There have been more instances of nurses and other health workers trained in Ghana leaving the nation during the past year.
Alawani, a general nurse who prefers to go by only her first name, obtained a job and a visa to the UK last month.
She had worked as a doctor in a hospital in the Eastern Region for more than seven years before to the new position.
Asked why she chose to leave, she indicated that she has nothing to show for the years she has been working in Ghana as a nurse. She lamented the meagre salary, poor conditions of service, and risks nurses have to endure in Ghana’s health facilities.
“I am very passionate about my job and I work really hard, but the economy is too hard on us. A lot of nurses are leaving Ghana to countries like the UK and US for many reasons, including good salaries and better employment contracts.
“I am for the idea of nurses seeking opportunities overseas, because we live in a country where nobody cares about you as a nurse and you are underpaid for overworking. You cannot even take good care of yourself and your family,” she said.
According to Ms. Alawani, leaving the country to practice in the UK was her only option after furthering her education and obtaining a degree in nursing.
Comparing some conditions of service for nurses in Ghana and the UK, Ms. Alawani said: “In Ghana, the normal work hours are between 8-9 hours a day – and sometimes you even end up working for up to 14 hours or more and earn a monthly salary. It is the same salary even if you work extra hours, and nobody really cares about your efforts.
“Here in the UK, it is totally different. If you do more hours you get more pay, and every company has its own number of work-hours per week – which is usually between 39-42 hours. So, for instance, if you do your 39 hours before the week-end, you have more hours to do extra-time for extra pay,” she added.
As regards earnings, she noted that salaries in the UK are far better and more encouraging than what nurses earn in Ghana.
“For instance, back home (Ghana) if you work for 9-12 hours a day for maybe 4 days in a week, you earn a monthly salary of about GH¢2,000 regardless how long your shifts last. But in the UK, you could earn a minimum of £12 or £13 pounds per hour. So, if you are working for 12 hours in a day for 4 or 5 days, you can imagine how much you earn in a month.”
Another nurse, who for the purpose of this article wants to be known as Adora, has been practicing as a nurse at a facility in Accra for 10 years.
She also wishes to leave the country, as according to her is the right decision because the salary abroad is better and worth the effort put in.
“You will enjoy better living conditions. I will leave this country if I have the opportunity,” she stated.
When asked whether they are aware their decisions to leave the country to practice elsewhere may affect Ghana’s health sector negatively, responses from these nurses varied.
For Ms. Alawani, even though more nurses are being trained in institutions each year she believe the country will lose out on experienced personnel, and that should be of major concern to authorities.
“Most of my colleagues have left and others are willing to leave, too. The situation will affect the health sector in Ghana because you end up losing competent and experienced health personnel. Our leaders may think that if you leave there are always people in the queue seeking employment, but they forget that experience is very important in the field.”
Adora on the other hand feels that: “There are a lot of people being trained, and immediately the economy becomes stable the remaining will stay”.
Minority calls for action
Meanwhile, the Minority group in parliament last month directed government’s attention to prioritise the welfare of health personnel in the country, so as to curb high attrition among the workforce.
A statement signed by the Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, on 6th September 2022, said the situation of healthcare practitioners leaving the country has become critical and needs government attention.
“Contrary to the propaganda and noise government makes on addressing the welfare needs of health professionals, most professionals will confirm that their conditions of service have deteriorated over the years.
“Government’s lack of concern for public health workers in this hyperinflationary period has exacerbated an already bad economic situation, leading to high attrition among the workforce.
“In June this year, the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) informed Ghanaians that in the first quarter of 2022, over 3,000 trained nurses and midwives left the shores of Ghana to seek greener pastures abroad.
“The story is not different among practicing doctors in Ghana. Alarmingly, General Practitioners, specialists and consultants have all joined a long line of Ghanaian health professionals waiting for clearance or job offers from abroad in order to leave this country. The situation has become critical – to the point that Ghana is currently experiencing losses of general practitioners and specialists needed to handle cases across the healthcare continuum,” the statement said.
The Forum for Public Sector Associations and Unions have asked the Government not to apply a “haircut” to Tier 2 Pension Funds as part of a “probable” debt restructuring programme.
The Forum said it had taken note of media reports suggesting that about 94 per cent of Tier 2 Pension contributions placed in Government securities might be affected by the said debt restructuring agenda.
At a press conference in Accra today, Thursday, October 20, 2022, Mr Isaac Bampoe Addo, Chairman of the Forum, said any such decision on the Tier 2 Pensions would contravene provisions of the National Pensions Act, 2008.
“If the Government was to pursue the restructuring of Ghana’s debt by touching pension funds, placed in government securities, it would be tantamount to the deceit of benefits envisaged under the Three Tier Pensions Scheme,” he said.
Mr Addo said following the media reports, the Forum officially wrote to the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) for clarification.
He said the NPRA, in its response to the Forum, assured that: “there’s no such policy or decision at the moment to restructure Ghana’s debt and as regards the 94 per cent of Tier 2 pension contributions placed in government securities.”
Mr Addo said the decision to place a larger proportion of Tier-2 funds into Government Securities, was due to the fact Government paid all the Temporary Pension Fund Account (TPFA) at the Bank of Ghana in government securities.
He said the Occupational Pension Schemes had efficiently grown the Tier-2 Pensions Funds that would allow the schemes to pay “better lump sum” to its contributors on retirement.
“Thus, if the government would want to touch these funds, that are privately managed, it would be tantamount to the Government reaping where it has not sown,” he said.
The Forum is made up of nine public sector Unions and Associations, including the Civil and Local Government Staff Association, the Ghana National Association of Teachers; the Ghana Medical Association; the Ghana Registered Nurses’ and Midwives’ Association, and the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT).
The rest are the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana, Coalition of Concerned Teachers Ghana, and the Ghana Hospitals Pharmacists Association.
The Forum constitutes about 70 per cent of the public sector payroll.
Ghana’s Pension Scheme is in three tiers. The First Tier is the Basic National Social Security Scheme for all workers in Ghana. It is a defined benefit scheme and mandatory for workers to have 13.5 per cent contributions made on their behalf, and managed by SSNIT.
The Second Tier is a defined contributory Occupational Pension Scheme mandatory for workers with 5 per cent contribution made on behalf of members. The contribution is managed privately by approved Trustees.
The Third Tier which includes all Provident Funds and all other Pension Funds outside Tiers I and II is a voluntary scheme.
Section 102 of the Pensions Act states: “the accrued benefits of a member in an occupational pension scheme shall not be attached in execution of a judgment debt or be used as a charge, pledge, lien or be transferred, assigned or alienated by or on behalf of the member.”
President of the Ghana Football Association Kurt Okraku has urged the Black Meteors to win their away match against Mozambique in Maputo on Sunday.
On Thursday, October 20, 2022, coach Ibrahim Tanko left Accra for Maputo in preparation for the CAF U-23 Championship qualification versus Mozambique.
A delegation made up of Twenty- two players, technical staff and officials left Accra on Thursday evening for the game which is scheduled for Sunday, October 23 at the Estadio Nacional do Zimpeto.
Kurt Okraku was at the airport to see off the team as they embark on a journey to ensure qualification to the U-23 Championship in Morocco.
The winner will move on to play the winner of the tie between Algeria and DR Congo.
The fourth edition of the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations will take place in Morocco in June 2023.
Tanko was in charge of the team which finished fourth at the 2019 tournament won by hosts Egypt, which ensured Ghana missed out on the 2020 Olympic Games.
Building local capacity in the mining industry in Ghana is the surest way to sustain the industry, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, has stated.
“In building capacity, you must pay particular attention to building local capacity which is one of the most important policies of the government for the mining industry,” he told mining companies.
The Minister, who was addressing the fifth Annual Conference of the Ghana Chamber of Mines on Human Resource Management at Obuasi, underlined the need to build a human resource base with strong local content and local participation that responded to the future needs of the industry.
The conference, which was on the theme: “Transforming People Management for a Sustainable Mining Industry,” was to create a platform for the mining industry to celebrate achievements and highlight the challenges, which confront the industry, employers and labour.
The conference, which was jointly put together by the Chamber and AngloGold Ashanti, also provided opportunity for industry players to discuss how to achieve a more sustainable and strong human resource base to stimulate development and growth.
Mr Jinapor said the vision of the President was to make Ghana the mining hub of Africa, where mining and mining related activities, from exploration to downstream production, and from research to innovation would be centred.
“As Human Resource Professionals in the mining industry, you must familiarise yourself with the requirements of Legislative Instrument 2431, particularly the localisation programme for the recruitment and training of Ghanaians,” he said.
He said building the capacity of employees was not only for the benefit of the organisation but the country at large, adding that, a motivated and efficient workforce increased productivity and by extension improved the national economy.
Mr Sulemanu Koney, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Chamber, said effective people management was intrinsically linked to corporate performance and sustainability, hence the need for human resource practitioners to constantly update themselves on managing employees.
He said human resource was the central pillar of any organisation’s success, and that the Chamber was keen to see the attraction and retention of the best talent in the industry.
The industry, he noted, could be productive and sustainable with the confluence of research, attraction and retention of the right talents and skills.
“We will, therefore, continue to support academia through the Chamber’s Tertiary Education Fund to develop the right pipeline of talent and skills for our industry, and for Ghana as a whole,” he assured.
The CEO emphasised that Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles were taking centre stage globally in corporate performance considerations, saying, industry players, particularly, human resource professionals, could underestimate the critical role of social and governance issues in their respective organisations.
Mr Eric Asubonteng, Managing Director of AngloGold Ashanti, Obuasi Mine, who chaired the opening session of the conference, said the industry needed to be proactive in strengthening the employer value proposition from the human resource perspective.
This, he said, could be achieved with a radical approach to attracting, retaining and nurturing talents.
“Human resource practitioners must, therefore, intensify efforts to transform the industry through comprehensive people management practices and find innovative ways to boost the effectiveness and efficiency of our people,” he stated.
Yemi Alade, a famous musician from Nigeria, was seen with Camidoh, a popular hitmaker from Ghana.
The two West African music icons were captured in a photo posted to Twitter by Ms. Alade on October 19, 2022, sitting on a sofa with their backs to the camera. Yemi flexed her tongue while Camidoh made the peace/victory sign with his lips pursed.
Yemi Alade tweeted the picture with the words: “[fire emojis] New music [Ghana and Nigeria flag emojis] Man like Camidoh and Magixx – Slow,” as caption. She also attached a link her 1.9 million followers could follow to listen to the song.
It is not clear if they have recorded a song together yet.
Meanwhile, Camidoh has revealed his new song ‘Slow’ was recorded in the year 2020.
Yemi Alade’s latest song is ‘Bubble It’ with Jamaican star Spice.
As compared to yesterday’s trading of a buying price of 11.3076 and a selling price of 11.3190. At a forex bureau in Accra, the dollar is being bought at a rate of 14.00 and sold at a rate of 14.30.
Against the Pound Sterling, the Cedi is trading at a buying price of 14.1740 and a selling price of 14.1907 as compared to yesterday’s trading at a buying price of 12.7041 and a selling price of 12.7180.
At a forex bureau in Accra, the pound sterling is being bought at a rate of 14.90 and sold at a rate of 15.30.
The Euro is trading at a buying price of 12.3424 and a selling price of 12.3558 as compared to yesterday’s trading at a buying price of 11.0625 and a selling price of 11.0736.
At a forex bureau in Accra, Euro is being bought at a rate of 12.90 and sold at a rate of 13.20.
The South African Rand is trading at a buying price of 0.6891 and a selling price of 0.6898 compared to yesterday’s trading at a buying price of 0.6193 and a selling price of 0.6197.
At a forex bureau in Accra, South African Rand is being bought at a rate of 0.45 and sold at a rate of 0.80.
The government has been charged with neglecting to implement steps to address the rapid depreciation of the Ghana cedi versus the US dollar, according to Prof. John Gatsi, Dean of the University of Cape Coast Business School (UCCBS).
Prof. John Gatsi said that the government’s stance does not show that the country is in crisis in an interview with Starr News.
“Since the problem is supply and demand, you have used up what are known as the short-term solutions and you lack the resources for the next step.
However, there are other things you may do that will send out good signals, but we are not.
“In fact, in the past two weeks we have not been behaving like we are in a crisis,” the Dean of UCCBS stated.
“If you have sent a five-member committee to collect facts for debt management strategy, the debt management strategy by the Financial Management Act is the job of the Finance Minister and his team. If in their opinion they are done and you cannot open up that you are doing debt restructuring then the approach is wrong.
“People will read different kinds of meaning. Especially on the back of during the Financial and Banking sector clean-up, people had their money locked up and at a point, the investment of citizens were forced into mutual funds against their will. There are people who cannot also access their locked-up funds up till today,” Mr. Gatsi stated.
He continued: “So if the government is going to be empowered to determine the sense of elongation then the citizens have to know the maturity period of their investment. As well as to also know whether they may be taxed on their principal or the interest. If you are hiding this and they get to know they will be reacting and that’s what the banks are experiencing”.
Ghanaian award-winning disk jockey and record producer Kofi ‘DJ Vyrusky’ Amoako has engaged KiDi and Camidoh for a new song.
Titled ‘Body 2 Body’, it was released today, Thursday, 20 October 2022.
Shot and directed by Tigon Creative Studios, the official music video is up on the Lynx Entertainment YouTube channel starring all three music makers.
At the moment, DJ Vyrusky is in New Zealand on a tour with Kuami Eugene.
Camidoh has released a song called ‘Slow’ featuring Magixx and, while his name is trending at the time of this publication on Twitter, there is also a picture of him with superstar singer Yemi Alade in what looks like the latter’s home.
KiDi has also released his latest project titled ‘4Play’ and it has 4 songs.
The Director of Public Affairs of Parliament, Kate Addo, has disclosed that 66 bills are expected to be laid before Parliament when it resumes from recess on Tuesday, October 25, 2022.
The House had a number of matters and bills that needed to be discussed and passed before it adjourned sine die on Thursday, July 28, 2022.
Madam Kate Addo, in a statement issued on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, mentioned that these bills include the Affirmation Action Bill, 2022, the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Bill, 2022, the Ghana Housing Authority Bill, 2022, Small Scale Mining Bill, 2022 and the Petroleum Revenue Management (Amendment) Bill, 2022.
She also stated that a private members’ bill which was referred to the Council of State will also be presented before the House.
Currently, she says, 11 bills are at the committee level, of which seven (7) are public bills and four (4) are private member bills.
They include the Interstate Succession Bill, 2022, which was before the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee and the Armed Forces (Amendment) Bill, 2022, before the Committee on Defence and Interior.
The rest are the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021 (Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs) and the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2021 (Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs).
Out of the 66 bills expected to be laid before the House, the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021 is the most controversial as it has raised several questions in the public domain.
The bill, also known as the Ghanaian anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer plus (LGBTQ+) bill, is a proposed law that would introduce wide-ranging restrictions on LGBT+ rights.
The anti-LGBT bill, if passed in its current state, will criminalise lesbianism, gayism, bisexuality, transgender people and their related activities.
While some Ghanaians appear to support the bill’s rationale, some human rights activists have opposed it, claiming that it will incite hatred against members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Besides these bills, Madam Kate Addo stated that the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, is also expected to admit papers, petitions, motions for debates, and questions to be answered by sector ministers.
The presentation of the annual budget for 2023 will also be done during the third meeting of the second session of the Eighth Parliament.
After kicking off the last two years with her immensely acclaimed single “God of Miracle” with Kofi Kinaata, the singer with the heavenly voice, Jane Rita, enacts us once more with this lovely “Patience” masterpiece for 2022.
As uniquely delivered, Jane Rita in an interview said, “Patience expresses how, as we patiently wait for His set time, our Heavenly Father bestows his heavenly grace upon us through the Holy Spirit.”
“‘Patience’ is a timeless, upbeat, prophetic, and inspirational song that fuses English with a delightful Ghanaian dialect.
Adding, “The lovely music inspires Christ-followers to remain steadfast and patient in the face of adversity because God will take charge.”
The song “Patience”, which was inspired by Jane’s own experiences, is a joyful exhortation to the audience to let go of worry, anxiety, fear, and doubt by assuring them that joy will come when they wait.
Meanwhile, “Abotre”, which translates as “Patience” in the Akan language was produced by Shadrach Yawson (Shaa) and the video was directed by Skyweb Videos.
Today marks the commencement of a ‘national day of fasting and prayer’ for the Black Stars ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
This forms part of their pre-World Cup activities. Two dates have been set aside for Ghanaians to fast and pray for the senior national ahead of the global showpiece regardless of their faith.
Friday, October 21 is the day selected for Islam as Ghanaian Muslims are encouraged to fast and pray within the confines of their religion for the national team.
Sunday, October 23 is the day earmarked for the Christians who are also expected to do the same, fasting and praying for the Black Stars ahead of their FIFA World Cup adventure.
Ghana secured qualification at the expense of their arch-rivals Nigeria in the final World Cup play-off.
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.
Black Stars, who make a return to the tournament after missing out on the 2018 edition in Russia take on Portugal in their first game in Group H before facing South Korea and Uruguay in a repeat of the 2010 World Cup quarter-final.
The union in a statement said consultations with the government and Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II had led to the softening of its stance.
GUTA had been protesting because of Ghana’s forex challenges and the rising cost of doing business.
The cedi has been noted as the worst-performing currency and has fallen by over 50 percent to the dollar in 2022.
But citing goodwill from the government, the union said the government plans to put together a working committee made up of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, National security and GUTA, to “swiftly come out with pragmatic measures to solve the challenges.”
It also said it had been assured that its recommendations “would be factored in the ongoing IMF discussions.”
The government hopes to receive $3 billion under an IMF extended credit facility programme to support the economy and open the doors to more borrowing on the international market.
Among interventions and concessions the government has made to GUTA, a Deputy Trade and Industry Minister, Michael Okyere Baafi, said a fixed exchange rate will be maintained at the ports for the next three months to cushion traders who import goods.
The Deputy Minister also said the government will suspend the ongoing invigilation by the Ghana Revenue Authority that has resulted in protests and the closure of businesses, specifically in Adum, Kumasi.
An economist and Finance Lecturer at the University of Ghana Business School, Prof. Godfred Bokpin has said that merely subscribing to an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme will not guarantee that out problems as a country will disappear.
Speaking in an interview on Joy FM’s Top Story on Thursday, he said, “Inbuilt in the programme will work. In built-in, that programme will be a painful fiscal adjustment that we will have to go through in the next two to three years.”
According to him, the worst moment is yet to happen with regard to the cedi depreciation although Ghana is in talks with the IMF for a programme.
He added that although there are negotiations in place to secure a deal, it does not “look like the programme will be in place before the 2023 budget will be presented.”
This follows an International Monetary Fund staff-level agreement expected to be reached with Ghana this week for a possible 3 billion dollar bailout.
Details of the agreement are expected to form the basis for Ghana’s 2023 budget to be presented in the middle of November.
Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Attawho is leading the Ghana team in negotiations with the IMF in Washington DC, is optimistic the agreement will offer Ghana the opportunity to access the funds early next year.
“The discussions with the fund are going very well, what we intended to do is to get us [Ghana] close to a staff-level agreement as possible so that we can incorporate all of our decisions, most of them, into the budget so there will be no reversal and therefore by year-end, the board will approve,” he said.
But Prof Bokpin said that it will be “challenging” for the government to achieve this. He agreed however, that the government may at best reach a staff-level agreement with the Fund.
He explained that a lot of processes have to be completed before a deal could be reached.
Meanwhile, government has said it will fast-track negotiations with the IMF to ensure key aspects of the programme are reflected in the 2023 budget statement.
Ghanaian international, Manfred Osei Kwadwo is expected to be out of action until at least the end of November.
The midfielder suffered a muscle injury in his thigh while playing for SC Preußen Münster in the side’s 2-0 win over Straelen on August 27, 2022.
Since then, Manfred Osei Kwadwo has been watching his team from the sidelines and hoping that he will return to the turf soon.
In an update on his injury, it has come to light that he is on schedule and will spend four more weeks on the sidelines after already missing the last two months during to the injury.
Asked when he will be able to play again in a recent interview, the Ghanaian said “I can’t say exactly at the moment.”
While he is optimistic about regaining full fitness very soon, his contract is also running out.
His current contract with SC Preußen Münster runs out at the end of the 2022/23 football season.
Actor Fred Amugi has corrected a Wikipedia error about his biography. “I was not there,” he said when Giovani mentioned Legon as a possible starting point for his acting career.
Google and other search engines say that the actor graduated from the University of Ghana, but Fred Amugi reveals he has never had tertiary education.
In the words of the veteran actor, “I have never been to the university. That is what people don’t understand.“
He explains that he was discovered right after senior high school and his acting career began in no time.
“I just came from secondary school form 5. In fact, during my last year in school, Nungua Secondary school, the late Nick Teye, who used to work at Ghana films, saw the potential in me. He decided, ‘we’ll do a stage thing, and I want you to play a character. That’s how it all started,” he said.
Fred Amugi mentioned names of people who played major roles in shaping him into the actor he now is. He tipped himself as lucky, saying his career was shaped by the gurus in the movie industry of that era.
The Ghanaian actor, who turns 72 years in November, has acted in over a hundred movies since he started in 1970 and can boast of a career that spans over five decades.
Ghanaian reality star Okurasenii Samuel has shown appreciation to Media General and TV3 for giving him the opportunity and platform to showcase his talent to the world as a musician.
Okuraseni Samuel disclosed to Nana Adjoa Arthur, host of Yenko fie on Connect 97.1fm, that he would not have come this far without Tv3’s music reality show, Mentor.
“TV3’S Mentor, I will say, gave me the exposure, and it’s the reason I am who I am today. I built my house at the age of 19 because of the opportunities after participating in the first edition. I have and still perform in Ghana and across the globe.”
The musician further explained that making music helped him to put his life together because he made money out of his craft.
He added that he has been doing some business on the side, which is why he hasn’t been able to release a song in a long while. He, therefore, assured his fans to expect some music from him soon.
Okuraseni Samuel was a contestant in the first edition of Mentor and shot to fame with his hit song, ‘Home Work’.
The maiden edition of Kitchen Wars Old Schools Connect, powered by Gino, could not have come to a successful end without the support and contributions of our earnest sponsors.
Grateful to Furnat Ghana Limited for their support and aesthetically beautiful furniture art that made our venue picture worthy.
Our delicious meals could not have been complete without Poultrade Ghana Limited’s fresh protein choices.
Ena Pa was also available to add more sumptuousness to all our dishes. Morning fresh came through, and our hygiene was top-notch with their hand and dishwashing soap.
And to Homeland Stores, we appreciate the variety of kitchen appliances available to our competing teams.
The Aviation Social Center was filled with jubilation songs as Team West Africa SHS became winners of the maiden edition of Kitchen Wars Old Schools Connect. Team Sekondi College came in second, followed closely by Team Ola Girls SHS, placing third in the competition.
The man’s song happened to be woven around the Bible story of Joseph being tempted by his master, Potiphar’s, wife.
His song narrated how Potiphar’s wife moved to Joseph and he vehemently resisted her advances and insisted that on being loyal to his boss.
See the video below:
Ghanaians like old man at 2022 TV3 Mentor auditions
The man’s performance at the audition has intrigued many Ghanaians after the video surfaced online.
babetkwofie said:
you people should give him a chance so he gives us songs with characters from the Bible . The love economy and the Ghana economy right now needs such songs
get_flawless_with_ritz said:
3y3 asem o old man like this won’t give the Gen Z way to trend alone eh what is this kraa
hawksally said:
“You guys should give this man a chance wai ❤️.”
jahloveselaasie said:
Is he aspiring to be a musician anaa Ibi boredom for house make he contest?
_maame_xo said:
…Joseph of our time)se Potiphar’s wife fell in love with me
Ghanaian dancer Dancegod Lloyd has announced his nomination in 2022’s AFRIMMA Awards as “Best African Dancer.”
The nomination comes as a major win for the dancer since he has been dealing with a rough patch with his dance crew and manager.
A few weeks ago, Dancegodloyd missed a huge performance featuring American singer and dancer Usher at the Global Citizen festival.
The dancer is nominated alongside Poco Lee – Nigeria, Uncle Azeez – Nigeria, Ghetto Kids – (Uganda), Angel Ngiyu– Tanzania, Hope Ramafalo – South Africa, Wet Bad Gang– Angola, Sayrahchips – Nigeria and Manuel Kanza – Angola.
The big list of the much-anticipated Nominees List of the prestigious African Muzik Magazine Awards (AFRIMMA) was released by the organizers a couple of weeks ago.
After a two-year period of virtual shows due to the impact of the pandemic, AFRIMMA Awards is set to return with an in-person ceremony on the 19th of November at the Gilley’s Event Center in Dallas, Texas.
Tagged “This is Africa”, the award show seeks to consolidate on the growth of the previous award ceremonies and the massive growth of African music culture. It has been a great year of good music on the African music scene and many African artists did the continent proud.
The nominee’s list was put together by the AFRIMMA technical team after painstaking research and due diligence. Gen Z stars hug the headlines of this year’s nomination list with Gen Z stars like Asake, Ayra Star, Jay Melody, Marioo, Rema, Black Sheriff, Ruger, Buju and more holding their own against heavyweights like Burna Boy, Diamond Platnumz, Focalistic and the rest.
Stars like Ammarae, Mahkhadzi, Gambo and DJ Snake all earned their first AFRIMMA nominations on a list that is practically tight in every category. Celebrating African music and African music artists has been the fuel behind AFRIMMA Awards, and the body has consistently uplifted African music on the world stage since inception. It is set to be another chapter in history as African stars hoist their country’s flags in different categories of nominations.
Nigerian-born singer Anita Osikweme Osikhena who is known for her performance name AniitaBlonde and currently doing music commercially in Ghana releases her Ep.
Aniitablonde is an exceptional artist as an embodiment of beauty, intelligence, and talent. She expresses these in her lifestyle, brand & music. She is a multi-talented singer, rapper, and songwriter.
Following the release of her very controversial and confrontational single “Toxic”, the artiste again aims to serenade listeners with an entire body of work to leave music fans in awe. She finds a way to express pain, vulnerability, love, faith & vigor through melodic sonics and charismatic yet relatable lyrics in this masterpiece of an EP she themes “TIS25”
Aniitablonde’s music is sure to become one to reckon with in no time as her powerful voice, uniqueness, and versatility are not just a statement but a game changer. Her debut project TIS25 (This Is Still 25) is a genre-fluid extended playlist, which consists of Pop, Hip-hop, Reggae, and Trap with Afrobeats as its core base.
Music reaches a deeper part of listeners when it comes from a place of genuine experiences and with the rush of emotions at first listening to this impeccable project, you can tell that it is nothing else but her truth.
TIS25 (This Is Still 25) by Aniitablonde is OUT NOW and available on all platforms worldwide. The talented artiste urges listeners to download, share, stream and bask in the goodness of pure “eargasm”.
We are two years away from Ghana’s next general elections but citizens are already debating who should be voted as Ghana’s next president.
This comes after hundreds of backlash against the sitting President, H.E Nana Addo, over the depreciation of the Ghanaian cedi and the rise of inflation which has imposed economic hardship on Ghanaians.
In a report by Bloomberg, the Ghana cedi is now the worst-performing currency in the world against the American Dollar. The giant economics news portal states that the cedi has lost 45.1% of its value against the US dollar since the year began.
Bloomberg tracked the currency of 148 countries and ranked Ghana’s currency as the worst. Ghana’s currency switched places with the Sri Lankan rupee, which is now the second worst performer with a 44.7% drop to the dollar this year.
Ghana is hard but Mahama is not an option 😭 let’s remember why we voted him out 🌚
Some social media users have taken to social media to express disappointment in the Nana Addo-Bawumia NPP-led government. Whilst others call for the return of John Mahama, others also believe the former president isn’t a better option for Ghana.
Mahama is not an option as well. If we choose NDC or NPP again we’ll still be here ranting some years later.
This has forced netizens to think outside the box, hence, John Dumelo’s name popping up as someone who could do for Ghana beyond.
Those saying Mahama is not an option should remember that he pulled more than 6million votes on 2020 elections and addo D won by takashie… if Mahama is not an option let your father also stand and let’s vote for him erh or???
“It pains me John Dumelo isn’t an independent Candidate. Man lost the MP position twice and didn’t fold his arms, he went straight to farming. That’s a visionary person for me if not a leader. If he campaigned as independent and not NDC, the youth will root for him gradually,” Twitter influencer, @DonSarkcess tweeted.
It pains me John Dumelo isn’t an independent Candidate. Man lost the MP position twice and didn’t fold his arms, he went straight to farming. That’s a visionary person for me if not a leader.
If he campaigned as independent and not NDC, the youth will root for him gradually 👍
“Those rooting for John Dumelo please don’t worry NDC will present him after Mahama finishes his term. Between Him and Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa who do you think will be a perfect fit,” another Twitter said.
Does rooting for John Dumelo please don’t worry NDC will present him after Mahama finishes his term.
In the 2020 elections, the Ghanaian actor contested on the ticket of the NDC as an MP for the Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency. However, he lost the seat to the sitting MO, Hon Lydia Alhassan.
Members of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), who are currently on strike, have received assurances from Alexander Akwasi Acquah, vice chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Trade and Industry, that the government will save the cedi.
Due to the country’s high inflation and rising cost of doing business, merchants in the Greater Accra Region closed their doors on Wednesday, October 19, 2022.
The vice chairman, who represents the Akim Oda Constituency in the Eastern Region as a member of parliament for the ruling New Patriotic Party, asserts that the traders have a real worry.
Mr. Akwasi Acquah gave this assurance while reacting to the second day of the traders’ shop closure in the Accra metropolis.
He spoke to Emmanuel Quarshie (The Hitman) on Accra100.5FM’s morning show, Ghana Yensom, on Thursday, 20 October 2022.
He said this is not the time to apportion blame over who did this and who did that.
“As a member of the trade and industry committee of parliament, I know what is being done behind closed doors to have some of these issues addressed in record time,” he said.
He said Ghanaians would soon see some of these measures being rolled out to have some of these economic challenges addressed.
He stressed that very soon, some of these measures will bear fruits for everybody to see.
He called on the traders to exercise some restraint in their demands amidst the economic challenges.
A few days after Kuami Eugene shared a post hinting at leaving Lynx Entertainment, he has posted another which suggests he has now joined Empire Africa.
In a fresh tweet he shared on October 19, 2022, the artiste wrote, “My New Family @EMPIRE @EMPIREAfrica.”
While the artiste’s tweet may suggest his movement onto another record label, Empire Africa is yet to release an official statement or even make a post to confirm Eugene’s post.
On October 17, 2022, Eugene, hinted that he has tried his best to stay at Lynx Entertainment but it was time to move on.
Prior to his tweet, there have been rumours of him leaving the record label but he debunked all when queried.
Kuami Eugene joined Lynx Entertainment after his participation in the Season 5 of the 2016 MTN Hitmaker reality competition where he placed the 2nd runner-up in the competition.
He has since produced a lot of hit songs under the record label, played shows in and outside the country, and even won the Artiste of the Year award at the 2020 Vodafone Ghana Music Awards.
Andye was only in Paris for three days. On day one, she met Steven on board the Metro. It was a journey that would change their lives forever.
Andye was only in Paris for three days. On day one, she jumped aboard the Metro train that would change her life forever.
It was September 2016. Andye, born in Haiti and brought up in the US, was 25 and finishing up a Master’s degree in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands.
She was in that in-between phase of a degree when studies are over, but graduation is still to come.
“I decided, ‘I’m just going to travel for a month and then come back to Amsterdam,’” Andye tells CNN Travel.
Andye planned a month’s adventure exploring Italy, Greece, Egypt and India. On her way back, she returned via Paris to visit a close friend, Seyna, who lived in the French capital and was looking after some of Andye’s belongings.
“I got on the Metro to head back to my friend’s house where I’d dropped off my suitcases,” Andye recalls to CNN Travel. “And that’s where he got on.”
“He” was Steven, a 26-year-old Master’s student originally from the Central African Republic studying in Paris and working part-time in a school. (Andye and Steven have asked that only their first names be used for privacy reasons).
When Steven boarded the train, the carriage was already full of travelers. He was one of several passengers standing.
Meanwhile, Andye was sitting, her traveling backpack on her knee and her headphones on. Steven noticed her right away.
“I found her really beautiful,” Steven tells CNN Travel.
A few stops went by, the carriage emptied out, seats freed up and Steven ended up sitting opposite Andye. He kept glancing her way. She seemed to be looking at him too. Their eyes kept meeting.
Andye also noticed Steven amid the crowds of travelers.
“We just kept looking at each other,” she recalls. “He would turn around to look at me, and I would look away, and we just kept on doing that for like a good 15 minutes, just staring at each other and looking away.”
As the train sped underground the Parisian streets, Steven tried to think of a polite way to broach conversation with the girl with the backpack. He wanted to speak to her, but he was also conscious of respecting her space and privacy.
Meanwhile, Andye was silently fantasizing about the stranger opposite her.
She recalls being struck by his “calming energy.”
“He had really nice, muscular arms. I was like, ‘Wow, he looks like someone I could really get a nice hug from.’”
As these thoughts flashed through Andye’s mind, they were followed by another, sinking realization.
“I was like, ‘What if he’s my husband, but I’ll never know? Because I’m going to get off this train without ever speaking to him.’”
“Then, at some point — when our eyes finally caught each other, and neither of us turned back — I saw his lips move. So I removed one of my headphones.”
Metro meet-cute
Steven and Andye started chatting when they were on the same Paris Metro train in September 2016.
In French, Steven was suggesting Andye could move her heavy-looking backpack onto the now vacant seat next to her.
Andye, who is fluent in French, replied that it wasn’t necessary — the bag wasn’t heavy.
“Then, somehow, I just did not put on my headphones back, because I kind of was hoping that we would keep on talking,” says Andye. “And then the conversation continued.”
Steven asked if Andye was a student — because of the backpack — and she told him about her studies. Steven explained he was also working towards a Master’s degree.
“At some point, I had to get off the train to transfer, and he asked if he could get off with me. And I said, ‘You can do as you please.’”
As they got off the train together, Steven offered to help carry her backpack.
“I felt a bit nervous because I didn’t know him and I thought about how he could probably run away with my bag,” says Andye. “But my gut felt comfortable enough to allow him to take it.”
The two waited for the next subway station together, Steven holding the backpack. Then they got on the next train together and sat next to one another.
“We just kept on talking,” says Andye. “That’s when we realized that we actually were doing our Master’s in the same field of study. We were both studying sustainable development, and we started talking about that a bit.”
When the train arrived at Andye’s stop, Steven got off with her, handed her the backpack. They exchanged numbers, then Steven asked if he could give her a hug goodbye. Andye agreed.
“I thought that was so weird, because in France people just do the kisses on the cheek, they don’t hug,” recalls Andye.
“I was like, ‘Wow, what if this guy is a mind reader? Because earlier I was just thinking I could get a really nice hug from him.’”
After their hug, the two went their separate ways. Steven, glancing at his phone, realized his Metro detour had made him late for work.
Meanwhile, Andye reunited with her friend Seyna and immediately shared details of her Metro meet-cute.
Later that evening, Steven messaged Andye and nervously waited for a reply.
“When she responded, I screamed and ran to my cousin,” says Steven, recalling announcing that Andye was the woman he would marry.
Andye and Steven messaged back and forth all evening, trying to figure out if they could meet up again before Andye returned to Amsterdam. She had a tight schedule, and at first suggested it would be easier to meet in a few weeks — after graduation she planned to return to Paris for a week before she headed home to the US.
“Even if we see each other for just a quick second, I really want to see you before you leave,” wrote Steven in response.
Eventually, the two settled on meeting for a quick dinner on Andye’s last evening. Steven wanted to impress Andye and take her to a swanky restaurant, but Andye wanted to make sure she wouldn’t be late home, given she was traveling the next day.
They settled on a casual fast food spot, right next to the Metro stop where they’d parted the first time.
As Andye was getting ready for the date, Seyna teased her about her romantic Metro meeting and the subsequent date plans.
“She was really giddy about me going on the date,” Andye laughs.
When they saw one another again, both Andye and Steven felt excited.
“I felt butterflies in my stomach,” says Steven.
“We did the usual French greeting with one kiss on each cheek AKA ‘la bise,’” recalls Andye, who remembers trying to temper her excitement, given her imminent return to the US.
Inside the restaurant, the two settled into conversation quickly.
“We started talking and getting to know each other a bit,” recalls Andye.
Steven was straightforward with Andye, explaining he was looking for a relationship.
“I thought that was like, ‘Whoa, first date, like you’re doing too much for me.’ But I appreciated his sincerity,” says Andye. “We kept on talking and I got, again, that kind of like, calm feeling being around him.”
Andye’s original plan to keep the evening short no longer seemed so important. She suggested they go into the center of Paris to a bar.
Later, Steven accompanied Andye back to her friend’s apartment. Outside the door, they kissed. Then Steven returned to where he lived, further into the suburbs of Paris.
It was later than he’d realized, and trains had stopped running, so he walked most of the way. Steven says he didn’t mind, he was just caught up in the excitement and romance of the evening.
Meanwhile, Andye excitedly told Seyna about the date and how well it went.
“Then the next day I left to go to Amsterdam, but we kept in touch. He was messaging me the whole time I was in Amsterdam,” recalls Andye.
Long distance
Andye went back to the US, but she stayed in touch with Steven.
After graduation, Andye returned to Paris for a brief stopover before her return to the US. Once again, she arranged to meet Steven at the Metro stop by Seyna’s apartment.
The two hopped on the train together and went for a stroll along the Champs Élysées, through the Trocadéro area and towards the Eiffel Tower.
Andye and Steven tried to see each other as much as they could during those few days, often riding the Metro together. On one of these journeys, Steven turned to Andye and said he didn’t want her to return to the US.
“Why?” asked Andye.
“Because I love you,” said Steven.
“How can you love me? You don’t even know me!” said Andye.
Andye boarded her flight to the US at the end of September, with no imminent plans to return to Europe.
“We didn’t make plans to meet up, we kind of held hope that we were gonna see each other again, at some point,” says Andye.
“We decided that we’re going to keep in touch, and just keep writing to each other and talking,” says Steven.
Three months later, Andye started working with an international organization based in Washington DC. She soon learned the role involved business travel, mostly to Guinea. Serendipitously, flights often included a layover in Paris.
In March 2017, six months after their first Metro encounter, Steven and Andye reunited at Charles de Gaulle airport for Andye’s 24-hour stopover.
In the intervening months, the two had been in constant communication. But it wasn’t the same as finally seeing one another in person again.
“Wow, this person actually exists,” Andye remembers thinking.
“We talked a lot, we hugged a lot,” says Steven of their reunion.
But before long they were saying goodbye again.
Andye’s role involved traveling to West Africa every three months or so. She figured that each time, she would try to incorporate a Paris layover.
But Steven felt guilty that Andye was the one always traveling — he didn’t have a visa to travel to the US, so he couldn’t reciprocate the trips.
“It was getting complicated,” he says. “Because it was always Andye who would have had to travel, I thought it would have been even more complicated later on in the process.”
Steven didn’t communicate these worries to Andye. But she sensed something was up.
“I just remember him being less attentive, really distant. And I said, ‘Look, if you’re not into this, let’s just end it. I am not going to chase you. I love you. But I don’t like one-sided relationships. I would like for this to be reciprocal. And since it’s not, I’m kind of removing myself out of the equation.’”
Reunited in Paris
Andye and Steven reconnected in Paris after a few months apart.
A couple of months passed. Andye and Steven didn’t talk during this period, but they both thought about one another often. Meanwhile, Andye planned a trip to Paris to visit Seyna.
“I’m usually the kind of person, like once it’s over, it’s over. But with him I felt like this was more kind of a break than a breakup,” says Andye.
“I had my friend Seyna kind of reach out to him to see if he was okay, since I hadn’t heard from him, and tell him that I was coming to France for a week for vacation.”
Steven and Andye arranged to meet up during Andye’s trip.
“We talked a lot. We went out dancing, and then we kind of got back to how things were before,” she says. “I was in Paris for at least four to five days and we spent most of the time together.”
Steven says seeing Andye again after months of silence “reignited a fire” inside him.
“At that moment I thought to myself, ‘If I don’t make it work, I’m going to regret it for the rest of my life,’” he says.
The two were able to talk candidly about the situation, with Andye explaining she didn’t mind that she was always the one traveling, given she could incorporate visits into work trips.
They parted on stronger terms.
“I was really easy and confident in our relationship after that visit, but I do think that it took a while for me to warm back up into it,” says Andye.
The relationship did have another wobble when Andye was back in DC. When they came back together again, Andye was firm: She told Steven they both had to be all in.
“I was like, ‘Look, I don’t have time to play games. If this is what you want to do, it’s not for me, I was very strict on my boundaries. I told him, ‘Look, if you’re really serious about this, here’s my mom’s number. You let her know that you’re serious about her daughter.’”
Within a week, Steven had sent a long paragraph to Andye’s mother.
“I tried to tell her a bit about myself,” Steven explains. “I said I was serious about Andye.”
Steven’s message had the effect of taking Andye and Steven’s relationship to the next level. They started talking about what country they might live in the future, and plans for marriage.
Andye and Steven’s temporary breakup made the relationship stronger.
The next time they reunited in France, in November 2017, Andye built a week’s vacation into her stopover.
“He came to pick me up and brought my favorite chocolate croissants to the airport,” she recalls. “He knows I’m addicted.”
It was during this trip that Steven proposed.
“When I met Andye, I felt at peace, in sync with all of nature’s elements,” says Steven. “But when I wanted to propose to her, I felt a wave of different feelings. I was asking myself what I would do if she said no and at the same time, I was excited at the idea that she would accept to be my wife. I was nervous and shaking internally.”
Andye accepted Steven’s proposal.
“I got that same calm feeling that I had that first day that I met him,” says Andye of the moment she said yes.
The couple kept the news to themselves for a short while, first telling Seyna, Andye’s Paris-based friend, and later Steven’s best friend.
The two decided to enjoy the engagement for a little while, and not rush into marriage They continued their long-distance romance and the following summer Andye spent four months in France with Steven. She’d quit her job and was in the middle of a short break, reconvening and figuring out her next steps career-wise.
“It was a really wonderful summer,” says Andye, recalling quality time spent with Steven, his family and friends.
While she was in France, Andye also looked into applying for jobs in Paris. But this proved trickier than she expected
Andye and Steven had previously figured it made most sense for Andye to move to France — Andye was fluent in French, after all. But after she struggled to find a France-based job, the couple started discussing the possibility of living together in the US instead.
Almost a year later, in July 2019, Steven’s fiance visa was approved. To celebrate, Andye and Steven went to Haiti. While there, they were inspired to plan their own Haiti-based wedding celebration.
Move to the US
Andye and Steven got married exactly three years after they met on the Metro.
Steven and Andye started their American life together in a tiny studio apartment in DC. They had a small wedding at a court office on September 16, 2019 — the three year anniversary of their Metro meeting — while anticipating a larger celebration in Haiti the following year.
Both Andye and Steven were thrilled to be living together after years of long distance. The two started a company together, Afrayiti, creating handmade apparel using African fabric.
Not long afterwards, Covid-19 hit the US. Steven lost his job, and early on, Andye caught the virus and was hospitalized.
She recovered physically, but struggled with anxiety for some time afterward.
“I became really anxious to the point where I didn’t leave my place for three months,” Andye recalls. “I didn’t even step outside of the door of our apartment.”
During this time, Andye says Steven was a huge support.
“I wouldn’t have survived this pandemic, if it wasn’t for him.”
Steven says there is no one but Andye who he’d want to spend lockdown with.
The Haiti wedding celebration canceled, the couple instead spent their time cooking, sewing and designing together.
As the pandemic waned, Steven encouraged Andye to reenter the world. She’s grateful for his patience during this period.
“I was so scared to go outside and he kind of really pushed me into taking just small steps,” says Andye.
In summer 2021, the couple relocated to Florida, enticed by the idea of more space, warm weather and proximity to the beach. They feel, says Andye, “at peace” in Florida.
A real life romantic comedy
Andye and Steven feel like fate brought them together.
Today, Andye and Steven are still Florida-based, planning future adventures together. Since the world opened up, they’ve visited Tanzania, Zanzibar and Costa Rica together.
When their Haiti wedding celebration was canceled, the couple decided to start a tradition where they plan a vacation to coincide with their anniversary. Right now, they’re in Mexico celebrating six years since their Metro meeting and three years since their courthouse wedding.
“One of the things that is symbolic — and I don’t think he notices — is when we’re traveling, he likes to ask me [if he can] carry my backpack,” says Andye.
Steven’s been carrying her bag, “since day one,” says Andye, laughing.
While Andye and Steven think they were fated to meet Steven on the Metro that day, they both have moments when they marvel at what happened.
The couple love to travel together. Here they are in Costa Rica in 2021.
“There are days where I say to him, “God, I’m married to a stranger that I met on the train in Paris,’” she says.
“What if I was late to take the train, what would have happened?” says Steven. “It’s destiny that brought us together.”
When Steven and Andye tell others how they met, they’re often told their story resembles a romantic comedy.
“Honestly, I feel like I am living a rom-com with him,” says Andye. “Especially as a Black woman, you don’t often see international love stories with Black women or Black men in them.
And I think for me, just sometimes when I think about it, I’m like, ‘Wow, I’m living my own rom-com.’ I don’t need to see it on TV, this is it.”
“There are days where I say to him, “God, I’m married to a stranger that I met on the train in Paris,’” says Andye. Here’s the two in Tanzania in 2021.
One of Ghana’s most renowned playwrights, James Ebo Whyte, has revealed that his enduring career in theatre came by accident. It was not on the cards at all.
Speaking in an interview on GBC’s Legends of Our Time programme, Ebo Whyte disclosed that while in secondary school, a final year student from the School of Performing Arts was sent to their school to produce a play.
He explained that at the time it was the norm for the Performing Arts students to be sent to other schools for such tasks as part of their project work.
The director, he said, employed the services of the drama troupe but he, Uncle Ebo as he is affectionately called, was not a part of that group.
“I was a very timid boy. I kept very much to myself, but I was fascinated with what they were doing,” Uncle Ebo said.
Because of his fascination with the production the troupe and director were putting up, he would always stand by the window and watch as they practised.
He noted that he “wished I was in there but knowing that I didn’t have the courage to walk through the door.”
However, on one occasion, the rehearsals were not going as smoothly as the director had hoped and the main character had failed to show up on time.
He explained that everybody at the rehearsal had a role to play and so there was no one to read the part of the main character without losing another.
“He [the director] looks round and in desperation, he sees me in the window and says, ‘Hey, you, come in’. And even though I was alone in the window, I still looked behind me, because I couldn’t believe that he called me.”
“Who would ever call me? So, I looked behind me, He said, why are you looking behind you? You’re the only one there come. So, I timidly walked in and then he gives me the script and says, Read this for us.”
Uncle Ebosaid he took the script, proceeded to read and 10 minutes later a perplexed director stopped him, asking if he had ever performed that play before – to which he answered no.
He explained that “In three weeks I’ve been standing in the window, I had memorized the whole play. Okay? So, I wasn’t using the script. But not only that, I had memorized the directions he was giving the main character, and the guy was struggling with.”
“I could do it without him having to tell me, move right, move left, use this hand, don’t use this other hand. I had memorized those things,” he added.
Uncle Ebo Whyte said that the role was then given to him and the lead actor lost the part. “That is how I got an introduction to theatre…I got into theatre by accident,” he insisted.
Uncle Ebohas gone on to write, direct and produce 50 plays as of October 2022.
Some of them include What Dad Left Behind, Devil’s Wife, Different Shades of Women”, He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not, Life is Someway, The Day Dad Came, Sins of the Fathers, Trials of the Ghanaian, Don’t Mess with a Woman, Everyone Has a Secret, Apartment N1, What’s My Name 2013, Men Run, Women Cry and Last Flight.
He is also the founder of the production house, Roverman Productions. Through Roverman, Ebo Whyte puts on stage plays at the National Theatre every quarter.
A poll by Global Info Analytics has indicated that 77 percent of Ghanaians believe the country is heading in the wrong direction as of October.
The survey noted that only 16 percent of Ghanaians believed the country was heading in the right direction.
Seven percent of the persons polled had no opinion on the direction of the country.
The results of the survey were from a sample size of 5,661.
The sample size was allocated to all the regions based on the total number of voters in each of the regions as per the EC 2020 register.
Ghana is currently in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis.
The government is trying to support the economy with a deal from the International Monetary Fund.
The cedi has depreciated significantly in recent months and has been pegged as the world’s worst-performing currency.
On whether the NPP can “Break the Eight” by earning a third successive term, approximately 70 percent of voters do not believe the NPP can win the 2024 election, whilst 19 percent believe the party can and 10 percent have no opinion.
Furthermore, according to the survey, approximately 46 percent of NPP voters do not believe the party can win the 2024 elections, compared to 43% who believe they can win.
Although the Nigerian singer did not announce the birth, his third baby mama posted a picture of herself cradling the newborn on Instagram today.
The picture was intended to celebrate her birthday anniversary but there has been an outpour of goodwill messages and congratulations from Wizkid’s fans.
Captioning her post, Jada P. wrote, “Beyond a blessing, Thank you God for another year!”.
A former Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Prof Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa, says he is grateful for the “numerous” goodwill messages and prayers he has been receiving since his appointment was terminated by the president.
“What gladdens my heart is that the messages are not dirges… I highly appreciate your unfathomable love to me,” he wrote in a letter to directors and staff of GES.
He took the opportunity to express gratitude to everyone who supported him during his tenure to change the faces of pre-tertiary education and the Service, saying “we worked as a team.”
President Akufo-Addo – in a letter dated October 17, 2022 – terminated the appointment of Prof Opoku-Amankwa and directed him to resume his position at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
One of the reasons cited for the decision was that “the exigencies that required [his] skills and expertise as Director-General of the Ghana Education Service do not exist any longer.”
Barely two days after his sacking, the president announced the appointment of Dr Eric Nkansah as acting Director-General of the Service.
His appointment took effect from Wednesday, October 19, 2022, pending receipt of the constitutionally required advice of the governing Council of the Service.
But Prof Opoku-Amankwa says he is excited at the “soothing and reassuring” words from the GES staff and the public.
“I wish to take this opportunity to thank every one of you for your dedication and the extremely good work relationship that existed between us.
You supported me in many ways to enhance my resumé to bring it to a distinguishing first class, world class CV, and I am highly grateful to you all,” he added.
Disappointment
The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) says it is worried about President Akufo-Addo’s dismissal of the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES).
According to NAGRAT, the development is disappointing.
The President of the Association, Angel Carbonu, in a media interview on Tuesday, said it also has left his members overwhelmingly disappointed.
“This is very disappointing. We are surprised because we had someone who was able to build a very positive relationship and rapport with the union,” Mr Carbonu said.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is facing a criminal investigation after a revelation that he failed to report the theft of about $4 million in cash from his farm in northern Limpopo province.
An account of the theft is contained in an affidavit by the country’s former head of intelligence Arthur Fraser, who has opened a case against Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa has not denied the theft but claims that he reported it to the head of his VIP Protection unit, who did not report it to the police.
In South Africa, it is illegal not to report a crime and according to Fraser’s affidavit, Ramaphosa tried to conceal the theft, which happened in February 2020 when he was attending an African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Several opposition parties have called for a full investigation into the theft, including whether the amount of foreign currency allegedly stolen had been declared to the South African Revenue Service.
The Democratic Alliance, the country’s biggest opposition party, said Ramaphosa should come clean about the circumstances surrounding the theft and why it was not reported to the police.
“The president is facing a crisis of credibility and cannot hide behind procedural smokescreens to avoid presenting South Africans with the full truth around the money that was stolen from his farm, and the subsequent cover-up,” the opposition party’s leader John Steenhuisen said in a statement.
Another opposition party, the United Democratic Movement, has called on Ramaphosa to take a “leave of absence” while Parliament probes the incident, saying it is not prudent for it to do so while he was in office.
Ramaphosa publicly spoke about the incident for the first time over the weekend since the revelations surfaced, saying the cash was from buying and selling animals on his farm.
“I want to reaffirm that I was not involved in any criminal conduct, and once again I pledge my full cooperation with any form of investigation,” said Ramaphosa on Sunday.
“I would like to say that I’m a farmer. I’m in the cattle business and the game business. And through that business, which has been declared to Parliament and all over, I buy and I sell animals,” he said.
The sales are sometimes through cash and sometimes through transfers, and what is being reported is a clear business transaction of selling animals, said Ramaphosa.
He was addressing the Limpopo provincial conference of the ruling party, the African National Congress, where his political allies were re-elected, boosting his own chances for re-election as the ANC’s president at the party’s national conference in December.
Ramaphosa’s supporters have cried foul, saying the timing of the revelation is part of efforts to derail his efforts to be re-elected party president in December.
The information about the theft was revealed by Fraser, the former head of South Africa’s intelligence, who is known to be loyal to former President Jacob Zuma.
Fraser controversially approved Zuma’s release from prison on medical parole last year, an action that is now being contested in court as illegal. Zuma had been sent to prison last year after he was convicted of defying the Constitutional Court by refusing to testify at a judicial inquiry probing allegations of corruption during his presidential term from 2009 to 2018.
Asante Kotoko have been enlivened by the return of defender Mubarik Yussif from injury.
The 26-year-old has been out of action for almost month due to an injury setback.
He sustained an injury in their second league game against Nsoatreman FC in Kumasi, where the Porcupine Warriors inflicted a 2-1 win over the Ghana Premier League newcomers.
The former Ashantigold defender resumed individual training on Wednesday and is expected to join group training in the coming days.
Asante Kotoko, who were booted out of the CAF Champions League campaign picked four points from two games before the Ghana Premier League was suspended.
The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), along with other traders, have been “humbly” urged to open their stores to customers by the People’s National Convention (PNC).
The traders recently closed their stores in the central business district in protest against the government over the rising cost of living and the Ghana cedi’s constant depreciation against the major international trade currencies, particularly the US dollar, with which the majority of them conduct business.
Visits to the CBD revealed a halt in activity because few of the GUTA members’ stores had opened.
Currently, one needs more than 13 cedis to buy a dollar at various forex bureaux.
Inflation has also skyrocketed, almost hitting the 40-per cent-mark.
The fuel prices also went up recently in the never-ending streak that has been the norm since the beginning of 2022.
The cost of food items on the market also keeps rising.
Ghana is currently in talks with the IMF for a $3-billion programme to save the faltering economy from collapsing.
GUTA says its members have been devastated by the economic downturn and have, thus, resorted to a voluntary shutdown of their shops as a sign of protest against the government.
However, in a statement signed by General Secretary Janet Nabla, the PNC said the concerns and worries of GUTA are “obvious” but noted that “closing their shops would only exacerbate the prevailing difficulties in the country”.
The party said the “worsening” cedi depreciation against the major currencies that has led to rising inflation and loss of capital by traders, “is very worrying, but this is not the time to throw our hands in despair”, especially “when we all know that the country is facing revenue inflow challenges”, thus, the government’s ongoing negotiations with the IMF for a deal to restore revenue flows.
The opposition party said it is “not holding brief for the government”, adding: “We believe that it is in difficulties such as this that sacrifices are required to be made by all the citizenry”.
“It is our fear that if sacrifices are not made now, more challenges would come our way if we continue to point accusing fingers at one another, without doing anything as the years go by”, the party warned.
The PNC also appealed to the media “to dedicate more space” for the discussion of “solutions to the problems and avoid the lamentations”.
“The national forum should bring together all stakeholders such as the academia, business owners, political parties and development partners”, the PNC suggested.
Further, it said the “government must hasten to get a deal with the IMF, as a short-term measure” while “focusing on intensifying the industrialisation agenda to win us off too much import dependency”.
“This must be done religiously to avoid these cyclical problems”, the party noted.
Stressing that help isn’t going to drop like manna from heaven, the ‘Atta Adwoa’ hitmaker has advised Ghanaians to take the bull by the horn.
According to PYung, there are no signs that the government is interested in easing the country’s economic crisis, adding that the time to act is now.
“We the youth naa for rise then help wanna body. The Government will never help. It has been this way for ages. Are we still gonna wait? For how Long? We should wake up,” he wrote on Twitter
We the youth naa for rise then help wanna body💯. The Government will never Help. It has been this for Ages. Are we still Gonna wait? For how Long?. We should wake up.
Meanwhile, some Ghanaian celebrities have also complained bitterly about the hardships the country has been plagued with under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Mr President, @NAkufoAddo , this eye drop ( xalacom) was 120ghc , its now 273ghc and even 300ghc in some pharmacies. I need to use this every evening, without it, the pressures on my eye will go up and will result in glaucoma. How many Ghanaians do you… pic.twitter.com/RiVHTfokB2
These celebrities, who seem ‘fed up’, have lamented about the depreciating cedis to the dollar, the constant fuel price hikes, and the overall hardships that everyone in the country is currently experiencing.
The likes of Yvonne Nelson, Prince David Osei, Lydia Forson, Shatta Wale, Efia Odo, Kojo Cue, Sarkodie, and many others have cried out on social media.
Ghanaian forward, Bernard Tekpetey has been named in the Bulgarian Parva Liga Team of the Week after his heroics for Ludogorets in the game against Beroe.
The talented winger started for his team today for the Round 14 encounter of the league campaign on Monday.
In what was an away match for Ludogorets, neither side could score in the first 45 minutes.
Six minutes after the break, Bernard Tekpetey scored to open the scoring for Ludogorets.
That goal paved the way for more goals as Igor Thiago also equalized to double the lead for the visitors in the 74th minute.
Four minutes after that goal, Bernard Tekpetey got his name on the score sheet again to complete his brace before a strike from Matias Tissera in the 81st minute sealed a 4-0 win for Ludogorets.
After an assessment of the performance of players that featured for their various teams on matchday 14, Bernard Tekpetey has earned a place in the Team of the Week.
Two persons who stood as sureties for Sedinam Tamakloe Attionu, a former Chief Executive Officer of Microfinance and Small Loans (MASLOC), have been given December 22, this year, to ‘produce’ her in court.
Alex Mould, a former GNPC CEO and Gavivina Tamakloe, both sureties, risk paying ¢5 million bail sum.
Attionu had sought permission from the court to seek treatment outside the country and failed to return to stand trial.
The High Court said the sureties’ failure to produce Madam Attionu would result in the forfeiture of the bond they had signed.
The Court in its ruling on an application for forfeiture of recognisance of sureties filed by the State said it was clear that the accused person had absconded.
According to the Court, the sureties had also stopped producing letters to it (court) on the accused’s medical conditions.
It said the accused person had breached her bail bond terms and that the sureties should be held liable.
The State, led by Stella Ohene Appiah, a Principal State Attorney, argued that the accused person had abandoned trial because she had not returned to stand trial.
Counsel for Tamakloe said he was unaware of the release of the accused person’s passport to her.
He said since the State had opposed the release of the accused person’s passport, he could not be held liable.
Mr Alex Mould prayed the court take steps to fast-track the processes for the accused person to come back to Ghana to stand trial.
He said he had information that the accused person was still unwell and receiving medical assistance in the United States.
Attionu has been charged together with Daniel Axim, a former Operations Manager of MASLOC, for willfully causing financial loss to the State, stealing, and contravention of the Public Procurement Act.
She pleaded not guilty to the charges when she appeared in court in 2019.
The State said MASLOC under the accused’s leadership, gave a loan of ¢500,000 to Obaatanpa Micro-Finance Limited, but the Company had allegedly returned the money because of the high interest that the loan attracted.
According to the State, Obaatanpa Limited presented a cheque for ¢500,000 to Mrs Attionu, but she allegedly refused and demanded cash payment.
The State said the accused also allegedly inflated the price of certain items that MASLOC had purchased during her tenure, and in some instances signed procurement contracts without approval by the Public Procurement Authority.
It said on December 6, 2016, the accused person signed a contract with Mac Autos to supply MASLOC with 350 vehicles without any approval from the Public Procurement Authority.
The vehicles, the State said, included Chevy Sparklite, Isuzu buses and Chevy Aveo with the unit price offered by Mac Autos to MASLOC for the Chevy Aveo being ¢74,495 ($18,883.39.)
However, investigations revealed that the actual retail price Mac Autos offered for the same model within the same year without duty was ¢47,346.93 ($12,009.91).
The Black Stars of Ghana have been drawn in Group H of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, to be hosted in Qatar.
Ghana will be making their fourth World Cup appearance and the first since 2014 and have been drawn against two familiar foes in Uruguay and Portugal with South Korea thrown in the mix.
Ghana lost to Portugal in 2014 during the group stages, and also lost on penalties in 2010 to Uruguay.
The Black Stars of Ghana will play their first World Cup game against Portugal at Stadium 947 in Doha on November 24, 2022.
They will then take on South Korea at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan.
They will wrap up the group stage games with a crucial match against Uruguay at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakra, a game many Ghanaians have tipped to be an act of revenge.
Should Ghana emerge as Group winners, they will travel to the Lusail Iconic Stadium and will play at the Stadium 947 in Doha should they finish second in Group H.
Speaking on Joy News, she said, “If you’re going to mention some of the new musicians, at that time, I was like Mzbel.”
According to the performer, her love for dance and music made her popular in her prime.
Akosua said she wanted to do something different, which was to teach people to dance and have them perform with her on stage for a change.
“Way back in Holy Child, because I normally teach people how to dance, I told myself that definitely, with my first album, I have to train people to dance so that I can bring in something new because I realised that people were not bringing in dancers to dance,” she said.
Akosua disclosed that she was able to achieve her desire to train stage dancers who delivered exceptionally.
“When I came out with my first album, Frema, Born Again, Mey3 obaa, it was a household name because I came with dancers.
“Way back in school, because I used to dance, I added my dancing to it and it became something else. So that actually made me unique and made me different,” she added.
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 Qatar.
Ghana will open their World Cup account against Portugal before taking Uruguay and South Korea respectively.
Ahead of the mundial, the domestic football governing body has rolled out the pre-World Cup activities.
As sighted by Footballghana.com, the Ghana FA has set October 21 and 23 as National Days of fasting and prayers for the Black Stars.
Other activities include, walk and dinner with legends of Ghana football as well as Rep Your Jersey.
Tourism Minister Dr Ibrahim Mohammed Awal says about ¢350 million is to be expended to modernise tourist attractions across the country.
The government, he said, with support from the World Bank, was providing funding for the project, in line with its commitment to make the sector a veritable tool for economic transformation by 2023.
“It will contribute to job creation and wealth for the people. According to the World Bank, two out of every 10 jobs are created by the tourism sector,” Dr Awal said.
The Minister, who was addressing the media in Accra yesterday, added that so far ¢1.5m of the funds had been spent on rehabilitating the National Museum.
Present at the press conference were the Deputy Tourism Minister, Mark Okraku-Mantey; the Project Coordinator, Ghana Tourism Development Project (GTDP), Nana Sarfo Kantanka; the
Chief Director of the Ministry, John Yao Agbeko
Others are the CEO of the National Commission on Culture (NCC), Edna Nyame; the Executive Director of the National Theatre, Amy Frimpong; the CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Akwasi Agyeman, and the CEO of the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB), Kingsley Ofosu Ntiamoah.
Beneficiaries
Some of the sites to benefit from the modernisation project are the Pikworo Heritage and Slave Camp, the Bonwire Kente Museum, the Yaa Asantewaa Museum in Ejisu, the National Museum and the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park.
Mark Okraku Mantey, Deputy Tourism Minister
Others are the Elmina Castle, the Kakum, the Shai Hills and the Mole National parks; the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre and the construction of five multipurpose domes or amphitheatres for performances within the creative arts space.
Significance
According to Dr Awal, the country had a comparative advantage in the tourism and hospitality industry in West Africa, hence investing and giving the sector a facelift was necessary.
“About 65 per cent of all edifices used during the slave trade are located in the country and is used to boost heritage tourism.
“Ghana is also a host to the secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which position’s the country as a venue for meetings, conferences and events,” he said.
The Minister added that the country was not only at the centre of the world but was also politically stable and an attractive investment destination.
He further said his outfit is determined to be the number one contributor to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), for which reason “we are building capacity in customer care, domestic and international tourism drive and product development”.
According to him, there were 534,711 domestic tourism visitations from January to September 2022, compared to 334,921 visitations in the same period in 2021, saying “our projection is to achieve one million domestic tourists by the end of 2022”.
Dr Awal also said some policies would be reviewed to serve the industry better.
He further said the ministry was working towards making the country a “hub of enjoyment” in December this year.
Due to the rising cost of living and the constant depreciation of the Ghanaian cedi against the major international trade currencies, particularly the US dollar, with which the majority of them conduct business, the traders recently closed their stores in the central business district in protest against the government.
Visits to the CBD revealed a slowdown in activity since the majority of the GUTA members’ stores were still closed.
The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), among others, have been urged by the People’s National Convention (PNC) to open their stores to customers.
Due to the rising cost of living and the constant depreciation of the Ghanaian cedi against the major international trade currencies, particularly the US dollar, with which the majority of them conduct business, the traders recently closed their stores in the central business district in protest against the government.
Visits to the CBD revealed a slowdown in activity since the majority of the GUTA members’ stores were still closed.
Ghana’s talented award-winning actress, Lydia Forson has bagged a nomination in the ‘Best Actress in a Supporting Role’ category in this year’s Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA).
Lydia will battle it out with the likes of Sanke Makhoba (South Africa), Ijeoma Grace Agu (Nigeria), Siti Amina (Tanzania), Maryam Waziri (Nigeria), Dorcas Shola Fapson (Nigeria) and Nse Ikpe Etim (Nigeria) for the prestigious African film award.
He stated that preserving the nation’s plentiful resources for current and future generations through the sanitization of small-scale mining can sustainably contribute to the nation’s socioeconomic growth.
The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, George Mireku Duker, hinted that the government would soon launch the “situational room” to remotely monitor and manage on-the-ground operations across the country as part of efforts to reduce “galamsey” activities and increase revenue in the small-scale mining industry.
Through this arrangement, he said, the activities of miners and their equipment will be tracked and digitally relayed to the Minerals Commission office. This will complement the deployment of river guards to permanently patrol river-bodies such as the Offin, Ankobra and Pra.
“We therefore believe that increasing private sector participation in the form of direct investment, exploration, financing, research and technology transfer will help to make this a reality,” he added.
Dr. Darko-Mensah was speaking at the 10th ALUMaT Lecture, which coincides with the 70th Anniversary Lecture of the University of Mines and Technology in the Western Region.
It was on the theme ‘Practical Insights into Growth of the Mining Industry in Ghana: Perspectives of a UMaT-Trained Female Engineer’.
He was happy to state that the mining industry has been exposed positively as a formidable sector for long-term economic growth at the 2020 Ghana Gold Expo and the 2021 and 2022 Mining Week, especially with a tougher regulatory framework and rising formalisation.
“As I speak, the Bank of Ghana has started its responsible sourcing programme under its local Gold Buying programme, which will help enhance formalisation of the small-scale sector. Also, Gold Coast Refinery became the first refinery in West Africa to obtain a Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) Certificate,” he said.
He noted it is more appropriate for the region that mines and produces gold, among others, to act as the focal point for ethical mining and mining-related activities.
Dr. Darko-Mensah therefore called on Small-scale Miners Associations to take up the responsibility of reclaiming degraded lands by replanting to save the businesses and five million jobs in the sector. After all, we will not allow the mining business to collapse.
Again, he called for the transfer of Reclamation bonds from the Minerals Commission in Accra to District Assemblies through the now activated District Mining Committees to support reclamation efforts of small-scale mining participants.
He said the complete decentralisation of mining licencing and an in-situ mobile licencing regime to help legalise and control more mining activities – especially those that do not fall within the red zones of water-bodies and forest reserves – should be looked at critically.
This prognosis was refuted by the administration, which pointed out that the claims lacked supporting evidence.
The nation’s economic indicators were, however, heading in the wrong direction in less than six months.
Ex-deputy Minister for Finance and Member of Parliament for Ajumako Enyan Esiam, Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, on January 2, 2022, predicted that the year 2022 was going to be a year of economic misery for Ghanaians.
The MP, thus, urged Ghanaians to brace themselves for the impending hardship and urged the government to take the necessary steps to avert them.
In response to Ato Forson’s prediction, the government said his estimations were not backed by data.
The Deputy Minister for Finance, John Ampontuah Kumah, particularly said that the prediction of bad economic outcomes for 2022 by Cassiel Ato Forson was purely based on speculation and propaganda.
Was Cassiel Ato Forson right, or are his speculations and propaganda manifesting? GhanaWeb looks at the predictions the MP for Ajumako Enyan Esiam made and assesses whether they have happened or are likely to happen.
End-of-year inflation rate of at least 30 percent
Just at the beginning of this year, 2022, Ato Forson predicted that prices of goods and services would rise sharply, with Ghana recording an end-of-year inflation rate of at least 30 per cent. Now every Ghanaian can attest that the prices of goods and services are really high.
When the MP made this prediction, year-on-year inflation was around 12.7 percent; now, the inflation rate for April, which did not account for the recent increase in transport fares by 20 percent, is 23.6 percent.
The prices of staple foods such as maize, cassava, beans, and millet have doubled, leading to delicacies like banku and kenkey, previously sold at GH¢ 1, now selling at GH¢2 upwards.
With more than six months left to the end of 2022, Ato Forson’s prediction is likely to be exceeded, given the effects of the Russia-Ukraine War, which the MP did not predict, but experts say its impact on the world supply has not started yet.
A dollar would cost GH¢ 7 by the end of 2022
Ajumako Enyan Esiam MP also predicted that the United States dollar (US$) would be selling at GH¢7 by the end of 2022. Well, Ghana has long crossed this bridge, with the dollar currently selling at over GH¢ 7.5. When the MP made his GH¢ 7 prediction, the dollar was selling slightly over GH¢ 6.
John Kumah, now the current Deputy Finance Minister, refuted Ato Forson’s prediction saying that the cedi’s performance under the government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has been the best in the last ten years. He added that the government had put measures in place to ensure that the cedi appreciates.
Another prediction Ato Forson made, which has come to pass, is the increase in the price of petroleum products. He indicated that fuel prices would continue to increase throughout 2022 because of the weak Ghana cedi.
Since the MP made this prediction, prices of fuel products have increased more than five times. In January 2022, the cost of fuel increased from GH¢6.90 to GH¢7.42. In February, the prices increased from GH¢7.42 to GH¢7.99. In March, the prices increased two times, first to GH¢8.29 and to GH¢8.49. From GH¢8.49 it increased to over GH¢ 9, now diesel is selling at GH¢ 11.24 and petrol at GH¢9.70.
Government will introduce ‘multiplicity of taxes and levies’
Ato Forson’s prediction of the government introducing a multiplicity of taxes and levies has not yet come to pass because the only known tax the government has introduced is the Electronic Transfer Levy.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has, however, said that the government would not be taking off taxes on petroleum products to help reduce the prices of these products. He said that canceling these taxes will lead to the government losing the revenue needed to implement its programmes.
Ghana Premier League side, Asante Kotoko have decided not to remain idle even as the league campaign remains suspended.
The ongoing 2022/23 Ghanaian top-flight league has been on hold for the past couple of weeks due to a court injunction case filed against the Ghana FA by Ashanti Gold SC.
The Obuasi-based club is in court protesting the decision by the Disciplinary Committee of the GFA to demote the team to the Division Two League over match-fixing claims.
While the league remains suspended, Asante Kotoko have been involved in a number of friendly matches.
Today, the Porcupine Warriors club played two similar matches. In games against Mahala Academy FC and Canaan FC, the Reds recorded 1-0 and 4-0 wins against the opponents respectively.
The Kumasi-based club will play another friendly match over the week as part of efforts to keep players fit during the period the league campaign will be suspended.
By utilizing a combination of renewable energy initiatives, fleet electrification, and low-emission power sources, AngloGold Ashanti has unveiled a carbon emissions reduction plan that aims to achieve a 30% absolute reduction in its Scope 1 and 2 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by 2030.
The business is dedicated to attaining net zero emissions by 2050, and since 2007, it has cut its absolute GHG emissions by more than two-thirds.
The targeted reduction announced, from a 2021 baseline of 1.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2 e), aims to see emissions from the company’s activities diminish to about 1 million tonnes by the end of the decade.
When growth projects are factored in, including those in Nevada and Colombia, AngloGold Ashanti is targeting a 46% reduction in emissions by the end of the decade.
Scope 1 covers emissions from within the mine site, while Scope 2 covers indirect emissions from the purchase of electricity from third-party providers.
The capital cost required to achieve these reductions over the coming eight years is anticipated to be about $1.1 billion, of which $350m will be funded over that period by AngloGold Ashanti and the remaining $750m through third-party funding, including from providers of renewable energy infrastructure.
The company plans in the coming weeks to initiate a process to secure a green funding facility of $250m to $300m to finance its portion of these decarbonisation initiatives across its business.
“We have a clear pathway to achieve our target by 2030 when we expect to have lowered our overall emissions by almost a third,” said AngloGold Ashanti Chief Executive Officer Alberto Calderon. “This ensures we continue to do our part in reducing our carbon footprint while also improving the value of our business.”
Reductions From All Business Units
The targeted reductions announced today incorporate initiatives at each Business Unit, including the introduction of renewable energy, cleaner grid power, and partial fleet electrification.
Approximately 60% of the planned emissions reductions will come from large renewable energy projects, including wind and solar projects at the company’s Australian operations and solar-power plants at both Siguiri in Guinea and the Iduapriem and Obuasi operations in Ghana.
In addition, a pre-feasibility study has commenced at the Cuiaba mine in Brazil to confirm the benefits of replacing some mobile fleets with Battery Electric Vehicles.
AngloGold Ashanti will also be working with Sandvik to trial underground mining’s largest-capacity BEV truck at Sunrise Dam.
The viability of a wind farm at Cerro Vanguardia in Argentina is also being investigated. The vast majority of these projects are expected to be NPV-positive, adding value to our business by reducing energy costs and improving energy security.
Two “clean grid” initiatives are already close to completion – a switch from diesel generation at the Geita mine site in Tanzania to the country’s national power grid, which has a high proportion of power sourced from gas and renewables, and the transition to full hydro-grid power in Brazil.
Decarbonisation Started in 2008
AngloGold Ashanti’s decarbonisation journey started in 2008 when the company set a long-term target to reduce emissions intensity by 30% from its 2007 base.
By 2021 it had achieved a 47% reduction in emissions intensity, through some fuel switching and efficiency improvements but also due to the closure and divestment of assets.
Last year, AngloGold Ashanti’s Board approved a new Climate Change Strategy and the company published its inaugural Climate Change Report in line with the guidelines and recommendation of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures.
AngloGold Ashanti’s 2030 targets are embedded in a Roadmap to Net Zero which focuses on all sources of energy-related emissions, both at the company’s mine sites and from its electric power providers.
As an ICMM member AngloGold was part of a landmark climate change commitment in 2021 to achieve net zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2050 and to accelerate action on Scope 3 emissions, including setting credible targets in partnership with its suppliers.
Ghanaian female journalist Nana Aba Anamoah has expressed that she isn’t happy with how some Ghanaians are impertinent of the president under his social media posts.
Expressing her thoughts in a Twitter post she shared on October 20, 2022, she noted that their actions were unacceptable.
“On a serious note, the insults under the President’s posts on social media are not cool,” she said.
Her comment comes after the president shared images of his trip to the Ashanti regional capital, Kumasi, on Tuesday, October 18, 2022, to cut the sod for the commencement of construction of a 4-tier interchange at Suame.
Akufo-Addo noted that his visit was in fulfilment of a pledge he made during his tour of the Ashanti Region last year.
Some aggrieved social media users unleashed insults on the president over what they say is his nonchalant posture towards the economic hardship in the country.
Many of them are asking him to resign and stop cutting sods for projects that will never see the light of day.
Read some of the comments shared under the president’s post:
On Tuesday, 18/10/22, I cut the sod for the commencement of construction of a 4-tier interchange at Suame, in fulfillment of a pledge I made during my tour of the Ashanti Region last year. The Interchange will be the first 4-tier interchange in the Ashanti Region. pic.twitter.com/XTQSK9TSTt
Ghana international Felix Afena-Gyan has scored his first goal for Cremonese in the Coppa Italia.
The 19-year-old who joined the club in the summer window from AS Roma climbed off the bench to announce his presence in the game.
Afena-Gyan was introduced in the 68th minute mark replacing Tommaso Milanese when his outfit defeated Modena 4-2 on home turf after extra time in the Coppa Italia Round 32 to progress.
Cremonese opened the scoring through David Okereke in the 77th minute before the Ghanaian attacker added the side second goal in the 84th minute mark.
But Davide Diaw hit a brace in the 89th and 90th minute to level pegging, forcing the game to extra-time.
Cremonese proved to be tough for Modena as Leonardo Sernicola scored brace in extra-time to make it 4-2 at the end of the game.
Since joining the club, Afena-Gyan has scored one goal in four appearances.
The Serbian takes over from Coach Samuel Boadu who was sacked by the club for non-performance.
Matic has signed a two-year contract with The Phobians and has been tasked to win the Ghana Premier League title and the FA Cup.
Speaking to the club’s media, Matic said, “I want to thank our Chairman (Togbe Afede) and all the management for this opportunity. Africa is a big challenge and coming in a big club, we want to make a big success”
“We want to find the way to play good football and give the chance to all the players. Also, we want to take the trophies. As I say, Africa is a big challenge, I come in a very big club, from today is the best club in the World” he said.
The 46-year-old holds a UEFA Pro Licence and has vast experience having managed clubs in Europe and in the Asia. He will be in charge of Hearts for the next two years.
Matic became unattached after leaving Bulgarian club Septemvri Sofia few weeks ago after an unpleasant start to the 2022-23 season.
Matic played 29 matches in charge of Septemvri where he claimed 12 wins, drew 7 and lost 10 times since taking over in January 2022.
The former Serbian defender has been in Ghana for negotiations and other familiarities since last Tuesday.
He was introduced to the Hearts team on Wednesday afternoon when the club played a lower-tier club in a test match at their training grounds.
Matic has handled Serbian sides Napredak Krusevac, OFK Beograd, Novi Pavar and FK Sloboda Uzice.
He has also coached in Qatar where he was in charge of Al-Shamal SC and Al Ahli Doha.
Matic previously worked in Saudi Arabia where he was head coach of Al-Nojoom FC in a short-term spell.
During his days in China, he was assistant coach of Nantong Zhiyun FC and Henan Jianye.
Ghana must demonstrate that its debt levels are manageable, according to the International Monetary Fund, before the organization can accept an economic assistance plan for the nation.
Abebe Aemro Selassie, director of the IMF’s Africa Department, asserts that before an agreement can be achieved, Ghana must also provide a plan for economic transformation.
He continued by saying that the proposed strategy is currently being evaluated along with additional interactions with Ghanaian officials.
Speaking with journalists during a press briefing at the just-ended IMF/World Bank Spring meetings in the USA, the IMF Africa boss said, “so much will depend on how quickly this reform plan can be fleshed out for implementation.”
“There are also important initiatives that have to be taken in terms of how the programme will be financed so that we can move forward,”
Touching on Ghana’s debt sustainability analysis, the IMF Africa Director said the Fund and government are still waiting on the assessment to be completed.
“So, we are waiting for that assessment and I can tell you that we are doing our utmost, and we will do our utmost to make sure that we can provide support to Ghana as speedily as possible. So, that’s why, as I noted earlier, within a few days of the government requesting support, we fielded a mission, and we will do our utmost to avoid any kind of delay in terms of how we can support,” he added.
Ghana is targeting $3 billion from the IMF once an agreement can be reached. The support is expected to address the country’s macro-economic stability and among others.
After kicking off the last two years with her immensely acclaimed single ‘God of Miracle’ with Kofi Kinaata, the singer with the heavenly voice, Jane Rita, enacts us once more with this lovely “Patience” masterpiece for 2022.
As uniquely delivered, Jane Rita in an interview said, “Patience expresses how, as we patiently wait for His set time, our Heavenly Father bestows his heavenly grace upon us through the Holy Spirit.”
‘Patience’ is a timeless, upbeat, prophetic, and inspirational song that fuses English with a delightful Ghanaian dialect.
Adding, “The lovely music inspires Christ-followers to remain steadfast and patient in the face of adversity because God will take charge.”
The song ‘Patience’, which was inspired by Jane’s own experiences, is a joyful exhortation to the audience to let go of worry, anxiety, fear, and doubt by assuring them that joy will come when they wait.
Meanwhile, ‘Abotre’, which translates as “Patience” in the Akan language was produced by Shadrach Yawson (Shaa) and the video was directed by Skyweb Videos.
