Leader of the supporters fronts of Accra Hearts of Oak, Elvis Herman Hesse has urged board members, Alhaji Akambi and Sowah Odotei to accept criticisms in good strides when things go south
Hearts of Oak supporters have constantly called for the sack of the duo owing to Hearts’ poor performance both on the local and continental fronts.
The pressure on the two board members became intense after the Phobians got kicked out from the CAF Confederations Cup against Malain side Real Bamako in Accra.
The Rainbow club had gone eleven seasons without a domestic league title but managed to overcome that two seasons ago when former coach Samuel Boadu led them to the double – winning the league and the FA Cup.
Management were praised for the achievement by supporters but Elvis Herman Hesse want them to also accept the blame if things does not go well with the club.
“When it goes well, when we are winning, when the right things are being done, their posture to the supporters looks like they are doing all the good things and so when things go bad, they should accept criticisms”.
“Because you won’t be able to identify their portfolio in the club. They are supposed to be top managers, board members and their role is to implement policies at the top and direct the club”.
“But when they decided to come down and communicate to the supporters that they are doing everything and making things work,when it goes wrong then supporters will blame theme,” Elvis Herman Hesse told Untold stories TV GH.
A law that would require bankers to allocate at least 20% of their loan portfolios to the agricultural industry is what the Ministry of Food and Agriculture is attempting to pass.
The initiative was announced by the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, who urged that banks must utilize a portion of their “supernormal profits” to promote development of the agriculture sector. It is an effort to overcome banks’ reluctance to offer loans to agribusinesses.
The ministry, he disclosed, is currently awaiting approval from Cabinet to design the policy that will make it compulsory for banks to set aside a certain percentage of their loan books to finance the agriculture sector.
“Over the last decade, lending to agriculture by financial institutions averaged 3.5 percent. A proposal for legislation requiring commercial banks to increase loanable funds to agriculture has been sent to Cabinet. When approved, we will go to parliament with a bill to make a law that can compel banks in the country to, at least, earmark 20 percent of their loans into the agriculture sector,” he said.
The minister’s concerns are not in isolation. Earlier this month, data from the Development Bank Ghana (DBG) indicated that support from universal banks toward agribusiness finance remains insignificantly low at 4 percent.
“If you do not have the resources, it is very difficult to make commitments into the sector. Secondly, lack of understanding risks in the agricultural sector is making most banks shy away from making investments into the sector,” he said.
Meanwhile, many market watchers and industry players are of the view that most banks still consider agriculture-related businesses, particularly farming, as being too risky – and would rather finance businesses that are into imports or buying and selling.
This is despite the existence of the Ghana Incentive-based Risk-sharing System for Agricultural Lending (GIRSAL). GIRSAL works by de-risking agricultural financing for financial institutions through issuing agricultural credit guarantee instruments to enhance the total amount of credit for the agricultural and agribusiness sectors.
Though blessed with vast arable land, Ghana’s annual food and agriculture imports reached around US$1.9billion in 2021, as most farmers operate on a peasant-subsistence basis due to lack of credit to expand their operations. Food imports weigh heavily on the economy.
For instance, it is one of the major drivers of the cedi’s persistent depreciation. This year alone, food inflation has been a major concern for Ghanaians; partly owing to the unstable global food and oil markets.
Against this backdrop, government sees legislation as the only way of getting banks to commit a significant share of their loan books to the sector that employs a majority of the country’s workforce. The policy, if approved by parliament, will help boost domestic food production and help the majority of smallholder farmers’ transition to large-scale production.
Commenting on the minister’s announcement, AGI president Dr. Humphrey Ayim-Darke said: “It is laudable, it is good; and we will support it fully to ensure that each commercial bank sets aside a certain percentage of their loan portfolio to support the agriculture sector”.
Business forum
The forum was themed ‘Resuscitating Ghanaian Industries to Address the Current Economic Challenges, the Trend and the Way Forward’. Its aim was to discuss practical actions government is taking to support industrial development in these difficult times.
Minister for National Security, Mr Albert Kan Dapaah, has lauded officers of the various security agencies in the country over their consistent efforts in ensuring peace and tranquillity in the country.
He said the fact that Ghana was recognised as the most peaceful and secured country in the sub-region and considered the second most powerful and secured country in Africa, was an achievement all Ghanaians should be proud of.
“If our investment drive has been successful, that has fed into it. Investors come because they know that there is peace and tranquillity in our country.
“Let us, as Ghanaians never forget that the peace and tranquillity that we have is the result of sacrifices being made by our gallant troops.
“I want to take this opportunity to salute and thank them and to let them know how much we in government appreciate the work that they are doing for us,” the National Security Minister said.
Mr Kan Dapaah gave the commendation in Bolgatanga at a brief ceremony to hand over motorbikes and pick-up vehicles to four security agencies in the Upper East Region to boost their operations.
The beneficiary agencies were the Ghana Immigration Service which received one pick-up vehicle and 10 motorbikes, the Ghana Armed Forces had a pick-up vehicle and 15 motorbikes.
The Ghana Police Service had a pick-up vehicle and 20 motorbikes, while the National Investigations Bureau, got two pick-up vehicles and five motorbikes.
Mr Kan Dapaah said even though it was not the primary responsibility of the Sector to provide vehicles to the security agencies, the Ministry took the initiative from its budget to support the agencies to function effectively.
He noted that some of the agencies, especially the Ghana National Fire Service, and the Ghana Prison Service had not benefitted, and gave the assurance that they would soon receive their share of the vehicles.
The National Security Minister said the security challenges in the Upper East Region were peculiar, and needed a lot of attention to handle, and commended members of the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) for the successful management of the security challenges in the Region.
He said the conflict in Bawku required careful management, “In recent times, the reports that I get from Bawku indicate that to a large extent, we are able to get the two sides to work together.
“That is necessary and can only be achieved through the commitment, loyalty, and determination of the security agencies, especially the REGSEC,” Mr Kan Dapaah added.
Mr Stephen Yakubu, the Upper East Regional Minister, said the security situation in the Region was of national concern and indicated that apart from the Bawku and Doba-Kandiga conflicts, there were threats of violent attacks from extremist groups from the Sahel.
He said the Region hosted a number of immigrants who had escaped the attacks at various locations in communities which share border with neighbouring countries, and said REGSEC was sensitising the border communities on the “See something, say something” campaign.
Mr Yakubu, who is the Chairman of REGSEC, thanked the National Security Minister for the support and gave the assurance that REGSEC would monitor to ensure the vehicles were used for the intended purpose.
To lessen the effects of the country’s food and fuel shortages, Tunisia is about to finalize an agreement with the IMF to access a $1.9 billion loan.
In addition, Morocco is considering canceling prior plans to issue bonds and using about $1 billion of its IMF loan line.
The strain of servicing foreign-denominated debt has increased as the Tunisian Dinar has declined 15% versus the dollar this year and the Moroccan Dirham has fallen 22%.
We expect Morocco’s IMF line to help strengthen the Dirham, while a sluggish pace of economic reform in Tunisia, particularly in the agriculture sector, may hamper recovery for the Dinar. Meantime, debt relief for Chad has been thrown into doubt by international creditors arguing that rising oil prices have benefited the central African country.
The IMF called on the Paris Club of official creditors not to use higher oil prices as an excuse to abandon commitments to the country. The Fund approved a $570m three-year loan programme for Chad last year, though this could be at risk if the money is being used to repay unsustainable debt in the absence of a deal with creditors.
The Naira edged to a fresh record low against the dollar, trading at 748 from 745 at last week’s close as annual inflation climbed to a 17-year high of 20.8% in September, from 20.5% a month earlier. Rising food prices together with higher natural gas, diesel and transport costs were behind the increase.
Nigerian senators called on the aviation ministry, the central bank and other stakeholders to find a way to curb surging airfares. Flight costs have rocketed due to airlines’ inability to repatriate around $500m of funds trapped in the country via the central bank-managed FX windows.
Around $265m of blocked funds had previously been released by the central bank following threats by some airlines to halt Nigerian routes. Heavy demand for imports and dwindling FX reserves continue to pile pressure on the Naira, which we expect will translate to further losses against the dollar in the near term.
World’s worst currency has further to fall in Ghana
Foreign holdings of domestic government and corporate bonds fell to 12.3% in August, the lowest proportion on record, down from 17.3% in April, as international investors exit amid rising external borrowing costs that have forced Ghana to seek a financial lifeline from the IMF.
Domestic unrest continues, with Ghanaian shop owners this week closing their businesses for three days to protest surging inflation, which hit 37.2% in September. Given these strains, we expect the Cedi to weaken beyond the 12 level in the near term.
Rand steady as Transnet halts strike
The Rand strengthened marginally against the dollar, trading at 18.34 from 18.36 at last week’s close. Adding to ongoing concerns about energy supplies, a strike by Transnet workers over wages has dragged coal exports to the lowest level in more than a year, with just 600,000 tons exported in the second week in October.
Transnet said recovery plans are in place and most of its employees have returned to work following the signing of a new wage deal. We expect the Rand to trade at similar levels this week given the continued risk off sentiment in the markets and lack of positive economic events affecting the currency.
IMF deal won’t save Egypt Pound from falling further
The Pound continued to trade around its record low, with one dollar fetching 19.68, a slight depreciation from the 19.66 level at last week’s close and just short of the record 19.69 reached earlier this month.
Egypt is expected to finalise a new loan agreement with the IMF when the two parties meet this weekend, following progress on monetary and exchange rate policies aimed at helping the outlook for inflation, monetary policy and functioning of the FX market.
Record low Kenya Shilling faces rising loan rate pressure
The Shilling fell to a fresh low against the dollar, trading at 121.05/121.25 from 120.80/121 at last week’s close, as FX demand for energy and manufacturing imports continued to outpace inflows.
Following last month’s 75 basis point interest rate hike to 8.25%, Kenyan banks have started to increase loan rates, making it more expensive for households and businesses to borrow and potentially stifling economic growth.
With the new government complaining that loan servicing costs are choking the economy, Kenya this week called on China to extend the payment period for $5bn in loans the African country borrowed to finance a railway project. We expect the Shilling to remain under pressure in the near term, particularly given that FX inflows from agricultural exports are low due to unfavourable weather conditions.
Ugandan Shilling buoyed by six-quarter growth streak
The Shilling strengthened against the dollar, trading at 3810 from 3834 at last week’s close as Uganda clocked up a sixth consecutive quarter of economic growth, advancing 4.9% in the second quarter compared to the same period a year ago.
That was driven by improved momentum in agricultural activity and faster industrial output, notably in mining and quarrying. Improved economic sentiment is punctured by the continued Ebola outbreak, with Uganda imposing a three-week lockdown in two districts. We expect the Shilling to continue strengthening in the near term due to the country’s growth performance.
Tanzanian Shilling to gain on agricultural inflows
The Shilling was broadly unchanged against the dollar, trading at 2332, in line with last week’s close. Trading activity on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange fell over the past two weeks as investors wait on listed companies to release their third-quarter financial results next week.
Credit to the agricultural sector rose by 42.6% in the year ending August compared to a decline of 14% during the same period a year earlier, according to the Bank of Tanzania. We expect the Shilling to strengthen in the week ahead driven by an increase in stock trading activity and inflows from export crops including cashew, tobacco, coffee and cotton.
Popular Senegalese-American musician, Akon, has opened up on undergoing a $7,500 worth of hair transplant to restore his receding hairline.
In an interview with American hip-hop personality, Bootleg Kev, the 49-year-old singer admitted that he hopped on a plane to Turkey for that particular procedure.
Akon also established that in spite of the pain, he is thoroughly impressed with the results, adding that Turkey is one the best countries for transplants, particularly for hair and teeth.
“In the beginning, my whole front was loose, it was really thin. They did the grafting. The painful part is the beginning when they gotta numb you up. That numbing ain’t no joke. They stick a needle like this big, non-stop. It looks amazing though. Turkey is known for two things, one of which is hair and the other is teeth. They’re really good on both. The same job that people are paying 40, 50 grand for, they charged me like $7,500,” he stated.
However, Akon has recently been subjected to severe backlash for allowing his brother, Abou “Bu” Thiam, to perform on his behalf when he couldn’t make it to a show.
Discussions between the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the government of Ghana for a Post-Covid Programme for the country are still ongoing.
In its most recent update on the engagement, the Ministry of Finance revealed that both parties have agreed on a clear path toward the final details of the programme.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry on October 21, 2022, this is with the “goal of reaching a Staff-Level Agreement by the end of the year.”
Both parties managed to reach an agreement following a trip by a government delegation to Washington, D.C. on the sidelines of the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
A path to financial sustainability was also extensively discussed during engagements.
The delegation also had a number of fruitful and energising interactions with the World Bank, bilateral partners, US government representatives, and external investors.
“The Annual Meetings concluded successfully with a renewed sense of urgency for countries to rally together to bolster the global economy, in light of the dim outlook for advanced and frontier markets alike,” the Ministry wrote in its release.
An IMF mission teamis anticipated to arrive in Accra in the coming weeks, with a Staff-Level Agreement still in the works.
A delegation from the Fund would be visiting for the third time to assess the nation’s economic situation and help resolve any problems.
The government first engaged the IMF this year in July and then subsequently in September.
The United Kingdom, Germany, and France, which are bilateral partners of Ghana, have pledged to support the country as it engages the International Monetary Fund.
The government has thanked Ghanaians “for their forbearance in what is undoubtedly a troubling and challenging time for our economy and economies globally.”
Government has pledged to continue working, with “a fierce sense of urgency, to stabilize the economy and place it back on a firm trajectory of growth.”
Controversial Ghanaian entertainment critic, Arnold Asamoah-Baidoo, believes Shatta Wale has no authority to pass comments about the international appeal of his colleague musicians.
Speaking on Peace FM’s entertainment news review show, Arnold said that barring the Beyonce feature, Shatta Wale had no internal presence.
“If not for Beyonce, Shatta Wale virtually had no international presence. Shatta Wale himself alluded to the fact that he was a local champion and that he did not care about international appeal” he said.
“So who is Shatta Wale in terms of international presence and appeal to actually question a Sarkodie?” he asked.
He said Shatta Wale appears to carry himself as the gatekeeper of the industry though he has not reached that level yet.
“Sometimes, he (Shatta) makes it seem as if he is Lord. Like he sits on top of that place and then he’s seen it and done it all. So he has the opportunity to say that I can easily advise Sarkodie, I can easily advise Kelvyn Boy”, he explained.
Arnold’s comments come on the back of an interview where Shatta Wale said that rapper Sarkodie failed to take advantage of his relationship with record producer Akon to boost his career.
In the said interview, Shatta Wale explained that despite the amount of investment Sarkodie has made in his music and brand, the rapper’s career is still nothing to write home about.
The Railway Workers Union has urged the government to save the Ghana Railway Company as soon as possible.
According to the workers, the company is on the verge of failing.
The Union stated in a statement issued and signed by its General Secretary, Godwill Ntarmah, that the company is currently unable to purchase fuel to run its manganese freight and passenger trains.
The Ghana Railway Workers Union is therefore urging President Akufo-Addo to direct the immediate release of revenue from scrap metal auctions and to intervene to “save the company from total collapse”.
In a social media letter, reggae/dancehall superstar Samini Dagaati has expressed worry and regret for supporting Nana Akufo-Addo to become Ghana’s president.
Taking to his Facebook timeline on Sunday, 23 October 2022, the artiste, considered a legend by fans and critics alike, addressed Ghana’s President: “Dear @NAkufoAddo [Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo] I supported you to bring change and stability.”
“I believed in the vision and your concept of change! But with 2 [more] years to go, my soul bleeds.”
Born Emmanuel Andrews Samini, he explained thus: “Our investments wash away daily as the dollar openly whips our cedi. Your people are crying. We cannot pretend all is well.”
Before he asked: “Where is the Nana Addo who begged us for the mandate?” Samini who is currently the Student Representative Council (SRC) president at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) claimed, in hope, that: “God has blessed Ghana with” the “ability to stare difficulty right in the face and say, it will be alright [prayer emojis].”
“Ghana must work again!” he strongly noted and bemoaned: “The indiscipline in high and low places of government must be checked.”
“We [will] keep hope alive and continue to soldier on,” he encouraged his 1.2 million Facebook fans. “What’s a man without hope? We can only continue to pray for a better tomorrow. To all my high graders out there, I say it again: We will be alright!!! [fire emojis].”
By this social media post, the multiple award-winning singer, music executive and businessman has joined the likes of actors Kwaku Sintim-Misa and Lydia Forson in decrying Ghana’s current economic woes.
Samini is also in step with actor Prince David Osei who recently expressed regret for campaigning for Nana Akufo-Addo.
On the Interbank forex rates from the Bank of Ghana on, October 24, 2022, the Ghana Cedi is trading against the dollar at a buying price of 12.5244 and a selling price of 12.5370.
As compared to Saturday’s trading of a buying price of 12.5823 and a selling price of 12.5949. At a forex bureau in Accra, the dollar is being bought at a rate of 15.05 and sold at a rate of 15.65.
Against the Pound Sterling, the Cedi is trading at a buying price of 14.0825 and a selling price of 14.1003 as compared to Saturday’s trading at a buying price of 14.1740 and a selling price of 14.1907.
At a forex bureau in Accra, the pound sterling is being bought at a rate of 15.50 and sold at a rate of 16.00.
The Euro is trading at a buying price of 12.3271 and a selling price of 12.3384 as compared to Saturday’s trading at a buying price of 12.3424 and a selling price of 12.3558.
At a forex bureau in Accra, Euro is being bought at a rate of 13.50 and sold at a rate of 14.30.
The South African Rand is trading at a buying price of 0.6901 and a selling price of 0.6907 compared to Saturday’s trading at a buying price of 0.6891 and a selling price of 0.6898.
The Nigerian Naira is trading at a buying price of 35.1353 and a selling price of 35.1744 as compared to Saturday’s trading at a buying price of 34.9499 and a selling price of 35.0269.
At a forex bureau in Accra, Nigerian Naira is being bought at a rate of 18.00 Naira for every 1 Cedi and sold at a rate of 22.00.
According to him the majority of the problem is caused by the increased demand for dollars to import goods for the holiday season.
Speaking to the media about Ghana’s currency at the time, Mr. Ken Ofori-Attaacknowledged that he was surprised by how much the cedi had fallen in value in comparison to other major trading currencies, particularly the US dollar.
“It’s quite perplexing to see where it’s going. Of course, typically in October, people are importing for Christmas and maybe there’s a rush for that [the dollar],” he mentioned.
However, he urged the public to avoid becoming overly alarmed by the current state of the economy because their panic response could further aggravate the cedi’s depreciation rate.
“We really would want people to know not to panic or be rushing in order to put pressure on the currency,” the finance minister added.
According to him, the country, despite the economic challenges it is facing, is “in good shape.” At the beginning of October 2022, a dollar was trading for about GH₵11.
Three weeks later, and a dollar is trading at almost GH₵15 on the forex market as of October 21, 2022.
Many groups and individuals have expressed worry over the rate at which the local currency is losing its value.
The Ghana Union of Traders Association recently closed their shops to register their displeasure against the cedi’s depreciation and high taxes.
Economist, Professor Lord Mensah has said there is a cause to worry as Ghana continues to import heavily as against exporting.
“Once everything on the shelf is imported with the dollar, the Minister cannot say we cannot worry about the dollar. We need to get worried about the dollar because we know that getting to Christmas, the demand for the dollar is high, adding to the depreciation of the dollar, and the rate for this year alone is unbearable,” Professor Mensah told the media.
However, Mr Ofori-Atta wants Ghanaians to remain calm as the government puts in the right measures to regain the value of the cedi.
The Finance Minister explained that the cedi would begin to appreciate “once we conclude with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which will lead to the fund’s disbursement early next year.”
“The support we are getting from countries like Germany and France, we are confident that we will get the resources needed,” he added.
The government of Ghana is hoping to receive as much as $3 billion under an IMF extended credit facility program to bolster its finances and regain access to global capital markets.
The Ministry of Finance has disclosed that Ghana and the IMF have reached a clear path towards the final details of a programme, with the goal of reaching a Staff-Level Agreement by the end of the year.
Paramount chief of the Buipe Traditional Area in the Central Gonja District, Abdulai Jinapor II, has pleaded with the government and the managers of the Bui Dam to help residents who have been displaced as a result of a dam spillage exercise.
Authorities at the Bui Dam opened one of the dam’s five outputs (pipes) to force the water back into the White Volta and into Buipe.
Buipewura Abdulai Jinapor II made this known to the media during an inspection tour of the affected areas.
The victims, who have lost the majority of their belongings, are allegedly in a distressed state.
Homes, schools, power poles, and cables are among the many public and private properties that have been damaged.
Food crops, including maize and millet, as well as livestock and tubers like yam and cassava, were also either swept away by the flood waves or drowned.
“We are crying to the whole world, the government, and the Bui Dam authorities that they should come and see our sorrow,” he pleaded.
According to Mr. Jinapor, “a lot of the people had to be relocated. They had to be put in schools, and the schools could not allow the students there.”
“So, we are going to have double danger. School children cannot go to school and people too cannot work,” as the chief declared all highways leading to the impacted “oversea schools” in far-off communities closed.
So far, no lives have been lost, according to District Chief Executive for Central Gonja, Salia Kamara.
With regard to what would happen to the students and teachers in Buipe, the DCE stated, “We will put them in other schools so that when the water goes back, we can send the children back to their various schools.”
They conveyed their sincere appreciation to the IATC for choosing Ghana as the country’s regional headquarters for West and Central Africa.
The Ga Mantse expressed his excitement about Ghana hosting the West and Central Africa headquarters of the Council when speaking during the inaugural IATC Trade summit, which was held in Accra on October 18, 2022.
Therefore, he promised to give the IATC all of his assistance.
The Member of Parliament for the people of Juabeng South, who doubles as deputy trade minister, urged members of the IATC to embrace Ghana’s flagship industrialisation programme, the One District-One Factory (1D1F).
The Global President of IATC, Dr. Asif Iqbal, was in Ghana to attend the summit and also present to Dr. James Gnanaraj Rajamani his letter of credence, confirming his appointment as the Chairman of IATC West and Central Africa.
In his address at the summit, Dr. Iqbal admonished businessmen and women to take advantage of international trade liberalisation policies to ensure effective growth of the business communities.
On his part, Dr. James Rajamani assured of his readiness to live up to his responsibilities in coordinating activities of the Central and West Africa sub-regions.
Recognition
The three management directors of IATC were presented with certificates of recognition from IATC Global Head Office based in India.
They are: Dr. Immanuel Rajamani, Executive Director-International Protocol; Neelesh Bhatia, Executive Director-Finance and Administration; and Mr.Peter Mensah, Executive Director-Operations and Corporate Affairs.
The summit attracted several key personalities from industry, the diplomatic community, government, religious leaders, traditional leaders and the security agencies.
In attendance were: the Board Chairman of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Kwame Acheampong Boateng; Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs of Sierra Leone, Dr. Memunatu Pratt; the Chief of Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces, Major General Nicholas Peter Andoh; the Ahafo Regional Minister, George Boakye; Bono East Regional Minister, Akwasi Adu Gyan; member of the Board of IATC and Chief Executive Officer of the EIB Network, Mr. Nat Adisi (Borla Ray); as well as some selected Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs).
About IATC
The idea of India Africa Trade Council came about in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic’s peak.
IATC is a non-governmental organisation established in consultation with the various heads of Trade bodies in Africa and the presidents/representatives and professionals of repute from the entire Indo-African region.
It was formed with a view to giving the business communities of both India and Africa a voice and a tool to foster development.
The Black Meteors of Ghana are on verging of progressing to the final round of the TotalEnergies CAF U-23 qualifiers after securing a 2-1 win over Mozambique in the first leg on Sunday.
The victory 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 or a draw for Ghana in the second leg will take Ghana into the final round of the qualifiers where the Black Meteors will face either Ethiopia or Algeria.
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 team is expected to arrive in the country on Tuesday and will head straight to Kumasi to commence camping ahead of the return on Sunday at the Baba Yara stadium.
A former president’s adviser, Joyce Bawah Mogtari, revealed this today, October 24, 2022, in a Facebook post.
She posted on her Facebook that “John Mahama talks on Thursday, October 27th at 7 pm about Ghana’s failing economy, the unparalleled difficulties sweeping the land, and the way forward.”
Ghana’s economy has in recent times witnessed a downturn with the government admitting that the country was facing challenging times.
Many economists have also pointed to the rate of inflation, fuel price hikes, and fast depreciation of the Cedi as the basis for the claim.
Amid economic downgrades from rating agencies such as Fitch, Standards and Poor and Moody’s, Ghana has been prevented from accessing the international capital market which has compelled it to initiate contact with the International Monetary Fund for a programme. Ghana is looking at securing a $3 billion facility over a three-year period.
Mahama in his recent commentary on the economy has urged the government to fast-track negotiations with the IMF in order to secure the programme with the Bretton Woods institution quickly.
He added that with the passing of each day, Ghana’s economic situation was getting worse.
“Distressing! Every passing day makes our economic situation worse. Gov’t must work with greater alacrity to lock in a programme with the Fund in order to create a more predictable economic outlook,” John Mahama tweeted on October 4.
The former president also in an October 19 tweet said the economic hardship confronting the country is the worst in thirty years.
He made the remark while reacting to news that a man had died by electrocution on a high-tension pylon near Kasoa.
“I returned from a trip to the sad news of Kakra who electrocuted himself. Levels of hardship in Ghana are dire; the worst in 3 decades. But suicide is never an answer. Even in the darkest night, there’ll come dawn. The sun will rise again. Let’s be each other’s keeper & keep hope alive,” Mahama tweeted.
The anticipated address by John Mahama will be his second major address on the economy in recent times. On May 2, the former president engage with Ghanaians on the topic “Ghana at a Crossroads.”
The study, which questioned 15 businesses to estimate the quarry subsector’s revenue potential in Ghana, discovered that the sample size’s royalty and corporation income revenue will be 12 times greater than the industry’s overall revenue in 2020.
It was determined that underreporting of production quantities and revenues continued to deprive the government of much-needed cash, and that the Ghana Revenue Authority and Minerals Commission needed to step up their efforts to fully realize the industry’s potential for revenue generation.
“The assessment we did is very conservative, taking in just 15 mine sites. The assessment of 15 quarry sites was 12 times more than what is reported as revenue nationwide. It tells you that the potential is huge if government pays attention and monitors that space,” ACEP’s Executive Director, Benjamin Boakye, told the B&FT in Accra.
He spoke on the sidelines of a sub-regional forum and stakeholders’ engagement on revenue mobilisation in the extractive the sector, and added that ACEP’s preliminary interrogation of government data on monitoring by agencies of state points to potential underreporting of production and revenues by companies to the state.
The industry, the report noted, is essential for the provision of raw materials for infrastructural development, employment, livelihood sustainment and government revenues. Its contribution to revenue generation of the mining and quarry sector, however, is insignificant.
Unlike gold and other mined assets, the report said, the industry is insulated from the persistent risk of commodity price shocks on the global market; and therefore should be able to generate more stable revenue to support government budget implementation.
“We have to improve monitoring by developing tools that allow us to do remote monitoring. Tracking trucks and vehicles moving with truck-loads of quarry is even easier than monitoring gold. There are a lot of illegalities happening, and they [GRA] just wait for self-reporting from the companies; but the companies don’t report the accurate data,” Mr. Boakye added.
Quarrying operations in Ghana include the production of granite, limestone and sandstone for use mainly in building and road construction. Four countries – Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone – participated in the forum.
Sarkodie’s decision not to sign with Akon’s Konvict Music record label is one of the most significant decisions of his career. This is according to controversial Ghanaian entertainment critic Arnold Asamoah-Baidoo.
His comments come at the back of an interview Shatta Wale said that rapper Sarkodie failed to take advantage of his relationship with record producer Akon to boost his career.
“Sarkodie not signing unto Akon’s label is one of the biggest decisions he has taken if that is true. It’s his best decision,” he said.
Speaking on Peace FM’s entertainment news review show, Arnold explained that Akon’s label has recently failed to project any signee.
“Tell me who you know from Akon’s label. Signee’s include OJ Boo Dirty, Demarco, Money J, Yaa Boy, Omega amongst others. I am super gratified with where Sarkodie independently has moved his career to where he is,” he added.
“Independently see where Sarkodie has moved his career from here to that international pedestal”, Arnold stated.
Arnold further stated that Shatta Wale is nowhere close to Sarkodie’s international significance.
“He (Shatta) cannot match Sarkodie’s international presence. It is a fact. How was he able to leverage on Beyonce’s collaboration? Since 2019, the likes of Burna Boy has gone on to win Grammy and playing on big big stadia. Why is Wale not comparing himself to Burna Boy?” he quizzed.
Ed Sheeran revealed it “hurt” to see his James Bond theme song shelved for Billie Eilish’s hit track, “No Time To Die.”
The “Shape of You” hitmaker said he’d “already started” writing the song when suddenly he was replaced by the 7-time Grammy-winning teen superstar.
“They changed directors and then they just changed scripts and that was it. We had done all the meetings, I started writing it,” the 31-year-old said on “That Peter Crouch Podcast.”
But Sheeran isn’t losing all hope just yet.
When asked if he would still be willing to sing a Bond theme tune in the future, it was a clear-cut yes.
“Yeah, of course,” he added. I’m not gonna pretend it didn’t hurt not doing it, but yeah I would.”
“I think eventually as an English singer you’ve got to eventually do a Bond song,” the singer said. “If they came back I’d be like, ‘Yeah, of course.’”
Billie Eilish replaced Sheeran as the singer on the main theme song for “No Time to Die.”
Getty Images for EON Productions
Eilish’s official theme song for the blockbuster “No Time to Die” made her the youngest artist to ever write a song for the 007 franchise.
The hit track won the 2022 Academy Award for “Best Original Song,” as well as a Grammy Award for “Best Song Written for Visual Media.”
Eilish joins other superstars who’ve penned songs for the Daniel Craig-starring James Bond films, including Chris Cornell (“You Know My Name” for “Casino Royale”), Adele (“Skyfall”), Jack White and Alicia Keys (“Another Way to Die” for “Quantum of Solace”), and Sam Smith (“Writing’s on the Wall” for “Spectre”).
Eilish wrote the song with her 22-year-old brother and musical collaborator Finneas O’Connell, with orchestral arrangements by renowned composer and Oscar winner Hans Zimmer and British conductor Matt Dunkley. The Smiths legend Johnny Marr plays guitar on the track.
The National Democratic Congress has suspended its internal election in the Tamale Central constituency following the absence of Electoral Commissionofficials to facilitate the process.
The absence of EC officials, according to information gathered by Citi News, is due to an interim injunction by the court, restraining party executives from organising elections in the Tamale Central constituency.
Some aggrieved party members took the NDC to court some weeks ago over the conduct of branch elections in the constituency.
Regional executives reportedly went ahead to organise the elections without the Electoral Commission.
Citi News’ visit to the polling centre saw some improvised ballot boxes without EC’s voting booth. There was no validation stamp.
This did not sit well with some agents and aspirants, which led to the destruction of ballot papers and improvised ballot boxes.
Earlier at the Tamale South constituency, the officer in charge of elections for Tamale South and Central constituencies, Bismarck Nteh spoke about the injunction.
“Last week, the court served us an injunction on Tamale Central and the parties were in court on Friday thinking that they will be able to resolve their differences before this election but Friday they came to tell us the court has not given a ruling on the injunction, so they have adjourned the case to Friday. So because of that, the Electoral Commission told them elections in that constituency will not take place”.
The Black Meteors of Ghana are expected to arrive in the country on Tuesday 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 once they touch down 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.
Stonebwoy has announced early bird tickets ahead of the sixth installment of his annual African-Caribbean concert series, BHIM Concert this December.
The multiple award-winning Ghana-based international reggae, dancehall, and afrobeat artiste announced that the most patronized Ghanaian indoor concert will return to its ritual venue, the Grand Arena (Accra International Conference Centre, AICC), on December 23rd, 2022. Access presale tickets now via: https://www.bhimconcert.com/ or Dial *365*2022#
After a year hiatus due to the outbreak of COVID-19, Bhim Concert made a comeback in December 2021. The Burniton Music Group produced event, themed “Beam of Hope”, featured special guest, Jamaican reggae & dancehall heavyweight, Beenie Man, and some of the country’s most talented musical artistes, such as DBlack, MzVee, Samini, Sefa, Kofi Kinaata, and more who delivered noteworthy performances.
The goal of music’s biggest night, which attracts fans from all over the world, is not only to remain one of the most anticipated annual events in the city, but to connect the African-Caribbean roots through music, arts, and culture. The musician will perform songs from across his discography, backed by a full band.
Stonebwoy has been exceptionally busy this year, having recently signed a world record deal with Universal Music Group/Def Jam Recordings. The 2015 BET award-winner released two official singles, “Therapy” and “Gidigba”, and has performed at over 15 festivals across Europe and America, most notably SummerJam Festival, Reggae Sundance Festival, Global Citizen Festival, Afropunk Festival, Uppsala Reggae Festival, Afrobeats Festival, and the self-curated Ashaiman To The World Festival. He also scored enviable collaborations this year with renowned reggae musicians, Gentlemen and Alpha Blondy.
He released his last album, “Anloga Junction” in April of 2020; it featured Diamond Platnumz, Kojo Antwi, Jahmiel, Alicai Hailey, Zlatan, Keri Hilson. The album currently has over 100 million streams across all credit.
Meanwhile, Stonebwoy has scheduled two concerts for December: Afrochella Festival on December 28 & 29 and Afronation Festival on December 29 & 30.
The Railway Workers Union wants government to as a matter of urgency save the Ghana Railway Company because the company is on its knees.
A statement released by the union and signed by its General Secretary, Godwill Ntarmah, indicates that the company is currently unable to purchase fuel to run its manganese freight as well as passenger train.
It added that the Ghana Railway company is saddled with an overwhelming debt burden, including the non-payment of salaries to some staff as well as SSNIT and credit union contributions.
The Ghana Railway Workers Union is therefore calling on President Akufo-Addo to direct the immediate release of revenue realized from the auctioning of scrap metals and intervene to “salvage the company from total collapse.”
Patrons of VIP JEOUN Transport Service will, from Monday, October 24, 2022, pay more for services provided by the transport company.
The upward adjustment in fares charged by the company was announced in a statement issued by the management of VIP JEOUN Transport on Sunday evening.
“VIP JEOUN Transport announces for the attention of the travelling public new fares effective on Monday 24/10/2022 at 07:00 hours GMT,” the company added in the statement.
This comes on the back of plans by the Ghana Road Transport Union (GPRTU) to increase transport fares on Monday.
Various driver unions had demanded a 40% upward review of the fares they charge following the continuous rise in fuel prices in Ghana.
Currently, diesel and petrol are selling for over GH¢15 and GH¢13 respectively at major fuel pumps; a situation transport operators say is eroding their profit.
Read the full statement from VIP below:
For Immediate Release:
VIP JEOUN Transport announces for the attention of the traveling public new fares effective on Monday 24/10/2022 at 07:00 hours GMT.
Reggae/Dancehall artiste, Samini, has hinted at releasing a song that will speak to the current economic travails confronting the country.
The musician on Sunday, October 23 took to his Facebook page to express his disquiet about the economic crunch stressing that he supported President Akufo-Addo to bring ‘change and stability’ but with two more years to go, his ‘soul weeps’.
He lamented that the local currency continues to perform woefully against international trading currencies such as the dollar emphasizing that the situation was making the investment of everyone wash away.
“Dear @NAkufoAddo.I supported you to bring change and stability. I believed in the vision and your concept of change! But with 2 years to go, my soul bleeds. Our investments wash away daily as the dollar openly whips our Cedi. Your people are crying. We cannot pretend all is well. But if God has blessed Ghana with anything, it is our ability to stare difficulty right in the face and say, it will #bealright. Ghana must work again! Where is the Nana Addo who begged us for the mandate?
“The indiscipline in high and low places of government must be checked. We go keep hope alive and continue to soldier on. What’s a man without hope? We can only continue to pray for a better tomorrow. To all my high graders out there, I say it again , we will #bealright,” Samini wrote on his Facebook page.
The musician further noted in a reply to a fan who asked him to use his craft to address his concerns that “…watch out for a release on 25th. #bealright”.
Musicians over the years have taken to their craft to sometimes express their concern over happening in the country
Sarkodie is one key person who had in the past released a song which addressed the problem at the time. His song ‘Inflation’ lambasted the then government over the higher inflation rate, intermittent power outages popularly known as “dumsor”, Cedi depreciation as well as increasing cost of fuel.
The CEO Network of Ghana has expressed worry about the seeming lack of a discernible intervention by the government and the effect of the challenges on the overall dynamics of the economy.
In a statement signed by Ernest DeGraft Egyir, it said the rapid depreciation of the cedi has meant that businesses dependent on forex for daily transactions are facing enormous and unsustainable liquidity challenges with many threatened by the prospects of insolvency and closures.
This development, it added, holds dire consequences for the survival of many businesses and employment.
“The rapid depreciation of the cedi has meant that businesses dependent forex for daily transactions are facing enormous and unsustainable liquidity challenges with many threatened with the prospects of insolvency and closures. This development holds dire consequences for the survival of many businesses and the employment of many”.
Furthermore, it said the situation is further compounded by the rather ruthless and punitive enforcement of the tax regime.
“This situation is further compounded by the rather ruthless and punitive enforcement of the tax regime which continues to badly affect the ability of business to sustain their operations within the current climate not to mention undertake hiring of new labor and ease the unemployment difficulties confronting the economy”.
“The ongoing situation with the economy is exacerbated by the rampant hikes in fuel prices coupled with uncertainty with the adequate supply of fuel within the economy. These price rises and uncertainties depress economic activity and the prospect of shortages may depress economic activities. The situation remains deeply troubling for the general performance of the economy but even more problematic for businesses directly dependent on crude oil imports and distribution as well as consumption”, It added.
It pointed out that the ongoing bailout talks with the International Monetary Fund provide a blueprint template for a government intervention, but that of itself is both inadequate, “and in the circumstances delayed to respond to the fast paced occurrences in the economy and seeming collapse of the Ghanaian cedi. In the circumstances, there seem an urgent need for government intervention independent of the bailout prescriptions to be administered as and when agreed”.
Again, the CEO Network of Ghana said the situation of labour and industrial unrest occasioned by other economic variables such as the steep depreciation of the cedi calls for urgent action as well, adding, the current silence of government on these remain both inadequate and unsatisfactory.
“We accordingly call on government to address the nation on the state of the economy before the presentation of the budget, the taking of bold and imaginative steps to halt the rapid depreciation of the cedi, make a clear statement on policy and steps to deal with the rising labor unrest and general cost of living situation”, it added.
The CEO Network of Ghana concluded pledging its support and commitment to government to help overcome the raging economic difficulties and looks forward to cooperating when invited.
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Samini in a Facebook post said that because he believed in the President’s message of change, he supported him to win power in the 2020 elections.
Registering his disappointment with the turn of events, the ‘My Own’ hit maker stated that his soul bleeds.
“Our investments wash away daily as the dollar openly whips our cedi. We cannot pretend all is well. But if God has blessed Ghana with anything, it is our ability to stare difficulty right in the face and say, it will #bealright,” Samini lamented.
“Ghana must work again! Where is the Nana Addo who begged us for the mandate,” he added
Samini’s lamentations follow a sharp depreciation of the cedi in the past month with a dollar now selling for GH¢14.7.
Inflation is in excess of 40% and fuel prices skyrocket with transport unions saying fares will go up from Monday, October 24, 2022.
Government spokespersons insist external factors are responsible for the economic decline while sector experts including the World Bank and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) blame poor economic decisions for the challenges.
Meanwhile, Saminihas urged Ghanaians to keep faith and pray for a better Ghana.
“The indiscipline in high and low places of government must be checked. We go keep hope alive and continue to soldier on. What’s a man without hope? We can only continue to pray for a better tomorrow. To all my high graders out there, I say it again, we will #bealright!!!”
Most of the netizens who decided to verbally attack LilWin could not understand why the actor cum musician would leave the woman he reportedly struggled with when he had nothing for another lady after he became rich and prominent.
Well, after a long period of silence, LilWin has finally spoken and addressed these issues.
In a chat with award-winning blogger/vlogger, Zionfelix, he stated that marriage is not a ‘do or die’ affair, stressing any of the partners can leave at any point in time when he/she feels the marriage is not working anymore.
Lilwin also used the analogy of a ‘road journey’ to explain why his marriage with his ex-wife, Patricia Afriyie could not last forever.
According to him, a lot of the time when a car sets out for a journey, it is not every time it will get to its destination which is similar to most marriages.
“It’s not by force to stay in marriage till the end. Just as you impregnated two women at the same time, it’s not your wish but things happen. You can’t force it, it’s a journey.
“For instance, it’s not all cars that travel from Accra to Kumasi that arrive safely. Some either get burnt, collide and are damaged on the way. That’s how life is. You start with someone and the person gives up at a point. You cannot force that person to continue. A lot of wealthier men have even left their wives,” he stated.
Sika Osei has celebrated her first wedding anniversary on October 23, 2022, with some stunning images from her wedding exactly a year ago.
37-year-old Sika took to Instagram on Sunday to mark the occasion with a simple but beautiful message indicating she was ready for the challenges that came with marriage and the beauty as well.
She wrote in the caption to her over 600,000 followers, “❤️ 1 year Down….Forever to go! #sesilove2021.”
A year ago, the actress and her husband, Sele Douglas, had a fairytale nuptial that was climaxed with a stylish white wedding.
The official wedding ceremony occurred at the Sandbox beach club, followed by a private reception at De-Icon in East Legon.
Guests included family, friends and colleagues including Ghana’s Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, Berla Mundi, Eku Edawor, and many more.
The wedding reception also saw performances from Ghanaian A-list singers Kidi, Efya and Camidoh.
The 6th annual Ghana Music Awards UK will honour legendary rap artiste, Reggie Rockstonewith the “Legendary Honorary” award as he appears as a special guest at this year’s event.
The prestigious accolade is given to individuals in the music industry for their outstanding contributions to Ghanaian music.
The industry veteran is behind the success of one of the biggest music genres to ever emerge from Africa, the hiplife genre from Ghana.
The board, management and planning committee of Ghana Music Awards UK will celebrate his s remarkable achievements come October 29.
This year’s exciting packed event is scheduled to take place at the Royal Regency Palace Manor Park in London.
Patrons from Ghana, the UK and Europe will enjoy thrilling performances from top artists such as Camido, Kelvin Boy, Joyce Blessing, Diana Hamilton, D-Black, and Sefa among many others.
The Ghana Music Awards UK is an annual event to celebrate Ghanaian musicians in the UK and Ghana for their hard work in the creative space and also to reward some key industry players who have paid their dues in the creative industry.
The 6th edition proudly has Tabea Herbal Bitters as the title sponsor as the event celebrates our music and our culture.
A feasibility study on the venue for the tidal rave beach festival should inform organizers to rethink hosting the event at that location, TV Presenter, Gloria Akpene Nyarku-Acquah, known in showbiz circles as MzGee has said.
According to her, the venue for the well-attended beach rave cannot host such a mammoth crowd and ensure their safety.
“The feasibility study should have told them there would be traffic. The feasibility study should have told them that the car park could not accommodate the crowd,” she fumed.
The former TV3 presenter opined that organizers should consider hosting the event outside Accra.
“Go out of town. Take your event out of town. Everything must not happen in Accra. Don’t we have prampram?” she asked.
MzGee was adding her voice to the numerous allegations of theft, heavy traffic, poor sound and physical abuse that attendees of this year’s tidal rave event experienced.
She made her disappointment known while speaking on UTV’s United Showbiz on Saturday, October 23, 2022.
There’s always the need to aim high and reach out for the best. In simple terms, it’s prudent that one strives for excellence.
As you grow, your life must also advance with exposure, experiences and of wisdom in doing things different and better. Take up the challenge and be better.
This article focuses on one gentleman Samuel Owusu who has made a mark that has earned him praise and applause on social media.
2018 TV3 Talented Kidz reality show winner Samuel Sampah Owusu has taken a step bigger.
He appeared as a contestant in this 2022’s NSMQ competition for his school, Pope John Senior High School and Minor Seminary.
Samuel Owusu aka Young King Clef, helped his school to reach the quarter-finals stage of the 2022 edition National Science and Maths Quiz.
Samuel Owusu together with one fine brilliant gentleman represented their school as they faced off against Presbyterian Boys’ Senior High School (PRESEC) and Accra Academy in an intellectual competition.
PRESEC garnered 67 points, Accra Academy obtained 33 points and Pope John (Pojoss) secured 26 points at the end of the quiz.
The star Boy has earned praise online for combining his books and talent brilliantly.
Remember, Samuel, bagged 7-ones in the 2020 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
Kumasi-based rapper, Samuel Owusu, in 2018 pulled his way through the thick competition to emerge victorious in the 9th edition of TV3’s kids’ talent reality show – Talented Kidz.
He beat off close competition from colleague rapper Hakeem Issa, Luther King Monarch band and Peniel Dodoo, the guitarist.
Before the grand finale, however, the two young rappers on social media were continuously compared as to who is a better rapper.
Samuel took home the prize cash of Ghc10,000, some goodies, a Ghc50,000 educational fund, and a trip abroad.
Hakeem got the third position and went home with Ghc6,000 and some goodies. Pinell Dodoo won the second spot and went home with Ghc8,000 and an investment fund of Ghc10,000.
Speaking with GhanaWeb’s Doreen Abanema Abayaa on Vogue, the ‘Atia’ artiste disclosed that he had dedicated some time in his tight schedule to helping underground artistes with talents.
“I am moving beyond my creative side where I want to help some artistes. That is building me as a director and as a videographer. I have been trying to shoot videos for upcoming artistes called Sir Ray. He is a new talent from Dansoman,” he said.
“I did for Sean Taylor. It’s just me trying to branch into different things in the same music space. I believe that moving forward you need to build an empire. You understand. It will be nice to have Kings rather than to be a King alone, because then what legacy do we leave behind?” he said
According to Epixode, he wants to leave a legacy that will live on even after he has died.
“If I am no more, I should have young artistes take my place and then be grateful for whatever we have done, I am just not being a selfish artiste. I am trying to share with these upcoming artistes,” he added.
Epixode also divulged how he finds these artistes.
According to him, he connects with these talents via social media and takes them under his wing.
“I think I am one of the artiste who hits up any artiste. These artistes that I spoke about, I don’t know them from anywhere, I hear their songs, I reach out to them and do something to help and I shoot the videos for them for free without any costs.
“When I chance on new artistes, if I can’t even help, I try to get the person close. Maybe that chance alone can motivate them. You know what I mean. We just pray for life and strength,” he disclosed.
Being brought into the world by a fashionista mother doesn’t exclude one from being a fashionista.
This has been the situation for Ghanaian entertainer and style powerhouse, Nana Akua Addo and her youngsters.
In a new post shared on Instagram, the mother and her girls have perplexed netizens as they clad in all-dark clothing posing as pretty ninjas.
Akua inscribed her post, “THE NORMANS X Glitz Fashion Show. We outside.”
One can’t determine whether they were wearing three-piece clothing, a two-piece or one, nonetheless, analysing their garments, one could pick the pieces.
In the picture that was shared by the socialite, one could recognize a palazzo pant with a skirt worn on top of it.
It was joined by a bodysuit, a couple of construction goggles, and a full-head veil covering their heads.
Over the years, the fashion icon and socialite has sealed her name as one of Ghana’s popular symbols in style and out-of-the-box fashion.
It is not surprising she has started grooming her daughters to be forces to reckon with when style comes to play.
Sensational Ghanaian artiste, Black Sherif, has maintained the number one position on YouTube with his song, 45, for close to two weeks.
Since its release on October 13, 2022, the song has had many Ghanaians and international acts applaud the artiste for the concurrence and energy he brings into his vocals.
With close to three million views in less than fourteen days, Black Sherif has proven to be a force to reckon with as he stays true to how he delivers his music.
On October 12, 2022, he held an album listening where his song ‘45’ was premiered.
Blacko disclosed that he had been the villain in people’s stories as well as his.
According to the ‘Oh Paradise’ artiste, circumstances made him seem like a villain, but when he sits down to look deeper into himself, he is not who people perceive him to be.
“I have been my own villain and the villain in people’s stories but when I sit and be at peace with myself, I realise that I am not the villain,” he said.
“I have been trying to survive. I have been trying to be out here,” he said when asked why he named his album ‘The Villain I Never Was’.
An economist, Professor Godfred Bokpin, has called on the President, Akufo-Addo,to heed to the calls of the general public to downsize his government and sack the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.
According to him, the President has to sacrifice his loyalty to his appointees for the common good of the country.
He noted that keeping the Finance Minister at post is counter-productive to the government’s fight to stabilize the fast depreciating cedi and the ailing economy as Ken Ofori-Atta’s leadership has been discounted by both external and internal investors.
He added that the Finance Ministry’s sit-and-wait posture with regards to the IMF programme without putting in place any measures to stall the cedi depreciation as well as other fiscal problems is enough proof that the Finance Minister has overstayed his welcome.
“Sometimes it matters that you sacrifice somebody so close because if the President will be mindful of what is happening even across the investor base home and abroad, you could see that they’re already discounting the leadership of the Finance Minister.
“So part of leadership is to pick that right signal where you will say that I’ve gotten to the stage where I need to trade-off loyalty, I need to trade-off personal interest for the common good. If this is what will do the trick, why not? Because it’s done everywhere. It’s done in times like these. And that will just be the starting point.
“What we are asking for is actually beyond just asking the Finance Minister to go. Ghana has gotten to the stage where an IMF supported programme is not enough and all that we’re doing now is just to wait for what will happen from the IMF negotiation.
“Come on, the IMF is not here to govern this country, so there are necessary governance reforms that we need to initiate and we must do that regardless of whether an IMF programme is in place or not because reforms are more effective when they’re bundled together and reinforce each other,” he said on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday.
Professor Bokpin added that the Akufo-Addo administration has no moral right to demand haircuts on investment returns from investors and the general public when it has failed to take action in the same regard.
He noted that downsizing government will save the country lots of resources which can then be injected back into the economy to build confidence.
“They have no moral right to ask Ghanaians to take a haircut, or investors to take a haircut when they have kept their hair on. It makes no sense. And we can do the permutations and say that look, we know Cote D’Ivoire took a decision to reduce the number of Ministers from 41 to 32, what is so special about Ghana?
“We can do that and free our space rather than loading the haircuts on ordinary people who perhaps did not contribute to the mess. That’s the point that we’re talking about. Look, and data exists to suggest that the size of government in Ghana is negatively affecting growth. That’s very clear.
“So some level of restructuring, and downsizing the government, and looking at it also across state owned enterprises. A lean government is the best response when you don’t have fiscal space,” he said.
An economist, Professor Godfred Bokpin, has called on the government to put in place the right measures to re-instill confidence in investors concerning the economy.
According to him, due to the fast depreciating cedi and the ailing economy, investors have started investing their money in the dollar, a move which is further weakening the cedi.
He noted that such investors although aware of the repercussions of their actions on the local currency, continue to do so out of rationality.
He said “investors are rational actors. When it comes to making money love for country is held constant. Nobody loves Ghana, people love their bottom line, we see GUTA people closing their shop and all of that.”
Prof. Bokpin explained that with the cedi becoming a less desirable store of value, most investors have directed their attention to the dollar.
This he says is as a result of the dollar gaining strength and “having a future”.
“So when people exit and there are no alternatives because of the time value of money they wouldn’t want to keep the money idle and therefore they will look for a currency that is more stable and the currency that is more stable right now is the dollar,” he said.
He added “If you look at it from the global dimension, you’ll see that dollar has a future not even only in Ghana here because the dollar is strengthening consistently across even major trading currencies. So if you’re an investor and you have money, you’re looking at denominating your money in a currency that is stable and more so could strengthen.”
The Economist has warned that should the managers of the economy not put in place measures that will re-anchor the support and confidence of investors into the cedi, the country will be headed into direr times.
“The country and the powers that is vested in those who are managing the country, the country must love itself enough to put in place the right measures so that you anchor the love of individuals around that particular angle. Other than that people will misbehave.”
“When it happens that way the trade-off is cedi, anytime you go and buy dollar, automatically you’re selling cedis. And as a lot more people are demanding dollars they’re selling cedis. As supply of cedis increases then the value will have to come down. So if you look at it from that perspective then you know that probably you could say that the worst is yet to happen,” he said.
The CEO Network Ghana Chief Kofi Abotsi, has expressed concern over the current economic hardship and the negative effects it has been exerting on the business fortunes and prospects of Ghanaian businesses.
According to the Network, these challenges which includes the rapid depreciation of the cedi and high inflation rates hold dire consequences for the survival of many businesses and the employment of many.
In a press release signed by the founder and CEO of the CEO Network and Ghana CEO Summit, Ernest DeGraft Egyir, the Network also bemoaned “the seeming lack of a discernible intervention on the part of government and the chilling effect this has on the overall dynamics of the economy.”
According to Mr. Egyir, the “situation is further compounded by the rather ruthless and punitive enforcement of the tax regime which continues to badly affect the ability of business to sustain their operations within the current climate.”
Touching on government’s ongoing negotiation with IMF, the CEO Network Ghana stressed that although the bailout talks provide a blueprint template for a government intervention, it is both inadequate and a delayed respond to the fast paced occurrences in the economy.
In view of this, Mr. Egyir argued that there was an urgent need for government to come up with other interventions independent of the bailout prescriptions.
Read the full petition by the CEO Network Ghana below:
PETITION ON THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY
PRESENTED BY THE CEO NETWORK OF GHANA
_______________________
The CEO Network of Ghana has followed with great concern developments within the Ghanaian economy and the negative effects these have been exerting on the business fortunes and prospects of Ghanaian businesses. We have been particularly disturbed by the seeming lack of a discernible intervention on the part of Government and this chilling effect this has on the overall dynamics of the economy.
The rapid depreciation of the cedi has meant that businesses dependent forex for daily transactions are facing enormous and unsustainable liquidity challenges with many threatened with the prospects of insolvency and closures. This development holds dire consequences for the survival of many businesses and the employment of many.
This situation is further compounded by the rather ruthless and punitive enforcement of the tax regime which continues to badly affect the ability of business to sustain their operations within the current climate not to mention undertake hiring of new labor and ease the unemployment difficulties confronting the economy.
The ongoing situation with the economy is exacerbated by the rampant hikes in fuel prices coupled with uncertainty with the adequate supply of fuel within the economy. These price rises and uncertainties depress economic activity and the prospect of shortages may depress economic activities. The situation remains deeply troubling for the general performance of the economy but even more problematic for businesses directly dependent on crude oil imports and distribution as well as consumption.
The ongoing IMF bailout talks provide a blueprint template for a government intervention, but that of itself is both inadequate and in the circumstances delayed to respond to the fast paced occurrences in the economy and seeming collapse of the Ghanaian cedi. In the circumstances, there seem an urgent need for government intervention independent of the bailout prescriptions to be administered as and when agreed.
The situation labor and industrial unrest occasioned by other economic variables such as the steep depreciation of the cedi calls for urgent action as well and the current silence of government on these remain both inadequate and unsatisfactory.
We accordingly call on government to do as follows:
a). Address the nation on the state of the economy before the presentation of the budget
b). The taking of bold and imaginative steps to halt the rapid depreciation of the cedi
c). Make a clear statement on policy and steps to deal with the rising labor unrest and general cost of living situation
d). Address the Ghanaian people on the debt situation and containment measures prior to and under a future IMF program
e) Open a national economic dialogue to build consensus on the state and future of the economy
The CEO Network of Ghana pledges its support and commitment to government to help overcome the raging economic difficulties and look forward to cooperating when invited.
The Police have arrestedtwo individuals seen in a viral video with one wearing a black attire with police insignia.
The person seen in the attire, Marcus Dankwah, is not a Police officer and is currently in custody together with his accomplice, police . A search conducted on them led to the recovery of the attire.
Preliminary investigation indicates that the said video footage, which originated from a TikTok account identified as the official page of Vzonetv and shared on various social media platforms, was taken on October 18, 2022.
The investigationalso revealed the suspects are social media content providers who produce videos for their online TV channel Vzonetv.
As the investigation continues to establish the source of the attire and prepare the suspects to face justice, we would like to caution the public against acts that tend to injure the reputation of the Ghana Police Service.
Ghana needs a long term national development plan in order to ensure the needed development for its people, Founder of National Interest Movement Dr Abu Sakara, has said.
For him, the trend where one group of people form a government and implement a particular plan only for another set of people to take over to also come with their own plan is not helping the country.
Speaking on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday October 21, he explained that the nation is faced with a crisis situation which must first of all be contained.
The Presidential Candidate for the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) in the 2012 elections said “Accept and admit that no one group of people in Ghana can solve the problems. We have to come together, build consensus, face reality and come up with long term plan plan”
“We need a reformed development agenda that looks at the fundamentals. Lashing the [President] may give us some satisfaction but it won’t solve the fundamental problem.
“Right now, we have a crisis situation, the first is to contain it.”
Among the challenges facing Ghana is the poor performance of the local currency against the Dollar and high inflation rate (32.7%).
But the Second Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana Elsie Addo Awadzi assured that these are temporary.
She expressed confidence of a positive outlook for Ghana’s economy.
Speaking at the 21st Annual National RCB CEOs conference on the theme ‘Positioning Rural banking at the Centre of Financial Services delivery in Ghana – the role of stakeholders” she explained that recent global developments have heightened economic and business uncertainties for businesses and individuals. Our domestic economy is not spared from these developments.
The Bank of Ghana, she said is working closely with the Ministry of Finance and other key stakeholders to negotiate a sound economic reform programme supported by the IMF, to stabilise and transform our economy.
“We at the Bank of Ghana are confident about the outlook for our economy. The current high inflation and cedi depreciation are temporary, and we must avoid speculative behaviour that only works against attaining stability sooner,” Mrs Addo Awadzi stated.
The BoG recently identified five key reasons for the woes of the local currency.
They were “The strength of the US dollar, Investor reaction to Credit Rating Downgrade, Non-Roll over of Maturing Bonds, The sharp rise in crude oil prices and impact on the Oil Bill, Loss of External Financing.”
The central bank went ahead to announce measures introduced to resolve the situation.
They were the “Gold Purchase Program to increase foreign exchange reserves; Special Foreign Exchange Auction for the Bulk Distribution Company’s (BDCs) to help with the importation of petroleum products; Bank of Ghana is entering into a cooperation agreement with the mining companies to provide BOG with the opportunity to buy gold as when it becomes available.
“The Bank of Ghana is supporting the banking sector with foreign currency liquidity to help meet the demand for external payments. The recently approved USD750,000,000 Afrexim loan facility by Parliament, once disbursed, will boost the foreign exchange position of the country and help restore confidence.”
The recently signed 1.13billion dollar Cocoa Syndicated loan was also a measure to shore up the Cedi, the BoG added.
The Environmental office of the Obuasi Municipal Assembly has started a campaign dubbed “Name, shame, sanction” campaign.
The campaign is to raise awareness on the need to keep the environment clean after the increasing rise in sanitation problems in the Municipality.
During this campaign, the environmental officers move with media team from Obuasi to identify places in the city especially chop bars and filling station where environmental laws are flouted. The offending operators are arrested and penalised.
The campaign is also intended to assist the Obuasi Municipal Assembly to enforce sanitation bye-laws and raise awareness about the need to keep the environment clean.
Briefing the media after the first round of the exercise, the Municipal Environmental Health Officer, Fuseina Imoro, said the rationale behind the exercise was to follow up on a feedback from the general public about the unsanitary conditions at some chop bars in Obuasi.
“We decided to involve the media in this exercise to serve as a deterrent to those who constantly flout our laws with impunity. We have had a lot of complaints from the general public and our officers on the ground, so this time around we decided to involve the media to name and shame offenders,” Miss Imoro added.
She said as part of the exercise, they issued abatement notice to those who had violated environmental laws to afford them the time and space to correct their wrongs.
She emphasized that her office will do a follow-up to ascertain whether the anomalies detected have been corrected.
“When we come back and see things are the same, we will process offenders for court,” she warned.
She said the Assembly has resolved to enforce its environmental bye-laws to ensure full compliance in a bid to keep the environment clean.
The Municipal Prosecutor, Richmond Adam Brown, has revealed that the current Public Health laws are punitive and deterrent enough.
He added that strict enforcement of it will help keep the city clean.
“The bye-laws and the criminal offences act were not deterrent enough but the introduction of the Public Health Laws 2012 Act 851 has given us hope that we can fight to keep our environment clean and safe since it contains punitive actions to deal with offenders.”
He added that the Assembly has taken into consideration the process involved in the enforcement of environmental laws hence has decided to first give verbal education and abatement notice to offenders.
He stressed that, they will follow it up with court actions if nothing has been done about the situation.
Mr. Brown called for the support and cooperation of the people Obuasi to enable to enable the office keep the environment clean.
On Friday, October 21, 2022, following intelligence that an armed robbery gang was planning an attack on the cluster of banks in the Suame Magazineand Maakro enclave in Kumasi, the Police launched a special anti-robbery operation in which one of the armed robbers was shot.
The armed robber and his accomplice who were on motorbikes attacked a customer who had stepped out of the Fidelity bank, Maakro branch, carrying a brown envelope.
The robbers attacked the bank customer and snatched the envelope amidst the firing of guns.
The rear windscreen and the left door glass of a Daewoo Matiz saloon car which was parked on the bank premises was hit during the shooting.
The Police, who had mounted surveillance in the area, responded to the situation by firing at the armed robbers and succeeded in hitting the pillion rider who fell off the motorbike. However, the rider who also sustained gunshot wounds, managed to escape.
One of the police officers was shot by the armed robbers during the exchange of fire and sustained a gunshot wound to his right hip.
Both the injured officer and the suspect were rushed to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital for medical attention. The suspect was, however, pronounced dead on arrival.
The body of the deceased suspect has been deposited at the morgue for preservation, identification and autopsy.
Efforts are underway to get his accomplice arrested to face justice.
“We wish to appeal to the public especially those who run health facilities within the Kumasi Metropolis and its environs to report any person seeking medical attention with a gunshot wound, for prompt Police action.
“We would like to commend all the officers who took part in the operation and also wish our injured colleague a speedy recovery,” a Police statement said on Saturday October 22.
The Deputy Commissioner of Immigration(DCI) Michael Kwadade, the new Volta Regional Commander, has visited the Akanu and Aflao sectors of the Ghana Immigration Service to be abreast of their operations.
The tour was to enable him to gain comprehensive knowledge of their administrative and operational activities and the challenges confronting the sectors to find workable strategies in addressing them.
The Commander and his entourage visited the Aflao Sector Command, where they met with Assistant Commissioner of Immigration (ACI) Fredrick Baa Doudo, the Commander, to deliberate on operational and administrative issues.
DCI Kwadadeinspected works on a building project consisting female and male holding centre and a conference hall.
He inspected approved and unapproved routes for fair assessment of technical constraints and operational demands and visited the Noepe Joint Border at the Akanu Sector and adjoining border posts, while extending regards to the security officials of neighbouring Togo.
He assured commanders and officers at the various sectors of his desire to work as a team for effective operations at the borders.
DCI Kwadadeurged them to act professionally to advance the course of the Service, adding: “This will help to maintain peace and security at the enclaves.”
Inspector Felix Klu-Adjei of the Regional Public Affairs Unit told the Ghana News Agency that the tour was to strengthen existing protocols between the Service and sister security agencies in the region to enhance their work.
About 230,000 Ghanaians representing 0.74 per cent of the total national population are blind, a national population-based prevalence survey has revealed.
Dr. Hornametor Afake, the Head, Eye Care Unit of the Ghana Health Service(GHS) who disclosed this said the survey was conducted in the country in 2015 for various eye diseases.
This was in a speech read on his behalf by Dr. Louis Oteng-Gyimah, an Ophthalmologist at the Sunyani Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Hospital at the opening of the 10th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Ghana Optometric Association (GOA), underway in Sunyani.
The three-day Meeting is on the theme “Eye Care for All by 2030: Harnessing the Optometry Potential in Ghana”.
In a breakdown, Dr. Afake enumerated the causes of blindness to as 127,000 (54.8 per cent) cataract, 45,000 (19.4 per cent) glaucoma and other causes including posterior segment diseases and corneal opacity.
About 332,000 Ghanaians representing 1.07 per cent of total national population have a severe visual impairment with refractive error 44.4 per cent and 42.2 per cent cataracts, he said.
Dr. Afake explained in 2021, the 74th World Health Assembly adopted two new ambitious eye health targets for 2030 to address the huge unmet eye care needs, adding the targets included achieving 40 per cent increase in effective coverage of refractive error and 30 per cent increase in effective coverage of cataract surgery by 2030.
He emphasised the role of the optometrists remained key to the achievement of the targets, regretting that about 67 per cent of people with vision impairment and about 95 per cent of those who needed glasses in the country did not have access.
Dr. Afake said the National Eye care Unit would continue to work with all eye care professional groups, including the optometric association to deliver comprehensive and quality eye care services to the national population.
“Currently, we have about 506 optometrists in the country and this gives a ratio of 1 optometrist to about 62,000 Ghanaians which is acceptable by WHO standards, but the real issue is the regional distribution”, he said.
Available figures he added indicated that 229 (45 per cent) optometrists were in Greater Accra, 110 (21.7 percent) in the Ashanti, and only 167 (33.3 per cent) were spread across the other 14 regions.
Dr. Afake therefore called on members of the Association to accept postings to all districts in the country to make eye care available, accessible and affordable for everyone.
Dr. Mahama Asei Seini, a Deputy Minister of Health underscored the need for everybody to be conscious and take good care of their eyes, saying the government would also ensure that Ghanaians access quality eye care services as well.
He commended the Association for its efforts in ensuring quality and prompt eye care services in the country, and assured government’s commitment to support the Association in the implementation of policies and programmes to improve on eye care services delivery.
Superintendent Dr. Ninkpe Remi, the out-going President of the Association said the GOA had bounced back onto the international optometry platform in their last four years, saying Ghana was now the Secretary-General of the entire African Optometry Community.
He urged members of the Association to safeguard its reputation and decency on the professional stage, saying “the good people of Ghana will not smile on us if we fail to make them see well but rather neglect their sight needs and concentrate on our parochial professional differences”.
Dr. Remi called on the Ghana Health Service eye care secretariat to do its best in making “this union of inter-professional practice work well for our mutual benefits”.
Hundreds of people from all walks of life Saturday participated in a breast cancer awareness campaign at Dambai, the capital of the Krachi East Municipality of the Oti Region.
The organisers told Ghana News Agency that participants included traditional rulers, students from the Dambai College of Education, Oti Senior High Technical, Yabram Community Day Senior High, Asukawkaw Senior and Junior high schools, the Beauticians and Hairdressers Association, Civil Servants, and youth clubs.
They marched through some principal streets to the District Assembly premises where they were addressed by dignitaries.
The event, sponsored by “Smiling Heart Foundation” was funded by Mr Michael Yaw Gyato, a former Member of Parliament for Krachi East, aimed at creating awareness on the importance of self-examination and screening to prevent breast cancer.
Participants were treated to some highlife music by the Banka Brass Band and Dambai Junction Youth “JAMA” group.
In an emotional display, pink balloons were released into the sky in remembrance of those who have lost their lives to breast cancer and those still fighting the disease.
Some survivors took turns to educate the public that breast cancer could be managed when detected early.
Madam Ema Amoah, a Midwife, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said the awareness was the first step.
“Making people aware of the situation in terms of cancer and letting them know that early detection saves lives solves half of the problem,” she said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) establishment of the Director General’s Special Initiative for Mental Health (DG-SIMH) in Ghana is expected to redefine and address gaps in the country’s mental healthcare delivery.
The five-year initiative supported by the Government of Norway seeks to get 100 million more people to have access to quality and affordable mental health in 12 countries around the world.
The vision of the initiative is to ensure that all people in the target population in the selected countries achieve the highest standard of mental health and well-being.
This was in a statement signed by Mr Ibrahim Suhuyini Sayibu, the Communications Officer, WHOGhana,copied to the Ghana News Agency at an inception meeting for the initiative in the Western North Region of Ghana.
Ahead of the implementation in Ghana, WHO helped Ghana to develop a national implementation plan and is currently assisting the country’s six new regions in the development of their regional plans towards effective implementation.
Dr Joana Ansong, WHO Noncommunicable Diseases and Risk Factors Officer, Ghana, said, “We recognize the important role of stakeholders in the implementation of this initiative.”
”That is why we want the regions to map out their implementation strategies so they can own the process and strengthen partnerships to achieve universal health coverage for mental health.”
Ghana launched the initiative in July 2022 and is expected to start implementation in the third quarter of 2022.
It will span five years with the aim of improving access to integrated, quality person-centered mental health care for an additional 5.2 million Ghanaians.
The Initiative will advance mental health policies, advocacy, and human rights and scale up quality interventions and services for individuals with mental health conditions, including substance use and neurological disorders.
For health authorities in Ghana, this initiative is a great opportunity to strengthen the mental health system whilst mobilizing communities to create an environment devoid of stigma and abuse against people with mental health conditions.
“We need to create an environment that is conducive enough for people with mental disorders to come out and seek help at any level of the health system.”
“This special initiative is an opportunity for us to redefine mental healthcare in Ghana,”Dr. Marion Okoh-Owusu, the Western North Regional Director of Health, said.
Whilst expressing profound gratitude for the WHO Special Initiative on Mental Health, the Kyidomhene of Sefwi Wiawso Traditional Area, Nana Elluo Panyin III, underscored the critical role traditional leaders can play to help improve mental health service delivery in Ghana.
”We need to deepen collaboration between health authorities and traditional leaders to strengthen mechanisms for the protection of people with mental health conditions,” the Chief added.
The Initiative will build on the successes of other mental health interventions such as the QualityRights Initiative, which is helping to improve the quality of care and promote the human rights of people living with mental health conditions.
Mental, neurological, and substance use disorders account for more than 10 per cent of the global disease burden.
The lost productivity resulting from depression and anxiety, two of the most common mental disorders, costs the global economy US$ 1 trillion each year.
In low- and middle-income countries, more than 75 per centof people with mental disorders receive no treatment at all.
In Ghana, significant gaps remained, with only about two per cent of the country’s 2.3 million people living with mental health conditions receiving psychiatric treatment and support from health facilities according to WHO.
Mr William Sebil, the Principal of the Nursing Training College (NTC), Bolgatanga, has proposed the establishment of a fund by the Ministry of Healthto support the training of health personnel.
He said nursing training colleges across the country, especially those in deprived areas, had infrastructural deficits and their managements were compelled to use the meagre internally generated funds to bridge those deficits, adding that the Bolgatanga Nursing Training College was not an exception.
He said despite several appeals for infrastructural support for the College, it still lacked accommodation and educational infrastructure for both tutors and students.
Mr Sebil made the proposal at the matriculation ceremony of the College held in a rented facility of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) Hall where management had to transport students to and from the venue.
“The ceremony is taking place outside the College premises, in a rented facility, and this is abnormal and creates disorientation for students….,” he said, and appealed to the Government, Non-Governmental Organisations, and philanthropists to assist in constructing an assembly hall complex for the college.
“I will also propose that the MoH could initiate and form a Health Fund in semblance of the GETFund to support the colleges, especially the deprived ones.”
Touching on admission for the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 academic years, Mr Sebil said the college received 327 and 367 applications for the 2020/2021 and the 2021/2022 academic years, respectively.
Mr Sebil said at the end of the admission process, 403 students, comprising 217 first years and 186 second years were admitted to pursue a three-year diploma programme.
He told the matriculants that they were lucky to be chosen and advised them to remember that the distance between the matriculation and their final licensing examination was not long.
He urged them to work hard to complete successfully, adding: “For this to happen, you need to lectures regularly, carry out all your assignments, and shun deviant behaviour and other vices that can expose you and others to danger.”
Mr Stephen Yakubu, the Upper East Regional Minister, in a speech read on his behalf, said the students, after a successful training, were expected to save lives and admonished them to show compassion and treat patients with respect.
He emphasised that situations where nurses at the Out-Patients Department of hospitals sat unconcerned or fidgeted with their mobile phones when patients were brought in in critical conditions must stop.
He said the production of competent nurses to deliver quality health care was not just the business of government and the college authorities, but parents, communities and students themselves, as they played a critical role.
Mr Bernard Anankor, the Regional Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, who administered the Matriculation Oath to the students, cautioned them not to take the oath for granted, but abide by the words it contained.
Election of the Akan Constituency executive officers for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is currently underway at Kadjebi in the Oti Region.
In all, 62 candidates are vying for the various executive positions in the constituency.
Four candidates are contesting for the Chairmanship slot: Eric Kwadwo Apeadu, Son of Mr John Kwadwo Gyapong, the Oti NDC Regional Chairman, Rasheed Sulemana, former Constituency Secretary, Awal Karim Abudu, former Zongo Caucus Co-ordinator, and Raphael Kofi Adiepena, a farmer.
Jonathan Tetteh, Datsomor Francis, Apreku John, and Mohammed Abubakar are vying for vice-chair position.
The three aspirants for Secretary position are the incumbent, Isaac Abavon, Sitsofe Amemor, and Maxwell Kokoroko.
Two candidates are contesting the Women’s Organiser position: Mamam Happy and Akakpo Fadji, while the Youth Organiser contest is between Mohammed Sulley and Quarshigah Sampson.
Three contestants are vying for Treasurer; Daniel Ofori, Kradwete Peter and Kliati Helen, while Sulemana Tadjudeen, Murtala Ibrahim and Harisu Issaka are battling it out for the Zongo Caucus.
The Communication Officer position is being contested by Vifa Francis, Tagbor Wilson, and Akrasi Richard.
Deputy Youth Organiser, Deputy Women Organiser and Deputy Communication Officer had two candidates each, while the Deputy Secretary position is being contested by four aspirants.
There are 18 other candidates vying for Executive member positions.
Mr Isaac Abavon, the incumbent Constituency Secretary, told Ghana News Agency that he was sure of victory because of his track record.
Mr Foster Nyaro, Organiser hopeful, and Assemblyman for Koto-Nkwanta Electoral Area, said victory was his as he had all it took to win.
“My experience as an Assemblyman gives me an edge over my opponents,” he said.
Mr Bright Tsordzine Mensah, an Organiser aspirant, said when given the nod, would garner more votes for the NDC to ensure victory in 2024.
A total of 1,060 delegates are expected to vote during the polls, supervised by officials from the Electoral Commission, led by Justice Odame-Frimpong, the District Electoral Officer.
The delay in the printing of ballot papers for the National Democratic Congress(NDC) Constituency election in the Bolgatanga Central Constituency has affected the start of the process.
As at 1300hours when the Ghana News Agency (GNA) visited the polling station, delegates, aspirants, and party sympathisers were seated in groups and chatting among themselves, while aspirants took the opportunity to campaign.
The GNA observed that though the entire voting hall was set and ready for the exercise to commence, the Electoral Commission (EC) officials were seated and waiting to receive the ballot papers.
When the ballots arrived at about 1430hours, the EC officials started sorting them out for voting to begin.
Mr Donatus Nyaaba, the Regional Director of Elections, NDC, said a delay in the printing of the ballot papers had delayed the whole process.
He said the problem was not peculiar to only the Bolgatanga Central Constituency and that the Chiana-Paga Constituency in the Kassena-Nankana West District was also affected.
Mr Roland Atanga Ayoo, the incumbent Constituency Secretary, who is seeking re-election, told the GNA that “pockets of information I have gathered suggest that the printers were not paid in full, and that has delayed the printing.”
He said delegates and aspirants were anxious as they were unduly delayed.
Mr Ayoo said: “They were here as early as 0800hours and are not very impressed about the situation. The anxiety level is very high.”
He added that despite the delay, the outcome of the election would not be affected even though it would be stressful.
“An election that would have ended very early is likely to travel into the night and would cause a lot of stress to many people.”
The aspirant appealed to delegates to continue to exercise patience and was hopeful that by the close of day, the election would be conducted.
As at the time of filing this report, sorting was still on-going with heavy police presence.
Hundreds of National Democratic Congress (NDC) delegates Saturday were left stranded and disappointed following the postponement of the Cape Coast South Constituency elections.
The elections were deferred to Sunday, October 23, 2022, due to a challenge with the printing of the ballot papers, the Ghana News Agency gathered.
Delegates and aspirants, some of whom arrived at the Adisadel School Park, the venue for the elections, as early 0500hours were agitated when the news went to them around 0900 hours.
At the time, some aspirants were also distributing food to their supporters and making last minute frantic efforts to win the hearts of the voters.
Officials of the Electoral Commission, who were present to supervise the elections, left the place in the wake of the development.
In all, 1,026 delegates are expected to vote for 55 candidates vying for 17 positions in the constituency on Sunday, should the challenge be resolved.
Mr Abdul Wahab Amid, a member of the constituency’s election directorate, who described the situation as “unprecedented” said the delegates were disappointed by the turn of events.
He said their activities had been disrupted by the situation and, therefore, people had had to alter their plans.
“The election directorate was very optimistic of the elections being held today until the call came through around 0900 hours,” he said.
“They asked us not to announce it to the delegates with the hope that the challenge would be resolved but unfortunately the papers could get here.”
“We are hoping that by tomorrow, the ballot papers will be ready.”
A delegate and NIB branch organiser for the party, Mr Benjamin Gyepi Garbrah, said many delegates had travelled long distances to vote while the aspirants had spent a lot on campaigning and expressed the hope they would sail through on Sunday.
“But as a family, we will try and resolve it. There is nothing we can do because it has already happened. I hope everything will be fine by tomorrow,” he told the GNA.
Another delegate, Maame Esi, said she arrived at the venue at 0530 hours with the hope of being among the first delegates to vote and, though disappointed, she was hopeful that the issue will be resolved.
Tyler Perry is a household name in Hollywood and his success tells the story of rags to riches. Although he reportedly grew up in an abusive family, he did not allow that to become an impediment to his path to success. At a point, Perry had to make a home in his car.
In 2020, Forbes officially recognized him as a billionaire after he reached a net worth of $1 billion.
According to Forbes, the 53-year-old has earned a pretax income of over $1.5 billion since 2005 and joins the likes of fellow billionaire industry players including Oprah Winfrey, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and John de Mol.
The bulk of his earnings comes from his 133.5 (330 acres) Atlanta film studio, Madea franchise and his stake in the BET+ streaming service, according to Forbes. Perry’s journey to success was not without challenges.
In a recent discussion with guests at the 2022 Earn Your Leisure Conference, the entrepreneur and popular filmmaker shared with his audience his challenges as a businessman, including dismissing his entire accounting staff for a costly error.
Perry understood how important it was to make sure taxes had to adhere to a specific standard, despite the fact that he agrees that taxes are a grey area.
“In business, it’s ok to make mistakes, but do learn. Don’t let it keep happening over and over again,” Perry noted, according to the daily caller, before opening up about his accounting problem.
According to him, he commissioned an audit into his business which went on for three years, costing him hundreds of thousands of dollars. After the audit, he said, “we get to the end of the audit, and the IRS owed me $9 million — they owed me $9 million!”
He further noted that he was shocked that his accounts didn’t initially recognize the severity of the issue, adding that he had no choice but to fire them. “And all my accountants come running and say ‘Isn’t that great? Isn’t that great?’ And I say, ‘Hell no! How did you miss me paying $9 million?’”
“Everybody gone! I had to stop going to H&R block for my taxes at some point,” he joked.
