Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga Central Constituency, Honourable Isaac Adongo compared Maguire’s performance for the Devil Reds to Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s handling of the Ghanaian economy.
Honourable Adongo went viral for claiming Dr Bawumia is an economic Maguire.
“Harry Maguire, he’s a defender. He was tackling everybody and throwing his body everywhere,” Adongo said in Parliament.
“He was seen as the best defender in the world. Manchester United went and bought him. He became the biggest threat at the centre of the Manchester United defence, tackling Manchester players and giving assists to opponents.
“Mr. Speaker, you remember in this country we also have an economic Maguire. We’re clapping saying this man is the best in managing foreign terms. Mr Speaker why we gave this Maguire the opportunity to be at the centre of our defence? He became the rest of our own goals. Our economic Maguire is taking control of the fundamentals of our economy and destroying all of them.”
Rooney responded to the MP’s joke, claiming Maguire has been at his best at the World Cup in Qatar.
“On social media this week I saw someone in the Ghanaian parliament making fun of Harry Maguire. It was crazy, because Harry has been outstanding at this World Cup. I predicted he would do well â because he always does well for England and never lets Gareth Southgate down. Heâs simply a very good defender with a strong mentality,” he told The Times.
Before Ghanaâs game against Uruguay, the prophet had predicted the Black Stars will progress to the next stage of the 2022 World Cup regardless of the outcome of the results.
But his prediction hit a snag as the Black Stars suffered defeat in their final group game against Uruguay which derailed their chances of advancing to the next stage.
“Ghana will not lose their match to South Korea but Ghanaians must not engage in betting. God’s word for football is not for betting,” he stated.
“Ghana is already in the next round. Even if Uruguay scores the first goal, Ghanaians will, at the end of the match have the celebration. There shall be celebration all over Ghana. God is for Ghana,” he said.
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 âenemiesâ Uruguay
This would not be the first time Prophet Badu Kobi has hit a miss in predicting the result of a football match.
In July 2021, Badu Kobi had prophesied that Brazil would win the Copa America title ahead of Argentina but that proved to be false as Lionel Messi led his charges to beat Brazil at the Maricana Stadium thanks to an Angel Di Maria strike.
During the final match of the Euro 2020, Prophet Badu Kobi again predicted that England was going to beat Italy to win the coveted cup.
According to him, he saw the favour of God was upon Gareth Southgate’s men who were set to beat Italy.
“Today, England will beat Italy,” Prophet Badu Kobi said on Sunday, hours before the final match at Wembley.
“I will say it again. That is the work of a prophet. Keep saying what God is saying.”
However, at the end of the fixture which went into extra time after a 1 – 1 score in normal time, it was Roberto Mancini’s Italy who triumphed 3-2 on penalties to win the tournament.
The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori Atta, has admitted that the launched Debt Exchange Programme is part of a key requirement for the government to get an economic deal from the International Monetary Fund.
According to him, the government has no choice but to undertake the debt restructuring programme to put the debt level on a sustainable path.
An IMF mission team is presently in the country to continue discussions with the authorities on the countryâs post-COVIDprogramme for economic growth and associated policies and reforms that could be supported by a new IMF lending arrangement.
The Finance Minister however reiterated that no individual bondholder will lose their funds in the proposed programme.
Addressing Journalists to launch the domestic debt operations, he, assured the financial sector players of governmentâs support to minimise the impact of the programme on their activities.
The Minister hinted that the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Addison, and other heads of regulators will be tasked to engage stakeholders on the debt management programme.
Ghana is seeking an economic programme from the IMF to address its balance of payment and other financing challenges.
As part of the deal, the government has embarked on a debt sustainability analysis which indicates that the countryâs debt level which exceeded 100% of Gross Domestic Product is unsustainable, hence the need for such an action.
There are already calls on the government to provide a road map to avoid the negative impact on the financial sector and other sectors of the economy.
The Financial Minister pointed out that the World Bank and other development partners are on board to support the government in this regard.
Rex Omar, has been inducted into the Music Legends Hall of Fame at the 10th edition of the African Legends Night, held at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC).
The veteran highlife singer and former board chairman for the Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO) was presented with a special citation in recognition of his contribution to the development of Ghanaâs music industry.
Rex Omar, after a thrilling performance, expressed gratitude to the organizers, Global Media Alliance, and thanked his fans for supporting him throughout his career which spans over 3 decades.
Other artists who received similar honours on the night were Samini and Amakye Dede.
African Legends Night is a musical concert held annually to celebrate highly-acclaimed musicians from the African continent.
Music legends such as Freddy Meiway, Femi Kuti, George Darko, Ofie, Ben Brako, Hugh Masakela and Yvonne Chaka Chaka have made it into the Hall of Fame.
In the last edition, Kojo Antwi, Samini and Daddy Lumba joined the living legends of the African Legends Night.
A Nigerian university student arrested and detained for more than two weeks after he allegedly defamed President Muhammadu Buhariâs wife on Twitter has apologised to the first lady.
Aminu Adamu Mohammed was released on Friday after authorities dropped the charges on âcompassionate grounds.â.
Mr Mohammed denied spreading âfalseâ 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.
âIt was never my intention to hurt your feelingsâ he said, promising to âchange for the better.â
Mr Mohammed also thanked Mrs Buhari for forgiving him, describing her as âour mother.â
He described his experience as âthe darkest hours of my life.â
Amnesty International said Aminu Adamu Mohammed was subjected to âtortureâ after his arrest
He did not give details but he expressed his âheartfelt gratitudeâ to those who showed him support saying his case should serve as a âlesson to all of usâ.
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 âtortureâ and other forms of âill-treatmentâ after his arrest, calling it a âdeeply repressive actâ that âbrazenly violates his human rightsâ. 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.
The Minority in Parliament says it will not accept governmentâs proposed debt restructuring programme as announced.
According to the Caucus, the policy is unacceptable and cannot be allowed to proceed.
The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, said this at a press conference on Monday, December 5.
He said his side will use every legitimate means to oppose the move.
âLet me state without any fear of contradiction that the form and structure of the debt restructuring announced by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta this morning are unacceptable to us and we simply will not accept it.â
The Tamale South lawmaker also questioned why the 2023 budget was silent on this policy.
âI want to ask how come this debt restructuring was not included in the 2023 budget,â the outspoken politician added.
Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta on Sunday, December 4, announced the governmentâs domestic debt exchange programme.
These measures include some exemptions and external debt restructuring parameters that will be implemented.
Per his release, treasury bills and individual bondholders will not be affected by this exercise.
However, domestic bondholders will be compelled to exchange their instruments for new ones.
âExisting domestic bonds as of December 1, 2022, will be exchanged for a set of four new bonds maturing in 2017, 2029, 2032 and 2037.
âThe annual coupon on all of these new bonds will be set at 0% in 2023, 5% in 2024 and 10% in 2025 until maturity.
âCoupon payments will be semi-annual,â the Minister said.
Meanwhile, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta assured us that there will be no haircuts on the principal of bonds.
Brighton and Hove Albion forward, Danny Welbeck, has disclosed the Ghana Football Association (GFA) did not officially approach him over a possible nationality switch from England to Ghana.
The 32-year-old was born in Manchester to Ghanaian parents and made his senior debut in 2011 for the Three Lions as a substitute against Ghana in an international friendly at Wembley Stadium.
LONDON, ENGLAND â MARCH 29: Richard Kingson of Ghana (right) saves a shot from Danny Welbeck of England during the international friendly match between England and Ghana at Wembley Stadium on March 29, 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Popperfoto via Getty Images/Getty Images)
The 42-capped Englishman revealed choosing to play for his country of birth was not a difficult decision to make.
âThere wasnât like an official approach from Ghana to come and play for them or anything like that, so it wasnât as hard as a decision like people would have thought,â he told the YouTube channel, Michael Dapaah, in an interview.
âIt was natural for me because Iâve been playing for England since I was 14 so itâs like a natural progression to try and reach that next step.
âYou know you want to get to the next stage group, 19, 21, and the senior team.â
The former Manchester United and Arsenal star said making his senior England debut against the country of his parents is a memory he will always keep with him.
âI remember this game because I made my debut against Ghana,â Welbeck added.
âIt 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.â
Auditing firm, PwC, is appealing to government to spare the education and health sectors from the freeze on the public sector employment.
Though it supports governmentâs decision to freeze employment in the public sector, it said in its 2023 Budget review that key sectors such as education and health should be given key consideration and should not be hampered by the freeze on public sector employment.
The 2023 Budget highlighted some key interventions with respect to payroll and human resource management. These included, among others, the freeze on all public sector employment, expunging ghost names from payroll through periodic audits, linking of the Ghana card to the payroll, placing moratorium on granting of extension of employment after retirement and completing the roll-out of HRMIS and its integration to the payroll and GIFMIS.
PwC said âas negotiations with the IMFare currently ongoing, this is a critical area of reforms that need to be undertaken to cut down expenditure. However, whilst we agree with the Government on these measures, key sectors such as education and health should be given key consideration and should not be hampered by the freeze on public sector employmentâ.
The government also proposed key expenditure measures in the 2023 Budget to support its fiscal consolidation. These include the reduction of the earmarked funds from the current 25% of tax revenue to 17.5% of tax revenue, continued action of the 30% reduction of salaries of the President, Vice President, Ministers, Deputy Ministers and other political office holders, negotiate public sector wages, manage public sector hiring within current budgetary constraints, reduce fuel allocations to political appointees and heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies; Metropolitan, Municipal, Department and State Owned Enterprises by 50%, among others.
It said there is the need to downsize government machinery in addition to the implementation of the measures outlined to achieve a more sustainable outcome.
âWhile these measures may lead to expenditure reduction, we believe that there is the need to downsize Government machinery in addition to the implementation of the measures outlined, to achieve a more sustainable outcomeâ.
A ranking member on the Finance Committee of Parliament says the countryâs creditworthiness will hit a further snag over the governmentâs proposed debt exchange programme.
Dr Cassiel Ato Forson said rating agencies will soon downgrade the country to further junk status.
The Ajumako Enyam Essiam MP thus asked Ghanaians to brace themselves up for more hardships.
He subsequently expressed sympathies with investors in the country.
âGhana has unfortunately announced a domestic DEBT DEFAULT. Expect rating agencies to downgrade Ghana to D tomorrow!
âSad day for Ghanaians, the investor community and Banks!â
Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta on Sunday, December 4, announced the governmentâs domestic debt exchange programme.
These measures include some exemptions and external debt restructuring parameters that will be implemented.
Per his release, treasury bills and individual bondholders will not be affected by this exercise.
However, domestic bondholders will be compelled to exchange their instruments for new ones.
âExisting domestic bonds as of December 1, 2022, will be exchanged for a set of four new bonds maturing in 2017, 2029, 2032 and 2037.
âThe annual coupon on all of these new bonds will be set at 0% in 2023, 5% in 2024 and 10% in 2025 until maturity.
âCoupon payments will be semi-annual,â the Minister said.
Meanwhile, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta assured us that there will be no haircuts on the principal of bonds.
Black Stars forward, Inaki Williams, is second to defend Andre Ayew, stressing that the Black Stars captain is not responsible for Ghanaâs early exit from the 2022 WorldCup.
This is after Mohammed Kudus had suggested it will be cheap to blame only the Al Sadd attacker.
âOne of my lessons is to be always together; the captain says it is his fault, but no. This is a team. This is Ghana. Ghana loses together and wins together. I think this is the lesson for me,â Inaki told journalists on their departure from Qatar.
Andre Ayew has faced intense criticism from some Ghanaians for missing an early penalty before Uruguay scored twice on Friday to send the Black Stars packing from the Qatar tournament.
Spain-born Inaki Williams was one of five players to switch allegiances to Ghana five months before the Mundial.
He adds that the opportunity to play at a World Cup is for top players. He is, therefore, delighted have the chance of featuring at the biggest football event in the world with Ghana.
âThe stay here is an honour for me. My family is in the sky. I think this is an opportunity for top players. I came here to help Ghana and all my teammates and Iâm very happy for the stay here.â
The Black Stars finished bottom of Group H with three points after defeats to Portugal and Uruguay between the victory against South Korea.
An âunfaithful husbandâ chasing his âcheating wifeâ was involved in a car accident that got three people injured at Mama Ngina near Mombasa Golf Club in Kenya.
The incident, which happened in Mombasa, Kenya has left both the man and his mistress in critical condition.
According to reports, the husband spotted his wife kissing her boyfriend and began chasing them at top speed.
The wifeâs boyfriend, who is a retired Safari rally driver, sped off, causing the husband to crash his car into a nearby show situated along the road.
Bursting with rage, the husband reportedly continued driving, causing the car to crash a second time.
The wife escaped safely as her boyfriend had dropped her home.
The husband, mistress and another person who sustained injuries have been taken to the Coast General Hospital.
Following a decision to ignore a penalty appeal by referee Daniel Siebert, after a challenge on Cavani in the penalty box.
Players from the Uruguay camp hounded the official, making their feelings known about what they thought of the decision.
But Cavani and Jose Gimenez were at the forefront of the protestation with both players likely to receive sanctions.
According to reports, the duo will be hit with match bans by the world football governing body (FIFA) which is likely to be at the international level.
This means Cavani and Jimenez will be available for both Valencia and Atletico Madrid at club level.
Meanwhile, the German referee has also come under intense pressure for ignoring the penalty appealed by Uruguayans during the clash.
While Siebert has been a referee at the highest level since 2015, the tournament in Qatar represents his first big test.
Given the lack of control he exerted during Uruguay’s game against Ghana, the German is unlikely to officiate any games during the knockout stages of the 2022 World Cup.
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 âenemiesâ Uruguay.
Kofi Bentil, Senior Vice President of IMANI Africa, has supported the state’s decision to deal with Capital Bank founder William Ato Essien over the bank’s failure.
According to Bentil, Section 35 of the Courts Act, which addresses agreements between the state and accused parties, was crucial since it made it possible for the state to recover embezzled cash.
He stated that there are cases where people steal money, go to jail, and then return to enjoy their bounty on the December 3 edition of Joy FM’s Newsfile show.
âThere is good reason in philosophy, in what is proper and practical for us to have a Section 35, because there are people who actually steal state money and want to go to jail for five, even ten years, come back and enjoy it,â he submitted.
âYes I disagree with him because Section 35 is a very good provision for those of us who are in policy, who look at what goes on in this country, and the millions that we lose and the money we donât recover. You see, over the decades, over the years people have come to realize that indeed without 35 it is lucrative rather to steal.
âSo indeed the argument is counterproductive against what was said that because of (section) 35 people are going to steal, it is without 35 that people steal. And weâve seen some, Iâve seen some, I donât want to go into the details.
âThe point here is that with 35 you know that if you steal you can be asked to cough up the money and in this particular case if you go through the numbers what is being coughed up is quite substantial given what is being admitted,â he explained.
What does Article 35 of the Courts Act says:
Section 35 of the Courts Act, says, âWhere a person is charged with an offence before the High Court or a Regional Tribunal, the commission of which has caused economic loss, harm, or damage to the State or any state agency, the accused may inform the prosecutor whether the accused admits the offence and is willing to offer compensation or make restitution and reparation for the loss, harm, or damage caused.â
Background:
On December 1 when Justice Eric Kyei Baffour was ready to deliver judgement on the Ato Essien case, the state informed the court that it had reached a settlement where the accused was to repay a total of GHC90 million cedis to the state.
The state relied on Section 35 of the Courts Act but the judge in comments before agreeing to adjourn the reading of his judgment said the route the state had resorted to seems to one that may be making crimes attractive.
Justice Kyei Baffour went on to reject the terms of settlements reached between state prosecutors and Ato Essien.
According to court records, the Judge disagreed with the use of Section 35 of the Courts Act to reach a settlement agreement, explaining why it does not apply to the instant case.
Alfred Tuah-Yeboah, the deputy Attorney General on the same programme explained that the AG’s office was ready to abide by whatever decision the court arrived at but also that the state was not compromised in agreeing to a settlement.
Singer Peter Famiyeh Bozah popularly known as Fameye has shared his fury over how people perceive people from the âstreets.â
Speaking to Doreen Avio on Hitz FM, he disclosed that using the word âstreetsâ doesnât mean he is from the trenches as many people have implied.
âLet me define the street I am talking about to you. When we say we are on the street, it doesnât mean we live in the refuse dump.
âSo, if you need a clear understanding of where the street is, ask the person who uses that term and they will define what the street means to them.
âI donât know how people understand things. If I say I am on the streets, it doesnât mean when JAY-Z approaches me with work or if Universal Music wants to sign me, I wouldnât work,â he said.
According to him, he has been able to make a living for himself and his family, thanks to the said âstreetsâ and when people ask him questions about how life or work is going, he will say âthe streets.â
âThey ask, âhow are you?â and I say âwe are on the streetâ, then they proceed to ask how the music is doing, I reply by saying âitâs doing well and that the street is good. People donât understand it.â
âI got to know that Kwame Dadzie made a post and said we are always talking about the street and what is there on the street. The street is where I hustle to take care of my children. The street is how I take care of my family, so if you have a problem, then I donât know,â he voiced.
The âNothing I getâ artiste furthermore indicated that the street enabled him to be who he is and acquired the properties he owns today.
âItâs where I have been able to survive up till now and have been able to play shows, travel, and bought the assets I own today,â he said on Daybreak Hitz.
âI am on the streets. We are all from the streets and made it to where we are now. Do you understand? We canât forget. Everyone and their definition,â he added.
Leaders of South Africaâs governing party are meeting to discuss President Cyril Ramaphosaâs 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 presidentâs spokesman described the report as âflawedâ.
Speaking on Sunday, Mr Ramaphosa said his fate was in his partyâs hands.
The meeting of the African National Congressâ executive committee â its top decision-making body â comes a day after a smaller group of leaders met to discuss the issue, but failed to reach a conclusion.
Mr Ramaphosaâs legal team is also expected to lodge papers with the countryâs 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 (ÂŁ3.25m) 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 âsubstantial doubtâ about whether a sale took place.
The panelâs 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.
The Central region has contributed about 49,752.00 metric tons of fish valued at GHÂą389,335.00 out of a total of 628.617.53 metric tons of fish caught countrywide from January to November 2022.
The figure represents an increase of 33.24 a cent of the 471.798 metric tons recorded in 2021.
Nationally, the total volume of marine fish landings grew by 20.53 percent from 326,867 metric tons in 2021 to 393,970 percent metric tons in 2022.
Dr. Peter Omega, the Central Regional Director of the Department of Agriculture disclosed this at the 38th Regional Farmerâs Day celebration held at Jukwa in the Twifo Hemang Lower Denkyira District to reward 30 outstanding farmers.
This celebration, which was on the theme: âAccelerating Agriculture Development through Value Additionâ, was graced by Mrs Justina Marigold Assan, the Regional, a host of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives, traditional authorities, and farmers.
The awards ceremony was instituted to reward the nationâs hard-working and gallant farmers and fishers for their commendable and meritorious contributions to the nationâs food security.
In line with that, he said some individuals had received support to reclaim some illegal mining sites for aquaculture projects, which were yielding positive results at Diaso in the Upper Denkyira West District.
Touching on the cocoa sector, Dr Omega said, a total of 383.73 hectares of Cocoa Swollen Shoot Disease infected farms had been removed since 2017.
With that, he said a total of 268.53 hectares representing 69.98% of the rehabilitated farms have been replanted with free plantain suckers, free hybrid cocoa seedlings, and free desirable economic shade trees that commensurate with the farm size.
The move was in tandem with the Regionâs strategy to increase its output in the national tonnage of cocoa and distributed a total of 5,576,495 free hybrid cocoa seedlings and 170,425 desirable economic shade trees to some 8,707 cocoa farmers within the region.
The region subsequently, produced a total of 89,528.81 tons of dried cocoa beans compared to the previous yearâs 135,858.50 tons.
Towards improving the market linkages of agricultural activities in the region, a total of 474,226 farmers and fishers have been linked to 173 Agricultural input dealers for input supply, while 55 aggregators and traders have been linked to farmers, processors, and consumers.
Similarly, the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Commission created a sector database of 301 agro-processors, who are into cassava, oil palm, vegetables, coconut, ginger, maize, rice, sweet potato, poultry, piggery, and fish processing and had been linked to farmers and fishers for raw materials and traders and consumers.
On crop production, Dr. Omega announced that the production of agricultural commodities recorded a significant increase by the average of 2.5%.
âMaize production shows an increment from 326,625 in 2020 to 348,240 in 2021, rice-12,308 in 2020 to 16,246 in 2021, cassava -3,338,905 in 2020 to 3,540,553 in 2021, plantain- 278,256 in 2020 to 327,522 in 2021.
âPoultry production increased from 3,367,612 in 2020 to 3,586,507 in 2021, while sheep and goat increased from 894,612 in 2020 to 939,382 in 2021 and pigs from 51,777 to 53,045.
That represents a drop of 34.10% compared to the previous yield could be attributed mainly to the alternating bearing nature of the crop.
While celebrating farmers for their determination to maintain national food security, Dr Omega charged them to accept and improve on their technology through value addition.
They should accept giveâs strategy on transforming the agricultural sector by upgrading the value chainâproduction, postproduction, and appropriate policies
He urged processors in planting materials and breeds of animals, farmers, and fishers are expected to add value to their products.
âInstitutions and organizations are to add value to research findings, agriculture financing, extension delivery, product certification and regulation, and agriculture infrastructure development including irrigation, storage, and transport facilities.
âPackaging, processing, delivery, and fortifying of products like gari with orange flesh sweet potatoes which provide all the essential vitamins in our diets.
âCertification by the Food and Drugs Authority and the Ghana Standards Authority are forms of adding, value to food products since they go through their processes to ensure quality and safeguard public health agro-processing has emerged as one of the most attractive sectors for investment,â he advised.
For her part, Mrs Assan reiterated the governmentâs commitment to supporting farmers to maintain national food security.
She encouraged the youth to take advantage of the governmentâs interventions in the sector to improve their livelihoods and commended Canfed Ghana for supporting the farmers in the region.
Several gallant farmers were rewarded for their hard work to enable others to emulate them.
Ayew had the opportunity to give Ghana the advantage in the 17th minute after the Black Stars were award a penalty, but the 32-year-old missed from the spot.
Uruguay defeated Ghana 2-0, courtesy a first half brace from Giorgian Dde Arrasteca.
Speaking to the media, the Germany-based trainer eulogized Ghana captain Andre Ayew, saying he is a great character and a leader.
âThis is football. When I was a player I didnât like taking penalties so I have to applaud everyone who is going there,â he told reporters.
âFor me Andre has done a lot for the squad. He is such a great character and a leader.â
âWhat hurts the most is that we are out, it doesnât matter who it was. I know that the public and a lot of people were seeking revenge, but I donât think this way and I told the players that they shouldnât think this way too,â he said.
Meanwhile, Otto Addo has stepped down as coach of the national team to concentrate on his role as the talent development coach at Dortmund.
âI said I would resign after the World Cup even if we were world champions,â he said.
Ayew scored Ghana’s first goal at the World Cup in the 3-2 defeat to Portugal in the group opener.
The Black Stars are expected in Ghana on Monday with preparations for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers set to begin in earnest.
The four-time African champions sit top of Group D with four points from the first two games of the qualifiers.
Ghana is starting a debt exchange scheme, according to Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, to ensure that debt levels are reduced to manageable levels.
The Minister stated that this is being done to ensure that the nation takes action to ensure the restoration of macroeconomic stability in an update on the economy.
The debt sustainability analysis (DSA), according to him, “demonstrated without a doubt that Ghana’s public debt is unsustainable, and the Government may not be able to completely discharge its debt in the future 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.
Ghana is experiencing economic turbulence on a level not seen since the 1980s. Its currency, the cedi, is the worst performing in the world and Ghanaâs debt-to-GDP ratio has risen to over 80 per cent.
Consumer prices rose over 40 per cent in October. Food prices in Ghana are now the highest in Africa, and there is a real risk of worsening food shortages in coming months.
Much of the international news coverage surrounding Ghanaâs economic crisis has rightly focused on the impacts on Ghanaian businesses and consumers, responses from international investors and the governmentâs contentious relationship with the International Monetary Fund. Our analysis points out another important dimension of the crisis: changes in Ghanaâs politics.
Since June, frustrated Ghanaians have protested the governmentâs management of the economy. They demand that President Nana Akufo-Addo dismiss Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Ken Ofori-Atta. On social media, critics are using the #KenMustGo hashtag to question Ofori-Attaâs handling of the economic crisis â and accuse him of benefiting personally from Ghanaâs debt.
The presidentâs refusal to dismiss Ofori-Atta prompted an unusual response from Ghanaâs parliament: a motion to censure the minister. If the motion passes, it would mark the first time that Ghanaâs legislative branch has exercised its constitutional power to remove a minister. While the presidency remains very powerful in Ghanaian politics, we see this as a new chapter in which the parliament will have more leverage to hold the president and the cabinet to account.
Why the president wonât dismiss the finance minister
One of the more puzzling aspects of this controversy is why the president refuses to remove Ofori-Atta. Last month, for instance, British Prime Minister Liz Truss tried to save her government after a series of disastrous economic moves by firing her finance minister. In Ghana, the situation seems to leave the president at risk of the embarrassment of being overpowered by members of parliament (MPs) from both the opposition and his own party.
Our research in Ghana suggests two political reasons the president hasnât fired his finance minister â a move that might help deflect the criticism of Ghanaâs poor economic performance.
First, as Rachel Sigman demonstrates in her forthcoming book âParties, Political Finance, and Governance in Africa,â ministerial appointments are tied to how African leaders finance their political operations. In Ghana, presidents often select loyal party elite to serve in minister positions, where they can steer contracts and other government business to party-aligned businesses in exchange for financial support to the party.
For Akufo-Addo, dismissing Ofori-Atta would probably jeopardize his ability to raise funds for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in advance of the 2024 presidential elections. Having long served as the partyâs chief financier, Ofori-Atta has deep experience fundraising for the NPP. Akufo-Addo would struggle to find a minister with the requisite technical, political and financial acumen to fill the role.
The difficulty of finding a replacement minister is further complicated by the presence of sharp divisions within the NPP â the subject of George M. Bob-Milliarâs research. The NPP is dominated by two factions: one that is aligned with Akufo-Addo and the other with former president John Kufuor.
Ghanaâs term limits mean Akufo-Addo will step down in January 2025 â and the competition between the two factions to determine the next NPP presidential candidate will be fierce. There are rumors that the Kufuor faction is exploiting the #KenMustGo controversy to its advantage. Those aligned with Akufo-Addo, meanwhile, would look for a replacement finance minister that supports his factionâs efforts to maintain power within the party, further limiting the pool of potential appointees.
Will Ghana strengthen legislative oversight?
The presidentâs refusal to dismiss Ofori-Atta has led to a rare instance in which parliament may use its constitutional authority to remove a minister from office. Legislative oversight of the executive is weak in Ghana, even when compared with less-democratic African countries. Ghanaâs presidents have been known to use their appointment powers to shore up their support in parliament, helping them to evade accountability for government actions.
The current events surrounding Ofori-Atta signal a change to this pattern. The censure motion appears to have support from both major parties. At least 98 MPs from the presidentâs party have indicated their support for Ofori-Attaâs removal. These MPs planned to boycott Ofori-Attaâs presentation of the 2023 budget until a last-minute intervention by party elders appealed to the MPs to attend the presentation. Nevertheless, MPs have sent a strong signal to the president.
The NPP membersâ public support for Ofori-Attaâs removal is significant. The MPs appear frustrated that their constituents are suffering. By prioritizing constituent concerns over party loyalty, MPs in Ghana are pushing parliament â and, ultimately, Ghanaâs democracy â in a more responsive and accountable direction.
Parliamentary moves to remove Ofori-Atta are bolstered by the unprecedented partisan composition. Since the reintroduction of multiparty democracy in Ghana in 1992, the current eighth parliament is the only one in which the presidentâs party does not enjoy an absolute majority. The hung parliament presents both opportunities and challenges for Ghanaâs legislature.
No matter what happens with the vote to remove Ofori-Atta, these events in Ghana hold implications both within and beyond its borders. Other leaders in Africa face divided legislatures that threaten the primacy of executive power. Perhaps one silver lining of the looming economic turbulence thatâs not unique to Ghana is that economic pressures could push legislatures to assert their independence â and strengthen democratic institutions.
*****
George M. Bob-Milliar is an associate professor in the Department of History and Political Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana. His research interests lie in the area of electoral politics, and Ghanaâs social and political history.
Rachel Sigman is an assistant professor of democratic governance in the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver. She is the author of Parties Political Finance and Governance in Africa (Cambridge University Press, forthcoming).
The bulk of the global catch fisheries industry is still overfished, and Ghana’s position is no different. According to the Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministry, strategies are in place to begin adding value to fisheries products.
Sector Minister Mavis Hawa Koomson made this known, stating: “At this time, the best alternative is to venture into processing and preservation for value addition. With the number of fleets increasing and catch per unit effort (CPUE) for all fleets declining, save for tuna.”
She was addressing during the 38th National Farmers’ Day Celebration’s agricultural show opening at Koforidua’s Jubilee Park.
Of this, total domestic production for the period stood at 471,794 metric tonnes â representing 38 percent of the total national fish requirement. This includes fish produced from marine, inland and aquaculture sources.
Likewise, the âGhana seafood reportâ by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released in March this year has shown that Ghana imported 343,000 metric tonnes of sea-food products in 2021 valued at US$290million.
Madam Koomson however admitted that the situation could worsen, as capture fisheries do not have the capacity to increase and bridge the depleting gap.
This is further worsened by annual domestic production and imports that are not able to meet consumption requirements.
âThat is why the ministry has included a policy focus area on Post-Harvest Management and Trade of Fish and Fish Products in the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy-2022, which is approved by Cabinet.
She said with support from the Ghana Fisheries Recovery Activity Project (GFRA) of USAID, a value chain analysis of the small pelagic fisheries has been conducted in the coastal regions of Ghana.
The study offered an opportunity to better understand the actors, processes, activities and institutions in the value chain, as well as issues and bottlenecks.
âIn the coming years, strategies will be implemented to address these issues to promote value addition, as well as adapt and market new products developed out of fish,â she said.
Madam Koomson reiterated MoFADâs commitment to continue combatting Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing activities, monitor implementation of the Ministerial Directive on gear specifications for the trawl subsector, as well as continue working with the appropriate government agencies for adequate supplies of fishing inputs to all fishers.
Also, the Ghana National Aquaculture Development Plan (2023-2027) is part of the many policies developed to promote aquaculture development to pave the way for the ministry and its stakeholders to accelerate aquaculture development while ensuring environmental sustainability and safe fish for consumption at competitive prices.
The agriculture fair is a 4-day event that heralds this yearâs National Farmers Day (NFD) Celebration, which is the 38th edition.
The event will help actors within the agriculture and fisheries value chains display products relevant to their sectors.
For the fisheries sector, there will be an exhibition of fish species for fish-farming such as tilapia and catfish; fish products and a display of infographics on the sectorâs activities.
The group stages of the World Cup saw a staggering 83% rise since the last tournament in goals scored in open play that came from the flanks, a trend Arsene Wenger believes will determine who wins the competition.
Discussing a technical analysis of the first round by world governing body FIFA, Wenger, who heads its global football development, said there was a trend of defences protecting the centre of the final third, meaning teams were forced to go down the left and right channels to create chances.
âThe teams block the centre of the pitch, so they open more on the flanks⊠it means the best teams who have the best wide players have the best chance to win the World Cup,â Wenger said in a presentation in Qatar on Sunday.
Juergen Klinsmann, who is a member of the Fifa Technical Study Group, said the pattern of packing the defence was also impacting the number of attempts to shoot on goal from outside the area.
âItâs really difficult for teams to break through the middle,â he said. âDefensive and midfield lines are so close together thereâs no chance to pull the trigger.â
That defensive pattern also led to a 33% reduction since the 2018 World Cup in Russia in the number of âtake-onsâ, or players in possession of the ball running at defenders and beating them, while many were being forced out wide.
Klinsmann said the data showed this favouring South American teams far more than Europeans.
âItâs their way of doing things. Itâs the love for the street football games still⊠the kids take on each other, one against one. So itâs not surprising that theyâre leading on this,â he said.
Another big change was how often goalkeepers made themselves available to receive passes to their feet, up from 443 times during Russiaâs group stages to 726 times in Qatar.
âThis means the technical level of a goalkeeper distributing with has feet has become a vital element of quality of a team,â Wenger said.
âHe is becoming a real part of the team; now theyâre part of the team, itâs the modern part of the team.â
Wenger said the larger amounts of stoppage time at the end of the matches in Qatar was having little impact on games, but could add to physical demands on players.
He also said he favoured the increase in the number of World Cup teams from 32 to 48 in 2026, saying it would encourage countries to raise their domestic standards.
âIt means that we will have to find 16 more good teams,â he said. âIâm convinced that if countries have more opportunity to go for the world stage they do more in that country.â
The Pokuase Interchange and Local Roads Project, which is the first 4-Tier Stack Interchange in West Africa, was adjudged the Most Commendable Project of the year at the just ended awards ceremony of the FIDIC Contract Users conference and awards ceremony in London at the Tower Hotel.
The plaque was received by the Minister for Roads and Highways and MP for Atiwa West, Mr. Kwasi Amoako Atta flanked by the Chief Director and the project consultants, Messrs Associated Consultants Ltd.
This is the second award received by the project after it was honoured by the GhIE Engineering event recently held in Accra.
The minister mentioned that this is a good return for his ministryâs policy on empowering indigenous Consultants and contractors to take the lead in the delivery of road infrastructure in the country.
About FIDIC
FIDIC, also known as the International Federation of Consulting Engineers, is the global representative body for National Associations of Consulting Engineers and represents over one million engineering professionals and 40,000 firms in more than 100 countries worldwide.
It publishes the widely used and world-acclaimed Conditions of Contract for the administration of infrastructure contracts.
It awards international best practices in contract management, training, adjudication, best client of the year, best contract consultant, and contractor among others.
17 owners of private aircraft, including billionaires from Nigeria, top commercial institutions, and other extremely wealthy people, have filed lawsuits against the Nigerian government for import tariffs totaling more than N30 billion ($67.5 million).
Customs, acting under the auspices of the federal government, has been working hard in recent weeks to perfect the process of grounding private jets whose owners failed to pay the import duty.
In response, the jet owners sued the government through the foreign shell companies and trustees through which the foreign-registered jets were purchased, requesting a judicial review of whether or not it is legal for them to pay the contentious import duty on their private jets.
MHS Aviation GmbH, Murano Trust Company Limited, Panther Jets, SAIB LLC, Empire Aviation Group, and Osa Aviation Limited are some of the other companies.
Respondents in the court documents included Customs, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency .
It is unknown who owns this private jet, but it is worth noting that Nigeriaâs richest woman Folorunsho Alakija, the vice chairman of Famfa Oil and the owner of one of Nigeriaâs most productive oil blocks, owns a Bombardier Global Express XRS with the registration number âVP-CEO.â
Africaâs richest man Aliko Dangote jets around the world on his Bombardier Global Express XRS, and Nigerian energy and telecom billionaire Mike Adenuga owns both a Bombardier Global Express XRS and a Bombardier Challenger 604.
FBNBank has officially commissioned its new East Legon Branch as it continues to focus on its efforts to bring banking services closer to the doorstep of its customers and clients.
The East Legon branch of FBNBank is located on the main Lagos Avenue, opposite Radford University.
This branch is specially designed to offer retail, commercial and premium banking services to its customers and clients around East Legon and its environs.
This new branch is expected to attend to the needs of Small Medium and Enterprises (SMEs), retail customers and also that of the significant student population in that catchment area.
It also offers FBNBankâs Premium Banking which aims to deliver a great lifestyle with priority service, comfort, security, luxury and access to financial advisory services as benefits to customers.
The commissioning ceremony was attended by clients, customers, staff and key personalities.
The ceremony included a tour of the branch which offered guests the opportunity to have a look inside the branch to enable customers to experience the delight, convenience and security in the banking hall and Premium Banking lounge.
Delivering the welcome address, Victor Yaw Asante, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of FBNBank said, âthe setting up of this branch is in line with the Bankâs agenda to put in place the right structures to cater for individual and corporate clients, some of whom are in East Legon and its environs.
âAs we continue to get closer to our customers and clients, and also continue to develop customized products and services to suit their needs, even for prospective clients, we bring alive our brand promise of putting our stakeholders first.â
Mr Asante mentioned that âFBNBank is aware of the heightened role of banks in the current economic situation and it is well placed to partner with its customers to navigate these uncertain times.â
He added that, âthis branch has therefore been specifically located to support the growing business and human population in the East Legon enclave all in alignment with our customer-centric agenda. Over the last few years, we have seen a number of businesses established here to meet the growing needs of the fast-growing human population.
âQuite a number of these businesses happen to be SMEs. In addition to this, this enclave accommodates several tertiary institutions with their huge youth population not to mention the numerous residents here who all need an exciting banking relationship like what FBNBank offers.â
FBNBank in the past five years has improved its offering by introducing several unique products aimed at SMEs and retail customers.
The Bank has within that same period opened new branches at Osu, Tip Toe Lane, Atomic Junction and Abossey Okai.
Other branches, like Ring Road Central, Tema Community One Market Square and Kaneshie, have been refurbished and recommissioned for improved interaction and experience for all customers and clients.
The Bank has also added an agency at GPHA focused on servicing port-related businesses.
FBNBank has in its 26 years of operating in Ghana remained focused on putting its customers and communities first.
This, it has sought to do through the rich value and excellence of what the Bank contributes to the relationship with its stakeholders as a whole, particularly the Customers.
FBNBank Ghana is a member of the First Bank of Nigeria Limited Group which is renowned for its great customer service and general stakeholder engagement garnered over its 128 years of operation.
FBNBank Ghana has 23 branches and three agencies across the country with close to 500 staff.
FBNBank offers universal banking service to the individuals and businesses in Ghana.
According to him, doing so would increase their consumer base, offer them a competitive edge, and increase their revenue and profit margins.
At the municipality’s 38th National Farmers’ Day event, Mr. Adumuah spoke on the topic of “accelerating agricultural development through value addition.”
He claimed that as farmers continued to lose land to real estate developers, agriculture had grown limited in the town.
âThere is not much we can do as an Assembly but we can only encourage you to consider value addition instead of only production, and if possible come together to acquire some of the lands to facilitate your activities,â he said.
Anna Armo-Himbson, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA), said value addition was critical for job creation, especially in these challenging times.
In her Keynote address, she said that could help bridge the unemployment gap of about 1.74 million (13.4 per cent) of the Ghanaian 13 million working population.
Kanye West has been suspended from Twitter and accused of âinciting violenceâ over offensive tweets â just two months after his last ban.
The US rapper, who now goes by the name Ye, posted a series of erratic tweets â one of which appeared to show a symbol combining a swastika and a Jewish star.
Twitterâs new boss Elon Musk was asked by one user to âfix Kanyeâ.
West had âviolated our rule against incitement to violenceâ, Musk tweeted.
âAccount will be suspended,â Musk wrote in a Twitter post.
Also on Thursday, during an interview with US conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and with his face covered in a mask, West praised Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and ranted about sin, pornography and the devil.
West has for years caused controversy both on- and offline with anti-Semitic and racist remarks.
West was initially locked out of his Twitter and Instagram accounts after posting anti-Semitic messages in October. Both platforms removed Westâs posts â which accused rapper Diddy of being controlled by Jewish people â saying the star had violated policies on hate speech.
These posts came in response to a backlash against his show at Paris Fashion Week, where he wore a t-shirt carrying the slogan âWhite Lives Matterâ.
The Anti-Defamation League branded his phrase âhate speechâ and attributed it to white supremacists, who began using it in 2015 in response to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Adidas dropped Kanye West in October after he made anti-Semitic comments
His latest Twitter ban comes hours after the right-wing social media platform Parler â which styles itself as a âfree speechâ alternative to mainstream platforms â said West could no longer buy the firm.
In a statement, Parlement Technologies said: âThe company has mutually agreed with Ye to terminate the intent of sale.â
The firm â which runs the much smaller platform, popular with conservatives and the far right â said the decision was made in mid-November.
âParler will continue to pursue future opportunities for growth and the evolution of the platform for our vibrant community,â the firm said in its statement.
Musk took control over Twitter in October and immediately embarked on a series of radical changes within the social media giant â including lifting the bans on controversial accounts.
He has clarified that he had no role in bringing West back on Twitter, saying the account was restored before he acquired the social media platform.
West was diagnosed with bipolar disorder years ago and has publicly spoken about his challenges with his mental health.
However, medical experts and people who share Westâs condition have warned that mental health problems do not go hand-in-hand with anti-Semitism.
Government has said it is setting up a financial stability fund with the help of development partners to 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.
As part of the debt restructuring, Finance Minister, Ofori-Atta at a press conference over the weekend said âdomestic bondholders will be asked to exchange their instruments for new onesâ.
Also, âexisting domestic bonds, as of December 1, 2022, will be exchanged for four new bonds maturing in 2027, 2029, 2032 and 2037â.
âThe annual coupon on all of these new bonds will be set at 0% in 2023, 5% in 2024 and 10% from 2025 until maturityâ, he announced Sunday evening December 4, 2022.
Coupon payments will be semi-annual, he said.
He noted that the governmentâs commitment to Ghanaians and the investor community, in line with negotiations with the IMF, is to restore macroeconomic stability in the shortest possible time and enable investors to realise the benefits of this debt exchange.
The Arsenal midfielder has been criticized by fans for his underwhelming performances for the Black Stars at the World Cup.
Partey was Ghana’s key player going into the tournament in Qatar, but the 29-year-old failed to meet the expectations of fans.
Muntari, who played 84 times for Ghana, praised Partey’s ability but insists the former Atletico Madrid player can offer more for the Black Stars.
“Partey for me is excellent, he is superb and a world class player, you can’t take that away from him,” he told 3 Sports.Â
“He is so intelligent in midfield and he is very elegant. When he plays he is a joy to watch.
“With the national team, I sit up there and I always think, I see Partey plays and sometimes it’s like I don’t see him around the team like in the last two games. But if Partey switched for like 25% of his strength, his mind and his intelligence and the way he knows how to play, the Black Stars will be crazy massive,” he added.
According to a new research from the International Credit Corporation (IFC) and the World Trade Organization, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Senegal may make up to $26 billion by reducing costs and expanding access to trade finance (WTO).
The primary obstacles to trade finance in the four largest economies in the region were examined in the research, Trade Finance in West Africa.
Even though the four nations have had increased trade flows over time, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, they still experience a trade finance shortage of up to $14 billion annually.
The authors of the report predict that there are opportunities awaiting member countries of the Economic Communication of West Africa States (ECOWAS) once they can remove the barriers to trade and are able to trade with other African countries, and with developing countries outside the continent.
âGlobal trade finance gaps increased during the pandemic. Supply chain pressures, inflation, and the war in Ukraine have only exacerbated the problem,â said Makhtar Diop, managing director, IFC. âThis study couldnât be timelier. There is enormous potential for an economic boost in West Africa by harnessing intra-Africa trade, but we will need coordinated action from the government. The private sector, and the multilateral to build the capacity of local lenders and improve access to SMEs,â the report said.
According to the report, trade finance in these countries only supports 25 percent of merchandise trade. This is low considering that, trade finance support 40 percent of Africaâs imports and exports, and up to 80 percent globally.
The low coverage is being driven by expensive offerings and high rejection rates from banks, which fail disproportionately on small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly those owned by women. Traditional banks are not helping matters as they see many loan seekers are high-risk and lacking collateral.
The financial institutions are also bogged down by difficulties in meeting the requirements of foreign correspondent banks and shortages of low-cost funding.
Nigeria and the three countries can unlock the opportunities by expanding the range of firms that can access trade finance through efforts like IFCâs Africa Trade Recovery Initiative.
There is also a need to build the capacity of local lenders and local firms, integrating trade finance into the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA); strengthen foreign correspondent banking relationships; and support decision-making through better data and analytics.
âTrade finance is the indispensable oil for trade and the WTO is proud to be part of an effort to provide evidence-based solutions to help close the trade finance gap,â said WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. âAt the WTO, we are happy to act as a conduit for a dialogue on trade finance, bringing together governments, banks, SMEs, and professional organizations. We look forward to partnering with financial institutions to transfer this knowledge locally.â
Amber Heardâs team has filed an appeal for the reversal of the juryâs $10 million verdict against her, or an entirely new trial.
She was asked to pay the amount to her ex-husband Johnny Depp following a defamation trial held earlier this year.
Less than a month after Johnny Depp appealed against Amber Heard being awarded $2 million in their high-profile defamation case, Amberâs lawyers have now reportedly filed a new 68-page appeal against him, claiming that the verdict will have âchilling effectâ on women who are trying to speak up against abuse by powerful men.
Amber had filed her appeal last month in a Virginia court in the US, and argued that the exclusion of some of her therapy notes, in which she reported being abused by Johnny, resulted in an unfair trial, as per a new report.
âThe trial court erroneously refused to dismiss this action on the ground of forum non-conveniens, based on its mistaken conclusion that Deppâs claims arose in Virginia because the Washington Postâs servers are located here,â responded Amberâs new lawyers Jay Ward Brown and David L Axelrod in the November 23 filed document, reported Deadline.
Amber Heardâs team made objections revolving around Judge Penney Azcarateâs decision to not consider certain parts of âhighly probativeâ evidence, which included detailed notes from therapists that document the allegations of abuse.
âThis case also should never have gone to trial because another court had already concluded that Depp abused Heard on multiple occasions,â the 68-page document stated.
âThe trial court also erred in overruling Amber Heardâs demurrer, in which she argued that the challenged statements are non-actionable expressions of opinion and are not reasonably capable of conveying the alleged defamatory implication,â appealed the court document that now seeks to have more than $10 million verdict against her reversed or tossed out for demanding a new trial.
Johnny had sued his ex-wife Amber in March 2019 for $50 million on account of her op-ed in The Washington Post in 2018, where she had written about being a âpublic figure representing domestic abuseâ.
In his follow-up to the filings, Johnny had said that it was him, who was abused in the coupleâs relationship.
The seven-week defamation trial that followed, concluded in favour of Johnny, who was awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages.
The punitive damages were further reduced to $350,000, still the highest in the State.
Amber, on the other hand, was also awarded $2 million in damages.
England have âsilencedâ their pre-tournament critics with âfaultlessâ performances on their way to the World Cup quarter-finals, says Declan Rice.
Gareth Southgateâs 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.
âI donât think we get the credit we deserve in our performances,â said West Ham midfielder Rice, 23.
âIf you look at other teams, like the Netherlands and Argentina, they win their games comfortably and they get called âmasterclassesâ.
âWith us, it always gets picked off. The negative things always come that way. If you look at the last couple of games, itâs been faultless. I think countries should be starting to fear us now because weâre a great team.â
England have scored 12 goals in four matches in Qatar â the countryâs 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 â their best run of games without conceding a goal in the competition since 1982.
âGoing into the tournament, there was a lot of talk that we donât score enough goals. Thatâs another one weâve kept people quiet on,â added Rice.
âThere was a lot of scrutiny around the defence and conceding goals, but itâs been solid. Weâre going to keep building and pushing.â
Faced with the prospect of coming up against Paris St-Germain and France superstar Kylian Mbappe in Saturdayâs quarter-final (19:00 GMT kick-off), Rice said England have nothing to fear.
âThese are the games we want to play in. They only come around once. England versus France, quarter-final â it doesnât get bigger than that,â he added.
âIâm sure the world will be watching. We really want to progress. Thereâs no point buzzing [about victory over Senegal] if we canât push on and beat France.â
Tottenham defender Eric Dier added: âWhen you get to the quarter-finals of the World Cup, everyone is going to be very good. It is to be expected.
âNo-one will fear anyone. Theyâre a great team with very great players â but so are we.â
Former President, John Dramani Mahama doubts government’s ban on the use of V8s and V6s by government officials will be feasible since there will be no proper monitoring.
Speaking at the 13th Congregation of the Accra Business School, he questioned the practicality of governmentâs ban on the use of V8 vehicles in Accra by its appointees.
Mr Mahama thinks the policy is not feasible and according to him, its implementation is not trackable and therefore cannot be seen through.
The Government in the 2023 budget announced on November 24, listed a raft of measures to rein in expenditure. They included a ban on use of V8 and V6 vehicles by government appointees except for cross-country duties.
Former President Mahamahowever thinks that it will be difficult for the government to monitor the movement of the appointees.
âUnfortunately, in this budget, Ghanaians are slapped with stiff additional taxes and no tangible cuts in expenditure. They just say donât travel with your V8s.
âIf you are travelling outside Accra, you can use your V8, but donât use it in town. I mean, whoâs going to monitor if you use your V8 or not? Expenditure has increased significantly by 80 billion cedis.
âIt appears we have to accept to live with the excessive bloated size of government at the presidency,â Mr Mahama said when he addressed the 13th Congregation of the Accra Business School.
The Black Stars failed to advance to the round of 16 after a 2-0 defeat to Uruguay in the final Group H game last Friday.
The Ministry, under the leadership of Honourable Mustapha Ussif, have thanked all stakeholders for the support handed the team before, during and after Ghana’s elimination.
According to the Ministry, there will be a thorough review of the team’s performance to find the way forward for the Black Stars.
Below is the statement from the Sports Ministry:
After our spirited performances in our first two group matches of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup, Ghana’s campaign, has unfortunately ended, following the Black Stars’ defeat to Uruguay in our final group match.
Our target, going into the World Cup, was to progress from our group to the next round, and then continue our charge in the knockout stage, to better our impressive record in the World Cup.
Having put in all efforts, including financial, logistical and technical support towards our preparations, we were all confident our young team would be able to realise our national aspiration of going very far in the competition.
Indeed, the Black Stars won the hearts of many Ghanaians, as well as fans across the globe, with their spirited fightback against Portugal, and hard-fought victory over South Korea. Eventhough we fell short at the most crucial stage and bowed out of the competition in disappointment, we take solace in the lessons learnt, and the positives, especially the promising delivery of our young team.
We are also impressed by the united and patriotic manner Ghanaians came together to offer the Black Stars their unflinching support. Football, the World Cup and the Black Stars, brought the nation together beautifully as one people.
In the midst of global economic challenges, which had limitations to our finances, corporate Ghana responded remarkably to the Ministry of Youth and Sports’ fund-raising initiative to support the team, as well as President Akufo-Addoâs personal appeal for financial support. We are grateful to all corporate institutions for their kind and timely support, which contributed immensely not only towards the team’s qualification and preparations, but also made it possible to send a few Ghanaians to cheer on the team.
As a Government, we will not relent in our efforts towards sustainable sports development, to ensure that all our respective national teams, including the Black Stars, reach the height we desire.
For the Black Stars in particular, the Ministry of Youth and Sports will continue its partnership with all stakeholders, including the GFA, for a thorough review of the Black Stars’ World Cup campaign in Qatar, and the way forward.
Once again, we are grateful to all, for your diverse contributions towards the Black Stars’ 2022 World Cup campaign; from the qualifying series, to our last match on Friday, December 2, 2022.
Ghanaian screen goddess and fashionista Jackie Appiah is celebrating her 39th birthday in style with photos that proves that she is ageing like fine wine.
The actress is the true definition of Black Don’t Crack!
On the occasion of her 39th birthday on December 5, 2022, she released official photos in honour of her big day highlighting her glam team.
Fans, colleagues and friends on social media have joined in the celebration with their good wishes to the actress who doubles as a philanthropist.
Jackie in her yearly donation on the occasion of her birthday shared videos of her arrival in Kumasi as she embarks on a similar project.
An economist, Dr Owusu Adu Sarkodie, has proposed to the government to bring home the Heritage Fund and invest it locally rather than in a foreign country where the interest on the fund is nominal.
According to him, the Heritage Fund is not earning any significant interest rate outside the country and would be of immense benefit to the government and future generations if the Fund is brought home and invested in infrastructure that will last years.
âWe have invested the Heritage Fund outside, and it is earning us a 2 percent nominal interest rate when the US inflation rate is now 8 percent. So if you earn 2 percent on your heritage fund, it means you are getting negative real returns on the heritage fund.
âIt does not make any economic sense or prudence to invest and get 2 per cent when the inflation rate of the country that you have invested in is 8 per cent now. It means you are really losing,â Dr Sarkodie told the host of the Big Issue Selorm Adonoo on Saturday, December 3.
Dr Sarkodie added, âmy proposal is that the Heritage Fund currently is about $1 billion. It must be brought home and invested in this country so that the government can borrow from the fund because it is better for the government to borrow from the heritage fund locally and pay about 5 percent than keeping it in somebodyâs country and earning us 2 percent nominal and negative 6 percent real.â
âHonestly, I think that the heritage fund should be brought home and invested in physical infrastructure, something like a railway lineâŠbecause the essence of the heritage fund is to save for the future generationâŠso it is better to construct roads that will last for about 100 years than to keep it in somebodyâs country and earn a negative real interest rate on it, it doesnât make economic prudence.
Dr Sarkodie also urged the government to digitise the collection of Property rates which he said has the potential to generate GHÂą11 billion for the government as it embarks on a robust revenue mobilisation in 2023.
Franklin Cudjoe, a founding President and Chief Executive Officer of the IMANI Center for Policy and Education agreed with the proposal of Dr Sarkodie adding that bringing the Heritage Fund Ghana will yield more benefits to the government than keeping the fund abroad.
The purpose of the Heritage Fund is to provide an endowment to support the development of future generations when the petroleum reserves have been depleted. To achieve this objective the fund seeks to preserve and enhance the real (inflation-adjusted) purchasing power of the fund over the long term.
The rapper Ye praised Adolf Hitler and Nazis in an interview Thursday with far-right provocateur Alex Jones, drawing a fresh round of condemnation for his incendiary antisemitism a week after he dined with former president Donald Trump alongside white nationalist Nick Fuentes.
âI like Hitler,â a fully masked Ye told Jones. Minutes later, the rapper said, âI love Jewish people, but I also love Nazis.â
Jones laughed and quickly added, âWell, I have to disagree with that.â
Yeâs comments prompted sharp denunciations from across the political spectrum, including from some onetime supporters of the rapper, formerly known as Kanye West.
The House Judiciary GOP Twitter account on Thursday deleted a tweet it posted in October that said simply: âKanye. Elon. Trump.â
A spokesman for Trump did not respond to a request for comment about Thursdayâs show. Shortly after the Infowars segment ended, Yeâs Twitter account began retweeting posts about the âcraziest interview in modern history.â
In a statement from the Republican Jewish Coalition, Chairman Norm Coleman, a former senator from Minnesota, and chief executive Matt Brooks called Jones, West and Fuentes âa disgusting triumvirate of conspiracy theorists, Holocaust deniers, and antisemites.â
âConservatives who have mistakenly indulged Kanye West must make it clear that he is a pariah,â Coleman said. âEnough is enough.â
Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) condemned the comments in a tweet Thursday. âKanye Westâs anti-Semitic comments today were disgusting,â she said. âHis pattern of anti-Semitic behavior is unacceptable and I condemn it in the strongest possible terms. We must call out this hateful rhetoric and root out anti-Semitism wherever it rears its ugly head.â
The conversation with Jones focused on the Nov. 23 dinner Ye and Fuentes had with Trump, which occurred one week after Trump had announced another run for president. The interview underscored Trumpâs long-running ties to, and refusal to fully denounce, public figures known for spreading hate speech and baseless conspiracy claims.
Ye lost billions of dollars in deals with an array of businesses in recent months after his comments about Jewish people and Nazis.
This also wasnât the first time Ye appeared masked in public â he wore a bizarre, human-like mask last year for a meeting with former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen.His appearance Thursday also harked back to his then-wife Kim Kardashian attending the 2021 Met Gala in New York in a head-to-toe black ensemble.
In the days after news of the dinner emerged, top Republican officials throughout the country, to varying degrees, criticized Trump for dining with two of the countryâs most high-profile antisemites. Trump claimed he did not know of Yeâs and Fuentesâs public statements about Jewish people. According to advisers who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential conversations with him, Trump thought the controversy would blow over.\
âI think itâs dying down,â they recalled Trump saying.
Yeâs interview and its fallout paint a different picture.
During Thursdayâs show, Jones told Ye, âYouâre not a Naziâ and âYou donât deserve to be called that and demonized.â
âWell,â he replied, âI see good things about Hitler.â
Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism â one of the largest denominations of Jewish people in North America â said in an interview with The Washington Post that Trumpâs dinner with Ye and Fuentes âgave them a credibility that should have been unimaginable.â
The dinner also elevated antisemitism âto the highest echelon of political life,â Jacobs said. After reading excerpts of Jonesâs show Thursday, Jacobs added, âI never imagined this would be the day-to-day reality of our world.â
Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, whose group combats extremism, wrote on Twitter that the latest comments attributed to Ye and his association with âa white supremacistâ make Ye âa vicious antisemite.â His comments Thursday, Greenblatt wrote, âput Jews in danger.â
In response to Jonesâs show, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum wrote on Twitter that Hitler and the Nazis were âresponsible for the mass murder of 6 million Jews and millions of other victims.â The message also included a link to the groupâs Holocaust Encyclopedia page on Hitler and the words, âLearn the history.â
Jones appeared to revel in the attention his guests were bringing to his show. âIâm the crazy one here,â Jones said. âWeâre all crazy. The whole world is crazy. And the whole power structure is coming down.â
Jones added: âThis is absolutely lit. This is lit, lit, lit, lit, lit, lit. Number one show in the world right now.â
The 22-year-old was one of the revelations for the tournament for the Black Stars.
Alidu Seidu was playing in his first major tournament for the Black Stars where he excelled beyond expectations.
The Clermont Foot defender made his World Cup debut against Portugal at the Stadium 974 which Ghana lost 3-2.
Seidu played 180 minutes for Ghana in the matches between Portugal and Uruguay and was outstanding despite the Black Stars defeat in the two games.
In a post on his social media page, the defender thanked the fans for the support in his first World Cup campaign.
“I want to give glory to Allah for allowing me to represent the colors of one of the greatest gift football has given me. Sad the goal was not achieved but alhamdulilah. Thanks to everyone who supported me and the team”.
I want to give glory to Allah for allowing me to represent the colors of đŹđ one of the greatest Gift football has given me.Sad the goal was not achieved but alhamdulillah. Thanks to everyone who supported me and the team đŹđ #QatarWorldCup2022pic.twitter.com/lkHIXfqBOY
A disturbing attack that took place in New York City this week was captured on video, showing a masked man hitting a stranger with a baseball bat.
WABC reports the incident occurred last Tuesday morning around 8 a.m. on Amsterdam Avenue near 148th Street in the Hamilton Heights neighborhood of Upper Manhattan.
Video of the attack shows the attacker glance over at an unsuspecting man, who begins to walk past the stranger before heâs hit over the head with a baseball bat.
The 47-year-old victim falls to the ground as the attacker stands over him yelling. The bat-wielding man starts to walk away, before turning around and standing over the victim again. At one point he seemingly stomps the victim while appearing to threaten to hit him again with the bat.
Police say the victim was transported to NYC Health and Hospitals in Harlem, where he was treated for a laceration and bruises to his head. He remains in stable condition.
According to authorities, the attacker was last seen in a hooded sweatshirt with âNikeâ on the front, gray sweatpants and black sneakers. There have been no arrests and the investigation is ongoing.
Cops are asking anyone with information to call the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/.
Afia Schwarzeneggerâs daughter, Pena Geiling E Amankona, has been spotted in a video displaying her dancing skills on stage. On December 3, 2022, Pena performed at the national ballet show at the national theatre with her mother nowhere in sight after Chairman Wontumi placed a bounty on her head.
In front of hundreds of spectators, Pena performed in a skin-fitting leotard suit coloured white with red petals sewn on it.
In a post shared by blogger Sammy Kay Media on Instagram, he captioned, “@queenafiaschwarzenegger âs daughter @penalistic_pena performing at the ongoing National Ballet Show at the National Theater, Accra.”
On December 3, 2022, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, better known as Chairman Wontumi, offered to reward an amount of GHÂą5,000 to anyone who gives information on the hiding place of Afia Schwarzenegger.
In a wontumionline.com report, Chairman Wontumi called on the general public to help the security forces locate Afia Schwarzenegger after the Tema High court sentenced her to ten days in prison with a fine of GHÂą60,000.
This comes after Fadda Dickson, Nana Ama McBrown, Afia Schwarzenegger, Kwame A Plus, and Emmanuel Barnes, popularly known as Mr Logic and UTV, were cited for contempt of court.
The parties were dragged to court by Chairman Wontumi after discussing the merits of a defamation suit which was pending in court.
The High Court in its ruling on Thursday, December 1, 2022, convicted and fined all of them to pay GHÂą60,000 each; in default, they are to spend two months in jail.
The group stated in a news release on December 1, 2022, that the government’s share of the nation’s capital expenditures has been declining year after year.
According to the report, government funding made up 1.8 percent of the 2023 budget while development partners were responsible for 92.22 percent of the overall allocations.
According to the firmâs latest verdict on Ghana from an earlier Caa2 rating to Ca rating which is a further junk territory, it expects that the debt restructuring programme will impact both local and foreign currency holders.
Meanwhile, the finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta has also come under a lot of backlash and pressure from both within and outside his party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), to either resign or be sacked by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo over his handling of the economy.
Ghana winger Osman Bukari is delighted to have gotten the opportunity to represent the Black Stars at the World Cup and says the team will bounce back stronger.
Ghana were eliminated from the ongoing tournament after losing its final group game against Uruguay at the Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakra.
The 23-year-old scored his first goal in the tournament against Portugal in Ghana’s 3-2 defeat in the opening game.
Bukari came on as a substitute in the second half to reduce the deficit for the Black Stars with the second goal of the game.
The pacy winger also played in Ghana’s 2-0 defeat to Uruguay coming on as a substitute in the second half.
Osman Bukari is grateful for the opportunity to play for the Black Stars.
” I am so grateful for the opportunity given to me to serve my country at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Hard to accept we couldn’t go far. Lesson have been learnt. Thank you Ghana for your immense support and love. I fervently believe we’ll come back stronger!”
I am so grateful for the opportunity given to me to serve my country at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Hard to accept we couldnât go far. Lessons have been learnt. Thank you Ghana for your immense support and love. I fervently believe weâll come back stronger!đŹđâđœ pic.twitter.com/h6ycddsivV
Many have wondered why Afia Schwarzeneggerâs social mediaâs pages have been active ever since the court issued a bench warrant for her arrest on December 1, 2022.
There have been reports that Afia Schwarzeneggeris currently in police custody in fulfillment of her 10-day jail term, as ordered by a court.
Other sources also indicate that the controversial socialite has since been on the run following the court order, and that the complainant, Chairman Wontumi, has placed a GHC5,000 reward for whoever finds the socialite.
But in the midst of her woes, Afiaâs Instagram page was still found actively engaging with followers.
In one of the posts, Afia Schwarzeneggerjoined the tall list of Ghanaians who have reacted to the Black Starsâ elimination form the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
She shared a video in reaction to the Black Starsâ penalty miss and this triggered fans to ask how she is able to post despite being in cells or from whichever hideouts.
âAfia Schwar ubi too much so u dey prison way you they browse,â one of them wrote.
Shortly after, Afiaâs account responded to the social media user saying;
âThere’s something call Management and Team. please Tell dem.â
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Chief Executive has historically moved to another status as the newly enskinned Alaafe Bonzali Naa, to wit Health Development Chief of the Dagbon traditional area.
On behalf of the Overlord of Dagbon, the Gupke Naa, Abdulai Alhassan conferred the title on Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye at a colourful durbar in Tamale on December 3, 2022.
His role as Alaafe Bonzali Naa is to complement the efforts of the Yaa-Naa in promoting good health and environmental development.
The investiture was in recognition of the NHIA Bossâ stellar performance upon assumption of office.
Nyab Gukpe Naa Abdulai Alhassan praised Dr. Okoe Boye for his immense desire to ensure that all residents in Ghana and beyond are covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme.
The NHIA Governing Board, Executive Management and staff witnessed the ceremony which attracted a large crowd from the Tamale Metropolitan area at the precinct of the Gukpegu palace.
The newly enskinned Alaafe Bonzali Naa, Dr. Okoe Boye thanked the chiefs and people of Dagbon for the honor and promised to remain focused in the discharge of his duties.
Congratulatory messages have since been pouring in for Alaafe Bonzali Naa, Okoe Boye.
The two players representing the home-based players did not feature in the tournament and are back home following Ghana’s World Cup exit.
Afriyie Barnie and Ibrahim Danlad were instrumental in the Black Galaxies qualification to the CHAN after beating Nigeria in the final round of qualifiers.
The Hearts of Oak star was the leading top scorer in the qualifiers and Ibrahim Danlad was the first choice goalkeeper for the team.
Coach Annor Walker will be waiting for his two key players to join the team as they continue preparations at the Ghanaman Soccer Center of Excellence in Prampram.
Ghana will be making a return to the tournament after missing the last three editions.
The Black Galaxies have been paired in Group C with Morocco, Sudan and Madagascar.
The tournament kicks off January 13, 2022 in Algeria
Auditing firm, PwC, is appealing to government to spare the education and health sectors from the freeze on the public sector employment.
Though it supports governmentâs decision to freeze employment in the public sector, it said in its 2023 Budget review that key sectors such as education and health should be given key consideration and should not be hampered by the freeze on public sector employment.
The 2023 Budget highlighted some key interventions with respect to payroll and human resource management. These included, among others, the freeze on all public sector employment, expunging ghost names from payroll through periodic audits, linking of the Ghana card to the payroll, placing moratorium on granting of extension of employment after retirement and completing the roll-out of HRMIS and its integration to the payroll and GIFMIS.
PwC said âas negotiations with the IMF are currently ongoing, this is a critical area of reforms that need to be undertaken to cut down expenditure. However, whilst we agree with the Government on these measures, key sectors such as education and health should be given key consideration and should not be hampered by the freeze on public sector employmentâ.
The government also proposed key expenditure measures in the 2023 Budget to support its fiscal consolidation. These include the reduction of the earmarked funds from the current 25% of tax revenue to 17.5% of tax revenue, continued action of the 30% reduction of salaries of the President, Vice President, Ministers, Deputy Ministers and other political office holders, negotiate public sector wages, manage public sector hiring within current budgetary constraints, reduce fuel allocations to political appointees and heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies; Metropolitan, Municipal, Department and State Owned Enterprises by 50%, among others.
It said there is the need to downsize government machinery in addition to the implementation of the measures outlined to achieve a more sustainable outcome.
âWhile these measures may lead to expenditure reduction, we believe that there is the need to downsize Government machinery in addition to the implementation of the measures outlined, to achieve a more sustainable outcomeâ.
SEND Ghana has issued a warning that due to its excessive reliance on aid from donors and development partners, the government is unlikely to meet its goal of cutting grants by 10% to finance goods and services and CAPEX by 2023.
According to SEND Ghana, government’s contribution to capital expenditures has been declining, according to an assessment of Ghana’s budget from 2019 to 2023 that covered five ministries: health, education, agriculture, sanitation and water resources, as well as children and social protection.
1.8 percent of the overall allocation will come from the government in 2023, down from 8.48 percent in 2022, according to SEND Ghana, while 92.22 percent would come from external contributions.
âWith this trend, the government will most likely miss its target to reducing grants by 10% to finance Goods and Service and CAPEX by 2023 as envisioned in the Ghana Beyond Aid strategy document. The government must there take concrete steps to reduce the over-reliance on aid from donor partners,â parts of a press release from SEND Ghana read.
SEND Ghana also noted that the current global economic instability has made donor funds to governments inconsistent hence an over-reliance on development donors by the government could prove counterproductive and prevent government from embarking on major projects in the near future.
âIt has become apparent that donor funds are gradually dwindling, hence over-reliance on external support is counterproductive and could prove problematic in the near future. Again, considering the global economic turbulence, the government runs the risk of not mobilizing the required funding from DPs which will in turn affect actual releases to finance Agriculture and WASH interventions for 2023,â SEND Ghana added.
The social advocacy group made this known in a press statement released on Thursday, December 1, 2022.
Social media have gone overdrive since the four-time African champions failed to progress from the group stage.
Accusation and counter-accusation has dominated the major headlines in the West African nation since the team exited the tournament.
But Bayern Munich legend and a member of the Black Stars management committee Sammy Kuffuor has urged the media to be measured by their criticism of the team.
ââWe all agree that this is not what we expected. But we believe in our team so I will plead with you not to point accusing fingers at any player for what happened here yesterdayââ the former Bayern star said in a press briefing in Doha on Saturday.
ââI still insist we should find solutions to our problem and not to point accusing fingers at any player. We all know that we wanted to go far but that did not happen. Look at what we saw in the stadium and the people who travelled here to watch the matchesââ.
ââIt shows the kind of love that people have for the team, we did not take it for granted at all. But itsâ unfortunate we lost and exited the tournament. I am someone who can take pressure but itâs not every player who has that heart to take the pressureââ.
ââThese are young players, they need our support, not unguarded criticisms. When I was playing in Germany there was a lot of pressure but I am strong so I took that in good faith and performedââ.
ââWe donât have to dampen the spirit of the players. We have to encourage the players to do better for our country in future competitions. We need to look at avenues to get better results from here and not to blame anyone, thatâs my humble appeal to all of you.”
Ghana lost 2-0 to eternal rivals Uruguay 2-0 to crash out of the tournament in Doha.
Vodafone Ghana has reintroduced its exciting Unlimited Christmas offer for fixed broadband customers ahead of the holidays.
Under this offer, both new and existing Vodafone broadband users will enjoy unrestricted browsing for 30 days after paying a minimum of two monthsâ worth of their current fixed broadband package.
âChristmas is here, and we want to reward our customers for their loyalty and make it easy for them to stay in touch with their loved ones during the holidays,â said David Umoh, Director of the Consumer Business Unit at Vodafone Ghana.
Speaking on why Vodafone customers have always been enthusiastic about the Unlimited Christmas offer over the years, David explained, âOne reason this offer is always so well-received is that it satisfies our customersâ need to stay connected to the people and things they love.
âWe are always exploring ways to make connectivity more affordable and accessible to our customers, which is the reason we have brought back the Unlimited Christmas promotion to provide greater value to our customers during the holiday season,â he continued.
This offer is available to all existing and new customers who make a minimum payment of two monthsâ worth of their current fixed broadband package between December 1st and 31st.
Mr Umoh urged all Vodafone fixed broadband customers to take advantage of the offer while it lasts.
To enjoy this offer, customers need only dial *900# on any Vodafone mobile number or visit https://myvodafone.vodafone.com.gh or download MyVodafoneApp on the Google & App store to make payment.
New customers can visit www.fbb.vodafone.com.gh or any Vodafone Retail Shop to check the availability of the fibre service in their community and subscribe to the ultrafast fibre broadband service.
The Ghanaian Mobile Money (MoMo) Agents Association has asked for a reduction in Electronic Transfer Levy (E-levy), which is now 1% to between 0.1 and 0.5%,
The 2023 budget and economic strategy were presented by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, who also promised a 1.5% to 1% reduction in the E-Levy.
Additionally, he stated that starting in 2023, all transactions would henceforth be subject to the rules.
However, the agents claim that if the government adopts a different perspective on the rate, the predicted income objective may still be met.
Speaking to Citi News, the General Secretary of the Association, Evans Otumfour said, Ghanaians will keep evading the levy if there is no further reduction.
âGovernment must conduct a research to find out why people are not patronizing MoMo. It is obvious that the rate is one of the major hindrances to government achieving its revenue. So government must reduce the rate so that a lot of people will not be impacted. There are over 17 million MoMo users, so if government pegs the rate at 0.1 or 0.5 percent, it will still meet its revenue target. If not, people will look for alternatives like the use of cash.â
Even, the Minority in Parliament has suggested a 0.5 percent Electronic Transfer Levy and a GHS300 threshold to cushion poorer Ghanaians.
The caucus’ leader, Haruna Iddrisu, declared that his group was willing to collaborate with the administration to address the economic problem.
âWe will subject it [the new E-levy rate] to further critical and thorough discussions as a caucus in order to assist the government to get out of its eminent economic crisis,â he said.
âBut without going into the scenarios, as you look at your scenarios, consider another 0.5 percent at a threshold of GHS 300 as compared to what you have admitted of 1 percent at a threshold of zero,â the Minority leader added.
Some users of mobile money have also voiced their discontent with the suggested adjustments.
The inexperienced 47-year-old, a former Ghana international who was born in Germany and played for the Black Stars in their first World Cup finals appearance in 2006, had been a surprise appointment, parachuted in between Ghanaâs ignominious exit at the January Africa Cup of Nations finals and their World Cup qualifying play-off tie against Nigeria.
Addo has confirmed he is leaving his role after the country’s exit from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
And Chairman of the Black Stars management committee, Mark Addo says the football association has a plan for his successor.
ââWe knew that Coach (Otto Addo) will be leaving in six months, so we do have a succession planââ Mark Addo told the press at a briefing in Doha on Saturday.
ââWe just going through the process, itâs a process, you know the Ghana Football Association works with different stakeholders in this decision-making processââ.
ââLike I said, first thing is to get our reports in quickly, have a meeting within our stakeholders, including the President, the Executive Council and Government and once that is done, we will make a decision on his successor. So yes, we have a plan.
Although Otto Addo’s only previous coaching experience was with the youth teams of Hamburg and Borussia Dortmund, he had former Newcastle United and Brighton manager Chris Hughton as his advisor as Ghana rode their luck to edge Nigeria for a place in Qatar.
Addoâs departure means Ghana must move quickly to get a new coach in place before they continue their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign in March.
Ghana crashed out of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 tournament after finishing bottom of Group H with three points.
