollywood Unlocked show Rock inside Anita’s Bridal Boutique while trying on a gown.
Meanwhile, the new song arrives a week after Rock took to social media to announce that she’s pregnant, as she posted a picture of three positive pregnancy tests. “Guess how many heart beats?” she captioned the post.
Hours later, Blueface responded to the announcement via Twitter, saying that “she’s pregnant with somebody else’s child.”
“To answer y’all questions yes me an rock are officially done it’s strictly business I tried it an clearly it wasn’t giving before she announces she’s pregnant with somebody else’s child not mine,” he wrote.
In another tweet, Blueface added, “Rock has had encounters with 10 different men in the last year until I see DNA test then it’s not mine.”
Neymar continued his rich vein of form in front of the goal with a cheeky goal against Stade Reims on Sunday evening.
The Brazil international’s strike was not enough as ten-man Paris Saint-Germain shared the spoils at the Parc des Princes.
Despite being the brightest of PSG’s vaunted attacking trio, Neymar was withdrawn after 85 minutes,
How did Neymar score?
After a neat build-up from PSG coupled with some clumsy defending from Stade Reims, Neymar was in the right place at the right time to pounce on a loose ball.
The ex-Barcelona ace then rounded up the goalkeeper before cheekily slotting the ball home to give PSG the lead, Neymar was rated the best PSG player despite not playing full throttle.
Neymar scores but PSG draw
On-loan Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun ran through to score a remarkable 96th-minute equaliser as Reims held 10-man Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain to a 1-1 stalemate on Sunday.
It looked like Neymar’s strike early in the second half would be enough for the Parisians to take all three points despite substitute Marco Verratti being sent off shortly after that goal.
However, an impressive Reims side got the draw they richly deserved when Balogun broke away to fire home right at the death.
“Not at all; we don’t have any plans to lay off anybody. That’s not the way we operate at Telecel. We proved it with different organizations that we have in different sectors.
“Our plan is to keep every employee of Vodafone,” he is quoted by citinewsroom.com.
The statement by Bourg would mean that current employees of Vodafone get to keep their jobs despite the takeover.
This was after the NCA rejected a proposal by Telecel last year due to the company’s failure to meet the regulatory requirements.
However, a statement issued by the NCA said, “Following the NCA’s decision, the buyer resubmitted a revised financial and technical proposal in December 2022, which demonstrated the needed capital investment to extend the deployment of 4G and launch innovative Fintech solutions.”
“The NCA found that the revised proposal provided more clarity and certainty in terms of the funding required for the acquisition and commitments from both the seller and buyer. In addition, the buyer has strengthened the overall governance and management team and made firm commitments toward meeting the regulatory requirements of the NCA,” it further indicated.
Upon fulfillment of the requirements, the NCA stated that Telecel’s revised plan satisfied the regulatory requirements and thus has given conditional approval for the transfer of shares to the buyer, subject to the filing of a staff retention strategy.
“We’re very happy about it. It’s been a year of talking with them (the NCA) for us to fit their needs, and today we are in a very constructive state of mind with them,” Bourg added.
La Liga club, Celta Vigo are in dire need of the best strikers in the world at the moment as the club is in a relegation dogfight in Spain’s top-tier league. The former league giants are presently in the 16th spot on the La Liga table, having garnered just 20 points from their 19 games this season.
Celta Vigo striker and club captain, Iago Aspas has now revealed the drastic and costly measures he would take to help the club turn its fortunes around, Sportskeeda reports. “If it were up to me, then [Lionel] Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo, we sign before the deadline closes. But I know that the club are trying to bring in another teammate to help us, and if someone comes in, then it will be very welcome.”
Celta Vigo are looking to reinforce their attack before the January window closes, with the club having scored just 18 times in the league the entire season.
Celta Vigo deserved their victory Meanwhile, Athletic Bilbao coach, Ernesto Valverde admits their performance wasn’t good enough in the defeat to Celta Vigo and admitted his opponents were superior on Sunday, Tribal Football reports.
Aspas’s strike in the 70th minute proved decisive for Celta Vigo, who claimed maximum points to boost their chances of escaping relegation. Athletic Bilbao had chances to score, including an Alex Berenguer volley that hit the post, but there was no way back for Valverde’s team in the contest.
Touted as possibly the last time the stars would share the same field, the game was eventually won by PSG in what was a nine-goal thriller. Since Messi and Ronaldo shared a hug in Saudi Arabia however, keen-eyed fans noted the 2022 World Cup winner has dipped in form.
Due to the rising debt amount, Ghana’s debt to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio has increased from 75.9% in September 2022 to 93.5% as of today.
According to a summary of economic and financial data published by the Bank of Ghana in January 2023, the debt stock increased by GH108.3 billion between September and November 2021.
The Government of Ghana is currently facing serious liquidity challenges and is unable to service its debts.
In a bid to give it some respite, government announced a domestic debt exchange programme last year and said that an external restructuring was being negotiated with creditors. The IMF has said a comprehensive debt restructuring is a condition of its support.
The country has been struggling to refinance its debt since the start of 2022 after downgrades by multiple credit rating agencies on concerns it would not be able to issue new Eurobonds.
According to the Bank of Ghana, the total public debt is defined as Central Government debt excluding State Owned Enterprises/Special Purpose Vehicles Debt.
A section of music lovers, and industry players, including radio presenter, Sammy Flex, have argued that Sarkodie was ambushed on live radio during his interview with Andy Dosty to promote his latest project, ‘Stir It Up’ with legendary reggae singer Bob Marley.
Andy Dosty, the host of Daybreak Hitz, surprisingly put Samini, the man who has tagged Sarkodie as “fake and disrespectful,” on the line to address the allegations he had earlier levelled against the rapper on Twitter.
According to Samini, his colleague has refused to respond to his WhatsApp messages, adding that he failed to get back to him after requesting a verse from Sarkodie.
Samini, who faced off with Sarkodie on Hitz FM, lost his cool and referred to the rapper as “his small boy”.
“Sarkodie did not try for me. He did not try for me and he knows it. Sark, you are my small boy. Sark was one of the boys who said in his raps that he wants to blow up and become like Samini. Ask him. My guy, don’t play,” he fumed.
The rapper, in an attempt to handle the situation, said “I’m saying sorry, not because everything you are saying is true. I treat things differently from how people will treat things. I wouldn’t call it pain because I don’t care. Everybody has something happening to them so. There are thousands of people out there who will also say I don’t hesitate to work with them.”
Reacting to the unfortunate encounter that witnessed two of Ghana’s prominent musicians clash on radio, Sammy Flex, in a tweet dated January 29, declared that Sark might never grant a radio interview due to the awful experience that left him disappointed.
“The @sarkodie vrs @Hitz1039FM experience… the next time I will see King Sark going for another radio interview, I will respect him even more cos some of us saw the disappointment in his demeanor on the day after the @samini_dagaati call. But he played Emotional Intelligence,” Sammy tweeted.
The interview ended with social media users shifting their attention from Sarkodie’s feature with Bob Marley to the banter with Samini.
The former CEO of 3 Music Awards, Baba Sadiq, also shared the same view with Sammy Flex.
According to him, Andy Dosty “and his producers let him (Sarkodie) down”.
“He was clearly disappointed. Andy and his producers let him down. This is a clear example of how the media drop the ball and disappoint top talents with our quest for ratings and clout at the expense of the talent’s intended PR impact. Really someway,” he tweeted.
Actress and entrepreneur Yvonne Nelson has shared her views about love and life in an interview with Accra-based Power FM over the weekend.
She described love as a scam to the extent that more often than not it was conditional, at least per her experiences.
“What you see on the screen is acting,” she responded to the host before delving into the issue of love: “Love is a scam (in reality) and we all know it, isn’t it so?”
She explained further: “I think love is a scam because we are all deceitful. If a person talks about love, there is something they are seeking, be it money or sex; it is conditional so it is a scam.”
In her opinion, love is the route through which men have often lied to women: “It is just a way of telling you that I want something from you and so they just use the word love and it is usually the ladies being lied to by the men.”
Asked a point-bank question about whether she was not in love, she responded: “Love, I am sorry, I am not there yet. I used to love but it was like a joke. It is a scam,” she emphasised.
Liverpool is living in very unfamiliar times. Barely eight months ago, they were chasing an unprecedented quadruple.
They ended up with two domestic trophies, took Manchester City to within a point of the Premier League title and narrowly lost the Champions League title to a Thibaut Courtois-inspired Real Madrid.
Fast forward, things are looking bleak in the red side of Merseyside. Not that the blue side has better fortunes anyway. Sunday’s loss to Brighton saw Liverpool exit the FA Cup.
They were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Manchester City immediately after the World Cup break and are currently 9th on the EPL table. Their only realistic chance at a trophy and redemption this season remains in the Champions League. But first, they will have to dispatch the defending champions in the round of 16.
So poor were Liverpool against Brighton that the Seagulls skipper Lewis Dunk admitted that his side didn’t have to be at their absolute best to beat them.
Klopp has struggled to answer questions about Liverpool’s form this season. Sports Brief attempts to put meaning into what has gone wrong.
1. Injuries to key players
This is the go-to logical and straightforward reason. Virgil Van Dijk, Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz and Roberto Firmino are some of the key players who Liverpool have terribly missed this season. There is no telling the kind of impact any of the aforementioned players would have on the team if fit.
2. Sadio Mane’s exit
By Klopp’s own admission, Liverpool didn’t realise how big of a loss it would be to sell the Senegalese talisman to Bayern Munich.
Mane’s lung-bursting runs, quick feet and a keen eye for goal have been missed in the Premier League this season. And Liverpool have borne the full brunt.
3. New signings struggles
The FSG ownership, despite their modest approach to the transfer market, responded to Manchester City’s acquisition of Erling Haaland by signing Darwin Nunez.
In all fairness, Nunez’s 10 goals so far in all competitions isn’t a bad return but it is the big chances that he has missed that have been his major undoing.
FSG dug deep once again and bought one of Qatar World Cup 2022 brightest prospects Cody Gakpo. The Dutch forward was having a blistering season with PSV Eindhoven but so far, the Kop is yet to see what he is made of.
4. Mohamed Salah’s loss of form
The Egyptian King has always dug out Klopp during his stickiest times. But this season, Salah has struggled to turn in even the simplest of chances.
Perhaps he has joined the list of the big players who lost their form after being handed a new bumper contract. His clear lack of understanding with his new strike partners has been a major issue for Klopp.
The reigning Golden Boot winner will be counting the days to when he can have either Firmino, Jota or Diaz back by his side; now that Mane is gone forever.
5. Lethargic midfield
We might not be professional scouts or managers, but no way FSG and Klopp saw the deep underlying issues in Liverpool’s midfield but still decided that Gakpo was the answer to their problems.
Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Naby Keita have all struggled this season. Thiago Alcantara has had his good days and has been forced to anchor the midfield alongside the young Harvey Elliot.
Harvey Elliot has been one of Liverpool’s better players this season. Photo by Andrew Powell. Source: Getty Images
Arthur, who wasn’t a regular starter at Juventus, was supposed to be the saviour, but a knee injury has kept him out of the squad. Talks of Jude Bellingham and Moises Caicedo have been rife but as it stands, Klopp will finish the season with the same crop of midfield he has.
Apart from the midfield, Trent Alexander-Arnold hasn’t shown his creative side this season. That, compounded with his known defensive frailties, has really exposed Liverpool’s creativity, or lack thereof.
6. Klopp’s tactics
In football jargon, Klopp plays heavy metal football called the gegenpressing. What if his energy-sapping tactics have finally gotten to his players?
In a busy football schedule, running all over the pitch might have an effect on your players. In contrast with Manchester City who keep passing the ball around, Liverpool relies heavily on pressing down the opponent. And with the hectic programs come the rampant injuries the side has witnessed this season. Or maybe, it’s Jurgen Klopp’s seventh-season curse.
It doesn’t bode well for you when your best player is your goalkeeper. Klopp needs answers and he needs them soon. Otherwise even the Europa Conference League will be a tall order.
One year after she called it quits with her media broadcasting career, Jessica Opare Saforo has disclosed what necessitated her decision.
Jessica, who has currently ventured into full-time digital media (YouTubing), after 17 years of media practice with her immediate past firm, said the timing was just right.
Narrating her story on her channel, the broadcaster cum voice over artiste said she had decided to quit her job at age 40 onward.
She said the media job took the better part of her life and as such, there was the need to break free and explore herself better.
Jessica also refuted several rumors that she fell out with her former boss.
“On the 28th of January 2022, I quit my job. Media outlets were reporting it all over the place, social media was ablaze. To be honest, working in the media took the best part of my life, the best years of it. There were rumors swirling up all over the place, some said I had fallen out with my boss, you know, and that kind of thing. things being said on my behalf that I knew nothing about. None of them were true. I’m still very much in good terms with my boss. there’s no bad blood. I left Citi because It was time.
“It was time to truly explore being me. I had hit 40 years and a few months earlier, and I just felt I knew that as soon as I hit 40, I was going to quit. It was just a matter of time and it was a decision I made,” she stated.
Jessica, who currently has close to 1 million subscribers on YouTube, described her new venture as fulfilling adding that she Is finally living her dreams.
“Has it been a rewarding journey so far? Absolutely, Absolutely. some of my wildest dreams have come true. Things I never thought I’d have been able to do. I’m not the type that shows things on social media and I’m happy to share my successes with those who are really close to me. do I miss my former job? No.”
Management Committee chairman of the Black Galaxies, Dr Toni Aubynn, has refuted claims that a row over unpaid bonuses contributed to the team’s exit from the ongoing 2022 African Nations Championship [CHAN] in Algeria.
The Galaxies suffered a shocking 2-0 defeat against Niger in their quarterfinal game on Saturday.
Before the team arrived in Oran for the game, there were reports that the qualification bonus for the players have been slashed.
However, Dr Aubynn says contrary to speculations that there was a row over money, the players were paid their outstanding bonuses and per diem, leaving them satisfied ahead of their quarter-final game.
”Absolutely nothing like that at all happened; all their money and per diems had been paid,” he told Graphic Sports.
Dr Aubynn said there was no need to cry over spilt milk now that the team was out of the tournament but rather there was the need for introspection in order to correct where they might have faltered.
He believed that rebuilding a more formidable team for the future must be the immediate focus of the nation.
”We need to pick up the pieces, redesign and rebuild. Let’s not forget that this is football, sometimes your worst comes when you really need your best.
”But it’s not doom and gloom. We need to rebuild this team and reinforce it with new players to be identified from the league. We have no option’, he explained.
Dancehall musician, Shatta Wale, has once again poked Ghanaians over what he termed as their ‘hypocritical’ mindset.
According to the dancehall musician, people doubted his Beyonce feature, but were quick to embrace what he described as ‘Sarkodie’s video shoot with a ‘ghost.’
This is the second time Shatta Wale has openly reacted to Sarkodie’s feature on Bob Marley and the Wailers’ ‘Stir It up’ remix.
Commenting on the release of the song, which was accompanied by a music video, Shatta Wale questioned why Ghanaians are excited about the video although the ‘main author’ is absent.
“When I met Beyonce and we did the video shoot together, people doubted me. Even when we were seen together in the video, they said I wasn’t the one.
“They said I wasn’t there, and I never met her. But with Sarkodie’s Bob Marley feature, did he meet the ghost during the video shoot? Sarkodie shot a video with a ghost, but that’s what you people like,” he stated in a viral video.
Earlier in an interview with Luv FM, Shatta shared a different opinion on the ‘legendary feature’ which many have tagged as a great feat in the entertainment industry.
“We’ve heard Sarkodie has featured Bob Marley. It’s so beautiful. At least we’ve had someone who can feature a ghost, we should praise him.”
Ghana legend Dan Owusu believes Ghanaian clubs are presently far from being mentioned among the elite clubs on the continent.
While the quality of the domestic top-flight has been criticized, the performance of Ghanaian clubs in the continental competition has left much to be desired in recent times.
The last time a Ghanaian club conquered Africa was back in 2004 when Hearts of Oak defeated Kotoko to lift the CAF Confederations Cup.
In an interview with Koforidua-based Bryt FM, the three-time Ghana Premier League goal expressed his displeasure about the poor performance of Ghanaian clubs in Africa but said it will be difficult to annex the title anytime soon.
“The standard of our league has fallen, so why can a club from Ghana win the Champions League or Confederations Cup?
“Our clubs have been suffering heavy defeats in Africa. Kotoko and Hearts of Oak were top in Africa but the narrative has changed. To me, it will be difficult for a Ghanaian club to win title this time around” he said.
Dancehall musician Shatta Wale has admonished his colleagues to pay respect to the pioneers of Ghana’s music industry, even in instances when they disagree on matters.
Shatta was caught up in a beef with Dancehall musician Samini and Hiplife artiste, Reggie Rockstone some years ago.
According to the famous musician, he never crossed the line by discrediting their impact although there were verbal attacks.
Shatta in a Facebook video called out rapper Sarkodie for disrespecting his senior colleague, Samini, due to his fame.
He said: “It is your dream to be like Samini. Shout out to Reggie Rockstone, you see sometimes me and these people have beef but the reason why God will bless me is that I don’t lose that picture of them being legends. I don’t f***king lose that picture of whom they have to be in front of my face…I will have a problem with Reggie Rockstone but you see him as a legend, godfather and originator of something, a pioneer, forget everything.”
Shatta in his message also pledged to take on any artiste who dares to disrespect those he termed legends of Ghana music.
“Now any artiste who will fool with any big artiste, I will beat you. The fooling is becoming too much, what do you know? Where were you in the days of KK Fosu, Tic Tac and Kokoveli? Today you want to flex them, if you try that, I will lash you,” he warned.
As earlier reported by GhanaWeb, Samini lamented Sarkodie’s failure to reciprocate the love and support shown him when he requested a verse on his Burning EP.
On his account, Sarkodie read his WhatsApp messages but never got back to him.
Samini in his viral tweets announced that he will no longer work with the rapper.
“Not sure I’ll need a verse from sark but if he ever does need one I’m not interested and that’s facts. He knows this himself. )y3 Alo sometimes and I don’t play that. Yes or no be problem for am so e go slow you and your project go dull… he did it to me on burning EP,” he tweeted on January 23.
Ghanaian actress cum media personality, Nana Ama Mcbrown, has marked ten years of surviving a tragic motor accident that nearly claimed her life and that of her husband.
One can recall that on January 30, 2013, she was reportedly involved in a car accident on the George Walker Bush Highway, just around Lapaz, at about 2am dawn.
Maxwell Mensah, who was then her boyfriend, was said to have also been badly affected as the two were rushed to the 37 Military Hospital.
Maxwell, who narrated the incident after recovering from unconsciousness at that time, said a vehicle crossed their path as they were returning from a movie shoot.
Ten years on, Nana Ama Mcbrown is still thanking God for sparing her life.
The actress, who was spotted on a vacation with her husband at an undisclosed location, shared a video of themselves on social media with the caption;
“Today is exactly 10years we had our Accident on the N1. We will always Bless God for the Gift of Life. #Mr&Mrs Mensah @maxmmens Thank you, God, #Amen.”
Aftermath battles of the accident
Although Nana Ama Mcbrown is still alive and kicking, it appears she is still battling some health crises resulting from the accident.
She has opened up on the stress of dealing with severe complications from the dislocation of her left arm, which has landed her in hospitals on several occasions.
In recent times, Mcbrown had resorted to flying abroad for surgery several times.
