As compared to Friday’s trading of a buying price of 8.6067 and a selling price of 8.6153. At a forex bureau in Accra, the dollar is being bought at a rate of 11.30 and sold at a rate of 12.20.
Against the Pound Sterling, the Cedi is trading at a buying price of 10.8110 and a selling price of 10.8237 as compared to Friday’s trading of a buying price of 10.2334 and a selling price of 10.2445.
The Euro is trading at a buying price of 9.5361 and a selling price of 9.5455 as compared to Friday’s trading of a buying price of 9.0633 and a selling price of 9.0723.
At a forex bureau in Accra, Euro is being bought at a rate of 11.50 and sold at a rate of 12.40.
The South African Rand is trading at a buying price of 0.5221 and a selling price of 0.5226 as compared to Friday’s trading of a buying price of 0.4989 and a selling price of 0.4994.
At a forex bureau in Accra, South African Rand is being bought at a rate of 0.45 and sold at a rate of 0.90.
The Nigerian Naira is trading at a buying price of 51.1522 and a selling price of 51.2077 as compared to Friday’s trading at a buying price of 53.4468 and a selling price of 53.5559.
At a forex bureau in Accra, Nigerian Naira is being bought at a rate of 12.50 Naira for every 1 Cedi and sold at a rate of 17.50.
Many second-cycle schools have expressed their readiness to reopen for the commencement of the 2023 academic year.
In separate interviews with the Daily Graphic, the management of some second-cycle schools expressed their readiness to reopen for the commencement of the 2023 academic year.
According to the management of some of the schools, they had put in place the necessary arrangements for second- and third-year continuing students to return to school for the resumption of academic activities.
In schools with boarding facilities, fumigation exercises have been carried out.
In terms of food items, while some of the schools have received their packages, others are expected to receive theirs by the close of today.
The Daily Graphic learnt that the regional offices of the National Food Buffer Stock Company Limited have been tasked to get in touch with local foodstuffs suppliers to deliver about 20 per cent of food needs to each school.
The remaining 80 per cent of the food items are expected to be in the schools a week or two after the arrival of the students to enable the government to settle part of its more than GH¢300 million indebtedness to suppliers.
The Daily Graphic team included Emmanuel Bonney, Delali Sika, Kwadwo Baffoe Donkor, Gilbert Mawuli Agbey and Haruna Wumpini.
CHASS
The President of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), Rev. Fr Stephen Owusu Sekyere, said members of CHASS were ready and prepared to receive the students.
“We are only waiting for money and food to feed the students. Aside from that, we are ready to receive them,” he told the Daily Graphic in Kumasi yesterday.
He said both teaching and non-teaching staff of the schools were ready to do their work and was hopeful that the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES) would honour their commitment for the smooth running of schools.
Food
Already, Rev. Fr Sekyere said, he was aware some schools had taken delivery of food items such as maize, rice and beans, saying the rest were yet to receive theirs.
He indicated that per the information CHASS had received, food supplies were on their way to the various regions and the schools should take delivery of them by the close of today.
Money
On the issue of remittances for recurrent purchases and arrears due the schools, Rev. Fr Sekyere, who is the Headmaster of Opoku Ware Senior High School (SHS), said he had received assurance from the Director-General of the GES that money had been released to pay them.
“I have been told that some schools in the rural areas have received calls from the ARB Apex Bank to pick up their cheques,” he said.
“Those of us in the big cities who are with the Bank of Ghana, the GCB Bank and the rest are hoping that by the close of today the money will hit our accounts,” the CHASS President said.
“We need the money to hit our accounts so that we can feed the students in the evening when they report to school,” he said.
Hope
He expressed the hope that all things would go on smoothly in order to prevent any tension on the various school compounds arising out of food shortage or lack of money to affect the smooth running of the academic calender.
Accra
At the Odorgonno SHS, the Headmaster, Patrick Mensah, told Emmanuel Bonney that the school was very ready for reopening.
He confirmed that food items had started coming in and that teachers had also started their preparatory meetings.
“For human resource and logistics, they are set. The only thing we were waiting for was food, and we have seen indications it is coming in,” he said.
The authorities of the Accra High School also indicated that they were set for the resumption of academic work.
A management member who did not want to be named said the necessary arrangements were in place for school.
“All I can say is that we ready for the children to come,” the source indicated.
During a visit to the Presbyterian Boys’ SHS (PRESEC), Legon about 11 a.m. yesterday, it was observed that some of students had started arriving.
“The safety of the students is paramount to us, but we are ready to receive them. Fumigation has been done and cleaning has also been done. We are just waiting for them to come. Some boarders are in and, hopefully, by the close of the week everyone will be present,” a tutor who gave information on condition of anonymity said.
The source said everything was intact for the arrival of the students, adding: “We can’t wait to start lessons from where we ended at the end of the last academic year.”
Calm environment
At the West Africa SHS at Adentan, the school environment was quiet at the time the Daily Graphic team visited.
Sources at the school said the arrival of boarding students was slow.
They said the school was yet to get its full consignment of food items.
At the Kwabenya SHS, there was nothing going on in the school but one of the tutors who declined to give his name noted that they were ready to receive the students.
Food trickles in
From the Upper East Region, our team reports that school authorities in SHSs are ready to receive first-year and continuing students to begin the new academic year.
However, checks indicated that many of the schools had not yet received food supplies ahead of the commencement of academic work.
The Chairman of the Upper East Regional branch of CHASS, Richard Akumbas Ayabilla, said only two out of the 26 SHSs in the region had received some food items from local suppliers.
“Since the schools owe local suppliers huge sums of money, the suppliers are not willing to supply more food items, especially the perishable ones, on credit,” he said.
He called on the government to urgently make funds available to enable the schools to pay local suppliers, while awaiting food items from the Buffer Stock Company.
The Headmistress of the Bolgatanga Girls’ SHS, Patricia Agoteba Anaba, said although the staff were ready to receive the students, food items were not yet in.
However, she said the school expected to receive food items from the government by the close of yesterday.
Ms Anaba expressed the hope that while the students would start arriving from this morning, the food items would be received in time to feed them.
The Headmistress of the Kongo SHS, Gifty Ayamba, noted that the school was ready and had put in place measures to receive the students.
From Koforidua in the Eastern Region, Daily Graphic checks indicate that two schools, the Ghana SHS (GHANASS) and the Oti Boateng SHS, were fully prepared to receive continuing students.
The Headmistress of GHANASS, Patience Naki Mensah, said at least 20 boarding students had arrived as of yesterday and the kitchen staff were ready to provide them with meals.
She said under normal circumstances, such students should have waited for today to be fed along with other students who might have arrived on the opening day.
At the Oti Boateng SHS, the situation was the same and the Headmaster, John Hawkson Arthur, said adequate preparations to make boarding students feel at home on their arrival had been completed.
“We have made all the necessary arrangements to make the arriving boarding students happy to stay without any hindrance.
“Those responsible for the provision of food are also ready to play their part,” Mr Arthur said.
Buffer Stock
The Buffer Stock Company started supplies last Wednesday and would continue until bulk suppliers in charge of delivering 80 per cent of the food needs of the schools stepped in, a source at the company told the Daily Graphic.
The strategy, it said, had been adopted since it took some time for the bulk suppliers to reach the schools.
“So while waiting for that bulk to come in, we asked our regional managers to liaise with local suppliers, so that they will handle 20 per cent of supplies,” the source said.
It added that “so far the items are trickling in at the various schools”.
The source at the Buffer Stock Company added that its information collected from across the country indicated that food items were reaching the various schools.
Former Chief Executive Officer of defunct UT Bank, Prince Kofi Amoabeng, has taken a swipe at some Ghanaian politicians for contributing to the woes of the Ghana cedi in recent times.
According to him, some politicians hoard the dollars, a situation which caused the high demand for the American greenback and the rapid depreciation of the cedi in 2022.
Speaking at the maiden edition of the McDan Business Forum, he said some of the problems with Ghana’s foreign exchange rate is caused by politicians who transact businesses in dollars.
“One thing that causes big demand for dollars is corruption. All the money they are making and stealing are not in cedis but in dollars”.
“They must change dollars. So they hide it under their beds and when they get the opportunity they put it outside”, he added.
A Kenyan court has allowed police to detain five suspects linked to the murder of LGBT activist Edwin Chiloba for 21 days.
This is to enable further investigations into the death, including conducting an autopsy and a forensic examination of the deceased’s house and the vehicle which was used to transport and dump the body.
The police said they also need time to review CCTV footage of Chiloba’s last moments and phone records from his handset.
The model’s decomposing body was found stashed in a metal box and dumped along a remote road outside Eldoret town.
Human rights activists and civil society groups have condemned the horrific killing.
The five people arrested include Chiloba’s long-time friend Jackton Odhiambo and three minors.
He claims that the government’s present stance on the program is just causing more economic uncertainty and that it should therefore publicly acknowledge its responsibility for the poor judgments made in the face of the current economic difficulties.
“The government should come out after he [Finance Minister – Ken Ofori-Atta] is done with all needed research and say this is the way we’re going, but not to be changing its position. Because pensioners are talking or complaining, then you say this is not part of it…why?” he said this in interaction with Joy Business.
“Get a grasp of the full facts and come out one time and explain to the people that this is what we are doing. You cannot just throw information at the people. We know you can make mistakes but the information should be backed by some facts, and then you apologise to Ghanaians for any error made rather than just be telling us stories…really?” Prince Amoabeng is quoted by myjoyonline.com
Although individual investors were initially not part of the debt restructuring, the government decided to include individual bondholders in the debt exchange programme some days after the exemption of pension funds from the programme.
The Domestic Debt Exchange Programme is a key requirement ahead of Ghana securing a Board-Level Agreement with the International Monetary Fund under an Extended Credit Facility for an amount of $3 billion to restore macro-economic stability.
The Union highlighted in a statement sighted by GhanaWeb Business that Alan Kyerematen’s resignation was somewhat unexpected but lauded the minister for being a humble servant and having good people skills.
“All those who know him and happen to have come in contact with this affable gentleman will attest to the fact that he is an astute politician, a very humble public servant, versed in his area of duty, coupled with excellent human relations which have endeared him to all who have happened to meet him on matters of trade and industry, especially, those of us in the private sector,” the statement by GUTA read.
“We can confidently say that he has performed excellently and left an indelible footprint that will ever remain in our memories. So, we see him as an asset not only to Ghana but also to the sub-regional and continental blocs, as well as the entire globe,” it added.
On January 7, 2023, Alan Kyerematen broke his silence after resigning from his position as Trade and Industry minister in the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo administration.
“I would like to thank H.E the President for the opportunity to serve and for graciously accepting my resignation as Cabinet Minister responsible for Trade and Industry, effective 16th January, 2023,” he wrote via Twitter.
“I sincerely appreciate the support from my family, colleagues, my party the NPP, the international community, and the general public during my tenure as a Minister,” Alan Kyeremanten added.
This came after President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on January 6, 2023, accepted the resignation of Alan Kyerematen after reports emerged that he tendered his resignation on January 5, 2023, after he personally informed the president of the move.
Although there are no clear reasons for Alan Kyerematen’s resignation, it is believed that he did so on the basis of contesting in the flagbearership race of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) ahead of the 2024 general elections.
President Akufo-Addo has since directed Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta to serve as the caretaker Minister of Trade and Industry until a substantive minister is appointed for the ministry.
In three tweets posted on January 9, 2023; American rapper Meek Mill explained the circumstances around which he filmed footage in and around the Jubilee House.
Government had been under incessant pressure to address how the rapper filmed footage when he visited President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in December 2022 when he was in town for the Afro Nation concert.
Mill apologized to Ghanaians and to the presidency for the manner in which a music video promo he had put together had generated controversy and heavy social media backlash.
He posted the video on his Instagram reel but switched to Twitter to render his apology.
“To the people of Ghana no video I drop is ever meant to disrespect the people of Ghana …. The fastest way to make connection is thru music and I wanted to do that with displaying art … im in my 30’s from America and didn’t know much about the lifestyle here,” his first apology tweet read.
He followed it up with another apology, again to the Ghanaian people but also the presidency:
“My apologies to the people if any disrespect! We still gonna push to make the connection between black people in America and Africa … what I’m trying to do is more than a video and you should see coming soon! My apologies to the the office also!” it read.
When a Ghanaian blogger tweeted that the outrage was not targeted at him per se but at the presidency, he explained how he procured the footage.
“I don’t think they knew it was video footage when we asked to shoot its a small camera and one kid … in America we didn’t know this existed and was excited to show because they don’t show Ghana on our media much! So I’ll take responsibility for my mistake! Not intentional,” he added.
The move by the minister will probably be made today, January 10, 2023, at the Presidency, according to a report on myjoyonline.com.
After Alan Kyerematen, the Trade and Industry Minister, resigned on January 5, 2023, should the decision be accepted, it would be the second resignation in roughly four days.
Although there are no clear reasons for the likely resignation of the Food and Agriculture Minister, it is believed Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto is tipped to contest in the flagbearership race of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) ahead of the 2024 general elections.
The CEO of the prestigious Africa Movie Academy Awards(AMAA), Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, has been reported dead.
The filmmaker and a bigwig in the Nigerian filmmaking sector who is often described as the “Queen of Nollywood films” died in the early hours of Tuesday, January 10.
This was contained in a statement released by the family of the deceased on January 10, 2023.
The statement read, “Peace Maria Ogechi Anyiam-Osigwe: An epitome of creative transcendence. The family of the Emmanuel Onyechere Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe clan in thanksgiving to God and in the belief that God is good and everything He does is good and in accordance with His divine will, pattern and plan, announce the passing to the eternal glory of our illustrious beloved daughter, sister, aunt and great aunt Ms. Peace Maria Ogechi Anyiam-Osigwe (MFR)
“Peace, the Ada of the Anyiam-Osigwe family, was an outstanding personality, trailblazer, titan, pathfinder, go-getter, humanitarian, one-of-a-kind creative, and visionary leader in the film and television industry. Peace left indelible imprints on the sands of time. We as a family and clan will continue do all that is necessary to ensure that her legacy lives on.
“The Africa Movie Academy Awards and the Africa Film Academy, along with their training programs across Nigeria and the African continent will carry on seamlessly by institutions she set up and with the full support of the Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe Foundation and other Institutions and Government Agencies with whom she has worked over the years.* Her numerous charities across different religious denominations and other communities will also be continued.”
The renowned filmmaker was acknowledged as an outstanding personality, trailblazer, titan, pathfinder, go-getter, and humanitarian.
He is known for his unique ability to create art out of what most people will consider as junk.
From old materials including sacks, old sewing machines among other things, Ibrahim Mahama the Artist has made a name worldwide with his distinct art which not only promotes Ghana but has historical significance.
In 2021, the artist emerged as one who bought some of Ghana’s old planes to create a museum and community space in Jenakpeng in the Northern Region.
Using proceeds from $1m of sales, he bought these planes which now serve not only as a tourist attraction but a learning hub for students in the engineering field among others.
In his latest move, the artist, Ibrahim Mahama has acquired some of Ghana’s very old trains from some parts of the country and transported them to the North as part of his collection at the Red Clay Studios.
Revealing this in a tweet, he said;
“Taking history up north to build new histories. From Gold Coast Railways to Ghana Railways and beyond. Trains crossing River Pra at Beposo Western Region of Ghana”.
Head coach of the Black Galaxies, Annor Walker, says the team is in Algeria to win the 2023 African Nations Championship (CHAN).
Walker is hoping to become the first coach to lift the trophy for Ghana after unsuccessful attempts in the previous three editions the team was involved.
Milovan Rajevac and Maxwell Konadu took the team to the final in 2009 and 2014 while Herbert Addo’s 2011 side couldn’t go past the group stage.
But Walker, who is leading the team now, says the team is in Algiers to win the CHAN tournament for the first time.
“From what our head of delegation said that we are here to win the tournament? Yes. We didn’t come here to come and joke. We didn’t come here to look at how Algiers town is,” he said.
“We came for a purpose and we also came to win the cup.”
The Black Galaxies will play their last friendly game on Tuesday, January 10, against Mozambique before the start of the CHAN tournament on January 13.
A 60-year-old man who was mauled to death over the weekend by his own dogs in the South African town of Lichtenburg, has been formally identified as Zambian football star, Philemon Mulala.
Mr Mulala’s wife is reported to have found him lifeless in the garden of their home and quickly called for the emergency services who pronounced him dead at the scene, according to a statement by the South African Police
Tributes have been pouring in with the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) leading the way. FAZ general secretary Adrian Kashala told South Africa’s Times Live newspaper; “We remain with wonderful memories that the late Philemon honoured us with on the pitch.”
Mr Mulala moved to South Africa in the 1980s to play for the Kaizer Chiefs and later, the Cape Town Spurs.
The South African Police Service has said that an inquest docket has been opened and investigation into the matter continues.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals have removed the three dogs from their home and put them in shelters.
According to Asaaseradio.com, the Government of Ghana “would be required to pay an interest of 2.99% on the US$3 billion loan over a period that will be specified by the terms and conditions of the Fund.”
According to IMF, Special Drawing Rights (SDR) is an international reserve asset created by the Fund to supplement the official reserves of its member countries.
It added that “SDR is not a currency. It is a potential claim on the freely usable currencies of IMF members. As such, SDRs can provide a country with liquidity.”
Ghana is targeting $3 billion over a three-year period from the IMF once an agreement on a programme is finalized.
The new amount requested as a loan is double government’s initial target of $1.5 billion.
On December 13, 2022, theInternational Monetary Fund (IMF) announced that it has reached a staff-level agreement with Ghana on economic policies and reforms to be supported by a new three-year arrangement under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) of about US$3 billion.
According to the IMF, the authorities’ strong reform programme is aimed at restoring macroeconomic stability of Ghana’s economy.
Older devices frequently quit supporting WhatsApp, and the newer ones are released. In fact, as of December 31, 2022, the messaging app would no longer work on more than 49 devices. This article contains the complete list.
WhatsApp releases updates often, and occasionally older handsets can no longer keep up. So, for instance, on iPhones running iOS 10 and iOS 11, the widely used messaging app stopped functioning on October 24, 2022. Also, this time, only two iPhones will lose access to the messaging app alongside a bunch of old Android smartphones.
Of course, we’re talking about smartphones from a few years ago, so there’s a good chance you’ve since upgraded to a newer model. However, it is normal to see outdated smartphones in use today. Sadly, if yours is on the list, WhatsApp will no longer be available starting on December 31.
Here is a list of those who were impacted. Since there are only 49 gadgets total in this one, we have arranged them according to alphabetical order to make it easier for users to search.
The list of smartphones that will no longer be able to use Whatsapp
Despite the signing of several Memorandums of Understanding with Ethiopian Airlines and EgyptAir, efforts to re-establish a national carrier ran into difficulties. As a result, the former Aviation Ministry, which is now run by the Ministry of Transport, established a new committee to review all proposals.
The Ghanaian government has been working for years to launch a new domestic airline, and has finally decided on the name “Ghana Airlines” for the company.
Ahead of the selection, names such as Akwaaba Airlines, Black Star Airlines, and Kente Airlines were mooted as part of the efforts to get a suitable name that will reflect Ghana’s culture and boost the enterprise.
In the wake of this, government has since selected Ashanti Airlines as a strategic partner to operate a commercially viable home-based carrier which will run as Ghana Airlines Limited from the third quarter of 2023.
Zotus Group Inc in the United Kingdom has also been selected to become the financial and operational partners of Ashanti Airlines with the Government of Ghana.
GhanaWeb Business understands that Ghana Airlines is expected to initially offer domestic and sub-regional services in addition to international services later on to key destinations across the world.
The aircraft, Ghana Airlines will use, is the Dash 8-400 turboprops while the international service will use the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
GhanaWeb Business takes a further look into the kind of aircrafts tipped to operate Ghana Airlines in the third quarter of 2023.
Dash 8-400 Turboprops
According to Aerotime Hub, Ghana Airlines Limited is expected to use about six Dash 8-400s Turboprops to commence its domestic and sub-regional operations.
The aircraft, depending on numerous factors would cost an average price of $3.25 million for a pre-owned model while a new aircraft would go for about $33.5 million on average.
The Dash 8-400 can seat up to 90 passengers and is said to have the highest capacity turboprop on the aviation market. The aircraft has the ability to also serve as a freighter, firefighting aircraft, missionized aircraft, among others.
It can operate in challenging weather conditions, especially on paved and unpaved runways. Since its launch, the Dash 8-400 aircraft operates in many countries across the world.
Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
When Ghana Airlines decides to operate international services, Aerotime Hub reports that it would use a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
It also reported that government in 2019 at the Dubai Air Show placed an order for three of the modern aircraft which can seat up between 250 to 290 passengers.
The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner currently costs around $292.5 million.
The aircraft, which is developed and manufactured by US-based Boeing Commercial Airplanes, can travel up to a range of 8,300nm (15,372km).
It also offers consumers an array of features, technology and has the capacity to operate in challenging weather conditions and environments.
The widebody aircraft consumes about 20 percent less fuel than any other aircraft in its class and employs new technologies for achieving efficiency.
Some of its primary users are American Airlines, Japan Airlines, United Airlines among others.
The First Couple were in attendance when the granddaughter of the late Opoku Ware II, Emily Owusu-Nyantekyi, tied the knot with her fiancé, Mr. Kwadwo Amponsah, in a plush ceremony held in Accra.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo turned up in a tan suit with brown shoes to match, while First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo also wore a shiny long dress in the footage sighted by GhanaWeb.
Although simple, the plush ceremony took social media by storm.
Videos that made the rounds on the internet, showed that the event exuded class, style, opulence, and royalty.
In one of the videos, the president’s vehicle with the Coat of Arms and the Ghana flag pulls up as the first couple makes their way into the church. At one point, the president is seen exchanging pleasantries as he departs.
Then there is also a video where First Lady Rebecca is seen at the reception helping the couple and their parents cut the cake, after which she hugs the bride.
Aside the First Couple, the event pooled together the crème de la crème of society relative to politics, royalty and diplomacy with first lady of the Ashanti kingdom, Otumfuo-Yere Julia Osei Tutu, diplomats, royals in attendance.
The wedding was said to have started off with a church service at the magnificent Holy Spirit Cathedral in Accra and a high-octave reception at the plush Kempinski Hotel.
The Adlon ballroom of the hotel, where the reception was held, witnessed a huge transformation from an extravagant décor that turned heads on social media.
The four-time African Champions is currently without a substantive trainer following the resignation of Otto Addo.
The Germany-based trainer resigned as Black Stars coach after suffering early elimination at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
After beating South Korea, Ghana needed a win or draw against Uruguay to progress to the knockout stages of the tournament.
But the team failed to negotiate for points against their South American ‘enemies’ in the final group game.
In an interview with Asempa FM monitored by Footballghana.com, Henry Asante Twum expressed the Ghana FA will by close of January appoint a new head coach for the national team to steer affairs.
“I think it will be this month. From the conversations going on it is very likely a new head coach of the Black Stars will be appointed this month”
“There will be an ExCo meeting soon and everything will be finalized there” he said.
The Ghana Football Association has been swamped with several CV’s of coaches interested in taking over the reign of the senior national team, the Black Stars, communications director of the FA Henry Asante Twum has disclosed.
The Black Stars team is currently without a substantive trainer following the resignation of Otto Addo.
The Germany-based trainer resigned as Black Stars coach after suffering early elimination at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
After beating South Korea, Ghana needed a win or draw against Uruguay to progress to the knockout stages of the tournament.
But the team failed to negotiate for points against their South American ‘enemies’ in the final group game.
In an interview with Asempa FM monitored by Footballghana.com, Henry Asante Twum disclosed the FA has received over sixty applications for the vacant Black Stars job.
“Maybe over 60 applications. The Black Stars is very attractive. You cannot have Mohammed Kudus in your team and think the Black Stars is not attractive. It is an attractive brand, no doubt about that” he said.
Meanwhile, he has disclosed a new Black Stars coach will be appointed by close of January 2023.
“I think it will be this month. From the conversations going on it is very likely a new head coach of the Black Stars will be appointed this month”
“There will be an ExCo meeting soon and everything will be finalized there” he said.
NDC’s National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, has wondered why the likes of Daddy Lumba, Sarkodie, and Samini, who have been tagged as NPP sympathizers, have never been invited to shoot their music videos at the Jubilee House.
His comments are on the heels of the massive outbursts on social media after Meek Mill’s music video recorded at the Jubilee House went viral.
Some individuals who have been appalled by the development have described it as a complete desecration of the seat of the president, while others have questioned why such an act was tolerated.
Amid the rants, the one thing that angered netizens was that some Ghanaian musicians would not have gained access to the Jubilee House as Meek Mill did.
But reacting to the development, Sammy Gyamfi said during an interview with Asempa FM, that it would have been more understandable to allow Ghanaian artistes, particularly the ones who campaigned for the government to shoot music videos inside the Jubilee House.
Adding his voice to the large section of Ghanaians who have criticized the presidency for tolerating Meek Mill’s conduct, he said;
“A friend of mine said, why not then allow Sarkodie shoot a video at the Jubilee house? Looking at how he has thoroughly campaigned for the NPP. Or Samini, or even Daddy Lumba. Since NPP came to power, the only musician who has been able to produce a beautiful record for them is Daddy Lumba. I’m referring to that ‘Na na na’ song. I’m sure these people will suffer to even gain access to the president.”
Among other things, Mr. Sammy Gyamfi also identified what he described as the ‘height of disrespect, lack of decorum and disregard for protocol, displayed by Meek Mill during his visit to the Jubilee House.
“As for Meek Mill, because he is taller than our president, he even clutched his arm around his shoulders. Look at the way he even dressed. Wearing sneakers, shorts and T-shirt. After that he still had the nerve to fly cameras around the Jubilee House,” he added
He claimed that the government’s strategy for addressing the economic problem in the nation “appears like trying to fool or surprise the market.”
He stated, “We know that Ghana is in a profound crisis; in fact, in terms of economics, if there was any word beyond crisis, that is what we would be saying right now.” in an interview with peacefmonline.
Read the entire article as it appeared in its original form on Peacefmonline on December 10, 2022.
“The approach government is using in managing all of these appears like trying to trick or surprise the market . . . we know that Ghana is in a deep crisis, in fact in economics if there was any word beyond crisis that is what we will be using now . . . we all do acknowledge that we have to come out of this . . . ” he said.
Speaking in an interview on Peace FM’s morning show ‘Kokrokoo’, Prof Bokpin said to come out of this situation government needs to have “some moral authority” and call various stakeholders for a “broader consultation”.
” . . Broader consultations, the humility to acknowledge where we have gone wrong and where we can do better, that brings everybody to the table is very critical now . . . we need negotiations, to do so you have to come to the negotiation table with some moral authority . . . failure to do that, it’s going to be difficult for us to get out of this,” he averred.
“Consensus building is the way to go and to do this, it requires honesty and transparent,” he added.
Communications Director of the Ghana Football Association, Henry Asante Twum has disclosed no Ghanaian coach has applied for the position of the vacant Black Stars coach job.
The four-time African Champions is currently without a substantive trainer following the resignation of Otto Addo.
The Germany-based trainer resigned as Black Stars coach after suffering early elimination at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
After beating South Korea, Ghana needed a win or draw against Uruguay to progress to the knockout stages of the tournament.
But the team failed to negotiate for points against their South American ‘enemies’ in the final group game.
In an interview with Asempa FM monitored by Footballghana.com, Henry Asante Twum revealed no Ghanaian trainer has applied for the national team job.
“I’m never surprised that coaches are constantly applying. Most of them are from European countries and some too from South America. So far no Ghanaian coach has applied for the Black Stars job”
Meanwhile, he has disclosed a new Black Stars coach will be appointed by close of January 2023.
“I think it will be this month. From the conversations going on it is very likely a new head coach of the Black Stars will be appointed this month”
“There will be an ExCo meeting soon and everything will be finalized there” he said.
He emphasized that the economy will have fully recovered from both internal and foreign shocks by April of this year.
“The year of austerity in 2023. But for the Ghanaian economy, it should also be the year of macro stability and predictability. Although it won’t be simple, businesses thrive on stability, and because of that, I see a slow but steady rebound for the economy starting in April “GhanaWeb read what Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko wrote in a post.
Read the full story originally published on January 5, 2023 by www.ghanaweb.com.
Leading member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, has labelled 2023 a year of austerity with a projection that proper economic recovery will kick in from April.
In his view, even though austerity is expected, 2023 should also be a year of macro stability and predictability for the economy.
Gabby’s views were contained in a January 3, 2023 tweet which read: “2023 is the Year of Austerity. But it should also be the year of macro stability and predictability for the Ghanaian economy.
“It will not be easy, but businesses thrive on stability and with that I can see a slow but gradual recovery for the economy from April.”
Ghana had a torrid 2022 amid an economic crisis that forced government to seek an International Monetary Fund (IMF) facility at a time the cedi was rapidly depreciating, inflation was galloping and government was faced with multiple downgrades by rating agencies.
The government has serially 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 with the hope that funds from the US$3 billion facility will be released early this year.
Asante Kotoko legend Samuel Opoku Nti has explained why the club must sign Mohammed Alhassan in the ongoing transfer window.
Earlier reports in the local media suggested Kotoko are in talks to sign Mohammed Alhassan who was shown the exit at Hearts of Oak recently.
Speaking to Kumasi-based Oyerepa FM, the former Kotoko CEO asserted the addition of Mohammed Alhassan to the Porcupine Warriors defense will help the club considering his vast experience in the league.
“If Kotoko are able to sign Mohammed Alhassan, he will help the team. He has a rich experience and he will augment the back line if he joins.
Kotoko need a tough and experience defender to guide and control the back seat.” He said.
The Porcupine Warriors are yet to live up to expectation in the ongoing Ghana Premier League campaign despite being third on the league log.
The record Ghana Premier League holders were held to a 1-1 draw at the Baba Yara Stadium on Sunday.
They currently sit third on the league log with 19 points after 11 matches into the campaign.
The artist came to light in 2021 as the person who acquired several of Ghana’s vintage aircraft in order to establish a museum and community center in Jenakpeng in the Northern Region.
He purchased these planes with the revenues of $1 million in sales, and they are now used as a resource for students studying engineering, among other subjects, in addition to being a tourist attraction.
“Taking history up north to build new histories. From Gold Coast Railways to Ghana Railways and beyond. Trains crossing River Pra at Beposo Western Region of Ghana”.
For the first time in almost 20 years, British Airways has unveiled a new uniform. Created by Ghanaian-British fashion designer Ozwald Boateng OBE, the collection will be worn by more than 30,000 of the airline’s staff from Spring 2023.
In a release, the airline said that the collection features a tailored three-piece suit for men with regular and slim fit style trousers and dress, skirt and trouser options for women, as well as a modern jumpsuit, which is an airline first. The airline has also added a tunic and hijab option for female cabin crew.
Boateng spent time shadowing colleagues in their roles at the airline to create the collection. The airwave pattern, which features across the entire uniform collection including jackets, t-shirts, buttons and ties, was inspired by the movement of air over an aircraft wing, British Airways said.
The jacquard fabric across all of the tailored garments features a variation of the airline’s iconic speedmarque, the airline added.
Over the last six months, the airline has been putting the uniform to the test in secret trials to ensure that each is fit for the purpose, the airline said.
Boateng, who has been developing the collection since 2018, said “Designing this uniform was a vast and painstaking undertaking and it went far beyond clothes. It was about creating an energetic shift internally.
“One of my main objectives was to create something that spoke to, and for, the airline’s colleagues. Something that inspired and empowered them, encouraged them to conduct their roles with pride and most importantly to ensure that they felt seen and heard.
“Although the airline has a strong heritage, it was imperative to support in creating a fresh narrative of change and transcendence, while remaining timeliness.”
Boateng was born on February 28, 1967. The fashion designer has acquired the likes and admiration of many for his signature twist on classic tailoring and bespoke style.
Boateng was born in North London’s Muswell Hill after his parents emigrated from Ghana in the 1950s. He draws inspiration from the immaculate suits that his father wore when he was young.
Since childhood, his love for fashion has been quite apparent from the fact that he was only fourteen when he found himself a summer job sewing linings into suits.
A 10-year-old boy was electrocuted, leaving the residents of Beppoh in the Western Region’s Prestea Huni Valley Municipality in a state of sorrow.
Primary 4 student who passed away was reportedly playing with his friends when he touched a live electrical line that was lying on the ground.
The Assembly Member for the Beppoh Electoral Area, Thomas Kofi Enyam, verified the tragic incident, saying the youngster was electrocuted after putting the live wire into his mouth.
He said the boy was pronounced dead upon arrival at the Beppoh CHPS compound.
The Assembly Member disclosed that the live wire was a connection between two stores that had fallen off and gone ignored a few days earlier.
Police have been notified of the incident, but no arrest has been made as of yet.
The body has subsequently been placed at the Bawdie mortuary in anticipation of an autopsy.
Black Galaxies goalkeeper Danlad Ibrahim is optimistic the team can excel at the 2023 CHAN tournament after sharing the spoils with Algeria in a friendly.
Danlad Ibrahim featured as Ghana held Algeria to a goalless draw in a pre-CHAN friendly on Saturday at the newly constructed Nelson Mandela Sports Stadium on Saturday.
They are expected to take on Mozambique on today, January 10, 2023 before the tournament starts on January 13, 2023.
The Asante Kotoko shot stopper was hopeful about the chances of the Black Galaxies ahead of the CHAN tournament.
“We drew 0-0 in the friendly game against Algeria, the Black Galaxies. Hope” he posted on Facebook.
Ghana open their tournament campaign on 15 January against Madagascar before taking on Sudan four days later.
Their final Group C match will be against tournament-favourites Morocco on 23 January 23.
All three matches will be played in the city of Constantine.
He claimed that international lenders were aware of the problems that developing nations are currently confronting on a global scale.
Financial experts have cautioned that Ghana’s debt cancellation could send the wrong message to its creditors abroad by showing that the nation has never been able to pay its debts.
The alert comes in response to a report that Ghana was about to submit a request for debt relief through the G20 common framework program.
Speaking to Joy Business, Dr Sarkodie said debt forgiveness would demonstrate that creditors were ready to give the country a fresh start.
“Ghana owes about $13.1 billion on the Eurobond market alone. So if the debt release programme is successful, it means it will send a good signal to us,” he said.
“The reason why we are being downgraded is because we have unsustainable debt and can’t service those debts. Once they’re off, it gives us a fresh start. In any case, we have been downgraded because we owe, so if there is no debt, you will not suffer any downgrade,” he added.
Dr Sarkodie also stated that the introduction of the Debt Release Programme by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) could cause the debt to GDP ratio to fall and help Ghana attain sustainability.
“If the Debt Release Programme comes, the Debt to GDP Ratio will fall to a sustainable level that we are all looking for. That is, about 55 per cent, and it will also give the government of Ghana some sustainability when it comes to the Debt to GDP Ratio,” he said.
He described how the change will increase tax revenue for the nation.
According to the population and housing census, the nation has roughly 8.5 million homes, according to Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu.
When you do valuation on buildings owned by individuals in most of our regional capitals, like as Kumasi and Accra, some of them are worth more than a million dollars and some of them are worth more than two million dollars.
“With regards to commercial houses like hotels and others, you can get some valued at more than 50million dollars some close to 100 million dollars. How much do they pay on property rate?” he argued.
Read the full story originally published on January 9, 2023 by Mynewsgh.
The government of Ghana will in the year 2023 intensify the collection of property rates as a way of expanding its tax revenue for development, Majority Leader in Parliament has hinted
According to Hon Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu who is also the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, the move by government is to increase revenue that will help mostly the local authorities as well.
In his view, there are a lot of individuals and institutions in the country that own big houses but tend to either pay less of what they are supposed to or pay nothing to government.
Speaking on Kumasi-based Akoma FM, Hon Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu backed his argument with statistics from the National Statistical Service.
“According to the population and Housing census, there are about 8.5 million houses in the country”, he quoted.
“In most of our regional capitals like Kumasi and Accra, looking at buildings that belong to individuals, some are worth more than a million dollar some of them more than two million dollars when you do valuation.
“With regards to commercial houses like hotels and others, you can get some valued at more than 50million dollars some close to 100 million dollars. How much do they pay on property rate?” he argued.
According to him, the move by government will go a long way to help the country because that is one of the main revenue sources for most governments in developed countries.
“When you go to developed countries, the local councils develop their area with money generated from property rates,” he revealed.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo accepted responsibility in October of last year for the government’s decision to approach the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for financial support.
This came after the administration initially declared that it would not seek assistance from the Bretton Woods institution since it was putting homegrown economic recovery plans into action.
President Akufo-Addo stated, “I take full responsibility for it,” when speaking on OtecFM in the Ashanti area. But I fervently hope that these talks will be over by the middle of November, or one month from now. In the middle of November, we’ll decide on a national budget.
Read the full story originally published on October 19, 2022 by www.ghanaweb.com.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has for the first time taken the blame for government’s decision to resort to the International Monetary Fund for financial support.
This comes after government had occasionally insisted that it would not turn to the Bretton Woods institution for support as it believes in its homegrown solutions until government backed down on its stance on July 1, 2022.
Speaking on Kumasi-based OTEC FM during a tour of the Ashanti Region, President Akufo-Addo on October 18 said the decision to turn to the IMF had become necessary in the face of economic headwinds.
“I take full responsibility for it. But I’m hoping very strongly that by the middle of November, a month from now, these negotiations will be over. We are going to come to a budget for the country in the middle of November,” he explained.
“I’m hoping that the IMF negotiations will be over at least substantially so we will have a clear idea of the elements of the agreement with the Fund, which hopefully will be able to feed into the budget and have that drive our budgetary projection for next year and the year ahead,” the president said.
“For me, my hope is that we will have a programme of fiscal adjustment. It will take us through most of the immediate budget but then will put us in a position in 2024 to begin the recovery and the growth,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, is reported to be pushing for the speedy completion of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund for an economic support programme.
Officials from Ghana and IMF have been engaged in the second round of negotiations in the United States of America toward reaching an agreement with the Fund.
Ghana is targeting an amount of $3 billion from the Fund once an agreement can be reached with funds likely to be accessed in 2023.
Despite the name callings, Charles Nii Armah Mensah also called Shatta Wale still stands by his opinion that, there’s nothing wrong with shooting a music video at the Jubilee House.
He urged Meek Mill to continue doing what he does best and pay no attention to the rants by Ghanaians.
A beautiful Ghanaian young lady has sadly died after suffering burns from an explosion that allegedly occurred at Afrochella.
Known as Miriam, she reportedly passed away earlier today from the injuries she sustained.
A Twitter user blew the lid on the alleged explosion at the Afrochella festival which went down on the 28th and 29th of December, 2022.
The account said: “Idk if this is the right place to say this and idk if this will reach far enough. But there was some sought of explosion at Afrochella that has taken the life of a young girl. There has been so much silence on this but now it has cost a young girl her life.
“She suffered serious burns and was taken to the ridge hospital, but now has lost her life. It’s sad, but yes that explosion happened at Afrochella. The girl is gone,”
The Twitter user added that Afrochella organisers should be held accountable for the alleged explosion.
Idk if this is the right place to say this and idk if this will reach far enough. But there was some sought of explosion at Afrochella that has taken the life of a young girl. There has been so much silence on this but now it has cost a young girl her life.
If Afrochella knows about this and has kept mute then the organisers are inhumane. The young girl is dead after going through so much burns. If I say young, she was just 19 years old.
“If Afrochella knows about this and has kept mute then the organisers are inhumane. The young girl is dead after going through so much burns. If I say young, she was just 19 years old,”
Many people are expressing divided opinion on social media after American rapper, Meek Mill, who recently paid a visit to Ghana released a music video, parts of which he shot inside the seat of government.
Meek Mill was billed to perform at the Afrochella event in Accra and was later spotted with the President at the Jubilee House together with Akufo-Addo’s daughter who is the Chief Executive Officer at the Creative Arts Council.
Rex Omar, the Board Chairman of the Ghana Music Rights Organization (GHAMRO), sharing his thoughts on the issue, rhetorically said, ‘what wrong did we do to Akufo-Addo by making him our head of state’.
He added: “I’m really finding it very difficult to understand the disdain and the total lack of respect the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government has been displaying to Ghanaians.
“What wrong did we do to Akufo-Addo by making him our head of state? How on earth will you allow such a desecration of the seat of government of a sovereign state?” he fumed in an interview as sighted by MyNewsGh.com’s Amansan Krakye.
Rex Omar continued: “This is very despicable to say the least, now Ghana our motherland has become so cheap under this clueless so called government.”
Meanwhile Meek Mill has issued an apology to Ghanaians and the presidency stating that he took full responsibility for his actions and that it wasn’t intentional to disrepect Ghanaians.
Popular TikTok star and radio personality Felicia Osei has opened up about TikTok stars who were given GH¢3,000 to share among themselves at the United Television Day with the Stars.
There were reports that 21 TikTok stars were given a token of GH¢3,000 to share among themselves after the Day with the Stars ended at Despite Media premises.
These stars were trolled for the kind of disregard they were shown by the management of the media house.
But reacting to the story, Felicia Osei confirmed that they were given the said amount to share among themselves.
However, they did not take the money because they thought sharing GH¢3,000 among themselves will not have made sense.
“We did not go there because we needed money. We went there because we wanted to meet ourselves. It was a privilege that we were invited and it ends there. We were grateful and thought they should keep the money,” she said on Onua FM.
Emily Owusu-Nyantekyi, the granddaughter of the late Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, has tied the knot with her fiancé, Mr. Kwadwo Amponsah, in a plush ceremony held in Accra.
Although simple, the plush ceremony took social media by storm.
In a couple of videos that made rounds on the internet, the event exuded class, style, opulence, and royalty.
It was witnessed by the crème de la crème, including president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his wife Rebecca,The first lady of the Ashanti kingdom, Otumfuo-Yere Julia Osei Tutu, Diplomats, Royals, and so on.
Not forgetting the long convoy of plush vehicles including Bentley, Mercedes Benz G-Wagon, Lexus SUVs, convertible Mercedes Benz salon cars, and many others that were spotted at the event grounds.
Another interesting aspect was the long bridal train which consisted of over twelve bridesmaids and twelve grooms’ men.
The wedding was said to have started off with a church service at the magnificent Holy Spirit Cathedral in Accra and to a high-octave reception at the plush Kempinski Hotel.
The Adlon ballroom of the hotel, where the reception was held, witnessed a huge transformation from an extravagant décor that turned heads on social media.
It can be recalled that weeks before the white wedding, a colourful traditional engagement ceremony took place in Kumasi, Ashanti Region.
Background of the royal family
The bride is said to be a lawyer and an economist; however, little is known of the groom.
The mother of the bride, Dr. Leslie Oheneba Akyaa Opoku Ware, is the daughter of the late Nana Opoku Ware II, the 15th King of the Ashanti Kingdom.
She is a medical doctor and currently Ghana’s Ambassador Plenipotentiary to Russia.
Ghanaian singer Wendy Shay has come under fire for riding to her concert in a dirty car with her manager.
Photos of the car, covered in dust, circulated online and sparked outrage among fans and social media users.
Many have criticized Wendy Shay for allowing herself to be transported in such an unsanitary vehicle, especially as a public figure in the music industry.
Some have even called out Bullet, her manager, for acting as her chauffeur for the night.
Over the Christmas period, she forgot she was sick and went out partying, chilling and even fighting but as her trial date approaches she has to remind the judge how sick she is.
To accomplish this goal, Schwarzenegger recorded a video of herself claiming to be in excruciating pain in her leg, spine and every other part of her body.
Schwar shared the video online and called for Ghanaians to pray for her but it was quite obviously a ‘smart‘ attempt to prove she’s too infirm to be jailed.
Turns out Ghanaians are not the only ones seeing through Afia’s bllsht – her own daughter Pena also knows her mommy is lying.
Pena was spotted smiling and struggling to hold in her laughter whilst standing over her mother who is supposed to be in excruciating pain!
It seems even Pena was struggling to accept the realism of her mother’s acting.
The Still Believe lads won convincingly thanks to a first-half sensational display, and they will be pleased because the win moves them up on the league log.
Today, Dreams FC made light work of the Yellow and Mauves inflicting a 4-0 win in the much anticipated clash on Sunday.
Dreams FC scored two goals on either half to pick the three points at stake in the encounter.
The home team scored two quick goals in the first half through Abdul Aziz Issah and Agyenim Mensah, who scored in the 1st and 3rd minutes.
The home team had to go to recess with a 2-0 lead at the Theatre of Dreams in matchday 11 of the domestic top-flight.
After the break, Dreams FC added the third goal of the match in the 55th minute mark through Agyenim Boateng, his second in the clash.
In the dying embers of the game, Dreams FC completed their demolishing exercise to make it 4-0.
The Yellow and Mauves were unable to maintain their winning run after beating Accra Lions at home last weekend.
The win sends Dreams FC to the 10th position with 15 points whiles Medeama drops to the 13th spot with 13 points after 11 matches into the campaign.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on January 6, 2023 asked Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta to serve as the caretaker Minister of Trade and Industry.
The development came after the President accepted the resignation of Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kyerematen after reports emerged he tendered his resignation on Thursday 5, 2023.
Another school of thought asked why one of Alan’s deputies could not be handed an acting role till the vacancy is filled.
In an explanation as to why none of Alan’s two deputies were ‘promoted’ to acting capacity, Kow Essuman, who is a lawyer for president Akufo-Addo said it had to do with what the law says and also the specific oath an appointee took.
“As Deputy Minister, you were nominated by the President, vetted and approved by Parliament and swore the Deputy Minister’s oath before the President. You were appointed pursuant to art. 79 to assist your Minister, who participated in Cabinet meetings.
“In your Minister’s absence from Cabinet, his/her colleague Cabinet Minister held his/her brief and provided reports and briefings to Cabinet and not the Deputy Minister,” Essuman explained.
Below are some of the reactions:
Although there are no clear reasons for Alan Kyerematen’s resignation, it is believed that he did so on the basis of contesting in the flagbearership race of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) ahead of the 2024 general elections.
In a statement issued by the Presidency on January 6, 2023 noted that Alan Kyerematen personally informed the President of his decision to resign from his position as Trade Minister.
The statement added that Ken Ofori-Atta will assume the position as caretaker Minister of Trade and Industry until a substantive minister is appointed for the ministry.
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo thanked Alan Kyerematen for his services to government, and the country and wished him the very best in his future endeavors.
Founder and leader of Perez Chapel International, Archbishop Charles Agyinasare is calling on the Electoral Commission to utilize the functions of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) in fostering unity.
According to the Archbishop, IPAC, which consists of political parties and the EC must work together to deal with any growing tension which may arise before, during, and after the 2024 general elections.
Archbishop Charles Agyinasare made the call at the thanksgiving service of the National Democratic Congress held yesterday at the Perez Dome in Accra.
“As we prepare for the 2024 general elections, all parties must endeavour to maintain the peace of the country. No matter the circumstances we find ourselves in, we can elect our leaders through the ballot and not the bullet. The NDC as the party that ushered the country into democracy also has the responsibility to protect it.”
“The Electoral Commission should also do well to defuse the tension using the IPAC. They are the only ones who can do that. The IPAC has been helpful over the years and so should be taken advantage of. The EC should work to bring its stakeholders together to ensure peace and not destroy it. The EC should try all it can to be so transparent that the winners and losers it declares will be acknowledged by all,”
African-American businessman and hip-hop’s first billionaire, Sean Carter aka Jay-Z
Grammy Award-winning comedian Dave Chappelle has revealed that Jay-Z, the African-American businessman and hip-hop’s first billionaire, has made some investments in properties in Ghana.
His investments in Ghana demonstrate a willingness to expand his portfolio and potentially tap into new markets, as Ghana, despite its recent macroeconomic issues, has a growing economy that has returned impressive gains to international investors in recent years.
In addition to its natural resources, the country has a young, educated population and a stable democratic government, making it an attractive location for investment.
Despite experiencing a $100 million decline in his net worth in 2022, Jay-Z still has a net worth of $1.3 billion, making him the world’s 2,128th richest man, according to Forbes.
In February 2021, Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) acquired a 50 percent stake in his champagne brand, Armand de Brignac, leading to an increase of $300 million in Jay-Z’s fortune.
In addition to the sale of a 50 percent stake in Armand de Brignac, also known as the “Ace of Spades,” Jay-Z received $297 million in cash and stock from Square, a U.S. mobile payments company, in exchange for a majority stake in his music streaming platform, Tidal.
Jay-Z’s current $1.3 billion fortune includes a stake in the entertainment company Roc Nation, investments in the Armand de Brignac champagne and D’Usse cognac brands, a fine art collection, and an equity position in Square.
Jeremy Doku is in a state of excitement after scoring his first goal of 2023 for Stade Rennais against Bordeaux in the Coupe de France.
The winger took to his official Instagram page to post: “First goal of the season and qualification secured, job done and we keep it moving”
The 20-year-old who competes for Belgium has been hit by a number of injuries since joining Rennais from Belgium Pro League side Anderlecht. His goal against Bordeaux was his 5th for Rennais after 68 appearances. He has also assisted six goals in all competitions since joining the club.
After good work from Traoré and Bourigeaud in Bordeaux’s penalty area, the ball returned to Jeremy Doku. The Belgian aimed a strike countered by Bokele which deceives the vigilance of Straczek.
Jeremy Doku was substituted in the 74th minute and replaced by winger Kamaldeen Sulemana.
His current market value as of November 2, 2022, is 18 million euros per Transfermakt.
The technology sector is rapidly growing and expanding to include multiple sectors including soft development, e-commerce, fintech, telecommunications, machine learning, artificial intelligence, cloud computing and cyber security to name a few key categories.
According to Grandview Research, the global cyber security market was valued at $202.72B in 2022 and is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.3% from 2023 to 2030.
Cybersecurity is the protection of computer systems which includes data, hardware and software from attacks and threats or unauthorized access. Although it may look as though cybersecurity is an emerging tech field, it has been on the rise for the last 20 years.
A quick search on www.cyberseek.org of cyber security jobs showed results of over 750,000 jobs available in the industry.
According to IBM, the cost of a data breach can be significant, with companies spending an average of $4 million globally or $9 million in the USA for each incident. As a result, cybersecurity professionals are well compensated for their critical role in protecting a company’s assets.
Cybersecurity is critical in today’s world because anyone can be a victim to cyber criminals. A cyberattack affects the economy, can create threats to national security and make the web environment unsafe.
Edmond Sarpong, CEO of Prime Tech Associates states that “cyber security’s importance in today’s business world cannot be underestimated. Cyber criminals are lurking after businesses and individuals, and this is expected to continue to be on the rise in today’s digital world”.
Unique for this IT field, cybersecurity offers high wages and competitive salaries along with flexible or remote work environments making this profession one of the most sought-after industries.
In fact, according to Fortune.com there is a global shortage of 3.4M workers in the field which continues to keep cyber wages on the rise.
“As a first-generation immigrant, finding a career path takes a lot of time, effort and trial and error. At times it requires you to dig deep and be motivated by grit and determination. On the African continent, technology is becoming an innovative part of everyday life,” says Edmond Sarpong.
“There is an opportunity here through cyber security to easily identify a life changing and lucrative career path that can allow Africans, everywhere, to gain financial freedom to provide for their families and make a greater and visible impact on organizations small or large.”
Algeria opened its new 40,000-seat stadium on Saturday just days before the country hosts the 2022 TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN).
The iconic Nelson Mandela Stadium in the capital of Algiers was inaugurated with a friendly match against Ghana following a ceremony attended by several local sporting dignitaries.
Vociferous local football fans and families were also present as the Local Desert Foxes played the Black Galaxies to a goalless draw in the entertaining warm-up match.
The stadium, named in honour of former South African President and anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela, is located in Baraki – a suburb of Algiers.
It will host its first official international match on Friday, 13 January 2023, when Algeria play Libya in the opening match of the CHAN tournament.
The venue will also host the final of the competition that is meant exclusively for home-based players in Africa on 4th February, 2022.
Algeria coach Abdelmadjid Bougherra expressed his admiration for the new Nelson Mandela Stadium, likening it to some of the top stadiums in Europe.
“To be honest, I felt I was in Europe. The new Nelson Mandela stadium has good pitches and good facilities,” said the former international defender who played for several clubs in Europe for over ten years.
“I am also happy about the fact that we also have European-class stadiums I saw when I was a player in Europe with similar atmosphere and facilities.”
His Ghanaian counterpart Annor Walker also hailed the giant edifice, convinced that it is a sign of Algeria’s good hosting of the impending tournament.
“Honestly, what I saw at Nelson Mandela Stadium made me rejoice. This is a gem which must be cherished by all Africans,” Walker said after the friendly match.
“It has also fully convinced me that Algeria is serious about football and that for this CHAN, everything will go well as far as facilities are concerned.”
The stadium will host national and international matches following its inauguration with the friendly between Algeria and Ghana.
This means it will host some matches of the senior national team the Desert Foxes as well as matches in the domestic leagues.
The clubs based in the city of Algiers like CR Belouizdad and USM Alger will be using the stadium as the venue for some of their home matches.
Alan Kyerematen’s resignation was accepted by President Akufo-Addo on January 6, 2023, according to reports that he submitted it on January 5, 2023, after personally notifying the president of his intention to quit.
The outgoing trade minister thanked the president for the opportunity to serve and for gracefully accepting his acceptance of my resignation as Cabinet Minister responsible for Trade and Industry, effective January 16, 2023, in a tweet posted on January 7, 2023.
“I sincerely appreciate the support from my family, colleagues, my party the NPP, the international community, and the general public during my tenure as a Minister.”
He further added that he will be addressing Ghanaians in the coming days following his resignation as Trade Minister.
Although there are no clear reasons for Alan Kyerematen’s resignation, it is believed that he did so on the basis of contesting in the flagbearership race of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) ahead of the 2024 general elections.
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo has directed Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta to serve as the caretaker Minister of Trade and Industry until a substantive minister is appointed for the ministry.
President Akufo-Addo thanked Alan Kyerematen for his services to government, and the country and wished him the very best in his future endeavors.
Patric Pfeiffer is set to depart SV Darmstadt 98 this summer. His agent’s comments on the talented defender’s current situation.
Pfeiffer certainly has his sights set on the Bundesliga before the start of the second half of the season. Even if the Lilies lose the promotion race, the 23-year-old central defender should be on the move next season.
Pfeiffer is being pursued by many Bundesliga teams, including those from Hoffenheim, Augsburg, Frankfurt, and Cologne. Due to his contractual circumstances, the 1.96-meter tall defender with four goals this season is drawing attention: Pfeiffer’s contract with Bollenfalltor is about to expire, and in the summer he will be a free agent.
His agent informed “Kicker” that the player has a desire to join a team where “the whole package” appeals to him. The final decision, though, cannot be anticipated before April. Meanwhile, Pfeiffer’s agent believes that a transfer to Darmstadt’s regional rivals Eintracht Frankfurt is “unlikely.”
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