The Vice President said the digital drive has enormous benefits for all swathes of society, including the police service, who will now have access to cutting-edge policing tools used throughout the world to make their jobs easier. He was speaking at a donation of mobile devices and software packages to the police service.
“We are going to see more and more devices in the hands of police officers across the country so that policing will be very effective in Ghana and this is something that Ghana and the Ghana police service will be proud of because we’re moving into an area where in fact many advanced countries are still trying to get into that area,” Dr Bawumia said.
The Vice President was speaking on Friday, December 23rd 2022 as Margins Group, an indigenous Ghanaian Identity Systems Company, donated over $2 million worth of mobile identification devices and a Mobile Device Management System to the Police Service.
These mobile devices and systems will capture the unique biometric and biographic information of individuals, verify vehicle registration, drivers license, road worthiness certificate and insurance, and match the data against other databases including the National Identification Authority’s database.
The devices will give police officers real- time access to data on individuals, vehicles, criminal histories etc. and therefore help in the fight against crime.
‘’If you’re going to benefit from digitalisation, you cannot allow the system that you’re setting up to sit in silos. You have to integrate the systems so that you can benefit from knowing if you’re in a crime database and you integrate it with the national ID database, you can tell when you meet somebody who is on the crime database that this person is either a criminal or someone who is wanted,” Dr Bawumia said.
“So the issue of integration of the police database with the NIA database is very important. With these devices (mobile device software) it is very important that when the Police meet you on the street they can tell who you are with or without your Ghana card.
“They can tell if you’re wanted or not. They can tell whether the vehicle you’re driving is registered or not because you’re linking the databases. So it is a valuable weapon in the fight against crime and the protection of the public and the safety of the public.”
The Veep added that this is just the beginning of efforts to equip the Police Service with more gadgets, devices and software to exploit digitalisation to enhance crime fighting.
The Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare, was visibly excited about the donation and expressed optimism that how it will help the men in uniform as part of the police transformation agenda.
“We can’t wait to use them because we know it will transform Policing in Ghana.” Dampare said.
Despite the worldwide economic slump, the Convention People’s Party (CPP) has praised the administration for its good efforts toward the country’s economic recovery.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Sunyani, Mr. Salifu Ali Dayinday, the Bono Regional Chairman of the CPP, commented on the country’s economic data: “It is evident that the nation’s economic indicators are picking up for the better and the administration is doing incredibly well.”
He emphasized that the sustained reduction in the dollar and cedi rates, along with the drop in the price of petroleum items, were very welcome. He regretted that “it appears that despite all these encouraging signs, it is not translating into reality,” though.
“The cost of food items, building materials and transportation still remain higher, an indication that the economic recovery processes are not translating into people’s pockets and the government needs to do more,” Mr. Dayinday stated.
“I also think that the question of the cedi-dollar coming down should see entering into 2023, maintaining it and making it even better and that would be a good sign of the government because from the initial stage life was actually very difficult for the ordinary Ghanaian”, he stated.
Mr. Dayinday also entreated Ghanaians to be more patriotic and support the government in her efforts to stabilize the economy, saying “we shouldn’t stick to the fact that I bought it at a higher cost, so unless the old stock finishes, before I reduce my cost.
“How long should we sit down unconcerned and allow somebody to continue to use old stocks to determine prevailing prices, and these are things that I think as CPP we advise the government to critically look at the translation of its policy on the ground,” the CPP chairman indicated.
The entire construction of the Tema Port took roughly ten years, and it was initially built modestly before eventually expanding. The Keta Port Project needs to go through the entire process; we don’t need to speed it, said Mr. Michael Luguje, GPHA Director-General (DG), at the GPHA’s 2022 Press Soiree in Tema.
He stressed that the Keta Port project, which would be the third seaport in Ghana after Tema and Takoradi Ports, had received a lot of public bashing after the appointment of a director even though the actual construction was yet to take off.
Addressing such concerns, the GPHA Director-General said the Keta Port is a strategic project of the state, therefore, the necessary procedures required for building such a facility must be followed to the latter.
Mr. Luguje stressed that, “Building a port is a meticulous process, it has a life cycle, which includes feasibility and other studies, analysis, before the actual construction, and also an Executive Instrument must be signed by the President.”
The DG indicated that a lot of progress have been made about the Keta Port project, explaining that a feasibility study, stakeholder engagements, and an environmental assessment were done.
He also said an advert for the expression of interest had also been published, and a few proposals had been received, which were been reviewed to select the best.
Mrs. Esther Gyebi-Donkor, General Manager, Marketing and Corporate Affairs, GPHA reiterated the determination of the Authority to build the Keta Port.
She stressed that the GPHA was focused and was not perturbed by public sentiments on the project as they would deliver.
Mrs. Gyebi-Donkor urged the media to contact the GPHA on issues that they needed clarification on instead of the penchant of some media outlets to publish one-sided stories, which ended up creating confusion in the public arena “let us work together to educate and inform the public truthfully”.
She said GPHA considered the media as a strategic partner and was ready to engage them, adding that in 2023, they would organize some training sessions for the media to keep them well informed on the operations of the Port.
Manchester United have triggered one-year extension clauses in the contracts of Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw, Diogo Dalot and Fred, Erik ten Hag has confirmed.
With United three points adrift of the Premier League’s top four with a game in hand ahead of the competition’s resumption, each of the quartet has played a key role for Ten Hag’s side.
In particular, Rashford has looked rejuvenated since the Dutchman took charge, leading the Red Devils’ scoring charts with four Premier League goals this term and netting three times for England at the World Cup.
Rashford’s deal had been due to expire at the end of the season, leading the forward to be linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain, but Ten Hag has confirmed the 25-year-old is set to stay.
Asked about widespread reports claiming United had extended the players’ contracts, the United boss told MUTV: “Yes, I can confirm it.
“We are happy because the squad is going in the right direction and those players [have made] a massive contribution in that direction.
“We want to develop, we want to support those players and we want them to keep in our process, so that’s why we came to those decisions, I’m sure they are the right decisions.
“We want to construct a team for the future, for longer years, and those players have to be part of it.”
United will resume their Premier League campaign against Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford on Tuesday, having won four of their last five home games in the competition (D1).
The Red Devils have won each of their last six games against Forest in all competitions, recording an 8-1 victory in the teams’ most recent meeting in February 1999.
Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has reassured personnel of the Ghana Police Service (GPS) of government’s plan to supply them with ‘valuable weapons’ required to combat crime and create a safe environment for all.
He is hoping to leverage on government’s digitisation drive after the successful integration of databases and systems to make for easy and flexible verification and identification of persons of interest or even suspects.
If the said valuable weapons are successfully delivered and connected to integrated databases, Dr Bawumia said it will help to “leapfrog many other advanced countries” in the area of surveillance and crime fighting.
Dr Bawumia said this when he received $2 million worth of mobile devices and software packages to help in tailing suspects who may be on the police watch list in a bid to bring digitisation to bear in protecting the citizens.
‘’If you’re going to benefit from digitalisation, you cannot allow the system that you’re setting up to sit in silos.
“You have to integrate the systems so that you can benefit from knowing if you’re in a crime database and you integrate it with the national ID database, you can tell when you meet somebody who is on the crime database that this person is either a criminal or someone who is wanted.
“So the issue of integration of the police database with the NIA database is very important. With these devices (mobile device software) it is very important that when the Police meet you on the street they can tell who you are with or without your Ghana card.
“They can tell if you’re wanted or not. They can tell whether the vehicle you’re driving is registered or not because you’re linking the databases. So it is a valuable weapon in the fight against crime and the protection of the public and the safety of the public.”
The Vice President who has been spearheading government’s digitalisation drive described the donation as the beginning.
“We are going to see more and more devices in the hands of police officers across the country so that policing will be very effective.
“This is something that Ghana and Service will be proud of because we’re moving into an area where in fact many advanced countries are still trying to get into that area.”
The Inspector General of Police Dr Akufo Dampare who was visibly excited about the donation expressed optimism about how it will help the men in uniform as part of the police transformation agenda.
“We can’t wait to use them because we know it will transform policing in Ghana.”
On his part, the Executive Director of Margin ID groups of companies who are partnering with the National Identification Authority (NIA) in the production of the Ghana Card said, the donation is to complement the work of the NIA, plus an added advantage.
‘’We support the Police because we can see the dynamism within which the Police has increased visibility. And with the encouragement of the Vice President, we are ready to support the Police in their digitisation agenda as part of the national digitisation policy.
“The Police protect us all, so our corporate social responsibility objective is to help them continue on the dynamic trail on which they are. Having done a tour of the police facility, I’m even more convinced that this donation is in the right direction.
“Our donation is an extension of the national identification infrastructure which today has over 17.5 million people on their database both foreigners and nationals who are the centre of the digitisation agenda because it allows everybody to know people who are accessing resources and who they claim they are.’’
The technology is also expected to help put surveillance on suspects wherever they may be in the country.
“The Police in this sense will be able to identify people in real-time with the device management platform with or without the Ghana Card in whatever part of Ghana that they are. They can also in real-time tell people who are on a watch list for whatever reason of crime and will be able to bring digitisation to bear in protecting the citizens.”
The company has since donated 100 mobile device software that have been delivered to the Ghana Police Service with a promise to donate more going forward.
All fees and charge increases for 2022–2023 would be 15% higher than current fees, according to the Ministry of Education, acting through the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission.
This means that tuition increases and other charges at universities and colleges are limited to a 15% rise above what they were in the academic year 2021–2022.
The ban follows fee increases of more than 40% at certain public universities that infuriated parents and students.
In a circular signed by Prof. Mahama Salifu, Director-General of the GTEC copied exclusively to MyNewsGh.com, GTEC stressed that all “fees and Charges must not exceed 15% of the fees charged for the 2021/2022 academic year.”
“The advice we have received is that, alongside the passage of the Fees and Charges (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2022 (Act 1080), a 15% increase across board was approved by the . Please be advised therefore that Fees and Charges applicable in all Public Tertiary Education Institutions for the 2022/2023 Academic Year may be adjusted by up to a maximum of 15% of the last approved rates,” the notice said.
“Please refer to the Second Schedule of Act 1080 for the baseline figures for your guidance. For avoidance of doubt, any adjustments made to the Fees and Charges must not exceed 15% of the fees charged for the 2021/2022 academic year,” the notice added.
The Black Galaxies will leave Accra for Cairo, Egypt to continue their training for the CHAN Algeria 2023 competition.
During their time in Egypt, the Black Galaxies will participate in a number of high-profile international friendlies in order to be ready for the event, which begins on Friday, January 13, 2022.
After competing in the tournament in Cote D’Ivoire, Sudan, and South Africa in 2009, 2011, and 2014, respectively, Ghana will be making a record-breaking fourth CHAN participation.
Group C contains the Black Galaxies along with Madagascar, Sudan, and Morocco.
Below is the 25 man squad:
Goalkeepers:
Abdulai Iddrisu, Ibrahim Danlad, William Essu
Defenders:
Augustine Randolph, Augustine Agyapong, Dennis Korsah, Benjamin Abaidoo Konadu Yiadom, Henry Ansu, Kojo Addai, Sherif Mohammed, Solomon Adomako
Midfielders:
Razak Kassim, Dominic Nsobila, Gladson Awako, David Abagna, Sylvester Simba
Wingers:
Jonah Attuquaye, Evans Osei Wusu, Bright Adjei, Kwame Otu
Strikers:
Daniel Afriyie Barnieh, Kofi Kordzi, Razak Yusif, Augustine Boakye
Rapper Tory Lanez has been found guilty of shooting fellow hip-hop star Megan Thee Stallion in 2020.
A jury in Los Angeles convicted the 30-year-old Canadian of felony negligent discharge of a firearm, assault with a semi-automatic firearm, and carrying a loaded and unregistered firearm.
He faces more than 20 years in prison.
Megan Thee Stallion, a 27-year-old Grammy-winning rapper, earlier testified that she was shot in the feet after leaving a pool party.
Lanez showed no reaction as the verdict was read out. He was remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced on 27 January.
It was not immediately known whether he planned to appeal.
Speaking after the case concluded, one of Megan Thee Stallion’s lawyers told reporters “the jury got it right. I am thankful there is justice for Meg”. The rapper was not in court to hear the verdict.
Megan Thee Stallion says she was shot in the feet in July 2020
During the trial, Megan Thee Stallion, whose real name is Megan Pete, testified that she was shot and wounded at the party in the Hollywood Hills on 12 July 2020.
The rapper argued that Lanez, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, became enraged after she had disparaged his musical talent. She said she had demanded to be let out of a luxury car before he fired five rounds at her.
She told the jury the Canadian had told her to “dance” before opening fire.
She also testified that he had offered her $1m (£830,000) to keep quiet about the attack because he claimed to be on probation for a weapons offence. She initially said to police that she had cut her feet on glass.
Lanez denied the charges relating to a dispute with the fellow artist and his lawyer, George Mgdesyan, unsuccessfully argued that the investigation had been botched.
He said it was Megan Thee Stallion’s friend Kelsey Harris who had shot her, adding that it was all about “jealousy”.
Several bullet fragments were removed from Megan Thee Stallion’s feet after the shooting, but some remain.
She also acknowledged in her testimony that she had been “intimate” with Lanez.
Megan Thee Stallion – who won a Grammy for best new artist in 2021 – is best known for her hit Savage, which features Beyoncé.
Kalvin Phillips returned from World Cup duty with England “overweight” and not ready to feature against Liverpool, according to Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.
The midfielder has endured a frustrating season hampered by injury issues after moving to the Etihad Stadium from boyhood club Leeds in the last transfer window.
Phillips was still selected by Gareth Southgate for Qatar 2022 but played just 40 minutes across the tournament before England suffered quarter-final heartbreak against France.
The 27-year-old, who has been restricted to just one substitute appearance in the Premier League for City, missed the Carabao Cup fourth-round win over Liverpool on Thursday.
While England team-mates Jack Grealish, John Stones and Phil Foden all featured in the first game after the World Cup, Guardiola suggested Phillips’ fitness was far below the standards expected.
“He’s not injured. He arrived overweight. I don’t know [why],” Guardiola said when asked about Phillips’ omission.
“He didn’t arrive in the condition to do training sessions and to play.”
Guardiola is not giving up on Phillips yet, though, adding: “When he will be ready, he will play, because we need him, we need him a lot.”
As for Guardiola’s disappointment with him, he said: “It’s a private conversation with Kalvin.”
Guardiola confirmed Ruben Dias joined Phillips on the sidelines after sustaining a hamstring injury in Portugal’s World Cup quarter-final defeat to Morocco.
City visit Phillips’ former side Leeds on Wednesday as Guardiola’s men aim to cut Arsenal’s five-point lead at the top of the table.
Gyakie, a Ghanaian Afrobeats singer, has revealed that the fear of falling in love with the wrong person is the only thing keeping her from entering into a romantic relationship.
Speaking on the KSM show, the sensational love singer explained that it has become very difficult for her to fall in love because she cannot tell who genuinely loves her and who wants to ride along because of her fame.
“So, I haven’t fallen in love because it is very difficult to tell who loves you for who you are or to tell who loves you because I am Gyakie and they want to brag about it, so that is another hazard,” Gyakie explained.
Notwithstanding her fears, the lovebird says she is ready to mingle and give love a shot.
She, “Although there’s this fear and trying to make sure it is the best, I am still ready and very ready to mingle and give love a chance. So come, come, shot your shot!” In a recent interview, the songstress revealed that, although she mainly produces love songs, her songs are not reflexive of her life experience.
“I sing love songs for the listeners, but it doesn’t mean I’m in love or sing it out of love experience. Singing is what’s what I do. Maybe when I fall in love in the future, I’ll start feeling what my fans feel when they sing or listen to my songs. The music is for the fans.”
“When it comes to relationships, I don’t pay much attention to it. I’m in my corner, anything that comes my way I’ll gladly accept. At the moment I’m focusing on my studies so later on in the future, when God sends someone to me, that’s fine,” she explained in a one-on-one interview with GhanaWeb.
King Charles III is set to include a tribute to his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in his first Christmas message as monarch.
An image of Charles delivering his speech, which is due to be broadcast on Christmas Day at 15:00 GMT, shows the King in St George’s Chapel, Windsor.
In her final Christmas message, the late Queen spoke of “passing the baton” to the next generation.
And her son’s first Christmas Day message will remember her legacy.
This will be the first televised annual royal Christmas Day broadcast not to be presented by the late Queen, who appeared in the first TV message in 1957.
The photo of the King shows him recording this year’s message in the chapel where a committal service was held during the Queen’s funeral in September.
Both his mother and father, Prince Philip, are buried in the George VI Memorial Chapel within St George’s Chapel.
The picture, released by Buckingham Palace, shows King Charles standing in front of a Christmas tree with plastic-free, recyclable decorations and arrangements of holly and ivy in the background.
This year sees the King and Camilla the Queen Consort return to the tradition of spending Christmas in Sandringham, Norfolk, after concerns about Covid and Queen Elizabeth’s health kept the Royal Family in Windsor last year.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are among the senior royals expected to be with King Charles for Christmas.
In her 2021 Christmas message, the Queen gave a highly personal tribute to her “beloved” Prince Philip, who died in April of that year.
Queen Elizabeth presented the first televised Christmas message in 1957
The King’s Christmas Day broadcast continues a tradition going back 90 years.
The first royal Christmas broadcast was a live radio speech in 1932, delivered from Sandringham by George V, with the script written by the author Rudyard Kipling.
In 1957, Elizabeth II delivered the first televised message, saying that it was a technological landmark that “television has made it possible for many of you to see me in your homes on Christmas Day”.
The message became part of many families’ Christmas celebrations and the first televised broadcast in 1957 set a familiar pattern.
The national anthem was followed by the monarch speaking directly to the camera, with a speech that included Christmas greetings, a religious lesson, support for the Commonwealth, a round-up of the royal year and a moral message for the times.
In 1957 it meant a warning about values in public life, criticising a culture of “self-interest”.
The timing of the Christmas broadcast was originally set for 15.00 GMT as best for reaching the most countries in different time zones around the world.
Award-winning Ghanaian female artiste, Gyakie has explained that she only wears outfits that make her comfortable and has little plans of showing skin even though she’s aware that ‘sex sells’.
According to Gyakie, she doesn’t wish to put herself through the stress of rocking an outfit that will make her uncomfortable.
Speaking to GhanaWeb reporter, Paula Amma Broni, at the just-ended Mozama Disco concert put together by Black Sherif she said: “I just wear what makes me comfortable. Anything I wear out there is what makes me okay.
“I don’t want to wear outfits that are going to put me through stress and all that. So whether it is decent or not decent, whatever I have on is what makes me comfortable
The ‘Forever’ hitmaker also thanked her fans as well as artistes who turned up for her December show on the occasion of her birthday this year.
“I was very happy, that has to be the best birthday present I ever had. To party with my fans, have them sing along to my songs and have all these big artistes grace the stage,” she told GhanaWeb.
The Central regional capital, Cape Coast, has hosted a three-day market session titled the “Bronya Farmers Market.”
Minister Justine Marigold Assan of the Central Regional is the one who started it.
It was developed so that locals may buy for holiday food at a discount.
The trading day lasted from Wednesday, December 21, 2022, until Friday, December 23, 2022.
At Adisadel College in Cape Coast, farmers from all over the area congregated to sell a variety of delicacies, including plantains, yams, coconuts, and poultry, among other items.
Addressing the media, the minister stressed the important role farmers play in society and the country as a whole.
She said: “I don’t take farmers for granted. Most of the time, we hear various professionals embarking on strike action; however, farmers never go on strike. So, they are very dear to my heart.”
She, however, bemoaned the little earnings farmers make after harvesting and selling their farm produce.
“What’s painful about it is, when they put in so much to cultivate their crops and they harvest and want to sell to take care of their kids in school, and buy food, it becomes difficult. We go to buy from them and sometimes, they don’t make a lot of profit. They even struggle to sell them,” she observed.
The Central Regional Minister stressed that the initiative has not only afforded farmers the opportunity to sell but also residents of the region the chance to purchase foodstuffs at cheap prices.
“So, we’ve brought all of them together here at the Bronya Farmers Market. You can see all the things here are fresh. We’re doing this so that the farmers can reap the benefit of their rewards.”
“The upside about it, too, is what they are selling is like buying directly from the farm, so, it’s cheaper. We all know the times Ghana finds herself in,” the Regional Minister added.
Member of Parliament for Adaklu, Kwame Governs Agbodza, has described as ridiculous the Ghana Revenue Authority’s decision to ensure Ghanaians get a tax clearance certificate for the registration of vehicles and renewal of professional driving licences.
He said the revenue collection authority cannot forcibly take the meagre money unemployed people have for tax clearance.
Speaking on the floor of parliament, the Adaklu MP entreated all to reject the move by the government to introduce a tax clearance certificate requirement for the registration of vehicles and the renewal of professional driving licences.
“Mr Speaker, as I speak, there is no GRA office in Adaklu; you are telling me that the trotro operator should look for a GRA office before registering for a driver’s licence,” he said.
“I agree if the professionals should have tax clearance before they re-register for certificate. It is absurd to ask ordinary Ghanaians to get a tax clearance before obtaining driver’s licences, the guy is unemployed, so which tax do you want him to declare? We must all oppose because you can not squeeze tax out of people who are unemployed,” Kwame Governs Agbodza stated.
According to the Ghana Revenue Authority, a tax clearance certificate is issued by the Commissioner General to confirm a taxpayer has met all applicable tax obligations, i.e., filing of returns and payment of taxes, or has satisfactory arrangements for installment payments for arrears with the GRA at the date of issuance.
The Ghana Revenue Authority has now moved from issuing physical TCCs to Electronic Tax Clearance Certificates (E-TCC) to fasten the tax payment process.
A navy officer has been named by The Gambia’s government as the alleged ringleader of a failed coup plot.
Lance Corporal Sanna Fadera had been detained, along with four other officers, in an operation underway since Tuesday, a statement said.
The main opposition party and the West African regional bloc condemned the attempted coup.
A retired military officer said he doubted the plot was serious, as all the officers were junior.
The government statement said that loyalist troops were still searching for two alleged accomplices, following the arrest of officers from the navy, military police, state guards and first infantry battalions.
The Gambia is a largely stable country in West Africa which is popular with holidaymakers because of its beaches and wildlife.
Life has continued as normal in the capital, Banjul, since the government said on Wednesday that it had foiled a coup plot the previous day.
The Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) condemned the attempted coup, saying the regional body “stands firmly” by President Adama Barrow’s government.
Meanwhile, the campaign manager of the main opposition party, Momodou Sabally, has been detained by police over a widely circulated TikTok video which suggests that Mr Barrow would be unseated before next year’s local government elections.
The police statement did not link Mr Sabally, who was a presidential affairs minister in former leader Yahya Jammeh’s regime, to the alleged coup plot.
Mr Sabally’s United Democratic Party (UDP) said it condemned, “without any reservations”, the attempted coup.
It also demanded Mr Sabally’s immediate release, saying the “short edited” video did not accurately reflect his views.
“There is no indication that Mr Sabally in any way stated or suggested that there will be a change of government through any unlawful or illegal means,” it added in a statement.
Mr Barrow defeated Mr Jammeh, whose 22-year rule was marked by state repression and brutality, in December 2016, and won a second term last year.
Shocked by the turn of events, Mr Jammeh was forced into exile in Equatorial Guinea, though he remains an influential figure in The Gambia, one of Africa’s smallest countries.
Many senior officers left the army after Mr Barrow took office.
He has been distrustful of the military, with troops from neighbouring Senegal in charge of his personal security, while the main international airport and sea port are guarded by troops from Nigeria and Ghana respectively.
This has made him unpopular with many Gambians, who feel that he has undermined the country’s sovereignty by relying on foreign forces.
Mr Barrow also drew criticism after he broke away from the UDP, which propelled him to power in 2016, and formed the National People’s Party (NPP) to contest last year’s election.
His popularity plummeted further when he announced that he had formed an alliance with Mr Jammeh’s old party, in what was seen as an attempt to boost his chances of securing a second term.
On the other hand, some of Mr Jammeh’s allies, like Mr Sabally, crossed over to the UDP.
On Friday afternoon, Ghanaian football icon Alhaji Mohammad Ahmed Polo expressed his deep appreciation to God for Mohammed Kudus, the Black Stars’ star player.
He gave the young Ajax player high plaudits for his outstanding performance in the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
He congratulated him for his amazing talent, patience on the pitch, humility, respect for all attitude, goal scoring prowess, accurate passing skills and dribbling skills.
The man nicknamed the dribbling magician placed his hand on the head of Kudus and offered him the needed impetus and prayers for him to inherit some of gifted football techniques Allah has blessed him with.
The Soccer Professor exhibited one of his excellent styles with the ball and gave a special pass to Kudu to symbolise his heart desire for the talented young player from the Zongo community.
Alhaji Mohammed Polo indicated in his inspiring speech that,the old cliché of POLO to POLO must be converted to KUDUS to KUDUS.
It was a memorable occasion for the revival of Zongo Community in Ghana an impetus to encourage the young up and coming talented footballers.
Mohammed Kudus is in Ghana for the Christmas period. He will return to Ajax in January to prepare for the resumption of the Dutch Eredivisie.
In addition to being the richest Black person in the world, Dangote also has an 86 percent share in Dangote Cement, which is currently valued at $8.49 billion. His closely owned fertilizer plant, which has the ability to produce up to 2.8 million metric tonnes of urea annually, is responsible for an additional $5.15 billion of his wealth.
The recent decline in Dangote’s net worth can be attributed to the decline in the market value of his flagship company, Dangote Cement, Africa’s largest cement company.
The slump in the company’s shares comes after the cement manufacturer received shareholder approval to buy back up to 10 percent of its outstanding shares for N406 billion ($917 million).
The shareholders who participated in the voting at the company’s Extraordinary General Meeting in Lagos gave their unanimous approval, with many of them praising the process and describing it as beneficial to all parties involved.
Recently, Dangote has committed more than $700 million to expand the operation of his sugar company, Dangote Sugar Refinery, by increasing the refining capacity of one of its plants, DSR Numan, from 3,000 tonnes of cane per day (tcd) to 6,000 tcd, 9,800 tcd, and 15,000 tcd.
The leading billionaire announced that the investment will create at least 300,000 jobs in Nigeria as he continues to strategically invest in his sugar business in accordance with the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan requirements.
Despite the recent decline in his net worth, Dangote remains the richest man in Africa, a formidable force in the business world, and one of the wealthiest individuals in the world. His diversified portfolio and unwavering dedication to success will likely continue to propel him to new heights.
Former highlife musician turned evangelist Papa Shee has married his fiancée in a private marriage ceremony in Ghana.
In a video shared by a TikToker, D.Flex, captured the former artiste clad in a butterscotch-coloured kaftan while standing by his wife.
At the same time, his bride wore a yellow ball gown dress beaded with diamonds.
With hit songs like Koyon So, Atadwe, and Atepa, Papa Shee moved to the USA in 2010 and revealed that he had converted to Christianity.
However, Prophet Kumchacha in some time past criticised the evangelist for having a reputation for delivering hardline, conservative, and contentious sermons.
This was after Papa Shee had set tongues wagging following certain comments he made.
According to the evangelist, the devil (satan) is very smart and always puts men into tight corners.
The ‘Koyon so’ crooner stated that he believes the term Hello means “Hell oo” and whoever answers a call by saying ‘hello’ is bound for hellfire.
Noting how conscious he is about the implications of the word “hello”, Papa Shee stated that he answers calls by saying “Hallelujah” or “Amen.”
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has changed its mind on going on statewide strike beginning on December 27, 2022.
The union wanted to use the planned walkout to express its opposition to earlier government intentions to incorporate pension money in the debt exchange program.
The union has additionally advised the government against making any additional preparations in that direction.
However, following the government’s decision to exclude pension funds from the programme, the Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Dr Yaw Baah, at a news conference, said the planned industrial action was effectively cancelled.
Dancehall musician, Stonebwoy has successfully organized his annual December show dubbed Bhim Concert with fans rating it as one of the best musical concerts this December.
The award-winning singer managed to get A-list Ghanaian artistes and also Jamaican musician, Busy Signal and South Africa’s Costa Titch to entertain fans who graced the 2022 edition of his highly publicized concert.
GhanaWeb reporter, Paula Broni was on the ground to speak to artistes who turned up for the event as well as die-hard fans who stayed up all night for the performance.
The Bhim Concert which came off on Friday, December 23 came to a close after 4:00 AM on Saturday.
Stonebowy drew the curtains after a back-to-back performance of old and new songs which fans sang along to.
Despite the numerous shows that clashed with Bhim Concert, Stonebwoy recorded a massive turnout and support from music lovers.
Speaking to GhanaWeb, fans disclosed that they could not have missed the show for anything. Some also declared their love for the Ghanaian Dancehall singer who they noted has been a great inspiration.
Sarkodie, D-Black, Efya, MzVee, Sefa, Mr Drew, Camido, Epixode, FBS, Tinny, Darkovibes, 1da Banton, Lasmid, Larruso, Kofi Jamar. Yaw Tog, Malcolm Nuna were among the artistes who mounted the Bhim Concert stage.
The singer deployed heavy security at this year’s concert which came off at the Grand Arena, Accra.
Actress Moesha Bodoung has confirmed that during her mental crisis, she burnt a huge amount of money.
Moesha for several weeks was rumoured to have gone crazy after becoming aware of the source of the power of one of her “clients”.
The actress who had made a name for herself on Instagram suddenly “gave herself to Christ” and began an evangelism drive to win souls for Christ.
She is said to have been engaged in a number of things during the said period including denouncing her past life and encouraging young ladies not to take that route.
In an interview with Deloris Frimpong Manso, Moesha Bodoung indicated that she burnt money during the period.
She said “this night that I was going out and I really didn’t understand what happened but all of a sudden I heard a voice that told me to go and burn my money”.
When questioned how much she burnt, the socialite said “I don’t know how much. It happened all of a sudden”.
Thomas Frank is eager to continue Brentford’s development after having his contract extended through the summer of 2027.
After serving as assistant coach prior to taking over as manager of the Bees in 2018, Frank, 49, guided them to promotion to the Premier League through the Championship play-offs in 2020–21.
He said: “Being a head coach at a club is like a relationship — there are highs and lows.
“I have been here six years in total, which is a long time in modern football, and I’d like to say thank you to the fans for the support you give us.
“The warmth, support and kindness every time I meet a Bees fan has been amazing and it gives me extra energy to continue the work going forward.
“We attacked the Premier League in the first season and we’re attacking it in our second season.
“I’m looking forward to hopefully continuing our progress and creating more magic moments together.”
Bees director of football Phil Giles added: “I’m sure I speak for everyone at Brentford when I say I am very pleased we have agreed this new contract with Thomas.
“It is well deserved following some excellent results and performances in the last 18 months.
“Thomas has a detailed knowledge of the game, but just as importantly is able to inspire the players and build strong relationships with our staff.
“He has proven himself to be a Premier League-level head coach but retains an open-mindedness to keep learning and improving himself.”
Brentford finished 13th in their first Premier League campaign in 2021-22 and sat 10th heading into the mid-season break.
Having beaten Manchester City 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium in their last game before the World Cup, Frank’s men host Tottenham on Monday.
As compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 8.2959 and a selling price of 8.3042. At a forex bureau in Accra, the dollar is being bought at a rate of 10.00 and sold at a rate of 11.50.
Against the Pound Sterling, the Cedi is trading at a buying price of 10.0200 and a selling price of 10.0325 as compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 9.9633 and a selling price of 9.9741.
At a forex bureau in Accra, the pound sterling is being bought at a rate of 11.00 and sold at a rate of 14.50.
The Euro is trading at a buying price of 8.8173 and a selling price of 8.8276 as compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 8.7899 and a selling price of 8.7986.
At a forex bureau in Accra, Euro is being bought at a rate of 10.50 and sold at a rate of 12.00.
The South African Rand is trading at a buying price of 0.4889 and a selling price of 0.4893 as compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 0.4837 and a selling price of 0.4840.
At a forex bureau in Accra, South African Rand is being bought at a rate of 0.45 and sold at a rate of 0.90.
The Nigerian Naira is trading at a buying price of 54.6501 and a selling price of 54.7332 as compared to yesterday’s trading at a buying price of 56.5771 and a selling price of 56.5664.
At a forex bureau in Accra, Nigerian Naira is being bought at a rate of 10.00 Naira for every 1 Cedi and sold at a rate of 14.00.
Parliament has trimmed GH¢17 million from the budget estimate for the Office of the Government Machinery for the year 2023.
The cut reduced the initial budget estimate for the Office from GH¢1,428,303,634 to the approved GH¢1,410,712,912
The House considered that some of the allocations to two units under the Office of the President – the Special Development Initiatives and the Monitoring and Evaluation secretariats – were frivolous expenditures, especially at a time when expenditure rationalisation was of utmost importance.
Consensus decision
The Chairman of the Finance Committee, Kweku Kwarteng, who disclosed this on the floor of Parliament last Thursday (December 22, 2022), said decision to reduce the budget of the Office was a consensus one arrived at by the members of the Finance Committee during the consideration of the budget estimate for the Office of the Government Machinery.
“The recommendation of the budget approved by the committee is less than the amount requested by the Finance Minister,” he stated.
Why cut?
Mr Kwarteng said when the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta appeared before the committee for the consideration of the budget estimate for the Office of the government Machinery, he stated on behalf of the Ministry of State at the Office of the President that the amount for the Office of the Government Machinery was GH¢1.42 billion
He told the House that the budget estimate for the Office included the amount of GH¢15.56 million for the Special Development Initiatives Secretariat and an amount of GH¢2.2 million for the Monitoring and Evaluation Secretariat.
“The committee, after thoroughly considering the estimate, came to a consensus that the national development authorities established by law are capable of managing their affairs without the need for a bureaucratic secretariat to coordinate and at times duplicate the functions of these authorities while ambulance operations ought to be properly handled by the National Ambulance Service and not the Special Development initiative secretariat.
“Also, the Monitoring and Evaluation function is performed across ministries, departments and agencies and metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies and hence there is no compelling need to maintain the secretariat for same, especially in an era where expenditure rationalisation is of utmost importance,” he stated.
Signal to government
The Ranking Member, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, was happy that the committee was able to save that amount.
He said as part of the deliberation by the committee, members noticed that even though there were development authorities that had been established by law with their own governing board, the Office of the Government Machinery had special development initiative secretariats that the government had apportioned GH¢15.6 million to oversee the work of those development authorities.
“Mr Speaker, we think this is needless and we think that the time has come for us not to behave as robber stamp but to cut needless expenditures anytime we see them.
“Mr Speaker, this is one of the needless expenditures and we felt strongly that there is the need to send the signal that if you bring frivolous expenditures, we will cut them,” he said.
Dr Forson told the House that the Monitoring and Evaluation Secretariat used to be a ministry but was disbanded by the President, with the personnel of the ministry being employed under the Presidency and doing virtually nothing.
GH¢2 billion Finance Ministry budget suspended
Earlier, the House also put on hold the approval of over GH¢2 billion budget estimate for the services of the Finance Ministry for 2023.
That was after the Minority had raised concerns about the allocation of GH¢1 billion for resource mobilisation by the ministry within the estimates.
The Minority urged the Finance Ministry to provide the needed details to justify the allocation, failure of which it would not support the budget approval.
The buying and selling during the Christmas season is typically aggressive. Due to the high levels of customer traffic they see during the season, retailers grow excited about turning a profit. However, 2022 has been a challenging financial and economic year, particularly for people and company owners alike.
Oil and gari The seller said: “One gallon of oil was 700 and 800 cedis but now it is 500, 550 because of the CFA and the dollar. One Olonka of gari used to be 12 cedis but it is 18cedis and 20cedis now. Last year 1 litre oil was 50cedis but 90cedis so sales are low.”
Chicken seller
One of the men who sell chicken stated that “Sales are just okay. Last year and this year’s sales are the same. Chicken used to be 45cedis last year but it is 60 cedis now.”
CHRISTMAS RIBBON “This year, sales are not encouraging at all. Christmas is not exciting at all. This used to be 10cedis last year, but it is 15 cedis now,” Akua Quartey told GhanaWeb Business
Onion seller
“A big sack of onion sells at 1250, the small sack is 550 and it used to be 250 last year. This year, prices have gone up so much. So, I sell the onions for 10 for 10cedis and 5 for 5 cedis,” the onion seller said.
Tilapia
The tilapia seller stated that “Last year, we bought it for 800 but now it is 1700, 1800, and 2000. So, I sell 3 tilapias for 50cedis and 4 big ones for 100 cedis. People are not buying this Christmas at all. They are in town but they are not buying.”
Redfish
“There is redfish for 150ccedis and 200 cedis. Cassava fish too goes for 4 for 200cedis, the octopus is 70 and 100cedis. Nothing has been reduced,” the seller said.
Beef
“We are pleading with the government to reduce the prices of goods for us. Prices have really gone up, it is unbearable,” Naa pleaded.
The Tertiary Education Institutions Network (TEIN) of the NDC has called for the abolishment of the 15% increment in public university fees considering the current economic hardship.
The KNUST branch of TEIN has petitioned the Parliamentary Committee on Education and the Ministry of Education to call on public universities to reconsider their decision to increase fees.
The President of TEIN KNUST, Selma Yoda, in a press release, says the 15% increment will impose risks to the basic right to education considering the difficulty parents are going through.
“In this case, students of various public universities risk a denial of their basic right to education as a result of the 15% approved increase by parliament,” said the statement.
TEIN says the increase in fees coupled with the inability of public universities to provide adequate accommodation for students result in worsening woes of parents as education becomes more of a privilege than a right.
The petition called on opinion leaders to help voice out this most urgent plea.
In Friday night’s Belgian first division match between Cercle Brugge and KV Mechelen, Abu Francis contributed an assist.
Francis, a loanee from the Danish team FC Nordsjaelland, combined with Togolese forward Kevin Denkey after just three minutes to score his team’s opening goal.
With 19 seconds left, KV Mechelen, the hosts, replied with Nikola Storm. On the resumption of the Belgian First Division A league, Francis played the entire time and put on an excellent performance.
Since moving to Belgium, the Right to Dream Academy product has made 10 appearances and registered an assist.
Before his move to Nordsjaelland from Right to Dream in the summer of 2019, Francis had already played a reserve team game for the club in July 2017 and three games for the U19’s in the Torneo di Viareggio in March 2019.
With a year left of his contract with Nordsjælland, the club confirmed on 19 August 2022, that Abu Francis had been sold to Belgian First Division A side Cercle Brugge, with the player signing a deal until June 2025 with an option for an additional season. Francis got his debut for the Belgian side on 27 August 2022 against Zulte Waregem.
Despite the fact that her husband was still employed, Jemima Mensa, a current Bolt driver, noted that she knew how much of a financial strain it would be if he stopped working, so she had to be resourceful and come up with a new way of making money as well.
Speaking with Nimatu Yakubu Atouyese on GhanaWeb Special, Jemima Mensa said that everything started going sideways for her when the banking sector clean-up of 2017 hit some financial institutions in the country.
“It hasn’t been easy. For the past four years, I’ve been home without a job, and the challenges are more than words could explain for me, because for working for 13 years in the banking sector and all of a sudden, you come home with nothing, with kids and life must go on. How do I pick the pieces?
“The whole thing started in 2017, on 14th August. I used to work at Capital Bank, and our license was revoked and from there, we were working for GCB as they had taken over our company. We worked for them for almost 8 months – from 2017 August till when they gave us appointment letter on February 4, 2018.
“So, we worked for them, and then along the line, we were employed by GCB in 2018. I was transferred to Circle, and I worked for them for roughly 9 months. After that, I was never confirmed, so it meant that after 6 months, my confirmation was extended for another 3 months,” she said.
Jemima Mensa also explained that after a while, she got to work one day and got the shock of her life when her termination was handed over to her.
She added that although the letter did not state what reasons prompted the termination, she found out later that it had to do with her educational experience.
“Then, nothing happened, I went to work one day, and I was told to go home with a letter saying that they don’t need my services anymore. There was no reason on the termination letter but from the background; what I heard was that of you don’t have SS, 3 credits, as in English, Maths and Science, you are out.
“And some of us, we don’t even have the SS; we did matured entrance, so we went first. That was their policy and even if you have a Masters and you don’t have the English, Science and Maths – the 3 credits, you are out. It doesn’t matter how your higher level of education is. I was a teller and at the time, I was in school – I was in my second year at UCC.
“I can remember that day, how I felt because how do I feed my kids, the family, how was I going to tell my family and all that. I applied to various places, but nothing was happening… So, I registered my catering company, and with the help of friends and family… it took me two years to build and register the company,” she said.
Narrating her story further, Jemima told GhanaWeb’s Nimatu Yakubu that she had to do anything possible because things weren’t getting any easier for her.
She said that she had to even resort to doing menial jobs, such as cleaning in people’s houses, on the blind side of her husband.
“I wasn’t working so how do I pay my fees and how do I finance the catering service. Today, my husband will know what I do when he goes to work because I felt that if I tell him that I’m going to clean somebody’s house to support the house, he wouldn’t encourage me to do that… so when my husband goes to work, I scarf my head and go from house to ask if people wanted to wash, clean.
“And then I’d go to corporate ladies in my area to ask and I’d do the laundry. Sometimes GHc100, GHc150. Other times, I got GHc50 for the cleaning and all that so, I did it for a while without my husband knowing because I’d take my kids to school and come and do it,” she said.
With time, Jemima said, she took up the job of driving because of two principal things: the need to ensure her family does not go hungry and the fact that she could just get lucky with a job offer on one of her rides.
“Actually, taking the decision was not too difficult because the motivation her is that I have to feed my kids, my family and take care of my dad. So, when you look around, that was the encouragement. When I took the decision two months ago, the main focus was to meet the daily economic needs, and then maybe, perhaps, God would permit my helper to sit in my car one day and get me the job that I’ve been looking for, but when I’m at home, who will notice me? Nobody,” she explained.
The Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) has lauded Parliament for its scrutiny of the 2023 Budget of the Government of Ghana.
It has also commended the house for disapproving a number of allocations.
“The Center commends the House’s decision to disapprove allocations to the National Cathedral and reallocation to the Roads and Communications ministries, demolition and redevelopment of a new Accra International Conference Center (AICC), and establishment of three new diplomatic missions in Jamaica, Mexico and Trinidad, and Tobago”.
In a statement issued Friday, December 23, 2022, the CDD-Ghana said ‘the decision to also defund the Special Development Initiatives and Monitoring and Evaluation secretariats at the Office of the President as well as slashing the Contingency Vote by half, among other cost-cutting measures is a great demonstration that the Members of Parliament are in touch with the economic reality of the country and will assist the government to spend the scarce public resources judiciously”
CDD-Ghana also asked MPs to take advantage of the recess period to engage their constituents to keep them well-informed about their roles.
Coach Sellas Tetteh, who led his team to victory in the FIFA U20 World Cup, is fully healthy after battling a long-term illness.
Tetteh led Ghana’s coaching staff at the 2009 African Youth Championship. He assisted Ghana’s under-20 team in winning the match for the first time since 1999, earning them a spot in the World Cup.
The Ghana under-20 squad was led to the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup by Tetteh, making them the first African side to triumph in the event. Tetteh thus received the Sports Writers Association of Ghana Coach of the Year Award and the CAF Coach of the Year Award.
Tetteh left his dual roles as manager of the Ghana under-20 national team and Ghanaian club side Liberty Professionals in February 2010 to take control of the national team of Rwanda. Tetteh left her position as manager of Rwanda on September 6, 2011.
In preparation for the 2013 African Youth Championship in Algeria, Tetteh was once more given control of the Ghana U20 team in December 2012. After losing in a penalty shootout to Egypt in the championship match, he led the squad to second place. At the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup, Tetteh was in command of the Ghana U20 team once more. At the conclusion of the competition, he guided the squad to a third-place finish.
The celebrated youth coach received a three-month temporary contract on August 14, 2015, to serve as interim manager of the national team for Sierra Leone. He stepped down from his role as manager of Ghana’s under-20 team in March 2016 to continue serving as interim manager for Sierra Leone.
Tetteh and Andy Sinason served as co-interim coaches for Liberty Professionals for the second round of the 2020–21 season beginning in April 2021.
Isaac Osei, 28, has been arrested by the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Awutu Bereku Police Command for posing as a police officer.
He was arrested on Tuesday during routine checks by the police on the Accra Winneba Highway, heading towards Winneba from Kasoa in a Kia Saloon vehicle.
Police sources said Osei claimed he was a police officer but when he was asked to provide his documents, he could not do so.
The police officers on duty became suspicious and requested he stepped down from the vehicle and when his uniform was inspected, it was detected it bore the name ‘Laryea’.
The suspect immediately removed some SIM cards from his phone and chewed them before the police could begin the interrogation.
He later confessed he was not an officer and that the uniform belonged to a friend who is a police officer.
He is currently assisting the police in their investigations at the Awutu Bereku police station.
Old students of Kpedze Senior High school have honoured the students who represented the school and emerged as national champions of the Energy Commission’s Senior High Schools’ Renewable Energy Challenge, 2022.
The team’s prototype solar dehydrator designed to preserve vegetables and fruits to address post-harvest losses beat competition from 5 schools top-including Yaa Asantewaa Girls SHS, Kumasi, to win the ultimate.
The participant presented a mechanism which employs the use of a parabolic trough collector to generate heat from the sun, which is used to dehydrate slices of fruits and vegetables on trays in a drying chamber.
They secured ¢10,000, a 5kW solar PV complete system, 25 solar wall light pieces and 30 streetlights for the school, with each of the 6 team members receiving ¢3,000, a laptop, two pieces of solar lamps and a solar fan.
Due to the splendid performance of the contestants, the school got nominated in the best off-grid energy solution category at the 6th Ghana Energy Awards but missed out on it.
The contestants, three male students and a female student were presented with citations by the KPESCO Past Students Association for their performance in the competition right from the regional, through the zonal to the national stage.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Headmaster, Yram Kwame Gagotor, commended the team for putting up an excellent performance knowing how handicapped the school is in offering science education.
He detailed the triumph of the school was a result of a well-thought-through vision of making the school “an all-round centre of learning” some three years ago.
He commented the old students for their continuous support of the physical development of the school and appealed for more towards pivoting the school to attain its vision.
He disclosed that the school would benefit from a facelift of its kitchen as a result of the performance of the contestants.
The President of the KPESCO Past Students Association, George Ofori, believes the stride chalked would “inspire the school to work harder for greater laurels”.
“For our gallant team of 8, we salute you and celebrate you as the great Energy Champions of KPESCO and Ghana. Putting up such a wonderful performance in raising high the flag of KPESCO in Volta Region and Ghana as a whole.
“Ayekoo to you all for making KPESCO great and strong again indeed. We are all proud of you. Congratulations gallant Energy Champions of Ghana and Africa”, he said.
At its headquarters in Koforidua, the Eastern Regional Branch of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) conducted an End of Year Staff Durbar to present updates, get feedback, and discuss the company’s successes and difficulties from the previous year.
The workforce had the chance to speak with management at the durbar on Wednesday, express their problems, and celebrate the accomplishments of the last year.
It was a day that saw the management and staff of GWCL and the PURC come together under one umbrella to interact and make merry as new goals were set for the upcoming years.
The event offered great opportunities for various District Managers and Sectional Heads of the company in the region to take turns updating members on the happenings in their respective departments and expressing their gratitude to their staff for the effort in working assiduously to deliver to their customers.
Addressing the forum, the regional chief manager, Ing. Asomani Nyarko, commended the staff for demonstrating unity and producing desired results for the company.
He expressed his gratitude to management and staff for their contributions to the company’s success over the years.
He said the good works of the staff cannot be overemphasized and therefore need to be acknowledged to encourage them to do their best.
He called for stronger collaboration amongst the staff and encouraged them to continue to contribute their quota towards the development of the company and the country as a whole.
He also called for hard work and discipline and prayed for good health as they enter the new year.
Ing Nyarko said in the coming years, the Eastern Region will enjoy better services from the company, assuring that management will do its best to meet staff demands and expectations of customers.
Besides the successes chalked up, most of the challenges enumerated by the district managers and sectional heads bothered with operational issues such as lack of logistics and rampant pipe damage due to construction works, while calling for a facelift of the various district offices in the region.
And the Chief Manager assured that his outfit will put in all the efforts needed to deal with those challenges and ensure the company excels so that both employees and customers can enjoy the needed benefits.
He said 2022 has been a difficult year saddled with limited funding and expressed hope that, in the coming year, things will improve enough to mitigate most of the challenges encountered.
He also commended the company’s stakeholder groups, such as the Regional Coordinating Council, led by the Regional Minister; the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC); the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG); the media and the customers, for their various roles in helping the company chalk up some successes and overcome some of its challenges within the past year.
On his part, the Regional Manager for PURC, Mr. Jude Aduamoa Addo, remarked that the Board had undertaken a tour of some of the offices and installations of the Ghana Water Company in the region and advised the Management to work assiduously to improve upon the structures and address those challenges.
He indicated that the Commission would continue to work hand in hand with GWCL to see how best they could enable the company to achieve set targets.
He said the PURC is committed and will do its best to execute its policies, plans, and programs and ensure success for all the utility companies.
He congratulated management and expressed satisfaction with the general turnout.
He said amid the myriad of challenges GWCL has performed well, as he took the opportunity to thank the entire staff for supporting the management to deliver quality and timely service to customers.
He entreated the management of the company to work harder to improve the company’s ambience and image.
The Durbar has been an annual affair, but this year’s will go down as one of the most comprehensive as it had representatives of all staff from the various levels in attendance.
Present at the program were the regional manager for PURC, Mr. Jude Aduamoa Addo, the industrial relations officer for PURC, Brother Timothy Koomson, the various sectional heads of the company, district managers, and the junior and senior staff leadership.
The dead body of a young man has been discovered at the banks of the Densu River, near the Kasoa Tollbooth, in the Ga South Municipality.
Although the actual cause of the death is unknown, reports indicate that he committed suicide.
The young man is said to have hanged at the banks of the Densu River, near the Kasoa Tollbooth, in the Ga South Municipality – a situation that eventually led to his death.
Horticulturists along the river said the body of the man was seen hanging in one of the trees on Monday, December 19, when they arrived at work.
An identification card with the name Francis Rogbor and a mobile phone without a SIM card was found on him.
The body has been transported to the Police Hospital morgue.
A call placed with the phone by the Police was received by a family member of the deceased who confirmed that the deceased until his demise, was residing at Top Town, a suburb of Ngleshie Amanfrom.
Workers around said this was the second time such an incident has occurred in the area.
In a related development, an alleged notorious robber was mercilessly beaten and inflicted with serious machete wounds at Gomoa Ekwamkrom in the Gomoa Central District of the Central Region when he and his gang attempted to rob someone in the area.
The alleged robber popularly known as Sika Gari would have been lynched but for the timely intervention of the Agona West District Police officers who later sent him to the hospital.
His accomplices managed to escape.
Some community members said Sika Gari had been arrested many times in connection with armed robbery incidents in the area but was left on the hook each time.
Some of the residents who expressed their frustration with his nefarious activities, gave him severe beatings and cutlass wounds until the police came to his rescue.
Ghanaian goalkeeper Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro, who was born in the Netherlands, earned his AZ Alkmaar first-team debut on Thursday when he came off the bench to help them defeat Valencia 3-1 in a friendly.
The 18-year-old Owusu-Oduro recently extended his Alkmaar professional contract, increasing his opportunity to feature for the first team.
The young goalkeeper managed to distinguish himself in the game by saving a penalty kick.
The game’s opening opportunity fell to the Spaniards, but Beukema was able to stop the threat in its tracks. Karlsson’s goal gave AZ the lead shortly after that. Odgaard assisted the Swede, who was then able to tap in from close range.
Soon after Odgaard and Pavlidis had opportunities, Valencia scored before halftime. Verhulst appeared to make a good stop, but the linesman flagged the ball as having passed the goal line.
The visitors quickly repaired the damage in the second half, regaining the lead within a minute. De Wit located Mamardashvili while he was still on the move, and Karlsson scored. Owuso-Oduro stopped another penalty kick in the last minutes.
The 2 billion budget allocation for the Ministry of Finance has been suspended by Parliament.
Minority claims that the suspension is the result of the Ministry’s unwillingness to respond to questions on the allocation of $1 billion for resource mobilization.
The Finance Ministry received a budget of 2.4 billion, of which 1 billion is designated for resource mobilization.
James Klutse Avedzi, the deputy minority leader who raised the issues, stated that the House cannot accept the allocation unless sufficient explanations are given as to what precisely that sum would be utilized for.
“I asked for details for this allocation, but up to now, I have not received the details so we cannot put the question. There is an allocation for ¢1 billion for resource mobilisation, we want details of that amount, we have not received it,” he said.
Additionally, Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu supported his deputy’s argument that the distribution is unfair.
“Our attitude is for government to cut expenditure so we are not convinced. Why do you need GH₵1 billion to mobilise resources? As far as we know we know, resource mobilsation is the collection of taxes in a manner which is effective and efficient.
Mr Haruna also mentioned that, “if the Ministry of Finance does not give a convincing explanation, we think that this is part of what they should be cutting from the budget to save the country this GH₵1 billion. What do you need 1 billion for in the name of resource mobilisation? Isn’t it GRA which should be mobilising resources by collecting taxes? Why are you giving this money to the Ministry of Finance? To do what?”
However, Abena Osei Asare, the deputy minister of finance, said that the allocation is essential for the Ministry’s operation.
According to her, the fund is needed to strengthen institutional capacity for economic management.
“As part of the breakdown, we showed that GH₵5.2 million of this is going to be used for the strengthening institutional capacity for economic management. We also mentioned that, the Financial Sector Development project where we are going to maintain and operate the core banking system is also part of this allocation. That is GH₵ 79 million.
“The Ghana Development Finance project which is under the development bank operationalisation will also take about GH₵110 million. The GIFMIS ICT infrastructure system will also be upgraded and it also take a take portion,” she said.
The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has closed down the Regal Chinese Restaurant at Osu, Accra.
The development was as a result of non-compliance with its E-VAT invoicing system.
Area Enforcement Manager for Accra Central GRA, Joseph Annan, says the manager of the eatery could be prosecuted as he urged businesses to do the needful.
The E-VAT invoicing system enables the GRA to monitor invoices issued to taxpayers instantly helping it to know every single transaction.
A five-month pregnant woman who fell into a well in Sekondi Takoradi, Ghana’s Western Region, has been identified as deceased.
The pregnant woman, identified as Efua Amoaba, is claimed to have been fetching water from the well with her three children when the tragedy happened.
Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) Coordinator, James Obeng Jnr, who was called to the scene, said the children who were oblivious to what happened returned home alone and did not raise an alarm.
However, her body was discovered by some residents who also went to the well to fetch water for washing.
“Preliminary investigations note that the woman left home on December 20 to go to the well but she was not found until Wednesday when residents raised an alarm that someone was floating in the well. Our personnel visited the scene and retrieved the body only to discover the victim was actually pregnant,” he said.
Personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service and the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) and police have reported to close off the well.
The police have since retrieved the body and deposited it at the Effia Nkwanta mortuary as investigations commence.
Currently, the well has been sealed off and residents have been restricted from visiting that site.
Ever since “Titanic” came out 25 years ago, a debate has arisen about a pivotal scene toward the end that has become almost as iconic as the film itself.
Now, director James Cameron is hoping to put a definitive end to the speculation that Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) could have survived after the sinking of the infamous oceanliner, if only his beloved Rose (Kate Winslet) had scooched over just a bit on the floating door that kept her out of the freezing waters that eventually claimed so many lives. (It’s a conundrum that has drawn commentary from Hollywood luminaries such as Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie, as well as Winslet herself in the past).
Cameron said he conducted a “forensic” study to show that the door could not possibly have supported them both.
“We have done a scientific study to put this whole thing to rest and drive a stake through its heart once and for all,” Cameron told The Toronto Sun on Friday.
“We have since done a thorough forensic analysis with a hypothermia expert who reproduced the raft from the movie,” he continued, adding that they used “two stunt people who were the same body mass of Kate and Leo and we put sensors all over them and inside them and we put them in ice water and we tested to see whether they could have survived through a variety of methods and the answer was, there was no way they both could have survived.”
“Only one could survive,” Cameron said.
The study will be the subject of a special for National Geographic, timed to the 25th anniversary re-release of “Titanic” in 4K, according to Cameron. Though, the network has yet to reveal specifics.
CNN has reached out to National Geographic for comment.
Cameron, who previously commented on an episode of “Mythbusters” that explored whether Jack had to die, ultimately copped it all to an artistic decision.
“No, he needed to die,” Cameron said in the new interview. “It’s like Romeo and Juliet. It’s a movie about love and sacrifice and mortality. The love is measured by the sacrifice.”
The “Avatar: Way of Water” filmmaker added that his hope with the new special on “Titanic” and Jack’s death scene is that “maybe… maybe… after 25 years, I won’t have to deal with this anymore.”
Life in plastic really is fantastic if the first official teaser trailer for the highly anticipated “Barbie” movie is anything to go by.
Released by Warner Bros. on Friday, the 75-second promo gives fans a glorious introduction to Margot Robbie as the iconic doll who changed the landscape for children’s toys. (CNN and Warner Bros. Pictures share parent company Warner Bros. Discovery.)
The teaser for the live-action, Greta Gerwig-directed movie opens with an earth-toned parody of “2001: A Space Odyssey.” Young girls play peacefully in a desert with their baby dolls. A narrator intones: “Since the beginning of time, since the first little girl ever existed, there have been dolls. But the dolls were always and forever baby dolls. Until …”
A colossal Barbie appears in the landscape, wearing the striped swimsuit first seen when Mattel launched the toy in 1959, and the girls turn on their outdated dolls.
The promo then transitions into quick snippets of Barbie’s fluorescent pink dream world before closing with a choreographed dance number.
A blonde Ryan Gosling makes an appearance as Barbie’s tanned, toned and plastic boyfriend, Ken.
Gerwig co-wrote the script for the film with Noah Baumbach. The star-studded cast includes Will Ferrell, Issa Rae, Kate McKinnon, Simu Liu, Ncuti Gatwa and America Ferrera.
So far, the trailer has received a mainly positive reception on social media.
One viewer tweeted: “Booking a week off on holiday somewhere with no discourse for when this is released.”
Another confidently added that it would be “the best movie ever.”
“Barbie” is expected to hit theaters on July 21, 2023.
A Florida teenager is being charged with first-degree attempted murderafter authorities claim he stabbed his mother and hit her over the head with a frying pan until the handle broke.
The violent outburst from 17-year-old Tobias “Toby” Jacob Brewer reportedly happened because his mother was “constantly on his case about cleaning his room,” according to the arrest report obtained by FOX 35 Orlando. Following the attack, Brewer reportedly fled the scene and led authorities on a pursuit before he was eventually arrested and booked into juvenile detention on Nov. 30. Brewer’s girlfriend and another friend were also arrested, according to the report.
Brewer, whose case has been transferred to adult court, later told detectives that he stabbed his mom multiple times with a pocket knife before hitting her in the head with a frying pan “until the handle broke.” He admitted to detectives he was “upset” because of his mom’s nagging.
“The suspect advised that he does not like cleaning his room and was tired of the victim (his mom) constantly harping about it,” the report stated. Brewer added that he stole both of his mom’s car keys and lifted money from her purse “so that he can have money once he left the area.”
Brewer then allegedly called a friend of his and asked him to bring a gun to “shoot the victim,” but the friend, who has autism, instead said he’d bring a knife. The mother is currently listed in critical condition and when asked by authorities who attacked her, she took a breath and allegedly said “Toby did this.”
Professional wrestler Mandy Rose, who was controversially fired from the WWE last week after posting nude photos online, has reportedly made a ton of cash since getting the axe.
Rose, who at the time was fresh off of losing the NXT Women’s Championship to Roxanne Perez, was abruptly terminated by the WWE due to the sexual nature of content she was sharing on her FanTime page, a site similar to OnlyFans. Reporter Sean Ross Sapp said the WWE informed him they were “put in a tough position” as a result of the nude photos and videos Rose posted, but according to TMZ Sports, the former WWE star is doing just fine since being taken off the company’s payroll.
The outlet reported that Rose’s agent, Malki Kawa, told them that her client has now raked in over $500,000 solely from her FanTime page since the firing. In fact, Kawa said things are going so well she predicts Rose will be a millionaire by Christmas.
Shortly after her termination was confirmed by news outlets lastweek, Rose issued a statement, and wrote, “Hey guys, thank you for all the messages. I am overwhelmed with all the love and support from you guys. And don’t worry the page is still up!”
The news arrived after Roxanne Perez defeated the 32-year-old at Tuesday’s NXT Women’s Championship, ending her 413-day reign. Rose’s run was the third-longest in the history of the NXT Women’s Championship, trailing Asuka’s 522 days and Shayna Baszler’s 416 days.
A jury has sided with DaBaby in the lawsuit filed against him for the alleged assault of Miami concert promoter Kenneth Carey in 2020, per TMZ.
The controversial rapper and his crew were accused of attacking Carey and one of his friends over a dispute regarding an event DaBaby was hired to host. The two had a disagreement over payment, and DaBabywas hit with a $6 million federal lawsuit over the fight. He was originally facing a criminal battery charge as well, but that was dropped before the trial concluded in DaBaby’s favor on Monday.
“Along with our client, Jonathan Kirk [DaBaby], we are thrilled that this federal jury, after a five-day trial, came to the same conclusion that we have maintained for almost 3 years—that these plaintiffs were attempting to use the legal system to shake down Mr. Kirk,” said his attorney Drew Findling. “Mr. Kirk deserves all the credit in the world for not caving in to these plaintiffs’ cash demands and having the confidence in the facts and his legal team to take this to a jury trial for a complete and total victory!”
DaBaby and his crew were accused of assaulting Carey and stealing his phone, money, and credit card. The concert promoter was responsible for putting together a party at a Miami nightclub, which the rapper agreed to host for $30,000. Carey ultimately gave DaBaby $20,000 and said he’d provide the rest of the money following the event. He claimed he had to visit a doctor for wounds sustained in the brawl. DaBaby has maintained his innocence since the start.
Earlier this month, DaBaby was hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit over his No. 1 hit track “Rockstar.”
In this piece, GHPage looks at the top 5 music giants who have defied all the odds to become Ghana’s biggest music exports and how much they are worth.
Michael Owusu Addo, commonly known by his stage name, Sarkodie, is a multiple award-winning Ghanaian musician who is considered the most successful rapper in Africa.
Sarkodie’s rapping prowess and lyrical dexterity have earned him a massive fanbase in not Ghana alone but the globe at large.
He started rapping at the tender age of 12 and hasn’t stopped till now as he’s currently 34 years old.
King Sark, preferably called by his fans, is wealthy and besides his remarkably successful music career, he has other businesses that generate huge monthly income.
Sarkodie launched his professional music career in 2008 by rapping and freestyling on a rap show titled Kasahare Level aired on Adom FM.
He went ahead to release hit singles such as Gogowoho, Baby Ft Mugeez, Borga, Lay away, etc.
Sarkodie is one of the most reliable Ghanaian musicians when it comes to album releases. He has released a number of albums. Here are all of his albums;
Makye (2009) Rapperholic (2012) Sarkology (2014) Highest (2017) Black Love Album (2019) Mary (2015) Alpha (2019) No Pressure (2021) Jamz (2022).
With a career spanning close to 15 years, it’s not surprising that Sarkodie has amassed a great fortune for himself.
State-of-the-art houses and an impressive collection of automobiles are among the many things that Sarkodie owns.
The rapper lives in two enormous mansions: one in Ghana’s Ashally Botwe and one in the UK, which he uses as a second home.
As for cars just like money isn’t a problem for the most decorated Ghanaian musicain.
1965 Mercedes Benz, W110 2011 Dodge Nitro, 2016 Mercedes-Benz E Class Coupe, 2016 Porsche Carrera.
2016 Range Rover Sport, 2016 Range Rover Vogue, 2016 Rolls-Royce Phantom, 2017 Mercedes-Benz G63, Lamborghini Aventador Toyota Land Cruiser are some of the cars that can be found inside his expensive garage.
The globally acclaimed rapper currently has a net worth of around $18 million. His music profession has provided the majority of his wealth, including live concerts, album sales, and royalties.
Additionally, he has various advertising and brand endorsement contracts with companies such as Samsung, Fan milk, Tigo, Standard Chartered Bank, Ayoba, Vume etc
Charles Nii Armah Mensah aka Shatta Wale is a versatile Ghanaian musician who is regarded as the king of African Dancehall due to his impeccable command over the borrowed Caribbean music genre.
Shatta Wale was born on October 17th, 1984 in Accra. His parents are Mr Charles Nii Armah Mensah Snr who is a Ghanaian businessman and politician and Madam Elsie Evelyn Avemegah.
As a child, Shatta made his interest in music known by singing and writing at a very tender age and was supported by both parents.
His professional music career in the early 2000s and he performed under the stage name Bandana until 2013 when he rebranded himself as Shatta Wale.
Rebranding himself is what have his music career a big push because he hit the spotlight immediately after that.
Shatta Wale has made an enviable fortune for himself after spending close to two decades in the music industry.
Apart from music, he has also made a chunk of money from ambassadorial deals, personal businesses and real estate.
He has worked with globally recognised brands such as Guinness Ghana, Kasapreko Company LTD, Tecno, Infinix, Rush Beverages, Boss Baker Beef, and many more.
And if I’m not exaggerating, the money he has generated from ambassadorial deals alone will be more than $2 million.
READ ALSO: Stonebwoy to perform at 2022 FIFA fan festival in Qatar
Shatta Wale claims to have over 7 houses and 8 cars. His current net worth is estimated to be around $15 million making him part of the top 10 richest Ghanaians celebrities.
Stonebwoy born Livingstone Etse Satekle is a BET award-winning Afro-Dancehall musician who was formerly a protege of dancehall maestro Samini.
The dancehall virtuoso is no stranger to success because he cemented a place for himself as part of Ghana’s top musicians of all time by being one of the country’s most awarded and lauded artists to date.
He has featured top-rated music stars such as Sean Paul, Keri Hilson and Trey Songs on some of his music projects.
Born and bred in Asahiamn, a large town in Accra, Stonebwoy has passed through all the painful stages of life to get to where he is at the moment.
He has performed for people from all walks of life with his electrifying performances in countries such as the USA, UK, Netherlands, Australia, etc.
The BHIM Nation boss dropped his first commercial single in 2012 and has since released 4 top charting albums and over 100 singles.
Just at the age of 34, Stonebwoy can boast of owning several houses, cars and businesses.
Aside from music, Stenbwoy is also an entrepreneur who has created employment for hundreds of youths.
He has worked with brands such as Samsung, Tecno, Tommy Hilfiger and Big Boss Energy Drink.
His current net worth is estimated to be around $13 millionmaking him part of the top 10 richest Ghanaians celebrities.
Daddy Lumba
Daddy Lumba is an award-winning Ghanaian music virtuoso who is regarded as the finest local talent of all time.
The music god was born on 29 September 1964 in Nsuta, Ashanti Region of Ghana. His parents, Owoahene Kwadwo Fosu and Comfort Gyamfi, popularly known as Ama Saah were both teachers.
His professional music career started in 1987 and in 1989 he dropped his first official music album titled “Yeeye Aka Akwantuo Mu.”
Playing shows across the globe, Daddy Lumba’s esitamted net worth is belived to be around $5 million. However, it is unverfiabale and untrustworthy.
Aside from music, he also has other bussinesses which employes lpots of people both klocally and internationally.
Kojo Antwi
Kojo Antwi nicknamed the music man is a consummate vocalist; a prolific songwriter, producer, and arranger; and an enigmatic performer, making him arguably the best Ghanaian musso alive.
He has earned a spot in the list of all time greats who have graced the Ghanaian music scene.
He released his first stuido album titiled “All I Need Is You” in 1986 – And after that, he proceeded to 12 other classic music projcets which have all made into various music charts both locally and globally.
He has received numerous Ghana Music Awards as well as national and international honors, including the 2003 All Africa Music Award for Best Male Artist from West Africa, the Our Music Award, the Kora Award, and the West Africa Tourism Award, among many others.
Kojo Antwi is also an satutde busssiness man who has for the past years, set up bioth small scale amd large bussinesses to give back to soceity.
His current networth stands at a whopping $3 million.
Trey Songz has turned himself in to police custody after he was accused of allegedly assaulting two people at a NewYork City bowling alley last month.
Per TMZ, the R&B crooner was charged with assault following claims he beat a woman in a New York bowling alley bathroom at the end of November. Sources tell the outlet the singer turned himself in and was booked on said charges before being released. The woman in question was hospitalized for her alleged injuries, and law enforcement sources told TMZ there might be a second victim too, a man who was allegedly struck in the eye by Trey. He reportedly refused medical attention.
Songz’s attorney, Mitchell Schuster, has maintained his client’s innocence.
“A source close to the investigation informs us that TS has been cooperative with authorities and expects that when all the evidence is reviewed, he will be exonerated,” Schuster told TMZ. “This is another instance where those involved try to blame the celebrity with hopes of getting fame or riches.”
The lawsuit is the latest legal snag for Songz, who earlier in November had a disturbing civil rape case dismissed after it was determined the statute of limitations had expired before the anonymous woman filed her complaint. The lawsuit was filed by a Jane Doe back in February, with Doe seeking $20 million in damages.
She accused him of allegedly becoming a “savage rapist” at a party in March 2016 following their consensual relationship and accused the 38-year-old of anally raping her. She allegedly begged him to stop throughout the assault, and said she later went to a nearby hospital, and that an examination found there to be “severe anal tearing that could require surgery.”
A Tennessee family is looking for answers after their beloved dog Bluebell was sent to Saudi Arabia, not Nashville, due to a reported airline mishap.
Per a report from local Nashville outlet WSMV, Madison Miller and her family were making a move from London to Tennessee, complete with Bluebell. However, upon arrival at the Nashville International Airport, they were shocked to find that the five-year-old dog had not arrived with them. In fact, Miller said she and her husband were first met with the wrong dog.
The airline the family used was British Airways, with their departure flight originating at Heathrow Airport in London. Once in Nashville, the family says they were informed that officials’ “best guest” was that Bluebell had instead been sent to Saudi Arabia. Several days later, the family was notified that Bluebell had finally made it to Nashville after the extended debacle.
Although relieved to have Bluebell back with them at home, the family has since said that the dog is exhibiting abnormal behavior due to being “horrified” by the days-long mess.
When reached for comment on Wednesday, a rep for Heathrow Airport instead directed Complex to airline officials. Complex has since reached out to British Airways for additional comment. This story may be updated.
A statement credited to an IAG Cargo rep and included in multiple subsequent reports stated that the company has remained in contact with the family “to resolve the situation.” At the time of this writing, additional information on a possible resolution had not been made public.
When reached for comment on Wednesday, an IAG Cargo spokesperson shared the same aforementioned statement, which can be read in full below:
“We are very sorry for the recent error that occurred during Bluebell’s trip to Nashville. We take the responsibility of caring for people’s loved animals seriously and are investigating how the redirection happened. Whilst Bluebell’s route was longer than it should have been, we ensured she was on the first flight back to Nashville from London Heathrow. During her time with us she received refreshments frequently and had time outside to stretch her legs – including regular walks and eight hours with the team at the Heathrow Animal Reception centre who cared for her. Despite these measures, we understand that this has been an upsetting situation for Bluebell and her owners, and remain in contact with them to resolve the situation.”
The General Superintendent of Assemblies of God, Ghana, Rev. Stephen Wengam, has commended the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) for the work it is doing to build the Ghanaian society.
The General Superintendent was speaking when he led members of the new leadership of the Church to pay a courtesy call on the Executives of the GJAin Accra.
Rev Stephen Wengam shared the vision of the new leadership of Assemblies of God with the GJA Executive, stressing that the ‘The Transformation Agenda’, as the vision is tagged, shall serve the interest of both the church and society.
He spoke extensively on Assemblies of God Ghana’s contribution to social enhancement in Ghana, mentioning the educational, health, political, spiritual and moral impacts of the church in Ghana.
The General Superintendent acknowledged the GJA’s complimentary contribution to the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Ghana.
The President of the GJA, Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, commended the church and spoke highly of its importance in forging a peaceful and cohesive society.
He pledged that he and his colleague executives shall use their position to advocate reforms in the society.
Five persons, including a pregnant woman, have been remanded into Police custody by an Accra Circuit Court for their alleged involvement in the robbery of a Chinese national at Caprice in Accra on December 9, 2022.
They have been accused of robbing the Chinese woman of GH₵410,000, $8,000 and two iPhones.
The accused persons are; Prince Anthony Chiobi, Izichuku Igwenagu, Emmanuella Chinwetalu, the lady who is pregnant, Martin Ahamafula Onwukwa, and Godfred Chukuebuka, aka, Caleb.
A sixth accused person, Yaw John Darko Ikenna is said to be at large.
The five accused persons have been charged with conspiracy to commit robbery and robbery.
The court presided over by Mrs Susana Eduful did not take their pleas pending further investigations.
They are expected to reappear on December 28, 2022.
The prosecution, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Seth Frimpong, opposed a bail appeal, saying if accused persons were granted bail, they would hamper investigations.
ASP Frimpong said the Police needed Emmanuella, the third accused person, married to Ikenna, currently at large, for more information.
He prayed the court to remand the accused persons for one week.
ASP Emmanuel Haligah, another prosecutor, told the court that the Police, at the peril of their lives managed to arrest the accused persons and that they had extended investigations into other places because some of the accused persons were said to belong to a group of robbers who allegedly travelled to Ghana to rob and leave the jurisdiction.
According to him, the Police had intelligence that Ikenna had sent money to Emmanuella to travel out of the country.
The defence counsel, Edward Nana Asare, prayed the court to grant the accused persons bail, especially Emmanuella who was heavily pregnant and needed special care.
“My Lady the Police are trying to use her as bait to get Ikenna.”
Nana Asare said there were no indications that any of the accused persons took part in the said robbery incident.
He drew the court’s attention to the Police’s assertion that some robbers had travelled to Ghana, engaged in robbery and left, suggesting his clients were not part of them.
The Court in its ruling declined bail.
It held that Emmanuella, who appeared to be pregnant, should be provided with basic needs while in custody.
The case of the prosecution was that on December 9, 2022, the Accra Regional Police Command had information that some armed men on motorbike had attacked, shot, and robbed a Chinese woman of some valuables at Caprice, a suburb of Accra.
It said the Regional Police on receipt of the information dispatched police personnel to the scene to ascertain the facts and investigate.
The prosecution said the victim informed the Police that the robbers took her GH₵370,000 which she had earlier cashed from the Standard Chartered Bank, West Hills Mall branch on the day of the incident.
According to the prosecution, the victim stated that she also had cash in the sum of GH₵40,000 and $8,000 as well as two iPhones (iPhone 11 and 8+), all stolen.
It said police intelligence revealed that the “suspects before this honourable court and others were involved in the crime and it emerged that they were at a hideout at Buduburam.”
The prosecution said when the Police got there the robbers engaged them in a shootout which resulted in the deaths of Nneji Harrison Ogbona and another.
“These suspects before the court were apprehended later while others escaped. During investigations, it emerged that the suspects met at Igwenagu’s drinking spot at Buduburam and planned the crime,” the prosecution told the court.
It said investigations revealed that Ikenna now at large, had agreed with Godfred Chukuebuka, aka, Caleb who had been convicted for 10 years by another Circuit Court for a similar offence.
The prosecution told the court that investigations also indicated that, “the suspects entered Ghana through unapproved routes with the intention to commit crime and go back”.
It said the police had received information that Ikenna was hiding in Nigeria, and that he had sent money – GH₵1,300 – as transportation for his wife (Emmanuella) to join him in Nigeria.
