Ghanaian businessman and CEO of Ernest chemist Ernest Bediako Sarpong, in an eye-catching video, showed off his luxurious Mercedes AMG GT.
The wealthy business owner was at his grand mansion in Kwahu as he drove the expensive vehicle around his large compound.
He was joined in the vehicle by a young man who happened to be a close associate of his. It seemed the pair were heading out for town as they took a spin around the compound and headed for the gate.
The AMG GT is one of the most luxurious cars money can buy, and it costs a fortune to own one. The vehicle’s starting price is around GH₵1.2 million and costs even more in other exclusive editions.
Ernest is one of the richest men in Ghana, and such money is ”chicken change” to him. He is said to have other expensive vehicles in his catalogue.
How Ernest Bediako Makes His Money
Ernest is one of the oak trees of the pharmacology industry in Ghana and is the founder of Ernest Chemist. Ernest Chemist is one of the leading pharma in Ghana and started operation way back in 1986.
The company retails and distributes a wide range of medicine all over the country and has numerous branches nationwide.
Having operated such a successful business venture for decades, Ernest Bediako has made a fortune in the pharmacology space and also has other business ventures that fetch him money.
King Promise has sparked controversy with a statement he made during an interview. The Ghanaian musician made some Ghanaians feel belittled and underappreciated when he praised Nigerians for their undying support towards their creatives.
While chatting with Ghanaian media personality Abeiku Santana, King Promise described Nigerians as “the most patriotic Africans ever.” King Promise asserted that Nigerians would rate their local artists over a global star like Canadian rapper Drake while Ghanaians would do the opposite.
He said;
I feel like Ghanaians are very relaxed and Nigerians are very aggressive with their support and love.
King Promise Shares His Experience With Ghanaians
To buttress his point, King Promisecompared the reactions of fans from the two countries to their artists on a platform he chose not to mention.
He recounted Ghanaians belittling his team’s efforts to get him featured on the said platform and comparing him to other previously featured artists. On the other hand, when a Nigerian act featured on the platform, fans of artists belittled the previously featured acts, calling the Nigerian artist’s performance the best on the platform.
The video took a few netizens aback as they expressed worry after seeing such an expensive car on a bad road and feared the road might bring harm to the luxury vehicle.
Osei Kwame Despite, who is one of the wealthiest men in Ghana, is known for his love for expensive and lavish items. One thing Despite does not hesitate to spend money on is cars. The wealthy businessman is a huge lover of cars.
He has one of the most expensive car collections in Ghana, and his collection consists of almost every type of luxury car brand in the world. It is safe to say that a man of Despite’s wealth and status can afford to drive a car as expensive as the Rolls Royce Phantom on a bad untared road.
Spotify have always been more than a streaming service, always tying the way you listen to music with a strong social element so you can explore your friends’ listening habits and pick up on new artists along the way.
With their new campaign, Day 1 Club, they’ve built a dedicated standalone site that builds on the much-loved RAP UK playlist.
By tapping into your listening history on the app, the Day 1 Club can show you your listening stats for your favourite UK rappers, rank your status as a fan, which you can show off with a personalised social share card.
Whether you’re more into K-Trap, Central Cee, Little Simz, Headie One or Aitch, the Day 1 Club will rank your listener status as one of four tiers: Active, Certified, Top Tier, or for the true stans, OG Levels.
UPDATED 10/25/22, 2:31 p.m. ET: According to a statement from Universal Music Group that was published by The Hollywood Reporter, “Def Jam’s relationship with Ye as a recording artist, Def Jam’s partnership with the GOOD Music label venture and Ye’s merchandise agreement with Bravado all ended in 2021.”
UMG continued by denouncing anti-Semitism, writing, “There is no place for antisemitism in our society. We are deeply committed to combating antisemitism and every other form of prejudice.”
See original story below.
Kanye West and his G.O.O.D. Music imprint are no longer a part of Def Jam Recordings.
Per The New York Times, a person close to Def Jam has said that G.O.O.D. Music is no longer affiliated with Def Jam. Ye’s contract as an artist with the label expired following the release of 2021’s Donda, although it’s unclear if he was expected to continue his partnership with his longtime label home prior to his recent anti-Semitic outbursts.
Ye first released music with Def Jam under the Roc-A-Fella imprint with his 2003 debut single, “Through the Wire.” Every one of his projects, with the exception of Donda 2, was distributed through the label. He launched G.O.O.D. Music in 2004, and later signed an agreement with The Island Def Jam Music Group, now just Def Jam via Universal Music Group, in 2011. It is unclear when the relationship between G.O.O.D. and Def Jam came to an end.
Donda 2, was self-released exclusively for his $200 Stem Player. The record still hasn’t seen a traditional release via streaming or for purchase. The last two G.O.O.D. Music releases, 070 Shake’s You Can’t Kill Me and Pusha T’s It’s Almost Dry, were distributed by Def Jam in June and April, respectively. In January, Pusha T’s manager Steven Victor confirmed that It’s Almost Dry would fulfill the rapper’s contract with Def Jam. He has yet to announce if he’ll resign with the label or find a new home for his next release.
The news of Ye’s departure from Def Jam comes amid a string of anti-Semitic remarks from the multi-hyphenate, who tweeted that he wanted to “go DEATH CON 3 on Jewish people.”
On Monday, Hollywood talent agency CAA dropped Ye, and MRC studio executives announced they had scrapped a completed documentary about him.
United Talent Agency has condemned his behavior, too, while Balenciaga has cut ties on its partnership.
Complex has reached out to representatives for Ye for comment.
Ghanaian comedian cum media personality, Kwaku Sintim-Misa, popularly known as ‘KSM’ has tackled some individuals, who according to him has contributed to the ‘running down’ of the Ghanaian economy.
According to him, these ‘boot lickers’ who have failed to point out ills within the Akufo-Addo government have also adopted the habit of chastising anybody who does.
In the midst of the country’s economic hardships, some individuals, including traditional leaders like the Okyenhene Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin II, have chastised the youth for not being measured in their criticisms directed at the president.
The traditional ruler labelled critics who have used unprintable words against the president as villagers and witches, and this has sparked outrage on social media.
But KKD finds it worrying why critics who usually speak out of the country’s best interests have been labeled as naysayers.
In a satiric Twitter post, he congratulated some ‘sycophants’ for being successful in ruining the country.
“Congratulations to all the sycophants. You have brought Ghana to where you want it. Those who cared for Ghana spoke out, but those who spoke out were called “nay sayers” and of late “witches”. Let’s remember to keep Ghana first to avoid “crush landing”.
Read the post below:
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE SYCOPHANTS.
YOU HAVE BROUGHT GHANA TO WHERE YOU WANT IT.
THOSE WHO CARED FOR GHANA SPOKE OUT, BUT THOSE WHO SPOKE OUT WERE CALLED “NAY SAYERS” AND OF LATE “WITCHES”.
LETS REMEMBER TO KEEP GHANA FIRST TO AVOID “CRUSH LANDING”.
The buyers complained about the increase in prices of food items when they visited the market on Monday, 24 October 2022.
Some buyers who spoke with Class FM’s Ashanti regional correspondent Elisha Adarkwah disclosed that the current prices of goods were different from that of last week making it impossible to purchase the items they planned to get.
“We’re not able to buy anything. I’ve been here since morning, I have not been able to purchase anything. When I ask for the price of things, I’m unable to buy them.
“Today, sugar is GH¢700, oil is GH¢1,000, Geisha [soap, and] everything you ask for today, nobody can buy. Prices of goods have shot up,” a buyer stated.
They, therefore, appealed to government to stabilise the Ghana cedi against the US dollar to enable traders reduce prices of items: “When you complain they say it’s the dollar, the dollar has gone up, we’re pleading with Nana Akufo-Addo.
“They’re blaming you for the price of the dollar, stabilise it, let it come down, we’re not able to buy goods, our capital is going down the drain as traders, we’re pleading with you.”
Rapper Sarkodie is undoubtedly one of Ghana’s most popular musicians known globally for his talent. Back home, he is celebrated for winning awards and also being vocal about matters that affect citizens.
Unhappy about Ghana’s economic situation, Sarkodiewent after the country’s leadership some eight years ago under John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
He called out the president for mismanaging the economy which was characterized by power outages popularly known as ‘Dumsor’, hikes in fuel prices, and the cedi’s poor performance against the American dollar.
Sarkodiereleased two songs in the space of one year to ‘attack’ the then-government which was run by John Mahama. He spelt out all the wrongs under his leadership and called him to action.
Fast forward to 2022, Ghana is now facing a much more difficult situation that has witnessed citizens calling for the heads of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, his Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, and other ministers who have woefully failed in their various positions.
GhanaWeb throws back to two of Sarkodie’shit songs that best describe Ghana’s current economic crises under Akufo-Addo.
1. Inflation
Released in 2014, ‘Inflation’ was Sarkodie’s first punch at the NDC’s government and the then-president, John Mahama. The lyrics in the songs are more than ever relatable.
The introduction of ‘Inflation’ goes like this: “The nation is full of surprises. Besi nne we still leave in crisis. Kantamanto kokohwe nneeama prices. ECGfoo nso play omo tactise. Ene na dumso, okyena na pipe. Towo nnooma so na yebe dum no five. Filli wo gallon na save wo life.”
Parts of the lyrics touched on the cedi’s performance against the dollar and the fuel price hikes.
2. The Masses (Inflation Part 2)
Just a year after Sarkodie released Inflation, he came out with ‘The Masses’ to hammer on the need for the government to address the plight of Ghanaians.
The song equally got all the hype despite claims that it was a deliberate attempt to make the government unpopular.
Sarkodie poured out his frustration on the song that was sung in the Twi language.
Meanwhile, Sarkodie in a couple of tweets has urged President Akufo-Addo to fix the country following distress calls from all four corners of the country as a result of the economic crises.
On Monday, October 24, 2022, Mr. Arnold Boateng, general secretary of the pro-government organization, stated that “obviously, it looks like the Finance Ministry and the administration have lost the ball on the economy.”
In an interview with Citi FM in Accra, he stated, “Reassign the Finance Minister and Adu-Boahen because they have been there for a long time and their activities have generated the mess we are in now.
In Mr Boateng’s view, Mr Ofori-Atta’s “posture does not augur well” for the country’s economic circumstances, adding: “He has lost the trust of the nation.”
“The name Ken Ofori-Atta has become synonymous with failure; synonymous with incompetence and any adjective you can call.”
AFAG also said President Akufo-Addo must tackle the economy “not just by giving a speech but by taking concrete actions which will strengthen the cedi.”
“What is worrying AFAG is there is no concrete assurance either from the President or from the BOG on these issues,” Mr. Boateng said.
“People dropping the ball has led us here and if we do not take the necessary actions, we will have a time bomb on our hands, and we cannot address that.”
Ghana legend, Charles Taylor wants the head coach of the Black Stars, Otto Addo sacked with less than a month to the start of the 2022 World Cup.
Following the country’s qualification to the Mundial, the team has not been convincing with several questioning Otto Addo’s tactics.
Taylor, who played for both Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak believes Otto lacks the technical know-how to manage the Black Stars at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
He however added that although Otto Addo is spoilt with options, the gaffer lacks the ability to put together a competitive team.
“That is why I’ve said for Otto Addo, he is not a coach to lead Ghana to the World Cup. Because he has the team all right but he does not know how to organize them,” he told Angel TV.
“So we should rather look for those who can put the team together so that the players who are actively playing will be handed the start while those who are not playing actively will be on the bench,” he added.
Otto Addo currently holds a record of two wins, four draws, and two defeats in 8 games.
The Black Stars have been pitted against Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay in Group H of the World Cup.
Fresh off releasing his fifth solo full-length project of 2022, YoungBoy Never Broke Again has signed a deal with the Universal Music Group-owned Motown.
According to Billboard, the Baton Rouge rapper will begin releasing music through Motown in 2023. Complex reached to a YoungBoy rep, who confirmed the signing. The news arrives a year after he announced a joint venture with Motown Records and his Never Broke Again collective.
“I felt like I had a responsibility to my artists to make sure to find the right partner for my label,” YoungBoy said at the time. “I’m looking forward working with Ethiopia, Kenoe and Motown Records.”
Last week YB joined forces with DJ Drama to drop Ma I Got a Family, which marked NBA YoungBoy’s sixth offering of the year, following Colors, The Last Slimeto, Better Than You, Realer 2, and 3800 Degrees.
After releasing the 19-track LP, YoungBoy teased plans to release four more projects before 2023.
“Fun challenge ‘10 tapes 1 year ??’” he wrote on YouTube. “I’m finna be on 6 you think I can do it?”
Since the start of 2020, YoungBoy has now put out 16 projects: three official albums (Top, Sincerely, Kentrell, and The Last Slimeto), five commercial mixtapes (38 Baby 2, Colors, Until I Return, Still Flexin, Still Steppin, Realer 2, 3800 Degrees, and Ma I Got a Family), three collaborative offerings (Nobody Safe with Rich the Kid, From the Bayou with Birdman, and Better Than You with DaBaby), and a trio of compilations (Ain’t Too Long 2, Never Broke Again: The Compilation Vol. 1, and Green Flag Activity).
The Director-General of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Dr John Ofori Tenkorang, has urged employers to view their contributions to the scheme as an investment and not a mandatory tax.
Dr Tenkorang made the comments during a breakfast meeting with employers held in Takoradi.
The one-day meeting was held to sensitise employers to the activities of SSNIT and their new policy direction.
“We are here to let you know how important you are to us and the need to contribute for the future of not only your workers but for you, as well,” Dr Tenkorang explained.
He urged employers to invest in the future of their employees.
“It is not my interest to send any employer to court; that should be clear, but there should be a conscious effort for you to invest in your company and your workers.”
He also introduced an app, which will give employers easy access to pay the contributions of their companies and employees.
He stressed that the country’s best insurance company is SSNIT and implored them to be actively involved in their contributions to the scheme.
The creator of Afriwave Telecom, Ghana’s sole Interconnect Clearinghouse for the telecom sector, David Poku, and the company won awards at the 12th Ghana Information Technology and Telecom Awards (GITTA) in Accra.
The business was named “Interconnect Clearinghouse Provider of the Year,” and David Poku, the company’s creator, received recognition as one of the “Top 20 Telecom Personalities” in the nation.
Mr. David Poku, Founder and Chairman of Afriwave Telecom has a strong background in management and telecommunications. He has been involved in the telecom industry for the last 25 years and has used his vast experience in the industry to help Afriwave diversify into the telecom industry. He maintains and develops the vision of Afriwave Telecom and oversees the implementation of policies. He seeks to protect Afriwave’s image and provides the leadership that ensures that Afriwave Telecom performs to achieve its strategic goals.
Currently, the ICH has fully connected to all the telecommunication providers in Ghana, namely (AirtelTigo, MTN and Vodafone) and now carries all interconnect voice traffic in the country.
Speaking on the award, Mr. David Poku said he is glad Afriwave Telecom has been recognized for the quality of service it is providing in the telecom ecosystem and much happier Afriwave has come to sanitize the telecom industry by way of interconnecting.
Mr. Poku congratulated all the award winners and encouraged them to do more for the betterment of Ghana’s telecom industry. Afriwave Telecom as a wholly Ghanaian company will also do more to improve interconnection in Ghana and beyond.
The founder, David Poku has been the strategic force behind the steady progress of the Afriwave Telecom, which is fast emerging into a major force in the continent’s technology space.
Ghana Information Technology and Telecom Awards (GITTA) this year was under the theme; “Celebrating and Promoting Excellence in the Tech Industry”.
GITTA creates a strategic platform to recognized, reward, and showcase the pioneering ICT initiatives driving the Ghana private and public sectors with a vision of setting a benchmark to the sub region’s wave of development in ICT.
Blac Chyna is threatening legal action against Ava Louise, a TikTok star who accused the model of allegedly trying to kidnap and sex traffic her.
TMZ reports Chyna, whose real name is Angela Renée White, is denying the allegations, and has had her attorneys send a cease and desist letter to Louise. The TikToker recently went on social media to accuse Chyna of a sex trafficking attempt.
Louise alleged “Blac Chyna held me hostage and I’m pretty sure she was trying to sex traffic me,” as well as saying “I was getting trafficked.” She claimed Chyna forced her to sign an NDA upon arriving at her home, at which point she was then reportedly held hostage for six hours while Chyna “drank an entire bottle of Casamigos.”
Blac Chyna’s attorney JD Sanchez has sent Ava Louise a cease and desist, which blasts the social media star for making “false, extreme, and outrageous statements about [Chyna] in public.”
“Your false allegations that Ms. White engaged in such heinous criminal conduct is defamatory per se under California law,” Sanchez stated, per Page Six.
The letter also rips Louise for displaying a pattern of “menacing and outrageous conduct” on social media, which includes the TikTok star previously admitting to making false statements about Kanye West hooking up with YouTuber Jeffree Star.
Swiss Super League side FC St. Gallen have congratulated Ghana goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi for making his 100th appearance on Sunday.
Ati-Zigi achieved the feat in St. Gallen’s 1-1 draw against Servette FC.
The 25-year-old lasted the entire duration of the match as he failed to keep a clean sheet despite churning out an impressive display
“Congrats on that stamp, Lawrence! We look forward to many more” the club wrote on its Twitter page to celebrate Ati-Zigi’s achievement,”
Ati-Zigi joined the Swiss side in January 2020 and has since established himself as a key cog to the club.
He has made 11 league appearances for St. Gallen, conceding 17 goals and keeping two clean sheets in the process, however he has missed two league games due to a red card suspension.
Ati-Zigi is expected to named in Ghana squad for the 2022 FIIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The result leaves St. Gallen 4th on the Swiss Super League table with 18 points and will take on Winterthur on Sunday, October 30.
Im Spiel gegen Servette am Sonntag hat Lawrence Ati Zigi sein 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣. Super-League-Spiel für unseren FCSG absolviert. Gratulation zu dieser Marke, Lawrence! Wir freuen uns auf viele weitere Einsätze für 🟢⚪.#FCSG#GrüewissImHerzpic.twitter.com/lnv2yT8cyV
— FC St.Gallen 1879 GRÜEWISS IM HERZ (@FCSG_1879) October 25, 2022
OccupyGhana, a pressure group in Ghana, is mounting pressure on President Akufo-Addo to immediately reduce the size of his government.
In a statement dated Tuesday, October 25, the group said the current economic difficulties the country faces do not support the large size of the government.
According to the group, the hard times Ghanaians are going through are enough evidence that “there is no better time than now to reduce the size of government.”
“This is therefore a demand for an immediate and drastic reduction in size, not limited to ministers alone, but all of the President’s non-ministerial appointees. If for nothing at all, the symbolism in the Government also taking a hit, just like the rest of us, is very strong,” an excerpt of the statement read.
Read full statement below:
MR PRESIDENT, IT IS TIME FOR A ‘LEAN AND MEAN’ GOVERNMENT
There is no time better than now, to reduce the size of the Government.
Times are hard. Things are hard. Very hard. Every Ghanaian is feeling the pinch and pain. To survive, citizens are forced to cut back on some essential things in life. The Government, which is largely to blame for the economic mess, must also cut back and more.
When in early 2017, the sheer size of the Government was revealed, we were not convinced that that was what Ghana required. In our press statement dated March 17, 2017, we criticised the President for that, stating that while ‘a government bureaucracy must be big enough to achieve the aims of the government,’ it must be ‘lean enough not to waste the resources of the state.’
However, in one of several responses to this criticism and others like ours, the President said to some new ministers that ‘as you know there are some who say my government is too big and there are too many of you. I am a firm believer in the adage that the proof of the pudding is in the eating.’ Another time, the President called the size of his Government a ‘necessary investment’ and assured Ghanaians that ‘it is not going to be a holiday’ for the ministers.
Time has tested both ‘the investment’ and ‘the pudding,’ and they have not aged well and have been found wanting. The combined return, two years to the end of the President’s second term, is this debilitating economic crisis. Unless the President’s new and unacceptable argument would be that we would be in a much worse situation but for his still large coterie of ministers, it is time to get ‘lean and mean’. If as citizens, we are compelled to cut down on our private expenses, then it is time for the Government to do the same to protect the public purse.
This is therefore a demand for an immediate and drastic reduction in size, not limited to ministers alone, but all of the President’s non-ministerial appointees. If for nothing at all, the symbolism in the Government also taking a hit, just like the rest of us, is very strong.
These are not normal times and ‘business as usual’ won’t cut it. The excuses for having and paying a large batch of ministers and other appointees to produce the results we see now, to the extent that they have ever been justified (which we deny), wear perilously thin in these times.
Any food that takes a longer time to break down the glucose and fructose to be absorbed by the blood is truly healthy. Hence, fufu is the deal! Juxtaposing this with rice which only takes 45 minutes to be absorbed by the blood, thus increases the risk of diabetes
An article published by myinfo.com.gh which was attributed to one Medical Practitioner who specializes as a dietician, Dr. Ibrahim Osman, says it is dangerous to eat fufu after 4 pm. According to Dr. Osman, fufu takes a long time to digest and therefore needs to be consumed earlier before bedtime.
Speaking to Daakyehene Ofosu Agyeman on TV XYZ a program dubbed My Lawyer My Counselor Dr. Osman added that it is best to eat light food before going to bed.
My take on this subject.
The issue of whether heavy foods can be eaten after 4 pm is a subject of debate. This has led many dieticians and health experts to recommend light foods to clients. This old notion has become the norm. In this article, there are two main issues for analysis. Can heavy food such as fufu and other local diets be eaten after 4 pm? Are heavy foods such as fufu bad for our health as compared to light foods at night? What is the scientific justification for this subject?
The old argument
The old norm is that heavy foods such as fufu do not digest early whilst light foods such as white rice and many others digest early. Thus, light food such as rice and cohort can be eaten after 4 pm. But which is healthier? Fufu at 4 pm or white rice and others at 4 pm?
Digestion of fufu
According to Dr. Osman, fufu takes a long time to digest and therefore needs to be consumed earlier before bedtime. Does fufu digest? No! I know this article will raise several eyes browns. But what is the literature saying about the digestibility of fufu which is based on cassava and plantain? The whole argument supporting this is that fufu is a starchy food. Therefore, starchy foods are bad. The hard truth is that the starch content in fufu is resistant starch. What are resistant starch and its clinical significance?
Demystifying the myth: why Resistant Starch food is good for your Health
Being a Professor of Naturopathy with an interest in African Naturopathy, especially in the Ghanaian context, I found something interesting throughout my research on our local foods. What I found is that our local diets are highly nutritious and beneficial to our health. But it appears we have succeeded in demeaning them at the expense of foreign foods. We have shifted our studies to the negative aspects of our local foods and praising foreign delicacies.
Our scientific community and medical professionals appear to buy into some of this brainwashing without conducting studies to ascertain the facts. This keeps me thinking and worrying.
Besides, any food that takes a longer time to break down the glucose and fructose to be absorbed by the blood is truly healthy. While light food such as white rice takes less than an hour to break down, fufu takes more than six hours as propagated. Rice only takes 45 minutes to be absorbed by the blood, thus increasing the risk of diabetes.
Let me state that: It is nothing but a food conspiracy by the industries that want to sell these products with the healthy label. Many nutritionists even claim that chocolate and non-veg food cause most health issues, but that also is not entirely true.
The problem lies in the staples, not the accompaniments. For decades, we have been eating the wrong staples. It is high time people see that and eat their local healthy foods like fufu and kokonte.
Not all starches are created equally.
Fufu is made from a combination of cassava and green plantain. Cassava and green plantain are in type 2 of the resistant starch group. Take this clue: Type 2 starches are indigestible because they are compact, which makes it hard for digestive enzymes to break them down.
I get surprised when people say fufu digest. It is therefore erroneous to say the fufu digest. Additionally, if fufu takes a longer time to digest; it is rather good for our health and not the other way. Let me explain why. What we forget to know is that not all starch is created equally.
In one article by Links, R(2018), the author explained that resistant starch, for example, is a beneficial type of starch that can have a multitude of positive effects on health. Links, R(2018) further explained that resistant starch diets such as fufu support weight loss and blood sugar control. This article aims to espouse the scientific benefits of eating local foods loaded with resistant starch such as fufu. It also aims to bring to the public domain the importance of resistant starch and ultimately to educate the public that not all starch foods are bad as had been advocated for years.
History, resistant starch
Links, R(2018) in one of her articles explained that the ideal surrounding resistant starch emanated from the 1970s and hence has been regarded or considered to be one of the three major types of starch, including the already known digested starch and slowly digested starch. Hence, the idea surrounding resistant starch is relatively new as nutrition advocates have supported the consumption of whole grains and legumes as part of staple ingredients in a healthy, well-rounded diet. For instance, The Commission of the European Communities, the organization responsible for policy-making for the European Union, began funding and supporting research on resistant starch in 1996, and a review entitled “Nutritional Implications of Resistant Starch” was published in Nutrition Research Reviews, this review brought the concept and definition of what constitutes resistant starch and the mechanism of action. This also paved the way for recent studies on resistant starch by many researchers on the health benefits of this health-promoting compound, which led to the discovery that resistant starch consumption stabilizes blood sugar, and promotes digestive health and weight loss.
What is resistant starch?
Link, R(2018) article defined resistant starch as a type of starch that isn’t completely broken down and absorbed in the stomach or small intestine. Instead, it passes through to the colon and is converted into short-chain fatty acids, which act as prebiotics to help feed the beneficial bacteria in the gut. Another unique thing about resistant starch is that it is processed and metabolized the same way as dietary fiber, which comes with many health benefits. Due to this; studies consider it diabetic friendly, aids satiety, and aids digestive health. Web med also defined resistant starch as a type of carbohydrate that doesn’t get digested in your small intestine. Instead, it ferments in your large intestine and feeds beneficial gut bacteria.
Additionally, due to the way it aids satiety, some also regard it as a keto-support diet especially those considering a low-carb diet as it resists digestion or goes through the body undigested without raising blood sugar levels.
Types of resistant starch
Though fufu is a starchy food, it belongs to the resistant starch group. Different resistant starches exist. Sajilata et al.(2006) found four types which were highlighted in Gunnars, K(2018) article:
· Type 1: originate in grains, seeds, beans, and legumes and resists digestion because it’s bound within the fibrous cell walls.
· Type 2: Originate in some starchy foods, such as raw potatoes and green (unripe) bananas, cassava-related diets (flour, kokonte, fufu, gari, Abglikakro, et al ), and high-amylose maize starch. Type 2 starches are indigestible because they are compact, which makes it hard for digestive enzymes to break them down
Cassava belongs to type 2 group of resistant starch
Cassava flour is resistant to starch.
Additionally, cooling kokonte before eating also increases the resistant starch content. konkonte is ranked as a highly resistant starch diet.
In the case of fufu: the cassava and unripe plantain are both in the type 2 class of resistant starch. Fufu is therefore a highly resistant starch diet for Ghanaians.
• Type 3: We get them or formed when certain starchy foods, including potatoes, cornflakes, and rice, are cooked and then cooled. Haralampu, S(2000) explained that the cooling turns some of the digestible starches into resistant starches via retrogradation.
So because type 3 is a mixture of digestible and resistant starch, it could pose challenges when eaten at night. Though Corn has a GI of 52, which is on a low glycemic diet and is also a source of resistant starch. However, most commercial varieties of corn products may be composed of 40–60% resistant starch. The remainder is mostly digestible starch. This could pose challenges to diabetics. Besides, studies have been mixed on certain corn-related diets such as Banku and Kenkey.
For instance, Eli‐Cophie et al.(2017) found that corn and cassava mixed prepared food ‘banku’ had the highest GI value (73). This poses a danger to diabetics.
Interestingly, Kenkey passed the test. Eli‐Cophie et al.(2017) found that corn-related food Kenkey has GI (41) which is good for diabetics. Additionally, when Kenkey is cooled before eating, the
• Type 4: Chemically modified resistant starch found in certain processed foods(man-made) such as bread and cakes.
Additionally, what I also found from the literature is that resistant starch tends to coexist in the same food. For instance, the way foods are cooked or prepared can change the outlook or the amount of resistant starch in a particular food. This was demonstrated in how banana ripening (turn yellow) will degrade the resistant starches and turn them into regular starches.
This is why one study by Ogbuji et al.(2013) found that the average glycemic index for ripe plantain is 54.6 and 45.3 for unripe plantain. They also noted that the glycemic index values for fried, boiled and roasted ripe plantain are 56,54 and 55 respectively. Another study by Kouamé et al.(2017) in Côte d’Ivoire found plantain chips(unripe) to have a GI of 45 which is within the low range. The study did not support consuming Banana braisée(Charcoal –roasted light green stage plantain) which has a GI of 89 and uses the roasting method. The other cooking method for plantain such as chips used deep frying with major ingredients being salt, and refined palm oil.
A previous study by Ayodele and Godwin(2010) in Nigeria found no difference between boiled plantain (Bp), fried plantain (Fp), roasted plantain (Rp), boiled and pounded plantain (BPp), and plantain flour. The study found that roasted plantain gave the lowest glycemic index and the value was significantly lower than the other test foods.
There is a big difference between the two in terms of the resistant starch content. Green (unripe) bananas belong to the type II class. Type 2 starches are indigestible because they are compact, which makes it hard for digestive enzymes to break them down.
This has lost its resistant starch content
Mechanism of Action
Studies have found that resistant starches function similarly to fermented fiber. This was demonstrated in an old study by Englyst et al.(1996) which found that resistant starch penetrates the stomach and small intestine undigested, and gets into the colon where it feeds the friendly gut bacteria. Sears, C(2005) study found that human intestine bacteria(gut flora) overshadow the body’s cells 10 to 1 — this means we are only 10% human.
One review and one comparative study (Macfarlane, S. 2006; Brown et al. 1997) explained that when we eat most foods feed only 10% of our cells, whereas fermentable fibers and resistant starches feed the other 90%. This study is very interesting. Our local foods, loaded with resistant starches, are beneficial to us, yet we forgo them. Forgoing our local foods means we are losing a lot as Ghanaians.
Additionally, two studies (Guarner and Malagelada, 2003; Cryan, and O’Mahony, 2011) also found that the intestine is loaded with hundreds of diverse species of bacteria. The researchers found that the number and type of bacteria have the potential to influence our health.
Two studies (Wang et al. 2001; Topping et al. 2003) confirmed that resistant starch feeds the friendly bacteria in our intestines, thus taking a positive effect on the type of bacteria and their number.
Two reviews (Topping and Clifton. 2001; Wong et al. 2006) found that if the bacteria digest resistant starches, they form several compounds, including gases and short-chain fatty acids, most especially butyrate.
Resistant starch, Science
– Lowers Blood Sugar
When we consume local foods from cassava-related, plantain, corn-relate, beans, seeds, legumes, etc., the resistant starch nature has been confirmed in scientific studies to control blood sugar. For instance, two clinical trials and a review (Raben et al. 1994; Higgins, 2004; Maiarz et al. 2017) found that eating resistant starch helps sustain normal blood sugar levels and aids glycemic control to avert any blood sugar spikes and prevent diabetes naturally. Another clinical trial by Johnston et al. 2010) also found that resistant starch may also improve insulin sensitivity.
One study by Brighenti et al. (2006) also found resistant starch has a second meal effect, this implies that if you eat resistant starch with breakfast, it can also lower your blood sugar spike at Lunch. This reminds me of the days when we used to eat the leftovers fufu early in the morning in the village before going to the farm. This is supported by two studies (Robertson et al. 2005; Maki et al.2012) found that this has a huge effect on glucose and insulin metabolism. According to the researchers when participants who eat these foods had a 33–50% improvement in insulin sensitivity after four weeks of consuming 15–30 grams per day.
Gut Health
There are trillions of bacterial cells in our gut microbiome. One of the significant aspects of eating resistant foods is that it benefits your gut health. Four studies (Jacobasch et al. 1999; Brouns et al. 2002; Lynnette et al.2009; Donohoe et al. 2011) found that when we eat resistant starch foods, they go straight into our large intestine, where the bacteria digest them and convert them into what we called short-chain fatty acids or butyrate.
Butyrate is used as the primary source of fuel by the good gut bacteria in our colon. Resistant starch both feeds the friendly bacteria and indirectly feeds the cells in your colon by increasing the amount of butyrate. The result is that butyrate improves the health of our gut microbiome, enhances digestive health, and supports the treatment of conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s, and ulcerative colitis. For instance, two clinical trials (Hylla et al. 1998; Zimmerman et al. 2012) established that resistant starch lessens the pH level, is effective against inflammation, and decreases colorectal cancer.
Additionally, resistant starch consumption benefits extend outside the colon. For instance, one animal study and a review (Gao et al. 2009; Hamer et al. 2007)found that the short-chain fatty acids, which remain in the colon and are unused further move into the bloodstream, liver, and the rest of your body, and function to support them. One review by Bird et al,( 2000) found that due to the therapeutic effects on the colon, resistant starch supports numerous digestive illnesses such as inflammatory bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, constipation, diverticulitis, and diarrhea. Two animal studies ( Morais et al. 1996; Younes et al. 2001) confirmed that resistant starch consumption further improves the absorption of minerals.
Weight loss
Resistant starch has fewer calories than regular starch — two vs four calories per gram. The higher the resistant starch content in a food, the fewer calories it will have. Maybe, this could also explain why some communities in preparing banku add more cassava dough as compared to maize flour. Our forefathers knew exactly what they were doing but could not explain it to us in scientific terms. This could also mean that our forefathers were practicing science without documentation.
Anyways, two clinical trials (Salas- Salvadó et al. 2008; Ramos et al. 2011) justified this and found that soluble fiber supplements can aid weight loss, because they can make one full and lessen our appetite. Resistant starch appears to be in the same line as soluble fiber. Hence, when we include it in our diet, it makes us full and allows people to eat fewer calories according to three clinical trials ( Anderson et al. 2010; Bodinham et al. 2010; Willis et al.2009).
Fights colon cancer
A previous clinical trial study by Hylla et al. (1998) in 12 healthy volunteers for two-4 weeks found that consuming resistant starch modified the metabolism of certain bacteria in the colon to aid in cancer prevention.
Zimmerman et al.(2012) in vitro study found that butyric acid, one of the compounds formed by the breakdown of resistant starch, may be effective in reducing inflammation in the colon and blocking the growth of cancer cells.
Other studies also opined that resistant starch might block the growth and spread of colon cancer cells and support the digestive system.
Warnings
Anything with positive also has some negative side. For an instance, supplements made from corn known as Hi-Maize flour, have lower beneficial nutrients than whole-food corn-related sources of resistant starch. Also, Potato starch, for example, contains less of the calories and carbs in potatoes, but it also contains a lower amount of essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals found in the potato nutrition profile as well. Too much can also trigger serious gastrointestinal issues. Eating high amounts can act as a laxative in the body and can cause side effects such as abdominal pain, excessive flatulence, and bloating.
Resistant Starch vs. Fiber vs. Starch-difference
Well, there are so many controversies surrounding this. But what is starch? Starch is a type of carbohydrate, which consists of many units of sugar joined together by glycosidic bonds. We normally get them in starchy foods, such as peas, corn, and potatoes. Links, R(2018) a renowned registered international dietician explained the difference and similarities:
Resistant starches, on the other hand, are not digested in the small intestine and instead travel to the large intestine where they are converted into short-chain fatty acids. Also, if resistant starch foods such as fufu or kokonte resist digestion, it means resistant starch doesn’t cause blood sugar to increase the same way as regular starch and boasts a much longer list of health benefits.
Meaning, that I will personally choose to eat fufu or kokonte at even 8 pm as compared to white rice or what they term light food at 8 pm. This is because this white rice has a glycemic index of 72 juxtaposed to fufu (55). This means white rice or light food tends to digest easily and cause sugar spikes when resistant starch food such as fufu or kokonte will not as they resist digestion. Unless probably, these light foods at 8 pm have undergone the retrogradation process to form resistant starch before I will personally eat them.
Fiber meanwhile, is another type of carbohydrate that is indigestible and comes with many of the same benefits. Much like resistant starch, fiber can promote gastrointestinal health, support weight loss, improve digestive health, and protect against chronic disease and colon cancer. Include both as part of a healthy, well-rounded diet to reap the multitude of benefits that each has to offer.
Although resistant starch is a term that’s been coined just within the last century, resistant starch foods have long been used in many forms of holistic medicine. Links further held that Traditional rice varieties commonly consumed on an Ayurvedic diet, such as basmati, contain a higher amount of resistant starch than heavily processed white rice. “Other resistant starch foods, such as potatoes, also work well on an Ayurvedic diet and are believed to have grounding, sedative properties that can help satisfy the stomach and alkalize the body”.
Links also opined that in Traditional Chinese Medicine, rice is used to soothe and nourish the stomach, plus strengthen the spleen and relieve indigestion. “Meanwhile, other resistant starch foods like oats are used to reduce blood pressure, decrease diarrhea and stop spontaneous sweating”.
Resistant starch foods
One can get resistant foods in two ways: foods or take a supplement.
– Cooked and cooled Potatoes.
Many controversies surround sweet potato consumption by diabetics. The debate centered on potatoes’ high glycemic index, a measure of how much a food raises blood sugar levels( Atkinson et al. (2008). Muraki et al.(2016) opined that higher potato consumption has been associated with an increased risk of diabetes, this could be caused by processed forms like French fries rather than baked or boiled potatoes. Studies have found that how potatoes are processed could impact your health. For example, cooling potatoes after cooking can considerably increase their amount of resistant starch. For instance, Muir and O’Dea (1992) found that cooling potatoes overnight after cooking tripled their resistant starch content. Another study by Raben et al.(1994) in 10 healthy adult men found that the higher amounts of resistant starch in potatoes led to a smaller blood sugar response than carbs with no resistant starch.
Retrogradation is the process when potatoes are cooked and then cooled, this allows the sweet potatoes to acquire a higher amount of resistant starch. Renowned dietitian Links(2018) explained that though there is resistant starch in sweet potatoes and other tubers, white potatoes are heavily loaded with resistant starch. Other ingredients like raw potato starch are gotten from potatoes, they also contain resistant starch.
Also, take note that raw potato starch contains about 8 grams of resistant starch per tablespoon and almost no usable carbohydrate. Four tablespoons of raw potato starch can load you with 32 grams of resistant starch. However, too much of it can also cause flatulence and discomfort. There’s no point in taking much more than that since excess amounts seem to pass through your body when you reach 50–60 grams per day. It may take 2–4 weeks for the production of short-chain fatty acids to increase and for you to notice all the benefits — so be patient. Chen et al.(2010) found that raw Potato starch for instance is one of the most concentrated sources of resistant starch, with about 80% of the starches in it being resistant. Additionally, due to the high content of resistant starch one needs 1–2 tablespoons per day. Potato starch is often used as a thickener or added to:
• Smoothies
• Overnight oats
• Yogurt
The best is to not heat the potato starch. Instead, prepare the meal and then add the potato starch once the dish has cooled. A lot of people use raw potato starch as a supplement to boost the resistant starch content of their diet.
– Cooked and cooled Rice
Links(2018) also explained that resistant starch rice includes any type of rice that has been cooked and then cooled. Links further advised us to opt for brown rice over white rice to also acquire the needed vitamins, minerals, and fiber content. This means that white rice has a high glycemic index and is not good for diabetics, one can eat white rice only if is cooked and further allowed to cool for some time before eating. The longer the white rice is allowed to cool the higher the content of resistant starch content one can get. One popular preparation method is to cook large batches for the entire week.
Sonia et al. (2015) study compared freshly cooked white rice to white rice that was cooked, refrigerated, for 24 hours, and then reheated. The rice that was cooked and then cooled had 2.5 times as much resistant starch as the freshly cooked rice.
Researchers also examined what occurred when both types of rice were eaten by 15 healthy adults. They found that eating the cooked and then cooled rice led to a smaller blood glucose response. Though more studies are needed, another rat study by Ha et al.(2012) found that eating rice that had been repeatedly heated and cooled led to less weight gain and lower cholesterol.
Also a recent study by Strozyk et al.(2022) in 32 patients with type 1 diabetes where each participant in the study consumed two standardized test meals consisting of long-grain white rice. One of the test meals was served immediately after preparation, and another was cooled for 24 h at 4 °C after preparation and reheated before being served.
The study concluded that the consumption of ri
ce subjected to the cooling process results in a lower increase in blood glucose in subjects with type 1 diabetes. Also, two recent studies by (Liu et al. 2021; Cheng et al. 2022) also found that microwave reheating of cold rice increases the resistant starch content as it destroys the digestible starch content. A previous study by Ordonioa and Matsuokab(2016) also found that increasing rice-resistant starch is good for our health.
– Beans and legumes
• Links(2018) also note that Legumes, such as beans, peas, and lentils, are rich in resistant starch. Plus, they’re also high in protein and fiber to help improve heart health, maintain muscle mass and boost regularity. One particular bean type fava has been found to contain a higher amount of resistant starch(Chen et al.2010). For instance, beans or legumes contain around 1–5 grams of resistant starch per 3.5 ounces (100 grams) after they’ve been cooked. Others, such as:
• Pinto beans
• Black beans
• Soybeans
• Garden peas
– Oats
Khoury et al.(2018) found that Oats are an excellent source of resistant starch, and they also contain beta-glucan, a type of soluble fiber that may be beneficial in the treatment of conditions like obesity and metabolic syndrome. Chen et al.(2010) also found that three-and-a-half ounces (100 grams) of cooked oatmeal flakes can be loaded with 3.6 grams of resistant starch. Oats, and whole grains, are also high in antioxidants. Additionally, to get more resistant starch in oatmeal, you should allow cooked oats to cool for several hours — or overnight before eating as this process can increase the resistant starch even more.
Green bananas
Links(2018) explained that unripe bananas are loaded with resistant starch. Green bananas can be baked, boiled, or added to smoothies for a hearty dose of resistant starch. The study also opined that as bananas ripen, the resistant starch transforms into simple sugars such as:
• Fructose
• Glucose
• Sucrose
Hence. It is advisable to buy green bananas and eat them within a couple of days if you want to maximize your resistant starch intake.
– Hi-maize flour
This type of resistant starch-rich flour is made from corn and can be used to boost the fiber content of your favorite foods and baked goods.
– Other starches
Due to the process of retrogradation, other cooked and cooled starches can also contain resistant starch, such as resistant starch pasta. This was found in one comparative study by Yadav et al.(2009) found that cooking and cooling other starches will increase their resistant starch content. Hence, for lovers of Konkonte, as it cools the higher the resistant starch content. You can also select whole-grain varieties and pair them with generous portions of veggies, protein foods, and healthy fats to up the nutritional content of your meals.
Also, some ingredients contain high amounts of resistant starch, but only when consumed raw such as sprinkled on food or adding it to water or smoothies. The resistant starch content is lost when it is heated such as when used for baking or cooking.
Take home
In conclusion, it is not dangerous to eat fufu at 4 pm or after. We have created a lifestyle -change diseases by giving up or ignoring what generations before us ate. A good time to back in time and bring back a healthy lifestyle! Any food that takes a longer time to break down the glucose and fructose to be absorbed by the blood is truly healthy. Hence, fufu is the deal! Juxtaposing this with rice which only takes 45 minutes to be absorbed by the blood, thus increases the risk of diabetes.
The GI is a measure of how quickly carbs are digested. Hence, the longer it takes carbohydrate food to digest, the better for our health as Africans. I will opt for fufu or kokonte and most of our local diets which are more resistant starch inclined than any light food anytime. Unless the light is rich in resistant starch or had gone through retrogradation. This is because fufu has a glycemic index of 55. Additionally, the longer it takes the food to digest the better as compared to those that can digest easily as they can increase your sugar level. The reality is that not all starches are created equally.
Though fufu is a starchy food, it is resistant to starch and belongs to the type two groups. Type 2 starches are indigestible because they are compact, which makes it hard for digestive enzymes to break them down. Eating fufu is like eating a fiber diet. Besides the cassava and green plantain all belong to the type 2 class of resistant starch, hence, eating fufu is eating resistant starch and not the other starches you know.
Dr. Osman further said: “It is a bad practice to eat heavy food as breakfast since the intestines close during sleeping hours and opens slowly,” he said. He is right about some heavy foods. But fufu is different. Fufu as a resistant starch is a type of carbohydrate that doesn’t get digested in your small intestine. Instead, it ferments in your large intestine and feeds beneficial gut bacteria. This explains why when you eat fufu or kokonte after some hours when you vomit, you will see the undigested fufu or kokonte again. Besides, fufu has no issue with the intestine. Eating fufu rather benefits the intestine. This is supported by several studies on resistant starch and gut health. For instance, two studies (Wang et al. 2001; Topping et al. 2003) confirmed that resistant starch feeds the friendly bacteria in our intestines, thus taking a positive effect on the type of bacteria and their number. Also, the fact that the food is light does not mean is good for your health. Remember that, rapidly and slowly digested foods rather tend to increase your sugar.
Recommendations
There’s no formal recommendation for the intake of resistant starch. However, in four studies (Birt et al. 2013; Wang et al. 2019; Maziarz, M. 2013; Maki et al. 2012) where the Study participants naturally received 10–60 grams per day. Significant health impacts were found with a daily intake of at least 20 grams, but an intake as high as 45 grams per day was also marked as safe. Additionally, (Birt et al. 2013; Maki et al. 2012) also found that among Americans, several people get about 5 grams each day, some Europeans may get 3–6 grams, and the daily intake of Australians ranges from 3–9 grams.
Two studies (Chen et al. 2010; O’Keefe et al. 2015) also agreed that the average daily intake for Chinese people is about 15 grams. For rural South Africans 38 grams of resistant starch per day.
In Africa and Ghana, one article by Yakubu, T (2015) explained that people who consume whole grains and unrefined food products are likely to consume about 30-40 g/day. It is estimated that the acceptable daily intake of resistant starch may be as high as 45 grams in adults, an amount exceeding the total recommended intake of dietary fiber of 25-38 grams per day. The dietician encouraged individuals to have a greater consumption of foods that naturally contain resistant starch. This call is necessary in our part of the world, especially because people are increasingly resorting to more refined foods rather than unrefined ones.
From the literature, I found that though these are all high-carb foods as we know in the Ghanaian foods, for those on a very low-carb diet, you can avoid them. Additionally, some still can eat some, especially if they are on a low-carb diet with carbs in the 50–150-gram range. However, considering weight loss, having high blood sugars, and digestive problems, then resistant starch appears good for you.
The health benefits of resistant starch have engineered many people to opt for them now. Resistant starch is a type of nutrient that can boost digestion, prevent diseases, and promote weight loss. While most starches are digested and broken down, resistant starch will pass through you unchanged.
Resistant starch keeps your colon healthy. The good bacteria in your large intestine act to turn resistant starch into short-chain fatty acids, the most important of which is butyrate.
Cooking potatoes, pasta, beans, and rice and allowing them to cool in the refrigerator before eating are good. Reheating these items after they have cooled off won’t affect the levels of resistant starch. Apart from already espoused as resistant starch, we can as well get more resistant starch in our Ghanaian diets by cooking other starchy foods and allowing them to cool before eating.
Wang et al.(2015) found that resistant starch occurs when some starches lose their original structure due to heating or cooking. If these starches are later cooled, a new structure is formed. The new structure is resistant to digestion and leads to health benefits. Sonia et al.(2015) research has shown that resistant starch remains higher after reheating foods that have previously been cooled. However, you may feel that these foods taste best freshly cooked. In that case, find a compromise that works for you. You might choose to sometimes cool these foods before eating them, yet other times eat them freshly cooked.
NB:
Prof. Nyarkotey has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations to justify his write-ups. My articles are for educational purposes and do not serve as Medical advice for Treatment. I aim to educate the public about evidence-based scientific Naturopathic Therapies.
The author is a Professor of Naturopathic Healthcare and President of Nyarkotey College of Holistic Medicine & Technology (NUCHMT)/African Naturopathic Foundation. E-mail: collegeofholisticmedicine@gmail.com.ss
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32. Maki KC, Pelkman CL, Finocchiaro ET, Kelley KM, Lawless AL, Schild AL, Rains TM. Resistant starch from high-amylose maize increases insulin sensitivity in overweight and obese men. J Nutr. 2012 Apr;142(4):717-23. doi: 10.3945/jn.111.152975. Epub 2012 Feb 22. PMID: 22357745; PMCID: PMC3301990.
The Shade Room obtained a clip from Lil Baby’s upcoming appearance on the Big Facts podcast in which he denies Saweetie was sitting in his lap in a photo she posted late last year.
Asked if it was him “in that picture with Saweetie,” he immediately delivered a “nah” and shared a laugh with the co-hosts, admitting he does “have to like, move a certain way…and I be trying my best.”
Internet sleuths presented their case in an attempt to prove Lil Baby is the mystery man, pointing to their practically identical shoes and pants.
Baby has repeatedly denied any involvement with Saweetie, even when evidence has seemed to prove otherwise. In November, Hollywood Unlocked reported he dropped $100,000 on her when they went to the Chanel store in New York City. A source also said the two went on a date ahead of the “Icy Grl” rapper’s Saturday Night Live debut.
Lil Baby didn’t address the report directly at the time, but did tweet his relationship status, writing, “Baby not dating NO ONE!! I’m single!”
As rumors were swirling, Saweetie’s ex-boyfriend Quavo posted what many believed to be a veiled response to their possible romance. “Ain’t trippin we can swap it out,” he said.
Lil Baby appeared to address the Saweetie rumors and Quavo’s response on the track “Stand On It” where he raps, “I don’t want your bitch, we can’t swap out/They ain’t on shit, tell ‘em pop out.”
Baby recently made it clear he has no issue with Quality Control labelmates Migos, saying, “They know I ain’t got nothing going on with them.”
This came on the back of the devastating effect of the coronavirus pandemic, which caused a huge shortfall in the government’s revenues amidst bigger-than-expected spending in a frantic effort to contain the spread of the virus.
Also, the report projected that the government’s debt will increase from 62.8 percent of GDP in 2019 to 76.7 percent in 2020, before declining to 74.7 percent in 2021.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is predicting that Ghana’s fiscal deficit will reach 16.4 percent of GDP this year, the largest in the country’s history.
The record deficit projection comes on the back of the devastating effect of the coronavirus pandemic, which caused a huge shortfall in the government’s revenues amidst bigger-than-expected spending in a frantic effort to contain the spread of the virus.
The extra expenditure includes the government’s provision of free electricity and water for Ghanaians to cope with the disruption caused by the virus, as well as loans to enterprises.
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, in his mid-year budget presented in July, revised the country’s 2020 fiscal deficit projection from 4.7 per cent to 11.4 per cent of GDP to accommodate the fiscal impact of the pandemic.
The Fund’s bigger projection, which was contained in its October 2020 Fiscal Monitor publication, appears to take into account the expenses incurred by the government in cleaning up the financial and energy sectors – costs which government has consistently excluded from its fiscal deficit calculation.
The projection is not only the largest in Ghana’s history, it also means the country will see the biggest fiscal deficit in sub-Saharan Africa.
Also, the report projects that the government’s debt will increase from 62.8 per cent of GDP in 2019 to 76.7 per cent in 2020, before declining to 74.7 per cent in 2021.
According to economist Dr. Theo Acheampong, the rising debt raises significant debt sustainability concerns, especially for external debt servicing, with various Eurobond coupon payments due in the coming months.
The Fund stated that the fiscal deficit will decline to 9.3 per cent of GDP in 2021, before easing to 6.3 per cent of GDP in 2025 – meaning it will take longer than the government currently expects to restore compliance with the 5-percent-of-GDP deficit rule.
Fiscal reforms
In an interview with Business24 published in September, IMF Resident Representative Albert Touna Mama called on the government to pursue a wide range of fiscal reforms to deal with the stress placed on the economy by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said Ghana, like most countries, has seen a sharp accumulation of public debt in a bid to battle a crisis unprecedented in modern economic history.
He argued that the government should, as much as possible, prioritise its spending in battling the impact of the virus.
On Tuesday, October 25, 2022, the 80 New Patriotic Party lawmakers demanded that the president fire Ken Ofori-Atta, the minister of finance.
Even though the news came as a surprise, particularly given the minister belongs to their party and this is the first time something like has occurred in the nation, it has already sparked speculation about potential candidates to succeed the current finance minister.
In an earlier GhanaWeb story, three names have come up for the job: Dr. Mark Assibey Yeboah, Professor Gyan Baffour, and Kwame Pianim.
GhanaWeb further places the spotlight on these individuals to understand what they bring to the job, in the instance that they get it.
He is a former Member of Parliament who represented the Wenchi Constituency from 2005 to 2021. He was a professor at Howard University in Washington DC from 1993 to 2021.
He is an economist, a banker and an insurer.
Being an economist, Professor George Gyan Baffour has mainly sat on parliamentary committees that relate to his field, which include the Special Budget Committee, the Education Committee, and the Poverty Reduction Committee, and he was once the Acting Chair of the Special Budget Committee.
The ex-President John Agyekum Kufuor appointed Prof George Gyan Baffour as the Director General of the National Development Planning Commission in 2002. It was during his time that he established the first system for overseeing and assessing the rate of national development.
He oversaw the development of the coordinated program for the Economic and Social Development of Ghana.
Prof George Gyan Baffour is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Economists of Ghana. He was a member of various boards, including the Bank of Ghana (2005-2008), the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research of Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) from 2003 to 2005.
He has a PhD in Industrial Relations from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, a post-Doctorate Diploma from Harvard University of Wisconsin, Madison, and a Bsc (Hons) in Economics from the University.
Prof George Gyan Baffour is currently a Senior Policy Advisor to the Finance Minister, focusing mainly on Sustainable Development Goals and climate change mitigation financing.
He is the UN Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data Ambassador in the UN’s SUN movement focal person for Ghana and Executive Committee Excom Member representing Central and Eastern Africa.
He was appointed Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning of Ghana in March 2005. As a Minister For Planning, he was the Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on SDGs.
Henry Cavill posted to social media on Monday that he is “back as Superman”following his cameo in the post-credits scene of “Black Adam,” which opened on Friday to $140 million worldwide.
“I wanted to wait until the weekend was over before posting this because I wanted to give you all a chance to watch ‘Black Adam,’” Cavill said in a video posted to his Instagram feed. “But now that plenty of you have, I wanted to make it official: I am back as Superman.”
Cavill said his “Black Adam” cameo and the image of him in the Superman suit included in the Instagram video — taken by “Black Adam” producer Hiram Garcia — “are just a very small taste of things to come.” The 39-year-old actor gave no further detail, but he did thank the fans for their enthusiastic response to his return as the last son of Krypton.
“Thank you for your support and thank you for your patience,” Cavill said. “I promise it will be rewarded.”
The news comes after years of rumors, cameos and fan speculation about Superman’s long-awaited return in the DC Universe.
Dwayne Johnson has also been hyping up a showdown between his anti-hero Black Adam and Cavill’s Supermanwhile promoting his film in the recent weeks.
Cavill first originated his Superman nearly 10 years ago in 2013’s “Man of Steel.” He has played the Son of Krypton just a handful of times since then: in 2016’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” 2017’s “Justice League,” 2021’s “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” and a brief post-credits cameo in “Black Adam.” (Superman as a character showed up at the end of 2019’s “Shazam!” but Cavill did not play the role, which was shot from the neck down.)
For many fans, Cavill seemed preternaturally destined for the role, between his uncanny handsomeness and superhuman physique.
But all of his outings as Superman proved to be controversial for one reason or another. Some fans loved director Zack Snyder’s physically robust, emotionally anguished and morally ambiguous approach to the character, while others found it antithetical to what has made Superman one of the most enduring superhero characters ever.
Cavill always seemed caught in the middle. The actor was seemingly left behind when Warner Bros. elected to part ways with Snyder and his creative vision for the DC Universe, which placed Cavill’s Superman at its center.
But the actor — who has kept busy on Netflix fronting the popular fantasy series “The Witcher” and playing Sherlock Holmes opposite Millie Bobby Brown in the “Enola Holmes” films — has not been shy about expressing his desire to continue donning Superman’s tights and cape.
J.J. Abrams’s Bad Robot, meanwhile, has been slowly developing a separate Black Superman project with author Ta-Nehisi Coates for over a year with no further announcements.
New Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has reportedly been frustrated that the character has been gathering dust while Marvel Studios continues to pump out at least three feature films a year.
The unspoken embargo lasted all of three days, because Henry Cavill took to Instagram on Monday to confirm that he will be reprising his role as Superman.
“A very small taste of what’s to come, my friends,” Cavill wrote in the caption. “The dawn of hope renewed. Thank you for your patience, it will be rewarded.”
Cavill appeared as the Man of Steel in the mid-credits scene of Black Adam, which became the biggest domestic box office debut for Dwayne Johnson as a leading actor this past weekend. His last appearance as Superman came in 2017’s Justice League.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Johnson proposed Cavill’s cameo to former DCfilm boss Walter Hamada and got turned down, with Hamada claiming he had his own vision for Superman. In July, Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy became Warner Bros.’ new film bosses. Johnson approached them with his idea and was given the green light.
The Black Adam production team filmed a mid-credits scene featuring Superman without showing Cavill’s face, since it was unclear if a deal with Cavill could be finalized in time. Cavill ended up shooting the scene in London just last month.
THR says the “intention is for Cavill to star in at least one solo Superman movie.” His lone solo outing was in 2013’s Man of Steel, and he co-headlined 2016’s maligned Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice; both came from director Zack Snyder.
Cavill’s confirmed return was met with excitement and some cautious optimism about where he could take the character going forward. See some fan reactions below.
The Black Meteors of Ghana have touched down in the country following their 2-1 convincing win over Mozambique in the first leg of the TotalEnergies CAF U-23 qualifying match on Sunday.
The team will head straight to Kumasi and begin camping ahead of the return on Sunday at the Baba Yara stadium.
Hearts of Oak talisman Daniel Afriyie Barnieh scored two spot kicks to help coach Ibrahim Tanko’s side to secure a slim victory.
The 21-year-old netted on the 61st and 76th minutes before the hosts capitalized on a mistake on the 88th minute to pull one back.Mozambique kept it compact in defense and managed to keep the Ghanaian forwards at bay in the first half.After the break, Ghana went in strongly and was rewarded with a penalty kick on the 61st minute which was well coveted by Barnieh.Another impressive run by Afriyie Barnieh resulted in a second penalty for the Black Meteors. He converted again to make it 2-0, however, the home side pulled one back.The win puts Ghana on a strong footing ahead of the return leg which will be played at the Baba Yara Stadium on Sunday, October 30,2022.A win for Ghana in the return encounter will take Ghana into the final round of the qualifiers where the Black Meteors will face either Ethiopia or Algeria.
🛬Back from Maputo with win 😄
👉🏾The Black Meteors flew into Accra late on Tuesday evening.
The Akufo-Addo administration has been urged by Mahama to be transparent and to consult with the “best minds” among Ghana’s decent citizens.
“The government should come clean and tell us, ‘What is the state of the economy?’ You must put everything on the table…That is why I called for a national dialogue. I said bring the best brains together. I have been president before, it served me well. I called the Senchi Forum, it didn’t reduce my stature as President,” Mahama added.
Speaking in an interview with the host of Atinka FM’s AM Drive Kaakyire Ofori Ayim, Dr George Domfeh, said the call for a national dialogue is needless.
Read Also: Economic crisis: “Mahama’s call for national dialogue apt”- Amon Kotei
According to the development economist, factories that could have mitigated our crises have been left to rot in the bushes.
“The call for a national dialogue is needless as the solution to our economic crisis is right in front of us.” I believe the current crisis is God-sent, especially for a country that does not prioritize local industries and has left factories from the Nkrumah era to rot.
“What national dialogue do we need again? Belgium doesn’t grow cocoa, but they have built factories to make chocolates from cocoa. Cocoa is giving Belgium so much money, yet we take pride in exporting our cocoa to these countries, and we are here talking about a national dialogue. We import toothpaste into this country. Are we serious?”,” Dr. George Domfeh told Kaakyire Ofori Ayim.
Nigerian comedian and skit maker, Nosa Afolabi, better known as Lasisi Elenu, and his fiancee, Nonso Adika, have welcomed their first child together.
He announced the birth of his newborn baby girl on Sunday via his verified Instagram page.
Sharing a timeline of how the pregnancy went, Elenu confirmed that she was born on October 4, 2022.
The couple named the baby Rain Olanma Oluwanifemi Afolabi.
“Blessings, they say, come in different shapes and sizes, and this time, ours came in the shape of a beautiful, colourful, and extraordinary baby.”
“I personally had a gaze of disbelief when you were born, as I was lost for words, just admiring and appreciating the goodness of God for a blessing this big,” Lasisi wrote
He praised his wife for her strength, noting that it is a big blessing having a strong vessel as a wife.
“Understanding that women are the strongest people on earth, but you my beautiful wife is one hell of a woman and your strength is unarguably from the highest source.”
Lasisi added that “I saw you go through so many phases in a 9-month span and had the best insight into what it felt like to carry a child. @heynonso. At some point, I also felt pregnant because I remembered wanting the smell of used engine oil for no reason.”
Marlon Wayans aired out his frustrations with so-called cancel culture after being asked in an interview with BuzzFeed if comedies like 2004’s White Chicks can “thrive” in 2022.
“I think they’re needed. I don’t know what planet we’re on, where you think people don’t need laughter, and that people need to be censored and canceled,” Wayans said. “If a joke is gonna get me canceled, thank you for doing me that favor. It’s sad that society is in this place where we can’t laugh anymore.”
The 50-year-old continued, “I ain’t listening to this damn generation. I ain’t listening to these folks: these scared-ass people, these scared executives.”
Wayans appeared on GQ’s “Iconic Characters” series earlier this year and said that whenever someone asks him to do a White Chicks 2, he turns them down solely because the seven-hour makeup effects process “almost killed” him and his brother Shawn.
“Y’all do what you want to do? Great. I’m still gonna tell my jokes the way I tell them. And if you want to make some money, jump on board,” Wayans added in his BuzzFeed conversation. “And if not, then I’ll find a way to do it myself. I know my audience. My audience comes to my shows every weekend and they leave feeling great and laughing. One thing about the Wayans, we’ve always told the worst joke the best way.”
Marlon spoke with Entertainment Weekly two years ago for an oral history on how White Chicks became a cult classic, claiming the film’s success is rooted in the Wayans’ ability to be “equal-opportunity offenders.”
“You know who loves White Chicks the most? White chicks. That’s how you know it’s a good movie,” Wayans explained 2020. “A good joke in comedy is when the people you make fun of laugh the loudest. And what’s beautiful is that we’re equal-opportunity offenders.
It was a great exploration of gender, of race, of pop culture, and done with kid gloves so everybody could laugh. And I think that’s what makes it a cult classic to this day.”
On Tuesday, viewers in Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Asia and Africa might see the last solar eclipse of 2022.
screenshot, time and date, and YouTube
The second partial eclipse of the year started at around 4:48 a.m. ET, when the moon started to occult the sun.
Approximately 82% to 86% of the sun will be obscured at its maximum.
Although it will occur around 11:10 a.m., the North Pole will be the ideal place to watch.
If you are not in the Eastern Hemisphere, or the North Pole, you can still observe the eclipse online. Several sites are streaming the event, including timeanddate.com and the Royal Observatory, which is viewing the eclipse through the Annie Mauder Astrographic Telescope
The first and only other solar eclipse in 2022 took place in April. The partial eclipse was visible in southwest South America, parts of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and Antarctica. It was followed by a total lunar eclipse May 15-16. It was observed in Europe, Asia, Africa, and large portions of North America, South America, the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and Antarctica.
There will be one more eclipse event this year. Again it will be a total lunar eclipse, taking place Nov. 7-8. It can be observed in north and east Europe, North America, Australia, Asia and much of South America, the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans and Antarctica.
While it is tempting to look directly at a solar eclipse, do not do so without adequate protection. The sun’s light looks dimmer but its rays are still too powerful to expose the eye to and can cause eclipse blindness. Eclipse blindness can be temporary or permanent, resulting in vision loss, blurred or distorted vision and altered color vision.
Welder’s glasses are considered adequate protection to observe a partial solar eclipse. If you do not have access to welder’s glasses, pinhole projection is a simple at-home option. Simply punch a small hole in a piece of cardboard and set a piece of paper on the ground about 3-feet away. The eclipse will be projected on the piece of paper. Do not look through the pinhole directly at the sun.
I decline to go into the merits or demerits of whatever necessitated the suspension of the betPawa Premier League.
The issues are well known. Therefore instead of being on what would be a needlessly tiresome recall of Ashantigold’s troubles and the court issues, energies would be expended well in sharing my joy over the league’s comeback.
I’m glad because this is the game we love and having it hanging in court, not knowing its return was a pain. Our football has suffered too from legal tussles and how disappointing it was that, just when we were navigating safely from that pit, a stump pulled us back.
We’re back now to continue from match day four. Clubs were picking up good momentum, others were finding their balance mid-table and the rest set up their camps well not to drop too deep into the lower ranks. The suspension denied us the chance to see for instance if Hearts of Oak’s difficulties would’ve lasted longer and indeed whether Asante Kotoko’s title retention quest would’ve been boosted with more wins.
Three match days and it was still too early to see the real shape of the new entrants. Now, hopefully, we can have a full view of their form game after game. If there was anything clear enough, it was the fact that we were in for some exciting matches and a good dose of the inevitable refereeing controversies. They would come anyway now that the league is back and we should all learn to put up good conduct at matches.
Outside matches, in the media terrain, we’ve to be responsible in our commentaries. Here, I respond to some Kotoko fans. Take note that, I’ve written and highlighted the positives of the Nana Yaw Amponsah-led Management more than anyone I can think of. I would neither waste time trading insults nor malign anyone. I subscribe to everything Kotoko and make necessary contributions to the club. You can’t change that.
I’ve to state without fear of contradiction that calling me names because I criticise or disagree with what has the tendency to adversely affect the club’s reputation or the management’s good work, wouldn’t restrain me from acting with conviction as always in my commentaries. No sane, well-trained, properly mannered, civilised journalist; talk less as young as I’m, would waste precious time on negative, unproductive agenda.
I would defend Kotoko’s interest, the Board and the Management purely as a matter of principle but then based on factual analysis as a journalist. Cheap, vile propaganda coupled with wanton disregard for common sense would intimidate no one. Let’s return to what we love most for it’s back. The betPawa Premier League is back and Kotoko are in action on Monday against King Faisal! Fabulous!
In post-ice age Britain, two different groups of humans have been identified by British researchers.
After analyzing the oldest human DNA found in Britain, researchers found two distinct demographic groupings that had resided there following the last ice age.
A sample from roughly 14,000 years ago that was found in Somerset, England’s Gough’s Cave was compared to one from about 1,000 years later that was found in Wales’ Kendrick’s Cave.
“We knew from our previous work, including the study of Cheddar Man, that western hunter-gatherers were in Britain by around 10,500 years ago, but we didn’t know when they arrived in Britain, and whether this was the only population that was present,” said Selina Brace, a principal researcher at the Natural History Museum in Britain, who studies ancient DNA.
By studying the remains found in Gough’s Cave, researchers were able to determine that humans were present in Britain 300 years earlier than scientists had previously thought, meaning they were present before Britain began to warm after the last ice age.
Genetic studies of the two samples revealed that they came from two distinct genetic groups, meaning that at least two completely different populations of humans were living in Britain within a relatively short timeframe.
“The evidence from the human remains found at Kendrick’s Cave suggests that the cave was used as a burial site by its occupiers,” said Silvia Bello, a researcher at the Natural History Museum who specializes in the evolution of human behavior.
It was also revealed that these early inhabitants were using parts of animals believed to have already been extinct in Britain at the time including a spear tip made out of mammoth ivory and a baton made of reindeer antlers.
According to Chris Stringer, a research leader on human evolution at the Natural History Museum, “this raises several interesting questions: Did they bring these artifacts from somewhere colder? Or was Britain even more complicated and still had mammoth and reindeer surviving in the highlands?”
It’s a question many have asked: How are memories made to last?Now, a new study claims they are solidified during sleep through the interplay of two distinct brain regions.Memories are set in the brain as it cycles between slow-wave and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which happens about five times a night, researchers report in the Monday issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
A computer model of the brain reveals that, during those deep sleep cycles, the hippocampus is teaching the neocortex what it learned during the events of the previous day, the scientists said.
The hippocampus is the brain’s center for new memories, and is tasked with picking up day-to-day information, the researchers explained. The neocortex is responsible for language, higher-end brain processing and more permanent memory storage.
Sleep simulations showed that during slow-wave sleep, the hippocampus guides the brain to revisit recent incidents and data. During REM sleep, the neocortex’s memory storage mostly reruns those revisited events.
“As the two brain regions connect during non-REM sleep, that’s when the hippocampus is actually teaching the neocortex,” said co-researcher Dhairyya Singh, a second-year doctoral student with the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn). “Then, during the REM phase, the neocortex reactivates and can replay what it already knows,” solidifying the data in long-term memory.
The alternating phases are important because if the neocortex doesn’t have a chance to replay its own information, then the potential memory gets overwritten, Singh said.
The findings are consistent with what’s known about sleep and memory, but UPenn neuroscientist and study co-author Anna Schapiro noted that aspects of the computer model are still theoretical.
“We still need to test this,” Schapiro said in a university news release. “One of our next steps will be to run experiments to understand whether REM sleep is truly bringing up old memories and what implications that might have for integrating new information into your existing knowledge.”
Ghana goalkeeper Richard Ofori cannot wait to make his first appearance at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar as he believes it’s every player’s dream.
Ofori, who returned from injury is currently preparing for Orlando Pirates clash against Kaizer Chiefs in the South African topflight league.
The Black Stars are paired in Group H alongside Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay. Ghana will begin the campaign against Portugal on Thursday, November 24 before taking on South Korea and Uruguay in the other Group matches.
“The most important thing is that I need to perform to my best at the club so that when they call you are ready. If you are not performing at your club then you go there, you are mentally weak. The world cup stage is the biggest,” he said as quoted by Sports Brief.
“Every player’s dream is to play in the world cup. At the moment, I’m thinking about what my club wants to achieve and to be successful. This is my motivation and objective.”
Black Stars will play Switzerland in an International friendly on November 17, before travelling to Qatar for the World Cup.
Because some components used in cement production are imported, the devaluation of the cedi versus the US dollar is the cause of the rise in cement prices.
Cement costs between GHC77 and GHC85 every bag of 50 kg.
The prices vary among the brands on the Ghanaian market which are GHACEM, Diamond and Dangote and Dzata.
Read Also: Economic crisis: “National dialogue not the solution”- Economist
Speaking on Atinka FM’s AM Drive with host Kaakyire Ofori Ayim, Samuel Amegayibor, explained that the increase in cement prices is affecting their business.
Samuel Amegayibor cited an increase in the international price and the depreciation of the cedi as major causes of the increase in cement prices.
He also stated a 300% freight cost, which according to him has contributed to the increase in cement prices.
“The increase in cement prices is having a toll on our business. The estate developing business is not like the manufacturing of toffee which can be completed within 24hrs. We build houses which sometimes take more than 5 years. If the prices of cement keep increasing, it makes the pricing of completed projects very difficult. The inflation has become high that prices of cement increases every hour. We are really frustrated,” he added.
Samuel Amegayibor has also urged the government to address the local factors influencing the rapid rise in cement prices
The breeze that blows from Joy Entertainment’s zone is one that industry players can’t keep calm about. Indeed, some of Ghana’s finest minds will converge for intellectual deliberations on the growth of the industry during the Showbiz Roundtable forum on October 29.
The event, powered by Joy Entertainment, has revealed its list of speakers for the forum, themed, ‘Music Business and Tourism’. Hosted by seasoned broadcaster George Quaye, the thought-leadership forum seeks to dissect the dynamic facets of contracts, artistes PR, revenue, royalties, global hits, tourism, culture, among others.
Few days ago, organizers of the event confirmed former CEO of 3 Music Networks, Sadiq Abdulai Abu, as one of the speakers for the thought-leadership forum, followed by the announcement of successful playwright, James Ebo Whyte and President of GHAMRO Rex Omar, as keynote speakers. The latest to join the rich list as renowned speakers are Trigmatic, Ruddy Kwakye and Panji Anoff.
Sadiq Abdulai Abu is a media practitioner and no stranger to listeners of Joy FM’s Showbiz A–Z. Every week, the founder of Wildaland Festival, expresses insightful thoughts as a pundit, on varied issues in the entertainment space. He comes on board with experience and vast knowledge in the showbiz space and understands the need to steer talks in the direction of individual and collective development and benefits.
Trigmatic is a songwriter, rapper and entrepreneur, known officially as Enoch Nana Yaw Oduro-Agyei. Having visited and collaborated with artistes from other parts of Africa, he comes on board with rich experience in music and its associated business. In March this year, he successfully held the Africa Music Business Dialogue in Accra, with the aim of educating musicians on the importance of elevating their quests beyond just making music.
Ruddy Kwakye is an accomplished serial entrepreneur, content curator, media practitioner and often referred to as a creative thought-leader. He has spent years working hard behind some of Ghana’s biggest events, including the famous Afro Nation festival, which returns to Ghana in December. Ruddy’s accomplishments, achievements and managerial roles played over the years makes him a perfect choice for Showbiz Roundtable.
Panji Anoff is the CEO of Pidgen Music. Panji holds over 3 decades of experience in arts and entertainment, having managed and worked with some of Ghana’s biggest export, King Ayisoba. He is also known for managing and producing Hiplife pioneers Talking Drums and Atenteben, to mention a few. He is also a writer and fearless critic whose views leave a lot of food for thought.
Keynote Speakers
James Whyte, often called Uncle Ebo Whyte is a Ghanaian playwright, and the head of Roverman Production, producers of some of the best stage plays in Ghana. He doubles as an author and motivational speaker. He recently revealed in an interview that his career as a playwright happened only by accident, but has however, gone on to write his name in the history of Ghanaian theatre.
Rex Omar is currently the chairman and president of Ghana Music Rights Organization. He is veteran highlife singer well known for his interests in music royalties. The latter inspired his quest to join GHAMRO with the aim of ensuring that musicians get what they rightfully deserve off their craft.
Edward Nana Poku Osei is affectionately called ‘Hammer of The Last 2’. He is a legendary music producer and the founder of The Last Two Music Group. Hammer is well known for discovering and grooming some of the Ghana’s best Hiphop and Hiplife artistes, including Obrafour, Tinny, Kwaw Kese, Sarkodie and Edem. Hammer is also known for being opinionated in matters surrounding the Ghanaian showbiz industry.
With the announcement of these resource persons, Joy Entertainment nears its big day for the Showbiz Roundtable, which aims to not only tackle the aforementioned aspects of the industry, but also discuss other pertinent progressive issues affecting the entertainment industry.
The forum powered by Joy Entertainment, will take place at the Labadi Beach Hotel from 2pm to 6pm. It will broadcast live on Joy FM, Joy Prime, and stream on all Joy Entertainment social media platforms.
Source:myjoyonline.com
The UK filed new projects with the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre with the biggest value, totaling US$278.90 million, accounting for 35.5% of the US$785.62 million in FDI commitments made during the first half of 2020.
According to officials in the UK embassy’s commercial department in Accra, British trade and investment inquiries are at an all-time high.
Ghana purchased goods worth US$5.75 billion in 2018 and exported goods worth US$931.67 million to the UK, a 14 percent rise over the previous year.
As the United Kingdom gets closer and closer to a widely feared no-deal exit from the European Union, its private sector is already making moves to cement alternative trade and investment counterparties.
One of them is Ghana, a traditional major trade and investment partner which has lost ground to various counterparties in both western and eastern Europe over the past couple of decades because of the more favorable terms and conditions offered it by being part of a continental free market.
Instructively, during the first half of 2020, which saw a late rebound in foreign direct investment inflow commitments, the UK recorded the highest value of US$278.90 million for new projects registered with the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, which translates to 35.5 percent of the US$785.62 million in FDI commitments made during the first six months of the year.
But the British government is pulling out all the stops to vastly increase business volumes between the two countries from next year as part of wider efforts to fill the inevitable huge void that will be created by BREXIT, especially if the UK and the European Union cannot agree on terms for an orderly exit as now seems increasingly likely.
Instructively the governments of both countries are currently engaged in negotiations which, if successful, would allow the two countries to continue the preferential trade terms applicable through the ECOWAS – EU Economic Partnership Agreement.
Commercial department sources at the UK’s embassy in Accra claim that trade and investment inquiries from Britain are reaching a long-term peak.
They explain that increasing interest is not being propelled by BREXIT alone; British businesses are also enthused by the prospect of being able to trade with the rest of Africa duty-free under the terms of the impending African Continental Free Trade Agreement as long as they set up manufacturing plants in Ghana so as to fulfill rules of origin requirements.
British enterprises favor Ghana as a manufacturing hub on the continent because of cultural similarities, political stability, economic liberalization, adherence to the rule of law, and good economic performance which is allowing for currency exchange rate stability.
In 2018, Ghana exported US$931.67 million worth of products to the UK a 14 percent increase over the previous year – and imported US$5.75 billion worth of products.
With regards to investments, the UK is one of Ghana’s traditional biggest sources of FDI.
Some of the biggest foreign corporations in Ghana – such as Tullow Oil, Unilever, Prudential Insurance, Vodafone, British Airways, and GlaxoSmith Kline among many others are British, UK’s Department of Trade now actively promoting Ghana as a preferred investment destination identifying in particular, the oil and gas, financial services, mining, infrastructure, agricultural technology, and healthcare sectors.
Importantly the London Stock Exchange announced a partnership with the Ghana Stock Exchange at the beginning of 2020. Instructively Ghana’s Agyapa Gold Royalties, the state special purpose vehicle for monetization of its share of expected gold royalties is to do an Initial Public Offer on the LSE, expectedly before the end of this year.
Trade analysts in London assert that BREXIT and the AfCFTA combined could double trade and investment volumes between the two counties in less than a decade.
Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund are monitoring Ghana and Ajax midfielder Mohammed Kudus ahead of the January transfer window, according to reports.
Dortmund rank the 22-yerar-old highly and will move for him if Jude Bellingham and Youssoufa Moukoko depart the club in the winter transfer window.
According to transfer expert Marc Behrenbeck, the Bundesliga outfit have already started working on the potential to get a replacement
“You’ve been watching him for a long time and there have already been talks,” said the Sky reporter on Transfer Update.
Kudus has three more years left on his contract at Ajax and has been one of the standout players for Alfred Schreuder’s side this season.
He has scored nine goals and provided one assist in 16 appearances for Eredivisie giants across all competitions this term so far.
The former FC Nordsjælland ace will hope to start when Ajax host Liverpool for their Group A matchday five fixture of the UEFA Champions League at Johan Cruyff Arena on Wednesday night.
Kudus is expected to be named in Ghana’s squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar which commences
Ghana is currently dealing with a wave of economic difficulties, especially as of 2022’s first day.
Numerous residents are struggling with terrible conditions that have put all economic indicators in danger, including the depreciation of the Ghana cedi, skyrocketing inflation rates, and revenue generation limits, among others.
Ghanaians generally feel frustrated as a result of these circumstances.
In the face of such crisis, there have been calls for leadership, bearing in mind that managing a middle-income country like Ghana is no small feat.
For instance, one would have to be associated with varied expertise, knowledge and educational credentials spanning across development, strategy, policy, economics, statistics, political science, among others to be able to steer this ship.
To address the ongoing challenges in the economy, Ghana has resorted to the International Monetary Fund for an economic support programme.
The country is targeting about $3 billion once an agreement can be reached, with the money geared toward restoring macro-economic stability, as well as other economic indicators.
In the wake of the development, GhanaWeb Business takes a look at the key figures behind the management of the Ghanaian economy and their respective educational pedigrees, which have somewhat come under fire in the wake of the crisis.
Ken Ofori-Atta – Finance Minister
Ghana’s current Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Ken Ofori-Atta, is a key figure in the management of the country’s economy, just like the others who have occupied the position.
Ken Ofori-Atta has been meeting with the officials from the IMF since the government made a decision to seek assistance from the Fund on July 1, 2022.
At the present, Ken Ofori-Atta has been under intense pressure from his own party, as well as many citizens for him to resign from his position as finance minister, along with Charles Adu Boahen, Minister of State at the Finance Ministry; also, a close ally of Ofori-Atta.
He is an economist, investment banker, and co-founder of Databank Group, a financial services firm.
Prior to being appointed as the Minister of Finance in 2017, Ken Ofori-Atta had his secondary school education at the Achimota School in Accra, after attending the Accra Newtown Experimental School (ANT 1).
He then proceeded to have a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the reputable Columbia University in the United States (1984), and later earned an MBA from the Yale University School of Management also in the United States in 1988.
Ken Ofori-Atta is also a member of the prominent Ofori-Atta family which has been influential in politics, law, chieftaincy, and business.
He has been touted as an astute economist and is currently the Head of the Economic Management Team of Ghana, serving under the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo administration.
Dr Bawumia has also come under intense pressure over this narrative especially in his position as the Head of the EMT, which overseas most economic decisions taken by government.
Prior to his political journey, Dr Bawumia worked as a former banker with vast experience from the International Monetary Fund, the Bank of Ghana, among others.
Dr Bawumia, who is currently serving as Ghana’s vice president, attended the Sakasaka Primary school in Tamale and gained admission to the Tamale Secondary School in 1975.
After graduating from the Tamale Secondary School, he went to the United Kingdom where he studied banking and obtained the Chartered Institute of Bankers Diploma (ACIB).
He earned himself a First-Class Honours Degree in Economics at Buckingham University in 1987 and later obtained a master’s degree in Economics at Lincoln College, Oxford.
Dr Bawumia has earned a Ph.D. in Economics at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1995.
He is credited for championing the governing NPP’s digitisation agenda.
Dr Bawumia specializes in macroeconomics, international economics, development economics, and monetary policy.
He attended the Methodist College and the Mfantsipim School for his primary and secondary. Dr. Addison then proceeded to the University of Ghana and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from 1982 to 1986.
From 1987 to 1989, he obtained an M.Phil in Economics and Politics from the University of Cambridge in England and later a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Economics from McGill University in Canada.
Before he was appointed Governor of the BoG, Dr Addison served as the former Director of Research at the Bank of Ghana from 2003 to 2011, as well as an Economist at the African Development Bank.
Dr. Addison specializes in financial policy and economic management.
Ghanaian musician, Apraku James, popularly known in the music industry as AJ Tunes is set to release his latest single.
The single dubbed, ‘Obiba JK’ will be out on Friday, October 28.
The musician and songwriter from Obuasi’s latest is about real life issues.
AJ Tunes
Speaking to media personnel about the song, the talented singer asked his fans to watch out for the banger.
“This song is about real life issues and is one that speaks to everyone. I believe strongly my fans will love this piece. I really took my time to understand every part of the lyrics of this song before putting them together. They should watch out for it,” he urged.
He added that everyone hides their pain to show a good face in the public even though they are hurt within.
“Obiba Jk song is about real life issues. Everybody looks good on the outside but broke on the inside.
“People see you and think you have it all but most people are living fake lives, especially on social media.
“So this song is a prayer to God for Him to bless us enough in order to reach out to someone who also needs our help.”
AJ Tunes is a versatile artiste who can do all genres of music.
The Song will be available on all streaming platforms ( Spotify, Applemusic, boomplay, audiomack, Youtube) immediately it is released.
UPDATED 10/25, 8:15 p.m. ET: Restaurateur Keith McNally hit Instagram with another comically zoomed-in image of James Corden to share his “last word” on the matter.
“Last Night on his TV show, James Corden very graciously apologized for his outburst at Balthazar,” McNally wrote. “It takes a real man to do this. In the past, I’ve behaved much worse than Corden, but wasn’t man enough to apologize. For this reason, I’m going to lift the ban on Corden and impose one on myself instead. I’m going to ban myself from Balthazar for 2 weeks. People who live in Glass Houses…”
See original story below.
James Corden used a portion of Monday’s Late Late Show to address the restaurant ban controversy he’s been at the center of in recent days.
After an opening bit dealing with imagined thoughts of isolating himself from social media and related communications during a week off, Corden launched into his side of the debacle, which has included multiple public comments from Balthazar owner Keith McNally.
“Last week, there were stories about me being banned from a restaurant,” Corden told his audience on Monday. “And at the time I considered, you know, like tweeting about it or Instagramming about it. But whenever these sorts of moments come my way, I like to adopt quite a British attitude of sort of ‘keep calm, carry on.’ Things are gonna get written about me. ‘Never complain, never explain’ is very much my motto. But as my dad pointed out to me on Saturday, he said, ‘Well, son, you did complain so you might need to explain.’”
From there, Corden—a “tiny cretin of a man” according to McNally—conceded to having made “a mistake” when out for breakfast at Balthazar with friends and his wife, Julia Carey, several weeks ago. According to Corden, Carey relayed to restaurant staff that she had a “serious food allergy” before receiving an incorrect order.
“As her meal came wrong to the table the third time, in the heat of the moment I made a sarcastic rude comment about cooking it myself,” Corden said. “It is a comment I deeply regret. I understand the difficulties of being a server. I worked shifts at restaurants for years and I have such respect and I value anyone who does such a job. And the team at that restaurant are so great. That’s why I love it there. The restaurant manager and the server, they were lovely.”
Corden’s breakdown of how he says the restaurantroversy went didn’t stop there. Per the Cats star, he initially felt he hadn’t done “anything wrong” because he didn’t scream or use “derogatory language” during the incident.
“But the truth is, I made a rude comment and it was wrong,” he said, adding that it was also “unnecessary’ and “ungracious.”
Wrapping up his statement, Corden referenced the onslaught of social media criticism he’s received following the restaurant ban news and also expressed his desire to one day to return to this particular establishment to “apologize in person.”
As previously reported, Corden was initially banned from Balthazar for being its “most abusive customer.” This ban was temporarily lifted following an apology. However, it was believed to have been reinstated after Corden appeared to retract his prior apology.
On Monday, McNally again referenced Corden in an IG update, this time stating a flight attendant had given him added attention during a recent trip due to having “never cared for James Corden either.”
Perez Musik stunned the crowd at Accra’s MTN Stands in Worship concert on October 22, while marking his debut appearance at one of the country’s biggest Gospel music events.
The prolific worship leader raced through a 15-minute inviting and electrifying worship-filled 9-song set that featured performances of some of his biggest songs, such as Hewale Lala (Song of Strength) and Blema Tesaa (Rock of Ages).
He also performed covers of some of the country’s most acclaimed gospel music that beckoned the Spirit to fall from the gates of heaven into the night.
Perez Musik performing at the MTN Stands in Worship concert
Filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, he provided the audience with a supernatural encounter with God and a sweet fellowship of the Holy Spirit; offering them an opportunity to express their gratitude to God for His protection throughout the year.
A group of backup singers supporting Perez Musik’s performance on stage
Perez Musik shares his testimony about how God rescued him from a near-fatal depression, how he gave his life to Christ after being saved, and how he was drawn to God’s things, particularly church music, after that.
Perez Musik at the MTN Stands in Worship concert
Born Frank Tagoe, a gospel artist and songwriter, is gradually establishing himself as a must-listen gospel artist of our time.
He is currently credited with the two most popular gospel songs in Ghana now dubbed Hewale Lala (Song of Strength) and Blema Tesaa (Rock of Ages), which were released in 2019 but broke into the charts in 2022, and have since received heavy rotation on radio stations across Africa.
Perez Musik released his debut album, Tenacity, in 2015. The 13-track project earned him a nomination at the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards 2016.
Organized by telecommunication giants, MTN, the annual Christian concert seeks to offer Ghanaians the opportunity to appreciate God’s mercies, grace, and guidance throughout the year.
The event has grown to become one of the most hyped on MTN’s calendar, with past performers including Donnie McClurkin, William McDowell, Sinach, Micah Stampley, Nathaniel Bassey, Patrick Duncan, Joe Mettle, and Elder Mireku.
This year’s edition, themed “Arise and Worship,” was held at the Fantasy Dome, Trade Fair, La.
The night brought together Christians and gospel music fans on one stage to worship and praise God.
The night was headlined by Diana Hamilton, Piesie Esther, Koda, and other guests.
Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin believes the state must resource the Black Stars ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Ghana have made a return to the Mundial having missed out on the last edition of the global showpiece hosted in Russia in 2018.
With the team set to open camping on November 10 in Abu Dhabi, Mr. Bagbin speaking on the floor of parliament on Wednesday reiterated that the Black Stars must be fully resourced by the state.
He however admitted that despite the economic challenges, the state must ensure the team is resourced ahead of the World Cup.
The Speaker added that he is confident the team is fully prepared to do the nation the honors at the tournament.
Ghana as part of their preparations will take on Switzerland in a friendly on November 17 before flying to Doha on November 19.
The Black Stars have been housed in Group H alongside Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay.
Ghana are seeking to put up an improved performance at the Mundial after failing in Brazil in 2014.
The 22nd edition of the global showpiece has been scheduled to kick off from November 20 to December 18.
He clarified that the increase is due to recent increases in fuel prices, the Cedi’s depreciation, and skyrocketing inflation.
On October 26, GPRTU General Secretary Godfred Abulbire claimed the 19 percent raise was the result of extensive discussions members had with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and other transportation providers around the nation.
“What we should have been asking adequately should have been around 49 percent. But looking at the economic situation, we had to come down to 25 percent and then even scale down to 20 percent and then yesterday 16 and half percent [from the Transport Minister],” he stated.
“After listening to the President, he said all that we are demanding were facts and indicated that there is nothing there that he is not aware of. But looking at the situation, the moment fares go up, it [affects] a lot of things” Godfred Abulbire added.
He continued, “And so, as a father, the President was asking us to reconsider our decision and see if we could take the 16 percent offered by the Minister. But we said that was actually a problem… So, we all agreed that we will take off 1 percent and accept 19 percent and that is how the meeting concluded”.
Godfred Abulbire, however, said an official statement will be issued on October 26, announcing the fare increment which will take effect on Saturday, October 29, 2022.
With her new concept album Midnights mere days removed from its multi-chaptered release, Taylor Swift has already given fans a pair of videos to further bring these new songs to life.
The latest example of this is the video for “Bejeweled,” directed by Swift. The video, released overnight on Monday, sees Swift enlisting a number of fellow artists and friends to step in for cameo appearances, Haim and Laura Dern among them.
Speaking about the latest Midnights video during an extended appearance on Monday’s Tonight Show, Swift said she wanted the “Anti-Hero” follow-up to serve as “a little twist” on the classic Cinderella story.
She also praised her cast, including “one of the most iconic performers” Dita Von Teese, as well as let fans know there is indeed “a psychotic amount” of Easter eggs throughout the video. In fact, Swift said, she has “a PDF file for the Easter eggs in this video” because she couldn’t keep track otherwise.
Elsewhere, Swift reflected on the unique challenges brought on by Midnights, particularly its status as her first “directly autobiographical album” in several years.
‘It’s actually, it’s a concept record, but it’s my first directly autobiographical album in a while because the last album that I put out was a re-record of my album Red,” Swift told host Jimmy Fallon. “So that has some space, you know. I wrote that stuff a decade ago. Folklore and Evermore, it was like story time. It was mythology. … I’m feeling overwhelmed by the fans’ love for the record. I’m also feeling very soft and fragile. The two can exist at once.”
Swift also dove into a reflection on how her writing process has picked up in pace over the past few years, as well as teased potential plans for a return to touring. See more below, including Swift joking about being a “geriatric pop star.”
Midnights is out now. As previously reported, the album (Swift’s 10th) is currently on track for an expectedly massive first week on the charts.
Former President, John Dramani Mahama has urged the Ghana Football Association to raise the standard of the Premier League in bid to get supporters to the various stadia.
The Premier League resumes this weekend after an Accra High Court dismissed the Application for Injunction filed by Ashanti Gold against the GFA.
Asante Kotoko will clash with rivals King Faisal at the Baba Yara Sports stadium on Monday while Hearts of Oak host Bibiani Gold Stars at the Accra Sports stadium on Saturday.
“We know that under this administration, the GFA has brought some more vitality into our football and we are all supporting this administration to make sure we move football to the next level,” former President Mahama said as quoted by ghanafa.org.
“I know there are challenges in the domestic League because our people are more interested in the foreign League and so people don’t come to the stadium as they should but it is normally a good family entertainment, but we need to raise the standard so people will love to come to the stadium.”
He added, “There has been concerns about refereeing and so it depresses the quality of the league but we have faith that you have all that in hand and we will continue to support you.”
After dedicating a tree to commemorate 50 years of diplomatic relations with Ghana, he declared that relations between the two countries “would continue to develop on the principles of friendship, mutual respect, and advantages.”
The ambassador made this statement while planting one of the 50 “Ghaf trees,” designated as the national trees of the UAE, at the School of Agriculture, University of Ghana, alongside Mr. Mohammed Hardin Tufeiru, Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture.
Scientifically known as ” Prosopis cineraria”, the tree has great cultural and is historically important to the United Arab Emirates; underpinning their national tolerance, prosperity and community building.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Ambassador Al Alawi, said: ” Planting these trees represents an investment between the UAE and Ghana for future generations that will grow and prosper overtime.”
He said the initiative was a step towards sustainability and environmental responsibility to curb the adverse effects of climate change.
Mr Mohammed Hardin Tufeiru, who is also the Member of Parliament for Nanton Constituency, said, the trees had come at the opportune time when the “Green Ghana Campaign” had been intensified.
He said Government in its quest to restore the forest cover, had been fighting illegal mining and had led the planting of 20 million trees for 2022 Green Ghana Day.
Prof Irene Susana Egyir, Dean, School of Agriculture, University of Ghana, said the 50 trees would be planted across the University and assured that they would be taken good care of.
She said the School of Agriculture would explore the medicinal properties of the tree.
The Ghaf tree is a symbol of resilience and prosperity, even in the desert.
It embodies the vision of the father and founder UAE, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who believed the tree represented an important source of life, optimism and development.
Ghanaian gospel music sensation, Piesie Esther, gospel kid on the block, Efe Grace, and vocal queen, Jackie Ankrah have been added to the list of billed musicians for the 2022 Adom Praiz concert.
The trio is joining an already powerful list of Ghanaian gospel music icons for the event.
They include Celestine Donkor, Perez Music, Jack Alolome, and Edwin Dadson, among others.
Headlining the show at the Perez Dome, on November 4, is American Gospel singer Travis Greene.
The 12th edition of the Adom Praiz promises to be exciting, especially as the show takes a turn away from the coronavirus-imposed virtual concert held at the height of the pandemic.
Tickets are available at all branches of First National Bank and at the front desk of Joy FM.
Tickets are going for ¢100 and ¢150 cedis for single and double, respectively.
The Ghana Football Association has cautioned clubs not to allow stewards and other unregistered club officials in the Inner perimeter and dressing room areas on match days.
Below is a full statement from the GFA:
“As part of efforts to maintain sanity in all GFA organized league competitions, the Safety and Security Committee wish to send a strong warning and reminder to all clubs that, deployed Club Stewards and other unregistered club officials are not allowed in the Inner perimeter and dressing room areas on match days.”
“Clubs are to note that only GFA trained and approved stewards can be deployed on Matchdays to perform duties outside the inner perimeter. Any club who deploys person(s) who haven’t been trained and approved by the GFA shall be punished accordingly.“Any club whose Stewards violate any of the aforementioned instructions shall be punished accordingly and the said steward shall be banned permanently from all football related activities.”Match Commissioners are to ensure and enforce this directive and report conducts of stewards to the GFA.”
Tuesday’s parliamentary session was marked by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority Caucus wearing black and red clothes to symbolize their “mourning of Ghana’s prolonged economic catastrophe.”
At a news conference in the House, Dr. Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, the ranking member of the parliament’s finance committee, explained that everyone was wearing black and red because they were lamenting Ghana’s democracy and the situation of the country’s economy.
“Our economy is in such horrible health that if caution is not exercised, we will crash it to a point beyond recovery.
And for that reason, we have chosen to lament it while also making it clear to the government that we won’t back down, he said.
“The economy is our livelihood, we will stand firm for the people of Ghana, because they deserve it. We think the people of Ghana have done no wrong to deserve this kind of treatment and mismanagement, coupled with ineptitude.”
Dr Forson reiterated the Minority Caucus’ call for the Minister of Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, to be relieved of his post.
He said they had filed a motion on the floor of Parliament for his impeachment.
Dr Forson, who outlined the seven reasons why the Minority was calling for the removal of the Finance Minister alleged a conflict of interest, claiming the Minister was “directly benefiting from Ghana’s economic woes with his companies taking undue advantage of the system, particularly, from Ghana’s debt overhaul”.
Secondly, he alleged that there were withdrawals from the Consolidated Fund in contravention of Article 178 of the 1992 Constitution and the Petroleum Management Act for the construction of the National Cathedral.
Dr Forson alleged there were illegal payments of oil revenues into offshore accounts in violation of Article 176 of the 1992 Constitution and the Public Financial Management Act, as well as the Petroleum Revenue Act (Act 815).
“The fourth is misreporting of figures to Parliament, where he decided to account for expenditure as amortization and setting expenditure as foot note in the financial reporting standard, contrary to global financial reporting standards,” he said.
He said “fiscal recklessness” was obviously leading to the crash of the Ghanaian cedi making it one of the worst performing currencies.
Dr Forson criticised the managers of the economy, saying their “incompetence” and “gross mismanagement” of the economy had brought untold hardships on Ghanaians.
“Colleague, we can’t do this alone, we need the majority to support us to do this. We need to assist the President to make sure that this happens.”
He suggested that new leaders be appointed to head the Economic Management Team and the Bank of Ghana to offer alternative solutions.
A Ghanaian citizen, Samuel Ampomah, has dragged the state to court over restrictions imposed by the Marriages Act (CAP 127) that enforces monogamy.
The Marriages Act (Cap 127) is the law that governs marriage under the ordinance in Ghana. It is presently the only strict monogamous marriage arrangement under Ghanaian law. Anyone who breaches this law commits an offence and can be charged with bigamy.
Apparently, Mr. Ampomah, who is already legally married, feels that his human rights are being violated because the law prevents him from marrying another wife, despite the fact that he wants to.
He, thus, wants the part of the law that restricts men from marrying more than one wife to be repealed.
In his request, Mr Ampomah is seeking a declaration from the court to impose on the State to amend CAP 127 to respect choices and fundamental human rights to marry more in line with customary and Islamic arrangements of Ghana’s marital laws.
Hearing the case on Tuesday, October 18, 2022, Mr Ampomah’s counsel briefed the court, and the Attorney General in response was to file the necessary documents for the case.
In a 23-page document signed by Chief State Attorney, Patience Adumua-Lartey, the Attorney General explained that the various forms of marriage as captured by CAP 127 are simply based on the principles of the various religions regarding marriage and not a creation of the lawmakers.
The Attorney-General contended that the plaintiff’s submissions do not raise any real or genuine issues of constitutional interpretation such as would invoke the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.
“Per his Statement of Case, invoking the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, the plaintiff, Samuel Ampomah states inter alia that the effect of Sections 74(1)(b) of CAP 127 and Sections 262 , 263, 264, and 265(2) of Act 29 constitute a breach of Articles 17(2) and 21(1) ( c) of the Constitution by prohibiting an identifiable section of Ghanaian wife if they wish so.
“Section 74 of CAP 127 is clear, concise, and admits of no ambiguity and that what CAP 127 did was just give legal backing to the religious principle which has been in existence since time immemorial,” he added.
Additionally, the A-G noted that, considering the reliefs sought in the plaintiff’s action, it is clear that this is not a case that calls for interpretation of the Constitution so as to vest the Supreme Court with the appropriate jurisdiction per Article 130(1) (a).
“Marriage under the ordinance is essentially distinct from Christian marriage as stated on the RGD website; ‘Marriage under Ordinance is the Civil Union available to any Ghanaian to take advantage of, and despite some confusion, it is entirely secular and not religious(Christian) at all,” the A-G said.
“Part 3 of the Marriages Act, 1884-1885(CAP 127) deals with Christian and other marriages. Thus the use of ‘other marriages’ suggests that the part is not limited to Christian marriages and thus may be construed to mean Marriage under the ordinance,” the report added.
The rankings also showed Ghana placed first in West Africa with regard to investment attractiveness. The nation outperformed Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal and Nigeria on that front.
A statement issued by the corporate and investment banking arm of First Rand Bank Limited said Ghana had entered the COVID-19 crisis on a relatively stronger footing than its African peers.
It added that Ghana’s economy despite the adverse impact of the pandemic managed to avoid a recession following the onset of the pandemic while registering a growth rate of 0.4 percent, outperforming other Sub-Saharan Africa economies which faced contraction.
“Structurally, Ghana’s economy has seen major shifts over the past few years, positioning it for significant growth going forward.
“This is supported not only by primary sector industries like oil and gold but accelerated development in the tertiary sector. We see the construction, agriculture and services sectors as the main catalysts for strong 4.2 percent average growth between 2022 and 2023.” it stated.
It further added that in 2021, Ghana’s economy had shown a steady recovery with the Gross Domestic Product at 3.9 percent.
“Over the next few years, oil production output will rise in the near term supported by higher oil prices that should encourage further oil exploration in Ghana. There are similar expectations for gold production, which have further supported the government’s efforts to curb illegal mining activity, thereby promoting the formal sector,” it stated.
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