The requiem ceremony will be place at the Ebenezer United Methodist Columbus Ohio – 3330 Cleveland Ave, Columbus, OH 43224 – from 9:30am to 11am, according to an obituary seen by GhanaWeb.
At Glen Rest Memorial Estate, Britney Boateng’s mortal remains will be buried.
It would be recalled that on Tuesday, November 22, 2022, it was reported that Britney Boateng was shot dead by her sister-in-law, Tyona Dodson after an argument.
She was pronounced dead at 1:12 a.m., the Columbus Division of Police said.
A report by 10tv.com said that “officers were called to the 400 block of South Weyant Avenue, just north of East Main Street, around 1 a.m. Police found Britney Boateng with a gunshot wound, who was pronounced dead at 1:12 a.m.”
The police have since charged Tyona Dodson with murder.
Abronye, who identified Mr. Mahama as a friend, wrote a mocking message on his Facebook page in which he expressed his desire for the former president to be unsuccessful in achieving his goal of winning reelection.
“Have a happy birthday, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, my dear buddy.
After 2024, I wish you the best of luck as you continue to represent Ghana’s longest-running opposition.
Raila Odinga of Ghana,
again, happy birthday.
Thank you,” he wrote.
Former President, John Dramani Mahama, lost a second presidential term bid in 2016 and failed another attempt at capturing power on the ticket on the National Democratic Congress in 2020.
Ahead of the 2024 presidential elections, former President Mahama is tipped as the likely candidate to lead the NDC.
Meanwhile, the governing New Patriotic Party is hoping to maintain power beyond 2023.
“We’re content here in Germany, my family and I.
Even if we win the World Cup and are crowned champions, I indicated I would stand down following the event.
As coach for Ghana, I have quit “In an after-match interview, Otto Addo told the media.
The MP stated in a tweet that one benefit of the Black Stars’ loss to Uruguay in their final World Cup group match in Qatar in 2022 is that the authorities who disregarded their responsibilities will return home.
Parts of the MP’s tweet said, “Now can our government officials come back home to their real duties.”
The minority caucus in parliament expressed concern on Tuesday about the absence of members from the Majority side of the House.
Though no official reason was given for the mass absence of the majority members, GhanaWeb checks show that some of the majority Members of Parliament (MPs) were out of the jurisdiction.
At least three of them were spotted in Qatar, where the 2022 FIFA World Cup is ongoing.
One of the MPs who has been in Qatar for the past two weeks is Mustapha Ussif of Yagaba-Kubori, who doubles as Minister of Youth and Sports.
Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, who doubles as the Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West Constituency, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, was also spotted in Qatar, according to social media posts.
Minister of Energy and Manhyia South MP, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh is also in Qatar cheering on the Black Stars.
Patrick Yaw Boamah, Okaikwei Central MP is also in Qatar, where he has been sharing photos of himself on the streets and at the stadium supporting Otto Addo and his charges.
The Black Stars were eliminated from the 2022 FIFA World Cup after losing by 2-0 to Uruguay in their final match of the group stages.
Giorgian de Arrascaeta’s two goals for Uruguay were not enough to get them through to the next round of the tournament as South Korea beat Portugal 2-1.
The Black Stars had a slow start in the game as Uruguay was on fire from the blast of the whistle.
However, Ghana’s first chance in the game which fell to Jordan Ayew nearly saw him score but Sergio Rochet pulled a good save which saw Kudus go in for a rebound.
Ghanaian socialite, Akuapem Poloo,has descended on a netizen who tried to silence her in a live video when she asked people who had their family members in jail to visit and be there for them.
During her live video that aired on Instagram on December 1, 2022, a netizen interrupted her live feed with comments saying, ‘this is not necessary’.
The actress got furious and commanded the netizen to leave her live video.
According to the socialite, if the user wasn’t going to leave, she was going to curse her with all her worries.
“Don’t be stupid in my live video. If you don’t leave my live video now, I will curse you with all my worries if you’ve been sent. If you don’t leave my live video with your stupidity.
“I never called you in my life video to listen to the trash that I’m saying here. idiot, idiot. Leave my live video. If you think prison is good, go and put yourself there and feel it.
“Who called you here to come and watch me and ask if this is necessary? Don’t let me insult you here. Go and ask them (prisoners), they are suffering. You think it’s easy,” she said.
Having talked about her painful experience, she asked the netizen to try sleeping in jail for just a day, and she would come back with a different perspective.
“Currently, I am happy to report that processes have been concluded towards the establishment of a tractor assembling plant in Ghana,” the president said in Koforidua.
“This will go a long way to reduce the cost of tractors and improve access to tractor parts and create jobs,” Akufo-Addo said.
This follows the elimination of the Black Stars from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after they were defeated by the Uruguay National football team led by Luis Suarez.
Before the penultimate group H encounter between Ghana and Uruguay, the Black Stars only needed a drawn game to proceed to the next round of the competition.
However, the revenge many were seeking turned otherwise as Uruguay were able to score two unanswered goals which means Ghana were bottom of the group with only 3 points.
Sharing his thoughts about the football match in a Facebook post, Shatta Wale asked his fans if they can play his song JJC which means ‘Johnny Just Come’ to welcome the Black Stars.
“Guys can we play JJC to welcome the BLACK STARS at least,” Shatta Wale said.
Statistics reveal that Ghana has become complacent as the number of annual infections rises as the globe observes World AIDS Day.
Ghana has documented an average of 21,000 new infections every year over the previous five years, said Dr. Kyeremeh Atuahene, Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission.
He claimed that the country’s reaction to the virus had become complacent, which had led to this development.
He revealed the information during the National AIDS Durbar on Thursday in Accra.
Police in the Pomaa Pokuase neighbourhood of the Assin Fosu Municipality have detained a 20-year-old man for allegedly injuring his buddy.
According to reports, the suspect, Stephen Ansah, cut his companion Emmanuel Appiah’s palm after the latter sought his portion of the GHC 30 they had both laboured for.
After more than two weeks of unsuccessful attempts by Appiah to get the money back from Ansah, Ansah’s father was informed of the situation.
Ansah, who disapproved of his friend’s choice, rushed to the victim’s house carrying a cutlass and tried to attack the person there.
Police in the Pomaa Pokuase neighbourhood of the Assin Fosu Municipality have detained a 20-year-old man for allegedly injuring his buddy.
According to reports, the suspect, Stephen Ansah, cut his companion Emmanuel Appiah’s palm after the latter sought his portion of the GHC 30 they had both laboured for.
After more than two weeks of unsuccessful attempts by Appiah to get the money back from Ansah, Ansah’s father was informed of the situation.
Ansah, who disapproved of his friend’s choice, rushed to the victim’s house carrying a cutlass and tried to attack the person there.
On Friday, December 2, 2022, Mr. Mahama sent a message to greet farmers well in honour of Farmers’ Day. He asked the government to give agribusiness priority and assist it with favourable financing for farmers and all other participants in the agricultural value chain.
He emphasised that “now is the time for government to start taking farmers and farming-related enterprises seriously, as Ghana’s economy is on the verge of collapse, as demonstrated by Rating Agencies through their relentless downgrades, and the suffering it has brought to many homes.”
This he believes is “the surest way we can reduce imports, strengthen the struggling cedi and save Ghana’s economy.”
Emmanuel Kofi Botwe famously known in the showbiz fraternity as Kwaw Kese, a Ghanaian Hiplife artiste, has reacted to the defeat of the Black Stars by Uruguay.
After the Uruguay National football team scored 2 goals against Ghana in the final group encounter, Kwaw Kese took to Facebook to claim that Ghana was not hungry enough for a win against Uruguay.
Emmanuel Kofi Botwe famously known in the showbiz fraternity as Kwaw Kese, a Ghanaian Hiplife artiste, has reacted to the defeat of the Black Stars by Uruguay.
After the Uruguay National football team scored 2 goals against Ghana in the final group encounter, Kwaw Kese took to Facebook to claim that Ghana was not hungry enough for a win against Uruguay.
“Ghana was not hungry enough for a #win against Uruguay ????????” he wrote as sighted by Amansan Krakye of MyNewsGh.com
Prior to the Group H fixture in the World Cup 2022 at Qatar between Ghana and Uruguay, there was much enthusiasm that the Black Stars will qualify for the round of 16.
The encounter was premised on the fact that in the World Cup 2010 in South Africa, Uruguay through their controversial striker, Luis Suarez prevented Ghana from advancing in the competition.
This became a topical issue when in the lead-up to the fixture in Qatar, Luis Suarez vowed not to apologize for the pain he caused Ghana about 12 years ago insisting he was punished for his blunder.
It is worth noting that in the press conference before the fixture, Luis Suarez promised that they know how to beat Ghana and they will beat them again which happened.
Iraq-based Ghanaian, Mercy Boakye, has stated that she is happy with her house help job because she makes an amount she never owned while in Ghana.
Mercy mentioned that she worked as a weeder back in her village, Berekum. In a chat on SVTV Africa with DJ Nyaami, Mercy stated that she heard about a ‘connection’ to Iraq and followed through with it.
Speaking on the job and her earnings, Mercy indicated it was tough initially, but “it is normal for me now. They overuse you when you begin because they know it’s your first time. They told me I’d work from 8 AM to 11 PM, but it extended to 1 AM sometimes.
“I complained about the workload, and it was reduced eventually. You can’t go out unless with the family I work with and I don’t buy anything at all. So I’m okay with it,” she said.
Moreover, Mercy disclosed that her contract is for two years and can be renewed. She indicated that she would prefer to renew hers because she is content with the job, and her salary will be increased with the contract renewal.
“I’m okay with it. I earn $250. It used to be GHS1,370, but now that the dollar has gone up, I get more. I didn’t have that amount saved up while in Ghana, so I will renew the contract and stay two more years,” she said on Daily Hustle Worldwide.
The Baghdad-based Ghanaian revealed that she spent almost GHS4000 on travel documents and medicals.
Actress Sandra Ankobiahhad staunchly supported the Black Stars throughout the World Cup, from rallying support for the team, fending off pessimists and even organizing a predict and win for the final group game.
In the end, the Black Stars lost to Uruguay by 2 – 0 but she gave out the promised prize monies.
She also joined Ghanaians in lamenting the loss to Luis Suarez and his colleagues but also had a word for the former Liverpool striker.
“Oh Suarez so you know how to cry?? Now you know how we felt. Nonsense,” one of her post-game tweets read.
It was in reaction to viral photos of Suarez weeping at the prospect of exiting the tournament.
Ghana ended bottom of Group H with Portugal topping whiles South Korea finsihed second ahead of Uruguay on goal difference – both teams finished with four points apiece.
Oh Suarez so you know how to cry?? Now you know how we felt. Nonsense
The Black Stars recorded three points from three games – losing to Portugal and Uruguay and beating South Korea. They scored five goals and conceded seven.
Coach Otto Addo has resigned his position in the post-match press conference.
Match Report: Uruguay vs. Ghana
The Black Stars of Ghana had one task going into their final Group H fixture at the 2022 World Cup.
Win at all costs, worse case draw against Uruguay and secure passage into the Round-of-16 stage of the competition.
The match was, however, settled with three major incidents in the first half. A penalty miss by Black Stars skipper Andre Dede Ayew, when the score was goalless.
Then Giorgian de Arrascaeta’s two goals for Uruguay which came in quick sucession, consigned the Black Stars to a second World Cup defeat against the South Americans who broke hearts of Africans in 2010.
Their 2 – 0 victory over the Black Stars was, however, not enough to get them through to the next round of the tournament as South Korea beat Portugal 2-1.
With Uruguay in dire need of a third goal to progress to the next round of the World Cup, Suarez was reduced to tears as efforts to score another goal proved futile.
Portugal and South Korea advanced from Group H as Uruguay and Ghana exited the tournament after finished 3rd and 4th respectively.
One year and eight months later, Ghanaian socialite, Akwapem Polooindicated that karma is impartial and equally judgmental in its assessment of all human behaviour after it was disclosed that Afia Schwarzenegger was to taste prison for ten days and pay a fine of ¢60,000.
It can be recalled that in April 2021, Akwapem Poloowas sentenced to a 90-day jail term for taking naked pictures with her son when he turned seven.
Afia Schwarzenegger took to social media to jubilate and condemned people who were calling for the judge who sentenced Haniya to 90 days in jail to temper justice with mercy.
According to Afia, those individuals were hypocrites and parasites who say one thing and do the other while praising the judge for her ruling.
In a live video on Instagram, the socialite narrated how her court sentence affected her life and also that of her family.
“Just know that Karma is a b****h. Don’t wish anyone downfall. Karma is for everyone. You can step on everyone and if the person says he or she will take you to prison, you will go to prison. Know that and don’t mock anybody.
“Don’t mock anybody who is in trouble. Never jubilate. Don’t jubilate over anyone’s downfall. I will never wish for the downfall of anyone. Just stay safe so that you can enjoy Christmas with your family,” she said.
Her video comes after Fadda Dickson, Nana Ama Agyeman, aka Nana Ama McBrown, Valentina Nana Agyeiwaa, alias Afia Schwarzenegger, Kwame Asare Obeng, alias Kwame A Plus, and Emmanuel Barnes, alias Mr Logic and UTV, have been 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.
According to the member, the government will be able to raise enough money with the help of the reintroduction to protect the country from the current economic downturn.
“I applaud the Roads Minister’s move to reinstate tolls on the roads.
Only 10% of our road networks are classified as economic roads and can be tolled as well. The remaining 90% are seen as social roads which cannot be tolled. Meaning 90% of vehicles in our roads just use the roads without contributing a penny for its maintenance,” he said.
” I welcome Government’s decision to reintroduce the toll collection but I will rather propose a vehicle use tax that will cover every vehicle or road user to ensure that all vehicle owners contribute to the pot for road maintenance. it’s either the Government put tollbooths on every tarred roads in the country to ensure that all road users pay for it use or Government should consider introducing an annual or half year road use taxes to ensure that every vehicle owner contributes to the pot for road maintenance,” Kennedy Osei Nyarko told Accra-based Original FM91.9
On November 17, 2021, government announced that motorists who ply tolled roads across the country will no longer be required to pay tolls.
The government will reintroduce the collection of road toll on selected roads in the country next year.
The reintroduction of the road toll is one of the revenue measures contained in the 2023 budget presented to Parliament by the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta last week.
“The fiscal policy measures to underpin the 2023 Budget for consideration and approval by Parliament include the reintroduction of tolls on selected public roads and highways with a renewed focus on leveraging technology in the collection to address the inefficiencies characterized by the previous toll collection regime,” paragraph 462 of the 2023 Budget statement reads.
According to reports, the event happened at Okorase, a Koforidua neighbourhood in the Abuakwa North Municipality of the Eastern Region.
The exact cause of the suspect’s actions is unknown, but according to a Citinewsroom story seen by GhanaWeb, Alex Tengeh revealed as much in his police statement, that he had been introduced to a marijuana toffee before acting.
Father of the young lady, Kofi Amponsah is said to have come to the rescue his daughter after which he lodged a complaint with the police.
The suspect who had escaped from the scene is said to have then moved to his home and attacked his grandfather who was in bed.
Tengeh beheaded his grandfather and subsequently butchered his stepmother who is said to have attempted to rescue the old man upon hearing his screams.
A neighbour, Comfort Ofori escaped an attempt on her by the suspect.
The incident is said to have thrown the entire Okarase community into a state of shock and mourning.
Midfielder Thomas Partey took time to meet Luis Suarez after the December 2, 2022 World Cup match between Ghana and Uruguay at the Al Janoub Stadium in Qatar.
Partey was on the losing side whiles Suarez captained the Uruguayan side to their first victory at the tournament having drawn with South Korea and lost to Portugal.
Partey was seen in a viral photo exchanging shirts with Suarez, the two are related by their association with Spanish club side Atletico Madrid.
Suarez joined in 2020 at the same time that the Ghanaian midfielder moved to England to join Arsenal.
The verdict on Twitter over the shirt swap was critique, with the word ‘traitor’ taking being prominent. Those angry at the move say Partey could have swapped the shirts away from public view.
But for others, it was no big deal for players to swap shirts once the game is over.
Ghana ended bottom of Group H with Portugal topping whiles South Korea finsihed second ahead of Uruguay on goal difference – both teams finished with four points apiece.
The Black Stars recorded three points from three games – losing to Portugal and Uruguay and beating South Korea. They scored five goals and conceded seven.
Coach Otto Addo has resigned his position in the post-match press conference.
The Black Stars of Ghana had one task going into their final Group H fixture at the 2022 World Cup.
Win at all costs, worse case draw against Uruguay and secure passage into the Round-of-16 stage of the competition.
The match was, however, settled with three major incidents in the first half. A penalty miss by Black Stars skipper Andre Dede Ayew, when the score was goalless.
Then Giorgian de Arrascaeta’s two goals for Uruguay which came in quick sucession, consigned the Black Stars to a second World Cup defeat against the South Americans who broke hearts of Africans in 2010.
Their 2 – 0 victory over the Black Stars was, however, not enough to get them through to the next round of the tournament as South Korea beat Portugal 2-1.
With Uruguay in dire need of a third goal to progress to the next round of the World Cup, Suarez was reduced to tears as efforts to score another goal proved futile.
Portugal and South Korea advanced from Group H as Uruguay and Ghana exited the tournament after finished 3rd and 4th respectively.
The purpose of the market, according to Mr. Akufo-Addo, who spoke at this year’s national farmers’ day celebration, is to make food accessible to state officials at a reasonable price.
In fact, he claimed, “Cabinet really established an Inter-Ministerial Committee in July 2022 with the task to intervene directly in the food market, by purchasing food at the farmgate, and transferring it for sale at urban centres.
“The Ministry of Food and Agriculture started a pilot food market in November, by arranging for traders to bring food items, such as plantain, yam and rice, direct to Accra from the production areas for direct sale to civil servants and the general public”, the president noted.
He added: “The market has been so well patronised that it has been extended to four other locations within Greater Accra, and is being rolled out in Kumasi, Koforidua and Takoradi urban centres. This is to enable consumers access to foodstuffs at affordable prices”.
Read the president’s full farmers’ day speech below:
President Akufo-Addo Marks 38th Farmers’ Day Celeberation At Koforidua
ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC, NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO-ADDO, AT THE 38TH FARMERS’ DAY CELEBRATION, AT KOFORIDUA, EASTERN REGION, ON FRIDAY, 2ND DECEMBER 2022, ON THE THEME “ACCELERATING AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH VALUE ADDITION”
I am happy to be back in Koforidua, capital of my home region, the Eastern Region. I am grateful to Almighty God for yet another opportunity to join you honour our farmers, fishers and, indeed, all actors along the agricultural value chain for their invaluable contribution to our sustenance, and for the development of Mother Ghana.
Recent global events, which have led to a food crisis across the world, call for greater appreciation of what our farmers and fishers, here in Ghana, have done and continue to do for us.
On a daily basis, there are news reports of countries struggling under the combined weight of the forces of the COVID -19 pandemic, the climate crisis and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The effects of these forces entail disruption of supply chains, hikes in fuel prices, spiralling inflation and sharp reductions in economic growth. On the agricultural front, the impact is seen in the shortage and high cost of critical inputs for farming such as fertilizers. Significant rises in fuel prices, globally, have contributed to rising prices of foodstuffs across the globe, and Ghana is no exception.
In response to the impact of the challenges to general food security, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, rallied World Leaders to a Food Systems Summit in September 2021 in which I participated, on the sidelines of the meeting of the General Assembly, to strategise on how to mitigate the growing threat to food systems. The emphasis, at the Summit, was to help avert extreme poverty and looming hunger, as specified in the UN Sustainable Development Goals I and II, respectively. It was a call to action by all countries to prioritise agriculture, and recommit to the transformation of food systems to build resilience and ensure sustainable food security.
In this respect, I find the theme for this year’s Farmers’ Day Celebration, “Accelerating Agricultural Development Through Value Addition”, most appropriate and timely. Value addition, as a means of accelerating the development of agriculture, is one of the logical strategies for ensuring food security, and rightly so. I say this because of the perennial problem of post-harvest losses experienced in most countries, including Ghana.
Since 2017, strategic interventions in the agriculture sector have emphasised value addition through the implementation of the One-District-One-Factory flagship programme by Government. It is instructive to note that one hundred and seventy-two (172) of the two hundred and ninety-six (296) factories to be established under the programme are agro-based, processing the rapidly increasing farm output of our farmers.
Clearly, it is evident that Ghana has been put firmly on the track of value addition. Government appreciates fully that value addition is the one of the best ways to unlocking the huge potential of Ghana’s agriculture. Current developments in the country have reinforced the need to direct greater attention to promoting value addition. As a country, it is important to draw on very hard lessons from the impact of external factors on our food systems. Food prices in urban centres are unacceptably high. However, it is equally true that some internal factors are also contributing to the high prices. Government continues to evaluate the situation for appropriate action to be taken.
Indeed, in July 2022, Cabinet set up an Inter-Ministerial Committee with the brief to intervene directly in the foodstuff market, by buying food at the farmgate, and transporting it for sale at urban centres.
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture started a pilot food market in November, by arranging for traders to bring food items, such as plantain, yam and rice, direct to Accra from the production areas for direct sale to civil servants and the general public.
The market has been so well patronised that it has been extended to four other locations within Greater Accra, and is being rolled out in Kumasi, Koforidua and Takoradi urban centres. This is to enable consumers access to foodstuffs at affordable prices.
Chairperson, agriculture will continue to remain a top priority of my government. The massive investments made in the sector attest to this fact.
The positive narrative about Government’s support to the agriculture sector is that, unlike several other countries, Ghana is better prepared, and has demonstrated resilience to the current adversities threatening to destabilise our food systems.
This has been possible because of the sound, pragmatic policies and programmes rolled out at the inception of my stewardship.
Our flagship programme, Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ), with its focus on improving farm productivity, through the use of technology on farms, has succeeded in increasing our food security, and opened up new opportunities for diversifying our agricultural exports by promoting six (6) tree crops for future substantial foreign exchange earnings.
In 2016, Government inherited production levels of 1.7 million metric tonnes of maize and six hundred and sixty-five thousand metric tons of rice (665,000). Under the PFJ, maize production reached 3.4 million tonnes by 2021 and rice to 1.2 million metric tonnes.
The credit must go to our gallant farmers, fishers and value chain actors who embraced the PFJ policies, and leveraged the opportunities created by the enabling environment for agricultural development.
By design, PFJ has targeted other sectors under agriculture with promising results. Under its Rearing for Food Jobs module, some one hundred and thirty-four thousand, four hundred (134,400) birds and small ruminants were distributed to one thousand, two hundred and fifty-four (1,254) beneficiaries in 2022 alone.
In addition, nine hundred thousand (900,000) broiler day old chicks (chicken), together with nine hundred metric tons of feed and vaccines, have been contracted out for supply to farmers next year.
Still under the livestock sector, Government has released GH¢15.6 million as payment of compensation to two hundred and eighty (280) farms affected by the highly pathogenic Avian Influenza.
There is also support for disease surveillance, public awareness creation, capacity building and the procurement of motorbikes for operational activities to enhance early detection, prevention and disease management. As part of institutional strengthening for the Veterinary Services Directorate, five hundred and fifty (550) veterinary officers and allied staff have been recruited this year alone.
Chairperson, the achievements of my government include the promotion of selected tree crops to diversify export earnings from the sector. For more than a century, Ghana has relied heavily on cocoa for foreign exchange earnings, whilst the potential for several other tree crops remains untapped.
By an Act of Parliament, the Tree Crop Development Authority was established in 2020, to coordinate and promote the development of six tree crops, namely cashew, rubber, oil palm, coconut, mango and shea.
At maturity, these selected crops will have the combined potential of generating annually an additional twelve billion dollars ($12 billion) to supplement the annual two billion dollars ($2 billion) from cocoa.
Since the launch of the Tree Crop Development programme in 2018, several nurseries have been established with the participation of private sector.
The Ministry, through the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA), facilitated the provision of 2.7 million improved seedlings to some eleven thousand, one hundred (11,100) farmers during 2022 cropping season.
I commend the District Assemblies for their participation in this effort, and I continue to urge our chiefs, land owners and prospective investors to leverage the opportunities created in the tree crop sub-sector.
Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) and other partners have facilitated the smooth introduction and enhancement of major interventions such as the National Cocoa Rehabilitation Programme, Hand Pollination Programme, Mass Pruning Exercise, Cocoa Diseases and Pests Control Programme, the Subsidised Fertilizer Distribution Programme, amongst others.
I have been reliably informed that, two years after we re-launched the National Cocoa Rehabilitation Programme in the Western North Region, a total farm area of fifty-six thousand, three hundred and forty-three (56,343) hectares have been fully treated across the cocoa growing regions, as of 30th September 2022.
As a result of the success of the programme, thousands of farmers, who had abandoned their cocoa farms due to the devastating effect of the cocoa swollen shoot virus disease, have returned, and are active again in the cocoa business.
It is important to underscore that these interventions brought back smiles on the faces of our cherished farmers, and also provided employment to some twenty-seven thousand (27,000) youth in scheme areas, that is one thousand, three hundred and sixty-one (1,361) as technical assistants; one thousand, eight hundred and forty-five (1,845) as disease spotters; and twenty-three thousand, nine hundred and thirteen (23,913) as farm hands.
Chairperson, in 2019, Government began the implementation of the Cocoa Management System (CMS) to help establish a credible database on Ghana’s cocoa.
The integrated cocoa farmer database, which includes the development of a software data system, a census of all cocoa farmers in Ghana as well as mapping of all farms, will ensure, for the first time, the availability of accurate information on land size, geographic locations, population and record of cocoa farmers and farms in Ghana.
I am happy to announce, again, that the CMS is ready, setting in motion the processes of rolling out fully the much-anticipated cocoa farmers pension scheme. The mandatory pension scheme, which takes effect in the current 2022/23 crop season, will provide a decent pension for cocoa farmers after a minimum of five (5) years contribution.
It is important to mention that that the Living Income Differential (LID) pricing mechanism, being spearheaded by Cote d’ Ivoire and Ghana, the two biggest global producers of cocoa, through the Cote d’ Ivoire-Ghana Cocoa Initiative, is progressing despite seeming obstacles from some of our international trading partners. I want to assure our farmers that everything possible is being done to see to the full implementation of the scheme to cushion them against price volatility, and also guarantee sustainable livelihoods for them.
Fellow Ghanaians, the sustainability of the cocoa sector is contingent also on how effectively we are able to fight the devasting effects of the illegal mining menace. All of us, farmers and citizens, have a collective responsibility to bring this environmental canker to a halt if we do not want to ruin the inheritance our forefathers bequeathed us.
Other interventions implemented by my government, which are critical for accelerated development of the country, include the following:
Greenhouse Training Centres
Three greenhouse training centres, with attached commercial units at Dawhenya, Akumadan and Bawjiase for training youth in high-quality vegetable production, have been constructed. These vegetables are sold to high-end shops such as Palace Mall, Shoprite, Starbite, KFC and Burger King in Tema, Accra and Kumasi. To date some five hundred and thirty-seven (537) youth have been trained, with three hundred and forty (340) of them having received internship training in Israel.
Irrigation
Since 2017, substantial investments have been directed to the construction and rehabilitation of twelve (12) irrigation schemes for which six (6) are ninety percent (90%) complete, five are between forty five percent (45%) to seventy percent (70%) complete, and Pwalugu dam currently at five percent (5%) completion. Together, these irrigation projects will make available thirty-one thousand, four hundred and fifteen (31,415) hectares of land for all year-round crop production when completed.
Warehouses
Measures taken by Government to address other major marketing problems in the agriculture sector include construction of eighty (80) warehouses of one thousand metric ton (1,000MT) capacity each for food storage, and to reduce post-harvest losses. Sixty-five (65) of eighty (80) have been fully completed, handed over and currently in use. The remaining are all at advanced stages of completion, ranging from seventy percent (70%) to ninety percent (90%).
Mechanization
To accelerate the process of agricultural modernization, my government, through various bilateral arrangements, has imported assorted agricultural machinery including tractors, power tillers, planters, threshers, combine harvesters and hand-held equipment for smallholder farmers at a total value of sixty-seven million United States dollars ($67 million). These farm equipment and machinery are being sold at subsidised rates to farmers and other investors. Currently, I am happy to report that processes have been concluded towards the establishment of a Tractor Assembly Plant in Ghana. This will go a long way to reduce cost of tractors, improve access to tractor parts and create jobs.
Agriculture Financing
To promote and increase investment in agriculture, Government established the Ghana Incentive Based Risk Sharing Agricultural Lending Scheme (GIRSAL) in 2018. A little more than three years on, GIRSAL has provided some three hundred and forty-seven million cedis (GH¢347 million) of guarantees, covering loans of some seven hundred and twelve million cedis (GH¢712 million) to some one hundred (100) agribusinesses. These businesses are engaged in sale of agricultural inputs, direct production, aggregation, processing, marketing and exports. The guarantees have contributed to lower interest rates for borrowers. To boost further financing for agribusinesses, Government has established the Development Bank of Ghana, capitalised, initially, at seven hundred and fifty million euros (€750 million), which will prioritise agriculture in its activities.
Ghana Cares
Under the Cares Obaatampa programme, provision has also been made to enhance access to affordable financing for agribusinesses. A fifty percent (50%) interest rate subsidy is provided to agribusinesses in selected value chains, namely rice, maize, soya bean, tomato, and poultry. This complements the Outgrower and Value Chain Fund, which was established eleven (11) years ago to provide medium to long-term financing at significantly reduced interest rates. Under the Savanah Investment Project, two million dollars ($2 million) is also earmarked to provide credit to poultry value chain actors, especially those in processing.
YouStart programme
Government has launched the YouStart programme to provide training, entrepreneurial skills and financial support to entrepreneurial youth within the age bracket of 18 to 40 years, to help them start, build and grow their businesses. The YouStart will be a very important vehicle for equipping the youth to enter into agro-based businesses such as input distribution, marketing and value addition, leveraging on digital technology. I use the opportunity to encourage the District Assemblies and faith-based organizations to support the youth to take advantage of the programme.
Chairperson, the overwhelming evidence points to an impressive performance of Government in pursuit of its agricultural modernisation and transformation agenda.
From an average of 3.8% in the 5-year period from 2012 to 2016, average annual growth nearly doubled to 6.3% in the period 2017 to 2021. In the most recent years, the sector growth increased strongly from 4.7% in 2019 to 7.4% in 2020 and 8.4% in 2021 – the highest annual performance in the Fourth Republic.
This sterling performance compares with the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme’s (CAADP) benchmark target of 6% growth of agriculture for the attainment of national food security.
Ironically, the highest growth rates posted were in 2020 and 2021 when the COVID-19 Pandemic and other negative forces, such as climate change and outbreak of diseases, were impacting the sector.
Going forward, Government will deepen investments in these areas, and build on the achievements so far through additional interventions.
Measures to Promote Import Substitution
As part of measures to ameliorate the current economic difficulties, I have already outlined policy measures to curtail the imports of some food commodities, for which we have comparative advantage. We will use the opportunity of this crisis to accelerate the agriculture modernisation and transformation agenda.
This effort will require strong intersectoral coordination at all levels, and effective engagement and collaboration with the private sector and all other stakeholders in the agriculture ecosystem.
Consequently, institutions such as the TCDA and pipeline strategic institutions, like the Grains Development Authority, will be strengthened and supported to deliver effectively on their strategic mandate. We will also co-ordinate effectively with our foreign partners, leveraging their technical and financial resources to support this effort.
Grains Development Authority
Ghana has an untapped potential for grain production that can be exploited to feed the West Africa Region and beyond. This is evident in the loads of grains, such as maize, rice and soya, exported to neighbouring countries such as Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin and Ivory Coast in the last three years.
To unlock the potential of the grain industry, a Bill is before Parliament requesting for approval to amend the erstwhile Grain Development Authority Act, 1970 (Act 234) to provide for the establishment of a body corporate to regulate, promote and coordinate development of the grain industry. The Authority, with private sector participation, will coordinate actors in the grain industry to achieve higher productivity, gain market access and increase value addition. This effort will also maximize the benefits from the grain sector through effective regulation.
Fisheries
The Fisheries and Aquaculture sector is an essential component of our nation’s economic development, providing employment to some three million people. Promoting value addition in the fisheries sector will not only ensure that Ghanaians have access to different fish products, but will also help protect the investment of actors in the value chain, improving exports, and creating additional job opportunities.
Government will continue to implement sustainable fisheries management measures to help conserve the dwindling marine fisheries resources and sustain the sector for future generations. The development of the aquaculture industry will also continue to receive Government support, as part of efforts to reduce our dependence on our marine fisheries resources.
I am happy to announce that Cabinet has granted three (3) key approvals to the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development for (i) the automation of premix fuel distribution at landing beaches, (ii) the implementation of a new National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy, and (iii) the preparation of a new Fisheries Act to replace the current Act 625. These approvals are important for the sustainable management of marine fisheries resources and development of aquaculture.
The Ministry is also at an advanced stage with regard to the implementation of Cabinet’s decision for the acquisition of one (1) Research Vessel and four (4) Patrol Boats for the fisheries sector. The Research Vessel would facilitate regular fisheries research and stock assessment that would enhance data availability for science-based fisheries management, whilst the Patrol Boats will enhance the enforcement capacity to curb the pervasive incidence of illegal and unregulated fishing and related activities in our territorial waters.
To our artisanal fishers, I say I am also aware of the challenges regarding the distribution and sale of premix fuel to artisanal fishers. To address this, premix distribution activities at landing beaches will be automated by the close of December 2023. The first three (3) of the pilot phase is almost completed at Elmina, and would be commissioned in January 2023. Government is engaged in discussions with Bulk Distribution Companies to address supply challenges with regards to premix.
Chairperson, it is fairly obvious that a lot has been achieved in the sector, with many more projects and initiatives in the pipeline. At full maturity, these interventions will help consolidate the gains already made, strengthen the resilience of Ghana’s food system, and ensure sustainable food security.
Before I conclude, fellow Ghanaians, I want to point out again that our nation finds itself in considerable economic difficulties. It is important, therefore, that we put in place the relevant measures to address the hydra-headed economic challenges confronting us.
The 2023 Budget presented to Parliament by the Minister for Finance seeks to address these economic challenges through a number of very difficult, but necessary measures. These measures include a debt operation to address our fiscal and debt sustainability concerns. Debt operations alone will not be enough to address the debt sustainability concerns. It is for this reason that we are complementing the debt operations with fiscal adjustments, through improvement in revenue collection and expenditure rationalisation measures, to promote debt and fiscal sustainability. This is why the Minister for Finance outlined a number of revenue and expenditure measures for the consideration and approval of Parliament.
These revenue measures include a proposed increase in VAT rate by 2.5%, the review of the e-Levy rate from 1.5 percent to 1 percent and removal of the one hundred cedi (GH¢100) threshold; removal of selected VAT exemptions; implementation of the VAT e-invoicing system; revision of selected excise taxes; complete removal of discount on benchmark values; implementation of the unified property rate collection; and review of the National Fiscal Stabilisation Levy (NFSL) to include all entities which are critical in supporting the fiscal consolidation process.
The fiscal adjustment envisaged is not only on the revenue side, but also on the expenditure side. Government is proposing significant expenditure rationalization measures, including a lowering of the cap on transfers to earmarked funds from 25 percent to 17.5 percent; review of Government flagship programmes to reflect relevance, promote efficiency, and ensure value for money; continue with the thirty percent (30%) cut in the salaries of the President, Vice President, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, MMDCEs, and political office holders including those in state-owned enterprises; manage public sector wage negotiations and hiring within budgetary constraints; and integrate the public procurement approval processes with GIFMIS and budget allocation.
There are other key public expenditure measures which seek to demonstrate government’s burden sharing in addressing the economic challenges facing us. These measures, which range from reducing fuel allocation, the size of convoys, the suspension of the creation of new government agencies, to a ban on the use of V8 vehicles, are expected to reduce spending towards fiscal sustainability.
Fellow Ghanaians, I am optimistic that all these fiscal measures, together with the debt operations and the implementation of key structural reforms to eliminate the structural bottlenecks in the economy outlined in the 2023 Budget, will go a long way to address the economic challenges.
I call on all Ghanaians, in these difficult times, to support these fiscal measures that the Government has proposed for approval by Parliament, to enable us achieve the goal of restoring macroeconomic stability and promoting inclusive growth, whilst protecting the poor. I would like to use this occasion to make a special appeal to Organised Labour, which has proved to be a stalwart, principled ally of my government in our collective efforts, over these last six (6) years, to build a strong Ghanaian economy, to continue its dialogue with its Social Partners to find rapidly an acceptable solution to the ongoing salary negotiations, a solution which is realistic and fair.
Finally, I want to end with a request on each one of us. Our economy suffers from another structural weakness, which we must address with urgency. Ghana has the second largest economy in West Africa, but with the lowest tax-to-GDP ratio of some twelve percent (12%), within the context of an average of eighteen percent (18%) in the ECOWAS Region. It is absolutely essential for our future, if we are to realise our goal of a Ghana Beyond Aid, that we make rapid strides to meet the eighteen percent (18%) and even higher target, in order to strengthen our self-reliance and our capacity to finance our own development. It is in this light that I am calling strongly for support for the measures that the Minister for Finance outlined in the budget proposals, which will enhance significantly revenue mobilisation. It should be obvious to all of us by now that we can only rely on ourselves to build the Ghana we want.
According to the Ghana Police Service, they are on the lookout for alleged armed robbers who attacked and killed a woman in Aprawhem in the Eastern region.
The police say that the special operation to apprehend the gang of armed robbers got under way Friday night, December 2, 2022.
There have been rumours that Koku Anyidoho, Dela Coffie, Yaw Boateng Gyan, and other disgruntled party members are supporting the current National Chairman, Asiedu Nketia, who is challenging him for the position.
For collaborating with those who do not represent the National Democratic Congress’s interests, the Chairman has been branded a traitor.
To him, the propaganda will not wash and there is a need for his opponents to rethink their ways.
“It is a figment of their own imagination. Under no circumstance will I take people who have been ousted from the party to be part of my campaign team. I ended my campaign in the Greater Accra Region Yesterday and about 10 to 15 constituency Chairmen were following me as members of my campaign team. I don’t lack people who will campaign for me who are bonafide members of the NDC…Those contesting me should not hide behind people and say that Koku Anyidoho, Yaw Boateng Gyan, Dela Coffie, and Allotey Jacobs are regular panel members on Ahotor FM which is a radio station which belongs to me. None of them have been a panelist on my radio station,” he said.
Ghanaian fans were captured celebrating in Qatar despite the Black Stars’ loss to Uruguay in the final Group H fixture at the Al Janoub Stadium in Doha on December 2, 2022.
Ghana lost but opponents Uruguay, led by Luis Suarez, also crashed out on goals scored after finishing with four points apiece with South Korea.
In a video shared by Isaac Fanin, a BBC journalist covering the tournament, a pool of Ghanaians are captured dancing to a popular song titled, African Girls, by late musician Castro featuring former Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan.
Hundreds of the fans are seen singing along as the song is blasted on loud speakers as they dance ostensibly to celebrate Uruguay’s exit despite having inflicted a similar fate on Ghana.
He captioned the video thus: “This is absolutely top tier pettiness from Ghanaians! A DJ is playing Asamaoh Gyan’smusic whilst Ghanaians party at Uruguay’s expense! Baby jet is here. Imagine if Ghana had won.”
Gyan in 2010 missed a crucial penalty after Suarez handled a goal-bound effort. Uruguay went on to win the game on penalties denying Ghana a place in the semi finals.
Match Report: Uruguay vs. Ghana
The Black Stars of Ghana had one task going into their final Group H fixture at the 2022 World Cup.
Win at all costs, worse case draw against Uruguay and secure passage into the Round-of-16 stage of the competition.
The match was, however, settled with three major incidents in the first half. A penalty miss by Black Stars skipper Andre Dede Ayew, when the score was goalless.
Then Giorgian de Arrascaeta’s two goals for Uruguay which came in quick sucession, consigned the Black Stars to a second World Cup defeat against the South Americans who broke hearts of Africans in 2010.
Their 2 – 0 victory over the Black Stars was, however, not enough to get them through to the next round of the tournament as South Korea beat Portugal 2-1.
With Uruguay in dire need of a third goal to progress to the next round of the World Cup, Suarez was reduced to tears as efforts to score another goal proved futile.
Portugal and South Korea advanced from Group H as Uruguay and Ghana exited the tournament after finished 3rd and 4th respectively.
This is absolutely top tier pettiness from Ghanaian’s! A DJ is playing Asamaoh Gyan’s music whilst Ghanaians party at Uruguay’s expense! Baby jet is here. Imagine if Ghana had won 😂 pic.twitter.com/Rjg3wyAsP2
After winning one of their three games, Ghana was eliminated from the Group G tournament.
The Black Stars of Ghana needed at least a draw to advance to the round of 16 after falling to Portugal in their opening match and earning all three points against South Korea.
The team’s final game was against Uruguay, where they were defeated two goals to nil.
The GFA while expressing gratitude to the Ghanaian populace and other groups for their support apologised for the team’s failure to progress out of the group stage.
“The Ghana Football Association is extremely grateful to the government,
the Ghanaian people, the football family, Corporate Ghana, our esteemed sponsors and supporters for their unflinching, unwavering and unalloyed
support during the Black Stars FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 campaign,” part of GFA’s statement read.
“We regret our inability to progress to the knockout phase of the competition and offer our profound apologies to the government, the people of Ghana and all stakeholders across the globe,” the GFA said.
According to the GFA, it has gathered valuable lessons from the team’s qualification and participation in the global showpiece and will communicate further developments in due course.
“We believe that valuable lessons have been learnt from our qualification and participation in the tournament and aim to continue with the positives going into the future.”
“The Ghana Football Association would in due course inform all stakeholders about any further developments concerning the Black Stars,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, Head Coach of the Black Stars, Otto Addo, has announced his decision to resign from the position.
“Me & my family are happy in Germany. I said I would step down after the World Cup even if we’re world champions after the tournament. I’ve resigned from my role as Ghana coach,” Otto Addo told the press in his post-match interview.
Chiefs from five Paramouncies in the Cape Coast Traditional Area, including Kwaprow, Amamoma, Akotokyir, and Kakumdo, who were upset, gathered in the main street of the ancient town on Wednesday, broke eggs, and poured libations to invoke 77 deities on Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong, the vice chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC).
Clad in red and chanting war songs, the protestors wielded placards calling on the government to intervene in the impasse between the community and the University of Cape Coast over land boundaries before it escalates.
Some of the placards read “UCC give us our land, communities lands should be registered at lands commission, we need resettlement or agree on a common boundary” among others.
Briefing the media shortly after a petition was presented to the Central Regional Minister, spokesperson for the aggrieved traditional authorities and the Chief of the Kwaprow community, Nana Kwesi Mensah III, said his colleague chiefs have written to UCC Vice Chancellor and other persons in authority proposing a dialogue between the community elders and authorities of the school on how to solve these pending issues amicably but they have been indifferent to their concerns.
“UCC authorities do not respect elders of the communities, we need resettlement or UCC authorities should co-operate to solve land boundary disputes, restrict movement of community members from one community to another, neglecting corporate social responsibilities and among others”, he demanded.
It has been predicted that the race between Mr. Asiedu Nketia and Ofosu Ampofo for the position of National Chairman of the NDC at Congress will be close.
Ofosu Ampofo, however, contends that if anyone, including his general secretary, lacks a message, they should give up and let him run unopposed as he has a lot to offer the political party.
To him, claims that he is working with people suspended by the party is a figment of his opponent’s imagination and not a fact.
“It is a figment of their own imagination. Under no circumstance will I take people who have been ousted from the party to be part of my campaign team. I ended my campaign in the Greater Accra Region Yesterday and about 10 to 15 constituency Chairmen were following me as members of my campaign team. I don’t lack people who will campaign for me who are bonafide members of the NDC,” he said.
“Those who are contesting me should come and tell the people what they will do when they are voted for to become National Chairman and others. Those contesting me should not hide behind people and say that Koku Anyidoho, Yaw Boateng Gyan, Dela Coffie, and Allotey Jacobs are regular panel members on Ahotor FM which is a radio station which belongs to me. None of them has been a panelist on my radio station.”
“I want to use this medium to dismiss the propaganda and to also let them know that if they don’t have a message, they should throw in the towel and withdraw from the race,” he said.
He urged the government to urgently tar the local roads in order to make it simpler for people to travel, especially between rural and urban areas.
Osagyefo Akonu railed, “If the government doesn’t tar the roads, we the chiefs would do it ourselves and after the completion, they should utilise aeroplanes when coming to the area to campaign.”
At the Apayemkese 2022 festival at Asebu in the Central Region, celebrated by the Chiefs and people of Abura Asebu Kwamankese traditional area, the chief called out the government for paying lip-service to road network.
The festival was celebrated under theme “The Return of the Africans in the Diaspora to Asebu: Prospects for National Development”.
He lauded the Omanhen of Asebu Traditional Area, Okatakyi (Prof) Amanfi VII for his tremendous developmental work in the area including the construction of laboratory at Moree Health center, a Police Station at Asebu, Pan-African Village, ongoing citrus factory as well as an ultra-modern market at Asebu.
On his part, Okatakyi Amanfi bemoaned the poor drainage system in the area which has contributed to poor sanitation in various communities.
The warning signs had been there, and if the disastrous performance against Brazil wasn’t enough to convince Otto Addo that certain players, regardless of their pedigree and reputation, needed to be benched, then the exhibition match against Switzerland and Portugal in the first Group H match should have.
It makes sense for a coach in charge of a young club to place his faith in the few seasoned players on the roster, but Otto Addo’s trusted players have consistently disappointed, especially when it counts the most.
There is the excuse of leadership and inspiration to be made for Andre Ayew but the obvious truth is that when it comes to what matters most which is producing performance worthy of satisfactory remarks, Andre Ayew has failed, not once, not twice, countless times in the last three years.
As far as the Black Stars and most national teams are concerned, this is not a new phenomenon but this is where a coach is expected to be bold, overlook the stardom and pick less-popular players who deliver in national colors.
The Switzerland game should have provided the blueprint for how Otto Addo was going to deal with the Partey situation.
To be honest it is not an easy move to make and it is one which if not handled properly could upset the dressing room but after that performance by Salis and Elisha Owusu against Switzerland and Partey’s underwhelming performance against Portugal, Otto Addo should have drawn the line. Instead he remained loyal to a global star who once again delivered the opposite of his Arsenal form against Uruguay.
And Baba Rahman.
There is the conspiracy theory that he gets into the team because of his association with some key members within the Ghana Football Association but assuming without admitting that it is the truth, such influence, regardless of who it is coming will not be enough to get him into the starting team unless the coach himself is party to whatever scheme there is.
So regardless of what you think, Baba Rahman presence in the team is the sole decision of coach Otto Addo and the fact that he was drafted into the team after Gideon Mensah’s telling performance against South Korea shows the loyalty and faith Otto Addo had in him.
In return of Otto Addo’s loyalty, the Reading player has persistently displayed disastrous football which once again came alive in the game against Uruguay.
Baba Rahman’s was exposed and the Uruguayans had a field day cooking their attacks from that side. Unfortunately for him, his wing partner Jordan Ayew after that headline-grabbing performance against South Korea went back to default settings.
Inaki Williams came into the team with so much promise and it was understandable as the Black Stars lacked a player of his stature in the attacking area but in three games played at the World Cup where he played mainly in two positions, the Athletic Bilbao forward who switched allegiance from Spain to Ghana failed to deliver.
In all three games, two of which he played as a striker, not once did he hit a shot that was saved by the goalkeeper. Inaki had no shot on target in three games for the Black Stars and he was Otto Addo’s lead striker. How ridiculous.
The Ghana team showed so much promise and there is enough reason to be positive about the future but the undeniable truth is that Otto Addo’s blind loyalty led us into this ditch.
Franklin Cudjoe, the founding president of the think tank Imani Africa, has criticised Kwaku Rafiki’s imprisonment over remarks he made on social media concerning the financial industry.
Cudjoe believed that those who had stated that the nation would not request a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and those who had stated that there would not be “haircuts” should also be detained.
National Security agents detained Kwaku Rafiki, an activist who supports the National Democratic Congress (NDC), for reportedly inciting fear and terror through his social media posts.
After much engagement between Kwaku Rafiki’s lawyers and the National Security and the Ghana Police Service, he was granted bail.
Reacting to the news, Franklin Cudjoe wondered who gave the order for his arrest.
“Who gave the order for Kwaku to be picked up? I have a few recommendations. Those who said we were not going to the IMF and No Haircuts on investments could be invited too. The economy is stupid,” he wrote.
That, according to him, would necessitate immediate fiscally responsible actions like reducing government spending.
Long-term prospects are promising, but getting there is difficult and politically costly for those in positions of power.
We simply need to figure out a method to get through it.
Ignoring it will unquestionably be the largest error you can make since it will prevent longer-term growth, he continued.
It was organised by the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) of the University of Ghana, Legon and CSAE.
Prof Dercon said the implementation of fiscal restraints would cause political issues because certain key sectors of the economy, such as infrastructure, among others, would be affected.
“Such stabilisation efforts will be tough but it’s now that these seeds have to be sown for a future better growth. It would involve cautious political behaviour with government budgets to make sure Ghana goes back to the period of remarkable growth since the 1990’s.”
“The success of a country is measured by its ability to correct errors in its economic policy. This won’t be easy. It would involve careful policy making, great communication by the leadership to the population. I’m optimistic that Ghana can make it happen,” he said.
However, he said, in doing so, they should be mindful not to fundamentally undermine the impact of such restraints on the “poorest” in society or “indeed what could be the engines of growth”.
He commended Ghana’s “early” move to the International Monetary Fund, adding that, the Fund acted as a useful external form of “correction” in cases when internal accountability could not deliver.
He said that the tonnes of grain—including maize, rice, and soy—exported to the nearby countries of Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, and Côte d’Ivoire over the past three years was proof that Ghana could have an impact on the local food chain.
To this purpose, the President presented a bill to the legislature for approval that would amend the former Grain Development Authority Act of 1970 (Act 234) to include provisions for the creation of a body corporate to oversee, promote, and coordinate the growth of the grain industry.
He was speaking at the 38th Farmer’s Day Celebration at Koforidua in the Eastern Region on Friday.
The Day was held on the theme: “Accelerating Agricultural Development Through Value Addition.”
This would also maximize the benefits from the grain sector through effective regulation.
The President emphasized that agriculture would remain a top priority of his administration.
He indicated that the massive investments made in the sector attest to the fact that Ghana was better prepared and had demonstrated resilience to the current adversities threatening to destabilise food systems.
“This has been possible because of the sound, pragmatic policies and programmes rolled out at the inception of my stewardship.”
President Akufo-Addo affirmed that the flagship programme, Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ), with its focus on improving farm productivity, through the use of technology, had succeeded in increasing Ghana’s food security, and opened up new opportunities for diversifying agricultural exports.
The PFJ, he stated, had promoted six tree crops for future substantial foreign exchange earnings.
“In 2016, Government inherited production levels of 1.7 million metric tonnes of maize and six hundred and sixty-five thousand metric tons of rice (665,000).
“Under the PFJ, maize production reached 3.4 million tonnes by 2021 and rice to 1.2 million metric tonnes… The credit must go to our gallant farmers, fishers and value chain actors who embraced the PFJ policies, and leveraged the opportunities created by the enabling environment for agricultural development,” he said.
The Black Stars have received praise from Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for their performance at the 2017 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
On Friday, December 2, 2022, after the squad’s elimination following a 2–0 loss to Uruguay, Bawumia responded, “Even though the outcomes did not go as intended, the players did themselves and Ghana proud.
After the defeat, he wrote on social media: “The match versus Uruguay didn’t go as we intended.
Regardless of today’s outcome, the Black Stars performed admirably and brought honour to Ghana.
“Hold your heads high guys as we prepare for other footballing assignments for mother Ghana.”
Ghana ended bottom of Group H with Portugal topping whiles South Korea finsihed second ahead of Uruguay on goal difference – both teams finished with four points apiece.
The Black Stars recorded three points from three games – losing to Portugal and Uruguay and beating South Korea. They scored five goals and conceded seven.
Coach Otto Addo has resigned his position in the post-match press conference.
Match Report: Uruguay vs. Ghana
The Black Stars of Ghana had one task going into their final Group H fixture at the 2022 World Cup.
Win at all costs, worse case draw against Uruguay and secure passage into the Round-of-16 stage of the competition.
The match was, however, settled with three major incidents in the first half. A penalty miss by Black Stars skipper Andre Dede Ayew, when the score was goalless.
Then Giorgian de Arrascaeta’s two goals for Uruguay which came in quick sucession, consigned the Black Stars to a second World Cup defeat against the South Americans who broke hearts of Africans in 2010.
Their 2 – 0 victory over the Black Stars was, however, not enough to get them through to the next round of the tournament as South Korea beat Portugal 2-1.
With Uruguay in dire need of a third goal to progress to the next round of the World Cup, Suarez was reduced to tears as efforts to score another goal proved futile.
Portugal and South Korea advanced from Group H as Uruguay and Ghana exited the tournament after finished 3rd and 4th respectively.
The Ghanaian legislator said some nations have shown they are unable to resolve internal problems with peace and security; as a result, the sub-region must intervene in those nations. He was speaking on the margins of the ongoing Second Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja, Nigeria.
Mr. Ayariga further pointed out that an army that is adequately resourced, will be capable of playing an effective role in this regard.
He believes there are new emerging areas ECOWAS can tap into, in terms of taxing to support the sub-region.
“For instance, we have telecommunications across the sub-region. The telecom industry is playing a major role in the sub-regional countries, taxing and keeping the profits to themselves” he said.
Mr. Mahama Ayariga, suggested that countries within the sub-region can agree that if there are calls across the sub-region, a percentage of tariffs on those calls should go to ECOWAS. “For example, when I call Ghana now, there should be some tax that goes to ECOWAS”.
He added that all should be very much concerned about what happens in the sub-region.
“Whatever happens in one part of the sub-region affects everybody, what affects my constituency in Ghana can even affect neighboring countries like Burkina Faso“, he explained.
Mr. Ayariga therefore said he will not relent in supporting ECOWAS and various governments to provide peace and security in the West Africa sub- region.
“If the Government of Nigeria is in difficulties, I do expect the entire governments of West Africa to be there to help; same with Burkina Faso and I think every citizen of the sub- region should be willing to make some contribution to achieve this”.
The Ghanaian Law maker also said Authority of Heads of States and Governments, should seriously consider giving away power to some sub-regional institutions so that, they can effectively operate.
“In the area of security if they really give some national powers to a sub-regional police force or military force, I believe that it will be very effective. Sometimes, countries have their internal weaknesses; there are police force that they cannot quite control internally but sub-regional force may be able to rise above the task”.
Mr. Ayariga ended by commenting on the individual behaviors that undermine peace and security in the sub-region.
“If people know that if they misconduct themselves in their respective countries, they can be visited by a more powerful sub-regional enforcement agency, they will think twice before they misbehave” he said.
Former Lawra MP Anthony Karbo has denied allegations made by Kennedy Agyapong, MP for Assin Central, that Karbo and others prevented Agyapong from interacting with people while he was touring the northern regions.
Agyapong, who is vying for the position of NPP flagbearer, is alleged to have accused Karbo and other people, whom he claims are Bawumia associates, of preventing him (Agyapong) from meeting supporters in the area.
Karbo highlighted that neither he nor the vice president’s aides had committed any such crime in a post on his verified social media account that addressed some of the accusations made against his person.
“It was also clear that none of the associates of the Vice President or myself had attempted to influence any party official in the North not to attend the meeting called by Hon. Kennedy Agyapong,” Karbo said of a conciliatory meeting that had been called on the allegations.
Other denials he made related to his involvement in tribal politics, ownership of a house in the United States and the fact that he had reportedly apologized to AAgyapong at the said meeting.
Read his full post below:
On the Matter of Hon Kennedy Agyapong: His Northern Region Tour and Issues Arrising.
I have become aware of a viral audio recording of Hon. Kennedy Agyapong in which the MP was campaigning in the Upper East Region. The audio, among other things, attempted to accuse me of embarking on Tribal Campaign, impugning corruption on my part as a Former MP and Deputy Minister, and suggested underhand dealings of persons believed to be working for Vice President to prevent the Hon. Kennedy Agyapong from meeting Party members in the North.
In the interest of party unity and peace, a meeting was arranged with Hon. Kennedy Agyapong to delve into the accusations/allegations and also clarify the misinformation. The meeting was attended by Mr KT Hammond, Fred Oware, Dr Gideon Boako and myself.
It was a good and fruitful meeting and in the end it was clarified at the meeting that, I, Anthony Karbo had NOT embarked on any Tribal Campaign as alleged and wish to put on record that TRIBAL POLITICS is not part of my personality and political activism. All my life I have enjoyed the support of persons irrespective of where they hail from and reciprocated same.
The Hon. Kennedy Agyapong himself will attest to this fact given my long standing relationship with him spanning decades which is public knowledge.
It was also clear that none of the associates of the Vice President or myself had attempted to influence any party official in the North not to attend the meeting called by Hon. Kennedy Agyapong.
Also, contrary to a published story on Net2tvonline that the meeting was a platform for me and the Vice President’s office to apologise to Hon Kennedy Agyapong, I wish to state without equivocation that no one at the said meeting apologised to the other. It was a brotherly family meeting intended to clear the misinformation and both pledging to organise ourselves in a more peaceful and docorous manner as we approach the internal contest.
We are one family and we commit to unite in one accord for the betterment of the New Patriotic Party.
Anthony Abayifaa Karbo
Fmr. MP and Deputy Minister
He was crowned at the 38th National Farmers’ Day Celebration, which was held in Koforidua, the capital of the Eastern Regional, at Jubilee Park under the direction of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA).
One million Ghanaian Cedis in cash, a tractor with equipment, a trailer, a Boom sprayer, and other mementos were given to the award recipient.
Nana Sarpong Siriboe has a 900-acre oil palm plantation, 200-acres of maize, over 17, 000 poultry birds, as well as several livestock and acres of cocoa, cassava cashew, mango and cowpea farms, with a total workforce of 145.
Mr. Seth Agyei Fosu, also a mixed farmer based in the Kintampo-North of the Brong-East Region, took the First Runner-Up position, and received a tractor, trailer, Disc Plough and Boom Sprayer.
Professor Akwasi Asabere Ameyaw, a mixed-farmer based in the Techiman-North of the Brong-East Region, emerged as the Second Runner-Up (Overall National Best Farmer), and was given a tractor with implements.
A total of 15 awards were given at this year’s ceremony, held on the theme, “Accelerating Agricultural Development through Value Addition.”
The other categories included the National Best Livestock Farmer, National Best Crop Farmer, Overall National Best Fisher, National Best Marine Fisher, National Best Inland Fisher, National Best Fisher Farmer, and National Best Fish Processor.
They received various souvenirs for distinguishing themselves in their respective fields of agriculture.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, delivering the keynote address, commended Ghanaian farmers for their commitment and resilience to feed the citizenry in the face of the global economic and food crises.
The Government, he said, would continue to support them with the needed incentives and policies for increased productivity.
He announced that his Administration had since 2017 provided more than 2 billion Ghana Cedis in subsidies to enable the farmers acquire fertilizers and improved seeds needed for their work.
The objective, according to him, was to empower the farmers to achieve their targets for food sufficiency.
President Nana Akufo-Addo indicated that agriculture remained a priority of his Administration, therefore, the necessary measures and initiatives were being put in place to foster agro-processing and value addition for the benefit of the Ghanaian farmer.
Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Minister of Food and Agriculture, commended the farmers for their efforts, saying the Ministry would continue to liaise with them, and implement the best of policies in their favour.
He claimed that despite the region being above the food crisis as a result of the efforts made by local farmers, further prospects in the field needed to be fully explored.
Dr. Letsa advised farmers to turn rice byproducts into animal feeds during the regional celebration of the 38th National Farmers Day in Agorkpo in Sogakope in the South Tongu District.
“There is an area in the rice value chain that needs further attention. That is the transformation of the rice by-products into animal feed. This potential, if harnessed, will once again, put the region in that leadership feat in animal feed development and will save the animal industry which is currently on the verge of collapse,” he said.
“I wish to make a humble appeal or rather throw a challenge to the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Volta Chapter, and the Regional Department of Agriculture (RDA), to carefully consider how the region could take advantage of the Governments programme dubbed; Ghana cares ‘’Obatampa’’ project, which is ready to assist bankable proposals come into fruition in areas such as tomato processing,” he said.
The Volta Regional Minister advised the assemblies as well as the clans and family heads to relook at the issue of land acquisition for farming activities since land plays a critical role in all agri-business practices.
“Land acquisition should therefore be streamlined and facilitated by the various Assemblies in conjunction with clan and family heads, to forestall litigation,” he said.
Mr Eric Atsiwa Dotse, a 49-year-old farmer was adjudged the best farmer in the South Tongu District.
He was awarded a tricycle, knapsack sprayer, Wellington boot, and two wheelbarrows.
Mr Dotse told Ghana News Agency, there are a lot of constraints in farming ranging from land acquisition to finance and called on stakeholders to support the agriculture production in the region.
Five other farmers were recognised and awarded in the district.
The theme for this year’s celebration was ‘’Accelerating Agricultural Development through value Addition,’’ and it was marked alongside the 20th anniversary of World AIDS day which also had theme: “20 years of Multi-Sectoral Response to HIV and AIDS in Ghana: Accelerating progress to end AIDS.”
The decision to remove the licences of qualified healthcare practitioners who charge unlawful fees, according to NHIA Chief Executive Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye, is not negotiable.
He underscored that no healthcare professional found acting recklessly would escape punishment.
“We are making sure our members are properly taken care of. We are ready to revoke the credentials of healthcare facilities who make extra monetary demands from our members with impunity,” he said.
Upper East Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu commended the bond between the NHIA executive management and the governing board.
He said the people of the northern belt have largely been beneficiaries of the NHIS because it is pro-poor focused.
The Regional Minister described as enormous the NHIA’s recent innovations such as the Mobile Renewal platform and the Ghana card and NHIS card linkage.
As part of the visit, Dr. Okoe-Boye paid a courtesy call on the Paramount Chief of Paga traditional area where he stated, “We trust that our revered father, the Pagapio will go on with his blessings and good counselling to enable the NHIA make progress in ensuring that all residents in Ghana are covered by the NHIS.”
“We encourage the entire population in Kassena Nankana to enroll onto the Scheme to access affordable and quality healthcare.”
He said it would soon be possible for all residents in Ghana and beyond to register onto the NHIS via online through a digital platform yet to be officially launched by the Vice President, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia in Tamale.
He underscored the need for NHIS members to periodically renew their membership using the dedicated short code *929#.
The Pagapio, Pe Pwanalunga-Charles Awiah Awampaga II applauded the NHIA’s executive management and the Governing Board for touching base with him.
He made a firm pledge to help the NHIA succeed in increasing the NHIS active membership in his traditional area.
The Pagapio made a passionate appeal to Dr. Okoe Boye and the Governing Board to open an additional office in the area.
The team visited the NHIS Navrongo district office and also interacted with staff who talked about their achievements and challenges.
The NHIA Chief Executive on November 28,2022 embarked on a working visit to the northern belt comprising the Northern, North East, Savannah and Upper East regions, except the Upper West region.
The nationwide working tour was to interface with major stakeholders including traditional leaders, administrative heads and staff of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
He is being accompanied by some NHIA Board members and Directors, among others.
The sorrow that Uruguayan captain Luis Suarez felt when his team defeated the Ghana Black Stars at the World Cup but did not advance from their group was shared by football fans from all over the continent and the globe.
The Al Janoub Stadium in Doha was filled with images of the former Liverpool player sobbing as he contemplated leaving the competition. These images also trended on social media, particularly
From Nigerian journalists to Somali activists, a Kenyan lawyer and others across the continent and the world, it was justice done Ghana and the Black Stars for Suarez, the villain of 2010, to be weeping because of a lack of qualification.
It appears that most Africans were waiting for the Black Stars to beat Suarez and the Uruguayans but in the absence of that, the fact that Uruguay crashed out and that Suarez was captured sobbing seems to have placated most fans.
See some of the reactions below:
If Ghana need any consolation,it’s seeing Uruguayans heartbroken and Suarez in tears.
On TV, Asamoah Gyan has called it karma, in reference to 2010, he convenientlly takes himself out of the picture. #FIFAWorldCup
— Kanyomozi District (@PatriqKanyomozi) December 2, 2022
This twelve year #Suarez/#Ghana karma is actually one of the great #WorldCup stories.
It’s Shakespeare updated – tragedy, triumph, pain, revenge, irony, even comedy.
With one of the great little villains getting his comeuppance. Lovely stuff.
???? https://t.co/AUxPWkRRM0
— Lee Wellings (@LeeW_Sport) December 2, 2022
Karma is real, Suarez and Uruguay eliminated Ghana in 2010 and 12 years later Ghana made sure Suarez and Uruguay were sent home in the group stages
— ُ ???? (@Lil__Aziiz) December 2, 2022
I’m hearing of this Suarez guy for the first time today but I’ve decided I’m his biggest hater ????????
— Jason Okundaye (@jasebyjason) December 2, 2022
Match Report: Uruguay vs. Ghana
The Black Stars of Ghana had one task going into their final Group H fixture at the 2022 World Cup.
Win at all costs, worse case draw against Uruguay and secure passage into the Round-of-16 stage of the competition.
The match was, however, settled with three major incidents in the first half. A penalty miss by Black Stars skipper Andre Dede Ayew, when the score was goalless.
Then Giorgian de Arrascaeta’s two goals for Uruguay which came in quick sucession, consigned the Black Stars to a second World Cup defeat against the South Americans who broke hearts of Africans in 2010.
Their 2 – 0 victory over the Black Stars was, however, not enough to get them through to the next round of the tournament as South Korea beat Portugal 2-1.
With Uruguay in dire need of a third goal to progress to the next round of the World Cup, Suarez was reduced to tears as efforts to score another goal proved futile.
Portugal and South Korea advanced from Group H as Uruguay and Ghana exited the tournament after finished 3rd and 4th respectively.
In order to put a stop to a one-day strike, the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has urged its members at the Manhyia District Hospital to resume their full shifts as of today, December 3, 2022.
The walkout occurred in response to an event in which the father of a young doctor at the clinic mistreated a nurse.
The GRNMA ordered the strike after a 72-hour ultimatum calling for the sacking of Opoku-Mensah elapsed with the NSS only suspending him pending a probe.
The strike brought activities at the hospital to a halt as multiple media outlets reported that some patients were referred to other facilities whiles others nearing recovery were discharged to continue treatment at home.
The latest development was occasioned by an intervention on the part of the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service.
In a statement confirming that they had called off the strike, the Association said: “it has called off its strike in Manhyia District Hospital and the intended road map for a full scale industrial action to allow the committee set by the National Service Secretariat to carry out its mandate and to ensure that our patients and clients do not suffer unduly.”
Find their press release below:
‘This has never been my style’ – Ashanti Regional NSS director issues apology for ‘mishap’
Alex Opoku-Mensah, who has been caught in the middle of an altercation that he had with a nurse issued an apology after the almost 10-minute exchange went viral on social media.
In the audio recording of the incident, Mr. Alex Poku-Mensah is heard hurling insults and threats at the nurse for allegedly intimidating his daughter, who is a house officer at the hospital.
But in an apology shared on his Facebook page, Alex Poku-Mensah stated that what happened was not his style.
“I understand the disappointment and appreciate the inconvenience my action has caused the general public as well as the nursing fraternity and Manhyia Hospital.
“This has never been my style but for a genuine reason to mediate a persistent issue between my daughter (doctor) and a colleague nurse who I as well consider my daughter,” he wrote.
He described what happened as a ‘mishap’ and asked for forgiveness.
“I do apologize for any mishap and assure all, there shall not be a repetition of such. I look forward to maintaining a cordial relationship between any affected person,” he added.
While Suarez led the Uruguayan team to their first victory at the tournament after they drew with South Korea and lost to Portugal, Partey was on the losing team.
Partey and Suarez, who are tied via their affiliation with the Spanish professional team Atletico Madrid, were pictured in a viral photo exchanging shirts.
Suarez joined in 2020 at the same time that the Ghanaian midfielder moved to England to join Arsenal.
The verdict on Twitter over the shirt swap was critique, with the word ‘traitor’ taking being prominent. Those angry at the move say Partey could have swapped the shirts away from public view.
But for others, it was no big deal for players to swap shirts once the game is over.
The Black Stars recorded three points from three games – losing to Portugal and Uruguay and beating South Korea. They scored five goals and conceded seven.
Coach Otto Addo has resigned his position in the post-match press conference.
See some reactions to the shirt swap below:
Massa it’s not anything bad https://t.co/hBFMNpH4MP
— Wife of Esq. SoSo&So ???????? (@rosenyonam18) December 2, 2022
You prefer Jersey to your ultimate platform ? Poor performance when Partey plays for Ghana ???????? but people won’t let me talk . https://t.co/rWZskywDxp
On December 2, 2022, the Otto Addo-led team lost a crucial game to Uruguay, 2–0, and as a result, both teams were eliminated from the tournament, with Portugal and South Korea moving on.
People are making fun of a president’s tweet from 2014 that has surfaced again in light of recent events in the nation.
It reads: “No water, no electricity, no petrol, no jobs, no mercy, no World Cup cictory! #Ghana”
The president had urged the team to take revenge on the Uruguayans after a 2010 incident where Luis Suarez, their captain in yesterday’s game thwarted Ghana’s prospect of making history by becoming the first African side to qualify for the semi-finals of the World Cup.
Akufo-Addo has yet to comment on the outcome of the match.
In 2014 when his tweet was made, the then Asamoah Gyan-led Black Stars made a disastrous outing in Brazil when they failed to win a single match yet ‘cooked’ a global spectacle that saw dollars being flown to pay their appearance fees for fears of a boycott.
Ghana ended bottom of Group H with Portugal topping whiles South Korea finsihed second ahead of Uruguay on goal difference – both teams finished with four points apiece.
The Black Stars recorded three points from three games – losing to Portugal and Uruguay and beating South Korea. They scored five goals and conceded seven.
Coach Otto Addo has resigned his position in the post-match press conference.
Match Report: Uruguay vs. Ghana
The Black Stars of Ghana had one task going into their final Group H fixture at the 2022 World Cup.
Win at all costs, worse case draw against Uruguay and secure passage into the Round-of-16 stage of the competition.
The match was, however, settled with three major incidents in the first half. A penalty miss by Black Stars skipper Andre Dede Ayew, when the score was goalless.
Then Giorgian de Arrascaeta’s two goals for Uruguay which came in quick sucession, consigned the Black Stars to a second World Cup defeat against the South Americans who broke hearts of Africans in 2010.
Their 2 – 0 victory over the Black Stars was, however, not enough to get them through to the next round of the tournament as South Korea beat Portugal 2-1.
With Uruguay in dire need of a third goal to progress to the next round of the World Cup, Suarez was reduced to tears as efforts to score another goal proved futile.
Portugal and South Korea advanced from Group H as Uruguay and Ghana exited the tournament after finished 3rd and 4th respectively.
The goal of the 2022 World AIDS Day celebration was to win over the support of all stakeholders, including business organisations, in order to ensure that the HIV AIDS epidemic was eradicated by the year 2030. The topic of the event was “Equalizing Multi-Sectoral HIV response.”
Dr. Esther Priscila Biamah-Danquah, the municipal health director for Kpone-Katamanso, told the Ghana News Agency in Kpone that the rate at which HIV infections have increased in the municipality need urgent attention.
She stated that over 9,200 people were screened this year for HIV/AIDS within the municipality out of which 47 tested positive for the HIV virus.
She said that the more you screen the more you are able to detect and start treatment as early as possible.
The Kpone-Katamanso Municipal Health Director further explained that the infected persons have been linked to care within the Municipality adding that there were various Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) centers dotted across the Municipality well equipped with trained health officials to take care of infected people.
Dr Biamah-Danquah called on the residents and most especially pregnant women to frequently visit the various health facilities for testing to know their status.
Meanwhile, Dr Stephen Ayisi Addo, Programme Manager for the National AIDS/STI Control Programme has disclosed that most men who have sex with men in Ghana are bi-sexual, which exposes their regular female partners to the risk of sexually transmitted diseases.
“We have noticed in our data that a lot of the men who have sex with men in Ghana are young and are bi-sexual, what it means is that though they practice homosexuality they have sex with females too,” he said.
Dr Ayisi Addo who disclosed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency-Tema Regional Office explained that such homosexuals that were also bi-sexual serve as a bridging population just like female sex workers.
“So, they get the high-risk from homosexuality and give to their female partners and then they too transmit to other partners,” he said.
Explaining the high prevalence rate among the LGBT+ population, Dr Ayisi Addo said it was due to the likelihood of getting bruises and cuts on the anus during the practice of their sexual preference making it easy for transmission of the disease.
John Mahama, a former president of Ghana, has urged the current administration of the New Patriotic Party to “take farming and farming-related industry seriously.”
Mahama stated that “with Ghana’s economy on the verge of collapse” it is time to prioritise “agribusiness and support with favourable financing for farmers and all actors in the agricultural value chain” in a message on Facebook honouring farmers as the country observed National Farmers Day.
“With Ghana’s economy at the brink of collapse, as proven by Rating Agencies through their unending downgrades, and the hardship it has brought to many homes, this is the time for government to begin to take farmers and farming related businesses serious. This is the surest way we can reduce imports, strengthen the struggling cedi and save Ghana’s economy. I urge government to prioritise agribusiness and support with favourable financing for farmers and all actors in the agricultural value chain,” he stated.
Meanwhile, this year’s celebration was under the theme “Accelerating agriculture through value addition”.
Tracey Boakyemarked the beginning of December with a video highlighting the good life being enjoyed by herself and her family, who were onboard a plane to the United States.
The actress who tied the knot with Frank Badu Ntiamoah back in July of this year was experiencing the time of her life with the people who matter most to her.
What better way than to once again flaunt it on social media and also acknowledge God’s goodness?
Frank and the actress’s two children – Kwaku Danso Yahaya and Nhyira, were captured in Tracey’s Instagram video, which recorded over 92,000 views in less than 24 hours.
In a separate post, the actress, nicknamed ‘East Legon Landlady’ revealed that she also flew her children’s nanny to the US during their vacation.
The video that had Nathaniel Bassey’s song ‘See What the Lord Has Done’ playing in the background was captioned: “Thank you Lord. Happy New Month Fam, from my Family to Yours. #usa.”
Kweku Frimpong, as he is affectionately called, has turned out earworms since his emergence onto the scene.
From his sermons to ‘Soja’, the 20-year-old’s projects have left many music enthusiasts impressed.
American pop star, Drake came in third, followed by Asake, Sarkodie, Kwesi Arthur, Fireboy DML, Davido, Lil Baby and Wizkid in that order.
Black Sherif (Photo Credit: Twitter/@__theSeyram/theseyram.com)
Spotify’s Most Streamed Album for The Year category was also secured by Burna’s ‘Love, Damini’ in first place followed by Blacko’s ‘The Villain I Never Was’.
Most streamed songs in Ghana in 2022
Most Streamed Songs in the country also found expression in the chart.
The continual evolution of fashion is one of its best qualities. New fashion trends are created every day, and outdated regulations are always being revised.
This is good news for those who care about fashion since it gives them the freedom to experiment.
Unfortunately, men frequently struggle to identify a distinctive fashion sense that they can call their own. In situations like this, it wouldn’t hurt to refer back to a few well-known Instagram fashion icons.
1. Saahene Osei, one of the sons of business mogul Dr. Osei Kwame Despite
One of the handsome sons of Dr. Osei Kwame Despite is on the list of most fashionable young male stars due to his love for expensive designer brands and fantastic styling tips.
The Tema International School graduate has eyes for quality and high-end designer brands that he pairs with matching sneakers for every look.
Ghanaian TikTok sensation Kojo Asante Kesse has a unique fashion sense among the top rising stars. From his costumes to red carpet looks, Kesse always adds a touch of class and swag to his looks. We can’t get over this tailored made suit which flaunts his chest which he styled his white shoes.
5. Mr. Prempeh, son of Ghanaian actress Vivian Jill Lawrence
The son of Ghanaian actress Villian Jill Lawrence has made the list with his impeccable fashion sense. He has high taste for designer brands as seen in most of his pictueres on Instagram.
Following Ghana’s impeccable performance at the ongoing FIFA World Cupin Qatar, many Ghanaians have taken to social media to express their views on the Black Stars.
One tweet that has since gone viral, though deleted by the owner, @Samantha_Arhin, talked about particular photos of Black Stars players Mohammed Kudusand Lawrence Ati Zigi embracing the covers of exercise books, and ludo boards, among others.
Ghana has a tradition of putting the faces of instrumental and popular figures on the covers of exercise books, ludo boards, and on national calendars, among others.
The post has sparked massive reactions as others list suggested items and places that would have the faces of these Black Stars players.
This comes after these two became household names for their extraordinary performance at the ongoing 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Ghanaian TikTok starHajia Bintu has caused a stir with her magnificent birthday photos. The socialite left social media stunned with her all-black see-through outfit.
The black corseted jumpsuit has an extremely long neckline showing off her belly piercing and flawless skin.
She wore an expensive frontal hairstyle while giving us different poses beside the expensive white Jeep Wrangler car. The TikTok star styles her looks with red mules that matched her pink long nails.
Cross Okonkwo Big Brother Naija season six finalist and other celebrities have commented on Hajia Bintu’s birthday photos.
crossda_boss
❤️ more life love
curvyfitness_sa
Happy birthday Queen!!
ulrichgael7
I ask God to keep you healthy and longevity for a long time
just_tsiwah
happy birthday
firm_stitches
One of one !!! The only one !!!! ❤️
mdlukman628
Good Luck to everyone reading this✨✨✨
piesie_bae
Happy glorious birthday lady Hajia ❤️❤️❤️
ypee_ba__mob_mr._omar
Happy birthday dear God’s Blessings ❤️
muyiwaodumosu
Happy Birthday My Girlfriend ❤️
jacksonjay1020
Birthday blessing Ghana queen ❤️❤️❤️❤️
maxpaynegaza6ixx
Happy birthday to #bintuhajia
alexb_745
Happy Birthday to you Queen❤️
mr_fundzz212
@bintu_hajia birthday mate hbd to us send aza make I SUPRISES u
Rich Ghanaian actress Nana Ama McBrown has received lots of love from the streets as she was spotted buying ‘used clothes’ from Kantamanto in the Greater Accra Region.
The style influencer wore a yellow tee shirt paired with black leather trousers. The award-winning actress used a Ghana flag as a headband styled with black sunglasses.
A while ago, the Hussein Chalayan x Swarovski Spring 2016 collection was unveiled at a fashion show which saw dissolvable clothes on display.
An online video showed two models standing still on the runway under a shower as water slowly dissolved parts of their clothes.
As the water touched them, the pieces of fabric gradually fell off their bodies to reveal the inner design. After it finished dissolving, the ladies proceeded to complete the walk.
Social media users share thoughts on models in dissolvable dresses
While the innovation may have wowed some people, many viewers pointed out the discomfort of the models, stating they hoped the ladies got paid extra for the job.
Check out some comments below:
ruthy_gina:
“They better those models extra because they were really shivering smh!!”
ej_fiesty:
“Modeling is becoming an extreme sport.”
lara_olutunbi:
“What’s the point of this dress? The girl on left is visibly shivering.”
sincereonline:
“Cringe.”
monisola.ok:
“But why? Painful to watch cause the models were shivering.”
mama_kubs:
“Omg why? And when will one need a dissolving dress?”
melanated_donde:
“I just hope the water was warm enough.”
uniduchess:
“I couldn’t wait for the dresses to stop melting…poor models.”
sussannerichard:
“Someone will drown in the name of fashion before all these fashion madness will stop♀️”
The young man who was born in Hillingdon, England but switched allegiances for Ghana has mesmerised fans with his fashion sense, handsome looks and footballing abilities.
A video of the footballer being interviewed had many ladies falling for him more as he spoke in a refined, thick and posh foreign accent. Many ladies were not aware of his accent and were intrigued when they heard him speak.
The cute young man in the interview was speaking about the World Cup and Ghana’s chances at the competition.
Most of Tariq’s admirers did not seem to care about what he was saying, as they could not get past his handsomeness and only listened to his voice, not his words. The impressed ladies dropped interesting comments fawning over the Ghanaian superstar.
Tariq Lamptey’s Accent Wows Ladies
sistacrysta<3 said:
hes so pretty
Miss Kess wrote:
Omg his lips
Destiny beauty ❤️❤️❤️❤️ commented:
Awwwwn my crush
yolandaaa was also mesmaried:
It’s the way he speaks for me❤️❤️❤️❤️
Narnahadwoa also said:
Eii I can’t hear what’s he’s saying so he speaks English like this Bbe I’m marrying you
Franklina osei also wrote:
@cecibae18 you boo is so cute and the accent is accenting
Ghana Black Stars midfielder/winger, Mohammed Kudus, has become the talk of town following his scintillating display at the ongoing 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The midfielder has captured the hearts of many Ghanaian ladies, even those with no interest in football. Ladies making videos expressing their admiration for Kudus has become a trend on social media.
A lady on TikTok, Akhuahdizturb, also expressed her love for the Black Stars superstar. In the video, the pretty lady seemed head over heels in love with Kudus and did not know what to do with herself when she spoke.
The beautiful lady highlighted features of Kudus that made him attractive to her. She mentioned that Kudus was talented at football, handsome and fashionable. She questioned if he was indeed from Ghana.
The lady’s antics while talking about Kudus were wild as she threw her hands around and looked like she could barely stand. The video sparked reactions as folks dropped funny replies to the footage.
Pretty Lady Crushing Over Kudus Causes Stir
Carl_J90 said:
guys from the look of things de3 make we gather go play football bii go viral cos kudus di as3m b3 ba
Adjoasexy commented:
Our husband in kudus we trust
Adjoasexy also wrote:
Our husband in kudus we trust
user83092324023241 responded:
Kudus is northener .come to North you will find him
