The Bank of Ghana has been urged to offer clear timetables for its new order on releasing foreign exchange for imports, according to the president of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA).
He claimed that because the news was made after traders had already purchased products, the Bank of Ghana’s removal of support could have a disastrous effect on some companies.
“We are requesting timetables from the Bank of Ghana.
How will we pay for items that have already been purchased, if we are to assume that the regulation would apply to fresh imports?
The website citinewsroom.com cites Dr. Obeng.
The same businessmen will invest in the other industries that the government is attempting to develop, he added.
“In accordance with the president’s directive issued at his recent address to the nation on the Ghanaian economy on Sunday, 30 October 2022, the Bank of Ghana will no longer provide FX support for the imports of rice, poultry, vegetable oils, toothpicks, pasta, fruit juice, bottled water, ceramic tiles, and other non-critical goods,” an electronic message to banks read.
Shatta Wale on Sunday walked in on stage during a live band performance of his 2018 hit single ‘Bullet Proof’ by Elsie Duncan-Williams Otoo, the daughter of Nicholas Duncan-Williams, founder of Action Chapel International.
Shatta’s surprise appearance at the 10th edition of the ‘Rhythms On Da Runway’ an annual event organized by fashion designer and media personality, KOD, sent the crowd cheering in excitement.
The celebrated Dancehall music was spotted in a well-tailored blazer which he wore over a white pair of trousers and sneakers. Social media users have showered him with praise over his choice of outfit and live band delivery with Elsie.
On Monday morning the singer topped Twitter trends as music lovers reviewed his exceptional performance at the runway show which had in attendance his former fiancée, Michy.
This year’s Rhythms On Da Runway brought together seasoned Ghanaian singers and celebrities under one roof. The likes of Empress Gifty, Kuami Eugene, Lasmid, Epixode and MzVee graced the stage with runway appearances from Kalybos, Okyeame Kwame, and Fiifi Coleman among others.
He claims he is saddened that the Finance Minister is facing criticism about his position and that some Ghanaians and members of his political party, the New Patriotic Party, are clamoring for his resignation.
Ken Ofori-Atta should step down for his own good, Mr. Pratt said on Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo” morning show.
“I’ve already said that I don’t understand why he is till staying in office. I just cannot understand”, he told host Nana Yaw Kesseh.
Ghanaian media personality Gloria Akpene Nyarku-Acquah, popularly known as Mzgee, has tackled critics who have chastised her for asking the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to respond to Stonebwoy’s allegations.
Earlier, after the Black Stars squad was named, Stonebwoy tweeted, insinuating that because of “pay to play” some more deserving players were left out of the squad.
“There are players who are supposed to be in the squad who are not here because of #PayToPlay. GFA why?” he earlier shared on Twitter.
This triggered concerns from a section of individuals on social media, particularly some entertainment pundits who have criticized the dancehall artiste for raising such speculations without proof.
MzGee, in a bid to also lambast the dancehall artiste for spewing what she described as disparaging comments called on the GFA to take action.
“When I saw the tweet, my heart skipped because Stonebwoy isn’t a small brand. What he wrote wasn’t only spotted by Ghanaians. People all over the world saw it. Even if these accusations are true, can’t we talk about it at home and not make noise about it? Now you have exposed our GFA to the entire world. FIFA is watching. You have exposed us to a bigger community. There is no proof to what he is saying,” she stated during a discussion on United Showbiz.
MzGee’sstatements did not sit well with controversial socialite, Afia Schwarzenegger, who hit back at the journalist on Stonebwoy’s behalf.
“Did Stonebwoy lie?? Didn’t we all watch the Anas GFA video.. Madam drink water n keep quiet..Even FIFA self know say GFA is Corrupt!!!” Afia Schwarzenegger wrote on social media.
But in what seems like a reply to Afia Schwarzenegger, the broadcaster has stormed with a post which reads;
“The truth, a bitter pill for us, all? Well, understandable, not all fanatics have brains.E be passion alone dey drive many!”
A Chinese man recently went viral on social media after he was photographed lighting up and smoking several tobacco cigarettes while running a marathon.
At this point, I think everyone can agree that smoking tobacco isn’t the healthiest thing you can do. But it’s one thing to light up in the comfort of your own home while enjoying a cup of coffee, or on a cigarette break at work, and quite another while running a 42-kilometer marathon. So when photos of a man in his 50’s casually smoking while taking part in the Xin’anjiang Marathon last week went viral, everyone was curious to know his story.
Unfortunately, not much is known about the man, apart from the fact that he is known as “Uncle Chen” among fellow runners, who also confirmed his habit of smoking while running. According to anecdotal reports on social media, Uncle Chen has been spotted at other marathons in the last few years, including the Xiamen Marathon, Lishui Ultra Marathon and Lhasa Half Marathon.
After some photos of the man smoking while running went viral on Weibo, the organizers of the Xin’anjiang Marathon in Jiande City also shared his certificate of achievement, which not only proved that he took part in the event, but also that he ran the 42.195 km in a respectable 3 hours, 28 minutes and 45 seconds, ranking 515th out of thousands of runners.
Once the story went viral, photos of Uncle Chen smoking while running the 2018 Guangzhou Marathon also surfaced online, and runners attested to having spotted him at events in 2019 as well.
“Running is good for your health, smoking is bad for your health. Do they cancel each other out?” one person asked in a comment, while another wondered whether Uncle Chen smokes during marathons because nicotine acts as a stimulant. I think it’s fair to say that there are better-suited stimulants available.”
Smoking is no joke though, and you don’t have to take my word for it, just as the COPD Athlete.
A former Black Stars captain, Anthony Baffoe, has revealed disturbing instances of racism he faced growing up in Germany.
As one of the first African players to join the Bundesliga, he shared that although he contributed to making the football league interesting, he wasn’t given the respect he believed he deserved.
According to him, there were instances where the ultras sometimes chanted racial slurs or pelted him with bananas while on the pitch.
Tony recounted a day when he was out with his mother and was subjected to racial epithets that implied they were slaves.
Despite his mom’s advice to him to ignore them, he said he crossed over to the boys and beat them up.
“That was, my way, of defending ourselves (others of the black race),” he told host Muftawu Nabila Abdulai.
Moreover, he said as he matured, became wiser and more educated, he utilized a new strategy to fight his abusers – verbally, with wit and sarcasm.
The former C.A.F Deputy General Secretary stated that as he became more renowned, he often received messages from mothers, inquiring what to do about their wards who were experiencing racism at school.
As his way to offer the afflicted kids support and shut down their bullies, he said he drove to the schools of such kids and professed he was their uncle.
“I gave them that confidence that I am with them, they are from my family, and everybody became quiet. That made me realise that now when I speak, I’m no more talking for only myself,” he said.
Subsequently, Anthony added that those experiences made him realise the influence he had, and that impacted him to learn about the (African) history and culture.
He accredited his ability to resist bigotry to his mental fortitude, and the thoughts of the younger generation having an easier life.
With that, he asserted that not only is he a Pan-Africanist, but he is an Africanist as well.
“You can’t learn to have a good character. You are either born with it, and I was an activist. I’m still an activist.”
Ghanaian highlife and afrobeat singer Eugene Kwame Marfo stagged named Kuami Eugene, has released a new single dubbed “I Feel Nice”.
The song was produced by MOG Beatz features Group Chart, his new record label Empire.
This song is the third single of EMPIRE’s compilation album ‘Where We Came From (Volume 1)’ that highlights African Music and Culture.
According to him, his house help was a backing vocalist to the song, which makes it more soothing and enjoyable to his fans.
Kuami Eugene’srecent track ‘single’ has made waves in the music industry with millions of listeners applauding the young talented musician for his hard work towards music.
When we talk about some of the finest rappers in Ghana, Obrafour’s name cannot be ruled out, despite the successes he has chalked up to his talent, he says it is Highlife that made him who he is today.
According to him, Highlife music played a major role in his music career and to date.
“Growing up, I remember my dad used to have a pile of records of Highlife albums and will play it every Sunday from morning to evening. I used to listen to the likes of Ramblers, Nana Ampadu, Adofo, and other great Highlife musicians and that gave me a lot of ideas and deep in-depth knowledge of music.
“My compositions and my delivery are all a result of the good Highlife music I had the privilege to listen to when I was young. The storytelling in my music is from Highlife music. When I started my music career with sound engineer Hammer, I was doing Highlife but Hammer advised that I do rap” he told the Daily Graphic in an interview.
He explains that he is a better rapper because of the influence of the Highlife he listened to over a long period of time. “In fact, the likes of Adofo, CK Mann, Ramblers, and Nana Ampadu shaped my Hiplife career because these musicians played a major role in my music. The proverbs, adjectives, and wise sayings are things I picked from Highlife that guided me to do better music. I have benefited a lot from Highlife music” he revealed.
Adding up to how he stamped his feet on the rap scene, the Heavy hitmaker said he needed to own the rap with Twi and it was amazing how Ghanaians embraced it.
“When Ghanaians bought into my rap, it gave me the zeal to do more and now every song I do is motivated by Highlife and I have no regret spending a lot of time paying attention to all these great musicians in the past” he stated.
Touching on how he sees Hiplife now, Obrafoursaid it was not how it used to be in the past. “During our time, Hiplife was a big deal but now Afrobeats seem to take over everything and I understand that because music evolves and that is where we have gotten to now.
“But despite all the genres we do here in Ghana, I still maintain that we are original in our songs. If we maintain our originality and do not see music as the only form to entertain but educate, inform and preach our customs and traditions, our music can go far.
Mentor
Apart from Guru who Obrafour is known to have brought to the limelight, the Kasiebo rapper said there were a lot of young artists he had mentored but he did not want to put out their names.
‘’It is always hard for me to credit myself with people I have helped. I have mentored most of the young musicians who are doing great out there. Anytime I put out a new project, I try to introduce a new artiste and by God’s grace, most of them have become big,” he said.
Has he been celebrated enough and what’s next?
To him whether or not Ghanaians have celebrated him enough, he appreciates the love Ghanaians have shown him over the years and he is grateful for that.
“What more can I ask for, I am grateful and appreciate what I have through music. Ghanaians have done enough for me by supporting my music and I know I was just giving the best of me.
“There is a lot in the pipeline. I believe God has blessed me with enough knowledge to still give Ghanaians good music. I have never looked down on myself and so far as there is life in me, I will continue to do great songs until God calls me”, he stated.
Artistes managing artistes
Answering a question about whether it is difficult for a musician to manage another musician, Obrafour who celebrated 20 years in the music industry in 2019, said it was so difficult to do that.
According to him, there would always be a conflict of interest if a musician managed another artiste. “There will always be competition between the CEO and his artistes. It is best for a musician who wants to sign another musician to delegate it to an equipped manager to handle.
“There will always be issues if the musician himself wants to be the manager. We have had examples here in Ghana and all did not work” he explained.
Born Michael Elliot Kwabena Okyere Darko but popularly known as Obrafour or Rap Sofo, the award-winning musician celebrated his 20th anniversary in the music industry in May 2019.
He has songs such as Pae Mu Ka, Asem Sebe, Tofa, Asem Beba Dabi, Heavy, Nte Tee Pa, Yaanom, Maame, Kwame Nkrumah, Kasiebo and Adom Bi.
Some of the awards he has won include Rapper of the Year, New Artiste of the Year, and Hiplife Song of the Year at the Ghana Music Awards in the year 2000.
Obrafour has worked with musicians such as Sarkodie, Bisa Kdei, M.anifest, Red Eye of 2 Toff, Guru, and Tinny among others.
Former Ghana midfielder Derek Boateng is hoping the Black Stars will make Ghanaians proud at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The Black Stars who are returning to the global showpiece after missing out in Russia 2018 has been housed in Group H against Portugal, Uruguay and South Korea.
On Thursday, Ghana will open their account the European giants before they face South Korea and Uruguay respectively.
In an interview, the former Getafe star thrown his weight behind the team to excel at the biggest soccer mundial in the Asian country.
“I wish them all the best, I will keep on supporting them no matter what. We wish them well for them to do well at the World Cup and we hope they can make us proud. We’ve been there before and we know how it is”
“It’s a difficult tournament, it’s not an easy tournament because all the best players in the World are coming and so, if you are there as a player, it’s a dream come true and for me, I am a big for of Black Stars” he said.
The Black Stars having missed out in the last edition hosted in Russia in 2018 will be hoping to improve their performance in Qatar after exiting the group phase during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Only three sides from the continent have ever progressed to the quarter-finals; Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002, and Ghana in 2010.
Ghana will be hoping to progress from the group stage at this year’s tournament.
GhanaWeb has stumbled upon an old newspaper article that describes how the nation’s first president and prime minister, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, also moved for dollars to be invested in Ghana. This is in response to calls for more foreign currency to be pushed into the system to help with the balance.
The newspaper from October 1, 1958, with the headline “Ghana and the U.S. Sign Investors’ Pact…
According to the Daily Graphic account, Peter Rutter, the Charge d’Affaires of the American Embassy in Ghana, met with Nkrumah to “promote the flow of funds.”
“An Investment Guarantee Agreement Programme designed to encourage private American investment in Ghana was signed between the governments of the United States and Ghana at Government House, Osu, yesterday.
“Premier Kwame Nkrumah and Mr. Peter Rutter, Charge d’Affaires of the American Embassy in Ghana, signed the agreement on behalf of their governments,” it read in part.
“Under the agreement, private American investment abroad may be guaranteed by the U.S. government against possible losses due to conversions to dollars, expropriation or confiscation and war damages. “The agreement is intended to get both the United States of America and Ghana governments to agree on procedures regarding local currency and other claims which may be invoked by American investors under the investment guarantee programme.”
More investment into Ghana:
The report continued that the agreement also meant that investors could begin investing in the country with as low as $10,000.
“A U.S. official explained yesterday that guarantee contratcs had been written for amounts as low as 10,000 dollars. The largest guarantee dollars held by an American oil company on an oil refinery in Italy.
“The official said that since the purpose of the programme was to encourage additional American investment in Ghana, it was not applicable to existing investments,” it added.
The Interbank forex rates from the Bank of Ghana today, November 21, 2022, have shown that the Ghana Cedi is trading against the dollar at a buying price of 13.0990 and a selling price of 13.1122.
As compared to Friday’s trading of a buying price of 13.0991 and a selling price of 13.1123. At a forex bureau in Accra, the dollar is being bought at a rate of 14.50 and sold at a rate of 14.90.
See the full newspaper clipping below for the full story:
Often weighing in at more than 10 kilograms (22 lbs), the Flemish Giantis by far the largest rabbit breed in the world. They are also extremely docile creatures and make great pets.
Originally a utility breed raised in Flanders, Belgium for its fur and meat, the Flemish Giant eventually became a show breed, due to its high bone-to-meat ratio. Today, they are considered one of the most docile and tolerant rabbit breeds in the world and can make great pets, if raised correctly. According to breed standards, a well-developed Flemish Giant has a large head, long, erect ears, a long and powerful body, and a nicely rounded rump. Unsurprisingly, the world’s largest rabbit is a Flemish Giant rabbit that weighs 49 lb (22 kg) and measures 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in).
Due to its large size, the Flemish Giant, the “king of rabbits”, requires substantial living quarters, as well as large quantities of food compared to other breeds of domesticated rabbits.
The Flemish Giant is a very old breed of domesticated rabbit that can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have descended from a number of meat and fur breeds, including the Steenkonijn, or Belgian Stone Rabbit.
Although the breed received little international attention until about 1910, when it started appearing at small livestock shows, its impressive size made it stand out. Today, it is still bred for its meat and fur, but it is more popular as a companion. If treated correctly, these gentle giants are very docile even around small children.
Business executives and other sector stakeholders have identified a number of issues they want the government to concentrate on as it presents the budget statement to parliament, according to a 2023 pre-budget poll performed by auditing and accounting company KPMG.
On November 24, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, is anticipated to make a statement to MPs in an effort to draw attention to programs and initiatives intended to reestablish macroeconomic stability and growth.
KPMG selected more than 100 of the nation’s top companies before the presentation and received replies from 70 of them across ten industries.
They asked the government to put an emphasis on fair employment and economic progress, which opens up chances for everyone to live decently.
They further want government to develop sustainable cities and communities aimed at reducing societal problems and prevent a large scale of destruction during natural disasters like floods etc. while focusing on industry, innovation and infrastructure growth to propel the Ghanaian economy.
“We have a wide land but not cultivated and we should be able to produce food to feed ourselves and will ensure exports which will help the country’s Balance of Payments, Gross Domestic Product and reduce the increasing forex and inflation.”
The Black Stars who are returning to the global showpiece after missing out in Russia 2018 has been housed in Group H against Portugal, Uruguay and South Korea.
Ghana will open their campaign with a clash against former European champions Portugal before taking on South Korea and Uruguay in subsequent games.
In an interview, the former Getafe star wished the Black Stars well and backed the team excel at the mundial.
“I wish them all the best, I will keep on supporting them no matter what. We wish them well for them to do well at the World Cup and we hope they can make us proud. We’ve been there before and we know how it is”
“It’s a difficult tournament, it’s not an easy tournament because all the best players in the World are coming and so, if you are there as a player, it’s a dream come true and for me, I am a big for of Black Stars” he said.
The Black Stars having missed out in the last edition hosted in Russia in 2018 will be hoping to improve their performance in Qatar after exiting the group phase during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Only three sides from the continent have ever progressed to the quarter-finals; Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002, and Ghana in 2010.
Ghana will be hoping to progress from the group stage at this year’s tournament.
bet365 can officially confirm that as of Friday 18th November, we have officially launched in Ghana.
This landmark moment means that sports fans across the country can now sign up and play on bet365, either on the https://www.bet365.com.gh website, or via the bet365 app for iPhone and Android.
New and eligible Ghanaian customers will have access to the widest range of betting markets from the biggest and best sporting events across the world. Upon joining, new customers will also qualify for bet365’s market-leading sign-up offer and wide selection of promotions, features and bonuses.
bet365 offers the industry’s widest range of ‘In-Play’ sports betting events with over 75 sports covered and over 600,000 events being live video-streamed annually. New and eligible customers in Ghana will receive access to live streaming of thousands of sporting events from around the world, including German Bundesliga and Spanish La Liga amongst others – as well as US NBA, NFL, NHL, baseball and international tennis.
A bet365 spokesperson said: “We are delighted to announce the launch of a dedicated bet365 website for customers in Ghana. In a country with such a passion for sports, particularly football, we are excited to provide an unrivalled sports betting experience, with a key focus on both localized and international markets.”
“It was our preferred location for our first launch into Africa, as one of the most highly regulated, and highly regarded betting markets on the continent. With the World Cup underway, we’re thrilled to deliver our In-Play product as well as a portfolio of tournament promotions for new and eligible customers across the country.
The announcement comes just in time for Ghana’s first game of the 2022 World Cup, where the Black Stars face Portugal in a group many experts have labelled the “Group of Death”. Otto Addo will lead a young and exciting Ghana team into their opening match, buoyed by the recent 2-0 warm-up win over Switzerland.
Match Odds: Portugal 1.36 – Draw – 4.75 – Ghana 9.00
Group Odds: To Win 15.00 – To Qualify 4.00
About bet365
bet365 is the world’s largest online sports betting company with annual sportsbook revenues of almost $4 billion and over 6,000 employees around the globe. On its world-class proprietary product, bet365 offers the industry’s widest range of ‘in-play’ sports betting events with over 84 sports covered and over 750,000 events being live video-streamed annually to 85 million registered customers from over 160 countries across the world.
Cultural and linguistic zones around the globe are serviced using geo-specific content and 21 different languages to enhance the customer experience, which is further improved through the offering of 23 different deposit currencies and 50 payment methods.
The bet365 brand is licensed in the UK, Malta, Gibraltar, Buenos Aires City, Buenos Aires Province, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, the Northern Territory of Australia, Ontario, Spain, Sweden, and operates under a transactional waiver in the states of New Jersey and Colorado. bet365 has extensive experience working with local licensing, regulatory and reporting requirements across its global footprint and pays substantial duties and license fees in each of those jurisdictions.
bet365 is recognized as an industry leader and is regularly recognized as the winner of industry awards, including the eGaming Review Operator of the Year and Sports Betting Operator of the Year.
A 95-year-old Chinese war veteran recently discovered he had been living for almost eight decades with a bullet lodged in his neck.
After suffering a fall from the balcony of his house in Shandong, China, Zhao He didn’t report any symptoms to his worried family. He didn’t feel any pain, but after a while, the World War 2 veteran did start to feel a slight discomfort in his neck, so his son decided to take him to the hospital for a checkup. After hearing about his fall, doctors recommended an X-ray, to ensure that he hadn’t suffered serious damage to his neck. Only instead of a fracture, the X-ray revealed a foreign object in the man’s neck, which would later be identified as an old bullet.
The 95-year-old man told doctors that he had joined the Chinese army as a teenager and fought through two wars – against the Japanese invaders during World War 2 (1931-1945) and on the side of North Korea during the Korean War (1950-1953). He suffered multiple injuries during his time in the army, but he did not remember anything about taking a bullet to the neck.
“He was injured while carrying a wounded comrade across a river during one of the battles. There is shrapnel in other parts of his body as well,” the man’s son-in-law, Wang, said.
Zhao himself estimates that the bullet had been in his neck since 1944, when he was hit by a bullet while crossing a river. The bullet allegedly went in through the left side of the nose, perforating his upper jaw and knocking out for of his teeth before becoming lodged in his neck. This is just his hunch, though.
After examining the X-rays, doctors told Zhao He and his family that the bullet was close to some major blood vessels and that since it hadn’t caused him any problems, it was best to leave it in. The war veteran agreed.
“I’ve been healthy all these years so there is no reason to change things now,” Zhao he said.
He claims that the crisis has had a substantial effect on Christians’ ability to give tithes and offerings to God.
John Dramani Mahama stated during his sermon at the Evangelical Presbyterian Church’s 175th anniversary ceremony in Ho that the current trying times require Christians to exhibit compassion and generosity to one another.
“And so, whatever little you have to share, you should share with your neighbour. I mean we could tell the hardship in the system from the appeal for funds,” the former president said.
“When it was GH¢2000, madam chair and a few people came and donated, then it came down to GH¢1000, then to GH¢500, then to GH¢200 and GH¢100. And when it got to the silver collection, GH¢1, GH¢2, the place was full, it shows that the pocket was not too good”, he stated.
The former president also called Christians in Ghana to remember him and the National Democratic Congress in prayers.
Communications Director for the Ghana Football Association [GFA], Henry Asante Twum says the Black Stars are hungry and ready to put up a good fight at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Ghana are making their fourth appearance at the Mundial having missed out in 2018 in Russia.
The Black Stars, who are four-time African champions have been housed in Group H alongside Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay.
The team wrapped up their preparations with a convincing 2-0 win over Switzerland and safely arrived in Doha for the tournament last week Friday.
Despite having the youngest squad at the tournament, Asante Twum says the players are hungry and ready to fight for the country.
According to him, the team will not disgrace the country as they prepare to take on Portugal on Thursday at Stadium 974 in Doha. “We at the World Cup to compete and not to add to the numbers. We have selected players who are ready and hungry to fight for the colors of the country.
“We have belief that the players will put up a good fight before the game on Thursday. The coaches are doing there and I can say we will not disgrace ourselves at the tournament.
Four days later, the Blac 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.
The Black Stars will be hoping to improve their performance in Qatar after exiting the group phase during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup is about to commence and the excitement is already running high in our country as Ghana is going to feature in it.
Ghana missed out on qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia but here they are once again to add to their rich history in the tournament. They have made it to the World Cup three times so far (2006, 2010 and 2014), and they deliver jaw-dropping performances.
World Cup 2006
In 2006, Ghana became the only African side to qualify for the second round of the World Cup. They also had the youngest team in that edition, with an average age of 23 years and 352 days. FIFA praised the results of the team and ranked them 13th out of the 32 countries that participated in the tournament.
Mundial 2010
The Black Stars produced even better results in the 2010 edition as they made it to the quarterfinals of the World Cup. They looked all set to proceed even further but were stopped in their tracks as they lost to Uruguay on penalties. FIFA ranked Ghana seventh in that competition after their stellar show.
FIFA 2014
The 2014 edition didn’t turn out to be that good for Ghana as they made an exit in the group stage after losing to Portugal and USA. But they did deliver a spirited performance against Germany as they tied the match 2-2.
Ghana couldn’t qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia but they are all set to battle it out in Qatar this time. And the squad they have assembled for the mega event gives a lot of hope to their fans.
Good mix
There is some genuine talent in the squad this time who play for renowned clubs all over the world, and there is a good mix of youth and experience as well. The most familiar name in the roster is that of Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey but Tariq Lamptey from Brighton, Inaki Williams from Athletic Bilbao, Jordan Ayew from Crystal Palace, Daniel Amartey from Leicester and Mohammed Salisu from Southampton aren’t small names either.
Just look at Inaki Williams’ great physical form and his dancing.
All these players have demonstrated their talent and potential in different leagues around the world time and again. Now they will be looking to do the same at the biggest stage of international football. Ghana have been drawn in Group H along with strong teams like South Korea, Portugal and Uruguay. But the talent and potential in their squad is capable of handling the quality of these teams. Ghana will be eager to exact revenge on Uruguay, who knocked them out of the tournament in 2010. So, the Black Stars will be naturally motivated to do well in this tournament.
While the Black Stars work on and hone their skills on the field, you can get your lines ready to bet on your favourite team during the World Cup on 1xBet, a renowned bookmaker offering a wide line and high odds. All this you can use in a convenient application, and for those who like live chatting there are 3 betting shops in Accra and Kumasi, where you can watch matches and make wagers. 1xBet takes an active part in the soccer life of our country and sponsors Legon Cities FC.
Ghanaian musician,Wendy Shay has challenged the Food and Drug Authority and Gaming Commission’s decision to ban celebrities from advertising for alcoholic and betting companies in Ghana.
Wendy has urged her colleagues to come together and organize a massive protest that will register their displeasure and also cause the authorities to rescind their ‘unwanted’ directive which is an advantage to them.
The ‘Heaven’ singer made this submission on United Showbiz on Saturday, November 19, and called on local musicians to put a halt on releasing songs.
She believes that when musicians go on a strike, it will prove that they are indeed not in favour of the ban that has caused them to lose thousands of dollars in terminated endorsement deals following the directive.
“It is common to see institutions and industries hit the streets, nurses can go on strike but in the music industry, my colleagues are slow to act. If indeed we want this to be effective, we just have to act, it is no big deal.
“We can come together and organize a campaign to tell them to lift that ban and until the ban is lifted, we are not going to do any music. That could have been the solution but I know many of us will not come together for this. I have been one of the artistes who have been pushing the agenda for the ban to be lifted,” she disclosed in the interview monitored by GhanaWeb.
Meanwhile, artiste manager Mark Darlington Osae has sued the FDA and Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame over the ban on celebrities from advertising for alcoholic beverages in Ghana.
King Promise the composer of Black Stars (Bring Back The Love), an anthem for Ghana’s national football team has reacted to a jab thrown at him by his senior colleague, Samini.
In a tweet dated November 20, he wrote: “Idols become Rivals … Sad”. According to social media users, Promise is displeased with Samini’s recent comment on the official campaign song for the Black Stars.
Dancehall and Reggae musician, Samini did not mince words when he called out the singer who released the team’s official anthem for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Describing the tune as “wack” he argued in a viral tweet that the Ghana Football Authority (GFA) could have employed someone to do a better job adding that the song can not be compared to the previous World Cup tunes which received great reviews from music lovers.
“The new black starts [stars] song tho, do we have to learn it before the world cup ? whoever chose it probably wrote it too. Eiiiii track na 3y3 ya saaa no! Hmmm a few of us could have done a better job at that Chale anaa meeb)dam lol. but vim still for the boys. Go Ghana,” he tweeted on November 19.
In a follow-up post, Samini commended young rapper, Kweku Flick for his latest campaign song for the Black Stars which he expected the GFA to reach out to him and develop into something beautiful.
“@KwekuFlick did the joint already… thot they would have called the young man and just done the right thing. Simple. Maybe this will make sense to you. It’s not about me. It’s the track oooooo Tom. 3ny3 d3 baako s3i. But we go learn am Chale … ok bye,” Samini wrote.
The Dancehall musician in a response to critics on Twitter reminded them of his partnership and works Blak Stars. He clarified that he has no hate for the artiste who was employed to compose the 2022 Black Stars song for the World Cup.
The new black starts song tho ,do we have to learn it before the world cup ?🤷🏾♂️😂 whoever chose it probably wrote it too. Eiiiii track na 3y3 ya saaa no! Hmmm 😂😂😂 a few of us could have done a better job at that Chale anaa meeb)dam lol. but vim still for the boys. Go Ghana 🇬🇭
He wrote: “I Did Germany 2006, performed the official song at the closing ceremony at SA 2010. 2014 was yawa and 2018 we no fit go. Been there done that 4get hype. The morale of my statement beyond politics, typos and grammatical errors remains the fact that the track is wack in my Opinions.”
@KwekuFlick did the joint already… thot they would have called the young man and just done the right thing. Simple. Maybe this will make sense to you. It’s not about me. It’s the track oooooo Tom. 3ny3 d3 baako s3i. But we go learn am Chale 😂😂😂✊🏾🇬🇭… ok bye
A personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS)at Nalerigu in the North East Region, s being pursued by Police in the region for allegedly defrauding five persons.
Mark Akana aka ‘Apostle’ is said to have taken ¢20,000 under the pretext of facilitating their recruitment into the security services.
According to police sources, the suspect in 2021 introduced himself as the commander of the Fire Service who had protocol slots to enlist persons for a fee.
The police said the victims expressed interest in the protocol recruitment and were made to mobilise ¢4,000 each and sent to Mark through a merchant mobile money account.
However, Mark, after receiving the money failed to deliver as promised and has since gone into hiding.
The police have, therefore, declared him wanted and a formal complaint against him has been made to the GNFS at Nalerigu where he works.
Police investigators together with the victims are expected to meet with the regional commander of the Fire Service today Monday, November 21, to deliberate on the matter.
When contacted severally through a phone number provided by the police, Apostle Mark Akana, could not deny the allegations but refused to give details of his defence and hung the call.
He promised to call back after but never did. Several follow-up calls to his phone went unanswered.
The Regional Administrator of the Fire Service, Alhassan Yidana, said the matter was yet to come to the attention of his boss, the Regional Commander.
Ghanaian blogger, Zionfelix, has confirmed the sudden death of the wife of Kumawood actor, Collins Oteng, popularly known as Okomfo Kolege.
Narrating the incident which occurred on Saturday, November 19, 2022, Zionfelix, who had been to the deceased’s family house to confirm the sad news, said she died in a labour ward during delivery.
According to Zionfelix, the baby was also pronounced dead.
“Our brother’s wife is dead. Kolege’s wife is dead. She was going to give birth. God rest her soul. I was listening to Hello FM on Saturday where I first heard the news of Kolege’s wife’s death, I was so shocked. Now I’m in Kumasi. I just came from his house to confirm and its true. The family confirmed. Before that, I went to the lady’s house at Koforidua Tabre together with Otele and it was a sad scene,” he stated in a video spotted on his page.
Zionfelix added that actor, Kolege, is currently inconsolable as he has been struck with two huge loses (his wife and child).
“Kolege is inconsolable. His wife died in the labour ward, together with the baby when they went to give birth. His wife was a nurse and he loved her so much. There is a saying that men don’t cry but my brother has cried his eyes out. We pray God consoles him. If you know him, kindly call him and console him,” he added.
Meanwhile, the burial date for Kolege’s wife has been scheduled for December 17, 2022, at her hometown, Koforidua Tabiri, within the Abuakwa area in the Ashanti Region.
An Indian woman who went into a private clinic to have her uterus surgically removed woke up from the procedure to find that both her kidneys had been stolen.
A couple of months ago, we featured the shocking story of an Indian woman who claimed that one of her kidneys had been stolen by her husband and sold for profit. As cynical as this may sound, she was lucky compared to another fellow Indian who had both her kidneys removed without her consent and now has to rely on daily dialysis to survive. Back in September, Sunita Devi, a woman from Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district went to a private clinic in Bariyarpur to have her uterus surgically removed. Only instead of her uterus, doctors there removed both her kidneys and then disappeared.
It’s the kind of horror urban legend that’s been going around for decades. Someone goes into a clinic for a procedure only to have their organs harvested to be sold on the black market. Only this one is actually real, which only makes it more terrifying.
At the beginning of September, 38-year-old Sunita Devi was rushed to Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) in Muzaffarpur, because her condition had started deteriorating after her original operation to have her uterus removed. Doctors at SKMCH examined the woman and informed her family that both her kidneys had been removed and she required dialysis to survive.
“Doctors at SKMCH referred Sunita to Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna for treatment. She was sent back to this hospital after treatment there. Since Sunita has no kidneys, if she does not have dialysis for even one day, then she could die,” Dr BS Jha, superintendent of SKMCH, told the India Times newspaper.
As for the culprits, following a complaint filed by Devi’s family against Pawan Kumar, the owner of Subhakant Clinic, and Dr R K Singh, police started an investigation in September. They found that the clinic was not even registered and that the doctors’ qualifications appeared to be fake. Both suspects have been on the run since the incident, but according to the Hindustan Times one of them was recently apprehended.
The mother-of three is still in critical condition, relying on daily dialists sessions to survive. She will however require an organ transplant in order to survive. She has been asked to enroll for a kidney transplant, but there is already a long waiting list. Devi also appealed to the Indian Government to make the shady doctors pay for what they did to her.
“I appeal to the government to immediately arrest the accused doctor who removed my both kidneys. His kidneys should be given to me for transplant so that I could survive,” she said.
Experts speaking at the “Data Analytics Seminar for Financial Institutions” stated that effective data management is essential for corporate profitability in the face of changing consumer experiences, competition, and even fraud.
They claimed that while institutions must strive for high-quality data because doing so ensures effectiveness, boosts accuracy, optimizes performance, and ensures its integrity, managing the data well and utilizing it to position operations is just as crucial.
George N.K. Saka, general manager of Think! Data Services Ltd., said that businesses rely on data to function and that the quality of that data may make or break an enterprise.
Therefore, he continued, “essential to data-driven success and corporate profitability” is good data management.
Held on the theme ‘Deriving Value from Data in the Financial Sector in a Secured Manner’, the event was organised by Dataware. Citsys and Think! Data sought to raise awareness on the needs and benefits of data analytics in the financial services sectors, and to create a platform for discussion on how data analytics can be leveraged to tackle issues prevalent across the sector.
Leveraging data
For his part, Chief Executive Officer of Dataware, Kwesi Kwofie, said for financial institutions to stay ahead of the curve, they ought to pay more attention to data analytics to position themselves to better meet customer needs and monitor business performance.
He said, for instance, organisations wanting to analyse customer sentiments, predict customer loss, detect fraud, predict loan default, and increase product uptake through personalised recommendation must prioritise how to leverage data from customer interactions.
“In the financial space, there are a lot of competitions, and a lot more of these businesses have become more sophisticated in terms of how they serve their customers. A lot have automated using digital channels such as social media, mobile apps, and Internet banking. There is some interaction between the business and the customer at more touchpoints. Because all these interactions are automated, data is generated; so the key thing is how businesses leverage all this data to serve customers better,” he said.
Mr. Kwofie added that by leveraging data, businesses can cut down costs and identify new revenue opportunities.
“Any business will make money in either of these two ways. By cutting down costs, you are saving and making money; and by identifying new revenue opportunities, you are also tapping into a new way of making money. And one key thing that drives these two things is data, so the information you are gathering from the interaction with your customers would inform what you do because you can leverage on customers past and present interactions to predict what they are likely to do, and as a business to position yourself to provide services just when they need it,” he said.
Data security
Attah-Antwi Francis Roosevelt, a security analyst with Citsys, an Information Technology (IT) company, also stressed that businesses must ensure that their data is always secured; and for business continuity, have backups.
“The core thing that businesses must look at is to ensure that their data is always secured. At the level where you even hand over a laptop or phone to any staff, you need to ensure that the device is well-protected and has end-point security installed on it to prevent any business data to be transferred and/or exposed. No matter what you do your data might be breached so you need to do off-site or cloud back-ups,” he said.
Pheasant Island is a tiny islandon the border between Spain and France that alternates ownership status between the two countries every six months.
Located on the Bidasoa River, the natural border between Spain and France, Pheasant Island is a deserted patch of land with a rather fascinating history and political status. It might not look like much today, but hundreds of years ago it was where the Thirty Years’ War between Spain and France finally ended.
The two countries sent a couple of their most important dignitaries to the island to negotiate, with their respective armies gathered on both sides of the Bidasoa, in case things went wrong. 11 years and 24 summits later, a deal was struck, and Pheasant Island became the world’s smallest condominium, under the joint sovereignty of the two nations.
When France and Spain decided to end their long war, Pheasant Island became a metaphor for long-lasting peace. French King Louis XIV married the daughter of King Philip IV, Maria Theresa of Spain on the tiny island, a monument to commemorate the historic agreement was built in the center of it, and most importantly, it was decided that, from that point on, both countries would have joint custody of the territory for six months out of a year.
Since 1660, when the landmark agreement was struck, Pheasant Island has belonged to Spain from 1 February to 31 July of each year, and to France for the other half of the year. Visitors are only allowed onto the island on rare occasions, like the bi-annual handover ceremony, or on rare heritage tours. Other than that, employees of the municipal governments of Irun, in Spain, and Hendaye, in France, will venture onto Pheasant Island every six months for cleaning and gardening work.
The Naval Commands of both Spain and France are responsible for monitoring Pheasant Island, so during their six months of annual ownership crews will land on it every five days.
Ghanaian veteran actor, Fred Amugi,has hit at critics who have labeled him a ‘beggar’ following his public appeal to be captured on a billboard as a brand ambassador.
Earlier,Fred Amugi publicly disclosed his 74th birthday wish, which is, to be captured on a billboard, advertising for brands before he dies.
“One wish I’d want to have for my 74th birthday is to see myself on a billboard as a brand ambassador. I wouldn’t want to die before I am mounted on a billboard, where I wouldn’t see what is being done for me. I’m prepared to be a brand ambassador for your products. Use me whiles I’m alive and not when I’m dead and gone,” he appealed to brands in a viral video.”
However, Fred Amugi’s appeal has since sparked mixed reactions from the public on social media.
While some netizens are calling on brands to heed the veteran actor’s plea, others believe it is another form of ‘begging antics’, just as some of his colleagues have done in recent times.
However, Fred Amugi insists that he is only asking for a job and not to beg for money as others think.
“I am only asking for a job; all I am asking for is to be put on a billboard. I am at the latter stage of my career and all I am saying is use me now, don’t wait till I am gone.I don’t have any product in mind, I believe I can be a brand ambassador for any product that comes my way. I am not begging for money as some people might think. Even if I don’t have it, my life is okay the way it is,’’ he stated.
Ghana is likely to be hit by food shortages and high food inflation, the Importers and Exporters Association has projected.
According to the Executive Secretary of the Association, Samson Asaki Awingobit, this is a result of the Bank of Ghana’s decision to withdraw its foreign exchange support for the importation of what it describes as “non-essential” goods.
He explained that due to Ghana being import dependent, a sudden decision to halt the importation of goods mostly consumed by citizens will have repercussions.
Mr Awingobit noted that goods such as rice, vegetable oils, poultry, toothpicks, pasta, fruit juice, bottled water, and ceramic tiles, which are among the “non-essential goods” will begin to see their prices skyrocket due to an imminent shortage and higher demand.
“I can tell you that within the shortest possible time, we will see an uprise in prices of these commodities [rice, poultry, vegetable oils, toothpicks, pasta, fruit juice, bottled water, ceramic titiles], specially if the Bank of Ghana goes ahead to implement this policy to the latter,” he said.
He also mentioned that some businesses will begin to hoard their items to suggest that there has been a shortage, which will enable them to increase the prices.
Should the Bank of Ghana withdraw its FX support as indicated, the Executive Secretary said much cannot be done about preventing food shortages and food inflation since only a handful of importers will be able to raise the money needed to import.
The Central Bank announced the new measure in line with a directive issued by the president while delivering an address on the Ghanaian economy, on October 30, through an electronic message disseminated to other banks in the country.
Experts are of the opinion that the BoG’s will help reduce the country’s exposure to imports as well as fix the depreciation of the Ghana Cedi, as more dollars will not be in demand.
However, should the projection made by the Importers and Exporters Association come to pass, the standard of living will plummet, as will the wellbeing of citizens.
Already, the World Bank has 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.
Senegal recorded a food inflation rate of 110% between January and October 2022, followed by Uganda with 107%, Nigeria with 106.5%, Kenya with 104%, South Africa with 102%, Angola with 101.5%, Mozambique with 101%, Zambia with 100.5%, and Congo with 100%.
Food inflation in Ghana has been on the rise since January 2022 (13.7%). In February, the figure rose to 17.4%, to 22.4% in March, and then to 26.6% in April.
May recorded a 30.1% food inflation rate, indicating a 3.5% hike within a month. In June, it rose to 30.7%. And then in July and August, it climbed up to 32.3% and 34.4%, respectively.
In September and October, the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) noted that food inflation stood at 37.8% and 43.7%, respectively.
He claims that this kind of mining has given more than 1 million Ghanaians jobs in a variety of communities.
George Mireku Duker pointed out that the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (ACT 703) does, however, allow Ghanaians to partake in sustainable small-scale mining activities.
However, he warned these small-scale miners to avoid destroying waterways and ways of life.
“We are experiencing a global economic crisis. It’s not only Ghana, it’s everywhere in the world. God has blessed us with gold and it is creating jobs for us. All the large-scale mining companies employ 30,000 persons. Act 703 permits Ghanaians to engage in small-scale mining. Small-scale mining employs over one million Ghanaians,” he said.
“I will never call for the banning of small-scale mining. The Community Mining Scheme will create jobs for the youth in the community but that does not mean we must destroy our waterbodies. We must all support government and protect our river bodies”, the minister added.
He made these comments at the launch of Atronsu-Ampenkrom community mining scheme for residents of Atronso in the Bibiani Anhwiaso Bekwai Municipal Assembly of the Western North Region.
According to him, about 3,000 direct and indirect jobs would be created for Atronsu-Ampenkrom residents under the community mining scheme.
The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources also pointed out that government was keen on curbing the illegal mining menace in the country.
He said some 300 river guards have been recruited to patrol water bodies while speed boats have also been procured for patrol on waterbodies.
Registration and tracking of all earth-moving equipment have been acquired to help in the fight of illegal mining in the country, Mr Mireku Duker said.
Hearts of Oak head coach Slavko Matic was left frustrated after a 2-2 draw against Dreams FC on match week eight of the Ghana Premier League.
Dreams FC took a 2-0 lead before the Phobians came from behind to seal a point at the Accra Sports stadium.
David William Van Dijk scored in the 14th minute before The Still Believe lads doubled their lead one minute after the recess.Hearts of Oak halved the deficit in the 75th minute before Benjamin Yorke scored the equalizer in added time after coming on a substitute for Rashid Okine in the 80th minute.
Hearts of Oak head coach Slavko Matic was left frustrated after a 2-2 draw against Dreams FC on match week eight of the Ghana Premier League.
Dreams FC took a 2-0 lead before the Phobians came from behind to seal a point at the Accra Sports stadium.
David William Van Dijk scored in the 14th minute before The Still Believe lads doubled their lead one minute after the recess.
Hearts of Oak halved the deficit in the 75th minute before Benjamin Yorke scored the equalizer in added time after coming on a substitute for Rashid Okine in the 80th minute.
“The way and how we played, when you see result of 2-0, you just don’t believe, very cheap two goals,” coach Matic said after the game.“We cannot give opportunity to opponents like this, two half chances and they scored two goals without a chance but team spirit again was good.”
“I said before the game, I will give opportunity to all players, young players played today and now we see, we miss experience.”
“But in the end, I can say I must be satisfied when we scored the second goal in the last five minutes but want more.”
“The way and how we played, when you see result of 2-0, you just don’t believe, very cheap two goals,” coach Matic said after the game.“We cannot give opportunity to opponents like this, two half chances and they scored two goals without a chance but team spirit again was good.”“I said before the game, I will give opportunity to all players, young players played today and now we see, we miss experience.”
“But in the end, I can say I must be satisfied when we scored the second goal in the last five minutes but want more.”
The Ghana Football Association wants fans to enjoy the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar thereby setting up fan parks in the three regional capitals thus, Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi.
The fan part is in collaboration with Guinness Ghana Limited, Hisense and Multichoice.
Football fans in Accra will be able to visit the Fantasy Dome while fans in Kumasi can also watch all World Cup games at the Kessben Aseda House building.
The Takoradi City Mall will also be the venue for the World Cup fan park in the Western region.
Guinness vendors will display their various beverage products with lots of side attractions for fans.
The good news is that the Fan Park will be open throughout the global showpiece.
Black Stars, who are the lowest-ranked team at the tournament have been drawn in Group H alongside Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay.
Ghana will take on Portugal in their first game on November 24 before playing South Korea and Uruguay on November 28 and December 2 respectively.
The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has released its Data Science Road Map for the period 2022 to 2027.
The roadmap launched during the African Statistics Day celebration last Friday, November 18, outlines the plan for incorporating data science into the development and distribution of official and research statistics.
According to Government Statistician at the GSS, Professor Samuel K. Annim, the initiative will enhance, accelerate, and automate the compilation of already disclosed data and act as a catalyst for the production of new statistics.
Prof Annim added that his outfit seeks to use data science to automate processes, standardise procedures, and use machine learning to identify emerging data trends and analytical techniques.
He assured that the Statistical Service will utilize data science more frequently during the next five years.
The GSS, he said, had changed the basis of its Producer Price Index (PPI) and was now concentrating on eight sectors rather than the previous three.
The Government Statistician indicated that the service was planning to provide 2.6 million indicators that it was employing.
“So for the first time we are launching how you can calculate your own personal inflation based on the items, out of the 307 items that we have in our basket that each and every one of us consume.
“We want personal use of the data and again contrary to what we did in the year 2000 and 2010, we developed a census that, or we released microdata 10 per cent of which has been fully anonymised to the general public and will demonstrate its use,” he stated.
Additionally, GSS has established a site for accessing information on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) called the Sustainable Development Goals National Reporting Platform.
The Deputy Government Statistician, Dr. Faustina Frempong-Ainguah, who was also present at the fair, asserted that the GSS’s mandate was to produce official statistics to support national development.
For this reason, the service was striving to establish a more cohesive working relationship between agricultural statistics, policy, and how to relate it to fisheries and food security.
Dr. Frempong-Ainguah urged ministries, departments, and agencies to use the GSS data to guide their policies and programmes.
The 2022 African Statistics Day celebration was on the theme “strengthening data systems by modernising the production and use of agricultural statistics: information with a view to improving resilience in agriculture, nutrition, and food security in Africa”.
Exhibiting the numerous socioeconomic and statistical data that will aid the GSS in providing data was the fair’s main goal.
The 2021 Population and Housing Census, Consumer Price, Producer Price Index, Demographic and Health Survey, Ghana Annual Household Income and Expenditure Data, Fertility and Mortality, Housing Characteristics Report, and Water and Sanitation Report were presented during the fair.
A Georgia sheriff’s office has come under fire over the brutal beating of a Black detainee.
The incident reportedly took place on Sept. 3 in Camden County, Georgia, where 41-year-old Jarrett Hobbs was arrested for non-violent offenses, including speeding, driving with a suspended/revoked license, and possession of a controlled substance.
Weeks after the arrest, videos from the Camden County Jail surfaced on social media; they showed five sheriff’s office employees beating Hobbs in a holding cell before dragging him into the hallway, where they appear to strike him with their knees.
According to the New York Times, an officer testified that Hobbs was kicking his cell door before the beating took place, and allegedly refused to comply with orders to stop.
Following the attack, officers placed the North Carolinaresident in solitary confinement and charged him with aggravated battery, simple assault, and obstruction of law enforcement officers.
Harry Daniels, one of the attorneys representing Hobbs, said the officers’ actions were “inexcusable,” and is now calling for criminal charges.
“Mr. Hobbs entered the Camden County Jail suffering a psychological episode and asking to be placed in protective confinement. But instead of protecting him, these deputies jumped him and beat and kicked him mercilessly like a gang of dangerous thugs,” Daniels wrote in a statement, adding that the officers also ripped a loc out of Hobbs’ scalp. “This wasn’t some arrest that got out of hand or a judgment call made out of fear for your life. This was targeted gang violence pure and simple. It just so happens that the gang members were wearing badges and we’re calling on the District Attorney to bring charges immediately.”
The Georgia Bureau of Investigations confirmed it is looking into the incident, while the Camden County Sheriff’s office conducts an internal investigation.
The sheriff’s office has not identified the five officers in the video, but said they have each been placed on administrative duty.
“This was done so they would be readily available for interviews by the investigators conducting the investigation,” Captain James L. Bruce told FOX 5.
Sebastian Vettel made it clear there are “far more important things than racing” as he said farewell to Formula 1 following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Vettel’s last race came under the lights in the 2022 finale, where he secured a 10th-placed finish to claim a final point of his illustrious career in his 299th grand prix.
Speaking on the track as he made his goodbye speech, Vettel used the opportunity to highlight the privileged position the drivers find themselves in and implored the rest of the grid to use their roles for good.
“I don’t have much more to say, I feel a bit empty to be honest, it’s been a big week. I can only repeat, the last two years have been very disappointing from a sporting point of view, but very useful and important for me and my life,” he said.
“There’s a lot of things I’ve realised. I think it’s a huge privilege to be in the position we are in and with that comes some responsibility, so I hope to pass on to some of the other drivers to carry on some of the good work.
“It’s great to see that we have the power to inspire with what we do and what we say. There are far more important things than racing in circles, but that is what we love.
“Through that, if we can transfer some of the really important values, that is big. For that, the last three years have been great for me, so thank you for the support, the messages, the letters, the love in general. It’s been an absolute joy throughout my career, so thank you.”
While others have returned to Formula One after retiring from the grid, former F1 ace Martin Brundle believes there was a “finality” to Vettel’s goodbye and does not expect him to return.
“It has been a wonderful send-off for him. It has a finality to it. There is nothing that suggests this is a temporary farewell, but I’m sure others felt like that as well – Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso, who came back,” he said on Sky Sports.
“This feels like he is moving on and I think he said in an interview that if he is stilling pining for F1 a couple of years from now he will have failed with the other things he wants to achieve in life.”
The UK-Ghana Standard Partnership Pilot, the first U.K. government-backed initiative, is expected to help trade between the two countries increase to £1.4 billion in value.
British High Commissioner to Ghana, Harriet Thompson, while speaking on the sidelines of the launch of the UK-Ghana Standard Partnership Pilot, noted that the expected growth is hinged on meeting market standards.
“The launch of the UK-Ghana Standard Partnership Pilot is timely. With the roll-out of the AfCFTA and the implementation of the U.K. – Ghana Trade Partnership Agreement, quality standardisation will play a critical role in driving further trading opportunities between our two nations and beyond,” she stated.
Madam Harriet Thompson noted that, aside from supporting Ghana’s exporters to meet the standards of the UK market, the programme will help put Ghanaian businesses on the global stage.
The UK-Ghana Standard Partnership Pilot is being led by the British Standards Institution (BSI) to collaborate with and support the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA).
Ghana’s inability to meet international standards is one of the barriers that is currently stopping Ghanaian goods from coming to the UK.
Deputy Minister of Trade & Industry, Michael Okyere Baafi, is optimistic that the project will, among other benefits, strengthen the long-standing relationship between Ghana and the U.K.
Ghana earns foreign exchange every time it exports its goods to other foreign countries. It is projected that more foreign exchange earnings will be raked in by the government after it meets the necessary standards required for exporting to the UK.
U.K. is one of Ghana’s leading trading partners. The implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is expected to see Ghana trade with more countries.
According to Director-General of the Ghana Standards Authority, Professor Alex Dodoo, the UK-Ghana Standard Partnership Pilot will boost Ghana’s hopes of becoming a major business hub in Africa.
“The Standards Partnership Programme is one of the critical tools that will make our vision of Ghana Beyond Aid a reality,” he added.
From the start of the program to its conclusion, the trainees claim that Ken Ofori-Atta was oblivious to their needs because they felt unimportant.
In a statement released on November 21, 2022, the Coalition claimed that the Finance Minister had purposefully postponed the transfer of cash necessary to pay their allowance.
“The finance ministry under the auspices of the finance minister has been insensitive to the plights of vulnerable NABCO Trainees from the beginning of the initiative to the end, in a posture we observed as a deliberate practice he instrumented to always delay the release of funds for the payment of our stipends because the NABCO initiative was never his priority,” the statement noted.
“The finance minister Honourable Ken Ofori Atta in His 2022 mid-year budget presentation, ordered the closure of the NABCO program without specifying reasonable timelines for the payment of all arrears as a means of mitigating inter alia, his abysmal performance of managing the economy.” the statement indicated.
See the statement below:
Meanwhile, Ken Ofori-Atta appeared before the ad-hoc committee probing a censure motion filed against him by the Minority in Parliament.
The vote of censure filed was based on seven grounds which include;
a. Despicable conflict of interest ensuring that he directly benefits from Ghana’s economic woes as his companies receive commissions and other unethical contractual advantages, particularly from Ghana’s debt overhang.
b. Unconstitutional withdrawals from the Consolidated Fund in blatant contravention of Article 178 of the 1992 Constitution, supposedly for the construction of the President’s Cathedral.
c. Illegal payment of oil revenues into offshore accounts, in flagrant violation of Article 176 of the 1992 Constitution.
d. Deliberate and dishonest misreporting of economic data to Parliament.
e. Fiscal recklessness leading to the crash of the Ghana Cedi which is currently the worst-performing currency in the world.
f. Alarming incompetence and frightening ineptitude, resulting in the collapse of the Ghanaian economy and an excruciating cost of living crisis.
g. Gross mismanagement of the Ghanaian economy which has occasioned untold and unprecedented hardship.
Cory Patterson, the manaccused of threatening to crash a plane into a Mississippi Walmart has reportedly diedin prison.
According to CNN, the 29-year-old man was found unresponsive at 1:20 p.m. Monday at Federal Detention Center Miami, where he was awaiting trial on multiple felony charges. Prison staff and EMS personnel reportedly “initiated life-saving measures” immediately after the discovery; however, the man was pronounced dead at the prison.
Patterson was arrested in early September after he allegedly stole a twin-engine plane from the Tupelo Regional Airport, and threatened to dive bomb into a nearby Walmart. Though he was not a licensed pilot, Patterson had previous flight instruction and was an employee of Tupelo Aviation, which is how he had access to the small plane.
The aircraft eventually landed in a northeast Mississippi field, and an uninjured Patterson was taken into custody and subsequently charged with grand larceny and making terroristic threats. CNN reports the man was sent to the Miami detention center for psychological evaluation on Nov. 10, and was found dead four days later. The Federal Bureau of Prisons said “no staff or other inmates were injured and at no time was the public in danger.”
Though officials have not confirmed Patterson’s cause of death, his attorney, Tony Farese, told the network he died by suicide. The lawyer also said the FBI and BOP and FBI would be investigate the death.
Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Telecommunications Chamber, Dr Ken Ashigbey, has called for a review of the Electronic Transaction Levy (e-levy), which is currently at a rate of 1.5 per cent.
Dr Ashigbey believes that lowering the tax on all electronic transfers from 1.5 percent to 0.1 percent would ensure an absolute fulfilment of its objective.
This, he said, would encourage greater use of electronic transfer channels by both businesses and people, generating more income for the government.
He pointed out that the levy, in its current form, has shown to be ineffective at increasing government revenue.
“The deficit position is not good for the industry, it affects the industry, and it’s one of the things that would account for the depreciation of the cedi. The macros would be destabilised. So we think that the best thing to do is to reduce the level. Some in the industry have talked about 0.5, but I have said that the best thing to do is to do 0.1%,” Dr Ashigbey stated.
The Mobile Money Agents Association of Ghana has backed calls for a review of the e-levy.
The 2022 mid-year budget review reveals that the government has only raked in GH₵93.7 million, from the GH₵1.46 billion target for the first half of this year since its implementation in May 2022.
The tax is applied to electronic transactions exceeding GH¢100 daily. However, during the early stages of implementation, there were complaints that some transactions below the threshold were being taxed.
This, among many other reasons, has made the e-levy unpopular. For some Ghanaians, the levy should be scrapped off.
In his submission, Dr Ashigbey failed to side with the section of the Ghanaian populace calling for the total scrapping of the e-levy.
He explained that this is not a prudent step to take since “government needs money at this particular stage.”
Aside from calling for a reduced rate, the CEO of the Chamber suggested that the government place a fixed e-levy rate on transactions that are 5,000 cedis and above to take away the undesirable cap-less system and encourage more large transactions.
“You know, push the level down to 0.1 and then put a cap on it. Say ¢5,000. At GH¢5,000 the levy is fixed so that if anybody wants to send ¢10,000, you know, that will happen. Take out the discrimination between the GH¢20,000 that you give to the banks, and then you give to mobile money so that the discrimination is not based on that,” he said.
The government has noted its desire to run a cashless economy, however, the e-levy in its current state seeks to derail its success so far.
Although noting that a lower rate for the levy will help the government stay on track, Dr Ashigbey has also advised the government to place a cap on the amount of physical cash that can be used for transactions.
“Another innovative thing that we would say is that put a cap on any transaction that can be done by cash, so let’s say GH¢2,000. If you want to do any transaction above GH¢2,000 use a digital means for mobile money, for the banks, and all of that.”
“What will happen is that a lot of the things that happen underground… a lot of that you’ll be able to take them off and then you’ll be able to see a lot of movement in terms of cash, and that also will help,” he explained.
Nonetheless, he called on the government to take the necessary steps to ensure a digital economy is easily accessible and convenient.
Harry Styles and Olivia Wilde have reportedly called it quits.
Sources close to the couple told People that Styles and Wilde are “taking a break” after two years together. “He’s still touring and is now going abroad. She is focusing on her kids and her work in L.A.,” said one source. “It’s a very amicable decision.”
According to Page Six, there’s no “bad blood” between Styles and Wilde.
“There is no bad blood between them. Harry didn’t dump Olivia, or vice versa,” another source told the outlet. “This is the longest relationship Harry’s ever had, so clearly they have a special bond.”
The break-up appears to be a result of the former couple’s conflicting schedules, with Styles set to return overseas to continue his Love On Tour, which will take the pop star across Latin America before heading to Australia, Asia, the UK, and Europe in 2023. Wilde plans to remain in Los Angeles to focus on her two children.
“They’re on a break. It’s impossible to have a relationship when he’s in every continent next year and Olivia has her job and her kids,” the source explained. “This is the right thing for both of them.”
The 38-year-old filmmaker and the 28-year-old singer first met on the set of their film Don’t Worry Darling in September 2020.
A few months later, Styles and Wilde began dating following the latter’s split from fiancé Jason Sudeikis, whom she shares son Otis and daughter Daisy.
Fitch Solutions stated that the central bank is anticipated to raise the policy rate to 27 percent by the end of 2023 in a recent article on Ghana that was published on November 14, 2022.
However, it thinks that the increase will push real rates upward.
The paper stated: “We anticipate that this will push real rates into positive territory, promoting capital inflows and supporting the exchange rate, allowing the cedi to decline at a slower rate over 2023.”
Touching on measures to address soaring inflationary pressures, Fitch Solutions said it expects Ghana’s central bank to further tighten its monetary policy as part of conditionalities of an imminent International Monetary Fund deal on the basis that Ghana secures a programme by the first quarter of 2023.
“Given that we expect inflation to remain high, we expect that Ghana would have to tighten monetary policy as a condition of the IMF deal,” Fitch Solutions added.
Since the start of this year, the BoG has hiked the monetary policy rate by about 10 percent to 24.5 percent in October 2022.
“While we expect to see an uptick in protests against austerity measures that would likely be implemented under an IMF programme, we do not believe they will threaten the overall stability of the government. This is factored into our Short-Term Political Risk Index, in which Ghana scores 62.0 out of 100 (a higher score implies lower risk), above the Sub-Saharan African average of 50.3.”
Meanwhile, the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of Ghana are expected to begin its final and scheduled meeting for the year to review economic developments and make a determination of the next policy rate decision.
Lewis Hamilton described the 2022 season as a “team-building exercise” for Mercedes, having failed to finish the final race of the season.
The seven-time world champion a difficult campaign this year, having struggled to compete for race victories and Mercedes finding themselves way off the pace of the likes of Red Bull, who waltzed to victory in both championships.
In Abu Dhabi, an initially strong start from Hamilton saw him leapfrog Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz to fourth but he encountered issues after bouncing over a curb off track.
Hamilton was eventually forced to retire with power failure in an end that summed up the difficulties he encountered throughout the year, though he hopes the team can take lessons from their woes into 2023.
“Ultimately, we started with a car that we didn’t want and we finished with a car that we didn’t want,” he told Sky Sports.
“We were stuck with it, we kept working away to improve it but the fundamental issues have been there all the way to the end, as you saw this weekend.
“It’s been more of a team-building exercise this year and I’m very proud of the team. I’m very grateful for everybody who has continued to push.
“We have these next couple of weeks where we will be back at the factory, we’ll get to see everybody. While we won’t be celebrating a championship, we’ll be celebrating them still for their hard work and efforts.
“I hope that the struggles this year really provide us with the tools and the strength to fight for many more championships moving forward.”
A DNF in Abu Dhabi ensured Hamilton would finish a Formula One season without a race win for the first time in his career.
The Football Community of Mozambique says it is behind the Black Stars and wished them all the best ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 finals.
Black Stars, who are the lowest-ranked team at the tournament have been drawn in Group H alongside Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay.
Ghana will take on Portugal in their first game on November 24 before playing South Korea and Uruguay on November 28 and December 2 respectively.
“With the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 about to kick off in the coming days, on behalf of the Executive Committee of the Mozambican Football Federation (FMF) and on my personal name, I would like to extend the best wishes for the participation of your national team in the tournament.”
“It is, undoubtedly, the biggest football stage and the participation of your national team makes not only the people in Ghana proud and excited but also the entire African continent. The football community of Mozambique is behind the Ghana National Team and hope for the best results and outcome in the competition. Please accept, dear President, my respectful greetings,” the letter read.
In the Akatsi North District of the Volta Region, Venunye Dordor, a teacher at Ave-Afiadenyigba RC Basic School, is accused of killing three of his children by drowning them in a water reservoir near his home.
The children’s dead bodies—two boys and a girl, each four, nine, and eleven years old—were pulled from the reservoir.
Assemblyman Isaac Sowu Newton reported that the Ave-Dakpa Police were contacted, who then transported the bodies to the St Anthony Hospital morgue in Dzodze for preservation and autopsy.
He admitted to receiving distress calls regarding the incident on Tuesday, November 15, 2022, at around 2240 hours, according to the Ghana News Agency.
The suspect, a father of five who is thought to be in his 40s, allegedly dumped the trio into the reservoir before yelling for help after also making an effort to commit suicide, the witness claimed.
According to the locals, Mr. Sowu claimed that the suspect and his wife, who lived in Anloga, got into a disagreement.
He promised that the police would reveal their findings when it was appropriate.
The suspect, who is thought to be mentally ill, is currently being held by police and assisting with inquiries.
Since then, the incident has been reported to the GNA by a police source at Ave-Dakoa.
The Ghana Police Service has intensified its security measures ahead of the 2022 World Cup tournament to protect the lives and property of Ghanaians.
According to the Service, the participation of the Black Stars in this year’s tournament in Qatar has a tendency to disrupt the security enjoyed as “football is arguably the heartbeat of the nation.”
In a statement dated November 17, signed by Director of Public Affairs, Chief Superintendent Grace Ansah-Akrofi, the police noted that it “acknowledges the euphoria that engulfs the nation during the World Cup tournament,” but must perform its mandate in maintaining security, law and order.
Ahead of the tournament, which takes effect today, November 20, the Police have directed all members of the public who intend to organise public viewings of the tournament at specially designated places to contact their regional, divisional, and district commands for further security directives.
A temporary number, 0277585542, has been dedicated to security matters involving the 2022 World Cup.
Also, the Police has admonished other members of the public to be “security conscious so that in their excitement and jubilation, they do not fall victim to crime and do not infringe on the rights and freedoms of others.”
In November 2021, a Ghanaian, Yaw Owusu, was murdered in South Africa following the Black Stars 1-0 victory over Bafana Bafana in the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifier at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium.
The senior national team arrived in Qatar on Friday, November 18.
The Black Stars will compete in Group H of the group stages of the tournament. In that group, Ghana will battle it out with two-time champions Uruguay, as well as European giants Portugal.
The other group opponent is South Korea from Asia.
Ghana’s Black Stars will play their first match on November 24 against Portugal.
Coach Otto Addo and his team will later take on South Korea on November 28 before finishing the group stage campaign with a rematch against Uruguay.
Many Ghanaians are anticipating a wonderful performance from the national team after their victory against Switzerland in an international friendly on November 17.
According to President Akufo-Addo, “the entire nation, without the distinction of politics, religion, ethnicity; the entire Ghanaian nation is 100% solidly behind” the Black Stars.
A donation of 50 tonnes of date fruits by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been made to the Government of Ghana to reinforce friendship and collaboration between the two countries.
The guardian of the two holy mosques of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, King Salma Bin-Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, made the donation through the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia.
Over the past few years, Ghana has benefited from the symbolic gift, making this the 10th time the country has received one by royal decree.
Date fruit is a traditional and ancient Muslim and Arabic fruit that is valued for its health benefits.
It has its origins in the religious teachings of the Prophet Mohammed and is traditionally recognised as a usual food item during Ramadan.
Members of the Islamic religion regard it as one of the fruits of paradise, denoting life and expansion.
Dates are a traditional and ancient fruit of Muslim and Arabic heritage that is highly regarded to promoting good health.
During Ramadan, dates are consumed by Muslims as a symbol of the expansion of life.
This belief is based on the religious teachings of the Prophet Mohammed.
At least five people were killed and 18 others injured after a shooting erupted late Saturday night at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs.
NBC News reports the suspected shooter, Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, entered Club Q before midnight and immediately opened fire. Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez confirmed at a news conference Sunday morning that at least 2 customers immediately acted to stop the shooter.
“We owe them a great debt of thanks,” Vasquez said at a news conference Sunday morning. “Their actions clearly saved lives.”
Police arrived at the scene within three minutes and detained Aldrich, who is currently being treated at a local hospital. Vasquez told reporters he wasn’t sure how Aldrich was injured, as he was not shot by police.
Of the 18 people injured, several are in critical condition with gunshot wounds, though the exact number was unclear, officials said.
“We have numerous people transported to multiple local hospitals via ambulance and police cruisers. The hospitals are helping us to notify family who have been injured,” Colorado Springs Police Department spokeswoman Sgt. Pamela Castro said.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis issued a statement Sunday morning in which he called the shooting “horrific, sickening and devastating.”
“I have spoken with (Colorado Springs) Mayor John Suthers and made it clear that every state resource is available to local law enforcement in Colorado Springs,” Polis wrote.
“We are eternally grateful for the brave individuals who blocked the gunman likely saving lives in the process and for the first responders who responded swiftly to this horrific shooting. Colorado stands with our LGTBQ community and everyone impacted by this tragedy as we mourn together.”
In an effort to boost consumer confidence in the economy, Carlos Ahenkorah, the chairman of the trade and industry committee of parliament, has urged market participants to think about improving their pricing strategies.
Real GDP growth in Ghana has slowed down in 2022 as a result of rising inflation, stricter monetary policy, a weakening currency, and skyrocketing food and service prices.
Members of the trade committee of the parliament asked them to look into ways to stabilize the prices of products and services in light of this.
Speaking with journalists on Tuesday after an engagement with officials of Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) and Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ghana Chamber of Commerce, Hon. Ahenkorah said
“Is an engagement of all people in the trade and manufacturing sector to see how we can fashion a solution to what is happening in Ghana, we have heard from our constituents and how people are complaining about food prices and the general economy. You could see these were aggrieved and wanted to vent their spleen.”
“We have heard them, they have enumerated a lot of problems they are facing, they proffered solutions and we are going to put it together in a composite document and arrive at a position paper and present it to government through parliament to see how we can meet them half way.”
“On their side we have asked them to see how they can make people of Ghana feel relieved by trying to stabilize prices on the market for a little bit longer and see how they can affect the lives of people and ensuring they are not pressurizing people with what they sell and how they sell them.”
Meanwhile, issues on profiteering, hoarding came up but the market players refuted such assertions on their part.
He added that regarding some policies that may not go in their favour, he insisted that for the betterment of the country, they have to let go.
“We are thinking about diversifying trade, amendment of investment laws that should debar excessive influx of foreigners in the trading space to derail the efforts of manufacturing and to destroy local initiatives.”
President of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Dr. Humphrey Ayim-Darke on his part welcomed the engagement but emphasized that it should be properly structured periodically.
He also indicated that there should be wider consultation in the policy formulated which he thinks will inure to the benefit of all stakeholders.
“We need to go beyond policy formulation and see a clear plan from parliamentarians that represents us, NDPC, Ministry of Finance, and the Executive, we should focus on the national collective good, not any document that the party manifesto is based on.
Since the start of this year, fiscal pressures have remained high while the fiscal deficit reached 5.6 percent of GDP in the first half of 2022, well above the 3.9 percent target for the same period.
Also, revenues have underperformed, as the flagship E-Levy was introduced late and faced major implementation challenges.
As of end-June 2022, public debt reached 78.3 percent of GDP and interest payments reached 54.4 percent of revenues over the first half of the year.
Jason DavidFrank, the actor best known for portraying the Green and White Rangers on the original Mighty MorphinPower Rangers series, has died at the age of 49.
A cause of death has not been officially released, though TMZ reports sources with “direct knowledge” claim Frank died by suicide.
“Unfortunately, it is true,” a representative for Frank told PEOPLE. “Please respect the privacy of his family and friends during this horrible time as we come to terms with the loss of such a wonderful human being. He loved his family, friends and fans very much,” the rep added. “He will be truly missed.”
After starring as Tommy Oliver in Power Rangers’ original run, which lasted three seasons from 1993 to 1995, Frank went on to appear in Power Rangers Zeo, Power Rangers Turbo, Power Rangers Wild Force, Power Rangers Dino Thunder, Power Rangers Super Megaforce, Power Rangers Hyperforce, and Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel, plus the 1995 and 1997 Power Rangers movies.
Walter Emmanuel Jones, the original Black Power Ranger who starred alongside Frank on the 1990s Fox Kids series, took to social media on Sunday to express his sadness.
“Can’t believe it … RIP Jason David Frank. My heart is sad to have lost another member of our special family,” Jones captioned a photo of himself and Frank on the red carpet.
Frank’s talent agent Brian Butler-Au also shared a tribute on Instagram.
“Very sad to hear about my friend and client Jason David Frank’s passing,” Butler-Au wrote. “Jason was a martial artist best known for playing Tommy in the Power Rangers. He was a true martial artist and I had the pleasure of managing him for the fights he competed in. If anyone you know may be depressed please check on them.”
A non-governmental organisation, Team of Hope, performed free surgical procedures at Sandema on more than 40 children in the Builsa North Municipality in the Upper East Region.
Parents brought their children to the Sandema Hospital for the free surgery with a variety of surgical ailments, some of which were congenital deformities.
About 144 patients, including children, had successfully undergone various surgical operations on the fourth day of the week-long exercise, including thyroidectomy, hysterectomy, colectomy, and lipoma removal, among others.
The three-bed recovery ward of the theatre was filled with recovering patients when the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sandema visited the hospital’s operating room. Patients were dressed in operating room gowns and waiting in lines to be operated on.
Due to the surgeries, the hospital’s main wards were all full, and the staff—especially the theatre staff-was working overtime to make sure that every patient who had surgery was appropriately cared for until they were discharged.
In an interview with the GNA, Team of Hope’s founder and lead physician, Dr. Benjamin Akinkang, stated: “We have really performed quite a few procedures on youngsters.”
The majority of those are congenital hernias, and we’ve seen a lot of communicating hydroceles and undescended testicles as well.
We chose to investigate a baby who had severe abdominal distension since it was one of the most interesting ones, the doctor stated.
A testicular fluid-filled sac known as a hydrocele is sometimes first diagnosed as a scrotal enlargement.
The newborn had significant hydro-uretero nephrosis and urethral duplication, according to Dr. Akinkang, who added: “The kidney was actually all water, so he ended up receiving a left nephrectomy, and is doing extremely well.”
“There is another one currently on the table with Hirschsprung’s disease, a condition of the large intestine that causes difficulty passing stool.”
“He is three years old, the abdomen is massively distended, and he does not look fit, so we are going to do a colostomy for him, and subsequently refer to a paediatric surgeon.”
Dr. Akinkang stated that not all of the conditions booked were met by the team and that “with some of them, we do watchful waiting. Therefore, most of the hydroceles that we have operated on are older than four years.
“So if at that age they do not close, then they will not close spontaneously. But then, parents will have to see medical personnel to distinguish between whether it is a hydrocele or a hernia and then take the appropriate action.”
Children’s hernias, he claimed, were fixed as they developed, “but with the hydrocele, we wait for them to mature a little bit.
There were a few young children scheduled for surgery, but we advised the parents since they weren’t prepared.
If parents saw any anomalies on the bodies or general health of their children, Dr. Akinkang encouraged parents to seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Some parents of kids who underwent successful procedures and were recovering at the hospital’s pediatric unit praised the team for performing “life-saving surgeries for their kids.”
Mother of a two-year-old kid who had surgery successfully, Madam Jennifer Akanlugsi, claimed that she would have been powerless without the team’s assistance.
Beginning December 2022, the Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme (MVIP) being rolled out by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and its development partners will be sent to some seven regions in the country.
The seven regions are; Ahafo, Bono, Bono East, Central, Oti, Upper East, and Volta.
It is expected that a total of 93 districts within the aforementioned regions will benefit from the programme.
Since May 2019, the RTS, S vaccine, has been effectively incorporated into Ghana’s routine immunisation programme to curb the spread of malaria and its numerous associated deaths.
According to the GHS, in Ghana, malaria, which is caused by a plasmodium parasite, transmitted by the female anopheles mosquito, leads to about 2000 deaths annually, with approximately 48 per cent of afflicted children under the age of five.
Addressing the press last Thursday, Director-General of the GHS, Dr. Patrick Kuma Aboagye, noted that although the exact date for the commencement of the programme is yet to be communicated, it would be executed in phases targeting children below two years.
He noted that the expansion of the MVIP is based on the recommendation of the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG), following the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendation for broader use of the vaccine in areas with moderate to high malaria transmission.
Dr Kuma Aboagye stated that Ghana cannot rest on its oars as “malaria is a major cause of hospital attendance, contributing to an estimated 30 percent of admissions.”
He is optimistic that expanding the programme would help avert severe malaria-related illnesses and deaths in children living in highly endemic regions and districts who were not using any preventive interventions such as insecticide-treated Insecticide Treated Bed Nets (ITN).
Since 2019, close to 1.4 million doses of the RTS, S vaccine have been safely administered to children less than two years in Africa as of September 2022.
Meanwhile, Programme Manager of Expanded Programme for Immunisation (EPI), Dr Kwame Amponsa Achiano, has indicated the vaccine is not a substitute for existing preventive interventions, but additional protection to prevent malaria-related illnesses in children.
“A child who receives the malaria vaccine may still get malaria. It is therefore important to continue with other preventive measures, such as sleeping under insecticide treated nets every night and throughout the night,” he said.
Per the 2021 annual malaria report, there were 5.7 million confirmed malaria cases and 275 deaths.
Children under the age of 5 accounted for 1.6 million births and 125 deaths.
Infected persons most often exhibit symptoms such as fever and flu-like illness, including shaking chills, headache, muscle aches, and tiredness. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea may also occur.
In reducing malaria cases in Africa, the Malaria Vaccine Focal Person at the WHO, Peter Ofori Tweneboah, believes that the malaria vaccine provides an excellent opportunity to rapidly expand access to a malaria preventive tool to children in the most vulnerable areas.
