TIG Post

Author: Chris Kodo

  • Participate fully in 2023 budget presentation – Kennedy Agyapong to anti-Ofori-Atta MPs

    Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, MP for Assin Central, has urged his colleagues to take part completely in the process scheduled for Thursday, November 24, 2022, even if they plan to boycott Ken Ofori-presentation Atta’s of the 2023 budget.

    Approximately 98 members of the Majority who are demanding that Ken Ofori-Atta be fired as the finance minister have intimated that they will not attend the budget presentation if Ofori-Atta, whose firing they are demanding, appears on the floor of the House.

    “We’ve gone back to (our demand for the President to) sack him now and therefore should the budget be presented under the stamp of the Finance Minister, we’ll not participate because as far as we’re concerned we’re never going to do business with him.

    “We’re not saying we won’t do the President’s business. We’re saying we won’t do President’s business through Ofori-Atta. So if anybody else comes with President’s business, we’ll participate,” Andy Appiah-Kubi, Asante Akim North MP told Joy News.

    GhanaWeb has gathered that Ken Ofori-Atta, the embattled Finance Minister, risks meeting an empty Parliament if he presses ahead with undertaking the presentation.

    According to sources, both majority and minority MPs are likely to boycott the presentation, which situation will make it impossible for the minister to present the budget to the House because there will be a lack of quorum as required by the Constitution.

    But in a press statement issued and signed by the Assin Central legislator, he said:

    “Over the last few days, however, I have become aware of a troubling public declaration of intention by some aggrieved New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament that they will neither attend Thursday’s sitting of Parliament nor have anything to do with subsequent Parliamentary discussions and debate on the 2023 Budget should Mr Ofori-Atta be the Minister presenting it to the House.

    “The said MPs have openly stated that they will only attend proceedings if Mr Ofori-Atta, who they – rightly or wrongly – blame for the country’s prevailing economic difficulties, is removed from office. I find the said public declarations not only unfortunate but regrettable.”

    He stated that it’s incumbent on the majority MPs to help the government pass its budget, stressing that they can later address the issue, of who is fit to lead the Ministry of Finance.

    “Ghanaians need, therefore, their elected representatives to show up for work and help them survive the worsening global economic turmoil. It is not the time to play political games or feed egos. I firmly believe that if there is ever any time that Ghanaians expect us to do our duty to Ghana unconditionally, it is now.

    “We must not and cannot sacrifice that responsibility to our people on the side issue of who presents the 2023 Budget to Parliament. Let us show leadership and demonstrate solidarity with the struggling masses of our people by turning out in our numbers to support the President’s proposed plan to put Ghana back on the path of economic recovery and triumph,” Agyapong’s statement entreated.

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    Read below Kennedy Agyapong’s statement:

    Statement by Kennedy Agyapong calling on all Majority Members of Parliament to Attend and Participate fully in the 2023 Budget Presentation, related discussions, debate and approval.

    The Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, is expected to present to Parliament the 2023 Budget and Economic Policy of the Government of Ghana on Thursday, November 24, 2022.

    Mr Ofori-Atta will be presenting the budget to Parliament for and on behalf of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on the authority of Article 179(1) of Ghana’s Constitution of 1992, which commands the President to “cause to be prepared and laid before Parliament at least one month before the end of the financial year, estimates of the revenues and expenditure of the Government of Ghana for the following financial year.”

    Over the last few days, however, I have become aware of a troubling public declaration of intention by some aggrieved New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament that they will neither attend Thursday’s sitting of Parliament nor have anything to do with subsequent Parliamentary discussions and debate on the 2023 Budget should Mr Ofori-Atta be the Minister presenting it to the House.

    The said MPs have openly stated that they will only attend proceedings if Mr Ofori-Atta, who they – rightly or wrongly – blame for the country’s prevailing economic difficulties, is removed from office. I find the said public declarations not only unfortunate but regrettable.

    I know fully well that calls for the sacking of Mr Ofori-Atta reached the President in September, and he has given assurances that he will revisit the matter after the Budget presentation and a successful end to Ghana’s ongoing negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

    The leadership of the Majority Group later issued a statement agreeing to the President’s request. Therefore, the insistence by some MPs that they will not attend Thursday’s proceedings means no more than an attempt to blackmail or unduly force the hands of the President and or undermine his authority and agenda for Ghanaians. That cannot be right. The President is our leader and deserves the full benefit of the doubt if any.

    In any case, we have all been elected as Members of Parliament to serve the best interests of the people of our individual and collective constituencies. Given the crippling economic crisis facing the people of Ghana and their businesses, it is the highest level of insensitivity towards the plight of our nation and her people for any elected representative or group of elected representatives to use their public offices to attempt to hold hostage efforts to address the economic problems facing all of us.
    Instead, the patriotic, urgent, compassionate and proper thing to do is first to help the government pass its budget and then later confront and address, if we must, the issue of who is fit or not fit to lead the Ministry of Finance.

    These are very challenging global times, with escalating energy and food prices pushing millions in Africa and elsewhere into extreme poverty and threatening the internal security of many nations, including ours. Ghanaians need, therefore, their elected representatives to show up for work and help them survive the worsening global economic turmoil. It is not the time to play political games or feed egos.

    I firmly believe that if there is ever any time that Ghanaians expect us to do our duty to Ghana unconditionally, it is now. We must not and cannot sacrifice that responsibility to our people on the side issue of who presents the 2023 Budget to Parliament.

    Let us show leadership and demonstrate solidarity with the struggling masses of our people by turning out in our numbers to support the President’s proposed plan to put Ghana back on the path of economic recovery and triumph.

    Every NPP MP has to preserve and ensure that the agenda of the Akufo-Addo government for Ghana succeeds, otherwise, the people of Ghana would have no reason to return the NPP to power in 2024.

    By this statement, I am also calling on the good people of Ghana to keep the faith and trust that the NPP government has the right plan, strategy, and requisite expertise to steer our country out of the prevailing economic headwinds.

    Kennedy Agyapong

    MP for Assin Central

    Accra, 22 November 2022

  • Ghanaians don’t appreciate my father enough, says Jackie Ankrah

    Ace broadcaster and singer Jackie Ankrah has said Ghanaians must celebrate past leaders like her father, former head of state Lieutenant General J A Ankrah as a way of inspiring the new generation to do more for the country.

    Speaking on the Between Hours show on Monday (21 November) with Naa Ashorkor, the singer said: “And just recently he was honoured at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College, and when they wrote and spoke about him, I was proud because my father has done so many things that we don’t get told about, because we rewrite history all the time.”

    “But I think these are things that we must talk about to encourage one another and encourage the next generation.

    “We don’t talk about my father much, which is unfortunate because of the Nkrumah overthrow. My father was the first in many things, but my father was an amazing, remarkable, incredible soldier,” the songwriter added.

    About J A Ankrah

    Joseph Arthur Ankrah (18 August 1915 – 25 November 1992) was a Ghanaian army general who was the head of state of Ghana from 1966 to 1969 in the position of chairman of the National Liberation Council. Before becoming head of state, Ankrah served as the first commander of the Ghana Army.

    He was Ghana’s first military head of state. Ankrah also served as chairperson of the Organisation of African Unity from 24 February 1966 to 5 November 1966.

    Ankrah joined the Gold Coast Regiment in 1939. On the outbreak of World War II, Ankrah was mobilized into the Royal West African Frontier Force. While his Brigade was in East Africa in 1940, he was transferred to the Record Office in Accra with the rank of Warrant Officer Class II and made second-in-command.

    In October 1946, he went to the Marshfield Officer Cadets Training Unit in the United Kingdom and graduated in February 1947 as the first African officer in the Gold Coast Army. He was commissioned a lieutenant in 1947 and became the first African camp commandant at the Army Headquarters.

    He was later made the first Ghanaian Chief Instructor of the Education Unit. He was promoted Major in 1956 and became the first African to command an all-African company, the Charlie Company of the First Battalion at Tamale, Ghana. He later became Lieutenant Colonel and took over the whole battalion.

    He rose to the rank of colonel by 1960, at a time when there were few Ghanaian officers at that level. During the United Nations Operation in the Congo, he was the Brigade Commander of the force-based at Luluabourg, Kasai in the present-day Democratic Republic of Congo.

    He was the only Ghanaian awarded the Military Cross in Leopoldville for acts of unsurpassed gallantry in Congo in 1961.

    Source: Asaase radio

  • Most road projects stalled due to non-payment of funds – Contractors

    President of the Ghana Road Contractors Association, John Afful, has stated that the majority of roads in the country have been halted as a result of unpaid arrears from the government.

    President Akufo-Addo has declared his willingness to improve the road infrastructure in the country. To ensure this, he declared the year 2020 the “Year of Roads.” After its initiation, new roads were constructed and bad roads were improved.

    2022 is the third time the government has declared it the “Year of Roads,” but it seems the government is yet to achieve its goals in line with this.

    Some road projects in the country have been abandoned by the government for reasons unknown to Ghanaians.

    Therefore, citizens for some time now have protested against the bad state and neglected roads in the country.

    In the midst of the heat, the President has maintained that, no other government in the Fourth Republic’s history, has built more roads than his.

    “The road infrastructure that has been established since I became president, let me use this famous word, is unprecedented. We have never seen so much in the road sector. Let’s put it as far as the 4th Republic is concerned. The Roads Minister likes to say, since independence,” he said.

    “I just want to be a little more modest and compare apples and apples, and not apples and oranges. And I’m saying that the roads infrastructure that has taken place under Akufo-Addo’s NPP government, is without equal in this 4th Republic,” he added.

    However, the president, who was speaking to the media on Monday, August 22, 2022, in the Upper West Region, said, “Contractors are not going to be left high and dry. At the end of the day, if they don’t get paid, the development of our road infrastructure stalls. Things are going to work out, they are definitely going to work out.”

    But speaking to the media on Tuesday, November 22, Mr Afful indicated that, government has paid no heed to calls from the association demanding payment of their outstanding arrears.

    “It is something that is very worrisome that we are chasing, so when people go around, and they find out the projects are not being done, it is mainly because the projects are not being paid for, and it has affected all contractors in the country, and they have huge debts to pay.”

    Meanwhile, the head of public relations at the Ministry of Roads and Highways, Ahmed Yartey, reacting to the claims by the contractors, said it is not entirely accurate to suggest that all projects supported by the government have come to a standstill.

    He added that, while some GoG-funded initiatives are successfully making progress, others have halted as a result of inflation and the rising cost of living.

    Despite this, Mr Yartey assured that the government will, in due time, settle all arrears owed contractors.

    “I can also say that about 95 percent of the asphalt overlay you see around are GoG-funded projects and not foreign-funded projects.

    “Some local contractors are struggling, I will not say it is not a fact some are going through it…prices have gone up, prices of bitumen are up and all those things affect road construction and the capital of contractors,” he said.

    Source: The Independent Ghana

     

     

     

  • CHRAJ will not ask Ofori-Atta to stay out of office – Emile Short

    Despite a petition filed against him by undercover investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas, Justice Emile Francis Short, a former Commissioner at the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative (CHRAJ), has clarified that the Finance Minister won’t be requested to resign by the commission.

    According to him, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is the only person who can make such decisions.

    On November 22, Short explained to Accra-based TV3 how the investigation into conflicts of interest works.

    “I don’t know exactly what the issue is, but basically, when CHRAJ receives a complaint it will send it to the person against whom the complaint is made and that person has to respond within a specified period, normally ten days. The response will be sent back to the complainant, in this case, Anas, for his response.

    “CHRAJ will not ask the Finance Minister to stay out of office, that is the matter for the President to determine.”

    Anas Aremeyaw Anas in his petition to CHRAJ urged the Commission to look into allegations that the private companies of both Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta and former Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen, benefitted from loans and bonds entered into by Ghana.

    Joseph Whittal, CHRAJ Commissioner said the Commission received an official complaint from the undercover journalist and is assessing the materials presented to it.

    “The allegations are that there is a conflict of interest in terms of their official duties as public officers and the companies in which they have interest in terms of government bonds and so the case is going through the standard process of assessment in order to make sure that it meets the procedural requirement under the Commission’s regulation as well as whether it is really within the mandate of the Commission. Based on that, we will then decide what next steps to take,” Whittal told Accra-based Joy News.

    Meanwhile, the Office of the Special Prosecutor has also commenced investigations into the same corruption allegations levelled against Charles Adu Boahen in the exposé after President Akufo-Addo’s referral of the matter to the Office.

    Charles Adu Boahen was dismissed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo after allegations that he received some monies to facilitate a meeting between undercover investigators disguised as investors and Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

    Per a Tiger Eye PI documentary dubbed ‘Galamsey Economy’, Adu Boahen said Bawumia could be paid $200,000 as an appearance fee for investors. This is in addition to positions offered to the Vice President’s siblings – a claim the dismissed Minister of State has denied.

    Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta when he appeared before the ad-hoc committee hearing a vote of censure against him denied being embroiled in a conflict of interest as stated in the allegations by the Minority that his company, Databank Limited have been benefitting from transactions on government bond issuance.

    Ofori-Atta said the proponents’ allegations do not have “weight for censure”.

    Black Star Brokerage, owned by Charles Adu Boahen, has also been named as one of the firms playing the role of financial advisors to government transactions on the international bond market.

     

  • Growing terrorism in West Africa a danger to our sovereignty – Akufo-Addo

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged West African leaders to adopt more measures to combat terrorism in the region.

    He contends that until all terrorist actions are stopped, no nation is secure.

    Speaking at the start of the Accra Initiative’s Heads of State conference, Mr. Akufo-Addo claimed that terrorist actions in the area were slowly eroding the democratic institutions of the affected nations.

    “I say nothing new when I say that West Africa continues to suffer from the scourge of terrorism and violent extremism spreading rapidly across the region”

    “Indeed as recent events continue to ravage the Sahelian countries of West Africa, epicentres of terrorism, we continue to watch in angst how activities of terrorist groups have resulted in the unfortunate disregard of the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of our states, the painful deterioration of the strength of our democracies and the wanton displacement of the masses of our people.” Akufo Addo stated

    Adding his voice, Minister of National Security, Kan Dapaah called on members of the state and the international community to continue the dialogue and come up with a more proactive approach to fighting terrorism. 

    According to him, the threat posed by terrorist organisations has increased. He however revealed that there were 264 documented terrorist acts in West Africa between July 1 and September 30 of this year, resulting in 745 fatalities.

    Over the years Islamic terrorists have gradually expanded their operations from Niger to Mali and Burkina Faso to the coastal regions of West Africa. This has left West Africa to deal with ongoing instability brought on by international terrorism and political unrest.

    In order to work together to combat violent extremism in the area, Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Togo founded the Accra Initiative in 2017.

    Prior to joining in 2019, Mali and Niger were permitted as observers.

    In an often unstable region, the initiative encourages information exchange, the training of security and intelligence officers, and cross-border military operations.

    Seven West African nations gathered in Accra from November 21–22, 2022 for the Accra Initiative to study measures to stop the spread of terrorism.

    The initiative also aims to prevent spillover of terrorism from the Sahel and to address transnational organized crime and violent extremism in member countries’ border areas.

    The Accra Initiative currently comprises seven-member states namely; Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger, and Togo.

    So far, little action has been taken as a result of the Accra Initiative.

    Member nations carried out combined military operations on their borders in 2018 and 2019 that led to the arrest of roughly 700 suspected terrorists and gang members as well as the discovery of improvised weapons.

    Source: The Independent Ghana

  • 2023 Budget: Ofori-Atta has nothing to offer – NDC MP

    Sene East representative Dominic Napare has warned that the embattled finance minister Ken Ofori- Atta’s budget presentation on November 24 won’t be anything to get excited about.

    He claims that the minister will deliver the same old speech, which won’t provide Ghanaians with any real solutions to their economic woes.

    The Finance Minister has nothing to contribute, he said, according to TV3 in Accra.
    If you recall, in the previous two or three budgets he reviewed, we predicted that it would not end well, and the situation is just becoming worse as time goes on.

    “Very characteristic of him, he doesn’t paint the true records of the economy of the country and so we keep complaining about the figures he presents. The state of the economy appears as if the economy is good meanwhile the economy is bad. This is what he has been doing and we think this is what he is coming to do.”

    Napare continued: “We don’t expect anything new from him and our position has been buttressed by the Majority side who are also saying that they don’t have any confidence in him.

    “Even though we said it is Ken Ofori-Atta, it is not only him because it is not an individual who prepares the budget, it is a team, so it is the entire team that we don’t have confidence in.

    “Because [Ofori-Atta] is leading, he is the one who takes the decision, he is the head of the team that is why we are singling him out for responsibility.”

    Ken Ofori-Atta is expected to present the budget statement in Parliament on Thursday, November 24.

    GhanaWeb has gathered that the Minister risks meeting an empty Parliament when he appears in the House.

    According to sources, both majority and minority MPs are likely to absent themselves, which will make it impossible for the minister to present the budget because there will be a lack of quorum as required by the Constitution.

    Some 98 NPP MPs insist that they will boycott the budget presentation if the minister in particular appears before the House.

    “We’ve gone back to (our demand for the President to) sack him now and therefore should the budget be presented under the stamp of the Finance Minister, we’ll not participate because as far as we’re concerned we’re never going to do business with him,” Andy Appiah-Kubi said.

    The Asante Akim North MP further explained on JoyNews’ PM Express programme on Tuesday, November 15, 2022, that they will only participate in the budget presentation and appropriation if the President appoints someone else other than Ken Ofori-Atta to present the budget.

    “We’re not saying we won’t do the President’s business. We’re saying we won’t do President’s business through Ofori-Atta. So if anybody else comes with President’s business, we’ll participate,” Appiah-Kubi stated.

  • World Cup 2022: We will make it difficult for Portugal on Thursday, says Ghana captain Andre Ayew

    Ghana captain Andre Ayew has acknowledged that Portugal are favourites ahead of the Group H opener on Thursday, November 24.

    According to the experienced attacker, the Black Stars are not bothered that they are not fancied to win.

    He has however assured Ghanaians that the Black Stars have prepared well and will give the Portuguese a difficult time.

    “We go into this game with Portugal favourites on paper. But we have to show that it is more important what happens on the pitch. We are playing a big side with top players, but we believe in ourselves and will make it very difficult for them,” Andre Ayew said.

    Meanwhile, the Al-Sadd SC attacker has stressed that the Black Stars are not bothered by the happenings within the Portuguese national team.

    “It is not our problem what is happening within the Portuguese team,” Andre Ayew stressed during a pre-match press conference today.

    The Ghana captain added, “They are all great professionals playing at top teams and they will be ready for the World Cup, whatever else is happening.”

    The clash between Ghana and Portugal will kick off at 16:00GMT on Thursday.

    Subsequently, the Black Stars will face off with their counterpart from South Korea and Uruguay to wrap up Group H.

    Ghana needs to amass as many points as possible from the three games to advance to the knockout stage of the tournament.

  • Pastor ends an ongoing wedding ceremony because the couple engaged in “just” foreplay

    A Pastor has ended an ongoing wedding ceremony because the couple engaged in “just” foreplay.

    The lady said  this happened in a church in her neighborhood as the wedding ceremony was going on the Pastor call both husband and the wife to be to his office and said the HolySpirit kept disturbing and he wanted to asked them if they have had s#x and they said no.

    The Pastor turned to the lady and asked, Has this man touch you before? she said yes, she further explained that he has kissed her, pressed her bre@st and also f#ngered her.

    After this, the Pastor came with husband and the wife to be and said they cannot be joined in a holy matrimony because they have def#led themselves.

  • CHRAJ begins processing Anas’ petition against Ofori-Atta

    The Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is the subject of an investigation by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) into a conflict of interest petition submitted by undercover journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas.

    In his appeal, Anas urged the Commission to examine into claims that Ghana’s loans and bonds were used to benefit the private firms of both the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, and the previous Minister of State for the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen.

    In a radio appearance, CHRAJ Commissioner Joseph Whittal stated that the Commission has received a formal complaint from the undercover journalist and is currently reviewing the information provided.

    “The allegations are that there is a conflict of interest in terms of their official duties as public officers and the companies in which they have interest in terms of government bonds and so the case is going through the standard process of assessment in order to make sure that it meets procedural requirement under the Commission’s regulation as well as whether it is really within the mandate of the Commission. Based on that, we will then decide what next steps to take,” Whittal told Accra-based Joy News.

    Meanwhile, The Office of the Special Prosecutor has also commenced investigations into the same corruption allegations levelled against Charles Adu Boahen in the exposé after President Akufo-Addo’s referral of the matter to the Office.

    Charles Adu Boahen was dismissed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo after allegations that he demanded some monies to facilitate a meeting between undercover investigators disguised as investors and Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

    Per Tiger Eye PI documentary dubbed ‘Galamsey Economy’, Adu Boahen said Bawumia could be paid $200,000 as an appearance fee for investors. This is in addition to positions offered to the Vice President’s siblings – a claim the dismissed Minister of State has denied.

    Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta when he appeared before the ad-hoc committee hearing a vote of censure against him denied being embroiled in a conflict of interest given the allegations by the Minority that his company, Databank Limited have been benefitting from transactions on government bond issuance.

    Ofori-Atta said the proponents’ allegations do not have “weight for censure”.

    Black Star Brokerage, owned by Charles Adu Boahen, has also been named as one of the firms playing the role of financial advisors to government transactions on the international market.

  • English Premier League giants Manchester United interested in signing Nico Williams from Athletic Bilbao

    English Premier League giants Manchester United are interested in signing Spanish international of Ghanaians decent Nico Williams.

    The enterprising winger who plies his trade for Athletic Bilbao has been in a rich vein of form this season and has therefore become a subject of interest for several clubs including Manchester United.

    It is said Manchester United are in search of a forward following the contract termination of Cristiano Ronaldo.

    During the summer, the Red Devils attempted to sign Dutch forward Cody Gakpo but could not materialize.

    Footballghana.com understands Manchester United have turned their attention to the Spanish winger.

    The Red Devils are likely to wait until next summer to make an approach with Bilbao unlikely to sell in January.

    The Premier League outfit could face competition from Real Madrid and Liverpool who are said to be interested in the youngster.

    Liverpool will reportedly send scouts to watch him in action in Qatar and if he performs well he could attract attention from several clubs.

    Bilbao are believed to value Williams at around £35million, but that fee could rise if he announces himself on the world stage.

    Williams broke into Bilbao’s team last season and made 34 LaLiga appearances but failed to score or register an assist.

    He has improved significantly this campaign with three goals and four assists in 13 games.

  • Wendy shay: The only artiste I can be compared with is Beyoncé

    Ghanaian singer Wendy Shay has said that she cannot be compared to any other female artiste except American iconic singer Beyoncé.

    The hitmaker of ‘Survivor’ disclosed that she accepted the title ‘Queen of Ghana music’ to identify herself as the “best” among her female musicians because her fans claimed she was exceptional.

    “First of all, the Queen of Ghana Music was a title my fans gave me,” Wendy Shay told 3Music. “And who doesn’t appreciate good things? They gave me that title, and I was like, ‘If they see me as the queen of Ghana music’, I will take it.”

    “That right there was to confirm the fact that, yeah, I have accepted that title because my fans gave it to me,” she said.

    She added that everyone has the right to choose whatever name they wish to call themselves.

    “I believe that everyone has the right to call themselves whatever they want. I think as far as giving ourselves a title, everybody is entitled to do so. And I believe that everyone is a queen. All of the other female artistes are queens.

    “But I was talking about myself, so they can also call themselves queens. I never mentioned anyone’s name. I was just making a statement and affirming the fact that my fans have given me that title,” she added.

  • Price of fish to go up over premix fuel scarcity

    The scarcity of premix fuel at the various landing beaches along the coast is expected to have a significant impact on the price of fish.

     Speaking to the media, the acting President of the Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council, Nana Jojo Solomon, mentioned that fishermen purchase fuel meant for vehicles at outrageous amounts due to the unavailability of premix fuel.

     Due to the exorbitant prices, fishermen are now compelled to adjust their prices in order to have a meaningful profit.

    Mr Solomon, decrying the situation, stated that “we all know what the petroleum hikes come along with. Prices of everything surge. In the past, you could get a pan of fish for about GH¢400 on GH¢500, but now it’s about GH¢1000. Whatever price we buy fuel to embark on an expedition, the customer will have to pay for it because we will transfer the cost to the consumer.”

    What is premix fuel?

    Premix fuel is an in-country blend of fuel made for use by the fishing industry. It has similar properties to gasoline. The product is dyed blue to differentiate it from other fuels. 

     Challenges 

    Premix fuel smuggling and hoarding have become a canker in the fishing industry.

    An investigative report by JoyNews revealed that some individuals are engaging in the hoarding and reselling of premix fuel, a situation accounting for the shortage of the commodity.

    According to the Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council, the irregular supply of premix fuel to the various landing beaches and the mismanagement of the distribution by the Landing Beach Committees, according to the Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council have affected their businesses.

    Demonstration

    The agitated fishermen have indicated that they will soon hit the streets to press home their demands until the shortage of premix fuel is resolved by the government.

    “It’s been four months without premix fuel. The premix is not there, we are buying from the regular pumps, which are very expensive. The few canoe owners who are able to afford fall out with huge debts here and there, and it’s a source of worry. Now we are getting fish, but there’s no premix,” he added.

    The fishermen are getting agitated day in and day out. Fisherfolk in Volta, Western, and Central regions are calling for the demonstration, the pressure is mounting,” Jojo Solomon added.

    Source: The Independent Ghana

  • 98 NPP MPs agree to support Ofori-Atta after Minority, NPP leadership meeting

    Prior to Ken Ofori-Atta, the beleaguered minister of finance, reading the 2023 Budget Statement on November 24, the Majority Caucus in Parliament has patched up all of its frontal rifts.

    On November 23, a meeting between parliamentarians and NPP leaders took place, during which a number of agreements were made.

    The Minister will be assisted in presenting the budget and seeing that it is appropriated, and he or she will be permitted to see out the current stage of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, or IMF.

    The meeting comes on the back of a renewed call by some 98 NPP MPs who had threatened to boycott the budget presentation if Ofori-Atta appears to present it.

    A statement co-signed by Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh and NPP General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong read in part: “At a meeting this evening, the 22 of November 2022, involving the Majority Caucus, the Leadership of the Party and the Council of Elders, it has been agreed by all to refocus and recline to the earlier position requested by the President.”

    The three broad areas agreed on were as follows

    1. The demand be stood down until the conclusion of the round of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which would feed into the 2023 Budget;

    2. The presentation of the 2023 Budget Statement and Economic Policy on the 24th November 2022 by the Finance Minister on behalf of the President; and

    3. The subsequent presentation and passage of the Appropriation Bill

    “The meeting agreed that the President would act upon the initial request of the NPP Parliamentary Caucus after the conclusion of these matters,” the statement added.

     

  • World Cup 2022: Whatever is happing within the Portuguese team is not our problem – Ghana captain Andre Ayew

    Captain of the Ghana national team, Andre Ayew has stressed that the Black Stars are focused ahead of the game against Portugal on Thursday, November 24.

    According to him, whatever is happening in the camp of the Portuguese national team with regard to poster boy Cristiano Ronaldo is not the problem of the Black Stars.

    He has assured that the Black Stars are focused and ready for the Group H opener tomorrow.

    “It is not our problem what is happening within the Portuguese team,” Andre Ayew stressed during a pre-match press conference today.

     

    The Ghana captain added, “They are all great professionals playing at top teams and they will be ready for the World Cup, whatever else is happening.”

    The clash between Ghana and Portugal will kick off at 16:00GMT on Thursday.

    Subsequently, the Black Stars will face off with their counterpart from South Korea and Uruguay to wrap up Group H.

    Ghana needs to amass as many points as possible from the three games to advance to the knockout stage of the tournament.

  • ‘Market does not trust what govt says it has done or intends to do’ – Senyo Hosi tells Akufo-Addo

    Senyo Hosi, the chief executive officer of the Ghana Chamber of Bulk Oil Distribution, claims that investors no longer have faith in the Akufo-Addo administration to manage the regional economy.

    He claims that in just one year, the cedi and the country’s Euro bonds have lost more than 60% of their value.

    He claimed that as a result, there is now no faith in government policies and credibility on both the domestic and global financial markets.

    In an open letter sighted by GhanaWeb Business, Senyo Hosi said, “Mr. President, the value of our Euro bonds, for example, has fallen by over 60% in barely a year and same can be said of the value of our Cedi. Respectfully, this sudden drop for any financial market is catastrophic. It is inspired by a loss of confidence in government policy and information credibility on the local and international financial markets.”

    “In simple terms, the market does not trust what government says it has done or intends to do. We have simply lost fiscal credibility and it is tied to the political frame of the leadership of the financial sector,” he added.

    The Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Chamber of Bulk Oil Distribution pointed out that the market wants Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, sacked for mismanaging the local economy.

    He explained that businesses hold Ofori-Atta responsible for failing to hold the fiscal line and marshal the discipline required for the country’s debt sustainability.

    “It is time for patriotic leadership. With fiscal credibility lost, the market does not just need an IMF. It needs credible fiscal leadership even more. Your appointment of the next Finance Minister must be purely hinged on competence and financial market credibility. Having said this, the out-and-out politician in your party and overt party sympathizer will not inspire the credibility the market seeks. To be blunt, none of your current MPs and Ministers can offer what this market needs,” he said.

  • World Cup 2022: Ghana’s opponent South Korea tours Education City Stadium ahead of opener against Uruguay

    Ghana’s 2022 World Cup opponent South Korea has toured the Education City stadium ahead of their opener against Uruguay.

    The Asian giants will open their account against the two-time World Cup winners on Thursday, November 24 at 10am.

    Ahead of the clash, the Korean national soccer team visited the stadium that will host their opening group game.

    Coach Paulo Bento, coaching staff, and players went out to explore the stadium wearing comfortable training clothes and sneakers.

     

    Players gathered in twos and threes to walk on the ground and check the condition of the grass by touching it before their first game.

    Reacting to the condition of the pitch, Hwang In-beom, who plies his trade for Olympiacos said, “The grass is very good. The training ground is a bit hard, but it feels softer than the training ground.”

    Kim Moon-hwan of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors also showed satisfaction, saying, “The grass is so nice and it seems perfect for playing. It’s similar to a training ground, but it feels a little softer.”

    Baek Seung-ho (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors) was also satisfied with the condition of the stadium, saying, “It may change depending on how the teams playing in front of us play, but the current state is so good.”

    South Korea has been housed in Group H against Portugal, Uruguay and Ghana.

  • Possible replacements for Ofori-Atta Akufo-Addo should consider – Senyo Hosi

    Senyo Hosi, a financial and economic policy specialist, has narrowed down a list of Ghanaians who are knowledgeable about economic issues and could succeed Ken Ofori-Atta as finance minister.

    Senyo thinks that the moment has come for the President to appoint someone who will boost investor confidence while fostering national political stability.

    “It is time for a technocratic and meritocratic selection of one truly acknowledged and approved by the financial markets and across the political divide,” he wrote in an open letter to the president.

    “I highly recommend you consult key stakeholders in the local and international markets (Banks, fund managers, Multilateral agencies, etc.) in your shortlisting and considerations,” he added.

    He noted further that the following names are worth considering:

    1. Dr. Maxwell Opoku Afari – First Deputy Governor, BoG

    2. Mr. Albert Essien – Former Ecobank Group CEO

    3. Mr. Simon Dornoo – Former President of GAB and current Chairman, ESLA PLC

    4. Dr. Paul Acquah – Former Governor, BoG

    5. Dr. Abdallah Ali-Nakyea – Tax Policy Expert, Lawyer, Economist & Lecturer

    For the now vacant position of a minister of state in charge of finance after Charles Adu-Boahen’s sack, Senyo Hosi noted that the Finance Ministry must lead the charge as the size of government remains a challenge and a cause of worry for many Ghanaians.

    He said: “As the size of government remains one of concern, there is no doubt that the Ministry of Finance should lead the way in its resizing.”

    “ I recommend the following for consideration as the replacement for the Minister of State for Finance,” he added.

    1. Mr. Kwamena Asomaning – CEO, Stanbic Bank Ghana Limited

    2. Mansa Nettey – CEO, Standard Chartered Bank Ghana

    3. Alex Emmanuel Asiedu – Head of Investments, Africa Region, Standard Bank

    4. Prof. Festus Ebo Turkson – Economist & Lecturer, University of Ghana

    5. Josephine Anan-Ankomah – Group Executive- Commercial, Ecobank Group.

    He however concluded by adding that “Your Excellency, the above names are just to give tangibility to the concept advised. I believe there are other equally competent candidates you may consider, but I, nonetheless, urge you to consider the guiding principle expatiated above – put the national interest above all else. Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. Your current position is truly not envied.

    “I have often said the presidency is easily the loneliest job in the world. Almost everyone, including your conjugants, is in pursuit of your influence for their private gain. You still will have to make a call!” Senyo noted.

  • Ghanaian female singers ‘level up’ in their latest music videos

    Ghanaian music lovers have been treated to special tunes and albums from their favourite artistes all year round, and as we wrap up 2022, some female musicians have put the cherry on top with the release of classic visuals of their latest singles.

    Wendy Shay, Enam, Eno Barony, Cina Soul, and MzVee have published new music videos from their projects. The results have been positive, and we’ve witnessed social media users submitting several reviews.

    As expected, some songs have been backed by dance challenges.

    Rapper Eno featured Dee Wills, the son of famous preacher, Nicholas Duncan-Williams, on her song titled ‘Don’t Judge Me’.

    Also, MzVee had a ‘comeback’ with a collaboration with Dancehall musician, Stonebwoy in what she titled ‘Pull Up’.

    Word on the street is that some artists are gearing up to release Christmas bangers in 2022.

    Check out the latest music videos put together by GhanaWeb

    MzVee – PULL UP – ft. Stonebwoy and Henry X

    Wendy Shay – Heaven

    Enam – Wuieve

    Eno Barony – Don’t Judge Me Featuring Dee Wills

    Cina Soul x Camidoh – WAITING

     

  • Aisha Huang sacks Nkrabeah Effah Dartey as her lawyer

    The Legal tussle between embattled Chinese National, Aisha Huang, and the state has taken another twist as the former has substituted her lawyer, Dr Nkrabeah Effah Dartey, with another person. 

    It is unclear what triggered this decision, however, the newly hired solicitors are to take over the lawsuit against Aisha Huang with immediate effect. 

    This was announced by the presiding judge, Lydia Osei Marfo.

    Nkrabeah Effah Dartey, a former New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP, has been legal counsel for the controversial Chinese national since 2018, representing her both at the Circuit and High Courts since Aisha Huang’s first galamsey prosecutions that were eventually discontinued by the state.

    Lawyer Effah Dartey also represented Aisha Huang on the new charges of illegal mining and illegal entry into the country; both of these cases are running concurrently at the Circuit and High Courts.

    The lawyer has already cross-examined the first and second prosecution witnesses and was scheduled to cross-examine the third witness on Monday until the presiding judge made it known to the court that new lawyers have taken over the case.

    Effah Dartey has on numerous occasions argued that Aisha Huang is not guilty of the accusations levelled against her. 

    However, he has been unable to secure bail for her, since all bail applications filed in favour of the accused have so far been thrown out. 


    Aisha Huang, and her three accomplices, are currently on trial over illegal mining activities.

    They have been charged with engaging in the sale of minerals without a licence and mining without a licence. 

    The Attorney General, Godfred Dame, on Friday, September 16, 2022, also pressed fresh charges against Aisha Huang. 

    The Fight against galamsey

    The laws of the country strictly prohibit illegal mining activities. The Minerals and Mining Act proscribes sanctions for people who engage in such activities.

    The Act proscribes sanctions in the form of a fine and imprisonment of between 15 and 25 years for each of the following crimes: buying or selling minerals without a licence or authority; mining in breach of the law; abetting any breach of the mining law; contracting a non-Ghanaian to provide mining support services; abetting the breach of the mining laws by a foreigner; fabricating or manufacturing floating platforms or other equipment to be used for mining in our water bodies; and providing an excavator for an illegal mining operation.

    The Act further provides that a non-Ghanaian who illegally mines or abets illegal mining attracts a large fine and imprisonment of between 20 and 25 years, and shall be deported after serving the sentence.

    However, this was not seen in the case of Aisha Huang when she was initially arrested in 2017 and supposedly deported in 2018.

    The activities of illegal miners are still on the surge due to failure of authorities in charge to strictly enforce the laws.

    Meanwhile, “Operation Halt,” an anti-galamsey task force launched by the government to curtail illegal mining activities in the country, is still in operation.

    Recent arrests carried out in relation to galamsey

    Aside from Aisha Huang and her accomplices, the Operation Halt task force has also facilitated the arrest of some 164 persons, comprising Ghanaians and foreign nationals, after a three-day operation at Anyinam and Mampong.

    Meanwhile, Aisha Huang will appear before the court on December 14, 2022.

    Source: The Independent Ghana

  • World Cup 2022: The aim is to beat Portugal – Ghana coach Otto Addo

    Ghana’s head coach, Otto Addo, says the Black Stars are aiming to beat Portugal in their Group H opener on Thursday.

    Ghana, who are making their fourth appearance at the Mundial will begin their journey against the European country at the Stadium 974 on Thursday, November 24 with kick-off scheduled at 16:00GMT.

    Despite not being regarded as the top two favorites in the group on paper, Addo says the target for the team is to advance into the knockout stages while adding that winning against Portugal is the objective.

    “Surely we want to survive the group stage. We want to go game by game so our full focus is on the Portuguese game. If we don’t look too far and we concentrate on the next game, I think we can do something,” he said ahead of Thursday’s fixture.

    “From there, nobody knows, it depends on who you get and also how you play.

    “It’s very difficult to predict so our main focus is to win against Portugal, which will be very difficult. After that, we’ll look at the next step,” he added.

    The Black Stars will also take on South Korea and Uruguay in their final group games.

    Ghana will be looking to start their campaign at the Mundial on a high after the disastrous 2021 Africa Cup of Nations that has caused a lot of dissatisfaction for the team.

  • Shell signs deferral amendment of LNG delivery agreement with GNPC and Tema LNG company

    A change to the Commercial Agreements has been approved by a number of parties involved in the Tema LNG Project. This change effectively releases the national oil agreement from its earlier obligation to continue paying for regasified liquefied natural gas now, even if 2019 volume levels are significantly reduced.

    The most recent development, which will delay the delivery of LNG cargoes, gives Ghana enough time to establish the necessary infrastructure to meet the country’s high LNG demand while also expanding the regional downstream market in West Africa.
    The opportunity to specifically service businesses in West Africa exists at Tema LNG, the only multi-commercial LNG terminal in Sub-Saharan Africa.

    But, GNPC negotiated the original agreement in a way that the $450 million facility will eventually pass on to the GNPC at the end of the GSA.

    The parties to this groundbreaking agreement are the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) as the “Buyer”; Shell Energy Ghana Ltd (Shell) as the “Seller”; and Tema LNG Terminal Company (TLTC) as the “Operator”. The amendment to the Agreements is said to have been necessitated by a proposal by Shell to defer shipment of LNG. Experts believe the proposal is to manage the global supply-demand dynamics of LNG precipitated by the Russian – Ukraine war.

    By working collaboratively with Shell, GNPC has executed an amendment that ensures that there is no fiscal burden placed on the Government of Ghana by the Project in the near term while maintaining the option to receive liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the medium to long term, to bring significant advantage to the country and the region’s growing energy needs.

    In a recent brief on the Tema LNG Terminal case study, a team of CSOs including IMANI, ACEP and Tax Justice Network Africa among others alleged that despite multiple postponements and much PR, the Tema LNG terminal has failed to supply gas for use in Ghana. The brief says the consortium continues to insist however that the terminal is “operational” and that the take-or-pay arrangement remains valid. The CSOs say that unless the project is terminated, liabilities of up to $1.5 billion, could still manifest to the detriment of Ghana. This is being denied by GNPC.

    According to the CSOs, the Tema LNG project poses a major risk to the already strained finances of the GNPC. Some calculations by ACEP and IMANI suggest that the GNPC could be paying between $790 million and $1. 357 billion a year (based on average 2022 Brent crude prices) for gas the country doesn’t need. These fears are, however, not reflected in the structure of the amended contract.

    Even though it is free of any such obligation for now, GNPC stands to benefit from a portion of the fees in the regional business from Tema LNG. It has, therefore, expressed its willingness to continue working with the Operator, in the intervening period, to deliver solutions for the supply of LNG to customers in the region, to generate additional revenues to the Corporation.

    It says it continues to see the introduction of LNG into the gas supply mix as an important step to shoring up energy security and meeting Ghana’s growing demand for energy and as a way to lead West Africa in the drive towards a transition to cleaner fuels.

    A senior source in the national oil company has further explained circumstances that led to the GNPC and the other parties involved to amend the project agreement.

    According to the source Shell proposed to defer supply of LNG for regasification to a period of about two years after which it believes the country’s current precarious situation would have been normalized.

    “The proposal for amendment came from Shell that we look at deferring the supply for some period till things normalize then we resume activities. So it’s a mutual agreement cleverly executed, which we stand to benefit,” the source stated.

    The source further explained that there is an option for further deferral periods to be explored. It hinted that within the deferral period, the Tema LNG facility can still take advantage of any business opportunities outside Ghana.

    He said the project which is almost complete is not owned by the GNPC, as the terminal use agreement (TUA) that exists is between the Tema terminal facility and Shell, while the GNPC has a gas sales agreement with Shell.

    The source criticized the CSOs for their lack of proper understanding of the transactions and further explained that the terminal becomes an asset of Ghana at the end of the contract period. Basically Ghana takes over the terminal.

    “We don’t have a TUA per se, the agreement we have is to the extent that Ghana takes over the terminal and the terminal company requires permission of GNPC ( during contract period) for other third party businesses that the terminal wants to do,” the source said.

    It maintained the commercial arrangement to buy gas is between the GNPC and Shell with that serving as the basis for the construction of the Tema LNG facility. It says within the deferral period and afterwards GNPC will not prevent the Terminal from going ahead with other business transactions that will inure to its benefit as that will not amount to any breach of law or contract, but allowing the investors to recoup their investments currently estimated at nearly half a billion US dollars. The project is fully private sector funded.

    The national oil company says the terminal infrastructure provides a strategically important asset for energy security both locally and within the west Africa sub region for the benefit of all stakeholders.

  • Rita Dominic and Fidelis Anosike’s white wedding set to take place in England

    Ace Nollywood actress, Rita Dominic, and her husband, Daily times publisher, Fidelis Anosike, are set to have their white wedding in Yorkshire, England on November 26, 2022.

    The couple had their traditional wedding seven months ago, and would be exchanging their vows before friends and family in a 900-year-old Abbey in England this weekend.

    In an Instagram post Rita made, she described her idea of a perfect relationship, one that’s private and not secret.

    Private in the sense that they wouldn’t have to share their personal matters even though people would be aware of the relationship.

    In her words,

    “A relationship that’s private but not secret common people know we are together but don’t know anything about us. There’s a difference between privacy and secrecy. And to me, that’s perfect”.

  • Repatriation of millions of dollars by online cab services taking toll on Ghana’s economy

    In charge of the Fair work project, Professor Richard Boateng, a lecturer at the University of Ghana Business School in Ghana, believes it is concerning that international ride-hailing businesses are regularly sending millions of dollars back home. This, according to him, contributed to the Cedi’s depreciation.

    Research indicates that over $2 million being transferred out of the nation each month by uber, bolt, and glovo, according to Professor Boateng, who made this claim in an interview with GBC News during the presentation of the Fair Work Ghana Report in 2022.

    “When you take the fact that you earn ¢350. I think for that you trip you pay 25 percent. So, let’s say that in a day you make ¢350 which means that you kept 75%, and 25% has gone. So, the platforms are making an average of a million dollars in a month, and the worker is making negatives.

    GPRTU is not getting anything”, Professor Boateng said.

    The Project lead, therefore, called on the government to put in place policies that will retain the money in Ghana or introduce a tax regime that will help the country rake in more revenue from these ride-hailing companies.

    ”I think the platform companies have to be taxed more. Or there should be certain conditions like the one we are having in Tanzania, where they tell you that you either give them this particular rate or the country. Ride Sharing app is making money and the money is not locally domiciled for us. That two million will leave the country and go. So, if you want to see where our dollar is going and why we are going high this is one of the loopholes we need to block,” he added.

    Professor Boateng suggested ways to seal the loopholes.

    “You have over ten foreign companies or Suedo companies working through other companies in Ghana. Some of them are taking around five hundred thousand out of the country every month. And you are not seeing this and you are quiet. I don’t want us to get passionate here. I think there are more opportunities for the Bank of Ghana to start looking. There are loopholes In the system that people are making cedis and turning them into dollars and taking them out of the country. But Ghanaians are being enslaved to get this work”.

    A Female driver with one of the ride-hailing companies, and the Union Executive of the National Digital Drivers Union, Elizabeth Ryan, said these foreign companies are only interested in their commission and not the welfare of workers”.

    “In this current climate when you see fuel prices rising up these platforms insensitively don’t care. They get 25 percent even if they charge one cedi. Whether that is sufficient for you to execute the job or not is immaterial which is wrong. It is clear that there has to be a system in place which is where Fair work is so important because it is a foreign organization as well which looks at regulating the way employers treat employees and also how investors who come into the country invest and use the labor force here.”

    Madam Ryan also touched on the exploitation of online drivers.

    “In this case, it is clear that Uber, Bolt, and Yango are exploiting the labor force here because we don’t get value for money. Drivers don’t earn the minimum wage. The worse part of it is that it is the insensitive nature of their exploitation”, he posited.

    She said apart from unsafe work conditions they do not even earn the approved minimum wage. She, therefore, called on the government to ensure exploitation and ensure that foreign companies adhere to the laws of the country.

    Madam Ryan was optimistic the Fair work Ghana Report will bring the necessary reforms in the industry.

  • Plantain is not the only food we eat, we want variety – Patrons of PFJ market demand

    The Ministry of Food and Agriculture’s Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) market has been criticised by some patrons over the monotonous sale of plantains at the various PFJ locations in Accra.

    Plantains have reportedly been the only food item sold to Ghanaians since the Agric Ministry launched this initiative two weeks ago. 

    The lack of variety has left several patrons at the Circle (Kwame Nkrumah Interchange), Obra Spot mobile markets displeased. 

    They lamented how the sale of just plantains would affect the attainment of a balanced diet and defeat the essence of the market.

    “Bring rice, kontomire, cocoyam, yam why have you brought only plantain without others?” one of the patrons requested.

    “We want rice and oil. Those items are expensive,”another said.

    An aide to former President John Mahama, Joyce Bawah Mogtari, is among the many individuals worried about the sale of plantains.

    “Is plantain the only food item Ghanaians eat and which is expensive to buy today? How can the sale of plantains at controlled prices ensure food security for our entire population? And should all Ghanaians move to the ministry in Accra to buy the plantain at the controlled prices?”, she asked in a Facebook post.

    Mr George Oduro, the advisor to the Agric Minister, has however shot down claims that plantain has been the only food commodity provided.

    “No it is not only plantain. Since we started, we have done plantain, yam, oil, rice, kokonte, and tuozafi, and we keep on adding. It is not only plantain,” he said on Monday. 

    The former Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, however, noted that the other foodstuffs are only present at the Agric Ministry.

    Under the leadership of Dr Akoto Afriyie, the Agric Ministry has introduced various mobile markets in Accra to enable citizens to patronise foodstuffs at affordable prices.

    The products are brought from the farms and do not carry extra charges due to transportation.

    Ghana has been hit by food inflation, where the prices of foodstuffs over a period of time have doubled or trebled, mostly due to the rise in transport fares, an effect of increased fuel prices.

    The World Bank revealed in its October 2022 Africa Pulse report that Ghana, with a rate of 122%, has the highest food inflation rate in sub-Saharan Africa.

    As part of short-term initiatives to mitigate the effects of food inflation, particularly in Accra, the ministry would be providing citizens foodstuffs at affordable prices.

    A bunch of plantains which would have gone for GH30 or GH35 is now going for GH10 to GH15.

    It is unknown how much the other food products reported to be present are being sold at.

    Source: The Independent Ghana

  • World Cup 2022: Morocco holds Croatia to a goalless draw to kick off Group F

    Morocco has become the second African country to pick a point at the ongoing 2022 FIFA World Cup tournament following a goalless draw encounter against Croatia on Wednesday, November 23.

    This year’s mundial officially kicked off last Sunday after a stunning opening ceremony by the host nation, Qatar.

    This year’s tournament has five African countries fighting to lift the image of the continent.

    So far three of the countries have played their first group games including Morocco.

    Pitted in Group A, Senegal was the first to get involved in the action. Unfortunately, the African champions lost 2-0 to the Netherlands on Monday.

    Subsequently, on Tuesday, Tunisia became the first African country to earn a point at this year’s tournament when the North African country drew goalless with Denmark.

    This afternoon, Morocco followed in the footsteps of Tunisia to hold Croatia to a similar result.

    Courtesy of the result, Morocco have picked a crucial point and must fight for at least one win in the last two group games to stand a chance of qualifying for the knockout stage of the tournament.

    On Thursday, Ghana will be in action when the Black Stars take on their Portuguese counterparts in a Group H encounter.

  • Elon Musk says he will make final decisions on Twitter posts, despite Content Moderation Council

    Elon Musk admitted to his Twitter staff that the platform’s Content Moderation Council is all for show and that at the end of the day he decides what gets posted.

    In a video obtained by TMZ, Musk is seen addressing his staff in a Saturday Zoom meeting, where he informs them he has the final say over content shared on Twitter. He added that any evidence to the contrary is “simply not true.”

    “I wanna just be clear about, we are gonna do a content council, but it’s an advisory council,” Musk said. “They’re not the ones who actually—at the end of the day it will be me deciding it and any pretense to the contrary is simply not true. Because at the end of the day I can choose who’s on it, that content council, and I don’t need to listen to what they say.”

    The leaked video comes as Kanye West and most notably Donald Trump have been welcomed back to Twitter in recent days. Ye had been suspended from the platform following an antisemitic tweet in October, and addressed his 32 million followers by tweeting “Shalom” on Sunday, a Hebrew greeting. As for the ex-POTUS, his account was banned in 2021 following the Capitol riot.

    When confirming Trump’s suspension in a public statement, Twitter said it had “permanently” barred the account because of a risk of “further incitement of violence.” Trump has yet to take advantage of his reinstated account.

    Despite those reinstatements, Musk said he wouldn’t allow Infowars founder Alex Jones to return to Twitter, after he was banned in 2018.

    When asked whether Musk would allow Jones to return, he simply tweeted “no” and when asked why, said he had “no mercy” for those who “use the deaths of children.”

    Source: Complex.com

  • Data is critical to driving development – Adedeji Adeniran

    African Indigenous Businesses are in the emerging stages of becoming data-driven and innovative through data analytics. The Director of Research at the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa, CSEA, Dr Adedeji Adeniran has therefore entreated African governments, the private sector and development agencies to champion the implementation of policies and initiatives that can make data more open to businesses and organizations that need them.

    A starting point for this to be fruitful, he said, is to create a common platform where experts from different countries can collaborate and access shared local data from public or government agencies, especially in the sub-region.

    Speaking at a dissemination workshop on Data Governance in Africa, Dr Adedeji Adeniran called for public awareness of the value of data, which is key to driving development.

    The only sector that experienced growth during the Covid-19 era is Information Communication Technology, which is seen as having a lot of potentials. The Sector experiences 200 percent growth every year. There is therefore the need to explore this area for the transformation of the Continent.

    “One opportunity that we need to derive easily from is the African Continental Free Trade Area, AFCFTA and other processes around regional integration”….he stressed.

    Professor of Information Systems at the University of Ghana Business school Richard Boateng is concerned about the lack of awareness regarding the value of Data.

    According to him, data is the driving force behind the development and its judicious use will help propel growth.

    “There is the need for the application of data to solve developmental problems”…Professor Boateng noted.

    Head of Depreciation, Operations and management information, University of Ghana Business school, Professor Anthony Afful Dadzie demanded the ways and means of efficiency to be brought to bear in data collection. He stressed the importance of the storage of data.

    According to him, we need infrastructure and a system to help store data for future use. The Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA) is an independent non-profit think tank that conducts high-quality, evidence-based research to support African policy.

    The Data Governance project is an African-specific endeavour that aims to support the drive for a regional data governance framework and promote digital development through research and advocacy.

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • World Cup 2022: Japan records delightful 2-1 comeback win against Germany

    Group E of the 2022 FIFA World Cup is underway with a pulsating encounter between Germany and Japan.

    In the game played on Wednesday, November 23, the Germans were in control at the end of the first half but broke down in the final 15 minutes, leaving the opponent to come from behind to snatch a 2-1 win at the end of the contest.

    The game today started with Germany dominating play and creating a number of chances.

    Although the European country had to wait for a while, the first goal eventually came in the 33rd minute when they were awarded a penalty kick.

    Manchester City midfielder İlkay Gündoğan accepted the responsibility from 12 yards and scored to give Germany the lead.

    That goal sent Germany into the break with a deserved lead.

    After recess, Japan struggled but gradually managed to get into the game. Courtesy of a strike from Ritsu Doan in the 75th minute, the Asian national team suddenly played with a lot of confidence.

    With another goal netted by Takuma Asano eight minutes later, Japan held on to record a delightful 2-1 win at the end of the 90 minutes.

    Later today, Spain will take on Costa Rica in the second Group E game of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

  • FULL TEXT: Senyo Hosi’s open letter to Akufo-Addo on Ken Ofori-Atta’s removal

    Senyo Hosi, a financial and economic policy analyst, has voiced his opinion on the present public discussion on the choice of dismissing or compelling Ken Ofori-Atta to quit as finance minister due to the nation’s current economic difficulties.

    According to Mr. Hosi, Ghana will become “ungovernable” as a result of the President’s refusal to remove Ken Ofori-Atta despite opposition from the governing party members.

    “History will not be kind to us if we have no lessons to learn from the executive-parliament impasse of the 3rd Republic. I hold nothing against KOA. I believe he has done his bit and run his race, but Ghana is bigger than us all. We must be humble about our reality if we can’t change its tide,” portions of his write-up read.

    He continued, “Unsurprisingly, the political hawks in your party have lined up in pursuit of his position or to influence his replacement. I can understand the politics. Unfortunately, the dire situation we find ourselves in as an economy and to a material extent, as a country, transcends the party politicking characteristic of our time”.

  • Forex Bureaus sell $1 at GH¢14.95, BoG GH¢13.11 as of November 23

    The Interbank forex rates from the Bank of Ghana today, November 23, 2022, have shown that the Ghana Cedi is trading against the dollar at a buying price of 13.0986 and a selling price of 13.1118.

    As compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 13.0988 and a selling price of 13.1120. At a forex bureau in Accra, the dollar is being bought at a rate of 14.55 and sold at a rate of 14.95.

    Against the Pound Sterling, the Cedi is trading at a buying price of 15.4710 and a selling price of 15.4891 as compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 15.4710 and a selling price of 15.4891.

    At a forex bureau in Accra, the pound sterling is being bought at a rate of 16.70 and sold at a rate of 17.35.

    The Euro is trading at a buying price of 13.4592 and a selling price of 13.4737 as compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 13.4262 and a selling price of 13.4408.

    At a forex bureau in Accra, Euro is being bought at a rate of 14.50 and sold at a rate of 15.20.

    The South African Rand is trading at a buying price of 0.7578 and a selling price of 0.7585 as compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 0.7571 and a selling price of 0.7576.

    At a forex bureau in Accra, South African Rand is being bought at a rate of 0.65 and sold at a rate of 1.10.

    The Nigerian Naira is trading at a buying price of 33.8479 and a selling price of 33.9082 as compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 33.8479 and a selling price of 33.9082.

    At a forex bureau in Accra, Nigerian Naira is being bought at a rate of 17.00 Naira for every 1 Cedi and sold at a rate of 21.50.

    For the CFA, it is trading at a buying price of 48.4208 and a selling price of 48.4939.

    At a forex bureau in Accra, CFA is being bought at a rate of 19.70 CFA for every 1 Cedi and sold at a rate of 23.50 CFA for every 1 Cedi.

  • ‘It’s unbelievable for me to play a third World Cup’ – Andre Ayew

    Ghana skipper, Andre Ayew is privileged to heading for his third World Cup in Qatar which commenced on Sunday, November 20, 2022.

    The 32-year-old is one of the two players out the 26 called-up by coach Otto Addo to have played at the global showpiece.

    This will be Andre’s third World Cup, having featured in the 2010 and 2014 editions.

    “Every tournament is different and every tournament has it own excitement. The World Cup is the one that we always dream to play as young kids so for me it’s unbelievable for me to be here to play a third World Cup,” Ayew said at his pre-match press conference ahead of Portugal game on Thursday.

    “But most important is to be able to perform on the pitch individually and collectively.”

    Ayew has been a full international for Ghana since 2008 and has earned over 100 caps.

    At youth level, he starred for and captained the under-20 team that won both the 2009 African Youth Championship and the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

    He has played in seven Africa Cup of Nations (2008, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021), helping them finish runners-up in 2010 and 2015, and was top goalscorer at the latter tournament.

  • Oil drops by 3% to reflect reductions on market

    The cost of crude oil keeps falling. On Monday, November 21, 2022, the product is exchanged at a price of roughly 87 dollars per barrel on the global market.

    Fuel prices in Ghana are projected to decrease at the pump in the following pricing window on December 1, 2022, provided that this progress continues and the Bank of Ghana is able to provide enough foreign currency for the BDCs at a favorable rate.

    After falling by more than $2 a barrel on Friday for a second consecutive weekly reduction, oil prices are still falling.
    This is a result of worries about weakened Chinese demand and additional increases in U.S. interest rates.

    Brent crude is down by 0.72 percent and is being offered at 86 dollars 99 Cents a barrel having reached its lowest level since September at 85 dollars 80 Cents. Should this decline persist petroleum consumers would heave a sigh of relieve as prices could drop a little further.

    A strong Cedi could make this a reality. Currently, price of diesel has dropped from GHC23.49 a litre to GHC20.50 a litre. Petrol also reduced from GHC17.99 to GHC16.82 per litre.

    Liquified Petroleum Gas has not witnessed a decline on the international market and will increase in the next pricing window, December 1, 2022.

  • Government intends to increase consumption taxes in 2023 budget – Bright Simons hints

    The 2023 budget presentation by the Finance Minister is anticipated to herald a clear route towards economic recovery, according to Honorary Vice President of policy think-tank IMANI Africa, Bright Simons. However, Simons is concerned that the decision to impose new taxes may impede that growth.

    He claims that in order to restore macroeconomic stability, the government is currently seeking an IMF program, and that investors and citizens around the world are instead watching for indications of a viable fiscal plan.

    Bright Simons raised alarm about the government’s plan to impose higher consumption taxes on already-burdened citizens in a series of tweets on November 23.

    It has been widely reported that government plans to increase the Value Added Tax (VAT) for goods and services – a situation that could further compound economic woes.

    Bright Simons has also questioned whether an evenly split Parliament, especially the Minority side, will throw their support behind a budget that seeks to impose more taxes on already burdened citizens.

    He also indicated government’s inability to consult civil society groups and other relevant stakeholders ahead of the 2023 budget before lawmakers on November 24, 2022.

    “The government of Ghana intends to present its budget for 2023 tomorrow. Given the intensity of the economic crisis, investors globally are looking for signs of a credible fiscal plan out of the mess. The government intends to increase consumption taxes. The Parliament is evenly split,” he wrote.

    “Anyone who reads bbsimons.com know my analysis of the biggest challenge ahead in resolving the crisis: social and political consensus. It is thus shocking that tomorrow the government expects the Opposition and civil society to support a budget it has not consulted anyone on,” Mr Simons added.

    He continued, “Yet this haughty way of doing policy: adamantly ignoring inputs, dismissing feedback and doubling down when caution is raised, is exactly why Ghana is in this deep economic crisis. Clearly, there will be no change. Tomorrow’s budget is thus nothing more than a MISSED OPPORTUNITY”

    Meanwhile, Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has been under intense pressure from members of the governing New Patriotic Party to resign over the current economic challenges which has impacted almost all economic indicators.

    The Minority in parliament have also filed a censure motion against Ken Ofori-Atta on some seven grounds.

     

  • Kelly Rowland tells booing crowd to ‘Chill Out’ while accepting American Music Award on Chris Brown’s behalf

    Kelly Rowland told the audience at Sunday night’s American Music Awards ceremony to “chill out” while accepting an award on behalf of Chris Brown, who was not in attendance.

    Brown emerged victorious in the Favorite Male R&B Artist category, with Rowland briefly addressing the crowd at the Wayne Brady-hosted ceremony, which is now streaming on Hulu.

    “Chris Brown is not here tonight so I’m accepting this word on his behalf,” Rowland said, at which point some noise from the crowd could be heard, including what sounded like booing. In response, Rowland quieted the audience before continuing her praise of Brown’s work.

    “Excuse me. … Chill out,” Rowland said. “But I want to tell Chris, thank you so much for making great R&B music. And I want to tell him, thank you for being an incredible performer. I’ll take this award, bring it to you. I love you. Congratulations, and congratulations to all the nominees in this category.”

    Brown won in the Favorite Male R&B Artist category against fellow nominees Brent Faiyaz, Givēon, Lucky Daye, and The Weeknd. As previously reported, Brown claimed ahead of Sunday’s ceremony that organizers had scrapped his planned Michael Jackson tribute performance.

    At the time of this writing, neither Rowland nor Brown had publicly addressed the aforementioned AMAs moment. Complex has reached out to an AMAs rep for comment. This story may be updated.

    Other winners at Sunday’s ceremony included Nicki Minaj for Favorite Female Hip-Hop Artist, Taylor Swift as Artist of the Year, and Machine Gun Kelly as Favorite Rock Artist. For a full list of 2022 winners, hit this link.

    Source: Complex.com

  • African Development Fund approves $27.9m grant for Savannah agriculture value chain devt

    A $27.9 million grant to Ghana has been authorized by the board of directors of the African Development Fund for the improvement of the Savannah region’s agricultural value chain.

    The award will strengthen the value chain for chicken, enhance the production of maize, rice, and soybeans that are climate resilient, and create jobs for women and young people.

    Farmers’ revenues will rise, and the nutrition of households, particularly those led by more vulnerable women, will be supported.

    This would be accomplished by encouraging private sector investment in sustainable value chains linked to the commercial production of maize, soybeans

    and rice production, with an integrated poultry value chain, which will primarily involve women and youth.

    The Savannah Agriculture Value Chain Development Project will be implemented by Ghana’s Ministry of Food and Agriculture from 2023 to 2027.

    Overall, the project will benefit at least 150, 000 people indirectly and 50,000 directly. It will add to the production of at least 8,000 hectares of new rice, maize and soybean, which will improve feed availability for the poultry industry.

    This grant aligns with the Bank’s medium-term development framework for 2022-2025, which seeks to provide conditions for the private sector to boost growth and create abundant employment opportunities, especially for the youth by transforming agriculture and industry.

    It is also aligned to the Bank’s priority area focusing on the development of agro-ecological zones, especially the Savannah regions of Africa and creating opportunities for the continent’s youth.

    The Bank’s Acting Vice-President of its Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Complex, Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, said building local capacity, would help reduce imports and help Ghana to mitigate the negative impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on global food systems.

    It would also alleviate the impact of climate change, in line with the Bank’s African Emergency Food Production Facility, she noted.

    “This builds on Bank’s earlier investments in the savannah areas of Ghana, putting 20,000 hectares of maize and soybean under production using conservation agriculture practices and technologies. This project has come at a time that Ghana seeks to enhance domestic production and reduce imports. These are the key objectives of Bank’s Feed Africa Strategy,” said Martin Fregene, the Bank’s Sector Director of Agriculture and Industry.

    The grant will support farmers with farm inputs to produce climate resilient rice, maize and soybean. It will also support the production of certified seeds

    by commercial farmers and work closely with the Savannah Agriculture Research Institute, to support smallholder farmers with equipment to improve planting and crop husbandry.

    This support will include the enforcement of community by-laws and promote the use of hybrid seeds, good agriculture practices and sound water, climate resilience and adaptation and integrated pest management.

    The project will also enhance the capacity of Micro and Small-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and offer skills development for youth and women through sustainable entrepreneurship and mentoring programs, especially in the poultry value chain.

    On the approval of the project, Eyerusalem Fasika, Ghana Country Manager of the African Development Bank said, “the approval of this project is a significant addition to the Bank’s active agriculture portfolio in the country with immense potential to contribute to sustainable food systems in Ghana.

    Furthermore, the project’s approval is an opportune

    time for the Bank to support the Government in its efforts to produce enough basic commodities to meet food security challenges and support industrialization.”

  • 6 people killed by Walmart employee in Virginia store shooting

    A Walmart employee shot and killed six people inside a Virginia location of the retail chain, local police said during a press conference early Wednesday.

    In an initial statement shared to Twitter by Chesapeake city officials on Tuesday night, it was confirmed that Chesapeake Police Department officers were responding to what was then described as an “active shooter incident” at the Walmart located on Sam’s Circle.

    Mark G. Solesky, chief of police, later confirmed (as seen in the ABC News-streamed video below) that the first emergency call came in to the city’s local 911 dispatch center at 10:12 p.m. local time. A little over an hour later, according to Solesky, the scene was “declared safe” by responding officers.

    While the investigation into the shooting will continue in the days ahead, Solesky confirmed on Wednesday that six victims had died. Another four victims were confirmed to have been hospitalized, although details on their conditions were not immediately shared. The suspect, meanwhile, died from what police believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

    At the time of this writing, the identity of the shooter had not been publicly released. During Wednesday’s press conference, Solesky confirmed only that he was used a pistol in the attack. Furthermore, Solesky responded to a question from a reporter about the employment status of the suspect, confirming that the unnamed individual was (as had been reported prior to the presser) an employee of Walmart.

    When reached for comment by Complex on Wednesday, a Walmart spokesperson shared the following:

    “We are shocked at this tragic event at our Chesapeake, Virginia store. We’re praying for those impacted, the community and our associates. We’re working closely with law enforcement, and we are focused on supporting our associates.”

    Complex has also reached out to reps with the Chesapeake Police Department for additional comment. This story may be updated.

    Chesapeake Mayor Rick West called the shooting a “senseless act of violence,” adding that he was “grateful” for the work of first responders.

    In an interview on Good Morning America on Wednesday, one witness to the fatal shooting said the attack had occurred in the store’s break room area.

    “I looked up and my manager just opened the door and he just opened fire,” the witness, identified as Briana Tyler, said.

    Source: Complex.com

  • Local traders accuse foreigners of illegally buying agro commodities from farm gates

    Many foreigners, particularly Chinese, Lebanese, and Indians, are allegedly breaking Ghanaian rules regarding the acquisition of agricultural products there.

    Despite the fact that the country’s laws forbid foreigners from directly purchasing agricultural products from farm gates, many foreigners are allegedly buying illegally from farm gates in the Northern region of Ghana, eluding local traders who are supposed to be in charge of purchasing from farmers according to the law.

    In WA, Tamale, Bimbila, Yendi, and Gushegu specifically, the Lebanese, Indians, and Chinese have been accused of buying directly at farm gates.

    A source who spoke on condition of anonymity says local traders are unhappy that the Chinese, Lebanese and Indians have been buying soya beans, cashew nuts, sheanuts, and maize directly at the farm gates.

    By law, foreigners are supposed to empower local traders who are to buy from the farm gates and sell to them (foreigners) in the cities.

    But the foreigners are now rather directly engaged in the buying process, the source added.

    Reports indicate that the Lebanese, Indians and Chinese are illegally bringing in their cash into the country to do the buying and are exporting the agro commodities through illegal means, thereby denying the Ghanaian government tax revenues and foreign exchange earnings.

    By buying directly from the farm gates and bypassing the local traders, Ghanaians in the value chain are said to be losing their jobs.

    Also, buying directly at the farm-gates is more like foreigners like Chinese engaging in retail business in Ghana, which is unlawful.

    Meanwhile, sources say local traders are hoping that the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto will intervene in the matter and put a stop to the foreigners engaging in direct purchasing at the farm gates.

  • Upstream petroleum sector sees remarkable progress in local content

    Nine years after the adoption and implementation of L. I. 2204, the upstream petroleum sector has seen tremendous local content advancements.

    For instance, of the US$1.3 billion in service contracts given in 2020, US$238 million in value terms went to Indigenous Ghanaian Companies (IGC), and US$1.1 billion went to joint ventures, which are also local businesses.

    In addition, out of a total of US$54 million, service contracts valued at US$5.2 million and US$45 million, respectively, were beneficial to joint ventures and IGCs as of the end of the third quarter of 2021.
    In order to fully implement L. I. 2204, the Commission is still working on developing pertinent recommendations.

    In spite of the successes, the upstream petroleum sector continues to face several challenges which, to a large extent, are stifling the growth and development of indigenous participation in the sector.

    “It is therefore important that we strive to eliminate all barriers to local participation in our industry, and it is on this basis that the Petroleum Commission worked with the Ministry of Energy to obtain parliamentary approval for amendments to L.I. 2204 to further deepen local content in Ghana’s upstream oil and gas industry,” said Mr. Egbert Faibille, Chief Executive Officer-Petroleum Commission.

    He was speaking at the 2022 Local Contents Conference and Exhibition in Takoradi. The three-day conference had the theme Sustaining Local Content Development through Enhanced Exploration and Production Activities in the Era of Energy Transition.

    He explained that amendments have introduced channel partnerships and strategic alliance arrangements between non-indigenous Ghanaian companies and indigenous ones, as an additional avenue for foreign participation in our industry.

    Also, he said the amendments will enhance the scope for supply of goods and services reserved for indigenous Ghanaian companies.

    “The Commission recently held a stakeholders’ forum in which all concerned were taken through the amendments. We have also given out standard agreements to be used for channel partnerships and strategic alliances to stakeholders for their study and feedback. We aim to formally commence approvals for channel partnerships and strategic alliances from the end of quarter one 2023,” he noted.

    Mr. Faibille added that the permitting regimes for channel partnerships and strategic alliances are ready and in place.

    He emphasised that channel partnerships and strategic alliances have not come to replace joint ventures, but to complement and vary the modes of contracting in the industry.

    According to him, local content development has its inherent challenges – while the issue of energy transition presents another layer of challenge.

    “The opportunity we have is to deliberate and proffer solutions to these twin challenges over the next couple of days, as to how to navigate the headwinds of energy transition to enhance exploration and production (E&P) activities in Ghana’s oil and gas industry,” he said.

  • Kanye West says he asked Donald Trump to be his 2024 Running Mate during Mar-a-Lago visit

    The artist formerly known as Kanye West says he asked ex-Apprentice host Donald Trump to be his “running mate in 2024” while wearing jeans in the bowels of Florida.

    In a tweet shared Tuesday night, Ye briefly addressed what he says was his first time at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, jeans-wearing included.

    “First time at Mar-a-Lago,” he wrote. “Rain and traffic. Can’t believe I kept President Trump waiting. And I had on jeans.”

    From there, Ye set up a poll regarding his apparent 2024 plans, which have again become a point of discussion in recent days.

    “What you guys think [Trump’s] response was when I asked him to be my running mate in 2024?” Ye, who previously staged a campaign in 2020, asked.

    Ye tweets about Trump and 2024
    Image via Ye on Twitter

    Of course, Ye and Trump have been friendly in the past, including in a widely criticized White House visit in 2018 (see below) during which Ye wore a MAGA hat. More recently, however, Rolling Stone sources claimed Trump had said privately that Ye needed “help” amid then-ubiquitous coverage of a number of comments called out as anti-Semitic.

    Adidas, Balenciaga, MRC, and others are among those who have cut ties with Ye in recent months.

    “Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness,” an adidas rep said in a statement shared in October announcing the immediate termination of the partnership.

    Source: Complex.com

     

  • Ofori-Atta resigned from Databank for health reasons but is healthy to be a minister? – Pratt asks

    The managing editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has bemoaned the instance of Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta staying at post despite the many calls for him to step down.

    Speaking in an interview on Peace FM, monitored by GhanaWeb, Pratt wondered why the minister who claimed he resigned from the Data Bank on health grounds is healthy enough to be a minister of state.

    He added that Ofori-Atta should resign because the position in the finance ministry is not his personal business.

    “If I were Ofori-Atta, I would have resigned long ago. He said he works for free but he is refusing to resign. He said he resigned from Data Bank because of his health.

    “And so if you cannot do the work at Data Bank because of your health, how is it that you are healthy enough to be the finance minister of the whole of Ghana,” he said in Twi.

    The veteran journalist further stated that he still holds the view that sacking Ofori-Atta will not make any significate difference but it is time for him (the finance minister) to go.

    “The minister can choose not to resign but he must know that his decision must meet the demands of Ghanaians because he is not running a private business,” he said.

    Meanwhile, the government has indicated that it will present the 2023 budget in Parliament on Thursday, November 24, 2024. However, the person who presents the budget has become an issue.

    This is because 98 MPs of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) have indicated that they will boycott the reading of the budget if Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is the one to present it.

    Also, an ad hoc committee of Parliament set up to investigate a vote of censure motion against Ofori-Atta by National Democratic Congress MPs is expected to present its report to the house on Tuesday, November 22.

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Employers want government to harmonise statutory fees, charges

    The government should give priority to the synchronization of statutory fees and levies by important state agencies, according to the Ghana Employers’ Association (GEA).

    As one of its main recommendations for the 2023 budget statement, GEA claimed that by harmonizing the levies and fees levied by state “Authorities” like the Ghana Tourism Authority, Food and Drugs Authority, Ghana Standards Authority, Energy Commission, and Petroleum Commission, among others, it will prevent the growth of fees that companies pay to regulators but do not go into the Consolidated Fund.

    President of GEA, Dan Acheampong, maintained that the situation has been creating the impression that businesses are not paying enough taxes.

    “The reality is that these charges, levies and fees are suffocating businesses,” Mr. Acheampong explained at a forum hosted by GEA and organised labour to make inputs and suggestions into the 2023 budget as part of ensuring fiscal consolidation.

    GEA admitted that revenue shortfalls have been the main challenge in this current dispensation.

    The Association however recommend that revenue measures toward fiscal consolidation should focus on expediting implementation of the Tax Exemption bill, which has been passed by Parliament to ensure efficient and effective tax exemption management.

    “We want government to automate the collection of property taxes to prevent government officials from interfacing with the tax revenues received. Also, the benchmark value policy covering imported goods that are not produced locally must be looked at,” he said.

    The Association asked that government considers digitalising road toll collection infrastructure, and reinstating the road tolls to diversify government’s revenue portfolio.

    On E-levy, GEA wants a reduction from the 1.5 percent to 0.50 percent while retaining the current exemptions to make the policy more attractive.

    “Learn from the experience of East African countries and apply a financial services levy of between 10-15 percent on the transaction fees of all financial services, instead of just the E-levy.”

    As teacher and nursing training institutions have now been elevated to tertiary status, GEA argued that nurses and teacher training allowances should be abolished, and opportunities provided for students to access the students’ loan facility that is available for universities and technical universities.

    “The GhanaCard is already helping to eliminate ‘ghost names’ from government payroll. We further suggest that enhanced digital platforms be developed and sustained for use in cleaning the payroll to eliminate all payroll and employee compensation irregularities,” it recommended.

  • ‘Warrior’ Inaki Williams brings a lot to Black Stars – Otto Addo

    Ghana coach, Otto Addo has praised striker, Inaki Williams, saying the Spanish-born forward brings positivity to the Black Stars.

    Following Ghana’s qualification to the Mundial, Williams announced his decision to play for Ghana.

    The Athletic Bilbao forward completed his switch in June 2022 and made his debut against Brazil in the September friendly game played in France.

    With Ghana set to open their 2022 World Cup campaign against Portugal, Otto Addo has praised the forward for his positivity in the team.

    “Yes. He has experience. He is a warrior on the field, a leader and he brings a lot of positive things to this team,” he told Spanish portal AS.

    Addo also highlighted what he likes about Inaki.

    “I am fascinated by his humility, his hunger to win, and his willingness to always go the extra mile.”

    Williams is expected to feature against the Portuguese on Thursday at the 974 Stadium in Doha.

    Four days later, the Black Stars return to action with a clash with South Korea at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan.

    Ghana will wrap up their group stage adventure with their much-anticipated encounter with Uruguay at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah.

  • FLASHBACK: McBrown ‘blushes’ as husband and daughter ‘interrupts’ her interview

    On an afternoon radio show, Abeiku Santana surprised Nana Ama McBrown when the broadcaster spoke with the husband of the actress, an act which was unscripted.

    Below is the story as published by GhanaWeb on November 23, 2021.

    Smiling from ear to ear, Nana Ama McBrown couldn’t hide her joy when she was surprised with a phone call from her 2-year-old daughter and husband, Maxwell during an interview on OkayFM.

    Blushing like a little girl who has been given candy, the popular actress cum TV Presenter was taken by storm when baby Maxin first interrupted her mother’s interview with Abeiku Santana on the drive time show.

    McBrown who couldn’t hide her excitement called out the name of her daughter who was responding with laughter.

    The next in line was McBrown’s husband who took over the conversation to answer a few questions about his wife before going offline.

    In a chat with the host Abeiku Santana, Maxwell spoke about his wife’s career and how he manages her brand which is considered as one of the most formidable and reputable in the country.

    Maxwell spoke about how he toggles between being a manager, husband, and father.

    He also spoke about their numerous vacation trips among others.

  • Chartered Institute of Bankers, Ghana supports the banking industry with 620 chartered bankers in the last three years

    The Chartered Institute of Bankers Ghana is still working to create human capital to support the sustainability of the banking sector.
    The Institute has graduated 620 chartered bankers in the previous three years as part of carrying out its purpose to promote banking education and regulate the practice of banking in Ghana.

    This information was provided by the Institute’s Chief Executive Officer, Robert Dzato, at the newly Chartered Bankers’ 13th induction and graduation event, held in Accra.
    These Chartered Bankers have fulfilled the examination, practical experience, and orientation standards set forth by the Institute.

    The 2022 ceremony was held under the theme ‘Future of Banking in Ghana: Ethics, Professionalism, and ESG Imperatives. In his keynote address, John Kofi Adomako, the Managing Director of GCB Bank, congratulated the Institute and its newly qualified bankers.

    He indicated that to stay in the competition, the banking industry needs human capital in the areas of data analytics, AI, digital leadership, customer centricity, and ESG amongst others. Commenting on the theme, he said banks should adopt Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) policies and have mechanisms in place to assess the impact on their businesses.

    Mr. Adomako said: “The role of banks and bankers is increasingly going beyond the regulatory compliance and value creation for stakeholders. There is a firm conviction by banks to advance to environmental, social, and governance both within their organizations and with their customers, regulators, and broader stakeholders. How banks embed ESG concepts in their governance fabric and culture are things we should be thinking about.”

    He also stated that the banking sector is facing a combination of disruptions and the necessity for banks to respond strategically. “Data-driven fintechs and telcos are leading the charge in deploying data-driven insights to build profitable businesses that provide solutions based on customer journeys.

    To respond effectively, banks will have to reinvent the ecosystems, platforms, and data assets that allow them to monetize data and pursue intelligent selling and cross-selling of products and services.

    On his part, The President of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIB) Ghana, Benjamin Amenumey applauded the newly graduated students and inductees for their tenacity, diligence, and perseverance in getting this far.

    “I congratulate our inductees and graduands for this great achievement. I commend the great efforts of our Institute, facilitators, lecturers, examiners, our external teaching centers, and staff of the Institute for their contribution,” he said.

    He urged the new inductees to keep learning to stay current with the latest financial industry trends. “Be alert to new trends and keep learning new skills, acquire new knowledge to solve problems, and remain relevant. The day you stop learning new stuff, that is the day you start dying,” he said.

    The Chief Executive of CIB Ghana, Robert Dzato, admonished the newly inducted Chartered Bankers to do more than just banking. He advised them to leverage their chartered banker status to take advantage of the related banking services as stipulated in the Institute’s Act, 2016 (Act 991).

    To transform the perception of bankers, he advised the freshly graduated students and inductees to strive for and thrive on ethics and professionalism.

    “You are graduating at a time when ethics is important. If you look at the Bank of Ghana report for 2021, GH¢61 million was lost due to fraud. Alarmingly, 53 percent of the fraud involved staff of banks. So, you are going out there as the voice of conscience and the voice of professionalism. We have a responsibility to re-professionalize banking,” he added.

    He also indicated that the Institute is currently reviewing its syllabus to address the skills gap and equip bankers with competencies in data and analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital, and ESG; but ethics will remain fundamental to the CIB Ghana qualification.

    Six (6) prizes were given out by the Institute to some inductees who demonstrated exceptional performance by doing well in their respective courses.

    Kwabena Owusu Asante from GCB Bank won the Strategic Marketing Management Award of the Year; Benjamin Owusu from GCB Bank won both International Trade Finance and Banking Operations- Regulation, Market Practice, and Treasury Management of the Year; Korkor Ngobi Azina-Nartey from Ecobank PLC won Corporate Governance of the Year Award; Christabel Naa Ayorkor Armah of Access Bank PLC won Risk Management Award of the Year, and Michael Agbetepey of Agave Rural Bank PLC won Microfinance and Rural Banking Award of the Year.

    Princess Jemimah Cato from the Bank of Ghana emerged as the valedictorian of the year winning the most promising inductee among her colleagues. Expressing her profound excitement, she reminisced about the long and often arduous journey which had brought them to their graduation day and on behalf of the graduation class thanked the administrators and staff of the institute as well as their families of the graduating class for their support.

    She further urged her colleagues to uphold the name of the institutes in high esteem by upholding ethics, expertise, exposure, and education.

    “We must uphold our ethics, honesty, and professionalism in a field like ours so that they can’t be minimized. And regarding education, I suggested that all bankers go through CIB Ghana to gain the professionalism required in the market. The world is heading toward green financing, so I counsel banking management to do the same. Finally, they should know their respective fields to succeed,” she said.

    Some key dignitaries who graced the occasion were the Immediate Past President of CIB Ghana, Rt. Rev. Patricia Sappor; Managing Director for GCB Bank PLC, John Kofi Adomakoh; Council Members, Fellows, ACIBs, representatives of other professional bodies, and other invited guests.

  • Morocco hold Croatia to a stalemate in opening Group F encounter

    Morocco share the spoils with Croatia in their opening Group F game in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

    The Atlas Lions held the 2018 finalists to a goalless stalemate at the Al Bayt Stadium.

    Morocco, who exited the last edition with just a point, losing their opening game to Iran, showed a good level of football to match Croatia.

    The North Africans had a strong start in the game and made a lot of incursions, but Croatia’s defense stood tall and did well to avoid conceding early.

    Both Ziyech and Amallah made good efforts on goal, but their shots were blocked.

    Croatia came alive in the later part of the first when Vlasic forced Bounou to make a great save to keep the scoreline intact.

    Shortly after, Modric hit a thumping drive but could not hit the target as the referee brought the first half to a close.

    The second half, just like the first, was keenly contested, with Morocco remaining resolute.

    The best chance of the half came in the 64th minute when Hakimi hit a blistering strike from a freekick, forcing Livakovic to make his only big save of the game.

    Following the draw, Croatia take the lead in the group, with Morocco trailing on the same points.

    The second game in the group between Belgium and Canada will come off later today.

     

  • Early education and awareness program on the alarming epidemic: diabetes, hypertension, kidney diseases

    Future Leaders STEM and Mentorship, a non-profit under the leadership of Dr. Abigail Wilson and committed to creating early awareness of the rising epidemic of diabetes, hypertension, kidney diseases and high cholesterol in Ghana provided early education awareness on these epidemics at the Kumasi Anglican SHS and KNUST SHS on Thursday, November 17 and Friday, November 18 respectively.

    The awareness programme, the first of its kind in High Schools in Ghana was dubbed “Health is Wealth” was organized by FLSMP in collaboration with the Ghana Pharmaceutical Students Federation. An estimated 5500 students were impacted.

    Prevention they say is better and cheaper than cure.

    Empowered and educated minds on these chronic diseases will help students understand how local diet and lifestyle can contribute to their overall wellness and well-being at an early age.

    According to NIH (National Institute of Health), more than one in four adults in Ghana has hypertension and 6% of Ghana’s population has diabetes. These two diseases are major culprits when it comes to kidney diseases.

    Therefore, every high school student at an early age must be provided with the basics regarding knowledge of these diseases’ states. They must understand the causes and prevention of diabetes, hypertension, and kidney diseases. This is the exact service FLSMP and our partners provided last Thursday and Friday.

    Not many people can connect that carbs turn into sugar in the blood stream and, when not consumed in moderation, can put one at risk for diabetes. Many people assume diabetes comes from candy and soft drinks alone, without knowing fufu, white rice, and kenkey all contain carbs that turn into sugar in the blood and when not consumed in moderation and without a healthy lifestyle such as regular exercise can put one at risk for developing diabetes.

    The team also provided leadership and Mentorship sessions for the students to empower, inspire, and innovate.
    Present at the event was Project lead Daniel Charway who emphasized the need to replicate the program across high schools in Ghana and the rest of Africa.

    We leverage cross-sector and industry collaborations as a UN SDG 3 AND 4 advocate organization. FLSMP is dynamically affianced in developing and delivering strategies that remove barriers and ensure more extensive access to FLSMP programs so that all high school students can participate.

    Source: Complex.com

  • Why are you fighting so hard to stay at post if you work for free – PPP National Chairman questions Ofori-Atta

    National Chairman of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Nana Ofori Owusu, has questioned why Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is so adamant about leaving office, even though he claims to be working for free.

    Nana Owusu said that he was one of the first people to commend the finance minister for working for the country for free but he does not understand why he is refusing to vacate his position despite calls by many Ghanaians for him to step down.

    “When I heard the finance minister does not take a salary, I applauded him because of his willingness to sacrifice his time and leave all his businesses to work for Ghana for free.

    “Now, I don’t understand why the minister for finance, who says is not paid GH¢1 … who gets nothing from the public sector, is fighting so hard to keep a position his own people, including majority of MPs of his party, are urging him to relinquish.

    “You are serving us for free and we are saying that we are grateful for the service but you should step aside and you are saying no I will continue serving,” he said in Twi in a Peace FM interview monitored by GhanaWeb.

    The PPP national chairman added that the refusal of the finance minister to resign feeds into the conflict-of-interest allegation against him.

    Meanwhile, the Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Joseph Whittal, has said that CHRAJ has received a petition from Tiger Eye PI, the outfit of Investigative Journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, to investigate Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.

    According to Whittal, Ana’s outfit wants CHRAJ to investigate Ofori-Atta for the conflict of interest allegation levelled against him for the involvement of his bank, Data Bank, in loans the government of Ghana contracts.

    He added that the commission is currently examining the petition as to whether it has merits.

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • NASPA appeals for increase in National Service allowance

    The government is being urged by the National Service Personnel Association (NASPA) to increase the allowances given to service members.

    The Association expressed deep worry over the country’s recent rise in prices and living standards, which it said had an impact on all facets of Ghanaian society.

    In a press release forwarded to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr. Emmanuel Wit Duncan Agbogah, the National President, said that the staff, who provided invaluable services in a variety of professions across several public sectors in the nation, were the most impacted group of people.

    The release said although the NSS allowance was last adjusted in January 2017 from GH¢350.00 to GH¢559.04, the current economic situation coupled with hikes in fuel and utility bills made it difficult for personnel to “barely keep their heads above water.”

    It said it was time for a holistic concern despite taking into consideration effects of Covid-19 and the Russian-Ukraine war.

    “We acknowledge that Covid-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war have negatively impacted all economies globally, but we are also cognisant of the fact that, it is in such same difficult times that the government showed leadership by paying “COLA” to public and civil servants across the country without considering the plight of its most vulnerable indigenes, National Service Personnel.”

    The release said as an Association they believed the “ordinary Personnel” across the country deserved better.”

    It said it was their expectation that their issue of allowance increment to feature prominently in the budget hearing to serve them with some gladness.

    The release said they were also appealing to all relevant stakeholders to use their esteemed offices to heed and address their humble request for an upward adjustment of the allowances.

    “We are getting frustrated on this patriotic journey and need rescue. We entreat all our members to remain calm and resolute while we use all the diplomatic means available to us.”

    The National Service Personnel Association (NASPA) is the umbrella body of over 120,000 National Service Personnel in the country.

     

  • How referee for Ghana vs Portugal match showed 2 Ghanaian players red cards in one match

    The American referee, Ismail Elfath, who will officiate Ghana’s game against Portugal at the 2022 World Cup, is a no-nonsense man.

    Five years ago, he gave two Ghanaian players of Columbus Crew two red cards in their 3-0 defeat to Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer.

    The Columbus Crew, who had three Ghanaian players in their squad for that match, saw two of their players, Jonathan Mensah and Lalas Abubakar, get red cards in the game.

    Jonathan Mensah, a former Black Stars defender, was the first to take an early shower in the game in the 35th minute when referee Ismail Elfath showed him a red card for bringing down C.J Sapong of Philadelphia Union.

    Another Ghanaian player for Columbus Crew, Lalas Abubakar also faced the wrath of referee Ismail Elfath, as he got a red card after picking up a second yellow card 14 minutes to full-time.

     

    The decisions of referee Ismail Elfath was heavily criticized by Columbus Crew manager Gregg Berhalter after they lost the game by 3-0 defeat to Philadelphia Union in MLS in 2017.

    Five years after the incident, referee Ismail Elfath has been appointed by FIFA to handle Ghana’s first game at the 2022 World Cup against Portugal.

    The Black Stars take on the Selecao of Portugal in their opening match of the tournament at the Ras Abu Aboud Stadium on Thursday, November 24, at 4pm.

    Ismail Elfath will be assisted on the sideline by Kyle Atkins and Corey Parker as assistants with Stéphanie Frappart from France as the fourth official.

    Elfath officiated his first match in 2011 and has since become one of the most respected match officials. He has won the MLS Referee of the Year award twice in the past three years. He officiated the semi-final of the 2019 Club World Cup.

    Out of a total 264 matches, Elfath has issued 952 yellow cards, 65 red cards and has awarded 83 penalty kicks.

  • Galamsey: No security expedition returns with pots of gold – JA Kufuor questions

    Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has questioned the outcomes of all the interventions made over the years to tackle the growing menace of galamsey activities in the country, involving security services such as the military and the police.

    He explained that in the instances of some of these military interventions like the Operation Vanguard and other similar operations, instead of any major outcomes, the people were rather reported to have gone to brutalize the locals.

    “Right now, we are criminalizing all these young people and we send soldiers: Vanguard and all these people, they go and molest the locals,” he lamented.

    President John Agyekum Kufuor further expressed worry over the fact that it is yet to be known if any of these interventions produced results such as a team returning with pots of gold.

    He also wondered if it is the case that these teams do not discover the gold that is mined in these small-scale mining sites or not.

    “I haven’t heard of such expeditions coming back with, say a pot of gold back to Bank of Ghana.

    “So, what’s happening? Don’t they find the gold? Everywhere we are getting Chinese and you haven’t heard any Chinese people reporting with the gold they got from our lands and waters,” he wondered.

    John Agyekum Kufuor was speaking at a Seminar on Reviewing Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, organized by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), at his residence at Peduase, in the Eastern Region.

    Source: Ghanaweb