TIG Post

Author: Chris Kodo

  • IMF is getting cold feet on deal with Ghana – Ricketts-Hagan alleges

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF), according to a ranking member of the Parliament’s Privileges Committee, is devloping cold feet over the government’s request for a bailout.

    In an interview with JoyNews’ The Pulse on Monday, George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan revealed that the delay in the IMF team’s visit to the nation is what led to his claim.

    They were meant to arrive here a while ago, but they never showed up. You may infer from the fact that they just showed up that they are losing heart.

    They don’t want to get married to us, but for some reason—I’m not sure if it’s out of pity or anything else—they still want to get married to us, he added.

    Mr. Ricketts-Hagan pointed out that the Finance Minister’s original decision to forego seeking IMF help is also a contributing element.

    He also mentioned President Akufo-plea Addo’s to the majority of MPs to allow Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta more time to reach an agreement with the IMF before he is fired.

    This, in his opinion, suggests some level of uncertainty in the execution of the IMF arrangement.

    “…The person you are negotiating with might not be the person who will end up implementing what he is agreeing on. So what about if a new Finance Minister comes in and says the deal is not a good one, therefore he needs to renegotiate it, where does that lead you?” he queried.

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Ghana will come to a staff-level agreement by the first quarter of 2023, according to Fitch Solutions.

    As a result, the nation may be granted a program by the Fund by the end of the first quarter of 2023 or the second quarter of 2023.

    A staff-level agreement between the government and the Fund might be reached by the end of 2022, according to certain economists and analysts, opening the door for a program by the first quarter of 2023.

    But in its latest paper on “Division within Ghana’s Ruling Party to Weigh on Political Stability”, the international research firm also said should the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, be replaced, negotiations with the IMF would likely remain largely unaffected.

    “While Ofori-Atta remained opposed to an IMF bailout – we believe that he would take a more accommodative approach towards negotiations with the Fund. As such, we believe that a change of Finance Minister would most likely not impact the timeline of IMF negotiations and we would retain our view that a staff-level agreement will be reached in Q123 [quarter 1, 2023]”, it explained.

  • Amber Heard files appeal against Johnny Depp’s US libel win ruling

    In June, a US jury found Ms Heard defamed her ex-husband, Mr Depp, with an article in which she claimed she was a victim of domestic abuse.

    Jurors awarded Mr Depp – who denied abusing Ms Heard – $15m (£12m) in compensatory and punitive damages.

    Her team have now asked for the jury’s verdict to be reversed, or for a new trial entirely.

    Ms Heard, 36, won one of three counter-claims against Mr Depp, 59, and was awarded $2m (£1.6m) in compensatory damages.

    But her team is now arguing the trial was held in the wrong state and also objected to the judge’s decision to exclude certain pieces of evidence, including notes from therapists documenting allegations of abuse.

    ‘Chilling effect’

    In a lengthy written document, her lawyers argued: “That holding, if allowed to stand, undoubtedly will have a chilling effect on other women who wish to speak about abuse involving powerful men.”

    The actress’s team went on to note the previous unsuccessful libel suit the Pirates of the Caribbean star brought against The Sun newspaper in 2018, for calling him a “wife-beater” in print. Suggesting the subsequent, separate US libel case “should never have gone to trial” because “another court had already concluded that Depp abused Heard on multiple occasions”.

    “After Depp filed this case, the United Kingdom High Court of Justice [the High Court of England and Wales sitting at the Royal Courts of Justice] ruled in a separate defamation action brought by Depp that Heard’s abuse allegations were true,” they said.

    The move comes a month after Mr Depp filed his own formal appeal against some of the verdict of the case. The BBC has asked his representatives if he has any comment on Heard’s appeal.

    The Rum Diary co-stars, who divorced in 2017, presented conflicting versions of their doomed relationship in the trial.

    Over six weeks, the court in Fairfax, Virginia, heard tawdry details of Mr Depp and Ms Heard’s tempestuous marriage, and its unhappy ending.

    Polls suggested many Americans were more interested in the legal drama than the war in Ukraine or a potentially historic ruling on abortion expected any day from the US Supreme Court.

    Coverage of the trial – which was televised and livestreamed – hit billions of views on social media.

    Source: BBC

  • We’re shocked Akufo-Addo watched World Cup in Qatar despite economic crisis – Minority

    The Minority in Parliament say they are shocked by the President’s World Cup trip to Qatar despite the country’s economic difficulties.

    Addressing the press on Monday, the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu indicated that the move by the President was not prudent.

    According to the NDC lawmaker, the decision by some other government appointees to travel to Qatar while discussions on the 2023 Budget was ongoing was also not ideal.

    “We’re particularly stunned that the President himself joined even as he’s managing a major economic crisis. As if a better performance of the Black Stars contributed to addressing this economic mess”, he remarked.

    In a related development, a ranking member on the Finance Committee of Parliament, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, had earlier critcised government officials who went to Qatar to watch the ongoing FIFA World Cup tournament.

    The football competition began ten days ago, and so far it has seen many interesting spectacles, including some high profile national officials gracing the stadiums to support their countries.

    But in the case of Ghana, Dr Forson said it is not prudent for Ghanaian MPs and Ministers to be having fun in Qatar amidst the present economic crisis.

    According to him, the act does not augur well for the country, especially when the inputs of such persons are needed in the discussion of the 2023 budget.

    In a tweet last Wednesday, he added a photo of the MP for Ablekuma West, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, who was in a pose at a stadium in Qatar, together with ex-footballer Patrick Kluivert.

    Dr. Forson tweeted, “At a time of serious economic crisis, Cabinet Ministers and MPs should not abandon the important business of budget consideration to go and watch football in Qatar!”.

    “The optics are bad! We need to show we are serious about resolving the crisis!”, he added.

    On Thursday November 24, the embattled Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta presented government’s economic programme to Parliament for the 2023 fiscal year.

    Amongst the highlights of the budget were the revision of the E-levy from the current 1.5% to 1%, plus an increment of the VAT rate from 12.5% to 15%.

    These developments subsequently triggered some resentments from the Minority who are calling on government to revise its notes.

    It is in the light of these concerns that the Minority has expressed disappointment with the President’s trip as well as that of other appointees.

    Meanwhile the Minority in Parliament says it will not accept government’s proposed debt restructuring programme as announced.

    According to the Caucus, the policy is unacceptable and cannot be allowed to proceed.

    The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, said this at a press conference on Monday, December 5.

    He said his side will use every legitimate means to oppose the move.

  • Minority demands major expenditure cuts by government to alleviate economic downturn

    The Minority does not appear satisfied with the government’s commitment to cutting back on its expenditure in the current economic turmoil.

    The NDC legislators believe the supposed measures outlined in the 2023 budget are not enough to signify the government’s effort to burden-share in this crucial time.

    Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu made these comments at a press conference on Monday, December 5, 2022.

    “It is the position of this Minority that we are demanding major expenditure cuts from this government to achieve fiscal consolidation,” he said.

    On November 24, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta announced some 13 measures to rationalise public expenditure.

    According to him, these measures are Cabinet directives that are expected to take effect from January 2023.

    This comes on the back of several calls by some sections of the public for the government to cut down its expenditure to salvage the economy.

    Here are the 13 measures to reduce public expenditure in 2023

    But this is not very significant in the eyes of the Minority.

    Currently, Ghana’s economy is under pressure, resulting in higher living costs and galloping inflation.

    Haruna Iddrisu also called for the size of the government to be reduced.

    The Minority Leader noted the lack of convincing proposals from government does not inspire confidence in the Akufo-Addo-led administration.

    Additionally, the 2023 budget, Mr Iddrisu said, is fraught with needless taxation which does not augur well for the citizens.

    On the newly-launched Domestic Debt Exchange programme announced by the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, the NDC MPs say this will not be the panacea for the current economic woes.

    The prioritization of the controversial National Cathedral in the budget statement despite the financial downturn is a source of worry to the legislator.

    Source: Myjoyonline

  • Young girls exchanging sex for sanitary pad – Eco-Me Africa

    CEO of Eco-me Africa Amdiya Abdul-Latiff has revealed that some young girls in rural areas are being forced to have sex with men in order to get money for sanitary pads.

    According to her, many of the girls are from deprived homes and are unable to afford decent sanitary towels for the monthly menstrual cycle.

    Speaking with Prime Morning host, Asieduwaa Akumia, on Monday, Mrs. Amadiya Abdul-Latiff indicated the ordeals the teenagers go through to obtain common sanitary pads.

    “They were resulting in unhygienic means like using socks – which are very popular by the way, newspapers, dirty rags, and then dried leaves. They are easily available in the rural communities, so anything at all that can absorb and hold blood, that’s what they use,” Mrs. Abdul-Latiff said.

    The Eco-me Africa CEO further said that she was posted to a school in a rural community as a pupil’s teacher.

    It was there that she witnessed the difficulties that girls in primary schools are forced to face.

    This situation, she said, accounts for girls dropping out of school.

    Those who remained in school resorted to unorthodox materials in place of sanitary towels. The majority of these are exposed to infections.

    According to her, some girls are even pushed to the extent of sleeping with men in exchange for pads.

    She said, “Some of them too had no option but were pushed to exchange sex for pads. It is a common trade in the poorest areas of Ghana, where young girls are pushed to sleep with men, mostly older men, just so they can have money to purchase a sanitary pad.”

    Madam Abdul-Latiff also mentioned that this plight can result in teenage pregnancies, thus leading girls to drop out of school.

    She also added that there has been new research that states that in Ghana, many girls sometimes miss school when menstruating.

    Eco-me Africa CEO fears the phenomenon if not checked will affect the health and education of these young girls.

    Source: – MyJoyOnline.com

     

  • Labour unions kick against any ‘haircut’ on pension funds of workers

    Labour unions in the country have vowed to kick against any attempt by the government to reduce the value of pension funds of public sector workers.

    At a news conference on Monday, the President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Angel Carbonu disclosed that the government on Friday held a meeting with various Fund Managers and announced its intention to reduce the values of investments of public sector workers due to the debt exchange programme.

    Mr. Carbonu said the labour unions have been shortchanged by this decision of government.

    He noted that NAGRAT and the other unions will resist the decision.

    “The teacher unions will not accept this. We are members of the forum made up of the public sector unions and we want to assure our members that we will resist this move by government by any means necessary…We will not under any circumstances be shortchanged by any government taking away any pensioner’s money,” he stated.

    This follows an announcement on Sunday, December 4, by the Finance Minister of a debt restructuring programme to put the country’s debt on a sustainable path.

    Mr. Ofori-Atta said the Debt Exchange Programme is part of a key requirement for the government to obtain an economic programme from the International Monetary Fund.

    According to him, treasury bills and individual bond holders will however, not be affected by the programme.

    Mr. Ofori-Atta also reiterated that there will be no ‘haircuts’ on the principal of bonds.

    However, domestic bond holders will be compelled to exchange their instruments for new ones.

    “Existing domestic bonds as of December 1, 2022, will be exchanged for a set of four new bonds maturing in 2027, 2029, 2032 and 2037.

    “The annual coupon on all of these new bonds will be set at 0% in 2023, 5% in 2024 and 10% in 2025 until maturity.

    “Coupon payments will be semi-annual,” the Minister explained.

    It is for this reason that the labour unions have stated their resolve not to accept any debt restructuring that will affect their investments adversely.

    Source: Myjoyonline

  • We will not support 2.5 % increase in VAT rate – Minority

    Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu has bemoaned the introduction of a 2.5 % Value Added Tax (VAT) rate in the 2023 Budget.

    Addressing the press on Monday, he described the hike in VAT rate as punitive.

    “The most punitive amount is the addition of 2.5% VAT which may result in accumulated VAT for Ghana standing at 21.5%,” he said.

    He added that “Instead of cutting down on non-essential expenditure, we have rather seen an increase with additional spending of GHC82billion. Some of the envisaged expenditure items are entirely wasteful and needless and we demand a cut.”

    It would be recalled that during the presentation of the 2023 Budget in Parliament, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta announced government’s decision to increase the VAT by 2.5 percent.

    Mr. Ofori-Atta explained that the review is to directly support road construction projects and the digitization agenda.

    But Mr. Haruna Iddrisu has insisted that the Minority will not accept the 2.5% VAT rate.

    The Tamale South MP questioned the moral right President Akufo-Addo has to increase the VAT rate.

    This, he explained, is because President Akufo-Addo protested the introduction of VAT under the NDC-led administration.

    “In 1995, when the NDC sought to introduce this tax, they [NPP] organised what was referred to as ‘Kume preko’ resulting in loss of lives of five persons. Where is principle in our body politic? And where do they stand when it comes to morality?” he quizzed.

    According to him, whatever revenue that would be accumulated from the 2.5% VAT rate can be achieved by the government cutting its expenditure.

    Source: Myjoyonline

  • Ghanaian nurses to work in UK under new deal – Agyemang Manu

    The Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang Manu, has revealed that engagements are underway to send trained Ghanaian nurses to the United Kingdom (UK) to work.

    According to him, there is an ongoing bilateral contract with the British government in exchange for financial consideration.

    During the 2023 Budget debate in Parliament on Monday, the Dormaa Central legislator said the agreement will be similar to an already existing arrangement with Barbados, under which he said Ghanaian nurses are excelling.

    “We are engaging with the government of the United Kingdom, and we are just about to sign a memorandum of agreement after cabinet approval to begin to send nurses for training and work there and come back home after three years.

    “Ghana is going to benefit from the little money that the UK government will pass on. For every single nurse that goes away, when we finish the agreement, it is likely we will get over 1000 pounds to come and support the health system in Ghana,” he said on Monday.

    In March this year, Barbados received 200 more Ghanaian nurses to complement the staffing needs of the island country.

    The Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Motley, in an address expressed her appreciation to the government for extending help to her country’s health sector.

    Ghana and Barbados in 2019 signed an agreement for the recruitment of nurses from Ghana.

    The agreement, signed at the Jubilee House, when Mia Mottley paid a courtesy call on President Akufo-Addo, as part of her official visit to Ghana, led to the initial recruitment of over 100 Ghanaian nurses.

    Meanwhile, there are concerns over the initiative, as some have suggested that the nurses should be absorbed into Ghana’s Health Service.

    Source: – MyJoyOnline.com

  • Man fired for not being “fun enough” wins right to be boring at work

    A French court recently ruled that a man fired from a consulting firm for not being fun enough at the workplace has the right to be as boring as he likes.

    In 2015, Cubik Partners, a French management consultancy based in Paris, fired Mr. T, whose full name was not disclosed for privacy reasons, arguing that he was difficult to work with, a poor listener, and simply boring. What the company apparently meant, however, was that Mr. T didn’t go out with his colleagues enough after work, as part of the company’s “fun-based” approach to team building. The employee, on the other hand, clarified that he simply refused to forcibly partake in various excesses, such as consuming large quantities of alcohol and even sharing a bed with colleagues afterward.

    After being dismissed by Cubik Partners on the grounds of ‘professional inadequacy’, Mr. T took the company to court, arguing that being fired for essentially not being fun enough for his employer was illegal. After years of legal battles, a top French court ruled in favor of the fired employee.

    In its decision, the court stated that the consultancy company had no right to make anyone “forcibly participate in seminars and end-of-week drinks frequently ending up in excessive alcohol intake, encouraged by associates who made very large quantities of alcohol available”.

    The court ruling also stated that Cubik Partners engaged in “humiliating and intrusive practices regarding privacy such as simulated sexual acts, the obligation to share a bed with a colleague during seminars, the use of nicknames to designate people and hanging up deformed and made-up photos in offices”.

    Apart from legally having the right to refuse to party, Mr. T is also entitled to a payout of $3,000. The employee is demanding an extra $473,000 in damages from his former employer, which the court will rule on after an upcoming follow-up hearing.

    Source: Oddity Central

     

     

  • Man pays with his forearm thanks to scannable payment App Barcode tattoo

    A Taiwanese man has been getting a lot of attention on social media after getting a payment app barcode permanently tattooed on his forearm.

    The unnamed man recently took to the Taiwanese social media platform Dcard to share a functional barcode tattoo. Apparently, they had been contemplating getting a tattoo for a while, but they wanted something special instead of the artsy things people get inked. One day, while thinking about how cumbersome it was to constantly have to pull out his smartphone to pay for stuff, it hit him: why not get a functional tattoo to solve that problem? So he had a tattoo artist ink his payment app barcode on his forearm so he wouldn’t have to use his phone anymore.

    Now, that kind of tattoo seems simple enough, but as others have pointed out, if the tattoo artist makes one of the bars too thick or too thin, or if one of the gaps between them is a bit wider than those in the actual barcode, it will not work as intended.

    However, in this case, the tattoo artist did bang-up job, as the OP shared several videos of themselves using the forearm tattoo to pay for things at convenience stores and gas stations without a hitch. He admitted that people sometimes stare at him, shocked that his tattoo actually works, but he has had no problem paying with it so far.

     

    Although his tattoo garnered a lot of attention, the original poster advised those considering to follow in his footsteps to think twice. The risk of getting the barcode wrong is significant, and he himself has no idea how the tattoo will hold up in the future, or what kind of maintenance it will require.

    Barcode and QR tattoos are just two of the ways people are using to make their daily lives easier. Others are implanting chips under their skin for the same reason.

    Source: Oddity Central

     

  • I hope we all learn a lesson from my court case and GH¢65,000 fine – McBrown

    Actress and host of United Showbiz on UTV, Nana Ama McBrown, has explained her side of the story after she was fined a total of GH¢65,000 by the court for contempt.

    This was in relation to a lawsuit by Chairman Wontumi, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party.

    According to McBrown, she has learned her lessons and promised to tread cautiously on her show together with her guests to avert a similar situation in the future.

    The celebrated actress also offered a piece of advice to media personalities as well as social media commentators to be measured when discussing matters on their show to prevent being sued, fined by a court, or landing behind bars.

    “We were in court on Thursday and I just want to share my story to serve as a deterrent to others. This is for people who work on radio, television, and social media. Today is my turn, yours might be next but I pray that this might be the last. I don’t want to see anyone in trouble.

    “In the end, the judge ruled that our boss at UTV, Fadda Dickson was discharged. It was I, the host, A Plus, and Mr Logic who were fined, I must say that we were so lucky. The fine was a warning to us but I must thank God for his grace. We were able to instantly pay our fine due to his blessings upon our lives. We had the strength and means to settle it and paid to the court. We paid GH¢60,000 each to the court and an extra GH¢5000 to the lawyer,” McBrown detailed by thanking God for the opportunity to be blessed with money to settle her debt.

    As earlier reported by GhanaWeb, Fadda Dickson Narh, Nana Ama McBrown, A Plus, Mr Logic and Valentina Nana Agyeiwaa, better known as Afia Schwarzenegger were cited for contempt of court. However, Afia Schwarzenegger was sentenced to 10 days in prison because she was not in court on Thursday when the case was called.

    Watch the video below:

  • World’s most expensive drug costs $3.5 million per dose

    Hemgenix, a single-dose cure for a form of the blood-clotting disorder hemophilia, recently set a new world record for the most expensive drug ever at a whopping $3.5 million per dose.

    On Tuesday, The US Food and Drug Administration approved Hemgenix, a cutting-edge gene therapy designed to treat adults with hemophilia B, a serious genetic disorder in which people do not produce a critical protein needed to clot blood in case of bleeding. Until now, typical treatments required routine injections to maintain sufficient levels of the missing protein in patients, but thanks to Hemgenix, sufferers of hemophilia B require a single IV infusion to be cured forever. The only problem is that that single dose costs no less than $3.5 million, making Hemgenix the most expensive drug ever.

    “Today’s approval provides a new treatment option for patients with Hemophilia B and represents important progress in the development of innovative therapies for those experiencing a high burden of disease associated with this form of hemophilia,” Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said.

    According to a recent cost-effectiveness analysis by the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, an independent nonprofit research organization, a fair price for Hemgenix would be between $2.93 million and $2.96 million, which is still ridiculously prohibitive for the average person.

    Still, despite its steep price, many believe that Hemgenix has a chance to be successful, for two reasons: existing therapies for hemophilia B are also incredibly expensive, and people with the condition live in constant fear of bleeds that could cost them their lives.

    Gene therapies have been getting more expensive over the years. Back in 2018, we wrote about Luxturna, a single-dose gene therapy treatment for inherited blindness, which at the time was the world’s most expensive drug. It cost “only” $850,000.

    To claim the title of ‘world’s most expensive drug’, Hemgenix dethroned Zynteglo, a treatment for the blood disorder beta thalassemia, priced at $2.8 million.

    Source: Oddity Central

  • Daddy Lumba ordered to return customised Tundra

    The Chief Executive Officer of Joy Industries, Herbal Dr Manfred Takyi, popularly called Jaydee, has asked Daddy Lumba to return a customised Tundra he gave the musician and some money he owes.

    In a video shared on blogger Zionfelix’s page on Instagram, the CEO complained bitterly about how ungrateful some celebrities have been to him, including Daddy Lumba, after he helped them in their hard times.

    “When you introduce your brand and tell them to post on their social media pages, they will tell you to sign a contract with them. Those times we had over twenty artists on one platform, yes. Many of them owe us.

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Zionfelix.com (@zionfelixdotcom)

    “Even Daddy Lumba owes us. The money we gave Daddy Lumba and also customised a Tundra for him. Tell him to return our car. He had shows at which he was supposed to perform but failed to do so, not even half the show. Our money and car are with him. Today, they have turned their backs on us,” he fumed.

    According to Mr Manfred, there was a time when many celebrities were in crisis, and he stepped in to put together a show to support them financially, however, when he needed them to promote his brands, they request a contract.

    “Some of the celebrities we have helped in Ghana are here. I am not saying this without any backing. We helped a lot of celebrities when they were in crisis, but none of them have spoken about it and we live for it.

    “Yes, I am saying this with all seriousness. When some celebrities had their market go down. Joy industries as a company, as a corporate entity, had them on so many shows, but today, there is a serious economic hardship worldwide,” he added.

  • Guy faces jail time for building his own Ferrari F430 out of a Toyota

    A 26-year-old man was recently charged with forgery and breach of trademarks after it was discovered that his red Ferrari F430 was actually a modified Toyota MR Coupé.

    Italy’s Guardia di Finanza made the unusual seizure during a routine check in the town of Asti, Italy. Although the red Ferrari featured all the iconic elements of the F430, from the prancing horse logo on the bonnet and steering wheel, to the rims, brake calipers and iconic headlights, something about the vehicle seemed wrong. It’s unclear whether the motorist had the necessary documents to prove that his car was a genuine Ferrari F430 or not, but the police officers called a team of experts just to be sure. They confirmed that the car was actually a modified Toyota MR Coupé.

    Although this is certainly not the first time someone converts their cheap ride into their own exclusive supercar, what makes this case special is the high level of forgery. Instead of a simple carbon fiber frame over a regular chassis and some fake logos, whoever made this fake F430 did an outstanding job.

    Photo: Guardia di Finanza Asti

    Both the exterior and the interior of the car were closely modeled after that of the F430 Ferrari built between 2004 and 2009 at Maranello.

    According to the experts who confirmed the forgery, the car even featured original Ferrari parts and accessories, making that much harder to notice that it was actually a Toyota.

  • Rough weight loss massage leaves woman with ruptured kidney

    A Chinese woman required emergency surgery to have half of her kidney removed after a rough weight loss massage session.

    The 41-year-old woman referred to only as Ms. Miao (a pseudonym) reportedly wanted to lose some weight with help of massage, so she went to a salon in Hangzhou, China’s Zhejiang province for a session. Midway through the special weight loss massage, the woman could barely stand the pain in her abdomen, but when she told the masseuse about it, she said that it was just the fat leaving her body. That apparently reassured Ms. Miao and she gritted her teeth through the rest of the session, but the pain in her abdomen only got worse after she got home.

    Hours after the weight loss massage, the middle-aged woman started experiencing symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea, and by the time her family took her to a local hospital, she was already in a semi-comatose state. After hearing that she had been complaining of abdominal pain, doctors performed an abdominal CT scan which revealed a ruptured angiomyolipoma in her left kidney.

    Renal angiomyolipoma is a benign tumor in the kidney, which doesn’t usually have any symptoms and doesn’t pose any danger. The usual course of action after discovery is active surveillance to ensure the tumor doesn’t grow or start to bleed.

    After examining the angiomyolipoma, doctors concluded that, judging by its size, the tumor wouldn’t have bothered Ms. Miao, had it not been for the weight loss massage. Apparently, the session had been so rough that it had caused the growth to rupture, creating a massive hemorrhage.

    After performing a renal artery embolization, doctors operated on the woman, removing the bleeding tumor and half of her left kidney in the process, leaving it unable to perform its normal function. Ms. Miao is reportedly still under observation in the intensive care unit at a hospital in Hangzhou.

    Source: Oddity Central

  • Queen of the night – The rare flower that only blooms one night a year

    Epiphyllum Oxypetalum is a popular species of cactus famous for producing large, fragrant, white flowers only one night per year.

    ‘Queen of the Night’ is only a nickname, but one that fits Epiphyllum Oxypetalum perfectly. Unlike the several species commonly referred to as Night-Blooming Cereus which also bloom at night time, producing large, fragrant flowers over several weeks, Epiphyllum Oxypetalum only blooms one night a year, for a couple of hours, with its large, waxy flowers withering before sunrise. The bloom of a Queen of the Night is a rare event, one that draws crowds of flower enthusiasts to the jungles of Mexico, Central America and the Antilles for a chance to witness it in person.

    The flowering of a Queen of the Night is such a rare event that even owners of such a plant can consider themselves lucky for having witnessed it at least once in their lives. Some have never seen the event, despite growing the cactus for years.

    Anticipating the flowering of this cactus is going to occur is a tough challenge, but according to most sources we checked, the event occurs on spring or summer nights. Some say it happens on nights with a full moon or around such times, while others say the plant blooms after heavy rains.

    Adding to the allure and reputation of the Queen of the Night, the large, waxy flowers are said to be some of the most fragrant in the world, drowning the air around them with an irresistible aroma. Sadly, this only lasts for one or two hours, after which the impressive flowers start to whither. The scent of this elusive flower is often compared to that of magnolia or gardenia flowers.

    For most of the year, Epiphyllum Oxypetalum a.k.a. the orchid cactus, looks like a giant cluster of cactus stems either crawling on the ground or on any sort of support, but for one night a year, all of its flowers open at the same time to maximize pollination chances, and it truly turns into a Queen of the Night.

     

    The flowers of the orchid cactus only open at night because bats are the plant’s main pollinator, but scientists have yet to establish why this only occurs one night per year.

    The flowering of a Queen of the Night is such a rare event that even owners of such a plant can consider themselves lucky for having witnessed it at least once in their lives. Some have never seen the event, despite growing the cactus for years.

    Anticipating the flowering of this cactus is going to occur is a tough challenge, but according to most sources we checked, the event occurs on spring or summer nights. Some say it happens on nights with a full moon or around such times, while others say the plant blooms after heavy rains.

    Adding to the allure and reputation of the Queen of the Night, the large, waxy flowers are said to be some of the most fragrant in the world, drowning the air around them with an irresistible aroma. Sadly, this only lasts for one or two hours, after which the impressive flowers start to whither. The scent of this elusive flower is often compared to that of magnolia or gardenia flowers.

    For most of the year, Epiphyllum Oxypetalum a.k.a. the orchid cactus, looks like a giant cluster of cactus stems either crawling on the ground or on any sort of support, but for one night a year, all of its flowers open at the same time to maximize pollination chances, and it truly turns into a Queen of the Night.

    The flowers of the orchid cactus only open at night because bats are the plant’s main pollinator, but scientists have yet to establish why this only occurs one night per year.

    Source: Oddity Central

  • Woman spends 12 years saving up money to get her brother married

    A Chinese woman recently sparked controversy online after claiming that she has spent the last 12 years of her life trying to raise enough money to ensure that her brother finds a bride.

    It’s no secret that securing a bride in China is harder than in most other countries. One of the unexpected effects of the Asian country’s notorious one-child policy was gender inequality. For decades, many couples, especially in rural regions, aimed for boys, turning to sex-selective abortion and even infanticide to make sure that their only child was a boy.

    Males were strong enough to work and more likely to be successful enough to look after their elderly parents later on in life. Only that created a serious gender inequality in China, with more bachelors for every single woman, which makes it very difficult for men to secure a bride. So in some cases, their families offer them financial support, to increase their chances of finding a suitable bride.

    But to truly understand the need for financial support in what is considered a matter of the heart, we need to talk about ‘bride price‘. This longstanding Chinese tradition of the groom’s family having to offer gifts to the bride’s family in exchange for her hand has changed significantly over the last few decades. In the ’60s and ’70s, modest gifts like bedding were the norm, then in the ’80s it was household electronics like TVs and refrigerators, but since the economic boom that started in the 1990s, things escalated to the point where bride prices are now paid in cash, cars and houses.

    Bachelors from poor families have such low chances of finding a bride, that some regions are resorting to importing young women from neighboring countries, but some families are so determined to see their single men find a bride the old-fashioned way that they sacrifice their own lives in the process. Case in point, a 33-year-old woman from Anhui province, in eastern China who reportedly dedicated the last 12 years of her life to making sure her brother has enough wealth to secure a wife.

    The unnamed woman told Miaowen Video that she had been running a small restaurant specializing in Chinese pancakes with a monthly turnover of 100,000 yuan ($14,000). But instead of using the profits on herself over the last 12 years, she had invested in a 129 sq meter home and a new car for her brother, and she had also gifted him her restaurant…

    Source: Oddity Central

  • Vietnamese man has a school of wild river fish for a pet

    A Vietnamese man has become famous in his home province of An Giang for taking care of thousands of wild river fish who visit his house every day for food.

    Muoi Phuc’s house in Long Kien, Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, is a popular attraction for both locals and tourists. People routinely stop by to watch the man feed a school of wild fish that visits him daily. When the 52-year-old man started feeding the fish, it was just a handful of pangasius, but over the last two years, their number grew at a steady pace, and now thousands of fish stop by his riverside home every day for a bite to eat. The fish are free to come and go as they please, and others have tried attracting them by throwing food into the river, but for some reason, they only stop at Muoi Phuc’s house.

    The Vietnamese duck farmer’s life changed on Tết (Vietnamese New Lunar Year) of 2020. He remembers the day like it was yesterday. His wife and children were away and he had stopped by the house to prepare some rice to take to his grandparents for Tết. As he prepared the rice, he looked out the window and noticed a few fish coming out to the surface of the river with their mouths open, as if begging for food.

    Muoi Phuc took a handful of duck food pellets he had lying around and threw them to the fish. He then went back to his business without giving the hungry fish a second thought. But the next day, he noticed the fish again, and again he threw them some food. They’ve been visiting him daily ever since, and bring new friends with them every time.

    From the dozen or so pangasius fish that first stopped by Muoi Phuc’s home over two years ago, the school of fish has grown to several thousand – some estimate it to be in the tens of thousands – from different species, like halibut, catfish, snakehead fish, and even the aggressive white pompano.

    No one really knows where the fish came from, there was never any news of a fishery or a fish pond losing its fish, or why they chose Muoi’s home from the thousands of others in the Mekong Delta.

    At first, Muoi Phuc used a few bags of fish food every month, but now, the school of fish has gotten so big that he needs tons of food per month to keep them fed. Sometimes the cost is too much for him, so he throws them spoiled fruit and vegetables donated by local farmers, which the fish seem to like just as much.

    Tourists routinely come to Muoi Phuc’s home to see the giant school of fish for themselves, but sadly, they aren’t the only ones who stop by. Every night, dozens of fishing boats stop by his house and throw their nets in hopes of catching the giant school but so far the fish have been able to avoid them. Still, Muoi and his father often stay up to make sure no one harms the fish.

    “Many people know that there are fish here, so they take advantage of our absence to stalk and cast their nets,” Muoi told Dantri. Every time we see them fish her, my father and I beg them not to do it. I don’t know what else to do.”

    Source: Oddity Central

     

  • The world’s fastest animal reaches speeds of over 300 Km per hour

    Cheetahs are famous for their speed, but they don’t even come close to the world’s faster animal, a falcon that swoops on its unsuspecting prey at speeds of over 300 km per hour.

    The peregrine falcon is one of the most efficient predators on Earth, and it owes much of that efficiency to its unrivaled speed. During its characteristic dive, this majestic creature reaches an average speed of 320 km/h, but the highest measured speed of a peregrine falcon is actually 389 km/h (242 mph), which makes it faster than the vast majority of commercially available cars. And it’s obviously much faster than the cheetah’s 64 mph record.

    Even when flying in a straight line, peregrine falcons are impressively fast, clocking speeds of 40 to 55 km per hour (25-34 mph) in travel flight, and reaching 112 km/h (69 mph) when in direct pursuit of prey. But it’s when diving that they show their true power, swooping down at breakneck speeds that would actually cause harm to any other creature.

    Peregrine falcons are truly built for speed. Not only do they have a lightweight frame and an aerodynamic diving form that allows them to achieve incredible speeds, but they also have special features that allow them to withstand such velocity. For example, diving at over 300 km per hour would cause damage to any other bird’s lungs, but the falcon has tiny tubercles that direct pressurized air away from its nostrils, allowing it to breathe easily. Nictating membranes also protect the bird’s eyes during its dive.

    Another essential feature is the peregrine falcon’s visual processing speed. At 129 hertz, it’s the highest of any other known animal, allowing it to register 129 frames per second. For comparison, we humans have a maximum visual processing speed of 60 hertz.

    The peregrine falcon’s unmatched diving speed allows it to attack prey anywhere from a few hundred meters to a few kilometers in just a few seconds, often using the speed to deliver a serious blow to its prey. But diving at full speed would kill them as well as their targets, so the bird will forcefully flap its wings to increase drag and slow down to manageable speeds.

    It’s sad to think that only a few decades ago, this majestic creature was almost extinct, and all because of us. The pesticide DDT poisoned adult birds and made their eggshells considerably thinner, preventing the embryos from developing. This caused severe damage to peregrine falcons and many other bird species. It was only after DDT was banned in 1972, that the bird populations started to recover. By 1999, peregrine falcons were taken off of the endangered species list and their numbers have been stable ever since.

    For the longest distance flight record, look no further than the tiny bar-tailed godwit, a migratory bird that recently flew a whopping 13,560 km (8,245 miles) non-stop, over 11 days.

    Source: Oddity Central

  • Controversial video game that lets you play as Jesus Christ is finally available

    ‘I Am Jesus Christ’, a controversial video game that literally lets you play as the Messiah, from His birth to His crucifixion and subsequent resurrection, recently became playable on Steam.

    We wrote about I Am Jesus Christ in 2019, back when it was first announced by indie developer SimulaM. The premise of the game was as bold as its title suggested – it put players in the shoes of the Son of God, from his birth to his resurrection, allowing them to perform all sorts of biblical miracles, meet Jesus’ disciples and other characters, and even battle Satan.

    It got a lot of people talking, either out of excitement or outrage, but apart from some pre-rendered content and a short teaser, we didn’t get anything for the next three years. Well, the wait is over, thanks to a playable prologue of I Am Jesus that recently became available on Steam.

    Just to be clear, if you want to experience the entire game, which is said to feature over 30 biblical miracles and 60 iconic characters to interact with over the course of at least 10 hours of gameplay, you’ll have to wait a little longer. SimulaM only released a short prologue to give people a taste of what the game is like and hopefully keep them interested.

    The stand-alone prologue for I Am Jesus Christ is reportedly only a few minutes long, but that was enough for players to describe it as an experience similar to popular RPG The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, minus the combat. You get to experience places like Nazareth, meet the three wise men, and guide Jesus through biblical events like the 40-day trek through the desert.

    So far, I Am Jesus Christ has ‘mostly positive’ user reviews on Steam, with most of the negative feedback focusing on how poorly the game is optimized (low frame rate, bugs, etc.) and biblical inaccuracies. For example, one player took issue with Mary’s apparent age in the game…

    “Mary was only 13 when she had Jesus, so the version of Mary with adult Jesus should not look nearly as old as she does, she would be 43,” the Steam user wrote.

    The team behind the game was always going to have problems living up to everyone’s expectations, so criticism like the above was inevitable. If anything, it’s actually mild. But then, again, this is just a prologue, who knows what effect events like the Last Supper or the crucifixion will have on the public?

    Sadly, it looks like the full I Am Jesus Christ game is still years away, but at least now we have an idea of what it will be like.

    Source:Oddity Central

  • Four Nigerian celebrities who have reportedly dated DJ Cuppy before Ryan Taylor

    Famous Nigerian female disc jockey and billionaire heiress Ifeoluwa Otedola, better known as DJ Cuppy, recently trended online after the news broke that her current British lover, Ryan Taylor, had proposed to her.

    The news stirred many online and offline reactions because Cuppy’s love life has always been of keen interest to the Nigerian public due to her father’s billionaire status.

    However, it has been reported that over the last decade of Cuppy’s presence on the Nigerian entertainment scene, she is said to have dated some Nigerian male celebrities.

    Interestingly, some of these relationships never worked out or even lasted for long.

    Let’s take a look at some of her ex-partners below:

    Davido’s former manager, Asa Asika:

    DJ Cuppy’s most famous love affair, which was genuinely loved and followed by many Nigerians, was her relationship with Asa Asika, Davido’s former manager.

    Asika and Cuppy started dating in 2011, and their relationship has been somewhat off-and-on over the years. While they were together during their first phase, the pair never shrieked at showing public display of affection towards each other.

    However, after a while, they had to break things off, but they came back together again in 2018 and gave their relationship another try. This time they tried to keep things lowkey, but the relationship lasted only two years before it ended again.

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Asa Asika 🔌 #ThePlug (@asaasika)

    Nigeriaqn footballer, Victor Anichebe:

    DJ Cuppy and Victor Anichebe’s relationship happened during the disc jockey’s off-and-on love affair with her ex-lover Asa Asika.

    Anichebe is a famous professional Nigerian footballer who used to play for Everton. He is also a former Super Eagles striker. Cuppy’s relationship with Victor lasted a while and was quite a famous affair that garnered much public interest. However, the pair ended their relationship and parted ways amicably in 2017.

    The main reason for their break-up at the time, according to Ifeoluwa, was the issue of long-distance. When they dated, Victor played professional football in the Chinese Super League for Beijing Enterprise while Cuppy used to shuttle between London and Nigeria.

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by VA (@victoranichebe)

    Nigerian sociallite, Sean Tizzle:

    For all the years that Cuppy’s love affair had been in public, one of the few relationships that shocked many people was when she dated the singer Sean Tizzle.

    Though the relationship didn’t seem to have lasted long, we can’t forget the viral moment when Sean shared a suggestive post about his affair with Cuppy. Tizzle had taken to his social media page to address the billionaire heiress as the mother of his unborn children.

    He had addressed the disc jockey as his cupcake while likening their relationship to that of Beyonce and Jay Z. However, this popular social media post was the very undoing of their relationship.

    The post reportedly annoyed Cuppy, forcing her to cut things off with the singer 

    Boxer, Anthony Joshua:

    Cuppy’s relationship with the famous British-Nigerian boxer Anthony Joshua was never really confirmed.

    To an extent, the pair never publicly confirmed whether they were dating. But they were seen several times together going on dates and vacations both in the UK and Nigeria.

    On several occassions, Cuppy took to social media to reveal that AJ sent her some really expensive gifts. But it was never concretely established that they were a couple while also they didn’t shut down the rumour in the media that they were together.

    But the pair was quite a thrill to watch while they were together.

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by @anthonyjoshua

  • ATM machine displays users’ bank account balances like Arcade Machine Leaderboards

    If you’re the kind of person who likes to show off their wealth, head over to Art Basel Miami Beach and use their unique ATM machine to have your account balance featured on its leaderboard for everyone to see.

    Developed by New York-based art collective MSCHF in collaboration with Perrotin Gallery, ATM Leaderboard is an artistic project inspired that, just as its name suggests, displays the cash balances of anyone who uses it like the high scores of a classic arcade game, depending on the size of their bank accounts. It was inspired by the wealth-flaunting trends of modern influencers who use their apparent wealth for fame and social media followers.

    “‘ATM Leaderboard’ is an extremely literal distillation of wealth-flaunting impulses,” Daniel Greenberg, co-founder of MSCHF, told CNN. “From its conception, we had mentally earmarked this work for a location like Miami Basel, a place where there is a dense concentration of people renting Lamborghinis and wearing Rolexes. These are analogous implicit gestures to the ATM Leaderboard’s explicit one.”

    To create the unique device, MSCHF took a functional ATM machine and fitted it with a digital leaderboard and a camera. When someone inserts their debit card and inputs in their pin code, the camera takes a picture as the account balance flashes on the screen along with a dedicated animation for low funds and another for impressive sums. For example, one ARTnews journalist claims she got “an animation of a toilet stuffed with money popped up with big blue letters telling me ‘BYE!’”.

    Those brave enough to use the ATM Leaderboard at Art Basel Miami Beach should know that their faces and account balances will remain in the machine’s memory as it makes subsequent appearances at other art shows in the future, so use it at your own risk.

    When not in use, the ATM Leaderboard constantly shows photos of users and their bank accounts, but according to MSCHF artist Liz Ryan, there aren’t as many users as the creators of the project anticipated. Apparently, the general public isn’t that eager to show off their wealth.

    “It’s really interesting, because whether or not people end up putting their card in, everyone has their moment with it,” Ryan said. “You can see them going through this introspective pause where they’re asking themselves if they can go through with it.”

    “We figured, people would be really flashy, want to show off, but that hasn’t totally been the case,” MSCHF creative officer Kevin Weisner said. “And, it’s been a bit underutilized so far.”

    In case you were curious, according to most online sources we’ve checked, the most ‘well endowed’ user of the ATM Leaderboard was a bearded man in a pink t-shirt with a bank account balance of over $2.9 million. But the machine was only installed on December 1st, so the rankings could change.

    If the name MSCHF sounds familiar, it might be because this is the art collective behind other controversial artworks, such as this pair of sneakers infused with holy water, or the “satan shoes” made with a drop of human blood.

    Source: Oddity Central

     

     

     

  • Man buys 300 iPhones from Apple Store, gets robbed minutes later

    A New York man who bought 300 iPhones from the Apple flagship store on Fifth Avenue was reportedly robbed just moments after walking out of the store.

    In a world where basically anything can be ordered online, a man decided to buy 300 iPhones at a physical Apple store in Manhattan at 1:45 in the morning and walk out with a few branded “Apple” bags like it was no big deal. What could go wrong? Well, as you’ve probably already guessed by reading the title, the man got robbed while making his way back to the car, losing 125 smartphones worth approximately $95,000.

    According to a statement by the NYPD, the unnamed 27-year-old man was a regular at the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue, and regularly bought high volumes of iPhones which he then resold through his small business. Now, why he bought them in the middle of the night remains a mystery.

    The police said that a man pulled up beside the man as he was walking with his three bags stuffed with iPhones, and two men got out to demand that he hand over his small fortune. The man refused, they tried to forcefully take the bags, he put up a fight, so they punched him in the face and manage to steal one of the bags.

    Because of his buying habits, police say that there is a possibility that the robbers had been monitoring him for some time, but the case is still under investigation and authorities have asked anyone with any information to come forward.

    The Apple Store on Fifth Avenue is open 24/7, and it reportedly had a Black Friday sale going on at the time, which the robbers may have been aware of.

    Moral of the story – don’t buy hundreds of iPhones from a physical store and simply walk out with them in the middle of the night like crime doesn’t exist. Some people sell their kidneys for an iPhone, imagine what they’re capable of for hundreds of them.

  • Office worker complains that he gets paid $128,000 a year ‘to do nothing’

    An Irish financial manager for Ireland’s national railway network claims that he gets paid almost $130,000 (€108,000) a year to eat lunch and read newspapers all day.

    Getting paid to essentially do nothing doesn’t sound like something most people would complain about, but for Dermot Alastair Mills, an employee at Irish Rail, it’s discrimination. The financial manager claims that after turning whistleblower about the company’s accounting in 2014, he was gradually relieved of virtually all of his duties, to the point where he now spends most of his days eating lunch and reading newspapers. Despite all this, he still cashes his regular paycheck every month.

    “I buy two newspapers, the Times and the Independent, and a sandwich. I go into my cubicle, I turn on my computer, I look at emails. There are no emails associated with work, no messages, no communications, no colleague communications,” Mills told Ireland’s Workplace Relations Commission (WRC).

    “I sit and I read the newspaper and I eat my sandwich. Then about 10.30 a.m., if there’s an email which requires an answer, I answer it. If there’s work associated with it, I do that work. I’d say if I got something that requires me to do work once in a week I’d be thrilled.”

    The financial manager said that he had responsibility for capital budgets worth around €250 million ($261 million) from 2000 until the financial collapse in 2007. He was promoted in 2010, but his career started falling apart in 2013 when he was allegedly bullied into a new role and forced to take three months’ sick leave.

    Mills claims that, when he returned, he noticed “certain issues” with debtors and sent a “good faith” report to the Irish Rail chief executive in March 2014, before making a protected disclosure to the Transport Minister. Since then, his responsibilities at the company have been cut, as has his budget portfolio.

    “I started off with what seemed like a reasonable remit in 2013 and 2014 (€8 million). Slowly but surely it was hacked down to nothing (€400,000).”

    Mills said that when his lawyer said that he gets paid “to do nothing,” he is talking about using his skills. The financial manager added that he feels “isolated and that he has been excluded from company meetings and training opportunities.

    The unusual case is scheduled to have its next hearing early next year.

    Source: Complex.com

  • Millitant Dance Family ready to ‘Push’ happiness to the next level

    Millitant Dance Family, a dance group made up of four individuals, is set to deliver captivating performances in their bid to inspire others to remain resolute and work towards achieving their goals regardless of the obstacles that may come their way.

    Dubbed ‘Push’, the event is expected to be held on Sunday, December 11, 2022, at Lords Wembley Plus, Loso Park, Accra.

    “The show is intended to give back to the society as we have come from zero to hero. We’ll be doing a donation in the morning; we’ll play football in the afternoon and in the evening will be dance and musical performances,” said the group.

    “The focus will be on the dance, actually. It is aimed at discovering talents. We want people to know that in this world, you have to push to be successful.”

    “If you don’t push, you won’t excel. We are trying to encourage everyone to be consistent and God will make a way.”

    According to Millitant Dance Family, they are well prepared to put up a stunning performance to entertain the audience. While they believe in their capabilities, they have extended invitations to other dancers for perfect execution.

    “We’re more than a threat, we are very good dancers. Regardless, we’re trying to collaborate with other good dancers to send a message across to people who may be down,” the group added.

    The Millitant Dance Family has been in existence for some years now. They gained the spotlight when a video of their performance with Black Sherif’s ‘Soja’ song went viral due to how beautiful the moves were.

    The group has performed at many events including the Ghana DJ Awards 2022.

  • Police officers deployed to SIM registration centers in Kumasi over chaos

    Numerous SIM registration facilities in Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti Region, have police officers on duty to prevent any potential mayhem after hordes of customers with banned SIM cards flocked to the different locations.

    Customers who are impacted at the various locations are becoming more and more irate since they claim that once their SIM cards were deactivated, they are unable to use important mobile services including calls, data, and mobile money transactions.

    The clients assert that even though they completed the re-registration process correctly, their SIM cards have been disabled.

    When contacted by Citi News, several of the impacted consumers urged the National Communication Authority to concentrate on finding solutions to the problems.

    “We have been here for a couple of hours, and we were told that the system is not working because there is an access code that needs to be sent from NCA before registering our SIM cards. Most of us have already registered our SIMs cards, but they said that the registration is incomplete. My number was blocked on Saturday afternoon. I couldn’t make calls or even access my call balance. I was labelled as a thief when I wanted to make a transaction,” Elijah Ola King, a frustrated customer said.

    Theresa Adjei, another stranded customer, said that her line was blocked, making it difficult for her to withdraw or receive E-money so she could buy food and medicine for her ill mother.

    She proceeded by saying that the registration center’s lengthy line and subpar service were discouraging.

    The National Communications Authority instructed telecommunication firms to deactivate anybody who disobeyed the order by the end of November 2022 after the extension of the requirement that all SIM cards be connected to the Ghana Card expired.

  • Shatta Wale has been billed for all the big shows in December – A Plus

    Social activist and musician, Kwame A Plus have announced that organizers of all the big shows happening in Ghana this December have booked Dancehall artiste, Shatta Wale for a performance.

    According to A Plus who described Shatta as the ‘biggest artiste in the country’, he will be unveiled as a surprise act at major events this Christmas.

    A Plus made this known on United Showbiz on Saturday, December 3, adding that he couldn’t disclose the names of the top shows that have billed the ‘Cash Out’ singer.

    His revelation comes after concerns raised by social media users who questioned why organizers failed to book Shatta Wale for their shows.

    “I have witnessed a lot of concerns with people expressing worry over Shatta being sidelined by big shows.

    “Shatta Wale is on every big show this Christmas. I can’t put out the shows but Shatta Wale is the biggest artiste and so all the big shows who have billed him are keeping it as a surprise. He will out be outdoor as the surprise act. He will be at all the big shows…I can confirm that Shatta is on every big show,” A Plus told the host of United Showbiz, Nana Ama McBrown.

    Watch the video below:

  • NACOC impounds $1.4 million worth of narcotic drugs

    The Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has intercepted $1.4 million worth of Amphetamine, a narcotic drug, at the Accra Central Post Office.

    The narcotic drug, which was concealed in five Ghana Post branded boxes, was intercepted on Tuesday November 22 on suspicion by officials of the commission.

    The Head of Public Affairs and International Affairs Department of NACOB, Nana Osei Nkwantabisa, who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic yesterday, said the boxes were all destined for the United Arab Emirates.

    He explained that upon suspicion, the brown boxes were opened and found to contain a total of 150 packets of coffee, labelled “Café Naijar Classic”.

    “Each packet was found to contain 624 tablets and a total of 93,600 tablets with an estimated street value of $ 1.4 million,” he said.
    Nana Nkwantabisa said a field test had been conducted on the tablets and the results proved positive for Amphetamine, a narcotic drug.

    He said samples of the exhibit had been forwarded to the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) for further examination.

    Investigations

    When asked about the identity of the culprits, he said because it was a postal service, the commission was still connecting the dots to unravel the unknown faces behind the illicit drugs.

    “What I can confirm to you is that the drugs were moved from Newtown in Greater Accra. Investigation is ongoing, but the person is at large.

    “They put fake contact numbers on the thing and put the receivers’ number. When the receivers sense danger, they will also go into hiding, and it becomes quite tedious to get them; but we are working to get them,” he said.

    Public urged

    The NACOC public affairs head advised members of the public to refrain from engaging in the trafficking of narcotic drugs.

    He said such an act was a criminal offence under Section 37 of the Narcotics Control Commission Act 2020 (Act 1019).

    “The commission urges the general public to check the contents of parcels handed over to them before taking custody in order to be informed of the contents, especially before and during the Christmas season,” he said.

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • World Cup 2022: Otto Addo insists Black Stars needed more time to be better

    Immediate past coach of the Black Stars Otto Addo believes the team would have done better if they had more time together.

    Addo, who was named coach of the team in April, spent time with the Blacks only in the June and September break before the World Cup in November.

    Ghana failed to shine in Qatar, winning just a game as the Black Stars suffered first round elimination.

    “The windows we had were June, September and World Cup so there was not much time,” he told the media at a briefing on Saturday,” he said.

    “Surely this is normal. If we will have had more time together, we could have developed even better. I saw a lot of processes and I know it is difficult for a lot of people to understand.”

    The Borussia Dortmund talent coach resigned after the Black Stars‘ defeat to Uruguay last Friday.

    The four-time African champions will now switch their attention to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers next year.

  • Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe: Whither Ghana’s Parliament

    The governance architecture of democracies throughout history has recognised the separation of powers for the sole objective of checks on each arm of government. It is for this reason that the framers of Ghana’s 4th Republican Constitution created the Executive, Parliament and Judiciary.

    Among these three arms, no one can doubt the pivotal role of Parliament as the most important body in a constitutional democracy where the rule of law is the most important ingredient in the growth and development of the governance system we have given to ourselves as a people after decades of political instability with attendant deterioration in all facets of society.

    The unique role of Parliament is underscored by many provisions in the 1992 Constitution. It is Parliament alone that has the sole authority, among other powers to do the following:
    a) enact laws;
    b) approve all appointments of ministers and judges;
    c) approve government’s budget;
    d) approve loans, bonds, taxes and exemptions.

    Recent happenings and a sober reflection on the performance of Parliamentarians are a matter of grave concern. Unbridled partisanship coupled with a lack of collective responsibility is undermining and ruining the role of the august body in our governance system. As elected representatives of the people, it appears our MPs are at a loss and insensitive to the mood of the nation. The excruciating hardships and state of despondency do not ring alarm bells.

    Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe: Whither Ghana's Parliament

    May we ask our MPs a few key questions. Who approved all the loans and bonds so far taken by this govt? Who approved the reappointment of Ken Ofori-Atta in 2021 when it was obvious then that he had ruined the economy with his failed policies?

    It is shocking to note that in the midst of the crisis facing this country, where the leadership of the country is at a loss on what to do, our MPs have also failed to come to the rescue by failing to do their work as overseers of the executive. The poor attendance by our elected representatives to debate the 2023 budget and carry on with related statutory functions is a matter of sad commentary.

    It is so nauseating and irresponsible that MPs who are also double ministers of state chose to travel to Qatar to watch football matches and without a sense of shame sent images of their presence at matches as supporters. It is worthy of special note that the President of Ecuador politely declined FIFA’s invitation to attend the opening ceremony of the ongoing world cup, which featured the match between Qatar and Ecuador; his reason for declining the invitation was simple and responsible – due to pressing national issues in Ecuador.

    Our MPs must be reminded that Parliament is the only governance institution that suffers when there is political upheaval as our recent past has shown. The survival and success of the 4th Republic depend on Parliament. The present crop of MPs does not have the mandate of the people to destroy their hopes and aspirations. MPs who cannot cope with this commitment do not have a place in this important institution and must not offer themselves for re-election. Pure and sim Pure and simple. Ghana needs serious and responsible leaders in all segments of governance.

    Source: Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe

  • World Cup 202: We are hurt by the early exit – Uruguay FA member Eduardo Ache

    A member of the Executive Council of the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF), Eduardo Ache has bemoaned the decisions of officiating that went against the national team.

    According to him, some decisions that should have gone the way of Uruguay were not given although there was VAR in place.

    Speaking in an interview, he said it hurts that Uruguay have exited the 2022 FIFA World Cup at such an early stage.

    “…the duality of criteria hurt us. In the match against Portugal, the judge did not sanction the penalty (by José María Giménez in the addition that it was 2-0) and they called him from the VAR to revoke a decision that FIFA later recognized was badly sanctioned,” Eduardo Ache said.

    He added, “Today it strikes me that they are not going to see the VAR in Cavani’s action. If the same criteria had been used, Uruguay would continue.

    “It is very clear that we have a competitive squad, that we made mistakes, chances and luck did not play in our favor with the balls on the sticks, but we have to look ahead. It hurts for the players and coaching staff.”

    Uruguay at the 2022 FIFA World Cup competed in Group H.

    The side only won a match when they defeated Ghana 2-0 in the final group game. Unfortunately, it was not enough to send the side to the Round 16 stage of the tournament.

  • Ghana to earn over £1000 for every nurse to be sent to UK – Health Minister reveals

    The Ghanaian government and the British government are about to reach a bilateral deal to transfer nurses training to the UK in exchange for financial benefits.

    This was revealed by Health Minister Kwaku Agyemang Manu on Monday, December 5, during the discussion of the 2023 Budget on the House Floor.

    “We are engaging with the government of the United Kingdom, and we are just about to sign a memorandum of agreement after cabinet approval to begin to send nurses for training and work there and come back home after three years.

    “Ghana is going to benefit from the little money that the UK government will pass on. For every single nurse that goes away, when we finish the agreement, it is likely we will get over 1000 pounds to come and support the health system in Ghana. ”

    This is not the first time Ghana is collaborating with other foreign countries in this regard.

    It will be recalled that Barbados acquired 200 more Ghanaian nurses in March of this year.

    In a speech, Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Motley thanked the administration for providing assistance to the health sector of her nation.

    Meanwhile, concerns had been raised about the relocation since it had been believed that the nurses may have been better integrated into Ghana’s Health Service.

    Source: The Independent Ghana

     

  • IHME Scientists advocate for research funding to combat bacterial pathogens deaths in Ghana

    Scientists at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) are advocating for research funding to combat the rising number of bacterial pathogen deaths in Ghana.

    According to the University of Washington’s independent global health research center, Ghana recorded 88,649 infection-related deaths in 2019.

    According to the analysis, 49,066 deaths were caused by bacterial infections, including tuberculosis, 25,309 deaths were caused by a resistant bacterial infection, and 5,923 deaths were caused by a resistant bacterial infection.

    Under age five children numbering 24,564 died as a result of sepsis. Bloodstream infections were the most lethal infectious syndrome among children, accounting for 8,194 deaths.

    In an earlier interview, Dr. Christopher J.L. Murray, Chair of Health Metrics Sciences at the University of Washington and Director of IHME, said, common bacterial infections were the second leading cause of death in 2019 after ischaemic heart disease, accounting for one out of every eight deaths worldwide.

    “These pathogens, you know, aren’t such killers as they are, so it is quite surprising that they are still there in the community, still causing a lot of harm.

    “Well, I think some of the deaths from these pathogens are sort of hidden, because… we tend to cluster things together in syndrome like pneumonia or a bloodstream infection, or a wound infection, and don’t really dig into the details to see what are the bacteria causing those problems. And that’s when you do that. You reveal that some bacteria that most people aren’t that familiar with are actually at the root cause of multiple different um syndromes. And so part of the research is to shed light on the importance of these bacteria.”

    Authia Gray, Post-Bachelor Fellow, and Tomislav Mestrovic, Affiliate Associate Professor at IHME, both agreed that bacterial pathogens have not received significant research funding to develop vaccines.

    Tomislav stated that not only should significant investment be made in vaccine development, but also in infection control and other measures.

    They hoped that identifying these pathogens would pave the way for more concrete policy decisions.

    They explained that the first three bacterial pathogen deaths in 2019 surpassed the number of HIV/AIDS deaths during the same time period.

    IHME hopes to conduct another study in 2023 to provide a more complete picture of deaths occurring after 2019. This will aid in determining whether the number of deaths caused by bacterial pathogens has decreased or increased.

    The first attempt was to publish the completed global analysis.

    IHME has now begun to draft policy briefs aimed at specific countries and their ministries in order to inform them about the development.

  • Rotary undertakes free medical outreach at Kotoso-Kwahu

    Members of the Rotary Club of Accra Ridge, as part of their mission to provide service to others, embarked on a two-day medical outreach to provide essential primary health care to the indigenes of Kotoso and surrounding communities of Anyinasi, Bonjrasi, Nkwantanie and Bumpatah in the Kwahu East District.

    Over 1000 residents were seen and treated with various medication sourced through sponsorship and donations over the two days.

    The medical team were drawn from Accra and Kwahu.

    The Kwahu East District Health Directorate supported by providing logistics and some medical personnel.

    The District Director of Health, Mr. Mutala Mohammed Abilene was expressed gratitude for the assistance and support in providing essential health services to the impoverished communities.

    Rotary is an international service organisation whose stated purpose is to bring together business and professional leaders in order to provide humanitarian service and to advance goodwill and peace around the world.

    Rotary is a non-political, non-religious humanitarian organisation.

    The President of the Rotary Club of Accra Ridge, Yaw Arhin Mensah, in emphasising the necessity of the exercise said; “it is important that we cater to the needs of those who may not be able to afford healthcare in these tough times. We were really blown away by the numbers, especially on the second day.

    The Assembly man for the area, James Dornu Tanihu said; “Thank you very much. This came at the right time, when standard of living is going up due to the country’s current economic situation. Prices of goods and services have gone up and some could barely afford three square meal a day. With some also not having the health insurance, it becomes difficult to attend hospital when they fall sick due to lack of money.”

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • World Cup 2022: Argentina forward Lionel Messi sad to see Uruguay exit tournament

    Argentina forward Lionel Messi is disappointed that Uruguay have crashed out of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar despite beating Ghana in their final group game on Friday.

    Ghana skipper Andre Ayew missed a penalty in the 21st minute as his kick was saved by Uruguay goalkeeper Sergio Rochet following a foul on Mohammed Kudus.

    Uruguay went on to win the game 2-0 thanks to goals from Giorgio de Arrascaeta in the 26th and 32nd minutes of the game but it was not enough as teams went out of the tournament.

    “It was sad that they were left out the way they were,” Lionel Messi said.

    “It’s football, it happens, and you have to think about what’s coming, just like we do in the Netherlands.”

    Uruguay and South Korea both ended with a zero goal difference, but the side from Asia netted a total of four goals in their three games, with the South American team scoring just the two they managed against the Black Stars.

  • Having many wives keeps women away from prostitution- Ned Nwoko argues

    Essentially, he said men with multiple women like himself are helping to curb prostitution. This was stated by the lawmaker, who is married to actress Regina Daniels and other women in a recent interview with The Guardian.

    He said: “Many women are out there on their own without husbands, especially in the southern part of the country, and there is a high level of prostitution. What some of our girls do to make ends meet is regrettable and if our men emulate their northern counterparts by having more than one wife, that could probably change the situation.

    “The average southerner may have only one wife, but many girlfriends also, and he is spending his money on the girlfriends; sometimes even more than on his wife.

    The man, who has three wives, for instance, concentrates on them and his children; every money he makes is spent on the family and he is more likely not to have any girlfriends or concubines. The money those with several girlfriends spend on them is a gift, not an investment in the family.”

    The polygamist further added that he and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, are serving Nigeria by marrying many women.

    He said: “My grandfather and the Ooni’s grandfather and the then Olowo of Owo took many photographs together. So, the Ooni and I have that kind of common background, because our grandfathers were kings and served Nigeria in that capacity. And we are now also serving Nigeria by having many wives.”

     

  • Fisheries sector requires technology, innovative initiatives to unravel its potential – Richster Amarfio

    Secretary of National Fisheries Association of Ghana (NAFAG), Richster Nii Amarh Amarfio has indicated that despite the successes that have been chalked in the fisheries sector in Ghana, a lot more needs to be done in order to build a robust industry.

    He emphasized that the sector needs people who will think beyond “fisherman landing fish, selling and going home” to carefully drive it to its potential capacity.

    Speaking on Eye on Port on the state of Ghana’s fisheries industry, he stated that the sector can work to feed the entire population in terms of providing fish to fill in the protein needs of individuals, hence, the need for government to pay attention to the sector.

    Mr. Armafio advised that due to modernity, the government should make use of technology within the sector and outdo the traditional ways.

    “If you go around Korle-Gono, you find people drying anchovies by the roadside, but these same anchovies in some other countries are properly dried using the solar dryer system and they are properly canned and they have a longer shelf life. They have a higher value. So you need to start thinking technology”.

    He urged the government to consider introducing new initiatives like mariculture such as shrimping in the mangroves and brackish waters to boost the employment status and relieve the sector which caters for about 10% of the employment in the country.

    Mr. Amarfio said the fish value in Ghana is so low, hence, fishermen need to harvest so much in order to break even explaining that such a situation is not good for conservation.

    “What we need is to concentrate on value addition and increasing shelf life and I think that is where investment should be focused,” he said.

    Touching on some challenges faced by the sector, Richster Nii Amarh said, “we have few fish with many canoes and vessels chasing them all over the place”. He stated that it was one of the major reasons why they have issues with illegality within the sector as there is a battle for the survival of the fittest.

    He also spoke on the issues of the ecosystem being disturbed by upstream activities. He explained that waterbodies like the mangroves, brackish waters and fresh waters have direct relation with the marine environment and any damage to it worries the ecosystem upon which the fisheries sector is dependent on and the economy at large.

    “Crustaceans like crabs and prawns, most of them spawn around these areas. Just like the salmon, which we do not have in our waters, spawn in fresh waters. Now we have lost all the mangroves and fresh waters and the mud around them which the crabs spawn in”.

    Mr. Amarfio established that poor management of the drainage systems in the country is the major cause of the loss of most waterbodies in Ghana.

    “All of our drainage systems are channelled into a lagoon, all the domestic wastes, all the oils from the factories land in these waterbodies and continue into the ocean, so you are losing the quality that you have. Fish and other marine species are also living things so whatever is a pollutant and could destroy your life, could destroy their life,” he said.

    He stated that sand winning along the beaches leads to loss of habitual breeding grounds for most marine species especially, crabs and turtles and therefore advised that measures must be introduced to help protect and preserve the beachfront.

    “Once you lose your beachfront, you cannot get it again”.

    The Secretary of NAFAG also mentioned that many researches have been propounded about the marine space and its species and how to protect them but all these proposals have been left unattended to.

    “There’s a lot of research that had happened both by local people and international people, the challenge is that we need to have people who will now say we agree to work with science,” he averred.

    Speaking on the issues of attacks and kidnapping at seas, he stated that they keep vigilant watch as they still work on curbing the crisis and thanked the Ghana Navy for their contribution in the whole process.

    “I wouldn’t say the situation is completely abated but we have some abatement. We have to thank the Ghana Navy, we had some arrangements that made them board our vessels and they warded them away a few times and I think they have gone back but we won’t take it for granted because they continue to board other vessels in other jurisdictions and areas that are not within our eaves.”

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • I am serving Nigeria and reducing prostitution – Ned Nwoko preaches polygamy

    Nigerian billionaire, Prince Ned Nwoko who is from the northern part of the country, has called on southern men to channel the monies and resources spent on their side chicks and girlfriend into taking more wives. This, he believes, will reduce immorality in society.

    According to Ned Nwoko who has several wives with his latest being actress Regina Daniels, his decision to marry more wives is serving in the interest of his country just like Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, the leader with six wives.

    In a viral interview with The Guadian, the famous businessman sang the praise of polygamous men. He said: “My grandfather and the Ooni’s grandfather and the then Olowo of Owo took many photographs together. So, the Ooni and I have that kind of common background, because our grandfathers were kings and served Nigeria in that capacity. And we are now also serving Nigeria by having many wives.”

    Highlighting the role of polygamous men in society, Mr Nwoko who currently has 19 children added that men of his calibre concentrate on their homes and children by investing their monies into the lives and development of wives instead of taking girlfriends outside their marriage.

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Prince Ned Nwoko (@princenednwoko)

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Prince Ned Nwoko (@princenednwoko)

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Prince Ned Nwoko (@princenednwoko)

    “Many women are out there on their own without husbands, especially in the southern part of the country, and there is a high level of prostitution. What some of our girls do to make ends meet is regrettable and if our men emulate their northern counterparts by having more than one wife, that could probably change the situation.

    “The average southern may have only one wife, but many girlfriends also, and he is spending his money on the girlfriends; sometimes even more than on his wife. The man who has three wives, for instance, concentrates on them and his children; every money he makes is spent on the family and he is more likely not to have any girlfriends or concubines. The money those with several girlfriends spend on them is a gift, not an investment in the family,” said the former House of Representatives member, Prince Ned Nwoko, who is currently contesting the Delta North senatorial election.

  • World Cup 2022: Ghana finishes tournament in 24th position

    The Ghana national team bowed out in the 24th position of the 32 countries that played at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

    Pitted in Group H of the Qatar tournament, the Black Stars lost two games against Portugal and Uruguay.

    The national team however managed to beat South Korea 3-2 in the second group game of the tournament.

    Unfortunately, the result was not enough to send Ghana through to the knockout stage of the Qatar tournament.

    Ranking the countries at the tournament at the end of the group stage, Ghana is in the 24th position.

    The tournament is currently at the Round 16 stage with the Netherlands, Argentina, France, and England through to the quarter-final stage.

    Germany (17th)

    Ecuador (18th)

    Cameroon (19th)

    Uruguay (20)

    Tunisia (21st)

    Mexico (22nd)

    Belgium (23rd)

    Ghana (24th)

    Saudi Arabia (25th)

    Iran (26th)

    Costa Rica (27th)

    Denmark (28th),

    Serbia (29th)

    Wales (30th)

    Canada (31st)

    Qatar (32nd)

  • ‘Move from pre to post-production taxation’ – AGI to government

    President of the Association of Ghana Industries, Dr. Humphrey Ayim-Darke, has said in an attempt to boost industrialisation and local productive capacity, government must move from pre-production taxation to post-production taxation.

    He said the move will not only enable expected growth in the production sector but also ensure that government generates more revenue through production taxation where there is value addition.

    “The budget as it stands, I believe, has given us direction. As we seek to attain capacity, what is the relation between aggressive revenue mobilisation and building capacity? We at AGI believe that it is a chicken and egg situation, and there must be pain before gain when we get to this stage.

    “We believe to promote the industrialisation agenda that will go all the way back to correct the wrongs and informalities in the SMEs and create a saving culture and related matter, you might need to move from pre-production taxation to post-production taxation,” he said, speaking at the KPMG 2023 post-budget forum in Accra.

    He explained that given the fact that most of the raw materials are not found in this country, the removal of pre-production taxes will give some leverage to the production sector.

    “In the pre-production stage, currently you might not get all the raw materials you need in Ghana so they get imported; and one might have to pay all levies on the raw materials. However, if you excuse us from that tax and we pay it at the post-production after value-added stage, the revenue there will be higher than the primary stage.

    “But government must deploy IT systems that can track everybody in the value chain who benefitted from the pre-production taxation,” he said.

    Dr. Humphrey Ayim-Darke holds that government must work in parallel with the production sector, as its role and contribution to the country’s GDP will remain crucial even after the IMF programme and intervention.

    “You might deliberately and consciously work with the productive sector so that you do not kill the sector that will lay eggs beyond the three-year IMF strategies. Also, working in parallel and reducing a bit of the pre-production taxation is key.

    “If we do not consciously industrialise to pick up the structures of this economy and improve on them, the status quo will be the same,” he said.

    For her part, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Economics-University of Ghana, Dr. Priscilla Twumasi Baffour, reiterated that there is a need to tackle the structural issues and challenges of local production which need to be catered for to be able to take up import substitution industrialisation.

    She added that while many have touted how the IMF programme will help put the economy on a good pedestal, the country must own its game after the programme to prevent the cyclical pattern of bouncing back to challenging times.

    “Hopefully, once we go under this programme and come out of it, we’ll be able to manage ourselves well so that we don’t repeat this cyclical pattern of every time the country does well under a fund-assisted programme, the moment we come out you find we are suffering because we do not tackle the structural issues. The challenges of local production needs to be catered for to be able to take up import substitution industrialisation,” she said.

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Banking crisis: A-G’s criminal proceedings against UT Bank shareholders, others to continue in December

    The Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has initiated criminal proceedings against certain shareholders, former directors and former employees of defunct UT Bank Limited.

    GhanaWeb Business understands that the proceedings will also impact former officials of the Bank of Ghana.

    The charge sheet filed at the Accra High Court on February 5, 2020, named as accused persons Dr. Johnson Asiama; a former 2nd Deputy Governor of BoG, Raymond Amanfu; a former Head of the Banking Supervision Division (BSD) of BoG, Catherine Johnson; Head of Treasury of the UT Bank.

    Others are Mr. Prince Kofi Amoabeng, a former Chief Executive Officer of UT Bank, Robert Kwesi Armah; General Manager of Corporate Banking of UT Bank and UT Holdings; the parent company of UT Bank.

    The trial judge is His Lordship Justice Bright Mensah, a Justice of the Court of Appeal sitting as an additional High Court judge.

    Dr. Asiama and Mr. Amanfu have been charged with willfully causing financial loss to the state, while Mr. Kofi Amoabeng and the other accused persons have been charged with various offenses such as dishonest appropriation of US$7 million and other deposits of customers, fraudulent breach of trust among other charges.

    The state prosecution has since called the Receiver of UT Bank (in Receivership), Eric Nana Nipah, Registrar of the High Court (Commercial Division), Mr. Stephen Afotey and former CEO of UT Bank to testify on its behalf.

    Eric Nana Nipah who is the first Prosecution Witness in his testimony told the Court that various investments placed by various companies such as, SSNIT SOS Fund, Forestry Commission, ECG Staff Fund, WAICA-Re and the National Communications Authority with UT Bank were moved out to UT Holdings without proper authorization.

    He also testified that UT Holdings is not licensed to engage in such investment activities. The total amounts invested with UT Bank but transferred to UT Holdings without proper authorization is said to be GH¢51,334,387.08 and USD$8,799,917.

    The second Prosecution Witness, Mr. Stephen Afotey, testified that an amount of US$7 million was deposited with UT Bank on the instructions of the Court.

    This amount, he explained could not be traced when UT Bank was taken over by GCB Bank.

    In November 2022, the Court heard the testimony of the third Prosecution Witness, Mr. Stephen Antwi-Assimeng who was serving as Chief Executive Officer of UT Bank at the time bank’s license was revoked.

    The former CEO testified that UT Bank was already on liquidity support from BoG at the time he joined the bank. He intimated that UT Bank relied heavily on borrowing from BoG to deal with its liquidity challenges.

    In his testimony, Antwi-Assimeng further indicated that UT Bank established letters of credit in the total sum of GH¢141 million, for some customers of the bank and added that these letters of credit were maturing in May and July of 2016.

    He further informed the Court that the customers did not provide funds for the Letters of Credit and neither did UT Bank have liquidity on maturity.

    Testifying further, Mr. Antwi-Assimeng stated that they had situations where a number of international lenders were calling in their loans because UT Bank had defaulted while some of the loans had reached maturity levels.

    He also told the Court that UT Bank was experiencing an average of GH¢40 million loss of customer deposits, one of the bank’s key sources of liquidity. This, according to him, resulted in an acute liquidity shortage with UT Bank forced to pay higher interest rates to attract new depositors.

    Proceeding further, Mr. Antwi-Assimeng informed the Court that UT Bank, on application to BoG, received liquidity support of GH¢460 million with the instruction not to use any part of the additional liquidity support for unapproved purposes.

    He also told the Court that UT bank applied to BoG for unsecured liquidity support of GH¢30 million due to a lack of adequate securities to provide collateral for this facility.

    Meanwhile, the matter has been adjourned for further hearing in mid-December 2022.

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • World Cup 2022: Sales of Ghana chocolate surge after Black Stars help South Korea qualify ahead of Uruguay

    Ghana chocolate sales increased in Korea after South Korea advanced to the knockout stage of the 2022 World Cup with the help of the Black Stars on Friday.

    South Korea defeated Portugal, while Ghana fell to Uruguay by two goals, confirming the Asians’ place in the last 16.

    If Ghana had conceded one more goal in the match, Uruguay would’ve made it to the next round instead of Korea.

    As a result, the sales of Ghana chocolate skyrocketed 46.5 percent on Dec. 3 compared to that on Nov. 18, when the World Cup kicked off in Qatar, according to GS Retail, an operator of the local convenience store GS25.

    Ghana chocolate sales also surged 32.7 percent at another convenience store CU over the weekend. CU is operated by BGF Retail.

    South Korea will play Brazil on Monday, with the Asians aiming to reach the last eight of the competition.

  • Banking practitioners charged to demonstrate professionalism and ethical practices

    President of the Chartered Institute of Bankers Ghana, Benjamin Amenumey, has tasked practitioners in the financial sector to relentlessly demonstrate professionalism and ethical practices toward a stable environment.

    According to him, practitioners must protect the system through transparency, fairness, and sound decision-making.

    Speaking at the 2022 Governors Day in Accra, Benjamin Amenumey said the CIB will continue to develop future-fit and ethical professionals across the country.

    “We will continue to set standards and ensure the observance of ethical standards and professional conduct among members. We will also enforce the Ghana Banking Code of Ethics and Business Conduct which was launched in 2021 in collaboration with the Bank of Ghana and the Ghana Association of Banks,” he noted.

    Touching on efforts to improve the CIB’s relevance in the financial sector, Benjamin Amenumey said plans are underway to redesign its curriculum to create more opportunities for skillsets development.

    This, he explained, will ensure the Institute becomes the premium learning partner to churn out trusted professionals for the banking industry.

    He added that the implementation of the ERP (learning management system and data and enterprise resources management) is another key area of focus.

    Mr Amenumey said the CIB will seek to mobilise resources for the acquisition of necessary capabilities and technologies to enable it achieve the objectives of effective learning and delivery.

    He, however, called for effective collaboration and financial support from key stakeholders toward the acquisition of the requisite technology.

    Meanwhile, Bank of Ghana Governor, Dr. Ernest Addison on his part assured financial institutions in the country of providing support with additional liquidity in the midst of the current economic challenges.

    “In addition to the near-term adoption of the IMF programme, we will provide a balance of payment support to help with financing gaps, boost investor confidence and restore stability,” Dr. Addison noted.

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • DJ Cuppy makes first-ever post on her fiance Ryan Taylor

    Nigerian singer and disc jockey, DJ Cuppy is madly in love and she can’t hide it.

    The daughter of Nigerian billionaire, Femi Otedola got proposed to by British boxer, Ryan Taylor in November this year.

    The two had kept their relationship private until the big announcement. To many, Cuppy was still single after making several posts about being a loner.

    The news of her engagement came as a surprise to many, especially men who had eyes on her.

    On Monday, December 5, DJ Cuppy known for her love for the colour pink took to Instagram to share photos of her man, Ryan and also confirm her engagement with the huge diamond ring which she wore on her middle finger.

    “Soulmates are two people who bumped into one another and said, “There you are!” read Cuppy’s caption to her post which has attracted congratulatory messages from well-wishers.

    Earlier this year, Cuppy’s younger sister, Temi Otedola was also engaged by singer Mr Eazi and years of dating.

    Check out the photos of Cuppy and Ryan below:

     

  • CHAN 2022: Afriyie Barnieh and Ibrahim Danlad to join Black Galaxies camp

    Daniel Afriyie Barnieh and Ibrahim Danlad will join the Black Galaxies camp as they prepare ahead of 2023 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) next month.

    The Black Galaxies are already in camp preparing ahead of the tournament which kicks off in January.

    Afriyie Barnieh (Hearts of Oak) and Ibrahim Danlad (Asante Kotoko) were in the camp of the Black Stars for the World Cup in Qatar.

    The two players representing the home-based players did not feature in the tournament and are back home following Ghana’s World Cup exit.

    Afriyie Barnie and Ibrahim Danlad were instrumental in the Black Galaxies qualification to the CHAN after beating Nigeria in the final round of qualifiers.

    The Hearts of Oak star was the leading top scorer in the qualifiers and Ibrahim Danlad was the first-choice goalkeeper for the team.

    Coach Annor Walker will be waiting for his two key players to join the team as they continue preparations at the Ghanaman Soccer Center of Excellence in Prampram.

    Ghana will be making a return to the tournament after missing the last three editions.

    The Black Galaxies have been paired in Group C with Morocco, Sudan and Madagascar.

    The tournament kicks off on January 13, 2022 in Algeria

  • Mohammed Kudus: Ghana ace set for £40m move to England after impressive World Cup

    Ghana midfielder Mohammed Kudus is attracting interest from English Premier League clubs ahead of the winter transfer window.

    The 22-year-old increased his stocks after a magnificent debut World Cup, scoring two goals and providing an assist in three matches.

    His performances has seen him pop up on the radar of several clubs including Spanish giants Barcelona, but the Catalans wont make a move for the player in the transfer window.

    Ajax will be demanding $40 million pounds for the midfielder, who has been used as a striker this season.

     

    GHANASoccernet.com can reveal that Liverpool sent scouts to watch the player during Ghana’s World Cup opener against Portugal.

    Chelsea have been keeping close tabs on the versatile midfielder following his impressive display at the tournament in Qatar.

    Kudus was in contact with Everton during the summer transfer window, but the Right to Dream Academy graduate will only join a club that plays in the UEFA Champions.

    During the summer pre-season, Tottenham sent scouts to watch Kudus but failed to make a move for the player.

  • Nobody approached me to play for Ghana – Danny Welbeck

    English player of Ghanaian descent, Danny Welbeck has disclosed that no official from the Ghana Football Association approached him officially to switch nationalities and play for the Black Stars.

    The 32-year-old who came through the ranks at Manchester United was born to Ghanaian parents and grew up in the United Kingdom.

    According to him despite knowing he was Ghanaian, it was never hard for him to decide to play for the Three Lions because he grew up playing for England and looked forward to making his senior debut.

    Speaking in an interview with UK-based Ghanaian musician, Michael Dapaah, the former Arsenal player stated that no official from the GFA approached him to play for Ghana.

    “There wasn’t like an official approach from Ghana to come and play for them or anything like that, so it wasn’t as hard as a decision like people would have thought,” Welbeck said.

    “It was natural for me because I’ve been playing for England since I was 14 so it’s like a natural progression to try and reach that next step. You know you want to get to the next stage group, 19, 21, and the senior team,” he stated.

    Welbeck made his debut for England in a friendly match against Ghana which ended 1-1.

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Man Utd coach Ten Hag registers 17-year-old Ghanaian midfielder in Europa League squad

    17-year-old Ghanaian midfielder, Kobbie Mainoo has been included in Manchester United’s squad for the team’s training tour in Spain.

    This comes after the Ghanaian youngster was named in Manchester United’s UEFA Europa League B squad for the 2022/23 season.

    Mainoo joined Travis Binnion’s Under-18s squad in 2021 and excelled throughout the season, showing off excellent vision and technical ability in the middle of the park and has been awarded by Erik Ten Hag.

    The 17-year-old has been training with the United first-team squad before the start of the 2022/2023 football season and he has now been added to the club’s Europa League B squad.

    After spending a week in Spain, the United squad will return to Carrington and continue working towards the next competitive fixture, in the Carabao Cup against Burnley at Old Trafford on Wednesday 21 December.

    Kobbie Mainoo was born to Ghanaian parents in the UK on April, 19, 2005.

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Check out Otto Addo’s last message to Kurt Okraku

    Former Black Stars coach, Otto Addo has said that he is grateful to Ghana Football Association president, Kurt Okraku for not interfering in his work during his 6-month stay as Ghana coach.

    Contrary to claims that some players were selected for the World Cup upon the request of Kurt Okraku, Otto Addo who resigned as Black Stars coach less than an hour after Ghana’s defeat has refuted that claim.

    According to the Borussia Dortmund assistant coach, Kurt Okraku gave him free hands to do the work as he deemed fit and he is grateful for the trust and the opportunity to serve.

    “I want to thank the President Kurt Okraku for giving me this chance and for letting me do my work the way I wanted, I really appreciate this. This was the best circumstance I would like to work,” Otto Addo said at his post-match conference quoted by footballghana.com.

    He also thanked the players for giving their best while appreciating the technical support he had during his time as the Black Stars head coach.

    “We have to thank the Almighty God for giving us this opportunity and for giving us a team like this. I am very, very proud of the boys, they gave their all. Sometimes it’s bad luck, this is also part of football.”

    “I would like to thank the whole technical staff for supporting me in the best way they could. This was a really solid and loyal unit, everybody worked a lot, nobody sees this. There was a lot of work behind the scenes preparing for this World Cup and also preparing for the qualification,” he added.

    Otto Addo supervised 12 games as the head coach of the Black Stars since he was appointed as the interim manager to lead the team for the FIFA World Cup playoffs against the Super Eagles of Nigeria in March 2022.

    He won three out of the 12 games, lost five, and drew the remaining four matches which include the doubleheader against the Super Eagles of Nigeria.

  • Ghanaian giants Asante Kotoko appoint Orlando Wellington as assistant coach

    Ghana Premier League giants Asante Kotoko have announced the appointment of Orlando Wellington as the club’s new assistant coach.

    The experienced trainer is expected to team up with the technical team led by Burkinabe coach Seydou Zerbo.

    He joins the Porcupine Warriors as the assistant coach to Seydou Zerbo as they seek to make impact in the 2022/23 season.

    “We are delighted to welcome on board Coach ORLANDO WELLINGTON as first team assistant coach.” A statement from the club reads.

     

    Wellington has rich experience in the Ghana Premier League after guiding Berekum Chelsea to a historic feat in 2010 after ending the season as Premier League champions.

    He was assistant to Sellas Tetteh when the Black Satellites won the 2009 Africa U20 Cup of Nations in Egypt.

    Wellington has been unattached after leaving his role as head coach of Division One League side Wa Suntaa FC.

    He previously had stints with former Ghana Premier League campaigners Heart of Lions.