Justin Kodua Frimpong, the General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party has cautioned the Bono Regional chairman of the party, Kwame Baffoe Abronye against making disparaging remarks about the government in the media.
Justin Kodua is unhappy with the constant bastardization of the government and cry of neglect by Abronye and wants him to put an end to it before the party strikes.
Speaking on Okay FM, Justin Kodua noted with concern that Abronye has resorted to the media to express his grievances when he is aware of the structures in the party for addressing such issues.
He cautioned Abronye against making further comments, stating that he is not the only member of the party who has been denied a job or contract by the government.
Justin Kodua advised all members of the party to use the laid down structures and procedures to address their issues.
“When you are made a leader you hear a lot of things. There will be issues but you don’t have to allow emotions cloud your judgment else you will end up saying something and regret it later.
“Abronye is a Regional chair and knows the party’s structures and constitution so you don’t have to wash our dirty linen in public. The party is there so if you have an issue, make use of the structures and not go on radio. We will not entertain such behavior. What he is doing is wrong and we have to tell him.
“We have our reservations about one thing or the other but as long as we are in government, there is the possibility that your issue may be addressed. If we all decide to run to the media and talk about our issues, would you the media be able to contain us? He is a regional chairman so he should act accordingly. I don’t believe in us coming on the radio every day”, he said.
On Okay FM and mostly Oman FM, Abronye has persistently hit out at the government, claiming that some persons who worked for the party to come to power have been alienated from the government.
In September this year, Abronye disclosed that he regrets playing supporting and campaigning for Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
In a panel discussion on Hot FM, Abronye said that he was deceived into supporting Nana Akufo-Addo and will not be in a hurry to declare support for any of the flagbearer hopefuls.
Fitch Solutions is projecting a rather gloomy economic atmosphere for the coming year (2013).
According to the world’s leading financial institution, the Bank of Ghana (BOG) is expected to further tighten its monetary policy in 2023.
Fitch disclosed that the policy rate will go up by 200 basis points to 29% in 2023.
Due to this, the financial institution explained that credit will become more expensive, which will raise the cost of conducting business in the country.
Currently, Ghana’s policy rate stands at 27%.
Juxtaposing the current rate with that of January this year (14.5%), Ghana has seen more than a 12.5% increase in its policy rate.
This, according to Fitch, is as a result of the astronomical inflation in 2022.
The rate increase, according to Mike Kruninger, Senior Country Risk Analyst at Fitch Solutions, will still happen more gradually.
Speaking on the matter, Senior Country Risk Analyst at Fitch Solutions, Mike Kruninger, said the rate hike will be at a slower pace.
He explained that, “we believe that this tightening cycle isn’t over just yet, and the Central Bank will hike an additional 200 hundred basis point to 29% by the end of 2023. So this informs you that despite the price growth which will assume a disinflation path next year, the Bank [BOG] will keep raising rates in order to achieve those low-interest interest rates in 2023. It will be at a slower pace in 2023.”
“We also note the impact of the significant monetary tightening in 2022 will restrict corporate and household access to credit and this way on fixed investments and private consumption through 2023 further slow growth,” he disclosed.
Mr Mike Kruninger, however, commended the Bank of Ghana for its monetary tightening policy.
According to him, the policy had, to some extent, kept inflation from reaching alarming levels.
Ghana will return to the 2022 TotalEnergies African Nations Championship after a six-year absence with hopes of replicating their previous praiseworthy performances in the tournament in Algeria.
The Black Galaxies hopes of excelling in the tournament have been boosted by the presence of two players Danlad Ibrahim and Afriyie Barnieh who were part of the Black Stars squad at the just-ended 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
They were impressive in their qualifying campaign sparking hopes that they would replicate their showing in the 2009 and 2014 edition of the tournaments where they reached the final competition exclusively for home-based players.
Qualifiers
The intentions were made clear during the qualifiers as they got a smooth run over Benin in the preliminary round, claiming back-to-back wins in both legs in Cape Coast and Cotonou to progress with a 4-0 aggregate score line.
Ghana then faced arch-rivals and continental giants Nigeria in the next round in a keenly contested tie with the Ghanaians sailing through via the post-match penalty shootouts.
The first leg ended 2-0 in Ghana’s favour in Cape Coast, and a similar score line was registered in favour of Nigeria in Abuja before the penalties decided the winner.
The victory sealed the Black Galaxies’ place to give them another chance to make as they seek to fight for the ultimate in their fourth appearance in the tournament.
Ghana have been handed a tough draw to play title holders Morocco as well as Sudan and Madagascar in Group C.
January 15, 2023: Madagascar vs. Ghana, 20h00 local time, Constantine
January 19, 2023: Ghana vs. Sudan, 20h00 local time, Constantine
January 23, 2023: Ghana vs. Morocco, 20h00 local time, Constantine
Coach: Annor Walker
Walker is a veteran coach in Ghanaian football circles with veritable achievement of coaching underdog to successes including handling legendary Abedi Pele’s side Nania FC. The Black Galaxies is his first appointment with any national team in the country despite excelling with various clubs. The head coach of Ghana League side FC Samartex previously handled Great Olympics and Berekum Chelsea, finishing in respectable positions, earning him the appointment with the Black Galaxies.
Players to watch
Daniel Afriyie Barnieh
The Hearts of Oak talisman was the top scorer during the CHAN qualifications where he scored four goals in four games. He was listed in Ghana’s final squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
He was captain of the Ghana U20 side when they won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2021.
David Abagna Sandan
The current captain of Ghana Premier League side Real Tamale United has been a consistent performer over the past few seasons. His blistering start to the 2021-22 campaign earned him a place in the Ghana squad for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
Abagna has 21 goals in 54 appearances across the last three seasons in the Ghanaian top flight as a midfielder.
Ibrahim Danlad
A young goalkeeper but experienced having represented Ghana at all levels from U17 to the senior national team. The Asante Kotoko goalkeeper is presently the first choice for the Ghana U23 team and the CHAN team. He was included in Ghana’s squad for the World Cup in Qatar.
Ghana participated in the maiden edition of the CHAN tournament in 2009, where they reached the finals and lost to DR Congo in Côte d’Ivoire.
The West African giants also participated in the following edition in 2011 but they failed to progress from the group stage after finishing bottom of the log behind South Africa, Niger and Zimbabwe.
Ghana’s next appearance in the CHAN tournament was in 2014 hosted by South Africa where they made it to the final for the second time but lost on penalties to Libya.
A few days after Sammy Gyamfi, the National Communications Officer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), wedded Irene Amankwaa, in a private ceremony, the couple have made their second official appearance in church.
In some pictures made available to GhanaWeb, the couple clad in fashionable white fabrics were spotted in the church to give thanks for a successful wedding.
The stylish fabrics sewed by the couple caught the attention of many who were at the church.
On December 21, 2022, Sammy and Irene wowed netizens with stunning photos of their private marriage in Accra.
The pair wore a vibrant green kente cloth for their traditional wedding, as shown in some rare photos made available to GhanaWeb.
The pair sat elegantly and dashingly during the proceedings, and couldn’t refrain from smiling.
The newlyweds further cemented their place as the most fashionable couple to close the year 2022 in style with their second series of photographs, this time donning exquisite coffee-coloured attire.
Some of the senior guys in the NDC, like the former President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, the newly elected NDC Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, and Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, among others, were all present to support Sammy and Irene on their big day.
Following his return from the 2022 World Cup, Black Stars assistant coach Mas-ud Didi Dramani maintained his technical support program for his old schools and clubs in the Tamale municipality.
This time, the Ghana assistant manager showered his team with sporting goods for the clubs and schools he worked with.
The former Asante Kotoko coach has made it a yearly program of offering technical assistance to the schools and clubs in Tamale during the holiday periods.
He, however, moved a notch higher with his support by offering some footballs, jerseys, bibs and cash to facilitate the growth and progress of sports in the schools and to help the clubs facilitate their training programs.
Beneficiary schools included Tamale Business SHS and Tamale Training College receiving bibs, footballs, markers and jerseys.
He also donated technical wears for the RTU Technical Team and gave the club a set of bibs, footballs and markers. The old players of RTU, who were former team mates of Didi Dramani also had their share of his benevolence, receiving 2 sets of bibs, footballs and cash.
Pearlpia Ladies, Hearts Babies and Savannah Ladies were also given footballs, jerseys, bibs and markers to help their training programs.
Despite these donations, Didi also donated 18 markers for the 18 women’s clubs in the region as well as sanitary pads.
The former Asante Kotoko coach has always shared technical knowledge to communities in and around Tamale and this year’s is just an upgrade.
Dramani is the assistant coach of the Black Stars and assisted Otto ADDO to qualify the team for the 2022 World Cup where Ghana’s performance has given hope for the future.
Afrobeat sensation, Kay9ice, has congratulated Shatta Wale for a very successful Freedom Wave concert held at the Accra Sports Stadium.
According to him, Shatta Wale’s ability to put up such a massive show is an inspiration to young Artists including him.
The second edition of the Freedom Wave concert witnessed a staggering number of people trooping to the stadium for the concert, which featured thrilling performances from the two headline acts, Shatta Wale and Medikal.
Despite being billed to perform on the night, Kay9ice couldn’t thrill the thousands due to some circumstances, but was elated with the success of the show.
Kay9ice, who regards Shatta Wale as a godfather in a social media post, was grateful for the opportunity offered him despite the no show.
“I am always grateful to Shatta Wale for putting me on the bill of artistes to perform despite not being able to do so for various reasons,” he wrote.
He continued that,”I want to congratulate him on a massive concert and look forward to working more with him in the near future.”
He further went ahead to thank the manager of Medikal, Flow Delly who assisted in getting him the chance to perform.
Kay9ice continues to make waves with his groundbreaking single “Fakye,” which features award-winning songstress Adina.
Moesha Bodoung has announced plans to dedicate her energy and time to being an exotic dancer.
This she believes will fetch her good money and also build her brand.
According to the Ghanaian actress, she has been receiving invitations to visit the United States of America to purposely dance at events.
Speaking in an interview on the Delay Show in December 2022, the socialite lamented the unfair treatment by a section of Ghanaians who wrongly criticized her for living her best life.
Moesha who wishes to leave Ghana said: “I know what I want to become. I really want to leave this country and really direct my brand to the US because I really get invitations to go to the US for a lot of events and I’m trying to really build my brand to be an exotic sexy dancer to make money off that.”
The actress who has been captured in several videos dancing her heart out explained that she loves dancing and sees nothing wrong with exhibiting her talent as a ‘born again’ Christain.
She had a dinner with the widows, disabled and children numbering about 250.
She also donated items such as baskets, kettles, mosquito nets and stationaries to the participants.
According to her, the kind gesture was to put smiles on the faces of the less vulnerable in the society in the Christmas season.
She said the season is a period where we need to show love towards others.
“Today is exactly 20 years I started this program, I was motivated and inspired to start this project when some years ago I donated my Christmas gift given to us at work to a good friend of mine”.
She continues that “the next morning this man sat in front of my office in tears waiting for me to thank me, so I realized that the little I did for him helped him and he was grateful, this was the reason why I decided to embark on this charity project”
“We started this in 2002 and we are still doing it till now, so the purpose of the program is to show love to the disabled, widows, and children among us, due to the covid we couldn’t do it in 2020 and 2021”
The Minister of Roads and Transport, Kwasi Amoako-Atta, is assuring contractors that arrears owed them will be settled by close of the year.
Looking at the time frame to the end of the year coupled with the economic difficulties experienced by the country, the assurance by the minister looks impossible.
However, Mr Amoako-Atta, addressing a gathering at the 2022 Nine Lessons and Carols of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) in Accra, noted that the government has instituted a payment schedule to clear up its indebtedness.
He said, “Contractors of this country are doing a yeoman’s job despite all the difficulties, and I want to assure them that the Government will continue to work in their interest and all their outstanding payments from now onwards will be done from time to time.”
“A chunk of outstanding (payments) are going to be effected before the end of the year and it will continue,” Mr Amoako-Atta told the gathering.
Construction of deplorable roads across the country was one of the key projects in the hearts of the Akufo-Addo-led government.
The President in his quest to address the poor road networks in major parts of the country declared 2020, 2021 and 2022, as the “Year of Roads”
However, his vision was stalled with monetary difficulties, bringing some road construction to a halt.
It will be recalled that the minority group in parliament accused the Akufo-Addo government of owing contractors across the country a whopping GH₵5 billion.
Despite these challenges, Mr Amoako-Atta said the Government was able to commission some newly constructed roads in the country.
He appealed to individuals in areas that were yet to have their roads repaired to remain calm, adding that more investments are being channelled to the road sector.
“The people deserve to have good roads. I appeal to all those who haven’t had their turn to be patient and calm,” he said.
Government has reinstated the quota system for the 46 approved public colleges of education.
The quota system is a system of admission that restricts the number of qualified candidates to be admitted into an institution, particularly the teacher training and nursing colleges in the country.
It was scrapped during the 2013-14 academic year by the erstwhile Mahama administration in order to encourage enrolment in the various schools of education and lessen the financial burden on the government. It was replaced with the Student Loan Trust Fund.
In a list released by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), a total of 12,002 prospective teacher trainees are expected to be admitted into the 46 colleges of education for the 2022/2023 academic year.
Also, a letter to the National Conference of Principals of Colleges of Education (PRINCOF), from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission outlined the list of colleges of education with their respective admission quotas for the academic year under review, including the Accra College of Education, the Ada College of Education, etc. with total permissible admissions of 295 and 250, respectively.
The abolishment and reintroduction of the quota system has been a bone of contention between the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for quite a while.
While one party believes the abolishment of the service is the best for the country’s educational system, the other thinks otherwise.
Prior to its abolishment, admission to the colleges was restricted by a quota system, with the colleges admitting only 40 percent of their capacity, in view of the financial considerations.
But in December 2016, then Deputy Minister of Education, Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, explained that the abolition of the teacher trainee allowances had increased enrolment in the colleges of education by 63.8%.
He contended that the system was a hindrance to many prospective applicants who otherwise would have gained admission into teacher training colleges.
This, he said, resulted in a teacher deficit in the classrooms.
He added that with the scrapping of the allowances and the quota system, enrolment into the colleges of education increased from 27,000 to 47,000 in the various colleges.
The NPP on the other hand indicated that the country was still in need of more teachers and nurses and thus pledged to re-introduce the allowances, since they served as motivation for many to attend nursing colleges and colleges of education.
Ahead of the 31st December watch night celebrations, the Ghana Police Service (GPS) has issued a warning against illegal communications of prophecies.
The service in a statement entreated the general public, especially prophets and pastors, to be measured in delivering their prophecies for the coming year.
“A year ago today, December 27, 2021, the Ghana Police Service drew the attention of the general public, especially members of the religious community to the law regarding the communication of prophecies and urged compliance to the law to ensure continuous security and law and order in the country.
“We wish to commend the public, particularly religious groups, for their cooperation over the period by being circumspect and conscious of the law and adopting legally acceptable means of communicating prophecies to those affected,” the statement.
It has become a trend in the country that on the last day of the year (i.e 31st December), pastors and prophets issue prophesies with regards to events that will happen in the coming year. Most of these proclamations are doom prophecies that create fear and panic, and are usually targeted at celebrities.
However, last year the Ghana Police Service cautioned churches to be mindful of such activities since they can attract sanctions including a prison term of up to five years.
The Police service has indicated that the caution “has contributed greatly in creating an environment where people are able to freely profess their faith without unnecessary anxiety and fear of impending harm or death.”
GPS, thus, commended religious leaders for complying with the directive.
“Ghana is indeed grateful to the religious leaders in particular and the religious community as a whole for their patriotic understanding of the situation.
“As the year 2022 draws to a close, we wish to once again entreat the general public, especially faith-based groups to ensure continuous compliance with the law as it relates to the communication of prophecies.
“Let us continue to remember that whereas we have the right to practise our faith in religion, freedom of worship and speech, this right must not be exercised in violation of the rights of others and the public interest,” the statement signed by the Director of Police Public Affairs at the service, Grace Ansah Akrofi, said.
The statement added that “as part of sustaining the gains made so far, the Police Service has adopted 27th December of each year as the Prophecy Communication Compliance Day. This day is being set aside to remind all of us, to practise our faith within the confines of the law to ensure a safe, secure environment, free of anxiety generated from predictions of impending harm, danger, or death.
“We wish to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.”
Less than a month before the 2023 CHAN tournament begins in Egypt, the Moroccan national team has threatened to boycott it.
The squad is threatening to boycott if lengthy flying schedules are not altered, according to information received.
Chartered flight from Rabat to Constantine takes just 90 mins while their scheduled flight via Tunisia will take 8 HOURS.
With the team unhappy about the arrangement, they have threatened to pull out of the tournament if authorities do not do something about it.
Meanwhile, the Morocco FA board on Tuesday, December 27, voted unanimously on the decision.
Morocco are pitted in Group C of the CHAN 2023 tournament and will face off with Ghana, Sudan, and Madagascar.
While the Black Galaxies of Ghana will play their first match against Madagascar, Morocco will be up against Sudan on the opening weekend of the tournament scheduled to be staged in Algeria.
Former Asante Kotoko striker Frank Mbella Etouga has given an autographed Al Masry shirt to Dr. Prosper Nartey Ogum, his former Kotoko coach.
In Egypt with the Black Galaxies for a pre-CHAN training camp, the Cameroonian attacker paid a visit to his former coach.
The former Kumasi Asante Kotoko striker Frank Mbella Etouga sealed a transfer move to Egyptian Premier League side Al Masry in September 2022 for a reported transfer fee of $400,000.
He signed a three-year contract with the Egyptian Premier League side that will last until 2025.
The Cameroonian striker ended last season as the top goal scorer for Asante Kotoko as he ended the 2021/2022 Ghana Premier League season with 21 goals missing out on the goal king award by a goal after Ashgold’s Yaw Annor beat him to it.
Mbella was linked with moves to Udinese, FC Sion, Galatasaray, and several others with Al Masry his final destination.
The 21-year-old powered Kotoko to their 25th Ghana Premier League title but missed out on the goal king award.
He joined Kotoko at the start of the 2021/2022 season from Cameroonian side Fortuna du Mfou and has been a revelation.
The rampaging full-back’s contract with the reds expired on 26th December 2022 as Kotoko failed to agree on a contract extension.
Despite making all efforts to keep the player, both sides could not agree on new terms in order to extend their relationship.
According to reports, Hearts of Oak are far advanced in talks with the player with Hearts Assistant coach David Ocloo having worked with the player during his time at Kotoko.
The right full-back has struggled this term to make the right-back slot his own with Augustine Agyapong and Samuel Appiah ahead of him in the pecking order.
He joined the porcupine warriors in 2019 from the talent conveyor belt factory manned by former Black Stars player Godwin Attram’s Attram de Visser Soccer Academy in Accra although he played on loan for Great Olympics.
Nettey earned a Black Stars call-up in 2021 making his debut against Sudan in the 2021 AFCON qualifier.
The right-back also helped Asante Kotoko lift the Ghana Premier League trophy after missing out on the trophy for several years.
The defender played two matches for Ghana during the 2021 AFCON qualifiers under erstwhile coach C.K Akonnor.
Ghana defender Alexander Djiku will be available for Strasbourg’s Ligue 1 clash against Paris Saint Germain after his one game ban for betting was overturned.
The 28-year-old and 76 other players and coaches were banned by the Professional Football League for their involvement in betting during the 2021/22 season.
The Black Stars centre-back reportedly placed a bet of 20 Euros on a La Liga match of Real Madrid on July 20, 2020
“These offences were committed even though, together, the LFP and the UNFP (the players’ union) have carried out awareness or information campaigns with the clubs on a daily basis,” wrote the LFP in a press release.
“The Commission recalls that the actors of the competitions organized by the FFF or the LFP (in particular the players, coaches, managers of professional football clubs) have a general ban on betting, online or in physical networks, on all football competitions, whether domestic or foreign,” the statement added.
.He was given a game ban but Strasbourg appealed and the decision has now been overturned.
Djiku, who was a member of the Black Stars at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, will now line up for Wednesday’s Ligue 1 clash against PSG.
The French-born Ghanaian is currently on the radar of several clubs with Leeds United in England leading the chase.
The tipper truck with the license plate GT 7250-19 was apparently traveling towards Tema when its brakes failed as it descended the Ayemersu highlands, causing it to smash into a ditch and instantly killing the driver. The truck was loaded with limestone from the Odugblase mines.
The driver was said to be alone in the truck at the time of the accident.
Rescue efforts were however scuttled for about two hours by a swarm of bees which hovered around the accident vehicle with police and civilians unable to go near.
It took the intervention of the GNFS to drive away the ferocious insects to enable the team to operate.
His body has since been deposited at the St Martin’s de Pores hospital morgue pending preservation and autopsy.
Family and employers of the victim were yet to be contacted by authorities at the time of filing this story with the identity of the deceased driver unknown.
Several accidents have been recorded this year at the mountainous Ayemersu-Asitey enclave ridden with heavy-duty limestone-winning trucks which is a notorious accident hotspot that has claimed several lives over the years.
On December 26, 2022, Dr. Asante indicated in an interview with Peace FM that GhanaWeb was listening to that calls for the president to fire his underperforming minister of state were long overdue.
“There is something called political cost. If your mother is dead but you keep saying she is alive, let her resurrect for us to see. The president has been saying that his ministers are performing well but you and I know that, that is far from the truth.
“Because if they were performing well, we will not be in the current situation we find ourselves in… He should close his eyes and sack his ministers who are not performing well and bring in people who can do the job.
“He should put his feet on the ground and sack his ministers who have failed so that he will leave a legacy. So that in the future if the Free SHS is mentioned other achievements will be added to honour his name,” he said in the Twi dialect.
In order to prepare for potential public health hazards, SENDGhana, a non-governmental organization (NGO), has encouraged the government to establish the Public Health Emergency Fund (PHEF) as promised in the 2022–2025 national medium term development plan.
SEND Ghana claims that the action will also contribute to raising Ghana’s readiness rating, which is now 45.
“In addition, the CNTF can continue to leverage additional sources of funds such as donations from intuitions, corporate bodies, philanthropists, and patriotic Ghanaians. This call has become necessary in the wake of the multiple outbreaks of diseases, including the novel coronavirus, Marburg, Monkeypox and other recurring diseases such as meningitis and influenza. Failing to plan for disease outbreaks costs more than having a preparedness plan in place. Hence, Ghana must prepare for and respond quickly to potential epidemics rather than waiting to act when outbreaks happen. Not preparing adequately could be dangerous for Ghana and strain an already stressed health system and economy,” the statement added.
The statement further indicated that the time is now to act against any future outbreaks to spearhead rapid advancement of Ghana’s health care system.
“The establishment of the PHEF would contribute to building a resilient healthcare system to cater to and support investment in health infrastructure, logistics, human resources, risk communication during outbreaks, local manufacturing of vaccines and medicine, and health research.”
“We hope the government will take the necessary steps to establish the PHEF before the end of 2023, especially when some Ghanaian citizens are beginning to question the relevance of the COVID-19 levy. Funding is needed to protect Ghanaians against future epidemics. We desire to see the government take advantage of this opportunity to convert the COVID-19 Trust Fund while channelling the levy into the PHEF to cater to all disease threats, not just COVID-19,” the statement concluded.
According to the party chair, the NPP would have an easier time winning the general elections in 2024 as a result of President Akufo-Addo’s historic accomplishments.
In his opinion, the party should improve its communication and communicate its achievements so that Ghanaians are aware of what the president has accomplished, making it easier for them to vote for the NPP in 2024.
He was speaking on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm.
He admitted that there had been some economic challenges, but the current administration is putting in measures to address these challenges.
“Breaking the eight is possible. Nothing has changed. The belief we had and the factors that gave us hope of breaking the eight have not changed. We still have hope. We are doing a lot to make this country run smoothly. We must deal with our conflicts and remain united in order to break the eight.”
Despite financial difficulties, the president is building roads. Despite the fact that we are experiencing hardship, we are seeing massive works across the country. President Akufo-Addo has accomplished much, and we are confident that we will surpass the eight-year mark as a result of his efforts.
Now, the entire nation’s focus is on the two parties’ primaries for president and parliament, which will determine their parliamentary nominees and, most crucially, their presidential nominee for the 2024 election.
In the NPP, for instance, names such as the Vice President of Ghana, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia; the Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen; former Railways Minister, Joe Ghartey; the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto and the former General Secretary of the NPP, Kwabena Agyapong, have come up as potential flagbearers.
The NDC also has the likes of former President John Dramani Mahama; former Minister for Finance, Kwabena Duffuor and the former Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Kojo Bonsu, expressing their interest to contest for the flagbearership position of the party.
But one important factor that is mostly ignored in the elections of presidential candidates is who their ‘chief advisors’, the wives who have journeyed with them throughout their political careers and have become their true confidants, are.
GhanaWeb in this article takes a look at some of the wives of likely flagbearer candidates for the presidential primaries of the NDC and the NPP out of which Ghana’s first lady will emerge.
Lordina Mahama:
Nearly like the first possible First Lady on this list, Lordina Mahama, who is married to Ghana’s former president, John Dramani Mahama, who is largely regarded as the presumptive flagbearer of the NDC.
She, like her husband, quickly rose to the highest office of the land after the sudden death of the late John Evans Atta Mills in 2012.
Lordina Mahama left office on January 7, 2017, but with her husband looking to return as president, she could just return to the high office she once occupied.
She attended the Anglican elementary school and then proceeded to the Ghana Secondary School in Tamale, where she met her husband John Dramani Mahama.
She has a degree in Hospitality Management and a Masters in Governance and Leadership from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration.
She also acquired a Master of Laws (LLM) in Business Law/International Business Law from De Montfort University in the United Kingdom in 2019.
Samira Bawumia
Samira Bawumia, the wife of Ghana’s current Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, is one to look out for as a potential first lady with her husband being touted as one of the leading candidates for NPP’s flagbearership position.
Samira started her early education at the Answarudeen Islamic School at Fadama in Accra, before continuing to the Akosombo International School (AIS) and then to Mfantsiman Girls’ Secondary School at Saltpond in the Central Region.
At the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), she studied BA in Social Science in Law and Technology. At the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Relations (GIMPA), she was adjudged the Best Student in Master of Business Administration (MBA).
Mrs. Bawumia is the Ambassador for the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves and joins former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Academy Award-winning actor Julia Roberts, and Grammy-nominated musician Rocky Dawuni to work with the Alliance and its partners to raise awareness of household air pollution and encourage broader adoption of clean cooking solutions in developing countries in a bid to create cleaner environments and eradicate deaths caused by pollution from the burning of solid fuels for cooking.
Patricia Christabel Kyerematen
In the NPP, one of the names that are widely rumoured to vie for the position of flagbearer of the party, and eventually run as president, is Alan Kyerematen, who is the current Minister of Trade and Industry.
He is married to Patricia Christabel Kyerematen, whom very little is known about.
She was born Patricia Christabel Kingsley-Nyinah, as the daughter of Justice Joseph Kingsley-Nyinah, Ghana’s Electoral Commissioner during the 1979 presidential election.
They have two children – Alexander and Victor.
Nana Akosua Fosuah
A man who has, in the last few months, been touring the country and putting his face out there for the NDC is a former Minister of Finance, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor.
It would seem that just as nearly private as Dr. Duffuor is, his wife appears the same.
If her husband becomes president, Nana Akosua Fosuah would be Ghana’s First Lady from January 7, 2025.
Together with her husband, they have five children.
Efua Ghartey:
Joe Ghartey, a former attorney general and minister of justice and railways development minister is one of the leading members of the NPP who has stated his intention of running for the party’s presidential primaries.
Joe Ghartey is married to Efua Ghartey with whom he has 5 children.
Mrs Ghartey, like her husband, is a lawyer by profession and the two are the co-founder of the law firm, Ghartey & Ghartey.
She is the Chairperson of the Bible Society of Ghana and the Chairperson of the International Board of the United Bible Societies (UBS), which operates in more than 200 countries.
She is additionally the president of the Greater Accra Ghana Bar Association as well as a member of the Constitutional and Legal Committee of the New Patriotic Party.
Dr. Lawrencia Agyapong
The former General Secretary of the NPP, Kwabena Agyapong, who all other factors being equal will contest in the NPP presidential primaries, is married to Dr Lawrencia Agyapong.
The two have three fully grown children.
Dr Lawrencia Agyapong is an academic and is currently the Head of the Communications Department, as well as the research coordinator at the School of Graduate Studies at the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ).
Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto’s wife:
The Minister for Food and Agriculture, a potential flagbearer for the ruling NPP, is married with seven children but little is now about her children.
Kojo Bonsu’s wife:
Very little is known about the wife of former Kumasi Mayor, Kojo Bonsu, who will be contesting in the NDC presidential primaries.
In 2016 he admitted that his marriage of 30 years was on the rocks and stated that he had a girlfriend.
“The storage conditions of products, packaging among others must all be ascertained before buying,” he further cautioned.
Consumers were also encouraged to stay away from products displayed directly under the sun especially oil and canned products and report any unregistered and suspected fake product to the Authority.
Mr. Odai-Tettey told sellers to keep their products at required temperatures, observe proper storage systems and willingly hand over their expired products to the Authority for safe disposals.
He announced that the Authority had activated a system which would help collect unused medicines for disposal and to effectively discourage self-medication.
“The move dubbed: “Take back unwanted medicines Project”, seeks to retrieve all “medicines illicitly disposed which persist in the environment and decompose into harmful chemicals that contaminate the environment. Consumers are to bring all unused medicines to the Authority or selected pharmacies for their safe disposal,” Mr Odai-Tettey said.
He cautioned against buying medicine especially from uncertified places, stores, shops, drug peddlers, urging the public to rather buy from accredited designated pharmacies or dispensaries.
“We encourage all not to buy drugs from bus stations, vehicles, market traders and drug peddlers,” and added that their surveillance team were going round to crack the whip on such people.
“Taking medicines without recommendations by a health personnel could pose serious threats to the human body especially when they are not taken for its intended purpose,” he indicated.
The FDA Regional Director stated that persons who fell foul to the law stood the chance of losing their entire products or be charged the minimum administration fine of GH¢25,000.00 or be imprisoned, he warned.
Mr Odai-Tettey, thanked the staff of the Authority for their hard work and dedication during the year despite the challenges that the novel Covid-19 pandemic unleashed worldwide and prayed for a better 2021.
Earlier, The Central Regional Office of the Authority, organized a festival of nine lessons and carols to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ with melodious carols by the Blessed Choir of the Regional FDA.
We at Multisoft Solutions Limited, a top supplier of business management software to Ghanaian companies, would like to talk about the top 10 reasons why companies fail in Ghana.
Well, before we look at the top 10 causes, let us look at what is meant by business failure.
According to thelawdistionary.org, a company has failed if it is unable to make a profit or to bring in enough revenue to cover its expenses.
Now, let us look at the top 10 factors that cause business failures in Ghana.
#1: Starting Business for the Wrong Reasons
The core mission for a business must be to solve a problem or meet a need for a target group of people! When your business meets your customer’s needs and meets them well, then your business will flourish and be successful!
Building a business is hard and you need a higher purpose and passion to drive you and keep you going when the going gets tough. Starting a business solely because you have excess cash or because others are doing the same is the wrong reason to start a business.
There is a higher chance of success when you develop your business around your interest or what comes naturally to you.
#2: Having No Driving Core Values or Concrete Mission Statement
The core values of a business are the guiding principles and fundamental beliefs that drive the operation of the business. The core values and the mission tell exactly why the business exists and what it exists to do. The core value of the business also spells out the business ethics that governs all business dealings.
It is amazing how some businesses in Ghana just do factors without any clear guiding principle and still expect to do well!
#3:Lack of Planning
Deriving from the quote “failure to plan is planning to fail”, the entrepreneur’s inability to develop both short-term and long-term plans for the business is one of the top 10 causes of business failures. There must be a clear strategic plan governing the operation of the business!
Failure to set SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time bound) goals and objectives for all areas of the business and holding people including yourself accountable for these goals. Without this focus, factors will be done unsystematically with no specific way of measuring results leading to business failures.
#4: Leadership Failure
Businesses fail because of poor leadership. John C. Maxwell, the leadership expert said, “Everything rises and falls on leadership!” Business leadership is very important!
To thrive, the leadership or management of the business must constantly make the right operational, financial, and marketing decisions.
#5: No Differentiation or Competitive Advantage
It is not enough to have a great product; you must have a great competitive advantage!, These are the unique value propositions that set your business apart from the competition.
It is also important to understand the competition so you can know what to do to get the upper hand! Failure to understand the competition will lead to business failure.
#6: Neglecting Customer’s Needs
Every business owner will tell you that the customer is #1 but it is only a small percentage that acts that way. Businesses that fail are those that lose touch with their customers.
Get to your customers and find out if they love your products or services, get to know their likes and dislikes, and solicit their recommendations. All these will help you to deliver the best and give you a competitive advantage in your field!
#7: Inability to recover from our mistakes.
It is true that mistakes are usually painful and can lead to losses. Yet, you will scarcely do business without making mistakes. So the key is for you to learn from your mistakes and keep moving forward!
However, businesses that fail, do so because they fail to recover from their business mistakes. The cumulative mistake results in excessive burden ultimately leading to business failure.!
#8: Poor Record Management
Records management is the organization, storage and archiving of documents, both electronic and paper. Record management systems especially accounting records are not always the core functions of businesses and organizations, yet these systems are crucial to the proper running of a company. Poor records management has very negative effects, both legally and financially.
Management decisions are made with reference to company records. This means that without the proper records, an organization risks making unfounded decisions resulting in losses, corruption and mismanagement and ultimately business failure. Good records are directly linked to increased transparency and effective corporate governance.
Considering a good accounting software for your business? Try SageOne Accounting software.
#9: Poor Location
The location of a business is very important to the progress and growth of the business. In this era, a business is disadvantaged if it has only a physical location and even more disadvantaged if it’s physical location is far from its customers.
Take advantage of the internet system and locate your business on it. In this way you will be globally located and thus accessible by the whole world.
#10: No Profit & Personal Use of Business Funds
Profit allows growth! A business is doomed to failure if there is little to no profits and yet high expenses. Aside this, your business is not your personal bank account. Failure to separate your personal account from your business account and manage your business finances well through proper accounting practices will lead to the end of your business.
Here you are with the top 10 factors that cause business failures in Ghana. Kindly share your comments below!
It is the goal of Multisoft Solutions Limited to enhance and ensure the growth of small-to-medium enterprises in Ghana and abroad whilst partnering the larger corporates to achieve the desired business objectives. Thus we provide the best business management, accounting, payroll, taxation and various kinds of business software to ensure business success.
The 78-year-old former finance minister died at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital while receiving medical attention.
Prof. Kwesi Botchwey was a well-respected economist and governance expert who served during the military era of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) (1982 to 1991) and the constitutional period of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) (1992 to 1995)
He is known as one of the country’s longest-serving Finance Ministers.
Richard Akuoko Adiyah
Chief Executive Officer of Produce Buying Marketing Company, Richard Akuoko Adiyah, was reported dead on Sunday, October 2, 2022.
Though initial details about his demise remained scanty, a myjoyonline.com report sighted by GhanaWeb indicated that Mr. Adiyah was found dead in his chair on Thursday, September 30, 2022, at his home.
As a consummate finance and international development executive, the late CEO also had a political history, having served as a Member of Parliament for Ahafo Ano North on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party from 2008 to 2012.
Opanin Samuel Kwame Agyepong
Opanin Samuel Kwame Agyepong, father of Joseph Siaw Agyepong who is the Executive Chairman of Jospong Group of Companies passed away in June 2022.
He died at the age of 98 after a short illness.
He was buried on Saturday, September 10, 2022.
LESKEN
Popular businessman in the Upper East region, Kenneth Anewanah, otherwise known as LESKEN, passed away on Saturday, July 23, 2022.
The Chief Executive Officer of My Turn Construction Company died at a health facility in Accra where he was admitted.
The late Kenneth Anewanah, who owned several businesses in the Upper East Region, had hundreds of employees.
He was also a key distributor of Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited (GGBL).
SK Boafo
Ghanaian business magnate, Dr. Seth Kwame Boafo, widely known as Dr. S. K. Boafo died after battling short illness.
Dr. S. K. Boafo was the Executive Chairman for the S. K. Boafo Group of Companies, a conglomerate that included S. K. Boafo Travel and Tour, S. K. Boafo Logistics, and S. K. Boafo Construction.
Before his demise, he was highly successful in the transportation industry.
By November 2022, the rate had risen above 50%. High import levels were mostly to blame for the high inflation rate. The rapid and occasionally unparalleled rate of price hikes left Ghanaians gasping in awe.
Even if the overall increase in prices for products and services was stunning, some things experienced price jumps to extremely high levels in a very short amount of time.
A bag of 5kg of rice was selling at about GH¢40 at the beginning of 2022. The price shot up to GH¢60, GH¢80 and is currently selling at almost GH¢100 at various supermarkets.
Oil
The price of the product shot up to GH¢1,000 overnight from an earlier price of GH¢550 earlier this year. Some retailers even pegged their prices at GH¢1,200. However, after several agitations and complaints, the price has been reduced to GH¢600 and GH¢650, GhanaWeb Business can confirm.
Fuel
Fuel prices have topped the chart of conversations this year as the price of the commodity kept increasing with each pricing window.
This was highly linked to the depreciation of the cedi and the increase in the price of crude oil on the international market. Fuel prices jumped from GH¢6 to almost GH¢16 before coming down to GH¢13 in December 2022.
Transport fares
As fuel prices kept increasing, the rippling effect was seen in transport fares. Transport fares increased by more than 50% in 2022 alone, a situation that has never been experienced in the country’s history.
Bread
The price of flour, sugar and other baking materials increased significantly this year. This is reflected in the cost of bread. One loaf of butter bread is currently GH¢15 from GH¢6 at the beginning of the year.
Cement
The cost of building materials also shook Ghanaians this year as cement moved from GH¢50 to above GH¢80 in a few months. This also caused an increase in rent and other real estate businesses. The increase was also associated with the depreciation of the cedi.
Pure water
Another commodity whose price increase shook Ghanaians was sachet and bottled water. Pure water as it is popularly called shot up to GH¢40p from GH¢20p by the end of December 2021.
Water and electricity
The Public Utilities and Regulatory Commission announced a 27.15% increase in the price of electricity and a 21.55% increase in water tariffs.
Sanitary Pad
The price of sanitary pads increased to GH¢22 from GH¢5 at the beginning of the year. Even though Ghanaians have been calling for a reduction in the taxes on the product, those calls are yet to be heeded.
Paul Adom-Otchere may respond differently if the circumstances were reversed, Kwabena Yeboah argued in an interview with Blakk Rasta on 3FM.
He said that because of the criticism his actions received, Adom-Otchere would have assigned the CEO of KIA to undertake the task of making purchases for the airport’s decorating.
“We hadn’t been sworn as a board yet. I haven’t spoken to him specifically about this but I want to believe that if he had an opportunity, he would have loved the CEO to do that.
“For example, this coming Christmas, we are decorating the place but it has got nothing to do with us. It’s GOIL who have decided to sponsor the whole package.
“As I said, I didn’t not know the peculiar circumstances under which he decided to have his name on the invoice but considering the furore and uproar, if he had the opportunity, he would have been better off staying away and letting the CEO do that job,” he said.
Paul Adom-Otchere got a lot flak after it emerged that the procurement of Christmas trees for the airport were done by himself, the Board Chair.
The procurement process a well as the cost of the decoration drew the ire of some Ghanaians who accused Adom-Otchere of engaging in profligacy.
It was reported that it cost the GACL GH₵84,000 to decorate the place but Adom-Otchere refuted the allegations, mentioning GH ₵34,000 as the cost because portions of the works had been fully sponsored.
“The beautiful Christmas tree standing at Terminal 3 and 3 others altogether cost GHC 34,000, which was graciously provided by Jandel Limited at a heavy discount. (We thank Jandel Limited)”
“The other inspirations were provided by Favors and Arts for a total cost of GHC 84,000 out of which GHC 50,000 was obtained via sponsorship,” he said on his Good Evening Ghana programme last year.
The Ghana Premier League champions have decided against extending the expired contract of the right-back after a break-down in negotiations.
Nettey had his contract run out on Monday, December 26, 2022, and his demands for a contract renewal weren’t met by the club.
“We have considered the counteroffer presented and regret to inform you that upon further deliberation, we deem it appropriate not to renew your employment contract with the club,” a portion of the letter to Nettey intercepted by GHANAsoccernet.com reads.
The former Black Stars defender signed for the Porcupine Warriors in December 2019 from lower-tier side Attram de Visser Academy.
He became one of the important players at the club with his consistent performances which later earned him a call-up to the Ghana national team.
The fullback made his Ghana debut on November 12, 2020, in a 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sudan at the Cape Coast Stadium.
Nettey made 62 appearances in all competitions for Kotoko across the three years he spent at the club, scoring once in the process.
Nettey played 18 matches last season to help the Porcupines win the Ghana Premier League title for the first time in eight years.
On Saturday, December 24, 2022, Pan African TV had a town hall meeting where the subject of the performance of NDC MPs in 2022 was discussed.
On the more than three-hour show, a panel featuring Kwesi Pratt and Ablakwa discussed important concerns in the nation.
Okudzeto Ablakwa asked about the performance of the Haruna Iddrisu Caucus attempted to clarify what he contends was an erroneous impression by the general public that the Minority MPs have been in bed with government and not done enough to protect the interest of Ghanaians.
Ablakwa posited that the narrative that the NDC MPs are not doing enough is an orchestration of the New Patriotic Party to make the NDC MPs share blame for the mishaps of the Akufo-Addo administration.
Whiles admitting there have been times when he has had reasons to be unhappy with the caucus, Ablakwa said the NDC MPs have generally been good.
But Kwesi Pratt countered Ablakwa’s views and the attempt to hold brief for his colleagues.
Pratt protested that despite being disadvantaged by the numbers, the minority caucus has not done enough to champion the interest of Ghanaians.
Below is the brief banter
Pratt: When people say that NDC MPs can do better, it is true. They can do better than they are doing now. We are told that the first part of the budget is principles and policy, who said that you cannot shoot down principles and policies.
Okudzeto: You know better than that. We don’t have the numbers .
Pratt: You can always call for balloting after the voice vote but you didn’t.
Okudzeto: Because they were more than us. They accounted for their members.
Pratt: People who criticize NDC MPs may not necessarily vote for NPP but they want the good of the country and the NPP. I have been watching Parliament and in all honesty, If I’m to mention my top five MPs, I would mention Okudzeto Ablakwa. He’s done so well and his record is clear but Sammy becareful not to defend the indefensible, it will take away from your credit. Not all your colleagues are like you. You cannot criticize them in public but don’t defend them.
Okudzeto: I still think that it will be unfair to blame us especially when we do not have the numbers.
An Economist Prof. Lord Mensah says the $3 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will fail if government still refuses to make some cuts in its expenditure.
Government sought an IMF intervention to help restore the economy as the country battles its worst economic crisis in decades.
On December 5, 2022, the government launched a domestic debt exchange programme which is part of a key requirement for the government to obtain an economic programme from the International Monetary Fund.
Holders of approximately GH¢137.3 billion of principal amount outstanding of certain domestic notes and bonds issued by the Government were invited to exchange their Eligible Bonds for a package of new bonds to be issued by the Government.
Speaking to Citi News on the issue, Prof. Lord Mensah said the IMF intervention will be fruitless less government agrees to make some cuts.
“Government should look at what they are also going to sacrifice. We cannot stick to the same structures that got us into the economic mess we found ourselves in. If the government wants one party to sacrifice, the issue will be what are they [government] also sacrificing?”
“We recommend that government at least changes the governance structure, ad remove some offices to ensure that we cut cost.”
He said, “the happenings in Bawku are unfortunate, and all stakeholders especially the chiefs and the security personnel must work to restore peace urgently.”
So far over 15 people are reported dead in a renewed chieftaincy clash between Kusasis and Manprusis in Bawku in the Upper East region last week.
The Coalition for Democratic Accountability and Inclusive Governance, otherwise called the Citizens’ Coalition, has described as a “bold and long overdue step”, Parliament’s close scrutiny of the 2023 Budget of the Government of Ghana.
According to the Coalition, Parliament’s scrutiny of the budget “reflects a positive outcome of the current ‘Hung Parliament’ that should be celebrated,” and that “Given the economic challenges that faces the country, Parliament will have to intensify its oversight activities including reenergizing the Committee on Government Assurances and empowering Standing and Sector Committees to maintain strict vigilance over the implementation of the Appropriation Act by the Executive.”
The commendation by the Citizens’ Coalition follows a similar one by the Ghana Center for Democratic Development, which equally gave Parliament the thumbs up for doing a diligent job on the 2023 budget.
Citizens’ Coalition particularly welcomed “the decision of Parliament to reallocate the GH¢80 million allocated for the construction of the National Cathedral to the Roads and Highways and Communication Ministries and to slash the allocation to the Contingency Vote by half among other cost cutting measures in their approval of the 2023 Budget.”
“As part of the cost cutting measures, the Coalition notes Parliament also defunded the Special Development Initiatives and Monitoring and Evaluation secretariats at the Office of the President. This responds to some of the Coalition’s proposals on areas of expenditure that government can still cut down. We reiterate our call on government to look closely at the cost of running government and reduce it further. Additional cuts should include reducing the total number of ministers and deputies to 60 as a first step and absorb and merge a number of secretariats set up to oversee flagship programs and let civil servants manage them in the relevant ministries, and finally reshuffle the Ministerial Team including relieving the Finance Minister of his duties in order to refocus government on the challenging task of returning Ghana to the path of economic recovery.
“The Citizens’ Coalition will tirelessly continue to amplify the concerns of Ghanaians and demand that government acts in a manner which does not only take us out of this economic mess but give citizens, particularly the young men and women of this nation hope for the future,” said the group comprising Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and individuals that harnesses democratic processes of mass education and mobilization to establish a culture of accountable and transparent governance that actively and consciously responds to the demands of citizens and promotes human rights, peace, constitutionalism and the national interest.
The Bawumias paid the 84-year-old man a “Christmas tribute” visit at his home.
On his social media accounts, the Vice President posted pictures from the outing along with the caption, “Samira Bawumia and I paid a Christmas homage to Former President Kufuor at his mansion. Having conversations with Papa Kufuor is always a treat.
A few years ago, when Kufour remained more active in politics, he wholeheartedly endorsed the Vice President as an exceptional future leader for this country.
Speaking during an event in which the former President introduced the Vice President, he said that Ghana is extremely fortunate to have a leader like Bawumia on hand, calling him a ‘responsible politician’.
“The nation must count itself fortunate to have such a son as Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who rightly fits the role of the needed analyst. He is an economist, banker and also a responsible politician, who has a lot of experience,” said the former President.
Meanwhile, Dr Bawumia has kept up a busy schedule even over the holiday period.
On Sunday, 25th December 2022, Dr Bawumia worshipped with prophet Isaac Owusu Bempah’s Glorious Word and Power Ministries for their Christmas day service.
The Vice President delivered an address to the church’s congregants, during which he said Ghanaians have a lot to be thankful to God for despite an economically challenging year.
“The birth of Jesus Christ is a very special event for humanity. Jesus was born of the virgin Mary. When Joseph brought them to Bethlehem, there was no house for them so they had to go into the manger with the animals. That is where Jesus was born.
“Jesus Christ was born in a manger but we are now waiting for him to come back and save the world from the anti-Christ. Today is a great day to celebrate for humanity. Today is also a day to give thanks to God. We sometimes labour in our problems but we have a lot to be thankful for,” he said.
Experts claim that this increases citizen trust in the government.
Therefore, it is not helpful when the president, who is the head of the government, makes public statements that are in conflict with those of his appointees or that subsequently require explanation or clarification from his appointees.
According to many analysts, effective communication is an essential component of any country’s government system.
Experts claim that this increases citizen trust in the government.
Therefore, it is not helpful when the president, who is the head of the government, makes public statements that are in conflict with those of his appointees or that subsequently require explanation or clarification from his appointees.
MTN Ghana Foundation has given more than sixty hampers to babies born on Boxing Day at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra to show appreciation to mothers during the Christmas festive season.
MTN Ghana Foundation as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), has been donating to babies born on December 26 since 2011 to put smiles on the faces of mothers and show the commitment and care MTN has for the society.
Addressing the media, the Manager for Sustainability and Social Impact for MTN Ghana Foundation, Mrs Rhoderlyn Entsua-Mensah, said the project aims to support mothers who deliver on December 26 to show appreciation to them.
She said the project was carried out across the sixteen regions at specified hospitals.
Mrs Entsua-Mensah, however, said there are 500 hampers in total to be distributed to all babies born on Christmas Boxing Day.
“MTN is committed to celebrating with mothers who have successfully delivered on festive occasions like Christmas”, she said.
She stated that the foundation has a lot of projects to be accomplished including a sixty-bed maternity and child health block to be built in Keta, Volta Region, a robotic centre to be built for Mamfe Girls, an accident and emergency ward also to be built for citizens in Bawjuasi in the Central region.
She said the Foundation will continue to invest in all areas to benefit the people of Ghana.
“This project is the Foundation’s 25th Anniversary milestone project,” she added.
The 60 babies received assorted hampers and recharge cards while eight mothers in labour also received the same.
The beneficiary hospitals were Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Effia Nkwanta Hospital, Adidome Hospital, among others.
The assorted hampers included baby diapers, baby wipes, baby clothing, toiletries and toys.
The Senior Midwifery Officer at the Maternity Unit of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Portia Ocloo Enam Aku, said the Maternity Unit had more than sixty deliveries between December 24 and December 26.
She expressed gratitude to MTN Ghana Foundation for their immense contribution to the Hospital.
Dorcas Dadzi, a mother at the hospital, said she was surprised and excited upon delivering her son and receiving her first gift from MTN.
“I am really happy and grateful to MTN Ghana Foundation because I didn’t expect it and I am an MTN network user”, she said.
MTN Ghana Foundation has been giving to babies annually at various maternity hospitals to cater for the health needs of several individuals and organisations across the country to foster socio-economic growth.
Shatta Wale would not believe his eyes when he came face-to-face with the massive number of people who graced the 2022 Freedom Wave Concert at the Accra Sports Stadium on Christmas Day.
He broke down in tears and went down on his knees during his performance on the big stage.
Shatta Movement fans and Medikal’s fanbase turned up in large numbers to witness the two in a live performance.
When Shatta finally came on stage at 5:00 AM on Monday, the crowd, who had been up all night, warmly received him with loud cheers, applause, and chants.
The dancehall musician, during his performance, stopped to preach and tell of the goodness of God.
He also appreciated his fans for their unflinching support of his music.
“Stadium, I just want to say a big thank you. As I said I was doing this show, a lot of people who don’t believe in God talked a lot of things.
“I just want to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year…turn to your friend and tell them ‘God bless you’. Tell somebody, God bless you. Tell your brother or sister, ‘God bless you’,” Shatta said in the video.
Ghana’s Ambassador to Egypt H.E Lt. Gen. Obed Boamah Akwa visited the Black Galaxies on Tuesday, December 27 at the Jewel Sports City Resort & Spa in Cairo.
HE Akwa was at the Hotel to welcome the national team to Egypt where they will be camping for next month’s TotalEnergies African Nations Championship in Algeria.
“I am happy that the GFA chose Egypt as the training base for your preparation to the CHAN tournament. I consider my meeting with this team as one of the highest since I assumed responsibility as Ghana’s ambassador to Egypt”, HE Akwa stated in a meeting with the players and team officials.
“Set a high aim four yourselves and work together to develop a team-spirit that will help you fight to the very end. Also never give up till victory is won.
“Everything is possible and let us consider this as a golden opportunity to lift high the flag of Ghana and prove to Africa that we are the best when it comes to football on the continent”, he reiterated.
Assistant Coach of the Black Galaxies Dr. Prosper Ogum Narteh thanked the Ambassador and staff of the embassy for taking time off their schedules to visit the team in their training base.
“We assure you and all Ghanaians that during our stay here, we will take our training sessions serious to ensure physically, technically and spiritually readiness for the CHAN Tournament.”
The Black Galaxies will begin the first leg of their training tour with a friendly match against Egypt U-20 on Tuesday, December 27 at the Cairo International Stadium.
The team will also engage in other friendly matches as part of their training tour prior to the tournament which will be staged between January 13-February 4, 2023.
Below are photos of Ghana’s Ambassador to Egypt visit:
The Chairman of Parliamentary Select Committee on Trade, Industry and Tourism has urged Ghanaian entrepreneurs to invest more in the local economy and be creative on the international market.
Mr. Carlos Kingsley Ahenkora said Ghanaian entrepreneurs and investors must invest in the country to support the economic development effort.
He said this at the media launch of the Black History Festival 2023, aimed at enhancing the appreciation of the cedi against the dollar.
The Black History Festival, is a festival celebrated to strengthen ties between USA and Africa. It is also an opportunity to commemorate the Black History Month which is an annual event held by the people of USA to celebrate their achievements, heritage and the contribution of the people of African origin in the USA.
The media launch ahead of the 2023 festival, was held in Accra to strengthen the ties between Africa and the USA.
The maiden edition of the festival was held in Washington, D.C. in the USA in early 2022. Following the success of the event, the organizers have announced that the second edition will take place in February 2023 in Columbus, Ohio.
Mr. Carlos Ahenkora expressed optimism about the initiative and advised entrepreneurs to use the platform to market made in Ghana goods and be creative about it.
“The last time I checked, some of the things we export as a nation are vegetables, and somethings like ‘alata samina’. I think it is time for us to be creative with our goods we produce and export to the foreign countries. We are doing well with what we export but we can do better.”
Speaking to JoyNews, Coordinator of the Black History Festival, Stephen Selasie Asuo, explained that the festival is an opportunity for Africa to celebrate its people while “creating a bridge between Africans in the diaspora and Africans back home.”
He added that, “the festival will expose trade, investment, and export opportunities as well as bring more diasporans home. Beyond the Return gave prominence to Ghana, but the Black History Festival is going to give prominence to Africa as a whole.”
One issue that courted controversy in July 2021 was a claim that Efya had bought Moesha Boduong’s car at a cheap price but the socialite has said the musician only served as an intermediary between her and the buyer.
A few days after Moesha announced she was a born-again Christian, the actress and socialite did not only burn some amount of money she had earned; she also gave some of her items to the needy as “directed by God” and sold her Range Rover Vogue because she “wanted to change it to get a better one”.
Rumors were rife that Moesha sold her Range Rover at a cheap price to Efya, a situation that engendered controversy.
In her interview with Deloris Frimpong Manso on the 2022 Christmas edition of The Delay Show, however, Moesha defended Efya as she refuted the claim.
According to her, Efya did not buy the car but got her a buyer.
“Efya was the only one that got me a good buyer and she was really happy because she knew I didn’t like the car. Efya was the one that got me the best price,” said Moesha in the interview monitored by GhanaWeb.
It will be recalled that when the issue was tabled for a discussion on Peace FM’s Entertainment Review in July 2021, Kofi Asamoah, a filmmaker and close associate to Moesha said Efya did not buy the car; rather a musician who works with Efya.
“The Range Rover Vogue was not purchased by Efya. Efya only served as a ‘middlewoman’ for whoever bought the car.Efya is not the owner of the car. It was another musician. It was another artiste who at the time was working with Efya. She didn’t buy the car for herself as many people think.”
Although Kofi Asamoah refused to reveal the true identity of the artiste who has acquired Moesha’s Range Rover, he stated that: “As for the person who bought the car, we are withholding his identity for now. We’ll reveal his or her identity at the right time.”https://www.youtube.com/embed/GHeder6WGnU
China will scrap quarantine for travellers from 8 January, officials said, marking the last major shift from the country’s zero-Covid policy.
After three years of closed borders, this will effectively reopen the country to those with work and study visas, or seeking to visit family.
But it comes as China struggles with the virus’ ferocious spread in the wake of restrictions being lifted.
Reports say hospitals are overwhelmed and elderly people are dying.
The true toll – daily case counts and deaths – is currently unknown because officials have stopped releasing Covid data.
Beijing had reported about 4,000 new Covid infections each day last week and few deaths.
On Sunday it said it would stop publishing case numbers altogether. But British health data firm Airfinity estimated China was experiencing more than a million infections and 5,000 deaths a day, according to Reuters.
China is the last major economy in the world to move to “living with Covid” after three years of lockdowns, closed borders and mandatory quarantine for Covid cases and contacts.
The so-called zero-Covid approach battered the economy and made citizens weary of restrictions and repeated tests. Resentment against the policy exploded into rare public protests against President Xi Jinping in November, which led to authorities dropping Covid rules just a few weeks later.
Closed borders remain the last major restriction. Since March 2020, anyone entering China has had to undergo mandatory quarantine at a state facility – for up to three weeks at a time. That was recently reduced to five days.
But on Monday the National Health Commission announced that Covid would be formally downgraded to a Class B infectious disease on 8 January.
That meant quarantine would be axed – although incoming travellers will still need to take a PCR test – and a cap on the daily number of flights allowed into China would also be scrapped.
Authorities said they would also “optimise” visa arrangements for foreigners wishing to come to China for work and study, as well as family visits and reunions.
It’s unclear if that includes tourist visas, but officials said a pilot programme would begin for international cruise ships.
The new rules have been welcomed by many Chinese who will now be able to travel overseas again. The country’s top online travel agencies reported a spike in traffic within hours of the announcement.
But many have also expressed anger over the sudden freedom after years of control.
“I’m happy about it but also speechless. If we’re doing this [reopening] anyway – why did I have to suffer all the daily Covid tests and lockdowns this year?” said Rachel Liu, who lives in Shanghai.
She said she had endured three months of lockdown in April, but nearly everyone in her family had become infected with the virus in recent weeks.
She said her parents, grandparents and partner – living across three different cities in Xi’an, Shanghai and Hangzhou – had all come down with fever last week.
Hospitals – like this one in Shanghai – are under strain in this Covid wave
Many have also expressed concern online about borders reopening as Covid cases peak in China.
“Why can’t we wait until this wave passes to open up? The medical workers are already worn out, and old people won’t survive two infections in one month,” read one top-liked comment on Weibo.
People in cities like Beijing and Shanghai, which experience chilly temperatures in the winter, say they’re running out of flu and cold medicine and scrounging for medical help for sick relatives. It’s feared that hundreds of deaths may be going unreported as crematoriums are overwhelmed.
On Monday, President Xi issued his first remarks on the changes, calling on officials to do what was “feasible” to save lives. State media quoted him saying the country faced a new situation with pandemic control, and needed a more targeted response.
China’s about-turn on how it manages the pandemic has put Mr Xi in a tough spot, analysts say. He was the driving force behind zero-Covid, which many blamed for restricting people’s lives excessively and crippling the economy.
But having abandoned it, analysts say he now has to take responsibility for the huge wave of infections and hospital admissions. Many have questioned why the country was not better prepared.
The FDA seized the goods as part of its usual post-market surveillance operations from 18 districts and institutions that asked for permission to safely dispose of their dangerous goods.
Food, medications, cosmetics, herbal remedies, dietary supplements, and household chemicals are among the things seized.
The Surveillance was conducted based on the Authority’s mandate in section 132, subsection 2, 3, and 4 of the Public Health Act 2012 (Act 851).
Ms. Francisca Obeng, the Regional Head of the Authority, told the Ghana News Agency that the Authority conducted market surveillance operations to rid the market of expired, counterfeit, contaminated, unregistered, and all other kinds of unwholesome regulated products.
The disposal was also intended to prevent the potential re-entry of those unwholesome products into the supply chain.
Going forward, she advised the public to check the expiry dates and registration status of products before they bought them, and ensure they purchased regulated products from accredited and recognised outlets or sources.
She urged retailers to adhere to good storage and stocking practices such as the First Expired, First Out (FEFO) principle while advising citizens to report to the Authority persons who sold expired, unregistered, and unwholesome products.
“The FDA wishes to emphasize that ensuring public health is our prime objective,” it said.
“We are geared towards providing assurance of safe food, drugs, cosmetics, household chemicals, medical devices, and all other regulated products in Ghana,” she said.
Ms. Obeng acknowledged the collaboration of the Authority’s stakeholders: the Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental and Sanitation Agency, the Ghana Standards Authority, and the Ghana Police Service to ensure the safety of consumers.
It also mentioned the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, the Ghana Health Service, and the Pharmacy Council, among others, who complemented the efforts of the FDA to execute its mandate.
Before, during, and after the Christmas celebrations, Intercity Transport Coaches (STC) has reaffirmed its dedication to the comfort of passengers during their travel and their safe arrival at their destination.
The STC Manager for the Tema Zone, Mr. Kodwo Barnes, informed the Ghana News Agency that STC constantly provided the safest, coziest, and most dependable road transportation.
In order to meet the expectations of all stakeholders, he added, “We have developed a highly motivated and skilled workforce, particularly the drivers’ ability to manage and conveniently ensure safety on the road.”
“Road safety is a non-negotiable option; at STC all drivers periodically undertake refresher training at our Driver Training School to ensure they follow professional driving tenets”.
“Before a bus is loaded it undergoes routine checks to ensure that it is in good shape and every fault is fixed.”
On the security of passenger, Mr Barnes said security officers accompanied the drivers while most of the drivers had been trained to ensure maximum safety during their journeys.
“On health grounds the STC buses are regularly fumigated to avoid infections while air fresheners are fixed in them to prevent bad odour,” he said.
Mr Charles Kakraba, a staff at the Tema Terminal of the STC, in charge of passengers’ luggage, emphasized the strict compliance to loading requirements to ensure luggage is was not misplaced or mishandled.
The parcel office also put tags on items to be delivered for easy identification and delivery to right the recipients, he added.
The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), has organised a training programme for about 500 of its members due for promotion in the Volta Region.
The programme is to adequately prepare the teachers for their promotional examination to various ranks in their field of work.
It was organised by the Volta Regional GNAT Directorate.
The Volta Regional Vice Chairman, Ayuba Aguda, said the initiative which falls under GNAT’s Education and Professional Development agenda saw the training of qualified members in all the operative districts of the association.
He said the association would continue to give opportunities to members to build their capacity to meet up with the demands of the education sector.
The Ho Municipal Chairperson, Lois Tipong-Asare, said the beneficiaries are due for promotion to Principal Superintendent, Assistant Director II, Assistant Director I and Deputy Director.
She said the orientation is to equip the beneficiaries on what to expect in the promotional examinations and how to answer the questions correctly to enhance their performance.
“The association has the interest of the teacher at heart always and so we bring up programme that will benefit directly the teacher”, she stressed.
Dancehall musician Shatta Wale called for unity in Ghana’s music industry on December 25 during his mega performance at the Freedom Wave Concert.
This year’s Christmas Day witnessed Shatta Wale and rapper Medikal hold the second edition of their joint concert.
When Shatta Wale mounted the stage at 5:00 a.m., he thanked fans for attending the concert at the Accra Sports Stadium.
As earlier reported the two were hoping to fill the 40,000-capacity stadium.
The dancehall singer made a call for peace and unity when he mounted the big stage.
Shatta acknowledged his fanbase as well as that of Medikal for coming together to pull off the successful concert that was attended by thousands of music lovers.
These were the words of Shatta: “I said it one time that without unity, we can’t make this happen. Shout out to every Shatta Movement and AMG fanbase. I beg make I hear pah pah pah,” this was followed by loud cheers from the crowd who chanted his words.
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has made a donation of an emergency trolly, wheelchairs and electronic BP machines to the Kaneshie Policlinic.
The donation on Monday, December 27 was made by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NHIA, Dr Bernard Okoe Boye.
Speaking to the media after the presentation, Dr Okoe Boye said the motive for the donation is to assist the facility in its delivery of healthcare to patients.
“We came here this holiday to appreciate those health staff who are on duty. We are at the NHIA, we have brought one trolly which is to assist with emergency cases, wheelchairs and electronic BPs to come and support the facility in its operations,” he said.
The Member of Parliament for the Okaikwei South Constituency, Dakoa Newman also provided the staff with KFC food packs for being on duty even on a holiday.
According to her, the services of the healthcare workers is deeply appreciated.
Receiving the donations, the Hospital Administrator for the Kaneshie Polyclinic, Madam Adelaide Setordji on behalf of the Sub Metro Director of Health Services, Dr Stella Gyamfi also appreciated the gesture.
She used the occasion to urge the NHIA to ensure the prompt release of funds to their providers so they can also administer healthcare to all patients.
“We thank you so much for this kind gesture and we want to say that the donation is timely because we just commissioned a new maternity and theatre ward and we would items such as these and in fact, there are more things that we need but this is a stepping stone for more things to come,” she also said.
The campaign intends to raise public knowledge of the dangerous cargo signs and to warn passersby, drivers of cars, and haulage truck operators. This is done to improve traffic safety and avert accidents that could have been avoided.
The GSA, in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has developed material on the nine (9) classes of dangerous cargo and developed a nationwide sensitisation programme. These are Explosives, Gases, Flammable Liquids, Flammable Solids, Oxidising Substances, and Organic Peroxide. The rest are Toxic and Infectious waste, Radioactive materials, Corrosive substances, and Miscellaneous dangerous goods not covered by other classes, such as Lithium battery packs in equipment.
Already, the GSA has engaged its Transit Shipper Committee – made up of the Joint Association of Port Transport Unions (JAPTU), Ghana Ports and Harbors Authority (GPHA), Ghana Link, State Insurance Commission (SIC), Ghana Highways Authority, Freight Forwarders among others – on its sensitization plans. Also, posters and placards of the signages will be made available for JAPTU to use in sensitizing its members, mostly haulage truck drivers. Promotional activation will be done on social media to target the public and motorists.
Chairman of the Transit Shipper Committee and Head of the Freight and Logistics Department, Mr. Fred Asiedu Dartey, speaking at the fourth-quarter Transit Shipper Committee meeting said: “To ensure the issue of safety in transporting dangerous goods is taken seriously, the Authority is considering the possibility of having a trainer of trainers workshop for leadership of JAPTU in the first quarter of 2023 so that they can also train their members on the dos and don’ts of transporting dangerous cargo”.
The representatives of JAPTU present at the meeting commended the GSA and expressed their readiness to avail themselves of future sensitization programmes.
On December 25, 2022, Medikal rode an ATV on stage to perform at the just-ended Freedom Wave Concert Concert 2022 at the Accra Sports Stadium.
In a video exclusive to GhanaWeb, the performer was spotted wearing a lemon green jacket over a black t-shirt and a pair of black pants while he serenaded music fans with some of his hit songs.
Popular tunes like “Den na Eko,” and “Too Risky,” among other songs composed by the artiste left the audience charged up.
While his delivery was exciting to watch, Shatta Wale‘s stagecraft left many SM fans thrilled.
Meanwhile, Ghanaian dancehall artiste and performer,Shatta Wale, at the concert gave fans something to talk about when he displayed his entire body donning only his boxers.
The artiste’s manhood, which was visible in his boxer shorts, drew the attention of many fans and sparked chatter online.
With his hand held high over his head, Shatta lay on the naked floor after stripping.
Watch Medikal’s Arrival And Powerful Performance On Stage At Freedom Wave Concert
aYo Intermediaries Ghana has put smiles on the faces of some 13 new mothers at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), by paying off their medical bills and showering them with gifts this Christmas.
The company, led by its CEO, Francis Gota, paid off a total of ¢20,000 on behalf of the new mothers who either delivered freshly during the Christmas season or are being held in the hospital for non-payment of bills.
At least ten of the new mothers were also presented with hampers filled with aYo branded items and loads of goodies for them and their babies.
The CEO of the award-winning mobile insurance wing of MTN Ghana, Francis Gota, said one of the things he is passionate about as a person is showing care and love to people, because “that’s the way you make a meaningful impact on people’s lives.”
According to him, out of his commitment to showing kindness to people, he ensures that every year aYo selects one hospital and show kindness to patients in need, particularly those who have been detained in the hospital for non-payment of bills.
“A lot of things happen every year but I believe that the act of kindness is something you cannot compromise on particularly at Christmas,” he said.
“On our part, we pick one hospital and pay off the bills of patients who are being held in the hospital because they have not been able to pay their bills.”
Last year, aYo took their annual act of kindness to Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and this year they went to KATH.
Some of the beneficiary mothers expressed their deepest gratitude to aYo for the show of kindness and gifts presented to them on Christmas day.
One mother said she was surprised by what aYo has done because she had been discharged for almost four days but she has been held in a hospital because she has not been able to pay her bills.
aYo is the leading mobile microinsurance service provider specifically for MTN customers. It boasts over 9 million customers under their Recharge with Care (RwC) and Send with Care (SwC) policies.
RwC is linked to airtime purchases on MTN, while SwC is linked to MTN mobile money transfer, and the cover provided under the two policy categories are for Life and Hospitalisation.
The company recently launched the one-time annual premium under the RwC policy, where a customer pays ¢130 and is covered for the whole year in the amount of ¢6,000.
Where a customer does not make any claim in a particular year, he or she gets 10% cash back.
“Avatar: The Way of Water” sailed to the top of the box office in its second weekend, bringing in what studios estimate Sunday will be a strong $56 million in North America — a sign that the sequel may stay afloat into the new year and approach the massive expectations that met its release.
James Cameron’s digital extravaganza for 20th Century Studios has made $253.7 million domestically in its first 10 days of release, compared to $212.7 million in the same stretch for 2009′s first “Avatar,” which would go on to become the highest-grossing film of all time.
While Cameron’s films like the “Avatar” original and “Titanic” tend to have serious legs at the box office, sequels tend to open big and decline quickly, complicating guesses on where the film will end up. Its second-weekend drop-off from the $134 million it made in its first was not precipitous, given the way blockbusters open.
“This is James Cameron’s first $100 million opener,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore “For this movie to have opened that big and only dropped 58%, it shows it has staying power.”
Globally, “The Way of Water” is already the third highest-grossing film released in 2022, bringing in $855 million — putting it behind only “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Jurassic World Dominion” — and is a lock to surpass $1 billion.
It’s also clear sailing for the film looking ahead, with more holiday time coming and no comparable competition until February, when Marvel’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” is released.
Storms across the U.S. could keep people home, however.
“The biggest foe that Avatar is facing at this moment is the weather,” Dergarabedian said.
Universal’s animated Shrek spinoff, “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” featuring the voices of Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek, finished a distant second with $11.35 million in its opening weekend.
Sony’s biopic “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody” finished third with $5.3 million.
The weekend’s biggest disappointment was “Babylon,” the epic of early Hollywood from “La La Land” director Damian Chazelle starring Brad Pitt and Margo Robbie. In a nationwide release, it brought in just $3.5 million, finishing fourth.
The tepid, $6.5 million opening weekend in October of director David O. Russell’s “Amsterdam,” another film, set in a similar period, that combined prestige, scope, star power and a celebrated auteur, brought industry worries that audiences just weren’t flocking to theatres for such films.
The concerns proved justified, as “Babylon” barely made more than half of the opening of “Amsterdam.”
The coming weeks in theatres, streaming showings and any nominations it may get could help “Babylon” rise above bomb status.
“I would say Babylon is a movie that isn’t about the opening weekend,” Dergarabedian said. “We’ll have to see what it does in the coming weeks and then into the new year, particularly if it gets more awards buzz.”
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to Comscore, with Wednesday through Sunday in parentheses. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. “Avatar: The Way of Water,” $56 million.
2. “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” 11.35 million.
3. “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” $5.3 million.
Uruguay are likely to be banned for six months by FIFA after clashing with FIFA officials in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The South Americans defeated Ghana 2-0 in their last group game but it was not enough as both teams exited the group stage of the competition.
After the game, players from the Uruguay camp hounded the official, making their feelings known about what they thought of the decision following a decision to ignore a penalty appeal by referee Daniel Siebert, after a challenge on Cavani in the penalty box.
Jose Gimenez and Edinson Cavani were the most vocal with their heavy complaints to the officials.
An angry Cavani destroyed a Video Assistant Referee screen after the match at Al Janoub.
Goalkeeper Fernando Muslera and defender Deigo Godin were also heavily involved.
Article 12 relates to the “Improper conduct of players and officials”. This means that they would potentially be banned from playing for Uruguay.
The Impact Believers Church International (IBCI) has assorted items including an undisclosed sum of money to the Motherly Love Orphanage, Kwabenya.
The donation which took place last Saturday saw members of IBCI including former beauty Queen Akweley of Ghana Most Beautiful giving away food items including fast food to inmates of the orphanage.
The members of the church also pledged to assist the orphanage in the future.
Speaking in an interview with Graphic Online, an elder of IBCI Mr Philip Boafo said the gesture was a way of showing love to the inmates during the Christmas festivities.
“We believe in showing love to the less privileged and we are willing to help the orphanage anytime they call on us. In fact we have adopted this orphanage and we will be coming in from time to time to help out with their needs. Authorities of the orphanage have told us what they need and we will make sure we help them out,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the orphanage, Rev. John Azumah said he was happy to have received the donations adding that it had come at the right time.
“The donation was timely, especially in the festive season. I pray that they come more often to bless the children” he said.
