After a briefer homage to Takeoff on Instagram, Drake eulogized the fallen 28-year-old as he opened his radio show on Thursday night.
On the second episode of Table for One on SiriusXM—leading up to his 21 Savage collab album Her Loss at midnight—Drake remembered the “legendary, unprecedented” Migos member with whom he collaborated on hits including “Walk It Talk It.”
Sounding slightly choked-up at points, the 36-year-old tried to impress upon listeners that life is “worth living, and everybody deserves that chance.”
Read/hear Drake’s full remarks on the death of Takeoff below.
“Before I get into the pleasantries, I’d just like to send our deepest condolences from the family to the entire QC, to our brother Quavo, to our brother Offset, to the friends and loved ones of the legendary, unprecedented Takeoff—a guy that I knew for a long, long time. I’m sure people know how we started, of course, with ‘Versace.’ And from there, you know, we formed a brotherhood. I always talk about the fact that this was one family. My friends in the music industry are not friends, they’re family. So, our deepest condolences—tragic loss for all of us and, you know, a dark cloud over this business that we love so much. And, man, I just encourage everybody to lock into that mindset, no matter where you are, you know? It’s just really…it’s a life that’s worth living, and everybody deserves that chance. It’s unfortunate that one of our dear, dear brothers had to leave us this week. And it’s tough to even talk about, I don’t even know how to really—I don’t have the words, I feel like I’m rambling, but, yeah: again, our deepest condolences from the family. We love you, and I appreciate the memories, appreciate the memories.”
On Instagram on Tuesday, Drizzy shared a picture of himself onstage with the Last Rocket MC, writing, “I got the best memories of all of us seeing the world together and bringing light to every city we touch. That’s what I’ll focus on for now 😔 rest easy space man Take 🚀.”
Takeoff, born Kirshnik Khari Ball, was fatally shot in Houston in the early hours of Nov. 1.
Quality Control confirmed his passing, with the label stating, “Senseless violence and a stray bullet has taken another life from this world and we are devastated. Please respect his family and friends as we continue to process this monumental loss.”
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said, “We will solve this crime, let us solve this crime. Let us bring the person or persons to justice.”
In October, Takeoff and Quavo shared their first album as Unc & Phew, Only Built for Infinity Links.
Williams Peprah, an associate professor of finance at Andrews University in Michigan, hypothesized that the recent rise in US interest rates could put additional pressure on Ghana’s currency.
The federal funds rate, which serves as a benchmark for everything including business loans, credit card, and mortgage rates, has reportedly been raised by the US Federal Reserve to between 3.75% and 4% after remaining at 0% for more than a year during the coronavirus pandemic, according to theguardian.com.
While assessing the effects on Ghana, Professor Peprah pointed out that the country can suffer a loss or gain from the increase.
He believes that this will strengthen the US dollar which may result in a further weakening of Ghana’s currency.
“An increase in the interest rate by US Federal Reserve by 0.75% to 3.75% will impact Ghana’s economy both negatively and positively. The negative side is that it will lead to capital flight and a reduction in foreign direct investments into the country and the dollar will become stronger, and you may see the cedi devaluing more or faster,” he is quoted by myjoyonline.com.
He also added that “Should Ghana be able to attract investors into the country, you may have to be able to compensate or give higher returns of more than 3.75% [dollar rate] to investors.”
He pointed out that some progress had been made in the agriculture sector as a result of the government’s key initiatives.
“This resulted in the creation of the initiative “Planting for Food and Jobs” (PFJ), which offered strategic direction for achieving the stated objectives, in April 2017.
According to President Akufo-Addo, the program’s primary goal was to increase the output and productivity of a few key food crops through the distribution of drastically discounted enhanced seeds and fertilizers.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says his tenure of office, over the last three years and ten months has seen to the creation of a vibrant agricultural sector in Ghana, with the country, during the period, transformed into a net exporter of foodstuffs.
Speaking at the 36th Farmers’ Day celebration, which was held on Friday, 6th November 2020, in Techiman, capital of the Bono East Region, the President noted that, in the immediate years before his assumption of office, the performance of the agricultural sector was nothing short of abysmal, evidenced by growth rates of 0.9% in 2014 and 2.9% in 2016.
In order to remedy the situation, he told the gathering that his Government took the bold decision to embark on a well-thought-through programme for the modernisation and transformation of Ghana’s agriculture, which included increasing productivity on smallholding farms; enhancing food security; diversifying agricultural export earnings; promoting agro-industrialization and import substitution, and creating jobs for the youth.
“This led to the birth of the programme for “Planting for Food and Jobs” (PFJ), in April 2017, which provided strategic direction for realising the stated objectives. The initial focus of the programme was to support the productivity and output of selected food crops, through the provision of heavily subsidised improved seeds and fertilizers,” President Akufo-Addo said.
He continued, “The PFJ has since evolved, over the years, to reflect the comprehensive nature of Government’s strategy to improve agriculture with the introduction of five modules, i.e. food crops, Planting for Export and Rural Development (Tree Crops Module), Rearing for Food and Jobs (Livestock Module), Greenhouse Villages (Horticulture Module), and Farm Mechanisation and Agro-processing (Mechanisation Module).”
All five modules, the President explained, have contributed to the creation of the vibrant agriculture we are experiencing in Ghana, albeit with some of the modules yet to be fully implemented.
“Today, our nation has banished the disgraceful spectre of importing tomatoes and plantain from Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire respectively, we are now a net exporter of food, and our youth are venturing into fulltime agriculture,” he added.
According to President Akufo-Addo, the food crops module has resulted in an appreciable increase in yields of selected staples, with those of maize and rice, for example, increasing by 110% and 48% respectively from 2016 to 2019, whilst local production of rice accounts for 50% of domestic demand, up from 32% as at 2017.
All of this, the President stressed, has been made possible by the substantial increase in the distribution of improved seeds to farmers, from 4,400 metric tons in 2016, to 18,333 metric tons in 2019, and 29,000 metric tons in 2020.
With Ghana making considerable strides in its efforts to increase the use of fertilizer, from 8kg per hectare in 2016 to 20kg per hectare at the end of 2019, he indicated that Government has, since 2017, recruited 2,700 extension officers, translating into an improved extension officer to farmer ratio, from 1:1,908 in 2016, to 1:706
Another major intervention under the food crop module, according to President Akufo-Addo, has been the construction of 80 one-thousand-metric ton capacity warehouses throughout the country.
Touching on the tree crops module of PFJ, popularly referred to as “Planting for Export and Rural Development” (PERD), which he launched in April 2019, President Akufo-Addo stated that Government has taken the decision to develop cashew, coffee, shea, mango, coconut, rubber and oil palm into cash crops, in addition to cocoa.
“The target for each of these selected crops is to earn a minimum of US$2 billion each year from 2028. This target translates to a total of some US$14 billion annually, compared to the US$2.3 billion from cocoa today,” he added.
This added focus, he stressed, “does not mean turning our back on the crop that has been the mainstay of the Ghanaian economy for over a hundred years – cocoa”, evidenced in the establishment of the $600 million National Cocoa Rehabilitation programme, and increase in the producer price for a bag of cocoa from GH¢415 to GH¢660, the highest ever in the nation’s history.
Livestock Module
Explaining the rationale for the establishment of this module, President Akufo-Addo indicated that the purpose of the module is to scale up local production of poultry and livestock, as well as to reduce the country’s dependence on meat imports, valued annually at US$340 million.
“Commencing in 2019, with the distribution of improved breeds of small ruminants, pigs and cockerels to farmers throughout the country, Government is currently facilitating access to concessionary loans for value chain actors to support production, processing and marketing of meat products. At full-scale, it is projected to reduce progressively the importation of meat products in the country by up to 70% by the year 2025”, he said.
Government, President Akufo-Addo said, is promoting the greenhouse village concept to ensure the production of high value vegetables for local consumption, and to enhance the competitiveness of Ghana’s horticulture products on the international market.
“I have, thus far, commissioned three (3) greenhouse villages at Dawhenya in the Greater Accra Region, Akumadan in the Ashanti Region, and Bawjiase in Central Region. Two hundred and ninety-six (296) university graduates and diploma holders have been trained, with one hundred and ninety (190) of them benefiting from an eleven (11) month paid internship in the Kibbutzim in Israel,” he added.
In order to move away from the dependence on manual labour that smallholder farmers have become accustomed to, President Akufo-Addo stated that Government, through the More Food Programme, has supplied 230 tractors and 11,450 assorted machinery and equipment from Brazil, since 2017.
Additionally, concessionary agreements have been concluded with India and the Czech Republic for the supply of a large consignment of farm and processing machinery, including hand-held farm implements to be sold at a subsidised rate.
“From 2021, the Exim Bank of India will facilitate the supply of farm machinery, agro-processing and other value-adding machines to the tune of one hundred and fifty million United States dollars (US$150 million),” he said.
Chairperson, let me also give an account of some of the other interventions put in place by Government to boost the development of agriculture.
With Ghana having, since independence, put only 3.2% of its arable land under irrigation, President Akufo-Addo told the gathering that “since 2017, the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA) has completed 10 out of 14 small dams.”
Additionally, he added that the rehabilitation of the Kpong Left and Right bank irrigation schemes and the Tono irrigation scheme is ongoing, and, once completed, 7,690 hectares of land will be put under irrigation.
“Government has also initiated the construction of the Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam, which will put an additional 24,000 hectares of land under irrigation. Additionally, the Ministry of Special Development Initiatives has constructed some 500 small dams in the Northern Regions of Ghana,” he added.
One clear indicator attesting to the overwhelming success of the food crops module under the PFJ, according to President Akufo-Addo, is the export of Ghana foodstuffs to neighbouring countries.
“Based on official records at the Statistics Research and Information Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Ghana exported some 130,000 metric tons of 19 different food items to neighbouring countries in 2018, valued at the equivalent of US$90 million. Reports of scores of traders from neighbouring countries in the ECOWAS Region doing brisk business in grains in the northern parts of the country are clear indications of the new business opportunities opening up in the country for agriculture,” he said.
A ghastly accident on the Accra-Nsawam (precisely at the Ofankor-Barrier junction), has reportedly claimed the life of at least one person.
The accident which involved a tipper truck and a trailer truck occurred around 9:30 am on Friday morning, November 4, 2022.
According to eyewitnesses, the tipper truck driver lost control while attempting to overtake the trailer on the road leading to Barrier, veered off his lane, and crushed into the trailer truck.
Reports further indicate that the deceased whose name has been withheld is a plantain seller who ply her trade on the shoulder of the road.
The drivers of both vehicles who secured various degrees of injuries, have been transported to the hospital.
Mr. Hosi produced and signed a statement in which he criticized the management of the ministry and the inefficiencies coming from the Minister’s office as being inadequate.
Senyo Hosi stated, “Respectfully, the arm-chair analysis the Minister and/or MOFA conducts with a culture of “knowing everything,” without sufficient talks and engagements with industry, will take this country nowhere.
He further accused the Ministry of Agriculture of ignoring several correspondences after a proposal by the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Sagre Bambangi, was made seeking a collaboration “to help achieve a constructive example of investment success in rice production.”
He continued that “if you were really concerned about the commercial and social viability of investments in the sector as you seem to express, you would have been more responsible than ignore communication from one of the biggest rice investors in that district, region and the country.
“I, therefore, do not find your Ministry under the current leadership an honest policy partner in the development of my business to warrant any submission of my investment details for your consideration.”
Senyo Hosi, who is also a rice farmer, declared the tenure of Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto as a complete failure due to his outfit’s “failure to structure the agricultural industry through policy to make it sustainably bankable and attractive for investment, to achieve the transformation we seek as a country.”
He also dared the minister to inform Ghanaians of the major subsectors within the agriculture sector that have been effectively de-risked, restructured and nurtured to promote sustainable investment and make Ghana a leader in that space.
In his concluding remarks, Senyo Hosi called on Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto to conduct an audit on the production yield, investment, and subsidy deployment information published by the ministry.
“I find it most unfortunate that despite being led by a Ph.D. Agric-economist, the analytical capacity of the MOFA is one of mediocrity. Just so you are reminded, despite the presence of MOFA in practically every district in the country, it is the Minister’s methodology that the distribution of fertilizer equals a given quantum of employment.
“Since when did the distribution of fertilizer become a yardstick for acquiring employment data on a major policy intervention as the Planting for Food and Jobs?” Senyo Hosi quizzed.
Mr Hosi’s letter was however in response to an earlier press statement issued on October 30, 2022, by the Ministry of Agriculture, in response to remarks and arguments Senyo Hosi made at a recently held agribusiness dialogue in Accra.
Miles Bridges pleaded no contest to a felony domestic violence charge after reaching an agreement with prosecutors.
ESPN reports Bridges appeared in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday and entered a no-contest plea to one felony count of injuring a child’s parent. As part of his agreement, the charges of child abuse under circumstances or conditions likely to cause great bodily injury or death were dropped, and “an allegation of causing great bodily injury on the domestic violence victim” was dismissed.
Bridges was sentenced to three years of probation. During that span, Bridges will need to complete 52 weeks of domestic violence counseling and parenting classes. He must serve 100 hours of community service. He cannot possess guns or ammunition. Bridges is also expected to abide by the 10-year protective order associated with the woman in the case.
This agreement means Bridges accepts the punishment but doesn’t formally admit that he’s guilty.
“We believe this resolution was the best avenue to hold Mr. Bridges accountable for his conduct,” the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement. “We also understand through the victim’s representatives that the victim wanted an expedited resolution of the case. The victim and her representatives were consulted about the proposed resolution and agreed with the outcome of the case.”
Bridges was expected to cash in on a career year where he averaged 20.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game, but was arrested the night before the NBA free agency period began.
Bridges is a restricted free agent, which means the Charlotte Hornets will be given the opportunity to match any offer he receives from another team.
Afrobeat singer, Seun Kuti has said he won’t mourn the son ofsinger Davido.
Kuti made the comment in response to a user who accused him of being cold-hearted for sharing an article about hungry children in Nigeria rather than expressing sympathy for the Adeleke family.
Seun shared a screenshot of a report that stated: “Over one in 10 children in Nigeria die before their fifth birthday due to acute hunger-Report,” while Nigerians grieve the loss of Davido‘s son.
In the comment section, several social media users argued that his behavior was inappropriate.
Responding to the comments, he indicated in a video that he wasn’t required to post about the boy to express his grief.
He claimed that since he had never ‘promoted Davido’s accomplishment on his page, his son’s passing shouldn’t have been the first thing he would announce.
He stated that he would rather visit Davido to express his sympathies.
He added that while he had never instructed anyone not to mourn Ifeanyi, others should no longer be told how to grieve.
He emphasised that it is not his nature to ‘publicly grieve the loss of someone’.
Following recent reports of the deaths of over 60 and 90 in Gambia and Indonesia from acute kidney injury suspected to have been caused by Diethylene Glycol and Ethylene Glycol impurities found in pharmaceutical syrup formulations, the Food and Drugs Authority has outlined new directives for the importation of Glycerin and Propylene Glycol into the Ghanaian market.
In a press statement issued by the FDA CEO, Delese Mimi Darko, all batches of imported Glycerin and Propylene Glycol raw materials should be accompanied by a certificate of analysis that has test and limit for Diethylene Glycol (DEG) and Ethylene Glycol (EG) as per the recognised official compendia.
Glycerin, also known as glycerol, is a natural compound derived from vegetable oils or animal fats. It’s a clear, colorless, odorless, and syrupy liquid with a sweet taste.
Propylene glycol is also colorless liquid, which is nearly odorless but possesses a faintly sweet taste.
Additionally, the statement stipulated that all batches of imported glycerin and propylene glycol must be released from detention after being sampled at the port of entry and evaluated at the USP-Ghana Quality Control Laboratory at the importer’s expense for the presence of DEG and EG.
USP- GHANA is dedicated to helping improve global health through standards setting in compounding, biologics, pharmaceutical manufacturing and other fields.
“Only tested and released Glycerin and Propylene Glycol imported raw materials shall be used in formulating products to be put on the market.
Also, the manufacturers are required to provide documentary evidence of the Food Protection Plan (FPP) manufacturer’s control of DEG and EG in the excipients used for the FPP for all batches of finished pharmaceutical products (FPP) imported into the nation that contain glycerin and propylene glycol as excipients, according to the statement.
Finally, the statement also indicated that in the absence of proof of the control of DEG and EG in the excipients as indicated above, the FPP shall be sampled at the port of entry and tested for the presence of DEG and EG at USP-Ghana Quality Control Laboratory at the cost of the importer.
“Only FPP that meet the above requirements would be allowed onto the market,” it emphasised.
A member of the Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament, K.T. Hammond, has suggested that calls for the removal of some petroleum taxes to cushion consumers are no longer necessary.
Speaking to journalists in Parliament, Mr. Hammond, noted that the petroleum taxes are insignificant to warrant any removal.
“I remember sometime back when we were working these things and the percentage was close to over 40 and 50 percent… I was calling for reduction,” he said.
But now, he said, the taxes amounted to “basically nothing.”
Calls for the removal of taxes on fuel have died down in 2022 because of the extreme rises in the price of fuel products.
Observers have now narrowed in on calls for structural changes to address fuel price increases.
The Energy Fund Levy, the Sanitation and Pollution Levy, Price Stabilization and Recovery Levy, Energy Sector Levy, Special Petroleum Tax, Road Fund Levy, Energy Debt Recovery Levy, add up to about GH¢2.
This week, the price of diesel has shot up to over GH¢23 per litre while petrol is selling at almost GH¢18 per litre.
The Minority in Parliament on Wednesday urged the government to use part of its revenue accrued from oil resources to support consumers, considering the economic situation.
The Institute for Energy Security also reiterated the need for the government to revive the Tema Oil Refinery.
Recall that 8 people who were present at the time of the incident were invited by the police for questioning. Six were released except the cook and nanny.
According to a source who spoke to Yabaleft, the two suspects may remain in police custody until they are cleared by an autopsy report.
They might also be charged with negligence because they were directly in charge of Ifeanyi’s welfare while his parents were away.
A credible source said: “The cook and the nanny were the ones directly with the child, so, they are guilty of negligence until the autopsy is conducted. During investigation, we have suspects, and depending on the case, the suspects may or may not be released.
“So far, the family has not objected to the autopsy, but how fast it will be done depends on the hospital. But the next move is to review the CCTV at the house.”
The spokesperson of the Lagos State Police Command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, who confirmed the detention of the cook and nanny, refused to give further details about the ongoing investigation.
The Eminent Awards 2022 is now officially the biggest awards event in Ghana due to its wide and diverse scope.
An incredible 148 prominent influencers from academia, business, fashion, sports, health, security, commerce, entertainment, arts & culture as well as Media were honoured on Saturday, October 29.
The glittering event attended by a full house was held at the exquisite Accra Metropolitan Assembly-City Hall. It’s the toast of the capital after a beautiful night of music, comedy, poetry and dance.
Beyond the standard presentation of awards, the night also included an assortment of pomp and pageantry led by THE BOSSES BAND with delightful live music, mystical performance from the Magical Fortress, and even eye-popping dance moves from the Di Asa dancers.
Dignitaries and award recipients and special guests were entertained by musical and poetic performances from Richard Higher Pongo and Blaq Ice respectively.
The award recipients were carefully pulled from divergent backgrounds and industries across various categories.
Some of the prominent winners were Mrs. Diana Akosua Crystal-Adjirackor (Telenurse) emerged as the Eminent woman of the year. The Eminent Paragons for 2022 include; Hon. Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah-Adjei, Mr. Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, Hon. Daniel Kenneth, Michael Asamoah, Oheneyere Gifty Anti (Awo Dansoa), ACP Kofi Sarpong, Lyrical Joe, Paa Kwesi Sam, Aequitas Foundation, Awo Pampim Ako Tettebea II, and Matthew Agambire.
A total of 148 personalities won awards in various categories on the night.
Johnny Depp filed an appeal Wednesday over the single count of defamation ruled in favor of ex-wife Amber Heard in their court case.
People reports Depp is asking the court to overturn her counter suit victory—$2 million, versus the $15 million he was awarded—because he believes he should not be held accountable for a statement made by his attorney Adam Waldman. The Daily Mail published an article in April which included remarks from Waldman where he claimed Depp was set up by Heard and her friends with abuse allegations in 2016.
“So Amber and her friends spilled a little wine and roughed the place up, got their stories straight under the direction of a lawyer and publicist, and then placed a second call to 911,” Waldman said, according to TMZ.
Heard was awarded $2 million because the jury determined that Waldman was acting as a mouthpiece for Depp, but the actor argues Heard’s legal team didn’t present any evidence that could have tied him to his lawyer’s remarks. Depp also mentions he testified that he was unaware of those comments prior to the filing of her counter suit.
Depp was awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $5M in punitive damages. The latter was reduced to $350,000 due to “the state’s statutory cap or legal limit.” Heard indicated shortly after the verdict that she intended on appealing the ruling.
Heard filed a motion in July to toss out the defamation verdict on the grounds that she never mentioned Depp by name in the 2019 Washington Post op-ed in which she discussed being in an abusive relationship. The appeal was denied two weeks later.
Another appeal was filed by Heard later that same month, and the actress overhauled her entire legal team in anticipation for her latest appeal, which appears to be rooted in defending her First Amendment rights.
“We welcome the opportunity to represent Ms. Heard in this appeal as it is a case with important First Amendment implications for every American,” her new attorneys David L. Axelrod and Jay Ward Brown said in a joint statement. “We’re confident the appellate court will apply the law properly without deference to popularity, reverse the judgment against Ms. Heard, and reaffirm the fundamental principles of Freedom of Speech.”
In her first interview following the verdict, Heard defended her testimony in the defamation case, asserting she stands by every word.
Speaking to Youtuber Gordon Asare-Bediako on MYABC TV, the NFA Chairman stated that, filmmakers initially were making immense profits from their work until they decided to give their creations to free-to-air TV channels just to skip paying a fee for adverts.
He explained that it got to a point where producers were able to get GHc 2.5 million out of the sales of their movies in Accra alone not to even talk of Kumasi.
However, their maker value began to dwindle when they sold their movies to TV stations at low cost.
“Previously we used to sell 100,000 copies of our movies in Accra Opera Square alone.
If you release one film, you can sell about 100,000 copies in Accra. Every week, at least we released about 5 movies and were able to sell 100,000 within one month.
Producers were able to get GHc 2.5 million out of these sales in Accra alone not to talk about Kumasi.” Socrate Sarfo disclosed.
He revealed further that, consumers did not stop buying their films, but when they started giving their movies to TV stations to show, the buyers decided to stop because a TV station will show them free of charge.
“Our consumers didn’t say they won’t purchase our products, but we the filmmakers because of greed made a mistake by giving our films to TV stations to show instead of paying a fee to advertise for us.
We gave them our old films to show in order to advertise our new movies.
We gave the TV stations part 1 of our movies. It worked for us all right but later they demanded part 2 which we did. So they started piling up our movies to show on their network. Gradually, people who use to buy our movies got interested in watching our films on TV stations than buying our movies.”
“People were watching our movies on TV stations so most of the stations came to us and purchased our old movies. Initially, they use to buy from us at high prices (GHc5000) but later they were buying it as low as GHc200.
“Now you will see a filmmaker selling his numerous films to TV stations but his senses didn’t tell him he was selling his future.”
“It is the major thing, nothing more, nothing less, that destroyed our market.” Socrate Sarfo lamented.
He indicated further, “If you go to Opera Square in Accra and other places no one sells movies again. When we started giving our movies to TV stations, all the cinema halls collapsed.
Over 10 million mobile network subscribers continue to make and receive calls, as well as enjoy data and SMS services, despite failing to re-register their SIM cards before the end of October 2022.
The SIM re-registration exercise commenced in October 2021 to allow Ghanaians link their SIM cards to their Ghana Cards, as part of measures to curb fraudulent activities.
The exercise was scheduled to end on July 31, 2022. However, it was extended to September 30, due to the low number of re-registered SIM cards.
“Upon consultation with the industry and in view of the challenges enumerated above, I have very reluctantly decided to grant a conditional extension. The programme will be extended to 30th September to end on the anniversary of its commencement,” Communications Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekufulsaid.
In August, a self sim registration app was launched to assist individuals to re-register at the comfort of their homes, however, at a cost of GH5.
Despite the introduction of the app, some network subscribers failed to register their SIMs.
As part of measures to get network subscribers to register their SIM cards, the NCA in September blocked outgoing calls for a sequential batch of numbers for 2 days.
Some subscribers who had registered their SIM cards were also affected. In a short spate of time, the Authority rescinded its decision following concerns from subscribers.
In mid-October, the Ministry of Communications announced that it has suspended the blockage of unregistered SIM cards to allow subscribers to register their SIMs before October 31, 2022.
However, the ministry announced that, from the end of October, network subscribers who had not completed Stage 2 of the SIM card registration exercise would have their SIMs barred.
According to the NCA, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) shall put disconnected SIM Cards in a holding category and current subscribers of these SIM Cards shall be given six (6) months to register their SIM cards, failing which these numbers will be churned by the MNOs.”
Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, who has been reluctant to extend the deadline for the exercise is yet to comment on the matter.
Data from the Communications Ministry reveals that from October 1, 2021, to October 4, 2022, a total of 28,959,006 SIM cards have been linked to Ghana Cards (Stage 1 registration); representing 67.28% of the 42,749,662 total SIM cards issued nationally.
A total of 18,930,664 SIM cards have been fully registered (completed both Stages 1 and 2), representing 44.28% of the total SIM cards issued. This equates to 69.64% of all Stage 1 registrations.
“13,720,687 unique Counts of Ghana cards have been issued so far for the registration exercise,” the Ministry revealed.
The Ministry of Food and Agricultureplans to begin selling foodstuff within its premises to serve people in Accra on the Kinbu road.
Speaking at a meeting with farmers in Sefwi Wiaso in the Western North Region, Agric Minister, Dr. Owusu Akoto Afriyie said food products will be directly transported from the farms to the ministry and sold to consumers at an affordable price.
“The ministry itself is going to take its own initiative. We are going to link up with the farm gate so that we make all the arrangements to ensure that we put up kiosks on our compounds at the ministry, specifically for food from here [Sefwi Wiaso] and we are going to give it a lot of publicity,” the minister said.
Source: Ghana Statistical Service
This initiative by the Ministry forms part of efforts to check prices of foodstuff on the market.
Prices of food commodities have hit an all time high in recent times due to the depreciation of the Ghana cedi against major trading currencies.
Food inflation has been on the rise since January, with 13.7%. In February, the figure rose to 17.4%, then to 22.4% in March. In April, food inflation stood at 26.6%. Increasing by 3.5%, May recorded a 30.1% food inflation.
In June, food inflation rose by 0.06% to 30.7%. In July, food inflation which stood at 32.3% hiked to 34.4% in August.
In its October 2022 Africa Pulse Report, the World Bank explained that food inflation has become inevitable since many countries in Africa are dependent on food and fuel imports.
The World Bank, based on its research, has therefore declared Ghana as the Sub-Saharan African country with the highest food inflation, with 122%.
Currently, the government is looking at measures to reduce food importation into the country.
People settling in to their sofas for a bit of Netflix now have a new option – to pay less for their favourite shows but watch with adverts.
Netflix has launched its ‘Basic with Ads’ streaming plan in 12 countries – which it intends to expand over time.
It’s a massive change for the tech giant, which pioneered the world of ad-free, subscription-based streaming.
But as rising costs and offerings from new rivals prompt audiences to quit, the company had to act.
In announcing the new service, Netflix said it was confident it now had a “price and plan for every fan”.
It is charging £4.99 a month in the UK, and $6.99 in the US for the new plan – a roughly 30% discount to the firm’s cheapest ad-free option.
So will people go for it?
Kaitlyn from South West London, told the BBC she had no plans to change.
The 33-year-old said she was lucky to be able to afford the cost of her subscription and thought the move Netflix was”a desperate bid to attract more people” that would end up hurting the brand.
“If they are going to be offering aids, it feels like less of a premium service that people will be happy to continue paying for,” she said, adding that clogging shows and movies up with commercials would make Netflix “just another YouTube”.
But streaming audiences are clearly getting restive.
At Netflix, the number of subscribers fell by more than 1 million in the first half of the year, as the company pushed through its latest round of price hikes.
That’s a tiny fraction of its roughly 220 million global accounts, and the company made up for those losses over the three months to September.
But a recent global survey by the Simon Kucher consultancy found that more than a third of streaming customers were likely to cancel a subscription with the next 12 months, especially in markets such as China, India and the US.
The popularity of Stranger Things has helped Netflix beat back subscriber losses
More than a quarter had already moved to cut one, with concerns about cost ranking as the single biggest driver.
With concerns about the cost of living rising, Netflix with ads has a chance of helping it hold on to its audience, said Dominic Sunnebo, global consumer insight director at Kantar World Panel, which has found that for many of the households in the UK, quitting Netflix means dropping out of streaming altogether.
“Netflix is making its move into ad supported streaming at exactly the right time and we expect uptake to be fast and significant, as consumers battle to take control over their expenses,” he said.
Advert acceptance?
But analysts at Enders Analysis said they did not think many of the company’s current viewers would find the savings worth switching for, nor was it likely to draw in large numbers of new subscribers.
“We find it bizarre that some have opined that there will be a material quantity of Netflix subscribers that will actively pursue ad-supported video to save a couple of pounds a month,” the firm wrote in a recent note.
“This goes against Netflix’s (extremely) effective conditioning of its subscription base to see advertising as the ultimate annoyance and expect nothing less than the cleanest and least intrusive video viewing experience possible—a strategy that has worked to the expense of every other competing and trailing service.”
But while Netflix once distinguished itself by being commercial free, surveys by Kantar and others suggest that acceptance of adverts among audiences is growing.
Student Lottie and Frankie with friend Lily
Many of Netflix’s competitors already combine streaming with adverts or have plans to. Disney, for example, is due to roll out an advert supported service in December in the US. That plan will start at $7.99 a month.
Netflix has said customers on its ad-supported plan will face an average of four to five minutes of adverts per hour.
“I wouldn’t mind watching an advert if it meant it was cheaper,” students Lottie and Frankie told the BBC.
For now, both aged 20, said they weren’t directly concerned with the expense of Netflix, since they watch on family accounts.
With Netflix warning of plans to crack down on password sharing, they said the new option could be “good for students”.
New audience?
Among non-subscribers, however, a survey in the US by DISQO found only 25% to 35% were interested in signing up for a service with ads.
Even if the audience is not large, it could still prove lucrative for Netflix.
There was a “flurry” of interest from advertisers after Netflix announced the service, though some brands became “more reticent” when they found out how much the advertising would cost, said Liz Duff, head of commercial and operations for Total Media, which buys advertising slots for big household name brands,
Others, however, were “very keen to get involved in the initial launch phase”, she added.
Netflix could generate $830m from commercials next year and more than $1bn by 2024, according to estimates by Insider Intelligence.
But forecasting analyst Peter Newman cautioned that the new plan will draw most of its sign-ups from Netflix’s existing audience, rather than expanding the pool of viewers.
“An ad-supported tier isn’t going to reverse Netflix’s fortunes overnight,” he said.
New details regarding the death of Takeoff have been revealed as the artist continues to be mourned.
Takeoff, who came to fame as one-third of the platinum-selling rap group Migos, was shot and killed early Tuesday at a private party in Houston, Texas.
He was 28.
The Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office listed the manner of death as homicide with “penetrating gunshot wounds of head and torso into the arm” stated as the cause of his death.
A 23-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman were also injured. Sgt. Michael Arrington of the homicide division told reporters Tuesday that they both were doing ok.
The shooting death of Takeoff, who was known as the quiet, low-key member of his group, which included his uncle Quavo, is the latest high-profile death of a hip-hop artist.
His former group mate and longtime friend Offset has not spoken publicly about Takeoff’s death, but on Wednesday he changed the avatar on his verified Instagram account to a photo of Takeoff with a white heart.
A number of celebrities have paid tribute to the slain artist, including, Drake, Gucci Mane, Machine Gun Kelly and Beyoncé, who changed the landing page of her site to a photo of him.
Takeoff seemed aware of the potential danger that rappers sometimes face,
During a conversation on the “Drink Champs” podcast that recently streamed, he and Quavo talked to hosts N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN about their new album, “Only Built for Infinity Links.”
Talk turned security and the murders of fellow artists Pop Smoke and PnB Rock. Takeoff said, “You’ve got to be careful with social media now.”
“You gotta watch what you post because even though you’re just trying to show off and show your fans stuff, it’s people that follow you and watch you that [have] bad intentions and don’t want the best for you. They’re looking at your page and see you every day,” he said. “That’s why I don’t even really post like that, or if I do, I post after I left the spot. I post tomorrow or the next day and you think I’m at a location. But nah, I’m at the crib.”
Authorities are asking for the witnesses to come forward and provide information in hopes of arresting the person or people responsible.
Kotoku Royals will host Accra Hearts of Oak in a match week 5 encounter on Saturday afternoon at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium.
The Phobians won their last game 2-1 against Bibiani Gold Stars to record their first win of the season after four games losing one and drawing one.
Hearts of Oak managed to pick a draw against rivals Asante Kotoko in their last away game at the Baba Yara Sports stadium. But the trip to Dorma is one to forget as they fell to a Bright Adjei strike to lose 1-0 to Aduana FC. Kotoku Royals on the other hand lost their week four game to Bechem United at the Nana Fosu Gyeabour Park but seem to do well at home as they have yet to lose in their two Premier League outings at the Cape Coast Stadium.
Kotoku Royals possible starting lineup: Wilson Kwabena, Clinton Quaye, Joe Boateng, Fawzi Ali, Stephen Cancam, Kingsley Afriyie, Abdul Razak Seidu, Mohammed Zakari, Kwaku Owusu, Richard Dzikoe, Augustine Boakye.
Hearts of Oak possible starting lineup: Richmond Ayi, Konadu Yiadom, Robert Addo Sowah, Caleb Amankwah, Samuel Inkoom, Dennis Nkrumah-Korsah, Gladson Awako, Eric Esso, Yassan Ouatching, Kojo Obeng Jnr, Gideon Asante Yeboah.
Gladson Awako of Hearts of Oak is the player to watch in this encounter.
Predicted scoreline: 1-1 both teams will share points in this encounter. Accra Hearts of Oak struggle to win away in the league.
As part of their Market Expansion Project to encourage companies to take full advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area, the National AfCFTA Coordination Office (NCO) and UNDP organized an intensive sensitization on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Kumasi (AfCFTA).
Dr. Fareed Arthur, the coordinator of the National AfCFTA Coordination Office (NCO), said the project’s goal is to assist regional businesses with export potential in utilizing the AfCFTA.
“As part of NCO’s 2022 Annual Workplan to boost the participation of Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) in AfCFTA, 180 enterprises are being targeted to assess their export readiness. Out of which at least fifty (50) companies would be identified and supported to export under the AfCFTA regime”.
To achieve this, the head of Ghana’s National Coordination AfCTA Office said the NCO will undertake nationwide enterprise export-readiness assessments/audits on selected companies and SMEs to identify their needs and ascertain what it would take for them to access the AfCFTA market.
“The results of these assessments/audits will determine the technical, financial, and/or capacity-building assistance/interventions that would be provided to the targeted companies to export under AfCFTA”.
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) form the backbone of Ghana’s economy, representing more than 90% of private businesses, and employing about 72% of women and youth in the private informal sector and 68% in the private formal sector. The importance of the MSME sector is even more magnified, employing more than 80% of the workforce and generating 70% of the national output.
There are multiple, often inter-connected complex barriers to starting and conducting trading on the continent. These barriers tend to be significantly higher for women and youth-led MSMEs. These barriers include issues of limited access to resources (land, finance, etc), and limited access to market information on trade, customs, and border regulations.
The African Continental Free Trade Area provides an important opportunity for women and youth-led MSMEs in Ghana. The agreement’s objectives are to create a single, continent-wide market and enhance competitiveness at the enterprise level. According to the World Bank, Ghana’s intra-African trade is projected to double under the AfCFTA by 2035, anchored on revenues from value-added manufacturing, with women and youth benefiting the most.
According to the UNDP, more than 70% of cross-border traders are women and youth and most of whom were significantly and negatively impacted by COVID-19 pandemic which was revealed by a COVID-19 Business Tracker survey they conducted with the Ghana Statistical Service and World Bank to ascertain the impact of the pandemic on their operations.
Sylvia Senu, a UNDP Economic Analyst says as a result of this, they are committed to supporting government recovery effort for MSMEs through an integrated and inclusive MSMEs support programme which will strengthen capacity for good corporate governance and awareness creation to prevent radicalization, Business development services support and Energy and resource efficiency capacity.
“We are working with the Ghana National AfCFTA Coordination Office to build the capacity of the MSMEs and also helping them with mentoring and coaching them to access catalytic funding,” says UNDP’s Economic Analyst, Sylvia.
Ghana’s National AfCFTA Coordination Office (NCO) under the Ministry of Trade and Industry hopes its collaboration with the UNDP will help prepare Ghanaian MSMEs tap into the AfCFTA which makes available a market of 1.3 billion people.
Ken Ofori-Atta is heard highlighting the fact that the administrators of the economy recognized the task at hand even before taking office and continuing the current problems in an audio message uploaded on Joy FM’s social media accounts.
However, the finance minister acknowledged that the government is addressing ongoing issues and taking into account the resources at its disposal.
“Just to assure you that you have a finance minister who has gone through all the pains and aches and nobody can really come and say we don’t understand what we are doing.”
“The question is what resources do we have and how we are going to deploy them in the nation that we have in very difficult circumstances but being very confident that the nation is purposed for greatness and we are blessed to have the opportunity to lead where we are going,” Ken Ofori-Atta added.
“Let me assure you all that your best bet is still Ghana,” he told the gathering believed to be a group of investors but the time of the meeting is, however, unknown.
NPP MPs call for Ken Ofori-Atta, Charles Adu Boahen’s removal
A group of NPP MPs, numbering over 80, on October 25 held a press conference demanding the removal of the Finance Minister and Minister of State at the Ministry, Charles Adu Biahen, over management of the economy and hard times that citizens were facing.
President Akufo-Addo intervened and got a concession on two grounds, that the Ofori-Atta be allowed to conclude initial talks with the International Monetary Fund and present the 2022 budget and see to the passage of its appropriation.
The president has also addressed the nation on the economic challenges and how the government intends to tackle them.
The Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has recently stated that the view advanced by the Ken Must Go MPs is now the Majority position.
Meanwhile, the Minority Caucus is pushing a vote of censure to remove Ofori Atta from office.
Drake and 21 Savage have shared their new album Her Loss. The 16-track release features an appearance from Travis Scott on a song called “Pussy & Millions.”
A cut titled “Circo Loco” features a sample and vocal interpolation of Daft Punk’s Discovery hit “One More Time.” Listen to Her Loss below.
The two rappers announced their joint project on October 22. They also released a music video for their collaborative track “Jimmy Cooks,” which appears on Drake’s most recent solo LP, Honestly, Nevermind.
The Mahfuz Sultan–directed video found the men rapping in front of numerous screens, lit up with colourful footage of city life.
Drake and 21 Savage have worked together multiple times in recent years. 21 Savage appeared on Drake’s Certified Lover Boy track “Knife Talk,” while Drake guested on “Mr Right Now,” from 21 Savage and Metro Boomin’s Savage Mode II.
In June, 21 Savage joined Pharrell and Tyler, the Creator on “Cash In Cash Out.”
Honestly, Nevermind became Drake’s 11th No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 albums chart, moving 204,000 equivalent album units in its first week.
The achievement made Drake the fifth artist to release more than 10 No. 1 albums.
Still, the rapper decided not to submit the LP for Grammy nominations, marking the second straight year he has abstained from consideration.
21 Savage’s last studio album as a solo artist was 2018’s I Am > I Was. Savage Mode II arrived in 2020.
The goods will be transported to the ministry from the farms and sold to customers at a lower cost.
Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, the sector minister, stated during a meeting with farmers in Sefwi Wiaso, in the Western North Region, “the ministry itself is going to take its own initiative.”
“We are going to link up with the farm gate so that we make all the arrangements to ensure that we put up kiosks on our compounds at the ministry, specifically for food from here [Sefwi Wiaso] and we are going to give it a lot of publicity,” the minister said.
With a 122% increase in food prices, the nation has achieved the toughest achievement in sub-Saharan Africa.
In recent months, food costs have risen significantly since the beginning of the year in a number of nations throughout the world, primarily as a result of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
According to the World Bank, Ghana is the nation in Africa with the highest food prices. According to the World Bank’s October 2022 Africa Pulse report, Ghana is the sub-Saharan African nation with the highest rate of food inflation.
Singer Mariah Carey is no longer being sued for copyright infringement over her hit song All I Want for Christmas is You, after country singer Andy Stone dropped his legal action.
Songwriter Mr Stone sued the popstar in June, claiming he co-wrote a song with the same name five years earlier.
He told the court he would dismiss the case – but legally he could refile it.
A must-have on any festive playlist, Carey’s mega-hit is one of the best-known Christmas records of all time.
Mr Stone, who performs under the name Vince Vance with the band Vince Vance and the Valiants, previously filed the lawsuit in a New Orleans federal court – where he also filed to have the case dismissed.
He was claiming at least $20m (£16m) in damages, arguing that Carey exploited his “popularity” and “style”.
Despite sharing a title, the two songs are musically different, but Mr Stone claimed that Carey did not ask for permission to use the song name and had earned “undeserved profits” from it.
It is not unusual for different songs to have the same name, and the United States Copyright Office lists 177 entries on its website under the title All I Want for Christmas is You.
Since appearing on the album Merry Christmas in 1994, the song has topped the charts in several countries and by 2017 had reportedly earned Carey more than $60m (£48m) in royalties.
It has been streamed over one billion times on Spotify.
In a recent memoir, Carey admitted to composing “most of the song on a cheap little Casio keyboard”.
After serving listeners with sensational compositions such as ‘Weekend’ and ‘Liar’ which featured Kirani Ayat, Layla Fenton is back with a new song ‘MAMA’.
Layla Fenton is a Ghanaian Montserratian singer and songwriter who preaches Afro Fusion as her sound derived from a blend of several genres such as R&B, Soul, Reggae, Pop, Rock, Hiphop and live band highlife from her Ghanaian and Caribbean culture.
Drawing inspiration from a phase in her life where she needed parental figures for her growth and stability as a young adult, she describes her experiences (both good and bad) with men and talks about how the presence of a father figure would have avoided a lot of mistakes she made.
She then continues to narrate how she turned a deaf ear to the advice of her mother and aunties which often led to strains in her relationships with them concerning her love life.
The second part of the song throws light on the fact that her mistakes have led her to her current situation and she admits she has made a mess and therefore has to resolve her mistakes.
On a path of self-reflection and a reality check, she shows remorse for her decisions and seeks absolution from God and her mother-like figures in her life and she is in dire need of direction from them which will be a win for her personally.
Highly influenced by pioneers of the 90’s music era such as Whitney Houston, Dru Hill, Outkast and Caribbean and West African music, Layla is able to blend her mother tongue “Ga” with English to compose a beautiful masterpiece with which Ghanaian-based Nigerian producer Major Mynor lays the foundation with a heavily influenced instrumental made of live band sound to complete this piece of work.
With previous records of Layla indicating her lyricism and musical dexterity, she is a force to reckon and a talent to watch out for in the coming years.
MAMA is out on all platforms for streaming and downloading purposes.
QNET, a leading international direct selling company says it supports the decision of the Attorney General to dissolve companies that are impersonating QNET International, conducting fraudulent business activities and misrepresenting the company in Ghana.
According to QNET, a recent media publication on the Attorney General’s efforts at dissolving fraudulent companies misrepresented the facts of the matter.
“The first significant error in the media report is misconstruing QNET for Quest Net or Q-NET Investment Limited. The name Quest Net does not refer to nor is meant to refer to QNET. They are entities which are entirely separate and distinct, and with no relationship or incorporation internationally.”
“The company, mentioned in the order given by the Accra High Court, references an unauthorized entity set up by individuals who are not in any way connected with QNET Ltd, which is an international direct selling company headquartered in Hong Kong.”
“It is clearly evident from the Judgment dated 20 July 2022 that the title of the case is “IN THE MATTER OF THE CORPORATE INSOLVENCY AND RESTRUCTURING ACT, 2020 (ACT 1015) AND IN THE MATTER OF A PETITION FOR THE OFFICIAL WINDING UP OF Q-NET INVESTMENT LIMITED (A COMPANY LIMITED BY LIABILITY) AND IN THE MATTER BETWEEN THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND Q-NET INVESTMENT LIMITED.” It is thereby clear, QNET was never a party to the court action.”
“QNET operates its business everywhere, including Ghana, via Independent Representatives (IRs) who are properly trained and accredited individuals, and who undertake the business in compliance with best business ethics and practice.”
“Certain individuals acted in bad faith by registering a company called Quest Net/QNET Investment Limited in Ghana for their unlawful activities. QNET Limited had, via its lawyers in Ghana, written to the relevant authorities and placed Quest Net on notice that there is no relationship, connection or nexus of any nature with this Ghana-registered local entity and QNET Limited.”
“QNET, on a continuing basis, has been in touch with the relevant authorities to clarify its stand. QNET accordingly condemn the actions of these unscrupulous individuals and their bad practices, which we wholly dissociate ourselves and our business dealings from.”
“Whenever QNET’s attention is brought to unethical or illegal actions of IRs, QNET takes punitive actions against them. This includes termination or suspension of the IR. Additionally and as required, QNET lodges complaints with the Police against IRs who commit crimes against innocent individuals.”
“QNET is always available to offer clarification and assistance to all authorities and the media regarding any issue about its business. QNET has also embarked on a sensitization programme called the “MAMA Campaign”, to educate the general public about QNET, its business model and the need to be wary of fraudsters or impersonators.
“QNET is a law-abiding and socially-responsible company. QNET, through its social impact arm, RYTHM Foundation, has partnered with many charity projects across the world to empower less-privileged and physically-impaired people. In Ghana, QNET is actively supporting the Anopa Project, providing deaf and blind children with access to education and sporting skills.”
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to develop the Ghana Integrated Financial Ecosystem has been signed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Bank of Ghana (BoG), and Development Bank Ghana (DBG) as part of efforts to improve the financial capabilities for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) through trade and financial services (GIFE).
While the integrated financial model can benefit the Asia-Africa SME trade corridor more broadly, the creation of GIFE aims to create prospects for trade and financial services cooperation between Singapore and Ghana.
In a joint statement issued on November 4, 2022, it explained that the GIFE will also offer an open digital infrastructure for MSMEs in Ghana and Singapore in four key areas.
These include; the SME Financial Empowerment Programme to assist MSMEs build foundational digital financial literacy skills and understanding of cross-border financial services.
Another area of focus will allow MSMEs in Ghana and Singapore to develop business-to-business e-commerce platforms to expand international business connections in Asia and Africa.
Also, the DBG and its partners from financial institutions will provide digital trade finance and guarantees for eligible MSMEs through a digital platform while, the MAS, BOG, DBG will develop financial trust frameworks to assess credit worthiness for financing.
Bank of Ghana Governor, Dr Ernest Addison, in his remarks was optimistic that the MoU will enhance MSME contribution to economic growth and in line with government’s broader economic transformation goals.
Chief FinTech Officer of the Monetary Authority of Singapore said GIFE will provide a platform which could “potentially leapfrog traditional financial inclusion approaches with combined support mechanisms powered by smarter data that MSMEs and financial institutions can tap on based on their needs.”
Kwamina Duker, who is Chief Executive Officer of the DBG, said the role of SMEs in Ghana’s economy remains crucial and therefore said the GIFE programme will further strengthen DBG’s ability to catalyse SME growth by ensuring financial solutions are provided for them to achieve their full potential.
“SMEs are a key pillar of Ghana’s economic resilience, prosperity, and international competition, so I’m optimistic that our journey to unlock their potential will yield excellent results for our people and country,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer of ANEXT Bank Ms Toh Su Mei on her part said the decision to co-create the FTC trust data framework is geared toward promoting more trust amongst businesses and financial institutions globally.
“It allows us to make financial services accessible and effortless for more SMEs as growing businesses can get access to global trades, and be more resilient against macroeconomic market disruptions,” she concluded.
Nicki Minaj has extended her condolences to Davido and Chiomafollowing the death of their three-year-old son Ifeanyi.
The rapper took to Instagram to share a photo of Ifeanyi which she captioned “My deepest condolences to Chioma & @davido during this time.”
Her condolence message comes just days after the news of the death of Davido and Chioma’s son hit mainstream media.
Ifeanyi is reported to have died in a drowning accident at his dad’s home in Banana Island on the 1st of November 2022. The baby boy who just turned three had been left in the care of his caregivers while his parents were on a trip out of town.
The Lagos State Police Command confirmed the death of Ifeanyi and that eight people had been brought in for questioning in relation to his death. Police spokesman Benjamin Hundeyin disclosed that anyone found culpable of the child’s death after a thorough investigation would be arrested.
“It is true, the child is dead. About eight people were brought in for questioning and we are investigating the matter. Anyone found culpable in the death of the child would be arrested,” Hundeyin said.
The chef and cook have been detained in connection with his death and may remain in police custody until they are cleared by an autopsy report.
Davido and Ifeanyi
Following the news of Ifeanyi’s death, many celebrities home and abroad took to social media to grieve with the family.
Rapper Meek Mill tweeted “Prayers to davido and his family also praying for y’all.”
Grammy-award-winning singer Wizkid reacting to the tragic news shared a broken heart emoji to his Instagram story. He deleted the tweet announcing Nov 4 as his album’s release date after news of the toddler’s death hit the media. Wizkid has also postponed his album’s release date to Nov 14 as a show of respect.
Davido and Chioma are however yet to address the public on Ifeanyi’s death and have seemingly taken a break from social media.
The Ministry of Agriculture’s projected initiative to transport food to urban centers, according to ESOKO, an online agricultural marketing and messaging service, is unsustainable and only good for a limited time.
Mr. Afriyie Akoto remarked that the move is based on an appeal from a cross-section of farmers he met while on his working trip of the Western North and Western Regions in an interview with Kwame Malcolm on Empire FM in the Western Region.
But speaking to Starr News, the Content Manager for ESOKO Pricing Group, Francis Danso Agyei stated that the initiative comes with some costs that will make it unsustainable as a long-term project.
“When they (market women) go for it from the producers they also have the cost of transportation. Then the cost of adding value and grading all that is a cost to them. Before they transport to the market and while on the market they have other costs that they will pay for, toll and all that are costs that come to them.
“They will also add their margin and then pass it on to the consumer. So if the government wants to be a player it means that the government will also pay for all these things. I don’t know how much the government will want to add as a margin onto the produce and then pass it on to the consumer. But they will also have to bear all these costs,” Mr. Agyei stated.
He continued: “So the proposal is good in the short run but as things move and drag on. What are the volumes of food coming in. Because if you have large volumes it is going to force the other players to also try and then reduce what they are selling to match up to the government.”
The Content Manager for ESOKO further added that the government’s volume of products will be little and insignificant on the market which cannot drag prices down.
“Black Change”, an elevating message written by the reigning “3 Music”, Best rap performerAmerado, and prolific songwriter Gidochi, seeks to promote unity and peace among black people.
Gidochi, with a stirring voice, delivered yet another unique hook to remind us of the core values that unify humanity. He exhorts us to celebrate our own people, appreciates the place we call our home, and embraces Peace, Love, and Harmony.
Amerado, with an excellent flow of rap and well-defined rhythm, also employed the sermon in 2Corinthians 13:11 to emphasize the need to encourage one another, be of one mind and live in true harmony.
It is always incredible when musicians use their voices to deliver heartening messages. ‘Black Change’ is imbued with a great sense of responsibility and confidence that we all need to hear and act on.
The Anthemic song ‘Black Change’ is lifted from Amerado’s recently released 10-track debut album GINA (God is Never Asleep) which features colleague musicians Efya, Fameye, Epixode, and a host of others.
Listen to Black Change on YouTube, https://youtu.be/kh8vbZ2EZHU
Stream GINA Album here: https://yve.fanlink.to/GINA
Management of the National Lottery Authority (NLA)has lauded the Executives of the Ghana Lotto Operators Association (GLOA) and the Private Lotto Operators (PLOs) for complying with the directive on the payment of lotto commission.
The NLA earlier issued a directive informing the Executives of GLOA and all PLOs, to ensure the payment of a 20% lotto commission effective October 14, 2022.
The rate of the lotto commission was determined by the Board of the National Lottery Authorityand agreed by the PLOs, pursuant to Section 28 of the National Lotto Act, 2006 (Act 722).
In a press release, the NLA noted that it has taken cognizance of the publications by GLOA and PLOs instructing their Writers to comply with this directive or forfeit their license thus “highly applaud GLOA and the PLOs for enforcing this directive.”
A statement signed by the Secretary of GLOA, Seth Asante Amoani, with regards to the implementation of the Lotto Commission read “In line with the directive from the NLA, the executives and members of the Ghana Lotto Operators Association (GLOA) and Private Lotto Operators (PLO) wish to bring to the attention of its writers that payment on lotto commission is twenty percent (20%) effective 14th October 2022.”
Members of GLOA and PLO who assented their signatures in compliance with the lotto commission determined by the Governing Board of NLA include; Rand Lottery, Vision 2020, Asare Original Lotto, Alpha Lotto, Miwor Kakra Yebedi Nti Lotto, Makafui and Sons CO. Ltd., Accurate Giant, Home Co. Limited, Lotto & Lotteries Co. Ltd.
The rest are; Obiri Lotteries, Zinbax Construction & Lottery Services, Wulucky Ghana Limited, Zacdow Company Limited and Sadaco Business Brothers Ventures (SBBV).
Despite the GLOA and PLOs willingness to ensure the commission is implemented, the NLA has decided to deploy its task force in conjunction with the security services nationwide, to ensure full compliance with the payment of the commission.
Lotto operatorswho fail to implement the 20% commission risk having their license revoked or banned from operating for a minimum of five years.
According to a statement released by the Authority on November 3, the regulation will also include a window of time within which the Commissioner-General may grant an exception.
In the event that the products are not cleared within the allotted seven days, they are regarded to have been put in the State Warehouse for a maximum of fourteen (14) days, according to the statement.
After twenty-one (21) days, the goods are placed on the Uncleared Cargo List (UCL) and are subject to forfeiture.
It added that, “Importers who do not clear their goods from the ports after this period need to apply to the Commissioner-General online via the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS) for approval for an extension of time to clear. If approved, the importer is given seven (7) days to clear the goods from the port. The process of forfeiture starts immediately the goods go on the UCL or after the expiry of any extension period.”
Meanwhile, the GRA said importers are to note that UCL management is not solely for the recovery of customs duty and charges but will ensure that the ports are well-decongested of uncleared cargo.
The Chairman of the Classification Department of the National Film Authority(NFA), Socrate Sarfo, has debunked claims that the Ghana movie industry is dead.
According to him, the film industry is vibrant, and Ghanaians are watching local movies just like in the previous days.
Speaking on MYABC TV’s ‘Bekyeremu’ Show hosted by Gordon Asare-Bediako, the NFA Chairman indicated that the perception that the local movie industry has collapsed is wrong. The industry is working alright, but its market value has declined.
As per him, the filmmakers themselves have destroyed their market.
“Ghana movie industry isn’t dead, people are watching our movies, but the market has been destroyed. We (filmmakers) have destroyed the structure and dynamics to sell our movies.”
He explained that earlier, movie producers were making huge sales from their films until the market got spoiled when they started giving their movies to TV stations.
“Previously, we used to sell 100,000 copies of our movies in Accra Opera Square.
If you release one film, you can sell about 100,000 copies in Accra. Every week, at least we released about five movies and were able to sell 100,000 within one month…Producers were able to get GHc 2.5 million out of these sales in Accra alone, not to talk about Kumasi.”
But, “out of ignorance, we left the structure by which we use to sell our films, we did things to destroy our market. After that, stupidity kept us there to continue doing what was wrong.
“As we speak, you can’t even sell 1000 copies. I have four different films in possession, but I won’t release them because I can’t even sell 1000 copies… There’s no way I will get my money back if I produce a single movie.”
As per him, the major reason for the depreciation of their market value is the decision by filmmakers to sell their movies to free-to-air TV stations to show.
He said the telecast of local movies on TV has adversely collapsed the market because no consumer is willing to buy a movie knowing very well that he or she will get it on a free-to-air TV channel, and they (filmmakers) have themselves to blame.
The country’s current economic situation, which former president John Dramani Mahama feels has led to deteriorating living circumstances over a number of decades, has drawn his attention.
He asserts that Ghana’s economy has been thrown into crisis after crisis over the last few years, with essentially no end in sight.
“In the last few years, our economy has lurched from crisis to crisis, ultimately resulting in the most debilitating living conditions in several decades,” John Mahama wrote.
“Within a space of ten months, our currency has depreciated by over 62% against the US$, which is the highest in recent memory,” he added.
The current economic challenges in Ghana have reached unprecedented levels as citizens, businesses, and residents have been grappling to make ends meet in rather turbulent times.
Ghana’s local currency has since been ranked by Bloomberg as the worst performing in the world against the US dollar, overtaking the Sri Lanka rupee.
Bloomberg, at the time of the ranking, said the cedi had tumbled by about 50 percent to the US dollar.
This has resulted in an upsurge in the cost of living, persistent fuel price hikes, job losses, worker agitations, and general frustration among the Ghanaian populace, which has been brewing for months.
Although President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has formally admitted the country has been plunged into a crisis, hopes of securing an IMF support programme to restore macroeconomic stability have been put into question by economic experts.
Dr. Kabiru Mahama, a Technical Advisor at the Office of the Vice President has justified why President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addocarries a presidential chair to all functions he attends in Ghana.
Mahama insists that the fixation by National Democratic Congress officials on the chair is for mere propaganda purposes.
“This propaganda about this presidential chair ought to stop because we know that the president goes with his handlers and presidential staffers. If a president is for national security reasons…
“I even say that a president ought to be the number one, he is the sovereign. The president is the sovereign,” he stressed on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana programme, November 1, 2022.
When asked by host Randy Abbey if he was “justifying taking a special chair to a radio studio,” Dr. Mahama responded:
“I am justifying the fact that what the president eats, what the president wears, what the president sits on must be checked made against the National Security standards.
Asked why the same standards are not applied when Akufo-Addo travels outside the country, he responded: “Let me tell you why it may not be applicable outside Ghana, one; systems elsewhere are different.”
He cited the example of the American president, Joe Biden, when he went to the Queen’s funeral, with his own fleet. “That’s the American system,” Dr. Mahama stressed adding that the US being in economic difficulties would not mean they lower their security standards.
On the issue of the chair having a dedicated V8, as advanced by co-panelist Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Bawumia’s aide said it was untrue to the extent that the chair could be carried in a vehicle with other members of the presidential entourage.
“To suggest that this chair is having its own car and is being fueled when it can easily be placed in the boot of a car and go anywhere they want, you try to make a lot of noise about it,” he added.
Ghana winger Joseph Paintsil has disclosed that the Black Stars had something to prove against Nigeria in the final World Cup play-off after a poor 2021 AFCON campaign.
Coach Otto Addo, who replaced Milovan Rajevac ahead of the play-off qualified the Black Stars to the global showpiece following a 1-1 draw against Nigeria at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja in March.
The Stars claimed the ticket to Qatar 2022 on the away goals rule.
“[Facing Nigeria] was a do-or-die game. If didn’t show anything for Ghanaians at the AFCON, then this is the moment to show them what we were capable of,” Paintsil said on ‘Star Connect.’
“Doing everything possible every game, especially the home game [in Kumasi] was really important for us. Also, it was really important for them to have a goal or to win. But it’s unfortunate we played 0-0, which was also good for us [going away in the next game]”
He added, “It was amazing because when he had the draw and we were going to play Nigeria, even though it was going to be a tough game, mentally the players were ready to sacrifice for the nation. Because it was the same squad from the AFCON, we knew ourselves very well so with Nigeria, through training we were just doing what we were asked to do by the coaches [regarding their weaknesses].”
“We needed to come out with glory because of the AFCON performance because Ghanaians like World Cup even more than the AFCON. The World Cup is special when they hear it.”
Ghana will take on Portugal in their first game in Group H on November 24 before playing South Korea and Uruguay on November 28 and December 2 respectively.
Delay is pouring heat on Ghanaian celebrities who have undergone the knife to enhance their bodies.
The Ghanaian TV presenter pouring out her disappointment over what she says has become a new craze said she can never undergo any procedure to enhance her body.
“There is this sudden craze for superficiality, that’s why people now say my tummy is sagging so I am going to cut it. Since when did we get here, it is something I can never do because maybe I am a villager,” Delay said.
Ghana’s economic crisisis having a grave toll on all facets of life. Not only the living are bearing the brunt. It appears the dead will also have its fair share, as the prices of coffins is set to experience an astronomical surge.
With the incessant increase in basic commodities, coffins and caskets will have their prices adjusted in the coming week, manufacturers have disclosed
According to them, prices of raw materials like fillers, nails, pine, saw and fabrics to line coffins have seen a surge.
Speaking to the media, a manufacturer, Mr Agya Appiah, said “the fabric we use to decorate the casket I bought for ¢200 on Friday, I was told today to pay ¢240. I couldn’t buy it, so I had to come home to solicit the remaining amount. Things are expensive, I would also not sell them [caskets] at a reduced price.”
“All manufacturers here have come to a consensus to increase and stick to one price, latest by next week. This casket is called ‘Abenwaha’, with a price range of ¢1,500 to ¢2,000. But now, If I don’t sell it at ¢2,800, I may not be able to accrue my profit,” he added.
Mr Kwame Malvin, also a producer, mentioned that they are currently running at a loss as the cost of production exceeds the revenue generated from sales.
According to him, businesses are on the brink of collapse as a result.
“Our work has been affected. I used to buy this filler at ¢80, currently, I buy it at ¢230. I used to finish two coffins a day. Buyers keep complaining because we scare them with the pricing.
“Starting next week, the prices of coffins will increase. The ¢1,000-priced coffins will be sold at ¢1,500. The ¢800-priced coffins would be sold at, GH¢1000,” he said.
Meanwhile, manufacturers of caskets and coffins have called for the government’s support and intervention, especially in respect of access to wood.
Delayis unhappy over the “sudden craze for superficiality” among young women and girls on social media.
According to the TV host, it surprises her how all of a sudden, a lot of women want perfect bodies, hence, undergoing liposuction to enhance their figure.
“There is this sudden craze for superficiality, that’s why people now say my tummy is sagging so I am going to cut it. Since when did we get here, it is something I can never do because maybe I am a villager,” Delay said.
Delay in a video that is going viral also added that people now travel to Dubai to engage in nasty sexual acts to fund their luxurious lives on social media. “Of late, excuse me to say, some girls allow Arab men in Dubai to poo in their mouths to be paid $40,000,” she said.
She continued that “They come back and use that money to buy designer clothes to post on social media. so do we live a meaningful life with this? You know what I am talking about. Recently, in a video that went viral, you’ll see a lady sleeping and these Arab men pooing in her mouth”.
Expressing her disgust about the act, she quizzed: “Are you serious? What at all are you looking for in this world? To buy iPhone 14? Do you know something?
According to Delay, “The Bible is the greatest manual in life, one thing the bible has said is that all things of this world shall pass. If you go and buy a new Range Rover now, tomorrow they will manufacture a brand new one. So unless you go back to buy the brand new, we can never keep up with the world”.
Twitter says it will inform its staff on Friday about whether they will be laid off following the firm’s takeover by Elon Musk.
In an internal email, the social media company said the cuts are “an effort to place Twitter on a healthy path”.
The firm added that its offices would be temporarily closed and badge access would be suspended. The multi-billionaire will be Twitter’s chief executiveafter buying the firm last week in a $44bn (£39.3bn) deal.
“We will go through the difficult process of reducing our global workforce on Friday,” Twitter said in the email.
“We recognise this will impact a number of individuals who have made valuable contributions to Twitter, but this action is, unfortunately, necessary to ensure the company’s success moving forward,” it added.
The company said office access would be immediately limited “to help ensure the safety of each employee as well as Twitter systems and customer data”.
All staff are set to receive an email with the subject “Your Role at Twitter” by 09:00 Pacific time (16:00 GMT) on Friday.
Workers who are not affected will be notified through their company email, according to Twitter.
Meanwhile, those who are affected will be told of the “next steps” through their personal accounts.
“Given the nature of our distributed workforce and our desire to inform impacted individuals as quickly as possible, communications for this process will take place via email,” Twitter said.
“Exodus of talent”
There is speculation that as many as half of Twitter’s 8,000 jobs are on the chopping block.
The platform struggles to make a profit. One way to fix the problem is by making a dent in the wage bill.
Simon Balmain, a senior community manager for Twitter in the UK, told the BBC that he believed he has been laid off, because he was logged out of his work laptop and Slack messaging programme.
“Everyone got an email saying that there was going to be a large reduction in headcount, and then around an hour later, folks started getting their laptops remotely wiped and access to Slack and Gmail revoked,” he said.
“Most UK folks are probably asleep and don’t know yet. I was working mostly LA (Los Angeles) hours because of the projects I was on, so was still awake when it happened.”
Another Twitter worker said he was anxiously waiting for an email to arrive, confirming whether he still had a job.
He said he would probably stay up late to wait for the message.
“The exodus of talent from this layoff will reshape the whole technology industry as we know it. We’re all looking out for each other and the outreach of love and support has been incredible to see,” Mr Balmain said.
Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources, suggested some senior staff were asked to make lists of employees to be cut on their teams.
Cryptocurrency platform Binance invested in Twitter as part of Mr Musk’s takeover.Earlier, Changpeng Zhao, its chief executive, said that “a slimmer workforce would make more sense”.
Mr Zhao, who was speaking at the Web Summit in Lisbon, also criticised the platform for having been slow to roll out new features, given its level of staffing.
Pay to verify
The cost-cutting follows criticism of Twitter’s efforts to raise money by proposing to charge $8 (£7) a month for a “verified” blue check-mark.
In addition to the verification badge, those who pay could have their tweets promoted more widely and see fewer adverts.
Mr Musk has tweeted of his plan: “We need to pay the bills somehow.”
Twitter has not made a profit in several years and its number of users has remained fairly static at about 300 million a month.
Many experts suggest that Mr Musk, the world’s richest man, overpaid for the company, given current economic conditions and the depressed values of many tech stocks.
But Brandon Borrman, Twitter’s former head of global communications, in a BBC interview, questioned how Twitter could justify asking people to pay in order to remain on an “equal playing field” with other users.
It is not clear how the cuts will affect the platform’s operations. Mr Musk has a reputation for being ruthless when it comes to staff.
US media reports already speak of long hours spent by some staff to meet Mr Musk’s demands in the aftermath of the takeover.
In May, Mr Musk said his work ethic expectations would be “extreme”, but less than he demanded of himself.
Board axed
As part of the takeover agreement, nine members of Twitter’s board departed the company, leaving self-styled “Chief Twit” Mr Musk as the sole director.
The move was seen as cementing Mr Musk’s control over the company.
Among those leaving were chairman Bret Taylor and chief executive Parag Agrawal.
Other senior figures have also posted about leaving, or are reported to have left, including chief financial officer Ned Segal.
As senior figures left, US media reported that a number of Mr Musk’s allies joined Twitter.
Ghanaians have already begun to explore alternatives to high transportation costs by opting for train travel.
In the wake of skyrocketing fuel prices and transport fares, Ghana Railway Company Limited has experienced significant growth in patronage.
Currently, petrol and diesel prices are being sold at an average of ¢18 and ¢23 per litre, from the previous prices of ¢15 and ¢19 per litre respectively.
Predictions by energy analysts have shown harsh conditions ahead for Ghanaians, as a further increment is expected in the next pricing window.
Passenger numbers have doubled in the last week alone, according to the Ghana Railway Company.
Public Relations Officer(PRO), Roy Brown, in an engagement with the media, noted that they have seen nearly fifty 50 new passengers. In this regard, the PRO noted that due to this, they have plans of increasing their coaches.
“As we speak now, in terms of patronage, it has gone high. Just yesterday we exceeded our normal intake…it is normally supposed to take around 335 passengers but yesterday and the day before, we exceeded. This morning it went up 382 thereabouts, so that clearly tells you that people have now accepted the train,” he noted.
“Going forward, we also plan that we will add another coach, the coaches are supposed to be six, but currently we are running five coaches,” he added.
Some commuters expressed that they had to turn to their old love, train services, to cushion them amidst the indiscriminate increase in transport fares.
“I have to pick the train because it is affordable and traffic-wise, this is faster,” one passenger said.
“Because of the economic situation, we need to save as well. As of now I have my own motorbike, but I have to park,” another said.
Further adding, Mr Roy mentioned he looks forward to bringing in more trains to also run the same service.
Meanwhile, Mr Brown noted that, government is currently in talks with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company to secure cheaper petroleum products for the Ghanaian market.
Leading members leading this negotiation are the Deputy Energy Minister, Andrew Egyapa Mercer, Managing Director of Bulk Oil Storage Transportation Limited, Edwin Provencal and National Petroleum Authority Boss, Perry Okudzeto.
On Friday, November 4, the team is expected to meet the Chief Executive of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Sultan Al Jaber.
In July this year, Accra-Tema passenger train service resumed full operations after it was temporarily suspended for rehabilitation.
Ghana Railway Company urged Ghanaians to patronize their services as it is relatively cheaper than the regular means of transportation.
In September of this year, the government signed a $3.2 billion contract with Thelo DB of South
Africa and Transtech Consult Limited of Ghana to modernize the rail infrastructure on the
Western Railway Line from Huni Valley to Dunkwa via Awaso and Nyinahin to Eduadin to facilitate efficient freight haulage.
On the 7th of March 2001 under the company’s Act,1963 (Act 179) the Ghana railway company limited was created
Popular Ghanaian comic actor and comedian Funny Face in the latter days of 2021 and the early days of 2022 had a rough time after he went through severe depression that ended him up at the psychiatric hospital.
The father of two has finally narrated how the Ghana Police Service helped him bring out his depression.
According to him, he came out of his depression after receiving hot slaps from operatives of the Ghana Police Service.
Born Benson Nana Yaw Oduro Boateng, the ‘Children’s President’ became the talk of the nation following a series of trauma and depression he went through as a result of his multiple failed relationships and the deprivation of him to see his twins, Ella and Bella.
It would be recalled that video was widespread on social media capturing the moments Funny Face was being mishandles by some police officers after he reportedly fired some gunshots at Kasoa.
He was detained for some time but was later sentenced to the Accra Psychiatry Hospital for mental evaluation which came out successfully as he bounces back to his usual duties.
In a snippet video of an interview with Kwaku Sintim- Misa, popular known as KSM on The KSM Show on Pan African TV, Funny Face took a minute to eulogize the Ghana Police Service for the efforts they put into eliminating the depression and trauma he was going through.
According to him, the Ghana Police Service as a result of the beatings they subjected him to eradicated his depression and brought him back to sanity in no time.
He also heaped praises on the Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare for the role he played in regaining his sanity.
The French parliament was brought to a halt after a far-right MP shouted “They should go back to Africa” as a black colleague talked about immigration.
Grégoire de Fournas, a member of National Rally (RN), said later his remark had not been aimed at Carlos Martens Bilongo himself but at migrants trying to reach Europe by sea.
Mr Bilongo said he had been born in France and the remark was “shameful”.
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said there was “no room for racism”.
The National Assembly’s bureau would meet on Friday and decide on the “necessary sanction”, the liberal politician told reporters.
Mr Bilongo had been questioning the government about a request by the SOS Méditerranée non-governmental organisation for help in finding a port for 234 migrants rescued at sea in recent days.
When Mr de Fournas made his remark, the Speaker, Yael Braun-Pivet, demanded to know who had spoken. Then, as MPs chanted “Out! Out! Out!”, she suspended the session, declaring, “This is not possible.”
Mr Bilongo, an MP from the left-wing party France Unbowed (LFI), said: “Today it’s come back to the colour of my skin. I was born in France, I am a French MP.”
Mr de Fournas tried to defend himself, saying he had been referring to the “boat transporting migrants to Europe” but he later apologised to Mr Bilongo for “the misunderstanding” his comments had caused and if he had been hurt by them.
LFI leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon tweeted that the MP’s comments were “beyond intolerable” and he should be kicked out of the National Assembly.
Immigration featured prominently in the RN’s presidential and parliamentary election campaigns this year, with party leader Marine Le Pen proposing a referendum on major reductions in immigration if she became president.
In the parliamentary election in June, the party increased its presence in the National Assembly tenfold, winning 89 seats.
The social media war between artiste manager, Bulldog, and dancehall musician Shatta Walecontinues to thicken as a lot more shocking revelations come to light.
In yet another twist to the allegations, a former friend of Shatta Wale, Wizla Finito, has come out with more damning claims against the controversial dancehall musician.
According to him, Shatta Walesaw the two talented acts as a threat to his career and had to take measures to eliminate them,
Finito also shared how Shatta Wale shed crocodile tears at the burial ceremony of the late Ebony only to confuse Ghanaians.
This allegation from Shatta Wale’s former friend comes after the ‘Gringo’ hitmaker previously accused Bulldog of being responsible for the demise of the late Fennec Okyere, a former manager of Kwaw Kese.
He wrote on his Facebook page…
Ghana singer Ebony born Priscilla Opoku-Kwarteng died with two others on February ,9, 2018 at the age of 20 in a tragic motor accident on the Sunyani-Kumasi Road.
While Vybrant Faya, real name Emmanuel Kojo Quayeson, died on Sunday, October 23, 2016. He was crossing the street to enter the Accra Mall when a motorbike rider knocked him down.
Former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors, Senyo Hosi, has asked the Minister of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), Dr Afriyie Akoto to resign from post.
According to him, Dr Afriyie Akotois incapable of executing his mandate as the Food and Agriculture Minister.
Senyo Hosi’s recent outburst comes after MOFA reacted to his assertion of losing huge sums of money after relying on data from the Ministry when he decided to go into farming.
Speaking at an agribusiness dialogue on Wednesday, October 26, the Former CEO of Ghana Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors disclosed that “When I used data from Ministry of Agriculture, I lost millions.”
Reacting to the allegation, MOFA in a press statement asked Mr Hosi to furnish the Ministry with information on the said data that cost him money.
Mr Hosi, describing the Ministry’s response as a publicity stunt, stated that MOFA is not concerned about the commercial and social viability of investments in the sector.
He explained that his address “is known to your office and so if you are truly minded about my pain and the merits of my argument, you would have reached out to me directly while sharing public interest in mitigating concerns of industry.
“I therefore do not find your Ministry under the current leadership an honest policy partner in the development of my business to warrant any submission of my investment details for your consideration. I however entreat you to honestly audit the production, yield, investment, and subsidy deployment information you publish.”
In his view, the sector minister after his appointment by President Akufo-Addo has been unable to generate profitability for farmers and investors engaged in agribusiness.
According to the chief executive of HGL Limited, an industrial rice plantation, and milling facility in Adaklu, further revealed that Since commencing operations with test runs with 500-acre cultivation of rice in 2020 and 1,350-acres in 2022, MOFA under the leadership of Dr Afriyie Akoto has failed to assess the company’s production levels despite the challenges it faces.
In a statement sighted by The Independent Ghana, he stated that “My submission, at core, was about your failure to structure the agricultural industry through policy to make it sustainably bankable and attractive for investment, to achieve the transformation we seek as a country.
“Respectfully, the arm-chair analysis the Minister and/or MOFA does with a culture of ‘knowing everything’, without adequate consultations and collaborations with industry, will take this country nowhere. Your conduct and management of this matter is suboptimal and, respectfully, proves your unfitness to lead in the policy space for this sector. It is no wonder that we have spent billions of cedis and yielded sub-optimal effects, under all kinds of sloganeering and questionable data reportage. “
He further challenged Dr Afriyie Akoto to name a single major subsector he has effectively de-risked, restructured and nurtured to promote sustainable investment and make Ghana a leader in that space.
The show will feature special guest including the renowned DJ Semtex and Narx while the rest of the time will be just himself and the fans jamming to all hit features and songs on his debut ‘The Villain I Never Was’ album.
All tickets purchased earlier are still valid and tickets are still available for purchase at Livenation.co.uk or Ticketmaster.co.uk
The ‘Soja’ hitmaker has won several awards including the 3Music Awards, which saw Black Sherif take home the Breakthrough Act Of The Year and also two further awards at the maiden edition of the Ghana Music Awards including Hip Hop Artiste Of The Year, Hiplife Song Of The Year and New Artiste Of The Year.
Of the singles he has released in his career to date, Kwaku the Traveller has been his biggest success.
Released in late March this year under the Blacko and Empire labels, the song reached Number 1 in the Nigerian Turntable Top 50 chart and Number 5 in U.S. Afrobeats Songs Chart.
A few short months after the release of Kwaku The Traveller, Boomplay announced that he had become the first artist from Ghana to surpass over 100 million streams on their service.
Owing to the recent surge in HIV cases recorded in the country, the Ghana HIV and AIDS Network (GHANET) has appealed to the government to prioritise matters relating to the infection.
He further raised concern over the HIV and AIDS Fund, which has not been activated since 2016.
“My appeal borders on the National HIV and AIDS Fund, whose activation has been delayed since 2016. For those of us who may not be aware, the Fund was enacted into law in 2016 following the amendment of the GAC Act, 938.
“According to the Act, the only person who can activate the Fund is the Minister of Finance. I, therefore, wish to use this platform to make a Special Appeal to the Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, to unfailingly activate the Fund in the 2023 budget, which will be read exactly two weeks from today,” he said.
He also called for the National HIV and AIDS Fundto be established in order to save the lives of the more than 250,000 Ghanaians who are currently on life-saving antiretroviral (ART) medications.
“It is instructive to note that about 8 percent of this number are children (i.e., 20,000). At the present time, the Global Fund is the major donor supporting Ghana’s interventions against HIV and AIDS.
“I am of the view that this is not tenable, as the Global Fund may one day decide to wind down its activities.
“As a country, we need to take our destiny into our own hands. And that is why GHANET and all civil society organisations (CSOs) in health are calling on the President and Minister of Finance to activate the Fund,” he said.
Meanwhile, a recent report indicates that a total of 23,495 people tested positive for HIV in the first half of 2022.
This data emanates from the National STIs and HIV/AIDS Control Programme.
Following this report, a network of institutions leading the HIV and AIDS response in the country began national stakeholder engagements as part of processes to review interventions for better outcomes.
The Ghana HIV/AIDS Network (GHANET), a non-profit organisation leading HIV interventions in the country, indicated that the move had become necessary because, despite efforts at reducing new infections and ending AIDS, the desired impact seemed far from being achieved.
Speaking at one of such stakeholder engagements in Accra, the president of the network, Ernest Ortsin, said the surge, coupled with undesirable outcomes, justified how critical it had become for stakeholders to rethink existing interventions to help keep the surge under control.
Donald Trump has dropped one of his strongest hints yet that he may run for the White House again.
The former US president told a crowd in Iowa, that he will “very, very, very probably do it again” in 2024.
Mr Trump was speaking at the first of four rallies in five days as he campaigns for Republican candidates in next week’s midterm elections.
US President Joe Biden is also travelling across the country to get out the vote.
Neither Mr Biden nor Mr Trumpis on the ballot next Tuesday when American voters will decide the balance of power in the US Congress and key state governorships.
But the midterms will set the US political landscape ahead of the presidential election in two years’ time.
On Thursday night, Mr Trump, a Republican, repeated his unfounded claim that he lost in 2020 because of widespread election fraud.
“I ran twice,” he said. “I won twice, and did much better the second time than I did the first, getting millions more votes in 2020 than I got in 2016.
“And likewise, getting more votes than any sitting president in the history of our country by far.
“And now in order to make our country successful, and safe and glorious. I will very, very, very probably do it again.”
“Very soon,” he told the cheering crowd. “Get ready.”
Mr Trump did win the most votes ever – 72 million – for a sitting president in 2020, but still lost to the challenger, Mr Biden, a Democrat, who pulled in 81 million.
President Akufo-Addo’s daughter, Gyankroma Akufo-Addohas denied allegations of her being awarded a $25 million contract by the government to paint parts of the nation’s capital, Accra.
Her response comes after some media outlets reported that the Akufo-Addo administration had paid her the alleged sum to beautify parts of the capital city.
Describing the report as disgusting, Madam Akufo-Addo further intimated that the allegation levelled against her is a ploy by some scrupulous individuals to drag her name through the mud.
Contrary to reports, the dejected CEO of Creative Arts Agency explained in a statement that the contract awarded to her outfit was privately conceived and funded by herself and some individuals.
“For the avoidance of any doubt, it is important to state that these projects were solely conceived, managed, and financially undertaken by The Creative Arts Agency, through its own fundraising activities.”
“It is a complete fabrication being propagated by some shameless persons, and which, unfortunately, has been published by sections of the media,” part of the statement read.
Setting the records straight, Madam Akufo-Addostated that the painting of the Ako Adjei Interchange was funded by the private sector.
She also mentioned that she funded the Tetteh Quarshie overpass with her personal money.
The third site, which she failed to mention, according to her, was completed through the generosity of the CEO of Ghana Gas, Ben Asante.
For her, the project was not embarked upon to make profit but to beautify the capital city of Ghana and serve as beautiful backdrops for videos, and photoshoots.
The CEO of Creative Arts Agency has, however, threatened to sue individuals and media outlets who publicised such falsehood.
“I have instructed my lawyer to seek redress in the law courts against persons and media houses that published these falsehoods with the sole intention of destroying my reputation,” she said.
On Tuesday, November 1, Timi Dakolo took to his Instagram account to lambaste Nigerians who were supposed to comfort the singer but instead were giving him and his partner advice.
Timi believes the time is off and that people ought to start praying for the family.
He included a recent tweet he had written with the caption, “You and your advice are mad,” in which he advised people not to feel obligated to console those who are grieving.
Stormzy has partnered with adidas Football to launch Merky FC, a new project that aims to “help level the playing field by giving off-pitch opportunities to young Black people” within the sport. The announcement comes after new research commissioned by adidas revealed that only 6.7% of senior roles in football were held by Black or mixed-heritage people. Speaking to Sky Sports, Stormzy described this as “embarrassing.”
The initiative was announced in a video released by adidas and Stormzy, in which the rapper says, “on the pitch, we do our thing. Off the pitch, it’s like we don’t exist.” But Stormzy then declares: “That’s all about to change.” To drive this change, adidas and Stormzy have partnered with a range of organisations from across the football industry. These partners include media organisations, such as Sky Sports and GOAL, and football clubs (Manchester United and Fulham). Each of the partners will offer work placements in various roles covering operations, community, creative and marketing.
Announcing the project, Stormzy explained that he “hopes to inspire real change within this field as part of my commitment to support racial equality in the UK.” He also paid tribute to adidas and the additional partners, who will put Merky FC “in a position to aid the people who may have experienced disadvantages during their football career pathway. We strongly encourage other companies to join us in our mission.”
Stormzy elaborated on his plans for Merky FC in an interview with Sky Sports, adding that success would be “seeing more young Black people in these roles, more Black people in positions of power away from being on the pitch. And just seeing that thrive and grow and inviting more people to come along and offer those opportunities for the young people.” Stormzy went on to discuss his ambition to “keep the ball rolling” and create “infrastructure and real change” that allows future generations to be “stronger and more empowered.”
Adidas, a long-term partner of Stormzy, explained their role in the project: “We are passionate about providing inclusive opportunities to young talent in the UK. We are proud to be working in partnership with Stormzy to introduce #Merky FC, an initiative that directly tackles some of the biggest barriers facing UK youth in football today, by creating a legacy of career opportunities off the pitch alongside the other partners. Along with the support of our network of adidas partners, we are committed to fighting for equal representation in football, and this launch is only the beginning for Merky FC.”
Merky FC is a multi-year partnership, due to kick off when the first career placements begin in early 2023. Those interested in applying can visit the Merky FC site for more information, and to register their interest in the positions available.
