The Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, says the NHIS has only four months of outstanding debt to clear with healthcare providers across the country. He said this when he appeared before the Public Accounts Committee.
His submission triggered the Member of Parliament for Buem, Kofi Adams to enquire about the law and regulation that guide the payment of funds to providers.
According to Mr. Agyeman-Manu, the payment process takes three months, but the Deputy CEO of the NHIS, Francis Owusu was unable to confirm this.
This necessitated the Minister to withdraw his earlier submission promising to look again at the payment policy.
The sitting revealed several unearned salaries in many health facilities including Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
Officials of the hospital told the Committee that it was working to recover those monies, but the Chairman, James Klutse Avedzie did not accept their explanation, saying that the Management of Korle Bu must pay the money.
Mr. Avedzie said the numerous procurement breaches that occurred at the Ministry call for prosecution and referred the same to the Attorney General’s Department.
But the Health Minister pleaded with the Chairman to temper justice with mercy.
Ashanti Regional Command of the Ghana Prisons Service is appealing to the general public, philanthropists, and organizations to support the prison’s decongestion programme across the country.
According to ASP-Richard Bukari, the regional public relations officer for the Prisons Service their facilities are mainly overwhelmed by youth convicted in court for committing minor crimes which didn’t merit their conviction. However, their failure to pay various fines imposed on them for crimes such as assault and theft by the court has landed them in prison.
“Some youth are serving various jail terms at the prison facilities in the region for not being able to settle court fines as low as GHC250, a situation creating congestion at some facilities,” he said.
He, therefore, appealed to philanthropists to settle some of these fines for their release to help decongest the facilities from the health hazards to the inmates.
He said though the government has rolled out programs to decongest the facilities, the prevailing situation is still bad at the various facilities in the region.
“I will then appeal to individuals and organizations to assist the Prisons Service by paying fines of these inmates to allow those serving longer jail sentences to have space,” he pleaded.
He also disclosed that the Kumasi Central Prisons built to accommodate 450 inmates now contains over 3,000 inmates, creating discomfort to the inmates.
Prospective candidates of the upcoming National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential Primaries have an amount of GH¢30,000 and GH¢500,000 to pay as filing fees and registration forms respectively.
This was announced by the NDC General Secretary, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, at a press conference at the NDC headquarters in Accra on Wednesday, January 18, 2023.
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has set May 13, 2023, as a date to elect their flagbearer.
Prospective candidates of the upcoming National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Primaries will also pay 169757340,000 and 16975735,000 as filing fees and registration forms respectively.
The party will also elect parliamentary candidates for various constituencies across the country on the same day.
The election of the Parliamentary Candidate shall be held at a venue within the Constituency as determined by the Constituency Executive Committee in consultation with the Regional Executive Committee (REC) of the respective region.
Fifi Kwetey further added that, per the calendar of events of the primaries, forms will be available for pickup from February 22 to 24th February in all constituency offices.
Submission of forms is also scheduled for 20 to 22 of March 2023, vetting, 27 to 29 of March, appeal, March 30 to April, and elections May 13, 2023.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed Kevin De Bruyne is in contention for Thursday’s match against Tottenham after dealing with a “personal issue”.
Belgium international De Bruyne did not take part in training with the rest of his City team-mates on Tuesday, with his absence initially thought to be down to an injury problem.
The 31-year-old was therefore considered a major doubt to face Spurs, but Guardiola dismissed those fears on the eve of the Premier League meeting.
“He had a personal issue and could not train [on Tuesday], but today he is back,” Guardiola said at Wednesday’s pre-match press conference.
Asked if De Bruyne is available for Tottenham’s visit to the Etihad Stadium, Guardiola replied: “Yes, yes.”
De Bruyne has assisted 15 goals this season – 10 more than next-best Bernardo Silva – and has created more than double the number of chances of any team-mate (80).
In a further boost for City, Guardiola also revealed centre-backs Ruben Dias and John Stones have recovered from injury lay-offs and could play a part against Tottenham.
Dias has not played since sustaining a hamstring injury with Portugal at the World Cup, while Stones has missed City’s past two matches.
“They are back. They have trained really well in the last two sessions, both of them. They are in contention,” Guardiola said.
“We are going to train this afternoon and see the way we have to play and who is going to play.”
City have lost four of their past five Premier League games against Tottenham, which is as many as they had in their previous 19 against them.
Indeed, Guardiola has lost six of his 15 meetings with Spurs – only against Chelsea (eight), Liverpool (eight) and Manchester United (seven) has he lost more often in his managerial career.
The reigning English champions have lost back-to-back matches in all competitions and trail Premier League leaders Arsenal by eight points.
Ghana Premier League giants, Kumasi Asante Kotoko, have announced the signing of midfielder, Rashid Nortey, after his departure from Medeama SC earlier this week.
The 27-year-old joins the reigning Ghanaian champions on a two-and-a-half-year deal as a free agent player.
The Porcupine Warriors announced the signing of the former Medeama SC captain on Wednesday in a statement on their website.
“Midfielder Rashid Nortey has signed for Asante Kotoko as a free player,” the statement said.
“Rashid has penned two and a half-deal after running down his contract with Medeama SC.
“Rashid comes with enormous quality and experience and will only improve our team to help us achieve our targets this season.
“We welcome our new signing and wish him all the best.”
The experienced midfielder cut his relationship with the Tarkwa-based side after a six-year spell.
Nortey will add a lot of quality to the midfield of Asante Kotoko and could help turn the fortunes of Asante Kotoko around in the ongoing season.
The Kuamsi-based club in an official announcement on Wednesday, January 18, confirmed that it has secured the services of the former Medeama SC midfielder.
The midfielder has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the Porcupine Warriors and is expected to strengthen the squad of the team immediately.
“Midfielder Rashid Nortey has signed for Asante Kotoko as a free player.
“Rashid has penned two and a half-deal after running down his contract with Medeama SC.
“Rashid comes with enormous quality and experience and will only improve our team to help us achieve our targets this season.
“We welcome our new signing and wish him all the best,” a club statement from Asante Kotoko said this evening.
Other investors, Ebenezer Asumang, said will travel abroad as part of finding alternative investment options.
“People will look for alternative investments such as starting a business or investing in already existing ones or even traveling abroad more than saving to invest in financial instruments or on the capital market,” he told GhanaWeb Business.
It would be recalled that Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, earlier this week urged government to engage in further dialogue on the implementation of its domestic debt exchange programme.
According to the majority leader, the programme requires more engagement as it has the potential of wiping away the country’s middle class.
Government of Ghana is seeking to revive the economy through a $3 billion International Monetary Fund loan.
As part of its efforts to meet the conditions required for the loan, government has announced a domestic debt exchange programme aimed at varying the terms of existing government bonds.
Meanwhile, goverment has extended the deadline for the expiration of the debt exchange programme to January 31, 2023.
But the Minority in Parliament has asked government to as a matter of urgency suspend the debt exchange programme.
The full operationalization of the free trade system, according to Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), will aid in the structural change of Africa.
According to him, the region’s free trade system would aid in reshaping markets and economies all over the continent for long-term prosperity.
At the 74th Annual New Year School and Conference’s opening ceremony on Tuesday in Accra, the Secretary-General made this statement.
He said the theme was timely because the development of AfCFTA would catalyse Africa’s economic growth and accelerate development.
Mr Mene said the AfCFTA Secretariat and African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) had signed an agreement relating to the management of the Base Fund of the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund.
The Fund, estimated at $10 billion over the next five to 10 years, will support African countries that experienced short-term revenue losses as a result of reducing or eliminating their tariffs.
The Fund, he said, would enable countries to effectively participate in the new trading environment established under AfCFTA.
That, the Secretary-General stated, would serve as a driver of Africa’s economic transformation and reduce Africa’s reliance on exports.
He said the expected benefits of AfCFTA would stimulate production through the development of regional value chains to ensure that manufacturing, agro-processing, and other activities were spread across the continent.
Island Frimpong, the adorable daughter of popular Ghanaian celebrity couple Medikal and Fella Makafui, has been spotted spending her first day of school with her father.
Dressed in almost matching outfits, they were spotted wearing hot pink tops which they paired with blue jeans. Island wore pink sneakers to match her pink t-shirt.
As part of activities at her school, Island was captured playing a mini piano, and also, she was spotted holding a medium-sized yellow ball which she carried with her all the time.
The lovely photos have sparked beautiful reactions from netizens as they gush over father and daughter.
Many netizens react to photos of Medikal spending time with Island at her nursery school
fellamakafui stated:
It’s the last slide for me
mzz_ritney commented:
My baby, saw you and daddy today at Just Like Mama
__black.melanin said:
Learn for mummy and daddy okay
iamchrislarry remarked:
Wooooo, Ama on the Piano……Amapiano
lorettanewman65 remarked:
All the best Island
scilla_yonce said:
This is beautiful
nana.foby1 commented:
❤️ooohhh I love this
Many netizens continue to gush over Medikal and Island’s chemistry as the Ghanaian rapper takes on daddy duties by sending her to school and spending the day with her.
Talent manager, Ayisha Modi has condemned the actions of singer Papi, a member of the defunct music group, 5Five.
Papi and Appietus recently clashed on CTV, when Sammy Flex interviewed them over allegations made by the producer that he never received payment for producing 5Five’s 2020 monster hit ‘Muje Baya’
“After recording the song (Muje Baya) they told me they were going to show it to an investor. The next moment, I heard the song playing on radio,” Appietus opened up in his interview with Citi TV.
But according to Papi, the producer is reaping where he did not sow by benefiting from proceeds from their song after admitting to having put the song on digital platforms that fetched him money.
The interview ended with the two trading insults on live television.
Reacting to the viral video that witnessed Papi equally using unprinted words on Appietus, Ayisha Modi maintained that the musician should have shown respect to the legendary producer who offered a helping hand at the onset of his career.
Ayisha in an Instagram live video called out young Ghanaian musicians who never show appreciation.
“Give respect to those who have paved way for you in the industry. Give them that respect no matter who you are or the money you have. Papi, you can never talk to your father or grandfather with such disrespect. That is the same way you must show respect to people who are older than you.
“You guys should put an end to the disrespect, this is why there are more deaths now. These are some of the reasons why your career is fading away. We are ungrateful, the disrespect, and bad attitudes… You can’t progress if Appietus harbours pain in his heart. It is very bad, the young folks in the industry must learn,” Ayisha charged.
Zenith Bank Ghana Limited, a licenced Trustee that engaged in Trustee services in the securities industry and capital market, has voluntarily requested to suspend operations, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced in a statement on January 18.
“The SEC has, after a thorough assessment of the circumstances, approved the voluntary cessation of business of Zenith Bank Ghana Limited as a licensed Trustee. Zenith Bank Ghana Limited. is no longer mandated to carry out any Trustee activities within the securities industry,” it added.
Artiste manager, Bullgod has declared ‘war’ against popular sound engineer, Appietus on social media.
Bullgod, who owns Bullhaus Entertainment, the record label under which Ghanaian artistes 5Five released some banging hits, has called out Appietus for greed and theft.
Appietus produced the beat for their monster hit ‘Muje Baya’ sometime in 2010 but he is still making money from the song at the blind side of Bullgod and the artistes involved.
The beats maker disclosed this in a discussion with Citi TV while narrating how he is cashing out thousands of dollars, after uploading some songs he once produced on digital stores.
“The big boys in Nigeria are doing business. I’m referring to Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy and co. They have entered the digital world. Some white guy came to tell me about the digital world and how it started. Some Israelite, he flew all the way to Ghana. One day he said, let me put your songs there and I gave him. He asked of my dollar account and I gave him. One day, I got an alert and I had to call the bank to trace it because I was shocked. Then I started chopping the money.
“As I was chopping, I was still scared because I thought someone made a mistake. After three months, I had another alert and I asked myself who at all was sending me the money. I’m talking about thousands of dollars. One day, I was going through my email and I saw that it came from the digital guys,” he stated.
This development has angered Bullgod to an extent that he has stormed social media with threats of taking legal action against Appietus.
Bullogod who insists that Appietus is making money off his sweat and that of his artistes, has asked the latter to pay back every dime accrued from their songs so far.
“YOU WILL PAY FOR EVERY DOLLAR YOU COLLECTED OFF MY INVESTMENTS AND YOU WILL PAY WITH INTEREST. You have been feeding your family and yourself with our investments for almost 10 years by selling 5Five songs — executive produced and promoted by Bullhaus Entertainment on digital platforms globally without our permission. GET READY – TIME TO PAY UP. You will hear from our counsellors. #INDUSTRYTHEFT #focusonGod #sikanhyiraadomaseda,”
In a viral social media video, the former policeman accused the president of failing to heed to advice in the management of the economy.
According to him, he is on the verge of losing his livelihood after he invested his gratuity in government bonds.
“President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, this morning I come in peace. My name is ASP retired Franklin Nartey. I have served Ghana through the police service for over 24 years.
I used my gratuity to purchase a two-year government bond which was supposed to mature in September this year, 2023. Your idea is that because you have misgoverned Ghana, I will not receive my money which I toiled hard to purchase the bond from a commercial bank.
“It is not an armed robber who has attacked me to take my money, it is rather the president we have voted for to look after us,” he added.
The government of Ghana is under heavy pressure following the announcement of a Domestic Debt Exchange programme aimed at varying the terms of existing government bonds.
The policy which forms part of conditions by the government to attain a $3 billion IMF loan, has received resistance from various quarters including individual holders of government bonds.
ASP Nertey in the video revealed that he invested his entire gratuity in a government bond which was expected to mature later this year.
But according to him, he stands to lose the money he gained as part of his over twenty-four years of service in the police.
“The time you were renting private jets for £18,000 an hour, people warned you but you did not listen. When you were appointing so many ministers into your government people warned you and you didn’t listen.
“Today, because of your incompetence, the gratuity I received from my toil to take care of myself is being taken away from me by you until 2033. I have no idea if it is my children or grandchildren you want to come and inherit it.
“President, in all humility, let your cousin’s bank which has benefited from all the loans you contracted use their profit to pay for your debts and give me back my money. Nana Addo, you are very wicked!” ASP Nertey said in the video.
Big Brother Naija reality star and socialite, Mercy Eke has insisted that she is turning 30 this year, though she has been accused of age fraud by netizens.
A few days ago, Mercy showed her voter’s card which unfortunately revealed her age to be 32 years and not 29 years as she claims.
The star responded to a couple of trolls who came directly at her.
Her colleague, CeeC also shaded and accused her of telling lies about her age.
Two of Africa’s biggest afrobeat export, Ayo Balogun who is also known as Wizkid, and David Adeleke popularly called Davido will embark on a world tour.
This was confirmed by Wizkid on his Instastory on Wednesday, January 18.
He said: “After my MMLE tout!! Davido and I going on tour! Save your coins! I no one hear pim!!!”
Popular blogger Tunde Ednut via one of his Instagram pages wrote that the tour will be done across 10 cities across the world.
According to him, the tour is set across ten cities.
Ghana international, Antoine Semenyo was in action for Bristol City on Tuesday night in the English FA Cup clash against Swansea City.
The striker lasted the entire duration of the contest and helped Bristol City to secure a 2-1 win to advance to the Round 32 stage of the domestic cup competition.
The Black Stars youngster impressed in the game that travelled into extra time and had to be decided only after 120 minutes.
Before Tuesday’s encounter, Swansea and Bristol City had played a 1-1 draw from the first meeting.
In that game, it was Antoine Semenyo that netted the crucial goal for Bristol City to keep his club in the tie.
After reaching the Round 32 stage of the English FA Cup, the striker and his teammates must now turn their attention to the action in the English Championship this weekend.
The team will be facing off with Blackburn Rovers in the Championship in a game scheduled to be played on Saturday, January 21.
He explained that with the current bonds, holders are assured of the initial rate at which they purchased the bonds.
He said, “with bonds right now your investment is retained because that’s your expectation. You went in for 16%, you’re getting your 16%, no problem. Secondly, if you take an ESLA or you take a Daakye bond, the source of the revenue is secured.
Senyo further explained that under the debt exchange programme, the government is granted immunity therefore will not be required to pay reparations, unlike the current bonds where holders can sue. So while you can sue government, it will merely be considered an academic exercise as no reparations will be received.
“Then you have in these current bonds GoG, Government of Ghana has no immunity. So, your rights are fully enforceable. If the government refuses to pay, you can sue them, and suing them is not just enough because it can also be an academic exercise. What’s most important is its enforceability where you can actually now attach an asset. You can execute your judgement.
“Under your current bond framework, you can do that, under the new one you can’t do that. You can sue them but they’re making you waive your right and granting them immunity against you attaching any asset of government that is for a public purpose. Tell me which asset of government is not for a public purpose. Which asset of government is for private purposes? Then you’re a thief,” he said.
He also added that bondholders being asked to waive their rights automatically renders their new bonds worthless.
“So, you could lose up to 70% of your investment and it could be more if you really look at the real value of your money,” he said.
Watch this to get a better understanding of Ghana’s debt exchange programme
Sanitary police armed with crowbars and a bulldozer set about demolishing makeshift trader stalls crowding downtown streets in the capital of Democratic Republic of Congo ahead of a four-day visit by Pope Francis starting Jan. 31
Standing to one side with a swollen face after he fell while scuffling with police in an unsuccessful effort to save his wares, telephone accessories seller David Mbemba, 19, said he had lost around 100,500 DRC francs ($50) worth of goods.
Officials say Kinshasa, a vast impoverished city of 17 million people, is getting a facelift not just to honour the pope but to make its streets and pavements more tidy and orderly even after he’s gone home. But evicted small traders protest that their livelihoods are being destroyed in the process.
The livelihoods of many families in Congo depend on the so-called informal sector of the economy – street stalls, kiosks and hawkers selling a cornucopia of items including food and other basic household goods.
“I am a widow. I have to pay my rent, school fees of my children…I will now starve to death,” said Marth Kayunga, a vendor in the informal market on one of the side streets off Lumumba Boulevard targeted by the sanitary police brigade.
“We knew this operation was to clean up Lumumba Boulevard ahead of the Pope’s visit that we are all waiting for,” said Jesus, a hardware shop owner who gave only his first name.
Lumumba Boulevard is the main thoroughfare leading to the airport, where a gala welcome will be staged for Pope Francis. Authorities had warned that development works would be carried out on sites where the Pope will be received.
“We are surprised the police are coming into the smaller streets because they told us they were just going to remove debris from the main avenue. It’s not fair,” Jesus said, adding that his shop was also torn down.
A spokesperson for the police said only that they were working under the directives of Kinshasa’s regional governor and city authorities such as Ya Lala, who was with the police on the ground directing the operation.
“The clean-up we are doing just now is not only because the Pope is coming,” George Ya Lala, Kinshasa city coordinator for the campaign said, adding the operation would continue even after the Pope went home.
Other sellers like Jean Mbuyu said they had lost everything because they had no prior warning of the clean-up.
Ya Lala disputed this, saying traders had been warned several times to relocate before the police moved in, leaving a chaotic trail of wreckage as they smashed stall after stall, with crowds of traders, family and friends watching in dismay.
Asked for comment on the evictions of traders, the Apostolic Nunciature, Vatican’s diplomatic representation in Kinshasa, told Reuters in a text message that it was not aware of the clean-up operations and had no part in them.
It said the Vatican had only requested that preparations for Francis’s visit be done “in the most sober way. We obviously want the reception sites to be able to accommodate the greatest number of faithful in a secure way and for roads to be secure.”
Popular comedian and skit actor, Ras Nene, in a video, was spotted with gorgeous lady which sparked reactions from social media users.
The video was shared on TikTok by a user who goes by the handle chillaone1. The handsome actor looked like Ashanti royalty as he slayed in a rich-looking Kente cloth.
He complemented the beautiful traditional attire with gold ornaments which made him look like the heir to Otumfuo’s throne.
The beautiful lady also matched Ras Nene’s outfit as she also wore a similar shade of Kente and sat next to him. She was dripping in gold as she was covered in precious ornaments from her head to her feet.
The adorable pair were all smiles as they exchanged affectionate glances and admired each other. It was unclear what the occasion was but the pair seemed like the perfect couple.
Some netizens wondered if they were indeed a couple or were simply dressed for a video shoot.
Ras Nene And Pretty Lady Capture Attention
doperose commented:
Nas,ls the facial expressions for me ❤️
nana kootiktok.com/@nanakoo wondered:
is that real
ec wrote:
kyekyeu eiiiiiii something is happening at your back please come, please don’t expose me oooo
@Daakye hemaa Thunder commented:
look at how he is viewing the lady something will happen,the great kyekyeku
Zainab Musah
Congratulatios beautiful couple Dr likee you know how by good things in market
Two Ghanaian men living in the United Kingdom (UK) have opened up about the financial benefits they enjoy, although they do jobs that are considered to be demeaning in Ghana.
In a video posted by @achieve_doctor, on TikTok, the two men who apparently had closed from work laughed about how one of them who works as a security guard for a company in the UK earns more money a day than a nurse in Ghana earns in a month.
Delving into details, one of the men revealed that his friend earns 200 pounds daily which is equivalent to GH₵2900 from working as a security guard as compared to a nurse in Ghana who takes a little above GH₵2000 as a monthly salary.
They concluded by telling Ghanaians not to listen to naysayers who discourage others from travelling abroad.
Ghanaians yearn to travel abroad
At the time of writing the report, the video had gathered over 14,000 likes and 600 comments.
Some netizens who reacted to the video also shared how much they are making from their jobs abroad, whereas others also expressed a desire to travel.
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has set May 13, 2023, as a date to elect their flagbearer.
The party will also elect parliamentary candidates for various constituencies across the country on the same day.
This was announced by the NDC General Secretary Fifi Fiavi Kwetey at a press conference at the NDC headquarters in Accra on Wednesday, January 18, 2023.
According to the General Secretary, both elections will happen concurrently in all 276 constituencies of the NDC instead of 275 as they recognise SALL.
Ace broadcaster, Bridget Otoo, has descended on the Inspector General of Police, George Akuffo Dampare after the Ghana Police Service released a statement into an audio recording which captures some officers allegedly planting substances suspected to be narcotics in the vehicle of a member of the public.
In a Tweet she shared on January 18, 2023, Bridget asked Ghanaians not to take the word of the Ghana Police over the victim reportedly captured in the audio complaining about being set up.
According to her, the police are fond of planting cocaine and weed in people’s cars.
“Your men are going round planting cocaine and weed in Peoples’s cars, and instead of dealing with it, you care about the word ‘some’!!
“Don’t take the word of @GhPoliceService over the victim. IGP should be ashamed of himself. You know the victim, your men have spoken to the victim,” she shared.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Police said in a statement that they had contacted the Narcotics Control Commission and the Ghana Armed Forces as part of their investigations, but both organizations have denied knowing about the occurrence.
A press statement issued on January 17, 2023, said initial checks at the stations mentioned in the audio, East Legon and Accra Central Police Stations, had revealed that no such complaint had been made.
ADA/SARA
Your men are going round planting cocaine and weed in Peoples cars and instead of dealing with it, you care about the word ‘some’!! Don’t take the word of @GhPoliceService over the victim. IGP should be ashamed of himself. You know the victim, your men have spoken to the victim. pic.twitter.com/EhjBWZUzdl
Leaders of the Majority are seething in anger over the continuous disrespect shown towards them by the Finance Minister who without recourse to current happenings in the legislature, refused to consult them before rolling out the domestic debt exchange program while they receive the backlash.
Majority Leader and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu who is against the program, is warning of the possibility of wiping out the middle class and want the Minister to hasten slowly.
“What we [are] talking about is that many of these bondholders also belong to the middle class and that’s where the major worry is. If we are wiping away the middle class, that could be dangerous, so we need to have some further dialogue on this.
“Government thinks that this is the best way forward, however, even if it is, we need to engage, reflect and then move on and that will encourage some people who have some doubt to better appreciate where we are.”
“Nothing can substitute for discussions, round table discussions and engagements wherever we find ourselves in. I think it’s important that we go back to the drawing table to have engagements with the major stakeholders…All of us are in it. And if we don’t manage it well, we’ve gone through this before, way back some 25, 30 years ago and repositioning was a major, major difficulty.
“Today many people are coming on board and if this thing should happen, how do we build confidence and trust and reconstruct a new savings culture?”
Majority Chief Whip and lawmaker for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh is also warning of dire consequences if the Finance Minister continues to be impervious to advise and tread on that slippery slope.
In a tweet, the Majority Chip Whip described the decision by Ken Ofori-Atta as “unfair” and “untenable” adding that he disagrees with the inclusion of individual bondholders in the debt exchange programme.
Meanwhile, Some individual bondholders that have mobilized themselves in opposition to the Domestic Debt Exchange (DDE) programme proposed by Government has hinted of a demonstration, dubbed ‘Occupy Jubilee House’.
The members who are in excess of 101, 100 have kicked against the programme in its entirety even though they are open to discussion with Government on the way forward.
Desperate to meet the requirements for an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout which entails the country having a sustainable debt profile, Government led by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has proposed a debt restructuring programme. This will alter the contracts the Government entered in to with bondholders in terms of the interest and maturity of their bonds. Holders of domestic bonds are resolute that they do not want their bonds touched.
To drum home their demands, they have proposed a demonstration. Even though they have made their point clear in the media and through their record-breaking mobilization, they intend taking their protest a notch higher.
The IES claims that, notwithstanding its belief that the rates for the Cedi/Dollar exchange rate and inflation rates represent market conditions, it finds the PURC’s premise that the energy generating mix should be comprised of 26.11% hydro-thermal and 73.89% thermal to be unfounded.
The IES in a statement said the assumption amounts to given priority to thermal power generation over hydro, given that water elevations for Bui and Akosombo generating stations (GS) have improved waterhead levels, and capable of producing over 35% of power in 2023, in its estimation.
It said data from Akosombo and Bui indicate elevations at the beginning of 2023 compared to previous are in a better position to produce more electricity than the thermals.
“Bui’s water elevation is expected to help produce more megawatts to support voltage on the grid, and help reduce transmission losses if dispatched conservatively throughout the year,” the statement noted.
The Institute agreed with the expectation that bulk of the capacity generation for 2023 would come from thermal sources if natural gas supply is sustained, and planned plant maintenance schedules is strictly adhered to. However, with improved water-head levels, it said hydropower generation is estimated to produce close to 38% of 2023 capacity, should hydro-electric have dispatch priority over thermal in the generation mix.
The statement explained that “With a year-start Akosombo water level elevation of 83.10 metre (272.66 feet), it is estimated that total energy production from Akosombo GS could fall between 7,500 gigawatt-hour and 8,000 gigawatt-hour (GWh) for 2023, with the Kpong GS producing roughly 990 GWh of electric energy over the period.
“Also, Bui GS’ year-start elevation of 178.99 metres above sea level (masl) is enough to possibly produce an estimated 1,056 GWh of electricity in 2023.”
Although the IES has anticipated that the average electricity end-user tariff (GH₵/kWh) covering residential, non-residential and special load tariff electricity consumers would see an increase within the year, it said the expected increase in tariff was anticipated to be marginal should more of hydro-electric power be produce from the generation mix.
The IES is, therefore, calling on the PURC to reconsider the energy mix assumption used in the tariff adjustment (to reflect improved water-head levels) as that has an impact on the Weighted Average Cost of Gas, which has been reviewed to $6.0952/MMBtu from $5.9060MMBtu.
This, the IES believe will bring some relief to already burdened citizens, and in the face of the current economic crisis.
Some continuing students of the University of Ghana (UG), who have been left stranded by the university’s new residential policy, have turned the washroom of a Catholic Church into their sleeping place.
A student who spoke to Citi News’ Kwaku Aduamah Ansah said they have been left with no choice but to sleep in the corridors of other halls and at other times in the washroom of a Catholic Church on campus.
“We slept in the corridors of Legon Hall on Monday, but on Tuesday, we didn’t get any place to sleep, so we went through the bush and went to the Catholic Church and went to their washroom to sleep. That is where we slept,” a student said.
On Monday, January 16, 2023, some students of Commonwealth hall were turned away by security personnel of the school from accessing their hall.
The new directive to reassign continuing students of Commonwealth and Mensah Sarbah halls to other halls comes on the back of numerous clashes recorded between the respective halls in times past.
Some of the stranded students called on the management of UG to listen to their plea, as the other arranged accommodation is way too high for them to afford.
A level 300 student, Fred Oppong said, “I don’t have any relatives in Accra, so if I’m not being permitted to enter the hall, the best I can do is to loiter around till daybreak. I assumed the management will go by the court’s injunction, but the situation is different looking at the situation”.
Background
Per the new residential policy, continuing students are supposed to occupy other halls apart from the Commonwealth and Mensah Sarbah halls to make way for level 100 and graduate students.
In the case of Mensah Sarbah hall, only the male continuing students will exit.
Some students of the Commonwealth hall secured an interlocutory injunction on January 6, 2023, restraining the management of UG from implementing the new residential policybut some of the students accused the management of the university of turning a blind eye to the court order.
Cassiel Ato Forson, Member of Parliament for the Ajumako Enyan Essiam Constituency, has offered to give assistance to the government on how to free up funds in the 2023 budget.
The Ranking Member on the Finance Committee of the House believes that such savings would allow the government to have fiscal leverage to exclude individual bondholders from the Domestic Debt Exchange programme.
Savings of GH¢8 billion possible
According to Ato Forson, there are a litany of expenditures he described as “frivolous and wasteful” which if cut out would help government make savings to the tune of GH¢8 billion.
His January 17, 2023 tweet sighted by GhanaWeb read: “Folks, I am available to assist the government in identifying frivolous and wasteful expenditures in the budget to free-Up the needed 8bn so that individual bondholders are exempt! You can’t continue to live large on the savings of pensioners etc!”
Ato Forson describes Ofori-Atta as ‘driver banza’
Ato Forson has been one of the fiercest critics of the embattled Finance Minister with his latest jab at Ken Ofori-Atta labelling the minister as a reckless driver.
“Every reckless driver is referred to as ‘driver banza’ in my local parlance … if you are in a car with such a driver, people get angry and demand that he descends so that another person takes control of the car and drive it to safety.
“Where we have gotten to, the finance minister is a reckless driver, he has taken this country to a point of no return, he has driven this country into a ditch.
“He is a reckless driver and he has to step aside. Let’s give this country to a competent hand to drive this country to safety,” the former deputy finance minister submitted on the January 16 edition of Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen.
Background
Ghana had a torrid 2022 amid an economic crisis that forced the government to seek an International Monetary Fund (IMF) facility at a time when the cedi was rapidly depreciating, inflation was galloping, and the government was faced with multiple downgrades by rating agencies.
The government has repeatedly blamed the crisis partly on the aftershocks of the COVID pandemic and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
It has promised to turn around the economic fortunes of the country after sealing a staff-level agreement with the IMF late last year, with hopes that funds from the US$3 billion facility will be released early this year.
Domestic Debt Exchange facing hurdles
The government is hamstrung by hurdles as it attempts to secure a deal with its Domestic Debt Exchange programme, a key metric to secure a board approval of the IMF Extended Credit Facility.
Organized labour successfully fought off plans to include pensions in the DDE; now individual bondholders are also rejecting plans to include them.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo Prampram, Sam Nartey George, has called on the clergymen on the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral of Ghana to urgently resign for the sake of their integrity.
In an interview on January 17, 2023, the MP said that leaders of churches in Ghana have for long allowed themselves to be used by politicians to steal from the state.
He added that the clergymen, by staying on the board, are making themselves accomplices to the corruption being seen in the Cathedral project.
“To all the apostolic fathers, to our respected men and woman of faith, especially those of you who sit on the board, it is untenable, respectfully, for you to continue to sit on that board.
“Many of you gave of your youth for the propagation and establishment of the gospel, especially in the charismatic faith in our land.
“We love you and we cherish you, and it breaks our hearts that you allow crooks in government to use your face as a smoke screen to steal from the poor. You have taught us in many Sunday sermons to speak truth to authority and as your son, I make an appeal to you, the apostolic fathers to save yourselves and your dignity and disassociate yourself from the blatant stealing,” he said.
Meanwhile, details have emerged on the reasons why Bishop Dag Heward-Mills, the founder and leader of the United Denomination Originating from the Lighthouse Group of Churches (UD-OLGC), resigned from the Board of Trustees of the Cathedral.
According to a citinewsroom.com report, the man of God resigned from the board due to many ignored concerns that were raised for years with regard to the construction of the National Cathedral.
For instance, in his resignation letter he wrote to the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral, President Akufo-Addo, and others, he raised concerns about the cost, design, fundraising, and location of the project, among others, but did not receive a response after writing several letters.
Dag Heward-Mills also said that questions being raised by Ghanaians on the construction of the National Cathedral of Ghana are legitimate.
According to him, the public has the right to ask questions about the project because, 6 years after the construction of the project started and after using $30 million of public funds, they can only see a huge pit in the centre of Accra, citinewroom.com reports.
The remaining members of the board are:
1. Apostle Prof. Opoku Onyinah, former Chairman of the Church of Pentecost – Chairperson
2. Archbishop Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle, Metropolitan Catholic Archbishop, Cape Coast – Vice Chairman
3. Most Rev. Bishop Justice Ofei Akrofi, Anglican Archbishop Emeritus – Member
4. Rt. Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Martey, former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church – Member
5. Most Rev T. K. Awotwi Pratt, Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church – Member
6. Rev Prof Cephas Omenyo, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church – Member
7. Pastor Mensa Otabil, General Overseer of International Central Gospel Church – Member
8. Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams, Presiding Archbishop and General Overseer of Action Chapel International – Member
9. Rev Dr Joyce Aryee, Executive Director, Salt and Light Ministries – Member
10. Rev Eastwood Anaba, Founder and President of Eastwood Anaba Ministries – Member
11. Rev Victor Kusi-Boateng, Founder of Power Chapel Worldwide – Member/Secretary
12. Rev Dr Frimpong Manso, General Superintendent, Assemblies of God – Member
At the National Cathedral Secretariat, there is an appointed Executive Director known as Dr. Paul Opoku-Mensah with two (2) representatives of the United States.
Ghanaian entrepreneur and the greater Accra representative for the just-ended 2022 Ghana’s Most Beautiful pageant, Naa Ahema real name Susana Quarcoo has shared her beautiful traditional wedding photos.
The young couple rock black ensembles for their pre-wedding photoshoot
The adorable couple wore black ensembles for their beautiful pre-wedding photoshoot. The celebrity bride wore an off-shoulder dress with puff sleeves.
The groom wore a black suit, black shoes, and stylish black sunglasses.
The celebrity bride, Naa Ahema looked ravishing in her corseted kente gown. The off-shoulder gown features patterned beading and tulle styles. She wore a lustrous hairstyle and flawless makeup for her big day.
The Jasikan Circuit Court has sentenced a 31-year-old chainsaw operator, Kingsley Tabitey, from Akaa, in the Jasikan Municipality of the Oti Region, to 10 years imprisonment for causing unlawful damage contrary to section 172 of the criminal code 1960 Act 29 of the Constitution.
He pleaded guilty to the charges and was convicted on his own plea.
Prosecuting, assistant superintendent of police Vincent Seth Kpodo told the court presided over by Mr. Alfred Kwabena Asiedu that on December 22 of last year, a form two student of Rev. Father Dogli Memorial Senior Technical School at Ayoma in the Jasikan Municipality, Godsway Agboli, and a part-time commercial rider lived in the same community at a different location.
ASP Kpodo said the convict hired Godsway Agboli to drop him off at Tapa Amanya with his unregistered motorbike to visit his wife.
After bargaining on the agreed-upon fare of 30 Ghana cedis, the convict, while on his way to Tapa Amanya, decided to use a different route, which is also accessible to other road users and links to Tapa Amanya township. He said while Godsway Agboli was about to negotiate a curve on the section of the road, the convict Kingsley Tabitey ordered him to stop to enable him to urinate, which he did. The convict, after urinating, while continuing the journey, drew a kitchen knife and attempted to slash Godsway Agboli’s throat.
ASP Kpodo added that Godsway Agboli, who was struggling for breath, lost control of the steering and, in the process, veered off the road and entered the nearside bush, resulting in a collision.
He said the convict managed to wake up, snatched the motorbike from the assailant, and sped off.
Kingsley pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment.
Candidiasis has over the years been termed “white,” and it is mostly known to be an infection only in women. The tide has shifted as more people become aware of the possibility of men contracting this infection.
Candidiasis is an abnormal discharge from the vagina that usually comes with an offensive smell, and itching is a result of an overgrowth of yeast around the vulva.
Nonetheless, a medical test is required to confirm it because other infections of this type can appear.
According to a public health nurse/midwife, Akua Oduraa Nuamah, men can also be carriers when they contract the infection from a female.
She said men can contract the infection through unprotected sex with a woman with candidiasis. She urged men to seek medical help when they notice a change in colour (reddish) on the head of the penis (glans) and it’s itchy.
“During this time, it is advisable to stay away from sexual activities until fully treated,” she advised.
When asked if she would encourage oral sex, she said, “You have to be treated. once the person is treated and free, they are cool to do what is ok for them.”
Alejandro Garnacho is enjoying a breakthrough season at Manchester United under Erik ten Hag.
After making his debut for the club last term, the winger has amassed 15 appearances this campaign, scoring twice.
Last Saturday, Garnacho became the youngest player to provide a Premier League assist in a Manchester derby when he set up Marcus Rashford’s winner aged 18 years and 197 days.
Ahead of United’s trip to Crystal Palace tonight, we turn the spotlight on the talented youngster and take a look at what the future might hold for Garnacho.
Star on the rise
Garnacho has been in demand from an early age. Starting his youth career at Getafe, he was poached by Atletico Madrid in 2015, when he was just 11 years old.
Five years later, United paid £420,000 to bring the Madrid native to England, despite the fact that he was not a regular in Atleti’s youth setup.
In his second season at the club, Garnacho won the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award and scored twice in a 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest in the FA Youth Cup final.
Even before he had received that prestigious Under-18s accolade — following in the footsteps of the likes of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Marcus Rashford — the starlet had made his first-team debut against Chelsea in April 2022.
Hard work pays off
Erik ten Hag saw a turnaround in Alejandro Garnacho’s attitude
Ten Hag’s arrival last May has certainly accelerated Garnacho’s development.
However, the Dutch boss was not immediately impressed with the Argentina U-20s international.
After giving Garnacho his full debut against FC Sheriff last October, Ten Hag said: “I was not happy with him.
“The last weeks I was happy with him, a better attitude, more resilience.”
Such comments can often have much to do with a manager trying to keep a youngster from becoming complacent, but they were later echoed by a senior player.
After Garnacho scored the winning goal in United’s 1-0 Europa League success at Real Sociedad, playmaker Bruno Fernandes gave his thoughts on the tricky forward’s development.
Fernandes said: “At the beginning of the season, he was not at his best.
“In the tour, he didn’t have the best attitude that he should’ve had. He’s getting his chances because he’s training better, he’s having a different attitude and he’s deserving his chances.”
At the races in derby win
It is a positive for any club to have both a manager and leaders in the changing room demanding the highest standards are met by young players that are entering the first-team squad.
When that club is United, thoughts immediately turn to their most successful manager Alex Ferguson, who was always ready to give the next generation an opportunity but had high expectations.
Getting the balance right between tough love and positivity is a challenge for any manager. Though Ten Hag has clearly tried to keep Garnacho’s feet on the ground, he was quick to give praise after the 2-1 win against fierce local rivals City.
Ten Hag said: “He has a skill that I don’t see many players in the Premier League having — he beats players one on one.
“He’s learnt in the last months about how to play in a team, how to live, how to do the right things in the week, how to have the right attitude on the training ground and you see how he’s acting as a team player and with his individual skills that can make the difference.”
Alejandro Garnacho has exhibited his talents for Manchester United this season
Key cameo role
The future looks bright for Garnacho at Old Trafford, but with Marcus Rashford generally playing in his favoured left-wing position, he may have to be content with cameo appearances and starts in cup competitions for now.
With the highly-skilled talent still being so young, there is plenty of time for him to grow into a regular starter in a United squad where competition for places is growing.
Already, he seems to have leapfrogged older players such as Anthony Elanga and Facundo Pellistri in the pecking order, with a fresh challenge coming in the form of the returning Jadon Sancho.
The Red Devils are now on the fringes of the title race and look assured of Champions League football next season, which will enable them to further improve their options in attack.
The good news for Garnacho is that his many attributes mean Ten Hag will continue to give him opportunities from the bench against tiring defences.
Right now, he is making the most of those chances.
The game ended 1-1 at Dun’s Park, with the home team securing a point thanks to a questionable penalty.
In the Kotoko box, a throw-in to Bibiani looked to hit the arm of a Gold Stars player.
However, the referee, Franklyn Akumatey, pointed to the spot and awarded a penalty to Kotoko, whose astonished players promptly approached the referee to express their displeasure.
Yahaya Dramani of Bibiani converted the penalty to equalize Steven Mukwala’s earlier goal, securing a vital 1-1 draw.
The GFA announced in a statement on Wednesday that the game will be assessed by the Match Review Panel.
While sanctions against officials who erred in matches in past seasons were disclosed, a decision was made not to publish them this season, even though the punishments were carried out.
The party will also elect parliamentary candidates for various constituencies across the country on the same day.
This was announced by the NDC General Secretary Fifi Fiavi Kwetey at a press conference at the NDC headquarters in Accra on Wednesday, January 18, 2023.
According to the General Secretary, both elections will happen concurrently in all 276 constituencies of the NDC instead of 275.
Founder and Presiding Bishop of the United Denominations Originating from the Lighthouse Group Bishop Dag Heward-Mills, brought his experience in building and architecture to bear in one of his letters to the Executive Director of the National Cathedral project.
In a letter dated June 22, 2022, and written on the letterhead of the Ghana Charismatic Bishops’ Conference, Heward-Mills lamented about corporate governance issues and instances of sidelining of the Board of Trustees in key decisions around the project.
In addressing the subject of the way forward for the project, he advanced that building the cathedral at the estimated cost of US$350 million was attainable especially because the trustees were originally supposed to raise only 3% of the total sum.
Call to review cost and design of project
He emphasized that the challenges with raising necessary funding meant that the project design and cost needed to be reviewed.
“I suggest that the design of the National Cathedral be overhauled to make it possible to build it under our present circumstances. The design can be made to look almost exactly as it has been presented by Sir David Adjaye and just as the president has approved.
“Many design details can be made to make this Cathedral buildable and affordable. I would personally offer to engage and discuss with these consultants if my services are needed or wanted.
“The cost of the National Cathedral Project should be completely overhauled. Instead of building a USD350m church, I suggest that the Cathedral should be built at a fraction of this cost.
List of major buildings built at less than US$350m
Heward-Mills also listed a number of public buildings that had been built at a fraction of the US$350 million dollars the Cathedral was estimated to cost.
“You will recall that I pointed out that many of the huge projects in Ghana including Villagio, Ecobank Headquarters, Jubilee House, Ministry of Defense, Airport Terminal Three, National Theatre, One Airport Square and Accra Mall; have been built at a fraction of the amount we are quoting for the Cathedral.
“From my experience in building, we can still build the Cathedral at a fraction of the cost. The cost of USD350m by the church is unattainable, indeed our Executive Director has told us we are expected to raise only 3% of the money,” he stressed.
Heward-Mills officially resigns as trustee
Two months after his letter, Heward-Mills tendered his resignation as a trustee of the project stressing that he still believed in the project and will consider returning if concerns he had raised were addressed.
The resignation letter handed in last year was only recently leaked to the media.
In it, he emphasized that he believed in the project and the vision of the president and was ready to support it in any way to see it to its fruition.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has appointed Chad referee Alhadji Allaou Mahamat to officiate Ghana’s epic clash against Sudan in the 2023 Championship for African Nations (CHAN) tournament.
The Black Galaxies will take on Sudan in their second Group C game on Thursday at the Chahid Hamlaoui stadium in Constantine at 7pm local time.
Ahead of the clash, CAF has settled on the 36-year-old Chad referee to handle the much-anticipated game.
He will be assisted by Algerian Assistants, Abbes Akram Zerhouni (Assistant I), Brahim El Hamlaoui Sid Ali (Assistant II), while Celso Armindo Alvacao serves as fourth Referee. Pedro Alogo Ondo Abeku from Equatorial Guinea will work as the Match Commissioner.
Other Officials for the game are as follows:
Raphael Evehe Divine Referee Assessor Cameroon Helly Zafinimanga General Coordinator Madagascar Chafik Ameur Technical Study Group Algeria Raymond Kalla Technical Study Group Cameroon Esther Musoke Marketing Officer Uganda Ibrahima Tanou Diallo Media Officer Guinea Peperipe Sehounde Media Officer Benin Almoustapha Mamane Idi Security Officer Niger Mahmoud Taher Security Officer Egypt Beida DAHANE Video Assistant Referee Mauritania Haythem GUIRAT Assistant VAR Tunisia Yasser Hosny Ahmed Abdelrahman Doping Control Egypt Eric Otogo Castane Assistant General Coordinator Gabon
Ghana must beat Sudan to enhance their chance of qualifying out of the group.
Chelsea’s late swoop to hijack Arsenal’s deal for Mykhailo Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk was one of the most eye-catching transfers of recent times.
The Ukrainian winger, 22, became one of the club’s most expensive signings when he arrived at Stamford Bridge for an initial £62million, which could rise to a whopping £89m.
Ahead of his potential debut at Liverpool on Saturday, we look at how Chelsea‘s five other most expensive buys have fared in West London.
5. Alvaro Morata (£60m from Real Madrid, 2017)
Real Madrid’s Alvaro Morata was the No9 tasked with replacing Diego Costa, who had fallen out of favour under boss Antonio Conte.
But like many marksmen who had gone before him and indeed after him at Stamford Bridge, Morata struggled for consistency during his time in the Premier League.
The Spain international netted six times in his first six league games for Conte’s side but struggled to maintain that scoring touch, leaving for Atletico Madrid in January 2019 with 24 goals in 72 appearances.
4. Kepa Arrizabalaga (£71.6m from Athletic Bilbao, 2018)
After a difficult time at Chelsea, Kepa Arrizabalaga has impressed in goal this season
To say Kepa Arrizabalaga’s time at Chelsea has been mixed would be an understatement — but things are now looking more positive for the Basque No1.
The £71.6m Chelsea paid for his services from Athletic Bilbao in 2018 still stands as the world record for a goalkeeper as the Blues desperately scrambled for a replacement for Real Madrid-bound Thibaut Courtois.
He struggled to live up to that expectation having found himself out of the first-team picture multiple times due to mistakes and controversial moments — most notably when defying Maurizio Sarri’s orders for him to be substituted in the 2019 Carabao Cup final.
But having won back the No1 shirt under Graham Potter this term, the 28-year-old is now one of Chelsea’s more consistent performers in a disappointing season overall.
3. Kai Havertz (£71m from Bayer Leverkusen, 2020)
Kai Havertz was the marquee signing of the summer under Frank Lampard in 2020.
The German forward initially struggled to settle under Lampard but found form under successor Thomas Tuchel and his first season in Chelsea colours ended with him scoring the winning goal in the Champions League final against Manchester City.
Since then, Havertz, 23, has enjoyed periods of superb scoring form for the Blues but has failed to impress consistently enough in the centre forward position he is often deployed.
2. Wesley Fofana (£75m from Leicester, 2022)
Injuries have restricted Wesley Fofana to just six Chelsea appearances
It is too early to judge whether Wesley Fofana will be a success at the Bridge having been hampered with injuries since his big-money switch from Leicester last summer.
The 22-year-old missed the majority of his final season for the Foxes but rightly earned a reputation as one of the Premier League’s most promising defenders in his first campaign at the King Power Stadium.
There is no doubt Chelsea have a supreme talent on their hands — but with only four Premier League appearances this term, the £75m they spent on the former Saint-Etienne ace remains a gamble by owner Todd Boehly at this stage.
1. Romelu Lukaku (£97.5m from Inter Milan, 2021)
Romelu Lukaku struggled to live up to expectations at Chelsea following his £97.5m return
Romelu Lukaku was meant to be the man who would finally solve Chelsea’s age-old striker problem when they forked out £97.5m to seal his return to West London from Inter Milan in 2021.
Having just netted 24 goals in 36 appearances during the Nerazzurri’s title-winning campaign in 2020-21, there was no doubting the Belgian’s pedigree to finally make himself a hero at Stamford Bridge.
But scoring only eight league goals in his first season back, Lukaku was returned to Inter on loan, with any hopes of retrieving his Chelsea career appearing unlikely.
King Faisal midfielder Baba Yahaya says his outfit wants to make the Baba Yara Stadium a fortress in the ongoing Ghana Premier League campaign.
The highly-rated midfielder has been instrumental for the Isha Allays boys in the ongoing campaign.
He was adjudged the man of the match award when his outfit shared the spoils with Hearts of Oak in matchday 12 of the domestic top-flight.
Baba was also instrumental when King Faisal inflicted a 1-0 win over Tamale City in week 14 on home turf.
In an interview with Koforidua-based Bryt FM, the enterprising midfielder reiterated his side desire to make the Baba Yara Stadium a fortress.
“Going forward, I don’t think we will forfeit points at home. We will not lose at home again, we may share spoils at away but to lose home, never” he said.
King Faisal are yet to lose a point in their last four Ghana Premier League games at the Baba Yara.
They have won three and draw one in their last four games at home.
The Kumasi-based club currently occupies 12th position with 17 points after 13 matches into the campaign.
The 23-year-old left the Porcupine Warriors to join Algerian outfit USM Algiers after an explosive display in the first half of the 2020/21 season.
He scored 7 goals in the Ghana Premier League before his exit from the Ghanaian giants.
Kwame Poku, who had a brilliant start to his USM Algiers career has fallen down the pecking at the moment and is seeking for a transfer in the ongoing window.
Since joining the club, he has scored 7 goals and provided 6 assists in 38 games.
In an interview, the Black Stars forward confirmed Kotoko and Hearts of Oak’s interest but said his return to the Porcupine Warriors is 80% done.
“It’s not true I have terminated or requested to terminate my contract with USM ALGERS but rather me and my agent have asked for transfer “
“I have a lot of offers including Hearts of Oak, they talked to my agent sometime ago but for now I can confirm KOTOKO is leading almost 80% done I can assure you for that”.
“When I was leaving Kotoko I said I have an unfinished business with the fans so if there’s an opportunity to serve again why not ” He concluded
Gita Gopinath, the International Monetary Fund’s Deputy Boss had said that headline inflation has probably peaked but some of “the more sticky components” such as the services sector are still trending up in some countries.
She added that 2023 will be a “tough year.”
“The new IMF forecasts for the global economy, due at the end of the month, will be “in the ballpark of what we put out in October,” she said.
“After going through about three rounds of downgrades at least we don’t have a worse outcome we’re looking at this time around.”
“While we have global growth bottoming out this year, it improves towards the second half of this year and then into 2024,” Madam Gopinath added.
The comments on Wednesday, January 18, 2023, were in line with the general tone of cautious optimism at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
On the opening day of the gathering of the business and financial elite, Chinese Vice Premier Liu, projected that the world’s second-largest economy will normalise as Covid-19 restrictions ease.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, speaking with Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait in Berlin on Tuesday January 17, 2023 said he’s convinced Germany will avoid recession this year and that he is in talks with allies about sending battle tanks to Ukraine.
European Central Bank Governing Council member, Francois Villeroy de Galhau ,said the euro region should avoid a recession this year and that both headline and core inflation “will probably peak in this semester.”
Minister for Youth and Sports Mustapha Ussif, has revealed that the new Black Stars head coach is close to being appointed by the Ghana Football Association (GFA).
The senior national team is currently without a substantive head coach following the resignation of Otto Addo after Black Stars’ early elimination at the 2022 World Cup campaign in Qatar, where the team exited in the group stage.
Speaking before the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament on Tuesday, Ussif said the GFA will submit a report by next on the next appointment.
According to him, the Ghana FA is expected to present a final report to his ministry on who they have decided to hand the role.
“The Ghana Football Association is in the process of hiring a new coach and I have personally engaged them and they have indicated that a final report will be submitted to the Ministry possibly this week or next week,” he said.
“I know we have an assignment in March this year and we need to have a new head coach, so he can start preparing for the AFCON qualifiers.
“The country should be assured that the GFA is working to ensure that we get a replacement.”
The Black Stars will be back in action in March when the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers resume with a doubleheader against Angola.
FC Augsburg sporting director, Stefan Reuter has lauded the acquisition of youngster, Kelvin Yeboah.
The Italian-born Ghanaian youngster joined the Bundesliga club on loan from Serie B side, FC Genoa.
“Kelvin Yeboah is a young, versatile and quick attacker. He will give us another option in attack,” he told the club website.
“He showed how good he is from counter-attacks during his time in Graz and showed a real eye for goal. He’s a great fit for our team and the way we want to play,” he added.
Before putting pen to paper today, the former Sturm Graz flanks man was given a clean bill of health by the FC Augsburg team medics and he’s now looking set to begin life in the German top-flight.
He managed 11 appearances by scoring and assisting once in the Serie B league campaign for Genoa CFC.
Having been born in Accra, the 22-year-old is still qualified to play for Ghana on the international stage despite playing for the Italy U-21 national youth team.
Kelvin Yeboah is the nephew of former Ghana striker, Anthony Yeboah.
For all consumer categories, the average end-user tariff for electricity will increase by 29.96%, while the average end-user tariff for water has also gone up by 8.3%, according to PURC.
But cold store operators and fishmongers in the Kumasi Metropolis say the decision is a serious albatross on their neck which may even lead to major layoffs of their employees.
A leading member of cold store operators at the Kumasi Asafo Market, Mr. Kofi Owusu on Wednesday, January 18, 2023, spoke to OTEC News Jacob Agyenim Boateng.
“I pay an average of GH¢5000 every month which to me is already astronomical bills received monthly, so to think of paying an additional 15 percent to the one I already pay will make it difficult running the business”.
“The PURC ought to have been mindful of the current difficult economic circumstances and consider some of us before they decide to increase tariffs”
Mr. Owusu noted that the increment wills have deleterious implications on jobs and livelihoods particularly those colds store operators in the region and called on the government to intervene.
The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) has made a passionate appeal to government to take steps to address the recent depreciation of the cedi to the dollar, warning if the trend continues, it could erode the gains made during the month of December 2022.
The association comment is coming at a time the cedi has come under immense pressure this month after sustained stability in December 2022.
Though the Bank of Ghana is optimistic that the government barter of gold-for-oil policy will help reduce the foreign exchange pressures on the economy, businesses want more proactive efforts from government to stem the depreciation of the cedi.
Greater Accra Regional Chairman of AGI, Tseonam Akpaloo, told Joy Business, all that industry need is the stability of the cedi.
“We need a regime that allows for stability…that’s what we calling for. Sometimes it goes so down and up. We don’t want that, we want stability”, he stressed.
“We are asking managers of the economy to consider very seriously on how they can stabilise the currency. that’s what we need”, he added.
On the interbank market today, the Bank of Ghana is quoting ¢10.351 to a dollar.
But at the forex bureau, the cedi is going for ¢13 on the average to one US dollar.
The rift between music producer, Appietus and Papi of hiplife group, 5Five, is getting murkier.
The two have been at each other’s necks for the past few days over the latter’s 2011 hit song, ‘Muje Baya’.
In the latest development, Papi expressed his distaste for an assertion made by the song’s producer, Appietus, on Sunday, January 15.
Appietus had claimed that he was never paid for producing ‘Muje Baya’.
This claim did not go down well with Papi who responded to the claim on CTV on Tuesday, January 17.
Papi called him names and claimed he benefited hugely from the song which they paid him for.
The artiste, one-half of 5Five accused the producer of making revenue off their songs via digital streaming platforms on their blind side since 2013.
Narrating the situation, Papi explained that when his distributor in early 2022 chanced on the anomaly, he sent screenshots to Appietus to help the probe.
“When I sent the screenshots to Appietus, he said really, we have to look for the person,” the musician narrated.
Papi said he subsequently reverted to the distributor who dug further to find that, the monies due five of their songs were going to a company called Creative Studios, supposedly run by Appietus.
“So I sent it back to Appietus and told him that ‘Creative Studios is your own studio… he was acting naive about the whole situation.”
“Meanwhile he knew he was spending the money. He was on TV saying that he kept receiving anonymous money via notifications on his phone and kept on spending it… As grown as you are, how do you spend money you know does not belong to you,” he quizzed.
In a rebuttal, the producer threatened to take Papi to court over what he sees to be defamation of his character.
The conversation on live television degenerated into trading of indults and unprintable words.
“If I wasn’t smart to put the songs online, you and Bulldog would have used me for nothing. You never paid me because you and Bullgod had made up your mind to never pay me,” he said on the show.
He said it is a deliberate publicity stunt cooked by Papi to promote his new song, adding that “they have used the song to their benefit and they did not pay for the master copy.”
Papi also apologised to their former manager, Bullgod for earlier accusing him of being the one behind the siphoning of funds from the duo’s music.
“Bro I am using this platform to say I am sorry, forgive me. I am being honest, from my heart,” he said on the show.
Meanwhile, Bullgod has also threatened to take the matter to court against the music producer.
This, Papi believes, is the reason why Appietus is on a campaign to drag them through the mud ahead of whatever repercussions that may follow.
A former mayor of Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Kojo Bonsu has said that he is contesting former president John Mahama for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearership because of democracy.
According to Mr Bonsu, contesting the former president is not because of bitterness nor is it a sign of disrespect.
“So it is because of democracy that is why we are in the competition but not like we are challenging. It is not acrimonious, it is not disrespecting, he has been one of the former presidents of this country so I have to accord him all the respect”.
He, however, said that the rules of the party allow for new leadership to take over every four years.
Mr Bonsu explained that though John Mahama completed many projects for the party and country, that does not forbid him to contest the former president.
“We are talking about democracy. The party is a democratic party and the rules and regulations of the party are that every four years, we have to run for office leadership, so that is the reason.
“It is not competing with him just because he has done well or he has not done well, no, it is democracy that has allowed that”, he said.
Speaking in an exclusive interview on Prime Morning, the NDC flagbearer aspirant asserted that he believes he can do better and perform well than John Mahama if given the nod.
He further explained that the former president has just a little time to transform the nation.
“There are a lot of things that I have that I personally can do better and do well.
“He has done his best, he’s one of the best that Ghana has ever had but even if he comes and wins, he is going to do four years and four years, you need a visionary leader who can complete eight years. With four years, time is very short. By the time you make your cabinet and everything, two years is gone.
“So you would have to have somebody who has eight-year term who can do a new phase.
Commenting on whether he was disappointed when the former president did to select him as his running mate in 2020, the aspirant said “no, it is life, you don’t expect to get everything that you want in this world.
Principal Policy Advisor of the Economic Commission of Africa, Joseph Atta-Mensah has called for the removal of the VISA requirements among African countries.
According to him, the free movement of people on the continent is necessary to propel the economic growth of Africa.
Mr Atta-Mensah called for this rectification when discussing the topic ‘Africa Prosperity Dialogues: All you need to Know” on Accra-based Asaase Radio.
“You know, we fear each other and I don’t know why. We always use security as an issue to prevent people from coming but I think if there is a total collaboration among our security forces, to have data on someone [that can be done].
“Because just as there are bad people, there are good people who want to do good business to uplift the continent. So what we need to do is remove the VISAs completely, not VISA on arrival. And that can be done by having a common African passport. ECOWAS does it, we can do it and put on it African Union,” he noted.
Mr Atta-Mensah further urged business owners in Ghana to embrace the newly-established African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which has its office situated in the country.
According to him, the onus lies on the business owners to take full advantage of it.
“Businesses always complain that government is not giving them the policies to operate but in North America, businesses are the ones who lobby for policies. “The African Continental Free Trade Area belongs to businesses so they should embrace it other than say that they are not been included because at the end of the day, they are the ones going to do the trading anyway.
He claims that foreigners have increasingly controlled the economy over the years, with Ghanaians merely contributing minimally.
Speaking at the 2023 Annual New Year School and Conference at the University of Ghana, Legon, Dr Daniel McKorley said, “Ghanaian businessmen, don’t control any sector of this country, rather, we contribute, in fact, all sectors in Ghana are controlled by foreigners.”
“Banking is controlled by Nigerians and South Africans, retail is controlled by Lebanese and Indians, manufacturing is controlled by Indians and Lebanese, telecoms sector is controlled by British and South Africans, oil and gas, mining, trading, you name it, they are controlled by foreigners,” Dr McKorley pointed out.
He also called for the participation of Ghanaian businesses to participate in key sectors of the economy.
“We must know this, small businesses don’t build nations, big businesses do. When the big businesses lead the way, they build small businesses around and push growth and become the true engine of growth,” he stressed.
The 2023 Annual New Year School and Conference is ‘Positioning the African market for sustainable economic development through African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)’.
Market traders in the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo have expressed dismay at being forced to dismantle their stalls ahead of a visit by Pope Francis.
Officials in Kinshasa say they’re making the streets clean and tidy in time for the Pope’s arrival at the end of the month.
Some traders complained that the police – using crowbars and bulldozers – had been heavy-handed. They also said many people had lost all their goods.
The affected streets include Lumumba Boulevard, the main thoroughfare from the airport, on which a gala welcome will be staged for Pope Francis.
But hawkers are angry that they’re also being forced out of the side streets around the city centre.
Multiple award-winning Ghanaian actress and film producer, Yvonne Nelson, has announced that she would be releasing a movie on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2023.
Sharing this great news on her Instagram page, she stated that on the wonderful day of love, movie lovers would be able to watch the movie at the Silverbird Cinemas.
The movie, which is titled Kotoka is a Yvonne Nelson Productions movie that starrs Majid Michel, Franklin Adjetey, and Solomon Fixon-Owoo Jnr.
It also features Christy N. Ukata, Darlyn Adu-Gyamfi, and Kweku Elliott.
It also starrs Yvonne Nelson herself who is the mastermind behind the much-anticipated movie.
Captioning the post on her official Instagram page she said,
K O T O K A premieres on Valentine’s Day at the Silverbird Cinemas. @ynproductionsgh
Reactions as Yvonne Nelson announces new movie set to premiere on Vals Day
blayzpictures_ commented:
Let’s go
kuukuwa6 said:
I knew she was cooking something for this year’s valentine, YN
wenluvkleopatra remarked:
Yvonne is everything your fav isn’t ❤️
kofikoomsongh_ stated:
YN is serving us hot again!!!! ❤️
_f.eldmann stated:
Yaaaaaazzz she did it again
___musah07 remarked:
This movie is going to be lite loving the production plus the cast
lorettaagyemang1 commented:
Valentine’s Day will never be complete without a YN movie y’all❤️
Meanwhile, many of her ardent fans have shown excitement as they continue to share how fun their Valentine’s Day is going to be with a Yvonne Nelson movie.
Coach Héctor Cúper has been shortlisted for the vacant Black Stars coaching job. The Black Stars job became vacant after coach Otto Addo resigned on the 2nd of December, 2022.
Héctor Cúper was the head coach of the Leopards of DR Congo from 2021 to 2022. In March, his team missed out on the 2022 FIFA World Cup after a 5–2 aggregate playoff loss to Morocco. He was dismissed on 9 June 2022, having lost to Gabon and Sudan in the first 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
According to Accra-based radio station Asempa FM, the Ghana Football Association has shortlisted coaches for the vacant Black Stars job and Héctor Cúper is among those shortlisted.
Héctor Cúper 67, preferred formation is 4-2-3-1, he previously managed the Pharaohs of Egypt from 2015 to 2018, and Uzbekistan from 2018 to 2019.
Héctor Cúper managed 14 games with DR Congo, he won 3, drew 4, and lost 7.
The Ghana Football Association is likely to appoint a new coach by the end of January.
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