According to data tracked by Billionaires.Africa, the market value of his stake has dropped by GH¢25.6 million since the beginning of 2022, resulting in a total value loss of $11.2 million after adjusting for the recent depreciation of the Ghanaian cedi against the U.S. dollar.
GCB Bank, which ranks as the ninth most valuable company on the Ghana Stock Exchange, is one of Ghana’s largest banks in terms of total operating assets and industry deposits.
According to Tesha Capital, a Ghanaian asset management firm, the bank is the country’s second-largest bank, accounting for more than 11 percent of banking industry deposits.
The market value of his stake has dropped by GH¢25.6 million ($11.2 million) since the start of the year, from GH¢104 million ($16.92 million) on January 1 to GH¢8.4 million ($5.69 million) at the time of writing this report.
The drop can be attributed to the bank’s share price falling 24.6 percent year to date, from GH5.24 ($0.853) at the start of the year to GH¢3.95 ($0.286). The group’s market capitalization is worth GH¢1.05 billion ($75.5 million) at the current price level.
Despite a recent drop in GCB Bank’s market capitalization, which has resulted in millions of dollars in losses for shareholders and investors, the Ghana-based financial services group continues to create value for its shareholders, with profits exceeding GH¢463 million ($33.3 million) at the end of the first nine months of its 2022 fiscal year.
The group’s profit after tax increased by 28.4 percent from GH¢360.4 million ($26 million) to GH¢463.14 million ($33.4 million), according to figures contained in its recently published financial statement for the nine months period of its current fiscal year.
The increase in the bank’s earnings puts Ofori and other shareholders on track to receive a substantial dividend from the bank’s operations when the 2022 dividend is declared and approved in 2023.
The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) has announced that fuel pricesare likely to be reduced by Monday, November 14, 2022.
There has been a recent hike in fuel prices, including diesel and petrol. Diesel is currently selling for more than GH¢23, while the price of petrol is hovering around GH¢18.
But speaking to Roselyn Felli on Prime Morning, on Wednesday, the Executive Secretary of the Chamber, Duncan Amoah, indicated that measures are being put in place to help subsidise the rising prices.
“We will be expecting diesel to drop from GH¢23 to somewhere around GH¢21.19, and the petrol will also drop from GH¢17.99 to somewhere GH¢17.10 or GH¢17.00.
“All things being equal, diesel could go down by GH¢2.00 a litre and petrol could go close to a cedi per litre based on the forex numbers that we have picked over the past one week,” he said.
Mr. Amoah stated that the rise is due to the increase in taxes on petrol to around 422% within the year.
He noted that the National Petroleum Authority (NPA)should not be blamed for the increase in prices; instead, he believes it is due to mismanagement by the government.
He, therefore, wants the government to minimise the increase in petroleum taxes, saying it may lead to loss of jobs in the petroleum sector.
Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Mohammed Abdul-Kudus, is of the opinion that the increment in prices should be blamed on the cedi depreciation and not taxes.
According to him, deregulation of the fuel prices distorts the communication between the Authority and Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) when some companies’ prices are different.
“Another thing that has not helped us to a large extent has been the instability of our currency. We all know the dynamics in the management of forex around the francophone countries that normally guarantee them a certain stability on their currency,” he explained.
Mr. Abdul-Kudus believes there would not be changes in prices even when the government subsidises the prices of products.
Artiste manager Lawrence Nana Asiamah Hanson, popularly known as Bullgod, has said he wouldn’t let the allegations levelled against him by his former artiste, Shatta Wale, for killing ‘Fennick’ pass by.
Speaking on Hitz FM, Bullgod said he’s accustomed to Shatta Wale‘s tricks due to his long relationship with him.
According to him, Shatta Wale sees life as a game while adding that he has mastered the craft better than him.
“This time we are going to clamp him. My lawyers are handling that, so when all commences, you will hear, and I think this is a case study. People cannot just go about saying things about people,” he said.
Bullgod also added that he would have let go of the issue if Shatta Wale hadn’t touched on the ‘Fennec’ murder.
“Even if he had said all the things he wanted without Fennec’s issue, I would have let it slide. I was working at Zylofon media. And NAM1 came to me and said Shatta Wale wanted to apologise to me.
“But I called my wife, coz she suffered the most. Bola Ray, NAM 1 and Kofi Boat were present when Shatta came and knelt down, and I said there was no need,” he added.
He also described how spending days in jail nearly broke him when the SM boss and his mother came to visit him.
“We took a picture, and everything was calm and cool. So if you come back and you are talking somehow. You don’t know what I went through. He and my mum nearly broke me in the cell because I was there in high spirits.
“Ask Okraku-Mantey; he came there to see me. Duke Banson, wherever he is, God bless him. I was there for a month, and he was there for a month. Shatta wanted to come, and I told him not to come. The day he came, and they called me, and he cried … so if you felt that, don’t come and play,” he revealed.
According to the BullHouse Boss, he went to court for four years when he was arrested for Fennec’s murder.
“I went to court for four years. The matter didn’t even go to trial because the prosecution failed to bring evidence. I am used to that his rants. I am one person that rants no go touch because I understand him,” he shared.
According to him, with the annual climate financing gap at around US$110billion, adaptation to climate change cannot be implemented in its totality unless there is a paradigm shift to funding.
He stated further that for Africa to meet its climate actions obligations under the Paris Agreement, and be able to do climate financing, it needs to get between US$1.3trillion to US$1.6trillion by 2030, bringing an average of US$127billion a year in climate finance; and yet Africa gets only US$18billion, leaving a balance of US$110billion, hence, the importance for developed countries to pay up the financing gap.
“So, putting all these together, Africa is choking from climate change; but again, Africa is underfunded with the finance it needs to tackle its climate change, getting only three percent of the total global climate change finance.”
“This is highly disproportionate to the needs Africa has. Today, Africa is losing seven to US$15billion of its productivity a year because of climate change. If actions are not taken rapidly, that will draw to US$50billion a year by 2030,” he said.
Furthermore, he stated that AfDB has created a downstream facility – the Africa Development Fund (ADF) – to mobilise US$13billion for the Africa Climate Action Window, aimed at supporting 37 countries in Africa to tackle climate action.
“This Climate Action Window is very critical for low-income countries in Africa and transition states. This climate window will provide 20 million farmers with access to climate-resilient agriculture technologies. It will also support 20 million farmers and pastoralists to gain access to weather index insurance scores for insuring their livelihoods.
“This will again provide 18 million people with access to water and sanitation, and also provide 840 billion cubic metres of water because water will be critical for the population,” he said.
The president concluded that this facility will also provide about 10 million people with access to clean energy.
Considering all these important interventions and initiatives to tackle climate change, Mr. Adesina reiterated that Africa needs more to tackle climate change; hence, the need to move from words to commitments, commitments to actions, and actions to delivery of money on the table for Africa to deliver on climate change.
He made these remarks during a virtual pre-COP27 press conference and global launch of the ‘State and Trends in Africa 2022 (STA22)’.
On his part, CEO of the Global Centre Adaptation (GCA), Prof. Patrick Verkooijen, stated that Africa is on the frontline of a climate emergency it did not create. He added that Africa’s 1.4 billion people, which is about 17 percent of the global population, contribute almost nothing to global warming, and are responsible for less than three percent of the world’s total greenhouse-gas emissions, yet is very vulnerable to its impacts; hence, the need to pay more attention to investments which mitigate the impact.
“The bottom line is this: if COP27 is to succeed, it needs to ensure that adaptation finance is finally flowing at full scale and pace to Africa. It is clear now that we can no longer afford to wait; adaptation must start happening on a far greater scale with a paradigm shift in investment,” he said.
State and Trends in Adaptation, Africa Report 2022
The State and Trends in Adaptation in Africa Report 2022 (STA22) completes the most comprehensive overview of present and projected climate risks and adaptation solutions in Africa. STA22, the third in GCA’s series of annual flagship reports, maintains the dedicated focus on Africa from last year and expands its analysis.
The report provides a deep dive into the economics and finance of climate change adaptation, with an additional focus on sectors, cross-sectoral themes and country profiles. It sets out the potential costs and benefits of adaptation interventions in Africa, and includes a new analysis of climate change impact on the private sector.
Sources within the company said the development follows a successful meeting held between Senior Management of VALCO, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and leadership of the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) together with VALCO local union executives regarding recent developments that attracted some media attention.
In view of this, the leadership of key stakeholders at their meeting on Monday, November 7, 2022, signed an Undertaking to demonstrate their commitment to the process and lend their full support towards ensuring the resumption of full operations at VALCO.
Present at the meeting were CEO of VALCO, Mr. Dan Acheampong, Director of HR and Administration at VALCO, Mr. Festus Quaidoo, CEO of the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC), Mr. Michael Ansah, General Secretary for ICU, Mr. Morgan Ayawine, and Chairman of the local union, Mr. Edgar Tetteh.
In the past few weeks, labour agitations at VALCO dominated the media after some workers were reported to have refused some Management Members entry into the facility over their conditions of services among others.
The move however disrupted operations and led to a planned shutdown of the Aluminium Smelter.
VALCO’s management, in a press statement noted that, in line with the Board’s directive they worked with the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) to take down the power to the operating line in an orderly fashion to save the Smelter in order to allow for a smooth restart.
Meanwhile, all employees at the facility are expected to be called in to resume work as their leadership continues the wage negotiation process with the declared objective of an amicable settlement.
He noted that a large number of MPs and ministers takes a huge chunk of the government’s revenue leaving very little for development.
Prof. Bokpin also lamented the effect of leakages and corruption on the country’s resources.
According to him, Ghana loses GH¢3 billion to corruption annually.
Speaking at the Graphic Business/Stanbic Breakfast Meeting on November 9, 2022, he said: “ISODEC estimated that Ghana loses 2.2 billion to leakages annually. But I believe that democracy is not a one size fits all so it’s about time we look at why we are operationalizing our democracy, it’s too expensive. The country can’t afford that.”
“You have to convince me why Ghana should have 275 MPs. Certainly, I’m convinced that it could be far less than that. Since 1992 if you look at the cost of operating our democracy, it’s so huge and it leaves very little for growth-enhancing spending and for investment,” he said.
He also intimated that Ghana needs some level of intentionality to be able to come out of its challenges else returning to the IMF will be inevitable.
An Economist, Prof. Godfred Bokpin, has lamented the high cost of running the country. He noted that Ghana cannot afford to have such large numbers in its governance structure.
He noted that a large number of MPs and ministers takes a huge chunk of the government’s revenue leaving very little for development.
Prof. Bokpin also lamented the effect of leakages and corruption on the country’s resources.
According to him, Ghana loses GH¢3 billion to corruption annually.
Speaking at the Graphic Business/Stanbic Breakfast Meeting on November 9, 2022, he said: “ISODEC estimated that Ghana loses 2.2 billion to leakages annually. But I believe that democracy is not a one size fits all so it’s about time we look at why we are operationalizing our democracy, it’s too expensive. The country can’t afford that.”
“You have to convince me why Ghana should have 275 MPs. Certainly, I’m convinced that it could be far less than that. Since 1992 if you look at the cost of operating our democracy, it’s so huge and it leaves very little for growth-enhancing spending and for investment,” he said.
The Economist added: “If you were running Ghana as a business, I’m sure you would have sacked some of the ministers by now.”
He also intimated that Ghana needs some level of intentionality to be able to come out of its challenges else returning to the IMF will be inevitable.
He made the comment after projections were made by some economists that Ghana will go back to IMF for funds to deal with the rising debt stock and other pressures on the economy.
• This is in reaction to claims that government will run to IMF for aid
Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has squashed claims that government will run to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to financial assistance.
His comment comes after projections made by some economists that Ghana will go back to IMF for funds to deal with the rising debt stock and other pressures on the economy.
In a Citi Business News report, Ken Ofori-Atta said government will rather go on the Eurobond market to look for funds.
Reacting to whether or not government will run back to IMF, Ken Ofori-Atta said, “Absolutely not. We’ve gone to the Eurobond market, I guess 4 out of the 5 years since we came and those are always alternatives that we consider.”
Minister for State at the Ministry of Finance, Chares Adu Boahen, had earlier said the purchase of Africa’s first zero-coupon dollar bond would help the country limit interest payments over the four-year term.
According to the Finance Ministry, the average weighted interest rate on the country’s domestic debt stood at 17.2% at the end of 2020 compared with 5.3% for external debt.
It, therefore, came as great news when, on November 1, 2022, all the Africa staff of the global microblogging and social networking service got to have their first taste of a physical working environment with their colleagues.
The remote operations had ended, and that was supposed to be good news for the staff and the African region, knowing that Twitter had established an office to serve its direct interests, but something big and unexpected hit them some 24 hours after.
By Friday, November 4, 2022, the fates of the Africa HQ staff had been determined: none of them was spared the big cut.
“Your last day of employment will be December 4, 2022. You will be placed on garden leave until your termination date,” the termination notice sent via email to them read.
This was made available by Larry Madowo, a Kenyan journalist working with CNN.
Elon Musk takes over Twitter:
On October 28, 2022, after months of processes for a complete takeover of the microblogging platform, the world’s richest man and billionaire businessman, Elon Musk, earned control of the site after a $44 billion deal.
According to the New York Times, the closing of the billion-dollar deal, amidst a lot of drama and a lot of legal challenges, had “set Twitter on an uncertain course.”
In one of his very first decisions at the helm of the social media giant, Musk fired three top executives, including CEO Parag Agrawal.
How Twitter Africa staff were fired:
Giving further details into the mysterious way the staff of the African office received their termination notices, Larry Madowo said that everything happened in four days.
This, he said, happened after the staff physically moved into their office space in Ghana’s capital, Accra.
He added that this move by Musk, and ultimately Twitter, now question its commitment to the continent because “when it opened the African office in Ghana, Africans – more than a billion of us, felt seen, and now all of that seems to have all gone up in the smoke.
“On Tuesday, after working remotely for about a year, Twitter’s Africa staff in Ghana finally opened the physical. On Friday morning, they were locked out of their email accounts, and their work laptops stopped working.
“They then received email notifications on their personal email accounts that they were getting terminated,” he explained.
The 20-member Africa team of Twitter are not alone, as many of the company’s staff in parts of the world have also been hit with this unexpected blow.
No severance for Twitter Africa staff:
While there has been an understanding communicated to especially staff of Twitter in the United States about receiving certain severances after the termination of their employment, CNN reported that that is not the case too in Africa.
Explaining how this has come to be the case, Larry added that following their termination notifications, the Africa staff are to stay put, doing almost noting until their last day at the company.
“Typically, the remaining employees of Twitter will receive full payment and benefits until December 4 but until that time, they are not allowed to communicate with other staff, suppliers, customers or clients and they are to remain available at Twitter’s disposal in case they need to have a proper handover,” he added.
But again, he said that for the Africa staff, one other thing that has given them a reason to be further worried is that the email they received did not even mention any severances for them.
Larry explained it as, “At least for the African staff, that email did not even mention them by name; it just said ‘see attached.’ And even though Elon Musk said everybody who got fired would be getting at least three months severance above the law – that’s in the US, those in [the] Africa office didn’t get a next step, or if they’re going to get any severance at all, which some lawyers in Ghana are now pointing out could be a violation of Ghanaian employment law.”
It is, however, unclear what the next move by the staff for the Twitter Africa office will be, even as there are suggestions that this termination violates Ghana’s laws.
In many parts of Europe, 11 November is an important day. It marks the day the armistice was signed signalling the end of the First World War.
But we also live in a world where football is a major part. Up to one-tenth of the global population is involved with the game of football as players in one level or the other. And the game of football is about 11 v 11.
So what better date to spread the word and celebrate football, it’s players and support all that the game embraces – a game of 11 v 11 – than the eleventh day of the eleventh month every year. It is why we have decided to honour the football player – past present and future – on 11 November, naming it the International Day of the Football Player ‘n’ Teams.
On the day we remember our players and what they have done to make the game what it is. Many times we tend to focus on the other aspects of the game – the business, the marketing, the politics – and we tend to forget what it all boils down to: a game of 11 v 11.
Our aim is to use 11-11 to uncover areas through which we can make a complete package of our football players, support them where we can, provide them with synergies that will make them fulfilled before, during and after their playing careers. We intend to look out for our players and provide the support they need to make a complete package of them.
But…..there’s something in it for everyone. Players don’t exist independently. A lot of other people’s input go together to make each player what they are. And Football11-11 will, through Projects11-11 and Konsult11-11 promote synergies and collaborations that would raise the bar of creating a mindful football fraternity.
The President and Founder of Football11-11 is Tunde Adelakun, a former football journalist and football coach who has worked with football players over the last 30 years in different capacities and recognises the importance of players in creating a viable ecosystem in society, while also looking after their well-being through Project Mindfare. For more, please check www.football11-11.com.
Chairman of the Defense and Interior Committee of Parliament, Seth Acheampong, explained that government did not settle with the terms and conditions of the agreement it earlier had.
“The Attorney General cleared that the administration could move on and sign on Huawei Technology because the people who are offering us the facility, the Chinese, have some conditions and the conditionality is to use a Chinese company and lo and behold we in Ghana had a Chinese vendor plying the trade here who was mobilized, Beijing Everyway. We don’t know their office in Ghana,” Acheampong said.
The Government of Ghana has defended its verdict in reinstating a new contractor for the execution of the Accra Intelligent Traffic Management Project.
The development comes after a Chinese firm, Beijing Everyway Traffic and Lighting Technology Company Limited, was previously contracted in 2018 for the project.
“The Attorney General cleared that the administration could move on and sign on Huawei Technology because the people who are offering us the facility, the Chinese, have some conditions and the conditionality is to use a Chinese company and lo and behold we in Ghana had a Chinese vendor plying the trade here who was mobilized, Beijing Everyway. We don’t know their office in Ghana,” Acheampong said.
He continued, “We asked the National Communication Authority (NCA) to check because to deploy this in the country, you need a permit and a license from the NCA. They haven’t asked for any of such from them. We’ve done due diligence on them, so I’m not perturbed over anything.”
“My information which is authentic from the Public Procurement Authority who allowed the ministry in the name of the Republic of Ghana to contract the new vendor Huawei authorized and cleared this transaction to go on and went further to intimate and state that the Ministry of Roads and Highways should terminate the contract with Beijing Everyway,” Seth Acheampong added.
Meanwhile, Parliament, before going on recess on November 7, 2020, passed the Bill approving the Accra Intelligent Traffic Management Project under a certificate of urgency.
The new agreement for the project will now be between the Government of Ghana, represented by the Ministry of National Security, Huawei Technologies Company Limited and the China National Import and Export Corporation.
Deloris Frimpong Manso, popularly known as Delay, has spoken about how poverty almost ruined her life at a certain period of her life.
Recalling how severe it was, the ‘Delay Show’ host said she couldn’t even afford a good pomade for her skin.
She said a lot of people, including industry stakeholders, labeled her unattractive and not befitting enough to be on TV.
Delay made these statements while addressing the youth at a conference in Accra.
“Poverty is not a good thing. Poverty is a killer disease and it is the truth because back then, I was broke, I didn’t have the money to even buy good creams for my skin and clothes to wear so people saw me unattractive. They didn’t think I fitted into their standard for beauty. I wasn’t skinny, tall, fair. I didn’t have the looks that people deemed as the standard looks so I struggled in the industry.
“I’m a dragon, I’m a fighter. If I take a look at where I started from the industry, like when I came, people said I didn’t have the looks, I wasn’t beautiful. I keep saying that it was poverty that made me look miserable,” she said.
The popular media personality added that she fought for the fame she’s currently enjoying and confidently sang her praises that nobody could take the prestige from her.
“There are people who come and Ghanaians decide to show them all the love and fully support the person. In my case, I didn’t have that kind of love and support. Nobody handed fame over to me. I have become Delay because I’m talented and hardworking.
“From beginning, I thought people hated me but I’ve come to understand that it was a phase I needed to go through to strengthen me. I fought and I went for it so no one can take it away from me,” she asserted.
The Chief Executive Officer for Ultimate Fashion Boutique, Mr. William Addo has prompted government to ease up current taxation laws to reverse the continuous evasion of tax payments among a majority of business owners countrywide, Purefmonline.com reports.
The astute businessman labelled Ghana’s Value Added Tax (VAT) system as displeasing and suppressive; scaring away traders from wilfully committing to paying tax.
Mr. William Addo, appearing on Kumasi-based Pure FM in an interview with Kwame Adinkrah, elaborated on the predicaments facing Ghanaian businesses in the current economic discomforts.
“In the tax laws of Ghana, government does expect a fixed VAT of 18.5% from manufacturers to distributors down to retailers, while they have added no value to the goods.”
“If government will deduct income tax from our distributor’s commission, it would surely make sense, meanwhile VAT is demanded not only from the manufacturer but the distributor and retailer as well, which is untenable.”
Mr. William Addo emphasized that a newly introduced 6% levy of the VAT on their meager margins is ridiculously unbearable as their profits are far below that target.
“It is not the case that we are running away from paying taxes but we want government to initiate processes which wouldn’t cause us to look like criminals to the tax laws.”
“The current one tempts one to forfeit it willingly or not, as it demands me to pay for what is not charged. What happens then is a negotiation with the tax officer to under-declare the actual sum while he is paid out.”
“So government is losing revenue. I am telling you. Kwame, we on the grounds are so aware of it and we were very open to them,” he disclosed.
He indicated that they raised these concerns at a meeting with the Finance Ministry, following their recent protests in Kumasi where business owners closed their shops for some days, just to alert government on how beneficial it will be if some changes are effected to the present tax regime.
In addition, he expanded that, some freight and shipping agencies are able to develop fraudulent means to underpay invoices for imported goods in their dealings with port officials all to escape exorbitant duties and taxes they are burdened with.
Mr. Addo narrated that the current cedi depreciation has taken a toll on many businesses depleting their capital.
“Not too long ago, in January, I needed GHC600,000 to change $100,000, but presently, I will need GHC1,300,000 for the same value. Look at the deficit, where do you get it?” he lamented.
Mr. William Addo encouraged government to slowly move the country from being an importing nation to becoming a self-reliant exporting economy where we will gradually land at banning the many imported commodities.
“This situation we find ourselves in, though not palatable, has exposed us big time to know we have hollow governance. It is about practicality. If we sit down and decide to make things right, we can improve things.”
“If we will take advantage of this situation and sit down to plan well as a nation, it is not far beyond us. It is my prayer that government is awakened by this as it is not beyond Ghana to overcome this situation,” he professed.
According to him, all funds lost as a result of the clean-up exercise, undertaken by the Bank of Ghana, will be retrieved by the State.
Speaking during a media engagement on November 8, the deputy A-G said no individual or entity will be spared as the Attorney General’s Office is still focused on bringing more cases to the Court.
“The depositors get to be paid by the government. So, we are now in court to prosecute and possibly recover. If you paid an amount of GH¢1.2 billion from the taxpayers’ money, you will need that money back, and you can get it back if you take legal action as we have done,” Alfred Tuah-Yeboah is quoted by myjoyonline.com
“I can assure you that there are other cases that we will prosecute to get the monies back”, the Deputy A-G added.
In the case of William Ato Essien, CEO of defunct Capital Bank Limited, the matter is awaiting judgement which is to be determined on November 17, 2022.
As part of efforts to restore confidence in the banking and specialised deposit-taking sector, the Bank of Ghana in 2017 undertook a clean-up exercise that saw the revocation of operating licenses of some eight banks, 23 savings and loans companies and more than 400 specialised deposit-taking institutions (SDIs).
According to the Receiver for some of the financial institutions, preliminary investigations found that most directors of the defunct financial institutions failed in their fiduciary responsibilities to customers and other stakeholders.
The Central Bank also said that some of the directors could not account for the activities in their institutions while others were unable to account for depositors’ funds.
Government on its part said it spent over GH¢20 billion on the banking sector clean-up exercise.
The new rate which is compared to 37.2 percent recorded in September makes is the highest in about 20 year.
Government Statistician, Professor Samuel Kobina Annim, speaking with journalists on November 9 said the increase can largely be linked to rising food prices over the past months.
The price of food reached 43.7 percent inflation in October from 37.8 percent recorded in September this year while non-food inflation rose to 37.8 percent from 36.8 percent.
For imported items into the country, the GSS said the country recorded 43.7 percent, while inflation for locally produced items stood at 39.1 percent.
Prof. Annim further said other factors which contributed to Year-on-Year inflation of about 69.6 percent were; Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and other fuels.
Meanwhile, the recent inflation figures are expected to further impose more hardships on the average Ghanaian who has been grappling with the rising cost of living in the country.
The depreciation of the local currency by about 57 percent since January 2022 to date also paints a rather gloomy picture of Ghana’s economic situation.
The cedi has since been ranked by Bloomberg as the worst-performing currency in the world among 148 currencies it tracked in a survey.
According to him, the country could no longer continue to import goods from other countries, indicating that the ministry would continue to work with the relevant regulatory authorities to reverse the trend.
Addressing members of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) at a high-level meeting in Accra recently, the minister noted that the challenges the nation is currently facing are daunting and that “the exigencies of the moment have forced us to turn this crisis into an opportunity to resolve our short-term challenges and the long-term structural problems that have inhibited our economic transformation”.
Mr Ofori-Atta reiterated President Nana Akufo-Addo’s call for a reduction in the dependence on imported goods and enhance the country’s self-reliance, noting: “Clearly, the time has come for us to put in place the foundations that would allow our industry to be the backbone of our resilience and structural transformation”.
Giving statistics to buttress his claim for a shift from importation to local production, he disclosed that between 2017 and 2020, the government spent as much as GHS 6.874 billion on the importation of rice, GHS 3.993 billion on fish, GHS 1.881 billion on chicken (processed), GHS 487 million on meat, GHS 281 million on vegetables and an estimated GHS 184 million on poultry.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to assisting local industries in producing more import-substitute products such as rice, poultry, vegetable oil, toothpicks, pasta, fruit juice, bottled water, ceramic tiles, and others.
On the cedi depreciation, the minister underscored the need for all to support the government’s drive for import substitution, as that could lead to stabilisation of the cedi and commended the AGI for the continuous support of policies and initiatives that supported the local industries.
In his state address on the economic crisis on Sunday, 30 October 2022, President Nana Akufo-Addo said an anonymous WhatsApp audio that got circulated widely on social media platforms recently, did a lot of damage to the cedi.
“Fellow Ghanaians, as the French would say, l’argent n’aime pas le bruit, to wit, money does not like noise, sika mpɛ dede. Where there is chaos, where there is noise, where there is unrest, you will not find money. If you talk down your money, it will go down. If you allow some unidentifiable person to talk down your money, it will go down,” he noted.
He explained: “The recent turbulence on the financial markets was caused by low inflows of foreign exchange, and was made worse in the last two to three weeks, in particular, by the activities of speculators and the Black Market.”
“An anonymous two-minute audio message on a WhatsApp platform predicting a so-called haircut on Government bonds sent all of us into banks and forex bureaus to dump our cedis, and, before we knew it, the cedi had depreciated further”, he pointed out, adding: “All of us can play a part in helping to strengthen the cedi by having confidence in the currency, and avoiding speculation”.
The president urged: “Let us keep our cedi as the good store of value it is. To those who make it a habit of publishing falsehoods, which result in panic in the system, I say to them that the relevant state agencies will act against such persons.”
“Indeed, some steps have been taken to restore order in the forex markets and we are already beginning to see some calm returning. We will not relent until order is completely restored.”
He said the following actions have been taken thus far: Enhanced supervisory action by the Bank of Ghana in the forex bureau markets and the black market to flush out illegal operators, as well as ensuring that those permitted to operate legally abide by the market rules.
“Already some forex bureaux have had their licences revoked, and this exercise will continue until complete order is restored in the sector; fresh inflows of dollars are providing liquidity to the foreign exchange market, and addressing the pipeline demand; the Bank of Ghana has given its full commitment to the commercial banks to provide liquidity to ensure the wheels of the economy continue to run in a stabilised manner, till the IMF Programme kicks in and the financing assurances expected from other partners also come in”.
Also, he said: “The government is working with the Bank of Ghana and the oil producing and mining companies to introduce a new legal and regulatory framework to ensure that all foreign exchange earned from operations in Ghana are, initially, paid to banks domiciled in Ghana to help boost the domestic foreign exchange market; and the Bank of Ghana will enhance its gold purchase programme. I am confident that these immediate measures designed to change the structure of our balance of payment flows, sanitise the foreign exchange market to ensure that the banks and forex bureaus operate along international best practices, together with strengthened supervision, will go a long way to sanitize our foreign exchange market, and make it more resilient against external vulnerabilities going forward”.
Actress Juliet Ibrahim has bitterly lamented about Ghana’s economic crisis, which according to her, is getting out of hand.
The Liberian actress, who is based in Ghana, has declared the country as currently the most expensive in West Africa.
In a series of posts on Twitter, Juliet Ibrahim said it has gotten to the point where citizens have been hit with exorbitant fuel price increments, adding that it currently costs about $100, which is equivalent to GHC1,400, to fill a tank which lasts for just 5-7 days.
“Ghana is officially the most expensive West African country right now! No joke! Someone driving a car of 3.0 / 3.5 fills their fuel tank to use within 5-7 days with fuel worth 1300/1400 cedis.
Currently, $100 = 1,400 cedis. Even in USA, to fuel the same type of car can and will NEVER cost that much! Yet we are all going through the same economic crisis. $100 = 1400 cedis
1400 cedis = 72,000 Naira…Is there any Nigerian on my timeline that spends 72,000 Naira to fuel his car and use for a period of 5-7 days? Let’s have this discussion and make it make sense to me oo,” she stated.
Juliet, however, established that the only means by which the crisis can be eased a bit is for Ghanaians to resort to multiple streams of income.
“I pray we all can survive this and double up our hustle oo. Because looks like things aren’t going to go back to normal. This is the time to strategize and focus on multiple streams of income.”
Meanwhile, more and more Ghanaian celebrities have bemoaned the high cost of living in the country.
It is the case that some celebrities who campaigned for the ruling NPP during the 2020 general elections have expressed disappointment in the government over the country’s growing economic hardships.
Read the post below:
I pray we all can survive this and double up our hustle oo. Because looks like things aren’t going to go back to normal. This is the time to strategize and focus on multiple streams of income…
Chris Redd has shed more light on Kanye West’s infamous pro-Donald Trump rant that took place during the 2018 season premiere of Saturday Night Live.
After performing on the September 2018 episode of SNL, Kanye launched into a pro-Trump rant, which didn’t make it on-air but saw the audience shower Ye with boos.
In a new interview with the Daily Beast, the SNL alum shared his thoughts about Kanye’s appearance on SNL, revealing that he delivered a similar speech during dress rehearsal.
“I remember the dress rehearsal where he tried his dress rehearsal version of that, and I heard it, but there was music playing still so people were like sitting there and vibing,” Redd shared. “But I was listening to his words, and I was like, bro, he’s about to pull some bullshit. And I’m not about to be on stage for that. I’m not going to entertain this. Like, I’ve been a fan of Kanye my whole life. And I miss the old Kanye.”
Redd added, “He came in there wanting to shoot everybody—verbally—and I just felt that was disrespectful, because we’re all grown adults. And now all of us don’t like you. He just came in there with a chip on his shoulder, ready to talk shit.”
Kanye’s original speech fell in line with his pro-Trump rhetoric at the time. “The Blacks want always Democrats… you know it’s like the plan they did, to take the fathers out the home and put them on welfare… does anybody know about that? That’s a Democratic plan,” West said while wearing a red MAGA hat. “There’s so many times I talk to, like, a white person about this and they say, ‘How could you like Trump? He’s racist.’ Well, uh, if I was concerned about racism I would’ve moved out of America a long time ago.”
In other Kanye-related news, the rapper has been slapped with a lawsuit over his Andre 3000 collaboration “Life Of The Party.”
TMZ reports KRS-One’s Boogie Down Productions has sued Kanye, claiming he didn’t ask for permission to sample the group’s iconic 1986 diss track “South Bronx.”
The lawsuit alleges Ye and his partner, Alex Klein, “sold around 11K Stem Players within the first 24 hours of its release, raking in around $2.2 million dollars … but claims they [Boogie Down Productions] never got permission to use the sample even though the company says Ye’s team initially reached out to try to license it.”
Boogie Down Productions is requesting that the song be blocked from streaming services, with Kanye handing over any profits that he’s received from “Life Of The Party.”
The new rate which is compared to 37.2 percent recorded in September makes is the highest in about 2 decades.
Government Statistician, Professor Samuel Kobina Annim, speaking with journalists on November 9 said the increase can largely be linked to rising food prices over the past months.
The price of food reached 43.7 percent inflation in October from 37.8 percent recorded in September this year while non-food inflation rose to 37.8 percent from 36.8 percent.
For imported items into the country, the GSS said the country recorded 43.7 percent, while inflation for locally produced items stood at 39.1 percent.
Prof. Annim further said other factors which contributed to Year-on-Year inflation of about 69.6 percent were; Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and other fuels.
Meanwhile, the recent inflation figures are expected to further impose more hardships on the average Ghanaian who has been grappling with the rising cost of living in the country.
The cedi has since been ranked by Bloomberg as the worst-performing currency in the world among 148 currencies it tracked in a survey.
The national consumer price inflation (CPI) for the country reached a startling 40.4 percent rate in October 2022, the Ghana Statistical Service has said.
The new rate which is compared to 37.2 percent recorded in September makes is the highest in about 2 decades.
Government Statistician, Professor Samuel Kobina Annim, speaking with journalists on November 9 said the increase can largely be linked to rising food prices over the past months.
The price of food reached 43.7 percent inflation in October from 37.8 percent recorded in September this year while non-food inflation rose to 37.8 percent from 36.8 percent.
The Month-on-Month inflation according to the GSS rose up to 2.7 percent in October from 2.0 percent in September this year.
For imported items into the country, the GSS said the country recorded 43.7 percent, while inflation for locally produced items stood at 39.1 percent.
Prof. Annim further said other factors which contributed to Year-on-Year inflation of about 69.6 percent were; Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and other fuels.
Meanwhile, the recent inflation figures are expected to further impose more hardships on the average Ghanaian who has been grappling with the rising cost of living in the country.
The depreciation of the local currency by about 57 percent since January 2022 to date also paints a rather gloomy picture of Ghana’s economic situation.
The cedi has since been ranked by Bloomberg as the worst-performing currency in the world among 148 currencies it tracked in a survey.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged the developed world to redeem a 13-year-old pledge to make available $100 billion annually to help developing countries fight the scourge of climate change.
This is because climate adaptation costs are currently outstripping current international public finance flows.
“We must, as a matter of urgency, mobilise and scale up adaptation finance inflows, to ensure that vulnerable countries are able to meet their adaptation needs,” he said on Tuesday when he delivered Ghana’s national statement at the ongoing United Nations Climate Change Conference at Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt
“It is critical, in this regard, that the developed world makes good its long-delayed pledge to mobilise and make available $100 billion annually to the poorer countries to assist in the fight against climate change, and commit, as agreed at COP 26 in Glasgow, to doubling resources for adaptation.”
The 27th conference, which follows a year of climate-related disasters and broken temperature records, seeks renewed solidarity between countries to reduce global carbon emissions and deliver actions critical to tackling the climate emergency.
“Climate change is a global emergency, and Ghana calls on all Parties to act with equity and a sense of responsibility,” he said.
Africa, for her part, the President stressed, must commit herself to resolve the issue of climate change by implementing ambitious measures within her reach.
With Africa’s vast land, he stated that Africa has the greatest potential to help decarbonize the world by absorbing carbon dioxide through regenerative agriculture, that requires less fertilisers, and reforestation with strong biodiversity content.
“My government is happy to announce that Ghana is about to launch projects in these areas, which will tackle, at the same time, climate change at global and domestic levels, and social issues, by providing people with dignified and sustainable jobs, and I am also happy to announce that Ghana has launched her Energy Transition Framework, and is co-Chair of the Forest Climate Leaders’ Partnership with the United States of America,” President Akufo-Addo said.
President Akufo-Addo was happy at the announcement made by the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, on the operationalisation of the Resilience and Sustainability Trust (RST), to help vulnerable countries meet their long-term challenges.
He also called for a radical restructuring of the global financial architecture, as proposed by the African Finance Ministers, to accommodate the demands of the developing world is of urgent necessity, saying, “It is evident that with these poly-crises that it is not fit for purpose. I also urge those who hold African debt to commit to debt-for-climate swap initiatives.”
Whilst urging the world to take a better look at Africa as “a land of opportunities and growth”, despite the dire situation most of the continent found itself in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, President Akufo-Addo stated that “as far as adaptation to climate change is concerned, nothing can happen without Africa”.
He stressed that Africa had a massive role to play in the scheme of things considering the continent’s “vast, arable land, vibrant youth who aspire only to take their rightful place on the global scene, and a deeply rooted sense of innovation.”
“It is Ghana’s hope that we will leave this Summit with bold and concrete decisions that will help the world tackle its most pressing challenges, help us achieve our climate goals rapidly, and provide the needed development and prosperity for all the peoples of the world. No one will win if Africa loses”, the President said.
Starting from food, water, electricity, rent, cement, the cost of building materials, clothing, and even the most recent, Bibles.
The increment in these consumer goods has been largely attributed to the cedi’s depreciation.
One item of utmost importance to the livelihoods of Ghanaians is health care, especially at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose a global threat to the world’s economies.
Currently, a pack of paracetamol tablets costs GH¢3 and a pack of dissolvable Vitamin C tablets cost GH¢32.
Research has shown that between 2019 and 2022, more than 4.16 million people in Ghana had type 2 diabetes.
A quick check at some pharmacies and retail shops has shown that the cost of some medications for diabetes such as insulin and metformin has seen almost a 50% increment in the last three months of this year.
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, more than one in four adults in Ghana has hypertension.
Hypertensive drugs have also seen some increment in cost in recent times.
Attendants at a pharmacy in Dzorwulu who spoke on anonymity said the increase is due to the depreciation of the Ghana cedi and the high cost of imports.
Julia Fox is opening up about how her relationship with Kanye West impacted her acting career.
During an appearance on Emily Ratajkowski’s podcast High Low with EmRata, the Uncut Gems alum admitted that her fling with Ye didn’t exactly help her acting prospects.
“After the big relationship, I definitely noticed a shift in the acting way, not in a good way,” Fox shared. “I’m not getting as many offers as I was before, weirdly. There’s been a lot of weird drawbacks with reaching that level of notoriety.”
Though she understands that some executives in Hollywood may see her as a “liability” or “tabloid type person” due to her relationship with West, 32-year-old Fox maintained that “I just have to trust the process.”
“It’s fine, I’m so busy,” Fox added. “I think things come to you at the right time, so that’s why I’m really not stressing. I really don’t care.”
Granted, Fox’s comments contradict what she previously has said about her relationship with Ye.
While attending the world New York premiere of The Batman in March, Fox reflected fondly on her time with Kanye when asked if she had any regrets about their romance.
“It was the best thing that could have happened to me,” Fox told Entertainment Tonight’s Rachel Smith. Julia added that dating Kanye was “like hitting a reset button,” because it “brought a spark back into my life that I had kind of forgotten about.”
A suspect attempting to burglarize a Louis Vuitton store knocked himself out before he could even escape the premises.
Footage of the incident shows two people snatching handbags from the wall and pulling them from their security tags and seemingly just waltzing out of the store as security looks on. In another angle from the store’s security camera, another thief—who TMZ has identified as being 17-years-old—also tries to make a run for it before slamming into a huge window and knocking himself unconscious.
At that point, a security guard runs over and kneels over the teen’s back, and looks to be handcuffing him. The incident took place in Bellevue, Washington, where the suspect is said to be stealing $18,000 in items from the high-end store. According to prosecutors, the suspect was part of a retail theft ring that has been operating out of Bellevue.
It’s unclear when the robbery took place, and the suspect hasn’t been identified since he’s a minor.
The young thief’s blunder is comparable to a Quebec City, Canada suspect who forgot to cover his face when he attempted to rob a store. His face was captured on camera before realizing he hadn’t worn his mask.
Once he had his mask on, he handed the clerk a piece of paper before speaking to him. The video ends shortly after their exchange. Thankfully, it doesn’t appear as if anything violent took place.
One of Millie Bobby Brown’s dream roles is Britney Spears.
During an appearance on the Drew Barrymore Show, Brown was asked to share “something on your bucket list as a producer and a filmmaker.” After expressing her desire to play a “real person” onscreen, the 18-year-old Enola Holmes 2 star mentioned Spears, 40.
“I think her story, first of all, resonates with me,” Brown told Barrymore. “Just growing up in the public eye, watching her videos, watching interviews of her when she was younger. I mean, same thing with you, it’s like I see the scramble for words, and I don’t know her, but when I look at pictures of her, I feel like I could tell her story in the right way—and hers only.”
Prior to releasing her debut album, 1999’s …Baby One More Time, at 17 years old, Britney joined the main cast of Disney’s The Mickey Mouse Club at 11. Brown, of course, was cast to play Eleven in Netflix’s Stranger Things in 2016, when she was just 12.
Earlier this month, Brown spoke with Deadline about the difficulty of growing past child stardom.
“I think the industry can easily have its faults and its great accomplishments,” Brown said. “This is one of them. Yes, of course, I’ve been undermined in the past, but we don’t focus on those things. We focus on the positives, and I have not been undermined in this situation. I was given an opportunity to be a female lead in a film. And that is a step forward.”
See Drew Barrymore chat with Millie Bobby Brown—who deemed it the “best interview I’ve ever, ever done”—up top.
Ibrahim Laar, a forward with Bibiani Goldstars, said he is striving arduously to get back to Europe.
The 25-year-old, who transferred from Eleven Wonders to the Bibiani-based team prior to the start of the season, has performed admirably thus far.
In five games for Bibiani Goldstars in the current Ghana Premier League, Laar has scored twice.
Speaking to Asempa FM, the enterprising forward who dreams of playing for Real Madrid or Dortmund says he is working extremely hard to return to Europe having played in Denmark.
“My ambition is to play for Real Madrid or join Borussia Dortmund at some point,” he told Asempa FM in an interview.
“I am working towards it. I played in Denmark previously and I am working strongly to return to Europe.”
He scored 10 goals in the top flight last season for Techiman Eleven Wonders.
With his first two goals of the season, Laar is second-joint top scorer of the Ghana Premier League.
The National Secretariat for Online Drivers has threatened to impose fares at their own discretion rather than those set by the app developers.
Uber, Bolt, and Yango are among the ride-hailing apps popular in the country.
Speaking to the media, the secretary for the group, Alex Okine, said the change is essential because the fees set by the app managers are insufficient to cover the rising cost of fuel, hence “operation charge your own fare”.
According to him, the association has called on management to bolster them against the consistent surge in fuel prices, but that has yielded no results.
“The apps are not charging correctly, and the commissions are way too low when fuel prices are going up. The Association wants to deal with the issue once and for all because the government is not doing anything about the prices of fuel. There is no corresponding increase in the base fare for the drivers to survive,” he added.
The recent spike in fuel prices has left scores of Ghanaians grappling with transport operators, currently, a litre of petrol is going for about GHS18, and that for diesel, close to GH¢24, also cost of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is expected to increase by 10%.
Other sectors of the economy are bearing the brunt of the hike in fuel prices.
In the hospitality sector, some restaurant owners in the Ashanti Region have announced plans to charge for soups and stews taken alongside meals like fufu, banku, and rice.
They contend that the current state of the economy, the high rates of inflation, and the continual increases in the cost of food and fuel are the causes of this new development.
Speaking to the media, Mr. Sam Charles said providing free soup and stew to customers puts daily strain on their ability to make a living.
“We are giving the government up to the end of this month, if things continue like this, then be ready to put money aside to buy soup and stew. We can’t give these for free and run at a loss. It is not easy. What wrong have we done for giving our power to one person to lead us,” he questioned.
“When someone talks about it, they say the person has been bribed, you will come and buy soup to taste the reality too,” he added.
The cost of goods and services has increased as a result of the country’s inflation rates, which have been fueled by the increase in tax and the depreciation of the cedi.
Some Ghanaians have responded adversely to this, but the government has insisted that the COVID-19 epidemic and the Russian-Ukrainianconflict are to blame for the majority of the nation’s economic issues.
However, President Akufo-Addohas said that the government is determined to bring relief to Ghanaians, despite the country’s current economic woes.
Meanwhile, the Institute for Energy Security (IES) has served notice concerning an impending nationwide shortage of petroleum products.
IES explained that the depreciation of the cedi and the lack of working capital of importers and distributors of fuel to sustain their businesses are the factors for the looming shortage.
A24 has shared the firstglimpse at Darren Aronofsky’s Brendan Fraser-starring The Whale.
The minute-long teaser trailer includes shots of main character Charlie (Fraser) interspersed with moments of his home, the beach, and his 17-year-old daughter played by Sadie Sink.
“Do you ever get the feeling people are incapable of not caring?” Charlie says in a voiceover. “People are amazing.”
Charlie is an English teacher who struggles with obesity. After the death of his lover, he turns to chronic binge-eating and ultimately decides to eat himself to death. However, his relationship with his child might be the salvation he needs.
In addition to Fraser and Sink, The Whale also stars Hong Chau, Samantha Morton, and Ty Simpkins. It’s directed by Aronofsky (Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream) and adapted from Samuel D. Hunter’s play of the same name.
The movie received a six-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival in September.
“It felt so affirming,” Fraser later told Variety of the reception. “I was emotional because it was acknowledgment that what we did is making an impact. And that kind of response feels completely new in my professional life.”
Dwayne Johnson—who got his acting start in the Mummy franchise—congratulated his “brother” Fraser for his performance following the ovation. The Rock took to Twitter, writing, “Man this makes me so happy to see this beautiful ovation for Brendan.
He supported me coming into his Mummy Returns franchise for my first ever role, which kicked off my Hollywood career. Rooting for all your success brother and congrats to my bud Darren Aronofsky.”
Chief Executive Officer of the Private Enterprise Federation (PEF), Nana Osei Bonsu, has urged the government to put in place an import licence regime where only a specific number of goods can be imported into the country.
An import licence is a document issued by a national government authorising the importation of certain goods into its jurisdiction.
This, Mr Osei Bonsu, said, will assist the government in curtailing the fast deterioration of the cedi’s value against major trading currencies, as well as, prevent the dumping of foreign goods into the market.
“The licence will make people tell us why they need to import certain goods using our valuable and limited resources. It can also avoid the case where, for instance, you bring an amount of pillows that will not even be needed for the next ten years. Import license is needed, it shouldn’t be imposed. It will help us as a country limit our exposure to weakening the economy,” he told the media.
The influx of foreign goods into the country has negatively impacted the growth of local companies, as imported goods often sell at a cheaper rate compared to goods locally made.
“People look at import license as a barrier but it is needed to justify why we have to allow you to spend our foreign exchange to import certain commodities. It is just to find ways to tell the authorities that this is needed in the country but when we have things that are available in volumes and people are still bringing them in and undercutting the price locally it does not enable the local people to compete,” Mr Osei Bonsu explained.
He made the recommendation while at the launch of the Youth Entrepreneurship Summit and Expo, expected to begin from December 7 – 11, at Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.
From the beginning of the year until now, the local currency has consistently depreciated against major world currencies, particularly the dollar.
A dollar, which went for about GH6 in January 2022, as of November 7, sells at GH13, data from the Bank of Ghana reveals.
Following the depreciation of the local currency, there has been a rise in the general prices of goods and services, as most of the commodities consumed by the market are imported goods.
To check the depreciation of the cedi, the government is working to end the activities of the black market and speculators.
Themed “Empowering Youth Enterprises for Sustainable Industrialization,” the Youth Entrepreneurship Summit seeks, among other things, to bring together a minimum of 200 young entrepreneurs with established and existing businesses from across the country.
It is aimed at providing leverage for them to build successful business brands and models that can contribute to primarily cutting down the rate of unemployment as well as impacting the economic outlook positively through the value chain.
The four-day event will comprise presentations by carefully selected technocrats and professionals, panel discussions, focused group discussions, and question and answer segments.
Fast-rising Emmanuel Kweku Darlington, a popular Ghanaian Hiplife artist, has stated that he had to borrow money from QwikLoan in order to go back to Accra after filming his hit music video.
To go back to Accra after filming the “Sika Aba Fie” music video, we had to apply for a QwikLoan.
For the video, we even sacrificed our last few dollars. Kweku Darlington said, “I was in my room for nearly two weeks without meals before the release of the song.”
The two-year-old “Sika Aba Fie” by Kweku Darlington has been a huge success on the streets of the country and has earned him several awards and accolades abroad.
Similarly, Kweku Darlington was able to share the stage with other international acts on larger stages
Over a million people have seen the video since it was posted on YouTube a year ago, and tens of millions more have streamed it on other music streaming services.
A Nigerian man has reportedly cancelled his wedding and relocated abroad alone after his fiancée insisted that N1 million which is equivalent to ¢32k is too small for their wedding.
According to Twitter user who shared the story online, the couple were planning to relocate to the UK together after their wedding and the man was footing all the bills as the lady and her family were struggling financially — “Heard a gist of this guy that told his babe that he only has ?1M to spend on their wedding.According to him,he upped the budget to 1M cos the lady’s family were having a bad time financially….”
He further disclosed that the man had a lesser budget for the wedding but later increased it to N1million but the lady insisted that the money was still too small for her dream wedding.
Out of frustration and anger, the man cancelled the wedding and relocated to the UK alone.
Heard a gist of this guy that told his babe that he only has ?1M to spend on their wedding.According to him,he upped the budget to 1M cos the lady’s family were having a bad time financially.But the lady insisted 1M is too small,so the guy cancelled the wedding and japa to UK
Let me add a bit of background so you can see that boys are trying . The would be best man told me his friend initially wanted a very lowkey stuff cos money no too dey and the fact that he’s the only one to shoulder everything.
It was out of i want to satisfy my babe that made him shift ground only for her to say 1m sef no go reach. This is a woman that will not be spending a dime o. Even the schools they applied to for Msc as a means to japa after wedding,it was the guy footing all the bills. You get !”
Industrial Relations Director of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), Alhaji Abass Imoro, has stated that the union continues to oversee the regulation of transport fares across the country despite reports suggesting otherwise.
It has been reported that the GPRTU can no longer steer the affairs of the transport industry since, in recent times, since public transport operatorsseem to unilaterally increase fares whenever there is a fuel price increase.
Effective October 29, transport fares were to be adjusted by 19%, but it has been observed that over 60% has been slapped on fares just when the price of a litre of petrol and diesel rose to about GH¢18 and GH¢23.
Despite the exorbitant fares that have left many commuters worried and irritated, Mr Abass Imoro insisted that “we have not lost control; it is rather those in power who think they can just push anything and run over drivers who have got it wrong.”
Speaking to the media on Monday, he added that although “drivers increased the fares themselves, they will take steps to rectify it”.
According to some frustrated drivers in the Greater Accra Region, they will review their prices anytime there is a fuel increment in the country.
Alhaji Abass Imoro confirmed the decision taken by the drivers, stating that “the voice of the people is the voice of God. The drivers themselves have decided, and seriously, there is no way we can return it. Unless those who have control over NPA will reason up with them and do something about the fuel prices. The drivers have promised that anytime they increase the fuel, they will also increase the lorry fares.”
Reports have it that there is no uniformity in fares, as commercial transport operators implement their own rates based on what they believe will help rein in profit amid high fuel prices.
A trip from Taifa to Mile 7 used to cost GH3, but after a 19 percent increase was implemented, the fare went up to GH3.80 instead of GH3.60 to reflect the actual 19 percent increment.
On November 3, transport operators charged GH5 for a trip from Taifa to Mile 7, representing a 67% increase.
At a 19 percent rate, a trip from Madina to Dome should cost GH¢6.50 from GH¢5.50. Currently, commuters are being charged GHS8.50, representing a whopping 55 percent increase.
Following his superb performance in Tuesday night’s 2-0 English Championship loss to Watford, Reading manager Paul Ince showered praise on Ghanaian left-back Abdul Baba Rahman.
One of the Royals’ brighter spots at Vicarage Road was the 28-year-old, who played the full game.
Baba Rahman has featured in nine league games for Reading so far this season.
“Some of the decision making left me dumbfounded at times – [I am thinking] what do you see when you make that decision? But they did try, gave their all, Rahman was excellent,” Ince said in post-match interview.
“It’s always a tough place to come. We’ve played six out of the top nine now so we won’t be judged on Watford, Burnley and teams like that. It’s teams around us where we need to pick up points against.”
The Chelsea loanee has been included in Ghana’s 55-man provisional squad which will be whittled down to 26 players.
Black Stars have been drawn in Group H alongside Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay.
Ghana will take on Portugal in their first game on November 24 before playing South Korea and Uruguay on November 28 and December 2 respectively.
Black Stars will play Switzerland in an International friendly on November 17, before travelling to Qatar for the World Cup.
Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Attais not to blame for the nation’s economic problems, according to Sammi Awuku, director general of the National Lottery Authority (NLA).
Mr Awuku believes it is purely coincidental that Ghana’s economic woes have been exacerbated at a time when Mr Ken Ofori-Atta heads the Finance Ministry.
He explained that the Finance Minister is a victim of circumstance because the economy has been hit by COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war; two events that are beyond his control.
“In this world, at times, situations can conspire against you. It may not be your fault, but you will be held responsible. When that time comes, and you access the situation, and you make the best decision out of it. In one of such situations, is what our current finance minister also faces. You have no control over this world economy, the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, as well as COVID-19,” Mr Awuku said.
The NLA boss mentioned that it is not out of place for Ghanaians to call for the resignation of Mr Ofori-Atta especially at a time when their wellbeing has been compromised.
He stated that this has been the case whenever economic challenges set in.
According to him, there was a massive call for the head of Seth Terpker, the then Finance Minister in the Mahama-led administration in 2014.
He noted that although the former Finance Minister in his time brought about some economic growth, some members of the National Democratic Congress believed he was unfit to run the economy due to the crisis that hit the economy.
“This isn’t the first time. In May 2014, ‘I am under pressure to fire Seth Terkper’ – Mahama, and then again, Allotey Jacob’s said ‘Zack Terkper’, NDC gurus put pressure on Mahama.”
“‘Non- performing Ministers should be sacked not Seth Terkper’ – Mahama. This means that with Finance Ministers, for one reason or the other, it looks like they aren’t thinking straight,” he said.
In 2014, the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) declined to 2.86% from 7.31% recorded in the previous year.
The slump was pinned on Seth Terkper, who, according to some NDC members, would be blamed for the party’s downfall in the 2016 general elections.
“Ghanaians are suffering, and he [Seth Terkper] must do something or the President must fire him. He has become a Judas in the party [NDC]. His policies will determine our [NDC] victory or failure in 2016. Seth Terkper is our problem now,” Bernard Allotey Jacobs, then Central Regional Communications Director of the NDC, said.
Mr Awuku therefore holds the assertion that Ghanaians are reacting to current situations and not what may have triggered the challenges they are presently facing.
“Because you are like a coach. When you are winning, you will be given the credit. When you are not winning, we have to sacrifice you,” he observed.
Chants for the Finance Minister’s dismissal have also been sung by some Members of Parliament belonging to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the NDC.
This, Mr Awuku says, is happening because the “MPs are under pressure from their constituents” and not because they are unaware the Minister is not to blame for the challenges being faced.
Amidst calls for the removal of Mr Ofori-Atta from his post, President Akufo-Addo has asked Ghanaians to be patient and allow the minister to complete Ghana’s negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for an economic programme.
On the fate of the Finance Minister, Mr Sammi Awuku is optimistic that the best decision will be taken by the government, which will serve the interests of the country.
“I am confident that the best decision will be taken by the government, Finance Minister, and Members of Parliament. Though we are crying in the rain, this is not a government that hasn’t proved its worth,” he added.
A pressure group, Occupy Ghana, has petitioned the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to investigate the alleged attempted bribery of some majority Members of Parliament (MP) by an unidentified businessman.
The group of 80 legislators, unhappy about the crippling economy, called for the dismissal of the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta and the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen.
However, the majority leader disclosed in an interview that a wealthy Ghanaian businessman tried bribing the 80 MPs to back down on their demands.
The spokesperson for the group, Andy Appiah-Kubi (MP, Asante Akim North), also alluded to the same allegation.
Reacting to the assertion, Occupy Ghana stated in a letter sighted by The Independent Ghana that the allegation levelled against the unidentified businessman should not be taken lightly.
According to the Pressure Group, the move by the said businessman is an attempt to obstruct the business of lawmakers.
OccupyGhana in the statement said, “we have followed media reports from interviews by Joy FM with Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu (MP, Suame, Majority Leader and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs) and Andy Appiah-Kubi (MP, Asante Akim North), which have been widely circulated by other media portals. In these interviews, the MPs alleged that an unnamed, wealthy businessman had attempted to bribe them.”
“That would be an attempt to influence the conduct of MPs in the course of their official duties, a potential corruption offence that falls within the remit of your office,” part of the statement read.
Describing the allegation as a potential corruption offence, OccupyGhana noted that the allegation must be investigated by the Special Prosecutor to ascertain the facts of the claims and prosecute him if found guilty.
Ahead of the Christmas festivities, the Food and Drug Authority (FDA), has cleared imported chicken and other meat products, as healthy for consumption.
In a four paged document debunking claims of imported chicken and other products are detrimental to the health of consumers, the FDA indicated that all products imported undergo rigorous testing to ensure their safety for consumption before they are released onto the market.
This follows the publication of a news article purporting that “some of the chicken and other meat products imported into the country appear to have been slaughtered many years back, with most having been injected for preservation purposes, and with the likelihood of dire health implications high, including cancer.”
The said publication is attributed to the Agribusiness Sector of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), specifically the Vice Chair of the AGI-Agriculture Sector, Fatima Alimohamed.
The story further claimed that “the situation is dire, and Ghana must move quickly to curtail the growing import of likely cancer-infested chicken and meat onto the local market”.
However, the FDA has refuted all these claims.
“The FDA assures the public that chicken and other meat products that are cleared from the ports by the FDA for ‘the Ghanaian market are taken through internationally accredited protocols and procedures that ensure the safety of ‘these products.
“These processes include evaluation of documents such as the Certificate of Analysis with detailed test results, Veterinary Certificate from the country of origin, and Veterinary Import Permit from the Veterinary Services Department of Ghana,” the FDA added.
Further, the FDA indicated that it has a mini laboratory at the Tema Port to perform testing of meat products before release.
In addition, the FDA performs thorough inspections on each consignment that arrives at the ports to ascertain the product’s compliance with food safety standards.
“Specifically, each consignment is checked for discolouration and odour, packaging integrity. Where necessary, confirmatory microbiology tests for the absence of microorganisms such as salmonella and listeria are conducted before the products are released onto the market. Any consignment found to be unwholesome is subjected to the requisite regulatory procedures, including safe disposal and sanctioning of the importer,” FDA added.
With the aforementioned bureaucracy governing the process of importing frozen foods, the FDA could not fathom out the reason behind the said publication.
“Moreover, importers of regulated products are required to register those products in accordance with Section 99 of the Public Health Act. 851 …”
“The Authority hereby reassures the public that the health and safety of the citizenry is a priority for the Authority and would continue to work assiduously throughout this Christmas season and beyond to ensure that only safe and nutritious foods are sold on our markets.
“Consumers are also encouraged to immediately bring to the notice of the FDA any observation of an instance of contaminated or spoiled food or expired chicken or other meat products that comes to their notice,” the FDA added.
Chief Director of the Ministry of Environment, Science, and Technology, Mrs Cynthia Asare Bediako, has clarified that the government is not footing the travel bills of the 350 delegates attending the 27th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) in Egypt.
According to Mrs Cynthia Asare Bediako, per reports from a state media house, development partners funded the majority of the delegation, which consisted of state and non-state actors.
She said “their funding is sourced from different agencies, including the Global Environment Facility- UNFCCC, World Bank, the Climate Vulnerability Forum, UNDP, and UNICEF,” while adding that “these agencies also sponsor some government of Ghana officials to participate in the conference.”
The Chief Director, however, noted that “delegates travelling on the government’s ticket are not many.”
Mrs Cynthia Asare Bediako explained that this is so because it is the responsibility of MESTI to coordinate and register persons attending the annual meeting.
At the Pre-COP Press Conference on November 3, 2022, the Minister for Environment, Science, and Technology, Dr Kwaku Afriyie, revealed that 150 government staff members would attend the COP27.
President Akufo-Addo left Ghana on Saturday, November 5, 2022, to lead Ghana’s delegation to the World Leaders’ Summit of the United Nations COP 27.
He was accompanied by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey; the Minister for Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Minister for Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel A. Jinapor and officials of the Presidency and Foreign Ministry.
The COP 27 Summit, which is one of the largest gatherings of world leaders, brought parties together to accelerate actions towards the goals of the Paris Agreement of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
In his submission, President Akufo-Addo assured the global community of Ghana’s full commitment to increasing the country’s share of renewable energy in the energy mix.
“Ghana’s position on energy transition is to continue the responsible exploitation of our natural resources for our development and transition at our own pace. The Government of Ghana is mindful of the actions of the developed countries in relation to energy transition, and their effect on us,” the President added.
The summit, which began on November 6, was brought to a successful end on Tuesday, November 8, 2022.
The President will return to Ghana on Friday, November 11, 2022, after he chairs the High Level UN Security Council debate convened by Ghana, on November 10, 2022, as part of the programme of work for Ghana’s Presidency of the Council for the month of November.
Discussants at an economic dialogue say Ghana needs critical leadership to implement policies that will take the country out of the current economic hardship and make the economy resilient in the future.
The dialogue was on the theme: “Fixing the Ghana Cedi; key to sustainable growth”.
They said it was time for leadership to take bold steps to implement innovative policies and own majority stake in the country’s natural resources.
The discussants were Dr Agyapomaa Gyeke-Dako, and Dr Adu Sarkodie, both lecturers, Dr Joseph Obeng, President, Ghana Association of Traders Association (GUTA), Mr Edward Kareweh, General Secretary of the General Agriculture Workers Union (GAWU), with Dr Sam Ankrah as Chairman of the programme.
Dr Gyeke-Dako, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana Business School, said the depreciation of the Cedi and the current economic hardship were due to leaders often focusing on populist policies.
“Our leaders, therefore, neglect the very important things that would build our economy and make it resilient,” the Development Economist said.
“But we’re seeing the contribution of services sector leading our growth in the economy. So, our structural transformation has not taken place the way we want, and I’ll blame it in a way to leadership,” she said.
Mr Kareweh said: “Our leaders are not of their own mind – if you sit and watch them and you know the pedigree they are and what they do, you’ll know very well that they’re working for themselves and someone else and not for their people.”
He underscored the need for leaders to be intentionally and willing to implement policies to ensure that the country produced enough to meet local demands and export.
Dr Sarkodie, a Development Economist, bemoaned the structure of ownership in critical sectors of the Ghanaian economy particularly, gold and oil, which allowed the country to earn a little stake with foreigners having majority earnings.
He explained that such a situation made it possible for multinational companies in those sectors of the economy to repatriate their profit, a major contributor of the depreciation of the cedi.
He noted for example that the Bank of Ghana reported that out of the $11.8 billion export earnings in the first nine months of 2022, including Gold (4.2bn), Oil (3.8bn) and Cocoa (1.7bn) Ghana earned less than 2bn, with the rest going to foreigners.
Dr Sarkodie attributed that situation to leadership and said: “The political system must always be right for the economic system to function correctly, because there’s a dichotomy between political expediency and economic efficiency.”
Dr Ankrah who also blamed the current economic hardship to poor leadership, said: “For Ghana to succeed, Economists must provide leadership in charting new economic paradigm, which will enable Ghana and Africa to take its destiny into its own hands.”
“This is the time for Ghana to once again show leadership on the continental stage by taking control of its economy and providing hope to its citizens,” he added
“At the moment, all workers are suffering income erosion. It is not because of mischief but because Ghana is having a real problem with the value of the Cedi. Their employer should understand them and allay their fears,” he said.
He made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency after the Association’s President, Dr Frank Serebour, at their 64th Annual General Conference in Bolgatanga, Upper East Region, called for salaries of members of the Association to be pegged at the rising Dollar rate.
Dr Serebour explained that the demand was because the current economic challenge was biting hard on the livelihoods of medical doctors and other health professionals.
“The escalating prices of fuel, food, goods and services make it very difficult for all of us in the public sector as well as doctors to make ends meet.
“Currently, the conditions of service of doctors and other health professionals in the public sector is deteriorating by the day. The skyrocketing cost of living fueled by the surging inflation and depreciation of the Cedi has resulted in a loss of over 60 per cent of the real value of our stagnated salaries,” he noted.
Mr Gamey said Ghana’s legal tender was Cedi, however, employees sometimes negotiated for a dollar equivalent because of the inflationary rates.
“They do this in particular because of the rapidly changing inflationary trends in the country to enable them to have a sustainable and protected income. Protection of income calls for an assurance that one’s income will not be eroded,” he added.
“… So when you see them wanting to take an industrial action, then its far beyond their capacity. So, I think they don’t mean harm.”
Laryea Kingston, a former winger for Ghana, thinks the Black Stars would do admirably at the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
The four-time African champions, who missed the most recent tournament in Russia in 2018, have returned to the World Cup.
In response to their recent underwhelming performance, the Black Stars have faced criticism.
However, Laryea believes the technical team led by Otto Addo will be able to lead the side to perform.
“I am however very optimistic about a good outing at the World Cup,” he told GNA Sports. “We have a solid technical team because they work in an elite environment, so they know what is at stake.
“Most of the technical team members have been to the World Cup, so they know what is at stake. I know Ghanaians are not too confident, but they should think back at what happened in the 2006 World Cup. We were out during the group stages at the 2006 AFCON, but when we went to the World Cup, we saw what Ghana did.
“So, for me, I think we will go there and do well,” he said.
Ghana has been housed in Group H alongside Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay.
The Black Stars will take on Switzerland in a friendly game on November 17 before flying to Doha on November 19.
In the mind of Isiah Thomas, his beef with Michael Jordan is far from over.
As reported by EuroHoops, Isiah recently sat down with the Greek NBA rights holder Cosmote during its broadcast of the Abu Dhabi Games 2022. When asked about his well-documented rivalry with MJ, Thomas shared his reaction to seeing Jordan in the 2020 Netflix documentary The Last Dance, revealing he demands a “public apology” from Michael.
“When I was watching the Last Dance, I’m sitting there and I’m watching it with my family and I’m thinking everything is good,” Thomas shared. “And then this guy comes on television and he says that he hates me and then he calls me an asshole. And then I proceed to watch a whole documentary about him being an asshole. I’m like ‘Wait a minute, time out.’ Until I get a public apology, this beef is gonna go on for a long long time, ’cause I’m from the West Side of Chicago.”
It isn’t the first time this year that Isiah has weighed in on his long-standing feudwith Jordan.
Back in July, Inquisitr published an article highlighting the origin of the MJ/Thomas feud, which has long been attributed to the theory that the Detroit Pistons point guard allegedly froze out Jordan during the 1985 NBA All-Star Game.
Isiah subsequently took to Twitter to respond to the article, rejecting Jordan’s comments about the origin of their beef.
“Stop lying this story is not factual or accurate, tell the truth man,” Isiah wrote.
“Dr. J, Moses Malone, Larry Bird, Sidney Moncrief and I did not freeze you out. If memory serves me correct I was injured most of the second half and Bird had a broken nose. Magic and Sampson dominated the game.”
According to him, some key equipment needed to revamp the refinery had been fixed with the crude distillation unit working.
Speaking on TV3’s New Day show on Wednesday, November 9, Mr Titus- Glover said, “TOR must work again. The president’s first address, he touched on how we can source some cheap refined petroleum products, that is fine in the interim but I want to look at the situation where the refinery can work again because as we speak, the fence that went bad some few months ago has been refurbished and the crude distillation unit is working.”
Tema Oil Refinery has not been operational since June 2018 due to a lack of crude oil which serves as a raw material for the refinery.
Aside from the inadequate crude oil in the country’s only oil refinery, TOR is faced with other challenges like broken equipment, and piled debt, among others.
It would be recalled that the management of TOR in April this year sought approval from the Energy Ministry to engage the private sector players to revamp the oil refinery.
Speaking on CitiTV’s Big Issue programme and monitored by GhanaWeb, Andrew Egyapa Mercer said, “As it is, I do not expect it to go beyond the year’s end because there is some equipment they need to repair to enable them to get back quickly and start refining.”
Touching on the settling of debts including utility bills, the Deputy Energy Minister said private sector partners of the refinery will help clear the debts.
“Some refinancing has to be done, and some debt has to remain on the books of TOR, which means whoever is parenting TOR takes that obligation,” he said.
The Atlanta Symphony Hallis not a natural breeding ground for hip-hop heads and hypebeasts. In fact, it’s just the opposite. It’s the kind of establishment that you’d expect to host conservative suits and wealthy business types for fundraisers and stuffy mixers. That’s probably why on Saturday, Nov. 5 at the orchestral venue felt so special.
In the heart of Atlanta’s midtown area, a diverse group of rap fans, influencers, entrepreneurs and more flocked to the lobby of the symphony hall on Peachtree Street for the Red Bull Symphonic starring Rick Ross. Debuting for the first time in the United States, the Red Bull Symphonic marked a joyous celebration merging classic and contemporary rap music. Backed by the award-winning all-Black symphony, Orchestra Noir, Rick Ross delivered a stunning performance that helped change the narrative surrounding rap and uplifted a community that has experienced so many highs and lows this year.
The guests were decked in extravagant dresses and suave suits, but with a twist. On their feet were the latest sneaker drops from Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack collaboration with Jordan to Air Forces and vibrant colorways of the Jordan 1s. It might not have been the typical dress code for the events that usually occur at this venue, but it was definitely the appropriate choice for an occasion as unprecedented as this one.
Since its inception, rap has received a lot of negative press. It’s often been looked at as a fad or used as a scapegoat during election cycles. Though rap has been the most dominant genre in the U.S. since 2018, amongst the music community, it is still viewed as the inferior genre. The Grammys is a big indicator. In 2022, rap was noticeably left out of the top categories nominations for Song of the Year and Record of the Year.
Image via Red Bull
Maestro Jason Ikeem Rodgers told Complex during a rehearsal ahead of the show that the Symphonic intends to change the conversation and put the genre on a bigger and brighter platform. “Hip-hop is so versatile and so much could be done with it and now people are starting to see that,” he says. “I love the effect of us putting rap and hip-hop on a grand stage. It shows us in a different light. We think that we have to go to nightclubs and hookah lounges to hear hip-hop, but you can also come to a concert hall like this with musicians who are classically-trained.”
As the last few guests hustled into their seats, the house lights dimmed and the stage lights illuminated in hues of crimson and white. The players of Orchestra Noir filed into their seats on stage followed by Maestro Rodgers. It’s show time.
The show began with a performance by Mapy, the self-proclaimed “Violin Queen” from Paris who performed a series of radio hits such as Wizkid’s “Essence.” Mapy was then followed by the Sainted Trap Choir, a 15-person ensemble who delivered a stellar performance of gospel and trap songs. Then, after a 10-minute intermission, horns, strings, and drums let out a harmonious sound as Rick Ross entered the stage, wearing a pink leather shirt, white pants, and a stack of diamond chained dangling from his neck.
“The devil is a lie,” Rick Ross declared before a buzzing crowd. The line is a reference to Ross’ 2014 collaboration with Jay-Z of the same name. Though the crowd’s screams and cheers were relentless, Rick Ross wasted no time jumping into his set.
For over an hour, Rozay took fans on a journey through his catalog, playing his biggest hits from 2006’s “Hustlin” to 2010’s “B.M.F.” and 2012’s “Stay Schemin’.” Particularly moving moments included Ross’ rendition of “Devil in a Red Dress,” his legendary 2010 collaboration with Kanye West. The performance of “Aston Martin Music” was also memorable. On stage, Ross and the orchestra were joined by the all-black choir, Sainted Trap Choir, who provided soul background vocals. During “Here I Am,” Ross two-stepped while DJ Sam Sneak encouraged him on the mic.
Image via Red Bull
The live show was particularly refreshing since many contemporary artists perform behind their own recorded vocals and electronic production. Any artist would have been incredible when backed by Orchestra Noir, but Rick Ross was the ideal fit for a show of this magnitude. The rapper’s husky voice against regal and luxe production makes him an obvious choice to be translated on the orchestral stage.
Maestro Jason Rodgers worked alongside assistant music director Larry J. Smith to dissect and transcribe Rick Ross’ music for the symphonic stage. “That was an awesome process,” Rodgers said. “I wanted to try this new method where we worked separately. I concentrated on the strings, and he concentrated on the winds and rhythm section. Seeing Rick Ross’ music that is already in my opinion so orchestral, was great.”
The Atlanta Symphonic was undoubtedly a historic moment for the self-proclaimed Boss of rap whose elegant and luxe music has touched rap fans for more than a decade. But it was also a monumental Saturday night for rap as a whole. Classical music has been accused of classism and elitism, catering to high-class white audiences. Orchestra Noir is proving that Black people are not only striving to be the rappers on the mics but the musicians behind the cellos, violins, and trumpets. “Seeing black people on that stage is amazing. It shows our diverse talent as a people,” Rodgers adds. ‘That’s really important for young Black boys and girls to see and say, ‘Hey, I can see myself in that symphony up there because I see people that look like me too.’”
Image via Red Bull
In the middle of Rick Ross’ performance, he took a brief pause to address an important topic. “As brothers and sisters, we can’t keep tearing ourselves down. We got to initiate the change. Rest in peace, Takeoff,” Ross said before asking everyone to take of silence for the late rapper.
Takeoff, one-third of Atlanta rap trio Migos, was fatally shot on November 1, outside of a bowling alley in Houston, Texas. Alongside his family and fellow band members, Quavo and Offset, Migos shot to stardom in the early 2010s and quickly became one of the most influential rap groups in music. Takeoff was often considered the reticent member of the group but his hypnotic flows and adlibs were very incomparable and shaped the current sound of trap music.
Takeoff’s death marks another tragedy that the rap community has experienced this year. Rappers PnB Rock, Trouble, and Young Dolph also died as a result of gun violence in 2022. The air has especially been thick in Atlanta where the city is grappling with gun violence and the government’s targeting of rappers. Young Thug and Gunna were arrested in May 2022 on RICO charges at the height of their careers.
Of course the pain cannot be erased in one night, but Rodgers suggests the Red Bull Symphonic will restore some hope and joy to a broken community. “It’s so tragic how we lose some of our younger rappers and young hip-hop stars and it’s just a shame that it’s so prevalent in the culture,” he begins. “With a project like this showing that hip-hop music can be viewed and listened to in different ways, I think that’s important for people to see because it puts us in a different setting. We need to continue to take hip-hop and put hip-hop in different lights. Right now, I don’t think people have the right idea of hip-hop. It has many different elements.”
The performance closed with a powerful rendition of “God Did” where Rick Ross and Orchestra Noir were once again joined by the choir and Mapy and the Sainted Trap Choir.
The Red Bull Symphonic showed the city of Atlanta and the music industry what the artists in rap and the fans who championed the genre have known all along: rap is an exquisite art form that deserves to be seen on the most regal of stages.
In an interview with the media, the chairperson of the Madina-Adenta-Abokobi (MAA) GNAT District, Christian Yaw Adinkra, disclosed that schools in the district have begun recording several cases of absenteeism among students and teachers.
According to Mr Adinkra, parents are unable to give their wards enough money for food and transportation due to the economic challenges.
As such, students are forced to stay home or leave early from school in order to trek home.
He mentioned that “from the way things are going, I foresee that in the coming days, the rate of truancy is going to go up on the part of students and teachers as well. For some time now you can see that some parents are struggling to give their wards transportation to school” he mentioned.
On the part of teachers, Mr Adinkra mentioned that the economic tantrum has worsened the plight of these professional workers.
He noted that the astronomical hikes in food commodities and transportation fares have rendered the 15% of the Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) to cushion teachers amidst the hardship insignificant.
He explained that, “as it stands now, the salary of the teacher cannot sustain him or her for more than a week. The average teacher takes about one thousand eight hundred (GHS 1,800) whereas prices of food and everything the teacher lives on have skyrocketed, including transport. It would be unfair to ask the teacher to come to school when he or she has no lorry fare.”
Yaw Adinkra, thus, called on government to emulate the policy of tax exemption on teacher’s salaries like other African countries such as Rwanda
He believes that if the move is taken into consideration, it will alleviate the living conditions of teachers. He also proposed a shift system for teachers.
Meanwhile, some teacher’s associations have embarked on industrial action due to the appointment of the acting Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, Dr. Eric Nkansah.
The three unions, the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers, Ghana (CCT), have been on strike since November 4, 2022.
These associations are upset with the appointment of Dr. Nkansah because he does not have a teaching background.
Senegal forward Sadio Mane will miss the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar because of an injury he sustained in Bayern Munich’s 6-1 victory over Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga.
Mane was replaced in the 15th minute by Leroy Sane after going down.
The 30-year-old headed straight down the tunnel for further treatment after being substituted.
He is a key cog of Aliou Cissé’s side, who face the Netherlands in their opening Group A game on November 21 before taking on hosts Qatar, then Ecuador at the World Cup.
Mane scored Senegal’s winning penalty in the shootout victory over Egypt to clinch their first Africa Cup of Nations title earlier this year.
It comes just 12 days before Mane’s Senegal play their first game at the 2022 World Cup against the Netherlands.
How do you describe a perfect picture and a beautiful woman? For this wedding, Tiwa Savage sought the help of experts who know her face and body well.
Her hair styling sculpted her face perfectly. A short pixie cut on a black woman is always a killer combination because we see their face in all its glory. The pixie cut looked divine on Tiwa.
A match made in heaven is Tiwa and nude lipstick, Tiwa looks beautiful in subtle brown shades of eyeshadow and glossy lips. Simple is always best.
But the star of this look is the outfit made by Veekee James Official. The floral motif is very exquisite detailing, complemented with designs that look like flames. Veekee James, though sticking with her well-known corset design was still able to marvel us.
Tiwa’s ageless beauty shines through, and the internet almost broke when we beheld her style and beauty in these videos and pictures.
Deputy Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markinhas described as unjustified calls for the termination of the appointment of the newly appointed GES Director-General, Dr Eric Nkansah.
He says the teachers who have embarked on the industry action over Dr Nkansah’s dismissal are being unfair to both Dr Nkansah and students at the pre-tertiary level.
“Ambushing the future of young Ghanaians who are supposed to be in school with an unjustified strike. I think it is most unfair to Dr Nkansah to be receiving such attacks,” he added.
He, thus, has passionately appealed to the teachers to call off the strike and resume work.
“I would want to appeal to the union leadership, especially because of the kids, to look again within,” he said.
Meanwhile, an industrial action that commenced on Monday to protest Dr Nkansah’s appointment is ongoing.
This is after negotiations between pre-tertiary teacher unions and the Labour Ministry ended in a stalemate.
His appointment came barely 48 hours after the previous Director-General of the Service, Prof. Opoku-Amankwa was relieved of his duties.
Subsequently, some pre tertiary teacher unions, including the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers-Ghana (CCT-Gh), have called for the appointment to be revoked, over claims that he is unfit to hold that position since he is a banker and not an educationist.
They organised a press conference to declare their discontent over Dr Nkansah’s appointment and subsequently declared an industrial action that was to take effect from Friday, November 4, 2022.
The Labour Ministry, in an attempt to intervene, called for a meeting with the aggrieved teachers. After deliberations, however, they could not reach an agreement. The Unions requested time to consult the grassroot and meet with the Labour Ministry on Monday.
Making their case, the teacher unions argued that the director general’s position was the preserve of educationists and had been occupied by educationists since its creation in 1974 to date, adding that 17 director generals had been appointed to serve at the GES since then, with five of them being professors from academia known to have operated in the education space.
President of NAGRAT, Rev Isaac Owusu, representing the teachers, said the other Director-Generals were all higher officers of the GES even under military regimes, thus, the appointment of a banker instead of an educationist was a manifestation of the lack of confidence in teachers to manage their own affairs and disregard for an established scheme of service and progression within the GES.
“We have been compelled under the current circumstances to publicly communicate to Ghanaians our intention to go on strike, having reached the November 4 deadline we gave the government.”
“Consequently, we have decided to embark on a strike from today, Friday, November 4, 2022,” he said.
Additionally, they raised concern about the one-year contract extension given to Deputy Director General, Anthony Boateng, stressing their opposition to the said contract extension.
“We sounded a note of caution that we would vehemently and vigorously resist any attempt to bring him (Boateng) back into the system and that the consequences of any such attempt may be too dire to handle,” he emphasised, and that it finally cautioned that “should the government fail to heed our call, the leadership of the teacher unions would not be able to control the actions or inaction of their members.”
The month of November has started on a high note music wise following so many artists pushing the release of their Singles, albums, and Eps.
A lot of Ghanaian artists are all set and ready to bless music lovers with good music this Friday and as usual music fans are ready to update their playlists.
Wendy has released the official tracklist for her upcoming Ep ‘Enigma’. The project which is set for a November, 11 release has 7 solid songs with no feature that were created by herself and the talented team for all music lovers.
Ghanaian female musician, Wendy Addo is popularly known as Wendy Shay is set to drop her first EP captioned Enigma.
“Enigma” which means ‘A person or thing that is mysterious or difficult to understand,’ suggests that Wendy Shay is about to tell the story of how difficult it is for people to understand her unorthodox brand.
The original release date as revealed by the Rufftown Records signed songstress was Friday, October 21, 2022. However, Rufftown Records and Wendy Shay pushed the release of the ‘Enigma’ EP to November 11, 2022.
Wendy Shay, to whet the appetite of all her fans and give music lovers an insight into what they should expect on the full EP released the first single ‘Heaven’ off the EP on Friday, October 21, 2022.
Sharing the tracklist on her social media pages, the ‘Warning’ hitmaker said “It’s an honor to share my growth with you,7 solid songs created by myself and the talented team … Friday is the day
11.11. 22”
Wendy Shay with Rufftown Records has a conviction that all their fans and music lovers across the world will be blown away when her first EP is finally released on November 11, 2022.
Mr Mahama revealed that the budget for the Presidency has dramatically increased from GH¢700 million to GH¢3.1bn in the past six years.
Taken aback by the budget, the former president questioned the rationale behind the astronomical increase.
Mr John Mahama in a tweet on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, noted that the Akufo-Addo government must cut down on its expenditure to ameliorate the hardships posed by the economic crisis.
He said, “for expenditure rationalisation to be successful, it must first start in the President’s office.”
The country, he says, can recoup about GH¢1bn should the Office of the President decide to slash its budget.
Ghana has been plunged into a series of economic challenges after it recorded its first two cases of COVID-19 in March 2020.
Prices of fuel, food, and transport fares have rapidly soared in the last few years, exacerbating the plight of citizens in the aftermath of the pandemic.
The country has also been downgraded by some international rating agencies.
As a result of the country’s inability to fix its liquidity and debt challenges, Fitch Ratings downgraded Ghana’s Long-Term Local- and Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) to ‘CC’, from ‘CCC’.
Ghana has now appealed to the International Monetary Fund (IMF)for a $3 billion bailout due to its restricted access to international financial markets and difficulties in mobilising domestic revenue to remedy the situation.
President Akufo-Addo, on October 30, 2022 also highlighted key measures to address some specific challenges that he believes are the causes of the country’s economic crisis.
He mentioned that the government will improve the revenue collection effort from the current tax-revenue to GDP ratio of 13% to between 18-20%.
He also indicated that the government will reduce Ghana’s total public debt-to-GDP ratio to about 55% in present value terms by 2028.
The President added that his administration will, among other things, review the reforms in the energy sector, cap statutory funds, implement the Tax Exemption Act, implement a new property rate regime, make a 30% cut in the salaries of political office holders, and encourage the habit of eating what you grow.
Meanwhile, some citizens dissatisfied with the government’s economic management approach have called for the resignation of the President and his Veep, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, as well as Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen.
AMG Beyond Control’s rapper, Medikal, has been controlled on Twitter for what can be described as his stubbornness.
The ‘Stubborn Academy’ rapper jumped on Nana Addo’s ‘sika mp3 dede’ viral comment to drop a rap freestyle. After releasing the song, Medikal who bragsabout being a rich artiste, took to Twitter to make noise about the song.
Unfortunately, that has landed him trouble as his verified Twitter account has been suspended on the blue bird app.
The suspension comes a few days after Elon Musk, the new owner of Twitter, warned users of the ‘freed’ yet seemed caged bird app to desist from impersonating notable personalities on his platform.
“Going forward, any Twitter handles engaging in impersonation without clearly specifying “parody” will be permanently suspended. Previously, we issued a warning before suspension, but now that we are rolling out widespread verification, there will be no warning.
This will be clearly identified as a condition for signing up to Twitter Blue. Any name change at all will cause temporary loss of verified checkmark,” Elon Musk tweeted.
In a bid to draw attention to his ‘Sika Mp3 Dede’ track, Medikal changed his Twitter profile AVI to a photo of H.E Nana Addo. he also changed his username to “Mr President”.
A twitter reported his account to Elon Musk for impersonating Ghana’s President and a few minutes later, his account was suspended. See screenshots of the actions below as shared by Ghanaian blogger, @SikaOfficial1
It’s SZA’s birthday, but her fans just got a gift.
The newly 33-year-old singer/songwriter posted a video on YouTube simply titled “PSA (Official Teaser)” without additional context. On social media SZA wrote, “Happy birthday to me. Clock starts now.”
The arresting, Bradley J. Calder-directed clip features SZA smoldering in a ring of green fire and having some bioluminescent fun on a beach at night. In an electric excerpt of new music she sings, “I don’t want nobody calling me anything but number one/Know I got problems, I don’t know how to take losses/Even when, even when they are lost causes.” She also ensures she’s “pissin’ you off just to get off” and singles out people “acting like bottom feeders, y’all suckin’ dick by the liter.”
Keeping things alphabetical, the CTRL artist ends the “PSA” teaser with the Morse code for “SOS,” three letters also incorporated into her recent “Shirt” video. It’s now in her IG bio as well:
Fans believe SZA’s sophomore album may be titled ‘SOS.’
It was featured in her ‘Shirt’ music video, at the end of her ‘PSA’ teaser, and now in morse code on her Instagram bio. pic.twitter.com/OPc9ZHiAlH
“PSA” or “SOS” could definitely be the name of an impending project or single, but as Stereogum’s Rachel Brodsky notes, “At the same time, the ‘Shirt’ video also had references to ‘NO CTRL’ (maybe another possible album title?) and ‘DEC’ (maybe the album release month?).”
In Complex’s October cover story, Aria Hughes wound up asking SZA “about the one thing she doesn’t want to speak about: her new album.” Here’s what she had to say:
“I don’t even know what this album is about and what it sounds like. Which is why I had to go to the mode of what feels good to my brain and to my energy and the songs that I think are hot, I just have to go with them. I have no idea what it sounds like to anybody else. I really don’t know. It’s so bizarre. It’s weird that I can’t put my finger on it. It’s a little bit of everything. It’s a little aggressive. Some parts are incredibly soft. Some of them are ballads. I don’t know. It’s all over the place. It’s just where my heart is.”
The feature also included the likes of TDE president Punch, producer Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, and Sam Levinson hyping up her new work.
CTRL celebrated its fifth anniversary in June, marked by a deluxe edition with 20 minutes of previously unreleased material including the tracks “2AM” and “Tread Carefully,” plus an alternate version of her Travis Scott collab “Love Galore.”
Solo offerings since the album have included 2020’s “Good Days,” last year’s “I Hate U,” and last month’s “Shirt,” while she’s delivered memorable features for Summer Walker (“No Love”), Doja Cat (“Kiss Me More”), DJ Khaled (“Beautiful,” “Just Us”), Megan Thee Stallion (“Freaky Girls”), and more.
