Players in the financial sector have been asked to improve their role as gatekeepers to safeguard assets.
Theophilus Kwadjo Odjer-Bio, Executive Director of the Chartered Compliance and Cyber Analyst (CCCA) Institute, asserted that playing the gatekeeper in the anti-laundering ecosystem would aid in identifying and thwarting fraudsters and cybercriminals who preyed on the defenseless.
Mr. Odjer-Bio was presenting at the University of Ghana Business School’s graduation and ongoing growth program in Legon.
He said online fraud had become common because of the COVID-19 pandemic as companies and individuals had moved more of their activities online, thus, the need to protect customers.
Much of those crimes affected individuals and small businesses that were less able to protect themselves with victims mostly being unemployed, he said.
Mr Odjer-Bio said apart from the fraud and cyber attacks affecting individuals and businesses, they affected the confidence level in the financial systems.
“It must be a priority to show that financial institutions with which the public entrusts its savings and the regulators who supervise them do care about these threats and address them proactively to reduce and prevent serious harm,” he said.
She urged users to report cyber attacks on the Cyber Security Authority portal within 24 hours.
She said keeping and publishing of indecent images of people was a crime and that one could be prosecuted.
Mrs OKwan-Duodu said a fine in cybercrime was as bad as incarceration, which could mar one’s record and must be avoided.
Mr Seth Nana Amoako, Head of Compliance Unit of the Financial Intelligence Centre and Chairman for the occasion, encouraged the graduands to make themselves relevant with the knowledge acquired.
Anderlecht defender Moussa Ndiaye has been called up as a late addition to the Senegal World Cup squad after Sadio Mane was forced to withdraw because of injury.
Mane was replaced in the 15th minute by Leroy Sane after going down and headed straight down the tunnel for further treatment after being substituted.
He is a key cog of Aliou Cissé’s side, who face the Netherlands in their opening Group A game on November 21 before taking on hosts Qatar, then Ecuador at the World Cup.
Mane scored Senegal’s winning penalty in the shootout victory over Egypt to clinch their first Africa Cup of Nations title earlier this year.
Ndiaye has been part of Senegal’s Under-20 & Under-23 teams but has never been called into the senior national team.
Senegal will take on the Netherlands on Monday in their 2022 World Cup opener before playing hosts Qatar and then ending their Group A campaign against Ecuador.
ElonMusk has reinstated former President Donald Trump’s Twitter account.
The move came after Musk polled his 117 million followers with the final results being 51.8 percent who voted “yes” and 48.2 percent who voted “no.” The final results tallied votes from 15,085,458 people.
Musk has previously restored Kathy Griffin, the Babylon Bee, and Jorden Peterson who all have active Twitter accounts now.
He also mentioned that Twitter’s new policy since he took over as owner is “freedom of speech, but not freedom of reach. Negative/hate tweets will be max deboosted & demonetized, so no ads or other revenue to Twitter. You won’t find the tweet unless you specifically seek it out, which is no different from rest of Internet.”
In a statement, NAACP President Derrick Johnson wrote after learning of Trump returning to Twitter: “In Elon Musk’s Twittersphere, you can incite an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, which led to the deaths of multiple people, and still be allowed to spew hate speech and violent conspiracies on his platform. If Elon Musk continues to run Twitter like this, using garbage polls that do not represent the American people and the needs of our democracy, God help us all.”
Trump announced on Nov. 15 that he is running for president in 2024. It hasn’t been made formal on whether he’ll return to Twitter or if he’s sticking with Truth Social.
Trump’s last tweet was from Jan. 8, 2021.
To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th.
On Sunday, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo asked Ghanaians to have faith in the administration to turn around the country’s faltering economy and return it to the road of steady growth.
He said that his administration was moving quickly to reduce economic hardships and turn the economy around to provide relief to Ghanaians.
At the Presbyterian Church of Ghana’s Akyem Abuakwa presbytery’s Centenary Thanksgiving Service and Centenary Complex Dedication in Kyebi, in the Easter region, the President made the appeal.
He noted that although it was a grim time for the nation, the Government was turning every stone to ensure the economy grows and becomes more productive.
President Akufo-Addo was optimistic that the decisions taken by his government would soon translate into positive outcomes for the country and Ghanaians.
“I know times are hard. But whatever we need to do to bring the nation out of the state it is in is being done. We are confident that we will soon come out of it.
“Just keep faith with us and pray with us. All will be well,” he said.
The Allied Health Professions Councilhas raised alarming concerns about the influx of unlicensed and dubious medical professionals in the healthcare industry.
The group is anticipating danger if the problem is not addressed immediately.
Speaking at the 9th Induction and Oath Swearing Ceremony in Kumasi, Deputy Registrar of the Allied Health Professions Council, Daniel Atta Nyarko, stated that the council will not give up on resolving such problems.
The Council is concerned that despite their several attempts to purge such unqualified quacks from the healthcare industry, the quantity and reported cases of quack activities continue to increase nationwide.
According to Mr. Atta Nyarko, the actions of these quacks have emerged as Ghana’s most pressing problem affecting the allied professions.
Additionally, he lamented the harm that these quacks’ practices frequently inflict on Ghanaians, some of which is irreparable and frequently either goes unreported or unpunished.
He feared that it is the cause of the population growth.
“The harm being committed by these people cannot be underestimated. The Council, with the total support of the Governing Board and the Health Intelligence Unit of the Ministry of Health, has been trying to weed out the quacks from our society. Unfortunately, the inspectors of our law enforcement agencies have not helped much in dealing with the issue.”
“Several cases reported to the police across the country appear dead for lack of prosecution,” he added.
The Council further urged people to report any suspicious activity to law enforcement for follow-up investigation and possible prosecution.
Senegal manager, Aliou Cisse says Sadio Mane‘s absence at the 2022 World Cup is a big blow to the football world.
Bayern Munich forward Mane will miss the tournament due to a knee injury.
The African champions open their campaign against Group A opponents the Netherlands today with kick off scheduled at 16:00 GMT.
“We are not just talking about Senegalese people but people around the world and the whole football family is saddened,” said Cisse.
“He represents the African continent as well as Senegal,” he added. “I have received phone calls from around the world.
“All coaches build teams around their best player, that is also the case for us. We have a strong team as well, with experienced and young players ready to rise to the challenge.”
Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk said he spoke to his former Liverpool team-mate Mane.
“As a friend I just wanted to know how he was. I feel sad for him. I know how hard he worked for this and he wants to be important for Senegal,” he added.
“He has been important in the last few years especially. It is tough. Obviously he will be a big miss for them. Hopefully we can benefit a little bit from that.”
“Point of defecation is primarily bush/open field/gutter for households without access to a toilet facility (1,380,720 households), followed by beach/water bodies (61,401 households).”
In comparison to other years, the figure reported this year has decreased, it was added.
“The percentage of households without access to toilet facilities was 19.3% in 2010 and 20.2% in 2000 indicating a reduction of 2.5 percentage points in the prevalence of open defecation over the 21-year period.”
Eight out of every ten homes practice open defecation, the report also noted.
The regions with the largest percentage of households without access to toilet facilities are the Upper East (80%) and North East (79.7%).
More than 100,000 households in six regions – Northern (242,034), Upper East (180,797), Ashanti (111,306), Greater Accra (105,717), Volta (102,997), and Bono East—practice open defecation, according to the GSS (102,442).
This comes at a time when the world observes World Toilet Day on November 19, 2022.
According to the World Health Organisation, the world is on track to eliminate open defecation by 2030, if not by 2025, but historical rates of progress would need to double for the world to achieve universal coverage with basic sanitation services by 2030
“Ghanaians are increasingly aware of the importance of buying locally produced goods in order to switch from conventional to more natural processes, but processors were unable to produce much due to a lack of funding for business expansion.
According to Iddi Zakaria, national coordinator of the SNG, “If the government can spend more into the seed production to plant more shea trees will assist create more jobs in the country to reduce poverty at the rural areas.”
The Shea sector which holds enormous economic viable business models is on the brink of collapsing in the Savannah ecological zone, said the Shea Network Ghana (SNG), a non-governmental organisation.
The sector which boosts of revenue and employment generation for an estimated number of 900,000 rural women farmers who collect, process and trade nuts and butter is currently faced with the lack of funding and implementation of a regulatory body to help position the sector for growth and increased production volumes.
It is estimated that over two million Ghanaians depend on the shea industry directly and indirectly for their livelihoods. The industry is also able to generate employment and income for about a million rural women in Northern Ghana involved in picking nuts and marketing processed shea kernels and shea butter.
In 2014, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, the then Minister for Trade and Industry, inaugurated a committee to steer the affairs of the Shea Nut sector with the government announcing GHC 5million towards the planting of two million shea trees in the three northern regions. This was aimed at ensuring sustainable growth of the sector.
He also promised to establish 12 shea nut processing plants in some selected districts within the catchment area of the project to serve as ready markets for the nuts that would be produced by the shea plantations while 1,000 women would also be trained to be part of the shea nut value chain.
Mr Iddi Zakaria National Coordinator, SNG in an exclusive interview with the B&FT during the visit indicated that the processors had also struggled with the manual way to process the products which most often does not meet the market demand though the demand is high in Ghana and other countries.
“Ghanaians have now come to understand the need to patronise the local products thereby moving away from ordinary to more organic process, but the processors could not produce much due to lack of support to expand their businesses.
“If the government can invest more into the seed production to plant more shea trees would help create more jobs in the country to alleviate poverty at the rural areas,” he said.
He also called for legislative reforms and policies to protect the shea sector from collapsing and proposed an amendment to the current law to decouple the shea nuts sector from the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD).
The Ghana Cocoa Board Act, Act 84 of 1981, puts Cocoa, Coffee and Shea under one umbrella with equal opportunities, but cocoa has dominated the economy as a cash crop because of the attention and commitment governments have given to the crop over the years.
But the shea sector embedded under COCOBOD, SNG observes, makes it difficult for the sector to get the much-needed attention from government and investors.
Blaming the rapid cutting down and burning of the shea trees for other activities which are severely affecting the income generation of the sector, Mr Zakaria explained that the organisation has been embarking on capacity building for few farmers and processors due mainly to lack of enough funds.
“Lack of capacity building and funds to train more youth to venture into the sector has been a headache for the managers of the sector to make it attractive to the youth.”
He called for support for savanna plantation to help produce more seedlings to cultivate to boost the industry.
He urged the political parties to show interest in the shea sector to create more for the able youths.
He said the two shea factories established in the northern region are not operating in full capacity though the industry has some international buyers and therefore called for the establishment of more factories with the necessary equipment.
The Executive Director of Savanna Plantation, Issah Sulemana in his response to the B&FT explained that the Presidential Special Support for Shea nut, an initiative aimed at guaranteeing the export earnings from the Shea commodity, may not be achieved as intended by the government due to lack of funds to ensure the cultivation of the seedlings.
He said Savanna Plantations had pre-financed the project to the tune of over GHC 1.2 million but had so far been paid less than GHC 900,000.00, making it difficult for the company to acquire the necessary equipment to sustain the project. This he appealed for funds for the nursery production for the farmers to ensure quality Shea that would meet the demand of the market.
Ghana’s U-23 head coach, Ibrahim Tanko says the Black Stars are in high spirits ahead of their World Cup opener against Portugal.
The four-time African champions will open their campaign at the 22nd edition of the Mundial against the Seleção on Thursday, November 24 at the Stadium 974 in Doha.
The Black Stars head into the tournament with a 2-0 win against Switzerland in their final friendly last weekend in Abu Dhabi.
Tanko, who is part of the local coaches selected to join the team for attachment speaking said the team is in a good shape and are ready for the clash.
“The players are feeling sharp. After the game against Switzerland, the players still look good,” the Accra Lions technical director said.
“The coaches are doing their best and the players are in good spirits and are ready for the Portugal game. I am convinced of a good result,” the former Black Stars assistant coach added.
Ghana, who are in Group H after their opener will return to action with a clash with South Korea at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan.
Otto Addo and his charges will wrap up their group stage adventure with their much-anticipated encounter with Uruguay at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah.
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 at the group phase during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Trey Songz can’t seem to stay out of legal trouble.
Just a few weeks after a rapecivil case against the R&B singer was dismissed after the statue of limitations expired on the allegations, Songz now faces assault charges for allegedly punching a woman at a New York City bowling alley last month.
TMZ reports an employee of the bowling alley has accused the singer-songwriter of committing a brutal attack. The woman claims the incident took place in one of the bathrooms at the venue, where Songz allegedly punched her repeatedly and dragged her by her hair. The victim was later taken to a local hospital to be treated for her visible injuries.
Though authorities have not yet confirmed a possible motive behind the alleged attack, Songz’s attorney, Mitchell Schuster, maintains his client is innocent.
“A source close to the investigation informs us that TS has been cooperative with authorities and expects that when all the evidence is reviewed, he will be exonerated,” Schuster told TMZ. “This is another instance where those involved try to blame the celebrity with hopes of getting fame or riches.”
The lawsuit is the latest legal hurdle for Songz, who earlier this month dodged the aforementioned civil rape case after his legal team determined the statute of limitations had run out before the anonymous woman, identified only as Jane Doe, filed the complaint. The lawsuit was filed back in February this year, with Doe seeking $20 million in damages because he allegedly became a “savage rapist” in March, 2016 following their consensual relationship.
In the suit, the woman claimed that she attended a party at Songz’s home, where he anally raped her after she said she did not want to have anal sex.
She allegedly begged him to stop throughout the incident, and alleged that she later went to a nearby hospital, and an examination found there was “severe anal tearing that could require surgery.”
The artist formerly known as Kanye West is back on Twitter.
“Testing Testing Seeing if my Twitter is unblocked,” Ye wrote in a tweet posted on Sunday.
West also tweeted the word “shalom,” a Hebrew greeting.
West was locked out of his Twitter account after posting the now infamous tweet in which he vowed to go “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE.” The tweet was considered a violation of the platform’s policies. Access to his Instagram account was also restricted prior to Twitter acting in a similar fashion.
Several brands cut ties with West in response to his series of anti-Semitic remarks. After Adidas terminated its Yeezy deal, Forbes reported Ye was “no longer a billionaire,” as his net worth plummeted to $400 million. While everyone seemed to be turning their back on Kanye, Twitter’s new CEO Elon Musk has welcomed back the disgraced rapper to the platform with open arms, even responding to his tweet.
Musk didn’t receive the same response from Donald Trump after reinstating his Twitter account. According to Reuters, Trump seemed like he was going to remain on Truth Social, the social media platform he founded. “I don’t see any reason for it,” he said when asked about a possible return to Twitter during a panel at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual leadership meeting.
Only time will tell if Twitter can withstand Elon’s string of sweeping internal changes to the platform.
Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera made it clear he will not be moving away from Taylor Heinicke as starting quarterback, ending a potential debate before it even began.
A 23-10 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday moved the Commanders to 6-5for the season, though they remain bottom of the NFC East behind the Philadelphia Eagles (9-1), Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants (both 7-3).
After beginning the season 3-4, a significant improvement in the past five games (4-1) has seen Rivera’s side claw their way back into playoff contention following the switch to Heinicke as a starter.
Carson Wentz continues to be a topic of conversation, though Rivera sees no need for another switch.
“We’re going to go with Taylor,” he said, then merely replying “winning” when quizzed as to why.
“He doesn’t need to play well. He just needs to play. We just need to continue to do the things we’re doing.
“I’m not looking to pull anybody. This is not a competition as far as a controversy. That’s the last thing on my mind. That’s why we talked about doing it one game at a time.”
On his side of things, Heinicke is keen to take things on a game by game basis and enjoy the role as a starter for as long as it may last.
“I take every opportunity I can get and have fun with it. Something may change in two weeks and [Wentz is] back in there. Who knows?” He said post game.
“But this week I’ll have fun with it, go out there and hopefully get a win. I feel I play my best doing that.”
The Commanders have another winnable game against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 12, then face division rivals the Giants before a bye in Week 14.
This is intended to reduce the danger of credit default among debt holders, the poll claims, even as the government enlists the IMF for a program of economic assistance.
Other survey respondents think the government should restructure its international debt because of its exposure to foreign exchange.
According to the poll, the cedi has underperformed against major foreign currencies over the past few years.
In terms of support to Micro Small and Medium Enterprises, the survey noted that approximately 80% of industry leaders believe government has done a poor job in ensuring enterprises gain access to financial services.
Touching on whether some government initiatives have met the required expectations, the KPMG survey said 85.7% of respondents described the Planting for Food and Jobs programmes as a failure as they believe it is not meet the expectations of business leaders.
Meanwhile, on the controversial Electronic Transfer Levy, the KMPG survey noted, “during these difficult times, more than half of business leaders believe electronic levy (E-Levy) is a major source of concern” and want the tax measure to be reviewed.
Within the shortest possible time, Parliament’s efforts to determine the fate of Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta may see some more delay.
This follows the inability of the Ad hoc committeeco-chaired by MP for Bolga East, Dominic Ayine and Adansi-Asokwa legislator, Kobina Tahir Hammond, to meet the deadline for filing a report on their meeting.
The eight-member committee, instituted by Speaker Alban Bagbin on November 10 to probe the allegations levelled against the minister by the Minority, was given seven working days to present its findings to the House.
The report was to be filed on Friday, November 18, but the committee was unable to do so due to the over 6-hour interrogation the Finance Minister faced.
Given the current circumstances, Dr Dominic Ayine noted that the Committee “will apply to the Speaker for an extension of time to be able to file our report next week.”
He is optimistic that the report will be ready and presented to Parliament on November 22, 2022.
“The purpose of the report is to simply continue the debate on the motion for the vote of censure. And the report will be laid in Parliament hopefully next week Tuesday,” he said.
Until the ad hoc committee files its report, Parliament will not be able to determine the fate of Mr Ofori-Atta, who risks being impeached.
During the public hearing last Tuesday, the minority leader accused the Finance Minister of making unconstitutional withdrawals from the consolidated fund, illegal payment of oil revenues into offshore accounts, misreporting economic data to parliament, mismanaging the economy, and mismanaging the economy, leading to the depreciation of the Ghana cedi.
On Friday, the Finance Minister dismissed these allegations and also used the opportunity to apologise to Ghanaians for the hardship they are currently facing.
Meanwhile, Mr Kobina Tahir Hammond, has revealed that the committee would have to present a draft copy of the report to the Finance Minister to ensure that his responses are properly captured before the full report is tabled before Parliament for debate.
The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has recorded that 1.1 million males between the ages of 15 and above have left their employment status.
These transitions, according to GSS, took place between the first and second quarters of 2022.
“In percentage terms, 9.4% of employed males in the first quarter were unemployed in the second quarter, with an additional 15.7% outside the labour force,” GSS cited from the 2022 Annual Household Income and Expenditure Survey (AHIES).
The GSS revealed these statistics on men to raise awareness about International Men’s Day, celebrated on November 19 each year. This year’s commemoration is under the theme, “Helping Men and Boys.”
The Upper East Region had the largest proportion of employed males who lost their jobs in the second quarter, followed by the North East Region, according to the GSS.
“In the Upper East Region, seven out of every ten (69.0%) males employed in the first quarter were no longer employed in the second. Theirs is the highest rate in the country, distantly followed by the North East Region (43.9%).”
Touching on earnings, GSS noted that the “mean hourly earnings for males in the second quarter were GH¢9.9, falling slightly from GH¢11.0 in the first quarter.”
Regarding education, GSS stated that “the AHIES 2022 Q1 and Q2 Report estimates that 600,893 males aged 15 to 24 years were not enrolled in an educational program, employed, or in training during the second quarter, an increase of over 100,000 from the 463,260 individuals reported during the first quarter.”
It also stated that 4,591,110 boys between the ages of 4 and 14 are now not in school, making up 3,335,604 males who are 15 years old or older who are illiterate.
FIFA has earned an unprecedented $7.5bn in revenue through four years of commercial deals tied to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the governing body of football says.
The earnings, which FIFA revealed on Sunday to officials from more than 200 of its member nations, are $1bn more than what the organisation pulled in from the previous World Cup cycle leading up to the 2018 event in Russia.
The extra income was buoyed by commercial deals with this year’s hosts. Qatar Energy joined as a top-tier sponsor, and new third-tier sponsors include Qatari bank QNB and telecommunications firm Ooredoo. FIFA also added second-tier sponsor deals this year from financial platform crypto.com and blockchain provider Algorand, its first new American sponsor in more than a decade.
Key broadcast deals for this year’s World Cup were signed during Sepp Blatter’s presidency in two-tournament deals for the Russia and Qatar events. They included deals with Fox in the United States and Qatari broadcaster BeIN Sports from 2011.
FIFA pays for host countries’ organising committees, prize money, travel and accommodation for teams and support staff. It also pays for a legacy fund to help develop the sport in the host country after the World Cup circus has left town.
The winners of the Qatar World Cup will receive $44m out of a total prize pot of $440m.
FIFA organises its accounts in four-year cycles around each World Cup. For the 2015-2018 cycle leading up to the Russian World Cup, the governing body brought in $6.4bn. It has used that cash to help member bodies through uncertainty in 2020 when national team football and World Cup qualifying games were almost entirely shut down.
The organisation’s revenues are likely to approach $10bn for the next four years, thanks to a new financial strategy for women’s football and the expanded 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico, which will see 48 teams compete for the first time, up from the present 32.
FIFA has an almost blank slate for the 2026 edition with top-tier sponsors Coca-Cola, Adidas and Wanda the only deals currently extended. Separate sponsor deals for women’s football are being signed for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Joel Embiid had an injury scare late as the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers charged home but ultimately fell short in a 112-109 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday.
Embiid appeared to roll his left ankle when he tripped over teammate Georges Niang with 5:53 remaining in the fourth quarter. He writhed in pain on the ground and was attended to by a trainer before hobbling to the bench at Wells Fargo Center.
The Sixers center played the game out but limped throughout yet nailed a three-pointer to make it 105-102, before Timberwolves top scorer Anthony Edwards steadied it with his second triple of the game.
Embiid finishedwith 32 points, including making 18-of-20 from the free-throw line, with nine rebounds, six assists and three steals for the Sixers, who were without James Harden and Tyrese Maxey due to foot injuries.
Shake Milton added 27 points, while De’Anthony Melton made five three-pointers in his 19-point haul. Melton’s three with 29.1 seconds remaining moved the 76ers within one point, before he missed a lay-up and Edwards iced the game from the stripe. The Sixers had trailed by 20 points but rallied with a 25-15 fourth quarter.
For the winners, Edwards had 25 points with five rebounds and five assists, while point guard D’Angelo Russell scored 19 points with seven assists.
French center Rudy Gobert scored eight points with 13 rebounds and Karl-Anthony Towns added 12 points with eight rebounds.
The result leaves both sides with 8-8 records, with the Timberwolves having won three straight. Embiid’s 32 points means he is averaging 41.25 across his past four games.
Trae shines as Hawks win with OT buzzer-beater
Trae Young fed A.J. Griffin under the basket for a buzzer-beating two-pointer in overtime as the Atlanta Hawks defeated the Toronto Raptors 124-122.
Young took an inbound pass with 3.8 seconds remaining in overtime with scores tied, racing clear as Griffin – who is the son of Raptors assistant coach Adrian Griffin – got behind the defense, allowing the Hawks guard to find him wide open for a routine lay-up in the nick of time.
Atlanta hauled in a seven-point deficit with 2:36 to go in the fourth quarter, led by Young, who finished with 33 points on 12-of-21 shooting with 12 assists. Scottie Barnes had a season-high 28 points for injury-hit Toronto, who only dressed nine players.
George hurt as Clippers blow out Spurs
Paul George hit three first-half three-pointers before being ruled out with knee soreness at half-time while Kawhi Leonard’s impact was limited again but the Los Angeles Clippers blew out the San Antonio Spurs 119-97.
George played 15 first-half minutes, scoring 21 minutes on five-of-eight three-point shooting, while Leonard played 22 minutes for 11 points with four assists in his second game back after stiffness in his surgically repaired knee.
Norman Powell came off the bench to score a game-high 26 points, with five-of-seven three-point shooting, as the Clippers improved to 9-7. The Clippers hit 13 first-half triples and finished with 21 for the game on 53.8 per cent three-point shooting.
There has been much uproar about the government’s decision to borrow 9.6 billion Ghana cedis to help banks that were unable to become operational. Was this a wise decision? There is discussion. It is not in dispute in my mind.
“There is a law that governs the establishment of banks and there’s an authority that provides a license for people to establish banks, and that authority is the Central Bank. So when the Central Bank gives license to Company A to act as a bank, it means they can take deposits of the public…. The public doesn’t know the rules and regulations that go into granting a license…,” he added.
He explained that the government had no choice in the matter since it was the duty of the Central Bank; Bank of Ghana to issue licenses to legitimate companies or firms to accept deposits of clients.
Mr. Osafo Marfo stressed that the decision was not debatable because the situation imploded as a result of a lack of accountability.
“…there has been a lot of hue and cry about the government arranged to borrow some 9.6billion Ghana Cedis to support those banks who failed to make them operational; was it right or not? People are debating. To me, it is not debatable.” He told some finance professionals during a workshop on Public Financial Management organised by Trust Consult at
“There is a law that governs the establishment of banks and there’s an authority that provides license for people to establish banks, and that authority is the Central Bank. So when the Central Bank gives license to Company A to act as a bank, it means they can take deposit of the public…. The public doesn’t know the rules and regulations that goes into granting a license…
Once somebody announces that I’m Bank XYZ it is assumed that the bank of Ghana who granted the license would have taken them through the rigmarole of the law and therefore the depositor is protected to put his money there..” he indicated.
The Former Finance Minister under the Kufuor regime noted that the problems of the various banks with issues would have been detected long ago if supervision was top notch. He stressed that government’s choice to protect the depositors was the right call since they had three years to prevent the outcome.
“..Government’s choice is to protect the depositor, and I don’t think the government has a choice. What’s your choice, that you did not supervise properly; did not detect something which you should have done three years ago… and some innocent man whose sweat and money is been put there should suffer as a result of it, the answer is no!”, he added.
Background
Government intervened with GH¢12.7 billion of public funds, made up of a GH¢8 billion bond issued by the Ministry of Finance, and GH¢4.7 billion of liquidity support from the Bank of Ghana, to be injected into the seven banks that failed.
The Bank of Ghana collapsed five banks into a Consolidated Bank of Ghana Limited citing insolvency after investigations by the Central Bank.
The banks were BEIGE, Sovereign, Construction, UniBank, and Royal Bank.
He served during the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) military era (1982–1991) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) constitutional era (1992–1995).
Prof. Botchwey earned an LL.B. from the University of Ghana, an LL.M. from Yale Law School, and a doctorate from the University of Michigan Law School.
He held academic positions at the Universities of Ghana, Zambia, and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. Dr. Botchwey’s previous work includes advising the World Bank on the 1997 World Development Report.
He served as a member and Chairman of the IMF’s Group of Independent Experts that carried out the first-ever independent assessment of the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility. He also served as an advisor to the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM) and the UNDP’s UN Special Initiative on Africa.
Government’s 2023 budget and economic statement will be presented to Parliament by Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, on Thursday, November 24, 2022.
The Finance Minister affirmed this when he interacted with the media after appearing before the ad hoc committee tasked by Speaker Alban Bagbin to probe the censure motion last Friday.
“Expect so,” the Finance Minister briefly said after being questioned by journalists on the 2023 budget statement.
The 2023 budget was earlier scheduled to be presented on November 15, but due to ongoing negotiations between Ghana and the International Monetary Fund, it was rescheduled.
It is believed that whatever may have resulted in the rescheduling of the budget statement presentation has been resolved by the government.
Next Thursday, some Ghanaians expect the government to cut down on its expenditure as its current debt stock is alarming.
According to Mr Ofori-Atta, Ghana’s total debt stock has shot up to GH¢450 billion in 2022 from a total of GH¢120 billion in 2017.
Again, it is believed that the budget statement to be presented will be fortified to withstand any form of internal or external shock.
This is because the 2022 budget statement failed to live up to expectations, according to the president.
Addressing the nation on the state of the economy on October 30, President Akufo-Addoannounced that “the budget drawn for the 2022 fiscal year has been thrown out of gear,” thereby disrupting the balance of payments and debt sustainability, as well as further exposing the structural weaknesses of the economy.
With both the Majority and Minority sides in Parliament calling for the removal of Mr Ken Ofori-Atta as the Finance Minister due to the current economic hardships, it is uncertain if any of the sides would boycott the presentation of the budget.
A spokeswoman for the Majority MPs, Andy Appiah-Kubi, said on October 25: “It’s not only the budget that we will boycott, we will no longer be a part of any government business. That is the position we have taken.”
However, days later, the NPP MPs have wavered in their call for Mr Ofori-Atta’s removal after engagements with President Akufo-Addo, who has asked that the Finance Minister be given the opportunity to work.
Meanwhile, after the 2023 budget statement is read, Parliament will commence debate on the budget on Tuesday, November 29, and conclude on Tuesday, December 6.
Ghana legend, Asamoah Gyan says he is convinced about Black Stars‘ chances at the 2022 World Cup that kicked off on Sunday.
The West African country who missed out on the last edition hosted in Russia in 2018 has made a return to the biggest football stage.
Ghana, who are four-time African champions have been housed in Group H alongside Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay.
Despite the difficulty and with many tipping to exit the tournament at the group phase, Gyan, who is the country’s all-time leading goal scorer says the Black Stars who have the youngest squad will make an impact.
According to him, he is convinced about the chances of the team.
“I played in 2006, 2010, and 2014 World Cup, and we always came up against the best teams but we were still able to beat them so I’m confident about Ghana’s chances,” Gyan, who is doing punditry said on SuperSport.
Ghana will open their campaign against Portugal on November 24 at Stadium 974 in Doha.
Four days later, the Black Stars return to action with a clash with South Korea at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan.
Ghana will wrap up their group stage adventure with their much-anticipated encounter with Uruguay at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah.
“During the period, net petroleum revenues totaled $500,119,762.
According to the Petroleum Revenue Management Act (PRMA), Act 815, as modified, this was disclosed.
The largest donation, $226.6 million, was made to the Ghana Stabilization Fund (GSF).
While the Ghana Heritage Fund (GHF) received $97.2 million, the Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA) received $176.3 million.
“The total BR projected for 2018 was $335.86 million. This was exceeded within the third quarter of 2018 to $500.12million. However, sharing the actual petroleum receipts shows significant discrimination against the ABFA. While the ABFA was underfunded (25%), the GSF and GHF were overfunded by 221%,” ACEP explained.
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta failed to comply with the expenditure plan for Ghana’s oil revenue in 2018 in servicing debts, as approved by parliament in the 2017 budget statement, the energy think tank, Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), has said.
ACEP, in its analysis of the 2019 budget statement and economic policy of the government of Ghana presented to parliament by Mr Ofori-Atta on Thursday, 15 November, explained that: “The net petroleum revenue over the period was $500,119,762. This was shared in accordance with the Petroleum Revenue Management Act (PRMA), Act 815, as amended. The Ghana Stabilisation Fund (GSF) received the highest amount of $226.6 million. The Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA) received $176.3 million while the Ghana Heritage Fund (GHF) received $97.2 million.
“The total BR projected for 2018 was $335.86 million. This was exceeded within the third-quarter of 2018 to $500.12million. However, the sharing of the actual petroleum receipts shows significant discrimination against the ABFA. While the ABFA was underfunded (25%), the GSF and GHF were overfunded by 221%.”
It added: “The balance of GSF was in excess of the $300 million cap by the end of 2017. Therefore, any further allocations to the GSF would automatically be transferred to either the contingency or Sinking Fund in accordance with section 23(3) and (4) of the PRMA.
“There was, therefore, no urgency to push more money into the GSF for further transfer into the Sinking Fund for debt servicing when the budgeted ABFA had not been met. The opportunity cost of pushing more money into the GSF is the forgone provision of the much-needed public investment through the ABFA.
“This deliberate engineering to push more petroleum revenues to debt servicing implies that the Minister in 2018 did not comply with the expenditure plan as approved by parliament per the Appropriation Act.”
ACEP further recommended that: “To check the deliberate use of oil revenue for debt servicing at the expense of public investments, the regulations to the PRMA should be passed to define rules for capping the Ghana Stabilization Fund (GSF). This will bring clarity to the basis for capping and remove perceived discretionary powers of the Minister in the treatment of oil revenues and the GSF.
“To prevent encumbrances of unutilized ABFA, the Ministry of Finance must ensure that existing infrastructure projects yet to be completed are adequately funded by the ABFA. Fully utilizing ABFA will prevent time and cost overruns of existing uncompleted projects.
“Linked to the proposed solution to prevent encumbrances on the ABFA is the need for detailed annual expenditure planning with clear timelines for projects under the priority areas. This must be published together with the budget to enable CSOs to track ABFA investments. ACEP proposes that the 2017 ABFA balance should be used to fund one major national project that all citizens can identify with.”
He claims that the tax allows for various taxes on the same amounts.
The more I digest the e-Levy, the angrier I get, he wrote in a tweet. It is an outright scam.
It is a ponzi scheme of taxation that levies several taxes on the same amount of money.
It is obvious government theft, and I will not vote to accept a budget that includes that fee, No!.”
He described it as a ponzi scheme intended to tax the same value of money multiple times.
In a tweet, he said “The more I process the e-Levy, the angrier I get. It is a complete rip off. It is a taxation ponzi scheme designed to tax d same value of money multiple times. It is plain government thievery & I cannot vote to approve a budget that has that levy included. No!”
Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu, has also said the E-levy is a disincentive to the growth of digital economy.
To that end, he said, the Minority will not support it.
Speaking at a post-budget workshop in Ho on Saturday, November 20, he said “Mr Speaker, understandably, we see that the Minister of Finance seeks to introduce some measures including the now popularly declared e-levy or digital levy as some have quite named it.
“Mr Speaker, our concern is whether the e-levy itself is not and will not be a disincentive to the growth of digital economy in our country. We are convinced that the e-levy may as well even be a disincentive to investment and a disincentive to private sector development in our country. We in the minority may not and will not support government with the introduction of that particular e-levy . We are unable to build a national consensus on that particular matter.”
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta announced a new levy to be charged by government in 2022 on all electronic transactions to widen the tax net and rope in the informal sector.
“It is becoming clear there exists enormous potential to increase tax revenues by bringing into the tax bracket, transactions that could be best defined as being undertaken in the ‘informal economy’,” Mr Ofori-Atta observed on Wednesday, November 17 as he presented the 2022 budget statement in Parliament.
“After considerable deliberations, government has decided to place a levy on all electronic transactions to widen the tax net and rope in the informal sector. This shall be known as the ‘Electronic Transaction Levy or E-Levy’.”
He explained that the new E-levy will be a 1.75 per cent charge on all electronic transactions covering mobile money payments, bank transfers, merchant payments and inward remittances to be borne by the sender except inward remittances, which will be borne by the recipient.
This will, however, not affect transactions that add up to GH¢100 pr less per day.
“A portion of the proceeds from the E-Levy will be used to support entrepreneurship, youth employment, cyber security, digital and road infrastructure among others.”
This new levy is scheduled to start Saturday, January 1, 2022.
In 2020, the total value of transactions was estimated to be over GH¢500 million with mobile money subscribers and users growing by 16 percent in 2019.
According to a Bank of Ghana report, Ghana saw an increase of over 120 percent in the value of digital transactions between February 2020 and February 2021 compared to 44 percent for the period February 2019 to February 2020 due to the convenience they offer.
This was definitely heightened by the advent of COVID-19 especially during the lockdown.
The surprisingly successful Utah Jazz will be without veteran point guard Mike Conley for at least the next two weeks after he was diagnosed with a sprained knee.
Conley, 35, is averaging just 10.2 points per game this season for his lowest figure since his rookie season back in the 2007-08 season, but his 7.9 assists per game is setting a new career-high.
His leadership and ball distribution have helped the Jazz to 12-6 record – the best in the Western Conference – in a season where they were expected to bottom-out after trading away max-contract talents Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell in the offseason.
During Utah’s 118-113 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday, Conley left the game after playing only eight minutes, going down awkwardly with a non-contact knee injury.
Sources: Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley Jr. avoided major injury or ligament damage on the non-contact left knee injury suffered Saturday night. He has a knee strain and is expected to miss at least two weeks.
Usually a sign of significant damage, Conley dodged a bullet when it was revealed on Sunday by The Athletic’s Shams Charania that he had only suffered a knee sprain, and could be back in as little as two weeks.
His absence could lead to increased opportunity for Collin Sexton, who has been relegated to a bench role since arriving from the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of the trade for Mitchell.
Fresh off his first NBA Finals MVP, Stephen Curry continued his remarkable season with 33 points (11-of-20 shooting, seven-of-14 from three-point range) and a season-high 15 assists. It was one assist shy of his career high, set back in 2013 and matched in 2014.
But the story was his backcourt partner Klay Thompson, who is shooting a career-worst percentage from both the field (36.3 per cent) and from long-range (33.6 per cent) this season.
He began to right the ship with a stunning 43-point performance, hitting 10 of his 13 three-point attempts on his way to 14-of-23 shooting. It is the sixth game of his career with at least 10 three-pointers in a game, and he also owns the all-time record with 14.
For the Rockets, the third overall selection from this year’s NBA Draft, Jabari Smith Jr, showed exactly why he was so highly coveted. The long-armed, six-foot-11 power forward scored a season-high 22 points on eight-of-14 shooting, hitting three long-balls.
The win is the Warriors’ first on the road this season from nine attempts, giving them an 8-9 record, while the Rockets fell to 3-14.
Durant makes history in Irving’s return
Kevin Durant became the fourth player in NBA history to score at least 25 points in the first 17 games of a season in Sunday’s 127-115 victory against the Memphis Grizzlies.
In the return of Kyrie Irving from his team-imposed suspension, Durant led the Nets with 26 points on nine-of-16 shooting, adding seven rebounds, seven assists, a steal and a block. The last player to score at least 25 in their first 17 games of a season was Rick Barry back in the 1966-67 campaign.
The Nets also benefited from Ben Simmons’ best game since arriving with the team, scoring a season-high 22 points on 11-of-13 shooting with eight rebounds and five assists, boasting a game-high plus/minus of plus 19.
Irving was quiet in his return, hitting five-of-12 shots for 14 points and zero assists with four turnovers.
Fox leads the Kings to sixth win in a row
All five starters hit double figures, led by 33 points from De’Aaron Fox, in Sacramento’s 137-129 win over the Pistons on Sunday 👑 #LightTheBeampic.twitter.com/idgCENXvvE
The Sacramento Kings have now won six games in a row after a 137-129 shootout against the Detroit Pistons.
Sacramento have scored at least 120 points in each of their wins on this streak, highlighted by a 153-point outing against the Nets, which is the most points scored by any team this season.
De’Aaron Fox top-scored with 33 points on 11-of-18 shooting, adding seven assists. After never previously shooting better than 48 per cent in a season, Fox is 55.4 per cent from the field this campaign, and a career-best 37.5 per cent from three.
Damian Lillardwill be sidelined for the Portland Trail Blazers’ next few games after an MRI scan confirmed he suffered a grade one calf strain in Saturday’s 118-113 loss to the Utah Jazz.
The 32-year-old All-Star already missed four games this season with a calf injury, but this issue is in a different area to his previous injury.
The Blazers confirmed on Sunday that Lillard “will be re-evaluated in one to two weeks”, meaning he will likely miss their upcoming games against the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday, the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday and the New York Knicks on Friday.
“An MRI taken Saturday night postgame vs. Utah on Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard revealed a grade one strain to the soleus muscle in the right lower leg,” the Blazers said.
Lillard left Saturday’s game in the third quarter with 13 points from 27 minutes. He said after the game that “the last time was worse”.
“When I first strained it, I knew right away. The reason I took myself out is so hopefully this time we can get ahead of it instead of me staying out there and putting myself in a worse position.”
Kyrie Irving never doubted he would return for the Brooklyn Nets after his team-imposed suspension, while he declined to answer questions about the Israel United in Christ group that turned out at Barclays Center in support of him.
Irving made his NBA return after eight games out due to suspension for sharing a social media post about a book and film with antisemitic tropes, scoring 14 points in 26 minutes in a 127-115 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
The All-Star’s return to the NBA came after a lengthy remediation process that split opinions, involving the Nets, the league, the NBPA and Irving, who also met with key community members.
“Never had a doubt,” Irving responded after the game when asked if he feared the situation may mean he would never play for the Nets again.
On his return, Irving added: “I felt good. I missed my teammates, missed the coaching staff… It felt good to get this game out of the way. Now we can move forward with the rest of the season.”
Prior to the game, approximately 100 members from Israel United in Christ group were outside the venue, chanting and handing out flyers headlined “The Truth About Anti-Semitism” and “The Truth about Slavery”.
The group has been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center yet appeared to be in support of Irving’s social media post that led to his suspension.
“I think that’s a conversation for another day. I’m just here to focus on the game,” Irving said when asked about the group’s presence.
When asked again, he added: “Again I’m just here to focus on the game.”
Boston Celtics swingman and NBPA vice-president Jaylen Brown retweeted a social media video of the group, writing “energy”.
Brown later backtracked on the post, but did not delete it. He wrote: “I was not aware of what specific group that was outside of Barclay’s Center tonight. I was celebrating the unification of our people welcoming the return of Kyrie to the court, first glance I thought it was a known fraternity the (C/Que’s) Omega psi phi (step’n) showing support.”
Ben Simmonshas little doubt what is in store for him when he returns to the Philadelphia 76ers this week, having finally found form with the Brooklyn Nets.
An ugly stand-off between Simmons and the 76ers eventually came to an end in February when he was traded to the Nets in the deal that took James Harden to Philly.
The messy exit was in the best interests of both parties, but Simmons acknowledged there will be little love lost from a typically boisterous Philadelphia crowd when the teams meet on Tuesday.
“In Philly?” Simmons replied with a sarcastic smile when asked if enough time had elapsed that he might not get an unfriendly reception. “Come on now. I know what’s coming.”
Despite his expectations of hostility, Simmons talked up the passion of Philadelphia sports fans.
“One thing about Philly fans, they’re incredible. They’re diehard Philly. I respect that about the city. It’s a sports town,” Simmons said.
“I was 18 years old coming into Philly, so it’s really the only place I’ve lived as an adult. I’ve got a lot of love for that city.
“People don’t know that, but a lot of my best friends are from Philadelphia. My brother still lives in Philadelphia. So, regardless of the [basketball] situation, and whatever happened happened, but I’ve got a lot of love for that city. I look forward to going down there and playing.”
For Simmons, the timing of the game could hardly be better given he is starting to find his groove again.
Coming off a season-best performance against the Portland Trail Blazers last time out, Simmons went even better with 22 points, eight rebounds and five assists as the Nets downed the Memphis Grizzlies 127-115 on Sunday.
It means he has 37 points, 21 rebounds and 12 assists over his past two games. It took him until the 10th game this season to even put up a double-figure points return, while the last time he had a 20-point game was with the 76ers in the first round of the 2021 playoffs.
“It takes time,” Simmons said about his improvement.
“I’m just trying to build my consistency. Stay focused on what I can do. I know what I can do. I know what I’m capable of. I’m not surprised [I’m playing well].”
When singer Elsie Duncan-Williams Otoo took to the stage at this year’s Rhythms On Da Runway at the Grand Arena, participants were wowed by her melodious voice.
For a moment, fans confused Elsie, the daughter of famous preacher, Nicholas Duncan-Williams with Mona4Reall, a Ghanaian socialite and singer known for her hit single ‘Fine Girl’.
Singer Elsie Otoo is the first daughter of the founder of Action Chapel International, Archbishop Duncan-Williams.
She is married to the head pastor of Action Chapel North America, Bishop Dr. Kibby Otoo.
Social media users also reacting to videos of Elsie’s performance commented that she resembles Mona4Reall.
Also, Elsie was joined on stage by Dancehall musician Shatta Wale as she performed his hit single, Bullet to participants of this year’s runway show organized by KOD.
The 10th edition of Rhythms On Da Runway brought together seasoned Ghanaian singers and celebrities under one roof. The likes of Shatta Wale, Empress Gifty, Kuami Eugene, and MzVee graced the stage with runway appearances from Shatta Michy, Kalybos, Okyeame Kwame, and Fiifi Coleman among others.
Watch Elsie’s performance in the video captured by Ronnieiseverywhere below:
Watch Elsie Duncan-Williams Otoo and Shatta Wale’s performance
According to Blacko who was born and raised at Konongo Zongo in the Ashanti Region, he started doing dancehall from the unset because the genre had a big impact on the youth in his vicinity.
Speaking all the way from London in a virtual interview on Asaase Radio in Accra, Black Sherifsaid his mother introduced him to Highlife but his father introduced him to Reggae music.
“When I started doing music the first song I wrote was dancehall so I would say that I was a dancehall artiste back then at Konongo Zongo,” he said in an interview monitored by MyNewsGh.com’s Amansan Krakye.
He continued “The truth is that most of the youth in my vicinity when I was growing up used to listen to dancehall music so it had a big impact on me as well.
“In fact dancehall music is so huge among the youth in the Zongos across the country but my mum first made me listen to Highlife songs and my dad mostly listened to reggae music,” he told the host.
The 85-year-old actor delivered a speech and a stage play in the presence of the 60,000 spectators present at the stadium.
Interacting with a physically challenged Qatari on stage, the Hollywood actor’s message was centered on unity, as captured in the opening theme, “We are all one tribe.”
“What unites us here is so much greater than what divides us. What brings together nations also brings together communities,” parts of his speech read.
Morgan Freeman is about to enter the World Cup. Inside the Al Bayt stadium tunnel ahead of the opening ceremony here in #Qatar2022pic.twitter.com/nxJnsAzONB
The school Michael Blacksonbuilt for his hometown in Ghana is scheduled to open its doors to students in January. In a Twitter post on Wednesday, the 49-year-old comedian and actor also announced that admission is free for everyone.
“My village is so excited about their new school I built,” Blackson shared alongside a video of the edifice. “Opens January and it’s free for them all.”
As previously reported by Face2Face Africa, Blackson cut sod for the school project after he returned home in 2020. Taking to his Instagram, the Meet the Blacks actor shared a video of the supposed site currently under construction. “Only thing that matters to me are the kids,” he captioned at the time. “Education can help them understand everything so I’m building them a school in my village. By the grace of God they will be in class next year.”
In the video, Blacksonwas surrounded by some excited kids and was also in the company of Ghanaian Afrobeats star Fuse ODG, assuring them the educational facility would be completed soon.
Blackson’s initiative follows a similar gesture by Lil Jon. The award-winning rapper and producer has so far built two schools in the West African nation.
“I’m all about helping children,” he told CNN in 2019. “Children are our future and every child deserves to have an environment where they can learn and flourish and gain knowledge.”
According to the musician, he was inspired to provide support when he visited the West African nation in 2017.
“When I saw the conditions where these children were trying to learn, one community they had a big mango tree and two classes were sitting under the mango tree and that’s not a condition conducive with learning,” he said. “Kids are going to get distracted, plus it’s extremely hot. It compelled me to want to do more.”
He added that being a father was also a contributing factor. “Children shouldn’t have to suffer for any reason,” he told CNN. “One of these kids could grow up to be a scientist, a lawyer, an astronaut, the president of their country. I could create an environment where all these things could happen.”
The biggest outdoor party in the whole of Africa, the annual Skuuls Reunion, makes a big return after many years of repackaging, poised to prove it has not lost the shine in any of its many accolades.
Skuuls Reunion returns after a five-year break and is now spearheaded by Hitz FM, a sister brand of Joy FM, with the support of all the brands from the Multimedia Group.
According to the General Manager for Sales and Customer Service, this change was necessitated by the change in the demographics and psychographics of the patrons of the event, and there is also the promise of outdooring additional offerings soon to satisfy the needs of other outstanding cohorts.
And come Saturday, November 26, the gathering of old school pals will rock the capital’s El Wak Sports Stadium, packing all the fun-filled and exciting experiences known to be associated with it.
From 10 am when it kicks off on Saturday, games like the five-a-side soccer competition, arm wrestling, 50-metre dash, tug-of-war, and jama competition, plus the newly introduced wine glass & tissue challenge and water cup challenge will take centre stage.
The games and competitions will ease off into a rap competition, which itself will blend into the evening of great music and dances.
If ever there was a platform to find a long-lost school pal, mark the date – Saturday, November 26, 2022. It is your best chance to meet and reminisce about the old times.
Household acts Stonebwoy, Kuami Eugene and Keche will lead the star-studded list of artistes to dish out danceable and favourite tunes, with the trio of DJs Andy Dosty, Black and Bredash mixing things at the turntables to do what they do best.
Individual old students whose performances will be adjudged best will win the amazing prizes to be at stake for their alma mater, plus, organisers have promised mouth-watering prizes to all participating schools.
Over the years, the annual Skuuls Reunion has served as the platform that unites former schoolmates and classmates, with friends who may have been separated and never seen each other for decades, coming together once again, for fun, and to share fond memories of school days. Here is where their voices blend into otherwise forgotten catcalls, guy names and forbidden chants.
But there is also business to be done, for beyond the fun, mates catch up on how fairly or otherwise life has dealt dear ones, and what opportunities may avail good friends.
Headline sponsor for the 2022 Hitz FM Skuuls Reunion, Enterprise Life, (“The Thoroughbred”) says it has a tailor-packaged insurance policy – Alumni by Enterprise – for all old-school associations.
The group policy which covers the death of the policyholder, the spouse and two dependents, also provides ready intervention in times of critical illness (conditions or sicknesses in which death is possible or likely to occur), as well as total permanent disability (anything a policyholder should reasonably be able to do based on training, education or experience but cannot do because of damage to an organ or a limb).
The policy aims to help members deal with perils and losses when they happen, it also standardises the payout in times of bereavement and losses, as well as foster brotherliness by ensuring that a member has a fallback when scheduled association dues or emergency fundraisers are announced.
The likes of BTS’ K-pop superstar, Jeon Jungkook, and Qatari singer Fahad Al-Kubaisi, took the centre stage to thrill the thousands of spectators present at the stadium.
But chancing on experts of the colourful opening ceremony which has been touted the best since World Cup’s inception, fans have established that it would have been a historical moment for Davido to have been present on such a huge platform.
Davido was scheduled to perform the ‘Hayya Hayya (Better Together) Official World Cup song with American singer, Trinidad Cardona, and Japanese singer Aisha.
However, due to the demise of his son, Davidowas absent at the Al Bayt Stadium in Qatar where the 2022 World Cup opening is being held.
The ‘Champion Sound’ hitmaker who is said to have been in a destabilized state ever since he lost his son, Ifeanyi, has postponed all his concerts.
He is yet to either speak or make a public appearance following the demise of his 3-year-old son.
Read the tweets below:
World Cup day !!! Official theme song. Davido x Trinidad x Aliyah.
Davido would have been performing today. His Instagram story would have been lit 🔥. I always visit his IG twice a day just to watch his videos. Miss him 🥹
If not for the unfortunate incident that happened @Davido is supposed to be at Qatar 🇶🇦 by now preparing and doing sounds check for his first ever official World Cup live Performance..🥺‼️It’s
Well 😪 God Is Your Strength ✊001👑 pic.twitter.com/91jdty5ctl
The World Cup opening with Davido performing is something I was looking out for but things happen. We don’t have control over.
I pray he comes out finer, saner & better.
A Better Time ahead. Stay strong @davido.
We hope to see him live at Adeleke’s swearing in in Osun. pic.twitter.com/pCxcPTs4Xs
Since the emergence of Blacko on the Ghanaian music scene, he has gained the attention of a lot of music lovers, especially for his back-to-back hit songs which are mostly drilled songs.
Revealing what influenced his love for drill music on Asaase Radio in Accra, Black Sherif said the Asakaa Boys from Kumasi made him decide on that path after the popular Kumerica movement.
“I would give all the credit to the Asakaa Boys because they really made drill popular all over Africa and even in Kenya they are now doing drill songs,” he said monitored by MyNewsGh.com’s Amansan Krakye.
“I fell in love with drill music after listening to the Asakaa Boys so I would say that they influenced what I’m doing because it had some energy and vibe in there which got my attention,” Black Sherif told the host in a virtual interview from London.
Asakaa, or Ghana drill, is one of the hottest sounds coming from Africa at the moment and there are hopes it could replicate the recent global success of Nigerian Afrobeats and South African Amapiano.
Qatar head coach Felix Sanchez says his side felt “backed and supported” despite a mass exodus from fans during a 2-0 defeat to Ecuador in their first ever World Cup match.
Enner Valencia spoiled the party with a first-half double in the opening match of the tournament at Al Bayt Stadium on Sunday.
Valencia also had an early goal contentiously disallowed by the VAR for offside, but Qatar were well beaten and failed to register a shot on target in a lacklustre display.
They become the first home nation to lose the opening match of a World Cup, and many members of the crowd were clearly not impressed as they made an early exit in the second half.
Sanchez is focused on trying to made Qatar more competitive rather than bemoaning fans not sticking with their side, with Group A encounters against the Netherlands and Senegal to come.
“Truth be told, I have enough work to do to take a look at it,” the Spaniard said.
“We felt backed and supported and we hope for the next game, people will feel prouder and keep supporting us to the end of the tournament.
“The atmosphere was great, people were very much looking forward to this game.”
“We knew [a loss] could happen and the result can sometimes be difficult. We will try to learn from today and I’m completely sure we will make people feel more happy with our performance.”
Qatar never got going and Sanchez offered no excuses for such a flat performance.
“There’s no excuse, we want to congratulate our opponents, they deserved to win,” he added.
“There is a lot of room for improvement. Maybe the responsibility and nerves got the best of us. We didn’t start well. It was a terrible start.”
Speaking about how he ventured into music, the ‘Second Sermon’ hitmaker disclosed that at some point during his school days he realized that he wasn’t performing academically.
“At some point during my Senior High School days I realized that my performance in academics was nothing good to write home about,” he said sighted by Amansan Krakye of MyNewsGh.com
He added, “And looking at my results I saw that it wasn’t good enough and so I knew I wouldn’t do well in my final exams and that’s when I told myself that I need a plan B”.
In a virtual interview on Accra-based Asaase Radio, Blacko who was speaking from London said realizing that he was about to fail his final exams, he decided to come up with an alternative to his education.
He narrated “I remember that in my SHS days I used to play beat on tables with my hand for my friends to sing and rap with it so one day I decided to do a freestyle and they loved it so that was when I decided to try it.
“My first time in the studio was somewhere in the year 2019 and the experience was something else and after I completed SHS in June 2019 I decided to venture into music full-time,” he concluded.
It is another big day in the life of our SuperstarDavido as he clocks 30 years old today
The singer turns a year older today, the 21st of November and is now 30 years old. This also marks his 11th year in the music industry since he broke out at the age of 19.
Last year proved to be one of the best ever birthday celebrations by a Nigeria celebrity as the superstar showed how selfless he really is.
However, this year has taught Davido another life long lesson, one that is big enough to let any human down for a long time but we all know he deserves way more than that.
Davido who has been off social media and is yet to make any public appearance since the death of his 3 years old son, Ifeanyi Adeleke, who tragically passed away on October 31, 2022 after drowning in a private swimming pool at the Banana Island residence of the celebrity.
Born in a strong Christian home, she stated that her picture was put before the church and prayed against her kind of talent, as they believed it is not from God.
In an interview on Prime Morning, with Asieduwaa Akumia on Friday, she indicated that her church members thought she was possessed and her kind of music is demonic.
“I remember they put my picture in the church and prayed over it that my music shouldn’t work and nothing should work for me,” she said.
Touching on her relationship with her family, her father to be precise, she mentioned that everything is much fantastic between them
“we’re cool, though, in the beginning, it wasn’t easy,” she said
The hip-hop rapper went on to reveal how she ran away from home to be able to establish her music career
She said, “I was hiding it in the beginning. I hid it to the point that I couldn’t hide it anymore because I was on TV and everywhere, and it became an issue. I had to run away from the house.”
Even though she could not listen to secular music at home, she had the ambition to become a rapper.
The rap goddess listed Abrewa Nana and Mzbel as her inspiration for making music
She charged the public to stop judging secular musicians by their appearance, saying everyone is different in their way.
Six months before Liverpool hosts the song contest on behalf of Ukraine, about 12,000 fans travelled to Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome to see acts from competitions gone by perform.
Granted, some songs have stood the test of time more than others, but Loreen’s 2012 hit Euphoria had the crowd bouncing 10 years later.
“It was needed then, and it’s needed now,” she tells BBC News backstage at Het Grote Songfestivalfeest (The Big Songfestival Party).
“Euphoria has some sort of deepness to it that touches people on a real level,” she says. “Some songs just connect.”
The 39-year-old is often credited with changing the direction of Eurovision after her success, and there are rumours she could be trying to represent Sweden again in 2023.
Image source, Nathan ReindsImage caption, Loreen headlined the event and her song Euphoria can still bring people to the dance floor 10 years on
Image source, Nathan ReindsImage caption, Eurovision is much more than a Saturday night TV show in May for millions of fans
Eurovision-related events outside of May, when the contest is held, was something Israel’s winner Netta had no idea about when she competed four years ago.
“There wasn’t any career before that. I was singing in bars and just trying to make a living in a very modest way, trying to sing back-up, singing covers at weddings,” she tells BBC News.
“I went from anonymity to stardom, and everything changed for a girl who’d calculate the amount of money – ‘What do I buy, milk or beer?’, to people from Amsterdam calling me saying, ‘We want to fly you here, how many people do you need?’.”
She admits, though, it’s “a challenge” to get fans to like her non-Eurovision material, but says she’s working in America with music producers to try to change that.
Image source, Nathan ReindsImage caption, Netta says Liverpudlians should prepare for everyone to be on their “top game” when Eurovision comes next May
Image source, Nathan ReindsImage caption, Duncan Laurence’s hit Arcade went viral during lockdown
It can be tricky, after performing in front of 160 million viewers, to get people around the world to listen to future releases after Eurovision.
“To me it was always a dream to be known as a musician on a global scale,” Dutch singer Laurence explains. “The biggest moment was when we hit the one billion streams on all platforms, and I got this award on stage in Rotterdam at Eurovision that I brought to The Netherlands.”
“You have to explain it’s not X Factor, it’s not The Voice, it’s way bigger. Once it’s in their head, they’re like: ‘I want to watch this’.”
The 28-year-old says American audiences see him as a new singer-songwriter, who are largely unaware of the world’s largest live music event, but he’s proud to be part of the three acts “finally” getting Eurovision songs to chart in America.
Image source, Nathan ReindsImage caption, Ukraine has always scored well at Eurovision and its 2022 winner, Kalush Orchestra, had huge public support
Image source, Nathan ReindsImage caption, In the first few months of the Ukraine invasion, Jamala sang her winning song, 1944, on various TV shows around Europe
As well as Loreen, Netta and Laurence, the Netherlands gig allowed fans to see two winning Ukrainian acts, including this year’s Kalush Orchestra.
The crowd roared every time an act shouted “Slava Ukraini” (glory to Ukraine).
Jamala, who won in 2016 for her song about the 1944 deportation of Crimean Tatars, was dressed in the country’s flag of yellow and blue for her performance.
“I know there are many people here tonight with light in their heart,” she said on stage.
“Please share it with my country and stand with Ukraine.”
Image source, Nathan ReindsImage caption, Lordi’s dressing room backstage was reminiscent of a PE changing room
Image source, Nathan ReindsImage caption, Johnny Logan has won the song contest twice, in 1980 and 1987, as well as writing the winning 1992 entry
Standing with Eurovision fans is something Ireland’s Johnny Logan will always do, telling the crowd: “Thank you for my life”.
“The people out there that love Eurovision opened up the whole world to me,” the 68-year-old tells BBC News.
“These days I sell out everywhere I work. A lot of people have to ask the question, ‘If he’s still around, why?’ – and I can still deliver.
“When you stand up in the middle of this, I’m very humbled when I step back from the microphone and let the crowd take over the chorus”.
Like Loreen, Logan is a Eurovision legend – and just with fans, with fellow winners too.
Alexander Rybak, 2009’s winner for Norway, interrupts our interview to say goodbye to Logan.
“I just had to hug,” he says. “Johnny Logan is not just my favourite Eurovision singer, but my favourite heart-warming singer. He has heart.
“A lot of artists use music to promote their talent but Johnny uses his talent to promote music.”
Image source, Nathan ReindsImage caption, Alexander Rybak says Norway loves Johnny Logan, 30 years after he last competed in Eurovision
Image source, Nathan ReindsImage caption, Conchita Wurst claimed to have sound problems during Rise Like A Phoenix
Planning for next year’s competition in Liverpool is already under way, but it’ll be a while yet before it’s known which act will be representing the United Kingdom.
Sam Ryder, after his success coming second this year, has already ruled himself out. He became one of the UK’s best ambassadors for the competition in Turin, constantly talking about the love and togetherness it brings.
Loreen ends the night by agreeing with the Space Man singer, telling the BBC: “It has opened up my career and I’ve met so many wonderful people.
“I have been able to do what I love the most, and it’s thanks to Eurovision.”
Fabio Capello, the opera-loving manager of England, banned the team’s official World Cup single. The days of players standing in recording studios with headphones draped around their necks were over.
The following year, as the tournament took place in South Africa, Dizzee Rascal and James Corden topped the charts with Shout (Shout for England), a World Cup version of a Tears For Fears classic. The song was not officially endorsed by the Football Association, or indeed by lovers of music. (NME’s review: “Almost as bad as England’s showing in South Africa.”)
Qatar 2022 is the fourth World Cup in a row to which England have headed without an official song. Some might argue that this is a good thing, but for many, the squad single was a crucial part of the excitement of the build-up, a footballing equivalent of who is doing the next Bond theme.
Of course, there will always be numerous unofficial novelty singles released each time, attempting to cash in and become the next Vindaloo (the Fat Les song which reached number two during France ’98). These are normally about as enjoyable as opening a packet of World Cup Stickers and getting all doublers.
The last official England World Cup song was World At Your Feet by Embrace, for Germany 2006. It made number three in the charts, but did always had a touch of the Oasis-must-have-said-no feeling about it.
There are several reasons for the decline of the official World Cup squad single.
Image caption, Kevin Keegan with the England Football team on Top of the Pops in 1982
Firstly, players take themselves more seriously now and are less likely to make themselves available.
The signs were already there back in 1990, when only six of the squad turned up for the recording of the classic World In Motion with New Order. If you have never heard Peter Beardsley’s attempt at the John Barnes rap, please treat yourself now.
Another problem for new football songs is that when it comes to the charts, World Cups are now very much like Christmas – the same songs return every time.
Streaming has turned Three Lions into the All I Want For Christmas Is You of major tournaments. Originally released for the 1996 Euros, it has also returned to number one during two different World Cups (1998 and 2018).
This year, a winter World Cup will make things particularly congested, because football and festive songs will be going head-to-head for the first time.
David Baddiel and Frank Skinner are trying to navigate this by taking on themselves, with an updated sleighbell-ridden Three Lions, now with added brackets (It’s Coming Home For Christmas).
The song is full of references to the Lionesses success at the Women’s World Cup and self-deprecating lyrics (“A football Christmas song / Not at all demeaning”).
Image source, Joe MagowanImage caption, Three Lions, by Baddiel, Skinner and the Lightning Seeds has become England’s staple World Cup anthem
The decline of the squad single is not just an English problem, it has affected the tournament as a whole.
This year it appears that, of the 32 competing nations, only the six listed below have officially-endorsed team songs. That is not even a full quarter-finals line-up.
Wales: Yma o Hyd – Dafydd Iwan and Ar Log
Figure caption, Warning: Third party content may contain adverts
The last time Wales played at a World Cup was 1958 and the best-selling single of the year was Elvis Presley’s Jailhouse Rock. A nation famous for their love of singing was not going to pass up this chance to celebrate in song.
Dafydd Iwan’s Yma o Hyd, which translates as “We’re Still Here”, was originally released in 1983 and has grown in stature over the years. The stirring anthem has long been a favourite of Welsh Nationalists and football fans.
Instead of cringey shots of players miming in the video, the squad is shown singing along during on the pitch celebrations after qualification.
There is even a little something for Scotland fans; a section of the video highlighting “low moments in Welsh football history” includes a flying Alan Rough save from John Toshack in a crucial qualifier in 1977.
Spain: Toke – Chanel
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No footballer has failed a drugs test at the World Cup since Diego Maradona in 1994. Spain calling their official team single Toke might have raised some eyebrows amongst FIFA officials. Fear not, it translates as “Touch”.
The song, which combines R&B and Latin rhythms, is performed by Chanel Terrero, who came third in this year in Eurovision with SloMo.
She told El Mundo that in the video she is “booty hypnotic” and the dance routines certainly use more complicated formations than Barcelona under Pep Guardiola.
A translation of the lyrics combines hedonism (“Tequila shot we go crazy”) with football (“Iniesta making the goal” – a reference to when Spain won their only World Cup). A shot of two women kissing may limit its chances of being played in the host country.
Ghana: Black Stars (Bring Back the Love) – G.F.A x King Promise
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Billed as G.F.A x King Promise, it is worth pointing out that G.F.A. are not a dance act, but rather the Ghana Football Association.
King Promise, who they recruited to provide their official song, is a genuine Afrobeat star, one who is nominated for Best African Act at this year’s Mobo Awards.
Black Stars (Bring Back The Love) is a rather enjoyable listen and does not shy away from name checking the players, loyally claiming “Jordan Ayew he be top striker”, although in 14 Premier League games for Crystal Palace this season he has yet to score.
The couplet “You know is a party / And we have Thomas Partey” means that Ghana is more likely to win the World Cup than this song is to pick up an Ivor Novello Song writing Award.
Belgium: Warrior – Oscar and the Wolf
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Belgium are number two in the FIFA World Rankings. Their World Cup song has also made it to number two in the Belgian charts.
Warrior is a dramatic heartfelt electro-pop anthem, chosen by the Belgium Football Association because of its subject matter – dealing with overcoming your fears.
“Baby I’m a champion / no matter what they say about me,” goes the chorus, something that is hard to apply to the national team when they are one of the great under-achievers in international football, having never won a tournament.
The Belgian manager Roberto Martinez has said the lyrics have a “transcendent quality that makes us want to fight in the noble sense of the word”. These were not words he used in 2013 when he was the Wigan manager and there was a song released to celebrate their FA Cup Final appearance called The Wigan Wiggle.
Netherlands: Mijn Oranje Hart – Mart Hoogkamer
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The Dutch FA turned to TV to pick their official anthem, using a popular show called I Want Your Song, where writers pitch tunes to well- known acts.
Last month, there was a World Cup special and Mart Hoogkamer, a runner up on Holland’s Got Talent, was paired with Minj Oranje Hart, which translates as My Orange Heart. It was quite a spectacle.
In the studio, Matt sang what sounded like an 80s Eurovision soft rock ballad with a blistering intensity, while saxophones were played between goalposts, the audience started an impromptu conga and grown men wore plastic cheeses on their heads.
The country that gave us Total Football, now endearingly engaging in total nonsense.
Denmark: Skulder Ved Skulder – The SuperNature, Burhan G, Men’s National Team
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No country has done more to try and preserve the official team single this World Cup than Denmark, having enticed the whole squad into the recording studio and making it look like they were having a lot of fun.
Skulder Ved Skulder translates as “Shoulder to Shoulder”, and Kasper Schmeichel translates as John Barnes, because the former Leicester keeper takes on not one, but two solos in the song.
The sight of a player, who has 86 caps and has won both the Premier League and FA Cup, holding a sheet of paper while wearing headphones and singing “I promise forever that I’ll stand up for you”, with his vocals bathed in Autotune, gives hope to those who want to believe that the official team single can return to former glories in the future.
Adele has thanked fans for “coming back” to her on the opening night of her delayed Las Vegas residency.
The singer praised fans who had waited nearly a year for her rescheduled performance.
She received a standing ovation when she walked on stage at Caesars Palace on Friday, and described the show as “just perfect”.
The set on the Colosseum stage “looked just like I imagined”.
In an emotional speech, the 34-year-old singer opened the show by telling fans she should be giving them a standing ovation, a she said she “might be a bit wobbly at times”.
Some in the audience had waited 11 months to see the artist after the five-month run of shows, that should have started in January, were postponed at a day’s notice because of a Covid outbreak among production staff and delays in finishing the set.
The singer had announced the postponement on Instagram, telling fans in a tearful message the show was “not ready”.
At the concert on Friday, she said: “My nerves are out of control” as she joked that it was a massive week for her with the Walking Dead finale on Sunday.
Her first song of the evening was her 2015 number one single Hello, after which she received another standing ovation.
Easy On Me, Set Fire To The Rain and Someone Like You also made it onto the set list.
John Katsilometes, a columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal who was at the gig, praised the singer’s performance, calling it “a pretty special night”.
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, ‘Weekends with Adele’ will run for five months
He told the BBC’s Today programme: “She crushed it. It was a pretty special night for Adele and everyone in the room tonight.
“There were a great deal of nerves and trepidation in that room tonight, especially from Adele when she came out – and she delivered.
“She was impressive, and gave a warm and complete performance. I don’t think she could have asked for any more than what she delivered tonight.”
Fans Ryan Fuller, 38, from San Francisco, said the show was “beautiful” and “worth the wait”.
‘Weekends with Adele’ will be on until March.
She joins a string of artists taking up the coveted residency, including Elton John, Cher and The Beach Boys.
But once the residency is over, the singer said she will put a pause on performing to study English Literature at university.
Empress Gifty has heaped praises on her husband, Hopeson Adorye, as today November 20, 2022, marks his 53rd birthday.
The gospel singer has taken to Instagram to eulogize and pour out her heart to her husband with an emotional message.
Asides praising her ‘sweet’ husband, Empress Gifty also thanked God for giving her what she described as a “humble, loving and affectionate” man who is every woman’s dream.
“You are every woman’s dream to have a man like you as a husband, my luv you make marriage soo simple and enjoyable, awww God what shall I say unto the Lord, my joy, my luv, my happiness, my husband I luv u HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO U.”
Meanwhile, the likes of Afia Schwarzenegger, Mzbel, and others have also sent out their warm wishes to the staunch NPP politician.
In the case of Afia Schwarzenegger, she shared a photo of Mr. Hopeson Adorye on social media with the caption;
“God bless your new age..Happy blessed birthday Daddy @hopesonadorye.”
Earlier, the likes of Afia Schwarzenegger and Kontihene once alleged that Kwabena Kwabena introduced Ahuofe Patricia to drugs and camped the actress at an undisclosed area in Kokrobite.
She also claimed that the actress’ family wasn’t in support of her relationship with Kwabena Kwabena.
But touching on these claims, the popular actress during a discussion on United Showbiz said;
“I don’t even know him like that. The whole thing was a surprise to me and everybody. It was news to me too because I don’t know where all that came from. They were all created in people’s minds. People were doing so much detective work. He is someone I know. I’d say I know him just as I know Wendy Shay. I have met him too, just as I have met you, Abeiku. We are all in the entertainment industry.”
One can recall that earlier in an interview with Delay, Kwabena Kwabena labelled these allegations as false adding that, he never even shared a residence with Ahuofe Patricia.
Medikal recently deleted all posts on his Instagram Page as well as his wife. The rapper was also suspended from Twitter following new policies on impersonation.
Speculations claimed that the Instagram cleanup by the couple was due to their marital issues.
But what if it was a stunt to promote the Society EP?
The conference from what we gather was attended by Parties of the UNFCCC, which is simply referred to as COP27.
Nakeeyat, as always, left the respected personalities at the summit dumbfounded after delivering a powerful address at the Informal Stocktaking Plenary.
Her powerful and well-articulated address touched the hearts of the participants so much that she was given a standing ovation when she quickly finished speaking.
The dignitaries at the summit were seen on their feet applauding and appreciating the depth of her delivery.
Many people made this assertion because the release of the song was coincidentally around the time Abena Korkor took to social media to make some wild against Nana Aba, Serwaa Amihere, and the NPP’s former General Secretary, John Boadu.
One personality who has openly indicated that he was not happy with the manner Wendy Shay somehow bullied the Gh One TV presenters is Kwame A Plus.
On UTV’s United Show which aired on Saturday, November 19, 2022, the leader of the TPP Movement told Wendy Shay in the face that song was below the belt, especially, when a lot of people fought for her at the time she was being abused when she started her music career in Ghana.
In a response to this suggestion, Wendy Shay for the first time denied that the song was in any way directed at Nana Aba Anamoah and Serwaa.
According to her, she only recorded the song to highlight the plight of the everyday Ghanaian and also to assure people that things will be better.
The ‘Survivor’ hitmaker also indicated that the lyrics in the song which appear to be a reference to the two media personalities really have nothing to do with them.
Watch the video of Wendy Shay making this clarification below…
The actress who became very popular for her role in the skit, ‘Boys Kasa’ was a panelist on the popular United Showbiz entertainment review show, which aired every Saturday, November 19, 2022.
Ahouf3 Patri was wearing an elegant white and black attire that had her flaunting her cleavage.
Another thing that could not be missed in her look was her signature short hairstyle.
Even though she looked very pretty, a lot of netizens were not happy about the manner she decided to put her cle@vage on display for a program that was aired live on TV.
Many of the people who were commenting on the photo questioned her motive for sharing such photos.
Others also criticized Ahouf3 Patri for wearing too much makeup, which made her appearance look quite old than her beautiful young self.
One commenter who goes by the name Dorothy Wi-Afedzi wrote: ‘Did she dress like this to appear on utv for a program? If yes,then the station should be concern about what people wear on air, since people watch globally.’
Another person who also goes by the name Millicent Korkor wrote: ‘You’re very beautiful without makeup. Initially, I thought it was Destiny Etiko. This makeup doesn’t look good on you.’
