Most Ghanaians believe that a chunk of funds intended for the Covid-19 pandemic response has been lost to corruption.
This was captured in Afrobarometer Round 9 survey conducted in April 2022.
Few Ghanaians reported that their household received pandemic-relief assistance from the government, while many said the distribution was unfair.
“Only half (50%) praised the government’s provision of relief to vulnerable households (Figure 3).
“Only two in 10 Ghanaians (20%) reported that their household had received COVID19 relief assistance from the government, while 80% said they had not (Figure 4).
“Only three in 10 citizens (31%) said that COVID-19 relief was distributed “somewhat fairly” or “very fairly,” while two-thirds (67%) said the distribution was unfair (Figure 5).
“And more than seven in 10 (72%) believe that “some” (28%) or “a lot” (44%) of the resources intended for the COVID-19 response were lost to corruption (Figure 6), said the Afrobarometer report.
This comes on the heels of a similar report recently released by the Auditor-General showing the government’s misuse of funds during the COVID-19 pandemic.
e Ghana audit service report on the government’s covid-19 expenditure for the period going from March 2020 to June 2022 recorded various infractions.
In all, GH¢21,844,189,185.24 (over a billion US $) was mobilised to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana.
The 119-page long report highlighted irregularities in the management of some tranches of the funds.
Among them, is the payment of over 10 million cedis in insurance premiums to cover 10,000 frontline health workers and allied health professionals without a binding contract detailing among others who the beneficiaries are.
Afrobarometer survey
The Afrobarometer team in Ghana, led by the Ghana Center for Democratic Development, interviewed a nationally representative sample of 2,369 adult Ghanaians in April 2022.
“A sample of this size yields country-level results with a margin of error of +/-2 percentage points,” the release said.
Tension seems to be brewing in the camp of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), following the removal of Haruna Iddrisu as the Minority Leader and Muntaka Mubarak as the Chief Whip.
The decision sparked chaos among the NDC fraternity in various parts of the country.
In the latest development, two sides of the party have hosted separate press conferences addressing the same issue.
One side, led by the dismissed Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak, and Cletus Avoka, the Zebilla East Constituency MP held a press conference in Parliament on Thursday, January 26, 2023, to tackle the matter.
According to them, there was no consultation with the members of the party, particularly NDC Members of Parliament before the decision was taken. They have, therefore, asked the National Council to withdraw the decision and hold on with the reshuffle until further engagements are held. They also announced their decision to petition the NDC Council over the matter.
The other faction, led by the National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, and the newly elected Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson on the other hand, continued to thank the old leadership for their service.
Dr Ato Forson further pledged to unite the party and work towards achieving victory in the 2024 general elections.
This comes at time when the party is preparing to hold its primaries. The party announced that it will hold its presidential and parliamentary primaries on Saturday, May 13, 2023, to elect a flagbearer and parliamentary candidates for the 2024 elections.
There have been speculations that the latest developments may spell doom for the party in the 2024 elections.
Sam Nartey George, Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, has likened the current leadership of the Minority Caucus in parliament to galacticos – a group of superstar soccer players.
In an interview with Citi FM (January 25, 2023), he emphasized the need for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) leadership to offer effective management in choosing who leads.
“What you have right now is a team of galacticos and a coach who can only field five but has 10 super stars. How do you manage it?
“You have to explain to the person who has to be on the bench why he has to be on the bench and why somebody has to lead, and it falls on leadership,” the MP stressed after lamenting how there was a complete lack of consultation and engagement with MPs before their leaders were changed.
He called on the National Chairman, General Secretary, and Council of Elders to immediately ensure that processes are put in place to douse rising discontent with the changes.
NDC rings changes in parliamentary leadership
Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, the NDC’s National Chairman, explained earlier this week why the party has replaced key members of its leadership in Parliament.
The NDC, through its General Secretary Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, wrote to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, to announce the replacement of three members: the Minority Leader, the deputy Minority Leader, and the Minority Chief Whip.
The NDC picked Cassiel Ato Forson (Ajumako Enyan Essiam MP) to replace Haruna Iddrisu (Tamale South MP) as leader of the Minority Caucus.
Other changes and retentions
Other changes included Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, MP for Ellembele, who is the new deputy Minority Chief Whip.
While Kwame Governs Agbodza, MP for Adaklu, will replace Asawase MP Muntaka Mohammed as the Chief Whip.
Ahmed Ibrahim, MP for Banda, has been maintained as the first deputy Minority Chief Whip, while Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe-Ghansah, MP for Ada, is also retained as the second deputy Minority Chief Whip.
A gang has reportedly killed a 30-year-old man popularly known as “Candy” at Krofrom in the Kumasi Metropolis of the Ashanti Region.
The Assembly Member for the area, Patrick Kwame Frimpong, said the deceased was murdered in retaliation for an attack on one of the members of the gang.
Patrick Kwame Frimpong said the deceased was stabbed multiple times during the attack, which occurred at about 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 25, 2023.
The classesfmonline.com report added that he was pronounced dead on arrival after he was referred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.
The police have so far arrested two of the gang members to assist with investigations.
The body of the deceased has been deposited at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital morgue for preservation and autopsy.
The MP for Tamale Central, Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, has refuted suggestions that the National Executive Council (NEC) of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) took the decision to replace the parliamentary leadership of the party.
According to him, he is a member of the National Executive Council of the party and did not take part in any meeting where the change in the party’s parliamentary leadership was discussed.
He posited that the National Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, and the party’s General Secretary, Fifi Kwetey, were the ones who decided to change the leadership of the minority caucus.
The MP (Member of Parliament), who made these remarks in a Pan African TV interview monitored by GhanaWed, on Wednesday, January 25, 2023, added that the NDC is a democratic party and no individual can dictate to the party.
“One of the arguments they make is that NEC can make a decision without consulting parliament, yes that is true. FEC (Functional Executive Committee) can take a decision without consulting parliament, yes that is true.
“The question I ask them (is), was this decision taken by the FEC or NEC?… the 1st highest decision-making body of the party is Congress, the 2nd highest decision-making body of the party is NEC, I am a member of NEC, the 3rd highest decision-making body is FEC. So, any of these can take a decision for the party that is binding on everybody. Not individuals within these structures.
“… someone should produce minutes (of NEC’s meeting) where the decision was taken to appoint a new leadership… I don’t think the National Chairman and General Secretary will be unhappy with us raising legitimate questions in my opinion about their actions,” he said.
Murtala also said that even though he supported and campaigned for Asiedu Nketiah and Fifi Kwetey to win their current positions, he does not support their decision to change the party’s parliamentary leadership.
He added that the reasons given by Asiedu Nketiah for the removal of the majority leader are not tangible.
The NDC National Chairman said in an interview with Joy News that the changes feed into the larger party reorganization plan that has seen the election of local level to national-level officers over the last year.
On the specific reason why the NDC picked Cassiel Ato Forson (Ajumako Enyan Essiam MP) to replace Haruna Iddrisu (Tamale South MP) as leader of the Minority Caucus, he responded:
“We know, for instance, that going into the election 2024, the economy is going to be the major battleground and so many of the debates and other discussions will focus on the economy.
“So, you better put your best man in the economy forward and that is what we’ve done,” he stressed stating that it was not for the party to consult before ringing the changes.”
A notorious thief who broke into the room of the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District Police Commander to steal his household items has been arrested with the stolen items found in his room.
The thief, Kwabena John on December 18, 2022, invaded the commander’s room while he was away at work to steal his flat-screen TV and other items including his carpet.
The suspect is believed to have taken advantage of the quiet nature of the police bungalow to raid the home.
According to reports Kwabena raided another nearby home of one Mr Mohammed aka Doctor where he stole a flatscreen TV and other items.
The police in Sawla after investigations arrested Kwabena John who is said to be a notorious thief in Sawla.
Mr Mohammed Doctor took it upon himself to search for Kwabena John as he suspected him after finding out his items were stolen. But Kwabena after noticing his life was in danger went to report himself at the police station.
The Police after investigating Kwabena John noticed that he was the criminal they were looking for and so sent him to his house for a search and found the stolen items of the Police Commander and those of others in his room.
Erik ten Hag stressed Manchester United must not let their grip slip on games after their Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg win over Nottingham Forest.
Goals from Marcus Rashford, Wout Weghorst and Bruno Fernandes delivered the Dutchman a convincing 3-0 win at the City Ground.
But Sam Surridge saw a would-be equaliser chalked off in the first half in what proved to be a lucky escape for the visitors.
Ten Hag was delighted to see his side bounce back to winning ways after a Premier League loss to Arsenal but cautioned his side to watch their control in games.
“There was one moment that could have changed the game,” he told Sky Sports. “That is where we need to improve.
“They changed the system, and we didn’t anticipate that. It cannot happen. This is still where we have to learn and improve if [we] want to be top. These moments can’t happen.
“We almost let them come [into] the game. We can’t allow an opponent to get back when we started so good. We need to avoid that.
“I think in the second half, we were much more composed, and we tracked them. It was much better.”
Striker Weghorst, who netted his first goal following his switch from Burnley, echoed his manager’s sentiments.
“We didn’t have the control like we wanted and [it] made it too up and down after,” he added. “We were lucky their goal was disallowed.
“We were not happy with the way we had played in the first half [but] the [goal] at the end it made it even better. It’s a great result for us tonight, [so] let’s finish it next week.”
United will host Forest at Old Trafford next Wednesday for the second leg.
Instead, he said the bank has promised to pay the money in 106 weeks by crediting his account GH¢1,000 every week.
Leading a prayer for Ghana’s ailing economy on Wednesday, January 25, 2023 at the Perez Dome, Archbishop Agyinasare said: “In Genesis chapter 47: 15, it says: ‘And, when money failed in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph’”.
“We are in a time like that time when our money is failing, if it has not already failed, because our banks cannot even pay people’s bonds – bonds which were risk-free”, he lamented.
He continued: “I’m going to give you my personal testimony: I have an instrument with a certain financial institution, with a bank, and I’ve done it [for so long] and it’s about GH¢106,000; and I said: ‘I’m taking my money’. They said to me, they are going to pay GH¢1,000 every week. That means that the GH¢106,000 will take me 106 weeks [to get]”.
“And when I said they should do something about it, they said: ‘It is because it is even you, Archbishop because some people come to our bank and they weep’”, the clergyman narrated.
Archbishop Agyinasare noted that with the “[debt] restructuring we are doing; some people’s monies will take 30 years to be paid. And, so, I’m not talking politics, I’m talking reality”.
He stressed: “When money failed in Egypt, they came to Joseph. Joseph represents Jesus, so, you and I are going to the Lord in prayer because with what is happening, very soon people are going to lose their jobs because companies who have monies [with financial institutions] and they can’t take the monies and they can’t pay their staff will have to let them go, if the Lord doesn’t intervene and, so, don’t think politics this time, think Ghana and think what I’m talking about.”
The debt restructuring programme was launched by Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta late last year.
Different groups within the financial sector have rejected the programme and called for various amendments and/or exemptions.
A few days ago, the government said it has, together with the Ghana Association of Banks (GAB), made “significant progress” on the terms of the participation of banks in the domestic debt exchange programme (DDEP).
This agreement, according to a statement issued on Monday, 23 January 2023 and jointly signed by the two parties, “encompasses final improvements to the terms of the DDEP”.
It includes “an agreement to pay a 5% coupon for 2023 and a single coupon rate for each of the 12 new bonds resulting in an effective coupon rate of 9%, clarity on the operational framework and terms of access to the Ghana Financial Stability Fund (GFSF) and the removal or amendment of all clauses in the Exchange Memorandum that empowers the Republic to, at its sole discretion, vary the terms of the Exchange”.
The Ghana Association of Banks “recognises the progress made and notes that participation of its member banks in the DDEP, per the new terms, is subject to each individual bank’s internal governance and approval processes but, in any case, not later than January 30, 2023”.
“This is a significant milestone toward addressing our economic challenges, and will thus help to restore macro-economic stability and accelerate Ghana’s economic growth,” the statement noted.
“With this achievement, the government of Ghana reiterates its commitment to concluding the DDEP in time with all other stakeholders”.
The Ghana Football Association [GFA] are expected to name a new head coach for the national team this month.
Otto Addo, who was the head coach left his role after Ghana’s early at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Chris Hughton and Kwasi Appiah among other coaches have been linked to the vacant job.
However, Gyan, who is the country’s all-time leading goalscorer says the national team need a coach whose work cannot be influenced.
“We need an experienced coach, someone with strong credentials…Even if he is an inexperienced coach we should be able to identify what the coach has taught the players in terms of their style of play,” he told Dan Kwaku Yeboah on YouTube.
“You can take an inexperienced coach but make sure he understands the game, someone who will make the people understand his philosophy.
“Someone who can take charge, not someone who takes orders, you have to be strict and take charge of what you are doing,” Gyan, who played at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 World Cups added.
The Black Stars are expected to regroup in March for the doubleheader against Angoal in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations [AFCON] qualifiers.
The Leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Central Region has congratulated Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam, on his elevation as the new minority leader in Parliament.
According to the party, Dr. Forson’s elevation offered a sufficient demonstration of his diligence and commitment to the course of the party in Parliament and Ghana in general.
The party replaced the current Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, with the Ranking Member on the Finance Committee, Dr. Forson.
Per a letter dated Monday, January 23, signed by, the General Secretary of the party, Mr. Fifi Fiavi Kwetey and addressed to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin.
The MP for Ellembele, Mr. Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, has also assumed the position of Deputy Minority Leader, replacing Dr. James Klutse Avedzi.
The party also named the MP for Adaklu, Mr. Kwame Agbodza as the Minority Whip, to replace Mr. Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka.
However, the party’s leadership retained the positions of the incumbent First Deputy Minority Whip, Ahmed Ibrahim who is the MP for Banda and the Second Deputy Whip and MP for Ada, Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe-Ghansah.
Reacting to the minority shake-up in Parliament, a release copied to the Ghana News Agency and signed by the Regional Secretary of the NDC, Mr. Gabriel Nii Kommey Adams, expressed optimism for the intellect and professionalism of Dr. Forson to steer the affairs of the party for victory in the 2024 election.
It said, “We are happy to state that Dr. Forson has joined a distinguished array of sons and daughters who have brought honour to the region through their meteoric rise in various high offices.”
The statement said; “We have absolute confidence in Dr Forson’s ability to perform excellently in his new role of leading the Minority in Parliament to keep the government in check by subjecting them to strict legislative scrutiny to protect the Ghanaian people from the abysmal and appalling governance they have so far offered.”
Nonetheless, the statement acknowledged the significant contributions of Mr Haruna Iddrisu, the immediate past Minority Leader, and his team to deepening Ghana’s democratic gains.
The statement wished them well in any future endeavours and appealed to them to offer their unalloyed support to the new leadership to make the party’s quest to win the 2024 polls a reality.
The African Education Watch has joined the global community to commemorate the 2023 International Day of Education with a call on the government to invest in quality education.
In a statement, it said the quality delivery of education remained a challenge where about 87 per cent of children aged 10 years could not read and understand age-appropriate sentences in 2018.
The statement said although Ghana had made significant strides over the years to promote access to education for many children, there remain one million who are out of school, covering nine per cent of children ages four to 16 years.
Ghana’s government has expressed commitment to transforming education and this requires adequate and equitable financing, however, the recent 40 per cent budgetary cut to basic education does not support the transformation agenda of the government, it stated.
The statement said the government must increase the current 12 per cent allocation of the national education budget to 23 per cent to be in line with the President’s commitment at the 2022 United Nations Transforming Education Summit.
It added that at least ten per cent of the goods and services and 33 per cent of the infrastructure budget of the education sector must be committed to basic schools.
“If investments are made adequately to build new schools in replacing the 5,000 schools that are currently under trees and sheds and provide education for the one million out-of-school children.
“There is no better day to recommit to adequate and equitable financing of education than the International Day of Education 2023. The government of Ghana must walk the talk,” it noted.
The statement said this year’s celebration of International Day of Education marked the mid-point of the journey to achieve sustainable development goals by 2030.
In his remarks, the Governor of Bank of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Addison stated that, public education on the proper handling of currency notes would be one of the key areas of collaboration.
He lamented that some Ghanaians handle currency notes poorly and urged the NCCE to play a key role in the Bank’s “Clean Notes Campaign” initiative, including helping to educate citizens on the proper handling of the Ghana currency notes.
He indicated that some Ghanaians are averse to the use of coins and explained the importance of using the coins, adding that, it is more durable and less costly to produce than currency notes.
Chairperson of the NCCE, Ms. Kathleen Addy on her part mentioned that the purpose of the visit was to introduce herself as the newly appointed Chairperson of the NCCE and to also discuss areas of mutual collaboration.
She stated that the NCCE is an independent, non-partisan governance institution established under the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana with a mandate to educate citizens on their rights and responsibilities, as well as work towards entrenching democracy in Ghana.
Ms. Addy remarked that the NCCE played a key role in the education and sensitisation of the Ghanaian public during the Bank’s Cedi redenomination exercise in 2007.
Ms. Addy expressed gratitude to the Governor for the warm reception at the Bank and welcomed the proposal to intensify public education on the proper handling of the Ghana currency notes.
The Chairperson was accompanied by a Commission Member, Lawyer Victor Brobbey, the Acting Commission Secretary, Mrs. Lucille Hewlett Annan, the Director of Programmes, Dr. Imurana Mohammed and the Director of Finance, Ms. Monica Mamattah.
In the Governor’s team were the First and Second Deputy Governors, Dr. Maxwell Opoku-Afari and Mrs. Elsie Addo Awadzi, the Director of Research, Dr. Philip Abradu-Otoo, the Bank’s Secretary, Ms. Sandra Thompson and other officials of the Bank.
UEFA have confirmed format changes to both the Nations League and qualifiers for the European Championship and World Cup.
The changes to the Nations League, which began in 2018, include an additional knock-out element, with League A group winners and runners-up taking part in two-legged quarter-finals.
Teams that finish third in League A and League B will face off against the runners-up of League B and League C in two-legged promotion/relegation play-offs.
Changes to qualifying for European Championships and World Cups will now see 12 groups of either four or five teams drawn, with group winners qualifying and runners-up either also qualifying or entering play-offs.
“The introduction of the UEFA Nations League was a success story, replacing friendly games with more competitive matches,” said UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin.
“And now, by introducing the new knock-out phase, teams will be given even more opportunities to progress while keeping the same number of games within the international match calendar.
“The predictability of the European Qualifiers has also been addressed and tackled, with a fresh new format that will offer all the teams an equal chance to qualify for major tournaments.”
The amendments to qualifying will come into effect after Euro 2024.
It was also decided at an executive committee meeting on Wednesday that next season’s Super Cup will be moved from its original host city of Kazan in Russia to Athens, Greece.
UEFA confirmed the game between the winners of the Champions League and Europa League will be played at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in the Greek capital on August 16.
According to reporting from a Fox affiliate, the Ghana week entailed the kids “learning about the African country and its nature, economy, culture, art and more!”
Representatives of the DFW Ashanti Group visited the school to take part in the event.
A Ghanaian-born teacher at Mockingbird Elementary organised ‘Ghana Week’ They had learned about other countries and cultures in previous years and decided to focus on Ghana this time – her country of birth.
“We have done this for ten years since 2011. In the past we did Scandinavia, Japan, India… [the kids] were like this year we want to do Ghana because they knew I was born there and came over when I was 3,” she said.
Representatives of the Asanteman Group expressed delight that the children were so open to embracing other cultures, noting it bodes well for future race relations.
Below is a video of the ‘Ghana Week’ event at Mockingbird Elementary…
The General Secretary of the Ghana Football Association has urged Ghanaians to desist from indulging in the use of offensive languages to express their displeasure about the happenings in Ghana football.
According to him, it is unfair to rain insults in expressing their views on the activities of the domestic football governing body.
Earlier this week, the Member of Parliament for Ningo Prapram claimed that the Black Stars job has been given to Chris Hughton, who served as the technical director of the national ta the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
He added the FA has decided to appoint the former Brighton boss to lead the national team, a coach the FA Can manipulate.
Responding to the aforementioned claims, Prosper Harrison Addo said, “Anyone who says that should know, that statement is very insulting. It is insulting to whoever coach they are talking about. The coaches are also fathers and so, if you cannot insult your father then you also don’t have to insult someone’s father”
“If you say that we are manipulating a coach, it means that coach has no sense which is insulting. A lot of the people who are talking don’t know the kind people they are talking about. If they really know the people they are talking about, they wouldn’t have made that statement that we manipulated Otto Addo, Chris Hughton, CK, Milo or any other”
“It is very unfair when those statements are made. Sometimes, people feel that when you insult the FA you don’t insult anybody but we have people who work here, I am the General Secretary so the moment you say the FA is corrupt, you are insulting me but I have not stolen from anyone and once you cannot stand in front of me and insult me, don’t go general like that. You can make your point; we will listen”
Ghana is currently without a substantive coach following the resignation of Otto Addo after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The domestic football governing body has been in the haunt for a new trainer for national team
Barcelona extended their winning run in Liga F to 50 games after a 7-0 thrashing of Levante Las Planas on Wednesday.
A hat-trick for Asisat Oshoala guided the hosts to a resounding rout at Estadio Johan Cruyff, with a brace for Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic as well.
Goals from 16-year-old Vicky Lopez and Mariona Caldentey completed the scoring, with the former recording her first for the club.
Their victorious streak in the league stretches all the way back to June 2021, having last lost to Atletico Madrid.
Barca’s only three defeats in any competition in that time all came in Europe.
They may not be able to challenge for a clean sweep this season though, having been expelled from the Copa de la Reina on Tuesday for fielding an ineligible player, though the club intends to appeal the decision.
Ankaful-Saltpond, a fishing community in the Mfantseman Municipality of the Central Region, has received its first-ever public basic school after it was founded some six centuries ago.
The six-unit classroom block built for the Saltpond-Ankaful M/A Basic School by the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) Foundation, was on persistent request of the chiefs and people to help educate the children in the community.
The project forms part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility to the Saltpond township for hosting the Saltpond Oil Field, Ghana’s oldest oil field, for about 50 years.
The yellow and cream structure overlooks the community from a ridge with a panoramic view of the ocean littered with canoes.
Until now, the community of about 4,900 people had virtually no basic school, a situation which forced children to trek several kilometres to school at Saltpond, Hini and other communities on daily basis.
The situation has been a major disincentive, compelling many children to stay at home or venture into other activities, resulting in grave consequences on the community’s literacy rate.
To mitigate the situation, the Fort Amsterdam Foundation, with the help of the community, in 2017 established the Fort Amsterdam School, educating children from nursery one to class five.
Due to the lack of adequate space, coupled with inadequate staff strength, classes four and five were combined to create room for pupils who have just been promoted to class six.
The establishment of the new school, therefore, means a major boost for education in the community as it will provide a more conducive learning environment and increase enrolment.
Handing over the project to the community and the Ghana Education Service, Head of Environment and Social Amenities of GNPC, Madam Lubaabat Habib-Jawulaa, explained that the project scheduled to be completed in six months after the sod was cut in February 2020, was delayed for close to three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
She assured that the Foundation would expand the school with a Junior High School (JHS) block and a 12-seater sanitary facility from proceeds realised from the scraps that would be sold after the decommissioning of the Saltpond Oil Field.
The Akanful-Saltpond Odikro, Nana Kwame Ntsiful V, who expressed joy and appreciation for the project, indicated that the school would help to improve the lives of the people.
Stressing the need to educate the community’s population, he indicated that a nation without an educated and skilled human resource could not undertake any meaningful development.
He appealed to the MP for the area, the GNPC and other benevolent organisations to help construct major drains for the community to contain the incidence of flood and erosion.
Nana Kwame Ntsiful also appealed for two waste containers to help curb the insanitary situation in the area.
The Mfantseman Municipal Education Director, Madam Betty Smith, urged parents to take keen interest in the education of their children, stressing that education was not the responsibility of government alone.
She observed that parents usually neglect the education of their children, especially the girl child, which she warned could lead them into becoming social misfits, adding that education was the best gift a parent could give to their child to empower and make them useful resources to the nation.
“Now we have a school and so please make sure your children attend school. Our children should not finish school at JHS and leave the many big Senior High Schools in the region to people from other regions alone to occupy them,” she stated.
The Headteacher of the two basic schools, Madam Eunice Okuruw, explained that the Ankaful M/A Basic School would host classes one to six.
She thanked the GNPC Foundation for the gesture and called for the expansion of the school as soon as possible.
According to the former Great Olympics coach, he is well equipped as coach to manage any club or national team.
“I have been into the system for long, at the time, we were playing abroad I used to organize games for the professional players though I was young but all the big players came to play under me. They wanted to be fit off season before the season proper starts. I can handle any club and any national team”
Ghana is currently without a substantive coach following the resignation of Otto Addo after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
And the 42-year-old thinks he can spearhead the national team due to his rich experience in the game as a coach.
Godwin Attram made ten appearances and scored one goal for the Black Stars from 1997 to 2006.
Ghana’s internet penetration rate stood at 53.0% of the total population at the start of 2022, as 16.99 million internet users were recorded in January 2022.
According to the Digital 2023 Global Overview Report, internet users in Ghana increased by 350,000 (+2.1 percent) between 2021 and 2022.
The report further revealed that 15.07 million people in Ghana did not use the internet at the start of 2022, meaning that 47.0% of the population remained offline at the beginning of the year.
Ghana’s total population stood at 32.06 million in January 2022.
The report, however, said “issues relating to COVID-19 continue to impact research into internet adoption, so actual internet user figures may be higher than the published numbers suggest”.
Social media users stood at 8.80m in January 2022
Meanwhile, the report stated that there were 8.80 million social media users in Ghana in January 2022.
The number of social media users in Ghana at the start of 2022 was equivalent to 27.4% of the total population.
But the report said it’s important to note that social media users may not represent unique individuals.
The experience trainer is currently the head coach of Ghana Premier League side, Legon Cities after ending his stint with the Black Stars in early 2022.
“Kwesi Appiah gave me the opportunity to be his assistant at the Black Stars. Truth be told, I have never taken money from any player to influence selection. Though, we don’t have much but I respect myself as a coach”
“We’ve being at where they are before so I can’t belittle myself to them. I don’t even know where the players leave in Accra here. The last time I went to Andre Ayew’s house people claimed we have been taking money from the players but these Black Stars players, from the least to the greatest, I have never taken money from them before, you can ask them”
“You can get me everywhere but to take money from a player, you will never get me because I respect myself and I am content with what I have. I was satisfied with the little bonuses I received at the Black Stars”
“I can say openly that, from Black Stars, local Black Stars and even club side I have never taken money to influence selection” he said.
Communications Director of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Henry Asante Twum, has opened up on why his outfit did not contest Black Maiden’s ban for age cheating.
Ghana’s Female U-17 side were banned and slapped with a $100,000 fine in July of 2022 after being found guilty of age fraud allegations by the Confederations of African Football [CAF] after Nancy Amoh and Rasheeda Shahadu were found to be above 17.
However, the country’s football governing body had the option to appeal the decision by writing to the CAF Disciplinary Board but steered clear of doing so.
“We looked at the case. We analyzed the merits and demerits of the case and the legal team advised we don’t appeal,” he said in an interview with GhOne.
“The Moroccans hinted to us that they’ve got information on our players and they have Ghanaians who provided that information to them and they are 100 per cent sure that the information is nothing but the truth.
“We requested for the information. Unfortunately, it happened that some of the players in the team at the time were not of the required age but at that time they had already played the first leg,” he added
The Black Maidens are the only African nation to win in the quarter-finals of the U-17 Women’s World Cup placing 3rd in the 2012 edition.
The MSME space, it lamented, is constrained by lack of finance, access to appropriate technology, lack of technical and managerial skills, weak institutional capacity and limited access to international markets, as well as lacking laws and regulations. These challenges, GEA noted, continue to impede development of the sector and affect the quality and sustainability of jobs.
The sector is said to also contribute about 70 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), and one would expect it would be given the much-needed support to become robust and continue contributing significantly to the country’s socioeconomic development.
“To achieve rapid economic development, the MSME sector cannot be sidelined. Rather, it should be made robust to support economic growth and development. if our MSMEs become more robust, they will contribute more to job creation and poverty reduction, and this will enhance government revenue generation streams,” she said.
She made these comments on behalf of GEA’s Chief Executive Officer, Kosi Yankey-Ayeh, during the launch of Africa Street MBA – an initiative by Done By US (DBU), a consultancy.
Africa Street MBA Programme Chairperson and founder of Done By US, King Adawu Wellington, explained the Africa Street MBA is an entrepreneurial platform that aims to provide integrated business support for start-ups and small businesses – through capacity building, mentorship, business development services and funding for young entrepreneurs with innovative ideas or early-stage ventures.
He emphasised that for the next three years, the programme will impart young people with world-class business knowledge based on top Master of Business Administration (MBA) curricula and entrepreneurial course content.
“Africa Street MBA has been designed to bridge the business-knowledge gap and help young people from poor backgrounds, and young people with low education, to also have an opportunity to build a world-class enterprise.
“This will reduce the start-up failure rate in Africa by providing platforms for entrepreneurs to access business education, technical and business advisory services, funding and markets. We believe in empowering the youth, through entrepreneurship, to be agents of change in reducing the unemployment rate of Africa and beyond,” he said.
Overall, the Africa Street MBA is expected to impact some 10,000 young people annually. It will be carried out using a fixed-term 12-week start-up accelerator, and a mentorship programme that includes mentorship and educational components based on the MBA curriculum.
The Chairperson added that the accelerator programme will end with a public pitch event that provides seed funding in the form of a grant for ultimate pitch winners, and potential investments for accelerated businesses.
The initiative is implemented in partnership with the KGL Foundation.
The 37 Military Hospital in Accra has said that the ultra-sound scans conducted on a woman before delivery were error-ridden.
According to the hospital, the error was detected after further inquisition into the missing twin saga.
This disclosure comes five days after the Ghanaian Times’ investigative story published on Wednesday, January 18, 2023.
The hospital has, therefore, apologised to the couple and said the issue would serve as a wake-up call to the hospital, promising to release the result of an investigative report to the family this Friday.
These were the outcome of a meeting held on Monday with senior military officers, including the Chief of Staff (COS) at the General Headquarters (GHQ) of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) – Major General Nicholas Peter Andoh, and the family of Daniel Naawu – husband of the woman who was expecting twins, for a briefing at the Burma Camp in Accra.
Other top military officers present at the little-over-an-hour meeting which was at the behest of Maj Gen Andoh, were Brig. Gen. Raymond Kwabena Ewusi, the Director-General, Ghana Armed Forces Medical Services, Naval Commander Dr Paul Yegbe, an Urologist and surgeon at the 37 Military Hospital and Major Alfred Topper – a member of the team set up to investigate the issue.
Dr Ali Saine, a senior obstetrician and gynaecologist at the 37 Military Hospital, who performed the Caesarean Section (CS) on that fateful day (September 8, 2022), was also present to respond to questions at the meeting.
The four-member family of Naawu, led by the legendary Ghana goalkeeper, John Naawu, took turns to bombard Dr Saine with questions on the supposed missing twin and the ultrasound scan taken at the hospital after 31 weeks.
According to Dr Saine, the hospital expected twins as the scan had shown but was surprised to see only one baby.
He blamed the situation on a flawed diagnosis first conducted at the Cerica Diagnostic Services in Accra that suggested the woman, Ms Audrey Agyapong, was carrying double foetuses.
Responding to a question, Dr Saine conceded that the second scan done at the 37 Military Hospital, was also error-ridden, insisting that only one baby was delivered.
On his part, Maj Gen Andoh said the hospital had no intentions of doing anything malicious knowing their credibility and reputation was always on the line.
“We will not shield anybody who tries to bring the military’s name into disrepute.
“But we’re a human institution; such errors are bound to occur, and would be guided by this going into the future,” he was quoted as saying.
When contacted yesterday, Technical Director and Radiologist of the Cerica Diagnostic Centre, Dr Eric Otu-Danquah, was alarmed at the contention of the 37 Military Hospital, saying his outfit did due diligence in arriving at its result.
“We are not saying we are infallible but in the best of our knowledge, we were diligent in our delivery.
“It’s unfortunate they came to that conclusion. I have my contact numbers on the scan report in the possession of Ms Agyapong; so they could have called to crosscheck if they had any doubts,” Dr Otu-Danquah told the Ghanaian Times.
The 37 Military Hospital, it was disclosed to the Ghanaian Times, would hand over the final report of the investigations into the case that commenced in October 2022, to the Naawu family this Friday.
In a painstaking investigative story carried by the Ghanaian Times on Wednesday, January 18, 2023, the couple narrated how they went to the 37 Military Hospital expecting twins only to be handed one baby after delivery and thus suspected foul play.
Ultra-sound checks done 31 weeks into the gestation period at two medical facilities, including the 37 Military Hospital, showed that one Ms Audrey Agyapong was carrying two live foetuses (twins).
The first scan report, which was signed by Dr Otu Danquah, was conducted on April 22, 2022, at the Cerica Diagnostic Services when the pregnancy was 20 weeks old.
Its results showed live intrauterine (inside the uterus) foetuses.
A second ultrasonic scan done at the 37 Military Hospital on July 21, 2022 and signed by Drs M.T Mpetey and R. Asiedu, a Resident and Senior Physician respectively, confirmed results of the earlier scan with twin A weighing 269g and B weighing 261g.
“In all, we did four different scans, all showing I was carrying live twins and it is baffling that one could disappear at birth,” Ms Agyapong told the Ghanaian Times.
Explaining further, she said on September 7, 2022, when her gestation period was 38 weeks, she was admitted at the 37 Military Hospital where her vitals were taken with two foetal heartbeats confirmed as normal.
In a follow-up story by Ghanaian Times on Friday, January 20, 2023, the couple was informed that the placenta tissue of Ms Agyapong, had been sent to Italy for further examinations.
The exercise, according to the Military Hospital, was to determine whether the 38-year-old woman was delivered of twins, which has generated a vortex of interest among Ghanaians.
Ghana international Antoine Semenyo is reportedly undergoing a medical at Bournemouth ahead of a proposed move to the club.
The forward has been a long-term target for the English Premier League outfit and is set to seal a permanent move to the club this window.
Bristol City had rejected two offers for the Ghana international but it is said an agreement has been reached between both parties, with Semenyo close to sealing the move.
The 23-year-old currently has six months left on his existing contract at the Championship club.
Semenyo, who is on the radar of several clubs including Crystal Palace and Rangers, has six months left on his current deal with the Robbins having the option of extending for another year.
However, Bournemouth are set to break the bank to add the Ghanaian to their ranks.
The new owners of Bournemouth led by Bill Foley are set to make funds available for manager Gary O’neil to sign the lanky forward.
Semenyo has been in fine form this season, scoring eight goals and providing 12 assists.
A hit-and-run driver has crushed a man to death in Koforidua, the Eastern regional capital.
The body of the deceased was found in a pool of blood with bruises and severe head injury on Thursday dawn at Abriwa-Nkwanta Oyoko Road near S.D.A Training College School Park.
Officers from NADMO Municipal Secretariat led by the Municipal Director Mr Herbert Danso together with personnel from the Municipal Police Command went to the scene to take inventories and conveyed the body to the Koforidua Regional Hospital.
NADMO officials, however, claim the man was mentally unstable.
In 2004, Jose Mourinho set out his stall early at Chelsea.
“We have top players and, sorry if I’m arrogant, we have a top manager,” said the Portuguese in his first press conference at the Premier League club, not long after he had led Porto to Champions League glory.
“Please don’t call me arrogant, but I’m European champion and I think I’m a special one.”
Devilishly handsome, with a wicked charm and natural bravado. Men wanted to be him. Women wanted to well… you get the gist. Not only did Mourinho talk the talk, but he walked the walk, winning the EFL Cup and the Premier League in his first season.
That was Chelsea’s first domestic title in 50 years, and at the time they broke the record for the most points in a Premier League season (95) and fewest goals conceded (15).
Mourinho was, indeed ‘The Special One’ and it’s undoubtedly his most famous quote.
But there are plenty of others. To celebrate his 60th birthday, here are some classic Mourinho moments.
Announcing himself in England
With seconds left on the clock in a 2003-04 Champions League last-16 tie, Mourinho’s Porto needed a goal at Old Trafford. “If we don’t score we are out, if we score we are in, these are the details of the knock-out,” Mourinho told UEFA in 2015, when reflecting on that night in March 2004.
Benni McCarthy saw a long-range free-kick parried out by Tim Howard, and Costinha was on hand to hammer home and silence the crowd. As his players charged towards one of the corners to celebrate, Mourinho leaped off the bench and cantered down the touchline, arms aloft. By full-time, he was already heading down the tunnel.
“We were in the dressing room, and it didn’t look like it was the last 16, it was like it was the quarter-finals,” Mourinho recalled. “Then someone knocks on the door, and it was Sir Alex [Ferguson] and Gary Neville, the captain, and they told us congratulations, you deserved it, enjoy it and good luck.
“It was something that in Portuguese culture we are not used to, but it’s something I kept and during my career I did it a few times, when some opponent did something magnificent against my team. I kept something from big people, that can make others feel special.
Wenger wars
Mourinho enjoyed a fierce rivalry with Arsene Wenger during his first stint in the Premier League, and even went as far to suggest the Arsenal boss was something of a voyeur.
“There are some guys who have this big telescope to see what happens in other families. He must be one of them,” Mourinho said.
Parking the bus
You would be forgiven for thinking the term “parking the bus” had been common footballing parlance in Britain for many, many years. However, it was Mourinho who first introduced it, after his Chelsea team were held to a goalless draw by Tottenham.
None too happy with Spurs’ defensive approach, Mourinho said: “They brought the bus and left the bus in front of the goal as we say in my country.”
In October of last year, the phrase “park the bus” was added to the Oxford English Dictionary.
Too many medals
It must be nice when you’ve won so much you can throw medals away. That’s just what Mourinho did after he had guided Chelsea to a second straight league title in 2006.
The success marked Mourinho’s fourth straight domestic title, and after being presented with his winners’ medal, he threw that and his suit blazer into the stands. He was quickly presented with another medal; that, too, ended up in the crowd.
The knee slide
During Mourinho’s second season at Real Madrid, a late Cristiano Ronaldo goal saw off Manchester City in the Champions League group stages, and Mourinho celebrated like only he can, jumping from the bench and sliding to his knees.
It was a match that also saw former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher reprimanded by police in the crowds. Rock ‘N’ Roll on and off the pitch.
Mourinho’s time at Madrid unravelled the following campaign when he fell out with key players, including Ronaldo. “Maybe he thinks that he knows everything and that the coach cannot improve him anymore,” Mourinho said of his compatriot.
I prefer not to speak…
Mourinho’s second stint at Chelsea bore a league title in the 2014-15 season, but also proffered a quote that has lived on as an online meme and a viral clip ever since.
Chelsea lost 1-0 to Aston Villa in March 2014, with his team having Willian and Ramires sent off, and seeing a goal disallowed. Mourinho, too, was sent to the stands.
“I prefer not to speak,” he told Sky Sports. “If I speak I am in trouble, big trouble, and I prefer not to be in big trouble. If I speak, I am accused of bringing the game into disrepute.”
Mourinho went on to speak about the referees for a few more minutes.
Gerrard’s slip
Mourinho famously ‘shushed’ Liverpool fans in an encounter with the Reds during his first spell at Chelsea, and it was his team that dealt a severe blow to Liverpool’s title hopes in the 2013-14 season.
In April 2014, Liverpool had just three games left and held a three-point lead over Manchester City. Yet a slip from club great Steven Gerrard allowed Demba Ba to pounce and put Chelsea ahead.
Chelsea netted a second late on, leading Mourinho to charge down the touchline and celebrate in front of the Kop. City went on to win the title.
Respect, respect, respect
Mourinho’s time as Manchester United manager ended in typically volatile fashion, and the signs were there from the start of the 2018-19 season.
Following a 3-0 home defeat to Tottenham, Mourinho delivered a scathing response to his doubters as he stormed out of a press conference.
“Just to finish, do you know what was the result – 3-0,” Mourinho said while holding up three fingers. “It means 3-0. But it also means three Premierships, more Premierships alone than the other 19 managers together. Three for me, two for them. Respect, respect, respect.”
The Dele warning
Mourinho’s words of advice to Dele Alli were featured prominently in the Tottenham-focused All Or Nothing documentary series, aired in 2020.
“I am 56 now and yesterday I was 20. Time flies. One day I think you will regret it if you don’t reach what you can reach,” Mourinho, then at Spurs, told Alli.
“I am not expecting you to be the man of the match every game. I am not expecting you to score goals every game. I want just to tell you that you will regret it. You should demand more from yourself.”
Less than 18 months after the documentary aired, Alli’s Tottenham spell was over, moving to Everton on what was initially a free transfer at the age of 25. Six months after that, he was in Turkey with Besiktas, where he has been heavily criticised for his performances.
History maker
As Mourinho celebrates his 60th, one thing cannot be denied – he will go down as one of the best managers to ever grace the game.
He joined Roma in 2021 and does what he does best. He won.
Last year, Roma won the Europa Conference League, making Mourinho the first coach to complete the UEFA treble by winning the Champions League, UEFA Cup/Europa League, and Europa Conference League (in place of the defunct UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup).
He was the fifth manager to reach the final of all three current major European competitions and the first to reach a major European final with four different clubs.
Mourinho’s record speaks for itself. Of his 1,076 games as a coach, he has won 677 (62.9 per cent), with his teams scoring 2,082 goals.
She said, “building for renting has become a booming business, especially in our major cities Accra and Kumasi.”
Read the full story originally published on November 26, 2021 by ClassFM.
The rent paid to landlords in Ghana must be taxed, civil society group Danquah Institute has proposed.
The Executive Director of DI, Dr Antoinette Tsiboe-Darko, told journalists at a press conference that the government must put in place to make sure landlords and landladies who rent out rooms and houses “pay tax on the rent received”.
She said “building for renting has become a booming business, especially in our major cities Accra and Kumasi” and “millions of Ghana cedis continue to exchange hands” in that sector.
“Unfortunately, owners of the houses go to tenants to collect rent directly without paying anything to the government”, she bemoaned.
“In other words, owners of rooms or houses will have to register with these agencies while those who need rooms will then go there to make payments for their choice. We are hopeful that through this initiative, rent payment could be taxed”, she added.
Mr Ernest Kwasi Nimako, the First Atlantic Bank CFO who has been trending on the internet for the past 72 hours has allegedly been sacked by his employers according to information from a trusted source.
It was obvious that the bank was going to throw him to the wolves when the writ of summons from his ex-side chick Debby found its way on the internet denting not only his reputation alone but that of the bank as well because it was dragged into the lawsuit.
Prior to this, First Atlantic Bank unofficially reacted to the news of the suit against its CFO in the person of Mr Ernest Kwasi Nimako.
The feat via e-mail was sent to a blog (MyNewsGH) over a publication of the CFO – Side Chick story, the Bank’s representative, James Christopher, indicated that the information circulating is fake.
Both Mr Ernest Kwasi Nimak and the bank are yet to drop official statements but Deborah Seyram has refused to cease fire as she keeps dropping jabs day in and day out.
It’s an important step toward the potential restructuring being classified as a credit event, which would result in a payout on credit-default swaps associated with the country’s bonds.
According to a statement from the Credit Derivatives Determinations Committee, the statements Ghana’s Finance Ministry made on December 19 to announce a suspension of debt servicing on its eurobonds, commercial term loans, and the majority of its bilateral debt, meet the definition of a “potential repudiation/moratorium.”
It doesn’t yet constitute a so-called credit event, because the nation hadn’t missed payments on its bonds when the panel was asked to evaluate the situation.
Ghana is in the process of negotiating a restructuring plan for its local and external debt. Alongside a moratorium on its eurobond payments, the country is also seeking a deal for its local-currency debt, while it’s negotiating an agreement with international creditors under the Group of 20 Common Framework. A restructuring is needed to unlock an International Monetary Fund bailout.
The Credit Derivatives Determinations Committee is made up of a panel of banks and asset managers who regulate the credit derivative swap market.
The Founding President of Imani Africa has reacted to the appointment of a new parliamentary leadership for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
According to him, the previous leadership played their roles well, guiding their colleague MPs to provide knowledgeable opposition to the government.
He added, however, that he believes these new leaders will succeed but will falter too.
In a Facebook post, he said Haruna Iddrisu and Mohammed Muntaka are ripe for bigger roles, adding that the new leaders should support them when the time comes.
“I have followed the fallout from the change in minority leadership, and I must admit both sides, for and against the decision of the executive leadership of the NDC party, make compelling arguments. In fact, I have to admit that Honourable Haruna Iddrisu, Hon. Muntaka and Hon. Avedzi have not only cleverly shepherded their colleague MPs to provide distinctively knowledgeable opposition to the government but have also dignified their respective roles to almost being peerless.
“And it was from such rarity in quality leadership that birthed the current leadership in Hon. Ato Forson, Hon. Agbodza and Hon. Buah. These ‘new’ made men will succeed, but they will falter too, and whose giant shoulders will they fall on in crisis moments other than those of Hon. Iddrisu and Hon. Muntaka? And yet, Hon. Iddrisu and Hon. Muntaka are ripe for much bigger roles, whose time will come with the support of the very men replacing them in Parliament and the party’s rank and file, which must not be divided. The country needs a viable alternative to the current economic atrophy. The NDC must be worthy, but in unity,” he posted on Facebook.
There have been mixed reactions after the NDc announced the list of new leaders in parliament.
According to some MPs, the caucus was not engaged before the appointment was made.
Others have also welcomed the idea, as they believe the appointment is a step in the right direction for the party to win power in 2024.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the party, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has indicated that reshuffling its leadership in Parliament aligns with the party’s agenda ahead of the 2024 elections.
According to him, the 2024 elections will primarily focus on the economy; thus, the party must surround the people with finance and economic experts to ensure they can assist Ghanaians in doing things better.
Hakim Ziyech is on the radar of both Newcastle and Everton as Premier League giants Chelsea look to trim their squad in the final days of the January transfer window.
The West Londoners were reportedly keen on bringing Anthony Gordon in as a potential replacement for the Morocco ace, but have since dropped their interest after the Toffees requested upwards of £40million for the 21-year-old attacker.
Reports from both The Telegraph and Sky Sports have linked Ziyech with a switch to the north of England, with Chelsea’s asking price somewhere close to £25m.
The 50-cap international was a key player for his country in last year’s World Cup, scoring once in the Atlas Lions’ run to the semi-finals.
However, Ziycech has only made 10 league appearances this term and has not scored a Premier League goal for the Blues since last February.
His role as an inverted right-winger has not been as effective as Graham Potter will have hoped and the ex-Ajax trickster has only been involved in one league win in his last seven outings.
The arrival of Mykhailo Mudryk and Raheem Sterling’s recovery from injury makes it increasingly likely that Ziyech will depart Stamford Bridge.
Should he have the choice of Newcastle or Everton, he is likely to pick the former with their upwards trajectory a more appealing project for the Champions League winner.
A new video that has set tongues wagging on social media users captures the moment some stubborn SHS 2 students decided to use their entertainment period for their own condemnable personal kinds of stuff.
In this video, about 10 of these students comprising both males and females were making love to each other as if they were inside the brothel.
The male students had their backs laid against the wall while the females leaned on them to receive passionate kisses.
Social media users who have seen this video have called on the school’s authorities to take disciplinary actions against these stubborn students since their faces can be clearly seen in the viral video.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, Samuel Nartey George, has outlined what he believes is accounting for some resistance in the recent announcement of changes in the leadership of the Minority in parliament.
The national leadership of the NDC, on Tuesday, January 23, 2022, wrote to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, announcing a change in the leadership of its caucus in the House.
The announcement by the party, described by some critics as a palace coup, has attracted resistance from some members of the NDC, including some MPs who have signed a petition asking for the reversal of the changes.
Speaking on the Thursday, January 26, 2022, edition of Good Morning Ghana on Metro TV, Sam George said the resistance of the MPs against the changes is mainly due to a lack of engagement that went into the decision.
According to him, some NDC MPs had absolutely no idea about the changes in their caucus leadership until it was announced in the media.
“The problem I see MPs having, Randy, is not about the change. The problem of the caucus is not about the change; the problem of the caucus is not about the capacity of the people who are being changed; the problem of the caucus is the lack of engagement. The fact that as members of parliament we heard about a change in leadership on the radio and many of us had eggs in our faces because we said it is fake until Adabraka came out to say that yes we wrote that letter,” he said.
Sam George, despite describing the changes in the minority caucus as democracy at play, noted that the party failed to engage extensively during its consultations.
“Randy, even in senior high school, the headmaster doesn’t sit in his office and appoint who becomes the head boy. Right now, they do manifesto, they do voting,” he added.
Despite his concerns, Sam George lauded the former leadership and the newly-appointed leaders of the caucus for their restraint and comportment following the announcement.
“Here, I would want to salute the restraint that has been shown by Honourable Haruna Iddrisu and Honourable Muntaka Mubarak. Because the expectation was that by now the NDC in Tamale and Asawase will be up in flames. We have seen comments that have been made but they have been managed (sic) without rocking the fortunes of the NDC and that, for me, is very critical. Because it then means that these individuals irrespective of how they may feel, slighted or not, justified or not still put the forward march of the NDC to salvage this country in the 2024 polls ahead of any personal misgivings or challenges they may have, and that for me is very telling and we must celebrate them.
“In like manner, I also want to celebrate Ato Forson, Buah and Agbodza for also holding back their regions and their followers from any over-the-top comments that would incinerate or inflate passion in a certain way. We have seen measured statements from people in the Volta Region, Central Region and Western Region, and once again I celebrate them because they have managed their base and their following to ensure that this remains a decorous conversation,” he added.
Sam George however called on the leadership of the NDC to bring what he says should be a finality to the matter in the next 48 hours, through adequate consultation with the parties involved in the changes.
Background
A former deputy Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has been appointed as the Minority Leader, as replacement for Haruna Iddrisu.
Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah has also been named as the new Deputy Minority Chief Whip.
Kwame Agbodza takes over as Chief Whip.
Ahmed Ibrahim, MP for Banda, has been maintained as the First Deputy Minority Chief Whip, while Comfort Doyo Cudjoe-Ghansah, MP for Ada, is the Second Deputy Minority Chief Whip.
This was contained in a letter to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, from the National Democratic Congress dated January 23, 2023.
According to the association, the Energy Commission, at one time, admitted that some new items imported into the country are substandard and, thus, wants to regulate these items through the Ghana Standard Authority (GSA), which has also admitted that 80 to 90 per cent of second-hand items meet standards in a meeting with the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA).
At the said meeting, GSA raised concerns about how to regulate the items that are imported into the country and not a total ban on such items, the association explained.
“So why is the commission not regulating second-hand items but bent on banning them from entering the country”? the association queried.
Mr Daniel Asare, Chairperson of CSHDA made this call at a press conference held in Accra to address some of the claims by the Energy Commission on the activities of second-hand dealers.
“We want the whole country to understand that items brought into this country for sale go through rigorous checks before being exported from Europe.”
He said the association is well informed that the sale of second-hand items cut across the world even in some of the advanced countries.
“So why are these countries also not banning the sale of such items,” he asked adding that “Europe is on record to have imported the largest number of second- hands items in the year 2022.”
He appealed to the government to come to the aid of dealers considering the huge number of people who are engaged in this as well as their direct beneficiaries
African Dancehall King, Shatta Wale has found love once again and we pray things don’t go south as they did with his two public relationships.
Recall that after the SM boss broke up with his baby Mama Shatta Michy, he moved on to another beautiful lady named Elfreda.
Unfortunately, Shatta Wale and Elfreda hit the snag Ghanaians thought the musician was going to settle down with her because he promised to do so when he first shared pictures of the lady on social media.
Shatta Wale and Elfreda’s affair turned sour barely two months after Shatta Wale showed off their love to the world and asked his fans to address her as the new QUEEN of the SM Empire.
Ever since then, Shatta Wale has never talked about love again and even swore in one of his Facebook posts that he’ll remain single for the rest of his life since most of the women who come into his life have their own agenda.
According to a piece of new information which is currently making rounds on Snapchat, Shatta Wale is currently dating one beautiful lady named Yvonne.
Because of his past bitter experiences, Shatta Wale reportedly pleaded with her to keep their affair lowkey so that social media users won’t use their ‘cursed mouths’ to predict doom about their affair.
Another claim by an insider hints that Shatta Wale and Yvonne have been dating for the past 6 months now and the new SM Queen even spend most of the weekends inside Shatta’s mansion and drives his cars around town.
Yvonne is a fair curvaceous lady whose believed to be in her mid-20s. Reports claim she owns one of the biggest saloons in Accra and she’s a known boss chick who plays with only ‘The Big Men’.
Below is a picture of Shatta Wale’s new sweetheart, Yvonne.
This season’s Eredivisie title race is shaping up to be one of the most dramatic ever.
The top five teams are separated by just eight points, with red-hot favourites Ajax languishing at the bottom of that quintet ahead of their game against FC Volendam tonight.
We take a closer look at the contenders with all to play for in the Dutch top flight.
Feyenoord in front
Currently leading the way are Feyenoord, with the Rotterdam giants well placed to chase down only their second league title this century.
The 1970 European champions last ruled Dutch football in 2016-17 but are firing on all cylinders under their 44-year-old head coach Arne Slot, who also has a certain Robin van Persie in his coaching setup.
They are officially the toughest team to beat in the division, with their solitary loss of the campaign to date a dramatic 4-3 defeat at PSV Eindhoven last September.
Slot’s men, who beat NEC 2-0 yesterday, also impressively topped a Europa League group containing Lazio and FC Midtjylland, meaning they will feature in next month’s last-16 draw.
One of their star performers, ironically, has been ex-Ajax striker Danilo — the 23-year-old Brazilian striker netting eight league goals since arriving from Amsterdam last summer having failed to make the grade in the capital.
Alkmaar taking aim
Pascal Jansen’s AZ Alkmaar side are dark horses to win this year’s Eredivisie
AZ Alkmaar are regulars in the Eredivisie’s upper reaches but it is unusual to see the Cheeseheads this prominent in the title race.
The shock departure of their former boss Slot to Feyenoord in December 2020 presented his London-born assistant Pascal Jansen with the chance to take charge and the 49-year-old has certainly grasped his opportunity.
Despite losing the likes of Teun Koopmeiners to Atalanta and Myron Boadu to Monaco in recent times, Jansen is proving a master of regeneration and his youthful team are refusing to buckle this term.
Alkmaar are the Eredivisie’s best travellers with eight away wins from 10 matches, while 24-year-olds Dani de Wit and Vangelis Pavlidis have 25 goals between them in all competitions.
While bookmakers are expecting Jansen’s men to fade away, supporters are daring to dream of only a third ever league success this May and their 4-1 win at Go Ahead Eagles kept them just two points off the pace.
Persistent PSV
Xavi Simons has been a creative spark in PSV Eindhoven’s midfield since arriving from Paris Saint-Germain
Traditionally, PSV are the likeliest team to disrupt a period of domestic Ajax dominance and Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side have a great chance of doing so again this season.
On their day, the Eindhoven giants possess the firepower to roll over anyone, as displayed by an ominous tally of 45 goals scored in their 18 league outings.
Yet if two 6-1 victories and a 7-1 rout have shown Van Nistelrooy’s outfit at their ruthless best, Tuesday night’s defeat at struggling FC Emmen displays a vulnerability that may prove costly in such a tight title race.
Van Nistelrooy is having to get used to life without his former talisman Cody Gakpo, who headed to Liverpool for a fee north of £35million earlier this month, while his other key man Noni Madueke has just joined Chelsea.
Regardless of whether that money is immediately reinvested into the playing squad, this current crop still have more than enough to reign supreme.
Twente a tough nut
Wily coach Ron Jans has his FC Twente side well organised defensively
If the old adage that defence wins championships is proved correct, then FC Twente are on course for only a second ever Eredivisie title.
Coached by the vastly experienced Ron Jans, they have given up only 11 goals in their first 18 matches which unsurprisingly makes them the most stubborn backline in the division.
Jans, 64, is approaching 100 matches in charge of the Enschede-based outfit and compiled a balanced and well-drilled unit spearheaded by veteran forward Ricky van Wolfswinkel.
Last term, a fourth-place finish saw them qualify for Europe for the first time in eight years and it has been more of the same in 2022-23, with their current league unbeaten run stretching to nine games.
A bright prospect at the heart of their success has been 21-year-old centre back Mees Hilgers, who looks destined for bigger things however this campaign pans out.
Alarm bells for Ajax
Mohammed Kudus could be key to Ajax reviving their title hopes
When reigning champions Ajax won nine of their opening 11 Eredivisie games this term, it appeared to be business as usual — but things are rapidly unravelling in Amsterdam.
Alfred Schreuder was the man tasked with replacing Manchester United-bound Erik ten Hag last summer and though the 50-year-old made a fine start, he now finds himself under immense pressure.
Five straight draws in the league have seen De Godenzonen slip from first to fifth, while four losses from six Champions League group stage clashes saw them only just seal a consolation berth in the Europa League.
With the likes of Jurrien Timber, Dusan Tadic, Brian Brobbey and Mohammed Kudus in his ranks, Schreuder is unquestionably underperforming and turning things around fast is a mandatory requirement.
While an eight-point gap with a game in hand is far from unsurmountable, the 36-time kings of the Netherlands are embroiled in an almighty battle to retain their crown.
Some irate supporters of the National Democratic Congress on Wednesday, January 25, 2022, stormed the premise of Radio Tamale and inflicted harm on the Deputy General Secretary of the party Mustapha Gbande.
Details of the incident revealed in a publication by the radio station show that the incident happened during a live interview by Mustapha Gbande over the changes in the leadership of the party’s caucus in Parliament.
Mustapha Gbande is reported to have justified the decision by the National Executive Committee of the party on grounds that the changes were necessary for victory in the 2024 elections.
He is said to have explained that the NDC boasts competent members for leadership positions and that whenever the party feels it is suitable for changes, it will make such decisions.
According to the reports, just when Mustapha Gbande was about to wrap up his interview, some supporters believed to be from the camp of ousted Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu stormed the premises and attempted to force their way into the studio but they were repelled.
The angry supporters stayed around the premise and when Mustapha Gbande who is the deputy to Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, the man who signed the controversial release came out after the interview, they pounced on him and assaulted him before he could be whisked into his car.
The decision by the NEC of the NDC to remove Haruna Iddrisu has been expressly rejected by the supporters of the party in Tamale.
On Tuesday, the coalition of NDC supporters in Tamale gave the party an ultimatum to reverse the decision or face its wrath.
“We were warned that Asiedu Nketiah will destroy the party if he becomes the national chairman, and the changes he has made clearly show. I know that Asiedu Nketia dislikes Northerners and this development proves that indeed he dislikes us,” Alhaji Rauf, the Tamale South Constituency chair of the NDC said.
Meanwhile, close to fifty Members of Parliament (MPs) from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have signed a petition calling on the party leadership to reverse the changes made to their leaders in parliament.
Background
A former deputy Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has been appointed as the Minority Leader, as replacement for Haruna Iddrisu.
Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah has also been named as the new Deputy Minority Chief Whip.
Kwame Agbodza takes over as Chief Whip.
Ahmed Ibrahim, MP for Banda, has been maintained as the First Deputy Minority Chief Whip, while Comfort Doyo Cudjoe-Ghansah, MP for Ada, is the Second Deputy Minority Chief Whip.
This was contained in a letter to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, from the National Democratic Congress dated January 23, 2023.
The Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Hon. Evans Opoku stated emphatically that there was no promise to the GFA from the government that it will pay $10,000 to anyone.
“Some people at the GFA try to play mafia tactics and also influence some sports journalists to spread false news when it comes to financing our national teams.
“Anyone who has proof or evidence that the government promised the said amount should come out with it so the ministry will be ashamed,” he stated.
The deputy minister said the GFA presents every tournament with a budget proposal, and the Ministry of Sports will then engage with the Ministry of Finance to discuss the amount they can pay before the Sports Ministry can approve it for the GFA.
The fact is that the GFA proposes $6,000 for the players but not $10,000, and then they propose $10,000 for the coach. “Their reasoning is that any amount they propose for the players, the coach must get double. So this was the budgeted amount they submitted for us, and Hon. Mustapha told them that we’d give it to the ministry of finance for approval.”
“And the $6,000 they propose was a qualification bonus for two matches, and the $10,000 was for the coach, Mr. Annor Walker. In the GFA own statement they submitted to the ministry of sports was that if Ghana win in any of the two matches every player should get $3,000 so in total if they win the two matches for qualification it will sum up to the $6,000,” he emphasised.
He asserts that the government has also neglected to take action to inform Ghanaians about the kind of sacrifice appointees are making to reduce spending.
“You continue to employ hundreds of presidential officials and numerous ministers at various ministries. You retain many CEOs while claiming that individual bond holders have little money saved for their retirement, daily expenses, healthcare, and paying for their dependents’ care. You are going after that money, he replied.
“How do you expect them to agree to such an arrangement, so what is happening is a direct result of the government’s recklessness. Because the people are aware that this government is not sacrificing so if you are not sacrificing why are you telling pensioners 75-years-old that he or she should sacrifice and die. Because the government could not manage things well. How can you accept that?” Mr. Apaak queried.
The Builsa South lawmaker further expressed worry over why “the government has not demonstrated any seriousness in terms of cutting on itself and public expenditure.”
Meanwhile, Fitch has predicted that the Ghanaian economy may weaken further in 2023
“We at Fitch Solutions forecast real GDP growth in Ghana to slow to 2.9% in 2023, from an estimated 3.3% in 2022. Data released by Ghana Statistical Service shows that real GDP growth weakened significantly in Q322, to 2.9% y-o-y, from 4.7% in Q222.
“While the mining sector recorded robust growth of 14.9%, a 7.4% contraction in the manufacturing sector and a 7.0% decline in the construction industry weighed on overall economic activity. Given strong price pressures – inflation averaged 48.3% in Q422 – and weak private sector sentiment (see chart below), we believe that economic activity will have slowed further in Q422, informing our estimate that real GDP growth fell well below its five-year pre-pandemic average of 5.3% in 2022.”
It’s an important step toward the potential restructuring being classified as a credit event, which would result in a payout on credit-default swaps associated with the country’s bonds.
According to a statement from the Credit Derivatives Determinations Committee, the statements Ghana’s Finance Ministry made on December 19 to announce a suspension of debt servicing on its eurobonds, commercial term loans, and the majority of its bilateral debt, meet the definition of a “potential repudiation/moratorium.”
It doesn’t yet constitute a so-called credit event, because the nation hadn’t missed payments on its bonds when the panel was asked to evaluate the situation.
Ghana is in the process of negotiating a restructuring plan for its local and external debt. Alongside a moratorium on its eurobond payments, the country is also seeking a deal for its local-currency debt, while it’s negotiating an agreement with international creditors under the Group of 20 Common Framework. A restructuring is needed to unlock an International Monetary Fund bailout.
The Credit Derivatives Determinations Committee is made up of a panel of banks and asset managers who regulate the credit derivative swap market.
Media personality and brand influencer, Matilda Adjoa Adu-Boateng chiefly known as AJ Poundz has once again shot down claims of breaking the first marriage of her husband, Nana Kwadwo Adu-Boateng.
According to AJ, the man who showed her love and made her taste good marriage was separated and already going through a divorce when their path crossed.
Speaking in an interview with blogger Zionfelix, she poured accolades on her husband and also fired shots at critics who continue to make damning allegations about their marriage.
“He picked me from a confused state. He was the one who married me.”
“I am happy, I have somebody I can call my own…people have said a lot about my marriage, claiming I snatched my husband from another woman. One time I was explaining myself on a platform but I was contradicted…the man was separated in court before I came to the scene. ..you can’t say that I snatched my man because that marriage was over,” AJ Poundz clarified.
The television presenter also recalled how they had to start their lives on a fresh note. Their love and commitment birthed their union on April 9, 2022, when the two tied the knot.
“When and how I meet him, I wonder why someone will say that I snatched him. I wouldn’t have met him in that state if he was someone else’s husband…when I met him we were all starting fresh. We were all starting life all over and he told me what he was going through that his marriage was in court…that was the state I met him and then the court finally divorced them. He was separated for two years and his ex-partner had moved on…the marriage was beyond repair as they put it,” AJ disclosed in the January 2023 interview.
Haruna Iddrisu, the immediate-past Minority leader in Parliament has accused President Akufo-Addo and finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta of engaging in illegality with the review of the terms of payment for bondholders.
According to him, Ken Ofori-Atta is acting unilaterally on the decisions and that he is not clothed with the power to undertake such actions.
Speaking on Metro TV, Haruna Iddrisu said that the Finance Minister should have first sought approval from Parliament before varying the terms of government’s agreement with bondholders.
He bemoaned that the conduct of Ken Ofori-Atta, which he reckons has the backing of President Akufo-Addo, is not just illegal but also grave disrespect to Parliament.
He warned that the house of representatives will not watch for such flippancy to thrive and that there will be consequences.
When asked if a future NDC government will prosecute Ken Ofori-Atta and all concerned for what he contends to be breaches, Haruna Iddrisu failed to state a categorical answer but warned that there will be consequences.
“Ken Ofori-Atta is now varying the terms as an individual and as Minister of Finance. My argument is that he doesn’t have the power and authority to do that. I should think that he has to come back to Parliament. He is engaged in varying the terms and conditions of a loan.
”When Parliament approves a loan, it probably provided for tenure, monetarium, interest and principal shall be paid within a certain period. Now you are saying you are issuing 12 bonds and that 2023 no coupon and now for banks 5%. Now you say 2027 to 2038, you are varying the terms and conditions of an agreement that the Parliament of Ghana has approved.
”He came to Parliament to say give me a mandate to borrow 3 billion dollars. The Public Sector Borrowing of these Treasury Bills must all now come to Parliament. We’ve given him too much latitude and he is now walking around as if every authority is vested in him as Minister of Finance.
”He can run riot on President Akufo-Addo because he doesn’t have the will and wit to reshuffle him but he cannot do that to the republic. Take individual bond, it is a contract between you and your bank. The sacredness of contract is being hampered and destroyed by Ken Ofori-Atta with this his ‘take it or leave it’ attitude. You can’t tell people that. The money is not your money,” he said.
Meanwhile the government has reached some agreement with banks over the Domestic Debt Exchange programme.
The new terms includes “an agreement to pay 5% coupon for 2023 and a single coupon rate for each of the twelve (12) new bonds resulting in an effective coupon rate of 9%, clarity on the operational framework and terms of access to the Ghana Financial Stability Fund (GFSF) and the removal or amendment of all clauses in the Exchange Memorandum that empowers the Republic to, at its sole discretion, vary the terms of the Exchange.”
“It has always been coming and just a confirmation for me that we all in our individual capacity must tighten our finances properly. Because we will have to pay our due to the government and then the economic conditions.
“We will want to achieve some stability steadily into the market forecast, which I am a bit aligned with most of them that inflation will reduce. With all other things being equal the currency should begin to stabilize once there is a balance of payment report. There will be a growth in the debt stock as there is some adjustment along the way,” Mr. Boti explained.
The analyst further explained that once the IMF program and its effect comes in the government will be getting in additional bilateral and multinational support from partners to cushion the economy.
“But on a personal level VAT increasing by 2.5 percent from the 12.5 percent, we are now paying about 15 percent really that is a cost to us consumers. That is something we will have to deal with in addition to all the higher pricing we are facing., Mr. Boti stated.
He added that in the situation Ghanaians find themselves their financial position will definitely increase.
Ghanaian singer, Pappi, has responded to a piece of advice Ayisha Modi gave him in a viral video.
Earlier, Pappi, a member of the 5Five music group, engaged in a heated exchange with popular music producer, Appietus, on live TV.
Pappi angrily hurled insults at Appietus for uploading his songs on digital platforms and making money off it without his consent.
Social media has since witnessed a series of heated banter between Pappi and his management, and Appietus.
This development triggered an unhappy Ayisha Modi who also stormed social media with a word of caution to Pappi.
“No matter how rich you are, you need to respect elders. The respect you give your parents, give the same to others outside. That’s why you people are dying young. It’s very bad. Remember, when Appietus came into the music scene, there was no internet,” Ayisha Modi said.
In a response to Ayisha’s rants, Pappi said she isn’t in the right capacity to advise him.
The musician described Ayisha’s advice as trash adding that she should channel it elsewhere.
“I don’t know her and first of all, I was born and raised by a woman so I respect women. I usually don’t talk about stuff like that but all she said was trash. It was trash. She has a family and she should go advice them, not me. I’ve got people who advise me.
“How can you be saying, this is why they die young. I’m someone’s child and my mother is a very beautiful woman. You can tell from the way I look. My mother will not call someone’s child and tell him all that. It’s total bullshit. Straight bullshit. It’s trash,” he stated in an interview with Zionfelix.
The announcement comes nearly a week after multiple media outlets reported on the project’s impending launch by Buhari during his visit to Lagos.
The group highlighted that the petrochemical complex was not included in the president’s list of projects set to be commissioned, which includes a $450-million lubricant plant linked to prominent businessman Sayyu Dantata, Dangote’s cousin, the Lekki Deep Sea Port, a 32-metric-tonne Lagos Rice Mill in Imota, and the Blue Line Rail (Phase 1), among others.
It also reconfirmed that the commissioning of the refinery will take place prior to Buhari’s departure from office and the public will be informed and invited to witness this historic event.
The complex will also produce 4 million metric tonnes of jet fuel per day, 65 million liters of premium motor spirits (petrol), 15 million liters of diesel, and 3 billion standard cubic feet of gas.
With the anticipated launch of the refinery, Nigeria’s entire demand for refined products will be met, and Dangote is set to become the first African and Black person in history to lay claim to a $30-billion fortune.
According to insiders at Dangote Group, who spoke to Billionaires.Africa on the condition of anonymity, the Nigerian billionaire plans to list Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Ltd. by the first quarter of 2024 at a market capitalization of anywhere between $20 and $25 billion.
Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has resigned from his position as president of the Egyptian Referees Committee after only five months in charge.
The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) confirmed on Wednesday it had agreed that the 47-year-old could leave the role.
“The board of directors of the Egyptian Football Association decided, in its emergency meeting today, Wednesday, to accept the resignation of Mr Mark Clattenburg,” the EFA tweeted.
It added that the EFA would be seeking to “preserve the rights of the federation and the consequences of his resignation in accordance with the terms of the concluded contract”.
Clattenburg was this week the subject of criticism from the president of the Zamalek club, Mortada Mansour, on Zamalek’s own TV channel.
Clattenburg was promoted to refereeing Premier League matches in 2004 after three seasons in the Football League.
His final game was in April 2017 as Leicester City won 1-0 at West Brom.
He also took charge of the Euro 2016 final as Portugal beat France 1-0 and the Champions League final, when Real Madrid beat local rivals Atletico, the same year.
The new Minority Leader of Parliament, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has outlined three specific areas that he hopes to focus on in the immediate terms.
Addressing a brief press conference in parliament on Thursday, January 26, 2023, the Member of Parliament for Ajumako Enyan Esiam stated that among the things he intends to do as leader, is to unite the caucus.
He then outlined his three roadmaps, starting with a stern warning to the New Patriotic Party (NPP), as well as the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
“I will focus the next month to tackle three things. First, I wish to, first of all, send a message to the NPP that the people of Ghana are calling on them to downsize their government to reflect the mood of the country. You are asking people to forgo their coupons or interests, you are asking the ordinary Ghanaian to sacrifice their payout, and so therefore if His Excellency the president intends to reshuffle his government, let it be known that we in the NDC will not accept an attempt to increase the size of government,” he said.
Cassiel Ato Forson also sent a caution to the president to ensure that he does not increase his government size, adding that should that happen, such new additions will be resisted by the Minority.
“And if the current size of his ministers increases by one, that one person may not receive our cooperation. And in the end, we also wish to assure the people of Ghana that, as part of our engagement with the Finance Committee and the Health Committee, we have agreed to do public hearing on the audit of the COVID-19 expenditure beginning on the 7th of February, 2023. At that point, we will pay due diligence to the duties given to us by the people,” he added.
The Minority Leader concluded by indicating that they will embark on a roadshow across the country to educate Ghanaians on the impact of the current economic challenges.
“And then finally, we will also embark on a roadshow where we will galvanize the people of Ghana and educate them on what this economic crisis is going to take us through,” he said.
Cassiel Ato Forson takes over from Haruna Iddrisu as the Minority Leader, while Kwame Governs Agbodza is the new Minority Chief Whip.
Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah will be the new Deputy Minority Leader, while the two deputy Minority Chief Whips, Ahmed Ibrahim and Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe-Ghansah, have been retained.
Some traders at Suame Roundabout in the Ashanti Region have been crashed by a commercial vehicle killing one in the process.
Two others according to eyewitness were rushed to the Tafo Government hospital after sustaining severe injuries.
The accident occured on the wee hours of Thursday January 26,2023, when a commercial Toyota Commota with Registration number AS 3987-13 veered off the road and run over some traders who were working along the road.
One of the passengers who was in the car during the accident, Mr Kofi Richard narrated the story to OTEC News Jacob Agyenim Boateng,
“The vehicle was full of passengers moving from Pankrono to Kejetia, upon getting to the Suame Roundabout, the car veered off and crushed three traders”.
“One of the women believed to be in her middle 40s was trapped under the car for closed to 20 minutes before she was rescued and sent to Tafo Government Hospital”.
“She was however pronounced dead by health officials few minutes after getting to the hospital, the good news is that, the other two who were hit by the car are responding to treatment “. He said.
Meanwhile, the driver has been arrested by at Suame Divisional Police Command assisting investigations.
He claimed that this is a component of efforts to lower the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions.
When he stood before the Appointments Committee of Parliament on February 23, 2021, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah made this clear.
Read the entire article as it appeared in its original form on February 26, 2021 on dailymailgh.
The Minister-designate for the Ministry of Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, has revealed that Ghana is aiming at introducing electric buses into its public transport system as part of measures to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.
Ghana, he said, is being futuristic in this endeavour and with the assistance of technology, will achieve its aim.
Appearing before the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Tuesday, February 23, 2021, for public hearing on issues relating to the portfolio he has been designated to by the President of the land, Asiamah said the initiative has long been on the drawing board of the country, revealing that it was started by the previous National Democratic Congress-led government.
Seeing how beneficial it would be for the West African nation, he said government has had some discussions with the Green Climate Fund (GCF) with the Ministry of Finance also having some discussions with the country’s development partners to solicit their support in the development and implementation of a legal framework for the electric buses.
“Mr. Chairman, it will interest you to know that Europe has come out with a directive on this issue that by 2030 they will get away with all these diesel and petrol cars off their streets. The Americans are also saying same by 2045. The British people are saying that they are gearing towards zero emissions. So, we don’t need to stay and fold our arms. We’ve gone far with it and we’ve gone to Green Climate Fund – we’ve had some discussions with them, the Ministry of Finance has also had some discussions with our development partners to implement the legal framework for these electric buses and also to go the way of electric buses”, he noted.
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) was adopted by 194 governments as a financial mechanism of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change at the end of 2011. Its goal is to limit or reduce greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries and help adapt vulnerable societies to the already-felt impacts of climate change. It aims to make an ambitious contribution to attaining the mitigation and adaptation goals of the international community with the goal of keeping the temperature increase of the planet below 2 degrees Celsius.
The Fund gives recipient countries access to funding through accredited national and sub-national implementing entities, including NGOs, government ministries, national development banks, and other domestic or regional organizations that can meet the Fund’s standards.
According to Ghana’s Fourth National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report, the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions, including Forestry and Other Land Use, was estimated to be 42.2 million tonnes (Mt) CO2-equivalent (CO2e). This was 7.1% more than the 2012 total emissions and notably 66.4% above 1990 levels.
Mobile combustion emissions summed up to 7.2 MtCO2e in 2016. It was singularly responsible for 48% of the total energy emissions and 17% of the overall national emissions. The 2016 transportation emissions increased by 7% relative to the levels reported in 2012.
According to the report, within the transportation category, road transport was the largest emission source due to growing vehicle ownership and the associated traffic congestion in the cities.
With the statistics showing a worrying trend in the transport sector, Hon. Asiamah said the best option to address the situation was to unleash electric buses into the country’s public transport system.
“Mr. Chairman, we’ve gone far with our development partners and I am hoping that once done with the legal framework, we will go to the implementation framework by bringing or unleashing the electric buses into our system. We need to make sure that we go with technology other than that we will be left behind and we will not have anybody to come to our aid”, he said.
He explained the move by Ghana forms part of measures as a signatory to the Paris Agreement, to ensure that better climates standards are met.
The comments of the Transport Minister-designate were in response to a question posed by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central who sought to find out from him what he will be doing to assist the Ministry of Environment to check environmental pollution resulting from public transport.
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