In order to examine the impact of the ongoing fuel price hikes while keeping up the manufacturing of high-quality packaged water for the public, “an emergency stakeholder engagement was convened on October 26, 2022.”
NASPAWAP, therefore, recommends the following price reviews of bottled and sachet water.
It is recommended that iced bottled water, 500ml be retailed at GH¢2.50 and iced bottles of water 750ml or medium size be retailed at GH¢3.50, iced bottled water 1.5L be retailed at GH¢5.00.
A bag of sachet water (500ml x 30 sachets) will now sell at GH¢10.00 from the retail trucks as ex truck price.
The Association also added that “the retail price of a bag of sachet water and packs of bottled water from mini shops will be determined by their retail associations, using other determinants such as rent and overheads that feeds into the final retail price.”
However, in the open market consumers may expect to purchase a bag of sachet water between GH¢12.00 and GH¢15.00 depending on the shop location.
“All the above reviews take effect from Monday 31% October 2022,” the statement added.
Kofi Kyeremateng Nyanteng, an agribusiness specialist, has predicted a maize crisis in Ghana in either December or early 2019.
He warned that if farmers do not resume the production of staple crops, there may be a shortage of corn.
Mr. Nyanteng claims that commercial farmers have recently shifted their focus from the cultivation of rice and maize to the production of soybeans.
The agribusiness expert stated, “We have been putting all of our resources into smallholder production, which I view as being very unsustainable,” on October 27, 2022 at the Ghana Economic Forum in Accra.
Now, only this year, the majority of smallholder farmers who grow the important staples, rice and maize, switched to sorghum, which is not a cereal grain, as a result of the system’s slight alterations.
“…so how we are financing this, we have to look it at. If we don’t take care, by December, January, February, March, we wouldn’t have enough maize stock as we usually have in those times because about 60% of farmers that I have personally visited told me because of fertilizer, they have now doing soya,” he added.
Meanwhile, peasant farmers have called on government to rescind any decision to extend the ban on the exportation of cereals – rice, maize, soybeans, wheat, millet, among others after its September 2022 deadline.
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has praised MTN’s choice of Ghana for its worldwide network and service operational centers as evidence of the nation’s push toward digitalization.
He claims that the choice also serves as a concrete indicator of the nation’s digital transformation program, supporting the government’s goal of comparing Ghana to the finest in the world.
“This evening, I accompanied the MTN Group CEO and other dignitaries in Accra, for the inauguration of MTN’s Global Connect Network Operation Centre (NOC) and Service Operating Center,” Dr. Bawumia wrote in a tweet on Thursday, October 27. (SOC).
“The choice of Ghana by MTN, for its global network and service operating centres, is further testament to the strides we have made in digital technology, and how our country is emerging as a destination of choice for global technology giants,” he added.
At a ceremony held in Accra, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia was joined by MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita, MTN Global Connect, CEO Frédéric Schepens and MTN Ghana CEO Selorm Adadevoh who formally outdoored the centre to the public.
The establishment of the Global Connect Network Operation Centre (NOC) and Service Operating Centre (SOC) forms part of efforts to push its agenda of expanding digital connectivity in Africa.
At a time when Ghanaians are experiencing economic difficulty, he said the behavior was “irritating.”
People are struggling, and now is not the time to irritate them, so cut spending, not station GRA officials in stores.
“Things are not going well, and we are looking for the President to come up the way he did during Covid; we need a credible message from him that ‘I am going to cut expenditure to stabilize the economy,” he is quoted by 3news.
The positioning of GRA officials in various shops and trading centres was part of measures by the Authority to ensure that businesses file their taxes accurately while using the newly introduced E-VAT system.
The Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Rev. Amishaddai Owusu Amoah, disclosed that during an invigilation exercise by the Authority, it was found that some entities understate taxes and earnings by 1700%.
According to him, the results from the monitoring of about 53 entities showed that shops were filing below their due taxes.
He noted that a shop invigilation exercise was done by sending people as mystery shoppers of stationing officials in shops to check invoices as customers trooped in.
Speaking to GhanaWeb on the sidelines of the Ghana Economic Forum on October 25, 2022, he said, “Out of the results we had when you look at the filing, what the entity has filed for June, July, and August, and you compare what we found in September the difference is more than 100 %, and some of them go as high as 1700%.”
Over the past few weeks, demands for the dismissal or resignation of the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, have been persistent. Even MPs from his own party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), have joined the calls.
Dr. Mark Assibey-Yeboah is one of the names that have been mentioned as a potential successor to Ken Ofori Atta should President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo heed the calls for his ouster or should he resign from his position.
Dr. Assibey-Yeboah has, on a number of occasions, criticised the implementation of a number of policies of the Akufo-Addo government, including the Free Senior High School and the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy). Prior to Ghana returning to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout, Dr. Assibey-Yeboah warned of harsh economic conditions and therefore called on the government to resort to the Fund at an earlier time ahead of its July 1, 2022 decision.
Who is Dr. Assibey-Yeboah?
Dr. Mark Assibey-Yeboah is a Ghanaian politician and member of the 6th and 7th Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana (from 2013 to 2021), representing the New Juaben South Constituency in the Eastern Region on the ticket of NPP.
He is a Christian and was born on March 2, 1974. He comes from Obo-Kwahu, a town in the Kwahu South District of the Eastern Region of Ghana.
During his term as an MP, Dr. Assibey-Yeboah served as the Chairman of the Finance Committee of Parliament. During his tenure as chair, he led many engagements toward sound economic indicators of government and was noted for demanding accountability from the government. He was also a member of the Sports Committee of the 6th Parliament.
Before venturing into politics, Dr. Assibey-Yeboah was a lecturer between 2009 and 2010 at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), a senior economist at the Bank of Ghana between 2011 and 2012 and a lecturer at the Ghana Technology University College from 2011 to 2012.
He is a member of the American Economic Association.
Educational background of Dr Assibey-Yeboah
The former MP attended Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School, Legon and the Ghana Secondary School, Koforidua, where he obtained his GCE Ordinary Level and GCE Advanced Level, respectively.
Dr. Assibey-Yeboah holds a BSc (Hons) in Agricultural Economics degree from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). He also holds an MS (Agricultural and Resource Economics) from the University of Delaware, USA.
He also holds an MA and a PhD, both in Economics from the University of Tennessee, USA specialising in International Macroeconomics, Monetary Economics and Econometrics.
Some of his research work has been published in reputable journals, including the Economic Record, the International Journal for Finance and Economics, the Journal for International Trade and Economic Development, and The North American Journal of Economics and Finance.
He contends that a nation’s financial system has a direct impact on both its people and its economy.
Between 2017 and 2019, the Bank of Ghana swept through the financial industry after some banks and financial organizations failed to achieve their minimal capital requirements.
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has said the government will not hesitate to step in to tackle any challenge that may rear its head in the banking sector that can lead to an economic downturn again.
He told TV3’s Etornam Sey in an exclusive interview on Monday, October 26, 2020, that the financial sector is the heartbeat of every economy globally.
A weak financial sector, he said, will have dire consequences for the economy and its people, a situation that demands that central authorities step in swiftly to address.
Therefore, he said, the Government of Ghana will act quickly to address any challenges that may emerge in the sector again after the recent clean-up exercise.
The central bank first started by revising the minimum paid-up capital for existing banks and new entrants from GH¢120 million to GH¢400 million.
According to the regulator, this was to test the viability of the banks.
The banks that were unable to meet this new requirement were either merged or collapsed.
Following this action, some nine local banks, 23 savings & loans companies, 347 microfinance institutions, 39 finance houses and 53 fund management companies closed down during the exercise.
In total, the government spent GH¢23billion to undertake this exercise
UniBank, The Sovereign Bank, The Beige Bank, Premium Bank, The Royal Bank, Heritage Bank, Construction Bank, UT Bank, Capital Bank all collapsed.
Mr Ofori-Atta said “Once you have the problem, you have to solve it because the financial architecture is the (basis) for any development.
“So whether we like or not we had to do that. Now that we have done that we move ahead.”
Asked whether if the situation presents itself the government will do it again in the same manner, he answered “You meet problems as a government that is what they elected you for and so you solve it.
“And then you begin by commissioning this to give people the sense of hope for the future to say this thing can be done, and they have faith in you so lets us go with them.
“If the engine is not functioning you can’t build on top of that so you had to solve the problem.
“Is there a way you improve on what you are doing? Of course yes there is always a way to do that but fundamentally was the approach necessary, no question about that.”
In addition to warning Ghanaians against any such news, he pointed out that the government had not submitted an application to the IMF.
Ahead of the 2020 general elections, certain people have devised a strategy to spread fake information, therefore Oppong Nkrumah further exhorted the media to thoroughly verify all material before publication.
Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah Tuesday refuted media allegations that Ghana has been listed among the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) status due to its declining economic situation.
He said the Akufo-Addo-led government did not apply to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or the World Bank to be listed on the HIPC programme and urged the public to disregard such false reports circulating on social media.
Oppong Nkrumah responded to the allegations at the fifth edition of the Nation Building Updates in Accra.
The Minister said such viral fake news reports were part of a broad and deliberate strategy by some persons to deceive the public ahead of the December 7 polls.
Mr Oppong Nkrumah noted that currently, there was no ongoing HIPC programme under implementation by the IMF or World Bank.
He added that the Akufo-Addo-led government upon assumption of office in 2017 was implementing strategic programmes and policies that restored the bad economic situation inherited from the previous government and that all the macroeconomic and fiscal indicators were heading in the right direction.
The burgeoning economic status, the Minister said, enabled the Akufo-Addo-led government to roll out various social interventions such as the free supply of water and subsidized electricity to lifeline consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
Oppong Nkrumah explained that the Kufuor-led government after inheriting a bad economy in 2001 applied for the HIPC programme, which resulted in the cancellation of portions of the country’s debts and has since exited the programme.
The Minister urged the media to do thorough cross-checking of any information well before publication since some persons had hatched the plan of disseminating false news ahead of the elections.
If the majority of people set aside some tiny plots of their land for this activity, backyard farming will help families balance their budget in light of the increasing cost of living.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr. David Kuatdzor, Director of Agriculture at Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese-District (AAK), stated that the times when some retirees engaged in backyard farming not only served as beneficial exercise for their bodies but also saved them money.
He said growing what one ate devoid of chemicals was also very important to healthy living.
He was of the view that backyard farming was an old farming practice that must be encouraged to gain prominence to support the family’s income.
The AAK District Agric Director emphasized that there was no need to acquire a lot of space to produce enough food to sustain the diet of the family, but rather a small piece of land would do.
He told the youth to engage in backyard farming since it could be a good source of income, particularly when crops grew out of season and to feed family and nature.
Mr Kuatdzor pointed out that it was imperative people grew easy-to-grow crops such as plantain, pepper, cassava, vegetables, fruits, okro and many more to feed themselves.
He called for the reintroduction of Basic school farming as a measure to save develop the interest of the youth in farming and ensure food security for the country.
“Those who give the idea that having a lot of debt is just a number are admitting that their approach to debt management was ineffective.
In the age of employment losses, having large debt, expensive interest payments, and low revenue mobilization are not just statistics.
He further stated “The burden of debt is seen in how much interest is being paid and how the interest cost is affecting investment in socio-economic infrastructure. It also reflects on how much buffer the economy is putting up such as contingency funds, sinking funds, and other financial savings to protect the economy. We have failed in all these areas. Referencing the high debt levels of Japan, France, and other major economies is no more reasonable because they are in a different class with robust export revenue to GDP, high tax revenue to GDP, well-planned interest payments, and good public investment culture.”
Dean of the Business School at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) Professor John Gatsi has dismissed comments by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta suggesting that the projections made by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) regarding Ghana’s debt are merely statistical.
Ken Ofori-Atta told TV3’s Etornam Sey in an exclusive interview on Monday, October 26 that the government of Ghana was not too concerned about the debt because attention was focused on spending the funds to protect Ghanaians against the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
The lives of the people, he said matter to the government more than debt.
He added, the government spent huge sums of money during the cleanup exercise in the banking sector which resulted in the collapse of nine domestic banks. A report from the IMF has projected that Ghana’s debt-to-GDP ratio which currently stands at 68.3% will hit 76.7% by the end of December this year.
But Mr Ofori Atta said “The IMF is expecting developed countries to have a 125% debt to GDP ratio. Countries like ours are doing about 65%.
“When you discount what was spent on the financial service and on the energy sector, that brings it back. I guess the question for any nation at this pandemic time is, what you put forward first.
“The lives of the people who then become productive or you stick to some statistical numbers as an issue from stopping you from saving lives. I think we have chosen the latter.”
But in a statement reacting to this development titled “High Debt -to- GDP cannot be mere statistics: Ghana is HIPC without debt relief and debt forgiveness” Professor Gatsi said “In an election year, flagbearers of political parties should be interested in the debt level, the obligatory interest payments and lower public investment expenditure.
“The reason for the above statement is that winning the December 7, elections means one’s readiness to shoulder a debt burden that needs strategic deployment of policies to reduce the debt to sustainable levels while investing in growth-enhancing policies and projects.
“Those who create the impression that high debt is a mere statistics are admitting the failure of the debt management strategy they embraced. High debt, high-interest payments and low revenue mobilization in the era of job losses is not mere statistics.”
He further stated “The burden of debt is seen in how much interest is being paid and how the interest cost is affecting investment in socio-economic infrastructure. It also reflects on how much buffer the economy is putting up such as contingency fund, sinking funds and other financial savings to protect the economy. We have failed in all these areas. Referencing the high debt levels of Japan, France and other major economies is no more reasonable because they are in a different class with robust export revenue to GDP, high tax revenue to GDP, well-planned interest payments and good public investment culture.
“Per the IMF’s more than 76% debt -to-GDP ratio with lower tax to GDP and rapid piling up of arrears with a reduced rate of access to water due to low investment and all year round pollution of water bodies, Ghana has thus been categorized as a HIPC country. The only difference now is that there will not be any debt forgiveness and debt relief with conditions to invest in programs to reduce poverty. The first time HIPC was introduced, it was a package meant to support highly indebted poor countries experiencing acute poverty, social exclusion and generally poor and abandonment of infrastructure programs. It, therefore, came with support and benefits structured by the IMF& World bank.
“In 2016 when the debt level was discussed pointing to HIPC, the World Bank praised the poverty-reducing efforts by the government but the discussion did not change. Today, we are discussing the high debt level and HIPC with the recollection of so many job losses from the banking and financial and small scale mining sectors.
“Interestingly, the debt level and HIPC were discussed extensively in 2016 when the investments in the energy sector ended the dumsor. Today, we want to pretend it all about Covid-19. At the end of 2019 and in March 2020, the IMF signalled the fiscal situation including the debt and interest payment burden on Ghana, even with published data with the Ghanaian authorities being the source, government officials still denied. Can you hide debt?.
“Recently, the former finance minister, Mr Seth Terkper challenged the government to show if the debt level has reduced since 2017. Nobody replied to him. The danger of this 77% debt – to- GDP ratio is that all the fiscal buffers such as the sinking fund, seed money for the Ghana infrastructure investment fund, stabilization fund, etc have all been depleted.
“The IMF only announced what the data says about public debt implications for Ghana. What the IMF did not say is that this 77% debt- to- GDP has benefited from rebasing of the economy in 2018 meaning without the rebasing you can imagine what should be the debt – to – GDP.
“The IMF did not tell us that the debt- to- GDP ratio after the rebasing ended 2018 with 57% meaning within one and a half years, it has deteriorated by 20%. This has huge implications for sustainable social investment, the fight against poverty and access to drinking water. It has effects on capital expenditure and growth.
“The announcement by the IMF has muted many voices in Ghana because they did not believe it is possible to have these records as part of our debt management again. The IMF advised that borrowing from Central banks by governments because of COVID-19 should be the last consideration. In Ghana, the government borrowed Ghc10billion from the Bank of Ghana as the priority source. The lesson is we need a new strategy.
“The attempt to trivialize the HIPC status without HIPC benefits should be a worry to everybody because it has serious negative implications for everybody. High debt is not a mere statistics, it is data with burdensome implications.”
New claims claiming that the government intends to impose limitations on people who have Foreign Exchange Accounts (FEA) and Foreign Currency Accounts have been denied by the Bank of Ghana (FCA).
The banking sector regulator refuted the claims in a circular sent via Twitter on October 27 and asked the public to ignore the accusations.
It also issued a warning against future reporting of this nature.
“You should ignore this message spreading on social media. The Bank of Ghana issues a warning against such reporting since the message is misleading, according to a circular from the bank.
The Vice President, who was in charge of the Economic Management Team during Ghana’s economic crisis under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has allegedly failed, according to the Minority.
The Minority believes that the Vice President, as the team’s leader, has fallen short of what Ghanaians expected from him when it came to handling the country’s economy.
The Minority Spokesperson on Finance, Dr Casiel Ato Forson, made this demand on Tuesday, October 25 2022, speaking in an interview with the media after some eight Majority Members of Parliament demanded the removal of the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta and the Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, Charles Adu Boahen.
He asserted that it is under the watch of the Vice President, who is an economist, that the dollar is galloping against the cedi.
“It is under his reign as the head of the Economic Management Team that Ghanaians are experiencing the worst form of economic hardships,” Dr Ato Forson said.
He said the price of everything in the country has quadrupled under the watchful eyes of the Vice President.
The main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Ajumako Enyan-Esiam Constituency in the Central Region argued that it is not worth it to continue to have the Vice President serve as the head of the EMT.
He said the Vice President has proven to be incompetent in serving as the head of the Economic Management Team.
It was earlier communicated by Deputy Minority Whip, Ahmed Ibrahim, that the NDC Caucus supports the candidature of Mr Asiedu Nketia, the current General Secretary of the Party.
Mr Ahmed Ibrahim, who is also the Member of Parliament for Banda, made the comment at the launch of the election campaign of the aspirant on Tuesday, October 25, 2022.
However, the Tamale South MP explains that “ the Leadership of the Caucus never met on the matter and have not taken any decision on the matter.”
Mr Iddrisu also noted that neither has the Caucus met to deliberate nor taken a decision on any candidate contesting any position within the Party, therefore, has urged the rank and file and the public to disregard the purported statement made during the launch.
According to him, Mr Ahmed Ibrahim’s attention has been drawn to the matter and “has since rendered an unqualified apology to the entire Caucus.”
“We further wish to urge all Members of the Caucus to refrain from making such comments in the immediate future,” Mr Iddrisu entreated.
The chairmanship race
Mr Nketia, who has been the NDC General Secretary for the past 17 years, believes he is now experienced, trustworthy and fearless to serve as the chairman of the party.
Aspirants for the various national positions of the party are expected to file their nomination on November 5 and 6, 2022.
Successful candidates will be vetted on November 9-10, 2022, while November 12 and 13 will be set aside for appeals ahead of the Women and Youth Conference on December 10 and a National Conference on December 17, this year.
On the other hand, the Council of Elders of the Party has called for calm and decorum between the two contestants in the chairmanship race.
“In the interest of party cohesion, internal discipline and long-term stability, the Council urges all contestants to regional and national positions, especially the incumbent national chairman and General Secretary, to be circumspect in their campaigns by adhering to ground rules discussed and agreed upon,” it said.
“These include the use of decorous language, refrain from media attacks, breach of confidentiality and misrepresentations of decisions taken in relation to past actions of leadership,” the Council added.
The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) has responded to a joint report from IMANI Ghana and ACEP indicating that their decisions will have an adverse effect on Ghana’s battered economy.
The GNPC says it has always been transparent in its dealings and is shocked that civil society organizations will go to the press without first recourse to them for explanations of their dealings as an organization.
“While in general, civil society organizations promote development through nurturing discourse, it is appalling that ACEP and Imani perennially spew negative and unsubstantiated comments throughout the media, especially when they have not directly approached GNPC for its opinion.”
A Statement from their outfit explained that “Regarding ACEP and Imani’s inaccurate claim of “Programmed Losses for 2022”, it is important to note that the two organizations make basic errors, in their inability to distinguish between Deficit Financing and Profit/Loss.
What GNPC presents to parliament in its annual Work Program is what the Corporation intends to spend on its activities and the sources of funding for such projects, and the means of financing the forecasted deficit, if any. The figures quoted by ACEP and Imani to represent programmed losses are in fact budget deficits, for which the sources of finance are clearly stated in the Work Program”.
His request comes after President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo advised members of Parliament from his party, the NPP, to postpone their demand that Ofori-Atta be fired due to the nation’s economic challenges until the International Monetary Fund bailout negotiations he is leading are finished.
But according to Kwame Pianim, Ofori-replacement Atta’s is essential for reviving the economy and helping Ghanaians out of their current predicament.
The senior statesman, who made these remarks in a TV3 interview monitored by GhanaWeb, outlined the following reasons as the justification for Ofori-Atta to leave office now.
Success of the IMF negotiation:
According to Kwame Pianim, the government’s current negotiation with the International Monetary Fund for a bailout is not going well because the Fund does not see any seriousness on the side of the government.
“What the IMF is waiting for is a bold, credible pronouncement from the president as he did over the COVID-19 (pandemic). And then you need a credible messenger. Ken Ofori-Atta is not a credible messenger.
“Somebody who didn’t want you taking this route, how can you say he should lead it?” he questioned
“The hardship on Ghanaians is unprecedented. So, he Ofori-Atta should save Ghanaians additional misery by stepping down.”
Save the reputation of the NPP
Again, Kwame Pianim said that Ofori-Atta had to go to save the New Patriotic Party’s reputation as good managers of Ghana’s economy.
“NPP has a reasonably good reputation as a good manager of the Ghanaian Economy. And it is time that (the current economic meltdown) is stopped so that irreparable damage is not done to the reputation of the NPP as good managers of the economy,” he said.
Save the legacy of Akufo-Addo
Also, the statesman intimated that Ofori-Atta staying in office would make it very difficult to restore Ghana’s economy and also risks destroying the legacies of President Akufo-Addo.
“If he (Ofori-Atta) does not go and the president doesn’t let him go, we risk irreversibly dragging the president’s legacy and his presidency into the gutters,” he said.
As a writer, I spend my workdays scribbling and typing. But I’m unable to journal. I’ve tried, but within just a few minutes of the practice, I reliably find myself overwhelmed, distracted, and bored. I can’t seem to stick to the habit. (I’m the semi-ashamed owner of multiple blank notebooks.)
Yet I’m still drawn to the idea of journaling, largely because of its positive impact on mental and emotional health. A 2003 study published in Behavior Sleep Medicine, for example, found that writing down your stressors before heading to bed can make you fall asleep faster. Additionally, a 2018 study in JMIR Mental Health outlined a connection between positive affect journaling and decreased mental distress. Who among us doesn’t need those benefits?
When I recently heard from a friend about the concept of audio journaling, daily reflection suddenly felt feasible. The idea is simple: you record yourself on your phone, and your entries land in your voice memos. This was something I could do! Because if there’s one thing I’m extremely good at, it’s talking. I decided to give it a shot for a week.
The first day of my week-long endeavor felt weird. I whispered thoughts into my phone, careful not to disturb my roommates on the other side of the wall. During the session, I rambled for a few minutes, reflecting on my complicated dating life and anxieties about the future becoming part of a new auditory record. After I couldn’t think of anything else to say–shocker!–I glanced down at my screen. Six minutes and 34 seconds. It felt surprisingly relieving to name my anxieties out loud.
“Journaling is such a huge coping tool to use when you have anxiety,” Amber Benziger, a therapist and founder of The Anxiety Lab, says. But, like me, not all of her clients are able to put pen to paper. As an alternative, she recommends audio journaling. This technique often makes reflecting a more accessible practice, Benziger says.
If you always carry your phone around with you, you can opt to take inventory of your thoughts anywhere, any time, she says. You may choose to return to your audio memos, but many people don’t want to re-listen, she says. That’s OK. The lasting record isn’t the goal. “It’s just kind of a way to get it out, get it off your chest in that moment,” she says.
In that spirit, two days later, I recorded myself in public, mumbling into my phone while waiting for a delayed subway train. (As is typical in New York, no one batted an eye at my self-talk.) In a three-minute period, I worked through some of the stressors of the day: my complete exhaustion, a confusing personal relationship, a story I felt like I couldn’t nail. When the train arrived, I stopped recording, feeling just a little bit lighter.
How you complete your entries is up to you, Benziger says. For me, the practice worked best with no structure. Timed exercises often fuel my anxiety, instead softening it. But others may gravitate toward prompts and time limits. If you’re looking for some inspiration for your reflection, a prompt Benziger often recommends to her clients is: What happened today that I can forgive myself for?
I tested out that prompt during my latest recording session. At the end of the day, when my worrying typically peaks, I instead practiced self-compassion and acceptance. And when I clicked my phone off, I felt more at ease.
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When shopping for water bottles, food storage containers, and cookware, many check the label to make sure these items are BPA-free. But new research shows you might want to pay closer attention to BPA levels in other goods, including workout clothes.
The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) sent legal notices to 14 athletic wear brands after testing revealed some of their clothing items — sports bras and athletic shirts — could be exposing wearers to high levels of BPA, it said last week in a press release. Specifically, the clothes may expose people to up to 22 times the safe limit of BPA, in accordance with California law. The brands notified include popular names such as Nike, PINK, Athleta, The North Face, All in Motion, Brooks, Mizuno, Reebok, New Balance, FILA, and Asics. They have 60 days to work with the agency to fix the violations. If the violations remain unremedied, CEH will file a complaint.
ICYDK, BPA (bisphenol A) is a chemical used to make plastics and line some metal products, such as food cans and bottle tops. Companies often boast their products are BPA-free, as the chemical is known to be a hormone disruptor, with research suggesting exposure to BPA could cause health effects in fetuses, infants, and children, as well as increased risk of blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Low levels of BPA exposure may occur if small amounts of the chemical migrate from packaging to foods or beverages, explains the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, approved uses of BPA in food containers and packaging are safe, reports the FDA, noting studies from the FDA’s National Center for Toxicology Research haven’t found an effect from low-dose BPA exposure.
Exposure isn’t limited to ingestion. “Studies have shown that BPA can be absorbed through skin and end up in the bloodstream after handling receipt paper for seconds or a few minutes at a time,” said Kaya Allan Sugerman, Illegal Toxic Threats program director at CEH, in the organization’s release. “Sports bras and athletic shirts are worn for hours at a time, and you are meant to sweat in them, so it is concerning to be finding such high levels of BPA in our clothing,” she continued. “Sweat acts as a solvent and has been found to pull contaminants out of clothing,” adds Jimena Díaz Leiva, Ph.D., Science Director at CEH.
BPA mimics estrogen and can interrupt the body’s normal methods of functioning, including reproduction and metabolism along with growth and development, according to the CEH.
Exposure to BPA is especially concerning for people who are pregnant. A fetus is more sensitive to BPA than an adult, and the consequences of exposure can “last a lifetime,” Hugh Taylor, M.D., chair of the department of obstetrics and gynecology and reproductive sciences at Yale University and chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Yale-New Haven Hospital who has studied BPA, tells Shape.
Consequences may include behavioral changes, fertility issues, and risk of estrogen-sensitive diseases, such as breast cancer and endometriosis, he adds. “If the clothing is releasing BPA, this is something that is quite concerning and surprising and something that manufacturers should know to avoid.”
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According to Proposition 65, California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, the state is required to publish a list of chemicals (including BPA) that are known to cause reproductive harm and cancer and to let residents know about exposures. The level of BPA allowed “via skin exposure is three micrograms per day” in the state, reported CNN earlier this week.
While the CEH cites California law in its recent report, the legal notices sent to identified brands go past the state’s borders. “While we litigate under Prop 65, California’s Clean Drinking Water and Toxics Enforcement Act, the repercussions of our settlements extend beyond California as it is most often economically infeasible for companies to reformulate for just the California market,” Emily DiFrisco, director of communications for CEH, told Shape in an emailed statement. “Our legal action has been successful in pushing entire industries to remove certain chemicals from products, [such as] children’s candy or toys. These cases not only serve to protect California consumers but also consumers throughout the country.”
So, should you frantically go through your closet and pitch your sports bras and workout shirts? “This [BPA] does clear the system pretty quickly,” says Dr. Taylor. “So, it’s not something you have to worry about accumulating [over time]. Short exposure, shorter and briefer exposure, is probably better,” he adds, noting that it’s the constant exposure to BPA that’s concerning. With this in mind, consider changing out of your sports bra quickly post workout.
Still, it might be a good idea to check to see if your favorite workout gear contains BPA, suggests Dr. Taylor, who advises people contact manufacturers directly. And if you find out a sports bra or top you own does contain high levels of BPA, toss it, says Dr. Taylor. Additionally, try keeping the amount of time you’re wearing your athletic clothing to a minimum, he and the CEH suggest.
“We’re exposed to Bisphenol A from multiple sources constantly every day,” says Dr. Taylor, noting it’s about balance. The goal, bottom line, is to minimize exposure, he adds.
Ever cross the finish line and wish there was more pavement to cover? I didn’t think so…but you’ll effectively run the equivalent of one extra mile in a marathon if you’re not wearing a supportive sports bra. (Yikes right?!) The up-and-down bobbing can shorten your stride up to 1.5 inches.
So, next time you slip on a running bra, remember you’re doing so much more for your bod than controlling the bounce. What’s more, if you only have loosey-goosey sports bras that’ve been in your drawer for years? There’s a good chance you’re not exercising at even close to your full potential. A supportive sports bra is *that* important.
Meet the experts: Bertrand Bru, PhD, is the head of research and development at Progressive Sports Technologies, Loughborough University, in the U.K. Mari Thomas is the founder of sports bra company Maaree and a former lab tester for sports bras.
Designing this specialty apparel is also incredibly complex. “As a general rule, the sports bra is one of the most complicated items for brands to design,” says Bertrand Bru, PhD, head of research and development at Progressive Sports Technologies, Loughborough University, in the U.K.
The Lululemon Energy Bra High Support features wider, adjustable straps for a custom fit.Hearst Owned
What may come as an even bigger shock? There aren’t industry standards for sports bra performance. Any company can slap a “high impact” sticker on a product, with or without the testing to back it up. But you can avoid being swayed by marketing tactics and wasting your precious funds on tops that don’t cut it.
Consider this your no-BS shopping guide to supportive sports bras. Your perfect match does exist, ahead.
How To Find Your Perfect Fit
Are sports bras supposed to be tight? Yes, but not uncomfortably so. And, there’s a lot more that goes into a properly fitting sports bra. Here’s how to know if your bra is too tight, too loose, or just right, according to Mari Thomas, founder of sports bra company Maaree and a former lab tester for the apparel.
MaareeHearst OwnedFollow this quick guide for the telltale signs to determine if you’re set to sweat:
Straps
You don’t feel any pain or discomfort.
The straps can stretch up to one inch away from you.
Tip: If the straps slide off your shoulders when snug, try a racerback design.
Band
The band is level all around the rib cage.
It’s as comfortably tight as possible.
You can pull the band only one to two inches away from torso with a finger.
Cups
The fabric is free of wrinkles and gaps.
Your skin doesn’t bulge above or around the cups.
The center of the bra sits flush against your chest.
How To Shop For A Supportive Sports Bra
FYI: Your sports bras aren’t meant to celebrate birthdays. Experts recommend replacing them before the one-year mark for a few important reasons. (It’s not a marketing scam.) Your size can fluctuate; after 25 wears and/or washes, bras in a small study allowed breasts to move 25 to 32 percent more.
Adjusting before or mid-run is a breeze with hooks on the front of the Brooks Dare Racerback Run Bra 2.0 straps.Hearst Owned
And, your girls don’t have built-in support. Your breasts are made up primarily of fatty tissue and fibers, says Deirdre McGhee, PhD, an associate professor at University of Wollongong and the director of Breast Research Australia. “Women’s breasts don’t have anatomical support,” she says. “The only thing holding their weight is overlying skin and fibrous webs attached to the chest.”
These are the motion-squashing qualities to look for in any bra:
Two distinct cups with padding (often listed as “encapsulation” on product sites)
A higher neckline (think: four inches or less between the “suprasternal notch”—the bony area at the base of the neck—and the top of the bra, about the width of your hand)
Adjustable underband
Material with a high nylon content (check percentages on the tag)
Raise your hand if you’ve recently engaged in an insult-slinging argument that started as an attempt at a civil discussion about some hot-button issue. Many of us have, and with high-stakes elections looming, the already fiery discourse will likely only intensify.
Though it might feel satisfying in the moment, calling someone a bleeping—insert your favorite derogatory term here—is never going to help them understand your point of view. Rather, experts in persuasive communication say, it’s crucial to focus on curiosity and compassion, and to make it clear that you don’t think the person you’re talking to is the enemy—or look down on them.
“I’ve always believed that more collaboration and happiness was possible if only people knew how to talk to each other better,” says David Campt, founder of the Dialogue Company, which trains people to approach hard conversations more effectively. “Especially now, with a higher level of polarization, it’s vital that we learn how to have a good conversation across different points of view.”
Every year, Kurt Gray asks the students in his classes if they’ve had a conversation that changed their mind about subjects like abortion or immigration. “The percentage isn’t zero, but it’s not high,” says Gray, an associate professor in psychology and neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he directs the Deepest Beliefs Lab and the Center for the Science of Moral Understanding. “It is possible, but it’s not easy, and it’s not frequent.”
Certain strategies, however, can make the attempt more effective. Here, experts share research-backed strategies that can help you actually change someone’s mind.
Go in calm
Entering the conversation in the right mindset is key—and that means striving to be cool, calm, collected, and open to learning. If you’re fired-up, and know you might snap, revisit the issue another time, Campt advises.
He also suggests disclosing any nervousness or vulnerability to your conversation partner. “Our tendency is to want to hide that, but owning up to the fact that you’re nervous is actually helpful, because it tends to soften people.”
Research by Gray and others, published in Nature Human Behavior in September, provides additional helpful guidance: Don’t assume the person you’re talking to hates you, even if you hold different political views. Republicans and Democrats both overestimate the extent to which the other side dehumanizes them by up to 300%, according to the findings. “If you start a conversation thinking that this person hates your guts and doesn’t want to listen, it’s going to be a bad conversation,” Gray says. “Research shows that correcting that one misconception—that the other side doesn’t hate your side as much as you thought—is a really powerful way to reduce partisan animosity.”
Practice empathy
Whatever your conversation partner shares, it’s crucial to listen non-judgmentally and with empathy, says David McRaney, author of the 2022 book How Minds Change: The Surprising Science of Belief, Opinion, and Persuasion and host of the science podcast You Are Not So Smart.
“If you communicate that they should be ashamed, or that they’re stupid or gullible, they’re going to push against you in a way that ruins the possibility of moving forward to a conversation that would actually change their mind in some way or get them to reevaluate the matter,” he says.
Research published in Psychological Science in October found that empathizing with the people you disagree with may make your political arguments more persuasive. Using terms like “I agree,” “we all want,” and “I understand that” can help indicate empathy.
If your empathy tank is running low, Campt suggests three ways to help fill it up: First, picture the person you’re talking to when they were a small child. Then, zoom in on a positive moment you’ve had with them, or think about some aspiration they have that you support. These exercises can help us “open up our hearts” and foster the best possible environment for a tough conversation, he says.
Find some common ground
If you’re trying to change someone’s mind, the conversation can’t be all about correcting: It has to be about connecting, Campt says. He recommends opening the conversation by finding something you can both agree on.
If somebody declares that protests against police need to stop, for example, you could agree that good police officers certainly do exist. “Your strategy is to agree to the extent that you can with something embedded in their statement, even if you disagree with part of it,” says Campt, who consults on areas of diversity, inclusion, and equity and is the creator of the White Ally Toolkit, an anti-racism workbook. He thinks of the strategy as ABC: agree before challenging. It can help put people in an open mindset before you invite them to new thinking.
Tell stories, not just facts
Firing facts at the person you’re talking to is never going to be effective, Gray stresses. Sharing personal experiences and narratives is far more likely to resonate.
Research published in 2016 supports that notion: Door-to-door canvassers who were advocating for trans rights engaged in deep reflection with voters about transphobia, talking about their experiences and views, and these conversations substantially reduced the voters’ transphobia for the next three months, as measured by follow-up surveys. “Sharing and connecting on a human level was more effective than arguing,” Gray says. Often, people “think the best thing to do is to argue as aggressively as possible,” but that’s not the case.
It’s easy for someone to refute facts, but harder to refute experiences, Campt says. That’s why it can be helpful to ask questions about a person’s experiences, rather than their beliefs, that inform their point of view—and to avoid attacking them. Say you’re talking to someone who doesn’t vote, he says, and you’d like to change their mind. The person might say that no politicians actually listen; instead of telling them that’s not true, share a story about a time in your life when you felt like politicians didn’t hear you. This will help you and your conversation partner feel like you’re on the same side. Then, tell them another story: an experience that helped prove to you that politicians were, in fact, listening—and how you knew and why it mattered. Sharing stories helps build trust and encourages each person to open up, while widening perspectives, Campt says.
Open the door to introspection
Many people feel strongly about divisive issues but never stop to catalog the specific reasons why, McRaney says. There are ways to “hold a space for this person to actually develop their first opinion about the matter,” he adds.
For example, you might start by asking someone: On a scale of 1 to 10, how strongly do you feel about gun control? Suppose the person responds with a 7. Why not a 6 or a 10? Often, when you pose that follow-up question, they’ll pause and say, “Well…” before delivering an explanation—perhaps the first they’ve ever articulated, even to themselves. At that point, the person you’re talking to might discover their opinions aren’t as strong as they had thought, and that there’s room for flexibility.
“What you want to do is create a space where you go shoulder to shoulder, and you say, ‘I think you’re a rational, reasonable person,’” McRaney says. “‘I think we both probably agree on a lot of the same problems in this world. I’m wondering why on this particular issue we disagree, and I’d love your permission to investigate that together.’”
Know when to take a break
Inevitably, some conversations will dissolve into arguments. If the person you’re talking to insults you, Campt recommends saying: “I want to go back to just before you said X,” and rewinding the conversation.
It’s also OK to take breaks. If things start to escalate, step away with the excuse of visiting the restroom, Campt suggests, and take a moment to compose yourself before deciding whether and how to continue.
If you’re online, set boundaries
For proof that productive conversations on social media are rare, look no further than antagonistic Twitter threads and long-winded, belligerent Facebook comments. Online, you’re often anonymous, you can’t see the other person’s face, and it’s easy to misconstrue their words and intentions, Gray says.
But Dr. Karin Tamerius, a psychiatrist who’s the founder of the website Smart Politics—which teaches people how to communicate more productively and persuasively—considers online platforms one of the most fruitful places for political discourse.
She recommends following these four steps:
1.Humanize yourself. Social-media users often forget they’re talking to real people, not robots devoid of feelings. When she joins a new conversation, Tamerius always introduces herself, telling others her name and that it’s nice to meet them. “In 90% of cases, that’s enough for them to immediately change their orientation, ” she says. “It puts them into a different script.”
2.Set boundaries. Pose the request like this, Tamerius suggests: “I want to have this conversation with you, but we can’t have it if you’re calling me names or questioning my motives. Can we agree to treat each other with respect and try to understand each other’s perspective?” Most of the time, she says, people agree.
3.If those boundaries are crossed, issue a reminder. Someone might get so caught up in rapid-fire replies that they forget to follow the rules governing the conversation. In that case, call them out and give them one more chance.
4. If the behavior remains problematic, block or mute. Don’t feel bad cutting off contact, especially if the conversation has become abusive. “I let them know what I’m doing and why I’m doing it,” Tamerius says. “And then I tell them, ‘If at some point you’re ready to engage in a more productive way, you’re welcome to come back.’ I leave the door open, so they know this isn’t personal.”
Keep a certain degree of detachment from the outcome
Have you ever tried to catch a butterfly in your hands? What happens, Campt says, is that “you often push the butterfly away by the wind you create reaching for it.”
The same risks surround pushing your conversation partner too hard. Instead, keep a healthy amount of detachment from the outcome. Your emotional and mental health shouldn’t depend on the other person changing their mind about a certain issue.
It can be helpful, Campt adds, to keep in mind that this is the first attempt, not the only—or final—opportunity you’ll have to talk. “You’re trying to learn, and to understand,” he says, collecting information that you’ll utilize in the next conversation, and the one after that.
As part of elevating the brand of Wendy Shay, her management, RuffTown Records has put together new structures.
One of these is the appointment of a new road manager to see to the daily runnings of the artiste.
Arts and entertainment journalist, Reagan Odei Ofosu Osarfo, well known publicly as Nana Reagan is the latest addition to RuffTown Records, to handle this task.
The former General Secretary of the Arts and Tourism Writers Association of Ghana (ATWAG) confirmed the news to ghanaweekend.com when he was spotted with the ‘Survivor’ hit maker on Tuesday, October 25, 2022.
Reagan was very grateful to Rufftown boss, Bullet, for reposing trusting in him and promised to deliver on his work as road manager for the label.
“I can only be grateful to Bullet for believing in me. Knowing his experience in our music industry, he will definitely not make mistakes with selecting his team and I promise to make things happen the right way,” he said.
“Wendy is a star who has taken the music industry by storm and has topped the music charts of various music channels and I understand the demands that comes with working with such a household name. I am just going work right and it will be fun,” he added.
In the meantime, Ricky Nana Agyeman aka Bullet remains the Chief Executive Officer of the artiste management firm.
Wendy Shay will be releasing her ‘Enigma’ EP on November 11, 2022.
According to Mzbel, a host of presenters including Abeiku Santana have vowed to block opportunities available to artistes who do not succumb to them in the industry.
Shatta in an earlier interview with Metro TV’s Paul Adom Otchere posited that he could have missed the chance of collaborating with American singer, Beyonce, if her team had reached out to him through some gatekeepers who do not like him.
“When Beyonce wanted to do a song with me if she had made a mistake and her team had gone to Mark Okraku Mantey, Andy Dosty, Da Don…I’m dead. They will tell Beyonce he’s an armed robber, a thief. Hey don’t do that…your skin, he will touch it and you will be dirty,” he earlier said.
Mzbel in a Facebook live video on October 26 borrowed the words of Shatta Wale when she called out Okay FM presenter, Abeiku Santana.
According to the ’16 Years’ hitmaker, in her case, Abeiku is one of the gatekeepers that has since been sabotaging her.
This revelation came to bare after the popular presenter termed Mzbel as a ‘former artiste’ and also discouraged a new act, Chief One from working with Mzbel.
Sharing her bad encounters with Abeiku Santana, she said: “When you go for an interview with Abeiku, he will ask silly questions and push you to answer questions you have vowed not to comment on. That is how he is.”
She continued: “Believe what Shatta Wale said. There are some people in our industry who ruin your opportunities. They are like the gatekeepers, so once they are contacted, you can kiss that thing goodbye because if you don’t suck up to them, they will sabotage you, but thanks to Mark Zuckerberg for Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms. Now artistes can decide whether or not to go to Abeiku’s show. I don’t need you anymore, nobody needs you anymore.”
Dancehall musician,Stonebwoy, has expressed his opinion following the horrific shooting and fire incident that occurred in Dzorwulu on Monday, October 24, 2022.
Earlier in a viral video, an unidentified driver of a V8 vehicle was allegedly shot by unknown assailants while his car was set on fire.
Although it is unclear what caused the incident, it reportedly stemmed from a land dispute.
Interestingly at the scene, an eyewitness was captured busy running a commentary in a 33-seconds video.
The said commentator was heard asking for help for the victim while exclaiming that he is not dead.
But reacting to this incident which has since sparked public interest, Stonebwoyappears peeved about the fact that people were more interested in recording the incident than rendering help to the victim.
“I saw a video of a man laying hurt on the floor in Dzorwulu. A residential area with his V8 bumped/crashed into all these while there was this man filming him shouting, he is not dead ooo. With other passerby also filming until the car caught fire. This man started shouting…we need fire Ghana fire service oo. Please fire service come o. and so on and so forth. Like I am so disappointed in some of us. Our smart phones have sucked out common sense,” he wrote on social media.
“He could have called an ambulance or fire service. Anyways realizing how long it takes for both to show up. How about quickly arranging for a taxi to carry this man to the hospital to save his life. I see many of us interested in filming the incidences that happen in order to post instead of actually saving the situation then dealing with the extras later. We can surely do better. Pls let’s try,” he added.
Ghanaian musician Mzbelhas disclosed that, unlike some artistes who bow down to radio presenter Abeiku Santana just to be in his good books, she stood her ground and never gave him the chance to push her over.
The singer, who has alleged that Santana sabotaged her music career, added that she never gave the popular radio presenter the grounds to make sexual advances towards her or demand sex in exchange for her music promotion.
For this reason, she suspects that Abeiku Santana is in pain, leading to his constant attacks on her.
Mzbel’s revelations come after the presenter termed her a “former artiste”.
On October 26, the ‘Legelege’ singer took to Facebook live to call Abeiku out and name instances where he sabotaged music.
“My song ’16 Years’ was a massive hit. It was big in Nigeria and a host of people sampled it. It was a hit in Equatorial Guinea, Kenya and other countries. When the song was nominated for the Ghana Music Awards, people like Abeiku Santana were against it.
“If you wanted to fuck me back then, you didn’t make your words clear. I am a Jamestown girl, you have to come clear if you want to sleep with me. You have to tell me directly and then I will make my decision. Then I will check you out, from your head to the shoes you wear. That was how we were raised,” she said.
According to her, Abeiku was “not bold; you thought you were a big brand, so that should have given me the sign…we don’t deal like that. You don’t fuck pussy and not pay. You are pained because you didn’t get the chance to freely sleep with me. Santana, you will die because you can never have access to me. My private par is now old (laughs). It is now ‘former’ in your own words.”
Abeiku Santana sabotaged me; he wanted my ECG ‘contract’ terminated – Mzbel alleges
Ghanaian instrumentalist, William Yirenkyi Fianko, is scheduled to receive an award at the Africa Drums International Festival on November 24, 2022, at the Hampton Conference Centre in Maryland.
The young man who is very good with traditional musical instruments such as fontomfrom, Atumpan, Asonko, goje and others will be honoured for his talent.
Mr. Fianko learned how to play these musical instruments from his late grandfather at the tender age of 12 years.
He has played at several festivals like the Odwira festival, Ohum festival and others.
He is expected to receive a citation and plaque for his dedication to traditional music and his love for the local instruments.
As part of the thanksgiving celebrations in the USA, Africans will also be celebrating their culture, tradition and music during the African Drums Festival from November 24th to 25th, 2022.
Musician Yoma Yoma is out with her much anticipated new single titled ‘ETA’.
The single released on Friday follows the successful release of ‘Loyalty’ and ‘Body Like This’ in 2020 and 2021.
Yoma Yoma continues to explore the ever-growing and much-loved Afro-alternative music genre on the new single produced by Hylander Beat.
“ETA speaks about a lover who seems worried about the love of his/her life and cannot wait any longer to meet him/her,” she said in an interview.
Born Emmanuella Jormor Ablorh, Yoma Yoma is a singer/songwriter of Ga descent.
Passionate about music, Yoma Yoma found solace in writing her own music in her little diary during her High School days at St Mary’s Senior High School.
In 2018, she recorded her first song titled ‘Kwabena’ after which she later released other songs.
A graduate of Central University College in Ghana, Yoma Yoma studied Communication with a special focus on Advertising.
Yoma Yoma is currently signed to Black Stallion Records.
Global Media Alliance, the organisers of the event said it will take place on Farmer’s Day, December 2, at the Grand Arena of the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC).
The African Legends Night is a high-profile concert which recognises and celebrates African musicians who are considered living legends.
Over the 10-year period, the event has witnessed over 20 headliners and close to 50 performances by musicians from a number of African countries such as Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, DR Congo, Namibia, South Africa and others.
As part of marking the 10th anniversary, the concert will for the first time be hosted in December to offer a new “December In Ghana” experience for Ghanaians and the diaspora.
New additions to this year’s celebrations are the creation of the African Legends Hall of Fame and the setup of the African Legends Digital Museum to document the recognition of African music legends.
“With our legendary headline line-up for the concert coupled with these new initiatives, what African Legends Night promises this year is something that will certainly push the show to greater heights,” the CEO of Global Media Alliance, Ernest Boateng, said.
He added, “Ten years of building a pan-African concert like African Legends Night goes to the core of our organisation’s brand purpose of ‘Talk to Us, Talk to Africa’. When the idea of African Legends Night was birthed, we had a plan of creating a premium Pan-African concert that truly celebrates music legends across the African continent.”
Speaking at the launch, the CEO of Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Akwasi Agyeman, said music tourism has become a major global trend where people move around countries to experience entertainment and cultural activities including musical concerts.
According to him, the Authority has taken a deliberate policy to position Ghana as the best destination for music tourism, especially in December.
He commended the organisers for hosting the African Legends Night in December as it ties into GTA’s plans for Beyond the Return initiative.
Since its inception, the event has celebrated music legends on the African continent including Hugh Masekela, Daddy Lumba, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Kojo Antwi, Femi Kuti, Amakye Dede, Kanda Bongoman, Awilo Longomba, George Darko, Ofie Kudjo, Freddie Meiway, Ben Brako, Gyedu Blay Ambulley, Samini, Nana Tuffuor, Akosua Adjepong, Amandzeba 2Face Idibia, Aka Blay, among many others.
These legends together with other amazing talents such as Wiyaala, Steve Bedi, Yaa Yaa (Bertha), Lady May, Trigmatic, Becca, eShun, Efya, Dela Hayes and her all-female band and others have thrilled tens of thousands of patrons.
“These legends have played major shows, won multiple awards – both local and international – and they have given a night masterpiece of performances that have created indelible marks in the hearts and minds of the audience,” said Jerry Ofori, Head of Events at Global Media Alliance.
Hugh Masekela was the first headline artiste for African Legends Night. He was also the first act to do a back-to-back performance the following year.
Yvonne Chaka Chaka was the first Female Headline Performer in 2016. That year was a female-dominated concert with Akosua Agyapong, Wiyaala, Becca and eShun.
The show for the first time had an all-Ghanaian lined-up in 2018. Headliners were Kojo Antwi, Daddy Lumba and Samini.
It was the first time in many years that Kojo Antwi and Daddy Lumba performed on the same stage in Ghana.
In 2019, the concert witnessed two foreign African music greats – Awilo Longomba and 2Face also known publicly as 2Baba – as part of the headliners.
African Legends Night is supported by the Ghana Tourism Authority under its Beyond The Return initiative.
The center is the first of his quest to build computer labs and library media for Junior High Schools across Ghana.
In an announcement made via a Twitter post on October 14, 2022, Kingston noted that the project will be set up in underprivileged areas in the country.
According to the WWE wrestler, the centers which are spearheaded by his CLICK for Quality Education Foundation will aim at training high school students in computer literacy, media and information literacy (MIL), critical thinking, and creative problem-solving skills among others.
“The CLICK for Quality Education Foundation will build top-quality computer labs & library media centers for junior high schools across Ghana, particularly in underprivileged areas. (The acronym’CLICK’ stands for Computer Lab and Integrated Center of Knowledge).
“CLICK for Quality Education Foundation centers will offer training in computer literacy, media and information literacy (MIL), critical thinking, and creative problem-solving skills while instilling a love of reading and research in students.”
Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah was born in Kumasi, Ghana to Ghanaian parents, Elizabeth Sarkodie-Mensah and Kwasi Sarkodie-Mensah. The family relocated to the USA where he continued his formal education at Winchester High School and then at Boston College.
In 2019, he became the first African-born WWE Champion after defeating Daniel Bryan. He later visited Ghana with the title after his record-breaking triumph.
How many of us look forward to collapsing on the couch to watch our favourite series at the end of a long day? Or, getting the family together for the traditional Sunday night movie? While entertainment has long been viewed as a way to relax, it’s come to mean more than that to many people across the world.
A global study from 2018 called The Truth About Entertainment found that 76% of Americans say entertainment has influenced the person they are today. And 60% of people say they have a go-to source for entertainment when they’re feeling low. Dr Valorie Salimpoor, a neuroscientist at Baycrest Health Sciences in Toronto says, “entertainment stimulates the pleasure and reward centres of the brain, which are very central to humanity”.
Entertainment gives us many ways to connect with friends, family, and society at large, helping us de-stress and divert our attention from life’s demands. One could even go as far as saying movies or series help promote happiness, which is fundamental in improving mood, strengthening friendships, and increasing competence.
The entertainment industry plays a crucial role in our lives and societies. But how has it changed over the years? And how can something as simple as movies and TV series be used to bring about cultural shifts and the expansion of an audience’s perspectives?
The value of entertainment in societies and cultures
I’ve always believed that a good piece of entertainment content should leave you better off than you were before sitting down to watch it. It’s about evoking emotions and displaying elements of relatability so that people feel part of what they’re consuming.
In South Africa, at the moment, most audiences are looking for a feeling of hope. Whether you’re watching a period drama, documentary, or a reality series, it’s best if you can come away thinking, “my problems don’t seem so bad, I’m sure it’ll all work out in the end”.
But, despite wanting to create a positive atmosphere for viewers, the content we create should also reflect the society and community we’re in. It’s about finding a balance between escapism and social realism. It’s important to tackle a few social issues that people care about and find a new way to represent themes and angles that might help create corrective or teachable moments.
It doesn’t have to feel like learning for a test but, hopefully, audiences come away with a little more insight into and understanding of current issues. In this way, entertainment can be used as a catalyst to encourage diverse conversations, foster a culture of tolerance, and help create a more inclusive society.
Challenging viewers and content creators
A show like Becoming…, which explores the lives of four transgender people from conservative African backgrounds, pushes the boundaries when it comes to the stories we tell on TV. We certainly wouldn’t have seen anything like it 10 or 15 years ago. But it became incredibly popular and has even been renewed for a second season.
Challenging content creators and viewers with these stories has multiple benefits. It gives certain viewers an opportunity to see stories similar to their own on screen, it expands the knowledge of audiences, and it helps reflect the modern culture we’re part of. Hopefully, it also helps shift today’s community culture to be even more open-minded and accepting. Bravery, inclusivity, and authenticity are three ingredients for success in today’s entertainment industry.
Where are we headed?
While the willingness to learn or broaden one’s understanding isn’t the same everywhere in Africa, there’s more demand for provocative content than you’d imagine. This is evident in social spaces where people feel more confident expressing their true opinions and preferences – and that’s a brilliant place to generate content ideas.
It also helps to have several platforms on which to display various content. While live TV may encourage more family-friendly viewing, there’s nothing stopping anyone from streaming a show like Devilsdorp or Sex in Afrikaans on their mobile tablets in a private room. There’s definitely room to be more experimental on streaming services – and audiences are lapping it up. It’s clear that today’s culture is vastly different to that of 50 years ago, and it’s the entertainment industry’s job to not only reflect the current culture but keep pushing it to evolve and adapt.
Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience, giving pleasure and delight. Understanding how entertainment functions as part of culture could lead to an important interaction with others in how people see the world. People are all influenced by media – TV, film, music, and internet culture – almost more than they are influenced by their surroundings.
For this reason, it’s vital to view entertainment as more than simply passing the time. Entertainment provides a valuable opportunity for stories, characters, and themes inclusive of all kinds of people to be shared because educating audiences can shift cultural norms and understanding.
Managing Editor of GhanaWeb, Daniel Oduro has backed Mubarak Wakaso to make Ghana’s squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup which will be held in Qatar from November 20 December 18, 2022.
Mubarak Wakaso’s call-up to the Black Stars in the last couple of months has divided opinions in Ghana as many say that he is not playing actively to warrant a national team call-up.
Reports have been rife that despite the public backlash, coach Otto Addo will include him in the squad for the 2022 World Cup.
Asked to predict the midfielders who will make Ghana’s World Cup squad on the GhanaWeb Mundial show, Daniel Oduro named Thomas Partey, Daniel Kofi Kyereh, Mohammed Kudus, Jeffrey Schlup, Mubarak Wakaso, and Baba Iddrisu.
However, Daniel Oduro added he will pick Mubarak Wakaso ahead of Baba Iddrisu because of the inconsistent performances of the Mallorca midfielder in the Black Stars.
Before the start of the season, Brobbey was the preferred choice, relegating the Ghanaian midfielder to the bench.
But the former FC Nordjaelland Star who was given his first start in early September proved his worth to maintain his place in the team.
In the last two games, the in-form Ghana international position at Ajax has come under threat due to the recent form of Brian Brobbey.
Kudus has been dropped to the bench at the Dutch giants in the last two games in favour of Brian Brobbey, who has responded so well by scoring four goals.
Ajax face a must-win match against Liverpool on Wednesday in the Champions League, and of the game, Schreuder was asked about the Brobbey-Kudus situation and he said, “Kudus or Brobbey? It’s always a difficult choice. But we are very satisfied with the development of Brobbey in the past few weeks.”
At a press conference held on Tuesday, October 25, 2022, at the East Legon branch of Iron Man Food Supplements, the President of the Association, Abdul Hayye Yartey announced details about the upcoming event.
“The GBFA has kept faith in this event since the maiden edition in 2006 and this will be the 15th edition of the event. This year, a new Man Ghana will be crowned because for the very first time we are going to have none of the reigning champions participating in the championship.
“This year’s event is scheduled to take place at the National Theatre on 12th November and before the championship comes off at the National Theatre, we are going to have the weigh-in and registration on Friday, November 11 at the Media Centre of the Accra Sports Stadium,” he added.
The president further announced that the 2022 Championship will have 5 weight disciplines for which winners of all disciplines will be awarded courtesy of the Iron Man Supplements.
“We are going to have five weight disciplines which are the Men’s Bodybuilding, the Men’s Physique, the Classic Physique, the Female Bikini, and the Female Wellness,”
“This year, one of our main sponsors is Iron Man Supplements. For me, I can say Iron Man is the leading sports nutrition supplement company in Ghana. They have come to the aid of the Ghana Body Building and Fitness Association and this is not the first time they coming to support us. This year they have given us some cash, they are also going to sponsor the trip of the overall winners of the Men’s Bodybuilding, Female Bikini, and the Men’s Physique to South Africa to compete in the 2023 Arnold Africa. Again, they are going to give shopping vouchers to the winners of the five disciplines that we are going to have and we can only say a big thank you to Iron Man,” the president stated.
The GBBFA President thus urged bodybuilders across the country to take the opportunity by registering to participate in the event.
“This year’s event is the only event that will qualify an athlete for the Black Muscles which is the Bodybuilding National Team of Ghana; it is the only event that is going to qualify an athlete to participate in the IFBB West Africa Championship that Ghana is going to host come March 2023, and it is the only event that will qualify an athlete to represent Ghana in the 2023 Arnold Classic Africa.
“As a result of that, I would like to take the opportunity to ask bodybuilders in Ghana to pick a registration form and compete in this year’s event for you to be part of the selected athletes that will represent Ghana come next year,” the president said.
Accra 100.5 FM’s Nana Romeo wondered why artistes who fallout with their label executives do not experience success. He cited industry examples to illustrate the so called jinx.
After saying, “I’ll talk for myself,” Bullet noted the question which, in his opinion, should first be asked: “How did the artist leave?”
“Did the person bang the door on their way out or they left peacefully?” he again asked in explanation.
Even beyond this, “there is something called ungratefulness. It is so dangerous but people don’t know,” he stressed.
“You actually don’t have to go to a shrine to seek someone’s downfall or pray against them when they are ungrateful or betray your trust. No,” the musician and label executive said matter-of-factly and added: There’s a spirit that deals with such people.”
Having stated he was going to blow the cover off the phenomenon on the ‘Ayekoo Ayekoo’ mid-morning show, Bullet explained that the helpers this spirit gives justice, are not just those who make financial investments in the career of an artiste.
“Time is money,” in the spirit world also, he said, as he noted that others make investments by offering their time and assistance.
“If you’re asked to pay for the time the person spends on you, you can’t,” he emphasised as he cautioned against despising people who do not necessarily offer financial assistance.
At this point, Bullet, who is half of the award-winning Ruff N Smooth musical duo, disclosed he learned this lesson the hard way.
“People have not really understood how this life works. It happened to us. Ruff N Smooth,” he said somberly and chronicled how after abandoning their former manager who had been of immense help, media executive Bola Ray, the music group experienced inexplicable failure.
Ruff (Bullet) N Smooth (Ahkan) was prominent for hits like ‘Swagger’, ‘Azingele’, ‘Sex Machine’, ‘Dance for Me’ and others.
A famed music executive, Bullet has managed artistes like Ebony Reigns, Wendy Shay, Ms Forson and Fantana. Critics have argued since leaving his record label, Ms Forson and Fantana have fumbled their careers.
Brobbey was preferred at the start of the season, relegating Kudus to the bench. But the narrative changed when Kudus assumed starting role at the club.
But Brian Brobbey has responded so well, scoring four goals in the last two games for Ajax.
The columnist and critic hope the Dutch-born Ghanaian makes it to the World Cup in Qatar and believes he will be a super-sub for Holland.
“I’ve had a crush on him for years. I think I first saw him when he was just 16. In the youth of Ajax. Underage, I know. But it was and is platonic, isn’t it?
“Don’t make me turn around. I’m a bit of a starfucker’, says Borst. ‘Because Brian is statistically better than Marco van Basten, Kezman and Romário. He scores an average of once every 69 minutes. Nobody in history imitates my crazy Brian.”
“What did Schreuder want with Kudus in the striker? But Ten Hag could also have introduced it earlier. In that famous 0-13 against VVV, Traoré made five. Brobbey should have been in his place. In Qatar, Brian will be our super sub. Kirrend, I’ll look at him moaning.”
Former president, John Dramani Mahama has urged the Black Stars to do everything humanly possible to beat Uruguay even if they lose their opening two games at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Ghanaians have harboured some ‘football hatred’ for Uruguay after the two-time World Champions denied Ghana an opportunity to become the first African country to play in the semi-finals of the World Cup in a very controversial game which saw Luiz Suarez’s preventing a goal-bound header with his hands in 2010.
Though many including former Black Stars coach, CK Akonoor have urged the team not to be revenge driven in their final group game against Uruguay in Qatar, former president Mahama believes that it will be a sweet revenge for the Black Stars to beat the North Americans.
“Unfortunately, we are in a Group of death. The teams in our group are the strongest and look at what faith has made, bringing Uruguay into our group again.”
“It will be sweet revenge if we score them and so even if you don’t beat anybody, just beat Uruguay for me and let’s pay Suarez back for what he did to us,” John Dramani Mahama said as quoted by ghanafa.org.
The Black Stars will face Uruguay on Friday, December 2, 2022, at the Al Wakrah Sports Complex in the final Group H game.
Each year Google celebrates Black History Month in the United Kingdom through the month of October.
Last night, Ghanaian international musician Stonebwoydelivered a unique performance at this year’s Google Staff Closing Ceremony of Black History Month in the United Kingdom.
The multi-award-winning musician helped define the mood in the auditorium with a magnificent immersive performance to cap off this year’s activities.
To thrill patrons on the night, he was also joined by some of the biggest musical acts in the business, most notably Nigeria’s Adekunle Gold, who gave Stonebwoy’s flawless performance a noteworthy rating. “Stonebwoy, Top Guy,” he wrote
The Google UK Black History Month celebration offers the black community in the UK an opportunity to learn, reflect on and celebrating the impact of Black heritage and culture.
Last year, Google Arts & Culture launched over 80 new stories in collaboration with a range of cultural partners across the UK to support the importance of learning about our shared histories.
The Universal Music Group / Def Jam signed artiste remains highly regarded worldwide through his conscious and powerful music, distinct creative live performances; impacting reggae, dancehall, and afrobeats culture.
His status as a true global superstar is evidenced in part by his headline performances at festivals, including SummerJam Festival, Reggae Sundance Festival, Global Citizen Festival, Afropunk Festival, Uppsala Reggae Festival, Afrobeats Festival, and his Ashaiman To The World Festival, this summer.
Stonebwoy will headline his self-curated festival dubbed Bhim Concert, this December. The event seeks to connect the African-Caribbean roots through music, arts, and culture. The musician will perform songs from across his discography, backed by a full band.
Ghana Football Association president, Kurt Okraku has stated that the Black Stars will be ready for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in Qatar.
Ghana have been assigned to Group H, which includes Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay.
Ghana will begin their tournament journey against Portugal on November 24, before facing South Korea and Uruguay in the remaining Group games.
“Our plan is to open our training camp in Abu Dhabi on November 10 where the team will camp for about nine days before we depart for the tournament,” Kurt Okraku said as quoted by ghanafa.org.
“The Black Stars will play against Switzerland in our final preparatory match on November 17, before we depart for Doha the next day for the World Cup.
He added, “Mr President, I must say that we greatly appreciate the support from your good self and the government throughout this journey and would like to assure you that Ghana will be ready for Mundial come November 2022.
“The technical team will be ready, the staff will be ready, the players will be ready and Ghana will be ready.”
Black Stars coach Otto Addo is said to have submitted a 55-man provisional squad for the tournament, which will be reduced to 26 before the competition begins.
Award-winning gospel musician Diana Hamilton is out with a new song titled ‘My Meditation’ as a show of gratitude to her maker.
In an interview with Quophi Okyeame, the host of Angel drive on Angel FM, she explained that her song is in appreciation of God’s healing when she fell ill.
According to her, she fell seriously sick last year but doctors did not know what was wrong with her. So they did not diagnose her with any medication but told her she had an inflammation infection.
She was later asked to go for a Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. The doctor after conducting the scan and other tests disclosed that there was nothing wrong with her.
She said after the doctor disclosed the results to her, she sat on the hospital bed wondering how to show gratitude to God and thus allowed her heart to do the talking.
“In the evening, the doctor said Diana there is nothing wrong [with you], one of the antibiotics have finally kicked in and now your infection markers are coming down…tomorrow you can start eating…I wanted to thank God but I realised that thank you is not enough…words fail me when it comes to God because what God has done for me is beyond my imagination…”
According to her, she believes her ministry as a worship and praise leader has a key impact on people’s lives.
The highly regarded shot-stopper claims that he will always start for Orlando Pirates because it is his performance there that would even secure him a spot on the national squad.
“The Orlando Pirates are the most significant factor since you work with your team on a regular basis.
Based on your performance at your club, the national team will select you.
“I’m not really thinking about the national team at the moment. If you are not fit and doing well at your club then the national team is useless,” Richard Ofori said.
The goalkeeper only recently recovered from an injury setback and should be back in post for the much-anticipated Soweto derby.
The clash between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs will be played on Saturday, October 29. Kickoff is at 1:30pm.
According to Ghanaian singer Evans ‘Vanilla’ Kwasi Boadi Boateng, his artiste manager Lawrence ‘Bullgod’ Nana Asiamah Hanson, is, in person, the total “opposite” of what the public sees in the media.
Vanilla paid a visit to The Big Show on Class 91.3 FM on Saturday, 22 October 2022.
Sit-in host Prince Benjamin (PB) asked about his experience working with Bullhaus Entertainment founder and chief executive Bullgod.
“Fire,” Vanilla responded in excitement.
He spoke very highly of Bullgod and even noted he “has got the Midas touch” which has transformed his career a year after his signing, culminating in increased popularity and a Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMAs) nomination earlier this year.
The singer-songwriter also revealed that the antagonistic persona that his boss has on radio and TV is not the usual but actually something he only sees “once in two months.”
“Most of the time, it’s way opposite. [He’s] very cool, calm, understanding,” he hesitated in finding other adjectives and added: “Way opposite what you people see [in the media].”
“I wish, and I know it’s not possible but people should try and get to know him off-screen,” the ‘Want You Bad’ hitmaker recommended. “He’s most of the time off-screen than he’s on-screen and that’s the real person. You [should] get to know the real Bullgod. You’d understand what I am saying.”
At this, he was asked if he was being honest and would not say something totally different should he leave Bullhaus.
He commended the question and noting that even lovebirds can fight, he added: “We are human beings, and situations, circumstances, as we evolve, also [affect us].”
In the singer and aspiring record producer’s view, fighting and leaving Bullhaus Entertainment is not in his considerations.
Rather, “you know I am even concerned about him more than me because this is someone who has been – well, from his side of the story, he has been on the short end of the stick, most of the time.
“I think about it every time that maybe, you know, he’s working with me but he’s kind of always looking over his shoulders and suspicious that maybe I’d do same because he’s seen the [betrayal] over and over again,” he said. “[Artistes have been ungrateful] to him and all the bad stuff.”
“I’m thinking about him now. I’m just another artiste [he’s handling now] even though I am the greatest. He’s heard it [promises of loyalty] over and over and so I’m just thinking [concerned] about him,” Vanilla continued and added: “I try to be the best that I can.
“I can’t control tomorrow but I’m hopeful by the grace of God that if everything goes [smoothly] like [it is now] – I can’t say it for a fact that we’d never [have fights] but I am hopeful [it’d be a fantastic relationship].”
“I’m hopeful if we continue this way, everything [will be fine],” the VGMA nominee concluded.
Bullgod, has in the past managed Ghanaian star acts like 5Five, Iwan and most recently Shatta Wale. Vanilla is currently promoting his ‘Lala’ song.
Award-winning gospel musician, Diana Hamilton, has recounted the difficulties and challenges she faced on the path of becoming a mother, saying she never had it all rosy in giving birth.
For someone who had to wait for almost six years to get her first child, she opened up about how she used to cry at the end of every month about the situation.
In an interview with Roselyn Felli on Prime Morning, Diana Hamilton added that she kept her faith alive despite the circumstances.
“I cried at the end of every month when I was hopeful and it didn’t happen. Like a Christian, you don’t cry like an unbeliever, you cry as somebody who has hope.
If you don’t cry, then you’re being a hypocrite. So I cried, but I trusted God and, when God did it, it was a miracle,” she said on Wednesday, October 26.
According to her, it is insensitive to question women who are faced with childbirth challenges.
She urged such people to “pray for them in your closet.”
The musician who is also a professional nurse admonished people to not downplay women who opt for In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) because, she says, it is also God’s blessing.
Strange disease
Diana Hamilton disclosed that she was struck down by a strange disease in the early part of 2021.
“I was hospitalised for six days or so and they couldn’t tell what it was and fear gripped me because it was at the height of Covid when nobody was allowed to come in and I was afraid for my life.
Diana Hamilton [left] and host of Prime Morning, Roselyn Felli [right]
Tests were run and they couldn’t tell me what it was. My infection rate was going up, they were trying every antibiotic [but] in the height of my fears God brought me a healing that was mind blowing,” the musician shared.
Diana Hamilton has released a new single titled ‘My Meditations’.
She explained that the song was inspired by the blessing of children after the problems she had been through over the years.
Ghana’s Benjamin Wille Graham has been appointed by FIFA to work as Team Announcer at match venues during the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The astute international football commentator, who currently works as a Marketing manager at the Ghana Football Association, will work with FIFA Infotainment team, including Pitch-Side Presenters, MCs and DJs to create an atmosphere in the stadiums during the World Cup.
This is the first time FIFA is selecting team announcers for the world, and Benjamin Willie Graham will be working at Ghana’s group venues.
Graham has worked with SuperSports, StarTimes, Fox sports Africa, ESPN, Lagardere and CAF as a lead football commentator in the Ghana Premier League, Africa Cup of Nations/World cup qualifiers, CHAN, WAFU, CAF Men and Women’s AFCON tournaments and other major sports events.
Benjamin Willie Graham has also worked with seasoned commentators like Barry Lambert, Paul Dempsey and Steve Vickers, Robbie Knox, and Duane D’llorcaor. He holds a Master’s Degree in Media Management from the Ghana Institute of Journalism.
As required by the World Armwrestling Federation, the Ghana Armwrestling Federation (GAF) joined with SES HD Plus Ghana in August of this year to promote knowledge of the sport and encourage participation from all people, particularly at the juvenile level (WAF).
The 45 finalists would take up the challenge to represent their various areas as they competed with other giants from different parts of the country after an enthralling tournament in the Greater Accra, Western, and Ashanti Regions.
The winners of the various categories would have the chance to be trained into the national Armwrestling team and receive cash prizes and goodies from the organisers of the championship.
Mr. Charles Osei Asibey, president of GAF was confident the Championship would produce lots of young talents who would tend to win more medals for Ghana at the international level starting with the 2023 Africa Games to be held in Ghana.
He said this was an opportunity to unearth these young talents and urged them to give off their best as they compete in the final championship.
Liverpool knew they needed at least a point to advance to the knockout rounds going into the game. Ajax, meanwhile, were aware that they needed to win to keep their slim chance of making it out of the group alive.
Are you curious about an open relationship, but not sure where to start? Maybe you’ve talked about it with your partner but don’t know how to have an open relationship and move forward.
Remember: all relationships are unique — one size does not fit all. Use these tips as a guide, but do what feels right for you.
Below are 7 ways to have an open relationship when you’re married:
1. Put it all out on the table
If you’ve been curious about making your relationship open, the first and most important thing to do is talk it over with your partner. Sit down at an appropriate time when both of you are calm and have plenty of time to chat.
Be sensitive in bringing it up, but be clear and honest with your emotions. Explain why this is something you’d like to try. If they agree, you can take the next step. If not, talk about other ways to evolve your monogamous relationship.
2. Set some ground rules
The rules couples put in place for their open relationships vary greatly but are all of equal importance. Once you’re sure that you both want to go forward, sit down and make a list of boundaries that both of you are comfortable with. Write them down and talk out all of the details before going forward.
While it’s important to be compromising in a relationship, this isn’t the place to bend over backward. Make your opinions known and don’t hold back.
Here are some common rules people in open relationships use. But don’t follow these — do what’s right for you:
Always practice safe sex outside the relationship.
No sex with mutual friends.
Sexual encounters must not interfere with the couple’s customary or planned time together.
Sex is permissible only when one partner is out of town.
Outside sex is only allowed with advance agreement with one’s lover.
Outside sex is allowed only when both partners participate.
Outside sex is never permitted at home.
Sex is permitted at home, but not in the bedroom.
3. Don’t be afraid to speak up
If you make rules that don’t work and you feel unhappy, be sure to leave room for adjustment. No one said the rules had to be set in stone and it may take time to feel out what works best for your relationship. Be patient with each other and the fog will start to clear.
4. Decide what you’re comfortable hearing about
If you feel the need to spill every detail of your escapades but your partner would rather you keep that to yourself (or vice-versa), you need to discuss those boundaries that make you both comfortable. Ask for the details you want but before you even ask make sure you really want to know.
Maybe you want to know who and when, but is it really necessary to know every detail? If you can handle it and it feels important to you then, by all means, ask!
5. Take it one step at a time
Start out slow. Consider first bringing someone else into your bedroom before you both go out on your own. Either way, be sure to have a frank discussion about each experience before proceeding full-steam ahead.
If it felt right and you’re ready to move forward, you can now do so with more confidence. But if something went awry, identify the root of the problem and work it out before moving on.
6. Don’t cheat
Unless your rules explicitly state that your partner wants to know nothing about who you sleep with, remember that cheating is still cheating, even in an open relationship. Holding back the details, even if it’s because you broke a rule and are worried you will hurt your partner, could cause greater problems going forward.
Your open relationship only works because you have trust, and once that’s gone you have nothing.
7. Don’t force the issue
If it isn’t working for one of you, it isn’t working for both. Whether this means adjusting your rules or stopping outside relations altogether, make the change that is going to make you comfortable.
Open relationships do not work if only one person is happy. You may come to a point where you no longer need the open relationship or you may come to a point where you no longer want to stay in a committed relationship. Whatever your feelings, be open with them.
Open relationships are about working together to make your partnership exactly what you want it to be. If you’re honest, communicate frequently and openly, and use the tips above you’ll go far.
Black Stars head coach, Otto Addo, has confidently stated that his charges are capable of beating any team in the World.
Ghana are set to make their fourth appearance at the World Cup and will head into the 2022 World Cup as the lowest-ranked country among all the 32 participating countries.
Speaking with TV3, Otto Addo stated that, although his team is capable of beating any team, the first game will be decisive because it will determine how they will approach the second game.
“We can beat any team in the World, that one is for sure. I think it’s the first game for us but also the opponent can be very very decisive on how to go on the second one. Because surely you will go into a match differently if you need points. Then if the opponent has lost and you have 3 points or 1 point, it is a bit different. The first match is very decisive and then from there we can know how to go on the second match,” he said.
The Black Stars have a tall order at the World Cup as they have pitted against Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay in Group H of the World Cup.
Callum Hudson-Odoi says the “Ghana-England situation” is on his mind as he considers his international future ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
The 21-year-old is believed to have held talks with the Ghana Football Association about his possible inclusion in the Black Stars squad for the upcoming tournament in Qatar.
Hudson-Odoi has already made three appearances for the Three Lions, but under new Fifa rules, if those appearances occur before a player turns 21. In the case of Hudson Odoi, he can switch allegiance.
He last played for England on November 17, 2019, in a European qualifying match against Kosovo, missing out on Euro 2020 last year and is reportedly not on Gareth Southgate’s list of players for the World Cup.
In an interview with BBC, Hudson-Odoi was asked if talks had taken place with Ghana, Hudson-Odoi said: “Nothing I would say at the moment on camera, I would love to tell you, but I couldn’t say.
“Nothing I would say at the moment on camera, I would love to tell you, but I couldn’t say.
“At the moment it’s more just focusing on the best I can do here. You never know what will happen in the future.
“Obviously the Ghana-England situation has been on my mind for a while. But I think right now it was more of the focus of coming here, really getting myself back into shape, playing a lot of games and just feeling like myself. Right now my mind is just open.”
Hudson-Odoi’s parents are both from Ghana, and he travels there whenever he can. His last visit was in 2021 after winning the Champions League with Chelsea.
Former Ajax midfielder, Rafael Van der Vaart, has chastised Ajax manager, Alfred Schreuder, for failing to play Kudus Mohammed, who is a midfielder, alongside striker Bryan Brobbey against Liverpool on Wednesday, October 26, 2022.
Schreuder started Kudus from the bench before introducing him late in the game to replace Brobbey while the team was already 3-0 down.
Speaking after the defeat, Van der Vaart questioned why Kudus replaced Brobbey and not Dusan Tadic, who played behind Brobbey.
“You are 3-0 behind and you decide to take off Brobbey while you finally had a chance to play with both Kudus & Brobbey. I think all these players are thinking, why do you never take off Tadic?” he quizzed.
Despite being a playmaker, Mohammed Kudus has played the false 9 roles for Ajax since Schreuder took over.
The Ghanaian has excelled in the role scoring 8 goals, 3 in the Champions League. However, there has been an argument that Kudus’ new role limits his potential because many believe he can offer more to the team in midfield than leading the attack.
Meanwhile, the defeat to Liverpool sends Ajax to the UEFA Europa League after amassing three points from 5 games.
Barcelona were relegated to the second-tier UEFA European competition after Inter beat Victoria Plezn on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, to go 6 points above the Catalans with a game to spare.
Inter’s win came in a kick-off with Barcelona’s scheduled for a late kick-off against Bayern Munich.
After their exit and yet another defeat at the hands of their nemesis, Bayern Munich, rival fans have teased Barcelona, who spent heavily in the 2022 summer transfer but failed to advance beyond the group stages.
Below are some reactions:
Barcelona getting dragged to Europa League second year in a row after activating 7 levers, selling half their assets & spending €600m in one transfer window: pic.twitter.com/wuZ9i95tty
— PhD Ilkay ???????? ¹⁴ (@DrNacho_RM) October 26, 2022
Barcelona and Manchester United recreating the 2009 UCL finals in the Europa League next year will be the most hilarious thing to happen in soccer this century. Finished clubs!
— Kofi Denzel 14???????????????? (@StvrDenzel) October 27, 2022
When you’re feeling stupid just remember Barcelona sold their stadium to a music application just for them to play Europa league.
— Ghana Yesu ☦️ (@Ghana_Yesu_) October 27, 2022
In 2016 Real Madrid were in crisis, they signed their legend Zidane as a Manager and he went on to win the UCL after 6 months
Fast forward to 2021 Barcelona tried to copy Real and Appointed their legend Xavi as a Manager, Now they’re in Europa league for the second ssn in a row
— WelBeast (@WelBeast) October 27, 2022
Xavi has already lost 5 European games as the Barcelona manager. Zidane three-peated the UCL before his 5th defeat. pic.twitter.com/DZ6GKZMnUU
— TC (@totalcristiano) October 26, 2022
Barcelona hijacked us just to hear the Europa League anthem again pic.twitter.com/SLvcuoUlGQ
— Dubois (@CFCDUBois) October 26, 2022
The cedi dey perform pass Barcelona
— KALYJAY (@gyaigyimii) October 26, 2022
We have to appreciate Bayern more for consistently bringing us Barcelona tears, we love you ????❤️
— Trey (@UTDTrey) October 26, 2022
Real Madrid fans seeing Barcelona and Atletico Madrid head to the Europa League ???? pic.twitter.com/Ntostaf4Uy
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) October 26, 2022
Welcome to the Europa League @FCBarcelona . Vamos
— Mempeasem President (@AsieduMends) October 26, 2022
Welcome back Barcelona!#UCLpic.twitter.com/N4iPqqsVcY
— Rana Fatih The 12th Harbinger (@rfjr20586) October 27, 2022
Welcome back @FCBarcelona ????
— UEFA Europa League ???? (@Differential_PL) October 26, 2022
He claims that the maximum amount the nation has ever received from the Fund was GH3 billion when it was designated as a HIPC.
On October 25, 2022, he stated at the 11th Ghana Economic Forum, “the most we have had by way of intervention and that was HIPC was 3 billion.
No government has ever received 1 billion to make a change.
The amount we spent, which occurred after 2017 and under the current administration, was the highest at GH950 million.
He also stated that the notion that Ghana was doing well before 2020 needs to be re-examined.
Meanwhile, the Director of the Institute of Economic Affairs, Dr. John Kwakye, has stated that Ghana’s revenue targets have not been ambitious enough to rake in the expected revenue needed for development.
“As a country, we need both resources and policies to advance our development. For Ghana, we have lacked adequate resources, and our policies have also been defective in so many areas,” he said.
No country has received GH¢1 billion from the fund – Seth Terkper
According to Dr. Maxwell Opoku-Afari, the First Deputy Governor of the Central Bank, the current SIM Card registration activity aims to assure the centralization of KYC data to enhance the supply of financial services free from fraud.
He claims that in order to prevent theft, potential for money laundering, and the financing of terrorists, the exercise has become vital.
Dr. Opoku-Afari stated, “The consumer should be at the center of our joint efforts,” at the Standard Chartered Bank-organized 2022 Digital Banking, Innovation, and Fintech event. As a result, the Bank will not give up trying to safeguard them.
“It is in this vain that the Bank of Ghana has developed an artificial intelligence-powered automated customer complaint system, I believe this community refers to it as a chatbot; dubbed ‘Akushika’,” he disclosed.
“The chatbot is currently in its pilot phase and I would like to use this opportunity to encourage you all to interact with it to ensure that it becomes fit for its purpose,” the Deputy BoG Governor added.
Touching on the introduction of the central bank digital currency known as the eCedi, Dr. Opoku Afari said the comprehensive pilot testing process has been completed.
He noted that the pilot process saw the testing of online and offline versions of the eCedi in Accra, Tarkwa and Sefwi Asafo.
“The pilot has unearthed useful insights on the impact of the initiative of the Bank which will prove instrumental in the event of a full-scale deployment of the eCedi.”
The deputy central bank governor in his conclusion said as part of the effort to build stronger collaboration and cooperation with industry, the regulator has embarked on an engagement drive through the FinTech and Innovation Office.
He further said the central bank remains resolute in its commitment toward a cash-lite agenda in Ghana.
“Wendy is a star who has taken the music industry by storm and has topped the music charts of various music channels and I understand the demands that comes with working with such a household name. I am just going work right and it will be fun,” he added.
