Germany has returned multiple historic sculptures to Nigeria after they were stolen more than a century ago.
The sculptures in question, widely referred to as the Benin bronzes, were the subject of a joint declaration between the two governments earlier this year. That agreement established plans to begin transferring the pieces back to Nigeria following their initial seizure by British forces in 1897.
The Taliban has banned women from universities in Afghanistan, sparking international condemnation and despair among young people in the country.
The higher education minister made the announcement on Tuesday, saying it would take immediate effect.
The ban further restricts women’s education – girls have already been excluded from secondary schools since the Taliban returned last year.
In Kabul, female students have told the BBC about their anguish.
“They destroyed the only bridge that could connect me with my future,” one Kabul University student said.
“How can I react? I believed that I could study and change my future or bring the light to my life but they destroyed it.”
The US on Tuesday roundly condemned the Taliban’s actions “in the strongest terms” and said such a move “will come with consequences for the Taliban”.
“The Taliban cannot expect to be a legitimate member of the international community until they respect the rights of all in Afghanistan,” said Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement.
“No country can thrive when half of its population is held back.”
Western countries have demanded all year that the Taliban improve female education if they wish to be formally recognised as Afghanistan’s government.
The United Nations also said it was “deeply concerned”.
“Education is a fundamental human right. A door closed to women’s education is a door closed to the future of Afghanistan,” said Ramiz Alakbarov, UN chief’s deputy special representative for Afghanistan.
The Taliban’s leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and his inner circle have been against modern education – particularly for girls and women.
The Taliban had promised a softer rule after seizing power last year following the US’ withdrawal from the country. However the hardline Islamists have continued to roll back women’s rights and freedoms in the country.
The ban on tertiary education follows rules set last month, where women were banned from parks, gyms and public baths in the capital.
Just three months ago, the Taliban had allowed thousands of girls and women to sit university entrance exams in most provinces across the country.
But there were sweeping restrictions on the subjects they could apply for, with engineering, economics, veterinary science and agriculture blocked and journalism severely restricted.
Under Taliban rule, universities had already been operating under discriminatory rules for women – with gender segregated entrances to campuses and separate classrooms.
Female students could only be taught by women professors or old men.
One woman told the BBC about how there were “too many difficulties” just trying to continue her education after the Taliban takeover.
She said: “We fought with our brothers, with our fathers, with society and even with the government.
“We went through a hard situation just to be able to continue our education.
“At that time at least I was happy that I could graduate from university and achieve my dreams. But, now how can I convince myself?”
Afghanistan’s economy has been largely dependent on foreign aid in recent decades, but aid agencies have partly – and in some cases fully – withdrawn support to the education sector after the Taliban refused to allow girls into secondary schools.
There was an exodus of trained academics after the withdrawal of US-led forces, and this year many teaching staff have gone unpaid for months.
In March, the Taliban had promised to re-open some high schools for girls but then cancelled the move on the day they were due to return – citing funding and syllabus issues which rights groups said were excuses.
Source: BBC
The Rotary Club of Tema on Tuesday, December 13, 2022 donated food items worth GHS8,000, used clothing worth GHS3,000 and a cash amount of GHS5,000 to Hopeful Vessels Charity.
The items include 5 cartons of carnation milk, 5 boxes of key soap, 4 boxes of Tasty Tom tomato paste, 5 boxes of Nestle Milo, 1 bag of sugar, 1 box of Frytol cooking oil, 21 packs of soft drinks, 3 bags of rice, 1 bag of sugar, and 3 bags of second hand clothing.
This was to help the parents and caregivers of the children at Hopeful Vessels affected with mental and physical infirmities like Autism, Asperger syndrome, Down Syndrome, Dyslexia and Cerebral Palsy as part of the Club’s charity to needy children during Christmas.
The Rotary Club of Tema is part of Rotary International, a service organization which is made up of professionals and business leaders, committed to providing humanitarian projects in needy and deprived communities and promote world peace and understanding.
Rotary is a global network of about 1.4 million leaders, neighbors, friends and problem solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change across the globe, for their communities and themselves.
The Very Reverend Samson Laryea Adjei who is in charge of the facility, in his opening address, thanked the Rotary Club of Tema for the kind gesture.
In a speech by the President of the club, Rotarian Robert Adu Adomako, he mentioned that, the purpose of the donation is to assist both the charity and the parents reduce and lighten the burdens on them in these difficult times and put a smile on their faces this Christmas season.
The Co-founder, Mrs. Ella Oyortey based in the United Kingdom spoke to the parents via zoom and encouraged them to be strong in the upbringing of the children. She also expressed her heartfelt appreciation to the Rotary Club of Tema for the wonderful gesture of love and kindness.
Some parents who spoke on behalf of the other parents expressed their appreciation to the Club for coming to their aid in their time of need.
The Immediate Past President of the Club, Rotarian Christiana Adams and some members of the club commended the parents for their efforts and encouraged them to continue the good work they are doing.
The items were handed over to the parents by the President of the Club, Rotarian Robert Adu Adomako who hoped the items and money will cater for some of their needs.
Source: Myjoyonline
Mohammed Salisu, a Ghanaian international, played for Southampton in their 2-1 victory over League One Lincoln City in the Carabao Cup fourth round on Tuesday.
Salisu played for 63 minutes before being substituted by Stuart Armstrong as the Saints rallied from a deficit at Saint Mary’s Stadium to avoid an unexpected defeat.
The win gives Nathan Jones his first win as Southampton boss, after losing his only previous match in charge at Liverpool on 12 November.
The Premier League fell behind early when Gavin Bazunu failed to deal with Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ sliced clearance.
But Adams scored either side of the break to see Southampton through.
The two goals represent the first time Southampton have scored more than one in a game since their win over Chelsea on 30 August.
It is the first time they have reached the quarter-finals of the competition since they lost to Manchester United in the 2017 final.
Salisu, who represented Ghana at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar has made 16 appearances for Southampton across all competitions this season.
A US preacher who was robbed at gunpoint of more than $1m (£840,000) in jewellery during a livestreamed sermon in New York has been indicted on charges of fraud and extortion.
Lamor Whitehead had watches, diamonds and emeralds taken from him in July.
Now he has been charged with a raft of crimes, court documents say.
He is accused of defrauding a parishioner out of her retirement savings, attempting to extort a businessman and lying to the FBI.
Mr Whitehead was arrested on Monday and will appear in federal court, the department of justice said in a press release.
The money allegedly taken from the parishioner – around $90,000 – was spent on “luxury goods and clothing”, the documents say.
The charges against him could see him imprisoned for up to 20 years if he is convicted.
On Tuesday, he posted “NOT GUILTY!” on Instagram and directed followers to join his livestream.
After being robbed in July, Mr Whitehead, dubbed the “bling bishop” by media in New York, vowed that the culprits would not “get away with it”.
According to the New York Post, items taken from him and his wife included Rolex and Cavalier watches, a $25,000 Episcopal ruby and diamond ring, a $25,000 pair of earrings and even his wedding band.
Source: BCC
Recently unsealed exhibits from a gender discrimination lawsuit brought against Nike in 2018 give new detail into allegations of how women suffered within the company’s “boys club” culture. Back in 2018, female Nike employees conducted an anonymous survey following allegations of gender discrimination, inappropriate workplace conduct, and pay disparity within the company. This prompted former female Swoosh employees Sara Johnston and Kelly Cahill to file a lawsuit against the sportswear giant regarding the allegations.
Last month, 10 of the anonymous surveys that were included in more than 5,000 pages of records were unsealed after a legal challenge from Business Insider, the Oregonian, and the Portland Business Journal. The documents reveal disturbing allegations about the workplace environment at Nike.
One respondent mentions encountering a male executive receiving oral sex from a lower-ranking female in the campus gym. Another says they were asked by male coworkers to “dress sexier.” In another survey, a respondent described a male manager as saying, “No one gives a fuck about female empowerment.” According to Insider, there were close to 100 surveys collected, with 10 now in the court record attached to motions.
Nike’s then-CEO, Mark Parker, who is now brand’s executive chairman, gained knowledge of the surveys in March 2018 and called upon an outside firm to conduct an investigation into the matter. He addressed the allegations in a company-wide email, saying “Over the past few weeks, we’ve become aware of reports of behavior occurring within our organization that do not reflect our core values of inclusivity, respect, and empowerment at a time when we are accelerating our transition to the next stage of growth and advancing our culture.”
As the allegations began to pile up, over 14 senior-level employees parted ways with the company.
In January, the plaintiffs filed a motion to convert the gender discrimination case into a class action lawsuit, which would have proceeded on behalf of roughly 5,000 current and former female workers at the company and now it proceeds on behalf of 14 plaintiffs who voluntarily joined the case.
In a motion filed earlier this year, the plaintiffs allege Nike underpaid female workers $11,000 on average from 2015 to 2019. The brand’s attorneys argued that there were no merits to the claims and the motion was denied by a federal judge. The plaintiffs intend to appeal the ruling, claiming that the problems at Nike were widespread and not limited to a few high-level executives.
“It wasn’t limited to one vertical or one department,” Laura Salerno Owens, the lead attorney for the plaintiff, told Insider. “And it wasn’t limited to one manager. This was a common experience throughout the company.”
Source: Complex.com
The Interbank forex rates from the Bank of Ghana today, December 21, 2022, have shown that the Ghana Cedi is trading against the dollar at a buying price of 8.0000 and a selling price of 8.0080.
As compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 7.9970 and a selling price of 8.0050. At a forex bureau in Accra, the dollar is being bought at a rate of 10.30 and sold at a rate of 11.00.
Against the Pound Sterling, the Cedi is trading at a buying price of 9.7272 and a selling price of 9.7385 as compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 9.7403 and a selling price of 9.7509.
At a forex bureau in Accra, the pound sterling is being bought at a rate of 11.00 and sold at a rate of 13.50.
The Euro is trading at a buying price of 8.4839 and a selling price of 8.4923 as compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 8.4839 and a selling price of 8.4925.
At a forex bureau in Accra, Euro is being bought at a rate of 9.30 and sold at a rate of 11.00.
The South African Rand is trading at a buying price of 0.4625 and a selling price of 0.4628 as compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 0.4620 and a selling price of 0.4623.
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 56.3093 and a selling price of 56.3918 as compared to yesterday’s trading at a buying price of 56.2705 and a selling price of 56.3692.
At a forex bureau in Accra, Nigerian Naira is being bought at a rate of 14.00 Naira for every 1 Cedi and sold at a rate of 16.00.
Eight teenage girls have been charged with the second-degree murder of a 59-year-old man in downtown Toronto.
On Sunday, Dec. 18, police reported the stabbing of a man on York Street and University Avenue around 12:17 a.m.
Toronto police said the group consisted of three 13-year-olds, three 14-year-olds, and two 16-year-olds who allegedly assaulted and stabbed a man repeatedly. He was then taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries and died shortly after.
Det. Sgt. Terry Browne said in a press conference that a group of people flagged down emergency medical services shortly after the assault.
Police then located and arrested the group of girls in a nearby location while securing a number of weapons.
The individuals cannot be identified under the terms of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
“These eight individuals, from what we’ve gathered so far, is that they met through social media,” Browne said in reply to a question from a journalist. “They come from varying parts of the city – that is to say they are not from one specific geographic location. We don’t know how they met on that evening, and why the destination was downtown Toronto.”
Browne also added that he wouldn’t quite classify them as a gang at this point. He instead said that the incident could be classified as a swarming.
Three of the eight individuals had “prior contact” with the police but the remaining five were unknown to the police.
The victim had recently moved into Toronto’s shelter system and Browne said he had a supportive family behind him. He refused to call him “homeless,” instead implying that he had fallen on hard times.
The girls appeared in court on Dec. 18 and are set to appear once again on Dec. 29.
Source: Complex.com
The implementation of the programs and activities of the Ministry of Information and its agencies for the fiscal year 2023 has received GHS114.78 million in approval from Parliament.
The allocation includes GHC 111.16 million for employment remuneration, GHC 2.78 million for goods and services, and GHC 840,000.00 for capital expenditures.
The House allocated GHC 151.89 million, later revised to GHC 143.30 million, to the Ministry of Information and its agencies for the fiscal year 2022.
Out of the revised budget, the Ministry and its agencies expended a total of GHC90.38 million as of the end of November 2022.
The policy objectives in line with the Ministry’s National Medium-Term Development Plan (2022-2025) include deepening democratic governance, strengthening transparency and public accountability, and promoting the fight against corruption and economic crimes.
Agencies under the Ministry of Information include the Ministry’s headquarters, the Ghana News Agency, the Information Services Department (ISD), and the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC).
Vincent Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Minister of Information, who moved the motion for the approval of the Ministry’s budgetary allocation, said in his comment on GBC’s debt issues before the court that public resources could not be used to settle that and, therefore, the Corporation had to generate resources to settle that.
“…And, therefore, working with the Board and Management of GBC, we have been exploring ways by which an arrangement can be made to settle a part of the outstanding (debts), and then moving forward, there will be a new arrangement that will be in consonance with the law put in place,” he said.
“So, Mr. Speaker, we expect that between these two extremes, we would be able to bring an end to the annual debt issues of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation.”
Mr. Sylvester Matthew Tetteh, the Vice Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Communication, and New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Ngleshie-Amanfro, said the Committee noted the achievement of the Ministry of Information regarding the government flagship programmes (GOVCOM) being implemented by the Ministry.
He said the programmes being implemented comprised the Minister’s Press Briefing, Mass Media Campaigns, Reach on Social Media, Nation Building Updates, and Amplified.
He said it was, however, noted that out of the Ministry’s request of six million Ghana cedis submitted to the Ministry of Finance for the implementation of the GOVCOM activities in 2023, only a paltry sum of GHC 600,000.00 (representing 10 per cent) had been allocated; stating that the Committee considered these programmes very critical to consolidate the nation’s democracy and good governance and should be continued.
“In this regard, the Committee implores the Ministry of Finance to source additional funding to sustain the implementation of the programmes.”
He said the committee noted the precarious financial circumstances of the Ministry of Information and its agencies, especially the GBC, and accordingly, strongly requested the Ministry of Finance to arrange additional funding to support their operations in 2023.
Contributing to the debate on the Motion, Mr Alhassan Bashir Alhassan Fuseini, the Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Communication, and National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Sagnarigu, said the Information Ministry had the onerous responsibility of having to sensitise the people of the country about Government Policies and programmes, as well as serving as the feedback.
He said the government could have the best of intentions; however, it still had to get the mechanisms for conveying that information to the people.
He said many of the agencies under the Ministry were dealing with obsolete equipment and that there was a need for the government to do more to retool them.
Mr. Iddrisu Haruna, the Minority Leader in Parliament and NDC MP for Tamale South, noted in his contribution that the Minister of Information needed support in order to communicate the government and its policies well.
He said he was disappointed at what he was seeing in terms of budgetary allocation and budgetary resources for the Ministry of Information.
He called for the repositioning of the GBC, like the BBC and CNN, to make sure that the GBC itself functioned more effectively on a digital platform.
The minority leader said GBC was very capable of making it if given the needed support by the government.
A 26-year-old labourer has been sentenced to two years imprisonment by an Accra Circuit Court for stabbing a man with an unknown object during a scuffle.
James Amuzu, charged with causing harm, pleaded not guilty.
The court presided over by Mrs Patricia Amponsah, however, found Amuzu guilty and sentenced him accordingly.
Prosecuting, Chief Inspector John Gohoho said the complainant, Eugene Akyea, was a computer Engineer Technician residing at Spintex Road near Sakumono.
The prosecution said Amuzu resided at Community 18, Sakumono.
It said on April 27, 2022, Eugene Akyea reported to the Police at Sakumono that his brother, Richard Akyea had been stabbed by Amuzu at 12th First Avenue Spintex Road and he had been rushed to Danpong Medical Centre.
The prosecution said the Police proceeded to Danpong Medical Centre and they had information that the victim had been referred to Tema General Hospital for an emergency surgery.
It said on April 27, 2022, at about 8:30 pm, the victim Richard Akyea, Joseph Nat Adams and one Charlotte were on board an unregistered Honda Accord car going home after watching a football match when they saw Amuzu, and his friend known as Dennis, walking in the middle of the road.
The prosecution said Joseph Nat Adams who was then driving the vehicle at the time, decided to alert Amuzu and his friend about the oncoming vehicle behind them by putting the vehicle’s gear on neutral and pressed on the accelerator.
It said Amuzu and his friend became frightened, and they both jumped on the right and left sides of the road respectively, because of the loud noise of the car’s engine.
The prosecution said that did not go down well with Amuzu, resulting in a heated argument with the driver of the vehicle and Amuzu.
It said the victim alighted from the vehicle and calmed Amuzu down, asking him to leave the scene.
The prosecution said Amuzu rather turned his anger on the victim and hit him in the left eye.
It said the victim was dazed and Amuzu rushed on him on the ground.
The prosecution said after the victim was rescued, he (victim) detected that Amuzu had stabbed him with an unknown object.
It said the victim began bleeding from his stomach and Amuzu on seeing the seriousness of the victim’s injury took to his heels but he was nabbed after a chase and handed over to the Police at Sakumono.
The prosecution said on April 29, 2022, the Police proceeded to the Tema General Hospital Male Ward where the victim was found with plaster on the left side of his tummy with swollen red eyes.
According to the prosecution, the victim’s shirt was retrieved from the scene for evidential purposes.
Amuzu in his caution statement denied stabbing the victim but admitted having fought the victim.
Source: GNA
The pressure group Justice for Ghana has expressed amazement at President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-determination Addo’s to bulldoze his way through Ghanaians’ protests in order to build the “infamous” National Cathedral.
The group contends that God will not reside in a structure constructed on untruths, lies, and outright fabrications, as is the case with the cathedral’s current construction.
Member of the group, Selorm Dramani Dzramado, argued President Akufo-Addo is too tainted to construct and dedicate a national cathedral to God.
Speaking to journalists in Parliament on Tuesday, December 20 when the group with other CSOs visited the House to announce their decision to picket at the cathedral site tomorrow said, “We stand strictly against it because God cannot dwell in an edifice that is built on lies.”
He averred that the President and God are on extreme opposite sides on the matter and added, “I want this message to be carried to the President that he is not fit enough to build an edifice to glorify and magnify God because he (the President) and God are antipole and cannot co-exist.
A member of Arise Ghana, Prince Derek Adjei, who is also joining the protest stressed that monies spent on the Cathedral project must be accounted for whether spent in Ghana or the United States on consultants.
He stated the GH¢113 million out of the GH¢339 paid to the architect of the project David Adjaye must be retrieved.
The collation against the cathedral, he said, is sure the GH¢80 million allocated to the project in the 2023 Budget will not be accommodated but stressed they are demanding more than a suspension of the project.
“We want a full-time score of 0-1; that is 0 for the cathedral and 1 for Ghanaians,” he added.
Qatar Charity Ghana has commemorated the Qatar National Day with an assurance of recommitting to fostering stronger relations with the Ghanaian community.
The Qatar Charity Ghana Office, in partnership with the Qatar Embassy, also used the National Independence day celebration to also reaffirmed Qatar’s commitment to foster peace, unity and improving human dignity.
The day was also marked to highlight the support of Qatar to the Ghana’s national development.
The independence of Qatar, which was marked last Friday, attracted Qatari living in the country, friends of Qatar, some government officials and other guests.
It also brought together many beneficiaries of the Qatar Charity projects in the country.
The Qatar Charity Ghana Office Director, Hassan Owda, noted that it was necessary to mark the celebration with the beneficiaries because it reaffirmed their support to them.
“We are recommitting, assuring that we still support our people in the country through different sectors and various kinds of projects,” he said.
Qatar Independence Day, also known as Qatar National Day, is celebrated every year on December 18.
The day commemorates the unification of Qatar in 1878.
Mr Owda stated that Qatar’s journey to independence stemmed from “commitment, cooperation, creativity and respect”.
He said those were the main principles that directed them towards achieving their vision, which was “a world where only human beings have the rights to live in peace and dignity”.
“It is in line with this vision that we try to work in diverse sectors to improve human lives,” Mr Owda added.
The Qatar Charity has, through its partners, contributed to the country’s development with projects such as building schools, clinics and boreholes in some parts of the country.
In addition, the non-governmental organisation has sponsored children’s education, among various other areas of support, including water and sanitation, education, health, housing, mosquitoes, economic empowerment projects, emergency support and disaster relief.
Mr Owda noted that the Charity had sponsored over 5,000 orphans in the country with various scholarships through their “Child Welfare Programme”.
Moving forward, he expressed the hope that the number of children who would benefit from the scholarship would expand to 10,000.
Also, he said, the organisation would expand their interventions by coming up with innovative, creative and dignified projects like building more schools and clinics in areas that were hard to reach.
“This will constitute the 126 projects for the coming year. It will further strengthen the bilateral relationship and development cooperation between Ghana and Qatar,” Mr Owda stated.
At the event, the charity presented school bags and stationeries to more than 100 brilliant but needy children who were present.
The Social Welfare Manager, Qatar Charity Ghana, Dr Mohammed Hafiz Amadu, said the donation would be extended to orphans in different parts of the country.
Here are the newspaper headlines for today, Wednesday, December 21, 2022.
The Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has challenged women and girls in the country to increase their presence in digital technology to empower themselves in their various fields of endeavour.
She explained that digital adoption and use could offer women and girls opportunities to overcome hurdles they might face in the world.
“Digital access could empower women and girls, help expand their sense of self in the world, increase civic engagement, and raise awareness of their rights,” she said at the closing ceremony of the 2022 Huawei Seeds for the Future Programme in Accra last Wednesday.
She said their empowerment in the digital space would also facilitate flexible working hours, enable women to combine their care giving roles and careers effectively by working from home with digital platforms.
Seeds for the future
The Huawei Seeds for the Future Programme seeks to broaden the horizon of young information and communication technology (ICT) talents, inspire ICT innovation and diversity, while equipping students with the right tools to enable them to excel in the future.
This year, 50 female tertiary students undertook the eight-day intensive online training in latest ICT courses such as 5G, Cloud Computing, artificial intelligence (AI), Digital Power, Internet of Things (IoT) and Cyber Security.
This year’s initiative sought to promote the participation of more women and girls in ICT and empower them to take up careers in science, technology engineering and mathematics (STEM).
In all, 30 out of the 50 tertiary ladies that participated in the programme graduated.
They were presented with certificates, cash prizes, Huawei tablets, smartphones and watch fits.
The changing world
The Managing Director of Huawei Ghana, Tommy Liang, stated that the 50 talented young ladies were drawn from various universities across the country.
He said the students received training in cutting-edge ICT such as 5G, AI, big data and cell site design.
Mr Liang said they also had the chance to be mentored by professionals during the Tech4Good programme, and created solutions to developmental challenges.
He said as an all-girls edition, the programme sought to empower and inspire young women to pursue careers in the male-dominated field of ICT.
“I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the girls who have participated in the programme.
“As you embark on the next chapter of your professional journeys, I want to encourage you to continue to learn, innovate, and strive for excellence,” Mr Liang said.
The Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has lauded the existing cooperation between Ghana and the UK and expressed hope that the two countries will continue to work together and chart new grounds, especially in the area of climate change.
Dr Bawumia was addressing the seventh session of the UK-Ghana Business Council (UK-GBC) at the Jubilee House in Accra last Friday.
“I think the setting up of the UK-GBC makes a lot of sense and I am glad that we are continuing in the same spirit of cooperation and partnership between Ghana and the UK.
“In that context of cooperation, we have seen, between the two countries, a solid record of accomplishment thus far,” he added.
The UK-GBC was set up in 2018.
At the meeting were the UK Minister of State for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell; the UK Trade Envoy to Ghana, Baroness Kate Hoey, and the UK High Commissioner to Ghana, Harriet Thompson.
Projects
According to the Vice-President, the council had made some significant gains over the last six years, and mentioned some projects that were being supported by the UK government as expansion works on the Kumasi and the Tamale International airports and the Eastern Regional Hospital in Koforidua.
Others were the Children and Maternity Block at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH); an Aqua Africa Water project, which he said was supplying critical drinking water to 16 towns across the country; the Obetsebi-Lamptey Interchange in Accra; phase two of the Kejetia Market project in Kumasi; the Bekwai Hospital and the Tema-Aflao Highway projects.
Significance
Mr Mitchell traced the beginning of his relationship with Ghana to when he was a young banker in the country in 1983, saying: “By our priority sectors, the UK-GBC has helped us target areas where we can collectively make the big difference.”
He acknowledged the central role the council was playing to deepen bilateral relations between the two countries and mentioned increased trade and investments, the building of partnerships, creation of jobs, ensuring sustainable growth and building mutually shared prosperity as some of the areas that were receiving support and which could be expanded.
On the prevailing economic challengings in Ghana, Mr Mitchell said: “We have also faced our own economic challenges in the UK, but we benefit hugely from the fact that a highly successful finance minister is now our prime minister.”
He commended Ghana for reaching a staff level agreement (SLA) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and said although reforms that came with the agreement were difficult, they were necessary to bring the economy back on track.
“I am keen to hear about what your recovery plan looks like and how the UK might support. I am pleased that the UK has been able to help so far through our work on debt management and our long-standing revenue programme, which includes an embedded official of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
“On the external side, trade can also be part of the solution, including our trade partnership agreement. It is good we have both reduced tariffs and I know our officials are working closely together to maximise the mutual benefits of those agreements,” Mr Mitchell added.
He further said the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) represented another opportunity for Ghana to increase exports and become a regional trading hub.
Source: Graphic
When Aduana Stars defeated Great Olympics 1-0 on Tuesday, goalie Joseph Addo earned the honor of being named Man of the Match for his outstanding performance.
In game week nine of the Ghana Premier League, Addo preserved a clean sheet to aid the Ogya team in securing a crucial victory at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium.
Aduana Stars received all the points they required to maintain their position atop the league standings thanks to an own goal by Raymond Oko Grippman in the 35th minute.
The Dade Boys tried to equalized but Aduana Stars defenders stopped them from getting any chance around their goal area.
Both teams made changes to try and influence the game, Aduana Stars to protect their lead and Great Olympics to find the back of the net.
The game ended 1-0 and the Ogya Boys took away all three points home.
Aduana Stars are at the summit of the Ghana Premier League table with 19 points after nine games while Great Olympics is 6th with 14 points after nine games.
Aduana Stars will play Asante Kotoko in their next game while Great Olympics will take on Tamale City FC.
The Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) has presented three skimmer boats to the Volta River Authority (VRA) to help clear aquatic weeds from the Volta Lake.
Two of the boats have been deployed on the Kpong Dam and its surrounding areas where the weeds have become a threat to the inhabitants in the dam’s catchment area.
The third has been stationed at Ada in the Lower Volta area, where water from the lake enters the sea.
The Director of Environment and Sustainable Development of VRA, Ben Sackey, said the VRA, as a corporate body mandated to generate power, was also bound to mitigate the impact of its operations on the environment and any incidental impacts on impacted communities.
He said since the appearance of aquatic weeds on the Volta Lake, the VRA had implemented several actions to ensure their management and control, which included mechanical, chemical, biological control and manual weed harvesting.
Mr Sackey added that as part of efforts to manage and eradicate the aquatic weeds on the Volta Lake, the authority had received tremendous help from several institutions whose responsibilities had bearing on managing inland waters and the environment.
For instance in 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) presented two barges and two weed harvesters to the VRA as the first in a series of support to help with the weed harvesting of the Kpong Headpond, he said.
“It is worth noting that the EPA’s weed harvesters have reached the end of their useful lives and will be decommissioned soon. Another candle support has been lit with the deployment of three weed harvesters from the Ghana Maritime Authority to support VRA’s efforts in controlling the menace of aquatic weeds on the Volta River,” Mr Sackey stated. `
Mr Sackey, therefore, expressed the gratitude of VRA to the GMA for the kind gesture.
The Head of Surveys and Inspection at the Tema office of GMA, Captain William Eson Thompson, said the GMA which was in charge of inner waters in the country needed to assist the VRA.
He explained that one of the weed harvesters would be stationed at Ada to help clear the weeds for efficient flow of water, which was necessary for power generation.
Capt Thompson added that although the maintenance cost of the machines were quite huge the VRA had undertaken to absorb them in the interest of efficient power generation for the country.
Dangers of aquatic weeds
The Technical Manager at the Kpong Generating Station, Korsi MacCarthy, who took the entourage through the power generation process, lamented the dangers the aquatic weeds posed to the Kpong Headpond.
He said sometimes they choked the headpond to the extent it necessitated the shutting down of some of the turbines.
Mr MacCarthy, however, gave the assurance that the boats would help to prevent such dire situations at the dam site.
JoJo Siwa is seemingly calling out her ex-girlfriend, TikTok creator Avery Cyrus.
In a clip posted to her mom Jessalynn Siwa’s Instagram Stories on Monday, the 19-year-old appeared to address her split from Cyrus after three months of dating. Jessalynn asked her daughter why she was upset as she paced back and forth in a room.
“’Cause I got used!” JoJo said. “For views and for clout, and I got tricked into being told that I was loved, and I got fucking played!”
While JoJo did not directly name the TikTok creator in the rant, Cyrus later spoke with People about the viral video. Cyrus explained that her relationship with JoJo ended in an amicable place. “From my perspective, me and JoJo left on great terms and are still friends. The relationship was very real and I have nothing but love for JoJo and her family. I’m still very hurt that JoJo broke up with me and am saddened and confused by the situation.”
Siwa and Cyrus were romantically linked in August after the “Hold the Drama” singer’s on-and-off relationship with Kylie Prew. The couple became social media official following a TikTok video of them together. “Happiest girl,” Siwa captioned the clip.
One day after confirming their relationship, Cyrus and Siwa made their red carpet debut. They attended the opening night of Alanis Morissette’s jukebox musical Jagged Little Pill at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles. At the event, the two smiled ear to ear as they packed on the PDA.
Source: Complex.com
According to the Veterinary Services Directorate (VSD) of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), the only way out of Bird Flu, also known as the Highly Pathogenic Apian Influenza (HPAI), and its devastating effects is to ensure a nationwide sensitisation as a mitigating and containment measure for the poultry sector.
According to the Director, Veterinary Services Directorate, Dr Patrick Abakeh, timely communication and stakeholder engagements were key.
Stakeholders, farmers and poultry value chain actors should know their collective roles to contain the situation.
A nationwide sensitisation will offer an interactive engagement to among others, foster clarity on stakeholders’ roles and responsibilities, as well as build consensus on issues of mutual interest.
This seeks to provide an understanding and appreciation of the significance of government’s intervention and the critical support required of the stakeholders.
Historical background
According to the VSD of MoFA, the first bird flu outbreak in Ghana was reported in April 2007 on a farm at Kakasunanka near Michel Camp in the Tema Metropolis.
This was followed by further outbreaks at New Dormaa Sunyani in the Bono Region and Aflao in the Volta Region.
The disease re-occurred in the year 2015 and further crossed over to the year 2016 in six regions of Ghana, namely Greater Accra, Central, Eastern, Western, Volta and Ashanti, affecting 148,448 birds.
In June 2018, some outbreaks were reported at Bonkra and Atia in the Ashanti Region, as well as Nkawkaw in the Eastern Region, affecting 12,175 birds.
The last outbreak occurred on July 7, 2021 on a farm at Nungua in the Greater Accra Region. The viral nature of the disease caused its rapid spread throughout the country, affecting 12 regions.
The affected regions were Greater Accra, Eastern, Volta, Central, Ashanti, Western, Western North, Bono, Bono East, Upper West, Upper East and North East.
A total of 280 farms have been affected by the HPAI and a total of 997,743 birds have been destroyed so far.
The bird flu is a disease of viral origin that ranges from mild or even sometimes no symptoms to a very fatal disease of chicken, turkeys, guinea fowls and wild birds. It is zoonotic, in the sense that it can transferred from birds to humans.
It is refreshing to note that the government has so far paid compensation to some affected poultry farmers for birds that were culled (destroyed) from July 2021 to December 2021 to a tune of GH¢15,630,913.33.
To control the disease, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture applied to the government for support.
The government in turn approved an amount of GH¢43,984,017.70, of which the Ministry of Finance has so far released about GH¢20 million.
An approval has also been given to recruit 1,100 veterinary personnel, out of which 550 of them have so far been recruited and posted to their various stations.
The remaining 550 veterinary staff will be recruited and posted within a period of two years.
A major activity for controlling the disease is sensitisation and educating the public about the devastating nature of the disease.
Symptoms of bird flu
The VSD is urging poultry farmers to look out for the following:
Sudden death, lack of energy and appetite, decreased productivity (eggs, soft shelled or misshaped eggs), swelling of head, comb, eyelid, wattles and hocks, purple discolouration of wattles, combs and legs, nasal discharge, coughing and sneezing, incoordination and diarrhoea.
There is a total ban on the importation of poultry and poultry products from neighbouring countries where the outbreak has been confirmed.
There is also a ban on movement of poultry and poultry products from the affected regions.
The VSD requests the public to report any suspicious movement of poultry and poultry products to the
police and the other security services for action. Farmers should report any unusual deaths in domestic, commercial poultry and wild birds to the nearest veterinary office.
Dead birds should never be handled with bare hands. All poultry meat, as well as eggs should be well cooked before consumption.
All internal movements of poultry and poultry products must undergo veterinary inspection and be accompanied by veterinary movement permit.
Tips
All farmers are to take note of the following:
Do not accept birds, eggs or manure from other farms into your farm. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water immediately after handling birds.
There is also the need to confine your birds away from other animals or wild birds. Farm sanitation is a priority. Ensure to burn or bury dead birds and waste at a reasonable distance away from the farmhouse.
Farmers are advised to clean their shoes and clothing when coming back from other farms or poultry markets.
Wearing of protective clothing such as masks, gloves or plastic bags when handling sick or dead birds should not be taken for granted. Always change clothes after working on the farm.
After all these, Ghana will be on the safe path to reducing the devastating effects of bird flu and other animal diseases.
Thankfully, the ministry has resourced and put up effective surveillance and disease control management steps to contain the disease. The success of this hinges on the full cooperation of farmers and the public.
Black Adam fans will have to remain patient while waiting for a sequel to the Dwayne Johnson-starring DC film.
The Rock took to Twitter on Tuesday to update fans on the future of Black Adam in light of DC Studios’ recent leadership change. In November, Warner Bros. announced that DC Studios will be led by filmmaker James Gunn and producer Peter Safran.
“My passionate friends, I wanted to give you a long-awaited Black Adam update regarding the character’s future in the new DC Universe,” Johnson wrote in a statement. “James Gunn and I connected, and Black Adam will not be in their first chapter of storytelling. However, DC and Seven Bucks have agreed to continue exploring the most valuable ways Black Adam can be utilized in future DC multiverse chapters.”
“James and I have known each other for years and have always rooted for each other to succeed,” he continued. “It’s no different now, and I will always root for DC (and Marvel) to win and WIN BIG. You guys know me, and I have very thick skin—and you can always count on me to be direct with my words. These decisions made by James and DC leadership represent their vision of DCU through their creative lens.”
Gunn quote-tweeted Johnson’s post, adding, “Love @TheRock & I’m always excited to see what he & Seven Bucks do next. Can’t wait to collaborate soon.”
Johnson’s remarks come on the heels of rumors that the Rock had unfollowed both Warner Bros. and the Black Adam social media accounts. Johnson shut down the rumors in a tweet over the weekend.
“100% not true,” he wrote. “Never followed either account on IG.”
Earlier this month, Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins and Superman star Henry Cavill both stepped back from their respective franchises amid the DC Studios shakeup.
Last week, Jenkins hopped on Twitter to clarify reports that she was pushed out of the Wonder Woman franchise. “This is simply not true,” she wrote. “I never walked away. I was open to considering anything asked of me. It was my understanding there was nothing I could do to move anything forward at this time. DC is obviously buried in changes they are having to make, so I understand these decisions are difficult right now. I do not want what has been a beautiful journey with WW to land on negative note. I have loved and been so honored to be the person who got to make these last two Wonder Woman films.”
Meanwhile, in a statement on Instagram last Wednesday, Cavill announced he will not remain in the DCEU to play Superman—though Black Adam and its aftermath gave fans direct reason to expect his return.
“I have just had a meeting with James Gunn and Peter Safran and it’s sad news, everyone,” Cavill wrote. “I will, after all, not be returning as Superman. After being told by the studio to announce my return back in October, prior to their hire, this news isn’t the easiest, but that’s life. The changing of the guard is something that happens. I respect that. James and Peter have a universe to build. I wish them and all involved with the new universe the best of luck, and the happiest of fortunes.”
Source: Complex.com
On Tuesday, December 2020, a Mobile Money (MoMo) vendor was robbed and shot at Big Town, a suburb of Kasoa in the Central Region.
The victim, Kelvin Nii Kpakpo, who was rushed to the hospital after the incident is battling for his life at the Winneba Trauma and Specialist hospital.
The robbery incident was captured on CCTV camera close by.
Eyewitnesses say the robbers were wielding a pump action gun and a pistol at the time they attacked the victim.
According to them, they heard continuous gunshot sounds and followed up to the scene and saw three young men between the ages of 18 and 20 firing indiscriminately.
They also saw the vendor lying in a pool of blood.
Meanwhile, the Central East Police Command are on a manhunt for the robbers.
Source: Myjoyonline
An alleged thief has reportedly been electrocuted to death in Fadama, a suburb of the Okaikoi South District of the Greater Accra Region.
A viral video shared by Okay FM showed the lifeless body of a man mysteriously hanging over the roof of a container shop.
The store the man was hanging over was closed which left many of the onlookers amazed at how he managed to get to the top of the container.
The man, who appeared to be only in boxer shorts, was having an item in his hand.
Some of the people around could be heard saying that the man was a thief who was trying to rob the store.
Others were also heard crying. It is not clear whether they are related to the alleged thief.
The residents did not go close to the alleged thief, probably waiting on the Ghana Police Service to come for his mortal remains.
The police have, however, not commented on the incident.
Watch a video from the scene below:
A 37-year-old man, Rogbor Francis has hanged himself near the Kasoa tollbooth close to the Densu River.
The deceased entered a nearby forest, climbed one of the trees, and hanged himself with a rope. His hanging body was first spotted by some horticulturists in the area.
After police from the Weija Divisional Command arrived at the crime scene and searched the deceased, an identification retrieved from him had the name, Rogbor Francis.
Police further accessed a mobile phone found on him and recent called contacts led the police to establish contact with the family members of the deceased who have confirmed that, Francis was a resident of Top Town, a suburb of Ngleshie Amanfro in the Ga South Municipality.
The body has since been deposited at the morgue pending further investigations by the police.
Following the progressive appreciation of the Ghanaian cedi, the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) has urged its members to lower drug costs.
The organization stated in a press release on Tuesday, December 20, 2022, that “the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) has observed the gradual appreciation of the Ghana Cedi against the major trading currencies.”
“The PSGH has also taken note of high prices of medicines, despite the appreciation of the Cedi, although the original reason for the high prices was mainly due to the recent depreciation of the Cedi.”
Below is the statement
APPEAL TO PHARMACEUTICAL BUSINESSES TO URGENTLY REDUCE PRICES OF MEDICINES
The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) has observed the gradual appreciation of the Ghana Cedi against the major trading currencies. The PSGH has also taken note of high prices of medicines, despite the appreciation of the Cedi, although the original reason for the high prices was mainly due to the recent depreciation of the Cedi.
The PSGH wishes to highlight that pharmaceutical business also provides an important social life-saving benefit. Access to medicines and other medical products must therefore be of utmost priority at every point in time for all relevant stakeholders.
In view of the above:
1. The PSGH would like to call on all actors of the pharmaceutical supply chain, including manufacturers, importers, wholesalers, suppliers, and retailers to take urgent steps to reduce the prices of medicine to reflect the Cedi’s improved performance against the major trading currencies of the world.
2. The PSGH further calls on the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), the Ministry of Health (MOH), and the Ministry of Finance (MOF) to urgently work together to ensure payment of arrears owed providers under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) so that providers in turn can pay their suppliers of pharmaceutical products. We believe this will also contribute further to the reduction in prices of medicines.
It is hoped that the above actions will go a long way to reduce the burden of medical care on Ghanaians.
Thank you.
Pharm. Samuel Kow Donkoh,
PRESIDENT PSGH
0244-858245, 055-075-1292, 020-8162909
Hearts of Oak striker Kwadwo Obeng Jnr was adjudged Man of the Match following his impressive performance in their 1-0 win over Nsoatreman FC on Tuesday.
Obeng Jnr scored the game’s only goal to help the Phobians secure a hard-fought victory on match week nine of the Ghana Premier League.
The defending MTN FA Cup champions had a slow start to the 2022/23 league campaign. To take a different turn, the club sacked head coach Samuel Boadu and appointed Serbian tactician Slavko Matic before the start of the 2022 FIFA World
In the game played at the Nana Konamansah Park, both Nsoatreman FC and Hearts of Oak had a good game in the first half.
Although there will be a number of chances created, no team managed to get on the scoresheet.
After recess, Hearts of Oak mounted pressure on Nsoatreman FC in a bid to score.
Fortunately, the team succeeded in the 54th minute when attacker Kwadwo Obeng Jnr scored with a fine effort.
With the club holding onto the win and amassing three big points, the Phobians have now climbed to second on the Ghana Premier League table.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will on Wednesday, December 21, attend the dinner night of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) as the Special Guest of Honour.
The event will take place at the forecourt of the Ghana International Press Centre.
“…All members of the GJA are to put their pens and microphones down on Wednesday night and come dine, wine and be fine at the Press Centre,” a statement signed by Mr Kofi Yeboah, the General Secretary, GJA, said.
The event is to: “promote solidarity and camaraderie among members of the inky fraternity after a hard year’s work.”
Upon assumption of office in June 2022, the National Executives of the GJA decided to decouple the Annual GJA Media Awards/ Dinner Night, with the Media Awards being organised separately from the Dinner Night, it said.
Other prominent personalities to grace the occassion include ministers of state, members of Parliament, members of the diplomatic corps and media partners, who would be treated to good music by the Ghana Police Band.
The GJA Media Awards was held at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City, this year, on November 12.
Source: GNA
The Minority in Parliament has voted against the adoption of a GH80 million budget for the construction of the National Cathedral in 2023.
According to the Minority, this is due to the Finance Ministry’s failure to account for GH114 million of the GH339 million spent thus far on the project.
Dr. Dominic Ayine, a member of Parliament’s Trades and Industry Committee, told Citi News that the Minority would only support the budgeted allocation to the Ministry of Tourism if the monies for the National Cathedral were not included.
“This afternoon, a joint committee of Youth and Sports, as well as Trades and Industry, met and took the decision by an 11-10 majority to reject the budget estimates of the Ministry of Tourism especially the allocation of GH¢80million for the construction of the National Cathedral.”
The National Cathedral project has been fraught with controversy, with many Ghanaians questioning the wisdom of the government funding a monument that is believed to represent President Akufo-personal Addo’s commitment to God.
Congratulations to my gallant NDC MP colleagues on the joint committee of Trade and Sports for defeating the outrageous and sleazy GHS80million Cathedral budgetary allocation by a crunch 11-10 victory a few minutes ago.
Glory be to God for helping us with this sweet victory. 🙏🏽
— Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S_OkudzetoAblak) December 20, 2022
However, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has remained steadfast in his determination to construct Ghana’s National Cathedral.
Despite the present economic crisis, GH80 million was earmarked to fund the project in the 2023 budget.
OccupyGhana, a pressure organization, has urged that the government cease all public expenditures on the cathedral due to the country’s economic problems.
The project has been marred by financial squabbles, with the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, directing that GH25 million be credited to Ribade Limited for partial payment of outstanding claims in May 2022. This command and payment obviously violated the president’s promise that the project would not be funded with State monies.
The Minority in Parliament had accused Ofori-Atta of “unconstitutional withdrawals from the Consolidated Fund in blatant contravention of Article 78 of the 1992 Constitution, supposedly for the construction of the President’s Cathedral.”
The Minister refuted the charge saying, “with both humility and confidence, I have not breached the Constitution in making payments to support the construction of the National Cathedral of Ghana.”
South Africa’s finest Amapiano king, Costa Titch, has touched down to shake the capital, Accra, with an electrifying performance at the maiden Amapiano Party.
The much anticipated event comes off this Thursday, December 22, 2022, at the SOHO bar and restaurant inside the Marina Mall, at 9pm prompt.
The super talented rapper and songwriter, best known for hit songs like ‘Activate, Just do it, Big Flexa, Superstar, Maitama, Azul, Nkalakatha, etc,’ will be on stage, providing an enthralling performance.
The SOHO bar and restaurant will certainly come alive with this mind blowing occasion.
Prior to his music career, Costa Titch was a dancer. He has been continuously releasing hit songs since his debut and has established a look that is recognizable to everyone.
His tracks have received a lot of attention and earned him many awards.
Source: The Independent Ghana
The much anticipated party of the year is here to make your Christmas even better. Nigerian musician and entertainer, Adindu Victor, popularly known as baby boy AV is set to headline this year’s Afrobeat party.
The young sensational singer, songwriter will be performing live at this year’s Afrobeat party at SOHO, Marina Mall on Sunday December 25 2022 at 9pm.
The “Big Thug Boys” hitmaker has assured his fans of a Christmas night to remember with a thrilling performance.
Who is AV?
Born Adindu Victor but professionally known as AV is a Nigerian Afro-Pop singer and songwriter who rose to fame for his hit song “Big Thug Boys”.
The 20-year-old AV was born in Benin city, capital of Edo state in Nigeria.
The talented artist became interested in music at a very young age, not so surprising after all his family are all music enthusiasts.
Career
AV ventured into music professionally in 2018 and released his first successful song in 2020, the song was titled “Temperature”.
His most notable song so far “Big Thug Boys” was released on June 4th, 2020 and currently has over 10 million streams on music platforms.
His other songs include Blow, Hustle, My Song and Temperature.
Thirty women with disabilities have been trained in agribusiness to equip them with skills to be self-employed, self-sufficient and improve their living conditions.
The women were trained in mushroom production, snail production, organic fertiliser production, seedling production and vegetable production.
The training, which was an initiative by the Social Enterprise Ghana, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), was supported by the Global Affairs Canada, World University Service Canada and KGL Foundation.
Financial literacy
The participants were also taken through financial literacy and business management to enable them to learn how to assess new markets and pitch to financial institutions in the training held in Accra.
“We call this green champion; we train and invest in vulnerable communities, especially people with disabilities, to equip them with vocational and business skills in climate-smart agriculture business.
“This will enable them to start and grow their own businesses and make earnings,” the Executive Director of the Enterprise Ghana, Edwin Zu-Cudjoe, said at the training.
Marginalised
He added that most often, those people were marginalised, termed weak and written off due to their condition.
“Our interest is in supporting the marginalised, vulnerable communities. These communities have been underserved with various support systems and our mandate is to empower them with skill so that they can start their own businesses instead of depending on other people, they can be the bosses of their own lives,” Mr Zu-Cudjoe said.
Subsequently, he called for support from stakeholders to cushion the vulnerable communities.
“We call on other stakeholders and various institutions to come on board and partner with us so we can make a lot more impact.
“We are grateful to our existing partners, the Global Affairs Canada, World University Service Canada, and KGL Foundation, for their immense support for making this training possible,” he said.
Start-up kits
Additionally, Mr Zu-Cudjoe said the participants would not go home empty-handed after the training, saying, “With support from our partners, we will provide them with start-up kits, our plan is to engage these various institutions, especially the financial institutions, other donor agencies to provide start-up kits for them.”
A participant, Adelaide Agbosu, expressed gratitude to the organisers for the opportunity.
Source: Graphics
African Reggae/Dancehall superstar Stonebwoy, during his set at the 2022 FIFA Fan Festival in Doha, Qatar, asked his audience to pray for his fellow West African superstar Davdio as he mourns his son.
Right after performing his ‘Putuu (Pray)’ hit song, the singer and businessman stopped singing and dancing and addressed the teeming football and music fans present.
No music came from the stage.
“We all heard the bad news,” he paused for a second. “I want us to give two seconds of silence for the son of my brother.”
“Put your hands in the air like this for the son of David,” he stressed.
He then proceeded to pray: “May all who have lost souls be filled with strength.
“May God guide and protect everybody who has lost a mother, a son, a brother, a sister, in this time!”
He commanded the audience to shout “Strength!” after him.
With that done, he gave an introduction to the performance of his hit collaboration with Davido.
“Before we go, I want to activate the party right now,” he said, raising his voice a notch higher.
Earlier, in the Middle Eastern country, the two multiple award-winning singers, who are both fathers, were spotted singing the ‘Activate’ song together during what looked like a good time shared.
Monday, 31 October 2022, brought with it tragic news for Davido’s household. His 3-year-old son, Ifeanyi Adeleke, reportedly drowned in the domestic pool at the family residence in Lagos, Nigeria.
David Adeleke, alias Davido, cancelled all shows immediately following the tragedy and was hardly heard from on social media up until his performance at the 2022 World Cup lifted by Lionel Messi-led Argentina yesterday, Sunday, December 18.
Davido contributed to the official soundtrack for the FIFA World Cup. Titled ‘Hayya Hayya (Better Together)’, it featured two other artistes; AISHA and Trinidad Cardona.
The ‘Fem’ hitmaker performed at the Fan Festival and the Closing Ceremony for the tourney.
Meanwhile, Stonebwoy, alias 1Gad’s latest song is titled ‘Gidigba (Firm & Strong)’.
Ghanaian rapper, Jason Gaisie, popularly known as Pappy Kojo, has declared himself the best Amapiano artiste in the world.
Amapiano is a fusion of deep house, jazz and lounge music characterized by synths and wide percussive basslines. The South African-originated genre of music has emerged as every artiste’s favorite and is topping the charts of listener choice on music streaming platforms all across the globe.
In 2012, the genre was changed to Amapiano by “Mfr souls”, a South African Amapiano music duo that made it a hit.
“It does not matter where it is from, it’s very simple; I am the best Amapiano artiste in the world,” Pappy Kojo said.
The Fante rapper made this bold claim in an interview on a 24-hour digital channel segment, Culture Daily, as he promoted his newly released EP, “Nothing Matters.”
Pappy Kojo described his new EP as his second project and third EP within the year. The third piece on his four-song-listed EP, titled “Wee Don’t Stop” is an Amapiano song that gave the premise for his intriguing proclamation.
He mentioned that his constant release of EPs this year is a result of how quickly EPs are made and uploaded. “Albums take a lot of time and a lot of work, but for EPs, they are quick; they just go.”
The “Nothing Matters” EP has two features from Ghanaian pacemakers in the Ghanaian music industry. The EP comes with the first being Introduction, which is followed by Frass featuring Larruso, “Wee Don’t Stop” and “At The Back” Featuring Kwaw Kese as Track three and Track four respectively.
The four men who kidnapped two Canadian girls in an uncompleted building in Kumasi and demanded a ransom of $800,000 from the families of the victims in 2019 have been sentenced to 10 years each in prison in hard labour.
Reading the judgment which lasted for close to three hours on Tuesday (December 20, 2022), the Court presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, said the horrific crime which threw the county into a state of despair, must not be allowed to mar Ghana’s relations with its international partners.
The court apologised to the families of the Canadian girls on behalf of Ghana for the traumatic experience they went through.
Lawyers for the convicts took turns to apologise to the families of the two Canadian girls.
Convicts
The four convicts — Sampson Agharlor, alias Romeo; Elvis Ojiyorwe, Jeff Omarsar and Yusif Yakubu — were convicted on two counts each on conspiracy to kidnap and kidnapping.
Agharlor, Ojiyorwe, Omarsar are Nigerian nationals while Yakubu is a Ghanaian.
On the charge of conspiracy, the four were sentenced to nine years each.
For the charge of kidnapping, they were sentenced to 10 years each in prison in hard labour.
However, the sentence are to run concurrently.
As a result, the convicts will serve 10 years each in prison.
Kidnapping plot
The facts of the case as presented by prosecution were that Agharlor, who had been in Ghana for some time, became friends with Yakubu in March 2019.
In the course of their friendship, Agharlor brought up the idea of kidnapping as a lucrative venture, an idea that was accepted by Yakubu.
Yakubu agreed to assist Agharlor in the kidnapping activity and even helped him to procure a pistol.
To bring their idea into fruition, the prosecutor said, Agharlor went to Nigeria in May 2019 and recruited Ojiyorwe and Omarsar to be part of the gang.
According to the prosecution, the three Nigerians, upon their arrival in Ghana, resided at Ashaiman in Greater Accra for some time before they moved to Kumasi in the Ashanti Region to meet up with Yakubu.
When they got to Kumasi, Agharlor, who was the leader of the gang, gave some money to Yakubu to hire a car, an apartment and also buy pistols and other items to enable them to carry out their kidnapping activities.
Kidnapping of Canadians
On June 4, 2019, the gang, in a car, accosted the two Canadian ladies, who had hired the services of an Uber ride at their hostel at Nhyiaeso, a suburb of Kumasi, assaulted them and forced them into their own vehicle amid shooting.
They took their victims to their uncompleted building hideout at Kenyasi Krobo, another suburb of Kumasi and demanded a ransom of $800,000 from the families of the two ladies during their captivity.
The ladies were, however, rescued on June 11, 2019, by an operation led by the National Security.
The Board of Directors of the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) has elected Mrs. Clara Kowlaga Beeri Kasser-Tee as the new Vice-Chair of the Board.
This took place at the Board’s 72nd meeting on December 14, 2022. Mrs. Kasser-Tee has been serving on the Board since January 2019.
CDD-Ghana has benefited from the valuable insights acquired from her diverse experiences as a private legal practitioner, an academic, a consultant, an advocate, and a regular panelist on various national current affairs programs on radio and television.
Since joining the Board, Mrs. Kasser-Tee has been an active member of the Board and Governance, Human Resource and Compensation sub-committee. Additionally, she has been involved in several of the Center’s programs and day-to-day public events as a resource person or moderator.
Mrs. Clara Beeri Kasser-Tee is the Founder and Head of Chambers of Kasser Law Firm, and a Lecturer at the University of Ghana Law School.
As a private legal practitioner, she has advised, researched, and written legal briefs on corporate and commercial law, taxation, corporate finance, corporate restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, etc. in Ghana for several multinational companies and international law firms.
Mrs. Kasser-Tee has contributed immensely to legal education, and the development of public institutions through several engagements with the media and the Ghana Revenue Authority on relevant national issues.
Among other things, she developed a concept to improve tax collection in Ghana, using existing facilities such as the courts. This has been approved by the Ghana Judicial Service and the Ghana Revenue Authority.
She attended the Bolgatanga Girls Secondary School for her secondary education. She holds a BA (Philosophy and English), an LLB and LLM from the University of Ghana. She also holds a BL from the Ghana School of Law, where she graduated top of her class, and was a recipient of the prestigious John Mensah Sarbah Prize given to the best overall (all round) graduating lawyer. She is a member of the Ghana Bar Association.
Mrs. Kasser-Tee has published articles on oil and gas law, environmental law and regulation in Ghana, and taxation. She is currently an editor for the Legon Journal of International Affairs and Diplomacy.
CDD-Ghana’s Governing Board is composed of Chairperson, Prof. Audrey Gadzekpo, an academic and media practitioner; Secretary Mr. James Sraha, a practicing accountant and tax consultant; Prof. E. Gyimah-Boadi, Chairman of the Board of Afrobarometer Network, Co-founder and Former Executive Director of the Center; Dr. Baffour Agyeman-Duah, Co-Founder of the Center and currently Chief Executive Officer at the John A. Kufuor (JAK) Foundation; Mrs. Sadia Chinery-Hesse, an experienced lawyer and governance practitioner; Mr. Kweku A. Awotwi, an experienced international business executive; Mr. Felix Biga, Chief Operating Officer with the Afrobarometer Network; Prof. H. Kwasi Prempeh, Executive Director of the Center; Dr. Edem Selormey, Director of Research at the Center and Dr. Kojo P. Asante, Director of Advocacy and Policy Engagement at the Center.
Source: Graphiconline
When actress Tracey Boakye married Frank Badu Ntiamoah in July of this year, rumours circulated that she stole her beloved partner from Vivian Jill, a woman who was once her godmother.
Tracey and Frank have been enjoying the time of their lives following their wedding, which became the talk of the town and topped social media trends.
Actress Vivian Jill has finally responded to claims that Tracey snatched her man.
According to Jill, also known as ‘Abrewa Mafia’, she holds nothing against Tracey Boakye, adding that she doesn’t take pleasure in responding to negative news.
In her latest interview with Kwaku Manu, the actress had this to say when questioned about the boyfriend snatching allegation levelled against Tracey Boakye, nicknamed ‘East Legon Landlady’.
“The blogs can make matters worse, but maybe that might not be the case. Even if that is the case, and so what? There is time for everything, and if you understand time, you will know how sweet it is, especially when you brush certain things off. Everything will fall in place at the right time…tables always turn, and so learn how to let certain things go and ignore them and move on with your life.”
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Jill added that “If anything happens to me, people will move on, Ghana movie industry will forget in less than one year. Those who are spreading bad rumours about me will turn to speak highly of me when I am no more.
Also commenting on the state of their friendship, she said: “I am cool with her but we no longer keep in touch. Things do change and as I stated earlier, there is time for everything.”
Watch the video below:
Holders of Ghana’s Eurobonds have formed a creditor committee, the group said in a statement on Monday, after the Finance Ministry announced plans to suspend payments on its foreign debts.
Steering members of the committee will include Abrdn, Amundi (UK) Limited, BlackRock, Greylock Capital Management and Ninety One, the statement said.
Ghana on Monday suspended payments on most of its external debt, effectively defaulting as the country struggles to plug its cavernous balance of payments deficit.
The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, said it will not service debts including its Eurobonds, commercial loans and most bilateral loans, calling the decision an “interim emergency measure”, while some bondholders criticised a lack of clarity in the decision.
The government “stands ready to engage in discussions with all of its external creditors to make Ghana’s debt sustainable”, the finance ministry said.
The suspension of debt payments reflects the parlous state of the economy, which led the government last week to reach a $3-billion staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Ghana had already announced a domestic debt exchange programme and said that an external restructuring was being negotiated with creditors. The IMF has said a comprehensive debt restructuring is a condition of its support.
The country has been struggling to refinance its debt since the start of the year after downgrades by multiple credit rating agencies on concerns it would not be able to issue new Eurobonds.
That has sent Ghana’s debt further into the distressed territory. Its public debt stood at 467.4 billion Ghanaian cedis ($55 billion as per Refinitiv Eikon data) in September, of which 42% was domestic.
It had a balance of payments deficit of more than $3.4 billion in September, down from a surplus of $1.6 billion at the same time last year.
Below is the full statement by the Committee
Ghana Euro Bondholders Form Representative Committee
Following the public statements by the Government of Ghana of its intention to seek a restructuring of its external debt, international holders of Ghana’s Eurobonds have organized to form a bondholder creditor committee (the “Committee”). The Committee is representative of a diverse group of institutional investors including mutual funds, asset managers, insurance firms, hedge funds, and family offices.
Steering Members of the Committee include the following holders (acting either directly or for and on
behalf of the funds or the accounts they manage): Abrdn, Amundi (UK) Limited, BlackRock, Greylock
Capital Management, Ninety One.
The Committee is focused on the orderly and comprehensive resolution of Ghana’s debt challenges, recognizing that such resolution will require fair burden-sharing and collaboration among the Ghanaian authorities, private creditors (both domestic and international) and official sector creditors.
The Committee welcomes the authorities’ ongoing engagement with the International Monetary Fund (the “IMF”) and the recent announcement of the Staff Level Agreement.
The Committee notes that a process of good faith negotiation would avoid unilateral actions and would require, inter alia, the timely exchange of detailed economic and financial information among the committee, the Ghanaian authorities and the IMF, and would need to be anchored in reasonably feasible economic adjustment by the Ghanaian authorities.
In this regard, the Committee endorses the Institute of International Finance’s Principles for Stable Capital Flows and Fair Debt Restructuring, which provide meaningful guidance for successful sovereign debt restructurings. The Committee stands ready for a swift engagement on that basis.
The Committee aims at securing an outcome that is both equitable to creditors and responsive to the economic and social challenges facing Ghana. A key factor in measuring the success of Ghana’s debt resolution would be the timely restoration of international market access, which remains critical for Ghana to meet its development objectives.
The Committee has appointed Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP as legal advisor and Rothschild & Co as financial advisor.
Source: Citinews
Graduates from JACCD Design Institute Africa, formerly Joyce Ababio College of Creative Design showcased splendid designs on the runway at the school’s North Legon premises as part of their 27th graduation ceremony.
The event which took place on Saturday, December 17, 2022 saw original outfits designed by more than 30 students and a collection of innovative designs of both womenswear and menswear being presented on the runway underscored why JACCD has been among the best creative design institute in Ghana offering top-notch education in the creative profession.
Beautiful gowns, oversized coats and vibrant prints were among the eclectic mix of garments on display. Each team of models and designers had a distinct theme to their outfits, with almost all groups wearing dresses made of African fabrics and another flaunting clothes more suited to international appeals.
One venue of the auditorium was attended by family, friends, members of the public and industry experts including David-Kusi Boye Doe and Ronald Kizito, both renowned fashion designers and alumni of the school.
120 students in all received certificates of graduation, including graphic designers and fashion students. Out of the 120 graduates, Sheena Edem, Diallo Binta, and Dennis Williams were recognized as the top three overall best students.
“Our mission as a college is not just to be the leader in creative education in Africa, but also to re-orient thoughts regarding professions in the creative business,” said the President of the institute, Madam Joyce Ababio. “With what our students presented today, we made another progress toward this goal”, she added.
Justifying the rationale for the emphasis on entrepreneurship, she said: “To sew is one thing but one needs to understand the business aspect of it. People must realise that while talent can get you far, the application of proper business principles or concepts will determine many of those who succeed in the field and, regrettably, those who fail.”
The showcase gave a great sense of why JACCD remains the gold-standard for creative schools in the country and has been the first in many regards.
The Volta River Authority (VRA) had said that aquatic weeds pose a big threat to its 160 megawatts Kpong Hydro Electric Power Plant at Akuse aside the negative impact on economic activities of host communities.
The weeds which come in various types are sometimes able to float into turbines despite the use of booms and other mechanisms in place to control this.
This then forces the authority to shut down the plant and take care of the weeds as this directly affects generation of power and other cost to VRA.
The company losses a significant amount of money for not generating power due to shutdowns.
Resent assessment done reveals VRA lost ¢4 million for shutdowns between 1999 and 2021.
Director of Environment and Sustainable Development at VRA, Benjamin Sackey disclosed this to Joy Business when the Ghana Maritime Authority handed over three trash skimmer vessels to the power producer at Kpong in the Eastern region to tackle aquatic weeds.
“The weeds on the water can break and head towards Kpong Headpond; that’s the dam at Akuse and we may have to shut down the turbines to clear them,”
“As a company, we have a programme in place to manage from the shoreline where these communities are and also on the main water body. If you have seen the aerial view of this, there is a huge chunk of weeds on the water body and we’re grateful to GMA for this support,” he said.
The handing over of the skimmers follows a memorandum of understanding signed between the two state agencies.
For VRA, the skimmers are important in managing the weeds.
On one hand, it comes the as perfect replacement for earlier equipment from the Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA) in 2012 where the power producer received two barges and two weed harvesters which are to be decommissioned soon having reached their useful lives.
On the other hand, the new equipment will help avert the likelihood of losing lives in an attempt to manage the weeds using manpower.
According to Mr. Sackey, VRA has in the last six years engaged a company which routinely removes the weeds but this would reduce the hands needed with the arrival of the machines.
Although the power producer has options including chemical, biological, mechanical and manual means to manage the weeds, it has ruled out chemical control due to its possible negative impact on communities along the water body.
A simulation exercise at Kpong on how the skimmers operate revealed that excavators from VRA are onsite to deal with tough fast-growing deep-rooted weeds to complement the role of the trash skimmer vessels.
The weeds also prevent free flow of water to the dam which is needed to produce the power.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Director, Surveys and Inspection and Head of Tema branch of Ghana Maritime Authority, Capt. William Thompson said the skimmers will play an important role in the management of the weeds to protect the dam.
“We acquired three skimmers.We put one down south of the dam so the water flows. We clear up here, it flows from here to the dam. It needs to flow freely. So that’s why one is there to clear that. Over the time when this is done, I believe VRA will decide and then move it to other places where there are concerns”
“I hear the estimates of shutdowns over the period of time has been quite huge. The cost of having to stop the dam operating because of weeds and other issues. The equipment coming in is honestly a huge saving on the operations of VRA and hope the cooperation between VRA and GMA will continue,” he added.
VRA will operate and maintain the skimmers.
Source: Myjoyonline
Brazil great Pele congratulated Lionel Messi and Argentina for winning the World Cup and Kylian Mbappe for his goal-scoring exploits in Sunday’s final.
Pele, who won a record three World Cups as a player, has been in the hospital to treat a respiratory infection.
He posted his message on Instagram after Argentina beat defending champion France 4-2 in a penalty shootout following a 3-3 draw at Lusail Stadium in Qatar.
”Today, football continues to tell its story, as always, in an enthralling way,” Pele wrote in his post. ”Messi winning his first World Cup, as his trajectory deserved. My dear friend, Mbappe, scoring four goals in a final. What a gift it was to watch this spectacle to the future of our sport.”
Messi scored two goals in the match and finally won the lone trophy that had eluded him in his remarkable career. Mbappe, who scored in the 2018 title match when he was a teenager just as Pele did in 1958, became only the second player in history to score a hat trick in the World Cup final.
Both Messi and Mbappe also scored in the penalty shootout.
Messi ended up winning the Golden Ball award as the best player of the tournament and Mbappe won the Golden Boot award as the top scorer with eight goals in seven matches.
Pele also took time to mention Morocco for its history-making run as the first African team to reach the semifinals at the tournament.
”And I couldn’t fail to congratulate Morocco for the incredible campaign,” Pele wrote. ”It’s great to see Africa shine.”
Pele ended his message by again lauding Argentina and mentioning the man most often associated with him as the greatest players the game has ever seen – Diego Maradona.
Maradona, who led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title, died in 2020.
”Congratulations Argentina!” Pele wrote. ”Certainly Diego is smiling now.”
Source: Yahoo
The Ghana Used Clothing Dealers Association has urged government to continue to implement measures that will help the appreciation of the cedi in order to bring relief to business communities in the country.
This follows the appreciation of the cedi against major trading currencies of the world.
The cedi is currently trading at GH¢8 against USD1.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, December 20, 2022, the association announced a reduction in prices of second hand clothing goods.
“In view of the current positive change in the value of the cedi, we have reduced prices of the second hand clothing goods by 35% [for] our customers to facilitate easy buying and selling,” the association said.
The association also appealed to “the public and members in the sector of second hand clothing business, to adjust their prices accordingly for consumers to have a positive feel of the trend.”
Economics Professor and Director at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economics Research (ISSER), Prof. Peter Quartey, says the suspension of external debt repayment is advantageous to the country.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Tuesday, he noted that the suspension would provide a temporary respite for the nation and enable Ghana to use the money intended to service her debt for other purposes.
“Well, I must say that this is a temporary respite for us. The money that we will use to pay our debts we would have the leverage to use that money to do other things for now. So, it’s a temporary relief for us.”
Another benefit that he highlighted was that it would relieve the local currency of some pressure.
This, he explained, will occur because the foreign currency allocated for debt repayment will be directed toward critical sectors such as oil marketing companies or other institutions that require foreign exchange.
Peter Quartey added that the suspension was intended to buy Ghana some time and provide an opportunity for more comprehensive debt restructuring negotiations with internal creditors.
Despite the aforementioned potential benefits enlisted by Prof. Quartey, he cautioned Ghanaians to be mindful that the suspension did not mean “our debt had been forgiven.”
He advised the government to use whatever relief or resources they would attain judiciously since repayment of the debt was inevitable.
Government has announced a suspension of debt service payments under certain categories of its external debt, pending an orderly restructuring as the country builds up to an Executive Board approval for a $3 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The suspension includes payment obligations on Eurobonds, commercial term loans, and most bilateral debt.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Finance on Monday, December 19, 2022, the move is part of a comprehensive debt sustainability programme by government to evaluate its debt portfolio and put in place appropriate measures that will help bring the country’s debt situation to sustainable levels with a debt to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) target of 55 per cent by 2028.
“We are also evaluating certain specific debts related to projects with the highest socio-economic impact for Ghana which may have to be excluded. This suspension is an interim emergency measure pending future agreements with all relevant creditors”, the statement explained.
This suspension, it is said in the statement will not include the payments of multilateral debt, new debts (whether multilateral or otherwise) contracted after December 19, 2022, or debts related to certain short term trade facilities.
The statement added that the government stands ready to engage in discussions with all of its external creditors through a fair, transparent and comprehensive debt restructuring exercise in line with international best practices.
Already, the announcement of the suspension is generating a high level of support from the investor community with some anonymous sources describing it as a “friendly match”, indicating that government should make it a point to share detailed economic and financial information throughout the process.
Meanwhile, government has also taken steps to restructure its domestic debt through an exchange programme. The programme, launched on December 5, 2022, is designed to offer relief to the country’s fiscal accounts through an exchange in coupon package on domestically issued bonds providing a solid foundation for Ghana to in the long-term downsize its debt and reboot the economy.
The finance minister, however, stated that so far, the announcement has in part helped the cedi stage a remarkable rebound against its major trading partners, as the demand for forex has significantly reduced, thereby helping the government to conserve its foreign reserves that have come under serious pressure in recent months.
Analysts expect that the suspension of external debt payments will help the cedi continue its upward trajectory against major trading currencies.
Source: Ghanaweb
Former trainees under the Nation Builders Corps (NABCO) have given the government a one-week ultimatum to pay their 9-month arrears.
According to them, several engagements with the government to pay allowances owed to them have proved futile.
Speaking to Citi News, the Public Relations Officer of the former NABCO trainees, Naa Techie expressed his sentiments over the delay in payment of arrears owed them.
“A number of demonstrations have been staged. If you would recall, we earlier sent an official petition to the Speaker of Parliament to add his influential voice to our resentment for the payment of arrears and nothing has been done about it. We have submitted another petition to the NABCO secretariat and they have not responded. We haven’t heard anything from them,” he said.
Expressing the emotions of these former NABCO trainees, he said, “the indication is that NABCO trainees have been left in limbo. NABCO Trainees have been subjected to incessant public ridicule, and they have also been subjected to severe hardships and are in a state of starvation to death.”
Naa Techie also confirmed that a letter has been sent to the finance minister, and they are awaiting his feedback. However, he threatened several protests till their demands are met.
“We have sent a letter to the finance minister. Probably it will end next week Wednesday and we will stage several demonstrations if demands are not met,” he added.
The NABCO program was introduced in 2018 as one of the policies of the Akufo-Addo-led government to ease unemployment in the country.
However, a directive was issued for all beneficiaries to remain at their post even though the program ended in 2021.
The post-James Gunn responds to Superman backlash, says DC Studios choices are “best for the story” appeared first on Consequence.
James Gunn has addressed the backlash over his decision for Henry Cavill to not return as Superman.
The DC Studios co-head addressed the “uproarious and unkind” response via a series of tweets in which Gunn promised his decision-making for the future of the DC Extended Universe would not be affected by “disrespectful outcry.”
“Our choices for the DCU are based upon what we believe is best for the story & best for the DC characters who have been around for nearly 85 years,” Gunn wrote, on the behalf of co-CEO Peter Safran and himself.
Though he doesn’t mention Superman by name, the character debuted in the comic book Actions Comics #1, published in 1938.
Adding that “no one loves to be harassed or called names,” Gunn continued, “Disrespectful outcry will never, ever affect our actions.
“We were aware there would be a period of turbulence when we took this gig, & we knew we would sometimes have to make difficult & not-so-obvious choices, especially in the wake of the fractious nature of what came before us. But this means little to us in comparison to our jobs as artists & custodians in helping to create a wide & wonderful future for DC.”
Read Gunn’s full response to the Superman backlash below.
Cavill announced his return as Superman just one day ahead of Gunn being announced as co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DC Studios in late October. Gunn is splitting duties with Safran, who has not only worked on DC films such as Aquaman and Shazam!, but produced Gunn’s DCEU projects The Suicide Squad and its Peacemaker HBO Max spinoff.
Less than two months later, however, Cavill revealed he was no longer reprising the role. Gunn confirmed the actor’s exit, saying the “initial stages” of the next Superman film will focus on “an earlier part” of the superhero’s life.
Cavill’s Superman isn’t the only casualty of Gunn’s new direction for DC Studios. Gunn also nixed plans for a third Wonder Woman movie from director Patty Jenkins.
One of the things Peter & I were aware of when we took the job as heads of DC Studios was a certain minority of people online that could be, well, uproarious & unkind, to say the least.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 19, 2022
One of the things Peter & I were aware of when we took the job as heads of DC Studios was a certain minority of people online that could be, well, uproarious & unkind, to say the least.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 19, 2022
No one loves to be harassed or called names – but, to be frank, we’ve been through significantly worse. Disrespectful outcry will never, ever affect our actions.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 19, 2022
But this means little to us in comparison to our jobs as artists & custodians in helping to create a wide & wonderful future for DC.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 19, 2022
Source: Yahoo
Some hairdressers and seamstresses within Accra, say business has been slow this festive season as compared to previous years.
This they said is due to the prevailing economic hardship in the country, which has forced most of their clients not to patronize their services. This came up when GBCGhanaOnline interacted with a cross-section of them at Osu and its environs.
The Christmas season is often characterized by merry-making and high patronage of goods and services. Businesses in this instance can cash in on sales ranging from clothing to handbags as well as shoes and other seasonal materials.
Market women and store owners also take advantage of the period to make the best of sales from their merchandise. One of the most lucrative and profitable businesses during the festive season is sewing and hairdressing.
Interestingly, dressmakers and hairstylists within Osu and its immediate environs are not enthused with patronage. The situation they bemoaned is partly due to the country’s economic hardship. The continuous increase in the price of goods and services has certainly made their dreams at a standstill this year. While some complain about low sales, others are satisfied with the level of patronage.
They did not rule out the God factor by showing appreciation to Him for taking them through a successful year.
Madam Doreen of Dee’s Beauty Salon, “There is no money and things are not good for us this year so government should see to it that wholesalers reduce prices of goods and services since the cedis has appreciated”.
An anonymous seamstress said, “Though things are difficult this year, by God’s grace business is moving on smoothly”.
A fashion designer Kojo Amankwa said “There is no difference between last year and this year. During the Covid period last year, we thought we couldn’t make a lot of sales but looking at last year, we made sales and we are getting the same results this year. Even though the system is hard, we are able to get one or two fabrics to sew”.
An apprentice tailor Frimpomaa, also said “Sales this year’s Christmas is running slow and the few who come to sew complain of the increase in the price of fabrics.
They were however hopeful that business will soon pick up to enable them to cash in on the festive season.
Highlife artiste, Kofi Kinaata has announced that his much-anticipated Extended Play (EP) will be released early next year.
Known in real life as Martin King Arthur, the musician apologised for not dropping the said project this year as he promised.
According to him, although the songs are ready, unforeseen circumstances botched his plans.
He subsequently, added that all measures have been executed to ensure that the EP drops in the first quarter of 2023.
“I was supposed to release an EP that I promised my fans but from the look of things, the songs were ready but with the unveiling and certain things that were involved time was not on our side.
“So now I am promising them [my fans] that early next year the EP will come,” he said.
Kofi Kinaata gave this assurance when he was hosted on Hitz FM’s Daybreak Hitz.
He used the platform to speak about the Bronya Experience with the Western Showboys which he is co-headlining with veteran highlife artise, Gyedu-Blay Ambolley.
The Friday concert which will be held at +233 Jazz Bar & Grill will have other guests musicians, including MzVee and Cina Soul making appearances.
Source: Myjoyonline
The divorce between P-Square group member Paul Okoye and his estranged wife Anita has been finalised.
Anita filed for divorce from Paul citing five main factors: infidelity, a fake separation, being an absent parent, fraud, and other challenging situations.
She requested a monthly settlement of $20,000 and a number of her husband’s properties.
She further accused her husband of cheating her out of a partnership.
In the divorce petition signed by her lawyer, Ojonimi Akpe and Okutepa J.S at an Abuja High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Maitama, Anita claimed that she had contributed N10 million to her husband with the agreement that she would own a space at his just completed mall in Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
The petition reads in part “that I know as a fact that the Petitioner founded a company called TannkCo in 2019. That the Petitioner and the Respondent agreed to build a mall where TannkCo would have its main offices, and the Petitioner contributed N10,000,000.00 (Ten Million Naira) for the purchase of the land and the building of the mall.”
“That I know as a fact that the Respondent, upon completion of the mall, reneged on the agreement and failed to give TannkCo a space in the mall.”
However, Anita withdrew her claims at the hearing, opting to settle following her alleged inability to prove her claims in court.
The court also granted joint custody of the children to the parties on October 20, 2022.
Anita would not receive financial compensation in form of alimony or settlement.
Paul Okoye and Anita met in 2004 during their undergraduate days at the University of Abuja.
The duo got married on March 22, 2014, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State and they have three children together: Andre, born in 2013; and the twins, Nathan and Nadia, born in 2017.
This comes days after Paul Okoye was seen in the company of her new love.
The one half of the music group PSquare buzzed the internet when he posted a video of
On the clip was the caption; “Church with my beautiful.” The video captured him in church, listening to the sermon in the company of a female.
Seconds later, the video shows them back home, enjoying a meal on what can pass for a relaxing Sunday afternoon.
Paul Okoye’s new love goes by the name Ivy Ifeoma on Instagram. She is a model, influencer and digital creator. She also runs The Ivy Mark, a female clothing brand.
According to reports, the couple has been going out for a while.
The Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) has petitioned Parliament to question the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta, on the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) capping method of affirmation or formula as it deviates from the GETFund Law 2020, (Act 581) and the Earmarked Funds Capping and Realignment Law 2017 (Act 947).
This petition is against the backdrop of a sharp decline in the budgetary allocation to the only statutory fund available for educational infrastructure provision in the country.
According to the civil society organisation (CSO), the 2023 Budget Statement indicates that despite an increase in the total accrual to the get GETFund levy to a record GH₵4.6billion, for the first time, only GH₵1.8billion, representing 39 percent of the GETFund Levy accrual was allocated to the fund to finance education projects and activities.
This, the CSO laments, is inconsistent with the law; hence, the need for the Parliament to question the Finance Minister’s modus ponens for allocating only 39 percent of total accruals as against 60 percent and 81 percent in the 2021 and 2022 budgets respectively.
“Under the Earmarked Funds Capping and Realignment Act, 2017 (Act 947), GETFund was capped at 25 percent; but historically, allocations have been in the region of 60 percent and above. Using the same parameters of this same minister, we estimate that at least GH₵2.7billion, representing 60 percent of the total 2022 GETFund Levy accruals of GH₵4.6billion should be allocated to the fund for 2023.
“The continuous decline in the allocation to the GETFund, amid consistent increment in the GETFund Levy, remains a serious worry for stakeholders concerned about the widening infrastructure gap in the education sector, especially at the basic education level,” Executive Director, Kofi Asare said.
Implications of capping infraction, among others
According to Eduwatch, the implications of the minister’s action are that the widening infrastructure gap in the education sector, especially at the basic level, will continue to increase; and it would take several decades to address.
Currently, there are over 5,000 schools existing under trees, sheds, and dilapidated structures, and another 4,000 Junior High Schools are needed for primary schools without such continuation infrastructure. Meanwhile, 1.2 million children are not in basic school due to the lack of public basic schools in underserved communities, among others.
“This action constricts the realisation of the objectives of the government’s free Compulsory Universal Basic Education under section 38(2) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana,” he added.
The clarion calls
The Executive Director of Eduwatch stressed that as Parliament prepares to consider the appropriation estimates for the education sector, the CSOs are drawing the attention of the House to the requirements of 25 percent capping of realignment law, viz. the 61 percent of GETFund levy accruals being reallocated to other sectors, leaving only 39 percent for allocation to the fund.
“Eduwatch calls on Parliament to reject the allocation and cause the Minister of Finance to review the weights applied in allocating the GETFund, in line with the Earmarked Funds Capping and Realignment Act, 2017 (Act 947),” he concluded.
GETFund capping history
In the 2019 Budget Statement, out of a GETFund levy accrual of GH₵1.8bn, GH₵1.2bn – representing 66 percent – was allocated to the fund, in line with the Earmarked Funds Capping and Realignment Law.
Also, in 2020, out of the GH₵2bn accrual, GH₵1.2bn – representing 60 percent – was allocated to the fund.
Furthermore, in the 2021 Budget Statement, out of the GH₵2.3bn, GH₵1.4bn – representing 60 percent of accruals – was allocated, in line with the capping and alignment law.
Fast forward, to the 2022 Budget Statement, GH₵2.6bn of the GH₵3.2bn accruals were disbursed, representing 81 percent. However, in the 2023 Budget Statement, the ministry surprisingly decided to release only GH₵1.8bn of the GH₵4.6bn, representing a meager 39 percent – far from what the capping and realignment law stipulations.
Source: Ghanaweb
The Ministry of Finance has reiterated its commitment to return inflation to a single digit.
Speaking at the launch of Safare, a new tissue brand, Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr. John Kumah indicated that, his outfit is working assiduously to create a conducive environment for businesses to recover as well as help new ones to thrive.
“No matter what financing you have access to if the credit environment is not good, there’s no way your business is going to do well. To address this, the target is to reduce inflation to a single digit as early as possible,” he said.
“We’re committed to support the private sector and we’re going to do everything possible and do what is necessary to enable private businesses grow well in our country. We want to encourage you (businesses) to do that by giving a firm assurance of finance. So government has announced the YouStart programme with funding of about ¢10 billion in the next three years which we hope to give to the private sector.”
Safari tissues are a wide range of tissue products made by a wholly Ghanaian-owned company, SeaBiege Limited. Managing Director, Eric Amofa highlighted the unique selling points of the product.
“We’re going to be the tissue masters in the tissue industry. There are three things we focus on; quality, brand and packaging of our products. Our product is unique because of its virgin nature. They do not compete with recycled products. We’re targeting two classes of people, the economy class and the elite,” he disclosed.
Media personality, Deloris Frimpong Manso is the brand ambassador of Safare tissues. She explained why she chose to work with the brand.
“This was a new challenge for me and when I checked the product, I thought it was of high quality so I don’t mind associating with it,” she said.