The 22-year-old was a delight to watch at the World Cup in Qatar despite Ghana’s early exit.
Kudus scored two goals and grabbed an assist.
Barcelona director, Jordi Cruyff confirmed that the Catalan Club have been chasing the Ajax attacker for years.
“We’ve been tracking Mohammed Kudus for more than one year. We can’t say now that Barça want Kudus,” the Barca Sporting Director told RAC 1, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano.
“But he’s attracting interest. He’s scoring goals and in Holland, they discuss a lot about his position, so yes – I know him well.”
The report add that Ajax are likely to ask for around £40million to part with their attacking midfielder who scored twice in the World Cup group stage.
The Black Stars were eliminated after the first round of the tournament following a 2-0 defeat to Uruguay.
After defeating South Korea in their second group game, the Black Stars needed a draw or win against Uruguay to advance to the last 16 stage.
But the team failed to negotiate for points against their ‘enemies’ Uruguay.
At the post-match conference, the Germany-based trainer announced he has stepped down as coach of the Black Stars to concentrate on his role as the talent development coach of Dortmund.
The Black Stars were eliminated after the first round of the tournament following a 2-0 defeat to Uruguay.
After defeating South Korea in their second group game, the Black Stars needed a draw or win against Uruguay to advance to the last 16 stage.
But the team failed to negotiate for points against their ‘enemies’ Uruguay.
At the post-match conference, the Germany-based trainer announced he has stepped down as coach of the Black Stars to concentrate on his role as the talent development coach of Dortmund.
“It was always clear that I would stop after the World Cup. My family and I see our role in Germany. I like my life at (Borussia) Dortmund (where he works as a talent coach, and wants to carry on there.” he said.
Below are some reactions from Nigerian football fanatics:
Super eagle’s coaches will never resign. They prefer to die there
9ja coach no dey ever resign
He actually did what he was hired to do😂. Get Ghana to qualify for the world cup thereafter, he became clueless😂😂😂
The dude will rather be an assistant than a national team coach 😢 he’s not confident, always making panic subs
He did well within a short period. Kudos to him.
Respect to him. He did well
He did his best, I guess
He don try. Would have courageously continued, thou. he wrote.
Although Kwesi Appiah was the first Ghanaian coach to lead the Black Stars to the World Cup, he never won a match with the team but Otto Addo led the Black Stars to their first victory under a Ghanaian coach at the World Cup.
However, Dan Kwaku Yeboah argues Otto Addo cannot be said to be a better coach than Kwasi Appiah.
He argued that Kwasi Appiah faced harsh treatment during his time which he believes Otto Addo wouldn’t have survived.
“My primary teacher taught me that the best way to compare two things is to give them the same platform. In 2022 Nana Addo’s government never assured that players would be paid during their training tour neither did he say they would be paid in Doha so there is no need to compare,” Dan Kwaku Yeboah said.
“I have read posts from people saying that Otto Addo has done better than Kwasi Appiah, but if Otto Addo experienced what Kwesi Appiah went through maybe we would have conceded 20 goals. Government made every provision available” he added.
According to him, one of the reasons for Ghana’s increasing debt levels is due to interest payments which were absorbing between 70 percent and 100 percent of government revenues.
Touching on the debt exchange programme on December 5, 2022, Ken Ofori-Atta said: “The Debt Sustainability Analysis (DSA) demonstrated unequivocally that Ghana’s public debt is unsustainable, and that the Government may not be able to fully service its debt down the road if no action is taken.”
“Indeed, debt servicing is now absorbing more than half of total government revenues and almost 70% of tax revenues, while our total public debt stock, including that of State-Owned Enterprises and all, exceeds 100% of our GDP. This is why we are today announcing the debt exchange which will help in restoring our capacity to service debt,” he added.
A young Chinese woman who lost an eye in a serious car accident dedicated her life to creating prosthetic eyes that glow different colors.
In 2013, Xia Tong lost one of her eyes in a caraccident. She was only 18 at the time, and she had it replaced with a prosthetic eye.
Instead of losing confidence in herself and shying away from people because of her appearance, the young woman decided to turn her situation to make herself stand out.
After studying to become a prosthetic eye technician (ocularist), Xia Tong started making all sorts of unique prosthetics for herself, which she showed off on social media, slowly building up a loyal following.
Xia Tong is perfectly capable of making classic prosthetic eyes that are almost indistinguishable from real ones, but she is best known for her “bionic eyes” that light up different colors and even flash at the press of a button. Short videos of her trying out some of these unusual prostheses have been going viral in China and she recently got the attention of mainstream media as well.
The 28-year-old woman told Beijing News that she got into making prosthetic eyes as a way of helping people like her deal with confidence issues. She had met a lot of people who had become isolated or had low self-confidence after losing an eye, and that inspired her to become an ocularist and create better prosthetics.
Some people want realistic prostheses, but some, like Xia Tong herself, use their disability to make themselves really unique by incorporating small LEDs in their prosthetics. This allows them to look like real-life androids or Terminator robots, and that’s admittedly pretty cool.
Xia Tong’s story and her commitment to making better prosthetic eyes recently went viral in China, with most people praising her boldness and her power to turn a traumatizing, life-changing event in her life into something positive.
CEO of Green Essentials, Yaa Anima, has disclosed that she quit her job as a relationship officer in the banking sector after two years because she did not enjoy it as much.
According to Anima, she had already begun her business but decided to accept the corporate job offer because she did not think the business could sustain her.
“There are many things we can create ourselves, but we take them for granted. I thought it could not sustain my family and me and so I decided to make a side business, but the banking took all my time. Eventually, I found out that banking was not my area, and the stress was too much,” she said.
Trust me. This business pays more than the bank on a bad month. I didn’t respect what I could make. The salary is normal. The surplus is not that much. If the banking sector is for you, you can do it. But it is not for me,” Yaa Anima added.
Moreover, Miss Anima encouraged the youth to learn a trade. Even if they do not wish to make it a career, “learn it for your sanity. Even if it’s not bringing you money. That is better than staying idle. I know I have something to do when I wake up in the morning. That alone helps.”
Yaa Anima and Green Essentials produce liquid soaps, lotions, bleach, floor cleaners, and more.
Uruguay striker Luis Suarez has expressed his displeasure after FIFA denied him access to meet his wife and children after the 2-0 win over Ghana at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
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.
Suarez explained to TeleDoce after the game: “I saw a France player with his children on the substitute bench. So why always (is it a problem) against Uruguay?”
“It seems that we have to have another power at the media level to have access to have my children to allow them come down for a second to greet me, but hey, that’s FIFA.”
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 KMJon Monday, Mrs Amadiya Abdul-Latiff indicated the ordeals the teenagers go through to obtain common sanitary pads.
“They were resulting in unhygienic means like 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 infections that have been exposed.
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.
A group of doctors in Uganda caused a stir over the weekend after kneeling before long-time President Yoweri Museveni and asking him to stand for a seventh term.
The 78-year-old leader has been in power since 1986. The next general elections are due in 2026.
The doctors representing the Uganda Medical Association (UMA) had attended a patriotism symposium in the capital, Kampala, when they were led by their leader to kneel before the president, according to media footage of the event.
In his speech, UMA boss Dr Samuel Odongo Oledo praised the president for transforming the country’s health system and improving the welfare of medical workers, the Nile Post news site reports.
He went ahead to ask President Museveni to vie again in 2026 as a presidential candidate, the NTV television station reports.
The gesture sparked controversy on social media, with many accusing the group of being subservient to politicians.
But in a tweet, the UMA distanced itself
from the gesture, saying it did not “represent modus operandi of the association”.
It said: “Uganda Medical Association has always engaged with the president through formal, professional ways including appreciating him through our annual awards.”
The Voluntary Human Extinction Movement has been trying to convince mankind to go gentle into that good nightfor over 30 years.
Founded in 1991 by Les U. Knight, an American environmental activist, Voluntary Human Extinction Movement (VHEM) believes that humanity is “incompatible with the biosphere” and that human extinction is the best solution to some of the most pressing environmental issues plaguing our planet.
There are already 8 billion of us, and at the rate we’re going, we’re going to render our species extinct anyway, but not before doing so to millions of other species of plants and animals. And if the outcome is going to be the same for us, why not at least save the other species that would actually thrive without us?
Many followers of the VHEM ideology believe that “the worst environmental crime any individual can commit is making more people”. And while that notion may sound preposterous, Les U. Knight and other like-minded people have some arguments to back it up. Apart from our destructive nature in relation to other species and our planet in general, there is also the issue of not being able to look after members of our own species.
“The intentional creation of one more human by anyone, anywhere, cannot be justified today, not as long as tens of thousands of children are dying of malnutrition or lack of care, and as long as species are going extinct at a greater number than have at any time in the last 65 million years,” Knight told CBC Canada.
The Voluntary Human Extinction Movement believes that the vast majority of issues our planet is facing right now are either caused directly by us or greatly exacerbated by our growing numbers. And since our number is going up, these problems are only going to get bigger.
Those calling VHEM’s solution too radical claim that the issues highlighted by the movements could be mitigated through a more sustainable approach where humanity becomes more environment-friendly. Knight, however, believes that this does not exclude the risk of humanity one day returning to its destructive ways, and thus insists that voluntary extinction is the only viable solution.
But what does voluntary extinction actually mean? No, the movement isn’t asking for people to end their own lives for the benefit of other species. On the contrary, it wants everyone to live long and fulfilling lives, but it also wants them to stop breeding. If we all agreed to that, our species would one day go extinct, leaving the planet to species that aren’t trying to destroy it. At least that’s the idea VHEM is selling.
“Feed ‘em don’t breed ‘em,’” was the slogan used by Les U. Knight on a recent episode of Dr. Phil. “If we all stopped procreating we’ll go extinct, slowly, we’ll clean up our messes as we go, and the biosphere – what’s left of it, will have a chance to recover.”
Despite dedicating most of his life to promoting the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement, Les U. Knight admits that the odds of a voluntary human extinction are ‘slim to none’.
“Because as long as there is one breeding couple of homo sapiens, we will be right back where we are [now]… We are just incredibly fecund,” Knight said. “Our involuntary extinction is what we are really working towards collectively.”
Reproductive choice is a big issue with VHEM, as the movement claims that hundreds of millions of couples around the world do not have the means to avoid the pregnancy that they do not want. In Africa, people don’t have enough access to condoms or other means of contraception, and in the US, the Supreme Court’s recent ruling to overturn abortion rights is only going to make things worse.
Interestingly, for all those who challenge his belief that the planet would be better off without us as a species, Les U. Knight has one simple request: “Give me one good reason why homo sapiens should continue to exist — and that good reason would have to be one that does not involve humans. Something that humans are good for other than other humans, something in the biosphere.”
The 47-year-old is expected to vacate his position as the coach of the senior national team and return to Borussia Dortmund when his short-term contract expires at the end of December.
Black Stars crashed out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar after finishing bottom of Group H with three points, losing to Uruguay in their final group game on Friday.
“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 its bad luck, this is also part of football,” Otto Addo said in a press briefing in Doha.
“It’s the ugly side of football, sometimes you are lucky, sometimes you are not lucky. But they did all they can and sometimes it’s not in your hands.
He added, “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.”
“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.”
2007. I sat beside the Maestro Abedi Pele, the celebrated father of Dede Ayew, on a trip to Namibia representing Ghana. I was part of a three-member delegation put together to market the AFCON trophy ahead of CAN 2008, to be hosted by Ghana. Riks Brobby representing the LOC chairman was with us. I was chair of the Accra Venue Organising Committee.
Our interaction over a three-day period got me closer to Abedi, one of Africa’s greatest footballers, who then retired. In truth, however, our very first encounter was in 2001 in Zurich, Switzerland, where a conference I attended included a visit to the shoppingmode FIFA headquarters.
It was there I met Abedi for the first time, after climbing the longest stairway ever to the shoppingmode FIFA offices located in the high elevations. Thereafter we met at Legon, where Abedi negotiated to construct a soccer field for his Ajax soccer club, while I was Pro-VC at Legon. Dr Owusu Ansah was Legon’s able sports director.
By a strange coincidence, Abedi’s wife, formerly Miss Banga was also my student at Legon. Her father Mr Agana Banga was Legon’s Finance Officer one of the finest, and we were neighbours at Lower Hill.
On the Namibia Airways 2007, I sat beside Abedi chatting with him about his heydays in world soccer; and I heard him confess he probably wouldn’t have survived the current robust play in the game if he was still playing.
“The soccer terrain is very rough these days; tackling is too robust; and I doubt if I would have survived, considering my small size,” soft-spoken Abedi told me, his small cheek mark sparkling.
Fortunately, Abedi somehow survived aggressive play in global soccer, through his kids, Dede and Jordan. Their soaked jerseys and battered body frames after every single match, speak volumes about their first love: we risk our lives for the sake of Ghana, but being human, we are not perfect. That’s their body language.
Despite the public bashing of the Black Stars after every game lost, none has dared blame Dede Ayew for lacking commitment to Ghana. While other players drag their feet and are obsessed with other loyalties, Dede Ayew is ever present, ever punctual, ever disciplined, and responds ever so swiftly to every single call to abandon the club, and come lift high the flag of Ghana. He screams from rough tackle, groans in pain, limp, hops, and crushes to the ground from sky tussles; but he also queries erring officials, calms nerves, soothes, and wipes tears of grieving pals. All this because of a yellow arm band, that marks him out as captain. The Akan say, ‘Title bequeathed is a burden transferred.’
Last Friday, the mob that had hailed Ayew after his splendid goal against Portugal the week before, suddenly changed their song from praise to crucifixion. The man had missed a penalty in a grudge match with Uruguay when a goal was critically needed to further advance in the tournament. Crucify him was the new refrain. Others conveyed curses in veiled speech: Ayew remain in Qatar, and never return to Ghana.
That was a threat. For once, a weeping player had none to console him: it was the comforter himself in pain. In the final analysis, Ayew had to pluck courage, and even carry a collapsed daughter to the hospital, an innocent victim of his flawed penalty kick.
His predecessor must have transferred to him, the curse of penalty kicks. For all Asamoah Gyan had done for mother Ghana: netting the fastest goal in the 2006 world cup in Germany, and putting smiles on the faces of Ghana and Africa umpteen times, his critics only remembered goals squandered. 2008, he was the whipping boy denying Ghana a goal harvest against Namibia in Afcon. Even the lives of family members were put at risk. Then came 2010, the famous penalty kick against Uruguay, which missed the target. That was the last straw; he was crucified again and again, and now carries a permanent cross.
Gyan somehow carried the curse to his successor Dede Ayew, who has missed a penalty kick that could have sunk Uruguay and sent Ghana to the next round in Qatar. Dede has a golden past; he led Ghana to score Africa’s first goal in Qatar; which was against Portugal. He had altogether netted for Ghana a total of 24 goals from 47 matches. In 2021, he became Ghana’s all-time top scorer at Afcon. Since last Friday, all that has been expunged from history books. The missed penalty in Qatar is now Ayew’s final certificate in his soccer career.
Somehow, I have faint memories of one penalty experience that broke the nation’s heart, long before Asamoah Gyan. That was 1992 when the Ghana Black Stars in an Afcon encounter lost to Ivory Coast in a penalty shoot-out at Senegal. Abedi Pele was at his peak but missed the shootout due to a red card. After a ding-dong-ding-dong shootout, Ghana lost narrowly to Ivory Coast by 10-11, and guess who was the whipping boy: Tony Baffoe then in dreadlocks.
He missed the net on his second turn to kick and took all the bashing for Ghana’s narrow miss which could have been our 5th Afcon championship trophy since 1957. Hell broke loose in Ghana, and the culprit’s head was on the chopping blocks. I was then executive chair of the newly established Radio Univers, then Voice of Legon and had sent Kwame Baah Nuako and the rest to the airport, to interview the crestfallen Black Stars arriving from Dakar.
I myself targeted for interview Tony Baffoe himself, the cardinal offender. The entire nation was in tears, and Tony was agonizing when I met him, absorbing curses and abuses all over. But did Ghana perish? No. Did the Black Stars blackout? No. We learned our lessons and bounced back.
Andre Ayew of Ghana celebrates with Mohammed Kudus after scoring their team’s first goal during the shoppingmode FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group H match between Portugal and Ghana at Stadium 974 on November 24, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Unfortunately, contemporary soccer has played itself into archaic traditions of remembering only the down part of life, and descending heavily on ‘the diligent child that trips and breaks the pot while returning from the stream.’
In the not-so-good old days, abuse after a defeat was the norm; and it was unthinkable for the village head teacher, to watch his school team lose to another in a home game, without reacting. He would simply enforce his own time out, pull the faltering player out of the pitch, and give him six lashes, before restoring him.
That was a type of corporal advice by the head, who doubled as a coach. In my own holy village, the accused player was not whipped; he would simply be ambushed after the game and pelted with cocoyam. In all cases, it was meant for the culprit to go and sin here no more.
Unfortunately, the crude coaching technique occasionally worked. Three minutes after the lashes, the ‘counseled’ left winger crossed an in-swinger that curled and hit the left corner of the net for the winning goal. It’s a go-o-o-oa-a-a-al! Hundreds of spectators would throw themselves onto the pitch in celebration. The headmaster’s cane had worked.
In all this, supporters of Phobia knew better, if a player missed a crucial penalty kick or a goal in a tournament. It was advisable for the suspect to remain in the changing room after the game until further notice. In most cases, a critical goal had been missed in a situation where ‘even a child would have scored.’ For your sake a jury was waiting outside to deliver your sentence.
By this time, you may have seen a viral video in social media, where tiny primary school kids playing soccer in a village, decide on a winner through penalty kicks. The captain positions himself and takes a swift penalty, which an able goalie saves in style. But the faltering culprit would not go scot-free; he is given a hot chase by players from both sides including the skilful goalie himself.
Knowing his guilt, the hapless player does not take chances; he sprints towards the touchline, but is outpaced and arrested by his colleagues who crowd him out, and give him a few body blows and discharge him, or rather put him under probation.
Africa’s attitude to faltering players is what our grandchildren have imbibed at a very early age, and we better change the script and produce more Abedi Peles; or else dying for one’s country will soon be an ancient past time.
Overlord of Dagbon Traditional Area, Yaa-Naa Abukari II has been designated as the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) worthy Ambassador.
This is in recognition of the Yaa-Naa’s active and personal interest in encouraging Ghanaians home and abroad to register for the NHIS.
The title was conferred on the Yaa-Naa at a colorful ceremony at the Gbewaa Palace in Yendi when a high powered delegation from the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) led by the Chief Executive, Hon. Bernard Okoe-Boye paid a courtesy call on the Dagbon Overlord.
The visit formed part of the NHIA Chief Executive’s Northern belt tour which began in the Northern Region, Tamale to be precise.
Ndan Yaa-Naa Abukari Mahama II graciously accepted the title conferred on him and promised to ensure that the NHIS succeeds.
He blessed the NHIA leadership and reassured Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye of the Dagbon traditional area’s support and urged him to remain focused.
“Building a good working relationship with the traditional authorities is a form of ensuring all-inclusiveness in the affairs of the Authority. I, therefore, wish to give you the assurance of the readiness of the traditional authorities in the Kingdom to collaborate with you to ensure that you do a good job for the country.”
“I am very confident that you are more than fit to man the affairs of the Authority. Your readiness to collaborate with the traditional authorities as custodians of the land and major stakeholders in the affairs of the people.”
“The NHIS is an important national policy initiative by the government which touches the lives of millions of Ghanaians, and the success of this critical asset requires the support and collaboration of all to make it realize its objective,” Ndan Yaa Naa stated.
The Dagbon Overlord appreciated Dr. Okoe Boye’s stellar performance so far and encouraged him to continue to make decisions that will satisfy the health needs of all residents in Ghana and beyond.
“Through your nature as an achiever, you have started leaving giant footprints on the sand and I take this opportunity to commend you and your management team for the sustained efforts aimed at ensuring that the NHIS serves the needs of our people as envisioned by the framers of the policy.”
“Your strategic policy interventions including the setting up of the committee to address the issues of illegal charges at healthcare facilities is a major step in the right direction. The practice of illegal charges by the hospitals was a source of major concern not only to the people of the Northern Region but all Ghanaians.”
“Your decision to stop the practice is welcoming news. In line with this, the upward review of the prices of medicines and tariffs to address the incidence of healthcare facilities refusing to give medicines to NHIS members because of complaints of low prices is commendable.”
The Dagbon Overlord lauded the waiver of the one-month waiting period for late renewal of NHIS membership for the aged above 70 years.
“Your policy to waive the waiting period for older people who are 70 years and above shows your appreciation of the negative impact of the waiting period on the health of the aged and the vulnerable.”
“The consideration of prostate cancer on the list of sicknesses covered by the NHIA is welcome news to the people of Dagbon and Ghanaians at large,” Ndan Yaa-Naa stressed.
Ndan Yaa-Naa Abukari II called for enough logistics for the NHIS Yendi district office.
“I wish to use this opportunity to appeal to you to provide the NHIS in Yendi with mobile kits to enable them to operate outside their office. This is a major concern to the officers when they have to operate outside their office.”
“I wish to appeal to you to consider the applications of the pharmacies within the Yendi Municipality to help in the supply of medicine and related services of NHIS to patients to solve the problem of shortage of medicines in our hospitals. This is a major concern to the people of this area.”
Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye thanked the Yaa-Naa for his continuous support and guidance.
He reinforced areas of common good between the traditional leaders and the NHIA and added that his administration remained committed to actively engaging all major stakeholders in ensuring that Ghanaians both home and abroad are covered by the Scheme.
He made a passionate appeal to the Yaa-Naa. “I appeal to the Overlord to use your influence and appeal to our people to register onto the NHIS.”
“December is the NHIS active month and we will commemorate it beginning in the Northern Region. I promise the Yaa Naa a technological gadget that will be helpful to him and his people to access quality healthcare.”
“I want to assure you that enough mobile kits would be deployed to the region and the Yendi district in a week’s time.”
The delegation later paid a courtesy call to the Regent of Mion, Alhassan Abdulai at the Mion Palace.
The Mion Regent called for a permanent office accomodation for the Mion NHIS, more staff and an operational vehicle.
He claims that one of the factors contributing to Ghana’s high debt levels has been the utilization of a significant portion of tax revenue for debt payments.
He continued by saying that an IMF review of debt sustainability had shown Ghana’s debt to be unsustainable.
“Indeed, debt servicing is now absorbing more than half of total government revenues and almost 70% of tax revenues, while our total public debt stock, including that of State-Owned Enterprises and all, exceeds 100% of our GDP. This is why we are today announcing the debt exchange which will help in restoring our capacity to service debt,” he added.
The Minister announced that Ghana is embarking on a debt exchange programme where domestic bondholders are allowed to voluntarily exchange their bonds with fresh bonds.
He added that the government is expected to reach some level of agreement with the International monetary fund for financial support.
“We expect to reach a Staff-Level Agreement soon on an IMF programme aimed at restoring macroeconomic stability and protecting the most vulnerable. To this end, as a government, we are determined to implement wide-ranging structural and fiscal reforms to restore fiscal and debt sustainability and support growth,” he said.
The former Arsenal and Manchester United forward was born in the UK to Ghanaian parents and made.
Welbeck made his debut for the Three Lions as a substitute against Ghana in an international friendly at Wembley Stadium in 2011.
The 42-capped Englishman revealed choosing to play for his country of birth was not a difficult decision to make.
“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,” he told the YouTube channel, Michael Dapaah, in an interview.
“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 also revealed that making his senior England debut against the country his parents is a memory he will always keep with him.
“I remember this game because I made my debut against Ghana,” Welbeck added.
“It was like my family, not in the England section, and they are like boo; they were booing along as well, so it was a mad moment, but one that is definitely a highlight.”
Ghana international, Elisha Owusu, says the Black Stars will look to playwith more hunger in their next assignment following their elimination from the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The Black Stars suffered a group-stage exit in Qatar following their 2-0 defeat to Uruguay in their final group game at the Al Janoub Stadium on Friday, December 2.
Ghana needed a draw to stand a chance of progress from the group heading into the final game but that result proved a difficult task as they succumbed to defeat.
Reacting to the exit, Owusu, who was one of six not to have gotten any minutes from the three games, said the team will be back better than ever while also thanking the fans for their support.
“First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge and thank our great fans for their consistently amazing support throughout the tournament,” he wrote on his Instagram page.
“Although we were not able to qualify, I am proud of my teammates for the hard work they put in on and off the pitch. I am sure with this determination and fight, that we will be back to give the wonderful fans of Ghana the performances they deserve.
“On a personal note, I am very thankful to have experienced the World Cup as this has always been a dream of mine. This would not be possible without God, which is why I am always grateful. I will continue to put in the hours off the pitch to ensure the future is bright.
“The Black Stars will be back stronger and hungrier than ever!” he added.
The exit from the group stage now means Ghana has suffered back-to-back exits in the first round of the World Cup in their last two apearances.
Residents of Asante Akyem North Constituency in the Ashanti region have expressed disappointment in their MP over claims of a functioning plantain processing factory in the area.
Andy Appiah-Kubi during a parliamentary debate claimed the factory was already exporting plantain to Canada in defence of the government’s One District, One Factory (1D1F) initiative.
Inside a private plantain factory
Asante Akyem North MP put up a strong defence during a debate on the 2023 Budget on the floor of parliament.
He touted the initiative as one having provided a source of livelihood for Ghanaians, especially his constituents.
Side of the Defunct Plantain Factory
The Asante Akyem area is one of the leading plantain-producing communities in Ghana.
Farmers, traders and residents of Agogo however say they are yet to see any plantain processing factory in operation.
Asante Akyem North MCE, Francis Oti Boateng
They are calling on their MP, Andy Appiah-Kubi to retract his claim.
The Municipal Chief Executive Officer, Francis Oti Boateng, also sighted the factory which sits in weeds.
“The first face of the factory is done, it is left with the second face. We are yet to get machines”.
He is clueless about plantain processing for export.
“We have been producing but for exporting, we are yet to begin”.
Former MCE for Asante Akyem North, Andy Appiah Kubi
A former DCE who is into private plantain biscuit processing, says there is no such plantain processing factory in the constituency.
“As a meme bet of parliament, he should have known that the factory is not even located at Agogo”.
George Frimpong, further explained how government and 1D1F Secretariat failed to fund his project.
“After government accepted to fund the project, we were told to visit Exim bank but as of now, not even a penny has been given to us”.
SEND Ghana is asking the government to make clear, its intention to double LEAP grants from GH₵45.00 to GH₵90.00.
In a press release issued on Thursday, 1st December 2022, the organisation commended government’s promise, stating that the 100 percent increment would “mitigate the rising cost of living among beneficiary households.”
However, they raised the issue that the ‘visionary’ development plan captured in the budget statement was ambiguous.
Therefore, in their request for transparency and accountability from the government, SEND Ghana requested that government should “explain the amount stated in the budget and indicate the specific amount to be paid to the category of beneficiaries.”
SEND Ghana also pointed out that they found the intention to double LEAP grant “problematic,” the reason being that the number of eligible members of a household determines the amount received.
The organisation further pointed out an inconsistency in the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta’s presentation, and disclosed that the current amount received by a single-member beneficiary was GH₵64.00 and not GH₵45.00.
For the aforementioned reasons, coupled with SEND Ghana’s wish to know when the said promise will take effect, the NGO has asked the government to shed more light on their intentions.
SEND Ghana, a subsidiary of SENF Foundation of West Africa, announced their assessment and analysis of the 2023 National Budget Statement and Economic Policy on Thursday, 1st December, 2022.
The assessment was based on a 5 year trend analysis spanning 2019 to 2023, and covered five ministries; Health, Agriculture, Sanitation and Water Resources, Education as well as Gender, Children and Social Protection.
Chief Executive Officer of Silver Star Auto Ltd, Asad Nazir, has revealed that the free Value Added Tax (VAT) on locally assembled vehicles is a game-changer to saving Ghanaians 12.5 percent of their income; hence, they should take advantage of it.
Due to the local assembly policy introduced by the government, this incentive, according to him, ranged between GH¢60,000 to GH¢100,000 on their models compared to imported ones.
“Imagine you bring a vehicle which is not assembled in Ghana. You have to pay 12.5 percent VAT on it; and you have a vehicle that is assembled in Ghana and there is zero VAT on it, why would you go and pay extra duties on imported vehicles in this tough time,” he said.
Mr. Nazir made this disclosure in an interview with the B&FT on Tuesday, during a working visit to its assembly plant in Tema by the French Chamber of Commerce, indicating that Ghana is on the path to attaining self-sufficiency through its Buy Ghana, Eat Ghana, and Wear Ghana Agenda. Therefore, Ghanaians should play a relentless role to help government achieve such worthy course by patronising locally produced items, especially vehicles which attracts no VAT.
General Manager of Japan Motors, Sales and Marketing Department, Amine Kabbara, noted that the company has invested in the assembly plant based on the promise from government after announcing the auto policy. However, they are waiting on government to also play its role in implementing the policy.
“This is key for the economic transformation of Ghana. Thankfully, other players are on board as well, but we are one of the first players to bring confidence to that agenda; so, the ball and eye is on the government to move to the next phase,” Mr. Kabbara said.
The 22-year-old was a delight to watch at the World Cup in Qatar despite Ghana’s early exit.
Kudus scored two goals and grabbed an assist.
Barcelona director, Jordi Cruyff confirmed that the Catalan Club have been chasing the Ajax attacker for years.
“We’ve been tracking Mohammed Kudus for more than one year. We can’t say now that Barça want Kudus,” the Barca Sporting Director told RAC 1, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano.
“But he’s attracting interest. He’s scoring goals and in Holland, they discuss a lot about his position, so yes – I know him well.”
With Tottenham, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea interested in the promising forward, the former FC Nordsjaelland is open to the Premier League according to reports.
The report add that Ajax are likely to ask for around £40million to part with their attacking midfielder who scored twice in the World Cup group stage.
Vodafone Ghana has launched a community safety campaign called “100% Home Safe” to help reduce road accidents among commercial drivers ahead of the Christmas holiday season.
During the event, Vodafone Ghana collaborated with the National Road Safety Authority, the Motor Traffic and Transport Department, the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Private Road Transport Union, and the Road Safety Transport Corporation to educate drivers on road safety and responsible behaviour.
Speaking at the event, Ashiokai Akrong, Human Resource Director at Vodafone Ghana, stated that the initiative will assist drivers and other road users in adopting behaviours that ensure they arrive home safely before, during, and after the Christmas season.
“Safety is both a priority and a core value at Vodafone Ghana; it is ingrained in all of our projects and activities,” she said.
“100% Home Safe” means that all employees, suppliers, and contractors of Vodafone must take steps to make sure that all their workers get home safely 100% of the time.
She went on to talk about how Vodafone’s commitment to health and safety has helped the company over the years. “Since 2020, Vodafone Ghana, our suppliers, and contractors have had no vehicle-related injuries or deaths,” she said.
“We want our communities to adopt this perspective for our mutual benefit. So, we have launched this road safety campaign to urge drivers and other road users to adopt behaviours that will guarantee that we all arrive home safely every single time,” she added.
She also announced one of Vodafone Ghana’s initiatives to motivate motorists to practise safe driving habits throughout the year.
“As part of our commitment to “‘100% Home Safe’, Vodafone Ghana will award a prize to the driver with the best safety record at the GPRTU awards and the National Road Safety Authority awards.”
Felix Owusu, the Greater Accra Planning Manager for the National Road Safety Authority, praised Vodafone Ghana for channelling its resources to help reduce road accidents in Ghana.
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.
Suarez explained to TeleDoce after the game: “I feel sadness and disappointment.”
“My son is also leaving the stadium with the image of that sadness, so for a father it is difficult, but he has to face the situation that he has.”
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.
Since the deployment of Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) electronic services [mobile money services] two months ago, there has been a considerable increase in usage, Dr. John Ofori-Tenkorang, Director-General of SSNIT has said.
SSNIT adopted mobile money services as part of measures to enhance service delivery. With the new services, members can pay their contributions and retirees can choose to receive their pensions via MoMo.
Addressing the media during a conference held in Koforidua, the Director-General highlighted that the electronic channels will allow SSNIT to migrate its inflows from the normal channels which have been cumbersome for contributors.
“What we have made available now is that in the comfort of your own office or home, you can go online and pay either through your debit card, your bank account; and more importantly also, through MoMo E-Levy exempt. Since we launched this about a month and a half to two months ago, we’ve seen quite a bit of a significant uptick on those channels,” he said.
“We believe that in the next year or so, we will probably see a significant amount of our inflows migrating from the normal channels, which are a bit cumbersome, to the very easy electronic channels that we’ve made available,” Dr. Ofori-Tenkorang said.
Given the scheme’s target of enrolling about a million self-employed in the country, Dr. Ofori-Tenkorang mentioned that these channels which have been opened up will come in very handy to get the self-employed to join SSNIT and pay without leaving their place of work.
“I believe that these channels that we’ve opened up will also come in very, very handy when we get the self-employed to join SSNIT and pay without leaving their place of work. So far, so good. I think that there is a lot of improvement that can be achieved, and we hope that by the close of the next year we will see a very significant uptick,” he said.
“Right now, within the three months that we’re doing the sensitisation we’ve jumped from 14,000 to 18,000 – which is an about-30 percent increase within just three months.
“We hadn’t even launched, even though today you can walk into an office to write your name as a self-employed person. We haven’t gone out there and, you know, basically officially opened the channels. This 30 percent uptick was achieved even before we rolled out the electronic payment channels,” he said.
“So, it is our hope that within the next year or two we should be able to get about a million self-employed people to sign onto this SSNIT scheme; and by so doing they will be assured that when they retire, they too will receive a monthly pension,” the Director-General stated.
As of October 2022, the Trust had paid about GH¢3.4billion in pension payments as well as survivors’ benefits and lump sums.
The Director-General said the Trust will close the year having paid about GH¢4.1billion.
“This is a significant amount of money that gets pumped into the Ghanaian economy to help pensioners survive, and this shows you how systemic and how important our organisation is – and that we should take this business very seriously.”
A new pageant aimed at grooming young ladies in marketing skills has been launched at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi.
The pageant, instituted by Power to Generate Wealth Ghana, will also been headlined by Akumaa Mama Zimbias the face of its brand.
The Director of PGW-Gh, Kenneth Amoako, said that marketing teams will be formed for each participant and even after eviction, such contestants will still be part of the marketing team.
He also mentioned that cash prizes and other coupons will be awarded to the winner of the pageant.
Akumaa Mama Zimbi, award winning actress, women rights activist, and the brand ambassador for PGW-Gh, added that though it is a pageant, it is not only about showcasing beautiful faces, nice body figures and great facial expressions.
She said that the pageant will also focus mainly on teaching the girls how to build great marketing skills.
“The main motive of the pageantry is to train ladies with new and great marketing skills and to help them establish themselves very well,” she said.
Akumaa Mama Zimbi further urged every lady to try and become part of the pageant so that they can partake in its benefits.
Healthcare professionals in the Volta Region, specifically the Central Tongu district, have recounted the positive impact the services of Zipline have had on healthcare delivery.
This comes after about a year since the company began operations from the Anum centre.
The Anum distribution centre of Zipline currently delivers medicines, vaccines and blood products to over 350 health facilities in both the Volta and the Eastern Regions.
Some health professionals, during a recent media tour to access the operations of Zipline, say there has been a significant improvement in the overall health delivery and disease control in the district as a result of the “fast, reliable and dependable” deliveries of Zipline.
A senior enrolled nurse at the Kpoviadzi Health Center, Aisha Naa Kwamaah, revealed that the decision of the government to partner with Zipline is a worthwhile one as this has come to reduce many of the challenges they had witnessed in the past.
“I must say that health delivery in this area [Kpoviadzi] has seen a very significant improvement. Attendance at our health facility has increased as many of the residents now know we will not refer them to other secondary facilities as a result of the non-availability of medical commodities.
“Even if we don’t have a particular medicine to prescribe, we can call Zipline who will definitely deliver within 30 minutes. We also do not have to travel long kilometres to Adidome for medicine as we used to.
Aisha added; “Aside from the improvements in health outcomes, their services have helped in reducing the time spent to access healthcare. We do not have to necessarily wait for the regular requisitions to the district capital before we work. Our previous way of using commercial vehicles to bring medical supplies has also drastically reduced”.
The Disease Control Officer at the Central Tongu District Health Directorate, Vera Nyamata said her work in the region has seen great improvements as a result of the partnership.
“Zipline has made our work towards reducing disease prevalence in the district very productive. We no longer panic when there is an outbreak of diseases because we are able to make multiple vaccine requests from Zipline and they are delivered to us faster.
“Within riverine communities where snake bites are more prevalent, the Zipline invention has seen us stock the health facilities there with enough anti-snake venom serums which are administered anytime we receive patients who have suffered snake bites”.
A Principal Health Nurse at the Kpoviadzi Health Center, Mercy Dugbenu was full of praise for the government since, according to her, the choice of partnering with Zipline is a bold one that is delivering real results, particularly for those in remote areas.
The Community Lead for Zipline in Anum, Magdaline Awushi Bukudah, told the media that the company has delivered over 1.3 million units of medical commodities, vaccines, and blood units just within a year of launching this center.
“There is no doubt that our services are truly making the desired impact in the communities where we serve. We appreciate the government and all other stakeholders who have given us the required social license to operate; we remain committed to our core mandate of not letting anyone behind access critical commodities when they need them the most.
A 35-year-old woman is in critical condition after an armed robbery attackat Awutu Edahadaha, a suburb of Awutu Bereku in the Awutu Senya West District of the Central Region.
The woman sustained gunshot injuries to her waist after the armed men shot sporadically through the windows of every house after residents failed to open their doors.
According to some eyewitnesses who spoke to Adom News’ Seth Kofi Adjei, the past four days have been a living hell as their community has become the target for armed thieves.
Consequently, they revealed that it has become the norm to lock themselves up in their rooms upon hearing the sound of gunshots.
However, the armed robbers continued terrorizing the residents and resorted to shooting the doors and windows.
The residents said they witnessed the victim being shot but could not come immediately to rescue her as they were traumatised by the incident.
The victim has, however, been transported to the Winneba Trauma Hospital.
Argentine journalist Alejandro Fantino claims Uruguay were undone by the video assistant referees (VAR) for exiting the 2022 World Cup in Qatar despite beating Ghana 2-0 in their final group game.
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.
“I was frozen with what happened to Uruguay (in the 2-0 victory against Ghana where Alonso’s men lacked a goal to qualify)”, Fantino said.
“They charged him with a penalty that was not (Rochet on Kudus) and that they reviewed it three and four times. In addition, they did not ask for another favour. They definitely took him out of the World Cup.”
“Edinson Cavani’s last play (when he fell in the area paired with a Ghanaian in addition time) at least you have to review it, it’s crazy not to review it by the referee,” said former goalkeeper Oscar Passet.
“The VAR is a permanent coin in the air,” Fantino continued. “Tt scares me, it can take you out at any moment or moment, it no longer depends on you, they put together a cause and they take you out.”
“It arrived as a weapon, an instrument of hit men. FIFA uses it openly, it does not depend on whether you score a goal or not. What happened to Uruguay is definitely a sample. It no longer depends on a player.”
Nigerian artiste, Harrysong, has opened up on why his colleagues are rapidly achieving global success in their music careers.
Speaking with KMJ on Prime Morning on Joy Prime TV, the musician shared a number of reasons that account for the various achievements by his countrymen, including making sacrifices and investments.
“[Nigerians] move, connect and sacrifice. They build relationships, they go to America and pay for promotions, they connect with the biggest shots and make it happen there”, Harrysong revealed.
The ‘Reggae Blues’ hit-maker opined that regardless of the large Nigerian music market, artistes do not stay relent. “We are not complacent of the fact that we have a large market in Nigeria and let’s just collect the money that is here…we move and connect”, he added.
Harrysongs eventually cited himself as an example, mentioning that he had embarked on a visit to Ghana days ahead of his performance at an event, which is what many of his colleagues usually do. He believes these efforts, including connecting to fans are some of the reasons behind the global success and recognitions being chucked by Nigerians.
Born Harrison Tare Okiri, Harrysong is a singer, song writer and instrumentalist who rose to fame after his tribute song to Nelson Mandela won the Most Downloaded Callertune Award at The Headies 2013.
He is the founder and CEO of Alter Plate Music company and has produced popular inspiring danceable tunes like Ofeshe, She Knows ft Olamide & Fire Boy DML, Baba for The Girls, Reggae Blues (ft Olamide, Iyanya, KCEE, Orezi.
But what about when you’ve brushed, flossed, mouth-washed, and not eaten any spicy food like garlic, and are still finding that your breath is less minty, more malodorous?
Good oral hygiene must be taken seriously if you want to avoid halitosis, but it’s not the only factor that can play a part in the smell that comes out when you open your mouth.
Here are 5 other things that can cause bad breath.
Cutting down on carbs
Cutting down on carbs and upping your protein intake can be a major factor in whether or not you have bad breath. This is because they cause your body to break down fat for energy and create ketones. The excess ketones put a lot of stress on your kidney.
Skipping meals
Whether it is a deliberate attempt or you’re doing it for religious reasons, skipping meals can have a serious negative impact on the freshness of your breath. Avoiding meals or fluid slows the production of saliva leading to the breeding of bacteria which causes bad breath.
Chewing too much gum
Chewing gums in the short term after eating spicy food is not harmful. It causes serious health issues in the long term because they contain hidden sugar that leads to the accumulation of sticky plaque on the teeth. This also encourages the growth of bacteria and its effects may be worse than those of dry mouth in the long run.
Dehydration
Drinking the recommended dose of water on a daily basis has many beauty and health benefits such as keeping your breath fresh all day. Dehydration can cause halitosis because bacteria that live in the mouth tend to multiply as the mouth dries out.
Strep throat
Strep is a bacterial infection, not a viral one, and those invading bugs can cause your bad breath to smell bad, says Dr. Grbic. Not only that, but other kinds of sinus infections can turn into bacterial ones that produce a smelly, pus-like type of mucus.
Ghana Textiles Printing Company Limited, also known as GTP, is the country’s top textile manufacturer and is recognized as the most popular fabric brand in Africa.
Established in 1966, the business creates, prints, and markets GTP and Woodin brands in Ghana and throughout the sub-region.
The Home Builders Africa Awards were established to honor business leaders who have made significant contributions to society’s development and success.
Organisers of the Home Builders Africa Awards celebrated the company after concluding that its fabrics are of high quality, unmatched and are worn for every occasion or event in Ghana, hence decided to award them with a prestigious award to celebrate their accomplishments in the textiles sector.
A citation in their honour read as follows:
“Over the years, GTP has become a household name for African Prints and Fabrics. Your designs and patterns have stood the test of time.
There is no ceremony, celebration, occasion or event in Ghana without GTP. Your authenticity, quality, design and originality are unmatched.
GTP continues to remain the people’s choice of fabric. On this occasion, we honour you for being the MOST PREFERRED AFRICAN FABRIC BRAND – 2022.
Leaders of South Africa’s governing party are meeting to discuss President Cyril Ramaphosa’s future amid a corruption scandal that has led to calls for him to resign.
A panel of legal experts said last week that Mr Ramaphosa may have broken the law by allegedly covering up the theft of a large sum of cash at his farm.
The president’s spokesman described the report as “flawed”.
Speaking on Sunday, Mr Ramaphosa said his fate was in his party’s hands.
The meeting of the African National Congress’ executive committee – its top decision-making body – comes a day after a smaller group of leaders met to discuss the issue, but failed to reach a conclusion.
Mr Ramaphosa’s legal team is also expected to lodge papers with the country’s Constitutional Court on Monday to undertake a legal review of the report by the panel that was appointed by the speaker of parliament.
The scandal erupted in June, when a former South African spy boss, Arthur Fraser, filed a complaint with police accusing the president of hiding a theft of $4m (£3.25m) in cash from his Phala Phala game farm in 2020.
Mr Ramaphosa admitted that some money, which had been hidden in a sofa, had been stolen, but said it was $580,000 not $4m.
The president said the $580,000 had come from the sale of buffalo, but the panel, headed by a former chief justice, said it had “substantial doubt” about whether a sale took place.
The panel’s findings have been handed to parliament, which is set to examine them and decide whether or not to launch impeachment proceedings against the president.
The president is also under pressure from the opposition, as well as rivals within the ANC, to resign.
But the ANC leaders could instruct its MPs to back Mr Ramaphosa, when the issue is due to be discussed by parliament on Tuesday.
The scandal is especially damaging for the president because he came to power vowing to clear up the corruption which had dogged the country under his predecessor, Jacob Zuma.
The ANC remains deeply divided between supporters of Mr Zuma and those who back Mr Ramaphosa.
England have “silenced” their pre-tournament critics with “faultless” performances on their way to the World Cup quarter-finals, says Declan Rice.
Gareth Southgate’s side comfortably beat Senegal 3-0 on Sunday to set up a quarter-final against reigning world champions France.
England have won three and drawn one of their four matches in Qatar.
“I don’t think we get the credit we deserve in our performances,” said West Ham midfielder Rice, 23.
“If you look at other teams, like the Netherlands and Argentina, they win their games comfortably and they get called ‘masterclasses’.
“With us, it always gets picked off. The negative things always come that way. If you look at the last couple of games, it’s been faultless. I think countries should be starting to fear us now because we’re a great team.”
England have scored 12 goals in four matches in Qatar – the country’s joint-most at a major tournament, level with their 12 goals at the 2018 World Cup.
They have also kept a clean sheet in their past three games at the World Cup – their best run of games without conceding a goal in the competition since 1982.
“Going into the tournament, there was a lot of talk that we don’t score enough goals. That’s another one we’ve kept people quiet on,” added Rice.
“There was a lot of scrutiny around the defence and conceding goals, but it’s been solid. We’re going to keep building and pushing.”
Faced with the prospect of coming up against Paris St-Germain and France superstar Kylian Mbappe in Saturday’s quarter-final (19:00 GMT kick-off), Rice said England have nothing to fear.
“These are the games we want to play in. They only come around once. England versus France, quarter-final – it doesn’t get bigger than that,” he added.
“I’m sure the world will be watching. We really want to progress. There’s no point buzzing [about victory over Senegal] if we can’t push on and beat France.”
Tottenham defender Eric Dier added: “When you get to the quarter-finals of the World Cup, everyone is going to be very good. It is to be expected.
“No-one will fear anyone. They’re a great team with very great players – but so are we.”
The government has stated that due to Ghana’s high debts it has become imperative for them to swap some bonds for new ones in the short, medium, and long term.
At a press conference to announce the beginning of the program on December 5, 2022, he said: “As I announced in the evening of yesterday, Sunday, 4th December 2022, we are gathered here today to invite holders of domestic debt to voluntarily exchange approximately GH¢137 billion of the domestic notes and bonds of the Republic, including E.S.L.A. and Daakye bonds, for a package of New Bonds to be issued by the Republic.”
The finance minister also acknowledged that Ghana’s debt has reached unsustainable levels and has exceeded the country’s GDP. Therefore, a debt exchange program is a step to restore the economy back to sustainable levels.
“This is why we are today announcing the debt exchange which will help in restoring our capacity to service debt,” he added.
He further associated the country’s problems with the global economic crisis that countries are currently facing.
“The reasons are quite clear. The covid-19 pandemic, rising global food prices, rising crude oil & energy prices; and the Russia-Ukraine war adversely affected Ghana’s macroeconomy, with spillovers to the financial sector. The combination of adverse external shocks has exposed Ghana to a surge in inflation, a large exchange rate depreciation, and stress on the financing of the budget, which taken together have put our public debt on an unsustainable path,” he said.
Vodafone Ghanahas launched a community safety campaign called “100% Home Safe” to help reduce road accidents among commercial drivers ahead of the Christmas holiday season.
During the event, Vodafone Ghana collaborated with the National Road Safety Authority, the Motor Traffic and Transport Department, the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Private Road Transport Union, and the Road Safety Transport Corporation to educate drivers on road safety and responsible behaviour.
Speaking at the event, Ashiokai Akrong, Human Resource Director at Vodafone Ghana, stated that the initiative will assist drivers and other road users in adopting behaviours that ensure they arrive home safely before, during, and after the Christmas season.
“Safety is both a priority and a core value at Vodafone Ghana; it is ingrained in all of our projects and activities,” she said.
“100% Home Safe” means that all employees, suppliers, and contractors of Vodafone must take steps to make sure that all their workers get home safely 100% of the time.
She went on to talk about how Vodafone’s commitment to health and safety has helped the company over the years. “Since 2020, Vodafone Ghana, our suppliers, and contractors have had no vehicle-related injuries or deaths,” she said.
“We want our communities to adopt this perspective for our mutual benefit. So, we have launched this road safety campaign to urge drivers and other road users to adopt behaviours that will guarantee that we all arrive home safely every single time,” she added.
She also announced one of Vodafone Ghana’s initiatives to motivate motorists to practise safe driving habits throughout the year.
“As part of our commitment to “‘100% Home Safe’, Vodafone Ghana will award a prize to the driver with the best safety record at the GPRTU awards and the National Road Safety Authority awards.”
Felix Owusu, the Greater Accra Planning Manager for the National Road Safety Authority, praised Vodafone Ghana for channelling its resources to help reduce road accidents in Ghana.
A Nigerian university studentarrested and detained for more than two weeks after he allegedly defamed President Muhammadu Buhari’s wife on Twitter has apologised to the first lady.
Aminu Adamu Mohammed was released on Friday after authorities dropped the charges on ”compassionate grounds.”.
Mr Mohammed denied spreading ”false” information during a court appearance.
He denied defaming Aisha Buhari in a tweet suggesting she had misused public money to her satisfaction.
But in a series of tweets and video messages over the weekend, the 24-year-old undergraduate apologised to Mrs Buhari for the initial tweet.
”It was never my intention to hurt your feelings” he said, promising to ”change for the better.”
Mr Mohammed also thanked Mrs Buhari for forgiving him, describing her as ”our mother.”
He described his experience as ”the darkest hours of my life.”
Amnesty International said Aminu Adamu Mohammed was subjected to “torture” after his arrest
He did not give details but he expressed his ”heartfelt gratitude” to those who showed him support saying his case should serve as a ”lesson to all of us”.
His apology to Mrs Buhari has sparked controversy on social media in Nigeria with many users saying the first lady should apologise to him instead because of the way he was treated.
But there are some who say his apology was right in order to resolve the dispute.
The arrest and the subsequent charge against the student had sparked outrage in Nigeria with many social media users and rights campaigners calling for his immediate release.
On Thursday, Amnesty International said Mr Mohammed was subjected to “torture” and other forms of “ill-treatment” after his arrest, calling it a “deeply repressive act” that “brazenly violates his human rights”. Nigerian authorities have not yet commented on these allegations.
Mr Mohammed is studying environmental management at the Federal University in Dutse, in the northern state of Jigawa, and is due to start his final exams on Monday.
Ghana international, Elisha Owusu, says the Black Stars will look to play with more hunger in their next assignment following their elimination from the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The Black Stars suffered a group-stage exit in Qatar following their 2-0 defeat to Uruguay in their final group game at the Al Janoub Stadium on Friday, December 2.
Ghan needed a draw to stand a chance of progress from the group heading into the final game but that result proved a difficult task as they succumbed to defeat.
Reacting to the exit, Owusu, who was one of six not to have gotten any minutes from the three games, said the team will be back better than ever while also thanking the fans for their support.
“First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge and thank our great fans for their consistently amazing support throughout the tournament,” he wrote on his Instagram page.
“Although we were not able to qualify, I am proud of my teammates for the hard work they put in on and off the pitch. I am sure with this determination and fight, that we will be back to give the wonderful fans of Ghana the performances they deserve.
“On a personal note, I am very thankful to have experienced the World Cup as this has always been a dream of mine. This would not be possible without God, which is why I am always grateful. I will continue to put in the hours off the pitch to ensure the future is bright.
“The Black Stars will be back stronger and hungrier than ever!” he added.
The exit from the group stage now means Ghana has suffered back-to-back exits in the first round of the World Cup in their last two apearances.
Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has noted that government’s introduction of debt exchange programme in the 2023 budget read in parliament will help revive the ailing economy from the shocks of the global pandemic – coronavirus – and Russia-Ukraine war.
According to him, the bouncing back of the local economy will help create jobs, protect the income of depositors, as well as, restore hope in Ghanaians.
The finance minister stressed that the domestic debt exchange programme “is an orderly way to put our economy back on track in order to create jobs, protect income and restore hope to the Ghanaian people.”
“The government expects overwhelming support for this exchange programme,” he stated.
Ken Ofori-Atta explained that the debt exchange programme was necessary to address the country’s debt servicing challenges.
He noted that almost 70% of government’s revenue was used to service debts.
Actress Moesha Budoung seems to be enjoying her life by jamming to songs that cause her to jump to the dancefloor and shake what she’s got.
Her ‘harmless’ twerking moves always catches the attention of bystander and bloggers who are eager to record the repented actress in action.
A section of social media users that seems displeased has pointed accusing fingers at Moeshabased on her earlier statement of ditching her old ways and accepting Christ Jesus.
According to critics, she seems to be swaying away by delighting in the things of the world.
In a recent video which once again made people question her repentance, Moesha was seen twerking in a maxi dress.
While dancing to Kizz Daniel’s hit single ‘Buga’, the actress mistakenly exposed her upper thigh in an attempt to go down low.
Ghana international, Elisha Owusu, says the Black Stars will look to play with more hunger in their next assignment following their elimination from the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The Black Stars suffered a group-stage exit in Qatar following their 2-0 defeat to Uruguay in their final group game at the Al Janoub Stadium on Friday, December 2.
Ghan needed a draw to stand a chance of progress from the group heading into the final game but that result proved a difficult task as they succumbed to defeat.
Reacting to the exit, Owusu, who was one of six not to have gotten any minutes from the three games, said the team will be back better than ever while also thanking the fans for their support.
“First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge and thank our great fans for their consistently amazing support throughout the tournament,” he wrote on his Instagram page.
“Although we were not able to qualify, I am proud of my teammates for the hard work they put in on and off the pitch. I am sure with this determination and fight, that we will be back to give the wonderful fans of Ghana the performances they deserve.
“On a personal note, I am very thankful to have experienced the World Cup as this has always been a dream of mine. This would not be possible without God, which is why I am always grateful. I will continue to put in the hours off the pitch to ensure the future is bright.
“The Black Stars will be back stronger and hungrier than ever!” he added.
The exit from the group stage now means Ghana has suffered back-to-back exits in the first round of the World Cup in their last two apearances.
A 35-year-old woman is in critical condition after an armed robbery attack at Awutu Edahadaha, a suburb of Awutu Bereku in the Awutu Senya West District of the Central Region.
The woman sustained gunshot injuries to her waist after the armed men shot sporadically through the windows of every house after residents failed to open their doors.
According to some eyewitnesses who spoke to Adom News’ Seth Kofi Adjei, the past four days have been a living hell as their community has become the target for armed thieves.
Consequently, they revealed that it has become the norm to lock themselves up in their rooms upon hearing the sound of gunshots.
However, the armed robbers continued terrorizing the residents and resorted to shooting the doors and windows.
The residents said they witnessed the victim being shot but could not come immediately to rescue her as they were traumatised by the incident.
The victim has, however, been transported to the Winneba Trauma Hospital.
Raheem Sterling has left the England World Cup squad in Qatar and returned to London after his home was burgled.
The Chelsea winger, 27, missed Sunday’s 3-0 last-16 win over Senegal.
Surrey Police said no-one was home at the time of the burglary on Saturday evening, in which jewellery and watches were taken, and no threats of violence were involved.
The player’s spokesperson said Sterling is “prioritising the wellbeing” of his three young children.
Speaking after Sunday’s match, England manager Gareth Southgate said: “Sometimes football isn’t the most important thing and family should come first.”
According to his spokesperson, Sterling was “shaken” by the news and “as soon as he was alerted he wanted to get home, concerned for the wellbeing of his children”.
Southgate added: “We want to give him that space and we will see over the next few days how that develops.”
It had initially been reported that armed intruders broke into his home and the family were home.
But in a statement on Monday, the police said: “We are currently investigating a report of a burglary at an address in Oxshott, Leatherhead.
“The occupants of the property came home and discovered a number of items, including jewellery and watches, had been stolen. Enquiries to establish the circumstances are under way and the investigation is ongoing.
“No threat of violence was involved as the items were discovered stolen retrospectively.”
Speaking after the Senegal match, Sterling’s England team-mate Declan Rice said: “I saw him at breakfast this morning, then the manager said he had the difficulties at home so we’ve all sent him a message.”
England’s next match at the World Cup is against France in the quarter-finals on Saturday.
Sterling is the second player to leave the England squad after Arsenal defender Ben White, who returned to the UK on 30 November for personal reasons.
Two years ago, three burglars who targeted a number of homes in the north west of England, including an attempted break-in where Sterling lived in Cheshire in November 2018, were jailed.
The Chelsea forward, 27, started and scored in England’s 6-2 win over Iran in their opening group game, before being called on again for the 0-0 draw with the United States.
Southgate opted instead to play Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden either side of Harry Kane for England’s 3-0 win over Wales.
The England boss has often relied on Sterling during major tournaments; he started all seven of England’s Euro 2020 matches.
This, he said, cripples government despite moves to put the local economy on a sound footing.
To help resolve this challenge, government has rolled out a debt restructuring programme to restore its capacity to service its high-rising debt.
“The extent to which our interest charges consume some 70% and sometimes 100% of our revenues is something that is not sustainable and it is really a recalibration therefore of the whole interest rate regime so that we move into a sustainable orbit,” Ken Ofori-Atta said.
“Debt servicing is consuming almost all of government’s revenue and also 70 per cent of tax revenue…which is why we are announcing this [debt restricting programme] to restore our capacity to service debt.
Kojo Barnni has emerged as the winner of the 2022 edition of the GoldFields PGA Golf Championship after a gross total score of 286.
Barnni exhibited exceptional golf skills in the four-day tournament at the 18-hole Damang Golf Course, beating closest rival Vincent Togah with just a shot in the sudden death on a double played at hole 18.
After receiving a cheque of GHC 60,000, Barnni who won the title in 2017 and 2018, thanked his trainer and headline sponsor Gold Fields.
Executive Vice President of Golf Fields and Head of West Africa Joshua Motorti reiterated his outfit’s commitment to the growth of golf in Ghana.
President of Professional Golfers Association of Ghana Mark Cofie was impressed with the level of competition at this year’s event.
The Gold Fields PGA Championship is one of the biggest golf tournaments in Ghana.
Several Ghanaians have thronged their various financial institutions to withdraw their savings and investments to avoid losing both their principal and interests.
This panic withdrawal is based on reports that some customers of Databank and Ecobank have lost hundreds of cedis on their investments which has to an extreme affected their principal [initial deposit].
Reacting to this at a press conference in Accra on Monday, December 5, the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has said there was no need for customers to withdraw their monies from banks and savings and loan institutions.
Financial stability fund has been established by government to ensure that depositors’ funds are secured.
“There is no need to rush for your money because certain forbearances will also be given to these institutions to help so in essence, this is an opportunity to have a pretty orderly exit through this and use that period also to build up an export driven economy to get our macro statistics in order.” Ken Ofori-Atta said.
It would be recalled that on November 23, 2022, some customers of Databank said they were unable to access their funds and investments.
Taking to microblogging site – Twitter – to lament, they noted that there had been random deductions on their monies in the past few weeks.
Some Ghanaians explained that the act was not deliberate but an instruction from the Securities and Exchange Commission for banks to use the mark-to-market approach.
This market-to-market approach enables customers get the market value of their returns and it cuts across all financial institutions in the country.
Meanwhile, government has outdoored a debt restructuring programme to help stabilize the economy which has taken a nose dive.
Economist Dr. Adu Owusu Sarkodie, is calling for the withdrawal of the over one billion dollars Heritage and Stabilisation Funds invested overseas.
According to him, these fundshave generated a paltry 2% return on investments, which he describes as not good enough.
Speaking to Joy Business, Dr Sarkodie said the funds should be invested in Ghana and the returns used to finance infrastructural projects.
“Per my checks, these two funds [Heritage and Stabilisation funds] have accumulated over $1 billion and this amount of money have been invested outside the country earning only 2% nominal inflation rate. In cases where the inflation rate is higher than the 2%, it means we are earning negative real interest rate.”
“Meanwhile, the government of Ghana goes to the same foreign capital market to borrow at 7%, 6%, 8%, 9% percent”, he stressed.
He appealed to the government of Ghana and Parliament to revise the act of parliament and allow the government to bring these funds home for reinvestment.
“It is my humble appeal that the government of Ghana together with the parliament of Ghana to revise their notes and then pass a law or revise the act of parliament and allow the government to withdraw the over one billion dollars Heritage Fund and Stabilization Fund to be brought home and it can be invested here.
He proposed ways that the funds can be invested including the government borrowing from that fund in dollars and paying 5% or 6% or an agreed rate and the investment in infrastructure such as highways and railways.
North African country, Morocco, will spend $13bn on green investments over next 4 years.
This was announced by King Mohammed VI, who chaired a meeting on Saturday December 03, 2022 at the Royal Palace in Rabat and made a presentation of the new green investment programme of the OCP Group (2023-2027) and the signing of the relevant protocol agreement between the government and OCP group.
The ceremony is part of the proactive orientation promoted by the King, for many years, in matters of transition towards green energies and low-carbon economy.
The ceremony came in the morrow of the work meeting presided over by the Sovereign, last November 22, devoted to the development of renewable energies and to the new perspectives in the field.
At the beginning of the ceremony, OCP group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mostafa Terrab, presented before the King the results of the group’s first investment programme, subject of the High Royal Guidelines in 2012, and which helped solidly anchor OCP in the fertilizers market.
The group relied on research and development capabilities of the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) to seize the opportunities offered by the new industrial and digital technologies and to develop an expertise in innovative technologies for balanced fertilization to take up the challenges of sustainable agriculture and food security.
Mr. Terrab then made an exposé before the Sovereign on the group’s new investment programme. The programme revolves around increasing the fertiliser production capacities, while committing to achieve carbon neutrality before 2040 by relying on the unique source of renewable energies as well as on the Kingdom’s progress in this field, under the leadership of King Mohammed VI.
By investing in solar and wind power, the group plans to feed all its industrial facilities with green energy by 2027. The low-carbon energy will also be used to supply the new seawater desalination capacities in order to meet the group’s needs and provide the areas around OCP sites with drinking and irrigation water.
This investment will help the group, first world importer of ammonia, to eventually end reliance on these imports by also investing in renewable energy – green hydrogen – green ammonia sector, allowing the group to strongly enter the market of green fertilizer and of fertilization solutions adapted to the specific needs of different soils and crops.
This ambition will be backed by supporting programs for industrial Small and Medium Enterprises and those operating in the sectors of energy and agriculture, hence, favoring the emergence of an innovative national ecosystem and the creation of new employment and job integration opportunities for the youth.
The new programme, which will help consolidate OCP’s world position, provides for a global investment of 13 billion dollars (130 billion dirhams) over the period 2023-2027, the achievement of a local integration rate of 70%, the backing of 600 Moroccan industrial enterprises and the creation of 25000 direct and indirect jobs.
This ceremony was attended by the Head of Government, the Advisors to His Majesty the King and members of the government.
Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta has said government is setting up a Financial Stability Fund (FSF) with development partners as part of a domestic debt restructuring programme.
According to him, the Fund will provide liquidity support to banks, pension funds, insurance companies, fund managers, and collective investment schemes to ensure that they are able to meet their obligations to their clients.
“We have also dialogued extensively with regulators across the Financial Sector including Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), National Insurance Commission (NIC) and National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) to agree that regulatory forbearance will be provided to all entities whose financial position is adversely affected by virtue of participating in this exchange,” Ken Ofori-Atta explained.
“This debt exchange provides an orderly way to put our economy back on track. These efforts will be complemented by fiscal measures to protect the neediest and most vulnerable in society,” he added.
Government intends to undertake a Domestic Debt Exchange programme which it believes will restore confidence in the economy and address associated economic challenges.
Drugs produced, imported, or distributed by pharmaceutical firms have an enormous positive influence on global health, as well as economic development, by saving lives, increasing life spans, reducing trauma, and preventing surgeries.
One company, however, is breaking leaps and bounds to ensure all Ghanaians have quality yet affordable access to essential medicines and other healthcare products for improved health and whole-body wellness.
About Unicom Chemist
Unicom Chemist Limited is one of the largest pharmaceutical retailing and distribution firms with the mission “to provide quality health solutions at an affordable price to enhance the quality of health of our people,” and a vision “to be counted among the top pharmaceutical companies in Ghana in terms of product quality and excellence in service delivery.”
With over 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Unicom Chemist has gained a considerable reputation as a reliable provider of healthcare products among its key strategic customers, which include the Ministry of Health, public teaching hospitals, regional and district hospitals, as well as private and mission hospitals.
“They treat customers well, and the pharmacy is stocked with varieties of drugs. You can get almost all kinds of medicine here. Prices are affordable too,” Mariama Quartey, a customer, commented in a review.
“Great outlet for pharmaceuticals and more,” another customer, De-Graft Gyamfi Adjei, commented.
The pharmaceutical giant, which is a member of the Pharmaceutical Importers and Wholesalers Association of Ghana (PIWA), the Ghana National Chamber of Pharmacy, and the Ghana Chamber of Commerce, is currently the sole distributor for Tridem, Wockhardt, Join Hub Pharma, Intas, Swiss, Deva, etc.
The company is also associated with brands such as the 30-second sore throat relief lozenge; LOZATY and also Tena, Floradish, Vitadox multivitamin gummies, Spertonic, and Uferon blood tonic.
Aside from the provision of medication and other healthcare products, the company lends its support to various communities and institutions in the country to ensure cohesive growth.
As part of its corporate social responsibility, the company contributes to the school of medical science at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, periodically organizes free screenings and counseling for the general public, regularly sponsors the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana programs, and donates to institutions such as Pantang Psychiatric Hospital.
The company has also established a pharmaceutical training school that is currently offering training for those who desire to become Medicine Counter Assistants (MCA).
About Unicom Chemist Training School
Established in June 2022 and accredited by the Pharmacy Council Ghana, the Unicom Chemist Training School is a training institute intended to provide insight into the various aspects of the pharmacy business and exceptional on-the-job training to become an outstanding certified Medicines Counter Assistant (MCA).
As part of the training module, participants will gain insight into pharmaceutical care, be able to prepare and dispense medications, and provide accurate drug-related information to the public.
The training program is a six-month course that is broken down into three months of theoretical training and three months of practical training, after which an exam is conducted by the Pharmacy Council.
To be eligible for the training program, participants must have the following minimum educational background:
● General Certificate of Examination (GCE) Ordinary Level
● Senior Secondary School Certificate (SSSCE/WASSCE)
● Middle School Leaving Certificate (MSLC)
● National Vocational and Technical Institute (NVTI)
Candidates must have at least passes in English and mathematics. However, consideration will be given to lower-qualification groups of applicants provided they can still read and write and have a minimum of three (3) years of working experience in a pharmacy or pharmacy-related business.
The training program is held at its grounds, opposite Mount Olivet Church, in Dansoman. An e-learning course is also being offered for those who desire to gain knowledge in the MCA but are unable to join in person.
Awards and Accolades
Given the company’s unrelenting efforts in fighting illnesses and diseases and its tremendous impact on the lives of Ghanaians, the company is no stranger to accolades and awards.
During the 2019 Ghana Pharma Awards held in Accra, the pharmaceutical company picked up two major awards. Unicom Chemist was awarded Importer of the Year, and the CEO, Mrs. Patience Tsegah won the Woman of Excellence award. The company was also adjudged the Premium Quality Pharmaceutical Business for 2019.
In the 2020 edition of the Ghana Pharma Awards, Mrs. Patience Tsegah was one of the top ten pharmaceutical company CEOs of the year.
In 2018, she was adjudged the Outstanding Pharmaceutical Entrepreneur.
Unicom Chemist has also been recognized and identified as a good training ground for student pharmacists and thus opens its doors to many interns from the School of Pharmacy across Ghana.
Individuals may connect with Unicom Chemist via their website, www.unicomchemist.com or their social media handles; Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
The Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Ernest Addison, has expressed optimism that the proposed Debt Exchange Programme announced by the government will bring some confidence in the economy as well as enhance the efforts of the Central Bank in controlling inflation.
He noted that the economic challenges which have affected many banks have led to the high cost of borrowing and doing business.
Speaking at the Annual Dinner of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, Ghana, Dr Addison assured of the Central Bank’s support to financial institutions to provide them with additional liquidity during the exercise.
“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.”
The Government on Sunday announced a slash in interest payments for domestic bondholders to zero percent in 2023 and pegged 2024 interest payments at 5 percent.
The government, however, said there will be no haircut on the principal of bonds, adding that individuals with government bonds will have their full investments upon maturity.
In a public address on Sunday, December 4, on the current economic situation, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta said the government will ensure that people’s investments are safe. He further announced that interest payments for domestic bondholders for 2024, will be pegged at only 5% adding that from 2025, the rate increases to 10%
Meanwhile, the Finance Minister has admonished the media to be circumspect and disseminate the right information regarding the current economic crisis and the government’s debt exchange programme in order not to create unnecessary panic among investors.
“This debt exchange provides an orderly way to put our economy back on track. These efforts will be complemented by fiscal measures to protect the neediest and most vulnerable in society. The Government expects overwhelming support for this exchange.
“And in truth, the success of this necessary endeavour depends, of course, upon the public’s cooperation. That will also mean the media being helpful in disseminating the right information to economic actors. We are all in this together, and we intend to get out of this together,” Mr Ofori-Atta said.
