Produced by Fox beat, Yaa Pono’s ‘Yard’ has become a topic for discussion barely hours after its release. This is because Yaa Pono took a dig at Sarkodie and it comes at a time the latter has featured on the late Bob Marley’s ‘Stir It Up’ remake.
“Since when did we feature the dead?” Pono rapped while indicating that any attempt to exclude him from the list of Tema-based rappers is trash.
On the song, Yaa Pono touted his prowess as he claimed superiority over other rappers. He boasted of performing at events every weekend. He emitted that he is feared by some industry players while alleging spiritual attacks on his person.
“Monkeys, some of your fans will still hail me,” he rapped in the Twi language as he claimed to be the king of the rap music space.
“Who runs this yard? It’s Pono who runs this yard.”
It is unclear what triggered Yaa Pono to release this song. However, it is not the first time the rapper has jabbed Sarkodie although the two have collaborated on songs in the past.
Both Sarkodie and Yaa Pono are known to be Tema boys who in the past were spotted at recording studios engaging in a friendly rap battle as well as performing at events to entertain their fans and grow their respective brands.
Jomoro MP, Dorcas Affo-Toffey has congratulated the new leadership of the National Democratic Congress in Parliament, in a show of support.
In a surprise move, the NDC changed its leadership in Parliament led by Haruna Iddrisu by appointing new leadership led by Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson (MP for Ajumako Enyam Essiam in the Central Region), who is now the Minority Leader.
The others appointed are Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, MP for Ellembelle in the Western Region also replaced James Klutse Avedzi as the Deputy Minority Leader with Kwame Agbodza becoming the Minority Whip.
In a show of support on social media Hon. Dorcas Affo-Toffey congratulated the three newly appointed leaders of parliament and asked for support for them as the NDC seeks to regain power in the 2024 elections.
She wrote;
“Congratulations to the new leadership of the minority caucus of Parliament. Over the years, the NDC has been growing in a competitive democratic environment and today’s changes in our caucus in parliament reflect this path.
“Let’s all support this new leadership in Parliament for victory 2024. Once again, congratulations to Hon. Dr Cassiel Ato Forson (Minority leader), Hon Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah (Deputy minority leader) and Hon Kwame Agbodze (Minority Chief Whip)
#TogetherWeCan”
The NDC in a letter dated January 23, 2023, and addressed to the Speaker of Parliament informed Parliament about the changes.
The letter stated that the new leadership has been charged to recommend consequential changes to the ranking members of the national headquarters.
Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has announced a public hearing on the audit of the Covid-19 expenditure effective February 07, 2023.
Addressing a Press Conference on Wednesday the new minority leader reiterated “At that point, we’ll pay due diligence to the duties given to us as the people of Ghana.”
The decision comes after engagement with the Finance and the Health Committees of parliament, he disclosed.
Subsequently, the new leadership of the minority caucus has also planned to embark on a roadshow to “galvanize the people of Ghana and educate them” on the impact of the current economic crisis.
The two programmes will ostensibly form his initial action after his elevation as minority leader of Ghana’s largest opposition in parliament.
He’s yet to set out how he plans to bring together a party riven into factions after the upset in the leadership of the minority caucus following the reshuffle.
But the new minority leader has urged for calm among the rank and file of the NDC saying the new leadership has a good handle on the affairs of parliament and will do a great job in the larger interest of the party and the nation.
“…I’ll appeal to the rank and file of our great NDC party to keep calm, members of parliament are in good hands, we’ll work with them with due diligence. Obviously, we’re not new in this House. I have been in this House for 14 years. I know the capabilities of all our colleagues, some I met, some came to meet me. I have worked closely with most of our colleagues and I can assure you that together we shall succeed,” he told Journalists in parliament.
The inventor of MIG and serial entrepreneur from Ghana, Dr. Maxwell Ampong, will be the subject of a series of brief movies called “Entrepreneur In You” that will chronicle his life. As GhanaWeb aims to provide young and upcoming entrepreneurs with relatable pointers that add to growth and leadership, as well as to spark discussion at home and with the disapora about entrepreneurship in Ghana and in general, these short stories will detail the lessons, trials, and interactions that were encountered.
The maiden volume shall narrow down on product and service providers, together with society decision-makers discussing viable escape routes during the current economic downturn within their respective sectors/markets. The Forum will include Twitter Spaces and other web platforms as conversations on optimising economic manoeuvrability becomes louder.
“Our partnership with GhanaWeb is based on a mutual interest to positively influence their massive viewership on entrepreneurship as modern times have necessitated this,” said Dr. Maxwell Ampong. “The aim is to have meaningful conversations on how entrepreneurship can drive economic growth, innovation, social change, amongst others,” he continued.
“This is a great partnership that will inform and educate the public on entrepreneurship. This project would improve economic literacy at a practical level, in a practical way, and help Ghanaians make the right decisions in their personal and professional businesses,” said Mr. Ismail Akwei, Editor-in-Chief for GhanaWeb.
MIG Media Contact: Communications Department +233 200 394 120
Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has assured that he will discharge his duties as the leader of the Minority caucus in Parliament with high integrity and unwavering dedication.
According to him, he can only do this with the support of his colleagues and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) party.
Dr Ato Forson in a Facebook post on Thursday, January 26, said he has held “positive conversations” with the former Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu.
The Ajumako Enyan Essiam MP thus thanked the party leadership for the confidence reposed in him.
He added that it’s an honour for him to lead an “illustrious and gallant caucus in Parliament.”
“I am also deeply grateful to colleagues, the rank and file of our party and the Ghanaian people for their profound support and solidarity.
“I have held fruitful and positive conversations with my senior brother Haruna Iddrisu. I commend him for his admirable stewardship when he was granted the opportunity by our party’s leadership.
“As a leader, it will be my duty to represent our collective goals with unwavering dedication and high integrity,” he posted.
The party on Tuesday, January 24, informed the Speaker of Parliament about a change to its leadership in Parliament.
According to the party, the decision is in the best interest of the party.
Per the changes, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has taken over from Haruna Iddrisu as the new Minority Leader. Ellembelle MP, Kofi Armah Buah will replace James Klutse Avedzi as Deputy Minority Leader.
Kwame Agbodza becomes the Chief Whip for the opposition side and will be deputised by Banda MP, Ahmed Ibrahim and Ada legislator, Comfort Doyo Ghansah respectively.
The Founding President of Imani Africa has added his voice to the ongoing debate on the shake-up in the parliamentary leadership of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Franklin Cudjoe says the arguments from both sides – persons in support and those against the decision – have cogent reasons.
According to him, the outgoing leaders despite their shortfalls have performed well.
However, Mr Cudjoe also welcomed the elevation of the incoming Minority leaders whom he said have a huge task on their hands.
“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 Haruna Iddrisu, Muntaka and 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 Ato Forson, Agbodza and Buah,” he posted on Facebook on Wednesday, January 25.
Meanwhile, he said the new leadership performed well should they fall on the former leadership in times of difficulty.
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 Iddrisu and Muntaka?
“And yet, Iddrisu and 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 added.
The party on Tuesday, January 24, petitioned the Speaker of Parliament about a change to its leadership in Parliament.
According to the Party, the decision is in the best interest of the party.
Per the changes, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has taken over from Haruna Iddrisu as the new Minority Leader. Ellembelle MP, Kofi Armah Boah will replace James Klutse Avedzi as Deputy Minority Leader.
Kwame Agbodza becomes the Chief Whip for the opposition side and will be deputised by Banda MP, Ahmed Ibrahim and Ada legislator, Comfort Doyo Ghansah respectively.
However, some NDC legislators expressed their opposition to the decision describing the development as a “coup d’etat” and questioning the rationale behind the change.
Amongst them is Tamale Central MP, Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed who said the timing of the decision by the party’s hierarchy is ‘wrong.’
But this has taken a new twist with some 77 NDC MPs endorsing the decision.
Leadership of the Minority in Parliament is allaying the fears of members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) who feel uneasy about the recent changes.
Newly-elected Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, says his team is bent on reuniting its members in the House to pursue a common agender while calling on cool heads to prevail.
“I will appeal to the rank and file of our great NDC party to keep calm. Members of parliament are in good hands we will work with them in due diligence,” he said.
He made this comment at his first press conference after taking over from Haruna Iddrisu as leader of the caucus, a move that has divided the NDC legislators.
In the shake-up, MP for Ketu North, James Klutse Avedzi, and the MP for Asawase, Muntaka Mubarak, lost their positions as Minority leader, Deputy Minority leader and Minority Chief Whip respectively.
They have been replaced by the MP for Ajumako-Enyam-Essiam, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, MP for Ellembelle, Emmanuel Kofi Buah and MP for Adaklu, Kwame Agbodza as Minority leader, Deputy Minority leader and Minority Chief Whip respectively.
But amid the controversies that followed the decision, Dr Forson explained that due diligence would be the hallmark of his leadership.
“Obviously, we are not new in this house. I’ve been in this house for 14 years. I know the capabilities of all our colleagues. Some I met, some came to meet me. I have worked closely with most of our colleagues and I can assure you that together we shall succeed,” he added.
In an interview with JoyNews on Tuesday, January 24, NDC Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketia justified the reshuffle as part of the strategic restructuring of the party, from the grassroots level to the flag bearer to better position the party for victory in the 2024 elections.
However, the reshuffle has met stiff opposition from some 60 NDC MPs who say they were not consulted about the changes.
Reacting to this, the new executives have stressed that the “legitimate concerns by colleagues have been duly acknowledged.”
In a statement signed by Kwame Agbodza, the Minority Chief Whip, the newly appointed leadership revealed that a cordial and fruitful meeting had been held with the outgone Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu and that a meeting has been scheduled for Thursday morning between leadership and party executives at the party headquarters.
“That the party leadership led by the National Chairman has agreed to meet our entire caucus on Tuesday next week, specifically on the 31st of January, 2023,” the statement added.
In the group’s view, it’s high time government officials parked their fuel-guzzlong SUVs for low-cost alternative means of transport.
The group, in a statement issued on Monday, October 24, 2022, said each minister and deputy minister has two vehicles – one V8 and one saloon car.
“At the current rate, one land cruiser is not less than $100,000, that is more than GHC1 million.
“Currently, there are 86 ministers, meaning the total value of what they drive around is not less than GHC139 million,” the statement listed.
“In addition, these cars have big engines that consume so much fuel. This fuel is given to all the ministers for free,” the statement added.
Economic Fighters calculates: “Daily, these 86 V8s will consume not less than GHC1 million worth of fuel.”
The pressure group is worried that it is a reckless and incompetent practice to keep these vehicles at the expense of the public purse.
“At this critical juncture, the best decision would be to sell all the V8 cars. This will not only get us money from the sales but will save us fuel,” it reasons.
“This is what the Economic Fighters League would have done. #thealternativeiscoming,” the statement ended.
Ghanaian musician, Stonebwoy, has taken to social media to express his heartfelt gratitude towards former Ghanaian national football team captain, Asamoah Gyan.
Recalling an incident that occurred seven years ago, Stonebwoy explained how Gyan had generously covered the costs of his surgery after he was involved in an accident.
In his tweet, Stonebwoy expressed his eternal appreciation for Gyan’s unwavering support during a trying time in his life.
Gyan, taken aback by the swift passage of time, responded to the tweet by expressing his happiness at having been a part of the incident.
He affirmed that his actions were purely motivated by the heart.
The two have previously collaborated on songs, including “our enemies”.
Amakye Dede one of Ghana’s premier Highlife musicians popularly referred to as ‘Iron Boy’ has shared a conversation he had with Sarkodie.
According to the veteran singer, Sarkodie met him at an event and got closer to finding out what the current crop of musicians can do to sustain the Ghanaian music industry.
He said “Sarkodie is the only young musician who got close to me at an event to ask questions about the way forward for the Ghana music industry.
“I also had the time to explain things for him to understand, in fact, I was really eager to let him get deeper insight,” he added on Kessben TV monitored by MyNewsGh.com.
“Because if we the veterans in the music scene who are still alive don’t nurture the next generation of musicians it will be difficult for them” he explained.
Meanwhile, the multiple award-winning rapper, Sarkodie, has been accused by Samini of being disrespectful and fake due to his failure to feature in Samini’s song.
Twenty Ghanaian referees have received their FIFA badges for the 2023 football season.
The Ghana FA presented FIFA badges to Twenty (20) male and female Referees and Assistant Referees.
FIFA gives badges for the calendar year to the top ranked referees for the year under review.
Each year, referees in each country are ranked by the Classification and Assessment Committee based on their performance during the previous year and in the FIFA Test. FIFA then takes a cut per the number of referees it assigns to each member Association.
The lists include six (6) male referees, six (6) Assistant male referees, four (4) female referees, four (4) female Assistant referees and one (1) FIFA VAR Referee.
The Centre Referees include Daniel Nii Ayi Laryea, Charles Benle Bulu, Adaare Abdul Latif, Benjamin Kwame Sefah, Latif Abdul Qadir and Julian Nii Akwa Nunoo.
The Assistants are – Kwasi Acheampong Brobbey, Paul Kwodwo Atimaka, Patrick Papala, Emmanuel Dolagbenu, Tijani Mohammed and Roland Nii Dodoo Addy.
The female referees include Juliet Appiah, Joyce Obenewah Appiah, Barikisu Salifu and Rita Nkansah Boateng.
The Assistant female referees include, Alice Farizua Chakule, Doris Essumang Darko, Mary Tei and Patricia Kyeraa.
The presentation of badges took place at the Secretariat of the Ghana Football Association on Tuesday, January 24, 2023 in Accra.
Referees Manager Alex Kotey was joined by the Chairperson of the Referees Appointments Committee Christine Zigah and other members of the Committee to do the presentation.
The Referees expressed their profound gratitude to the Ghana Football Association for the continuous effort to improve and build their capacity and promised to distinguish themselves creditably when called upon to officiate matches in the country and on the continent.
The Association would continue to invest in training and gadgets to improve refereeing in the country.
Controversial Ghanaian socialite cum music investor, Ayisha Modi, has responded to some allegations levelled against her by Stonebwoy’s former protégé, OV.
Earlier in an interview with NYDJ, OV refuted Ayisha’s claims of being the one who first introduced her (OV) to Stonebwoy.
She also established that Ayisha Modi paraded herself as Stonebwoy’s manager, but it was all a facade.
OV also averred that Ayisha Modi fueled her fallout with Stonebwoy by spewing a lot of lies about her.
“Someone referred me to Ayisha Modi and said she was Stone’s manager. So I texted her, and she even told me that I was very good and that she will take me to Stonebwoy blabla. I never heard from her again until I entered into the competition. I also heard that she was there at the finale, but I didn’t see her. I had never seen her before, and she wasn’t backstage to talk to me. After a while, she got my sister’s number and texted them.
“The day I was supposed to meet Stonebwoy, she appeared. So, it looked as though she was the one who took me there. So then Black Cedi posted my video, and then I realized that he was the actual manager. That woman is a liar. Stonebwoy told me that he doesn’t know anything. He said he doesn’t know about any managerial arrangement with her,” she told BM Africa.
But responding to the allegations in her latest interview with Kwaku Manu, Ayisha Modi has insisted that she was responsible for OV and Stonebwoy’s first meeting.
Ayisha claimsthat OV’s exit was due to some bad habits she exhibited while she was still in the camp.
“Don’t come to me seeking help and later be ungrateful. The moment you do that, your fire will quench. Don’t replace good with evil. She didn’t offend me, she has offended God. After winning the MTN Hitmaker, she inboxed me herself. She was always sending me stuff to show to Stonebwoy; I did not mind her, but behind closed doors, I was working things out. During the finals, I chattered a bus, organized BHIM Natives to go and cheer her on. We were the ones who voted massively for her.
“So when you do something and I confront you about it, there’s nothing wrong with it. I took you to Stonebwoy, but you became very close to Blakk Cedi. Things happened in the camp, yet you were still following Blakk Cedi. You were even sleeping with one of the beatmakers, I won’t mention names. She has been living a double life. She was engaging in a lot of bad stuff with the BHIM girls. I’m not talking about smoking; I mean she did things with the BHIM girls. I hope you get what I mean.
“Things happened to an extent Stonebwoy called me one day and asked if I investigated the girl I brought. I called both the boys and the girls she was doing the things with, and they all confirmed. Then people at radio stations started calling me to ask whether OV takes her bath before coming for interviews. They have complained that she often has this strong stench. I have reported the incidents to her mother severally,” she stated.
Counting the several efforts Stonebwoy put in place just to make OV comfortable during her stay at the label, Ayisha recounted;
“What did Stonebwoy not do for her? Ask her. He even rented an apartment for her. I went to a shop with Stonebwoy, and he was picking out clothes that weren’t Louisa’s size. I asked, and he told me he was buying them for one of her daughters. In few days time, I saw OV rocking the clothes in some pictures she shared on Instagram. I asked Stone if OV was the one he spent over $600 to buy clothes for and he confirmed,” she added.
Background
After spending about 6 months with the Burniton Music Record label, OV was allegedly sacked by Stonebwoy from his camp through a text message.
During that period, Stonebwoy’s former manager Black Sidi and singer Kelvynboy were also sent packing.
OV established that she hasn’t been herself since the shocking termination of her contract, and it appears that she has lost her drive.
According to the ‘Want me’ crooner, the termination of the contract affected her so badly that her music career took a nosedive and pushed her into depression.
This was because she signed a contract with the music label for 5 years but she spent only 6 months with them.
Bridget Otoo has alleged that TV3 journalist Johnnie Hughes has been taken off the station’s flagship New Day programme because of political pressure.
Otoo, herself a former TV3 broadcaster, called out the General Manager of the station who she claims had pressured her with political reasons six years ago.
She made the allegation via Twitter while responding to an artwork from the station announcing a new on-air personality for their sister outfit, 3FM.
“Guess who is bringing the sauce for your morning breakfast? the photo read.
Otoo’s response was contained in her caption which read: “It’s @hughes_onair! You are taking him off New Day, bowing to the pressure of NPP to take him off. How do you do this to your main star on the show?
“Does Beatrice Agyemang think she can control the staff that come there?” she threw a pot shot at the General Manager of the station.
Johnnie Hughes’ section on the New Day programme, ‘Johnnie’s Bite’ had become famous for speaking truth to power and calling out issues of misgovernance and political impunity.
In other tweets about how the station treats its employees, Otoo cautioned that pandering to politicians will mean the continuous loss of key staff.
“If a media house like TV3 keeps bowing to the pressures of politicians, they will keep coming for more of your staff they disagree with! Also, prepare for someone worse than Johnnie and I.”
She referenced how the Communications Director of NPP, Richard Ahiagbah “has started harassing Roland Walker!” Walker is one of the senior journalists with the station.
“Will Beatrice Agyemang take Roland Walker off when the pressure gets to her? Why can’t you stand by your staff who are to have an independent mind of their own and not puppets, nodding yes to everything!” Otoo fumed.
Find her main tweet below
It’s @hughes_onair ! You are taking him off New Day, bowing to the pressure of NPP to take him off. How do you this to your main star on the show? Does Beatrice Agyemang think she can control the staff that come there? You did it to me and now 5 years later you are doing.. pic.twitter.com/Z6I8XSdzv4
If a media house like @tv3_ghana keep bowing to the pressures of politicians, they will keep coming for more of your staff they disagree with! Also prepare for someone worse than Johnnie and I. Already I’ve seen Comm. Dir. Of NPP @RAahiagbah has started harassing Roland Walker!
Nigerian singer and songwriter, Temilade Openiyi, better known as Tems has been nominated for an Oscar award with “Lift Me Up” in the Best Original Song category.
She becomes the first Nigerian artiste to receive an Oscar nomination.
The 27-year-old singer secured an Oscar nomination for her contribution to “Lift Me Up” off Black Panther (Wakanda Forever).
Tems is nominated for her co-writing Lift Me Up for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever movie.
The song released in October 2022, was nominated for Best Original Song.
The Nigerian songstress was nominated alongside Ryan Coogler, Ludwig Göransson and Rihanna who also have song writing credits on Lift Me Up.
Applause from Tell It Like a Woman, Hold My Hand from Top Gun: Maverick and Naatu Naatu from RRR are also nominated for Best Original Song.
In October, the Afrobeats sensational singer took home one of the enormous awards at the annual BMI London Awards.
Tems won the Impact Prize which honours leading songwriters, music publishers, and composers in the UK and Europe.
She was also nominated for a Grammy and a Golden Globe.
Controversial marriage counsellor, George Lutterodt, has stated women whose rent are being paid by married men should be ashamed of this accomplisment.
His comments come on the heels of the action of a former female National Service Person who has sued the First Atlantic Bank’s Chief Financial Officer, Ernest Kwasi Nimako, over sexual harassment and breaching a contractual agreement.
According to the counsellor on Okay FM, young women who reside in leased apartments paid for by married men need to feel humiliated rather than take pride in their behaviour.
“Sisters should be ashamed of her (Deborah Seyram Adablah) because sisters who are lying in rented apartments that are being paid for by married men should rather commit suicide and die than be proud that a few sisters who live in accommodation are being paid for by a married man, and you are proud of her. Shameful people.
He also posed a general question to women about what they could do for men other than engage in sexual activity.
“Apart from sexual intercourse what do you have to offer any man on earth? Don’t say it out loud, answer it in your own closet and be proud of it and be proud of it.
“Apart from sexual intercourse what do you add to man in your life? Forget your father, forget your brother, forget your cousins. Apart from removing pants, what do you have to add to the life of anyone? You don’t answer in public. Answer in secret,” he added.
On January 24, 2023, Deborah Seyram Adablah, in her writ of summons stated that during her National Service at the bank, she entered into a ‘parlor relationship’ as a result of persistent sexual harassment and abuse by Ernest Kwasi Nimako.
According to her, Ernest Kwasi Nimako was her superior in the capacity of the Chief Financial Officer at the bank.
Hence, failure on her part to accept Mr. Nimako’s sexual demands meant her days at the bank were going to be miserable.
In her writ, she also alleged that virtually every senior manager has a girlfriend in the bank, and they change the ladies at their will, to the knowledge of the managers of the bank.
She reiterated that failure on the part of the female staff to give in to their demands would mean they would be bullied by their bosses.
Ghanaian gospel singer, fashion designer and CEO of Abs Luxeline, Abena Serwaa Ophelia, has emphatically stated that there is no harm in gospel artistes listening to other genres of music and vice versa.
According to her, a lot of people assume musicians should only be allowed to sing the same genre of the song they produce.
Speaking to Akua Sika on the Happy Evening Drive, Madam Ophelia said “Someone might say it is for trends but I really don’t see anything wrong with it. A couple of secular artistes have sung gospel songs, Kwabena Kwabena, Daddy Lumba and even recently Nacee was heard singing a secular song”.
Madam Ophelia believes that they shouldn’t be judged irrespective of what they decide to sing, adding that “the most important thing is our relationship with God”.
“I don’t see it as a big deal although some people have their reasons. Personally, I like listening to Kojo Antwi, Daddy Lumba and many other secular artistes and I don’t believe that makes me bad,” she asserted.
The gospel artiste ended by saying that she wouldn’t mind singing with award-winning dance hall artiste Shatta Wale and award-winning rapper Sarkodie.
Veteran Ghanaian musician,Abrantie Amakye Dede has stated that Nigerian artistes have taken over the Highlife music genre.
Speaking on Kessben TV, the “Iron Boy” as he is affectionately called said the truth is that Highlife which was known to be a Ghanaian music genre has shifted to Nigerians.
“Well you know if I want to say it as it is I can boldly tell you that now Highlife has shifted to the side of Nigerians,” he said as monitored by MyNewsGh.com.
He remarked, “The truth should be said as it is because Ghana was known to be doing Highlife music and that’s what most of us have been doing for ages”.
Amakye Dede moved to Nigeria in the 1970s where he had his hit song “Jealousy go shame”. He formed his own band, the Apollo High Kings in 1980 and dominated the scene in the 1980s and 1990s.
He continued “We brought the Highlife music that is Ghana because we were known for that genre of music but now it’s like Highlife is dying but Highlife will never die”.
Ghanaian gospel musician, Great Ampong has made a sharp turn on his earlier claim that his track “Onyame Akatua (Osisifo) is a diss song to legendary hi-life artiste Daddy Lumba.
In a Power FM interview, the gospel artiste said that Lumba is not the target of his song and that he wouldn’t shy away from mentioning him if he was indeed the one.
“I can compose a song and have his name in it because I have composed songs for people. Some people approach me to compose songs for their dead relatives and I do. I take the deceased’s name and details and then compose the song.
“I could have mentioned his name and the song was more than three to four minutes long but you never heard any name,” he stated.
His statement on Radio XYZ is at variance with his claim on Happy FM that he had composed a song in response to Daddy Lumba after his song “Ofon Na Edi Asem Fo” was made public.
“I said I was going to compose a song, and he will hear from me, but this isn’t the song. I am not backtracking on my words. Did I mention his name when I wrote a song for Nana Addo Dankwa?
“When you listened to my song, did you hear anyone’s name in it? I am telling you the time for me to compose the song for him (Daddy Lumba) hasn’t come,” he added.
He, furthermore, specified that he seldom listens to interviews he grants to media organizations and that he can’t recall the specifics of his interview with Happy FM.
“In my Happy FM interview, I don’t remember what I said until I listen to it. I haven’t sat down to listen to the interview. Even my songs, when I record them, I don’t listen to them again,” he disclosed.
In 2016, Isaiah Kwadwo Ampong and Daddy Lumba had a rift over some GH₵3.6 billion old Ghana cedis proceeds from an album launch that the latter allegedly pocketed.
This was after a joint production of an album, “Hossana,” in which Ampong reportedly wrote eight out of ten songs.
Without a second thought, I’m much convinced that First Atlantic Bank CFO, Mr Ernest Kwasi Nimako have regretted his costly decision of going into an amorous relationship with Debby.
His ex-side chick has done him more harm than he could have ever imagined and from this bitter life experience, I’m 100% sure that if he dies and gets another chance to come to Earth again, he’ll dedicate his entire life to Christ and become a roman father.
As we all know, both Mr Ernest Kwasi Nimako and his ex-lover Debby who has now become a pain in the arse for him have been trading on the internet for the past 24 hours now and counting.
The two fighting ex-lovers fast became internet sensations after an anonymous person leaked a writ of summons which was handed over to Mr Kwasi Nimako over his failure to fulfil the promise he made to Debby when they were dating.
According to Debby, Mr Kwasi Nimakl promised her Heaven on Earth when they were dating therefore if he wasn’t to back out from the affair, he must bountifully compensate her.
She also claims although, after her National Service, she was eligible to be retained on contract, Nimako asked her to leave so he takes care of her but he has since failed to do so.
These are the things Debby is seeking as redress from Mr Ernest Kwasi Nimako;
Transfer the title of the car into her name.
Cost of repairs of 10,000gh.
Pays lump sum money to enable her to start a business.
Pay the remaining 2 years’ rent.
Pay the outstanding arrears of her monthly allowance from July 2022 to the date of judgment and pays all medical expenses as a result of side effects.
General damages against her
In the midst of all this fuss, some men who have come across the pictures of Debby on social media have suggested we give Mr Kwasi Nimal a break because the lady’s beauty pierces the eye and about 90% of men would have done the same thing the banker did.
Truthfully, Debby is a beauty to behold and that was the main reason Mr Nimak was all over her until she decided to have another affair outside theirs.
From the photos, one can conclude that Debby is big men’s meat reason Mr Nimako was able to get her for himself because young guys can’t afford her luxurious lifestyle.
He went on to say that the industry was vulnerable to numerous types of corruption, which might have a negative impact on trade and investment.
Dr Buwumia who made the call last Thursday in a speech read on his behalf at the opening of the Global Best in Vessel Clearance Workshop in Accra said the lack of transparency in Import and Export Licensing as well as with other regulatory requirements which make movement of goods time consuming, burdensome and expensive contributed to corruption in our Ports.
The Ghana Revenue Authority for instance estimates that Ghana loses more than $8.3 million monthly in revenue through corrupt practices at our Ports.
This figure amounts to almost $50 million every six months and a $100 million annually.
“These loses are due in part to the deception by some Importers who deliberately wrongly declare contents of imported containers with some Port Officials aiding in this deception,” he said.
That in turn, he said had negative effects on social, economic and sustainable development as well as a country’s risk and integrity rating, potentially impacting on foreign direct investment.
Hence, it was vital for all Stakeholders in the Ship/shore interface to embrace and implement anti-corruption practices and procedures.
Nature of shipping industry The Deputy Director-General of Finance & Administration at the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), Yaw Akosa Antwi, said corruption in the maritime industry will persist due to the nature of the shipping industry.
“This fragmented and impervious nature of the shipping industry makes fighting corruption difficult as it portends a multidimensional challenge that requires an all-inclusive solution.
It is therefore essential for the public and private sector as well as other actors to collaborate and align standards thereby mitigating the corruption risk,” he said.
For his part, the Associate Director for Global Operations & Industry Engagement at the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network, Vivek Menon, said despite last year’s drop in piracy incidents, approaching West-African ports were still considered a high-risk and a global concern for the shipping industry.He said the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement had opportunities for Africa to boost intra-African Trade and integrate into the global economy.
However, for AfCFTA to be successful, it was crucial that the continent had an efficient and reliable transport system in place.
“This is where the new port of Tema can be part of inspiration to extend the necessary infrastructure, services and capacities to support the “Let us work together to harness the potential of the blue economy for Africa, ensuring that any obstacles to realising its potential will be eliminated,” Mr Menon said.
Tottenham have beaten Everton to land Netherlands forward Arnaut Danjuma on loan from Villarreal.
The managerless Toffees were on the brink of sealing a deal for the versatile attacker but missed out after the North Londoners launched a last-minute move.
After sealing his switch until the end of the season, Danjuma tweeted: “To dare is to do. Let’s get to work!”
In a post on Tottenham’s official Twitter feed, the new arrival added: “Hi guys, Arnaut Danjuma here. I’m very excited to be here and can’t wait to see you all in the stadium. Let’s go.”
Spurs are chasing Champions League qualification and sit just three points off the Premier League’s top four following Monday night’s victory at Fulham.
They had been linked with Leandro Trossard and Mykhailo Mudryk before the duo joined Arsenal and Chelsea respectively.
Antonio Conte has now turned to the Dutchman, 25, as he looks to bolster his attacking options for the second half of the season.
Heung-Min Son, Dejan Kulusevski, Richarlison and Lucas Moura have all struggled with injuries and the signing will provide valuable depth.
Danjuma has Premier League experience from his time with Bournemouth but struggled to make an impact as the Cherries were relegated in 2019-20.
Spurs will hope he shows the same form as the following season, when he struck 15 times in 33 Championship appearances to earn a move to Spain.
He was one of the standout performers as the Yellow Submarine reached the Champions League semi-finals last season, netting six times in 11 appearances.
Danjuma can play through the middle or out wide and has two goals in six international caps, although he missed out on a trip to the Qatar World Cup.
Conte’s men are next in action on Saturday, when they make the trip to Preston in the FA Cup fourth round.
Bournemouth have agreed to sign goalkeeper Darren Randolph on a permanent deal from West Ham and Roma defender Matias Vina on loan for the rest of the season.
Randolph joined West Ham from Middlesbrough in January 2020 but has made only 10 first-team appearances, the last of which was in May 2021.
The 35-year-old still has 18 months left on his Hammers contract.
However, he had little chance of senior action at London Stadium.
By accepting the offer to join Bournemouth he will provide competition for first-choice keeper Neto, who has just returned to action following a hamstring injury.
Vina was part of Uruguay’s World Cup squad but has not played for Roma since his return from Qatar and has started just one Serie A game this season.
The 25-year-old left-back brings additional experience to Gary O’Neil’s squad, which new owner Bill Foley has vowed to strengthen before the transfer window closes in a bid to avoid relegation.
Should they complete their transfers Randolph and Vina could be in the Bournemouth squad for the Premier League trip to Brighton on 4 February.
The Cherries are also close to signing Senegal forward Nicolas Jackson after agreeing a 23m euro (£20.3m) deal with Villarreal on Tuesday.
They have already spent about £20m on Burkina Faso winger Dango Ouattara, who made his debut against Nottingham Forest on Saturday following his move from French side Lorient.
Popular gospel musician, Great Ampong, confessed that despite being a devout Christian, he will always view Muslims as being more charitable and giving than Christians.
Speaking in an interview on Happy FM, Ampong stated that he spent nine years sleeping in a church due to his homelessness and lack of employment, but no one saw him to help him out.
“I even used to clean and sometimes sing during events, but no one in the church ever invited me home to eat or even gave me money for food… Christians are wicked,” he said.
According to the musician, the first person to ever gift him money for the first time was the late Alhaji Banda of blessed memory.
“These are some of the things which make Christianity difficult. The first man to ever give me Ghc 300.00 in 2003 was Alhaji Banda.
“He gave me that money, the first time we met and he did so without me asking him, the person who really helped me in my music career was him who is a Muslim,” he explained
Quite recently, Isaiah Kwadwo Ampong and Daddy Lumba had a rift over some 3.6 million old Ghana cedis proceeds from an album launch that the latter allegedly pocketed.
This was after a joint production of an album, “Hossana,” in which Ampong reportedly wrote eight out of ten songs.
There is a growing sense of cautious optimism about the future of the world economy at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos and elsewhere. According to economists at Davos, inflation appears to be leveling down, and moderate growth is anticipated rather than a full-blown recession.
Speaking during the Forum’s Annual Meeting’s final session, Global Economic Outlook: Is this the End of an Era?, In response to these forecasts, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva has pleaded for realism and asked monetary authorities to “stay put.”
“What has improved is the prospect for China to boost growth.
“We project 2.7 per cent for the world. This may be corrected somewhat in a couple of days… What is positive is that we have seen demonstrably the strength of labour markets translating into consumers spending and keeping the economy up.”
However, she went on to reiterate her plea for caution, making clear that the global economic outlook remains poor.
“Why we should be cautious? Well, first, 2.7 per cent growth, if this is the growth we achieve, by far is not fabulous. This is the third lowest growth rate in the last decades after the global financial crisis and COVID. It’s not great.”
She also warned that a resurgent Chinese economy — dormant for three years during the pandemic — could inflame inflation just as the rest of the world appeared to be getting to grips with it.
“What if the good news of China growing faster translates into oil and gas prices jumping up, putting pressure on inflation?”
“Stay in the middle of realism,” said Georgieva, “that seems to serve the world well.”
And while economies showed signs of recovery, the IMF boss warned that the Ukraine war continued to represent a “tremendous risk” for confidence everywhere, but particularly in Europe. She also emphasized the risk that unemployment could return, adding: “It is very different for a consumer to have cost of living crisis and a job than to have cost of living crisis and no job.”
The danger of fragmentation
She also issued a stark warning on the potential for global fragmentation of trade to slow or even reverse the fragile global economic recovery.
On supply chains, she said, “if we diversify rationally, the cost of this adjustment would be low. We put it down to 0.2 per cent of GDP. If we are like an elephant in a china shop and we trash trade that has been an engine for growth for so many decades, the costs can go up to 7 per cent loss of GDP: $7 trillion.”
She urged authorities to: “Be pragmatic, collaborate, do the right thing. Keep the global economy integrated for the benefit of all of us.” — IMF
Ghanaian comedian Teacher Kwadwo is out with a new catch.
This time around, he has gone for a heavily endowed, chubby-like lady as his girlfriend.
In a video he shared on social media to make it official, Teacher Kwadwo romantically gave his audience an idea of who this lucky person is.
Aside from the romantic undertones, Teacher Kwadwo opened the car door to help her step out. The attention was shifted to the huge yet nice backside of the lady.
“Teacher Kwadwo likes big things,” one of his commentators said.
Teacher Kwadewo, after his fallout with the Ghana Education Service, where he was thrown out, appears to be enjoying life even better.
The new lady she has flaunted is obviously a huge achievement that she would like the entire world to see.
Note: The numbers in the graphs may not add up to 100 per cent because figures have been rounded up/down. The survey also highlighted significant regional divergence in growth expectations within a general pattern of weakened expectations relative to the last survey.
The situation in Europe and the US is now stark, with 100 per cent of chief economists expecting weak or very weak growth this year in the former and 91 per cent expecting weak or very weak growth in the latter. This marks a significant deterioration in recent months: at the time of the last survey, the corresponding figures were 86 per cent for Europe and 64 per cent for the US.
In the US, the pace and extent of monetary tightening will exert a significant drag on economic activity this year.
The survey results for the 2023 outlook in China are polarized, with almost half of respondents now expecting weak or very weak growth in China, with the other half expecting moderate or even strong growth.
Recent moves to unwind the country’s highly restrictive zero-COVID policy are expected to deliver a boost to growth. However, it remains to be seen how disruptive the policy shift will be, particularly in terms of the health impacts of COVID-19’s expected rapid spread through the population. A number of additional factors are likely to weigh on China’s growth in 2023, such as weak consumer confidence, missing the 5 per cent growth target for 2022 and continued strain in financial markets and the real-estate sector.
In MENA, two-thirds of respondents(70 per cent) expect moderate or strong growth in 2023. While this overall proportion has slightly dipped since the September edition, expectations of strong growth have increased from 12 per cent to 15 per cent. Energy exporters in the region continue to benefit from tight commodity markets, but oil prices have fallen by almost 25 per cent since June 2022 and these countries will be vulnerable to the impacts of any slowdown in global growth in 2023.
In the East Asia and Pacific region, 37 per cent of chief economists expect weak growth in 2023, and 63 per cent expect moderate or strong growth, similar to September.
However, that broad pattern masks a shift in expectations from strong to moderate growth since the last survey.
During that period, the region has seen negative terms-of-trade developments, as well as policy tightening moves that placed increased pressure on households and businesses.
Challenging global financial conditions are also weighing on the economic outlook for Latin America and the Caribbean, and for Sub-Saharan Africa. For both regions, 68 per cent of respondents expect weak growth in 2023.
This is a slight improvement for Sub-Saharan African but points to a worsening of conditions for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Inflation moderates, but slowly Inflation over the last year was stubbornly high and broad-based, but a number of modestly encouraging data releases in the final quarter of 2022 provide some room for optimism over the medium-term inflation outlook in 2023.
A range of factors have contributed to a slight easing of the rate of inflation, including rapid and synchronized monetary tightening, stabilization of supply conditions and commodity prices, and an easing of demand pressures.
The latest IMF forecast is that global inflation will dip to 6.5 per cent this year from 8.8 per cent in 2022.
Outlook
For Europe, this is likely to reflect the deepening impact of the ongoing war in Ukraine as well as the effects of sharp Increases in interest rates. The combination of high energy prices, elevated borrowing costs and sluggish demand has even led to instances of industrial capacity being left idle. With about half of the EU steel plants at a standstill as of November 2022 and fertilizer production capacity reduced by70 per cent, the European industrial sector is facing a challenging year ahead.
Some economies in the region, including Bangladesh and India, may benefit from global trends such as a diversification of manufacturing supply chains away from
Although no regions are slated for very high inflation, expectations of high inflation range from 57 per centof respondents for Europe to just 5 per centof respondents for China.
The direction of changes in responses since the last edition differs from region to region. For example, the proportion of respondents expecting high inflation in Europe has increased from 47 per cent to 57 per cent since September, while for the US, it has declined sharply from 43 per cent to 24 per cent.
The expectation is for moderate inflation throughout 2023 in several regions: SubSaharan Africa (61 per cent), East Asia and Pacific (58 per cent), MENA region (53 per cent) and South Asia (47 per cent).
By contrast, in Latin America and the Caribbean and Central Asia, relatively high shares of respondents expect high inflation (45 per cent and 42 per cent, respectively).
This is likely to reflect a combination of supply chain disruptions from the war in Ukraine as well as the continuing impact of spikes in food and fuel prices during 2022.
China is an outlier in the other direction, with almost half of respondents (48 per cent) expecting low inflation (up from 28 per cent in September). As noted above, however, the short-term outlook for the Chinese economy is clouded by uncertainty surrounding the speed of the country’s removal of pandemic restrictions.
If a full re-opening leads to a sharp recovery in economic activity, it would be likely to push Chinese prices significantly higher than previously seemed likely, as well as adding new impetus to global inflationary pressures.
Policy-makers face trade-offs
The global backdrop of weak growth and persistently high (albeit moderating) inflation presents policy-makers with challenges of historic proportions at the start of 2023.
Chief among these will be the need to bring inflation much closer to the 2 per cent target without choking off growth, but the challenges run deeper.
Accumulated societal strains from the last years as well as climate mitigation and adaptation present pressing investment needs in numerous countries.
In the immediate term, central banks are the key economic decision-makers. Following a year of sharp and coordinated tightening, the chief economists surveyed expect the monetary policy stance to remain constant in most of the world this year.
In Europe and the US, a majority of respondents (59 per cent and 55 per cent, respectively) expect further tightening in 2023. The Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank have both indicated that such additional tightening is on the way, but it is notable that the two banks’ most recent rate increases in December were smaller, at 50 basis points, than previous 75 basis point hikes in the current tightening cycle.
Nonetheless, a quarter of respondents expect looser monetary policy in the US and Europe by the end of 2023.
Gavi will be able to be signed up to the Barcelona first team this January. La Liga have not given the all clear to the Barca side to register the academy graduate.
Gavi will continue to be, because of La Liga, a Barca Atletic player. The chiefs of the league have not allowedBarcelonato register the player as a full member of the first team.
Barcelona were hoping that, with Memphis Depay’s departure to Atletico Madrid, and Gerard Pique’s now official retirement, they were going to be able to register Gavi in the first team.
However, according to reports from ‘Marca’ and ‘RAC1’, the club have not reduced their wage bill enough to get pas the ‘Financial Fair Play’ regulations and sign Gavi up to the first team.
It is understood that there are more requirements for La Liga, as well as reducing the wage bill from Depay and Pique’s departure, to open up signing new players. ‘Marca’ claimed that the club are still not complying with two articles, numbers 101 and 93.6.
The first one is that the new deals are taken into account with the wage bill for next year. And the second one is that the clubs with high incomes have got to present a liquid assest plan.
Therefore, Gavi will not be able to be registered as a first team player until the next transfer window opens in July, ahead of the new season.
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 of 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 heart beats 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.
Collectively, our aim may include landing a specific job or promotion, learning a new skill or earning a certain amount of money.
It is important to note that whatever your goals may be, always ensure they are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound (SMART). One of the ways to remain focused and motivated throughout the year is to develop a clear career roadmap for whatever you want to achieve. Some career goals and ideas to help you plan for the new year are:
Networks help to build relationships, learn about new opportunities, and gain valuable insights from others in the industry. I will advise anyone having difficulties in networking to start by connecting with co-workers and friends to build their confidence to attend events and meet others.
Also, it is crucial to set a measurable goal of the specific number of people, events and associations to build relationships with throughout the year.
Learn a new skill and keep up with industry trends
To be competitive in today’s market, one will require developing a new skill and a continuous learning approach. Demonstrating one’s expertise and commitment to learning will make you more likely to stand out and advance in your career.
Some of these include taking courses and staying up-to-date with the latest trends and developments in your particular industry. It is necessary to analyse your current skill set and identify other skills or expertise to enhance your knowledge.
Once you find the skill set you want to develop, you should research the various courses and resources available. The GIZ Ghana Job-Fair programme has created opportunities for job seekers to acquire the necessary skills and mindsets for innovative and sustainable approaches.
Seek Feedback and Continuously Improve
Receiving feedback gracefully and taking action to make the necessary improvements boost one’s performance in the workplace. These further create a healthy work environment where everyone can thrive.
It is critical to actively and openly listen to feedback from your team. Being on the receiving end of feedback helps you to be more empathetic.
It is also expedient to seek some response from colleagues, supervisors and mentors to get a sense of what you are doing well and where you can improve.
It is vital to use such feedback to set specific goals for yourself and work on the areas where you need improvement that will enable you to succeed and advance in your career by continually striving to improve and grow.
Challenging Yourself with New Responsibilities
Introducing your challenges at work will not improve your career performance per se but also provide the perfect opportunity to enhance your skills and further career prospects.
By adopting this approach in your current role, you will gain invaluable skills and experience that will seamlessly transfer you into your next position when you are ready to move on. Furthermore, don’t be afraid to volunteer for new opportunities or ask for additional responsibilities.
Increase your productivity
Modern working life involves coping with lots of potential distractions. One of the ways to increase your performance at your workplace is by boosting your productivity.
I believe that challenging yourself to become more efficient eliminates old habits, and you will realise the impact of taking those small steps to become a better worker.
Further your education
One of the ways to shift your perspective and provide a different point of view to accomplish tasks is by gaining more knowledge through higher education or workshops.
As you plan to advance your career, having a degree, attending seminars and workshops, or participating in webinars can provide an advantage over others in the industry. Furthering your education can provide new insights and ideas that you can use to make changes within your career.
The value proposition offers a declaration of purpose or a statement that establishes a company’s brand by explaining to customers what the company stands for, how it functions, and why it merits their patronage.
A successful value proposition consists of a few basic yet crucial components. These include distinction, measurable value, and significance.
Relevancy
People buy a product or seek a service because they want to either solve a problem or improve a situation. It is, therefore, the duty of the business owner to explain how your product solves customers’ problems or improves their situation. For instance, in the Graphic Business newspaper, we have created a new simple column that defines and explains simple business and economic concepts to our readers. It is true that one can easily google to find the meaning but while reading that paper, readers get the opportunity at once.
Particularly, for tertiary business students and small businesses, some of the topical words or concepts used during the week that they heard but could not understand, its defined and explained. Again, the paper has been able to add new elements such as Side Bars, Inforgrapgs, among other things, to give some extra information or illustrate a situation in a graphical manner. “Never underestimate small things. It is the small things in life which count; it is the inconsequential leak which empties the biggest reservoir.” – Charles Comiskey.
Quantified value
Every customer buys a service or product because they want some very specific value. For instance, the business owner must be in the position to explain what is in the service or product the customer cannot see but will want to buy. This means that the business must at all cost be able to deliver specific benefits.
JJCOBS is a poultry farm in Gomoa. The company is focused on selling eggs. This is not a new business because there are many more in this competition. But JJCOBS, with a tagline– “Our chickens lay eggs” has more customers because it is focused on ensuring that the eggs are bigger than competition but sells at the same price. It is highly nutritious because of what the birds are fed with. Displayed in the malls, supermarkets and even with the hawkers on the streets, they have more market simply because their eggs are bigger at the same price compared to competition. Again, the shells are strong compared to competition and cooks faster. This means, one is able to save a little more on time and fuel used in cooking. All these values are quantifiable and once communicated and experienced, the market accepts it and even with word of mouth, you can sell. Create value for the customer but let him be able to quantify the value.
Differentiation
If there is nothing new under the sun, then as a business owner, it must be made clear that the service or product you offer is either already on the market or will soon be out because yours is out there. This is why the business owner must be able to tell the ideal customers why they should buy from you and not from the competition. Something must make your product distinct and it could be based on the following strategies:
Emotional Response- This relies on providing an emotional salience that is tied to a product or service. Usually, brands that develop an emotional connection with their customers are often better positioned than those that provide a superior value.
Innovation – This can be expressed through physical characteristics of the products or the way in which a product or services is delivered. In short, this differentiation solves an unmet need in a unique and novel fashion.
Brand presentation – How a brand presents itself to the market can be a differentiator. In this case, brands that employ a consistent character or mascot can be easily remembered and stand out in the crowd.
Unique experience – This can be manifest in several ways such as a brand’s physical retail presence, exceptional customer service, ease of use of their website, the novel environment that they create, or, simply, the experience of unboxing a product.
Pricing – When handled properly, this can also be an effective approach to differentiation. On one end of the spectrum, a company can strive to be positioned as the ‘low price leader’ offering customers outstanding value.
Conclusion
In today’s hyper-competitive business environment, consumers are inundated by advertising and faced with a plethora of product and service choices. This is making it tough for brands to stand out. But to grow and be successful, it is imperative that business owners try to distinguish their products or service in this crowded marketplace.
Ghana forward, Razak Yusif is hoping to recover fully from his injury to be able to feature in the clash against Niger.
The Black Galaxies of Ghana will face their counterpart from Niger on Saturday in the quarter-finals of the 2022 Championship of African Nations (CHAN) tournament.
Ahead of what will be a tough match, Ghana head coach Annor Walker will hope to have his best players to be available for the game.
Fortunately, captain Gladson Awako has fully recovered from his injury. The Hearts of Oak midfielder missed the Sudan game through injury but is now fully fit and available for selection in the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, attacker Razak Yusif who is also injured is yet to get back to full fitness.
He is expected to recover before the quarter-final game on Saturday but is now racing with time.
If he is unable to fully train with his teammates by Friday, he will miss the Niger game.
When finished, this should result in annual savings for the business of $5.5 to $7 million.
The company stated in a press statement that one of their main initiatives was the construction of an access road to connect the process units, which are located roughly 15 kilometers apart.
This road, it said, would support shared services activities and would be developed further to become a mine haul road, so that ore could be treated where most appropriate.
“As previously disclosed, opportunities to reduce costs and improve our operations have been estimated to present savings of up to approximately $5.5 to $7 million per year,” it stated.
“Implementation of actions to capture these opportunities has been started, including coordinated supply of principal consumable materials to the mine with identified commonality. To date, more than $1.5 million in annual cost reductions have been captured”.
Increase in gold production
The company in the release, also stated that it was on course to meet its 400,000 ounces’ gold production target after recording a 20.7 per cent increase in average monthly gold production for November and December 2022, as compared with the prior two months.
The increases were recorded from its Bibiani and Chirano Gold Mines, all located in Ghana.
In November and December, gold production on a combined basis for Bibiani and Chirano totalled 47,954 ounces for a monthly average of 23,977 ounces, up 20.7 per cent from previous 39,731 ounces or a monthly average of 19,866 ounces for September and October.
The November and December gold production monthly average was up 34.4 per cent from the monthly average of 17,834 ounces’ gold from August to October, 2022, Asante’s third fiscal quarter.
This is good news for the country as it will go a long way to boost gold production figures this year.
With the country currently implementing a gold for oil initiative which would see it exchange its gold for oil on the international market, a boost in gold production would help make this initiative successful.
No lost time from injuries
The company also noted that it continued its record of no lost time from injuries, consolidated preliminary gold production of 23,760 and 24,180 ounces respectively for November and December; and completed final US$30 million deferred payment, completing the Bibiani acquisition.
It also completed US$54 million in the first and second tranche payments on the company’s gold forward sale agreement in October 2022 and January 2023 through the delivery of 16,249.60 and 14,113.51 ounces of gold, respectively.
The CEO of Asante Gold Corporation, Dave Anthony, in the release stated that “over the past 12 months, Asante has been transformed from an early-stage exploration company to a mid-tier gold producer.
“The significant production gains in November and December bode well for the achievement of our 400,000-ounce target from Bibiani and Chirano for the fiscal year ending January 31, 2024. Over the past five months, we have made payments totalling US$83.6 million towards closing our Bibiani acquisition and repaying our gold forward sale agreement”.
Looking forward, he said the company would continue to capture the benefits of owning these two nearby operating mines which incorporate a district scale land package with significant exploration potential.
He said value creation initiatives were proceeding across its business as it looked to make Asante one of the top mining companies in Africa.
Kwesi Appiah has justified why he deserves to be named the head coach of the Black Stars for the third time.
The 63-year-old in his recent interview with Kumasi-based Sompa FM confirmed that he has applied for the vacant coaching role.
The national team is currently without a head coach following Otto Addo’s resignation.
The Borussia Dortmund talent coach left his role after Black Stars’ early exit at the 2022 World Cup hosted in Qatar last year.
The Ghana Football Association [GFA] are expected to name a new head coach for the side before the playing body reassembles in March for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations [AFCON] doubleheader clash against Angola.
Despite over 60 expatriate coaches applying for the job, Appiah, who has already had two stints with the team speaking in an interview justified why he is the right man for the job.
According to him, he introduced about 40 players to the team who are currently key players for the team.
The soft-spoken coach believed that his credentials made him the most qualified Ghanaian coach to handle the Black Stars now following his immense contribution to the team during his two previous stints.
“The last time we checked I had introduced about 40 players to the Black Stars in recent times,” the Kotoko legend told Graphic Sports.
“These are the players who are carrying the team and holding aloft the Ghana flag now,” he noted.
Appiah is famously remembered for leading the Black Stars to the Fifa World Cup in Brazil in 2014.
Premier League club Bournemouth has not given up on their mission to sign Bristol City striker Antoine Semenyo in the ongoing winter transfer window.
Bournemouth’s second offer of £8m + £2m in add-ons for striker Antoine Semnyo was rejected by Bristol City last week.
According to an article in The Sun Bournemouth was prepared to pay the Bristol City striker £50,000-a-week to join.
However, the offer fell short of Bristol City’s valuation according to reports in England.
With four goals in his last five games, Semenyo has been in superb form for the Robins lately. With eight goals and 11 assists in 20 games, the 23-year-old is playing at the same levels he routinely showed throughout the second half of the previous season despite missing the whole preseason due to injury.
After the club activated the year option in December, he has just under 18 months left on his contract.
Last week City’s coach Nigel Pearson praised Antoine Semenyo’s professionalism in the midst of endless reports linking him to other clubs.
Ghana Premier League side, Accra Great Olympics have confirmed the signing of Christopher Nettey in the ongoing transfer window.
Nettey mutually parted ways with Asante Kotoko in December following the expiration of his contract.
He was a key figure for the Porcupine Warriors when they annexed the 2021/22 Ghana Premier League title.
The 24-year-old was linked with a move to Hearts of Oak.
Nettey featured for the two-time Ghana Premier League champions during the 2017/18 season on a season-long loan deal from Attram De Visser before joining Kotoko on a three-year deal.
He made 62 appearances in all competitions for Asante Kotoko across the three years he spent at the club, scoring once in the process.
Nettey played 18 matches last season to help the Porcupines win the Ghana Premier League title for the first time in eight years.
Nettey in November 2020 earned a maiden call up the Black Stars for a double-header during the 2021 AFCON qualifiers against Sudan.
Since the transfer window opened, the talented winger has been the subject of two offers already.
Your most trusted online portal can report that the former FC Nordsjaelland man is wanted by both Southampton and Dutch Eredivisie side PSV.
Checks made have confirmed that both clubs have submitted bids to Stade Rennais in a bid to secure the services of Kamaldeen Sulemana.
It is understood that the two clubs presented offers in the region of €17m for the Ghana winger but both offers were rejected.
Reports in France indicate that Kamaldeen Sulemana fancies a move away from Stade Rennais in search of regular playing time which has become hard to come by this season.
At the moment, Stade Rennais FC also believe in his potential and quality and wants to keep him at the club.
This is a part of the efforts to uphold and advance shippers’ interests.
The engagement was completed last Wednesday while the PIC was in the Terminal.
It followed a number of alleged procedure violations by shippers and transporters at the Terminal.
The breaches reported included the use of rickety vehicles for picking up containers, overstaying of trucks after scanning and delays in shipping line notification for export-tagged containers.
The Committee, led by the Board Chairperson of the GSA, Stella Wilson, and the Commissioner of the Customs Division of the GRA, Alhaji Seidu Iddrisu Iddisah, had fruitful discussions on the reports received on the state of the services at the Terminal with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MPS, Mr Mohammed Samara.
Ms Wilson spoke on areas of collaboration between the GSA and the MPS to ensure effective resolution of the challenges.
She said, “Our aim is to have a better understanding of the technicalities involved in your operations to enable us to assist shippers with their complaints.
The CEO of MPS said management was working to ensure that their services were made mutually beneficial to all stakeholders.
To that end, the terminal had leveraged advanced technologies such as the Truck Appointment System (TAS) to enhance the operations at the port.
He further said the adaptation of the TAS had led to a reduction in the time required for the clearing of goods, putting Ghana on her way to becoming a hub for trade in West Africa.
The committee was led on a tour of some areas of the terminal, including the Standard Operating Procedure office, the Export Scanners Terminal, Drivers Help Desk, Quayside, the Import Scanners Building and the Holding Area to give them a first-hand experience of how activities are conducted at the Terminal.
Ghanaian Nico Williams, who is rumored to have received an offer from Aston Villa during the ongoing winter transfer window, were discussed by Athletic Bilbao coach Ernesto Valverde on Wednesday in the Lezama press room.
“The fact that there is noise with Nico…doesn’t worry me, we are in January and these things always happen at Market time, but that happens to all the teams. There are always rumours, they are already In the landscape, it’s like that; it doesn’t move us or doesn’t move us, we already know what to do,” he said.
Valverde also gave some advice to his young attacker during the press conference.
“I always give them to him for his improvement, Nico is young and has many things to improve but he also has great potential. In general, all young footballers are valued for what they do and for what they are expected to do in the future. they can become,” he argued.
“To improve you have to work every day and have continuity, here at Athletic he already has it and hopefully he will be a better player and more effective in the last stretch, there he has room for improvement and we work with him on that in Lezama every day,”
In contrast to other movie industries outside of Ghana, the Ghanaian film industry is said to have been seeing a drop in output for some time now, making it a less serious and vibrant industry.
Regardless, actress cum producer, Yvonne Nelson has said that she is sick and tired of talking about how industry players can help revive the movie industry.
In an interview with 3Music TV, she stated that she was doing her part and hoped it was enough to restore the movie industry to its former splendour.
“I don’t blame anyone but I believe you guys (media) talk about what you see. It’s obvious the industry is not as vibrant as before and I am sick and tired of talking about this subject. I am tired of it. For me, I am doing my part.
“It works and for me, it’s a business and I have the passion. I just cannot see myself not producing anymore. I believe I am going to be around for a long time. The thing is my colleagues and I have to invest,” she said.
Yvonne further said that she thinks many people have already given up on the movie industry and that locals need to learn to invest in what is theirs because outsiders won’t do it for them.
“We have to invest in the industry, and if we don’t, we don’t expect outsiders, people who don’t even know anything about the business to come and invest. Because we know it and this is what we do.
“So I was expecting to see John Dumelo start directing. I am always bugging Majid to direct you know. It’s really just us, and I feel like we’ve given up too easily, and things are the way they are because of us. We have to sit up and do something about it,” she added.
The RSCA Futures has no doubts about the 18-year-old attacker from Verviers, but his contract is up in June. He might yet join Vincent Kompany’s Burnley in the summer, and there is already a lot of interest.
Two Belgian clubs, as well as clubs from England, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Italy, and France, have expressed interest in Enock Agyei according to reports. The best opportunity would go to Standard because it also desires to sign his twin brother Ebenezer, who just shut the door on Neerpede.
Enock Agyei would become more integrated into the first team at Standard than he is at Anderlecht right now.
The two promising talents were discovered by Anderlecht at the age of 10 at the beginning of 2015, after which they were persuaded by youth manager Jean Kindermans to follow the training program of the academy in Neerpede.
While he was still in the U15, Enock was voted the best player in a strong tournament for U18 in Milan.
Popular gospel musician, Great Ampong, confessed that despite being a devout Christian, he will always view Muslims as being more charitable and giving than Christians.
Speaking in an interview on Happy FM, Ampong stated that he spent nine years sleeping in a church due to his homelessness and lack of employment, but no one saw him to help him out.
“I even used to clean and sometimes sing during events, but no one in the church ever invited me home to eat or even gave me money for food… Christians are wicked,” he said.
According to the musician, the first person to ever gift him money for the first time was the late Alhaji Banda of blessed memory.
“These are some of the things which make Christianity difficult. The first man to ever give me Ghc 300.00 in 2003 was Alhaji Banda.
“He gave me that money, the first time we met and he did so without me asking him, the person who really helped me in my music career was him who is a Muslim,” he explained
Quite recently, Isaiah Kwadwo Ampong and Daddy Lumba had a rift over some 3.6 million old Ghana cedis proceeds from an album launch that the latter allegedly pocketed.
This was after a joint production of an album, “Hossana,” in which Ampong reportedly wrote eight out of ten songs.
Moesha Budoung has discussed her love for God and how passionately she feels about His presence.
In a recent interview with blogger Sammy Kay, the actress wore a short skirt and a fashionable, colourful blouse that she complemented with her faux locks and introduced herself as a preacher lady who is also a slay queen.
She added that Ghanaians should keep an eye out for her because the previous Moesha cannot be compared to the new Moesha, who will be in everyone’s faces.
“I am a slay queen, Osofo Maame. I am just getting started because what you knew me for before was just the babies. After all, I am going to be slaying and slaying and slaying.
“In any outfit that I wear, people will talk about it, and it will blow. My past is my past, and I don’t regret any decision that I made because it made me a better woman,” she said.
Moesha continued by saying that she has no regrets and that whatever she has done in the past has been a part of her journey.
“Everything I did was part of my journey, and I don’t look back and think, “I should have done this or that” I love my story, and my story is perfect,” she expressed.
Appearing as the first guest on the Springboard, Your Virtual University this year, Ms Gabor shared her life experiences, lessons, time in the wilderness and her journey to the top.
She described 2022 as her breakthrough year after years in the wilderness.
“Sometimes you could be talented but hidden and you have to trust in God’s timing because he makes all things beautiful in his own time. In the years of being in the wilderness, I was still growing like a carrot.”
Ms Gabor said growing up was a bit tough for her as her father died at an early age.
“When my father died at an early age, people kept asking what was going to become of my life but I trusted in God. I lived with relatives, my mum’s friends at a point in time,” she narrated.
She said in her early days she wanted to become a medical doctor and later a lawyer, until an experience in Awutu where she had gone to visit her mother made her decide to pursue journalism.
“In school, I did not initially want to become a journalist as I wanted to become a doctor but my mathematics was terrible so I switched to lawyer.”
“My breakthrough moment came when I visited my mum at Awutu and there was no electricity there so the only form of entertainment for me was radio and BBC’s signal was very strong there so I kept listening to the BBC and I heard Kwaku Sakyi Addo and I loved his reports,” she narrated.
Amplifying the voice of others
For Ms Gabor, she said she saw journalism as a microphone to amplify the voices of people who could not be heard, her reason for pursuing the profession.
“Each and everyone has a voice but there are many people whose voices are not loud enough so they need a journalist to come in to amplify their voices for them so journalism to me is like a microphone amplifying the voices of those whose voices cannot be heard.”
“Seeing Kwaku do all of these things, I was like I think I know what I want to become in future,” she stated.
Time at AUCC
While pursuing her degree in communications at the African University College of Communications (AUCC), she said she was teaching two kids in her neighbourhood, helping them with their homework.
She said anytime they were tired, she would pick a newspaper and pretended to be a newscaster on TV3.
After completing AUCC, she said she did her service at the Information Services Department and during break times, she would gather her friends and pretend she was a news anchor by reading to them.
“By the time I realised they had started recording me and we would usually laugh over it. One day a guy came along with a video camera and recorded me as if I was in the studio and one day while we were doing that, TV3 was looking for a newscaster and a journalist and we saw that on television while I was pretending I was a news anchor and in unison, everyone’s eye turned to me and they were like ‘you are the one they are looking for.’”
“They encouraged me to go for it, I did and it was a success,” she noted.
Relearning
She said she had to relearn almost everything after going to TV3, especially the English language.
“I made mistakes initially and I was asked to sit back and not come on air to do the major bulletins. I was moved back to focus on the news in brief.”
“One day I went to work and the security man called me to open page two of Graphic Showbiz, a professor had written an article on news anchoring in Ghana and he mentioned the names of some people he felt were not good enough to be on television and my name was part,” she pointed out.
She said people made fun of her as a result of this publication, a situation which almost caused her to resign from TV3.
She, however, did not give up as she got herself a dictionary, worked on herself and worked her way back to the top.
Five lessons in life
1. Do not despise your small beginning
2. Put God first
3. Delays are not denials
4. Develop and work on yourself while in the wilderness
5. There is always a turning point moment of your life and God makes all things beautiful in his time.
Black Stars defender Tariq Lamptey has caught the attention of several European clubs as the transfer window nears its end.
According a to recent report by Fabrizio Romano, the 22-year-old could be on the move from Brighton and Hove Albion.
One club that has shown interest in Lamptey is Olympique Lyon. The French club is said to be considering the defender as a potential replacement for Malo Gusto, who is rumored to be joining Chelsea.
Lamptey, who is known for his speed and versatility, has found it difficult to find playing minutes at Brighton.
He has made 16 appearances for the club this season in the Premier League, only one of them is a start.
The transfer window closes on Tuesday, and it remains to be seen if any clubs will make a formal offer for Lamptey before the deadline.
As the transfer window comes to a close, many clubs are scrambling to finalize deals and Tariq Lamptey is one to watch in the final days. With the interest from Olympique Lyon, we might see him playing at the Ligue 1 soon.
Dennis Appiah, who joined Saint Etienne from FC Nantes in January, has already contributed to the Greens’ defense with more solid performances in Ligue 2.
The experienced defender talks about his arrival in Forez and his professional decision as a guest on the show 100% Sainte on France Bleu Saint-Etienne Loire.
Saint Etienne has moved from 20th to 18th on the league table with 18 points after 19 games. A win for the Greens against Sochaux in their next league game will propel them to 16th.
“You can think that I was good at Nantes because I played a lot of matches. But the Greens project arrived, it could scare those around me more than me (last place). I’m pretty sure we’ll make it, otherwise I wouldn’t have come. In the locker room, things were going well. From training, I saw that there was an ability to do better,” Appiah said.
“The descent hurt last year, and the team was traumatized. With less confidence, we move more slowly. I would have liked to play against Juventus with Nantes in the Europa League, but I felt that I was going to have less playing time at the end of the season there. On my last clubs, I stayed at least three years,”
“My goal is to stay at ASSE, to stay on first and then move up to Ligue 1. Sainté is a brand in France. When the Greens arrive, we think twice before saying no,” he added.
“With the arrivals this winter and a good dynamic, we can show a completely different face (…). With Caen and Monaco in L2, we were up because we conceded few goals, it has to go through that. If we manage to defend well, we will then be effective in scoring. Kader Bamba? He needed to play, he has a lot of talent, he goes very fast over the first 10 meters, he is technically correct. He can eliminate but also make others play,”
“He will do us good, he wants to prove that he has the level to play in L1 or L2. If we manage to defend well, we will then be effective in scoring. Kader Bamba? He needed to play, he has a lot of talent, he goes very fast over the first 10 meters, he is technically correct. He can eliminate but also make others play. He will do us good, he wants to prove that he has the level to play in L1 or L2,” he concluded.
Netflix has responded to tabloid claims surrounding the production of its upcoming Squid Gamereality series spin-off.
As you may or may not have seen in recent days depending on your tolerance for articles of the tabloid variety, claims have surfaced regarding less-than-ideal conditions amid the series production in the U.K. British tabloids The Sun and The Mirror, for example, have both claimed that freezing temperatures during a round of Red Light, Green Light led to a contestant being taken away on a stretcher.
Worth pointing out again, of course, is that initial claims stemmed from the tabloid side of the universe. At any rate, Netflix and series co-producers Studio Lambert and The Garden have now addressed such claims. In a report shared early Wednesday, Deadline cited a statement from all three in which the “very cold” temperatures were acknowledged while more serious claims were repudiated.
Namely, the statement said, “any claims of serious injury are untrue.”
When reached for comment by Complex on Wednesday, a rep for Netflix shared the same excerpted statement in full. Read it below.
“We care deeply about the health and safety of our cast and crew, and invested in all the appropriate safety procedures. While it was very cold on set – and participants were prepared for that – any claims of serious injury are untrue.”
Also on Wednesday, Variety (not a tabloid) shared a report stating that “fewer than five players” are alleged to have utilized medics on the set. One such contestant, according to their report, hurt their shoulder. The rest, allegedly, were treated for what was reported as “mild ailments.”
A source close to the production tells Complex that no one was taken off the set on a stretcher. Additionally, the source confirmed that one person did hurt their shoulder from running into a wall. Three others, meanwhile, were treated for “mild medical conditions.” There were no additional injuries on the set, the source added.
As previously revealed by Netflix, the reality competition spin-off will see 456 players entering the show with the potential of winning $4.56 million by competing in a series of games inspired by the hit series. In September, Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk addressed “concerns” some had raised about the spin-off and revealed he had met with the some of the team behind the new Netflix project.
