The Member of Parliament of Akyem Oda Constituency has urged the Interior Ministry to make a commitment towards the building of a befitting edifice to house the Divisional Command of the Ghana Police Service which is headquartered in Akyem Oda.
Alexander Akwasi Acquah’s call was made when the Minister of Interior, Ambrose Derry, appeared before Parliament to answer questions from some MPs.
The Akyem Oda MP had filed to ask the Minister what effort his ministry was making to accommodate the Oda Divisional Police Command in a very appropriate premises as the command has been operating in a rented apartment since it was created.
In his answer, the minister recounted that the Police Administration was allocated 89.81 acres of land in 1979 through an executive instrument.
The minister revealed that a group of Oda citizens resident in the United States of America (USA) has proposed to construct the Divisional Police Headquarters on the allocated land.
The Minister said the Police Command is however yet to engage the leadership of the association to discuss the way forward.
Mr Akwasi Acquah said even though he has confidence in his constituents’ commitment to help the Police Administration in constructing the command’s headquarters, the minister must give a firm commitment and assurance to his people on the construction of the edifice.
He also wanted to know if the Minister was aware that portions of the allocated land had been encroached upon and any further delays of the project could affect the size of the allocated lands.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumani Babgin, intervened and assured the MP that the assurance committee of parliament was available to ensure that the minister’s promises are upheld.
Ghana is known for its unique traditional system. Indeed, it is what was used to govern in the pre-colonial days before the arrival of the Europeans and other Colonial countries.
Following their arrival, there came more formal governmental systems; the three Arms of Government comprising – The Executive made up of the President and his cabinet, the Legislature made up of parliament and the Judiciary which is the court system.
But the traditional system of governance still exists and is very important. In Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, the chieftaincy institution is recognised and accorded its autonomy in Chapter 22.
It among other things guarantees the institution, speaks about the constitution and functions of the National House of Chiefs, Regional House of Chiefs, roles of Chiefs and rules that guide the implementation of customary laws.
Chapter 22, Article 270 (1)
(1) The institution of chieftaincy, together with its traditional councils as established by customary law and usage, is hereby guaranteed.
Chiefs are seen as gatekeepers between the central government and their subjects, contribute extensively towards development and help promote peace and tranquility through customary laws.
The Asantehene is considered the most powerful monarch in the country by many.
His authority and influence in many issues cannot be understated. However, over time, there has been a debate about his title as many describe him as a King whereas all others are described as paramount Chiefs and other divisional chiefs.
There have been a number of reasons associated with these debates. Whilst some maintain the Asantehene is above all others on the traditional heirachy, some others say there is no legal backing to that argument.
In this piece, we take a look at both sides that have been raised;
The Asantehene is the only King in Ghana:
This has been posited by some persons over the period. In the past, there were Kings in Ghana who ruled over kingdoms. The Nayire for instance, ruled over the Mamprusi kingdom and the Asantehene over the Ashanti Kingdom.
With time, the Asantes have maintained this title and reverence and maintain same till this day. The current Asantehene is Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II, born Nana Kwaku Dua, ascended as the 16th Asante king in April 1999 and has since been acknowledged as a King by particularly the Asantes. He is in direct succession to the 17th-century founder of the Ashanti Empire, Otumfuo Osei Tutu I.
Among arguments raised as to why the position and heirachy of Otumfuo cannot be questioned, it has been said that the Otumfuo is in charge of other paramountcies under him and has power to control same even beyond the Ashanti Region.
He is also said to be the only chief in Ghana who can enstool or destool a paramount chief.
The Asantehene is also said to be given authority over all lands in the Ashanti Region and also confers titles onto paramount chiefs under him.
Per this argument, it is suggested that the Asantehene cannot be a paramount chief if he has such authority over other paramount chiefs.
Otumfuo is legally not recognized as a King by the constitution:
The other school of thought suggests that though Otumfuo may be duely recognized as King by his subjects – The Asantes, he cannot be recognized as a king in the whole of Ghana.
The 1992 Constitution guarantees the Chieftaincy institution and the customary laws but does not define a chief as a king.The law (Article 277) only provides that every chief be installed as a chief but does not mention a king.
The same chapter defines a chief as ‘a person, who, hailing from the appropriate family and lineage, has been validly nominated, elected or selected and enstooled, enskinned or installed as a chief or queen mother in accordance with the relevant customary law and usage’.
Beyond this, Section 58 of the Chieftaincy Act, 2008 (Act 759) makes mention of the Asantehene.
Here, it’s a bit tricky because whereas the Act groups all paramount chiefs as one, it clearly mentions the Asantehene.
It states;
The following are the categories of chiefs;
a – The Asantehene and Paramount Chiefs,
b – Divisional Chiefs
c – Sub-divisional Chiefs,
d – Adikrofo, and
e – other chiefs recognized by the National House
Regardless, it doesn’t still define the Asantehene as a King considering the prefix says;
“the categories of Chiefs”.
It is no doubt however that, the Asantehene is considered powerful and very influential in both social and critical national issues. He is usually seen at major state ceremonies and has interacted and met with basically every Head of State during his reign.
His comments come after a member of the Ghana Music Awards UK team confirmed the arrest of Ghanaian socialite and musician Hajia4Real in the UK.
According to Arnold, it is too early to be judgmental about Hajia4real’s ordeal, especially when the full details of the arrest remain unknown. He cited the arrest incidence of Ghanaian highlife musician Daasebre Dyamena in 2016 in the UK.
“Do you remember when Daasebre was arrested? It was all over. A week or two after I admonished Ghanaians to slow down on the case, Daasebre was released back to Ghana. So I will plead with Ghanaians on how they are reacting to the issue, especially on Twitter,” he stated.
“Let us take our time and wait for the details of the matter before we run commentary and jump to conclusions. Because some of the comments will be really uncouth for close allies of Hajia4Real,” he explained.
In multiple reports which surfaced online on Friday, November 11, Hajia4Real was arrested in the United Kingdom due to her involvement in an alleged $8M fraud during her visit to the United States a couple of months ago.
It has been revealed that the “Fine Girl” hitmaker was arrested on Thursday, November 10, 2022, at Heathrow Airport while onboard a British Airways flight back to Ghana.
Her skincare company, Topicals, which creates safe, effective products for all skin tones, received the capital injection in its most recent funding round led by consumer-focused investment firm CAVU Consumer Partners.
Olowe, a serial entrepreneur who recently graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), is the former co-founder of SheaGIRL, a Sundial Brands subsidiary now owned by Unilever. She is also the youngest Black woman to raise $1 million and $2.6 million in venture funding.
According to a Forbes report seen by Billionaires. Africa today, the news follows Olowe’s inclusion in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for 2022 after Topicals, the fastest-growing skincare brand at Sephora, raised $2.6 million.
Olowe will use the $10 million in funding to expand the company and fuel brand awareness through an effective product campaign on TikTok and Instagram, as the firm continues to raise awareness about the link between mental health and skin conditions.
The funds will also be used to develop products to treat chronic skin conditions such as hyperpigmentation, eczema, and psoriasis.
Topicals have now raised a total of $15 million in venture funding since its inception in August 2020, as it continues to transform the way people feel about their skin through effective products and mental health advocacy, which continues to appeal to Gen-Z consumers.
In keeping with its commitment to raising awareness about the link between mental health and skin conditions, the brand has donated more than $50,000 to nonprofits that provide mental health resources to marginalized communities.
As it continues to develop products to address chronic skin issues such as hyperpigmentation, eczema, and psoriasis, the recent funding will put Topicals on track to launch a 12-month accelerator program to support nonprofits in the mental health space.
Olowe, who spent much of her childhood dealing with chronic skin conditions such as hyperpigmentation, advises young people with entrepreneurial aspirations not to wait.
“Don’t even consider what you can’t do,” she advised, “just ask why not me?”
The Political analyst and a senior lecturer at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Johnathan Asante has lauded the National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress(NDC), Samuel Ofosu Ampofo who’s seeking re-election to establish a security and intelligence desk for the party ahead 2024 elections.
According to him, the New Patriotic Party was involved in lots of security breaches like brutalities during the 2020 election hence an intelligence desk will pick signals in order to counter their opponents.
“It is very important because we are dealing with the NPP as a party and you could see their record from the 2020 election. You can talk of Techiman South. The brutalities even within their own party. So, if you have a chairman proposing a security and intelligence desk, I think it is well in order.
“Because you may not necessarily have trust in the state security, most often than not the state security may be certainly aligning themselves to the party in government because their loyalty is to the state first. They seem to confuse that there is a thin line between the government and the state. By being loyal to the party in government, that turns it to be like a partisan kind of thing,” he told Starr Today with Naa Dedei Tetteh Wednesday.
“If you have a security and intelligence desk you will be able to comprehend issues of security and nib them in the bud.
“You will also have to liaise with the state institutions like the police, the military, and so on. To ensure that things that may work against the party do not in terms of security. So I think that it is a good call”, he added.
In an interview with Bonohene Baffour Awuah on Ghana Kasa on Kasapa FM he catalogued a number of steps he will employ when voted for as the Greater Accra Regional Deputy Organizer for the NDC.
“I will make sure to visit a constituency every month. I will not just visit but when I get there we will move from wards to branches and meet the votes, because they are the people with the vote. When they realized someone of a high status in the party has come down to work with them, the branch executives will be motivated to work more and that’s where the votes are,” Mr. Musa explained.
“When I was a constituency chairman, I was part of the people who would go round to paste flyers and hang flags from 8pm to 4am with my boys. Because I couldn’t stay idle and watch them do it all alone and that is the same energy I am bringing to the region,” he added.
The aspiring regional deputy organizer stated that leaders are not voted into power to be in their offices adding that he will be instrumental with every happenings in the region.
“I will make sure NDC amasses a huge vote difference in the 2024 elections for victory in Accra. I believe if they (delegates) vote for me this coming Sunday, they will know they voted for the best and hardworking man for the job,” Avaa assured.
The court presided over by Samuel Bright Acquah had admitted Nana Agradaa, also known as Evangelist Mama Pat to bail in the sum of GHC50,000 with three sureties, who are to be public servants earning not less than GHC2,000 a month.
But counsel for the founder of Heaven Way Champion International Ministry, Mr Paul Asibi Abariga on Thursday, prayed to the court to review his client’s bail terms because she was unable to meet them.
In view of the above, the court set out new bail terms for Nana Agradaa.
The Member of Parliament for Sekondi, Andrew Egyapa Mercer has decried allegations being made against his person that he has embezzled his common fund.
Speaking on Radio 360 with Kwame Malcolm in Sekondi, the lawmaker responding to the claims said that he uses his monthly salary for the needs of constituents who call on him.
“I am not a spending officer, I have not signed any cheque to my common fund before when Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) signs cheques for the beneficiaries to go and pay their fees. The cheques are addressed to the schools directly to avoid anyone misappropriating it.
“Even if the Lord has not been so good to me, my career all these years will not push me to go to the extent of looking for Common Fund monies. However, somebody is out there saying all sorts of things. In the name of claiming they have the development of Sekondi at heart.
The lawmaker stated that he cannot fathom the reason people can peddle falsehood against others just for political expediency.
“Then after all that, they want to go scot-free and not be held accountable for such malicious allegations? The trend in politics now is if you insult someone the person must keep quiet. How long can this continue? People who have lived their lives and feel they have to give their quota to the development of their country must be called criminals.
“What am I using common fund monies for? Even with the salary that I earn, I do not get to spend it, I give all out to people in my constituency who are in need.”
“They call daily with their needs of hospital bills, school fees and I have to strive to look for support for all of them. I do that willingly and with joy. How come can one say a fund that the government has set aside such as the common fund I have embezzled?” the lawmaker bemoaned.
“For the past 6 years that I have been a Member of Parliament, every year consistently I undertake community engagements in all the electoral areas. I avail myself for accountability. On many occasions, I avail myself to various radio stations including yours and speak on various developments and projects being undertaken in Sekondi. Phone lines are activated for all and sundry to pose any query. Is that not accountability? So how would anyone suggest that I have been invited to an accountability forum and I avoided it?
“Initially, however, I heard on WhatsApp platforms about a time for an accountability forum. Later they put up a banner and I heard someone alerted them whether they had sought my prior availability. They then wrote a letter and left it with one Jamkay and my mother. If I may ask, if you need someone for a program do you leave the invitation with the said person or with a third party? Which constituency has put up an event like that for their Member of Parliament to come and render accounts?” the deputy energy minister quizzed.
The Minority in parliament on Thursday, November 10, 2022, moved a motion for a vote of censure to be passed on the minister of finance by the house.
Among other things, the minority cited conflict of interest as the first grounds for the motion.
But reacting to this in a text message sent to Metro TV morning show Good Morning Ghana, Mr Baako alluded that the issue of conflict of interest will fail because the parliament lacks jurisdiction on the matter.
“Parliament has no jurisdiction to interrogate the issue of “Conflict of Interest”! Per Article 287 of the Constitution, it is CHRAJ that is vested with the exclusive jurisdiction to investigate complaints under Chapter 24 of the Constitution,” he said.
“Indeed, I want to believe Sammy is very conversant with this point because the Supreme Court amplified that point in the Okudzeto Ablakwa/Omane Boamah vrs Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey and Attorney-General case. Speaker Doe Adjaho was guided by that SC verdict in refusing to admit the motion on the Ford Expedition Vehicle saga on 1st September, 2016!” the text read by the host of the show, Dr Randy Abbey said.
The speaker after admitting the motion and rejecting a preliminary objection to the motion by the majority side has referred the motion to an 8-member ad hoc committee to investigate the motion and make recommendations to the house.
But according to Kweku Baako Jnr, the issue of impropriety against the minister “if it is indeed contained in the “Motion for Censure” may run into a “constitutional minefield” both at the Ad-Hoc Committee level and outside Parliament unless it is tabled before CHRAJ for determination!”
Gideon Commey, founder, Ghana Youth Environmental Movement (GYEM), staged a one-man protest against Ghanaian officials at the ongoing COP27 in Egypt.
According to him, the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his officials have no business attending a summit on climate while they look on for the forests and water bodies to be destroyed by illegal miners.
Commey is seen holding a placard in a viral video on social media, telling the government officials at the COP27 to quickly address the galamsey menace.
He was seen disrupting a conversation between Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Minister of Agriculture, and some of the dignitaries at the summit.
Not even an attempt by the minister would stop Gideon Commey from putting his message across.
The youth activist and researcher noted that his outfit will not look on while the government officials paint a perfect picture at COP27.
Commey said galamsey is the biggest threat to Ghana’s security and livelihood at the moment.
“I was at COP27 today. I staged a one-man direct action targeting Ghana officials at the summit. I didn’t see Abu Jinapor but I targeted the Agric Minister and told him that his government should address galamsey else there’s no point being at COP.
“He told me he was having an important discussion (with the man he was talking to) so I should keep quiet. I told him my galamsey campaign was equally important,” Gideon Commey said.
Galamsey has destroyed many mining communities, polluted water bodies with mud and mercury residue as well as forests in the country.
Some communities have mines dug under homes leading to buildings collapsing on residents.
Attempts by the government to halt galamsey have not been successful as miners continue to mine illegally on the blind side of the government.
The government will on Monday (November 14, 2022) launch the YouStart Ghana Jobs and Skills Application portal which will receive applications from potential beneficiaries of a GH₵1 billion entrepreneurship fund.
YouStart seeks to support young entrepreneurs to gain access to capital, training and technical skills that will enable them start, build and grow their own businesses.
It targets young people and students between the ages of 18-35 years who have brilliant business ideas and viable businesses and supports these individuals to nurture, grow and expand their businesses and job creation in the economy.
The government through the YouStart programme intends to build an entrepreneurial nation by providing some of the key enablers that make entrepreneurship a success. These include access to finance and markets, mentorship, strategic partnership and digital linkages, technical assistance and business advisory support service.
Given the high rate of youth unemployment in the country, Government intends to use the YouStart programme to create more jobs for the economy and to support the expansion and growth of Ghanaian businesses within the next three years. YouStart is being funded by proceeds from the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy).
In January this year, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo urged the youth to take advantage of the initiative which he said would create 1 million jobs in the next three years.
In an address at the 73rd annual New Year School and Conference, President Akufo-Addo said YouStart was the most comprehensive initiative to provide an effective solution to the country’s youth unemployment challenge.
“It will support young entrepreneurs to gain access to capital, training, technical skills and mentoring to enable them to launch and operate their own businesses as well as employ others,” President Akufo-Addo said.
He said under the initiative young entrepreneurs could apply for support through a dedicated YouStart online portal.
The support that will be offered as part of the programme includes; skills training and development, entrepreneurial support, business advisory services, competitive credit and starter packs as well as mentoring and access to markets.
Successful applicants
President Akufo-Addo said successful applicants of the YouStart programme will be eligible for starter packs including soft loans ranging from GH₵10,000 to GH₵50,000 as well as standard loan packages of between GH₵100,000 and GH₵400,000 at concessional rates.
“Successful applicants will be eligible for soft loans of up to GH₵50,000 to help start-ups, young graduates, school leavers and small businesses to expand,” he said.
“Starter packs for equipment acquisition) of up to GH₵50,000 for individuals and GH₵100,000 for associations and groups. A standardised loan package of between GH₵100,000 to GH₵400,000 at concessional rates for SMEs through financial institutions”.
Arsenal will take a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League table into the World Cup break after a Martin Odegaard brace secured a 2-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux on Saturday.
Odegaard broke the deadlock 10 minutes into the second half before the Arsenal captain added a second in the 75th minute to give his side their 12th win in 14 league games to start to the season.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)
They now have a healthy cushion over second-placed Manchester City, after the champions suffered a shock 2-1 loss at home to Brentford earlier in the day.
It means Arsenal will be top of the table on Christmas Day for the first time since the 2007-08 season as they chase their first title since the undefeated Invincibles season of 2003-04. Ten of the last 13 teams to be top at Christmas have gone on to win the title.
“We have to stay calm. We’ve said many times it’s a long way to the end of the season, there are some good teams around us, we’ll play every game as a final,” Odegaard said.
Martin Odegaard is Arsenal’s top scorer this season after his two goals against Wolves. Matthew Ashton/AMA/Getty Images
In a battle of top against bottom, Arsenal were made to work hard for all three points against a well-organized Wolves side playing in front of new manager Julen Lopetegui, who will officially take charge on Monday.
But the former Sevilla, Real Madrid and Spain coach will take the reins with his new team four points from safety after their eighth defeat from 15 matches.
Caretaker manager Steve Davis said he was happy with Wolves’ first-half game plan in soaking up pressure then launching counter-attacks.
“In the second half we conceded two goals. Other than that, fantastic,” he added. “He [Lopetegui] watched tonight and has probably been pleased with a lot of aspects.”
The game began worryingly for Arsenal when Granit Xhaka, set to be part of Switzerland’s squad at the World Cup, went down in discomfort in just the second minute. While the midfielder elected to play on, he lasted only until the 16th minute before being replaced by Fabio Vieira.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said after the game that Xhaka was suffering from a stomach illness, seemingly easing any fears about his participation in Qatar.
After a quiet first half that failed to produce an effort on target for either team, the substitute would go on to play a major role in breaking Wolves’ resistance.
At the end of a well-worked move, Vieira ran onto a pass slipped down the side of the Wolves defense from Gabriel Jesus. The Portuguese midfielder did well to take out Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa with a chipped ball across the face of goal that left Odegaard with a simple tap-in to an unguarded net.
Against a Wolves side that offered precious little attacking threat and had managed just eight Premier League goals all season, the opening goal was always going to be crucial. And when Odegaard pounced to grab his second, and sixth league goal of the campaign, the match was effectively over as a contest.
Oleksandr Zinchenko was instrumental, driving to the byline before firing in a dangerous cut back that found its way to Gabriel Martinelli via a deflection. Sa did well to block the Brazilian’s shot with his legs but could do nothing as Odegaard lashed home the rebound.
“We know the quality we have, we know we are going to create chances, we had to be patient, but it came good,” Odegaard added.
“We played a bit slow in the first half. They defended well, with all the players behind the ball. I think we did better the second half, we played the ball out wide and created some overload, and we got the goals, so I think it worked.”
The KING is back at it! Just hours after the release of his seventh album, “JAMZ”, celebrated Ghanaian rapper, Sarkodie, has joined the Golden Club on Africa’s largest streaming and download platform, Boomplay.
This was made possible by Sarkodie amassing a total of 100M streams from his catalogue on the popular streaming platform. By achieving this feat, Sarkodie becomes the second Ghanaian artist to join Boomplay’s Golden Club after Black Sherif.
Earlier on Thursday, Sarkodie visited the Boomplay office as part of his pre-release activations for the “Jamz” album. He shared a tweet with fans on social media when told about the impending achievement, “Inside @BoomplayMusicGH offices and I’ve been told we hitting 100 mill streams SARKNATION thank you… Let’s hit it with #Jamzalbum.”
Sarkodie was the most streamed artiste on Boomplay in 2021, based on Boomplay’s 2021 Recap, an annual campaign that highlights stats and insights of artist performances based on music consumption by users across Boomplay’s operational regions under a specified year in review.
The streamer’s 2022 Recap is set be announced in a few weeks and SarkNation fans are eager to know the accolades awaiting the Landlord, King Sark.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has reiterated calls for the reform of the UN Security Council, describing its current structure as unfair to African countries.
According to him, the council was constrained by its anachronistic structure and methods, which undermined efforts to tackle contemporary challenges in the most effective manner.
“The conversations around reforms, which have been going on for three decades, without an end in sight, must, therefore, yield real changes to the structures of the council to make it innovative in its approach,” he added.
The President was speaking at an event organised by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in New York, US, last Wednesday.
Current structure
According to him, the current structure of the council represented a long-standing injustice towards African countries, saying the time was long overdue to address the imbalance.
“It is obvious that the contemporary world has moved on significantly from the post-1945 world which gave rise to the birth of the UN and the structure of the Security Council.
“The world of 2022, and even less that of 2050, is not the world of 1945. The crisis of the multilateral financial institutions and the UN system, which were born from the rubble of the Second World War, is a deep crisis,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo further said the situation would continue “until a fair system is put in place, a system that reflects the new balances, no longer based on who lost or won the Second World War but on the major contemporary and future balances”.
“These balances must take into account new realities, such as demographic dynamics or access to resources in the context of scarcity,” he added.
Rule of law
As the situation stood now, the President said, the council was finding it increasingly difficult to propagate the rule of law and democratic principles.
“The use of the veto as an instrument of great power and interest is denuding the council of a great deal of legitimacy as the principal instrument for the maintenance of international peace and security.
“The African Common Position on UN Reforms, based on the Ezulwini Consensus, is of even greater relevance today than it has ever been. It is essential that it be brought back to the centre of global discourse,” he said.
According to the President, it would only be through the reforms suggested in the African Common Position that the council would be effective in addressing the challenges of the times.
“And it is only through its effectiveness at maintaining international peace and security that the council can remain credible, legitimate and relevant,” he added.
Economist, Dr. Theo Acheampong, says the 2023 Budget statement will either make or break Ghana.
He was referring to the attention being paid to the country’s fiscal space after a rough year of the cedi depreciating drastically and rapid inflation hikes.
He noted that this budget will signal to the international community the government’s commitment and strategy to fix the broken economy sustainably, thus a failure to do so appropriately could translate into a total loss of confidence from the international community leading to the economy’s downward spiral.
“That budget is what is going to signal to all of us whether the government is really determined to fix this problem and to put the economy on a sustainable footing going forward,” he noted.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express Business Edition, he stated that players from the international community will be taking into keen consideration how the government deals with certain issues including revenue mobilization and expenditure cuts.
“So everybody is expectant and everybody is looking out for what is communicated in the budget on raising revenue; on the expenditure side of things; how we’re going to address the deficit and the financing of that deficit.
“What role will the Central Bank play within all of this in terms of the inflation targeting framework; and what sort of other social mitigating support package will the government offer to citizens and at what cost? All of these are issues that many market participants and many observers, and people like myself are actually looking out for in the 2023 budget,” he said.
Dr. Theo Acheampong cautioned that there cannot be a disconnect between the budget statement and the staff-level agreement from the IMF which is projected to be reached by the end of this year.
According to him, should that be the situation, it would fuel even more uncertainty thus further damaging the economy.
“Because ultimately, if the budget is read and we’re talking of a staff-level agreement by December or early January, what that will do is to send a strong signal or confidence to the market participants or players that what you would expect in that staff-level agreement wouldn’t be any different from what you’re actually seeing in the budget.
“If you have a disconnect between the two, so let’s say the budget is read and the staff-level agreement is agreed and you see a massive disconnect between the budget and the staff-level agreement there will still continue to be that uncertainty because those numbers do not reflect the reality,” he said.
In a post on her Facebook timeline remembering her late father, the MP for Klottey Korle Constituency, posted a photo of herself and her dad with the caption:
“2 years on, you’re still in our hearts. We miss you Papa J.”
An international economic consultant, Dr Emmanuel Oteng Kumah, has called for an independent body of experts to help instill fiscal discipline by ensuring that the government strictly complied with its economic programme.
The former Resident Representative of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said the new body must be given legal powers to whip finances in line, as part of efforts to stop the recurrent fiscal slippages and the resulting resort to the Bretton Woods institution for bailouts.
Dr Kumah, who led the fund to execute bailout programmes for Djibouti, said at the Graphic Business/Stanbic Bank Breakfast Meeting in Accra Wednesday, that evidence showed that the economy performed better whenever there was an IMF programme but deteriorated after the support had ended.
That, he said meant that the country lacked self discipline and will-power to adopt and implement prudent fiscal policies, which are necessary to keep spending in line and grow revenues.
“Whenever we have a programme with the IMF, we always behave but when we go outside the programme, our fiscal situation misbehaves. So, clearly, there is something that we need to institutionalise.
“I do not know where you will put this organisation but we need something, may be extra Presidential, that says that after a programme, it will have the authority to look at every budget and programme to make sure that all targets are met.
“That to me, is our major problem.
“Many Ghanaians may say it is not right to have a body that is not elected to be supervising our finances but I am afraid to say that the 17 times at the IMF suggests that we need to think seriously about how to resolve this permanently,” he said.
Speaking ahead of the NDC’s Volta Regional Delegates Conference in Ho, he said “The statement is that we should not be complacent as a party. The mid-term elections in the United States have taught us that hardship alone, inflation and the economy cannot win an election…So let us not be complacent.”
“Hardship is a factor, and cost of living is a factor but it is not sufficient. We have to work hard, we have to be united and present a united front in this region and in the party,” Doe Adjaho said.
The self-acclaimed dancehall king in a viral social media video alleged that his former manager, Bulldog – as he is known popularly – wants to kill him just like the way he killed Fennec Okyere.
Shatta Wale later in a post on Facebook indicated that he is ready to tell any court what Bullgod told him about the murder of Fennec Okyere.
He wrote: “Bull Dog, since you are bringing out secrets, you will tell Ghanaians what happen to Fenicks (sic) Murder!! And I am not joking about this time!! I am ready to tell the court about what you told me about you and your men and how planned that foolish act, get ready. This Akufo Addo won’t give you a murder (sic) chance to be on our streets!!! Watch how this ends!!! You can’t fight time!!!”
According to him, the day Shatta Wale was making the allegations was exactly the seventh year he [Shatta Wale] made similar allegations which he could not prove when the police invited him.
“What has happened today, has happened before [7 years ago]. The day Shatta Wale made that pronouncement [on social media] was actually the seventh year since the first one happened. He [Shatta Wale] organised a press conference on that day, went on Sammy Flex’s radio show and said a lot of things including what he said recently.
“At the time he said I will kill him just like I killed the other guy. We went to the police and he told the police that he was angry at the time but he was kidding. He was told to go and not to make such utterances again,” Bulldog ’emotionally’ said on UTV’s ‘United Showbiz’ programme.
He added “when we went to the police station, he had my wife’s naked picture on his phone and he even showed it to the police. I have gone through a lot; I have gone through so much to help build [Shatta Wale’s brand]. So, if Shatta Wale could not consider my kids as his kids, consider my wife as his wife, and my parents as his, then what can I do? It is only the court that can settle our case.”
Bulldog continued: “The late Fennec Okyere ate from my house, I feel that Fennec is with us in spirit at the moment saying that ‘these guys are worrying you,’ because that is how we lived. I have been to court on this matter for four years.
“The day that the court discharged me was the same day that Shatta Wale was being signed at Zylofon. While driving to where the signing was taking place from the court, I cried through the journey because I was tired…”
“Police have done all the necessary investigations for four years [but to no avail], today, you have come back to say ‘I will kill you like I killed the other guy’…after all these years and the things I have been through and you [Shatta Wale] still want me to go to jail for what reason?” he quizzed.
Speaking at the 60th-anniversary celebration of the Acherensua Senior High School, Dr. Nkansah hinted that government will soon begin the construction of three (3) science laboratories in the school.
“I am happy to announce to you that government will soon begin work to construct three (3) science laboratories including a chemistry, biology, and physics lab and I am confident this will go a long way to strengthen teaching and learning in the school”, he said.
Among others, the National Security Minister, Dr. Albert Kan Dapaah, who is a past student of ACHISCO, was eulogized and honoured by the school leadership, who named a newly built dormitory block after him; the Kan-Dapaah House.
Kwame Adu Asabereh, a Detective Lance Corporal, has been sentenced to 12 years imprisonment by an Accra Circuit Court for assisting an ex-convict, Harold Davies Johnson to travel abroad without serving his jail term at the Nsawam Prisons.
The policer officer was charged with forgery of an official document, abetment of crime, and corruption by a public officer.
Speaking to the facts of the case, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Emmanuel Nyamekye, the lead prosecutor, told the court presided over by Patricia Amponsah that in 2019, a case of defrauding by false pretense involving Harold Davies Johnson, aka Emmanuel Snowden, a British national, reported by Dr Shadrack Asare, was referred to Asabereh for investigations.
The British national was arraigned before a court presided over by Naa Adjeley Quaison. The suspected pleaded guilty to the charges against him and was sentence to serve three years at the Nsawam Medium Prison.
Contrary to the court’s directives, Asabereh failed to present Johnson to Nsawam, rather he sent him to his house at Sapieman where he stayed for some time.
To cover his tracks, Asabereh forged a Police Removal of Prisoner Book to indicate that the suspect, Johnson had been sent and received by prison officers at Nsawam.
The former Member of Parliament for Offiso South in an exclusive interview on the Kumasi-based OTEC 102.9 FM’s breakfast show, Nyansapo, on Friday, November 11, 2022 said the speaker did the right thing.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin on Thursday, November 10, 2022 referred the censure motion moved by the Minority to have Finance Minister; Ken Ofori-Atta removed from office to an 8-member ad hoc committee for consideration.
According to Mr. Bagbin, the Finance Minister will be given ample opportunity to defend himself.
He stated that the Minister in question is also entitled to appear before the committee with a counsel.
The Speaker noted that after the process, a report will be submitted before the House for a decision to be taken.
‘What I can do at this time is to allow the motion to be seconded and I will give opportunity for it to be responded to by our standing orders which I can interpret. The matter will be referred to an ad hoc committee to be investigated,” he said.
After this declaration, the motion was debated further by both sides of the House. It was subsequently upheld.
The 8-member ad hoc committee will be chaired by the Adansi Asokwa MP, K.T. Hammond and Bolgatanga East MP, Dominic Ayine.
The Minority Leader, who said the motion was in accordance with Article 82 of the 1992 Constitution, cited seven grounds for it.
The seven grounds include a despicable conflict of interest that he (Mr Ofori-Atta) directly benefited from Ghana’s economic woes as his companies’ received commissions and other unethical contractual advantages, particularly from Ghana’s debt overhang.
He alleged the unconstitutional withdrawal from the Consolidated Fund in contravention of Article 178 of the 1992 Constitution for the construction of the National Cathedral among other things.
But following the setting up of the committee by the Speaker of Parliament, the former Member of Parliament for Offinso South has praised the speaker’s move.
He called on the members of Parliament to follow due procedures in this particular move by the minority to pass vote of no confidence in the Finance Minister to avoid any constitutional blunder.
Even though it has been decades since O.J. Simpson went on trial for the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman, the details and outcome of the case continue to divide opinions and send conspiracy theorists into a frenzy.
The latest theory to take flight, backed up by plenty of compelling evidence, places O.J.’s oldest son at the scene of the fatal June 12 1994 killings.
The crime book O.J. Is Innocent And I Can Prove It by Dallas private investigator William Dear written back in 2012 pointed out evidence that could incriminate Jason Simpson. It was also a key theory in the 2000 BBC documentary O.J. Simpson: The Untold Story.
But thanks to some well-researched TikToks, the theory is having a revival.
Who Is Jason Simpson, O.J. Simpson’s son?
Jason Simpson was born in 1970, O.J.’s first son and second child from his first marriage to Marguerite L. Whitley.
Jason was just 7 years old when his father started dating Nicole Brown while still married to Jason’s mother. His parents divorced in 1979 and O.J. went on to marry and father two more children with Nicole.
Jason had a difficult childhood. His youngest sister from O.J.’s first marriage, 1-year-old Aaren, tragically drowned in the family pool months after his parents’ divorce.
Dear’s book suggests that Jason began abusing alcohol, ecstasy, and cocaine as early as age 14 and puts forward medical records that show 3 recorded suicide attempts.
By the time the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman took place, Jason Simpson was grappling with mental health issues and a criminal record.
What evidence suggests Jason Simpson killed Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman?
Dear’s 18-year investigation features an exhaustive list of evidence that supposedly substantiates the jury’s not-guilty verdict while the BBC documentary implies that there was never enough evidence to put O.J. on the stand.
Both sources put forward several suggestions of who else might be responsible for Nicole and Ron’s deaths but some of the most damning evidence points to Jason Simpson.
1. Jason Simpson has a criminal past.
Police reports indicate Jason was arrested at least 4 times prior to the murders. These arrests include a DUI, driving with a suspended license, and most notably assault with a deadly weapon.
Jason had violently attacked one girlfriend with a knife, almost killing her, and had assaulted another in the years leading up to his stepmother’s death by stabbing. At the time of the murder, he was on probation for attacking his boss with a kitchen knife.
While it was alleged that O.J. was also a perpetrator of domestic violence, he wasn’t known to use weapons in his attacks.
2. Jason has a diagnosed rage disorder.
Jason had been diagnosed with intermittent rage disorder which is commonly referred to as Jekyll and Hyde syndrome. This would make him prone to angry and violent outbursts.
Simpson was known to blackout and had been committed to a hospital on several occasions after hearing voices in his head. While he was prescribed Depakote to cope with anger and seizures, Dear’s book says that he had stopped taking his medication in the months leading up to the murders.
The book, documentary, and an extensive Business Insider article imply that Simpson’s motive for the killings was a fit of unexplained rage. Business Insider also states that on the night of the murders Brown was supposed to dine at the restaurant where Jason worked but changed her mind last minute, possibly without notifying her step-son.
3. His private diary reveals violent thoughts.
Dear obtained diaries belonging to Jason that talked about wanting to hurt anyone who had wronged his loved ones.
Source: O.J. Is Innocent And I Can Prove It
A note titled “Dear Jason” demonstrates manic thoughts and describes the writer as being three people. Handwriting experts concluded that Jason had written the note himself.
4. Physical evidence links Jason to the murder scene.
A black knit “navy watch cap” found at the scene did not match any fibers found on O.J. The hat was also coated in dog hairs. O.J. did not own a dog but Jason did.
Photographs found in Jason’s storage locker show that Jason wore watch caps frequently. One image, dated 3/24/93, shows Jason sitting with his dog while wearing an identical cap to that found at the murder site.
Source: O.J. Is Innocent And I Can Prove It
The LAPD found 15 unknown fingerprints at Nicole’s Brentwood home where the murder took place, none of which matched O.J.’s prints. The police also failed to compare them to Jason’s prints.
Ron Goldman, a 3rd-degree black belt, was found with bruised hands suggesting he had fought back against his attacker. O.J. stripped for LAPD a day after the murders and showed no signs of bruising. Jason’s DNA was never requested by the police nor was he interviewed by LAPD.
4. A knife was found in Jason’s storage locker.
Dear purchased the contents of a storage locker owned by Jason at the time of the murders which contained a knife that matched the description of the murder weapon.
The swiss and stiletto knives owned by O.J. were ruled out as the murder weapons but a forensic scientist hired by Dear to examine Jason’s knife concluded that the butt of the knife matches the injury Nicole suffered at the top of her head.
Jason had previously attended the Army and Navy Academy and a former classmate told Dear that he had been trained in hand-to-hand combat as well as field knife training. O.J., on the other hand, was known to hate the sight of blood.
5. Jason has no alibi.
The LAPD determined that the murders took place between 9:45 pm and 10:05 pm. After 9:50 pm, Jason was alone and has no alibi that can be supported by someone else.
At the restaurant where he worked, Jason’s time card for the night of June 12 was handwritten even though the electronic time clock was working, meaning his alibi could be false.
Jason was known to have a love/hate relationship with the mother of his youngest siblings and was possibly infuriated that she hadn’t come to see him at work.
6. O.J. hired a defense team for Jason.
In the days after the murders, and four days before his own arrest, O.J. hired top criminal attorney Carl Jones to represent his oldest son. However, Jason had never even been interviewed by police nor was he being investigated for the murders.
If a client is wrongfully accused of murder the most logical argument for a defense lawyer is to suggest who, other than their client, could be responsible. Yet O.J.’s “dream team” defense made no attempt to do so. Is it possible that this is because O.J. was protecting his son from being incriminated?
After enduring a significant decline in his net worth between May and October, Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote experienced a significant increase in his wealth figures in the first week of November, propelling him to the position of the world’s 82nd richest man.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which tracks and compares the fortunes of the world’s 500 richest people, Aliko Dangote is now wealthier than Chinese-Canadian business executive Changpeng Zhao, the CEO of Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume.
Changpeng Zhao, who ranks 83rd on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index with a net worth of $18.2 billion at the time of writing this report, derives the majority of his wealth from his 86-percent stake in Binance, the value of which is based on the firm’s March 2022 fundraising round.
Aliko Dangote, who owns an 86-percent stake in Africa’s largest cement maker, Dangote Cement Plc, has a net worth of $18.3 billion, putting him ahead of Changpeng Zhao, whose net worth has dropped by more than 80 percent, or $77 billion, since the start of the year.
While billionaires in the western world have seen their net worth plummet as a result of the recent valuation crisis faced by tech companies around the world, some African billionaires have been somewhat fortunate, losing only a fraction of their wealth since the beginning of the year 2022.
Dangote Cement shares have fallen from N257 ($0.6) to N238 ($0.573) since the start of the year, bringing the group’s market capitalization on the Nigerian Exchange below N4.1 trillion ($9.3 billion).
Ghanaian forward Isaac Nuhu scored for KAS Eupen in their 5-5 draw against Zulte Waregem in the Belgian First Division A on Saturday.
Nuhu, who was booked for a foul put up an impressive display to help his side seal a vital away point in the last round of games before the break for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The 20-year-old lasted the entire duration of the game at the Elindus Arena.
He scored his side’s 3rd goal as they took a 3-2 lead heading into the first half. He found the back of the net in the 41st minute after he was assisted by Konan N’Dri, who scored Eupen first goal.
After the recess, the hosts scored three goals with the away team scoring two as the game ended in a 5-5 draw.
Nuhu has now scored two goals and provided one assist in 15 league games this season for KAS Eupen
It’s no surprise that Kylie Jenner, just like her sisters, has a full team of nannies to help her with her two children.
Jenner, who runs multiple businesses including her billion-dollar cosmetics brand, can’t always split her time between her children, Stormi, and her baby boy, whose name she has not yet revealed, which she welcomed in February 2022.
It’s why she has a full team of nannies to help, but ever wonder how much Jenner is paying them?
How much does Kylie Jenner pay her nannies?
Jenner’s nannies allegedly make a six-figure income for watching her two children.
According to Closer, via Mirror, a source claimed that Jenner pays the team of nannies that watch Stormi an estimated $200,000 a year.
As for Jenner’s son, the source alleged that the mogul spent $1 million on the newborn when it comes to his own team of nannies, which will now count eight between the two of them.
Jenner was also said to have hired an around-the-clock bodyguard, driver, masseuse, stylist, and two specially-trained baby nurses to care for her children’s every need.
“Kylie’s gone all-out this time round but, in her eyes, she’s worked hard enough to justify giving her kids the very best start in life,” the source told the publication.
“While she’s an extremely hands-on mum, she is also a busy career woman building an empire, so when she’s working, she wants to know that her children are being taken care of by the very best team and their safety is her number one priority.”
The source continued, “Having ample staff for her little boy also means she’ll be able to spend quality time with Stormi and give her the attention she needs, knowing that the arrival of a little sibling might be difficult for her at first.
At first, Kylie Jenner was adamant about not hiring nannies.
Following the birth of Jenner’s daughter, the reality star originally had no intention of hiring extra help.
However, she eventually changed her mind, according to HollywoodLife.
“Kylie had every intention of raising Stormi without nannies but it didn’t take very long for her to admit that she needs help,” a source close to Jenner told the publication. “She went three nights in a row without really sleeping.”
“After that, she broke down and hired night nurses,” the source continued, adding that it didn’t take long for Jenner to hire more nannies to help her with Stormi.
“That was such a big help she very quickly started hiring more staff for her and Stormi. Her mom [Kris Jenner] is still helping her but she’s got her own life, she’s not giving that up.”
Jenner also reportedly snubbed her sisters, declaring that she was capable of taking care of her daughter all on her own, but was quickly proven wrong.
“Kylie had to eat a little humble pie when she agreed to hire nannies because she made such a big deal about how she wasn’t going to do it,” the source admitted.
“She definitely said some things that were a little offensive to her sisters about them using nannies, they’re giving her a hard time about it now.”
“Kylie had to eat a little humble pie when she agreed to hire nannies because she made such a big deal about how she wasn’t going to do it,” the source admitted.
“She definitely said some things that were a little offensive to her sisters about them using nannies, they’re giving her a hard time about it now.”
The three are mental health nurse Edwina Ankoma Sey, a graduate of the Pantang Nursing Training, College, Hamidatu Seidu of the Jirapa Nursing Training College and Jenepha Saratu of the Cape Coast Nursing and Midwifery Training College.
The enrolment ceremony was held at the Accra International Conference Centre under the auspices of the General Legal Council which is the statutory body obligated by law to uphold the professional standard of lawyers.
The Call to the Bar event, according to a legal news portal, Dennislawnew, is deemed in law to be a formal meeting of the General Legal Council and they set the various formalities of this meeting as captured by Section 7 of the Legal Profession Act, 1960 (Act 32).
According to the MP, he has parked his V8 because he spends GH¢2,000 every month on petrol.
Mr Tetteh stated that his salary cannot cover the expenses on fuel, therefore, has resorted to the use of his mother’s car to save him some money.
Speaking on PeaceFM Kokrokoo programme on November 10, 2022, he said, “I’ve parked my V8 and using my mother’s car. I can’t afford the petrol price. With the V8, I buy fuel at 2000 cedis every week. It means every month, I’m spending 8000 cedis just on petrol. My salary cannot even cover that, so I have parked my car and now using a car that I don’t have to spend that much on petrol,” he stated.
Price of diesel shot up to GH¢23.49 per litre with petrol selling at GH¢17.99 per litre.
Kerosene is also selling at GH¢14.70.
The new prices took effect Tuesday, November 1, 2022.
Meanwhile the Institute for Energy Security (IES) has predicted that petrol and diesel prices will hit GH¢18 and ¢20 per litre for the November 2022 first pricing window.
Many are struggling to afford at least one square meal a day let alone pay bills.
According to the 2021 Population and Housing Census, 8 percent of the Ghanaian population is living with a disability which translates to 2,098,138.
Out of this, 470,737 have some degree of hearing loss. This is made up of 385,794 who have some difficulties, 65,495 who have a lot of difficulties, while 19,448 cannot hear at all.
The United Nations estimates 80 to 90% of the hearing-impaired population in developing countries are unemployed.
Undoubtedly, this marginalized group of the population in Ghana are at the receiving end of the current harsh economic condition in the country with inflation hovering round 40.4% for October 2022.
Grace Amissah and her friend Soakpa Edow, both single mothers with hearing loss seen hawking at the Koforidua/Kumasi Lorry terminal say the current economic hardship is affecting them.
Grace Amissah lamented that, “I don’t come from Koforidua. She comes from very far. She comes to Koforidua to sell to take care of herself and the baby. But the business does not go well. I have family members but they do not help me with money. I have two deaf siblings. We suffer a lot. I am a single mother because my boyfriend abandoned me.”
On her part, Soakpa Edow said, “I have been suffering since my mother died and became an orphan. I was with my Auntie but she did not treat me well. I have been searching for a job but to no avail. So I sell pure water to take care of myself and of my kid. But the business is not going well because when they call me I don’t hear.”
Nii Aryee Ayiteh is also a hearing-impaired person. He sells second-hand footwear in Koforidua, the Eastern Regional Capital to take care of his family of three children and a wife.
However, he says his little capital is eroding due to the rising cost of footwear and transportation.
“We are not happy with the economic hardship in this country. Many people are suffering from poverty. The increased cost of living is too much. Transportation, so many things are all up. I travel to buy shoes and come and sell but because of the high cost of transportation, he can’t even travel so the cost of living is affecting him so much. When I even buy them and bring them to sell people don’t buy because people don’t have money so doesn’t make profit out of his business at all,” Aryee Ayiteh lamented through an interpreter.
Near Koforidua NIB Bank, is where Adu Afro also hearing impaired works as a cobbler but says the rising cost of materials used for the work is affecting the job.
“The cost of materials and substances used for mending shoes have increased,so I am unable to buy enough for my work. I buy it pieces. Whatever I get, I deduct transportation then use the little left to buy food to eat,” he said.
He appealed to the government to do something about the economy.
Yaw Akuako popularly known as Apae operates a shop near Adu Afro’s cobbler shop. He has been witnessing arguments between customers and the hearing-impaired cobbler over his charge. He said the hearing-impaired cobbler has been complaining to him about the high cost of materials and tools used for mending shoes.
Another hearing-impaired, Isaiah Bentil, works with a sachet water company. He tied the knot last year, but Isaiah says life has become unbearable.
Isaiah spoke through an interpreter [Maxwell Lartey] that, “he is not happy at all about how the government is managing the economy. Life is now hard. He is not happy at all. The economy is very very bad. He works with one pure water company. Many people buy water from them but recently things have changed so the government should think about how to improve the economy if not people are suffering. Life is becoming so difficult”.
Cecilia Abrokwa Danso was spotted resting under a tree with some items in a polythene bag behind her.
Apparently, the hearing impaired has returned from the market. She went to buy some foodstuff to prepare meals for her family but lamenting that prices of food have increased hence could not buy the quantity needed.
“Prices of food at the market have increased. It wasn’t like this previously. We are suffering. The economy is hard. So the foodstuff that I bought, I will manage it well. Government must reduce prices,” she said through an interpreter.
After fellowshipping with them Sunday, November 6, 2022, to gauge their mood on the current economic crises, the hearing impaired said they have been impoverished.
They said most of them are jobless due to employees’ reluctance to employ them but few who are engaged in petty trading are not making any profit to enable them to take care of themselves and their families.
The hearing impaired persons Ahmad Abu, Rakia Lartey and Mrs Florence Aryee Ayiteh said due to challenges in accessing information, they are always met with shock when confronted with new prices of goods and transportation fares.
“The economy is now difficult. Which way can we get money or get employment.No one feels okay everything is difficult. We wish that some people can help the hearing impaired” Mrs. Aryee Àyittey said through an interpreter.
Elder David Asante Agyei, presiding Elder of the MPDWs at the Church of Pentecost appealed to Government to support effort of the Church to support the disable especially in these difficult times considering that majority are unemployed.
“The government must step up in terms of caring for the Disables. we see the church of Pentecost employing persons with disability. So as the Church is moving this way we entreat the government to actually come because the church cannot do all. Disable people they also cast votes (I don’t want to sound political). The Minister responsible for women, children and social protection to intervene because most of these people do Kayaye “.
Ghana is a signatory to UN convention on Rights to Persons with Disabilities.
Additionally, the country has passed the Persons with Disability Act 2006 (Act 716).
Section 9 of the Act enjoins the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection in collaboration with government agencies to create employment opportunities for persons with disability and provide interventions for social support.
The Eastern Regional Chairman of Ghana Federation of the Disable Organizations (GFDO) Daniel Agyekum said in an interview that, many persons living with disability are unemployed in the region therefore the current economic hardship is having serious consequences on the members.
He cited an example that, “visually impaired persons for instance mostly had to pay double transportation fares for himself and his the person assisting him whenever travelling”.
Daniel Agyekum stated that disbursement of the disability fund is inadequate hence must be increased to help persons with disability.
“Most of the members don’t receive the money and those who get the money, looking at the economy if a person wants to work or needs funds to start a business if you give the person Ghc800 or Ghc1000 it cannot do any meaningful work. So the common fund has been coming but it is not supporting enough. I will like to urge District Assemblies to increase the money to our members so that they get capital for trading. We are pleading with the government to increase the percentage of the money that comes to the district Assemblies so that the members can also get huge sums to start businesses” Daniel Agyekum said.
The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, today (Saturday 12, November, 2022) co-chaired the first ministerial meeting of the Forests and Climate Leaders’ Partnership (FCLP) with the United States’ Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, Secretary John Kerry at the on going United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP27) at Sharm El-Sheikh, in Egypt.
Discussions at the meeting centered on how to develop a framework for 2023 and beyond to help achieve the objectives of the partnership.
Mr Jinapor pledged the commitment of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s government to work with members of the partnership to deliver on forests and nature-based solutions to climate change.
“Ghana, as a respected member of the international community, is fully committed to supporting global climate action,” he said.
He also assured the global community that he would use his leadership on the new partnership to showcase Ghana’s climate actions and that of other countries.
The minister observed that learning from the examples of other countries was key to creating synergies to address forest loss.
He said forests and nature-based solutions could deliver up to a third of global climate solutions.
The FCL’
The FCLP is a new political forum that brings together governments and partners to work to implement solutions that reduce forest loss, increase restoration, and support sustainable development.
It creates a platform for Heads of State and Government and their Ministers to combine their political efforts to accelerate global action to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030, while delivering sustainable development and promoting an inclusive rural transformation.
The Tertiary Education Institution Network (TEIN) also known as the campus wing of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has been cleared to vote at the party’s regional delegate conference scheduled for Sunday, November 13, 2022.
The decision follows a lengthy meeting between some top-notch officials of the NDC, aggrieved candidates, and TEIN representatives after members of TEIN on Friday, November 11 threatened to disrupt the elections of the women and youth organizer positions.
Touching on the controversies that happened between the aforementioned parties in a media interview Saturday, November 12, Baba Jamal, a deputy director of the NDC’s legal team said that, almost all outstanding issues have been resolved to make way for the party to elect new regional executives on Sunday.
“For the Manhyia South, there was an application for an injunction which was served on us but the issue has been resolved and elections have been held. We had issues with the youth organizers and the TEIN list. The National Executive Committee put together a three-member committee and it gave us a list of 34 delegates. That is the approved list [of TEIN]”, explained Baba Jamal.
“For Asawase, there were two opposing injunctions and we are consulting Accra to resolve this by tomorrow. Unfortunately, we don’t have the approved list from Accra for the women’s organizer elections. When the committee did the accreditation, it should have brought their list but unfortunately, we don’t have that. So that election has been put on hold so that we can have the accredited list to run the elections”, he is quoted by Asaase News to have said.
The investigation, titled ‘Galamsey Economy’ will focus on galamsey menace in the country.
PRESS RELEASE – 13•11•2022
GALAMSEY ECONOMY EXPOSÉ:
ACCRA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE PREVENTS TIGER EYE FROM USING VENUE FOR PUBLIC SHOWING
1. Tiger Eye P. I. hereby informs the public that it has been stopped from screening its latest undercover investigative piece pic.twitter.com/nJsrAsyBDl
According to a release sighted by GhanaWeb, inasmuch as Tiger Eye PI has already fulfilled every requirement of AICC to use the place including payment for the venue, there has been a last minute change in cost by about per cent (30%).
It pointed out that Tiger Eye’s agent is securing another auditorium for the event.
Meanwhile, all tickets already out are valid for the new venue.
“Tiger Eye P. I. hereby informs the public that it has been stopped from screening its latest undercover investigative piece titled ‘Galamsey Economy’ at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) which is scheduled this Monday and Tuesday (14 &15) of November 2022,” part of the statement read.
Read the press release below;
13 November 2022
PRESS RELEASE
GALAMSEY ECONOMY EXPOSÉ:
ACCRA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE PREVENTS TIGER EYE FROM USING VENUE FOR PUBLIC SHOWING
1. Tiger Eye P. I. hereby informs the public that it has been stopped from screening its latest undercover investigative piece titled ‘Galamsey Economy’ at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) which is scheduled this Monday and Tuesday (14 &15) of November 2022.
2. Management of AICC informed Tiger Eye through our agent on Saturday, 12 November 2022, that the venue is no longer available for use on the said dates.
3. Tiger Eye has already fulfilled every requirement of AICC to use the place including payment for the venue despite last minute change in cost by about per cent (30%).
4. Tiger Eye is saddened that barely 48 hours to the public screenings, when invitations have been sent to the diplomatic community and other high-profile individuals in society, and flyers sent out to the public, we have had to look for a new venue.
5. We would like to apologise to the public for the inconvenience in change of venue. Our agent is securing another auditorium and we will update the public soon on the new venue.
6. All tickets already out are valid for the new venue.
The Old Students Association of St. John’s Grammar School (JOSA) have petitioned the Regional Minister to halt the siting of a market square around the school.
This follows reports that the Ga North Municipal Assembly has planned to establish a market behind the green belt stretching from the school’s new dining hall to behind the girls dormitory to the Mile 7 area.
Some alumni of the school and other members of the public expressed concern about the impact of such a decision on teaching and learning.
In view of the above, the National Executive Committee (NEC) of JOSA, the Old Students Association, wrote to the Regional Minister, the Ga North MCE and other stakeholders to intervene in the matter.
“The NEC in consultation with the CoE, has written to the Regional Minister, the MCE (Ga North), Chairman of the School Board and other relevant stakeholders of the school to intervene and halt (rescind) the decision”, portions of a communique cited by Myjoyonline.com reads.
It also added that a committee would be required for a broader consultation meeting in the coming days.
This committee would be made of the CoE, NEC, JOSA Central Committee (JCC) members, and other JOSA members in high positions.
All JOSA members were thus, entreated to remain calm and be rest assured as the NEC gets a revocation of this decision.
Government Spokesperson on Governance and Security, Palgrave Boakye-Danquah has scored the government’s Planting for Food and Jobs policy a 100%.
According to him, government’s programme for the revival of Ghanaian agriculture, “Planting for Food and Jobs”, is achieving considerable success within a few years of its implementation.
Palgrave Boakye-Danquah opined that, the impact of the policy on Ghana’s agricultural sector has been astounding and he’s hopeful the policy will continue yielding phenomenal results in the coming years.
He said, since implementing the programme, its interventions have been designed to enhance yields of farmers through access to subsidised, improved seeds and fertilizers; reduce post-harvest losses; increase extension services to farmers; develop the livestock subsector; develop selected tree crops; introduce greenhouse technology to improve productivity and quality of vegetable production; improve mechanization services to farmers; and develop irrigation.
“The Planting for Food and Jobs programme has been a very successful programme, I will tout it as the best policy for the president’s government,”Mr Palgrave Boakye-Danquah exclusively told Kwaku Owusu Adjei(Patoo) on Adwenekasa on Accra-based Original FM 91.9.
“Food is bulky. It has so many components and let’s say high transportation cost. So if anything happens on the world market to oil prices, you have a hit on food prices. Same applies to chemical inputs. These are not just for food, but it is for everything. [The current challenges] are not just in Ghana. It is a global phenomenon. That doesn’t mean that our programme is not successful, ”he added.
The five PFJ modules are food crops, Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD), greenhouse technology villages, Rearing for Food and Jobs (RFJ) and Agricultural Mechanisation Services (AMSECs).
The first PFJ module (food crops) aims to promote food security and the immediate availability of selected crops on the market and also to provide jobs.
Private legal practitioner, Lawyer Tachie Antiedu has disagreed with the decision by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, to refer the censure motion to remove Ken Ofori-Atta, to an ad-hoc committee.
The lawyer explained that Article 82 of the 1992 Constitution confers the power of censorship of a Minister or Deputy Minister in Parliament.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, on Thursday, November 10, 2022, set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the allegations in the Minority Caucus’ motion of censure against the embattled Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta.
According to the Speaker, the committee will allow the Finance Minister to respond to conflicts of interest raised by the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu.
Dominic Ayine, NDC Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga East, and KT Hammond, NPP Member of Parliament for Adansi-Asokwa, will co-chair the committee, which must report to the House within seven (7) days.
But in the opinion of the lawyer, ”Though Order 106 permits reference of a censure motion to a Committee, I hold the view that such referral be appropriately confined to the motion for removal of the President and Vice President.
The reason is that Article 69 sets out the grounds for removal of the President which may be inquired into in cases of no or insufficient evidence.
In the case of removal of a Minister or Deputy Minister, no such grounds have been stated. The implication is that Parliament can pass a vote of censorship against a Minister or Deputy Minister without citing any reason or adducing any evidence to establish the existence or non-existence of any ground. Hence, nothing to be inquired into by a committee.”
The delegate conference would see 62 candidates contest for various regional executive positions in the high-votes bank of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The contest to look out for is the regional chairman position which features the incumbent chairman, Augustus Andrews Nana Kwasi, who is seeking a re-election, against three opponents including Chairman Yaw Owusu Obimpeh, a former NDC Ashanti regional chairman.
Although the delegate conference is to elect officers for the region, the election of a regional women’s organizer has been put on hold.
According to Asaase News report, Baba Jamal said, “For Asawase, there were two opposing injunctions and we are consulting Accra to resolve this by tomorrow. Unfortunately, we don’t have the approved list from Accra for the women’s organizer elections. ”
“When the committee did the accreditation, it should have brought their list but unfortunately, we don’t have that. So that election has been put on hold so that we can have the accredited list to run the elections,” he stated.
Six illegal miners arrested at Dormaa East in the Bono Region have each been granted GH₵150,000.00 bail with one surety to be justified for engaging in small-scale mining without licence.
A circuit court at Dormaa-Ahenkro in the Dormaa Central Municipality granted the bail to Benjamin Kofi Boakye, 52, farmer, Francis Akanyanga, 21, farmer, and Inusah Abdulai, 20, unemployed, when they were arraigned.
The rest were Rashid Hamza, 22, unemployed, Samuel Oteng,16, welder apprentice, and Collins Yeboah, 17, mason apprentice.
They all pleaded not guilty and the case was adjourned to Tuesday, November 22.
Police Inspector (P/Inspt.) Emmanuel Asare, the prosecutor, told the court, presided by Mr Samuel Djanie Kotey, that the complainant, Mr Emmanuel Kofi Agyemang, is the Dormaa East District Chief Executive and Chairman of the District Security Committee.
He said at about 1330 hours on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, the complainant, accompanied by police officers from the District Police Command, went on an operation in some parts of the district to curb illegal mining activities.
At Supre in Dormaa-Akwamu, Boakye and Oteng, the first and fifth accused, respectively, were met engaging in illegal mining without licence in the company of others along the Supre River in different illegal mining (galamsey) pits.
He said the security team arrested Boakye and Oteng whilst the others fled, but Akanyanga, the second accused, was arrested by the roadside on his way home.
P/Inspt. Asare said the team extended the operation to the Kyeremansuo River area near Kyeremasu in the district and met Abdulai and Hamza, third and fourth accused, among others engaging in galamsey and were arrested.
He said along the Momsobour stream near Wamfie, Yeboah, the sixth accused person, was also arrested but his colleagues escaped.
One water-pumping machine, nine shovels, four pickaxes, four washing carpets, two black plastic basins, and four rubber buckets used by the accused persons were retrieved at the different sites.
During interrogations, the first accused admitted engaging in illegal mining but the rest denied the offence.
On Friday, October 28, they were arraigned at the Wamfie District Court and remanded into police custody to assist in investigations and charged with the offence, Inspt. Asare said.
Charles Otoo, who is testifying as the first prosecution witness in the case in which Anthony Saoud and his son Kevin Saoud are standing trial for conspiracy and causing harm, said the accused persons “planned to harm me.”
Responding to questions from one of the defence lawyers during cross-examination, the witness said, “I believed they (accused persons) planned to harm me.”
The witness also told the court that, even though he did not know the accused persons prior to the incident, he believed they had some knowledge about him.
“I saw the accused person come from the room of Sir Oscar…. I saw Anthony Simon Saoud with a gun. When he came, he pointed a gun at my head,” the witness told the Circuit Court presided over by Her Honour Ellen Offei Ayeh.
The witness also disagreed with counsel’s suggestion that the accused persons only came to the scene to separate a misunderstanding he the witness had with one Sir Oscar, who had asked why he came to the apartment, when he had earlier been warned not to come there.
Mr. Charles Otoo, who responded that he had not been warned by anybody not to come to the apartment, also said the accused persons assaulted him before dragging him from the fourth floor to the ground floor.
The witness also told the court that the gun pointed at him made him scared and begged the accused persons to free him.
“I have two hands and four people on me is hard to deal with. The presence of the guns weakened me more. I was rather begging them together with my ex-girlfriend to allow me leave their premises,” he told the court.
The witness also pointed out to the court some inconsistencies in the brief facts presented to the court by the police prosecution when those issues were put to him in the witness box.
The case has been adjourned to November 14, 2022 for continuation.
Charges
Charles Otoo, the victim, also told the court that, during the attack, they dragged him and locked him up in a dark room and overheard them saying they would kill him.
Kelvin Saoud, 29, and his father Simon Anthony Saoud, 59, have been charged together for conspiracy to cause harm, while Kelvin Saoud was separately charged for causing harm and discharging a firearm without lawful authority.
They have both pleaded not guilty to their respective charges and have been granted bail.
The mortal remains of Francis Kofi Okesu, who until his demise was the Krachi East Municipal Chief Executive, has been laid to rest at his residence at Dambai Community One in the Oti Region.
He died on September 4, 2022, in a hotel in Kumasi. He was 42.
Family, friends and sympathizers from far and near paid their last respects as the body was laid in state at the Lapaz Park at Dambai.
Tributes poured in for the late Okesu from political parties and institutions, with many describing him as a loving and gentle personality, with an unbridled passion for his work.
Mr Joshua Gmayenaam Makubu, the Oti Regional Minister, described him as a hardworking man who became an inspiration for both the young and old in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the Krachi East Municipality in general.
“As young as he was, he worked hard for the municipality with the aim of creating an enabling environment for job creation and development,” he said.
Mr Makubu said the late Mr Okesu was always punctual to work and functions, and that must be learnt by all.
The NPP, in a tribute, said it had lost a strong pillar and a unifier, who did not believe in the creation of personality camps within the party.
“Okesu was passionate about the various developmental projects President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has earmarked since assuming office on January 7, 2017.”
“All MPs have their own professions or trades before being elected. Professionals are NOT elected! They go through a set training regime with rules and practices and are guided by same.”
“How very educated people see being an MP as a profession is shocking? Do Lawyers, Doctors, Engineers, Architects and other professionals have to keep renewing their professional calls periodically?”
“It is this thinking that makes MPs think their seats are their properties. Under no circumstances should any person see his position as an MP as a profession. All MPs have their own professions or trades before being elected. Professionals are NOT elected! They go through a set training regime with rules and practices and are guided by same.”
“Can anyone show me the training program set up to become an MP? How can a position which is ONLY achieved by other people deciding you are worthy to represent them become a profession? I am still shocked at how many people think on these streets. God help us all. Cheers. ????????????” his post read.
Opposition Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Samuel Nartey George, has slammed President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo over his refusal to sack Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.
Speaking in a recent interview with Metro TV, lawmaker described the president as a stubborn person.
“The president sits on his ears so he doesn’t hear when we talk. If the president hears and listens, forget NDC, his own party is telling him to change Ken Ofori-Atta. The president, he doesn’t hear. His ears are decoration. The ears on his head they are decorations, he doesn’t use them to hear. Something is in the president’s ear and we will take those things out on the 7th of December,” he said.
“How can you be the president and the whole country is telling you to go in one direction, and you alone you say no? Why, is the country for you?” he questioned.
He further described President Akufo-Addo as an incompetent man with no knowledge on how to steer the affairs of the nation.
“The man is clueless, the man is incompetent, the man is fed up. The man has absolutely no idea. Sack your cousin who is destroying the country that one too has become a fight. I mean he is more interested in flying private jets and speaking cockerel accent but when it comes to the real job, he has no idea,” he stated.
President Akufo-Addo has been under pressure to sack his minister for finance amidst the nation’s rising inflation and economic hardship.
Members of parliament from the president’s New Patriotic Party have become the latest group calling for the minister to be axed from the government.
The minority in parliament made up of opposition members on Thursday, November 17, 2022, moved a motion for a vote of censure to be passed on the minister for finance.
The speaker after admitting the motion and rejecting a preliminary objection to the motion by the majority side has referred the motion to an 8-member ad hoc committee to investigate the motion and make recommendations to the house.
‘Akufo-Addo’s ears are for decoration, he doesn’t hear’ – Sammy George
A member of the National Democratic Congress, Alfred Ogbamey, says the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta may be out of office by next week.
According to him, following recent agitations from the Majority side in Parliament and the Minority filing a motion of censure against the Minister, it is expected that Ken Ofori-Attawill step down sooner than is expected.
“Well my information is that the Finance Minister may not be around. If my information is right, by next week he may not be around. They were looking at end of November but given the stance of his own MPs as well as the Minority it is highly unlikely that he may present the budget,” he said on JoyNews’ Newsfile Saturday.
Earlier, Majority MPs in Parliament had threatened to boycott the reading of the 2023 budget if Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta was not sacked.
Addressing a press conference, the NPP lawmakers stated that they are displeased with the management of the economy under Ken Ofori-Atta.
The MPs have therefore signed a petition urging the President to sack his cousin, Ken Ofori-Atta.
“We have made our great concern to the President through the Parliamentary leadership and the leadership of the party without any positive response.
“We are by this medium communicating our strong desire that the President changes the Minister of Finance and the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry without any further delays, in order to restore hope in the financial sector and reverse the downward trend in the growth of the economy”, MP for Asante Akim North, Andy Appiah-Kubi said.
The legislator continued, “meanwhile we want to serve notice, and notice is hereby served that until such persons as aforementioned are made to resign or removed from office, we members of the Majority Caucus here in Parliament will not participate in any business of government by or for the President by any other minister.”
Following an intervention from the Presidency and the New Patriotic Party officials, the NPP MPs relaxed their ultimatum after being assured that their concerns will be revisited after an IMF deal has been reached and the 2023 Budget statement read and appropriated.
The grounds for the Minority’s motion include mismanagement of the economy, alleged withdrawals from the Consolidated Fund, and illegal payment of oil revenues into offshore accounts among other reasons.
The Speaker of Parliament has since directed the motion to be presented to an adhoc committee to interrogate the reasons for the vote of censure against the Minister.
Lawyer Eric Delanyo Alifo, a stalwart of NDC in the Ho West Constituency is wondering why the bosses of his party look on while office seekers in internal elections buy their way to victory although some might not be fit for the positions they seek.
Lawyer Alifo argues that although many who abhor the overly monetization of Ghana’s politics think that very little or nothing can be done about it, he disagrees with that position.
He also believes that there may indeed, be genuine efforts to support the party’s executives (delegates) in many ways long before elections, the act of doling out monies to them, or giving out goodies to them purposely to influence their votes must be distinguished and prohibited with dire consequences to offenders.
He thinks his party must issue guidelines against the practice, reminding the party executives that “where there is a will, there is a way.”
Lawyer Alifo expressed his thoughts just after NDC’s constituency elections.
He made the appeal when a delegation from Daybreak Vision Project, a non-profit organization based in the United States, paid him a courtesy call at the Gbewaa Palace. The overlord stated in his welcome address to the delegation that the health of the people was critical if they were to contribute meaningfully to development.
He expressed gratitude to Daybreak Vision Project and urged other organizations to support the Tamale Teaching Hospital. “The Tamale Teaching Hospital is the only referral facility serving the people of northern Ghana.” It is critical that we support the hospital in its operations,” Ya-NaNaa added.
Mr. Adam Schanz, a member of the Daybreak Vision Project team, assured the King that his team is ready to assist the Tamale Teaching Hospital to provide health care services to the people. He explained that the Daybreak Vision Project’s initial plan was to assist eight hundred people. “Our initial plan was to treat eight hundred people., but over four thousand people signed up.”
Adam went on to say that due to the large number of people who signed up, the team was unable to attend to all of them. According to him, the team’s supplies were insufficient for the large number, so they will prepare and return to Tamale in the coming months.
assured the Ya-Naa of the team’s commitment to collaborate with other organizations to explore ways to provide portable water to the Yendi Municipality.
He also wondered if the Minister has veered off his mandate and now ventured into the haulage, marketing and food distribution to Ghanaians.
His comment comes on the back of the sale of foodstuff at the premises of the Agric Ministry on Friday, November 11, 2022.
According to him, carting goods from farmers at farmgates was the responsibility of Ghana Buffer Stock and not the Agric Ministry.
Speaking on Citi Breakfast Show on November 10, 2022, Prof Kanton said, “I want you to ask him, is that the mandate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture? Is there now going to be a constitutional shift in its mandate, to now go into haulage, marketing and food distribution.”
He added that, “does he have the capacity, moving food from rural areas to urban centres, ask the Minister if he is conversant and acquainted with the agricultural value chain. The agricultural value chain has a lot of actors or players, so you cannot leave your chain and act on somebody’s chain.”
“There is a whole organization that is tasked to take off excess food from farmers and that is the buffer stock, my question is how well they have functioned. They keep saying that there is enough food, then they should deploy people from buffer stock, why is he using his scanty resources as the technical ministry to wade into an area that they don’t have the competence…I find it to be a little bit bizarre,” he pointed out.
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture on Friday, November 11, 2022, began the sale of foodstuff to Ghanaians.
According to the Ministry, the move was to sell foodstuff directly from the farmers in the rural areas to persons in the urban areas at a much cheaper rate.
Charlton saw off the early Burton threat but didn’t make the most of their brief spell of possession as Albion pushed on again and Powell twice found himself with opportunities to shoot but missing the target on both occasions.
Charlie Kirk scored two goals in the space of ten minutes, in the 26th and 36th minutes, to give the Red and Blacks a well-deserved 2-0 lead.
Adedeji Oshilaja and Thomas Hamer scored two late goals in the first 45 minutes to tie the game at 2-2 before halftime.
Victor Adeboyejo scored the third goal early in the second half, but Rak-Sakyi equalized for the visitors, and the game ended 3-3, with both teams taking a point.
Since joining Charlton Athletic FC on loan from Crystal Palace, the 20-year-old forward has five goals and two assists in English League One this season.
He contended that Ghana should not be compared to other countries where fuel is equally extracted but refinery operations are poorly managed.
Mr Mensah stated that he was recently in the United States of America and that fuel is cheaper there than in Ghana, where the natural resource for the commodity’s production is extracted.
The Ghanaian international picked a finger injury during the warm-up as Charlton drew 3-3 away from home in the league.
With just eight days to the start of the 2022 World Cup, the goalkeeper could be racing against time to recover and play for Ghana at the World Cup in Qatar.
“He’s a really level-headed guy, Jojo. He was disappointed before the game and frustrated by it. I don’t think he was in a position to be on the bench so we made the decision to put an extra outfield player on.”
“He’s a little bit more positive in there now and we’re really; hopeful it’s positive news and he can travel tomorrow”, his manager, Ben Garner said.
The 26-year-old is currently Ghana’s number one goalkeeper going ahead to the competition and will be a big blow to Ghana if he misses out. Ghana have been drawn in Group H with Portugal, Uruguay and South Korea.
Richard Ofori also got injured yesterday in South Africa ahead of the FIFA Mundial.
Fortunately for defending champions Asante Kotoko, the team managed to get a vital goal in the 60th minute.
In-form attacker Nicholas Mensah went on a fantastic solo run and scored with a powerful shot to the delight of his teammates at the fans.
At the end of the 90 minutes of pulsating action at the Tarkwa Akoon Community Park, Asante Kotoko bagged the maximum three points on the back of the narrow 1-0 win.
Among the first players to touchdown in Doha were representatives from the United States of America, with several members of Gregg Berhalter’s Group B aspirants arriving at Hamad International Airport on Thursday evening.
Like several national team managers, Berhalter announced his squad for the forthcoming FIFA World Cup this week, naming 26 players on his roster to challenge England, Wales, and Iran throughout the group phase.
The USA – a co-host of the FIFA World Cup in 2026 – will feature at their 11th FIFA World Cup in 2022, with their best result in the tournament coming in the inaugural edition in Uruguay in 1930 when they finished third.
Jesus Ferreira, Sean Johnson, Aaron Long, Jordan Morris, Walker Zimmerman, Ke llyn Acosta, DeAndre Yedlin, Cristian Roldan and Shaq Moore were among the first batch of FIFA World Cup stars to set foot in Qatar, and they will be joined by hundreds more over the coming days as the 32 participating nations get set to pursue world football’s greatest prize.
Berhalter cannot wait for USA’s FIFA World Cup quest to commence.
“We believe we have a talented group, a strong team spirit, and one that is ready to compete. We are extremely proud and honoured to represent the United States and appreciate all the amazing support from our fans in Qatar,” he said.
Berhalter and the USA can expect rousing support in Doha. Behind Qatar, residents from the USA have purchased the most tickets for the tournament.
“Seeing players touchdown in D oha, the coaches announcing their squads, and the players reacting with such natural and unbridled emotions as they discovered that they will have the chance to shine at the greatest show on earth has excited the football world,” Infantino said.
“Like many around the world, I have been moved by the amazing stories and achievements of players who have beat the odds during their journey to be selected to play at this FIFA World Cup. Their reactions and excitement reminds us what the FIFA World Cup represents to billions of people and how football unites the world.”
Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General, Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy and Chairman, FIFA World Cup 2022™ LLC, added: “We are excited to welcome the first players, coaches and staff to Doha for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. We look forward to the players and fans enjoying everything Qatar has to offer during the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East and Arab world.”
“We also look forward to welcoming the remaining teams who will be arriving in Qatar in the coming days, as well as their many supporters, for what will be a vibrant celebration of the beautiful game.”
