TIG Post

Author: Chris Kodo

  • Economic crisis: ‘What I see coming is not looking good’ – Ken Thompson kneels on TV, begs Akufo-Addo

    As communities, businesses, and citizens have been struggling to make ends meet in somewhat unsettling times, the current economic troubles in Ghana have reached historic proportions.

    The local currency has lost about 50% of its value against the US dollar since the beginning of this year, while the cost of living has increased, fuel prices have increased, there have been job losses, worker agitations, and general frustration among the Ghanaian population has been building for months.

    Although President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has officially acknowledged the country is in a crisis, economic experts have questioned the likelihood of obtaining an IMF support package to reestablish macroeconomic stability.

    Chief Executive Officer of Dalex Finance, Ken Thompson, has made a passionate appeal to President Akufo-Addo to fix the ailing economy which is facing distress on all levels.

    The Dalex Finance CEO speaking in an interview with Accra-based Citi TV’s ‘Face to Face’ segment on November 1 knelt, facing the camera, and cautioned the president over what he believes is a dire economic situation that will further hit Ghana.

    The 61-year-old finance expert said, “His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo If you’re watching, what I can see coming is not looking good…I can see poverty, job losses, business closures, prices of utilities going up”

    “Growing up, I have lived through the crisis in the 1970s as I witnessed my parents come back from England. My mother at the time bought a new brand car of which she eventually could not repair after the car was involved in an accident.”

    “I can remember how our room carpets became threadbare, our living room chairs and tables broken and how we started wearing second-hand clothes due to the economic hardship..I have seen it all, but I am 61-year-old and I cannot do much about what is currently happening in Ghana but you [Akufo-Addo] can and I am begging you to please take decisive action to move the country forward. Thank you, sir,” he concluded.

  • The Champions League will never forget Kudus – Ghanaians react to Kudus’ performance against Rangers

    Some Ghanaians on social media, especially on Twitter have hailed Mohammed Kudus after his exciting performance against Rangers in the UEFA Champions League.
    Kudus was on the scoresheet for the Dutch champions and also provided and as assist as they beat Rangers 3-1 in Ibex.
    The 22-year-old was exceptional and his goals involvement put him head and shoulders above all the players on the field as he won the man-if-the-match-award.
    Some Ghanaians on Twitter eulogised the youngster, talking about an exceptional champions league campaign he has had which saw him finish as Ajax’s top scorer of this campaign.

     

    The goal against Rangers took his tally to four goals in six matches while providing two assists in the process.
    Also, the man-of-match award was his second in the competition. Ajax finished third in their group and therefore has been relegated to the Europa League.

    Check out some reactions below

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Shipping lines profiting from demurrage at ports – GIFF

    Romeo Frimpong, a co-chairman of the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF) Monitoring Team, has argued that it’s critical to streamline the processes used by shipping lines doing business in Ghana.

    The GIFF official made this statement in reference to the enduring problem of demurrage, which he claimed was intentionally created by the shipping lines only for the purpose of profit.

    Romeo Frimpong asserted that everyone has a role to play in eliminating demurrage, which continues to have a negative impact on the cost of doing business in Ghana.

    He revealed that the preliminary paper done through GIFF’s research hub indicated that 25% of causes of demurrage are attributed to the shipping lines.

    “At the heart of the causes of demurrage is the count of days, weekends and holidays. We are of the view that the weekends and holidays that they do not work must be scrapped. If the laws of the state say we should observe holidays, why do you charge me demurrage on such days. It does not make business sense, so we have advocated that the holiday aspect in the invoice should be scrapped,” he asserted.

    This perspective he said, is necessary in order to be able to nip the issue in the bud.

    The Co-chairman of the GIFF Monitoring Team said his outfit has also been impressing upon the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, to decouple payment of duties from shipping line release.

    “Gone are the days we pay duties, print physical copies and take them to the shipping lines and let them expect them to confirm if they have been paid. But now no, just at the click, over the internet, the customs authorities will be notified when I pay. They do not need the shipping lines to verify for them.

    “If you pay your duty Friday evening, the lines do not work on Saturday so you will not be able to grant release to work on weekends. But if you decouple the duty payment from the shipping line release, you can go to the shipping line make your payments, get your release done, and then anytime you want to pay your duty, you can do so, to have your goods cleared at any of the terminals who work 24/7,” Mr. Frimpong explained.

    In the same vein, he said the shipping companies should review their position on demurrage which he says the lines have built a business model around.

    “Demurrage is just meant to incentivize the cargo interest to hurriedly retrieve the cargo and return the container. It should not be a punitive measure but we realize most of these lines are making business models out of this mine. They are capitalizing off the fact that we are bound by time. If you go and they do not release for you, you will be forced to pay.”

    On the other hand, Romeo Frimpong urged importers to be proactive in their dealings with clearing agents for effective and efficient clearance of goods.
    He urged them to visit the offices of credible customs house associations like the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF) when in search of credible agents to clear goods on their behalf.

  • Over 450 Ghanaians repatriated from Dubai –  Foreign Affairs Ministry 

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has disclosed that over 450 Ghanaians who were stranded in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in August this year have been repatriated. 

    In a statement dated October 31st, the ministry noted that the stranded individuals were people who were misled by unscrupulous agents who promised non-existent jobs in Dubai and other parts of the United Arab Emirates.

    Giving a detailed account of how these individuals were repatriated, the ministry stated that 80 victims were flown back to Ghana with the support of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity establishment in Dubai and other benevolent individuals.

    Another 20 Ghanaians were evacuated with the support of an individual and friend of the Government of Ghana, Mr Abdul Rarsak-Daheer in September 2022, on board Egypt Air.

    Meanwhile, the ministry insists that the ban on direct-to-home recruitment of Ghanaian labour migrants still holds but does not affect the lawful recruitment of skilled workers (non-domestic house helps) to the Gulf States.

    Ghanaians contemplating embarking on journeys via illegal routes to various parts of the world have been entreated to desist from doing so, since this provides an unfortunate outcome.

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also debunked statements that Ghanaians have been barred from travelling to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

    This comes as a response to a DW Africa Facebook post which alleged that the UAE has announced a visa ban on Ghana and other 20 African countries seeking to visit the country.

    According to the publication, the countries affected include Ghana, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Cameroon, Nigeria, Liberia, Burundi, Republic of Guinea, Gambia, Togo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Benin, Ivory Coast, Congo, Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Comoros, and Uganda.

    The ban was said to have taken effect on October 24th, 2022.

    Explaining the rationale behind the UAE visa ban, DW stated that some individuals who arrive on visit visas end up overstaying in the country illegally.

    However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that it has received no such directive from the authorities in the UAE.

    As such, the ministry has urged the public to disregard the publication. 

    Nonetheless, the Foreign Ministry disclosed that the UAE has instead reviewed the requirements for its tourist and visit visas.

    The revision includes; a 30-day single-entry visa, which has been put on hold, and a 60-day multiple visa entry regime, which is currently in force. Also, travellers to the UAE are to secure a round-trip ticket and a hotel booking prior to the visa application.

    With the new visa requirement, the ministry advised travelling Ghanaians to observe the new visa revision put in place by the UAE.

    Source: The Independent Ghana

  • Bridget Otoo goes after Nana Addo as price of cement hits GH¢95

    Broadcaster Bridget Otoo has brought to the attention of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo the exorbitant price of a bag of cement selling at GH¢95.00 in the first week of November.

    According to Bridget who buys and sells cement, there has been an increase in price up to GH¢30.00 in the last three months.

    A host of Ghanaian businesses fear closing down amidst the current economic hardship that has witnessed a hike in price.

    Also, the lack of price control has led to overpricing by some manufacturers and distributors in our market space.

    The tweet sighted by GhanaWeb read: “Are you people not tired? How can you increase cement again to 95 cedis? @NAkufoAddo pretend to be in charge and let things work. Our businesses are collapsing! How can cement price go up by more than 30 cedis since August? how?”

    Meanwhile, Nana Addo has assured citizens that plans are underway to revive the economy.

    Speaking in his national address on Sunday, October 30, he referenced how the New Patriotic Party managed to properly handle the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana at a time when developed nations were struggling to contain it.

    “When I said, at the height of the COVID pandemic, that we knew what to do to bring the economy back to life, but not how to bring people back to life, it was not said in jest.”

    He further assured: “We had done it before, and we were on course to doing it again. Ghana’s economy grew by a remarkable 5.4% in 2021, signifying a strong recovery from the 0.5% growth recorded the previous year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

    Read the post below:

    Source:ghanaweb.com

  • GUTA president happy with pegging of dollar rate at ports but says it is not a panacea

    According to Dr. Joseph Obeng, president of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), the government has chosen to fix the dollar rate at the ports for the purpose of collecting duties for a possible three-month period.

    The rate at which the dollar will be fixed, however, was not made public.

    Speaking about the latest development on Eye on Port, the GUTA president said that the government met with his organization and other stakeholders to discuss the present economic crisis in the nation, which is marked by high inflation, the depreciation of the cedi, and high interest rates.

    Dr. Obeng said this intervention will bring some relief but will not serve as a panacea to the current national economic situation.

    The GUTA President said it is important for government to acknowledge that while they have decided to make some minor adjustments, the crux of issue, remains. What the trading public clamors for, essentially, has not been addressed.

    “Yes, they have made some concessions in other areas like the VAT, and pegging the dollar for the purpose of payment of duties, and the invigilation by the tax officials- that is a different thing altogether. What we are talking about is the fact that our capital is being eroded by the effects of the foreign exchange, inflation, and the interest rate.”

    As a result, Dr. Obeng proffered some short to long-term solutions which will significantly alleviate the economic hardship and more importantly, augment the strength of the cedi.

    The GUTA President called for investment laws have to be amended with the agenda to discourage excessive importation and the repatriation of revenues overseas by foreign firms operating in Ghana.

    “We have admitted to contributing to excessive importation but our share of the total import volumes, as locals is about 15-20%. It is easy for government to use the investment laws to redirect and control the investors coming in. Also let every foreign entity coming to trade to not engage in what we call goods for forex. This is because as it stands they do not keep money here. As soon as they get the GIPC certificate, they come and dump the goods here and take back forex,” Dr. Obeng lamented.

    In the short term, the President of the Ghana Union of Traders Association said government after securing some funds to check the cedi volatility, should be able to appeal to the conscience of the public not to run the dollar back into scarcity.

    He explained that the GUTA-led 2 to 3-day closure of shops was necessary to get the urgent attention of government as well as provoke national discourse.

    He said the industrial action embarked on by members of his outfit also afforded them the opportunity to engage with their suppliers overseas on the current economic crisis in Ghana, and its attendant effects on international trade.

  • ‘Funny looking’ Sadio Mane statue causes stir on social media

    2022 African Footballer of the Year, Sadio Mane is currently enjoying life with Bayern Munich after leading the Germain giants to book a place in the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League.

    Sadio Mane has been in the trends almost every week but the conversation about him today is not about what he is doing for Bayern Munich but because of a statue that has been raised in his honour.

    Mane trending after a statue of him designed and built by a Senegalese artist in the player’s hometown of Bambali hit the internet.

     


    While some are praising the artist for the effort he put in to honor his countryman who is a global football icon, others believe that statue is not a good representation of Mane’s look.

    The statue of Sadio Mane was designed with the player wearing the Senegalese national team jersey doing one of his trademarks celebration when he scores.

    Here are some of the reactions that met the picture of the Sadio Mane statue:

    Source; Ghanaweb

  • Minority in Parliament raises concerns over ‘discrepancies’ in Voter register; wants EC, NIA to brief Parliament 

    The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority Caucus in Parliament has requested a briefing on the proposed registration of new voters using the Ghana Card.

    Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, claims there is a discrepancy in the numbers provided by the EC as registered voters and what the NIA has on its roll, hence, their request.  

    They, therefore, have called for both the Electoral Commission (EC) and the National Identification Authority (NIA) to be brought before the House to answer questions pertaining to the numbers. 

    “And we hear that the Commission wants to rely on the National Identification Authority,…the cardinal question is, so, what has happened to the Electoral Commission’s own biometric data that today they are avoiding the use of their own biodata they’ve collected, and they want to collect biodata from the National Identification Authority?” Mr Iddrisu quizzed. 

    “But we need a reconciliation of the numbers, because we are very convinced that Article 42 (of the Constitution) confers the right on Ghanaians to be registered as voters by the Electoral Commission,” he said. 

    Article 42 of the 1992 Constitution categorically states that every Ghanaian citizen who is at least eighteen years old and of sound mind is allowed to vote and to register as a voter for the purposes of public elections and referenda.

    Presenting his case on the floor of Parliament, Mr Iddrisu argued that the National Identification Authority is not an independent body like the Electoral Commission (EC), which, by virtue of Article 46, “…shall not be subject to the direction or control of any person or authority.”

    He contended that the NIA was subject to ministerial control. Therefore, they (the Minority Caucus) want the two bodies – Electoral Commission and National Identification Authority –  to present themselves to the House for deliberations on the discrepancies and variance in your numbers to be made. 

    He noted that the caucus will not “accept any attempt by the EC to disenfranchise any Ghanaian, because they want to rely on an ID card, which is not available to Ghanaians. We mean serious business on this matter.”

    Mr Iddrisu reiterated the Minority Caucus’ resolve to safeguard the provisions of Article 42 of the Constitution.

    Deputy Minority Whip, Mr Ahmed Ibrahim, the first raised the matter on the floor of the House when commenting on the Business Statement for the week ending Friday, November 4. 

    He indicated that at the Business Committee meeting to consider the Business Statement, it was agreed that the reports of the EC and NIA were supposed to have been scheduled for Thursday, November 3, but they were not captured. 

    He said the report of the Special Budget Committee on the activities of the EC and the new constitutional instrument that the Commission intended to introduce were also conspicuously missing. 

    The reports were to be presented to the House, debated, and then officials from the EC and the NIA could be scheduled to appear to answer questions on them. 

    “Mr Speaker, the whole nation is interested in this, civil society organisations are interested in this; the whole House wants to meet the EC,” Mr Ibrahim said. 

    Source: The Independent Ghana

  • Man accused of attacking Nancy Pelosi’s husband pleads not guilty to charges

    David DePape, the man who allegedly broke into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s home last week and brutally attacked her husband, has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.

    As reported by CNN, DePape, 42, made his first appearance in front of a judge on Tuesday in San Francisco Superior Court. DePape faces a slate of charges, including attempted murder, burglary, assault, false imprisonment, and one count of “attempted kidnapping of a US official,” according to the US attorney’s office for the Northern District of California. The last charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.

    Last Friday, DePape allegedly broke into the Pelosi residence and attacked Nancy’s 82-year-old spouse, Paul, with a hammer. Paul Pelosi, who was knocked unconscious during the assault, remains hospitalized and underwent surgery for a skull fracture and other injuries.

    While addressing the news during a conference on Tuesday, U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger reiterated the security protocols for members of Congress, admitting that there is “still a lot of work to do.”

    “We believe today’s political climate calls for more resources to provide additional layers of physical security for members of Congress,” Manger said, adding that DePape’s attack was “an alarming reminder of the dangerous threats elected officials and public figures face during today’s contentious political climate.”

    According to the Anti-Defamation League, DePape is believed to have participated in online forums, where he echoed QAnon conspiracy theories, as well as anti-semitic and anti-government rants.

    Source: Complex.com

  • Shippers Authority encourages traders, state agencies to avoid demurrage

    The Ghana Shippers Authority has once more gathered together shippers and other industry participants to emphasize the need of preventing demurrage when importing goods.

    In fact, the Authority has recently launched a vigorous statewide effort to raise awareness of the fact that demurrage payments are avoidable and that, when they are, Ghanaian traders can benefit from a competitive advantage, save money, and lower consumer prices.

    Participants from Ministries, Departments and Agencies, the Ghana Union of Traders Association, the Association of Ghana Industries, the Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ghana and the Chamber of Mines, among others, attended this year’s “How to Avoid Demurrage” conference.

    Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers Authority, Benonita Bismarck in a speech read on her behalf by the Head of Shippers Services, Monica Josiah, revealed that state-owned agencies contribute massively to demurrage, duties, and rent fees owed at the ports of Ghana.

    She said, “Information gathered randomly from five Shipping Lines/Agents operating in Ghana revealed that over 500 containers consigned to various State-Owned Agencies remain uncleared at the ports as at September 9, 2022. The details are as follows: 49 containers have spent over 2000 days at the ports.

    116 containers have spent between 1000-1999 days at the ports. 78 containers have spent between 500 – 999 days. 205 containers have spent between 100 – 499 days. 60 containers have spent up to 99 days. If we calculate this against the dollar rate, you can imagine how much the nation is losing.”

    She appealed to Chief Directors, Chief Executives, Managing Directors and other relevant Officers of MDAS/SOEs, to take urgent action to ensure that consignments are expeditiously cleared from the ports to mitigate the use of state resources for such avoidable costs.

    Taking his turn, Deputy Commissioner in charge of Suspense Regimes at the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Emmanuel Ohene said tremendous innovations introduced in the clearance process should be taken advantage of in the avoidance of demurrage.

  • Cheap fuel purchase: Act fast to stabilise pricing – Economist to government

    Dr. Adu Owusu Sarkodie, an economist, has encouraged government to move quickly to buy oil from alternative sources at a significantly lower price.

    On November 1, consumers of petroleum products started to notice a noticeable increase in pricing at various pumps, with gasoline and diesel selling for about GH17.99 and GH23.49, respectively.

    In response to the news, Dr. Sarkodie thinks the government’s choice could assist regulate fuel costs and curb the nation’s mounting inflationary pressures.

    However, he emphasized the importance of moving quickly toward buying less expensive oil products from other nations and sources.

    “The President [Akufo-Addo] touched on so many things. Key among them is the high cost of living, high food and energy prices and the fact that he’s doing something about it. For example, he has started negotiations with other sources of oil; other countries or companies that produce oil at a lower price and also to keep the exchange rate stable,” he is quoted by Joy Business.

    “I think that will also help check the price of the fuel because we know the high cost of fuel price is driving the high cost of prices of items through high transport costs in the country”, the economist explained.

    Dr Sarkodie further pointed out that should government be able to stabilise fuel prices across the country, it would result in a reduction of food prices and other goods on the market which has contributed to rising inflation.

    “So, if we are able to control fuel prices, we would be able to control prices of so many items within the economy,” he added.

  • AMAA 2022: Ghanaian feature film ‘Borga’ wins big

    The Ghanaian feature film ‘Borga’ has won three awards at the 2022 Africa Movie Academy Awards after failing to secure an award at last year’s Africa Movie Academy Awards.

    The event which saw numerous films and actors take home honors took place in Lagos on Sunday, October 30.

    ‘Borga’ was nominated for 15 awards including overall Best Film, Best Film in an African Language, Best Director, and Cinematography.

    The film, a collaboration of Ghanaian and German creatives, won the Best Screenplay award.

    Actor Eugene Boateng, who also doubles as the film’s Associate Producer, won the Best Actor in Leading Role award.

    Celebrated actor Adjetey Anang won the Best Actor in a Supporting Role award.

    Meanwhile, the Ghanaian film ‘Road To My Father’s Compound’ which was nominated in five categories failed to win.

    Aaron Adatsi who was nominated for the Best Actor in Lead Role lost the award to his Ghanaian colleague Eugene Boateng.

    His co-star Bless Fortune also lost the Best Actress in Lead Role to Tanzania’s Ikhlas Gafur Vora (Tug of War)

    There were 26 winners in various categories including Best Feature film, Best Film, Best Actress in the Leading Role, and Best Young/Promising Actor.

    Borga is a story about Kojo, a young boy who travels to Europe in search of greener pastures but is forced to engage in the illegal drug business to satisfy the huge demands of his family back home.

    The AMAAs since its inception in 2005 has been dedicated to the celebration and honoring of the works of players in the film industry in Africa.

    The nominations for this year were obtained from a total of 362 entries which were shortlisted to 100 films after screening.

    The organisers also revealed that Nigerian movies dominated the total number of submissions accounting for 47 percent of the feature films and 50 percent of the short film submitted this year.

    Source:pulse.com

  • My passion for teaching developed in SHS – National Best Teacher

    The 2022 National Best Outstanding Teacher, Stella Gyimaah Larbi, has revealed that her passion to become a teacher started in Senior High School (SHS).

    She said through a literature teacher at her alma mater, Bentum SHS, she developed a love for the profession.

    “Awo Dede [her literature teacher] was a whole mood, she would always put herself so much into the subject she taught and the passion was there,” Stella Larbi told the Independent Ghana, describing her teacher as very passionate on the job.

    She eventually fell in love with the literature subject, saying it allows students to express themselves and their thoughts on particular issues of discussion without restrictions.

    “I admired everything about Awo Dede, from her outlook, from the way she presented herself to the way she taught, to the way she interacted.

    I said to myself; ‘I want to be like her, I want to be a teacher’”, Stella added amid smiles as she could not hide her joy.

    Although she had wanted to be a lawyer or a journalist, Stella Gyimaah Larbi underscored that she has no regrets about ending up as a teacher in the classroom.

    She stated that all the experience she has gathered in her 12 years of teaching and the skills she acquired at the training school, have toughened her to be better at what she does.

    “Based on these experiences, they help me instil discipline in the the students I teach. So, if you ask my students, they always say I am hard on them.”

    Her greatest motivation as a teacher is the satisfying desire to impact the lives of her students.

    “When I wake up every morning to come to school, I am excited because it’s another opportunity to inspire somebody to pursue greatness.

    At times, I can’t help but laugh when I look at the facial expressions of my students; they make me happy. My students are my daily drive,” she added.

     

    Background

    Stella Gyimah Larbi is a teacher at the Adentan Community Junior High School in the Greater Accra Region.

    She was crowned the Best Teacher at the National Teachers Day in Tamale on October 7, 2022

    For her prize, she received a three-bedroom house worth GH¢300,000, an educational trip to Dubai, a promotion in return, and a Ghana Education Trust Fund scholarship to study abroad.

    34 years old Stella Gyimah Larbi was born in Akwatia in the Eastern Region and began her basic education at Akwatia Church of Christ.

    Stella is a product of Benkum Senior High School, she gained admission to the teacher training college (the Presbyterian Women’s College of Education) for her training. She was posted to the Nana Akobea Takyiwaa School at Mampong Akuapem in the Eastern after her graduation.

    She pursued a degree course at the University of Education after attaining a diploma at the college.

    Stella Gyimah then went to the University of Ghana where she pursued for a Master’s in the Teaching of English as a Second Language and proceeded to the University of Education, Winneba, where she earned an MPhil.

    Source: The Independent Ghana

     

  • Twitter users to pay $8 a month for ‘blue tick’ verification – Elon Musk

    Elon Musk, a billionaire and the new owner of the social networking site Twitter, has reversed a previous decision that required verified users to pay a monthly subscription fee of $19.99.

    The decision was made in response to criticism and questions about Musk’s motivations for assuming control of the platform so soon after paying $44 billion for it on October 27, 2022.

    In a related development, Elon Musk has now revealed that the “blue checked” customers of the “Twitter Blue” product will be required to pay a $8 monthly fee.

    He however indicated a change in the policy which only had certain specific personalities given a verified status on the platform.

    “Twitter’s current lords and peasants system for who has or doesn’t have a blue checkmark is bu%#*@it. Power to the people! Blue for $8/month,” Elon Musk wrote on Tuesday, November 1.

    “Price adjusted by country proportionate to purchasing power parity,” he added.

    In a separate tweet on the subject, Elon Musk explained, “This will also give Twitter a revenue stream to reward content creators. There will be a secondary tag below the name for someone who is a public figure, which is already the case for politicians.”

    Meanwhile, Elon Musks’ takeover of Twitter has begun to have a ripple effect on staff at the company and some users of the platform.

    After firing Twitter Chief Executive Officer, Parag Agrawal, Chief Financial Officer, Ned Segal and Head of Policy, Vijaya Gadde, other employees have either resigned or have been fired from their respective positions as Elon Musk reportedly seeks to cut down about 70 percent of staff

    According to a Bloomberg report on October 28, Elon Musk is expected to take over the company as CEO and reverse lifetime bans on users who had violated the platform’s policies.

    Also, the fate of employees located in Twitter’s offices in key parts of Africa is yet to be known.

    The company, about a year ago, decided to expand its reach within Africa under its former executives and founder, Jack Dorsey.

  • How Nanny and Chef lost custody of Davido’s son before the drowning incident revealed

    Davido’s Chef and Nanny to his son, Ifeanyi Adeleke, have been grilled by the police over the death of the three-year-old.

    The sad news surfaced Monday evening with reports that the Nigerian singer’s son allegedly drowned in a private swimming pool at the family’s residence in Lagos.

    “The boy was inside water for too long and they pulled him out and rushed him to the hospital,” a family source told gazettengr.com. “By the time they rushed him to Lagoon Hospital it was already too late,” the source said under anonymity to await an official statement

    So far, the Nigerian police force has arrested 8 workers from Davido’s house, including a Chef and a Nanny over the drowning of Ifeanyi.

    Linda Ikeji reports that a source close to the heartbreaking incident has recounted how Nanny and Chef lost custody of the Ifeanyi.

    “The Nanny was with Ifeanyi and the Chef came to join them. The Nanny was said to have moved slightly away to receive a call. When she returned, she couldn’t find Ifeanyi and assumed he was with the Chef but the Chef said he had left Ifeanyi with her. They began to frantically look for Ifeanyi all over the house for close to 20 mins until a security guard spotted him in the pool, No one could explain how the boy got in the pool.” the website said.

    Davido and Chioma travelled to a different state before the incident occurred. Sadly, they have returned from their trip to the devastating news. A source detailing how the singer took the news said “Davido ran mad. He literally removed his clothes and wanted to run into the streets. He was held back. He and Chioma are inconsolable.”

    The boy’s body has been taken to the mortuary with reports that an autopsy will be done to determine the cause of death. LIB adds that friends, staff and colleagues have been banned from visiting Davido’s father’s house where he and Chioma are holed up.

    Source:pulse.com

  • Davido almost run into the streets’ after hearing son’s death

    Davido is reported to be broken and inconsolable over the death of his son, Ifeanyi Adeleke. The Nigerian singer’s son passed on yesterday after he reportedly drowned in a pool at home. “The boy was inside water for too long and they pulled him out and rushed him to the hospital,” a family source told gazettengr.com.

    “By the time they rushed him to Lagoon Hospital it was already too late,” the source said under anonymity to await an official statement

    A report by lindaikejisblog.com detailing how the incident happened said “the Nanny was with Ifeanyi and the Chef came to join them. The Nanny was said to have moved slightly away to receive a call. When she returned, she couldn’t find Ifeanyi and assumed he was with the Chef but the Chef said he had left Ifeanyi with her“.

    The source close to the heart-breaking incident who spoke to the website added that “they began to frantically look for Ifeanyi all over the house for close to 20 mins until a security guard spotted him in the pool. No one could explain how the boy got in the pool.”

    Davido and Chioma travelled to another state and left their son behind. The lovers are said to have returned from their trip to the devastating news which broke them down totally.

    “Davido ran mad. He literally removed his clothes and wanted to run into the streets. He was held back. He and Chioma are inconsolable,” the source told LIB.

    The report adds that “all friends, staff and colleagues have been banned from visiting Davido’s father’s house where he and Chioma are held.”

    So far, the Nigeria police arrested eight workers at Davido’s home, including Ifeanyi’s nanny. Lagos Police spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed that the drowning happened at Davido’s residence.

    According to him an investigation into the matter has commenced. “Yes, we have invited eight people over the death of his son,” Hundeyin said.

    The singer and the mother of his son, Chioma Rowland, recently marked their son’s third birthday on October 20. Whilst the family is yet to issue a statement about the incident, the sad news has since thrown social media into mourning.

    Source:pulse.gh

  • Gospel musician Mike of Willie & Mike music group fame ordained as man of God

    Michael Adomako, better known by his stage name Mike of the award-winning gospel duet Willie & Mike, was ordained and consecrated as a minister last Saturday at the Paintsil & Associates School of Ministry at Hyatt Regency, New Jersey, United States.

    Many people in Burkina Faso, South Africa, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, North America, and other regions of Africa have been moved by his music.

    When asked about what being called into the ministry would mean for his music ministry, the successful musician said he sees it not as a setback but as an opportunity to reach more people for Christ via his songs.

    Mike has served as a minister for 27 years and counting.

    “This honor is humbling to me. Because I know that this is not going to be an easy road, but because I also know that God’s love and mercy will carry me through any difficulty that may arise, I am asking for greater prayers and support and seeking God’s direction.”

    Several well-known gospel artists, such as Rev. Graceman, Mary Agyemang, Nana Yaw de Worshiper, the Lord of No Tribe Group, and many more dignitaries from over the globe attended the coronation basically to show their support for their fellow minister friend.

    The worship leader thanked God for the day, his family, Apostle Dr. Steve Paintsil, his fellow members of the gospel music community, and everyone who had prayed for him and supported him over the years.

    PHOTOS BELOW:

    Source:ghbase.com

  • Sika mpɛ dede: Unconcerned Akufo-Addo insulted us – Efia Odo

    Andrea Owusu, alias Efia Odo, has accused President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of being unconcerned about the “emotional distress” of his citizens.

    The media personality, influencer and socialite said this in a tweet on Monday, 31 October 2022.

    She also argued that the president considers his critics noisemakers, claiming that when he said during his Sunday, 30 October 2022, television address that: “Money does not like noise,” he was implying his people’s “complaints and frustrations” are “noisy.”

    “He’s calling us noise makers so we should shut up and suffer. The president disregards our emotional distress each and every day. Our complaints and frustrations is noisy. Coming to tell us sika mp3 dede is an insult to us,” the social media influencer tweeted.

    Sunday night when Mr Akufo-Addo tweeted a part of his nation’s address: “Fellow Ghanaians, as the French would say, l’argent n’aime pas le bruit, to wit; ‘money does not like noise’, ‘[in Akan] sika mpɛ dede’. Where there is chaos, where there is noise, where there is unrest, you will not find money,” Efia was in the comments with the response: “You caused this chaos you greedy bofrot.”

    ‘Bofrot’ is a type of doughnut made and hawked on the streets of Ghana.

    Ghana is currently in an economic crisis admitted to by President Akufo-Addo who maintains it is as a result of the COVID pandemic and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

    On the rapid depreciation of the Ghana cedi, the president, in his address to the nation highlighted false speculations about the cedi and a 2-minute WhatsApp video which led citizens to do rampant panic withdrawals of cedi and subsequent conversion into dollars.

    With all that said, he assured, “It is obvious, fellow Ghanaians, that you have a government that cares. We are determined to restore stability to the economy, and provide relief. We are all in this together, and I am asking for your support to rescue Ghana from the throes of this economic crisis.”

    Source;ghanaweb.com

  • OV details how Stonebwoy’s ‘sack’ pushed her into depression, then an asylum

    2018 MTN Hitmaker winner, Okailey Verse, famously known as OV, has said that she went into a depressive state after Stonebwoy sacked her.

    Talking to Giovani on the 3FM Drive, the female artiste mentioned that she felt she wasn’t important, and with time, she avoided people.

    “It was after the exit. It was something that hit me very hard. It got me thinking, ‘Am I not enough? It started giving me doubts about deserving to be on a label.

    “It put me through some state that I will not wish for my enemy. It put me through a lot. I was depressed. It got to a point I stayed away from everybody,” she said.

    She also added how she suffered a psychotic episode when she went to throw her weight behind a colleague.

    According to the female vocalist, if she hadn’t been rushed home in an Uber, she would have probably gone naked.

    “I was at a friend’s event. When I got there, I felt like something was not right. So I went out. I started feeling a burning sensation and wanted to take off my clothes,” she disclosed.

    Following that, the MTN Hitmaker reality star revealed that she was confined in a sanitorium after her depression caused paralysis.

    “I was confined for two weeks. It got to a point where they unknowingly gave me an overdose of the medicine, and I was paralyzed and drooling all over”.

    While many would assume she may have been into drugs, OV has debunked that she never took narcotic drugs while attributing her mental illness to depression.

    OV is promoting her new single titled “Shush,” which gives a deeper insight into her struggles and salvation.

    Source:ghanaweb.com

  • Kizz Daniel performs in Accra on Dec 23

    Nigerian star artiste Kizz Daniel is set to perform in Accra, Ghana on 23 December 2022.

    Dubbed ‘Kizz Daniel Live in Ghana’, the event Friday night event will take place at Untamed Empire, Spintex Road.

    The appearance forms part of the serial hitmaker’s Afro Classic World Tour 2022.

    The Flyboy Inc. founder, nicknamed Vado D’Great, recently scored another viral hit with his latest ‘Cough’ song which was released in partnership with the EMPIRE label. The song is his follow-up to the international smash titled ‘Buga’ featuring Tekno.

    Source:ghanaweb.com

  • Wealthy businessman tried to mediate on Ofori-Atta’s behalf – Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu reveals

    Amid the calls for his resignation, Finance Minister’s predicament has courted him sympathisers in certain quarters of the business community.

    Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has revealed that when some of the Majority MPs called for Mr. Ofor-Atta’s dismissal, one of Ghana’s wealthy businessmen approached them to plead on behalf of the Minister.

    In an interview with JoyNews, the Majority leader explained that in the heat of the arguments in Parliament, the said businessman met some of the legislators and “tried to do something.”

    He fell short of stating what exactly the move was nor the form it took.

    “I’m told on authority that some businessman came here and tried to do something,” he told Evans Mensah.

    The Suame MP insisted that it was meant to help persuade the members of the house against nudging the Minister out of office.

    “I was told that he came here and tried to mediate in his own way what he thinks the problem is,” he said.

    He further narrated that “he was repelled by the people and told he was told not to involve himself. So he went away.”

    This revelation was made in a yet-to-be-aired interview on PM Express on JoyNews.

    “If that is the case I want to talk to that man and know his motive. But people could also be indulging in speculation. So we want to hear him to see what it is… Did he come here?… did he come with any inducement? What was the motivation? Not having heard him, I don’t want to prejudge.”

    According to Osei-Kyei-Mensah Bonsu, the man in question is a known figure in the business community who has his own way of dealing with both sides of the political divide.

    The Finance Minister is the subject of criticism for what many say is a lost grip on the economy.

    Ken Ofori-Atta is at the doors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) seeking a bailout to prevent a further slump.

    Source:myjoyonline.com

  • Wealthy businessman’s mediation attempt must be probed – Edem Senanu

    An Anti-Corruption Campaigner, Edem Senanu, has called for investigation into an assertion by Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu that a wealthy businessman attempted to ‘do something’ on behalf of Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta when some Majority NPP MPs asked for the latter’s removal.

    The Majority Leader said he was told on authority that when the Majority MPs called for Mr. Ofori-Atta’s dismissal, one of Ghana’s wealthy businessmen approached them to mediate in the impasse.

    “I’m told on authority that some businessman came here and tried to do something,” he told Evans Mensah.

    In a yet-to-be-aired interview on JoyNews’ PM Express, the Majority Leader explained that the aforementioned businessman was however stopped in his tracks and he left. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu  nonetheless promised to find out from the businessman whether he did anything of the sort.

    Speaking in an interview on Joy FMs Top Story, on Tuesday, Mr. Senanu said the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng should be contacted to see if the issue qualifies to be something he can take up.

    This, he said, is because the wealthy businessman had a motive.

    “It deserves much more investigation. What interest was he seeking to protect or promote?” Mr. Senanu quizzed.

    When asked if he trusts the Majority Leader to do a good job at investigating the motive of the businessman, Mr. Senanu replied in the negative.

    “No, certainly not the Majority Leader … Indeed there is a sense in which one is wondering whether this is not an attempt to throw a red herring because already we don’t understand why within 24 hours, the Majority Leader had taken a position and we don’t have a clear statement on what the President has said.”

    Source:myjoyonline.com

  • Prices of ‘bofrot’ and fried yam shoot up in line with cooking oil price hikes

    The rising cost of flour and cooking oil is taking a heavy toll on traders in the bakery and fries business. Prices of buff loaf, popularly known as ‘bofrot’, and fried yam, are increasing at a major production hub in the Ashanti Region.

    Traders at Anwia Nkwanta say they risk losing their business capital if prices are not increased to correspond with hikes in prices of ingredients.

    ‘Bofrot’ is made from flour, sugar and other ingredients, which is fried in hot oil under high temperature.

    The tasty delicacy is often taken with a beverage in the morning, but some prefer taking it as snack in the afternoon.

    The business is the mainstay of the Anwia Nkwanta economy. Travellers make a stop at the busy junction to have a taste of the brown balls.

    Prices of vegetable oil have almost doubled in the past few days, currently selling at GHC1,000,00 a gallon from a little below GHC600.00.

    With inflation hovering around 37.2 percent in September, food prices have soared. For about a week, the busy stop at Anwia Nkwanta has lost its main feature, ‘bofrot’ hawking.

    Local stoves which are the production units at the time of our visit were empty.

    According to the traders, the hike in price of cooking oil pushed them out of the business.

    “This business was in existence before we were born. The oil is now sold at 1000 cedis and the ingredient for ‘bofrot’ is less than 1000 cedis. So we realised we had to put a halt to making ‘bofrot’ so we can find solutions”, Ama Adu is one of the traders.

    For this reason, the traders have resolved to hike prices from GHC3.00 to GHC5.00. The smallest balls are going for GHC3.00.

    They are uncertain about the survival of the business.

    Meanwhile, the yam frying business which is an alternative for many here is also in recession.

    The traders plan to increase the prices to five cedis for three pieces.

    Leader of the yam sellers, Theresa Addai said though yam prices have been stable, vegetable oil prices have not.

    “The prices of yam unlike the price of oil, are stable. So we have decided to sell 3 pieces of yam at five cedis”, she said.

    It is unclear how the market will respond to the increment. There are concerns the Anwia Nkwanta ‘bofrot’ may go into extinction if the cedi depreciation which is said to be the cause of price hikes remains unchecked.

    Source:myjoyonline.com

  • Petroleum consumers up in arms against government as diesel price hits ₵23 per litre

    Petroleum consumers have lamented the rising prices of fuel in the country. Petrol and diesel are currently being sold at an average of ¢18 and ¢23 per litre, from the previous prices of ¢15 and ¢19 per litre respectively.

    Already, some leading Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have adjusted the prices of petroleum products at their pumps.

    They attribute the significant increase in the price of fuel to the sharp depreciation of the cedi over the past two weeks.

    This, according to the petroleum consumers, has made the plight of the average Ghanaian worse.

    Petroleum consumers have called for urgent steps to stem the hike in the price of the product believed to be the cause of the current high cost of living.

    “If I fill first it was ¢350 but right now almost ¢600 if I fill this car. I do not make money. Sometimes you will drive all day and even fuel money you will not get, but we are hoping and praying to God that things can turn around for us,” one consumer lamented.

    “We are feeling it and the rate at which it is increasing is our problem. Formally it increases in bits so maybe two to three weeks you will know how to manage and get to level. Now the rate at which it is increasing is too much, ” another consumer said.

    “Prices of goods and services have increased. Now the situation is getting worse, so government should take steps to solve this.”

    This latest increment comes barely 48 hours after President Akufo-Addo announced plans to import cheaper fuel. The latest adjustment however continues to bite hard.

    Meanwhile, the Oil Marketing companies have justified the new prices of petroleum products.

    They say the new prices are a reflection of the depreciation of the cedi and prices on the international market.

    Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said the government’s plan to import cheaper fuel has taken off.

    “In President Kufuor’s time, we did it with Nigeria, Sahara lifting for us and you could have supply credit lines and a fixed price that you could bank on and it is a very similar arrangement that has already commenced and I am expecting that in the coming weeks the NPA, the Energy Ministry will have the opportunity to provide the details,” he said on PM Express, Monday.

    Source:myjoyonline.com

  • Government delegation in Abu Dhabi to negotiate for petroleum products

    Information available to JoyNews indicates that a government delegation is in Abu Dhabi negotiating a deal to bring petroleum products onto the Ghanaian market.

    The Deputy Energy Minister, Andrew Egyapa Mercer, Managing Director of Bulk Oil Storage Transportation Limited, Edwin Provencal and National Petroleum Authority Boss, Perry Okudzeto are the key members leading the negotiation.

    JoyNews understands that they have been scheduled to meet the Chief Executive of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Sultan Al Jaber on Friday, November 4 to see how possible government can secure a cheaper fuel for the Ghanaian market.

    The final details of this meeting are expected to be known after the meeting on Friday, November 4.

    It could be recalled that President Akufo-Addo in his broadcast to the nation last Sunday evening, revealed that his government is working to stabilise prices of petroleum products through new supply arrangements in a bid to tackle the high cost of living.

    The Information Minister in an interview on PM Express on Monday said government has commenced plans to secure cheaper petroleum products onto the Ghanaian market.

    According to him, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) and the Ministry of Energy will provide further details about the importation of fuel onto the Ghanaian market in the coming days.

    He noted that the Energy Ministry had already begun talks with some major sources and sovereigns in the supply of petroleum products.

    “In President Kufuor’s time, we did it with Nigeria, Sahara lifting for us and you could have supply credit lines and a fixed price that you could bank on and it is a very similar arrangement that has already commenced and I am expecting that in the coming weeks the NPA, the Energy Ministry will have the opportunity to provide the details,” he said.

    Source:myjoyonline.com

  • Foreign Ministry provides update on detention of stranded Ghanaians in Dubai

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration in reference to its press release of August 18th, has provided an update to the public on the stranded Ghanaians at the Al Tawadi Medical Centre in Dubai.

    A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and copied to the Ghana News Agency said the Ministry, in collaboration with some organisations and public-spirited individuals had so far, successfully repatriated over 450 Ghanaian nationals who were stranded at the Al Tawadi Medical Centre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

    It said from the Ministry’s investigations, most of their compatriots who were stranded were misled by unscrupulous agents who promised non-existent jobs in Dubai and other parts of the UAE.

    It said the recent evacuations involved 80 of their compatriots with the assistance of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment in Dubai between 24th and 27th October, 2022 via Ethiopian Airlines.

    Additionally, 20 Ghanaians were evacuated with the support of an individual and friend of the Government of Ghana, Mr Abdul Razaak-Daheer in September 2022, on board Egypt Air, the statement added.

    It said the Ministry takes this opportunity to extend appreciation to the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment, Mr Abdul Razaak-Daheer and all those who assisted the stranded Ghanaians, for their kind gesture.

    It said, “the Ministry wishes to reiterate that the ban on direct-to-home recruitment of Ghanaian labour migrants (house helps) to homes in the Gulf states remains in force until further notice.

    “The ban, however, does not affect the lawful recruitment of skilled workers (non-domestic house helps) to the Gulf States,” it said.

    “The Ministry advises travelling Ghanaians to desist from embarking on journeys via illegal routes to various parts of the world since this almost always has an unfortunate outcome.”

    Source:myjoyoline.com

  • Prosecutors, lawyers and relatives lament absence of judges at Ofaakor Circuit Court

    Prosecutors, lawyers, litigants and relatives of accused persons standing trial at the Ofaakor Circuit Court in Kasoa have been left frustrated and wailing in the past month due to the absence of a presiding judge at the court.

    This follows the promotion of the substantive judge, Mr Ebenezer Osei Darko, to the High Court and his subsequent departure on Friday, September 30 this year.

    Consequently, all ongoing cases in the court have stalled, fresh cases are on hold while accused persons and remand prisoners are all locked up in cells.

    A source close to the Court that spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on condition of anonymity expressed frustrations with the situation, indicating how it affected the work of the police, lawyers and all other parties.

    The source said the work of the court had been thrown out of gear as various parties trooped in and out without any show.

    “The court is really frustrated; we are all frustrated. It is affecting the cases that the police are doing in Kasoa and its environs. Remand prisoners are all locked up in cells and as we all know, Kasoa is a busy place,” the source lamented.

    It said since the courts could not be closed, only went to seek adjournments from the clerks at the detriment of the litigants and accused persons.

    Relatives of some accused persons are peeved by the situation and had accused the court of subjecting their relatives to injustice by holding them up in the cells unduly, it further revealed.

    The source, therefore, appealed to the State to immediately provide the court with a judge to keep it running.

    “Relatives are complaining bitterly, the lawyers are not happy and our workload keeps piling up. Honestly, they think the wheel of justice has grounded to a halt here.

    “Our appeal is for the State to give us a substantive judge as soon as possible to help us do our work and reduce everybody’s burden,” the source added.

    Source:myjoyonline.com

  • Court threatens to release Aisha Huang’s accomplices over lack of interpreters

    An Accra High Court has threatened to release four alleged accomplices of En Huang, aka Aisha Huang, an alleged illegal miner, due to the absence of interpreters.

    “I will adjourn the case for the last time, if we don’t get these interpreters (Chinese and Vietnamese), I will release the accused persons either conditionally or unconditionally.

    “The case is here by adjourned to November 21,” the Court presided over by Mrs Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, said on Tuesday.

    The trial judge said this when three Chinese nationals namely: Shi Yang, alias Philip, Li Wei Guo and Shi Mei Zhi and Nguyen Thi Thanh Tuyen, a Vietnamese national, appeared before her at the Criminal Court 5 division of the High Court.

    The three Chinese have been charged with engaging in small-scale mining without license whiles the Vietnamese is facing a charge of remaining in Ghana after expiration of a permit.

    The Chinese accused persons have denied the charges.

    The Court, however, could not take the plea of the Vietnamese because there was no Vietnamese interpreter.

    When sitting resumed today, the court indicated that it had not been able to secure a Vietnamese interpreter and that the Chinese Interpreter who was in court at the last sitting had also travelled outside the jurisdiction.

    The Registrar of the Court said a letter had been written to the Institute of Languages for a Vietnamese interpreter.

    The Registrar said the Court had also reached out to the Chinese Interpreter who was out of the jurisdiction and he had agreed to do the interpretation via zoom but failed to answer his calls during sitting.

    Source:myjoyonline.com

  • Kay9ice’s new Afrobeat jam featuring Adina to be released on November 25

    Rising Afrobeat sensation Kay9ice is set to release another groundbreaking single titled “Fakye”.

    The budding musical artiste recruits one of Ghana’s best female vocalists, Adina, on this jam.

    The song which was produced and mixed by Keymix would be released on November 25, 2022.

    The highly anticipated jam would be accompanied by some entrancing visuals.

    Kay9ice who is gradually rising up in Ghana’s music industry has worked with some of top Ghanaian artiste including Bisa K’dei, Sista Afia, Galaxy, Yaa Pono, Tsoobi Ryan Korsah, Tyrell (USA) etc.

    He has also shared the stage with some artiste including Sarkodie, Stonebwoy, Wendy Shay, Sista Afia, Flowking Stone, Guru, Teephlow, to mention but few

    Kay9ice appeared on BBC after winning Tom Robinson’s tracklistings for The BBC Music Introducing Mixtape – a podcast and radio show broadcast every Monday from 2-3am on BBC Radio 6 Music.

    Source:ghanaweb.com

  • Eastern Music Awards suspends nominees’ jam due to World Cup 2022

    Hi5 Empire, the organizers of Eastern Music Awards have officially suspended the upcoming nominees’ jam due to two main reasons.

    The announcement was made early today on their official Facebook page @easternmusicawards with an official press release backing the post and it indicates that “We wish to inform stakeholders in the eastern region and the general public that there will be no nominees jam for 2022 Eastern Music Awards, this is as a result of limited time for preparation due to the world cup and lack of event sponsorship to fund such an emergency event.”

    The sixth edition of the Eastern Music Awards will be looking forward to awarding over 30 talents across the eastern region and beyond.

    The highlight of the groupings includes:

    Campus act of the year which would reward campus-based performers.

    Eastside Song of the Year focuses on artistes solely based in the Eastern Region doing music.

    Artiste of the Year, which will be the Prime award for the Night.

    Best music video director of the Year to honour the best visual artiste on the
    night.

    There are more intriguing categories that would be keenly contested but the winners will surely be determined by the board, academy and the public at large based on voting.

    Source:ghanaweb.com

  • Social media users descend on Bobrisky for saying she had plans for Davido’s son

    Nigerian crossdresser, Bobrisky, has shared a post on the death of Davido’s son, which has enraged netizens.

    In a Facebook post, the socialite said she had plans for Davido’s late son.

    “Ifeanyi Why. I had so much plans for you,” she shared.

    Five hours after his post, it has amassed over 18,000 reactions, close to 9000 comments, and 391 shares.

    Many of the comments questioned the crossdresser as to what she meant by she had plans for the late Ifeanyi.

    In some social media comments, a user asked, “You get plans for who? If you had good planning skills, you wouldn’t have left your gender. Till someone removes that wig on your head and lands you a heavy knöck.”

    Another questioned, “Had plan to do what exactly? What plan that his parents don’t have? No, go wear your pampers”

    “Bobrisky which plans do u have for this innocent child that the parents didn’t have more than urs? u talk meaninglessly sometimes. Planner,” a third added.

    The unconfirmed reports

    There have been different versions of the alleged passing away of Ifeanyi Adeleke, Davido’s son.

    Shortly after the news went viral, Nollywood actress, Eniola Badmus, who happens to be a close friend of the 30 BG boss, took to her Instagram to share a post of a broken heart emoji accompanied with the caption; “But Why.”

    Although the post has since been deleted, it appears to have given a lot of people the confirmation they sought, owing to the fact that she is among Davido’s close circle of friends.

    Per the narration of other blogs including Gist lover and Linda Ikeji, Ifeanyi reportedly died in a swimming pool and was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital despite being rescued conscious.

    Source:ghanaweb.com

  • GBC suspended me for a month after I wrongly pronounced Sir John’s hometown – Amankwa Ampofo

    A retired broadcaster, Amankwa Ampofo, has recounted the standard of professionalism that characterised journalism back in his days at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC).

    In an interview with Oman Channel, the broadcaster recalled how he was once suspended from reading the news on GBC after he wrongly pronounced the name of a town in the Kwabre East District of Ashanti Region.

    “What I am saying is that it is something you have to learn because even when it comes to mentioning names, it was not like these days where people mention names anyhow and get away with it. Because in those days, everyone listened to the news on GBC from the Head of State to the leg of state.

    “You will be surprised by the calls that will be coming after you are done reading the news. I remember that I once mispronounced the name of Sir John’s hometown, Sakora Wonoo, due to the way it is written. Not knowing, I should have asked my immediate boss how to correctly mention it.

    “So, I was suspended from reading the news for a month. Every day I was going to the radio training school over the period just to go and learn how to pronounce names,” he recalled.

    He noted that the journalism work back in the day was held to high standards and required talented persons who were committed to uphold the standards of the profession.

    “In our time, the work was not for those seeking to make money. You had to have the talent or you can’t do it,” he stated.

    Charles Amankwa Ampofo is a retired broadcaster who was a regular face on the state broadcaster, GBC.

    Aside being a newscaster, the veteran journalist is also known as an actor and scriptwriter.

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Tyler the Creator, Gucci Mane, Rae Sremmurd, and more pay tribute to takeoff

    Takeoff, one-third of the Migos, was shot and killed early Tuesday morning, and members of the hip-hop community have taken to social media to mourn the loss of the Atlanta rapper.

    According to TMZ’s report, local police in Houston, Texas were notified of a shooting “shortly after 2:30 a.m.” at a local bowling alley where a dice game had taken place. An altercation reportedly broke out at this time, followed by shots fired, though more details weren’t immediately available.

    Local news outlet KPRC-TV shared statements from the Houston Police Department that claimed: “an identity of the deceased victim” would not be confirmed at the time. HPD added that two other victims had been taken to nearby hospitals to be treated for injuries, and confirmed the Unc & Phew duo were present at the scene of the shooting.

    Takeoff, real name Kirsnick Khari Ball, had just joined forces with his Quavo for their first joint album together Only Built for Infinity Links. Migos wrapped its critically lauded Culture trilogy with Culture III last June, and Take released his lone solo album The Last Rocket four years ago tomorrow.

    “On a lot of the Migos records, [Takeoff] would anchor the song,” Quavo told Complex last month. “Now on a lot of these records, he comes in and is popping off. We are setting up alley-oops like Trae Young and John Collins!”

    Complex has reached out to HPD for comment, as well as to a rep for Takeoff.

    Following news of his death, members of the hip-hop community took to social media to pay tribute to the late rapper.

    Tyler, the Creator, Gucci Mane, and Rae Sremmurd were just some of the notable figures to express their shock and sadness over the rapper’s sudden death.

    Source: Complex.com

  • Davido’s chef and nanny play ‘blame game’ over Ifeanyi’s death?

    According to reports, documented accounts from Ifeanyi’s nanny and the chef in Davido’s Banana Island home suggest they are yet to take responsibility for 3-year-old Ifeanyi Adeleke’s death.

    Nigeria’s Linda Ikeji wrote that a source close to the tragic incident said the nanny was with Ifeanyi when the chef arrived. The nanny was said to have moved slightly away from them to take a call. She couldn’t find Ifeanyi when she returned and assumed he was with the Chef. But the Chef said he had left Ifeanyi with her. They began frantically searching for Ifeanyi throughout the house for nearly 20 minutes until a security guard spotted him in the pool.

    Reports from SP Benjamin Hundeyin, Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, confirmed that eight of singer Davido’s domestic staff were brought in for questioning concerning the drowning of Ifeanyi Adekele.

    He said, “‘They were brought in questioning, not arrest. Anybody found not culpable will be released immediately. While those found culpable will remain with us to further our investigation.”

    Davido and Chioma were said to have returned from their trip to their son’s death.
    Little Ifeanyi’s body has been taken to the mortuary.
    Friends, staff and colleagues of the singer have been banned from visiting Davido at his father’s house, where he and Chioma are mourning their son privately.

    No one has been able to explain how the boy got into the pool.

    Source: 3news.com

     

     

  • Mothers adjust home menu ahead of Christmas over cost of rice, oil

    The escalating food prices continue to rock the budgets in Ghanaian homes, and the trend does not seem to be easing anytime soon.

    At the Makola market, oil and rice prices have doubled such that mothers are adjusting the menu ahead of the Christmas festivities to accommodate their diminishing incomes.

    Bernice, a mother of six, is dazed by the racing prices of groceries at the Makola market.

    She travelled from Pokuase to get some items for her home but realised her budget of a thousand cedis could only buy a few items off her list.

    Living Standard Series: Mothers adjust home menu ahead of Christmas over cost of rice, oil
    Bernice was frustrated over the increased prices

    The situation left her frustrated and upset.

    “The prices are now doubled and it is not good. I came with a one thousand cedis but I’ve only bought tomatoes, pepsodent – this pepsodent was ¢8 last week but it is ¢16 now. The tomatoes used to be ¢20 but they are selling at ¢60 now,” she lamented.

    She had to get cooking oil, but her preferred size was unavailable. Her gloomy mood worsened.

    According to her, the oil vendor said the price of the next consignment had already been increased even before it arrived in the shop.

    Living Standard Series: Mothers adjust home menu ahead of Christmas over cost of rice, oil
    Prices of cooking oil have risen

    So, Bernice would have to increase her cooking oil budget on her next market trip.

    “Last week, I was here to get rice and oil – the sachet oil was ¢22 but today, she tells me it is ¢45. Look at what is remaining of the thousand cedis I came with… I hope it will be sufficient; otherwise, I will go home.”

    Christmas is about eight weeks away, but Bernice says Banku may replace the usual rice meals if the prices on the market do not fall.

    Living Standard Series: Mothers adjust home menu ahead of Christmas over cost of rice, oil
    Mabel Mensah

    The JoyNews Living Standard Series team met a 46-year-old single mother, Mabel Mensah, who was yelling at traders to cut down their prices.

    She is also a trader and understands that fuel prices and the depreciation of the cedi have forced prices to rise but she believes traders are taking advantage of the current economic woes.

    She explained that her budget for her groceries had tripled, especially oil and rice.

    “I used to buy a small bottle of oil for ¢70 but now it is ¢250. What the shop owners are doing is not good. Even if it is the dollar, you cannot increase the price over ¢200,” she said.

    Food inflation is up by close to threefolds from 13.7% at the beginning of the year to 37.8% in September mainly because Ghana’s economy is import-driven.

    Living Standard Series: Mothers adjust home menu ahead of Christmas over cost of rice, oil
    JoyNews reporter Maame Esi Thompson interacting with a cooking oil trader, Irene

    The Makola market is no exception, both imported and local products have been bitten by the inflation bug.

    But is it the case that traders may be modifying the prices? A cooking oil trader, Irene, lays the blame squarely at the doors of importers.

    “The consumer thinks we are the cause but no. It is not us. I buy from an importer, the importer brings me price; I can’t sell below the importer’s price, it means that I am not in business.

    Right now, we are selling to replace stock, not to make profit. It’s a big challenge and pathetic because we don’t know what the future holds for us. I can’t see a joyous Christmas coming,” she added.

    Living Standard Series: Mothers adjust home menu ahead of Christmas over cost of rice, oil
    A gallon of oil which used to sell at ¢450 now goes for ¢950

    Her colleague Victoria claims she had not increased her prices for a month because of her customers.

    But then, the prices keep soaring. Victoria quotes her price to us.

    “A gallon of oil now costs ¢950. This was ¢220 but now ¢400 – we are told it’s the dollar. Everyone says dollar; tomato is dollar, okro is dollar, kontomire is dollar so government needs to fix it.”

    Prices of the same products in Victoria’s shop were a bit higher in another shop next to hers.

    Joyce Boakye travelled from Suhum in the Eastern Region to buy rice for her shop but after a two-hour trip to Accra, she had to return because prices had gone up.

    Living Standard Series: Mothers adjust home menu ahead of Christmas over cost of rice, oil
    Joyce Boakye [left] is hopeful things would get better by Christmas

    The mother of five said even in Suhum, living standards have soared.

    “The cost of living is too high; life is not easy. Two of my children are on their way to the university. If I should take a loan, how will I pay? Even for a working woman like me, it is not easy; so imagine those without work – how will they survive?

    Government should do something about it. We are hoping that by Christmas, things would change,” Joyce noted.

    Living Standard Series: Mothers adjust home menu ahead of Christmas over cost of rice, oil
    Customers negotiating prices of bags of rice at the Makola market

    Martin manages Elike Trading with her sister. For 10 years, they have been retailing rice, sugar and oil.

    Their shop arguably pegs prices at a reasonable level. But they have also been compelled to increase their prices.

    Some of their customers no longer patronise them.

    Living Standard Series: Mothers adjust home menu ahead of Christmas over cost of rice, oil
    Martin [left] and Maame Esi Thompson

    “Things are difficult these days even for retailers because if your customers cannot afford your goods, how would the business grow? Our prices range between ¢350 and ¢600 per bag of rice.”

  • Ghana winger Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer describes 70-meter solo goal as special

    Ghana international, Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer has opened up on his spectacular goal against Hannover 96.

    In a German Bundesliga game in September, the winger went on a solo 70-meter run before scoring to give Hamburg SV a delightful 2-1 victory.

    Looking back at the goal, an elated Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer says he is happy he was able to help his team.

    According to him, it was a special moment for him to score such a fantastic goal.

     

    “A goal like that doesn’t happen that often. It was nice, I could help the team. We took three points. That’s good for our situation,” Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer said as quoted by Bild.

    The Black Stars forward added,  “It’s something special, but I don’t want to rest on my laurels now.”

    Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer is one of many in-form Ghana wingers whose names have been provided by Ghana head coach Otto Addo to FIFA in his provision squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

    Source: Footballghana

  • 26-year-old jailed 12 months for impersonating NIA staff

    A 26-year-old man, Oheneba Emmanuel Kwaku, has been sentenced into prison custody for a year.

    Emmanuel Kwaku Oheneba was charged for presenting himself as a staff of the National Identification Authority (NIA) and issuing fake Ghana Cards to unsuspecting victims at Obretema in the Suhum municipality of the Eastern Region for a fee.

    Oheneba charged his victims between ₵30.00 and ₵50.00 for each fake card issued.

    The accused admitted to being guilty of all four counts of pretending to be a public officer or Juror contrary to section 237 of Act 29 and defrauding by false pretenses contrary to section 131 of Act 29.

    The Suhum Circuit Court Presided over by Her Honour Efua Eddison subsequently convicted and sentenced Oheneba Emmanuel Kwaku into prison custody on his own plea.

    The NIA Suhum Municipal Registration Officer, Stephen Asukpa Odame explained to JoyNews how the culprit went about his illegal activities.

    “I reported to the Police and led the Police team to the scene. When we went there, we realised that the gentleman was standing there with tables in front of him under a tree registering victims. His modus operandi was that he collects ₵25 to ₵30 from everyone who came to register,” Mr. Odame narrated to JoyNews.

    26-year-old jailed 12 months for impersonating NIA staff

    Meanwhile, the NIA Eastern Regional Registration Officer, Peter Ntim Ofori has advised Ghanaians to stop dealing with middlemen in pursuit of a valid Ghana Card.

    He called on Ghanaians to make use of the District Offices located in the district capitals across the country.

    “In every district, there is an NIA office there. If you need any of our services go to the NIA office there and you will be served…NIA has not sent any individual to any community or whatsoever to write down people’s name and take money from them. Alert the Police when you get anybody like that,” Mr. Ofori said.

    Source: Myjoyonline

  • Steve Nash and Brooklyn nets mutually agree to part ways

    Steve Nash and the Brooklyn Nets are going their separate ways.

    The news broke early Tuesday afternoon, with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski initially reporting that the team had fired Nash, who first became head coach back in September 2020. Meanwhile, Shams Charania of the Athletic reported that the team and Nash had both “agreed to part ways,” with a follow-up ESPN update stating the same.

    Nash also released a statement confirming his departure.

    “A very heartfelt thanks to Joe and Clara Tsai along with Sean Marks for giving me the opportunity to coach the Brooklyn Nets,” Nash said. “It was an amazing experience with many challenges that I’m incredibly grateful for.”

    In a subsequent press release, Nets leadership also addressed the split.

    “I’ve gotten to know Steve during his time in Brooklyn, and he is not one to shy away from challenges,” Nets Governor Joe Tsai said in a statement. “My admiration and respect for him grew over time as he brought hard work and positive attitude to our organization every day, even in periods of exceptional storm surrounding the team. Clara and I want to thank Steve, Lilla, and their family for making this extraordinary commitment. We began this journey as colleagues, we part as friends.”

    According to Woj, the frontrunner to take Nash’s place is suspended Celtics coach Ime Udoka.

    Nash’s departure comes at a tumultuous time for the franchise, which is dealing with an inability to live up to expectations, as well as Kyrie Irving’s off-court issues.

    Source: Complex.com

  • We are considering reviewing fares to reflect fuel price increment – Metro Mass Transit Ltd

    Management of Metro Mass Transit Limited says it will soon review its transport fares due to the current increase in fuel prices.

    The Corporate Affairs Manager of Metro Mass Limited, George Krobea Asante in an interview with JoyNews said it can no longer contain the incessant increases in fuel prices.

    According to the company, it has not changed its fares all throughout the several increments in fuel prices.

    Mr. Asante Krobea said the intended action will aid the company to stay afloat.

    “For instance, for Metro Mass, since these fuel prices started changing, we have not reviewed our fares. It is now that we are looking forward to increasing our fares a bit so that we can keep the company running because other than that, there is no way we will be able to keep the company on its feet.

    “Within this year alone, prices of fuel or petroleum products have changed for not less than five times if I am not wrong and we have not reviewed our fares, we still take the old fares,” he said.

    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.

    Already, some leading OMCs have adjusted the prices of petroleum products at their pumps.

    Last week, a popular long-distance transport service VIP Jeoun increased its fares for travelers across the country.

    The increment, they said is because the company is unable to shoulder the operational cost accompanying the current developments.

    The upward adjustment affects both the Standard Tour and Executive coaches, per the statement issued on October 23, 2022.

    Source: Myjoyonline

     

  • I made Twi speaking prestigious – Delay

    Renowned media personality, Deloris Frimpong Manso known in Showbiz as ‘Delay’, has happily welcomed compliments tagging her as the mastermind behind the popular usage of the Twi language among contemporary Ghanaian media broadcasters.

    She hinted that at the time of venturing into television presentation, it was almost a nil-practice finding any Twi language programme being anchored by a youngster until she stepped in.

    In an interview with Kumasi-based Pure FM’s ‘Bar4Bar’ host, Kojo Sebor, last Saturday, Delay addressed concerns about her stringent choice of Twi language over English.

    She disclosed that her decision to tongue Twi on air was received with hostility and mockery to the extent of being tagged a “villager and weird”, in an era where the English language was the most popular and accepted means of communication on the airwaves.

    “Of course, of course, I will boldly chest out to say I have made Twi language usage prestigious on the airwaves. When I came on television the first time, years ago, some people tagged me as a villager and illiterate for speaking Twi.”

    “At that time, the likes of Maame Dokono and some oldies were frequenting the Twi language while for the youngsters, the English Language was the thing”, Delay answered.

    According to the respected TV Host, this style of presentation made her look like the only cockroach among a peep of chickens in the sight of the public, although she was being ordinary.

    “The likes of Wolf, Caroline Simpson, Jeremy, Doreen Andoh and other known faces were all English Speakers and I was like the weird person.”

    “But today, corporate brands like Coca-Cola, Vodafone and Ideal Milk are all going along with some appealing Twi slogans for advertisement purposes. Twi has become the new flex,” She intoned.

    In addition, she spewed that, “I believe it is the way to go because Germans don’t speak English and Italians don’t utter Turkish. So we need to accept what we have and be proud of it.”

    Delay expressed that she was deliberate with presenting in Twi as part of her adopted unique strategy upon stepping into radio work in Accra, to help her appeal to the public eye and attract the needed attention.

    “But when I landed at Top Radio, I needed to do something which will attract public attention and I realised I needed to do something different. I was intentional about it; I play on words. So it was intentional and planned, and that gave me the attention.”

    Particularly known for her informed and crafted usage of the language, coupled with her poetic jargon, Delay, over the years as a TV and radio broadcaster has significantly amassed public affection for her prowess at speaking the Twi language.

    She attributed her remarkableness in speaking Twi to her grandmother, whom she said is behind her acquired knowledge and eloquence.

    Source:purefmonline

     

  • Tom Brady speaks on divorce from Gisele Bündchen: ‘All you can do is the best you can do’

    After his recent divorce from his wife of 13 years, Gisele Bündchen, Tom Brady is focusing on family and football.

    “I think there are a lot of professionals in life that go through things that they deal with at work and they deal with at home,” Brady said on the latest episode of his podcast Lets Go! With Tom Brady. “Obviously, the good news is it’s a very amicable situation, and I’m really focused on two things: taking care of my family, and certainly my children, and secondly doing the best job I can to win football games. That’s what professionals do.”

    He continued, “You focus at work when it’s time to work, and then when you come home, you focus on the priorities that are at home. All you can do is the best you can do. That’s what I’ll just continue to do as long as I’m working and as long as I’m being a dad.”

    The comments come after news broke that the couple had undergone formal divorce proceedings in Florida on Friday. Rumors of a rift between the pair, who were married in 2009 and share two children together, were initially reported by TMZ in September. The outlet claimed Brady and Bündchen were living separately following Brady’s publicized and dramatic un-retirement from football.

    “We arrived at this decision to end our marriage after much consideration,” Brady wrote in a statement after his divorce became official. “Doing so is, of course, painful and difficult, like it is for many people who go through the same thing every day around the world.”

    Bündchen also penned her own statement, which read in part: “The decision to end a marriage is never easy but we have grown apart and while it is, of course, difficult to go through something like this, I feel blessed for the time we had together and only wish the best for Tom always.”

    While on his Let’s Go! podcast, Brady echoed these sentiments and said he’s just trying to do the best he can do.

    “I’ve dealt with a lot of challenging situations on and off the field over 23 years and a lot of it does play out in front of a lot of people,” he said.

    “Everyone’s going through different things, we all have our unique challenges in life and we’re all humans and we do the best we can do. I have incredible parents that have always taught me the right way to do things. I wanna be a great father to my children and always try to do things the right way as well.”

    Source: complex.com

  • Government will certainly announce haircuts soon – Minority insists

    The Minority in Parliament says government will announce a haircut on some investments within the next 14 days as part of its debt restructuring measures.

    President Akufo-Addo in his economic recovery speech on Sunday, October 30, 2022, assured that government does not intend to slash the returns made on investments in its negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.

    But addressing the media on Tuesday, November 1, 2022, the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu insisted that there will be some form of cuts in investments in the coming days.

    Mr. Iddrisu accused the president of creating the current economic mess the country currently finds itself in.

    “As a Minority group, we believe the president failed to accept responsibility [during his address] that he is responsible for the sorry state of the Ghanaian economy, and he is responsible for the wrench economy which has consequences on livelihoods. Poverty has exacerbated, cost of living has gone high, cost of doing business has gone high, many businesses are folding up, and some industries are now re-routing their investments into neighbouring Ivory Coast and other countries because Ghana is no longer the investment haven as it should be.”

    He also alleged that considering the happenings and conditions that come with seeking an IMF facility, haircuts on investments are inevitable.

    “We are giving you only 14 days from today, and you will hear from them publicly efforts to restructure our unsustainable debt, and those efforts will necessarily include a sika mpɛ dede baba [mallam] for many persons who have investments and savings in some instruments.”

    “Those of you who listen to [Kristalina] Georgieva of the IMF, you will recall a few months ago when the World Bank and the IMF, particularly led by its Managing Director, were again categorical that they didn’t see anything wrong with Government policy. We now state that there is everything wrong with Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s government and his economic management team’s policy on borrowing. Borrowing is a policy. You decide to borrow and how much to borrow and where to direct the borrowing. So if you now borrow to the level of debt distress, to the level of unsustainable debt, to the level that you are now talking about ratio of 105% of GDP as your debt level and then he Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the president of the Republic added that he hopes that Ghana’s debt to GDP will improve to 55% by 2028, we ask the question, where will he be?”

    Source: Citinews

  • Chioma arrived 30 minutes after Ifeanyi’s death and took him to church – Popular blogger claims

    While details on the death of Davido‘s son remains sketchy, popular blogger, Tosin Silverdam has shared more details about his demise.

    According to Tosin in a recent video, the child was already dead before he got to the hospital.

    His comment follows a conversation he had with his source at Lagoon Hospital, where the child was taken.

    He said: “The maid and some other people took the child to the hospital. An insider said the boy was already dead when the boy was taken to the hospital.

    “According to my insider, the boy was already dead. Chioma came to the hospital 30 minutes later. Chioma is heartbroken and she even took the boy to church.”

    The 3-year-old who is the first son of Davido and Chioma drowned on Monday, October 31 at his father’s Banana Island home in Lagos.

    His death sent shock waves when it was made public in a now-deleted tweet by Eniola Badmus.

    Celebrity colleagues across the globe have expressed their condolence to the Adeleke family.

    Source: www.mynigeria.com

  • Plan to import affordable fuel set in motion – Kojo Oppong Nkrumah

    Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has disclosed that the government has commenced plans to secure cheaper petroleum products onto the Ghanaian market.

    The Minister made this revelation while speaking to Evans Mensah on PM Express on Monday.

    According to him, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) and the Ministry of Energy will provide further details about the importation of fuel onto the Ghanaian market in the coming days.

    He noted that the Energy Ministry had already begun talks with some major sources and sovereigns in the supply of petroleum products.

    “In President Kufuor’s time, we did it with Nigeria, Sahara lifting for us and you could have supply credit lines and a fixed price that you could bank on and it is a very similar arrangement that has already commenced and I am expecting that in the coming weeks the NPA, the Energy Ministry will have the opportunity to provide the details,” he said on PM Express, Monday.

    “I am saying that the work has already started, I will want them to come and put out those details…I am not going to preempt what the people responsible for the sector are going to do. We are scheduling for all of them to come and provide their detailed presentations and during those presentations, all of the questions can be put to them,” he told Evans Mensah.


    The Minister’s statement comes a day after President Akufo-Addo announced that government is working to secure reliable and regular sources of affordable petroleum products for the Ghanaian market.

    The deal, if successful is expected to put some stability to the escalation of the fuel prices in the country.

    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.

    Already, some leading OMCs have adjusted the prices of petroleum products at their pumps.

    Petroleum consumers have lamented the high prices of petroleum products on the market as it has affected businesses and plummeted the cost of living in the country.

    Source: Myjoyonline

  • Ofosu-Ampofo suspends campaign after mother’s death

    The National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, has suspended the campaign for his re-election following the death of his mother.

    In a statement addressed to members of the NDC, which was sighted by GhanaWeb, the NDC chairman indicated that he is suspending his campaign to be with his family as they mourn his mother, the late Madam Mary Gyawubea Badu.

    “Dear Comrades, it is with a heavy heart that I write to announce the passing of the matriarch and rock of my family, my dear mother, Madam Mary Gyawubea Badu. In one of the darkest moments in my life and that of my family, I am not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our hearts. In view of this, I am temporarily suspending all campaign activities as together with the rest of the family, we reflect and mourn the passing of the woman who shaped our very beings,” parts of the statement read.

    “On behalf of my family and I, I thank all those who have reached out to us with encouragement and those who have spared thoughts and prayers in these very difficult times,” the NDC national chairman added.

    Ofosu-Ampofo, in a Facebook post on Monday, October 31, 2022, announced that his mother passed on in the early hours of the day at the Koforidua Regional

    Hospital.

     

    He indicated that Auntie Mary was 84 years old.

    “It is with extreme sadness that I announce the death of my beloved mother Mary Gyawubea Badu (Popularly known as Auntie Mary) in the early morning of today Monday the 31st of October 2022 at Koforidua Regional Hospital.

    “She was 84 Years. May Her Soul Find Eternal Rest,” parts of Ofosu-Ampofo’s post read.

    Meanwhile, the NDC national executive elections are slated for December 17, 2022.

    Ofosu-Ampofo is expected to face stiff competition from the outgoing General Secretary of the party, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, for the chairmanship position.

    Source: Ghanaweb

     

  • Asamoah Gyan: I’m going to live with my penalty miss against Uruguay for the rest of my life

    Ghana legend, Asamoah Gyan has disclosed that he still gets flashbacks from his penalty miss against Uruguay at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

    According to the former Black Stars captain, he is going to live with the infamous penalty miss for the rest of his life.

    “I had to cry because I felt like I came from hero to zero. I let the whole continent, my country down. Anytime I’m in a room it just pops up in my mind. I’m going to live it with for the rest of my life,” Asamoah Gyan told FIFA during a sit-down interview.

    Opening up on the penalty miss, the former Sunderland FC striker says he applied the wrong technique.

    “I was one of the top 3 best players In the world at that time. I was on top of the world, I was confident. A day before the Uruguay game I shot 20 penalties against our goalkeeper at training, I scored all 20. I was going to my left side of the goalkeeper.

    “I saw him going to the left. And then I saw him going to my right where I was shooting the bad. He feinted me and then went to where the ball was going. I didn’t know how the ball went up. Technically there was something wrong. I didn’t have the right technique,” Asamoah Gyan explained.

    Although Gyan is not actively playing football, he dreams of one last dance with the Ghana national team.

    🇬🇭 “I let the whole continent, my country down”

    That #FIFAWorldCup moment against Uruguay still haunts @ASAMOAH_GYAN3 to this day

    — FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) November 1, 2022

    Source: Footballghana

  • Sulley Muntari opens up on his failed move to Manchester United

    Sulley Muntari, a former AC Milan and Inter Milan player, recalled his unsuccessful transfer to Manchester United.

    Muntari claims that in 2001, he participated in his first overseas trial, spending two weeks with Manchester United’s youth team.

    Sulley stated in an interview with Dan Kwaku Yeboah TV that despite having a decent trial, he was forced to leave Ghana after the May 9th stadium disaster.

    “Slay (Sellas Tetteh) took me to Manchester United for trials…At that time, Paul Scholes, Roy Keane, Beckham, and everybody so…Yeah it was very good I worked with the junior team. I spent a week or two and that was when the disaster happened. I was there when it happened and I came back home,” he said.

    He said while waiting on Man United to send the contract and complete the deal, Udinese presented a deal, which he signed.

    “When I came we were waiting for United to give me the contract, so I sign and all that. So we were waiting for the contract to come but then Udinese came right away.”

    While explaining why the United deal broke down, he said the English Premier League side wanted him to join their sister club, Royal Antwerp on loan for further assessment.

    “Man United was interested but I didn’t play with the national team so I had to go to Belgium, Antwerp because they had a relationship with them. So You pick up.”

    Sulley started his career at Liberty Professionals before moving to Udinese and then to Portsmouth, where he established. He later returned to Italy and played for giants like Inter Milan and AC Milan.

    He is one of the few Ghanaian players to have won the Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup alongside the Italian Serie A title.

    For Ghana, he was one of the most adored players in Black Stars’ history. He scored two goals at the World Cup and helped Ghana reach the quarter-finals in 2010.

  • Swavy Blu Promotions, Bronx Gym chiefs make history at 35th WBO Convention

    At the 35th World Boxing Organization (WBO) Convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico, young Ghanaian boxing promoter Manasseh Tagoe, CEO of Swavy Blu Promotions, and Coach Carl Lokko Bronx Gym created history by becoming the only boxing managers from Africa.

    Mr. Abraham Neequaye, President of the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA), joined them to discuss issues impacting the organization and the sport, as well as the welfare and rankings of African championship holders.

    A petition to rank the WBO Africa Lightweight and Featherweight champions was forwarded by them.
    Sheriff Quaye, also known as “One Time,” and John “Abaja” Laryea were among the top contenders, and their rankings would soon be released.

    The two passionate Ghanaian boxing officials also interacted with popular world-known boxers, managers, promoters, coaches and media.

    “It was worthwhile that we were at the WBO Convention, and we contributed positively. Indeed we proved that boxing is big in Ghana and Africa” said Coach Lokko.

    He said they have learnt many new things and will implement in Ghana as they prepare to organize series of promotions for local boxers.

    From San Juan, they moved to New York in the USA to meet a few Ghanaian boxers.

    Meanwhile, the Ghana Boxing Supporters Union (GHABSU) and Boxing Writers Association of Ghana (BWAG) have congratulated the two personalities for representing Ghana on the high stage.

  • Nico Williams will return home – Ghana FA boss Kurt Okraku

    Kurt Okraku, the president of the Ghana Football Association, has remained optimistic about Nico Williams despite the player’s commitment to Spain.

    Williams made two appearances against Switzerland and Portugal after receiving his first call-up to the senior Spain team ahead of this month’s UEFA Nations League matches.

    The 20-year-old was on Ghana’s radar after his older brother Inaki Williams decided to play for Ghana earlier this year, but he choose Spain when the chance presented itself last month and might be included in the squad for the World Cup in Qatar.

    Inaki played for Spain before joining Ghana, and Okraku is hopeful that something similar will happen with Nico.

    “He’s been summoned to Spain, and I wish him the best, but he will return home (to Ghana)”, Okraku said in an interview with Marca.

    “I know he is coming home. Iñaki also played for Spain. We’ll continue talking; he’s one of us.”

    Nico is still eligible for Ghana until he makes more than three appearances for Spain.

  • 2022 World Cup: Black Stars will shock Ghanaians – GFA spokesperson Henry Twum

    Henry Asante Twum, the GFA’s spokesperson, has claimed that the Black Stars will surprise Ghanaians at the impending 2022 World Cup.

    The strength of the team has been questioned with less than three weeks to the commencement of the 22nd edition of the Mundial following losses to Brazil and a narrow victory over Nicaragua in September friendly matches.

    On November 17 in Abu Dhabi, a friendly matchup versus Switzerland will serve as the Black Stars’ final warm-up game.

    However, Asante Twum is convinced the team will live up to expectations.

    “The Black Stars will shock Ghanaians with their performance,” he said in an interview.

    “It is too early to raise questions but the team will come good at the tournament,” he added.

    Ghana will open camp on November 10 in Abu Dhabi.

    The Black Stars who are seeking to improve their performance after exiting at the group phase of the tournament in Brazil have been housed in Group H alongside Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay.

    The tournament has been scheduled to kick off from November 20 to December 18.