Thomas Partey has disclosed that Black Stars will head into their final group game against Uruguay to get a positive result at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Ghana and Uruguay face off at the Al Janoub Stadium on Friday at 15:00 GMT.
The two sides are in search of a ticket to the knockout stage with Ghana needing a win to automatically seal their spot in the next round of the tournament while the Uruguayans desperately need a win against Ghana to progress to the next round.
‘We want to show we are capable of anything and this is a different game and we need to stick to our plan,” Partey said at pre-match press conference on Thursday.
‘The plan to get a good result.”
On Ghana’s defeat to Uruguay in 2010, the Arsenal midfielder added, “It was a sad day for me but based on my perspective it is not a big topic and going into the match like any other match.”
The game will be a repeat of the 2010 World Cup quarter-final incident which saw Luis Suarez save his side with the handball incident as Ghana eventually bowed out of the tournament on penalty shootouts.
Black Stars are currently second in Group H while Uruguay lie bottom with only one point.
Edinson Cavani has blamed his coach Diego Alonso for Uruguay ‘s 2-0 defeat to Portugal in their second group game on Monday at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
After a goalless first half, Bruno Fernandes opened the scoring for Portugal in the 54th minute before wrapping up the win in stoppage time from the spot after a video assistant referee intervention which adjudged Jose Gimenez had handled.
Uruguay must now beat Ghana in their final Group H game to have a chance of qualifying to the round of 16 stage.
“You have to ask Alonso that,” Cavani said.
“He will be able to talk to you more tactically. They are football matches, sometimes things work out and other times they don’t.”
“The truth is that there is a bitter taste to lose, knowing that we have great potential to be able to give more.”
“Leaving points like this, which in the end is costly, losing points in a World Cup is something very complicated. It leaves you in a bitter taste,” he added.
Ghana and Uruguay face off at the Al Janoub Stadium on Friday in the final Group H game.
The game will be a repeat of the 2010 World Cup quarter-final incident which saw Luis Suarez save his side with the handball incident as Ghana eventually bowed out of the tournament on penalty shootouts.
According to the minister, his initiative to sell foodstuff at the Ministry of Agriculture under the PFJ programme is making a positive impact on the ordinary Ghanaians and prices of food are coming down.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of Parliament, he said he believes that what he is doing is going to have a positive effect.
“Anything you do in this country, you are met with scepticism, I am not a sceptic, I am somebody who believes in what I am doing so this is just the beginning.
“It is not even two weeks and look at the impact it is already making on the ordinary person and the open market that we are targeting the prices are coming down, that is all we wanted to do,” Dr Owusu Aafriyie said.
As part of the efforts to control prices of foodstuff, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture began selling foodstuff within its premises to serve people in Accra.
The products were brought from the farms to the ministry and sold to consumers at a cheaper price.
Many have criticised this initiative by the Agric Minister, but he said believes in what he is doing.
The controversial player said the hate Ghanaians harbor for him after he denied them a goal with his hands at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa is misplaced.
Speaking to the press ahead of the rematch on Friday, the former Barcelona goal-poacher said Ghanaians should rather direct their anger to the player that missed the resulting penalty from his handball.
“The first time, I don’t apologise about that. I take the handball – but the Ghana player miss a penalty, not me. Maybe I apologise if I injure a player but in this situation, I take a red card, the ref say penalty, it’s not my fault.”
“I didn’t miss the penalty. It’s not my fault.”
It’s 12 years ago. It’s the past. I’ve played againsty Chiellini too, and we shook hands”, he added.
Although Suarez was sent off for his unsporting act and Ghana awarded a penalty, Asamoah Gyan missed from the spot.
Uruguay eventually won the game 4-2 on penalties to progress to the semi-final of the World Cup at the expense of Ghana.
It’s been 12 years since that game in South Africa, but Suarez continues to be vilified by Ghanaians and Africans for his actions.
The Uruguay striker, however, insists his red card was worth it, explaining in his autobiography ‘Crossing the Line’ that Gyan’s miss felt like a goal.
It will be recalled that the Black Stars were on the verge of becoming the first African team to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup before losing on penalties to Uruguay in 2010.
The Chiefs and residents of some communities surrounding the University of Cape Coast, including Kwaprow, Amamoma, Akotokyir/Kakumdo in the Cape Coast Metropolis of the Central Region have staged a demonstration against the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) and the authorities of the university.
The demonstration was to register the displeasure of the chiefs and people of the communities over the encroachment of their lands by the university community.
The demonstration, was held on Wednesday, 30 November 2022, through some principal streets of Cape Coast with a petition presented to the Regional Minister and the UCC.
The demonstrators clad in red wielded placards some of which read: “VC is destroying our ancestors tombs, Autocratic UCC VC, UCC VC is destroying Cape Coast,” among others.
According to the demonstrators, the authorities of the university have taken over their lands, leaving them with nothing.
They are, therefore, calling for the removal of the VC whom, they claim is insensitive to their plight.
Speaking to Class FM’s Central Regional Correspondent, Nana Tawiah, some demonstrators explained their reason for joining in the protest.
A female demonstrator said: “The VC is saying our father Kwame Nkrumah acquired the land, Kwame Nkrumah did not pay for the town, Kwaprow was there before the university was built, he should give us our land.”
Another female demonstrator explained that: “When Kwame Nkrumah came for the land, he did not pay. This town was also there before the university was built, we want our land that’s all.”
The residents accused the university authorities of pulling down their buildings and structures while claiming the land as theirs.
“The VC has taken over our land, we can’t even get any to build, so we’re taking our thing, Kwame Nkrumah did not pay 1000, he did not pay anything, for the land, so VC, we’re pleading with you to release our lands,” an angry demonstrator stated.
They also indicated that the university authorities have served them notice to vacate the land.
“Now they claim they’re evicting us, we won’t understand, because our children are still alive,” a demonstrator bemoaned.
Addressing the media, following the demonstration, the Director of Public Affairs at the UCC, Major Rtd. Kofi Baah Bentum indicated that the university has no land dispute with the traditional rulers of the area.
Mr Baah Bentum, noted that, calling for the removal of the VC was unnecessary, since the VC had not played any role in the acquisition of the land and stressed the role of the university in the development of the communities surrounding it.
He also refuted claims that the university had encroached the lands of the people and stressed that the university is only constructing a fence wall to protect its boundaries.
He urged the general public to disregard the claims by the residents, as they are false.
Princess Shyngle has taken to social media to outdoor a tall list of rules for men who are yearning to start a relationship with her.
The actress who recently got out of a failed marriage stormed her Instagram wall with a set of warnings and a barrage of things she would consider in her next relationship.
Unclear what triggered her rants, the Gambian socialite wrote: “The thought of me ever getting married again makes me sick to my stomach. I don’t ever want to get married again so if we’re dating Don’t be calling and texting me every day, once a week is good enough. Don’t ever introduce me to any of your friends or family members. Don’t you dare try to propose to me cuz that will be the last time you will ever hear from me again.
“I don’t care if you’re bisexual you can cheat on me with men and women I do not care as long as you’re paying my bills, support my dreams, giving me good d**k, buying me expensive shit, I’ll be the happiest. I’m not interested in having kids so feel free to have as many baby mama’s as you want. Lastly don’t you ever post me on your social media or tell me you love me.”
Princess Shyngle’s post has since triggered public concerns with scores of netizens alleging that she is perhaps going through mental and emotional turmoil.
Others believe that she is speaking from a ‘broken’ place, due to experiences from her horrible past relationships.
Earlier in 2021, while announcing her divorce on the internet, the actress said social media contributed immensely to her broken marriage.
“Keep your marriage out of social media, it’s one of the main reasons that fucked my marriage so I am telling this for a fact,” she stated.
In September 2019, the actress announced her engagement to one Fred Badji. Their relationship however turned sour and caused a scandal on social media after the latter allegedly cheated and was also arrested for drug trafficking.
In 2021, Princess Shyngle found love again in her childhood friend Bala-Gaye. They tied the knot in January 2021 and ended their marriage in April 2021.
Araujo, who plies his trade for Barcelona will not be available for the South American side because he cannot play with intensity.
He has not featured in the last two games for the two-time World Cup winners due to the injury setbacks.
Araujo picked up injury while in action for Uruguay in an international friendly in September and has since not recovered fully to action.
Uruguay manager Diego Alonso anticipated the enterprising recover in time to participate in the mundial, hence the decision to include him in the final 26-man squad.
Although the defender started training with the Uruguay national team on Wednesday but Footballghana.com has learnt he still does not play with intensity with the entire team.
After two games in Group H, Uruguay have managed just a point after suffering defeat against Portugal on Monday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Ghana earned an important win to boost their chances of progressing to the round of 16.
The Black Stars inflicted a 3-2 win over the Asian giants to boost their chances of qualifying to the knockout phase.
The four-time African champions must avoid defeat against Uruguay to book a spot in the Round of 16.
What this means is that the GRA will not entertain any challenge to its decision for an entity to pay certain taxes unless that entity had first complied with the provision of Section 42(5)(b) of Act 915.
Read full story below…
The Supreme Court has affirmed a legal provision which makes it mandatory for taxpayers dissatisfied with a tax assessment by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to pay 30 per cent of the tax before challenging its legality.
In a unanimous decision at the sitting in Accra yesterday, the seven-member panel of the apex court dismissed a suit filed by one Richard Amo-Hene challenging the constitutionality of the said law.
Known as the “pay now, argue later” rule, Section 42(5) (b) of the Revenue Administration Act, 2016 (Act 915) stipulates that before a taxpayer can challenge a tax assessment by the GRA, the person must pay at least 30 per cent of the tax in dispute.
It specifically states that “an objection against a tax decision shall not be entertained unless the person has in the case of other taxes, paid all outstanding taxes including 30 per cent of the tax in dispute.”
What this means is that the GRA will not hear any appeal challenging its decision for an entity to pay tax unless that entity had first paid at least 30 percent of the taxes as stipulated under Section 42(5) (b) of Act 915
High Court rule
The highest court of the land also upheld a High Court rule similar to Section 42(5) (b) of Act 915 which makes it mandatory for a person seeking to appeal a tax decision by the GRA at the High Court to pay at least 25 per cent of the tax before initiating a legal action.
In a 6-1 majority decision, the Supreme Court dismissed the plaintiff’s reliefs seeking a nullification of Order 54 Rule 4(1) (2) of the High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2004 (C.I47) as unconstitutional.
Order 54 Rule 4(1) (2) of C.I 47, states that “an aggrieved person who has filed an appeal against an assessment decision or order of the Commissioner under rule 1 of this order shall, pending the determination of the appeal, pay an amount not less than a quarter of the amount payable in the first quarter of that year of assessment as contained in the notice of assessment.”
The above provision means that if one is dissatisfied with a decision of the Commissioner–General of the GRA in relation to taxes, he can only appeal that decision at the High Court if he or she had paid at least 25 per cent of the tax in dispute.
The plaintiff was of the contention both Section 42(5) (b) of Act 915 and Order 54 Rule 4(1) (2) of C.I 47 were unconstitutional because they impeded access to justice and violated the right to fair trial for persons aggrieved.
The suit was against the GRA, the Attorney-General and the Judicial Service.
Judgment
Delivering the judgment, Justice Jones Dotse, who presided over the panel, said the court had unanimously dismissed all the reliefs by the plaintiff which was seeking a nullification of Section 42(5) (b) of Act 915.
With the reliefs challenging Order 54 Rule 4(1) (2) of C.I 47, Justice Dotse said the court dismissed it in a 6-1 majority decision, with Justice Gabriel Pwamang dissenting.
The other judges on the panel were Justices Nene Amegatcher, Professor Nii Ashie Kotey, Mariama Owusu, Avril Lovelace Johnson and Prof. Henreitta Mensa-Bonsu.
The court did not immediately give reasons for its decision but said that it would be filed at the Registry of the court by December 15, 2022.
Plaintiff case
The legal team of the plaintiff, led by Theophilus Tawiah, had submitted before the court that making it mandatory for a taxpayer to pay part of a tax imposed by the GRA before challenging it was a hindrance on the taxpayer to access justice and, therefore, unconstitutional.
The 1992 Constitution, the plaintiff argued, guaranteed the right to fair trial and also stipulated that a person was presumed innocent until proven guilty.
It was the case of the plaintiff that Section 42(5) (b) of Act 915 and Order 54 Rule 4(1) (2) of C.I 47 had removed the presumption of innocence guaranteed by the 1992 Constitution and also made it virtually impossible for a taxpayer to challenge a decision by the GRA.
“These provisions have inhibited a person’s right of access to court, participation in the administration of justice and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, hence inconsistent with the Constitution,” the plaintiff argued.
The plaintiff further argued that the two provisions defeated the concept of equality before the law because it meant a person without the resources to pay the 30 or 25 per cent of the tax liabilities would not have the opportunity to exercise his or her constitutional right to justice and a fair trial.
“The simple effect of the law is that before a taxpayer can access justice in Ghana, the taxpayer must obey the law. If the person fails to comply, the appeal shall be dismissed. In much brevity, no 30 per cent or 25 per cent of disputed tax, no hearing,” the plaintiff contended.
Defence
In its defence, the GRA argued that Section 42(5) (b) of Act 915 was not cast in stone because the law allowed the Commissioner-General of the GRA to waive it.
The GRA also submitted that taxes were the lifeblood of the country and, therefore, it was important for measures to be put in place to enable the state to adequately collect taxes.
“A person becomes a debtor to the state immediately payment of taxes becomes overdue. Moreover, a taxpayer is at liberty to seek a waiver, variation or suspension of the 30 per cent part payment of the tax in dispute,” the GRA argued.
It’s been almost a week since actress, Rita Dominic got married to her husband, Fidelis Anosike, yet the internet is yet to get over their grand wedding.
An unseen video from the wedding preparations has made its way to the internet.
In an emotional video, Rita Dominic could be seen breaking into tears while getting glammed up for her wedding.
Her Chief Bridesmaid, Michelle Dede, who was right beside her, comforted her while actress Kate Henshaw was also spotted in the video almost breaking into tears.
The emotional video which is fast making rounds, has aroused emotions from netizens on social media.
One can recall that few days ago, Rita Dominic who is presently on honeymoon with her husband, recounted how the Dubai UAE visa ban almost ruined all her wedding plans.
Announcing how God made the wedding weekend a beautiful one, Rta Dominic wrote on Instagram:
“Thank God for a beautiful weekend full of love and joy. Thank you to @michael5inco for making my dream wedding gown. It was a lot of hard work and patience since we were in two different countries.
The UAE ban almost ruined it all but designer @michael_nardi_ who you see in this video came to the rescue by going and above and beyond to make the necessary alterations and final fittings. So huge hugs to both.”
The company has established a significant position in the AI market thanks to its data laboratories in South Korea and Ghana, where it serves as the sole Korean data labeling platform with ongoing operations in the African continent.
Artificial intelligence
In the fields of picture annotation, LiDAR annotation, audio annotation, text annotation, and big data, the company provides AI and related solutions.
Datamaker is mobilizing resources to eventually introduce additional cutting-edge labeling methods.
Enoch Lee, the company’s founder and CEO, said that it aimed to be a pioneer in the creation of respectable jobs and the advancement of AI talents.
He said that as part of its Inclusive Business Solution (IBS) program, the company has also established a funding relationship with the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
“This five-year (2021-2025) partnership will further deepen KOICA’s resolve to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all and promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all,” Mr Lee said.
The CEO expressed his joy at Datamaker being the first Korean IT company licensed by the Free Zones Authority, stressing that the company was focused on providing AI-related training for the youth with little or no IT knowledge.
Mr Lee added that the advent of AI-related technologies would lead to an explosion of the need for data labelers, saying, “Ghana is best positioned to become a leader in the field because of its widely youthful population and internet penetration.”
“This five-year (2021-2025) partnership will further deepen KOICA’s resolve to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all and promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all,” Mr Lee said.
He intimated that the company by operating data labs in Ghana was committed to making Ghana the AI hub in the subregion.
The CEO expressed his joy at Datamaker being the first Korean IT company licensed by the Free Zones Authority, stressing that the company was focused on providing AI-related training for the youth with little or no IT knowledge.
Mr Lee added that the advent of AI-related technologies would lead to an explosion of the need for data labelers, saying, “Ghana is best positioned to become a leader in the field because of its widely youthful population and internet penetration.”
Will Smith opened up to Trevor Noah about the now-famous slap at the Oscars in March during an appearance that aired Monday night on “The Daily Show.”
While promoting his forthcoming film “Emancipation,” Smith called it “a horrific night” and said he “lost it” when he stormed the stage and slapped presenter Chris Rock.
“And I guess what I would say, you just never know what somebody is going through,” Smith said. “I was going through something that night. Not that that justifies my behavior at all.”
Smith said that what was most painful to him was that his actions made it “hard for other people.”
“And it’s like I understood the idea where they say hurt people hurt people,” he said.
“That was a rage that had been bottled for a really long time,” Smith said.
Noah pointed out how Smith had written in his memoir about growing up being afraid of conflict and the talk show host also noted the negative things that have been said about Smith and his family on the internet.
“It was a lot of things,” Smith said in response. “It was the little boy that watched his father beat up his mother, you know. All of that just bubbled up in that moment.”
Smith said who he was in that moment was “not who I want to be.”
In July Smith addressed the slap and issued a public apology on social media.
The Academy has sanctioned Smith by banning him from attending the Oscars for the next 10 years.
In all, a total of 422,883 candidates made up of 219,130 females and 203,753 males sat this year’s examination.
“The subject results of 3,845 candidates have been cancelled for sending foreign material into the examination hall,” WAEC said in a statement issued on Thursday, 1 December 2022, in which it announced the release of the 2022 WASSCE results.
Also, “the entire results of 518 candidates have been cancelled for sending mobile phones into the examination hall.”
Additionally, WAEC has withheld “the entire results of 117 candidates,” pending the “conclusion of investigations into alleged cases of impersonation detected during the examination.”
Furthermore, “the scripts of candidates from 179 schools in certain subjects are being scrutinised for reported cases of collusion.”
According to WAEC, “the withheld results of candidates may be cancelled or released based on the outcome of the investigations.”
Also, some 8,486 school candidates who sat the exam will not be able to access their results online.
“Following a request from the Ghana Education Service (GES), the results of 8,486 candidates who failed to return learning support materials supplied to them and/or destroyed school property cannot be accessed online at the Council’s website,” WAEC noted.
The Council advised the “affected candidates,” to visit their schools for their results.
Many goods that are labeled “made in Ghana” have been said to be of the highest caliber, which must be supported if they are to be manufactured in big quantities for both domestic and international markets.
Godwin Avenorgbo, a veteran broadcaster and the communications director for the Melcom Group of Companies, stated that although the majority of the goods offered at Melcom were produced in Ghana, “when you see them, you will think they are imported.”
In order for stores like Melcom to purchase more products to match consumer demand, he claimed that local companies must expand and boost production.
Answering questions during a media interaction on whether or not made-in-Ghana products were well patronised, Mr Avenorgbo called on stakeholders to provide major support for local industries to enable them to produce more quality made-in-Ghana products that could compete in other parts of the world when exported.
“If you go through the shelves, you will see made in Ghana products. The branding is good, the quality is good, everything is attractive. The secret is this, the more local we buy, the less foreign exchange we spend and it will be in our interest,” the veteran broadcaster stated.
Bigger investments
He indicated that there had been a remarkable transformation by Melcom this year, and that transformation was first made visible by the official launch of its new logo.
Mr Avenorgbo said since Black Friday had become a precursor to the Christmas season, Melcom management had taken steps to invest in bigger, better and more modern facilities to improve the shopping experience for customers.
“Now we are opening our doors to the mega three-storey Melcom Superstore in East Legon, Boundary Road, which is easily accessible from many parts of the city. This state of-the-art facility is a one-stop shop designed to serve all demographics of our clientele,” he stated.
Mr Avenorgbo said the superstore also had a Pizza Hut restaurant, the 10th location in Ghana, along with other exciting concepts such as a bar, a gym and a gourmet Lebanese restaurant.
The new branch, he said, also had in stock a great variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, a bakery, butchery and fishmonger with fresh seafood and a separate pork room to maintain the Halal status of the main butchery.
It also has an art kitchen, which would provide customers with meals of choice from Ghanaian, Lebanese, Indian, Continental and Japanese dishes.
He said there were varieties of products limitless for household needs, office, indoor and outdoor.
Expansion
Melcom, the communications director said, had been expanding its services to less serviced areas by opening up facilities which offered wider and more congenial shopping spaces for the convenience of customers.
“In addition to Melcom East Legon which has just opened to the public and is receiving amazing patronage, we are opening a new Melcom branch in Takoradi next month and another one, which will be by far the most modern Melcom branch on the Spintex Road, The Melcom Mall,” he further said.
Amid a report that FIFA accused Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) of illegal piracy of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 matches, Addis Zeybe learned from its sources at EBC that the national TV claims to have an agreement granting it the right to broadcast all the matches of the competition.
This has resulted in a heated controversy between the two parties, while EBC kept on broadcasting the matches despite FIFA’s alleged cautionary notice.
A Kenyan football news portal, Soka25east.com, disclosed on Nov 29 that FIFA has threatened the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) with the permanent withdrawal of any FIFA rights accusing EBC of illegal piracy of the FIFA World Cup 2022 matches.
According to the report, EBC had only acquired the media rights to 28 matches for the FIFA World Cup but the Ethiopian broadcaster had repeatedly and illegally pirated the broadcast signal from a large number of matches for which “it had not acquired a valid license going against the terms and conditions in its media agreement with FIFA free-to-air license for the territory”.
EBC’s sports department official who preferred to speak anonymously told Addis Zeybe that the prior agreement between FIFA and EBC is to broadcast “all the Qatar 2022 World Cup games”. But later EBC is approached with a new deal arrangement that allows it to only broadcast 28 matches which EBC refused to accept. He said, “when this happened EBC proposed options of paying more money or its initial payment getting refunded”.
“We refused to comply with their new [28 matches scheme] because we’ve already informed the public and even got into sponsorship deals. So since we got the FIFA rights to broadcast all the matches with our first agreement, we have decided to go forward accordingly. There wasn’t anything that says ‘28 matches’ in the initial document.”
A private local radio, Tirita, came up with a report on Nov 28 that firms that dealt an agreement with EBC to sponsor the World Cup matches issued a complaint with the allegation that EBC shouldn’t have announced to televise all the 64 matches when it’s only allowed to broadcast 28 games.
Addis Zeybe’s source at EBC explained that despite the fact that EBC had signed an agreement with FIFA to broadcast the complete matches, FIFA didn’t even send the national TV the signals of the 28 matches it admitted to having given EBC the right to broadcast.
“Full payment is settled for all the matches according to the first agreement. And since we paid not EBC’s but the Ethiopian people’s money, we are obliged to broadcast the matches irrespective of the outcome and will continue to do so. We are working to resolve the disagreements though.”
Soka25east.com’s report stated that “despite FIFA pointing out the issue of the illegal breach to EBC it is said that they continued the piracy operations of the said signal”.
Tirita radio’s report also added that FIFA media rights licensees in Ethiopia have claimed that EBC violated the agreement by pirating and broadcasting the matches it is not licensed with and would report the breach to FIFA.
EBC’s official believes the dispute may not have been basically incited by FIFA as an institution but by corrupt individuals/agents in the association and is plausibly fueled by the business interests of private satellite TV broadcasters operating locally.
“Such private sports satellite broadcasters operating in Ethiopia would possibly conspire to get EBC prohibited from having full rights to air the matches. This is because if a national broadcaster is granted such rights, their local market is expected to be affected,” he said.
FIFA’s official document on media licensees for Qatar 2022 World Cup shows that SuperSport International, New World TV (Free to Air), BBC Radio Sub-Sahara, and RFI – Radio France International are licensed to broadcast the matches from FIFA while Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) is licensed to televise the matches from New World TV (Free to Air).
It is indicated in Soka25east.com’s news that “FIFA has threatened to exclude EBC from the FIFA Family of broadcasters such that the Ethiopian national broadcaster will no longer be permitted to acquire commercial rights from FIFA directly or indirectly.”
In order to create more nutritious and healthier foods for the Ghanaian population, Mr. Richard Nyamah, the managing director of Imarich Ventures Company Limited, has urged Ghanaian farmers to switch from chemically induced farming to more organic farming.
He stated that it is concerning that many food products are becoming polluted with chemicals that may be harmful to human health, especially when they are consumed, as a result of overuse and inappropriate use of chemical fertilizers and weedicides in farming.
He said in many parts of the world, farmers are all switching to organic farming due to the health and environmental benefits associated with it.
The two organic products, known as “Sika Zeolite” and “Sika Folia” are to offer farmers with the maximum benefits without compromising the quality of the produce they produce as well as protecting the environment.
Mr Nyamh explained that the Sika organic fertilizer is made from volcanic ash and has great soil nutrient improvement qualities, adding that “it is organic with no residue, prevent soil-borne diseases, promote growth, mulch roots, increase yield, improve quality, saves cost and increase farmers income.”
According to him, the Sika Zeolite repairs the soil from environmental damages from application of chemical fertilizers, retains and releases soil nutrients to plants over a long period, improves the health of plants by ensuring fast growth, improved leaves that are bigger and greener, increase crop yield, as well as retains water and releases it slowly to crops especially during dry season farming and drought periods.
For him, the zeolite fertilizer has no side effects and does not harm the soil but repairs it, pointing out that “studies have shown that when you apply sika zeolite organic fertilizer for three years, you may not need to apply fertilizer for another two years as the soil will be required enough to function without fertilizer.”
On the Sika Folia organic pesticide, M Nyamah said, it is a natural, non-chemical organic pesticide from volcanic ash in powder form used to control piercing and sucking insect pests and defoliators (insects that destroy leaves from trees or shrub).
He said the two organic products had been tested by the University of Ghana and the Savanna Agriculture Research Institute of CSIR to confirm their potency.
He said considering the dangers associated with chemical induced farming, it was better for Ghanaian farmers to use organic ways to grow their crops, which would offer better returns and healthier living.
Mr Nyamah said in recent times, many more consumers prefer to buy organic food products at higher cost than buying cheaper chemically induced foods products due to their health risks.
In a speech read on his behalf, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, commended Imarich Ventures Company Limited, a Ghanaian owned company, for producing organic fertilizers locally, saying it would help to shore up the country’s fertilizer needs.
“The need for local processing and fertilizer producing companies cannot be overemphasized considering the challenges we are currently facing us a country,” he said.
For him, local fertilizer processing and production could assist in addressing the forex challenges that “we are having as a country.”
He explained that the country spends huge sums of money each year to import fertilizers, hence depriving the country of the needed resources to facilitate development.
“In 2019, Ghana imported the equivalent of $179million worth of fertilizer, $109million in 2020 and $79million in 2021,” Dr Afriyie Akoto indicated.
He said although there had been reduction in the fertilizer imports since 2019, “the ministry wants to encourage a further reduction by ensuring that we enable local companies to set up and produce local fertilizer especially organic fertilizers.”
For those who have been dreaming of locking your natural hair but keep postponing that wish, this is your sign.
Several reasons and stories have deterred women from locking their natural. Back in the day, wearing a dreadlocks was a major reason someone could be denied a job opportunity but now, men and women who wear dreadlocks with pride have broken the stereotype, especially in the corporate world.
You can’t beat their style and ability to transform their hair to fit every occasion. Their beautiful locs can be braided neatly to enable them to throw on a wig when the need arises.
Black women have different hair textures and for the natural girls who have abolished hair relaxers, you can agree that maintaining an afro can be challenging.
Sisters with 4c hair types can relate as washday always comes with challenges, more like an extreme sport.
There are many reasons why women lock their hair.
1 Charlotte Osei – Ghana’s former Electoral Commissioner
2 Naa Ashorkor Mensah-Doku – Media Personality
3 Ursula Owusu-Ekuful – Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West
4 Nana Dokua Asiamah – Member of Parliament for Akuapem North
5 Mavis Hawa Koomson – Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East
6 Priscilla Twumasi-Baffour – Economist
7 Akosua Hanson – Media Personality
8 Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo – Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana
The government’s decision to reintroduce road tolls in 2023 has been welcomed by the minority in Parliament.
The government canceled the collection of tolls on public roads in November 2021, following an announcement by the finance minister during his presentation of the 2022 budget.
A year after the announcement, the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, during the presentation of the 2023 Budget Statement and Economic Policy on November 24, 2022, announced the return of road tolls on selected roads as part of the government’s revenue mobilisation measures.
Contributing to a debate on the budget in parliament on Wednesday, the Minority Spokesperson on Roads and Transport, Governs Kwame Abgodza, welcomed the reintroduction of tolls while describing their initial cancellation as populist.
“We welcome the decision by the Roads Minister to bring back road tolls. We take no pride in saying we told you so. Mr. Speaker, it was populist, unnecessary, and they were there shouting, we are going to do it because we have e-levy… today they have brought a law here that they want to bring back road toll.”
The minority, however, asked for revenues accrued from road tolls to be directed solely towards the maintenance of roads.
“If you bring the road toll back, all the accruals must go into road maintenance. Otherwise, we are not going to support you, that is why we say de-cap the road fund,” Governs Kwame Agbodza said on the floor of Parliament.
The minority in 2021 bemoaned the cancellation of road tolls, describing it as a policy that will lead to a massive loss in government revenue.
There were calls from several critics who called for government officials to be charged for causing financial loss to the state over the decision to suspend road tolls.
“Whoever took the decision to stop the road toll has caused financial loss to the state, whatever has been lost, he must be surcharged for it. …It wasn’t a prudent decision to take off the road toll,” an economist at the University of Ghana, Lor Mensah, said in an interview.
Meanwhile, Kwasi Amoako Atta, Minister of Roads and Highways, told parliament in March this year that the suspension of tolls caused no financial loss to the state.
“Mr Speaker, there are, in total, 38 toll booths across the country. There has been no loss of revenue to the Ministry of Roads and Highways since the cessation of the collection of the road tolls,” he told the House.
At a brief but magnificent ceremony, the company’s public relations officer, Mrs. Gifty E. Appiah, gave the items.
She claimed that because farmers were the foundation of the nation, they ought to be honored.
She said through the toil of farmers, all of society were fed, while the nation earned foreign exchange through the export of their produce.
She said farming “involves great sacrifice to feed society” and to sustain other economic activities, stressing that “this is the more reason farmers should be celebrated”.
She said Latex Foam was happy to have been associated with the Farmers Day celebration since the inception of the event.
Indeed, the multiple award winning company, with footprints in Ghana and West Africa, has been a benefactor of the regional awards scheme over the years, providing support in logistics to the organisers.
Gratitude
The Greater Accra Regional Economic Planning Officer, Mrs Jemima Lomotey, who deputised for the Regional Minister, Henry Quartey, expressed gratitude to Latex Foam as he received the items on behalf of the regional coordinating council.
She said farmers around the country in the country were among the hardest hit following the distortions in the supply chain of inputs, especially fertiliser, as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war.
She said it was impressive that in the midst of the difficulties, farmers continued to produce under serious strain, adding that there was every reason to celebrate their gallantry.
The 38th edition of the National Farmers Day will take place tomorrow at the Jubilee Park in Koforidua in the Eastern Region on the theme: “Accelerating Agricultural Development Through Value Addition”.
The strategy, which is anticipated to be completed the following year, will include recommendations for adopting climate change in areas where extreme natural phenomena, particularly floods and droughts, have had a negative impact on local residents.
These disasters have caused great damage to communities, including loss of lives and property in the Volta Basin which covers countries such as Ghana, Togo, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Benin.
For instance, the Volta Basin Authority (VBA) estimates that more than 30,000 people are affected by flood annually in the basin, with the global climate crisis and population increase expected to push this number to 70,000 in the next few years.
Added to drought, the number goes up to 4.5 million people and is expected to further increase to 16 million in the next few years if nothing is done to address the climate change impacts.
Project
It is in response to the challenges that a project dubbed “Integrating Flood and Drought Management and Early Warning for Climate Change Adaptation in the Volta Basin (VFDM) was started in 2019.
Funded by the Climate Change Adaptation Fund, the project’s main objective is to provide appropriate solutions to the climate crisis and help to restore sustainable socio-economic livelihood to residents of the basin.
The strategy
As a measure to build resilience of communities and ecosystems in the Volta Basin, a strategy for flood and drought risk prevention and management is being developed by stakeholders.
The strategy draws on knowledge from the implementation of the VFDM project, guidelines, policies and strategies for disaster risk management at the regional, national and local levels as well as stakeholders’ inputs.
In a speech delivered on her behalf, the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, described the move to develop the flood and drought risk reduction strategy as a proactive step that would help address the impact of climate change on communities.
The speech, which was delivered by the Executive Secretary of the Water Resources Commission (WRC), Adwoa Paintsil, urged the stakeholders to bring the varied expertise to bear on the process of developing a strategy.
For his part, a project officer at the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), Nikiema P. Michel, underscored the need for countries in the Volta Basin to be committed to the strategy document being developed as it held the key to implementing prudent climate actions to build the resilience of communities to flood and drought.
He called on national stakeholders to adopt the recommendations of the strategy and develop an action plan for preventing and managing the twin disasters.
The Executive Director of the VBA, Dessouassi Yaovi Robert, underscored the need for governments within the basin to strengthen collaboration to swiftly tackle the climate crisis.
He said if countries worked in isolation, they could not make the desired impact in terms of reducing the risks of floods and drought.
The Minority Caucus in Parliament on Tuesday raised concerns about the non-attendance to the House of members on the Majority side of the House.
The concern was anchored on the premise that the debate on the 2023 budget as presented by the Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta was expected to start with a race to pass the Appropriation Bill in time.
Though no official reason was given for the mass absence of the Majority members, according to reports 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.
He has been with the team through their training cap in Dubai through to their arrival in Doha for the games. He was among the delegation that received President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo when he met the team before their match against Portugal.
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.
On Wednesday, November 30, Ursula took to her Facebook page to share a ‘unique’ photo of herself and former Dutch footballer, Patrick Stephan Kluivert.
She captioned the photo: “With Patrick Kluivert; for those old enough to remember this legendary footballer from the Netherlands!! Loving the atmosphere in Qatar!!”
Minister of Energy and Manhyia South MP, Matthew Opoku Prempeh is also in Qatar cheering on the Black Stars.
He spoke in a recent interview with Metro TV reporters after the Black Stars defeated South Korea by 3 – 2 at the Education City Stadium on Monday.
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.
Senegal are under investigation for violating FIFA rules at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
This investigation comes after head coach, Aliou Cisse refused to attend a pre-match press conference with a player, prior to a 2-1 win over Ecuador.
According to a statement released by FIFA on Wednesday, November 30, 2022, Senegal have potentially breached article 44 of the regulations for the World Cup in Qatar.
“The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has opened proceedings against the Senegalese Football Federation due to the potential breaches of article 44 of the Regulations for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, article 2.7.2 of the Media and Marketing Regulations and article 8.5.3 of the Team Handbook.
“The potential breaches relate to the mandatory press conference that took place on 28 November ahead of the Ecuador v. Senegal FIFA World Cup™ match.”
Senegal, who will face England in the last 16 stage, could suffer a fine of £8,800 for breaching the rules.
Germany, who broke the same rule before their 1-1 draw against Spain, were fined £8,800.
In order to implement the idea of using the Ghana Card as the only form of identification for the upcoming limited voter’s registration exercise, the Electoral Commission (EC) must first ensure that a consensus agreement between all parties is reached, according to conflict resolution and peacebuilding expert Emmanuel Bombande.
He claimed that if significant stakeholders, including opposition parties, cannot come to an agreement on the use of the Ghana Card as proof of citizenship before it is implemented, it could lead to unrest during the general elections in 2024.
He explained that issues of citizenship had played a major factor in many conflicts in Africa and that Ghana needed to tread cautiously in order not to disturb the relative peace of the country.
It was on the theme: “Trending conflicts in Ghana: Fertile grounds for violent extremism; A call for action” brought together various key stakeholders in the country to deliberate on the best possible ways to guard the country against violent extremism and terrorism.
The forum was held under the auspices of the Sahel Peace Initiative (SPI), a peace-building project being rolled out by the Catholic Church with funding from the Catholic Relief Services (CRS).
Ghana Card
The EC in a Constitutional Instrument (C.I) yet to be laid before Parliament has proposed the use of Ghana Card as the sole identification document for the upcoming limited registration exercise.
The decision by the EC has brought to the fore concerns by some stakeholders in the electoral process that making the Ghana Card the only form of identification for the registration exercise would lead to the disenfranchisement of many eligible voters.
Notable among the stakeholders that have raised concerns about the use of the Ghana Card is the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Mr Bombande noted that consensus building was key to ensuring transparency in the country’s electoral system, hence the need for the EC to engage with all stakeholders in the electoral process for consensus to be reached on the matter before it was rolled out.
IPAC
The conflict resolution expert also cautioned that the gradual eroding role of the Inter Party Advisory Committees (IPAC) in mediating electoral disputes could spell doom for Ghana’s democracy if not checked.
He said IPAC had over the years played a significant role in sustaining the country’s democracy by mediating electoral disputes.
He said, however, that in recent times, the role of IPAC had been relegated to the background; a situation he said should be of concern to all stakeholders who have interest in Ghana’s democracy.
Mr Bombande expressed concern that the relationship of the EC and some political parties, particularly the main opposition party, NDC, had not been the best in recent times.
For him, IPAC presented opportunity for both the EC and the political parties to iron out issues that could hinder fair and transparent elections.
He said, “The role of mediation of election has reduced and so there is so much tension.”
Background
IPAC was formed in March 1994 to bring together representatives of the political parties on a monthly basis with members of the EC to discuss and try to build a consensus on electoral issues.
A trader, who allegedly took cash sum of €64,000.00 together with six Ghanaian passports from nine entrepreneurs under the pretext of securing them Visa has been remanded by an Accra Circuit Court.
Umoro Faisal, a 29-year-old, promised to secure Visas for them to travel to Germany, France, Italy, and Greece but failed.
He was charged with nine counts of defrauding by false pretense, but he pleaded not guilty.
The Court presided over by Samuel Bright Acquah remanded the accused person into police custody to reappear on December 13, 2022.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Augustus Yirenkyi, prosecuting, told the Court that the complainants were entrepreneurs, while the accused person was a resident of Dansoman Zabramaline.
The prosecution said in 2021, the complainants had some discussions with one Nana Yaw, who lived in Germany on how they would be helped to travel to Germany, France, Italy, and Greece, respectively.
It said after the discussion, Nana Yaw introduced one Issifu Abass, his brother and a witness in the case to the complainants and led him to the accused person for the commencement of the visa process.
The prosecution said Issifu did exactly as directed by Nana Yaw and handed over an amount of €64,000.00 together with six Ghanaian passport to the accused person.
It said the accused person informed the complainants that the visas can be obtained at Abuja in Nigeria, therefore, all parties travelled to Abuja with the intention of obtaining the visa but failed.
The prosecution said the accused person then told the complainants to return to Ghana while the visas were being processed.
It said since then, many efforts were made by the complainants to reach the accused person, but to no avail.
The prosecution said a report was made leading to the arrest of the accused person, who was cautioned and volunteered a statement to that effect.
It said during investigations, two Ghanaian passports were retrieved and same kept for evidential purposes.
Member of Parliament for Asunafo South Constituency, Eric Opoku, has said that, the Ministry of Agriculture is creating an impression about its competence, despite the seeming failure of the Planting for Food and Jobs programme.
According to him, the Minister for Agriculture who is supposed to be producing food for Ghanaians is now selling plantain at his ministry.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament, Eric Opoku described the planting for Food and Jobs project is a failed one.
“Mr Speaker the Minister for Agriculture realised that the Planting for Food and Jobs program has failed, he opportunistically created the impression that Planting for Food and Jobs has led to the production of plantain in abundance. All the crops captured under the Planting for Food and Jobs have been listed here excluding plantain yet the minister who is supposed to be the food producer has now turned to plantain seller,” he said on November 29, 2022.
This comes following the sale of food stuff at its premises in Accra.
The Ministry announced this in a statement dated November 10, 2022, indicating that the initiative is a pilot project under the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ), to mitigate the impact of rising food prices on real incomes of civil and local government workers.
The initiative began on November 11, 2022 at the ministry’s premises with plantain being sold on the first day.
This comes after the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, appeared before the house in fulfilment of his constitutional mandate by presenting the government budget to the house.
The presentation is in accordance with Article 179 of the 1992 Constitution and section 21 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921).
In a year that has seen some of the worst economic downturns in the fourth republic, the minister presented the 2023 budget statement and monetary policy to parliament.
As a result of a sharp reduction in donor support, financial constraints have been identified as the key issue limiting the activities of civil society organizations in the nation.
The survey also discovered that pandemic-related constraints hindered the work of CSOs.
“Staffing remained a significant problem in 2021 as core funding shrank and project-based funding dwindled. The funding crunch has dramatically undercut the attractiveness of CSOs as a career path for well-qualified employees.
“Staff retention is a significant problem for all CSOs. Some organisations sought to resolve the lack of staff by relying on interns and volunteers in 2021,” the report further established.
Assistance Centre of Excellence on Democracy, Human Rights and Governance.
Overview
Giving an overview of the report, a development consultant, Douglas Quartey, said the disruptions caused by COVID-19 and the changing funding landscape in 2021 prompted most CSOs to review their strategic plans and activities.
He said the CSOs were being supported mostly by bilateral and multilateral donors, but that due to the country’s middle-income level status, coupled with a shift in focus from aid to trade in recent years, donor funding of CSOs had declined.
“In 2021, donors diverted funding from CSOs’ normal activities to the pandemic response,” Mr Quartey said, adding that “many organisations were unable to obtain new funding for their activities in 2022”.
The consultant further said that CSOs were finding it difficult to generate local funding because of the widespread perception that the sector receives generous funding from international donors.
“Although local giving increased significantly at the start of the pandemic in 2020, it reduced drastically in 2021,” he said.
Effect
A Senior Research Fellow at IDEG, Kwesi Jonah, also said “the limited funding opportunities have affected the ability of CSOs to help poor communities”, and has also “led to laying off of workers or freezing employment”.
He, however, said the development had compelled CSOs to become more innovative since “necessity is the mother of invention”.
The Head of Non Profit Organisations Secretariat, Dela Ashiagbor, said in the light of the limited funding, the secretariat was putting in place measures to curb incidents of illicit persons using CSOs for money laundering and terrorism financing.
He said the secretariat was also encouraging the practice of volunteerism in the country for which he said a platform would be established by his outfit so that persons who wanted to volunteer could register their expertise and get picked by organisations who needed them.
To encourage accountability, Mr Ashiagbor also said that a draft non profit organisations (NPO) Bill had been designed and was currently with the Attorney-General’s Department following nationwide engagements.
“Very soon the bill will go to Cabinet and then to Parliament,” he said.
Kennedy Agyapong, a member of Assin Central, has been meeting with New Patriotic Party (NPP) members from various circles as well as other stakeholders as part of his preliminary preparation for a presidential campaign.
He spoke what he claimed to be the “gospel truth” during one of these gatherings.
Take a listen to the audio file from the Graphic online
GOAL runs through the leading contenders for the most prestigious individual honour on offer in Qatar.
Diego Maradona, Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane – some of the biggest names in football history have illuminated the game’s grandest stage. But who will be named the tournament’s best player this year?
Two former winners will be present in Qatar, of course, with Lionel Messi again leading Argentina and Luka Modric captaining Croatia.
But could the prize go to one of the young guns, such as Kylian Mbappe, Gavi or Jude Bellingham?
Below, GOAL runs through all of the leading contenders in the tournament’s player rankings…
10Theo Hernandez
Theo Hernandez may not be the greatest defender in the world but he’s absolutely outstanding going forward, as he’s already emphasised in Qatar. His debut may not have come in ideal circumstances, with the AC Milan attacker brought on against Australia after his brother Lucas had suffered a tournament-ending injury. But Hernandez has made the most of his opportunity, creating the crucial equaliser for Adrien Rabiot against the Socceroos, before then combining with Kylian Mbappe to break the deadlock in the 2-1 win over Denmark. With Hernandez now in the starting line-up, France’s left flank now looks like an absolute nightmare for opposition back-lines. Indeed, he’s already joint-top of the chances created charts, with nine.
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9Mohammed Kudus
Ajax fans have long been frustrated by Alfred Schreuder’s sparing use of Mohammed Kudus, and it’s easy to see why. The 22-year-old has already made a massive impact on this turn. He showed off his pace and dribbling skills against Portugal but there was no end product. All that changed against South Korea, with Kudus scoring twice to earn the Black Stars a vital victory and establish himself as one of the competition’s breakout stars.
8Richarlison
So, that’s why he’s Brazil’s No.9! Richarlison is not everyone’s cup of tea. He’s a divisive character and his record at club level is unimpressive. However, he’s a different beast for Brazil. Richarlison’s showcased his predatory instincts in pouncing on a rebound to break the deadlock in the Selecao’s win over Serbia, before then sealing victory with a spectacular scissors-kick. He drew a blank against Serbia but the fact remains that nobody’s scored more goals for Brazil since Richarlison made his international debut in September 2018 (19), and he should add to his tally as this tournament goes on.
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7Enner Valencia
The Ecuador captain enjoyed a record-breaking night against Qatar. In coolly converting a penalty that he won himself, the 33-year-old became the oldest player to score the opener at a finals. His opening-night double also made him the first man to score five tournament goals in a row for a South American side. In extending that record to six with the crucial equaliser in the 1-1 draw with Netherlands, Valencia emerged as an unlikely contender for the top scorer award. However, Ecuador’s elimination signals the end of his challenge, and he’ll soon lose his spot in our top 10 too.
6Antoine Griezmann
Still without a goal but Antoine Griezmann, with his wonderful work-rate and terrific technique, is one of the main reasons why France are through to the last 16. Mbappe may be Les Bleus’ star but Griezmann is the man that makes their forward line function. Everything goes through him, he is the creator-in-chief, as underlined by the fact that no player has created more chances at this tournament to date than Griezmann (11).
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5Marcus Rashford
Fair to say Marcus Rashford is back to his very best. The Manchester United attacker began this tournament on the bench but scored as a substitute in the 6-2 win over Iran on matchday one and then made the most of his first start, bagging a double in the 3-0 rout of Wales that sealed England’s place in the last 16. And with that, Rashford has gone from a reserve to a certain starter, not to mention a top-scorer contender.
4Lionel Messi
The man is human, as his penalty miss against Poland underlined, but Messi’s influence on Argentina on 34 years of age is super-natural. As well as effectively turning their campaign around with his stunning opener against Mexico, he’s now also joint-second in the overall standings for both chances created (nine) and dribbles completed (eight) after a typically influential display against Poland. In that 2-0 win, he also became the oldest man to complete make at least five dribbles and fashion five-plus openings in the same game. The previous record holder? Diego Maradona, naturally. Messi may not have been able to beat Wojciech Szczesny on the night he now looks primed to make a serious run at a second successive player of the tournament award.
3Cody Gakpo
How much is Cody Gakpo worth now?! The PSV winger was a man in demand even before the tournament began, with talk of a move to England intensifying after a fine start to the season. He certainly seems destined to play for one of Europe’s elite after underlining his class with three goals in three games in Qatar.
2Bruno Fernandes
Cristiano Ronaldo may be hogging all the headlines but it’s already become clear that Bruno is Portugal’s most important player. He’s been decisive in both of their games so far. Against Ghana, with the game tied at one goal apiece, it was the Manchester United man who proved the Seleccao’s difference-maker, creating goals for Joao Felix and Rafael Leao. He then bagged both goals in the 2-0 win over Uruguay that sealed the Seleccao’s place in the last 16. Bruno brings a combination of industry and innovation to the party that few other players in this tournament can match.
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1Kylian Mbappe
A man who considered quitting international football a year ago now looks set to write more history with France. Indeed, against Australia, he became the youngest Frenchman to reach five tournament goals. He’s now up to seven, after a devastating double in the 2-1 win over Denmark that saw Les Bleus become the first side to reach the last 16. He may not have managed a goal during his cameo in the 1-0 loss to Tunisia, as Didier Deschamps looked to protect his most valuable player, but he still provoked panic in the opposition defence when he came on. Indeed, right now, Mbappe looks a cut above every other single player at this tournament.
A legal requirement that requires taxpayers who disagree with a tax assessment by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to pay 30% of the tax before contesting its legality has been upheld by the Supreme Court.
The seven-member panel of the supreme court dismissed a lawsuit brought by one Richard Amo-Hene contesting the legality of the aforementioned statute in a unanimous decision yesterday at its Accra session.
The Revenue Administration Act, 2016 (Act 915) section 42(5) (b), sometimes known as the “pay now, argue later” rule, states that before a taxpayer can contest a tax assessment by the GRA, the taxpayer must pay at least 30% of the tax in question.
What this means is that the GRA will not hear any appeal challenging its decision for an entity to pay tax unless that entity had first paid at least 30 percent of the taxes as stipulated under Section 42(5) (b) of Act 915
High Court rule
The highest court of the land also upheld a High Court rule similar to Section 42(5) (b) of Act 915 which makes it mandatory for a person seeking to appeal a tax decision by the GRA at the High Court to pay at least 25 per cent of the tax before initiating a legal action.
In a 6-1 majority decision, the Supreme Court dismissed the plaintiff’s reliefs seeking a nullification of Order 54 Rule 4(1) (2) of the High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2004 (C.I47) as unconstitutional.
Order 54 Rule 4(1) (2) of C.I 47, states that “an aggrieved person who has filed an appeal against an assessment decision or order of the Commissioner under rule 1 of this order shall, pending the determination of the appeal, pay an amount not less than a quarter of the amount payable in the first quarter of that year of assessment as contained in the notice of assessment.”
The above provision means that if one is dissatisfied with a decision of the Commissioner–General of the GRA in relation to taxes, he can only appeal that decision at the High Court if he or she had paid at least 25 per cent of the tax in dispute.
The plaintiff was of the contention both Section 42(5) (b) of Act 915 and Order 54 Rule 4(1) (2) of C.I 47 were unconstitutional because they impeded access to justice and violated the right to fair trial for persons aggrieved.
The suit was against the GRA, the Attorney-General and the Judicial Service.
Judgment
Delivering the judgment, Justice Jones Dotse, who presided over the panel, said the court had unanimously dismissed all the reliefs by the plaintiff which was seeking a nullification of Section 42(5) (b) of Act 915.
With the reliefs challenging Order 54 Rule 4(1) (2) of C.I 47, Justice Dotse said the court dismissed it in a 6-1 majority decision, with Justice Gabriel Pwamang dissenting.
The other judges on the panel were Justices Nene Amegatcher, Professor Nii Ashie Kotey, Mariama Owusu, Avril Lovelace Johnson and Prof. Henreitta Mensa-Bonsu.
The court did not immediately give reasons for its decision but said that it would be filed at the Registry of the court by December 15, 2022.
Plaintiff case
The legal team of the plaintiff, led by Theophilus Tawiah, had submitted before the court that making it mandatory for a taxpayer to pay part of a tax imposed by the GRA before challenging it was a hindrance on the taxpayer to access justice and, therefore, unconstitutional.
The 1992 Constitution, the plaintiff argued, guaranteed the right to fair trial and also stipulated that a person was presumed innocent until proven guilty.
It was the case of the plaintiff that Section 42(5) (b) of Act 915 and Order 54 Rule 4(1) (2) of C.I 47 had removed the presumption of innocence guaranteed by the 1992 Constitution and also made it virtually impossible for a taxpayer to challenge a decision by the GRA.
“These provisions have inhibited a person’s right of access to court, participation in the administration of justice and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, hence inconsistent with the Constitution,” the plaintiff argued.
The plaintiff further argued that the two provisions defeated the concept of equality before the law because it meant a person without the resources to pay the 30 or 25 per cent of the tax liabilities would not have the opportunity to exercise his or her constitutional right to justice and a fair trial.
“The simple effect of the law is that before a taxpayer can access justice in Ghana, the taxpayer must obey the law. If the person fails to comply, the appeal shall be dismissed. In much brevity, no 30 per cent or 25 per cent of disputed tax, no hearing,” the plaintiff contended.
Defence
In its defence, the GRA argued that Section 42(5) (b) of Act 915 was not cast in stone because the law allowed the Commissioner-General of the GRA to waive it.
The GRA also submitted that taxes were the lifeblood of the country and, therefore, it was important for measures to be put in place to enable the state to adequately collect taxes.
“A person becomes a debtor to the state immediately payment of taxes becomes overdue. Moreover, a taxpayer is at liberty to seek a waiver, variation or suspension of the 30 per cent part payment of the tax in dispute,” the GRA argued.
Members of Parliament (MPs) have been sparsely present during the ongoing discussion of the government’s economic policy and 2023 budget statement.
Only 37 of the 137 Majority MPs showed up in the Chamber yesterday, continuing a two-day trend of extraordinarily low MP turnout since the discussion started.
Alhaji Muntaka said that about 100 Minority MPs had been there since the debate began when the Daily Graphic questioned him about why certain MPs had not been in the chamber.
The Asawase MP explained that when MPs were debating various sectors of the economy as contained in the budget, legislators who were due to speak on a particular sector the following day normally would stay in their office to monitor the debate on the floor while preparing.
“If you are to speak tomorrow it will be very difficult for you to be sitting in the Chamber because of the microphone. So, you rather stay in your office and watch the debate while you prepare and if there is the need for voting, you come to the Chamber and do so.
“This is what has accounted for some of my members not being in the Chamber,” he explained.
Corroborating the assertion by the Minority Chief Whip, Mr Afenyo-Markin agreed that a number of MPs had to stay in their offices to prepare ahead to speak on sector by sector for the debate, hence the reason for being absent.
Roadmap
The spokesperson for the 80 plus disgruntled Majority MPs who called for the dismissal of the Finance Minister, Andy Appiah-Kubi, told the media: “I cannot explain why people have not come.”
He said they agreed with the President on certain issues “and we expect the President to respect a road map in respect of Mr Ofori-Atta to be disengaged.”
“That will mean that when we get to the passage of the budget, the President will also perform his part of the agreement,” Mr Appiah-Kubi said.
Asked if he was disappointed that Mr Ofori-Atta had not shown up in the House during the debate, he said: “I am not disappointed because I did not even expect him.”
“I expected the President’s budget to come and if the budget has come and the motion has been moved by somebody else I think it is proper,” he added.
Few Majority MPs
For yesterday’s debate, at the time proceedings began around 12 noon, the 37 Majority MPs present included the Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, and the Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin.
The Majority Leader told the House that the Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, who was marked absent for the two days, was on an official parliamentary assignment outside the country.
On the side of the Minority Caucus, there were over 93 Minority MPs on the floor. They included the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu; the Deputy Minority Leader, Dr James Klutse Avedzi; the Minority Chief Whip, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka; the First Deputy Minority Whip, Ibrahim Ahmed, and the Second Deputy Minority Whip, Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe.
As of 4.50 p.m., there were equal numbers of 23 each of Majority and Minority MPs in the House until the House adjourned a little after 5 p.m.
Road tolls
Contributing to the motion on the budget, the Ranking Member on the Roads and Transport Committee, Kwame Governs Agbodza, said the budget must give all MPs serious concern as it would affect the “way we live our lives.”
He said the economic situation in the country had already started “altering our life for the poorer.”
“Today, perhaps if you have GH¢100 in your pocket then the value of that money is probably GH¢50 because what you could buy with that GH¢100 a year ago can only buy half of what you bought one year ago,” he said.
He expressed concern over how the cost of transportation had become so high and added that it was time to revisit large capacity public transport systems such as the bus rapid transit, which the government must subsidise to cushion Ghanaians against the high cost of transportation.
He said the Minority welcomed the decision by the Roads Minister to bring back road tolls.
“If you bring the road tolls back, all the approvals must go into maintenance otherwise we are not going to support you,” he said.
Background
On October 25, 2022, more than 80 aggrieved Majority MPs held a press conference in Parliament to press home the dismissal of the Finance Minister and the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen.
The spokesperson of the group, Mr Appiah-Kubi, who is also the MP for Asante-Akim North, said they decided to voice their position because all attempts to get the President to heed their request to fire the minister had failed to yield any outcome.
In their view, the firing of Mr Ofori-Atta would help restore confidence in Ghana’s deteriorating economy.
The leadership of the Majority and leadership of the NPP also held a meeting with all Majority MPs who agreed to be present in Parliament when the Finance Minister presented the 2023 budget statement, an appeal that was heeded.
The NPP claims that it recalls the NDC failing to provide any supporting documentation for its claims in the Supreme Court petition about the 2021 election.
“This is what the NDC has repeated in the Techiman South petition,” the Director of Communications of the NPP, Mr. Richard Ahiagbah, said.
“They claim the election was rigged but failed to provide any evidence to justify that claim which was the basis for the attack on the Electoral Commission and the reported death,” he added.
Mr. Ahiagbah said this in a tweet after the Wenchi High Court ruled on the Techiman South Constituency parliamentary election petition case on Wednesday, 30 November 2022.
The Wenchi High Court affirmed Mr Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah, as the duly elected Member of Parliament of the Techiman South Constituency.
Mr Ahiagbah admonished the NDC to stop going to court without evidence going forward.
He further stated that all this could have been avoided if the NDC had done what was right and accepted the results that were transparently counted, collated, and declared.
He concluded that the man who lost his life would have been alive today had the NDC not played to the gallery.
To assist it become more in line with global best practice, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), an accounting and advising firm, has encouraged the government to alter the Value Added Tax (VAT) system.
The company claimed that the imposition of the COVID-19 recovery, health, and education fund levies on the VAT system—levies that firms could not recoup—had corrupted the tax system.
According to the report, the change had made taxes on firms more onerous and was encouraging aggressive tax evasion and non-compliance on their part, costing the state money.
A Tax Partner at PwC, Abeku Gyan-Quansah, who was speaking at the company’s post-budget forum in Accra yesterday, called on the government to scrap the levies to help ease the tax burden of firms and make the country’s VAT system compliant in line with global best practices.
“Our VAT system is becoming a laughing stock; it does not comply with any rules on VAT anywhere,” Mr Gyan-Quansah added, as part of the firm’s presentation on tax proposals in the 2023 budget.
“We are, therefore, saying that if the government wants to bring in the proposed 2.5 per cent on VAT, it can do so, but it must let the VAT system work.
“It should allow businesses to make a claim on the levies because the levy denial is causing a lot of harm to them,” he said.
Forum
The PwC post-budget forum is an annual event that affords the firm the opportunity to comment on policies and programmes proposed in a budget.
This year’s programme followed the presentation of the 2023 Budget and Economic Policy Statement last week during which the Finance Ministry proposed the increment of the VAT by 2.5 per cent.
It featured a panel discussion by a Deputy Minister of Finance, Abena Osei Asare; Professor Charles Ackah of the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) of the University of Ghana; Charles Atuahene of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) and Gifty Andzie of PwC Ghana.
Impact
Expressing further concerns on the proposed increment in the VAT standard rate, Mr Gyan-Quansah said some businesses had closed down because of the burden that the levies on VAT were exacting on their operations.
“So, what we are saying is that bring in your 2.5 per cent increment but allow the levies to be claimed.
“In other words, consolidate them right back into VAT and allow it to work as a proper VAT system.
“With how the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) computes its VAT, you will have to first introduce the levies and then add the VAT. Going by that formula, VAT effectively is currently at the standard rate of 19.4 per cent.
“If this proposal of 2.5 per cent increment passes, then cumulatively, the VAT becomes 21.9 per cent. So the government is asking me to pay 21.9 per cent but that is not all; it also denies me, the businessman, of a six per cent claim that I am entitled to,” he added.
The tax consultant, therefore, proposed the scrapping of the COVID-19 recovery levy, saying, “In our view, the one per cent health levy should go off.”
“Also, the other levies for health and education can be taken off,” he said.
GRA computations
Introduced in 1995, the VAT system was tweaked in 2018 when the then National Health Insurance Levy and the Ghana Education Trust Fund Levy of 2.5 per cent each were introduced as standalone taxes but charged alongside VAT.
However, while some businesses qualify to claim back what they pay as input VAT, thereby reclaiming that expenditure, the same does not apply for the other two taxes.
Last year, the one per cent COVID-19 Recovery Levy was added to be collected alongside the VAT.
Small companies and some service providers collect the tax as three per cent flat rate without the chance to retrieve it.
Support
The deputy finance minister called on the business community to support the government to navigate the current tide.
Ms Asare, who is also the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for the Atiwa East Constituency in the Eastern Region, explained that the 2023 Budget was envisaged to set the foundation for economic recovery to bring relief to the people.
He gave an assurance that investors in treasury bills would not be affected by an ongoing debt restructuring exercise as part of efforts to minimise the impact on their financial vulnerability.
Ghana’s current economic situation is dire, and millions are barely surviving. The case has further worsened the living standards of most people, those employed and unemployed. Unfortunately, I’ve not seen enough vulnerability, creativity, and servant leadership on the part of the government to show empathy, determination, and sacrifice to address this economic quagmire.
As Christians and church leaders, we cannot look on unconcerned and claim that because we are followers of Jesus Christ, we are exempted from hardships and can ‘command’ personal blessings in these challenging times. We cannot look on passively and scream during our worship services that “angels will deliver wealth to us” and use wrong hermeneutical views to justify that. We also cannot continue to be fixated on getting people to know Jesus and have them join our congregations, and not care about what happens to their lives on earth here. Jesus Christ, our Savior and most significant example cared not only about His followers’ spiritual salvation but also sought their physical well-being and challenged the status quo that oppressed their social and economic well-being (John 6).
The truth is that our neighbours, brothers and sisters, the people we encounter on the street, and those we worship with every Sunday are being hit very hard by economic hardship, and we must care about that. Jesus Christ invites us to care for our neighbours, whether they are Christians or not. The late Archbishop Desmond Tutu once said, “you can’t be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality – Ubuntu – you are known for your generosity. We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole World. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity”.
Our Christianity is of no purpose to the world if it is only driven by personal interest and accumulation. It is heartbreaking that large businesses and petty traders, including Christians, are unconditionally using the current economic situation to inflate prices. We often do not realise that our worship of God is not just about showing up in the four walls of our churches, but the everyday things we do are an expression of our worship of the almighty God. If we view worship that way, we will not seek to take advantage of others. In this economic situation, the best we can do is to think about others- especially the poor and vulnerable, and how we can be a sign of hope and joy to others!
Over the years, churches have been very instrumental in the social, economic and spiritual growth of our country. In the wake of all that is happening, I strongly think that the church and its leaders can do more by demanding accountability and results from the government. Prayer is vital- but actions must accompany it; the call to be the prophetic voice. Can we have more church leaders, especially those with national influence, rise with courage like Prophet Nathan and speak the truth to our political leaders?
The church should speak up for its people complaining and reeling under the situation. One of the best ways the church can serve members of its congregation and the country is by respectfully speaking to the government to do what is right and nationalistic to turn things around. My friend, Isaac Estafanous recently said that “influence lies not in possessing things but in possessing truth, and in love”.
Millions of people could have a sense of hope and joy when they see their church leaders genuinely demanding the right things to be done while putting in place social measures within the church structures to care for those who need support. In Acts 6, we see the disciples establishing a ministry to care for the widows. They always looked out for those in the margins and provided social protection. Every congregation would need to be intentional about impacting the neighbourhood it finds itself.
If Christians and the church do not embody the Gospel well in public life, everyone will continue to suffer from the current predicament. Christians and the church as a body should embody hope and joy to the entire nation.
May we truly be the light and salt of Ghana at this critical time- in Jesus’ name!
According to the agreement, 800 young people would be hired to work on the 64.5-kilometer, dual-carriage Ashaiman to Akosombo road’s construction and repair.
The MoU further stipulates that strict security and safety requirements would be provided, with the goal of preventing employee exploitation through thoughtfully planned welfare and security measures.
Speaking at the signing ceremony in Accra November 29, Mr Agyepong expressed satisfaction with the agreement, saying the agency was established to create the enabling environment for the unemployed youth to secure jobs.
He observed that artisans’ work in Ghana had been taken over by artisans from neighbouring countries because the Ghanaian artisans lacked the requisite skills set.
He said the agency had taken up the challenge to change the narrative this time through partnerships to help train more of the youth to acquire the requisite skills for masonry, plumbing, tiling, steel bending, and carpentry.
He said this would enable them to meet the needs of the emerging job markets that offer sustainable and decent jobs for the youth.
Sustainable living
According to the CEO, INZAG Germany would employ the artisans to earn a sustainable living while contributing their expertise to the construction of that major state asset.
He said workers to be engaged under the agreement would have their income taxes, social security contributions and all other statutory payments made on their behalf by INZAG Germany.
He added that protective clauses have been inserted to cater for risks and other occupational hazards that might unlikely occur to any worker during working hours or in the process of discharging their duties.
“Equally we have outlined procedures to provide a proper forum for complaint, disciplinary actions and dispute resolutions in the event such an unwarranted situation occurs.”
He appealed to private investors both foreign and local as well as industry players, public corporations and state enterprises to rely on YEA for their labour needs.
Prince picked the Black Stars midfielder ahead of stars like Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Cristiano Ronaldo, who have all had varying impacts on the campaign of their nations.
22-year-old Kudus has been immense for Ghana at the Mundial, scoring twice and assisting in the Black Stars’ 3-2 win over South Korea on Monday.
After the game, the Ajax star has received rave reviews globally, with Barcelona Sporting Director Jordi Cruyff, confirming the Catalan club is monitoring his progress.
Speaking as a television pundit in Germany, Prince, who featured for Ghana at the 2010 and 2014 World Cup, expressed his admiration for the talented youngster.
“Kudus is the best player in the World Cup at the moment and he overly impresses with what he does. It’s incredible what he can do with the ball,” Boateng said on German television Sport1, as quoted by All Football.
“It will only be a matter of time before he moves, after the Dutch experience, to a top club,” Boateng said, “Kudus is currently the World Cup best player.”
Mohammed Kudus has 10 goals in 21 games this season for Ajax in all competitions, flourishing as a false nine after initially struggling for game time at the start of the season.
The biggest real estate and housing fair in the country, the Graphic/Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA) Real Estate Experience, will take place from Thursday, December 1 to Saturday, December 3, this year.
The exhibition, with the subject “Home Ownership via Collaborative Efforts of Individuals, Institutions, and Industry,” will provide participants with a thorough understanding of housing.
Apart from having the opportunity to buy and invest in different types of houses on offer by the exhibitors, participants will also have access to information on financial instruments, funding options, investment plans and insurance relating to housing.
Participants will also be educated on land acquisition, the effective ways of building houses and how to address issues such as flooding and fire outbreaks.
Rationale
The Director of Sales and Marketing of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Franklin Sowa, said the GCGL and its partners believed in the importance of housing to human existence and national development.
The GCGL, he said, was not only interested in providing credible news and a platform for national discussion, but was also keen on championing issues that would contribute to the general wellbeing of people and positively impact the socio-economic development of the country.
He stated that apart from housing being a basic human need, it was also a major source of investment for people and therefore it was important for people to understand the industry and make informed decisions in their housing choices.
“The Real Estate Experience will bring the stakeholders in the industry, including developers, investors, regulators, financial experts, interior decorators and other value chain players to offer a one-stop solution hub on real estates,” he said.
Mr Sowa said despite the economic challenges, real estate had become a safe haven for investors due to the sustainable value it creates.
In view of this, he said, it was crucial for investors to understand the real estate market and the best possible options for them to protect and grow their investments.
“The Graphic/GREDA Real Estate Experience is not just for exhibitors to sell their products. There will be seminars and webinars on diverse areas of housing to help all players in the sector to have a comprehensive understanding of the sector,” he said.
Game-changer
Mr Sowa said the fair was a game-changer for real estate developers and other industry players in the housing sector as it would enable them to put their products on a bigger platform for maximum benefits.
For homeowners, prospective homeowners and those seeking to rent, he said, the fair would help them understand the best way to build a house, the processes involved, the most effective way to maintain a house and the best options on the market.
“Where you live is linked to a social life cycle so if you are unable to understand the housing sector well, you may start from a place where you should have ended. This fair will therefore provide the platform to understand all these issues,” he added.
Dr. Akoto Owusu Afriyie, the minister for food and agriculture, has reacted to skeptics who have criticized the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) Market as not being sustainable.
The PFJ Market was established by the Agriculture Ministry last month to provide cheaper food to government employees on ministry property.
Other regions of the nation, including as Kumasi, Takoradi, and Cape Coast, were included in the initiative’s expansion.
Many questioned whether the initiative would remain viable in light of the associated costs and the impact it would have on traders in the various markets.
Responding to the question, the Agric Minister stated that the initiative has come to stay.
“Anything you do in this country, you are met with scepticism, I am not a sceptic, I am somebody who believes in what I am doing so this is just the beginning.
“It is not even two weeks and look at the impact it is already making on the ordinary person and the open market that we are targeting the prices are coming down, that is all we wanted to do,” Dr Owusu Aafriyie said.
The National Farmers Day celebrations this year saw the Ministry of Food and Agriculture expanding its PFJ market to Koforidua.
Ghana coach, Otto Addo says he is confident enough to know his side can beat Uruguay on Friday.
The West African country will clash with the two-time world champions in their final Group H game at the Al Janoub Stadium.
The Black Stars need just a draw or a win to seal their place in the last 16 while the South American side need a win to progress.
Ghana secured an all-important win against South Korea in their second group game while Uruguay suffered a defeat against Portugal.
Ahead of the game, Addo says he is confident his side will overcome Diego Alonso’s who are just with a point after two games.
“They [Uruguay] have very good strikers, lots of experience and they are a very compact, very good team,” he said.
“Every game will be on edge and we have to be at our best to beat them.
“I am confident enough to know that we can win this game,” he said.
Ghana are aiming for a win after Luis Suarez deliberately blocked a goal-bound header from Dominic Adiyah to crash the country’s chances of playing in the semifinal.
The game has been scheduled to kick off at 15:00GMT.
The delegation will be there from December 1 to December 13, 2022, under the direction of Stéphane Roudet, IMF Mission Chief to Ghana.
The team will keep talking with the government about the nation’s post-COVID economic growth plan and any related policies and reforms that might be backed by a new IMF funding arrangement, the fund said in a statement released on Wednesday.
“IMF staff will also further engage with other stakeholders during the visit,” the fund.
As of October this year, inflation was reported at 40.4 per cent and the cedi had lost more that 54 epr cent of its value to the US dollar.
A debt restructuring exercise is currently ongoing to bring the debt to sustainable levels to allow for the fund-assisted programme.
Since the request about three IMF Missions have the country for discussions and similar meetings have been held in Washingtin D.C. in USA.
Ghana can get up to $3 billion in funding under a three-year programme.
Mr Roudet said in the statement that the IMF have had productive discussions with the Ghanaian authorities over the last few months and looked forward to the impending one in Accra.
“Our objective for this visit is to make further progress toward reaching agreement on policies and reforms that could be supported by an IMF lending arrangement.
“The IMF remains fully committed to help Ghana restore macroeconomic stability, bring relief to Ghanaians in this time of crisis, and lay the foundation for more inclusive growth,” he added.
The Rector of Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons (GCPS), Professor Richard Adanu says “elderly people need sex”.
He has also asked health facilities to provides services that promote their reproductive health.
“…Another aspect of the health of the elderly that is often overlooked is reproductive health. The aged also have sex. They have sexual feelings; they need sex and must not be overlooked.”
Professor Adanu said this at the launch of the book: “Contemporary Issues in Ageing in Ghana”, from scholars at the Center for Ageing Studies, College of Humanities, University of Ghana and the Geriatric Fellowship Programme, GCPS.
The book, first of its kind from the Center, was authored by over 30 scholars and edited by Professor Charles Mate-Kole of the Center and Rev Professor Akye Essuman of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons.
It advocates the study of ageing in many facets – health, science and socioeconomic perspectives.
Speaking as the Guest of Honour, Prof Adanu, also a Gynecologist, noted that many elderly people had been living in silence over their sexual health situations and said it was about time healthcare givers paid attention to their reproductive health.
He commended the Family Health Division of the Ghana Health Service for its efforts at helping the aged, with sexual health problems and said such services should be at all health facilities as the aged population increased.
“The stigma that prevents adolescents from accessing reproductive health care is the same stigma preventing the elderly. This is because we don’t think about the sexuality of the aged, we don’t even talk about it,” he said, adding that, that must stop to prevent the elderly from taking concoctions that affected their health.
It has been estimated that the world’s population of people at 60 years will be 2.1 billion by 2050, with sub-Saharan Africa being one of the fastest growing ageing populations.
Ghana’s ageing population currently is around two million.
Experts say men, 40 years and above need regular sex to lower risk of prostate cancer and to decrease blood pressure by opening the blood vessels.
They say regular sex also helps the aged –men and women- to ease the body and mind and spirit.
It also helps minimises the risk of incontinence, lack of voluntary control over urination and defection.
Professor Angela Ofori-Atta of the Department of Psychiatry, University of Ghana Medical School, who reviewed the book, said, chapter one of the book revealed that genetic factors only accounted for 25 per cent difference in human lifespan.
“The book also revealed that nutritional and environmental factors determine the rest,” she said.
Professor Ofori-Atta called for the urgent passage of the Aged Persons Bill by Parliament.
The first copy of the 347-page book was bought at GH¢ 5,000.
The said post has triggered a lot of concerns and questions from fans including celebrities who are interested in finding out the reason for such statements.
Nana Ama Mcbrown took to social media to plead with fans to intercede and remember her in their prayers.
Unclear what exactly she might be experiencing at the moment, the actress quoted a popular Bible chapter, (Psalm 91) which is often used as a prayer of protection by most believers.
“Please Remember Me in Your Prayer Tonight. #Psalms91,” Nana Ama Mcbrown’s post read.
Celebrities including Kwabena Kwabena, Kofi Kinaata, Fameye, Ayisha Modi, Gloria Sarfo, Victoria Michaels, Claudia Lumor and many others have sent out their love whiles assuring the actress that they will say a prayer for her.
Meanwhile, Nana Ama Mcbrown is believed to be in Qatar for the ongoing 2022 FIFA World Cup as she has been spotted in a number of viral videos, supporting the Ghana Black Stars at the stadium during their previous game with South Korea.
She was seen in the company of her husband, Mr. Maxwell Mensah, Mrs. Stacey Amoateng and her husband Okyeame Quophi.
` Read the post below:
Lionel Messi thinks Diego Maradona ”would be super happy” to have seen him break an Argentina World Cup record previously held by the national icon.
WHAT HAPPENED? Despite Messi missing from the spot, Alexis Mac Allister and Julian Alvarez sealed a 2-0 victory against Poland on Wednesday that saw Argentina progress to the 2022 World Cup knockout stages as winners of Group C. When Messi took to the pitch he set another record as he became Argentina’s most-capped player in the World Cup with 22 appearances, surpassing Maradona. The Paris Saint-Germain forward had a wonderful relationship with Maradona and he believes the late Argentine great would be ”super happy” with his latest achievement.
WHAT THEY SAID: “I learned it recently, I didn’t know it. It’s a pleasure to be able to continue to achieve these kinds of records,” Messi said when quizzed on the record after the Poland win. ”I think Diego would be super happy for me because he always showed me a lot of affection, he was always happy when things went well for me.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Messi missed the chance to increase his tally of World Cup goals to nine after fluffing his lines from the penalty spot, but he is still in the hunt for the 2022 edition’s Golden Boot, having scored in both of Argentina’s opening group games against Saudi Arabia and Mexico.
IN TWO PHOTOS:
Getty
WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI? The Argentine skipper will be back in action on Saturday when the Albiceleste take on Australia in the round of 16 at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium.
The Minority in Parliament has blamed the shortage of premix fuel for fisherfolks across the various landing beaches on the government’s lack of financial discipline and indebtedness to service providers since last year.
Artisanal fishermen have been hit with a shortage of premix fuel for their fishing expedition, thereby resorting to other expensive alternatives over the past weeks.
Debating the 2023 Budget Statement and Economic Policy on the Floor of Parliament, the Ranking Member on the Food and Agriculture Committee of Parliament, Eric Opoku said the situation would lead to an increase in the prices of fish ahead of the festive season.
“As we speak, there is a shortage of premix fuel in our country. The artisanal fishers have stopped working because they are not getting premix. The only reason is that those who supply the premix were not paid their arrears for last year, so they are not going to supply until they are paid. That is why Ghana is in shortage of the product.”
Mr. Opoku warned Ghanaians to brace themselves up for a hike in the prices of fish this Christmas.
“The shortage of premix means that there is going to be a shortage of fish and the price of fish will increase, especially toward Christmas.”
The National Premix Secretariat promised to resolve the shortages when fisherfolks in Lower Prampram in the Ningo-Prampram District of the Greater Accra Region recently lamented the unavailability of the product, which they say is affecting their fishing activities.
But that seems to be delayed as the Ghana Canoe and Gear Owners Association called for an amicable resolution of the shortages to mark World Fisheries Day.
Ghanaian rising star Black Sherif performed at the 25th anniversary of the Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Awards, which took center stage at the OVO Arena in Wembley.
The MOBO Awards is a yearly British music award show that celebrates accomplishments in “music of black origin,” which includes hip hop, grime, UK Drill, R&B, soul, reggae, jazz, gospel, and African music.
The night was big and black magnificence, with performances by legendary artists like Nile Rodgers, Craig David, Tion Wayne, and Fireboy DML among others.
The native of Konongo launched the show with his top-charting singles, Second Sermon Remix and Kwaku The Traveller, as part of a spectacular tribute to African music.
Burna Boy won Best International Act and African Artist of the Year in 2022. The MOBO Awards have previously been won by Samini, Wizkid, and Davido.
Ghanaian breakout star, Black Sherif performed at the 25th anniversary of the Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Awards which took center stage at the OVO Arena in Wembley.
The MOBO Awards are an annual British music award presentation honouring achievements in ‘music of black origin’, including hip hop, grime, UK Drill, R&B, soul, reggae, jazz, gospel, and African music
The event which saw performances from iconic legends such as Nile Rodgers, Craig David to Tion Wayne, Fireboy DML among others came with its grandeur and black excellence.
The Konongo native opened up the set for what was a grand tribute to Music originating from Africa performing his top charting singles, Second Sermon Remix and Kwaku The Traveller.
Burna Boy won African Artist of the Year and Best International act 2022. Past winners of the MOBO Awards include Samini, Wizkid and Davido.
Watch the video below:
🙌🏾The milestones for Black Sherif are new every morning🔥💥 Here’s KK performing at 25th edition of the MOBO Awards at the OVO Arena in Wembley, UK🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/Ki1EPBxW46
The amount collected is roughly two times what was recovered between 2019 and 2021.
This was included in the budget statement read aloud in front of Parliament on November,24 in Accra in 2022.
Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta reading the statement said as at th end of September 2022 out of the total amount retrieved GH¢11.14 million were directlybrecovery into the Consolidated Fund while GH¢16.41 million were indirectly recovery to other institutions.
According to official figures available, EOCO in 2019 recovered GH¢4,301,262.79, GH¢4,365,129.69 in 2020, and GH¢6,142,984.01 in 2021.
EOCO, between December 2011 and September 2022 also investigated 490 cases.
Out of the total investigated cases, the Office has secured a court conviction, while five cases had been dismissed and 19 casee were currently under under trail at various courts. T
To increase awareness and educate the public, the Office carried out 55 sensitisation programmes on cybercrimes, and an additional 55 sensitisation programmes on gaming.
It also embarked on three outreach programmes on human trafficking and irregular migration.
Projections
In the budget statement, the House heard that EOCO in 2023 anticipates investigating 450 cases, out of which over 50 cases would be prosecuted. On publica education and awareness creation, the Office intends to carry out 60 sensitisation programmes on cybercrimes, 55 on gaming, and five outreaches.
On the development, the Executive Director of EOCO, Commander of Police (COP) Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, said her organisation was committed to improve on its recovery rate and retrieve more funds for the state.
In the coming years, she said was positive the Office would retrieved twice the amount recovered and reported in the 2021 budget statement.
She commended the management team and all officers of EOCO who continue to work hard with dedication.
Since assuming office COP Addo-Danquah and her management team have intensified the collaborative work with other state agencies to fight orgainsed crime.
This has been seen in the increased courtesy calls on heads of sister institutions and closed door discussions between leadership of EOCO and such organisations.
Wojciech Szczesny has revealed that he lost a €100 bet with Lionel Messi over the penalty incident during Argentina’s win over Poland.
WHAT HAPPENED? Messi was bailed out after seeing his penalty saved by Szczesny as goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Julian Alvarez propelled Argentina to a 2-0 victory over Poland and seal the top spot in Group C. There was much controversy around the first-half penalty decision as it was deemed that Szczesny caught Messi in the face with his arm while grabbing an aerial ball. The keeper was so confident that referee Danny Makkelie would not point to the spot after checking VAR that he went ahead and placed a €100 bet with Messi. However, Szczesny lost the bet as Makkelie gave the penalty, and he has jokingly admitted that he is now expecting to be punished.
WHAT THEY SAID: “We spoke before the penalty and I told would bet him €100 that he [referee] wasn’t going to give it,” Szczesny told TV2.
“So I’ve lost a bet against Messi. I don’t know if that’s allowed at the World Cup — I’m probably going to get banned for it! But I don’t care right now. I’m not going to pay him either — he doesn’t care about €100 I think he has enough.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: The Juventus keeper has been in fine form in this World Cup and is now up to two penalty saves, having also denied Saudi Arabia’s Salem Al-Dawsari from 12 yards on matchday two. Ultimately, his save against Messi turned out to be crucial for Poland in the goal-difference battle with Mexico as they also progressed to the last 16. “I was fortunate twice this competition,” he told RAI Sport. “It’s a great moment in the career of a player, the World Cup is the maximum and this is special. There’s a bit of work that goes into it, too, but in order to save a Messi penalty, you need some luck as well.”
IN THREE PHOTOS:
GettyGettyWHAT NEXT FOR SZCZESNY? The goalkeeper will be in action next against France on Sunday in the round of 16 tie at the Al Thumama Stadium.
China’s former leader Jiang Zemin, who came to power after the Tiananmen Square protests, has died at 96.
State media said he died just after noon in Shanghai on Wednesday.
One of the major figures of Chinese history in recent decades, he presided over a time where China opened up on a vast scale and saw high-speed growth.
His death comes as China sees some of its most serious protests since Tiananmen, with many demonstrating against Covid restrictions.
A Chinese Communist Party (CCP) statement said he died of leukaemia and multiple organ failure.
It added that he was recognised “as an outstanding leader with high prestige” and “a long-tested Communist fighter”.
Jiang rose to power after the bloody 1989 crackdown on protestors in and around Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, which led to China being ostracised internationally.
The event sparked a bitter power struggle at the top of China’s Communist Party between hard-line reactionaries and reformers.
It led to Jiang, who had originally been seen as a plodding bureaucrat, being elevated to high office. He was chosen as a compromise leader, in the hope he would unify hardliners and more liberal elements.
Under his stewardship, a formidable economy was forged, the Communists tightened their grip on power, and China took its place at the top table of world powers.
He oversaw the peaceful handover of Hong Kong in 1997, and China’s entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001 which intertwined the country with the global economy.
But political reforms were also put to one side and he crushed internal dissent while pursuing a hardline stance on Taiwan. He was criticised for the heavy-handed crackdown on the religious sect Falun Gong in 1999, which was seen as a threat to the Communist Party.
He was also keen to ensure that his position within the Communist Party was secure, and came up with his own political ideology – the Three Represents theory – in an attempt to modernise the party.
During his time in power, Jiang sought to strengthen ties with the US, visiting the country several times and offering then-president George W Bush co-operation in Washington’s “war on terror” following the 9/11 attacks.
In a country not known for its flamboyant leaders, he was seen as having a more colourful personality than his successors. He memorably crooned Elvis Presley at a global summit, and went for a swim off the Hawaiian coast.
In his later years he withdrew from government and was rarely seen in public. But even as he became less conspicuous, online he became an unlikely subject of viral internet memes.
Many Chinese affectionately caricaturised his signature large spectacles, with young fans calling themselves “toad worshippers”.
The Rwandan president has accused his Democratic Republic of Congo counterpart of “trying to find a way to have the next elections postponed” by implicating Rwanda in the country’s crisis.
President Paul Kagame accused the Congolese leader Félix Tshisekedi of creating “grounds for an emergency so that [next year’s] elections don’t take place”.
Kinshasa hasn’t immediately responded to President Kagame’s remarks, who without presenting facts said Congolese president didn’t win “the first elections”.
In a lengthy rare speech on Thursday in parliament, Mr Kagame said it was a “shame” many parties and countries “claim to want to resolve the problem” that has remained for decades.
He cautioned powerful countries, mentioning the US, UK, France, and the UN, of accusing or believing that Rwanda was to blame on the instabilities in eastern Congo. He accused UN forces of failing to eradicate the Rwandan rebel group – FDLR – and others operating in DR Congo.
He also denied claims that Rwanda was stealing minerals from DR Congo.
“One thing we are not, we are not thieves,” he said.
“They are accusing us of stealing Congo’s minerals how about the destination?” he questioned.
Mr Kagame said the M23 rebels were not Rwandans but Congolese, blaming their insurgency on the Kinshasa government for not respecting previous agreements with the group.
He said Rwanda could help to address the problem of M23 and other rebel groups “because we are interested in a stable neighbourhood”.
Speaking on Eye on Port about the state of Ghana’s fisheries industry, he claimed that the industry can feed the entire population by meeting each person’s need for protein through fish, which is why the government needs to pay attention to the sector.
Mr. Amarfio said the fish value in Ghana is so low, hence, fishermen need to harvest so much in order to break even explaining that such a situation is not good for conservation.
The Secretary of the Association advised that due to modernity, the government should make use of technology within the sector and outdo the traditional ways.
“If you go around Korle-Gono, you find people drying anchovies by the roadside, but these same anchovies in some other countries are properly dried using the solar dryer system and they are properly canned and they have a longer shelf life. They have a higher value. So you need to start thinking technology”.
Mr. Amarfio emphasized that the sector needs people who will think beyond “fisherman landing fish, selling and going home” to carefully drive it to its potential capacity.
Touching on some challenges faced by the sector, Richster Nii Amarh said, “we have few fish with many canoes and vessels chasing them all over the place”.
He stated that it was one of the major reasons why they have issues with illegality within the sector as there is a battle for the survival of the fittest.
He also spoke on the issues of the ecosystem being disturbed by upstream activities. He explained that waterbodies like the mangroves, brackish waters and fresh waters have direct relation with the marine environment and any damage to it worries the ecosystem upon which the fisheries sector is dependent on and the economy at large.
“Crustaceans like crabs and prawns, most of them spawn around these areas. Just like the salmon, which we do not have in our waters, spawn in fresh waters. Now we have lost all the mangroves and fresh waters and the mud around them which the crabs spawn in”.
Mr. Amarfio established that poor management of the drainage systems in the country is the major cause of the loss of most waterbodies in Ghana.
“All of our drainage systems are channelled into a lagoon, all the domestic wastes, all the oils from the factories land in these waterbodies and continue into the ocean, so you are losing the quality that you have. Fish and other marine species are also living things so whatever is a pollutant and could destroy yourlife, could destroy their life,” he said.
He stated that sand winning along the beaches leads to loss of habitual breeding grounds for most marine species especially, crabs and turtles and therefore advised that measures must be introduced to help protect and preserve the beachfront.
“Once you lose your beachfront, you cannot get it again”.
The Secretary of NAFAG also mentioned that many researches have been propounded about the marine space and its species and how to protect them but all these proposals have been left unattended to.
“There’s a lot of research that had happened both by local people and international people, the challenge is that we need to have people who will now say we agree to work with science,” he averred.
Speaking on the issues of attacks and kidnapping at seas, he stated that they keep vigilant watch as they still work on curbing the crisis and thanked the Ghana Navy for their contribution in the whole process.
“I wouldn’t say the situation is completely abated but we have some abatement. We have to thank the Ghana Navy, we had some arrangements that made them board our vessels and they warded them away a few times and I think they have gone back but we won’t take it for granted because they continue to board other vessels in other jurisdictions and areas that are not within our eaves.”
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