As a result of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) members’ strike action leaving customers stuck, prices of items in the Accra Business District increased once more, providing retailers and small traders bargaining power over consumers.
Following GUTA’s protest of high inflation and cedi-depreciation, which members claim have made doing business difficult, stores in the Makola shopping mall, SIC Life complex, and other large wholesale shops were closed when the B&FT visited the always-busy Makola Market in the afternoon of Wednesday.
However, street vendors like hawkers and shopkeepers were busy taking advantage of customers who couldn’t find their normal huge wholesalers to buy from.
“We are very happy today; we wish they continue with their shop-closure till December because it will enable us to cash in more. Business has been good today, though we have few people in the market because of the shop-closure announcement,” she said.
She however further mentioned that the wholesalers have threatened to double their prices should government not do anything to address their concerns – a situation she fears will increase the plight and anxiety Ghanaians are going through.
Though the retailers and hawkers have taken advantage of the situation to turn their fortunes around, this did not come without implications for buyers. The situation has led to immediate inflation.
Some patrons in their interactions with the B&FT revealed that retailers have increased prices all of a sudden without any reasonable external influencing factors.
According to a lady who decided to speak on anonymity, she bought a shopping-bag from a hawker for GH¢10; and about two hours later when she needed additional one the same size, it was priced at GH¢15 – indicating a 50 percent increase within that short space of time.
“As for the price of items I bought, it’s been almost a month since I last came here so I cannot tell the level of increase; but each of them has gone up,” she said.
Rosemary Owusu, a banker from Amasaman, indicated that on hearing of the shops’ closure she wanted to try and see if she could find a shop to buy a dress for a wedding this weekend; but since all the shops in Makola shopping mall are closed and retailers are mentioning outrageous prices, she will rather take one from her wardrobe and re-wear.
No business for Kayaye
A few head-porters (kayaye) who spoke to the B&FT mentioned that, usually, their clients are those who buy in bulk from wholesalers; hence, business has been slow for them as only few people require their services.
They said that if this activity is to continue for about a week, as they are hearing, then some of them might die of hunger.
Defiant GUTA members
Some members of GUTA however said they cannot comply with the Association’s directive due to their financing mechanisms, of which some are loans.
“I have a loan to pay; if I don’t make sales I will be in trouble. My monthly rent for this shop is high; the cedi-depreciation is eroding all the profits because when you price too high they cannot buy; so I cannot afford to close my shop,” she said.
The president of GUTA, Joseph Obeng, in making the declaration indicated the move was necessitated by government’s failure to address the concerns of traders after weeks of engagement.
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is set to kick off in 30 days from today.
The opening ceremony will take place on November 20 at the 60,000-seat Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, north of the capital of Doha.
Following the opening ceremony, the first game of the tournament will be played between the host country and Ecuador.
Eight state-of-the-art stadiums will stage 64 matches between November 20 and December 18 as Qatar welcomes the best football teams on the planet for the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East and the Arab world.
Approximately 1.2 million fans are expected to visit the country during the tournament.
Organisers said that 2.89 million tickets have been sold so far. Besides the host country, the United States, Saudi Arabia, England, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, France, Brazil and Germany recorded the highest ticket demand for the tournament.
The 2022 World Cup is the first in the tournament’s 92-year history to be played in November and December. The previous 21 editions were played between late May and the end of July.
FIFA finalised a decision to play in the northern winter season in 2015 to avoid Qatar’s summer heat, despite opposition from most European football bodies that were unhappy about having to shut down their domestic leagues for several peak weeks.
The tournament final will take place on December 18, Qatar’s National Day.
According to World Bank Group President David Malpass, Ghana could have joined the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) to benefit from a debt freeze while the nation restructured its debt. Ghana is a producer of gold, cocoa, and oil.
The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund pushed the G20 to create the DSSI at the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The DSSI, which was established in May 2020, aided nations in focusing their efforts on containing the pandemic and defending the lives and livelihoods of millions of the most vulnerable individuals.
Forty-eight out of 73 eligible countries participated in the initiative before it expired at the end of December 2021.
The G20 also called on private creditors to participate in the initiative on comparable terms.
Regrettably, only one private creditor participated.
The World Bank and the IMF supported the implementation of the DSSI—by monitoring spending, enhancing public debt transparency, and ensuring prudent borrowing.
DSSI borrowers committed to using freed-up resources to increase social, health, or economic spending in response to the crisis.
They pledged to disclose all public sector financial commitments (involving debt and debt-like instruments).
They also committed to limiting their non-concessional borrowing under the IMF arrangements and the World Bank’s Sustainable Development Finance Policy.
Answering questions at a programme in Washington D.C. on debt cancellation for African countries and the apparent lethargy of the Bretton Woods institution in that regard, Mr Malpass said: “Kristalina [IMF Boss] and I were talking yesterday with the Group about the Common Framework. If countries could have a situation where the common framework clause allows the country to have a standstill on debt, that would help the country choose their path forward on debt restructuring. That would mean they would get a break on debt repayment while they work on debt restructuring”.
However, he said: “Nigeria and Ghana both, did not ask for the common framework treatment”.
Ghana is currently in negotiations with the IMF for a $3-billion relief to stabilise the faltering economy.
Though no deal has been reached yet, there have been talks in the media of a possible debt-restructuring agreement.
Kevin Spacey (centre) took the stand in his own defence in the third week of his trial. Kevin Spacey (centre) took the stand in his own defence in the third week of his trial (Photo credit: Getty Images)
A New York court has dismissed a sexual assault lawsuit against the actor Kevin Spacey.
The case was brought by Anthony Rapp, who says the actor inappropriately touched him at a party in 1986 when he was aged 14.
Mr Rapp, now 50 and also an actor, filed the legal action in September 2020 and had been seeking around $40m (£36m) in damages.
Mr Spacey, an Oscar winner, has denied the accusations against him.
He is separately facing five charges in the UK of sexual assault, to which he has pleaded not guilty. That trial is due to begin in June 2023.
On Thursday, following a three-week civil trial in a Manhattan federal court, a jury found that Mr Rapp had not proved his claim that Mr Spacey had made an unwanted sexual advance.
Deliberations lasted for more than an hour and, after the verdict was read out by the judge, Mr Spacey reportedly hugged his lawyers before leaving the courtroom.
Mr Rapp says that Mr Spacey was around 26 or 27 years old when he met him at a party at his Manhattan apartment.
In a Buzzfeed article from October 2017, Mr Rapp said that Mr Spacey had picked him up, placed him on a bed and lay down partially on top of him. “I was aware that he was trying to get with me sexually,” he wrote.
Taking the stand in his own defence in the third week of his trial, Mr Spacey said he was shocked when Mr Rapp went public with his allegations five years ago.
“I didn’t know how this could possibly be true,” the 63-year-old said, adding he would not have been sexually interested in Mr Rapp as he was underage.
Mr Rapp’s lawyer Richard Steigman argued there were gaps in Mr Spacey’s memory and changes in his recollection.
Mr Spacey’s lawyer Jennifer Keller countered that Mr Rapp’s story was a fabrication, and she said he was “getting more attention in this trial than he has in his entire acting life”.
Career derailed
Multiple allegations of sexual misconduct derailed the Hollywood star’s stage career. Netflix dropped him from its political drama series House of Cards and Christopher Plummer replaced him in the role of J. Paul Getty in All the Money in the World.
In August, a judge ruled that Mr Spacey must pay $31m to the producers of House of Cards for the costs they incurred after firing him from the show.
Mr Spacey won Oscars for his performances in American Beauty and The Usual Suspects.
In July, he entered a not guilty plea in London to criminal charges of sexually assaulting three men over a decade ago.
During the New York trial he was asked about a suggestion by Mr Rapp that he was a “fraud” for not coming out as gay sooner. Mr Spacey said he had always been private about his personal life, including his childhood, because his father had held racist and homophobic views.
Ed Sheeran has reflected on how it felt to be, in his words, “within a fucking gnat’s pube” of landing a James Bond song.
In a new interview with Peter Crouch, as seen below, Sheeran brought up Bond following a discussion he and the host had about the second lives sometimes awarded to songs in the form of sports stadium singalongs.
“It’s like a Bond song,” Sheeran said. “You’ve gotta eventually, as an English singer, want to do a Bond song.”
Around the 41:35 mark in the video below, Sheeran was asked about the possibility of doing his own Bond song, prompting a reminder from Sheeran himself that this did indeed almost happen.
“I was within a fucking gnat’s pube of doing one,” Sheeran, whose public comments surrounding his desire to one day do a Bond song date back to (at least) 2017, said. “They changed directors and then they just changed scripts and that was it. We’d done all the meetings, I started writing it.”
Last year’s No Time to Die, as Bond fans already know, initially had Danny Boyle attached as a director. Boyle later left the project, however, with True Detective alum Cary Fukunaga stepping in as his replacement. Song honors, meanwhile, went to Billie Eilish, whose history-making “No Time to Die” later won an Academy Award.
Asked in the new Crouch interview if securing the Bond slot remained something that was “on his radar” as a goal, Sheeran confirmed that it was.
“Yeah, of course,” he said. “I’m not gonna pretend it didn’t hurt not doing it.”
Demurrage is a fee that must be paid to the owner of a chartered ship when the ship is not loaded or discharged within the predetermined window of time.
Benonita Bismarck, the Authority’s chief executive, claims that effective public education campaigns and government initiatives, particularly those pertaining to the Paperless Port Project’s cargo clearance procedure and the ICUMS’s pre-arrival declaration, are to blame for the downward trend in the numbers.
Speaking at a seminar organised for stakeholders on demurrage on October 20, Ms. Benonita Bismarck said the GSA aims to further reduce the payment to the barest minimum.
“One of the issues that relate to the subject is the Authority’s position for the counting of demurrage free days which commences when the cargo is discharged; thus, when it is made accessible to the consignee or his agent at the designated terminal,” the GSA boss said.
“This viewpoint, while reflecting global best practice, is also held by the majority of the Shipping Lines/Agents engaged and we, therefore, urge all the others to align, to ensure certainty for shippers at the ports,” she added.
“While these consignments are not forfeited to the State for purposes of auction, their eventual clearance is accompanied by huge demurrage and rent charges that would have accumulated over the period at the ports.”
“Information gathered randomly from five Shipping Lines/Agents operating in Ghana revealed that over 500 containers consigned to various State-Owned Agencies remain uncleared at the ports as at September 9, 2022,” she revealed.
The GSA boss also called on Chief Directors, Chief Executives, Managing Directors and other relevant Officers of MDAS/SOEs, to take urgent action in ensuring consignments are expeditiously cleared from the ports to mitigate the use of state resources for such avoidable costs.
Ms. Bismarck however said her outfit remains committed to the protection and promotion of stakeholders within the shipping and cargo clearance space.
Six players switched nationalities to represent Ghana at international level in June. Brighton’s Tariq Lamptey, Inaki Williams of Athletic Club and German-born trio Stephan Ambrosius, Ransford Konigsdorffer and Patric Pfeiffer have all agreed to play for Ghana.
Southampton star Mohammed Salisu also confirmed his decision to represent Ghana last month.
Addressing the Ghana FA delegation led by Kurt Okraku at the office of the Presidency, Nana Akufo-Addo said, “We should have no grounds for complains, the important thing is that, all of us as a nation, that we give maximum support to our young people to go and give of their best and if they able to give off their best they will far because Ghanaian football is among the best in the World”
“Of course, with the usual luck that you need in football, instead of the thing hitting the bar, it goes in. so we have to pray that the good Lord favours us on such occasions and if it does, I have a lot of confidence about the quality of the people that has been selected”
“I’m happy that many of the diaspora players under your leadership are being brought in as much as possible those who have the heart for the country are being brought to come and play. I think you’ve done well and going on, go out to search for those interested to play for the country. Our bid is to create the condition for them to excel and that’s what we have to do”
The Black Stars will begin preparations in the first week of November, but a full house is expected in the second week, when all leagues will draw to a halt.
Ghana is scheduled to play one pre-World Cup match, against Switzerland, on November 17.
The West African powerhouse will kick off on November 24 with a crucial match against Group H favourites Portugal.
The Black Stars will then play South Korea on November 28 and Uruguay in their final group match on December 2.
Rap began as a group endeavor. It was born in the melting pot that is New York Cityand was nurtured by friends who formed crews to spit to the tune of their favorite beats. Decades later, that’s no longer (formally) the case.
Hip-hop is still a relatively young genre (about 50 years deep), and is therefore still experiencing metamorphoses and expansion with the passing of each decade. One of the most significant gradual shifts in rap has been the transition away from artists operating primarily as groups or crews to being more solo-focused.
Despite these changes, though, the significance of rap groups in the roots of hip-hop history remain strong. The first proper rap record, “Rappers Delight,” was created by a rap group, The Sugarhill Gang. Generally, groups are the pillars of hip-hop and helped forge the sturdy foundation that the genre stands on today. Groups and collectives dominated the Golden era of hip-hop in the ‘80s and ‘90s. In fact, some of the greatest rappers of all time are the product of a group that was once equally if not more legendary than their solo act—from RZA of Wu-Tang Clan to Jadakiss from The LOX, Cam’ron of Dipset, Lil Wayne of Hot Boys, and many more.
The recent split of hip-hop’s last modern powerhouse rap group, the Migos, marks the end of group supremacy in rap, and Quavo and Takeoff would attest to this. Based on our conversation recently, the newly formed duo believes that they were only able to stay together for so long because they’re family––and when artists don’t share that same bond it’s easier for groups to splinter and seperate.
“With us, it was really family that kept us strong,” Quavo said, discussing the decline of modern rap groups. “Sometimes you don’t have strong artists, and it’s hard for all three artists to be superstars [in a group]. And then with time, some of that shit falls off and there’s only one superstar, and then they’re gone.”
Griselda is another prominent group that has split recently. The group informally parted ways in 2022 after Conway the Machine decided to leave Shady Records and venture out to pursue his own deal.
Rap groups and collectives falling from prominence in hip-hop’s current landscape can ultimately be attributed to the music’s nature of adapting to the times. Like many other genres, rap artists now build stages predicated on individualism and personal branding.
When hip-hop began in the ‘70s and ‘80s, its survival required a group effort because it was being attacked on all sides by conservative censorship and community violence. Those conditions haven’t changed much, but the power of the individual artist has. The emergence of the internet, streaming services, and social media have made it easier for an artist to create their own fanbase without needing the support of a larger group to help sell out venues or build a platform. Playboi Carti and Travis Scott are key examples of that.
When discussing the state of the modern-day rap group, it’s essential to highlight the distinction between a group, collective, and label. Duos like the City Girls, Run the Jewels, EarthGang, and others that are still thriving in today’s landscape are not considered here because a rap group consists of three or more active members who release music as a unit and operate their business as an ensemble. Wu-Tang, for example, might have changed its members over the years, but they were still releasing music under that shared moniker.
Image via Complex Original
A rap collective, meanwhile, is an assortment of artists who join forces under the same umbrella and sometimes release music together, but normally work as individuals and aren’t under any contractual obligation. ASAP Mob, Odd Future, and Brockhampton are a few examples.
Collectives then differ from historic rap labels like Death Row Records, Bad Boys Records, Murder Inc., and more because they are not collectively signed to any immediate major label partner. However, rap labels like Roc-A-Fella, Aftermath, and newer ones such as Dreamville Records, Top Dawg Entertainment, and G.O.O.D. Music share many similarities to collectives in that they utilize an artist-to-artist business approach that is conducive to more favorable partnerships and allows for closer connections between acts. Dreamville and TDE are good examples of rap labels that move like a collective because they’re able to produce blockbuster projects (such as Revenge of the Dreamers 3 and TDE’s Black Panther soundtrack) as units to support their small rosters and give them visibility by placing them on projects from their larger names.
The gradual shift away from the rap group model began as rap collectives became more prevalent in the late 2000s and early 2010s. This movement was championed by the new internet generation of rappers who could meet people with similar taste in music chat rooms, corner shops, and apartment stoops.
ASAP Mob and Odd Future were two leaders of this new guard of rap collectives that also fostered some of the biggest solo acts in the genre today. ASAP Mob was formed in Harlem in 2006 by ASAP Yams, ASAP Bari, and ASAP Illz. True to rap’s origins, the collective started with three rap lovers who lived in the same neighborhood. ASAP Mob would eventually expand to include household names like ASAP Rocky and ASAP Ferg, and they released several projects as a collective, including Cozy Tapes Vol. 1 and 2.
On the opposite coast, Odd Future was created in Los Angeles in 2007 by Tyler, the Creator, Casey Veggies, Hodgy, Left Brain, and the production trio Super 3. The crew ballooned through the late 2000s and 2010s and included impressive names like Earl Sweatshirt, Frank Ocean, Syd, and more who all continued to carve their own paths in music. The benefit of being part of a collective like this is that it allows creatives to be nurtured on a more human level rather than being churned through the industrial music machine.
“I was at a real dark time in my life when I met them. I was looking for a reprieve… And here was this group of like-minded individuals whose irreverence made me revere. The do-it-yourself mentality of OF really rubbed off on me,” Frank Ocean told GQ in 2012 when talking about meeting Tyler, the Creator and Odd Future.
Geographical familiarity was eventually no longer necessary to form close-knit relationships between artists. In 2007, Birdman and Lil Wayne (a product of the Cash Money Millionaires group) discovered a burgeoning Drake and Nicki Minaj and formed Young Money Cash Money, a hybrid rap label that was born out of a rap collective. It was the beginning of a return to a more label-focused approach. Drake now has a label of his own, OVO, that houses several different artists and duos, too.
In the 2000s and 2010s, collectives and labels succeeded in helping artists create their own platforms thanks to the help of united collaboration and natural chemistry, but they also played a part in their downfalls. Once individual acts like ASAP Rocky, ASAP Ferg, Tyler, the Creator, and Frank Ocean started to become global superstars, it became increasingly more difficult for the collectives to tour as a group, work together on massive posse cuts and group albums, and be as present as they once were at the beginning of their careers. Collectives like Odd Future and Brockhampton broke up in 2015 and 2022 respectively and, while others like ASAP Mob and Young Money still stand today, they rarely release music together under a shared moniker. Even Kendrick Lamar, the face of TDE, left the label after 17 years and branched out to start one of his own with pgLang. None of these splits were dramatic, but they reflected the need for artists to be able to stand alone and develop their careers to build their legacies.
The criminalization of rap has also played a role in the decline of rap collectives because when artists associate themselves with larger groups, they run the risk of being categorized as a criminal organization, as is the unfortunate case with Young Thug’s Young Stoner Life label and connected RICO case. During his first bond hearing, the prosecution alleged that Thug is the “top dog” of the criminal syndicate because he’s viewed as the face of the group. In 2022, being the “leader” of a rap group means an artist can be prosecuted as a gang kingpin and their lyrics used against them in court.
Image via Complex Original
While most of the great rap groups of old are living out their wonder years on Verzuz stages or running nostalgic return tours, there is still some hope for those trying to form new ones today; it’s just more challenging now. Rap has become one of the most lucrative businesses in the world, and thus, artists are busier than ever. Some rappers have teased the formation of groups on EPs and songs—like Noname, Saba, and Smino creating the soulfully eclectic trio of Ghetto Sage—but it’s hard to actualize these plans when everyone has individual touring, albums, and fanbases to cater to now. Despite not technically being groups, rap duos like the City Girls, EarthGang, and now Unc & Phew are holding down the space for non-solo acts.
When The LOX faced Dipset in their now-iconic Verzuz battle in Madison Square Garden last summer, it illustrated how deeply rooted group synergy doesn’t just go away with time. Jadakiss, Styles P, and Sheek Louch bounced off each other effortlessly as they had just gotten off tour in the ‘90s, delivering a masterclass in live performing.
Nothing is meant to last forever, even in music. Rap groups and collectives were never the exception. Still, moments like that are a reminder that there’s always power in a reunion.
Ghana coach Otto Addo will announce his final 26-man squad for the 2022 World Cup on November 14.
The biggest soccer mundial has been scheduled for November and December this year, with 32 countries set to battle it out for the covetous trophy in the Asian country.
The West African powerhouse are housed in Group H and will face Portugal, Uruguay and South Korea.
Ghana will open their World Cup account against Portugal on November 24 and will then play South Korea on November 28 and Uruguay in their final group match on December 2.
The Ghana coach is expected to announce his final squad of 26 players, six days to the start of the tournament.
The Black Stars will begin their preparations for the mundial early November, but coach Otto Addo will get full house in the second week of November, where all leagues will go on break for the World Cup.
In September, Ghana engaged in two friendlies against Brazil and Nicaragua. The Black Stars lost 3-0 to the South American giants but recovered to beat Nicaragua 1-0.
Before the commencement of the World Cup in the Asian country, the four-time African Champions will play European country, Switzerland as their final preparatory game for the mundial.
The crucial friendly game has been scheduled for November 17.
Ghana is returning to the global showpiece after missing out in Russia 2018, where France emerged as the eventual winners.
Since securing World Cup berth over Nigeria, the Black Stars has only won two games from a couple of games played.
They defeated Madagascar in the AFCON qualifiers and Nicaragua in a pre-World Cup friendly.
Ghana drew with Central African Republic in the same AFCON qualifiers and struggled against Japan with a humiliating defeat during the Kirin Cup in June.
Alex Kwasi Awuah, the managing director of ARB Apex Bank PLC, has counseled Rural and Community Banks (RCBs) to rethink and integrate their systems in order to help them adapt and position themselves appropriately in the face of the global economic uncertainty.
Almost fifty years after the first rural bank was founded to close the gap in rural financial intermediation, he explained, not much has been accomplished because rural banks have not fully embraced and integrated the tools required to close the gap between those who have access to financial services and the unbanked population.
He however expressed optimism that with the advent of digitalisation and growth in financial technology (Fintech) solutions, the gap will be closed – especially with the establishment of a Digital Banking Unit.
“We must fully embrace the digital revolution by deploying the right products and services to fill this yawning gap in our RCBs’ sub-sector. We at ARB Apex Bank are confident that we can close this gap through digital solutions such as Agency Banking, Mobile Banking and the Internet Banking Project, which will soon be implemented,” he added.
ARB Apex Bank has set up a dedicated Digital Banking Unit as part of its new strategic initiatives, and it is hoped that this will bring about fresh impetus to expand its banking service platforms and increase financial access within the communities in which rural banks operate.
Mr. Awuah made these comments at the just-ended 21st Chief Executive Officers (CEO) Conference held in Ho, during his opening address on the theme ‘Positioning Rural Banking at the Centre of Financial Services Delivery in Ghana – the Role of Stakeholders’.
He further advised the CEOs to be strategically minded going into the future, by providing the right leadership for thriving RCBs.
“Armchair management should give way to aggressive business development. Let us chase the businesses, especially the medium, small, micro and individual businesses in the communities where we operate. The old ways of doing things must give way to aggressive business development programmes,” he stressed.
He reminded rural bank CEOs that it is incumbent on them to take time to understand their financial and prudential ratios so that they can provide adequate guidance for the boards to make timely decisions when things are going wrong.
Appreciating the ratios is the only way to deploy preemptive strategies to ensure rural banks continue to remain strong, as well as ensuring the maintenance of affordable pricing so as not to drive away prospective customers.
“In spite of the challenging economic environment, let us be reminded that our products and services’ pricing should be affordable enough to encourage and entice the majority of Ghanaians to do business with us. If our prices are too high, we risk driving away our esteemed customers,” he said.
He again indicated to the CEOs that the ARB Apex Bank is doing everything within its power to retrieve locked-up funds, even though a lot of work has already gone into pursuing repayment of the locked-up funds.
“We still have not been successful at getting the monies paid. We are aware of how these unpaid funds continue to affect your operations. It is unfortunate to say that several attempts made by ARB Apex Bank and the Association of Rural Banks to realise the funds are paid have been unsuccessful. We have engaged the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), NTHC and other key institutions, but our efforts have not yielded positive results. ARB Apex Bank will be engaging further with the Association of Rural Banks so we can make an official representation to the Ministry of Finance,” he said.
He pleaded with the Second Deputy-Governor to use her good offices and the weight her position carries to help RCBs retrieve their locked-up funds from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)-Regulated institutions.
“The locked-up funds are seriously affecting the operations of RCBs. Governor, please help us retrieve the funds to help shore-up the liquidity and financial strength of our banks,” he stressed.
The Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners (GNASSM) has kicked against proposals for a ban on small-scale mining and threatened to fight any attempts by an institution to do so.
According to the GNASSM, its members are still working to recover the losses and difficulties brought on by the restriction on their operations in 2017.
The call was made in response to the ongoing environmental destruction and harm being done to water bodies around the nation as a result of illegal mining activities.
This menace has compelled the Christian Council of Ghana and other civil society groups to call for an immediate ban on all small-scale mining activities to help fight against illegal miningactivities effectively.
At a press conference on October 18, dubbed “Ecumenical Leaders Press Conference on Galamsey,” religious leaders called for an immediate ban on small-scale mining to prevent degradation and pollution of the environment.
However, speaking at a news conference in Kumasi, the General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners, Godwin Armah insisted members of the association would resist attempts to ban their operations.
The Association, he said, had taken note with great concern of recent Ghanaian media discourse on the contamination of rivers and water bodies and environmental damage caused by the country’s illegal mining activities, and was working feverishly to help address the threat.
He described calls for banning small-scale mining as insensitive and a lazy man’s approach in handling the illegal mining issues.
“GNASSM believes that, the regulation of the small-scale mining sector should be a shared responsibility between the Government and the Association together with all other stakeholders and that recent calls by sections of the public for a ban on the small-scale mining sector is preposterous, insensitive and a lazy man’s approach to the issue,” he stated.
The Association demanded a community enforcement approach to address the problem of illegal mining and stated that while it was a national concern, local governments should be structured effectively to control mining in their areas to prevent the problem from spreading.
To manage mining-related issues in the community, they also called for the creation of committees in mining communities. These committees must collaborate closely with the District Mining Committees and will include some traditional leaders, religious leaders, representatives from the youth, and small-scale miners.
GNASSM further proposed a restriction on the importation and use of Chanfang engines, which will make it difficult to dredge water bodies.
Mr. Armah says government officials, especially local assemblies, should ensure their localities are free of illegal mining.
Marquise Jackson, 50 Cent’s eldest son, has responded to his father after he doubted a request to meet up and sort their issues.
“Now y’all all see I tried to reach out to talk to my pops as a MAN in front of the 🌎 & behind the scenes,” wrote Marquise in a post shared on Instagram, which featured photos of him with his father and video evidence showing how he’s blocked by Fif’s account. “I have no phone number for you & You’ve had me blocked on social media for years so I can’t DM you personally & everybody that is mutual is scared to touch the topic bc they’re scared of you.”
He went on to explain why he’s spoken with TMZ and posted about their issues publicly on Instagram, suggesting it’s the only reliable way to get a response from his father. “I don’t want nor need money from you,” he said. “I don’t like attention I had so many opportunities to get that and I choose not too. I saw the breakfast club interview and it didn’t sound like much accountability there just ego, blaming and more so about money as if you were the child in the situation. Those text messages was ME I was waiting outside for you that was the day you broke my heart. I forgave you for it. I’m ready when you ready to sit down & talk.”
His second portion of the post focused on a photo, which he alluded to as something that contributed to their issues. He denied knowing the person in the photo, although it’s not clear how that connects to the situation with 50 Cent. “I APOLOGIZE to anybody that this photo may have hurt, but I wasn’t aware who he claims to be,” he said. “I thought it was just a fan asking for a picture. Any other ‘enemies’ you’ve seen me in a pic with I’ve known them to be family damn near my entire life bc of my pops.”
His post comes not long after Fif appeared on The Breakfast Club, during which he expressed doubt that Marquise wanted to actually mend their relationship. “See, Charlamagne, you would call me. You don’t call TMZ to say you want to sit down,” he told the radio hosts. “Think about it, man. You know, he wants some attention, and it’s okay he can have as much of that as he wants.”
Marquise and his father have been trading shots online for the past few weeks, but it all kicked off after he offered to pay his father $6,7000 (the same as one month of child support) for 24 hours of his time. The situation saw 50 troll his son, while Marquise told TMZ that he wanted to chat so he could “restore the situation.”
Former Hearts of Oak assistant coach, Hamzah Obeng says his side’s former side needs a deliberate plan to be able to dominate African football again.
Hearts of Oak among other Ghanaian clubs have failed to leave a mark in continental in recent times.
Speaking on the consistent failures of clubs from Ghana, Hamzah Obeng reiterated that clubs who can win the competition have good foundations which are built on projects they invest huge resources.
“Other countries take the Africa Inter Club Competition as a project. Things have changed in the world of football. Football goes beyond what see on the field of play,” Hamzah told Takoradi-based Connect FM.
“Some clubs groom players for some time. WAC had a project which had lasted for 10 years.”
Hamzah who was part of Hearts of Oak’s technical team in their Africa campaign last season added that inadequate preparation over the years has also affected the performance of Ghanaian clubs.
“Football is not luck but preparation, if the opponent prepares well and you face them, you will realize the difference.
“If Hearts of Oak were able to maintain the team which won them the league two seasons ago, we would have seen the difference in their performance,” he added.
The NHL is bringing us back to the ’80s with the unveiling of each team’s new Reverse Retro themed jerseys for the 2022-23 season, and Hockey Twitter is having fun with some of the more unusual designs.
The Montreal Canadiens already took mascot Youppi, and now they’re paying homage to the now-defunct Montreal Expos by using the signature baby blue as the main colour, a direct reference to the Expos’ away uniforms in the 1980s.
While some have met the new jersey warmly, others called it low-effort and lamented the lack of a true Expos’ font.
The Philadelphia Flyers also turned back the clock, reviving their long black hockey pants, the “Cooperalls,” with the team’s signature orange stripes that only lasted two seasons.
Instead of using them in-game, the Flyers will only wear them during warmups, to the chagrin of several fans.
Other fans didn’t seem to mind their limited use and were just happy that the team did something different.
Other teams, like the Vegas Golden Knights, are simply too new to have a retro jersey. Instead, they opted for glow-in-the-dark elements meant to simulate the lighting of the Las Vegas Strip.
Fans immediately rejoiced at the idea of seeing their star players skate around in them.
All 32 NHL team Adidas Reverse Retros drop on Nov. 15.
Hearts of Oak will have their Annual General Meeting (AGM) for November 30, 2022.
This will be the first time the meeting will be held in four years with the last one held on August 15, 2018.
According to Executive Board Chairman of the club, Togbe Afede XIV, the disruptions in the football calendar was the reason why the meeting was not held in the last four years.
“The distractions in the league after the Anas ‘Number 12’ documentary and the COVID-19 occasioned breaks disrupted football worldwide but the good news is that we will have the AGM next month.”
“This management team won the treble of 2020-21 season, the League Cup, FA Cup and the Super Cup. The same team won the FA Cup last season,” Togbe Afede XIV stated.
Responding to some of the criticisms of the team he leads, Togbe Afede XIV noted that Hearts remain one of the best managed clubs with complete structures in place.
“We have an Accounts Department headed by a Chartered Accountant. We have technical, commercial and administrative departments to ensure effective running. The leaders of all these departments work with the management team. And of course at the board level, we also have executives who support me on daily basis, giving us another layer and level of a management team.”
“I believe we have an effective board and management capable of taking the club to an appreciable height. It is under this management team that we have seen massive investment in infrastructure.”
Togbe Afede XIV indicated that he will continue playing the role until the club finds someone qualified enough to lead the great Oak tree club.
Fivio Foreign’s performance at the BrooklynNets’ home opener on Tuesday left something to be desired.
The Brooklyn native took to center court during halftime to perform a medley of his songs “Say My Name,” “City of Gods,” and “Big Drip.” But thanks to some obvious technical difficulties, his delivery was delayed and he was rapping off-cue.
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly, in collaboration with the C40 City Finance Facility (CFF), has launched a solid waste segregation project in some Accra communities.
The project, titled “Solid Waste Source Separations and Community Compost Kickoff Mission 2022,” is set to be funded by the German agency, GIZ; France Development Agency, and the UK government.
The Deputy Head of Waste Management of the AMA, Victor Kotey, mentioned that this project forms part of the agenda to divert waste from landfill sites.
Labeled as “Solid Waste Source Separations and Community Compost Kickoff Mission 2022,” the project is to be piloted in Jamestown, Chorkor, Korle Gonno, and Avenor areas over 18 months.
Further adding, Mr Kotey mentioned that the volunteer training programme would take place before the project begins in the first quarter of 2023. Waste bins would be provided, and composting facilities would be built.
“Under the project, we will be promoting urban gardening and greening of public open spaces. The compost that will be produced by the communities will be used in greening community spaces as well as household and backyard gardening, “he added.
Selection process
The Chief Executive of the AMA, Elizabeth Sackey, indicated that in 2015, the city — with support from the C40 CFF — conducted a greenhouse gas inventory to understand the key contributors to carbon emissions in Accra.
Poorly managed solid and liquid waste-related activities accounted for nearly 44 percent of carbon and other dangerous gas emissions, according to the report.
She said Accra’s Climate Action Plan (CAP 2020-2025) was, therefore, developed to change the narration contained in the report.
In addition, the Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Osei Bonsu Amoah, noted that the ministry had been keen on climate change adaptation and mitigation measures, and was currently implementing the Local Climate Adaptive Living Project.
According to the United Nations, the Local Climate Adaptive Living Project helps local government authorities in the least developed countries and other developing countries to access the climate finance, capacity-building, and technical support they need to respond and adapt to climate change.
As a result, he called for stakeholder participation to ensure the project’s proper implementation in order to benefit a larger community, create jobs, and improve access to services and infrastructure.
This, the news portal said, makes the total loss of the cedi in 2022 almost 52%, the highest recorded in 22 years.
The free fall of the cedi now places the currency at the 148 position of worst performing currencies in the world.
“The currency depreciated as much as 9.6% on Thursday, heading for its biggest decline in 22 years. That took losses in 2022 to nearly 52%, the worst performance among 148 currencies tracked by Bloomberg,” the news portal reported.
In October this year, a committee was formed to hold talks with domestic bond investors on debt management strategy and how to negotiate the deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Ghana is targeting an amount of $3 billion over a three-year period from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) once an agreement on a programme is reached.
Ghana leader, Nana Akufo-Addo wants Ghanaians to support dual-nationals who have switched allegiance to play for the Black Stars in order for them to excel.
Six players switched nationalities to represent Ghana at international level in June. Brighton’s Tariq Lamptey, Inaki Williams of Athletic Club and German-born trio Stephan Ambrosius, Ransford Konigsdorffer and Patric Pfeiffer have all agreed to play for Ghana.
Southampton star Mohammed Salisu also confirmed his decision to represent Ghana last month.
Addressing the Ghana FA delegation led by Kurt Okraku at the office of the Presidency, Nana Akufo-Addo said it’s our bid as Ghanaians to create the condition for the diaspora players to excel for the national team.
“We should have no grounds for complains, the important thing is that, all of us as a nation, that we give maximum support to our young people to go and give of their best and if they able to give off their best they will far because Ghanaian football is among the best in the World”
“Of course, with the usual luck that you need in football, instead of the thing hitting the bar, it goes in. so we have to pray that the good Lord favours us on such occasions and if it does, I have a lot of confidence about the quality of the people that has been selected”
“I’m happy that many of the diaspora players under your leadership are being brought in as much as possible those who have the heart for the country are being brought to come and play. I think you’ve done well and going on, go out to search for those interested to play for the country. Our bid is to create the condition for them to excel and that’s what we have to do”
The Black Stars will begin preparations in the first week of November, but a full house is expected in the second week, when all leagues will draw to a halt.
Ghana is scheduled to play one pre-World Cup match, against Switzerland, on November 17.
The West African powerhouse will kick off on November 24 with a crucial match against Group H favourites Portugal.
The Black Stars will then play South Korea on November 28 and Uruguay in their final group match on December 2.
On-air personality at Accra 100.5 FM Nana Romeo has rendered an apology to Ricky ‘Bullet’ Nana Agyemang for broaching a conversation about his alleged affair with his Rufftown Records signee Wendy Shay during an interview on the said station.
On Thursday, 20 October 2022, at the end of their exclusive interview, Nana Romeo asked Bullet to offer advice to media persons.
Bullet charged that media personalities show no love or sense of decorum when talking about people’s issues including their fellow media and creative industry players.
Everything is for “content” and for social media popularity and attracting numbers and often without evidence, Bullet bemoaned citing his alleged romantic involvement with his signee.
In response, Nana Romeo said: “I’ve learnt some sense from what you’ve said,” and explained he truly strayed from the core reason Wendy Shay had come to the Accra 100.5 FM studios for the controversial 2020 interview.
Bullet interjected saying, “You did not have any evidence [about my supposed affair with Wendy Shay]” but Nana Romeo in reaction maintained: “That may only be what you think, but let’s leave that bit aside.”
“You see, you still don’t want to admit, there is no evidence for the alleged affair,” Bullet chuckled.
Romeo pressed on: “[The thing is] Even if I had evidence, why should it be on radio?”
“I admit I did what was not right,” he touched his chest to signal earnestness. “I apologise for that.”
Bullet accepted the apology with the words: “That’s it. We move.”
“It’s about the industry [and not me per se]. I need you, bro, you need me,” Bullet added after recounting how people around him protested his coming for the Thursday, October 20, 2022 interview.
“We move together, and we win together,” he stressed while Nana Romeo came in with: “I’ve come to understand, it should not have been on the radio but maybe in a private conversation, I could have engaged Wendy Shay on the issue. Not on-air with thousands listening.”
“Yes, you don’t do that, especially when there’s no evidence to that effect. Don’t do it,” Bullet charged again.
Afropop star Wendy Shay walked out of the Accra FM studios when Nana Romeo intimated she had an unprofessional relationship with her boss. The 2020 interview caused a huge stir on social media that year and resurfaced in September 2022.
Following their most recent visit to Ghana, which is looking for a $3 billion program to stabilize the economy, the International Monetary Fund stated that an agreement with Ghana would be announced as soon as it was practical.
The Bank of Ghana Governor Ernest Addison and his staff met with an IMF team led by Stéphane Roudet from October 11–19 in Washington, DC to continue discussions about a potential IMF-supported program.
“The Ghanaian team and IMF staff had extremely constructive discussions on the authorities’ post-COVID agenda for economic growth and accompanying policies and reforms that might be supported by a new IMF agreement,” Mr. Roudet said in a statement following the sessions.
“We made good progress in identifying specific policies that would restore macroeconomic stability and lay the foundation for stronger and more inclusive growth.
“Discussions will continue in the weeks ahead, with a follow-up mission to take place expeditiously.”
FAQs
What are the next steps in the discussion for an IMF-supported economic reform program? What is the possible timing for an IMF programme?
Following several visits in recent months to engage with the authorities on their homegrown reform program and broader stakeholders’ consultation, a Ghanaian delegation visited Washington, DC to continue discussions on policies and reforms that could be supported by an IMF lending arrangement.
The Ghanaian delegation and IMF staff had fruitful discussions on the authorities’ post-COVID program for economic growth and reforms that could be supported by a new IMF arrangement. The teams made good progress in identifying specific policies that would restore macroeconomic stability and lay the foundation for stronger and more inclusive growth.
Can the IMF confirm reports that Ghana is seeking a three-year Extended Credit Facility programme of about $3 billion?
The Extended Credit Facility (ECF) is the Fund’s main tool for medium-term support to countries facing protracted balance of payments problems, similar to Ghana’s.
The duration of such arrangement is between 3 to 4 years and extendable to 5 years. Ghana requested a similar arrangement in 2014 and which lasted 4 years. However, the level of access and the final programme design is ultimately decided by the IMF Executive Board. Since negotiations for the programme are starting now, it is too early to comment on the final form the programme will take.
Why is Ghana requesting an IMF programme?
Ghana’s fiscal and debt vulnerabilities are worsening fast amid an increasingly difficult external environment. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ghana’s public debt increased from 65 per cent to 80 per cent of GDP.
At the same time, the government’s fiscal efforts to preserve debt sustainability were not seen as sufficient by investors, leading to credit rating downgrades, non-resident investors exit from domestic bond market and loss of access to international capital markets.
These adverse developments, further exacerbated by the price and supply-chain shocks from the war in Ukraine, have led to a large exchange rate depreciation, a surge in inflation (29.8 per cent year-on-year inflation in June) and pressure on foreign exchange reserves in the past months. In this context, the government has requested assistance from the IMF, and we have kick-started the initial discussions on how to best address Ghana’s challenges.
An IMF-supported programme aims to provide space for Ghana to implement policies which will restore macroeconomics stability and anchor debt sustainability while protecting the most vulnerable parts of the population.
It should help create the conditions for inclusive and sustainable growth and job creation. This will help strengthen policy credibility, alleviate exchange rate pressures, and provide catalytic effect on financing.
What type of programme is Ghana eligible for?
The IMF’s various lending instruments are tailored to different types of balance of payments need as well as the specific circumstances of a member country. See the IMF Lending webpage for different types of BOP need and the available instruments.
We are discussing with the ministry of finance and the central bank about the type of facility that would best fit Ghana’s needs.
By way of background, the previous arrangement in Ghana was a three-year ECF in 2015-2018, which was extended by a year to April 2019.
Is a programme the result of the spillover from the war in Ukraine?
The war in Ukraine has triggered a global economic shock that is hitting Ghana at a time when the government’s room for manoeuvre is already greatly limited. The shock compounds other pressing policy challenges, including debt vulnerabilities, the COVID-19 pandemic’s social and economic legacy, and the ongoing tightening of global monetary policy conditions which increases the cost of international borrowing.
What will be the objectives of an IMF programme with Ghana?
The goal of the government’s home-grown programme, which would be supported by IMF financing, is to restore macroeconomic stability and anchor debt sustainability, support the credibility of government policies, restore confidence in the central bank’s ability to manage inflation and accumulate foreign exchange reserves to help the currency withstand headwinds. Specifically on the fiscal sector, an important policy objective would be to increase revenues, critical for debt sustainability while safeguarding spending on health, education, and social protection.
Does Ghana need debt restructuring? When will a new Debt Sustainability Assessment (DSA) be published?
When a member country requests financing from the IMF, the Fund assesses whether the country’s policies are consistent with debt sustainability. This assessment is based on a Debt Sustainability Assessment (DSA), conducted jointly by the IMF and World Bank, to determine whether the government is able to meet all its current and future payment obligations.
The DSA is forward-looking and considers steps being taken by the member to ensure sustainability over the medium term. In cases where a country’s debt is assessed as unsustainable, the IMF is precluded from providing financing unless the member takes steps to restore debt sustainability, including by seeking a debt restructuring from its creditors. The IMF and World Bank still need to conduct a thorough update of the debt situation through a new DSA, which will then be presented to our Executive Board when it considers the authorities’ program request.
As background, the last DSA published in the 2021 Article IV Staff Report concluded that: “Public debt was sustainable conditional on a rigorous and credible implementation of the authorities’ medium-term consolidation plan to put debt on a declining trajectory and ensure continued market access.”
Will the programme result in cut in the free senior high school programme, or other flagship social programs and infrastructure projects?
We are still at an early stage in the discussions, but we believe that the free Senior High School (SHS) is an innovative policy that needs to be protected. In general, IMF-supported programmes seek to boost social spending while encouraging both efficiency and sustainability.
As discussed above, the IMF-supported programme would aim at protecting the vulnerable and creating conditions for an inclusive growth.
Shortly before Virgil Abloh’s untimely passing in November, the designer was conceptualizing a collaboration with Camella Ehlke, the founder of the pioneering ‘90s streetwear label Triple 5 Soul.
After Abloh praised Ehlke for her work, the duo began ideating a collaboration centered on one-of-a-kind upcycled outfits for furniture like Eames Lounge Chairs. Ehlke sewed the outfits together and Abloh provided surplus sample yardage sourced from Off-White’s Milan-based fabric house.
Unfortunately, it became one of many uncompleted projects Alboh tragically left unfinished. But it saw the light of day thanks to Guilty By Association (GBA), a new creative platform that seeks to empower artists.
“Camella had shown Virgil the final mock ups of these outfits, then he passed away. But I think she just felt in her heart that she needed to continue,” says GBA co-founder Derek Wiggins. “It was about being the support behind her saying: ‘Let’s put a timeframe behind this. Let’s work with other partners. Let’s get approval from Off-White to make sure this is cool. Let’s do something very special and finish this in her way.’”
GBA is not looking to become another blue-chip art gallery. The digital platform was launched by Wiggins and Karen Wong (who previously served as the Deputy Director of the New Museum for 15 years) last year to address their own frustrations with the contemporary art world. Particularly, GBA is focused on addressing the lack of inclusivity in the art world and the challenges artists face when trying to make liveable salaries off their work. Aside from working with Ehlke, they’ve also collaborated with designer Phillip Lim to highlight Asian American Pacific Islander artists such as Eri Wakiyama and Sue Kwon. This summer, they collaborated with Charles DuVernay of the Monogram Hunters, to highlight the culture of Black Masking Indians in New Orleans.
As an entrepreneurial creative with a passion for street culture, Wiggins has been helping niche artists build sustainable income streams since the 2000s. Before launching GBA and building a career in digital advertising, he helped underground artists like Claw Money, Bradley Theodore, and Gabe Urist run independent businesses and live off their artwork.
“I saw what a lot of artists dealt with as they moved from art forms like graffiti to fine art and how they were treated because of the types of objects they created, the color of their skin, and who they did or didn’t know,” says Wiggins. “GBA is about empowering marginalized artists, people who aren’t accepted by the galleries, and giving them fair commission. It’s about creating a system where they’re marketed and talked to appropriately.”
We spoke to Wiggins about how GBA aspires to change the outdated structures of the contemporary art world, how he helped artists like Gabe Urist grow their own personal brands in the 2000s, and the work GBA has done so far.
A former minister of youth and sports, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, has advised the government against using public funds to sponsor Ghana Black Stars supporters travelling to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup.
Mr Afriyie Ankrah explained that the current economic condition should deter the Ministry of Youth and Sports from engaging in further spending, which would exacerbate the present situation.
“With my experience, I’m against the government taking supporters to the World Cup. I don’t think the ministry should spend time and energy to do that,” he told the media.
President Akufo-Addo on October 4, 2022, vowed to fly supporters to Qatar during a visit by Chief Executive Officer and President of the Kenpong Group of Companies, Mr. Kennedy Agyepong, at the Jubilee House.
Kenpong Travel and Tours are the official airline to airlift football fans from Ghana to the Arab country for the Mundial.
This was after the President made a personal appeal to telecommunications giant, MTN Group to support the senior national football team, Black Stars, in their 2022 World Cup Campaign.
Mr Afriye Ankrah further recounted when he had to personally sponsor some Ghanaians to the 2014 World Cup held in Brazil from June to July, since there was no money to fund their travel, a gesture he regrets.
“In my time, there was no funding to take supporters to the World Cup. And I took it upon myself to raise money from corporate bodies, and it was very difficult, but in the end, we raised almost GHC5 million, and we were able to take supporters.
But it came with all kinds of issues and challenges, and for me, it was not worth it,” he said.
According to him, individuals interested in flying to Qatar to support the senior national team “should pay and go themselves.”
Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah was appointed as the Minister of Youth and Sports in February, 2013, by former President John Dramani Mahama.
In July 2014, he became a Minister of State at the Office of the President, after a reshuffle.
The 2022 World Cup comes off in November. Ghana has been housed in Group H alongside Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay.
In an interview on Sway’s Universe, Lil Baby revealed that he’s been in contact with Young Thug’s family amid his incarceration.
“They actually go to court today, so by the time we get out, get out of the interview, maybe we’ll know some good news,” he told Sway at the 10:20 point of the interview, as seen above. “For the most part, it’s like the same old thing. They’re just tryna get [inaudible]. But I definitely talk to them. I know how it feel to be in that situation, so I like reach out to their parents and stuff, make sure they good.”
Lil Baby previously spent two years behind bars, which gives him perspective on how frustrating it can be to have your access to the outside world cut off. “A lot of times [when] you’re in a tight situation, your phone might not be as easily accessible,” he continued. “You might not have somebody to move for you the way you want to move. … As far as for me, I just know if you got somebody on the outside you could depend on a little bit, you can kind of sleep better.”
At around the 12:15 mark, Baby admitted that he’s lost millions (and made millions) in crypto.
“I feel like I’ma win with investing and stuff. I’m a gambler already. That’s what I do on a way smarter level is gamble. To me, making investments is like a safer gamble. I actually lost millions investing in crypto. I made money in crypto before I lost it. It’s like an up and down thing,” he said.
In a new interview with XXL Magazine for their digital cover story, Baby also reflected on how he’s dealt with Thug’s absence ever since he and his Young Stoner Life collaborators were put behind bars in May.
“He’s not like one of my rap friends,” Baby said. “He’s one of my personal friends. We actually talk on the phone. Or if we in the same city, like one of them guys that I pull up on.
So, him being incarcerated, it be different for me. He ain’t like one of the rappers where I don’t see in years or I don’t talk to for real anyway. I really talk to him from a day to day. Me and Gunna we like neighbors. So, for them to be in a situation and I don’t really talk to them like that, it kinda mess with me a little bit for sure.”
During one of his most recent visits to see Thug in Cobb County Jail, he told the rapper the best advice he could. “Read. That’s the advice,” he said. “Like logical, I know you in there, while you’re in there, read. Get some books.
Figure out what you wanna learn about ’cause while you in there and shit, just figure out some shit, ya feel me? Then when you get out you got a whole new avenue and just apply it to your life when you get out.”
Ghanaian music executive and musician Ricky ‘Bullet’ Nana Agyemanghas accused radio presenters of having no love or respect for their fellow industry players.
He holds this is why any allegation with or without evidence is broadcast and discussed without any sensitivity to the person involved.
He had been invited at the end of an interview at Class Media Group to offer advice to media persons.
At this, Bullet bemoaned: “It’s like there’s no love” before saying: “I’ll use you [Nana Romeo] as an example.”
“The reason you struggled to get me to come for this interview is not because I didn’t want to come, but I was contemplating about [what possibly could happen during the interview because] I saw the question you asked Wendy when she was here,” the Rufftown Records founder revealed.
He argued that he’s “an industry person. I’ve been here over two decades,” and so Nana Romeo, being a fellow in the industry, should have been charitable not to bring up the rumoured affair between him and his Afropop artiste Wendy Shay.
“Not even if you have evidence,” he stressed and flashed his phone to make his point.
Bullet decried the uncontrolled thirst for “content” in the pursuit of social media popularity and for attracting “numbers.”
“It’s like they [media people] don’t care,” he lamented.
In response, the Ayekoo Ayekoo host, Nana Romeo noted that: “For the first time, after what you’ve said, being wise, I’ve accepted I did the wrong thing. I won’t beat about the bush.”
Nana Romeo said sorry profusely but added: “I’ve come to understand, it should not have been on the radio but maybe in a private conversation” maybe with Wendy.
For his part, Bullet accepted the apology with: “That’s it. We move” but also insisted: “You [don’t] do that, especially when there’s no evidence to that effect. Don’t do it,” Bullet charged again.
Mr Ricky ‘Bullet’ Nana Agyemang also stressed the symbiosis between media persons and other creative industry players like musicians.
“It’s about the industry [and not me per se]. I need you, bro, you need me,” he stated.
On the Accra 100.5 FM mid-morning show Ayekoo Ayekoo in 2020, Nana Romeo had alleged Wendy Shay was having an affair with her record label boss Bullet. She walked out in protest.
He claims that the action is intended to provide support for importers of commodities into the nation and also addresses concerns raised by some trader organizations over unrest caused by the depreciation of the cedi.
“The goal is to make them very comfortable in business. The fixed exchange rate is expected to provide better certainty for importers and help the government maintain low inflation,” he explained.
The currency has now been ranked by Bloomberg as the worst-performing currency in the world against the US dollar, overtaking the Sri Lanka Rupee.
Checks by GhanaWeb Business to some forex bureaus in Accra show the cedi is selling above the GH¢14 to the dollar as of October 21, 2022.
The development has since forced members under the Ghana Union of Traders’ Associations to close down their shops in Kumasi in the Ashanti region and subsequently the Central Business District in Accra.
Akon has finally addressed that time he gifted French Montana a fake watch.
“I get the watch I put one on, he came and said, ‘I got something for you bro,’” Akon explained during an appearance on Real 92.3’s Cruz Show this week. “He was happy, I was happy. We lit, we lit. Now mind you I’m not really knowing there’s specific brands [of] watches and all that, I wasn’t really a watch guy. I just saw something I liked that looked nice and I got it. French clearly went to his jeweler and got it checked out, and the jeweler was like, ‘Yo, this is fake.’”
French told his side of the story back in 2017, but Akon maintains that he had no idea it was a “fake” watch when he gifted it to the rapper.
“He was like, ‘What do you mean fake?’” Akon continued. “I was like, ‘What do you mean fake? The shit tick, don’t it? The shit work, right?’” He said it was actually a replica of a specific brand, but he had no clue.
“Not only was I upset because I paid, like, five grand for each watch… In my mind that was expensive for a watch,” Akon said. “But obviously for a Hublot that was no money, that was a huge discount. … So I’m like, ‘This ungrateful ass n***a.”
Minister Isaac Bobbie has released his first gospel album dubbed ‘Spirit of Revival’.
The album, according to the musician, is based on the scripture Psalm 85.6.
Explaining why he chose the ‘Spirit of Revival’ as the album title Minister Isaac said, “the word revival means; transformation and the stirring up of our spirit to receive something new from God in our lives.”
“I’m hoping that this album will bring restoration in the lives of many people so as to draw them closer to Jesus Christ,” he added.
The Musician who is also a preacher, songwriter and prophet stated that after starting his musical career in 2012, God has been good to him.
“My vision is that in the next 5 Years I will be a great minister who will carry the Gospel across the world to make a great impact,” Minister Isaac noted.
‘Spirit of Revival’ album has 10 songs in all and it is on all digital music platforms.
He claimed that while Ghana’s economy is not immune to the difficult times brought on by the severe global economic collapse, there are possibilities to find solutions.
According to him, Ghana’s obsession with imported goods is the main cause of the nation’s economic problems.
But, he believes implementing collaborative concrete measures and actions to have an integrated independent economy could help to salvage the situation, especially with food.
Bemoaning Ghana’s insatiable demand for foreign goods he said “the cost of food everywhere is a major compact of any country’s economy and it behooves on all of us to do whatever we can to improve accessibility and affordability.”
Sir Dr. Sam Esson Jonah in this regard, charged the University of Cape Coast specifically, the School of Agriculture to lead the charge in the production of improved varieties of the country’s local foodstuffs, better-yielding crops, cheaper poultry, and aqua cultural feeds among others.
“We are entrusting this school with the responsibility of ensuring that we grow what we eat and to a large extent we eat what we grow. I expect you to establish a faculty that is and form strong partnerships and bonds with collaborations and institutions and other relevant local bodies, pertinent to the development of our agricultural sector,” he said.
Sir Dr. Sam Esson Jonah was speaking at the UCC@ 60 Grand Durbar ceremony held on Thursday, October 20, 2022, to climax the UCC@60 Anniversary celebrations.
The UCC@60 anniversary was on the theme: 60 Years of Quality Education: Expanding the Frontiers.
On his part, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Johnson Nyarku- Boampong indicated that though 60 years is a significant milestone, it is important to note that it is an age associated with longevity and a time to begin a new life.
He, therefore, said in his capacity as the vice chancellor he will work to ensure the university chalks many successes in the coming years.
He said, “As the Vice Chancellor of this great institution, I see this opportunity to lead the university to work on new challenges and create new goals. Goals that will motivate us to continue to build on the solid foundation that our predecessors have left.”
To that end, he emphasized that in order for the university to maintain its topmost rank globally, efforts must be made to improve the teaching and learning environment, strengthen internet superstructures, increase the proportion of graduate students and attract more international students.
The Vice-Chancellor, therefore, urged government “to give the universities financial clearance to recruit new academic staff in order to reduce the staff-student ratio to improve teaching and learning…recruiting new academic staff will therefore go a long way to lessen the burden on overstretched staff.”
He admonished all stakeholders to work collaboratively with the university and urged alumni to support the university.
The new Batman video game Gotham Knights suffers in comparison to its Arkham predecessors.
That is not, strictly speaking, a fair criticism; the studio has made it clear that “Gotham Knights is an all-new, original story and experience set in DC’s Batman Universe. It is not connected to the Batman: Arkham games.” But the comparison is inevitable.
The developer, WB Games Montreal, also developed Arkham Origins, the third game in the Arkham series. The playstyle, at least on its surface, is Arkham-esque, and emphasizes stealth, third-person melee combat, and detective work.
Arkham Knight ends with Batman’s apparent demise. In Gotham Knights, both Commissioner Gordon and Batman are dead, and it’s up to the Bat-Family—Nightwing (Dick Grayson), Red Hood (Jason Todd), Robin (Tim Drake), and Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) to carry on The Bat’s legacy and emerge as Gotham City’s young protectors.
You have a “Belfry” hub where you can switch between them, learn new abilities, and upgrade your gear. And when you upgrade one of them, the others acquire the same experience and commensurate gear. You’ll never be in a late-game situation where you’re railroaded into choosing one over the other. The game encourages experimentation.
You will inevitably have favorites. Robin has a bo and favors stealth; he’s the closest to what we traditionally accept as Batman. Batgirl has tonfas and tech chops; she can disable cameras and booby-trap electric panels. Red Hood has guns, and he’s a head-on brawler; you have to get in close to throw and pummel your opponents. Nightwing has escrima sticks, and he’s sort of like choosing Mario in Mario Kart; he does everything serviceably, but nothing to mastery.
I found myself choosing Robin the most (often switching to Red Hood for variety), and Nightwing the least. There was, in my mind, an obvious pecking order. Ideally, the four characters would represent different playstyles, strengths, and weaknesses; they would fundamentally change how the game is played, and necessitate repeat playthroughs to appreciate their subtleties. But in practice, it felt like two of the characters were fully realized, and the other two were sketches, and not fleshed out to the extent they needed to be.
It reminded me, in a negative way, of 2020’s Marvel’s Avengers game. That game sold itself on the premise that every added superhero would affect how you approached and played the game.
But some characters were clearly better defined than others. And because they all needed to traverse the same landscape and obstacles, it had a narrowing effect on how different the characters could ultimately be. The variety existed, but within strictly defined limits.
Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo has commended the Ghana Football Association President, Kurt Okraku for dual-nationals’ injection into the Black Stars ahead of the World Cup.
Six players switched nationalities to represent Ghana at international level in June. Brighton’s Tariq Lamptey, Inaki Williams of Athletic Club and German-born trio Stephan Ambrosius, Ransford Konigsdorffer and Patric Pfeiffer have all agreed to play for Ghana.
Southampton star Mohammed Salisu also confirmed his decision to represent Ghana last month.
Addressing the Ghana FA delegation led by Kurt Okraku at the office of the Presidency, Nana Akufo-Addo credited the leadership of the Ghana FA for the role played in getting diaspora players to join the national team.
“We should have no grounds for complains, the important thing is that, all of us as a nation, that we give maximum support to our young people to go and give of their best and if they able to give off their best they will far because Ghanaian football is among the best in the World”
“Of course, with the usual luck that you need in football, instead of the thing hitting the bar, it goes in. so we have to pray that the good Lord favours us on such occasions and if it does, I have a lot of confidence about the quality of the people that has been selected”
“I’m happy that many of the diaspora players under your leadership are being brought in as much as possible those who have the heart for the country are being brought to come and play. I think you’ve done well and going on, go out to search for those interested to play for the country. Our bid is to create the condition for them to excel and that’s what we have to do”
The Black Stars will begin preparations in the first week of November, but a full house is expected in the second week, when all leagues will draw to a halt.
Ghana is scheduled to play one pre-World Cup match, against Switzerland, on November 17.
The West African powerhouse will kick off on November 24 with a crucial match against Group H favourites Portugal.
The Black Stars will then play South Korea on November 28 and Uruguay in their final group match on December 2.
Joselyn Dumas has thrown a question out to netizens, wanting to know if men are intimidated by career women.
In a post she shared on Twitter, she disclosed that she was chatting with some friends, but the topic kept coming up.
“So I’m having a conversation and it keeps coming up. Are men intimidated by successful women, especially in relationships,” she tweeted.
Reacting to her post, netizens shared diverse views on why they believe some men not intimidated by career women.
A user said, “Men aren’t intimidated by successful women, we just don’t like that some successful women don’t have a sense of respect and they kinda want to treat you the way they treat their subordinates.”
Another added, “Men are not intimidated by successful women. They simply can’t stand women who throw their weights about. It is not how successful you are that drives men away but how comforting and thoughtful you are as a woman.”
Another netizen shared, “The bitter truth is that most Ghanaian successful women are single because they are financially comfortable so they don’t need men in their lives. That’s due to the fact that they can’t be submissive. Men are not intimidated by their wealth. But every man wants a humble woman.”
If you’ve ever walked to the back of a convenience store selling eye-raising inventory to jostle for elbow room amidst a rabid crowd of DJs and other music lovers for the latest vinyl on a Thursday afternoon, chances are you’ve stepped into legendary Toronto vinyl record store Play De Record.
It’s memories like these that proliferate throughout Drop the Needle, a new feature-length documentary from director Rob Freeman and co-producer Neil Acharya which contextualizes the social and cultural impact the vinyl store has had on Toronto’s musical landscape for over 30 years. Against a musical backdrop of vintage Toronto hip-hop from the likes of Ghetto Concept and Citizen Kane, an impressive cast of influential luminaries such as Kardinal Offishall, Saukrates, Russell Peters and Skratch Bastid among many others speak openly of their love for Play De Record in the film.
However, the person at the centre of the film is Play De Record owner Eugene Tam. The film traces how Tam, who immigrated to Canada from Trinidad, opened the store in 1990 at the concentrated downtown nexus point of Yonge and Dundas in Toronto and positioned himself as the go-to vinyl stop for DJs, crucially impacting the scenes of hip-hop, house, dance, electronic and Black music of every genre in the city and beyond. It’s an effect that Tam himself had largely dismissed until recently. “People would always tell me ‘Oh, the store is an institution’ and I go ‘OK, alright. Okay, cool, no problem,’” says Tam at the beginning of the film. “But it’s only when we started doing this documentary, [I thought] ‘Oh, maybe we did have some something to do with it.’ I mean, I never saw it. You know, when you have to step back then you see the picture, right?’
As well as reminiscing on the aforementioned Thursday afternoon vinyl Darwinism, sepia-tinged memories from Toronto pioneers such as Ron Nelson, Mastermind, and DJX also include commentary on how the store changed and survived over the years. Over the years, a record label, a music school, a rivalry with nearby store Traxx and an infamous mixtape raid on the store in 1999 that made headlines around the hip-hop world are part of Play De Record’s history that continues to this day. While the store moved to Toronto’s Spadina Ave. from its storied 357A Yonge St. location in 2016, the resonance of Play De’s existence, fuelled by Tam’s seemingly endless dogged determination, clearly transcends any physical location. Drop the Needle has two forthcoming screenings on Oct. 22 and Nov. 6 at Hot Docs Cinema in Toronto. Complex spoke with director Freeman about the film. The interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
What are the most important things that people associate with the store, what are the most important things that you feel when you talk to people? What are the things that make this more than a store?
The fact that everyone is coming together in the spot on a weekly basis. And you know, Thursdays were obviously very busy but you know, people would go on Saturdays—it was a ritual for people going downtown. Getting off the subway at College and Dundas, going to Traxx, going to Play de Record, going to [TMU radio station] CKLN, maybe going to Eaton Centre. It was also going to get food there. Everyone remembers the food in that area. People spent a lot of time in this area, and it became like a second home to a lot of people. They enjoyed going down there. That experience that so many people had for years, I think is what lead to it becoming more than just a brick and mortar store. It contained a lot of unique memories, and a lot of experiences. And more than anything, I think Eugene Tam and his family really added a lot to it. Something I hope that’s shown throughout the movie is Eugene as a character, what his family was like, and having them be in that mix. It just added a little bit of a unique vibe, where there were other record stores, but there was only one Tam family. And I think the Tam family really added a lot to the experience of going to Play De Record, then and now.
You spoke to maybe around 50 people about Tam. What was it that you heard as a consistent theme from everyone you interviewed?
Eugene loves the music, and that really is kind of the basis of everything. Before he opened up Play De Record, he had a massive record collection. He was going to Starsound. He was going to Carnival Records, which are two popular places prior to Play De Record opening in 1990.
He was a regular of these places, so he loved the music. So when he opened the store up, I think he obviously cared about the business side of things, but he enjoyed being a part of this community just as much as anyone else did.
So to him it was a business, but to him it was a way for him to be a part of it as well because he loved the music just as much as anyone else who stepped in that store.
The Authority has been fighting against unlawful lottery activities for a while, and the current Director-General, Sammi Awuku, has decided to tighten up the crackdown with additional measures.
The NLA established its charitable arm, the “Good Causes Foundation,” over a year ago. Among its objectives is to create, carry out, and uphold an integrated action plan.
At this year’s World Lottery Summit held at Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, the association charged member countries to do more on responsible gaming and good causes.
The WLA has, therefore, asked member countries to promote these values and further tasked lottery bodies in the world to take a firm stance on illegal lottery activities which it said caused loss of revenue of a total of 1.8 trillion dollars in 2022 alone.
Ghana is being represented at WLA Summit by the NLA boss, Sammy Awuku and Dr. George Gyamfi-Osew, the immediate past Director of Operations of the Authority.Lottery
The World Lottery Authority (WLA) holds its meetings every two years but could not hold the 2020 event after the Buenos Aires, Argentina meeting held in November 2018, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The meetings among other things, take stock of the various member countries’ programs, regional reports, suspension and expulsions from the Association.
This year’s summit held in Vancouver, British Columbia was attended by over 1,000 delegates from the various continents.
Suspension of Russia and Belarus
This year, two lottery bodies from Russia and Belarus respectively, were suspended by the organization for their government’s role in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict which has left many dead.
According to WLA President, Rebecca Paul said since the two countries failed to prove that revenues generated were not being used to fund the war hence they must face the consequences.
The body of nations with over 100 lottery bodies approved the proposal by majority decision with only two members voting ‘No’ and one abstention.
Meanwhile, WLA Members have re-elected the Rebecca Paul execs to serve another four-year term.
Younnes El Mechrafi, who is currently the General Secretary of the African Lottery Association, has also been elected as an Executive Member of the WLA.
Paris, capital of France will host the next World Lottery Summit in 2024.
President of the Pharmaceutical Importers and Wholesalers Association, William Adum Addo, made the announcement on behalf of the organisation on Thursday, October 20, 2022. It takes effect from now until the economy stabilises, he said.
“All transactions with immediate effect shall be on cash basis until the economy stabilises,” he stated.
The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is a social intervention program introduced by the government to provide financial access to quality health care for residents in Ghana.
The NHIS covers medication, namely, prescription medicines on the National Health Insurance Scheme Medicines List, traditional medicines approved by the Food and Drugs Board and prescribed by accredited medical and traditional medicine practitioners. Any other services approved by the Minister of Health.
Health facilities operating under this service (largely government institutions) provide services for the NHIS subscribers and submit claims for services rendered to the NHIS District/Municipal/Metropolitan offices for reimbursement.
It is largely funded by the National Health Insurance Levy (NHIL), however, it secures medication for persons enrolled on the scheme on credit basis.
GNCoP, thus, entreated the NHIS and other private health insurance companies to seek funds to purchase medicines on a cash basis for distribution to patients under the various schemes.
It also encouraged “end user institutions; that is retail pharmacies, private hospitals and clinics to secure loans from banks to buy medicines with cash.”
Mr Addo also called on the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning to release funds immediately to settle all past-due obligations as well as to pay off debts that have been outstanding for more than nine months.
Touching on the current economic situation, GNCoP said the impending crisis is capable of affecting lives and the health of the nation.
“The effect of medicine prices will not only result in challenges with medicine availability and accessibility but most importantly the quality of life of Ghanaians, because we all know health is wealth. They cannot afford the exorbitantly high cost of medicine … very soon a sizable number of industry players may be forced to fold up or lay off staff,” he said.
In order to commemorate the second anniversary of the popular EndSars mass protest, popular rapper Falz and comedian Mr. Macaroni participated in the #EndSARSmemorial procession at the Lekki Tollgate.
The well-known public figures were photographed with other young people who had taken to the streets at the Lekki tollgate while yelling, “We want justice!” at the top of their lungs.
To honor the memories of demonstrators who were shot and murdered by security officers at the Lekki Tollgate two years ago, coffins were carried during the parade on Thursday.
Videos posted online showed the celebrities and a sizable throng passing through the tollgate despite the presence of numerous police officers.
Debo Macaroni, had already revealed via his social media accounts that he will be taking part in the walk.
He wrote: “Peaceful Walk in honor of all Endsars and Police Brutality Victims!! 20/10/2022!!! It’s 2 Years now!! We haven’t forgotten and we will never forget!! Different rallies have been happening across the country this month. Nobody or group hijacked it. Abeg we no wan hear say anybody wan hijack this one…
We didn’t hear that the Police arrested or brutalized anyone during the rally. Let’s maintain the same energy!
Lastly, please this is not a political rally. Banners of political parties or candidates should not be displayed. This is strictly to honor all our fallen heroes!! God bless you ????????.”
Nigerians took to the comment section to express their gratitude to the two celebrities who devoted their time and availed themselves to make the commemoration a success.
Check comments below:”
michael.anifowoshe: “So proud of these two young Nigerian celebrities and everyone out there. Proud!????”
offishall_vee: “”As Governenent get plan, make we sef dey strategise.”
bonpzee4al: “Well done guys. It is important we use this to remind the government what they did to innocent youth demanding for change. Yet the same government is coming to demand for vote from youths.”
collinscrors1313: “Them don still throw teargass give dem oooook , I nor understand Nigeria ???????? again I swear”
umezuche: “Good job my people ????????…we no go ever forget. Make dem continue lying”
don_mata_: “The death of our passed heroes shall never been in vain.”
johnsonbecks: “The peaceful protesters have been attached yet again by the Nigerian police with teargas”
sammieregs: “Because them think say them wise but we be ologbon ???? make we remember them say the story neva clear who GAVE THE ORDER????? I still wan know sha”
great_adeshola: “It’s now a game of unusual trend, we don’t belong to the generation of short memories, we’ll continue to remind them of their evil actions. #NigeriaMustBeGreat”
The worrying study has forced the worldwide organization to develop tight guidelines so that it can put more of its attention in the years to come on responsible gaming and charitable purposes.
The association urged member nations to do more to promote responsible gaming and charitable purposes at this year’s World Lottery Summit, which took place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
The WLA has, therefore, asked member countries to promote these values and further tasked lottery bodies in the world to take a firm stance on responsible gaming.
Ghana’s National Lottery Authority (NLA) itself has been battling with illegal lottery activities for some time now and determined to increase its clamp down with new measures put in place by the current Director-General.
The NLA over a year ago, launched its charity arm the ‘Good Causes Foundation’, which aims among others, to develop, implement and maintain an integrated action plan.
This is based on four main pillars – education, health, youth and sports development as well as culture.
Ghana at WLA
Ghana is being represented at WLA Summit by the NLA boss, Sammy Awuku and Dr. George Gyamfi-Osew, the immediate past Director of Operations of the Authority.Lottery
The World Lottery Authority (WLA) holds its meetings every two years but could not hold the 2020 event after the Buenos Aires, Argentina meeting held in November 2018, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The meetings among other things, take stock of the various member countries’ programs, regional reports, suspension and expulsions from the Association.
Again, it is also to consider new members who meet the criteria and to promote Responsible Gaming and Good Causes within the various Lottery Bodies..
This year’s summit held in Vancouver, British Columbia was attended by over 1,000 delegates from the various continents.
Suspension of Russia and Belarus
This year, two lottery bodies from Russia and Belarus respectively, were suspended by the organization for their government’s role in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict which has left many dead.
According to WLA President, Rebecca Paul said since the two countries failed to prove that revenues generated were not being used to fund the war hence they must face the consequences.
The body of nations with over 100 lottery bodies approved the proposal by majority decision with only two members voting ‘No’ and one abstention.
Meanwhile, WLA Members have re-elected the Rebecca Paul execs to serve another four-year term.
Younnes El Mechrafi, who is currently the General Secretary of the African Lottery Association, has also been elected as an Executive Member of the WLA.
Paris, capital of France will host the next World Lottery Summit in 2024.
The Ghana Football Association‘s (GFA) Communications Director, Henry Asante Twum has disclosed that Black Stars assistant coach, George Boateng will not beIN Sports as a pundit for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Earlier in 2022, the 47-year-old left his role as coach of Aston Villa Youth Team to focus on the Black Stars for the global showpiece.
He was named in a star-studded line-up of pundits for beIN SPORTS’ (beIN) coverage of the World Cup in the Middle East & North Africa (MENA), however in an interview with Asempa FM, Henry Asante Twum confirmed that coach Boateng will be committed only to the Black Stars for the tournament.
“George Boateng will not join beIN Sports as a pundit for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He is solely committed to the Black Stars,” Asante Twum.
Ghana will face Portugal, Uruguay, and South Korea in Group H of the global showpiece which takes place between November 21 and December 18, 2022.
Black Stars will take on Switzerland in another preparatory game on November 17, seven days before their opening game at the 2022 FIFA World Cup against Portugal.
As Halloween approaches, parents are being warned that fentanyl pills could be mixed with candy.
ABC7 reports a traveler tried to get around 12,000 fentanyl pills through airport security on Wednesday morning. The drugs were housed in Skittles, Whoppers, and SweeTarts packages. Initially the suspect got away, but was later identified.
“The suspect fled prior to being detained by law enforcement but has been identified and the investigation is on-going,” the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said in a statement, per CNN. The DEA and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department both made the bust as part of a task force at the airport.
Authorities are warning parents about fentanyl that’s also being made in rainbow colors and placed in candy wrappers. The colorful pills are a “deliberate effort by drug traffickers to drive addiction amongst kids and young adults,” DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said. The “rainbow fentanyl” was discovered in August and has been found across the U.S.
“With Halloween approaching, parents need to make sure they are checking their kids candy and not allowing them to eat anything until it has been inspected by them,” the Sheriff’s Department said.
“If you find anything in candy boxes that you believe might be narcotics, do not touch it and immediately notify your local law enforcement agency.”
In early October, the DEA came across a woman carrying 15,000 rainbow-colored fentanyl pills inside a Lego box in what is thought to be the largest bust of fentanyl ever in New York City.
The current economic crisis, especially the currency rate, is having a negative impact on their operations, according to the Chamber, which includes pharmaceutical manufacturers, importers, and suppliers.
The action has become vital to salvage their failing enterprises, said Harrison K. Abutiate, chairman of the Ghana National Chamber of Pharmacy, in remarks during a press conference in Accra.
“The Pharmaceutical Industry is credit-driven. Public Sector pays on the average 6-12 months, because of delayed payments of the National Health Insurance Scheme(NHIS). Majority of private facilities make payments for all supplies within 3-4 months. In the current circumstances of daily devaluation of the cedi, it’s imperative to state that pharmaceutical supplies on credit under this time has led to erosion of operational capital of pharmaceutical importers and manufacturers,” he said.
He also bemoaned the reversal of the discount on benchmark value which has negatively impacted the cost of doing business in the country.
According to him, if the situation remains the same, local manufacturers will be forced out of business to create room for fake products to dominate the market.
“On the industry front interest in continuous investment in official and pharmaceutical business is waning. Very soon a sizeable number of industry players may be forced to fold up or lay off staff. This becomes a dangerous recipe for criminals to engage in nefarious activities and flood the market with fake and sub-standard products just to compromise quality and efficacy of medicines, thereby putting the health of all Ghanaians at risk.
“The Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning should release funds to immediately to pay for the long-standing debt of over 9 months and to push to clear all overdue debts.”
Deadline reports Apple will produce a documentary centered around Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry.
Underrated was acquired by Apple Original Films from A24 through its first-look deal with Curry’s multimedia company Unanimous Media. Wakanda Forever director Ryan Coogler will also serve as a producer under his Proximity Media banner. Peter Nicks (Homeroom) has been tapped to direct.
The documentary will look back at Steph’s standout performance during the 2008 NCAA Tournament with Davidson College and lead up to his fourth NBA title win last season, along with his first NBA Finals MVP trophy. Underrated will highlight how “his record-shattering and game-changing playing style turned him from an overlooked prospect to an NBA legend.”
Among his other notable achievements, Stephen Curry surpassed Ray Allen to break the NBA’s all-time record for three-pointers made in a game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in December.
Rolling Stone reported last month that Curry was close to signing a lifetime deal with Under Armour worth “potentially more than $1 billion.”
He also graduated from Davidson last month, fulfilling a promise he made to his mother Sonya and head coach Bob McKillop over a decade ago.
Steph received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology.
Dancehall artiste Shatta Wale has said that he felt at home when he was arrested and remand into Ankaful Prision for one week.
According to him, he was not humbled by the experience contrary to what people assumed.
The Shatta Movement President explained that the inmates did not treat him any differently from how his fans have always done.
“When I went to jail, I actually felt like I was at home. Because people have been in there for 30 years, and they’ve never seen Shatta Wale. So, as they saw me, they fetched water for me. Some brought me food (mostly from their visitors). Just like the way people see me on the streets and kneel down, it was the same way in the jailhouse,” he revealed TV3’s Showbiz 360.
He added that “it wasn’t like they took me there to suffer, it was like a vacation. It didn’t really humble me.
Elon Musk reportedly plans on making drastic changes to Twitter’s workforce once he finalizes his acquisition of the platform.
According to the Washington Post, Musk informed potential investors that he’s considering a layoff of nearly 75 percent of Twitter’s entire staff, decreasing the number of employees from 7,500 to just over 2,000.
The Post reports Twitter had already been looking to slash its workforce by about 25 percent in an effort to shave $800 million off payroll by the end of 2023. The plan is an indication that the company was struggling with financial issues before Musk came into the picture, and provided a “golden ticket.”
Twitter filed a lawsuit against the 51-year-old in July after he tried to back out of his $44 billion acquisition. The SpaceX and Tesla CEO agreed to finalize their agreement earlier this month, asking the court to give him until Oct. 28 to secure the necessary finances to close the deal.
Before he attempted to terminate his deal with Twitter, Musk seemingly warned the company’s employees during a Q&A session that there would need to be a downsizing of the workforce upon his arrival. He considered the approach to be a “rationalization of headcount,” saying, “Anyone who is a significant contributor should have nothing to worry about.”
WaPo correspondent Elizabeth Dwoskin went on to tweet, “Twitter finally replies to our scoop in an internal note to staff saying the company did not have any confirmation from Musk about his plans and that Twitter’s own, smaller-scale ‘cost savings discussions’ were put on hold once the merger agreement was signed.”
Variety reports Musk acknowledged during a Tesla third-quarter earnings call earlier this week that he was overpaying for Twitter, but also stressed “the long-term potential for Twitter in my view is an order of magnitude greater than its current value.”
They have bitterly bemoaned the Ghana cedi’s ongoing decline, especially when compared to the US dollar and the West African Franc (CFA), which is used by all three of Ghana’s neighbors.
Some traders seized the chance to urge the government to step in and do so as soon as possible during an interview with Kofi TV, a YouTube TV program.
One of the traders who spoke to Kofi TV said: “If our sin was voting for you, forgive us, we won’t offend you again; because we are unable to buy the CFA nor the dollar. What sin have we committed to have voted for Akufo-Addo?
“We are sorry for voting the NPP party into office, whatever sin we have committed by so doing, we are pleading for forgiveness. We beg the NPP with our knees on the ground, we beg them.”
If you sell, you run at a loss… I have run at a loss, I did not open my shop today, I just came to take some money I left here. We beg the president, we are on our knees. President, president we beg you. Intervene for us, come and intervene for us, why?
“Our funds are evaporating, we can no longer import, we beg you, do something for us, we want you to do something for us. The CFA is galloping, the dollar is on the move, why?”
The Cedi has recently been classified by Bloomberg as the worst-performing currency against the US Dollar.
Currently, the Cedi is trading at around GH¢13 to a dollar at some forex bureaus. The depreciation rate is a contributory factor for the ongoing shop closures ordered by the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA).
According to the group, the fast depreciation of the Cedi is eroding their profits and also increasing the cost of doing business.
Celebrity Blogger, Artiste/ Brand Manager and Influencer, Phylx Akakpo known in real life as Felix Akakpo Dzefe and his beautiful wife, Eunice Mensah have announced the birth of their first child.
The announcement was made via the blogger’s Instagram page on Thursday with a couple of pictures showing the baby bump during pregnancy.
The information available to us confirms the blogger’s America-based wife gave birth to a bouncing baby boy somewhere last week in New Jersey.
Blogger Phylx Akakpo, who handles PR for Songstress Becca, comedienne Afia Schwarzenegger, Rapper Givtti Shandon as well as event brands like Ghana Entertainment Awards USA, African Most Beautiful USA, Luxury Beach Resort and more has been in America over the summer covering Ghanaian community events with the latest one being the premiere of Red Carpet movie with Jackie Appiah and Roselyn Ngissah in New York.
Other events include Kelvynboy at Ivory in the City, Stonebwoy at Tecno Mobile Global Launch, Shatta Wale and Wiyaala at the SummerStage, African Most Beautiful USA, and the prestigious Ghana Entertainment Awards USA among others, with all these Ghanaian community events happening in the United States.
Phylx Akakpo tied the knot with his long-time sweetheart, Eunice, on Saturday, July 24, 2021, in a beautiful ceremony in Cape Coast with family, friends and industry players. Children are indeed blessings and as the couple welcomes their first child, we wish them the best in Life.
NBA referee Tony Brown died on Thursday at the age of 55.
“We are and have been sustained by the consistent outpouring of love and support through this journey in developing strength, acceptance and peace,” Brown’s family said in a statement obtained by the Associated Press. “We ask that you join us in that spirit as we prepare to celebrate Tony’s life. Our biggest thank you to our village of family and friends, near and far, old and new. Your love is immeasurable.”
Brown is survived by his wife Tina Taylor-Brown and their three children, Bailey, Basile, and Baylen.
The AP reports he was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in April 2021, but managed to return to work for the league’s replay center last season. He entered hospice care in Atlanta days before his passing.
“I haven’t had time to sit around and be like ‘Why me?’ or ‘What am I going to do?’” Brown told the outlet this year. “Me not fighting would have made me feel like I was letting people down. What kind of example was I going to be to my kids if I just laid in this bed and let it overtake me? I had to show my kids that there’s nothing in life that you can’t challenge and overcome if you have a positive mindset.”
When LeBron James got wind of the news, he praised Tony on Twitter, writing, “Great ref but greater dude! Loved when I ran on the court for warmups and he would be on the game that night! Your smile & laugh will be missed tremendously here in our sport!”
Brown’s illustrious career includes officiating more than 1,100 NBA games spanning nearly two decades. He was selected to officiate two NBA All-Star Games, and worked in a 2020 NBA Finals game when the league transitioned to the bubble in Orlando.
“Tony Brown was one of the most accomplished referees in the NBA and an inspiration to his colleagues,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said.
In celebration of his 36th birthday next week, the OVO rapper is blessing the public with customer-favorite items from Dave’s Hot Chicken—an LA-based restaurant chain he invested in last year.
“I tried the food and it was amazing,” Drake said in 2021. “After meeting the founders and hearing their story, I jumped at the opportunity to invest.”
The giveaway will take place between 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time Monday at all restaurant locations. All guests have to do is show the staff that they follow Dave’s Hot Chicken on Instagram or TikTok; they will then receive a free spiced-to-order slider or tender at their preferred heat levels.
Customers must visit the locations in-person if they want to participate in the celebration. The free fare is not available through online orders or via third-party delivery services.
“Dave’s Hot Chicken will blow your mind! Every Tender is hot, juicy and spicy,” Dave’s Hot Chicken’s CEO Bill Phelps said in a press release. “Our guests across the world have shown the same level of enthusiasm for this company that the founders had five years ago when they were operating a little pop up in Hollywood. Now, in celebration of his birthday and our first national ad campaign, our most famous investor wanted to give something back to fans by letting everyone try Dave’s Hot Chicken on him.”
The celebration coincides with the launch of the restaurant’s first-ever ad campaign, titled “Don’t Die Before You Try It.” The ad includes a series of commercials that take a comedic look at those who never got the chance to taste Dave’s Hot Chicken. You can check out one of the spots below.
Since its inception in 2017, Dave’s Hot Chicken has reportedly become the “Fastest Growing Restaurant Chain in America.” The eatery has locations across California, as well as Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Texas, and more. You can learn more about Dave’s Hot Chicken at its official website.
Shatta Wale has asserted that Sarkodie should have superseded Nigerian superstar Wizkid’s stardom, but he’s still not as internationally renowned as expected.
According to the dancehall musician, the multi-award-winning rapper is one of Ghana’s artistes who invest in their craft – from his music to his personal image – and should have been bigger than the Afrobeats star.
He reckons that his expectation of Sarkodie is not at easy as it may seem that’s why he does not struggle to fight opinions dubbing him as a “local champion” only recognised by his fans in Ghana.
“You see someone like Sarkodie, he should have been bigger than Wizkid. You see what Sarkodie even did. Sarkodie is putting money into his craft in terms of videos and everything to make it perfectly right but he is still not there,” Shatta lamented at a roundtable on Joy FM’s ShowbizAtoZ.
Shatta Wale further noted that things would have been different if Sarkodie made good use of the opportunity he had with Akon.
He said Sarkodie failed to capitalize on his association with the Senegalese-American singer and record producer when he had the chance to sign onto Konvict Music some years ago.
“If Sarkodie is doing it and I am watching him and he is still not making it. What he is doing, he is alone and he is using his money to do that…especially when Akon mentioned Sarkodie’s name. He should have been there but I could also say that he didn’t even take advantage of it,” Shatta Wale added.
Meanwhile, Shatta Wale gave the impression that he sees Sarkodie as a role and fumbled when asked if he looks up to the rapper before deciding on whether or not to also invest in his craft.
The cedi has currently lost more than 50% of its value against the dollar. GhanaWeb examines the path of the cedi from January to August in this article.
Many Ghanaians will attest to the fact that 2022 has not exactly been a good year, particularly when it comes to the performance of Ghana’s economy.
All the macroeconomic indicators seem to be pointing in the wrong direction, with inflation rising to unprecedented levels (currently hovering above 30 percent). As a result, the prices of food, transport, and oil products have particularly become issues of grave concern to many Ghanaians.
The concern is why prices are increasing at unprecedented levels in Ghana. One major reason is the depreciation of the country’s currency, the Ghana Cedi. 2022 has not been a good year for the cedi, with the currency currently losing about 40 percent of its value and being ranked as the second worst performing currency among 150 currencies in the world, according to Bloomberg.
But how did we get to this point? GhanaWeb takes a look the performance of the cedi against one major foreign exchange, the US Dollar (dollar).
Cedi to dollar rate in January 2022
According to data from the Bank of Ghana (BoG), the cedi/dollar rate was GH¢5.9 at the beginning of January 2022. But it depreciated to GH¢6.02 at the inter-bank level, indicating a depreciation of nearly 12 percent.
Cedi to dollar rate in February 2022
As of the end of February 2022, the cedi had once again depreciated against the dollar by about 10 percent, from the GH¢6.02 rate at the end of January 2022 to GH¢6.6, as per data from the BoG.
Cedi to dollar rate in March 2022
For March 2022, the cedi once again depreciated significantly to the dollar from GH¢6.6 to GH¢7.1, showing a month-on-month depreciation of approximately 8 percent.
Cedi to dollar rate in April 2022
At the end of April 2022, the cedi depreciated by less than 1 percent month-on-month, from GH¢7.1122 to GH¢7.1128.
Cedi to dollar rate in May 2022
The cedi to dollar rate at the end of May 2022 was GH¢7.14, which again signifies a less than 1 percent drop from the GH¢7.11 cedi dollar rate recorded at the end of April 2022.
Cedi to dollar rate in June 2022
For June 2022, the cedi depreciated to GH¢7.23 per dollar, which showed a depreciating rate of 1.3 percent compared to the GH¢7.14 exchange rate for May 2022.
Cedi to dollar rate in July 2022
The value of the cedi reduced to GH¢7.61 by the end of July from the GH¢7.23 per dollar it started with for the month. This showed an approximate percentage depreciation of 5 percent.
Cedi to dollar rate in July 2022
On the Interbank forex rates from the BoG on Friday, August 19, 2022, the cedi is trading against the dollar at 8.1031. This shows a month-on-month depreciation rate of about 6.6 percent from the previous month.
Per the figures of the BoG, the cedi-dollar rate was 5.9 at the beginning of 2022; now, it is 8.1. This shows that from January 2022 to today, August 19, 2022, the Ghana Cedi’s value has fallen by approximately 40 percent.
From the figures above, it is clear which currency is winning the cedi and dollar ‘fight’.
